The Astral World
2 That there is a world beyond our own is not a unique or even unusual concept. 2The very core of mainstream religion holds that there are beings and worlds beyond the Earth, so this area is just as much a part of religion as it is of spirituality.
3The astral world or plane is considered by some to be a place where the Higher Self or Infinite Self dwells, possibly awaiting reincarnation here to earth, or where it rests for a while, until it is ready to commence life on a higher plane. 4For others it is also a place where demi-gods, spirit guides and other enlightened beings dwell.
5For the purpose of this chapter, the term astral refers to the spiritual world of energy that is otherwise invisible to us in the physical dimension. 6And if you re not familiar with it, there is a lot to discover. 7Astral travel is the out-of-body experience that accompanies the journey to this world, whereby our soul or spirit leave the physical body.
Meditation
8The first step to gaining access to the spiritual world outside of our physical existence is meditation. 9It is often used in its own right as a way of calming the spirit and creating mindfulness, but with a little practice, these techniques can be used for much more.
1OFollowers of many mainstream religions use meditation as part of their spiritual practice, particularly Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and followers of the Baha i faith. 11Many neo-Pagan religions also embrace meditation as a spiritual tool.
Basic Techniques
12You don t have to sit in the lotus position while chanting mantras in order to meditate. 13In fact, it usually works better if you are relaxed and in a naturally comfortable position. 14This means your favourite chair or even just lying down in bed (providing you don t fall asleep). 1SIt will almost certainly take several attempts (dozens, maybe even hundreds) in order to develop good meditation abilities. 16Do not give up and consider that your newly developing patience is a good meditative skill all on its own.
17First, find a quiet place where you won t be disturbed and where you feel relaxed. 18Not just physically comfortable either. 19Somewhere that you can be calm, safe and mentally at peace. 2OSit or lie down and get settled.
21Start to focus on your breathing. 22Let that be your sole focus and don t let yourself think about anything else for several minutes. 23Then start to control your breathing, continuing to think about that alone. 24The specific pattern isn t important as long as it's natural and allows you to control your breathing. 2SAn easy one is to take a breath in for a four-count, then let it out slowly for a four-count. 26This is really flexible, though, so you can experiment with a rhythm that works well for you.
27When your mind stops thinking about your body (even your breathing) and anything else, you are meditating. 28How long you choose to meditate is up to you, though novices may only be able to hold that not-thinking-about-anything state for a few minutes at a time.
29Following a regular routine of meditation will reduce stress and also give you a better sense of personal mindfulness. 30Being able to control your thoughts and emotions will make a huge impact on your day-to-day living too. 31A high level of inner-peace is often considered one of the benefits of a spiritual lifestyle, which you can certainly develop from meditation. 32This is why it is part of so many journeys to discovering the Divine.
33Before we continue, you should understand that meditating can be a goal on its own, as a way of reducing stress, focusing the mind and becoming more aware of our physical bodies. 34Whether you wish to take the additional step to astral travel is up to you.
Astral Travel
35Now we move on to more advanced techniques which you can use to access the astral world.
360nce you ve reached a meditative state, release all physical sensations and let your mind completely wander. 37Try to visualise a scene and let your thoughts develop all the details until you truly feel that you are there. 38With practice, you will feel that you are genuinely and even physically in your inner world with no awareness of your body. 39This is the origin of the term out-of-body experience .
40Sometimes the thrill and shock of realising what you ve done can be enough to break the spell and cause you to lose your astral awareness. 41Consider this a typical roadblock, which you will overcome with more practice.
42After you are secure in your new world, the toughest task is to trust your experiences, and not chalk them up as pure fantasy. 43This is part of the fluid nature of the astral world. 44You also have to trust that many of the things you see and experience are real. 45With practice, your mind won t wander around so much creating distractions to your new reality.
460nce you have started this journey, you can walk (or even fly) around your inner landscape and learn about aspects of yourself.
Lucid Dreaming
47This is another technique for astral travelling, which can be a good option for anyone who has difficulty with the more traditional meditative practices outlined above. 48A lucid dream is one where you are consciously aware that you are in a dream state, and can therefore control aspects of the outcome. 49Lucid dreams can happen spontaneously, or one can learn to create them intentionally.
50Developing lucid dreaming skills can be tough because you have very little control over your thoughts and actions whilst in a dream state. 510ne very successful technique is to develop a thought- habit during your waking hours that will still be a mental habit once you are asleep.
52For example, each time you look out of a window, consciously evaluate your surroundings and decide whether you are dreaming or not. 531t may sound silly to do this when you know you are awake, but it will work if you stick with it and take it seriously. 54If you start to do this on a regular basis, you ll find that your mind continues to do so even when you are sleeping. 55So as soon as you have a dream, when you look out of a window, you will automatically assess your surroundings to evaluate whether or not you re awake. 56It may not always work as your dream-mind may not notice anything amiss, but with a little luck and practice, your conscious mind will come to the forefront and determine that you are in a dream state.
57It doesn t always have to be a window either. 58Simply pick a mundane habit such as looking at your hands or into a mirror and asking yourself if you re asleep or awake.
590nce you have perfected your technique, you will consciously think and act within the dream world. 60A dream is just as much part of the larger astral world as anything else. 61Think of it as a doorway rather than a tiny distinct room of its own. 620nce you are actively moving within the dream world, you should consider yourself within the astral plane.
Astral Residents
63The astral realm isn t just a vague mix of imagination and thought processes. 64It is believed that there are beings who live in this world, and you can use the above techniques to contact and communicate with them. 65This may be the biggest path to spiritual understanding of them all.
66We are going to discuss angels in a chapter of their own, so this topic will be left out for now. 67Spirit guides, animal totem spirits, even the spirits of the deceased can all be found living in the astral world and they are all available for communication. 68You can also find yourself in contact with more powerful beings, and possibly even those of deity level. 69Pagans often use meditation and ritual as a way of speaking with the Divine in a very personal way.
70With regular astral work, you can develop true relationships with other beings and even find yourself being taught as a student during your meditative journeys. 71Be respectful at all times and do not make any demands of them. 72If they offer to help you, accept gratefully, but also be polite if they choose not to.
At the End of Your Journey
73Doing a lot of astral travelling can have some physical effects on the body, but they will be minimal. 74Astral travel done during a meditative state can leave you a little light-headed, so it's a good idea to get into the habit of grounding yourself afterwards. 75Spend a few minutes outside with your feet having physical contact with the earth and having a bite to eat to shake off that flighty feeling.
76If you tend to do your travelling during lucid dreaming, this won t be an issue since your body is already sleeping through the whole process and you're already used to coming back to earth when you wake up. 770n the other hand, this can leave you less rested than regular sleep because your mind has been actively conscious throughout the night. 78Try not to spend too many nights in the astral or you will start to feel the effects. 79Allow nights for regular sleep to keep your body running smoothly.
80You should never be afraid of astral journeying or worry about whether you can find your way back to your body. 81Despite some unfounded notions that have persisted in this area, you cannot lose your soul or become permanently trapped in the astral realms. 82The connection between your mind and body is too powerful to give way.
Spiritual Learning and Discovery
83These are amazing skills to learn but you may wonder what the point of all this is. 84We already mentioned that meditation alone will bring some inner harmony, peace and mindfulness to your life which could be a wonderful spiritual goal all on its own.
85Some entire spiritual paths, such as shamanism, revolve around astral workings. 861t s hard to deny that there is a spiritual component to this practice. 87You can find out more about shamanism in a later section of this book.
88Learning from residents in the astral world is a huge opportunity to learn as long as you keep an open mind and accept that you are receiving knowledge and information, even though it may seem as if it's all coming from inside your own head. 89Be prepared to be patient though. 90Not all astral learning is like sitting in a typical classroom. 9lThings may be confusing, vague and filled with indirect symbolism.
92There are other sources of wisdom in the astral world that you can take advantage of once you are able to navigate your way around. 93Particularly important are the Akashic records, which have been described as the complete collection of all human experience and knowledge, as well as the history of the cosmos. 941t s not an easy place to find or reach so you should only seek it once you have gained more astral experience. 950nce there, you can have access to a wide range of information, though not everyone experiences the records in the same way. 96Many see the realm as a library filled with books, but some use a more visual method that creates screens that show images like a television or a movie theatre.
97The records will usually restrict your access to certain things that are relevant or important to you personally. 98You don t get to just rummage around through the universe s entire store of knowledge as you wish.
99Famed psychic Edgar Cayce reported on many visits to the Akashic records while he did readings for his clients. l00Among other things, he claimed to have learned about the mystical civilisation of Atlantis. l0lHis books are still some of the best for learning more about astral travelling, psychic phenomenon, channelling, past lives, as well as the Akashic records.
l02At the barest minimum, the practice of astral travel opens our eyes to a wide new landscape of experience beyond our physical reality. l03That alone makes it a worthwhile path to follow.
Channelling
l04Not all astral exploration comes from visiting these realms personally. l05Since we already talked about beings who live in these worlds, it is necessary to mention the practice of channelling as well.
l06The term refers to the practice of being in contact with an astral being or consciousness, and allowing that being to communicate through a willing human medium. l07These beings can then leave messages, answer questions or provide us with important knowledge, usually without the medium being aware of the exchange. 108Someone else typically has to record the conversations, though some channellers can do their own writing during a session.
109This allows us to connect with other beings without actually entering the astral world ourselves. 1100f course, the ability to channel is rare and only those with the right psychic abilities are able to do it.
111Unfortunately, the act of channelling is hard to prove and there have been many fakes and charlatans over the centuries who have used this technique for personal gain. 112If you wish to learn from channelled knowledge, you should do so with caution and a critical mind.
113Studying and reading about spiritual topics is an important way to gain understanding, but nothing beats personal experience. 114The more you can explore the world around you (and those other worlds we cannot see), the better you will be at making spiritual decisions and gaining enlightenment.