According to cosmological and Theosophical teachings, the astral plane (or the subtle world) is between two worlds - dense and fire. In it, according to esoteric, live the angelic and demonic entities, pagan gods, spirits of nature and soul suicide. For him who died a natural death of the person astral plane is beyond the knowledge of the region, where at the first stage of its long trip to worlds beyond gets his immortal soul.

The experience of ancestors

Mention the subtle world and an exciting trip in it are found in the ancient Vedic books, Egyptian papyrus, hermetic Kabbalah and even in the old Testament (the Book of Ecclesiastes, Chapter 12). In the Chinese manuscripts of the III century says that the soldiers guarding of the Emperor had a remarkable ability during sleep "soaring spirit and contemplate not only the surroundings but also the actions, and even thoughts of enemies". This amazing ability associated with the manipulation of the astral body, was reached over the years of hard training under the strict guidance of monks and sages, who owned the sacred knowledge.

Even in Christian Europe were frequent communication with the astral. Medieval Nuremberg chronicle of the XIV century mention a certain Hans Staier - the magician and alchemist who in dreams was to citizens, sometimes accompanied by unusual species of creatures, communicated, warned of impending dangers. Famous and legendary graphs and Cagliostro
Saint-Germain mastered the techniques of astral travel. About it mentions in his works of the late XIX century, the famous Theosophist Annie Without-ant. She claimed that she could communicate with their astral shells. In the XX century colorful descriptions of subtle worlds were created by the famous philosopher, a traveler and a follower of Agni yoga Nicholas Roerich and Russian writer Daniil Andreev. According to them, they often experienced personal experience of visiting the astral realms.

Shamanic practice

Famous English psychic and clairvoyant the middle of XX century Charles Webster the Leadbeater has published several works in which summarized the experience of interaction with the astral plan of representatives of the traditional beliefs of Africa, South America, North America and Australia. According to Hours of Leadbeater, in the subtle world and dealing with its inhabitants shamans get a life and magical power. To do this, they periodically make travel in the astral world. The signal that it's time trip, is the so-called call of the spirit-Keeper. A Minister of the pagan cult symptoms, similar in appearance to epileptic fits or attacks of acute schizophrenia. Immediately after this, alone, the shaman was about to make the magical ritual, which gives one's soul the ability to go into another world.

Charles Leadbeater shares the techniques of astral travel on sensitive and neurotic. While using sensitive equipment shaman introduces himself in a trance state, which is the necessary condition for visiting the subtle world) via certain retroforma performed for ritual tambourine or a drum that accompany its monotonous dance. Adjunct techniques are used by some types of drugs of plant or animal origin, giving the effect of "the expansion of consciousness".

In the late 90-ies of XX century Krasnoyarsk parapsychologist George Matusow described another type of shamanic techniques, which he called the "power of place". In this case, the shaman is sent to the place, with a strong energoinformational field. Uninitiated people such places usually cause painful physical or mental reactions. From there, without any additional pressures, the shaman is sent in their exciting journey.

Modern travelers

In the last century sensitive, esoteric and parapsychologists has made a great effort to develop theories astral travel and their practical application. This issue was dedicated to the work of M. Theon, A. Bailey, P. Yogananda, W. Aurobindo, M Alfassi and M. Rainbow. In the middle of 1970th years, scientists at Stanford research Institute even introduced a special scientific term "distance vision", which described the ability of human consciousness (or its part) to go to a specific place, to obtain some information, and then to return back. A couple of decades later, Russian and Western researchers started to use more precise terms: "out of body experiences and lucid dreams".

In 2001, after a previous clinical death Tomsk engineer Boris Tkachev (the name is changed) are very interested in the phenomenon of astral travel. Detailed examination of the range of strategies and in consultation with practicing psychologists, Tkachev discovered the single, which enjoys to this day. "Astral Stalker", as Boris jokingly calls himself, begins preparations for the journey into the subtle world for three days. During this period he refuses alcohol and tobacco, eats only vegetables and tries to sleep no more than four hours a day.

In the evening on a certain day he laid on the flat a warm surface, includes meditation music, closes his eyes and mentally repeating a verbal formula installation, begins to look into black space in front of the closed eyelids.

According to Tkachev, the most important in the first few minutes of such meditation is the ability not to go into the world of dreams, which usually follows a dream. If you can keep your mind on shaky border awake, that is about seven minutes similar exercises dark space before your eyes closed gradually filled with the light. The experimenter feels a sudden lightness throughout the body and begins to see clearly the space around them, and by an effort of will to move those outside of the body consciousness at any distance.

Facing danger

According to Boris Tkachev, the most difficult during astral travel is not the act of movement of consciousness in space, and the ability to avoid the so-called hunters - creatures, which the traveler is usually in the form of a man, dressed in a black flying hoodie.
Their task is to push out the soul of the person with the astral plane on the physical. At the same time using a rather painful receptions, reminiscent of the impact of the current discharge.
According to some parapsychologists, "hunters" no harm no physical, spiritual substance of a person.

However, in the astral world, there are a number
the lower entities, which during astral travel, like parasites, stick to the subtle body of the traveler and to get to our material plane. These entities are parasites called larvae or phantoms, upon returning consciousness astral traveler in the physical body, begin to absorb his energy, causing physical ailments or mental disorder.

Another danger is that at a time when the soul of a person travelling in the subtle world, in his empty physical shell could enter one of dark entities lowest plan or worse, lost soul of a suicide or a criminal, departed to the other world without due Church rituals. In this case it is sometimes said that the man seemed to have changed so radically change his habits, character and inclinations. This can be dangerous to others.

Among the possible problems that you may encounter lovers astral travel is the risk of loss of large amounts of energy, which may result in chronic lethargy and apathy. Astral stalkers can lose the expense of time, while in the subtle world, is sometimes expressed in this mysterious phenomenon, as lethargy. There is a danger even to get lost and lose the opportunity to return to your physical body.
The Church never approved of such experiments. And today, Orthodox, Catholic and Muslim priests believe that being carried away by such travel, the person gives himself over to the devil, condemning his immortal soul to eternal torments of hell.

Author: Skopsko
Source: "Mystery of the twentieth century", №41 2012