What IS astral projection?

[DarkCloud]

Okay. This has been confusing me for a long time.

Many people have many different beliefs about OBE's and their nature and functions. Some ideas are similiar, while some leave you wondering how come you've never heard this anywhere else.

Over the years, over much "soul searching" sort to speak, I've come to accept Astral projection and other types of OBE as fact, BUT....a lingering question still remain:

What IS the Astral Form?

Many cultures belive it to be the soul, while others say its more of a subte-energy body thing.

Now, I don't know which is true so don't ask...thats why I'm writting this post^^. But anyway....In YOUR opinion (not Robert Bruce's, not your friends, your lover, or whatnot, but YOU).

What do you think is the true nature of OBEs? Most specifically, the astral form itself?

Thanks for any feedback?

[CFTraveler]

First of all, realize that this is not a matter I've given a lot of consideration except for lately, when I've looked at myself and seen a 'ghostly' image of myself.
What is the body I use to go out into the astral? Possibly a light energy body, equivalent to my physical body but massless- possibly created by my physical body (which is made of energy anyway) possibly through the chakras (only because they seem very active at the moment of separation.) Another idea is that there is no real astral body- That my present consciousness is used to the idea of having a body so it 'creates' one for me via my imagination- that my astral body is just a hypnagogic hallucination designed to keep me feeling 'safe', while my consciousness explores.
I don't really know the answers to these questions- I've never thought I 'actually' had an astral or etheric body- Yet I have perceived energy signatures of things I've gone through, so I figured something went through to feel them.

That's really good, CF! And, I like the fact that you didn't come to any "conclusion". Leaves it open to expand the thinking. What you said makes so much sense...if we are made up of mostly "possibility" and a very tiny amount of actual "physical matter", then it's easy to see that we are mostly consciousness. If that is true, then we may be creating the illusion that we have an etheric body, just as we may be creating the illusion that we have a physical body. Brilliant observations! I'm going to have to write that one down and save it. :D

[enoch]

Ketamine can induce OBE, aswell as other things (like electromagnetism) so I'm assuming, for now, that it's merely a brain thang, maan.

[DarkCloud]

Good...However, I don't really think its right to just chalk it up all to "imagination"....I get what your saying, normal people can't determine what is fact or reality...we can only make assumptions...

However, albeit imagination or not, that doesn't change the fact that it has actual existance and is real...

REAL but probably not REALITY...I hope I'm being clear.

I really don't buy the fact that its just a "brain" thing -- people who usually just go with that are just looking too much into science to explain everything. Not saying you are, though. It's just that its too expansive a subject to placed in the "all in your head" catoegory.

Any other opinions?

[enoch]

I get what you're saying. Even what would be described as an hallucination has a reality. If it can experienced then it is real...just not a norm, that's all. I think in time, it will be left to science to probe and eventually explain everything, even the spirit. It's not that I'm perceiving this "us and them" world where science sits in one corner and spiritualism in the other. In fact, for us to construct a complete picture of the universe and our role in it, we would need to unite all areas of study. The only reason I believe that science will have the last say is because it is the most successful of methods and (and this is important) the field attracts the greatest minds.

I don't know what happened to the conclusion made a few years back that stimulation of the right angular gyrus causes obe. I'm looking into that.

At the end of the day, even when science has fathomed the causes of obe completely and have developed a safe and accepted piece of apparatus that will allow everyone to experience obe for themselves, (such as attaching electrodes to the head or similar) there will still be subdivisions who claim that they possess the ability to have "true" or "real" obe's and everyone elses are fake or "not really obe." But that's a case for behaviourists, in my opinion :P

[Dais]

Well heres what I think

That this soul thing is actually not spiritual at all, but is only are consious mind/memories/awarness.

I think that when we project we actually put are soul in to an already exsisting energy force and make it give us a body to put are soul in because we are thaught to function in that manner. we are are forcing form on formless energys to carry us so to speake.

And going to other dimensions is tuneing into diffrent types of energys that can have archetecture that we can interact with or see or percive anyway.

I think God is it own type of consious energy and has no actual form. Thier for could be every were at once.

I could be all sciense and drawn out logic, But I find this way to be the shortest.

[enoch]

Science does put a grey hue on everything it touches, mainly because those attracted to the sciences are cynical old gits anyway :P But, they've helped us out no end, and hindered our progress disastrously...swings and roundabouts. Life has to be aesthetically pleasing for me, which is why I use my imagination and vision a great deal. I'd much rather something as fantasic and awe-inspiring as obe be a result of the immortal energy body...and maybe it is. But to ignore the sober meanderings of your common Einsteins is asking for trouble...as stuffy and earthy as they are

[Aunt Clair]

What IS the Astral Form?Thanks for any feedback?
Imo, the energy body , the physical body , the mind , the spirit and the soul are linked in life and afterlife but are seperate components .

The energy body is the aura ,the subtle body layers and the alchemical structures within it including but not limited to the chakras, tan tiens and pillars . It is a vibration which we carry into the next life . We do not put it on again like a suit of clothes but when we incarnate we are at the last vibration attained and we thus have all the structures of that vibration again .

The physical body is muscle , tissue , organs etc .It decays at death and is an empty shell .

The mind is much more than the brain matter . Here is the home of consciousness which is split many times like facets of a jewel . A part resides with the soul to reincarnate as future lives and a part resides with the spirit . When we incarnated to this body a part continued to reside external to it , we are part of the universal mind and part is as one with Godhead .

The spirit is finite . It has one life as that personality . It might stay active for a long time in service to known loved ones or as a guide or a Mahatma or it may RIP.

The astral form is defined by the projection and their vibration and will vary accordingly .

If the projector is like most humans ,then it is unaware and projects without recall or intention .It gains little to sustain a vibration from one life to the next and is as a shadow in the afterlife .

If however the vibration is raised , then the projector will learn to separate from the form called the physical body and choose the most advantageous form of projection which will carry consciousness and be controlled by the projector .

If the projector comes out of the male tan tien in OBE , they vibe out and project a monochrome silhouette which is rose to pink if female and blue to sapphire if male . The basic nature is expressed .The female is magnetic and indigo and comes out as the oppoiste like the glove of this light . The male is red and electric and exits as water . This form is called the etheric body . It is heavy and it can walk or fly but it does not ascend to the realms as it is too full of water and earth elements hermetically .

If the projector fills with more earth, they may travel the lower realms by lowering their vibration to red in this manner .

When the projector exits from the female tan tien it is non gender specific . They will exit as a uv green mental body which has their face and skin colour but has a wispy genie style body without arms that is about 1/3 their adult size . This body is all air element and can ascend to higher realms .

We can project from each tan tien or chakra here are some examples
Being able to control the nature of the hermetic body allows such a menu;
silver down within
purple cosmic self universal mind up
platinum blue female tan tien as consciousness ie rv
green air mental self up to ascend
yellow higher self out front
orange lower self out back
salmon red male tan tien split as etheric self rose or indigo
red earth self down

As we project to the Astral, we might take any of these forms with us so the Astral "Form" is a loose and variable construct .

I find all that Robert has written on this to be held as truths to me and from that I expand as based upon my own metaphysical experience and clairvoyant sight .

I suggest reading a variety of perspectives and then going straight to the source to confirm it . What makes Robert so valuable is that he did just this . He was a Hermetic Magician and Mystic long before he began to write prolifically about his metaphysical experiences . And because he is humble ,when he finds what he previously held to be a truth is invalid or can be more clearly stated then he edits his work accordingly . There are few authors of his caliber, alive .

[man68]

Ketamine can induce OBE, aswell as other things (like electromagnetism) so I'm assuming, for now, that it's merely a brain thang, maan.

Electromagnetism can induce OBE? How's that ? please explain more...

DarkCloud said:

REAL but probably not REALITY...I hope I'm being clear.
Perfectly clear and in line with what I believe to be true. In other words, what we experience is real on this level, but ultimately is not the true reality.

Dais said:

That this soul thing is actually not spiritual at all, but is only are consious mind/memories/awarness.
While I agree that you do not need to look at the soul and it's experiences from a spiritual standpoint, your next quote here is really what most people who consider themselves to be spiritual believe:

Dais said:

I think God is it own type of consious energy and has no actual form. Thier for could be every were at once.

So, while you may not wish to be labeled "spiritual" for one reason or another, you are basically stating what most spiritualists consider a truth. Most would go one step farther, saying that the conscious energy that has no form is made primarily of love, and that is what we are all evolving back to. If this sounds a bit too silly or cutesy, imagine that you are on your deathbed. Now, assuming that your consciousness will end up somewhere after your physical body dies, what do most people think is the only thing they can take with them? As the Beatles once sang, "And, in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make". If you have ever worked with or been around people who are dying, love is the last thing that they are thinking of. Love of their family, friends, and the love that they failed to give when they had an opportunity. With that many people with the same thing on their mind, it seems there must be some truth to it. This even goes for people who don't consider themselves religious or spiritual. Of course, there are always the few who don't relate to this on their deathbed, but they are the minority.

From my viewpoint, the soul is the umbrella form that contains all of our experiences (mind, body, spirit, astral, emotions, logic/science, memories, awareness, etc.). So, the astral form would be just a subset of the actual soul.