You might have read this term somewhere in books or might come across it in film keeping in mind the very latest,’ Behind Her Eyes’. What is astral projection? Astral projection (or astral travel) is a term used in esotericism to describe an intentional out-of-body experience (OBE) that assumes the existence of a soul or consciousness called an “astral body” that is separate from the physical body and capable of traveling outside it throughout the universe.
Some say that astral projection is a condition where the brain stops perceiving the body, the way it generally does which leaves an impression of the consciousness being detached from the body. A lot of people think that astral projection leads to the detachment of the soul from the body with the soul travelling to a different dimension, a new plane of consciousness whereas science doesn’t support the existence of a soul separate from a body.
Astral projection is also called an out-of-body experience(OBE) but is a little different from the latter. Astral projection or lucid dreaming (that is to be able to control one’s dreams) is intentional or done with the will of a person, while in out-of-body experience the detachment doesn’t happen on one’s intention. According to reports, in a 2014 study among thirteen percent of people who have suffered a resuscitation only seven percent were able to describe the events from a different perspective than the actual. Among these seven percent, only one person was able to describe the three minutes of his resuscitation from his cardiac arrest, in detail.
Now another big question is, why does this happen or rather how? There is no particular pattern that is to be followed to experience an astral projection, except in some reports that suggest an intake of hallucinatory drugs can lead to an OBE. However, it is said that people who have mental health problems like depression, panic attacks, sleep paralysis, stress, trauma, or simple a tough sleeping pattern are more prone to experiencing an OBE. This suggests that OBE might be a way to cope up with stress or trauma.
“I suddenly seemed to divide into two distinct beings. One of these beings remained motionless on the sofa; the other could move some little distance, and could actually look at the motionless body on the sofa”, Journal of Society for Psychical Research, July 1894, suggesting an OBE experience.
“When I and three other officers stopped the vehicle and started getting to the suspect, I was afraid. I promptly went out of my body and up into the air maybe 20 feet above the scene. I remained there, extremely calm, while I watched the entire procedure – including watching myself do exactly what I had been trained to do”, which suggests another OBE experience.
Text by: Sreyoshi Sil, IBTN9
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