Secret Places, Secret Bodies: AP, OBE, and Lucid Dreams
by Dennaveve
Disclaimer: Though this article is to serve as an introduction, a stepping-stone to better understanding of out of body experiences and what they entail it should not be a substitute for serious research. One could write a hundred books on this subject alone and not cover each and every aspect of the astral body, realm, techniques, and what it means to humanity historically, spiritually, and scientifically. I am merely attempting to gather together into a single body of work the platform from which to spring into better understanding.


Just what is astral projection and out of body experiences? What is the astral body? Where is the astral realm or rather plane? How do I get there, what does it do for me, when can I astral project, and how do I leave the astral plane? These are just some of the questions people unfamiliar with astral projection and out of body experiences constantly ask in the occult community, online or off. The answer to any of these queries is undoubtedly going to be of wide variation as; experiences and knowledge differ between individuals. While there may not be one technique for astral projection that will work without fail for every curious individual there are some regular teachings meant to give aid. There even exist common truths that have been agreed on by general consensus in the realm of paranormal scientists, spiritual entrepreneurs, and those who have experienced it first hand while not knowing exactly what was going on. Many things in life are not easily categorized and filed away; scientifically inexplicable occurrences permeate this world but this in no way means they do not transpire. To dismiss something because scientists cannot guilelessly elucidate it is nonsensical. Recondite as astral projection may seem inherently it is an orthodox occurrence and documented “phenomena”.

“Laboratorial experiments have been conducted in the last 3 decades by American researchers such as Dr. Charles Tart, Dr. Karlis Osis, Dr. Janet Lee Mitchell, and others…The vast majority of those who have the experience exhibit positive behavioral changes. They lose their fear of death, value life more, and achieve a higher quality of life…In consequence of conscious out-of-body-experiences, whether spontaneous or generated at will.”
-The International Institute of Projectiology and Conscientiology

To begin we must explain clearly what astral projection or an out of body experience is, and this can be more difficult then you would imagine. There are several valid places to start when describing astral projection but to be sure that someone with possibly no working knowledge will understand the subject matter there has to be some form of clarity. The best place to start is probably the astral body, with what it is, what it does, and how it functions. Starting with the basics and working our way up to the more difficult concepts is generally a good idea. You do not build a house from the roof down; you start with the foundations and make sure they are solid. Jumping right into the most difficult aspects of astral projection is like trying to describe the bottom of the ocean to someone who does not understand in the least what the different layers of the ocean are and how they interact. So we will begin with explanations, and we will start with the easiest most solid information and travel toward the hardest and least tangible.

What the Secret Body is and How it Functions:

The astral body can be thought of most commonly as the energy comprised echo of your physical features that surrounds you, like an aura. This tenement is connected to your physical form by what has been described as a silver cord; think of this as an anchor that is commonly attached to the human naval. The heavy tip is secured to your gross material body and the light string is attached to the astral counterpart. With this metaphysical umbilical cord intact you can never be truly lost in the astral plane, it will always draw the nonmaterial back to the corporeal form. When this bond is severed our astral body escapes and cannot reside with our palpable manifestation any longer. Though this happens upon death some believe that the link can be forcibly destroyed and the implications of such an act are not known. A person could possibly survive without an astral counterpart like they would function without their arm. Yet, since the astral body is the place where our desires and emotions reside without it we may end up little more then comatose or at least severely apathetic. Even though the effect of losing this connection to your astral body is unknown and only speculations can be put forth, it would still be wise to remember that this silver cord is very important and should be protected from harm, accidental or intentional. It is the thing that will help you funnel your consciousness into the astral body to project, as well as being the link between your two different but very real manifestations. Just as you would not jump head first into a three-foot deep pool, you should not carelessly neglect the safety of your astral body because it is an essential part of “you” as a whole. 

Normally this energy merely encases you, mimicking your movements like a shadow and generally imperceptible. It should be duly noted that the astral body is not your shadow or what causes it to appear, this is a function of light and reflection. Though the presence of your energy form causes its own effect, since the normal human eye does not perceive the aura of a person regularly…do not expect this form to appear as a shadow. The astral body is an energy duplication of the physical body which is most often identical though some people (mostly “Otherkin”) claim that their astral body is a manifestation of their “true” form and very different. When saying identical it must be made clear that it (your astral body) does not reside within you, it resides outside of the body as an energy replica of your tangible features. Like a bubble it encases us (generally thought to be ¼ an inch away from the body) and, being made of atoms aligning in more subtle means, the astral body can when needed contract around us further. This gives us the ability to not do harm when applying pressure to the keys in order to type a sentence for example. In either case it is tied very closely to the physical “you” and remains mostly motionless without command or rather input. Generally this direction comes from our manipulating the muscles of our corporeal form to walk, dance, speak, or play which means that it is not moving of its own volition. The astral body is also described as, “The seat of higher consciousness” meaning that this is where our mental desires and emotions are held but not where they are formed. 

If you are in a serious accident and unintentionally astral project (due to the trauma involved [This is not a Near Death Experience though they are very similar]) it is generally agreed that you do not feel physical pain until you return from the astral realm to the concrete material world. The reason that these sensations of pain (or by the same token pleasure) are not felt when you project is because you are pushing your entire mind into the astral form. Meaning that all you leave behind is a comatose shell that while remaining alive, with the neurons in the brain still firing out the signals for pain they cannot affect your consciousness which is now residing in the astral. The cause of pain is still evident, the processes for feeling physical discomfort are still present but as you are not within the body you do not have to bear the affects. 

Not all projections are unwilling, which is why there are techniques that have been formed to help people learn about the astral body and how to interact with it. You can see the corporeal when you begin astrally projecting; many people have had these out of body experiences (OBE’s) without knowing what it was. More often then not people will remember at least one time where they were looking down at their body but not inside of it, or they were looking at their physical form from some other angle. However, due to the fact you can still see the material body while in the earliest stage of projecting it would lend to the reader you may still feel pain if you were experiencing a situation like the above (accident). Truly the pain would be only mental since you are not transmitting the discomforts up through the cord into the astral form. Yet it still lends to the notion that just because you are not inside of the corporeal manifestation of self does not mean we do not feel emotional afflictions from the viewing of our physical malaise. 

Funneling the mind into the astral form and fully animating it leaving behind a shell is one of the first steps to astral projection. Of course the true first step is to fully understand but in the process of projecting we must initially furnish the energy body with our psyche. As we are still attached to this husk (our emptied material manifestation) through the cord there is no need to worry about not being able to refill it with our conscious mind. If the situation in which you are placed when projecting is stable and safe to your physical form then there is never a reason for worry. Questions about if, how, why, and when you can return to your anatomical structure safely should not cross the mind. Think of the cord as a tunnel, you can travel through it in either direction going into the astral body from the physical, and back again.

Further Explanation of the Secret Body:

This energy echo is very much like an aura (though some claim they are the same and others believe they are different), which means that your astral body changes colors not unlike a “mood” ring. Regardless of whether or not the astral body is your aura they share the common trait of changing colors, if that is where the comparison between the two ends then so be it. The colors differentiate by emotions, mental development, spiritual awareness and more…basically your thoughts cause the energy that comprises the astral body to shift and mix and this is expressed in color. How we visually perceive color day to day is caused by wavelengths of light reflecting or being transmitted off of and by objects, color is merely a property of light which is made of energy. The color of a white object changes tone when different wavelengths of light reflect off of it. The color of a clear object changes when the wavelengths of light transmitted by it vary from one majority to another. A white object is white because it reflects all wavelengths of light; an object that transmits all wavelengths is black. Think of the changing color of the astral body as being caused by the way it shifts and mixes allowing certain portions to transmit light and other areas to reflect light. This means that different wavelengths of light pressing against the astral form cause it to manifest a wide range of color at any given time. 

The possibility of an astral body is not that hard to accept when we acknowledge that all beings are made of energy, produce energy, and emit energy. There are many studies on the Human Energy Field (or HEF) and there have been mentions of it (under different names) in almost a hundred cultures through our history on this planet. The concept that outside of our physical shell lies an almost imperceptible sheath made up purely of such a substance, functioning in synchronous with the material form isn’t something “new age”. It could with the recent influx of interest in the occult and paranormal over the past few years be considered a trendy pattern of thought, however it was once something shared by a much smaller number. It is highly likely that most people who claim to believe in things like the astral realm, otherkin, spirits, ghosts, demons, and angels are really only claiming. They have no true reason to believe and even when saying they accept the existence of such things it is merely to fit in with the path society is currently headed down. Yet, the fact that many studies have been made on the subject of the HEF and how it functions lends a great deal of credence to the beliefs of astral entrepreneurs. In all honesty the current scientific understanding is that there are thousands of different waves of energy to be found even in empty space. Each wave is found in a singular field and though similar none are the same, just like the comparison between aura and astral body. Every organism produces these waves simply by being alive; energy is expelled into our environment constantly. Since these waves are also found in fields it isn’t hard to believe that a field could be found around a human being or animal, even plant. 

However to return to the original subject matter the astral body does not possess intelligent life without your mind animating the energy; it is another part of you and while it is affected by emotions that it houses it does not create them. It does however possess a form of life though it is not sentient, it is able to convey emotion and desire even thoughts. It communicates these things through changing the matter which it is made of and the result of that is varying colors, the changing of form also occurs when we discard one layer of the astral body not all at once but, in flakes. This expression is a different way of moving our hand to brush away a bug because it causes us discomfort. Think of this constant color shift as another form of body language, it accompanies smiles, frowns, tears, and laughter. When referring to the astral body it is singular however, there are actually seven different layers or sheaths around the physical form. Each layer of the astral body is made up of finer and finer material, the first layer being the grossest matter manifestation and the last almost imperceptible. Since there are seven different layers of the astral body there are also seven different layers of the astral realm but, that will be covered shortly and we will leave the knowledge, “as is” for now. 

You can easily understand the different layers of the astral body by comparing it to something many children have done or will do in school. The first layer of the astral body is (figuratively) black, below this is dark red and descending toward the final and finest layer we have, dark purple, dark green, dark blue, and finally dark yellow. When we begin to scrape away the black we see the other colors (or finer matter) emerge. Many young children take part in a similar project with crayons and a paperclip or pencil in art classes. As each layer begins to shed like old skin the finer material takes more and more hold leaving us in the end with the “perfect” astral form or, one color. 

The shedding of this astral skin does not take place like it would on a human being; each sheath is also an anchor to a way of thought and looking at the world sometimes it can be associated with a prevalent emotion as well. A person who is constantly in a state of depression has to overcome this in order to aid the process of astral renewal. This is done through the use of HEF manipulation whether through conscious effort or subconscious means like religion, prayer, therapy, etc. Most serious astral travelers are trying to get rid of these dense layers and attain the finest possible astral body therefore experiencing something akin to nirvana (complete personal peace and harmony through understanding). This is not an easy battle, you cannot just get rid of a layer once and be done with it, like mold the different layers of the astral body creep back when you least expect them to just like bad habits. What does this mean? Simply put, you are descending back into the old thoughts and desires you once had and the astral body is showing you through regenerating the layer that they represent.

Now that we have a basic understanding of the astral body and the effect that it has on our physical form and psyche it is safe to progress to a discussion of the astral realm. Remember that there is only one astral body but like our physical forms it changes with time and experience. Consider the process a spiritual version of “growing up” some mature at a faster rate then others but in the end we all become “adults” or rather we all progress through the layers of astral awareness and growth. Even if we never reach the last plateau, the process of shedding does not stop instead it simply has a harder time battling to remove a layer. Since the astral body has six different layers that it must pass through before attaining “perfection” at the seventh there are also seven different levels of the astral realm. Like the layers these levels are very different from each other and have very little in common except they all come from the same root. There is one astral body and there is one astral realm in total, we just perceive them differently as our astral form changes.

The Connection between Astral Projection, Lucid Dreaming, and Out of Body Experiences:

The astral realm has endless different appearances and functions, which can be used for spiritual and emotional growth as well as being used as an aid in physical healing. It is a common belief that each and every person on the planet has been to the astral realm at least once when sleeping. Many will ask, “Why when we sleep?” for thousands of years human beings of different religions have believed that when sleeping we are closer to the nonphysical realms. People have used dreams for divination since the Egyptian era and before, many believe that dreams are actually experiences with other beings that can be interpreted with practice and give us answers to many of life’s mysteries. Our consistent fascination with dreams and how they function and affect our mind and body is as constant throughout history as the human energy field (HEF) and our many different names for it. Some religious groups, for example shamans will take ethenogenic hallucinogens in order to project themselves into a dream state and speak with beings that we cannot normally perceive. Just the one practice of consuming a naturally occurring hallucinogen to communicate with other beings in controlled dream like states has been going on since the Paleolithic period. The consumption of these plants may or may not be a trigger for astral projection and in my opinion the use of a naturally occurring hallucinogen (plants, animal excretions like frog mucus and more) can help us communicate with the spiritual realm, which is very different from the astral, and have almost nothing in common. 

Whatever the case may be it is thought that while sleeping our astral body is able to move with greater ease and the subconscious mind interprets our experiences in the astral realm as dreams. Often the mind adds or detracts to an encounter by placing similar faces or associating an unpleasant visit with something we consciously dislike. Our mind will relate a bad experience with another astral traveler to a fear of certain types of human beings or animals. Hence why we have nightmares that are often unexplainable or suddenly occur even though we (the individual) are in a perfectly contented state of mind with little stress. When we sleep we commonly enter a phase called REM sleep, the name coming from the identifiable rapid eye movement (REM) and the increase of blood pressure and heart rate. When in REM state we dream, the amount of time we spend in REM usually decreases with age. It is estimated that infants spend 50% of the time they sleep in the REM state whereas young adults only spend several hours a night experiencing REM. If consistently deprived of REM people often suffer from irritability, slightly weakened immune systems, and physical damage like bruises or sunburns take longer to heal. 

Not all dreams occur while the individual is in the REM state and the average human being has over five dreams a night even if we do not remember any of them upon waking. Our most memorable dreams have been found to come from REM, though we do dream outside of REM. Not all dreams are linked to OBE’s and it should be noted with great care that we have both regular dreams where our subconscious mind is associating different portions of the brain which deal in memory and creativity to create historical fiction dreams as well as those dreams which are part of the phenomena of out of body experiences. This can make it difficult to draw the line between what is a dream, and what is an uninitiated astral projection especially when you are unsure of how astral projection works and what it entails. One explanation that has helped people to make the distinction between an out of body experience and a regular dream is called a lucid dream. An interesting common bond lies between the REM state and out of body experiences; it is not likely that a dream outside of REM is going to be an astral projection. Nor is it likely that each and every dream we have while in REM is an out of body experience. 

Scientific studies have been made on the phenomena known as lucid dreaming which is often associated or held in connotation with an out of body experience or astral projection. A lucid dream occurs when an individual is aware that they are “dreaming” and is able to partially control the flow of the dream. Look at this as being aware when astrally projecting, instead of being asleep and merely floating through an area of the astral realm we are instead able to take a measure of control over the experience and move at our own volition. The term lucid dreaming describes the state where a person realizes that what is occurring around them is actually a dream and begins to take a measure of control over the situation. The awareness often is triggered by the dreamer viewing an improbable act occur, the brain rebels against the notion and forces a degree of consciousness into sleep. 

“Although one is not usually explicitly aware that one is dreaming while in a dream, a remarkable exception sometimes occurs in which one possesses clear cognizance that one is dreaming. During such "lucid" dreams, one can reason clearly, remember the conditions of waking life, and act upon reflection or in accordance with plans decided upon before sleep. These cognitive functions, commonly associated only with waking consciousness, occur while one remains soundly asleep and vividly experiencing a dream world that is often nearly indistinguishable from the "real world".”

-Stephen LaBerge of the Lucidity Institute

Just like astral projection (the two are often thought to be one in the same) it is possible to not have complete control, you can spontaneously project and without the comprehension of what is truly occurring and your ability to manipulate the situation varies. Even if you become aware that you are projecting, or dreaming it does not mean that the dreamer or projector will suddenly be able to control the situation or keep themselves from adverse emotional reactions. Lucid dreams are considered to be a form of astral projection because they both cause the same effects on the brain. The reactions (physical) are very similar to REM, the state where our body is most able to unconsciously project the mind into the astral form and outward into the secret realm. Others believe they are both different dream states as you can initiate a lucid dream while awake (commonly called WILD’s, though you can initiate astral projection while awake as well) and the feeling of disconnection from the body is prevalent in both out of body experiences (or AP) and lucid dreaming. 

The feeling of disconnection from the physical body also occurs to people going into or out of REM state while mentally alert (where OBE/AP and DILD’s [Dream initiated lucid dreams] occur) and is called sleep paralysis. Sleep paralysis just like deep dream states happens when the muscles of the body are relaxed and do not immediately respond to the mental processes involved with sitting up, moving our mouth, or swallowing. Basically the body goes into “power saver” mode when entering REM, throughout REM, and only when leaving REM do we begin to have regulated muscle control. Most lucid dreams, astral projections, and out of body experiences (all one in the same in my opinion) occur without our desire to experience them. According to scientists (Blackmoore, 1984) something close to 85% of OBE’s occur when the subject is resting or otherwise in a relaxed state of mind close to sleep but still somewhat coherent and aware of their surroundings. Also many people having out of body experiences, no matter what they call them claim to feel the same inability to move and disconnection that has been diagnosed as sleep paralysis. In conclusion it seems highly probable that a lucid dream, astral projection, and out of body experiences are one in the same, and as said above they generally start occurring when we are sleeping or in a relaxed state. People have WILD’s or conscious astral projections with less frequency than DILD’s or sleep initiated projections but it holds true that sleep paralysis seems to be tied very close to this phenomena in any case. Sleep paralysis in my eyes is merely the physical reaction to an out of body experience, as covered in the section What the Secret Body is and How it Functions we fully animate the astral body when projecting and leave behind merely a shell. Surely forcing the conscious mind into the astral body could cause sleep paralysis or another form of paralysis (if consciously initiating AP) as the mind is no longer fully controlling the functions of our physical manifestation.

The problem with this line of reasoning is plainly pointed out by lucid dreamers and astral projectors alike. During a lucid dream we are aware that we are in a dream state even though we still experience the sensation of leaving the body. However when having an out of body experience (projecting) we believe that it is real. Often we believe dreams to be real occurrences, because an uninitiated projection during sleep is often distorted by the mind to be a dream there is no reason that they couldn’t be one in the same. When consciously projecting, or initiating a lucid dream we start out in the same manner. You must be relaxed and in a peaceful state of mind, many meditate before consciously attempting either. Each causes the feeling of disconnection and movement away from the physical body, as well as the increase in heart rate and rapid eye movement. Basically we are putting ourselves into a trance to achieve either, the trance state initiates REM that, due to the muscles relaxing causes mild paralysis. When leaving the body we lose more and more control over it, hence why this paralysis occurs. REM, sleeping paralysis, and out of body experiences all go together. They are the different ways that our body deals with the movement of the conscious mind away from the physical matter. We can manipulate the astral realm just as lucid dreamers mold and shape their dream experiences. The end result is so strikingly similar that it makes it hard to find the difference between the two (AP/OBE and LD) as anything other then different names for one experience.

“For many people OBE's and lucid dreams are practically indistinguishable. If you dream of leaving your body, the experience is much the same. Also recent research suggests that the same people tend to have both lucid dreams and OBE's”

-Dr. Susan Blackmoore

The Secret Realms:

There are seven different layers of the astral realm, understanding how they all interact with each other, the physical world, and the spiritual realm can be difficult. To start, look at each different layer, where they originate, and what purpose they serve. Each number describes a realm, as the numbers increase so do the realms. This does not mean that realm one point two is above realm one. Numbers with a letter attached denote an area inside of (coexisting with) the particular realm; consider this a parallel area, which can be reached with different techniques. 

Due to the hundreds of different names used to describe the planes of the astral realm it seems foolish to ascribe any one of them to this tutorial. Since there are to be no specific names, each of the astral planes has been grouped into twos except for the seventh and highest plane of the astral. The traveler easily sees the difference between each level or plane of the astral during the experience, the label we attach to a singular plane does not matter in the grand scheme of things. It is whether or not we understand and comprehend the changes that astral travel brings about in the individual, which is of real importance, not what the common or coined term is for each particular area.

1: The Physical World – Reality.

This is where our gross material body resides, where you exist in tangible reality at this moment is the physical world. Though the physical world can be manipulated by our perceptions (situations, placement, and regions viewed as good or bad due to our belief and experience) like the astral realms; it (the physical world) is where our mind most commonly resides. This is where we experience the humdrum of every day life. All space in the physical world, like all other planes of existence is filled with waves of energy contained in fields. These waves emit vibrations that cause changes to our environment. The frequency of each different wave inside of a field determines the manifestation of the astral body, and the appearance of physical objects. These waves can form light, sound, and matter, when encased together they create objects, reflections, music, HEF’s and more.

1.2: The Spiritual Realm 

The spiritual realm is a place of pure unhindered energy manifesting itself. Think of this as the level of comprehension where you are constantly aware of the waves and fields of energy in the physical world. This realm is the home for spirits of all shapes and sizes, beings made up completely of energy. The spiritual realm exists within the physical world it is constantly around us but we do not always remain consciously aware of its presence. People who are constantly immersed in both realms or experience flashes from the spiritual realm are called mediums and they come in many different flavors. For more information see the series of articles that begins with, Past Lives: Energy Recycling and How we all Connect. 

1.3: The Astral Realm

The astral realm is comprised of seven different planes; each plane contains infinite variants of itself inside. We pass through a level at our own pace becoming more aware of ourselves and the reality around us in both the physical world and the astral realm as a whole. The reason for the infinite variants of each singular plane within the realm as a whole is due to perception. The variants all exist within the plane and are altered by the particular traveler that inhabits each one. Since each variant is identical in geography to the plane itself the reason for their existence is human perception of reality. Even the physical world is changed because of our perception of it and the level of understanding we have for the things within. When the anchor to a particular pattern of thought in the physical realm changes and grows toward a purer self truth our astral body mimics this by shedding layers of energy (seven in all) that represent the emotions and thought patterns held. The farther we travel into the astral realm the more fine and imperceptible the geography appears. We cease to notice the gross material from the lower planes as we reach higher and higher on the ladder to perfection. Due to this changing of our perception the astral realm as a whole changes and we feel the need to divide the singular space into different planes or levels. When in the astral realm we are always in the same place, but selectively we ignore things that no longer pertain to our needs that is why its appearance changes. 

1.3 A: The Lower Astral Planes

The lower astral planes are where we go when unintentionally astral projecting, they are considered by some to be similar to purgatory. Dream walking and DILD’s often occur on this level of the astral realm where the line between physical reality and the planes is distorted and hard to tell apart. This is also the area of the astral where we begin the process of shedding as our astral body is constantly manifested; in the lower planes, and only travels higher into the purer areas of the realm with conscious input and maintenance. The experiences in the lower planes occur most often during sleep, and are the first instances many have of the astral when beginning to learn how to project. As we pass through the lower planes the line between the physical world and the astral eventually fades away allowing us to experience the true meaning of the astral and fully harness our capabilities.

1.3 B: The Middle Astral Planes

As we progress through the astral realm many will manage to journey into the middle astral planes. These are the two places in the astral where we begin to journey farther from the physical world and into the ethereal land of boundless capabilities. When we begin traveling through the astral realm we first enter the lower planes where the physical world is still visible though distorted by our emerging perception of the astral matter inherent in our environments. When a traveler begins to journey into the middle planes they will notice that the physical world becomes less and less noticeable until finally we move completely away from it into the higher planes. The middle planes are where the true path to spiritual and physical healing is set upon by the traveler and a place where the manipulation of energy in the HEF (or astral body) can be used with greater ease to aid in the curing of physical and mental malaise. This is where our perceptions of life grow and expand by leaps and bounds freeing us from many of the stigmas of society and its imposed morality.

1.3 C: The Higher Astral Planes

When we begin our journey into the higher astral planes we move completely away from viewing the physical, everything is transmuted in energy and because the astral realm exists within our physical world and we are always immersed in it even though not aware you aren’t really “going” to the planes so much as “seeing” the planes. When we begin to fully accept this, we move through the planes and upon reaching the higher astral planes the vibrations of energy in waves and fields become the only apparent visual sensation. The higher astral planes are where we begin to reach toward self-godhood, becoming fully aware and acknowledging that all life is symbiotic and connected for the “good” of all. We realize that each individual is an essential link in the chain of life and existence in the physical world affects all of the other realities we do not perceive. This awareness often leads people into pantheism, the belief that all life is sacred and should be protected from the lowliest worm to the greatest killer. In other instances the traveler will not turn toward pantheism but in either case will become truly aware of this fact (that all life is symbiotic) on a constant conscious level. 

1.3 D: The Final Astral Plane

The final astral plane is godhood; we become fully ourselves in spirit and mind, true freedom and the ability to see everything as it is. There are many speculations about the final astral plane, and some of these encompass the gods of our current society and those of the past. The thought being that this is where our divine beings reside, whether mortal in the beginning or not it is believed that upon reaching this final plateau we are so fully entrenched in both realities that it is impossible to move through one without being in and seeing the other at the same time.

Final Thoughts:

Astral Projection, whatever name you choose to place on it can be a spiritually fulfilling experience and a wonderful way to reach out toward the unknown. Studies would suggest that individuals who have out of body experiences, either from near death experiences, lucid dreaming that can turn into astral projections…or otherwise, have a more positive outlook on life and a greater feeling of emotional fulfillment. Though this article does not include techniques for astral projection, it has hopefully provided enough information to help one begin to form an opinion on the subject as a whole. If you choose to attempt astral projection or any other occult technique for spiritual outreach into the unknown please remember to be patient. Like all of the good things in life, astral projection can be difficult to attain but the wait and effort makes it all the more worthwhile. Even more important then patience is to keep an open mind, try what you feel comfortable with and accept the things that ring true to you. This will take you farther then any book or incantation; no spell will give you the peace of mind created by knowing your own beliefs and being willing to expand them. 



Credits: My thanks to the wonderful websites and resources in the world today that have helped me create this tutorial and add to my personal experience with their wisdom. I would especially like to thank the Association for the Study of Dreams, The International Institute of Projectiology and Scientiology, the ever-faithful Encyclopedia, Thesaurus, and Dictionary, The Lucidity Institute, and the entire myriad of websites that I came across offering their insights on astral projection, out of body experiences, and lucid dreams. In conclusion I would also like to thank my friends in both real life and online who bore with the amount of proofreading that I shoved on them, I hope this article helps others to learn and understand the phenomena of out of body experiences as much as writing it aided me. 
© 2003 Dennaveve


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