1st Astral Projection

When I was in High School (era mid-1970's) we had a creative literature class that was taught by a very progressive and free-thinking teacher who had us explore various phenomenon based on literary works that she had chosen. Such topics as Pyramid Power and using Crystals for healing was just coming of age and I had chosen to read every book she had listed for the course, rather than the three or four that were required. I was somewhat disenfranchised from my conservative religious upbringing and was exploring options at this time in my life and I had been involved in transcendental meditation for some time. One of the books on her list was about astral projection, a totally new area of interest to me; I devoured it and one night decided to try to project into the astral plane. I had very little understanding or background of what I was actually attempting, but the bravado of my age gave me the "I can do anything" attitude. After going to bed I remember putting myself into a deep trance and just decided to "throw myself out there" so to speak and see what happened.

In what seemed like an instant I was standing in the front doorway of a strange apartment, looking at a vividly floral-patterned couch, colored in blues, lime-greens and yellows - this was so out of place as the rest of the furniture was rather older 50's style - lots of vinyl chairs and blond wood end tables, but this couch was practically psychedelic, even if it had a rather "frumpy" styling. To the left was a doorway that had what we called "Hippy Beads" covering it, all in a fuchsia-color plastic. The colors were muted somewhat as it was nigh time, but I had the "impressions" of these color more than actually seeing them.

The next thing I knew I was standing at the foot of a bed and there was a very handsome, typical '70's looking guy lying in bed asleep with his left leg uncovered - he was obviously naked, had the big, bushy mustache that was so popular then, along with the feathered-back hairstyle. In just an instant I "knew" his face, perceived he had a very hairy chest and very muscled body, just from what seemed like a very instantaneous view. I looked to my left and another doorway led into a kitchenette, with a lot of dirty plates in the sink, mostly mis-matched melamine type. Obviously thrift store purchases. I could clearly see a lot of smoking paraphernalia on the table, then I realized the guy started to stir from his sleep and the next thing I knew I was back in my bed. It was just over. I wrote it off to a very vivid dream and went to sleep.

The next day I was visiting a friend who lived in the area's orphanage (yes we had an orphanage and the town still does, though they do not call it that any longer). She was also in the lit. Class, but just saw it all as fiction and an easy "A" more than anything else. I started relating my experience to her, and as I described the living room, she started telling me to "oh, shut up" in somewhat a kidding manner. Then I mentioned the beaded "curtain" in the doorway and the guy on the bed. She started freaking out; she kept asking what else I had seen and I mentioned there was a hookah on the kitchen table and the mismatched plates, etc. She startted telling me to quit pulling her leg and accused her sister (also a minor and in the facility with her) of putting her on.

I thought "well, she thinks this is all just bullcrap". Once I was done with the full story, she just sat there for a few minutes and then said I had blown her mind as I had just described her brother's new apartment, along with her brother, to a tee. When I mentioned that his leg was outside the covers, she stated that he never slept with his left leg under the sheets and he always was one to sleep in the buff. He had just moved to the area a week or two before from the Chicago area and she had wanted us to meet up sometime, but we had both been very busy. She showed me a picture she had of him and it was the guy I say. Later that day she took me to his place and as soon as I walked in the front door, it was like I was right back in the projection. When I met him he stopped and looked me over good and said "I swear I saw you last night in a dream". My friend suddenly just said "sorry we gotta leave" and she made me take her home. Something about that situation freaked her to the point we were never friends of the same caliber again. I did become fast friends with her brother though and we hit it off real well, although I never told him about what happened.

Now for the odd part - for the next four weeks or so I felt odd - very out of sorts and not at all myself. I became depressed and seemed to be almost groggy all the time. I finally talked to my teacher about what had occurred and she told me I should have been more careful messing with the astral plane as sometimes "things glom onto you". I never really understood what she meant but she gave me a prayer asking to be shielded by God's protective light if I should ever try such again and to never go to sleep directly after being in a deep trance.

To be honest, I tail-spinned into a lot of drugs and such and never had such an experience again. Years later I had a deeper re-commitment to my spirituality without returning to my fundamental upbringing, and this seemed to have helped immensely as I was able to break some very self-destructive behavior (something I had never had before this time period) and was told by another practitioner that there are some pretty nasty things that can come back with you from the astral planes - I was wondering if anyone had any similar happenings, as I would like to explore projecting again someday, but have quite a few reservations now.

Thanks for reading.