Review: Wake Up Church!

Review: Wake Up Church!

by Marilyn Schrock

Today I'm reviewing Wake Up Church! The Enemy Is Within Your Gates: Astral Projection and the Church by Marilyn Schrock.

A Facebook friend told me about this book; I was previously unaware of its existence. Naturally, I had to buy it for my collection. It's a small book in physical size,and only 70 pages long.

Make no mistake: This book teaches that Astral Projection is evil, evil, evil. But since I always try to keep an open mind, I'm willing to examine the evidence. If astral projection is evil, I want to know exactly why, and I want substance to back it up. I've had many conversations with many Christians over the years and none have managed to convince me.

Nearly two years ago, in April, 2014, I wrote an article on my blog titled Are OBEs Against Christianity? In one word: No. I ended the article with these words:

"...don't tell me OBE is evil or against the Bible unless you have specific biblical passages to back it up....If you do, send them to me, because I'd love to know: bob@robertpeterson.org"

So when I heard about this book, I thought, "Okay, Marilyn Schrock, you say Astral Projection is evil, so bring it on. Convince me. Let's see what evidence you use to support your claims."

Does Schrock have any biblical passages to back up her claims? No. Not one. Sure, she presents plenty of biblical passages from the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible, but none of them talk about astral projection. Not even close. With a genuine desire to learn, every time I read a reference from the Bible, I brought out my handy dandy KJV Bible and looked it up (I always carry several versions of the Bible with me at all times: It's an app on my phone). Every single Bible passage she referenced: not one shred of evidence points to OBEs being evil. So let's get into the thick of it, shall we?

In chapter 1, What Is Astral Projection, Schrock writes:

"The astral projector goes illegally into the spirit world." (pg. 3)

And yet she does not cite which law is being broken, nor any Biblical passage to back up her claim. She writes:

"Some astral projectors claim they only do "white" or good projection while other astral projectors do "black" or evil projection." (pg. 5)

I've read almost 200 books on astral projection, and I've not seen that claim once, nor have I heard such a thing in any of the 36 years of conversations I've had on the topic with people, including many famous astral projectors like William Buhlman, Albert Taylor, and Kurt Leland. She claims:

"Astral projection is a very real and serious enemy of the church. Isaiah 59:19 promises us, 'When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.'" (pg. 7)

But she doesn't say what makes it a threat, and again, no passages from the Bible to support her claim. While Isaiah 59:19 is cited, the actual passage has nothing to do with astral projection. She claims:

"Those with unholy soul ties, pawns of projectors and astral projectors have their real voices overridden and shut down by the demonic. Their "yea" is not a yea and their "nay" is not a nay (James 5:12, KJV). James also tells us a double-minded man will receive nothing from the Lord (James 1:7-8)" (pg. 17)

But Neither James 5:12 nor James 1:7-8 says anything about astral projection. She claims:

"Astral projection is a high form of witchcraft. It is strictly forbidden by Scripture and is rebellion and lawlessness (1 Sam 15:23)." (pg. 21)

But that passage at 1 Samuel 15:23 says:

 "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hast also rejected thee from being king." (1 Sam 15:23)

I also read several passages before and after this quote, and it says absolutely nothing about astral projection or out-of-body experiences. Her claims about astral projection being a high form of witchcraft are completely unfounded and unsubstantiated. I've never practiced witchcraft a day in my life, and the Bible never calls it out as witchcraft. She claims:

"The Harry Potter book and movie series are primers on witchcraft. These books and movies have astral projection throughout them. Yet, these books are touted as good children's literature--to deceive even the elect (Matt. 24:24.) One intercessor and leader said, "With Harry Potter, now astral projection is out of the closet." (pg. 27)

Really? I haven't read all the Harry Potter books, but I have seen all the movies and I don't recall astral projection in a single one of them. Even if there was, it's fiction: it proves nothing. She says:

"In reality, it costs a high price. You can lose your soul and hell awaits." (pg. 27)

Again, there's no passage in the Bible to back up this ridiculous claim. She claims:

"All astral projection is a form of witchcraft. Witchcraft is from the pit of hell and the devil. There is no gray area." (pg. 31)

Again, she gives no passage in the Bible to back up this claim.

In chapter 10, ("Astral Projection Provides the Cover to Commit The 'Perfect Crime') she talks about a Jamaican pastor who supposedly gave her a lot of "information" about astral projection. He taught her:

"The astral projector has to pay money to their demons to keep their powers. The demon requires a specific amount and it must be paid on time! The astral projector has to lay the cash in a specific place in their home for the demon to come and pick it up at a set time. This is essential or the demon attacks the astral projector. This is why astral projectors always say they are broke no matter how much money they earn. They can't keep it." (pg. 38)

Wow. That's quite a claim. Again, in almost 200 books and countless conversations, I've never heard of such a payment. I've certainly never laid out cash for a demon, and I've never been attacked as she describes. I've certainly never been broke either; I've always had a good job in the computer industry and never had money problems since college. I've never once said I was broke. Maybe they run things differently in Jamaica? Her claims get even more absurd. The same Jamaican pastor taught that:

"The astral projector must kill a family member with astral projection to gain power. (There is a similar requirement to becoming a witch doctor in Ghana, West Africa...)" (pg. 38)

She also claims:

"Pastor told us that astral projectors can turn themselves into animals, frogs, lizards, etc., to gain access and open doorways into others' life and property." (pg. 39)

Although there are occasional reports of astral shape-shifting, it's not a matter of gaining access to anything, since in the out-of-body state, you could just stroll right into people's private lives regardless. Unless she means physically, right? If so, I've never heard such a ridiculous claim.

In chapter 11 ("Come Out From Among Them") she tries to claim that astral projectors have relationship problems, and that it even leads to abuse. She says, for example:

"Anyone who has been married to an astral projector knows that to leave will bring on reprisal and retaliation. There is a fierce battle that goes on and they have great fear." (pg. 41)

Again, this is a ridiculous claim. I've never come across a single correlation between astral projection and abuse. I've certainly never abused my wife, nor she me, but more about my marriage later.

In chapter 13 ("How to Overcome Astral Projector Attackers") she claims:

"Astral projection qualifies as a work of the devil! It is evil!" (pg. 53)

Again, no Bible passages are given to substantiate her outrageous claims. In nearby passages, she quotes Luke 10:17-19 but those passages say absolutely nothing about astral projection.

In chapter 14 ("How to Set Captives Free From Astral Projection") she writes:

"Astral projectors are deceived because astral-projecting demons have held captive, kidnapped, bound up, and tied together the projector's soul and spirit into one unit and project out both together." (pg. 59)

Like her other claims, this is given as a statement of fact with nothing behind it. As a matter of fact, most astral projectors claim a separation between the astral body, etheric body, and other bodies. Nothing "bound up" about it! She claims:

"Astral projection is the UTMOST rebellion against the Lord and against His creation because it is against the image of God in man. Astral projectors deceive others, but they are the ones who are most deceived. They came into agreement with astral projection, but they did not bargain for their soul and spirit to be kidnapped and held captive." (pg. 60).

Again, this blanket statement is completely unsubstantiated, without a single citation from the Bible. On the next page, she states:

"Although astral projectors can use Christian gifts because the gifts and callings are without repentance (Rom. 11:29, KJV), they walk as divided people and are split into more than one personality." (pg. 61)

I don't know of a single study that suggests any correlation between astral projection and DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) also known as MPD (Multiple Personality Disorder). If such a correlation existed, it would surely have been cited in the excellent book With The Eyes of the Mind by professional psychiatrists Glenn Gabbard and Stuart Twemlow, which is pretty much dedicated to scientifically comparing out-of-body experiences to personality disorders (none of which have a correlation, by the way).

On page 61, Schrock also makes this ridiculous claim:

"A bound, held-captive projector cannot share their soul or spirit with their spouse or family. Their relationships are shallow and unfulfilling due to a lack of intimacy because of their soul and spirit have been kidnapped by demons." (pg. 61)

False. My wife Kathy and I have happily been married since 1992. In May, 2016, it will be 24 years, and we're still best friends. We never fight and we cuddle every day. For ten years we commuted to the same job (a computer programming department of two), shared the same office, and pretty much spent 23 hours a day together (the 24th hour was a half-hour for each of us to shower). Does this photo from 2009 look like an abusive or unhappy marriage to you?

How about this one from February, 2016?

Well-known OBE author Jurgen Ziewe has been happily married longer than I have. I'm pretty sure William Buhlman's marriage has been a long one too.

The bottom line is: If there was anything in the Bible condemning astral projection or out-of-body experience--or even casting it in a negative light--Schrock would have cited it. Since she didn't, I can only assume that either she doesn't know the Bible very well, or there's nothing in there to reflect negatively on it. I've certainly never found anything, and I've studied the Bible a lot.

With lack of substantial evidence, she's forced to use the only weapon she has: Unsubstantiated claims, which she makes plenty of.

Where did she get the disinformation she's spreading? Certainly not through direct experience, which is where I get most of my information on OBEs. Certainly not from the Bible, or she would have cited it. As far as I can tell, it comes from other similarly brainwashed Christians. She cites a few other authors like Rebecca Brown's book "Prepare for War" and personal conversations with other pastors and "intercessors" as she likes to call them.

As far as I can tell, the sole purpose of this book is to spread FUD, an acronym we use in the computer industry that stands for Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt, which is how some companies try to discredit their competition with negativity. Don't fall for it. In the New Testament of the Bible it says:

"¹⁵ Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. ¹⁶ Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?" (Matthew 7:15-16)

Now ask yourself: What are the fruits of astral projectors? I've never met one person who tried to use it for harm. Most of us use it to explore the afterlife, to become closer to God, to seek the truth, or to deepen their spiritual understanding. Those are the "fruits" of astral projection.

Make no mistake: the only reason radical Christians view OBEs as evil is because it poses a threat: they want a monopoly on spirituality. They know that if you learn how to see the afterlife for yourself--to get your own truth--you won't need them or their ministries. So they put up a wall of fear and disinformation.

The difference between us is this: I will never tell you what to believe; I'll tell you to find the truth for yourself, and try to provide the tools with which you can do so. They'll tell you what to believe.

By the way, not all Christians believe OBEs are evil. There are some very Christian-oriented OBE organizations. One that comes to mind is the Out of Body Travel Foundation founded by Marilynn Hughes, author of many OBE books.

Some people (myself included) have claimed to have used OBEs to contact Jesus Christ himself. For more information, read this article: http://obeoutlook.blogspot.com/2015/12/meeting-jesus-christ-face-to-face.html

This book gets a HUGE thumbs down for disinformation, unsubstantiated claims, and spreading FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt). It's hard to imagine sane people can even think that way. And again, I reiterate: If you think OBEs or astral projection are somehow evil or against Christianity, and you have solid evidence to back up that claim, by all means let me know. Until then, I will view OBEs are the very best tool we have for spiritual growth.

Bob Peterson
22 March 2016

Review: Between the Gates by Mark Stavish

Review: Between the Gates

by Mark Stavish

Today I'm reviewing Between the Gates: Lucid Dreaming, Astral Projection, and the Body of Light in Western Esotericism by Mark Stavish. It's a big book, so it's a long book review (sorry!).

There are many approaches to out-of-body experiences, but very few come from the perspective of Western Esotericism in the truest sense. I can only think of one other offhand: Francis King's Techniques of High Magic. That's not counting some better-known "little-explanation" occultists like Ophiel (Marcel Louis Forhan).

In a different book review I mentioned that Jill Lowy's Yoga and the Art of Astral Projection tries to bridge the gap between modern OBE literature and Western Esotericism. Mark Stavish's book is no bridge: it's way deeper into it than Lowy was. What is Esotericism? As Stavish explains it:

"...the study of the cosmos and humanity's place in it, and occultism is the practical application of esoteric philosophy." (pg. 16)

Many people are afraid of anything labeled "occult" or think it's associated with evil, the Devil, or dark magic. Nothing could be farther from the truth. There is nothing Satanic or dark about this book. It's just an OBE recipe book based on age-old traditions from a grab-bag of esoteric sources.

Most "new age" approaches to the OBE are based on Eastern mysticism: Yoga-based meditation, energizing chakras, breath-work (Pranayama), Energy/Chi/Qi circulation, visualizations, and so forth. This book is based more on Western mysticism: Kabballah, and Christian mysticism, and with it, more ritual-based meditation. There is some overlap, but also some surprising differences.

Stavish won my heart right away with stellar quotes. This quote is long, but it's so good I want to share the whole thing:

"Once someone has genuinely encountered the spiritual dimensions of life, the physical one takes on greater vibrancy and, at the same time, less importance. A balance is struck between the importance of experience and the ultimate experience of Being."

"This balance can only be achieved on a personal level. Spirituality is a personal journey of Becoming, and requires commitment and dedication--and a good dose of courage. The methods described in this book have survived under the heels of repressive religious and political institutions for well over a thousand years. In this century alone, National Socialism and communism (Soviet as well as Maoist style) have done more to endanger the spiritual health of the world than Roman Catholic inquisitors or Protestant witch hunters ever did. Even now we are faced with the ultimate fruit of religious teachings that strip the individual of the responsibility of creating a meaningful personal, progressive, interior experience for themselves. Fundamentalism in various forms seeks to turn back the clock in nations around the world. Some of them want a return to the sixth century, and advance their goal through ruthless violence, others through more subtle tact of school boards and soup-kitchen proselytizing. Lesser cults confine themselves to simply buying entire towns in the northwest United States or building bunkers for the end of days. In the end it will not be politics or force of arms that wins the day, but the individual who is unafraid of death, not because of unquestioned teachings, but from direct experience." (pg. xiii)

Here's another quote I really liked, which reminded me of Tom Campbell's "My Big Toe" (which is still on my "must read" pile):

"We could say, simplistically, that Creation is a giant hologram over which we have far more influence than is generally understood or believed. Through proper training, each human being has the potential to be an active creator within this holographic structure (even to the degree that their very thoughts can materialize), thereby increasing their physical, emotional, and mental wholeness." (pg. 44)

I admittedly got into this book with unrealistic expectations. I expected to find deep dark "occult" rituals that were not well explained and had no basis in reality. I expected pentagrams, secret signs, and obscure rituals that had been passed down for hundreds of years from the Rosicrucians, the Golden Dawn and various secret societies, without any basis in modern critical thinking. I was wrong. I expected the obscure and hard-to-understand, but Stavish brings a difficult subject down to Earth beautifully.

Stavish does an amazing job of providing modern explanations of occult principles for people who never studied Western Esotericism. For example, on page 10, he explains the "Guardian of the Threshold" as:

"...the collective energies of our subconscious, the summation of our past experiences in this life and all others, in a single form. This form is our creation and is our personal "devil." It is our judge and jury and also the means by which we understand the purpose of our life. It is this internal, emotional incongruity that is the source of all failure in occult practices and in material circumstances."

"Confidence or an overwhelming positive certitude is required for occult practice to succeed. If we are mentally positive, but emotionally conflicted, then we will fail. Emotions win over ideas every time." (pg. 11)

He explains that there are three main branches of Western Esotericism: Alchemy, Qabala (another way to spell Kabballah), and Astrology, although astrology isn't used for OBEs.

He also explains that there are three types of practioners: the Mystic (or Shaman), the Sage (Priest, Priestess, or Prophet), and the Magus (Magician or Occultist).

He refers to three levels of self: a "Higher Self," a "Middle Self" and a "Lower Self". The Middle Self is the ego we're most familiar with. The Higher Self is the divine self, the God-connected self, or what some call the Holy Guardian Angel. The Lower Self is the animal self that deals with fulfilling worldly needs: breathing, material instincts, and hereditary issues.

He explains the basics of the Kabbalah (ancient Jewish mysticism) and its "tree of life," a diagram used as a kind of map to traverse the non-physical worlds. With this model, according to Stavish, there are:

"...four worlds and ten levels of consciousness, for a total of forty potential specific areas of consciousness, in which to experience a greater degree of complexity and unity of life." (pg. 29)

He explains the various traditions of Western esotericism and how many of them go back to the teachings of Hermes Trismegistus; also known as Hermeticism. He talks a lot about organizations like the Golden Dawn and the Rosicrucians, and even Theosophy. He explains how all this relates to OBEs. But you've got to be into the esoteric to really appreciate it.

He spends a fair amount of time teaching you the Kabbalistic names for the different worlds, the names of God in the Jewish tradition, and the importance of words and names: How they act as a lever for the subconscious.

Many readers are trying to achieve astral projection, and different people need different methods. Some people can achieve focus through meditation or self-hypnosis, while others require rigorous training of the subconscious. That's where "ritual" comes in. Rituals are the mainstay of the occultist. Performing a ritual tells your subconscious "Now I mean business" and demands its attention and cooperation. (That's also why religions are big into rituals.) In my opinion, most of the rituals are geared toward personal empowerment: convincing yourself (more importantly, your subconscious) that you have the power and fortitude to achieve OBE, and that you should accomplish it; that it's your God-given right.
These rituals are not to be undertaken lightly. Stavish explains that you need to be careful about it, to approach it with reverence (again, aimed at the subconscious), and lots of time and dedication. You can't do a ritual once or twice and expect to leave your body. This isn't a 30-day or 90-day program. This is a long dawn-out process that may take years. To give you an idea: In just one of the exercises, he writes:

"It is desirable to spend at least seven cycles (nights) with each planetary symbol, or between six and seven weeks total, working with them as you fall asleep. Added to the previous four or five weeks working with the Elements, this makes nearly three months of nightly work." (pg. 68)

Stavish gives a lot of rituals (one or more for every chapter), but he doesn't just throw them out there like some books. He explains the theory behind the rituals in modern terms. Every ritual is carefully organized into sections:  Preparation, Explanation, Type of Practice, Method, and Incorporation into Daily Practice.

I'd estimate that about a third of the book is devoted to rituals. The rituals aren't all designed to induce OBEs, but he does include several for that purpose. Many of them are just "groundwork," or the basics. His OBE-specific rituals are:

1. Exteriorization Within the Aura
2. Using a Pentagram, Aleph, or Shin
3. Using a Tarot Card
4. The "Rising on the Planes" technique, of which he states:

"Rising on the Planes constitutes, in many ways, the single most important technique there is in operative magic." (pg. 114)

Many of these rituals involve a concept of the "Body of Light". This is sort of unique to this path and isn't found in many other OBE books. A lot of the rituals are dedicated to "building" or "constructing" a Body of Light to be used as a vehicle for consciousness. Also known as a "simulacrum," this Body of Light can be influenced by outside forces, and can even start to take on a personality of its own. Stavish cautions the reader to keep firm control over the simulacrum, making sure to absorb it back into your body at the end of every ritual. But it is not the same as the astral body. He quotes a book by Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki:

"...Some think that it is the same as the astral body, but it is in fact quite different. The astral is an etheric form common to everyone, a Magical Personality is acquired through practice and concentration. The Body of Light is deliberately built for a purpose, another term for it is "cowan." It is not easily formed, some people never manage it, or at least not fully, and once it is formed it can be troublesome, and requires firm handling." (pg. 139)

He goes on to say:

"Ashcroft-Nowicki further states that the Body of Light can acquire a kind of self-consciousness after a period of development." (pg. 139)

There's also a notion that the Body of Light should be built and prepared as a vehicle of consciousness for the next life, the life after death. He states:

"Once freed from the material body, the consciousness of the Middle Self (Ruash) is destabilized as it enters a new environment, unless there has been significant training in meditation, lucid dreaming, astral projection, creating the Body of Light, or practices around death and dying prior to one's death." (pg. 191)

He actually has a fair amount of material devoted to the subject of death, how to prepare for it, and how to help others with their transition. I personally don't agree with much of this discussion; I believe that some form of consciousness and personality survives death, even if you don't spend time building a Body of Light. That's just based on the fact that I've had countless OBEs despite having never performed the rituals, nor tried to consciously build a Body of Light.

Stavish also spends a fair amount of time talking about the infamous occult figure Aleister Crowley (who called himself the Beast of the apocalypse from Revelations), and his views on astral projection, which I found fascinating. He made Crowley sound almost like an ordinary guy who was just trying to share "secret" occult methods with the world; kind of the Edward Snowden of occultism.

Unfortunately, Stavish does not give any OBE narratives or personal experiences, so all this discussion and all these rituals became--for me--just theories and conjecture.

Although this was a fascinating and educational look into the world of Western Esotericism and how it relates to OBEs, I tend to think it's a bit too complex for the typical OBE reader who just wants a taste.

This is a good sized book: The pages are large, the print and margins are comfortable, and it's 243 pages, so it takes a while to read. Due to the subject matter, it takes a while longer to digest. It is professionally and expertly written. There were almost no mistakes, typos or grammar problems. It's also expertly organized. Every chapter also includes a summation of "Key Points" which are very helpful.

I give this book a thumbs up, but only for a limited target audience. If you're into rituals, the occult, and Western Esotericism, this book is for you. If you're not into regimented rituals, look elsewhere. If you're a dabbler, just curious, or just want some basic information on OBEs, this is the wrong book for you.

Bob Peterson
08 March 2016

Review: Astral Projection by Daniel Kai

Review: Astral Projection

by Daniel Kai

Today I'm reviewing the book Astral Projection: Interdimensional Guide for Out of Body Experiences by Daniel Kai.

The first thing I noticed about this book is the cover: It's almost identical to the cover of Kensho's book Out of Body Experiences. Same woman, different background. See for yourself:

This is another small book. It's just 42 pages long. The font is decent and the margins are small, but there's just not a lot of content. Still, it's a lot bigger (and a lot better) than Michele Gilbert's book which I reviewed last time. And unlike Gilbert's book, it has some very interesting things to say.

Kai starts out talking about the difference between astral projection, regular dreaming, lucid dreaming, and remote viewing. Throughout the text, he uses the terms "astral projection" and "out of body experience" interchangeably (as I do). The only thing I found odd and contradictory about this discussion is what he says about remote viewing. He says:

"Remote viewing is one form of astral projection; it is the phenomenon whereby an individual can become aware of information at another location..." (pg. 10)

But then he says:

"...but almost universally it is accepted that it does not involve projecting your consciousness outside of your body and to another location...the consciousness stays put in the physical body." (pg. 11)

Chapter 2 is titled "Is Astral Projection Safe?" In one word: Yes. It is a legitimate concern, but: yes.

Chapter 3 is "A Very Brief History of Out of Body Experiences". Like Gilbert, this discussion is small and lacking, but he does a better job than Gilbert. He does talk about Incubi and Succubi (male and female sexual demons traditionally seen in bouts of sleep paralysis). In my opinion (only) they are, in almost all cases, manifestations of subconscious fears, but it's always best to be very cautious with the "astral wildlife," as Robert Bruce likes to call it.

Chapter 4 is "A Closer Look at Sleep Paralysis". This is where the book gets interesting. It becomes more and more clear that Daniel Kai approaches the out-of-body experience mainly from awareness during sleep paralysis ("ASP"). That's his main thing. So let's talk about ASP.

Kai writes as if sleep paralysis will free you from your body and from there, you're simply free to roam. In my experience, it's not that easy. I've had countless bouts of ASP, and although I'm technically in an OBE state, I'm usually glued tightly to the physical body, and unable to move, either astrally or physically. This is a serious problem Kai fails to mention. For me it was extremely frustrating, because I could induce "normal" OBEs directly from a waking state, with full mobility, but with ASP, I was stuck to my physical body and completely unable to move. Until, after twenty years of experimentation, I finally discovered the secret of how to get my astral body unstuck and turn ASP into OBE. It's all documented in this short article I wrote in 2002: What Everyone Should Know About Sleep Paralysis, ASP and OBEs. You basically need to close your (astral) eyes and push your awareness forward as hard as possible, using your imagination to propel yourself blindly forward. Even though you can't see, blatantly ignore if your senses tell you you're still stuck to your body. Keep pushing forward and know in your heart that your astral body is moving, and keep your eyes shut. Once you're safely 15 feet (5 meters) away from your body (what Muldoon would say is out of "cord activity range") you can open your eyes and you're free to roam.

Now that you know the secret, here's where Daniel Kai's book shines.

In chapter 6, ("The Author's Perspective") he reveals a first pivotal clue. He states:

"More often than not, I noticed that my sleep paralysis episodes happened at times when I had been very busy at work, so I was quite sleep deprived." (pg. 27)

Chapter 7 is "How to Induce Your Own Out of Body Experiences." He lists three methods to induce an OBE: (1) The "day nap" method, (2) The "electric blanket" method, and oddly enough, (3) Magic mushrooms.

Let's eliminate magic mushrooms (psilocybin) right away. It's a powerful psychoactive hallucinogen, not to mention it's illegal. I think Kai just threw it out there just so he could list a third method. If you're interested in "magic mushrooms" aka psilocybin, watch the excellent documentary titled A New Understanding: The Science of Psilocybin. For the record: I've never tried psilocybin, but I wouldn't mind doing it with qualified medical and/or scientific supervision. DO NOT even think about using this drug without expert doctor's supervision.

The other two methods ("day nap" and "electric blanket") are just variations to induce awareness during sleep paralysis. With "day nap" you basically take a nap during the day, in a somewhat uncomfortable position, like sleeping at your desk. With "electric blanket" you use an electric blanket to make yourself slightly uncomfortably warm.


Kai has some good ideas of how to induce ASP. Among them:

• Deprive yourself of sleep. Sleep 6 hours or less for several nights. Thinking about it, yeah, I'd often have ASP when I was sleep deprived. Hmm. Maybe that's why the WBTB (Wake Back To Bed) method is so effective: interrupting sleep has almost the same effect.
• Sleep in a slightly uncomfortable bed (or desk chair, etc.) so you don't sleep too deeply. Well, I've never given this much thought, but it makes sense. You don't want your awareness to get buried too deep. I have had a lot of OBEs when I'm away from home: hotel rooms, friends' houses; lots of place where the bed is slightly uncomfortable compared to the one I'm used to.
• Take a nap in the middle of the day. This makes good sense too. You don't want to practice OBEs at night when you're tired. I prefer mid-morning or afternoon.
• Use an alarm clock to make sure you don't sleep too long. I'm not sure I agree with this, but okay.

This book is honest, comfortable and unpretentious. Unlike many authors, he openly admits:

"By no means do I claim to be an expert or master of the out of body experience. In fact, frequently the out of body experience mastered me." (pg. 28)

Unfortunately, there wasn't much more to the book. I would like it to have been much longer, with some detailed OBE narratives.

The writing, grammar and spelling are all professional. Oddly, the pages are not numbered, despite having a detailed table of contents that gives page numbers. Go figure.

I give this book a thumbs up. On the negative side, it's small and there's not much information. It's not a Robert Bruce tome. There aren't really any OBE narratives, other than just a taste. On the positive side, it has some unique ideas not found in other OBE books. This wasn't just a rehash of old ideas. It caused a few lightbulbs to turn on over my head.

Bob Peterson

23 February 2016

Video: Bob Peterson's OBE Technique

Video: Bob Peterson's OBE Technique

by Bob Peterson

09 Feb 2016

Many times throughout the years, I've been tempted to make an OBE instructional video. I was going to do it more than a year ago. I even dug out some of my favorite photos and created a presentation describing my favorite OBE technique, but then I just got too busy and let myself get distracted. Until now.

This weekend I ran across my presentation and had some free time, so I decided to get out my GoPro and record this 13-minute video to explain my OBE technique. This is basically the same technique given in chapter 24 of my first book, Out of Body Experiences: How to Have Them and What to Expect.

First, a few disclaimers:

• It's not professional quality and I'm not a polished speaker.
• There are a thousand OBE techniques; this is just the one I prefer.
• These are just the basics; there are thousands of "best practices" and pitfalls to avoid. I could literally talk for hours about different tips, techniques and things to try. These are just the very basics.

Watch the video here:

Enjoy the video, and I hope to see you on the astral plane.

If you want to get a better look at the slides used in the video, here they are:

  

Web: http://www.robertpeterson.org

Email: bob@robertpeterson.org

 

Review: Astral Projection: The Amazing Secret of Astral Projection

Review: Astral Projection:

The Amazing Secret of Astral Projection

by Michele Gilbert

Today I'm reviewing the book Astral Projection by Michele Gilbert.

This is a very short book: I counted only 15 double-sided pages, but most of them were not helpful: title page, dedication, table of contents, about the author, and so forth. Needless to say, there's not much content.

The pages are a decent size, but the font is so tiny I could barely read it. The pages aren't numbered, which makes it hard to reference.

The book was obviously converted to a book from a web page, because it says things like, "You are just one click away! Follow the link below and sign up to start receiving awesome content".

The chapter titled "The History of Astral Projection" briefly talks about the ancient Egyptians, the Bible and the Koran in passing, but really says nothing about the modern history: Sylvan Muldoon, Oliver Fox, Robert Monroe, or any of the research that's been done. It's just basically says it has a long rich history, but doesn't give any concrete details.

Gilbert talks about two main ways of achieving astral projection: Through lucid dreaming and through meditation.

The chapter on lucid dreaming is pretty useless. The author spends more time saying "You're going to learn about this" than actually teaching anything, and what she's teaching is dubious at best. For example, she writes:

"By lucid dreaming, you're accessing the astral plane and you're capable of finding some very real and some very tangible answers that you may have questions to. By travelling out onto the astral plane, you're going to find a lot of strange things that are going to be described later on to you, but just take my word for it right now. You're going to find it weird. But, I want to start out with the beginning, because that's where everything should start out."

...But she never does. She really says nothing about what to expect; she doesn't even talk about the vibrations, or pre-OBE phenomena such as hypnagogic imagery. She doesn't talk about spirits, or about anything really.

Her instructions on how to induce lucid dreams is nonsense at best:

"Fall asleep and dream. When you finally hit a moment where you're dreaming, there's a part of your mind that knows you're dreaming. While your subconscious is running amok and you're reacting to everything around you, your mind and your awareness is still turned on. You have to be able to hone in on this awareness. You might find that you already do this on occasion. All you have to do is be aware that you're dreaming. Rather than running through the door or walking around the room where no one has pants on, stop and just take everything in."

Really? These aren't instructions; if I was already aware I was dreaming, the dream would already be a lucid dream by definition. She doesn't say anything more than to "hone in" on the awareness.

The chapter on "The Meditation Route" is almost as bad. She doesn't even tell you to quiet your mind. She doesn't suggest any specific visualizations. She only gives four tips: (1) Seek out someone who has done astral projection and ask for their help, (2) Look into the power of crystals, (3) Look into chakra work, and (4) Test yourself. Gilbert doesn't go into details on any of these things.

There are no concrete OBE techniques. There are no OBE narratives. There's just...nothing.

The writing was very unprofessional: full of grammar, spelling and punctuation errors. The sentences are often painfully wordy, and use passive voice; the hallmarks of a bad writer. Perhaps the best example of this is:

"At first, you might find out that you're going to be creating the world that you're experiencing as you're projecting. So the best way for you to see if you're really projecting is to test yourself with studying things around your house when you're just starting out."

In her "Conclusion" chapter, she thanks you multiple times for downloading her book. Later, she tells you all about her upcoming book on Wicca. Next, she gives you a list of other "books" she's written and invites you to "click" the links below. And to leave positive feedback on amazon.com.

The last page has "Additional Recommended Reading" which contains a list of five books: Erin Pavlina's book, The Astral Projection Guidebook, and William Buhlman's book Adventures Beyond the Body, and three others that have absolutely nothing to do with astral projection: One on angels, one on astrology, and one on palmistry. Really? Is that all the research she could do?

Finally, there's "About Michele". It actually says:

"...she enrolled at Brooklyn College and majored in English."

Really? Really? Gilbert obviously makes money by mass-producing books by doing minimal research, throwing together poorly written draft documents, then throwing them onto amazon.com for money.

The only good thing I can say about this book is that the cover is beautiful.

Thumbs down. Don't waste your money on this book. They can't all be good, folks.


Bob Peterson
02 February 2016

Review: Astral Projection by Oliver Fox

Review: Astral Projection

by Oliver Fox

Every now and then I like to go back and re-read the classics in out-of-body experience (OBE) literature. This is one. This is probably the second or third book I ever read on Astral Projection, so I didn't remember anything about it.

It's unclear to me exactly when the book was written. The earliest copyright date in my copy is 1962, but Fox's earliest written articles about his OBEs appeared in Occult Review in 1920 and his OBEs were from around 1902, which predates even Sylvan Muldoon's OBEs. Some might argue Muldoon was the first, but while Muldoon's book may have preceded Fox's, I think Fox's articles in Occult Review preceded Muldoon's classic 1929 book The Projection of the Astral Body.

Back then, OBEs were considered so far beyond the norm that authors often hid their identity lest they be ostracized. OBEs were considered so rare that only a handful of people in the world had ever written about them: two Frenchmen named Charles Lancelin and Marcel Louis Forhan (who wrote under the pen name "Yram") and "Oliver Fox", whose real name was Hugh George Calloway. Fox/Calloway was really the first guy to write about it in a somewhat scientific fashion. In other words, Fox didn't try to make it out to be some kind of esoteric occult super-power. Like Muldoon, Monroe, Buhlman, and other good OBE reporters, Fox just reported what he had experienced, and advanced theories about it. Although he studied Theosophy, the book doesn't really digress into occult beliefs. In fact, near the end of the book he says:

"So hard it is to kill the sceptic in me, nor do I want to altogether; for scepticism is very useful as an aid to preserving mental equlibrium." (pg. 157) [The British spellings are his, not mine.]

The first thing that struck me about this book is something I don't recall reading in any other OBE book: a nightmare from Fox's childhood that is eerily similar to one from my childhood. Here is Fox's description:

"I dreamed that my grandfather and I were sitting at the supper-table. Suddenly he took a threepenny-bit [coin] from his pocket and held it between his finger and thumb across the table for me to see. 'A little threepenny-bit!' he exclaimed, 'but it will grow and grow and grow and nothing can ever stop it!' His voice grew steadily louder until it ended in a scream: 'It will grow and grow and grow until it cuts the world in two!' Now, in my dream, though the threepenny-bit did not increase in size, something in me seemed linked with an invisible coin and was being stretched as it grew larger and larger in obedience to my grandfather's horrible monologue. There was the same awful sense of inevitability and helplessness, ending in panic. I echoed his scream, and that broke the nightmare." (pgs 16-17)

Compare that to my own childhood nightmare:

"When I got sick, I only remember a strange sensation that used to terrify me: When I drifted off to sleep, I had a terrifying "nightmare." I would "dream" that I held a tiny grain of salt in the palm of my hand. Then my consciousness would shrink to a terrifyingly small size until the grain of salt looked like a skyscraper. Terrified of being crushed by the salt, I would wake up screaming." (Out of Body Experiences, Peterson, pg. 10)

One of the earliest OBE pioneers, Fox discovered three different methods to induce out-of-body experiences:

1. A "Dream of Knowledge" (What we now call a Lucid Dream)
2. The Pineal Doorway, and
3. The "Instantaneous Projection" Method

Although most of the book is centered on Fox's OBE narratives, he does give several pieces of advice for inducing OBEs (although not as much as some books, for example Jonas Ridgeway's Exploring Your Inner Reality which I previously reviewed.) The book is very similar to Robert Monroe's first book, Journeys Out of the Body in that respect.

Fox's advice for lucid dreaming ("dreams of knowledge") is basically this:

"Before going to sleep I must impress upon my mind the desirability of not allowing the critical faculty to slumber; it must be kept awake, ready to pounce on any inconsistency in the dream and recognize it as such. It sounds simple; but in practice I found it one of the most difficult things imaginable." (pg. 34)

As for the Pineal Doorway method: he basically just vividly imagined his entire awareness is concentrated in the pineal gland. [The pineal gland is a tiny gland in the center of the brain, which produces melatonin, a brain drug related to sleep. It is the size of a pea, and shaped like a pine cone.] He found that if he did that long enough, his entire awareness would suddenly whoosh up and seemingly go through some kind of doorway, after which he had incredible clarity of consciousness. But this method came at a cost:

"Until one has become accustomed to it, the actual process of passing through the 'Door' in the pineal gland produces an effect of extreme mental confusion and a terrible fear. Indeed, one feels that one is heading straight for death or insanity." (pg. 87)

Eventually, this method stopped working, though he tried many times over the course of ten years. Some people in OBE circles talk about the pineal gland and its supposedly magical properties. There are even products designed to "decalcify" the pineal gland [calcium buildup in the pineal gland over time is well known in the medical world, but I don't I buy into these; don't waste your money]. Fox doesn't let occult beliefs cloud his discussion:

"The reader is warned not to take my statements on the pineal gland too literally; indeed, if it please him, he is welcome to look upon the Pineal Door as purely imaginary; but, at least, this conception forms a very useful aid to a mental exercise which undoubtedly leads to a new form of consciousness--even if the [astral] projection theory is rejected. The result I obtained is beyond all question; but my explanation of the actual process involved may be more symbolical than accurate." (pg. 76)

The third method is the "Instantaneous Method" which is more like traditional methods of inducing OBEs: The use of active imagination to trick your awareness away from the body. This would include Robert Bruce's "Rope" technique, William Buhlman's techniques, and many others, mine included.

Another thing that's very interesting is that Fox learned to detect when his body was calling him back, and resisted that call, especially from lucid dreams. As he fought the pull of his body, he'd feel a pain in the center of his forehead. The more he fought, the worse it became:

"I fought against my body by steadily willing to remain in the Dream World. The pain in my forehead gradually increased, reached a maximum, and then, to my delight, suddenly ceased. As the pain vanished, something seemed to "click" in my brain. I had won the battle. My body pulled no longer, and I was free." (pg. 38)

But then he discovered a terrifying consequence: He couldn't reanimate his body again! Well, at least not for some time. Eventually it was like Sleep Paralysis sufferers: the body eventually woke up and pulled him back in.

Another noteworthy thing is that Fox talks about "skrying" but he has his own interpretation of what that means. To most occultists, skrying means something akin to crystal ball gazing (for example, see Donald Tyson's book Scrying for Beginners). To Oliver Fox, it meant shooting into space like a rocket, in an out-of-body state.

Another interesting topic is that of projecting while in bed with someone. I've always found it extremely difficult (but not impossible) to induce the OBE state from my bed if my wife is sleeping beside me. William Buhlman has told me the same thing. But Fox didn't seem to have any problem with it at all.

The book also has some of the earliest descriptions of pre-OBE symptoms, and good advice on how to deal with them:

"There may also be flashes of light, apparitions, and (almost certainly) terrifying noises. He may have the illusion that someone is trying to wake him or dissuade him from making the adventure. He should tell himself that such apparitions are subject to his will and powerless to harm him; and he should disregard any interrupting influence--even if it seems to proceed from his wife!" (pg. 127)

The writing is very eloquent and flowery; the polished work of a seasoned writer. In fact, Fox tried to make a living as a writer, but was never very successful.

The book is 160 pages, but with large margins. So there's a decent amount of content. It's not as good or as long as the books in my top ten list. But it's a classic, and an important look into OBE history; a "must have" for all serious OBE book collectors like me.

Bob Peterson
19 January 2015

Review: Exploring Your Inner Reality

Review: Exploring Your Inner Reality

by Jonas Ridgeway

Today I'm reviewing the book Exploring Your Inner Reality by Jonas Ridgeway. Although it isn't on the front cover, the back cover clearly says A Guidebook For Out-of-Body Travel.

I enjoyed this book very much. It's 167 pages, but its small margins and decent font gives it a lot of content. I apologize in advance if this article runs long, but I put tabs on lots of pages, so there's a lot to talk about.

The book doesn't have any fluff, nonsense or wasted space, although the order is a bit confusing. The author starts out describing his first OBE, which is great, but the second chapter jumps directly to Questions and Answers, which I thought was a bit strange. The questions and answers are very helpful though. One of the questions is "How will I know that I had an out-of-body experience and not dreaming?" In part of his answer, he says:

"If I were to tell you right now that you are asleep and lucid dreaming, you would laugh and say "hogwash!" because you know with every ounce of your being that you aren't dreaming - YOU KNOW THIS - and no one would be able to convince you otherwise. It is the same with a fully conscious OBE - you are certain that you aren't dreaming. The level of consciousness one uses with a lucid dream is not of the same quality as that of an OBE." (pg. 28)

Question 16 is "My OBEs are too short - how can I stay out longer?" His answer is kind of humorous; something I'd never heard of before:

"I have never heard of any projector doing this, but my best technique for staying out longer is by singing." (pg. 34)

Question 24 is "Are things solid to the touch while out of body?" His answer has some interesting observations:

"As far as the etheric body itself, it is solid to the touch. I've touched and pulled on my tongue, stuck my fingers in my ears, licked my arm to see what it tastes like (yes, it was salty, extremely so that it startled me; I'm not sure if I detected the salt in my physical body via an inner sense or if this was a prank from my subconscious)." (pg. 42)

Ridgeway has lots of interesting observations. For example:

"Robert Bruce, in his online "Treatise on Astral Projection", says that if you look at your hands, for example, they will melt away quickly (as a rule, he seemed to be saying). However, I have never experienced any melting of any of my body parts - on close inspection it remains solid, and no mental effort is exerted whatsoever in order to keep it this way. If anything, I would think looking at your hands would reinforce its form, not dissipate it, as you are drawing your attention to what you expect to be there - your hands." (pg. 46)

Chapter 3 is Out-of-Body Predicaments, which is basically about OBE problems and problem solving. Some of these display the author's unique sense of humor, which gives him a warm approachable feeling. For example, he notes:

 "You can put too much emphasis on a command and get more than you bargained for. Usually you will need minimal thought power to get the job done. For example, when you initiate the rolling out of the body method of projection, you may just keep on rolling...off the bed, onto the floor, through the wall or door, and into the next room or even outside. You could even keep on rolling way beyond your house if you don't get a grip and tell yourself to stop. Of course, if you enjoy rolling rather than walking or flying, then fine, be a freak." (pg. 65)

Another interesting observation is this. I've always maintained that trying to consciously increase the vibrations only makes them fade away, and that you need to remain completely passive. Not so, says Ridgeway:

"Some have taken the position that increasing the rate of the vibrations by mental impetus is not possible - that thinking (pushing) the vibrations to increase doesn't do anything. I maintain that it does, as it is obvious the rate of speed accelerates as soon as I "lock in" and exert my will for a quicker pace, nudging it along incrementally, persuading it to gather momentum." (pg. 78)

Readers of my first book may remember the problems I used to have with out-of-body transportation. Ridgeway has some sound advice for that:

"[With regard to flying] You have to learn that proper thinking is your only savior. Thus, a courageous, high-spirited disposition will keep you airborne; a spineless, lily-livered inclination will drop you with no remorse." (pg. 81)

Another interesting and insightful thing is this: Ridgeway normally deliberately flies backwards as a tool to keep his conscious mind from getting distracted and/or interfering with his goals.

Chapter 4 is "Preparations / Preliminaries" and it contains a lot of good advice. He says something I've maintained for a very long time:

"To go through [the astral "doorway"], you must be able to fit - meaning, you must shrink your mental girth (fears, mainly) to an appropriate size. Since you will be conscious, getting a handle on thought control is what will enable you to move out and beyond the body for any extended period." (pg. 87)

I did encounter this oddity:

"Another requirement is a warm environment. Your room temperature should be around 68 degrees [Fahrenheit]. Your body needs to be moderately toasty and comfortable." (pg. 91)

He's right that you need to be warm and comfortable, but to me, warm and toasty is about 73F. If the room is 68F, I'm uncomfortably cold.

Chapter 5 talks about vegetarianism and veganism. Like author Graham Nicholls and others, Ridgeway says that it helps to not eat meat. (I've always been on the other side of the fence, along with author William Buhlman).

Chapter 6 is "Techniques for Out-of-Body Travel" and I found it to be very good, as OBE books go, although much of his chapter is not so much technique as it is general tips and advice. For example:

"You need to become obsessed with OBEs and the idea that YOU can experience them. This is important. You can't just want to leave your body, you must desire it. You should read everything of quality you can about OBEs. You should think about it every free moment that you have. Pound it into your head!" (pg. 107)

This chapter also includes tips for when you achieve the OBE state. This paragraph also shows the author's unique sense of humor:

"Now, once your basic awareness and I-AMness has been acknowledged, in order to turn on the total waking self you should do the following (in addition to the above): realize that while your physical body is asleep, YOU are awake; affirm that you are completely conscious and in complete control; state your full name, address, phone number, and your parents' names; do a few jumping jacks (I'm not kidding), shouting "I'M OUT OF BODY!", and then, finally, when arms akimbo, throw your head back and laugh maniacally (okay, you may skip the cazed laughing part). Yes, I actually do all of these things. The idea here is to reinforce that you have your critical faculties full operating, kind of locking it in, so you don't slip into a regular dream mode again (which is easy to do if you're not careful)." (pg. 112)

Here's another important piece of advice from the "techniques" section that I never gave thought to previously:

"As you feel yourself coming out of sleep do not move your physical body and keep the eyes closed." (pg. 116)

This is a very powerful piece of advice.

The next chapter is "Summary: 7 Steps to a Conscious Projection." It's basically just a bunch of more advice and helpful hints. The 7 steps, which are accompanied by lots of good dialogue, are:

1. Belief reconstruction
2. Keep a journal
3. Read OBE literature
4. Affirmations (planting the seed)
5. Body relaxation
6. Don't try too hard
7. Separation

The book also talks about the author's attempts at validation. He did some experiments that reminded me of author Frederick Aardema's. He created a deck of 25 pages of notebook paper labeled "1" through "25". Every night for a week, he shuffled them, then put them in a pile with one face up, under his bed. After leaving the body, he crawled down there and tried to see the number. Unfortunately, his attempts at validation failed every time.

It occurred to him that his own expectations might be interfering with his out-of-body perceptions, or perhaps there was bleed-through from the other pages. He even tried to pick up the top page once, and:

"...the target number began sliding around on the paper like an egg in a frying pan." (pg. 148)

He had some pretty insightful discussion about why his attempts failed (although I thought Aardema's discussion about this topic was more fascinating). He noted, for example, that the room appeared quite foggy, which makes me wonder if the problem was due to being too close to his physical body (i.e. inside "cord activity range").

Ridgeway's attempts at validation were not as persistent as some authors (Fred Aardema, and Eddie Slasher come to mind), but he comes to the conclusion that the best evidence always comes when you're not really trying:

"By randomly discovering proof, you have not created any expectation beforehand and are seeing the environment mostly unmodified. Your psyche has not been given the chance to overlay the proof with a false envisage because you have already seen and noted the proof (the grubby paws of expectation was simply not in attendance to mess with your evidential data)." (pg. 145)

This interference caused by expectations is one of the main reasons he likes to fly backwards.

Despite his failed attempts at validation, he shares a few awesome validation stories. In one, he traveled in an OBE to his parent's home, and into his brother's bedroom. He saw a piece of paper atop his dresser with a phone number and a girl's name: "Catherine". He didn't try to memorize the phone number, but later, when he checked with his brother, he confirmed that there was indeed a piece of paper on top the dresser with a phone number and a girl's name. Oddly, the name on the physical piece of paper was "Cathy" not "Catherine," which brings up more interesting discussion.

Ridgeway's mother also had occasional OBEs. The first one was so realistic that she insisted doctors perform a brain scan (which showed nothing unusual). Another piece of validation came from one of his mother's OBEs. She projected from Oregon to Arizona to visit her daughter, Ridgeway's sister. She found her daughter, but was surprised to see that she was now shockingly overweight. A few weeks later, when she visited the daughter in Arizona, she discovered the daughter was pregnant; a fact that she had kept concealed.

Another fascinating report by the Ridgeway is something he calls "The Astral Jukebox." Basically, he discovered that in an OBE, he could listen to any song he wanted, with absolutely perfect reproduction. Eventually, he discovered that he could also play songs (in their entirety) that hadn't been recorded physically. This brings up some interesting discussion: If you hear a Janis Joplin song that was never recorded, is it (a) manufactured by your own subconscious mind? (b) recorded on the astral plane by Joplin herself, (c) a song she recorded once that was lost? or (d) something else? It's all very fascinating. It's definitely added plenty to my astral "to do list."

The grammar, punctuation and spelling were nearly perfect.

This book is very fascinating, insightful, and very helpful for people who want to have OBEs. I found very little with which I disagreed. This is one of the better OBE books out there. It doesn't have many narratives, but every page has lots of good information. I give it a big thumbs up.

Bob Peterson
05 January 2016