6.3 Astral Projection

Tyler Friesen wrote in his book titled ‘Merkabah’ that he published in 1967 and sold over a million copies, how he experienced his first conscious astral projection. He wrote:

I have experienced this phenomenon in my life not precisely knowing that such a separation could take place. I never believed in the two bodies of the soul and the vessel – ethereal and matter containing in a being. It happened in a flight while I flew from London to New York in 1957 and I was scared to death thinking I actually died, departed from the vessel that was supposedly my being. I thought it caused due to a weakness in the nerves but I felt totally conscious during the whole progression and I still believe it really happened.

That was then and now I was going to experience an astral projection with informative knowledge.

I was sleeping in the narrow clinical bed covered with a white sheet. When I fell asleep, she tucked a white blanket on my body. I was lying face down because that was my favourite position since I left the Air Force. I woke up in my sleep to find me very tired and unable to get up. I could not move a muscle. Lying there for a while, I began to think that my body would not move anymore. I was in a struggle then to get up.

As my head rested on the right side, I could see the black screen on my left side, the flowers in the vases, the illuminator beside her and Cherry sat on the armchair with her legs curled up, wearing a nightdress and reading from her notes. Her shoes placed side by side erratically. I could hear the rain patter outside. I knew I was supposed to enter an astral projection but I couldn’t see my physical body because I was lying face down and fully awake. I was thinking at that point how to alert her and let her know that I was having a difficulty in getting up.

I tried to move my fingers rested on the mattress. I could hardly lift a finger. I forced to bring out my voice to yell. It did not work. I wanted to tell Cherry to shake me and I might be able to get up. I was literally incapacitated. And then those scary things began to pass my mind.

Am I dead? Is this how it feels to be dead? Am I supposed to know everything that goes around? I have no strength and I’m lying there in a collapsed physical body. There has been no astral projection and my ethereal isn’t rising. My body isn’t responding.

I screamed and screamed but my voice wouldn’t come out. I feared that Cherry might call me and find me dead. And that was my state – dead.

I was thinking that I shouldn’t lose at this point. I tried every effort to move my fingers. Then at last, I was able to raise a finger just a little bit. I remained to adapt.

I knew she tossed her legs, slipped on her slippers and walked out. I could hear her rattling the plates in the vestibule. I could smell the aroma of the flowers.

A moment later, I was able to move four fingers. I moved an arm and finally woke up and felt a little silly about the whole sensation. I did not wake up before. I was asleep. It was a dream in the rapid eye movement. So, I dropped my feet and rose to a sitting position. I saw my body doing that. I wore a light blue pyjama. But I was not able to stand up. I gave it some thought to rest for a while and try again.

I dropped back and I had to go through the same process. Once again, I woke up and realised this sequence of waking up was entangling me. I wasn’t really awake.

Again, it happened to be another fake alarm of a premature waking up.

It was the fourth time I actually woke up and unbelievably discovered that I did not even stir in bed. I had that piece of blanket on me unturned. I couldn’t believe all those scary things that passed my mind of seeing death in the face. I had fear. I cried. I called my mother. I could not think of my wife and two sons. I even pleaded not to bury me because I wasn’t dead. I called my mother for help.

He lost his mother five years ago and he wasn’t able to attend the funeral in Seattle due to his setbacks. He always reasoned but he could have if he wanted. Tyler wasn’t that close to his mother in their upbringing. In her ailing life, he hadn’t seen her for a long time. These things always disturbed him.

“Did you sleep well?” Cherry came in.

“I had a bad dream,” he scratched his nape, “Did you see my astral?”

“Six inches,” she said, “in a glow over your body and partially disencumbered. It always rises six or eight inches when you sleep. You were just about to ascend.”

“I witnessed death!”

“You have fear. You must overcome that fear to release the ethereal. It will not leave if you hold back. The hardest part is to let it go. Are you going to continue?”

“No.”