| The term "astral projection" is used to describe a | | | | about it in their texts. |
| paranormal phenomenon in which a person's | | | | However, if you ask the scientists and the rationalists |
| consciousness leaves his/her physical body and | | | | what an astral projection, they might tell you that it is a |
| travels outside independent of it. This experience is | | | | "figment of the imagination," "a trick of an over |
| also called out-of-body experience (OOBE), since the | | | | imaginative mind," "hallucination," or "something that |
| consciousness or mind or soul or astral body or | | | | cannot be taken seriously" because there is "no |
| whatever you wish to call it leaves the body. Since | | | | evidence" for it. Neurologists think that an OOBE takes |
| people on the threshold of death sometimes have an | | | | place when the brain confuses between visual and |
| OOBE, the phenomenon of consciousness leaving the | | | | tactile inputs. |
| physical body is also called near death experience | | | | One cannot say for sure exactly what astral traveling |
| (NDE). | | | | is because no two astral experiences are alike. Once |
| Hundreds and thousands of people claim to have | | | | they are out of their bodies, people find themselves in |
| experienced an astral projection or an out-of-body | | | | different domains. They may find themselves in |
| experience (OOBE) or an NDE. Real-life accounts of | | | | populated or lonely spots. They may travel on earth or |
| OOBEs have been published in various astral traveling | | | | roam in astral realms. Some of them can even access |
| books in the sixties and seventies. However, there is | | | | the Akashic Records. |
| no scientific evidence to prove that astral travel is real. | | | | How do people have OOBEs? Most of the time, it |
| We only have the recorded experiences of people | | | | happens spontaneously. In some, the OOBE happens |
| who claim that they have had an OOBE. | | | | in extreme situations such as tragic accidents or |
| The idea of consciousness leaving the physical body, | | | | mental traumas. Drug and alcohol abuse can also lead |
| however, is hardly new. The ancients knew exactly | | | | to astral projection. Recently, a technological |
| what astral projection is, perhaps more than we do | | | | development called binaural beats claims to give you |
| now. The Classical, Medieval, Renaissance, | | | | an OOBE in a jiffy. |
| Theosophist, and Rosicrucian philosophies spoke about | | | | You can have an OOBE too. You will know exactly |
| the astral body as a link between the soul and the | | | | what AP is when you actually experience one. There |
| physical body. The ancient Egyptians spoke about the | | | | are innumerable techniques for people who wish to |
| ability of the soul to leave the physical body in a subtle | | | | have the experience. Some commonly used |
| body, which they referred to as "ka." The Egyptians | | | | techniques are relaxation, meditation, visualization, and |
| also mentioned the silver cord, which links the astral | | | | so on. Adopt one that best suits you and experience it |
| body to the physical body throughout the life of an | | | | for yourself. Only then will you know what astral |
| individual and is broken only at death. The Chinese and | | | | projection is. |
| the Indians also knew about astral traveling and wrote | | | | |