Why bother with astral projection?

Many human beings ask about astral projection. This is where consciousness and astral body separate together from the physical body and enter the astral plane. This one of two planes in the fifth dimension where dreams unfold. As you raise awareness,you begin to realize that many variations and paths are possible for astral travellers. Why does it matter?

Parts of your being inter-communicate through channels of consciousness. During dreams, messages from the brain and psyche are sent to the physical body. Insight travels through the silver, ethereal cord that connects the physical body. It reels the astral in for the awake state until its severed permanently at death. Practical techniques can be learned to induce these experiences. Why bother learning more?

1) Elucidate reasons for obstacles. In the physical world, you perceive events related to thoughts and feelings. They vibrate unconsciously. The dreaming part of you accesses larger areas of consciousness than your awake state. To ask and write questions before going to sleep initiates a process. Astral projection help sretrieve embeded solutions.

"the solution is not clear to the [conscious] ego, this does not necessarily mean the solution was not found. There will be cases where it is not only unnecessary but undesirable that the ego be familiar with the solution... [which] may not appear in the way it expects. The conscious self may not even recognize it has been given a solution, and yet may act upon it. "

-Seth, Dreams and Projections in Consciousness

2) Receive teachings. Very deep areas of the subconscious mind instuct and guide one through astral dimensions. The conscious desire to expand, investigate and heal enables one to connect with beings of different capacities on the astral plane. One may learn from them. Conditions of the physical body and range of senses grow from the state of subtler energy bodies. The deliberate intent to receive guidance is powerful.

3) Experience verifiable knowledge. Many people hold themselves back because of fear. Practical astral projection experience provides insight into knowing. This takes you beyond conditioned beliefs. A being can gain insight into immortality, misconceptions about life, death and dying.  The benefits of astral extend beyond the limits of human senses and intellect. Shatter a dense barrier of ignorance. Dramatic expansion of your core faculties comes when you are ready.

How do you know what it means?

When spirit present in your dreams, part of you knows the precise reasons.  Yet, part of you may still ask what  this experience brings to light about varied dimensions of reality.  What are you supposed to do with what you are given?

Your logical, human side would possibly assume a figment of imagination magnified inner fear or, just seeks to entertain. Another part of you has a different view, especially if spirit visit dreams regularly. How do you know what to get out of it?

1) Believe in a purpose. You recall dream images and subtle experiences on different levels of awareness. Each encounter has reason for presenting. You choose to attune to certain energy. Believe reason exists. More than one may also appear.

2) Meditate on it. How vivid and memorable is the encounter? What sorts of details stand out? Which colors come to mind? Note strong sensations that stay with you.  Reconnect with details using mental discipline.  Dream journals can be helpful.

3) Reconnect with Higher forces.  Do you realize angels, animal spirit guides and other, higher vibrational energies, hear your thoughts?  They protect or draw attention to different aspects of self.  You can learn to communicate more consciously using telepathy in dreams and expand from there.

4) Ask your spirit guide. These beings often have some connecton to you in a past life and thus have experience on a physical plane. They draw from their own lessons learned to assist or reorient you. Some human beings get more than one assigned at different life stages. Each one assists with lessons.

5) Accept its not black and white.  Some dream visits are fragments and do not initially make sense until you piece a series of them together. A glimpse of a color, feeling, event or sensation has stand alone meaning yet, may figure into a larger puzzle. Patience helps you identify relevant points for you.

6) Trust your gut. As a child, you believe your instincts. You do not question them until adults convince you what you sense is not real.  What they are really saying is your view is not theirs. You can rekindle and revalidate your innate skills and sensitivities by listening to your inner vibes without doubt.

 7) Learn to raise vibrations.  To ask a spirit directly who he is, and/or how you can help is easier as you learn to attune to energy.  Thus you wll also be able to dialogue and get a sense of why the spirit presents to you.  Do not pretend to fully grasp what is happening. Regardless of the energy vibration you are at, others also exist and shape different perception.

What is the point of astral?

Astral is a concept that sometimes confuses human beings. This supersensible substance pervades all space and forms the substance of a second body that mirrors your physical one.  What seems a bit quirky is everyone has one, even if they do not detect it.  This accompanies the human body like a shadow and survives the physical body. You may ask what's the point?

1) Its your dream adventurer.  This is the part of you that explores the fantastic places of your night-time dreams. It is the extension of your immortal soul that has unlimited lives and immeasurable opportunities to use them. 

2) It retains data about past lives. This accesses thoughts, feelings and lessons learned. Its key to unexplored layers of consciousness, previous lives and detailed explanations for the emotional baggage and beliefs you resist letting go of now.

3) It passes through energy openings. This is where you may encounter light, have spiritual visions, encounter spiritual beings.  As you attune to energy, you slowly discern ways to pass through dimensions at will and with deliberate purpose.

4) It stimulates awareness. This implies increasing lucidity. How you raise awareness determines what events you notice on energy levels around you while conscious, awake and alert.

5) It gives you tools. This ability assists you to examine the nature and significance of dreams. That is, are they symbolic? Do thery pertain to events or feelings you have selectively repressed and forgotten? Do they concern people you know, mundane events or deceased persons seeking to share a story?

6) It draws attention to extra-sensory perception. This reminds you of untapped abilities in terms of heightened sensitivities. Some human beings learn to access wrinkles in time or omens and act as oracles in the physical world. Access to privileged information demands ethics and responsibility.

Nothing to lose and everything to gain

Analysis of dream submitted by S.D. in Canada.

Dream- I was walking my bicycle along winding, cobblestone streets. The ambience had an old-world feel. Dust blew off buildings of sand-colored stone.  An outer wall shrank in height to my right as I moved forward. I passed students whispering in French about on foreign topics. The glass-window rooms were above. As I searched to park my bicycle, I saw red scooters where tires were clamped with Denver boots against the right wall. I felt awkward or out-of-place there.

Predominant Emotion- caution, fear, anxiety, insecurity

Intepretation- Two-wheel vehicles raise issues of balance. You may worry about how to create tangible success in your current endeavours. An underlying issue raised is how the mind measures conditions inappropriately with outdated criteria.  The dust of sandy buildings invites a shift in mindset.

Ego would like you to forget you are grounded on a foundation of stability that is "rock-solid." That is, part of you is fully aware the self is safe and separate from your body and ego mind. You interpret and deconstruct the physical world in systematic layers based on perceived fragments of time.  

Certain modes of thinking or travelling through life only seem beyond you because they do not reflect the real you.  If some person, place or thing does not feel right, then its not yet, it is. You require every chosen experience to decode what is real and what is illusion. As you re-evaluate your pace of learning, you consciously detach from desire for position and signs of external power. As you turn inside, you begin to recognize you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

A Denver boot is a metal device attached to a wheel of a parked car so it cannot be driven away until a fine is paid or, the owner reports to police.  Authority do this to keep a tight reign of control.  As you evolve to be more conscious and deliberate about raising awareness, you park your thoughts only in places that resonate and serve you. Self-created limits dissolve.

How to subjugate a ghost

A young wife fell sick and was about to die. "I love you so much," she told her husband, "I do not want to leave you. Do not go from me to any other woman. If you do, I will return as a ghost and cause you endless trouble."

Soon the wife passed away. The husband respected her last wish for the first three months, but then he met another woman and fell in love with her. They became engaged to be married.

Immediately after the engagement a ghost appeared every night to the man, blaming him for not keeping his promise. The ghost was clever too. She told him exactly what had transpired between himself and his new sweetheart. Whenever he gave his fiancee a present, the ghost would describe it in detail. She would even repeat conversations, and it so annoyed the amn that he could not sleep. Someone advised him to take his problem to a Zen master who lived close to the village. At length, in despair, the poor man went to him for help.

"Your former wife became a ghost and knows everything you do, " commented the master. "Whatever you do or say, whatever you give your beloved, she knows. She must be a very wise ghost. Really you should admire such a ghost. The next time she appears, bargain with her. Tell her that she knows so much you can hide nothing from her, and that if she will answer you one question, you promise to break your engagement and remain single."

"What is the question I must ask her?" inquired the man.

The master replied: "Take a large handful of soy beans and ask her exactly how many beans you hold in your hand. If she cannot tell you, you will know that she is only a figment of your imagination and will trouble you no longer."

The next night, when the ghost appeared the man flattered her and told her that she knew everything.

"Indeed," replied the ghost, "and I know you went to see that Zen master today."

"And since you know so much," demanded the man, "tell me how many beans I hold in this hand!"

There was no longer any ghost to answer the question.

------------------------------------------------

Zen koans such as that above offer a way to approach happiness indirectly. Strategically subvert unhappiness. Readers areinvited to go beyond what they imagine.

Additional Zen koans can be found at www.ashidaKim.com/zenkoans