The Phenomenon of Astral Projection

Astral projection is one of the most exciting issues of spirituality. Like other psychic abilities such as telekinesis and telepathy, it also attracts the attention of people not normally interested in spiritual issues. Here is an interview where I discussed the issue with Mehmet Aslan, the founder of www.astralseyahat.com and a leading expert on astral projection in Turkey. Now, let’s try to learn more about astral projection.

Sonsuz:

Dear Mehmet, first of all, what is astral projection? Could you summarize it for us?

Astral Boy:

Astral projection is a natural but complicated phenomenon that is a collective process of our energetic bodies. Most of us do not know we have an energetic body, or we have just recently become aware of it and our consciousness. Astral projection is the movement ability of our energetic bodies. Of course, this is confined to the usual dimensional limits of time and space.

Sonsuz:

Does the soul leave the body during astral projection? How does the process work?

Astral Boy:

Astral projection is generally misunderstood by confusing the astral body with the soul. During astral projection, one layer of the aura shows mobility, not the soul. This is the process of the energetic body. The soul is our connection with the Creator; it is not a part of the physical or energetic body, and I believe we cannot rule it. The first step in astral projection is to separate the physical and energetic bodies by a small distance and then transfer the consciousness from one body to the other. Another issue that could be misunderstood is that everyone of course has an energetic body (an aura), but not all auras can achieve this separation. There are some methods to improve the abilities of our auras and astral bodies. This is just like training our physical bodies by exercising.

Sonsuz:

Do you mean that astral projection can be achieved through training? However, many people experience it without any training, or they are unaware if they are experiencing astral projection or not. We hear numerous stories along the lines of, “I was sleeping when I found myself floating near the ceiling. I looked down at my body on the bed,” don’t we?

Astral Boy:

Naturally! In fact, the truth is that metaphysical psychic abilities are not acquired. They occur thanks to decoding knowledge that was already locked within the human consciousness. For example, astral projection is never experienced through lucid dreams. Absolutely everyone has regained consciousness during their dreams at least once and woken up from it. Or maybe during a nightmare, they changed the course of their dream after realizing and confirming it was just a dream. These are the results of unconscious astral separations during dreams. However, we should not confuse astral separation and astral projection. One of them is an automatic and natural response during a dream, and the other is a conscious separation from the physical body. I mean, sleep is an astral separation. However, we do not remember it because the consciousness is not carried with the energetic body. If our energetic body is not separated from the physical body, we cannot dream and the physical body cannot rest. We mostly say, “When I woke up, I felt like I’d been beaten up in my sleep.” This can be the resulting fatigue from an unconscious astral projection.

Also, many people have out-of-body experiences because of a traumatic event such as a serious accident, narcosis, or shock. Such people have been observed by organizations that research near-death experiences, and they found similarities between all the cases.

The case you described of people seeing themselves while asleep is another example of this. You do not necessarily need to have a serious accident to have such an experience. We can also experience it because of our balance of energy, our mental state, or another parapsychological effect. The most common experience is seeing other family members in the next room, thinking that you are awake, but they can’t hear your voice. You then find yourself asleep as you return to your room.

Sonsuz:

Is it possible to achieve it through practice? I remember trying hard with friends when we were younger, but we never succeeded. Generally, we would manage to do it until it came to our heads, but then we would fail to separate the head from the body. It feels like your body becomes light and bitterly cold, but your head gets stuck. Many people try to achieve astral projection, but they usually fail.

Astral Boy:

Actually, it’s nearly impossible if you try to do it only with technical practice. In addition to having good concentration, your balance of energy needs to be in good condition as well. In fact, the essentials of astral projection depend on misleading your brain with full concentration. If one of these factors is missing, you have to focus on this first. If everything is fine, you can start practicing with the most suitable technique for you and go through the stages.

People trying these techniques generally struggle with body swelling, humming in their ears, bursting sounds, and feelings of elevation. Hands and feet then rise after separating from the body. However, as you mentioned earlier, it gets harder when it comes to the head. Although you have convinced your body, the physical mind still resists because you haven’t slept. Unless you convince the physical mind, the head resists separation from the body.

Sonsuz:

I remember my first experience in 1995. I was in bed, feeling very emotional. Later, around 4:30 am, I started hearing intense sounds. The air conditioning was on, but I was hearing it as the noisy sound of a factory. I suddenly started feeling lighter, and I found myself gliding in the air. I remember being horrified with the feeling because I knew nothing about astral projection back then.

I found myself moving to the right just as I was thinking of doing so. Then I moved to the left. When I looked down, I saw my body lying still on the bed. I then saw a presence shining brightly in front of me. I vaguely remember something bad had happened earlier that night, and I had prayed, “Please God, send one of your angels to me.” I saw that presence, and I saw the people sleeping in the room. Suddenly I was back in my body again. I was horrified.

I told myself, “No, this cannot be real. I’m imagining it. Don’t be silly.” My heart was beating hard, but in the following days, I started feeling different. My soul was opening to another dimension. I think the incident was a message to me, because these abilities generally appear during the first phases of self-knowing.

Astral Boy:

I first experienced astral projection on the same day as I first heard of it. I think this initial experience was the reason for my never-ending research into the subject.

I think it was 1992. I was busy examining the books that were forbidden by my uncle during my early university years. There were around 100 books, and these had attracted my uncle to parapsychology in the past. They were actually really creepy books. One day as I was trying to ask my uncle about levitation, I used a figure of speech by saying, “You know the men flying in the air?” He replied to me, “Do you mean astral projection?” It was the first time I’d heard this term, so I started reading one of those “banned” books about the classical method of astral projection. Meanwhile, I also learned that my uncle had achieved his first astral projection, but he had returned quickly when he became scared. He explained it to me later by giving an example of a situation that I’d had a lot but couldn’t figure out. He said, “You know, sometimes you wake up feeling like you’ve fallen off the bed, but then you realize you’re still in bed. This is, kind of, where the astral body falls into the physical body.” Very interestingly, that night I experienced the same thing again, but it was different this time. When I opened my eyes, feeling like I’d fallen into my body, I found myself staring at the ceiling from a different body a meter higher than my real body. I experienced two things at the same time. Something fell into my body slowly, and I fell into another body slowly. It was a very strange feeling but also fascinating. I think that for all these years this feeling motivated me to dwell deeply on the subject.

Sonsuz:

So what else did you experience afterwards? I think you have constantly had astral projections. Could you please tell us about your journeys?

Astral Boy:

Because I made my start so quickly, I was mistaken, like many others were, and took it too seriously. I convinced myself that it was very important and hard to achieve. I think because of this, I had many voluntary and involuntary experiences later on. Let me explain them to you. Not many people know this, but I also met you for the first time during an astral projection. Then we later started sending emails to one another… I also met other friends this way. On the other hand, I experienced how dreams could intersect during astral projection. As I am constantly moving around during my journeys, I meet many people. I mean, seeing a person at night and then meeting in person the next morning… For example, a while ago, I practiced with a female medium from Ankara. She told me off every day because I moved all over the place after separating from my body just to be able to stay longer. She became sick and tired of losing me and then needing help to find me.

I also had some journeys with the help of beings that people fear and tend to deny. I remember rising so high that I almost felt the stars beneath my feet like a carpet. For instance, I like the beaches of Antalya a lot, but I’ve never been there in my life. Different dimensions during a journey can be very entertaining, but it is very difficult to differentiate between what is real and what is in your imagination.

Sonsuz:

Now at this point, I need to ask you two different questions. First, let me ask one related to my previous question. Is it possible to learn how to consciously astral project and journey freely around the world? On the other hand, when you visit the Egyptian pyramids, for example, do you really visit the place, or do you only see its astral reflection?

Astral Boy:

In fact, many people who claim to have experienced astral projection cannot travel beyond the borders of their subconscious. If your aim is to travel around the world with the help of astral projection, you will only make a world tour limited to the creativity of your subconscious. Of course it’s possible to travel in the present time and place, but try to consider astral projection as walking on a tightrope. You need concentration and experience to keep your balance and live the reality. The minute you lose your balance, you find yourself in subconscious images or dreams. I think I’ve answered both of your questions this way.

Sonsuz:

What is the difference between a journey into the subconscious and an astral projection in our real world? How can we be sure if we have been there or not?

Astral Boy:

Let’s say you separated yourself from your body, but you are still in your room and everything around you is exactly the same as in the physical world. Later on, you start observing differences, such as items replaced or a door or window that’s not normally there. This door or window is there for you to use as a gate from the physical world to the world of dreams. If you experience this at an early stage, it will be easier for you to realize whether you are in reality or in your subconscious. However, you need to be highly experienced to be able to stay in the physical world. Usually you cannot see yourself while separated from your body. Following your separation, if there is any exaggeration in the things you see around, such as dragons, the Greek God Zeus, or your late neighbor, then you can be sure that things in your subconscious are coming to the surface one by one. Sometimes, we hear very inconsistent stories about people who have experienced astral projection. Some of them see saints during their journeys, and some see Egyptian Gods, etc. We can consider these reflections to be real or not, but when we look at these people’s consciousnesses in detail, we can easily say that they see the things living inside them. This proves they travel within the borders of the subconscious.

Sonsuz:

Here is my second question: You mentioned other beings earlier. We know some people are scared of these beings, so they stay away from astral projection. What kinds of beings exist in the astral world? Are they dangerous? In other words, is it dangerous to have astral projections?

Astral Boy:

There are three prerequisites for astral projection. First, you need a rational reason that your consciousness would agree with. Second, you need complete focus and patience. Finally, you need to be purified from your fears or at least accept them. During astral projection, the first step after separating from the body is the threshold stage. In other words, it is the threshold that you will leap over while passing toward the astral world. There is something waiting for you here, but it is neither a being nor an alien. It is just the obsessions and fears in your subconscious. It is possible to see all your fears down there, but you should also know that they are not real but only virtual. In a way, it is like confronting your fears.

You are not any more or less likely to meet other beings during astral projection than in real life. We live in entwined dimensions, so it would be wrong to deny other beings, but nobody is waiting for you there with the intention of attacking you and draining your energy. In fact, the real danger is being carried away with astral practices and becoming alienated from the real world. The ones who learn their techniques by trial and error are more likely to disregard the physical world. If they become overly persistent and obsessive about practice, they can end up suffering from sleeping disorders and maladaptiveness.

Sonsuz:

There is also the silver cord issue. After reading a book about the subject, I was so frightened that someone might come and sever my silver cord. Some friends have the same fear, too. Could you please explain to us what a silver cord is? Is it real? Could it be easily broken by someone else?

Astral Boy:

The Rampa Story, written by Lobsang Rampa, is a book that highly favors astral projection and introduces it to people. However, the book also leaves people with the wrong impression about breaking the silver cord. Some people have seen the silver cord, whereas others have not. During a journey, the dimension we travel in enables us to see things we believe to be true in bodily form, as well as showing us the realities. In other words, if people believe the silver cord exists, they will certainly see it during their journeys. I’ve never seen it personally, but this doesn’t mean I have no connection with my body. There is a strong magnetic attraction toward the physical body rather than the cord. It generally comes from the tummy, heart, or head. Yes, we can fear having our silver cord broken or attacked during a conscious journey, but what about the unconscious journeys? Is there anything protecting us during these? Of course, there’s not. If breaking the silver cord was possible, I think many people would be exposed to it in their sleep.

Sonsuz:

In some reference books, the severing of the silver cord is connected with death, which I think triggers fear in people. Could we say that death is an astral projection?

Astral Boy:

Not death itself, obviously, but the process after the soul leaves the body could be regarded as a kind of astral projection. However, this journey is toward a higher stage, rather than toward a physical state or a dream. In death, your soul leaves the current dimension, not your astral body.

Sonsuz:

What about your current situation? Do you still have journeys as often as you did in the past?

Astral Boy:

Well, this is a good question. Actually, I’ve never forced myself to take journeys. Yes, there were times I wanted to badly, but to be perfectly honest, it has always been more interesting to me to research the topic. However, when you have this much information and a lot of research, journeys automatically happen more often. Lately, with the help of new knowledge, I have also learned that it is possible to have journeys using different methods. Each and every new piece of information makes it easier and more likely. I will definitely report this new information on my website. For example, I’ve always argued that astral projection is only possible with personal gift and effort. However, thanks to a master whom I’ve worked with lately, I witnessed that astral projection can also be experienced with a group of people, which is certainly an unconventional method.

This new information has totally changed my perception of astral projection, as well as enriching me with new experiences.

Sonsuz:

I know this is silly talk, but during a journey, is it possible to check on your wife to see if she is cheating on you or not? I once heard a story like this. This young woman saw what her boyfriend was doing, and she later told him about everything she saw.

Astral Boy:

No, it is hardly possible, but there is an important point I highlighted earlier: Realities versus fictions of the subconscious… It is hard to differentiate what is real or not. It also differs from one person to another. In particular, it would be very misleading to comprehend the reality of the things happening in our physical world, so I prefer to refrain from checking up on other people.

Sonsuz:

For my final question, should we perform astral projection or not? What do you think? What are its benefits, or does it not have any at all? Is it worth trying, or would you say, “There’s no need to push yourself. Whether you want it or not, you are already having astral projections”?

Astral Boy:

Yes, we have astral projections, whether we want them or not. However, because it is an unconscious move, it doesn’t add any value to our lives. In this interview, we discussed it in general terms. We didn’t dwell on the reasons why we should do it. We can experience astral projection to confront our fears and cope with them, or we can ease the burdens in our subconscious using this very alternative method. It has many benefits, especially for those who care about their spiritual development. However, I definitely do not recommend it to people who want to check up on their partners.

Sonsuz:

Thank you for all the information you’ve given us, Mehmet.

Astral Boy:

You’re welcome.