Critical Film Review of Astral Projection in Insidious
Insidious is one of very few movies to use astral projection as the central theme. Nonetheless, A Nightmare on Elm Street employed an out-of-body experience to astral project the main characters into Freddie’s dream world. What is astral projection? Was astral projection accurately portrayed in Insidious? In this critical review, I will convey astral projection in the Hollywood movie Insidious.
The psychic medium mentioned astral projection as the reason Dalton (young boy) remains in a coma. Dalton is identified as a gifted astral traveler. It is revealed that Dalton’s father (Josh) astral projected as a small boy. There was an old freaky woman that haunted Josh to the point in which it caused him to experience night terrors. What is astral projection?
Astral projection is a process where a person can leave their physical body through the astral body. According to Webster (2009), the astral body is attached to the physical body by way of a “silver cord” (p. 15). The silver cord connects the astral body to the physical body, allowing the astral traveler to have an out-of-body-experience. A person supposedly leaves their physical body through their forehead. In a spiritual sense, the silver cord is full of flowing energy.
Insidious explored astral projection as an evil process. Nonetheless, astral projection is essentially the process to which a person can astral project into the astral plane. The psychic medium conveyed to Josh and Renai that Dalton astral traveled on a number of occasions. Dalton’s astral projection binges exposed his physical body to spirits who crave life. It is common for spirits to want a second chance at life to tell an untold story about their murder or another event. It is possible the person is unaware of their passing into the astral world. Most horror movies such as Stir of Echoes, Sixth Sense, Ghost, and The Grudge adopt the same theme.
Insidious captured the act of astral projection accurately. Josh’s out-of-body-experience is the proper technique to leave the physical body. Thus, Josh could see the psychic medium talk to his physical body in the physical world. Once he enters the astral plane, the fog, dead people, and the past home are plausible events. Webster (2009) identifies the astral plane as “a parallel universe to ours” (p. 17). The astral body leaves the physical body along with the conscious mind.
Most people who experience dreams are considered astral travelers. Josh’s night terrors are attributed to astral travels that expose his physical body to the evil old woman. There are people who astral project to physical places, only to return to their physical body in fear. When they try to enter their body, their physical body becomes paralyzed. The astral body is not set into the physical body yet, so there is a delay in action to join the two bodies together. A person may try to yell to alert their spouse, friend, and or family member, but no words will come out. Therefore, the person begins to panic that they may never return back to their physical body.
Insidious uses psychic medium and masks to open the portal to the astral world. In the physical world, the demon controls Dalton’s physical body like a video game. The writer intended to convey that the demon has complete control over Dalton’s astral body. The demon holds Dalton’s astral body hostage in the ‘Further.” Hence, Dalton’s conscious mind remains in the astral world, while his empty physical body is without a soul to guide him. Astral projection in Insidious is viewed as an evil act with severe consequences.
Nonetheless, astral projection in Insidious is almost similar to mind travel. Webster (2009) indicated that a voice from the opposite sex induces the mind traveler, which is also considered a form of mind projection. In Insidious, the psychic medium induces Josh into a trance to astral travel into the astral world. Therefore, the error in the movie is that astral projection is a self-induced act. Mind travel is an assisted act with another voice aiding the mind traveler to explore the surrounding area or an outside location withing their mind.
The psychic medium guides Josh in the astral world through calming him down and instructing him to maneuver around the dead spirits without showing any fear. Mind travel is similar to astral travel, though the mind wonders instead of the astral body. In Insidious, astral projection is viewed as an assisted technique in the astral world. Mind traveling is used as a preparatory tool to strengthen the mind, thus, enabling an astral traveler to successfully move about the astral world (Webster, 2009). The hypnosis, voice guidance, and countdown are identified as mind-traveling techniques. Hence, a person must have a strong mind to astral project.
Can astral projection lead to possession? There is no obvious proof that astral projection opens the physical body to evil spirits and demons. The physical body and mind are always open to possession at any moment in time. Webster (2009) indicates that one needs not to worry about possession or fear death in the astral world. A person is capable of astral projecting to any place they prefer. There are no limits to astral travel in the astral world. In Insidious, the astral travelers entered the dark astral world to which Josh experienced past night terrors that traumatized him as a child. In the astral world, Josh’s astral experiences are accurately portrayed, especially since his fear is reminiscent of his past.
Astral projection is revealed in the midpoint of the movie. This is no reference to astral projection at the beginning of the movie. Dalton’s brother mentioned being afraid of Dalton because his brother walks around at night. Dalton’s super strength ability demonstrates the possession state rather than the astral projection theme. In most possession movies, the possessed entity can throw people across the room with ease. The drawings show astral travel methods, revealing that Dalton’s astral body hovers over his physical body. People have no limits in the astral world.
According to Webster (2009), people shouldn’t travel for selfish reasons to watch another for their personal gain; however, caution must be exercised to do the right thing. A person can astral travel to any place, but the inexperienced astral traveler may find fear waking up during the process of astral projection. The psychic medium and Renai avoided waking up Josh while his astral body maneuvered in the astral world. Webster (2009) warns astral travelers to prevent astral projection in lighting storms and hot inclement weather. Astral traveling is conveyed as a spiritual process that can be compromised with an over abundance of energy.
Astral projection in Insidious is accurately portrayed. Josh’s fears as a child are triggered in the astral plane. His subconscious mind replays the horrors of his past, showing the effects of the traumatizing events through suppressing the dark region of his mind. Therefore, the probable fear completes the old woman's soul transformation.
In Insidious, astral projection is merely an act of leaving the physical body to move about the astral world via the astral body and or astral form. Nevertheless, the Further is identified as a dark realm that is depicted as the realm between heaven and hell. Josh’s astral world is viewed from within his mind, which his childhood astral travels managed to weaken. Insidious conveyed mind travel techniques to astral project Josh into the astral plane.
Insidious portrayed astral projection as an evil act that could open the physical body to possession. Despire the evil connotation of astral projection, astral travel is considered safe when astral projecting with a strong mind to control the astral body in the astral world. Many people believe that astral projection is an figment of one’s imagination; however, astral projection is as real as ghosts and Aliens. Whereas there is rejection to believe astral projection is possible, there are many people that have gone through near-death experiences to which they astral project into another world beyond the traditional the astral plane.
Essentially, Insidious initiates mind travel techniques (trance, countdown, and opposite sex voice guidance) to astral project Josh into the astral world, demonstrating there are some inconsistencies with astral projection that can be addressed in critical film analysis papers on the Insidious film and its connection with astral travel.
Refernces
Webster, R. (2009). Astral Travel: For Beginners; Transscend Time and Space with Out-of-Body-Experiences. Woodbury, Minnesota: Llewellyn.
