Astral projection is a belief that everyone has an incorporeal “astral body” or “spirit” can travel outside of the physical body carrying one’s consciousness. In many cultures, it is thought of as the soul and the travel is possible through the astral plane. The idea of astral travel is discussed in mythologies and some say it is mentioned in the Christian Bible. Modern believers in astral projection think the astral body (sometimes called the astral self) sometimes leaves the physical body during sleep though and that most people are unaware of such travel. Some people have reported discovering astral travel when suddenly becoming aware they are outside their physical body and capable of ‘traveling’ while in an astral state.
While in the astral body one is still ‘tethered’ to the psychical body by what has been described as a psychic silver cord that binds the spirit to the body. This silver cord is often referenced extensively in many occult works including those of Aleister Crowley. Should this cord be cut or damaged, returning to the psychical body can prove difficult or impossible. 
Some believers in astral projection say that this silver cord is mentioned in the Bible, Ecclesiastes 12:6,7: “Remember him—before the silver cord is severed, and the golden bowl is broken; before the pitcher is shattered at the spring, and the wheel broken at the well, 7 and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”. However, astral projection, astral travel and so forth are generally frowned upon within the majority of Christian religions and is considered part of ‘the occult’ with no place within Christian faith.
Astral travel and astral projection is far more accepted within Eastern religions and among Native Peoples, especially Buddhism and Hinduism. Contemporary shaman, New Agers, mystics and esoteric philosophers consider the ability to consciously astral project and travel to the astral plane an important achievement in one’s spiritual development. However, within some established Buddhist and Hindu sects, although there is an admission that astral travel is possible, believers are warned that astral project can become a distraction. Astral travel should not be considered some ultimate destination and should not sidetrack one from overall spiritual development.
It has long been reported by anthropologists that, throughout the world, almost all native peoples have a shaman or spiritual leader, who works with the spirit world. Many of these shaman use hallucinogenic drugs (chewing peyote or making a special herbal tea) in order to do ‘spirit walks’ which strongly resemble consciously-induced astral projections. Shaman for native peoples have often used such hallucinogenics to help tribe members and ‘seekers’ to connect with the spirit world or help find answers. Many Native American Churches have actually sued the U.S. federal government for the right to continue to use various, natural hallucinogens for spiritual development just as their ancestors had done to travel to the ‘spirit world’.
Contemporary practitioners of astral projection use a variety of methods to facilitate astral travel. Methods include meditation, astral travel hypnosis, electronic auditory stimulation and dream control. Dream control, or ‘lucid dreaming’ is considered one of the easiest, and most vivid manner to experience astral travel. But, it is difficult to tell if lucid dreaming is actual astral project or what one imagines astral travel to be. The same could be said of hypnotically induced astral projection, is it actual astral travel or just what one imagines astral travel would be like. Either way, practitioners of astral project claim it is a mind expanding experience and, for some, a fascinating way to explore how the mind works.
There has long been an argument between those who feel that astral projection, astral travel and the astral plane all are spiritual experiences, and not the providence of science. Naturally, the scientifically minded feel there are no such things as astral travel, an astral body or astral projection. For the scientific group, there may be the imaginary experience of astral travel, but no such thing as a spirit traveling outside the physical body. Where astral projection and science primarily cross paths is in the scientific investigation of out-of-body experiences (sometimes called OOBE for short).
Those who have had an out-of-body experience describe it similarly to astral projection. Out-of-body experiences are often reported by people who experience trauma, such as in a car accident, heart attack or some other event where the psychical body is severely damaged. This out-of-body experience is often call a near-death experience (or NDE). At the time of trauma, a person can report a sensation of floating out of their body and looking down on themselves and those around them. Some people have even claimed to recall detailed discussions by medical teams working to revive their lifeless body at the scene of the trauma or in a hospital emergency room. Most describe a feeling of being tethered to their physical body, as if by a silver cord previously mentioned.
Out-of-body experiences, near death experiences, would seem to lend antidotal proof that astral projection may be possible. Some medical experts believe the OBOE and NDE experiences are imaginary and are created when the brain is flooded with dimethyltryptamine (DMT) at death or in times of trauma. Other psychologists believe that a person’s interpretations of religion and the afterlife color their experiences, as many people without religious beliefs do not experience these near-death experiences or anything like out-of-body travel.
The debate about the spiritual aspects of astral travel verses the scientific explanations is not likely to end anytime soon. The truth about astral projection, astral travel, out-of-body experiences and near death experiences may lie in individual experience. If one experiences astral travel or has an out-of-body experience, the event is real to them. The explanation for the experience becomes secondary (and the ‘experiencer’ is likely to choose the explanation that best suits their needs). For most people, the whole idea of astral travel is pretty strange, and fascinating.
Should you wish to explore more about astral projection, check out Steve Jones Astral Projection Hypnosis course.
If you want to talk with someone open minded about out-of-body experiences, you may appreciate talking with Psychic Starella at 1-800-888-5523 who can also be very helpful in this area.
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