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Astral Projection/Out of Body Experience

 
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booper54
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 14, 2004 11:58 pm    Post subject: Astral Projection/Out of Body Experience Reply with quote
Has anyone ever heard of this? Or tried it? I heard about it for the first time today from a friend of mine. Supposedly you sort of meditate while you are going to sleep at night and after a while you feel tingles all over. They get worse and worse and suddenly you "leave" your body and are able to manipulate the world and go wherever you want and it all feels totally real. When people wake up they seriously think these things happened to them and that they actually went to the places they thought they went to.

Being an atheist I think this is all in one's brain, but a lot of people think it's more, like something spiritual. It's known sometimes as a "near death experience." I'm actually very interested in trying this out. It's supposed to take a lot of practice though.

Does anyone have thoughts or experiences about this?

skepdic.com/obe.html

Edited by: booper54 at: 11/15/04 12:00 am
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Niall001 Niall001 has been starred
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 10:46 am    Post subject: Re: Astral Projection/Out of Body Experience Reply with quote
I wouldn't mind trying this out. Any instruction manuals about?

Let us agree, there is no one single reality. Not upon this stage, not in this world, all is in the mind... imagination is the only truth. Because it cannot be contradicted except by other imaginations - Richard Matheson

There are no conclusive indications by which waking life can be distinguished from sleep - Rene Descartes

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PostPosted: Tue Nov 16, 2004 2:55 am    Post subject: Re: Astral Projection/Out of Body Experience Reply with quote
There is seemingly unlimited information about it on the Internet. Here's one I found useful:

www.crystalinks.com/astral.html

From what I read last night, you're supposed to be on the verge of sleeping and try to stay there as long as you can, and eventually the vibrations come. I tried it when I went to bed last night but I fell asleep, haha.

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PostPosted: Tue Nov 16, 2004 1:13 pm    Post subject: Re: Astral Projection/Out of Body Experience Reply with quote
astral projection

Astral projection is a type of out-of-body experience (OBE) in which the astral body leaves its other six bodies and journeys far and wide to anywhere in the universe. The notion that we have seven bodies (one for each of the seven planes of reality) is a teaching of theosophist Madame Blavatsky. On its trips, the astral body perceives other astral bodies rather than their physical, etheric, emotional, spiritual, etc. bodies. In an ordinary OBE, such as remote viewing or the out-of-body near-death experience, there is a separation of a person's consciousness from his or her body. In the near-death out-of-body experience, there may be the experience of hovering above and perceiving one's body and environs,and hearing conversations of surgeons or rescue workers tinkering with one's body. In astral projection, it is the astral body, not the soul or consciousness, that leaves the body. The astral body, according to Madame Blavatsky, is the one that has an aura. It is also the seat of feeling and desire, and is generally described as being connected to the physical body during astral projection by an infinitely elastic and very fine silver cord, a kind of cosmic umbilical cord or Ariadne's thread.

There is scant evidence to support the claim that anyone can project their mind, soul, psyche, spirit, astral body, etheric body, or any other entity to somewhere else on this or any other planet. The main evidence is in the form of testimonials.


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PostPosted: Fri Nov 19, 2004 4:21 pm    Post subject: reply Reply with quote
My [Christian] perspective on astral projection is that it is an occult practice to be avoided, as it poses spiritual risks.

I have read accounts of "religious experiences" (within Christendom) in which things like this have happened. I remember one in particular (though I can't remember her name) in which a nun would regularly fall into a trance and experience some type of inward communion with God. The sisters came to understand that she was not to be disturbed in these times. One time, after she "awoke", she said something to the effect of, "Why didn't anyone wake me from this evil trance in which I almost died?" - it was something different from the normal (if you could call it that) "good" spiritual experience she was familiar with.

I have also read some rather hokey, "fundamentalist" ranting about the evils of astral projection - specifically that the soul isn't capable of out-of-body travel on its own, but is actually enabled by demon possession - which is an idea I disagree with... but basically I agree with their conclusion- that it is dangerous. I think it can potentially lead to demon possession, but I don't think demons enable one to do it.

At one time (about 20 years ago) I was personally fascinated with astral projection, trance states, etc., and had limited success (if you could call it that) at it. I stopped doing those things after two such experiences (once apparently wasn't enough for this knucklehead :D ) which scared the crap out of me.


"...I beg of You to take away my freedom to displease You..."

~ St. Therese of Lisieux ~

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PostPosted: Sun Nov 28, 2004 2:47 pm    Post subject: Re: Astral Projection/Out of Body Experience Reply with quote
"There is scant evidence to support the claim that anyone can project their mind, soul, psyche, spirit, astral body, etheric body, or any other entity to somewhere else on this or any other planet. The main evidence is in the form of testimonials."

What exactly are you saying? That we shouldn't automatically believe every single extraordinary claim that anyone happens to make?

Woah...that's just, like, too much for me, man!


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