A Life in Layers: A Personal History of Astral Projection
An out-of-body experience usually takes us to the subject of death and ultimately rebirth. Yet, I am and have always been interested in the study and employment of astral projection. This may be brought on by the threat of a physical death but more often than not, it is a practise employed by those that wish to look beyond the everyday mundane. It is an intentional out-of-body experience practised by the Ancient Egyptians, Japanese, Taoist, Hindu and many more – most notably in the UK – Aleister Crowley as part of the esoteric practise linked to Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (Western Esotericism has a lot to say on this subject matter).
Since I was a child (without knowing what it was called) I would be tucked up in bed, I would close my eyes and venture out of my body and wander around my home. I would feel the warm thick carpeted staircase on my feet, the cold air of the dark kitchen and the tiles that led out into the bathroom and toilet. Sometimes I would be outside, in places unfamiliar to me but I felt safe. I had an invisible double on the loose!
It wasn’t until I was about 15 or 16 that I read a book that included a chapter entitled Astral Projection – a book I found hidden in a cupboard in my parents’ house. This book became a place I ventured to regularly because my story sounded ridiculous, and I feared I would be ridiculed by friends and family so the book became my only confidante. I learned that this astral body is where consciousness functions separately from the physical body and I was essentially controlling this to explore elsewhere. It was extremely alarming and exciting in equal measures.
This astral realm has been talked about for many years and has cast its spell over many countries and religions. It is the exploration of what lies beyond our physical body. The days of getting lost online seem to be fading for me as I seek more of a real-life experience, a human experience into realms I know cannot be explored by social media avatars, hashtags and like buttons. It feels like the ideal time to live in the real world and those other places I like to call my astral home.
