What is the difference between Astral Projection and Lucid Dreaming?

[Lynn]

Hello

Here are some thoughts.....too they are me thoughts how I have come to understand it all works from the reading I have done.....I personally feel the OBE and NDE and Lucid Dreams and Astral all inter connect at times. THOUGH when the Astral Travel is controlled it is NOT the dream area's that are stimulated. With a Lucid Dream it is the part of the brain in REM that is stimulated. One can easily move to different sleep levels and not be fully conscious.


Astral Travel and OBE Experiences
　

Astral Travel is the perception that there is an body that be separate from the physical body that leaves. This donates that the Astral Body leaves from the physical body in a separation. This often called the OUT OF BODY experience.
This concept of Astral Travel is rooted many a Religion. It is in the Near Death Experiences and in the passage to the Afterlife.

It is separate from the state of sleep. As Astral Travels can be accessed via the calm state of meditations or in rarer cases just the state of mind of “Off I go”. When one is in a state of sleep one can go into a state of a “Lucid Dream” this be a dream in this dream state it is thought that one can control and or alter the events. It is a state where the conscious mind and the unconscious mind are one the similar frequencies. It is from these Lucid Dreams that one often wakes feeling like one was flying or that one went from the body.

When the Lucid Dream starts to flow into full Astral Projections is when the mind and the body become ONE and become aware that one has in fast left the physical body and it free to roam. The biggest thing that holds one back is “fear” that fear of not being able to come back, that “fear” of re entry. When one can settle the “fear” the journeys are amazing.

The Astral Journey has no bounds by time or physical space. There is no concepts to what be real. The Astral Dimension is said to be the first one from the physical realms the body be in. The place where the collective consciousness be held. That collective consciousness is that energy that is in all of us the connects us one to the other. The farther out ye go the move dimensions one comes to contact.
One is always connected the physical body bye what I called the Silver Cord . It is that life line one has that keeps one connected. At times one see’s that cord or rope going from the Astral Body to the physical body they are viewing. When one projects out from the body often one “sees” themselves laying of sitting there. When the Astral Travels are new to a person this can be a very traumatic event. One can often have fear take over and there is a sudden re entry to the physical body. This can leave on in a state of panic in feeling.

Astral Projection is the controlled exit of the body it is usually done via meditations where the goal in mind is to leave the body to go on a journey. Where one goes at times is controlled by ye and where ye want to go. Other times one is taken on a journey. Or one simply surrenders to float free to where ever the Astral Plane takes one.

When starting out try Astral Travels like all things new take it slow. The biggest thing that stops the leaving of the BODY is “fear” that fear of not coming back. One is always attached to the body if one was to fully detach then one would be “dead”.

There are many layers to the idea of what is included in Astral Travels. One is the state of being able to see and hear things otherwise not known. To travel and see places that one could not possible know of. BUT to come to find one is correct on. Part of this is Remote Viewing. This is where one is able to leave the body and travel to say a home of a friend and have them fully sense ye are there and describe in great details what one has seen. Too at times one can have physical interactions with that person. One can “touch” in all ways one can in the physical plane. This should be done with the greatest of respects. It is an invasion of one’s private space if not done in that way.

Another is in the area of Shape Shifting. WITHOUT the use of the plant or medicinal aids.

Simply put Shape Shifting is as shift from the human form to that of an animal form. Done both mentally and physically, in the Astral Body.

There are two ways to obtain this one is to be of part human and part animal form. Ye are human in the body but one takes on the instincts of the animal one becomes.

The other be a full shift ye are the animal one becomes in body and mind and all that it be. One is still attached to the human body that one is….but is free in that animal one has shifted to be for a time.

The other thing that can happen on the Astral Plane is a “Soul Transfer” or a “Walk in” this is said to be when the Soul leaves the body and an new one comes forth to take its place. This is most common in the Near Death Experiences where the body for a time dies. The Soul in that brief time of death leave. The body returns to life and is in need of a Soul the original one is
free to come forth again but most times it is said that a new one comes in its place.

It too can happen where the old Soul leaves and a new one “walks in” could well be that the Soul one has had is at the end of that learning path and the consciousness be ready for a new one to continue on its path of learning.
Near Death Experiences are another way one has an Out of Body Experience. This is in a times when the physical body for a time “dies” for a time life stops in that body . One’s that have such an event often see the body they have laying still and motionless. One’s often talk of a Light or a Tunnel they travel into. Where they are met by at times family or other’s to take them over. It is in this state of life and death that one might be pulled back into the body.

One’s having this event often feel a draw to want to go back to that place of pure peace. Its nota longing for death really more a longing for that place of peace and contentment one has.

Often after a Near Death event one comes back with more opening to the other side more open to be able to Astral Travel freely. Often comes back with a knowledge one has not had. Insights and understandings that life is more than the physical body.

Like with all things there are the positives and the negatives in play. When one travels from the body one is able to connect to other’s on the Astral Plane. Like with inter personal interactions NOT all are positive. The term given to the negative contacts is Psychic Vampire this is a person or entity that drains the energy from ye . This drain is not always readily felt.

In the Astral Plane one can do all the actions one can do on the Earth plane…one can have intimacy and fight. One can feel touch and be touched. It is in that place of opening up to the more physical realms that one has to establish the lines of trust and respects. It is not the body doing the actions but the Soul. BUT the body and mind is the one that has to live with the emotions that might well come with the actions taken.

When one freely choose to leave the body to “step out” one simply goes to sit beside that body. This is done at times of great physical pain in that body where one needs that mental break. The connection to the body is a very close one . One often hovers just above the body. Giving maybe that body time to balance with the pain. This is not an Astral Journey.

When one finds someone that is on the same vibration plane as them one can travel in unison. One can too take another out on a journey with them via a joint combining of energies. Again this is done with great trusts. Remembering always that one is human and in being human one has “feelings”.

Hello Lynn,

This is a most comprehensive and descriptive response that I have copied to my computer. I will read it with great interest. thankyou for sharing your perspective on this subject.

Lucid Dreaming is confined to the depths of your mind.

Astral projection is when you take on non-physical form within the spiritual world.

OBE is when you take on non-physical form in the physical world.

As for telling the difference between the three things...hmmm.

I suppose it depends on the individual because we all experience things differently.

Apart from the obvious shift in awareness, the main reason/way I can decipher between the three things is because I take on my true form, which is not anything like my physical form in perceptions or senses or body, when I OBE or AP.

After AP I've occasionally had physical injuries upon returning. (Not the kind that can be explained by tossing and turning or scratching oneself during sleep.)

People often comment on my presence when I OBE.
I often visit friends and do specific things without their former knowledge, which they, knowing I'm spiritual, tell me the next day or so without my prompting.

I suppose a lot of people don't have the luck of finding such obvious ways of differentiating between AP, OBE or Dreams.

Originally Posted by Sangress

Lucid Dreaming is confined to the depths of your mind.

Astral projection is when you take on non-physical form within the spiritual world.

OBE is when you take on non-physical form in the physical world.

As for telling the difference between the three things...hmmm.

I suppose it depends on the individual because we all experience things differently.

Apart from the obvious shift in awareness, the main reason/way I can decipher between the three things is because I take on my true form, which is not anything like my physical form in perceptions or senses or body, when I OBE or AP.

After AP I've occasionally had physical injuries upon returning. (Not the kind that can be explained by tossing and turning or scratching oneself during sleep.)

People often comment on my presence when I OBE.
I often visit friends and do specific things without their former knowledge, which they, knowing I'm spiritual, tell me the next day or so without my prompting.

I suppose a lot of people don't have the luck of finding such obvious ways of differentiating between AP, OBE or Dreams.

What were the practices that got these things rolling along for you? I feel I am ready for lucid dreaming, and hope that will lead me into AP. I have been trying to get some lucid dreams going, with minor success, but the habit doesn't stick. What worked for you?

I would say the best practice is Energy Manipulation and Meditation.

I've unconsciously stepped out of my body since I was a small child, perhaps even an infant. So it came naturally to me.

Strangely I have never Dreamed Lucidly, or have never remembered it. I've never dreamed much at all.

So, in my case Lucid Dreaming never led to AP or OBE.

[Xan]

OBE is when you take on non-physical form in the physical world.


Not really, Sangress. An out-of-body experience may be in any dimension - physical or non-physical, whereas astral projection is into the astral levels only. We may also experience higher dimensions than astral while out-of-body.


Xan

Xan, do you know a term for Projecting in non-physical form into the physical world rather than the spiritual state of existence?

What distinction would you put between OBE and Astral? Your explanation would mean they are the same thing, with the difference of one only being in the Astral.

So, if one is only in the astral. Would it not be proper to say that OBE is more closely tied to the physical, rather than astral?

[Xan]

Originally Posted by Sangress

Xan, do you know a term for Projecting in non-physical form into the physical world rather than the spiritual state of existence?

No, I don't. Sorry.

When most people think they are projecting into the physical world they are actually seeing the etheric or lower astral. You can tell because there are some slight differences, you may be able to put your hand through walls, or see the spirit of your dog or someone hanging around.

What distinction would you put between OBE and Astral? Your explanation would mean they are the same thing, with the difference of one only being in the Astral.

So, if one is only in the astral. Would it not be proper to say that OBE is more closely tied to the physical, rather than astral?

Out-of-body is how we may directly experience a wide range of dimensions beyond this world. The astral plane is just one, except there are several levels of the astral.

Yes... there are charts that show the levels of dimensions, although it isn't an exact geography and there are differences in terms.

In general, though the etheric is the one closest to the physical and is how our bodies are formed in the womb and maintained in life. The etheric and lowest astral are similar in appearance to the physical... with less density and apparent solidity the further we go up. In the spiritual realms we have very little form, being made of pure consciousness, love and light.

Frank Kepple formulated a model for this, along with a method of out-of-body projection between dimensions called Phasing. It's a very interesting read: http://www.astralpulse.com/frankkepple.html


Xan