Even before writing my first book, that is up through the age of 20, I tried teaching the astral plane to people. But I never thought that I would come to get seriously involved in it. When my first book was published, I instantly obtained a large number of fans and followers, some of whom flooded me with requests for personal instruction. I was literally stalked to that end.

Often those followers were several times older than I was, hardly suspecting that they yearned to learn from a youth. That’s why I decided not to deal with giving lessons for a long time. Moreover, people harbor many preconceived notions and stereotypes, which is why my outside accomplishments in the world of sports went against me for quite a while. The prospect of a sportsman’s intellect does not evoke confidence or respect. I must admit that I more than once came to the conclusion that such a view is founded while participating in the sports world. However, the desire to be in top physical shape can also be seen as indicator of a person’s all-around level of personal development and maturity. And so, your body should be fit for anything, both here and in the astral plane world, and also look great.

To put it simply, several years back I still had my own long-held views on life, and the practice of the astral plane was my life’s crowning achievement. But then everything changed quite suddenly. One day, I took a look at my mail and my attention was grabbed by the fact that the issue of whether or not I gave lessons came in nearly every day from all corners of the planet. And so, at the age of 24 I decided to try and hold my first lessons, taking responsibility for the outcome upon myself. I must add that I was among the first to start concentrating on results, rather than interesting conversation on such an enchanting phenomenon.

I started out by running two-month courses. 90% of the students entered the astral plane at least once over the course of two months, and some even managed to get really good at it. Considering that some do not believe in this phenomenon at all, and that some are accustomed to believing that learning something like this takes years, this seemed to me to be quite a substantial result, and inspired me even more. This proved that the technique-based technologies I had developed while still a teenager worked not only on me, but on everyone! It was one thing to know that people were learning from the books, and quite another to see their success with my own eyes. In addition, it was very rewarding to share in the joy of pupils who had achieved what they could have only dreamed of before: the ability to travel to another world, whatever be its nature.

The effectiveness of the courses gradually increased, and my lessons became very popular after about half a year. The Moscow seminars took place once a month, but enrollment would fill-up after only two to three weeks, as there were many people interested in attending – people who had heard that it was possible to obtain real experience, and in a sufficiently short period of time at that.

Things would start to get really interesting two years later. I came to the realization that teaching people was a great basis for conducting scientific research. I obtained an incredible amount of information. During the seminars, I ran constant experiments with techniques in search of the best ones. As a result, the lessons have taken on the form of three-day seminars, during which up to 80% of participants enter the astral plane! Friend, that was no misprint or marketing pitch. There are masses of witnesses. Such results sent me into shock. They were more than I had ever dreamed of, and I had never thought that anything like that was possible. As strange as it may sound, if only half of the group enter the astral plane after just two days, I begin to worry.

It became the norm that half of the group would come in on the day after the first lesson and report that they had flown out of their bodies from one to several times, rolled out of them, or become conscious while dreaming. Meanwhile, the majority of those people initially believed that the entire undertaking was complete fantasy and that there was no such thing as out-of-body travel! It’s simple: if you are not successful, it means that you are doing something wrong. This is the fundamental rule that allows such results to be achieved.

Don’t worry, friend, it’s not necessary at all for you to go to my School in order to have access to the best techniques and technologies. They’re all in this book. Simply attentively complete what is proscribed in the chapters on techniques.

Case Studies

December 2008

I woke up during a daytime nap. While still in a drowsy state, I tried to roll out of my body and fly up into the air, but nothing happened. However, I felt that I was in a state very close to that of the astral plane. I tried forced falling asleep, and then felt lapses of consciousness, during which images flickered before my eyes. A few seconds later, I decided to try separating from my body again. Meanwhile, I knew that if that didn’t work, I could switch to observing images, as they were already there. However, that turned out not to be necessary, as I was easily able to simply get up out of my body. My vision immediately came to me. I was quickly able to make the state that I was in extremely realistic by palpating and peering at objects around me. I also managed to quickly palpate my body, all the while creating and amplifying vibrations in order to cement myself in a deep astral travel.

While I had a clearly-formulated plan of action regarding studying the astral plane, I had already re-thrashed its details several times that week. At that moment, I really just wanted to use the astral plane for my own personal enjoyment, and do something I was looking forward to for a while. At one of my seminars about a week before, I had told my students about how it was possible to go for a walk among dinosaurs. A desire to do so now burned within me, as I had not done anything of the sort for a long time. So I scrapped my previous plan of action, closed my eyes, and concentrated my attention on the Tyrannosaurus rex. I then felt the sensation of movement. The translocation took longer than usual. This was normal for such a situation, because it was simply psychologically difficult to believe one would see dinosaurs, even though I had succeeded in doing so many times before. The rational brain tends to have difficulties with things like encountering dinosaurs.

I nevertheless managed to get myself together and concentrate my attention. Then, I landed on something soft. It was a patch of moss in the forest. I began to scrutinize the moss and palpate it with my hands. Vision almost immediately came to me, and became incredibly sharp. I crouched on all fours and stared for a while at everything right in front of me – mainly small twigs of various shapes and decayed leaves. There were also all kinds of insects crawling around.

I then focused my attention on my own feelings and perceptions. I was still wearing the same t-shirt and shorts that I had fallen asleep in. My body itself seemed unusually pale. However, I was most surprised at how hard it was to breathe. Not only was the air saturated with indescribably-repugnant odors, it also turned out to be quite hot and humid. Trying to breathe in only through my nose made me dizzy. Meanwhile, the air was so hot that breathing in through my mouth hurt my throat. In the end, I decided to breathe in through my mouth, and was able to banish the pain.

I turned my attention to my surroundings. There was forest all around. Very little sun made it through the canopy. The trees were very tall, and had long straight trunks. There were plants all around that looked like ferns, but they were nearly my height. I had found myself in a small clearing without trees. The whole place was filled with sounds that were unnatural for a forest. Instead of birds chirping, I heard whistling and croaking. I heard roaring from time to time coming from somewhere in the distance. I kept hearing crackling and then something crashing to the ground. I could hear a lot of rustling and dull thuds coming from somewhere behind the bushes about thirty yards away from me. I immediately understood that that’s where my objective was.

By the time I decided to head for my dinosaur, I was already itching from constant attacks by exotic insects of all colors and sizes, both terrestrial and airborne. While heading for the target, I all the while scrutinized my arms and the leaves that I had ripped off with my hands. I intentionally made right for the tree trunks ahead. I kept special tabs on the hyper-realism of the experience, as this was the most important factor here. The vibrations didn’t die down one bit, as I constantly kept them going right from the start.

I went up to the bushes and cautiously peered through them. There was a stream flanked by a muddy bank, from which an enormous patch of horsetail shot up. My objective was wading right in the middle of the stream, I almost shouted out in ecstasy at the sight of it. I kept quiet only out of a desire to not attract its attention. That could have ruined everything. I tried to avoid drawing its attention not so much because I was somewhat afraid, but more out of a desire to simply watch this magnificent creature from the side, and feast my eyes on its beauty.

I had already seen a T. rex at least five times before, but this one was much larger than all of the previous ones. Even the the color of its skin was different – slightly darker and with fewer spots. For some reason, this one seemed to be a female. The giant paused at some point, apparently reacting to me. I immediately returned my attention to peering at the leaves and the insects on them, so as not to interfere in the situation with the dinosaur, and also remain in a deep astral travel.

I was quite afraid that this astral travel might not be sufficient for more sensations – and so instead of sticking it out, I quickly ran up behind the T. rex. It immediately turned in my direction, but I concentrated as much as I could on the thought that it would see me as a friend and not a foe. Risking the astral plane, I even stopped in order to program the situation. Its huge head looked at me for several more seconds, and then calmly bent down. It seems that it had a victim there.

I ran up to its massive tail. I quickly peered at it up close, and then moved to its face. I was meanwhile in a panic over the astral plane and its depth, and so made great effort to amplify the vibrations I was feeling. Also, I petted the reptile the whole time, for now moving my hands down its side, and stepping into the cool water up to my ankles. Everything was already so extraordinary, and I didn’t want to be ejected into reality by making a stupid move. Fear of the monster had already completely subsided, but I started to grow a little concerned over the great depth of this astral travel. The unwholesome idea of staying there forever suddenly came over me. However, the instinct of self-preservation kept me to my senses.

Pulling up the reptile’s massive and muscular frame, I got up to the front of it. I had not seen tyrannosauruses up so close that often before, so I was a bit amused by how helplessness its forearms appeared, almost like puny unwebbed flippers ( Tyrannosauruses only have two clawed limbs). They are generally considered to be vestigial, but this reptile was clearly using them to help itself to the carcass of another big lizard, holding it up. In turn, the prey seemed to be quite ugly and bony. Its innards were hanging out of the large jaws of the dining reptile. I squatted down just a yard away from the dinosaur’s muzzle and watched the scene. It didn’t pay me any attention, even when I grabbed the gnarled leg of its victim (it looked like a chicken-leg, but a hundred times larger), and threw it aside. The T. Rex, still ignoring me, raised its head and went straight for the delicacy. Its movement seemed to require a lot of effort, and all the muscles of its haunches simply pushed forward when exerted. I could see that the beast was incredibly strong.

After going halfway towards its prize and scanning its surroundings, the lizard turned again to the carcass. It began to go at it again. I had already made up my mind to feed him by hand, but then some kind of alarm went off. Quickly realizing that it was coming from outside the window in the physical world, I immediately dunked my head underwater in order to get rid of that sound by programming the qualities of the space around. It was indeed quieter underwater, but the alarm was still audible. While observing the pebbles at the bottom of the clear water, I plugged my ears with my fingers. The sound became even quieter. Employing the straining the brain technique made the vibrations still stronger, creating a noise that I began to listen in to. The alarm sound went away. I surfaced, took my fingers out of my ears, and then it occurred to me that it could have been a car alarm. “And what if that was from my car?” – I thought. Cursing all earthly matters, I recalled my body in order to return back into it. And it was only just upon feeling the physical body that I remembered that my car had already been at the mechanic’s for several days now… I heard the alarm again, but it wasn’t coming from my car. And so, there was no point in cutting the astral plane experience short. I tried to get back into the astral plane once again, but the wail of the alarm did not stop, and so all of my attempts to return to the astral plane were in vain.

And so, friend, you’ve decided to change your world, and come to know its true expanse and possibilities. To that end, you’ll need to know the order of actions to take. Let me state upfront that I’m not proposing anything difficult or laborious. Everything is simple enough, especially when done correctly and exactly.

First, you should try to leave your body with your conscious awareness using indirect techniques. Concentrate all of your initial efforts on reading their descriptions and attempt them again and again until they work. Do not try direct techniques under any circumstances.

Second, as soon as you are able to leave your body, immediately learn the techniques for deepening and maintaining the astral plane. You will only need to make several attempts before you have mastered these them.

Third, upon having learned to deepen and stay in the astral plane, master the techniques for translocation and finding objects. This may take a little more time to learn than deepening or maintaining the astral plane.

Fourth, after having mastered all of the necessary skills, you can then create and implement a personal plan of action for yourself that takes the practical applications of the phenomenon into account.

Fifth, once astral travel entry becomes stable and occurs at least twice a week, you can also occasionally try direct techniques. But don’t do them in a way that overlaps with indirect techniques – that is, don’t perform both direct and indirect techniques on the same day.

Of course, this proscribed order of actions to be taken is aimed at achieving total mastery, which is possible only upon consistent practice and application of the phenomenon. Meanwhile, the emotional satisfaction will come much sooner. If you have never had an astral projection experience before, then even a first, clumsy experience will become a starting point on your road to development, and strike at the core of your conscious awareness.

Of course, my friend, I could have chosen one of the existing terms, colored its definition with my views, and moved on in that fashion. But what would have been the result, given that all of the known terms have long been occupied by esoteric circles who have ascribed them far from simple or positive connotations? Mention "astral projection" to a passerby on the street, and he’ll tell you to seek help. Mention "out-of-body experiences", and he’ll say you’ve been reading too much science-fiction. Mention a "lucid dream", and he’ll say, "well, yeah, a dream – what’s lucid about one and why would you want it to be?" But the phenomenon has not the slightest relationship to dreaming, neither in substance nor in quality.

Mention "the astral plane", and he’ll ask, "What’s that?" And this is where you tell him in clear and pragmatic terms what exactly the phenomenon’s about. People don’t have preconceived notions or stereotypes regarding this term. This term has not been corrupted by strange people with strange views on life. And since we’re already talking about the mass propagation of the practice of the astral plane, such an untainted term is needed. Experience shows that if the phenomenon is presented, for example, as "astral projection", then less than 10% of the population will show interest. It’s a similar situation with the other terms. Yet if the phenomenon is presented as "the astral plane", then up to 80% of people start to become interested. And so, this is the approach that will enable humanity transition to another level of development, after having made this practice an everyday event. This would not have been possible using the old terminology.

Historical artifacts dating back to the Indus Valley Civilization (3300-1700 BCE) indicate that the main goal of yoga was raising one’s level of conscious awareness. The body has always been one of the auxiliary tools for achieving this goal. No matter which branch of ancient Eastern Civilizations you study, a single supreme practice always lies at the heart, one either locked behind seven seals or necessitating decades of preparation. Its goal is to release the conscious awareness from the confines of the physical body. It is sometimes referred to as the eighth and highest level of yoga – the state of samadhi, or dream yoga.

Why did ancient peoples pursue it, and why do modern high-level yogis practice still practice it? It may be shocking to learn, but they believe this practice to be a way to train for… the process of dying. They believe that before another senseless reincarnation after physical death, we find ourselves in a special intermediate state – sidqai bardo. However, we are usually unable to maintain conscious awareness during it, and this is the main reason why we find ourselves on Earth once again in a new incarnation. Thus, if over the course of a lifetime one practices consciously separating the mind from the body while still preserving full awareness of one’s surroundings, this will facilitate control of the process after death and finally stop the cycle of rebirth, allowing one to reunite with the universe.

Do not be afraid, my friend, it’s not all that scary. We live in the modern world, with modern worldviews and modern technologies. Honestly, I do not personally know what awaits beyond death or if, as ancient yoga maintained, this practice actually relates to it. But I do know how to do it without getting bogged down by theories or superstition, both ancient and modern. Years of apprenticeship are no longer a prerequisite. Neither is being devoutly religious. Separating conscious awareness from the body is now only a matter of technique.

And the important thing is not only that you will soon find yourself outside of your own body, but also that it turns out that all of this has incredible practical implications for the modern person. First, take it from here that you’ve never experienced anything this incredible thus far in your life, nor will anything match it again in the future. Second, this is a way to travel to any corner of the Universe or meet with any person, including those who have passed on. Third, this is a way to obtain information. Fourth, this opens up incredible possibilities for self-healing. Fifth, this is a way for the disabled, including those who are bedridden, to break down all barriers. They can now do everything! And everything briefly listed above is merely an insignificant portion of what we are about to discuss in detail.

Remember, this is not make-believe, reverie, or some flight of fancy. There is a good reason why ancient peoples associated this phenomenon with the moments before and after death. There was no other way to think of it – that’s how spectacular in nature it is. It’s not from some trick of the imagination that otherwise tough guys immediately try to get out of there, nearly wetting their pants in terror, enough though just before they had only dreamed about having the experience (obviously not quite understanding beforehand what they were getting into). One out of two experience terror during their first experiences, as it wrecks long-held views on what life is, and the instinct of self-preservation kicks in.

Furthermore, you’ve surely heard of near-death experiences on the operating table? Flying out of the body, seeing the hospital ward, and then a tunnel… O dear friend, this is just what we’re talking about, but without the ensuing death – and as a deliberate achievement.

By the way, it was not only the ancient yogis who took interest in this practice. In its modern form, it’s also the same thing as what is known as "out-of-body travel", "astral projection", and, even to some degree, "lucid dreaming". But no need to indulge in such delirium or idle talk.

May history forgive me, may you forgive me, my friend, but I will be using the modern terms "astral travel" and astral travel state", which unite all of those dissociative phenomena into a single whole, including all of the ancient concepts as well. We’ll deal with terminology a bit later on, but you should understand that I have no other choice on this matter. As we’re talking about a new epoch in human development, about a transformation to a new level of existence, we require modern concepts adapted for a wide spectrum of social strata, avoiding the stereotypes and superstitions that have dogged those used up until this point.

But most significantly, it is of no importance here whether you are a dyed-in-the-wool materialist or an orthodox esoteric. It’s up to you, not me, to decide how to explain the phenomenon to yourself and how it relates to your world. You may believe that the soul leaves the body. You may think that it’s all a super-realistic hallucination. That’s not important here. What’s important is that you get the hang of it as soon as possible. And the technique-based technologies that you will acquire in this book have been so finely honed and tested on thousands of my students that no matter what you may or may not believe, you will experience your conscious awareness leaving the physical body. Practical experience – in the end, it’s what unites us all. It’s the decisive factor. You just give it a try.

Friend, you might be quite surprised to hear this, but I always caution people who say enthusiastically that this is all so wonderful that they would be willing to spend at least a month on having their first experience, or even up to six months to a year on just trying to experience it once. I then caution them, as with the right actions you need only make several attempts, all of which you can do in one day…

Yes, this is not as easy as a imagining or picturing something, swallowing a pill, or smoking dope. Here, making attempts and performing techniques are necessary. Sometimes, a lot of attempts. But, having done everything right, you’ll get results quickly enough.

Just remember one simple thing: if you do indirect techniques every day over the course of a week and still get no results – then you’re doing something wrong. It is also necessary to read more in-depth about the techniques and try to figure out what your mistakes are. Believe me, even after you are already able to enter the astral plane, you will still make a large number of mistakes. On average, a novice will make 7 to 10 typical mistakes during each of his initial attempts… So study the techniques carefully, and analyze each one of your actions.

All in all, obtaining results using indirect techniques normally requires about 5 attempts, and up to 20 attempts when serious errors are being made. When it comes to dream consciousness, it can take from 1 to 20 days to get results. If you have mastered the indirect techniques, then direct techniques (those performed without first falling asleep) will begin to work after another 5 to 30 attempts. However, the direct techniques may be much harder to pull off. They may turn out to be impracticable if you do not understand the essence of the free-floating state of mind.

The main thing is to make regular attempts. It is only a question of making attempts and the quality of your attempts. Where there are attempts, there are results. It’s that simple, and always has been.