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Dream Journeys: Astral Travel |
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Just what is the process involved in astral travel? Experts agree that having a relaxed focus, such as with meditation and other forms of altered consciousness, helps you to reach this state. Concentrating too hard on achieving a certain goal, on the other hand, may actually interfere with the experience because of the conscious mental effort involved. As usual with altered states, the idea is to sidestep normal conscious awareness. |
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When preparing for astral travel, several steps can help you induce the experience. They include: |
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1. Choose where, or whom, you intend to visit. (Thinking of where you want to go, rather than focusing on simply leaving your body seems to work best.) |
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2. Pick a safe space to be in and lock the doors. Choose a place that you consider a sanctuary, and protect it both physically and psychically. Using the power of your imagination, create a shield of light around you and also envision yourself filled with light. Any time you prepare for astral travel, invoke whatever divine force or powers of good you believe in to protect you. |
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3. Find a comfortable position, either laying down or sitting upright in a comfortable chair. |
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4. Use progressive physical relaxation techniques, such as breathing, counting, meditation, or visualization, to relax your body but allow mental alertness. |
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5. Review your emotions and release any negative feelings of fear, anxiety, or guilt. Also, be aware that you have an inner skeptic, but you can ask it to step aside while you begin your journey. |
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6. Listen to a repetitive sound, such as drumming, a certain line from a song, or your own heavy breathing. Choose a sound that has positive or neutral connotations. (For example, if you dislike the Christian tradition, you may want to avoid listening to a tape of Benedictine monks chanting.) |
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7. Concentrate on a spot three feet away; you can gradually increase the distance. Visualize a gateway, such as a doorway or window that you have seen in a previous dream. If you're trying to visit a specific, real-life destination, visualize its doors or a similar image. Guided-imagery experience can help out here. (During your first few astral traveling experiences you may find that you don't get beyond the astral projection phase, which means that you may just feel or see yourself floating above your body.) |
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