Review: Astral Projection by Eva Roseheart

Review: Astral Projection

by Eva Roseheart

Today I'm reviewing Astral Projection: The Complete Self-Empowerment Guide & Workbook by Eva Roseheart. The subtitle is: Experience Profound Awakening With Simple Techniques to Let Go of Limiting Beliefs and Awaken Your Higher Consciousness. Whew! That's a mouthful! The copyright is 2022.

The book is 135 pages, with tight margins and smallish font, but there's also a lot of white space. I'd like the book to be bigger, but at least I didn't feel cheated like some of the 48-page so-called "books" I've read.

After reading a bad book, like my previously reviewed book by Holly Jane McConnell, this one seemed refreshing. Still not great, but better. Roseheart's writing was at least normal, unlike McConnell's tedious "passive voice". Roseheart should probably have used a good editor or proofreader to catch a few rookie mistakes, like three or four times she wrote "mediation" instead of "meditation." But at least she knows the difference between "it's" and "its." And she even has chapter numbers and page numbers, unlike some books I've reviewed.

If I had to sum this book up in one sentence, I'd say: It's a classic "Self-Help" book clothed in an astral projection disguise. That is to say, the book focuses more on fixing the person (in this case, potential astral projector) than teaching dynamics, tricks, tips, or techniques of astral projection.

The questions I always ask when I read an astral projection book are:

• Who is this author?
• What is their level of experience?
• What are their credentials?
• What makes them qualified to write about it?
• Do they have book-learning or knowledge based on personal experiences?

On pages 36 and 37, Eva Roseheart gives a personal out-of-body narrative to show you she's had at least one OBE. That's better than McConnell and many other authors. Unfortunately, it's the only OBE narrative in the book, and it's labeled "My astral projection" (singular), so I can only assume her experience is very limited. Still, I appreciated her honesty and candor.

Roseheart gives several astral projection techniques, but nothing really unique or innovative. She describes some obligatory techniques like Robert Bruce's "Rope" (pg. 121), even giving him credit. Also "The Monroe Technique" (pg. crediting Robert Monroe) But instead of quoting the original authors, she apparently used a website called astralprojectionmastery.com, which is now gone or recently hacked as a redirect to some slot gaming site. Maybe it was once owned by L. Jordan whose book "Astral Projection Mastery" I gave 3 stars? At any rate, she echoes the same advice to "visualize" a rope, which is one variant, but the whole idea behind the rope technique is to use tactile imagination, i.e. to use your imaginary sense of touch, not visualization.

She also describes "The Yo-Yo Method" (pg. 122) which I invented for my first book (she doesn't give me credit, but you can read it at this link).

So also gives "The Free Fall Method" (pg. 122-123) which I also invented (I called it "Falling In A Well" which is at the end of my chapter 11.)

She also describes:

• Rotation / Roll-out Technique (Robert Monroe)
• Rocking (which I invented) (See this link)
• Wake Back to Bed (Famous lucid dreaming technique)
• Chakra Spinning technique (ancient yogic technique)
• Target Technique (quoted by many, but invented by Ophiel)
  

I don't want to nit-pick my way through the book, but there are a few things I found in error. Roseheart writes:

"Even though some of the oldest mentions of astral projection date back to at least 3,000 years ago, it was just around the 1970s that it was popularized with the name astral projection by Robert Monroe..." (pg. 11)

It's more like 5,000 years ago, and while Robert Monroe undoubtedly helped popularize the subject, I think he hated the old term "astral projection," which is much older. The term "astral projection" was used by occultists (like Oliver Fox) and Theosophists (like Charles Leadbeater) in the 1800s, long before Monroe was born. Some might argue it was popularized by Sylvan Muldoon in his 1929 breakthrough book The Projection of the Astral Body.

Here's another simple misunderstanding:

"Some people might experience hypnagogia--most known as sleep paralysis." (pg. 42)

Actually, hypnagogia (AKA hypnagogic hallucinations) and sleep paralysis are two very different things. I can easily reach a state of hypnagogia 20 seconds after lying down, but it takes a lot longer for me to reach sleep paralysis.

Lastly,  I found a really bad piece of advice in the book:

"Remember to eat at least an hour before practicing any technique and always choose to wear loose clothing." (pg. 131)

No, no, no. Don't eat an hour before practicing. In fact, astral projection experts agree with the rule "Eat early, eat light." Many say that fasting enhances your ability to induce OBEs, otherwise try to eat nothing after 3 p.m. (15:00) the day before you practice and then practice in the early morning.

Now for some of the good points of the book.

Chapter 6 is "Setting an Intention and Letting Go of Limiting Beliefs." That's actually got some good, useful information. Again, it's more like a "Self-Help Guide" but still, there are entire OBE books centered around this. Rick Stack's book comes to mind. I found her list of suggested affirmations (pages 81-82) especially useful.

The book also stresses how important it is to keep journals; both astral projection journals and dream journals. But she takes it a step further and recommends affirmation journals, and--this is fun--a "One Sentence a Day Journal" (pg. 98). She doesn't go into much detail as to why journaling is so important (See my blog article Why Keeping A Dream Journal Helps OBEs), but she does treat the subject fairly.

She also stresses that it's important to communicate to your "Higher Self" and even includes an exercise on page 106 suggesting you "Write a Letter to Your Higher Self." I agree that it's important. I wrote a whole book (titled Answers Within) about the subject.

Another cool exercise (Roseheart calls them "activities") is to "Write Your Own Prayer" (pg. 109) and she even gives an example.

Her astral projection instructions, however, fall short. I want details! Aside from the exit techniques, she only has a few pointers. It's good stuff. For example, she summarizes "key points of astral traveling" such as (paraphrased from pages 118-119):

• Intention and affirmation: Tune into your intuition, affirm what you want.
• Relaxation - Achieve mind awake/body asleep
• Vibration state - Not everyone has it, but be prepared for it
• Just let go and surrender
• Just stay calm
• Use your exit technique of choice
• Do this in the early mornings, like Wake Back To Bed, or in deep trance
• Try not to move your physical body when you wake up, but go into your technique
  

She goes into more detail than this, but not enough detail to satisfy the more detail-oriented people in the audience (me!)

I give this book 3 and 1/2 stars out of 5. It's not bad, but there are much better. It might be just right for someone who needs to hear her messages of encouragement. I would have preferred:

• A longer book (more information)
• More detailed technique instructions
• Examples and explanations of how things work, the "Whys"
  
• More out-of-body narratives to illustrate her points.
  

Bob Peterson
14 January 2025

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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

 How OBEs Changed My Life - Part 2

by Bob Peterson

Recently a woman named Janice asked a very good question on the Astral Projection - Techniques group on Facebook. She asked:

"How has Astral Projection changed your life?"

That's an important question, and a very deep one. In fact, it's so deep that I dedicated chapter 17 of my second book, Lessons Out of the Body, to the topic. The chapter is titled "The OBE Outlook on Life" which is how I got the name for my blog.

Thanks to Janice, I decided to release the entire chapter as a series of 2 articles in this blog. This is part 2. Click HERE for part 1.

How OBEs Changed My Life - Part 1

by Bob Peterson

Recently a woman named Janice asked a very good question on the Astral Projection - Techniques group on Facebook. She asked:

"How has Astral Projection changed your life?"

That's an important question, and a very deep one. In fact, it's so deep that I dedicated chapter 17 of my second book, Lessons Out of the Body, to the topic. The chapter is titled "The OBE Outlook on Life" which is how I got the name for my blog.

Thanks to Janice, I decided to release the entire chapter as a series of 2 articles in this blog. This is part 1.

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.