Astral projection
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- For information about the music group see Astral Projection (group)
Astral projection is a controversial interpretation of lucid dreaming (or deep meditation) as an out of body experience. Proponents maintain that their consciousness has transferred into an astral body (or "double"), which moves free of the physical body in a parallel world known as the astral plane. This concept is associated with the occult and the New Age movement, and is not accepted by the majority of the scientific community.
During an astral voyage, communication with other projectors or spirits is claimed to be possible. Sometimes the traveler reports being attached to his/her physical body by a silver umbilical cord. Pets have been said to react in a frightened manner, and some claim seeing an astrally projecting person's spirit as a colored beam or shot or light darting around the room. Astral projectors are said to have described details of the outside world whilst in projection that they could not have known beforehand, and this has been studied extensively as remote viewing. In remote viewing, however, the viewer does not leave his or her body, but "sees" remote sites by other means.
In addition to anecdotal evidence, laboratory experiments have validated that a sleeping person can be aware that they are dreaming. It follows that such dreamers must be exploring a very unusual mental landscape. Modern science generally interprets this as a purely physiological occurrence within the human body, explained by subconscious ideas that have been inflated by an imaginative retelling. Astral projectors find their firsthand experiences compelling enough to validate the dualism of body and spirit, and believe they have visited another world.
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Astral Projection References
Robert Monroe who founded the Monroe Institute published several accounts of his experiences of astral projection including "Far Journeys". Robert developed a method he calls Hemisync to induce mental states that are favorable for projection. Hemisync is a synchronization of the brainwaves of both of the brain's hemispheres or lobes. This is achieved by altering brain waves using sounds, together with meditative instruction, listened to on headphones. The process based on a concept referred to as "binaural beats".
An exhaustive reference which includes techniques, types of out-of-body experiences, types of related phenomena, etc., is the large book "Projectiology" by Dr. Waldo Vieira, which has over 1,907 bibliographic entries from sources in 18 languages on the topic.
An extensive variety of different methods to self-initiate and control astral projection is detailed by William Buhlman the author of two best selling books on the subject. An online Survey and Forum is available at http://www.astralinfo.org.
One source of astral projection theory and practice—from an occult perspective—is Robert Bruce's Treatise on Astral Projection posted at http://www.astraldynamics.com/tutorials/?BoardID=65 . Bruce has written two books on the subject.
Astral Projection and the Bible
The Bible may contain a reference to astral projection in Template:Bibleverse:
- "Remember [your Creator] — before the silver cord is severed,
- or the golden bowl is broken;
- before the pitcher is shattered at the spring,
- or the wheel broken at the well,
- and the dust returns to the ground it came from,
- and the spirit returns to God who gave it."
Also, there are many passages within the Bible alleging that prophets were "in the spirit" while receiving prophecy. Biblical scholars generally attribute this to being in a dream-like state or trance. Some claim that this may be further evidence of astral projection.
See Also
- Astral body
- Esotericism
- Lucid dreaming
- Metaphysics
- Mysticism
- New Age
- Occultism
- Out of body experience
- Personal reality
- Pseudoscience
- Remote Viewing - note, however, that some remote viewers do not feel that they are leaving their bodies
- Tattva Vision
- Subtle body
- Sleep Paralysis
- Binaural beats - Using sounds to synchronize both hemispheres of the brain, considered conducive to astral travel or lucid dreaming
External link
Note that most, if not all, of these links are from a pro-AP perspective.
- Detailed information about Astral Projection (http://www.astralinfo.org)
- Forum on Astral Projection (http://www.astralsociety.com)
- Articles on Astral Travel (http://www.spiritual.com.au/astral.html)
- Out-of-body experience & astral projection info & forum (http://www.nexusbooks.net/obe)
- Dictionary of the History of Ideas: (http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/cgi-local/DHI/dhi.cgi?id=dv1-65) Cosmic Voyages
- Free Online Courses (http://www.mysticweb.org)
- Frequently Asked Questions About Astral Travel (http://www.iacworld.org/English/Resources/FAQs/OutOfBodyExperienceFAQ.asp)tr:Astral Seyahat