While the indicators are there that I’m on the right path to making it happen, I’ve yet to achieve a state of astral travel. The last time I left my body it happened rather unexpectedly at the end of a group meeting during a “Mindfulness” exercise in the Wellness Hub conference room. I was totally caught off guard by that experience because I never felt the transition. I was relaxed in my chair following the instructions given in the YouTube video and then I found the room orientation had drastically shifted, “Me suddenly floating above the tabletop.”
Normally, there are signs letting me know when I’m about to leave my body. It generally starts with a swaying sensation accompanied by a gradually increasing tingling sensation, which normally stays with me throughout my nonphysical excursion. During that particular meeting though, “There was none of that!”
Astral travel is often referred to in some circles as lucid dreaming. To be clear, this is a state where one becomes aware within the dream. This life like awareness offers a unique opportunity for self-exploration and spiritual growth. This phenomenon occurs when our consciousness transitions from deep sleep to the alpha state, allowing us to recognize and control our dream environment.
Some say that renowned researcher Dr. Stephen LaBerge once defined lucid dreaming as an “untapped human ability with astounding potential.” It’s a space where one can experiment with new behaviors and explore an expanded mental state. Cultures around the world have revered lucid dreaming as a spiritual practice, a means to gain wisdom and connect with higher consciousness.
Achieving lucidity requires a disciplined mind and the ability to focus. Charles Leadbeater, in his book “Dreams”, emphasizes the need for mental control and spiritual attunement. Regular meditation, yoga, and other practices that require mental discipline are recommended to enhance the likelihood of lucid dreaming as well.
To embark on this journey, one must have a clear intention. Whether it’s seeking healing, answers to profound questions, or spiritual experiences, having a plan is crucial. Affirmations and a strong desire to experience lucid dreaming can help precipitate the state.
Recognizing pre-lucid signs like flying or floating can signal the onset of lucidity. Once lucid, maintaining the state requires concentration and balance between dream content and conscious awareness.
Lucid dreaming can lead to learning, and other avenues of self-discovery. Sometimes referred to as the out of body experience, lucid dreaming or astral travel can also be a platform for overcoming fears, solving problems, and initiating healing. The practice can also reveal obstacles to achieving goals and provide insights into overcoming them.
My relationship with this practice is a complicated one. This is because it has been indicated to me over the years that I have the ability to slightly modify what happens in reality once out of my body. For me, it would seem that astral travel or the out of body experience some folks prefer to call lucid dreaming has a component to it akin to magic. “Think Reality Creation or Remote Influencing here!”
Anyhow… For me personally… Depending upon what my exact intentions are in my desire to astral travel, I’m aware that I can be and have been in the past, “Actively blocked from achieving this state.”
Even still though, I’m feeling in my gut like now is a good time to begin working on seeing if I can’t get out of my body once again. If I’m able to pull it off I’m quite certain that a few people will definitely know, “Without me writing or saying a word.”