Update: March 8th–The Journeys Out of the Body Giveaway has closed. I’d like to thank everyone who entered. I’ll be in touch with the winners in a day or two. Thanks again.Though I still haven’t been working on writing any new spiritual or self-help blog entries for Wind of the Soul, I’ve desperately wanted to get back to hosting uplifting and consciousness expanding giveaways. And, in the coming months, that’s exactly what I’ll be doing. I have some ideas for a Wind of the Soul – “Pay It Forward” type project in 2010, with the uplifting giveaways being a major part of that project. So, to kick this first giveaway off for ‘10, I’m giving away two, brand new copies of Robert Monroe’s seminal work on astral projection: “Journeys Out of the Body.”

While the book isn’t necessarily a how-to on OBE, it does provide fascinating details into Mr. Monroe’s early excursions along the astral plane. And, it gives great insight into his mindset during those initial experiences; back when he was a stranger in a very foreign land.

Journeys Out of the Body provided an enormous amount of education and comfort for me during my initial out-of-body experiences and I can’t recommend it enough.

If you plan on entering this giveaway (and I hope you do), I only ask one thing – here’s where the pay it forward part comes into play. I’m asking that you find at least one person in need of some assistance, and you provide it for them.

Sounds simple enough right? If you’re interested in the type of subjects I’ve written and podcasted about, then you probably already help others on a regular basis anyway. However, I’m presenting this more as a challenge than a request for doing what you’re already accustomed to doing.

The “challenge” is for you to get outside the box of your normal good deeds and do something very different. Naturally, I’m not suggesting you put yourself in harm’s way or do anything crazy, but I am saying it should be something beyond what you usually do. For example, I usually do nice things for people whenever I’m out in public, such as holding doors, smiling, giving someone my grocery cart, letting someone go ahead of me in line, lifting something heavy for a person, etc.

Yet, in doing that, I’ve grown very comfortable in my routine and I rarely challenge myself to do a radically different kind of good deed. Basically, I’m talking about doing something that takes more than thirty seconds of our time. I’m talking about getting involved in something that may take ten, twenty or even ninety minutes, and possibly even days.

Now granted, this may seem like a lot to ask just for entering a giveaway, but wait until you see what I’m going to ask the winners to do! Just kidding.

But seriously, if more of us would start putting this concept into practice, I believe a single good deed (especially a “big one”) has the potential to change our world for the better. It’s like a reverse domino effect; instead of knocking them over, we’re picking them back up.

Likewise, in challenging myself, I’ll keep you guys periodically updated on my own pay it forward experiences, which will be extending outside of my comfort zone.

Please, only one entry per household. Duplicate entries from the same IP will be deleted. This helps to make it fairer for everyone. There’s no catch here, everything is free – including payment of shipping and handling for “Journeys Out of the Body” – I cover all costs. To be entered, leave a comment below, showing your interest.

Depending upon the volume of entries, comments may only be displayed under this post for a short time. As entries grow, I may remove comments to make it easier for visitors to scroll to the comment box and enter. However, I guarantee all entries will be saved in the order they are received.

When leaving a comment, be sure to include your correct e-mail address and be certain to keep track of your spam or bulk folder after the drawing closes, just in case. Each winner of Journeys Out of the Body will be contacted through the e-mail address that’s registered with their comment. I will never share addresses, provided by entrants, with any third parties and you’ll never receive unsolicited mail when entering.

The “Journeys Out of the Body” contest will end at 11:59 PM (Eastern Time) on March 8th, 2010. All legitimate entries will then be assigned a number in the order they were received. Two numbers will be randomly drawn to determine the winners.

Both winners will then be notified, via the email addresses they provided, no later than March 10th. If one, or both don’t respond (with their shipping information) within two weeks, then one (or two) more number(s) will be drawn to determine the new winner(s). Upon receiving their permission, both winners’ names will be featured at the top of this post.

Posts Related to Out of Body Experiences

Q & A: Out of Body Experiences & Dream Symbols
Q & A: Out of Body Noises & Sensations
Astral Projection & the Big Bang
My Astral Experience With A Tribal Shaman
Experiences Out of the Body – Part 1
Experiences Out of the Body – Part 2

Due to the growing amount of interest in my work on astral projection, I wrote this entry to share a few more of my thoughts on the subject. The following ten tips are a combination of topics I’ve yet to address and frequent questions I receive via email and messages. This list isn’t meant to be exhaustive:

1. OBE shortcuts? Just like any other form of achievement, experiencing astral projection consciously and soberly (minus the aid of any drug) takes consistent practice and work. There are no OBE shortcuts. Though I fell into astral projection “accidentally”, the experience is rarely (if ever) automatically there for the asking. The only exception to this is when I’m occasionally awakened by the vibrational state during a dream.

I still have to consistently practice if I want to have a fully conscious experience and even then, I may not encounter a projection. In roughly 99 out of 100 attempts, I only get as far as the pre-projection symptom stage. I don’t believe there is any strategy which will substitute for consistent practice of commonly known techniques. Astral projection techniques need to be routinely explored and tailored to fit the individual.

2. Out of body experiences aren’t a form of magic. While they absolutely contain the most amazing mystical feeling, they’re still a part of our conscious awareness. This awareness just happens to be in an altered state from that which we are primarily accustomed to experiencing. Robert Monroe (author of the “Journeys” Trilogy of books) said it best, when he described astral projection as a movement or shift along the spectrum of consciousness.

When we are focused on our physical body, we are experiencing one very specific point on the full spectrum of consciousness. Once we experience an altered state, such as astral projection, we are encountering another point along the spectrum. Who knows how many different ways and means are available to us for interpreting reality?

3. Out of Body or never in the body to begin with? This next point differs greatly from the ingrained concept of the soul or consciousness being seated within our physical vehicle. I don’t personally feel consciousness is contained by the body. I feel consciousness flows through the physical shell, but it’s not housed by it, as if it’s separate from all other things. For all intents and purposes, there’s no “out there” or “in here” – it’s all one gigantic flow of energy.

During many of my projections, I’ve received feedback, indicating out of body experiences are a journey deeper into consciousness and that very consciousness is all that exists. I feel OBE’s have less to do with becoming a displaced “ghost” and more to do with tuning into different aspects along the spectrum of consciousness (as mentioned in number 2). Retuning and shifting our interpretation of the web of interconnectivity is the primary function of projecting. We’re not trying to become a spectral traveler, but instead a communicator with the conscious cosmos.

4. Fear. Outside of what’s rummaging around in our own mind, there is absolutely nothing to be terrified of during astral projections. I know there are a slew of books that state otherwise, however, I never buy into new-age fear based talk.

One of the main themes in my writing is personal empowerment through exploration and getting outside the box. Though OBE’s seem far removed from the box of “normal” thinking; we still must move beyond another box – the one that exists in the metaphysical community. My personal exploration of the out of body state has never revealed anything that could pose a serious threat.

On the other hand, if someone has a pre-existing medical condition that can be seriously aggravated by fear or stress levels, then I highly recommend that person doesn’t attempt astral projection. While there’s nothing that can harm us, it’s still quite natural to experience a moderate degree of stress as the experience can feel so foreign and bizarre.

I’m not suggesting we journey into the astral state minus respect for the process. But it is helpful to understand we are the playwrights for the process. As FDR once said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” That’s especially true of astral projection.

We can always address the fear of projecting with this thought: if death is an OBE with no return ticket, then we’re going to have to face it anyway. If projecting at death is inevitable for us all, then what could possibly be waiting to harm us?

5. OBE spying missions. There seems to be a major interest in using the out of body state as a means for spying or peeping at others. Far be it from me to suggest this is inappropriate. I’m not here to judge what people do, yet humankind already uses and manipulates one another in the worst way on the physical plane. Why would we want to take more of the same and apply it during beautiful, mind-expanding experiences? This is tantamount to camping at the most pristine location in nature and then throwing our garbage in the lake.

I believe astral projections provide us with the means to understand more about our capabilities and possibly even our origins. There are infinite opportunities to explore without attempting to use our time for trying to get the goods on someone else.

6. Astral sex. Sex in the out of body state is absolutely possible. Astral “sex” (from my experience) does not resemble its physical counterpart. It tends to feel more like an incredible exchange of energy or an electrified form of dance. For lack of a better way to describe it – I often equate it to having my energy “dipped into.”

Similar to using the out of body state for our own personal spying game, I don’t advise anyone to wander the astral plane hungrily looking for sex partners. The experience I had with so-called astral sex, happened naturally in a totally unassuming way. I’ll be discussing sex (both physically and out of the body) in future posts.

7. Out of body experiences and the brain. One of the arguments against the legitimacy of astral projection is that the experience is said to stem entirely from the brain. I don’t argue that point because I can’t say for certain if it does or doesn’t. Similarly, we can’t say for certain whether or not the entire physical experience isn’t just a simulation by the brain as well. Yet, we still fully believe physical reality is legitimate. The same holds true for the astral state.

Whether the brain creates the occurrence or not, OBE’s have an extremely valid, legitimate feeling associated with them. In my opinion, the brain is the linkup between our physical self and our awareness. It is not the source of awareness.

8. Astral projection and subjective reality. While I personally feel our external reality is more subjective than objective; out of body experiences are extremely subjective in nature. Your mood, attitude and mindset are responsible for shaping your experience, almost instantaneously.

You want to talk about thoughts becoming things – astral projection is the most thought responsive environment you’ll ever encounter next to the dream landscape. Though there does appear to be portions of the astral plane which are built by general consensus, your primary feelings will be responsible for coloring almost every aspect of your experience.

9. The myth of the silver cord. The silver cord is said to be the lifeline between the astral body and the physical body. If severed, the individual is thought to pass away during a projection.

I’ve never encountered a silver cord during any of my experiences. That doesn’t mean it’s not real, but my bet is that it falls under number 8. When we are dealing with an extremely belief/thought responsive experience, there are no hard-and-fast rules regarding descriptive characteristics. In other words, one person’s projection is never going to be exactly identical to another person’s.

10. Astral projection and god. Will we see god or any other religious or spiritual deity during a projection? This question also falls under number 8. Similar to the near death experience, if a spiritual avatar is encountered during an OBE, the avatar seems to be dependent upon the belief or faith of the individual: Christians find Christ, Muslims find Mohammed, Buddhists find Buddha, etc.

Not surprisingly, I’ve never met a well known spiritual teacher during my experiences. I personally believe all that exists is the physical and non-physical representation of the source awareness and there’s no separation between us and that which is referenced as god.

The beauty in these findings (both through astral projection and near death experiences): they should help teach us tolerance of the beliefs of others. If everyone is right, thanks to thought-responsive, subjective realities (especially in the “afterlife”), then no one can be wrong. I hope these ten thoughts and strategies help with your adventures into the out of body state. If you have further questions, you’re always welcome to contact me.

If this post has been beneficial, please consider sharing it via the links below the related posts section.

Posts Related to Out of Body Experiences

Q & A: Out of Body Experiences & Dream Symbols
Q & A: Out of Body Noises & Sensations
Astral Projection & the Big Bang
My Astral Experience With A Tribal Shaman
Experiences Out of the Body – Part 1
Experiences Out of the Body – Part 2

Following in the footsteps of my seventh and eighth recordings, this ninth episode features a narration of one of my earlier posts, Techniques For Achieving an OBE. The episode runs 20 minutes, 38 seconds and the file size is 18.8 MB (for downloading).

This recording can be streamed in the player in the podcast section or played here directly: Out of Body Experience Techniques.

Episode nine features:

- Easy to follow tips for learning basic meditation
- A discussion on the “still point” and why it’s the most advantageous state for achieving astral projection
- Methods for finding the still point in meditation and how this aids us in projecting at bedtime (the most beneficial time to practice out of body experiences)
- The importance of utilizing visualization techniques to create the feeling of motion
- A discussion on sensations and symptoms, which indicate a projection may be imminent

If this post has been helpful to you, please consider sharing it with others and/or making a donation. Thank you for supporting Wind of the Soul.

Related Posts

Techniques For Achieving an OBE
Podcast #2: Astral Projection
Releasing Fear of Astral Projection
Astral Projection & the Big Bang
My Astral Experience With A Tribal Shaman
Experiences Out of the Body: Part I
Experiences Out of the Body Part II
Q & A: Out of Body Experiences & Dream Symbols

Question: My question pertains to the comatose state. Could you give your opinion on comas and whether or not you believe there’s a connection between the consciousness of a coma patient and the astral plane? Despite the fact most patients appear unresponsive, is their consciousness fully aware and possibly traveling outside the body? – Sheena

Answer: I absolutely believe comas provide the means for a patient’s awareness to pursue nonphysical realms. However, I can’t say for certain they are actually spending time on the astral plane. I feel the term astral plane has become a sort of catch all for anything deemed nonphysical, but I do believe the coma patient’s consciousness is extremely busy exploring other avenues of existence.

If we have what many call a higher self (and I believe we do), then that higher self has the ability to extend into many other environments while its focus vehicle rests in a hospital bed, or anywhere else for that matter. I actually believe our higher self is focusing upon several states of existence and physical vehicles simultaneously, at all times, but we are only aware of this one specific personality with which we primarily identify. I spoke about this theory in Altered States of Consciousness & Aspects of Awareness.

If we think of a coma in terms of a really deep state of sleep, then we can more easily understand the manner in which our consciousness shifts its focus away from the physical body. I believe the dream environments we encounter on a nightly basis are evidence of the voyages our awareness takes while our bodies are at rest. The coma would be very similar to this, only from a deeper point of “suspended animation,” regarding the patient’s body.

Now, based on your question, it sounds like you may also be asking why people go into comas from a metaphysical standpoint? This I can’t be certain about, but I believe comas may be a way for the higher self to protect the focus personality and the physical vehicle belonging to the comatose patient. This may be just as true of medically induced comas as it is of those resulting from accidents or medical conditions.

If our higher awareness feels it’s in our best interest, especially if someone has undergone some traumatic event, then these events may be better dealt with by withdrawing a portion of awareness from the physical shell. This allows the physical body to tend to itself while the personality, we associate with that body, explores further into other states of being.

The bottom line is those individuals that have entered into comas are absolutely fine. Our conscious awareness transcends this plane of time and space along with the physical vehicle, whether someone is asleep, in a coma, experiencing an altered state, or has passed on.

Transcending is an easy concept to toss around, but it’s not easy to imagine or understand if we haven’t actually been completely, consciously aware during our dreams or other altered states. If we are capable of retaining consciousness during out of body experiences or becoming lucid during dreams, then we are provided with a window into a truer nature of who we are; and often times, in a way that’s far more meaningful than our waking reality.

An individual that has entered into a coma is doing so for a reason that is beneficial for them at a deeper level of their being, but what that reason is can only be considered conjecture, to a certain extent, on my part. However, you are absolutely on the right track in considering that comas and astral projection have something in common. They both share the common bond of the expansive experience of our awareness beyond the physical body.

I’d like to thank Sheena for her thought provoking question. If you have a self help, spiritual development, or metaphysical question you would like to see addressed in a blog post, feel free to contact me. Your name will always be kept anonymous, unless you request otherwise.

If this post has been helpful to you, please consider sharing it with others and/or making a donation. Thank you for supporting Wind of the Soul.

Related Posts

Q & A: Out of Body Experiences & Dream Symbols
Q & A: Out of Body Noises & Sensations
Podcast #2: Astral Projection
Astral Projection & the Big Bang
My Astral Experience With A Tribal Shaman
Experiences Out of the Body – Part 1
Experiences Out of the Body – Part 2

Question: During out of body experiences I’ve encountered many sounds and sensations in my room, around my bed, and near my body. If our astral bodies are pure energy, then why would they create or make sounds we normally associate with our physical bodies? If these sounds and sensations are not related to our astral energy, then what do you think causes them? –Cynthia S.

Answer: The subject of astral “symptoms” is one that I’ve spent a lot of time experiencing, pondering, and writing about. There are many possibilities for answering your question.

Most of the out of body literature points to the fact the majority of sounds and sensations occur just prior to full projection. It seems to me there is an incredible amount of energy being built up during the pre-projection phase.

With that in mind, I have noticed an interesting coincidence between OBE symptoms and the encounters a lot of these ghost hunting groups stumble upon: there’s usually a sudden drop in temperature near the physical body, an increase in strange environmental sounds, internal shifts in awareness, the sensation of being touched, feeling off balance, compression and heaviness, and expansion of the self.

Mind you, these symptoms don’t always happen to astral travelers, nor do they always occur for ghost hunting groups. However, there are a lot of consistent similarities in the occurrence of these symptoms (in both groups) that crop up more frequently than by chance alone.

The only obvious answer for this, in my mind, would be due to changes in the electromagnetic fields around the physical body. This may be just as true for ghost hunters as it is for astral travelers. When ghost hunting groups walk into an area where high readings of electromagnetism are present, they usually encounter strange physical symptoms, along with paranormal experiences.

Since many of the encounters they experience are similar to the symptoms encountered by out of body travelers, it would stand to reason that the pre-projection phase may be causing an increase in the levels of the electromagnetic field around the physical vehicle.

Since we still have a connection to the physical body during the entire out of body experience, then the symptoms are probably due to our skin, ears, etc. detecting this large energy shift. In fact, I’m really interested in testing this theory. I’m going to purchase an electromagnetic field (EMF) detector and try to get some readings during the onset of these pre-projection symptoms. I’ll let you know about my findings.

Another possibility is that the sensations and sounds are related to the astral vehicle, through a mechanism we have no way of fully understanding. Robert Monroe, in his book Journeys Out of the Body, proved that the astral body has the ability to impact physical matter.

Monroe projected his consciousness and used his intentions to draw himself to the location of a coworker. Once there, he found her sitting at her kitchen table. He needed a way to make contact that would be obvious and could not be mistaken as a coincidence. So, he decided to try and pinch her just above the waistline. She flinched and let out a squeal. He was satisfied he had made sufficient and memorable contact.

A few days later he asked her about the circumstances and she confirmed something had indeed pinched her, but was uncertain what had caused it. She then raised her shirt just above her waistline to reveal a small bruise, in the exact same location, created by Monroe’s pinch while traveling the astral plane.

Robert Monroe’s ability to impact the physical environment mimics the abilities that ghosts (if they are truly conscious forms of energy) seem to possess. We think of ghosts as being vaporous aspects, minus any physical appendages, yet despite this fact they seem to be capable of moving physical objects and creating sounds.

So, our astral bodies may be causing very similar occurrences as we draw closer to projection. When we project we may have more in common with ghosts than we realize. The only difference is our consciousness is still partially attached to and simultaneously filtering through a physical body.

There are also theories that state noises and sounds, such as hearing your name being called out (I’ve experienced this during many projections), are stemming from other beings. As we raise our vibrational rate, we may be coming into contact with other entities just a dimensional shift away. If these other beings are the source of the sounds, it shouldn’t be too surprising that they are aware of our names. After all, the astral environment is comprised entirely of thought, similar to the physical Universe; only far more obvious.

I believe this may be a viable possibility since every environment essentially resides on top of one another with no true division. We share the same space with all of consciousness, physical and nonphysical. But we are vibrating at different rates; creating the impression of distance, separation and so on.

My explanations may not fully answer your questions, but I’m not sure anyone can say for certain what causes the noises and sensations associated with astral travel. When venturing into the out of body state, we must understand we are exploring experiences and territories that have not been thoroughly mapped out. Each one of us acts as an adventurer every single time we move into that realm.

Now, I don’t believe astral sounds and sensations are anything to be fearful of. I personally welcome them because they remind me of the fact, as humans, we are not even aware of one quarter of the different forms of energy that exists around us. Our five senses can only afford us interaction to a certain degree in this physical environment. But as we step into the means for altering our consciousness, we become aware of just how limited our physically focused viewpoint is.

One final idea- you may want to try asking for clarity as you are moving through the experience. Either during or right after you project, pose the question in your mind pertaining to the sounds and sensations and allow an answer to come to you. Many times I have tried asking for clarity regarding an experience I encountered on the astral plane.

Interestingly enough the answers I received were not at all what I was expecting. Whether this eliminates the fact I was answering my own question or not, I can’t say. However, we may always be answering our own questions from another perspective anyway. I believe our higher self is always helping guide us through out of body experiences.

And that does it for this question and answer installment. I’d like to thank Cynthia for her great question and you for taking the time to read this post. If you have any spiritual development or self help questions you would like to see addressed, feel free to contact me. As always, your name will be kept private unless you request otherwise.

If this post has been helpful to you, please consider sharing it with others and/or making a donation. Thank you for supporting Wind of the Soul.

Related Posts

Q & A: Out of Body Experiences & Dream Symbols
Podcast #2: Astral Projection
Astral Projection & the Big Bang
Techniques For Achieving an OBE
Releasing Fear of Astral Projection
My Astral Experience With A Tribal Shaman
Experiences Out of the Body: Part I
Experiences Out of the Body Part II

This second podcast can be played via the embedded player found in the audio section, or if you prefer, I’ve included a direct link to the mp3 file:

Podcast #2: Astral projection

This episode runs 16 minutes and 50 seconds (file size for downloading is 15.4 MB) and covers:

-A few of my own encounters with astral travel
-Theories on the out of body state
-How astral travel can benefit you
-Books I highly recommend for learning to project
-Ideas for upcoming episodes

If you subscribe to the blog, then you’ll also receive all of the latest podcasts as well. I hope you enjoy this second recording and please keep in mind I’m still new to podcasting, so I hope to continue getting better at the process as I go along. I look forward to any and all feedback.

If this recording has been helpful to you, please consider sharing it with others and/or making a donation. Thank you for supporting Wind of the Soul.

Related Posts

Astral Projection & the Big Bang
Techniques For Achieving an OBE
Releasing Fear of Astral Projection
My Astral Experience With A Tribal Shaman
Q & A: Out of Body Noises & Sensations
Q & A: Out of Body Experiences & Dream Symbols
Experiences Out of the Body – Part 1
Experiences Out of the Body – Part 2

During the course of my out of body experiences there are always two primary sensations which occur. They both immediately follow the vibrations and roaring sounds I described in my last post. Even though I’ve mentioned these sensations in previous posts, I’d like to touch on them again for the purpose of trying to classify and partially explain their occurrence.

The two incredible sensations I feel are being crushed or compacted into an extremely small point of awareness and feeling an amazing expansion at a fast and furious rate. I always feel as though I could rest on the head of a pin after the compaction ceases. Even though I feel infinitesimally small, I’m also aware of an intense amount of energy building within while this is happening. It’s a feeling that’s almost too difficult to explain with words.

This lasts for a short while until I begin to feel the explosive expansion of my awareness and during many OBEs I have felt both sensations simultaneously and in reverse order. Once the expansion begins it seems as though it will never stop. It’s like I’m pushing farther and farther beyond all limits.

The interesting thing about these two sensations is that they seem to mimic the exact description of the scientific theory, pertaining to the creation of the Universe, known as the big bang theory. It may sound far fetched to compare a little out of body experience with the beginning of our entire Universe, but I think it’s a possibility. Let’s take a look at a couple of examples that seem to reinforce my thoughts.

Anyone that’s familiar with acupuncture and reflexology (a form of massage therapy) knows that there are scale models of our entire body contained within smaller areas of the body, such as in the feet, hands and ears. Reflexologists are able to access any point on the body by targeting these key locations (primarily in the feet). This form of treatment has been in use in the east, especially in Asian cultures, for thousands of years.

And to take this concept a little further- here’s an excerpt from one of my favorite books, The Holographic Universe, – by Michael Talbot. In this quote Talbot is summarizing the ideas and theories of quantum physicist David Bohm:

“Just as every portion of a hologram contains the image of the whole, every portion of the Universe enfolds the whole. This means that if we know how to access it, we could find the Andromeda galaxy in the thumbnail of our left hand. We could also find Cleopatra meeting Caesar for the first time, for in principle the whole past and implications for the whole future are also enfolded in each small region of space and time. Every cell in our body enfolds the entire cosmos. So does every leaf, every raindrop, and every dust mote…”

If it’s true that every cell in our body enfolds the entire cosmos and all things (despite their size) contain replications of every aspect of existence, then is it off the mark to think that each time an out of body experience takes place it’s replicating the creation of the entire Universe?

Using this example, we have to ask ourselves, where does the Universe actually reside, if anywhere but within our own minds? Many scientists would vehemently argue these ideas (or find them hysterical), but the problem is those same scientists and their tools are also inside this giant mind of consciousness. It’s impossible for them to get outside of it to precisely test for the true nature of reality and existence.

Along with the “big bang” sensations, I’ve come across another odd experience that I’m not at all sure how to classify. Normally all of my astral projections take place while my physical eyes are shut and after I’ve achieved a certain level of altered consciousness. But, I have had an encounter that was an exception to this.

It took place after coming out of the astral state (induced through meditation). Upon opening my physical eyes and giving my vision ample time to adjust, I noticed several small static lines appearing in a concentrated place on my bedroom ceiling. The static increased until the plaster, sheetrock, and entire roof appeared to be eaten away by its frequency. As the “hole” in the ceiling widened I expected to see the stars but they weren’t there.

The small opening, which was revealed by the static, completely obscured the night sky. As the hole opened up, the static continued to run across its opening. Now, I’m usually fairly calm during out of body experiences, but since this event wasn’t occurring during my usual altered states of consciousness, I became a little concerned. I decided to get up and out of my bed for a while. Once I returned the hole and static were both gone.

As I said, I’m not sure how to classify this experience, but I thought it was worth mentioning. It indicates that there seems to be a lingering form or residue from the out of body state that can continue on after the projection ceases.

In my last post, I mentioned that I also wanted to discuss the experience I had, which validated astral projection for me. While this validating experience is extremely simple and benign compared to the variety of others I’ve shared, it does have a solid foundation for the verification of its content. I find this to be beneficial because while my other experiences were amazing (to me), they didn’t have any legitimate way in which I could perform a facts check.

This particular projection took place during an early morning/afternoon meditation. I became so absorbed in the meditation, which eventually turned into a full OBE, that I completely lost track of time. I did however check the clock prior to beginning.

During the out of body experience I found myself in the corner, hugging the ceiling. I then decided I would try a test to see if any verification was possible. I thought about the digital clock that was placed on the other side of the room and within a flash the clock was in front of me displaying the time. I then brought myself back to my physical awareness as quickly as possible, jumped off the bed and headed for the clock.

It displayed the exact time that I had just observed from the out of body state. Not only that, but I had been meditating for around two hours. So, it would not have been an easy thing to have guessed the time down to the exact minute. This experience verified, for me, that there is legitimacy to the astral state and the experiences gained during these journeys. I have plans to conduct further tests like these in the future and I’ll be sure to write about all of the details here.

And on that note I’ll bring this post to a close. I’d like to wish you a very happy and joyful Thanksgiving holiday. This year I’m not only thankful and appreciative of my family, but I’m also appreciative of my new internet family as well. I’d like to thank all of my readers and visitors for their continued support and interest in Wind of the Soul.

If this post has been helpful to you, please consider sharing it with others and/or making a donation. Thank you for supporting Wind of the Soul.

Related Posts

Podcast #2: Astral Projection
Techniques For Achieving an OBE
Releasing Fear of Astral Projection
My Astral Experience With A Tribal Shaman
Q & A: Out of Body Noises & Sensations
Q & A: Out of Body Experiences & Dream Symbols
Experiences Out of the Body – Part 1
Experiences Out of the Body – Part 2
Altered States of Consciousness & Aspects of Awareness

I’ve been so busy lately that I’ve been missing out on my daily meditations. Even if I get so engrossed with my physical activities that I start to overlook this fact, I’m always reminded of it while I sleep at night because my astral projection experiences inevitably increase.

I usually average some form of an out of body experience at least once every few weeks during my regular meditations. However, once I cease to meditate for several weeks straight, the OBE’s start coming to me during my sleep state. It’s almost as if something’s trying to tell me that if I’m not actively going to help the projections to induce, then they’ll find another way of occurring.

I feel we all unconsciously project while we dream, yet what’s interesting is that during these long stretches without meditating, I become hyperconscious of my nightly journeys into the astral. It’s been said that once we consciously open the door to the out of body state, it never truly shuts. I can now see how accurate that statement is.

So, I thought I’d take an opportunity in this post and the following one to share a few of my recent experiences.

During the course of the last several weeks I’ve found myself being woken up, on several occasions, by what I would categorize as severe vibrations. The feeling of vibrating is not something that’s new to me during the onset of an OBE, but I’ve never before felt it with as much intensity. The vibrations seem to stem from someplace within and recently I’ve felt as though I’m being internally shaken apart.

The experience is not painful but it grabs my attention very quickly. There’s always an intense roaring sound that accompanies the vibrations as well. As both grow stronger, they become more difficult to distinguish from one another, until they merge and then fade out.

Upon a recent encounter, after the succession of these sounds and sensations, I immediately detected detachment from my physical body (this occurs much faster for me when the OBE’s are induced during the sleep state). My room was starting to come into focus in that familiar out of body sensing I’ve become accustomed to, when I had a strong urge to move away from my bedroom and into the hallway.

On this particular occasion I was able to move with a unique fluidity that’s not typical during my projections. My point of awareness began twisting and undulating until it passed through the bedroom doorway.

As I progressed further into the hall I realized there was a shadowy presence standing on the first landing of the stairs. There was nothing that felt sinister about it, but the shock of seeing it caused a fearful response within me. The fear threw me out of control and my somewhat graceful undulations developed into erratic movements and quick spins.

I could sense the wall coming toward me and the last thing I recall (prior to thudding back into alignment with my physical body) was my consciousness passing through the light switch located at the top of the stairs. I seem to have an issue during my projections with going through what I believe are solid objects. In my astral experience with a tribal shaman, I immediately came back to my body as soon as I passed through the hut wall as well.

With regards to the shadowy figure- I’ve found it’s quite common during out of body experiences to encounter entities in the astral environment. Some may be other astral projectors, while many could be individuals that have passed on from an earthly existence. This is why I feel each and every earthly location has the opportunity to be “haunted.”

I believe that we all have forms of “spirit activity” that may be moving in and out of our homes at different times. But they are doing so a dimensional shift away. The only time most people actually encounter what’s considered a true in-your-face haunting is when an entity decides to stay put and forcefully make its presence known. Otherwise, it’s very common for us to be commingling with nonphysical entities all the time, yet we’re never aware of it.

During another recent experience in which I fell asleep on the couch, I stumbled onto a very pronounced form of consciousness. I’m usually only slightly aware of my physical body during OBE’s, which stem from the sleep state, but this situation was completely unlike that.

I progressed into what appeared to be the out of body state, yet it seemed as though I was still firmly connected to my physical body. Instead of moving around I felt stationary, but was able to view in three hundred and sixty degree panoramic style (with my physical eyes still closed) simultaneously.

While some people could assume I was unconsciously dreaming during these experiences, I’m aware of the difference between a dream and a full blown altered conscious state like the one present during astral projection.

In my next post I’ll be discussing a few other encounters and observations about the out of body state along with an experience that proved to me the validity of the OBE.

If this post has been helpful to you, please consider sharing it with others and/or making a donation. Thank you for supporting Wind of the Soul.

Related Posts

Podcast #2: Astral Projection
Astral Projection & the Big Bang
Techniques For Achieving an OBE
Releasing Fear of Astral Projection
My Astral Experience With A Tribal Shaman
Q & A: Out of Body Noises & Sensations
Q & A: Out of Body Experiences & Dream Symbols
Experiences Out of the Body – Part 1
Experiences Out of the Body – Part 2

Question: I have a question that I’d like to see featured on your blog about out of body experiences, even though I’ve never really been able to project. I was wondering what your thoughts are about why some people can do it while others can’t? And where do you think those that can project are going?
-Ryan M.

Answer: Those are some awesome questions. It’s interesting how astral projection can come so easily for some, while others may go their entire lives without ever experiencing it consciously. From my personal perspective, I feel that conscious, spontaneous OBEs were a huge launching platform for propelling me faster and farther down the path I’m currently on.

But I don’t view individuals that have experienced them as being “better” or more spiritually “evolved” than those that haven’t. I try not to get caught up in that sort of logic because it implies status and rank, along with the idea that certain people have arrived at some imaginary destination while others are still playing catch up.

I believe that each one of us experiences OBEs while we sleep, so it’s really a matter of who retains the memory (by becoming completely conscious during the experience) and who loses it during the sleep state. People like to take things like near death experiences and astral projection and turn them into something which is more spiritual than being focused on our physical bodies.

While I do believe NDEs and OBEs can have enormous impacts upon the recipients, sometimes changing the entire focus and course of their lives; I don’t feel they are above and beyond our experiences with the physical body. There’s not one human experience that can occur outside the realm of the spiritual. I stress this a lot, but I believe it’s true.

The out of body state exists as another location for focusing our consciousness. We focus our consciousness in a similar manner while existing on the physical plane. The only reason we choose to zero in on physical vehicles is because of the wide variety of experiences they can afford us, which may not be available at more subtle dimensional existences.

I believe we never really “go” anywhere while our energy is physically focused. The same is true when we transition into being non-physically focused as well, whether through out of body experiences or the death transition.

I believe the only form of actual out of body travel, we undergo, is deeper into ourselves. I’ve had astral encounters that have made it very clear to me that the astral plane resides inside my own awareness. As humans, we become accustomed to trying to mark out physical locations and pinpoint them geographically speaking. But OBEs help make it obvious that this entire physical environment, along with the astral plane, is literally all in our minds.

I like to compare life and the afterlife (and life after that and so on) to a virtual reality game. Our higher consciousness is the viewer or player of this VR game. It stays stationary in its consistent, always state of perpetual being while projecting its awareness into a multitude of virtual environments. These environments become backdrops for the characters that we identify with (as ourselves) to make their way through the settings and experiences that we call life. This is why nothing that occurs can happen outside of spirit, because it all stems from the same conscious spiritual origin.

Question: I love to research dreams and their meanings. A few nights ago I had a dream that was full of symbolism and when I woke up I was excited to look up its meaning in my reference books. It consisted of several elements that I’d rather not discuss, but the general consensus of my research pointed to a pretty negative interpretation of the symbols. Do you get into the symbolic meanings of dreams and can you recommend any good books on the subject?

Answer: The dream world fascinates me, but I’ve never invested a lot of time in researching any book’s interpretation of the people, objects and environments I encounter there. I don’t put a lot of stock in someone else’s viewpoints of what’s going on in my dreamscapes. I also don’t feel that anyone can accurately write a blanket statement saying that each dream symbol means exactly the same thing for everyone. While I do feel that the dream world could be considered an actual environment- not just fantasy- I understand that there are symbolic representations that we will encounter while in that realm.

I like to view books as beneficial guides (the dream meaning books are no exception) but not something that’s set in stone for interpreting our own unique individual life experience. It’s important to weigh out information as you read it. I’ve read many metaphysical and supernatural works that I would not recommend through my site because the information just didn’t make a connection with me.

I’ve mentioned before that I encourage my Wind of the Soul blog readers to only take away what truly resonates with them. It doesn’t hurt my feelings if people disagree with my viewpoints. In fact, I encourage them to do so if something I’m saying doesn’t feel valid. I’m sharing my ideas, beliefs, experiences and opinions about this subject matter from my own unique perspective, just as my readers are assimilating it and (hopefully) weighing it out from their own unique perspective.

If the dream guide interpretations primarily feel like they are on the money and they give you a sense of power over any fear that the dreams may be causing, then I think you should continue using them. However, if they feel like they are instilling a deeper sense of fear and insecurity about what they believe your subconscious may be trying to tell you, then I think you should let go of them for a while.

I believe we have our own built in powerhouse for interpreting dreams and we do it through our intuition. Feel for some clarity after each dream and see if you can recognize continuing patterns among the dream themes. I also think dream logs can be beneficial in helping to track trends and themes. I used to log my out of body experiences on a consist basis and it helped me to recognize certain trends. The main thing is to try and rely more upon your own senses, since your dreams are unique and stemming from within you and no one else.

And that does it for this second question and answer post of September. I’d like to thank everyone for taking the time to continue emailing me such great questions. If you have something you’d like to see addressed in the Wind of the Soul blog, then feel free to get in touch with me through my contact page. Your name will always be kept anonymous, unless you ask otherwise.

If this post has been helpful to you, please consider sharing it with others and/or making a donation. Thank you for supporting Wind of the Soul.

Related Posts

Q & A: Out of Body Noises & Sensations
Podcast #2: Astral Projection
Astral Projection & the Big Bang
Techniques For Achieving an OBE
Releasing Fear of Astral Projection
Experiences Out of the Body – Part 1
Experiences Out of the Body – Part 2
My Astral Experience With a Tribal Shaman
Recent Out of Body Experiences
Traversing the Dreamscape

My last post introduced a small portion of information about shamanic practices. In always striving for there to be a method to my madness, throughout all of my blog posts, I like to lay some initial groundwork prior to getting a little weird… and so, it’s once again time for the weird.

About three years ago, while experiencing a major influx of intentional and unintentional out of body experiences (OBE), I had one of my most fascinating encounters. It occurred prior to drifting off to sleep, as I slowly entered into the state I like to call the twilight zone. Its technical name is the hypnagogic state, but the twilight zone sounds a lot cooler.

This is where we tiptoe between the waking world and the dreamscape. At certain times I have been able to enter this state while retaining full consciousness, without falling victim to the unconscious sleep state, and that’s what was occurring on this particular occasion. It’s slightly similar to becoming fully lucid, in the midst of a dream, minus all the amazing dream landscapes and scenarios.

After spending an indeterminate amount of time suspended within the twilight zone (without once falling asleep), I felt the familiar sensations and symptoms of an astral projection coming on. Upon fully projecting, I found myself immediately experiencing inner motion and a rush of energy, as if something was drawing me to a very specific location.

Within an instant I was viewing landscape that appeared (to me) to be the American Great Plains (I live in the desert southwest), just as bright and vivid as if I was standing there, seeing it with my physical eyes and body. Again there was a feeling of inner motion and I found myself “pulled” inside a hut, which was seated on the same plains.

The inner portion of the hut looked like a movie set from a very high budget Hollywood western- the type where no expense has been spared to convince the audience of its authenticity, only I didn’t see any cameras, sound men, or directors. The hut was decked out in hides, skins, drums, rattles, and all sorts of paraphernalia and tools involving elements of nature. As I felt myself scanning the room and absorbing the feel and essence of my intense surroundings, I noticed a Native American woman- actually her sex was difficult to determine by appearance, I was only able to feel and intuitively know she was female- sitting with her eyes closed.

In front of her an extremely low fire burned; while a combination of light and dark smoke wafted before her face, then exited up through a raggedy opening in the dwelling. It was obvious the fire was not for warmth, but for a mystical process she was in the midst of conducting. I glanced toward the entrance of the hut and was amazed at the continued clarity of what I was witnessing- the afternoon sun was streaming through the half opened doorway and I could see particles of dust flitting in and out of its light.

Next, she began to rhythmically go to work on one of her instruments, as a combination of drumming and haunting chants filled the hut. I “stood there” completely mesmerized by her process. At this point in time, I had become fairly accustomed to having OBEs, but I had yet to have an encounter, of this magnitude, during an experience. The sights, sounds, and scenery were as authentic as anything I have ever seen, heard or experienced with my physical senses, if not more so.

As I became more and more mesmerized by her process, I felt myself growing lighter and more off balance, until I “fell” against the wall of the hut, passing right on through to the other side. I then dropped into an endless void until I hit, with what seemed like a thud, against my bed- it was at that moment that I again merged with my physical awareness and the experience was over- save for one thing: her chanting was now echoing through my ears and its sound was deeply etched into my mind. To this day I can still hear it.

I opened my eyes, completely blown away by what I had just witnessed. In fact, there are no words that can express how awesome this experience was. As I laid there, strong impressions began washing over me. I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was responsible for drawing me to her location, considering I found her, upon my arrival, in the midst of meditating.

OBEs usually unfold in a way that reflect what is dominant in our thoughts and emotions, yet I had no conscious awareness of anything that would make me a match to an environment, which contained this woman’s experiences. So, it seemed that her trance like state, which was occurring simultaneously (there really is no such thing as time) to my own, drew me to her. But the strongest of feelings and sensations, I received, was that she was actually an aspect of myself- whether you want to call it a past life, parallel reality or simultaneous interdimensional existence, she was me and I was her. I just knew it.

A few weeks later, I was relating the experience to a friend of mine (who is pretty sensitive and intuitive) but before I could give her my feelings and impressions about why the encounter occurred, she immediately stated there was a strong connection and bond between this tribal shaman and myself, indicating that we were indeed the same person. I also did a little research, after the experience, because I didn’t even believe women were shamans among most native tribes- thinking this may throw a monkey wrench into my whole experience. It turned out that women actually played a very prominent role in shamanistic type work, among some tribes, on the American Great Plains.

I haven’t reconnected with her since my last experience, but I’ll never forget how amazing and vibrant my initial encounter was. It’s phenomenal experiences like these that keep me hungry to continue exploring the metaphysical.

If this post has been helpful to you, please consider sharing it with others and/or making a donation. Thank you for supporting Wind of the Soul.

Related Posts

Podcast #2: Astral Projection
Experiences Out of the Body – Part 1
Experiences Out of the Body – Part 2
Recent Out of Body Experiences
Astral Projection & the Big Bang
Techniques For Achieving an OBE
Releasing fear of Astral Projection
Q & A: Out of Body Noises & Sensations

The primary focus of this post is to help anyone who’s interested in, but somewhat fearful about, the process of having a deliberate out of body experience. While this article is intended to help soothe fears about astral projection, I don’t recommend that anyone, who has a major phobia surrounding the out of body state, pursue it until they can work through or release the majority of those fears.

It’s extremely difficult to experience astral projection if your primary emotion surrounding the subject is fear. Not to mention that when fear dominates your feelings (after projecting) you may have some rough experiences while on the astral plane. When I first started having spontaneous OBEs, I had my fair share of worrisome thoughts and trepidation that accompanied the process.

It was through further exploration, that I discovered most of these feelings stemmed from a misunderstanding or from preconceived ideas I had developed about the astral realm. Once I began reading about astral projection I started buying into many of the myths that seem to run rampant pertaining to out of body experiences.

Let’s go through a list of four of the biggest common concerns for somewhat experienced travelers and the uninitiated alike:

One of the first concerns many people have pertains to the concept of protecting one’s self from entities that inhabit the astral realm. Many seem to feel it’s important or necessary to go through a ritual of protection prior to projecting. If you’ve read my blog post: The Dark Side?, then you know I don’t personally believe there is a concentrated force of darkness or evil that is “out there” waiting to attack, in the earth environment or on the astral plane.

The beings you encounter and the interactions you have with them, in the nonphysical, are totally dependent upon your intentions and your interpretations. The key is to keep your focus upon that which you choose to experience. Just as you wouldn’t seek out an encounter with something you deem negative in your physical environment, you wouldn’t want to go looking for that on the astral plane either.

There is no place in which your intentions work faster than in a nonphysical realm such as the astral environment. In the astral there is no concept of time or anything resembling it that can slow the manifestation of your inner feelings. They have the ability to instantly manifest, similar to the dreamscape. This is why it’s extremely important to be vigilant in directing your thoughts and emotions while traversing the nonphysical landscape. On the other hand, if rituals help soothe your mind then feel free to perform them before you travel the astral, however I don’t believe they are truly necessary.

A second concern centers on the idea of possession and the physical body’s vulnerability while being away from it. I feel this is truly a non-issue. Our physical bodies are nothing more than a focal point for consciousness. I don’t believe our energy is even contained fully by the physical body. I feel that we merely “shadow” the body, or better said- we concentrate upon the body, but we definitely do not inhabit it in a manner equivalent to being locked up inside of it. Energy flows through the physical vehicle, but is not contained by it.

I believe consciousness can only stem from your energetic perspective, not from the physical body itself. So, I would say that there is no need to worry about your physical self being unwillingly overtaken by some other form of energy.

Even if we did house ourselves in the physical vehicle, I don’t believe out of body experiences literally take us out of our body. I believe they are a journey deeper into consciousness. Either way your body is not at risk for being possessed. Possession is most definitely another fear, which stems from the human perspective. It’s not a belief or concept that our higher self even considers.

Another area that seems to elicit fear is whether or not we can become lost from our physical body. I have had dozens of OBEs and have yet to experience any issue in becoming disoriented or unaware of how to remerge with my physical self. Our consciousness has, in a sense, already affixed a homing device to our body. No matter how far into the astral plane you travel (remember distance is an illusion since you are actually traveling deeper within your consciousness)- you only have to think about your body to make a speedy return to it.

Many people, when having an OBE, will see a silver cord trailing from their energetic body back to their physical one. They believe that if this cord were to become severed, they would pass away from physical existence. Personally I have never experienced the silver cord phenomenon. I tend to believe it’s a safety mechanism that we create out of worry over becoming lost or detached from our physical selves. Remember, on the astral plane your thoughts manifest instantly, whether they are conscious or residing just below the surface of your consciousness. The silver cord is only another one of those thoughts.

A fourth concern and question that some people ask is, “Will this experience change my beliefs about religion and/or god?” My answer to that is: quite possibly. I find that most people who have an OBE are never exactly the same again. Of course, I mean that in a good way. Usually they have discovered a broader way of looking at life and its meaning, rather than through simply relying on their physical experiences alone.

You absolutely will emerge a different person after the experience(s); however it doesn’t mean you will want to shun your religion. If anything you will discover the interconnectivity of all things and just how amazing the life experience is. You will come to better understand why we are here and how you can utilize the same tools that benefit you in the astral, here in the physical dimensions, to speed up whatever you are hoping to accomplish in your life.

I have heard others state that once the door to the astral has been opened it never truly closes. I agree with that statement, but it shouldn’t be taken as something treacherous or foreboding. I was on a path of questioning the meaning of my life many years before having OBEs, but nothing propelled me faster and farther down that path, or gave me more answers, than discovering the nonphysical realms of consciousness and my access to them.

I’d like to close this article with, what I feel, are some of the many benefits of exploring the astral plane:

While there are many more experiences during astral projections, that have the potential to cause a fearful response, I wanted to cover some of the more obvious ones. If anyone has any questions or other fears they would like to see addressed in this article, or a future one, then please contact me.

If this post has been helpful to you, please consider sharing it with others and/or making a donation. Thank you for supporting Wind of the Soul.

Related Posts

Podcast #2: Astral Projection
Techniques For Achieving an OBE
My Astral Experience With A Tribal Shaman
Q & A: Out of Body Noises & Sensations
Q & A: Out of Body Experiences & Dream Symbols
Experiences Out of the Body – Part 1
Experiences Out of the Body – Part 2
Altered States of Consciousness & Aspects of Awareness

This entry is designed to provide simple tips and techniques for helping anyone who’s interested in achieving an out of body experience (OBE). If you are unaware of what astral projection is or what occurs during the process, you may want to read my “Experiences Out of the Body” Part 1 & Part 2 posts. While much has been written about this very subject matter- I want to share the specific techniques that have helped me to continually project my consciousness away from the physical body

Many people find that achieving an OBE is easiest during the first few moments after, or immediately prior to falling asleep at night. These circumstances place you in a perfectly relaxed state that is conducive to projecting your consciousness. Meditation is another option which provides a gateway to astral projection. When you reach deep levels within your meditation you are achieving a similar state of relaxation that occurs prior to sleep. I have had success with both of these methods and a few others, but for the purpose of this article I want to focus on meditation and the initial moments before drifting off to sleep.

The key is to reach the point in which your body is essentially asleep and your mind’s awake, but still. The body will be frozen solid while the mind feels slightly numb, yet aware. This is the moment in which you are deactivating the physical experience from your focal point and allowing your consciousness to shift into a different state of awareness.

Many people refer to this moment as the twilight zone or as the still point, though it’s not usually a fleeting instance like the second name implies. The still point can last for quite some time as you weave in and out of its trance like feel. It’s unmistakable when you achieve it, but it can escape you if you become overly relaxed (fully falling asleep) or tense up (allowing fear to come into your mind).

Let’s go through a few techniques that will give you an opportunity to practice reaching this state. As you continue to go there you will become more adept at using it to launch into a full projection of your consciousness.

The first strategy is to utilize meditation to acclimate yourself with reaching the desired still point. While you don’t have to meditate to achieve an OBE (most people actually find meditation to be one of the more difficult routes), meditation will help you to better understand the whole mind awake, body asleep sensation. Once you become fully aware of this sensation you will be better equipped to recognize it as you fall asleep at night.

Everyone has had an experience with the twilight zone state, but most do not understand what can occur if you hold slightly to your awareness and not allow it to fully enter the sleep state with the physical body. Most people have not “trained” themselves to override the impulse to doze off when they enter the still point, or when they enter the Twilight Zone- “You’re traveling through another dimension- a dimension not only of sight and sound, but of mind! do do do do , do do do do”
- Sorry I couldn’t resist getting a little Rod Serling on you. OK, back to our meditation techniques:

A) Meditation should be as relaxing and as free as possible. You don’t have to sit upright with your legs crossed or in some other funky position. You want to position yourself in a manner that feels natural and comfortable for you. I prefer lying in my bed, on my back, but you can just as easily use a reclining chair. If you do want to try more of a yoga style, then go for it. The bottom line is to approach it in a manner that will allow you to fully relax.

B) Rid your environment of any interruptions. Turn the ringer off on the phone and make sure no one will disturb your session. It’s pretty difficult to become familiar with the twilight zone when someone is blasting the radio or TV in another part of the house.

C) Wear loose clothing. The tighter your clothes, the more distracted you may be. Tight clothes can keep you constantly aware of your physical body. Remember, you want to take as much focus off of your physical environment (including your body) as possible. If it’s winter time then be sure to have a blanket handy to keep you warm. As you continue to relax, your body temperature will drop.

D) Once you get into position, begin breathing through your nose and out your mouth- really focus on using your diaphragm to power your breathing- avoid short choppy breaths. The key initially, is to stay somewhat consistent with your breathing style to facilitate your relaxation. As you relax, your breathing may become more shallow- which is fine. You also may resort to mouth breathing or strictly breathing through your nose as you reach even deeper levels of relaxation- this too is ok.

E) Many people become overly concerned with eradicating any stray thoughts from their mind during meditation. The more you focus on the attempt to control your thoughts, the more attentive you stay to them- again defeating the purpose of releasing focus from your physical body and from your physical environment.

Relax about any stray thoughts that enter your mind. Continue to focus on your breathing and just allow your thoughts to come and go without any emotional attachment to them. In doing this, you will be propelled into deeper and deeper states of relaxation. Once there, your thoughts will automatically take on less and less importance and will eventually cease to flow almost entirely. The key is to resist the temptation to exert control over the experience. Meditation and astral projection are about getting out of the way, so your consciousness can be what it truly is.

F) Do not concern yourself with setting any time limit on your meditation. For our purposes it’s important to again flow with the experience. If at first you are only able to sit still for five minutes- then do that. The more you practice and allow, the longer your meditative states will last. Remember you’re not necessarily meditating to have an OBE, if it happens during your meditation- that’s fantastic!

The goal here is to reach altered levels of awareness that are similar to the still point I described above. The more you familiarize yourself with this still point or twilight zone, the more you will recognize its occurrence as you are falling asleep at bedtime (which again is usually the easiest time for most people to project).

The reason most people do not achieve astral projection during meditation is because they are not as relaxed as when they enter the sleep state. But I think it’s important to familiarize yourself with reaching as close to the still point as possible during meditation, so you will not sleep through it when it happens at bedtime.
After practicing with meditation for several days to weeks, your awareness will be so much more in tune with the outer edges of the twilight zone that you will actually recognize it (while you are drifting off to sleep) and can retain/regain awareness as you travel through it.

Now, let’s talk a little about recognizing the still point and some tips for using this point as a way to launch into an out of body experience. The techniques in the remainder of this article can be used during meditation or when you are falling asleep.

There are many other techniques that other people use, such as: the roll out, and the wire. I believe the roll out was started by Robert Monroe, who is the author of the Journeys trilogy: Journeys Out of the Body, Far Journeys, and Ultimate Journey.

It essentially utilizes a rolling motion that can be used when you are in the still point. You’re not literally rolling of course; you are just mimicking the sensation. The method I call the wire (which is probably not its original name) is credited to Robert Peterson. It involves the visualization of a wire or string that’s attached to a point somewhere near your forehead (possibly the third eye point again), which pulls you from your body. Both of these methods are used to create that same inner sense of motion that my techniques create. The feeling of motion (most of the time) is vital to engaging a conscious projection. Try some of your own visualization methods that feel right for you and that create a sense of motion.

You’re probably wondering, “What is causing all of those things?” That’s a good question. To explore it fully could be an entire article in and of itself. Basically, you are tapping into a flow of energy that’s not your typical way of being or operating during everyday physical moments. You are connecting with a pure energy flow that has amazing potential. This flow is not usually brought into being (for most people) while they are physically focused.

Now, it may sound contradictory to be in a state of mind awake/body asleep, yet I’m telling you that your physical body feels these sensations. I know it sounds weird, but that’s exactly how it happens. When you reach the still point, your limbs are completely frozen and you cannot move them, yet you can still feel cold blasts of air at key points. I wouldn’t believe it myself if this hadn’t happened to me many times.

After a short period of time, these sensations will dissipate and you will begin to perceive an even further shift in your consciousness. At times you may even experience a fading away of your conscious self; very similar to what I described in Experiences Out of the Body Part 1 & Part 2

You may also find yourself experiencing incredible sensations of falling and expanding from some point of consciousness that has very little in common with your physical body. You’ll notice that these sensations are far beyond anything you have ever felt through your physical awareness. If you can release your fear and continue to allow the experience to develop, you will become aware that you have an instinctive way of perceiving your new environment.

It’s different than seeing with your eyes. It’s more about awareness and a sensing than it is visually seeing. Your new environment is typically an energetic blueprint of the very room you are having the out of body experience in. This environment is extremely sensitive to your thoughts. In fact, I believe that it’s this environment in which all things originate, prior to making themselves known in our physical plane.

From here, the sky is truly the limit and the world’s your oyster, quite literally. I have not been as successful as many out of body travelers when it comes to visiting other locations, besides my house (on the astral plane). However I’ve had some amazing experiences in deeper environments, into the astral, that I plan on sharing in future blog posts. I also will be blogging about some validation experiences I have had, which point to the fact that OBEs are more than just fantasy and dreams.

In my next out of body experience entry I will be discussing ways to release your fear (if you have any) about astral projection and further tips for traveling the astral plane and reaching out to environments besides your home. I hope you try some of the techniques I’ve covered in this article. If they work for you or if you have any further questions, then feel free to contact me and share your experiences.

If this post has been helpful to you, please consider sharing it with others and/or making a donation. Thank you for supporting Wind of the Soul.

Related Posts

Podcast #2: Astral Projection
Releasing Fear of Astral Projection
My Astral Experience With A Tribal Shaman
Q & A: Out of Body Noises & Sensations
Q & A: Out of Body Experiences & Dream Symbols
Experiences Out of the Body – Part 1
Experiences Out of the Body – Part 2
Altered States of Consciousness & Aspects of Awareness

In my last entry, Experiences Out of the Body – Part 1, I discussed an encounter I had during meditation. Within a few hours of having the experience, I was on the internet searching for descriptions of the sensations and symptoms I encountered. All of my research pointed to the same phenomenon, known by two different names: out of body experience (O.B.E.) and astral projection.

I began devouring as much information on the subject as possible. Somewhere in my childhood or early adulthood I had heard of individuals having similar experiences, but I never paid much attention to the accounts and knew nothing of the incredible sensations that could accompany them.

It was fascinating to read the descriptions by others, after having been through the same thing myself. This helped confirm that I was not imagining nor inventing the experience, since I really had no prior knowledge of what was involved, until it happened to me. In fact, trying to achieve astral projection was nowhere on my “To Do” list during my meditation. I was merely taking advantage of the meditative state’s natural calming effects, but something much more profound found its way into my experience.

Cases of astral projection have been documented for centuries throughout oral and written history. Every society, in every corner of the globe has had individuals reporting on a second bodily state and on an environment in which this body exists and operates. This realm appears to be right here among our physical world, while still remaining a vibrational shift away in consciousness. There appear to be many subtle realms of existence within an arms length, yet they are in other dimensions that can only be accessed through an adjusting of one’s focus and clarity.

If you imagine pieces of celluloid or cell, for short (like the ones used for drawing animated cartoons) being laid on top of one another and each piece representing a different dimension, then you can begin to visualize these other dimensions in their alignment with our own. Each layer of celluloid has its own unique piece of the overall picture that normally cannot be seen by the characters or landscape inhabiting the other individual cells. It’s only from the wider perspective that one can appreciate the entire view.

Using the cartoon example- the background is drawn on one piece and the characters are drawn on another, which is then overlaid on top of the first (since they are transparent) and so on. If you compare the celluloid model to our own aspects of reality, then it’s easy to see how our Universe could be many multiple layers of environments, which exist within the same space as one another. It’s only from the soul’s (or whatever word you choose to describe our energy) wider perspective that the entire image can be seen and understood.

In a similar way, it’s from our perspective that the entire image of a cartoon can be seen and enjoyed. This is not to suggest that we are separate in anyway from our soul. I am suggesting that through an out of body experience (or through other circumstances) we have access to these other dimensions and we are experiencing many different aspects, characters and landscape that our soul can appreciate from its perspective. In fact, it’s within these pieces of “celluloid” that I would venture to say, is where the human concept of heaven exists, but that’s another article.

It’s been reported by many authors that the out of body state is a vast world of unending possibilities and creation. What we think about in those “outer” environments comes to be, almost instantly. I feel this is true for our physical world as well, however there is a slower rate of manifestation in this environment, but again that’s another article I am looking forward to writing in the future! These outer worlds are teaming with consciousness and landscapes that at some level, mimic the earth environment and at other levels, go far beyond it, into a beauty that’s unrivaled by anything in our physical Universe.

Besides providing a glimpse into just how multi-faceted our Universe is, OBEs can also give us a window into the world of what physical death may quite possibly look and feel like (to the person experiencing it). I believe that death is a natural transition into other states of being and focus. I also realize that I’m not going to be retaining this physical body for eternity. It’s in that vein that I find appreciation for my encounters with astral projection, as I feel I am better prepared for what awaits me at the end of this particular focus of my consciousness.

The out of body state is a fascinating environment that provides an amazing adventure for those that are equipped with an explorer’s mindset and an inclination to truly question and better understand our reality.

If you are interested in learning more about the out of body state and its inhabitants- I highly suggest the book Journeys Out of the Body along with Far Journeys and Ultimate Journey all by Robert Monroe.

If this post has been helpful to you, please consider sharing it with others and/or making a donation. Thank you for supporting Wind of the Soul.

Related Posts

Podcast #2: Astral Projection
Experiences Out of the Body – Part 1
Astral Projection & the Big Bang
Techniques For Achieving an OBE
Releasing Fear of Astral projection
Recent Out of Body Experiences
My Astral Experience With a Tribal Shaman
Q & A: Out of Body Noises & Sensations
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On this particular night I began my meditative process as usual, but this time I slipped into a very deep state of relaxation with an unusual sense of ease. From that point on (during the same session) I continued reaching deeper and deeper states of relaxation. My entire body began to numb up, as if it had just been given a form of anesthesia. I enjoyed the sensation or should I say, the lack of sensation for quite some time- that is, until the buzzing began.

It started off quietly, as if in the distance, like a giant swarm of angry bees making their way towards me- growing closer and closer until the sound filled my ears. I began to tense up, but made a conscious effort to relax as much as possible and ride out the experience, no matter what it brought, in hopes of further investigation of the strange sound and sensations.

The buzzing continued until it felt as though my ears had reached full capacity and then the “swarm” began to pour down my face, and neck and throughout my body. It’s a strange sensation- being unable to move your limbs, yet being aware of a feeling of buzzing and vibrating throughout every aspect of your arms, legs and trunk. My entire body literally began vibrating in sync with the sound pouring out of my ears.

The sensation worked its way up my spine and into the base of my skull in a gentle, yet somewhat determined manner, causing my head to slightly rock back and forth on my pillows. After a few more seconds the vibrations and buzzing subsided, almost as quickly as they came upon me. I lay there, waiting…

Then, my entire consciousness, for lack of a better phrase, just faded out. I felt myself slipping into an area of mind or being that I had never consciously tapped into before. It migrated into a feeling of everything I am, at my core, being melded into something larger. As I write this, I struggle for words to accurately describe these sensations. After encountering it though, I never again doubted whether or not we survive physical death.

The next shift in my awareness was an intense sensation of the bed and floor being ripped out from under me. I felt as though I (whatever I was at this point) was free falling into some deep crevasse. It was here that I began to contemplate whether I was actually experiencing death, or the possibility I had already passed on in my meditative state. Panic set in, but my curiosity and fascination won out. I pressed on.

While continuing to feel as though I was falling, another odd sensation began. The point of awareness that seemed to be where my physical head is located, started to expand into every corner of the room and beyond. It felt as though my consciousness was filling up every aspect of physical space. While these two situations progressed, I became aware of a third sensation occurring simultaneously to the first two. The aspect of consciousness that felt like my physical body began shrinking and “rolling in” upon itself, like a window shade wrapping up tight. This continued until I felt no larger than a grain of sand.

These three separate, but simultaneous sensations were beyond anything I had ever encountered. The experience crossed over into sensory overload, combined with a growing fear that I would become completely lost in whatever environment I was venturing into. I decided, if possible, to force myself out of that state. It truly felt like trying to shake myself awake from within a deep sleep, though I was absolutely certain I never drifted into a sleep state.

As I found my bearings and become fully aware of my physical environment, I noticed a thud or jarring sensation, as if I had been a few feet out of alignment with my physical body during the entire experience. Once I reined my consciousness back in and began to focus on my physical self, it seemed as if I had been dropped against the bed. And just like that I was back in my room.

I’ll close this entry for now. If you are interested in learning more about astral projection and how to achieve an out of body experience- you can check out Techniques for Achieving an OBE. Also, please join me for: Experiences Out of the Body – Part 2, later this week.

If this post has been helpful to you, please consider sharing it with others and/or making a donation. Thank you for supporting Wind of the Soul.

Related Posts

Experiences Out of the Body – Part 2
Podcast #2: Astral Projection
Astral Projection & the Big Bang
Techniques For Achieving an OBE
Releasing Fear of Astral projection
Recent Out of Body Experiences
My Astral Experience With a Tribal Shaman
Q & A: Out of Body Noises & Sensations
Q & A: Out of Body Experiences & Dream Symbols