The incredible multiple I

[catmeow]

In van Eeden's 'A Study of Dreams' on page 447 of Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research, Vol. 26, 1913.
He writes about "double recollection of the two bodies" and "observation of a double memory".

Thanks Pauli very much. "Double recollections" could refer to simple "dual awareness" but "observation of a double memory" sounds more like dual consciousness.  

Edit: I have read much of the link you gave, and it seems to me that what Van Eeden is describing is "dual awareness" not "mind split". He describes waking up from a lucid dream and feeling both the sensations of his dream body and his physical body, feeling both "bodies" at the same time. This is different from the mind split I am talking about, which occurs when the physical body goes on with its merry duty, whilst the astral body goes on with a different activity, and both are unaware (generally) of each other.  Excellent link though, Pauli.

The multiple I's do work with Monroe's focus model.  Your consciousness exists in this world and the astral simultaneously.  It's just that your focus is on this world right now.  These "multiple I" incidents sound like a matter of being focused on more than one focus level, and from there it's a matter of perception.

Makes sense.

Unfortunately I find that Bruce's notion of the astral is too steeped in new age superstition and religion to warrant serious consideration.

Surely that's throwing the baby out with the bath water. You would dismiss all of the early literature on OBEs.

[ayearhasgone]

Surely that's throwing the baby out with the bath water. You would dismiss all of the early literature on OBEs.

The problem is, you take your beliefs with you into the astral, where they take form.  It's why people who have NDE's have differing ideas on what heaven or hell look like.  Bruce entered the astral with pre-conceived notions of new age thinking and eastern mysticism, so the "planes" he supposedly encountered along the way could very well be nothing more than belief constructs and/or thought forms.

Monroe approached the issue with an objective, fact-finding mindset, which makes him (IMHO) more trustworthy.

[Xanth]

Honestly, I'm really only interested in modern-day dissections of people's non-physical journeys.
I already do dismiss most, if not all of the early literature... I kinda view it as completely useless material really.

Just personal opinion though. 

[catmeow]

The problem is, you take your beliefs with you into the astral, where they take form.

Fair nuff, but I wouldn't dismiss him out of hand. His description of the mind-split is by far the clearest and most instructive I have seen. So that makes me think that any other ideas he has are also worth listening to.