As a long-time out-of-body experiencer, I often get asked some strange questions. Both of my OBE books have question and answer sections. Still, just when I think I’ve answered the last question, someone comes up with another one. One of the most common questions people ask me is: “Where do you go during your OBEs?”
They=re never satisfied with my first answer: “Anywhere I want. I can fly into outer space, or visit a friend if I want.” I want to add, “Many times, I find myself in unfamiliar surroundings,” but then they start worrying about getting lost and not being able to find their own body again. You=re not going to get lost.
Then they ask, “Do you do astral projection or out-of-body travel?”
I ask, “What do you mean? What=s the difference?”
They reply, “It depends on your location. Do you hover around the physical plane, or do you go to the Astral Plane? Or maybe the Mental Plane, the Etheric Plane, the Buddhic Plane, or maybe the Causal Plane?”
I’ve never supported the distinction between OBE and astral projection because I think it=s trivial. In the past, I always answered the question this way: “During my OBEs, I just find myself in a place I don=t recognize and I=m not sure how to classify it. For example, I find myself in a strange house, but how am I supposed to know if it=s an Astral house or an Etheric house? How am I supposed to know that it=s an astral house in some Astral subdivision of some Astral suburb, or just a non-physical ‘echo’ of a physical house somewhere in this reality?”
In other words, “I don=t know if the place I=m visiting is the Astral Plane or anywhere else, for that matter, because there isn’t exactly a fancy door with big neon sign that reads ‘Astral Plane.’”
But I recently found out I was wrong.
I recently discovered the “official entrance” to the astral plane, complete with the neon sign! This time I brought back proof: A photograph from my digital camera (above)
Another question they ask me is, “Where exactly is the astral plane?” Before this weekend, I would tell them my theories about how the astral plane exists as a different dimension of existence that physically coincides with our physical reality, sharing space with the very atoms of physical reality.
But, again, I was wrong!
In reality, the Astral Plane is located in downtown Philadelphia. The exact address is: 1708 Lombard Street.
Then they ask, “What does it look like?” Well, here=s another photo I took there with my digital camera, including the astral body of a fellow traveler:
They=re never satisfied with my first answer: “Anywhere I want. I can fly into outer space, or visit a friend if I want.” I want to add, “Many times, I find myself in unfamiliar surroundings,” but then they start worrying about getting lost and not being able to find their own body again. You=re not going to get lost.
Then they ask, “Do you do astral projection or out-of-body travel?”
I ask, “What do you mean? What=s the difference?”
They reply, “It depends on your location. Do you hover around the physical plane, or do you go to the Astral Plane? Or maybe the Mental Plane, the Etheric Plane, the Buddhic Plane, or maybe the Causal Plane?”
I’ve never supported the distinction between OBE and astral projection because I think it=s trivial. In the past, I always answered the question this way: “During my OBEs, I just find myself in a place I don=t recognize and I=m not sure how to classify it. For example, I find myself in a strange house, but how am I supposed to know if it=s an Astral house or an Etheric house? How am I supposed to know that it=s an astral house in some Astral subdivision of some Astral suburb, or just a non-physical ‘echo’ of a physical house somewhere in this reality?”
In other words, “I don=t know if the place I=m visiting is the Astral Plane or anywhere else, for that matter, because there isn’t exactly a fancy door with big neon sign that reads ‘Astral Plane.’”
But I recently found out I was wrong.
I recently discovered the “official entrance” to the astral plane, complete with the neon sign! This time I brought back proof: A photograph from my digital camera (above)
Another question they ask me is, “Where exactly is the astral plane?” Before this weekend, I would tell them my theories about how the astral plane exists as a different dimension of existence that physically coincides with our physical reality, sharing space with the very atoms of physical reality.
But, again, I was wrong!
In reality, the Astral Plane is located in downtown Philadelphia. The exact address is: 1708 Lombard Street.
Then they ask, “What does it look like?” Well, here=s another photo I took there with my digital camera, including the astral body of a fellow traveler:
So now you’re probably asking, “Is the astral plane a physical place, and if so, how can it be both physical and astral at the same time?”
My theory is that perhaps the Astral Plane is a physical echo of a different, non-physical astral plane. And if that’s true, perhaps I should go out looking during my OBEs for a place called “Physical Reality.”
My theory is that perhaps the Astral Plane is a physical echo of a different, non-physical astral plane. And if that’s true, perhaps I should go out looking during my OBEs for a place called “Physical Reality.”