Perhaps, dear friend, I will disappoint you now – I am not going to go into detail here regarding the nature of this phenomenon. Know why? I’m not quite sure what it is. My competency lies in how to master the astral plane, as well as how to control it and use it, but I have nothing but my own personal views on the nature of the phenomenon itself. I could give voice to my opinions, were it not for one thing: my views have been turned inside-out at least once. Perhaps they will change again in the future. I do know that when there is little practical experience on the table, there’s nothing left to do but discuss theories. That’s why there are a mass of authors out there who are at a primitive level in their own personal practice, and yet devote 90% of their books to waxing philosophic about what the phenomenon is. I’m not going to do that. Space is at a premium in this book. There is no room for discussing theories any further.

There are several fundamental points of view, and over the course of the book, you’ll learn which camp I belong to – though this has not the slightest importance. No matter what anyone may or may not think about the phenomenon, there’s one thing that brings everyone to the table: the practice of it. The unique thing about the astral plane consists of just that: it brings both true-believer mystics and hard-core materialists together under its roof, including those who do not even believe in the human soul. Isn’t that something that we have only been able to dream of up until now?

And so what are the most-widespread views on the phenomenon? The most ancient view, often correlated with the concept of an "astral plane", is that the soul travels through some parallel world, a spirit world. A more modern view that is associated more with the term "out-of-body travel" is that the souls exits the body into the day-to-day world of reality. By the way, you will simply have no doubt that you are in the astral plane when you experience it for the first time. This is the most accurate description of the sensation of the experience, which is why I myself use that term as often as not.

Meanwhile, the point of view that is gaining the most currency is that this is a hyper-realistic state of mind, a kind of dissociative experience. That is, despite the miraculous realism and complexity of the construct world that you find yourself in, it is all only in your head and goes no further than that. It should also be mentioned that most people doubt all of these explanations. In practice, it appears that most people ascribe different astral travel experiences to different phenomena, based on one factor or another. However, no matter what the term, the properties of the worlds experienced are always the same – believe me, my friend.

Whatever the nature of this state, it exists, is accessible to all, and has practical applications – and all this is encompassed by the term "astral travel".

Either way, friend, under no circumstances make the same mistake that I and thousands of others made: drawing conclusions from personal conjecture, books, or what other people say. Draw conclusions about the nature of the phenomenon only on the basis of your own practical experience. This is the one and only authority worth placing faith in. You shouldn’t even believe a single word I write. This book is for reference only. Reality is what you confirm in practice, are able to replicate, and verify through experiment. And only that.

If you do not have practical experience, and have merely heard or read a lot about the phenomenon, then I have something unpleasant to tell you: almost everything that you think about it has no bearing on reality. You know, I often meet people along my life path that try to prove that I’m wrong about something. They vehemently try to prove something to me – a person who has devoted his whole life since childhood to the phenomenon, who has had thousands upon thousands of experiences with it, who has conducted scores of experiments, and knows a whole army of practitioners, as well as taught it to a countless number of students. But when I ask them where they got all of their information from and how extensive their personal experience is, it nearly always turns out that they got everything from some books, and have yet to have an experience themselves. Odd, isn’t it?

This is the most undesirable of all possible scenarios, and one should use all available means to try to avoid it. A practitioner inadvertently coming across a deceased person in this form may simply never want to repeat the experience again. However, such incidents are caused exclusively by incorrect implementation of techniques.

Corpse syndrome in a deceased person in the astral plane means exactly what the name implies. After performing the technique for achieving contact, the practitioner finds himself face-to-face with a corpse. This experience is most terrible if the subject died in an accident from serious injuries.

Corpse syndrome can be classified into two main types. The first one, ordinary corpse syndrome, includes when a person is in an immobilized state, perhaps in a coffin. The second one, living corpse syndrome, includes when the subject appears to be dead (postmortem lividity, a cold body, no pulse, no breathing, or even autopsy stitches), but can nonetheless move about normally and communicate.

Immediately upon performing the technique for achieving contact and realizing that just such a situation has occurred, the practitioner is advised to exit the situation immediately, as it could have very unfortunate consequences. However, it should not be assumed that all further attempts to interact with the deceased in the astral plane will bring the same result. Such apprehension may be dispelled by achieving contact once again, even right away, without first returning to reality.

If the practitioner nevertheless decides to continue interacting with a subject who appears as a corpse, then he must do so as carefully as possible, trying not to focus his attention on the subject’s condition.

It should be noted that all of these reservations mainly relate to meetings with deceased relatives. Some practitioners are known to deliberately seek out corpses there, just out of curiosity. There’s no point in speculating as to whether or not this is right. Either way, such a possibility exits and may be useful for those struggling with a fear of the dead.

I’ve spoken more than once about the complete realism of the experience, and repeatedly emphasized that aspect because it’s the most important characteristic of the astral plane experience. It’s worth paying especially close attention to this, as most people mistakenly assume that sensations in the astral plane are not vivid, and often assume it to be something like a normal dream. Such assumptions are evidently wrong and fertile ground for erroneous beliefs, which in turn influence how the general public perceives the whole topic. In this section of the book, I will describe all the minute details of how might one might feel while in the astral plane.

All misconceptions about the nature of the phenomenon arising among people who unexpectedly experience a separation of the mind from the body are mainly due to the complete realism of the experience, down to the minutest detail. If you unexpectedly start suddenly levitating into the air and find yourself hovering under the ceiling, and it’s the first time that it has happened to you, then you are bound to be convinced that it’s your real body that is flying, and not all some phantom experience. And once you look down to see for yourself the undisturbed position of your physical body, you will be in no doubt that your mind has really separated from your body, and it may seem to you that death is coming for you at that very moment, causing you to become morbidly afraid.

And so, the most important feature here is the complete lack of a connection to the real body and all of its sensations. While in the astral plane, you can only conjecture as to the existence of a physical body lying somewhere on the bed. You don’t feel which side it’s lying on, how the arms and legs are positioned, or whether the lights are on or off. Moreover, you don’t have any feel for your body’s spatial orientation. However, there’s no need to worry about the possibility of any harm coming to your body when in such a state. That would be impossible.

It is also mistaken to believe that the realism of the experience consists only in the realism of the visual imagery – even though sight is the most important of the senses.

During everyday life, we obtain 80 to 90 percent of information about the world around us through the eyes. Even during conversation, we use our eyes to decode the real meaning being put across, taking in the nonverbal gestures that contain 40% of the information being conveyed. We often do this at the subconscious level without realizing it, which is why many are surprised by the statistics. The sense of sight plays an equally significant role in the astral plane. It’s the most important and vivid part of the experience. The visual imagery is so realistic that it’s impossible to grow accustomed to, and it initially leads to extraordinary rapture, and even to frenzy or shock. I’ve had thousands of experiences, but still often just visually take in what’s going on around me, often unable to believe my eyes.

It’s worth mentioning up front that all of the sensations of the astral plane experience are not only like those in the physical world, but are to a certain degree even more realistic in terms of sensory perception. At any rate, this is what is to be expected if we consider the phenomenon from a scientific point of view, as it turns out that all of the astral plane sensations are generated directly in the brain cortex, without having to travel the relatively long path along the nerves from the sensory receptors, a process that somewhat distorts reality during our day-to-day lives. It can be said that sensations in the astral plane are even more vivid than their waking life counterparts. They are more distinct and more intense, and can thus deliver extraordinary satisfaction, and this makes it possible to experience some events quite vividly – especially when it comes to pleasure, or even real pain. This applies equally to all of the five senses.

Considering the above, the sense of sight alone can bring complete satisfaction in the astral plane. The importance of this for the blind cannot be overemphasized. Not only is the vividness of the imagery striking, but so is its fine detail. This is not some computer game in which objects become boxy upon close inspection, and literally pixelated. There you can take any object, bring it up to your eyes, and see every detail, even those impossible to bring into focus in the real world. It may seem fantastic, but it’s possible to go up to any bookshelf, pick up any book, and start reading it, or, for that matter, take a look at the skin cells of your own hand. It’s wonderful to experience the fabulous range of visible colors, including hues we can’t even dream of during waking life. There’s no limit to the focal range of vision there – this is confirmed each and every time. And you, my friend, will experience this many times over.

The sensation of movement is very important for those who want to practice the astral plane, as it is one of the most effective aspects of what can be accomplished there. Indeed, where else can you get ready to jump from a thirty-story building without a parachute and in doing so experience real unexpected fear – and then overcome that fear and do it anyway? That’s how real the experience is. Each time you walk in the astral plane, fly in it, or fall in it, everything is exactly as it would be in the physical world… As is customarily said, man would like to learn to fly almost more than anything else in the world. None of us are immune to this age-old desire, and are always delighted when we are able to fly in our dreams. And in the astral plane, this experience is many times more realistic… So there’s no reason to be surprised that simply moving through the air brings satisfaction, especially as the laws of gravity impose no limitation there. You can fly at the speed of light, switch directions in the blink of an eye, and experience the G-force – all of which are practically impossible in real life.

We shouldn’t overlook the sense of taste in our discussion of the realism of sensations in the astral plane. For people keeping bland diets due to financial or health reasons, this part of the chapter will be of great importance. I can speak to this from my own experience: I have experienced hunger due to both of the above-mentioned reasons. I know quite well from childhood what the difference is between tasty and tasteless food, as well as a complete lack of either. That’s why the ability to satisfy food cravings in the astral plane is still a big deal for me. Of course, it’s more of a psychological craving. How wonderful it is to enjoy tasty food at least once in a while when on a diet! With experience, you can learn to make up a menu with any ingredients that your heart desires.

In the astral plane, all sensations are both possible and realistically experienced, even those that cannot be had in reality. The sensation of pain is no exception. However, pain is an undesirable experience for most. It arises only upon a practitioner’s carelessness or inexperience, as all sensations are controllable in the astral plane.

Tactile sensations and feelings of pleasure deserve special mention. For some, they may be the most important aspects of the astral plane experience. As a case in point, if you decide to touch a tree in the astral plane, you will feel all of the texture of its bark, its temperature, and its solidity. The sensation another person’s touch is also quite convincing … Even more, you can indulge in any pleasure with all of its accompanying sensations, which will in turn lead to their logical end. Moreover, such sensations can be even more powerful than in real life, often many times more so. Moreover, the choice of partners is yours, and limited only by your desire…

My intention is only to show you that all sensations in the astral plane are just the same as their real-life counterparts, and even more intense. And that only concerns sensations that you’re used to experiencing in the real world. Meanwhile, a vast number of other sensations are possible. For example, have you ever thought of how a dragonfly feels its own wings and controls them?

The goal of this book is not simply to give certain individuals a new practice for their repertoire. The goal of this book is to open the eyes of everyone who reads it to the reality that the world is many times broader than it may seem. Friend, we’re talking about you. You are able to do much more than you think. Once you understand this and experience this, your world will change. You’ll become different. There will be a fundamental change in how you relate to the world. I’m not afraid to say it: you’ll be born anew. Your life will become happier and richer in every respect.

Now let’s imagine what it will be like when there will be many people like you. And then more. And even more. The world-wide propagation of the practice of astral travel states will hail a singular revolution in human consciousness. We’re not only talking about the maddeningly-vast practical applications. We’re not only talking about how incredible this experience is in and of itself. To a greater extent, we’re talking about the evolution of thought and human consciousness. It will be no laughing matter when each of us comes to understand that there is a world of normal physical reality, with its own rules and limitations, and yet also there is another world, with completely different rules, limitless and offering incredible possibilities. And, it’s accessible each and every day, and it can be used to obtain everything that is lacking in the here and now! When everyone, not just you and I, come to know this, life will become easier, more pleasant, and much more interesting.

Not a bad dream, is it? Start with yourself and the world will become like that, friend.

That will be the evolution – the transformation of conscious awareness to another level of perception, and even being! We’ve become so accustomed to simply talking and dreaming about it, but here it is, right in front of us. Just take it and learn it.

Not only that, the evolution itself, at least as far as it concerns the propagation of astral travel states, is a totally inescapable event. With our culture and mode of existence, it’s as if we have occupied a single basin in an endless valley, built a dike around it, and lived quietly thereafter. But a stream of endless development has started to fill the entire space of our isolated basin. And the moment has come when the water has simply gushed over the side of the dike and into that immense expanse beyond it. That expanse is the astral plane, which has only one limitation – your desire. And we cannot but be swept up into it. We’ve simply no other frontier for development.

As amazing as it may be, independent practice, which is dealt with by the book that you are holding in your hands, is but the first link in a more global development. Conscious awareness will be followed into the astral plane by technologies. They will master this phenomenon and the world will behold the appearance of the Mindnet – the very Matrix itself. The foundation is already laid – the astral plane space, and the very existence of the phenomenon. In fact, you can already plug yourself into there, and already experience the incredible future.

"Where has the astral plane been all this time?" – you ask. "Why have people not been interested in this phenomenon, if even under its many different names?" The answer is simple. It has been obscure to the average person, and the relevant technique-based technologies have not been available until now. The stranglehold of occult terminology has been a barrier to the phenomenon reaching the general public. The approach that you will find in this book is so universal that it will bring those very occultists to the table with absolute materialists. It now no longer matters which world-view you profess. All that matters is practical experience, which, unlike theory, is indisputable. And this practice is like the magic that we all stopped believing in when we grew up. But the magic is real. Here it is.

All who have experienced the astral plane state in its deepened form unambiguously assert that it has been the most powerful experience in their lives. There’s nothing to compare it to.

You don’t have to walk far to find it, my friend. Take me for example. Do you know why I’ve devoted my whole life to this phenomenon after having encountered it in a totally accidental way while still an adolescent? Because I simply recognized that this is the most incredible thing that there is. Simply put, I’ve never encountered nor experienced anything more interesting or extraordinary in my life. Nothing else is so emotionally meaningful or offers so many incredible opportunities in the practical realm. Believe me, I’ve no desire to make a fool of myself. I only engage in what brings me pleasure and satisfaction. And I’ve never encountered anything better or more intense than this in all my life. You’ll soon understand what I’m talking about…

Humanity expects the next scheduled end of the world in 2012. We’ve simply got a habit of doing so. A characteristic of human thought. There hasn’t been a year over the last century for which somebody somewhere hasn’t predicted the end of the world. But now there are far more reasons than ever to do so.

Having monitored the speed at which a secular approach to the practice of separating the conscious awareness from the body is becoming widespread, I can precisely state that this very phenomenon will be the cause of the end of the old epoch and the start of a new era of human existence. There are several reasons for this, all of them difficult even for a stubborn materialist to dispute (in fact, I am a stubborn materialist myself).

First of all, that very same secular, technical, and pragmatic approach to this long-known phenomenon has put it within reach both intellectually and in practice for absolutely each and every person. Naturally, esoterics have always been interested in it. But now more people are becoming interested in it who not only do not believe in God, but who even do not especially believe in the existence of the soul. This is even though beforehand they considered all of this to be nonsense, and labeled people who indulged in it as crackpots. But something beneficial is to be found for everyone in the phenomenon. All of these factors combined make the astral plane’s propagation on a planetary scale merely a question of time. And a short period of time at that. The breakthrough is due right for 2012.

The second reason is that in addition to its global propagation, this phenomenon brings with it a principally new form of existence. We’ve gotten used to living in just one flat world. And it now turns out that that flat world is just a small cross-section of what we are capable of experiencing, and the most limited one at that. This is not the type of empty conjecture that I myself cannot stand. This is real, and, most importantly, within the reach of each and every practitioner, as proven by countless ordinary people. Now everyone will know the world in a completely different way. Everyone will live in two worlds – something we could only have dreamed of earlier. And once this happens for everyone, it will be a revolutionarily new epoch of existence, reverberating on all the hypostases of the physical and parallel world.

Dear friend, it would be possible to discuss at great length why the topic of transformation to a new level of existence in 2012 is directly tied to the practice of the astral plane. But that would be superfluous. In a short amount of time, you will not only understand the astral plane, but also take the step yourself into the new era. Perhaps that step is a bit unexpected, as everyone thinks that this leap will happen by itself. As it turns out, however, it’s necessary to put in some effort. Well that’s reality. Of course, it’s up to you to decide whether or not to remain in the old world, or become a member of the new civilization. However, I must say that I cannot imagine how you would be able to resist such a temptation. We’ve all been waiting for this all of our lives. It only remains to take that step forward.

And here I have good news to raise your spirits: this phenomenon is within everyone’s reach. Yes, it’s easier for some and more difficult for others. But it can be achieved by each and every person, without exception. It is simply necessary to perform the right techniques at the right moment.

I didn’t put accessibility in the same section as types of techniques on a whim. The point is that the use of the wrong techniques at the wrong time has made this phenomenon such a rarity that many don’t even believe in it. To put it roughly, people have been trying to get into the next-door room by banging their head against the wall. For some people that wall was paper thin, and some had foreheads of steel, but the vast majority have been wasting their time and energy. And all the while, they could have simply opened the unlocked door and just gone inside… It is mainly the knowledge itself that such a door exists that has unbound those age-old shackles on this practice and made it known worldwide.

However, I’d like to state upfront what this book will be dealing with: autonomous techniques – that is no external influences will be discussed. Special devices, pills, and work in pairs – not to mention peyote, magic-mushrooms or drugs – are all out the window. I believe that growth occurs only when you do everything yourself. Moreover, no matter what the producers of all kinds of beeping devices may try to hard-sell, I’ve never met a single serious practitioner who would use such external devices. While chemical substances may allow one to experience vaguely similar sensations, as a rule they offer no control over the experience. Moreover, they’re simply bad for you.

And so, friend, what will we be discussing? We’ll be investigating the three primary types of astral travel entrance techniques: indirect techniques, becoming conscious while dreaming, and direct techniques.

Indirect techniques are actions performed while waking up, immediately upon gaining consciousness. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve slept before employing them, be it an hour, all night, or five minutes. The most important thing is that you’ve already woken up and immediately started doing cycles of indirect techniques. These are the easiest techniques and the ones that are most likely to work. This is that very door to the other room.

Many associate dream conscious with a completely different practice, but actually it’s still entering the astral plane, albeit not through the conscious state, but through the process of dreaming. The mechanism at work is that while sleeping, you suddenly clearly understand that everything going around you is merely a dream, and your conscious awareness becomes the same as it is now: fully and lucidly aware. These indirect techniques may not be the most controllable, but they are accessible and easy to employ.

Meanwhile, reliance on direct techniques is exactly what made the phenomenon inaccessible for such a long time. People have simply been banging their heads against the wall by trying to exit the body using direct techniques. Direct techniques are based on entering the astral plane from full wakefulness, and not from interrupting the process of falling asleep. That is, a practitioner lies down and immediately starts performing actions in order to enter the astral plane. It is ill-advised for novices to start from such techniques – it’s a road to spending tons of time and effort without achieving anything. And if anything is achieved, it is achieved rarely, only once every couple of months. These techniques need be approached only after having mastered the indirect techniques. Friend, when I said that people have long been trying to enter a neighboring room by banging their heads against a wall, I had just these direct techniques in mind.

Case Studies

February 2001

I awoke at night and thought of the astral plane. That thought evoked strong excitation bordering on fear, thanks to which I fell right into the astral plane. I began experimenting with vibrations, but was still afraid to separate. The vibrations gradually became so powerful that they simply threw me out of my body. After having overcome my fear with great difficulty, I then floated about the room. As my sight returned, night turned to day. I then came back down and stood on the floor, extremely frightened by the realness of everything going on.

However, there was a table at the window of the room that shouldn’t have been there. But I didn’t even stop to think about that, as I was nevertheless still in shock over what was going on. Concentrating on the situation at hand, I noticed a glass with some kind of liquid in it on the table. I got the idea of testing out how real the sense of taste would be. Still totally surprised by the realness of everything, I went up to the table, picked up the glass, and held it up to my eyes in order to get a better look at it. I then hesitantly brought it to my lips, and took a sip. My God! I didn’t expect it to be that realistic. It was a glass of tomato juice. I could feel its texture with my lips, tongue, and palate. By the time it hit my throat, I was already savoring the taste. I felt the cold from the glass on my hands and lips – everything was indistinguishable from real life.

Relishing both the taste of the juice and my triumph in entering the astral plane, I quietly thought about the new frontiers opening up before me while quenching my thirst. However, I completely forgot about the need for concentration, and had a foul. I was in a great mood all the next day after having discovered this experience.