Chapter 11

ASTRAL TRAVEL, OUT-OF-BODY EXPERIENCES, AND NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES

Astral travel, out-of-body experiences, and near-death experiences are all synonymous for the same thing. Basically, one — your soul, YOU — leaves the body for a while and goes anywhere it wants. For those who have had this experience, there is no longer any doubt that there is a lot more than meets the body’s five senses. Astral travel, to me, is the highest aspiration you should have; there is nothing more valuable than the ability to astral-travel at will.

In order to fully enter a higher plane, we have to do so in a body that is essentially less physical and more of a direct form of conscious energy. In fact, Hindu cosmology associates the seven chakras with seven different energy bodies, so, in a sense, we have seven different bodies — of which we could use those above the third density for travel in higher realms. This is essentially what happens when we have a dream or an out-of-body experience: we leave our physical body where it belongs, in the third density, and use a higher form of body.

Chakra means “wheel” in Sanskrit.

The benefits of astral projection and OBE are profound, and well worth pursuing. Astral projection (or etheric projection) is the ability to separate one’s consciousness from the confines of the physical body, enabling one to travel vast distances through time and space and then return safely. Once separated, the possibilities in this spirit-like form are endless, as there are none of the restrictions on locomotion present in the physical body. You may choose to walk, glide, fly, or even think yourself to a location, simply by imagining the place you want to be. Perhaps you wish to visit someone on the other side of the planet; you have only to think of that person, and you will be there in an instant. Being a non-solid form, the astral body (the body of consciousness) can pass through walls and other solid matter with ease, and could even make physical contact with another projector.

Although there are some people out there practicing astral projection, it is not commonly known in the Western world, and most people in the street would scoff at the idea. Well, little do they know: every time we sleep at night, our astral self rises slightly out of line from the physical body the very moment we lose consciousness, and stays in this position until we awake. The purpose of this is to regain the energy lost during our waking hours, and it is thought to be a form of recharging. You may have experienced the sensation of falling, followed by a jolt, just as you were falling asleep. This is caused by the sudden return of the astral body as it attempted to leave the physical before unconsciousness took place — in other words, the beginning of a projection occurred.

Many astral locales — including entire cities — are inhabited by very large numbers of astral residents, all continuously influencing the same creative energy, and thus giving these locales their permanency. The mid-astral worlds, to which people are attracted after the transition from the physical world (in accordance with the energy characteristics of the individual’s astral and mental body, soul, and spirit), are almost identical to the physical world — so much so that many people do not immediately realize they have passed on. This is because the people of the astral worlds model those worlds on their own experiences and perception of the physical world they have just left, and on how they “imagine” it should be. People at that level of evolution often believe that “reality” is represented by material things, just as they did on Earth, and accordingly use their powers of imagination to reproduce that same habitat, thereby creating the reality with which they feel most comfortable.

The astral worlds are vast, varied, and complex, consisting of an infinite number of realms — from the earthly equivalent of past, present, and future — many of which were created by beings not of the Earth, but all of which were created by the very same creative energy: the power of thought, the creative power of the imagination. There are many excellent, highly informative sources on this subject, both books and websites.

Astral Dynamics: A New Approach to Out-of-Body Experiences, by Robert Bruce, provides an advanced guide to achieving and maintaining out-of-body states, exploring the hows, whys, and ways of nonphysical exploration — from projection techniques and energy manipulation to psychic self-defense and astral sex. Whether you are a skeptic, a veteran projector, a novice, or an armchair traveler, there is a treasure here. See www.astraldynamics.com, which focuses on energy work, astral projection, healing, auras, psychic self-defense, and increasing your understanding of the greater reality, with lots of information for beginners.

The Art and Practice of Astral Projection, by Ophiel, is a practical book that provides the theory needed to understand the art, in an easy, step-by-step method so you can safely enter and function in the astral plane and return with your memories intact. Ophiel was one of America’s best-known occult writers; his “Art and Practice” series is probably the finest ever written for beginner and intermediate students. This book is a classic, and the first one I read. See also www.astralpulse.com/forums (well over 10,000 members and 200,000+ messages) and www.astralsociety.com/Forums (well over 5,000 members and 100,000+ messages) — the numbers speak for themselves.

For a more comprehensive list of recommended books on astral travel, visit www.jonasridgeway.com. Among them is Jonas’s favorite: Seth, Dreams and Projections of Consciousness, by Jane Roberts — my all-time favorite book on out-of-body experiences. Every time I read a Seth book, I have to put it down periodically, breathe deeply, and stare off into space; his words hit the deepest part of your Self and always ring true. I challenge anyone to read any of the Seth books and not be changed by it. You will view yourself, and everyone around you, differently. Nothing is random — everything happens for a reason. You are in control of your life and every aspect of it. You create your own reality. There is nothing to worry about. Life is fun — get out there and enjoy it, both in and out of body.

Death is simply a shedding of the physical body, like the butterfly coming out of a cocoon. It is a transition to a higher state of consciousness.Elisabeth Kübler-Ross