Posts Tagged ‘out of body experiences’

Out of Body Experiences And History

Friday, February 26th, 2010

Astral projection, also known as an out-of-body experience, can occur at any time to any person. The most common out-of-body experiences occur during a major trauma. However, it is possible to have an out-of-body experience by sheer will.

It would be this will power manifestation that would be the most commonly known form of astral projection. A number of people have claimed to have had out of body experiences while others make claims about being able to directly perform such astral projection powers. While the basics of these techniques are the same, the power levels can differ from person to person. Of course, there are those that question the validity of such claims.

For centuries, there have been people who have experienced the phenomenon of out of body experiences. Some of them have experienced them during sleep and ignored it, believing that what they saw was a dream. However, most out-of-body experiences are experienced during major trauma such as surgeries.

There have also been scores of accounts of out-of-body experiences occurring during frightful near-death situations. In all of these cases of out-of-body experiences, the person experiencing them notes that he/she is able to see and hear everything occurring in the real world even though they were not conscious at the time.

Out-of-body experiences have also been known to occur due to the prolonged use of psychedelic or common dissociative drugs. Yet, there are a number of techniques known to induce the common out-of-body experience most have read about. A traditional example of this is the employment of visualization during a relaxed and meditative state of mind. Various studies have occurred recently designed to show that similar experiences to out-of-body experiences might be induced directly through stimulating the brain.

Among the most common forms of all out-of-body experiences is the process of astral projection. During astral projection, a human being develops the ability to leave the body and visit other physical places as well as the world of astral planes or even higher planes of existence.

In the world of renaissance Neoplatonist and Rosicrucian philosophy, in addition to scores of other philosophical thought processes, it is stated that an astral body in body created by light and will link the concept of the “rational soul” and the physical body in the form of an intermediate. Within these theories it is stated that an astral plane is a world and realm devised by the same light and exist in an area between heaven and earth. The composition of this realm will be derived from spheres of stars and exist amidst a home of angels, demons, and spirits.

According to ancient Egyptian beliefs, the soul has the ability to hover, or float, outside the body in, what is called the “Ka”, or subtle body, also known as the astral body. In most beliefs in astral projection, the astral body is connected with a silver cord of psychic energy to the physical body.

The Chinese Taoists developed an alchemical practice that involved creating a body of energy through breathing meditations, pulling energy into what they called a “pearl” and then circulating that pearl throughout the body to create the body of energy.

While an out-of-body experience takes place, scores of people eventually account that they have literally willed themselves to take a leave from their bodies. Then there are those that invoke the notion that they are literally pulled out of their body while some may state that they cannot even tell that the out-of-body experience has actually occurred. There are even those that have noted they wished to get out of bed and when the time came to reach for the door, the individuals realized they were unable to touch it. Upon feeling this sensation, they had looked in the direction of their sleeping area and realized they were still in a lying down still asleep.

Neurologists have long tried to explain such events as being triggered by an errant mismatch of the visual and tactile signals. The great majority of out-of-body experiences have taken place during the duration that exists between REM sleep and the point prior to waking up. Among the many points of time where out-of-body experiences occur, the subject will go into a state commonly known as sleep paralysis. During this time between being asleep and awake, sleep paralysis might potentially continue and dream-like imagery will become mingled with sensations that reach the senses.

However, there have been many scientific studies in the field of astral projection and out-of-body experiences which have shown that out of body experiences are in fact very real.There are also several research facilities in several different countries, including the Monroe Institute in Virginia, as well as the Projectarium at the International Academy of Consciousness in Portugal and the Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience in Switzerland.

Understanding What Is Meant By ‘Out Of Body’

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

Various cultures have recorded out of body travel, including the ancient Egyptians. Kha is the word they used to describe the soul or astral body, while they also included images of the astral body as if hovering just above or even beyond the physical body. The astral body was depicted as a haloed, airy translucent being.

Fascinated by the astral body the ancient Egyptians experimented with various techniques in order to control the ability to travel in the astral body to other planes of space and time, while their physical body stayed put where it lay. This is also known as astral projection. Perhaps, during such experiences they learned the skills required for building the pyramids, using the materials they had on hand. The building of the pyramids is something that has long been a puzzle to scientists.

It’s recorded that meditation, nearly to the point of sleep, was the first component of out of body travel for the ancient Egyptians, followed by then concentrating on nothing but the visions one sees while his or her eyes were closed. Often, flashes of lights and patterns appeared, which the ancient Egyptians attributed to the beginnings of the astral body’s journey to other planes of time and space.

Upon passing through this meditative state, the astral body would reach a phase of emergence, which would create a tingling and humming within the physical body. Then they would experience the feeling of heaviness. The ancients believed that the feelings of tingling, humming and then heaviness was a sign of the astral body pulling away from their physical body. This would then initiate the journey of the astral body to unknown planes of existence.

They accomplished this in different ways yet the most common was that of walking out of the physical body by using the astral body. Beginning with the minds eye, followed by the shoulders, chest, hips, legs, knees and then the feet. This continued until there were two separate entities, that of the physical body and that of the astral body.

This separating of bodies, then allowed the astral body to pass freely through solid objects, it could also hover and fly about without being effected by the lack of oxygen or changes in the atmosphere.

The ancient Greeks also recorded instances of out of body travel, and expanded on the strictly meditatively-induced state of the ancient Egyptians to include out of body travel by way of physical or mental trauma. The ancient historian Plutarch of Queroneia, for example, cited the case of Arisdeu who, after suffering blunt trauma to his head after a fall slipped into a coma for three days.

At this time, Arisdeu tells of the ability to see his physical body laying on the ground yet he was free to move around without it. In astral form he tells of his ability of out of body travel to go to places that were not conceivable. He was met by his spirit guide while in astral form. His spirit guide assisted and advised him concerning astral travel in other existing astral planes.

While in this altered state he was able to explore and learn, although he was forcibly pulled back into his physical body. There he spent the rest of his life applying what he had learned during his out of body experience.

Other ancient cultures recorded their findings of out of body travel similar to that of the ancient Egyptians and Greeks. For instance, the history of the Native Americans includes various full accounts of such happenings to their people as well. Their accounts include the meeting of their spirit guides and totem spirit animals. These entities also advised them concerning the astral plane and the astral body. For centuries, the Native Americans have used specific plants for burning and inhaling in order to relax the mind to the point of being more receptive to out of body travel on the astral planes.

Since the beginning of recorded time, human beings have been able to channel their consciousness into a spiritual body, which is then capable of exploring the limitless horizons of space and time. But in today’s technological age with it fast-paced culture, many of us have lost touch with this ability to alter our consciousness to the point that we can release it from the confines of our physical limitations, and with practice, join our spiritual guides and counterparts on a higher plane of existence.

The door is there, and it is within us. We simply need to reconnect with our spiritual selves in order to once again journey out of body and into the infinite. The process is inherent to who we are as human beings, and there are no limitations once we rediscover our potential for higher understanding.

A Brief Look At Astral Projection Methods

Friday, January 8th, 2010

The specific methods of astral projection vary, but one thing always stays the same. No matter what astral projection methods you use, the first step is always getting focused and relaxed. You have to have a quiet mind and a mind set that will let you reach beyond your physical boundaries. Once you do this you are ready to explore the endless universe.

A relaxed state that is also focused is not something easy to get into. Relaxing every muscle while keeping the mind alert and focused in a must for astral projection. Many people fail at astral projection because the end up asleep due to the fact that they cannot get into a deep relaxed state without also relaxing their mind.

To start getting into the necessary relaxed state you need to start the astral projection methods, you should prepare by dressing in loose clothing. Sit is a place where you won’t be distracted or disturbed. You should avoid laying down as a beginner since it is too easy to become too relaxed in that position and fall asleep.

Once seated comfortably, imagine that tension is a fabric bandage that has been wrapped over every inch of the body — much like a mummy - that tightly constricts even the smallest of toes. Next, imagine those small toes being unwrapped. Warm blood flow returns, as does the feeling of cool air to the skin’s surface. Imagine the same process for each individual toe until all ten toes have been “freed.”

Imagine next the balls of the feet, the arches, the heels and the ankles also being unwrapped in this way. Continue the process until the chin, the sinus cavities of the face, and the tip of the scalp are all free.

Once this phase is completed, an individual is ready to execute one of the various methods of astral projection explained below.

One of the main astral projection methods is called the rope method. This requires a little preparation before you start the relaxation phase. Tack a rope above you so it is within reach. It will help with the mental visualization as you can reach up and touch it as needed.

Once this is accomplished, an individual will have an easier time “finding” the rope with his or her astral fingertips, which will float through the physical skin in pursuit of the rope once an individual is sufficiently relaxed. This process of finding the rope may be difficult at first, but with time and patience it will happen. Stay focused.

After finding the rope, concentrate on pulling the astral self up and out of the physical body as if climbing up the length of rope. Imagine the process without regard for weight, as the astral body is weightless and can climb effortlessly. A sense of dizziness may occur at this point, but it’s important to ignore this feeling, otherwise one may jeopardize the projection attempt.

Climb on up the rope until your astral body is free. You should not focus on any of the feelings you may have. You may feel dizzy or tingling or warm. All these things are just a art of the process and completely normal when it comes to astral projection.

There are different approaches to the rope method. These include the lift method which involves lifting out of the body and hovering over it. There is the roll out method where the person visualizes rolling out of there body to one side, which works best when lying down. There are also the fixed and moving anchor methods.

In the former, one visualizes a stationary object toward which one then tries to pull oneself, while with the latter, one visualizes feeling the magnetic pull of the object, and thus exits the physical body. Once separated in this way, an individual’s astral body is free to explore all of time and space.

It is important to know that astral projection methods are not immediate. You must learn and practice the process. You may fail in your first attempts, but always keep your attitude positive. Make sure that you understand why you fail if you do. You can often be too tired, not focused enough or distracted.

If you are really dedicated then your astral projection methods should come easier sooner. You should find it easy to figure out any issues you have and master the techniques. Eventually, you will find it easy to step out of your physical body and explore the universe.