Out-Of-Body Experience And Astral Projection
August 26, 2010 by Akemi
(Photo credit)
I’ve been dropping hints about astral projection here and here. It’s time to share my understanding of this unusual phenomena.
Is it astral projection or out-of-body experience?
First, the issue of name. Often, the New Age people use the word “astral projection” while the more science-oriented people call it “out-of-body experience”. And when the phenomena is involuntarily induced with severe physical trauma, it’s called “near-death experience”.
They are basically the same experience. However, I recently read a book called “Soul Traveler: A Guide to Out-of-Body Experiences and the Wonders Beyond
The author of this book, a NASA engineer with a doctorate degree, says his “soul travels” (the name he chooses to use) started with his astral body separating from his physical body. At some point, however, he realized he wasn’t using his astral body any longer — he realized he was just a “pinpoint of consciousness”. Further, he maintains that the astral body is only useful in the astral plane and, to fly higher than the astral plane into the causal, mental, and etheric plane, he needs to be this pinpoint of consciousness.
- Astral projection – The astral body is “projected”, voluntarily or involuntarily, from the physical body. Technically, it’s scope is limited to the astral plane.
- Out-of-body experience – A catchall term that includes astral projection.
- Near-death experience – Specific cases of out-of-body experience caused by physical trauma.
I am going to use the term “out-of-body experience (OBE)” from here on because it is more neutral and it covers wider range of experiences.
Is this for real?
Before some of you start thinking this article is too “occult”, let me assure you that many people who have had out-of-body experiences are ordinary people, with or without specific faith. The author of the aforementioned book, Albert Taylor, is one of them.
Another thing to consider is, those who had OBE come back with the knowledge they could not have known in the usual way. This seems to provide validity to their claim of having OBE. For example, Albert Taylor says he could visit his friend’s residence, where he had never visited, and provide details of the room later.
Another example is the one in Wikipedia’s “Out-of Body Experience“, in which the person has OBE “during brain surgery and described a surgical instrument she had not seen previously, as well as conversation that occurred while she was under anesthesia”.
The purpose of out-of-body experience
Some people practice the voluntary induction of out-of-body experience to have firsthand spiritual experience. Reading about spirituality is one thing — experiencing yourself as pure spirit (soul) is quite another.
When you are out of the body, you definitely know you are not just your body. This liberates you from the restrictive ideas and patterns of our daily life.
OBE also helps you to overcome the fear of death. If you are keeping consciousness while you are out of your body, what is so scary about losing the body upon death? Plus, you may even get a glimpse of the “other side” while you are having OBE.
My purpose of OBE
My purpose, however, is a little different. As Akashic Record Reader, I already know we are spiritual beings having human experiences, not the other way around. There is something that connects us all and this is why I get to read the Akashic Records of my clients who may be thousands of miles away and whom I have never met.
I also know our souls have been reincarnating many times. The past life memories are still kept in our soul and sometimes affect us in unexpected ways. This is another thing I have known and verified many times through my Akashic Record Reading practice.
Then why am I interested in OBE?
I used to think OBE as a kind of spiritual gymnastics. It’s certainly interesting and impressive, but why invest the time and effort to achieve it? I’m not interested in show biz.
I now think it a little differently. Here are my two objectives of OBE:
1. OBE serves as a practice of conscious dying
That is, dying while fully aware of the transition from this world to the other side. There are many ways to exit this world. Most of the time, we exit by the old-fashioned death, by losing consciousness (temporarily). But I think it is possible to make the transition while I am aware.
In voluntary OBE, you practice putting your physical body to sleep while you stay conscious. Once the body is asleep, you can get out and have all kinds of fun.
And conscious transition to the other side is basically about moving further in OBE and not returning to the physical body. So OBE is the first step of conscious dying. Practice this, get familiar with the in-out transition, explore the nearby astrals, so that eventually I’ll be ready to move on further.
(Not surprisingly, initial OBEs come with fear of the unknown. Consider this as warning if you, too, want to practice.)
2. OBE may help explore the details of soul’s mystery
There are many unanswered questions about the soul. For example,
“Can we live without a soul?”
My guess is no because we ARE the soul. However, if the “pinpoint of consciousness” is the soul itself, the body seems to be able to at least sleep and survive until we return to it. So then, how much life function does the body have without the soul? Is this about the body energy and the soul energy? Or is it not the soul that leaves the body?
“Do animals and plants have souls, too?”
This is related to the first question. If animals don’t have souls, when did we as humans start to have souls? Where is the line? If animals do have souls, do we reincarnate as animals and plants? I haven’t seen that in the Akashic Records so far.
(By the way, here is the article, an interview, in which personal development blogger Hunter Nuttall grilled me with so many great questions about the Akashic Records and the soul. This is one of the questions I could not answer back then — and therefore has been sitting on the back-burner since, for two years.)
“What are the true nature of spirit guides?”
I have working knowledge about spirit guides. I can even communicate with them. But who are they, really? When I get out of my body, is there a significant difference between me and them? Do I get to know them better in that form?
“What is the nature of dreams?”
There are many types of dreams. Some dreams are just our mind reviewing our awake life and seeking solutions. But there are some dreams that are so real. Often, flying dreams are one of them.
I have the feeling we are getting outside of the body while we are sleeping, but we just don’t remember it or we think it was a dream.
So I am checking to practice OBE. (Just started reading “Mastering Astral Projection: 90-day Guide to Out-of-Body Experience
I hope to have fun with this!
Have you had OBE? Do you have any questions? Let me know in the comment. Thank you.
No related posts.
Very interesting article. I sense spirit in animals, in mammals at least, but not in birds or reptiles, amphibians, fish, spiders and insects. I can imagine spirits reincarnating as cats, dogs, horses, apes, etc. just for the quick thrill of it.
I’m not sure why I reject the term ‘soul’. It may have something to do with my Protestant upbringing, I don’t know. Something in me cringes whenever I see ‘soul’. I don’t have that response to the word spirit or consciousness or source. Also, I have no experience of astral travel that I know of but would love to do it if I could.
I astral-project a good bit. The last time I did it was last week, and I was reaching out my body to touch some make-shift butterflies hanging over my bed. They’re made out of wire ribbon and I reached up and held one in my hand, and I could feel the texture. I then drifted back to sleep and back to my body.
Once I was out of my body sitting on the floor and my cat came up to me. So, apparently he could see my spirit.
Do you ever have lucid dreams? I think that we’re in the astral plane when we dream to begin with. Whenever I have a lucid dream, I usually try to make the best of it and have some fun flying.
I believe animals and plants have souls. There have been studies where scientists proved that plants have feelings; I do know they respond very well to classical music.
I hope you enjoy your OBE book!
-Merry
Brenda,
Thank you for your sharing. The animal “soul” issue has been a baffling one. I’ve never seen my clients were incarnated as animals before, but that could be because I only get to see relevant info in the Akashic Records.
Merry,
Yes, I, too, feel we all do astral projection while we are sleeping and dreaming. This is another reason I am interested in doing it “consciously”. It’s not about doing something totally new, it’s about bringing it up to my consciousness.
I’ve done lucid dreaming several times, but not often. I see the connection of dreaming – lucid dreaming – astral projection, so I am practicing them all.
I definitely agree plants have feelings. I sense that with my plants. And of course animals have feelings. But is that the same as having a soul? Hmmm…
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Hi Akemi
How experienced are you with Astral projection? And how conscious are you in the Astral/5th dimension? In other words, when you are in the astral dimension do you
have full control over yourself and are you fully aware of your surrounding, where you are in the astral like when you are awake in the physical world?
I have had a couple of obe’s and I swear they are so real. I can touch and feel things and I can go to far away places. I have a problem with this, I don’t think that I am dreaming. Last experience I had I was floating and spinning on top of my bed and I was afraid this time because it was so real. I keept on closing my eyes to go back to sleep and then I woke up back in my physical body.
Hi Ann
What you have experienced is very normal and you should not be afraid. You are lucky that you can be aware that you are in the astral world after you went to bed. Most people are not aware of that. In your case it was not a dream and it was real. You actually experienced the real Astral dimension. This is normal because everyone who goes to sleep they all go to Astral whether they are aware of it or not. Most people are not aware of what is happening to them when they go to sleep and they fall into dreams. Basically most people are dreaming while they are in the astral unconsciously and they don’t even realize where they are. In your case you were aware of what happened to you and that is a breakthrough. Good for you.
You however did not fall into dreams and instead you experienced the real astral world. Good for you. Instead of being afraid in the Astral, you should take the opportunity to explore it and look around and see what you see.
The best way to astral project is to relax your muscles and your body when you are in bed and then close your eyes and try to concentrate on one thing only. You can concentrate on anything such as a car, your room, your garden or an object. Pick one. For example if you choose a car, then concentrate on your car only and not anything else. Concentrate on the color of the car, the shape of your car, the smell of your car, focus on the interior of the car. Recreate the image of your car in your mind.
If thoughts come to your mind, then ignore the thoughts and move them aside and continue to concentrate on the car. The point to all this, is that you want to keep your awareness alive while your body falls asleep. As your body starts to fall asleep, you will leave your physical body and enter the astral world CONSCIOUSLY. Of course this takes lots of practice because a lot of people are so used to think about everything, their mind chatter all the time, they daydream all day, so its hard to train your mind to focus on ONE thing only. Concentration is not the same as meditation. Meditation is to keep your mind completely silent which means NO thinking or focusing on anything. Concentration is to focus on one thing only and nothing else. That’s the difference.
You should start with something simple like an apple or candle and focus on that. Concentrate on the shape of the object, the text of the object, the smell of the object and try to recreate the image of that object in your mind. Do this for 1-3 minutes each day and then move on to 5 minutes then 10 minutes then 30 minutes. As you improve your concentration for longer time you can try to focus on more complicated objects.
I have an advise for you, that is, if you ever find yourself flying in your room or spinning, please don’t panic. Try to grab any object around that you can see. Grab anything and hold it tight. That would keep your awareness longer and you can stay in the astral longer.
Remember Ann, everyone goes to Astral world every time they go to sleep. It happens to everyone. And every morning they all return back to physical body.
Some are aware of it and some are not aware of it. There is nothing dangerous about it because it happens to everyone for years since they were born. Its part of the nature.
Hi Ann
This is a good link to the website for you to learn and practice astral projection.
http://www.astralweb.org/
Hi Akemi–just discovered your web site and love it!! My question is about astral travel—-recently had a OBE while having a massage—just so relaxed, I floated above my body and looked down at it….is that astral travel? eventually reunited and completed the massage………………..Lara
Hi Lara,
Yes that is exactly what it is. It was an Astral travel. What happened to you was that as you were relaxing during the massage, your body fell asleep while your mind was still active. That is how people can manage to have conscious astral travel.
Why are we not teaching this in schools? Lord it makes you smarter, rids fear and enhances success. I telll and teach any who listen to me as I want all earth to know it.