Astral Travel Book

Chapter One – An Introduction to Out of Body Experiences and Dreams

In chapter one, Belzebuub introduces the reader to what the astral plane is and explains the correlation between dreams, lucid dreams, OBEs, the astral plane and near-death experiences. He then covers the various ways OBEs can occur, either by waking up in a dream (also called lucid dreaming) or via a conscious projection of the astral body.

Belzebuub then discusses the various obstacles and limitations faced when trying to study the astral plane and out-of-body experiences from an external or physical perspective. Referring to astral travel as an ‘inner science’, Belzebuub stresses the importance of personal experience and personal exploration to learn and understand OBEs and the higher dimensions of existence. This personal exploration is important to understand how OBEs can be effected by the subconscious, and how gaining self-knowledge can lead to having clearer astral experiences.

Belzebuub also relates his first successful astral projection experience, what it was like and what he had experienced, such as meeting with other people in the astral plane and being able to verify his experience with others afterwards. He then covers what the astral plane is, what can be done while in the astral plane, the various types of encounters that can happen in the astral and some of the ways the astral is different from the physical (such as the ability to fly or go through objects). Belzebuub also explains what dreams and nightmares are and how they relate to self-study.

Belzebuub goes on to explain how the astral plane relates to other planes of existence such as the three dimensional world, spiritual planes above the astral and inferior dimensions where nightmares occur. He then ends the first chapter by explaining a few things to bear in mind when learning about dreams and exploring the astral plane, such as the need for objectivity, how to overcome fear of the unknown and the worry of danger and why building will power is important in order to be successful with astral projection.

Chapter One Exercise:

• Practicing relaxation every night before sleep
• Remembering dreams by lying still upon waking and using a mantra
• Keeping a dream journal

In the exercise section of this chapter, Belzebuub explains the importance of relaxation in order to astral project, explaining two different ways to relax the body.

The second exercise Belzebuub explains is how to remember dreams more easily, by learning to remain still upon waking up in order to retrospect on dreams from the previous night. He also gives a mantra which he explains can help the process of remembering dreams.

Finally, Belzebuub recommends keeping a private dream diary to record dreams and experiences that have taken place during the night as an aid for memory and learning.

Chapter Two – Preparing for Astral Projection: Concentration and Visualization

In chapter two, the reader learns about the importance of concentration, how it relates to astral projection, and what causes a conscious astral projection to happen. Belzebuub also explains the difference between concentration and having a silent mind, and how it is possible to learn how to concentrate by using normal daily activities.

The reader is then introduced to visualization. The difference between visualization and fantasy is explained, and Belzebuub talks about how progressively incorporating daily concentration or visualization exercises into a person’s life at a comfortable pace allows them to strengthen their skills and chances to project at night:

”To train the mind to concentrate and visualize you carry out exercises where you sit down or lie down simply to concentrate and / or visualize.
It’s very important however not to force the mind. Start with small amounts and gradually build up to a level that you are comfortable with.”

~ Belzebuub, A Course in Astral Travel and Dreams, p57

Belzebuub then discusses a common obstacle many people face when first learning to concentrate and/or visualize, that of the chattering mind. Belzebuub explains that the mind usually has a continuous stream of thoughts or day-dreams running through it during the day which means that when a person wants to direct their attention to one thing or activity, such as visualization they can find it difficult. To overcome this, Belzebuub remarks that through gradual training of concentration and by learning to be aware of the present moment, the mind can learn to stay focused on whichever activity a person wishes to be concentrated upon. This focus increases the chances of astral projection, as the ability to concentrate is key to the success of all astral projection techniques.

Chapter Two Exercises:

• Surface Concentration / Visualization
• Imaginative Concentration / Visualization

Belzebuub gives two exercises in this chapter, explaining that each has a specific purpose. With surface concentration / visualization, the aim is to train the mind to visualize an object in great detail as well as to develop memory skills.

With the imaginative concentration / visualization exercise, the aim is for the reader to learn how to visualize something that is not readily seen but still exists, for instance visualizing the details of a real place that they have never been too.

Chapter Three – The Process of Astral Projection

In chapter three, the reader learns about the process of astral projection and its relationship with sleep, along with some characteristics of the astral body.

Belzebuub then states that there are two main techniques for astral projection such as concentration / visualization and the use of mantras. He goes on to detail the process of astral projection and explains what to expect as it takes place — including various sensations someone may feel as part of the process of leaving their body — and what it’s like to step out into another dimension.

Belzebuub finishes the chapter by presenting several tips to make attempts at astral projection more successful as well as addressing common obstacles a beginner might encounter.

Chapter Three Exercises:

• Concentration on the heartbeats
• Visualization / Concentration on the Physical Heart
  • An extra optional point for visualizing the heart in stages
  • Useful tips to succeed in astral projection with concentration on the heart

• Visualizing the Heart as a Spiritual Place
  • Visualizing your heart as a temple
  • Visualizing your heart as a forest

Belzebuub explains that concentration on the heart is one of the main techniques to astral project and says that this sort of practice is very useful as the heart is more than just a vital organ, it also has a spiritual aspect.

Chapter Four – The Influence of the Psyche

In chapter four, Belzebuub describes the importance and role that the psyche plays in relation to dreams and astral travel experiences and lists its components including the:

• subconscious (egos)
• consciousness; and
• personality.

Belzebuub explains each of these aspects of the psyche and how they may affect what happens in dreams and what is experienced in the astral plane.

Belzebuub states that during daily activities, the psyche is mainly used by the subconscious, which he describes as desires, drives and other self-centered states (egos). Belzebuub explains that egos usually appear in a succession within a person, affecting the behaviour, often without us realizing it. He states that as a person learns to observe egos, they can gradually understand them and apply techniques to remove them. By doing so, Belzebuub explains that the qualities of consciousness, which were trapped within the egos, such as intelligence, wisdom and love are developed. He explains that by developing these qualities and removing egos, that the level of clarity in astral experiences and dreams can increase:

”In dreams the subconscious elements (egos) are free to roam and project their scenes onto the astral world, which then form the dreams. Therefore, the more egos that are eliminated, the freer the person is from their influence and the dream and astral experiences become clearer and more objective. This reduction of the subconscious also affects waking life in the three-dimensional world. The less a person is submerged in the subconscious, in the egos, in daydreams, the more aware they are of the present moment they live in.

The levels of awareness and daydreaming during daily life are directly related to the levels of consciousness and subconsciousness while dreaming when asleep. The more awake, aware, objective and free of the subconscious a person is during the day, the more awake, aware, objective and free of the subconscious a person is during the night in the astral.”

~ Belzebuub, A Course in Astral Travel and Dreams, p108-109

Belzebuub then describes how the personality differs from the subconscious and the consciousness. He states that its purpose is to serve as a vehicle for either the consciousness or the egos to express themselves during one’s life, and that the remains of the personality of deceased people are what is often referred to as ghosts.

Belzebuub describes how the consciousness is the immortal essence of a person, how it gives us the ability to be aware of the present moment and how it can be activated through the perception of the world around us through the senses. He also explains how the majority of a person’s consciousness is trapped within the egos and how consciousness can be freed and developed through a spiritual work that eventually leads to a person reuniting with their being, enabling lasting and true inner peace.

Belzebuub also explains where the various parts of a person (physical body, vital body, astral body, thoughts, emotions, feelings, consciousness and personality) reside and how they interact with the different dimensions of existence. He also talks about how higher spiritual parts of a person (solar bodies) can be developed through the spiritual work, and explains how spiritual awakening is linked to more profound and meaningful astral experiences.

Chapter Four Exercises:

• Astral Projection to a Room in your House
• Visualization / Concentration on a Place

Belzebuub explains that with the method to project to a place, one of the key aspects is visualizing the place as realistically as possible, imagining oneself as if they were really there. He then provides a series of tips on how to make astral projection to a place more successful and efficient.

Chapter Five – Waking Up in the Astral Plane from Dreams

In this chapter, the reader learns about how to become conscious in the astral plane by learning how to wake up from a dream. Belzebuub explains that when a dream occurs, the person is already present in the astral plane but is unaware of their dream state. He says that in this state a person can only see the projections of their subconscious which forms the images of the dream the person finds themselves in.

Belzebuub goes on to explain that it is possible to become aware of being in a dream, where the dreamer realizes that they are dreaming but are still ‘caught up’ within it, and that this is known as lucid dreaming. He says that from this state it is possible to come out of the subconscious projections which create dreams and to clearly see where one is in the astral plane. He refers to various reality checking exercises which can be done during the day, explaining that if these checks are done frequently enough they get recorded in the subconscious and can then be re-enacted at night during dreams, helping a person to become aware that they are dreaming:

”There are exercises that can be done to become conscious in the astral while dreaming. They basically involve questioning during the day to see whether you are in the astral or in the everyday world. In order to record that question in the subconscious and to repeat it while dreaming, and thereby to realize that you are there.”

~ Belzebuub, A Course in Astral Travel and Dreams, p126

Belzebuub outlines the five steps and a number of tips for successful reality checking, and explains the importance of awareness in connection with these exercises and astral projection:

”The more you can practice being aware of where you are, what your inner state is and what you are doing, the better. Combine this with questioning which dimension you are in and you have a very effective means of getting to the astral plane.”

~ Belzebuub, A Course in Astral Travel and Dreams, p134

Belzebuub then suggests three different daily activities that could be used for the reader to learn how to bring themselves back to the present moment by focusing their attention on the activity while they are doing it. The aim of this exercise is for the reader to discover how awareness works through experimenting with it in simple activities.

Chapter Five Exercises:

• Waking up from dreams (using questioning / reality checks)
• Practicing awareness

Belzebuub reiterates the importance of being genuine while questioning for the reality checks to be effective. He also suggests that paying attention to the tips and framework for reality checks, as well as beginning to incorporate awareness into daily life is important for getting the most out of the exercises.

Chapter Six – Mantras for Astral Projection

In chapter six, the reader learns how to use mantras to achieve astral projection. Belzebuub explains that mantras are a series of words, sounds or phrases that when repeated for a period a time can temporarily activate higher faculties and allow the astral body to split from the physical body more easily.

Belzebuub then provides the reader with two mantras to try. He also gives a series of tips and recommendations on maximizing the effectiveness of mantras for astral projection.

Chapter Six Exercises:

• Mantras for Astral Projection
  • Two important points to remember
  • Tips for success with mantras
• Vocalizing Mantras

Belzebuub explains that to get the most benefit out of mantras it is helpful to learn how to pronounce them correctly by practising them during the day before using them for astral projection at night.

He also states that it can be useful to focus on one mantra at a time for a period of time before moving on to try another mantra. He mentions that by spending some time focusing on each mantra the reader will be provided with the opportunity to develop its effects properly and to learn how each mantra works (as the effects of different mantras can vary).

Finally, Belzebuub recommends vocalizing the mantra that the reader has chosen daily — even several times if possible during the day — as he states that this will make the astral projection attempt at night much more likely to be successful.

Chapter Seven – Unpleasant Experiences and Sinister Figures

In this chapter, the reader learns about the origins of bad dreams and nightmares. Belzebuub also explains eerie presences and places encountered in the astral plane, and provides helpful recitations of protections against sinister figures.

With bad or unpleasant dreams, Belzebuub explains that they usually reflect the inner state of the psyche. He describes how if a person goes through unpleasant inner states during the day (e.g. fear or anxiety), that they will often re-occur at night, leading a person to experience similarly unpleasant dream images or scenarios.

In true nightmares — the kind that have very strong emotional aspects or are even horrific in nature — Belzebuub explains that they occur when a person travels to the infra-dimensions of existence, which have been referred to as the hells of various spiritual traditions. Belzebuub states that this can happen if someone goes to sleep with an upset stomach or due to the connection of energy present between these lower infra-dimensions and the psyche.

Belzebuub goes on to explain how just as there are good and bad people in the physical world, so too there are good and bad beings in the astral. He describes how in cultures around the world, ancient texts have depicted both spiritual beings and demonic beings. He states that as someone goes into the astral plane more frequently they are bound at some point to encounter both these types of beings. Belzebuub then explains how the aim of negative entities is to stop spiritual progress and learning — often by using fear and deceit — while beings of light are there to help and teach the astral traveller. Belzebuub then provides recitations of protection to use before sleep and in the astral plane to reveal and expel these negative entities.

Chapter Seven Exercises:

• Extra Mantras for Astral Projection

As well as the recitations, Belzebuub also introduces two extra mantras for astral projection and reiterates some of the essential points for the reader to keep in mind when using mantras for astral projection.

Chapter Eight – Out-of-Body and Dream Experiences

In this chapter, Belzebuub explains how to understand what happens in dreams and astral travel experiences and explains the most useful things that can be explored for personal development while out of the body. Chapter eight also had two supplementary topics, a general dream symbol guide and a guide on interpreting the meaning of numbers in dreams and astral experiences.

Belzebuub begins the chapter by describing the importance of using intuition to interpret experiences, as he states that the language of the astral is both intuitive and symbolic. He stresses the importance of learning how to differentiate between symbols shown in the astral for personal learning and projections of the subconscious which are not real and can be misleading:

”Much of what is seen in dreams and astral experiences in the beginning of the work are the projections of the subconscious; intuition should be used to tell whether this is the case or not and where they are coming from. It is very important to learn about the subconscious and how the psyche works because then you can take steps to clear the elements of the subconscious, which we call ‘egos’. Without this, astral experiences are always subject to the subjective projections of the subconscious.”

~ Belzebuub, A Course in Astral Travel and Dreams, p200

Belzebuub goes on to explain how intuition works and how to use it to interpret the symbolic meaning of dreams which may otherwise remain obscure if interpreted intellectually.

Belzebuub then talks about how to use the astral plane for gaining esoteric experiences, such as visiting sacred places and temples in the astral, meeting with spiritual beings, or even asking to receive a personal teaching from a person’s higher spiritual aspects, described as the divine Mother and Father. Belzebuub then describes the various ways to travel once out of the body, explaining that flying or visualizing a location is usually the fastest way to travel.

Chapter Eight Exercises:

• Creating a program for astral projection

In week eight, Belzebuub explains how to create a program for astral projection by combining the different exercises that have been explained throughout the book into a program. This program aims to allow someone to achieve an astral goal they set for themselves.

Belzebuub then provides the summit of Mount Everest as a possible destination to try to reach in the astral, and describes how to set up a one-week program of daytime and night-time activities to make this astral projection goal a success.

Supplementary Topic One — General Dreams Symbol Guide:

In this first supplementary topic, Belzebuub presents a general guide to interpreting symbols in dreams and astral experiences. It contains some symbols that he had learned previously from Colombian esotericist and author Samael Aun Weor, as well as symbols added from his own experience. Belzebuub cautions the reader when using the dream symbol guide that a symbol can have multiple levels of meaning and can therefore be interpreted in different ways, and so interpretations should be based predominantly on the dreamer’s intuition:

”Here is a guide to the meaning of some symbols that are given in the astral and dreams. (…) You can use it as a general guide only, because a symbol can have many different meanings; much depends upon the particular circumstances of the experiences and using your own intuition is vital.”

~ Belzebuub, A Course in Astral Travel and Dreams, p213

Belzebuub also clarifies that many objects that are seen in the astral may not have any symbolic meaning, as they can simply be representations of the mind. Finally, he states that while he provides a general introduction to symbols that can be found in the astral, his intent is not to explain every possible symbol but instead to help people develop the ability to gain and interpret their own experiences so that they can learn how to walk the spiritual path for themselves, instead of having to rely upon what someone else has said.

Supplementary Topic Two — The Meaning of Numbers:

In the second week eight supplementary topic, Belzebuub explains the symbolic meaning of numbers and time (as seen on the face of a clock) in the astral, including how to interpret them from an esoteric point of view. He states that the interpretations he has included originated in the work of Samael Aun Weor but that numbers have been used symbolically since ancient times.

”Numbers are used in the astral world by divine beings to teach. You can therefore see them not only when you are conscious in the astral but in dreams too.
So if you see them in dreams or while in the higher dimensions it’s worth paying attention to them.”

~ Belzebuub, A Course in Astral Travel and Dreams, p232

Chapter Nine – Where To Go From Here

In the last chapter of the astral book, Belzebuub:

• reviews what has been learned throughout the book
• shares some encouraging words for future success with astral projection
• talks about the ability to use OBEs to find out more about the bigger picture of life
• lists some setbacks the reader may face in future astral exploration attempts and how to overcome them; and
• explains how to move forward after finishing the book.

Belzebuub describes how the information presented through each of the above chapters outlines a foundation for exploring the astral world. He suggests that it may be useful to the reader at this point to look back over what has been covered and what has been experienced on a personal level, looking to see what has worked and what hasn’t during a person’s attempts:

”With the understanding gained by looking back over this course, you can work out your future astral exercises and strategy, improving upon what you did before.

Bear in mind that no astral strategy exists outside the context of daily life, and it is that which greatly affects all aspects of anyone’s astral life and experiences.”

~ Belzebuub, A Course in Astral Travel and Dreams, p247

Belzebuub then provides tips on how to keep the learning momentum going by describing the importance of planning and organizing one’s own time and activities with the use of a diary. He mentions how dedication and discipline are important if a person is interested in having regular conscious astral experiences, and explains how experiences in the higher planes are an important means to uncover truth and gain knowledge of a very spiritual kind.

He then devotes the last part of this chapter to explain the common obstacles that may be faced by anyone who has learned how to astral travel and who wishes to sustain their ability to have OBEs over time, such as issues with laziness or feeling disheartened.

Belzebuub then talks about being responsible in regards to the physical body, never pushing oneself to practice astral projection during times of illness or when recovering from an injury. He states the importance of ensuring that the physical body is never pushed or forced beyond a comfortable limit when practising astral projection and says that what works for one person may not work for others.

”The body and mind must be trained gently and gradually to do the exercises. The capacity of endurance of the physical body varies from person to person. (…)
You also have to watch that you don’t force yourself. Increase the time spent practicing gradually, so that you get used to it. Stop if you feel you are forcing something or if the body rebels and feels uncomfortable with it.”

~ Belzebuub, A Course in Astral Travel and Dreams, p255-256

Belzebuub ends the chapters by explaining some other factors that can reduce momentum or success with astral practices, such as the forces of entropy and the lack of ability for the mind to stay concentrated. He suggests that continuing with concentration exercises as well as using activities in daily life to train the mind to keep focused and concentrated on one thing at a time is useful, stating that this will help with clarity in dreams as well as the ability to maintain concentration during astral projection exercises.

Finally, Belzebuub concludes that for those interested in exploring further what has been covered in the astral book, that his other works explain self-knowledge and how to acquire it, the overall picture of life and death, the spiritual path and how to change into a spiritual being.

Chapter Nine Exercises:

• Group Astral Exercise
• Watching the Dream Images

For the final exercise, Belzebuub explains how it is possible to take part in a group astral exercise, using what has been learned and practiced in the previous chapters, and describes how to use an astral program with the aim of meeting with others at a given location, using the Great Pyramids of Egypt as an example.

He describes how to use visualization and concentration on a place to make this group astral exercise more successful, and suggests using a schedule of night-time exercises on one Saturday evening to try to experience astral projection with others.

Belzebuub then provides a final exercise which involves watching dream images, in order to catch the moment when the mind slowly drifts into a dream state, at which point a person can go into a conscious astral experience.

The book ends with examples of successful experiences where students travelled to various locations in the astral, including:

• using mantras to get to the Great Pyramids of Egypt
• two people meeting each other at Mount Everest and then verifying the experience later online
• visiting other planets in the solar system; and
• interacting with spiritual beings in the astral world.