Astral Projection - What's the point?

[Azvanna]

I've seen some interesting discussions relating to Astral Projection. I think I understand the process of how to achieve that out of body state and that it can take quite a bit of practise. What's the pay-off of learning to do something like this? Other than it being a neat trick or something a bit different. What can be achieved in Astral Projection? How does it enhance spirituality and personal growth? Why incorporate it into practise?

[Aeran]

Re: Astral Projection - What's the point?

Off the top of my head, it would allow you to interact with, to learn from, spiritual entities on their 'home ground' so to speak, as well as view and interact with reality on a whole other level, which I imagine would really help to reach a deeper understanding of the universe.

[Valhalla]

Re: Astral Projection - What's the point?

Do you think it's easier to interact with the spiritual realm from a body designed to interact with the physical realm, or one designed to interact with the spiritual one?

That's why.

-Valhalla

[Vigdisdotter]

Re: Astral Projection - What's the point?

Astral projection can also be used for visiting places in our world in spirit form. This can be very useful since a plane ticket can be rather costly.

[RainbowDemonic]

Re: Astral Projection - What's the point?

Personally I find it useful for energy work. Fully entering the aether to do my work proves far more effective. Also works for gathering information. You're suddenly able to be the proverbial fly on the wall for things you need info about, by traveling to them astrally, unseen.

[Ouranos Ouroboros]

Re: Astral Projection - What's the point?

I agree with the above: astral projection is the key to theurgy (as well as a very helpful thaumaturgical tool), if you ask me.


Also, I'm going to return to the otherworld someday when I die. I may be afraid of dying (it might hurt, and I'll definitely miss some people), but - because of the time I've spent in an astral state - I don't have to be afraid of being dead. I'll be in a place I visit regularly, surrounded by friends and family and in a "location" (my astral estate) that I know well.

[Azvanna]

Re: Astral Projection - What's the point?

Okay, so sounds like Astral Projection can be used for:

*Travel - what does the world look like in its astral state? The same? What can you interact with?

*Learning directly from spiritual entities - I really love the idea of this. How is the learning different from having that 'inner knowing?' At a guess, could it be likened to learning distance ed vs. learning on campus?

*Working with energy - I don't really understand this. What kind of energy would you work with and how? I will look up theurgy, but maybe someone would like to give a quick run-down for the newbies. XD Is theurgy the only type of work you can do?

*Interacting with the spirit world in order to assimilate.

Sorry, I can't figure out how to multi-quote from different posters. Thank you everyone for contributing explanations so far ^.^

[Jera]

Re: Astral Projection - What's the point?

I'm curious as to whether astral projection can happen by accident. I had an experience some years ago where I returned to a house I had visited that night, and saw all the people I'd said goodbye to still mingling and talking to each other. A friend of mine told me he awoke outside of his body the other night and explored around his entire property. Neither his experience nor mine was planned or voluntarily attempted.

[Ouranos Ouroboros]

Re: Astral Projection - What's the point?

Okay, so sounds like Astral Projection can be used for:


*Travel - what does the world look like in its astral state? The same? What can you interact with?


*Learning directly from spiritual entities - I really love the idea of this. How is the learning different from having that 'inner knowing?' At a guess, could it be likened to learning distance ed vs. learning on campus?


*Working with energy - I don't really understand this. What kind of energy would you work with and how? I will look up theurgy, but maybe someone would like to give a quick run-down for the newbies. XD Is theurgy the only type of work you can do?


*Interacting with the spirit world in order to assimilate.


Sorry, I can't figure out how to multi-quote from different posters. Thank you everyone for contributing explanations so far ^.^

The otherworld is as varied and wondrous as our own, if not more so. There are lots of different places. However, many cosmologies break them into three main areas - the underworld (a place for initiation and hidden knowledge, as well as a place that helps us understand our own inner darkness), the middle world (roughly analogous to our world - a place where we can look back at our world from a spirit world perspective and which has areas that sometimes mimic the landscapes of the physical world), and the overworld or upper world (a place of joy and brightness, something like many views of paradise or heaven).


I would say the difference between inner knowing and contact with deity is that inner knowing - while it can definitely reveal new and important knowledge - is a way of knowing the self, while working with deity is a way of knowing another entity.


Energy is often a catch-word for the power that we evoke with symbology through the process of sympathetic magic. I might have a desire for healing and a green stone. When I use the green stone as a symbol, or correspondence, of my healing desire, I can raise (what many call) energy for healing. Of course, it's the idea of the green stone - rather than the object itself - that helps me raise the energy. But, for most, having a reminder or focus for that energy in the form of a physical green stone is quite helpful.


"Assimilate" meaning to absorb knowledge or meaning to conform to the standards of a group or philosophy?


Thaumaturgy (which means something like "miracle work") is magic that affects the physical world - a spell to find your cat, a potion to increase libido, a ritual to bless a new home, etc. Theurgy (which means something like "god-work") is magic that involves the spirit world - building a new room in an astral temple, finding a particular animal guide, interacting with elementals in their home, etc.


No worries. Spirituality is very subjective. It isn't like math or something - we all start at different places and work our way in / out. Just prod me if I'm using something in a way you don't understand; I'm sure others have other ways of expressing similar knowledge (and, probably, lots of disagreements with my particular point of view) anyway.


See the options at the bottom of the message window? The ones that say "Reply" and "Reply With Quote"? To their right is a little balloon with quotation marks inside. Click the little balloon for each quote you want to include in your response (a check mark should appear over each). Then, when you've chosen all the ones you want, click "Reply With Quote". The reply field will include all the quotes you chose, and you can reply after each one - or after all of them - or wherever.

I'm curious as to whether astral projection can happen by accident. I had an experience some years ago where I returned to a house I had visited that night, and saw all the people I'd said goodbye to still mingling and talking to each other. A friend of mine told me he awoke outside of his body the other night and explored around his entire property. Neither his experience nor mine was planned or voluntarily attempted.

Yes, astral projection often happens when we dream and can happen at other times too. However, what you and your friend experienced sounds like another state (often considered quasi-astral) called bi-location, which means that you sent out a projection of yourself to another place in the physical world rather than in the spirit world. I can't be sure, though; the locations you described could always be areas of the astral that just resemble physical locations.

[Gleb]

Re: Astral Projection - What's the point?

I am not certain about this, it seems to be quiet dangerous.

[RainbowDemonic]

Re: Astral Projection - What's the point?

I'm curious as to whether astral projection can happen by accident. I had an experience some years ago where I returned to a house I had visited that night, and saw all the people I'd said goodbye to still mingling and talking to each other. A friend of mine told me he awoke outside of his body the other night and explored around his entire property. Neither his experience nor mine was planned or voluntarily attempted.

Personally I still refer to that as astral projection, although I'm certain many people would classify it differently. I don't bother myself with terminology, I just do what works - everyone has a zillion different labels for the same things, I stopped caring about nitpicky terms a long time ago. Basically, you've got astral that's more out-there in other realms, and astral that's connected to the physical world (which is what you're talking about). In the latter, as you're talking about, people who are sensitive might be able to see you as a ghost. By default you'd look like yourself, in ghostly form. Experienced users such as myself can change their appearance to look like many different things. I have been seen as anything from an angel to a scary demon to various kinds of animals, doing this same work. It can happen accidentally and is often called "out of body" - your spirit will wander and take a walk this way and that. It can also happen on purpose, which is what I do with much of my magics. By entering this state I can accomplish a lot more than sitting there drawing sigils or chanting or anything else.

I am not certain about this, it seems to be quiet dangerous.

It can be, but is extremely unlikely to be for most people. I've had to "pop out" of body to deal with some nasty attacking spirits before and I've come back with physical manifestations of whatever harm was done to me. One particularly nasty experience left a temporary dent on my collar bone and some nasty sickness for a while. The average projector won't need to deal with that kind of thing, because they won't be getting into fights with spirits, and most of them rely on the help of their respective deities. They'll pass by and be generally ignored. Plenty of ghosts walking around, you don't see them getting into any more than a petty squabble or two with each other. The darkscaries usually wrinkle their noses in distaste and keep going. They usually hunt for more formidable/rewarding energy sources than just some random person wandering around out of body, and any impish ones that would bother with just a random person are usually fairly easy to get rid of. In short, unless anyone plans on gaining just, completely ungodly amounts of capability, 99% of any astral travelers have nothing to worry about. If you plan on entering the astral and going over 9000, well, expect to get your @ss swiftly beaten and/or extinguished.

(In before "That kind of thing doesn't exist LOL", and "I've been doing this for 9000 years and never seen/heard of/experienced that" - if you believe the danger doesn't exist and have never seen it, you are definitely safe. Said danger feels you're not worth the trouble, which is a good thing; enjoy your travels and ignore my post.)

[Ouranos Ouroboros]

Re: Astral Projection - What's the point?

I am not certain about this, it seems to be quiet dangerous.

I like the analogy of crossing a street, although it's probably overused. There are a lot of cars, and you have to understand when it's safe to move; but most people would rather learn to cross than to stay on one side of the street all their lives. They are taking a small risk every time they cross, but hardly anyone gets hit who isn't acting in an unsafe manner. I'll be honest - there are mean and hateful entities in the otherworld. But, if you enter it in a meditative state (especially if that involves cleansing) and have good intentions, your willpower and benevolent intent will keep away harm.

[Jera]

Re: Astral Projection - What's the point?

I'll be honest - there are mean and hateful entities in the otherworld.

And there are far more mean and hateful entities in our material world, i.e. other people! I'm personally far more cautious of that variety than potentially malevolent spirits.

[Azvanna]

Re: Astral Projection - What's the point?

The otherworld is as varied and wondrous as our own, if not more so. There are lots of different places. However, many cosmologies break them into three main areas - the underworld (a place for initiation and hidden knowledge, as well as a place that helps us understand our own inner darkness), the middle world (roughly analogous to our world - a place where we can look back at our world from a spirit world perspective and which has areas that sometimes mimic the landscapes of the physical world), and the overworld or upper world (a place of joy and brightness, something like many views of paradise or heaven).


I would say the difference between inner knowing and contact with deity is that inner knowing - while it can definitely reveal new and important knowledge - is a way of knowing the self, while working with deity is a way of knowing another entity.


Energy is often a catch-word for the power that we evoke with symbology through the process of sympathetic magic. I might have a desire for healing and a green stone. When I use the green stone as a symbol, or correspondence, of my healing desire, I can raise (what many call) energy for healing. Of course, it's the idea of the green stone - rather than the object itself - that helps me raise the energy. But, for most, having a reminder or focus for that energy in the form of a physical green stone is quite helpful.


"Assimilate" meaning to absorb knowledge or meaning to conform to the standards of a group or philosophy?


Thaumaturgy (which means something like "miracle work") is magic that affects the physical world - a spell to find your cat, a potion to increase libido, a ritual to bless a new home, etc. Theurgy (which means something like "god-work") is magic that involves the spirit world - building a new room in an astral temple, finding a particular animal guide, interacting with elementals in their home, etc.


No worries. Spirituality is very subjective. It isn't like math or something - we all start at different places and work our way in / out. Just prod me if I'm using something in a way you don't understand; I'm sure others have other ways of expressing similar knowledge (and, probably, lots of disagreements with my particular point of view) anyway.


See the options at the bottom of the message window? The ones that say "Reply" and "Reply With Quote"? To their right is a little balloon with quotation marks inside. Click the little balloon for each quote you want to include in your response (a check mark should appear over each). Then, when you've chosen all the ones you want, click "Reply With Quote". The reply field will include all the quotes you chose, and you can reply after each one - or after all of them - or wherever.





Yes, astral projection often happens when we dream and can happen at other times too. However, what you and your friend experienced sounds like another state (often considered quasi-astral) called bi-location, which means that you sent out a projection of yourself to another place in the physical world rather than in the spirit world. I can't be sure, though; the locations you described could always be areas of the astral that just resemble physical locations.

Thank you, that is a really good reply.

I meant assimilate in terms of conforming or 'getting used to' an environment. Is this right?

It's a really fascinating topic. Thanks for explaining the safety side as well.

[Azvanna]

Re: Astral Projection - What's the point?

I've had to "pop out" of body to deal with some nasty attacking spirits ...)

What do you do to a spirit to 'deal with' it in the astral realm?