autobiography of a yogi and shamanic journeys

[jason]

I haven't read those books yet,but I have a metranome that might come in handy.it produces rythmic audio pulses.

[SomeBloke]

I have read Autobiography of a Yogi -
I found it an amazing and inspirational book.  Paramahansa Yogananda was inclined towards Bhakti-yoga (weighted towards a devotional state of mind) whereas his guru Sri Yukteswar was a Jnana-yogi (his inclination was more weighted towards the intellect.)
If you can get hold of any books by Sri Yukteswar, for instance 'The Holy Science' and there is another but the name escapes me, please read them.  I remember reading his description of the sound Aum/Om/The Word
as being heard 'as a peculiar knocking sound'.  This made no sense to me when I read it, but soon after I heard it whilst meditating!
I think maybe there is more to these books than just ink on paper.

[bacsy]

yeah it's a cool book.especially the chapter about the guy who wrestles tigers

[projektatma]

i have a question.
has anyone out there read "autobiography of a yogi" by paramanansa yogananda?  i am wondering because there is a section near the end where his guru comes to him shortly after he (the guru) died.  he describes to him in pretty vivid detail what the astral realm is like.  i am wondering if anyone has read this, and how closely this lines up with other people's personal experience.
also, as a related note, i am wondering if anyone has had any experience with shamanic journeys.  for example, using drumming as a tool.  a drumbeat of 215 to 230 bpm has been shown to alter brainwaves and help to induce the trance state.  i have personally had a bit of success with this, and you can program it with simple cheap programs on the computer...set it for however long you want it...then end it with four sharp hits, and then rapid drumming for about a minute to help bring you back.  all that is to ask, if anyone has had any shamanic journey experience, how similar this experience was to any astral projection experience.
thanks.