The nature of the astral

[cpt. picard]

Hello there, I just have some questions about different astral theories i have read about lately. The one I see the most often is that there is a physical plane, which consists of the whole physical universe, and an astral plane, which is independant of time and space, but permeates it all. The other theory i read which gives rise to confusion, is that ok we have an astral body, and so do physical objects, such as planets. Now if earth has its own astral aura, when we project, are we really going into earth's astral body/planes? If so, does that mean there is no astral permeating open space? Im basically asking if our astral experiences happen in a place relative to us in physical space, if we project, are we staying in the earth's astral planes or is there just the astral plane which is independant of these physical objects? Hopefully someone around here knows what i mean.

[Xanth]

I'd stick with that first theory. 

[CFTraveler]

And now I'll make it even more confusing:
You're sitting in front of your computer.  If you 'amplify' the image, you'll see you're a bunch of molecules vibrating at a certain rate.  Go closer, and you'll see that you are a bunch of atoms combined in certain combinations/positions to form those molecules.  Go closer now, you're a bunch of quantum foam made of particles that only exist in timespace a certain amount of time, and exist as wavefronts another percent of the time, and possibly exist outside of timespace another amount of 'something' (no time, no space)  What those particles are or where they are no one may know (yet), if you get 'small' enough, but in fact, they are all you.
The same way it can be said that the physical is a slow and massful version of the astral, when the mental can be a massless possibly energyless version of the astral.  It's all the same, just depends on what perspective you're looking at.
So it's not unreasonable (IMO, anyway) to possibly think that the astral is the equivalent to the quantum state, that the etheric can be equivalent to the plasma state (somewhere in the atomic/molecular) state, and the mental, well, that's up for grabs.
It's all gradations of the same individual "I" ness, different perceptual states.
It has been said (I believe the ancient Hindus said it, and possibly the theosophists also) that an energy body is the vehicle for perception of a particular state.  So, it seems reasonable to me, to think the #1 theory is correct.

[zareste]

I'm still theorizing about the astral too. I read that an astral projection happens when your spirit vibrates beyond the point that the body can handle.

When your body is asleep, you can go above and below the normal vibration state. 'Below' the normal state is where you're in a stupor - a sort of delirium where you can't remember or comprehend much of anything; 'above' the normal state is where everything becomes very clear, your perception and memory is widened, and you start to realize things you didn't realize while awake.

In this sense, waking life is a state of delirium, much like a bad dream you can't seem to escape because you aren't coherent enough to will yourself out of it. Astral projection - I think - is a state of waking up from this delirium.

[kurtykurt42]

Just astral project to a place that has information regarding the astral planes. I went around asking a ton of people (while out of body) if they could point me in the direction of a computer/information center, where all universal knowledge is kept. Most of them were confused and didn't understand why I wanted information, but one guy was very excited and teleported us to a room with curved flat screen monitors on the walls.

I can't remember everything but I can remember seeing images of 7 main layers/planes of bright color inside elongated spheres (universes), that contain a ton of matter and energy. He also described the orbiting effect of electrons around nuclei and there importance with everything. As well as the different effects of magnetism, waves, and fields on all matter and energy.

As soon as it was over I took out my pencil and couldn't stop drawing what I saw, I wanted to remember every detail. Somehow I have a feeling that I already understand most of these concepts before learning them.. (past lives I think). For all I know I could have been to a billion planets, explored the interdimensional universe for a million years, and reincarnated into physical bodies on many different worlds. But while we're here in this body it would seem that our memories are temporarily inaccessible.