Astral Travel for Beginners

Astral travel (also known as Out-of-Body Experiences or OBE's) is an ancient practice in which a person allows his or her conscious soul to temporarily leave the body and vividly explore the universe. Astral travelers have been said to be able to explore next door all the way to the ends of the universes. They have visited other dimensions and have traveled back and forward in time. The best part, nearly anyone can learn to astral travel.

"Astral Travel for Beginners" by Richard Webster is an excellent book to start your universal journey. In this 227-page book (which includes a bibliography, index, and glossary), Mr. Webster shares with us his personal experiences of success with temporarily leaving his body.

The author begins by giving us a compilation of well-known and respected people from the past that used astral travel (whether accidentally or on purpose). He then explains the human soul, the technical aspects of how astral travel is thought to work, the workings of the brain, and which people make good (or not-so-good) candidates. Mr. Webster emphasizes the safety of astral travel and attempts to relieve the most common fears. He alerts you to things that may be preventing your progress and gives good tips on what to do (and not to do) in regards to preparing your body for this experience.

Mr. Webster defines such things as the Astral Body, the Astral Plane, the Silver Cord, Remote Viewing (and the government experiments with this skill), and Consciousness. He explains how Involuntary Astral Travel happens and that while it usually happens during sleep, it can happen while a person is awake and under extreme physical or mental stress. The author also covers Near-Death Experiences (normally involving a bright light, a supernatural tunnel, and a Life Review) which have been common across the ages. People who have had these experiences tend to come away more compassionate and no longer fear death.

The author explains how most astral travelers are invisible to others, but there have been a few reports of these people appearing to others as apparitions (which may account for some ghost-sightings) and have been able to communicate with other people and touch/move objects. Mr. Webster explains how astral travel cannot be mistaken for a dream or fantasy, as it is a very vivid experience (that has been scientifically tested) and not "sleep-like". He tells of the different forms an astral body can take, such as a fully-formed copy of the body, a speck of consciousness, or an orb. The author warns the person experimenting with these techniques to be careful of discussing his or her activities with just anyone, as the traveler may be harshly judged by outsiders.

Mr. Webster goes into great detail explaining Crisis Visions, what happens in the dream state, Lucid Dreaming, the Astral World and Time Travel, Bilocation, Doppelgangers, Autoscopy, and Teleportation. He also gives advice and a script for relaxation to induce Mind Travel (which is the same as Astral Travel, only the soul does not leave the body).

As for Voluntary Astral Travel, the author gives advice on how to protect yourself psychically and gives step-by-step methods for inducing your soul to temporarily depart into the world. Though he does not list every method available, he does give quite a few (those that have worked for him personally):

-Meditation

-The Swing Method

-The French Method

-The Whirlwind Method

-Visualization Techniques

-The Willpower Method

-The Chakra Method (The author gives a brief explanation of chakras)

-The Affirmation Method

-The Christos Method

-The Hypnotism Method (either professionally or self-induced).

The author gives advice on how to test your success and how to handle sudden (sometimes violent) body returns. He gives tips on time and universe travel and communicating with family and friends who have died. The author explains who Helpers are and the possibility of meeting spirits, ghosts, demons, and humanoid aliens in the Astral Plane and what to do in those instances. He briefly discusses Astral Sex (which is simply an ecstatic exchange of energy between two souls) and how you may be able to meet and travel with other Astrals.

Mr. Webster also gives tips and prepared scripts for inducing astral travel while asleep. He gives advice on the exciting possibility of traveling in pairs or groups on the Astral Plane. Finally, the author mentions a connection between the ability of traveling and numerology. He gives an explanation on basic figuring of Personal Years, Months, and Days.

In short, this book is an extremely useful guide for anyone who has even the slightest interest in Astral Travel. It also lists plenty of examples and documented stories of the phenomenon. While I am still working on developing this skill myself, it can be a relaxing, enlightening, and satisfying experience (especially for those who feel lonely, are physically-disabled, or are house-bound). Happy traveling!

"Astral Travel for Beginners' by Richard Webster (ISBN: 1-5671-8796-X) is published by Llewellyn Publications as a paperback listed at $9.95, and is available through all major bookstores and sites such as Amazon.com.