Judaism & Astral Projection

[David Clapper]

Hi,

I'm busy researching the subject of Astral Projection and Judaism. Normative Judaism is a very practice-oriented religion, with the philosophical/magical element being provided by the Kabbalah. Early Kabbalistic texts focus on the "Merkavah" (=chariot or vehicle), which one descends into in order to ascend to various heavenly levels. In the Talmud, there is a cryptic passage describing the ascent/descent of four Rabbis to "paradise"; only one of the four returned unscathed. One of the reasons I am interested in Astral Projection is that I want to test out the methods given in the various "manuals", including the Sefer Yetsirah. Has anyone had any experience with these methods?