Astral Projection

Discussion in 'Debate Corner' started by Phazeun, Jun 17, 2010.

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Is Astral Projection true?

Poll closed Aug 6, 2010.
  1. Yes, it is.

    10 vote(s)
    66.7%
  2. No, it isn't!

    5 vote(s)
    33.3%
  1. Phazeun Traverse Town Homebody

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    Hey guys and gals!

    I've been doing some research about what had happened to me last night. I had an OBE. (Out of Body Experience) I was literally looking down at my body, and I was hovering over my physical me.

    Some call this an Astral Projection.

    Astral projection (or astral travel) is an interpretation of any form of out-of-body experience (OBE) that assumes the existence of an "astral body" separate from the physical body and capable of travelling outside it. Astral projection or travel denotes the astral body leaving the physical body to travel in the astral plane.

    The idea of astral travel is rooted in common worldwide religious accounts of the afterlife in which the consciousness' or soul's journey or "ascent" is described in such terms as "an...out-of body experience, wherein the spiritual traveler leaves the physical body and travels in his/her subtle body (or dreambody or astral body) into ‘higher’ realms." It is therefore associated with near death experiences and is also frequently reported as spontaneously experienced in association with sleep and dreams, illness, surgical operations, drug experiences, sleep paralysis and forms of meditation.

    It is also sometimes attempted for its own sake, or may be believed to be necessary to, or the result of, some forms of spiritual practice. It may involve "travel to higher realms" called astral planes but is commonly used to describe any sensation of being "out of the body" in the everyday world, even seeing one's body from outside or above. It may be reported in the form of an apparitional experience, a supposed encounter with a doppelganger, some living person also seen somewhere else at the same time.

    Through the 1960s and 70s, surveys reported percentages ranging from 8% to as many as 50% (in certain groups) of respondents who state they had such an experience. The subjective nature of the experience permits explanations that do not rely on the existence of an "astral" body and plane. There is little beyond anecdotal evidence to support the idea that people can actually "leave the body". (Courtesy of Wikipedia whose facts are right.)

    What do you think? I personally believe, but common science dictates otherwise.
     
  2. White_Rook Looser than a wizard's sleeve.

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    Most parapsychology and super-natural research is pseudoscience or poorly conducted science at best. Much of the findings in each field respectively have been fueled by effect biases and misinterpretation of data. But that's beside the point. Really the issue is that there's no reliable way to measure something like astral projection and out-of-body experiences without coming to several conclusions that are at odds with one another.

    Science operates on the principle of parsimony. to put it another way, the simplest answer is usually the most likely. Given how parapsychology and paranormal-research are flawed in their methods to begin with it's difficult to accept something like spiritual projection of one's consciousness over lucid dreaming of sleep paralysis. Either of which were probably what you were experiencing. Also Wikipedia isn't a reliable source.
     
  3. 9Kairi9hearts Twilight Town Denizen

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    It is all your imagination, if you have ever looked in a mirror, then your subconsousness knows what your body looks like, and it can throw it into strange dreams or daydreams, I have actualy found that if I focus on it, I can create fantasy worlds for me to live in while I am bored, and in reality I may be laying in bed, or walking in circles, but in my head, I am somewhere else, but it isn't real, it is just my head.
     
  4. Shadox D. Twilight Town Denizen

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    I have believed in the out-of-body-experience for as long as I have remembered. Even though I have not had one myself (I'm sure because I don't remember having any) I have heard many stories of them. When I think of it I think that you are using a new and more advanced spiritual part of your brain that has not yet been tampered with, and when you unlock it you have an out-of-body-experience. If that makes any sense at all xP.
     
  5. White_Rook Looser than a wizard's sleeve.

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    We use our brains to their fullest capacity in terms of output and processing power. As accurate accounts and measurements of this type of phenomena do not exist there's no proof to motivate their legitimacy. it's either poor science at best or argument out of ignorance, whereby a regular person doesn't understand some phenomena so they jump to a radical conclusion.
     
  6. White_Rook Looser than a wizard's sleeve.

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    That's actually a misunderstanding of the original quote. When the field was still trying to learn about the basic physiology of the brain, neurologists would often destroy parts of the brain of live animals to see what those certain areas were responsible for. Overall this was a poor way to go about it because it assumed that a function belonged to the region just destroyed, but i digress. Even with 90% of the brain destroyed it was found that said test animals could still function to some degree--that is they were still alive. What the quote really refers to is the fact that we can still survive with only 10% of our brain in tact. Even still not just any 10% will do, we need the lower brain regions to effectively live.
     
  7. Always Dance Chaser

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    I may or may not have had an OBE. I can remember a time when I was in my bed, and I felt myself fall asleep. It was weird, because that usually never happens, i just fall asleep and start dreaming without knowing it. I don't know how to explain it, but I closed my eyes and I was just positive that I was asleep. Out of curiosity, I decided to try getting up. I got up, and turned around to see my body just laying down, asleep. I wasn't floating, just standing.

    I found it fascinating, so I decided I'd go into my brother's room to see if he could see or hear me. But as I walked toward my door to leave my room, I found my body incredibly heavy, and I felt weak. I was almost at my door when I just collapsed on my desk, almost completely unable to move. I was able to turn around and walk back toward my body, and as I got closer I started to feel slightly more and more normal. By the time i was within a few feet of my body I was completely fine, but I didn't want to have anything to do with it anymore so I Just kind of positioned myself over my body and tried to fall asleep again, and did.

    It could have been a dream, but as far as I know it's impossible to actually feel physical feelings in a dream, but I'm sure I did. Feeling so weak, like there weights all over me. It was awful, I'll never forget it.

    It's the only reason I even give a second thought to people who say they have OBE's. The idea isn't very logical, but it seemed to have happened to me, so I don't know what to think.
     
  8. White_Rook Looser than a wizard's sleeve.

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    How do you figure it wasn't just a very vivid dream?
     
  9. Always Dance Chaser

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    Because (as far as i know) even in the most vivid of dreams, you can't actually feel things. I was definitely feeling something physical (and awful).
     
  10. White_Rook Looser than a wizard's sleeve.

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    And here's where things get a little Matrix-ee. Our sensations and perceptions when distilled into their purest data forms correspond to neuronal activity within the brain. interestingly enough REM sleep, that is the state the corresponded to dreaming, produces brain activity no different from the activity observed when we're awake and interacting with the world.

    [​IMG]

    During this phase of sleep the body is also under a form of paralysis that effectively prevents much movement. Since there's very little actual movement and interaction to provide an accurate sensory-perception the brain can almost have a blurring or even all out cancellation of the real by the imaginary during sleep. So in actuality we do feel and experience in our dreams. Sex dreams, for example, tend to be very vivid and experiential.
     
  11. Always Dance Chaser

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    That's fascinating. Thanks for that post, I never knew that.
    Scratch everything I said then. Clearly, I was dreaming.
     
  12. 9Kairi9hearts Twilight Town Denizen

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    It is true, I've had experiences where I could feel things in my dreams, and another thing, durring Hypnosis, (which a entranced state seems very similar to dreaming) the subjects of hypnosis can feel things that aren't real, so that proves the fact that you can feel things that aren't there, which is basicaly what happened in your dream.
     
  13. LARiA Twilight Town Denizen

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    From my knowledge thus far, I believe that astral projection is nothing more than self-induced hallucinations. However, disregarding that, I would like to experience one of these "Outer Body Experiences". I used to try to induce these, although I only really got close to attaining it once. They claim that before leaving the body, you should feel vibrations - I felt those for a few seconds before I felt a surge of excitement and it abruptly stopped.

    I have little imagination, and very rarely experience vivid dreams; so, naturally, hallucination or not, astral projection appeals to me. Perhaps I'll try it again someday.
     
  14. KeybladeSpirit [ENvTuber] [pngTuber]

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    Actually, hypnosis is a form of heightened awareness of the subconscious mind. Not really like dreaming at all considering how you are more aware of the real world during hypnosis and more aware of your "dream" world during dreams.

    As far as astral projection goes, I believe in it wholeheartedly. I have for my whole life and it's one of those things where I believe in it just because the world is more interesting that way. As of yet it hasn't occurred to me to try it, but it certainly appeals to me because I want it to be real.
     
  15. Accalia Gummi Ship Junkie

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    I believe that anything is possible. Astral Projection is a gift given by God. He gives this gift for a reason though we may never know what that reason is.
     
  16. P Banned

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    I'll believe it when there's documented evidence of it being more than a dream. We can play with brain scans all we want, but there's a far more efficient way of doing it. Simply place an astral projector in a room, and in a nearby room, have a board with a four digit number displayed. They have to discover the digit with astral projection. If they cannot, then it is clearly a lucid dream. If they can, then there's a basis for thinking that astral projection is real.

    Until such evidence is presented, I will assume that astral projection is but a lucid dream.