ASTRAL PROJECTION a n d
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E x p l o r i n g th e O u t - o f - B o d y S tate J O H N
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' • • . - J i . l B U ' PU BL BLISHIN G COMPANY.IKC
Contents
Acknowledgments Preface: The Rise of a Book
ix xi
Cir Circle cle 1— 1—P re p a rin g fo r th e A stral What Is Astral Projection? The History of Astral Projection Prepare for Adventure Awareness Between Ego and Soul Thee Belief Th Belie f Sys tem Physical Realities Astral Astral R ealities Basic Fears Astr As tral al Pro jection jecti on F ea rs
Circ Circle le 2—G 2—G etting ettin g O ut T h er e Sleep States Affirmations Visualization Attitude T h e E n e rg y o f I n t e n t Energy Exercises
3 6
16 19 27 37 47 60 68 78 95 116 119 135 144 148
E x it it T e c h n i q u e s P u t ti t i n g I t A ll ll T o g e t h e r I f a t F i r s t Y ou o u D o n ’t S u c c e e d . . . S i m p l if i f ie ie d A P T e c h n i q u e T h e R e a li l i t y o f A s t ra ra l P r o j e c t i o n Personal Challenges for the Projector Conquering Fear Psychic Side Effects
C ircle 3 —“Min d” Your S tep N e e d s f o r G r o w t h Taming the Mind Addictions Realities and Beliefs Astral Sex Urges C a u s e s o f A d d i c ti ti o n H e a li l i n g A d d i c t io io n s C l a ri r i ty ty N o w ! P h y s i c a l A t tr tr a c t i o n Prolonging the Projection Mind Creation Requests Replenishing Energy
Circle Circle 4— 4 —The N ature atu re o f Reality T h e M e a n in in g o f L Lii f e O u r N a t u re T h e W o r ld ld s B e y o n d T h e N a t u r e o f R e a l it it y F u r t h e r E x p l o ra ra t i o n A p p e n d ix ix : A s t r a l T r o u b l e s h o o t e r Endnotes A d d i t io io n a l R e s o u r c e s
Ackn Acknow owle ledg dgmen mentts
I w o u l d l i k e t o g i v e a b i g h u g t o e v e r y o n e w h o h a s c o n t r ib ib u t e d t o th e m a kin g o f t h i s b o o k . A s t h i s b o o k h a s p r o g r e s s e d , 1 h a v e c o m e t o r e a li liz e t h a t n o n p h y si c a l p e o p llee s u r r o u n d u s . T h e y v i s it it m e i n m y d r e a m s a n d a s t r a l p r o je c t i o ns ns . A f e w o f t h e m
h a v e b e e n f ie i e r c e l y i n t e r e s t e d i n t h e c o n t e n t s o f t h is is
b o o k a n d s o h a v e u n s e l f i s h l y p u t i d e a s i n m y m i n d . A h u g e g r a t i t u d e goes t o t h e s e m u s e s . A nother
g r a t i tu tu d e
J am am e s , A n d r e w
goes
M usch ,
to
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th e
a s t ra l
L a n i e r,
John
p r o j e c t o r s —A —A n d r e w F lo l o y d, d,
and
J u li li a
C h a r le s M e lg l g es es -
B r e n n e r— r —w h o h a v e r e v i e w e d t h e c o n t e n t s o f t h is i s b o o k a n d p r o v id i d e d in v a lu ^ l e f e e d b a c k . I a ls ls o t h a n k t h e m f o r t h e t e c h n i q u e s t h e y h a v e sh a r e d .
I would also l i k e t o t h a n k t h e g o o d p e o p l e a t H a m p t o n R o a d s : F ra ra n k DeMarco, Richard L e v i to t o n , S a r a h H i lf l f e r, r, T a n ia S e y m o u r, J a n e H a g a m a n , *«ne Louque, D i a n e L y n c h , V i r g in i n i a C o l b u r n , a n d e v e r y o n e e ls ls e w h o has pitched in. And t o m y w i f e, e , B a r b , w h o s e s o u l (I h a v e s e e n i t) t ) i s a s s h i n i n g b lu lu e as th e f ir m a m e n t : T h a n k
y o u f o r o p e n in g m y e ye s w h e n th e y w e r e
a i th th . closed, and f o r o u r l e a p s o f f ai
ix
Preface
The The Rise Rise o f a Book ook
,
Journal Entry July Ju ly 11, 2002 200 2 I wake up after an aftern oon nap. I ha ve the the wh ole outline outline of this this bo ok in my my head head.. Stra Strang nge e, I ne ve r h ad an y spe cial pa ssio n fo r writ writin ing g such a book, but now I can’t can’t wait wait to get started started.. I am m otiv ate d like n ev er before. The top o f m y he ad is tingli tingling ng like like craz crazy, y, as if so m eo ne or som et hin g is feed ing m e information. Plus, Plus, I am irrit irritat ate ed, p o ssibly be ca us e m y logical m ind can't m ake se ns e o f where I am getti getting ng the the ins inspi pirat ratio ion. n.
A f e w y e a r s b a c k , s e e m i n g l y fo f o r n o p a r t i c u l a r r e a s o n , I b e c a m e c u ri ri o u s a b o u t w h a t li li e s b e y o n d
the
p h y s ic ic a l. C o u l d th e r e b e s o m e th i n g
m o r e ? I s u r e h o p e d s o , b e c a u s e i f t h e r e w e r e n o t , l i f e w o u l d l a p s e b ac ac k in to t h e b o r e d o m
a n d c o m p l e x i t y o f m o d e r n W e s t e r n s o c ie i e ty t y . Im I m a g in in e
m y s u r p r i s e w h e n , a w e e k l a te r , I s t u m b l e d u p o n a c c o u n t s o f n e a r -d e a t h e x p e r ie i e n c e s o n K e v in i n W i l li l i a m s ’s ’s n e a r - d e a t h s i t e (w (w w w . n e a r - d e a t h . c o m ). I t w a s a s i f I w e r e g u i d e d t o t h e i n f o r m a t i o n b y a h e lp l p f u l e n e r g y , a n d I p r o b a b l y w a s . P r e v i o u s l y , I h a d b e e n i g n o r a n t o f a n d u n i n t e r e s t e d i n t h e c o n c e p t o f l i f e a f t e r d e a t h . B e c a u s e I a m s o m e w h a t o f a p r o c r a s ti ti n a t o r , I h a d p o s t p o n e d t h in i n k i n g a b o u t d e a t h . I r e a s o n e d t h a t d e a t h g e t s in t h e
xi
Astra l Projection a n d th e Natu re o f R eality
way of living. Literally, it does, bu t I now a pp rec iate de ath bee ause it
f rad'c
makes life larger and more profound. The near-death accounts I read about on the site were amazing. T h e r e w a s n o d ou bt t h a t t h e r e m u s t b e s om e s o r t o f e x . s t e n c e a f t e r th e d e a t h o f t h e p h ys ic a l b od y . T h e s h e e r n u m b e r o f w i t n e s s e s - t e n s o f th o u -
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sands—should be pro of enough to convince anyone b ut th e m ost ha rd c o r e sk e p ti c . In th e f a c e o f t h e e v i d e n c e , d e a t h n o w s e e m e d q u i t e a r i d e ,
.'t r m reSo u r c e |
and I could not wait to discover what was included in that ride. A desire
^
began to grow in m y m in d. W ould it n o t be a w e so m e to s e e all th e s e things in the beyond without actually having to die first?
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I m a gi ne m y s e c o n d s u r p r i s e w h e n I s t u m b l e d u p o n s o m e t h i n g c a l le d astral projection on the Internet. Now, this was a far-out subject. Apparently, there are people all over the world who engaged in the very t h in g I d e s i r e d : s e e i n g th e w o r l d b e y o n d t h e p h y s ic a l . I w a s s u r p r i s e d t o discover that some people spontaneously experienced astral projection, a n d I w a s th r il le d t h a t o t h e r s d e l i b e r a t e ly a t t e m p t e d t o i n d u c e s u ch e x p e r ie n c e s , a r m e d w i t h n o th i n g b u t a m e a g e r a m o u n t o f l it e r a t u r e , their experience, and their wits. It seemed possible for me to go where I w a n t e d t o g o w i t h o u t t h e h a s s l e o f d y i n g a f t e r a ll . A f t e r m y d i sc o v e r ie s , I p r a c t i c e d a s t r a l p r o j e c t i o n d i l ig e n t ly fo r weeks. I tried out 20 techniques designed for leaving the body, all of w h ic h I fo u nd o n th e W e b , f r e e o f c h a r g e . N o n e o f t h e m w o r k e d a s I h a d h o p e d . I c o n c lu d e d t h a t t h e r e m u s t b e s o m e t h i n g 1 w a s n o t d o i n g r ig h t, bu t w h a t? T h e n o n e nig h t, a f t e r tw o in te n s e m o n th s o f a tte m p tin g to leave the body, that “som ethin g” rev ea led itself as if by a cc ide nt. I fell a s le e p d ur in g a s e ss io n . W h e n I w o k e u p , I h a d t h e s u r p r i s e ( a n d t e r r o r ) o f m y life a s I w a s s u c k e d i n t o a n o t h e r d i m e n s i o n o f e x i s t e n c e . I h a d finally accomplished my first astral projection. The missing ingredient h a d b e e n t h e s t a t e o f m i n d t h a t c a n o n l y b e a c h i e v e d w h e n w a k i n g up after a period of sleep.
tunnel \ advance y awesome e everything
UPfror I did.
The realization brought about by my weird astral experience-that I w a s n o t t h e b o d y, b u t s o m e t h i n g t h a t c o u ld l e a v e t h e b o d y a n d r e t u r n to it radically changed my priorities. I sta rte d tak ing respo nsib ility for my
'hal sort or"
^
spiritual and em otional grow th. I grew less in ter e ste d in m ate rial purM y a c a d e m i c l a b o r s u f fe r e d . I t n o l o n g e r m a d e s e n s e t o m e to quite skills (in marketing) that had nothing to do with my spiritual
S:>'
Tlie Rise of a Book
311,
g ro wth . I co n fess th at so m e o f my ed u c atio n in m ark etin g was b latan tly co n trad icto ry to sp iritu al g ro wth . ^
aS
be
I a b a n d o n e d t h e q u e s t f o r f i n a n c i a l s e c u ri ty , s o m e t h in g t o w h i ch I pre vio usly h a d b e e n p r e p a r e d to d e d ic a t e m y fu tu r e . I re a liz e d th a t life is not a competition where the person who dies with the most money is d eclared win n er. Life is p reci o u s, to o p recio u s to b e v iewed as a b attle
laf ride. \ to c
over money and security. It does not make sense to waste time on col
a
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, 0seea"«hese
lectin g reso u rces th at y o u h av e to leav e b eh in d at d eath an y way . Ultimately, it does not make sense to spend your life pretending to be s o m e on e t h a t is n o t y o u, d o i n g t h in g s t h a t a r e n o t in y o u r n a t u r e . W h a t m a k e s s e n s e is to b e y o u r s e l f a n d t o c r e a t e s o m e t h i n g i n l ife t h a t y o u c an
ta k e w i t h y ou a f t e r t h a t l ife h a s e n d e d . I r e a l iz e d t h a t p e o p l e i n g e n e r a l , a s I h a d , s u c c u m b t o a s o r t o f s p i r itual tunnel vision to such a degree that they remain oblivious to the imm en se v alu e o f th eir o wn liv es, a n d I felt co m p elled to d o s o m eth in g a b o u t it. S o m e w h e r e i n t h e s e t h o u g h t s , t h e i d ea o f a b o o k w a s b o r n , a book t h a t w o u ld h e lp p e o p le h e lp th e m s e lv e s . A b o o k t h a t w ould he lp s tr es se d -o u t m o d e r n
m e n a n d w o m e n a w a k e n to t h e i r o w n la rg e r
n a t u r e , in w h i c h t h e y w o u l d t a k e c h a r g e o f t h e i r liv es a n d m a k e t h em b e tte r. It w a s a n id e a o f a b o o k , n o t j u s t on a s tra l p ro je c tio n , b u t als o o n t h e n a t u r e o f re a l it y . I d o u b t r e a d e r s o f t h i s b o o k s u f f e r f ro m t o o m u c h o f t h e m e n ti o n ed tu n n el v isio n (o r y o u wo u ld n o t b e read in g th is), b u t at least I mig h t a d v a n ce y o u r k n o w i n g o f r e a l i ty a n d i n s p i r e y o u t o te ll o t h e r s a b o u t t h e awesome experiences that come with that knowing. From now on, with ev ery th in g y o u say an d d o , y o u will in sp ire ev ery o n e a ro u n d y o u to wak e u p fro m th eir s tate o f tu n n el v isio n an d fin d a life tru e r to o u r fo rm, as I did. As a rip p le u p o n water, th e awak en in g will trav el o v er th e h u man sp ecies, wh ich will th en tak e a g ian t leap in to n o n p h y sical realms an d accep t th em as we h av e ac cep ted th e p h y sical realm fo r so lon g. W ith th at so rt o f u n d e rstan d in g o f reality , th ere will b e n o limits to wh ere we
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I , o e “ ’p l r i" 1" 1 hn Sm yS|
can go. W ell, th at is my rom anticized id ea o f w hat will happ en. Originally, I practiced astral projection, aside from for the fun of it, to g et p erso n al p ro o f th at th ere was s o meth in g mo re to ex i sten ce th an the physical. Specifically, I wanted to know whether death was the final
Astra l Projection a nd th e Na tu re o f Real ity
curtain or if it was just a portal, as the n ea r-de ath acco unts had sug gested. In time, my objectives expanded. Assuming that there is much more to existence than the physical, which certainly seemed evident, 1 had an urge to find out how the physical fit into this greater picture. 1 w a n t ed to k n o w ho w c re a t io n w a s s t r u c t u r e d - i f i t w a s s t r u c t u r e d . This book is my report on what I have learned on this subject so far. Or, more correctly, this book reports my opinions and interpretations of what I have experienced. From what I have seen, creation seems to be a very subjective place. W ha t I have perceived m ay or m ay not m atch wh at you have perceived or will perceive; the refo re, I can t claim that what is revealed in this book is the absolute truth. I can only say that to the b est of my ability I have draw n conclusions from my e xp erien ce. In the end, we all have our own opinions, and this is something we should treasure, lake what knowledge you can use from this book and make it your own. Rip out the pages you do not agree with and make a nice warm fire with them. I
could w rite until my ha nd s fall off ab ou t w h at I have exp erienced ,
y e t n o b o d y w o ul d b e n e f i t f ro m i t, s i m p l y b e c a u s e i t is h u m a n n a t u r e ( a n d a g o o d n a t u r e i t is ) to r e m a i n u n c o n v i n c e d u n t i l p e r s o n a l e x p e r i ence says otherwise. There is no substitute for personal proof, which is w hy th is b o ok e n c o u r a g e s y o u r e a d e r s , w i th t h e h e l p o f s o m e e x e r c is es , t o fi nd yo u r o w n e x p e r i e n c e o f t h e n o n p h y s i c a l r e a l m . I w a n t yo u t o s e e what I have seen, but I want you to see it in your own unique way. This book gives you the tools for exploring other worlds, physical a n d n o n p h y s i c a l. T h e t o o l s c o n s i s t o f a t e c h n i q u e f o r le a v i n g y o u r b od y a n d t h e k n o w l e d g e t o n a v i g a t e o n c e o u t o f y o u r b o d y . I f y o u r m o ti v e f or l ea v in g y o u r b o d y i s t o h a v e f u n , t h e n y o u a r e r e a d i n g t h e r i g h t b oo k . I c a n t th i n k o f a n y t h i n g m o r e f u n t h a n a s t r a l p r o j e c t i o n . I f y o u r m o t iv e is a desire to understand reality, then you are also reading the right book. In th is b o ok , w e w ill s e ri o u s ly c o n s i d e r w h a t w e a r e a n d w h a t e v e ry th in g a r o u n d u s, p h y si ca l a n d n o n p h y s i c a l , is . W e w i ll d o t h i s p a r t l y b y m a k i ng s e v e ra l d e e p d i v e s in t o t h e a s t r a l a n d p a r t l y b y r e f l e c t i n g a n d d is c u s si n g t h e e x p e r i e n c e s . To ease exploration, I have divided this book into sections I call ' te les becau se I believe o ur lives are divide d into circles of knowledge. o f w h ic h w e m u s t d i g e s t b e f o r e w e c a n t a k e o n t h e n e x t C irc le .
The Rise of a Book
«ec„ ’ ik "Is t 'a( th V y . w S i , \ \
5r
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ga ch C i rc le c o n t a i n s a n u m b e r o f t o p i c s . R a c h t o p i c is e x e m p l if ie d by journ al e n trie s a n d e x e rc is e s . T h e jo u r n a l e n tr ie s r e p r e s e n t a sm all porlion o f m y p e r s o n a l e x p e r i e n c e s . A p a r t f r o m t h e k n o w l e d g e t h e y co m m un ic a te , I t h i n k y o u w i ll f in d t h e m f u n t o r e a d . Regarding the exercises-they are stepping-stones into the astral. A stra l p r o j e c t i o n is n o t m e r e l y a m a t t e r o f l e a v in g t h e b o d y a n d c o m i n g back to it. T h e e x c it in g p a r t is w h a t h a p p e n s b e tw e e n t h e s e tw o e v e n ts . That experience depends on beliefs, moods, and other things going on in t he m i n d . T h e e x e r c i s e s a r e m e a n t t o l o o s e n u p t h e m i n d , s o it c a n fully benefit from the projection. Some exercises may seem to have lit tle t o d o w i th a s t r a l p r o j e c t i o n , b u t t h e y a r e a p r e p a r a t i o n f o r t h e e x p e r ie n ce . I f a ll yo u w a n t t o d o i s s e e w h e t h e r y o u c a n l e a v e y o u r b od y (w hich y ou c a n ) , t h e n s o m e o f t h e s e e x e r c i s e s m a y b e s u p e r f l u o u s . B u t if y ou w a n t t o e x p l o r e t h e a s t r a l p r o j e c t i o n e x p e r i e n c e t o t h e f u ll e st , I r ec o m m e n d t h a t y ou c a r r y o u t a s m a n y o f t h e e x e r c i se s a s p o ss ib le . T h e f i r s t C i r c le , “ P r e p a r i n g f o r t h e A s t r a l , ” g e a r s y ou u p f o r t h e a s tr a l. It d i s c lo s e s s o m e g r o u n d b r e a k i n g o p i n io n s o n t h e n a t u r e o f r e a l ity. A l th o u g h y ou d o n o t n e e d t o k n o w a n y o f t h i s i n o r d e r t o l e a ve y o u r bod y, it m ay h e lp y ou u n d e r s t a n d w h a t is h a p p e n in g . T h e s e c o n d C ir cl e, “G e t t in g O u t T h e r e , ” a s s i s t s y o u in c r e a t i n g y o u r f i r s t a s t r a l p r o je c tio n . E v e n if y o u h a v e a lr e a d y h a d o n e o r m o re p r o je c tio n s , it is a g oo d i d e a to a t l e a s t lo o k a t t h e t e c h n i q u e u s e d . I u se w h a t I h a ve fo un d t o b e t h e e a s i e s t m e t h o d a v a i la b l e to g e t o n e i n to t h e a s t r a l f ro m a s t a r ti n g p o i n t o f w a k i n g c o n s c i o u s n e s s . T h a t m e a n s a lo t, b e c a u s e I have tried many. The third C ircle, “‘M ind ’ You r Ste p ,” assis ts you in getting to know h ow th e a s t r a l w o r k s . K n o w i n g h o w y o u r m i n d w o r k s is ke y, b e c a u s e t h e astral is controlled by your mind. I would even go as far as saying that the astral is y o u r m i n d . B u t th e n , o f c o u r s e , w e w o u ld h a v e to d e f i n e t h e word “mind” to clear up misconceptions. This is something that has never properly been done, and perhaps it can’t be properly done until we know more about what we really are. For that reason, I will not
s I c8‘ #leW'
a t te m p t to d e f i n e m i nd h e r e , e i th e r . W hen you have finished th e thir d C ircle, you will have the tools you n e e d t o e x p l o r e t h e n a t u r e o f th a t w h i ch s u r r o u n d s y o u. A s m e n t io n e d , the tools consist of your skills in leaving your physical body at will and
Astra l P rojection a n d th e N atu re o f Reality
your knowledge of how to navigate the astral to get the best results for your explorations. The fou rth Circle, “The Na ture o f Reality,” discusses th e rela tionship betw e en th e physical a n d th e a stra l, how w e fit in to th e p ic tu re , and wh at may lie outside the bo rde rs of exp lored rea lm s. T he re is so much to be discovered, a whole new world, so let us begin.
Qetym m If y o u a s k a ( p h y sic a l m a t t e r i
|
1,1
ereadinboo
xvi
C
ir c l e
1
Preparing fo r the Astral Get y o u r m ind and body in shape for the big exit. If you ask a good quan tum physicist wha t the true nature of physical matter is, you will get the a ns wer that it is nonphysical. — Deepak Chopra, Body, Mind, and Sou l1
I n t h i s C i rc l e , w e w i l l d i s c u s s s o m e p r e c o n c e i v e d n o t io n s o f w h a t a s tr a l p r o j e c t i o n i s a n d , f r a n k l y , s h r e d t h e m
t o b i ts . W e w ill p a v e t h e
w a y f o r y o u t o f o r m y o u r o w n o p i n i o n o f t h e a s t r a l f ro m y o u r o w n a s t r a l e x p e r ie n c e s ( w h i ch w ill c o m e i n t h e n e x t C i r c l e ) , r a t h e r t h a n f ro m w h a t y ou h a v e r e a d i n b o o k s .
What Is Astral Projection?
T h e r e a r e a s m a n y d e f i n it io n s o f w h a t a s t r a l p r o je c t io n is a s t h e r e a r e a s t r a l p r o j e c t o r s . I th i n k i t is a g o o d i d e a t o g i ve m y d e f i n i ti o n b e f o r e we delve into the topic. P r o j e c t i o n , i n t h i s c a s e , i s t h e p r o c e s s b y w h i c h y o u s e l e c t a p h y s ic a l
o r n o n p h y s ic a l o b j e c t a n d t u r n ( o r s h if t) y o u r a w a r e n e s s ( o r a t te n t i o n ) to it. I t c a n a ls o b e v i e w e d a s t h e p r o c e s s o f d r a w in g a n o b j ec t, o r t h e c o n c e p t o f a n o b j e c t , i n t o y o u r a w a r e n e s s , b u t t h o s e a r e j u s t tw o d i ff er e n t w ay s o f l o o k in g a t t h e s a m e p r o c e s s . E v e r y t h o u g h t y o u h av e is a p r o j e c t io n o f a w a r e n e s s . F o r e x a m p l e , o n e s e c o n d y o u m a y b e p r o j e c ti n g y o u r a w a r e n e s s t o a m e m o r y o f a n a r t ic l e o n s t r a w b e r r i e s t h a t yo u r e a d t w o w e e k s ag o. T h e n e x t s e c o n d y o u a r e p r o j e c ti n g y o u r a w a r e n e s s t o a m e m o r y o f t he s w e e t t a s t e o f a s t r a w b e r r y . A s a n o t h e r e x a m p l e , i f I h a v e to s h a r p e n a p e n c il, d u r in g t h e s h a r p e n i n g p r o c e d u r e I p r o je c t m y a w a r e n e s s to th e p e n c il, t h e n t o t h e s h a r p e n e r , a n d t h e n b a c k to m y u s u a l d a y d r e a m . P r o j e c ti n g o n e ’s a w a r e n e s s t o o t h e r r e a l it i e s ta k e s a b i t m o r e e f f o rt , b u t it is the exact same procedure. A w a r e n e s s is t h e p o i n t o f y o u r m e n t a l f oc us . I t is th e c l e a r e s t p a r t
As tra! Projection anti th e Natu re o f Re ality
of your conscious m ind. The functions of the m ind can be divided into two major parts: the conscious and the subconscious. The subconscious controls the autonomic nervous system, beliefs, and memories. The two p a rt s co o p erate to im p le m en t co m ple te m in d fu ncti ons. F or exam p le , if you decide to move your arm , you are consciously awa re o f the arm mov ing. but you have no idea how the subcon scious m anip ulates th e m uscles. Likewise, you can consciously access m em ories bu t can t co ntrol how they are stored or fetched. You have no conscious control over your memories when the subconscious prevents you from remembering the nam es o f people you m eet. A w a re n e ss a ll ow s a c c e s s t o t h e c o n s c io u s p a r t s o f y o u r m i n d , b u t not all at once. You can only turn your awareness to a small portion of the conscious mind at one tim e. F or exam ple, if you are listenin g to m u s ic a n d , o u t o f t h e c o r n e r o f y o u r e y e , s e e s o m e t h i n g m o v i n g , yo u turn your awareness to your eyesight to investigate whether the move ment is a threat. For a few milliseconds, the hearing function slips out o f y o u r a w a r e n e s s a n d y o u c a n ’t h e a r t h e m u s i c . A s tra l i s t r i c k i e r t o d e f i n e , a n d e v e r y o n e s e e m s t o h a v e h i s o r h e r
own idea o f w hat it is. The A m e r ic a n C o lle g e D ic ti o n a r y from 1967, for example, says the astral is “a supersensible substance supposed to per v a d e a ll s p a c e a n d f o rm t h e s u b s t a n c e o f a s e c o n d b o d y b e lo n g i n g to e a c h i n d iv i d u a l. ” T h a t is a g o o d d e f i n i ti o n ( a l t h o u g h n o t n e c e s s a r i l y c o r rect), but it still does not tell us what that supersensible substance is, how it relates to the physical, or how to reach it. Perhaps the confusion s te m s f ro m a t t e m p t s t o d e f in e t h e a s t r a l w i t h w o r d s t h a t a r e c o m m o n ly used to describe physical space. Or perhaps the confusion is caused by t h e f a c t t h a t h u m a n i t y h a s n o t e v e n d e f i n e d t h e p h y s ic a l, and we can’t tell what the astral is without knowing what the physical is. S o m e sa y t h e a s t r a l c o n t a i n s a ll t h e n o n p h y s i c a l r e a l m s . O t h e r s sa y t h a t t h e i e is a c o nti n uu m o f e n e r g y f r e q u e n c i e s r e a c h i n g f r o m t h e p hy s ical t o t h e d i v in e , a n d t h e a s t r a l i s o n e o f t h o s e f r e q u e n c i e s , n e a tl y u c k ed in b e t w e e n th e p h y s ic a l a n d m e n t a l fr e q u e n c i e s . S i n c e t h e r e a r e t o o m a n y u n k n o w n s , I w ill n o t a t t e m p t t o s p e c i f ic a l l y d e f i n e t h e a s t r a l ; 11
o nly say t h a t t h e a s tr a l is t h e r e a l m w h e r e t h o u g h t s c o m e t o life,
takin >& C*'menS*0n w*ie re d rea m s live, w h er e w e h an g o ut w he n w e are k b r e a k h o r n p h y s ic a l r e a l it y . W e a r e m u l t i d i m e n s i o n a l b e in g s .
4
W h a t Is Astral Projection? Our consciousness exists in many dimensions, and the astral is one of t h e m . L a t e r in t h i s b o o k , w e w il l g e t i n t o t h e d e t a i l s o f w h a t t h e a s t r a l m i g ht b e , a n d y o u w i ll e x p e r i e n c e i t f o r y o u r s e lf . A s t r a l p r o je c t io n ( s o m e t i m e s r e f e r r e d t o a s AP ) is t h e p r o c e s s by
which you turn your awareness into the astral realm. The astral includes m a n y d i f f e re n t t y p e s o f e x p e r i e n c e s , e v e r y t h i n g fr o m d r e a m s to th e a ft er li fe , a n d t h e r e is a p l e t h o r a o f w a y s t o g e t t h e r e : d r e a m i n g , d ay d r e a m i n g , f a n t a s i z i n g , d y i n g . W e w i ll b e u s i n g t h e p r o j e c t io n t y p e t h a t is k n o w n a s o u t -o f -b o d y p r o j e c t i o n , w h i c h m e a n s t h a t w e in t e r a c t w i th th e astral as we do in waking physical reality: from a first-person view and w i th s e n s e s s i m i la r t o t h e p h y s ic a l s e n s e s . I a m n o t t o o t h r i l l e d w i t h t h e t e r m o u t- of -b o d y b e c a u s e it im p l ie s a p h y s ic a l p a r t o f y o u s o m e h o w e s c a p e s t h e p h y s ic a l b o d y . In m y o p in io n , out-of-body travel involves directing your attention to a nonphysical part o f y o u r s e lf t h a t w a s n e v e r l o c k e d d o w n b y t h e b o d y in t h e f i r s t p l ac e . It also implies that projections take place in the physical world, as the w o r d “o u t ” m a y b e i n t e r p r e t e d a s a p h y s ic a l lo c a t i o n r e la t iv e t o t h e p h ys i c a l b o d y . A s t r a l p r o j e c t i o n i s n o t m e r e l y t h e p r o c e s s o f le av in g t h e p h ys ical body and floating around in physical reality, although it is quite p o s s ib le to d o s o . T h e a s t r a l is a r e a lm o f its o w n w h ic h is v e ry m u ch l a r g e r ( in n o n p h y s i c a l t e r m s ) t h a n t h e p h y s i c a l. I t c o n ta i n s m i lli on s o f w o r ld s t h a t m a y o r m a y n o t r e s e m b l e o u r p h y s ic a l u n iv e r s e . W e w ou ld m i ss o u t o n t o o m u c h i f w e w e r e t o l i m i t o u r j o u rn e y s t o o n ly o u r p hy s ical world. E v e r y b e i n g in t h e u n i v e r s e c a n p r a c t i c e a s t r a l p r o j e c ti o n . W h e t h e r you are young or old, short or tall, rich or poor, you can astral project. T h e a b i li ty t o a s t r a l p r o j e c t is a c o n s e q u e n c e o f h o w t h e p h y s ic a l b o dy is c o n s t r u c t e d a n d h o w t h e n o n p h y s i ca l p a r t s o f y o u r b e in g c o n n e c t to it. I t is a n a t u r a l s k il l. T h e r e is n o t h i n g s u p e r n a t u r a l a b o u t i t. A s t r a l p i o je c t io n i s n o t a f re a k o c c u r r e n c e o f n a t u r e ; i t is a n e x p r e s s i o n of w h o w e a r e . I n fa c t , e v e r y o n e a s t r a l p r o j e c t s a l l th e t i m e . I f y o u c o u l d n o t p r o j e c t y o u r a w a r e n e s s , y o u c o u ld n e v e r s h a r p e n y o u r p e n c il . If y ou co uld n o t p r o j e c t y o u r m i n d t.o t h e a s t r a l , t h e n y o u c o u ld n e v e r h av e d re a m s . W h a t w e w il l d o i n t h i s b o o k is n o t t o o f a r f r o m d r e a m i n g , a ll h o ug h I a d m i t i t i s v a s tl y m o r e e x c it in g .
The History o f Astral Projection
A s t ra l p ro j e c ti o n in o n e f o rm o r a n o t h e r a p p e a r s t h r o u g h o u t ag e-o ld l it e r a t u re . T h e e a r l ie s t a c c o u n t I h a v e f o u n d c o m e s f r o m R a m t h a , a s p ir it c h a n n e le d b y J Z K n ig h t. R a m t h a d e s c r i b e s h o w , a r o u n d 3 3 , 0 0 0 B.C., h e h a d a n o ut-o f-b od y e x p e r i e n c e ( O B E ) . 2 I f t h i s c h a n n e l e d i n f o r m a t i o n is t o b e t r u s t e d , it h in ts t h a t p e o p le h a v e p r a c t i c e d a s t r a l p r o j e c t i o n s in c e p r e h i s to r i c t i m e s . Between three thousand and five thousand years ago, Egyptian p r ie s ts w e r e s o f a m ilia r w i t h t h e a b ility t o le a v e t h e b o d y t h a t t h e y w r o te t h e B o o k o f th e D e a d to g u id e th e d e p a r t e d a w a r e n e s s t o t h e a fte rlife :
M o re o v er , g r a n t ye t h a t t h e B a - so u l o f t h e O s i ri s A n i , w h o s e w o r d is t r u t h b e f o r e t h e g o d s , m a y c o m e f o r t h w i th y o u r n av e l c o rd s in t h e e a s t e r n p a r t o f t h e s k y, a n d t h a t it m a y fo llo w R a to th e p la c e w h e r e h e w a s y e s te r d a y , a n d m a y s e t in p e a c e , i n p e a c e in A m e n te t . M a y it g a z e u p o n i ts e a r t h l y b o d y , m a y it t a k e u p its a b o d e a n d i ts S p i ri t- b o d y , m a y i t n e i t h e r p e r i s h n o r b e d e s t ro y e d f o r e v e r a n d f o r e v e r.
The History of Astral Projection Astral projection was also used in priesthood initiation rituals. The p rie st a p p re n tic e c o u ld , f o r e x a m p le , b e a s s ig n e d to p r e s e n t h im se lf p a r tia lly o r t o ta l l y m a t e r i a l i z e d in f r o n t o f a g r o u p o f p e o p l e w h il e i n a n o utof-body state. He would leave his k h a l , his physical form, and step into his k h a , t h e a s t r a l d o u b l e . T h e a s t r a l d o u b l e w a s t h o u g h t t o b e t h e p e r s on a lity a p p e a r i n g a s a s u b t l e c o p y o f th e p h y s ic a l fo r m , a t t a c h e d b u t c a pa ble o f r o a m i n g f r e e . A t t h e d a w n o f G r e e k p h i lo s o p h y , a s t r a l p r o j e c t io n s p r e a d f ro m t h e re lig io us i n to t h e i n t e l le c t u a l r e a l m . P l a t o p r o p o s e d t h a t w h a t w e se e in t his life is o n l y a d i m r e f l e c t i o n o f w h a t t h e s p i r it c o u ld s e e i f it w e r e r e le a s e d f r o m t h e p h y s i c a l . In T h e R e p u b l i c ( c i r c a 3 6 0 B.C.), he illus t r a t e d t h e i d e a b y s a y i n g t h a t lif e w a s li ke s i tt i n g c h a i n e d in a c av e w ith o u r b a c k s t o a f ir e . W e c a n o n ly c a t c h t h e s h a d o w s o f t h e p e o p l e p a s s ing b e t w e e n u s a n d t h e f i r e . In t im e , w e w o u l d c o m e t o a s su m e t h a t t h o s e s h a d o w s m o v i n g a c r o s s t h e c a v e w a l l w e r e t h e o n l y r e a li ty . I f w e w e r e r e l e a s e d f r o m t h e c h a i n s a n d t u r n e d a r o u n d a n d s a w t h e pe o p le p a ssin g by, w e w o u ld n o t u n d e r s t a n d w h a t w e w e r e se e in g ; w e w ould c o n tin u e t o t h i n k t h e s h a d o w s m o r e r e a l t h a n t h e p e o p l e w h o c a s t t he m . P l a to a l so r e l a y e d t h e s t o r y o f a w a r r i o r n a m e d E r , w h o d i ed in b a t t le b u t c a m e b a c k t o s h a r e h i s e x p e r i e n c e o f t h e a f te r li fe : W h e n E r a n d t h e s p i r it s a r r iv e d , t h e i r d u ty w a s t o go a t o n c e to L a c h e si s; b u t f i r s t o f all t h e r e c a m e a p r o p h e t w ho a r ra n g e d t h e m
in o r d e r ;
then
h e t o o k f ro m
t h e k n ee s of
L a c h e s i s l o ts o f s a m p l e s o f l iv e s, a n d h a v i n g m o u n t e d a h ig h pu l p it, s p o k e a s foll ow s: “H e a r t h e w o r d o f L a c h e sis, th e d a u g h te r o f N e c e s s it y . M o r t a l s o u l s, b e h o l d a n e w c y c le o f life a n d m o r tality. Your genius will not be allotted to you, but you choose your genius; and let him who draws the first lot have the first choice, and the life which he chooses shall be his destiny. V i r tu e i s f r e e , a n d a s a m a n h o n o r s o r d is h o n o r s h e r h e will h a v e m o r e o r le s s o f h e r ; t h e r e s p o n s i b i l it y is w i t h th e c h o o s e r — God is justified .” T h r o u g h t h e a c c o u n t o f E r , P l a t o p r e s e n t s t h e s o u l ’s o p p o r t u n i ty t o c h o o s e t h e d e t a i ls o f it s l if e ti m e a n d t h e a m n e s i a p l a c e d u p o n t h e n ew ly
Astral Projection a n d the Natu re o f Rea lity
born . T hese a re concepts confi rm ed by n e a r- d e a th a n d pre li fe hyp notic regression accounts more than two thousand years later. In his essay, “On the Delays of the Divine Vengeance,” bundled in Moralia, the Greek historian Plutarch s ha res the story of Thesp esius, also known as Aridaeus, a m an o f ill-repute, who h ad a ba d fall in a .d . 79. Thespesius ended up in a two-day coma, during which time he found him self outside of his body. Thespesius sp en t the time exploring a no the r inhab ited dimension. His body pulled him back just in time to prevent his burial. The experience prom pted him to turn his life into one of ethics and values. T h e G r e e k s c o n t e m p l a t e d a s u b t l e b o d y s im i la r t o t h e E g y p t ia n kha. Plotinus suggested that all souls must be separable from their physical bodie s. A risto tle ta u g h t th a t th e s p irit c a n le ave th e b od y a n d is c a p a b le o f c o m m u n ic a tin g w i t h o t h e r s p i ri ts . H o m e r s p o k e o f t h r e e c o m p o n e n t s: the body (soma); t h e i m p e r s o n a l p s y c h e ; a n d t h e s e a t o f i n t e n t , w i ll, a n d feelings known as the t h u m o s . The ability to leave one’s body influenced the Greek language. The English word ecstasy is d e ri v e d f ro m t h e G r e e k w o r d e k s t a s i s , which means “to stand outside oneself.” This may very well carry the literal m e a n i n g o f l ea v in g o n e ’s b o dy . T h e f a c t t h a t i t l a t e r c a m e t o m e a n a n e x a lt e d s ta t e o f m i n d a t t e s t s t o t h e f a c t t h a t p e o p l e l e a v in g t h e b o d y would find themselves in a euphoric state. Astral projection accounts are also plentiful in the Bible. The p ro p h e ts s e e m to re c e iv e visi o n s in a lt e r e d s ta t e s o f m in d , o f te n aw ay f ro m t h e i r b o d i e s: T h e n t h e s p i r it l if te d m e u p a n d I h e a r d b e h i n d m e t h e n o i se o f t h e L o r d r u m b l i n g a s t h e g l o r y o f t h e L o r d r o s e f r o m i ts p la c e . (E zekie l 3:12 ) T h e S p i ri t w h i c h h a d l if te d m e u p s e i z e d m e , a n d I w e n t o f f s p ir itu a lly s t i r re d , w h i le t h e h a n d o f t h e L o r d r e s t e d h e a v il y upon me. (Ezekiel 3:14)
The a c c o u n t s c a r r y o n i n t o th e N e w T e s t a m e n t . A f t e r t h e c r uc if ix i on , th e a p o s t l e s s e t o u t t o s p r e a d t h e n e w r e l ig i o n . I n t h e m i d s t o f p o lit ica l t u rm o i l, P a u l g av e a s e c o n d s e r m o n t o t h e C o r i n t h i a n s . H e r e la y e d >Howing story about a heavenly trip to drive home a point:
The Histo ry of Astral P rojection I know a certain Christian man who 14 years ago (whether in the b od y o r out o f th e b ody I do n ot know, God knows) was s n a t c h e d u p t o th e h i g h es t h e a v en . . . a n d t h e r e h e h e a r d th in gs which cannot be put into words, things that human lips may not speak. (2 Corinthians 12:2-4) It is believed that Paul was referring to himself. This example hints at the difficulty in formulating astral experiences into words. Telepathy is widely used outside the physical, and the emotions and understand in gs t h a t a r e t r a n s m i t t e d b e t w e e n m i n d s a r e n o t ea si ly t ra n s l a t e d in to words. The Apostle John’s revelation took place in an altered state, in a s t ra n g e w o r l d , m o s t li k el y o u t s i d e h i s b o d y . T h i s c a n b e c o n s i d e r e d an a s tr a l p ro j e c t io n o f im p r e s s iv e l e n g t h a n d c o n t e n t . I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a l o ud v o i c e li k e t h e s o u n d o f a t r u m p e t , s a y in g , “W r i te in a b o o k w h a t y o u s e e , a n d s e n d it to t h e se v e n c h u rc h e s : to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.” (Revelation
1 : 10- 11) After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in h e a v e n : a n d t h e f i r s t v o ic e w h i c h I h e a r d w a s a s i t w e r e o f a t r u m p e t t a lk i n g w i th m e ; w h i c h s a id , “C o m e u p h i t h e r , a n d I will s h o w t h e e t h i n g s w h i ch m u s t b e h e r e a f t e r . ” A n d i m m e d ia te ly I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and O n e s a t o n th e t h r o n e . ( R e v e la tio n 4 : 1 - 2 ) S o h e c a r r i e d m e a w a y i n t h e S p i r it in t o t h e w i ld e r n e s s: a n d I s a w a w o m a n s i t u p o n a s c a r l e t c o l o r e d b e a s t , f ull o f n a m e s o f b la sp h e m y , h a v in g se v e n h e a d s a n d t e n h o r n s . (R e ve la ti on 17:3) And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high m o u n t a i n , g r e a t c ity , t h e h o ly J e r u s a l e m , d e s c e n d i n g o u t of heaven from God. (Revelation 21:10) Bible accounts resemble both modern astral projection and alien abduction exp er iences. I t would be r easona ble t o assum e tha t the pr ophets
Astra l Projection an d th e Natu re o f Rea lity
made an interpretation of the experiences according to the beliefs and culture of their time. Ramtha spoke about becoming the wind, the Greeks about standing outside themselves, and John and Paul abo ut ris ing to the heaven in the spirit. From the sparse wording, we can only speculate about what really happened. In the seventh century A.D., M uham m ad, th e fou nd er of Islam, enjoyed an equally imp ressive projection throug h w hat he term s the
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seven heavens. Sahih Bukhari, full name Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Ismail bin Ibrahim bin al-Mughira al-Ja’fai, put the story in writing some time during his lifetime (a . m . 1 9 4 - 2 5 6 o r A.D. 8 0 9 - 8 6 9 ) , r o u g h ly 2 0 0 years after the event occurred. While I was at the House in a state midway between sleep and wakefulness, [an angel recognized me] as the man lying b etw een tw o m en . A g old en tra y full o f w isd o m a n d b e li e f w as b rought to m e a n d m y bo d y w as c u t o p e n f ro m th e t h r o a t to th e l ow e r p a r t o f t h e a b d o m e n a n d t h e n m y a b d o m e n w a s w a s h e d with Zam-zam water and [my heart was] filled with wisdom and belie f. Al- Buraq, a w h ite a n im a l, sm a lle r t h a n a m u le a n d big ger than a donkey, was brought to me and I set out with Gabriel. When I reached the nearest heaven, Gabriel said to the heaven g a t e- k e ep e r, “O p e n t h e g a t e . " T h e g a t e k e e p e r a s k e d , “ W h o i s i t ? ” He said, “Ga briel.” T he gate-ke eper, “W ho is accom pan ying you?” G a b ri el s a id , “M u h a m m a d . ” T h e g a t e - k e e p e r s a id , “ H a s h e b e e n called?” Gabriel said, “Yes.” Then it was said, “He is welcomed. W h a t a w o n d e r f u l v is it h is i s ! ” T h e n I m e t A d a m a n d g r e e t e d h im a n d h e s a id , “You a r e w e l co m e d 0 s o n a n d a P r o p h e t . ” ( H adit h
' s " ved f o r s a i n t s a n d '^ 'P 'o j e c t i o
o f t h e N i g h t J o u r n e y a n d A s c e n s i o n A l - I s r a ’ w a M i ’r aj, volume 4,
book ,54, N u m b e r 4 2 9 , a s n a r r a t e d by M ali k bin S a sa a ) In e a c h of th e s e v e n h e a v e n s h e v i s i te d , M u h a m m a d c o n v e r s e d w ith well-known personalities from the Bible. It is interesting to note that his
- s : ; : edtoc V
i ^ b e
experience took place in the border state between sleep and wakeful n e s s. I h is is t h e s t a t e m o s t b e n e f i c ia l f o r a s t r a l p r o j e c t i o n . Ihe hgyptians are not the only ones who have compiled a book to
N
t J hese n, sner,
e a s e t r a n s i t i o n i n t o d e a t h . T h e T i b e ta n B o o k o f t h e D e a d o r Ba rdo
10
11«r ■he
The History of Astral Projection Thodol ( m e a n i n g “ l i b e r a t i o n t h r o u g h h e a r i n g i n t h e i n t e r m e d i a t e s t a t e b e t w e e n
death and rebirth”) was written by Padma Sambhava in the
e ig ht h c e n t u r y , 1 0 0 y e a r s a f t e r B u k h a r i ’s b o o k . It i s c o m p o s e d f r o m t e a c h i n g s d e l i v e r e d o r a l l y f o r m a n y g e n e r a t i o n s . T h e B ardo Th o d o l is r ea d t o th e d y i n g t o g iv e t h e m a p r e v i e w o f w h a t is t o c o m e a n d t o w a rn th e m o f t h e d a n g e r o f g e t ti n g e n t a n g l e d in d r e a m lik e w o r ld s o f t h e ir own creation. T h e i d e a o f t h e s u b t l e d o u b l e f r o m E g y p t ia n a n d G r e e k b e li efs r es u r faces in Tibetan Buddhism as the bardo body, which is thought to be an in vis ib le a n d e t h e r e a l c o p y o f t h e p h y s i c a l b o d y c o n t a i n i n g a p s yc hic n e rv o u s s y s t e m . T h e
ba rdo
body
is c a p a b l e o f t ra v e l in g a n y w h e re
instantly, simply by desiring to be at the destination. T h e w e a l t h o f p r o j e c t i o n k n o w l e d g e k e p t b y T i b e t a n B u d d h is ts wa s exported to America by Paul Twitchell, who became the first American ECK m aste r
in
1 9 6 5 . T w i tc h e ll
pro m oted
a
m ovem ent known as
E c k a n k a r, w h i c h i n c l u d e s t h e k n o w l e d g e o f E C K ( th e G o d c o n sc io u s n e s s ) a n d w h a t h e t e r m s S o u l T r a v e l . S o u l T r a v e l is a s kil l t h a t u til iz e s a s tr a l p r o j e c t io n t o r e a c h t h e E C K r e a l m in o r d e r t o a s s is t p e o p le su ch as astral projectors and the newly deceased. During the second millennium A.D., astral projection left a smaller imprint in literature. In the west, Christianity had become the common l if es ty le . P e o p l e r e l i e d o n p r i e s t s t o i n f o r m t h e m a b o u t life a n d t h e t h e r e a f te r ; a s t r a l p r o j e c ti o n w a s n e v e r t h e t o p i c o f t h e s e r m o n . E ve n th o ug h Paul, the apostle, had spoken openly about it, religious leaders were q u ic k t o fr o w n u p o n a n y t h i n g p a r a n o r m a l .
S u c h e x p e r ie n c e s w e r e
reserved for saints and prophets. Yet astral projection was practiced by witches and shamans in lands recently converted to Christianity. According to pagan tradition, witches c o u ld e x p e r i e n c e m e n t a l fl ig h t by r u b b i n g t h e i r b o d i e s w i t h h e r b a l e x t r a c t s o f a c o n i t e , b e l l a d o n n a , a n d h e m l o c k , e a c h l e th a l i f i n g e s te d . Mexican shamans used mind-altering plants such as peyote, and the Vikings used poisonous mushrooms to achieve the same effect. The cul tural shock to these newly christened pagan populations would cause f ri c ti o n f o r m a n y g e n e r a t i o n s . C h r i s t ia n s in g e n e r a l w e r e a f r a id t o d i s c u s s t h e i r a s t r a l e x p e r ie n c e s , f e ar fu l o f t h e r e a c t i o n s o f t h e i r b r e t h r e n . T h i s f e a r w a s o f t e n j u s ti fi e d .
tl'""' Astra l Projection a n d th e Natu re o f Re ality
> f First, there was the Inquisition, beginning in the thirteenth century and lasting until the ninetee nth century. W itchcraft was con dem ned by the Christian church in the fourteenth century. From the re it w ent from bad to worse: 300,000 people w ere executed for heresy during the sixteenth and seventeenth ce nturies. Comm on be lief says th at m ost victims of this p ers ecu ti o n w e re n ot sin c e re p ra c titio n e rs o f w itc h c ra ft; n e v e rth e le ss, this hardly encouraged sharing of knowledge regarding astral experi ences, an atmosphere that lasted for centuries. P a r a n o rm a l p r a c t i c e s b e c a m e t h e p r o v in c e o f o c c u l t g r o u p s , s u c h a s the Rosicrucians, the Golden Dawn, and the Cabalists. Knowledge of astral projection was passed secretly from one generation to another, from master to apprentice. The secrecy was unfortunate, for there is much we could have learned from these groups. Millions of people had s p o n t a n e o u s ou t-o f-b od y e x p e r ie n c e s , a n d m o s t o f t h e m u n d e r s t a n d a b l y b e c am e te rrif ie d o f th e e v e nt. It w as in e v ita b le t h a t su c h e v e n ts w ould occur since all that is required to achieve such experiences is one of
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m a n y f av o ra b le s t a t e s o f m i n d , a n d t h e n a t u r a l s l e e p p r o c e s s s o m e t i m e s ju m p s in to such s ta te s . T h e ir t e r r o r s te m m e d n o t fro m th e p ro je c ti o n event itself, but from the fact that they did not know what was happen ing to them. They were confused and scared that they might be falling physically o r m e n ta ll y ill. B ut b e c a u s e o f t h e s e c re c y , t h e r e w a s n o in fo r mation on such phenomena and therefore no help available to them. In the eighteenth century, Count Saint Germain made fantastic claims.
It
is
said
that
he
discovered
the
Elixir
of
Life
and
the
P h i lo s o p h e r’s S t o n e , t h a t h e c o u l d e n l a r g e d i a m o n d s a n d m a k e g old f ro m l e a d a n d s ilk f r o m f l a x . H e a ls o t o l d o f e v e n t s t h a t c o u l d b e a t t r i b uted to the astral projection experience: “For quite a long time I rolled through space. I saw globes revolve around me and earths gravitate at
Election
m y f ee t . H o r a c e W a l po l e a n d V o l ta i re b o t h w r o t e a b o u t t h e C o u n t , bu t h e w as l ar ge ly d i sm is s e d a s a n e c c e n t r i c b y h is c o n t e m p o r a r i e s . In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, astral projection resur faced as a legitimate topic thanks to sincere investigation on the part of pe o ple such a s th e S w e d is h p h ilo s o p h e r E m a n u e l S w e d e n b o rg ; th e F r e n c h n o v e li st H o n o r * d e B a lz a c , i n h i s s t o r y “ L o u i s L a m b e r t ” ; a n d t h e i n c h m a n A ll an K a r d e c , f o u n d e r o f S p i r it i s m . S w e d e n b o r g , e s pe c ia ll y, p ro d u ce d a w e a lt h o f m a te ria l t h a t sti ll d r a w s c ro w d s to d a y .
12
, P|)r«sed H ■ S , , of ddes«
II [ “'-of-bt °bert r>
S .6
The H istory of Astral Projection S till, t h e d i s t r i b u t i o n o f m a t e r i a l r e m a i n e d l im i te d . A s t ra l p r o je c ti o n did no t e n t e r t h e m a i n s t r e a m f o ru m s . T h e A g e o f R e a s o n h a d b e gu n, " ' " i n |,
sixte, *nth
a nd t h e r e w a s n o t m u c h r o o m
f o r p h e n o m e n a t h a t c ou ld n o t b e
o b s er v ed b y p h y s ic a l m e a n s . A s t r a l p r o j e c t o r s f o u n d i t n e c e s s a r y t o r e in v en t t h e w h e e l : W i th o u t a c c e s s to a s t r a l r e s e a r c h , t h e y h a d to c o m e to an u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f t h e a s t r a l p r o j e c t io n e x p e r i e n c e a r m e d w it h n o t h
1 exPeri-
ing but their wits and courage. I n 1 8 75 ,
M ada m e
H elena
B l a v a ts k y
fo u n d e d t h e
T h e o s o p hi ca l
S o cie ty . A g a i n , t h e i d e a o f a s u b t l e b o d y r e s u r f a c e d . B l a v a ts k y d iv id e d the person into seven bodies, each one more subtle than the one pre c e d in g it. H e r c o n t r ib u t io n s w o u l d b e c o m e a l a rg e p a r t o f W e s t e rn metaphysics. In t h e e a r l y t w e n t ie t h c e n t u r y , a s t r a l p r o j e c ti o n b e c a m e a hig hly d is cussed topic in psychiatry as people sought help to deal with astral expe r ie n c e s . I t w a s a n i n tr ig u i n g f e a t u r e o f t h e p s y c h e . P r o f e s s o r C a r l G u s ta v J u n g r e p o r t e d s e e i n g e v e n t s in h i s h o s p i t a l r o o m w h i l e h i s b o d y w a s in a coma. In 1913, Dutch psychiatrist Frederik van Eeden first used the t e r m l uc id d r e a m i n g w h e n r e f e r r i n g t o t h e t y p e o f d r e a m in w h i c h t he dreamer knows he is dreaming. I n t h e 1 9 2 0 s , S ylv a n M u l d o o n , w h o h a d e x p e r i e n c e d s p o n t a n e o u s o u t- of -b o dy tr a v e l b e g i n n i n g a t a g e 1 2 , t e a m e d u p w i t h p s y c h ic i n v es ti ga tor Dr. Hereward Carrington to shed light on the subject. This effort r e s u l t e d i n T h e P r o je c tio n o f t h e A s t r a l B o d y , published in 1929. It rep resented the most practical and comprehensive guide to astral projec t io n o f i ts ti m e . A s t h e t i t le s u g g e s t s , i t r e l i e s h e a v il y o n t h e e x i s te n c e o f a subtle second body. Muldoon and Carrington’s later book,
T h e P h e n o m e n a o f A s tr a l
Projection, p r e s e n t e d n e a r l y a h u n d r e d c a s e s o f o ut -o f-b o dy e x p e ri e n ce s ,
categorized by whether they were produced by drugs or anesthetics; o c c u r r e d a t t h e t i m e o f a n a c c i d e n t , i ll n es s , o r d e a t h ; o r w e r e s e t o f f by a s u p p r e s s e d d e s i r e . P u b l i s h e d i n 1 95 1, i t w a s a t t h e t i m e t h e l a r g e s t c ol c »rt «f o i 'th e P >. the
'denr > p
lection of out-of-body accounts. R o b e r t C r o o k a ll p r o d u c e d a n i m p r e s s iv e r e p e r t o i r e o f a s t r a l l it e ra ture. Between 1964 and 1979, he authored at least 22 works on astral p roje c ti o n . E ven th o u g h he did so w ith a good dea l o f r e p e titio n , h e m an aged to cover many asp ects of astra l projection, such as techniques,
As tral Projection and th e Natu re o f Rea lity
cases, the afterlife, a nd th e n ature of the soul. He advocated the idea that each person has a super-conscious mind that is responsible for psy chic phenomena such as telepathy, clairvoyance, and telekinesis. Robert M onroe, a businessman who found him self floating nea r the ceiling one day. went through a rem ark ab le.transition from questioning his sanity to becoming a fearless participant in events unexplainable by logic. The au tho r of Jou rney s O u t o f t h e B o d y a n d U ltimate Journey, he also founded The M onroe Institute of Applied S cience to con duct research that would help him understand what was happening to him. As it turned o ut, The M onroe Institute helped a lot m ore p eople. The Institute developed Hemi-Sync, a tool that uses binary sound frequencies to affect brain waves, thereby inducing anything from alert ness to sleep. Most noticeable is its capability to put the body to rest w h il e t h e m i n d i s k e p t f r o m l a p s in g i n t o u n c o n s c i o u s n e s s . M o n r o e d e s ignated the body-asleep/mind-awake state as Focus 10, and states of mind beyond that had higher Focus numbers. D r. C h a r le s T a r t is a p a r a p s y c h o l o g i s t w i t h a s i n c e r e d e s i r e t o p r o v e t h e v ali di ty o f a s t r a l p r o j e c t io n a n d a l t e r e d c o n s c i o u s n e s s i n g e n e r a l , thereby bridging the gap between spiritual and scientific communities. He conducted research into lucid dreaming, astral projection, ESP, and t h e p s y c h e d el ic e f fe c t s o f L S D a n d m a r i ju a n a . In the late 1960s, Tart brought subjects into the laboratory who could leave their bodies at will. The electrical activity in the subject’s body w as m o n ito re d w h il e h e r a w a r e n e s s a tt e m p t e d to s e e a t a r g e t n o t visible from the bed. Tart’s first subject, Miss Z, was tested in a labo r a t o r y w h e r e a fi ve -d ig it n u m b e r w a s p l a c e d o n a s h e l f a b o u t fi ve -a n d- ah a lf f ee t a b ov e h e r b e d . A f t e r t h r e e u n s u c c e s s f u l a t t e m p t s , M is s Z a w ok e t o r e p o r t t h a t s h e h a d s e e n t h e n u m b e r 2 5 1 3 2 . S h e w a s r i g h t o n all five digits. T art s se c o n d s u b je c t w a s R o b e r t M o n r o e . A l th o u g h M o n r o e d id n o t h it t h e t a r g e t i n a n o u t- of -b o d y s t a t e , h e d i d o b s e r v e a m a n i n t h e m o n itoring room who later was confirmed to be the technician’s husband. A s a r e s u lt o f m a t e ri a l p u t f o r t h in t h e t w e n t i e t h c e n t u r y b y t h e a b o v e m e n t io n e d
autho rs
and
o the rs-S y lve ste r
A.
W est,
H u gh
G.
Callow
The History of Astral Projection Bruce, Robert Peterson, Bruce Moen, and many more unmentioned public i n te r e s t in t h e a s tr a l p r o je c tio n p h e n o m e n o n grew . A stra l proje c t io n p r a c t i t i o n e r s e m e r g e d f r o m o u t o f t h e i r h i din g p l ac e s to s h a r e in a nd p a r t a k e o f a s t r a l p r o j e c t i o n k n o w l e d g e i n t h e p u b l ic d o m a i n. N o m o r e d i d yo u n e e d a m a s t e r f ro m w h o m t o l e a r n a s t r a l p r o je c ti o n . T h e r e w a s p l e n t y o f i n f o r m a t i o n w i d e l y a v a il a b le o n h o w t o d o i t, m u c h t h a n k s to t h e I n t e r n e t . C u r r e n t l y , t h o u s a n d s o f p e o p l e a r e p r a c ti ci n g a s t r a l p r o j e c t i o n a ll o v e r t h e w o r l d i n d e l i b e r a t e a t t e m p t s t o le a ve t h e i r b o d ies.
m
O n c e a g a i n w e h a v e t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o m a k e u s e o f o u r s kill to l ea ve o u r b o d i e s a n d v i si t w o r l d s b e y o n d t h e p h y s ic a l . I f w e c h o o s e t o s e e t h r o u g h t h e f e a r s u r r o u n d i n g t h e s u b j e c t a n d its i m p l ic a ti o ns o n o u r p e r c e p ti o n o f r e a l it y , w e c a n g r o w l ik e w e h a v e n e v e r b e f o r e . W i th t h e k n ow l e dg e o f a s t r a l p r o j e c t i o n c o m e s a n u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f a g r e a t e r r e a l ity, s i m i l a r t o s t e p p i n g o u t o f P l a t o ’s m e t a p h o r i c a l c a v e. I n th e n e a r fu t u r e , i f w e d e c i d e t o e m b r a c e a n d i n v e s ti g a te t h e a s tr a l p ro je c tio n p h e n o m e n o n , t h e m e c h a n ic s o f th e out- of-b ody e x p e rie n ce will be largely understood, and astral projection will become a skill that will s e r v e a ny p e r s o n w h o w i s h e s t o u s e i t. A s t r a l p r o j e c ti o n t e c h n i q u e s will b e so highly d e v e lo p e d t h a t w ith j u s t a c o u p le o f d ay s o f p rac tic e , any o n e w il l b e a b l e t o l e a v e t h e i r b o d y . W e m i g h t e v e n i n v e n t to o l s t h a t will a s s i st u s w i t h g e t t i n g i n t o t h e n e c e s s a r y s t a t e o f m i n d . A s t r a l p r o je c ti o n c o uld e v e n b e t a u g h t i n p u b l ic s c h o o l s a s p a r t o f t h e c u r ri cu l u m . I n a m o r e d i s t a n t f u t u r e , w e m i g h t u s e a s t r a l p r o j e c t io n t o t ra n s c e n d the limits we have allowed the physical to impose upon us. We will com municate with those who have passed on and with those who live far away, perhaps even in other galaxies. Never mind communicating with the m —we will actually be m e e t i n g t h e m , a w a r e n e s s t o a w a r e n e s s . W i t h a s t r a l p r o j e c t i o n a s c o m m o n k n o w l e d g e , i n t e r s t e l l a r c o m m u n i c a t io n will be a n a tu r a l th in g . In tim e , w e wi ll u s e a s tr a l p ro je c ti o n to g a th e r in fo r mation on who we are and where we come from.
Prepare for Adventure
B e fo re y ou t h r o w y o u r s e lf i n to a d v e n t u r e s i n o t h e r w o r l d s , t h e r e a r e a few things you will need: 1. Bed 2. Small pillows 3. Astral projection jou rnal 4. Dream journal 5. Notepad and pen 6. Tape (or digital) recorder (optional) Many exercises can be executed on the fly. They do not require any special equipment or preparation other than a slightly relaxed state of mind. \ou can do these wherever you are (except while driving), pro v id e d t h a t y o u w ill b e u n d i s t u r b e d f o r a c o u p l e o f m i n u t e s . G o i ng t h ro u g h p i e p a r a t i o n s s u c h a s a s e r i e s o f r e l a x a t i o n t e c h n i q u e s i s j u s t a w a s t( o f e n e r g y a n d w ill in t im e w e a r o u t y o u r m o t i v a t i o n f o r d o i n g th e
16
P r e p a r e f o r A d v e n t u re W h e n w e g e t d e e p e r i n to t h e a s t r a l p r o j e c t i o n t e c h n i q u e i n C i rc le 2 , m o s t e x e r c i s e s m u s t b e c a r r i e d o u t b e f o r e , d u r i n g , o r d ir e c tl y a f t e r sl ee p (this is where the bed comes in handy). Because they must be per f o r m e d a t p a r t i c u l a r t i m e s , t h i s m a y s lo w d o w n y o u r r e a d i n g . I a d vis e you not to read past an exercise until you have executed it. It is better to read slowly and do the exercises than to skip parts. Except for the sleep exercises, you do not need to use any special t e c h n i q u e s w h i l e g o i n g t o s l e e p . Y ou d o n o t n e e d t o p u t t h e b o d y t o r e s t n o r d o y ou n e e d t o l ie i n a n y p a r t i c u l a r b o d y p o s i ti o n . J u s t d o w h a t y ou normally do when you go to sleep. Sometimes I get a burning sensation where my body weighs against t h e b e d , e s p e c i a ll y i n m y h e e l s a n d e l b o w s . I f y o u e x p e r i e n c e t h e s a m e , y ou m i g h t f in d r e l i e f b y p l a c i n g a s e v e r a l s m a l l p i ll o w s u n d e r y o u r k n e e s , wrists, and ankles. This should relieve the pressure. Y ou w i ll n e e d a j o u r n a l . I k e e p t w o : o n e f o r a s t r a l e x p e r ie n c e s , a n d o n e f o r r e g u l a r d r e a m s (I a m n o t i m p l y in g th a t d r e a m s a r e u n i m p o r t a n t ) . I k e e p b o t h a s d i g i ta l f i le s o n m y c o m p u t e r . A d d i ti o n al ly , I k e e p a n o t eb o o k a n d a d i gi ta l s o u n d r e c o r d e r b y t h e b e d , s o t h a t I c a n r ec o r d I, there are
a n a s tr a l p r o je c t io n o r d r e a m i m m e d i a te l y a f t e r w a k in g up . I c o n f e s s t h a t I h a v e a n e x c e p t i o n a l l y p o o r m e m o r y . B u t e v e n i f y ou h a ve a s t r o n g m e m o r y , k e e p i n g a j o u r n a l i s o f u t m o s t i m p o r t a n c e ; in t his b o o k, w e wil l b e a c c e s s in g c e r t a in s t a t e s o f m in d t h a t w e a r e n o t used t o . O u r lo n g - te r m m e m o r y is n o t t r a i n e d t o f u n ct io n i n th o s e s t a t e s, therefore we have a tendency to forget our astral experiences all too q u ic kl y. T o r e m e d y t h i s , t r y t o w r i t e e v e r y t h i n g d o w n a s s o o n a s y o u c an . A d r e a m j o u r n a l i s p e r h a p s e v e n m o r e i m p o r t a n t th a n a n a s tr a l p r o je c tio n j o u rn a l, n o t fo r its c o n te n ts , b u t fo r th e b e n e fic ia l effe c t it has on your subconscious. (The word “subconscious” here refers to all parts of y o u r m i n d t h a t a r e n o t a c c e s s i b l e to y o u r c o n s c io u s a w a r e n e s s . ) The a c t
fequir.'
o f d o c u m e n t in g y o u r d r e a m s i n s t r u c t s y o u r s u b c o n s ci o u s t h a t yo u a re
L d s ta te of
i n t e r e s t e d in y o u r d r e a m s a n d w a n t t o i m p r o v e yo u r ab il it y t o r e m e m
ri vi n g )- P ''0" Goii'8 lU le is iust . a
b e r t h e m . T h e s u b c o n sc io u s t h e n d o e s it s b e s t to m ak e rem e m b e rin g
l“eS’ the
e a s i e r f o r y o u . A f t e r a s l i tt l e a s a w e e k o f d o c u m e n t i n g y o u r d r e a m s , yo u w ill n o t i c e a g r e a t im p r o v e m e n t i n d r e a m r e c o l le c t io n . I e n c o u r a g e y ou t o w r i te e v e n w h e n y o u d o n o t r e m e m b e r an y d r e a m s . E v e n t h e a c t o f trying to write will improve your ability to
A sm il Projection a n d th e Natu re o f Reali ty
reme m ber. As your m emo ry improves, you will also gel be tter a t rem em beri ng a str a l p ro je c ti o n s, b e cau se d re a m s go h an d in h a n d w it h a str a l p roje cti o ns. T hey ta k e pla ce in sim il ar rea lm s.
Exercise: Dream Recollection I. Before yon go to bed. pur a notepad or a recorder (digital recorders are great, but a simple cassette recorder will work fine, too) next to your bed. 2. Set your alarm d ock to go o ff slightly earlier than you norma lly wake up. 3. When you wake up, do nor move an inch. Turn inward and sense the feeling of the last dream you ha d. G et in to th at feeling. You will find that when you are tuned into the feeling of the dream, the memory of the dream is easy to access. The trick is to remember not to move when yo u wake up. Remain in this state until th e de tails of the dream begin to su rfac e. This could rake up to tw o m in u tes. 4. W rite down o r record any dream s you rem em ber. D raw w ha t you saw. Dreams can vanish from memory in seconds, so be quick. 5. Get o u t of bed or go back to sleep if yo u have time. 6. Later in the day, read you r notes or listen to y o u r recording. 7. If the dreams were im po rtan t to you , file the no tes o r recording in yo ur jou rna l. Otherwise, thro w them away. Your experiences will m ou nt up quickly, so it is im po rta nt to keep a clean jo ur na l by saving only the important notes. 8. Repeat the exercise every n ight unt il you can easily rem em be r y ou r dreams. After that, continue the exercise, but skip setting the alarm clock.
N ot only will y o u r m e m o r y im p ro v e a s yo u d o c u m e n t y o u r d re a m s , b u t yo u r m in d wi ll a ls o b e c o m e m o r e a le r t d u r in g s le e p . T h is is a p r e r e q u i si te f o r a s t r a l p r o j e c t i o n a n d l uc id d r e a m i n g . A s i d e f ro m t h e b en e f it s o f r e m e m b e r i n g , y o u will f i n d i t v e r y s a t i s f y i n g t o r e a d a b o u t y o u r pi o g re s s in r e tr o s p e c t. T h e r e is n o g r e a t e r jo y t h a n r e a d i n g a n d re li vin g all your previous astral projections.
Awareness
A w a r e n e s s i s, a c c o r d i n g t o m y d e f i n it io n , t h e p o i n t o f y ou t h a t ha s t h e h i g h e s t c o n c e n t r a t i o n o f c o n s c i o u s n e s s . If y o u th i n k o f c o n s ci o u sn e ss a s t h e t h i n g t h a t is, t h e n y o u r a w a r e n e s s is w h e r e yo u a r e t h e m o st. A w a r e n e s s is v e r y f le x i b l e . Y o u c a n m o v e i t a r o u n d y o u r c o ns ci ou s n e s s a n y w a y y o u w a n t , i n s i d e a n d o u t s i d e y o u r b od y . F o r e x a m p l e , in o n e m o m e n t , y o u c a n b e i n o n e t h o u g h t , a n d t h e n e x t in a n o t h e r . B oth t h o u g h t s e x i s t i n y o u r c o n s c i o u s n e s s , b u t y o u m a y e le c t to t u r n yo u r a w a r e n e s s t o o n l y o n e o f t h e m a t a t i m e , s i n c e t h a t is m o s t c o m f o rt ab l e. O r y o u m a y w a n t t o h o l d b o t h t h o u g h t s in y o u r a w a r e n e s s s im u lt an e ously. This is a bit trickier, but still doable.
The C enter o f Thought T h e c e n t e r o f t h o ug h t i s t h e p h y s i c a l a r e a ( a c t u a l l y i t i s a n o n p h y s i c a l a r e a , b u t i t i s e a s i e r t o t h i n k i n p h y s ic a l t e r m s ) f ro m w h ic h y ou ta k e t h e e n e r g y y o u n e e d in o r d e r t o t h i n k . Y o ur a w a r e n e s s m o v e s h e r e a u to matically when you want to experience your thoughts. In philosophical t e r m s , t h is is w h e r e t h e t h i n k e r r e s i d e s .
19
Astral Projection a n d th e N atu re o f Real ity By simply moving your cen ter o f thought, you get a new perce ption
of the world because d ifferent body area s supply differen t type s of energy—energy tha t we use to form thou ghts. Generally, the he ad sup plies ana ly tical energ y, th e h e a rt co m p a ssio n a te e ne rg y , th e c h e st im ag inative energy, and the belly coura geo us energy. Eac h type of energy affects ou r way of thinking in differen t ways. Since we are beings of habit, we always use the sam e bod y a rea from which to get thought energy, unless we deliberately instruct the thinker to take energy from elsewhere. For example, I am a very analytical per son, so my ce nter of thought is, by hab it, a ttrac ted to m y hea d. But when ever I feel I analyze too much, I push the center down to my chest. This gives me a riche r perce ption of th e world. T he re I can perce ive feelings and concepts untouchable by logic. I am not saying that being analytical is b a d . I t is n e i t h e r g oo d n o r b a d , i t is j u s t a n o t h e r w a y o f b e in g .
Exercise: Thought Center 1. Find yo ur cen ter of thoug ht. W here in the physical b ody are you thinking right n ow? You m ay feel it as dense ness o r a slight aching. 2. Push the ce nter of tho ugh t to the ce nter o f yo ur chest. 3. As you push it, fill the old space w ith g oo d energy, w hic h yo u su ck in from the universe. 4. Keep the cen ter o f tho ug ht in y ou r ch est as yo u go a bo ut y our day, every day.
Observing Yourself When you shift (project) your awareness away from your physical body, a sm all a m o u n t o f c o n s c io u s n e s s r e m a in s w ith it . T h a t cons ci ou s^ n e ss m a y e ve n b e so s t r o n g a s t o m a k e u p a p a r t o f y o u r a w a r e n e s s . In m a n y o f m y a s t ra l p r o j e c t i o n s , I h a v e e x p e r i e n c e d a s p l i t a w a r e n e s s , w h e r e o n e p a r t is in th e a s t ra l a n d a n o t h e r p a r t r e m a i n s w i th t h e b od y. c e ls lik e b e i n g in tw o p l a c e s s i m u l t a n e o u s l y a n d , w h e n y o u th i nk about it, it actually is. C o n s i d er in g t h a t t h e r e is a lw a y s c o n s c i o u s n e s s r e m a i n i n g i n y o ur
20
Awareness i>
lyPes of
bo dy , th e b od y will a lw a y s b e p e rfe c tly sa fe w h e n you a s tr a l p roje c t. A lso , th e c o n s c i o u s n e s s t h a t r e m a i n s w i t h t h e b o d y is c a p a b l e o f m a n a g in g y o u r b o d y w i t h o u t t h e h e l p o f a w a r e n e s s . Y o u r b o d y w ill n o t s u d
hes! >itiao. Pe °f <
denly forget to breathe. On the contrary, astral projection could actually be beneficial in this r e s p e c t . F o r e x a m p l e , i f l ik e m e yo u a r e a n a n a l y t ic a l p e r s o n , y o ur
dy area from
a w a r e n e s s c a n b l o c k t h e f lo w o f e n e r g y f ro m t h e h i g h e r s e lf i n to th e
1 the thinker
physical b o d y . B u t w h e n y o u s h ift y o u r a w a r e n e s s a w a y fro m your body,
n a |ytical per.
as you do in astral projection, the analyzing ceases and the energy flow
>d-B ut when-
r e s u m e s . T h e m u c h - n e e d e d h i g h e r e n e r g y c a n t h e n r e a c h y o u r b od y. T h e
y chest. This
f lo w a l ig n s y o u r b o d y w i t h y o u r h i g h e r s e l f , a l lo w i n g y o u t o b e m o r e y ou
eive feelings
(if t h a t m a k e s a n y s e n s e ) . T h i s is a ls o a b e n e f i t o f m e d i t a ti o n : W h e n you
analytical
m e d i t a te , y o u a r e n o t l o o k in g f o r s o m e t h i n g , y o u a r e j u s t s te p p i n g a s id e
ng
reing.
t o a ll ow y o u r n a t u r a l f lo w t o r e s u m e . I
h a ve n a m e d t h e o b s t a c l e s o f t h e f lo w t h e m i n d v e i l . It is what
k e e p s yo u s e p a r a t e d f r o m y o u r h i g h e r s el f. T h e v e il is k e p t in p l a c e by certain beliefs, such as that you are separate from others and that life is y are you
a st ru g g l e fo r a c h i e v e m e n t s r a t h e r t h a n a f lo w b a c k t o y o u. I f y ou l o os en
aching.
o r r e p r o g r a m t h o s e b e l i e f s , in a c o n s c i o u s a t t e m p t t o r e s u m e t h e flo w, y ou m a y b r e a k t h r o u g h t h e v eil a n d s e n s e y o u r h i g h e r s e lf . T h is m a y a ls o h a p p e n i f y o u s h if t y o u r a w a r e n e s s a w a y f r o m y o u r b o d y l on g e n o ug h .
j u suck in
Wednesday, M arch 27, 2 00 2
y o u r day,
From an E levated Point o f View These last few days I have been standing on a high nonphysical mountain peak from which I see thing s fro m an aw esom e per spec tive . I see o th er s’pro blem s and the solutions are immedia tely ob vio us to me. This is my min d veil coming off. I can see in
my min d witho ut distractions. But still, I can’t com mu nica te the solu tion to the person in need for there is no way I can make them understand. There is no way I can show
your physica' ial conscio"5 ,areness-
them what I feel. I can ’t even descr ibe w hat I fe el in words. This is ultimate wisdom. It is a knowing, no t kno wledg e. But this w isdom can’t be shar ed easily. Only wise hearts can unde rstand wise concepts. Human languages are inadequate.
■awareness - ilh .h e ^ en you ‘'-°k in in K *
^
Shifting your awareness away from the body is easy: Just focus youi awareness on a point outside your body.
As tra l Projection a n d th e Natu re o f Re ali ty
Exercise: Awareness I Focus your awareness out side yo ur physical body, on e foot to th e right
y ' e. r»i5fS > ti"s yOl" '
o f your right cheekbone. If you are having troub le with this, ju st think of it as turning yo ur attention to tha t same place and listening for any sound or movem ent ou r there. 2 Keep your awareness there constantly. It will try to move back to its habitual center of thought. When it does, just move it back outside your physical body. 3. After a few hours, you will n otice a slight feeling of bein g o utsid e you r body, observ in gyours elf in action.
you are playing on the field.
You can focus your awareness outside your physical body because t h e ph y sic a l b r a in i s n e i t h e r t h e o r ig i n n o r t h e c a u s e o f y o u r a w a r e n e s s . In fact, your awareness does not need your physical body in order to exist. In 1981, the N u rsin g M ir r o r p u b l i s h e d t h e a r t i c l e , “ I s Y o u r B r a i n Really Necessary?” It was based on an investigation conducted by neu D r.
John
L orb er
o f th e
U niversity
o f S h e f f ie l d .
Professor Lorber found several hundred people with irregularly small b ra in s . S o m e h a d no d e te c ta b le b r a i n a t all, a n d y e t th e y f u n c tio n e d p e r fectly well in society. IQ tests given to s om e o f th es e indiv idu als m ad e it e v id e n t t h a t IQ is n o t d e p e n d e n t u p o n t h e s iz e o f t h e b r a i n . D r . L o r b e r ’s research shows that the mind is able to function perfectly with only a f ra c t io n o f th e b r a i n . F o r f u n , t r y o n t h e f o l l o w i n g i d e a i n y o u r m i n d f o r a m i n u t e : Your a w a r e n e s s i s a c t u a ll y n e v e r i n y o u r p h y s i c a l b o d y . I t i s i n s o m e n o n p h y s
ical pl ac e , e a v e s d r o p p i n g o n t h e i n p u t f r o m t h e p h y s i c a l s e n s e s ( h ea r in g , sight, smell, taste, and touch), which are in the physical body. You can view the physical brain as the link that connects the physical body with h e a w a r e n e s s . I t h i n k o f t h e b r a i n a s a g i a n t a n t e n n a . It a s s e m b l e s i np ut f ro m t h e p h y sic al s e n s e s a n d p r e s e n t s t h e r e s u l t a s a c h e m i c a l- e le c tr ic a l
22
vo»r " 10
•Id, i»cUI would th
*
,lf. Bu*
4. After a while, this role of observer will benefit your spiritual growth. By way of m etaphor, it is easier to see the op po rtun ities du ring a soc cer game if you are watching it from the audience platform than if
r ol og y p r o f e s s o r
#8
vo»f
0f com
,, ,-elatt
Awareness state.
Y o ur a w a r e n e s s t h e n r e a d s t h i s s t a t e o f t h e b r a i n . I n t h is s c en a r io
the physical body is a vehicle the awareness uses in order to interact with the physical world, and that vehicle is remotely controlled. T h i s r a i s e s a n i n t e r e s t i n g q u e s t i o n : I f t h e a w a r e n e s s i s y ou , t h e n wh at is yo ur phy sical bo dy ? Q uite possibly, the physical body is ju st a fig m e n t o f y o u r i m a g i n a t i o n . P e r h a p s t h e p h y sic a l b o d y is so m e t h in g y o ur awareness has invented. Perhaps even the whole physical world is some t hin g y o u r a w a r e n e s s h a s i n v e n t e d f o r y ou t o p la y w i th . If w e a s su m e y o u r i m a g i n a t io n is a p a r t o f y ou , t h e n t h i s w o u l d m e a n t h a t t h e p h ys i c a l w o r l d , i n c l u d i n g t h e p h y s i c a l b o d y , is y o u . Experiencing the physical world would then be a perfect opportunity for you to learn about your se lf . B u t o f c o u r s e , u n t il w e h a v e e x p l o r e d m o r e o f o u r n a t u r e , t h e b od ya w a r e n e s s r e la t i o n w i ll r e m a i n a n a r e a o f s p e c u la t io n .
Friday, A p ril 5, 2 0 0 2 The Return o f the Veil I ha ve co m e dow n from m y am azing trip, in which I saw everything from a very high place. I am m y ol d boring s el f again. I think t he min d veil was rem ove d during this last week o r two. I was m ore ‘‘so ul ”than I hav e e ver be en. I felt in understanding, even union, with everything. I understood everything that happened. I understood it, but I could not explain it in words. A frie nd a ske d m e fo r help. I could clearly feel the solu tion for his problem , bu t I cou ld n ot express it in words. The fe w words I managed to stutter did no t do it justice an d were com plete ly misinterpreted. How frustrating. When the veil was lifted, I was no longer fearful or worried. I was free of the human cond ition! My state o f kno win g k no cke d all thos e things out o f the way. Those emotions are unnecessary, b ut it is hard to get rid o f them wh en o ne is in the “normal human state. I felt im mortal, invincible. If troubles wo uld com e my way, I knew with out a doub t that I wo uld survive. Even i f the bo dy failed, I would still be intact. I saw the spirit world. It ap pe are d to m e as a giant sphe re floating in a dark void. It was m ade out o f sma ller sphe res o f bro w n smoke. I felt the nature o f the sphere. It
always p ull s a p e r so n in the ri ght d ir ect io n, s o o n e is n e v e r d o n e f o r i f o n e m ake s m istakes. There is alway s a ch an ce to get ba ck on o ur feet, sh ou ld w e fall. You might think of it as a c o m p a s s that is contin uo usly av ailab le to us. The co m pa ss points out the right direction, no matter ho w lost w e get. This is the nature o f existence. But of course, we ignore the com pa ss m ost of the time. I ha ve sp ent m ost of my life loo king fo r reas on s to do things. Without the veil, I did
As tral Projection a n d th e Natu re o f Real ity things just beca use I felt like it, or be ca use I k ne w they were right. There u>as no need for reasons. In fact, there wa s nothing called reasons. There were n o logical concepts of cause an d effect. I co uld see ho w everything interacted in the spher e, a nd it wa s far from logical.
1 .1#
.if to 3
I ha ve sea rched tirelessly for the pu rp os e o f this life. I felt like I wa s running aro un d in circles, trying every path to se e w hich way w as be st for me. W he n the veil was lifted, the pu rp os e w as ob viou s. It cam e to me a s a feeling that I co uld not put into words. N ot only that, but I k ne w the genera l purp os e o f all lives. This too was a feeling, or state o f knowing. N ow I am n o lo nge r in that state, so I ca n't acc ess that feeling. Wh en in this state, I grew very headstrong. M y will co ul d m ov e m ountains. I w as
r< p L
singleminded, locke d on target. I wa s confiden t that I c ou ld d o anything if I put my m ind to it, which I did. N o w that the veil is ba ck in place, I get distr act ed by little things, this an d that, an d w hat I inte nde d to d o n ev er gets done. Little dou bts get in m y way. From what I ha ve seen in the spirit world, I kn ow I am putting obstacle s in m y ow n way in orde r to stop m yself! Wh at a waste o f life it is to do ub t yourself.
I lost touch with m y hum an em otions. I no longer fel t guilt, remorse, or pity. I felt that everyone was capable o f taking care o f their own lives an d changing th em for the better, so I am sorry to say I was ann oyed by co mplaints m ad e by p eop le around me. Everyone has the po wer to take action and make wh at is wrong fo r them right, but instead they choose to blame everything and ev eryo ne aro und them . They do this sub consciously. From my poin t o f view, it feels like such a w aste o f time a nd energy. If peo ple pu t as much e ffort into fixing th em selves as th ey p ut i nto complaining, they would soon run out o f things to complain about. I no longer cared w here m y life w oul d take me. I di d n ot e ven care if I m ad e mis takes, although, in my state o f knowin g— wh ere I co uld se e the truth beh ind every thing— there was little risk o f making mistakes. With m y n ew fo un d power, I could get
•i*#™
out of any situation, bec ause I was no longer a slave to obligations, emo tiona l debts,
S i*
or even consideration. The truth is that each person has the power to manage any sit uation. You can hurt them, disappoint them, or eve n d um p the m on their wedding day.
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They will get back on their feet eventua lly. The p ow er is w ithin them. It is our nature to endure and overcome. It is a beautiful nature, a nd the only reason we fe el like giving in sometime is that we temporarily forget t hat beauty. The only thing that can truly hurt a person is that person allowing himself to be held down by strings to unh ealthy life situa tions. Take a lo ok at yo u r own life. Is there anything you do not feel like doing? Then b reak free, go yo u r o wn way, detach from your responsibilities. Everyone de serv es freed om . You are a fr ee being. You are boun ded and unrestricted. The only thing holding you ba ck is you.
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Awareness
re u>as „
rhis may so un d coW /or a human, bu t when (he mind veil is gone, (he word "coId" does nol eu en exis/. In fact, all ju dgm ents are gone. Forgiveness Is natural. There is no need
lo ask for forgivenes s or go through any painful process to forgive someone. The
soul has no need for judgments. In fact, judgments are unhealthy. Judgments create
me-
emotional attachmen ts. Attac hm ents h ol dy ou dow n. In a way, judging another person is sentencing yo ur se lf to a life em otiona lly attached to your judg men t o f that person. Treating another person negatively in thoughts or in acts is the same as changing the perfectly b eautifu l nucle us th at is you. Each pers on is c om ple te in him self We already ha ve every thing toe ne ed inside. We have no n ee d to co m pe te fo r anything. In spite o f this, w e cling to each other, try ing to make t he o the r pro vid e w hat we think we are lacking. We try to bury the compe tition, so we can get w hat we wa nt for ourselves. W here d oes this behavior originate? I thin k that a long tim e ago, as we went fro m tribes to larger societies, we forgot our tribal pledge to he lp e ach other. S ince then, we h ave com e to view our fellow beings as com petitor s— pred ator s fighting o ver the sa me prey. We act as if we are dead scared that wh at w e are striving fo r will sud de nly run out, no t remembering that it can never run out b ec au se w e already ha ve it within. Little do we kn ow that there is no way we can get w hat we wan t by taking it from wh atev er is arou nd us. We have to change this behavior. W e ha ve to realize wh o w e are. Our ultimate desire is to be free. How d o we go ab ou t achieving this? We search all around fo r something to pro vide us freedom. We hop e that we will have good polit ical leaders wh o will resp ect ou r fre e will, a nd we strive to build u p so me wealth to pro vide financial freed om . We fail to see that freedo m is a state o f mind, and there is no way on Earth a politician or m on ey can set us fre e i f our m inds are enslaved. We have to free our m inds b efore we can b eco m e free. Wha t is more, we hav e to do it ourselves, because there is no o ther person wh o can do it for us. , a l * w s'
O n e p e r s o n d o e s n o t n e e d a n o t h e r t o b e c o m p le te , a l th o u g h w e so m e t im e s tea m up to help each other remember this wholeness. I confess when the veil started to c o m e b a c k a n d t h e f e e l in g o f c o n n e c t i o n t o ev e r y t h in g w a s f ad in g, I w a s b e g i n n in g to r e al iz e th at I h a d a s tr o n g s u b c o n s c i o u s n e e d t o b e l o v e d . I t d a w n e d o n m e that I h a d b e e n o n a w i ld g o o s e c h a s e f o r s o m e o n e t o g i v e m e l o v e w i t ho u t r ea l iz in g t hat I w a s already loved mo re than I co uld eve r as k for. All that heartaching loneliness had been
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completely unnecessary. M ost o f m y teenage ye ars I
had s u b c o n s c i o u s l y b e e n l o ok in g
fo r a p e r so n w h o w o u ld g iv e m e lov e. A n d w h e n I f o u n d it, I w o u ld fe el tra ppe d, like an addict trapped by his drug. In this case, the drug was love. At the same time, the other person would be trapped. Now I realize I loved myself. The whole universe
Astral Projection a n d th e Natu re o f Reality love d me. Not because I was me, but becau se I was. M y quest for loueprouiders is over. / am content an d selfsufficient. I no w love p eop le unconditionally. It do es not matter whe ther they are h alf a wo rld away; they are still in m y heart. It do es not matter if they step all ov er m e o r try intentionally to hurt me. L ov e is unaffected. Th a t is u nc on ditional love— loving without wanting anything back.
Remember that love for o neself is one o f the most fu ndam en tal an d important workings in the universe. This seems to come automatically w hen the m ind veil is lifted. When you love yourself, the ne ed for others to supply affection disappears. An d with that, jealousy and other negative emotions that the ego uses to ma nipulate yo u into securing affection disappear. As a result, love be come s yo ur natural state. Not human love, but love on a much higher level. It is so natural, yo u d o not eve n reflect on it. You no longer worry about whether other peo ple lo ve you back, fo r yo u kno w they do even if they do not realize it themselves. Love is always there, it is our natural state, b ut there is so much ju nk pile d on top o f it, most of the time w e can’t sen se it. Achieving love can’t b e the goal o f you r life quest, but remembering that love cou ld be. That is a w orthy que st.
Between Ego and Soul
The Birth of the Ego C o m p a r e d t o o u r s p i r i t h o m e w o r l d , p h y s i ca l lif e is re la ti v el y r e c e n t and unexplored. You and I, as spirits, incarnated into this physical life in o r d e r t o f i n d o u t w h a t i t is a n d t o s e e i f o u r p h y s ic a l v eh ic le s (o u r bo d ies) can survive it. Physical life is a challenge, there is no denying that. W h e t h e r w e a r e b i g o r s m a l l , r i c h o r p o o r , c l e v e r o r s lo w , p h y sic a l life is d i ff ic u lt . 1 h a t i s b e c a u s e w e a r e e x p l o r i n g a n e w l y c r e a t e d f ro n t ie r . Until we figure out how to deal with the physical, we will continue to struggle. D u r i n g o u r i n i ti al e x p l o r a t i o n o f t h e p h y s i c a l, w e d i sc o v e r e d t h a t, c o m p a r e d t o o u r n o n p h y s i c al c o u n t e r p a r t s , o u r ph y sic a l b o d ie s a r e V ery ^r a ‘* a ° d r e q u i r e a l o t o f a t t e n t i o n . T o h e l p u s w i t h t h is , w e d ev el o p e d e g o s t o m o n i t o r t h e p h y s i c a l b o d i e s a n d m a k e s u r e t h e y h a d all t h e f o o d , w a t e r , a n d s h e l t e r t h e y n e e d e d in o r d e r t o s ur v iv e , a s we ll a s the means to get food, water, and shelter in the future (something we m m o d e r n t i m e s c all s e c u r i t y ) . H a d w e n o t h a d o u r eg o s , o u r bodies would probably not have lived long enough for us to explore much of the physical.
As tral Projection a n d th e Na tu re o f Reality
We designed the ego specifically to compare what was beneficial and what detrimental to the physical body. Before that, it had been unnecessary for us to value one Ihing over another, but in the physi cal world we did not have th at luxury. W ith the ability to co m pare came categorization. We started filing experiences according to whether wo thought they were good or bad for the body. This became
y
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a h a b it a n d s o on w e w e r e j u d g i n g e v e r y t h i n g t h a t c a m e o u r w a y . W e b e c am e in ca p a ble o f a p p re c ia tin g e x p e rie n c e s sim ply fo r o c c u rrin g . If we attempted to remain nonjudgmental, the ego always interfered as it c o lo r e d th e e x p e r i e n c e s e i t h e r g o o d o r b a d . O u r p e r c e p t io n o f t h e world around us turned black (bad) and white (good). Soon we found i t d if fi cu l t t o t h i n k i n a n y o t h e r t e r m s . I n o u r t r u e n a t u r e , w e w o u ld n o t h av e a p pl ie d a n y c o l o r a t a ll . T h e c l o s e s t w e c o u l d g e t w i th t h e e go was gray. W i th c a t e g o ri z a ti o n c a m e j u d g i n g o t h e r p e o p l e . T h i s i s s o m e t h in g w e w ou ld n e v e r d r e a m o f d o i n g a n y w h e r e e l s e . B u t in t h e p h y s i c a l , t h e ego felt we had to know whether a person was a threat to the physical bo dy. As if t h a t w e re n o t e n o u g h , w e s ta r t e d ju d g in g o u r s e l v e s , s o r t
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in g o u r o w n a c ti o n s a s to g o o d o r b a d . A t t h e r i s k o f o u r a c t i o n s e n d ing up in the “bad bucket,” we had to invent reason in order to e s ti m a t e w h e t h e r t h e c o n s e q u e n c e s o f a n a c t io n w e r e l ik e ly to t u r n o u t good or bad. In order to make good estimations, reason had to be able tell cause from effect, concepts belonging to reason only. To achieve this, reason o r ga n iz e d e v en ts in a ti m e l i n e . W i th t h a t , t h e c o n c e p t o f t im e w a s b o r n . R e a so n h a d t h e a m a z i n g a bi li ty t o n o t o n ly t e ll w h e t h e r a n e v e n t h a d occurred in the past or will occur in the future, but also to tell whether we should worry about the event. And because reason is so dedicated, worry became a big part of our daily physical lives. With our new tool called reason, we rationalized away all other m o d e s o f t h in k in g . W e fo u n d t h e m t o b e u n r e a s o n a b l e . In ti m e , r e a s o n r e p l a c e d o u r u s u a l m e a n s o f t h i n k i n g : i n t u i t i o n a n d k n o w i n g . By
S » c h 00ses “^ e p o o , s fan
'“rite .
s h u t ti n g d o w n i n t u i ti o n , w e s e v e r e d t h e l in k t o o u r t r u e n a t u r e . B u t it did not stop there. Reason weighs evidence and experience against p ossib il iti e s in o r d e r to te ll w h a t is p r o b a b le a n d w h a t is n o t. In th is manner, reason considered all previous experiences in the physical 28
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Between Ego and Soul 91 * « . h and. ignoring the fact that it had no experience outside the physical,
.....
.
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concluded
t h a t i t is r e a s o n a b l e t o a s s u m e t h a t t h e r e is n o th i n g m o r e to
th e w o r ld t h a n t h e p h y s i c a l . W i t h t h a t , w e h a d p u t t h e f in is h in g t ou ch es o n o u r n e w r e a l i t y : W e d e n i e d o u r t r u e n a t u r e a n d t h e ex is t en c e o f o u r s p i r i t h o m e w o r l d .
The Reign of the Ego T h e e g o t a k e s i t s j o b o f e n s u r i n g p h y s i c a l s u rv i v a l v e r y s e ri o u sl y ; t h e re f o re i t g o e s t o e x t r e m e s t o s e c u r e f o o d, w a t e r , a n d s h e l te r . I n m o d ern society, we need money to trade for everything, including food, water, and shelter, so naturally the ego works very hard to collect money in abundance. It reasons that the more money we have, the larger our c h a nc e o f f u t u r e s u r v i v a l . T h o s e e g o s a l r e a d y i n p o s s e s s i o n o f f oo d , w a te r, a n d s h e l t e r k n o w t h e v a l u e o f t h o s e p o s s e s s i o n s a n d s o d o t h e i r b est to t r a d e th e m fo r a s m u c h m o n e y a s p o s s ib le in o r d e r to s e c u re their own futures. T h i s is t h e b a s i s o f th e e c o n o m y o f W e s t e r n s o ci et y. F o o d , w a t e r , a n d s h e l t e r a r e t h e n e e d s o f o u r p h y s ic a l b o d i e s , a n d t h e e c o n o m i c s ys t em o f t r a d e is w h a t t h e e g o i n v e n t e d t o s e c u r e t h e m f o r t h e f u tu r e . T hi s s y s te m , o f c o u r s e , o n l y w o r k s f o r th e e g o s t h a t h a v e s o m e t h i n g o f v a lu e to t ra d e f o r m o n e y o r f o od , w a t e r , a n d s h e l t e r. T h e e g o s t h a t l ac k th e s e m e a n s o f t r a d e —t h a t i s, p o o r e g o s —a r e p a i n fu l ly a w a r e o f t h i s f a ct . I ro ni ca ll y, w h e n w e i n v e n t e d m o n e y in o r d e r t o i n c r e a s e o u r s e c u ri ty , w e i n v en t ed p o v e r t y , t h e o p p o s i t e o f s ec u r it y . As souls, we recognize that all beings are equal and that we d e p e n d u p o n e a c h o t h e r t o s u r v i v e . T h e w a y o f t h e s o u l w ou ld b e t o s h a r e a n d m a k e s u r e n o b o d y l a c k s t h e f u n d a m e n t a l p h y sic a l n e e d s . B ut t h e e g o c h o o s e s t o g o t h e o p p o s i t e w ay . F e a r f u l o f a c t u a l ly b e c o m i n g o n e o f t h o s e p o o r e g o s , i t i n v e n t s e v e r m o r e w a y s t o s t a y w e a lt h y. T h e ego’s favorite weapon in this fight is greed, which seems, for some i n ex p li ca b le r e a s o n , t o g r o w a s o u r w e a l t h g r o w s . W h e n w e gi ve i n t o the fear of becoming poor, we allow the ego to increase its influence on our lives. This subconscious process influences our physical lives to such a degree th at in many cases the ego’s nee d for wealth becom es the only
Astral Projection a n d th e Natu re o f Re ality
motivating factor in our physical lives. Our original motivation, the explo ration of the physical, has be en pushe d a side. On only a few occasions do we allow our d esire for exploration to guide us, and th at is whe n we go on vacation. And we only allow tha t to hap pe n if th at vac ation does not underm ine the ego’s m eans of collecting w ealth. In W este rn society, we call it a paid vacation.
Passions Th e act of physical exp loration is m otiva ted by passions, subjects tha t highly interest us. Every perso n has a set of passions , w hich guide us to the physical situation s we w ish to ex plore . F or ex am ple, if I, as a soul, have a passion for exploring the physical cosmos, I might want to incarnate into a physical family with ties to NASA. Or perhaps I would select a father or m othe r who is a pilot. My passion for cosmic explo ration would then further assist me by motivating me to becoming an astronaut. As an astronaut, I would be in an optimal situation for explor ing the physical cosmos. These passions are extremely important to who we are and to our ph ysical a n d m e n ta l well-b ein g. If w e allow th e e g o to s u p p re s s o u r pas sions, we lose touch with our initial intention to explore and find our se lv es w o n d e r in g w h a t o n E a r t h w e a r e d o i n g o n E a r t h . W h e n w e c om e to a point where we forget why we are in the physical, the physical b e com e s a n ig h tm a re —w e fe el d e p re s s e d a n d lo st, like a le a f b e in g ca st about in the wind. D u r in g c h il d h o o d , w e a r e w e l l a w a r e o f o u r p a s s i o n s . W e k n o w w h a t our specialties are . O ur specialties—w ha t we do w ell—a re simply w ha t we t h in k is fu n, a n y th i n g w e a r e p a s s i o n a t e a b o u t . W e w a n t to c o n t r i b u t e to s o cie ty w i th t h e s e s p e c i a l ti e s; u n f o r t u n a t e l y , a s w e a r e s c h o o l e d , w e r e a l ize t h a t W e s t e r n s o c ie t y is a v e r y h a r s h a n d c o m p e t i t iv e p l a c e in w hic h t o live . W e l e a r n t h a t w e h a v e t o b e s t r e a m l i n e d i n o r d e r t o s u rv i ve in Western society. Little by little, we learn that our childhood passions can’t help us acquire food, water, and shelter. To survive, we have to suppress those passions, maybe brush them o il a s c h il d ho o d f a n t a s i e s a n d f o c u s o n a t t a i n i n g t h e m e a n s ( e d u c a ti o n , practi c al e x p e rie n c e ) to s e c u r e food , w a te r, a n d s h e lte r. In th e end,
Between Ego and Soul society never benefits from our specialties because we choose to aban d on t h e m . T h i s i s a s t r o u b l in g a s it is u n f o r t u n a t e . O u r t ra n s f o rm a t io n f ro m i n d i v i d u a l s w h o a r e m o t i v a t e d b y p a s s i o n s to i n d iv i d ua l s w h o a re m o t iv a t e d by t h e n e e d t o p h y s i c a ll y s u rv i v e i s, o f c o u r s e , b r o u g h t a b o u t by th e e g o . W i th o u r p a s s i o n s c o m f o r t a b l y b u r i e d in t h e c e ll a r o f o u r m in d s, o u r e g o s c a n g e t a f i r m g r i p o n u s . F r o m n o w o n , o u r liv es will be a c o n s t a n t n o n p a s s i o n a t e s t r u g g l e f o r s e c u r i ty : a j o b , m o n e y , a c a r, a s p o u se , a h o u s e , a n d a r e t i r e m e n t . I c a u g h t m y s e l f t h e o t h e r d ay th in k i ng , “ I a m s o p o o r , h o w w i ll I a f f o r d g r a v e c a r e w h e n I d i e ? ” A n d 1 a m o nly 25 y e a r s o l d ! T h e e g o n e v e r c e a s e s i n si st in g t h a t w e se c u r e o u r f u tu r e , s o m u c h s o t h a t w e a c t u a l l y liv e m o r e f o r th e f u t u r e t h a n f or t he p r e s e n t . S o m e t im e s o u r p a s s i o n s r i s e u p to t h e s u r f a c e a n d g r a b o u r a tt e n t io n , b u t th e y a r e q u i c k l y d e n i e d a s t h e e g o k i ck s in a n d t e ll s u s t h a t t h o s e p a s s i o n s d o n o t h a v e b e a r i n g i n t h i s s o c ie t y . D u r i n g c e r t a i n t im e s o f c h a n g e , p a s s i o n s r e g u l a r ly p o p u p i n o r d e r t o w a k e u s up f ro m o u r e g o - i n d u c e d s l u m b e r . T h i s r e s u l t s in a c o n fl ic t b e tw e e n p a s sion and the ego. This conflict frustrates and confuses us, so some of us take to alcohol or other drugs in order to escape the ego or forget t h e p a s s i o n s . I n t h e m i d s t o f t h i s , w e a s k o u r s e l v e s : “ Is t h i s l if e ? ” Is i t? N o . L i v in g w i t h o u t p u r s u i n g o u r p a s s i o n s is a w a s t e o f life . If w e deny our passions, we deny the reason for which we came to Earth, which is to extend ourselves by exploration. It is a suspended exis t e n c e , i n w h i c h w e a r e n e v e r s a t is f ie d . T h e e g o c a n n e v e r be s a ti sf ie d , b e c a u s e w e c a n n e v e r g u a r a n t e e t h a t w e will a lw a y s h a v e a c c e s s to f o o d , w a t e r , a n d s h e l t e r , a n d o t h e r t h i n g s o f v a l u e in th e p hy sic a l world. Absolute personal security is unobtainable. Satisfaction can only be won by fulfilling our passions.
Astral Projection and the N ature o f Reality
Exercise: Reclaiming Passions Imagine that suddenly, as if by some incredible quickening of com passion, all hu m an s o n Earth decide to work for each o ther, making sure everyone has food, water, shelter, and other things that make physical life comfortable. It is not so farfetched: we already have the technology to feed every person on this planet. Imagine that all dull jobs are automated. All food and other resources are grown and harvested by machines, which are run by a never-ending supply of solar and ocean wave energy. In that scenario, you would never have to pay rent o r buy food, b u t yo u would have everything you need anyway. Consequently, you would never have to take a jo b unless you really liked t h at job . W ha t wou ld y ou be do ing in this moment? W hat wou ldyou dedicate yo ur life to doing? Anything you come u p w ith is a passion. W rite them down in your jo urn al. Then ask yourself how hu m an so ciet y w ould chan ge bec ause of
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this global decision to help each other. How w ould people interact? How would human society change in 20 years?
the end of the
W ek e ep o n l y t h e N eedle ss to say, p a ssio n s a r e th e to o ls o f t h e so u l. W ith o u r pas sions, as souls we try to affect what we aspire to in life, thereby direct ing how our lives turn out a nd w ha t life situatio ns w e ge t ourselves into. Fear, on the o th er han d, is the tool o f th e ego . T he ego ’s job is to keep us physically safe, and th er e is no m ore effective w ay o f staying safe than bein g afraid o f e v e ry th in g . T h e d o w n s id e is t h a t t h e f e a r in d u ce d by the e go o f te n b e c o m e s u n r e a s o n a b l e . O f t e n w e f e e l m o r e f e a r t h a n w h a t is healthy. We might go about our day feeling nauseated by fear, worrying that our past will catch up with us or that we will not be able to provide a future for ourselves and those we love.
The Beauty of Choice ^
C o n s i d e ri n g all t h e f e a r b r o u g h t o n b y t h e e g o , w h y d o n ' t w e just " K
t h e e g o ? F i r s t , w e w a n t t o l e a r n f r o m t h e mistakes
» ' m a d e m i n v en t in g it , a n d i n o r d e r t o d o t h a t , w e h a v e t o w a it a nd see » w t ,e e go tu r n s o u t . S e c o n d , t h e e g o h a s p r o v e d t o b e a g r e a t tea ch er
32
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Between Ego and Soul more ways than one. The ego forces us to face our Tears so that we can u n d e r s t a n d o u r s e l v e s . A s w e b e g i n t o u n d e r s t a n d o u r s e l v e s , w e r e a l
ize that living in fear is not something that is forced upon us. We choose whether we want to be subjected to fear, just as we choose whether to follow our passions. The ego is our own invention and, as such, we can choose when we want to use it and when we want to give it a rest. But befo re we c a n c o n tr o l t h e e go to t h a t e x te n t, w e hav e to g et to know our selves. We have to rediscover our nature. The ego keeps manifesting difficult situations so that it can produce f ea r i n u s . T h a t f e a r, i n t u r n , k e e p s u s u n d e r c o n t r o l a n d d e m o n s t ra t e s t o us t h e n e c e s s i t y o f t h e e g o . H a r d s h i p is a w a y f o r t h e e g o t o t el l u s: “S e e, yo u d o n e e d m e i n o r d e r t o g e t o u t o f t h i s m e s s a n d s t a y c l e a r o f it in t h e f u t u r e . ” A t t h e s a m e t im e , t h a t f e a r r e m i n d s u s t o a c k no w l ed g e o u r true nature. Fears are strong only until we embrace them. Hardship is h a r d o n ly a s l o n g a s w e f e a r i t . B y e m b r a c i n g o u r f e a r s a s p a r t s o f o u r s elv es ( w h i c h th e y a r e ) , w e c a n a c c e p t t h e m s o t h a t w e c a n le t t h e m g o. A t t h e e n d o f t h e d a y, w e k e e p o n ly w h a t p r o p e l s u s t o e x p lo r e f u rt he r. W e k e e p o n l y t h e c o r e o f o u r n a t u r e : o u r p a s s i o n s a n d l o ve s. A s id e e ff ec t o f t h e e g o ’s r e i g n o f c o n t r o l i s t h a t i t g i ve s u s a c h a n c e t o e m b r a c e i t a n d discover ou r tru e n atu re , w hich lies bey on d it. T ha t is the e go’s gift, to us. O n e d a y s o o n , h u m a n s o c i e t y w ill b e s h a k e n t o i ts c o re . W e , th e E a r t h l i n g s , w il l t a k e t h e n e x t s t e p o f e v o l u t i o n , w h i c h is t h e e v o lu ti on o f m i n d . W e w il l r e a l i z e t h a t t h e r e i s m o r e t o o u r w o r ld t h a n w h a t o u r e go s a ll ow u s t o s e e . W e w i ll n o l o n g e r b e c o n t e n t w i t h t h e e g o ’s id e a o f s u r v iv al . W e w il l w a n t t o d o m o r e t h a n s u r v i v e : W e w ill w a n t t o liv e. W e will d i s c o v e r t h a t w e , a s h u m a n b e i n g s , h a v e t h e p o w e r t o c h a n g e o u r liv es a n d p u r s u e o u r p a s s i o n s . We will turn our hope away from the leaders we have elected to guide us, and instead direct it to within us, where real power lies dor m ant. W e will onc e m ore find ho pe in a life of bliss. W e will possess the k in d o f e x p e c t a t i o n t h a t c h i l d r e n h a v e b e f o r e h a r s h p h y si ca l so c ie ty e a ts them up and their fantasies and passions are stored in the attic along with the ir toys. W e will wa ke up and take control of ou r lives because the hu m an rac e is too go od for any thing less. A dorm an t life force will once again awa ken in the h e a rt o f each of us, an d it will po ur over planet Earth. Humankind will bloom once more.
As tral Projection a n d th e N atu re o f Reali ty
This evolution will not only give us insight into our true nature, but it will lead humankind out of its self-invented, three-dimensional cage. I l ook a t t h e h i s to r y o f h u m a n k i n d , o v e r h u n d r e d s o f t h o u s a n d s o f y e a r s , and 1can sincerely say that we have seen nothing yet. We are not even using one percent of our capabilities as human beings, although we are very cocky because we have achieved that one percent when other ani
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m a ls h a v e n o t - a s i f t h e y w o ul d c a r e . W e a r e s e r io u s l y u n d e r e s t i m a t i n g our p otential. T h e w a k in g o f c o n s c i o u s n e s s t o t h i s e v o l u t i o n a r y s t e p m a n i f e s t s i n a cultural change. The egos that have much to lose (those egos owning
Onte'1
riches and power) will resist this development. They will want to keep things as they are, keep the fear and the ego intact because they have no problem in providing a future in the physical for them se lve s. The y will f e a r t h a t k n o w l ed g e o f o t h e r - d i m e n s i o n a l w o r l d s a n d o f f - p l a n e t s p e c ie s will diminish the value of th eir p oss essio ns. In tru th it will, bu t they will a ls o g ai n so m e t h i n g t h a t n o r i c h e s c a n b u y : s e l f- k n o w l e d g e . T h i s f e a r will d e la y t h e d e v e l o p m e n t , b u t i n th e e n d r e s i s t a n c e is f u t il e . E v o l u t io n c a n ’t be sto p p e d . T h e c ha n g e is c o m in g a n d m a y b e i t wil l b e g in w ith c h a n n el ing, telepathy, telekinesis, and UFOs. In this book, it starts with astral p roje cti o n.
The Ego anil Astral Projection What does this have to do with astral projection? Everything! Our quest to perfect the ability to leave and reenter our physical bodies at will is p a r t o f o u r e x p l o r a ti o n o f t h e p h y s i c a l a n d p a r t o f t h e e v o lu t io n o f
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t h e hu m a n m i nd . T h o s e o f u s w h o t a k e u p t h i s q u e s t —a n d w e a r e m a n y — d o i t b e c a u s e w e h a v e t h e p a s s i o n t o d o i t . A n o t h e r w a y t o p u t i t is t o s ay t h a t we a r e i n c l in e d b y o u r so u l s t o i n v e s t i g a t e t h e b o u n d a r i e s o f t h e physical. I his q u e s t is a n e ff o r t to u n d e r s t a n d w h a t t h e p h y sic a l is and w h a t w e a s ph y si ca l b e i n g s a r e . W e a r e o n t h e b r i n k o f d is c o v e r in g t ho s e
e"i»tions y"° eg° ’ bl S .. "N ight,
;
tJ uths. In a few yea rs, o ur view o f life on E a rth will hav e c ha ng ed . It will o f g r e a t e r i m p a c t th a n C o p e r n i c u s ’s c l a im t h a t t h e E a r t h r ev olv es around the Sun. sur ' ° W( VU’ as tra * Pro jection is a t od ds w ith th e ego ’s idea of physical I i rs t , t h e e g o t h i n k s a s t r a l p r o j e c t i o n i s a w a s t e o f t i m e , s in ce
34
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d o e s n o t d o m u c h t o f u r t h e r o u r w e a l t h o r in an y o t h e r w ay in c re a s our physical security. S ec on d, the job o f the ego is limited to the . i,
ca| realm, therefore it does not care about anything outside the physical including the astral. Thus the ego will object whenever we attempt to s h if t o u r a w a r e n e s s a w a y f r o m t h e p h y s ic a l , a s w e d o in a s tr a l p ro je c tion. It will even try to trick us into shifting our awareness bark to the physical. Your first astral projection will probably go without a hitch, but it will allow the ego to see that astral projection is not in its best interest. O n c e it h a s d r a w n t h a t c o n c l u s i o n , t h e e g o w il l a t t e m p t t o s a b o ta g e y ou r s u b s e q u e n t a t t e m p t s a t a s t r a l p r o j e c t i o n . T h i s in c lu d e s d i v er tin g y ou r a t te n t i o n a s y o u a t t e m p t t o a s t r a l p r o j e c t , s c a r i n g y ou w h e n y ou s uc ce ss fully p r o j e c t , s u p p r e s s i n g y o u r m e m o r i e s o f t h e p r o je c t io n a f t e r yo u return to your body, and advocating the theory that “it must have been ju s t a d r e a m . ” Third, since physical survival is the ego’s mission, it will freak out whenever it experiences something that resembles physical death, such a s t h e e x i ti n g o f t h e p h y s i c a l b o d y t h a t p r e c e d e s a n a s t r a l p ro j ec t io n . In order to prevent the ego from interfering with our astral adven tures, we have to understand how the ego works and what its motiva t io n is . W e a l r e a d y k n o w i ts p r i m a r y m o t i v a ti o n : p h y si ca l s u rv iv a l. But h o w d o e s i t w o r k ? T h e e g o is n o t a n e x t e r n a l e n t it y , b u t an i n te g r al p a r t o f e v e r y h u m a n . A s w i th m o s t e l e m e n t s o f t h e p s y c h e , t h e e go h a s a co n scious component and a subconscious component. We use the conscious c o m p o n e n t w h e n w e r e a s o n . T h i s o n e is e a s y t o m a n i p u l at e —w e d o it every day. Per definition, we can’t directly access the subconscious com p o n e n t o f t h e e g o , b u t w e c a n fe e l it s e ffe c ts in th e fo rm o f m otivating emotions. You might say it works like a black box. We know what we put into it: situations, experiences, and memories. We feel the outcome in t h e f o rm o f g r e e d a n d f e a r, b u t w e c a n ’t s e e w h a t h a p p e n s i nsid e th e bo x. T he ego rese m ble s a m ach ine m ore th an a living soul. As such, it d o e s n o t h a v e a c c e s s t o e n e r g i e s in t h e f o rm o f i n s p ir a t io n a n d c r e a t iv ity, like the soul h as. T his is to th e ad va nta ge o f the soul, w hich is our true nature. It does not take much creative thought to outsmart a machine like the ego. However, we want to do more than to circumvent
35
Astra l Projectio n a n d th e N atu re o f Reality
the ego. W e wan t to mak e it work f o r us—the soul—ins tea d of ag ains t us. After all, that was the ego’s original purpose, before its interaction with our thought processes became so complex, so how hard can it be?
Exercise: In the Absence o f Fear 1. When you wake up tomorrow , tie a sh ort thread arou nd on e of yo ur fingers like a ring. 2. Tellyourself: "Each tim e I look a t this ring, I will feel no fear o r w orry .” 3. Go about your day. 4. Every time you see the ring, rem em be r y o u r pledge. Release any fear or worries you may have at the m om ent. 5. At the end of the day, evaluate w he the r the a bsenc e o f fear and wo rry made your day easier or p u t yo u at greater risk of harm . (W hat you have been doing throughout the day is consciously interrupting a subconscious process: the ego’s control mechanism by fear. In other words, you have nipp ed th e eg o’s takeover in the bu d). 6. Ask yourself: "Did this abs ence o f fear and w orr y th rea ten my future security or endang er m e in any way?" M o st likely, yo u will find th at the absence of fear gave you clarity o f thou gh t, which helped you see more opportunities around you. Seeing tho se o pp ortu nities increases yo ur chances for future security. No w w e see th at the ego is defeating its own purpose by no t allowing you to take adva ntage o f the opp or tunities. With that realization, the ego automatically transforms to work for you instead o f against you.
The Belief System
Loss of Information AH o f u s h a v e a s e t o f b e l i e f s t h a t a s s i s t s o u r r e a s o n i n g . L et u s c all t h i s s e t o f a l l b e l i e f s t h e b e l i e f s y s te m . W i t h o u t t h e s e b e li e fs , re a s o n w o uld n o t b e a b l e t o e s t i m a t e t h e o u t c o m e o f a n e v e n t . C o n s e q u en tl y , w e w o u ld m a k e m i s ta k e s t h a t w o u l d e n d a n g e r o u r p hy s ic a l s u rv iv a l. T h e e go c a n ’t h a v e t h a t , a n d s o i t fe r o c i o u s l y d e f e n d s a ll o f it s b e li e fs . In o r d e r t o m a x i m i z e o u r c h a n c e s o f p h y s ic a l su r v iv a l , w e in v e nt b eli efs to k e e p u s f o c u s e d o n t h e p h y sic a l. T h is lim it s t h e in p u t fro m o u r surroundings, especially our nonphysical surroundings. It is imperative to our survival to perceive only objects that immediately affect us. N o n im m e d ia te in p u t is e li m in a te d s o it wil l n o t ta k e a tt e n tio n aw ay fro m p o te n tia l t h r e a t s in o u r i m m e d ia te s u rro u n d i n g s . L e t u s lo o k a t a n e x a m p l e . M a n y p r o j e c t o r s r e p o r t h e a r i n g v o ic es a n d n o i s e s p r i o r t o t h e e x i t fr o m t h e b o d y . S u c h s o u n d s s u r r o u n d us c o n s t a n t ly a n d w e w o u l d h e a r th e m a ll t h e t im e i f w e w e r e n o t so i n t e n t o n i g n o r in g th e m . O n o n e h a n d , t h e e g o c o n s i d e r s th e m a n ui sance because they take attention away from potential physical threats in our immediate surroundings; on the other hand, we are
Astral Projection a n d the Na tu re o f R eality
afraid to hear them because is culturally unacceptable, to such a degree that we lock up people who claim to hear voices. We can only hear noises in sleep states and other trances, because then the ego is o f fl in e ( a sl e ep ) a n d w e n o l o n g e r c a r e h o w w e ll w e f i t i n t o t h e c u r r e n t culture. When the ego goes offline, so do the beliefs that make us ignore the noises. T h is a p p l ie s n o t o n l y t o n o i s e s , b u t a l so t o m o s t t h i n g s u n s e e n . F o r h u n d r e d s o f y e a r s , p s y c h ic s h a v e b e e n s a y in g t h a t s p i r i t g u i d e s a n d other nonphysical beings surround us at all times. Why have we never s e e n t h e m ? O u r b e l ie f s d o n o t a l lo w u s t o s e e . I f w e w i s h t o s e e t h e m , we either have to seek out the beliefs that make us blind or establish new beliefs that make us see. Perhaps we should stop merely regard i ng s p i r it g u id e s a s p o s s i b l e a n d s t a r t b e l i e v in g i n t h e m a s r e a l . B u t w e are reluctant to believe anything that we have not experienced. We do n o t w a n t to b e m i sl e d . W e h a v e a C a t c h -2 2 h e r e : W e c a n ’t s e e t h e s p i r i ts un t il w e b e l ie v e i n t h e m , a n d w e c a n ’t b e l ie v e i n t h e m u n t i l w e s e e them. A nother
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b e c a u s e n e a rly e v e ry o n e s e e m s t o h a v e it) k n o w n a s A t te n ti o n D e fic it D i s o rd e r , o r A D D . D o c t o r s c a n 't u n d e r s t a n d w h y k id s t o d a y c a n ’t c o n centrate (that is why they label the problem in such an obscure way). The child’s attention goes in all directions. The cause lies in the belief system. A s m e n t i o n e d , t h e b e l ie f s y s t e m is a r r a n g e d t o m a x i m i z e p h y si ca l su r vival, which means that our beliefs maximize input from objects that potenti all y t h re a te n us a n d m in im iz es in p u t f ro m o b je c ts t h a t a r e like ly to p ose no th r e a t. T h is w o rk s wel l in s tr a ig h tf o rw a r d in te r a c tio n s w ith o th er bein gs a n d o b jects. B ut w e liv e in th e ag e o f in fo rm a tio n —o u r liv es a re pack ed w ith in fo rm atio n . W h e re v e r w e go, w e a r e b o m b a r d e d w ith in fo r mation: billboards, commercials on TV and radio, warning labels, lists of ingredients, Intern et pop-ups, and b ulk e-mails. W ith P ro cte r & Gamble’s new printing technology even Pringles will have surface-printed text! Look around the room you are in now. Can you find a single artifi cial item that does not have text on it? You can’t even have a drink of ju ice w ith o u t b e in g in fo rm e d o f h o w m a n y c a lo r ie s y o u r b o d y receives. Lven worse, pictures and voices in commercial ads are especially
The Belief System
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5 that
systems can’t keep up. Kids don’t know where to focus their attention because th e i r b e lie f s y s te m s c a n n o lo n g e r te ll w h ic h o b je c ts p o se phys ical threats and which do not; consequently they can't make out which i np ut t o e li m i n a t e a n d w h i c h t o k e e p . T h e y a r e d r o w n i n g in i n p u t f ro m their surroundings. These kids have difficulty paying attention in class because th e i r b e lie f s y s te m s in c o r r e c tly e lim in a te in fo rm a tio n com in g f ro m t h e i r te a c h e r s . C o m m e r c ia l a d s , o n t h e o t h e r h a n d , a r e n o t e lim i n a te d b e c a u s e t h e y a r e d e s i g n e d t o a t t r a c t a tt e n t i o n . I s t h e r e a ny w o n d e r kids are confused? There are two cures to ADD, and stuffing our kids with minda lt e ri n g d r u g s i s n o t o n e o f t h e m . E i t h e r w e r e m o v e a ll c o m m e r c ia l ad s ( w o uld n’t t h a t b e n i c e ? ) a n d c u t b a c k o n t h e a m o u n t o f i nf or m a t io n giv en fo r e v e r y l i tt le u n i m p o r t a n t t h in g , o r w e e n c o u r a g e t h e b e l ie f s ys tem to adapt to the higher information load (which will mean more per sonal limits and stricter habits).
Censored Informa tion T h e b e l i e f s y s t e m n o t o n ly f i l te r s s e n s o r y i n p u t, b u t a ls o a d ju s ts some input to fit the beliefs. This causes us to get a censored, even p r o p a g a n d iz e d , v ie w
o f o u r s u rr o u n d in g s .
W h y is o u r p e rc e p tio n
t w i s t e d in t h i s w a y ? B e c a u s e o u r r e a s o n c a n ’t c o p e w i th i d e a s a n d objects that do not conform to what we estimate reality to be. By hltering the input, the ego does not have to worry about landslides within t h e b e l i e f s y s t e m , w h i c h w o u ld n o d o u b t d i s tu r b o u r f u n ct io n in g u po n the physical plane. T h e b e l i e f s y s t e m i s f o r m e d b y e x p e r i e n c e . In o u r y o u n g e r y e a r s, each exp erience estab lished a be lief in ou r m inds. Fo r exam ple, if as tod
>
dlers we put our hands on a hot stove top, we experienced pain and established th e be lief th at stove tops are dang erous. Similarly, we estab lished beliefs that gravity pulls us down, winter is cold, cemeteries are spooky, b irds have the ability to drop nasty stuff from above, th e Ea rth
39
As tra l Projection and th e Nat ur e o f Rea lity
is round, space is vast, and so on. There is almost no end to how many be lie fs we have esta blis hed fo r ours elv es. Once a belief is established, it is reinforced when we experience events similar to the on e tha t establishe d th e belief. Every time w e rein force a belief, it gets rooted more firmly in our belief system. Eventually, the belief becom es integral to how we in ter ac t with reality, at which point it starts filtering senso ry inpu t. Inp ut th at is con trary to a firm belief is plainly reje cted so th at it will not up set our pe rcep tion of reality. For example, a woman levitates without support. Three men witness the event. The first witness, who believes that humans can fly, has no p roble m in seein g th e le v itatio n a n d so a c ce p ts t h e e v en t. H e d o es n o t even consider the levitation anything out of the ord inar y becau se it is our beliefs th a t d ic ta te w h at is o rd in a ry a n d w h a t is n o t. T h e s e c o n d w it n ess believes th a t h u m an s c a n n o t fly. H e is co n v in ced t h a t th e lev itatio n is a trick, a hoax, because it is the only reasonable explanation. As such, he d o e s n o t ev e n fe el t h e n e e d t o i n v e s t i g a t e w h e t h e r h i s a s s u m p t i o n i s c o r rect. This is the ego’s be st de fense ag ainst up setting notion s. (For exam ple , how m any p e o p le fee l it is u n n e c e s s a r y to r e a d U F O lite ra tu re simply because, even thou gh th ey have n ot in vestiga ted it for themselves, they are already sure that UFOs are unreal or elaborate hoaxes?) T h e t h ir d w i tn e s s h a s a d e e p l y r o o t e d b e l i e f t h a t h u m a n s c a n ’t fly. T h e m a n d o e s n o t s e e t h e I e v i t a t o r a t a ll , e v e n t h o u g h h e i s s t a r i n g r ig h t at her. The event is totally filtered out by his beliefs. A m a jo r d i s a d v a n t a g e t o t h e d i ff ic u l ty o f c h a n g i n g a b e l i e f s y s t e m is that the world around us, however we perceive it, is changing rapidly. E v e ry th in g is c ha n g in g , a n d a l l t h e t i m e . E v e n o u r o w n b e i n g s a r e c h an g ing more quickly than the ego, in its need for stability, would like to admit. But the beliefs th at w e have r ein fo rce d all ou r lives sim ply can’t change that quickly. Our whole existence could be shaken to the core— a n d o u r be li e fs s im p l y w o u l d n ’t a l lo w u s t o k n o w i t. W h a t u s e d t o b e o u r p o in ts of re fe re n c e , o u r b e li e fs, h av e n o w b e c o m e o u r m in d veil.
40
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Exercise: Affecting Beliefs I For one wh ole day, consciou sly decide w ha t yo u believe in.
b e l i ^
2. W h e n y o u r ea d s o m e t h i n g , o r w h e n s o m e b o d y t el ls yo u s o m e t h i n g w h a t e v er i t m a y b e —c h e ck y o u r w r i s tw a t c h . 3. If t h e ti m e sh o w s a n o d d - n u m b e r e d h o u r , t h e n d e c id e t h a t y o u d o n ’t belie ve w h a te v e r y o u a re to ld . Tell y o u rse lf, "I d o n ’t beli eve th at." 4. If t h e ti m e s h o w s a n e v e n - n u m b e r e d h o u r , d e c i d e t o b e li ev e in w h a t ever yo u are told . Tell yo urs elf, “T ha t so u n d s reason able. I believe tha t.”
e m e n 'V'tness a n % . h a s no ■ H e does noi
c a u s e it js our
5. C o n s id e r h o w t h e s e s t a t e m e n t s a f f e c t y o u r b e l i e f a b o u t t h e i n fo r m a tion over time. 6. A t t h e e n d o f th e d a y, t h i n k a b o u t y o u r b e li e fs . A re t h e y d i f f e r e n t fr o m w h a t t h ey w e r e a t t h e b e g i n n i n g o f t h e d ay . D o y o u f in d y o u r se lf
5c° n d witness l e v i t a t i o n is a
beli evin g in th in g s t h a t u p u n til t o d a y y o u w ere skepti cal a b o u t? If so,
t. A s s u c h , he
s cio u sl y p r o g r a m m e d . I n o t h e r w o r d s , gi ve n t i m e , y o u c a n t e a c h y o u r
m p tio n is cor-
t h e n y o u k n o w t h a t t h e b e l i e f s y s te m is a m a c h i n e t h a t c a n b e c o n s e lf t o b e li e ve i n a n y t h i n g y o u w a n t .
s. (For examPO literature
f th e m s e l v e s , oaxes?)
How do our beliefs affect us in the astral world? Let us look at an
a n s can’t fly-
example. An astral projector projects into an astral forest and finds it
st a ri n g r'g1'1
v ery b e a u t if u l a n d s e r e n e . T h e p r o j e c t o r e n jo y s i t t re m e n d o u s l y . B ut w hy w o u ld t h e r e b e a f o r e s t in t h e a s t r a l ? F o r n o p a r t i c u l a r r e a s o n ,
i« f system is ging W ® 2, are chanf •vould like to
o t h e r t h a n t h e p r o j e c t o r b e l ie v e s t h a t t h e a s t r a l lo o k s lik e th e p h y s i cal a n d f o r e s t s a r e v e r y c o m m o n in t h e p h y s i c a l. O u r b e l ie f s d ic t a te o u r p e r c e p t i o n . W h a t w o u l d t h e p r o j e c t o r h a v e se e n in th e a s t r a l if h e b ad n o p r e c o n c e i v e d b e li e f a b o u t w h a t t h e a s t r a l i s ? H e w o u ld h a v e , to th e b e s t o f h i s ab i li ty , s e e n t h e t r u e n a t u r e o f t h e a s t r a l , w h i ch i s a
simp')'ran
big p a r t o f o u r o w n n a t u r e a s m u lt id i m e n s i o n a l b e in g s . In o t h e r
to the core-
w o r d s , t h e p r o j e c t o r h a d a c h a n c e t o d i sc o v e r a p ie c e o f h is o w n
sed to he
nature, but his beliefs interfered. I like forests at least as much as the
d veil-
n e x t p e r s o n , b u t i s n ’t e x p l o ri n g th e n a t u r e o f o u r b e in g g r a n d e r t h an exploring a forest? I n t h e m e d i c a l w o r l d , a p l a c e b o i s a “f a k e ” c u r e , o f t e n g iv e n a s s u g a r pills o r s ta g e d su rg e ry . In D r. H e n ry K. B e e c h e r ’s 1955 p a p e r “T he
41
Ast ra l Projection anil th e Natu re o f Reali ty
Powerful Placebo,"3 the placeb o effect w as f o u n d t o i m p r o v e th e h e a l t h of between 21 and 58 p erce nt o f the trial patients. A p l a c e b o u s e s t h e p a tie n t’s b e li e f in th e c u re to p ro m o te heali ng. If t h e p a ti e n t h a s a b e l ie f that says medicine is able to heal her particular ailment, she can be healed without the medicine as long as she believes she is taking it. The
y"
pla cebo is an ex am p le o f how be li efs g o v e rn o u r re ali ty . So here is the big question: According to physics, the creature called the bee has wings too small to allow its large body to fly. Yet it spites us by buzzing around like an acrobat in the air. Now, imagine that same bee flying to college to study physics and aerodynamics
O ** |ds»H
b e c a u se it w a n ts to a d v a n c e » ith in t h e hive. A f te r g r a d u a tio n , it lo oks u p on i ts o w n b o d y , m e a s u r in g t h e w i n g - b o d y r a t i o . W i ll t h e b e e s till be a b le to fly , o r will its new ly c r e a t e d b e lie fs in p h y sic s k e e p it o n th e ground?
Friday, De cem be r 6, 20 0 2 Levitation T eaching This experience takes plac e som ew he re b etw een the dream w orld a n d the astral. I d re a m I a m si ttin g o n a b e n c h i n t h e s q u a r e o f m y h o m e t o w n w i t h w h a t se e m s t o be my family. I do n ot reco gnize these peop le, bu t they feel like family. A m an who reminds me of Don Juan (from Carlo s C asta ne da’s b oo ks ) app ears. P erha ps the feeling of this ma n being a teacher m ake s m y m ind d raw the para llel to Do n Juan, w ho is also a teacher. Intuitively, I k n ow this ma n is dea d, b ut I c a n se e him anyw ay. He seems to be h ere o nly in spirit. He is levitating, floating a few feet ab o ve the gro und . He expla ins that he ha s come to teach us all the art o f levitation. H e e n co ur ag e s m e to try. I try se ve ra l times, but each
'^olution
time the thought that “it is im po ssib le” p o p s into m y m ind. Co nsequ ently, it is impossible; yo u ca n’t d o som ething if yo u believ e that som eth ing ca n ’t be done. The man encourages me o ve r an d over. A yo un ge r m an next to me starts levitating. He seems to have no trouble learning, bu t I do. I finally d ec id e that the best w ay to stop the limiting thought from po pp ing into m y m ind is b y sto pp ing m y interna l dialogue. I think this is w h at D o n J ua n w o u l d h a v e d o n e . The sec on d I stop m y inn er dia logu e there is a big blast! I susp ect the blast is in the waking physical world. Apparently, I no w k n o w I am not aw ake. I can see pieces of
a fire cr ac ke r fl yi ng in fr on t o f m y d r e a m in g e ye s. I s u sp e c t a fi re cra ck er h a s been set o tight next to m y left ear in the physical. W h o w ou ld d o su ch a thing? W hoever it
he
“H
,pieceofi'1
Sf'H
The Belief System ',il1
’ S^e 0 S , i j
wo M "°
e air.
' ■ '« «
I be liev e t hat du rin g th e night, I sp ent a g oo d a m ount o f time at an astral learn-
! aerQ^ ,lllaglne
mg center, where I took a class in how beliefs affect our reality. The people I per-
■Vnani|cs
ceji)e(j as my family w ere m y fellow students. Perhaps they feel like family because we spend so much time together in the astral. We were all given a lesson in how beliefs gove rn ou r realities. In this case, th e les son c ou ld only be learned in a dream environment, w here m os t o f the be liefs o f the physical world are intact. Therefore, the class m ov ed into th e dream dim ensio n, at w hich time the dreaming me became aware of the teaching. The tea cher sh ow ed us ho w the b elie f o f gravity could pre vent us from levitating. There was absolutely no reason why I could not levitate, since there is no gravity in the d ream dim ensio n, except that I belie ved it could not be done. The blast signaled the end of the lesson. Apparently, the whole lesson was designed to lead me up to th e realization that inner dialogue holds o ur beliefs in place. When toe stop th e i nner dialog ue we are free to see withou t the filter o f our beliefs. When the lesson was learned, th e teacher felt it unnecessa ry for m e to stick around, so he tricked me into waking u p w ith a big blast.
Mind Evolution How ever m uch o f ou r senso ry inp ut our beliefs filter out, ther e is often a small piece of indefinable (according to ou r belief systems) infor mation that slips throug h th e crack s in our beliefs and rea ch es ou r mind. W hen it flows into o ur con sciousness we can ’t m ake sense of it because we have no p rior e xpe rience o r belief to w hich to relate it. This is the
1oil
M
case during our first astral projection. When we leave our bodies for the first time, naturally we run into new experiences, because we are in unexplored territories. We desper ately try to m ake sense of w hat is happ ening. During my first astral pro jec tio n , I trie d to rea so n logically , b u t th a t did no t m ee t wit h muc h
* jt
Ast ra l Projection a n d the Natu re o f Re ali ty
.ir»" success in the a stral. In spite of ou r efforts to u nd ers tan d, if the belief system can’t relate, the experience will remain an unknown until our subconscious has had tim e to digest it. W ha t the belief system can’t grasp , we ca n’t grasp . A fter a while, we ju st have to give up trying to m ake sense o f it; label it “Cool expe rience of the first d eg ree ,” and store it in the back of our minds. The reason we can’t make se nse o f ou r astral ex perienc e is that the beliefs we hold a b o u t th e n a tu re o f re a lit y con fl ic t w it h it. In ti m e , we subconsciously find a need to modify our beliefs to incorporate the unde niable astral exp erience . This is a n atu ral pro ce ss in which th e be lief sys tem learns and adapts to changing life conditions. The process is designed to optimize survival in the physical bu t m ight ju st as well be used to optimize nonphysical exp loration. As the be lief system is restruc tured to allow new rules for reality, we find ourselves in an uncomfort able situation, not know ing w ha t rea lity is or w ha t physical life is. In short, we don’t know what we believe in anymore. When the rearranging is finally complete, we find that we suddenly believe th a t le avin g th e b o dy is a s n a tu r a l a s d ay a n d n ig h t. A n e w be lief, that a person can leave his physical body, h as b ee n e stab lished . At the
fin d a f o o d w i t h a 5a J o a ll th a t m
y ou h a v e c o m p l < t w h y d i d y o u h a“y e
s a m e l im e , t h e b e l i e f t h a t “ I a m a p h y s i c a l b e i n g ” h a s b e e n a l t e r e d to i nc lu d e a t l e a s t t h e p o s s ib i li ty t h a t t h e a w a r e n e s s o f t h a t b e in g c a n be f oc u se d o u t si d e th e p h y si ca l , a n d t h e b e l i e f o f d e a t h a s t h e f in a l game o v e r is dangling by a thin thread (see figure 1).
There is an air of
iWnk a thought, a n o th ( *' first thought. Eve
(sta ble belief systern) ^ Input: Experience
p,®ssy™ have done Vwtine!
We (Ex pe rienc e doe s not match beliefs)
“ “ we do n°t ofte
/Subconscious restructuring^ \ of beliefs (i.e., learning) /
____ I
‘“'Picture
"orl, * 1 5 , ofthelv, '""S'your ( Confusion)
(Memory of experience su on re^ grT ' gure 1. The belief system’s learning process in response to an astral projection
experience.
44
sr e M a t u r e s v
"lind
The Belief System S o m e t im e s it f e e l s li k e
we ar e s tan din g still, as if we have stopped
Remember then that most changes take place in the subcon s c i o u s . We a r e n o t a w a r e o f t h e m . evolving.
Changing Thought Patterns
Exercise: Thought Reactions 1. Go into the ba thro om . 2. W hile in the bath roo m , b ring to m ind w ha t you ate for breakfast. If you skipped breakfast, bring to mind your last meal. 3. Think of w ha t food in th a t meal was high in sugar content; for exam ple, cereal. 4. If you ca n't find an ythin g in th at meal th at qualifies, think ab out everything y ou have eaten du ring the last couple o f days until you find a food with a high sugar content. 5. Go do all tha t now, then retur n to th is book. Do not read fu rther until you have com pleted steps I -4. 6. Why did you have to do all this, you ask. We shall see in a minute.
T h e r e i s a n a i r o f f a m i li a r it y to h o w y o u r m i n d w o r k s . W h e n y ou think a thou gh t, a n o th er tho ug ht follows imm ediately, as if triggered by the first thought. Every thought has a
thought reaction. This is a
pro c e ss you h a v e d o n e so m a n y tim e s it h a s b e c o m e a ro u tin e —a lim it ing routine! We are creatures who like the security and reassurance that habits offer, so we do not often welcome change. However, in order to change our picture of the w orld, w e have to change the way we think. As it is said: Change your mind and your body will follow. We will now stretch o u r m i n d m u s c le s o u t s i d e o f o u r f a m i li a r t h o u g h t p a t t e r n s a n d o u r b o d ies will follow.
As tral Projectio n a n d th e Natu re o f Rea lity
Ch ang ing Th ought Patterns For one whole day, think outside the box. I. When you hear a sound (for example, th e so und of a motorcycle), do nor think, “Yeah, that's a motorcycle," as you usually do. Instead think. ‘Yeah, th at's a n an telo pe .” Your tho ug hts will get slightly con fused and this will allow you to observe how yo ur mind works. 2. Whenever a tho ugh t pops into yo ur mind, a nd you know exactly what tho ugh t will follow as a reaction because yo u have already do ne it so many times, cut off that th ou gh t and replace it with a wild thou gh t of your own invention. For example, when you pour your milk in the morning, instead of t h i n k i n g .. and I will use my balancing skills so I w on’t spill . . . ” think "This is a magical glass o f milk, forged in the fires of M ou nt Doom. It holds th e m ilk in place with special magical powers." Keep feeding yo u r m in d such unexpected thoughts. 3. Notice how the feeling of familiarity disa ppe ars from you r m ind. You are changing your thinking routine and, consequently, your thought pattern s. This op ens u p y o u r m in d so th a t you will see m ore possibil ities than you are used to.
Now , le t us go bac k to th e T h o u g h t R e a c tio n s e x e rc ise , in w hic h you w e n t i n to t h e b a t h r o o m . W h e n y o u t h o u g h t o f s u g a r , d i d yo u lo ok at your tee th in the m irro r? If so, th is is a live exam ple of how thought reac t io n s w o rk . D u r in g t h e 1 9 8 0 s, I w a s b o m b a r d e d b y p r o p a g a n d a t h a t said sugar ruins teeth . This form ed a fea r of su ga r in m e. If you w ere exposed to the same propaganda campaign, then you might have the same fear. In the c ase of the exe rcise, w hen you tho ug ht o f sugar, the fear kicked in and the reaction to that fear was a thought to check your teeth to make sure they had not been ruined by the sugar you ate. This is the a u t o m a t e d s u b c o n s c i o us p r o c e s s o f t h o u g h t r e a c t i o n s . N ow t h a t you have experienced the workings of thought reaction for yourself, you can learn to interrupt it and turn it into a conscious process.
Physical Realities
T o r e a p t h e t r u e p o w e r o f t h e a s t r a l , y o u h a ve t o u n d e r s ta n d w h a t the astral is and how you, as a conscious being, relate to it. But there are many traps along the path to that understanding. I write about this h e r e a n d i n t h e n e x t c h a p t e r b e c a u s e t h e b i g g e s t m i s ta k e I m a d e —t h e d e e p e s t t r a p I f el l i n t o —w h e n I f i r s t s t a r t e d w i t h a s t r a l p r o j e c t i o n w a s t o a s su m e t h a t t h e a s t r a l is a n o t h e r v e r s i o n o f t h e p h y s ic a l. I t is n o t. T h e t r u t h is t h a t , o n a s u p e r f i c i a l l ev el , t h e a s t r a l i s w h a t e v e r y ou make it into, so if you w an t to m ake it look like the physical, you can (imagine the confusion this causes in the astral). But this is not what we w a n t t o d o . W e w a n t t o p u s h t h r o u g h t o th e t r u e n a t u r e o f t h e a s t ra l a n d not get caught in another physical reality. It is very likely th at any prec onceive d notion you have of w hat the astral is will limit your adventures. Even the smallest expectation will affect your astral experiences, as they did mine. It is therefore impor tant that you have a completely open mind about how the astral works. You must untie all ideas you have about what the astral is. Open your mind to new possibilities. Do not accept a n y limits. Forget all you know about vision, hearing, touch, taste, smell, and
Astral Projection and the Na tu re o f Reality
everything else associated with the physical. They are not the tools of the a stral. If you want to find out w ha t the as tral is, first remove all lim iting notions of wh at physical life an d reality a re . If you a re having diffi culty accepting tha t the astra l is a p a rt of reality, you m ust rew rite your definition of reality, perhaps even your definition of life. Start from scratch and let your astral experiences shape your understanding of the astral. Wednesday, March 13, 20 02 The R ecursive Creation In meditation, in m y m ind ’s eye, I g o to Goldie, on e o f my c urrent spirit guides. I ask him to help m e rem ove the m ind veil: “I want to see everyth ing ar ou nd m e,” I tell Goldie. " I want to see the who le of creation. ” “On e c anno t se e it all," Goldie says, “be c au se it is infinitely recursive. Just like a proto n is pa rt o f an atom , w h ic h in turn is p a rt o f a m ol ec ul e, s o is th e C re at io n s tru ctured. The univ erse is part of som eth ing bigger, w hic h is part o f som eth ing eve n bigger, an d so on into eternity. The phy sic al w or ld is part o f the spirit world. The spirit world is also infinitely recursive. ” This is a ground brea king insight fo r me. There is n o en d to anything. There is no fi nal de st in a ti on t o o u r s o u ls ’ p ro gr e ss , f o r n o th in g en ds . "Then I want to see a pretty big picture.” A n o th e r sp irit c o m e s u p a n d g i v e s m e a th in g tha t l o o k s li k e a la m p. I sta re into the lamp an d it blinds m e w ith ye llow light. The light cha nge s color. The bac k of my ph y si c a l n e c k is t ingling. The e n e rg y pa tt er n in m y n e c k is o p e n in g. I see, n ot i n visio ns, but in feelings, ho w the spirit w or ld is. It is built fro m fe elings that ha ve n o na m es in human languages. They remind m e of beauty, hope, selfrealization, open ness, ad ven ture, an d creativity.
In t h is c h a p t e r , I a t t e m p t t o l o o s e n y o u r b e l ie f s a b o u t w h a t r ea lit y is . Y ou d o n o t n e c e s s a r i l y h a v e t o a g r e e w i t h w h a t I w r i t e . T h e i m p o r tant thing is that you accept the possibility that there may be more to reality and life than you have been taught. This point of view will help yo u m a k e th e b e s t o f y o u r a s t r a l e x p e r i e n c e s . I w il l t r y t o r e m o v e any l im i t in g e x p e c t a t i o n s o f t h e a s t r a l f r o m y o u r b e l i e f s y s t e m , t o g i ve yo u a n easier time learning from your astral travels. However, because chang-
Physical Realities jng a b e l i e f s y s te m is o n e o f t h e m o s t d i f f ic u l t t h in g s a p e r s o n c a n d o you m av w a n t t o re a d t h is c h a p t e r m o r e t h a n o n c e .
life'< “* ' rStandi"8o fC
Limiting Beliefs Too many people view the physical as the only reality. They believe t h at a n y t h in g r e a l m u s t b e p h y s i c a l . T o t h e m , t h e r e a r e t w o a l t e rn a t i v e s : a s tr a l p r o j e c t i o n i s a p h y s i c a l p h e n o m e n o n , o r it i s a h a l l u c i n a t io n . I t is i nc on ce iv ab le t o m o s t o f u s t h a t a p e r s o n c a n e n t e r a n o t h e r d i m e n s io n , w hic h is n o t p h y s i c a l , a n d s ti ll v i e w t h e j o u r n e y a s r e a l . S t a r t i n g f r o m t h is n a r ro w p o i n t o f v ie w , th o s e w h o a t t e m p t t o v a l id a t e o r in v a l i d a te t h e r e a l ity o f a s t r a l p r o j e c t i o n ( a n d I h a v e a t t e m p t e d i t) a r e a c tu a l ly u s in g t h e phy sica l to t r y to p ro v e t h a t a s tr a l p r o je c ti o n is r e a l. T h is is im p o ss ib le to show, o f c o u r s e , s i n c e a s t r a l p r o j e c t i o n is n o t a p h y s ic a l p h e n o m e n o n . A s a b r a i n t e a s e r , w h a t w o u l d h a p p e n i f s o m e o n e m a n a g e d t o p ro v e t h a t a n a s t r a l p r o j e c t i o n c a n m a n i f e s t s o m e t h i n g , l e t ’s sa y a c oo l b r ee z e o f a ir , i n t h e p h y s i c a l ? W o u l d o n l y t h e p h y s i c a l m a n i f e s t a t i o n b e v i ew e d a s r e a l ? W e c a n ’t p r o v e t h a t t h e r e s t o f th e a s t r a l p r o j e c t io n is p h y si ca l, so t h a t m u s t m e a n t h a t t h a t p a r t is u n r e a l , r i g h t ? T h e c a u se b e c o m e s
,4 There's"
unreal and the effect becomes real. T h a t w ay o f t h i n k i n g i s w i d e s p r e a d i n m o d e r n s c i e n c e . I t is th e l im i t ing factor in medicine. For example, it is a little-known fact that all dis
W el" n L ls ’M 0
,
3 lamp
.c kd "11 W. The bad
- — 5
of v * to g'
m a n y o f t h e s y m p t o m s a p p e a r i n t h e p h y s ic a l . B l i nd e d b y o u r b e l i e f in th e physical, w e try to h e a l t h e d ise a s e by w ip in g o u t th e physic al sy m p to m s. We pay no attention to their origin. As a result, the disease survives and a p p e a rs i n o t h e r s y m p t o m s , l ik e a t r e e t h a t h a s b e e n c u t g r o w s a lt e r n a t e bran c h e s. W h a t w e m u st u n d e r s ta n d is th a t th e origin o f d ise a se is th e k e y t o h e a l t h a n d s y m p t o m s a r e c r e a t e d m e r e l y to assist us, alerting us
. op*1'1'
- f e r‘le‘
ease originates in the m ind—a rea lm th at is viewed as u nrea l—and that
i ^ 0,o'e'° ve
of the prese nce of th e d isease, so tha t we m ay deal with its origin. Scientists refuse to enter research areas that are considered imp roper: astral p rojection, intuition, precogn ition, clairvoyance, telepa thy, telekinesis, rem ote viewing, UFOs, and d ream s, to nam e a few. Those who do jeopardize their careers and risk ridicule from their p ee rs. But. w ho decid es w h a t is p r o p e r an d im p ro p e r? T he ego. T he soul does not have the lim itations of pr op er an d improper.
Ast ra l Projection a n d th e Natu re o f Re ali ty
Science has become institutionalized and has thereby lost the flexi bility n e e d ed to investig ate a ph e n om e n on lik e a str a l pro je cti on. T here is no greater tragedy than this. Somehow, we have extinguished the flame th at drives science—th e de sire to know tru th —an d in so doing we have prevented resea rch tha t could lead us into a be tter world. We could all be communicating telepathically by now, had we given the phenome non the proper scientific investigation it deserved a few years back. Somehow, the desire to know the truth has been replaced with the desire to defend what we previously accepted as truth, for no reason oth er than we invested pride in them as truth s. But. hum ankind can’t evolve by clinging to ye ste rd ay ’s truth s. Th e h um an m ind is evolving. We are enriching our reality to include dimensions outside the phys ical. W ith this, new tru th s will surface . T ha t is unavoidable. T ha t is how e v olu tio n w o r k s a n d h a s w o r k e d s i n c e t h e b i r t h o f w h a t e v e r w a s th e begin nin g, if t h e r e e v e r w a s o n e . S o m e n e w tr u t h s will m a k e us qu estio n old truths (or, rather, what we thought were truths), but this is only h e a lt h y. W h a t is u n h e a l t h y , o n t h e o t h e r h a n d , is t o c l in g t o o u t d a te d truths , as if they w ere ou r lifeline. T h e r e is n o th i n g w r o n g w i th t h e s c ie n t if ic m o d e l . W h a t is w r o n g is t h a t t h e c u r r e n t s e t o f t r u t h s —t r u t h s t h a t s u p p o s e d l y w e r e c o lle c te d u sin g th e s c i e n t if ic m o d e l —is c o n t a m i n a t e d b y f a ls e a s s u m p t i o n s a b o u t what constitutes reality. Our careless assumptions about what reality is h a ve le d u s t o a d e a d e n d . H e r e a r e s o m e e x a m p l e s o f f a ls e a ss u m p t io n s : the physical dimension is external; anything not connected to the physi cal is an illusion; reality is constant and, therefore, a fluid world is less real than a slow-changing world; and anything we can’t grasp with our logical minds is unreal. The scientific model has a mechanism for replac in g i n v al id a t e d t r u t h s , b u t t h a t m e c h a n i s m is b l o c k e d b y t h e a s su m p t io n s o f t h o u s a n d s o f s c i e n t is t s . T h e s e a s s u m p t i o n s , in t u r n , a r e b a s e d on be li efs h e ld by s c ie n tis ts . A s m u c h a s o n e tr ie s , it is d iffic u lt to b e an o b je c tiv e s c ie n t is t . W h e n p r e s e n t e d w i th t h e r e s u l ts o f a n e x p e r im e n t , it is hu m a n n a t u r e t o fa ll b a c k u p o n p r e v i o u s ly h e l d b e l ie f s w h e n i n t e r p r e t i ng t h e m . I t i s d i ff ic u l t to c o m e u p w i t h t h e o r i e s t h a t c o n f l i c t w i t h t h e core ol what one has been taught.
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I ha v e lo ng w o n d e r e d i f l a m a s ou l, u n b o u n d e d b y m y p h y s ic a l b od y, o r if l a m a little c o n s c i o u s n e s s b e l o n g i n g t o a b o d y , w h i c h i s i n u s e o f a n d m a n i p u l a t e d b y a s o u l u n k n o w n t o m e. It i s c l e a r n o w t ha t I a m a s o u l . I f I w e r e t h e b o d y , I w o u l d n o t b e ab l e to haue astral projec tions. O n e m i g ht a r g u e t h at t he b o d y b o u n d e d c o n s c i o u s n e s s c o u l d p r oj ec t ( pe r ha p s w ith th e h e l p o f t h e s o ul ), b u t w h a t w o u l d b e t h e p u r p o s e o f s u c h a b i l it y ? It d o e s n ot m a ke s e n s e t h at a b o d y b o u n d e d c o n s c i o u s n e s s c a n p r oj ec t, b e c a u s e i t d i e s w it h th e b od y. I f it d i d n o t d i e w i t h t h e b o d y , it w o u l d n o t b e b o u n d e d b y t he b o d y i n t he fi rs t place, a n d th at m a k e s it a so ul. It is mo re likely that it is the so u l that projects, a n d sin ce I am the on e projecting, I am that soul. The projections prove that I, the soul, am able to survive without a body. Therefore, I will su rv iv e ph ys ic al death. Ph ew, wh at a relief.
I t i s n o t t o o d i f f ic u l t t o c o n c e i v e t h a t o u r fi ve s e n s e s c a n ’t p e r c e iv e all o f c r e a t i o n . I f y o u s u b s c r i b e t o t h e t h e o r y o f e v o l u t io n , t h e n a p h ys i cal sense is a tool that our ancestors created, possibly by coincidence, in
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labeled it t h e p h y s i c a l. If biological org an ism s d o evolve, it is conceivable t h a t t h e r e a r e p l e n t y o f t h i n g s a r o u n d u s t h a t w e c a n ’t p e r c e iv e , b e c a u se w e h av e n o t y e t e v o lv e d s e n s e s c a p a b l e o f p e r c e i v i n g t h e m . I t w o u ld b e a v e ry l im i t in g m i s ta k e t o a s s u m e t h a t o u r c u r r e n t s e t o f s e n s e s i s c a p a ble of p e rc e iv in g e v e ry th in g a ro u n d us. T h e re fo re , it w ould b e in c o rre c t
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to assum e th at an ything is un rea l ju st be cau se w e ca n’t sense it. You can b e t t h e r e will be a n u p g ra d e d v e rsio n o f th e h u m an n e x t y e a r—o n e w ith air-conditioning—an d a no the r the y ea r afte r th at, and so on and so forth. Little by little, we create senses for what we can’t yet perceive. Many people view m i n d as an object that travels through the physi cal and sees what is there. But what we experience as physical is inside the mind. Our senses feed the mind with information and the mind cre ates the experience of the physical from tha t information. The sam e goes
Astra l Projection a n d th e Na tu re o f Rea lity
for the astral. What inspires us to create the experience of the physical or the astral is something entirely different and nobody seems to have a good idea of what it is. Therefore, claiming that astral projection is an illusion (and therefore not real) because it only happens in the mind is abs urd. W he re else would it take p lace? R eality, physical or astra l, is something we create within our minds, not something that is served to us by som ething external.
T h e N a tu r e o f t h e P h y s ic a l Too many people have viewed the physical as the only true reality. T h a t o p in io n i s c h a n g in g n o w b e c a u s e o f r e s e a r c h in q u a n t u m p hy sic s. Q u a r k s a r e w e ll k n ow n a s t h e p a r t i c le s t h a t b u ild t h e n e u t r o n s a n d p r o tons that in turn make up the atom, which was long assumed to be the indivisible building block o f physical m atte r. Phy sicists are now looking for the building blocks for quarks. These theoretical building blocks are n a m e d r is h o n s o r s t ra t o n s b y s o m e . W h e n a n d i f t h e y f in d t h e s e p a r ti cles, chances are they will have to start looking for the particle that m a k e s u p ri s h o n s o r s tr a t o n s . W h e n t h a t is f o u n d , t h e h u n t b e g in s fo r something even smaller. There seems to be no end to how many times we can divide particles into smaller discrete components. T h e s e t in y p a r ti c l e s a r e s e p a r a t e d b y c o m p a r a t i v e l y v a s t d i st a n c e s o f e m p t y s p a c e . T h e f a r t h e r d o w n w e l o o k in t o m a t t e r , t h e m o r e s p a c e w e f in d . A n a to m is n o t a s o li d p a r t i c l e b u t a n e m p t y s p a c e i n h a b i t e d by ne u trons, protons, and electrons. Neutrons and protons are empty spaces inhabited by quarks. Likewise, a quark is not a solid particle, but an e m p t y s p a c e i n h a b i t e d b y r is h o n s . R i s h o n s a r e a l so m o s tl y e m p t y s pa c e, and so forth. Every time we discover a new particle, it turns out to be t h e e f f e c t o f a s m a l l e r p a r t i c l e l u r k i n g i n a v a s t s p a c e . In f ac t , t h e r e is n o p a rt ic l e to b e f o u n d , o n ly m o r e e m p t y s p a c e w i t h t h e p r o m i s e of a n e v e n sm a l l e r p a r t ic l e . T h e n a t u r e o f m a t t e r is a n e l u s i v e r i d d l e o f i nf in it e emptiness. W h e n ; w e o rig i n all y th o u g h t t h e r e w o u l d b e b u i ld i n g b l oc k s , t h e re is n o t h in g . H o w c a n t h i s b e ? W h a t is th i s t h i n g w e c a l l m a t t e r ? H o w ca n physic al m a tte r b e b u ilt fro m n o th in g n e s s ? H ow c a n ph ysic al m a tte r be something that is not?
Physical Realities
An a n a lo g y t h a t c o m e s e a s i l y to m e , p e r h a p s b e c a u s e I a m a s o f t w a re e n g i n e e r , i s v i r t u a l r e a l i t y . In s o f t w a r e , a v i r t u a l r e a l i ty i s r e p r e sented by information a b o u t t h e w o r l d . T h e s o f t w a r e d o e s n o t c o n t a i n W e a, 0r S i N
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the actual world itself; hence the word virtual. One way of looking at it is that there is n o w o r l d i n t h e s o f t w a r e ( o r a n y w h e r e e l s e ) , o n l y a description o f t h e w o r l d . T h e d e s c r i p t io n is th e n u s e d t o give t h e i m p r e s sion o f a n a c t u a l w o r l d . O f c o u r s e , h o w w e ll t h i s i m p r e s s i o n is r e c e iv e d
d e pe n ds o n th e p e r c e i v e r , t h e h u m a n c o m p u t e r u s e r. P e r h a p s t h is is h ow the physical world works as well. M a yb e th e r e is n o p h y s i c a l w o r l d , o n l y a d e s c r i p t i o n o f i t. W h e r e t h i s
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d e s cr ip ti on o f t h e p h y s i c a l w o r l d c o m e s f r o m , I d o n o t kn o w . P e r h a p s w e , as individuals or groups, create it continuously as we interact with our impression of the w orld. L ikew ise, how well this desc ription gives the i m p r es si o n o f a n a c t u a l w o r l d d e p e n d s o n t h e p e r c e i v e r s —u s —o r, r a t h e r , o ur b e li efs a n d e x p e c t a t i o n s . P e r h a p s i n c a s e s w h e r e o u r im p r e s s io n o f t he w o r ld is f a l t e r in g , w e s u b c o n s c i o u s l y a d j u s t o u r d e s c r i p t io n o f t h e w o rld to m a k e i t m o r e c o n v i n c i n g . C o u l d t h e p h y s i c a l u n i v e r s e b e a description, a n e v e r - c h a n g i n g b l u e p r i n t , r a t h e r t h a n a n a c t u a l p l a c e ?
Behind the scenes lies a nonphysical energy field we call the astral. This field has no form, taste, or sound. It does not conform to how we believe a p r o p e r w o rld s h o u ld a c t.
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energy. There is nothing in it, except the ability to create anything. We d r aw e n e r g y f r o m t h i s fie l d i n t o o u r p e r c e p t i o n . O n c e in o u r p e r c e p t i o n , w e m o ld t h e e n e r g y i n t o s h a p e s t h a t f i t o u r d e s c r i p t io n o f t h e w o r ld . T h e reality behind our physical experience is a subjective energy form sculpted by our individual minds. T h e r e a r e a n i n c o n c e i v a b l e n u m b e r o f w a y s to m o ld a s t r a l e n e rg y . If you hap pen to m ee t oth er beings living in the universe, you m ight find that they look at their surroundings in radically different ways. They do not share our beliefs about how a world should look. They have their own beliefs and so mold nonphysical energy to fit those beliefs. The
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M atter proves to be only one of m any ways of looking at. or conceiv ing of nonphysical energy. The only thing th a t m akes this p erce ption of energy special is th at we as physical beings (the te rm we use) have devel oped se nse s—eyes, e ars , and so on—to a ssist it. As we have the m ean s to perc eiv e e ne rg y in the p a rtic u la r w ay of th e physic al, w e ha ve m ad e th a t p e rce pti o n o u r re ality . H ad w e de ve lo p ed se n se s to m e a su re e nerg y in some other way, then that way would be thought of as reality. Reality is in the eye of the beho lder. Give the be ho lde r an a stra l eye an d he will accept the a stral as a reality too. W he rev er we go, high or low, thick or dense, we eventually develop sen ses th at allow us to ge t used to ou r sur roundings enough to call it reality. This is because we are nonphysical
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with energy in a physical way. We have chosen to make the physical our current reality. Physical space holds no real boundaries for us, except t h e o n e s w e c r e a t e f o r o u r se l v e s . I f w e b e l i e v e m a t t e r is t h e o n ly p r o p e r o r r e a l w a y to p e r c e i v e e n e r g y , t h e n w e w i ll n o t b e a b l e t o s e n s e e n e r g y in any other way. It is o u r n a t u r e , h o w e v e r , t o c o n s t a n t ly c r e a t e n e w e x p e r i e n c e s , a n d the best way to do that is to extend into unknown territories, including
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the physical and the astral. Your whole childhood was a long period of getting used to your extended physical senses. You are now extending
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your senses to experience energy in an astral way. It will require time and effort but will be well worth it. You will not stop with the astral, though. You will ne ver ce ase to e xp an d yo ur self in this m an ne r. You will n e v e r s t o p e x p l o ri n g n e w h o r iz o n s .
Mind over Matter In 1927, W e r n e r H e i s e n b e r g p r o v e d t h a t , b e c a u s e o f t h e i r n a t u r e , it is i m p o s sib le t o m e a s u r e t h e m o m e n t u m o f s u b a t o m i c p a r t ic l e s . For e x a m p l e , i{ w e w a n t to m e a s u r e t h e p o s i t io n o f a n e l e c t r o n , w e h a ve to
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apply light or we will not be able to see it. The light (photon) will ener g iz e t h e e l e c t r o n , i n c r e a s i n g i t s v e l o c it y. I n o t h e r w o r d s , w e c a n ’t m e a s ure a quantum particle without disturbing it. Luckily, in 1925, physicist Erwin Schrodinger devised a quantum
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subatomic space. This wave function is applicable to all tiny particles t ha t b e h a v e a s w a v e s , i n c l u d i n g q u a r k s . In l a t e r e x p e r i m e n t s , M a x Bo rn c on fi rm e d t h a t a n e l e c t r o n s t a y s i n o n e p i e c e r a t h e r t h a n s p r e a d s o u t, r ew r it in g t h e m e a n i n g o f t h e w a v e f u n c t i o n . T o S c h r o d i n g e r ’s d is m a y, t h e w a v e f u n c t i o n c a m e t o r e p r e s e n t t h e p r o b a b ility o f f i n d i n g a s u b a to m ic p a r ti c l e a t a p a r t i c u l a r p o i n t in s p a c e , r a t h e r t h a n its a c tu a l po si tion. The wave function gives several positions in w'hich the particle is likely t o b e . T h e p a r t i c l e is s a i d t o b e s u p e r - p o s i ti o n e d , m e a n i n g it co uld be in a ny o f s e v e r a l p o s itio n s . T h e n o tio n o f s u p e r-p o s it io n in g h a s b e e n challenged by many physicists, including Einstein, because, according to N ew to n ia n p h y sic s , a p a r t i c l e c a n b e in o n ly o n e p la c e a t a n y ti m e so its pro b ab ilit y s h o u ld h a v e o n ly o n e p o s itio n . H o w e v e r, it is e v id e n t th a t c o n v e nti on a l p h y s i c s c a n ’t e x p l a i n t h e b e h a v i o r o f q u a n t u m p a r t ic l e s . N ie ls B o h r r e a s o n e d t h a t t h e n a tu r e o f t h e q u a n tu m p a rtic le is p ro b a bilistic . T h e r e f o r e , it d o e s n o t e x is t in a n y p o sit io n b u t is sim ply p ro b a b le t o e x is t i n s e v e r a l . A p p l yi n g B o h r ’s t h e o r y , n o w k n o w n a s t h e C o p e n h a g e n i n te r p r e ta t io n o f q u a n t u m m e c h a n i c s , w e c o u ld s a y th a t m a t t e r d o e s n o t e xis t, b u t t h e p r o b a b i l it y o f m a t t e r e x i s ts . A n d i f m a t t e r d o e s n o t e xis t, s p ac e a n d t u n e d o n o t e x i s t , a l t h o u g h t h e p r o b a b i li ty o f t h e m e xis ts . A p r o b l e m a r i s e s w h e n w e m e a s u r e t h e p a r t ic l e . It t h e n c e a s e s to b e s u p e r-p o s itio n e d a n d a p p e a r s in only o n e o f t h e p ro b a b le po sit io n s. T h i s t r a n s i t i o n i s k n o w n i n q u a n t u m p h y s i c s a s t h e c o l la p s e o f t h e w a ve function. The wave function incorrectly gives several probable positions when we know the particle to be in only one. This raises the question t h a t is a t t h e h e a r t o f t h e q u a n t u m p r o b l e m : H o w d o e s th e p a r t ic l e pick o n e p o s it io n o v e r o t h e r p o s i ti o n s o f e q u a l p r o b a b i l it y ? T h e c o ll a p s e f r o m a p r o b a b l e t o a m e a s u r e d s t a t e i s t h e o r iz e d by some not to be deterministic, but rather a random transition governed
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by th e la w s o f p ro b ab ilit y . T h is w ould m e a n th a t th e U n iv e rs e is ran d o m and its future can’t be predicted by looking at its current state, unless you are content with a probabilistic prediction. The nondeterministic na ture of the U niverse has b een very hard for physicists to digest b e c au se , a c co rd in g to cla ssic al physic s, th e U niv ers e is a m ac hine -like system tha t is playing out an extremely long energy transform ation end ing in a state that was destined the moment the Universe began.
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Astral Projection a n d th e Natu re o f Re ality
"V To further complicate m atters, exp eriments have hinted th at a meas ured particle picks the position in agreement with the expectation or guess of the obse rver.4 E ither the na ture of physical m atte r is subjective or we do not have the understanding required to conduct productive quantum physics research. To combat subjectivity, Hugh Everett put forth a so-called many-worlds theory, which holds that when we meas
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ure a particle, the universe is split into several parallel universes, each holding the pa rticle in a differen t single position a nd con taining one copy of the o bserver.'1A similar theo ry has bee n pr es en ted involving consis tent histories.6 I p o s t u l a te t h a t a s t h e n a t u r e o f m a t t e r is t o b e in s e v e r a l p ro b a b le p la ces sim ult ane ously , th is is n o t th e n a tu r e o f h u m a n c onscio usne ss . T h e h u m a n m i n d c a n ’t h a n d l e t h e c o n c e p t o f a p r o b a b i l i ty - b a s e d r ea lity . It n e e d s a s t a b l e r e a li ty i n o r d e r t o f u n c t i o n . T h e h u m a n m i n d t h e re f o re takes the particle and forces it into a single position. This would mean t h a t in e v e ry i n s t a n t , y o u d e c i d e t h e p o s i ti o n o f t h e p a r t i c l e s a r o u n d y ou. D o e s t h is s o u n d f a m i li a r ? T h i s is e x a c t ly h o w a s t r a l “ m a t t e r ” w o r ks .
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I t m o v e s t o y o u r t h o u g h t s a n d e x p e c t a t i o n s . W h a t is t h e d if fe r en c e b e tw e en th e p hy sic al a n d th e a s tr a l? T h e lin e b e tw e e n t h e physic al and the nonphysical is getting blurred because the physical and the nonphys ica l a r e b u i lt f r o m t h e s a m e s tu f f , a s t u f f t h a t c a n b e f o u n d e v e r y w h e r e throughout existence. One is not higher or better than the other. They a r e d i ff e r e n t a s p e c t s o f t h e s a m e t h i n g , o r d i f f e r e n t w a y s o f lo o kin g a t t h e s a m e t h in g , o r d i f f e r e n t w a y s t o g i ve d i f f e r e n t i m p r e s s i o n s o f t he sam e thing—how eve r you w an t to look a t it. Th is th ing is wh at we call t h e a s t r a l e n e r g y f ie ld f o r la c k o f a b e t t e r w o r d . An interestin g pa rallel is th a t o f digital clocks. Have you eve r looked a t yo u r b e d s i d e c l o c k to f i n d i t sa y i n g 2 : 2 2 , 3 : 3 3 , o r 4 : 4 4 ? T h i s h a pp e ns t o m e a l m o s t e v e ry n i g h t . I t m a y s e e m l ik e a c o i n c i d e n c e , b u t in lig ht of t h e C o p e n h a g e n i n t e r p r e t a t i o n , it is n o t . A s t im e a n d m a t t e r a r e re la te d , tim e is also super-po sitioned . It ticks f o rth in eq ua l s ec on ds only if you m e a s u r e t h e m o v e m e n t o f t h e c l o c k . O t h e r w i s e , f o r a ll y o u k no w , tim e c o u ld slo w clo wn o r s p e e d u p . W h e n y o u w a k e u p d u r i n g t h e n i gh t, th e
Vie s an a
t im e c o uld b e a n y t h i n g b e t w e e n m i d n i g h t a n d m o r n i n g . B y lo o kin g a t th e c lo c k, y o u r m i n d g e t s c o n f u s e d b y f in d i n g t h a t t i m e h a s a w h o l e r a n ge of possib le sim u lt a n e o u s v a lu e s. It q u ic k ly d e c id e s t h a t tim e sh ould be
56
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Phy sical Re alities
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something simple, for example 2:22, because a symmetric number like 2:22 is easier to come up with than, say, 2:13 or 2:29. Time then
t,v">- Hug,,
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becom es 2 :2 2 in y o u r c u r r e n t re a lity . A s a r e s u lt, y o u r c lo c k sh o w s 2 :2 2 . T h e s tr i d e s o f q u a n t u m p h y s i c s a r e o n e w a y in w h ic h o u r vie w o f th e p h ys ic a l w o r l d i s c h a n g i n g . W e a r e b e g i n n i n g t o v i ew t h e p h y sic a l as a n e x te n s io n o f t h e C r e a t i o n , r a t h e r t h a n t h e c o r e o f C r e a ti o n . H ow
r
- s , ;
f o rt u n a te it is t h e n t h a t m a n y p e o p l e a r e s k i ll e d in a s t r a l p r o j e c t io n , b ec au se p r o je c tio n a llo w s u s to t r a v e r s e th e p h y sic a l so t h a t w e m ay e xp lo re o t h e r p a r t s o f t h e C r e a t io n a n d f in d o u t h o w t h e p h ys ic al r e la t e s t o t h e m .
; b e l n s e v e r a l p ro b a b k
h u m a n consciousness, robability-based realm, h u m a n m ind therefore
Beliefs Influencing the Physical
t i o n . T h i s w o u l d m ean
Time/Space Fluctuations
Wednesday, A pr il 10, 20 02
e p a r ti c l e s a r o u n d you.
I am waiting at a bu s stop. I am gro w ing impatient. I re m em ber Art BelJ talking
a s t r a l “ m a t t e r ” w ork s,
about time/space fluctuations on the Coast to Coast A.M. radio show. I decide that
/ h a t i s t h e difference
w h en I p u t m y b a c k p a c k o n , t he b u s w i ll co m e . I p u t m y b a c k p a c k o n a n d t h e b u s
w e e n th e pllywalil,'i
s h o w s u p a r o u n d t h e c o r n e r ! T h i s m e a n s t h at o n e c a n c h a n g e t h e w o r l d ( o r c re a te a
s jcal and the ■“’“I**
pa ra llel tim e/ sp ac e c o n tin u u m f o r o ne se lf ) j u st b y d e c id in g tha t th e c h a n g e will ta ke plac e. T h o ugh ts cre ate . W h o k n o w s, p e r h a p s in a n alt er na te sp ace / ti m e c o ntin u u m I
b e fo u n d
am still sta ndin g there, w aiting fo r the bus.
t h a " ^ ° thW,
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The physical is only an i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f t h e C r e a t i o n . W e p e rc e i v e small am ou nts of inform ation from an en ergy field with our physical
thing is ^
s e n s e s a n d i n t e r p r e t t h e i n f o r m a t i o n a c c o r d i n g to o u r b e li e fs o f w h a t reality is. The interpretation is constructed by the mind. Too often, we
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claim that what we are seeing is how things really are. We cling to the interp retation as if it w ere the u ltim ate truth . To m ake it worse, in addi tion to our limited perception our beliefs and habits make us see some aspects in detail and others not at all. H ere is an analogy: A shoe salesp erson and a den tist meet for lunch. The first thing the sh oe sales perso n notices abou t the de ntist is that she is wearing size seven brown leather shoes. The first thing the dentist notices about the shoe salesperson is that he has a gold filling in one of his teeth. Likewise, 1 m ake no claim tha t 1someh ow cre ate d a time/space
Astral Projection and th e Na tu re o f Reality
fluctuation in the jou rna l easy for me to interpret belie ve in su ch th ings, occurred, w hatever fits in
en try above, bu t since I believe in them , it is the situation that way. Others, who do not com e to d if fe re nt u n d e rs ta n d in g s of what, with th eir beliefs. Pe rhap s the bu s showed up
by coin cid ence . The astral realm is ano the r interp retation , or way of looking at the Creation. Just like the physical, the astral perception of Creation also is contam inated by our beliefs. W hen I ven ture into the a stral, 1 see, hear, touch, and even smell things. How is this possible? I did not bring my eyes, ears, fingers, or nose. Why do I insist on using senses that are i n a p p r o p r i a t e f o r m y c u r r e n t e n v i r o n m e n t ? M y beliefs about what is p ro p e r in te ra c tio n w it h m y e n v iro n m e n t fo rc e m e to u se m y habitual physical se n se s. I a m b lin d e d by m y b e li e fs o f w h a t re a lit y is. I n s i m i l a r w a y s , w h a t w e b e l i e v e b e c o m e s o u r r e a l i t y . I f I b e li ev e d the physical provides no visual input, I would be blind. Fortunately, m o s t o f u s do n o t h a v e t h a t b e l i e f. W h y n o t ? W e l l, I t h i n k t h a t w e su b c o ns ci ou s ly p ic k u p b e li e fs f r o m e a c h o t h e r . W h e n w e a r e t o d d l e r s , we expect our parents to show us how this reality works. We look at their m o v e m e n t s a n d a c t i o n s a n d a p p l y w h a t w e s e e t o o u r o w n b e li e f sys t e m s . I t d o e s n o t s to p w i th o u r p a r e n t s , t h o u g h . O u r b e l ie f s ys te m s pic k up s o m e th in g fro m e v e ry e n c o u n te r w ith a n o th e r b e in g . Th is e x p la i ns w h y w e a ll h a v e m o r e o r l e s s t h e s a m e b e l ie f s a b o u t ho w th e p hysic al w o rk s. We seek to establish some useful beliefs, so that we can function in t h e p h y si ca l , b u t i n d o i n g s o w e a l s o c r e a t e the physical. The physical is n o m o r e th a n a n i d e a o r th o u g h t - fo r m , a n d w e s h a p e t h a t i de a a cc or d in g t o w h a t w e b e l ie v e i s c o n t a i n e d in t h a t i d e a . E v e n t h e l aw s o f n a tu re a r e n o t la w s a t all , b u t i d e a s t h a t w e h a v e r e i n f o r c e d s o m a n y t im e s t ha t t h ey ha v e b e c o m e h a b i t s o f n a t u r e ( s e e T h e G a t h e r i n g by William G a m m i ll 7) . W e c o c r e a t e p h y s i c a l r e a l i t y a c c o r d i n g t o o u r s h a r e d b elie fs. Our beliefs create our individual physical realities and affect the way o t h e r s r e a li ti e s a r e c r e a t e d a r o u n d t h e g l o b e ( a n d p o s s ib l y e v en aro un d the universe). In s p i te o f a ll t h i s , t h e r e is h o p e . W e c a n m a k e o u r o w n in t e r p re t a t io n s o f t h e C r e a t io n a n d t h e r e b y c h a n g e t h e w o r l d s im p ly t h ro u g h our w i l li ng n e ss t o s e e t h in g s d i f f e r e n t l y . W h e n w e u s e o u r i m a g i n at io n , we
Phy sical Realities
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create an alternative world for ourselves. This alternative world bleeds int0 our sha r ed r eality, en co ur ag ing it to b eco m e m or e like we imagine. Some call the alternative world a fantasy or an illusion; still it is hardly any dif f er ent f r om our shar ed physical r eality. B ot h ar e cr eated f r om thought and both exist only in our mi nds. I magination is our best tool f or cr eation. I n f act, our imagination decides how the physical world plays out. Imagination is also a tool we can us e in o r d e r t o s e n s e p a r t s o f t h e C r e a t i o n t h a t w e c a n ’t p e rc e i v e w i th
n o t b r p,ng i r rn
our physical sen ses. W e c an r ea ch ou r i ntuition, cr eativity, and passions. W e c a n t a lk t o s p i r i t g u i d e s , f r i e n d s w h o h a v e p a s s e d o n , a n d o t h e r p a r t s of ourselves. But ou r self-inve nted be liefs m ak e us look dow n on imagina tio n a s s o m e t h i n g u n i m p o r t a n t , w h e n in f a c t i t m a y b e t h e m o s t im p o r tant sense we ca n ev er ho pe to dev elop. A m an can lose hi s physical eyes and get by, but wher e would he be without imaginati on? He would be cut off f rom th e no nphy sical r ealm s an d be f or ced to w an de r utter ly lost, without any passion to guide him to where he wants to go.
This
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Astral Realities
S u n d ay , D e c e m b e r 2 2 , 2 0 0 2 A tte m p t a t a C lo s e -to -P h y s ic a l O BE I feeI a ne ed to ach ieve a n O BE d o se to the ph ysical, that is, to interact on the p h y si cal p la n e o u ts id e m y b od y, in o r d e r t o u n d e r s t a n d h o w the p h y s ic a l r el at es to the as tra l. H o w a r e t h e t w o s e e m i n g l y d i f fe r e n t r e a l m s c o n n e c t e d ? W h a t n a t u r a l p h e n o m e n o n h o l d s t h e m t o g e th e r ? I n th e e v en in g , I d e c i d e n o t t o g o f o r a n O B E . I h a v e s o m e f e e li n g s o f d i s a p p o in t m e n t th at t h e re m ig h t n o t b e m u c h o f a C h r i s t m a s t h i s y e a r, a n d t h o s e f e e li n g s m ig ht m a k e t he O B E a n u n p l e a s a n t e x p e r ie n c e . I w a k e u p a t a p p r o x i m a t e l y 1 0
p.m . After
a
s h or t b a th r oo m v isit, I g o b a c k to b e d a n d — i n s p it e o f m y d e c i s i o n — d rift in to a w eird st at e o f m i nd . I j u s t r e l a x m y m i n d a n d s it m y a s t r a l b o d y u p . M y p h y s i c a l b o d y re si st s a n d I am p u l l e d b a c k d o w n a s i f I a m a t t a c h e d b y r u b b e r b a n d s . I s it u p a g a in a n d a d d a little twist/rotation to the m ove m en t. I exit an d g lid e d ow n to the right. I stabilize the p ro je ct io n b y s itt ing d o w n a n d m ed it a tin g o n th e c e n t e r o f m y c h e s t fo r a few se co nd s. T h e n I ge t s t r es s ed ou t. I w a n t to d o a s m u c h a s p o s s i b l e , a n d I n e v e r k n o w h o w l on g I am able to stay out here. I k n o w B a r b i s s til l a w a k e n e x t t o m e i n b e d . I f lo a t o v e r t o w h a t I s u s p e c t is h er P ysicaI body. I grab her a r m s a n d s h a k e h e r v i o l en t ly w h i l e I y e l l h e r n a m e o v e r an d
Vl
■ions a dime, N o i ^ v
s,
Astral Realities
over. I think this is a g o o d experiment. If Barb notices an y m ovem ent o r sound, then that is evide nce that I a m affecting p hy sica l m atter from
a
no np hy sica l origin. T he astral
Barb I see wants to be left alone. S he gr oan s "n o ... n o ... no. " I leave her alone. There is an invisib le pr ese nc e b eh ind me. At the time, I d o not reflect o n it. The pr es en ce fe els n at ur al, lik e it is s u p p o s e d to b e th ere. T he p r e se n ce sa ys t o me, "T h at ’s not how it’s do n e [projecting to the p h y si ca l] " I just k n ow that is what the presence wants me to know . He feels like a m ale m entor w ho is correcting a fum bling student (me) w hile shaking his head in d isbe lief o f m y clum siness. I kn ow he thinks projecting to the physical is common k no w ledg e and, therefore, I sho uld already kno w ho w to do it, but he does not mind instructing me. Bu t w he n all this is happ ening, I still ha ve no t acknow ledged his presence. I am too b u sy ca rrying o ut m y experime nts to notice him. I want to return to my bo dy to see if Ba rb no ticed m y attempt to contact her. In a few seconds, I return slightly groggy. She is peacefully reading in bed. It is apparent that she has noticed nothing an d sh e tells me s o w hen I ask. I slum be r off a n d s lip into the astral. M y astral projection is plague d by nightmarelike beings an d eve nts a n d I rep eatedly w ake u p w ith my heart beating too fast an d my mind blurre d with p an ick y fear. In the last sho rt astral slumber, I clearly hea r footsteps walking rapidly a n d dete rm ined ly on gravel. I sn ap ba ck to wak ing reality. I am terri fied. I s t he re s o m e o n e a p p ro a c h in g the h o u s e at th is lat e h o u r ? W e l iv e in the m id dle of a desert. People se ldom co m e here, an d n ob od y e ver com es after dark. I d on ’t hear
af is, loinler^onlk e physical r e l ^ 1" W hat n a tu r a l ^ '
anything. W as it a w arnin g that so m eo ne will co m e in the near future? Finally, I calm do w n. I rem em ber othe r oc ca sio ns o f astral noises. Nothing hap pe n ed then, s o I s h o u ld b e sa fe n o w a s well. P erh ap s it w as that p rese n ce w an ting m e to know he is coming closer? I realize there had been a presence. I am very disap-
^ ° idis3fC
poin ted . T he p r e se n ce c o u ld h a v e ta ug ht m e v al uable in fo rm ation (a s a re sp o n se to my request?), exactly the information I h ad pla nn ed to obtain, if I ha d on ly noticed him. I ask the prese nce in my mind: "I f that is not h ow it is done, then h ow is it d o n e? " No reply.
You ar e a m ultidimensional being. W hat t h at m eans is that you ar e
yphysica,l a ^ a ,* * " " * * i/e " 5' ws'/0'
h o'" iener know
-*
capable of shifting you r aw aren ess from one dimension o f existence to another. But th at is not all. You ar e also capa ble o f existing in all those dimensions and, with some training, maintaining your awareness in all those dimensions simultaneously. Take, for example, daydreaming. In a daydream, you have awareness in both the waking physical reality and in a dream reality.
Astral Projection a n d th e Natu re o f Re ality
Being a multidimensional being also means that all dimensions live within you. Together they make you into you. At the same time, you are you in all those dimensions. You do not change from dimension to dimension. You are one indivisible package.
r .
with t h e ’
Dimensions So what are those dimensions in which you can exist? The three m o s t a p p a r e n t d i m e n s io n s a r e t h e p h y s ic a l , t h e d r e a m , a n d t h e a s tr a l. Your though ts and ac tions in one o f tho se dim en sions affect you r actions
« are '
in the others. For example, if, consciously or not, you attend a learning center in t h e a s t r a l , th i s w o u l d i n f lu e n c e a n y d r e a m y o u m i g h t b e h a v i n g. In th e d r e a m d i m e n s i o n , a s c h o o l—p e r h a p s y o u r o ld h i g h sc h o o l o r c o l l e g e w o uld be c r e a t e d a n d i n c o r p o r a t e d i n to y o u r c u r r e n t d r e a m . W h e n you
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wake up (i.e., shift your awareness to the physical dimension), you will s e n s e t h a t s o m e h o w y o u h a v e g a i n e d k n o w l e d g e , e v e n i f y o u c a n ’t d e fin e t h a t p a r t i c u l a r k n o w l e d g e . Y ou g a i n e d t h e k n o w l e d g e i n t h e a s t r a l l e a rn in g c e n te r , b u t t h a t i s n o t e a s y to r e m e m b e r w h e n y o u r a t t e n t i o n w a s in the dream dimension during the education. H e r e is a n o t h e r e x a m p l e , s o m e t h in g t h a t h a p p e n s t o m e f re q ue n tly : When you project your awareness to the astral, you can sense another, s e p a r a t e p a r t o f y o u e n g a g e d in d r e a m i n g . I t f e e ls a s i f t h e d r e a m is going o n b e lo w t h e s u r f a c e o f a n a b s t r a c t l a y e r b e l o w y o u , l ik e a s w i m m i n g p ool, a n d y o u r p r o j e c t e d a w a r e n e s s is t h e o n l y p o i n t o f y o u t h a t h a s t h e h e ad a b ov e its su r fa c e . I t is t h e n c l e a r t h a t t h e d r e a m is o f y o u r o w n m ak in g. Y ou als o s e e t h a t t h e d r e a m i n g p a r t o f y o u i s u n a w a r e o f t h e f a c t t h a t it is e n t a n g l e d i n i ts o w n d r e a m w o r l d . Y o u c a n a l s o n o t i c e h o w y o u r a c ti on s in t h e a s tr a l in f lu e n c e t h e d r e a m , t a k i n g p l a c e i n t h e d r e a m i n g yo u. These three dimensions are governed by thought. To make things c o m p l ic a te d , w e c o u ld s a y t h a t w h a t h a p p e n s i n t h e r e a l m o f th o ug h t affects what happens in those other three dimensions. Subconscious thoughts are very influential in the three dimensions. In t h e a s t ra l , t h e s u b c o n s c i o u s m i n d h a s a d i r e c t e f f e c t o n t h e a s t r a l “m a t te r. W h a t e v e r l ur k s in t h e s u b c o n s c i o u s i s m i r r o r e d i n t h e a s t r a l p e o p l e w e m e et and the astral objects that surround us. It is possible to affect astral matter 62
too/ee
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Astral Realities
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with conscious thoughts, but the subconscious in most cases has the upper hand, simply becau se we ca n ’t directly c on trol w ha t goes on inside it. In t h e d r e a m d i m e n s i o n , t h e s u b c o n s c i o u s h a s e v e n m o r e p o w e r. T h is has to do with the f act that the conscious m ind is “of f line" and ther ef or e c an ’t q u e s ti o n t h e e v e n t s in a d r e a m . W h a t e v e r th e s u b co n s ci o u s c o m e s u p w i th is m a n i f e s t e d in t h e d r e a m d i m e n s i o n a s d r e a m s it u a ti o n s , sy m
Can e,
bols, a n d e m o tio n s. S h o u ld w e q u e s tio n t h e e v e n ts o f a d r e a m , th e sub conscious would lose nea r ly all its p ow er an d the dr e am would tur n lucid. W e w o u l d t h e n b e a b l e t o c o n s c i o u s l y a f fe c t t h e d r e a m m a t te r . W h e n w e s h i f t o u r a w a r e n e s s t o t h e p h y sic a l d i m e n s i o n , a s w e do when we are awake, we can manifest incredible things with our con scious mind. I t takes a little longer to build a br idge in the physical than in t h e d r e a m d i m e n s i o n , b u t w h e n i t is d o n e , i t w ill r e m a i n t h e r e u ntil t ho u g hts o f w e a r c a u s e i t t o c o l la p s e . C o m p a r e t h i s to t h e d r e a m d im e n sio n, w h e r e a b r id g e w o u l d d i s a p p e a r t h e m o m e n t yo u s to p p e d t hin k in g of it. How ever , the sub co nsc ious m ind also af f ects us in the physical. Hearing, sight, touch, smell, and taste all take place subconsciously. W h e n w e m o v e o u r b o d i e s a r o u n d , e a c h m u s c le is c o n t r o l le d b y t h e s ub c o ns ci ou s. E v e n o u r p e r c e p t i o n o f o u r p h y s ic a l s u r r o u n d i n g s is g a t h e r e d and com piled subconsci ously. I f it we r e not, we w ould be ver y clumsy in our movements , but we would also be able to conscio usl y decide how we would per ceive the physical wor ld.
Wednesday, Jan uar y 1, 20 03 EarthClose O BE I a m d r i f t i n g o f f t o s l e e p . I t t a k e s m e a n u n u s u a l l y l o n g t i m e t o e n t e r t h e h y p n a g o gic s ta t e . W h e n
I f in a l l y d o , a c o n s c i o u s p a r t o f m e is a w a k e a n d a b l e t o r e a so n
d e a r ly , w h i l e a n o t h e r p a r t o f m e i s h a l f u n c o n s c i o u s , r a p i d l y f a ll in g a s l e e p . I g e t t h e i d e a th a t I s h o u l d g o t o t h e b a t h r o o m b e f o r e I f a ll a s le e p , s o I d o n o t h a u e t o g e t u p i n t h e m i d d l e o f th e n ig h t. I tr y t o r o ll o u t o f b e d , b u t in s t e a d I b r e a k f r e e f r o m t h e b o d y ! I a m f l o a t i n g t w o f e e t a b o v e it . I c a n ’t s e e a n y t h i n g , b u t I c a n h e a r. I h e a r B a r b s li g h t s no rin g . I r o ll i n t h e a i r to b r e a k f r e e f r o m a n y a t ta c h m e n t s t o t h e b o d y . -4s I ro ll , I d i s t in c t ly h e a r th e s n o r i n g m o v e , t o o .
„ncioHs'
T h e s n o rin g c o m e s fr o m
a
s ta t i o n a r y s o u r c e — B a r b . W h e n I r o t a t e , I p e r c e i v e t h e
s o u n d f r o m o t h e r a n g le s , j u s t a s i f I w e r e r o t a t in g m y p h y s i c a l b o d y . I c o n c l u d e t h a t I m u s t b e p r o j e c t in g i n t h e p h y s i c a l, b e c a u s e t h e s o u n d is o f p h y s ic a l or ig in a n d I ca n
Astra l Projection an d th e Natu re o f Re ality p e r c e i v e it r e la ti v e t o t h e m o v e m e n t s o f m y a u ? a re n e s s. T h e n t h e d r o w s i n g p a r t o f m e
,ir.g o f l ' t con‘ t1,,n „• d 'r t n th
V 0V * S p
w a k e s u p a n d I a m c a l le d b a c k t o t h e b o d y .
1V C
Beliefs Create
<
The astral is a place where your environment is created by your mind. This is true also for the physical dimension, but it is easier to see
/
in the astral, because the effects there are immediate. I speculate that
#»s"
the reason for the slow r ate of change in the physical is the fact th at it
(0»s
I , its
K
1 h so th cor
is inhabited by so m any beings, e ach of which h olds a se t of beliefs of what reality should look like. Their minds automatically apply those belief s to th e physic al, c re a tin g it in eve ry in sta n c e . If one o f those m inds decides to crea te som ething d ifferent, say a green sky, then that mind would be at odds with every other mind that be lie ve s the sk y is blu e. Even tu ally , th e g re e n sk y will ta k e form , because one mind provides the intent for it to exist (more on intent later in this book), but y ou c an im agin e th e tim e it ta k e s th e in te n t to p e n e tra te t h e co n flicting beliefs of the ot h er m inds. T h er e m ight also be nonphy sical beings surrounding us, fully engaged in sustaining th e sha pe of th e physical. The astral, on the other hand, is a highly individualized reality. A l th ou g h th e r e a r e p l e n t y o f c o c r e a t e d a s t r a l w o r l d s , i n m o s t c as es when we pr oject, at least unt il we lear n to navigat e pr oper ly , we end up in our own little astr al w or ld. T he r e is only one m ind ( the p r ojec tor ’s)
u nc he ck ed . F o r e :
inhabiting that wor ld, so ther e ar e no conf licting belief s to slow down
subconsciously c
t h e a c t o f c r e a t io n . T h e d o w n s i d e o f t h i s i s t h a t w h e n t h a t m in d l ea ve s
W e nse a g a i n s t
that astr al wor ld, it loses its cr ea tor . T h er e will no lon ger be any belief s to recreate that astral world in every instance to make it persist. The astr al wor ld ther ef or e dissolves into not hingness. Yet a cocr eated astr al world, that is, an astral world inhabited by several astral beings, will change just as slowly as th e p hysical w or ld. T his lead s m e to the idea
" f c a d d i c t io n " d o i n th e a s t r a ] . Later
itji y o u r
Bind ;
t h a t t h e p h ys ic al is j u s t a n o t h e r a s t r a l w o r ld .
I houghts Create B e ca us e o f t h e f a s t r a t e o f c h a n g e i n t h e a s t r a l , w h e n y o u p r oje c t into it, you have the f r eedom to c r ea te an ythin g you r he a r t desir es, just
64
M e fs
l%C
V ,
Astral Realities
e *c
by thin kin g o f it. T h e d o w n sid e is th a t t h e r e a r e p a r t s o r us th a t a re beyond
o u r d i r e c t c o n t r o l . W e l ab e l t h e m t h e s u b c o n s c i o u s. T h e su b c on
scio us also th in k s u p th in g s, wh ich , to o u r fru stra tio n , p o p in to o u r astral environments. ent is
Th e co n ten ts o f th e su b co n scio u s—w h a t is o n its m in d —are o ld ex p e
>• but it is
b> )oa
rien ces. It is co n sta n tly try in g to d ig est th e m em o ries o f o ld trau m as an d
-diate. I
erH
ev en ts o u ts i d e it s b e l i e f s y s t e m . M o s t t r a u m a s n e e d t o b e d e a l t w i t h co n
tiiai the fact
til olds i 9 s e t°f belief ,ma tica lly apply * *
e.
sciou sly th o u g h , so th is d ig estio n m ay lead n o w h ere . As a resu lt, th e su b co n scio u s may b e co n stan t ly p ack ed with o ld , o u td at ed , an d p ain fu l th o u g h ts. Th ese th o u g h ts man ifest au to maticall y in th e astral as we p ro j ect into it. T h e r e f o r e , y ou g a i n m o r e c o n t r o l o v e r y o u r a s t r a l e n v i ro n m e n t a s
‘thing different, saya
you learn t o tam e y o u r su b c o n scio u s. It is v ital t o p ro cess all trau m as
every oth er mind that
and addictions, or you will be a slave to your subconscious and thereby
'ill take form, because
to y o u r astral e n v iro n m en t. Like a ttrac ts like in th e a stral. If y o u r su b
o n in te nt later in this
co n scio u s is tro u b led , y o u r min d will create o r att ract tro u b le in th e
t to pene trate the con-
astral.
b e nonphysical beings
As y o u m ig h t im ag in e, t h e su b co n scio u s can c reate m an y ch allen g es
. o f th e physical,
for y ou in th e as tral. To m ak e it w o rse, so m etim es in th e astral,
ndividualized reality-
restrain ts su ch as mo rals are n o t fu n ctio n al. Perh a p s th e reaso n fo r th is is th at m o rals a re traits o f th e eg o , an d th e eg o is d esig n ed to wo rk o nly
>rlds, in n>°stca*
j j r o p e r l y . « end “J
in the physical. This may cause your addictions, for example, to run unchecked. Fo r exam ple, if a p ro jec tor is ad dicted to coffee, then he will
ind ( th e p r° Je c °
subconsciously create an astral world of coffee. The projector has no
S^ms,V
defense against this onslaught by the subconscious. However harmless
o n g e r b e any
to do in the astral.
Tli<
coffee addiction may be, it gets in the way of what that projector wants
■rsist' n ak e it Pe cocre^^5
Later in this book, you will experience firsthand how easily you can affect your mind and how much this affects your environment. Each
astiJralbein*5'. tbe ads >ne 10
thought affects ano the r thou ght, and all though ts accumulate to a result ing astral e nv ironm ent. T his is gr ea t as long as we have control over our thoughts. The problem is we can’t directly control subconscious thoughts. We will address this in Circle 3. As m entioned earlier, to lea rn th e way of the astral, we have to put aside all our beliefs concerning the physical. It is a cosily mistake to assume that the astral looks and feels like the physical. Unfortunately,
w h cn y ° u ^ ■ I r . rf«sirC“'
•„ct1'
Ast ra l P rojection a nd th e Nat ure o f Reality
our beliefs about the physical are rooted deeply in our subconscious, and we can’t just step into the subconscious and rearrange anything we want. The beliefs of the subconscious a re forme d by experience and so by experi ence m ust be lo ose ned. Subconscious beliefs kick in automatically when we are conscious, in the physical or astra l. Actually, th ey kick in wh en we a re unconscious in dreams, too. Have you ever broken a physical law in a dream? You probably ha ve . You ha ve pro bab ly gone fly in g a t o ne tim e o r a n o th e r in a dream and marveled at the experience. Why is that such a special event? It is special only because you expected n o t to be able to fly. Why
i envl _ hVsl th teS< jP . a " ' 0 natu r p f ,
< 1 " ‘’“ '’
f t*
istW J orces I ,:n*i e" !# bvf o rd » * f
did you expect not to be able to fly? You assum ed th at th e drea m world had gravity, so you did not think you could fly. Your subconscious cre ated gravity for you, and that is exactly how the astral works (it is even how the physical works). You will be subjected only to the things you crea te. W hat will happe n if you man age to o verco m e this automatic application of subc onsciou s p hysical be liefs? You will be fre e o f any physical li m it a ti o ns. You will b e f re e to do a n y th in g . T h a t is th e p oten tial of the astra l—to be able to c re ate any thing. T he only thing limiting you is you.
* * * * *
„
: : p a r t | C a n t s 1,.[ilie 1P
physical, the experimeB Byno means does I
A Call for Astral Research Our sciences are hopelessly chained to the physical dimension. The general opinion is tha t any thing th a t is no t physically m eas urab le is not r e a l. T h i s d a n g e r o u s a s s u m p t i o n is a g r e a t l im i ti n g f a c t o r t o t h e p r o gr e ss o f t h e h u m a n m i n d . W e c a n a d v a n c e o u r p h y s i c a l te c h n o l o g y a ll w e w a nt and still be novices compared to other civilizations, both ancient Earth civilizations and othe r-dim en sion al c ivilizations. T ha t is, unless we start developing ou r nonphy sical techn olog ies. W he n w e finally do, we can
*Np,
only hope that the b ea uty o f this n ew no np hysica l fro n tier will inspire us as a race to abandon our destructive behavior. So far, the research on the astral has been based on physical real ity. A typical experiment involves a subject projecting from one physical room through a locked physical door and into another room, where he r e a d s a n i n t e g e r c o r r e c tl y . T h is d o e s n o t e v e n a p p r o a c h t h e t r u e p ow er o f a s tr a l p r o je c t io n . R e s e a r c h e r s a r e t r y i n g t o p r o v e w h e t h e r o r not
NCa lproje' S Hth rap^
Astral Realities
a s tr a l p r o j e c ti o n i s r e a l w h e n t h e y d o n o t h a v e t h e f i r s t c lu e o f w h a t t h e word real m e a n s . T h e y m a k e a h u ge m is ta k e in a s su m i n g t h a t t h e r e a r e
byeX^ H %
th in gs t h a t a r e n o t r e a l , a n d t h e y m a k e a n o t h e r in a s s u m i n g th a t a ll r ea l things relate to the physical. E x p e r i m e n t a ti o n w i th t h e n a t u r e o f t h e a s t r a l s h o u ld n o t t a k e pla c e in a p h y s ic a l e n v i r o n m e n t . T h a t w o u l d b e l i k e t e s t i n g y o u r d r iv i n g sk il ls
'n e ! i m e ° ^ k , l
fs'hm
by ta k in g a m a t h t e s t . A s tr a l e x p e r im e n ts m u s t in v e s tig a te th e n a tu r e o f t he a str a l, n o t th e n a t u r e o f t h e p h y sic a l. W e m u s t re m e m b e r t h a t th e a s t ra l i s t h e r e a l m o f t h e m i n d ; i t d o e s n o t f ol lo w p h y s i c a l l aw s u n l e ss
SUch = «
t0 be able to fly. m,
t h e m i n d e n f o r c e s p h y s i c a l la w s u p o n i ts e lf . W h a t p o s s ib l e b e n e f it c ou ld
th a t the dream world
w e r e a p b y f o rc i n g p h y s ic a l l a w s u p o n t h e m i n d d u r in g e x p l o r a ti o n o f a
) u r subco nscious m-
realm unchained by those same laws? I suggest more research on part n e re d p r o je c ti o n a n d s h a r e d a s t r a l e n v i r o n m e n t s. A p a r t n e r e d p r o j e c t i o n e x p e r i m e n t i nv o lv e s a p r o je c t io n w it h tw o o r more astral projectors. Upon reaching a nonphysicaJ state, the partici p a n ts a tt e m p t to c o m m u n ic a te a c c o rd in g to a p r e d e fin e d p ro to c o l, fo r example, speech, writing, sign language, or mind-to-mind. The messages communicated are kept from the recipients until the astral communica t io n . I f t h e p a r t ic i p a n t s r e p o r t t h e a c t u a l m e s s a g e a f t e r r e t u r n i n g t o th e physic al, th e e x p e rim e n t is a su c c e ss . By n o m e a n s d o e s t h i s p r o v e a n y t h i n g d e f i n i te , a s s u ch c o m m u n ic a tion can be attributed to anything from subliminal suggestion to telepa t hy , b u t it d o e s t e a c h u s v a lu a b l e p o i n t s a b o u t t h e p r o j e c t io n m e c h a n i sm , a ll ow i ng u s t o d e s ig n m o r e e f fe c ti v e a s t r a l p r o j e c t io n t e c h n i q u e s a n d m o r e p r e c i s e e x p e r i m e n t s . T h e o b v i o u s p r o b l e m w i t h t h is t y p e o f e x p e r iment is having to find two or more projectors who are sufficiently
r t o r t o * 11 P hrtologya b o th » " a e
pW sl
ggrtb ^
<<*
skilled to be able to project simultaneously in a controlled environment. A s h a r e d a s t r a l e n v i r o n m e n t e x p e r im e n t c lo se ly r e se m b l e s t h e p a r t n e r e d p r o j e c ti o n e x p e r i m e n t , w i th t h e e x c e p t io n t h a t t h e p a r t ic i p a n t s do not have to astral p rojec t simultaneously. W hen they astral project, they attempt to enter a previously agreed-upon world. They proceed to make changes to that world. They may, for example, erect buildings or write on a wall. Ove r a period of cha nges, if the pa rticipa nts’ perce ptions of that world match, the experiment is a success.
Basic Fears •■ *
our" (in'1 If your11
A s y o u will d i sc o v e r d u r i n g y o u r a s t r a l p r o j e c t i o n s , y o u r e n v i ro n m e n t is a r e f le c t io n o f y o u r s t a t e o f m i n d . W h e n y o u l e a v e y o u r b o d y, y o u e nd u p in s u rr o u n d i n g s th a t m a t c h y o u r t h o u g h t s , a m o n g p e o p l e w h o t hin k lik e y o u d o . I f y o u r m i n d i s l ig h t a n d p o s i t iv e , y o u w i ll e n c o u n t e r h e l pf ul p e o p le . If, o n th e o t h e r h a n d , y o u r m in d is h e a v y a n d fe a r fu l, y o u will ru n into fearful people. Fearful people have the tendency to hurt others in order to preserve the self. Therefore, I can’t underscore enough the i m p o r ta n c e o f f r e e in g y o u r m i n d f r o m f e a r f u l th o u g h t s . As I see it, the mind is all you have, your only real possession. It is your responsibility to keep it in shape by regularly analyzing any fear har
rosteadpi
b o re d w ith in it. In o r d e r to d o t h a t , y o u n e e d t o u n d e r s t a n d h o w fea r w o r k s , s p e ci fic a ll y h o w i t m a n i p u l a t e s y o u . T h i s c h a p t e r p r o v i d e s so m e i ns ig h t i n to t h e d y n a m i c s o f f e a r .
The Wrong Kind of Fear
'8 h e ; X
For any hum an sh o rt of B ud dh ah oo d,
life i s a c o n s t a n t b a tt le
a g a i n s t f e ar . W e d e s p i s e t h e n a u s e a t i n g f e e l i n g o f f e a r , y e t w e a p p re c i
68
Si, ■i s 'H ,
Basic Fears
a t e i t a s i t k e e p s u s s a f e f r o m p h y s i c a l d a n g e r . B u t w h a t is t h a t d a n g e r and where is it? In m o d e r n s o c i e ty , h o w o f t e n m u s t w e s t ru g g l e t o e s c a p e p h ys ic al t h re a ts ? W e a r e n o l o n g e r r u n n i n g f ro m s a b e r - to o t h e d t ig e r s: w e p a s se d t h at st ag e a l o n g t i m e a g o . P h y s i c a l t h r e a t s a p p e a r a l m o s t e x clu si ve ly in t ra ffi c, a c c i d e n t s , c r i m e , a n d w a r . F e a r in s u c h s i t u a t io n s d ra m a t i c a ll y improves our chances of survival. The problem is that we experience f ea r in f a r m o r e s i t u a t i o n s t h a n t h e s e . S o ci et y h a s b e e n e v o l v in g t o w a r d t h e g o a l o f p h y s ic a l c o m f o r t fo r suc h a lo n g t i m e t h a t w e s e l d o m h a v e t o r e l y o n o u r p h y si ca l b o d ie s to carry us away from danger. Unless we are in a war zone or crimestricken area, there is little pressure on the body to ensure our survival. T h e m a jo r it y o f t o d a y ’s t h r e a t s a r e o f t h e m i n d , n o t o f t h e b od y. F o r example, a debt is not a direct threat to our physical survival and so we c a n’t u se o u r b o d y t o e s c a p e i t. I t is a n i n d i r e c t t h r e a t t h a t c a n o nl y b e a vo id ed by a m e n t a l m a n e u v e r . If y o u r b o s s a s k s y ou t o g i v e a p r e s e n t a t i o n o n y o u r c u r r e n t p r o j e c t, you may be thrilled at first. How ever, you m ay not get any sleep the night ns, your environm®1 'e your body, y°u el11^ ng people who ^ vill encounter help j fe arf ul,
cyt0 h^ r :
befo re th e p r e s e n ta tio n b e c a u s e th e b o d y is a lre a d y p re p a rin g fo r b a tt le. In the morning, your digestive system prepares by clearing and shutting d ow n . Y o u r p a l m s s w e a t e x c e ss iv e l y t h r o u g h o u t t h e d a y a n d y o u r m o u t h is dry. As you step up to the podium, your tongue is paralyzed and your m i nd go e s b la n k . Y ou a r e u n a b l e t o r e m e m b e r y o u r p r e p a r e d s p ee c h . You are inhibited by ne rvou sne ss, which is ano the r face of fear. This nervousness causes your body to prepare for battle. Are you going to do
L c o r e euoot"
ba ttle w it h th e a u d ie n c e ? N o. In th is c o m m on m o d e rn sit u ati o n , th e fea r
its-
is misguided. It helps n eith er you no r the audience. If the fe ar had
.
It is
instead prepared you for mental exertion, you would have given a bril rea i " - ss: s> J,dersta"d ipter pr°
„,t
liant presentation. Even though tod ay’s th rea ts a re distinctly d ifferent from those of our a n c e s t o rs , o u r e m o t io n a l r e s p o n s e r e m a i n s t h e s a m e . O u r r e a c ti o n t o a stock ma rket crash is fundam entally the sam e as tha t of our ancestor realizing he is about to become breakfast. Fear speeds up our pulse, empowers our muscles, and shortens our reaction time. It also blurs the mind, preventing it from thinking clearly, because the last thing you want to do during a fight is to ponder and theorize. This does not work
,o f >
As tral Projection a n d rhe N atu re o f R eality
tl>e h S.H*'
well with the thre ats of the mind. F urther, we n eed o ur m ind to ho sharp and clear, so that we can consider our options. Therefore, there should be tw o kin ds of fe ar : one th a t p re p a re s us for physi cal b a ttle , a nd one that prepares us for mental exertion. Unfortunately, our emotional m akeup has not yet evolved to provide th e seco nd kind or fear. Any Tear associated with astral projection is a fear or the mind. For example, if we get confused and diso rien ted in the as tra l, fear may kick in. We prepa re for battle. The problem is tha t we did no t bring ou r phys ical body, so we have nothing to carry into battle. Even if we did bring the physical body, any astral threat would most likely not take physical form, and so the physical body would have no power over it.
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A fear o r th e m ind wo u ld h elp u s h e re. Su ch a fea r wo u ld m ak e o ur min d s clearer, th ereb y h el p in g u s to u n d erstan d o u r su rro u n d in g s. Un fo rtu n ately , th is d o es n o t h ap p en . By h ab it, we r eact to astral t h reat s by p re p a rin g for physic al b a ttle.
No Worries W o rry is a co m m o n ty p e o f fear. Liv in g in m o d ern so ciety , y ou are p ro b ab ly fam ili a r w ith w o rry . A s m o d e r n p e o p le , w e w o r r y a b o u t ev ery th in g : Do we hav e en o u g h m o n ey to p ay n ex t m o n th ’s b ills? A re o u r chil d r e n s a fe a t s c h o o l ? W h a t p o i s o n s a r e i n o u r f o o d s ? H o w m u c h s un lig ht
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g e n es a s a s u rv i v al in s u r a n c e . A s o u r f o r e f a t h e r s r o a m e d t h e w oods, w o n y i n g a b o u t p r e d a t o r s a n d l o n g c o l d w i n t e r s w a s t h e b e s t w ay to s ur vive t h em . E v e n to d a y , t e n s o f t h o u s a n d s o f y e a r s l a t e r , t h e m o s t effec tive, way to stay alive is to w or ry. T h at is why, ev en tho ug h we have v o lv td in to h ig h -tech p e o p le, w o rry is a b ig p a rt o f o u r d aily liv es. We may not worry about predators, but we worry about money and hous-
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A d d t o t h a t t h e p r o g r a m m i n g o f o u r c u l tu r e . W e h a ve c om e a l on g way from the hunter-gatherer tribal society where the village news was spread around the campfire. From birth, we are programmed to con s id e r t h e d a n g e r s o f o u r s o c ie ty . T h e m a i n s t r e a m m e d i a c o n s ta n t ly r em i n d u s o f h o w m a n y k i ll e rs a r e o n t h e l o o se , w h e r e t h e t e r r o r i s t s m ay s t ri k e n e x t , a n d h o w m a n y t ri ll io n s o f d o l l a r s o f d e b t t h e c o u n t r y owes. Commercials try to scare us into buying their products, telling us t h a t o n ly t h e i r p ill s w i ll s av e u s f r o m a m o s t g r u e s o m e d e a t h , o n ly th e i r deal can protect our families, and only with their exercise equipment can we over come our physical f allibilities that wi l l sur ely r esult in r ejec tio n , a b a n d o n m e n t , a n d , u l ti m a t e l y , d e a t h in a s o l i ta r y b e d . W e a r e b e i n g c o n d i t i o n e d t o b e w a r y i n e v e r y a s p e c t o f o u r liv es. This programming has increased exponentially during the last decades. O nly 2 0 y e a r s a g o , p e o p l e v e r y r a r e l y l o c k e d t h e i r d o o r s a t n ig h t . To da y we put bars on our window's. Are we unreasonably scared or has the human spirit really stooped to levels where the average man threatens to obliter ate his neighbor ? T u r n o n t h e n e w s a n d y o u wi ll h e a r o n ly t h e w o r s t o f t h e w o r st . Rar ely do we get good news. Natur all y, hear ing the wor st- case scenar io f or year s will pr o gr a m us into believing an d expecting it. I n o ur thoughts, the f ear has becom e justif ied, and once justif ied in our thoughts, it b e co m e s ju stif ie d in o u r a c tio n s. A t th e p ro s p e c t o f th e f t, in ju ry , fr eez ing, or st ar vation , of cou r se w e w or r y. Thi s w or r y i s poison t o o ur spir its. I t has been r oo ted so deeply th at it is pa r t o f ou r ever y thought.
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Emotional Responses All thoughts ignite emotions to different degrees. In other words, emo tions are m erely the effects of ou r thoug hts. W hen thinking a thoug ht—any thou gh t—an e m otio nal r esp on se will im m ediately follow to emphasize the th oug ht and to en courage us to action. If we think of ice cream , the em otion o f craving fills us, m otivating us to take a trip to the freezer. Additionally, as a consequence of our conditioning, worried
Ast ra l Projection a n d the Natu re o f Reali ty
■ , e : R e 111 thoughts accom pany the first thought: “If I pay for this ice crea m , will I still have m oney for the bills? Will I get fat if I dec ide to ea t this ice cream? Will my arteries be clogged? Will I have a heart attack? How will I pay for the visit to the em ergency ro om ? W ho will take ca re of me when I am released from the h ospital? If I die from th is ice crea m , who
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will pay for the funeral?” These thoughts pass through o ur m inds so often th at we do not even notice them. We a re used to being afraid o f the con sequ enc es of our actions. As a natural emotional response to the fearful thoughts, worry flares up. We feel it as a slight nausea in our guts. Most people are so used to the nausea that they do not question its validity. If we mana ge to shake the nau sea off long enoug h to think , “Nah, ice
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cream isn’t that good anyw ay,” the em otions of craving an d w orry will be re pla c ed w ith w el l-bein g. W e n o lo n g e r th in k ic e c re a m is ta sty , so there is no ne ed to feel a craving. W ho wo uld feel a craving for some thing distasteful? The worry will also be neutralized because we have opted to take an alternative route that does not involve the dangers of
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ice cream. There is a better way to neutralize the emotion of worry: You can remove the worried thoughts from the initial thought (ice cream). W i th o u t t h e f e a rf u l t h o u g h t s , n o n a u s e o u s e m o t i o n w i ll b e p ro d u ce d . W h e n y ou th i n k o f i ce c r e a m , a n d y o u f e e l t h e n a u s e a c o m i n g on , sim ply th in k o f ic e c re a m a g a in , b u t th is tim e , id e n tify t h e th o u g h ts of w orry a n d d e c i d e n o t t o t h i n k t h e m . I f y o u d o t h i s w i th y o u r e v e r y t h o u g h t , you will feel tremendously liberated. Your thoughts will no longer be held back by w orry. You will b e a b le to s e e in c r e d ib le o p p o rtu n itie s in your life, opportunities that previously were locked out by fear. F e a rf u l th o u g h t s h a v e t h e p o t e n t i a l o f c r e a t i n g h a v o c w h e n w e leave t h e bo dy . W h e n y o u a w a k e a f t e r a n i g h t m a r e a n d a r e c o n s i d e ri n g leav in g y o u r b od y, b u t y ou a r e c o n c e r n e d t h a t i t m a y t u r n i n t o a sc a r y e xpe r ie n c e , a p p ly t h e R e m o v in g F e a r f u l T h o u g h t s t e c h n i q u e t o e l im i n a te the fear cre ated by th e nigh tm are . If you leave y ou r body w ith fear, you will m ost likely have a n au seating trip , bu t if you rem ov e th e fear just before leaving, your odds for a wonderful experience increase.
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Exercise: Removing Fearful Thoughts 1. F o r e ac h t h o u g h t y o u t h i n k , e x a m i n e y o u r e m o t i o n a l r e sp o n se .
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c a u s e r e a s o n a b l e ? Is t h e e m o t i o n a l r e s p o n s e j u s ti fi e d ? A re y o u re ally as t h r e a t e n e d a s th e t h o u g h t w o u l d h a v e y o u b e lie v e?
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5 . If t h e r e s p o n s e i s n o t j u s t i f ie d , d e c i d e t o r e m o v e i t. S i m p ly d o n o t a llo w i t t o o c c u r . T h i n k o n l y t h e o r i g in a l t h o u g h t , f re e o f th e w o r r ie d response. 6 . If y o u c o n t i n u e t o f e e l b a d , s e a rc h f o r o t h e r t h o u g h t s t h a t m a y b e r es p o n si b l e . R e m o v e t h e m in t h e s a m e m a n n e r .
Fear of the Unknown The fundamental reason we worry to such extremes is that we have a s e v er e f e a r o f t h e u n k n o w n . I n m y o p i n io n , f e a r o f t h e u n k n o w n is humankind’s greatest obstacle and has been since we learned to think c o h e re n tl y . A n y t i m e w e t r y t o f in d n e w w a y s , o u r f e a r o f t h e u n k n o w n is there to discourage us. H i s to r y i s fu ll o f f e a r s o f t h e u n k n o w n . F o r e x a m p l e , i n a n c i e n t d a y s, e v e ry s a i l o r k n e w y o u s h o u l d n o t s a i l to o c l o s e t o t h e e d g e o f t h e w o r ld b ecau se yo u m ig h t fal l o ff. L o o k in g b a c k a t t h a t tim e , w e f in d su ch fea rs a m u sin g ; b u t a t t h e t i m e , w e v i ew e d t h e m a s a p p r o p r i a t e c o n c e rn s . S u r p ri si n g ly , in s p i t e o f t h e c e n t u r i e s t h a t h a v e p a s s e d , w e s ti ll h a ve n o t l e a r n e d to u n d e r s t a n d t h e f e a r o f t h e u n k n o w n . O u r fe a r o f s ail in g o ff t h e e d g e o f t h e w o r l d i s g o n e , b u t f e a r o f th e u n k n o w n s ti ll e x i st s . I t h as e v olv ed a n d g r o w n a l o n g s i d e t h e p r o g r e s s o f o u r c u lt u r e , a p p e a r i n g wherever our culture lacks experience. A m od ern exam ple is th at of financial security. M ost peop le seem to belie ve th a t yo u have to w ork h a rd w h e n you a r e young to g a th e r w ealth because you n e v e r know ho w life will tr e a t you w hen you g et old er. In bel ie vin g t h a t, w e a re le ttin g th e fear o f th e unknow n get in th e way of living. W e postpo ne life until we retire o r even until the m om ent of death.
Astral Projection a n d th e Natu re o f Reality
Most of us succumb lo this loar witho ut even realizing it. W e a re so entangled in fear that wo can't tell what is up and what is down. But how ever wo reason it, wo can't escape the fact that this fear is based upon uncertainty, not on actual threats. As such, it has no reason to exist unless we give it a reason . T he na ture o f u nc erta inty is twofold. O n one hand, wo fear what dangers might lie within it. On the other hand, we
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unknown into a known. By prob ing the ob ject of the fea r and studying i t, t h e f e a r di ss o lv e s a s w e r e a l i z e t h a t t h e o b j e c t p r e s e n t s n o t h r e a t , a n d t h e r e w a s n o t h in g to f e a r i n th e f i r s t p l a c e . F o r e x a m p l e , a s y o u r e a d t h is bo ok, you m ay feel slig htly w o r r ie d a b o u t w h a t a w a its you in th e a str a l, but a s you re a d on you a c q u a in t y o u rse lf w ith t h e s u b je c t a n d , b e fo re you k no w it, y ou will h a ve t u r n e d t h e u n k n o w n o f t h e a s t r a l i n t o th e k n ow n of the a stral. T he w orry will dissolve.
Fear of Change F r o m f e a r o f t h e u n k n o w n s p r i n g s n o t o n l y w o r r y , b u t a ls o a f e a r o f c h a ng e . W e a r e all m o r e o r l es s a f r a id o f c h a n g e , b e c a u s e w e k n o w th a t bey ond c ha n ge lie m a n y u n k n o w n s . H o w o f te n d o you te ll yo urself:
Tuesday, March 19,
“Well, it ca n’t get any w or se .” N ot very o fte n, I ho pe , b ec au se it is not
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know what? Stability is boring! L ife is a n a d v e n t u r e , a n d t h e r e i s n o t m u c h r o o m f o r s ta b i li ty in an a d v e n t u r e . H o w m u c h fu n w o u l d T o l k i e n ’s t a l e s b e i f t h e H o b b i t s s a t a t h o m e i n s te a d o f s e t ti n g o u t o n a d v e n t u r e s in M i d d l e E a r t h ? C h a n g e s will c o m e , p e r h a p s n o t i n vo lv in g m a g i c a l r in g s a n d h o r d e s o f O r e s , b u t th ey
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will c o m e w h e t h e r w e li ke it o r n o t . W e m a y r e s i s t , b u t t h a t l ea ds nowhere. It takes more energy and effort to resist change than to pre p a re fo r a n d e m b r a c e c h a n g e . T h e a s t r a l i s a ll a r o u n d u s , a l l t h e t i m e . W e c a n a c c e s s it a n d all ■ts p o t e n t ia l a n y t im e . A n y o n e o f u s c o u l d e n t e r t h e a s t r a l r ig h t no w if 74
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we w a n t e d t o , j u s t b y t h i n k i n g o f i t. S o w h y d o n ’t w e ? T h e t r u t h is th at, d e e p i n si d e , w e d o n o t w a n t to . W e d o n o t w a n t to k n o w t h a t the physical is escapable, that there are better ways and places in which t o liv e. W e d o n o t w a n t t o f i n d o u t t h a t o u r w h o l e h a r d w o r k in g |jves h a ve b e e n a n i ll u s io n . W e f e a r k n o w i n g t h a t o u r w o r l d is c o m plet ely d iff e re n t, m o r e s u b je c t iv e a n d a t o u r c o m m a n d , fro m w h a t we have t h o u g h t t h r o u g h o u t o u r liv e s . C a n w e s t a n d t h e t h o u g h t t h a t a t a ny tim e w e c o u l d h a v e l e f t o u r l iv e s o f h a r d s h i p b e h i n d ? T h a t w e d id not h av e to g o th r o u g h a n y o f i t? W o u l d w e r a t h e r c lin g to t h e b e l ie f that each difficulty was a building block in our lives, a life that will never change? B ut b e y o n d t h i s f e a r o f s e e i n g l if e ’s t r u e n a t u r e , w e f in d s o b e r i n g thoughts: Everything so far, every hardship, in this life has been in p re p a ra ti o n fo r th is m o m e n t. E v e ry s te p f o rw a rd a ll ow s a s e c o n d s te p forward, which allows a third step forward, which in turn leads to the r ea liz a tio n t h a t n o n e o f t h e s t e p s w e r e n e c e s s a r y , a lt h o u g h th e y w e r e n e c e ss a ry i n o r d e r f o r u s t o r e a l i z e t h a t t h e y w e r e u n n e c e s s a r y . T h e r e is always a next step, and the next step now is to take off, leave the mun dane life, and enter the astral.
Nothing to Fear but Fear Tuesday, Ma rc h 19, 2 0 0 2 Lucid Dream I dream that I am in m y pa ren ts’ house. So m e strange event occurs in the dream. I think, “This is impossible. I must be dreaming. This is a dream.” I keep repeating that it is a dream an d I bec om e increasingly lucid. Suddenly, som ething grab s me fr om b e h in d a n d start s sp in n in g m e! I am fri gh te ne d. I c a n fee l m y c h e st b u b b li n g with terror. I ma na ge to ove rc om e the fear. I kn ow that in dreams, nothing ca n hurt me exc ept fear. I spin ar ou nd in circles, spiraling upwards. I stare dow n at my parents be d in the living room, where it w as ten yea rs ago. The spinnin g sto ps a nd I am floating at the ceiling ab ov e m y parents’ bed. I get more in touch with my phy sical body. I can hear my gi rlf rie nd s no rin g. I try t o fo c u s o n the l uc id drea m, bu t t he s n ori ng i s v e ry diffi cult to ignore. I w ake u p in m y bed. I gue ss the affirmations fo r lucid dream ing with brainwave so und s really wo rk— only it takes a week for them to take effect.
Astral Projection a n d th e Nat ur e o f Real ity
We as conscious beings cocreate our realities. Specifically, you cre ate what happens to you in every moment. You are like a victim and per p e tra to r r olle d in to on e. If you a re a fr aid , th e n you will believe th a t th e fear calls for a defense. You create the defense by building walls around you. W ith the walls comes isolation. The isolation spaw ns u nce rtainty of what is outside. Uncertainty spawns fear. And around it goes. Your ego always makes s ure it is co rrec t. Th e ego h ates to be wrong. That is what being an ego is all about. After a while of waiting for the threat that is not there, it invites t h e t h r e a t in o r d e r to p r o v e t h a t b ein g afraid of it was not a w aste o f tim e. A nd th re ats can ’t show up a t your doorstep unless you invite them, because nothing happens to you unless you allow it. In a m an ne r of speaking, you have m anifested a th re a t out o f t h in a i r j u s t b e c a u s e y o u w e r e a f r a id o f s u c h a t h r e a t . If you instea d d eta ch the ego, you will live by a loving attitu de . W ith that attitude, you will be able to manifest anything with little effort, even cool trips to th e astral. You will also s ee th e be ne fit of cre ating fear for t h e p u r p o s e o f o v e r c o m i n g it a n d g r o w i n g f r o m t h e e m o t i o n s i t p r o duces, but do not feel you have to feel fear. You will know that there is nothing to fear but fear.
Love Conquers Fear Friday, Ja nu ar y 12, 2001 Loue Conquers Fear I am walking in the woods, something I enjoy tremendously. I com e u pon a cliff. In spite o f my fear o f heights, I decide to approach th e ledge and look d own. My legs turn into spaghetti as I crawl toward th e rim, inch by inch. I look dow n. There is a 30 foot drop straight dow n. I watch my r eactions ve ry carefully, so as not to b e overcome with dizziness an d fall to m y death. I remember something I read: Fear can't exist where lo ue exists. To test this theory, I bring to mind the thing I loue the most. I think o f it and, especially, I think o f how much I love it. The fear dissipates. This is incredible! I stand up. My legs are perfectly normal, not the slightest shaky. I lean over the edge an d look d own. I can see the ground below the cliff and it does not frighten me at all. In fact, I think the cliff is a nice little feature o f nature, com pared to earlier, when I thought it was a deathtrap. I climb d ow n the steep en d o f the cliff In my previous fearful state, this would have be en impossible, b ut now I quite enjoy it.
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One o f th e u nive rsal laws is tha t fear c an 't exist wh ere love exists Love dispels fear. Love is ou r na tura l s tate of m ind; the refo re, we can always feel love, in sp ite o f any pa in in our life. If we m anag e to break through the e m otion s o f fear, grief, p ain, an d ang er, we can access love, and then love will autom atically d ispel an y vestiges or tho se negative emotions.
Exercise: Dispelling Fear 1. Close y o u r eyes. 2. R e la x y o u r m i n d . L e t i t s i n k . 3. M o v e y o u r c e n te r o f t h o u g h t t o t he c e nt e r o f y o u r c hest. 4 . C r e a te a s m a l l p e a r l o f l o v e i n t h e c e n t e r o f y o u r ch es t. 5. Le t l o v e b e a m o u t f r o m t h e p e a r l i n a ll d i r e c t io n s . 6. Le t t h e l o v e b a t h e e v e r y t h i n g a r o u n d y o u . 7. H o w d o y o u f e e l? H a v e a n y w o r r i e s a n d f ea r s s u b s i d e d ? 8. R e p e a t t h e e x e rc i se a s o f t e n a s p o s s i b l e s o t h a t i t w i ll b e a n a u t o m a t i c response to fear in the astral.
Astral Projection Fears
Each person is unique and therefore reacts differently to his first astral projection experience. Some find it tremendously joyous while others panic. It is a joyous occasion, but it is human nature to let fear get in the way of anything fun. My first projection scared me out of my shorts, and I have talked to many other projectors who have reacted in similar ways. It is the kind of fear that makes you want to turn and run as fast as your legs can carry you, while screaming at the top of your voice. This is completely natural. Our subconscious has no clue as to what is happening when physical reality falls away from our senses, and that is enough to scare even the bra vest soul. Even if we have re a d e verythin g th e re is to know about astral projection, fear is a possibility, even a probability, until we get used to the actual experience. Fear not only keeps people from attempting astral projection, but it also keeps them from practicing astral projecting after succeeding the first time. Such fear fills no purpose because there is nothing to fear dur ing a projection. If you fear an ything a bo ut th e pro jec tion experien ce, do not fret. 1 he fea r will subsid e a s you ge t m o re us ed to it. I prom ise you
Astral Projection Fears
that the fear will dis sip ate if you m ain tain a loving and ad ven turous atti tude toward a stral p rojec tion, in spite of the fear. And once you get past the initial fear, you will love ev ery m o m en t o f you r tim e in the a stral! T h e r e a r e m a n y f e a r s t o c o n q u e r w h e n a t te m p t i n g t o le av e t h e bo dy , so to prep are fo r the first a stra l p rojec tion, we will look at som e of the most common.
Fear of Not Being Able to Return W i ll y ou b e a b l e t o t u r n y o u r a w a r e n e s s b a c k t o y o u r b o d y o n c e yo u have turned it into t he astral? Yes. It is y o u r body and you have been associated with it during your whole physical lifet i me. You turn your awareness back to y ou r b ody ev ery time you wake up. F or a 30-year-old, that is about 11,000 tim es, so you have had a lot of practice. You know t he p r o c e d u r e l ik e y o u k n o w t h e b a c k o f y o u r h a n d . Y ou ha v e m a d e it into an automatic habit to such a degree that you no longer remember how to consciously do it. If you ever w an t to g et back to yo ur body while in the astral, all you have to do is think t he word b o d y and the m em ory o f your body will pop into your awareness. Your mind will associate the memory with your actual body and then your awareness will be turned to your body. You will probably find th at the op po site—rem aining p rojected away from the bod y—is a lo t tric k ie r , a t le a s t in th e b eg in nin g . How ever, if astra l p rojection tu rn s in to a com pulsion, th ere m ight be a physical dang er. E very thing you intense ly de sire will com e true . If you desire to c on stan tly be in the as tral, th en it shall be so. If you have to abandon the body to fulfill your wish, then that is the way it has to be. Be careful what you wish for, for you might get it. Let me rephrase that: Be careful what you wish for, for you w i l l get it. Life is a beautiful gift that we have bestowed upon ourselves, and it is difficult to de sire any thing b e tte r than being alive. But som etimes com puls io n g ets th e b e s t o f us a n d c re a te s d e sire s so str o n g th a t we can t avoid allowing them to come true. In The Divine B lu e p rin t,* Robert Perala presents a disturbing case. Perala’s friend Devon was a frequent astral projector. She reportedly d ep arte d from this life during an astral p rojection in 1992. He r body had
As tra! Projection a n d th e N atu re o f Reality
a seizure and she failed to return to it. We know much too little about the mechanics of the soul-body connection to d eterm ine a m ore exact cause of her death. Upon he r death, A rt. Pe rala’s friend, w ent into tran ce to find out w h a t h a p p e n e d . H e c o n t a c te d s o m e s p i r it s w h o h a d b e e n a r o u n d h e r a t the time. R eportedly, she was in the habit of astra l projecting so fre quently and for such long du rations that h er co nne ction (som e call it the silver cord, but I think tha t term is m isleading since it might m ake us think of a physical cord, w here as the c onn ection is nonphy sical or semi phys ical) to h e r body w o re o u t. In s p ite o f p e rs is te n t a tte m p ts , s h e could not get back into her body. Understandably, she freaked out and tried for hours to get the atten tion of the living. W he n s he finally acknowl e d g ed th e d e a t h o f h e r b o d y, s h e r e g r e t t e d h a v i n g h a d s u c h a s t r o n g desire to spend time with astral beings. This is indeed a tragedy, but. Devon did not die in vain, because she taught us something valuable about ourselves. We are here because we love the exp erience of physical life. In ord e r to su stain th a t expe rience, w e ha ve t o ta k e go o d c a r e o f o u r b o d i e s . T h e m o m e n t w e s t o p a p p r e c i a t in g it, p e r h a p s b y d e s i r in g t o e s c a p e life m o r e t h a n d e s i r i n g t o s ta y , t h e body fa lte rs a n d o u r d e s ir e is fu lf il led. L ik e D e v o n , m a n y o f u s have a
would be e ible ti
s tr on g d e s ir e to e x p lo r e t h e w o r l d s b e y o n d . W e w a n t t o k n o w w h a t is b ehin d th e physic al. W e have to b a la n c e th is d e s ir e w ith th e d e s ire to experience life, or astral projection will turn into a compulsion. Perala tells me he still thinks astral projection is relatively safe, and I agree. As long as we leave our bodies with m o d e r a t e f r e q u e n c y a n d duration, there is no danger involved. I think once per week is an opti m al fre q ue n cy . I f y ou p r o je c t m o r e f r e q u e n t l y t h a n t h a t , I r e c o m m e n d you check your motives: Does life still intrigue you or are you trying to escape it? How often do people die during astral projections? For understanda b le r ea s o n s , t h e r e a r e n o s t a t i s t ic s . I f t h e p r o j e c t o r ’s b o d y d i e s d ur in g an astral p ro je c ti o n , his kin will a s su m e th e b o d y d ie d d u rin g sle ep, De i von s case is the only one I have co m e a cro ss, bu t pe rh ap s th ere are more. We should seek to learn from these. th
80
f ° m e ^ t *18 s '*v e r c o r d is t h e p r o j e c t e d a w a r e n e s s ’s c o n n e c ti o n to Jody. Ih< notion of a cord m ay spring from a thre e-dim ens iona l way
ISpurely sp e cu la t a * ' th e c o n n e c . * " ay, sh e c h o
Astral Projection Fears
" O
of lo ok in g a t t h e a s t r a l - p h y s i c a l c o n n e c t i o n . S p a c e d o e s n o t a p p l y jn t h e astral, a n d s o th e i d e a o f a c o r d t h a t l i m i t s th e d i s t a n c e y ou c a n t ra v el f ro m y o u r b o d y s e e m s a w k w a r d . T h e a s t ra l -p h y s i c a l c o n n e c t i o n i s n o n ph ysical o r se m ip h y sic a l. Depending
It c a n ta k e a ny n u m b e r o f visual fo rm s.
on the perceiver, it may look like a silver cord, a magnetic
field, or a rubber band. It does not have to be visible at all. I have seen t h e s il ve r c o r d o n o n e o c c a s i o n , b u t t h a t m a y w ell b e b e c a u s e 1 i n t e n ti o n ally searched for it. The cord I saw could have been created by my wish to see it. Undeniably, there is an attraction between the projected a w a r e n e s s a n d t h e p h y s i c a l b o d y , b u t t o c o n f i n e i t t o a s i lv e r c o r d w o ul d be to d isc o u n t th e d iv e rs e n a tu r e o f th e a s tra l. M a n y p r o j e c t o r s w o r r y t h a t s e v e r in g t h e a s tr a l- p h y si ca l c o n ne c t io n — for exam ple, a silver co rd —w ould c ut off th eir retu rn to the physical bo dy , le avin g th e ph y sic a l b o d y to its d e m is e . B ut how d o you se ve r something nonphysical? How do you sever a color? How do you cut hope, beau ty, o r tranq uillity? T h e re is no p ossibility of severing the sil ver cord by a violent movement. It can’t get entangled or wrapped around anything, just as you can’t wrap a color around anything. It would be extremely difficult to sever the astral-physical connection in a t a ng ib le m a n n e r . Like anything nonphysical, the astral-physical connection is under t h e c o n t ro l o f t h e m i n d . W e c a n ’t t a k e a s a w a n d c u t t h e c o n n e c t i o n , b u t we can probably will the connection away. By intending to permanently drop the connection to the physical, the projector can kill his body. This is purely specu lative of co urs e, as I would n ot w an t to try it. In the Devon case, the co nne ction bro ke bec ause o f he r will to rem ain in the astral. In a way, she c hose th e astra l over the physical. The dem ise of he r phys ical body w as a n ac t of will an d inten t. In retrosp ec t, she felt it was a misguided intent.
Wednesday, Jan uar y 2 H, 2001 First Contact t >ou/
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First, I w ant to say that u p to this point, I ha ue n euer h ad a n OBE. I fou nd astral pr oje ction a n d the l ike onl y t w o m on th s ago. I h aue b ee n me dit atin g irr egular ly sin ce then. Two wee ks ago, I started doing so m e ene rgy exercises. During the day, I do energyraising exercises. In the euening as I go to bed, I de cide
81
Astra l Projection an d th e N atu re o f Re ality
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t o m e d i t a t e b e f o r e f a l li n g a s l e e p . I st a r t w i t h r e l a x a t i o n e x e rc is e s: A s I b r e a t h e o u t , I s e q u e n t i a ll y r e la x e v e r y m u s c l e f r o m m y fe e t t o m y h e a d . A f t e r a f e w r o u n d s , I f e e l r e s is ta n c e in m y t h ig h s , s o m e t h i n g I h a v e n e v e r f e l t b e fo r e . U p o n i n s p e c t io n , I n o t ic e th a t t h e r e s is ta n c e s t e m s f r o m a n e n e r g y fl o w f r o m m y b e l l y t o m y f e e t , t h a t is , t h e o p p o s i t e w ay . I h a v e n e v e r b e f o r e fe l t s u c h a s t r o n g e n e r g y fl o w . O b v i o u s l y , m y l eg s w a n t to d o t h e e x e r c is e in t h e o p p o s i t e d i r e c t io n , s o I s w i t c h .
I imagine — no, not imagine— there is a circle o f energy, com ing in from the air, entering my heart chakra, flowin g d ow n m y legs, an d exiting throu gh m y feet. I radiate
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l o v e t o m y surroundings for a while, an d then I ca n’t help b ut fall asleep. W hen I awake
a few hou rs later, I am still in the sam e meditative state o f mind. That is fascinating. My exercises continue, uninterrupted by sle ep .... M y bo dy is overheated. The heat must have bee n ca use d by the strong energy flo w. I exit m y m ed it at iv e state, th ro w o f f the b la n k et a n d let the a ir c o o l m e d ow n. I
fite/thours a.
am still tired, so I decid e to go ba ck to sleep. I notice h ow delicate m y sen ses are. My pi llow f ee ls i ncr edib ly soft, a n d I am v e ry th a nk fu l fo r that. I d o not th a nk m y pi llo w very often, so this is a special occasion. I roll over on my right side and wait to fall asleep. T hr e e s e c o n d s l a t er so m e t h i n g h e a v y c o m e s o v e r m e. S w o o s h ! It f e el s l ik e I a m b e in g c o m p r e s s e d a n d s u c k e d t h r o u g h a t in y p i p e . T h e n I a m f a l li n g d o w n w a r d s a n d to my left, fast. No , falling is not the right word. T here do e s no t seem to be an y acceleration involved, wh ich m ake s m e think I am not sub ject to gravity. It is more like
floating d o w n w a r d a t a c o n s t a n t s p e e d o f t h re e m e t e r s p e r se c o n d . T h is se n s a ti o n is real. I can't do ub t that I am movin g. Afte r six me ters, I s to p floating. I feel like I am b e in g co m p r e s se d . It d o e s n o t h u rt , b u t I a m c o n f u s e d a n d w o r r i e d a b o u t w ha t is happening. The physical wo rld is muffled. I can on ly vagu ely h ear m y girlfriend’s heavy breathing as she sleep s be sid e me. I ca n’t see, tho ugh . M y brain feels like cold steel, much like the sensation yo u get wh en it is low on b lo o d o r oxygen. Suddenly, I am extremely scared, som ew hat by the u nfamiliar situation, but m ostly bec aus e I think my brain is out o f air an d I am losing brain cells fast. I am terrified to suc h a degree that— h a d I a n y c o n n e c ti o n to m y p h y s i c a l r e a r— I w o u l d h a u e s o i l e d m y pa nts . I instinctively kn ow what this is. I am ha vin g a n outo fbod y experience! To cope with m y fear, I do what I ha ve told my se lf to do in sca ry situations: I radiate love in all directions. Then I feel a lot better, but I am still afraid. I ha ue told m yse lf a thousand times not to be afraid i f I j o t f re e o f m y p h y s i c a l b o d y , b u t I g u e s s f e a r is a v e r y si ro ni em otio n that is difficult to control.
82
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Astral Projection Fears as/ra/ environm ent form s in m y awa reness. I find m yself sitting in a h uge class-
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room. There must be a th ou sa nd o the r studen ts sitting aro un d me. E veryo ne’s attention is turned to a pr ofe sso r w h o is giving a lecture, but the information flow from him is too fast for m e to com pre he nd . I try to take notes, but m y fingers are clumsy. They can hardly ho ld the pen. It is as if I am using m y h an d for the first time in years. Then I dec ide to take the ultimate test: to op en m y eyes. For som e reason, I expect to see my ow n ph ysic al b od y from a thirdperson perspective. Unfortunately, the eyes I open are my physic al eyes. This instantly brings me b ac k to my body.
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Then I spon tan eo usly float dow nw ard a gain an d find myself bac k in the classroom. This time, I ca n partly feel m y phy sica l body. After a few secon ds, I return to my body. Whe n I attempt to float out again, n othin g hap pen s. Ironically, it on ly seem s to w ork w hen I am
not trying. I th ank m y gu idi ng spirits fo r helping m e h av e this experience. Balls of light mov e across the inside o f m y cl ose d eyelids a lon g time after the experience ha s ended. A fe w h o u r s a ft er th e e xp er ie nce , I r e a c h so m e c o n c lu sio n s:
• The reason that the ph ysica l w orld wa s muffled w as that m y awa reness w as turned away from the hearing func tion o f m y brain. • The rea son that my bra in felt co ld w as that it w as n o lon ger in my awareness. I ha ve felt the b rain m y e nt ir e life. I o n l y m is s i t w h e n it is n ot there.
• Energy exercises are e ssential forgett ing in to uch with the spirit realm. • / neve r inten ded to leave m y bod y. I jus t wa nte d to get closer to the spirit realm. Unexpected things ha pp en w he n en ergy is in motion.
• I hav e n eve r before ha d a "pa ran orm al’’ experience, no r am I gifted or sensitive. I am con vinced that an yo ne c an ha ve this sort o f experience.
Fear of Physical Harm i
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T he biggest fea rs in physical life are the fears o f gelling injured, too cold, too hot, or too hu ngry. It is only na tural to have the sam e concerns
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during astral projection, just as I experienced the fear of brain damage in the journ al en try above. T hese dan gers do n ot exist in the a stral per
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se becau se they are physical conce rns, but we may think that as we proj ect away from the body, it might forget to breathe or have an accident like rolling off the bed . In any case , th es e fea rs are unfound ed. I have had a large num ber of astral projections, and I can honestly say that I
As tral Pro jection a n d th e N atu re o f Reality
have never had a physical accident, except on e tim e a d ream catch er fell down and got tangled up in my ear.
P o s s e s s i v e S p i r it s I want to make clear that I have never personally experienced a pos sessive spirit and therefore am not an expert in this area. I can’t even say whether it is possible to possess the body of a human. However, the r e is such a lar ge body of doc um ente d a ccoun ts, str etching as f ar b ack as to th e N ew T e sta m e n t, th a t th e to p ic is dif fic ult to ig no re . The f r equency of possession s ee m ed to climax in the late seven teenth and ear ly eight eent h centur ies, at which tim e Cathol ic exor cism was extensi vely used. B ut then the witch hunts with their accompanying p a ra n o ia w e re in full sw in g, so w e c a n ’t te ll h o w m an y o f t h e all eged pos session cases w er e actual po ssession s. No m atter , th er e a r e plenty of c a se s o f s u s p e c te d p o s s e s s io n in m o d e r n t im e s a n d w e c a n o b s e r v e t h e m in or der to lear n mor e. 1have t al ked to sever al peo ple who believe they h av e e x p e r i e n c e d p o s s e s s io n f i r s t h a n d . W h a t c o n c e rn s u s a s t r a l p r o j e c t o r s i s t h a t t h e r e a r e p l en ty of a c c ou n ts t h a t te ll o f p r o j e c t o r s f in d i n g d i f f e r e n t s o r t s o f c r e a t u r e s u po n their return to the body. The creatures seem to be trying to enter the p r o je c to r ’s body, a lt h o u g h I h a v e n e v e r h e a rd o f a c a se in w hich th ey h av e b e e n s u c c es sf u l. I t h i n k t h a t t h e d e g r e e t o w h i c h a b o d y c a n b e p os sessed has more to do with the beliefs, attitudes, and emotions held by the per son inhabiting the body tha n th e availability of the body. Even if you leave your body unattended, it is still your body (even if it is a loan) an d, ther ef or e, a possessive spir it has to go t hr ou gh you bef or e it can a c ce s s t h e b o dy . In o t h e r w o r d s , w h e t h e r y o u r b o d y g e t s p o s s e s s e d or not depends on what goes on in your mind and has little to do with the f ac t t h a t y ou te m p o r a r i ly l e f t th e b o d y u n g u a r d e d . One projector, Brian, suspected that his younger brother was being p o sse sse d fro m tim e to tim e . T h e boy, to h is p a r e n t s ' d eli g h t, sh owed bril li ance fa r b e y o n d his a g e , p re s u m a b ly f ro m t h e sp irit. H ow th is situ a ti on i e so lv e d , I d o n o t k n o w , b u t t h i s d e m o n s t r a t e s t o m e t h a t n o t all p o ssessiv e sp ir its have m alicio u s i n te n ts . l.ven so, it seems possessive spirits have the potential to mess up >our
Astral Projection Fears
'V , life more than any thing else. T he y ca n e ven kill you (y our physical body, tha t is) or worse: m ake yo ur body kill peop le a rou nd you. Th ere a re a few a c c o u n ts o f
ordinary men and women who have committed horrible crimes.
They claim to have been possessed during their crimes. Could they be telling the truth? Could their tale s be th e tip of an icebe rg full of instances o f pos sessed perpetrators who are confused as to what happened? How many innocents are imp risoned bec ause of crim es co m m itted by possessive spirits? However bad this may sound, it is clear that possessive spirits are not sent by the Devil to ruin your day. The concepts of a Devil and evil are human-made. No beings a re evil; they a re ju st struggling in the situation they are in and using whatever they know about the world in order to get to a better pl ac e. In fa ct, bein gs w h o a r e in te ntio na ll y o u t to h a rm o th e r be ings are exceedingly rare. Most possessive spirits just want the same luxury we have: to experience physical life. Hardly any are out to make trouble. To us, as beings inhabiting the physical, they may appear twisted in t he ir m in d s , b u t w e m u s t r e m e m b e r t h a t w h e n t h e y p o s s e s s a ph ys ic al body, th e y h a v e n o n o tio n o f m o ra li ty . T h e y a r e o v e rc o m e by th e ir ow n a d d ic tio n s, j u s t l ik e w e a r e s o m e t i m e s o v e r c o m e b y o u r a d d i c t io n s i n t h e a s tr a l o r i n d r e a m s ( m o r e o n t h i s i n C i r c l e 3 ). T h e y d o t h i n g s th e y w o u ld not norm ally do. T hey a re no t intention ally evil; they jus t can’t control themselves. To the m , physical reality ap pe ars the w ay m ost people view dreams: a new p lace of ex istence so radically different from w hat they a r e u se d t o t h a t t h e y c a n ’t a c c e p t i t a s e i t h e r r e a l o r i m p o r t a n t . A s it is 5 he ld
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not real to them, they can’t take responsibility for the consequences of their actions. Their behavior is not very different from ours. How often do we as physical beings take responsibility for what we do in dreams? If you get involved w ith possessive spirits, you nee d h elp from an
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e x p e ri e n ce d h e a l e r o r e x o r c i st . T h e r e a r e p l e n ty o f t h e m i f y ou k n ow wh ere to look. A searc h on the In tern et should reveal som e of them.
Fear of Bad Spirits Many projectors rep or t seeing nasty creatu res in the astral o r in the hypnopompic state (the groggy state we enter as we awaken from sleep or deep trance). Some look like trolls or monsters. Note, however, that ju st because we perc eiv e a bein g as harm fu l does not necessari ly m ean
As tral Projection a n d th e Natu re o f Re alit y
that it is harmful. A well-meaning being may be perceived as harmful if fear gets in the w ay of ou r perce ption . A slight change o f attitude, from fear to love, will change the way we perceive a spirit.
Exercise: Anti-Fear 1. Close yo u r eyes. 2. Imagine a monster running toward you with the intention of ripping you apart. 3. Imagine that it suddenly changes its mind and runs toward you instead w ith the intention of hugging you. 4. Evaluate the difference in how you perceived t he m on ster in the two cases. Did the m on ster change appeara nce w hen yo u sw itched attitudes?
W h a t y ou s e e i n th e a s t r a l is c o m p l e t e ly u n d e r t h e c o n t r o l o f y ou r mind. Therefore, by deciding that something is not there, it will disap p ear. In a way, you allow o b je c ts to b e p r e s e n t, a n d n o o b jec t c an be p re se n t w ith o u t y o u r c o n s e n t. If you fin d y o u rse lf in a te rrif y in g a str a l situation, you can consciously change it.
Exercise: See It Not There 1. C l o s e y o u r e y e s . 2 . I m a g in e a g a in a m o n s t e r r u n n i n g t o w a r d y o u w i th t h e i n t e n tio n o f r ip p i n g y o u a p a r t . 3 . I m a g in e th a t th e m o n s t e r is n o t th e r e .
1 h a v e o n ly r a r e l y e n c o u n t e r e d h a r m f u l b e i n g s . I t h i n k m y f or tu n e has to do with my attitud e. E ach tim e I as tral p rojec t, I expect-even know—tha t I will run into fun e xp erie nc es . T he reb y, I c r e a t e enjoyable e x p e r i e n c e s . I f I i n s t e a d e x p e c t e d s c a r y e x p e r i e n c e s , m y s ub co nsc io us might arrange that for me by attracting harmful spirits. I recommend that you review your expectations, even in physical life, because expec t a ti o n s f or m t h e s t a r t i n g p o i n t o f y o u r e x p e r i e n c e .
Astral Projection Fears
I n t he astr al, bei ngs can’ t har m you dir ectl y. They can't cause you any physical h ar m , sim ply b ec au se you did not b r ing your physical body. W hat they can do is ha r m you psychically by hanging ar ou nd you for a pro lo nged tim e . T h e ir m o o d a ffe c ts y o u rs. T h is w o rk s ju s t as in th e phys ical: If you ha ng a ro u n d a b ad cro w d fo r a long tim e, ev entually you will s ta r t t o a d o p t s o m e o f t h e i r d e s t r u c t iv e b e h a v i o rs .
Protection Prevention is always the best defense. The following exercise d e s c ri b es w h a t I d o t o p r o t e c t m y s e l f f r o m a n y b a d e x p e r i e n c e s . P r a c ti ce it r ep ea tedly o n d r y land , so to sp ea k, so you will know it by h ea r t as you astr al pr oject.
Exercise: Protection 1. C l o s e y o u r e y e s . 2 . M o v e y o u r a w a r e n e s s t o t h e c e n t e r o f y o u r c h e st. 3. F o rm a s m a ll b u b b l e o f fo g g y w h i t e l ig h t in y o u r ch e st. 4 . L e t t h e b u b b l e c o n t a i n y o u r l ov e e n e rg y . 5 . E x p a n d t h e b u b b l e u n t il i t s u r r o u n d s y o u . 6 . R e i n fo r c e th e b u b b l e w i th m e d i e v a l k n i g h t sh i e ld s , o r b u l l e tp r o o f g la ss, o r w h a t e v e r s tr o n g m a t e r ia l y o u p re fe r. 7. P u t a n o t h e r s h ie ld e d b u b b l e a r o u n d y o u r w h o l e e n v i r o n m e n t
N ow t h a t you k n ow how to d e a l w it h h a rm fu l b e in g s, th e r e is no n e e d t o b e a f r a id o f t h e m . I m u s t a ga in u n d e r l in e t h a t t h e r e a r e m a ny m or e benign beings tha n har mf ul one s. T he next jour n al entr y desciibes an exper ience that shows how nice they can be:
Monday, July 8, 20 02 UFO Dream a nd a Natural Society As I lie in b ed in the evening, I get an eerie feeling. It fee ls like the space o f the room is cut in half, as if an invisible metallic wall divides the room. I feel a presence.
As tral Projection a n d th e N atu re o f Reality The image o f a gray alien c om es to mind. For the first time in ages, I am afraid o f the
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dark, but I get ov e r it. Eventually, I fall asleep. I dream I am in a coa stal town. O ne night, pe op le se e lights in the sky. I lo ok up a nd see cro sses o f white light all ov er the sky. There mu st be 50 o f them. They slow ly desce nd toward me. There is a kio sk nearby from wh ich pe op le maintain the beach. I
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run there and see a vid eo camera. I ask if I can b orro w it. A m an is relaxing in an arm chair, reading something. He says, "S ure.” I lo o k in the cam era a n d a sk them if they hav e any tape. A w om an w alks ove r to a v ideoca ssette reco rder a nd ejects a tape. “You can tape ove r this," she says a nd h an ds me the tape. I run outside an d capture the crosses o f light on tape. They app ear to be alien craft. Suddenly, I am be am ed u p into on e o f them. I run film the w ho le time. I ca n’t reme mbe r what ha pp en s in the craft. W he n I return to the surface, I am thrilled to have captured it all on tape. I re w ind the tape a n d pla y it. To my am azem ent, the whole tape was som ehow filmed o n the ground. There is not a single fram e from a bo ard the craft. Then it hits me: M y low er self stayed in the drea m (apparen tly I k n o w I am dreaming) on the surface, while m y higher self venture d o n m ore impo rtant bu sine ss in (or beyond) the alien craft. In other words, m y aw are ne ss w ent with m y h ighe r self into the h i g h e r r e al m s w h il e m y l o w e r s e l f s t a y e d w i th t he c a m e r a o n t he b e a c h .
I think this is an interesting ph enom enon. Perhaps this is the way alien abductions are performed, and that is why ab duc tees ha ve a hard tim e rem embering w hat hap pe ns in the craft. I drift toward th e waking state. I make som e note s on a n ote pad so I won't forget my conclusions wh en I wake up. I realize th at the n ot ep ad is pr ob ab ly not physical, so the notes will not be there when I wake up. Nevertheless, I think it is a good reality check: If the notes are presen t w he n I wake up, the n I am actually awa ke right now. I don’t want to wa ke up, so I fa ll back i nto a slum be r. In the dream, it is now the following night. The sa m e lights ap pea r a n d I fil m th em once more. The same events repeat. I almost w ake up again, bu t t hen de cid e to fall b ac k t o slee p. For the third time, I enter the sa me dream. I conc lude th ere m ust b e so m eth in g about th e camera, because each time I look throu gh it, m y aw are nes s pr ojec ts to m y high er self. I decide to try that theory. I stare through the cam era, waiting fo r so m ethin g to happen. Suddenly, I find m yse lf on the drivew ay o f my pa ren ts’ house. I sit down for a minute. I put my hands together like B uddh ist m on ks do. I focu s o n m y chest and med fo ra while, jus t like I do durin g OBEs to p ro long th e projection. The surroundings change. The driveway and the buildings around me are still the same, but they are ing with a magical transparen t w hite energy. I am no w in a place o f ecstasy
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Astral Projection Fears
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Strange, I am in the sa m e place, a n d at the sam e time it is different. W ith a simple act of fo cu sin g in the ch es t, I tu rn a n o r d i n a r y p la c e in to a par adi se . I stand up a n d w alk d o w n the street. It is winter (it is sum m er in w aking reality). Snow covers everything. S o m e b uild ing s there in w aking reality are not there now. Instead, there is a va lley co ve re d in snow . The sn ow h as that magical glow. It is incredibly beautiful! I smile so m uc h I am sure m y phy sical face is beaming, too. If som eon e were
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to see my physical face now, she w ou ld b e pu zzle d as to what is going on inside me. I w alk dow n an oth er street. It ends, but I w alk straight into what appea rs to be a park. The season cha nge s to fall the m om ent I step onto the lawn. There are dark green trees
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that glimm er with life force. The re are bein gs here, b ut they are no t hum ans. They are short and wide. They are very friendly and jolly. They seem to be enjoying life. Nobody is
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stressed. N o b od y feels they h av e to d o anything. Life here is on e o f leisure, just like I think life on Earth sho ul d a n d c o u ld be. T hese folk s re m ind m e o f the hobb its in Tolkien’s tales. I s p o t s o m e s m a l l h o u s e s . I i n t u it i ve l y u n d e r s t a n d t ha t t h ey ar e i n e n e r g y s y m b i o sis with the dark gree n trees. They d o not sta nd out like hum an dw ellings do. They look like an integrated a n d natural part o f the park. Everything is in ha rm on y with nature here. It is a relaxing sight. I e nter o ne o f the ho uses. So m e o f the little chu bb y m en are baking something. Coincidentally, I h av e so m e pastry w ith me. I ask them if they wo uld like to trade one o f m ine for on e o f theirs. T hey sm ile an d tell me I m ay taste theirs and I can ke ep mine. They are giving m e fo o d without expecting anything in return. This is indeed a g lorio us society. I pick a co ok ie from a bak ing sheet. It tastes incredible! M y m outh is watering as I chew it. I think that m y phy sical m outh mu st be chewing, too. I reflect on ho w incredibly real the taste is. I k n ow I am not using m y physic al taste senses. Is m y m ind making this per fect taste u p o r is it u n d e r th e in fl ue nc e o f a n ac tu al n o n p h y sic a l c o o k ie ? I take another pastry from an oth er bakin g sheet. I take a bite. Y um ... ban an a brea d! Amazing! This is the best bana na bre ad I h ave ever had. If only ph ysical fo o d c ou ld taste this good. I
walk out on the ba lco ny a n d find that I am on the se co nd floor. There are two
tennis courts b elow me. I clim b do w n to the tennis courts a n d enter the first floor. The mome nt I enter the door, I lose lucidity a n d m ov e into a dream.
Spirit Guardians Bef or e you go into the astr al, you might f eel m or e r eas sur ed if you have a spir it f r iend who w atches ov er you. The r e ar e spir its ( they ar e called spir it guides or guar dian spir its) who d edi cat e themselves
Astra l Projection a n d th e Natu re o f Reality
to helping projectors . If you are unfam iliar with the psychic proce ss o f d i re c t ly a d d r e s s i n g s p i r it s , p r a y e r w i ll s u f fi c e . W h e t h e r y o u p ra y t o J e s u s , B u d d ha , M o h a m m e d , y o u r a n c e s t o r s , o r a n o t h e r s p ir it acquaintance, prayer works well. A prayer is a clear thought sent through the astral, and a request to a spirit must be clear in order for it to be distinguished from the mumble of all your other thoughts. If you know a spirit guide, you m ay ask it to find a gu ard for you, or,
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if you, as I, talk to yourself, a sk y ou rse lf to find a gu ard . Do no t feel embarrassed or unworthy to ask for protection. It is never wrong to ask for help. i/e'1 Then I
Exercise: Requesting a Spirit Guide 1. Close y o u r eyes. 2. Relax your mind. Let it sink.
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3. I m a g i n e t h a t a ll c u r r e n t t h o u g h t s g e t c a u g h t i n s o a p b u b b l e s a n d d r i f t of f in the wind. 4. P u t y o u r h a n d s i n f r o n t o f y o u r c h est , t h e f in g e r t i p s o f th e t h re e m i d d le f i ng e r s t o g e th e r a t a 4 5 - d e g r e e a n gle , f o r m i n g a n u p s i d e - d o w n " V " w i t h y o u r f in g e r s p o i n t i n g u p . Y o u r i n n e r s e n s e s a re v e r y f o cu se d u s i n g t h i s h a n d p o s i t io n . 5. I n y o u r m i n d 's e ye, f o r m t h e i m a g e o f t h e s p i r i t g u i d e l is t e n i n g t o your request. 6. T h i n k c le a rl y to t h e l i s t e n i n g s p i r it : " I r e q u e s t a g o o d s p i r i t t o p r o t e ct m y awareness wh en I astral project." 7. I f y o u w o r r y a b o u t y o u r b o d y , r e q u e s t a n o t h e r g u a r d : " I r eq u es t a n o t h e r g o o d s p i r i t t o w a t c h o v e r m y p h y s ic a l b o d y w h i le I a m a stra l projecting."
II
you run into trouble in spite of your spirit guide, rem em be r the
bubble of w hit e lig ht a n d lo ve, a n d p r e t e n d th e o b je c t is n o t th ere , as you practiced in the earlier exercises. Pretend you are in the astral and go through the steps in your mind, so that you are well prepared should you get into trouble.
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Astral Projection Fears
Monday, De cem be r 18, 200 0 Q u e u e o f S o u ls I a m v e r y t ir ed . I k n o w I s h o u l d n o t d o a n y s p ir it ex er ci se s, b e c a u s e I a m v e ry likely to fall asleep. Still, m y c uriosity m ak es m e attempt an ot her astral journey. I want to talk to my gu ar di an angels. To initiate contact with a spirit, yo u must picture y o u r s e l f i n i ts p r e s e n c e . T h e p r o b l e m is, I d o n o t k n o w t h ei r n a m e s n o r w h a t t h ey look like. It is very h ard to start pre ten ding that a pe rso n a ppea rs w hen yo u d on ’t have a m e m o r y o f t h e p e r s o n a n d y o u m u s t p r e t e n d i n o r d e r t o i nit ia te c o n ta c t a n d g et the comm unication rolling. I relax a n d picture m yse lf in a mead ow. Focusing on my chest, I call out, “Ar e there a n y spirits a r o u n d ?” I c a n ’t fin d the w or d “gu ar dia n." I try again: “A re th er e a n y . . . d a m n , w h a t i s i t c a l l e d ? " Then I h ear giggles from the right a n d up from me. At least I pretend I hear it. Or am I? The giggle is not dire cte d at me, b ut at the iro ny o f the situation. I smile an d think, “G o od , a t l e as t o n e o f t h e m h a s a s e n s e o f h u m o r . ” T h e n I n o t i c e tw o m o r e g u a r d i a n spirits ar ou nd me. I a sk their na m es b ut fail to he ar their response. I r e m e m b e r t h i n k in g I s h o u l d n o t h a v e j o u r n e y e d w h e n I w a s s o t ired. S ho rt ly after, I fall asleep. I start to drea m . Su rpris ingly, m y gu a rd ia n spirits ar e still there, along w ith a b u n c h o f o t h e r sp ir it s. T h e n a l o n g l in e o f t ro u b l e d s o u l s c o m e t o s e e k m y a dv ic e. T he y a r e c o m i n g f r o m m y r i g h t h a n d s id e . E a c h o f t h e m p r e s e n t s m e w i th t w o o r t hre e c h o ic e s t ha t th e y c a n d o , a n d I a m to p i c k o n e o f th e c h o i c e s f o r th em . E a c h s o u l c a rr ie s a y e l l o w m e n u , m u c h l ik e a W i n d o w s a p p l i c a t i o n m e n u . W h e n I s e le c t a c h o ic e fr om the m e nu, tha t c h o ic e turn s gray . T he n the s o u l m o v e s a lo n g a n d the n ext o n e a s k s my advice. I can feel that eve ry so ul in the en dless q ue ue is very troubled, but as soo n a s I g i v e t h e m m y a d v i ce , t h e y a r e r e l i e v e d a n d h a p p y . This worries me, because a few days earlier, I decided to cut down on the a m o u n t o f a d v i c e I g i v e . T h i s i s b e c a u s e I r e c e n t l y g a v e a d v i c e t ha t l e a d t o t he b r e a k i ng o f a n o t h e r p e r s o n ’s h e a rt . P e o p l e a r e v e r y m u c h c a p a b l e o f m a k i n g t h ei r o w n decisions, so I decided to give encouragement rather than advice. Still, here I am, giv in g a dvic e. Some racket in the physical world wakes me up. I am awake, but my eyes are d os ed an d I am still with the qu eu e o f soul s an d m y guard ian spirits. I am in the same state as just before the dream. This is strange, w hy d id I n ot just wak e u p to the ph ysic a l w o r l d a s I a l w a y s d o a ft er s l e e p i n g ? I s a y g o o d b y e t o m y g u a r d i a n s p ir it s a n d s o m e other spirits a ro un d me. I then return to the phy sical world. The clock tells m e I have been with the queu e o f sou ls for three hours. I fall ba ck to sleep.
Ast ra l P rojection a n d th e N a tu re o f R eality
Wednesday, Janu ary 02, 20 02 Comforting Lap Last night at 5 a.m., as I ivas lying in bed, it felt like I ivas lying on s om eo ne ’s and that some one ivas comforting me. I felt com pletely safe a nd serene.
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2
Getting Out There Achieving your fir s t astral projection. To boldly go where no one has gone before.
— Star Trek: The Next Generation
E a c h c h a p t e r i n th i s C i rc l e b u i ld s t o w a r d y o u a c h ie v i n g y o u r f ir s t a s tr a l e x p e r ie n c e ; t h e r e f o r e , t h e e x e r c i s e s a r e o f p a r ti c u l a r im p o r t a n c e . A s t ra l p r o j e c ti o n is a s kill t h a t w e l e a r n b y d o i n g , n o t m e r e l y by re a d i n g , so f ee l f r e e t o d o e a c h e x e r c i s e w i th a ll t h e e n t h u s i a s m y o u h a v e. G o o d lu ck on y o u r a s t r a l p r o j e c t io n p u r s u i t , a n d d o n o t f o r g e t t o h a v e fu n.
Sleep States
Sleep is a natural process that we need in order to stay healthy. To ta k e fu ll b e n e f i t o f t h e s l e e p p r o c e s s , w e s h o u l d l e t it ta k e i ts n a t u r a l c o urs e w i t h o u t th e i n t e r f e r e n c e o f a l a r m c lo c k s. U n f o r tu n a t el y , o u r h ec t ic l if e st y le s e l d o m a l l o w s t h a t . Th ere are
n u m e r o u s s t a t e s o f m in d f r o m
w h ic h w e c a n a str al
p r o je c t. M a n y o f t h e m a r e n a t u r a l s le e p s t a t e s w ith a t o u c h o f a lt e r e d awareness, which is to say there is nothing artificial or unnatural about t h em . O r d i n a r y s t a t e s o f m i n d , s u c h a s a w a k i n g ph y sic a l s t a t e , k e e p th e awareness focused in the physical senses and thoughts, but when we a t ta i n a s t a t e o f m i n d b e n e f i c i a l f o r a s t r a l p r o j e c t io n , t h e f oc u s is u n lo c k ed a n d w e a r e a b l e t o s h i f t o u r a w a r e n e s s a w a y f r o m t h e p h y sic a l. T h e n a t u r a l s le e p p r o c e s s s o m e t im e s j u m p s i n to o n e o f t h o s e s t a t e s a n d w e f in d o u r s e l v e s c o n s c i o u s i n a d r e a m w o r ld . C e r t a in r e la x i n g o r p s y chedelic drugs can also be helpful to achieve those states, although they a r e n o t n e c e s s ar y . L e t u s lo o k a t w h a t h a p p e n s w h e n a p e r s o n s le e p s ( se e f ig u re 2 ).
95
A stra l Projection a n d th e N ature o f R eali ty
Friday, July 19, 20 0 2 The Astral Briefca se Before going to slee p I think , “It is my birthday, so I am entitled to a cool experi ence.”The next morning, Barb is outside the door fumbling with her keys. The noise wakes m e up into a fu zz y state. I am h a lf in th e astral an d h al f in waking reality. In the astral, I see a case resembling a briefcase or suitcase. Strangely, the case is also a red ball o f energy. I recognize it immed iately. I ha ue ne ve r se en it be for e with conscious eyes, bu t I know it has bee n nex t to m e fo r years. I think, “Aha! There yo u are! You are
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that thing that controls my sleep. W hy ha ve I not s een y ou before?"
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The case is magical. It has so m eth ing to d o with th e s lee p process, though I am not sure exactly what functi on it has. Perhaps it is the thing that p u ts m e to sleep at night? I flo at closer to the case. A buzz in g fe eling c om es o ver me. My m in d is buzzing and my physical body is tingling. I am trying to f igure ou t w hat th e case is a nd ho w it works. This could be the control pan el to sleep . If I mas ter th e case, I will master all sleep states and, consequently, all projections. Unfortunately, I am becoming increasingly awake. The case disappears. I try to visu alize it in or de r to attract it back, bu t that does not work. Still in a fu zzy state, I mak e so m e n otes: “The case is us ed fo r diversion, but it ,s also the goal. W hen you approach the case, you fall asleep. ” The p urp ose o f the case seems perfectly com pre hen sible in my current stat e o f mind. In retrospect though, can't understand what the diversion or the goal is. I hope the knowledge will com* back to me.
Sleep States
The H y p n a g o g i c S t a t e As we dr if t of f to slee p, w e e n te r th e hypnagogic state ( fr om the Greek
wor ds h y p n o s , m e a n i n g “s l e e p , ” a n d ngogos, m eaning “conduit”).
This is expe r ienced as th e beginn ing o f slum ber . I n thi s state, the awar e n ess w i t h d ra w s f r o m t h e i n p u t o f ph y s ic a l s e n s e s a n d o p e n s u p to t he wor ld away f r om the physical. We may hear voices or sounds in this state. They m ay even sta r tle us. T hey so un d v er y physical- like, although of ten lack the r ever ber ation that f ollows a physica l sound.
Tuesday, Feb ru ary 6, 20 01 Shocking So un d I raise energy as I lie in bed . I try to get my no np hysical energy in motion. My palms and soles, and som etim es m y thighs, are tingling m or e than ever. After a few hours, I decid e to go to sleep. I haue a sho rt day dream . I do n ot k now what to call it. I am only half asleep, bu t I am dreaming. I dre am I am a r epo rter or something similar entitle d to a coolexp*
and I haue inter view ed a group o f marine biologists that is going on an undersea expe
oith he r keys. Them
dition. As they climb abo ard a little boat, I con side r coming along. Eueryone knows that
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the boat could fail an d w e co uld all die. S hou ld I take t he safe way out and go hom e or
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should I risk my life on a won drou s aduenture?
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I ju m p onto th e boat. The insta nt I land on its deck, I hear a uery sharp so un d in my head. It strikes as q ui ck as lightning. It so un ds a s i f an inch-thick steel cable is torn apart by an enorm ou s pow er. I hop e it is no t m y brain getting torn to pieces. Once I get pas t the initial shock, I realize that the so un d is only in my head. I am sure it is not coming in through m y ears. It is kind o f m uff led an d there is no reuerb. Could the sound be related to my decision to choose aduenture ouer safety? I haue adopted the “no big deal” attitu de in ord er to k eep me calm, so I force m yself not to analyze it too much. The next thing I know, I wa ke up in the morning.
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Monday, Febru ary 19, 2001 ,b a c k b o n e
Vibrations an d L ucid D ream Aft er do in g the d ro pp in g te ch n iq u e fo r so m e tim e (im ag in ing m yse lf fall ing
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through the mattress in sma ll dro p s as I breat he out), the uibra tions come. This is the first time I fee l the u ib ra tio ns . It fe el s lik e a n elect ric curr en t ru nnin g t hro ugh m y chest. I approach the sleep state a few times. One time there are three powerful knocks:
out/ed ge"”11
“Knock, knock, kn ock !” I think: “W ho is knocking at m y do o r in the middle of the night?” Then I realize the kn oc ks are on ly in m y head. They sou n d like the real thing,
97
Astra l Projectio n a n d th e N a tu re o f Reality on ly they are muffled. I am frightened, bu t I fight it of f by rem em bering loue. I figure it cou ld be some one kn ocking on m y astral door. I try to visualize opening a d oo r in my
* * i"
/
,h - na
mind. There is n o on e on the doorstep. A fe w m inute s later, th ere is a tu mbl ing n ois e fr om ab o u e me. At first, I th in k it is my upstairs neigh bor dropp ing som ething on the floor. Then I realize again that the noise is in m y head.
8l'(
inf1
Whe n I haue don e the dropp ing techn ique for a cou ple o f hours, I decide to go with the flow an d n ot fight the sleep. I m ou e into a lu cid dream . It is on a gangster theme. It inuolues two wild teenagers, one mafia don , a n d s om e gangsters. I am a hit man. M y mission is to eliminate the don. I b luff m y w ay into the comp lex an d ap proach
As*1 H ..H
the don. Then I get the idea: "Hey, if this is a lu cid dream , I ca n m ak e the do n float." I make the don float in his ch air a co uple o f feet ab ou e the groun d. Then I float myself. I can ’t fight sleep anym ore, so the lucid drea m ends.
Sunday, July 15, 200 1 Spiritual Q&A s At night, I re ad i n Bru ce M o e n ’s V o y a g e s i n to t h e U n k n o w n 9 that the fou r steps to contacting gu ida nc e are: 1. Cet comfortab le a n d relax. 2. Ask a qu estion once. 3. Let g o o f it.
Mivimyani, ju j
H. Expect an a nsw er a n d b e op en to receiving it.
i l l surprises m
I try this a few times. Som etim es, I get im ag ina ry pict ure s as replies. O ne time a w om an’s uoice po p s into m y hea d a n d sa ys w ith a bright bu t an gry uoice: “That’s no way to behaue!” It is kin d o f uague. I w ou ld cate gorize it as so m ething between a thought and an au dio input. I do not recognize the vo ice. I d o not kn ow where it comes from, but o bvio usl y, it is n ot o f this w or ld . In any case, what I hear is not related to the qu estion I asked. So un ds a nd voices like this on e seem quite ra ndo m , just like sitting on a ra ilroad station ben ch, listening to the conver sations of passing travelers; y o u ca n ’t con trol or anticipate what yo u will hear. Perhaps the sou nd s originate in be ings living in othe r dimen sions, an d we can only hear them w hen w e ope n up, as we d o in the hy pn ago gic state.
M ost people do not r em em b er b eing i n the hypnagogic state. 1 his is b e c au se it is o fte n b rie f a n d d ire c tl y foll ow ed by u n c o n scio u sn e ss. Thi s is a shame, because the state provides the means to ac cess hidden parts of
*■ %
Sleep States
S x
us and
nonordinary realities that live inside us. It is a gateway to our
minds. In it, we can direct healing to our physical bodies, communicate At t
' Th'° ,lr .y% , r«>e sh i
with other pa rts o f ourse lves, an d c re ate ou r future through visualization. In the hypnagogic state, we decide what we want to do during sleep a nd w h e t h e r w e w a n t t o a s t r a l p r o j e c t , d r e a m , o r g a t h e r o t h er w o r ld ly
0
’ W e of),,
information. Our subconscious is very easily affected during the hypna
l l " s , l
idd. ’ream. n
gogic s t a t e . I f w e w a n t t o g o p r o j e c t i n g , w e c a n p r o g r a m t h e t im e a n d
“ tt>a
destination into our subconscious, simply by picturing it in our minds.
S0"’eS m r s.
totfie comp/e,.
As the hypnagogic state deepens, we lose consciousness little by lit tle . T h e h y p n a g o gi c s t a t e c l im a x e s w i t h t h e r e l e a s e o f t h e a w a r e n e s s .
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Tuesday, Feb ru ar y 13, 2001 The Border between A w ak e an d Sleep States I lie stretched out in m y bed, feeling conte nt an d hap py. I raise energy. I do not care whether I will haue a succe ssful se ssio n o r not. I a m conten t either way. After som e time, I am drifting between awake and asleep states. I haue a semidream. I am half
lown9that thefourstepsto
d re am in g a n d h a l f p r e te n di n g. I i m a g i n e I a m w a l k i n g a r o u n d i n m y r o o m . I k n o w I a m lying in my bed, so I k n ow I am not hauing an OBE. Sud denly, I wa lk into a n inv isib le wall. I trip a n d fall throug h it. I instantly lose touch with my b ody. M y brain, or w hat I think is my brain, ha s that weird outofair sen sation again, just as it d id d ur ing m y first OBE. I try to fin d m y balance, but the inuisible wall surprises me to such a degre e that I stumb le an d fall through the wall. I l an d on the street outside my house. I am embarra ssed, be cau se I k no w I am wearing nothing but my underwear. Peo ple are wa lking b y a n d a m an sto ps to help m e to my feet. In waking reality, there are no pe op le outside my house, bec aus e it is
H a.m.
The man is
wearing late nineteenthcen tury Sw ed ish clothing. Interestingly, the hou se w as built in
*ssom
L t ® 1*'
, n o t W wW
1898. Unfortunately, I start thinking. I try to analyze and control the experience, and this ruins it. I feel increasingly in touc h with my b od y a nd so on the sensation o f being
4**
out of my bo d y disappears. I fall asleep. In retrospect, I t hink the inuisible wall w as the bor de r between the aw ake a nd the sleep states. W he n the bo dy f ell asleep, I was relea sed from it, as if I we re released
K)>lali01
fro m a n ela stic rope to w hic h I h a d preuio usl y b ee n tied. I f ell forw ard , whi ch I in ter-
jirrienS K state
preted a s stum blin g th ro ug h a wall. M y b o d y fe ll asle ep, bu t I w as still co ns ci ous . This
.-is
fin5' v stat*-
sS s s# h‘(l
was a shock to m y con scious mind, an d I subco nsciou sly translated the sho ck to the event of losing my balance. During the hypn agog ic state, my aw aren ess h ad been half turned awa y from the body. W he n I fell asleep, m y aware ness left my b od y completely,
r ‘hr" ,
Ast ra l Projection a n d th e N atu re o f Reali ty which explains wh y I lost touch with my body. I am not sure whether my awareness
A * * * 1*
actually fell out of the hou se o r if it was a dream house. It seems I nee d to be in a contented state in or der to hav e an experience. I must not
6,
*
care whether the session will be successful o r not. The secret to success is to keep my c on scio usn ess alert but pa ssiv e (i.e., not analyzing), w hile tricking the bo d y to thin k that I am asleep. W hen the bo d y thinks I am asleep, the awa ren ess will be re leased from the body.
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V
1"
The prob lem is that this is ve ry difficult to accom plis h witho ut losing co nscio usne ss.
W hen the subconscious thinks w e have lost consciou sness, it unlocks the attachment to the physical body that is so strong during our waking
•'
y
jhySW
,330 ^
m
h o u r s . T h e p h ys ic a l b o d y g oe s i n t o a s t a t e o f r e s t a n d t h e a w a r e n e s s , n ow s e t fr e e , p r o j e c ts i n to t h e d r e a m w o r l d . I f w e m a n a g e t o s ta y c on scious during this release, we will notice it as a signal from the physical
g
s r
bod y. T he signa l says, “P in g, you a r e r e a d y to g o !” T h e n w e a re fre e to p ro je c t o u r a w a re n e ss to a ny re a lity w e w is h by e x e c u tin g a n a s tra l pro je c tio n e x it te c h n iq u e . W ith s o m e p ra c tic e , w e c a n ga in th e ability to rem ain conscious and s en se this signal as we slu m be r off. It is an inter esting experience, although not necessary for the astral projection tech nique we will be using.
Exercise: Probing the Hypnagogic State 1. T o n ig h t, a s y o u a r e f a llin g a s le e p , d o s e y o u r e y e s a n d r a p y o u r i n d e x f in g e r o n th e m a ttr e s s o n c e p e r s e c o n d . 2 . If y o u d r i f t o f f to s le e p a n d w a k e u p a g a in , r e s u m e t h e f in g e r - ta p p i n g . 3. H o w lo n g ca n y o u k e e p t a p p i n g y o u r f in g e r b e f o r e y o u lo s e c o n s c io u s ness? 4 . O b s e rv e y o u r m in d v e ry c lo se ly . W h a t c h a n g e s d o e s y o u r s t a te o f m in d g o t h r o u g h a s y o u lo se c o n s c i o u s c o n t r o l o v e r y o u r f in g e r? 5 . P ra ctic e t h is e a ch n i g h t u n t il y o u k n o w t h e i n s a n d o u t s o f th e h y p n agogic state.
The hypnagogic state is excellent not only for astral projection, bm for any other psychic activity: telepathy, channeling, clairvoyance, and
%ti.
S
'V
. ' s *
,
Sleep States
C
x
m o r e. W e a ll h a v e t h e s e a b i l i ti e s , b u t t h e y a r e b l o c k e d b y s o m e t h i n g c lo se reason. In the hypnagogic state, our critical mind and reason go to sleep. This removes the block and allows our psychic abilities to surface.
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Saturday, Au gu st 1 6 ,2 0 03
%
Channeling Ra m tha in the H yp na go gic State I wake u p in the m orning. I m ight as we ll astral project, since I ca n feel I am about
1c » n■■^.ousnessj,^ scioi
to fall back to sleep. But w hat d o I wa nt to d o o nc e I leave m y b od y? Hm mm. “I want
s t r o n g d u r in g 0 1 r > J^
to speak with Ram tha!” Ramt ha is a spirit ch an ne led by JZ Knight. O n page 16 of the book Ram th a, 10 e d i t e d b y S t e v e n L e e W e in b e r g, R a m t h a d e s c r i b e s h o w he , i n a p h y s i -
r e st and t h e a m ^
cal life aro un d 33,00 0 B.C., h ad an out ofb od y experience. H e later asce nd ed from the
I f w e m a n a g e t o stay ™ ,
ph ys ical w o r ld a n d d e c id e d to c o n t a ct J Z Kn ig h t to s p r e a d the k n o w le d g e o f asce n si on .
a sig nal from the physrJ
I affirm “I w ant to sp ea k w ith Ra m tha ” m ostly for m y ow n sake, to ensu re that I do not
g o ! ” Th en we are freetc
forget on c e I p o p out, bu t, ap p ar ently , it is a ls o a re q u e s t to Ra mth a.
»y execu tin g an astral pw
Not a se co n d later, m y n ec k a n d ba ck of hea d are tingling like mad. I am falling
re can gain the abilitym
asleep now, but I do not realize that. The tingling must be Ramtha coming in. As he
{lumber off. It is an im«
moves in, I pha se ou t from m y body. I am losing feeling o f m y body. I can take control
[he astral projection
of the body, b ut I se ns e that w ou ld m ess up the session . I am a little wo rried that it might be som e o ther m alicio us spirit, b ut I get ove r it. I am quite su re it is Ramtha, since I invited him. He is use d to channeling, s o the pr oce ss is smooth. I di d not have ch anneling in min d th oug h; I wa nted to project to him to ha ve a talk. M y h an d wants to move, s o I assist it. On e b y one, other bo d y parts want to move,
me State
too. I assist them. I th ink this is Ra m tha 's wa y to get us ed to my body. Then they do not need my help anymore. They m ove o n their ow n accord, or Ramtha is moving them. My
*>*«**
body mo ves off the bed a n d is dragged on its bac k across the floor. Cool. Into the next room w e go.
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This is a dream room with n o re sem blance to an y room I kn ow in waking reality. I
losf
mistakenly think I am still awake. In a ny case, the fact that the experience is a dream
eforef"
does not mak e it less real. There are abo ut fou r pe op le in the room, bu t non e that I rec-
si#"
ognize. I am d ragged here an d there. I t hink Ramth a w ants to give a speech, but no b od y
i
wants to listen. We return to the bedroom . Ramtha lea ves m y bo d y an d I wake up.
iW r
The reason we are discussing the hypnagogic state in such depth is t h a t w e w i l l b e u s i n g it t o e x i t o u r b o d i e s . W e c o u l d j u s t g o i n to a
DU' V
t ra n c e f r o m a w a k i n g s t a r t i n g p o i n t a n d e x i t t h e b o d y th e r e , b u t it m ig h t ta k e h o u r s t o g e t i n t o a g o o d t ra n c e , c a u s in g s t r a i n o n b o d y a n d
,
Ast ra l P rojection a n d the Na tu re o f Re al ity
H‘-
| i*
m i n d o n the way. It is a lot easier to use the natural sleep process.
L a t e r i n t h i s b o o k , w e w i l l l e a ve t h e b o d y in a h y p n a g o g i c s ta t e a f te r w a k i n g u p f r o m a p e r i o d o f s le e p . T h i s is m u c h m o r e e ff ec tiv e t h a n a t t e m p t in g a s t ra l p r o j e c t io n
after a period
o f be ing awake,
a d r y
p e r i o d , as I call it.
T h e R e l ea s e o f A w a r en e s s P r i o r to a n d d u r i n g t h e h y p n a go g ic s t a t e , m a s s i v e a m o u n t s o f t he s le e p h o r m o n e m e l a to n i n a r e r e l e a s e d i n to t h e b o d y, c a u s i n g t h e b od y to
K > crere*
f
M
1
1 ill* are3" 1 „ „ ie ® mrW it is P ■ .
iV '* % ain8
fall asleep. The mind is used to following the body’s impulses. For exam ple , w e th in k o f fo od w h e n th e sto m a c h g ro w ls a n d w e th in k o f goi ng to t h e b a t h r o o m w h e n n a t u r e c a ll s. In t h e s a m e m a n n e r , w e th i n k o f f alling a s le e p w h e n t h e b o d y n e e d s r e s t . T h o u g h t s o f s l e e p c a u s e t h e m i nd to lapse into unconsciousness. We have made this an automatic response to t h e b o d y ’s d e s i r e s , b u t it d o e s n o t h a v e t o b e t h a t w a y . W e c a n s t a y c on s c io u s w h i le th e b o d y f al ls a s l e e p b y r e p r o g r a m m i n g t h e m i n d ’s r es p o n s e to the body's desires.
I n o r d e r t o r e p r o g r a m o u r s l e e p p a t t e r n , w e n e e d t o u n d e r s ta n d th e b o d y - m in d r e l a t i o n s h i p a n d t h e m e c h a n i c s o f t h e h y p n a g o g i c s t a t e . T h e h y p n a g o g i c s t a t e w o r k s lik e t h i s : 1 . T h e b o d y is t i r e d a n d r e l e a s e s t h e s l e e p h o r m o n e m e l a t o n i n . 2 . T h e h o r m o n e c a u s e s b o d y o r g a n s to s lo w d o w n . 3 . T h e m in d b e c o m e s g ro g g y a s a r e s p o n s e t o b o d y c h a n g e s . D a ze d , w e c a n ’t r e a s o n c l e a r l y , b u t o u r i n t u i t i o n is w o r k i n g . 4 . T h e n e r v o u s s y s t e m r e d u c e s i t s t h r o u g h p u t , i n h i b i ti n g s e n s o r y in pu t. 5 . I h e b o d y c e l l s p r o d u c e m o r e w a r m t h f o r a w h i l e t o c o m p e n s a t e fo r l a c k in g s e n s o r y i n p u t . 6. The body goes num b. 7 . T h e m i n d w i t h d r a w s f r o m t h e b o d i ly s e n s e s . 8 . T h e m i n d l a p s e s i n t o u n c o n s c i o u s n e s s . W e c a n c h a n g e t h i s . I t is u n c l e a r w h e t h e r th e m i n d n e e d s r e s t , s i n c e i t is a n o n p h y s i c a l o bje ct. 9 . B y n o w , t h e b o d y i s s h u t d o w n , e x c e p t f o r a u t o n o m i c n e r v o u s s y s te m f u n c t io n s s u c h a s b r e a t h i n g , h e a r t p u l s e , d i g e s t io n , a n d c e ll w a s te d is p o s a l . T h e b o d y is in a s t a t e o f p a r a l y s i s . 102
n s ee , i f t h e 1 „ds it Will « more seconds.
> » ‘erstheas;
.i|M only have to focus a visualized
object
.„mino and sta y a w a k e .
IpPlanning
Phas<
ftortothe re leas e fr o n '■'«l experience ( o r r a t h
'^ r a U s d e e p s le e p . I
iHtoJefr°'nourd V ft
ls a g ai
Sleep States T h e m i n d w i t h d r a w s f r o m t h e b o d y a n d t u r n s its f oc us t o t h e efie:pc«, ""'alt,
t
Th e bo dy is he aled . H ealthy cells duplicate to r eplace dam aged ceUs' N e u ro n s i n c r e a s e o r r e d u c e t h e i r co n d u c ti v it y to a d ja c e n t n e uro n s in o r d e r t o o p t i m i z e t h e b o d y ’s r e s p o n s e t o o r d e r s f ro m t h e m in d. T his a l so o p t im i z e s a u t o n o m i c f u n c t i o n s . 12. The mind creates astral worlds and plays out dreams in them. The mind is still subdued from the lapse into unconsciousness and so is u n a b l e to b e c o m e a w a r e o f t h e f a c t th a t i t is d re a m i n g . 13. D u r i n g d r e a m s , t h e m i n d a t t e m p t s t o m o v e t h e b o d y a s i t u su ally does when it is projected into it. The brain receives the orders to m o v e . S o m e b r a i n a c t iv i t y is s p a w n e d a s t h e b r a i n t ri g g e rs n e rv e s t o m o v e m u s c l e s . B e c a u s e o f t h e p a r a l y s is , h o w e v e r, th e n e r v o u s s ys t e m d o e s n o t c a r r y t h e n e r v e s ig n a ls . O n ly t h e e y es m ov e a s t he m i n d a c c e s s e s i m a g i n a t io n in o r d e r to c r e a t e i m a g i na ry w or ld s. A s y o u c a n s e e , i f t h e m i n d m a n a g e s t o s u s t a i n i ts c o n sc io u s n e ss a f ew m o r e s e c o n d s , i t w ill r e m a i n a w a r e w h e n t h e b o d y fa lls a s le e p a n d the mind enters the astral. This is quite an experience. To accomplish this, you only have to focus on something that keeps your mind riveted enough, a visualized object or sound, for example, to ignore the pro g r a m m in g a n d s ta y a w a k e .
The Planning Phase P r i o r t o t h e r e l e a s e f r o m t h e b o d y , m o s t p e o p le j u s t l os e c o ns ci ou s ness and experience (or rather, do not experience) their nocturnal tune in t h e a s t r a l a s d e e p s l e e p . B u t a h i d d e n p a r t o f o u r se lv e s p ro j ec t s m t o th e a str a l to m ee t no nph ysical guides and f r iend s. This pat I of us m a l ly i n a c c e s s i b l e f r o m o u r d r e a m i n g o r u n c o n s ci o u s m in d s . It m e e ts up w i t h g u i d e s to d i s c u s s t h e e v e n t s o f t h e p a s t d a y a nd p l an f o r t o m o . r o w 1, is as if w aking r e ality is a gam e and we ar e secr etly plannm g our move a s w e s le e p . T h e p e r s o n in sid e t h e g am e , th e re as on m g , a - ., p a r t o f u s , h a s n o i d e a w a k i n g life is a keep the game serious, we keep our ning behind our own back.
s e c n t ^ P 'a n-
Asrral Projection a n d th e N atu re o f Reality Su nda y , J uly 1, 2 0 0 1 A s t r a l C o m m u n i c a t i o n
/::>r
I have a h ard time falling asleep. M y belly ach es after too m uch ch ew an d beer. I notice a so un d in m y brain, close to m y right temple. It so un ds like a m echanically
’ .#I!
. C0< w m
repeating p uff o f wind. After two ho urs o f sleep, I gain con scio usn ess. I am in a state that I haue not before experienced. At first, I think I am awake, but then I kn ow I am not in my body. I can't tell whether I am ha ving a lucid d ream o r an astral projection. It is probab ly something in between. M y aw aren ess is in a ver y subtle astral body. A less subtle bod y is dreaming. The dre am affects me, bu t I a m not participating in the
< £ > 1
dream. It is as if a se con d perso n is participating in the dream wh ile I am observ ing it fr om a d istanc e. It is a n a w e so m e feeling .
I am talking to a nonphysical being. How did I get here? I know intuitively that I have been talking to this person fo r a few hours. He is my teacher an d guide. We have been going through the activities of the past day and have discussed what I could improve and how to encourage the physical m e to m ak e tho se changes. A hidd en part of me must have had this discussion before I gained consciousness, because I do not rememb er any o f it.
'v m
^ om lcl
.,.u«iThe door is cl os e
As far as I can figure, a h id den part o f m e ta lk ed to this p erso n and , suddenly, the aware part o f me w oke u p in the m iddle o f the con versation. The part o f me previously talking feels like an exact copy o f me, on ly it lives in a plac e o th er than the physical. It has its own awareness b ut is still me. This is revealing a nd cre epy at the s am e time. The person I am talking to, a man with dark hair, is dumbfounded. He is com pletely taken offg ua rd . He never ex pec te d this part o f me to aw aken whi le h e was talk ing to another part o f me. In a fe w secon ds, he regains com po sur e. I have so many questions I want to ask him, b ut I can read from his m in d th at h e is uncertain whether enlightening m e is in my b est interest. I can fe el p ress ure buildin g up in his mind. He regrets having bee n disco vered by th e aware m e, b u t h e is also im pr esse d by my interdimensional capabilities. His job is easiest when he is hidden. He quickly comes up
fctaiu,
andas
with a plan to get out o f here be fore I fin d o ut too much . He intr oduces me to Sarah, a spirit helpe r. He sa ys th er e ar e a vast num be r o f beings like her. I loo k at her a n d s ee that sh e is a cricket. As I turn m y atten tion to her, my guide disappears. She seem s like a v ery jolly "person. ” I figure tha t wh ile I am talk
H.d|e
"iscrossi/,e
ing to her, I might as well present her with o ne o f my p rob lem s a nd get som e input. As I talk to her, I try uery ha rd to speak with m y p hysi cal m outh . Old habit, I guess. matter how hard I try to spea k clearly, only m uffle d sou nd s c om e o ut o f my physic^ mouth. She seems to get the message from m y tho ugh ts anyway.
104
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X
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Sleep States “I h a v e a p r o b l e m . W h e n I a m i n a c r o w d , I a l w a y s l o o k a t t h e b o d i e s o f w o m en . I can't help it. Even w hen I am with m y girlfriend, m y h ea d goe s like a radar antenna. I
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love the aesthetics o f the fem ale bod y. But I d o n ’t wan t to do this anymore. Can you
give m e s o m e a d v i c e ? "
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“You sh ou ld stop do ing it, be ca us e it will hurt y o u ." (Actually, the an sw er was
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longer an d m ore c om ple x than that, bu t I d o n ot re m em ber it all.) Not satisfied with the answer, I say, “There m ust be a better reaso n for not doing it, other than the fear of the c o nse qu en ce s.” She gives m e an ot he r reason , w hich I ca n ’t remem ber. I am not satisfied with that an swe r either.
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M y u p st a i rs n e i g h b o r y e l ls : “ I f y o u a r e a s l e e p d o w n th er e, t h en h o w c o m e I c a n hear yo u t alkin g?" (A stran ge thing fo r a pe rs o n to say, but this is the astral, so anything c an h a p pe n .) I a m w o r r i e d t ha t th e m u m b l i n g o f m y p h y s i c a l m o u t h w il l d r a w e m b a r rassing attention from m y girlfriend o r a neighbor, a n d the yelling is pro bab ly a m ani-
t h o s e c h a n g e s . A h id de n pin
fes tation o f tha t w or ry . M y n e ig h b o r ’s v o ic e c o m e s in th ro u gh the o p e n b a lc o n y d oor.
s c i o u s n e s s , b e c a u se I d o not
I c o u l d h a v e s w o r n I c l o s e d t h e d o o r b e f o r e g o i n g to sl e ep , b u t a p p a r e n t ly I m u s t b e mistaken. (The d o o r is c lo se d in the phy sical, b ut o pe n in the astral.)
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“S a ra h , w i ll y o u e x c u s e m e , I h a v e to r et u rn t o m y b o d y a n d g o c l o s e t he b a l c o n y door.” Sara h n ods. I f in d m y s e l f b a c k i n b e d , b u t n o t i n m y p h y s i c a l b o d y . I r ol l o u t o f b e d a n d l a n d
o t h e r t h a n th e p ¥ “ 11'
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o n t he f lo o r. I a m i n a d a z e . M y v i s i o n i s b l u r r e d a n d d is to r te d . I t s e e m s m y e y e s a r e g lu e d to th e ce ili ng. N o m att er h o w h a r d I try, I c a n ’t d ir e ct th em a w a y fr om it. I t hi nk : I w i ll h a v e t o f e e l m y w a y t o t h e b a l c o n y d o o r. T h is f e e li n g o f m o v i n g a r o u n d
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is similar to m y ot her astral projections, so I re aso n that I m ust be projecting. I float up in the air a few times on m y w ay to the door, just fo r fun. W ould it not be fun to
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fl oa t o ut th e d o o r ? I c h e c k th at I a m n o t n a k ed , to a v o id e m b a r ra ss in g si tu at io ns . I am w earing boxers a n d a sm all sheet. Hey, I w as n’t wea ring that sheet w hen I went to bed! W her e d id it co m e fro m ? I thro w the sheet to the floor. The boxers feel so real against my skin! I look out the balcony door. It is a sunny day. Small white cloud s are sailing ac ros s the sky. I try to clo se the door, but fail. M y ha nd s can't work the handle. I i n s t a n tl y p o p b a c k t o m y b e d , b u t I a m s t i ll o u t s i d e m y p h y s i c a l b o d y . I c o n t i n u e
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t a lk t o S a r a h . I c a n ’t g e t v i s u a l o r a u d i o c o n t a c t, s o w e h a v e t o c o m m u n i c a te w i th
t e x t. It i s l ik e I n t e r n e t c h a t t in g . I c a n ’t r e m e m b e r w h a t w e t a l k a b o u t . T h e w o r r y s ti ll b o t h e r s m e , s o I d e c i d e t o t r y t o g o o v e r a n d s h u t th e b a l c o n y d o o r ag a in . I r o ll o u t o f b e d . M y v i s io n is d i s to r t e d a s b e f o r e . N o t b e i n g a b l e t o s e e a n y t h i n g b u t t h e c e ilin g, I
Ast ra l P rojection an d th e Natu re o f Rea lity c ra s h in t o t h e a r m c h a i r a n d a l a m p o n m y w a y a c r o ss t h e r o o m . I tr y to c l o s e t h e d o o r, b u t t w o p l a s t ic l a w n c h a i r s a r e in t h e w a y ( t h e y a r e n o t t h e r e i n t h e p h y s ic a l ). T w o y o u n g m e n a r e h a n g in g a r o u n d o u t s i d e m y b a l c o n y . T h e y a r e s ip p i n g b e e r a n d t a lk in g li k e p e o p l e t a l k w h e n a p a r t y is o v e r a n d t h in g s h a v e c a l m e d d o w n . I r e c o g n i z e o n e o f t h e m . I c lo s e th e d o o r a n d f l o a t b a c k t o w a r d t h e b e d . I s t o p i n t h e c e n te r o f t h e r o o m a n d li e o n t h e flo o r . P e r h a p s I w a n t t o r e s t, o r m a y b e I w a n t t o p r o je c t. I g e t a n i m p r e s s i o n t h a t m y g i r l f r i e n d a s k s m e , " W h y a r e y o u ly in g o n t h e flo o r ? " E m b a r r a s s e d , I g e t u p , f l o a t o v e r t o t h e b e d , a n d li e d o w n .
A s I lie o n m y be d, I t hin k it w ou ld b e c o ol t o as tral project. (S om et im es I mis tak enly think I am in m y phy sical body, wh ich is confusing.) I visualize m yself by the ceiling, looking d ow n at the bed. In a sec ond , I am floating by th e ceiling. I am n ot sure if I am projecting into a hig her astral bo d y o r if m y current astral bo d y is mov ing there. My gi rlfr iend ph ysi ca ll y t ou ch es m y b o d y in h er sl ee p. Th is c a u se s m e t o p o p b a c k into the bed, but still outside my ph ysica l b od y (perh ap s b ac k into the astral b od y I projected from). I visualize my self being in a bea utiful park. I m ov e there. M y girlfriend touches me again an d I po p b ack into the bed. I visua lize my self being in a place w here everybody i s k i n d t o e ac h o th er. N o t h i n g h a p p e n s . . . Then I po p out an d fall into a void. A man, w ho m I ca n ’t see, repeatedly calls out my name, as if he is trying to fin d a missing child. I ca n tell from his voice that he has been yelling for quite a while, ye ars even. I an sw er in thought: “I am ov er here!" My girlfr ie nd tou ch e s m y b o d y a th ir d t im e a n d I a m b a c k in be d. I feel I ha ve to write everyth ing do w n, so I will not forget it. Sudd enly, I hav e a pen a n d a n o t e p a d i n m y h a n d s . I w r it e a s f a s t a s I c a n . T h e s o u n d o f p e n a g a in s t p a p er sou nd s extremely real. Then I think: Hey, w here d id I get this pe n a n d p ap er? I must be dreaming. W ake up! W ake up! I h ave a false awakening. I get out o f bed. M y vision is still distorted, so I reason that 1 mu st still be asleep. I m ov e a ro u n d a few s e co n d s in the room. Then I falsely aw ake again. W hen I realize I am still sleeping, I un de rsta nd ho w difficult it is to know w h e t h e r y o u a r e a w a k e o r a s le e p. W h a t i f I g o t o t h e b a t h r o o m w h e n I a m a s le ep , but think that I am aw ak e? I slum be r a bit. The n I w ak e u p for real. I p inc h m y arm to see if I am still asleep. I seem to be p hy sically awake. This experience lasted almost a n hour. It ma ke s m e realize that lucid dreaming an d astral projection are very c losely related. I am than kful for the opportunity to con sclousfy com mu nicate with wh at I think w ere astral beings. The m an w ho repeatedly c a ll e d o u t m y n a m e s e e m s t o b e v e r y e a g e r t o c o n t a c t m e. I w o n d e r h o w l o n g h e h as
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been calling out fo r me, waiting fo r m e to listen. This experien ce also raises intriguing questions to wh ethe r it is po ssib le to project from a low er astral body into a higher
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Perhaps the hidden part of us that is engaged in astral activities is our true st being, res idin g in the place we call hom e, doing things it thinks are ordinary but are inconceivable to our reason. For some rea
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son, we do not allow ourselves a glimpse into what it is doing. Because of t hi s s e c re c y , s l e e p r e m a i n s a m y s t e r y f o r m o s t p e o p l e , b u t n o t fo r long. We are finally developing tools to investigate it.
a , b ° d y is m o v i n g i s e s m e t o p o p b ac k inloik t h e a st ra l b od y I projected
The Dream Phase A b u i ld u p o f t h e v i t a l iz i n g h o r m o n e D H E A ( d e h y d r o e p i a n d r o s terone) arouses the mind enough to create dreams, but normally not
r e. M y g i r l f ri e n d t o uc he st n a place where ewryboii
enough to realize it is dreaming. True to its creative nature, the mind immediately creates worlds in which to immerse itself. Since thoughts create in the astral, there is no limit to how physical-like and convincing a dream can be.
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A dream may occur directly after the hypnagogic state or after a
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perio d o f d e ep sle ep . A d re a m is o fte n fo llow ed by d e e p sle ep, th en another dream , an d so on until the body wakes up and calls the m ind back. We can tell whether a person is dreaming by looking at his body.
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Her eyes are often rolling (called Rapid Eye Movement, or REM) and o t h e r p a r t s o f h e r f a c e a r e r e a c t i n g t o d r e a m e v e n t s . T h e s e s ig n s m ay o r may not be present, depending on how closely the dreaming mind and the body are c on nec ted a t the time of dream ing. If a body is very deeply asleep, it may not be influenced at all by the dreaming mind.
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Saturday, August 11, 2001 Astral Projection w ith Sig ht I g o t o b e d a t 6 a . m . a n d a w a k e a t n o o n . I a m w e a r in g e a r p l u g s . I f ig u r e I c a n d o a n a s tr a l p r o j e c t i o n s e s s io n , a s I k n o w i t w o r k s b e s t w h e n o n e h a s j u s t a w o k e n . I a s k m y g u i d e s to h e l p m e b e c o m e p s y c h i c . I a s k m y s e l f t o h a u e t h e e n e r g y a n d w i ll t o tr a in m y p s y c h i c s k ill s. I a s k m y g u i d e s to h e l p m e h a u e a n a s t r a l p r o j e c t i o n in t e n m i n u t e s .
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107
A str al Pr ojectio n a n d th e N atu re o f R eali ty
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M y b o d y f a l l s a s l e e p r e m a r k a b l y f a s t . M y m i n d r e m a i n s a w a k e . A f t e r 1 5 m i n u t e s , m y b o d y is c o m p l e te l y d e t a c h e d f r o m m y a w a r e n e s s . I f a l l a s l e e p f o r a s h o r t p e r io d . W h e n I a w a k e , I a m r e a d y t o e x i t t h e p h y s i c a l b o d y . I tr y ro l li n g t o m y r ig h t, b u t th e r e is t o o m u c h r e sis ta n c e . I r o ll to m y l e f t a n d f a ll o u t o f m y b o d y .
M y vision is black. I float acr oss the room. T he roo m is full o f furnishings I haue
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neve r been aw are o f before. I pla ce m y astral ha nd o n them an d they feel extremely real. I float through the close d do o r an d ou t into the corridor. The blac kne ss disap pear s. I ca n see. M y as tr al e ye s are w o rki ng fo r the first time! I a m co nst an tl y af ra id that
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I might try too har d to see a n d that I will start using m y ph ysic al eye s instead, which w ould en d the projection. I hav e m ade it to the corridor without falling into som e b lack void. Usually, when I pass through a d oo r or wall, I en d u p in a totally different environ m ent o r in a black, empty space. I think, “All right, m y first Earthclose pro jectio n!” I am co nv in ce d that my other projections ha ve taken pla ce in an astral replica o f m y room, which is the only
t h in g 111
illuminated thing in a vast void. I think this proje ction is taking plac e in a replica, too, but it is close r to the ph ysi ca l Earth. I think I should visit my corridor neighbor. I have this perverted urge to snoop
nature w * minds, we c:
ar ou nd in other p eo pl e’s room s. I floa t to her door. I ca n ’t p a ss thro ugh it. Strange. D o o r s h a v e n e v e r s t o p p e d m e b e f or e . P e r h a p s m y c o n s c i e n c e i s s t o p p i n g m e, b e c au se m y intentions are not the best. I float d o w n the corridor, thinking o f w hat I want to do. I get the idea to go to m y girlfriend instead. I h a ve re ad that all y o u ha ve to do to go to a per son is think abo ut that person. I think o f her, but no thin g h app ens. I m u st b e g et ti ng m o r e i n v o l v e d w i t h a d r e a m n o w , b e c a u s e s u d d e n l y I a m st a nd ing on the street ou tside my pa ren ts’ hou se. For so m e rea son, I am co nv inc ed that my c o r r i d o r n e i g h b o r l i v e s o n t he s e c o n d f l o o r o f t h e h o u s e . I t r y t o f l o a t t h r o u g h t he wi nd o w , bu t tha t d o e s n o t w o r k e i th er . A n o l d w o m a n w i t h a s m a l l d o g w a l k s p a s t o n the sidewalk. I hav e rea d abou t ho w an im als react to pro jected peo ple, so I float near the dog. At first, the do g is scared, b ut then it gets exc ited a n d happy. I try to float up to the wi nd ow again. I sh oo t up like a b alloo n, but I keep falling do w n like a rock, sma shin g m y be h ind into the gro und . It d oe s not hurt, but it is an uncomfortable landing p roced ure. I practice levitation. I fin d a w orking method to k e e p m e af lo at : w h e n e v e r I st ar t f a l li n g d o w n , I u s e t he s a m e m e t h o d I u s e w he n I shoot off from the ground, only with less power. M y a st ra l ey e s a r e lo s i n g s t re n gt h a n d I b e g i n t o a w a k e n i n m y p h y s i c a l b od y. I arn happ y about my experience, but also exhausted, s o I J o b ac k to sleep. W he n I awake. I am not sure if il u;as all a dre am o r an astral projection. I d o not think a dream c
108
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Sleep States jtate jtate the sensati sens ation on o f th e exit, s o I say it was an a n astral astra l projecti proje ction on,, but b ut the th e last ten min mi n utes tes wer weree influenced b y a dre am p rodu ction. The dream was abo ut m y parents’house. house.
T h e r e a r e m a n y o p i n i o n s o f w h a t d r e a m s a r e . T h o s e w h o h a ve ve nno o e x pe p e ri ri en en ce ce in in n o n p h y s i c a l r e a l m s s a y d r e a m s a r e m e r e ly l y p i c tu tu r e s spawned by discharging neural cells, created as the brain winds down a ft ft e r a da d a y ’’ss t h i n k i n g o r c r e a t e d a s t h e n e u r o n s r e a r r a n g e t h e i r c o nn nn e c t io io nnss t o e a c h o t h e r i n o r d e r t o i m p r o v e t h e i r f u n c t i o n in in g ( i . e ., . , l ea e a r n in in g ) . S *
I a m c e r t a in in t h i s i s n o t t h e c a s e . D r e a m s a r e n o t p r o d u c t s o f t h e b r a in in ,
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butt r a t h e r o f t h e m i n d , a n d t h e m in d is n o t d e p e n d e n t u p o n t h e b r a in . bu
rf(fen w .
There are worlds upon worlds, and the physical universe and dream w or or l d s a r e j u s t s o m e o f t h e m . S o m e w o r l d s a r e c r e a t e d i n aan n i n s t a n t a nd nd blink bl ink o u t j u s t a s f a s t , w h i l e o t h e r s h a v e e x i s t e d f o r b i ll io n s o f y e a r s . T h e
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t hi hi n g t h a t m a k e s u s q u e s t i o n t h e r e a l it it y o f d r e a m w o r l d s is is th t h a t th th e y a r e shor shortt-li live ved d and ev er-chang ing co m pa red to th e physical world. But our n a ttu u r e m a t c h e s t h a t o f d r e a m s b e t t e r t h a n t h a t o f t h e p h y s ic ic a l. l. I n o u r
laue this thi s perverted pervertedurftiom
m i n ds ds , w e c r e a t e a n d d e s t r o y w o r l d s a t t h e s p e e d o f t h o u g h t . T h e s lo lo ww-
r. I can’t can’t pas passs th through it tity
c h an an g in in g a n d m u n d a n e n a t u r e o f t h e p h y s ic ic a l is is so so d i f f e r e n t fr fr o m o u r
insci ns cien ence ce is stoppin stopping gme, beta®
nature that we get bored with it. How often do we not long for some
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a ct c t i on on a n d a d v e n t u r e ? I t m i g h t b e t h e r e a l it i t y o f t h e p h ys y s ic ic a l t h a t w e s ho h o ul u l d be b e q u e s t i o n in i n g , r a t h e r t h a n t h a t o f d r e a m w o r ld ld s .
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The Hypnoponipie Slate E n r o u t e t o w a k i n g p h y s ic ic a l r e a li li ty ty , w e e n t e r t h e h y p n o p o m p i c s t a t e ( fr fr o m t h e G r e e k w o r d s h y p n o s , meaning “sleep,” and p o m p e , meaning ‘a sending away”). away”). W e a re then half awake. T he aw aren ess is split split
people.so
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be b e tw e e n t h e n o n p h y s ic a l r e a l m a n d t h e i n p u t f r o m t h e p h y s ic a l s e n se s . This is, is, like like th e h ypnagogic sta te, a very ben eficial sta te for psychic activ activ itie ities. s. W e have have ju st retu rn ed from the nonphysical realm and can there foree recall for recall w hat we did t he re, although although it takes takes a lot of training training to star t the recollection process. In most cases, we are groggy and can’t think clearly enough to start digging in memories. The good news is that we can linger linger in tha t stat e simply simply by telling telling ourselves to do so before we go to sleep. Having a hangover also seems to help.
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Ast A st ra ! Proj Pr ojec ectio tio n a n d t h e N a tu r e o f R e a li t y S u n d a y , D e c e m b e r 2 3 , 2 0 0 1 T he W atch Myst ery
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I wake u p an d loo k at the the bed side clock clock.. It says 11:30 11: 30 a.m. a.m. I loo k at my wristwatch a n d it says 11.1 trus trustt my w ristwa ristwatch tch,, so I co nclu de the bed side c loc k m ust be fast fast.. Since
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the time time is only 11,1 g o b a c k to t o slee p. I w ak e u p la te r a n d th e b e d si d e c lo c k s h o w s 1 p.m. ...
Then Then I realize realize tha thatt I could n eve r ha ve c he cke d m y wristwatc wristwatch, h, be cau se it is not on my
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wris wristt no r within within reac reach. h. A n d yet yet,, I co uld not h av e dream t the wh ole thin thing, becau se the the bedside clock was accur accurat ate. e. It co uld ha ve b een a semidream, wh ere the bed side clock clock was real an d the wristwat wristwatch ch w as part o f the the dream. dream. It all seem ed ver y rea real.
T o m a k e t h e m o s t o f t h e h y p n o p o m p i c s t a t e , a v ooii d u s in in g a la la rm rm c lo lo ck c k s. s . Y ou ou d o n o t w a n t t o e x i t t h e h y p n o p o m p i c s t a t e p r e m a t u r e l y by by
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waking up too abruptly.
Thursday, Ju ly 27 27, 20 01 Morning Morning Com pany As I beg in to a wake wa ke,, I s u d d e n ly b e c o m e a w ar e th a t a w o m a n is lying ly ing n ex t to me in bed. This This is not a dream. My first r eactio n is tha t o f familiarity, as if I think, “Ah, Ah, it it isyo u.” It feels like like we ha ve live d tog ether fo ra very long time, bu t we h ave not seen seen each each other for a while. while. She touche s my face an d it feels alm ost l ike a physical touc touch. h. I suc k he r fing fi nger er a n d run m y h a n d d o w n alon al on g h e r bell be lly. y. It f ee ls v e ry ph ysic ys ical al and exciting. I am beco be comi ming ng m or e a w a ke n o w a n d s h e is fa d in g aw ay b e c a u se I n e e d to stay in in the hypnopo mpic state in order to se ns e her. her. I try hard to focu s on her an d she is ther theree once more. We hug each each oth er fo r h al f an ho ur or so. I su sp ec t she is visi visiting ting me fro from m a nonphysical world. I realize this does not happen very often, because I am physi
V a r ,alysis
call callyy incarnated incarnated and sh e is not. It is like w e are v ery c lose friends. Then I become so awake that I lose contact with her. She disappears. I try to place the impression I got fro m her he r in orde or derr to t o id en ti fy her, b u t I fail. fai l. I c a n ’t r e m e m b e r h av in g m e t this t his woman in this lifetime. life time.
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N d c °ftheh W h e n t h e a n a l y t ic ic a l m i n d i s “ o f f l i n e , ” a s i t is i n t h e h y p n o p o m p i c s t a t e , t h e i n ttu u i ttii v e y o u is is in i n c h a r g e o f t h e e x p e r i e n c e . T h i s p a r t o f you has exceptional power and knowing. Therefore, you may depend on w h a t e v e^ r y ou ou e x p e r ie i e n c e i n t h e h y p n o p o m p i c s t a t e b e i n g t h e tr tr"u th th , howe^ vei i r r a t io i o n a l a n d i n c o m p r e h e n s i v e t h e e x p e r i e n c e is i s d e e m e d by 110
Sleep States t he h e a n a ly ly ti t i c a l m i n d a f t e r w a r d s . I t is is n o t t h e t r u t h a s y o u r r a t io i o n a l m i nd nd would interpret it. but the raw, unspoiled truth understood by your subconscious. The same c an b e acc om plishe d w ith hallucinogenic hallucinogenic drugs (though (though I thi think the w ord "h allucino ge nic,’' nic,’' im plying tha t Ihe dru gs cre ate halluci hallucina na t io ns ns , is is p o o r ly ly c h o s e n ) . S o m e d r u g s p u t t h e a n a ly l y t iicc a l m i n d a t r e s t , s o t h a t
y ^ r 2 \
we may experience truths that in normal circumstances would he deemed irra irrati tiona onall and inc om pre he ns ible. U nfortuna tely, th e effects effects or drugs are are unpredict unpre dictable. able. In or d e r to u se dru gs you m ust know yo urself tho thoro roughl ughly; y;
1 avo avoid
t h e e ff ff ec ec ts ts o f s u c h d r u g s d e p e n d o n y o u r s t a t e o f m i nd n d a n d w h a t go go e s o n in your subco nscious. It is is difficult difficult to m ainta in en ough control to m ake use of the trut h s p re se n te d
to
you
if yo youur- subc onsciou s is in turmoil. turmoil.
Addit Additiion onal ally ly,, d rug s can be de trim en tal to yo ur body. But, of course, you you do n ot ot h a ve v e to t o l a k e d r u g s t o f i n d t r u t h s . J u s l u s e t h e h y p n o p o m p i c st s t a te te .
Exercise: Exploring the Hypnopompic State 1 . B e fo f o re r e y o u f al a l l a s le l e e p t o n i g h t , te t e lll l y o u r s e l f t o l i n g e r i n t h e h y p n o p o m p i c s t a t e b e f o r e y o u a w a k e c o m p l e t e l y i n t h e m o r n i n g . 2 . W h e n y o u w a k e u p . d o n o t o p e n y o u r e y es e s a n d d o n o t m o ve ve. 3 . D o n o t in i n i tit i a te t e a n y t h o u g h t s . J u s t g o w i t h t h e f lo lo w o f y o u r m i n d .
sein se inee d 10®
Sleep Paralysis D u r i n g a s t r a l p r o j e c t i o n , j u s t a s d u r i n g n o r m a l s l e e p , t h e b o d y is is p paa ra ly z e d . T h e p a r a l y s is is li t t l e u n d e r s t o o d , b u t it is p o s s ib le t h a t it is caused by a lack lack of the ho rm on e DHEA, which is m anu factured in the adrenal gland. Researchers have not found a specific purpose for this hormone. It seems to have a more general function in that it promotes
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v it it a li li t y a n d a w a r e n e s s b y b o o s t i n g t h e n e r v o u s s y s te te m . Melatonin is the hormone that regulates the sleep cycle. It is made m the pineal gland from serotonin. Melatonin production increases as the body gets worn out during the day. Melatonin inhibits DHEA produc tion. tion. As the DHEA co ncen tration tration de crea ses, your nervous system system slows slows
* '° r
As A s tra tr a l Proj Pr ojec ectio tio n a n d th e N a tu r e o f Re R e a li ty d o w n , y o u b e c o m e i n c r e a s i n g l y ti t i r e d , a n d y o u r m o v e m e n t s t u r n c lu l u m s y. y. E v e n t u a ll l l y , y o u l o s e c o n t r o l o f y o u r b o d y a n d i t f a ll l l s a s le le e p . D u r i n g s le le e p, p , o n ly l y e n o u g h D H E A i s p r o d u c e d t o m a i n t a i n t h e a u to t o n o m i c n e rv rv o u s s y s t e m f u n c ti t i o n s. s.
V ^ 11 >
T h e m e l a t o n in i n w e a r s of o f f w h il i l e y o u sl s l e ep e p , a l lo l o w i n g D H E A p r o d u ct c t io io n t o p i c k u p. p. W h e n t h he e D H E A c o n c e n t r a ti t i o n h a s r e a c h e d a su s u f f ic ic ie i e n t le le v e l , y o u r n e r v o u s s y s t e m i s a ct c t iv iv e e n o u g h t o a l l o w y o u t o w a k e u p a n d t a k e c o n t r o l o v e r y o u r b o d y. y.
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If yo you u wake up before the m elatonin has w orn off an d DHEA produc produc tion has increased, your nervous system will be inhibited; therefore you
aK 1
will not be able to move your body. You are conscious, but your body is
i the
asleep. This is known as Awareness during Sleep Paralysis (Sylvan Muldoon attributed this physical state to a rigidity of the astral body he termed Astral Catalepsy). Sleep paralysis is completely natural. If it were not for the sleep
i, 2 0 0 2
p paa r a ly s is , w e w o u ld a ll a c t o u t o u r d r e a m s . S o m e p e o p le c o u ld th e n make a lucrative business out of returning sleepwalkers to their homes. People often get scared when they wake up and find themselves par alyzed. This is understandable, since our bodies are defenseless in that
w l » ) a n (i( i b u m p i n i / n t o f lWl W n
s t a t e . I f t h iiss h a p p e n s t o y o u , r e m e m b e r t h a t i t i s on o n ly l y t e m p o r a r y . T hhee n
nkeintidin nkeintidi n I fry fry todo M )
in g o u t (explained r e llaa x y o u r m i n d a n d e x e c u t e a n e x i t t e c h n i q u e , l ik ik e r o l l in
later). The sleep paralysis state is excellent for astral projection.
* |H m s a fe s l/ m n e s f H j ymy
Tingling T i n gl g l in in g is is t h e p h y s ic i c a l b o d y ’s w a y t o c a l l b a c k t h e a w a r e n e s s . W he he n yo youu are going out into the a stra l, on m any oc ca sion s you will will also also feel a
e9'» f injsn
sX i r00do-se I,, |
tingling in your awareness. I suspect that the tingling kicks in because t h e b od o d y d o e s n o t w a n t t h e a w a r e n e s s t o l ea e a v e . T h e b o d y t ri ri e s to to get your attention. But, since we are bold adventurers, we will not let that p r e v e n t u s f r o m p r o je c ti n g a w a y f r o m t h e p h y s ic a l p l a n e a n d t h e body
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that helps us there. W h e n y o u p r o j e c t a n d t h e r e i s n o t i n g li l i n g , y o u c a n b e s u r e t h a t the b boo d y is f a s t a s le e p a n d d o e s n o t n e e d t h e a w a r e n e s s a t t h e m o m e n t. This m a k e s t h e p r o j e c t io io n m o r e s t a b l e . O n t h e o t h e r h a n d , i f y ou o u fe e l l ' n' n'
;\ ;x .
ghng, you will know that the projection is unstable. You should then
112
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w
all
sorne techniques to prolong the projection. These are discussed in the
"Up
next Circle. The tingling is very strong in the hypnopompic state because the
a'gh f t s
body bod y is w a k in g u p a n d is c a ll in g b a c k t h e a w a r e n e s s . W h e n t h e a w a r e
to a
ness answers the call by returning to the body, you wake up. It is inter e st stin g t o s p e c u l a t e a b o u t w h a t w o u l d h a p p e n i f t h e a w a r e n e s s c h o s e n o t to r e t u rn rn t o t h e b o d y . W o u l d a l a r g e e n o u g h p a r t o f t h e c o n s c i o u s n e ss ss animate the body so that it may, unaware, perhaps by automatism, go a b ou ou t i ts da da y, y, o r w o u l d t h e b o d y j u s t s l e e p u n t iill t h e a w a r e n e s s r e t u r n s ?
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The hypn opom pic tingling tingling goes u nn otic ed if you foll follow ow the default )%t%
ss durij
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sleep process (i.e., you are asleep and perhaps dreaming), but the tin gli gling is noticea ble if you a re consc ious, as you a re during a stral p rojec tion or lucid dreaming, at the time the body goes into the hypnopompic state.
d r e a m s . S o m e p eo eo p le m H )
Frid Friday ay,, A u gu st 16, 16, 20 0 2
ning s l e e p w a l k e r s t o theirks
Longe Longest st Lu cid D rea m
a n d fin d th w i® !
N ap ap ti ti me me . I d r e a m I a m p e r f o r m i n g w i t h a b a n d i n a t ai ai l w o o d e n s h a c k . I a m h it it -
H i r bodies are defenseless*:
ting my head a nd bu m pin g into things all the the ti time. me. I am a ngry b eca use I do n ’t want
w a k e u p
to be ther there e a n d w he n I try to d o anything, I get hur hurt. t. Suddenly, I give up a nd throw throw
ir that it is o n l y t e n p 01 0 1^
myself myself on the floor. floor. We get w or d that that a forest fire is is approach ing, so the ban d start startss
L o u e , likerolH"^1 • J fo fo r astral p i * *
packi pa cki ng. Th e re is a f o r e st f ir e n e a r V a n c o u ve r, w h e r e I am in wa king ph ysic al real realit ity, y, so my dream must be a ffected by m y tho ughts ab ou t tha that. A friendly fellow fellow notices me lying lying the there re,, defeate defeated, d, an d drags m e to the the car car.. H e an d his co m pa nio ns drive m e to a place safe from the fire fire.. The n I realize that the the guita rs I h av e b or row ed for the the gig ar e still stil l in i n th e sh a c k , to o c l o s e to the th e fire. I fe e l r e sp o n si b l e f o r t hem , s o I se t o ut
tnh e av'ra av' rare rene ne. p a c kI,tth y.
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,0 , 0 # ° * ' ° ' ': kirki
to rescue them. start walking t owa rd that that place. place. T here is an a ir show , just just like there is is one in w ak I start ing ing lif life e in in Portland. Portland. The sk y is da rk a n d the planes, h und red s o f th them, em, are making lights so that that they lo ok like a hu ge flower. flower. The y can d o am azin g things things maneuvers with lights with with those those planes. There are lots of pe o pl e in the stre street ets. s. The re are so m any pe ople
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that that I ca n’t n’t get anyw here. Eve ryw he re I turn, turn, I b um p into people. I throw m yse lf to the the gro g ro u n d a n d gi ue u p again. aga in. A l i t t l e g i r l c o m e s u p a n d t e l l s m e I c a n ’t l i e t h e r e . I g e t u p a n d w a l k a c r o s s a p a r k i n g l o t . I h e a r a u o i c e in i n t h e l o u d s p e a k e r s y s t e m s ay a y , “I “I f y o u a r e h e r e a n d n o t i n o n e o f o u r c ar a r s, s , y o u m u s t b e w a t c h in i n g t h e a i r s h o w , ” o r s o m e t h i n g s im i m i la la r. r. I t m a d e s e n s e a t t h e
(I'*
As A s tra tr a l Proj Pr ojec ectio tio n a n d t h e N a tu r e o f R e a li ty time. ime. Then I hea r the roar o f a c ar from a tent. tent. Pro ba bly a recording, but it frightens me. me.
“Go od idea," A d a r k blue bl ue c a r with ou t a dr iv e r runs ru ns into in to the tent. It is o n a ut om at ic pilot. “Go I think think,, "but very dangerous. dangerous. A nd noisy.” Some how, I get get into into a sma ll house. J (a (a form er girlfriend girlfriend)) is there and we talk. I think think,, “I like it it whe n J co m es over. It do e sn ’t ha pp en ver y often, often, since we live so far far apart.” apart.” Then a m an m ove s in a nd start startss cudd ling with J. I think it it is go o d that that she has fo f o u n d a n e w lov e, bu t I d o n ’t li ke hi m. A t a g la nc e, m y in tu itio it io n tells m e h e is n a rr o w min ded an d there therefo fore re,, in som e sense, sense, dan gerous. Then I see flame s outside the the window ! A m an w ho is sup pose dly a fireman is throwing throwing teacups o f water water at at the the fire ire in a futi le act a ct to pr e ve n t its i ts sp re a di n g. I tell tel l J w e h a v e to ge t o u t o f h er e b e c a u s e there ther e is a fi re out sid e. S h e d o e s no t m ov e. I d o n ’t th t h in k s h e b e li e v e s me. I start co lle ctin ct in g my things. T he he n it it hi hi ts ts me me. H o w c a n J b e h e r e ? S h e w a s h a l f a w o r l d a w a y y e s te te r d a y a n d n o w she is sudd enly here. here. I kn ow I am dreaming. dreaming. I kn ow w hat is going to hap pen next ext. I wi will ann oun ce that that I am dreaming a nd then I will will get a tingli tingling ng sensa tion in m y bell belly y and beco me lucid. lucid. I w alk ov er to J a n d say say, "Th is is a d ream .” Sh e sh ake s he r head. head. She She do es not understand. I te tell he r ov er a n d over. W ha t is worse, there is no tinglin tingling g sensation. on. I am in complete control of my environ me nt, but I d o n ’t ha ve an y o f the the bubbli bubbling ng fe el ings in gs I u su a ll y h a v e d u r in g lu c i d d r e a m s a n d a st ra l p r o je c ti o n s. I th in k this thi s i s odd. odd . M a y b e I a m a w a k e a f te te r a l l ? In retrosp retrospect, ect, it is a g o o d sign that the se nsa tio ns a re missing. missing. I t hink the physical physical bo dy ca uses the the bub bling feeling feelings. s. That is its its m ech an ism to stop the aw arene ss from leaving leaving the the bo d y for too long a pe riod. Tingling Tingling is the ph ysica l b o d y’s y’s way to call call back back the awareness. It do e s the tingling tingling w he n it is w akin g up. I n this view, it is g o o d that that the tingli tingling ng is absent. It m ea ns I am far fr om w ak ing up. That, in turn, turn, m ea ns the projecti projection on is stable. " T h is is is is a d r e a m . ” D o e s m y p h y s i c a l m o u t h s p e a k t h e s e w o r d s ? I d o n ’t k n ow ow , but I bette betterr be caref careful ul.. I d o n ’t wan t Ba rb to think I a m ha vin g a b a d dream, b ecause the then she might might try try to sav e m e by w aking m e up. I wa lk aro u nd a n d en joy the the free freedo dom. m. I make mys elf float an d then I m ak e J float. float. I w ant to turn this into an astral proj project ection ion but I do n t kn ow exactly ho w to d o that that.. I try som et hin g that I can 't remember. It has no effec ffectt. Then I try try som ethin g new. I say, say, " S h o w m e the m ost im portan t aspect abou aboutt Barb." A w indow appe ars in the air in front o f me. me. Barb, in a w hite sports car car, speeds speeds by fr om right to left. left. S h e is w e a ri ng a w h it e k n it sw ea te r, a sca rf , a n d sunglass sung lasses. es. Inte Intere rest sting ing.. I w on de r what all the white colo rs m ea n a n d w hat the sports car mean means. s. I sa y, y, S h o w m e t he he m o s t i m p o r t a n t a s p e c t o f J.” J. ” I c a n ’t r e m e m b e r w ha t ha p pens
> •
Sleep States
* oo,
n n
.
next-1 think I $et sidetracked. I h aue ple nt y o f lime,
d I do
lots o f things, bu t for some
reason I am unable to remember any o f them . Forty minu tes pass. Then the tingling sets in. I
w ft y /ft, y ^ n r
I awakening. O ne se con d I am walking around in m y ow n lucid dream and the a
„ext I am staring at the ceiling fro m the b ed. The shift is instant. I try to je t back into the lucidity, but fail.
Z * m*e. / * ^ •believes
whalisjoinjlohappennaLU linking sensationinm y dream’ Shes h a k e s h e r t e i ' x /s worse, thereisnotinfl^
utld oi> 'thM W
nlprojed*
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i l i sP oS® .
Affirmations
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?>l uio i n t h l S
1
(Sireme a
Jw#P0SS
Positive Reinforce m ent T h e r e a r e b a s i c a l ly tw o k i n d s o f b e l i e f s : t h o s e t h a t t e l l y ou w h a t you can d o , a n d t h o s e t h a t t e l l y o u w h a t y o u ca n ’t d o . T h e f i r s t k i n d o f b elie f
c an b e p r o g r a m m e d w i th p o s i ti v e r e i n f o r c e m e n t , a l s o k n o w n a s a ff irm a t io n . T h is is t h e p r o c e s s i n w h i c h y o u ( o r s o m e o n e e l s e ) t e l l y o u r s e l f t ha t you can do things you used to view as difficult. The result is an increase in c o n f i d e n c e a n d m o t i v a t io n . T h e s e c o n d k i n d o f b e l i e f c a n b e p ro g r a m m e d w i t h n e g a t iv e r e i n f o r c e m e n t , a l s o k n o w n a s n a g g in g . T his is where you (or someone else, often your parents) tell (or hint to) your s e lf t h a t y ou a r e i n c a p a b l e o f s u c c e e d i n g . Every time you think a th ou gh t like, “I d o n’t th ink I can,” you send a mes sage to the belief system . T he belief syste m do es no t hav e the ability to criticize, so it accepts the thought as a tru th w itho ut q ue stion . It d ep end s upon you to he critical. If you reinfo rce a tho ug ht by thin kin g it repe ated ly, the belief sys tem eventually turns t ha t th ou gh t inlo an es tab lish ed belief. Th e set of nil eliefs in your be lief sys tem sh ap es y ou r view o f how th e wo rld works. If y011 constantly do ub t your abilities, y ou r view o f th e wo rld will b e sh aped accord ing y, m aking you believe thin ihe w orld is difficult to d ea l with.
I It*
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A f fir m a tio n s A f f ir m a tio n s a r e m e s s a g e s s e n t t o y o u r b e l i e f s y s te m . T h e y a r e p o s itive thoughts that affect you in a positive way. Il is a good way for you to accept the possibility th a t as tra l p ro jec tion is possible. By telling your self repe atedly th a t you ca n as tra l p ro jec t, eve ntually you will believe that you can; th en you will prov e y ou rse lf right, be cau se it is in our inter e st t o p r o ve t o o u r s e l v e s ( a n d s o m e t i m e s t o o t h e r s ) t h a t o u r b e li ef s a r e correct. You m ay w on d er if it is a good idea to e stab lish a belief that astral pro je cti on is p o s s ib le w h e n y o u h a v e n o e v id e n c e to b a c k it u p. D o not
ns
w o r ry a b o u t t h a t . I t a c t u a l ly w o r k s t h e o t h e r w a y , to o : T h e e v id e n c e fi rs t appears after you believe in it. You change your environment by chang ing your beliefs. Y our rea lity is a resu lt of yo ur beliefs. Ev erything is doable in this w orld. If you c an envision som ething , the n you can do it. Only limiting beliefs can prevent you from doing something. Besides, if you want to land on the moon, you have to shoot for the stars. Use e x t r e m e a f f i rm a t i o n s . T e ll y o u r s e l f y o u a r e a b l e t o d o t h in g s yo u ne v e r thought possible. The higher you aim, the higher you will land.
Exercise: Affirmations ■ that tell y o " * 1® . The first kindofl>*
Affirmations can keep you motivated. The simple affirmation, “Astral pro jec tion is fun," w ill keep y o u practicing even wh en oth er obli gations com pete for your time. 1. Record the following affirma tions on tape or on a computer:
* * kn0"'naSt
"You are unlimited.” "You can d o any thing you pu t your m ind to."
I tell (°r
hin'
toi^
"You deserve an infin ite n um be r o f astral experiences." "You observe everything th a t hap pens in yo ur m ind du ring sleep.
arid11
"Tonight you will astral project." “You are connected to everything.”
the^-
* -* * ■epei
flic*
*****
i*
" E v e r y t h i n g is c o n n e c t ed t o y o u . " B
" Th e m i n d ia M l is r em o ve d. "
Asrral Projection a n d th e Nanir e o f Reali ty
"The time to doubryourself has passed." The universe takes good care of you, whether you are with or withou ty ou r physical body.” "Face the direction of the universe and follow its flow. Trust that the universe is going in the right direction." 2. Add a few affirma tions o f yo ur o wn design. M ake sure they are in the second person: use "you" inste ad o f "I,” since yo u will be listening to them, n or speaking them. For som e reason, perh aps low self-esteem, subconsciously we find it easier to believe what others tell us than what we ourselves say.
I/v.
3. Actively listen to the recording until you kno w t h e w ords by heart. After that, play the recording, in your computer headphones or Walkman, in the background while you go ab ou t yo ur business. Do not listen to it actively. Your subconscious knows what the message contains.
IheArt
of Visuializ
E x ercise: I m a g i n a l
1Qosejoureyes.Takeafa 1Woftheword
Visualization
The Art of Visualization
Exercise: Imagination 1. Close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths. Relax your mind. 2. Think of the word horse. 3. The word will trigger wh atev er m em ories yo u associate with it, prob ably a horse you have met. 4. The vision of a h orse from a m em ory will be displayed on to yo ur m ind 's screen. You do n o t see it with yo ur physical eyes. 5. Reach out and touch the horse with imaginary hands. 6. Feel the texture of the fur. It feels remarkably real, doesn’t it? 7. Lean forward and smell the horse with your imaginary nose. The horse needs a bath, doesn't it?
T h a t is h o w s i m p l e v i s u a l iz a t i o n i s. Y o u p r e t e n d t o w a l k a r o u n d j u s t l ik e y o u d o i n t h e p h y s i c a l — s e e i n g , t o u c h i n g , s m e l li n g , a n d h e a r i n g t h i n g s from a first-person perspective. You turn your awareness away from
F
Astra l Projection a n d the N atu re o f Reality p h y s ic a l w a k i n g r e a li ty a n d in t o y o u r i m a g i n a t io n . T h e l o n g e r yo u v i su a l
f
V
V'
,
ize s o m e t h i n g i n y o u r m in d , t h e f a r t h e r y o u w i l l d e t a c h f ro m p h y s ic a l r e a li ty . A l s o , t h e m o r e o f t e n y o u p r a c t i c e v i s u a l i z a t i o n , t h e e a s i e r i t w i ll
' Vi#1
b e t o d e t a c h f r o m p h y s i c a l r e a li ty a n d e n g a g e i n t h e i m a g i n a r y w o r l d t h a t y o u a r e c r e a t in g .
Would it surprise you if I told you that you have just taken a trip t h r o u g h t h e a s t r a l ? Y ou h av e j u s t u s e d y o u r a s t r a l s e n s e s . W h a t you have seen, touched, and smelled actually exists in the astral. You cre ated it. By turning into your imagination, you projected your aware n e s s to t h e a s t r a l d i m e n s i o n a n d c r e a t e d a h o r s e . V i s u a li z at io n is t he e a s ie s t w a y t o e n t e r t h e a s t r a l . E a s y a n d y e t v e r y p o w e r fu l . W h e n you c o m b i n e v i s u a li z a ti o n w i t h a n a l t e r e d s t a t e o f m i n d —f o r e x a m p l e , a n a t u r a l s l e e p s t a t e —y o u a r e a b l e t o f u ll y p r o j e c t y o u r a w a r e n e s s i nto t h e a s t r a l . N o l o n g e r wi ll i t b e a s i f y o u a r e i m a g i n i n g t h i n g s in yo ur m i n d ’s ey e, b u t yo u w il l a c t u a l l y b e t h e r e , a m o n g t h e o b j e c t s yo u c r e a t e . T h i s i s a n a w e s o m e p o w e r a n d y o u w il l h a v e a t a s t e o f i t l a t e r in this Circle.
the exercise above ^intensify your other ilf most pow erful c a p a ®
Visualization can have any depth you give it. You may play with objects in you r m ind’s eye, o r you m ay be am on g th em . You can easily
feday, February 12,2(
control th is level of visua lization b y ad jus ting its intens ity. T he intensity
laliijlheSou)
is a m e a s u r e m e n t o f h o w d o m i n a n t t h e i m p r e s s i o n o f y o u r visu al iz atio n
l il is k e p w i t h m y c l o t h t
b ec o m e s, c o m p a r e d to t h e im p re s s io n o f y o u r p h y sic a l se n se s . You can
^somea stral p r o j e c t i o n a c c
e a si ly i n c r e a s e t h e i n t e n s i t y b y ta p p i n g i n t o y o u r i m a g i n a t i o n a n d c re at iv ity. To allow your creativity free rein, I deliberately provide a minimal a m o u n t o f d e ta i l i n t h e v i s u a l iz a t i o n e x e r c i s e s . E x a c t i n s t r u c t i o n f r om me
^wrtenljoisAto,, E xp er ie nc es : H o w t o H i
would only limit you r cre ativity a nd , c on seq ue ntly , h am p er your visual ization’s intensity. Contrary to its name, visualization can be applied to senses other than vision. For m ost p eo ple , tactile (touc h) visualization is best for e n g r o ss i n g t h e m i n d . F o r t h e s e p e o p l e , a g o o d w a y t o i n c r e a s e t h e in ten sity of a visualization is to focus on im ag inary tou ch m ore than any other imaginary sense. Since this varies by individual, I encourage you to j ff i n d o u t wh ic h s e n s e is m o s t e n g r o s s i n g t o y o u r m i n d .
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Visualization
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Exercise: Blind Visualization I c l o s e y o u r e ye s. R e l ax y o u r m i n d . 2. Vi su aliz e y o u r s e l f w a l k i n g a r o u n d i n y o u r r oo m . 3. C l o s e y o u r i m a g i n a r y e ye s. Y o u r v i s io n g o e s b la ck .
4 . F o c us o n l y o n y o u r i m a g i n a r y h a n d s . T o u c h r h e w al l. F ee l t h e t ex tu re
e"Ses-ltt
Really feel it. To uch the carpet. Tou ch y o u r furn iture.
al- Vo,
5. N o w f o c u s o n y o u r i m a g i n a r y n o se . S m e l l t h e a ir. Ta ke y o u r t im e.
,o
S m e ll t h e s c e n t o f a n y p a i n t o r f u r n i t u r e o il.
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f
6. N o w f o c u s o n y o u r i m a g i n a r y ea rs. W h a t s o u n d s c a n y o u h e ar ? 7. O p e n y o u r i m a g i n a r y e ye s. 8. Touch the wall again.
s ill
In the exercise above, did the fact that you closed your imaginary eyes intensify your other senses? Which of your imaginary senses had the most powerful capacity to engross your mind?
Tuesday, Feb rua ry 12, 20 0 2 Shaking the Sou l I fall asleep with m y clothes o n at 2
a .m
.
I w a k e u p t w o h o u r s l a te r a n d d e c i d e to
read som e astral projection a ccoun ts in o rder to increase my cha nces for paranormal experiences wh en I go ba ck to sleep. I stu mb le u p on Ro bert Peterson ’s first book, Out-
of-Body Experiences: How to Have Th em and W hat to Expect," an d d o his exercise 22:
n p e r your v
B u z z i n g — This exercise is similar to the mu sical imagination exercise. Relax completely, then try to get to that passive, qu iesce nt fram e o f mind. As vividly as yo u can, imagine there is a coarse b uzzing so u nd in yo ur head.
...
-
Pretend the buzzing is just a little bit too quiet to hear, but getting louder. Simultaneously listen intently for the buzzing to become loud enough to hear. As the bu zzing b eco m es louder, imagine the so un d is causing yo ur sou l to vibrate. Increase the volu m e o f the imaginary so u nd until yo u feel like your soul is being rattled and shaken to the core. Maintain the imaginary buzzing and vibrating for several minutes. Repeat the procedure several times if necessary.
evi§u
Astra l Projection a n d th e N atu re o f R eality I fall asleep again w ith the feeling of being close to my soul. I a m s o o n aw ake ned by the disturbing soun ds from ch ainsaw s a nd tractors as the park maintenance people cut do w n trees outside m y window. The noise ke ep s me from falling asleep. I rem ain in
> e ,by«ic!
■alreiality
the state between aw ake a n d aslee p for six hours. During that time, I am very close to my soul, which ma kes m e happy. I hav e little control ov e r what is happe ning, though.
^ifriC0't ' n sr'th T vi
I get a lot of comm unication from m y guides. Suddenly, fou r o f them sho ut at me: "Sh ake !" This jolts me into an aw ak e state. Simultaneou sly, the w ho le ho u se trembles as a tree crashes to the gro un d outside.
, is coming flfl
Why Visualization Works
cares
W h a t w e e x p e r i e n c e a s t h e p h y s ic a l r e a l i t y i s n o t o u t s id e o f u s . T he r e a l it y is w i t h in u s , b e c a u s e t h e r e a l i ty is o u r i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f t h e i n pu t f r o m o u r p h y si ca l s e n s e s ( h e a r i n g , s ig h t , t o u c h , s m e l l , a n d t a s t e ) . You might say that reality is an image in your mind, representing the world o u t si d e , a w o r l d t h a t w e c a n o n l y p r o b e s l ig h t ly d u e t o t h e l im i ta t io n s of our physical senses. We can’t grasp what the world outside is like b e c a u se w e c a n o nly s e n se b its a n d p ie c e s o f it. T h is m a k e s you w onder w h a t t h e w o r l d o u t s i d e i s , d o e s n ’t i t ? I f t h e i m a g e i s t h e r e a l i ty w e ex pe r ie n c e , t h e n w h a t is t h i s f ie l d o f e n e r g y t h a t o u r s e n s e s r e a d ? P e rh ap s it d o e s n o t e v en e x i s t a n d t h e i m a g e is a ll t h e r e i s. O r p e r h a p s t h e w orld o u t si d e is o f o u r o w n c r e a t i o n . The subconscious fills in the blanks in the mind image when infor m a t io n is l a c ki n g . F o r e x a m p l e , I c a n s e e i n f r o n t o f m e , b u t n o t be hin d m e , so th e s u b c o n s c i o u s c r e a t e s t h e i m a g e t h i s w a y : 1. T h e f r o n t p a r t of t h e i m a g e o f m y s u r r o u n d i n g s i s c o n s t r u c t e d f r o m p h y s ic a l s en so ry i n p u t, m a in ly f ro m m y e y e s . 2 . T h e h a c k p a r t o f t h e i m a g e i s c re a te d f ro m m e m o r ie s a n d e x p e r i e n c e . T h i s p a r t o f t h e i m a g e is m e r e ly a be st guess at how the surroundings behind me look. T his im a g e b e c o m e s m y p e r c e p t i o n o f t h e e x t e r n a l r e a l it y , if th er e is s u c h a t h in g . S i n c e t h e i m a g e a l w a y s c o n t a i n s a n e l e m e n t o f oui b e s t g u e ss, w e c a n n e v e r b e c e r t a in t h a t o u r p e r c e p t io n o f th e world is accurate. V i s u a li za t io n i s a w a y to r e p la c e o u r im a g e o f t h e w o r ld w i t h a no th er
j
im a g e o f o u r o w n d e s i g n . I n v i s u a l iz a t i o n , w e u s e o u r im a g in a t io n t0 affect or replace our current
image
o f ou r surround ings.
\ V
T he m o
1
about ’
Visualization intensely we visualize, th e less d om ina n t the inpu t from physical senses b e c o m e s .
So m etim es w he n y ou visualize, you will find th at you forget the
physical w orld, a s if it n e v e r e x is te d , a n d th e vis u ali zatio n b eco m es yo ur entire reality. Then you will have projected your mind away from the physical rea lity a n d in to a n e w r e a lity o f y o u r o w n c re a tio n . T h is is no t difficult to acc om plish an d it is a lot of fun . Th e m ore you visualize, the more intense the visualized reality becomes. Your subconscious is incapable of distinguishing whether sensory input is coming from a physical sense or from your imagination, there fore, it never pays any attention to where the physical body is. It only cares abou t w h er e yo ur a w ar en es s is. If you a re visualizing walking
ty,s n°t outside of
t hr ou g h t h e c o r r i d o r s i n t h e p y r a m i d s o f E g y p t , y o u r s u b c o n sc i ou s will
interpretation oftheinp,
assume that you really are. It cannot distinguish between imagination
ch, smell, and taste). V®
and reality. Only the rational you can know the difference between the
id. representing the wodd
two. In fact, only the rational mind feels the difference is important.
ly due to the limitationst( the world outside is If t. This makes you wonte
age is the reality wee.? L
se nses read? P *
is. Or perhaps the*®*
Exercise: Elements Visualization 1. Close y o u r eyes. Relax y o u r m ind . Take a few dee p breaths. 2. Focus on the cen ter o f yo ur chest. 3. Visualize yo urse lf in yo ur room. 4. Imagine stepping outside to find a tree. 5. Touch the bark of the tree with your imaginary hands. Examine the texture for a long time. Remember the sensation.
f » d im a g e w h ' " t 5
6. Pick up a handful of dirt and feel its texture.
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7. Visualize the wind getting stronger. 8. Raise yo ur ha nd s in the air. Feel the wind rush through them.
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10. Find a pool of water. It. Touch t he wa ter w ith yo ur imaginary hands. Sense the texture. Remember the sensation.
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Remember the sensation. 9. Light an imaginary match and feel the fire.
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I n o r d e r t o p r o p e r l y n a v i g a t e y o u r p h y si c a l b o d y , t h e s u b c o n s c io u s n e e d s t o m o k e s e n s e o f i ts e n v i r o n m e n t . It n e e d s t o h a v e a c o h e r e n t
A srm l Projection a n d rhe N ature o f R eality i m a g e o f th e s u r r o u n d i n g s , f f s u c h a c o h e r e n t i m a g e i s la c k i n g i n y o u r v is u a li za t io n , y o u r s u b c o n s c i o u s w i ll f o r c e a c o m p l e t i o n o f t h e i m a g e . It w i l l f o r ce o b j e c t s ( I h a t y o u a r e n o t d e l i b e r a t e l y v i s u a l i z i n g ) t o p o p u p in y o u r fie l d o f v ie w . T h i s i s a v e r y c o o l e x p e r i e n c e . S u d d e n l y , y o u b u m p into objects you did not expert to find in your visualization. It is like w a l k in g t h r o u g h a n e w w o r ld .
A c t u a ll y, it i s w a l k i n g t h r o u g h a n e w
SrT lion
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these 3
world.
The world really exists in the astral, because you make it exist. T h e s u b co n sc io u s will m o s t l ik ely c r e a t e a n e n v i r o n m e n t t h a t r e s e m b les a p h ysic al e n v ir o n m e n t b e c a u s e t h a t is w h e r e it h a s th e m o st experience, but it can also get inspiration from energies that are not of physical origin. As your conscious mind becomes increasingly engrossed in visual ization,
the
projection
mechanism
is
set
up
in
the
background.
P r o j e c t io n i s a n a t u r a l p r o c e s s t h a t k i c k s i n e a c h n i g h t , b u t o n ly i f y ou r conscious mind does not interfere. The conscious mind wants to be c o n sc io u s o f a ll p r o c e s s e s . In o t h e r w o r d s , i t w a n t s c o n t r o l o v e r e v ery t h in g . I t is a b i t o f a c o n t r o l f r e a k . T h e o n l y p r o b l e m i s t h a t i t d oe s not know how to manage some processes, such as intuition and astral p ro je c tio n . I f y o u ha v e e x p e r i e n c e d i n t u i t i o n , y o u m a y h a v e n o t i c e d t h a t i t is a t its s h a r p e s t w h e n y ou a r e a b s e n t m i n d e d . W i t h o u t e v e n t r y i n g t o have them, intuitive thoughts pop into your conscious mind; and when you s t a r t t ry i n g t o h a v e th e m , t h e y s t o p c o m i n g . T h i s i s b e c a u s e t h e con scious mind interferes with the intuitive process. The same is true for astral projec tion. To avoid this pr o ble m , w e will use visualization as a d e c oy f o r t h e c o n s c i o u s m i n d . W h e n t h e c o n s c i o u s m i n d i s b u s y w alk ing a r o u n d i n o u r v i su a l iz e d e n v i r o n m e n t , t h e s u b c o n s c i o u s m i n d is f re e to arrange the projection. > f o
Visiiiili/iiiion and the Center of Thought You can intensify yo ur visua lization
by m oving yo ur cen ter of
thought. As explained in the chapter on awareness, the head
p r o v i d e s
e n e rg y th a t b o o s t s t h e a n a l y t i c a l p a r t o f y o u r m i n d . T h e h e a d h a s many s u b a r t a s f r o m w h i c h w e c a n g e t d i f f e r e n t t y p e s o f p r o a n a l y t i c a l en ergy
as t
I
Visualization T he a r e a b e t w e e n t h e e y e s a n d t h e s p a c e in t h e a i r in f ro n t o f t h a t a r e a
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lr91,
ate
sS S
(also known as the m ind sc ree n o r the third-eye a rea ) provide energy for accessing memory. These areas are particularly beneficial for visualiza tion b e c a u se t h e y p r o v i d e a c c e s s t o m e m o r i e s f r o m w h i c h we ca n b o r row descriptions for the obje cts we a re visualizing. W hen focusing in
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these areas, the visualized objects generally appear more like physical
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objects.
Exercise: Memory Visualization 1. C lo se y o u r e y e s. R e la x y o u r m i n d .
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2. S p e n d a m i n u t e i n b l a c k n e s s . Im a g i n e y o u a r e in a b l ac k v o id o u t in s pa c e s o m e w h e r e .
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3. T u r n y o u r e y e s s lig h t ly u p w a r d . M o v e y o u r a t te n t io n t o t h e sp ac e b e tw e e n y o u r e y e s , w h e r e t h e b r o w b e g in s .
conscious mind,*,,
4 . V i su a liz e a h o r s e , a s y o u d i d i n a p r e v i o u s e x e rc is e . 5. A r e t h e s i g h t , t o u c h , a n d s m e ll o f t h e h o r s e m o r e d e t a ile d ?
•» i t w an ts control overt® O nly problem is h i:i,s
u c h as intuition and®
By f o c u s in g o n t h e t h ir d - e y e a r ea , m e m o r i e s b e c o m e m o r e e asily a cc e ss ib le . W i th m o r e m e m o r i e s f r o m w h i c h t o g e t v i su a liz a tio n i n f o r m a tio n , t h e h o r s e s h o u l d b e m o r e d e ta ile d .
y hav e noticed thai^1
t h o u t e v e n trying 10 ** p u s mind;
F o c u s in g o n t h e m i n d s c r e e n i s a ls o a g o o d m e t h o d f or s to r i n g th in g s in y o u r m e m o r y . W h e n w e f o c u s o n t h e m i n d s c r e e n , t h e v i su a liz a tio n may be playing out too slowly. It may even turn dull, and since dullness is som ething w e w an t to avoid—th e re is no point in visualizing unless the visualization is fun —we will hav e to focus on a n a re a th a t provides m ore c r e a ti v it y a n d e n t e r t a i n m e n t . I lik e t h e c e n t e r o f t h e c h e s t b e c a u s e it holds plenty of crea tive energy . W he n w e focus on the chest, we do not feel a need for the visualized objects to have detail or to resemble phys ical objects. Just like an abstract painter, we care more about the feel ing and m eaning of the painting than its sem blance to rea l objects.
Astr al P rojection a n d the Na tu re o f R eality
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Exercise: Creative Visualization
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1. Close y o u r eyes. Relax y o u r m ind. 2. Spend a m inu te in blackness. Im agine yo u are in a black void o ut in space somew here. 3. Move your center o f thoug ht down to the cen ter of your chest. 4. Visualize a horse, as y ou did in th e p revio us exercise. 5. Do the sight, touch, and smell of the horse contain details that sur prise y o u , th in gs y o u did n o t in te ntio nall y p u t th er e?
Exercise: ? r »
By focusing on the c ente r of you r chest, you are stimu lating yo ur creativity. The creativity fills o u t th e m ind image o f the h orse o n its own.
Eac h e v f ’ i " 8 "
Exercise: Personalized Areas of Focus Repeat the exercise above, b u t con cen trate on ot he r places inside or outside yo ur b ody th at benefit you r visualization. Each person has a dif ferent nonphysical energy configuration, so it is up to you to find what
lStiiigrotfieiTi..y
bod y part s benefi t y o u r vis ualizat io n.
15 y ea rs a g o . I d o n o t
, 0 v is u a li za t io n | H in d [ lif m o s t a r e
myc
shaped m y v ie w o f t h e w i ished the re . D o n ' t w o r r y
W h a t e v e r p a r t i c u l a r a s t r a l p r o j e c t i o n t e c h n i q u e w e u s e, i t d o e s n ot
m iddle o f v i s u a l i z a t i o n , I
require that the visualization be precise. The visualization does not even
^ e x t ra o r d in a ry d r e a m '
h av e t o r e s e m b l e a n y o t h e r e n v i r o n m e n t . T h e i m p o r t a n t t h i n g is t h a t it
* ® r y n ig h t f o r a w e e
have an intensity that keeps the conscious mind riveted. Anything goes, a s lo n g a s i t is c a p t i v a ti n g a n d f u n . E a c h p e r s o n , o f c o u r s e , h a s p a r ti cu l a r t a s t e s s o I c a n ’t r e c o m m e n d o n e e n v i r o n m e n t t o v is ua li ze o ver a n o t h e r . O n e p e r s o n m a y f in d p l e a s u r e i n v is u a li zi n g a b s t r a c t c on ce pt s, while ano th er m ay find it m ore
lzations
enjo ya ble to visualize physical-like
objects.
Beni J
'’"use a n y “
Practice, Practice, Practice! E a c h t i m e y o u p r a c t i c e , y o u r v i s u a l i z a t i o n s k i l l i m p r o v e s , . Y o u will
•M l
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V h 1 berief
a ls o f in d i t e a s i e r t o d e t a c h f r o m t h e i n p u t o f y o u r p h y s ic a l s e n se ss and and t o t u n e i n to y o u r a s t r a l s e n s e s . E a c h t i m e y o u p r a c t i c e , y o u r vi su a ize o b j e c t s will l oo k c l e a r e r , h a v e g r e a t e r d e t a i l, f e e l m o r e i n t e n s e to the
visuaJi:
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touch, and smell better.
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Visualization ( Jse f un v i s u a l i z a t i o n s t o s t a y m o t i v a t e d . I l ik e p r e t e n d i n g t h a t I am invisible.
Then I visualize sneaking into the neighbor’s house or
t he g ir ls ' l o c k e r r o o m . Y ou h a v e t o k e e p t h e a s t r a l p r o j e c t i o n s e s s io n s fun. The ego, which wants to keep your awareness focused in the material realm, will try to prevent you from astral projecting by mak ing y ou f ee l it is b o r i n g a n d a l o t o f w o r k ( w h i c h i t i s n o t , o f c o u r s e ) . So keep it fun.
Exercise: Practice Visualization E a c h e v e n i n g i n b e d , b e f o r e y o u fa ll a s le e p , c lo s e y o u r e y es a n d v isu a liz e y o u r s e l f in o n e o f t h e p la c es t h a t o c c u p y y o u r m i n d t h e m o s t d u r in g y o u r d a y . T h e s e a r e t h e p l a c e s t h a t a r e i m p o r t a n t to y o u . B y c o n n e c tin g to t h e m , y o u c a n u s e th e e n e r g y y o u h a ve b o u n d t o t h e m f o r y o u r v i su a l iz a t io n p u r p o s e s . In m y c a se , th e p la c e s t h a t o c c u p y m y m in d t h e m o s t a r e m y c h i ld h o o d h o m e a n d t h e s c h o o l I u se d t o g o t o 15 y e a r s a g o . I d o n o t k n o w w h y . P e r h a p s i t w a s th o s e p l a c e s t h a t s h a p e d m y v ie w o f t h e w o r ld . O r p e r h a p s I fe el I h a v e s o m e t h i n g u n f in i sh e d t h e r e . D o n ’t w o r r y i f y o u c a n ’t s ta y a w a k e . I f y o u fall a sl ee p in th e m i d d l e o f v i s u a l iz a t i o n , t h e v i s u a l iz a t io n w ill a ffe c t, y o u r s le e p , g iv i n g y o u e x t ra o r d i n a r y d r e a m s , s o m e t im e s e v e n l u c id d r e a m s . D o th i s e x e r c is e e v e r y n i g h t fo r a w e e k .
Visualizations Beneficial for Astral Projection You can use any visualization to have an astral projection or a lucid dream. You can, as described earlier, visualize walking around in your b e d ro o m , to u ch in g th e c a r p e t a n d fu rn itu re . How ev er, som e ty p es of visualization are m ore beneficial for astral p rojection than others. I have sorted these into three types. Visualization type A moves you emotionally. Type B moves your location. Type C puts you in situations that you are not used to in every day life. Read the journal entry a nd then try out the d ifferent types of visualizations in the exercises below. See how they affect your dreams.
Astra l Projection a n d th e Natu re o f Reality F r i day , M a y 3 1, 2 0 0 2 N a t i v e A m er i c a n
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A s I fall aslee p, I vi su al iz e m ys elf a s a Native Am er ic an sitting in a sm al l g ree n meadoiv. Su dd en ly the visualization turns intense. I feel like I am there. I ha ve long black hair. I am hunting. M y bou? is ready, sh ou ld a ny d ee r cross the meadow. In the
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distance, I can see a large da rk mountain. I sw ee p m y h an d o ve r the tall grass. I think, “Life is go o d .” M y entire being is content. I get the feeling that som e o f the images are
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mem ories from a past life as a Native American.
Visualizations in which you engage emotions are beneficial for astral p ro je c ti o n b e c a u se th e e m o tio n s th e y in voke m a k e th e m m o re in trig uin g and this will keep yo ur aw aren ess focu sed in the visualization, even after falling asleep.
Exercise: Happy Place Visualization 1. Go to bed. 2. Close yo ur eyes. 3. Visualize being in a place that makes you totally content and happy. Perhaps it is a sunn y me adow , p erh ap s it is w ith a special person. Only you know w hat m akes you happy. The im po rtan t thing is that you invoke happy, bubbly emotions. 4. Explore your surroundings. Remember to focus extra on imaginary touch. 5. C ontinue to visualize this as yo u fall asleep.
V i s u al iz a ti o ns t h a t i nv o lv e m o v e m e n t o f y o u r s e l f o r o f y o u r s u rr o u nd ings are beneficial for astral projection because they put your mind in m otion. The m otion will conflict with th e m otion initiated by your
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dream s. The conflict may thro w you into a gap (of m otion) betwe en you* visualized world and the d rea m w orld. You can use th is gap as a gateway to the astral.
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Visualization
Wednesday, Ja nu ar y 23, 20 0 2
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Motion an d As tral Projection
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/Is I fall asleep, I use a visua lization te ch niq ue someon e s u ^e s te d on an online astral projection discussion forum. I visualize falling down a bottomless hole in the ground .
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A while later I am dreaming that I am in a large unfamiliar city, in a subway station. I haue lost sight o f my frien ds and am bo red, so I de cide to go hom e. I haue no idea which station I sh ou ld go to. I ge t on the first escalator going up. I read a sign on the way up. I am not su re w he re I am s up po se d to go, b ut I am sure this escalator is going
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in the wrong direction. I struggle to get o ff the escalator. I notice a con stan t motion going on in the back ground, initiated by falling th rough that en dles s h ole in my visualization. The escalator represents another motion. I feel the two motions are in conflict. This struggle makes me unsynchr onized w ith the m ov em en t o f the escalator. The dream loses its synchro nization an d bre aks u p into shards a nd falls away into a void.
ration
I fall into a d ark s pa ce a nd k eep falling. My vision is no t working. I recognize the feeling: I am astral projecting! I am very glad beca use it has been a long time since I last astral projected. I am falling dow nw ard. I analyz e too much, which breaks my state of
tally content and te|P M e a special person. O"?
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mind, and I lose the astral project ion state. I think I am awake, b ut it is probably a con scious sleep state. I relax my m ind and get back into the astral projection state. I am still falling th rou gh a d ar k space. It is fun ! I am ve ry happy. I expect the material of the w orlds I am pa ssing throug h to hit m y bo dy a s I go through them. Sudden ly
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it does, as i f I ha ve o rd er ed it (w hich I h av e b y expecting it). It feels like gus ts of wind, but intuitively I k n ow these are entire astral worlds. It feels like I am falling from a great height, at a great speed, a n d the w ind is pressing against m y bo dy an d face. This must
be what para chu ting is like. It is extremely joyous. I k no w I will ne ver hit the ground, because there is non e— no ne that can hurt my astral body, anyway. I try out some p os -
!
tures I hav e seen skyd ivers do. This is more fun than I hav e ha d in years.
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I wak e up, or so I think. I m ake so m e qu ick notes, s o I will not forget what ha p pe ne d. W h en I w ak e u p in th e morn ing , I c a n ’t fin d the notes. Appare ntly , I h a d not been in w aking phy sical reality w hen I m ad e them.
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T r o pi c al N at i v e D r e a m Some time later, I a m drea ming, with a bit of that magica l astral project ion o r lucid sfafe o f mind. I am a yo un g native on a sm all tropical island. I am sitting on a beautiful sa nd y beach. There are spark les in the ocean waves. The dream is extremely detailed
Ast ra l Projectio n a n d th e N atu re o f R eality an d colorful. I lean d ow n a n d d rink from a sm all stream. This is perfect. Life is simple an d I am perfectly happy.
/ walk toward the jungle. I lo ok d ow n an d see a beautiful red ant. A ray of sun glitters on its back. Then I hear, or feel rather, the ju ng le getting w orried. I turn ar ou nd and see three large sailing ship s app roach ing the island. O ne o f the ships is close en oug h to lan d any second . I loo k at flags. The y are black. Pirates! I ha ue to warn the village. I run as fast as I can, but som eh ow I kn ow it is too late. T he way I identify with the young native makes m e think this is a m em ory from a past life.
Do one of the following two exercises. Do the one that you feel is easiest. If you like tree s, do the first o ne . If you like relaxing on the p orch , d o th e se co n d.
Exercise: Swaying Trees Visualization 1. Go to bed. 2. Close y o u r eyes. 3. Visualize standing in a small meadow in a forest. 4. Feel the clear energy from the trees aro u nd you. The presence of trees open s yo u to receive energy from nature . 5. Visualize the trees swaying in the wind. 6. Sway with them , as if yo u were o ne of th e trees. 7. Co ntin ue as yo u fall asleep.
Exercise: Angie's Hammock Visualization 1. Go to bed. 2. Close y o u r eyes. 3. Visualize lying in a hammock on a porch. 4. Swing the ham m ock back and forth , as y o u fall asleep. 5. Continue visualizing this as you fall asleep.
isualizatioris of falling o r flying a re go od fo r as tra l p rojec tion because cal m in^
130
n0 t USeC* to c*°‘n8 th o se thin gs , at lea st no t in a wak ing physiI he m ind s exp ecta tions a nd yo ur w orld initiated b y visualization
Visualization
sN S -N ° s s V S Exercise: Endless Hole Visualization f l f .
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w i l l be
world
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u n s y n c h ro n iz ed . T h is will ag ain c r e a t e a gap b e tw e en th e visualized
a n d th e d r e a m w o r ld .
1. Go to bed.
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2. Close y o u r eyes. 3. Jusr befor ey ou fall asleep, visualize stan di ng next to a wide hole in the ground. You look down the hole and can't see rhe bottom, because there is none. It is an endless hole.
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4. Throw yo urse lf into the hole. 5. Feel yourself falling. Feel the sucking sensation in your belly. If the sensation is nor there, create it. 6. Con tinue visualizing th is as yo u fall asleep.
lization T h e n e x t v i s u a l iz a t io n t a k e s a d v a n t a g e o f t h e f ac t th a t w e a r e c o n d i tioned to see ourselves from a first-person perspective relative to our a te r .
b o die s. T h e id e a o f b e in g o u ts id e o f o u r b o d ie s is f a r fro m m u n d an e , which is why it works well for astral projection.
Exercise: Barb’s Zoom-Out Visualization 1. Go to bed. 2. Close y o u r eyes. 3. Visualize looking a t yo ur se lf from the ceiling. 4. Then, a t yo ur ow n speed, zoom o u t until yo ur body is ju st a tiny speck. 5. Zoom back in un til yo u a re facin gyo ur body. 6. Then zoom out again. 7. Continue zooming in and out, as you fall asleep.
Visualization and Sleep States A s y o u m a y h a v e n o t i c e d i n t h e s e e x e r c i se s , w h e n y o u (a ll a s le e p d u r i n g v is u a l i z a t io n y o u r s l e e p i s h i g h l y a ff e ct e d b y i t. S o m e t i m e s y o u e n d
Astra ! Projection a n d th e N atu re o f Reality
up in a weird state of mind. They a re n ot really weird, because they are p a rt of t he n atu ral sle ep process, b u t they seem w e ir d be cau se we ra rely consciously exp erien ce the m . Visualization helps us bec om e conscious in such sleep state s so th at we m ay use the se ex pe rience s in differen t ways from how the su bconscious can. O ne of th e uses o f such a sleep state is the astral projection experience. To induce an astral projection experience, we will apply a technique I describe only briefly h ere , bu t 1 will delve into fully late r in this Circle. First, you have to visualize in the hypnagogic state and fall asleep during the visualization. The visualization keeps the conscious mind somewhat alert, even afte r the physical body falls asleep . You can tra in y ourself to remain conscious in visualization, long after you normally would become unconscious in deep sleep. Sometimes, I visualize for hours after my physical body h a s fall en a sle e p . H ow ever, th is is n o t n e c essa ry for th e astral p rojec tion technicpie w e will use . W e will let the sub conscious (rath er th an th e co n scio u s ) min d g u id e u s in to th e astral realm . Th is ap p ro ach req u ires less effo rt o n th e p a rt o f o u r co n scio u s m in d . If you fall a sleep w hile visualizing, th e visualization will continue without your conscious interaction. The visualization heightens the d ream in g y ou , cau sin g an in ten sified d rea m . (By th e w o rd i n t e n s e , 1 m ean a h eig h ten ed a lertn e ss o f th e m in d . I am n o t referrin g to th e con ten ts o f th e d ream . ) You m ay b e a w are o f th is in flu en ce o r y o u may n ot notice it at all. It doe s no t m a tte r (see figure 3). If you wa ke up a nd th en visualize again as you fall back to sleep,
Level o f Aware ness Nonphysical Awareness Body Awareness
Figure 3. Hypnagogic visua lization lead s to intensified dreams. 13 2
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Visualization the subconscious will take the visualization to be another dream. Thinking that you ar e sleeping, it will r elease the awar eness f r om the body, ju s t like it d o e s w h e n you fa ll a s le e p n a tu ra ll y . To avoid la psin g
V
into unconsciousness, you may have to induce a preemptive release of awareness by applying an exit technique (such as the roll-out, dis cussed l at er ) ( see f igur e 4) . Alter natively, if you f eel your b ody a nd m ind ar e not unsynchronized enough to roll ou t, you m ay allow y ou rself to fall asleep during yet another visualization. You may repeat this visualization-sleep cycle any
as,
num ber of tim es u ntil you wa ke up in an unsynch r onized s tate f it f or r olling out o f yo ur body. Th is is th e co r e of our as tr al pr ojection tech nique and will be explained in a later chapter . As a side n ote , a n in ten sified d rea m following visualization may be so heigh tened th at you can m us ter enough aw ar en ess to tur n it lucid, meaning your conscious mind will be aler t and coher ent enough t o take contr ol over the d r ea m . Th is is a nice ex pe r ience, although it is not our objective in this book. You may also spawn an astral projection from within the lucid dr e am . How do es all this h ap pe n dur ing a n ight of sleep? Well, it is not so str ange. I t seem s w e have all bee n c ond itioned to stay unconscious when we sleep. Visualization tr i cks the p ar t of our selves th at m anages the )t referring^" o r you ^ '
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sleep pr ocess, which, in tur n, somehow cir cumvents the slip into uncon sciousness, so th at w e can access m or e of our nonphysical f unctions.
Astr al Projection a n d the N atu re o f R eality S i n c e it is s o e a s y t o t r ic k t h e s l e e p p r o c e s s w i t h v i s u a l iz a t i o n , i t i s a w o n der everyone does not consciously astral project all the time.
Exercise: Repeated H yp n ag og ic Vis ua liza tion 1. Set y ou r alarm clock to awaken you in the middle of the nig ht 2. Go to bed. 3. Close y o u r eyes. 4. As you hill asleep, visualize whatever you like (something fun) with you as a first-person participant. 5. Fall asleep in the middle of the visualization. 6. W hen th e alarm clock goes off. tur n it off. 7. Get o u t of bed. Go to th e ba throo m . Avoid eng aging in too many thoughts. M aintain your dazed sta te o f m ind. Avoidlooking at you r self in the m irro r as this will invoke y o u r analytical m ind a nd will wake you up. 8. Go back to bed. 9. Close y o u r eyes. 10. As yo u fall back to sleep, visualize rh e s am e t h in g yo u visualized in step 4. 11. The next time you wake up, observe your state of mind, but do not analyze it. Remember how that state feels. 12. Repeat this exercise each night, but skip the alarm clock after the first time. Ifyou wake up naturally du ring the night, do the visuali zation as yo u fall back to sleep. O the rw ise, yo u can visualize and sleep a little extra in the morning after you awake.
Any time you wake up in a heightened state, you might find your m i n d bu z zin g o r v i b r a ti n g ( a l t h o u g h s u c h s e n s a t i o n s a r e n o t n e c es sa ry )D o n o t b e a l a r m e d . Y ou will n o t d a m a g e y o u r b r a i n o r c o m e to a n y o th er
Attitude
T h e r e a r e a f ew a t t i t u d e s t h a t w e c a n u s e t o i m p r o v e o u r c h a n ce s fo r a s tr a l p r o j e c t i o n . A s a n a n a l o g y , i n o r d e r t o b e a s f a s t a s h e c a n , a s p r i n t e r m ay th i n k o f h i m s e l f a s a g a z e ll e . T h e b o d y o f t h e s p r i n t e r d o e s n o t lo ok like a gazelle, but his mind does. In the same manner, we can play little tricks on our own minds, such as pretending to be a quiet observer.
Observer The mind has little to do with the brain. There is no direct mapping b e tw e en b r a in f u n c tio n s a n d m in d fu n c tio n s . T h e m in d is a n o n p h y sic al c o n c e p t a n d t h e b r a i n is a p h y si c al o r g a n . T h e m i n d c a n e x is t w i th o u t t h e b r a in a n d t h e b r a i n c a n e x i s t w i t h o u t t h e m in d . T h e r e i s n o d e p e n d e nc y b e t w e e n t h e m o t h e r th a n t h e e x c h an g e o f e m o t io n s , s e n s o r y i n p ut, and muscle manipulation information. U n d e r s t a n d i n g h o w y o u r m in d ( no t y o u r b r a in ) w o r k s i s t h e k e y to w h a t e v e r y o u w a n t t o d o , i n c lu d i n g a s t ra l p ro j e ct io n . A n d in o r d e r t o u n d e r s t a n d a n y t h i n g , y o u h a v e t o f i rs t o b s e r v e it. T h e r e f o r e , a l w a y s o b s e r v e y o u r m in d , e s p e c ia l ly y o u r s u b c o n s c i o u s , f r o m
a n e x t e r n a l p o i n t o f v ie w . B y
Astral Projection a nd the Na ture o f Reality c o n s c i o u s l y ta k i n g t h e r o l e o f a n e x t e r n a l o b s e r v e r , y o u g a i n a s o r t o f r e m o t e c o n t ro l o f y o u r m i n d p r o c e s s e s . D i s t a n c i n g y o u r s e l f i n t h is m a n n e r p r o v i d e s s o m e c l ar it y o f t h o u g h t , w h i c h a l lo w s y o u t o c l e a r l y o b s e r v e y o u r t h o u g h ts .
Exercise: Observing Yourself tti°n
1. Move you r awareness (or atte nti on ) ou tside yo u r physical body, slightly up to the right o f yo ur forehead.
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2. Observe each thoug ht th at ru ns through yo ur mind. Understand
w hat caused it. 3. Observe what other thoughts the initial thoughts lead to. 4. Observe w hat emotions are invoked an d w ha t thoug hts invoked them.
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5. Go abo uty ou r day with the same obse rvant state of mind. ... rather .
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Motivation your will splits in tw o. O n o ne ha nd , you w an t to b rea k fre e of physical limits and explor e other wor lds. On the other , you want to pay attention to mater ial things, so that your physical body may pr osper in your phys ical existence. The t wo ar e not easily r econciled a nd one always suf f er s a t th e e x p e n s e o f t h e o t h e r . The conf licting inter ests ( astr al pr ojection ver sus mater ial sur vival) of ten r es ult in m ind f atigue in w hich you lose m otivation to do one of the two. This is your m ind’s way of f or cing you to cho ose on e o ver the other in o rd er to avoid a m en tal co llapse . M os t likely, th e m ateria l side of you will be victorious. This is good, because it allows you to focus on money and physical health and other necessities of life. Your interest in astral awak
ened again in the f utur e. A passion always comes ba ck to inspir e you. One thing you can do lo bridge the gap between astral projection and m aterial interests is to m aintain a high m otivation in both a reas . In order to do anything, you must have the will to do it and you must nurture that will so that it will last until you have completed what you intended to do. 136
®
a s p r e v io u s ly s t a t e d ,
.o a rm n i plis h s o m e t h i n g
The second you set out on the quest of leaving your physical body,
proje cti on will be p u t o n ic e fo r a w h ile, b u t do n o t f re t—it will be
than on
Astral
andmav bu rn y o u o u t. D (
Attitu d e
A
p r o j e c t i o n
b e c a u s e
requires a particularly strong will, not because it is difficult, hut
there are often limiting beliefs doing their best to quell the will.
Let’s face it: Everything we have been taught about reality so far is o b so lete, b u t o u r stu b b o rn eg o refu ses to ack n o wled g e th at. Th e last th in g th e eg o wan ts is to h av e its b eliefs p ro v ed i n co rrect b ecau se it k no ws th is wo u ld m ean th a t all th e tim e an d e ffo rt sp en t o n b u ild in g th e
Vour
Physical
be lie fs c o n c e rn in g t h e n a tu r e o f r e a lity a r e w a ste d , a n d all th e w ealth the ego has accumulated might become worthless.
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Astral p ro jectio n will d isp ro v e o u r o b so lete b elief s ab o u t reality in seco n d s. Th e eg o , th erefo re, tries to p rev en t u s fr o m astral p ro jectin g by m a n ip u la ti n g o u r m e m o r ie s in o r d e r to sp a w n e m o tio n s t h a t will weak en o u r will. It so u n d s lik e so meth in g Darth Vad er m ig h t h av e th o u g h t u p , b u t it is a n atu ral p ro cess. You h av e to m ain tain y o u r will in o rd er to k eep it stro n g . K eep mo ti v atio n h ig h b y fo cu sin g o n th e fu n an d ad v e n tu ro u s sid es o f astral p ro jecti on, r a t h e r t h a n o n t h e e ff o r t a n d tim e it r e q u ir e s . As p rev io u sly stat ed , y o u n eed will in o rd er to d o an y th in g . Try in g to acco mp l ish so meth in g with o u t h av in g th e will to d o it can b e h armfu l an d may b u rn y o u o u t. Do n o t co n tin u e p racticin g y o u r astral p ro jectio n skills if you do n o t hav e t h e will. In ste ad , focus on building up you r will for a coup le of day s. A stral p roje ctio n really is fun, but do not practice it a t t h e e x p e n s e o f y o u r h e a l t h .
L d o neaM ^
Exercise: Motivational Reading r
s
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tivati»nt .over" »one
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Look in books a nd Inte rne t foru m s for accou nts o f astral projection. Read on e o f th e acco unts e very day. This will keep y o u r m otivation for astral projection high.
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Exercise: Motivational Affirmations
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1. Record these lines on a rape recorder or a computer:
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"Astral projection is fun."
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y
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232
"Visualization is fun." “Life is an adventure."
Astra l Pro jection a n d th e N atu re o f Reality
"You are an explorer." "Jumping from one reality to another is fun." -you d
2. Listen to the recording wh enev er yo u feel th at astral projec tion is uninteresting.
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Flow If you have n ot achieved full con trol of yo ur psych ic abilities yet, your conscious mind will get in the way w he ne ve r you atte m p t to use them . If instead you concentr ate on something dif f er ent, suc h as daydr eaming, your analytical mind will not get in the way as your psychic senses move into their natur al state thr ough which psychic ener gy f lows unhinder ed. For example, som etimes I sit at m y de sk f or hou r s, tr ying to solve a pr ob lem. W hen I go to the bath r oo m , my m ind r elaxes an d the com plete solution pops into my head, seemingly on its own volition. This happens to me all the time. To t a k e a d v a n t a g e o f t h i s p h e n o m e n o n , f i r s t t e l l y o u r s e l f w h at y ou w a n t to d o . F o r e x a m p l e , i f y o u w a n t t h e a n s w e r t o a q u e s ti o n , state the question clearly in your mind. Then occupy your mind with something unrelated. The answer will come when the flow is estab lished.
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Anything is easie r if you find th e flow. Th e f l o w is a s ta te of balance that athletes always look f or be f or e a co ntes t. I t m akes th eir bodies seem like they move on air. It gives you luck, joy, and intuitive information. In
lowing
or der to f ind the f low, you have to stop tr ying to do what ever it is you w ant to do an d in stea d ju st allow it to h ap pe n to you. A lso, you can t
C
r terPanof,
take your efforts too seriously. Taking things seriously puts pressure on your mind, which blocks the flow.
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138
a bv .
Attitude
Exercise; Flow Affirmations 1. A d d t h e s e li n e s t o y o u r a f f ir m a t io n t a p e o r c o m p u t e r s o u n d file : "Y o u a s t ra l p r o j e c t b e c a u s e i t is f u n . ” "Y o u d o n o r re a lly c a r e w h e t h e r y o u s u c c e s s fu l ly a s tr a l p r o j e c t o r n o t . T h e s h e e r fu n o f e x p l o r i n g it m a k e s i t w o r th w h i le ." “A s tr al p r o j e c t io n is a s n a t u r a l a s d r e a m i n g . " 2 . L i ste n t o t h e r e c o r d i n g e v e r y d a y .
01
>**.5 ’SKhicenergyf),,,^ for hours. tr«jiosd,ip
W h il e b r i g h t e n i n g u p t h e a t m o s p h e r e , y o u h a v e t o s ta y m o t iv a te d . This requires a delicate balance: An increase in motivation should not s p aw n a n i n c r e a s e i n s e r i o u s n e s s . R e m e m b e r t o h a v e f un a n d y o u will accelerate your learning.
mind relaxes and tber^
A s a n a n a lo g y , t h e s e c r e t o f b e c o m i n g a g o o d c o m m u n i c a t o r is to
n its own volition. Tliisli^
focus on w h a t y o u w a n t t o s a y a n d t o w h o m you want to say it, not on h o w yo u sa y i t. D o n o t a t t e m p t t o c o n t r o l y o u r m o u t h a s y o u s p e a k —y o u r
en on . first tell f P * * int (he«ns«erloa?*^
s u b c o n s ci o u s a l r e a d y d o e s t h i s f o r y o u . J u s t t h i n k o f t h e m e s sa g e yo u w a n t t o c o m m u n i c a t e a n d t h e m o u t h w ill d o t h e r e s t . A s tr al p r oj ec ti o n w o r k s th e s a m e w a y. D o n o t t h i n k o f h o w t o a s t r a l p r o j e c t , j u s t k e e p t h e will to astr al pr oject alive in your mind. Sit back and let the hidden side o f y ou ta k e y o u w h e r e y o u w a n t t o g o .
I
^
NTS> 1 "1 »0
Knowing T h e g r e a t e r p a r t o f c r e a t i o n c a n ’t b e g r a s p e d w i t h o u r a n a ly t ic a l m i n d . I n f ac t, a n a l y t i c a l t h i n k i n g i s n o t n a t u r a l t o t h e n o n p h y s i c a l s p i r it s t h a t w e
J&Zs-
a re . It is a p r o d u c t o f y e a r s o f t r a i n i n g in s c h o o l s a n d a c a d e m i e s. D u r i n g
O 1-
h a v e b e e n b l i n d e d b y t h e b e l i e f t h a t l o g ic i s t he o n l y t r u s t w o r t h y t o o l b y
o u r a t t e m p t s t o f i n d o u t w h a t t h i s t h i n g a r o u n d u s c a ll e d e x is t e n c e is, w e
w h i c h t o u n d e r s t a n d it. R e l ig i o n s h a v e g o n e a s t r a y a n d m i ll io n s o f p e o p le h a v e b e e n m i s le d b e c a u s e s o m e p e o p le , a l t h o u g h w i t h g o o d i n t e nt io n s, have attempted to explain an uncomplicated truth with their heads rather t h a n w i t h t h e i r h e a r t s. R e p e a t e d ly , w e f ail to u n d e r s t a n d w h o w e a r e a n d w h a t h u m a n c o n s c i o u s n e s s i s b e c a u s e w e i n s is t o n t h i n k i n g w i t h o u r h e a d s.
So ho w are we supposed to unde rstand an ything without thinking? I t i s no t n e c e s s a r y to u n d e r s t a n d . T h i n g s d o n o t h a v e to m a k e s e n se . M a n y r e a li ti e s o u t s i d e th e p h y s i c a l d o n o t a p p l y t o th i n k i n g . T h i n g s j u s t a r e a n d w h e n w e a tt e m p t to u n d e r s t a n d w h y t h e y j u s t a r e , w e c h a n g e
t h e m f r o m j u s t b e i n g in t o s o m e t h i n g t h a t w e c r e a t e d b y t h i n k i n g , s o m e thing that they are not. This concept appears complicated, but only b e c a u s e w e t r y to g r a s p i t b y t h i n k i n g . I n t h i s li gh t , R e n 6 D e s c a r t e s ’ p h i l o s o p h i c a l a x i o m , “ I t h i n k , t h e r e f o r e I a m , ” s e e m s m i s g u i d e d . I t is quite possible to exist without thinking. It is actually easier to tell w h e t h e r y o u e x i st w h e n y o u a r e n o t t h i n k in g .
A Native American medicine woman once told me: “You are a very analytical person . You think up he re (pointing to my h ea d). But you have to remember that this (pointing to my chest) is where we all live.” Is it possib le th a t logic has n o th in g to d o w ith w h o w e a re , w h e re we live? Could it be th at logic is an a rtificial in stru m en t an d, the re for e, is poorly equipped to investigate ce rtain sets o f pro blem s? I think so. W hat we must do, in order to find answers to what we are and what existence is, is to sense with our hearts. Not the muscle, but the universal energy gateway that lives in it. Some people think with their heads. Some even think with the ir fists. But all peo ple live in th e ce n te r of the chest. Our strongest tool for understanding is feeling, but only when feeling is not littered by thoughts. Feeling and emotion are not the same thing. Emotions often cloud feelings. For example, anger will surely prevent you from feeling a spirit pre se nc e aro un d you. In o rd e r to use this feeling, you have to be well acquainted with your female energies, your y in .
Saturday, Ja nu ary 26, 2 0 0 2 Firing Rationality What I feel and what I think haue been conflicting lately, leaving me confused and frustrated. I hereby decid e not to u se t he rational part o f me that analyzes and cat egorizes euerything. From now on, I will let only m y feelings gu ide me.
The w orst thing you can do in the a stral is to a ttem pt to analyze wh at is happ ening. Th e a stral cha ng es a t you r com m an d; if you invoke analytical thoug hts, your astra l rea lity will m irro r the m , undoubtedly preventi ng yo u fr om se n sing w h a t you c a m e t h e r e to e xplo re.
%
Attitude
X ,
W h e n I f i rs t a s t r a l p r o j e c t e d , I k n e w I s h o u l d n o t a t te m p t t o a n aly z e the expe rience. B ut I did, even thou gh I did my b es t not to. It is a habit a na ly tic al m i n d s h a v e . W e c h o o s e t o u n d e r s t a n d r a t h e r th a n t o e x p e r i e nc e. I f w e w a n t t o s t o p a n a l y z i n g i n th e a s t r a l , w e h a v e t o q u i t t h e h a b i t
‘ < * S t
(o r m a y b e I s h o u l d u s e t h e w o r d a d d i c t i o n ? ) o f a n a l y z i n g e v e r y t h i n g th a t happens to us, both in the physical and in the astral. Consciously analyzing the astral projection experience often leads to false c o n c lu s io n s b e c a u s e o u r a n a l y t i c a l m i n d s c a n ’t g r a s p t h e w h o l e e x p e rience. Plus, reason has a tendency to explain new experiences by draw in g p a r a ll e ls t o o l d e x p e r i e n c e s . S i n c e a s t r a l p r o j e c t i o n is a t o ta l ly n e w e x p e ri en c e t o m o s t o f u s a n d s o u n l i k e a n y t h i n g p r e v io u s l y e x p e r i e n c e d , c o m p a ri ng it t o w h a t w e a l r e a d y k n o w o n l y li m i ts i t a n d t h e r e b y l im i ts u s . T h e r e is a b e t t e r w a y to u n d e r s t a n d t h e a s t r a l . W h a t y ou e x p e r i e n c e in t h e a s t ra l , o r a n y w h e r e f o r t h a t m a t t e r , is s u c k e d u p by y o u r s u b c o n sc io us . It is m u c h m o r e c a p a b l e o f h a n d l i n g th i n g s l ik e t h e a s t r a l t h a n y o ur r a t i o n a l , a n a l y t ic a l m i n d . Y o u r s u b c o n s c i o u s d o e s n o t f o rg e t . I t will g o o v e r t h e e x p e r i e n c e u n t i l t h e r e is n o t h i n g m o r e t o go o ve r . S lo w ly a n d invisibly, the kn ow ledg e will craw l up from t h e s u b c o n s c i o u s i n t o y o u r conscious mind.
Exercise: Turning to Feeling 1. Close y o ur eyes. Relax y o u r m ind . 2. Move yo ur center o f thou gh t to ju st below the center of yo ur chest. This is a good place to sense intuition. 3. Put yo ur palms toge ther in fro nt of yo ur chest with yo ur fingers up. 4. Look for a bubbling sensation in your chest. 5. N ote th at because you focus on the chest, thoug hts seem less eager to pop into y o u r m in d. Your an alytical m in d will have to process fewer thoughts tha n you are used to. 6. Continue yo ur day with the cen ter of tho ug ht focused in yo ur chest, with the analytical m ind at rest and your intuition active. 7. Be obse rvan t o f any feeling of spirits mov ing arou nd you.
vO11 Jit
r
8. Practice keeping the cen ter of th ou gh t in yo ur c hest every day, so tha t you do it ou t of habit in the astral.
As tral Projection a n d th e Natu re o f Re ality
P a t i e nc e One of the radical things I have no ticed abo ut as tral projection is that each time 1project, an experience has already been prepared for me. It is as if I (or possibly som eo ne else in ter es te d in my m ind evolu tion) have set up the conditions for the projection, including the envi ronm en t and interac tion. It seem s as if ou r lives are un de r meticulous m o n i to r in g , b u t b y a h i d d e n p a r t o f o u r s e l v e s . E a c h p r o j e c t io n r e p r e s e n t s a l es s o n, d e s i g n e d t o f u r t h e r m y u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f m y s e lf . Ea ch lesson should be digested before the next projection can take place. Sometimes weeks pass without a single projection. Then I finally r e a li z e t h e i m p a c t o f t h e p r e v i o u s p r o j e c t i o n . T h e n e x t d ay , I a m p r o je c tin g again . It seems nothing will come until we are ready, and in order to be ready, we have to reflect on and learn from previous experiences. Each experience builds on top of a previous lesson, and having an experience is meaningless unless we learned the lesson upon which the experience bu ilds. R efle cti on c a n ’t ta k e p la c e in a n im p a tie n t m in d , so w e ha ve to calm our minds and give ourselves time to grow from our experiences. Ironically, slowing down is the faste st w ay to a cc ele rate the frequency of experiences.
Love I c a n ’t u n d e r l in e e n o u g h t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f b e i n g i n a g o od mood w h e n p r o je c t in g . W h e n y o u e n t e r t h e a s t r a l , y o u d o n o t p i ck up a new set of em otions; you take w ith you w ha tev er you a re feeling. As Deepak Chopra m ight say, “T hou ghts a re tiling s.” W h ate ve r em otions you have stir up
thoug hts,
w hich
tu rn
into
tan gib le
thin gs
in the
astral.
Un derstandably, you r astra l p roje ction could g et ugly if you harbor neg ative emotions. It is no fun feeling scared during a projection, as I have on several occasions. W h a t is w o r s e , e m o t i o n s a r e o f t e n s u p p r e s s e d i n t h e p hy sic al rea lm , but th e re is no such c o n tr o l in th e a s tr a l. W h a te v e r s u p p re ss e d em otions you bring into the astral will be unleashed. You must therefore create t h e s t a rt in g p o i n t o f a g o o d m o o d b e f o r e a t t e m p t i n g t o e n t e r t h e astra^ As m entioned in the previou s C ircle, love is th e be st antidote to fe
and other negative emotions. You ran, at any time, create a feeling of love simply by relax ing yo ur m ind, focusing on your ch est, an d letting the love radiate from there. The love will dispel any negative emotions. It
,f< > be
next
W l arere,dV- a,,di"*«.
1from previous experimai,
lesson, and havingamp. ?sson upon w h i c h th e e p ? ] impatient m i n d . s o w »to grow f r o m o u r e xp e n d iv to acceleraie iliefwf*'1
only takes a few seco nd s to ac com plish b ut will allow for hou rs of fun in the astral. Use this technique before any astral projection.
The Energy o f Intent Everything 3™W ijuihesame en er gy .
Monday, No vem ber 11, 20 02 One Type o f Energy The cat wakes me up in the mid dle o f the night. He is running aroun d like mad, staring out each wind ow in turn. Barb is wor ried that th ere might be so m eo ne or som e thing outside the cabin. I fe el I haue be en taught som ething during sleep, perhaps in an astral learning center. One pa rt o f m e was e du ca ted wh ile ano ther part of me dreamed about going to a uniuersity. P erhaps the drea m wa s a co ns equ en ce o f the fact that I u;as in an astral learning center; on e part o f me affec ts a not her part o f me. What I was taught was a lesson in energy. I wake up a nd kn ow that there is only
0r noi
one type of energy in the uniuerse. It is ever yw he re a nd I can se ns e it. We all can. It feels like po ck ets o f energy, sp re ad a bout in th e a ir a nd in ma tter. The higher concen tration o f pock ets in a place, the m or e ene rgetic th at place is. I loo k at Barb an d sense she consists o f poc kets o f energy. Euerything doe s. My su btle parts are in charge. My ational mind has yet to awaken, or I cho ose not to us e it. Is that on e type o f energy e - N o . . . n /ee/s more like the energy o f intent. In any case, I cho ose no t to analyze
\X
f ,.
it, because I know that my subco nscious already kn ow s exactly wha t the energy is and
"V analytical mind w ould there fore o nly get in th e way. pect from the c om motio n tha t ther e m ay b e alie ns abo ut, so I ge t ou t o f the
144
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h
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N
The Energy of Inten t bed, which is mad e out o f pocke ts of energy, an d peer out the window. I am scared of the idea that aliens, o r ev en w orse — h u m a n s — c o u l d b a rg e i n h er e a n d t a ke u s a w a y to perform painful experiments. I am afraid o f the potential pain, no thing more. The pro spe ct of cultu ral exc hang e exc ite s me. Th e d a rk n e ss a n d the w ob b li n g light from the fires tove p ut m e in a s p o o k e d m ood. Th en I re al iz e that if al ie n s co m e a ro un d, with their interdimensional com m unica tion devices, there w ou ld surely be a disturbance in the pockets of energy outside, an d I w ould feel this like ripples up on a pond. Reassured, the fear dissipate s.
f Innm
The next morning, Barb tells m e sh e h a d a h yp na go gic imag e of a tall, steelgray alien looking at us throu gh the w ind ow s as we slept. Perh aps h e w as gazing at us from another dimen sion a nd co uld o nly be seen in the hypna gogic state, w hen reason is asleep.
Everything you see, think, hear, feel, emote, and smell is created from the s am e energy. T he re is only on e type of energy in the universe. From all my astral exploration, the closest I can come to describing that energy is that it is the energy of i n t e n t . Nothing in the universe would exist unless there were the intent for it to be. All matter, feelings, and thoughts exist because someone intended to experience them. This also means that if you experienc e them , you intended to experience them . The intent of having them attra cts inten t energy from the universe, which has energy in abundance, and forms the energy into the intended m a n i f es ta ti o n. T h e r e a r e t w o p o i n t s t o r e m e m b e r w h e n i t co m e s t o th is energy: 1. T he re is an a lm ost nev er-ending supply of energy. The supply
******
is as large as our intention to exist. 2. By simply intending something, whether physical or nonphysical, you can create it from raw intent energy. The energy of intent can be tuned to vibrate at certain frequencies. How do you m ake t h at h ap pe n? By intending it of course! Your mind consists of several d im ension s, as you a re a mu ltidim ensional being. Each dimension of your mind has an energy mold. A mold is a mind func tion that manipulates energy according to your intentions. Each mold is tuned according to what energy frequencies that mold works with. The ph ysica l energ y m old is tu n ed to process a lo w -fre qu en cy energ y th at we call physical matter. This mold sucks in raw intent energy from the uni verse and adjusts its frequ ency so that it can be s haped and held in place 145
Astr al Projection a n d rite Natu re o f Reality
as subatomic particles. These are not solid particles at all, of course; they are just energy of intent vibrating at certain frequencies. There is no such thing as a solid particle. The physical energy mold intends for energy to interact in a certain way for it to form molecules. The mole cules are in turn intended to form cells in your body. These molecules and cells are not solid particles a t all, o f co urse; they are ju st e nergy of intent vibrating at certain frequencies. Everything is the same energy (see figure 5). Since Einstein pub lished On a Heu ristic Viewp oint concern ing the Production an d Transfor mation o f Light in 1905, science has known that light can be described
as both a pa rticle and a wave form . In 1924, Louis de B roglie discovered t h a t m a t t e r a ls o b e h a v e s a s
both
a p article
and
a w a v e f o rm . 12
Apparently, we ar e living in the m iddle o f a big wave. Pe rhaps emotions and thoughts will also be found to have wave properties. The emotional and mental energy molds work in the same way as t h e ph y sic a l e n e r g y m o ld , e x c e p t t h e y a r e t u n e d t o p r o c e s s e n e r g i e s with f r e q u e n c ie s r e p r e s e n t i n g e m o t i o n s a n d t h o u g h t s , r e s p e c t i v e ly . T h e r e are m a n y m o r e e n e r g y m o l d s i n o u r m i n d s , b u t f o r t h e s a k e o f s im p li cit y, we will stick to only these three. T h e t h r e e e n e r g y m o l d s a ff e c t e a c h o t h e r . F o r e x a m p l e , i f t h e m en t al m o l d m a n i f e st s ( f r om y o u r i n t e n t ) a t h o u g h t o f i n a d e q u a c y , t h e em o tional m old will m anifes t, p er h a p s w ith a few d ay s’ delay, the anxiety of
Mental (Though t) Energy Emotional Energy Astral M as s En ergy Visible Light an d C olor Spe ctrum Energy Sound Energy Physical M as s En ergy figure 5. Energy frequency.
The Energy of Intent inadequacy.
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The physical mold will then deliberately fumble in its mani
festation of fresh c ells, th ere b y fo rm ing the con ditions for disease to enter , cr eating the physical m ean ing o f inadeq uacy . Likewise, the ener gy molds also affect each other in positive ways. A simple positive thought can turn the tide on an extended depression or disease. The molds themselves are servants to your intent. Anything you
S> Si,
intend to ha pp en , th e m olds will m anif est, given som e tim e. See, you can s% .
that '
have anything you w an t simpl y by in tending to have i t. The pr oblem is t h a t w e a s h u m a n b e i n g s a l m o s t a l w a y s h a v e d o u b t s ( b o r n f r o m b e li efs ) that tell us some things are unattainable or that we are not worthy of
!icle8nda»»% |W * " * * • * , Properties.
exper iencing them . This is all wr o ng, be cau se ev er ything is attainab le a nd w e a r e w o r t h y o f e v e r y t h i n g . H o w e v e r, a s l o ng a s w e h a v e th o s e beliefs a n d d o u b ts, o u r i n te n t wi ll b e sa b o ta g e d a n d w e will fail to m an if est the things we desir e.
v o r ^ l n t h e s a m e w ay a
Now , r e m e m b e r th e a n s w e rs to th e s e q u e stio n s: Is it possib le fo r y ou
e n e r g ie s u i
to leave your physical body? Yes, because anything is possible. Are you
i respectively. T h e r e a ?; he sake of s i m p l i c i t y , «
wor thy of an out- of- body ex pe r ienc e? Yes, you a r e w or thy of everything.
1to process
or example, ifthe-n# ■tadeq m n*® ’ ,■ d e l a y . * * ® *
Exercise: No Doubts M ake these statem en ts yo u r m ottos w henever you make a decision: "Anything is possible." "1 am w orth y o f everything ."
Manifesting through Intent 1. Tonight as you lie in bed, w ith yo u r eyes closed, create y o u r fu ture astral projection by visualizing ex itingy ou r body and floating around. This is a direct instruction to y o u r energy m olds to adjus t the way they process energy in order to make the projection happen.
,ergy
truf71
£n 1
2. Visualize other things you want in your life. Anything you visualize w ith su fficient intensity and perseverance will happen. 3. Visualize ho w y o u r next day will be. For each thing yo u have to do tomorrow, visualize the best outcome for you.
147
i#
Energy Exercises
W h e n t h e e n e r g y t h r o u g h p u t in t h e e n e r g y m o l d s d e s c r ib e d e a rl i e r is c o n s c io u s ly a d j u s t e d , o d d a n d u n e x p e c t e d t h i n g s m a y o c c u r . If y o u i n t e n t i o n a l ly i n c r e a s e t h e f l o w o f e n e r g y t h r o u g h , f o r e x a m p l e , o n e of y o u r l e g s , t h e n t h e m u n d a n e e n e r g y p a t t e r n s i n t h a t l e g w i ll b e u p s e t a n d y o u w ill g e t p h y s ic a l- l i k e s e n s a t i o n s t h a t s e e m t o b e l o n g t o a n o t h e r d i m e n s io n - w h i c h t h e y d o . Tuesday, Jan ua ry 2, 20 01 Ast ra l Tou ch I wake up at Ha .m . and dec ide to ha ve an OBE. I relax m y b od y an d clear my mind. Thoughts ke ep coming, so I decid e to try to listen fo r a so un d. I convince mys elf that my computer will soon prod uce a beep. W hen a nd if I hear th e beep, I am to get out of bed immediately. Therefore, it is v ery im po rtan t tha t I react to th e so un d as quickly as possible. This is silly, because m y com pute r is no t ev en tu rned on. Anyway, it works. My mind silences all thoughts in order to b e a ble to hear th e bee p. or a while, I feel a current r un fr om th e to p o f m y h ead d ow n to m y chest. I t feels lust ike the times I ha ve to uch ed electrical fence s, o nly it doe s no t hurt. I do not know W ^ 14 8
f° *° from here■ 1caU out for help. Two spirits, bot h male, com e to my assistance
ron„
Energy Exercises (this could be pretending). I as k them wha t to do to get out of my body. O ne o f them (the tall one) says, "Yo u s h ou ld go pe e." I ne ed to do that, but I think it would require too much effort to get b ac k to m y curre nt state an d I tell them so. H e repeats: "You should go pee." I say, “Ok, I will be b ac k in five. W ill y o u be w aiting ?" They reply, "Yes.” I regain control of m y b od y a n d g o to the bathroom. I get back into bed, clear m y m ind b y listening for the beep, an d so on I am near them again. I try to talk to them, bu t th ey are in so m e k in d o f trance. They are sitting with their legs crossed, a s s om e p eo ple d o w he n meditating. I call out for them again.
>-*
This time they resp on d. I as k them w hy they we re in trance just now. They reply that
“• O C j
they were trying to con ne ct to me. Then I realize that these guy s are alive an d engaged in meditation, ju st like I am. I ask them again ho w to get out o f m y body. They say I sh ou ld “relax an d go with the flow." I notice that m y fore he ad is no t relaxed e nou gh; it w as strained w hen I listened for the beep. I relax it a n d fo llow the flow. I just pas sively float along anything that com es into m y mind. I drift clo se r to sleep. A vis ion co m es along: I am sitting at the kitchen table. I stroke the side o f the table w ith m y right hand , a n d it feels real! I can feel the w o o d again st m y fi ng er s. I a m al ert ed b y th is s ensa ti on , a n d it ke e ps m e fro m falling asleep . Si m ilar th in gs h a p p e n tw o m o re tim es in th e b ed . I drift cl o se r t o sle ep
V m o ld s described earlier
and
H Q
However, I am sure that m y physica l foot do es not m ove an inch.
s ma y occur. If you
■ T f
example one of 6 -ii h
that
l e g v'
1
setawl
]
feel m y right foo t kick, like a spa sm . I feel it m ov e a n d I feel it hit the sheets.
So m e time later, I drift close r to sleep ag ain a n d feel m y right han d caress the sheets
f°r 15 seconds, but m y ph ysical ha nd do es not move. Additionally, I feel those sensations In Sp/fe 0ft he fact that m y b o d y is re laxed to the extreme that I c a n ’t feel it. Then I ha ve to g o to the b at hro om again. I feel a c o o l b re ez e o n m y ri ght ch eek a s I get up. The tw o following attempts fail; I fall aslee p in m y t hird attempt a n d no thing ha p pe ns in my fourth. I believe that the zon e b etwe en extreme relaxation a n d sleep is the key to having an OBE. I ne ed to explore that zone.
R
,
in d c W ® \ \
T h e s e n s a t i o n s t ell y o u t h at y o u r lo g c a n h o s o m u c h m o r e t h a n w h a t
^0U ^ a v e ’ b y h a b i t , v i e w e d y o u r l e g to b o. T h e y t oll y o u t h a t t h is
is a
iu n d I C° j g f p t o (
m u l t id i m e n s i o n a l l eg , u s e d f o r w a l k i n g n o t o n l y
a l so
r thebeeP’
' n t h e w h o l e o f c r e a t i o n , i n a ll d i m e n s i o n s .
J
■fto the S °Un mooft5'^
in the physical but
W h e n e n e r g y is s e t i n m o t io n , n o n p h y s i c a l e n e r g y c h a n n e l s in t he le g a re e n e rg iz e d . T h e s e e n e r g y c h a n n e l s c o m p a r e t o n a d i s , e n e r g y c h a n n e l s l° n g k n o w n in H i n d u i s m . W h e n e n e r g y f lo w s th r o u g h c e rt a in e n er g y c h a n n e l s , y o u c a n f ee l it a s a s e n s a t i o n s i m i l a r t o a m e d i u m - s t r e n g t h
^
h **" dd°w
^a ldOn° ^
oCe
,49
Astr al Pr ojection a n d th e N atu re o f R eality
electrical current running through your leg. Those energy channels are not physical channels, thus the sensation is not physical. Astral projec tors know this sensation as vibrations. N o t e t h a t y o u d o n o t n e e d t o achieve this sen sation in ord er to as tral pro ject. You do no t even have to do energy exercises, but they may help. N onphysic al e n e rg y c h a n n e ls m o stl y ta k e o n p a tte r n s o f h a b it . Th ey fi nd o n e w a y t o c h a n n e l e n e r g y i n to y o u r b e i n g t h a t w o r k s a n d t h e y s tic k to that. In ord er to exp lore new way s of being—astra l projec tion for e x a m p l e —w e n e e d t o u p s e t t h o s e h a b i t u a l e n e r g y p a t t e r n s . E n e r g y e xe r cises are one way we can do that. E n e r g y c h a n n e l s th a t w e d o n o t u s e d u r i n g o u r w a k i n g t im e t e n d to slumber. Just like a muscle that is never used, they grow weak and inef ficient. To upset their slumber, all we have to do is consciously increase the energy flow through them.
Exercise: Circle of Energy 1. In b e d a t n i g h t , c lo s e y o u r e y e s a n d i m a g i n e a w h o l e u n iv e r se o f energy. 2 . S u c k in r h e e n e r g y t h r o u g h y o u r c h e s t. 3 . F r o m th e r e , i t w ill tr a v e l all t h e w a y d o w n t o y o u r f ee t. 4 . T h e e n e r g y w i ll e x i ty o u r b o d y t h r o u g h t h e s o l e s o f y o u r fe e t a n d t he n m a k e a n a rc u p t h r o u g h t h e a i r t o y o u r c h e s t, w h e r e i t w i ll j o i n th e e n e rg y f ro m t h e u n i v e r s e a s i t e n t e r s y o u r c h e s t. 5 . K ee p th i s c ir c le o f e n e r g y f l o w i n g f o r a b o u t 2 0 m i n u t e s . B e c are fu l no t t o o v e r h e a t y o u r s e lf . 6 . R e p e a t t h i s e x e r c i se e v e r y e v e n i n g .
A fter 20 m inute s of direc ting the en erg y flowing through your bod), you m ight feel tingly, buzz ing, light, a n d m ay be even a little high. are symptoms of inactive energy channels suddenly turned active,
^
h av e c h a n g e d t h e n o n p h y s i c a l -------------e n e r g y p a t t e r n s i n y o u r bo d y, s o n atw ) — • pa tte rn s, evei you e x p e ri e n c e n e w s e n s a t i o n s . T h i s c h a n g e i n t h e e n e r gy p — .........
---
il it only lasts for a few ho ur s, allow s you to t h i n k in ne w pa tterns. I for a m ore dynamic, fluid, an d op en w ay of m anaging your thoug
150
V
Energy Exercises
v '/
Why do peop le climb m ou nta ins? It is dang ero us, cold, an d a lot of work.
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'They do it becau se th e ac t o f climbing an d con que ring is outside of their habits of life- In term s o f en ergy , m ou ntain climb ing provide s a w ay to upset their energy p a tter n s, b oth physical and non physical, allowing ene rgy to flow in unused chan nels. T he new flow o f en ergy m akes m oun tain climbers feel m ore alive. Now , w e d o n ot have to risk ou r lives climbing m ou ntains in
"g-astrai
order to exp erience such a ne w en erg y flow. All we have to do is direct the
y pattern,
energy flow with o ur m ind to ac hieve a sim ilar excited s tate of being. W h e n p e o p le c l im b m o u n t a in s , t h e i r p h y sic a l a n d m e n ta l e n e rg y flow s c h a n g e o u t o f n e c e s s i ty . T h e y m u s t c h a n g e i n o r d e r t o k e e p f r om
5UrWaki" ^ e lwd,
fallin g o f f t h e m o u n t a i n w a l l . I n t h e c a s e o f a s t r a l p r o j e c t i o n , i t is n o t
l6J gro'v,veakandi»t
n e c e ss a ry f o r t h e f lo w s t o c h a n g e . W e s im p l y m u s t p u t m o r e e f f o r t i nto
JS consciously increase
visualizing nonphysical energy flowing through our body.
Exercise: Creating through Energy a w h o l e u n iv e r se o f
r feer.
1. C l o s e y o u r e y e s . 2 . I n te n d y o u r b o d y t o b e m o r e f lu i d , d y n a m ic , o p e n , a n d c o n d u civ e . 3. S uc k in e n e r g y f ro m t h e u n iv e r s e th r o u g h a n y p o i n t o f y o u r b od y . 4. V i su a liz e t h e e n e r g y w a s h i n g o v e r y o u r i n t e n t o f f lu id i ty , m a k i n g y o u r i n t e n t b e c o m e re a lity .
fyou i-fatand rtf1
here i t wi« j»in tk
I f y ou w a n t , y o u c a n u s e t o o l s t o h e l p y o u d i r e c t e n e rg y . C r y s t a l s a r e especially useful. Any type of qu a rtz c rysta l is good for sucking in energy
( j « s . B e c a r e fi 1' " o t
of intent. If you have a co up le of crystals, th a t is g rea t, bu t you do not have to buy any new cry stals if you do not have any. You can use an ordi nary rock, a plant, or even dirt. Remember, the power to direct energy of intent lies within you r mind , no t in a physical object. T he m ind, how ever, often believes m ore in ex tern al ph ysical objects than in its own abil
th ro uS 1'
a J j t tl e
.flies'
v »«
t u r 0 t d " ofi*®
■body’^ your
th OOP*
eC
ities. It might, the re fore , be helpful to p rete nd tha t the objects channel the energy, rather than the mind itself. To optimize the energy flow, you have to find points on your body that are especially open to energy input. These points may coincide with chakras, as these have high concentrations of nonphysical energy channels. Chakra is a San skrit wo rd th at m ean s “wh eel.” A chak ra is thought to be
Astra l Projection a n d th e N a tu re o f R eali ty
an energy node channeling vitality into the physical body. The seven main chakras are aligned along the spine.
Exercise: Finding Energy Points 1. Close y o u r eyes. 2. Say out loud: "I." 3. Scan your body for areas that light up, tingle, or feel especially alive when uttering "I." These areas have strong energy flows. 4. Make a n ote o f where those areas are.
Once you have a coup le of en erg y ob jects (roc ks will suffice) and k n o w y o u r b o d y ’s s t r o n g e n e r g y s p o t s , y o u c a n o p t i m i z e t h e e n e r g y flo w t h ro u g h y o u r b o dy . D o t h e f o l lo w i n g e x e r c i s e o n c e a f t e r w a k i n g u p , on ce in t h e a f t e r n o o n , a n d o n c e b e f o r e g o in g t o s l e e p , f o r t h r e e d a ys . T his should get your energy flowing.
Exercise: Individualized Energy Flow
Most astral pj
I. Lie down.
body. This is n o t a
2. Place one energy obje ct (crystal, rock, p lant, etc.) on on e o f yo ur areas
physical body to o r
of strong energy flow. 3. Place ano ther e nergy object on an oth er area o f yo ur body th at has strong energy flow, preferably not too close to the first area. 4. Close y o u r eyes. 5. As you inhale, visualize energy flowing from the first energy object, through yo ur body, and o ut into the second energy object. 6. Rest du ring y ou r exhale. 7. Continue steps 4 throu gh 6 for ten m inute s. You do no t have to concen trate. Let yo ur tho ug hts wa nde r. The energy f low will take care of itself. 8. When done, just for fun, hold your palms an inch apart. Do you feel a warm, slightly tingling, presence of energy? 9. Also, pu ty o u r right palm ha lf an inch b eh ind yo ur head. Do you feel
Projection lite ra tu r to human tra di tio (which it is n o t). VI
Exit Techniques
Most astral projections are preceded by the exit from the physical body. T h is is n o t a n a c tu a l e x it, a s m u c h a s a s h if t o f a tt e n ti o n fro m y o u r physic al b o d y t o o n e o f y o u r n o n p h y s ic a l b o d ie s . T h e f a c t t h a t o ld e r a s tr a l p ro je c ti o n l it e r a t u r e r e f e r s to t h e s h if t o f a tt e n t i o n a s a n e x i t is c a u s e d b y t h e h u m a n t r a d i ti o n a l b e l i e f t h a t t h e p h y s ic a l is o u r n a t u r a l s t a t e o f b e in g (w h ic h i t is n o t ) . W h e n r e s e a r c h e r s t r i e d t o e x p l a in t h e a s t r a l p r o j ec t io n p h e n o m e n o n in t h e o ld d a y s , t h e y n a tu r a ll y a s s u m e d t h a t s o m e p a r t o f us ex it e d w h a t t h e y t h o u g h t w a s t h e c e n t e r o f o u r b e in g , o u r b o d ie s . W h a t if t h e r e a r e p a r t s o f u s t h a t a r e n e v e r ac tu a ll y in o u r b o d i e s , b u t fly in g f r e e in n o n p h y s ic a l r e a l m s ? F o r e x a m p le , d o yo u c o n s id e r y o u r d r e a m i n g s e lf t o b e i n s id e y o u r b o d y ? T h a t p a r t o f y ou n e v e r c o n c e r n s your physical body. You never bring your physical body into a dream (which is not to say that this is an impossible feat). Therefore, dreams do not take place in the physical realm, which is the same as saying that d r e a m s a r e n o n p h y s ic a l. T h e r e is n o n e e d f o r y o u r d r e a m i n g s e l f t o e v e r d ip i n t o th e p h y s ic a l. I t w o u ld m a k e s e n s e t h a t y o u r d r e a m i n g s e l f is pu rely n o n p h y sica l, w h ic h is to say th a t it n e v e r ex it s y o u r p h ysic al bo dy. The same applies to your astral self.
A stral Pr ojection a n d th e N a tu re o f R eality
W hen you astral p roject, you shift your aw aren ess from the physical body to a p a rt o f y o u rse lf a lr e a d y re sid in g in th e a s tra l re a lm . T h e sh ift would be so quick tha t you would in ter pr et it as an actual physical move ment. After all, your awareness is currently tuned into the physical. A second later, you would find yourself in the astral. The impression of physic al m o v e m e n t a n d th e res u lti n g n ew e n v ir o n m e n t m ay tric k you
cn«e:
y0Ur£
into believing you exited y our body, w he n in fact it was a simp le shift of a w a r e n e s s f ro m o n e p a r t o f y o u r b e i n g t o a n o t h e r . T h e e x i t is a d i ff ic u l t s u b j e c t m a d e e v e n m o r e c o m p l ic a t e d by a p h y sic a l-c e n te re d lan g u a g e , b u t sti ll , it is w o rth sp e n d in g so m e tim e t h in k i n g ab ou t. . K n o w i n g t h e m e c h a n i c s o f a w a r e n e s s i s f u n d a m e n t a l to finding our true nature: Are we physical beings able to temporarily e s c a p e t h e l im i t s o f t h a t p h y s ic a l b o d y , o r a r e w e n o n p h y s i c a l b e in g s ab le to tune into a physical body?
Sunday, Ju ne 10, 2001
of us, o ti r a w a i e n e s i
RollOut I
am ve ry tired in t he after no on , so I go to b ed at 5
p. m
. I
do not plan to astral proj
ect. I ope n m y m ind to psyc hic co mm unica tion. I slip in an d o ut o f Focus 10 (Robert
noi s to p t h e r e b u t c i for ex am ple.
Monroe's nam e fo r the “bo dy asle ep/m in d aw ak e" state) a nd s lu m ber o ff a few times.
H o we ver, i n o r d e i
After an h our a nd HOm inutes, I im pu lsively think, “Enough o f this, le t’s get out!”I try to
"M i, th e p h y s i c a l b o c
sit up, but th ere is massive resistance in m y chest. I on ly m anage to sit up at a H5-degree angle from my still-lying body. I thin k that it might b e be tter to roll out. I have never used rolling as a technique to get out before, so something beyond must be inspiring me. I roll inside m y physical b ody. At first, I think my ph ysica l bo d y is m ov in g along in the roll, bu t then my astral bo dy brea ks free. I fall through the b ed , throug h the floor, a nd ou t into a dark space.
mgit
inste ad .
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h*' for u s t o b e a w a n
^ 11 the h y p n a g o g i JS'experie!
C s,beneficia|«
This is a d isappoin tment, beca use I want to p roje ct insid e m y room . Far o ff in the dis tance, I see a planet or som e kind o f blurry light, a nd I figure that going there is the only fu n thing to do. My awaren ess is becom ing a bit s ti ff an d a ttach ed to m y physical body (although I am nowhere near it), so / roll a few m ore times an d am free once again. I raise my right arm like Superman and swoosh off at an amazing speed toward the planet. I am overw helm ed by m as sive tingling a nd vibration s! Halfway to the p lanet, I get bored. I still wan t to project inside m y room. I know
that visual input from my physical eye s will take m e ba ck to t he physical realm■ I ° P ^ my physical eyes a bit an d close them . I fin d m ys el f bac k in my room. I roll out onto
154
% i
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Weafe UP , p -
v x
Exit Techniqu es //oof and float aroun d for a few seconds. Then the experience ends an d I am not able
l n t 0 » L'V ®tr»> ^ l*ien, \ ,
al- \
A
,
to create anoth er astral proje ction .
An e x i t t e c h n i q u e i s a s e q u e n c e o f a c t i o n s t h a t p r e p a r e s a n d e x e c ute s t h e s h if t o f y o u r a w a r e n e s s f r o m t h e p h y s ic a l b o d y t o t h e p a r t o f
1,(* 0 % 'e r .
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r >
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you r e si d in g i n t h e a s t r a l . M o s t e x i t t e c h n i q u e s a r e d e s i g n e d t o m o v e , as if by accident, a sem iphy sical ( som e call it eth er ea l) p a r t of you. W hen t h a t p a r t o f y o u is s e t in m o t i o n , i t c a ll s u p o n y o u r a w a r e n e s s f o r y o u r conscious as sistance. You will notice this as a dis tinct but abstr act signal that tells you that you are ready to leave your body.
» « JQ o k l_ .
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You w ill t h e n g a i n m o r e c o n t r o l o v e r t h a t s e m i p h y s ic a l p a r t a s yo u move it f ur th er . You move it sim ply by inten din g to m ove it. An oth er way to move it is by atte m p ting to m ove yo ur phy sical body, which will by t h en b e a s l e e p . B e c a u s e t h e
b o d y i s a s le e p , y o u r a t t e m p t t o m o v e
instead moves the semiphysical part. When we intentionally or accidentally move that semiphysical part o f u s, o u r a w a r e n e s s i s s h i f t e d i n t o i t. I n m o s t c a s e s , t h e a w a r e n e s s d o e s n o t s to p t h e r e b u t c o n t i n u e s i n t o f ull y n o n p h y s i c a l p a r t s o f u s—t h e a s t ra l , for exam ple. H o w e ve r, i n o r d e r t o b e a b l e t o m o v e t h a t s e m i p h y s ic a l p a r t to b e gin with, the physical body has to be deeply asleep or we will end up mov ing it instead. We f ind the “body deep asleep” stat e in all sleep states, b ut for us to b e a w a r e e n o u g h to c o n tro l th e e x it , w e have to lim it o u r Im/H ,nd 0 i lbt
exits to the hypnagogic ( f alling asleep) and hypnop ompic ( waking up) states. I n my exp er ience , th e hypnagogic sta te, af te r a per iod o f sleep, is the most benef icial s tate f or exits. Per haps the r eason f or that is that
<5V w " * ’ . y
t h e bo d y is u s e d t o r e l in q u i s h i n g a w a r e n e s s t o t h e s le e p m e c h a n i s m d u r ing tha t phas e. W e ar e exp loiting the natu ral pro cess o f falling asleep for our astr al pr ojection pur poses. This means that we f ir st have to f all asleep, wake up, and then almost fall asleep again before we can apply
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an exit technique. Do not worry, it is easier than it sounds. W hen eve r the body falls asleep, the aw aren ess is automatically r eleased into the dr eam wor ld. W ith the aid o f an exit technique, we can p e rfo rm a p ree m p ti v e re le a se o f a w a re n e ss. T h e only dif fere nce be tw een th e tw o k inds o f r e le a se is th a t in a p re e m p ti v e re le a se , we rem ain conscious as the aw arenes s is release d from the body and shifted
Astral Projection a n d the N atu re o f R eality
into a nonphy sical pa rt o f us. This is called a con scious exit. T he re is an othe r, less reliable, typ e of exit called unc onscious exit. To achieve an unconscious exit, you first have to prepare for exit right before you fall asleep. You can do this by visualizing or affirming som ething, such as: “W hen I see my ha nd s in a drea m , I will know that I am dre am ing ,” or, “Ton ight I will have a lucid d re am ,” or, “Tonight I will realize I am dr ea m ing ,” or, “My m ission ton igh t is to investigate my Akashic records while I am asleep.” Th en fall sleep. T he p a rt o f you in cha rge w hile you sleep takes such c o m m a n d s w i t h o u t q u e s ti o n , b e c a u s e t h e r a t io n a l m i n d is n o t t h e r e t o tell it wh at is im po rtant an d w ha t is not. It will do its bes t to carry the m out. Later, in the m idst of drea m ing, you will suddenly realize th at you are not in the physical reality', but in a d re am reality. You will th en choo se between letting the dre am play out o r beco m ing conscious enoug h to take co ntrol of your environment. This can be a difficult choice, since reason will be too deeply asleep to he lp you figure out which o ne is m ore im po rtan t to you. T r a d i t i o n a l ly s p e a k i n g , y o u w il l h a v e a l u c id d r e a m , a l th o u g h i t is c o m m o n t h a t th e d r e a m e n v i r o n m e n t d i s s ip a t e s w h e n yo u b e c o m e con s c io u s, m a k i n g t h e e x p e r i e n c e s e e m m o r e l ik e a n a s t r a l p ro j e c t io n th a n a lu cid d r e a m . T h e d i f fe r e n c e b e t w e e n l u c id d r e a m i n g a n d a s t r a l p ro je c t io n s e e m s i n d i s t in c t a t t i m e s . H o w e v e r y o u d e f i n e a s t r a l p r o je c t io n a nd lucid dreaming, they are surely related. In this book, we only concern ourselves with conscious exits, which we will apply in the next chapter. For now, we will practice some exit t e c h n i q u e s o n d r y l a n d , t h a t i s, i n a w a k i n g p h y s ic a l s t a t e . W h e n w e get into that dazed hypnagogic state, we will know the exit technique so well, even falling asleep will not make us lose the thread.
Exercise: The Roll-Out 1. Place pillows next to th e bed , t o c us hio n y o u r fall in case yo u roll off the bed. 2. Lie on the bed. 3. Close your eyes. 4. Relax yo ur bod y and m ind w ith a few deep breaths.
Exit Techniques
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y o u r s h o u l d e r f o r w a r d a s i f y o u w e r e t o ro ll o u t o f b e d . D o n o t u se th e l o w e r h a l f o f y o u r b o d y . U s e o n l y y o u r s h o u l d e r s a n d b a c k to p ro p e l t h e r o l lin g m o v e m e n t . 6. Con tinue t h e r o ll w i th o u t using y o u r le gs until y o u a l m o s t fall o f f th e b ed . 5
Twist
7. R ep e at t h e ro ll a f ew t i m e s u n t i l y o u k n o w a p p r o x i m a t e l y w h i c h m u s cles you are using.
while
8. P re te nd t h a t y o u a r e d i s c o n n e c t e d f r o m t h e p h y s i c a l b o dy .
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I f y ou d o t h e l a s t s t e p in t h e e x e r c i s e a b o v e w h i le y ou a r e a lm o s t fa llin g a s l e e p , y o u r a w a r e n e s s w il l b r e a k f r e e f r o m t h e p h y s i c a l b o d y a n d
. s in c e rea so n will be to m o r e i m p o r t a n t to you
you w ill h a v e
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repel any attraction from the body.
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Additionally, once you have exited the body, you may use the roll to Roll-out is the easiest exit technique for me, but each astral projec
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tor has his own preference. Some might prefer to kick up a leg (that
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w o ul d b e a s e m i p h y s i c a l l e g , t h e n ) o r s im p l y si t u p . Y ou m i g h t e ve n m e e t
-je astral projection
s uc c e ss j u s t v i s u a l iz i n g b e i n g o u t s i d e t h e b o d y . T h e l is t o f e x it t e c h n i q u e s
cjpscious eats.
is e n d l e s s , b u t w e w i ll l o o k a t o n l y o n e m o r e . I t u s e s t h e p o w 'e r o f t h e mind and is, therefore, quite different from techniques in which you attempt to move your body.
^iU practice *0 Whe"
Exercise: AP Now!
the ewt
1. Lie o n y o u r b e d . 2. C l o se y o u r e y e s . 3. R ela x y o u r b o d y a n d m i n d .
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4. Turn yo ur a ttention to the base o f yo ur throat. 5. Gather all yo ur power of thou gh t in th at spot. 6. Hush all thoug hts as yo u w ait expectantly for som ethin g im por tant th a t will be declared by you in a few seconds. 7. Command: "AP Now!” (AP, of course, is short for astral projection.)
157
Asrra l Pro jec tio n a n d the N a tu re o f R eality
Since this exercise was done in waking consciousness, most likely nothing hap pen ed. However, in a hypnagogic state , th at is, w hen you are almost asleep, you r com m and will have im m ediate effect. Th e sleep states are con trolled in the realm of the m ind, so anything you mindfully command in such a state will have effect. The waking physical reality is also governed by the mind. Similar commands would have same effect there if it were not for beliefs telling us what we can and can’t do with our minds.
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Tonight you m Vou have prepared have all the knowle UPin ‘his and oth. knowledge while y
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Putting It All Together
T o n ig h t y o u w ill s e t o u t o n a n e x t r a o r d i n a r y jo u r n e y o f e x p lo r a ti o n . You h a v e p r e p a r e d f o r t h i s a l o n g t im e ( a t l e a s t f o r s e v e ra l c h a p t e r s ) . You h av e all t h e k n o w l e d g e a n d t e c h n i q u e s y o u n e e d . S o m e o f i t y ou p ic k ed u p in th i s a n d o t h e r b o o k s , b u t y o u r a s t r a l s e l f a c q u i r e d m o s t o f t h e k n o w l e d g e w h i l e y o u s l e p t . F o r m a n y o f y o u , t h i s i s y o u r f i r s t c o n sc i o u s a s tr a l p r o j e c ti o n a n d , t h e r e f o r e , i t is a n e x c it in g a n d j o y o u s o c c as i o n. L e t u s k e e p i t j o y o u s , s o s e t a s i d e a ll f e a r s . T h e y f u lf il l n o p u r p o s e , f o r t h e r e is n o t h i n g t o b e a f r a i d o f. P l e a s e r e a d t h e i n s t r u c t i o n s b e lo w c a r e f u ll y a n d m e m o r i z e th e m , s o t h a t y o u w il l h a v e n o p r o b l e m e x e c u ti n g t h e m t o n ig h t .
Exercise: Astral Projection Setting Up the Inte nt 1. Tell yo ur family n ot to wake yo u in the mo rning. If they are openminded, tell them th at y o u will be leavingyour body and m ust not be disturbed. If you susp ect they m ight n ot un ders tand this, instead tell them you will be meditating.
Astra! Projection a n d the N atu re o f Re ali ty
2. Be sure ro turn off any alarm clock—you do no t wa nt to wake up too
abruptly. 3. Before going to bed, write d ow n all the thin gs yo u have to do to m or row. Put rhe list dow n and forget ab ou t everything yo u wrote. The list will be there tomorrow, so it is unnecessary to keep all those things in you r mind. 4. In your mind s eye, imagine there is a deep well before you. Throw all your worldly worries and problems into rhe well. They can wait until tomorrow, too. You do nor need them right now. Also, throw all expectations and fears about the future into the well, as well as all pa infu l m em ories o f t he pa st. Right no w, th e re is only th e pr es ent. The p re sen t is th e only th in g you need rig h t no w. The pa st a nd the future can wait until tomorrow. 5. Tell yourse lf: “I have w ork ed ha rd for th is. I deserve an astral projection." 6. Then state : "I will lie do w n to n ig h t a nd I will n o t get up until I have pro je cted." No, no, no ! Say it like y o u m e a n it. 7. Lie do w n in y o u r bed as yo u usually do , in any pos ition, preferably not sharing the bed w ith anyone. You do n ot w an t anyone touching your bod y w hile y o u are pro je cte d aw ay fro m it, as th is m ig h t call y ou back. Do no t ruin yo ur m arriage over it, thoug h. 8. Close y o u r eyes. 9. Relax yo ur m ind. Let it sink. 10. Think clearly: "I intend to temporarily leave my body." Then visualize standing in an open field. Let the visualized person spread his arms an d yell a t the t o p o f his voice: "1 in te n d to tem po rari ly leave my bo dy !" In te n t d ecides w h a t h a p p e n s in nonphysic al realm s. By declar ing you r intent, yo u ins tru ct y o u r nonph ysical parts. Also, words may no t mean m uch in hu m an society, bu t in m o st nonphysical realities, including yo ur visualization, th ey are bi nd ing verbal contracts. Anything yo u say in th ese nonph ysical realm s will come to pass.
Getting into a Good Mood 11. Take a few dee p b rea ths to relax y o u r b od y an d m ind. Think toyo m self repeatedly: "W ith eve ry bre ath I take, I ge t m ore relaxed." 12. Move yo ur cen ter o f tho ug ht to just below the cen ter of your chest. This will help the flow of im ag ination w hile a t th e sam e time prevent thought energy from flowing to your head, the body part associate
with rea soning an d analytical th o ug ht. You will n ot need logic or rea son during this first astral trip, and you will definitely not need to analyze wh at is hap pe nin g to you. Invoking the analytical m ind might bri ng y ou ba ck to y o u r body, sin ce it will get d rea dfu lly co nfu se d. The reasoning m ind is quick to a ssum e, an d incorrectly so, th at yo u are in danger of bein g physically harm ed w hen yo u are released from you r body. This fear, o r p an ic rath er, will c u t s h o rt y o u r pro je ction. So,y ou can see the im po rtan ce of n ot analyzing. It is no t necessary to un der stand w ha t is hap pe nin g u ntil yo u get back to yo ur body. Until then, ju s t go w ith th e flow . 13. From a point in your chest, feel love for the Earth and all its inhabi tants. Bring to m ind som ethin g th at yo u love immensely. For exam ple, t h in k o f h o w w o n d e rfu l it is t o sit by a tr ic kling creek a nd breath e the sprin g air. Take the feeling o f love this gen erates in y our chest and radiate that love in all directions. A feeling of love will guarantee a po sitive experi ence in e v ery th in g y o u do, inclu din g astra l pro je ctio n.
Visualization and Affirmation 14. Visualize th a t you are s tan di ng in an op en m ead ow in a forest. Visualize as intensely as y ou can. All senso ry in pu t from th at m eadow should be at least as inten se as sensory in p ut from the physical body. 15. Visualize th e s u n ’s rays h ittin g y o u r feet. The w arm th relaxes them . 16. Affirm to yo u rse lf repe ated ly: "To nigh t I will AP." It is the person standing on the meadow that affirms this, not the person lying in bed . C onti nue th e affirm a ti o n th ro u g h o u t the whole visua liza tion (that is, until you fall asleep). 17. The warmth from the sun spreads from your feet up through your whole body, relaxing the muscles as it spreads. 18. The w ind gains speed over th e m eadow . A w arm breeze of air caresses your face. Feel the breeze. 19. You see the green grass waving in the breeze. 20. You smell th e d istinct scent of the pine trees surroun din g rhe meadow. 21. Visualize walking around in that meadow. Touch the grass, the bark of the trees, and everything else you come upon. 22. Con tinue visualizing walking aro un d in th at m eadow as yo u fall asleep. 23. You may wake up m any tim es du rin g th e night. Each time yo u wake
A st ra l Projection a n d rhe N atu re o f R eality
up, contin ue visualizing walking arou nd in t ha t m eadow as you fall back to sleep. Also re peatedly affi rm : "Tonight 1 will AP."
The Exit 24. Close to dawn, you will wake up in a fuzzy, floating state of mind. It may feel as if you r m ind is unsyn chronized with the body, as if the mind can’t gain command over the body. You may also experience several simu ltaneou s buzzing sensations th rou gh ou t yo ur m ind, each vibrating at a different frequency. You will have difficulty merging them into the single vibration required for coherent thinking. 25. Con tinue to visualize and allow you rself t o dro p a little closer—but no t all th e way—to sleep. The floatin g se nsa tion increases.
F i r Pif
26. You will receive a distin ct signal from the bo dy th a t says it is ready to release you . 27. Apply an exit technique. For example, push your right shoulder for ward to get m om en tum to roll ou t o f you r body. Since the physical bo dy is alre ady asleep, y o u r sem ip hysic al sh o u ld e r will m ov e in stead.. Your awareness will roll inside the body for a second and then eject from the body o n the left side. If th at do es no t work, push you r left shoulder forward instead and roll o u t to the rig ht side. 28. Have a nice rime in the astral.
If you did not sui exercise, do not des because ever y b e in g Sometimes you ju s t to some effort. Do n o t gi ^ 6rst thin g I v, ‘ " li ntl* P r e v io u s , »e in t e n d
Jfat First You Don’t Succeed .
I f y o u d i d n o t s u c c e e d i n l e a v i n g y o u r p h y s ic a l b o d y in t h e p r e v i o u s exercise, do not despair. Do not doubt your ability to astral project, b e c au se e v e ry b e in g in t h e p h y s ic a l u n iv e r s e c a n d o it , in clu d in g you. S o m e t im e s y o u j u s t h a v e t o w o r k o n i t, a n d a s t r a l p r o j e c t i o n is w e ll w o r t h s om e e f f o r t . D o n o t gi v e u p . W e w i ll h a v e y o u o u t o f y o u r b o d y in n o ti m e . T h e f i r s t t h i n g I w a n t y o u t o d o is t o e s t i m a t e h o w i n t e n s e ly yo u v isu a li ze d i n t h e p r e v i o u s e x e r c i s e . T h e k e y t o a s t r a l p r o j e c t i o n u s i ng t h is t ec h n i q ue is t h e i n t e n s i t y o f t h e v i s u a l iz a t io n . ( W i t h t h e w o r d i n t e n s i t y , in this c a se , I m e a n t h e r i c h n e s s a n d d e t a i l o f t h e v i su a l iz e d s e n s o r y i n p u t . I a m n o t r e f e r r i n g t o t h e s p e e d a t w h i c h e v e n t s p l a y e d o u t i n th e v i su a li za ti on . ) I n a n o p t i m a l v i s u a l i z a t i o n , y o u s h o u l d l o se a ll n o t i o n o f t h e p h y si ca l body lyin g in b e d . Y o u r w h o le a tt e n ti o n s h o u ld b e fo cu sed on th e im agi nary meadow in which you are walking. The way to do this is to inten sify the sensory input from that meadow, so that everything you see, touch, and smell on that meadow is overwhelming. It even feels more detailed and intense than would similar input from the physical world. Now , you do n o t h ave to re m o v e all a tt e n tio n fro m th e physic al b o dy in order to project, but it helps.
163
Astr al Pr ojectio n a n d th e N atu re o f R eality
Exercise: Second Try 1. Tonighr in bed, w ith closed eyes, re pea t th e visualiza tion of th e sunny mea dow from th e previous exercise, bu t this tim e with extreme inten sity (i.e.. richness o f vision, hearing, taste, sm ell, and touch ). 2. Walk aroun d in tha t mea dow for a few minutes, to uch ing this and that. 3. Repeatedly affirm: "Tonight I will AP." 4. Visualize a huge hole in the ground in the center of the meadow. Its diameter is large enough to fit ten cars. 5. Walk to rhe edge of rhe hole and look down. The hole is so deep that you ca n't see the bottom . It goes on fo r thou sand s of miles. 6. Yell "Gero nim o!” an d ju m p into th e hole. 7. The hole is so wide that you never have to worry about hitting its walls. 8. Feel the resistance o f the air as yo u acce lerate in th e fall. The air flaps in yo ur face and whole body as yo u tear throug h it. 9. Also feel the sensation o f vacuu m in y ou r belly. If it is n o t there, visu alize it. 10. Continue visualizing falling down the hole as you fall asleep. 11. Each rime yo u wake up d u rin g th e night, visualize falling dow n the hole again as y ou fall asleep. Also rep ea ted ly aff irm : "Ton ight I will AP.” 12. After a few rou nd s o f aw aken ing, visualizing, an d falling asleep, you will feel a floating sensa tion as y ou d rif t off to sleep while visualiz ing. You will then be ready to exit the body. 13. Roll o ut o f your body by rolling y o u r aw areness, as yo u would ifyou were rolling ou t of bed a nd falling o nto the floor.
denviron II
^’( 1 *)ac k 0,1 l ^ e h o rs e a nd try ag ain. It took m e a few months of u s p r a c t ic e f r o m t h e m o m e n t I d i s c o v e r e d t h e p o s sib ili ty o f astral
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you still a rc unsuc cessful in a stra l pr oje ction , do not be discouc
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164
n Unt '* * ach ieve d my fir st a stra l pro jec tion , b u t the n, o f course, M^ USG t *1'S ex c e **o n t te(;h n iq u e . E a c h p e rs o n ha s diffei*ent k S UnC* t*le re *or e a stra l pro jectio n co m es ea sie r to som e people e a S ^ o r h a r d t h e a b i l i t y t o a s t r a l p r o j e c t c o m e s , n e v e r fo ig et a s t r a l p r o j e c t i o n i s a s k i l l t h a t c a n b e l e a r n e d a n d c u l t i v a t e d . JuSt
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nes
I f a t F i rs t Y o u D o n ’t S u c c e e d . keep a t il an d yOU wi" su c ce e d ' 11 is on |y a q ue stion of tim e until you can . „ ,|1(. worlds outside the physical, enjoyu,c . Again, for many projectors, the largest obstacle to achieving a good
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matter how hard they try, they can t get the visualization immense enough.
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state for astral projection is the lack of intensity in their visualization. No The visualization d oe s n ot give the m any thing b ack. It doe s no t take on its own life as it should. The visualization turns into hard work and, conse
"fade l(H
quently, the whole projection session is viewed as work rather than as fun,
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as it should be. The problem here is not that the projector lacks the capa
o f m ile ;
bility to visual ize p ro p erly . E v e ry o n e c a n visual ize, bec ause every one ha s imagination. The problem is that the projector tries too hard.
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Visualization is a ga m e. It sh ou ld n ot be take n seriously. If the pro
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jecto r ta k e s it se rio u sly , s h e s h u ts o ff th e im a g in a ry p a rt o f h e r m in d, re i n A e fa ll , f o a ir fl
1
thereby blocking th e m ech an ism of visualization. The cur e f or this is of
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course to visualize a place or event that the projector feels is entertain
'i l y . I f i t i s n o t th e r e , *isu
ing and e xciting. If you found yo ur pa ssion s in th e e arlie r exercises, you should have a good p ictu re o f w h at you thin k is fun. Just pick one of your passi ons a n d c o n s tr u c t a v isu a liz a tio n b a s e d u p on th a t th e m e . F or exam
i s y o u f a l l a s le e p.
pl e, if you e njo y s h o p p in g , t h e n th is is yo u r c h a n c e to go to th e mall in
' S w i l i z e f a l l i n g 'J 'v-V li ^
your mind and buy all those things you can’ t af f or d other wise.
fi'rrr i: 'Ton ight I wilMF.
, a n d f a llin g a s le e p ,f» to sleep S l e w s ' * '
Exercise: Third Try 1. Co ntinu e d oin g th e exercise for astral projection each nigh t until you
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exit you r body. 2. For diversity, an d for the sake o f fun, replace the m eado w with a visu alized en viron m ent th aty o u find fun and exciting. For example, ifyou like submarines, then visualize walking around in a submarine. Ifyou like big city life, then visualize walking around in a big city. Let your creativity flow. 3. Be sure to touc h things. Let no thin g escape y o ur imaginary finger tips. Imagine th at t he sensitivity o f y ou r fingertips has increased ten fold. 4. Co ntinue t he v isualization an d the affirm ation until you fall asleep.
Tonight I will AP
A stra l Projectio n a n d the N atu re o f R eality
5. Each rime yo u wake up, repeat the visualization and affirm ation as you fall back to sleep. 6. W hen you wake up at yo ur usual time, spend abo ut two minutes reading ab ou t astral projection. 7. Go back to bed and repeat the visualization as you fall asleep. 8. When you wake up the next time, repeat the visualization and affir m ation as yo u fall back to sleep. 9. As you fall asleep, you will enter a weird floating state. 10. Roll o u t o f y o u r body.
Simp
In the n e x t j o u n — in the previous chaptei more on-the-fly astral j •ion. I think this is an e «» ». Astral pro jectio " l" 1® kept m e from ^ ' o o much tim e a n
Iec,i ° n
Simplified AP Technique
In th e n e x t j o u r n a l e n t r y I u s e m y u s u a l t e c h n i q u e ( t h e o n e e x p la in ed in the previous chapter) minus the visualization and affirmation. It is a more on-the-fly astral projection technique, as it requires less prepara t io n . I t h i n k t h i s i s a n e x c e l l e n t t e c h n i q u e . It s a v e s u s t h e e f f o r t o f v is ua l i za tio n. A s t ra l p r o j e c t i o n d o e s n o t h a v e t o t a k e h a l f a d a y o f p r e p a r a t i o n . That has kept me from projecting once in a while: My usual technique t a k e s t o o m u c h t i m e a n d i ts v i su a l i z a ti o n t a k e s t o o m u c h e n e r gy .
Sunday, Au gu st 10, 20 03 Easy Astra l Projection I read S et h: D r e a m s a n d P r oj e ct io n o f C o n s c i o u s n e s s " by Jane Roberts. Seth sug ge sts th e fo ll o w in g A P techn iq ue: 1. In d u c e a m e d iu m tr an ce in w h ate ver w ay y o u choos e. 2. Find the in ne r self. 3. Im agi ne this inn er se lf rising upw ard. H. There will be a m o m e n t w h e n y o u f e e l y o u r i d e n ti ty a n d c o n s c i o u s n e s s d e fi ni te ly w i t h dr a w in g f ro m the phy sical organism. 5. W ill yo ur se lf out in a q uic k motion. I think, "That will work, b ut it co uld take m e three h ou rs to enter the required medium trance, so I am g oing to d o what I always do: go to sleep tonight an d w hen I wake up, I will p us h m yself out a s suggested b y Seth a s I fall ba ck to sleep." After all, the hy pn ag og ic is a trance state.
167
Astra l Projection a n d rhe Natu re o f Re ality Before going to bed, I w on de r why I ha ve n ot ha d an astral projection for more than a month. I feel like I am not progressing. I haue ho p ed to deve lop my intuition and other faculties, but I feel my p syc hic d evelop me nt is stagnating. Then I l ook o ver at Barb as sh e slee ps peacefully. Her serenity m akes me realize that m y p sych ic abilities are evolving, b ut changing on e’s su bc on sci ou s is a slow process, s o it takes time. But I am progressing. I get som e peace of m ind from this con clusio n. It is fun ny h ow progress only com es w hen we stop being impatient. I finally fall asleep at 1 a . m ., after staring at the ceiling for two hours. W he n I wak e up in the midd le o f the night, I rem emb er to pus h my a wa reness out. I pu sh an d I push, but nothing happens. I think, "Bah, this is not working, ”a n d de cide to give up an d g o b ack to sleep. I dream I am with a group of peo ple. Th e m o o d wi thin th e g rou p is ver y pleasant. I like being with them. Co uld this be a glim pse into my life on a so ul le vel? There is also a teacher w ho instructs u s all. After som e time, class is over. A s I le av e fo r the outer dre am world, the teacher tells me: “Now, d o not forget to p u sh y o u r aw are ne ss out. ” I reply, " I w on ’t.” When I wake up at 6
a .m
.,
I rem em ber m y promise. I press m y awareness outwards
while kee ping m y attention by the ceiling, as if I am there, trying to loo k dow n at my bo dy in bed. After a few s econ ds, m y b o d y just falls away. Funny, it do es not feel like I am leaving the bo dy as it usu ally feels. It feels m ore like the bo d y is leaving me. Maybe it is falling asleep. I think, I c an ’t belie ve h ow ea sy this is! M y a w are ne ss is free from the body, b ut still attach ed to it. I h av e that fam iliar out of bo dy tingling all over m y awareness. I try to sit u p a few times bu t ca n't b re ak the att achm ent to the body. I try rolling out b ut c an ’t d o it that way either. Then I think, w he n I roll out, I alw ay s e n d u p in a selfcreated, illusory astral world. M ayb e if I just co m m an d m y wa y out, I will projec t close r to the physical, or som ew her e similar to it. I c o m m an d for a little while, bu t then I start recapping what I will do on ce I get out: Meet s om e spirits w h o c an teach m e the w ays o f the astral, and see if I can get close r to the ph ys ica l plane . This rec ap is important, bec aus e I know that wh en I co mp letely leave the bod y, the m em or ies o f da ily life will be inaccessible unless I recap them right before the exit. But w he n I am d o n e recapp ing, the astral projection state is gon e an d I am b ac k in the body. A lt h ou gh I d i d n ot m a n a g e to fu ll y l e a v e t he b o d y , I a m v e r y sat isfie d with thisses sion. I h a v e b e e n t au g ht a q u i c k a n d e a s y p r o j e c t i o n t e c hn i q ue , w i th t he
assistance
that teache r in m y dream.
I r e c o m m e n d t h i s s im p l i f ie d t e c h n i q u e t o a n y p r o j e c t o r . I t is leS® ^ able than the technique described earlier but takes a lot less e 168
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c||00Se is best for your purposes: do they- require - I — - reliability Choose whichever ......
or simplicity? H owever, in o rd e r to u se this sim plified techniq ue, you need experience in the hypnagogic state. As we use the hypnagogic as our
exit trance state, we need to understand exactly when to apply each
step in the technique. This experience is easy to acquire: Just be obser vant to what happens in your mind as you fall asleep each night.
Vrene* ° Z ^ \ Exercise: Simplified Astral Projection Technique
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1. Before going to bed, tell yo urself: "W hen I wake up du ring the n ight or in rhe m ornin g, I will re m em be r to try o u t the simplified projection technique." 2. Go to sleep as y o u usu ally do. There is no need for any special preparations.
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3. When you wake up du rin g th e night, do no t move an inch. Do not open y o u r eyes. 4. Relax your body. 5. Relax your mind. Let it sink. 6. Focus you r awareness in y o u r chest. 7. Turn yo ur a tte n tio n to the a ir below the ceiling. Try to dete ct any move m ent or so und up there (this is ju st a diversion for rhe mind).
'h i s i s ! M y a w a re ne ss
S. Pretend a p ar t of yo u is already up there, while ano the r part, the aware ness in y o u r chest, is close to the body. 9. From the pa rt of yo u up by the ceiling, turn and look at the body below.
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10. Make the awareness in your chest press outward and upward toward the p art of you hanging o ut by the ceiling. Imagine th at the two wan t to unite. 11. Stay by the ceiling, looking dow n a t th e body and pressing up from the chest simultaneously. Allow your body to fall asleep any time, but do not pay the body much attention. 12. I f y o u r l it tl e d i v e r s i o n w a s i m m e r s i n g e n o u g h , y o u w i ll r e m a i n a w a k e as y o u r bo d y falls asleep. Yo u w ill then be released from rhe body.
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13. If you are still attached to the sleeping body, apply an exit technique. Roll
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inside the bo d y (d o n ot roll outy et) in order to break rhe attachments. Tiy comm anding, "Exit No w !" If that does not get yo u out, try pressing yo ur self ou t thro ugh the top of you r head. A s a last resort, roll ou t of yo u r body.
The Reality o f Astral Projection
After one’s first astral projection, the question every person raised and educ ated in W es ter n society w ould ask is: “W as it real, or did the astral projection only take place in my mind?” The answer to tha t question is: Yes. It wa s real and it only took place in your mind. When we experience waking physical reality, we are not experiencing it directly. Instead, what we experience is our perception of physical reality. T ha t p er ce pt io n on ly exists in our minds. We experi ence the p ercep tion of as tral realities in the sam e m anner. Therefore, both the physical and th e astral tak e pla ce w ithin our minds. The question itself is faulty. It assumes that what takes place within the mind is outsid e reality. T he o pp os ite is tru e: W ha t takes place within the mind decides what reality is for th a t m ind . W ha t happ ens in your mind is your reality. Reality is something you create with
thought
and
intent, not something that happens to you. In fact, it is very likely that there is no such thing as an outside world. It could be that anything that ever existed was created inside each one of us. Physical matter could be pro duct purely of th e m in d. Futu re research in quantu m physics ma) point to this upsetting notion.
The Reality of Astral Projection W h e th e r y ou a c c e p t t h e a s t r a l a s r e a l d e p e n d s o n y o u r be lie fs . Reality
is a s u b j e c ti v e c o n c e p t . P l e n t y o f p e o p l e b e l ie v e t h e a s t r a l is
unreal- Plenty of pe op le b eliev e it is rea l. M any b elieve th e phy sical is real
and some believe the physical is unreal. All views are correct. We
have such difficulty ag ree in g on w ha t is rea l an d u nre al be cau se we try to push o u r b e li e fs u p o n e a c h o t h e r . W e a r e a l m o s t d e s p e r a t e t o h av e som eone e ls e a c k n o w l e d g e t h a t w e h a v e a s o u n d u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f r e a l ity. What we do not realize is that reality is subjective enough to incor
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po rate all b eli efs o n t h e m a t te r . T h e r e is n o o f fi c ia l d e f i n i t i o n o f t h e w o r d real. W e d o n o t k n o w h o w to tell a r e a l o b j e c t f r o m a n u n r e a l o b j e c t , o t h e r t h a n s u bj ec ti ve ly . T he re fo re , t h e m e a s u r e o f r e a l it y m u s t u n f o r t u n a t e l y b e r e d u c e d t o beliefs. It is q u ite s im p le : I f y o u b e lie v e I h e a s tr a l is re a l, it is re a l. Ify o u believe it is u n r e a l, it is u n r e a l . You c a n m is le a d y o u rs e lf e it h e r way. Perhaps the healthiest approach is to retain a neutral view while still s eek in g m o r e a s t r a l e x p e r i e n c e s . In t i m e , y o u r e x p e r i e n c e s in t h e a s t r a l will form you r belie f as to w h e th e r it is real. As the physical and astral realities live within your mind, they will
ion every person raised
respond to y ou r level o f b eli ef in th em . If you believe in the m as real,
Was it real, or didthe
t he y w ill b e c o m e i m p o r t a n t p a r t s o f y o u r l if e. I f y o u b e li ev e t h e y a r e unreal, they will play sm alle r p ar ts . Your beliefs govern y our reality.
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Quite possibly, if you st o p p e d belie vin g in th e phy sical as real, it would
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break into sh a rd s an d dis ap pe ar. W i th in y o ur m i n d , a n y th in g is po ss ib le . You d o n o t n ee d to catego-
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rize your exp erien ces as rea l in' un real. Calcg orization ina> lie m ore
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obstructive th an helpful, be cau se you would con stantly be pon dering
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whether w ha t you are ex perien cing app lies to reality. II you w ant to cre-
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a^e a Physica l ex p e rie n ce , ju s t do it. If you w an t to cr e a te an as tra l experience, ju st do it. It is up to you w he the r you want to distinguish the two
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accord ing to how re al you believ e t hey are.
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Personal Challenges fo r the Projector
So, now you have seen the astral. Your beliefs will change little by little, as your subconsc ious a ckno w ledge s th e ex pe rien ce . Your belief sys tem will open up to make room for this new frontier. Some old beliefs will die and some will change. As they do, new doors will open for you. New possibilities of how to live your life will p re s e n t them selves automat ically. Quite possibly, your life will never be the same. Let this subcon scious process take its course. Do not analyze your experience too much, but keep the m em ory of w hat hap p en ed alive.
Sharing Your E xp erien ces You now pos sess a know ing th a t m any peo ple do not. If you choose to share this knowing with others, you may find that they react with diselief oi even with resentment. Their reactions depend on the openness and flexibility of th ei r m inds. You might b e serv ing th em knowledge that n(>t comply with th ei r be lie f sy stem s. In th e ir subconscious, the)
Personal Challenges for the Projector realize tha t the in form ation you give them m ay up set the ir own view of reality, e v e n s h a k e t h e i r w h o l e e x i s t e n c e . T h e y h a v e w o r k e d f or d ec a d es t0 build a good se t o f be liefs ab o ut how reality w orks and now you threaten
t o u n d o a l l t h a t f o r t h e m . T h e i r b e l i e f s y s t e m d e f e n s e ki ck s in
a nd f or ce s t h e m t o d e n y , d i s r e g a r d , a n d f o r g e t w h a t y ou te ll t h e m . O u t o f f e a r o f k n o w l e d g e a n d t h e c h a n g e i t r e p r e s e n t s , t h e i r b eli ef s ys te m d e f e n s e w a n t s t o d i s c r e d i t a n d r i d i c u le y o u s o t h a t t h e y c a n b r u s h you off. I t m a y e v e n f o r c e t h e m t o v i e w y o u a s a l u n a t i c w h o n e e d s p sy c h ia tr ic h e lp . T h e y m i g h t d i s t a n c e t h e m s e l v e s f r o m y o u o r b ui ld a p ro t ec tiv e w a ll t o p r e v e n t f u r t h e r u p s e t t in g i d e a s f r o m r e a c h i n g t h e m . T his is a natural reaction. They are afraid that you will upset their lives that t he y h a ve w o r k e d s o h a r d t o s t a b i l i z e . S i m p l y p u t , t h e y c a n ’t h a n d l e y o u r v er sio n o f t h e t r u t h . T h e i r r e a c t i o n o f d i s b e l i e f is u n d e r s t a n d a b l e . W h e n I f ir s t d isc ov e re d a s t r a l p r o j e c t i o n , I w a s v e r y p u z z l e d . 1 h a d n e v e r h e a r d o f a n y th in g like it. Could it be possible that I had lived my whole life ignorant of s o m e th in g so f u n d a m e n t a l t o o u r b e i n g a s t h e a b il it y t o t r a v e r s e r e al i t ie s? I f l ea v in g o u r b o d i e s w e r e p o s s i b l e , s u r e l y m y p a r e n t s o r s o m e o n e close to me would have taught me how to do it. Or was it a secret? A short while later, I realized that OBE was a delicate matter. You d o n ’t b r a g t o y o u r f r i e n d s , “ He y , g u e s s w h a t I d i d t h i s m o r n i n g ! I sh e d m y p h y s ic a l b o d y a n d v i s i t e d t h e a l i e n s o n E u r o p a , J u p i t e r ’s f o ur th l a rg e s t m o o n . T h e y w e r e h a v i n g a b a r b e q u e —a v e g e t a r ia n b a r b e q u e . ’ I f you do, chances are you will find yourself without friends, and possibly in a room with cushioned walls. This, I suspect, is the factor that pre v e n ts p e o p l e f r o m t a l k i n g a b o u t i t a n d i n h i b i ts t h e s p r e a d o f a s t r a l p r o jec tio n k n o w le d g e . You should know that you do not need to convince anyone else of w h a t y o u h a v e e x p e r i e n c e d . I t is n o t y o u r r e s p o n s i b i l it y t o c o n vi n ce o t h e r s o f y o u r o w n n e w - f o r m e d b e l ie f s ( y e s , y o u r i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f y o u r e x p e r i e n c e s i s m e r e l y b e l i ef s t h a t m i r r o r t h e t r u t h in v ar y in g d e g r e e s ) . You may serve others your knowledge, but it is up to them to eat fiom the plate. Like the saying goes, you can bring a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. In fact, you s h o u l d n o t i n s i s t o n t h e m p a r t a k i n g o t the knowledge. That would be a violation ol their supremacy. They are powerful beings, cap able o f taking ca re o f the ir own lives.
Astral Projection a n d th e N atu re o f R eality
They do not need you to show the m the way, because your way may not be th e ir way. T hey do n o t w a n t your know le dge b e c a u se , how ever unlivable their lives may seem on the surface, deep down, they have every t h in g u n d e r c o n t ro l . T h e y a r e w h e r e t h e y a r e b e c a u s e t h e y c h o o s e to be t h e r e a n d t h e y c h o o s e to b e t h e r e f o r a r e a s o n . W h o a r e w e to u n d o all t h e h a r d w o r k t h e y ha v e u n d e r g o n e t o g e t w h e r e t h e y w a n t e d t o g o ? U l ti m a te ly , i t d o e s n o t m a t t e r w h e t h e r o r n o t t h e y b e l ie v e y o u. Th ey will come to their own conclusions at their own pace, with or without your intervention. The choice of accepting or denying is a right all bein gs enjoy.
Sleep Habits It is not only what you communicate that gets on people’s nerves. T h e a s t r a l p r o je c t io n t e c h n i q u e u s e d h e r e t a k e s a d v a n t a g e o f t h e sle ep p ro c e ss . By u sin g it , y ou g a in in v alu a b le k n o w le d g e o f w h a t goes on when we sleep, and with this knowledge comes a desire to spend more t im e i n t h e s l e e p s t a t e . C o n s e q u e n t l y , y o u w il l f i n d t h a t y ou s p e n d u nu su a lly lo n g p e r i o d s o f t i m e s l e e p i n g , p r o j e c t i n g , o r s i m p l y d re a m i ng . B e c a u s e o f t h i s , o t h e r s w i ll t h i n k y o u a r e l a zy a n d e v e n i n c o n s i d e r a t e . S l e ep h a s l o s t it s i m p o r t a n c e i n m o d e r n s o c ie t y . M o s t p e o p l e s le ep o n ly b e c a u s e t h e i r b o d i e s n e e d t h e r e s t . B e y o n d t h a t , t h e y c o ns id e r s le e p a w a s t e o f ti m e . H o w e v e r , i t is d u r i n g s l e e p t h a t w e d o o u r m ost i m p o r t a n t w o r k . T o s a y th e l e a s t , s l e e p is a g a t e w a y t o o t h e r d i m e ns io n s, where we get inspiration and creative ideas that we can use in waking life. Society doe s n ot reco gniz e th is b en e fit o f sleep . Th e only thing i m p o r t a n t in m o d e r n s o c i e ty is t h e e f f i c ie n c y a n d p r o d u c t iv i ty o f our waking time. It was not always like this, though. Native American peo ple , fo r e x a m p le , b e li e ve d t h a t d r e a m in g is th e r e a l s ta te o f bein g and th at w aking life is a m er e illusion o r a p au se from rea l life. Th ere is no g r e a t e r t ra g e d y t h a n t h e e r a d i c a t i o n o f t h o s e c u l t u r e s a n d t h e conse q u e n t p a s s in g o f t h e i r s l e e p k n o w l e d g e i n t o t h e s h a d o w s . U nde rstandably, tow ard
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Conquering Fear
Did your projection scare you? If it did, that is perfectly normal. I have yet to meet a person who is not scared out of his mind when his sense of reality is tossed inside out. I, too , w as te rri fie d during my first short projection. In fact, I panicked. Now, I m ust tell you th a t th e fear yo u ex p erien ced can do much harm. As it is said, we have nothing to fe a r but fe a r itself. Projections are not harmful in any way. The evidence is that you projected and you are still alive and well. The only way you can get hurt is by allowing the fear to control your life. Besides, it does not make sense to be afraid of the astral projection experience. Why would you fear your capabilities, your own nature-your true self?
Thursday, January 25, 2001 Blocked by Fear As I go to b e d the nig ht foll o w in g m y fir st astr al p ro je c tio n , a p in ch in g pa in arises my stomach. It takes me so m e time to figure o ut iuhat c au ses it. It see m s that my sub' ^
ous has associated the scary astral exp erien ce last night with the act o f $oin$ 1° P
176
thinks that if l begin to fall asleep, I might ha ve the sa m e experience, which is
Conquering Fear somethin! " u,anls 10 a u o ld C° n *ecl “en
up with will no t sto p me. I tell it that it is bringing n ot o nly me do wn, but also
itself with
its stupid rules. Wh at d o yo u know : th e pain instantly disappears.
Exercise: Affirmations To g e t a h a n d l e o n t h e f e a r, p la y r h e a f f ir m a t i o n s y o u r e co r d e d i n th e A f fi r m a t i o n s c h a p t e r in t h e b a c k g r o u n d t h r o u g h o u t y o u r d ay : "Y ou a r e a n u n l im i te d b e i n g . ” "Y ou c a n d o a n y t h i n g y o u p u t y o u r m i n d t o . ” "Y ou d e s e rv e a n i n f i n i te n u m b e r o f A P e x p e r ie n c e s . " “Y ou o b s e r v e e v e r y t h i n g t h a t h a p p e n s i n y o u r m i n d d u r in g s l e e p .” that is perfectly norma! out of his mini I* ’1*
s terrif ied during myfis
“Tonightyou will AP." "You are connected to everything." "Everything is con ne cted to you." “The mind veil is removed." “The universe takes good care o f yo u, w he ther yo u are with or w ithou t yo ur physical body.” "Face the d irection of th e universe an d follow its flow. Trust th at the uni verse is going in the right direction."
If you exper ien ced f ear du r ing your f ir st pr o jection, yo ur subcon scious will probably build up a good defense against further attempts to p ro je c t. T h e d e fe n se is fo r y o u r p r o te c tio n , o r so y o u r subconscio us believes. You m u st consciously d e a l w it h th is d e fe n se . It m ay even p ro duce physical pain if you atte m pt to project again. In my case, it pro duced a pinching st om ach ach e. I f this hap pen s, ju st r elax and 177
Astra l Projection a n d the N a tu re o f R eali ty a c k n o w l e d g e t ha t t he p a i n i s c r e a t e d b y y o u r s u b c o n s c i o u s a n d t h at t h e r e is n o t h i n g w r o n g w i t h y o u r p h y s i c a l b o d y. I f y o u g i v e in t o t h e f e a r a n d s t o p p r a c t i c i n g a s t r a l p r o j e c t i o n , t he f e a r w i ll ro o t i t s e lf m o r e d e e p l y in y o u r s u b c o n s c i o u s a s t i m e g o e s b y. I f y o u q u it a s t ra l p r o je c t io n , y o u in v it e f e a r t o g o v e r n y o u r d e c i s io n s f o r t he r e s t o f y o u r life . I n a f e w y e a r s , t h e f e a r o f t h e b o d y e x i t w i ll b e a s u b s t a n t ia l p a r t o f y o u r life . B y t h e n , it w i ll b e v e r y d i f f ic u l t t o d i s so l v e . T h e r e f o r e , t h e b e s t ti m e t o d e a l w i t h t h e f e a r is n o w , b e f o r e it g e t s o ut o f h a n d . G e t b a c k o n t h e h o r s e i m m e d i a t e l y — t h a t is, c o n t i n u e p r a c tic in g astral projection despite all fears.
ft
Exercise: Dispelling Fear Before your next astral projection session, do this fear-dispelling exercise again: 1. Close your eyes. 2. Relax y ou r m ind. 3. Move your center of thou gh t to the center of yo ur chest. 4. Create a small pearl of love in th e ce nte r of y o u r chest. 5. Let love beam out from the pearl in all directions. 6. Let the love bathe everything around you.
S i n c e I started pi i o h a p p e n .
It seems
d e v e l o p , o p e n i n g me
How do yo u feel? Have w orries a nd fears subside d? • W a y , /u n e a s y ^ m e fo r L u ,
w
Psychic Side Effects d o this fear-disptlljj
four chesr.
ir c h e s t .
Since I started practicing astral projection, weird things have begun to h a p p e n . It se e m s t h e m o r e I p r a c t i c e , t h e m o r e m y su b tl e se n se s develop, opening me to intuition and similar abilities.
ed?
|
Monday, June 25, 2001 Clairvoyance for Lunch 13m m aking lunch. I get a plate from the cupb oar d an d a thought po p s into m y head: "If I dr op this plate, it will shatter o n the floor. " The thought feels like mine. The w eird thing is that there is noth ing leadin g u p to it: Suddenly , the thought is just there, uninvited. I pu t some foo d o n the plate an d heat it in the microw ave oven. W hen I reach for the plate in the microwave ov en I think, “/ better hold the plate with both hands, or I might accidentally dr op it to the floor. ” I am worried abou t dropp ing the plate an d I can't unde rstand why. Then 1 think, “What is wro ng with m e? I am not going to drop anything. I nev er drop anything!" O n my w ay to the table, the plate brea ks in tw o (the heating proc ess prob ably cause d a crack in the ceramic), a n d the fo o d falls to the floor. I n ow ha ve a piece of pla te in eac h h a n d a n d a d u m b fo u n d e d ex p re ss io n o n m y face. I am partly am a z e d by my thoughts prior to the accident, partly disappo inted that my fo o d is spoiled, but mostly I am an gry b eca us e I did not listen to m y intuition.
179
Astra l Projection a n d th e N atu re o f R eali ty S o m e t i m e s , a w i n d o w t o a n o t h e r w o r l d o p e n s u p. Y o u ge t a gl im p s e , a b r i e f t a st e , o f a w o r l d t h a t i s b e y o n d t h e c o m p r e h e n s i o n o f t h e r a t io n a l m i n d . W h e t h e r th i s is t he h o m e o f o u r s o u ls , I d o n o t k n o w , b u t I k n o w it is a c c e ss ib le , a n d t h e o n l y t h i n g p r e v e n t i n g u s f r o m v e n t u r i n g i n to th a t w o r l d i s o u r lim i ti n g b e lie f s y st e m . W h e n w e m a k e c o n t a c t w i th th at w o r l d , t h e r a t i o n a l m i n d s t a r t s e x p l a i n i n g w h a t i t s e e s i n c o n ve n t io n a l t e r m s , a n d w h e n i t c a n ’t e x p l a in w h a t i t s e e s , i t d e n i e s t h e e x p e r ie n c e
0»e
day
a n d c l o s e s t h e w i n d o w t o th a t w o r ld . I n t i m e , a n d w i th p r a c t ic e , s u bt le r p a r t s o f o u r i n t e ll ig e n c e w i ll r e p l a c e t h e r a t i o n a l m i n d i n t h i s in t e ra c tio n .
Monday, November 12, 2001 Bright White Light in My Room
lowing day-
I w ake u p ea rly in the morning. The ro om is dark. Still in bed, I clear m y eyes of the j u n k that h a s ga th e re d d u rin g th e night. S u d d e n ly , th ere is a fla s h o f brig ht, wh ite light. It lasts for a se cond. It loo ks like the bea m s from a car headlight, but with a wider spread. The light sourc e mu st be in side the room, be ca use the curtains are closed and there is no so u n d from a p assin g car. Afterw ard, I w o n d e r w hat th e fla sh meant. P e r h a p s s o m e en tity w an te d to sh o w that I am not alone. O r maybe I s a w be yo nd the physical w orld for an instant an d m y ego closed it do w n w hen it disc ove red wh at I w as doing. O r m ayb e it is sup po se d to trigger a memory of something I h ave to do. O r ma ybe there is some thing w rong with m y eyes or brain.
Monday, November 12, 2001 Seeing through Closed Eyelids A fe w d a y s a go , d u r in g a n a tt em pt t o O BE, I c o u l d s e e t h ro u gh m y c lo se d eyelids. I did not reflect over it at the time, because it felt natural. I could see the ceiling through the darkness. W hether the physica l eyes o r the astral eyes were in use remains unknown. It did not seem at the time that my aw are ne ss w a s re m ov ed from the phy sical body, which ma kes m e think that either a no np hy sic al faculty o f vision is availab le from a waking state o f mi nd , o r o u r p h y s i c a l e y es a re c a p a b l e o f m u c h m o r e t h a n w e h a v e s o f a r discovered.
Sunday, December 9, 2001 A Guide’s Thought I turn on the com pu ter an d go to the bathroom . Then I rem emb er that I a^w ^ hav e to turn on the mo nitor befo re I turn on the com pute r or the monitor wi
180
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Psychic S ide Effects u n s y n c h r o n i z e d . I t hi nk , " O h n o , n o w I h a u e t o r e a c h o u e r a n d d e t a c h t h e m o n i t o r c o r d a n d t h en p l u g i t b a c k i n t o g e t th e m o n i t o r w o r k i n g p r o pe r ly , w h a t a h a s sl e ." Then
I he a r a t h o u g ht , “I t m a y b e l e s s w o r k t h a n y o u t h in k. ’’ I fi g u r e t h at c o u l d b e o n e o f m y
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guid es t el lin g m e n o t to w orr y, s o I d o n o t wor ry . W h e n I re tu rn a n d tu rn o n the m o n itor, it w or ks perfectly.
O n e d a y w h i le a p a r t . B a r b a n d I d e c i d e d t h a t I s h o u ld a s t r a l p ro je c t o ve r t o h e r h o u s e . A l th o u g h 1 d i d n o t h a \ c a s u c c e ss fu l d e p a r t u r e o f t h e bo dy. 1 d id s u c c e e d in p e r c e iv in g h e r b e d ro o m c o rr e c tly w h e n I vis ual iz ed f lo a t i n g i n s i d e i t. B e l o w i s a n e x c e r p t f r o m a n I n t e r n e t c h a t t h e f ol lowing day.
Thursday, January 17, 2002 Remote Perception B ar b: Y o u w e r e s u p p o s e d t o c o m e h e r e l as t n ight. M agnu s: I ivas there, but I w a s still aw ake. B: Re ally ? D o tell! M : Y o u w e r e a w a k e t o o, I t h i nk . B : W h a t w a s I d o i n g ? M : Yo u w e r e o n y o u r b a c k , n o t o n y o u r s id e ? B: I w as on m y back. I usua lly slee p on m y tummy, though, but I w as ‘sucking yo u in. M : T h e c o v e r ioas u n d e r y o u r a rm s , n o t a ll th e w a y t o y o u r c h i n ? B: Yes! M : I f ir st g o t t h e i m p r e s s i o n y o u h a d a n a r m y o f p il lo w s u n d e r y o u r h e ad . T h en there w as on ly one. White. B: O h m y g o d , y e s ! T h e r e w a s a n a r m y o f pi l lo w s , b u t I m o v e d th em . St a rt e d t o g et
a h e a d ac h e . W h a t e l s e ? W h a t d i d y o u d o ? S ee , hea r, a n d f ee l ? M: I floated ab ou e y o u for so m e time, then rested next to you. You turned an d look ed at me at on e time. B: I ha d m y arms up/ pa lm s up, a nd I felt you, mostly lo m y right ...or, strongest to right. Did yo u lie do w n, to m y right? M: I lay do w n first o n yo u r left side, then on y o u r right side, bec au se it wa s easier (to visualize) for som e reason. B: Easier beca use that is w here I w anted you, an d at a de ep level, yo u kne w that. I felt yo u . .. so m e on e. .. brush the hair aw ay from m y face. M: Hey, I d id ya n k yo u r hair. Hard! A n d I might have b ru she d it, too.
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181
Ast ra l Projectio n a n d the Na tu re o f R eali ty
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B: It did n’t hurt, but I felt it, very much. Why hard? M: Because you weren’t responding to the brushing. Couldyo u describe your haircut? B: Not much to describe, really. Long, almost to my bra strap. Almost one length, blonde, semicurly. M: I got t he impression it was in a k no t or something.
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B: It was actually, pulled back, clipp ed b ack in a “comb. ”But later, I pulled out the comb. Too uncomfortab le to slee p in.
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M: I thought your TV was at the fo ot o f the bed ? B: It is. M: (Mounted) o n the wall or on a table? B: Table. M: Good. A fu nny thing. I left y o u a nd cam e back a fe w tim es. Twice, I stepped into
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som eon e else’s bedro om. It was embarrassing. B: Where the y . . . i n a . . . co mprom ising p os ition? M: An old coup le was lying in bed. Th ey wer e reading, I think . Odober2002
Saturday, June 1, 2002 Lucky Pennies Barb and I are out walking. We fi n d a p en n y on th e street. Barb says, “We fo un d one pe nny the other day, and one now. They are lucky pennies, but only ify ou find them w ith their tails up. Three is the magical nu mb er. ” Then w e wa lk on, turn a corner, and find a third pe nn y on the street! This on e also has its tail up.
May 2003 The Dime Barb an d I are bro ke again. All w e h aue is a handfu l o f change. We go into a thrift bread store. They have a deal, five loa ves fo r thre e-som ething dollars. Wh en w e get to the register, we find t hat w e are sev en pe nn ie s sho rt. H ow embarrassing. Barb goes out to the car to look for change un de r the seats, b ut ther e is no t much chance o f finding anything, since we hav e already cleane d o ut ev ery p en ny fr om the car. For no apparent
reason, I turn m y h ea d d ow n to look at t he fl o o r an d fin d a d im e ju st lying there, star
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ing up at me. That dime was n ot ther e b efor e! H um bly grateful fo r this gift, I pick it UP and pay for our daily bread.
C V S Sometimes you pick up information about future events with your s u b tl e p sy ch ic s e n s e s . O f t e n y o u d o n o t k n o w h o w o r w h e r e y o u g ot th e 182
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c au se . B ut o f c o u r s e , t h e r e is a c a u s e , a n d t h a t c a u s e is t h e f a ct th a t we a re c a p ab l e o f s e n s i n g t h e w o r l d a r o u n d u s in m a n y m o r e w a y s t ha n w e conventionally think.
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Friday, September 6, 2002 Premonition Barb, Jazz, a n d I walk in Lewisville Park, Vancouver. I sm ell berries. I stop and search but find none. Darn it, I so wanted some berries. We continue down the path and come upon berry bushes! Then, after stuffing my mouth full, I get the urge to Ofewti
spread my arms a nd im itate a p rop eller airplane. “Brrrrrruuuuaaaoooom!”A few sec onds later, a prope ller pla ne flie s ov er o ur heads. As we drive h ome from the park, I make a remark that t he c louds lo ok jus t like they do in The Simpsons cartoon. A sec
i?
ond later, so m eon e on the radio m entio ns Ralph from The S impsons. I think.
October 2002 Precognitive Dream I dream I visit a gyp sy-like fortu neteller. Sh e tells me that I will go to an other city where I will m ee t a wom an, w hom I will recognize by a tarot card that she will give me.
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The woman will also tell m e so me thing that I will not believe, b ut which is true.. .. Four months later, Barb and I have moved to Tucson, Arizona. We had not planned th e m ove at th e tim e o f th e dream . One day, w e m ee t a homeless wom an who has bee n kicke d ou t o f her N ative American reservation by the tribal leaders because she got a restraining ord er against he r ab usive Native American husband. Now she is begging at th e intersection with h er two kids fo r enough m oney to stay at a motel. Who would kick children ou t o f their home? The woman, whose name is Sue, tells me about chem-trails in the sky.
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Supposedly, some of the people in charge are knowingly polluting the air with radioactive substan ces a nd oth er poisons. I am unsure what to believe. W hy would
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they poison their own population? Who would do such a thins ? How do they sle ep at
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night? I mu st ad mit though, that wha t I thought were jet contrails are suspiciously welt
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distributed across the sky, parallel a nd at right angles to each other. They linger for
hours, whereas regular jet contrails are wash ed away by the w ind in mere minutes. These trails are spread by what looks like military aircraft. I haue n euer seen a com mercial airliner do it. When the TV new s discloses that Tucson kids are afflicted with cancer worse than
Astr al Pr ojection a n d th e N a tu r e o f R ea lit y
that fou nd in the rest of the country, I d o n ’t kn ow what to believe. C ou ld the cau se of this can cer be the radioactive che mtrails? S u e a n d I fi n d a c o m m o n i nte re st : C a r lo s C a s t an e d a . B e f o re w e p ar t, S u e g i v e s m e his last book, The W hee l of Time.'" I m a g i n e m y s u r p r i s e w h e n I d i s c o v e r t ha t it s c o v e r lo ok s like a tarot card.
C ir c l e
3
“M ind” Your Step Experience how your mind affects the astral and learn to harness its creative powers. It is always strange to realize that physical reality has that little hold, comparatively speaking, that you can slip out of it so easily, that it is more like bright transparent cellophane than solid wood or rock. You can go in and out of it, through it and back, without leaving a tear. Yet the world is so smooth and unseamed when you’re in the body and focused there. — Jane Roberts, Seth: Dreams and Projection of Consciousness15
W e lc o m e l o C i r cl e 3 o f A s t r a l P r o je c tio n a n d t h e N a t u r e o f R e a l it y 1 By now, you should have had at least one astral projection, so you will h a v e n o p r o b l e m r e l a t i n g t o t h e t o p i c s 1 w i ll n o w d i s c u s s . In th i s C i r c le , w e w ill e x p l o r e t h e n a t u r e o f t h e a s t r a l . U p u n t il n o w , I h av e d e l ib e r a t e l y a v o id e d d e s c r i b i n g m y v i ew o f h o w t h e a s t r a l l o o k s a n d w o r k s , b e c a u s e I d i d n o t w a n t t o c r e a t e a n y e x p e c t a ti o n s o n y o u r b e h alf . E x p e c t a ti o n s s e v e re l y a ff e c t o n e ’s p e r c e p t i o n a n d i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f a s t r a l e x p e r ie n c e s .
However, it is now tim e to investigate w ha t hap pe ns du ring an astra l pro jecti on. In o rd e r to b ecom e skillful a stra l p ro je c to rs, we n eed th a t knowledge. R em em ber to form your own un de rstan din g of the astral based on your own ex p erien ce s. Take w h a t you c an fro m th e topic s dis cussed in this Circle, bu t only if fits into you r pe rso na l ex perie nce .
Needs fo r Growth
O u r a s t r a l e n v i r o n m e n t s a r e e x t r e m e l y i n d iv id u a liz e d. S o m e a str a l p r o je c to r s r e p o r t s e e i n g w o r l d s s i m i l a r t o o u r o w n , w h ile o t h e r s te ll o f w o r ld s in c o n c e i v a b l e to o u r r a t io n a l i ty . S o m e m e e t r e g u l a r ty p e s o f p e o p le , w h ile o t h e r s r u n i n t o a n g e ls a n d g o b l in s . T h e v a r i e ty o f e x p e r i e n c e s to b e h a d in t h e a s t r a l is b a f fl in g . A s h u m a n s , w e a r e t r a i n e d t o th i n k in p h y sic a l t e r m s , s o w e p o n d e r t h i s a s t r a l v a s t n e s s . If w e a r e u n f o r t u n a te , we arrive at the conclusion that the astral is not a real place, only a fig m e n t o f o u r i m a g i n a t io n ; i f w e a r e f o r t u n a t e , w e c o n c lu d e t h a t t h e a s t ra l is n o t p h y s i ca l a n d t h e r e f o r e c a n ’t b e c o m p r e h e n d e d in p h y si ca l t e rm s . T h e re fo r e, t h e w o r d s r e a l , p l a c e , a n d o n l y d o n o t a p p l y i n t h e a s t r a l .
The Meta-World Considering all the objects and thoughts that appear in the astral, t h e a s t r a l m u s t b e a m e t a - w o r l d : a r e a l m i n w h i c h w o r l d s a r e c r e a t e d a n d d e s t r o y e d in t h e b l i n k o f a n e y e o r s u s t a i n e d f o r a n e t e r n i t y , e a ch world having its own unique objects and creatures. A simple thought, c o m i n g fr o m a n y c o n s c i o u s n e s s , c a u s e s a n e w w o r l d t o p o p i n t o th is
Astr al Pr ojectio n a n d th e N atu re o f R ea li ty
meta-world. Thoughts also design creatures and objects that appear in
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this new world. Perhaps even our physical universe has its roots in the
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a s t r a l , c r e a t e d b y a n i n it ia l a s t r a l t h o u g h t a n d m a i n t a i n e d b y t h e tho ug hts of all en tities living in th e physical. T h e r e a s o n w h y a s tr a l p r o j e c t o r s r e p o r t d i ff e r e n t e n c o u n t e r s is t h a t what they have seen is what they themselves have created. The astral, b ein g a m eta -w o rl d , will c r e a te o r a tt r a c t a n y th in g a m in d in te n d s to se e or otherwise experience. From this theory, we can see our importance as creators in the physical and the astral. O u r s t a t e o f m i n d s h a p e s o u r t h o u g h t s , w h i c h in t u r n f or m o u r c ur r e n t w o rl d . F o ll ow i n g t h i s i d e a , w e c o m e t o t h i s s im p l e r u l e : C h a n g e y ou r s el f, a n d y o u r a s t r a l , d r e a m i n g , a n d p h y s ic a l e n v i r o n m e n t s w ill ch a ng e . T h e m i n d o f a n i n c a r n a t e h u m a n is c o m p l e x , c o n t a in i n g s e v e r a l l ay e rs o f c o n s c io u s a n d u n c o n s c i o u s i n t e n t i o n s . E a c h o f t h e s e l a y e r s h a s a d if fe r e n t i d e a o f w h a t i s in o u r b e s t i n t e r e s t ; c o n s e q u e n t l y , e a c h h a s d i ff e re n t i d e as o f w h a t it w a n t s t o s e e in t h e a s t r a l , o r a n y w h e r e , f o r t h a t m a tt er .
T h e A t tr a c to r F o r th e n o v i ce p r o j e c t o r , a p a r t o f t h e m i n d t h a t r e s i d e s in t h e su b conscious often becomes dominant and takes over the role as the cre ator. This happens naturally. We are so used to letting the subconscious guide us in the physical—it guid es us w he n w e w alk, run , d rive, or do a n y th i n g w e c o n s i d e r a u t o m a t i c —t h a t w e d o n o t q u e s t i o n t h e f a c t t h a t it a ls o tr i e s to g u i d e u s in t h e a s t r a l . O n e p a r t o f t h e s u b c o n s c i o u s kn ow s v e ry w e ll h o w t o h a n d l e t h e a s t r a l b e c a u s e i t s p e n d s m o s t o f i ts tim e t h e r e . U n f o r tu n a t e ly , t h i s is n o t th e p a r t t h a t ta k e s c h a r g e . T h e p a r t o f t h e s u b c o n s c i o u s t h a t t a k e s c h a r g e is s o m e t h i n g I ca ll th e attractor— a p a r t o f t h e m in d t h a t a t t r a c t s o r c r e a t e s t h e e x a c t situ atio ns
y ou n e e d i n o r d e r t o f u r t h e r y o u r s e l f a s a s p i r i t . I t s m o t iv a t i o n is d ivin e intention, adhering to our primary goal as a spirit to evolve through e x p e r ie n c e . T h e r e f o r e , w h a t w e s e e i n t h e a s t r a l is w h a t w e n e e d to see, a s d e e m e d b y t h e a t tr a c t o r . F o r e x a m p l e , i f t h e a t t r a c t o r d e e m s it nec essary to put me in a life-threatening situation so that I may realize that m y t im e o n p l a n e t E a r t h is t o o p r e c i o u s t o b e w a s t e d o n a j o b t h a t m ak es me unhappy, then it will do so when it gets an opportunity. There are
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P e r h a p s it w ill c r e a t e a f ir e -s p e w i n g d r a g o n o r a b a n a n a w ith a grudge. T he po ssibilities a re e nd les s. W h at il cho oses to cre ate for me
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enC0Unter d e Pen ds on whal kind ol' l,,', son 1 am an d w hal I need to experience at lhal given m om en t. Il will be unique in Ihe sense lhat the attractor in oth er pe ople will cre a te so m ething different, m ore in line
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w ith t h e i r p e r s o n a l i ty . Of course, the a ttra cto r do es not have to crea te a life-threatening sit uation. Each pe rson has a ple tho ra of obstac les to freedom tha t she needs to recognize an d u n de rsta nd , an d the possibilities to recognize them in the astral are as e ndle ss as the variety ol' objects tha t can be crea ted. The attractor is active also in the physical. You have no doubt n o ti ce d t h a t s it u a t i o n s a r i s e a n d p e o p l e a p p e a r j u s t w h e n y ou n e e d t h e m t o. P e r h a p s o n c e , w h e n y o u w e r e o n y o u r l a s t di m e , y o u h a p p e n e d u po n a lottery win or a person offered to loan you money. Or perhaps this bu lly ba ck in sc h o o l t o rm e n te d you, a n d now th a t yo u look back on it, you realize that the to rm e n t w as exactly w hat you need ed at the time to grow as a person. However, tin* physic al is a slo w -c hangin g w orl d. T he
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Growing from Nonphysical Experiences
nSCI r . linifThe dream world also manifests objects very quickly. As does the •nil-
astra l, it offers op po rtun ities for spiritual grow th. W hat is interesting
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of the situations, but h o w y o u r e ac t to those situations. The attractor is
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Very °luick to Put y°u into d rea m situations that show you what you need t o w o r k o n in o r d e r t o c o n q u e r y o u r n e x t s p ir it ua l o b s ta c l e. H ow y ou
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rea ct to a situation in th e dr ea m world is appro xim ately how you would rea ct to a sim ilar situation in the wa king physical. Think of the dream wo rld as a la bo ra to ry w h er e be ha vio r tha t would no t do in th e physical
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ls to le ra te d . If you, aft e r w ak ing up, de em you have be hav ed po orly in a d rea m , th e n you know w h a t n ee ds a tte n tio n w ithin you. (Do no t beat
A str al Pro jection a n d th e N a tu re o f R eali ty
you rself up ove r it, though; you can ne ver h u rt anyone in a dream .) And all this is thanks to the attractor! As we gain more astral flight time, we learn how our minds affect the astr al, and eventually we stop r elinqu ishing contr ol of cr eation to t he attractor. Another way to put it is that the will to actively explore grows str on ge r than the will to passively lear n, wh ich is th e way of the attr ac t o r. T h e r e a r e p l e n t y o f w o n d e r s t o e x p e r i e n c e in th e a s t r a l , a n d w e do not wa nt the attr ac to r getting in the way as w e go explor ing those things. T h e r e a r e a n u n f a t h o m a b l e n u m b e r o f w o r l d s in t h e a s t r a l. I f w e ca t egor ize these wor lds accor ding to their lif e span, we can say that ther e a r e tw o t y p e s: t r a n s i e n t a n d p e r s i s t e n t . T r a n s i e n t w o r l d s a r e s ho rt- liv ed , t e m p o r a r y w o r ld s in w h ic h y o u c a n c r e a t e a n y t h in g . O b j e c t s a p p e a r an d d i s a p p e a r a t t h e w h i m o f y o u r th o u g h t s . P e r s i s t e n t w o r l d s e x is t b efo re y o u p r o j e c t t o t h e m a n d r e m a i n a f t e r y ou l e a v e th e m . T h e o b j e ct s have a longer life span. I n a typical tr ansient wor ld, you ar e the only inha bi ting being. As such, the wor ld will r espond to your intentions alo ne. A per sistent wor l d m a y b e i n h a b i t ed b y m i ll io n s o f b e in g s . T h e a p p e a r a n c e o f t h e p e rs is t en t wor ld is held in place by th e inten tions , belief s, and though ts of the inhabiting astr al beings. Th e sh ee r n um be r of thou ghts spen t on the world p e rp e tu a te s its e x is te n ce . If o n e b e in g sto p p e d th in k in g o f t h e w orld , th er e would be sev eral m illion m o re beings to c on tinu e thin kin g of it. This is why it is pe r sisten t. I f all in hab iting being s s top p ed thinking of the world, i t w o u ld b e c o m e t r a n s i e n t . The tr ansient, and per sistent wor lds ar e super f ici a l in that they ar e contr olled by thou ghts. T he objects within th em ar e m er ely thoughtf orms. D ee pe r levels of th e astr al ar e no t so easily af f ected. These make the f oundation upon which the super f icial wor lds ar e cr eated. I t is ver y difficult to reach the deeper levels unless you understand exactly how super f icial wor lds r espond to your thoughts. W i th o u t t h a t u n d e r s t a n d i n g , o u r e x p l o r a t io n will b e h am p e re d we get entan gled in the sup erficial ob jects ou r mind cre ates for us. ^ time, we will gain co ntrol ove r ou r m ind, th ere b y ceasing the creation superficial objects. Then we will have no problem spotting and read the dee per levels of the astr al.
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A s m e n t i o n e d in t h e p r e v i o u s s e c t io n , y o u r m i n d is t h e d i r e c to r o f y ou r a s t r a l e n v i r o n m e n t . A n y t h i n g y o u c a n c o n c e iv e , y o u c a n c r e a t e . T h e b a d n e w s is, t h e s u b c o n s c i o u s m in d is a m a s t e r o f c o n c e iv in g e v e ry th in g f ro m b r e a t h t a k i n g b e a u t y t o h o r r i fi c n i g h t m a r e s , a n d it d o e s th i s c o n ti n u o us ly u n l e s s y o u t a m e i t.
Exercise: Stopping the World 1. C l o s e y o u r e y e s. 2 . S t o p t h i n k i n g f o r a m i n u t e . D o n o r tr y t o s i le n c e r h e i n d iv i d u a l t h o u g h t s . I n s te a d , s to p t h e e n t i re th o u g h r process. 3 . S ir in a c o m p l e t e v o id f o r o n e m i n u t e . 4 . In y o u r c u r r e n t s ta t e , y o u h a v e c o m p l e t e c o n t r o l o v e r y o u r m in d . 5 . R e p e a t th i s e x e r c is e e v e r y d a y .
191
Ast ra l Projectio n a n d rh e N a w re o f R eality
A s t ra l R e p l ic a s o f P h y si ca l S p a c e s When we are released into the astral, we often initially find our selves in unknown waters. We may react in confusion. Consciously, we query our usual physical senses for information, which is the same thing as asking the subconscious to tell us what our surroundings look like, since our senses ar e managed by the subconscious. T he subconscious
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t h e n r e a c h e s ou t in to t h e s u r r o u n d i n g s a n d f in d s t h a t t h e e y e s , e a r s , a n d tactile senses are not working. The subconscious ca n’t m ake sen se of the situation , an d it inf orms
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us of this. The subco nscious defin itely do es n ot like being co nfuse d, so it may encour age us to panic. N ow we consciously have a choice between panic kin g, g e tt in g s c a r e d , try in g a ga in t o s e n s e t h e su rro u n d in g s, or
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keeping cool heads and tr usting that things will wo r k out. W e w ill p r o b a b ly c h o o s e o n e o f t h e f i r s t tw o a l t e r n a t i v e s ( p an ic o r f r ight) dur ing the f ir st f ew pr ojections, but when we f inally manage to control our fear s, we will be m or e in ch ar g e of th e situation . W e will t h e n b eg in t o s tu b b o r n l y in s i s t t h a t t h e r e m u s t b e s o m e s o r t o f s u rr ou n d in gs t o b e s e n s e d . S i n c e w e h a v e b e c o m e u s e d t o a c o n s t a n t i n p u t f ro m o u r b o di ly se n s e s , w e a u t o m a t ic a l l y e x p e c t t h i s s e r v i c e e v e n w h e n w e a r e traveling outside the physical r ealm . W e c an ’t ac ce pt th a t ou r physical senses have stopped feeding us with information. W h a t h a p p e n s n e x t i s k ey t o k n o w i n g t h e w a y s o f t h e a s t r a l . I n o ur hunt f or clues about the sur r oundi ngs, our i maginat ion will pick up the slightest conscious or subconscious thought and search very hard th ro u g h o u r m e m o r ie s fo r a n y a s s o c i a t e d m e m o r y t h a t d e s c r i b e s a phys ical space. W hen it f inds one—an d it alw ays d oe s, b ec au se ou r minds are packed w ith m e m o rie s o f phy sic a l lo c a tio n s —t h e im a g in a tio n will cre ate this space as an astral environment for us. For example, when project ing, if we have a subc onscio us th ou gh t o f th e physical r o om f rom which we projected, then our subconscious mind will create an astral replica Ol that r oom f or us to e xp er ien ce. As a r esu lt, o u r subc onsciou s mind is no longei co nf used, b ecau se I he c ause of t he con f usion , t h e lack of sen sory input, is eliminated. "Excellent solution!" says the subconscious. this may no t be w ha t we w an t, sin ce o u r cons ciou s mind vvill X 'B i y c o nf us e d a s t o w h e t h e r t h e s u r r o u n d i n g s p a c e is th e p h ys ic s1 s p ac e o r a n a s t r a l r e p li c a o f th e s a m e .
192
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T h e a s t r a l o f f e r s n o resis tan ce in tthis his act o f creation. The astral astral replica will be amazmgly detailed and it will feel just like a physical space, with the exception that we can float in the air, walk through furniture and walls, and consciously create any additional objects we desire. In the astral replica, it will seem like our physical eyes and ears are active, active, but th is is ju st a w ay for th e subconscious m ind to fee] fee] com fortable. The physical senses are still in the physical body, where our awareness is not.
Satur Saturda day, y, Nove No vemb mber er 30, 2002 A Noisy Noisy OBE I regress in in m em ory in search o f anything that that migh mightt resemble an alien alien abduction abduction or a m ind screen m em ory cove ring su ch an experi experienc ence. e. I find noth nothin ing, g, but as I begin begin to to slumber my su bc on sc iou s starts starts dialog uing with with an otherdimensional otherdimensional alie alien. n. I do not not refl reflec ectt on the o d d n e ss o f the event, event, b ec au se o nly m y rational rational mind, mind, which is about to to fa ll as le ep , v ie w s it a s o d d . T he d i s c u s s io n c o n t in u e s fo r h o u r s a n d I am n e ve r actua ac tua lly asleep asleep,, but d an gling in the hy pn ago gic stat state e. I wake up briefly an d d ecid e to ha ve a n outofbody expe experi rien ence ce.. I do somethin something g weird with my m ind. I do no t kn ow ho w I cam e u p with the the idea, idea, but it feels like like the the righ rightt thing thing to do. It feels l ike I am pu lling m y aw arene ss, a s if it were ch ewin g gum, out the the back o f m y head, leaving m y he ad ting tingli ling ng.. M y aw aren ess slings bac k into into my head head.. I ca n se nse that that there is an oth er pe rso n present. present. I assum e it is Barb. Barb. I w ant to to help her get out of he r body . I t hin k to her, her, “Let’s get ah ea d o f time." I accelerate the the flow of time time through through my aw ar en ess ( do n’t n’t a sk me ho w I did that that). ). Time Time now flow s faster faster than than normal. normal. It eve n flow s faster than m y bo d y ca n handle, which falls falls behind. behind. I experi experienc ence e events events that that will will ha pp en to the ph ysic al bo d y several se con ds in the futu future re:: A dust particle icle that that has not yet fallen l an ds on m y ches chest. I feel a mu scle spasm I hav e not yet had had.. M y aw this time ask ew in tim time, an d a slight slight rol rolll aw areness is as ke w fro m the body, this makes m e fall fall out of my bod y. I am float floating ing.. I try to remem ber what I plan ne d to do while while out of my bod y. I e vok e a recollection recollection proce dure that that is som eho w m anaged by a part pa rt o f m e still re si di ng in the th e bo dy . Co ns eq ue nt ly, ly , I re gai n feel fe el ing o f th e b o d y a n d begin begin bou ncin g betwe en m y projected awa reness point a nd the the body. I remember I p la n n e d to v is u al iz e a s o n g to se e i f it c o m e s a li ve in th e astral. I th in k a fe w tunes, but they do not turn into any thin g selfsustained. They are just plain tune tunes. s. I float into into the the roo m but c an ’t rem em ber that I projected from the cabin. cabin. I ha ve no idea of what the room is supposed to look like. Therefore, I can't create an astral
Asr A sr m l Projec Pro jectio tion n a n d th e N a tu re o f Re R e a lity li ty replica replica of the room room like I usually do. do. I feel feel awkward. awkward. I am s o us ed to being somewhere that that being now here cau ses me to feel lost and confu sed. This This is not ba d new s at all, although I do not realize realize it at the the tim time. I haue turned the su bc on scio us p rocedu re of
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creating my astral enuironment into a conscious effort. This is an extraordinary achieuement, achieuement, for m e at leas least. t. The po w er o f creation is at m y co nsc iou s disposal. This This
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like like a bar bar,, a n d su re enough , I so on crash into into,, a n d through, through, the solid astral astral matte matterr of a w ood en bar. bar. There is no ba r in the physical. The sim ple act o f gue ssing that that there there is a bar created the b ar in the astr astral al..
I get the th e idea i dea that tha t if i f I make ma ke en ou gh noise, noise , Barb will h ear it in t he waking physical physical world. world. This This will be a goo d e xperim ent to se e i f astral astral so un d trauels into the physi physica cal. l. I flo at into the th e kitch kit chen en an d start star t open op enin ing g a n d slamm sla mming ing sh ut the th e refrigerator doors. doors. Obuiously, I do not remember the physical placement of the fridge, because it has
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wonder wh y som e mem ories are accessible in t he astral while others are are not. not. I make make
memory and tim e to tho thought p at te rn s, so t,
terrible terrible noise as I repeate rep eate dly slam the fridge doo rs. I ma ke so s o mu ch n oise that the Barb
must clean our own a
sleepin sleeping g in my little little astra astrall world wakes up a nd yells, "Shut up !”
others. This healing fi ical lives, which becoi
ne uerb een in the kitchen, kitchen, b ut I do re me mb er that is has a do ub le door. door. This This make makess me me
I come co me to in my phys ph ysica icall bod y. My phys ical ic al sh s h ou ld er s are m ouing ou ing as i f they th ey are still still slamming slamming the doors. I realize that I am in t he Ar izona cabin, n ot in the Vancouue Vancouuerr stu dio. dio. Barb Barb wakes up shortly after an d wh en I ask her, her, sh e tells tells me she has not heard heard any noises in in the physical nor in the dream world. world. Durin During g this o ut -of-o f-bo bo dy exper ex perien ience, ce, I had h ad a naus na usea eatin tin g fear. f ear. It is u ery rare for fo r me to be scared during during a projection. The fea r ste ms fr om my fe ar of, sh ou ld it euer euer occur, finding findi ng an alien a lien physic phy sicall allyy pre p re sen se n t in m y b ed ro o m at night. It is an a n euen eu entt I desire and and fear fea r at the same sa me time. I re turn tu rn ed from fr om the th e proj pr ojec ectio tio n o n th e brin br inkk o f terror, terror, b ut man
to dispel the fear with the aid o f loue. aged to loue. I still still che cke d eu ery co rner of the ca cabin. in. W h e n w e h a v e b e e n t h r o u g h t h e a u t o m a t i c p r o c e d u r e o f cr c r ea ea ti t i n g an a s t r a l r e p li l i c a o f a r o o m a f ew ew t i m e s , w e r e a l i z e t h a t t h e a s t r a l s ur ur ro ro u nd nd ings ings tha t im agination h as cre ate d for us, in sp ite of th ei r convin convincin cing g l®0^ and feel, are not an actual physical space, but an astral replica of tha p phh ys ic al s p a c e , c r e a t e d f r o m o u r m e m o r i e s o f t h a t s p a c e . W e m ig h t ca 19 4
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ply are. W e can no longe r classi classiff y them as r eal nor illu illuso sorr yy.. Once we r ealize tha t wh at w e ar e tr aveling aveling thr thr oug h a r e astral astr al world worldss cr eated ea ted bby y our ow n sub con scious m ind w ith it h th t h e help of imaginat imagi natio ion, n, we
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word illusion l o se se s i t s m e a n i n g . W h a t r e m a i n s i s a s e t o f w o r ld l d s th th a t s im im
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c a n t a m e t h e s u b c o n s c i o u s a n d n i p t h e a u t o m a t e d c r e a t io io n o f a s tr t r a l en en vi vi r o n m e n ts t s i n t h e b u d . W e c a n d o t h i s s im im p l y by b y u n d e r s t a n d i n g h o w t he he subconscious wor ks and will it to cease cr eating as tr al r eplicas. When this is accomplished, we will simply project into an astral void. This is
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the meta-world that surrounds the astral worlds. From there, we can f r eely explor e any astr al wor lds that other beings have cr eated or i nves
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of r eaching the astr a l void. I f this ha pp ens, we m us ustt r egr ess through through mem or y and tim e to f ind th t h e cau se ( o f ten a traum tr aum a) o f the obstr obstr ucti uc tive ve thought p atte r n s, so th at we can heal them . I n a m ann er of speaki spe aking, ng, w wee
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others. This healing frees us not only in the astral, but also in our phys
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Ad A d d icti ic tio ons
W h e n I h e a r th t h e w o r d a d d i c t i o n , m y m i n d d i s p la l a y s i m a g e s o f p e o p llee s m o k i n g a p a c k o f c i g a r e t te te s p e r d a y o r a n u n f o r t u n a t e p e r s o n f o r c e d t o l i v e i n t h e s t r e e t b e c a u s e h e h a s t o s p e n d a l l h i s r e s o u r c e s t o s at a t is is fy f y h is is c ra r a v in i n g fo f o r n a r c o t i c s . B u t a d d i c t io io n d o e s n o t h a v e t o b e t h a t s e v e r e . A n a d d i c ti t i o n i s s im im p ly l y a n u r g e o r c r a v i n g t h a t o u r c o n s c i o u s m i n d is i s u na n a b le le to resist, let alone control. As such, we have to build a complex system o f b e li l i ef e f s s u r r o u n d i n g t h a t a d d i c t io i o n . T h e s e b e l ie i e f s h e l p u s p r e v e n t t he he a d d ic i c t iv iv e b e h a v i o r f ro r o m i n t e r f e r in i n g w i th t h o u r l iv i v e s, s , w h i le l e a t th t h e s a m e ti t im e w e d o n o t h a v e to t o d e a l w i th t h t h e a d d i c t io i o n . T h e t r o u b l e w i th t h t h i s so s o lu lu ti ti o n i s t h a t th t h e s e b e li l i e fs f s c o m p l i c a t e o u r li l i v e s a n d p r e v e n t u s f ro r o m b e in in g w h o we truly are. Addictions come in many shapes and sizes. They may be a craving f or o r c h o c o l a te t e o r a ffii x e d i d e a o f h o w w e a r e s u p p o s e d t o i n t e r a c t w it it h o t h e r p e o p l e . O n ly l y o u r c r e a t i v i ty t y l im i m i ts t s t h e f o rm r m a n d s e v e r i ty t y o f a n a d d ic ic t io io n . I n a n y c a s e , n o m a t t e r h o w s m a l l a n a d d i c t i o n i s , it i t c a n g i ve ve us u s t ro ro u b l e in t h e a s t r a l . T h e a s t r a l is v e r y s e n s i t i v e t o w h a t g o e s o n i n s i d e o u r m i n d . I f a n y t h i n g is i s o u t o f c o n t ro r o l i n o u r m i n d , t h e n o u r a s t r a l s u r ro ro u n d i n gs g s a n d o u r a s t r a l b e h a v i o r w il il l b e o u t o f c o n t r o l . H o w e v e r h a r m l e ss s s an an
Addictions addiction may seem in the physical, il cun cause us serious problems in the astral. We aspire to travel with as few obstructions as possible, but addic tions represent obstructions. When traveling in the physical, we use moral and social beliefs to suppress addictive cravings, but in the astral, we do not have that luxury. In the astral, we are like open books, unable to suppress any part of ourselves. Therefore, we need to deal with our addictions before we can venture unhindered in the astral.
Oils
Exercise: Identifying Addictions 1. T o d e t e r m i n e w h e t h e r y o u h a v e a n a d d i c t io i o n , lil i st s t a lll l th t h e p o s s e s si sio n s a n d a c c o m p l is i s h m e n t s y o u f ee e e l a r e im i m p o r t a n t i n y o u r lili f e . 2 . F o r e a c h o f th t h e i te t e m s i n t h e l i s t,t , a s k y o u r se s e lfl f : a . " D o I f e el el I m u s t h a v e / d o t h i s ? ” b . " D o I f e e l t h a t i f I d o n o t s u c c e e d i n t h i s v e n t u r e , I w i l l n o t b e a b l e t o s ta ta n d t h e o u t c o m e ? ” c . " D o 1 f ee e e l t h a t w h e t h e r o r n o t I h a v e i t/t / s u c c e e d , I w i lll l sts t i l l b e a s g o o d , h a p p y , v a l u a b le l e , a n d p r e c io io u s a s I a m n o w ? ” ( I n d i c a to t o r s r e c o m m e n d e d b y K e n K ey e y es e s '0'0) I f y o u a n s w e r e d y e s t o q u e s t io i o n s a o r b , a n d n o t o q u e s t io io n c, t h e n y o u h a v e a n a d d i c t i o n . I n t h a t c a s e , m a r k r h a t iri r e m i n r h e lil i sstt a s a n a d d i c t io i o n . D o n o t f r e t.t . Y o u a r e d o i n g g r e a t . Y o u a r e t a k i n g r h e f i r s t s ttee p t o b e c o m i n g a fr fr e e r y o u .
197
Realities a n d Belief eliefss
It might be helpful helpful to th ink of astra l p rojec tion in term s of a real realiitytyfilter model, as described below. I devised it in order to understand what happens in ou r mind durin g projection s. It is is m erely a m odel an d so does not not n e ce ce s sa sa r il il y m i r r o r t h e e x a c t t r u t h ( if i f t h e r e i s s u c h a t h i n g ) o f w h a t h a pp p p e n s. s.
T h e F u n c t i o n o f B e l ie ie f s A s w e p r o j e c t o u r a w a r e n e s s t o a p l a c e i n C r e a t i o n , t h a t p l a c e be b e co co m es es o u r rree a li li ty ty . T h e r e a r e a v a s t n u m b e r o f p l a c e s t h a t c a n s e r v e a s re re al al it it ie ie s. s. Their natures can be categorized as physical, astral, mental, and other w a ys ys o f b e in in g , m o s t o f w h i c h w e h a v e y e t t o d i s c o v e r. r . W h e n o n e h a s p rroo je j e c t e d t o a r e a l it y f o r a l o n g t i m e , o n e b e g i n s t o u n d e r s t a n d h o w t h a t real re al ity works. The subconscious then begins to draft rules on how to interact w it it h t h a t r ea e a li l i t y. y . T h e s e r u l e s a r e n o t h i n g o t h e r t h a n b e l ie ie f s a n d a r e p a r t o f a p e r s o n s b e li li e f s y s t e m , w h i c h d i c t a t e s ( a n d l i m i t s ) h o w o n e b e h av av e s in tha t reali reality. ty. A belief he lps u s in te ra c t w ith a reality, y et it lim lim its us by pr pre" e" nting us ftom seeing o th er p ossible w ays o f in tera ctin g in tha t re r eal i t y * m o v in in g a b e l i e f h a s s o m e s t r a n g e e f f e c t s . F o r e x a m p l e , s in i n c e we
19 198 8
Realities and Beliefs have projected to the physical for as long as we have, our subconscious has b uilt a s e t o f r u l e s t h a t t e l l s u s h o w t o i n t e r a c t w i th g r a vi ty . T h e s e r ule s c a n g e t c o m p l i c a t e d . I f a n e n t i ty u n f a m i li a r w i t h t h e s e r u l e s w e r e to project into a physical reality, it would probably be surprised when the planet tries to suck it to the ground; bystanders would have a good laugh at its fumb ling m ov em en ts. T h e s u b c o n sc i o u s a l so m a k e s u p r u l e s a b o u t h o w t o a c t to w a r d o t h e r be ings. W e call t h e s e m o ra l a n d so c ia l r u le s . If th a t s a m e novic e e n ti ty w ere to p r o j e c t t o p h y s ic a l E a r t h , i t w o u l d n o t u n d e r s t a n d h o w t o i n te r a ct w it h p e o p l e a n d m i g h t e v e n , w i th o u t u n d e r s t a n d i n g it, h u r t t h e m .
B e l i e f s
T his is w h y s o m e p o s s e s s i v e s p i r i ts a p p e a r t o b e s o i n c o n s i d e r a t e i n th e i r acts toward other people.
C i rc u m v e n tin g B e l i e f s A s w e p r o j e c t a w a y f r o m a r e a li ty , w e m a y c i rc u m v e n t s o m e o f o u r be liefs belo n g in g to t h a t re a lit y . F o r e x a m p le , if yo u p r o je c t to a n a s tra l reality, you might do things there that are considered harmful in a phys ical reality. You might engage in sexual or violent acts and not feel bad or guilty about it until you return to the physical. This is because you
fc-rss
have circum vented yo ur m oral beliefs. You left your m orals in your phys ical reality (see figure 6).
1. Physical Projection
2. Astra l Projection
Awareness
eb*# ' that PlaC^ rea|jiiP
Jr**1 , ha » 1
Physical World
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F ig u r e 6 . A p r o j e c t io n i n t o a n o t h e r w o r l d m a y c i r c u m v e n t o u r b e l i e f s a b o u t t h a t w o r l d .
I li"1''1 199
A str al P rojection a n d th e N atu re o f R eali ty I n J a n e R o b e r t s ’s S e th : D r e a m s a n d P r o j e c t io n o f C o n s c io u s n e s s , S e t h , a c h a n n e l e d s p ir it , s a y s : “ U s i n g t h e t h i r d f o r m [ a c c o r d i n g to S e th , a p r o je c t io n c a n t a k e o n e o f t h r e e f o r m s , w h e r e t h e t h i r d f o r m is t he
t
m o s t v i g o r o u s ] , t h e re c o u l d b e a t e n d e n c y f o r y o u n o t to r e c o g n i z e y o u r
/
o w n p h y s i c a l s it u a t io n
[i.e ., y o u c o m p l e t e ly l o s e t o u c h w i th y o u r b o d y
a n d th e p h y s ic a l r e a lit y ]. It w o u l d b e d i f fi c u lt to c a r r y t h e m e m o r i e s o f t h e p r e s e n t e g o p e r s o n a l i t y [ a n d i ts m o r a l s ] w i t h y o u . ” 17 I d o n o t ye t
\ T .
k n o w w h y w e c a n ’t b r i n g t h e e g o w i th u s d u r i n g t h e p r o j e c t io n . U n t i l w e h a v e e x p l o re d m o r e o f o u r n a t u re , w e w i ll h a v e t o b e c o n t e n t w i th th e f ac t t h at
leaving
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B e c a u se o f t h i s sp l it f r o m t h e e g o , u r g e s t h a t p r e v i o u s ly w e r e s u p p r e s se d by m o ra l b e li e fs in th e p h y sic al c a n b r e a k f r e e a n d r u n a m o k in the astral. This may hinder you in your travels, because there is nothing worse than being a victim to your own urges. Likewise, a possessive s p i r i t’s u rg e s c a n r u n r a m p a n t i n th e p h y s i c a l. A p o s s e s s i v e s p i r i t ci rc u m vents its moral beliefs when it possesses (projects into) a human body. I t c a n ’t r e s i s t h a r m f u l a c t s i f s u c h u r g e s a r e p r e s e n t , a n d i t d o e s n o t feel b a d a b o u t th e m , b e c a u s e it is t h e b e li e f t h a t t h e a c ts a r e b a d t h a t m akes t h e s p ir it fe el b a d , b u t in s p i r i ts t h a t b e l i e f i s a b s e n t . As we project back to the physical reality, the circumvented moral b eli efs kic k b a c k in a n d w e fe el r e m o r s e f o r o u r a s tr a l a c ts a n d p e rh a p s e ve n s h a m e f o r o u r u r g e s . T h e b e l i e f t h a t t h o s e a c t s a r e b a d m a k e s us fe el b a d a b o u t h a v in g d o n e t h e m . T h e c u r e is t h e n t o r e m o v e t h e u rg e by fin d in g its c a u se a n d u n d e r s t a n d i n g its m e c h a n ic s . T h e c u r e is n o t to r e in f o rc e o u r m o r a l b e l ie f s , a s s o m e r e l i g i o n s s e e m t o t h i n k . T h a t w ou ld only cause the urges to grow stronger, which would make our astral
10H en i s t o s W nli, •
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b e h a vio r ev e n m o re u n p re d ic ta b le . All o u r u r g e s a r e sim p ly sig n s poin t ing at something within us that needs attention, and they will grow stronger until they have caught our attention. Urges are there to help us h e lp o u r se l v e s. T h e y a r e n o t t h e w o r k o f t h e D e v il .
I N o u g h t - C o l o r in g B e l i e f s Co n scio u sn ess is th e ab ility to th in k , n o t th e th o u g h ts th em selv es. In y
200
s p a i k o l C r e a t i o n , a t h o u g h t is b o r n o u t o f y o u r
consciousness-
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Realities and Beliefs
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The thought is a pure intent. On its way to your conscious mind, it has t o p as s t h r o u g h a n u m b e r o f b e l i e f s i n y o u r s u b c o n s c i o u s . R a r h b e l ie f is like a filter that colors the thought and gives it direction. The filters are
10
a dju stin g t h e t h o u g h t s o t h a t it w i ll a p p l y t o y o u r c u r r e n t r e al it y . W h e n 'Went you.-!? I,
the thought finally reaches your conscious mind, it has lost its original purity. (H ow ev er, you c a n sti ll s e n s e t h e p u r ity by liste n in g to th e sp ace between t h o u g h t s . ) It i s n o w a r e p r e s e n t a t i o n o f y o u r b e li ef s re g a rd in g
B W nienl Part of
w it
pmjetj,
its original intent. The thought will move your mind into a state decided by your b e lie f s y s te m u n le s s y ou c o n s cio u s ly a n d fir m ly co n tro l the thought and critically scrutinize it. W h e n y o u h a v e c o n s c i o u s ly a c t e d u p o n t h e t h o u g h t , th e t h o ug h t
k free andI runamoki:
l ea ve s t h e
consciou s m ind
an d
s li p s b a c k
i n to t h e s u b co n sc i ou s .
Depending on how you acted, your subconscious mind reinforces the belie fs to e it h e r e n c o u r a g e o r d isc o u ra g e fu tu re th o u g h ts o f sim il a r con t ex t. T h e t h o u g h t i s a r e s u l t o f t h e b e l i e f s y s te m b u t a l so s e r v e s a s f ee d back for it . I f y o u d id n o t c o n scio u s ly q u e s tio n th e th o u g h t, o r a ct in an o p po s ed m a n n e r , t h e s u b c o n s c i o u s w o u ld a s s u m e t h a t t h e t h ou g h t is acceptable within your current reality. T h e r e a s o n i n g o f t h e s u b c o n s c i o u s m i n d is t h a t i f t h e t h o u g h t pa s se d through the belief system and the conscious mind without incident or any objections, th en the be lief sys tem is proved accu rate and wella d j u s t e d f o r f u n c t io n i n g w i t h in t h e c u r r e n t r e a li ty . T h e r e a s o n a b l e t hin g t o d o t h e n i s t o s t r e n g t h e n t h e b e l i e f s y s te m , r o o t i n g be li ef s m o r e deeply, in ord er to pro m ote sim ilar coloring of thoughts in the future. If, on the oth er h an d, t h e th ou gh t m et with troub le—for example, if the
!ben to
mo vem ent of a ha nd guided by the thought caused a vase to fall to the
.uink.
-0,,ri f
floor and b rea k—th en th e be lief system will be reinforced negatively, causing such thou ghts to ap p ea r m ore seldom in the future. You can see now the value of being able to criticize your own thoughts and beliefs.
Astral Sex Urges
I w ill no w s h a r e s o m e i n t i m a t e d e t a i l s a b o u t t h e c o n t e n t s o f m y sub c o n s c i o u s m i n d . I d o t h i s n o t f o r e n j o y m e n t , b u t t o i l l u s t r a t e how s e v er e ly a d d i c t i o n s c a n c r i p p l e o u r a s t r a l e x p l o r a t i o n s a n d g e t in t he w a y o f t h e t h i n g s w e w a n t t o d o . I k n o w t h i s c h a p t e r w i ll h e lp m an y i n t e rd i m e n s i o n a l t r a v e l e r s . E v e n i f y o u r a d d i c t io n is n o t o f t h e s am e n a t u r e a s m i n e , su r e l y t h e r e a r e s i m i la r i t ie s : s o m e t h i n g t h a t all a dd ic t io n s h a v e i n c o m m o n . I a m c o n v i n c e d t h a t t h e r e is a c o m m o n c u r e for all addictions.
Wednesday, October 10, 2001 Astral Sex I am reading Willi am Bu hlma n's Adventures beyond the Body/'* He uses the fol
O n . lt ,
,isMii“"Sion
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lowing OBE technique: A s yo u fall asleep , visu alize being in a r em ote bu t familiar place. To try it, I pre tend I am in m y par ent’s living room , a s it lo ok ed I t yea rs ago, when they ul her
used It as a bedroom . Before I fall as leep , I tell my self, "I wa nt t o ha ue an OBE tonight," and. to my delight, an other part o f me replies, "Okay ."
1 fal1 asleeP and m akeup an h our and a ha lf later. My bo d y is num b. I immediately g ize the state as perfec t fo r OBE. I let m y m in d sin k quickly into a relaxed state 202
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think, “O B E now!” an d am surprised to see it work when I sit up in my bed a n d sense my physical body is still lying down. I do not roll out as I usually do, maybe because Buhlman says to sit up in his book, or maybe because the technique does not require rolling. The Buhlman technique is much easier than what I usually do, which is putting my body to sleep, letting my mind drift toward sleep, an d hoping I will pop out before I fall asleep. I f l oa t in t h e r o o m f o r a f e w s e c o n d s . I c a n ’t s e e a n d I t h in k I h a u e t o o p e n m y ph ys ic al e y es in o r d e r t o se e. I o p e n m y p h y sic a l ey es , b u t I o n ly se e the ceil ing o v e r my bed, where m y b o d y is. At the sa m e time, the projected part of my awa reness is by the bookshelf, alt ho ug h I ca n ’t se e it. I c los e m y eyes. I think, “Clarity no w !” an d m y astral vision is working. The n I think, "I wa nt to meet Ri ch ar d!" (Richa rd is on e of my spirit gu ides , a n d a v e r y g o o d o n e at that.) N o th in g h a p p e n s. In retro spe ct, I s u sp ec t that I w as a t t o o lo w a n e n e r g y f r e q u e n c y t o s e e h i m . M y b o d y a w a r e n e s s i n cr e a se s a n d I f i n d myself in be d again. I relax m y m ind aga in a n d sit up. I float out into the room a nd through the wall. A little old lad y is inspe cting a yo u n g tree (wh ich is n ot there in ph ysica l reality) on the lawn outside. I fly past he r a n d notice that the par k outside is full o f people. M an y are having picnics. So m e c an see m e as I fly ove r their heads. They turn their heads to look at me. Others ca n’t see me. I h av e the feeling that som e o f these peo ple sh ould not see me flying, because then they might discover too abruptly that they are not living on Earth anym ore. Is it just m y im agina tion o r are these peo ple de ad ? If they are, they don't seem ve ry up set ab ou t it. In fact, ev ery on e seem s to be h aving a won derful time. I think I am hold ing a go o d altitude, but sud den ly I crash into a w oma n having a pic nic . I think , “Tha t m u st h a v e h ur t li ke h e ll !" M y m in d s ta rts ra ci ng to co m e u p wi th some way to ap olog ize that will be acceptable to these people, but she doe s not even seem to hav e noticed the impact. N or do es she notice me. I am enjo ying this. After all, I a m doin g so mething that no ne o f the other peo ple can. It is getting to my h ead. I am fa st a n d I am invisible. At som e point, my rational mind goe s to sleep a nd m y primitive drives take over. I fly ov er to so m e ca mp ers. I cr ash into their tent. This flying b us ine ss is tricky. Then I notice a young woman leaving the campers. There is something special about her. Something abou t he r intrigues me. I fly ove r an d see sh e is disappointed an d angry. She has been in an argument with one o f the campers, w ho I sense is her previous boyfriend. By now, m y primitive m ind is in charge. There is no guilt or sham e in what I do, becau se those parts of m y sub co ns cio us m ind are asleep. M y sex drive takes over. Sh e has a great bo dy . I sq ue e ze h er b re as t a n d it is so fter th an air. I sa y w ith out
Astral Projection a n d th e Natu re o f Reality hesitation, "I want to hav e sex with you. No w ." Sh e sa ys n o at first, but then she says,
-Okay, but I have to go hom e an d chan ge first. Then we can g o listen to the ba nd an d then we can ha ve sex. ’’ I agree. S he lea ves for home. In retrospect, I h op e sh e a n d the other people are just dream characters, b eca use m y m oral beliefs ma ke m e think I am making a complete a ss ou t o f myself.
y ’
K^ ■ hO P a/*
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D a r k n e s s f a ll s o v e r t h e p a r k. I fl o a t o v e r t o t he b u i l d i n g w h e r e a b a n d p l ay s. I floa t pa st t he l on g q u e u e o f p e o p le w ai ti ng to g et i n s id e b u t a m st o p p e d b y a d o o r m an . H e i s a n o l d f r i e n d f r o m m y y o u t h , t h o u g h s ti ll a li ve . H e c h e c k s m y a r m s f o r th e club stamp. I try to create one with m y m ind, bu t it do es not turn o ut an ything like the club stamp. He says that since they will be closing in ten minutes, I can’t enter
1
.
without the stamp. I say, “Fine,” a n d sim ply float th roug h the wall to wh ere the b a n d p la ys . S o m e t im e s it is g o o d n o t t o b e s o l id . T h e b a n d i s d i v i d e d o n t o t w o s ta ges, w i th t he a u d i e n c e i n b e t w e e n . T h e s e t u p i s v e r y c o o l . I w o n d e r h o w t he y
,(0
m a n a g e t o p r e v e n t f e e d b a c k i n t h e m i c r o p h o n e s . A f t e r a w h i le , I s e e t h e d o o r m a n a n d s o m e o t h e r g o r i ll a s m a k i n g t h ei r w a y t h r o u g h t h e p e o p l e o n t h e d a n c e flo or. They are coming fo r me. Not w anting to get thro w n out, I de cid e it is best to leave throu gh the wall. I m ee t t he w o m a n o u t si d e . S h e h a s c h a n g e d i n t o a n e x t r e m e l y sh o r t s kir t. M y go d, s h e l o o k s g o o d ! I tel l h e r t ha t t h e y w ill c lo se in f iv e m in u te s, s o w e m ig ht a s well
CddtettatIi;in ^ a m s u c c e s s f u l in su
I jf r t t e s a m e b e l u n i t I e x ite d m y
s k i p th e b a n d . S h e a g re es . W e g o t o a s e c l u d e d a r e a i n t h e p a r k , w h i c h c o i n c id e n t a l ly h a s a b e d n ex t t o a p o o l . W e h a v e s ex . I a m q u i t e s u r e I c a n h a v e a p h y s i c a l or ga sm , but I do not want to, bec au se m y girlfriend is lying nex t to m e in the ph ysic al bed. I fig ur e it is b et ter to m o v e m y p h y s ic a l b o d y o f f th e b e d fir st. I m o v e b a c k to t he b od y instantly. I try har d to m ove m y bod y, b ut that do e s no t w ork, sinc e it is asleep. But then, effortlessly, I m ov e off the bed. I th ink it is m y b o d y m ov ing off the bed, but I a m m is ta ke n. I a m n o t i n m y b o d y . I n a l l t h is c o n f u s i o n , m y b o d y w a k e s u p a n d I am ba ck in bed. I re la x m y m i n d a n d s it u p o u t o f m y b o d y . I f l o a t d o w n t o th e f l o o r a n d s t a n d up. I think, Clarity no w !” M y vision is crystal clear. I ha v e n ev er see n this well in my whole life. First, it loo ks exactly like m y room , bu t then thing s start to change . M y b ed is suddenly at the opposite wall. There is on ly a sm all w indo w , inste ad o f two large ones. I think, Hey, this is not a b ad wa y to arran ge the furniture. Th ere is a lot of op e n space, t then I notice that my com pu ter an d so m e oth er things are missing, s o m ayb e it is not
er a ft er all. I a m p u l l e d b a c k i n t o m y b o d y . A n h o u r a n d 3 0 m i n u t e s h a s p a ss e d since I first exited the bod y.
^oiisiea,
1
Astral Sex Urges *> h 'eir0
T h is p r o j e c t io n l e f t m e i n a w e . T h e s e x u a l c li m a x w a s s o m e t h in g o u t
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o f a n o t h e r w o r l d . I t w a s n o t m e r e l y t w o e n t i ti e s c o m i n g to g e t h e r . I t w a s
x ! Hlldb
tw o e n t it ie s s h a r i n g t h e s a m e e n e r g y , m e l ti n g t o g e t h e r t o fo r m a b u bb le of ecstasy. B a ck fr o m t h e a s t r a l , m y m o r a l b e l i e f s k ic k b a c k i n . Is t h i s c h e a t in g ?
'"Me, *bulan,
G uilt w e i g h s h e a v i ly o n m e . W h e n I w a s i n t h e a s t r a l , g u i lt n e v e r c r o s s e d
"decked,.
m y l it tl e m i n d . I t s e e m s t h e p a r t o f m y m i n d i n c h a r g e o f g u ilt a n d loy
,0 e s n o f ( u r n o t
'"WnjHil)!.
' j m t e n m in ute , l a j ^
alty is offline w hile I am in th e as tral. The astral woman could have been a separate astral entity or simply a c r e a t io n o f m y i m a g i n a t i o n . I c a n ’ t t e ll t h e d i f f e r e n c e . I s th e m i n d a b le
hroujh rhe wall ioufheretit
to c r e a t e s u c h a n e x p e r i e n c e w i t h o u t t h e h e l p o f a n e x t e r n a l e n t i ty ? I a m
Fhe b a n d i s d i v id e d o nto fa
a m a z e d b y it , b u t I a m e v e n m o r e a m a z e d a t m y u n c o n t r o ll a b le u r ge to
very cool. I w o n d e r h t k
h av e t h a t w o m a n . I c o u l d n o t r e s t r a i n m y s e lf . I w a s lik e a w o l f t h a t h a d
Her awhile, I s e e t he d o o n ?
pic ked u p a b lo o d t r a c e , c o m p le te ly a t th e m e rc y o f m y p rim it iv e
th e p e o p le on t o t o *
instincts.
o u ( , / d e c i d e il
It could be that I, in the physical, have the same strong urge to mate but a m s u c c e ssfu l in s u p p re s s in g it w ith th e help o f socia l a n d m ora l beliefs —t h e s a m e b e li e fs t h a t s e e m to h a ve g o n e o u t th e w in dow th e moment I exited my body.
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Monday, November 12, 2001 OBE I w ake u p in t he mid dle o f the night, feeling alert. I am an gry be cau se o f something I haue dreamed, but I do not rem em ber what. There is some thing about my state that
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OBE, s o I roll inside m y physical bo dy an d am thrown out. I fal l
fo the floor. I m oue fast be cau se I am angry, not kno w ing why. I can tell by my state that
I will not be able to stay out mo re than a few second s. I fl oa t th ro ugh th e do or, acro ss the co rrido r, a n d th ro ug h m y n e ig h b o rs door. There is a red light filling he r room. Ho w odd. The room is not sh ap ed as in waking reality. I am beg inning to feel draw n to my ph ysi cal bod y, s o I qu ickly roll to get free. M y sex drive takes oue r again (sigh). M y n eigh bo r has a friend in h er room. I am preparing for sex when I am pu lled back to m y body.
O n c e a g a i n , m y s e x u a l u r g e t o o k o ve r . 1 a m b e g i n n i n g to r e a l i z e that t h i s u r g e i s a s e r i o u s o b s t a c le . A s t r a l s e x i s g o o d i n a ll r e s p e c t s , b u t t hi s
1
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is not about sex. This is about the ability to exercise self-control in the
205
Ast ra l Projection a n d th e N atu re o f Reality a s t ra l , o r in a n y u n k n o w n r e a l m f o r t ha t m a t t e r. I n o r d e r t o t ra v e l f re e ly I m u s t b e in c h a r g e o f e v e r y p a r t o f m e . A f t e r a ll, I w a n t to s p e n d m y t im e in t h e a s t r a l f in d i n g a n s w e r s t o w h a t w e a r e a n d w h a t r e a li ty is a n d i n th a t r e g a r d , s e x u a l u r g e s a r e a n u i sa n c e .
Su n d a y , A p r i l 1H, 2 0 0 2 O B E s a s T e st s
I wake up in the morning after a night o f partying. I mean to drift back to sleep, but my bo dy goes nu m b an d my awareness shifts. After a few seconds, I am able to roll out o f my body. I have no sight, so I tune into th e imagination in my heart chakra. I can hear my girlfriend tapping her keybo ard u nd er th e b ed via my physical ears. I float down beh ind her. (In retrospect, it is silly that I still th ink the conc ept o f space applies out of body.) Commotion pulls m e back into m y body. I roll out thre e times. Suddenly, I can see. I am in a sm all room . A w hite a nd a bla ck wom an are lying on their sides o n the floor, proppin g up their head s w ith their hands. They are naked; how nice. I get the i mpression that th ey h av e b ee n waiting fo r me. My overactive sex drive makes m e float over to them an d ha ve sex with them. The w hite girl disappears, so I continue to ha ve sex w ith the black girl. Sh e smiles joyfully a s w e get intimate. As I am p ull ed bac k into t he body, I re alize th at this is a test. It is an exercise in selfcontrol, se t u p by m y guides. The girls are bait. The p ur po se o f this test is obvious: I must gain control ove r m y sex d rive b efore I am allow ed to venture further into the astral. It is clear that I can’t travel where I want until I can control my drives. In the futu re, w henever I feel the sex drive taking over, I will tell m yself that I can have sex later, but n ot now . As I realiz e this is a test, I as k m y gu ide s to give m e another chance to go out o f body, bu t I fail to get bac k in the right state. The tests during OBEs mirror my w ea kn ess es in th e physica l world. It may be eas ier to deal with the pro blem s in th e astral b eca use they are much more obvious there, and guides help m e set up e ffective tests and learning aids.
S o m e t h i n g i s e f f e c t iv e ly p r e v e n t i n g m e f r o m t h e a st ra l. I s u s p e c t t h a t I a m
v e n t u r i n g fa r th e r into
s u r r o u n d e d b y a s t r a l g u i d e s w h o know
m o r e a b o u t m y s e x u a l u r g e s t h a n I d o . T h e y e n c o u r a g e m y su bc o nsc io u t o se t u p s i t u a t i o n s w h e r e I a m a b l e t o e x p e r i e n c e t h e s e u r g e s a s pu>e a s p o s sib l e , w i t h o u t a n y m o r a l r e s t r a i n t s . T h e p u r p o s e i s cle ar: to un s ta n d h o w
t h e u r g e s w o r k a n d h o w t h e y a f fe c t m y p h y si c a l a nd as
liv e s. 1 h a v e b e e n g i v e n a g r e a t o p p o r t u n i t y f o r p e r s o n a l g ro w t h .
Astral Sex Urges T h e p a r t o f t h e a s t r a l i n t o w h i c h I h a v e v e n t u r e d i s a la b o r ,to W here a ny b e h a v i o r is a c c e p t a b l e a n d t h e c o ns eq u e n ce s a r e T w S im ila rly , p h y s i c a l r e a l i t y is a l a b o r a t o r y w h e r e w e c a n l e a r n m o re a bo u t o urs elv e s.
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w h e r e w e t ry o u t n e w experiences
Consequences are mild because physical life is short. In the deeper a str a l h o w e v e r , in t h e d o m a i n s o f o u r t r u e n a t u r e , a c t io n s re a lly m a t te r. There you need superb control over your mind because bad behavior may have grave consequences. I s t a r t t o i n v e n t w a y s t o m a n i p u l a t e m y m i nd i n o r d e r to p re v e n t m y s ex ua l u r g e s f r o m b e i n g t r i g g e r e d . A f t e r s o m e t r ia l a n d e r r o r , I fin d t h a t p o stp o n in g t h e u r g e w o r k s b e s t. T ypic all y, a s so o n a s I exit my body , 1 tell m y se lf, “ I d o n o t n e e d t o h a v e s e x r i g h t n o w b e c a u s e t h e r e a r e p le nty o f o p p o r t u n i t i e s t o h a v e s e x l a t e r , a f t e r I h a v e f i n i sh e d w h a t I s e t o u t to do.”
Exercise: Playing with Fire 1. C lo s e y o u r e y e s . n exercise'0
2 . R e la x y o u r m i n d . 3. Con sult the list o f a dd ict ion sy ou com piled in the exercise "Identifying
A d d i c ti o n s .” F o r e a c h a d d i c t io n d o th is : a. Visualize yo ur self su rrou nd ed by pe ople or objects (concrete or
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b. Visualize th e ob je cts so in tense ly and in such detail th at they normi y w ould trigger th e u rge of the a ddiction. In my case, since to sex, I wo uld visualize persons of the opposite sex con m g ^ b ut th is o f c ourse m ay n ot be th e preference o f your a ddcnon. c. Tell yo urse lf “I have m ore im po rtan t things to lo J o n o n in to my urge right now. I can d cn ta s m u c h . I w a n t ^ as fine, 1will have ju st as m uch fun, 4. D oyo u feel you have an u ppe r hand o n
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abs tract) th at m atch the preference of yo ur addictions.
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of yo urse lf for yo ur level o f self-contro . 5. Rem em ber w h a ty o u did m t ^ s e x ^ taking over anytime in the astrai, yo ur self-control.
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Astr al Projection a n d th e Na tu re o f R eali ty
However, p ostpo nem ent only provides tem po rary relief. W hat I n e e d i s a p e r m a n e n t s o lu t io n t h a t p u t s m e b a c k i n t h e d r i v e r’s s e a t of my astra l travels. In my effo rts to find a perm an en t solution, I affirm to m y s e l f t h a t “I d o n ’t n e e d a s t r a l s e x . ” T h e n a n o t h e r p a r t o f m e r e p li es , “Yes, you do n eed it.” A third p a rt o f m e find s ou t th a t I have been lying to myself and a fourth p art of m e sta rts laughing hysterically. Obviously, I do need sex, but why? My urge in the astral goes well bey o n d a re a s o n a b le in stin c t to f u r t h e r m y g e n e s a n d p re s e r v e th e species. There must be something else lurking in my subconscious.
Causes of Addiction
Tuesday, May 21, 2002 An OBE from a Dream During th e day, I ho ld tw o crystals in m y hands. As I inhale, I draw energy from the crystals into my arms. Som etim es, I pu sh the energy all the way out through my feet. As I drift o ff to s le ep la ter t hat day, I visu alize I am in a forest. I touch trees a nd leaves. This is fro m Bu hlm an ’s OBE tech niq ue. Simulta neo usly, I turn my eyes and attention to the area be tw ee n my eyes. I repeat, "I will OBE tonight," ove r and over. It is difficul t t o d o al l three things a t t he s am e time, b u t n o t impossible. The visuali zation falls apart all th e tim e. Each tim e I resu m e v isu alization, I fin d m yself in a dif fer en t forest. One time I fin d m ys elf in th e place o f home, where I am totally content. It may be a place in anot her reality or in ano the r life, perh aps on another planet. There is a green bush with great energy. The surroundings sh ine with fulfillmen t and joyful energy. My subconscious violently pulls me back after a fe w seconds, as if I am not meant to see the place o f home. Perhaps my subconscious is afraid that the memories o f that place will em pow er me, th e soul. Three hours later, at 5 a . m ., I dream I am in a group o f pe ople driving a jeep through
Asrral Projectio n a n d th e N atu re o f R eali ty a desertlike area. W e are hidin g from Lucifer. W e do not want h im to jud ge us, bec au se we kn ow that if he did, we w ou ld all go to Hell. W e hid e be hin d a hill. We se e a m other with twin daughters. The dau ghters driv e their feet into the gr ou n d as if they wer e drilling for oil. They start breathing heavily. Their mot her sighs; sh e d oe s no t beli eve in what they are doing. They insist that breathing w ater is the bes t wa y to contact go o d spirits. Some how , their act of breathing p u m ps water up into their feet an d out throug h their mouths. In retrospect, I suspec t the “water” is mo re a kin d o f waterlike energy. I think this part of the dream is meant to teach m e so m e things about energy control by m ean s o f breathing. We drive off. Sudden ly, Lucifer spots us. W e are terrified as the Earth su cks us into it s b o s o m . W e f in d o u r s e l v e s e s c o r t e d b y h e a v y g u a r d s t h r o u g h a li gh t g r e e n s u b te rranean corridor. We are go ing to the plac e o f ju d gm en t. T h e c o rr id o r is w arm a n d c o m for tab le. I th ink , “Well , at le as t it is w arm d o w n h e re ." T h e n I th in k, “Hey, I do n't believe in the Devil!" Th is brea ks the dream, as if it ca n’t su rviv e without m y beliefs. T h e c o r r i d o r b r e a k s i n t o p i e c e s a n d I f a ll t h r o u g h t h e f lo o r. I f i n d m y s e l f i n a v o i d . I h a v e t ha t ti n gl in g s e n s a t i o n o f f r e e d o m a n d a d v e n t u re I a l w a y s g et d u r in g a n O B E . I f i n d m y s e l f f l o a ti n g o v e r m y b e d i n a n a s tr al d u p l ic a t e o f m y o l d b e d ro o m . M y m i n d m u s t a s s u m e o u t o f h a b i t t h at I a m s till in S w e d e n , b e c au se in phy sical reality I am in V ancouve r. I float do w n to the floor. I am blind. I command, “Clarity no w !” a few times. I ca n s ee with ex traord inary clarity. I ru n m y h an d along the side of the bed. It feels as real as in p hy sica l reality. I think o f wha t I want to do. M y sexual drive takes over. (In retrospect, I regret not h av ing stated a clear goa l for this tra ve l.) I d e c i d e t o g o u p s t a i r s in t o s o m e w o m e n ' s r o o m a n d w a t c h t h e m s l ee p. Af te r all this training, I still be liev e I am in ph y sic al reality, w h en I am really in a n astral arena of m y o w n m i n d ' s cr ea ti on . I float through the door. The re is m or e resista nce tha n usual, but I p us h through t he w o o d . I e x p ec t t o e n t er t he c o r r i d o r b u t e n d u p i n a n o l d d u s t y e m e r g e n c y s ta ir ca se i ns te ad . I f ee l I h a v e b e e n i n t ha t s t a i r c as e b e f o r e , p e r h a p s i n a n o t h e r O B E o r dr ea m . I fl oa t u p a n d en te r the s e c o n d f lo o r c orr id or. I tu rn rig ht a n d e n te r a ro om . Peo ple are resting in sleeping bag s on the floor. The y greet m e as I ente r the room. A co py o f me is a l re a d y t her e. M y b r o t h e r m a s s a g e s t ha t c o p y ’s fe et , w h i c h i s o d d . H e w o u l d n e ve r t o uc h m e a n d e v e n m o r e u n l i k e l y g i v e m e p l e a s u r e . N o b o d y r e a c ts t o t h e f ac t that t he re a r e t w o o f m e i n t h e r o o m . I s it d o w n n e x t t o t h e o t h e r c o p y o f m e. I get bored fast. M y sex drive takes ov er again. I s po t a fam iliar girl in the room, someone I knew about 12years ago. She w a s not oriou s fo r h er large breasts. I float over, grab her right breast, an d kiss her. Eve ryo ne in t he roo m is surp ris ed a n d stares. S he h as a surprised look on her face. I can se nse that sh e is offended. I gra b h er left breast an d kiss her. Same
Causes o f Addiction
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reaction. This breast is smaller, so I de cide to return to the preuious breast. I am pulled back t o m y physical
body, t uiake u p in Vancouuer. I lost to m y sex driue again. Damn it.
I went th rough th e door with th e in tent o f looking at wom en sleeping in their beds. This is an o ld t een age fantasy. Uniiued c hil dh oo d fantasies se em lo linger in the
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subconscious, in the sh ap e o f com puls iue addictions. How do I resoiue them? By regression. I sh ou ld lo ok into c hi ld ho od fanta sies a nd ma ybe Hue ou t a few. Then I will gain conscious control ouer th em . They are only dangerous when they are hidden.
13“S h i r
*
In a n e f fo r t to u n d e r s t a n d m y s e e m i n g ly u n r e a s o n a b l e e m o t io n s an d a d d i c t io n s , I d e c i d e t o v e n t u r e i n t o m y c h i l d h o o d . A s i f b y a c c i d e n t , I happen upon a Rapid Eye Technique designed to release old memories, w hic h I p e r f o r m a f t e r s o m e s m a l l a d j u s t m e n t s ( s e e th e n e x t e x e rc i se ) .
Exercise: Rapid Eye Technique 1. Before do ing th is exercise, m ake sure yo u do no t have any ap po int m ents late r in the day, since inform ation (includ ing suppressed painful memories) will be flowing into your awareness from your subcon scious. You sho uld also arra ng e for a close friend to give yo u e motional su pp ort w hen the m em ories surface. All y o u r friend has to do is listen, pre fe ra bly no n ju d g m e n ta lly , to y o u r sto ry . The p urp ose o f h av in gyour suppressed memories surface is to process them and release the pain tied in to th em . Som etimes ju st talking abo ut them helps immensely. 2. M entally detach from yo u r c urre nt life situation. Your current situa tion is highly conne cted to y o u r addictions, because to som e extent, yo ur ad dictions have led you to w here yo u are today. It is easier to work w ith ad dictions w hen yo u are away from their playground.
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3. Record the affirmation: "You are free from all feelings of disgust, dis hon or, sh am e, guilt, fear, an d pain. You are free from all feelings o f aba n do nm en t, b eing unloved, oppress ion, sadness, and grief. You are free from all feelings o f no t worthy, no t good enoug h, no t having enough. You are free fro m all feelings o f escaping, forgetting, suppressing, and denial. If you can record it on a computer, then you can loop it when you play it back. Otherw ise, record th e affirm ation ab o ut five times in a sequence. 4. G et a on e-foo t stick. 5. Turn yo ur eyes slightly u pwa rd to a spo t b etween yo ur eyebrows.
Ajrl'n
Astra l Pr ojection a n d the N a tu re o f R eali ty
6. B l i n k y o u r eyes very rapidly.
7. Wave rhe srick in fron t o f yo u r eyes, very fast. Try to follow t he en d of rhe srick with your eyes, bur keep blinking. This step is designed to im itate the rapid eye movem ents of a sleeping person. It opens a door ro your subconscious, making it easier to deprogram. Wave the stick first from side to side, th en up a nd dow n and any oth er way you feel has an effect on the veil to yo u r subconscious. 8. While following the waving stick with your eyes and blinking, listen
ro the recorded affirm atio n in the bac kground . You do n ot have to lis ten actively. Your subconscious will get the message even if your con scious does not pick it up.
9 . In r h e ra p i d ey e s ta r e , y o u r s u b c o n s c i o u s a c c e p t s t h e a f f i rm a t io n s w i th o u t q u e s tio n . M o s t o f u s h a v e b e lie fs t e ll in g u s w e a r e s h a m e f u l, b u t a s t h e a f f i rm a t io n “Y o u a r e f re e f r o m a ll fe e l in g s o f s h a m e " i s a c c e p t e d b y y o u r s u b c o n s c i o u s , t h a t b e l ie f is n o l o n g e r v a lid . T h e b e l ie f w a s f o rm e d a lo n g tim e a g o f ro m s i tu a t i o n s t h a t " p ro v e ” y o u s h o u ld b e a s h a m e d . B e c au se th e m e m o r i e s a r e p a i n f u l, th e y a r e s to r e d i n a s u p p r e s se d s ta t e i n y o u r s u b c o n s c io u s . T h e se p a in f u l m e m o r ie s w o u l d i n te r fe r e w ith y o u r d a ily life , s o t h e b e l ie f h o l d s t h e e x p e r i e n c e t h e y r e p r e s e n t , m i n u s t h e p a in . A s th e b e lie f c o n f lic ts w i t h th e a f f ir m a tio n , t h e b e lie f is p u t in to question. From the conflict, the subconscious has a need to remold the b elief. T h e b e lie f h a s b e e n p r o v e n in c o r r e c t; in o r d e r t o m a k e it m o r e c o r re ct, t h e o ld p a i n f u l m e m o r i e s m u s t b e b r o u g h t t o t h e s u r f a c e a n d o n c e m o r e b e p r o c e s se d , to p r o v i d e a b a s e o f e x p e r i e n c e f o r t h e i m p r o v e d b e lie f. T h e g o o d n e w s is, a s th e m e m o r i e s s u r fa c e , y o u h a v e a c h a n c e to c o n s c io u s ly p r o c e s s th e m , t h e r e b y d e c i d i n g h o w t h e b e l ie f w i ll be r e fo r m e d . Y ou ca n . fo r e x a m p l e , v i e w t h e m e m o r ie s f r o m a p o sitiv e p o i n t o f v ie w , e n c o u r a g i n g t h e f o r m i n g o f t h e b e l i e f "I a m s h a m e le s s ." 10. S ta r tin g a fe w h o u r s la te r , t h e s e p a i n f u l m e m o r i e s m a y c o n t in u e to s u rf a c e fo r d a y s. D o n o t a t te m p t to d e n y o r ig n o r e t h e m . E x p e rie nc e t h e m , d e s c rib e t h e m t o a f ri e n d , o r w r it e t h e m d o w n in y o u r jo u r n a l. 11. W h e n y o u a r e d o n e d e s c r i b i n g t h e m e m o r i e s , r e le a s e t h e i r i m p o r ta n c e . T h ey h a v e b e e n s u p p r e s s e d b e c a u s e t h e y a r e i m p o r t a n t t o y o u . N o w t h a t y o u h a v e w o r k e d t h r o u g h t h e m , y o u h a v e p a r t a k e n o f th e ir p u r p o s e , a n d s o t h e y h a v e o u t l i v e d t h e i r i m p o r t a n c e . In t h e e n d , k e e p o n ly t h e m e m o r ie s o f g o o d t i m e s a n d t h e l a u g h t e r .
212
Causes of Addiction Af ter the e xer cise , 1 of ten f eel an gr y, b ut w ithout ap pa r en t cause. Ever ything annoys me. Later that night, the dam hol ding all my sup p r e s s e d
e m o t i o n s c r u m b l e s . I a m o v e r c o m e w i t h s a d n e s s , p a i n , an d lo ts
of self-pity- I cry my ey es o ut. Luckily, B arb is th e re to su pp ort m e. W ith h er h e lp , I m a n a g e t o v i e w t h e e m o t i o n a l d i s c h a r g e a s a c l e a n si n g ra t h e r th an a b r e a k d o w n . T h e m e m o r i e s m y s u b c o n s c i o u s h a s fo u gh t s o h a rd to s u p p r e s s ( in i ts a t t e m p t t o p r o t e c t m e f r o m t h e i r n eg a ti v e ef fe c t) a r e now in the open, easi ly accessible. They f lood into my awar enes s. At first, they make me terribly depressed, but after telling Barb about th eir ever y little d etail, it f eels like 1 have f inally pr o cesse d them , and I am g r ea tly r elieved . A w eight ha s be en lif ted of f my shoulder s, a weight that my subconscious had decided I must carry because it deem ed I w as inca pa ble o f han dling th e m em or ies. 1 f eel f r eer , less con tr olled by my subconscious. I also f eel mor e ener gi zed, because the e n erg y u s e d t o s u p p r e s s t h e “h a r m f u l ” m e m o r i e s is n o w f r e e d u p a n d a t my disposal. T h e n e x t da y, p r o p e l l e d b y t h e m o m e n t u m o f m e m o r y r e l e a se , I w r i te d ow n e v e ry t h i n g 1 r e m e m b e r f r o m m y b i r t h t o p r e s e n t d a t e . E v e n th o ug h I can only r e m em be r abo ut f ive pe r ce n t of my lif e, I manage to see a pat ter n in cer tain r epeating situations and how I r eac t t o those situations.
Exercise: Life Review When you feel the memories being released by using the rapid eye technique, w rite dow n everything tha ty o u remem ber from this lifetime.
I find in my life a rep ea ting p atte rn o f situations in which I attem pt to get attention f r om o the r people, m ainly of the oppo site sex. My need in f 1
to be noticed and, above all, liked and accept ed is str onger than any thing. Du ring my tee n s, 1 felt disliked by peo ple a nd devised ways to get
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into situations that pr esented mor e oppor tunit ies f or being liked. My subconscious had, little by little, increased my desire for sex. It figured th at w ith a m or e pow erful sex drive, I would be m ore likely to seek such situations. An act of sex would be un deniable p roo f that I was
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Astra l Pro jec tio n a n d th e N a tu re o f R eality
liked (at least by my pa rtne r) and it was this pro of tha t my subconscious de sired. My need to be liked would then be fulfilled. Th e transform ation from a young boy who felt peop le aro un d him did no t like him enough to an astral sex maniac took place in the subconscious, and so subtle was the change that it had become a self-created second nature. E a c h ti m e m y s e x d r iv e w a s i n f la t e d , a n o t h e r p a r t o f m e r e in f o rc e d my moral and social beliefs; after all, I had to function in society in spite o f m y g r o w i n g s e x u r g e s . T h i s b a t t le b e t w e e n m o r a l b e l i e fs a n d p ri m it iv e drives was fairly balanced until one warm spring day when I left my bo dy. I b ro u g h t th e se x u rg e in to th e a s tra l w h il e, fo r so m e rea so n , w h ic h I s u s p e c t h a s t o d o w i t h t h e m e c h a n i c s o f a s t r a l p r o j e c ti o n , l ea v ing my moral beliefs behind. My need for sex became apparent. The bal ance between the sex drive and the holding-back moral beliefs was | u p s e t . T h e b u b b l e b u r s t a n d t h e s u b c o n s c i o u s ’s b l u ff , t h e g a m e o f d e s ir e and manipulation, was called.
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Sunday, June 2, 2002 Causes o f Sex Addiction I a s k e d f o r h e l p o n m y s e x u a l u r g e s i n t h e a s tr a l a w e e k a go , a n d t h e h e l p j us t a rr iv ed i n th e f o r m o f a n i ns ig h t. A s I l o o k b a c k o n m y c h i ld h o o d , i t s u d d e n l y d a w n s o n me: Se x h a s b e c o m e a w a y o f ge tt in g lo ve , a p p ro va l, a n d resp e ct — th e v e r y th ings I felt I la c k ed i n m y c h i l d h o o d . Think ab ou t it— it is on ly logical that the pe rso n w ho h as sex with me feels love, approval, a nd respect for me. The n ee d for these things is so strong that, wh en they are not met, I g o after them aggressively. I d o this by m ultiplying my sexual urges until I am incapab le o f resisting them. T hey take over. I am def enseless against the sexual urges. Al l o f this h a p p e n s su b co n scio u s ly . I will n e v e r b e a b le to s at isf y th es e ne ed s unti l I realize I already am loved, ap pr ove d, a n d respected. Until then, m y sexu al urges will rema in un cont rollab le in the astral.
T h e M o t iv e s o f A d d i ct io n Now I know why I repeatedly end up in astral situations and envi r o n m e n t s c o n t a i n i n g s e x : M y s u b c o n s c i o u s i s b e n t o n g e tt in g s e x a s a
2 15
Ast ra l Projection a n d th e N a tu re o f R eali ty m e a n s t o fe e li ng l ik e d a n d a p p r e c i a t e d . I d o n o t fu lly u n d e r s t a n d w h y t h e s u b c o n s c i o u s w o u l d g o t o t h a t l e n g t h j u s t t o b e lik e d , b u t 1 d o k n o w t h a t a ll h u m a n s h a v e t h e n e e d t o b e l ik e d . W e n e e d t o fe el l ik e d i n o r d e r t o b l o o m a s i n d iv id u a l s. It. i s a f u n d a m e n t a l h u m a n n e e d .
Wednesday, June 12, 2002 Visualizing a Break-In I dream I am in my parents’ house. I am som e sor t of agent in an un dercov er operation. My colleagues are with me. We are spying on a neighbor. We suspect he is inv olv ed in organ ized crime. W e get in o u r car, in ca se w e h av e to tail them. The driver is about to pa rk o n the street. I kn ow the ne ighb or will dis co ve r us if we p ark there, but the driver thinks it is safe. W e argu e fo r so m e time. I en d the arg um ent w ith “You will not park here.” We continue do w n the street. We pa rk in som e b od y’s driveway. W e think the peo p le w h o li ve in the h o u se are o n vac ati on . T he s u sp e c t s a r e d riv in g o u r way, so w e ru n into the garage to hide. U sed pa cka ging material is scattered ac ross the floor. We sneak into the house. W e are mov ing up a stairway wh en we h ear som eo ne in the house. Barb m a k e s s o m e n o i s e in t he p h y s i c a l a n d I w a k e u p. I visualize being back in the dream house. During m y childho od, I always wondered what that h ou se lo ok ed like from the inside. It loas the most luxu rious house in the neighb orhoo d a nd I assum ed rich peo ple lived there. I sn ea k u p the stairway. I am alone now; m y fellow agents are gone. The visua lization is extremely real. I am n ot the least conne cted to m y physica l body. I tou ch things an d the texture is real. I am sneaking arou nd in so m eo ne ’s h ou se a n d it is exciting. I rea ch the e n d o f the stairway. I want to explore all the room s. I start in the living room . I lo o k at a wall. I c an see a n d touch the wallpaper. I ma ke the wall w ob b le like liquid. It is a ve ry c o o l effect. I am a bou t to enter a room. I thin k o f go ing right thro ug h the door, b ut then I realize that I might end up anywhere my mind takes me ( sometimes I end up in weird pl ace s after m o vin g t h ro ugh w al ls o r flo o rs ). I d e c id e to o p e n th e d o o r ins tead . I enter the room. It belon gs to a teenager. There is a lot o f sc h oo lw or k a n d other projects on the desk. There is also a ve ry old comp uter. A lab el on it say s “Ckit” o r something similar. Lots of red silk nigh tgow ns ha ng on a wall. I realize a girl live s in the room. I had assum ed that a boy lived there, be ca us e o f the co m pu ter an d other technical stuff °n the desk. I am p ositive ly surprised. I leave the room an d see an older w om an in ano ther room. Sh e must be the mother in the house. She is wearing tight white pan ts a n d a r ed dish blouse. He r legs are rather fat
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a0(j te r IwrasB are /arje. Her body is not very attractive, bu t there is something about the energy she puls out. I can tell she is a ve ry good-hearted person. She enters the li„i„s room and someh ow se nses me. She asks m e something like, "wha t it is like to be discar„ate?" 1reply something I can't remember. Then she asks if I had ever killed anyone when I was discarnate. I say, “None that I kno w of." Then I try to scare her by roaring and charging. I am only joking and her giggle tells me s he can sense that. I kiss her.
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I want to hav e sex with this wo man. I think ab ou t it fo r a while. Is this ye t another urge caused by my sex ad diction ? 1do n ot think so, bec ause she is very different from all the other "temptations" I have encountered. I am attracted to her personality, not
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her body. Shortly thereafter, t he visu alization ends. I wanted to have sex with her, but I d id not f ee l I had to. This must mean I am overcoming my sex addictio n. The reason I could explore the ho use as freely as I did means that I am a llowing m ys elf to explore more. The risk o f getting caught up in sex scenes is lower, which gives m e b etter o pportun ities to explore. Additionally, the fact that her body was n ot sexy me ans that m y m ind doe s no longer feel it is necessary to create sexy wom en fo r me. This give s m e a m ore accurate perception o f the things I run into in the astral.
B e i n g l i k e d , a p p r e c i a t e d , a n d a c c e p t e d a r e n a m e s f o r being loved. Ironically, du ring all tho se ye ars I was looking for sex, 1 was really look ing for love. In fact, all a dd ictions are ju st tools invented by the subcon scious to attract love from other beings. A
young stud en t who can ’t
behave in c la ss is a d d ic te d to m is b e h a v in g o r a d d ic te d to alw ays gettin g into trouble with his peers and teachers. This student is subconsciously setting up these situations because he wants attention, and there is no m ore effective way of getting atten tion than causing trouble in class or p e s te rin g his c la ss m a te s a n d te a c h e rs . T h e stu d e n t th in k s th a t he can t get love unless he has attention. In his subconscious, attention is nothing other than love, and that is what all people crave. There is nothing
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wrong with a trou blem ake r, e xcep t a perceived lack of love. Addiction is not caused by a chemical imbalance, but an emotional imbalance. An emotional imbalance may cause a chemical balance, not the other way around. The chemical imbalance, in turn, gives rise to cravings. In other words, all addicts, from the caffeine gulper to the heroin pincushion, have in common an unsatisfied need for love. Satisfy their need for love and their addiction will dissolve.
A str a l P ro ject io n a n d t h e N a tu re o f R ealit y External addictive b ehav ior
Self-destructive behavior Figure 7. The in ner ca use of add iction .
Universal Love Coincidentally, during an astra l ex plora tion, I se ns ed without a doubt th at the re is a living con sciousne ss I can only d esc ribe a s (because o f the inad equ acy of h um an lang uage ) t h e u niv erse . It is built up by all individual con sciousness in the universe, although not limited to the physic al universe. W hat s m ore, during this astra l e xplo ration, I w as show n tha t the universe oves each a nd every one ol us in abu nd an ce a nd take s good care o f us. I may sound like I have b ee n b rai nw as he d b y in stitutiona lized religion, but this is not the ca se. I know t he universe; loves us be ca us e I have se en it, not because of what som eone else has w ritten, an d I enc ourag e you to see the same. T he re is no ne ed to feel lonely, b ec au se no ne o f us is ever alone. In t. wh( n you com e to u n d ers ta n d the un iverse , a s I am su re you will dui gyour dstial projections, it is impossible to feel lonesome. Likewise, there > 11(< d to feel unloved . T h e w ay th ing s a re ar ra ng ed , all beings in th e ■s< love you, w h et h e r they kn ow it or no t. If w e all did not love eac » '«i. the universe wou ld fall ap ar t a nd cru m ble into nothingness. The unr
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Healing Addictions verse lives and breathes by the intention to create, and the only reason we create anything is that we love what we have created and will create. P o n d e r t h is : C u r r e n t l y , h u m a n i t y h a s t h e w e a p o n s t o b lo w u p th e E a rt h a t le a s t 2 0 t im e s o v e r. B u t e v e n t h o u g h t h e w a r s a r e e v i d e nc e t h a t w e d o n ot lik e e a c h o t h e r . E a r t h r e m a i n s i n t a c t a n d t h e h u m a n r a c e su r vives. Why have we not blown ourselves to smithereens yet? With a few exceptions, we do not wish to destroy one another. Why not? Are we a fr aid o f r e p r i s a l s ? N o , w e r e f r a i n b e c a u s e w e l o v e o n e a n o t h e r . I f w e di d n ot lov e o n e a n o t h e r , w e w o u l d h a v e w i p e d o u t o u r s e l v e s a l o ng ti m e a go . T h a t p e r s o n w h o h u r t y ou y e s t e r d a y d i d it b e c a u s e h e w a s lo s t i n h is own ignorance, but that does not change the fact that he loves you. Likewise, you too love all o th e r bein gs in th e u niv erse , even if you do not acknowledge it. Some people feel that certain beings are not worthy of love and, although it is completely okay to feel this way, it does no t change the fact th a t love is th e re . If you look de ep eno ugh, you will find t h a t y ou h a v e l ov e e v e n f o r y o u r w o r s t e n e m i e s . S o, i f t h e r e i s s o m u c h l ov e i n t h e u n i v e r s e , w h y d o w e f e el s o unloved and lonely? Well, before we can feel loved, we have to realize that we are loved. As an analogy, we could stare at a beautiful painting all d ay , b u t w h a t g o o d w o u l d t h a t d o i f o u r e y e s a r e c l o s e d ? B y r ea l iz in g that we are already loved (by the whole universe), we immediately sat isfy ou r fun da m en tal n ee d fo r love an d b eing liked. Th e subconscious will t h e n n o t h a v e a n y n e e d t o i n v e n t a n y s o r t o f a d d i c t i o n , s in c e t h e p u r p o s e o f a d d i c t io n is t o a t t r a c t l o ve . W e t h e n b e c o m e f r e e o f a d d i c t io n , w h i ch in t u r n m e a n s t h a t w e c a n t r a v e l t h r o u g h t h e a s t r a l u n h i n d e r e d by u r g es .
Exercise: Lovely Guidance 1. Close your eyes. 2. Relax yo ur b ody a nd m ind. 3. In a crystal clear thought, nor necessarily directed to anyone in partic ular, ask for an experience that will help you discover to what extent you are loved by everything and everyone in rhe universe. 4. This experience might take up to a week to manifest, so don t hold your breath.
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The reality of universal love also solves persona l traum as. At one point o r a n o th e r in o u r liv es, we all feel sh o cked, h u r t, o r viola ted. The down side of being a pe rson is tha t we take things personally. We are quick to assume th e role of the victim. W e a re so im m ersed in our role in events that we can’t see the big picture, the cause and effect on a uni versal level. Every painful thing that has ever happened to you was done out of love for your growth. Th e goal of the g row th is to realize th at you are
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loved by everything in the universe. Pain has been inflicted on you by those who love you, because they love you. Strangers inflict pain, too,
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b e c au se th ey lo ve you. In th is lig ht, p a s t h u r ts a r e n o t h u r ts , b u t loves. Past emotional damage is not damage, but healing. Likewise, what you did in the pa st tow ard o the rs, intention ally o r not, you did ou t of love for th em -a love living in such a hid den p a rt o f you th at you may n ot have b e e n a w a re o f it a t th e tim e . You m ay th in k you h u r t s o m e o n e , b u t w hat
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re ally h a p p e n e d w a s t h a t t h a t s o m e o n e a t t r a c t e d t h e e x p e r ie n c e o f h u r t b ec au se h e n e e d e d it in o r d e r to g row . B ec a u se o f y o u r lo ve fo r th a t p er son and her growth, you supplied the hurt. T h e r e f o r e , d o n o t f ee l g ui lt y o r a s h a m e d f o r a n y t h i n g y o u ha v e do ne o r f ee l h u r t b y o t h e r p e o p l e . W h y w o u l d y o u f ee l b a d f o r g r o w i n g ? Th is is the implication of universal love. If you a cc ep t this love, all your past traum as and h ur ts will be he aled . (1 will be pa ssing th e do nation bin a r o u n d n o w . ) T h e n y o u c a n d r o p y o u r o l d e m o t i o n a l b a g g a g e , b e c a u s e it n o lo n g e r s e r v e s a p u r p o s e . I t d i d s e r v e a p u r p o s e a t o n e t im e , a n d th a t p u rp o se w as fo r you to re a liz e t h a t t h e w h o le u n iv e r s e lo ves you.
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A s m e n t i o n e d , t h e b e s t w a y t o p r e v e n t y o u r s e l f f r o m g o i ng a st ra y in the astral is by solving your addictions. Ironically, the “going astray"
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itself is trying to assist you in do ing ju st this, th at is, solving your addic tions. It shows exactly what your addiction is so that you can solve it. Your waking reality is trying to sho w you t h e s am e th ing bu t, as menioned before, things manifest faster in the astral than in the physical, ’ause and effect are often so far apart in the physical that it is very dif,( u l tto hee wha t causes w ha t an d why. But luckily, tha nk s to y our skill
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Saturday, June 22,2002 Solution I take tw o ka va-kauas fo r relaxatio n (this is the first tim e I take kaua) an d put
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ive are hiding from so m eo ne w ho is chasing us. W e find a bird ’s nest. /\s we are starv ing, I decide to pick tw o eggs from the nest. The oth er guy thinks it is a sham e to take the lives o f two birds. I th ink so, too, bu t I haue to in order to suruiue. Later in th e d ream , I am sitting by a railroad crossing w ith a group o f people. We are doing something im porta nt, bu t I ca n’t rem em be r what. Perhaps we are shooting a
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mouie, becau se th e a ctor Dan Aykro yd is there. Or perha ps we are just directing cars safely across the railroad. There are a lot o f cars. Haue t hey co me to get a glimpse o f the shoot? Suddenly, an electrical storm m oue s in. Dark clouds form abou e our heads. We see a small jolt o f blu e lightning in the clouds. Then it explodes a nd shoo ts dow n onto the railroad track as a big lightning flash. I can tell that this is no ordinary thunder storm. The flash es beh aue alm ost intelligently. We decid e we haue to get out o f there fast. So meo ne shouts, “We ha ue to leaue, now!" I am just abo ut to leaue, but then I think that it would b e interesting to stay an d see what happens. I kno w somew here in the back o f my mind that this is ju st a dream. A se cond b lue streak form s in t he clouds. It shoo ts d ow n right next to me! There is a big crackling sound as it demolishes the railroad car in which I am sitting. The light ning bolt diuides into b ranch es and o ne hits me. I fee l its blue energy penetrating my chest. Euerything pauses. Time slows down. I get flashbacks. I am in my mothe r s womb. I see a b aby’s face an d its bl ack eyes. Is this my twin? Did my parents haue twins and never told me? Or is the face I am looking at mine? Am I dying? I know I am in a
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dream, but can yo u d ie in a dream? I do n’t want to die, so I decid e to pull back to my dream avatar, the one lying motionless by the railroad track. The flashbacks stop. The dream turns into an astral projection. I get entangled in sex games. I enjoy the
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fre edom o f creating thes e sex situa tions. Th en a spirit gu id e m ov es in an d tells m e to stop the sex pleasures bec aus e he ha s to talk to me. In spite o f this, I con tinue for a bit. After a while, I realize I d o not ne ed the sex. I realize that I w ou ld benefit m ore from exploration. I stop the sex games. I am pr ou d o f hav ing that sort of control over m y thoughts.
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Astra l Projection a n d th e N atu re o f R eality I find my self in the garden o f an orphanage. There are apple trees an d a gr ee n lawn. / see m an y hap py children living in the orphanage. The gui de is next to me. I a sk him, “Ify ou are a spirit guide, what is my next step in life? W hat sh ou ld I d o ne xt?" He
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n o set next step. ” I am b low n aw ay by this realization. Life is not p re plan ne d! I feel free, relieved fr om the c o nce pts o f destiny an d fate. W e talk fo r a while. The n I m ov e d ow n the street.
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At t he corne r, tw o g ir ls f ro m the o r p h a n a g e are p la y in g U N O , th e ca rd g am e. I jo in . I have to pick up a lot of cards a n d realize I c an ’t win. Withou t a ch anc e to win, there's little reason to stay, so I b id them farewe ll an d m ov e d ow n the sec on d street. T h is s tr ee t h a s a l o n g l i n e o f s h o p s . I e n t e r o n e s h o p , w h i c h I f e e l I h a v e b e e n i n b ef or e, p e r h a p s i n a d re a m . I f i n d t h e c o m p u t e r g a m e s e c t i o n a n d s e a r ch fo r g a m e s I m ig ht like. Th e re is a b u c c a n e e r g a m e ti tl ed “17 2 0 .” A s I f lo a t a r o u n d i n the sto re, a f e w p e o p l e l o o k a t m e a n d a s k m e i f I a m o k ay . I k n o w t ha t b e c a u s e I a m a visitor to their realm, I lo o k pa le a n d a bit tran spar ent to them. I tell them I am fine. At o n e o c c a sio n , I m a k e a n “O o o o o o o o o o o o o o o ” s o u n d, l ik e a s p o o k y g ho st , a nd
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to m y su r pr is e , s o m e o n e e l se r e p l i e s w i t h a n o t h e r “o o o o o o o o o ! ” I t h i n k the 0 0 0 0 0 -0 00 0 m u s t
b e c o m i n g f r o m t he p h y s i c a l r e a l i ty a r o u n d m y b o d y . (L ater , a fte r
w a k in g u p a n d a s k i n g B ar b , s h e t e lls m e t h e r e w e r e n o s o u n d s f ro m m y ph y s ic a l b o d y o r h er s. ) I f i n d a b ig r e d p a p e r p a c k a g e c o n t a i n in g t h e E ja y h i p h o p k it f o r 3 9 0 S w e d i sh c ro w ns , w h i ch a p p a r e n tl y h a s e v e r y t h in g y o u n e e d f r o m c o m p o s i n g m u s i c t o b u r n in g C D s a n d p r in ti ng l a be ls . I a m f a m i l i a r w i t h E j ay b u t h a v e n o t s e e n s u c h a c o m p l e te kit i n p h y s ic a l real ity. I l o o k o v e r m y s h o u l d e r t o m a k e s u r e n o s t o re e m p l o y e e i s a r o u n d an d then I ope n it. It con tains lots o f pa p er C D cases. The y ha ve the text “Lice MT ” pri nte d o n them . Th at m u st b e th e b r a n d nam e . A s I am c o m in g o ut o f th e pro je c ti o n , I h a v e a v is io n o f B a r b ’s c a r b e in g to w ed away by the police. The car ha s ani m al dro pp ing s in the front pa sse ng er seat. Then I ’m fu ll y a w a ke in m y b ed. The p r o je c ti o n la ste d m o r e t h a n a n ho ur. Note added August 1, 2003: April, ten months later and three states away, and
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B a r b s c a r st al ls in T u c s o n. S o m e O r o V a l l ey p o l i c e o f f ic e r s a r e n i c e e n o u g h t o s t o p a n d try to help her (ku do s to the co ps in Tucson ). W he n they inve stigate the engine, they fin d a little m ouse nest built on top o f the battery (we k n ew there w ere m ice in the car, b u t w e t h ou g ht w e h a d e v i ct e d t he m a ll ) a n d a c c o m p a n y i n g m o u s e d r o p p i n g s in the front pa ss e nge r seat. Af te r the c o p s g iv e u p a n d le av e, w e to w th e c a r to the neare st auto shop.
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F u r th e r H e a l in g T o r e c a p , ( h e r e a r e t w o r e a s o n s t h e m i n d c r e a t e s o b je c t s o f a d dic tion (for example, a sex object) in the astral: 1. The addiction object gives t h e m i nd t e m p o r a r y s a t is f a c t i o n , a n d 2 . T h e o b j e c t a l e r t s you to the addiction so th a t you m ay solve it (if you choose to). T he m ind wants
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to b e f r e e o f a d d i c t i o n . This and the previous chapters demonstrate the importance of w o rk in g t o w a r d a n o p e n a n d f r e e m i n d . T h e p e r c e p t io n o f a l ac k o f love c r e a t e s t r a u m a . T h e t r a u m a m a y b e s o m e t h i n g q ui c k lik e a c a r ac c id e n t, or it may be a complicated family issue remaining unsolved for several years. N aturally, if you r fa th e r sm ack s you on the hea d every weekend,
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w a r s b r i n g s p e a c e . T h e a d d i c t io n o n l y h a s p o w e r o v e r u s a s lo n g a s it is i n th e s u b c o n s c i o u s . O n c e w e c o n s c i o u s l y o b s e r v e t h e a d d i c ti o n a n d its cause, it ceases to function.
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A stra l Projection a n d the N a tu re o f R eali ty
When we solve an addiction, we have not only solved an inconven ience but also grown substantially. Finding and solving ou r add ictions is th e fastest way to acc elerated learn in g an d sp iritu al g ro w th . So m etimes, solving an addiction is even essential to continuing life. Addictions may even be essential for the survival o f th e hu m an sp ecies. As long as we deny that we as a species have issues to resolve, we will continue to d e s t ro y t h e p l a n e t t h a t s u s t a i n s u s , t h e r e b y d ig g in g o u r o w n g r av e s . As I m en tio n ed at th e o u tset o f th is d iscu ssio n , 1 d o n o t in clu d e th ese ch ap ters merely fo r en jo y men t. Th i s so rt o f self-h e ali n g is o f immen se im p o rtan ce to all o f u s. A d d ictio n s p lay a b ig ro le n o t o n ly in th e astral, b u t a ls o fo r o u r w h o le p e rs o n a l g r o w t h . T h e y a r e like a la r m s , shouti ng: “Hey , we h av e a p ro b lem h er e th a t n e ed s fix in g AS AP !” If ad d ictio n s were never formed, we would never suspect that we carry traumatic s c a r s t h a t n e e d h e a li n g . O f c o u r s e , t h e s a m e e f f e c t c a n b e a c h ie v e d by d e n y in g t h e e x i s te n c e o f t h e a d d i c t i o n s a n d p r e t e n d i n g t h a t a ll is w el l. A m i n d c a n ’t e v olv e a s l o n g a s it d e n i e s t h e e x i s t e n c e o f p a in f u l m e m o r ie s . W e c a n ’t e vo lv e s p i r it u a l ly u n l e s s w e d a r e t o f a c e e v e r y p a r t o f o u r se lv e s . In t h e d a r k s i d e o f o u r n a t u r e a s h u m a n b e i n g s , w h e r e p a in and sorrow hide, in the very place we dread to look, lies the key to bliss a n d b e a u ty . W h e n w e d a r e t o f a c e t h a t d a r k s i d e a n d b r i n g it i n t o lig ht, w e a r e r e a d y f o r a b e t t e r l if e . B u t t o t a k e t h a t f i r s t s t e p —t o c o n f r o n t th e v e r y t h i n g s t h a t a r e h i d d e n b e c a u s e t h e y a r e t o o p a i n f u l t o c o n f r o n t —is among the most difficult things a person can do. It is the ultimate test o f will. U l t im a t e ly , t h e c h o i c e c o m e s d o w n t o l iv i n g t o a v o id t h e p a i n o r liv in g t o r e s o l v e t h e p a i n . W e c a n c h o o s e o u r a t t i t u d e . I f w e s e e k t o avo id p a in , w e m ay ha v e g o o d lives, b u t w e w il l n o t b e a b le to g ro w . W e would b e livin g in d e n ia l, p r e t e n d in g t h a t t h e t r a u m a t i c m e m o r ie s a r e not t h e r e , a n d w e w o u ld a c c o m p l is h n o t h i n g i n t e r m s o f s p i r it u a l g r o w t h . In the second case, can you imagine living without pain from the past, with o u t s o rr o w in th e n o w , a n d w i th o u t w o r r y f o r t h e f u t u r e ? T h i n k o f it this w ay : W h e n y o u h a ve c o n q u e r e d y o u r f e a r s a n d p a i n s , t h e f e a r s an d p a in s wi ll be n o m o re . Yo u wi ll b e fr e e a t la s t.
224
Healing Addictions
Exercise: An Invitation to Your Subconscious 1. Tonight, as you lie in bed, in vit e th e m em o rie s o f old pain s to surfa ce . Anything yo u fear to expe rience again, anyth ing yo u feel bad ab out having done, and an ythin g yo u wish w ould never happen again.
2 . W h e n r h e p a i n f u l m e m o r i e s s u r fa c e , e x p e r ie n c e th e m . L et th e m p la y o u t. D o n o t s u p p r e s s t h e m . D o n o t a t t e m p t t o k e e p t h e m b ac k . 3. E x p e r i e n c e o n l y . B e a n o b s e r v e r . D o n o r i n t e r f e r e a s th e y p la y o u r . D o n o t t r y t o f ig u r e o u t w h y t h e y a r e s till w i t h y o u , h o w b a d ly y o u p e r f o rm e d , w h a t y o u s h o u l d h a v e d o n e in s te a d , o r h o w y o u a re g o in g to p r e v e n t s im i l a r s i t u a t i o n s f r o m o c c u r r i n g in t h e f u t u r e . 4 . W h e n th e y h a v e p l a y e d o u t , w h i c h m a y t a k e h o u r s , s it b a ck a n d e n jo y t h e p e a c e . Y o u d i d w e ll. 5. T ry t o i n t u i t w h a t t h e m e m o r i e s j u s t p la y e d o u t w e re a b o u t . W h a t a re t h e y t r y i n g t o te ll y o u ? T h e y a r e s till i n y o u r s u b c o n s c i o u s f o r a r e a s o n . T h e y a re t h e r e t o te ll y o u s o m e t h i n g a b o u t y o u rs elf . 6 . W h a t th e y a r e t r y i n g t o te ll y o u d o e s n o t n ec e ss a rily h a v e to b e a n y
t h i n g b a d . In f a ct, t h e n a t u r e o f th e s e m e m o r i e s is t h a t th e y se ek to p o i n t o u t g o o d t h i n g s r a t h e r t h a n b a d . T h e y o n ly r e fe re n c e b a d th in g s t o g e t y o u r a t te n t io n . 7. D o n o t o v e r u s e y o u r a n a l y tic a l m in d , a s it h a s n o id e a w h y t h e s u b c o n s c i o u s a c t s t h e w a y i t d o e s . I n s te a d , u s e y o u r i n t u itio n . 8 . I n t u iti v e ly f ee l h o w t h e m e m o r i e s r e l a te t o y o u r l is t o f a d d i c t io n s . Is t h e r e a n y a d d i c ti o n t h a t is d e s i g n e d t o p r e v e n t a c ts su c h a s th o s e c o m m i tte d b y y o u o r s o m e o n e e ls e in t h e m e m o r ie s ? If s o, th o s e m e m o r ie s m a y b e t h e c a u s e o f t h a t a d d ic tio n . 9 . U n d e r s ta n d in g w h a t th e o l d p a i n s a r e a b o u t m a y ta k e se ve ra l w e ek s. D o t h is e x er c is e a s o f t e n a s y o u c a n h a n d l e i t w i th o u t g e t tin g d e p r e s s e d . E a c h t im e y o u p e r f o r m t h is ex e rc is e, y o u u n d e r s t a n d a l it tle b i t b e t te r w h a t g o e s o n in s i d e y o u ; e a c h tim e y o u d o it, y o u b e c o m e a little f r e e r a n d fe e l a b i t b e tte r .
There is no question that spiritual evolution is the most rewarding p u rsu it in life. T h e evolu ti on o f t h e m in d should b e o u r n u m b e r one pri ority. All the prophets have said it, and the established religions are sup posedly c re a te d sole ly fo r th a t p u rp o se . But you do not; n e e d re li gio ns or
Astra l Projection a n d th e N atu re o f Reality
gurus when you have addictions, for addictions are teachers in them selves. Believe it or not, your addictions are there to help you. They are steppingstones, pinpointing exactly what your next step should be. W ithout their help, you would n ot have expe rience d th e spiritual growth the previous exercise above can help you achieve. The next thing you should do, as a ge sture of tying loose ends together, is to get at w hatev er caused the trau m a in the f irst place. If a l ac k o f l ov e c r e a t e d t h e t r a u m a , t h e n r e a l iz e t h a t y o u a r e a l r e a d y lo ve d by all con scio u sn e ss a n d t h a t you n e e d n o t s e e k to b e lo ved. If th e a ddic tion was created because your mean big brother stole candy from you w h e n y o u w e r e y o un g , t h e n f o r G o d ’s s a k e , g o g e t l o t s o f c a n d y j u s t fo r yourself.
226
Clarity Now!
I f y o u h a p p e n t o p r o j e c t i n t o a n a s t r a l a r e a in w h i c h y ou c a n ’t s e e (i.e., no visual input), you can use commands like “Clarity Now!” or “C l e a r e r ; c l e a r e r , c l e a r e r ! ” V i s u a l i n p u t w i ll c o m m e n c e i m m e d i at el y . I t will s e e m li ke y o u r e y e s s u d d e n l y s t a r t w o r k i n g a f t e r a t im e o f b l in d n e s s. Suddenly, you are able to see what lies around you.
Exercise: "Clarity Now!' 1- Project into the astral using one of rhe techniques described in the previo u s Circle. 2. If y o u already have visual inp ut, go som ew here where yo u have none.
Floating down through a floor or a wall sometimes causes me ro lose vision. 3. Ifyou find yo u have no visual input, com m and Clarity Now! 4. After yo ur c om m and, you should have plenty o f visual inpur. If not, c o m m a n d Clearer. . . clea rer ... clearer!
A sm il Projection a n d th e N atu re o f Reali ty
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Your Creative Powers If you pro ject into an already existing astral w orld, th at w orld is w hat you will see. But if you p roje ct into a n a stra l void, befo re you com
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mand clarity, there is nothing to see. That is what gives the impression of blindness. W hen you have no visual input, it is safe to assum e there a r e n o o b j e c ts o f a n y k i n d t o s e e . Your command for clarity then causes a world to spring into exis t e n c e o ut o f n o t h i n g n e s s. T h e c o m m a n d C l a r i t y N o w ! is not a com m a n d f o r y o u r a s t r a l e y e s t o c l e a r u p , a l t h o u g h i t w a s o r ig in a ll y y o u r s u b c o n s c i o u s t o i n f o r m y o u r c o n s c i o u s m i n d o f y o u r su r ro u n d i n g s .
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senses nothing, because, after all, you are in a void. Confused by this s it u a ti o n , t h e s u b c o n s c i o u s t r ie s t o m a k e s e n s e o f w h a t s u r ro u n d s you. F o r u s p h y s i c a l b e i n g s , t h e c o n c e p t o f v o i d is inherently difficult to
} f lle f ti t- A p P a r e n t ,y ’
g r a s p . W e a r e s o u s e d t o h a v in g o b j e c t s a r o u n d u s t o l o o k a t a n d to uc h at all times, we do not know' what to do with ourselves when we find th e y a r e n o t th e r e . The subconscious thinks to itself: “I know I exited the body and all t h a t , b u t th i s is s ti ll m i g h ty s t r a n g e . I c a n ' t u n d e r s t a n d w h e r e 1 a m . Hey, m y l a st w h e r e a b o u t s w a s m y b e d r o o m , s o m a y b e I a m s till t h e r e ? ” T ha t b r ie f th o u g h t is all it ta k e s to a c tu a lly c r e a t e a n a s tr a l w o rld th a t resem ble s y o u r b e d ro o m d o w n to t h e t in i e s t d e ta il. T h e su b c o n sc io u s ru ns t h ro u g h all i ts m e m o r i e s o f y o u r b e d r o o m , in o r d e r t o d e c id e w h e th er y ou r e a ll y a r e t h e r e . I t t r i e s t o c o m p a r e t h e m e m o r i e s ’ e x p e c t a ti o n s of w h a t y o u r r o o m l o o k s lik e t o y o u r a c t u a l s u r r o u n d i n g s .
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Ironically, in doing so, the subconscious also creates an astral coun t e r p a r t o f e v e r y t h i n g in t h e b e d r o o m . T h i s p r o c e s s o n l y ta k e s a few mil
re P S c a o
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l is e c o n d s . S u d d e n l y , y o u c a n s e e y o u r b e d r o o m , b u t o n l y b e c a u s e you ju s t c re a t e d it o u t o f n o th in g n e s s , n o t b e c a u s e y o u r a s tr a l eyes sta rt ed working. There was never anything wrong with your eyes.
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Wednesday, March 21 , 2001 An Attempt to Verify an OBE
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I $o to bed at 3 a.m. The alarm dock ivakes me up at 7:15 a.m. I relax for 30 minu so until my body is asleep. My mind drifts toward sleep. W hen I am close to sleep, Iatterrp
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an out-of-body experience an d succeed. I po p in and ou t o f my bo dy aboul ten limes. The attraction to my bo dy is so strong th at I can o nly slay out ten seconds at any time. Everything looks just like it does in u>aking reality, except everythin} is vibrating slightly. The colors are sharper and the textures o f the furniture are more intense than in making reality, but that is to b e e xp ecte d since I am no t using my dull physical senses.
I hau e prepare d a little le st th at mill ve rify that I am really flo atin g oufside my physical b o dy in p hysi cal spa ce. I h aue pla ce d an un re ad bro chure on my de sk, uiith the text facing th e wall. If I can read the text w hile ou t o f body, I will be co nvinced that the OBE is real. (Note: This to o k pl ace ba ck in the “ol d day s," whe n I still believed the physical was th e o nly true reality.) I fl oat to m y d es k. W hen I get to the broc hure, it has fallen over, an d I can’t read the text. I figure someone passing by m ust h aue b low n the bro chure o ff the desk. I am angry that such a simple event has ruin ed the ex periment. My efforts to go ou t o f bo dy seem to have been wasted. (After I w ak e up, I ch eck o n the brochure. The brochure is standing up, as I left it. App aren tly, I ha d n o t be en OBEing in m y room . Either I ha d bee n OBEing in a dreamlike astral du plicate o f my room, wh ere m y mind h ad m ade the brochure fall over, or I ha d d re am ed t he w ho le thing. It di d no t fee l like a dream, though.) In on e “outing,” I flo at dow nsta ir s in to th e bas ement. A neigh bo r is doing laundry. The only problem is that in waking reality, there is no basement in the house. In anothe r episode , I flo at throug h the ceiling to the upstairs neighbo r’s room. In a cou ple o f others, I tu rn around a n d lo ok at m y b od y. I see m y b ody lying in bed , rolled up into fetal position. In waking reality, I know the body is stretched out on its back,
beca us e t hat is th e bo dy p osition I mo st com mo nly use before going out o f body. W h e n w e r e a l i z e t h a t b y w a n t in g t o s e e a p l ac e i n t h e a s t r a l, w e c re a t e a r e p l i c a o f t h a t p l a c e i n s t e a d o f m o v i n g th e r e , w e ga in c o n t r o l ov e r our minds and consequently over our astral travels. By consciously u n d e r s t a n d i n g t h e p r o c e s s o f c r e a t io n in t h e a s t r a l, t h e s u bc on sc io u s r ealizes that what it is doing ( cr eating r eplicas) is not what we want. W a lk i n g a r o u n d in a w o r ld o f y o u r o w n c r e a t i o n c a n b e n i ce , b u t in m o s t instance s, it only diver ts us f r om w hat we w an t to do. The subconscious then changes its way of f uncti oning. Consequently, C l a r i t y N o w ! stops wor king. Af ter that happens, as tr al r eplicas will n ot tr ick us into mistak ing them f or th e r eal p laces ( if th er e a r e su ch things as r eal places). The way the subconscious changes its performance also affects our ph ysical liv es , even th oug h m o st people do not com m and Clarity Now! in
Astr al Pr ojectio n a n d rhe N a ture o f R ealit y
the physical. We are then able to see things we could not before see. The ph ysical is ve ry sim ilar to a n a str a l w orl d in m any w ays. W e c re a te our su r roundings with (lie help of th e subco nscious m ind in both t he physical and the astral. W hen we change the way we crea te in the astral, we change the way we create in the physical. If we m anage to su spend the act of creation in the physical, if only for a few sec onds , we allow o the r things to ap pe ar in its place, things we know in m od ern society as para no rm al effects.
Astral Senses You might wonder why eyes, being physical senses, work in a non physic al e n v ir o n m e n t s u c h a s t h e a s tr a l. V is u a l in p u t c a n b e p ro v id e d by a p le th o r a o f s e n s e s , a m o n g th e m o u r p h y sic a l e y e s a n d w h a t w e call i m a g i n at io n , f o r l ac k o f a b e t t e r w o r d . A p a r t f r o m f a b r i c a t i n g o b j ec ts , i m a g i na ti on i s c a p a b l e o f s e e i n g t h i n g s t h e p h y s i c a l e y e s c a n ’t a n d m a k ing the visual input come to life. The physical eyes, on the other hand, a r e c r u d e e q u i p m e n t , s u p p l y in g u s w i t h o n l y r a w v i su a l i n fo r m a t i o n . We have to use our imagination to fill out the missing information. W h e n w e i n t e r a c t w i th t h e a s t r a l , w e f ully e n g a g e t h e v i su a l m e c h a n i sm in the imagination because we did not bring our physical eyes. All o t h e r p h y sic a l s e n s e s c a n b e r e p l a c e d b y i m a g i n a t io n . F o r ex a m ple, a p re v io u sly s ig h te d b lin d p e r s o n sti ll s e e s p ic t u r e s o f o b je c ts and emotions in his mind. A previously healthy disabled person still experi e n c e s t h e f ee lin g o f w a l k in g a r o u n d i n h i s m i n d . A c o l o r b l i n d p e r s o n s till senses the difference between colors. T h e r e s u l t is t h a t w h e n w e p r o j e c t a w a y f r o m o u r p h y s ic a l s en se s , as we do in the astral, the sensory input provided by the imagination b e c o m e s so in te n s e a n d fu ll t h a t w e a r e a m a z e d b y w hat, w e e x p e rie n c e . In m y a s t r a l p r o j e c t io n j o u r n a l , I o f t e n d e s c r i b e t h e t e x t u r e o f a n a s tr a l o b j e c t a s b e i n g e x t r e m e l y r e a l . W h a t I m e a n b y t h i s is th a t th e t ex tu r e, a s t o u c h e d b y m y i m a g i n a t i o n , f e e l s s o i n t e n s e t h a t i t e a s i ly s u p e r s e d e s a n y th i ng m y p h ys ic a l t a c t i l e s e n s e s c a n p r o v i d e m e . This s e e m s t o b e t r u e n o t o n l y f o r t o u c h , b ut. a l so f o r t h e r e s t o f th e s e n se s . I r e m e m b e r e a t in g a s t r a l b a n a n a b r e a d a fe w m o n t h s ago. Although it may not have filled my physical belly (it is the ulti mate w e ig ht- lo ss d i e t ) , i ts p e r f e c t f la v o r , m o i s t u r e , a n d t e x t u r e w e r e b e tt e r than could have been experienced in any physical restaurant. 230
Clarity Now! S till, t a s t e i n p u t i s n o t m a n d a t o r y in t h e a s t r a l . I f y ou d o n o t c a re much for banana bread, your imagination does not have to supply you w i th t h e t a s t e o f i t. A d d i ti o n a ll y , t h e r e i s n o r u l e t h a t s a y s b a n a n a b r e a d has to taste like banana bread in the astral, since your astral surround ings are highly subjective (o r pers on alize d, ifyo u w ill). I always say: “The t as te o f b a n a n a b r e a d is i n t h e t o n g u e o f t h e b e h o l d e r . ” Likewise, there is no need to have visual input in the astral, unless you desire a visual experience. Nevertheless, using sensory input that m i m ic s p h y s ic a l s e n s e s w ill m a k e y o u f e e l m o r e c o m f o r t a b l e t ra v e li n g
.w o r k 1 ,1 3 n o n -
t h ro u g h th e a s t r a l , a n d t h i s is w h y t h e s u b c o n s c io u s e m p lo y s th e m .
Extraordinary Astral Senses There are many senses not yet awakened in the physical, senses of knowing and intuition that allow us to sense across time, space, and other dimensions. They can be developed in the physical, but it is easier a n d f a s t e r t o a c c e s s t h e m in t h e a s t r a l . T h e y m i g h t p r o v id e m o r e i n pu t t h a n th e c o m m o n s e n s e s . U s e t h e m in t h e a s t r a l o n c e yo u fe el c o m f o rt able suspending your usual senses.
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Exercise: Extrasensory Perception 1. Project into the astral.
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2. Find that visual void again, as you did in the previous exercise.
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3. Relax your mind. 4. Focus on the ce nte r of yo u r astral being (o r astral chest). 5. Silence any thoughts.
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6. Silence any internal dialogues: a. Command: “Rationality: Off!” b. Com m and: "In te rn al dialog ue : O ff!” 7. Await input from alternate senses in silence. 8. W hen you retu rn to the physical, w ha t you have perceived will prob a bly be difficult to de sc ribe in a hum an language, ju st like drea m s may be indescrib ab le. You do n o t have to de scribe o r analyze it in any way, simply remember the feeling of the information you received.
Astra l Projec tio n a n d th e N a tu re o f R eality
In truth , se nses such as sight, hea ring, a nd touch a re of little value in the a stral. W hat m atte rs in an out-of-body sta te is no t how well you p e rce iv e a n obje c t. W h a t m a tte r s is how c ris p y o u r m in d is, it s le vel of p re s e n c e a n d lu cidity. W h e n r e q u e s tin g cla ri ty , you sh o u ld n o t d o it fo r your eyes, but for you r m ind.
,
Monday, M an Morninf OBE
Physical Attraction
Monday, March 19, 2001 Morning OBE I have to stay u p all night to write a report, so I on ly get three hou rs o f sleep, from 5:00 to 8:00 a . m . Aft er w ak in g u p, I g o to the univ er sity a n d deli ve r the re port . W h e n I return, I lie down , turn m y attention to m y third eye, a n d wait to get into the bo d y asleep /min d awake state. This is m y first mo rnin g se ssion. It takes abo ut HO minutes. I am beginn ing to slumber. W hen I w ake u p from on e o f several brief dreams, I feel that my b od y is asleep. I do a few ro un ds of the dro pp ing techn ique (sinking rapidly as I breathe out). Vibrations start. I think, “Hey, this is easy!” I do a few m ore r ou nd s a n d su dd en ly itfeels like I am actually floating dow nw ard. I float dow n a n d out. I can see. M y room doe s not loo k as it d oe s in p hy sica l life, bu t all the things I feel are impo rtant are there. I am stan ding w ith my b ac k to my body. I can briefly see the silver cord. (In retrospect, I think m y imagination fabricated a co rd that app eare d to be attached to my
awareness bec aus e I intentionally sear ched for the silver cord. I w anted to see it, so my imagination obliged.) I am b eing attracted ba ck to m y body. I will m yse lf to m y desk. I try to hold on to m y desk, but my h an ds d o not work. I dec ide to escape the suction by leaving the room. I will my self to the door, w hich is in the w ron g place. It is closer to my de sk than it is in the physic al world.
Astra l Projection a n d rhe Natu re o f Reality W h e n I f lo a t th r o u g h t h e d o o r , I l o s e m y v i sio n . I h a v e p r o b a b l y e n t e r e d a v o i d . I f l o a t b l i n d l y d o w n w h a t I t h i n k is t h e c o r r id o r . M y g ir lf r i e n d , w h o is n e x t t o m e in b e d , m a k e s a ti n y m o v e m e n t a n d t h e a tt r a ct io n t o m y b o d y i n cr e a se s . I w i s h t o g o t o th e u n i v e r s i ty a n d s o b e g i n fl o a t i n g i n t h a t d i r e c t io n , b u t t h e a t t r a c ti o n t o m y b o d y i s too s tr o n g . I w a k e u p i n m y b o d y a n d o p e n m y l e ft ey e . M y b o d y is p a r a l y z e d a n d m y le ft a n k l e b u r n s li k e fi re . I a t t e m p t a s e c o n d O B E, b u t m y b o d y is n o t i n t h e r ig h t m o d e . I e s ti m a t e t h a t t h e e n t i re e x p e r i e n c e l a s t e d a b o u t 2 5 s e c o n d s .
One of the things you will notice during your first astra l projections is the force with which your physical body pulls you back. The physical bo dy is n o t pu lli n g y o u , p e r s e , b u t calling you. Your subconscious mind is not used to you being conscious and absent from the physical body at the same time. By old habit, it believes that when you are conscious, the p ro p e r p la c e to b e is in y o u r bod y. C o n s e q u e n tly , t h e sub consc io us instructs your body to call you ba ck. You pick u p on the bo dy ’s signal and immediately shift your awareness to the physical body, where you “wake up." This may feel like the physical body is sucking you back across phys ical space, but it is actually only a shift in awareness.
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Mind Split S in c e w e a r e m u l t id i m e n s i o n a l b e i n g s c a p a b l e o f e x i s t in g i n m u l tip le d im e n s i o ns a n d p l a c e s s im u l ta n e o u s l y , a p a r t o f y o u r a w a r e n e s s m ay
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decide to stay in the astral when the rest is called back to the body. It
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b e tw e en th o se p la c e s. A s a th ir d a lte rn a tiv e , t h e p a r t o f y o u r a w a re n ess still in th e a s t r a l m a y s t a y t h e r e u n n o t i c e d b y y o u , b u t l a t e r c a ll u p o n y ou r physi cally b a s e d a w a r e n e s s , a t w h ic h tim e you a r e o n c e a g a in “s uc ked” o u t in to t h e a s t r a l t o m e r g e w i t h t h e a l r e a d y p r o j e c t e d p a r t o f y o u r b ein g. A s t ra l p r o j e c t o r R o b e r t B r u c e c a l ls t h is p h e n o m e n o n m i n d s p l i t .' 9
Wednesday, October 2H, 2001 Short Projection As I fell asleep last night, I vis ua lize d m yself coming h om e from sc ho ol like I did seven years ago. Now I ha ve just aw ak en ed a nd am lying in b ed waiting to go back to
234
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Physical Attraction
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sleep. I relax. I se nse a slight m ovem en t in m y astral bod y. Then I get it, I am ready to leave the body. I relax an d stee r my co nscio usne ss o ut through the top o f my head. I float do wn ward an d e n d up so m ew here in th e astral. I know exactly what I have planned to do: learn to increase a nd dec reas e m y ene rgy freq uency a nd to create with
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I can tell that th e p ro ject ion is uns table. I know I can be sh ot b ac k into m y b od y at any time. I think that I ha ve to gro un d m ys elf by lowering m y frequency. I think, I am lowering my frequency. This was a mistake. I am shot back into my body, either because the freq ue nc y is too low or b eca use o f the racket my girlfriend makes. Only about five seconds ha ve pa ssed since I exited the body. What is interesting is tha t I was in a state that I di d no t recogn ize as pre-OBE. I was not paralyzed. I did not have any vibrations or tingling. The only difference from a waking physical state was that m y m ind was o ut o f sync w ith m y body. There was a light floating feeling around m y head. I thought it was j u st na us ea from a ha ng ov er (even though I did not party last night). A bubble of energy surrounded my head. What exactly triggers an OBE? Evidently, it is not th e b o d y as lee p/ m in d aw ake state. I think I can obtain that state again with ou t to o m uch work. Haifa min ute later, I am suddenly in m y m ind ’s eye walking d ow n the m id dle o f a street. My conscio usness is pro jected to that street, bu t I am not ou t o f my body. I am totally engaged with this pa rt o f m y cons ciou snes s. The othe r part that is still lying in bed, inside my body, is go ne for th e m om ent. Could it be tha t this part of my conscious ness stayed out wh ile the par t that I was focusing on during the OBE was pulle d back into the body? The street looks lik e a street on Earth, bu t there is such b eau ty that I thin k it must be somewhere on a slightly higher plane. There are big, beautiful buildings. On the
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physical plane, the y w ould h ave been ugly. There are ordinary trees, b ut here they look fantastic. Everything h as a strong color. I co ntin ue to walk d own th e street. There is not
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a person in sight. I ente r a ha rbor area where th e projection ends.
Reasons for Calling You Back Being pr em atur e ly called back to the physical body can be very f r us trating when you want to remain in the astral. It repeatedly happened
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to me until 1 star ted que stioning why it happ ene d. H er e ar e a f ew good reasons for your physical body to call you back:
Astra l Projection a nd rhe Natu re o f Reality
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• Y o u r s u b c o n s c i o u s m in d i s c o n f u s e d b y t h e e x p e r i e n c e o f b e i n g in a
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y o u r p h y s i c a l b o dy . • S o m e o n e e n t e r s y o u r p h y s ic a l r o o m . E v e n i f t h a t p e r s o n m a k e s n o
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sound, your subconscious picks up on his presence and alerts your awareness.
• Someone or something touches your physical body. Flies and mosqui toes can drive you crazy, even in your absence. • Your physical ears pick up a disturbing noise.
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> Your physical body wa kes up naturally like it does a fte r norm al sleep. As far as the physical body is co nc erne d, an astral projec tion is nothing but a period of normal sleep. 'This wake-up will be the ultimate limiting factor to your astral travels after all other disturbances have been dealt with. You have a conscious or subconscious thought relating to your physi cal body. Your astral projection is directed by your thoughts, so any thing that passes through your thoughts will happen. The mind is a lw a y s in c h a r g e o f t h e b o d y . T h e b o d y a l w a y s f ol lo w s m e n t a l i n st ru c t io n s . I f y o u h a v e e v e n t h e b r i e f e s t t h o u g h t a b o u t t h e b o d y , t h e b o dy w ill c o m p l y b y a l e r t i n g y o u r a w a r e n e s s t o i ts e x i s t e n c e . O n c e t h e co n
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c e p t o f y o u r b od y e n t e r s y o u r a w a r e n e s s i n t h i s m a n n e r , t h e r e is little you can do to prevent the body from increasing its pull. • You attem pt to analyze your projec tion ex pe rience . W he n you analyze, you inescapably compare the current situation to beliefs formed by old experiences. T he bulk of yo ur beliefs de al w ith the physical world (unless you have vast astral experience), so analyzing naturally leads to subcon
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• You project into an area in which you do not yet know how to sustain your awarene ss. Fo r exam ple, several religious teachings speak of nwJ
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Physical Attraction other, or arranged like layers of an onion. Theosophy suggests seven planes of e xis te nce, B uddhis m 32 plan es, H in duis m a thro n g of re alm s known as “lokas,” an d Islam seven heav ens. According to the teachings, the planes range from the physical plane to the god-realm, where everytliing is one: inseparable and separable at the same time. The astral plane is d e fi ned to b e s o m e w h e re in b e tw e e n . B ea r in m in d th a t th is system of planes is only a m ode l an d th ere fo re may o r may not illustrate the truth (if th er e is such a thing). Now, if we w ere to project from one plane of exis te nce to a n o th e r , it w ould be re a so n a b le to assu m e th a t the difficulty in sustaining our awareness is proportional to the difference be tw ee n th e n a tu re o f t h e physic al p lan e (sin ce w e auto m ati cally use th e experience gath ere d in the physical w hen traveling in oth er planes) and the nature o f the plane into w hich we ar e pr ojecting. • An astral guide de cid es it is tim e fo r you to re tu rn to yo ur physical body. He m ay d o th is if h e d e e m s th a t you a re g etting into a situation you are not trained to handle. Astral guides may also deliberately set up small astr al lesson s to f u r th er y our knowledge of the a str al in pr epa ration for future astral challenges. The lessons are mostly given in the form of distraction s o r p rac tical o bs tacles preve nting you from getting ar ound in your astr al wor l d. The guide may send you back when he deems you have learned enough. Note that it is completely irrelevant whether you successfully co nq ue r ed the obstacle. The im po r tant point is the amount o f ex pe r ience you gained f r om the obstacle.
False Awakenings Often, following a pull from the physical body, when it appears you have w ak en ed in you r physical body, you a re still proje cted into the aStral- M ore specifically, y ou a re in an as tra l rep lica of you r bed room , r a replica of a b ed roo m from an ea rlier period of your life, whichever most naturally to your subconscious mind. This is a fals e awaken'"«• h is very difficult to tell w h et h er you a re in your physical room or n astral replica. You m us t use intuition to figure it ou t. This is < difficuit ih a n k " ° ™ s y ™ are dreaming when youare drr suPP0se you could always try to cre ate new fu rniture by thoug t u 237
Astra l Pro jection a n d the N a tu re o f R ealit y
the r oom . I f you succeed in cr eating t h at f ur n itur e, you kn ow you ar e still in the as tral. How ever, th at fea t of cre atio n m ay also be possible in the physical. All it takes is an unlimited mind. Saturday, M ar ch 17, 20 01 F o u r Fa ls e A w a k e n i n g s I wake u p b eside m y girlfriend. I am d iz zy and can ’t se e clearly. W hen I m ove my arms, it is as i f my astral arms are making the sa m e m ove m ents, only ha lf a seco nd later. I think, "Wo uj , I can se e my astral bod y!” I am in m y par ents ’ hous e. I walk downstairs to look in the hall mirror. I ma ke s om e fast m ov es with m y arms. The astral arms are still outside m y physical arms. Cool! Then I see another face in the mirror. It is a woman in her late twenties with a sweet round face and red hair. Sh e is grabbing fo r me, as i f I have someth ing she just must have. Her arms go right through me. I know sh e d oe s n ot ha ve a physical body. I stare at her and try to get he r attention. Sh e d oe s no t rea lize I can se e her. I grab her hands. She is surprised that I can se e a nd touch her. Sh e introduces he rself as some sort o f human relations emp loy ee at the high sch ool I use d to attend. That is strange, because I do no t recall any such position. Anyway, s he see m s like a swe et person. We walk out into the garden. It is night. She says goo db ye an d crawls un der what appears to be a fallen garden tent. There is an ot he r sm alle r tent in th e garden. This one is made o f sackcloth. It, too, h as fallen a n d a pa ir o f legs wearing arm y bo ot s sticks out. I figure that m y bro ther m us t h ave had o ne o f his wild parties. Then I wake up. I think, “W hat a sh am e th at th e astral arms thing was only a dream.” I am surprised, because the drea m I ju st w ok e u p from se em ed very real. I try the same arm m ovem ents in anot her mirror (I am not in m y pa rents’ hou se anymore, I am at home). Nothing happens . There is som eth ing I h a ve to do, b u t I can ’t remember what it is. I try to get out o f bed , bu t m y girlfriend ho lds me. Sh e d rive s h er finger into my back in a playful way. It hurts! I ba rk at her to stop. Then I wake up. I think, “Enough with th e false awa ken ings! ” Then I wake up. My girlfriend is already awake. She tries to get o ut o f bed. I hold her and drive my finger into her in a playful way. It hurts, s o s he barks at m e t o stop. I explain to her that I just h ad three amazing false awakenings. Sudd enly, m y m ou th is paralyzed and I can only make grunting noises. I so un d like a monster. I playfully attack my girlfriendThen I awake for real (?) to the ph ysical world.
238
Prolonging the Projection
P i c t u r e y o u r s e l f i n t h e a s t r a l , d o i n g y o u r f a v o r i t e a s t r a l a c ti vit y. S u dd en ly , y o u f ee l t h e p h y s i c a l b o d y s u c k i n g y o u b a c k . W h a t d o yo u d o ? There are techniques you can apply to stay projected, such as relaxing, c e n te r in g , a n d r e m a i n i n g f o c u s e d . H o w e v e r, i t i s d if f ic u l t t o s t a y c a lm e no u gh to d o t h e s e t h in g s w h e n y o u a r e b e i n g p u l le d a c r o s s d i m e n s i o n s ; i n st ea d I s u g g e s t a t e c h n i q u e u s in g a c t iv e f o r c e . F o r s o m e r e a s o n , s o m e m o v e m e n ts h e lp b r e a k o f f t h e p u ll. T h e r o l l i s par ticular ly ef f ective in this. The roll is similar to the exit technique described earlier in this book. In b o th c a se s , t h e ro ll is a p p lie d to b r e a k o ff a n y a tt a c h m e n ts to the physical body.
239
Astr al Projection a n d th e N a tu re o f R ea lity
Exercise: Prolonging Roll 1. Project into the astral. 2. Float arou nd for a few seconds to acq uain t yourself with yo ur state of mind. 3. Roll as fast as you can. That is, spin aro un d as ify ou were d oing pirouettes. 4. After ab ou t ten revolutions, yo u sho uld clearly sense any attachm ents to yo u r physical b ody b reaking off. Your awareness becomes more independen t from yo ur body. 5. The attach m ents sneak back on you. so yo u should get in to the habit of rolling every five m inu tes or so.
U n f o rtu n a te ly , t h e p e r i o d b e t w e e n t h e t im e t h e a t ta c h m e n t s ap p e ar a n d t h e t i m e y o u a r e p u l l e d b a c k i n t o y o u r b o d y i s o f te n s o b r i e f t h at , by th e tim e you feel th e m , it is to o la te to a p p ly t h e ro ll . T h e pu ll from the body rapidly increases until you shift your awareness into it against your will. It may take only a few seconds for the body to make the pull irresistible. Obviously, a better technique would be one that prevents t h o s e a t t a c h m e n t s f r o m a p p e a r i n g in t h e f i r s t p l a c e . A s t ra l m e d it at io n is a good preventive technique. M e d i ta t io n g e n e r a l ly c a l m s u n r u l y t h o u g h t s s o w e c a n c o n c e n tr a te o n o n e s e t o f t h o u g h t s . H o w e v e r , m e d i t a t i o n i s a lw a y s d i ff ic u lt in th e physic al b e c a u s e p h y sic a l s e n s e s d i s t r a c t u s. H o w m a n y tim e s ha ve you t ri e d t o m e d i t a t e o n l y t o b e i r r i t a t e d b y s o m e t h i n g l ik e a n a c h in g ba ck ? A d d i ti on a ll y, w e h a v e t o p u t e f f o r t i n t o q u i e t i n g o u r b e l i e f s y s te m a s it c o n t in u o u s ly t r i e s to c o n v i n c e u s t h a t w e h a v e m o r e i m p o r t a n t th in gs to d o t h a n d o i n g n o t h i n g ( w h i c h m e d i t a t i o n i s ). W h e n w e e x i t o u r b od ie s, we leave the physical senses behind. There are no aching backs in the a s t r a l . W e a l s o l ea v e m o s t o f o u r b e l i e f s y s t e m s b e h i n d . Y ou m ig ht say that the astral provides an undistracted channel to our minds, which allows us to optimize ou r m ed itation pra ctic e. If you think m editation is effective in the physica l, try it in th e a str a l.
. ,
Do the exercise below first on “dry land” (in waking physical rea a l ew t im e s , s o y o u w il l r e m e m b e r i t w h e n y o u a s t r a l p r o j e c t . W h e n ^ k n o w i t b y h e a r t , a p p l y t h e t e c h n i q u e e v e r y t im e y o u g o in t o t h e a s tr
240
Prolonging the Projection
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Exercise: P ro lon gin g M e d ita tio n 1. T h e m o m e n t y o u e x i t y o u r b o d y , f l o a t d o w n t o t h e f lo o r o r in t o a v o id . 2. C r o s s y o u r a s t r a l l e g s ( i f y o u d e c i d e t o h a v e a s t r a l l e g s ) i n l o t u s p o s i -
tion. 3 . P u t y o u r p a l m s t o g e t h e r ( i f y o u d e c i d e r o h a v e h a n d s ) in f r o n t o f y o u r chest. 4 . C l o s e y o u r a s t r a l e y e s ( i f y o u d e c i d e to h a v e e y e s ) . 5. Take a de ep (as tral) bre ath .
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6 . R e la x y o u r m i n d . 7. Quiet all thoughts and internal dialogues. 8 . Move the ce nter o f th ou gh t to y ou r astral chest. Focus on yo ur chest.
9. Stay in this relaxed state of mind for one minute. 10. Go do wh atever yo u set o u t to do in the astral. 11. Repeat the m ed itation every time you feel yo ur m ind becoming llaretoapphihfrol.Ujjji,
unsynchronized or off balance in any way in the astral.
u s h i f t y o u r a w a r en e ss i n t o i ip p c o n d s f o r t h e b o d y t o r a a l e i ^ s k ^ q u f w o u ld b e o n e to p 5
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Meditating in the astral not only prolongs the projection, but also takes you to a more joyous and peaceful astral environment. In the astral, th e s tate o f y o u r m in d affects y o u r en v iro n m en t. M ed itatio n is th e b est way I h av e fo u n d to b rin g a b o u t a b lissfu l state o f m in d an d ,
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th erefo re, is th e b est way to p o sitiv ely affect an y ast ral en v iro n men t.
M i n d C r e a tion io n
No N o w t h a t w e h a v e a c q u i r e d a g o o d d e g r e e o f s e lf-c lf -c o n tro tr o l—t h a t is, we can astral p rojec t without ge tting sid etra ck ed by ou r addictions— addictions—we can enjoy enjoy an inc redible freed om o f crea tivity. Have you ev er w anted to to cre cre ate music w ithout the hassle of using using m usical in strum en ts? In the the as astral ral, you can. Imagine the time and effort it takes to build a physical castle. In the a stral, you can do it it in m ere sec on ds . But let let us s ta rt sma smalll.
D e c o r a ti t i n g t h e A s tr t r a l E n v i ro ro n m e n t By now, now, you shou ld b e fa m iliar w ith h ow yo ur co nscious and su subcon scious minds create your astral environment, at least theoretically- To recap, reca p, this this is is wha t happ ens w hen you pop out of your bod body: y: 1. Your Your aw aren es s e n te rs a b lank as tral “sp ac e” (th e co ncept of space does not apply in the astral), unless you have an appointment with already existing astral or physical world. 2- I he spac e is yo urs to do w ith w h a tev e r you w an t. The spa space ce 242
morph to fit even your smallest intentions. If you have (as have most of us) us) spe nt too m uch tim e in the physical, you wil willl expe ct to see phys ica ical objects. Y our e xp ec tatio ns quickly t urn into inten tions. If you you expect to see your physical room, the astral space will morph into how you expect your room to look. 3 . H o w e v e r , i f y o u e x p e c t n o t h i n g - a n d y o u c a n d o t h i s si s i m p lly y by u n d e r
standing that the astral is not the physical and does not have to behave
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even even rem otely sim ilar to it—you r a stral spac e will will rem ain b lank. This This is t h e d e g r e e o f c o n t r o l o v e r o u r m i n d s w e s e e k . A c h ie ie v iin ng the astral v ooiid m a y ta t a k e s o m e p r a c t i c e ; s o d o n o t w o r r y i f y o u h a ve ve n o t c om om e across it yet. In time, you will. Either way, the exercises in this chap ter can be do ne in a void void o r inside an as tral w orld fful ulll of objects. objects. 4 . W h e n y o u r a s t r a l s p a c e i s b l a n k , y o u w il il l h a v e n o i n p u t fr fr o m y o u r usual senses, not even vision. From this empty space, you may create a n a s t r a l w o r l d t h a t h a s v i su su a l i n p u t , i f y ou o u s o d e s i r e . Y ou ou m a y j u s t a s well create a world without visual input. Visual input is in no way indigenous to the astral, nor is it necessary. Visual input only exists in
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astral because we intend it to be so.
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Exercise: Creating an Astral Sofa 1. Exi Exitt yo ur bod y an d pro ject into the astral astral..
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2. M edita te on y ou r che st as as you did in the previous previous ex exerci ercisse. 3. Selec Selectt an area in fr o nt o f you. 4. Think: “I think there is a sofa here. Yes, there is a sofa here. It is white." 5. A sofa should appear before you.
... .............
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6 . Float over to the sofa.
7. Touch the sofa. Feel its texture with your astral fingers. 8. L ie ie o n t h e so so fa fa . P u t y o u r f e et et up up . E n j o y y o u r c re re a t io io n f o r a m i n u t e .
9. Rela Relax x y o ur m ind. 10. Sense how this sofa came into being, without analyzing. 11. R e p e a t t h e e x er er ci cis e, e, b u t i n s t e a d o f c r e a ti ti n g a so so fa fa , y o u m i g h t w a n t t o t ry r y s o m e t h i n g d i ff ff e re r e n t. t. H o w a b o u t a h o t t u b ?
Ast A st ra l P roje ro ject ctio ion n a n d t h e N a tu r e o f R e a li ty
Testing the Limits As you probably noticed, the sofa gave you the visual and tactile input you are used to in the physical, perhaps even more intensely so. I am frequently amazed that textures in the astral feel more physically tangible tangible than actual physical physical tex ture s. P erh ap s the reaso n for this is is that the physical is is ju st a no the r astral wo rld, b ut on e with sligh slightl tly y numbed sensory input.
Mond ay, O ctobe r 28, 2001 Ra ising Astral Vibrations I turn m y ey es upwa up ward rd a nd affirm af firm “I am OBEing” OBEing”as I fall fa ll as leep . The alarm wakes wakes me up after six six hours. I sp en d on e h our awake, th en I go ba ck to bed. I tur turn n my eye eyes upward again and repeat the affirmation as I fall asleep. I haue two dreams. When I wake up, my b od y is paralyzed. I rela x my m in d an a n d sit s it m y astral astr al bo b o d y up. I sit o n the th e s ide id e o f the th e b ed with my m y le legs dangling ouer. ouer. I ca n’t n’t see it, b u t I hear he ar a radi o playing. In waking physica p hysicall real reality ity,, there there is no radio. I focus on my heart chakra to tune in on my communication faculties. I need to find out how things work in the astral, so I practice creating a couch with thought. thought. It turns into into a bl ack leat her couc h. I lie on the couc h and rest for a whi whille. It It fee ls real en ough ou gh.. I walk wal k th roug ro ugh h th e r oom. oo m. The f e e t fe e l real r eal a gains ga instt th t h e floor. floo r. I s om ehow eh ow know my my girlfrie girlfriend nd is is in the kitchen . I walk through th e b o o k sh el f an d the wall, wall, a funny fe feelin ling. I walk wal k do d o w n th e stairs, s tairs, thro th roug ug h th e c orrid or ridor or a n d into in to th e k itch it chen en.. My girlfriend girlfri end is is lyin lying g on the sofa. sofa. In waking phys ical realit reality, y, sh e is no w he re near the kitchen. I throw throw mys mysel elf f in the air air and floa t oue r to her. her. I kiss kiss he r an d sh e sm iles. I am no t sure if she can can see see me. me. She se ems a b it surprised as to w her e t he k iss came from. I blow softly softly at her neck to conuince h er th at sh e is no t imagining imagining it. Then I am sud de nly ba ck in in my physical body. I relax rela x an a n d sit m y astral a stral b o d y up. up . I am b li n d again, b u t th e uision soon so on return returns. s. I think o f going going bac k to m y girlfrie girlfriend, nd, b ut su dd en ly I am standing in m y parents parents kitch tchen. My girlfr gi rlfrien iend d is sitting at th e table, tab le, eati ng a c u cu m b er a n d be ll p ep pe r sandw sandwich ich.. ^ familiar fami liar spirit spir it or dr eam ea m char ch arac acte terr is there th ere,, b u t I d o n o t kn o w w ho it is and I do reflect much up on it. it. I thin k it wo uld be fu n to an no y my girlf girlfrien riend, d, now that that s see me. me. I throw a piece o f cuc um ber on the floor. floor. W hen sh e leans leans down to to pick pick ^ grab grab it and throw it to the oth er guy. guy. We toss it to each o ther a few time times, s, bored.
^
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M in d Creati Creation on I ivant ivant to find fi nd ou t w hat is in th e higher hi gher dim ensio en sions, ns, so I m ov e away a bit. I repeat
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command, “My frequ fre quen ency cy is increasing. increasing."" Suddenly , something somethin g grabs grabs me, as if some
one pulls my t-shirtfrom behind beh ind.. I am a little afraid, afraid, but I get oue r it. it. W hatever hateve r is is grabbin grabbing g me start startss running running arou nd m e in circles circles,, still holding the back bac k o f my t-shirt. t-shirt. I rotate with it. it. I am drill drilling ing m ysel ys elff upwards. upwar ds. The sc enery ene ry is changing. changing. I stop st op rotating. rotating. Everything around me is blindingly blindingly brig bright. ht. There are w hite hit e and a nd turqu oise lights, lights, arranged arranged in vertical vertical layer layers. s. I can’t make out ou t anything except exce pt bright lights. lights. I think, “This kind o f change change in frequenc freq uencyy usual usually ly pulls pulls me b ack to m y bo dy ," which imm ediate ly puts me b ack in my body. body. I relax again an a n d roll out o ut.. I want wa nt to a ppro pp roac ach h th e d en se r plan pl anes, es, so I comma com mand, nd, "Myfreq uen cy is slowing a little. little. ”Not m uch uc h h app ens. ens . M y girlfriend walks into the room
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and says says she sh e w ants to ha ve sex. I say, say, “Sure," bu t w e hardly get started befo re I am
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pul led ba ck into in to m y b ody. od y. Sh e is n ot in the th e ph ysica ysi call room. ro om.
You may also use other senses to interact with the astral, senses we m t
I ( f a t o t o l u n g i i on art« A e M
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normally normally do not use in the phy sical. W e have, as o f yet, no nam es for them. Often we just say: “I s e n s e this and that, but I can’t explain it.” We might call it the sixth sense or intuition, but that would be general izing. These senses will become useful in later exploration, but for now w e w il il l j u s t u s e t h e s a m e o ld l d s e n s e s s o w e c a n g e t a c q u a i n t e d w i th th t h e astral and understand how it differs from the physical.
Exercise: Walking on Water 1. Exityour bod y and project into the astr astral al.. 2. M editate on yo ur chest for one m inute. 3. Select Select an area in fro nt o f you . 4. Im agine th ere is a large bod y of water, for example, a lake lake.. Expect it to be th er e. 5. Describe Describe every detail of th e lake to yourself. 6 . The lake should appear before you. If not, increase the detail as you
imagine the lake again. 7. Walk on the surface o f rhe water. 8 . When you tire tire of walk walkin ing, g, you mig ht wa nt to submerge submerge into the water water..
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9. If If yo ur creation is consistent, you will will find th aty ou can breathe und er
Ast A stra ra l Proj Pr ojec ectio tion n a n d t h e N a tu r e o f Re R e a lity li ty
water (which o f course comes as n o surprise to you, since you know any thing is possible in the a stral). stral). 10.I fy f y o u have have not supplied supplied any derail derailss for the en vironm ent beneath the
surface surface of the lake ake, yo u may find yourse lf in in a voi void d or in a totally dif dif ferent world when you do intersect the surface of the lake.
Now No w . b e v e r y c a r e f u l a b o u t w h o m y o u t e l l a b o u t t h i s e x p e ri e n c e . People can be very paranoid, fearful, and defensive and you might end up being crucified. (Well, it has been known to happen, anyway.)
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th eo ry o f th e p h y sical sical b ei ein n g an a stral w o rld iiss co rre ct, th en Jesu s co c o u ld very well well have wa lked on w ater. If gravity is ju st a n o th er belie belieff-in induc duced ed r u le to g o v ern o u r real ity , th en th ere is n o reaso n wh y an y b o d y sh o u ld n o t b e ab le l e to rem o v e th at b elief an d w alk o n w ate r in i n th e p hy h y si si cal cal .
Astral Persistence tr a l h o m e w o r l d . Just as The next thing we should do is to create an a s tr
mountain mountain climbers establish establish a base cam p befo re they explore th e mount mountai ain, n, so wi will we establish a fam iliar spa ce be fore we ve ntu re fu rth er into into the as astral ral. Here we will be safe, protected, and at peace. It will also be a place where other astral entities, preferably those interested in our astral progress, can reach us and perhaps give us a few hints on how the astral world works.
Exercise: Creating an Astral Home 1. In the physical, relax your mind. 2. Think Think of a place place th a t radia tes tranqu illity. illity. I prefer green meadows an and flower flo wer garde gardens, ns, b u t yo u can cho ose any place place imaginable. imaginable. 3. Visual Visualize ize w alking th ro ug h th a t area. Touch an d smell objects. Pay extra attention to how the vibes of the place feel. They should be uplifting* In other words, walking throug h the place place shou ld make you
happy-
4. After returning from your visualization, write down a few notes w hat you have have felt felt and seen seen so th at yo u can refr refres eshh y ou r m emory ronig ronig 1
M in d Crea Creati tion on
is bedtim e, visualize visualize walking throu gh th at sam e place again. again. 5 . When ir is As you do so, affirm: "Tonight I will AP to this place." Continue the visualization and affirmation as you fall asleep. This is the astral pro jec je c tio ti o n t e c h n iq u e d e s c ri b e d e a rl ie r in th is bo book ok . Ifyou wake u p in the night, visualize visualize walking walking throu gh th at place again again 6 . Ifyou and repeat the affirmation as you drift off to sleep again. 7. When you find yourself in the astral, whether you gained conscious
ness during sleep or first woke up and then rolled out. imagine your self self being in th e place yo u previously visuali visualized. zed. Begin n w ith the large large objects objects 8 . Starr describing the place t o yourself. Begi near yo you. u. Th They ey shou ld app ear wh en you intend them to. to. NtY NtYK Kjfc, jfc, , ^
9. Next, look closer at your immediate surroundings, discovering more and m ore details details ab ou t yo ur spac space. e. 10. Walk Walk or flo at th rou gh yo ur space. Expect to see thing s yo u pre previous viously ly visualized, and they will be created. 11. When yo u are happy w ith yo ur home, su rroun d it with a bubble of wh ite light. The bub ble will at tra ct only positive beings. beings. Reinforce Reinforce the buu b b le w i th a s h ield b ie ld o f y o u r o w n d e s ig n (1 use metal, but a futuris
( r
tic plasma shield or anything else should work just as well) to keep ou t unw anted entit entitie ies. s. 12. Define Define the rules o f y o u r newly created world by making a final final request by thought: "This is my astral home world. It is persistent and so will will rem ain in existence wh eth er I am here o r absent. I will will return here a t the beginn ing of every every astral astral projection." projection." le d *
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13. Enjoy your new home.
Fr om now on , ever y tim tim e you you astr al pr oject, r em em be r your astral astral home, so that you visit it frequently. The more often you visit this place, the m ore d etail you gi give ve it it by pow er of crea tion. Be careful, careful, though, not to get so accu stom ed to it tha t you view view it as your only true place of exis exis tence. Then it wil will becom e m ore like like a prison tha n a hom e. B ecause ecause
y m
p hy sica phy si ca l e x i s t e n c e fe e ls s o i n te n s e a n d w e s p e n d s o m u c h ti m e in it, many of us (n ot astral pro jectors, of course) think o f it as the onl onlyy place place of existence, which turn s it into into a so rt of prison. It would be un fortuna te if we got caugh t in the sam e self-i self-invented nvented cell cell in the astral.
A st ra l Pro jec tio n a n d rhe N a tu re o f R ea lity
P h y s i c a l M a n i f e s t a t io n Now th a t yo u have e x e rc ise d th e p o w e r o f c re atio n th a t is your b irth rig h t, w e will v e n tu r e o n o n e la s t e n te r p ris e . A ssum in g th a t th e physic al is an a s tra l w o rld , it sh o u ld b e fair ly easy to c re a te obje cts by though t in th e physical. T he only th ing p reve nting us is the belief that the feat is impossible. If we can circum ven t th e be lief system somehow we will meet more success. One way to do this could be to create an object in the a stral an d th en brin g it ba ck in to the physical. The exercise belo w has b e e n successfully e x e c u te d o n se v era l o ccasio n s, although no t by m e.
Exercise: Astral-Physical Manifestation 1. W hen you e xity ou r body and en ter the astral, ima gine th at you have a red rose in you r hand. 2. Expect the rose to be in your hand. 3. Look down at the rose and inspect it thoroughly. 4. Touch the smooth petals.
5. Sm ell th e rose. 6 . Affirm : "I in ten d th is rose to be phy sical."
,
7. Wake up to the physical an d find the rose in y o u r physical hand.
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Requests
In t h e e x e r c i s e c a l le d “ C l a ri ty N o w ! ” y o u c o m m a n d e d y o u r s u b c o n scious to provide your conscious mind with visual input. The subcon scious gladly takes orders from the conscious mind in this manner, as long as the order does not conflict with any beliefs held by the subcon s cio u s. F o r e x a m p l e , t h e c o m m a n d “ Ic e C r e a m N o w ! ” w ill p r o b a b l y w o rk in t h e a s t r a l , b u t “T a k e F l i g h t N o w ! ” o n l y w o r k s i f t h e s u b c o n s c i o u s h a s r e m o v e d i t s b e l i e f in g r a v i ty o r e s t a b l i s h e d a n e w b e l i e f t h a t t h e a s t r a l does not succumb to gravity. Y ou c a n th i n k u p a n y s o r t o f c o m m a n d y o u w o u l d lik e t o u s e in th e astral. Here are a few examples: Clarity No w!”
Initiates visual pe rcep tion of an alread y existing astral world, o r enforces th e creation of a new astral world.
Stabilize!”
Stabilizes you r stat e of m ind so tha t you can stay
Physical Body N ow !”
longer in your current reality. Tak es you back to you r physical body, or, if the body is too deeply asleep, creates an astral world in
Go to X Now !”
which you will have a false awakening. Takes you to the astra l world o r the pers on called X,
Ast ra l Projection a n d th e N a tu re o f R ea li ty
or cre ates a replica of X for you, dep ending on the level of control you have over your mind. “Go to Astral Home Now!” ■Show
me the m ost
Takes you to the as tral hom e world you create d in the previous chap ter, or cre ate s it anew (which is basic ally th e sam e th in g). Shows you, with any m ean s available, the mosl
important aspect of XI” im portant aspect of perso n o r place X, unless that p e r son or place is unwilling to reveal that information. The last request is quite interesting. Let us try it.
Exercise: Sliow Me Request 1. W rite dow n a question th at yo u have bee n tu rn in g over in yo ur mind for a while with no results. 2. Project into an astral void. 3. Meditate on the center of your chest for 15 seconds to stabilize the pro jection. 4. Comm and: 'Show me rhe m ost im p or tan t aspect of the Sphinx of Giza!" 5. Do nor move away too quickly: wait for the response to arrive. The response may rake any form . It may co m e in th e fo rm o f objects or peop le a p pearin g o r sim ply in th e fo rm o f a know in g. 6 . W hen you have the answer, co ntin ue the inqu iry by commanding:
"S how m e t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t a s p e c t o f m e !" 7. W hen you get the response, ask the qu estio n you w rote dow n in step 1.
N o te t h a t th e a n s w e r s you r e c e iv e d w e r e fe tc h e d fro m a subcon s cio u s p l a c e a n d m a y t h e r e f o r e b e c o l o r e d o r m i s i n t e r p r e t e d by yoUI s u b c o n sc i o u s. T h e a n s w e r s m a y n o t r e f l e c t t h e e x a c t t r u t h b u t , still* the) s ho u ld b e m o r e a c c u r a t e t h a n t h e a n s w e r s t h e c o n s c i o u s m in d ca n corn? up with. F or exam ple, if th e su bc on scio us rec eiv ed inform ation about t <■ n a t u r e o f life , th e s u b c o n s c i o u s m i g h t r e p r e s e n t t h a t i n fo rm a t io n c lo se t. S ud d en ly , a c lo s e t a p p e a r s b e f o r e y o u in th e a s t r a l . To th s c io u s m i n d , t h e c l o s e t is j u s t a c l o s e t , b u t t o t h e s u b c o n s c io u s m .n -
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Requests
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is a rep res en tation of th e n atu re o r life, although m uch informa,j„n was lost in the translation from truth to closet. closet
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N ote also th at as th e a n s w e r s w e r e n o t c o n s tr u c te d by th e conscio us
\ \ v v
^
m in d, th e c o n s ci o u s m i n d m a y n o t b e a b l e t o g r a s p t h e m . I f y o u r e c ei v e a n a n s w e r y ou d o n o t u n d e r s t a n d , d o n o t a t t e m p t t o u n d e r s t a n d i t by
'
further consciously analyzing it. This will only force a m isinterp retation , be cau se th e a n aly ti c al m in d feels t h a t a m is in t e r p re ta t io n is still b e tte r t h an c o n fu s io n . O t h e r p a r t s o f y o u , u n b e k n o w n s t t o y o u r c o ns c io u s m ind, u n d e r s t a n d e x a c tl y w h a t i s m e a n t b y t h e a n s w e r . T h e y o p e r a t e o ut si de t h e b o u n d s o f r e a s o n a n d l og ic .
Replenishing Energy
Monday, February 5, 2001 Fatigue My energ y re se m e s h a u e b e e n e x h a u s te d f o r a M e no w . This has resulted In bad moods. Howeuer, I am getting better. I thin k tha t m y “First Con tact" d rained my nonphysical energy. I will ha ue to b uild m y ene rgy cen ters from the groun d up lo make them stronger. Today, I did m y first energy exercises fo r s om e time. I notice d that m y left side is m ore sen sitive than m y right. For ex am ple, if I tickle m y le ft pa lm or sole, I will feel itfor abou t ha lf a m inute. If I tickle m y right pa lm or sole, th e se nsa tion disappears after only
a fe w seconds. Th is is p ro b a b ly b e c a u s e t h e le ft s id e o f m y n o n p hysic al ene rgy is more Ue ^ an
c
^
ri$ ht side. I io/7/ ha ue to d o m an y exercises to activate my right side.
^ ° ^ o w *n § a n a s t r a l p r o j e c t i o n , y o u w i ll p r o b a b l y fe el physi
y t i r e d . 1 h e s e c o n d d a y , y o u m i g h t f e e l m e n t a l l y e x h a u s t e d , leading b
ec *o m > h o p e l e s s n e s s , a n d p e r h a p s e v e n d e p r e s s i o n . T h is is ca used y
c k o l m e n t a l e n e r g y . P r o j e c t i n g i n t o t h e a s t r a l t ak e s a lot 0 ky> a n d t h i s i s w h e r e y o u s p e n t i t . B u t d o n o t w o r r y , y ou will a u ta
Replen ishing Energy
maticaB r e p l e n i s h y o u r e n e r g y a n d in a f e w d a y s y o u w in ()(,
.
r ally r e s t o r e d . To avoid men ial ex ha ustion , I r eco m m en d lhal you do not pro ject to o o fte n . O n c e a w e e k is e x c e lle n t f o r b e g in n e rs . In ti m e’ w a dap t t o t h e a s t r a l a n d l e a r n n o t t o w a s t e s o m u c h e n e rg y w h il e w e a r e there. You might say we a r e op tim izing ou r astr al en er gy usage This
can Pr°ject a b o u t t w i c o “ w « ' k - U n d e r n o c ir c u m s t a n ce s wo uld done. | r ec o m m e n d p r o j e c t i n g m o r e o f t e n t h a n t h r e e l im e s a w e e k. T h e s i r ’ on t h e m e n t a l e n e r g y r e s e r v e s w o u l d b e t o o h i g h. In an y e a s e, th e r e a r e e xerc ise s w e c a n d o in o r d e r t o a c c e l e r a t e ( li e r e p le n i sh i n g o j e n e r g y .
Exercise: Personal Impeccability The fastest way to stock up on energy is by making decisions for yourself and follow ing throu gh on them . W hen there are no what-ifs and n o m aybes, energy will go stra igh t in to y ou r reservoir. For example, you m ay decide to go o n a d iet in which you will only ea t three rimes a day with no in-be tw een snacks. Or, if you are a smoker, you might decide to quit. Ifyou stand by that decision in spire ofyour sweet toorh or nicotine cravings, energy will autom atica lly flow in to you. 1. M ake a decision yo u th ink will imp rove yo ur daily life. 2. Stand by tha t decision, no m atte r ho w difficult it gets. Do not post his has resulted H
pone .
ntact" drained W round up lo ^
Exercise: The Effect o f Beauty
h a t m y le f t s * *
I - Intention ally seek to see rhe uniqu enes s and bea uty of ordin ary things in your physical environment. People, plants, animals, objects, even freeways are incredibly beautiful, but often we forget to appreciate
le , I w i ll f e d p p e a r s a f t e r ^ a t e n e r g y i s P °re i t y r i g h t s id e blv feel Ph>'si'
their beauty. 2. Tie a string aro un d on e o fy o u r fingers to rem ind you to focus on the b eauty o f e ac h th in g th a t com es y o u r way. rh e beauty will p u ty o u in a state of awe, which is beneficial for replenishing energy.
A str al Pr ojectio n a n d th e N a tu re o f R e a li ty
Exercise: A im in g High er 1. In each person you meet, see th e silver-blue lum inou s bub ble th at is her beau tiful higher self, instea d o f seeing the ego and its doings. Every pers on has a positiv e h ig her self. 2. Connect with other people’s higher selves. In doing so, you connect with your own higher self, which is a groovy feeling. 3. Your higher self will then automatically attract energy from the uni verse and replenish y o u r reserves.
Exercise: Energetic M ed ita tio n 1. Close y o u r eyes. 2. Relax y o u r m ind a nd go into a calm state. 3. Ground your m ind by shooting all up setting em otions into the ground belo w yo u. 4. Think ofyour spine as a flexible organic tube, through which energy flo w s b e t w e e n y o u r h e a d a n d t h e r e s t o f y o u r b o dy . 5. M ake tha t tub e expand , as if to let m ore energy flow through it. 6 . Imagine the tube leading all the way up to the to p o fy o u r head. Open
that end of the tube. 7. Imagine some o f the energy in the a ibe flowing o u t of rhe top o f the tube and mixing w ith the rest of the ene rgy in the universe. 8 . Start absorbing energy from the universe in throu gh the top o f the tube.
9. After a few minutes, close the top of the tube.
Exercise: R estorin g M e d ita tio n 1. Close yo u r eyes. 2. Visualize how yo ur body a nd m ind w ould look and feel if they were in perfect s hape. Pay s peci al a tt e n tio n to th e e m o tio n s a p erf ect b ody and m ind w ould give you. 3. Put tha t image in the c enter of y o u r chest. 4. Op en the spin e tube, as yo u d id in the previous exercise. 5. Let energy from the universe flow in through the top of the tube, dow n yo ur spine, and let it wa sh ove r the image in yo u r chest, making the image becom e reality. 6 . After a few minutes, close the top of the tube.
C
ir c l e
4
The Nature of Reality Find the truth about life, the universe, and everything. They say that dreams are only real as long as they last. Couldn’t you say the same thing about life?
— Waking Life (movie)20
W elcome to C ircle 4, w he re w e delve into the m ysteries of ou r exis tence. By now, you have surely experienced how simple thoughts affect your perception of the astral. The next step is to attempt to grasp the enormity of these abilities. Do they represent our natural capabilities? Are they pa rt of who w e a re as nonphysical beings? Can we use them in a waking physical sta te of min d? How do they affect our view of reality?
The M ea ning o f life
W h y a re w e h e r e ? W h e r e d i d w e c o m e f ro m ? A r e w e j u s t i rr ele v a n t sp ec ks in a n i n c o m p r e h e n s i b l y l a r g e u n i v e r s e o r is t h e r e s o m e p u r p o s e to o u r liv e s? T h e s e q u e s t i o n s w i ll fi n d a n s w e r s in t im e . W e h a v e a s k e d them for a hundred thousand years, but now I think we are closer to fin din g o u t t h e a n s w e r s t h a n w e e v e r w e r e . T h e p s yc h ic s kills o f o u r s pe cie s a r e a w a k e n i n g , a n d w i th t h o s e s k ills w e c a n e x p l o r e m o r e o f o u r n a tu re a n d t h e w o r ld a r o u n d u s. M o s t lik el y, t h e m e a n i n g o f life c a n ’t b e p u t i n t o w o r d s , a t l e a s t n o t with our current vocabulary. For now, the meaning will have to become a fe elin g in s i d e e a c h o n e o f u s , a s u b j e c t iv e i m p r e s s io n t h a t w e c a n l e a n b a c k o n w h e n tim e s g e t to u g h .
W hy I n c a r n a t e ? S o m e E a s t e r n t r a d i t io n s s p e a k o f a u t o m a t ic r ei n c a r n a t io n : W h e n you die, you instantly pop into another human body. (Hinduism includes t h e p o s s ib i li ty o f i n c a r n a t i n g i n t o a n a n i m a l b o d y . ) T h i s a u t o m a t i c b i rt h p r o c e ss s e e m s c o n tr a d ic t o ry to o u r n a tu r e , a n d o u r lives a p p e a r fa r to o w ell p r e p a r e d t o o c c u p y j u s t a n y b o d y . 25 7
Astral Pr ojectio n a n d th e N atu re o f R eality
Il is m ore likely th at we have fre e will on a soul level, ju st as we have free will on Earth. Therefore, we choose whether we want to incarnate. W e can stay betw een lives indefinitely if we so cho ose. W e also choose w here, wh en, how, and why to live. T he n we spe nd m ost of our lives
.Ml*”
w o n d erin g wh a t th a t “wh y ” was. Con sidering how h arsh life can be , it tak es a b rave soul to incarnate. W e, th e in carn ate, a re th e b rav e o n es. It co u ld also b e t h at we are fo ols. I can ima gine th at it is difficult to fo res ee ju st how phy sical life will feel when we are not engulfed in it. It may look easy in the planning stage, bu t w h e n w e a r e stu c k in it w ith n o re c o lle c tio n o f o u r soul live s, it is v ery h ard to co p e. We are all p ro b ab ly v ery co ck y a b o u t o u r ab ilities o n a sou l level, b u t w h en w e are strip p ed fro m th em at b irth , life p resen ts an en tirely d ifferen t ch al len g e. But that is also the reason we came to be: to experience ourselves w i t h o u t th e a i d o f o u r s ou l a b i li ti e s . W e w a n t to i n t e r a c t a s hu m an b e in g s b e c a u s e th e y h a v e a lo t to t e a c h us a b o u t o u rse lv e s. A s an an al o g y : Ify o u tak e a co u rse in su rv iv al in th e wild ern ess, y o u can read all y o u wan t an d still n o t k n o w an y th in g ab o u t h o w t o f u n ctio n in th e wild . You must get out there, eat your last bologna sandwich, get lost, and then try to survive.
T h e P r iv i le g e o f t h e L iv in g By i n carn at in g , we are willin g to g o t h ro u g h all th e p ain th at life h as t o o ff er : g r ie f , d i s e a s e , h o m e s i c k n e s s , N o t o n l y t h a t , o n c e w e h a v e b een
fiievai., Measures;
t h r o u g h i t, w e c h o o s e t o c o m e b a c k t im e a f t e r t im e , s u b j e c t in g o urse lv es t o th e s a m e s u f f e r in g a g a i n . E i t h e r w e j u s t d o n o t g e t th e m e s sa g e o r we are lo o k in g fo r so m eth in g so re w ard in g th a t th e su fferin g is insig nifican t
H
l
in c o m p a r i s o n . W h a t c o u ld t h e p h y s i c a l h o l d t h a t i s s o v a lu a b l e ? Could it b e th e th ril l o f simp ly b ein g h e re ? Co u ld it b e th at w e lo o k o u r whole liv es fo r th e ad v en t u res in p ro j ectin g o r ascen d i n g to a sp iritu al p lan e, to o p en th e way to th e so u l, b u t wh en we g et th ere, we realize th at it is n o th in g —th at p h y sical life w as th e ex citem en t, th e in trig u in g p art, and
V > N % X
ei%
t h e a d v e n t u r e ? A r e w e , a s i n c a r n a t e s , i n t h e m o s t e x c it in g p la c e eve constructed, but we do not have the brains to take advantage of 1 opportunity, to live life to its fullest?
\ , v >
Monday, A u t u s l1Z 2 0 0 2 PastLife M oth er a n d B liss ! It is 2 P.M. I am
half aw ake. I dream I am in a car. My m oth er (from a past life?) is in
the car, too. I feel loue for her. S he ge ts o ut a nd leaves. Then there is a flashback. I see that as she leaves, sh e playfu lly sh oo ts wa ter at m e with a garden hose, which is next to the car. I am b ehin d th e car.
I
raise m y ha nd a nd catch the water. A s the water hits
me> i have an amazing feeling : Life is so bea utifu l! Life is bliss. Living is a chance to be in bliss all the time.
In
each s ec on d o f life, w e h av e t he cho ice to be in bliss. Bliss is only
a simple decision away. W e dec id e h ow we wan t to feel. We can dec ide to remove the c o n c e p t s o f fear
and anger. Th e th em e fro m Forrest Gump is playing
in
the background.
Someone has recently died in the dream (could my past-life mother, leaving the car, represent dying?), b u t I kn ow de ath is nothing. My sen se o f respect and loyalty tells me to mourn, b ut I choo se to b e in bliss. In waking reality, Jaz z’s tail is thumping against the floor as she sleeps. I wo nd er i f she can feel the bliss, too. I open my eyes to see if there is a spirit in the room bu t c an ’t see anything ou t o f the ordinary.
There is so much pleasure in Earth life, but only seldom do we allow ourselves to feel it. I love th e s m ells, th e en erg y o f tree s, the feeling of a i r a g a i n s t m y s k i n , t h e b r e a t h i n m y l u n g s, t h e s m e l l o f m y s k in , a n d t h e t h r o b b i n g o f b l o o d a s i t r u s h e s t h r o u g h m y v e in s . I a ls o lo ve t h e uncertainty: to not know what will happen next. Life is a blank story bo ok w e fill w ith a d v e n tu r e s a s w e g o alo n g . T h e s e a r e th in g s w e c a n ’t experience anywhere else, and yet they are the simplest things in life. T h ey a r e s o s im p l e t h a t w e d o n o t n o t ic e t h e m . A n d still, t h e y a r e t h e t re a s u r e s f o r w h i c h w e c a m e , t h e r e a s o n s f o r o u r in c a r n a t io n .
T h e S c h o o l o f L ife In addition to the wonderful sensations on this plane, we come here to evolve. T he lim itations of the physical provide a good learning ground. While we are in this “school,” we have no idea what lies beyond gradu a ti o n. P e r h a p s t h e r e i s a n o t h e r sc h o o l , a n d o n e a f t e r t h a t , a n d s o o n i nto infinity. O r p erh ap s we are relea sed into real life upon gradua tion. In the movie D e fen d in g Your L ife ,21 Earth is described as a school in which the goal for the stud en ts is to lose th eir fears so they can be com e citizens of t h e u n i v e rs e . P e r h a p s t h a t i s n o t t o o f a r fr o m t h e t r u t h .
A stra ! Pro je ction a n d rhe N a tu re o f R e a lity
We are our own teachers, and the thoughts we conjure up are our teach ing tools. W e also have assista nts r es iding ou tside the physical, con tinuously engaged in helping us prepare the lessons.
Wednesday, O ctober 30, 200 2 Disco ver ing Faith A f e w d a y s ag o, B a r b a n d I h a d a fe w d r in k s. I g o t a fl oa ti ng se n sa ti on . It w as a thrill. M y b od y went num b. Barb h ad to feed me, bec au se I cou ld not control m y arms en ou gh to h ol d anything. I felt like I w as re ad y to astral project, but w hen I attempted to exit m y b od y b y rolling out, the phy sical b od y rolled w ith me. Tonight we are drink ing o nc e m ore. B arb se es the big blac k scar ab from another world run across the floor again. She points out he r observation to me and I sa y, “Co ol!" Things are ha pp en ing in m y hea d. Sud denly, there is a k n oc k on the door. Barb o p e n s it a n d i n s t e ps S u s a n n e a n d h e r d o g L ittle Pa w. S h e g o e s o n a n d o n a b o u t h ow E ric lef t a s u p p o s e d l y r u d e n o t e b y t h e d i s h w a s h e r o r s o m e t h in g . B a r b r u n s a r o u n d in t he k i tc h en , t ry in g to k e e p b u s y a n d n o t l o o k a t S u s a n n e . S h e d o e s n o t w a n t S u s an n e to k n o w w e h a v e b e e n d r in k in g . S h e d r o p s t h i n g s a n d w i g g le s n o w a n d th en . It l oo k s like she is directing all h er e ne rgy to trying to w alk straight, or it co uld just be that I interpret it that way. It loo k s fu n n y a n d I giggle to myself. Little Paw j um ps u p on the b e d a n d l i ck s m y fac e. I d on ’t want to talk be ca us e the wo rld is getting slurre d an d I can imagine my v o i c e w ill s o u n d r e t a rd e d a n d g i v e m e a w a y. S u s a n n e t u r n s a r o u n d a n d s e e s m e sitting in bed. “Oh, hi M ag !” I w av e (a mistake, as I m ust lo ok dr un k a s hell) at her and say, “Hi." It feels like so m e on e else sa id that, so m e on e w h o w as in a different reality. I am slippin g away. I c a n ’t con cen trate o n w akin g reality. I w ant to esc ap e into an alternate reality and explore it, but S us an ne just go e s o n a n d o n ab ou t h ow rude Eric is, which is a lie, of course, b ec au se w e k n ow Eric is a g o o d m an. W hy w on ’t she leave? It feels like I am on the verge of astral projecting, b ut he r negativity k ee ps pulling m e back to ivak ing reality. Then it hits me. This alter ed state al lo w s m e to see w ith incr edib le clarity. Susanne is addicted to pity! Her su b co n scio u s is deliberately looking fo r things in other peop actio ns to feel hurt about. Therefore, sh e interprets m ost eve nts as attacks on he rp son. She a lso sets up har m ful situations in w hich sh e ca n feel emotionally and cally hurt, so she c an attract pity fro m he r fellow beings. Sh e wants love,
^
subconsc/ousJy, she thinks she can get it through the pity from others. This «^ underlying c ause of her faltering phy sical health. Right now, she is c o m p l a i n i n g a 0
N
The M ean ing o f Life
t V
V
\ \ V
„ order to get pity from Barb. It do e s n ot w ork though, b ec au se in Barb’s intoxi
d state, there is no such thing as pity. I have an urge to tell Susanne about my C aJ b( but at the last mom ent, I man age to co nceive that in an ordinary state of mind, 0ch as Susanne's, this w ou ld b e c on side red rude. I am holding the cat in m y arms. The next thing I kn ow, the cat is runn ing on the floor. H ow d id it get the re ? W h a t is g o in g o n ? I try to st e p b a c k in m y m em or y, bu t I have no recollection of what h ap p en ed during the last seconds. I can ’t focus on wa k-
> < X ,\
ing reality anymore. I get sho rt glim ps es o f it, that is all. I take off m y glass es a n d p retend to inspect them. I ke ep m y ey es fix ed o n them. I c an ’t lo ok at a living thing,
* * » * * »
because it cha nge s all the time. It do e s things a n d I repe ated ly forget wha t it did du ring the last secon d I loo ke d at it. L ook ing at an un cha ngin g object he lps me retain my
e^ / .
sense of reality. S u sa n n e see s m e staring at the glasses a n d I ca n feel she takes it as hint that I am not interested in h av ing h e r in the apartmen t. “C om e here, Little Paw !” She walks out. At last, sh e le av es u s to en joy o u r altered state of consciou sness.
brun^ m *
The next thing I kn ow , I “wak e u p ” a n d Ba rb is talking to me. I h av e a vague m em ory of telling Barb that I h a d alm ost astral proje cted w he n Su sa nn e w as there, but it feels lik e o u r c o n v e r sa t io n h a s ta k e n p la c e in a dr e a m f ro m w h ic h I h a v e ju st a w a k ened. Barb says, “Really, y o u a lm ost pro jec te d? " Jesus, w hat is goin g o n ? H ow did sh e know that? I thought I dream t that? I d o not k n ow wha t to tell her. N o w I d o n o t k n o w w h a t w e t a l ke d a bo u t, b e c a u s e t he m e m o r y o f th e d r ea m is fading. I jus t s ta re a t h er, d u m b fo u n d e d . I a m get ti ng a sh ort g li m p se o f w akin g p h y sical reality. It lasts ten m illisecond s. The n I sp e n d the follow ing HO m illisecon ds in a dream world. Then I get ano th er glim ps e o f waking reality, an d s o it continues. I ca n’t control it. I am trying to figure o ut wh eth er w aking reality is the dr eam a n d the dream is real or if it is so m e o the r way. It feels like I am ha vin g a lu cid dream , but the dream is taking place in w ak ing reality. I am living on ly in the mom ent. Eac h mo m ent I create ane w all my intentions an d
e back 10101
pla ns. Fr om o n e m o m e n t t o t he ne xt, I c a n ’t r e m e m b e r w hat I d i d o r w hat I p la n n e d to do. M y m ind is falling asleep a n d waking up 20 times per second. I am rushing between dream realities a n d w aking reality. I h ate it. I hate w aking up in the morning, a n d no w I am waking u p 20 times every secon d! Each time I am co nfus ed an d can har dly remember what I dreamt about. I u nintentionally blame different noises for waking m e up. I a m getting irritated. Barb and I talk. She talks to m ake sure I am all right an d perh ap s keep m e focused in waking reality. I think she talks so m uch be cau se the alc oh ol m ake s her talkative. Suddenly, I wake up an d sh e asks, “A re yo u getting ang ry? " I can’t rem em ber what we
A s t r a l P r o je c tio ti o n a n d rlie rl ie N a t u r e o f R e a l it y
Barb te
talked ab ou t that might haue l ed h er to thinking I am angry angry.. I search any mem ory from a dream, know ing that w hat I fin d cou ld actually hau e ha pp en ed in waking waking rea reality lity..
be fin 'P 1*
Then I start start to sus pec t that I ha d an ove rdo se o f alcoh ol or an aller allergi gicc rea reacti ction on
h e lp -'^ 1"
although I hav e nev er heard o f the latt latter er.. Jesus, I hav e to do something. I think it will ill
0 eais° eais°m mel
help if I get up a nd walk around for a while while;; this this wo uld get my b loo d m oving and my
Hou>d°,rerr
brai brain n wo uld get fresh oxygen. Can I control my b od y en ou gh to stand up? I can’t can’t feel my my
I** I* * It i c k
body. I get up.
I tr y '°h
o ut o f m y h M
I am a m m o vin vi n g p u r e ly b y will. By w an tin g to wa lk, lk , I walk wa lk.. I th in k th at m y subc su bcon on
w i c k ”B u t I o n
scious is controllin controlling g th e bo dy, an d I am instructing instructing it via m y will. will. Or ma ybe I am just just
uak e u p , l e a n
floa fl oa tin g o u ts id e m y b o d y ? A fe f e w ste st e p s later, I w a ke u p to s e e Barb Bar b sta nd ing in g in m y way. way. She asks m e w hy I am walking around. Hell Hell if I kno w. I can't rem em ber anythi anything. ng. Th The
I c an’t an’t fee l
last thing thing I remem ber, I was sitt sitting ing in the be d, b u t that to o feels like it it happ ene d in a
shoul sh ouldn dn't't I? I g (
dream.
ray p e r c e p t io n
I co c o n tin ti n u e skip sk ippi pi n g b a c k a n d fo rt h in to a d re a m wo rld. rl d. S o m e tim ti m e s I ha ve night
o
head head into th e s h
mares. mares. W hen I wake u p from them, which I do 20 times per secon d, I am panicked and and my heart is racing. My ego takes charge. I am fear-struck. Am I going to have a heart attack? Did the a lcoh ol kill kill m y brain? Am I going to turn in to a drooling vegetable? Am
dying? I ha v e to ge I dying? g e t h elp. el p.
» ' l fe l fe e l th e c o l o "xhortMyst 'Mbickim,
I w ant an t to be g Barb to ta ke m e to a h o sp ita it a l w h e r e th ey can ca n gi ve m e a shot sh ot of adren aline or som ethin g that will restore m e to wa king physica l rea reali lity ty.. I so mis misss the the
bco
clari clarity ty o f thou thou ght in a sob er mind. I hate be ing in t he dream world. I love the sme smell, ll, taste, taste, and fee l o f waking waking realit reality. y. I lo ve bre athing th e air air,, b ut in the d ream worl world, d, the there is no way to to expe rien ce tho se things. But m os t o f all, all, I ha te being in t wo realities realities at the the
Sot wo
X ,' i t t e l l
H it
sam e time. time. I panic. pan ic. I try to ask a sk Barb to t o tak t akee m e to t o a ho sp ita it a l bu t can’ ca n’tt fo rm ula ul a te the t he words, and from fro m on e m o m en t to t h e n ext, I c a n ’t re r e m e m b e r w h a t it is I want wa nt to say. Then I remem b er
only to forget as I fall into an oth er dream. I reach ou t with the intention o f touc touch h
II ^ is to/ri
jf t,
. N V
9> ltou
ing ing Bar Barb b. If this is a dream , then the n I can alter it. I try try to d o that, b u t it do es not work. I mus mus still still be in waking wak ing reality. reality. Dreams are po pp ing in g in an d ou o u t be tw e en m y glim gl im p ses se s o f being be ing awake, awake , and an d they confusing confusing me. me. I put my han ds oue r m y face, face, d espe rate ly tryin trying g to create a bea beaco co waking waking reality reality that will will ho ld my focus foc us there. there . Barb is getting fre ak ed out. She fears fears f health. health. I do, too. Am I going insane? Is the b rain da ma ged and a nd now n ow I am destine destine spend the rest rest o f my life life flipping betw een waking waking reality reality and dream dreamin ing g real real'' y ^ bein being g able able to tell them apart an d n ot rem embering what h app ene d just a few before?
Pe ^
\V N
The Th e M e an ing o f Li Life '" ■ 4 N / , I Or* N r J S
B a r b t o * m e ba ( *
all‘‘ 1 can '< remem ber why I jot u p in b e d 1 S ° a hn S: a he r all
the firs, irs, place lace.. I w ork ver y h ard du ring m an y ivakesleep c ycles lo formulate formulate a cry for
^
/ X
help. I ask her. " W hal d o yo u d o w h e n yo u ’ue ha d loo m u c h r She says says.. ""You You had bel bel ler ler eat somethi something. ng. W ant m e to get y o u a sa nd w ich an d m ilk?" "Yes. A n d a banan a."
* - * <
s
How How do I reme mb er that that we just b o u j h l b a n a n a s ? T he h e b a n a n a s fee l lik e a spectacular memory, sticking out from the blur in which I floal. She returns with a cheese sandwich. I tr try to h o ld il ln m y han d, b ut I ha ue n o feeling feeling in m y palm. The sandwich slides slides
tybeiam. amm amm vyioty
*'anythi H
Hi,
out of my ha n d a n d the cat eats from from it. I w ant to say, say, "Jesus. "Jesus. I can ’t euen hold a sa ndwich." wich."But But I only get as far as “J e s u s" Then I forge forgett wh al I wa s going lo sa say. Each lime lime I wake up, I can see the the san dw ich ha s slid farther farther in my hand. I can’t can’t feel m y stom ach, bu t I su spe ct that that I am ver y close to puking. I shou ld be be, shou ldn’t ldn’t I? I get up a n d will m ys elf to the bat hro om . I sit sit on the to toile ilet, tryin trying g to to hold m y pe rc ep tio n o f w a k in g re alit al ity y to gethe ge the r. I w an t t o get b a c k to w a k in g r eality. I st ick m y
head head into into the shower, dr en ch ing it with c o ld water for s evera l minutes. minutes. After a whil while, e, my body is free freezi zing, ng, so I h av e to give it up. M y se nso ry perception is so nu m bed tha that I can' can'tt feel feel the the cold, bu t I k n ow from ho w the skin reacts reacts ( goo se bu m ps) that it can't ta take much more. more. M y state state h as im pr ov e d on ly slig slight htly ly.. I get get ba ck into be d a n d try try to get warm. In spite o f several layers of blankets blankets,, I can't can't raise aise m y bo d y temperature. No w I h av e do n e it. it. I ha ve accelerated the dying process process by cooling cooling m y body. I am getti getting ng increasingly co nv ince d that that I am dying. dying. This This is is prob ably going to get worse. I w ill b e flippin g betw een wak ing realit reality y an d the dream realm realm unti untill I ca n’t n’t tell tell w hic h is w hich. A t som e point, I will be com pletely in the dream world, world, leavi leaving ng my b o d y b eh ind to ro rot. Is this this h ow death is, is, a co nfusing ha ze ? It sure is is not how I en visio ne d it it. This is not fair! fair! I h av e so m an y things yet to complet complete. e. I am writ writin ing g a book. No w I wil will nev er see it finished. finished. I h av e b ee n chea ted out o f the rest rest of my lif life. N ob od y ever told told me su ch a sm all am ou nt o f etha nol c ou ld kill you. I h ad no warni warning ng.. It is not fair. This This ma kes m e angry. angry. Then so met hing pec uliar hap pens . The next ti time I wake u p from from a micros microslu lumber mber,, Barb’s Barb’s face is v er y clo se to mine. It h as a laye r o f shim m ering tranqu tranquill illity. ity. Her eyes calmly look into mine. mine. A m om ent ago, she w as freaking freaking out, out, but no w sh e is completely completely serene serene.. Wh at brough t abo ut this this cha ng e? Sh e d oes not feel like like Barb anymore anymore.. Is it it Barb or is som som e w ise spir spirit it borrow ing h er bo d y to rela relay y a message to m e? O r is is Barb perhaps inspired by su ch a spirit? Or per ha ps Barb is such a wise spi spiri rit, t, but only let letss its its true true nature surface surface wh en it is ne ed ed ? W ho am I looking at? W hen she speaks, that that do es not matter matter anymore: “You are are very close to to yo ur soul
A s tr a l P ro je ct io n a n d rh e N a t u r e o f R e a l it y right ight now. Go with with it an d I will watch ov er yo u r b od y while y o u are gone.” That That is exac exactl tly y what I n eed to hear hear.. A w ave o f relief relief w ash es o ve r m y being being.. But how did Barb Barb kn ow to say that? The next moment, the layer o f tranqui tranquill llity ity disapp ears from he r face, as if the spiri spiritt wh o ad dresse d m e lef left her body. W as Barb aw are o f what she told me?
J *
She seems to be be, but she a also lso seem s surp rised to hav e sa id it it. Re assu red o f m y saf safety, ety, I finally sto p trying trying to ho ld o nt o w ak ing real realiity. ty. I slip into into ano ther con scio us stat state. e. It is dark. Wait a mom ent; there is some thing out here. here. I can se nse it. it. It It is is hug e! It is getting getting closer. closer. I c a n ’t fin d a na m e fo r it it. Th e clo sest I ca n come to describing it is as the universe. universe. It is a gigantic swirl o f bla ck a n d d ar k red. red. Oh, wow! It is alive. It wants wa nts m e to kn ow that that wh ether w e are ar e in ph ysic al b od ies o r wi w ithout thout them them (i.e., dead) dead),, the universe takes takes ca care re o f us. us. In a ll po ssib le o utc om es o f all ou r actions, the uniuniverse is there there to to take care of us. us. W e are a lwa ys safe. Sud den ly, wo rries o f the the futur uture e w ash away. away. It It do es n ot matter w he the r I am dy ing o r not. not. I u nd er sta nd that that either either way, I am a nd will will alway s be com pletely safe safe.. Jesus, this this is so un like m e! W here did this sereni serenity ty come from ? It is an improvem ent. The universe se nd s th ough ts to me. me. In o rd er to feel this this car care, e, all all w e hav e to do is is fa c e the th e d ir e ct io n th e u n iv e r s e is g o in g in a n d w e w il l f l o w w it h its m o v e m e n t. The re are are no obstacles obstacles in life life wh en yo u are facing facing the the direction o f the the universe. universe. I think I have have ju st f o u n d fait h, s o m e t h in g I n e v e r h a d i n life. T h e re w a s n e v e r a n y r e a s o n to belie be lieve ve ther there e was som ething that that too k care o f me, bu t he re it is, swirling a bo ut to m y upper upper right. I think think I can dr op m y chro nic w orry a bo ut m y pr pro o ble m s in life life now. now. A life life wit without hout worry, w hat bliss. bliss. Wh at is is more, more, I feel this incr edib le lo ve be tw ee n all be ing s in the univers universe. e. Ther There is a universal love that that will will ne ver d im inish o r g o aw ay. W e all lov e each other ther,, eve even n though though w we e may n o ott kn ow it. I a lso get a feeling feeling that that ou r ph ysical b od ies ar are e not ours. We are just borrow ing them. them. There There is another presence here. here. The u niver se fade s a w ay a s I turn m y att atten enti tion on to the new presen ce. It is a sm all, red, m etallic cre atu re sitting ju st b y m y right ear, te telli lling me thi things. ngs. I kn ow he is m y ego. I d o n ot reflect on his pu rpo se. It feels like like he has has always been sitti sitting ng there next to me, me, telling telling m e things. things. H as h e be en there all all my li life an^ only n telling ing me lie liess. I tel tell hiw hiw n o w d o I notice him ? I kn ow with out a d ou b t that he is tell no in my mind, mind, ove r an d over over.. I wave m y han ds before h im a s a sign sign o f reject rejection ion.. I d en y the lies lies he is te telling I rejec rejectt his advice. I am rebe lling ag ain st this cre atur e fo r the first first time time in m y li life * he only wants to control me. me. H e inve nts ugly lies to trick trick m e into into
264
believ believin ing g m eed tofo1
W oo a.
The Th e M ea nin g o f Li Life
C V S ' V
j
* « /<
H - S
%
/0u>Ws advice- Funny nO nOU)’ 'n retro ret rosp spect ect ' hou} th e creatur cr eaturee fUs the d escriptio n o f the Dev Devil il I do n ot b elie el ie v e in th e e x iste is ten n ce o f a Devil, thou th ough gh.. At the sam sa m e tim e, I no tic e l ots ot s o f litt le p e o p le runn ru nnin ing g aro a roun und. d. They The y are d ress re ssed ed in the colo colors rs o f the w oods, green an d brown . Is their skin green, too? W hat the hell—
o
g n o m e s ? They They seem
* !> *w**^
aw fully busy, running h ere a nd there. I kn ow what they are doin doing g
witho without ut aski asking ng.. They are workin g in ten se ly to arrange t he exp erience I am havi having. ng. They They cont contro roll every even t by so m e i nvisible mach inery. And sitting on a pla pl a tfo tf o rm o ve rlo rl o o k in g th e wo rkin rk ing g g n o m e s are m y spirit spiri t guides gu ides.. There ere are are three three or fo ur o f them . I se ns e the y h av e in ve ste d great great effort in prepar preparing ing the expe experi rien ence ce for m e a nd no w the y relax an d o bs erv e the gn om es carr carryi ying ng it out. They are are the the masterminds masterminds beh ind this this w ho le experience. I am imp ress ed by the time and effort effort I sense sen se it t o o k to p u t this th is e x p erie er ie n ce toget to gethe her. r. I se s e n se that th at the th e g u id es h av e s pe n t ove o ve r six months planning t he e xp erie nce in detail. I now no w se s e e th e rea r ea son so n fo f o r t h e ex peri pe rien ence ce.. The g u id es sa w an a n o p po rtun rt un ity it y to run m e thro throug ugh h a lar large ge nu m be r o f lessons w he n m y brain s tate was altered by alcohol alcohol.. The The goal goal o f the lessons was to s h ed parts o f the the ego an d strengthen m y faith. faith. The bes t way way to do thi thiss was was to make m e confron t the thought o f death, bu t also also to show m e the trut truth h about the universe. The lessons could not have been learned in an ordinary state of mind mind.. The The rational rational min d h ad to b e p ut aside.
»/oM*
As if on a signal, all al l th e g n o m e s s to p working wor king.. The Th e g no m es a n d spirit spiri t guid gu ides es appl applau aud. d. They app laud them selves for a job well done, an d they applaud me for mak ing the best o f their their effor ts by learning w hat th ey in ten de d m e to lear learn. n. This This marks the end of a project project they ha ve be en working working on f or a long time. time.
a d d
W h e n I w a s y o u n g , I w a s t a u g h t t h a t a n g e l s a r e w a t c h in in g o v e r e a c h o n e o f u s . I t h o u g h t t h e a n g e l s w e r e t h e r e t o h e l p m e i f I g o t in in t o to to o m u c h t ro r o u b l e . N o w i t t u r n s o u t t h a t t h e j o b o f t h e a n g e ls ls is i s t h e o p p o s it it e: e:
t ”" * * * * * » like1,1
It is to get me into trouble! Even so, it is all according to my will. I w a n t e d t o e x p e r i e n c e w h a t I h a v e j u s t d e s c r i b e d . I w a n t e d t o c o n f r o nt nt m y f e a r o f d e a t h s o 1 could live live m o re ful fully. ly. I also w an ted to know wha t w a s o u t t h e r e , b e y o n d t h e l im im i t s o f t h e p h y s ic ic a l . I h a d n e v e r ve v e r ba ba ll ll y uttered these wishes, but they were there, in my consciousness. And so
•life-
my guides obliged. In the same way, the experiences we desire are set up in life. The subconscious subconscious is is a spon ge, fu fulll of desires from ou r past. Each tho ught we have, enforced with emotion, ends up in the subconscious in the form of
A s tr a l P ro ject je ct ion io n a n d rh e N a t u r e o f R e a li ty
a d e s i r e . I f w e , f o r e x a m p l e , f e a r s n a k e s , t h e n that fear, being a strong
e m o t io i o n , w ili l l e s t a b l is i s h a d e s i r e to t o o v e r c o m e t h e fear of snakes in our s u b c o n s c i o u s . T h e d e s i r e w ili l l i n t u r n a r r a n g e f o r a n e x p e r i e n c e i n w h i c h w e h a v e a c h a n c e t o e x p e r i e n c e t h e f e a r s o t h a t w e m a y u n d e r s t a n d a nd nd d i s s o lv l v e i t . ItI t m a y t a k e y e a r s t o m a n i fe f e s t t h e e x p e r ie ie n c e . The t i m e d e p e n d s o n o u r r e l u c t a n c e t o h a v e i t . W e c a n s e t u p t h o s e e x p e rir i e n c e s o u r s e lv l v e s , o r w e c a n a s k o t h e r s , fe f e lll l o w h u m a n s a n d d i s c a r n a t e g u id id e s to help us. T h e s t r o n g e m o t io i o n , o f c o u r s e , d o e s n o t h a v e t o b e a n e g a tit i v e e m o t i o n . W e c a n c r e a t e e q u a l ly l y w e lll l w i t h h a p p i n e s s a n d b l is i s s . I f w e d e c id id e t o e x p e r i e n c e b l i s s , t h e n t h a t s t r o n g e m o t io i o n w i l l c r e a t e a s u b c o n s c io io u s d e s i r e t o e x p e r i e n c e m o r e b l isi s s .
O ur Nature Natur e
D u st stin g O f f t h e S o u l T h e r e a r e a m u l t i t u d e o f p a p e r s p r e s e n t i n g t h e o u t-t - o f - b o d y a n d n e a r d e a t h p h e n o m e n a i n a c a d e m i c w a y s , s u c h a s w i t h w i t n e s s te te s t i m o n y , E E G c h a r t s , a n d e v e r y t h i n g e l s e r e p r e s e n t i n g s c i e n t ifi f ic i c i n v e s tit i g a t i o n . T h e p a p e r s a r e w r i t te te n b y m e d i c a l a n d p s y c h o l o g i c a l p r o f e s s i o n a l s s i m p l y b e c a u s e t h e y h a v e s t u m b l e d u p o n s o m e t h i n g t h a t , i n s p i t e o f t h o r o u g h e d u c a t io i o n a n d e x p e r i e n c e , t h e y c a n ’ t e x p l a i n . O f te te n , t h e a u t h o r h a s n o p e r s o n a l e x p e r i e n c e w i t h t h e s e p h e n o m e n a b u t isi s i n t r i g u e d b y t h e a c co u n ts o f p a tie n ts a n d c o w o r k e r s . U n f o r t u n a t e ly l y , w i t h o u t p e r s o n a l e x p e r i e n c e , t h e y i n e sc s c a p a b l y g iv iv e a d i s to t o r t e d p i c t u r e o f t h e p h e n o m e n a , w h ic i c h m i s le l e a d s t h e m a s se se s . F o r e x a m p l e , t h e a v e r a g e p e r s o n t h i n k s o f t h e o u tt- o ff - b o dy dy e x p e r i e n c e a s a b r i e f t r i p in t h e p h y s i c a l r e a l m , b u t o u t s i d e o f t h e b o d y . H e h a s n o id e a o f t h e a b u n d a n c e o f b e a u t if i f u l w o r l d s t o b e f o u n d o u t s id i d e t h e p h y s ic ic a l a n d t h e im i m m e n s it i t y b e h i n d t h e w o r l d s . U n i n f o r m e d p a p e r s oon n ly l y re r e i n f o rc r c e t h is is p i c t u r e . T h e y d o l i t t l e t o e x p la i n t h e a c t u a l n a t u r e o f t h e o u t- o f -b o d y experience. 267
A str a l Pr oj ec tion a n d th e N a tu r e o f R ea lit y
Such a uth or s, using all the late st technology , ca n’t explain w ha t the
the'r ^'VC*
p h e n o m e n a a r e o r w h a t c a u se s th e m . T h e y c a n ’t, b e c a u s e th e p he nom -
^
e n a d o n o t f it i n to t h e i r w o r l d v ie w . T h e i r u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f t h e w o r ld
pfetely n a
tells them to look to the physical for ex pla na tion s. Com monly, they
\Ve a r
expect the biological br ain to pro vide the m w ith an sw ers . T he brain is
ical f°r a
supp osed ly the m ost com plex ob jec t in th e kno w n physical universe, so
tion els£|§
if th er e is an ything th at ca n ’t be ex plain ed (telepa thy, precogn ition,
ive co ul|S
OBE, ND E), the y can ex plain it aw ay as so m e ye t un kn ow n bra in func-
get back t0
tion. But the br ain rem ain s silen t. No an sw er s co m e. W e have all these
can leave %
cool co lor p rin to u ts of br ain activity, bu t no ne of the m says: “Hey, I am
nioresuiii
w h a t y o u h a v e b e e n lo o k i n g f o r a ll t h e s e y e a r s ! I a m t h e o n e w h o s e c om -
cram p e ^ |
p li c a te d e ffe c ts you h a v e a tt r ib u t e d to a so u l. H a h , h a h , c a n yo u im agine th a t? —A so u l!”
-
Wflklllffl
W h a t is m is s in g in t h e s e a c c o u n t s ? W h y c a n ’t w e e x p l ai n OB E a nd N D E fro m o u r c u r r e n t s c ie n tific s t a n d p o i n t? W e ll , isn ’t it obv io us? Out-
If this is i
of-body an d n e a r-d e a th e x p e rie n ce s h a p p en b ec au se w e, co n tra ry to con-
physical why]
t e m p o r a r y s c i e n t if ic b e li e fs , a r e not. physical beings. W e a r e n o t m inds
dream for a r
c r e a t e d b y b i ol og i c al c i r c u i tr y . W e a r e m i n d s c r e a t i n g t h e b io lo gi ca l c ir
i|av'ing this aw<
cuitry and all other physical objects. Our lives did not begin when papa
“M V e w i ll w a
s p e r m m e t m a m a e g g ; th e y h a v e b e e n g o i n g o n s i n c e l on g b e f o re E a rth
H h t lasts [
was even thought up. This feet is ignored by science, which is why scientists ca n’t explain the OHM ph en o m en o n . O ut of the fear of being upset,
.
ectatie;d
science do es not delve into t he m ind to ex plo re it. T he unfo rtunate fate
^
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of scie nc e is to inv es tiga te e ve ry thin g ex ce pt th e only im po rtan t thing: w ho w e a re .
°Ur Ojij afe 6 to the ft
Fro m th eir pe rso na l ex pe rien ce w ith leaving th e body and entering the as tral, m ost a stra l p ro jec tor s co nc lude th at they ar e mostly nonphys-
vvftj ^
’StreSsed i
ical beings. T he re st of hum anity, o r a t lea st W este rn society, still
^
believes th e y a re p h ysic a l all th e w ay, p e r h a p s w ith a tw ist o f w eird ps>
i ii ^ ^ tt h j
chic abilities (co ntr ibu ted by th e br ain , o f c ou rse ). To the m , it is eas> t i. . . ii c n e n d most a p. mn™;,,/, th at the .u physical , •is ou r na tura l. sta conceive te . A fter all, we spend most
i. , tw
.......
...........
o f o u r tim e th e r e .
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H8( eMve ^ w
T o t h o s e w h o h a v e n o t y e t h a d t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o a s t ra l p i oj ec try ou t o th e r im pre ssi ve hu m an a bil ities , th e OB E ph en om en on a PPe®> am azing, far out, even ab no rm al. Th ey push it away as if it were a ease thre aten ing th eir very existenc e (rightly so; it will indee
*
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u
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v
:
Our Nature •
lives). But if they cha ng e th e ir physical poin t of view to one from
hich they can see also their nonphysical nature, OBE becomes com
X
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s,
S p,0 f
pletely n a tu ra l. j., VVe are only physical b ec au se w e ha ve c ho se n to p ro jec t to the phys ical f or a w h i le . W h e n w e h a v e h a d e n o u g h o f t h a t , w e t u r n o u r a t t e n tion elsewhere. Contrary to conventional beliefs, it would be strange if we co uld n o t le a v e o u r p h y s ic a l b o d i e s w h e n e v e r w e w a n t e d in o r d e r t o get back to that larger existence with which we are so familiar. Humans can leave their physical bodies, so what is the big deal? We should be
H
fan “N
m o re s u r p r i s e d i f w e c o u l d n o t , i f w e w e r e s t u c k i n t h e p h y s i c a l , in t h e s e cramped bodies.
W a king U p to O u r T r u e N a t u r e If t h is is a ll t r u e , i f w e a r e n o n p h y s i c a l b e i n g s h a v i n g a d r e a m o f t h e ph ys ical, w hy c a n ’t w e w a k e u p to t h e “r e a l ” w o r ld ? W e a r e livin g th e dream for a reason: to grow in ways we can’t in the real world. We are h av in g t h is a w e s o m e d r e a m a n d , d e e p i n s id e i t, w e d o n o t w a n t to w a k e up. We will wake up when we are ready, count on that, but not before. No nig ht la s ts fo re v e r. The challenge is to figure out how to get ready. How do we take full a d v an ta g e o f t h is d r e a m a n d l e a r n a s m u c h a s w e c a n f ro m it? H o w d o we treat our minds so that they will be ready to wake up? We experi e n c e life to t h e f u ll e s t. W e s m e l l t h e f l o w e r s a n d l o ok a t t h e s k y u n ti l we a r e sa t i a te d w i th t h e e x p e r i e n c e o f life . W h a t w e d o n o t do is run a r o u n d, s t r e s s e d o u t e v e r y s e c o n d o f t h e d a y, a lw a y s p l an n i n g f or to m o r ro w, c o n s ta n t ly b u i ld i n g o u r p e r s o n a l e m p i r e s . W h e n w e h a v e s e e n t h e s ky w i t h o u t t h e l im i t s o f b e l i e fs a n d e x p e c t a t i o n s , w e k n o w t h e r e i s n o th ing more for us to see in the physical, and we choose to wake up. T h e m o m e n t w e w a k e u p , w e s h a k e o f f t h e l im i ta t io n s o f o u r p h ys i c al liv es. W e r e a l iz e t h a t w e a r e v a s t b e i n g s . W e s e e t h a t w e a r e s o h ug e that our galaxy, the Milky Way, is but a tiny speck in comparison. e c t ° 1'
pedrS
Ironically, it is th at sm all, insignificant., se lf-crea ted pie ce of ou r atte n tion that we have considered reality for so long, lifetime after lifetime, on so many different planets. We realize that the time we spent in the a s t ra l w a s a n e x t e n s i o n o f t h e d r e a m , b u t o n t h e b r i n k o f w a k i n g u p to 2 69
A stra l Pro je ct io n a n d rh e N a tu r e o f R e a lit y
the r eal lif e. How could we have been s o blind? How could we have avoided seeing what we are? It seems incredible how we created the d r e a m a n d s t e p p e d i n t o it . A n d h o w i t en g u l fe d u s a n d m a d e u s f or ge t the real life. T h e n it h i t s u s: T h e r e a s o n w e c o u l d n o t f ig u r e o u t w h a t w e w e r e, i s t h a t w e a r e e v e r y t h i n g . W e a r e e v e n w h a t e v e r w e t h i n k w e ar e . W e a r e e v e r y w h e r e a n d e v e r y t h in g . W e t h in k o f a t h in g a n d t h e n w e be co m e i t, j u s t lik e w e b e c a m e o u r p h y s i c a l b o d i e s . D u r i n g o u r t ri p t o t h e p hy s ical, we w e r e t h e w o r l d s a r o u n d a n d i n s i d e t h e p h y s i c a l . T h i s i s a m i n d blo w in g r e a liz a tio n .
Exercise: O p en ing to Vastness R e c o rd a n d l is te n t o th e s e a f fi rm a t i o n s : "Y o u a r e u n l im i te d . " "L ife is a n u n l im i te d e x p e r ie n c e . " "Y o u liv e i n a n u n l im i te d p l a c e . ” "You are vast.” "Y o u a r e e v e r y t h i n g . ”
The Worlds Beyond
S o , y o u t h o u g h t lif e is a ll t h e r e is a n d , w h e n it is o ve r, y o u d o n o t ha ve to w o r r y a b o u t a n y t h i n g a n y m o r e ? W e ll , to u g h l uc k ! It lo o k s lik e w e a r e a ll g o i n g to c o n t i n u e t o e x i s t f o r a v e r y l o n g ti m e , p o s s ib l y fo r e ve r. B u t w h e r e a n d h o w ? S u r e l y w e c a n ’t s ta y in p h y s i c a l life a ll t h e time?
The Physical Is a Dream I h a ve w r i tt e n a t g r e a t l e n g t h a b o u t o u r p h y s ic a l re a l it y a n d t h e b e lie fs t h a t g o v e r n it. Y ou h a v e s e e n f o r y o u r s e l f h o w t h e b e lie fs a ffe c t t h e m in d a n d h o w t h e m in d in t u r n g o v e r n s th e a s t ra l . C o n s i d e r a ga in t h e id e a t h a t t h e p h y s i c a l is a n a s t r a l w o r l d , c o m p l e te l y a t th e m e r c y o f y o u r c r e a t iv e p o w e r s . T h e r e f o r e , w h a t y o u c r e a t e d i n t h e a s t r a l , yo u c a n create in the physical. J u s t a s in t h e a s t r a l , t h e p h y s ic a l r e li e s s o m u c h o n o u r m in d t o su s t a in i ts e x i s t e n c e t h a t it c a n ’t b e a n y t h i n g e ls e t h a n o u r o w n c r e a t io n . P h y sic a l r e a l i ty s e e m s to b e a p r a c t i c a l j o k e w e h a v e p l a y e d o n o u r s e l v e s, b u t it is n o t a d i s t a s te f u l jo k e .
As m il Pro je ction a n d rh e N a tu re o f R ea lit y
Tuesday, Feb rua ry 11, 200 3 Waking Up I wake up in the hypnopom pic state. Ra mtha12m us t have m ad e a big impression on me, b eca use th e realization, “The phys ical is a dre am ," seem s natural to me as I open my eyes. I look around the room. My perception is exactly like it is in my lucid dreams: distinct and vibrating. I kno w I am looking a t physica l reality, bu t still I under stand that it is just an othe r dream. Physical reality is as flexible an d unimportant (or important, wh ichever way you pr efer to lo ok a t it) as a dream. A floating and tingling sensatio n su rroun ds m y being. The walls seem to b e v ibrating like static on a TV screen, but more smoothly. At my com m an d, th e r oo m bends like a s h eet o f paper into an arc before my eyes. The room looks like it has been stuffe d into a cylinder. I fin d nothing unusual about this. After all, since physical reality is a drea m, anythin g is possible . I go b ack to sleep. Or am I just waking up from a lifelong dream?
I f t h e p h y s i ca l w o r l d is a d r e a m w o r l d , w h a t i s a d r e a m w o r l d ? Since w e c a n c r e a t e a n y o b j e c t i n a d r e a m j u s t a s w e c a n in a n a s t r a l w orl d, it is r e a s o n a b l e t o a s s u m e t h a t a d r e a m w o r l d i s a n a s t r a l w o r ld . T hi s m ea ns that the physical is indeed an astral world. The question now is: Do we w a n t t o w a k e u p f r o m t h i s d r e a m a n d , i f s o , h o w d o w e d o it ? In t h e j ou r nal entry above, 1 saw thro ug h th e illusion o f physical solidity. I was able t o d o t h i s b e c a u s e 1 h a d t h e b e l i e f (s h a p e d b y R a m t h a ) t o s u p p o r t it, and m y r e a s o n w a s s ti ll to o d e e p l y a s l e e p t o t e l l m e i t w a s i m p os sib le . As we know, an astral world is governed by the mind and that mind is highly affected by our beliefs. Beliefs are in turn adjusted by thoughts. A ffirm ations a re ju st tho ug hts specifically de signe d to adjust beliefs. So, in o rd er to see throu gh the illusion of the physical, we have to turn the m ajority of ou r thou gh ts in the dire ctio n of w ha t lies beyond the physic p re fe ra b ly a s if w e a lre a d y k n o w th e ph y sic a l is a n illu sion. ^ u rt*ie rn ^ aIlt w e h a v e t o g e t t o k n o w r e a s o n , s o t h a t w e c a n h a l t i t . W e d o not reason interfering with our intuitive
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The Nature of the Astral All w e h a ve is a b u n c h o f a s t r a l w o r l d s , a m o n g t h e m , t h e p h y s ic a l Un i v e r s e ( s )
a n d t h e d r e a m w o r l d s . H o w e v e r d i ff e r e n t t h ey a p p e a r , th ey
a re all c o n n e c t e d , a n d w e , t h e i r c r e a t o r s , a r e t h a t c o n n e c t i o n . H a ve y ou ever h ad a p r e c o g n i t iv e d r e a m t h a t c a m e t r u e ? I f y ou h a v e , y ou p r o b a
ean<1,
bly em b ra c e t h e f a c t t h a t d r e a m s a r e r e a l . Y o u r p r e c o g n i tio n h a p p e n e d in a n o th e r w o r l d - t h a t i s al l. An a n ge l o r a g e n t o f s p e c i a l d i v i n e i n t e r v e n t i o n d i d n o t c o m e d o w n and d r op th e i n f o r m a t i o n i n t o y o u r d r e a m . T h e f u t u r e d i d n o t fo ld b ac k into y ou r d r e a m i n g m i n d , n o r d i d y o u r d r e a m i n g m i n d e x t e n d i n t o th e
Unu*alalM
future. You simply created the event in a world you were visiting while d re am in g, a n d t h e n y o u c r e a t e d t h e s a m e e v e n t in th e w o r ld yo u w e r e v isiting w h i l e y o u w e r e p h y s i c a l ly a w a k e . Y ou a r e t h e c r e a t o r o f a n y astral world you happen to be in, including the physical.
i m w o r ld ? Since
astral world, il arid. T h i s means
It m a y b e d i f f ic u l t t o a c c e p t t h i s , e s p e c i a l l y s i n c e w e s o m e t i m e s h a v e pre cogniti v e d r e a m s o f c o m in g t r a g e d ie s . S u c h tra g e d ie s a r e o f te n c o c re a te d, m e a n i n g t h a t a g r o u p o f p e o p l e p l a n n e d t h e e v e n t . F o r a tr ag e d y to o c c u r i n y o u r l if e, y o u a l s o m u s t c r e a t e i t. A s w e p l a n s u c h e v e n t s o n
I n o w i s: Do we o it? In th e jour-
a soul level, they are not tragedies but experiences we can learn from,
idity. I w a s able
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o r e x p e r ie n c e s l e a d i n g t o f u t u r e l e a r n i n g e x p e r i e n c e s .
they any less real than the physical? No, they are the same as the
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a n o t h e r r e p l ic a o f w h a t e v e r l iv e s in y o u r m i n d , w h a t e v e r yo u d e s i re t o
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think of. T h e a s t r a l c a n h o l d a n i n f i n i te n u m b e r o f w o r l d s, b e c a u s e i t is no t limited by space or time. We choose to create physical, astral, and d r e a m w o r ld s t h e r e i n . I n so d o i ng , w e d e c i d e t h e i r p r e f e r e n c e s : w h e t h e r they should have space, time, gravity, matter, and so on. We think up t h e s e w o r l d s, b e c a u s e t h e c r e a t i v e p r o c e s s t h r il l s u s, j u s t l ik e d e c o r a ti n g a room or a do llhouse or building a snow fortre ss thrills us. I hen, of course, when we spend too much time inside our creations, we forget that we made them, and we desperately try to figure out what they are a n d how to get out. The astral is indeed a wondrous place, the perfect 27 3
A str a l Pro jection a n d th e N a tu re o f R ea lit y
playground fo r th e o n e s b ra v e en o u g h to in c a rn a te in to o n e o f its w orld s, and the perfect educational facility for the same. I f y ou a r e t h e c r e a t o r , w h e r e d o y o u p u t th e c r e a t i o n ? H a r d ly i n a n external w orld, since tha t would b e o utside o f you. You p ut your creation within you, in w hat we term
pe rce ptio n. Y our pe rcep tion is a self
invented picture of the wo rld, b ut it is also you r entire w orld. Th ere is n o ex t e r n a l w o r ld . I f y o u p r o j e c t i n t o t h e a s t r a l a n d c r e a t e a n a s t ra l world, you are putting the new world in your perception. The astral is y o u r m i n d a n d t h e w o r l d s y ou c r e a t e liv e in t h e p e r c e p t i o n o f t h a t m i nd . The physical also only lives in th e p erc ep tion o f yo ur m ind. T he re is no external physical world. W h e n p e o p le c o m e t o g e t h e r in th e s a m e s p a c e , a s w e a r e to g e th e r in th is u n i v e rs e , w e a r e s h a r i n g n o t t h e s p a c e , b u t o u r in d i v id u a l p e r c ep tions. Your perception is picked up by people around you and used to reinvent what you see into their own perception. A shared world a p p e a r s si m i l a r in all i n h a b i t a n t s ’ m i n d s b e c a u s e o f m i n d t r a n s fe r e n c e . O u r u n iv e r se i s j u s t a v i rt u a l c o n c e p t d e s c r i b e d b y t h e p e r c e p t i o n o f all i ts i n h a b it a n ts . T h e p e r c e p t i o n in t u r n is c o n t in u o u s l y m o d i f ie d b y t h e ir imagination. T h e r e a s o n w h y w e d o n o t k n o w w h e t h e r t h e p h y s ic a l u n i v e rs e is infinite or ends somewhere is that nobody has yet decided to make it one way or ano ther. All th e laws of physics w er e in ven ted in the minds o f o u r a n c e s t o r s . B e c a u s e o f r e i n c a r n a t i o n , w e a r e o u r a n c e s t o r s , of c o u rs e . E v e r y th i ng h a p p e n e d n o w u n t il o n e o f u s d e c i d e d t o i n v e n t tim e . W e w e r e fo r m l e s s u n t il s o m e o n e i n v e n t e d m a t t e r . W e w e r e f lo atin g around in an undefined haze until someone decided to invent gravity. Everything around you i s your perception. There is nothing underly ing it . You are creati ng your perception, and peopl e who see the same a r e c re a t in g t h e s a m e p e r c e p t i o n , i n f l u e n c e d b y y o u r p e r c e p t io n . T his is apparent in dreams and astral projections, where you can change your environment. If a second p erso n w ere to pro jec t into your drea m world, h e w o u ld c r e a t e
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Additionally, he will tweak some objects and add others in order to f«t the dream to his personality. tr' *n 0t^e r worc*s>w hen m anipu lating a dr ea m w orld, as you may ha' e riG m 8 lucid drea m , you are no t changing the surrou nd ing dream 274
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The Worlds Beyond
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Id, because the r e is no ne , but you ar e ch ang ing your per cep tion. The same applies to the physical. There is no space, mass, or time. All that exists is your perception. You take nothingness and turn it into a made-
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up world of spa ce, m ass, an d tim e. i n h e r e i s n o e x t e r n a l w o r l d , ( h e n w h a t i s r e a l '.1 What ran we rely upon not to be f igm ents o f ou r i m agin ation? Th e only co nstan t object is
■ %
our mind. Th e m ind is th e o nly “re a l” thing . The physical brain, the body, th e w h ole u n iv e r s e , a n d a ll th e ;istr ;i l w o rld s a r e m e re ly in venti ons of that mind.
T he P u r e M in d If t h e a s t r a l w o r l d s a r e j u s t i n v e n t io n s o f o u r m i n d s, w e s h ou ld b e able to cease inventing long e no ug h to investigate the only r eal thing: the ti ttd
mind—us. E arlier in this b oo k, I re fe rre d to this as the m eta-w orld, the deeper astral, or the pure astral. The pure astral is the mind with an empty pe r cep tion. I f you leave you r body an d en d up in a dar k void, your percep tio n is b la n k . T h is c a n b e s c a ry in th e beg in n ing , sin ce w e a re used to per ceiving something at all times. Fr om the astr al void, we ar e able to f ully di sable the per ception mechanism. I t is easy to manipulate the per ception mechanism when we
F ig u re 8 . T h e m i n d i s c l o u d e d b y s e lf - c re a t e d a s tr a l w o r ld s .
A str a! Pro jectio n a n d rh e N a tu re o f R ea li ty
d o n o t h av e a w o rl d to c l u t t e r u p o u r p e r c e p t i o n . W e c a n t h e n s e n s e t h e mind as it is without its inventions. This can be a power f ul exper ience. It is a f eeling of knowing and pr ese nc e. W he n f ir st I r eac he d it, it was lik e se n s in g s o m e t h i n g r e a l f o r t h e f i r s t ti m e . I t w a s t h e o n l y s t e a d y c o m
v er& e :S t
p o n e n t o f e x iste n c e . F o r th e f ir s t tim e , I fo u n d s o m e th in g I w a s n o t p e r c e iv in g a n d c r e a t i n g s i m u l t a n e o u s l y ( s e e f i g u r e 8 ). We can also reach the pure mind in the physical. All we have to do is s t o p t h e a c tiv it y o f t h e p a r t o f u s t h a t c o n s t a n t ly c r e a t e s o u r c u r r e n t astr al wor ld ( i.e., the physical) , namely, our inte r nal dialogue. This is w h a t D o n J u a n r e f e r s to w h e n h e s p e a k s a b o u t s to p p i n g t h e w o r l d .23 The only way to stop the world is by stopping our thoughts, because this w o r ld is n o t h in g b u t o u r t h o u g h t s .
Saturday, Oct ob er 12, 2 0 0 2 Illusory Layer o f the Astral I w ake up in th e hypnopom pic state. Barb tu rn s on th e second comp uter. As its CPU cooler fan winds up, my mind somehow listens to it and winds up with it. I am buzzing slightly. My awa reness is floating an inch o ve r m y b ody. It is a luxurious feel ing. I do n ot recognize th e state o f m ind a s anything I hav e felt b efore, b ut I suspect it is good for astral projection. I consider attemp ting to roll ou t o f my body, bu t some thing tells me to d o n othing b ut observe. I sen se a layer o f existen ce. It is th e worl d I have called th e astral during all my travels. It is an illusion. It fee ls lik e lu m ps o f gray fog covering wh at is real. I mo ve my center of thought to my chest. I do my best to cease thinking, but it is not easy. Small thoughts keep pop ping up. The lumps o f fog clear away to the sides a nd I can s en se the surface o f the pure astral. It is sm ooth, den se, a n d gray. I thin k o f extend ing m y se ns es into it, bu t in doing so, I invoke thoughts, which bring b ack the fog o f illusion. Learning n ot to think is going to take a lot o f practice. My bo dy calls m e b ack as it w ake s up. The floating sensation ceases.
W h a t c ou ld b e h i d in g b e h i n d t h e s m o o t h , g r a y s u r f a c e o f t h e m in dI s it simply a f eeling of exis ting, or is ther e ano ther set of wor lds con t a in e d w i th in t h e p e r c e p t i o n o f a s u p e r - m i n d ? A r e t h e y u n t o u c h a b le b) our cr eative power s, or at least untouchable by tho ught, as we know t h o u g h t? I h e r e a r e p l e n t y o f u n k n o w n s t o e x p l o r e in t h i s a r e a . T h e g o° 276
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Tlie W or lds Beyond
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th in g is, w e d o n o l h a v e t o s p e n d h a i r a d a y p r e p a r i n g a s t r a l p r o je c ti o n in o r d e r t o d o i t. A ll w e h a v e t o d o i s c e a s e t h i n k i n g f o r a m i n u t e .
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3. M o v e y o u r a t t e n t i o n t o y o u r h e a d . D o n o t m o v e i t t o t h e c h e s t. T he c h e s t p r o d u c e s t h o u g h t s i n t h e f o r m o f i m a g e s. T h e h e a d p r o d u c e s “v e rb a l" t h o u g h t s . V e rb a l t h o u g h t s a r e e a s i e r t o s t o p t h a n im a g es , a t l e a st f o r m e . 4 . C o m m a n d : Rationality: Off! 5 . C o m m a n d : Internal dialogue: Off! 6 . C r o ss y o u r e y e s a n d l o o k u p s lig h t ly . T h is is a d i v e r s i o n f o r th e m in d .
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7. S t o p t h e t h i n k i n g p r o c e s s . S i m p l y d e c i d e n o t t o u s e it. D o n o r t ry t o q u i e t t h e t h o u g h t s ; i n s t e a d s t o p y o u r w h o l e t h i n k i n g m a c h in e r y a lt o g e th e r . T h o u g h t s d o n o t p o p i n t o y o u r h e a d b y s o m e i n e x p lic ab le m a g i c —you c r e a t e t h e m . Y o u h a v e c r e a t e d e v e r y th o u g h t y o u h a v e e v er h a d . A n d i f y o u c a n c r e a t e th e m , y o u c a n r e fu s e t o c r e a te th e m f o r a minute. 8 . S i t i n a t h o u g h t le s s v o i d f o r s e v e ra l s e c o n d s . I f t h e t h i n k i n g p r o ce ss
r e su m e s , s t o p i t a g a i n . 9 . D o n o t l o o k f o r a n y t h in g . J u s t e n j o y t h e p e ac e. 10 . A t s o m e p o i n t , y o u w il l fe ll a sl e e p . 11- Ifyou wake u p in th e n ight, co ntinu e stopp ing the tho ugh t process.
12. In th e m o r n i n g w h e n y o u w a k e u p , b e f o r e d o i n g a n y t h i n g ( d o n o r e v e n t r y t o f ig u r e o u t w h e r e y o u a r e ), s t o p i t a g a i n f o r s ev e ra l m i n u t e s . T h e r e a r e a lw a y s f e w e r t h o u g h t s j u s t a f t e r w a k i n g u p . s o th i s s h o u l d h a v e s o m e e x c i t in g r e su l ts .
bu,il
w h 'y ,k e i ^
I n t h e e x e r c i s e a b o v e , d i d y o u m a n a g e t o s t o p y o u r t h o u g h t s s o th a t ,-ffl
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y o u c o u l d b r e a k t h r o u g h t h e p h y s ic a l w o r l d a n d s e n s e w h a t is b e y on d i t? H ' y o u d i d n o t , I h a v e a n e v e n b e t t e r id e a . E v e r y t h i n g h a p p e n s f a st e r when we are outside this particular physical world. For that reason, it
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A stra l Projection a n d rh e N atu re o f Reality
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m i g h t b e e a s i e r a n d m o r e e f f e c tiv e t o c e a s e t h e t h i n k i n g p r o c e s s w h i le p r o j e c t i n g i n t o a n o t h e r a s t r a l w o r l d , a s i n t h e n e x t e x e r c i s e .
Exercise: Sto p the O th er W o r ld 1. Project into the astral. 2. Relax y o u r mind. 3. Sir down and m editate upon rhe cen ter o f yo ur chest for half a minute, ro stabilize the projection. 4. Comm and: Ra tio na lit y: Off! 5. Command: In tern al dialogue: Off!
Ifo
tosleep- >
6 . Cro ssy ou r eyes.
7. Stop the thinking process. Simply decide not to use it. Do not try to shush the thoughts; instead s top yo ur w hole thinking m achinery alto gether. S. Sit in a thoughtless void for several seconds. If the thinking process resumes, stop it again. 9. Do no t look for anything. Ju st en joy th e peace.
in$between d
Ascension The buzz in New Age circles for the last 30 years has been ascen s io n . In s h o r t , o n e b y o n e o r a ll a t o n c e , E a r t h a n d h e r i n h a b i ta n t s will r a is e th e i r e n e r g y f r e q u e n c i e s f r o m t h e t h i r d d i m e n s i o n ( t h e ph ys ic al) to t h e f o u rt h ( o r fi ft h , d e p e n d i n g o n w h e t h e r y o u c o u n t t im e a s a dimen sion) . I have no t e xp lor ed this suf f icien tly in n on ph ys ical r ealm s, so I will r e f ra i n f ro m s p e c u l a ti n g o n i t t o o m u c h h e r e . I n a n y c a s e , i t s e e m s to me t h a t th e d e s t i n a t i o n is a l i tt le c l o s e r t o o u r u n l i m i t e d p o t e n t i a l . T he event will unlock m uch o f ou r m ind s a n d give us o u r p ow er back, if we are r eady f or it .
Tuesday, Oc tobe r 15, 2 0 0 2 Seeing the Othe r W orld I am c onvince d n ow that th e hum ans ar e a sc en din g fro m th e third dimension to the fifth dimension. Don Juan from Carlos Castaneda's books seems to spend his
278
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:
The W orlds Beyond
v
1by ° lher names 1am doinS what he laid Carlos hallway there. eoen ^ he ca,ls 1 Castaneda lo do: crossing my e yes in order lo s lop the world a nd leaving it to the sub-
% r/(j
conscious
to figure things ou t instead o f conscio usly analyzing.
Aft er just
two days, I can see things out o f the ordinary. I se rve Barb ice cream and
the cat is desperately trying to get to Barb's bowl. He is unusually unruly tonight, it
"ter 0f yoUr,
seems. As I walk arou nd t he TV set t o m y s ide o f the bed, I see the cat running toward me on the bed. I see him in full detail for two seconds. Suddenly, he disappears. I assume he has ju m pe d o ff the b ed or b eh in d the TV. Then I see him sitting at the side of the bed, calmly watching Barb as s he eats her ice cream. I ask Barb if he has m oved within the last minu te an d s he says no. What I saw was the cat, bu t not in this world. I go to sleep. The cat w akes m e up. H e is sitting next to my h ead in bed. I am in the
'norfouseitDoHci^
hypnopompic state. I can feel the cat show ing m e aro und in the fourth dimension, the
wmnkiiijmacfci^^
destination o f our ascension, an d telling m e what it is like to live there. I fall asleep and the cat wakes me up man y times. Each time, I fin d m ys elf being shown around by the
n d s . I f the tfiinlinjpo
cat in the fifth dim ension . I susp ect the cat is a po we r animal that is capable o f travel ing between dim ensions . He is here to sh ow Barb an d m e a fe w things that are in store for humankind. The next day, Barb sees a black scarab running across the floor. Then it disap pears. A fe w days later, I see th e cat jumping at something on the wall. He is playing. I wonder what he is jum ping at, bec ause the wall is sm ooth and white. The next time I look over at him, I see a black speck on the wall. I can’t believe my eyes. In that moment of disbelief, the s pe ck disappears.
■JO ye ar s. h a st""®"!j
T h e d e s t i n a t i o n o f a s c e n s i o n c o u l d , o f c o u r s e , b e j u s t a n o t h e r a s tr a l world, like the physical but with fewer limitations. Perhaps we are
p on
I
»Ji*'*
already underwa y c reating this nex t world through o ur thoughts, ju st by wondering w ha t it will be like. By the ways of the astral, just the expec tation of ascending to another world will actually create that other world and move us there. Most likely, we are copying some characteristics of the old world into it, because that is how we think a world should look. Hopefully, we will avoid copying too m any o f the physical limitations. T h e d e s t i n a t io n c o u l d a l s o b e t h e p u r e a st ra l , w h e r e th e
r e a l w o r ld
is- T h i s w o u l d m e a n t h e e n d o f p h y s i c a l b e au ty . N o m o r e b l u e s k ie s v i e w e d t h r o u g h l im i te d e y e s . T h i s b r i n g s u s to th e n e xt q u e s t io n : W h y w o u l d w e w a n t t o a s c e n d ? A f t e r a ll, u n l e s s w e w a s t e l ife b y b e i n g to o b u s y, lif e i s q u i te n i ce . S o w h y l e a v e i t ? W e n e e d t o c h e c k o u r m o t i v e s
Astra l Projec tion a n d rh e N a tu re o f R eality
here. If we want to leave bec ause life is too ha rd , th en we have m issed the point o f being alive, which is to en joy life in its simp licity, know ing that life, both h ard a nd easy, is w hatev er we m ake o f it. We cr eated the physical wor l d f or a r eason: to expe r ience the b ea uty o f o u r c re a tio n fro m a first-p e rso n p e rs p e c tiv e . Is t h a t re a s o n no longer valid? Have we experienced all the beauty we came to experi ence? Have we outgrown ou r cu r r e n t r eality? I f so, the n ascension should be the next step. Ther e is no point in stayi ng her e when ther e is so m uch beauty to discover elsewher e.
Tlif‘
Ramtha ascended because he wanted to be free like the wind. Ram tha discover ed th at he was m or e th an a physical being. W ith that, he was no longer engulfed in the physical and so the physical held little interest for him. I can imagine that physical life is quite boring when you know you can do so much m or e. W hy live on a tiny pla ne t wh en you cr e ated the whole galaxy? Ramtha left by raising the energy frequency of his body. A r e w e t h e r e y e t ? D o w e h a v e t h e s a m e u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f o u rs elv es that Ramtha had? Do we accept the idea that we are vast nonphysical
M in g bu t O p i i
b ein gs? W it h th e e x c e p tio n o f a h a n d fu l o f e n li g h te n e d o n e s, n o t by a lo ng shot. But slowly we will get ther e. Per son by per son, we will wake
fcaee physical real
up to our larger selves. The wake-up call has been spreading across
®«within oursplves), t
humanity f or dec ades. As pa r t of the w ake- up call, a str a l p r ojection gives us p e rs o n a l p ro o f t h a t w e a r e m u c h l a r g e r t h a n w e t h o u g h t w e w e r e.
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280
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The Nature o f Reality--
N oth ing b u t O p in io n s Because physical reality is a highly subjective environment (we cre ate it within ourselves), we find it difficult to communicate our percep tions to each other. In fact, no one can tell another what the world is e were-
like, f or th e w or ld dif f er s f r o m on e ind ividual to an oth er . All we have ar e o u r o w n c r e a t i o n s , n o n e l ik e t h o s e o f o t h e r s . In s p i te o f t h is , m o r e th a n a few a t t e m p t t o f o r c e t h e i r w o r ld v i e w u p o n o t h e r s . P r e a c h e r s ha ve b een d o in g it fo r m ille n n ia , p o litic ia n s h a v e b e e n d o ing it for d e c ad e s, a n d I h a ve b e e n d o i n g i t t h r o u g h o u t t h i s b o o k . Religion, intellect, science , lite r atu r e, e xp er tise, author ity, the job m a r k et , g r a v it y —a ll o f t h e s e a r e m e r e l y o p i n i o n s . They rise and fall by the ideas of peo ple. T he good thing about, opinions is t hat we do not have to e m b r a c e t h e m u n l e s s w e w a n t to . W e h av e t h e c h o ic e to r e j e c t th e m . And we should r eje ct m any o f the m . W e should be ver y picky when it comes to opinions, for the moment we accept them, they turn into belie fs, w hic h in tu r n g o v e rn o u r reali ty . N othin g is n a il e d do w n , ab so lu te ly noth in g . T h e re a re no c o n sta n t Qualities of nature, no absolute laws, no forever facts. There is no path
Astra! P rojection a n d th e N atu re o f R eality o f s c i e n t if i c o r s p i r i t u a l d i s c o v e r y l e a d i n g u p t o t h e f i n a l r e v e l a t i o n o f
n a t u re . T h e r e i s o n l y t h e n e v e r - e n d i n g p a t h t h a t w e c r e a t e a s w e g o a lo n g. N o t r u t h r e m a i n s a t r u t h i n d e f i n i te l y a n d n o h i g h e r t r u t h e x is ts t ha t i s n o t c o n s t r u c t e d b y u s . W e liv e in a f l u i d w o r l d t h a t c h a n g e s a t o u r own whim. R e a li ty c h a n g e s at y o u r c o m m a n d . Y o u c a n
change a nything you
w a n t. A s q u i c k l y a s y o u t h i n k a t h o u g h t , y o u r r e a l i t y c h a n g e s . B y u s i n g t h is u n d e r st a n d i n g , y o u c a n m a k e r e a li ty p r o g r e s s in w h a t e v e r d i re c t io n y o u w a n t. L if e is y o u r s t o d o w i th w h a t y o u d e s i r e .
Exercise: M an ifesta tion 1. Close y o u r eyes. 2. Picture in y ou r m ind so m ething th at you w ant (money, a nice car or home, psychic abilities, understanding, skills, happiness, etc.). 3. W rite down th at thin g on a piece o f paper. 4. Visualize what it would be like to have it. Be as precise and detailed as possible. M o st im porta ntl y, visua lize th e e m o ti on s evo ke d by ha ving it. 5. M ake a note o n you r calendar. In on e y ea r’s tim e, look a t the note. You may ju st find th at you have th at thing yo u desired.
R e ality Is W h a t Y ou M a k e o f It Tuesday, Jun e 2H, 20 0 3 Sleep Paralysis At abou t 10 a.m., I am reading W hitle y Strieber’s Confirmation* wh en I start drift ing back to sleep. Before I fully fall asleep, I haue a thou gh t that startles m e back to a waking state. I can’t rem em ber th e con tents o f the thoug ht. However, I notice that my chest and arms are rend ered im mo bile by s lee p paralysis. I thin k “Hey, I bet I can Reiki myself really well now. There will be no tensio n in the arms to obs truct the energy flow because of the paralysis, and there will be no doub ting th oughts beca use o f my dazed mind.”
""a*
After a few minutes o f Reiki, I fall b ac k t o sleep. I dream I am in a stadium . I am 12 years old. A group o f kids, m e included, are playing s om e sport. There are aliens
S
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" " S
The Na ture of Reality
i
% X
y «nd
,
here, but we can’t see th em . Our m inds pe rceiv e th eir presen ce as gray rats. The fear of what the rats could b e (aliens) m ake s m e hysterical, as it doe s the othe r kids. In the locker room, we try to get rid o f the rats, but the y are hiding. I am getting mo re hysteri
oil
cal, almost panicking. I dec ide I m us t ivake up. I se ek the waking sta te of consciousness ,
the way an eel swims to t he oce an surface. I come to in m y b ed . The s le ep p aralysis is n ow in full bloom . Suddenly, the door opens and som eon e w alks in to th e room. It mu st b e Barb. At least, I think it is Barb. She must be hom e early fro m work. I hav e to ch eck that it really is Barb, to make sure one
1 desire,
of those aliens did no t follow m e h ere from the dream. I try to turn m y head but am prevented by th e sleep paralysis. I he ar foots te ps, like w et plastic soles rubbing against linoleum. The person, whoever it is, walks up to the left side of the bed and stops. It seems the person is standin g next to the b ed, staring at me, b ut m y head is turned the other way, so I can’t se e it. w a n t (money, a nice c
m
The uncertainty gets to me. I have to know who is there! With extreme effort, I break free from the sle ep paralysis a nd force fully turn my h ead to the left. There is
lls. happiness, etc.).
nobody there. The bed is perfectly normal, as is the wall, and there is not a person in e a s pr ecise and detaileda s
sight. This is too weird. I decid e to get ou t o f b ed an d flee the room, preferably scream
m o r io n s evoked by Having
ing in terror. I try to roll out o f the bed on m y right side b ut am sho t back to a lying posi tion as if attached to a rubber ba nd. Som ething is holding m e to the bed. I try
time, look <
* ■ *
you d e s ^
repeatedly to escape to n o avail. I realize no w that I am in a d azed kind o f state, on e o f those states that are espe cially beneficial fo r astral projection. I get a weird idea: If I can't see the person with my physical eyes, may be I can see he r w ith my astral eyes. I roll again, bu t this time with the intention o f rolling out o f m y body. Sam e results: I am shot back into the bed. Is there no escape from this person? Then I realize, as I did a few minutes ago, that I must wake up again. I struggle to arouse my awareness in t he direction o f the physical. After
some time, I successfully wake up in the bed. A s m y m in d le av es t he sl e ep state, the i nvi si ble pe rso n p uts a t houg ht in m y head: Reality is w hat yo u m ak e it, not wh at yo u p erce ive to b e true.” I t hink that is a great point o f view. It ho ld s a d o e r’s attitude. I h av e to re m em be r that. But the pe rs on is no t
L "
content with that: “Put it in yo ur bo ok! ” The thought ec hoe s throu gh m y mind. Put it in my b o o k ? Then, finally, I realize the import anc e o f the thought. It is the conclu sion o f
' i t * 1* It*
the wh ole boo k. That simple statem ent des crib es the nature o f reality. R e a l it y is w h a t y o u m a k e i t s a y s t h a t lif e in g e n e r a l a n d t h e e n v i r o n
m e n t t h a t s u r r o u n d s y o u a r e o f y o u r o w n c r ea t io n . T h i s i s tr u e f o r all
Ast ra l Pr ojectio n a n d the N atu re o f R eali ty d i m e n s io n s . O n a p h y s ic a l le ve l, i f y o u m o v e t h e p e n o n y o u r d e s k f r o m o n e p l a c e t o a n o t h e r , y o u h a v e c h a n g e d y o u r r e a li ty . O n a h i g h e r le ve l, y o u a r e n o t m o v i n g p e n s , b u t life s i tu a t i o n s a n d e v e n t h e l o o k a n d f eel o f life. A l l s it u a t i o n s w e g e t o u r s e l v e s i n t o a r e o f o u r o w n m a k i n g . T h i s
, o f e*
c a n b e d if fi cu lt to a c c ep t , a s w e s o m e t i m e s f i n d o u r s e l v e s in h a r m f u l o r t r a u m a t i c si tu a t io n s . B u t o n a h i g h e r le v el, w e m a y a p p r e c i a t e t h o s e s it u a t io n s a s th e g r e a t t o o l s fo r g r o w t h t h e y a r e .
Of course, we do no t have to create such situations. The entity cre ating them is still you, although it may be inaccessible from your waking p hysic al f ra m e o f m in d . But no m a t t e r w h a t fra m e o f m in d you a r e in , if
ieber|S
^ > " 1
y o u d o n o t wan t a situ atio n , y o u will n o t h av e it. I th in k th e b est lesso n h e r e i s t h e u n d e r s t a n d i n g t h a t y o u c a n d o a n y t h i n g i f y o u p u t y o u r m in d to it an d g et y o u r emo tio n s in v o l v ed . W e a ls o c h o o s e h o w w e w a n t t o i n t e r a c t w i th w h a t w e h a v e c re a t e d . W e d o n o t n e c e s s a r il y h a v e to u s e o u r a r m s , l e g s, e y e s , e a r s , e t c . T h ey a r e ju s t so m e t h in g w e h a v e c r e a t e d f o r o u r s e l v e s . W e m i g h t w a n t t o use
minuies.
jii #'
o u r m i n d to d i re c tl y i n t e r a c t w i th o u r c r e a t i o n , o r p e r h a p s i n v e n t a new to o l fo r in teractio n . N o t w h a t y o u p e r c e iv e to b e t r u e m e a n s t h a t w h e t h e r w e p erc eiv e
s o m e t h i n g to b e t r u e o r fa l s e h a s n o b e a r i n g o n h o w r e a l i t is . E v er y th i n g is p a r t o f r e a li ty , b e c a u s e y o u p u t i t t h e r e . Y ou c a n ’t c r e a t e s o m e t h in g , claim i t is false, an d d en y its p art in reality . No th in g u n real ex ists. Th e c o r e o f t h e s t a t e m e n t is t h a t r e a l i ty i s n o t a n e x t e r n a l a g e n t th a t can e i t h e r b e tr u e o r f a ls e . I n s t e a d , r e a l i t y i s a n i n t e r n a l p a r t o f y o u , b e c au s e it springs from your own mind. I know from experience that messages like this never come alone. They are always accompanied by practical examples. Good teachers know that a theory will not be accepted or appreciated unless exempli f ie d by p e r s o n a l e x p e r i e n c e ( w e f ir s t c o u n t o r a n g e s a n d a p p l e s in ste a d of numbers in school because we have personal experience with oranges an d ap p les). Sk ill ed g u id es, lik ewise, o ffer u s th e p racti cal ex amp les first, and then the message is presented as a conclusion so that we stu dents can experience the examples uncolored by the conclusion. This
N > C >
also allows students an opportunity to draw the intended conclusion f ro m t h e e x a m p l e s b y t h e m s e l v e s , w h i c h i s a m u c h b e t t e r m e t h o d for learn in g . Usu ally , I d o n ’t d raw t h e in ten d ed co n clu s io n s. Th e m ajo rity o f 284
"V.X,
The Nature of Reality % e„
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dreams and astral experiences leave me puzzled as to what their mean•
might be. But the m ea nin g is th e re , aw aiting delivery. In o r d e r t o s e e w h a t p r a c t i c a l e x a m p l e s h a v e b e e n p r o v i d e d , I ba c k
track through what happened during sleep. First. I woke up, or at least I thought I woke up , to fin d th a t I could n o t m ove. T ha t eve nt has an intense feeling of e x am p le to it: I c r e a t e d t h e e v e n t o f p a r a l y s i s . T h i s rings a b e ll. T h e c o n c e p t o f s e l f - c r e a t e d p a r a l y s i s r e m i n d s m e o f s o m e thing I read in W hitley S tri e b e r’s B r e a k th r o u g h : T h e N e x t S te p . W h a t a
CeSS' ble f™ » ) * , ;
a m e o f »im d y0« m ili i t -1 t h in k the best Ikx, Ihing if you put yourmini
synchronicity th at I rea d a n o th e r o f S tri e b e r’s boo ks b efo re I fell asleep. O r p e r ha p s S t r i e b e r is o n e o f t h o s e a u t h o r s w h o h a v e i t a ll . In s h o rt , w h a t h a p p e n s in t h i s p a r t i c u l a r p ar t, o f B re a k th ro u g h is tha t Strieber is invited by th e V isitors (his n am e for the gray aliens) to a cc om pa ny t h e m d u r i n g a c l a s s ic a l a l i e n a b d u c t i o n , f o r la c k o f b e t t e r
it h w h a t w e have created,
w ord. T he V i s it o rs a n d S t r i e b e r c r u i s e d o w n t o h i s f ri e n d D o r a ’s ho u s e ,
egs, eyes, ears, etc. Hie) es. W e m ight want to use o r p er h a p s invent a ne»
which is abo ut seven s ta te s from w he re S trieb er is picked up. The trip ta ke s m e r e m i n u t e s . W h e t h e r t h e y t r a v e l i n p h y si c a l o r n o n p h y s i c a l f orm remains unclear, but what is clear is that Strieber is in an altered state of mind. His job , ap pa ren tly, is to k eep D ora in he r bed while D ora ’s
tat
w hether we pa »*
daughter’s “spine w as be ing stiffene d, as if it was be ing adjusted to pro vide her w ith a stren gth an d de term ina tion she would ne ed all he r life.”2j W h a t h a p p e n s in D o r a ’s b e d r o o m r e s e m b l e s t h e p r a c ti c a l e x a m p le that was provided to me. Dora wakes up as her daughter, who is in
s
rthii
f
e
a n o th e r b e d r o o m , s c r e a m s i n h o r r o r f ro m t h e V i s it o r p r e s e n c e . S t r ie b e r says: “Th en a sc rea m cam e—a ho rrible shriek . It w ent throu gh m e like a
ext.
bur ning arr ow . D o r a ’s ey es fle w o p e n , s h e lu rc h e d up, sta rin g rig ht at
rnal &
I never
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b u t h e r eyes w e re s tr a n g e a n d d a rk a nd I knew im m e dia te ly th a t they were seeing only into the world of nightmare. She struggled, but something prevented her from rising. She would lunge forward, then stop as if she w as slam m ing into a glass wall. It lo o ked lik e sh e w as do ing lhis to herself, in an o dd wa y holding h er se lf back [emphasis mine]. But I also felt somehow responsible. Very responsible. I was holding her down somehow .”20 W a s S t r ie b e r h o ld i n g h e r d o w n o r w a s D o r a h o ld in g h e r se l f d o w n ? Perhaps the suggestion to be held down was provided by Strieber, but t he ult im a t e d e c is io n to b e h el d d o w n w a s D o r a ’s ? W h y w o u ld o n e m a k e a d e c i s io n t o b e h e ld d o w n ? O n e w o u l d s u r e l y n o t m a k e it i n a w a k i n g
Astra l Projectio n a n d th e N atu re o f Reality
subi'01
„
p h y s ic a l s ta t e o f m in d , b u t p e r h a p s i t w o u l d s e e m l ik e t h e c o r r e c t th i n g to d o i n a m o r e i n f o rm e d s t a te o f m in d . S t r i e b e r e ve n m e n t i o n s t ha t D o r a ’s e y e s w e r e “s e e i n g o n l y i n t o t h e w o r l d o f n i g h t m a r e , ” w h i c h c o u ld m e a n t h a t s h e w a s t u n e d i n to a n o n p h y s i c a l s t a t e t h a t a l lo w e d h e r to s ee t h e b e n e fit o f n o t i n t e r fe r i n g w i th t h e V i s i t o r s ’ w o r k .
I have a feeling Dora’s daughter was given a wonderful gift by the
1
ran <
villi'5'
Visitors and, in an informed state of m ind, Dora knew b ette r than to take that gift away from he r daug hter. Th at would be a good argum ent for cre ating a paralysis tha t would re stric t h er physical body to th e b ed. Likewise,
j the
I created a sleep paralysis to ens ure I would pay a ttention to the message relayed to m e in the previous jou rna l ex cerpt. O f course, afte r the return to a waking physical state of m ind, D ora would assum e, a s would anyone of us, that the paralysis was forced up on h er by an extern al agent. I f t h e s t a te m e n t R e a lity is w h a t y o u m a k e it is correct, a conclusion mu st b e th at we su b co n scio u sly access th e in fo rmed state in o rd er to co n tin u o usly crea te o u r realities. B u t if we cre ate o u r realities sub con sciously, we can probably turn this creation into a conscious action, or at least have some conscious say in the subconscious process. However, b efo re we do, we n e e d to a ch ie v e a n in fo rm e d s ta t e o f m in d, or we wo uld n o t k n o w wh ich is th e o p tim al reality to cre ate . B u t h o w d o es one access su ch an in fo rmed stat e o f min d ? Th e su b co n sc io u s accesses it all
"taller‘ yo u w a k e u
th e tim e, so wh y sh o u ld w e n o t b e ab le to d o t h at co n scio u sly ? O n e way
lie same
to do it could be to stop the world, as in the exercises described earlier.
iiwionb,
Astral p ro jectio n mig h t p ro v id e a g o o d o p p o rtu n ity to reach th at state
fcniliere
o f m in d by co n scio u s in ten t, b u t I d o n o t d o u b t th er e are o th er way s. All we have to do is to be willing to work on ourselves and, most impor tan tly , to wo rk th ro u g h o u r min d s. Ev en if we can ’t y et co n tro l a su b co n scio u s p ro c ess su ch as th e cre ation o f ou r realities, we can influe nc e it. T he subco nscious is not a
Suj H > i
clearly sep ara ted p art o f u s. It h as m an y c o n n ectio n s to th e conscio us mind by which we can consciously affect it. For example, before the d ream, I read ab o u t Visito rs, o r a l i e n s , if yo u will. T his w as a conscious actio n . Th e su b co n scio u s was in flu en ced in a w ay th at m ad e it create a dream containing aliens. Th is is ju st on e of ma ny ways we can influence t h e s u b c o n s c i o u s in i ts c r e a t i o n o f r e a li ty , f o r t h e d r e a m b e c a m e m y « al'
ity, if only for an hour.
V l\ > :C ,a N" *
The Nature of Reality 'he. The subconscious may also be influenced through hypnosis, visuali zatio n , affirmatio n , an d d ay d reamin g . Th ere mig h t b e o th er, mo re direct, approaches to influence it. Perhaps we can even develop techni cal tools to access our subconscious. The Visitors in Strieber’s books seem to p o ssess th at k in d o f tech n o lo g y . Th ey accessed D o ra's su b co n scious, so why can't we access ours?
r
s * c as
d pay attention
‘" ‘“ them,
pi. o r
, C0Urs^ f , e rltJ 0UM assume llle’ asa,woulduam®,* b y an ex tern al agent.
Exercise: Reality Is—Affirmations 1. R e co rd t h e a f f ir m a t i o n : “ R e a lity is w h a t y o u m a k e o f it .” 2 . L is te n to t h e a f f i r m a t i o n in t h e b a c k g r o u n d f o r s ix d a y s.
5 * e j f IS c o r r e c t , a condisi®
5 in fo rm e d sta te in order n
Before I created the paralysis for myself, I created the event in
1 create our realities sub®
which I woke u p, altho ug h it w as n ot to a wak ing physical state of mind.
i into a conscious action, or
Wakin g u p b ec am e m y reality . W h a t reaso n wo u ld th e re b e fo r me to
c o n s c io u s process. However.
wak e u p o th er th a n t h at I cre ated it? W ak in g up d o es n o t ju st h ap p en;
rm e d state of mind,or" t o c r e a t e . B ut h o w * w «
it is cre ated . N ot by the physical body or a force of na ture , bu t by m e.
h i
su bc on scio us access®
An d wh en y o u wak e u p in th e mo rn in g , th at wak in g u p is y o u r doing. Whether you wake up in your physical bedroom or in an astral replica of th e same is irrelev a n t. T h e two b ed ro o m s a re b o th y o u r creatio n , an d th at creatio n b eco m es y o u r reality . Then th ere w as the even t of audible footsteps. Th at was spooky, but
E r .- < jt then' u r s e l vpS
a r e o» and,
educational. There is no reason there would be footsteps in my bed roo m, o th er th an th a t I p u t th em th ere . Ev en if th ere h ad b een a p erso n accompanying the footsteps, tha t pe rson would be of my creation. The pers on m ay o rig in a te fro m it s own conscio usness , b u t th at does not m at
=Ud>"s
til n«'
ter. W he the r he is a conscious perso n or a figment of my imagination, in order for him to exist in my reality, I have to create him inside my own mind. W i t h t h e s im p l e s ta t e m e n t , R e a l i t y is w h a t y o u m a k e it, c o m e s f r e e
r:;; f
^ -This*'8 acf "1 ...
d o m o f c h o i c e : I f I c h o o s e t o h a v e s o m e t h i n g i n m y w o r ld , I c r e a t e it. I f 1 c h o o s e n o t t o h a v e it, I r e f r a i n f r o m c r e a t i n g i t. W e a ll h a v e t h is f re e d o m . R e a l it y c a n b e w h a t e v e r w e w a n t it t o be . A l l th a t i s r e q u i r e d i s
*3> Ay , i ' e
vv
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t h a t w e k n o w w h a t k i n d o f r e a li ty w e w i s h t o c re a te . I n t ha t fr ee d o m ,
287
we have the power to change our worlds. It is up to us what we want to do with this power. This could be the end to suffering, something that has been our companion for far too many millennia. We only have suf fering becau se we choo se to cre ate it. Now it is tim e to choo se to fill our realities instead with beautiful things, breathtaking colors, and radiant feelings. Let us here and now decide to have only the best in our lives. L et us t u r n t h e w a r m t h o f o u r t h o u g h t s i n t o t h e b r i g h t n e s s o f o u r w o rld Let us comm it to the lau gh ter and friendship o f the future.
Further Exploration
T he go al o f t h i s b o o k w a s t o p r o v i d e y o u w i th t h e t o o ls ( a s t r a l p r o jection te c h n iq u e s ) n e e d e d to e x p lo r e o t h e r d im e n s io n s . T h is b o o k w as ne ve r i n t e n d e d t o p r e s e n t p a c k a g e d d i s c o v e r ie s r e a d y f o r d i g es ti on , altho ug h i t w a s n e c e s s a r y a t t i m e s t o p r e s e n t s o m e o f m y o w n e x p e r i e nc es in o r d e r t o w i d e n y o u r n o t i o n o f p o s s i b i l i ti e s . I w o u l d b e a f oo l t o a tt em p t to c o n v e r t a n y o n e t o m y b e l i e f s y s t e m . I n s t e a d , I c h o o s e to p r o vide t h e t o o l s f o r e x p l o r a t i o n a n d e n c o u r a g e y o u t o f o rm y o u r o w n v iew °f the world. In the late nineteenth century, many scientists were depressed because o f th e “f a c t” t h a t t h e c u r r e n t s c ie n tif ic c o m m u n ity h a d a lre a d y discovered all there was to discover. Now, more than one century and a few thousand discoveries later, we chuckle at how naive we were back t h e n . B u t s ti ll w e h o l d t h e s a m e b e li e f: W e t h i n k w'e h av e a g o o d g r i p o n h ow m o s t th i n g s w o r k . W e d o n o t . W e a r e j u s t a f r a id o f how small we would feel if we w ere to ad m it how little we really know. Creation is packed w ith unkn ow ns. A discovery is no t ju st th e revela tion of a habit of our na ture , bu t also the revelation of a hund red other questions awaiting answers. We should never assume that there is nothing
Astra l Projectio n and the N atu re o f Rea lity left to d i sc o v e r. W h e n w e h a v e d i s c o v e r e d t h e m e a n i n g o f life , w e w ill
h a v e ye t to d i s c o v e r t h e m e a n i n g o f t h e m e a n i n g o f life . O u r j o u r n e y o f exploration is never-ending.
Horizons to Explore I would like to give a few last hints on what to explore. These are que stions I have been asking m yself for a long tim e but have not had the time to exp lore m yself. If you find the se q ue stion s intriguing, then embark upon your own expedition to find your own answers. • Explore your being outside physical life. • Explore the pure astral by ceasing all thoughts. • Visit astral worlds created by other beings. • Visit friends currently not incarnated. • Visit other nonphysical civilizations. • Visit physical beings on distant planets. • Visit yo urself in a prev ious lifetime. • Investigate the reincarnation process.
Exploration Procedure It always helps if the exploration process is somewhat structured. T h e f oll ow in g s e t o f s t e p s is a g o o d f r a m e w o r k f r o m w h i c h y ou c a n form your personalized exploration process.
Exercise: Exploration 1. W rite down a que stion you w an t answe red. Your nonph ysical friends will oblige you by preparing an astral experience for you. With their help, you will set up astral energies, objects, and people to interact with. 2. The evening before yo u r next astral projection, read the note, so that you will remem ber yo ur mission. 3. When you astral project, enjoy the experience.
Further Exploration
8 o f li fe
X !
4 W h en y o u re t u r n t o t h e b o d y , p o n d e r h o w t h e a s t ra l e x p e rie n c e relates
t o y o u r q u e s ti o n .
5. A lso, p o n d e r h o w y o u a n d y o u r n o n p h y s i c a l f ri e n d s s e t u p t h e e x p e r ie nc e. In m y ca s e , t h e y u s u a l l y p r o v i d e a s e r i e s o f l e s so n s . E a c h le s s o n c o m p r is e s a s e r ie s o f p r a c t ic a l e x a m p l e s . A t th e e n d o f e a c h le s so n , I tie t o g e th e r t h e e x a m p l e s b y d r a w i n g a c o n c l u s i o n o r h a v in g a n in sig h t. O n c e a c o n c l u s io n h a s b e e n m a d e , t h e n e x t le s so n b e g in s . T ak en to g e th e r , th e l e s so n s p r o v i d e t h e a n s w e r to m y q u e s t io n .
Rem ember, astra l p roje ctio n is only a tool. It is no t the goal. You can use this tool in your q u es t f or w h at is im p o r tan t to you. And only you can decide what that is.
valfri •
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A p p en d ix
Astral Troubleshooter
This chart is provided as a quick reference for overcoming obstacles commonly encountered by astral projectors before the exit, during the exit, a n d i n t h e a s t r a l r e a l m . F o r e a c h o b s t a c l e , s e v e r a l p o s s i b l e s o l u tions a r e su g g e s t e d . F o r e x a m p l e , i f y o u a r e l o s in g t h e o u t -o f -b o d y s t a t e , to r eg ain it y ou m a y r o ll , m e d i t a t e , o r m o v e y o u r c e n t e r o f t h o u g h t . Problem
Solution
Body aches
Stretch muscles. B e n d e l b o w s b y p u t t in g h a n d s o n h ip s . R e l ie v e p r e s s u r e a g a i n s t m a t t r e s s b y e l e v a tin g f ee t w i t h a pillow. T r y a d i ff e re n t b o d y p o s it io n .
Noise
Use earplugs.
Bed shaking
Use the motion to intensify your visualization. Visualize being in a shakin g lo ca tion, e.g ., on a ship or a volcano , o r inside a giant milkshake.
293
Astra l Projection a n d the Natu re o f Re ality I tc h
O b s e r v e t h e s t ar t , m i d d l e , a n d e n d o f t h e i tc h . A s y o u obs erve the end, the itch will go away. Scratch. It takes m ore effort to ignore th an to scratch and get back into the same state.
C a n ' t r e la x
Visualize floating dow nw ard. Focus on your breathing. Take long exhales. L e t y o u r m i n d w a n d e r.
Mind in turmoil Postpone th e astral pro jection se ssion and w elcome the turmoil. Experience it. Heal it once and for all. Decide to deal with all problems tomorrow. They can wait until you wake up in the morning. Can’t fall asleep Let your mind wander. Forget the body. Can’t m aintain
Incre ase your motivation by increa sing the
desire to AP.
visualization
Visualize som ething fun o r intriguing. Go explore.
Sex drive
Remove drive before session by m asturbating,
takes over
Realize th a t the w hole un ivers e loves you, as the
motiva
tion for the sex drive often is a need for love. OBE vision is
C rea te an obje ct w ith you r m ind an d place it before you.
absent or blurred M editate on your third eye during OBE. C o m m a n d Clarity Now! Losing OBE state Roll. Sit down a nd m editate on th ird eye or c en ter of chest dur ing OBE. Move center of thought to chest, as the head often desta bi liz es th e s ta te . Can’t r
Expect to be there.
Endnotes
1. Deepak Chopra, B ody, M in d , a n d S o u l: T h e M y s te r y a n d th e Mag ic, video (Alexandria, Va.: PBS Home Video, 1995). 2. Steven Lee W einb erg , R a m th a (E astso un d, W ash.: Sovereignty, 1986.) 3. Henry K. B eech er, “The Pow erful Place bo,” Jo u rn a l o f the A m eric an M ed ica l A s s o c ia tio n 159: 1602, 1955. 4. J. Hall, C. Kim, B. McElroy, and A. Shimoni, “Wave-Packet Reduction as a M e d iu m o f C o m m u n i c a t i o n , ” F o u n d a t i o n s o f P h y s ic s 7: 759-767, 1977. 5. Hugh Ev erett, “Relative Sta te Form ulation of Q uantum M echanics," Rev ie w s o f M o d e r n P h y sic s 29: 454-462 (Everett’s Princeton Ph.D. thesis, 1957). 6 . R. Omnes, U n d e r s t a n d i n g Q u a n t u m M e c h a n i c s (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1999). Chapter 13 describes consistent histories. 7. W illiam Gam mill, T he Gathering: Me etings in Higher Space (Charlottesville, Va.: Hampton Roads, 2001), p. 72. 8 . Robert Perala, with Tony Stubbs, The Divine Blueprint (Campbell, Calif.: United Light Publishing, 1998), p. 73. 9- Bruce Moen, Voyages into the Unknown (Charlottesville, Va.: Hampton Roads, 1997), p. 155. 10. W einbe rg, R a m th a, p. 16. 11- Robert Pe terso n, Out-of-Body Experiences: How to Have Them and What to E xpect (Charlottesville, Va.: Hampton Roads, 1997), p. 216.
12. Louis de Broglie, R e s e a r c h e s on t he Q u a n t u m T h e o r y (Paris, France : Faculty of Sciences at Paris University, 1924). 13. Jane Roberts, Seth: D r e a m s a n d P ro je ct io n o f C o n s c io u s n e s s (Manhasset, N.Y.: New A w are ness N etw ork, 1998), p. 33 5.
Astral Projection a n d th e Nature o f Reality 14. Carlos Castaneda, T h e W h e e l o f T i m e (New York: Wash in gton Squ are Press. 2001), from front cover. 15. Roberts. Seth, p. 333. 16. Ken Keys, Ho w to Enjoy Your Life in Spite of It A ll (St. Mary, Ky.: Living Love Publications, 1980), p. 5. 17. Roberts, Seth. p. 327. 18. William Buhlman, A d v e n tu re s b e y o n d th e B od y: H o w to E x p e ri e n c e Outof Body Travel (N ew York: HarperSan Fran cisco, 1996), p. 172. 19. Rob ert Bruc e, A s t r a l D y n a m ic s : A N e w A p p r o a c h to O ut o f B ody E x p e r i e n c e s (Charlottesville, Va.: Hampton Roads, 1999), p. 44. 20. W aking Life, movie (Beverly Hills, Calif.: Fox Home Entertainment, 2001). 21. De fendin g Your Life, m ovie (Bu rban k. Cal if.: W arn er Stu dios, 19 91). 22. Weinberg, Ramtha, p. 19. 23. Carlos Castaneda, T a le s o f P o w e r (New York: Sim on & Sch u ster, 1974), n
22. 24. W hitley Strieber, C o n fi rm a t io n : T h e H a r d E v i d e n c e o f A l i e n s a m o n g U s ? (New York: St. M a rt in ’s Press, 1998). 25. W hitley Strieber, B r e a k t h r o u g h : Paperbacks, 1995), p. 47. 26. Ibid., p. 45.
The
Next
Step (New
York:
Harper
The reference ma that, I guarantee sterested in either a s trj C a s t a n e d a , Carlos. 1993. 7
• » * ' R o b e r t. 1 9 9 4 . Ulti •ild. James. 1993 "W
2%
Books.
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\
Additional Resources
E v id e n c e o f
N a t S te p (IfarUnH.
The refe ren ce m ateria l previously listed is well worth a read. On top of that, I gu ara nte e th at the following m aterial is riveting for anyone i n t e r e s te d i n e i t h e r a s t r a l p r o j e c t i o n o r t h e n a t u r e o f r ea lit y. Castaneda, Carlos. 1993. T h e A r t o f D r e a m i ng . New York: HarperCollins. M o n r o e , R o b e r t . 1 9 9 4 . U l t i m a t e J o u r n e y . N ew York: Doubleday. Redfield, James. 1993. T h e C e l e s t in e P r o p h e c y : A n A d v e n t ur e . New York: W a r n e r B o o k s. Strieber, Whitley. 1987. C o m m u n i o n : A T r ue S to ry . New York: Avon Books. '
■ 1 98 8 . T r a n s f o r m a t i o n : T h e B r e a k t h r o u g h . N e w Y o r k : A v o n B o o k s .
Talbot, Michael. 1991. T h e H o l o g r a p h i c U n i v e r s e . New York: HarperCollins. I a ls o h i g h l y r e c o m m e n d e d t h e f o l lo w i n g fi lm s . C o m m u n i o n . 1989. Los Angeles: New Line Hom e Entertainment. Lucky People Center International. 1997. Stockholm, Sweden: Lucky People
Center. Out on a Limb. 1986. Troy, Mich.: An ch or Bay Entertainment. W h at D r e a m s M a y C o m e . 1998. Beverly Hills, Calif.: Polygram Films.
297
About the Author
Joh n M agnus is a technical w riter, so ftware engi neer, interdimensional traveler, and musician. Since his birth in Halmstad, Sweden, in 1977, John had lived a quiet and dull life until one day ho discovered the
d i s c i p li n e o f a s t r a l p r o j e c t i o n . T h i s e v e n t
aroused a fierce desire to understand the out-of b o dy p h e n o m e n o n an d , in conju ncti on, to u n de r stand physical reality. T o w a r d t h i s go a l, J o h n h a s u n d e r t a k e n c o u n t le s s i n ve s ti ga t iv e e x p e d i t io n s i n t o t h e a s t r a l. H i s f i n d i n g s a r e p r e s e n t e d i n t h is
book.
Be cau se
of
th e
com m on ly
h a r d -t o - d ig e s t
n a t u re
o f t he
u n k n o w n , t h e b o o k i s d e s ig n e d t o g e nt ly g u id e r e a d e r s t o w a r d t h e i r o w n a s tr a l d i s c o v e r i e s , r a t h e r t h a n m e r e l y t o d is c l o s e h i s o w n o p i n io n s . I n o r d e r t o s p r e a d t h e k n o w l e d g e o f a s t r a l p r oj e c ti o n , J o h n g i v e s w o r k s h o p s o n r e l a t e d s u bj e ct s . T o m a k e r e s e r v a t i o n s o r to r e q u e s t m o r e i nf oi 'm a t i o n, p l e a s e v i si t J o h n M a g n u s ’s w e b s it e a t w w w . j o h n m a g n u s . c o m . J o h n ’s p h y s i c a l b o d y c u r r e n t l y r e s i d e s i n B o i s e , I d a h o , w i th h i s w if e Barbara (a crystal practitioner), Jazz the Dalmatian, and several cats.
H ving human sp'r f°r the evoivingTii
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Astr al D ynam ics A NEW Approach to Out-of-Body Experience R o b e r t B r u ce This encyclopedic out-of-body masterpiece gives you everything you need to understand the p r ac tic e a n d g o o u t ex p lo rin g on y o u r ow n. Astr al D y n a m ic s includes a practical “how-to” guide, trou b le sh o o tin g ad v ic e , a n d a fas cin ati ng th eo re tical per spective on astral travel.
Pap erba ck • 560 pa ge s • ISBN 1-5717 4-143-7- $18.95
Out-of-Body Exploring A Beginner's Approach P r e st o n D e n n e t t N o vic e, in te rm edia te , o r exper t— anyone in ter es ted in th e spiritual art of astral travel will benefit from Dennett’s 20 years of out-of-body traveling. Includ ing his initial forays into expanded conscious ness, he sh ares the m any techniques he experimented w ith’, and discus ses the people and sights he encoun,ered. Plus, he o ffers tips on how to go reliably out o f body and maintain ’h's enhanced aw areness. Paperback • 200 pages • ISBN 1-57174-409-6 • 513.95
www.brpob.com • 1 -8 0 0- 76 6-8 00 9
Out-of-Body Experiences How to Have Them and What to Expect R o b e r t P e t e rs o n Peterson gives you the straight scoop on getting in and ou t o f the ph ys ica l bod y, how to deal with fcar o f the un kn ow n that c an ho ld yo u back, how to navi g a t e , w h e r e y o u c a n v e n t u r e , a n d w h a t — o r whom— you might encounter in the astral landscape. Pa pe rbac k • 280 pa g e s • ISBN 1-57174-057-0- $ 11.95
Lessons Out o f th e Body A Journal o f Spiritual Growth and Out-of Body Travel Robert Peterson
Robert Peterson
I n t h i s f o l l o w - u p t o h i s p o p u l a r fir st bo ok , P e t e r s o n n o t o n l y g i v e s y o u m o r e t i p s a n d tr ic k s for getting out of body, but also offers experiential a d v i c e o n u s i n g t h e O B E p h e n o m e n o n f o r sp iritu a l e x p l o r a tio n a n d g r o w th . P ap er ba c k • 272 p a g e s • ISBN 1 -571 74-2 51 -4 • $13.95
Otherwhere A Field Guide to Nonp hysica l R eality fo r the Out-of-B ody Traveler Kurt Leland P ape rbac k • 288 p ag es • ISBN 1 -57174-241-7 • $18.95
Soul Journeys My Guid ed Tours through the Afterlife Rosalind A.McKnight Paperback • 272 pages • ISBN 1-57174-413-4 • $15.95
Cosmic Journeys My Out- of-Body Explorations with Robert A. Monroe Rosalind A.McKnight • Foreword by Laurie Monroe Paperback • 296 pag es • ISBN 1-57174-123-2 •$13.95 Khm al I,ill' I
Eternal Life and How to Enjoy It A First-Hand Account Gordon Phinn Paperback • 22 4 pa ge s • ISBN 1-57174-408-8 • $13.95 Kx»
Afterlife Knowledge Guidebook A Ma nual fo r the A rt o f Retrieval and Afterlife Exploration Bruce Moe n Paperbac k • 328 pa ges • ISBN 1-57174-450-9 • $16.95
Exploring the Afterlife Series (vols. 1-4) by Bruce Moen
Voyages into the Unknown Paperback • 256 page s ISBN 1-57174 -068-6 • $12.95
Voyage Beyond Doubt H H Paperback * 296 pages ISBN 1-57174-101-1 •$13.95
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Voyages into the Afterlife Pap erback • 320 page s I S B N 1 - 5 7 1 7 4 -1 3 9 - 9 - $ 1 3 . 9 5
Voyage to C ur iosity’s Father Paperback • 320 pag es ISBN 1-571 74-20 3-4 • $13.95
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