The Astral Plane?

[Rajosik]

Went to bed in the morning, focused on the hypnagogia and soon I felt an uncontrolled rise after the sleep paralysis, as if I'm sitting up but then I sit up and like a serpent slither down the bed and pass through the door. I saw my dad standing in the other room, I thought what if I wasn't dreaming and he sees me like this, instantly I regained full control of my body. My house was exactly as it is, went up to mother, who looked young, like just before I was born. Had a talk with her, told her the music playing is actually playing on my computer and I'm not in my body and this had to be the Astral Plane. I walked out the main door, and met my nan (who isn't living anymore), I just smiled at her and said, 'I don't know what to say, to see you here, I'll be back... now I'm off to explore.' I tried flying, and after flying for 6 seconds or so, I find I am back in my body and in my bed. And now, I feel as if my body is just a cage, I cannot describe that feeling, I felt like just before passing out too.. I tried to push my way out of my body but fell back being resisted by the cage, I told myself to let it go. And I walked out of my body. I came back in and out 4 times, the third and fourth times I did a reality check in the bed and realized I was not really awake. SO was it the Astral Plane?

[Xanth]

Went to bed in the morning, focused on the hypnagogia and soon I felt an uncontrolled rise after the sleep paralysis, as if I'm sitting up but then I sit up and like a serpent slither down the bed and pass through the door. I saw my dad standing in the other room, I thought what if I wasn't dreaming and he sees me like this, instantly I regained full control of my body. My house was exactly as it is, went up to mother, who looked young, like just before I was born. Had a talk with her, told her the music playing is actually playing on my computer and I'm not in my body and this had to be the Astral Plane. I walked out the main door, and met my nan (who isn't living anymore), I just smiled at her and said, 'I don't know what to say, to see you here, I'll be back... now I'm off to explore.' I tried flying, and after flying for 6 seconds or so, I find I am back in my body and in my bed. And now, I feel as if my body is just a cage, I cannot describe that feeling, I felt like just before passing out too.. I tried to push my way out of my body but fell back being resisted by the cage, I told myself to let it go. And I walked out of my body. I came back in and out 4 times, the third and fourth times I did a reality check in the bed and realized I was not really awake. SO was it the Astral Plane?

Well, I would never use the term "astral plane" anymore... LoL

But yes, you were projecting.  You were consciously aware while in the non-physical.  That's a projection. 

[Astral-Trea]

Well, I would never use the term "astral plane" anymore... LoL

But yes, you were projecting.  You were consciously aware while in the non-physical.  That's a projection. 

Why would you not use that term anymore? Just curious..

[Xanth]

Why would you not use that term anymore? Just curious..

As Frank would say... it's a term that comes with waaaaaaaay too much baggage.  It means many different things to different people.

That, and the term just doesn't work for me anymore. 
There is no separation between "here" (physical) and "there" (non-physical)... this physical is as much the non-physical as any non-physical reality is. 
I've thrown aside the old mystical traditions and terminology.  I've found that to be the only way I could grow as a spiritual being.  Being stuck within someone else's box was extremely limiting.

[deepspace]

As Frank would say... it's a term that comes with waaaaaaaay too much baggage.  It means many different things to different people.

That, and the term just doesn't work for me anymore. 
There is no separation between "here" (physical) and "there" (non-physical)... this physical is as much the non-physical as any non-physical reality is. 
I've thrown aside the old mystical traditions and terminology.  I've found that to be the only way I could grow as a spiritual being.  Being stuck within someone else's box was extremely limiting.

In the end, all definitions of reality states are limiting, IMO. I use the term NPR (Non-Physical Reality) but it really doesn't describe the reality, It describes my relationship to reality at the time of the experience. 

[CFTraveler]

Yet it is my opinion that the term 'NP' is inaccurate because a lot of the characteristics of the physical are still inherent in it.
The truth is that every time someone tells you not to use terminology it just means that they don't agree with it and don't want others to use it either.

[Volgerle]

Yet it is my opinion that the term 'NP' is inaccurate because a lot of the characteristics of the physical are still inherent in it.

Indeed. Moreover, NPR or NPMR is such a very very broad term which says almost nothing. Plus, it implies by its use of negation an incorrect dichotomy. It's just differentiating between PR and "N"PR and thus even devaluating the second one because actually it does not even describe the 'higher' or even probably "more real" or more sustained dimensions/planes/realities that probably even form the basis of it. It only uses a common term with a negation before it instead.
A pretty bleak linguistic choice if you ask me. And as said, it conveys a false dichotomy or duality, which from a human point of view might make sense, but only from this view. I use "nonphysical" of course a lot myself out of custom, but thinking about it, yes, it does not really make a lot of sense. The more sophistcated system of planes (astral, mental, buddhic, whatever) or similar concepts (e.g. those giving names such as "Summerland" for what probably is "Focus 27") is much more colour- and beautiful, also when talking about it. Consider the fun aspect.  

The truth is that every time someone tells you not to use terminology it just means that they don't agree with it and don't want others to use it either.

Spot-on!  

[Lionheart]

Ok, why don't we just use "here" and "there" for now on or does anyone want to find a problem with that too. lol? 

[deepspace]

A lot of people come up with sophisticated names that really don't mean anything and don't impress me. The only thing that matters is your experience "there". 

[Volgerle]

Ok, why don't we just use "here" and "there" for now on or does anyone want to find a problem with that too. lol?  

... and what about "over there"?  

Seriously, wouldn't this be almost the same dichotomy as using only PR and NPR? Again: I don't say it's wrong, I use it myself, but the point is that it isn't very precise. Of course "here" (PMR) and "there" (NPMR) is human because the first is "us, now, awake, (alive), material body" in our human "default state" and the rest is "everything/somewhere else".

We should not forget: the map is never the landscape itself, but it is a nice tool sometimes. It is not wrong to be 'playful' with it, imv.

I think, at least we could very broadly differentiate 5 basic reality types, planes, dimensions or (focus-)states:

1. physical universe ("here") - that might include other physical planets
2. physical (only) from out-of-body view (which e.g. R. Bruce calls RTZ)
3. somehow "lower" realities (commonly referred to as astral) which also are more "human", they contain personal but also consensus environments
4. somehow "higher" realms with more peace and love and freedom that mostly or only consist of less flexible consensus environments (could or could not include the life-between-lives zone, also referred to as "Summerland", "Focus 27", which the movie "Nosso Lar" seemingly is about)
5. even higher up to God/unity consciousness, where everything is in freeflow and bodiless and in (eternal) bliss and all-knowing etc pp.

4+5 somehow represent a "sort of heaven" if you will (or not), 1-3 can be at times, good or neutral

That's of course a very broad and unrefined categorical system and also a continuum with many mixes and in-betweens. Names we give are labels we prefer to use, sometimes simply because we like them. Some are pre-defined concepts (ancient, mystical, eastern, theosophic, etc.). Some experiencers draw up their own labels such as Monroe did with his Focus-terminology or Jurgen Ziewe does on his website with "dimensions".

I think this is all okay. We will probably never agree on one map only, and some users said correctly: Experience is the key. Still, I think most of the times we get what (which "place") the other one is referring to. E.g. I can very well equate Ziewe's "dimensions" to other 'cosmologies' (such as the 'planes' view):


source: www.multidimensionalman.com

But I find also similarities between other models, e.g. theosophic (http://www.kurtleland.com/astral-projection-log/orientation/133-overview-of-planes-and-bodies) or the TMI / Monroe Model (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focus_level).

Generelly I find it fun to play around with the different maps.

[CFTraveler]

Ok, why don't we just use "here" and "there" for now on or does anyone want to find a problem with that too. lol? 

I don't think you get what I was trying to say.  You should say it however you like, and I should be able to say it however I like without someone undoubtedly coming into a thread to say that they don't believe in 'that' terminology.  It gets tiresome, and it sometimes derails the thread, like what I'm probably doing now.

[deepspace]

It's more important to discuss the content of what someone is saying rather than nit-pick the terminology they use. If you know what someone means, That's all that matters. It doesn't make a difference if they use "Astral Plane" or "NPR" or "Greater Reality" or whatever. We know what they mean.

[Astral-Trea]

Understanding reality is hard... lol

[Xanth]

Understanding reality is hard... lol

Don't understand it.  Just experience it.