| Astral Projection is as natural as being | | | | guide to the recently deceased. It |
| human, and probably as old as our | | | | contains an elaborate description of the |
| existence on this planet. References to | | | | moment of death and the stages of mind |
| OOBE are evidenced throughout human | | | | experienced by the deceased. |
| history. Across cultures, socio-economic | | | | Ancient Greeks believed in a Double |
| strata, languages, genders, religions, | | | | body, which housed the soul. References |
| nationalities and civilizations. | | | | to OOBE later appeared in Greece through |
| From the most ancient tribal societies | | | | the writings of a number of philosophers |
| to the modern civilized societies of the | | | | including Plato, Herodotus and |
| 21st century, human beings have recorded | | | | Hermotimus of Clazomene. |
| the departure and subsequent return of a | | | | Plato believed that what we see in this |
| subtle body from the physical body. All | | | | life is only a part of what the spirit |
| such recordings have a remarkably high | | | | could see if it were free from the |
| degree of consistency in describing the | | | | physical. Chained in a gross physical |
| many different aspects of the | | | | body, the spirit is fettered; separated |
| phenomenon, thus giving us an idea of | | | | from that body; it can converse freely |
| the universal character of this capacity | | | | with the spirits of the departed, and |
| of leaving the body. | | | | see things more clearly. |
| Dean Sheils compared the beliefs of over | | | | Aristotle, Homer and Plotinus taught |
| 60 different cultures by referring to | | | | that the spirit could leave the body and |
| special files kept for anthropological | | | | that it is capable of communicating with |
| research. Of 54 cultures 25 (or 46%) | | | | other spirits. They believed that all |
| claimed that most or all people could | | | | souls could be separated from their |
| travel outside the physical body under | | | | physical bodies. This 'doctrine of the |
| certain conditions. A further 23 (or | | | | subtle body' runs through Western |
| 43%) claimed that a few of their number | | | | tradition. |
| were able to do so, and only three | | | | In Christianity there are references to |
| cultures expressed no belief in anything | | | | a spiritual body. Some religious works |
| of this nature. | | | | can be seen as preparing the soul for |
| From this evidence, we can conclude that | | | | its transition at death. Cases of |
| some form of a belief in out-of-body | | | | conscious projections are also well |
| experiences is very common in various | | | | documented even in the Bible, for |
| cultures. | | | | example in Ezekiel III: 14; the |
| Some Eastern religions include specific | | | | Apocalypse of John 1:10-11 and 4:2; and |
| doctrines on the abilities of other | | | | in the Epistles of Paul of Tarsus, e.g., |
| bodies and the nature of other worlds. | | | | II Corinthians 12:2. |
| Early evidence of the OOBE appeared in | | | | During the Middle Ages, OOBE was studied |
| ancient Egypt between 3,000 and 5,000 | | | | and practiced secretly. Information |
| years ago. The Egyptian priests were | | | | gathered was not made available to the |
| aware of the existence of the astral | | | | general population. This need for |
| body and they called it the Ka. The Ka | | | | secrecy contributed to the fabrication |
| could wander about at will. It was | | | | of various myths and untruths about the |
| independent of the man and could go and | | | | dangers of Astral travel that persist |
| dwell in any statue of him. The early | | | | even today. |
| Egyptians left inscriptions and drawings | | | | The phenomenon of the out-of-body |
| on walls of temples and buildings.These | | | | experience therefore is ancient and |
| inscriptions clearly depict the human | | | | universal. We can see that different |
| soul abandoning the physical body. | | | | persons throughout history had |
| The Tibetans believed in the Bardo body, | | | | experienced this, independent of |
| which could leave the physical body | | | | culture, education, financial situation, |
| while still alive and it could be | | | | religion, credo, sex, or age. |
| directed by will. It was believed to be | | | | From this historical perspective, and |
| an exact duplicate of the human body, | | | | from studies and personal experience of |
| from which it is separated in the | | | | thousands of people, the most solid |
| process of death. | | | | conclusion that can be drawn is that |
| According to them, the Bardo body is | | | | human beings are more than just their |
| made of psychic material, invisible and | | | | physical bodies. When one experiences a |
| etheric. Due to its nature, this body is | | | | conscious OOBE, one has irrefutable |
| able to pass through matter, which is | | | | evidence that the physical body is |
| only solid and impenetrable to the | | | | merely a temporary "house" through which |
| senses. | | | | one's consciousness or awareness |
| The Tibetan Book of the Dead is used as | | | | manifests in the physical dimension. |
| a funeral ritual, and is read out as a | | | | |