Astral travel is, often, a clearer and more intense experience than meditation and lucid dreaming. Some call astral travel OBE or out-of-body experience. Most people who have experienced it- myself included- can testify to it's intensity. Often astral travel is experienced as clearly as daily (or "real") life, and sometimes even more clearly. Senses are heightened and everything around you can seem more real. What Is It? When astral travelling, we are aware that we are "dreaming" and our physical bodies are "asleep." Through astral projection (consciously passing from the physical plane to the astral plane), we are able to become aware of the process of allowing our body to fall asleep, and then become aware of passing from one plane to another. The astral plane is an unseen dimension, divided into seven levels, or planes, that then include many subplanes. It flows from the real-time zone but it's usually best to consider it as being completely separate from the physical plane. Some say it is nonspatial, while still spans the universe. Astral travel is a difficult concept for some to grasp. It sounds like a load of crap to many. But it is very real if we allow ourselves to learn a technique and realize our astral bodies do exist and can travel without the aid of our physical bodies. When we astral travel, we can fly through the air, some say it's more like "floating," we can glide over oceans and across the earth. We can contact spiritual entities that can guide us along our spiritual paths, and there is knowledge to be found that cannot be obtained through books or other people in this plane. No, you cannot become "stuck" in the astral plane and unable to find your body. You cannot die and be eternally separated from your physical body. It's a myth that this can happen. Actually, staying in the astral plane is the difficult part, not returning to the physical plane. We go to the astral plane when we sleep. When your body awakes, your astral body is united with your physical body. Astral travel is not lucid dreaming. It includes lucid dreaming, but also includes a conscious projection of your astral body into the astral plane, and being self-aware in the astral plane. TECHNIQUE There are many techniques of astral travel and projection. I choose to enter a light trance state first, while then moving to focus on physical relaxation, continued focus on the trance state, and then the split. The trance state does not have to be intense, and it's actually not even necessary to be in a trance in order to project your astral body. Deep, physical relaxation is the key. When the physical body falls asleep and enters the trance state, an internal shift of consciousness occurs and a projection reflex is triggered, then the astral body exits smoothly. If your "awake" mind is coherent throughout your trance and physical relaxation phase, your mind can trigger this projection reflex by using a technique of your choice. A popular technique is to "reach out" for an object, such as a rope, with your mind as you project. Visualize yourself reaching for and pulling yourself up a rope that is hanging from the ceiling down to your chest. Visualize your awareness hands (astral, not physical) grasping the rope and pulling you up. Feel youself move up the rope as you climb. Be aware of your physical body being left behind, and pull yourself out of it. Stay focused on the climbing and don't allow your physical body to tense or become "aware" of the climbing. What causes the projection is the awareness action of "reaching out" and pulling yourself out of your body with the rope. Don't move too slowly or quickly, keep a steady pace and bring each hand to your chest with each "pulling" motion. Soon, you will feel a dizziness or a sensation in your stomach or chest- similar to a falling sensation. You may then suddenly notice you are floating above your physical body. I'm not going to go into any more detail here on the site- there is so much to say, so many techniques, and so many aspects of the astral plane to be aware of. Just find a book and read. I hope this bit of information I offered will give you some clues about astral travel, and maybe even spark an interest if you had not been interested before. Good luck in finding a technique- you will be successful if you apply yourself. As always, if you have specific questions, e-mail me.                                                                      HOME                  NEXT                                                                                       An Autumn Celebration

Astral Travel