OneLittleBird said:
Who's to say there is little to learn from it, though? I don't know. That's the point; is there something to learn from it? Is not the psychomantium a version of astral projection? I haven't seen any evidence that it's a waste of time.
As far as I am aware, the psychomantium experiment was in reference to Laura, who had decades of prior experience researching and learning about various aspects of our reality through "ordinary" methods.
This brings one to the question - what is the purpose of engaging in such activities as deliberately induced oobe and astral projection? If it is for the "coolness" factor, escaping from 3D reality and experience chasing, then not much needs to be discussed here as the objective of this forum is quite different from such pursuits. One is of course free to choose to do what he likes and talk about such experiences elsewhere - there are many places in the internet which indulge in such activities.
If one brings up the point that such an activity is for gaining knowledge, then the obvious question would be "have you tried the well-established ordinary methods of learning about our reality, and have you learned what you can about the astral/psychic domain through reading what has been reported by others?" Some books in the parapsychology area have been suggested
here (section on esotericism and parapsychology). It would make logical sense to get acquainted with established methods of gaining knowledge in these areas before jumping in to not-so-ordinary methods - osit.
[quote author=OneLittleBird]
I just scratch my head when anyone steers others away from APs or OBEs, because I truly don't understand what the big deal is.
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There are good reasons for such warnings. It would become obvious if one takes the time to read some of the material related to parapsychology.
[quote author=OneLittleBird]
Don't get me wrong, I sympathize with those who experience such phenomena and don't understand what's happening... that can be scary. I think a little education on the matter would help me and countless others. My only gripe is when people focus on the strange entities that one might encounter while in an experience or other allusions of mishaps. That's like saying don't go into the forest, there are things that scurry or you might trip on a branch. My point of view is that the forest is a beautiful place and you should learn about it... and the critters within... and how to be safe whilst within.
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Taking the forest analogy first, have you spent time in a forest which is known to contain big predators for any significant length of time? Personally, I have not, but I have had the opportunity to hear the experience of someone who has done back-country safari in the African savannahs. He was knowledgeable about outdoor life before the safari. After the safari, he came back with a totally new appreciation and respect for nature and life. According to him, people who encounter the immensity of an African savannah on an up-close and personal level lose any romantic notion about nature. The way of life there - the complex predator-prey relationships and the constant vigilance and awareness required to increase chances of survival often brings about a new outlook. People who live permanently in this environment are not paranoid, but they are very much grounded in the reality of both the beauty and the danger there, and above all have a visceral (instead of intellectual) realization of the uncertainty of life. So no, they would not worry about tripping on a branch, but they would tell you that even after generations of accumulated knowledge about the wild, the best of them always prepare to meet with lethal danger every time they go out in the savannahs.
Coming back to the topic of astral projection, the forest analogy is not really valid. This is because unlike the savannahs where life has been studied and experienced through countless human generations, there is not much authentic material accumulated about this world. Some of that material does talk about denizens who have their home in that astral realm. Among others, there are ostensibly entities in these realms which are far more cunning and intelligent than human beings. A deliberately undertaken stroll in the astral realm is therefore likely to be far more dangerous compared to a stroll in the savannahs. Animals in the savannah would just kill a human being - but rules in the astral savannahs are apparently different and we do not have much understanding about them.
[quote author=OneLittleBird]
Which brings me to my point (sorry so long), what CAN go wrong?
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Spirit attachment, demonic possession are a couple of possibilities. Among the recommended books on parapsychology, there is one book "Hostage to the Devil" by Malachi Martin which does describe a case of a professor who specialized in astral projections. May be worth a read.
fwiw