Answer:  Not usually, no.  In my many experiences of being outside my body I was unable to move objects in the physical world either through touch or telekinesis.  Nor would I necessarily expect to be able to affect physical reality while on the astral plane.  Let’s look at it logically.

Your physical body vibrates at a certain density, a lower density than your energetic or astral body.  So your physical body is fully capable of grasping a cup, opening a door, and walking around for example, because those objects are on the same plane as your physical body.  Your astral body is energy without physical form and is roaming around on a different plane.  Just as in your physical body you cannot “touch” anything on the astral plane, so too on the astral plane you cannot “touch” anything on the physical plane.

One of the reasons you can so easily float through a wall or window while in an astral state is precisely because the wall exists on the material, physical plane, where you are no longer vibrating.  You may see the wall in your astral state, but it is not on the same plane as you anymore so you easily pass through it like it isn’t there.  One thing that can affect how well and how easily you move through the wall, though, is your expectation of being able to do so.  Many people, when they first go astral, assume they must maneuver around physical objects; but soon you learn that you can easily fly, float or fling yourself through them quite easily.

One thing you can do to the physical world while in an astral state is be sensed by people who are awake.  I’ve had experiences where I was astral, floated on over to a friend’s house while they were awake, tried to get them to see me or notice me, and have them tell me the next day they “felt my presence” at the same time I was there.  This is difficult however.  Most people who are awake are not at all attuned to the astral plane.  That would be like tuning in to a cable channel you don’t normally get just to see if something other than static is coming through at that moment.

I do believe, though I’ve never personally experienced it, that it’s possible with great effort to do something to the physical world while in an astral state.  If you’ve seen the movie, Ghost, with Patrick Swayze, he eventually learns how to move a physical object (the penny) but it takes great effort.  You have to force the energy of your astral body to vibrate at a lower density to bring it into phase with the physical object you’re trying to move.  That’s tough.  So while I believe in theory it could work, I think you’d have to really practice and spend a lot of time trying in order to get it done.

Meeting up with another astral person is possible while in an astral state, because you’ll come into phase with them.  Both of you would have to be astral at the same time and know where to meet and when.

If you are an accomplished astral projector and you have managed to affect the physical world while astral, please report your story in our forums, as I’m very interested to hear your account.

© 2009 by Erin Pavlina.

Answer:  When I was a teenager, I used to astral project 3-4 times per week.  Once I learned how to do it, I did it as much as possible.  I had a lot of fun being Erin the Astral Demon Slayer, though my friends and I did attract some unwanted attention.  That was one of the reasons I tried to shut down my paranormal abilities, because I was going down what felt like a pretty dark road; always looking out for baddies, not focusing on my schoolwork, and my friends were starting to get a little psychotic and depressed.  I put a kibosh on my astral activities sometime in college.

As the rigors of life and independence set in, I had to focus most of my energy on my daytime activities.  Contributing to keeping a roof over our heads and taking care of two children were full time jobs that left little time for astral travels.  I never gave up the lucid dreaming though.  That I can still do whenever I want.  Recently I wanted to see if I could still astral project.  I woke up at 4am one morning and pulled myself into my astral vehicle (tingles and buzzing and all).  It was tougher than when I was a teenager, but I could still do it.  I wasn’t sure where to go and what to do though, so I just flew around the house looking in on the kids in their rooms.  Nothing special really.  But I was glad I could still do it.  It was like exercising a rusty muscle.

The truth is, the astral plane doesn’t hold much interest for me.  I do still occasionally have to chase off a curious low vibrational being, especially when Steve accidentally opens a door.  My astral sword is still there, but it’s hanging over the mantel.  I’ll have to leave the astral demon slaying to a younger crowd.

I spend more of my energy communicating with the higher vibrational beings now, usually during the daytime, and still in my dreams of course.  It’s a shift I’m very happy with.  Astral projection was fun, and ganking a demon was a kick, but my focus these days is on shifting the planet to love, peace, and harmony.  So I’m playing on a different field now. 

People email me a lot asking how to astral project, and some of them believe they are really missing out on something if they can’t.  Honestly, you never need to experience an astral projection in order to have a great spiritual life.  However, astral projection is what helped me realize that our bodies are just shells and that our spirits do continue on without them.  I’m unafraid of dying partly because I know what it’s like to be disembodied and retain my full consciousness.  So if that’s important to you, keep at it.

I may never be in a full on battle with an astral demon again, but I’m keeping the sword around just in case.

© 2009 by Erin Pavlina.

Question: What do you think about Indigo children?
Answer:  I’m not big on the whole label thing.  Crystal, indigo, purple, polka dots, plaid, it’s all the same to me.  Some children are pre-wired to be more aware and connected to their higher selves, and some aren’t.  Some kids are incarnating with specific missions and specific purposes that will have a global impact.  But you know what?  They’ve been doing that for eons.  Now we have a pretty label.  If you need to categorize your child, that’s your choice. 

Question:  Do you believe in astrology or horoscopes?
Answer:  I am not an expert at astrology and I haven’t investigated it enough to comment on whether I think it is real or not.  I suggest you talk to astrology experts and get their take on astrology.  I’m a Cancer with Libra rising and a Virgo moon, though.  If anyone knows what that means, contact me.

Question:  If I have to have an abortion to save my life, is that a sin?
Answer:  No.

Question:  Is levitation possible?  If so, do you know how I can do it or who I can learn from?  Have you ever done it?
Answer:  I have never levitated.  Like you I’ve heard tales of this ability.  I would start with the people who claim to be able to do it and go from there.  Report back when you find out something.

Question:  How can I use the law of attraction and the law of detachment at the same time without canceling each other out?
Answer:  With the law of attraction you want to get clear on your intention and become a vibrational match for it.  The law of detachment is about not being attached to a certain outcome.  Think of the story of the man in the flood who is sitting on his roof waiting to be rescued.  He wants to be rescued and thinks God is going to save him.  People come in a boat and helicopter to save him but he resists their attempts and says, “No no, it’s okay.  God will save me.”  When he gets to Heaven he complains and God says, “I sent you a boat and a helicopter.  What more did you want?”  The man was a vibrational match for being rescued but he was attached to that manifesting a certain way (e.g. the mighty hand of God).  Cast your intention out upon the water and let the universe decide how best to manifest the details.  You might be getting what you asked for and not even be noticing it.

Question:  Do you think climate change will be a huge problem people have to deal with in the future?
Answer:  Sure.  Climates change, people adapt.  If you want to know more about this, consult a professional in the field.

Question:  Are we ever going to be finished incarnating?  When does it stop?
Answer:  When you no longer choose to “play the game” it stops.  Every incarnation is your choice.  Every time you come here, you learn.

Question:  Can spirit guides or angels contact you in “human” form?
Answer:  I have never experienced this so I can’t say for sure, but I think that in a severe situation an angel can take human form, but not a spirit guide.  I think it’s more likely, however, that they urge and nudge an already incarnated human to help you out when you’re in trouble.  Read Spirit Guides at Starbucks.

Question:  If I know something bad is going to happen to someone but they won’t listen to me, and it happens, am I somehow responsible?
Answer:  You are not responsible for anyone’s life.  Divest yourself of the idea that you can cause anyone to do anything.  People make their own choices.  Some may choose to listen to you and some won’t.  Having foreknowledge of an event means you can help them, but if they don’t want to listen, there’s nothing you can do.  Try not to feel guilty.  You did the best you could.

Question:  Can you affect physical reality while in a lucid dream?  Like turning on a television in a dream causes it to turn on in real life?
Answer:  No.  When you are lucid dreaming you are in the dream plane, the dream construct, which is inside your mind.  However, if you were astral instead of just in a lucid dream, then yes you could affect physical reality here on our plane.  Difficult but definitely possible.  Astral project responsibly, young man!

Question:  How can I get an astral sword like the one you made when you were younger and kicking demon butt?
Answer:  Visit my astral store.  Due to high demand we’ve just started stocking astral swords.  Just teasing.   Truthfully, you create your astral sword as an extension of your energy and intent.  You’ll need to use willpower and some of your astral essence to form it. 

Question:  Is it possible to recognize someone in this life as someone you knew in a past life?
Answer:  Absolutely.  Souls can recognize each other.  It’s a beautiful thing really.  How will you know?  You’ll just know.  You may not know who they were to you but that’s not as important as recognizing them.  Er, unless you’ve got some karma to work out with them and then you should watch your back.

Question:  What is my higher self doing while I’m in this incarnation?
Answer:  Watching, guiding, helping, and maybe chortling a little bit.

Question:  How can you claim to be psychic when everyone knows all psychics are frauds?
Answer:  You again?  I thought I got rid of you in my last Quick Answers to Quick Questions.

Question:  I need to contact my deceased father.  Can you help?
Answer:  Yes, book a reading.
Question:  Is my mom okay?  She died recently.
Answer:  I’m sure she’s fine, but if you want to communicate with her through me you can book a reading.
Question:  Can you tell my dad on the other side I love him?
Answer:  You can tell him yourself.  He will hear you more strongly than me because of your connection with him.
Question:  My dog recently crossed over.  Did he make it?
Answer:  I’m sure he’s fine but if you want you can book a reading with me and we’ll find out together.
Question:  If I book a reading with you, will you be able to connect me with my deceased (mother, father, sister, aunt, uncle, cousin, pet?)
Answer:  I’ll try.  No guarantee they will come through.  But we’ll give it a shot.

Question:  Do you need my birth date and the location where I was born to do my reading?
Answer:  Not remotely.  I don’t even need to know your name.  I just need your voice and a photo (or to be in person with you).  I connect through the energy of your voice or body.  During a reading you can ask about other family members and I do not need their photo or their voice as I will already be connected to YOUR guides.  But photos help me tune in and you’ll get a lot more information if you send me a photo of everyone you want to ask about.

Question:  Can you tell during a reading if my spouse is cheating on me?
Answer:  I’ve noticed the guides have a tendency to not want to reveal concealed information.  It’s there for a reason.  You may need to take action to discover it on your own.  But often they will tell my sitters if they have good reason to suspect something like that is going on.

Question:  I don’t want to have kids.  Is that alright?
Answer:  Yes.  Knowing what you want in life is really important.  If you don’t want children you shouldn’t have any.  You’re not broken.

Question:  I really want to talk to my deceased mother.  How would I go about doing that and knowing it’s real?
Answer:  When we know the person it can be hard to get validation.  That’s why mediumship is so great.  If you go to a medium and they are able to tell you something they couldn’t possibly have known, you get your validation.  When we’re trying to tune in to our own deceased relatives, that’s much harder.  You are the only one who can determine if the energy you’re feeling is really them or not.  For me, I rely on “the dreams.”  These are the ones where you just know their consciousness is really there communicating with you.

Question:  I don’t believe in lucid dreaming.  It just doesn’t seem possible to be awake in a dream.  Can you prove it’s real?
Answer:  I find this question so odd I don’t even know how to answer it.  It’s like asking me if peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are real.  Go have one for yourself and you’ll have your answer.  Until then, I wouldn’t go around telling people you don’t believe in lucid dreaming.  It just makes you look dumb.

Question:  Can you tell me who the spirit is who is throwing stuff at me in my trailer?
Answer:  Book a reading.

Question:  Is there a reason psychics tend to work independently of each other?  Is it jealousy?
Answer:  Another odd question.  That’s like asking why three surgeons aren’t performing your appendectomy at the same time.  You only need one psychic if they’re good.  Remember that different psychics have different specialties, though, so find one that specializes in the way you need.  Just like you wouldn’t ask your podiatrist to perform heart surgery, so too you shouldn’t go to a medium if you want career advice, and you shouldn’t go to an astrologer if you want to communicate with your deceased mother.

Question:  Why do you charge so much for readings?  You can still make a good living if you charged only 30% as much as you currently do.
Answer:  My prices are based on value and demand.  If I cut the reading price to 30% of what it is now, my waiting list would seriously be a year long.  Can you imagine needing a reading today and having to wait a year to get it?  The most popular psychic mediums have waiting lists that span 3-5 years!  There are plenty of psychics in the sea.  Find one in your price range.  If you feel a specific psychic is what you want, pay them their asking price.  If they’re able to charge so much and still get tons of business, chances are they’re worth their price.  You get what you pay for and quality counts.

Question:  Is Bigfoot real?
Answer:   I have no knowledge in this area.  But if you see him, let me know.

Question:  Will my boyfriend marry me and will my family be well off financially?
Answer:  Book a reading.  The short answer, though, is that if you want something you’re responsible for making it happen.

Question:  Can you help me find my missing Ipod, camera, wedding ring, cat, etc…?
Answer:  First you need to know why it got lost in the first place.  What lesson are you being taught?  Or you need to learn how to keep track of your things better.  Seriously, I don’t find missing objects.  But there are psychics who specialize in this area.  If it were me, I’d start with logic, then move on to intuition, and then prayer.  One of them will probably work.

Question:  Do you believe in aliens, abductions, UFO’s and all that sort of thing?
Answer:  I want to answer this question very badly but the time is not right and there’s a chip in my head preventing me.  Someone help me.

Question:  How do I know if my loved one crossed over?
Answer:  Book a reading.  Most of the deceased people I’ve been in contact with are fully crossed over, but I do sometimes encounter someone who is resisting that.  Usually in the case of suicide.  If I can get them “on the line” so to speak then we’ll know for sure.

Question:  My soul mate died recently and I have not felt her energy since she crossed over.  I am so sad over her loss and was expecting to feel her around me a lot since I’m very open to that sort of thing.  Where is she?  Is she lost?
Answer:  When we cross over we aren’t automatically able to project our energy back to this physical frequency so easily.  It takes skill, time, and patience.  I’ve seen guides bring through recently deceased people because they can’t come through on their own just yet.  And I’ve also encountered extremely strong spirits who can easily communicate with me shortly after they’ve died.  Give it some time.  Send her love energy.  She’s not likely lost.

Well that’s it for now folks.  Feels good to clear out some of those questions!  If you have a question that hasn’t already been answered, feel free to submit it.  Remember that Ask Erin questions are answered publicly, not privately, and there’s no guarantee your question will be chosen.  The best way to get an answer is to send a short question whose answer will benefit many.  If you really need to hear from me directly, use my Contact Form or book a reading.  Current wait times are 3-5 weeks.

Be at peace.  Be kind.  Express love.

© 2009 by Erin Pavlina.

Answer:  I will tell you how I did it, but my method is not the only method out there.

First of all the need to protect yourself, your body, and your space while you’re astral projecting is not necessarily critical.  It all depends on your current default vibrational state and whether you are already attracting negative beings to you.  When I first got into astral projection I was vibrating at a pretty low frequency: fear and anxiety.  So when I went astral I became a magnet for beings at the lower vibrations.  I was easy prey as it were.  Then, when I decided to go on the offensive, my need to protect my body kicked into high gear.  When you’re out there attacking the bad guys they have a tendency to send their guys after you to neutralize you.  So it became critical for me to avoid retaliation.  This is not something I suggest anyone does.  Very dangerous, silly, and unnecessary.  But I was a teenager and wanted to be an action star so that’s what I did.

If you’re already vibrating at a default frequency of love, compassion, kindness, gratitude, etc., then you probably don’t need to go through the rigamorale of setting up protection.   There’s a default protection in place when you’re at that frequency.  If, however, you’re fearful, anxious, ashamed, guilty, angry, or sad then for one, you shouldn’t be trying to leave your body, but if you are, then you need protection.

Here’s what you should do.

Before you go to sleep ask your spirit guides to keep you safe.  Ask the angels to protect your soul.  Imagine a white and/or golden light coming down from the heavens and enveloping you in protective warmth.  Try to raise your vibration to one of happiness, joy, peace.  If you are religious, call upon your Source for protection as well. 

Then you also want to imagine a beautiful white light enveloping your bed, or wherever you’ll be projecting from.  You can extend this to your whole house but it probably isn’t necessary.  If you have kids sleeping in another room, I would extend the protection to them as well.

When you go astral chances are good you won’t encounter anything negative.  But if you do, it will bounce off the protection light you’ve set up for yourself.  You can also mentally/energetically create a guard dog to keep you safe, or put a real dog at the end of your bed since he or she can probably detect energies and scare off anything with ill intent.

I mentioned other methods of protection.  These include using crystals, burning incense, putting a pyramid above your head, casting a spell of protection, using shamanic tools, prayer, and more.  I don’t use these methods so I can’t really comment on them.  But continue in your search for protection elements.

In summary, if you’re going to go astral projecting be at a high vibration before you start.  If you feel fear, don’t do it, or get past the fear.  Set up protective white light around you and your bed.  Call upon higher energy beings to keep you safe.  And don’t piss off the ookie spookies or they might put an astral hit out on you.

© 2009 by Erin Pavlina.

There are three conditions that come up.  In the first, you dream that you are in an astral state.  In the second, you have a lucid dream that you are astral.  And in the third condition, you are actually astral.  Let’s go over all three in detail so you can see the difference.

Dreaming that you are in an astral state
Because there came a point where I was astral projecting many times per week (back in my teens) I became very used to the sensations involved in astral projection.  So, often, I would dream that I was having an astral projection.  In this case, I did not wake up in my bed, initiate the astral separation, and go on about my merry astral way.  No, instead I was having a dream that I was astral projecting.  How do I know it was a dream?  Because I was in the dream state, the dream plane, and I never woke to initiate the astral separation which for me involved tingling, a high pitched buzzing sound, and separating out of my body in my bedroom.  In the dreaming-you-are-astral state, you are simply having a dream about being out of body.  You won’t be that aware of it either, like any regular non-lucid dream.  You’ll wake up and say, “Oh what an interesting dream I was having” and that’s about it.

Lucid dreaming about being in an astral state
In this next scenario you become totally conscious during some regular dream and think, “Oh cool, I’m totally lucid, I’m going to go astral” and you go from the dream plane into what you think is your astral vehicle.  However, you will find you are still on the dream plane, able to affect dream characters, sure, but still in your own mind.  You are not astral when you have a lucid dream that you are astral.  You’re just having a cool lucid dream experience and you’re still inside the dream construct.  It’s fun, it’s cool, it’s a good place to practice techniques, but you are not astral.

You’re actually astral projecting
In all of my true astral projection experiences, I woke up in bed first.  I was completely aware that I was in bed, and if someone said, “Hey, Erin, you awake?” I would know with certainty that I was.  It is in this state that the astral separation is initiated.  If you’re astral projecting, the first place you will see is your bedroom, or the place where you are sleeping.  You won’t be in a dream construct.

Chances are good that if you’re dreaming that you’re astral projecting, you’ve done some astral projecting in real life so you know what to bring into your dream construct.  But if you’re having a dream that you’re just flying, that’s not it.  When you are actually astral projecting you feel as conscious and aware as you do when you are awake.  There are no dream characters or constructs.  You can’t just snap your fingers and change the landscape.  It’s like being in this plane in between life and death.  There’s a strange, unearthly quiet about it (if you’re lucky!) and you feel more like a ghost than anything.  But your entire consciousness is in your astral body or vehicle.

Lucid dreaming is an excellent place to practice waking your mind up while keeping your body asleep, so if you’re wanting to learn astral projection then lucid dreaming is a good place to start.  As human beings we don’t ever need to experience astral projection to have a good and normal proper life.  However, the benefits of having a true astral experience are wonderful.  It gives you a sense of certainty that your soul can exist without your body.  That means a lot to a lot of people, I know. 

So experiment, but learn to discern the difference between your states of consciousness.  I’ve had lots of dreams that I was astral only to wake up and realize it was just a dream.  Those don’t count.

© 2009 by Erin Pavlina.

Steve has posted the podcast on his site.  Read his blog entry to see a list of topics we cover in the program.  We may do something like this again since it was fun and relatively fast.

Enjoy!

© 2009 by Erin Pavlina.

Answer:  I have never met someone who was actually possessed by a demon, spirit, or satanic figure.   However, I do believe it’s possible under rare circumstances.  Having never been possessed or been in contact with a possessed person, I cannot say for sure that possession is possible, but based on some of my own experiences with demonic entities, and from literature I’ve read, and from stories I’ve been told by people I trust, I don’t think we can rule it out completely.  Therefore…

If possession is not possible, we’ve got nothing to worry about and we can go on about our merry way, right?

If possession is possible all we have to do is avoid it and protect ourselves.  So let’s talk about ways to do that.

A while ago I was doing some work with a local paranormal investigator group here in Las Vegas.  They investigated all kinds of paranormal events and claims, and one day they got a call from a family who believed the father-figure was possessed.  We were on the job!  I was excited and scared.  What if he actually was possessed?  What would we do?  Did I really want to be around someone who was housing a demon in their body?  What if the demon fled the host and looked for the tastiest person to enter next?

As it turns out, the person was not possessed.  What we did see, however, was a family in a very stressed, cluttered, poor environment.  The man of the house was struggling to make an income, and he was responsible for supporting 4 or 5 people.  We saw evidence of drug use going on, lots of religious paraphernalia, and the apartment was extremely messy and dirty.  The husband and wife had been fighting terribly and the kids in the house were visibly disturbed and frightened. 

Before we ever went to their house, our lead investigator talked to me about what we might expect to find and what we would do if the father turned out to be possessed.  He told me that people are more likely to be possessed when they are in a really low vibrational state such as fear, anxiety, anger, shame, guilt, or apathy.  Also, people who preferred to give control of their lives to someone else (boss, God, father, boyfriend, priest) were more likely to succumb to possession than someone who took full responsibility for their life.  He also said that smoking, drinking, and doing drugs would also lower a person’s resistance to becoming possessed.  This is not to say that if you are an angry, smoking person who gives all your power to God that you will become possessed.  Far from it.  He was simply suggesting that if you are a joyful person practicing clean living who takes full responsibility for your own life that you probably will not be susceptible to possession.

One thing I firmly believe is that you cannot be possessed without giving permission on some level.  You may not be consciously inviting possession but it can still happen if you’re a vibrational match for it.  Let me use an analogy.  If you are walking around a high crime neighborhood at 2am and you’ve got money velcroed to your jacket with a sign on you that says, “I’m not armed, come and get it” there is a greater chance that you will be robbed than if you’re sitting in a coat and tie in church on Sunday with your wallet tucked firmly into your pocket.  Right?  Doesn’t mean the guy walking around the high crime neighborhood will be robbed, just saying there is a greater chance and that he is more of a vibrational match for it than the guy in church.  Can the guy in church be robbed too?  Yes, but it’s not nearly as likely.  You’d have to be really bold and powerful to rob someone in church with hundreds of people watching.

Practice proper psychic defense.  Keep your vibration high.  For example, don’t light candles in your living room, stand in a pentagram, and call out, “Hey demon, if you’re there, come and get me!”  When you feel like you’re in a state of fear or anxiety, call upon your angels for protection, or imagine a white light around you emanating peace, love, and joy on your behalf, even if you can’t feel those vibrations yourself.

Can a demon possess you while you’re astral?  It’s doubtful.  You can be messed with and challenged by a low vibration entity, maybe even a demon, but as long as you’re still attached to your body, you own it.  Don’t rent it out.  You’ve got a team of people behind the scenes keeping you safe even when you don’t always feel safe yourself.  But even they can’t stop you from getting possessed if you’re going to lower your energy too far.

If you think you might be possessed, contact a priest or your local paranormal investigator team.  How do you know if you’re possessed by a demon?  I think your friends and family will probably clue you in.  If you start eating bugs that might be a clue also.  If you start growling, speaking in tongues, or you find your head spinning around to the back, you may want to make an appointment with someone pronto.

To sum up, don’t worry about possession too much.  If it exists it’s highly unlikely.  Keep your vibration high, don’t worship the Dark Lord, and you should be just fine.

© 2009 by Erin Pavlina.

Answer:  Sleep paralysis happens when you wake up from sleeping and are fully conscious but you cannot move your body.  As you know, during sleep, while you are dreaming, your body is paralyzed so that you don’t inadvertently act out your dreams.  Apparently during a sleep paralysis episode, that “sleep chemical” doesn’t wear off right away, leaving you in a state where you are aware but cannot move.

During this period you may experience frightening hallucinations.  Auditory or visual disturbances are common.  Sometimes you may feel a presence or someone sitting on your bed.  Because you can’t move it can be very frightening.  Sleep paralysis will wear off in a few minutes, but when you believe you’re under attack by a demon or alien even a few minutes is a long time.

However, sleep paralysis is the perfect time to try astral projection.  While your body is anchored and unmoving it’s relatively easy to separate your astral body from the physical body.  In fact, it’s an ideal situation.  During astral projection you want your spirit or soul to get up out of bed while your physical body stays put.  This isn’t easy.  But sleep paralysis affords you the perfect opportunity.

So how do you do it?  First, you’re going to need to raise your vibration in order to retract those docking clamps that keep your astral ship attached to your body.  To do this, ask your spirit guides to help you, ask the angels to help you, or just practice by lifting your arm.  You should see (through dual consciousness which is being able to see with your physical eyes closed) your arm lifting out of your body and you should see your arm still lying on your covers.  That’s your astral arm you’re seeing up in the air there.  If you can achieve separation of your arm, it’s just a matter of stretching upward until the rest of your body follows.

You want your consciousness to move into your astral vehicle instead of staying with your body.  This can take some practice as shifting your consciousness out of your body is not a natural state for you and will feel odd or even uncomfortable.  Meanwhile, if you’re seeing and hearing scary demons around you, you’re going to be loathe to separate.  Tell the “hallucinations” that they don’t exist and try to ignore them.  They probably won’t believe you, but be firm.  Ask your guides to clear the room for you.

Most people attribute the hallucinations to manifestations of their dreams, but I find it highly coincidental that when people get sleep paralysis everyone seems to be dreaming about people on their bed or demons in the room.  How come we never get sleep paralysis when we’re dreaming about having sex with Brad Pitt?  And how come we don’t wake up and see him on our bed?

A good way to bring on some sleep paralysis is to take a nap, induce a lucid dream, and also to sleep on your back.  If you wake up paralyzed use that time to experiment.  If you feel yourself getting tingly or you feel like all the cells in your body are vibrating, you’re on the right track.  You may even hear an auditory tone that increases in pitch.  These are all signs that you are raising your vibration/frequency and can separate from your physical body.

Some people have a difficult time stretching out of their body because the pull to stay in is very strong.  In that case, imagine yourself standing on your roof and see if you can transport your consciousness into that version of yourself.  I have done this successfully to cause astral separation.  Once you’re free your body won’t pull you back so hard.

Remember to ask your guides for help if you get scared.  And if you see an alien ship outside of your window, you may want to fly the other way.

© 2009 by Erin Pavlina.

They fall into three categories: learning, exploring, and assisting others.

Learning Experiences

Sometimes during an astral projection I would connect with some higher vibration being who wanted to instruct me.  Sometimes I would be shown a future event.  Sometimes I would simply sit and discuss a topic with the being.  Sometimes I was with other humans in an astral state being instructed on some topic that was designed to help me better understand the universe and/or myself.  Sort of like astral school, but not quite.  Basically instruction, learning, and experimenting with talents and abilities.

Exploring

During some experiences I would explore other realms, other times, other universes (or so it seemed to me at least).  I can recall zooming out into space and beyond, exploring other parts of our galaxy.  I can also recall going inside myself until my consciousness was my atoms.  I’ve visited friends who are sleeping.  I’ve gone back in time to witness events.  I’ve gone to what some would refer to as the Akashic Records or Library.  Not light reading I can assure you!

Assisting Others

I have also found myself called astrally to the bedside of someone who has passed on and doesn’t know it.  And also to family members having either a bad dream or a bad astral experience.  It’s like my astral self just answered a distress call without me always knowing where I was going.  I was just pulled out of my body and pulled along until I saw the problem. 

A Great Trip

As I got older, my astral journeys have become fewer and far between.  Maybe having two kids and a mortgage has something to do with it.   I still receive instruction, I still explore, and I still assist others, only now it’s more often while I’m awake than during the night.  I am still called out to assist others upon occasion; work that I am very happy to do.  And I am still occasionally surprised by something trying to “bump me in the night” (no, not Steve, though he does that sometimes too).  

Thanks for reminding me that astral projection isn’t only about the negative!

© 2009 by Erin Pavlina.

I was in my late teens (17-19, something in there) and I was dating a guy whom I’ll call Jared.  One day we were in my bedroom just having a conversation when it turned ugly, and we ended up having a very bad argument.  I remember some very cruel things were said.  Jared was sitting on my bed and I was sitting on my floor. We were really going at it.  No one else in my family was home so they weren’t hearing this intense argument.

We were having the argument at 6pm and somehow, and for some odd reason, we both just fell asleep.  At 6pm.  He on my bed and me on my floor.  Now I never ever slept anywhere but my bed because I had “enchanted” it with all kinds of charms and warding spells to protect me when I slept.  This was during the height of my astral warrior experiences, and I was as good as dead if I was ever caught off guard.  So falling asleep on my floor was extremely unusual for me.  We literally both just went to sleep.  We didn’t discuss it, didn’t have any end to the argument, we both just petered out and fell asleep.

I woke up in near total darkness.  The glow of the clock was the only light source.  It read exactly midnight.  I was very confused at first as to where I was, but the hard surface of the floor and my strange vantage point reminded me of what had happened earlier.  I saw Jared asleep on the bed.  I couldn’t believe it was midnight.  Was my family home?  Why didn’t they wake us?  With four other people living in the house, I was sure someone would have looked in on me and wondered why Jared’s car was still parked outside.  But the house was quiet.

I felt something was terribly wrong.  Just a really intense, strong feeling that something was out there and it was evil.  Against my better judgment, I decided I had to go downstairs and look around.  In my “human-form” for lack of a better term, I was a scaredy cat.  In my astral warrior form, I was rockin’, so it was pretty odd for me to have the courage to go walking around my house in the middle of the night.  But I was compelled.

I got up silently, not wanting to wake Jared.  I went down our creaky stairs and landed in our dining room.  There was a crackling energy in this room that was just barely registering in my mind.  I crept into the kitchen and felt like something was watching me.  I had shivers running up and down my spine.  I felt this urge to go outside, but a voice warned me it was a trap.  I decided I’d better get back upstairs where it was safe, so I headed back towards the dining room.  I thought I saw a red orb bobbling around just outside the dining room window.  That was it for me!  I raced upstairs and got back to my room, panting with fear. 

Instead of waking Jared up, I laid back down on the floor and decided I would have to go astral to find out what was up and also because I wanted my light sword with me.  I initiated the astral separation by inviting that tingling, vibrational, high frequency sound into me that accompanied my astral projections.  I separated from my body, peering down to make sure it was there.  I donned my astral accoutrements (sword and light body armor) and put a shield around my body. 

First I scanned my bedroom.  I could see Jared on the bed, and all seemed well.  I retraced my earlier steps by going downstairs into the dining room.  Immediately I peered out the dining room window where I had seen the orb and this time I saw a dark figure with gleaming red eyes, and ears near the top of his head (batman style) instead of where human ears would be located.  He beckoned at me to come outside.  It was compelling, but I resisted the urge.

I had never encountered this type of being before, but I knew if I went outside he would have the upper hand, so I decided to reinforce the inside of my house so he couldn’t get in.  Using my light sword, I shot light all around the dining room area.  I saw him recoil from the light, turn into a red orb, and fly away.  I thought all was well.  I flew back upstairs intending to return to my body.  When I got back to my room, however, he was standing between me and my body!

He was more than just a dark figure now.  He had a yellowish face, red eyes, the strange ears at the top of his head, and he was wearing a dark cloak.  He hissed at me, “Are you sure you want to go back to your body?”  I replied forcefully, “Yes, God damn you!” and he snarled at me and flew out my window.  I immediately jumped into my body and tried to reconnect so I could wake up.  But I was having trouble.  I was stuck in the astral realm.  This had happened to me on several other occasions and usually I just needed to lower my vibration to merge back into an appropriate state with my body, but I was too keyed up and frightened.  So I got back up and went to Jared’s form on the bed.

As soon as I got near him, his astral hands snaked out and grabbed me around the neck and he started choking me.  I said, “Jared, Jared, stop it!  It’s me, Erin.  You’ve got to wake up.”  He came to astral awareness and sat up in my bed (his body still lying prone).  “What’s happening?” he asked me.  I replied, “There’s something in here with us.  You’ve got to wake up so you can wake me up.  Just shake me so I can get back into my body.  Hurry!  He could come back at any moment.”  He said, “Okay okay, no problem” and promptly laid back down.  I went back to my body but nothing happened.  “Jared!” I yelled.  He astrally woke again and I said, “Jared, you forgot to wake up!  Hurry, you’ve got to wake me up.”  He said he was having trouble waking up too and couldn’t help me.

Frustrated, I got back into my body and concentrated really hard on reconnecting.  Normally this wasn’t difficult for me, but for some reason I was having a hard time getting back in my body.  Eventually, I got back in.  I stood up and rushed to wake Jared.  I shook him and as he woke, his hands grabbed me around my neck and he flung me onto the bed.  It seemed like he was still asleep.  After just a few moments though, he became fully conscious and before I could say anything (I was trying to access my crushed larynx) he said, “Oh my God, Erin.  I just had the craziest dream.  I dreamed there was a vampire in the room.  I saw you come in and then he flew out the window.  You got on the bed and tried to wake me up but I was choking you.  I thought you were the vampire and I was going to throw him out the window.  But I realized it was you.  I couldn’t wake up, even though I knew it was a dream.”

I couldn’t believe he remembered the experience.  I told him about what happened to me.  I started crying as I realized how close we came to having a real problem.  I don’t know what would have happened to him or me if I hadn’t scared the vampire off.  We were both a little freaked out about the experience.  I crawled into bed with him, our argument forgotten.

In the morning I asked my parents what happened between 6pm and midnight.  They said they never thought to check on me and didn’t even know Jared had spent the night.  The whole experience was odd and unusual from beginning to end.

I encountered the astral vampire just one more time.  He was hovering near my window beckoning me to come outside.  I knew it was a trap, but I had a plan, so I allowed him to think he was going to succeed and that I was “under his spell.”  As soon as I flew outside, he grappled onto me, but I was ready for him.  I pushed him to the ground with great force and plunged my light sword into his heart.  There was a look of surprise on his face as he turned into black smoke and seemed to seep into the ground.  Buffy, eat your heart out! 

I don’t know much about astral vampires.  I don’t know who they are, where they come from, what they want, or how they operate.  I just know that when something threatens me, it’s going to get a light sword in the chest.  I never slept on the floor again though.  No need to be reckless…

© 2009 by Erin Pavlina.

One afternoon around 4pm, we were trying to figure out where to go for dinner.  While we were talking I was getting very sleepy.  It felt like someone had cast a sleep spell on me or that I had taken a sleeping pill or something.  It was an unnatural tiredness.  So after we decided where to go to dinner I actually had to beg off and tell them to go ahead without me because I needed to lie down for a while.  They were surprised that I was willing to miss dinner (they knew me so well ).  After they left, I just collapsed onto the hotel bed and fell immediately asleep.  I was tingling the whole way down.

Suddenly I am seeing a ton of lights, like orbs, swirling around in a disorganized fashion.  I am also hearing a ton of voices, like each orb is trying to get my attention and talk to me.  I remember saying, “Wait, wait!  One at a time!  I can’t hear you if you all speak to me at the same time.”  And when I said that all the orbs flew into formation in straight rows and columns.  One orb broke from the group and flew towards me.  When it got close, I could hear the voice of a male, and he sounded like an American Indian.  He said, “I need to check something.  Come with me.”

All of a sudden I felt like I was moving at warp speed through space, but backwards. I could feel my Indian guide with me.  When we “landed” I saw a little boy walking down a street with a determined face.  I somehow knew that he was me, in a past life.  I sort of flew my consciousness into his body and merged with him.  When I did this, I got his full story.  Timmy was 8 years old.  He was walking down the street chanting, “I’m Timmy, I’m Timmy.  No rain, no rain.”  Timmy and his friends liked to play in the wash.  They even had a stash of toys down there, like cars that they liked to careen down the sides of the wash.  That day there was apparently a big rainstorm coming, and Timmy’s mother told him he couldn’t go out that day to play because of the rain.  Timmy protested saying his friends were supposed to meet him there, but his mom assured him that no one would be going out in the rain that day.  But Timmy defied his mom, and left the house without her realizing it.  He went to the wash as the rain began drizzling on his head.  Fast forward to the flash flood that overwhelmed poor Timmy and drowned him. 

At the moment of his death, I dissociated from his body and was back with my guide.  Without a word, he moved us forward again in time and space.  I was still feeling sorry for Timmy/me and how I had died.  If only I had listened to my mom.  I must have caused her so much grief. 

Now we were in my present.  Yes, this was starting to feel like A Christmas Carol.  My guide was flashing around in my life moments like he was looking for something.  I felt compelled to explain every incident to him but he shushed me and told me he didn’t need my explanations and to just be patient.  I felt like I was just along for the ride.  He said, “You’re slipping away.  Why are you at this conference?  What are you doing with your life?  You’re not where you’re supposed to be.”

“Huh?” I replied.  I was at a great point in my life.  Ambitious, motivated, driven, focused.  My future in NASA looked very bright! 

He clucked at me like he was disappointed.  Then we were off at warp speed again, this time traveling forward in time.  I was really excited!  Now I was going to see what was coming up ahead.

Unfortunately, my guide put blinders on me.  I literally felt blindfolded.  I knew we were in my future but I wasn’t being allowed to see it.  Oh the disappointment!  We spent what felt like 2 minutes there, and then we were whooshing back to my present, in the hotel room.

The last thing my guide said to me before his energy left was, “Hmm, it looks like you’ll be accelerating after all.”  He said it with a kind of grudging respect and some surprise.  I felt released.  I looked for the other orbs but they were gone.  I slowly came out of my sleep state and just sat on the bed in wonder at the experience.

At the time, I was not following my spiritual path whatsoever.  This was the time in my life where I had turned off all the paranormal (or so I thought!) and was working on being a good little American citizen, out to find a job, a husband, have some kids and then retire.  But the sense I got from what my guide said was that I would be growing and evolving in this lifetime.

Shortly thereafter is when I met Steve.  Talk about a life-changing experience. I gave up my dream to work for NASA and reopened myself to other possibilities.  The rest, as they say, is history.

But it looks like I’m accelerating after all.

© 2009 by Erin Pavlina.

In the dream I found myself standing with 10 other people in a lush, forested area.  Near us was a large golden gate, covered with vines.  We stood in a line, I at one end.  11 beings emerged from the forest.  One stepped forward and began speaking to us.

“You are all here tonight because you 10 people are the highest ranking forces for Good on the planet.  Tonight you will be tested by facing the 10 highest ranking Evil people on Earth.  Do not fear.  Physical death is not possible here.  Your biggest challenge will be how you conduct yourself when faced with Evil.”

I didn’t know about the rest of the people in line with me, but I was scared.   The 10 other beings broke off and came to stand before each of us.  The being in front of me was male, wore white robes with gold trim, appeared rotund, mostly bald with a little bit of gray hair around the back and sides, and a full, but neatly trimmed, beard and mustache.  He took me aside and said, “I’m your guide for this task.”

Me:  What am I doing here?
Him:  You are currently ranked 10th in this group.  But don’t let that concern you.  You are more than up to this challenge.
Me:  What exactly am I supposed to do?
Him:  In a few moments, you will enter those gates into a garden.  The #10 ranked Evil person will also enter.  Find that person and defeat him or her by whatever means you feel is needed to prevail.
Me:  I don’t understand.  Am I supposed to just attack this person or cast spells at him or what?  What are my capabilities?
Him:  That’s for you to decide.  I can’t tell you what to do.  All I can tell you is that you are capable of defeating that Evil.
Me:  Does he have a guide too?
Him:  Yes.
Me:  Is his guide telling him that he’s capable of defeating me?
Him:  (smiling) Yes.
Me: (gulp)  What happens if he kills me?
Him:  You’ll wake up. 
Me:  No, I mean, is it going to hurt?
Him:  (thinking for a moment)  Probably.  If that happens, you’ll be out of the game.
Me:  Game?  So this is just a game right?  No lasting or meaningful things need to happen in there right?  I can just give up if it’s not going well?
Him:  You can give up any time you want, but you won’t learn anything that way.  Still, it’s your choice.  I have faith in you though.  Have some in yourself.  Remember, you’re capable of defeating this Evil.
Me:  Okay.  I’ll just treat this like any other lucid dream.  I know a thing or two about kicking ass on some demons.  I’m sure I’ll be fine.
Him:  That’s the spirit.  Are you ready?
Me:  Let me change into my warrior’s gear.

At this time in my life I was having lucid dreams nearly every night.  It was a very simple matter for me to slip into the outfit I usually reserved for astral demon hunting.  Light sword, light armor, and a flowing gown you might see on Athena.

I saw the other 9 Good people also being advised by their guides.  I was told I would need to go in first.  I hated going first.  But I was mostly ready.  I didn’t totally understand what was going to happen but my plan was simple; if something attacked me I would just fight back.

I stood at the garden gate ready to enter.  The gates opened and I stepped inside.  The gates closed behind me.  I was in a garden, complete with walkways, statues, fountains, flowers, trees, bushes.  It was beautiful.  I began walking around warily, not sure where I was supposed to go.  After a few minutes, I came face to face with a male who was dressed in red and black armor, and he too had a sword.  I could feel the evil emanating off of him.  His aura was very dark.  It was almost like black smoke was coming off of him.  Maybe it was just an effect.  He growled ferociously at me and lunged at me with his sword.  I was able to parry his attack.  The weird thing about this particular battle was that my enemy felt conscious to me.  Normally in a lucid dream I am the only conscious being in there, but this was different.  I felt like maybe I was part of his lucid dream, just as much as he was part of mine. 

After just a few minutes I prevailed and stabbed him through the heart with my sword.  He fell to the ground, lifeless.  After a few moments, his body disappeared.  I heard a voice say, as if it was coming through a loudspeaker, “Erin, you have defeated the #10 Evil.  You must now face #9 as your 9th Good counterpart has fallen.”  What, huh?  I thought I only had to fight one guy.  Apparently Good-9 had fallen to Evil-9 and I was next in line.

I continued walking through the garden and eventually found Evil-9.  He was harder to defeat but I cut him down in short order.  I was informed by the voice that I had to face Evil-8 next.  Oh.  I see how this works.  If I win my battles I continue on.  But did that mean all the Good people were losing theirs?

After defeating Evil-8 (he was more crafty and way more evil than Evil-10), the voice told me I had to fight Evil-4.  Whoa!  What happened to 7, 6, and 5?  I didn’t really understand it at the time, but I later figured out that Good-9 lost to Evil-9 which is why I had to fight him.  Same with Good-8 and Evil-8.  But Good-7 had defeated 7, 6, and 5-Evil before she fell, so I was the next highest ranked Good person to step up to the challenge.  Good and Evil were being eliminated after each battle.

Fighting Evil-4 was really tough.  I had to really step up my game.  I began flying, casting spells, shooting light from my sword, using telekinesis, and going insubstantial when necessary.  I was doing Matrix moves long before it was a movie.   I began feeling worried.  Here I was, ranked 10 and I was fighting an Evil ranked 4.  I was also getting a little tired.  I want to point out here that I never encountered any females on the Evil side.  I saw a mix of male and females on the side of Good.  Something interesting to note, eh?

Eventually, I prevailed against Evil-4 by making a statue holding a sword come to life behind him just as he was about to kill me.  It helps to have inanimate friends I guess.

I attribute all of my skills and abilities in this “game” to having spent dozens and dozens of hours in lucid dreams acting like a superhero.  Hey, you never know when something like that will come in handy.

I began to realize that things were stepping up pretty fast.  I was going to need to pull out my A-game to defeat the next baddie.  The evil guys were fast, vicious, crafty, intelligent, and just as eager to win as I was.

I skipped Evil-3 because he had already been defeated by Good-3 who then lost to Evil-2.  I fought and prevailed against Evil-2 using a time travel ability to put myself in two places at once.  But it wasn’t easy.  Up until that final moment things were looking really dicey for me.  I had been cut and bruised and damaged many times, but I simply used healing in between battles.  After I fought and prevailed against Evil-2 I waited.  Would I have to fight the Supreme Evil?  The number 1 ranked Evil in the world?  Surely Good-1 would make short work of him.  I hoped.

But no.  It was announced over this celestial loud speaker that I would indeed have to fight Evil-1.  I literally had a panic attack inside my lucid dream.  I couldn’t believe I was the only Good person left standing.  I was ranked 10 for heaven’s sake!  Surely all the people ahead of me were more skilled than I was, so why did they all fall?  Whatever this Evil person was, he must be really hot stuff.  How on earth was I supposed to defeat him?

I was too scared to even face him.  I began hiding.  I was alone in the garden with Evil.  I looked down at my light sword and wondered if it would be enough.  I began feeling such fear that I even considered just killing myself so I could wake up.  But I wanted to catch a glimpse of this Evil first.  Just so I’d know what he looked like.  You know, something to tell the grandkids.

I went invisible and just sat behind a statue trying to reign in my panic.  Eventually I saw him.  His dark aura preceded him.  Everywhere he went, darkness filled the garden.  There was a consciousness about him that I can scarce describe.  He had this charismatic aura that made me want to bow down before him and swear fealty, so powerful was his command of energy.  I could feel him searching for me with his mind.  It didn’t take him long.

Evil:  I see you.
Me:  (gulp)
Evil:  Come to me.

Mind control!  Whoa!  That’s a good one.  That’s a toughie to defend against.  I called upon every guide I had to protect me.  Truly though, I could scarcely breathe.  I slowly stood up (not sure if it was with my own will).   When I faced him he was just darkness.  He had form, but there was no light in him whatsoever.  Just shadow.  Looking into him felt like looking into an infinite abyss.  I tried to remember this was just a dream and that I could not really die, but at this point I actually feared losing my soul, which was more valuable to me.  I began to whimper softly.  Fear was really overwhelming me.

He laughed at me. 

Evil:  #10 huh?  Impressive.  But do you really think you can fight me and win?  Give up now.

I noticed he held no weapon.  Interesting.  Why didn’t he have a weapon?  Was he that arrogant about his mind control powers?  I had a light sword and it had never failed me.  Just the tiniest glimmer of hope entered my mind.  Maybe I would have just one shot. 

I lunged at him but he stepped aside easily.  It felt like maybe he’d read my mind.  I didn’t have a defense for that.  He touched my skin and I went cold.  I could actually feel evil crawling up my skin.  I tried casting spells at him; he deflected them all easily.  I could feel him rooting around in my mind.  He knew all my secrets, all my thoughts, all my intentions.  I knew none of my tricks would succeed.  Self-doubt was my only armor now.

He began walking slowly towards me.  I tried to fly away but he just held me still with his power.  As he came closer I felt near to passing out.  He had no weapon!  All he did was just walk up to me and embrace me.  I could feel myself falling into that abyss of Evil.  Words can’t describe how hopeless I felt.  Total, abject fear began engulfing me.  How could this kind of Evil be defeated, I wondered.  How?!  And then it came to me.  Love.  I knew that Love could defeat Fear.  All this time I thought my light sword was an extension of my goodness, but I realized that Good is not enough to defeat Evil.  Only Love might be.  But how to feel love when all I felt was fear?

I called up the love inside me.  I literally tapped into Love, into Source, and felt that loving spirit filling me, pushing away the fear.  I felt my fear slip away, dwarfed by the power of Love and Faith.  After just a few moments, I felt my body pulsing with Light.  I felt completely and totally safe in the highest sense of the word.  Evil recoiled from me, but stood his ground.  He tried casting fear at me again but it bounced off Love.  We stood there for a few moments.  I knew he could not harm me.  I knew he could not make me feel fear again.  I knew I was safe.  But how to defeat him?  I didn’t want a stalemate.

“Bless you,” I said.  He recoiled.  “God bless you, Evil.”  He stumbled like he was in pain.  “I give you Love. Unconditional.  I give you Love.”  I stretched out my arms and let love flow from my body towards him.  It was easy to give, I had so much.  I felt like infinity itself was in my body vibrating with love.  I just emanated and channeled Love and Joy.  After just a few moments, Evil was gone.  I don’t know where he went.  But he was gone.

I saw the exit from the garden and walked through it.  My guide met me on the other side and simply said, “Well done.”  I was Joy.

I woke up from that dream feeling the remnants of the Love and Joy I had channeled.  I walked around school that day in a strange funk.  I had fought the Supreme Evil and I was still standing. 

Love.  So powerful.  So simple.  It’s right there for you to channel whenever you desire.  Fighting does not defeat evil.  Only love has that power.  The next time you find yourself challenged by hopelessness, fear, and self-doubt, try to channel love. 

Be love.

© 2009 by Erin Pavlina.

Q.  Can you physically die while astral projecting?

A.  While you are out of your body, your body is as susceptible to death as it normally would be.  Someone could come in to your room and stab or choke you to death or even shoot you.  In fact, if your consciousness was outside your body you may not even hear them come in.  What you are probably wondering, however, is if some entity on the astral plane can attack and kill your astral body, thus causing the death of your physical body, right? 

If this has happened to anyone, we would not know since they would not be alive to tell us.  I personally believe it is possible, but highly unlikely that you will die while astral.  I believe there are beings out there powerful enough and strong enough to sever your silver cord while you’re astral, but I think the actual chance of this happening is really small.  Your silver cord is the tether that keeps your astral and physical bodies attached while you’re incarnated.

Now, if someone kills your physical body while you’re astral, you’ll just move on like you normally would if you were inside your body when it died.

Q.  Okay, if the silver cord is our lifeline, how do we protect it and keep it safe?  Are we vulnerable if we go out too far?

A.  The silver cord is such an important and valuable part of your connection to your body and is extremely strong and durable.  It’s not like someone is going to come along and trip over it and break it.  The cord can stretch a really long way and not get tangled, torn, or cut. 

But this is why I always caution people about learning astral projection.  It’s all about protection.  Protect your body, your cord, and your astral self.  Use white light, golden light, call upon your guides for protection, keep your vibration really high (avoid fear if you can help it) and ask Jesus, other ascended masters, and the angels, and even God to keep you safe while you travel.  It’s kind of like driving in a bad neighborhood at two in the morning with a sign on your car that says, “I have thousands of dollars in cash on me and I’m a wimp.  You could easily rob me.”  Don’t do it.  If you’re going to travel on the astral plane make sure your travel agent is archangel Michael and that he’s booked you in first class all the way!

Q.  Can a demon possess you while you’re astral?

A.  This was certainly my biggest fear when I began.  Read about my first encounter with astral projection to know what happened to me.  You’re probably imagining that if your consciousness is gone, can’t someone else take up residence in your body when you’re not there?  I don’t think it’s that easy, if it’s even possible.  A demon can only possess you if you let it, if you intend for it, if you’re vibrating so low that you easily vacate your body just for some relief from your life.  Like a vampire, you have to invite it in.  Still, there are entities who can suck your life force and drain you pretty good, so you want to avoid them as much as possible, unless you’re Buffy the Astral Demon Slayer.   Again, make with the white light.  It’s your friend.

Q.  What’s this I hear about sex with demons?  Is this even possible and if so, is it a good idea or a bad idea?

A.  Demons vibrate at a level of consciousness that contains a lot of lust.  Astral sex with other astral beings is possible, and the orgasmic feeling is something you will likely never experience while you’re in your body.  But having a sexual union with an entity of a low vibrational frequency is probably not a good idea since you are feeding it some really vital energy when you consent to that.  When it comes to demons, abstinence is your condom.

Q.  Can you get lost and forget how to get back to your body?

A.  No.  It would be like forgetting where you live when you travel outside the country.  You can be delayed from getting back into your body, however, and you can be propositioned by a demon wanting to have a go at you. I’ve gotten back to my body to find a negative being standing there asking me if I was sure I wanted to go back.  After that I started protecting my entire bedroom while astral traveling.  After I did that, they had to hang out outside my window, hoping I’d throw them some energy like I might throw a bone to a dog.  Clearly that was never going to happen.   You can get sidetracked, you can get delayed, but you will always be able to get back into your body if you want to.  Call upon God or an angel to help you if you run into a demon gang.

Summary

Being able to astral project is not a necessary component of living this lifetime, but it is fun and extremely intriguing.  It will help you realize that you are not your body, and that your consciousness lives on after death.  Before you venture into the astral plane, make sure you are protected and vibrating at a high frequency.  Always ask your guides, angels, and God to protect you.  Be safe and have fun out there!

If you have questions on this subject that I didn’t answer, please feel free to bring them up on the forums.  I’ll post the answers there if there are any other questions on this topic.

© 2009 by Erin Pavlina.

Definitions

Lucid dreaming occurs when you are dreaming and are aware that you are in fact dreaming.  Once you become lucid (aware) in your dream, you can control all of the dream characters, albeit with some practice.  You can fly in a lucid dream, go out with Brad Pitt, go hang gliding, or even shape shift into a cat and see what that’s like.  Knock yourself out (you can even do that!).  You’re only limited by your imagination.

Astral projection, or out of body experiences, occur when your soul or consciousness leaves your body and enters a realm known as the astral plane.  This is not the dream plane.  This is an entirely different place, and it’s definitely not Kansas!

Comparison

Let’s compare lucid dreaming and astral projection so that you’ll see how distinctly separate these two experiences are.

In lucid dreaming:

• You are asleep
• Your experience is a dream
• Your location is whereever you wish it to be (desert, ocean, future, past, mom’s house, etc.)
• Your consciousness is still inside your body
• You can control the environment and characters
• When the experience is over, you simply wake up

In astral projection:

• You awaken, then you project
• Your experience is real
• Your experience begins in your bedroom, or wherever your body is
• Your consciousness is outside of your body, and your body is left with none
• You can manipulate your environment in the astral realm (somewhat), but you cannot control the actions of the inhabitants of the astral plane.
• When the experience is over, you return to your body and merge your consciousness back into it

Do you have to know how to lucid dream in order to astral project?

No.  You could potentially learn astral projection without ever learning lucid dreaming.  There are some people who can simply lay down on a couch and in a couple of minutes totally separate out of their body.  It’s difficult, but possible.  The skill of being able to project your consciousness out of your body is something that can be practiced to a point where you could potentially leave your body while dining at a restaurant or sitting in a movie theater.  However, I can definitely say that being an accomplished lucid dreamer will help you learn astral projection.

I recall one experience where I laid down on my bed to take an afternoon nap and immediately, instantly, went out of body.  I literally thought I had died because it was the first time I astral projected from a totally awake, not-coming-out-of-sleep state.  I stood there looking down at my body thinking, “Holy hell-in-a-handbasket, Batman!  What just happened?”  It was trippy and unnerving and I just got right back into my body.  Fear of death will do that to you.

How can we use the skill of lucid dreaming to facilitate an astral experience?

Mastering the art of lucid dreaming comes with a great side effect.  You learn how to wake your mind up while keeping your body asleep.  And that is a skill you need for conscious astral projection.  In order to separate out your consciousness from its shell – your body – you need to learn how to move your consciousness out of your body and into your astral vehicle, as it’s called.  Your astral vehicle is simply your astral body.  Think of it like putting your consciousness into a ghostly body.  It’s not quite that simple, but it will do for now.  So once you’ve become a master at keeping your body asleep while your mind is totally awake and conscious, you’re halfway there.

So how does astral projection take place?

The best and easiest way to learn how to astral project is to learn lucid dreaming first.  Listen to my podcast for tips on how to do that.  What you want to do is end your lucid dream with the intent to astral project.  As you wake up, you’ll notice your body is totally paralyzed for a few moments.  This is to prevent you from acting out your dream.  In this state, you want to raise your vibration (you might hear a high-pitched whine or feel a buzzing in your body), and then stretch your astral body out of your physical body.  It will feel like you’re moving your physical body.  It’s supposed to!!  This is because you are leaving your body – all of you is leaving your body – and so it will feel like you are simply stretching out and standing up.  But when you look down, you’ll see your body still lying on the bed. 

A lot of people make the mistake of thinking they simply cast their awareness outside of their body and experience a dual consciousness, or imagine they are getting up out of their body. No.  When you successfully leave your body, it will feel like all of you is standing up while your body is still lying on your bed.  You will not feel like you’re still lying in bed.  You will not feel like you’re dreaming.  You will literally feel like you got out of bed and are standing beside it.  You will look down at your body and recognize it but you will not feel your arms lying on the covers, you will not feel your head on the pillow.  You will only see it.  You may feel a pull or tug, however.  This is your astral cord trying to get you back into your body where you feel safe, because let me tell you, the first dozen times you go astral you will want to get back into your body right quick!!  Get as far away from your body as fast as you can and the tugging sensation will dissipate rapidly.  When you’re ready to go back to your body, just think about it and your cord will snap you back.  If you get into any trouble out there, call for the angels or your spirit guides to help you.  They’ll get you back where you belong.

Other tidbits you need to know

Sometimes I will be having a lucid dream followed by a false awakening where I will dream that I am astral projecting.  That’s not an astral projection.  Still a dream.  If Brad Pitt shows up in your astral experience, you’re just dreaming.  Sometimes I will actually begin to have an astral experience but not make it fully out of my body.  So frustrating.  If my will is not strong enough to get out of my body, I will often snap into a lucid dream very quickly.  Not astral, but still a cool experience. 

Sometimes people successfully go astral but don’t leave their body!  What a waste of a great experience.  In this case you vibrate your frequency high enough to get out but you don’t actually stretch out of your body and go anywhere.  I’ve done this many, many times.  You are in an astral state, you are plugged in to the astral realm, but you simply aren’t going anywhere.  In this state, you may attract the attention of some entities who may not be very nice, who will come and look at you, or talk to you, or try to suck your energy away.  I wouldn’t let them.  

In still other cases, there are beings who can separate your astral body from your corporeal body for you.  Some of them are nice, and others are not so nice.  If you have friends who are good at astral projection, they can come and encourage you to leave your body.  This is so very tricky and requires some precision timing, but it can be done if you’re all really serious about it.  This is not a service I offer, so please don’t ask.

In summary

I hope I’ve been able to clear up any misconceptions you may have had about how lucid dreaming and astral projection are related.  If you are not an accomplished lucid dreamer, you’ll probably have some trouble with conscious astral projection.  It took me three years of mastering lucid dreaming before I had my first astral projection.  I wrote about that experience in my article, Astral Projection: My first encounter.  Hopefully it will take you less time.

Has anyone had experiences similar to what I’ve described above?  Or has anyone had different experiences?  I’d love to hear about them.

© 2009 by Erin Pavlina.

One night I woke up in my bed in an astral state, separated from my body, and flew out into the living room.  Something was catching my attention.  There was an energy in the room that felt strange.  I floated there, just watching the living room, when all of a sudden I saw a young man phase out of the fireplace.  He looked maybe 18 years old and had a backpack on his back.  He didn’t seem to notice me at all, but I sensed right away that he was a spirit.  He rushed past me, as if he was on his way somewhere in particular.  When he got to the wall he moved right through it.  I had this feeling that maybe I should follow him.

I felt afraid but I was also so curious as to where he was off to in such a hurry and I didn’t want to miss my chance to find out.  I flew into his wake, and immediately wished I hadn’t!  I felt myself moved along on what I can only describe as astral currents.  I concentrated my attention on following him and was only 100 feet behind him as he ascended into the night sky.  There was this incredible sense of speed around me, and I kind of felt like Nemo’s dad when he was in the current with the turtles.  I was just being whooshed along for the ride.

Eventually we landed.  There was this beautiful place with white columns made of a marble-like material but they didn’t attach to anything at the top.  The floor was also this beautiful white marble.  The sky was a beautiful blue, not stars and space.  And there were hundreds of people here, just milling around, looking a little confused in all manner of dress and culture.  I felt a little more corporeal here than I expected to.  In other words, I felt more solid when I got there, not so astral anymore.

I wasn’t sure where I was and I couldn’t see the guy with the backpack anymore, so I went up to one of the people milling around and asked, “Where are we?  What is this place?”  The person replied, “I don’t know yet.  I just got here myself.”

I began to suspect that this was some sort of landing area for recently deceased people.  And I actually became very concerned that perhaps I’d accidently severed my silver cord when I flew into the dead guy’s path.  I wasn’t totally sure I could get back.  Thinking about a friend of mine who had died a few years earlier, I decided to see if I could find her.  I started asking all of the people if they knew her and everyone said no.  I determined that these souls probably wouldn’t know someone who died years earlier.

I decided to just start exploring everything so I could remember as much as possible when (and if) I got back.  I concentrated on raising my vibration, felt myself tingling again, and suddenly I was in a new place.  There were spirits here too and I asked them how to go about finding a particular spirit.  I was told that there were different levels and spirits were divided into levels based on how ascended they were.  They told me that unless I knew exactly where I was going I probably would just end up wandering around.

I decided to raise my vibration as high as I possibly could so that I could see what the “upper” levels looked like.  Next thing I know I am in this amazing place.  There were pools of water, separated in a grid fashion.  I leaned over to look at one of the pools of water and I saw people, on Earth, interacting with each other.  Wow.  I looked at another pool and saw the same thing.  It was like being able to watch what was happening on Earth from the ether (or whereever I was).  Then I wondered about my body and one of the pools shifted so that I was now viewing my body in my bed.  Trippy.  I wondered if it would show me anything I wanted to see.  I started thinking about all kinds of people and it showed me all of them.  I was distracted, playing with these pools, when I hear a woman’s voice say, “Hmm, you’re not supposed to be here.”  She sounded impressed, amused, and a little concerned.  I looked up quickly and saw she was wearing white and gold robes, with brown hair and a bemused expression on her face.  I felt like I got caught with my hand in the cookie jar.  Before I could say a single word, I felt myself being rushed back to my body.  Snap!!  I woke in bed, totally and utterly mystified.

If I had to guess what happened, I’d say I astrally followed a recently deceased spirit on his way back to the ether.  While there, I discovered that you got classified based on your level of ascension.  The female who sent me back I felt was a spirit guide, the caretaker of those pools.  I believe she and others like her used the pools to watch their charges.  Not sure how I knew that, but that’s the sense I got.

I wish I had gotten to spend more time there.  I also wish I had been able to find my friend.  It would have been nice to chat with her there.  I never had an experience like that again.  I think I got really lucky and sort of snuck my way into the ether/Heaven for a few minutes.  It was such an interesting experience.  I’ll never forget that young man with the backpack.  I’m grateful for the experience.

© 2009 by Erin Pavlina.