What is Astral Projection and What Are the Best Conditions for this Strange Experience?
Astral projection also known as the out-of-body experience and as "soul travel" by some groups, can happen to anyone at any time in one's life. Astral projection is often confused with lucid or vivid dreaming and most skeptics would say that what most people would experience as an out-of-body experience is just a dream. Even though it is quite common for an astral projection experience to be immediately proceeded by a vivid dream or even be mixed up with or embedded within dreams, when one has a full-blown out-of-body astral experience, it is often so real, so vivid and clear that in no way, shape or form is it considered by the experiencer as just being a dream. Genuine astral projection is experienced as a fully awakened state outside the body, and the person is able to actually see, usually from a strange angle, his or her usually still or lifeless looking body lying down on the bed, sofa or couch. One is able to see minute details in the room and travel anywhere else conceivable and watch events and discover new places and/or previously lost or undiscovered items that can later be confirmed.
Certain Tibetan masters and Indian yogi masters throughout history have developed the ability to fully conscious astral project at will and as a result of this awesome faculty, many other special powers too. A contemporary example is Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath who because I have met personally and directly experienced his amazing aura of energy (darshan), I may have seen a few times in the astral as there were some instances of this great yogi's presence appearing during my sleep and in deep meditation. Other such great masters of astral projection in the past include Paramhansa Yogananda, Sri Yukteswar, Rabindranath Tagore who came back speaking through the ectoplasm of direct voice medium, Leslie Flint (1960's?) regarding his experiences with astral travel and general information regarding power of thought, and the transmigrated Tibetan Lama, Tuesday Lobsang Rampa in the body of Cyril Henry Hoskin. Rampa provided the most outstanding descriptions and knowledge of astral projection, however he was also apparently the author of some of the most controversial books I ever read.
The Right Conditions for Astral Projection and How 100% Safe, Natural Astral Projection Can be Induced
The right conditions for conscious astral projection are tricky to master. To start with it is very helpful to learn meditation and train the body to increase concentration on the inner self (third eye) and withdrawing away from the external senses, while calming down one's breathing and slowing down heart rate toward 40 beats per minute. Celibacy is quite essential, otherwise it can be very hard trying to maintain the constant enthusiasm and concentration required for the successful completion of this project which involves the process of slowing metabolic rate and fully replacing all physical activity, physical thought, awareness, and consciousness with internal spiritual awareness to the point that the physical becomes quite numb, cold, still and lifeless. Only then in such a deep state of trance does it become possible to consciously leave the body at will. Such an attainment of this nature is quite profound, vital and priceless, because such an ability leads to a complete mastery over the very powers of life, death and reincarnation. It is extremely unfortunate that during this present age, that the overall tendency of humankind is too much external, way too much sensuality, and too much into the physical world and physical senses. It is this overall tendency or tendencies that are causing so much pain, so much skepticism against spiritual truths, confusion and suffering in the world. This grave concern is the main reason why I am taking so much of my time to create this website.
Spontaneous astral projection during deep sleep is much more common and more accessible by some. The odds of astral travel occurring during deep sleep can be improved by some form of vigorous physical exercise near end of day so that muscles are no longer restless and are therefore more prone to relaxation. In early evening after a light dinner (or sometimes even a fast depending on individual need) one should practice a little yoga and do some meditation before sleeping. Start actual night time period of rest or sleep with a deep relaxation posture while concentrating on every muscle in body to completely relax, withdrawing energy from each and every muscle to all the spinal centers and then up to third eye. Try to remain wide-awake while body falls asleep. If this does not work, (usually takes several weeks of practice) set alarm at 3:00 or 4:00 AM, get up and exercise for 15 minutes at that time and then follow the same deep relaxation routine leading to a wide-awake yet fully asleep effect. What should happen is a deep internalization of awareness along with a state of temporary paralysis (catalepsy) and a terrific vibration and/or intense tingling sensation that can seem way too intense to stand. In this vibrational state, it becomes possible to split away from the body and further away one gets the less vibration one feels until one is several feet away and some can observe a silver cord between the physical and astral or etheric self. It becomes possible then to move about the room by concentration on where one wants to go. It takes much practice at first to learn how to control the astral body which is much like the life of a newborn child which has yet to learn how to walk and run, etc.
There is absolutely no danger or ever any real reason to fear astral projection or even death for that matter. If one has to die then death involves simply taking up a much more permanent residence at one's true home in one of the astral spheres. Fear during the first few attempts at astral travel is a huge problem and will often find one's self slammed right back into the physical body under the slightest provocation of fear and/or even thinking of the physical. Death can never be caused by astral projection, however the process of dying is often the greatest opportunity ever for astral projection! There are countless worlds in the afterlife that are filled with vast wonders and opportunities of all kinds. For those who are good natured, kind hearted and full of love (most people are) the afterlife is simply wonderful and filled with unspeakable beauty, great love, awesome bliss, great music and great adventures.
As long as no illicit drugs are involved, astral projection is a 100% natural, 100% safe and 100% blissful occurrence. Astral projection is an expression of the conscious freedom of the soul while the physical body is in a temporarily state of suspended animation and slowed down or "hibernating" metabolism. The more often one can induce this temporary "death" of the physical, the sooner one becomes an adept or master over the otherwise terrible whims of life and death.
The Various Forms of Astral Projection: From Traveling Clairvoyance to Complete Immersion on Astral Plane
There are various forms of astral projection. The simplest is remote viewing, which really is a form of traveling clairvoyance as a fragment of one's self senses events and scenes from a remote location while the remote viewer sits in a darkened room in a light state of trance. While meditating in my darkened apartment one morning, I could actually see within my mind's eye (or third eye?) a clear image of some contractors working on the roof of a small house. It had a chimney and it appeared like there were up to seven contractors working on the construction of a new roof. At first I assumed I must have been picking up a scene from the astral plane (happens to me sometimes) of astral workers creating an astral building (does happen on some of the astral worlds). It was not until after I stopped meditating, and while on the way to get my mail, I happened to notice a small house going up right next to my apartment complex with the same contractors working on the same roof with chimney, etc! It is experiences like these that prove to me beyond a shadow of a doubt about their reality. Experiences of remote viewing, though rare and hard to repeat, are real as day.
A deeper form of remote viewing occurs when the soul is aware in two places at once, behind the physical eyes and from within the astral viewpoint. This effect does happen and illustrates the fact that as long as the physical body remains alive, the soul stays behind with the body while its etheric double goes around and about which the soul also keeps in touch with. Another form of astral travel is actually the out-of-body experience where one is aware mainly of the etheric counterpart of the earth plane and can perceive, even sometimes feel (but not actually touch or pick up except under very rare conditions) all the things most closely associated with Earth. Actual astral projection is travel in the higher spheres above the earth plane where one is in the astral counterpart (or duplicate) of one's physical body and can meet friends and loved ones who either have passed over or are also asleep, dreaming and/or astral traveling!
There have been some documented cases where one has actually seen while wide awake physically someone else's etheric double (or doppelganger) standing in the same room often to say "goodbye" to a loved one if while in grave danger and/or dying or simply while astral projecting. In the book, Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramhansa Yogananda there are several instances of yogis traveling in their astral bodies either while still physically living or even after their deaths who were able to fully appear in a solid form in front of various witnesses. For example read The Resurrection of Sri Yukteswar and wonder about that. Paramhansa Yogananda never had any personal reason(s) or inclinations to ever lie or deceive others.
I personally had someone come visit me in the astral while I was in a deep relaxation trance in my early twenties. This person's energy was so intense it pulled me out of my body through my heart center! Then when I saw this guy sitting with his normal clothes on in a meditation posture right in front of me, I had no idea whatsoever that he was there because he had just died! The entire experience can be found on my free e-book The Science of Wholeness, "Lesson 14" at paragraph 14.7: Death, Enlightenment, Bliss and Resurrection. I know for sure these things are real, and when one has a paranormal experience, there is no denying it whatsoever, it happened!
The wise yogi learns how to calm his breath, slow down his heartbeat and withdraw his physical energy deep into the spinal centers and then ultimately deep into the third eye where he can "die daily" with full ability to leave his body at will just as one can leave one's vehicle by simply opening the door and walking out of it. The late Indian poet and master of yoga, Rabindranath Tagore who came back speaking through the ectoplasm of direct voice medium, Leslie Flint very clearly explains his life-long interest in astral projection and how he mastered it and the unspeakable beauty of the higher spheres that he now lives on. Unless one has (perhaps in a past life) previously learned it, astral projection is never something one can simply learn overnight and then do for recreation or entertainment. It is rather a serious undertaking requiring total commitment. Astral projection is a spiritual enrichment practice and not something one should do only for materialistic, sensual, selfish or mundane reasons, as such low levels of intention and/or consciousness would be unwise and make it much harder to achieve any worthwhile results.
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Russell Symonds (Shaktivirya) has dedicated his life to finding wholeness and is living the "wholeness" lifestyle. His website, Science of Wholeness is a spiritual and nutritional information and research center dedicated to helping you find your keys to wholeness (everlasting joy, love, bliss, rejuvenation, and much, much more). There is no greater thing of beauty, value and joy as wholeness!
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