Please answer my questions about Astral Projection!

[PolarBearCult]

I'm sorry, this is quite a long post, but I am passionate about getting an answer to these questions. Btw, although this post discusses astral projection, much all the questions are valid for any kind of paranormal activity; I just chose astral projection because it's one thats constantly brought up in the forums.


I feel just as annoyed as a 'believer' when an ignorant skeptic responds to everything paranormal with "show me the proof!" This being said, I feel just as annoyed when 'believers' shrug off questions with "it just is!"

I like to think I have a pretty open mind (which is why I'm asking about this in the first place) but also love logic, which is why contradictions within someones own reality get to me.

I've read through quite a few posts in the forum in which people asked to see proof of the paranormal, specifically astral projection, and from what I've seen, the 'believers' always either show invalid "proof" or the debate just kind of drifts off into nothing...

For the love of higher consciousness, somebody please explain this stuff to me!

For example,
Rosie asked
"Have any of you ever had an experience that caused you to believe 100% in astral projection? I don't just mean "I felt myself floating out of my body" type of thing. What I really mean is, have you had an experience that left absolutely no doubt in your mind that astral projection is real? For example, one man travelled to his professor's house, and the next day accurately described to her the entire inside of her house."

And the best answer was provided by Erin;
"I of course have had tons of experiences, but the one that stands out for me is the night my dad got out of bed to check out a "flapping" noise (his choices of words not mine) that he heard in the house. I was astral and flying down the stairs when I saw my dad coming up them. I tried to stop but flew through him. I wasn't expecting to see my father on the stairs in the middle of the night, but when I asked him about it the next morning he revealed he had indeed been on the stairs around about that time (near as we can tell)."

Although valid in her own reality, this proves nothing. Maybe she was having a really vivid lucid dream, heard her dad on the stairs and incorporated the sound into her dream (a sound which I'm sure shes heard before and was able to connect to what was happening in the real world). Or maybe a variety of stimuli throughout the day caused her to think of her dad on the stairs during the dream and the fact that he was actually on the stairs "about that time (near as we can tell)" is a complete coincidence. I'm not saying it's definitely either of these (and I'm sure there are millions of other possibilities), but in terms of proof, it's weak. And I'm not just picking on Erin here (and yes, I know the question asked what experience proved it to YOU), but every astral projection story seems to have some sort of out.
I've read Steve's bit on how every bit of paranormal activity has a logical out for the non-believers built in so realities don't conflict, but that in itself seems like an easy way out and reminds me of a self fulfilling prophecy.

Other posters suggested various experiments to which the reply is usually something along the lines of either "astral projection just doesn't work that way" or "these experiments have been done! i just have no links "

Ok, I can understand that we're working with something beyond the bounds of formal logic and therefore I can accept it when an astral traveler is unable to go to a specific location or see a particular thing at a particular time, but I've read plenty of texts which discuss doing just that. I find it hard to believe that in the hundreds (or God knows how many) of years of astral traveling, people's ability to do a particular thing always disappears at the exact time when when they need to prove it to a non-believer, while the same ability reappears when they fancy an unsupervised visit to a friend's room.

I've got plenty more inconsistencies but this is getting too long and I'm eager to hear some answers.

Please, somebody clear some of this stuff up for me. Why has no experiment been able to prove anything so far?
What kind of experiment COULD prove it? Is there anybody out there that is willing to partake in this experiment?
If so, then why has it not happened already?

Also, Erin mentioned in another post that she believes that science will only be able to prove the existence of the paranormal when it catches up, presumably technologically. Well, it's not my area of study, but I believe they already do have sophisticated devices created for just that reason, but that's irrelevant; I'm after the kind of experiment that proves the paranormal beyond reasonable doubt, and using new or experimental technology would be unreliable. Therefore, the proof that I am after preferably relies on little or no technology and conforms to the scientific standard of evidence.

Thank you for reading all of that

[JanT]

Hi PolarBearCult -
Your frustration comes across loud and clear!

I was once 'sitting on the fence' about astral projection. Then one day, my child and I went to a local fastfood place (way back when) and a woman came up to me all excited. Called me by name, thanking me for stopping by her house in the late evening and assisting her with her child. I had no clue what she was talking about - but she knew my name and knew me. As she began talking about how what I told her to do helped until she could get her child to the doctor the next day (a frozen washcloth for teething on), a picture began forming in my mind. I could 'see' her house - out in the middle of nowhere - and 'see' myself walking up to her door. But I also knew I had been home the previous day, and the time frame she was talking about, I was snuggled up with hubby listening to some music and reading. I hadn't left home.

Ever since that first incident - more and more of those kinds of things began happening to me - being seen at two places at once - with witnesses at both ends (with physical me and astral me).

I had never consciously tried doing this to see what happened - (don't know why, just never crossed my mind, I guess) - so can't tell you what the 'procedure' may be. I can tell you that each time this happened, my mind was totally relaxed, yet engaged in something. Totally absorbed and relaxed listening to music, and the other times (that I know of) - I was working on the computer and absorbed in what I was doing.

I guess that an experiment could be done - but it would need to include others as witnesses - otherwise it's only good for the two participants.

You may want to try projecting yourself closeby - say in another room in your house where others are - or try a friends house (of course either with the viewers permission!) Not very scientific - but there you have it.

Or, how about contacting one of the research centers or sites to see if they did anything on this? Maybe there has been experiments, but it wasn't widely publicized....

I apologize that I don't have much else to offer you on this subject - and hope you find what you are looking for!

[Sidhartha91]

I too would love some sort of validation of astral projection. I have lots of interest in this subject but can't bring myself to believe %100.

I have decided to find out for myself the only way - through astral projection it self.

Does anyone have a bunch of links to threads on this site? I can search for out of body experiences and astral projections but think I am missing out due to not being able to search "OBE" in the thread title? Cheers.

Will keep my eye on this thread.

[PolarBearCult]

I've been patiently waiting; in fact, it's been over a year. I dunno whether my post was just unpopular with those that have the facts, but I feel like the lack of responses to a sincere and straightforward question is proof enough that astral projection is a delusion.

My question was logical and for a "believer" to answer me, they would have to seriously consider my logic. This would cause cognitive dissonance and that's never fun.

I really don't want to be rude here; your beliefs are your own and if they work for you, well, that's excellent. I'm sure I have countless delusions of my own that I simply cannot see past and I hope they're as harmless as Astral Travel.

I'm gonna check back here once in a while; if somebody posts what I initially asked for, I would be eternally grateful.

(P.S. the word "delusion" carries a lot of negative connotations but I seriously don't mean it in a derogatory way)