(Part 2)

The astral body is sometimes called the “desire body” because it goes where one wants to go. If you think of being in California to visit relatives, you will find yourself immediately in California or anywhere else. When a person dreams that he is flying, he is actually flying in his astral body, while his physical body lies in bed sleeping.

Medical science considers astral projection, where a person is unable to move, to be a case of “sleep paralysis.” But it is not paralysis in a medical case. A person cannot move while out of the body because the soul, or, more accurately, the astral body, is not there. In the same manner, you cannot drive your car while you are outside of your car.

Bangungot is considered by medical science to be a case of “acute pancreatitis,” which can lead to death. But another theory is bangungot (or “moaning death”) happens when the astral traveler goes into the lower astral plane where there are negative and monstrous spirits. They lie in wait for those who stray in that lower realm, and grab them so they can no longer get out. It is like a “black hole” of sorts. Some who died of bangungot did not have acute pancreatitis.

How it feels in the astral plane

Not everybody experiences the astral world the same way. I, for instance, never ventured out of the room when out of my body, while others have gone out of their house to visit other places.

One experienced astral traveler related to me how she was able to see her parents and other siblings sleeping in the car at a gas station in the United States while she was physically in the Philippines.

I have also read of some mystics who have traveled to other planets to see what’s there. The Swedish scientist and mystic, Emanuel Swedenborg, had done this.

My first astral projection happened around 1975 during daytime, in the presence of about 15 people, including my wife, while attending a seminar called Inner Peace Movement conducted by two American psychics, Bettina Loman and Nancy Ziebert.

During one exercise, where each of us was asked to sit on a chair at the center of the group with eyes closed, the person sitting there was supposed to tell which direction the hands of the group were going (up, down, right or left) slowly at a distance of about one foot from the person’s body.

I was surprised I was able to tell the movement of their hands with my eyes closed. I felt a very strong current which was not felt by the two other men who went before me.

When they moved their hands from the bottom upward, I felt like something was coming up from the pit of my stomach. It was uncomfortable, so I told them to stop. I was shouting but no sound came out so they continued.

The feeling I had was the same as if I wanted to throw up. When the sensation reached my mouth, I threw up but only air came out.

Then I became cataleptic, that is, my whole body became stiff like a robot. Afterward it became soft and I slumped on the chair completely motionless. I was unable to move but I was still conscious, eyes closed.

The next thing I knew, I was on the ceiling looking down at my body. Although Bettina Loman was standing behind me, I could see her very clearly. I saw the whole group as mere shadows, except my wife and Bettina. Then I remember I could see 360 degrees of the room, although I was looking straight at my body.

I was floating up there on the ceiling. I did not get scared, which surprised me. In fact I was really enjoying the new feeling of freedom from my physical body.

Then Bettina started snapping her fingers near my left ear. It sounded very far, then the sound became louder and louder, as if coming nearer and nearer to me.

And then I suddenly opened my eyes, shouted out loud, laughed, and said, “Hey, I saw all of you!” They all felt relieved that I was still alive. They thought I had a heart attack or something.

When I asked Bettina what happened, she said: “You were just having a trip. I saw you up there in the ceiling.”

“You saw me?” I asked.

“Yes, I did,” she replied.

She said I went out of my body spontaneously and would explain everything to me if I went for counseling, which meant I had to pay more, and which I did.

From then on, I would go out of my body once in a while but often involuntarily. I never ventured out of the room or the place I was in, until I got back to my body.

Now I know how it feels like to have an out-of-body experience. Those who have not experienced astral travel are missing a lot in life.

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