Review: Astral Projection and Lucid Dreaming

by Vincent Field

Today I'm reviewing Astral Projection and Lucid Dreaming by Vincent Field. The subtitle is Spiritual Revelations and Out-of-Body Experiences in Higher Dimensions. The cover also says it is "A Complete Guide On Exploring Nonphysical Reality." It was published in January, 2022.

My first question is: Why didn't he call this--or even title the book--The "Field" Guide to Astral Projection? Now that's just an opportunity lost!

When this book was published, it was hyped. A lot. It made quite a splash. Lots of people were singing its praises. And of course, I was very skeptical. So how good is it? Well, it is actually quite good. In fact, I loved it. Not enough to give it 5 stars, but not far off.

I always like to start off with the negatives so I can end on an positive note. So let's get right to it.

The book is obviously self-published, because it's missing the normal dates, copyright notices and all that legal stuff at the front. Second, there were a few small-but-glaring mistakes that a publisher would have caught. I can't fault him for that; my self-published books have the same problem. And nowadays, publishers don't seem interested in this kind of book anyway. But I must say, for a self-published book, he did an excellent job. The mistakes I found were few, and the book was very well written.

The biggest down-side is that Field does not give many solid astral projection techniques, nor much advice on how to induce them. If he had, it might have merited a five-star rating. The closest he comes is to mention using Hemi-Sync recordings, Wake-Back-To-Bed, and other types of meditation, but no real details. He does, however, stress the importance of keeping a dream journal. He also talks about practicing Mindfulness. He does, however, describe a technique he calls "fall asleep fake-out."

"The person essentially tries to fall asleep for several seconds, all the while holding the intention of reawakening the mind before it slips into total unconsciousness. This usually always causes an immediate deep internal shift into the out-of-body state. It's recommended that this is done immediately upon awakening from sleep as the first technique used to attempt an OBE, and it can be combined with other techniques for maximum effectiveness." (pg. 187)

He also mentions several motion-based techniques, including climbing a rope (while not crediting inventor Robert Bruce), (imagined) swimming, rotating (one of Robert Monroe's staples), and several techniques popularized by Michael Raduga (without crediting him): observing images, phantom wiggling, listening to internal noises, and creating various visualizations. I just wish he gave more details, and more credit.

I was disappointed that Field never mentions how he learned astral projection. He does some scant name-dropping, mainly Robert Monroe and The Monroe Institute, and some mysterious "other books." Why don't these authors want you to know who taught them? Was it William Buhlman? Michael Raduga? Robert Bruce? Inquiring minds want to know! Why can't they give credit where credit is due?

Why did I love the book? Because the whole book is pretty much all narratives, and you know how much I love OBE narratives. Field gives loads and loads of them, all of which lend credibility to what he says, illustrate the author's key points, and give you a good idea of what OBEs are like. The narratives are followed by an explanation of what he had experienced and what conclusions can be drawn from them. And they're very honest. He doesn't jump to absurd conclusions about his OBEs and openly admits there may be possible alternate explanations. For example, he openly states:

"I personally have never visited the same exact nonphysical location twice that I have been able to distinguish, so I can't comment on the objective nature of the astral dimension." (pg. 58)

And they're not just straight-up OBE narratives; they often show a progression from a dreaming state to a lucid dream state, to a full-blown OBE.

Field's OBE narratives span from March 23, 2000 to March 3, 2019: an impressive span of 19 years, and they're basically in chronological order to give the reader a good sense of progression.

I can tell from Field's narratives that his experiences are genuine and not made-up or over-the-top. He describes things "out there" in such a way that he had to have been "out" himself; there are small clues that can't easily be faked. Here's an example:

"I decided to look to see if I had a body anyway, and found a pair of perfectly formed, solid-looking arms and hands reaching out in front of my field of vision. I was able to feel energy within these appendages as I observed them, but when I put them down and they were out of my field of vision, I could no longer sense them. It seemed as if my mind had temporarily created an illusory pair of arms and hands out of my desire and expectation to see them." (pg. 185)

This gives you a good idea of what I mean when I say "Schrödinger's Astral Body"!

I also like Field because his experiments were a lot like mine. He gives several OBEs in which he tries to make contact with God and Jesus Christ, and always with very interesting results. In other OBEs he tries to contact his "Higher Self." In at least one case, it seems like Jesus communicates to his Higher Self and the message is translated from there to his normal conscious self.

Unlike most OBE books, many of Field's OBEs are encounters with what he believes to be aliens / extraterrestrials, and almost all of them are the same kind of E.T. with triangular-shaped heads, big eyes, and orange skin. In fact, he writes:

"It's my belief that many alleged abductees are actually having out-of-body experiences involving nonphysical entities." (pg. 80)

I wrote a whole chapter about this subject in my second book, Lessons Out of the Body. If you're interested, you can read it at this link. Many of these Alien-Encounter OBEs are quite scary and concerning.

He has some good advice about overcoming problems, such as screaming out your intentions, forcing a change of expectations, and so on. For example, if you can't get through a wall or door, he recommends you visualize yourself on the other side of it, and that seems to work.

The book also contains many observations that mesh with mine. For example, most occult-oriented books assume you "inhabit" a non-physical body and use it to interact with a different dimension. But I agree with Field when he wrote:

"Usually a projector is only aware of one dimension of experience at a time, so it seems that one is merely shifting from one level of reality to another, when in reality one is engaged in multiple levels of reality simultaneously and simply shifting one's focus from one level of experience to another within the wider range of one's consciousness that expands throughout multiple dimensions." (pg. 170)

And elsewhere:

"OBEs are essentially a shifting of one's frame of reference from the body into the other areas of the wider system of consciousness in which one is intimately connected." (pg. 188)

Here's another revelation I completely agree with:

"There is a translation process between the higher mind and the conscious mind that converts non-physical experiences and knowledge into concepts and sensory data that can be related to and comprehended by one's base level consciousness, in a way dumbing down the true nature of these experiences, which my intuition tells me are far more convoluted than they appear to be." (pg. 205)

Hear hear! This is exactly why I hate books that have narratives that are too Earth-like: "My astral guide pulled me out-of-body and took me to a city, where we sat down at a table with pink roses and golden cutlery. He handed me a drink, then instructed me thus"...followed by four pages of new-age teachings from an "ascended master." Sorry, but it's just not like that. OBEs are otherworldly and in my mind it's not okay to give them Earthly trivialities. Field has been there and he gets it, and he portrays that well in the book.

This one also exactly matches my beliefs based on my own experiences:

"It seems there are higher aspects of my non-physical self that actively engage in various experiences and interactions totally hidden from my conscious mind. I believe I shifted into a more expanded state of consciousness in which a higher aspect of my mind was engaged in another level of reality. This experience supports the theory that there are multiple aspects of one's consciousness that exist in a spectrum or gradient, and that there are always multiple dimensions of experience simultaneously taking place throughout the spectrum, even though one is usually only aware of one level of experience at a time." (pg. 211-212)

Right on. This is true.

Field had a particularly troubling encounter with a negative entity in 2019, which caused him to end the book with this negative and cautionary note:

"It is also important to exercise caution and understand that malevolent entities exist in non-physical reality and can cause real harm, whether you believe it or not. I have heard many people downplay the reality and dangers of negative spirits, claiming that simply sending love and light will provide all the protection needed. However it is not as simple as that....Because of these dangers, I do not recommend the practice of out-of-body experiences, although that's not to say that one cannot benefit from them if approached wisely and carefully." (pg. 227-228)

Well, I'm not sure I agree with that. I think there's a lot to be gained through astral projection, and rare negative encounters just go with the territory: part of the challenge is learning how to deal with them. Would you stop camping because you had an encounter with a bear? Some might, but I wouldn't.

The book is 228 pages with small-ish font and pleasant margins, which means there's no wasted space and plenty of good content. The writing is mature and honest. I only wish he'd have given some OBE technique details. I don't think it was an oversight. I think he left them out because he didn't want people to dabble and have encounters with aliens and potentially negative entities.

I give the book 4 and 1/2 stars out of 5. The book is excellent.

Bob Peterson
22 March 2022

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If you want me to review a book about out-of-body experiences or astral projection, send me an email: bob@robertpeterson.org, but please check the index first to see if I've already reviewed it. Also, I've got a huge pile of books I'm planning to review, so don't expect a quick turnaround.

If you like my work, visit my website, robertpeterson.org, where you'll find lots of other free OBE advice and links.

Return to the index of my OBE Book reviews

Overcoming Problems During OBEs

by Bob Peterson

Out-of-body experiences/astral projections don't always go as planned. In fact, they often defy our expectations and we have problems. Like an infant thrust suddenly into a new world, we find ourselves in a sticky situation without skills and without a clue how to proceed. Here are some common OBE problems and how to overcome them.

Disclaimer: large sections of this article are take from chapter 31 of my second book, Lessons Out of the Body.

If you get stuck to your physical body

During my early years of OBE exploration, I used to get stuck to my body often.  It was frustrating to go through an hour-long procedure to leave my body and then be unable to go anywhere. When this happened, I usually struggled against it for a while, but it was useless; my astral body would just not move. Luckily, I found a two-part solution.

Part of the problem stems from our belief systems, so the first part of the solution is to work on your beliefs. If you get stuck, you may be identifying with your body too much. Your beliefs and/or fears may be holding you back. The solution is to work with affirmations that will help you move away from your body even when it is paralyzed. For example, use this affirmation:

“I can travel freely during my OBEs.”

This affirmation should be used throughout the day, not only when you have the problem.

Part two of the solution is to properly deal with the problem whenever it arises. I’ve used this technique many times. When you find yourself stuck to your body and unable to move, try to just forget the astral body completely, then try to push your consciousness forward, without the astral body. Yes, without it.

Pretend you're walking under water. Try to move the location of your consciousness to leave your astral body behind. Don’t try to move your astral body, try to move your mind forward instead. When you do this, your consciousness will move forward. Try to keep up the momentum until you are at least fifteen feet away from your physical body.

OBE pioneer Sylvan Muldoon wrote about a “cord activity range” of about 10 feet/3 meters to 15 feet/5 meters that acts like a strong gravity between you and your physical body. Once you are outside that range, you will be free to travel at will. Curiously, you will still have an astral body. Why? Some researchers have described an "etheric body," or "energy body," a dense semi-physical “vehicle of vitality” (in the words of author Robert Crookall)–that acts like a vehicle for consciousness–that is related to “ectoplasm” used by "physical spirit mediums." It’s possible that this etheric body might occasionally get stuck to your physical body, and perhaps that is what gets left behind when you try to force your mind forward. Some people insist the etheric body is permanently attached to the physical body and will never move until you die. Others say the ability to move the etheric body is why spirit mediums are different from normal people. But I digress.

I’ve also used another method to get unstuck, which is recommended by William Buhlman and Eddie Slasher: demand very firmly that you be released. Focus very strongly and forcefully on the thought, “Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!” and repeat this until you literally feel yourself pried away from the physical body, unstuck.

Astral blindness

At times when you leave your body you can find yourself completely blind. In my experience this is usually also related to Muldoon's "cord activity range." The way to get around it is:

1. Make an effort to close your (non-physical) eyes.
2. Do your best to walk, glide or otherwise move 15 feet/5 meters away from your physical body.
3. Make an effort to open your (non-physical) eyes.
   

Body sight

Another annoyance is when you make an effort to open your eyes, but your physical body's eyes open instead, giving you a completely different and confusing perspective that's not related to your astral body's position and orientation in space. The solution is the same as with blindness: Move away from your physical body and out of cord activity range.

Losing focus or consciousness

It’s not always easy to maintain consciousness during an OBE. If you feel yourself getting drowsy or losing focus, you can try to perk yourself up that same way you would when you’re feeling sleepy while inside your body. If that doesn’t work, William Buhlman suggests you ask for, demand or even scream, “Clarity now!”

Another trick comes from author Michael Raduga, and that is to engage your sense of touch: palpation. If you think you're starting to lose awareness, use your (non-physical) hands to touch everything in sight, including touching your own arms, face, and so forth. Engage your sense of touch as deeply as possible until your focus is stronger.

Problems traveling

Most authors of OBE books made out-of-body traveling sound as easy as thinking about a place. It's not as easy as all that. When I first started having OBEs, I encountered many problems when trying to get around. Luckily, I learned to overcome these problems by doing three things:

1. Repair a damaged belief system
   Many of my early traveling problems were caused by flaws in my beliefs. Flying seemed unnatural and I doubted I would get to my destination. Traveling by thought-power alone didn’t make sense to me. My stubborn scientific mind was convinced couldn't be that simple. After all, there is no room in the laws of physics for thought-based propulsion. The best way to combat these problems is with affirmations. Repeat several times affirmations that empower your ability to travel freely. For example, “When I’m a spirit, it is easy and natural to travel by thought.”
2. Ask for help and accept it
   I never used to ask for help from spirits because I didn’t trust them. Plus, I’m a man, and men never ask for directions, right? Gradually, I learned that there are plenty of spirit helpers out there who are willing to help you travel where you want to go. Once you get over the fear and distrust, you’ll find out it’s okay to ask for help. These helpers are there whether you see them or not, and they can read your thoughts. To ask for help, simply think, “Can someone please help me get to...[your destination]?” Most likely, you will be assisted by a helper who may not even speak to you, or speak briefly, like "Sure."
3. Think yourself there
   Eventually I learned how to “think” myself to another location, as described in other OBE books. The process isn’t easy to explain, but it's easy to do. To travel this way, focus your mind on the desired location, almost as if tuning my mind to a new frequency. It feels like setting an anchor at a distant location and suddenly pulling yourself to the anchor. It doesn’t always work, so keep trying until you get it right.
   

Persistence is key to overcome OBE problems

The following OBE illustrates how to overcome OBE problems: Many years ago induced an OBE in which I had lots of problems.

I tried to sit up, but could only partially. I struggled to my right to get out of bed and stand up, but I was stuck. I tried to rotate around but I was zapped back to the body.

Round 2. I induced the proper state with extreme ease again, opened my astral eyes and saw the ceiling. I thought I heard some noises as if someone were in the room, playing with the things on the table near the foot of the bed. I tried to listen, and finally decided to sit up to see what was there, but I had no control. I could only sit up a foot off the bed, but not enough to see if someone was there. I tried harder until I lost consciousness and woke up in the body again.

Round 3 was the same as round 2, but this time I got brave and asked, “Who's there?” No reply. I still couldn't move.  I was quickly zapped back into my body again.

Round 4.  I got out of my body and tried to free myself again. I felt stuck, but then I felt a gentle pair of hands grab my feet gently and help me separate from the body. Unfortunately, I lost consciousness soon afterward and found myself back in my body again.

Round 5. I separated from my body again and decided to peel myself away from it with a backward-somersault. I peeled off awkwardly, floated about three feet off the bed. I didn't see anyone. I thought about what I wanted to do next. I decided to float/fly. With that thought, I started floating up to the ceiling. Then I decided to try to visit Julia, a friend I know from the Internet. I wanted to see if she could detect my presence, since she is psychically sensitive. I wondered how I should go about trying to get to her when I received a thought-communication from an unknown invisible source who said, “It's easy. Just think yourself there.”

I “thought” myself up through the ceiling and over the roof of the house. I tried to get my orientation so I could decide which direction was east. I started flying east at a great speed, perhaps as fast as an airplane, but decided “This might not work, or at least not quickly enough.” The same source said, “Just think yourself there.” So I thought, “With Julia.” It worked! My consciousness shifted. My eyes were closed but I mind-sensed a light/energy in front of me and knew it was her. I reached my astral arms/hands out and cupped the light/energy between my hands, as if holding her head. I tried to telepath to her, “Julia, this is Bob. How are you?” Then I lost consciousness. I decided against making a sixth attempt.

As this OBE illustrates, persistence is a key to solving OBE problems. If you get thrown back into your body, try to induce the OBE state again immediately before you move your body. Do this as many times as you need. If you get stuck to your body during an OBE, try different methods to pry yourself free until you find one that works. Approach unknown entities with caution, but don’t be afraid to ask for help from your spirit guides. If you’re having problems moving to your desired destination, close your eyes and reach out mentally to your desired location, then tell yourself to be at that location by force of will.

Be persistent and never give up.

Bob Peterson
08 March 2022