For Robert Bruce

[Soulfire]

Hi,

Keep in mind that the astral is a subjective experience, and that the imagery you "see" has a lot to do with the projector's belief system.  If Robert or another projector saw people "in their graves waiting to be released by a trumpet" or something, it does not necessarily mean that is literally what is happening.  Even if it was a precisely accurate observation of what was happening where he was, seeing something like this only means those particular lifeforms are experiencing this "event" - not necessarily that it is a universal truth that we all will experience that.

In my experience, the astral is tremendously affected by what the involved entities believe (it is very subjective).  One explanation given by Robert Monroe is that after death, many people tend to create their own realities based on what they believed/expected to happen after they died.  In this case, maybe a group of beings who strongly believed those passages you described, and because of that created a "reality" for themselves in the astral among other people with similar beliefs.  

Because so many experienced projectors have come across areas resembling the afterlives described in many different religions (when most religions claim that only their particular version of the afterlife is true), Robert Monroe categorized all of these areas collectively into what he called the "belief system terriroties" (which he also has a focus-number name for but I forget which number he assigns to it).  The theory is that people with strong structured beliefs about the afterlife tend to attract themselves to others in the astral with similar beliefs and collectively create that shared reality together.  To them it is very real, but just because an area like the Christian heaven exists in the astral, does not necessarily mean other religions are "wrong", because different areas also exist that resemble the afterlife as explained by each of the other religions (for example the one described in this thread).

It is interesting to note that even within any given religion, there are often different views as to what happens in the afterlife.  For example some Christians believe that after you die, you quickly face judgement and then go to heaven or hell, etc.  Other Christian believe you stay dead in a grave until the second coming of Jesus who then resurrects the chosen and everyone else just stays dead.  One guy I read about claimed to have witnessed different groups of people in the astral living out several of these different realities!  One group of "christians" was living in "heaven", another group was in "hell", and another group were in an endless graveyard with caretakers who told him everyone had to wait for the return of Jesus and resurrection (while other christians were already enjoying heaven NOW!).

I do not claim to know what the "truth" is, but so far Monroe's theory seems to make sense in my own limited experience.

Note: I do not remember the specific section you are talking about in Robert's book, so I am responding to what I understood based strictly on the contents of your post.  If I got off track, maybe I did not fully understand what you were trying to say.

--Soulfire

[Comokisadore]

Thanks for the reply SoulFire. You remind me of Robert Monroe,(you sort of have his personality)from reading your post, because you are simple straight forward and you do not claim anything that you havn't experienced yourself. Tell me are you an experienced projector?

About me, I have projected a few times in my known existance, twice spontanously and once conciously.

After those amazing events in my life, I now know why I feel like an alein and not at home here on earth, because this is not where I belong.

Happy Exploring,
-Como

[Soulfire]

Hi again,

I have had many spontaneous projections over the years, several conscious exit ones, and lots of lucid dreams.  For a while (about a year ago), I was able to project semi-consistently at will (7-10 attempt would produce maybe one success on average).  Then I hit a "dry spell" and went several months with NO successes at all, and then I got discouraged and stopped working on it for a while.  I had many other things happening in my life and switched my focus to those things.  I have not had any astral experiences that I consciously remember for several months (although I have had quite a few lucid dreams during this time), and no conscious exit projections for about a year.

I certainly do not consider myself any kind of authority, but I do feel I have experienced enough to form some reasonable conclusions based on my own experiences.  I also try hard to remember that my beliefs and interpretations are not necessarily "right", and that there is always room to discover new levels of understanding that sometimes make what you used to believe seem quite ignorant.

--Soulfire

[Thing]

where did my reply go?

[Comokisadore]

Dear Mr. Bruce,

I have read your post regarding "souls waiting in the grave until the trumphet is blown", and I am very interested in how you know this.

Did you gain knowledge about this while out of body?

I ask because in Islam this beleif is very common and below is more info about it.

Chapter 78 (The Great News) -Quran
17. "verity the day of sorting out is (a day) appointed,"
18. "the day when the trumpet shall be blown and you shall come
forth in groups".
19. "and the heaven shall be opened and become (wide as) gates,"
20 "and the mountains shall be set in motion as if they
were a mirage".

The following information is derived from http://www.angelfire.com/ns/perkim/angels.html

INthe Holy Quran, it is stated that when the time comes for the Day of Judgement, a trumpet will sound the blast to arouse men from the graves. It is the duty of Israfil to blow the trumpet. Surah 69: 13-20 describes what happens after the trumpet is blown thus:
"Then, when one blast is sounded on the trumpet, and the earth is moved and its mountains, and they are crushed to powder at one stroke; on that day shall the great Event come to pass, and the sky will be rent as sunder, for it will that Day be flimsy, and the angels will be on its sides and eight will, that Day bear the Throne of thy Lord above them. That day shall you be brought to Judgement: not one act of yours that you hide will be hidden."

6:73; the Trumpet will be blown. . . .

20:102; the Day when the Trumpet will be sounded. . . .

23:101;  then when the Trumpet is blown. . . .

36:51;  the Trumpet shall be sounded. . . .

36:53; it will be no more than a single Blast.

39:68; the Trumpet will be sounded . . . then will a second one be sounded. .

69:13; then when one blast is sounded on the Trumpet. . . .

74:8; finally when the Trumpet is sounded. . .

78:18; the Day the Trumpet will be sounded. Trumpet; Day of Allah."


Sincerely,
Como