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.
About the Author
What Is Remote Viewing and How Is It Developed?
Can you imagine getting accurate information about a distant place or event without being physically present? Remote viewing is an ability that allows anyone to access this type of information without using the physical senses. In this article we explore what remote viewing is, how it differs from clairvoyance, and how you can develop this fascinating ability.
Table of Contents
- What Is Remote Viewing?
- Difference Between Clairvoyance and Remote Viewing
- Exercise to Develop Remote Viewing
- Can Everyone Develop Remote Viewing?
- Spiritual Benefits of Developing Remote Viewing
- Myths and Facts About Remote Viewing
What Is Remote Viewing?
Remote viewing is one of the most advanced psychic abilities, which allows obtaining detailed information about a distant target using only the mind. Unlike traditional sensory perception, this technique captures data without using the five physical senses. It has been the subject of studies in scientific and spiritual fields, showing surprising results and varied applications.
The history of remote viewing is replete with research and experiments. During the Cold War, the CIA and the U.S. Department of Defense conducted remote viewing programs, such as the famous Project Stargate. These programs demonstrated that, with proper training, individuals could obtain accurate information about specific targets without being physically present.
The process of remote viewing involves several stages, beginning with relaxation and meditation to calm the mind. Then, a clear intention is set to receive information about the target. During the session, all sensory impressions are noted and organized to form a coherent image of the target. This practice requires patience and constant practice to perfect.
Difference Between Clairvoyance and Remote Viewing
Clairvoyance and remote viewing are psychic abilities used to obtain information beyond the physical senses, but there are significant differences between them. Clairvoyance is the ability to receive visual information about people, places or events outside of normal sensory range. It can be a natural ability or developed through practice and training, allowing one to see images, colors, symbols or entire scenes in the mind.
Remote viewing, on the other hand, is a specific and structured technique that allows describing details of a distant target without being present. This skill follows a defined protocol to obtain accurate and verifiable data. Remote viewing practitioners focus on specific aspects of the target, such as its location, physical characteristics and associated events, using systematic methods to minimize the influence of the conscious mind.
As for what it is possible to see, clairvoyants can perceive a wide range of information, from detailed visions to abstract symbols that require interpretation. They can gain impressions about a person’s emotional state, future events or details of a distant environment. On the other hand, remote viewing practitioners focus on describing tangible and specific characteristics of the target, such as shapes, colors, textures and geographic locations.
Although both abilities allow access to information beyond the physical senses, clairvoyance tends to be more subjective and varied, while remote viewing is based on structured and verifiable procedures. These differences mean that each skill has its own applications and methods of development, offering diverse ways to explore and understand the unseen world.
Exercise to Develop Remote Viewing
Developing remote viewing requires practice and a systematic approach. Here is a simple exercise you can do to start training this skill:
- Select targets: Ask a friend or family member to choose 5 to 10 images from magazines. These images should be varied and of real situations such as landscapes, people and objects.
- Place the images in an envelope: Ask your assistant to place the images face down in an envelope and tell you nothing about them. You should not see the images until the end of the exercise.
- Calm your mind: Find a quiet place where you can relax. Close your eyes and breathe deeply to calm your mind and reduce mental noise.
- Let yourself go: Write down the date, time and any distracting thoughts you have before you start. This will help free your mind of worries and increase your focus.
- Describe the target: Without looking at the image, try to describe the most basic impressions you receive. Write down any sensations, images or thoughts that come to your mind, without judgment or analysis.
- Draw a sketch: Take your time to sketch the target based on the impressions you have received. Don’t worry about artistic precision; focus on capturing the basic shapes and patterns.
- Get feedback: Take the first image out of the envelope and compare your notes and sketch with the real image. Reflect on similarities and differences without judging yourself, just to learn and improve.
Can Everyone Develop Remote Viewing?
Remote viewing is a skill that, in theory, everyone can develop with sufficient practice and dedication. Although some people may show a natural talent for this skill, most can improve significantly through structured and consistent exercises. The key is perseverance and a willingness to learn and adapt to new techniques.
However, success in remote viewing also depends on individual factors such as the ability to concentrate, open-mindedness and regular practice. It is important to maintain a positive attitude and be patient with oneself during the learning process. With time and effort, many people find that they can improve their remote sensing skills and access information beyond the traditional physical senses.
Spiritual Benefits of Developing Remote Viewing
Developing remote viewing not only improves your perceptual skills, but also offers numerous spiritual benefits that can enrich your life in profound and meaningful ways.
- Spiritual connection: The practice of remote viewing fosters a deeper connection with the universe and your inner self. This can lead to a greater understanding of your purpose and place in the world.
- Expanding awareness: By training remote viewing, you expand your perception beyond physical boundaries. This can help you see and understand the interconnectedness of all things.
- Improved intuition: Remote viewing sharpens your intuitive senses, allowing you to make more informed and confident decisions. This strengthens your confidence in your psychic abilities and intuition.
- Stress reduction: Practicing remote viewing can induce deep states of relaxation and meditation. This helps reduce stress and promote a state of calm and emotional balance.
- Personal development: Through remote viewing, you confront your own limits and overcome them. This fosters personal growth and the development of new skills and perspectives.
Myths and Facts About Remote Viewing
Remote viewing is a subject surrounded by myths and misunderstandings, which can lead to incorrect expectations or unfounded fears. It is important to separate fact from fiction to have a clear understanding of this psychic ability.
Remote Viewing Myths
- For psychics only: It is believed that only psychics can practice remote viewing. In reality, anyone can learn and develop this skill with practice and dedication.
- Dangerous to the mind: There is a myth that remote viewing can cause mental damage. However, with proper practices and guidance, it is a safe and beneficial activity.
- Unlimited access: Some people think that remote viewing allows you to see anything at any time. In reality, there are limitations and the information obtained may be fragmentary or unclear.
Realities About Remote Viewing
- Requires practice: Remote viewing is a skill that takes time and effort to develop. Regular practice and patience are essential for improvement.
- Used scientifically: Remote viewing has been studied and used in scientific and military research. This supports its legitimacy and usefulness in controlled contexts.
- Not infallible: Even experienced remote viewing practitioners are not always 100% accurate. Results may vary and are subject to the interpretation and skill of the practitioner.
