How Real Is Astral Projection? What They Didn’t Tell You
People hear the phrase “Astral Projection,” and the first question that pops into their minds might be – is astral projection real?
Does the astral plane exist? Is there a psychical body that exists independent of our physical body? – A soul, perhaps. Is it possible to leave your body and travel to dimensions unknown? Or is it merely a hallucination? And so on.
So many questions, yet so few answers.
This debate has been a back-and-forth issue, with both sides not gaining any ground and not really losing it either. Well, it’s quite challenging to prove or disprove something that doesn’t occur in the realm of the physical – you can’t exactly attach a camera to a formless entity, much less track it effectively with conventional scientific equipment.
To be honest, the potential benefits of astral projection, if it’s put into use for public service, maybe – and I’m not exaggerating – limitless, to say the least.
Imagine an expert in astral projection working with the police to infiltrate the lairs of criminals, traffickers, terrorists, in the astral plane. Using that opportunity to note who is inside, the strength and weaknesses of their defense and then report it accordingly.
Natural disasters too, survivors trapped in houses and the like can be easily located with the help of astral projection.
Thrilling, huh?
Anyway, that’s only if it’s actually real.
We don’t have the answers to everything, but we’ve done a little digging on this and can help clear the air a little. Don’t go anywhere.
IS ASTRAL PROJECTION REAL?
First, let’s refresh our memories a little on the meaning of astral projection.
Astral projection occurs when the ‘soul’ loosens itself and detaches itself completely from the physical body, fuses into an ethereal entity called the ‘astral body’ and proceeds to journey in another dimension called the astral plane.
The astral body is connected to the physical body through a silvery cord or thread, which when severed, may mean permanent detachment from the physical body and consequent death of that physical body.
Astral projection may be planned/voluntary through the use of techniques like meditation, hypnosis, etc, or quite unplanned. These unplanned moments usually take place during sleep or in near-death experiences such as severe illness or accidents.
When it is unplanned, it is generally referred to as an Out-of-Body-Experience (OBE). And when it is, it’s referred to as astral projection.
This may sound like a load of gibberish to skeptics who attribute these “mind trips” to several factors like health conditions – epilepsy, brain injuries, anxiety – medications (anesthesia) and drugs (Marijuana, Peyote, LSD).
However, there have been accounts of these OBEs occurring in the absence of these conditions, even from historical findings.
HISTORY
Astral projection or generally OBEs have been here a while. It dates back to Tibet, Egypt, parts of Africa, Europe, and basically the world over.
A lot of cultures believe in the existence of a “double body” which is unlike the physical one, and the presence of extra-bodily states or realms which we assume are the astral body and plane.
Their customs – ancient customs of the Zulus, Egypt, Germany, Aborigines of Australia, Arabs, and so on – indicate beliefs in the ability of this “soul-body” to depart from the body when you are asleep, and if it fails to return, then it is instantaneous death.
The Tibetans and Egyptians also believed that there existed an atmosphere or state between the physical body and the astral body. It was called “Bardo body” by the Tibetans and “ka” by the ancient Egyptians. We now refer to it as the aura.
Astral projection has also allegedly been performed by many saints of the Roman Catholic Church.
All this sounds like ancient history and can swing between plausible and implausible.
But, there have been recent happenings too that have been well documented.
ASTRAL PROJECTION IN RECENT TIMES (MORE OR LESS)
Much wasn’t said about astral projection until the late 1800s and early 1900s when doctors like Charles Lancelin in his “Méthodes de Dédoublement Personel” prescribed techniques to successfully enter the astral plane, a noteworthy one being abstinence from food on the intended date.
Sylvan J. Muldoon, a renowned esotericist, also subscribed to this concept of abstinence, not only of food but of bodily desires.
Perhaps the largest documented evidence of astral projection would be that of Dr. Robert Crookall in his book “The Study & Practice of Astral Projection,” where he wrote down the accounts of over a hundred independent individuals who had experienced OBEs, grouping them in two – natural and enforced OBEs.
All the accounts were similar in key terms such as detachment from a physical body, the presence of an astral body, and the appearance of a silver cord.
Skeptics have also dismissed these similarities as “guided imagery” gotten from reading other accounts of astral projection, even though some of the people were staunch disbelievers in the astral.
Another telling moment came in the form of a partially declassified CIA test in 1973 called the “Astral Projection Caper’, which tested two volunteers. They were required to locate several landmarks, including a facility in the USSR amongst other tests.
They did describe the exact locations and even got some features right. While in some tests, they were off.
There is also the case of a woman who participated in a study of astral projection in Ottawa’s School of Psychology in 2014, and the fact that it made the notion of astral projection compelling.
So does it exist or not…
Our answer would be (drum roll)… it’s really up to you. You can never truly know whether it’s real or not without experiencing it yourself.
Once you have mastered the ability, you could tell a friend to show you certain objects, the hide these objects in unknown places around your house. When you’re in the astral plane, you can seek out these objects and recount their exact locations to your friend when you wake up.
This way, you’ll know for sure.
Dr. Albert Schweitzer said that “the only road to a fuller grasp of reality is the exploration of super-normal perception”. So, you’ll never know if you don’t go.
Remember to learn first and, if possible, have a guide. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach us. Safe travels!
