Astral Projection - Condemned?

[Will Eastmon]

Hi I'm new here and my name is William Eastmon. Ive grown up in the Vineyard church for the past 18 years of my life.

I registered here because I have a question I feel hasn't been answered in my church, or any part of my life for that matter.  I've been reading online and have positioned myself very in the middle on this subject and I'm very interested in this forums opinions. I'm sorry for the long post too, I'm trying to be as thorough as possible.

So, as my topic title says, I'm wondering what exactly makes astral projection condemned, if it's condemned at all.

As I've come to believe, astral projection is something that (assuming it's not a dream, or figment of the imagion) is something that can be produced without drugs or alchohol or anything sinful for that matter. Now, I understand that some people liken it to witchcraft but I'm not sure I understand why... I mean what about it exactly is evil in nature? Saying that occultists practice it, is not reason enough for me. Occultists could drive Volvo's, but that wouldn't make driving a Volvo evil if you get what I'm saying.  

If it's something that can occur naturally when you're asleep, then why on earth would this be evil? It would be a God-given gift like dreaming, right? 

If your soul is in fact "exploring" some other place, plane, or just places your mind creates, is this place not of Gods creation?

If someone can point out to me some hard evidence from scripture or another source as to exactly why this is a bad thing, I would be very glad to see it. I'm interested in astral projection, but I do not want to practice anything evil in my home.

Thank you and sorry for the long post. 

 

[Mike]

Will, it's great have you here. When you have a minute, why don't you introduce yourself in the "New Member" forum? Some people will want to welcome you there. :waving

Be blessed,
Mike

 

[Cheyenne K]

Firstly, welcome to the forums.

Secondly, offhand, I could not tell you what the Scripture has to say for or against it, though there may be others here who can. However, I can tell you of my experiences and why I do not advise it.

A few years back, I got very heavily into the occult, metaphysics, etc. One of the things I became intrigued by was astral projection. I never did succeed, but I did many things in my attempts to do so. I asked and became associated with people who, for a time, led me even further away from God than I was. From them, I did things no Christian would normally do, simply because it was their “norm,†it worked for them, and seemed all right. I participated in a series of rituals (one of the reason many associate it with witchcraft) that were supposed to relax me so that I could achieve astral projection or allow it in the first place. From these rituals, I became further involved with the occult and participated in a variety of other sins, which I am ashamed of and still struggle with. All of this has only slowed me in my walk with Christ and led me astray. At many points, it led me in a more Pagan direction than anything. During that time, I also saw many Christians who were deceived into sin while starting with simple things like astral projection.
To hopefully answer your question, the evil lies in its influences. While directly and solely with itself, astral projection may not seem evil or dangerous, when it comes into its more common, natural state, there are a lot of Pagan influences there, which are harmful.

Now, I also mean to state that there are other things you can do aside from astral projection that may give a similar effect to what you seem to be describing here. Meditation is one, which is encouraged in the Bible. From experience, it will most definitely relax you and entice you to explore other areas of your imagination. Another is lucid dreaming, which is more difficult to accomplish, however provides a similar effect to astral projection. While dreaming, you may realize you are dreaming and thus control certain aspects of your dream. I have done this and it has led me to exploring different areas of my mind without injuring my walk with Christ. I have gotten some of my best and most creative story ideas through them. This I would say is a better way to explore different areas of God’s creation, rather than astral projection.

 

[Will Eastmon]

Thank you Cheyenne that was very insightful and helpful! It sounds like I'm kind of in your situation ..I was actually asking different people and associating with people who knew how to do it about a month back. I've never attempted astral projection though, not without knowing if it was "good" or "evil".

I've actually been attempting to lucid dream for the past 3 months, which in turn led
me to astral projection. I've only succeeded twice with lucid dreaming but I find both subjects absolutely fascinating.

Thank you very much for the help, and I would still like to discuss with other members if anybody has more information or experience in this subject.

 

[Tina]

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A person trying to achieve an out-of-body experience in order to connect with spirits or the spirit world is practicing the occult. The Bible explicitly warns against occult practice, or sorcery, in Galatians 5:19-20, saying that those who practice it will not inherit God's kingdom.


Galatians 5:19-21
Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.


He commands us to stay far away from occult practices because there is great potential, when trying to access the spiritual world, of opening oneself up to demons who can tell us lies about God and confuse our minds.

In Job 4:12-21, Eliphaz describes being visited by a lying spirit in a vision that tells him God does not regard humans and that He doesn't care for us, which is false!


Job 4:12-21
Now a word was secretly brought to me, and my ear received a whisper of it. In disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake. Then a spirit passed before my face; The hair on my body stood up. It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; There was silence; Then I heard a voice saying: ‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker? If He puts no trust in His servants, If He charges His angels with error, How much more those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed before a moth? They are broken in pieces from morning till evening; They perish forever, with no one regarding. Does not their own excellence go away? They die, even without wisdom.’

 

[Tina]

.

The Greek word for witchcraft and sorcery is " Pharmakeia ", and is defined as follows ----> Greek - Pharmakeia

 

[Thunderz7]

YHWH is the creator of all.
satan has created nothing, he has only perverted things created by YHWH.

In English speaking groups of Christians, what you speak off is often refered to as "translation" or "being translated" (seems a strange term not associated with language)
"translation" is YHWH's truth,
astral projection is satan's perversion of that truth.

If YHWH sees fit for one to be used in this way it will be through the Holy Spirit,
because the person is seeking the will of YHWH,
(NOT) because the person is seeking astral projection.

Has it been attained by occult practice, most likely,
but what did they gain in the end?
Preversion and lies.

seeking the will of YHWH,
being led of HIS Holy Spirit,
Philippians 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

 

[Cheyenne K]

You're welcome.

From the descriptions I have received about astral projection, it seems more bad than good. People believing themselves to be vampires, therians, and otherkin have given me their accounts of astral projection, and from what they have seen, it sounds like they are being deceived. They have described it as seeing into people's souls for what they really are (mystical beings mostly), which tends to further entice travel into the occult.

For lucid dreaming, I just advise being more inquisitive in reality about whether or not you are dreaming and it will follow you when you sleep.

God bless.

 

[Vic C.]

I have little to add that Tina and Thunderz7 haven't said already.

Hey Thunder, stop by more often.