SOME THOUGHTS ON THE PHENOMENA OF ASTRAL
PROJECTION

By Richard Alan Miller, Physicist. ©1974,2002

The phenomena known as Astral Projection or Out-Of-The-Body
Experience (OOBE) has become increasingly important to the research
direction and study of the paranormal. An Out-Of-The-Body Experience
is now defined as one in which the subject appears to view the external
world from some position other than that of his or her physical body.

Traditionally in the field of Parapsychology Out-Of-The-Body
Experiences are grouped into two main types, 'parasomatic' and
'asomatic'. The parasomatic type of experience is that in which the
subject appears to himself to be located in a duplicate body, more or less
resembling his physical body. In the second type of experience, the
asomatic, the subject does not appear to himself to be associated with a
body, rather he or she is just a disembodied consciousness or a 'pin-point
of presence'.

It is important at this point to consider the definition used. Namely, once
a structure or classification is structured, the way in which the data is
gathered immediately sets up limits in which the phenomena can be
studied. It would seem almost unnecessary to point out that the "mystical
tradition" underlying most of the major religions have certain
similarities. In surveying these coincidentals, the phenomena of astral
projection is one of the most overt.

Psychical phenomena exert a strong influence on the foundation of
religious heritage. The appearance of astral projection among them is
probably the most common of the various genres. As an allusion to Dr.
Robert Crookall's classic, Study and Practice of Astral Projection, the
late Professor Hornell Hart states: "Initiates into ancient mystery cults
clearly included the deliberate production of astral projection. . .Catholic
saints and Quaker ministers have reported undergoing such projection."
The Egyptian script Peret-emheru speaks of the Ba and Ka (often
incorrectly thought to be analogous to each other), which are ancient
suggestions of what we call the astral and fluidic bodies, respectively.
Qabbalism also has a parallel. In the Zohar, reference to the silvery
"astral cord" is made.

Referring to this allusion, A.E. Waite writes: "When the good soul is
preparing to leave this world, and while it is suspended from the body only
at the larynx, it beholds three angels to whom it must confess its sins."
Even Christianity is not exempt from this phenomena. St. Paul's
description of the astral body and the Old Testament reference to the
astral body are classics (1 Cor. 15:44, and Ecclesiastes 12:6), and the
appearance of Peter's double before Rhoda may be found in Acts
12:14-17 (A.V., King James version).

One of the most significant esoteric scripts discussing astral projection is
the Bardo Thodol, somewhat incorrectly translated as the Tibetan Book
of the Dead. The Bardo Thodol states that the initiate, during the altered
state of consciousness, can produce mind-body separation. This seems to
have a bearing on those prolific instances where LSD voyagers (who
experience a journey very close to the bardo trip as described in the
Tibetan Book of the Dead) appear to have such projection experiences.
One such incident was related to the author by an LSD user who, during
the trip, discovered that his consciousness was not in his body, but
next to it.

The most asked question about the out-of-body experience is: How does
one know that they are simply not dreaming? A more fundamental
question to ask, however, would be to counter-question: How does one
know that the waking experience is real? To answer the first: the
subjective out-of-body-experiences differ from the typical dream state
principally in the following ways:

1) There is continuity of some sort of conscious awareness.

2) Intellectual and/or emotional decisions are made during the
experience.

3) Multivalued perceptions occur via sensory inputs or their equivalents.

4) There is a non-recurrence of identical patterns.

5) The experience of time duration, based on long-term memory.

The most certain statement that can be made by the subject is that when
the condition exists, he/she is as aware of "not dreaming" as when he/she
is awake.

Dr. Robert Crookall has advanced a theory linking astral projection to
survival. He agrees with Professor Hart that the survival of the human
personality after death is nothing more than the permanent projection of
the astral body. He sees various degrees of projection involving two
distinct portions of the human psyche. One, he sates, is conscious but
immaterial. The other portion is unconscious and, although immaterial,
has some objective existence. In OOBE either or both of these portions
may be projected.

Dr. Crookall's beliefs have some interesting parallels in the Ba and Ka
concepts of the ancient Egyptians. They believed that the Ka was a
"double" of the individual and that is was composed of very tenuous
matter. It was supposed to live for some time after death and both the
process of embalming and various funerary practice were intended to
ensure that it lived on in the tomb. If the required practices were
neglected the Ka was thought to emerge from the tomb to haunt those
responsible.

The Ba was the soul of the Egyptians. It was conscious but immaterial. In
life it was contained within the Ka. In death it left both the Ka and the
body. There is some scientific evidence to support this concept. Dr.
Duncan McDougall of Haverhill, Mass. arranged to have dying patients
placed on a sensitive weighing apparatus. He found that there was a
weight loss of from two to two-and-a-half ounces at the moment of death.
The data could not be explained except in terms of something having left
the body. Two Dutch Physicists, Dr. J.L.W.P. Matla and Dr. G.L.
Zaalberg Van Zelst report similar observations and data. They further
reported that the proposed "astral body" appears to have a specific
weight of 12.24 mg., that it responds to gravitation, and that it appears to
be composed of particles that are small, heavy, but very widely separated.

Dr. Charles Tart, University of California at Davis has been conducting
bio-physical measurements on individuals who can astrally project at will.
His research indicates that out-of-body-experiences occur in conjunction
with a non-dreaming, non-awake brain wave stage characterized by
predominate slowed alpha activity from the brain and no activation of the
autonomic nervous system. OOB experiences seem to occur during a
rather poorly developed Stage 1 pattern of sleep which was dominated by
alphoid activity and often mixed with transitory periods of wakefulness.
This alphoid activity was always one to one-and-a-half cycles per second
lower than normal alpha rhythm. There seems to be also no REM (rapid
eye movement) accompanying these experiences. It is concluded that it is
in the hypnagogic state where OOB experiences occur.

There is one sleep study by Drs. Lester and Guerrero-Figueroa in which
considerable alphoid activity was reported in the sleep records as a result
of chlorpromazine administration. Chlorpromazine is a fairly commonly
used tranquilizer known under the trade name of Thorazine. It is now
being speculated that drugs which tend to slow alpha frequency might
promote OOB experiences, and this could be a possible fruitful line of
experimental inquiry.

The author has experimented with a number of available legal herbs and
found that Jimson weed when smoked works quite well for inducing OOB
experiences with persons untrained in the technique. Care must be taken
with this herb as it belongs to the Datura or night shade family. The
active constituents are scopolamine, atropine, hyocyamine and other
tropanes. If ingested, as reported by numerous Indian tribes of the
Southwest, the herb can be quite toxic. It is recommended that only one
to two grams be smoked at one time and prolonged use is not
recommended. The herb has also been called thorn-apple or loco weed.

Religion has been defined in terms of a commitment to something beyond
the self (Garnett, 1942). Thus, the religious experience can be one of
man's most meaningful life adventures. This powerful and profound
experience is often associated with levels of awareness similar to those
aspects of human existence perceived as "creative", "religious",
"mystical", and/or "paranormal."

The Western world has institutionalized religion and has codified religious
dogma while neglecting religious experience. This neglect has many
roots, among them would be Plant's emphasis on reason to the near
exclusion of feeling, Aristotle's division of philosophy into science and
metaphysics, St. Augustine's separation of the "body" from the "mind",
as well as Descartes' division of man's inner life from his outer life.

These divisions run counter to reports of the religio-mystic experience
which, at its most profound, involves the subjective feelings of an
integration of man's total being with the universe about him. Dr.
Krippner and Dr. Ullman at the Maimonides Dream Laboratory have
indicated the feasibility of experimentally inducing dream patterns
telepathically. They indicate that a person sleeping is open to impressions
and thoughts of others about that person, that these impressions can be
and are incorporated into the main body of the dream experience.

Daily experience touches on various unresolved conflicts from one's past,
arousing unconscious feelings and wishes and memories to a preconscious
level. Dreaming integrates and again makes unconscious the aroused
feelings, wishes and memories from the past, along with those aspects of
the recent experiences which have stimulated or touched upon the
material from the past. In the dream process, each person uses his
characteristic defense to deal with the particular aroused feelings and
impulses. If the new experiences are growth-promoting in nature, i.e.,
correct previous distorted wishes or fears, a modification in ways of
dealing with the previously unconscious material may result when the
dream brings the new experience into relation to the past. Thus, dreams
can be used to predict future events in that they program attitudes and
behavior patterns.

In light of the above, a new model for the nature of consciousness begins
to develop. Astral projection apparently requires an altered state of
consciousness similar to Stage 1 of sleep. There also appears to be some
very subtle but important differences between Stage 1 of sleep ahd that
required for an OOB experience. Those differences can be discussed
physiologically, vis. the EEG, the tape recorder, the rating scale,
statistical procedures and the like. However, with some of the new
research available, the concept that the brain is a transducer of
information becomes useful.

Dr. Gowan's work at the University of California at Northridge on the
Collective Preconscious indicates that there is a possible body of
information or knowledge which is available with slight adjustments in
tuning, or alteration of consciousness. This concept could be applied to
such ideas as pre-natal memory, language and other observed paranormal
phenomena. This body of information is a universal one which does not
require a time/space co-ordinate system, rather it functions on a more
holistic level as the dream telepathy studies might indicate. Astral
projection appears to require a state of consciousness which does not use
a space/time co-ordinate system. Rather, OOB experiences are those
where space and time are not critical for the assimilation of information.
The point seems to go back to the occult concept that your awareness is
everywhere, but your consciousness is a limited or special case of
awareness.

Astral projection is apparently a special case of ESP (extra-sensory
perception) where the information is brought into consciousness via
certain special co-ordinates, i.e., OOB experiences. The real point is that
the information was already present but needed some mechanism to be
experienced on a conscious level. The development of those mechanisms
over other possible ones available form the new field called Noetic
sciences. The real issue or question which now arises is: Why have we
chosen a particular co-ordinate system over another to call this system a
"normal" astral projection, religio-mystical experience, and dream state
as deviant from a "normal" state may hold the key to another stage in the
development of Man.

b. Ritual Timing and Seasonal Tides(top)

According to Magickal tradition, there are times for planning and times
for doing. To obtain optimal effects in any working, the magician
cooperates with various tides. This amplifies his effectiveness. This is
not a fantasy of "control", but a matter of fine-tuning one's work through
development of responsiveness to patterns. When one makes use of
various "astral currents" one "goes with the flow", so to speak.

There are three major types of current to which magickal effectiveness is
subject. These include the Solar cycle of seasonal change, which is of
annual duration; the lunar or monthly cycle is approximately 28 days long;
and the circadian cycle of geomagnetic forces which influence individual
behavior.

Solar Cycle: The equinoxes, as most people know, are times of equal day
and night (when each ar 12 hours long). More precisely, they are defined
as the two imaginary points in the heavens where the celestial equator
intersects the plane of the ecliptic. The plane of the ecliptic is an
imaginary plane extending through the center of the Sun, the orbit of the
Earth, and beyond to the band of the Zodiac.

It is therefore the apparent path of the Sun on the celestial sphere. The
celestial equator is an extension on the celestial sphere of the Earth's
equator. Since the Earth's axis is inclined 23 1/2 degrees, the celestial
equator is inclined 23 1/2 degrees to the plane of the ecliptic. At two
points they intersect: the vernal and autumnal equinoxes are the times of
equal day and night.

The great religious holy days of all faiths tend to cluster around the times
of these equilibrated periods. Why? It is not known, but traditionally
there is the belief in "tides" which flow through an unseen ether or
medium, known variously as prana, or the astral light. As the Earth
revolves on its axis, and also travels at the same time around the sun,
centers of stress are set up in the electromagnetic sphere of the earth
(this includes the effect of solar winds on the ionosphere and gravitational
forces influencing the earth). On any part of the earth's surface, a
positive current flows from East to West, in the Astral Light. So, there is
a steady current, or tide, in the magnetic field of the earth which is linked
to coreolis force. This coreolis force is known to effect individual
organisms.

As the earth moves around the sun, a magnetic current passes from the
north to the south during six months, then reverses flowing from south to
north for the remaining six months. The "seasonal" solar tides are the
most powerful influence on magickal work, and are classified as follows:

The Tide of Sowing: March 21 (Vernal Equinox) - June 21

This is the time to begin new projects; goal oriented.

The Tide of Reaping: June 21 (Summer Solstice) - Sept. 23

One receives the material rewards of the last cycle.

The Tide of Planning: Sept.23 (Autumnal Equinox) - Dec. 23

One experiences the spiritual results of what is sown.

The Tide of Destruction: Dec. 23 (Winter Solstice) - March 21

Old forms are broken up; time for study, introspection, meditation,
contemplation, magical retirement period.

Throughout history, the vernal equinox has been considered a time of
rebirth; the resurrection of vegetation by the life-giving warmth of the
Sun signifies new beginning...Spring. It is considered to be the most
significant seasonal change in its impact biologically, psychologically, and
sociologically. "Spring fever" can be considered a psychological
repercussion of the biological surge in growth hormones in the human
body. Whole societies undergo tremendous change during these periods.
What biological mechanism can account for this change?

The answer may lie in the study of the pineal gland, also referred to as
the "third eye." The pineal gland was found to produce a chemical
neurotransmitter called serotonin (similar in structure to LSD-25),
according to a regular oscillating beat, the basis of this beat being the
so-called circadian rhythm. It has been found that the pineal responds
somehow to environmental light conditions, and that by altering light
conditions one can extend, contract, or even stabilize the chemical
production rhythms of the pineal.

The fact that the pineal responds to light, even if this response is indirect
via the central nervous system, has some fascinating and far-reaching
conceptual applications. There are many behavioral changes which
overtake animals as the seasons change, and which can be produced
out-of-season in the laboratory by stimulating the appropriate span of
artificial daylight. Do such seasonal changes in mood and behavior persist
in humans?

As indicated before, the great religious holy days seem to cluster around
the 4 great divisions of the solstices and equinoxes. Is it possible that the
human pineal gland (which is considered by some merely an atrophied
relic of the past) still responds to these alterations in the length of
daylight? Changing the balance of neurohormones in the brain may
perhaps effect a greater incidence of psychedelic states (mind-expansive
altered states of consciousness) in certain susceptible individuals just at
these crucial times. This possibility provides an entirely new approach to
our secular understanding of the religious experience, at least as it is
mediates through biological factors.

The pineal gland has thus been referred to as a kind of biological clock,
one which acts as a kind of coupling system perhaps maintaining phase
relations within a multi-oscillator system; a phase coordinator for multiple
biorhythms. The pineal is a "cosmic eye"; it is aware of celestial rhythms
not observed by the normal eye, like seasonal and lunar changes rather
than daily ones. It helps manipulate the body's chemistry in harmony with
seasonal changes. Serotonin can be seen as the "intensity knob" of the
brain. As the level of serotonin increases, so does the level of activation
of the cortex.

Equinoxes and solstices are symbols of the Death/Rebirth archetypes
from individual to cultural levels. The concept of world changes in
outlook and sociology from Age to Age is derived from the phenomenon
of the precession of the equinoxes. The volition of consciousness from the
Age of Pisces to the Age of Aquarius may be even a more subtle
manipulation of this pineal gland, the so-called "third eye." A good
meditation for the Vernal Equinox was expressed by Dane Rudhyar when
he stated: "Every living whole is a chord of relationships. The resonance
of this chord is what we call 'consciousness'."

Lunar Phases: New Moon-perform no magick during the dark of the
moon. First Quarter concerns impregnation, inception of projects and
growth, or gestation. The Full Moon contains the greatest magickal
power, especially in the fall with harvest moon. Waning Quarter Phase is
less powerful and is for internalization.

Circadian Rhythms: Produced through the interaction of geomagnetic
forces with the individual. This hourly fine-tuning is reckoned from
sunrise. There is correspondence of the astral tides with the elements
which repeats its sequence approximately every two hours: Spirit, Air,
Fire, Water, and Earth; Spirit, Air, etc.

For optimal results, the aspirant combines
"know-how", and "know-when."

Visit the Iona Miller Home Page

REFERENCES

1. Crookall, R., "Astral Traveling," Int J. Parapsychology, 8, NO. 3
(1966), 474

2. Davis, Pl, et al., "The Effects of Alcohol upon the
Electroencephalogram (Brain Waves)." Quarterly Journal for the Study
of Alcohol, Vol. 1, 1941, 626-637

3. Fox, O., Astral Projection (New Hyde Park, N.Y.: University Books,
1961)

4. Garnett, A., A Realistic Philosophy of Religion. New York: Harper,
1942.

5. Gowan, J., Development of the Psychedelic Individual, Northridge,
California.

6. Eliade, M., Yoga, Immortality and Freedom, Bollingen Series LVI,
Princeton University Press, 1969.

7. Engel, G. et al., "Delirium III. EEG Changes Associated with Acute
Alcoholic Intoxication." Archives of Neurology and Psychiatry, Vol. 53,
1945, 44-50.

8. Hart, II., "A Chasm Needs to be Bridged," J. Am. Soc. Psych. Res., 60,
NO. 4 (1966), 387.

9. Heron, W., "The Pathology of Boredom." Scientific American, Vol.
196, 1957, 52-56.

10. James, W., The Varieties of Religious Experience, New York:
Longmans, Green, 1902.

11. Krippner, S., et al., "Implications of Experimentally Induced
Telepathic Dreams." Journal for the Study of Consciousness, Vol. 4, No.
2, 1971.

12. Lester, B., et al., "Effects of Some Drugs on Electroencephalographic
Fast Activity anbd Dream Time." Psychophysiology, Vol. 2, 1966,
224-236.

13. Monroe, R., Journeys Out of the Body, New York: Anchor Books,
1973.

14. Romano, J., et al., "Delirium: Electroencephalographic Data."
Archives of Neurology and Psychiatry, Vol. 51, 1944, 356-377.

15. Waite, A., The Holy Kabbalah, New Hyde Park, N.Y.: University
Books, 1960,k p. 245.

16. YRAM, Practical Astral Projection, New York: Samuel Weiser

FOOTNOTES

1. Robert Hand, Horoscope Symbols; Para Research, Mass., 1981, p. 329.

2. James Hillman, "Silver and the White Earth", Spring 1981, (Spring
Pub., Dallas). pp. 21-66.

3. Ibid.