Just found this article about the re-emergence in popularity of astral travel during the 1960s and 70s. Author Michelle Cole argues that the reason astral projection is even known today is thanks to this re-emergence, but the practice itself, of course, is ancient. We’re republishing this article from sooperarticles.com here in full for your convenience.
What is Astral Projection by Michelle Cole
The number of people that have a general understanding what astral projection is more than most would initially assume. Most that are familiar with this once esoteric term understand that it entails an out of body experience. An out of body experience can be defined as theability to remove one’s consciousness from the human form and modify it when you do theastral plane. Once it has arrived at this astral plane, the potential to view the world (its past,present, and future) may be possible. Again, many people have a vague understanding of theprocess but their knowledge of its tradition through history may be somewhat limited.
So, let’s shed a little light on the historical context of astral projection…
In the late 1970′s, several documentaries were produced for theatre and television that covered the topic of astral projection. Often, they dealt with the subject of out of body experiences connected to near death stories. Such documentaries were either low budget theatrical affairs or they were partial segments that only covered the topic in 20 minute orless durations. However, the public (at least on a large scale) was made aware of the conceptof astral projection. This opened the doors for a greater awareness on the topic as well asadditional study on the subject. Unfortunately, definitive knowledge on how to attain effective astral projection has never been determined as the process is a complicated one togain a full understanding of. That said, many great inroads have been made into the topicthanks to the tireless work of practitioners that have put many hours into their own astralprojection adventures.
And no, they have not been doing this since the 1970′s. The serious practice of studying astral projection dates back many thousands of years. One reason that the concept of astralprojection has permeated through the years is that it coincides with many beliefs derivingfrom religious traditions. In particular, the concept of the afterlife revolves around the belief of the human soul leaving its body after death and ascending to a spiritual realm.
From this concept, there is the belief that it may be potentially possible to tap into the souland release it from the body prior to death. With the soul, the human consciousness(essentially, the mind) is cognitive and can see all things from an out of body perspective.Near death experiences are commonly mentioned as the process in which people will enterinto an astral plane. However, this is a completely random process. The development of the cultivation of “at will” astral projection is a much more targeted and direct process. This mode of out of body experience moves the concept of an out of body experience from the realm of religious afterlife theories and roots it more in the here and now. Or, more accurately, it roots the concept into the process of escaping the here and now.
This is not to infer that the historical pursuit of astral projection is one solely of escapism. The process of astral projection can be sought for the purpose of self-enlightenment, mental healing, insight into the human condition, and expanding the expression of the human mindand soul. This is why the concept of developing skill at astral projection and exploring pathways to an astral plan has remained so prevalent in many different cultures through many different periods of world history.
The aforementioned notion that developing skill with astral projection has only been popular in ancient times and recent years is not to infer that these are the only time periods whereastral projection experienced times of popularity. The medieval era and the renaissance sawincreased interest in the study of astral projection although the belief that such a disciplinewas associated with witchcraft and Satanism certainly kept scholars of astral projection performing their duties in secret.
What does the future of astral projection hold? No one knows for sure because you never cantell when a brilliant inroad into the process can derive. However, it is safe to say people will continue to work on developing inroads into the study of astral projection since it is such anintriguing area of study. The fact that it can yield many amazing rewards can be considered another prime reason why the study of astral projection is so valuable.
What do you think the future holds for conscious astral projection? Leave us a comment andlet us know.
