The Science Of Astral Projection

We are going to discuss an idea that is centuries old and drives many to believe with certainty in the existence of life after death. This idea is currently known as Astral Projection where a person is able to leave their physical body at will and take a tour of the entire universe without any physical restrictions!

Alright, so what is this Astral Projection business all about? Let’s take a look at some different points of view, namely, the Esoteric view and the current Scientific view to gain a better understanding of this phenomenon.

The Esoteric View:
For many, Astral projection (or astral travel) and the out-of-body experience (OBE) are often considered to be the same. However, Astral projection is a type of OBE that is intentional rather than involuntary. It assumes the existence of a soul or consciousness called an "astral body" that is separate from the physical body and is capable of traveling outside the physical body throughout the universe. Both astral projection and out-of-body experiences can occur with varying levels of awareness since this kind of projection of one’s soul or consciousness is believed to occur naturally and usually without awareness while sleeping. The complete aware experience of astral projection though can also be achieved through meditation, relaxation, and hypnosis. This implies that the terms “astral projection” or “astral travel” can be used to refer explicitly to the experience of leaving the confines of bodily consciousness, allowing one to travel inter-dimensionally. The projector is always connected to their physical body through something called a “Silver Cord” which can extend indefinitely but always keeps the person attached and brings them back into their physical body. These ideas all fall into esotericism that can be described as a Western form of spirituality that stresses the importance of the effort to gain spiritual knowledge and confront the divine aspect of existence. The idea of astral travel is ancient and is seen to occur across multiple cultures throughout histories such as the Egyptian culture, Christianity, Hinduism, Chinese teachings, and more.

Scientific View:
In terms of the scientific understanding of this phenomenon, currently, we do not have any proof of whether these Astral planes really exist. The current research on this topic only relies on anecdotal records of people that are known to practice astral projection because we cannot measure whether a person’s soul or consciousness really leaves or enters the body. Since no evidence of consciousness is seen to exist independent of the physical processes in the brain, mainstream science usually rejects the idea of Astral Projection as proposed by its proponents and practitioners.

In order to test the validity of some of the claims made by Astral Projection proponents, scientists have run some simple experiments in the past. For example, In 1978, a practitioner of Astral Projection, Ingo Swann, provided a test of his alleged ability to astral travel to Jupiter and observe details of the planet. Actual findings and information were later compared to Swann's claimed observations; according to an evaluation by James Randi, Swann's accuracy was "unconvincing and unimpressive" with an overall score of 37 percent. This made Arthur W. Wiggins, a writer on such topics, conclude that astral travel could be an illusion that looks to neuroanatomy, human belief, imagination, and prior knowledge to provide prosaic explanations for those claiming to experience it.