Review: The Odyssey of the Soul

by Franck Labat

Today I'm reviewing The Odyssey of the Soul by Franck Labat. The subtitle is Experiments on the Edge of Consciousness. The copyright is 2024. The book is 313 pages with great margins and font size, which means there is a lot of great content.

Full disclosure: Franck has been a Facebook friend of mine for many years. The author even sent me a signed copy of the book all the way from France, I'm sure at considerable cost.

Credentials

The first question I always ask about a book is: Who is the author and what are their credentials to teach out-of-body experiences (OBEs)? Franck Labat has been a steward of the Astral Projection community for many years. Some of his accomplishments include:

• He sponsored William Buhlman to come to France to teach out-of-body classes. The Buhlmans even stayed at his house.
  
• The book is endorsed by William Buhlman who contributed this quote to the front cover: "I highly recommend "Odyssey of the Soul" to all explorers of consciousness."
  
• The foreword to this book was also written by Buhlman. In fact, Labat quotes or cites Buhlman many times throughout the book.
  
• Labat was friends with (the late) Akhena, one of the greatest OBE teachers of our time. She's known to some as "The William Buhlman of France." Akhena's book Out of Body Experiences was so good I gave it a 5-star review back in 2014. Franck brought her to my attention more than 10 years ago and helped to promote her work. Labat's book even contains a photo of he and Akhena.
• In his "most unusual contact experience" Labat had a veridical OBE in which he and Akhena met in a shared experience that was later verified by both. The book contains his full OBE narrative. Akhena's book also contains her version of the narrative, but Franck's name was changed to protect his anonymity.
  
• He's well read and has attended OBE classes at The Monroe Institute.
• In 2024 he sponsored me to appear in a popular French podcast in which I had a live English-French translator.
  

Basics

What I liked most about this book is that Franck Labat shares lots of amazing "aha"-type hints and insights. He pays attention. He tells you what's most important when it comes to inducing OBEs, and often in a matter-of-fact way. For example, he says things like:

"I carry out my exercises because it's by persistence that you get results." (pg. 46)

That matter-of-fact statement is so simple and yet so important. Here's another example. When he speaks about fears and our belief system, he says:

"It's important to understand that as long as we're in a reality where form exists, we can be confronted with our own illusions at any moment. If we wish to explore the continuum of our consciousness in an objective way, we must consider our beliefs and not be afraid to question them." (pg. 74)

Again, very true, and yet so important to know. Same for this quote about something many people overlook:

"Out-of-body experiences are a great tool as long as you use them properly. But it's not the most important element in life. Remember, we're in this physical reality for a purpose. Spiritual alchemy, the transformation of defects into qualities, the quest to become better--these are what's most important." (pg. 95)

Narratives

If you've been following my blog, you know how I love OBE narratives. It shows the author's level of experience, and I can usually use them to tell actual OBEs from fiction.

The first third or so of the book contains a lot of Labat's OBE narratives. They're very honest. Later, he also gives narratives from lucid dreams, so you can compare the two in the author's experience.

The rest is about the practice. Here Labat goes into the prerequisites for OBE exit techniques, such as keeping a journal, optimizing the environment, setting goals, energy work, chakra stimulation, and relaxation. He goes into good detail about kundalini and various types of meditation.

Labat also provides several techniques, including a new hybrid technique that he calls "Neon Body Technique: Energetic Activation". It's not like exit technique switching, as taught by Michael Raduga who bounces from one technique to the next until successful. It's more of a progressive energetic meditation technique, escalating from (1) energy body stimulation to (2) chakra stimulation, to (3) kundalini stimulation. Kind of like leveling up or shifting from first gear, to second gear, and into third.

Labat also dives into the topic of Mudras, which are hand and finger gestures designed to promote the circulation of energy.

He gives plenty of best practices with regard to developing OBE skills.

Tailor your practice to Time of Day

First, he breaks each day down into sections, recommending different practices to different times of day, with concrete examples: What to do when you wake up, mid-morning, afternoon, evening, before going to bed, and in the middle of the night. 

As Labat says:

"Each moment of the day offers unique opportunities to explore OBE practices according to your natural cycle of energy and awareness." (pg. 165)

He describes what each is the most "ideal time for." For example, in the middle of the night is the "ideal time" to practice Wake Back to Bed (WBTB).

One of the most valuable things about this book is its approach to the OBE that tailors the practices to each person's needs. He gives several approaches to this, most of which cannot be found in any other book in the genre. 

Tailor your practice to your Astrology Sign

This doesn't appear in any other OBE/AP book: Labat gives suggestions on how to approach OBE practice based on each astrological ("Sun") sign. So Libras might want to focus more on "Deep relaxation and meditation techniques focusing on balance and harmony" whereas Scorpios might want to focus on "Exploration of mystical or transcendent themes, perhaps incorporating power symbols or archetypes" and so on. (pg. 169) So if astrology is your thing, this is a great reference.

Of course, personal experimentation plays a big part in figuring out what works best for you. But that's not the only approach. 

Tailor your practice to your Psychological Profile

He also suggests you adapt your practice to your psychological profile. He suggests different approaches for:

• Analytical and logical people
• Intuitive and creative people
• Emotional and empathic people
• Pragmatic and down-to-Earth people
• Adventurers and experiencers
• Introverts and reflective people
• Anxious and stressed people
• Determined and focused people
  

Tailor your practice to different days of the week

This is yet another approach: You treat each day of the week differently. For example, Thursdays are good days to explore new techniques or areas. Each day is assigned a unique approach.

OBE Techniques

Labat also gives several OBE techniques, as well as lucid dream techniques. This is not just a rehash of the same techniques in other books. Some are unique to the genre. For example, his "Awakening Technique" comes from the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism, which is kind of like everyday "Presence" or "Mindfulness". For example, throughout the day, take the time (often) to stop and observe your surroundings. Pay attention to your hands, objects, and everything around you. It's important to develop a habit of this (so do this at least 21 days). Be present. Observe reality.

The key phrase that keeps running through my mind is "Situational Awareness." Train yourself to stop several times every hour, (also maybe whenever you change rooms or settings) to really observe what's going on around you. Look at the things that surround you. Be present. Be aware. This might be a dream!

He also gives techniques such as the Target Technique found in several books, including Buhlman's.

One of Labat's favorite techniques is simply to use affirmations. They're simple and effective and he uses them in many different circumstances. For example, as you fall asleep, repeat an affirmation like "Now I'm out of body" at least 50 times or until you fall asleep. For some people, it can be a very effective technique. (I talked a bit about this in my article Kissing Your Way To an OBE).

When it comes to using affirmations, Labat stresses three things:

1. A strong intention
2. Knowing that it's going to happen immediately
3. Having no doubts

He also says:

"Repeating your affirmations over and over again in a state of deep relaxation is akin to hammering a nail into the unconscious." (pg. 183)

He also gives lots of example affirmations.

Funny story: After I read this, I gave it a try. When I went to bed one night, I started repeating one of Franck's suggested affirmations. After about 7 affirmations, I fell deep into a normal sleep. But oddly enough, I kept repeating the affirmation. Throughout the entire 90-minute sleep cycle, I could still hear my subconscious still repeating the affirmation in the background. It was like a public address system was constantly announcing it in the background of my otherwise normal sleep. It was beyond weird! When I came out of deep sleep and hit the hypnopompic state, I was still repeating it! I guess I was doing something wrong! It wasn't the effect I wanted, but that was only my first try.

Labat also talks about self-hypnosis and autosuggestion with some great insights. For example, if you're a woman, repeat your affirmation in a man's voice. If you're a man, use the voice of a woman. Or use some other "voice of authority" like they do in television ads. You can also vary the speed of your affirmations. These little tricks can make your subconscious pay more attention to the affirmation. Again, it's an innovative trick that's unique in the genre.

He also talks about the all-important visualizations, but again introduces some unique innovations. For example:

"A little trick to increase the sense of immersion in the image [is] by imagining what's behind you while visualizing what's in front of you. This has the effect of encompassing us fully in the imagined environment." (pg. 190)

See what I mean? This is innovative. These are all subtle, but can be big game-changers.

Labat also gives suggestions to help you remember your OBEs.

The book also contains several meditation techniques, such as various breathing techniques, counting breaths, walking meditation, and so on.

The book has sections for:

• Problem solving (such as falling asleep too quickly)
• Essential oils (such as lavender oil, mugwort oil, olibanum oil, etc.)
• Sound and light technologies (with specific examples)
  

I loved this book. I'm giving it a rare 5 stars out of 5. Though he's French, Franck Labat's command of the English language, grammar and spelling are way better than many OBE books written by native English speakers. It's an excellent blend of out-of-body narratives, OBE techniques, and tips. Most importantly, it's innovative.

Bob Peterson
26 November 2024

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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

Ethereal Voyages: Exploring the Infinite Realms of Astral Projection

Review: Ethereal Voyages: Exploring the Infinite Realms of Astral Projection

by Holly Jane McConnell

Today I'm reviewing Ethereal Voyages: Exploring the Infinite Realms of Astral Projection by Holly Jane McConnell. The subtitle is "A Comprehensive Guide to Out-of-Body Experiences and Spiritual Journeys."

The copyright is 2024. The book is 157 pages with decent font and margins, but a lot of wasted white space and several "nice" AI (Artificial Intelligence)-generated graphics.

There is no way to sugar-coat this. This is a bad book. How bad? Let me count the ways. 

First of all, the subtitle is misleading: In no way is it "Comprehensive." In fact, it could win awards for being vague and unhelpful. There are only three out-of-body techniques in the book, and they are vague and very poorly described.

Like many others, it's a "data dump" but in this case the data is vague, redundant, and not helpful. There are no out-of-body narratives and no personal experiences, so we have no idea who the author is, nor what makes her an expert on the subject. I'm guessing she has absolutely no experience in out-of-body travel. She may have done some scant online research, but there's just no depth here.

One big problem I had with the book is that it's almost exclusively written in passive voice. In the entire 157 pages, I found maybe five or six sentences in active voice. All the rest are passive voice, which makes it very cumbersome and hard to read. Tedious.

Note to would-be authors: Please, please, PLEASE study and learn what "passive voice" is and absolutely destroy it from your writing. It doesn't make your writing sound sophisticated. It just makes your writing sound immature.

Almost every chapter is written with no regard to the other chapters. That means there's a lot of redundancy. So she ends of saying things like "X is very important" several times, in several chapters. For example, a bunch of chapters start out saying things like:

"Astral projection, transcending physical boundaries to explore other dimensions, offers profound opportunities for personal development." (pg. 70)

Compare that to:

"Astral projection is a transformative practice that offers a myriad of benefits for personal development." (pf. 73)

To be honest, it really felt like the author plugged some parameters into an AI bot and told it to write essays for a 9th grade humanities class. Then she stitched them together as (unnumbered) chapters to form this book.

In one of the first chapters she states:

"However, there is no measurable or verifiable evidence to confirm the objective reality of one's consciousness leaving their body and traveling to other places or dimensions." (pg. 10)

Really? No evidence? I guess she never read my six part blog article about the evidence (which you can find at https://www.robertpeterson.org/astral-projection-information.html). I guess she never read Alexander De Foe's book "Consciousness Beyond the Body" either.

The book has a fair amount of other misinformation as well. For example, on page 17 she states:

"Belief is the cornerstone of astral projection. Without a fundamental belief in the possibility of astral travel, the journey cannot commence." (pg. 17)

Wrong. I wasn't a believer when I had my first self-induced run-in with the vibrations. You only need to be open-minded. Belief helps, but I wouldn't call it the cornerstone. All you need is suspension of disbelief.

More disinformation:

"Astral projection requires a focused mind capable of visualization." (pg. 80)

Wrong. In fact, author Robert Bruce invented the "rope" technique to aid blind people (who by definition are not capable of visualization) achieve OBEs. Visualizations might be the most effective OBE exit techniques, but in my book Hacking the Out of Body Experience, I gave techniques to induce OBEs by engaging the other senses: sound, touch, etc. You don't need focus either: You can achieve OBEs through lucid dreams and other subconscious trickery.

More disinformation:

"The relationship between sleep and astral projection is intricate. Disrupted or irregular sleep patterns can make it challenging to reach the state of consciousness needed for astral projection." (pg. 81)

Wrong. In fact, it's just the opposite. Disrupted sleep is the cornerstone of the most popular and effective astral projection (and lucid dreaming) techniques ever invented: Wake Back to Bed (WBTB). Many young people have their first OBEs due to college pressure and/or newborn babies which forced them into irregular sleep patterns.

Another:

"A healthy body supports a focused and balanced mind, facilitating easier access to the astral state." (pg. 81)

Nope. While many OBEs happen to healthy people, there are plenty of examples of the opposite. Author Vincent Turvey was bed-ridden and sick most of his adult life. Author Sylvan Muldoon was bedridden. When I'm sick enough to stay in bed, I often feel more "loose" from my physical body and can project easier.

Here's another example of disinformation:

"Dragons in the astral realm defy the typical stereotypes. They vary greatly in size and color, with some being intimidatingly large and others smaller and less imposing. Their role in the astral plane is as diverse as their appearances." (pg. 46)

In my 44 years of experience I've never seen a dragon. I've never heard of anyone seeing a dragon. In the hundreds of books on the subject, I've never read a single OBE narrative that included a dragon. As far as I remember, I don't think C.W. Leadbeater even went that far in his book The Astral Plane.

Here's some more misinformation:

"Demons have unrestricted access to all levels of the astral plane." (pg. 47)

This is nonsense. It's bad enough that she's fear mongering here. In my opinion, 98 percent of all demons reported in OBEs are manifestations of subconscious fears, especially with regard to Awareness during Sleep Paralysis. All the big astral projection experts agree that if demons are anywhere, they are confined to the lowest levels of the astral plane. They do not have "unrestricted access."

Most of what McConnell does say in the book is word salad; devoid of meaning and unhelpful. For example, she says things like:

"Through spiritual exploration, self-discovery, and creative inspiration, individuals can achieve profound growth and understanding." (pg. 73)

Yeah, that's not helpful at all, is it? Like, give me a concrete example. I'd cut her some slack but the whole book is like that. For example, under the heading "Advanced Techniques for Experienced Projectors" she writes:

"Explore the concept of multiple, overlapping layers with the astral plane. Each layer can represent different levels of consciousness or dimensions of reality." (pg. 94)

How exactly am I supposed to explore the concept? See what I mean? Not helpful. Tell me what to do, what actions to take.

She only mentions three astral projection techniques, described in one sentence each. They are:

1. Belly Button technique: "Focus on the belly button to induce astral projection, visualizing energy flowing in and out." (pg 73)
2. Hammock technique: "Imagine lying in a hammock, embracing the feeling of weightlessness." (pg. 73)
3. Rope technique: "Visualize climbing a rope to ascend into the astral plane." (pg 73)
   

Sorry, but most people need more than one sentence.

Later she also mentions a technique from Robert Monroe, but this is about as bad an explanation as possible. The steps she gives (on page 112) are:

1. Prepare the Space: Creating a warm, quiet room free from disturbances.
2. Calm the Mind and Body: Using relaxation techniques to sooth the mind and body.
3. Enter the State of Vibrations: Achieving a semi-aware state, focusing on relaxation.
4. Welcome and Command Vibrations: Sensing and controlling the vibrations signaling the onset of an out-of-body experience.
5. Sever the Tether: Encouraging the sensation of separation and floating above the physical body.
6. The Return: Focusing on reintegration with the physical body at the end of the journey.
   

See what I mean about word salad, done in passive voice? Robert Monroe's first book, Journeys Out of the Body, had a good explanation of his techniques. He was never that vague or unhelpful. I get steps 1 and 2, but steps 3, 4 and 5 are gibberish that say nothing. And step 6 is completely unnecessary: You will automatically return to your physical body when you run out of time.

Here's some more unhelpful word salad on page 116 under the heading of "Advanced Techniques for Deeper Astral Experiences:" 

"To deepen astral experiences:

1. Astral Travel: Exploring different realms and dimensions for profound spiritual insights. 
2. Enhanced Astral Sight: Developing the ability to see and perceive the astral realm more clearly.
3. Energy Manipulation: Learning to harness and direct energy within the astral plane." 
   

See what I mean? This just doesn't make any sense. She's not saying how to deepen astral experiences. She's not really saying anything useful at all.

One last example of word salad:

"Astral experiences can also aid in recognizing and asserting personal boundaries. Understanding one's astral self can translate into more confidence in establishing and maintaining boundaries in everyday life. This assertiveness is key to personal well-being and effective interpersonal relationships." (pg. 135)

Again, that's not helpful. In fact, it's backwards. Out of body experiences can sometimes make you feel disconnected and hard to relate to other people. They can make you feel alone, isolated, like nobody understands. Sometimes you need to actively work hard to maintain close relationships.

So bottom line: I don't have anything good to say about this book. As far as I can tell it's mostly AI-generated word salad that really doesn't say anything. I give it 1 star out of 5. 

Bob Peterson
12 November 2024

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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

Review: Diary of a Soul Traveller

by May Long

Today I'm reviewing Diary of a Soul Traveller by May Long. The subtitle is Beyond OBE and Astral Travel. The copyright is 2023. The book is 184 pages. The page size, margins and font are all great, so there's plenty of content to satisfy.

In case you're wondering, "traveller" in the title is the British spelling whereas the American spelling is "traveler."

When I see a title that contains "Soul Travel" I immediately think of Eckankar, the religion (some say cult) that teaches "Soul Travel," which they claim is better than astral projection and out-of-body experiences. So I was worried that this book might be preachy and filled with pro-Eckankar propaganda and nomenclature. It wasn't.

Yes, the author used Eckankar as a framework for her spiritual path, and yes, she uses a few of their words, like "Mahanta" (the inner master), but sparingly. She refers to God simply as "God" and not the Eck word. As early as the copyright notice she states: "This does not imply any endorsement or sponsorship of Eckankar."

Who is May Long? She is a Chinese woman with a son. At some point she moved from China to Canada. She comes across as well educated, sincere, level-headed, and wise.

If I had to summarize this book in one sentence, I'd say this is kind of "halfway between my first book (Out of Body Experiences) and my second book (Lessons Out of the Body)." Let me explain. My first book described my early OBEs with my analytical observations and conclusions. My second book had a more spiritual approach, trying to answer questions like: 

• What good are OBEs?
  
• Where can they take us spiritually?
• What lessons can we learn from them?
  

Diary of a Soul Traveller is a combination of both analytical and spiritual approaches. Every chapter teaches a life lesson, and the narratives illustrate the points she makes. We see not only her experiences and what she learned from them, but there's a spiritual side, a deeper meaning and a life-lesson. From a spiritual point of view, she came to many of the same conclusions I did, and that was satisfying. Here is a quote I loved. It might just as easily come from Lessons Out of the Body or my later book, Answers Within:

"If we are attentive, we can derive wisdom and answers from the most unassuming sources. I am convinced of the universe's benevolence, its continual attempts to educate us and facilitate our growth." (pg. 52)

She sees almost every moment as offering some lesson, and asks, What is the Universe trying to teach me? Like me, she sees events and objects as metaphors and similes. For example, here's another quote I loved:

"This extraordinary encounter forever transformed my perspective, leaving an indelible imprint upon my relationship with my son and the world at large. Gone were the rigid classifications and societal hierarchies predicated upon academic achievement. In their stead, a new-found understanding emerged -- the equality of all souls, each embarking upon their unique journey of experience. The beggar and the king, once perceived through a lens of hierarchy, now stood on equal footing." (pg. 15)

Here's another quote I loved:

"Everyone can find their unique spiritual path that aligns with their consciousness and fulfills their spiritual needs. The path that resonates with me might not be the one for you. Choose a path that echoes with your heart, a path that propagates love. For love is the only constant in a world where everything else can be deemed an illusion.

Do not get caught up in the desire for prestigious positions within spiritual or religious organizations, as such pursuits often serve the ego. What truly matters is our individual relationship with the Source, the Holy Spirit, or God." (pg. 44)

The book has lots of out-of-body narratives: her own personal experiences. So we get to see who the author is, what her OBEs are like, and what she got out of them. Like many of us, it's a journey of self-discovery, facing and conquering fears, and learning lessons.

Like my first book, she includes exercises at the end of every chapter to help the readers have their own journeys. Very helpful.

We get to see the author's spiritual evolution, starting with adolescence where she first started having unplanned OBEs. Like many of us, she had to overcome fears and learn how to do voluntary OBEs, astral travel. Along the way she enters and eventually leaves an unnamed ("mystery school") to find Eckankar.

Here's another quote I loved:

"Spiritual growth does not demand seclusion, excessive meditation, or detachment. Rather, it occurs through active engagement with life, imbuing every act, thought, and moment with love." (pg. 49)

And here's another:

"The interplay of signs, synchronicities, and inner guidance serves as a testament to the profound interconnection of all things--a symphony of seen and unseen, guiding us towards a deeper understanding of our purpose and the boundless potential that resides within us." (pg. 70)

Speaking of  synchronicities, I was absolutely stunned by her description of an experience that closely matches an OBE I shared recently in this blog, which I called "The Demonstration":

"What I witnessed was the transformation of their forms, but the underlying essence was the expansion of consciousness. The true result of their integration was a heightened awareness, a larger consciousness that enveloped their being." (pgs. 75-76)

It made me wonder: Did she witness my OBE firsthand? Is this some kind of universal experience? Note that her book was published well before I shared my experience with anyone, but the experience itself happened in the last few years.

One last quote from the book:

"This is the essence of the soul's journey: always evolving, ever-connected, and bound by love." (pg. 172)

It's chock full of personal experiences, and plenty of exercises. I was a tiny bit disappointed that she didn't name the "mystery school" she attended. And also in the lack of detail in some of the exercises. I would have liked more details on what exactly she did to induce her experiences. She included some of it, but I wanted more details.

I loved this book. Maybe I'm biased because it reminded me of my own. I give this book 4 and 1/2 stars out of 5. It was humble, relatable, personal and yet inspiring. The writing was mature, sophisticated, with perfect spelling and grammar. I only found a couple typos.

Bob Peterson
29 October 2024

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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

The Demonstration

by Bob Peterson

Many of my "more interesting" OBEs can be found in the online text of my first book, but most of them are from 40 years ago. People sometimes ask: What are my OBEs like today? When I rewrote my website earlier this year, I realized how few of my recent OBEs appear in my blog. 

Well here is an OBE that's much more recent. Hopefully it will some day make its way into a book.

 Review: The Astral Plane

by C.W. Leadbeater

Today I'm reviewing The Astral Plane by Charles Webster Leadbeater. The copyright on my copy is 1933 but the first edition was printed in 1895: 129 years ago! I'm reviewing this book at a Facebook friend's request.  

The author, C.W. Leadbeater, was one of the most prominent authors in Theosophy, which was a spiritual movement started by Russian mystic Helena P. Blavatsky in 1875. The book was published after her death in 1891. I've read several Theosophy books, including Leadbeater's The Inner Life and A.E. Powell's The Astral Body,  but I'm still pretty ignorant about the movement. They remind me of the younger Eckankar, the "out-of-body religion (cult?)"  founded by Paul Twitchell. Twitchell and Blavatsky had similar stories: both supposedly traveled to India and studied with secret esoteric masters with amazing spiritual powers. Both took it upon themselves to bring their "knowledge" to the Western world as a not-so-secret society, spooning out esoteric secrets for a price. Frankly, I think Theosophy goes deeper and has a lot more street credentials than Eckankar, but I'll leave that subject for another day.

I don't know if the book is still in print, but it probably is. At any rate, it's easy to find online copies. I acquired my copy more than 40 years ago.

The book is small in size, but it has 183 pages and a very small font, which provides a lot of content despite the small package.

Even though the book is small, it took a long time to read because it was written in 1890s British English. It's more cumbersome than today's writing. I'll give you an example:

"Illustrations taken from the physical plane seem generally to misrepresent rather than elucidate astral phenomena, because they can never be more than partially applicable; but the recollection of two simple facts of ordinary life may help to make this important branch of our subject clearer, if we are careful not to push the analogy further than it will hold good." (pg. 165)

The whole book is like that!

Leadbeater was extensively trained in Theosophy and supposedly got to the state where he had full astral sight. As he tells it:

"I worked at it for forty-two days, and seemed to myself to be on the brink of the final victory, when the Master Himself intervened and performed the final act of breaking through which completed the process, and enabled me thereafter to use astral sight while still retaining full consciousness in the physical body--which is equivalent to saying that the astral consciousness and memory became continuous whether the physical body was awake or asleep." (page X)

So we're supposed to just take his word for it. Call me cynical but I've heard that line before and I'm not buying it. He doesn't give any examples of his direct observations, nor any of his direct OBEs, so as far as I'm concerned, all the "information" he gives is unsubstantiated and therefore questionable. I suspect much of the information are hand-me-downs from other teachings of Theosophy, which are hand-me-downs from a variety of ancient Hindu scriptures, Vedas, Upanishads, Patanjali, etc..

For example, he states that there are seven planes of existence, each of which has seven layers or sub-planes. In order of materiality, from densest to finest, they are:

• Physical
• Astral
• Mental
• Buddhic
• Nirvanic
• Two others that are so far above our present power they're "left out of consideration"
  

Oddly, Leadbeater doesn't say much about the planes of existence themselves, other than saying there are too many places to describe.

Instead, the vast majority of the book describes the various entities that may be seen on the astral plane. That includes the nirmanakaya (those who have achieved nirvana but renounce it in order to work for the good of mankind), ordinary people after death, astral shells, vitalized shells, astral shades, dead people waiting for their next incarnation, victims of sudden death and suicide, and so forth. 

Much of this is just blatant fear mongering. For example, he describes "vitalized shells" like this:

"Let it suffice here to mention that it is almost always a malevolent bring--a true tempting demon, whose evil influence is limited only by the extent of its power. Like the shade, it is frequently used to further the horrible purposes of the Voodoo and Obeah forms of magic." (pg. 74)

He also describes the "Vampire" and the "Werewolf" which have "unearthly horror and of extreme rarity." But again, he doesn't say whether he's actually seen these things or if he's just passing down lore from elsewhere. I personally have never seen anything like that so I tend to think of it as fear mongering, especially in light of ridiculous claims like this about vampires:

"Since the eighth sphere cannot claim him until after the death of the body, he preserves it in a kind of cataleptic trance by the horrible expedient of the transfusion into it of blood drawn from other human beings by his semi-materialized astral, and thus postpones his final destiny by the commission of wholesale murder." (pg. 81)

Here's another claim regarding werewolves made in the book that I see as nonsensical fear mongering:

 "When a perfectly cruel and brutal man does this, there are certain circumstances under which the body may be seized upon by other astral entities and materialized, not into the human form, but into that of some wild animal--usually the wolf; and in that condition it will range the surrounding country killing other animals, and even human beings, thus satisfying not only its own craving for blood, but that of the fiends who drive it on." (pg. 82)

On the astral plane, it is possible to shape-shift and take on the appearance of a vampire or werewolf, and I firmly believe that is the origin of such horrors. But Leadbeater seems to categorize them differently than a "run of the mill astral shapeshifter." And I simply refuse to accept them walking around on the physical plane. (Ask me again after the next season of The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch!)

Perhaps he was using these fear tactics to drive would-be students to Theosophy where they can be "properly trained by the experts" to deal with such ghastly entities. If the carrot doesn't work, use the stick, right?

He does say:

"Intending explorers of the astral plane need have little fear of encountering the unpleasant creatures described under this head, for, as before stated, they are even now extremely rare, and as time goes on their number will happily steadily diminish." (pgs. 83-84)

But then, later, when describing Elementals and Nature Spirits, he's back to fear mongering:

"There is, however, undoubtedly a sort of bias or tendency permeating nearly all of their subdivisions which operates to render them rather hostile than friendly towards man. Every neophyte knows this, for in most cases his first impression of the astral plane is of the presence all round him of vast hosts of protean spectres who advance upon him in threatening guise, but always retire or dissipate harmlessly if boldly faced." (pg. 101)

He takes it a step forward and actually gives good advice:

"Though tricky and mischievious, they are rarely malicious unless provoked by some unwarrantable intrusion or annoyance; but as a body they also partake to some extent of the universal feeling of distrust for man, and they generally seem inclined to resent somewhat the first appearance of a neophyte on the astral plane, so that he usually makes their acquaintance under some unpleasant or terrifying form. If, however, he declines to be frightened by any of their freaks, they soon accept him as a necessary evil and take no further notice of him, while some among them may even after a time become friendly and manifest pleasure on meeting him." (pg. 115)

Clearly the author is describing the guardian of the threshold but attributing it to Elementals. His advice is sound, but I don't think it has anything to do with Elementals.

That brings us to a discussion of something the author calls "The Fifth Root Race" which I only know about from my study of Edgar Cayce. Cayce was born in 1877, so he was 18 years old when this book was published. I wonder if the book--or Theosophy in general--influenced Cayce? Or perhaps Cayce influenced Leadbeater? But again, those are best left for a future discussion.

I do agree with Leadbeater on some points, such as:

"The horrible doctrine of eternal punishment, too, is responsible for a vast amount of most pitiable and entirely groundless terror among those newly arrived in this higher life." (pg. 61)

Another curious feature of this book is that he describes godlike inhabitants of the astral plane: Kamadevas, Rupadevas, and Arupadevas. Likewise, he talks about "devas" in general, and four "Kings" or "Regents of the Earth" describing them as associated with the "elements" of earth, water, air, and fire. Since the author gives us no idea of his direct experiences, I can only assume this all comes from the ancient traditions of India (or Blavatsky) and not from his own observations. In other words, secondhand information, also known as hearsay.

Toward the end of the book, Leadbeater branches out and talks about other phenomena, such as churchyard ghosts, apparitions of the dying, haunted localities, family ghosts, bell-ringing and stone-throwing ghosts, fairies, communicating entities (think seances). This is all pretty old-school and not very enlightening.

He also talks about various phenomena related to seances and physical mediumship: clairvoyance, prevision, second-sight, etheric currents, astral forces, etheric pressure, latent energy, sympathetic vibrations, mantras, disintegration, materialization, table tipping, spirit photography, reduplication, precipitation, slate writing, levitation, spirit lights, handling fire, and so forth. Much of this is described as real phenomena with scant explanations, but I wrote most of it off as nonsense in the light of modern science.

That's not to say I don't believe in mediumship. On the contrary, I've studied it extensively. I have an entire shelf of my bookcase dedicated to mediumship and channeling. (Compare that to the four shelves for my astral projection books.) I've also known many talented spirit mediums whose gifts seem "real." Any doubters in the audience should read the excellent book The Truth About Medium by Gary Schwartz, Ph.D.

I give this book just 1 and 1/2 stars out of 5. It's hard to take the book seriously when it talks about physical manifestations of vampires and werewolves. There are no astral projection narratives and no techniques. It's just a "data dump" (of questionable data) with little substance to back it up, topped off with fear mongering.

The previous book I reviewed, Jurgen Ziewe's Elysium Unveiled, is a much better description of non-physical environments and their inhabitants. It's also much newer and not burdened with superstition and fear mongering.

Bob Peterson
08 October 2024

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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

Review: Elysium Unveiled

Elysium Unveiled

by Jurgen Ziewe

Today I'm reviewing Elysium Unveiled by Jurgen Ziewe. The subtitle is A Visual Odyssey of Life Eternal. The copyright is 2023. The book is 162 pages, chock full of stunning images.

I read most of this book from the seat of an airplane. This is the first book I've reviewed for my blog that wasn't a printed book. It is an eBook. In the past I've always confined my reviews to printed books, but due to unusual circumstances, I decided to make an exception. (The book is available in print, as well as a German edition).

This is not a teaching book.

"Jurgen Ziewe sees himself not as a teacher but as a reporter, delivering a
down-to-earth narrative of his remarkable experiences." (pg. 162)

And that's basically what it is. This book is a travelogue: a written description of the author's travels alongside images to illustrate his points. But unlike the travelogues from my old website, this is for non-physical places, astral locations, consensus realities.

The book is rich with verbal descriptions of non-physical realms, including some all-important example OBE narratives that give the book a great deal of credibility. Some of these reminded me of a childhood experience where it seemed like I spent years in a non-physical city. You can read the full account from my first book at this link. Compare what Ziewe says:

"Our earth life appears like a distant bad dream from which we have awoken." (pg. 130)

...to my narrative:

"...I had gone to sleep and dreamed of a little place called "Earth" and now I was awake. "That was a silly dream" I thought, and I soon forgot all about "Earth." I continued my life, just like before I fell asleep. I lived in that fantastic city for years and years--centuries it seemed. I lived there so long that I COMPLETELY forgot all about Earth. For hundreds of years I had forgotten Earth. If someone were to ask me about it, I couldn't remember, since it happened so long ago." (pg. 11)

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Extrapolate that to the next level: an out-of-body experience is worth a thousand pictures. So alongside  the text, this book has a plethora of full-color near-photo quality images produced by the author with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI) similar to the cover photo above. In fact, there are images on every page, and many additional images with no text.

But Ziewe admits that the images don't do them justice. They are only "approximate" visual representations of non-physical places he has seen firsthand in his many years of out-of-body experiences. In an OBE, you can hear incredible music and see thousands of colors more vivid than the physical, and there's often a lack of words to describe what you experience. I could feel his frustration: Even though he's a professional graphic artist, using state-of-the-art AI design tools, and despite having spent countless hours refining and honing them, the images are just crude shadows of the places he visited. The images are analogous to stick figures etched into cave walls by our ancient hominid ancestors: They only give a crude idea of what Ziewe actually saw.

Some of them looked vaguely familiar, and as I stared into them, sometimes I felt like I had been there, too, even if I didn't consciously remember.

And Ziewe's images in the book are mind blowing. As I read, my wife Kathy watched a movie on her iPad, occasionally glancing over my shoulder. Several times she paused her movie and interrupted me saying, "Wow! Those images are just phenomenal! If they're supposed to represent what he's seen in his OBEs, it's just incredible and amazing to think." One time she added, "All of those images--every one I've seen so far--are good enough to put into a frame and hang on our walls! They're amazing!"

But it's more than just art. It takes the reader deep into the non-physical worlds of the astral plane. It's a visual odyssey, much like Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy is an odyssey of words, describing the various regions of the afterlife from heaven to purgatory to hell (Paradiso to Purgatorio to Inferno). But where Dante was limited to around 96,000 words, Ziewe gives visual representations to the afterlife.

The book can also be compared to Charles Leadbeater's 1895 book The Astral Plane (which I will review next time) but so much better. Leadbeater's book mostly describes the inhabitants of the astral plane, but in a matter-of-fact way, without the emotions, narratives or descriptions of the places themselves.

Near the beginning of this book, Ziewe recommends the readers study the images and try to draw themselves into them, and imagine that they're standing there. Many of the images drew me in like a magnet. While they weren't OBEs, it was almost magical, as if I was somehow propelled by the image into a higher vibration. It was weird and hard to explain. No other book has had that effect on me.

The book starts out describing the lowest of the lower astral, where the worst of the negative souls confine themselves to a hellish environment, wallowing in their own hideous negativity, greed and selfishness. He describes how he was accompanied to this dangerous place by his "silent companion" very similar to beings I've encountered.

Then he describes "Earth II", and areas of the "middle astral" and "higher realms" that are stunning.

According to Ziewe's direct observations, he asserts that we--our individual personalities--live on in the afterlife. In other words, we don't just get re-absorbed into the infinite consciousness without a sense of self. This is contrast to the ages-old Occult belief that a suitable "Body of Light" needs to be created and cultivated in the astral plane or else our personalities will dissolve into the infinite.

Ziewe also asserts that reincarnation is a fact. And like William Buhlman and other authors, he asserts that we go to the places that best suit our vibrational level. Negative people go to negative places, and positive people go to positive places, etc., and yet we are free to choose where we go.

In past reviews I've compared Ziewe's words to Eckhart Tolle: simple but profound wisdom, like gold coins casually fall from his pockets as he walks. This book is no exception. It's a simple book, not complex or wordy. In fact, it has short, simple, powerful messages like:

"Appreciation and gratitude are the most important faculties to nurture while still on earth to get our passport into Heaven." (pg. 128)

Here's another example:

"We all share one consciousness, and the demarcation lines are only inside our heads. We are living with an epic illusion and delusion, thinking that there is a Now and After and a Here and Beyond. There is only a constant Now and a persistent Here. Thinking there is an Afterlife is still one of our greatest delusions, even among the stanchest believers in “Life After Death”." (pg. 22)

Throughout the years I've told this to many people: All our beliefs in the afterlife come from someone's firsthand experience. So why do so many people today cling to the cryptic descriptions of heaven and hell from people who are separated from us by thousands of years of time, radical evolution in science and culture, and badly distorted by translations from an ancient language? Why do people viciously defend their religions when they can read (and now see) modern accurate descriptions of the afterlife, undistorted, from someone in their own culture, in their own time, and in their own language? Jurgen Ziewe is much too humble to say it, but I will: his books are just that.

I loved this book. Its short messages are deep and profound and its art is visually stunning. I give it one of my rare 5 star ratings. It's not only "deep" and thought-provoking, it's emotion-provoking.

Bob Peterson
24 September 2024

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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

"Raise Your Vibrations"

by Bob Peterson

Several days ago I was meditating and wished for more encounters with what I call "Angels." These are powerful energy beings I've sometimes encountered in my OBEs, often by accident. I wondered, "How can I encourage more of these experiences?"

The answer came immediately: "Raise your vibrations."

Yeah, my vibrations have been pretty low lately. There's a lot happening in the world to fuel negative emotions and lower our vibrations:

• War is raging between Ukraine and Russia.
• War is raging between Hamas and Israel.
• Prices of food, fuel, rent and everything else seem out of control.
• Mass shootings and killings are in the news daily.
• With the US elections looming, there's a lot of negative campaigning, with people on both sides pointing fingers and saying "Look how bad things are," plus the two big political parties have worst-possible-choice candidates.
  

Let's face it: we're all facing big challenges lately. So how can we raise our vibrations?

In January of 2020 I wrote an article titled Raising Your Vibrations in which I gave several techniques I use to raise my overall vibrations. They were:

• Increase soul pitch
• Listen to positive music
• Love Meditation
• Eliminate negativity, such as negative music and television news
• Eliminate negative self-talk
• Give yourself positive affirmations
  

These are all still great techniques. But greater challenges require greater techniques. It's time to level up! So here are some more ideas:

Spend time in nature

It helps to go out into nature. I love to go biking. I spend my summers in Minnesota, and there are lots of bike trails that take you through deep woods and past lakes. The Paul Bunyan trail, Heartland trail, Cuyuna, and many more. Getting out into nature can really help raise your vibrations.

Hiking

Similarly, I love to go hiking in nature. There's just something "primal" about walking, especially if you can un-focus and clear your mind a bit. Maybe it's a throwback from when our ancestors were hunter/gatherers and did a lot of walking.

Go for a motorcycle ride

When I have the option, I love to ride my motorcycle out in the country. This is especially lovely in autumn when the leaves are turning colors and the air is fresh and crisp. I don't recommend freeways and city driving, which can actually lower your vibrations.

Be Near Water

You can raise your vibrations just by being near water. Visit a lake, a river, a stream, or the ocean. Just close your eyes and become absorbed in its healing vibrations. If you can, sit on a beach. If you can't do that, take a relaxing bath.

Sunshine

Find somewhere peaceful, sit quietly, close your eyes, and just let the sun shine on your face. When sunlight touches your skin, your body converts cholesterol into vitamin D, which can improve your mood.

Hug a Tree

It may seem corny or ridiculous to hug a tree, but it works. Show a tree some love and visualize its love return to you. There's something very grounding in trees.

Pet an animal

Show some love to an animal. It doesn't need to be a dog or cat, and it doesn't need to be your own pet. Pet any dog, horse, ferret, rabbit, or whatever. Most pets give love unconditionally, and most don't judge.

Pick-a-person love meditation

In this meditation, close your eyes and pick a person whom you love. Start with someone close to you, like maybe your wife, husband, or kids, or even just a friend. Visualize them and just send them feelings of love. Imagine hugging them. Imagine raising their vibrations. Then pick someone else, maybe not as close, like a relative, an aunt or uncle, niece or nephew, and do the same. Next, pick someone a little more distant, like a co-worker and do the same. Then do it for a grocery store worker, a hair stylist, etc.. Then try to do the same with multiple people: All your family. Then all your relatives. Then everyone in your life.

Gratitude

A lot of people talk about the power of gratitude. Being grateful can really increase your vibrations. Take some time to think about all the good things in your life and just feel grateful for them. Count your blessings. Then thank the Universe for them.

Help others

One of my greatest joys is helping others. Do something to help others, even if it's just holding the door at a store or restaurant. I've always been a "fixer" so it gives me great joy to help someone solve problems with their computer, television, or phone.

Chakra charge meditation

Sit down, close your eyes and visualize your chakras. Visualize them becoming charged with energy, spinning faster and faster, and interconnected.

Fountain of Joy meditation

Sit down, close your eyes and imagine a fountain of joyful energy shooting up from the ground, through your body, exiting out the crown chakra at the top of the head.

Fireworks meditation

This is similar to the Fountain of Joy meditation, except you pretend there are rockets of energy shooting up your spine, bursting joyfully overhead like fireworks. To quote the Katy Perry song, "Make 'em go Oh, Oh, Oh, as you shoot across the sky."

Full disclosure: I'm not a Katy Perry fan. In fact, I often do this meditation to my all-time favorite song by Yes, called "And You And I" which has music near the end that (to me) evokes images of fireworks shooting off.

Comedy

Sometimes it's very healing to watch a lighthearted comedy. Everyone has different tastes in humor, just like music. I love silly comedies. The sillier the better. Watch "Airplane!" or "Police Squad" or "Top Secret". I also like the really old Marx Brothers movies like "Animal Crackers." One of my favorite comedy series is "Coupling".

You can also listen to youtube videos of various comedians doing standup. My favorite was Gallagher.

Just Breathe

Sit quietly, listen to your own breath. With each breath make believe that you inhale pure divine energy from the Universe and exhale all the negativity in your life.

Energetic Shielding

Sometimes you can "absorb" negativity from other people, such as a spouse or your parents, and not even know it. This is a big problem for empaths, people who naturally absorb the energy and feelings of people nearby. So it can be beneficial to do "energetic shielding". Just close your eyes, relax, and imagine a bright white light surrounding you. Affirm that no negativity can get through.

Conclusions

We are all interconnected. I've heard it said that separateness is an illusion: We are all One. There are no others. When we raise our vibrations, we help raise the consciousness of everyone. Perhaps this is what the world needs right now.

Bob Peterson,
10 September 2024