altered states
A Beginner’s Guide To Astral Projection
Every spiritual tradition speaks of a world beyond our own — an ethereal realm that exists just beyond the veil of the physical senses. Whether it’s Nirvana in Buddhism, Asgard in Norse mythology, or the Elysian Fields of the ancient Greeks, these higher dimensions are seen as places of transcendence and divinity.
Traditionally, such realms are associated with the afterlife, but that’s only part of the story. The truth is that we don’t have to die to access them. These higher planes of existence can be explored while we are still very much alive.
While mystics, shamans, and seers have spoken of these realms for millennia, modern science, particularly in the fields of quantum theory and consciousness studies, is beginning to acknowledge the possibility of multiple dimensions, parallel realities, and alternate timelines. Phenomena such as déjà vu or lucid dreaming, for example, may be brief collisions between timelines or conscious overlaps with other dimensions where versions of ourselves already exist.
So how do we consciously access these mystical realms? The practice of astral projection — also known as astral travel, out-of-body experiences, or lucid voyaging — is one way to do just that.
The idea of consciously traveling beyond the physical body has appeared in various cultures and spiritual traditions throughout history. Although interpretations vary, many civilizations have incorporated the concept into their myths, religious practices, and mystical philosophies.
Psychomanteum Gazing To Communicate With Spirit
There are many approaches to communicating with spirit, all of which ultimately lead to the same result. Among the many mystical tools used to connect with the spirit realm, the psychomanteum stands out as an intriguing method.
A psychomanteum, also known as a mirror gazing chamber, is a small, enclosed space used to facilitate communication with the spirit realm, equipped with a mirror angled to reflect only darkness.
The process involves gazing into the dark mirror to facilitate deep concentration, sensory deprivation, and an altered state of consciousness.
This practice, known as scrying, has its roots in ancient Greek traditions, where similar methods were used for divination, prophecy, and communication with the afterlife. Scrying involves gazing into a reflective surface to see psychic visions or gain insights into the future while in a trance-like state.
Nostradamus, the famous French mystic, used a scrying bowl filled with water in his divination practice. He would place the brass bowl on a tripod and gaze into the water to perceive psychic impressions for his prophecies.
In traditional scrying, practitioners use crystal balls, bowls of water, or even polished stones, but the mirror in a psychomanteum provides a uniquely immersive experience. As the participant looks into the reflective surface, the mirror acts as a mental portal between realms.
The Mystical Purpose Of Daydreaming
In school, I was often reprimanded for daydreaming. My eyes would glaze over as I gazed into the distance, lost in a magical world of my own.
It amused the other children in the class and clearly frustrated my teachers, who mistook it for inattention or laziness, but even then I intuitively knew there was something valuable in my moments of mental wandering.
Little did I know that my frequent daydreaming opened doors not only to creativity and problem-solving, but also to spiritual connection, higher consciousness, and most importantly, manifestation.
Research has shown that daydreamers actually experience increased brain activity. Contrary to the common misconception that daydreaming equals a blank or stagnant mind, studies show that when we allow our minds to wander, we engage the problem-solving and creative areas of the brain.
Neurologically speaking, daydreaming activates the default mode network (DMN), a system in the brain that lights up when we are not focused on external tasks. The DMN connects us to deeper thoughts, memories, and emotions, often leading to sudden insights or realizations.
But what science describes as a purely neurological phenomenon is, in spirituality and metaphysics, a gateway to the higher self and beyond. When the mind wanders aimlessly, we enter an intermediate mental space — a threshold between the conscious and the subconscious. This is where creativity, intuition, psychic impressions, and spiritual connection are most accessible while awake.
Master Your Dream Experiences With Lucid Dreaming
Sometimes we experience dreams so graphically that they blur the line between fantasy and reality. We’ve all had those amazingly vivid dreams of winning the lottery, flying over a city, or meeting a beloved celebrity, only to wake up and wonder for a moment, “Did it really happen?
These dreams leave us longing to relive them, to feel the thrill of those amazing moments again. The good news is, it is possible! We can control our dreams, shape the narrative, and bend reality as we sleep through lucid dreaming-a practice that allows you to shape and control your dreams.
By practicing lucid dreaming, you unlock and enjoy a whole new dimension of your subconscious mind and the astral realm.
Lucid dreaming occurs when you become consciously aware that you’re dreaming while still in the dream. This awareness opens up a potential playground where the usual laws of physics are suspended, allowing you to create, manipulate, and explore any dream scenario you desire. Unlike typical dreams, where events unfold outside of your control, lucid dreaming puts the dreamer in the driver’s seat.
Lucid dreaming techniques tap into your brain’s natural creative processes, allowing you to influence the storyline, environment, and even the people in your dream world. Scientific studies have shown that lucid dreaming is a real phenomenon and not just an abstract concept or superstition. Research has also demonstrated that lucid dreaming can be cultivated through various techniques, and it has been studied extensively in the fields of psychology and neuroscience.
The Mystical Practice Of Psychic Surgery
The phenomenon of psychic surgery has always fascinated me. Although I have never personally witnessed such a procedure first hand, I did see footage of a psychic surgeon in action many years ago.
Despite the poor quality of the movie, it seemed to me to be very real and certainly not a parlor trick, as many skeptics might suggest. The footage left a lasting impression and piqued my curiosity about a practice that operates on the edge of the mystical and the medical.
The film I saw was recorded by a friend who is very enthusiastic about psychic surgery. He had filmed the footage during a trip to the Philippines, where he observed the procedure firsthand.
He explained that psychic surgery is essentially the manipulation of energy and vibration. The practitioner is able to penetrate the patient’s skin with his bare hands using “polarity,” which is the balancing or manipulation of opposing energy forces.
In many spiritual and alternative healing practices, polarity is a term used to describe the dynamic interaction between different types of energy, often referred to as positive and negative energy, or yin and yang.
The idea is that everything in the universe, including the human body, operates on a balance of these opposing energies. When this balance is disturbed, disease or physical ailments can result.
In psychic surgery, practitioners use polarity to perform seemingly miraculous procedures with their bare hands. The idea is that by tapping into and manipulating these energies, they can create a state in which the physical body becomes malleable, allowing them to penetrate the skin without causing pain or bleeding. The procedure is performed without invasive surgery or the use of anesthesia.
Receiving Angel Guidance In Your Dreams
I was nine years old when I met three beautiful angels in a rather unlikely setting. My parents were visiting some friends one Saturday night, and when it was time for me to go to bed, they put me upstairs in the master bedroom.
The grown-ups were enjoying themselves and making a lot of noise downstairs, so I was lying on the bed, wide awake, staring up at the ceiling.
Suddenly, like a sliding door, the ceiling opened to reveal three magnificent beings against the backdrop of the night sky. They were angels.
In later years I researched books and pictures of these beautiful beings and to my amazement some artists had captured them exactly as I had seen them in my vision that night. Their message came to me telepathically, clear and comforting: “We will always be with you.
The vivid memory of that night stayed with me and shaped my understanding of the spiritual realm. As I began to work with people all over the world, I soon realised that many people are either too afraid to open up to angelic guidance, or simply do not know where to begin the communication process. If this resonates with you, know that angels do come to us in dreams and visions, offering their guidance, protection and support.
The Bible, for example, contains numerous accounts of dreams and visions involving angels, such as Jacob’s ladder (Genesis 28); Joseph’s dreams (Genesis 37); Daniel’s visions (Daniel 7); and John’s revelation (Revelation 1-22).
Learning To Interpret Your Dreams
While the exact nature and purpose of dreaming remains shrouded in mystery, science at least tells us that it is a universal experience. We all dream, most likely every night. Many people don’t remember their dreams and therefore incorrectly assume that they rarely or never dream.
Research on dreams and dreaming has shown that an estimated 95 to 99% of people experience dreams. Dreaming is most common during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, when brain activity is heightened and our eyes move about every 90 minutes throughout the night.
On average, a person may have several dreams per night, although they may not always remember them when they wake up. The frequency of dreaming can be influenced by several factors, including age, stress levels, and sleep quality.
There are many theories as to why we dream. Most believe that dreams help us consolidate memories, process emotions, solve problems, or even prepare us for tasks. However, the most important reason we dream is often downplayed or even ignored, which is that our dreams are inherently spiritual and serve a higher purpose.
The fact that our dreams are messages from the spirit realm and a higher power is unfortunately one of the most forgotten truths of ancient wisdom deeply rooted in many religious and spiritual traditions. Dreams have piqued human curiosity for thousands of years. Ancient civilizations, from the Egyptians to the Greeks, revered dreams as portals to the divine, messages from the gods, or glimpses of the future.