The ancient art of Astral Projection should no longer be of any concern to us in the approach of the 21st millenium.  No more should we need to spend months, or even years learning to perfect this form of travel, as science has given us an easier way.  All we need do now is to practice the symbolic visualization techniques to guide our spirits in the right direction.

Nearly twenty years ago, an American by the name of Robert Monroe devised a way to achieve an "out of body" experience using sound waves derived from basic radio technology.  It seems the human brain produces various waves, or freqencies, dependant upon the state that it is in.  These waves are frequencies of sound in the inaudible range of between 4 and 12 hertz, or cycles per second.  Since the human ear is only capable of hearing sounds down to about 20hz at best, it took the FM radio principle of "heterodyning" to make this application real.

The heterodyning principle is that any modulated waves of any frequency can be combined.  When two  electromagnetic waves are combined with each other they produce not only the two original frequencies, but also the sums and differences of the two base frequencies.  This simply means that if you produce a wave of 1000hz and add to it a wave of 1100hz, it will result in Harmonic Frequencies of 2100hz, and 100hz.  This makes it possible to produces waves that are below the freqency range of the human hearing with sound that is within range of the human ear.  If we want to produce a harmonic frequency of 4hz, which is an infrasonic brainwave frequency, we need only produce two audible waves that are exactly 4hz apart on the electromagnetic scale.  These might be 1000hz and 1004hz, or 644hz and 648hz, or any other combination of audible sound waves.  When played together in stereo, the brain will hear what we cannot and begin to resonate the frequency.

Now there are four distinct ranges of brainwaves:  Alpha, Beta, Theta, and Delta waves that are present in the brain and denote various levels of consciousness.  In the practice of "Hemi-Sync", which is the copyrighted name of Mr. Monroe's procedure, the subject is hooked up to an electronic brainwave monitor that is similar to an EEG (electro-encephlograph).  In actuality, this is just a little more than a common monitor of "Bio-rhythm" that some use to determine the status of the organic body.

Alpha and beta waves are those involved in wakeful activities of the brain, while Delta and Theta waves are common in states of rest and sleep.  What the process of Hemi-Sync does is to apply these "sleep" waves to the brain of the subject, with an audible tone through stereo headphones, while someone monitors the actual brainwave modulations.  At the very threshold of unconsciousness, the sound is then quickly changed to Beta waves.  This snaps the mind into a wakeful state while the body remains asleep.

This induced state is very much similar to that which some achieve themselves naturally.  It is like the feeling that some may have encountered when falling asleep while still thinking.  From my personal experiences; it is the feeling of suddenly falling backwards into oblivion.  It is like the wind being forced out of your lungs and all sensation being removed from your body.  In a natural setting; if this does not scare the hell out of you and cause you to struggle back into reality and wake up,(which is very difficult), you will find yourself in a state of lucid dreaming, which IS an out of body experience.  You can see yourself where your body lies.  You can move around the room.  You can travel anywhere you can visualize to go - even into realms that are not physically real.

This guy, Robert Monroe, toured the USA with his apparatus throughout much of the 1980's, selling these out of body trips for a mere $300.00.  From hookup to actual Astral Travel took just about thirty minutes.  And a trip that might seem like hours actually only lasted minutes, time passes faster when in this state.

This may seem to some to be cheating.  Those who have mastered the ancient ways of Astral Projection may look down upon this practice.  I say it is wonderful if you are able to do this feat without any aid at all outside of your own self and mind.  But if there is an easier way to do it, why not use it?  It is similar to being able to pick every speck of dirt out of your carpet; it can be done.  But why not just use a vacuum cleaner?

There is also the valid argument that what is so artificially induced cannot be a valid tool of the soul upon death.  To this, I can only reply that it is similar to anything else that is artificially enhanced.  The brain can begin to do these things easier on its own with practice.  After going through this technical process many times it will become second nature and be able to produce the effect without any aid.  This is assumed from the bio-rhythm technology statistics:  Whereas some persons use this type of technology to increase awareness, break bad habits, or just sleep sounder at night, it is just another method of training the brain to work as we desire it to do.  After some training and practice, the machinery is no longer needed to produce the effect.  And the amount of actual time spent is far less than the years it may take to do so without any aid at all.

To find out more about this process click this link to the Monroe Institute.
 
 
Copyright 2000 by J.S.Graham