What is the difference between an OBE and Astral Projection?

Researchers studied the out of body experience, indicating in their substantial findings that 5 percent to 35 percent of the U.S. population have claimed to experience an OBE (Laberge & Levitan, 1991). Having an OBE is more common than most people presume them to be. The recent astral horror Insidious increased awareness about astral projection and the out of body experience associated with astral form leaving the physical body.

An OBE and astral projection are similar processes involving leaving the physical body through an astral form. According to Levitan & Laberge (1991), their OBE findings point to the high energy involved when "the human consciousness separating from the human body and traveling in a discorprorate form in the physical world" enable a person to move freely outside of their body through an astral form.

On the opposing side, astral projection is done through meditation, mind techniques, lucid dreaming, hypnotism, and using various methods. Webster (2009) shared that astral traveling the first time is an amazing process unlike another other. He recommends that new astral travelers are to remain in a close proximity to their physical body. Astral projection can take a person on many astral travels in the astral world. You can move into the subplanes to experience enlightenment; therefore, broadening your spiritual representation in your space.

We like think that astral projection and the OBE process as two peas in a pod. Out of body experiences can occur in an operating room, during an illness, in conjunction with a near death experience, and also as controlled state of being resulting from leaving the physical body via the astral form.

The OBE is portrayed in the astral horror A Nightmare on Elm Street movie. The main characters are capable of leaving their physical body to move about the dream space. However, Nancy (Heather Langenkamp) learns to induce an OBE to move on the astral plane. Webster (2009) describes the astral plane as "a parallel world on a higher vibrational level" (p. 214). Nancy transcended time and space to move about the astral plane in her home, though her physical form remained in a sleeping state.

Those of you familiar with Heather Langenkamp's past work, she also starred in Shocker. The astral horror Shocker is another Wes Craven movie about astral projection/astral travel. We see the serial killer moving in the physical world through an energy form. Some may suggest the serial killer is clearly an astral form capable of possessing any physical body.

Even so, this serial killer is none other than our favorite Assistant Director, Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi) in the X-Files television show. Surely enough, there are many astral projection moments in the past hit television show. Heather played a small role in Shocker. However, her A Nightmare on Elm Street roles mastered the OBE perfectly. We will always remember the out-of-body experience as a defining moment in horror movies.   

Webster (2009) indicates that astral projection occurs when a person has "the ability to project or remove the astral body from the physical body, and use it to travel on the astral plane" (p. 215). Astral projection is merely a controlled act to astral project the astral body outside of the physical body. We tend to hear astral travel as another term that identifies traveling along the astral plane in the astral body. Astral project is another reference to astral projection, both imitating the actions of another like a doppelganger and or an astral double.

Astral projection and the OBE are similar as well as different in many ways. The two experiences are capable of helping a person to reach a mode of astral travel in the astral planes and in the subplanes. When an astral traveler reaches an advanced OBE and astral projection stage, then the subplanes represent another journey beyond the physical state of existence. Webster (2009) depicts the seven subplanes as what moviegoers experienced in Insidious:

1. The Astral Cemetery
2. The Astral Shell
3. The Astral Hell
4. Sleep Regions
5. The Intellectual Plane
6. The Heroic Plane
7. The Mystical Plane (p. 214). 

We can identify the subplanes as the "Further" or the layers form the astral plane. An astral traveler can reach the subplanes through astral projection and astral travel. Insidious portrays The Astral Hell, a dark evil astral plane populated with astral beings. The astral being is an evil being that has committed many sins, mostly resulting in killing, raping, and harming people while in the physical world.

The next time you induce an OBE or astral project, pay attention the feeling of both actions. Astral projection can take you on astral travels through time and space. An OBE also enables a person to move about the astral plane in their astral body. Both experiences are rather interesting; however, structured research studies mostly cover the OBE, lucid dreaming and sleep paralysis as possible in the physical world. If you experience sleep paralysis, then you are close to reaching an OBE or taking your travels up a notch to astral project to the astral plane.              

   

References

Webster, R. (2009). Astral Travel for Beginners. Woodbury, Minnesota: Llewellyn Publications.

LaBerge, S. & Levitan, L. (1991). Out-of-Body Experiences and Lucid Dreams. The Lucidity Institute. Retrieved September 6, 2011, from http://www.lucidity.com/NL32.OBEandLD.html

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