What is Astral Projection?
Call it what you like — dream body, astral body, energy body, Buddhist light body, Taoist diamond body, Egyptian ka, Tantric subtle body, Hindu body of bliss — and in Christianity, the experience of different “heavens,” i.e. “I know a man who was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in our out of body, I do not know,” from Corinthians 12:1-4. The subtle body is a universal human experience, and apparently part of our standard human design like toenails and kidneys. It is this subtle body that projects astrally and is active during unconscious and lucid dreaming; astral projection and dreaming often go hand-in-hand as “out-of-body” experiences, or OBEs.
The subtle body, when cultivated, can survive the physical body as a matrix for consciousness, and astral projection and lucid dreaming are part of spiritual training paths for subtle body cultivation. Neophytes confuse the subtle body with the soul or spirit, two additional aspects of multi-dimensional humans.
Out of Body Experiences and Astral Projection
The OBE can be intentional or involuntary, as with near-death events when people report finding themselves floating near the ceiling of their hospital rooms, perhaps observing medical staff attempting to revive them. Trauma, illness, or water and food deprivation, as with Native American vision quests, can trigger OBEs. Lucid dream states are opportunities for intentional OBEs. For the purposes of this article, OBEs may be spontaneous, and astral projection a conscious choice, though some would argue otherwise.
Essentially, the OBE begins with an experience of leaving the body and consciously observing it from a detached perspective. With practice and lucidity, awareness can be directed to locations or activities like flight. Yes, flight. If you’ve had flying dreams — literal flying, no 747 required — or being in the sky, you’ve had OBEs. Some say that we have regular OBEs during sleep, often hovering a few inches over our physical bodies.
Neuroscientists are puzzled — while the experience is no longer dismissed out of hand by medical professionals, science holds the view that OBEs involve neurological or brain dysfunction. After his own experience, Dr. Raymond Moody MD became interested in near death OBEs, and for decades interviewed hundreds of experiencers and collected data, defining common qualities of OBEs. Moody identified nine common elements of a near-death OBE — some experiencing all, some, only two or three.
Benefits of OBE
The tantrics mastered lucid OBE and dream states to overcome the fear of death by learning that we are not our “bodies.” They also discovered that the physical body can experience deep healing during OBEs — the mind can be tough on the body. And rather than losing time to practice meditation during sleep, yogis continued working through the night while the body rested.
Some athletes learn lucid dreaming to practice and visualize their game. By working in a dream or out-of-body, not only do they visualize, they have a “felt sense” of their practice, and can actually acquire the muscle memory for winning habits. Others benefit from the opportunity to explore past lives as well as accelerated personal development.
It is our energy, or subtle body that comes and goes from our physical form.
Astral Projection Methods
There are dozens of methods to learn conscious OBE and astral projection. There are two approaches — one is to keep the mind awake while the body falls asleep. It’s tricky — the mind wants to do what the body is doing. The goal is to take the body into deeper and deeper states of relaxation without drifting into unconsciousness. Yoga Nidra is one method. Once the body enters sleep state, practitioners simply “roll” out of their physical form.
Ancient yogis would tie two frogs together before sleep. Once tied, the frogs would continuously croak— a yogi would use the sound to anchor awareness as the body drifted into sleep, and either leave the body, or enter lucid dream states. If, during a dream, the yogi could no longer hear the frogs, he/she knew lucidity had been lost, and could “wake” again within the dream.
How to Astral Project/Travel
Monroe Institute Steps
Bob Monroe, founder of the leading research organization in the field of human consciousness called The Monroe Institute, penned a body of work titled “Journeys Out of the Body” in 1971 in which he provides a detailed outline for how to astrally project one’s self in seven steps:
- Step 1: Relax, both physically and mentally.
- Step 2: Enter a hypnagogic state, or half-sleep.
- Step 3: Deepen the state by prioritizing mental sensation over physical sensation.
- Step 4: Pay attention to the presence of vibration in your environment, which becomes apparent in a state of deep attention.
- Step 5: Incur the vibration in your physical body, and relax into its presence. The purpose of this is to gently jiggle the subtle body out of the physical body.
- Step 6: Focus your thoughts on leaving the limbs and the torso, and try to do so one at a time.
- Step 7: Known as “lifting out,” focus on effortlessly drifting out of your physical body.
The Astral Projection Rope Technique
From the work of Robert Bruce, founder of the Astral Dynamics movement, the rope technique is regarded one of the most accessible astral projection methods.
Step 1: Relax the physical body by visualizing each muscle.
Step 2: From your space of relaxation, enter a vibrational states; this should feel like an amplified version of a cell phone’s vibration mode pulsations coursing through the body.
Step 3: Imagine a rope hanging above you.
Step 4: Using the astral, or subtle, body, attempt to hold on to the rope with both hands. The physical body remains completely relaxed.
Step 5: Begin to climb the rope, hand over hand, all the while visualizing reaching the ceiling above you.
Step 6: Once you are aware of your full exit of the physical body, you are able to explore the astral plane.
Lucid Dreaming Techniques
Again, there are numerous lucid dreaming techniques. Some are designed to train the sleeper to wake within the dream, others offer methods of staying lucid while letting the body fall asleep.
A Nootropic Approach
Yes, it’s sounds weird. Nicotine has specific actions on brain chemistry — but no, it’s not about smoking. Considered a cognitive enhancer, nicotine is gaining fans among biochemical brain hackers.
Many, using nicotine patches to quit smoking, have inadvertently discovered what happens when they forget to remove a patch before sleep. Nicotine can induce hyper-realistic, but bizarre dreams that are so outrageous that many simply say to themselves, “Omg. This MUST be a dream. It’s too nuts to be anything else.” And voila — lucidity is attained. This is not an endorsement of the method, as many report nightmares when using nicotine.
Lucid Dreaming With Habit and Repetition
We attain lucidity the instant we recognize we’re in a dream state. Some people train by asking themselves, several times a day for days or weeks, “is this a dream?” The question eventually gets stuck in the place songs and jingles get stuck and are hard to unstick — things like “Afternoon Delight” by the Starlight Vocal Band. You know what we’re talking about.
The premise is that the question begins to habitually repeat by itself, and that eventually the mind will ask during a dream. When the dreamer answers, “why yes, this IS a dream!” they achieve lucidity.
The best opportunities for becoming lucid within a dream are during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. This stage happens in the first two hours after we fall asleep and before we wake up. By waking and going back to sleep during the night we increase REM sleep time. Some use the sleep/wake method by setting interval alarms during the night, getting up for a few minutes, and going back to sleep with an intention of keeping the mind awake. If awakened during a dream, immediately go back to sleep — if possible, re-enter the dream with lucidity.
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Telekinesis: Is It Possible To Move Objects With Your Mind?
Telekinesis is the ability to move objects solely with the power of the mind, without using physical means. While some may see it as science fiction, many people have reported experiences and phenomena that support the existence of this extraordinary mental gift. In this article, we explore what is telekinesis, how it differs from psychokinesis, and whether it’s truly possible to develop this ability.
Table of Contents
- What Is Telekinesis?
- Differences Between Telekinesis And Psychokinesis
- Can Telekinesis Be Developed?
- Exercise To Learn How To Move Objects With The Mind
- The Science Behind Telekinesis
- Famous Cases Of Telekinesis In History
- Telekinesis In Film And Literature
What Is Telekinesis?
Telekinesis is the ability to move or alter objects at a distance using only the mind. This ability is part of what’s known as psychic powers or extrasensory perception and is believed to work through the mental energy we all possess. From ancient accounts to modern studies, telekinesis has been a fascinating topic for those seeking to explore the limits of human potential.
Throughout history, telekinesis has been studied in both spiritual practices and scientific research. Numerous experiments have attempted to understand how the mind can influence matter, and many people believe this ability is real, although dormant or underdeveloped in most of us. In many traditions, telekinesis is seen as a spiritual skill that can be strengthened through meditation and advanced mental practices.
In Gaia’s series Divine Science, experts explore ancient knowledge and the contemporary science revealing that psychic phenomena appear to be fundamental to human survival, embedded deep within our genetic code.
Differences Between Telekinesis And Psychokinesis
Although the terms “telekinesis” and “psychokinesis” are often used interchangeably, there is a slight difference between them. Telekinesis specifically refers to the movement of objects at a distance, while psychokinesis has a broader meaning, encompassing any mental influence over matter. This includes phenomena like altering temperature, manipulating energy fields, or changing the state of certain elements.
Can Telekinesis Be Developed?
With proper practice and dedication, it is possible to develop telekinesis. Like other psychic abilities, it is believed that all human beings have the potential to manifest it, although at different levels. Through meditation, mental focus, and a deep connection with internal energy, the mind can be strengthened and trained to consciously influence the physical world.
Many people who practice telekinesis do so through discipline and the training of their mental energy. There are various techniques that help channel the power of the mind toward physical objects, progressively increasing the ability to move or manipulate things without physical contact. The key lies in cultivating concentration and connection with the environment, developing an affinity between mind and matter.
Exercise To Learn How To Move Objects With The Mind
To develop telekinetic powers, it’s essential to start with exercises that strengthen concentration and control of mental energy. These exercises must be practiced regularly to observe meaningful progress.
- Deep meditation: Relax and breathe deeply, visualizing energy flowing from your mind toward the object. Keep your focus on the mental connection with the object for at least 15 minutes. Consistency in this exercise strengthens the bond between mind and matter.
- Concentration on a small object: Choose a lightweight object, like a feather, and stare at it. Imagine your mental energy surrounding it and slowly beginning to move it. Repeat this exercise until you feel the object responding to your intention.
- Visualization of movement: Close your eyes and imagine the object moving in the desired direction. Focus on the sensation of control and the energy you’re projecting toward it. The clearer the visualization, the greater your ability to influence movement.
The Science Behind Telekinesis
Although conventional science has not yet conclusively proven the existence of telekinesis, some researchers have conducted experiments to explore the potential of the human mind. Studies in the field of parapsychology, such as those carried out by the Institute of Noetic Sciences, have analyzed how consciousness might influence the physical world. These experiments seek to find patterns and understand possible connections between mental energy and matter.
Advances in quantum physics have also sparked debates about the relationship between the mind and material reality. Some theories suggest that the mind could have an impact at the subatomic level, where particles respond to observation and intention. Although this is not definitive evidence, these investigations open the door to the possibility that consciousness plays a more active role in shaping physical reality than previously thought.
On the other hand, neuroscience has studied how altered mental states, such as deep meditation or extreme concentration, can affect cognitive and perceptual abilities. These investigations aim to understand how the brain might activate unexplored areas potentially related to abilities like telekinesis, although this is a field still in its early stages of research.
Famous Cases Of Telekinesis In History
Throughout time, several individuals have been recognized for their alleged telekinetic powers, either through public demonstrations or under the observation of researchers. Although some of these cases remain debated, their stories have made a significant mark on the exploration of the paranormal.
- Nina Kulagina: Famous in the Soviet Union, she demonstrated the ability to move objects solely with the power of the mind in various experiments under controlled conditions. Her skills included moving small objects without touching them, sparking the interest of scientists and parapsychologists.
- Uri Geller: An Israeli illusionist who gained global fame in the 1970s for his telekinesis demonstrations, including bending spoons with his mind. Although his work was controversial, his influence in the paranormal field remains strong.
- Stanislawa Tomczyk: In the early 20th century, this Polish medium was studied by scientists who observed her move or alter objects at a distance using only her mind, with motionless hands. She was credited with several telekinetic phenomena during her spiritual sessions.
- Matthew Manning: A Briton who began displaying psychic abilities in adolescence, especially known for his telekinetic powers. Numerous studies were conducted on his abilities, including his capacity to levitate objects.
- Eusapia Palladino: An Italian medium who performed telekinesis demonstrations in Europe and America in the late 19th century. Despite controversies surrounding her methods, several researchers claimed to have witnessed genuine phenomena during her sessions.
Telekinesis In Film And Literature
Telekinesis has played a central role in many works of film and literature, helping explore the limits of mental power and its effects on characters. These stories often feature protagonists who, upon discovering their telekinetic abilities, face both advantages and profound responsibilities.
- “Carrie” by Stephen King: This iconic horror novel tells the story of Carrie White, a teenager with telekinetic powers who suffers abuse both at home and at school. When her powers erupt during a traumatic event, she uses her ability to move objects to exact revenge, triggering an epic tragedy. The story raises deep questions about rage, emotional repression, and uncontrolled power.
- “Matilda” by Roald Dahl: In this beloved classic, Matilda is a prodigy who discovers she can move objects with her mind to stand up to the cruel adults around her. Her telekinesis becomes a tool to release frustration and right daily injustices, especially from her tyrannical school principal. The story is a celebration of intelligence, kindness, and bravery.
- “Akira” by Katsuhiro Otomo: In this groundbreaking manga and anime, Tetsuo, a young man from Tokyo, develops unstable telekinetic abilities after an accident. His newfound powers lead him down a path of destruction as he loses control of his mental abilities. Akira explores telekinesis as a metaphor for unlimited power and psychological vulnerability.
- “X-Men” (Marvel Comics): Jean Grey, one of the most complex characters in the X-Men universe, possesses immense telekinetic and psychic abilities. Her power to move objects, combined with her other mental capabilities, makes her one of the most powerful—and dangerous—mutants. Her storyline, especially in the Dark Phoenix Saga, shows how telekinesis can be both a gift and a curse when left unchecked.
- “Star Wars” by George Lucas: In the Star Wars saga, Jedi and Sith use telekinesis through the Force, a mystical energy that allows them to move objects, manipulate their surroundings, and even influence minds. From lifting starships to disarming enemies, Jedi like Luke Skywalker and Sith like Darth Vader demonstrate how telekinesis can serve as both a tool of protection and a weapon of destruction.
