Astral Journeys

When I was in high school I had a friend named Gary Clow who had an older sister who was into all things "occult". There is a story about Gary's observation of a Ouija session, which is why I used to call him 'Mr. Ouija Board'. Being the teenage boys we were, when Gary mentioned his sister was trying astral projection, we naturally started referring to it as "ass hole projection". "What does she do? Jut out her butt, extend her sphincter - joop - and she's across the street?" 

"Nope. She sticks a flashlight up her butt and then holds slides up to it."

What do you expect from teenage boys?

I bring up that reminiscence because along the way I started to learn about astral projection and lucid dreaming.

As far as I know I am not proficient at astral projection. Many of my dreams are lucid, in that I am aware while having them. Floating, flying, and doing things like crushing bricks with my bare hands are not uncommon. There are certain places I know well as I visit them often.

It should be noted that dreams come in several varieties. Strawberry, chocolate, and tuna-surprise are just a few. (I'm kidding.) When you first fall asleep, you upload your day's activities to your Higher Self (or the Akashic Records, or wherever you believe your experiences are recorded). Those dreams are filled with sounds and visuals you have recently collected.

Later you may go on astral journeys where your Spirit visits the other lives you are going through while you are experiencing this one. This is when you may receive downloads from your Higher Self.

On other occasions you may find yourself venturing off to exotic astral realms. These journeys can also take place during meditation. 

When I first started delving into meditation in the mid-1980s (years after my Mother took me to talk about Transcendental Meditation - yes, I have a cool Mom, best Mom on the planet) I read that I should find my 'sanctuary': the place where I felt the most at peace. In my mind I went to a dark shore littered with large, flat boulders. The sky was black as was the water that swelled around the rocks. There I met a young man dressed in traditional (at least to me) Chinese garb like those you would see in a martial arts period piece. He wore a blue tunic with matching blue pants and black slipper-like shoes. "Hi," he said, smiling warmly. "I am Quan." We chatted for a bit. I don't remember the full conversation, but I liked Quan and we got along well. Quan has been with me since that time. It was not until I got my Level Two Reiki training, and was asked to connect with my guides, that Quan told me his other name: Yin. I had no idea who Quan Yin was until I looked him up. Later I asked Quan why he always appears to me in his male form as his true form (or the one most people recognize) is female. Quan just smiled and said, "Male, female, we are all both. Learn to integrate the Divine Feminine with the Divine Masculine. Besides, when we first met it was the form you were more likely to bond with, without any "lower chakra" involvement."

Another astral journey took me to star-filled chamber. The path, about the width of a sidewalk (not a double sidewalk), looked like it was made of onyx with golden edges. It wound around a structure that was a hollow semi-circle. (It wasn't exactly circular, but that's close.) When I got to where I could see inside the semi-circle, I saw a "man" sitting in a chair with a tall back. (The chair had the tall back, not the man.) The impression I get now is that he was monitoring dozens of TV screens, but it's been a long time, so I'm probably wrong. He rose swiftly and strode towards me demanding, "How did you get in here?"

"I walked," I replied.

He introduced himself. "I am Thoth." He pronounced his name as 'taught'.

I wasn't really up on my Egyptian mythology, so I didn't know who he was.

We conversed briefly about language and writing. He was impressed that I was not afraid of him, but he still wanted me to leave as soon as possible. So I did.

The last meeting with a 'higher' being I want to relate to you revolves around someone who visited me at my dining room table.

It was Christmas eve 1987. I was alone. No internet. No telephone. No family. No friends. It was the loneliest Christmas I had ever had.

I was sitting at the table with my face in my hands, idly thinking about how alone I was, when a voice said, "There is another who is as lonely as you."

When I looked up I saw a figure sitting in the chair opposite me. It looked like the classic Western interpretation of Jesus.

The figure smiled and I got a vision of a girl I had tried repeatedly to hook up with in the past. "Go to her," he instructed me. "She needs you and you need her."

I looked away and he was gone.

That is when I decided to return to Ontario from Nova Scotia (where I was living at that time). Upon my return, events transpired that brought that girl and I together. On August 13, 1988 we met again. On October 17 of that year we were married and are still married today. Happily. She is my Darla; The Wife, my joy, my happiness, my chew toy. (I'm gonna get smacked for that last one, but even when she is annoyed with me I could not love her more.)

The very last thing I will mention is that all the conversations with the above entities did not take place verbally, although there were times when my brain interpreted them as being spoken. All 'uploads' and 'downloads' took place telepathically.