HW9: Suicide and NDE

There are times when we feel like everything is falling apart; life seems so difficult and some people just can't take such difficulty and they feel like they only have one way out -- taking their own lives.

Just recently, I've lost a friend from suicide. She was a very loyal friend, a good student, and a very loving daughter to her parents. I remember a lot of people grieving. It was so hard for me to fight back my tears when I saw her lying in her coffin and most especially when I saw the grief and suffering of her family and other love ones from her loss.

What these suicide victims ignore and most of the time just fail to realize, their actions could drastically damage their families emotionally and that in itself is the real tragedy. It has been said a suicide dies only once, but those left behind die inside everyday trying to look for reasons why. Karmic penalties are results from hurting others, as revealed by NDEs. However, not all suicides inflict serious damage, nor do all suicides have negative consequences.

There are both very beautiful and hellish accounts of NDEs. This suggests that the act of suicide itself isn't a factor in determining the quality of the NDE.

I came across an article in the Near Death site about the connection of NDE and suicide. In the said article, Dr. George Ritchie, who miraculously returned to life after dying of pneumonia, learned about what happens to the people who commits suicide. He stated that the quality of life a person initially finds after suicide is influenced by their motive for committing it. He classifies suicide in 3 ways:

- Those who kill themselves in order to hurt someone, get revenge, or to kill themselves out of hatred for someone else. According to Ritchie, these people haunt the living by being aware of every horrible consequence their suicide had on others.

-those who, because of mental illness, confusion, terminal illness, take their own life. Ritchie states these people are allowed many opportunities from God to grow in love just as any other person would who had not committed suicide. In other words, there are negative consequences for them.

-those who kill themselves from drug, alcohol, or any other addiction. According to Ritchie, these people can become stuck in limbo, trying in vain to satisfy their addiction until eventually something frees them. This condition is often called an earthbound condition.

NDEs reveal there is no condemnation from God for our actions. The problem many suicides face after death is the difficulty of forgiving themselves for the horror they put people through by taking their own life. When you die, it is only the physical body that ceases to function, so any emotion- whether it be love, hate, guilt you had in the physical world, you'll still have it in the spiritual.

Don't ever think that every suffering just ends when you kill yourself. It's not how the world works! You're only trying to run away from yourself, and trust me when I say you can never run from yourself. If you're trpped in an abusive situation, seek for help. Do something today to help yourself. You are the one who can make it better, but only if you seek help.

For me, being able to read about the experiences of people who got back from the dead inspires me to live more and gives me courage to face the challenges that life throws at me. No matter what you believe in, these things are very helpful in teaching you to trust and love yourself. Through all the pain and sufferings, just don't give up, keep trying, hang in there, and I'm sure sooner or later you'll feel glad that you did. 

HW8: Astral intimacy: Is it possible?

Experiences in the astral plane can be either a spiritual journey or physical. For those who seek a non-spiritual journey, there is one theme that intrigues most of them -- Astral sex. It is considered as one of the most discussed topics about astral projection. When the OBE and the most craving desire of the human race meets, it builds a union above and beyond the limits of gratification.

Meeting out of body is possible when two people can project at the same time. They can interact on an energy level as energy forms and enjoy greater gratification than what is possible with entirely physical sex

They can merge completely together, and become one with each other. This enables them to make fantasies become real shared experiences. They can experience a union that is more complete than what is limited by the physical.It is completely on a pure energy level.

Carl Llewellyn Weschcke said it best in his book "Astral Projection for Psychic Empowerment", "every physical action has an astral reaction, and nearly everything sexual is accompanied by emotion, the very substance of the astral plane." 

For Robert Bruce, astral sex is a human-nature complication of consciousness while out of body. It can cause problems, and is a natural barrier of test for the development of OBE. I don't think Robert Bruce is against astral sex, he's just advising one avoid it for sexual desire can be so strong, and it could distract a person who wants to learn more about projecting. Physical sex isn't the same as astral sex. In astral sex, you are not seeking physical gratification, but more of a union of energy or what not. The desire seems similar probably because that is how we relate it to what we know of from the physical, but it's much more and beyond what is achievable here.

What makes me wonder is that why would anyone want astral sex when they can make love in the real world? Probably, astral sex fills up the missing element of the physical love making in a way that this process lets you connect with your partner to a much deeper spiritual and emotional level. Moreover, the love making takes place between two astral bodies therefore they are not bound to follow the guidelines in the physical world.

If it's between a couple in real life, astral sex has the ability to energize and induce a dull and boring sex life with intensity and joy. It helps couples create a greater level of intimacy for each other which in turn, also enhance them as individuals.

HW3: Bridging the Yin and the Yang: Science and Spirituality

The thought that has been lying in my head struck me as I was reading an online article about the existence at the viewpoint of a mystic and a scientist. Does science provide the basis for the existence of every single thing in this world? If so, where does that leave spirituality?

For the most part, I am very much into spiritual things as it captured my interest and I don't have a doubt in my mind that God is the bedrock of existence. Science, as I see it, is created by God himself.
When these two things meet, nothing is probably more interesting than this!

In the documentary I've watched entitled, Quantum Activist (2009),  Dr. Amit Goswami often speaks of something called 'quantum nonlocality'. This term simply means that events and connections can happen outside of space and time as we know it.

The following experiment were explained by Goswami in the said documentary:

• Two meditators were put in separate rooms by a team of scientists. These of course weren't just regular rooms but Faraday Cages -- soundproofed and shielded from all forms of electro-magnetic radiation, which means all the forms of energy and magnetism that exist in “regular” space time as we know it are blocked

• Each meditator was instructed to go into a neutral meditative state while having their brainwaves monitored. Meditator A is shown a screen with an image on it, and she is told to look at it while intending to connect to the other meditator, while Meditator B remains neutral in state

• As Meditator A looks at the image, her brainwaves shift. As she intends to connect to Meditator B, who isn’t focusing on doing anything but a neutral meditation, Meditator B’s brainwaves start to match Meditator A’s brainwaves. Remember, all normal EM radiation is completely blocked by the Faraday Cage. Goswami’s claim is this connection that was created from one meditator to another was happening outside of space/time as we know it, which Goswami says is quantum nonlocality.

When I witnessed these events, it truly amazed me. It’s really interesting that their brain waves were able to match albeit the 'electro-magnetic radiation' blocking. I am still trying to fully understand what this quantum nonlocality exactly is. It's apparent that something beyond scientific comprehension was happening here.

In my point of view, science is useful and powerful, so is spirituality on so many deeper levels. It seems that there are enlightened ones in the past who already know about the connection of consciousness and reality, who tried to push the boundaries of mainstream science.

So what do you think of Science and Spirituality? Do you think they are compatible?

HW2: Religion and Near Death Experiences

I do believe in the afterlife, and I am aware that other people don't and that's fine. Even before my research has shown me that the near-death experience is not some kind of anomaly, I've always believed that when I die, it's not yet the end of me - that there's something waiting for me on the other side. One of the major factors that contributed to my belief on the afterlife is my religion. Growing up in a Catholic household and having studied in a Catholic school all the way to high school, I learned about God, and other stuff such as the concept of the afterlife, heaven and hell, purgatory, etc. I gained a deeper understanding with the concept of the afterlife as time went by and as I listened to other religious organizations' point of view.

As I was surfing online, I've found a comprehensive survey of NDE studies titled “The Near Death Experience” by Glenn Roberts and John Owen. They observed that the specifics of NDEs often correspond to a person’s particular religious beliefs:

•  In NDEs, the American Indians' dominant imagery is of moccasins, snakes, eagles, bows, and arrows. 

•  Asian Indians have NDEs in which they are characteristically sent back to live because of a seeming bureaucratic mistake having been made in the after-life, and many encounter Yamraj, the Hindu king of the dead, and the Yamdoots, his messengers.

• In one large and systematic cross-cultural study of Americans and Asian Indians who had NDEs, 140 people reported seeing religious figures; “where these figures were specifically identified, they were always named according to a person’s religious beliefs; no Hindu reported seeing Jesus, and no Christian reported seeing a Hindu deity.”

In other words, a person’s previously held religious beliefs pattern the nature of the NDE, which supports the view of many authors that, while the central features the NDE are universally present due to pan-human biological and neural systems, the mental images and interpretation is determined by the cultural beliefs and expectations of the individual.

Hence, as a Christian, I might see Jesus or an angel; whereas, a Muslim who has a near death experience might see Muhammad; a Buddhist may see Siddhartha; a Hindu may see Krishna or Vishnu; a Lakota might see Wakan Tanka, and so on. What this pattern suggests is that NDEs are a matter of consciousness and not metaphysics.

Do Animals Astral Project?

Ever since I was a kid, I discovered animals have a sixth sense which gives them the ability to detect certain natural or spiritual phenomena. I am not the type of kid who goes to bed early unless I am asked or even compelled to. Every night, I hear dogs barking and howling. I knew they were seeing something that appears invisible to me. There was even a time when a next-door neighbor of us was terminally ill and their pet dog just won't stop howling for weeks. I really think it's amazing how these pet animals sense stuff.

So I began to wonder, can our pets astral project too? Our pets already sense spirits. Astral travel is knowingly performed through humans controlling the location and scenery in the astral plane. Nevertheless, pets have lucid dreams as well as nightmares. Are pets able to astral travel? 

I've seen dogs lightly barking while having a dream. You can suggest they're having a nightmare. What about an animal taking part in astral travel? Are pets intelligent enough to astral travel?  Most pet owners will identify their pets as intelligent animals. But, are their pets intelligent enough to knowingly astral travel to another astral world beyond this physical world? In my opinion, there is no way to know whether a dog or a cat can astral travel to another dimension. However, if pets can sense spirits that are around the house since their hearing senses are much more advanced than human hearing senses, there's a possibility that a pet can astral travel as a means to escape an abusive household, or sadness since they (dogs)have the same brain structures that produce emotions in humans.  

According to Richard Webster, his astral travel books are mostly written to convey astral travel through the human experience. There is no recollection of  past experiments monitoring or detailing pets who astral travel. How would humans know if their pets astral projected? Honestly, I believe pets can astral travel. They probably have astral projected many times without knowingly understanding the experience.

I've read something from Robert Bruce's book, Astral Dynamics about this matter. In his experience, animals project regularly, especially pets. He has frequently observed pets and other animals roaming the real-time zone. He has also observed his own pets exiting their bodies, which he described as a really fascinating sight.  Animals are rarely seen projecting in higher levels of the astral planes, he frequently encounter them in lower regions accompanying their human friends.

Conducting experiments on pets who astral travel make for some great research. Comparing animal and human brain waves can determine whether astral travel is possible in the animal world. As advanced as our scientists are in the present time, they really don't have the answer on the astral plane, death, and the afterlife. Since animals have minds they're able to control and Astral projection requires a strong, clear mind to experience uncontrollable and controllable events, I believe animals can Astral Project. Dogs, gorillas and monkeys are the most intelligent among the animal species. I believe dogs can astral project into an astral world. They might not understand astral projection, but they can probably control their mind in the astral plane.

Since we, humans, are the only ones who are capable of language that can express the richness of spiritual experience, it is unlikely we will ever know with certainty what an animal subjectively experiences.  Regardless of this restraint, it is still acceptable to conclude that since the most primitive areas of the human brain happen to be spiritual, then we can expect that animals are also capable of spiritual experiences. 

When Astral Projection Goes Mainstream

Have you ever wondered what would happen if Astral Projection gets proven by science? Mainstream science dismisses astral projection out of hand as being impossible because it breaks the law of physics. It is considered to be a product of imagination, dreams, or hallucinations. For this reason, many people are still skeptical about it.  In Astral projection's defense, the laws of physics doesn't apply in the astral world either. In the astral world, people can fly, walk through walls, or even teleport.  

How is reality defined anyway? Reality is defined by Bob Towbridge of Helium as that which is present to the senses, that which is measurable, that which is universally agreed upon. Or, in some sciences, reality is that whose effect can be seen. He also stated that science believes that it can fully understand reality with the scientific method. It believes in objectivity. Science is limited to the natural and physical world, and so is the process of verification. Can one dispose the idea since we simply lack equipment to control/monitor something when it occurs? 

Physical tools are designed for the physical reality. What do we need for the non-physical reality? Well, probably it's a non-physical tool also known as an 'educated' mind.  

If Astral Projection could be proven by mainstream science and practiced by the masses with the help of the most technologically-advanced devices known to man, what would the world be like then? The thing about science and technology is that, it can be both a gift and a curse. It depends on how we utilize it. The thing about humans is that they to tend be irresponsible and abusive. We either use something for welfare or warfare. Look at what people with the worst intentions produced - weapons for mass destruction!

Here is the list of the things that could happen when astral projection gets proven and monitored, courtesy of Anne Moss of Astral Voyage in her article Astral Projection: to prove, or not to prove?

1. A global economic collapse will emerge

Since time and space can be transcended in the astral, imagine what would happen to the financial markets, lottery, elections and sporting events. This would possibly be exploited for personal gain.The possibilities seem almost infinite. There would be groups, particularly the government, large businesses, and organized special interest groups that would make every measure to prevent this, even with terminal action. 

2) Religious beliefs

Although astral projection is known and accepted in many Eastern cultures, it’s still a new concept in the west. Part of the reason is the diversity of religion. It is not encouraged in other religions, especially by 'Christianity' because they believe it's an occult practice. Imagine what would happen if people begin to discover a lot more than what their religions are teaching them. 

3) A different way of living

Passion for life would cease to exist. People will take their physical bodies for granted and no longer struggle to survive since we are already disconnected from the physical reality. What people should realize is that, we are here on earth for a purpose. Spiritual growth cannot be attained without learning from experiences and mistakes. 

However, we can't deny that Astral Projection can have this profoundly powerful impact on people's lives. We don't have to suffer from physical sickness since it can be detected in the aura even before it manifests in the physical. We'd be able to travel the world without dealing with the expenses since travel experiences is within our reach. 
Do we really need any more proof? Probably the best way is to explore it yourself to get personal proof on this.

Astral Horror/Thriller: Movies for the Halloween Mood

With Halloween slowly creeping around the corner, it gives us a little time to get into the mood. If you feel like you're too old for trick or treat, why not sit back, relax, and get spooked by watching a horror or thriller movie with astral themes? We do not hear much about astral horror and thriller movies. According to Astral Projection - movie website, "Astral horror involves movie themes related to astral projection, time travel, astral worlds, and anything conveying spiritual beings outside of the physical world."    

If you're interested to watch astral horror or astral thriller movies, you might want to check these movies out:

A Nightmare on Elm Street 

According to the Astral Writer, In A Nightmare on Elm Street, the dream plane represents the astral plane. In the 1984 film of A Nightmare on Elm Street, the main female character, Nancy, induces an out of body experience to move about the dream world. The astral world is where the astral villain, Freddy Krueger, resides. He seeks revenge on the children of the parents that set him on fire. The characters have little power in the astral world other than realizing their state of being in the dream world - lucid dreaming. Once reality of the dream world is realized, the characters are vulnerable to Freddie's powers.  

Psychic Killer (1975)

This film is rare and hard to find. I've never seen it myself, but from what I've read from a review by Neil Messenger in DVD Cult, it's probably worth watching to satiate my curiosity. 

Gabriel Powers of DVD Active described Arnold Masters, the psychic killer, as a gentle recluse who is confined to an asylum because of being convicted for a murder he didn't commit. Not long after his conviction, his mother died of neglect which led him to devote his life to master the art of astral projection and use it to seek revenge to the people who testified against him.

Insidious (2010)

Insidious made a pretty big noise in Hollywood. The film revolves around a family who struggles to uncover the cause of their son's coma. Three months later, they brought him home and disturbing things begin to occur. The family moved to another house, yet the haunting events didn't stop. That's when they realized that what they're dealing with is beyond human comprehension.

 The Astral Writer explained Insidious and Astral Projection best in his article 'Explanation on astral projection in Insidious movie'. He mentioned that Astral projection is executed in the third act, toward the end of the Insidious movie. The movie focuses on the Astral Hell of the subplanes, which is described as "the most undesired and evil subplanes". Insidious portrays Astral Projection as an act with dangerous vile consequences. 

Always keep in mind that these movies are just for entertainment. If you are interested in learning about Astral Projection techniques, don't let these movies mislead you. If you get scared easily, I suggest you to wait until after you've had your first out of body experience, before checking out these movies. If you intend to go to the Astral plane tonight, don't bother watching any horror movie before you sleep. 

Locating Objects/People Through Remote Viewing

The art of losing is something I have mastered over the years. I've wasted countless times just looking for lost  things and I'm sick of getting disappointed when I couldn't find it. I wish I have mastered the art of finding things instead. Losing things is a daily occurrence for most of us. Other times, you find them when you least expect it. Or when you've done all you can do, you just let go and move on, or probably even seek for divine intervention.

I've always wondered if there's any way we can do besides dealing with it the conventional way. If giving up isn't an option for you, you might want to try this amazing thing called 'Remote Viewing'. It was defined by The Western Institute of Remote Viewing  as "a powerful, teachable, paranormal technique that was developed at Stanford Research Institute and was used by our government for 20 years. When one remote views an object building, a person or an event, one can get a sense of actually being there. One can see and hear the event or person even if it's 20,000 miles away, or even in the past!" Simply put, it's an ability to perceive hidden information.The mind's eye can view something beyond everything that can be viewed by the ordinary eye. It is a form of Astral Projection.What makes Remote Viewing different from Astral Projection is that, in Astral Projection, the consciousness leaves the physical body and goes into the astral plane, and in the former, you see things from outside your body but on the physical plane. By physical plane, I mean the place where we, humans, reside.  

While I was searching for theoretical concepts of Remote Viewing, I stumbled upon a blog post entitled 'Indonesian plane crash remote viewing sessions' written by a remote viewer/blogger named 'Daz'. In his article, he wrote about his remote viewing session that focused on locating the Adam Air Flight KI-574 after its disappearance. Daz was able to identify what happened to the plane/target. He made mention of water, the natural forces and the motion that comes in waves, which apparently implies a body of water. His other descriptions are of an unforeseen event which involves a vehicle and casualties that went underwater. It's clear that he's describing a plane that crashed into the sea/ocean. He located the plane using a pen, paper, and the most important of all, the power of the mind. 


Remote viewing is also known to be useful in locating people. In a news article that was posted a few years ago in Y Net News,  a plausible claim that Saddam Hussein was captured with the help of remote viewing program of the US was made by the celebrity psychic, Uri Geller. He also claims to have worked for the CIA during the Cold War.

“You remember when they found Saddam Hussein in Iraq? A soldier walked over to a rock, lifted it and then found a trap door and found him in there. Well, I know that that soldier walked over to that rock because he got information from a ‘remote viewer’ from the United States.” - Uri Geller, Reuters

Saddam Hussein was captured in his hiding place, a tunnel 6 feet under the ground.  U.S. officials didn't comment on the claims, only stated  that a source close to Saddam revealed his whereabouts upon interrogation. 

In an article of' the Venture Inward, 'RV describes Saddam’s capture before it occurs',  prior to the capture and incarceration of Saddam Hussein, Stephan Schwartz conducted an experiment with his students. Neither Schwartz, nor the students, or anyone in the US knew a single thing about Saddam's whereabouts. The session documents were sealed and secured in a vault. There were two categories that was given specific deliberation: (1) points of consensus concerning Saddam’s physical location; and, 
(2) “low a priori”observations (hard-to-predict details, such as his appearance) about the day of his capture. 

In this particular remote viewing experiment, the event that was described hasn't occurred yet. There were 47 participants, and each of them worked individually. 

Predictions:

1. Saddam will be found beneath an ordinary-looking house in the suburbs of a small village near Tirkit. The house will be a part of a small compound  bordered by a dirt road and a nearby river on the other side.

• “Saddam was found near the village of Adwar in the Tikrit area in a small compound…a river runs nearby, and a road is in front of the compound.”    -  CNN, 16 December 2003

2.  He will be defiant but will not put up any resistance; in fact, he will be tired and dispirited. 

• “He was a tired man, and also a man resigned to his fate.” - Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, commander of U.S. forces news conference in Baghdad, 16 December 2003

3.  He will have a quantity of money with him.

4.  He will only have 2 or 3 supporters with him at the time of his discovery.

• "Troops took two other unidentified Iraqis affiliated with Saddam into custody."

-New York Times, 16 December 2003

5.  He will have a gun with him, but will put up no resistance.

• “Saddam was armed with a pistol, but showed no resistance during his capture.” 

--Virginian Pilot, 16 December 2003

Predictions about Saddam's appearance:

•  Looks like a homeless person
•  Dressed in dark clothing
•  Unkempt “ratty” salt and pepper beard
•  “Wild” hair
•  Disheveled appearance






Remote viewing one of the most exciting areas of psychic research. It's also one of the areas that has the most evidence as well. Even a well-known high profile skeptic agreed that this phenomenon really exists. It has been happening for ages. Some have used it on locating something - a lost/misplaced object, a secret place, or hiding/missing persons. Some have used it to solve crimes, incidents or even complex problems.  
When you enter the realm of the mind, things start to happen. It's as if you can't touch one aspect of the mind without being touched by another. Learning and practicing remote viewing opens up the possibility to experience yourself as your true being. This, in itself, is life changing.

Exercise 1 - Formal Language

For those people who haven't had enough knowledge about Astral Projection, it's rather easy to pick up misconceptions from the inaccurate movies, articles, and poor descriptions of many people. I, for one, am guilty of believing some of them before. Some of these misconceptions are the primary reasons why people are afraid to experience and explore what's beyond the physical world. We, humans, tend to fear the unknown and unfamiliar, and get immobilized by it. 

Misconceptions acquired through the inaccuracies of films, articles, and poor description of people are prevalent among people with a little or no knowledge about Astral Projection. It is believed that these misconceptions are signicant contributing factors that influence fear of experiencing and exploring what’s beyond the physical world. Furthermore, the fear of the unknown and unfamiliar is a normal human behavior that often has an immobilizing effect to an individual. 

Common Astral Projection Myths Demystified

For those people who haven't had enough knowledge about Astral Projection, it's rather easy to pick up misconceptions from the inaccurate movies, articles, and poor descriptions of many people. I, for one, am guilty of believing some of them before. Some of these misconceptions are the primary factors people are afraid to experience and explore what's beyond the physical world. We, humans, tend to fear the unknown and unfamiliar, and get immobilized by it. 

I used to worry about the negative entities I might encounter while I'm away from my physical body. By negative entities, I mean demonic creatures, evil spirits, and those other creatures who intend to do you harm.  This fear stopped me from being able to astral project. I learnt that these entities are parasites; they feed on your fear. You are actually inviting them when you are afraid.

Let me list down the common misconceptions I have come across with over the years.  Let's get the record straight and unlearn what you have learnt.

~ You could die while Astral Projecting.
People have been asking me if one could die while Astral Projecting. According to Dream Herbs, nothing can harm you during Astral Projection. The only possibility that you will die is when someone kills your physical body. If you're actually asking if it's possible that a negative entity could kill you, it is highly unlikely because your body is immaterial. In other words, if you don't wanna die whilst Astral Projecting, choose a safe space to sleep. 

~ You can get lost while travelling in the astral plane.
Most people I know got this wrong idea from the movie Insidious. The truth is, Insidious is a misrepresentation of what Astral Projection really is. Astral practitioners say that the physical body is attached to the astral body through what we call ' Silver Cord'. This Silver Cord provides us with a quick return to our body whenever needed or if there's a slight disturbance in our physical body. Thus, it's not possible to get lost. 

~ The physical body can be possessed while you're astral body is detached from it.
Some people argue that since you are no longer in your physical body, it is vulnerable to possession. Possession is highly impossible, unless you let them take over your body. Moreover, there is no way another entity can possess another body without being that entity. 

Anne said it best in her article entitled 'Possession', " I think of my body similar to that of a "fingerprint"; it is unique and only for myself, and you would have to have a "match" to get back in (or we'd all be accidentally possessing other people!) Possession is extremely rare and is typically associated with deeply troubled youths, or deranged people, NOT astral projectors." If you happen to see another entity standing right next to your physical body, remember that there is no way that it can overpower you. The best way is to ignore them and call for help from the higher beings. If you're still not satisfied, surround your physical body with white light protection before you take off to the astral plane. 


Hopefully, these few myths I listed got you enlightened. Keep in mind that Astral Projection is a mind power and you can control what you wanna see in the astral realm. Keep your vibrations higher by being positive, and everything else will follow. If you have the best intentions, what's there to fear? As the bible says, "Ask and you will receive". Ask for guidance from above and they would protect you and keep you away from danger.

Astral Projection vs. Near Death Experience

To live in this world is not an easy thing, but it sure is a pleasure to have an opportunity to live. However, there also exists a fact of life called death. The inevitable truth is, all of us will die at some point. Some people who had close brushes with death even had a glimpse of the afterlife, something we call as 'Near-Death-Experience'. Based on studies, people who experienced this have a changed viewpoint in life; they are more spiritually engaged.

Just recently, some people showed interest on my topic and put forth a question, "Is Astral Projection just like Near Death Experience?" Even though I was able to give them answers, I still wasn't satisfied. I thought I have to research further and juxtapose those two concepts. 

Astral Projection and Near Death Experience are two concepts which are often misunderstood by people. Near Death Experience was defined by Steve G. Jones as "an instance when a person comes really close to the point of dying. In fact, the person may be pronounced clinically dead for a few minutes or seconds before being revived again." 

According to Steve Jones, Astral Projection and Near Death Experience have their own distinct characteristics. He mentioned it in his article entitled "Near Death Experiences and Astral Projection: How They Are Related and What We Can Learn." In the said article, he stated the key characteristics of Near Death Experience or NDE as following:

• People usually have NDEs when they are clinically dead, or on the verge of it, but finally resuscitated. As a result, the recorded incidents of this happening often occur in a hospital or a similar setting.

This experience is very unlikely to be Astral Projection since Astral Projection can be achieved without having a  near encounter with death. 

•  There is usually a light, usually white, which seems to beckon the person towards it. This theme is found throughout religious and cultural history.

From what I know, the white light are rarely spoken of by Astral Projectors. In Astral Projection, you wouldn't have to go through a white light or a tunnel. You have an option to go wherever you want to go as long as it's within the limits.

• Also common to NDEs is an experience of the events of one’s life passing in your mind’s eye, or before you, in an instant, and an understanding of all of the triumphs and tragedies, and some kind of understanding, sometimes akin to a feeling of forgiveness, or wholeness, afterwards.

Astral Projection can be controlled - it could be at will; whereas, in Near Death Experience, it is something beyond your control. 

I have never experienced Near Death Experience and I think people who have experienced both Astral Projection and Near Death Experience are only the ones who are qualified to make factual statements. Anyway, based on the stated facts, NDEs are far more esoteric. Once your life is over and when you cross over the tunnel or white light, what's there on the other side? Moreover, NDEs are closer to reality than Astral experiences, but both are considered anecdotal. In conclusion, the two aren't quite the same but they are related; both are forms of spiritual travel.

Let me end this post with an interesting story I've read from News Monster

Jeanette Atkinson is surprisingly relaxed about the time she died and went to the edge of heaven.

“I do not want to die again in the near future because I still have too much to do,” she says. “But I have no fear of death.

“People see the pain and suffering of dying and equate that with death - but they’re not the same. Death is the progression of life.”

Jeanette, a 43-year-old student nurse from Eastbourne, had a near-death experience in 1979 when she was just 18-years-old. It was triggered when a blood clot in her leg broke up into seven pieces and clogged the main vessels in her lungs, starving her body of oxygen. The doctors were certain that she would die. She did – but then returned to tell the tale.

“The first thing I noticed was that the world changed,” says Jeanette. “The light became softer but clearer. Suddenly there was no pain. All I could see was my body from the chest downwards and I noticed that the time was 9:00pm. 

“In an instant I found myself looking at the ceiling. It was only a few inches away. I remember thinking it was about time they cleaned the dust from the striplights!

“I then went on a little journey around the ward and along the corridor to see what the nurses were up to. One was writing on a notepad. It never occurred to me that I was dying. It was a lovely experience and very, very serene.”

Jeanette then began the journey that many others before her have reported – being drawn into a long dark tunnel suffused with light.  “Everything went fuzzy,” she says. “I found myself being drawn into a tunnel shaped like a corkscrew.

“All I wanted to do was reach the beautiful lights at the bottom. The longing was so powerful but so gentle. I knew I desperately wanted to be there. But then a voice bellowed at me: ‘Come on you silly old cow it’s not your time yet!’

“I then shot back into my body – it’s all a little unclear – all I can say is that I remember seeing the clock again and it was 9:20pm. The next thing I was aware of was waking up a few days later, surrounded by equipment and feeling terrible. Later on I realised that the voice I’d heard was my grandmother’s. She’d died when I was three years old.”

“There is no doubt in my mind that there’s life after death because I’ve seen the other side,” says Jeanette. “I don’t believe in a benevolent God. I’ve seen too much suffering for that but I’m very spiritual."

Astral Projection - The Early History

In simple terms, Astral Projection is the ability to leave one's physical body. The idea of it is not new. In fact, it has been practiced by mankind for more than a hundred centuries. Although considered anecdotal, many people have documented accounts of Astral Projection; and some, if not many, scientists have already conducted research on Astral Projection. To have knowledge about this thing is interesting, but experiencing it is much more fascinating. However, where did this global phenomenon originate? Does anyone even know where this came from? Or did it just pop into existence out of nowhere?

As I don't want to leave any questions hanging over my head unanswered, I looked for answers and stumbled upon an article entitled "History of the Out-of-Body Experience" by Wagner Alegretti, president of International Academy of Consciousness. Based on his article, Astral projection has its accounts of history on different cultures and beliefs. It dates all the way back to Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece, continuing through the Middle Ages to the Modern Era.

• Ancient Egypt (between 5,000 & 3,000 yrs. ago) - The Ancient Egyptians used hieroglyphics as a record/depiction of how the Astral Body (Kha) leaves the physical body.

• Ancient Greece - There are depictions at the Temple of Eleusis, where the practice of OBE was highly considered. The works of Plato, Hermotimus of Clazomene, Herodotus, and the historian Plutarch of Queronia. 

• Modern Era - Scholars emerged in the 18th & 19th century. Books were even published.

It was also mentioned that Astral Projection has its many accounts in the Bible. The prophets seem to have visions when they're out of their physical bodies. Listed below are the all of the few mentioned by Wagner Alegretti with little explanations I learned from John Magnus in his book entitled "Astral Projection and the Nature of Reality: Exploring the Out-of-Body State":

- The Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the LORD upon me. (New International Version, Eze 3:14)

The revelation by John took place in a different dimension, somewhere outside the physical world.

- On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea." (Rev 1:10-11)

Prophet Paul relayed a message to the Corinthians in his second sermon:

- I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know--God knows. (2 Cor 12:2)

John Magnus explained, "it is believed that Paul was referring to himself. This example hints at the difficulty in formulating astral experiences into words. Telepathy is widely used outside the physical, and the emotions and understandings that are transmitted between minds are not easily translated into words."

Throughout the history, skeptics have questioned the legitimacy of Astral Projection. People who manifested their  astral encounters were ridiculed. They say it is just pure hallucination. The Catholic Church is even claiming that Astral Projection is evil; they consider it a sin. How could a natural ability considered as a sin? It's like saying we, humans, are evil in nature.  

It's interesting to trace the history of this phenomenon. Its origin is still debatable because of the different cultures'  claims. Notwithstanding, it's safe to say that it's now a universal idea. People of different beliefs, cultures, and races have their own accounts of Astral encounters. Scientists are still interested with this notion because mainstream science can't explain nor prove it. Thus, they deny its existence.   

Astral Projection: An Introduction

Have you ever experienced waking up from your sleep and having memories of flying?  How about having such an intense daydream that you thought you were rising out up to the ceiling? Without even knowing it, you've already experienced travelling to the astral plane. 

Not so long ago, I've had an experience where I thought I was awake. I got up from bed and for unknown reasons, I checked my brother out, then I went back to sleep. Suddenly, I felt a cold tingling sensation or vibrations all over my body  then I opened my eyes. Later on, I discovered that I just Astral Projected. 

On a similar note, while browsing the web today, I came across an article on Astral Projection written by J. Shell. 

He pointed out the difference between Astral Travelling, which is a process of projecting the "consciousness" into visual scenes - i.e. in meditation or temple work - with the effect of "feeling" we are actually "there," and Astral Projection, which is the process of projecting our "Astral counterpart" with the effect of "knowing" we are actually "there". 

He also classified Astral Projection into 4 types: Involuntary with no "consciousness", Involuntary with "consciousness", Voluntary with no "consciousness," also known as Remote Viewing, and "Voluntary with "consciousness". In Astral Projection, it is our emotional body (Astral Body) that actually leaves the body and the Astral body is connected to the Physical body through a silver cord.

Have you ever wondered why we Astral Project? What makes it so important and valuable? J Shell listed down few of the reasons why we have OBEs: 

• Learning. Life training does not stop when we go to sleep. Much information and active work continues on the Astral Planes, particularly during spiritual training.

• Teaching. Spiritual teaching often continues on the Astral levels, where it is easier to make connection with the subconscious minds of students.

• Healing. Much active healing work is done by Astral Projection, enabling the healer to become closer to the origins of disease, and avoid "blockages" put up by skeptical or worried clients.

• Protecting. There are those who are specially trained to work with victims of suicide, accidental death, genocide, war, and protection of the earth generally.

• Resolving Problems. Personal problems and underlying worries are often "lived out" and resolved during sleep.

• Wider Perception. A clearer and more objective viewpoint can be gleaned by "looking down" from a higher level than the present personality is able to sustain. Even though we may not seem to remember this, there is often a definite change of attitude after such experience.

Like what J. Shell said in his article, some are more complex than others, and require very specialized training.As for the cause of Astral Projection, he mentioned that "the common cause is through anxiety and worry over particular problems in everyday life, although most people do this quite unconsciously." "Those who "consciously" project are often aware of passing through towns at night, where worried incarnate people have projected quite unconsciously to queue at post offices, banks etc., or are busily trying to resolve problems in the local pub! It is in this way that the majority of people find ways of addressing their difficulties, and that is why things often look much "better" in the morning than they do at night".

Conscious Astral Projection requires practice and effort. From what I've read in a forum way back when I was new to Astral Projection, you'll have to use some special techniques and of course, a desire to go Astral. You could even use Binaural beats or the more advanced version, the Isochronic tones.

On a final note, Astral projection is an innate ability that anyone can experience.It is something which each person already possesses. There are those who can astral project at will and those who have much less success with the technique. Practice makes the difference.