Ready To Leave Your Body Behind? - 2

Astral travel is an interesting experiment that revs up the right hemisphere of the brain
but do not attempt it unless you are absolutely relaxed

Astral travel has evoked an extremely “queasy” response. It has touched the twilight zone in most readers... the temptation to try but some inexplicable uneasiness has also exerted itself. Most of the responses reflected this and hence I am responding to some of the more common ones.

Astral travel is a very interesting experiment, but the real fear I feel, which has already been mentioned, is that, if I succeed in the experiment, and I manage to lift my astral body, can some other soul occupy my physical body, which is lying unattended? That thought is scary. You have told the way to go out but what’s the way  to come back to the physical body?Is there any possiblity that I may not be able to re-enter? Does it cause any harm to the physical body? As when you take your car to the garage, it never comes back to the real showroom condition. Is it fine to disturb the God made system?

All these years, I have not had any problems and that is the best I can share at this stage. Your analogy of taking the car to the garage is not tenable, since you are not taking your body anywhere. I can expound on my own experiences. The astral body is often reported as being joined to the physical body by a silver cord - an etheric umbilical cord. Some people believe that if the cord breaks while in astral travel you will not be able to return to the physical body.

Remove any such fears before you attempt this because it is our own thoughts which create problems for us and ultimately create our reality. If you get fearful, please stop as you are not ready for astral projection. Anything done in metaphysics should feel comfortable and easy.  If it is stressful, let it go for now, as you are not ready. Your own thought is your “genie”, so if you are afraid, you create a nightmare immediately.

Many ask how long one should practice to get the experience and once experienced, how long one should continue in that state?
There are no shoulds in this experience! During astral travel, time and space simply do not exist. The out-of-body-experience (OBE) is not generally long; on the order of a minute or so. Time is distorted and extended, i.e., an hour in the astral can be like a few minutes in the physical dimension. Those who experience OBE may note that the subjective experience is much longer than the objective time passing.  Why bother about compiling statistics - instead just go ahead and relish the wonderful experience which may open up a whole new world for you!

Earthly benefits?
Astral projection is a great way to rev-up the right hemisphere of your brain. It is a virtual manifestation of creative visualization with all your senses aligned together. The subconscious mind has far greater powers of visualisation than the conscious mind. It is like comparing a super computer to an child’s calculator.

How do I remember what happened during my astral trip?
You are aware of things you encounter along the way while out of your body. It is essential to write them down immediately. After your astral travel, everything seems so obvious that it seems that you can remember it forever. Furthermore you feel very comfortable and ready to fall asleep. If you write enough details, you can consciously reconstruct the information later, when you need it.

What is the scientific basis of OBE?
OBEs cannot be disproved, these have not yet been studied to the satisfaction of the scientific community. Some neurologists believe that at least some OBEs are caused by an unusual but natural brain state in which one’s body perception and sense of reality are altered. These experiments involve electrical stimulus of a particular part of the brain, the right angular gyrus located in the parietal lobe, which produce subjective experiences having all of the hallmarks of an OBE, including the sense of enhanced reality and extreme disembodiment.

What precautions should I take before venturing out for an astral journey?
Be calm and  relaxed when you do astral travel. You should not be full in the stomach or hungry. Make sure the room temperature is comfortable. Stay balanced and do not get too excited or fired up.

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Thought for the Week

“Be brave. Take risks.
Nothing can substitute experience.”
Paulo Coelho
(Mystical Brazilian Novelist)
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First published in Gray Matter - The Hindustan Times