Astral Projection - A Personal Project

Astral projection is a subject that seems like a no-brainer for someone like me to be interested in. For me, the interesting part is how hard it's been for me to get much experience at all with this phenomenon. Most other mystical or esoteric phenomena I've made an effort to accomplish came comparatively easy with a little focused intent and study, but astral projection is one of those things that is almost infuriating in how hard it is for me to do it.

I've read book after book, tried the standard techniques, tried to develop my own theory and methods, and yet I've had very limited success. Part of my problem is that I seem to only ever have time or desire to try it out after I lie down to go to sleep for the night which is a huge no-no for conscious astral projection. To date the best I've ever been able to accomplish are some lucid dreams and some false awakenings and even those were entirely by accident. Typically what happens is I lie in a trance, experience vibrations and sensations of motion, maybe feel my limbs floating about, but I just never seem to be able to make it completely out of my body.

Instead of giving up like some people might, I'm actually going to pick astral projection back up after many months of disinterest. This is actually the project I mentioned in my last post regarding getting back into doing stuff. My thinking is that if I continually study astral projection, make an effort to practice some standard techniques, and get my mind right as to how I think it works then maybe I'll get lucky one of these times and go zooming out amongst the cosmos.

So the first part of my project is a formal statement of intent here. Maybe with it written for all to see I'll have a little more motivation to get it right this time. This will also be a way for me to eventually give some kind of progress report or at least relay what I've learned. Anyone that has any advice or experiences is more than welcome to share them below in the comments. Wish me luck.

The Tepaphone - Black Magic Meets Technology

I learned of the tepaphone while reading a novel that mentioned it in passing but it was one of those things that I forgot about for years until I reread the book a few months ago. Curious about the word, I decided to look it up online and what do you know? The tepaphone is a real (and perhaps very dangerous) piece of occult lore.

The tepaphone is essentially a black magic psychotronic death ray. Using magic to hurt people is probably as old as magic but leave it to the Germans to build a machine to optimize the whole ordeal. Conceived of by a secret German occult order, the tepaphone is supposedly a combination of wire coils and lenses used to project some kind of energy onto a target that would harm them greatly. Now, when I hear about this my mind goes spinning, dreaming up explanations for how this type of device works from an occult perspective (and I do have a few ideas) but without actually seeing one I'm not sure I can know for sure.

Having taken a professional interest in optics as of late I find it fascinating that lenses are at work in this device. I wonder what effect they produce while also considering the symbolic power of something that can bend the path of light or even split it into its constituent parts. I guess I'm mostly interested in the possibility of combining something from my mundane life with something from my magical life to get a powerful effect at the end. I wouldn't think this type of device would be limited solely to hurting people either, if it were modified.

I don't know if I'll ever build a tepaphone of my own but it has definitely sparked my imagination to maybe try some new things when it comes to magic (or even psychotronics/radionics). If my surmising of the principles behind the tepaphone is correct then I'd think one wouldn't need to salvage an old magic lantern to build a rough replica to experiment with. It could be as simple as a consecrated flame and a way to creatively direct some intention.

The articles below will more than whet the appetite of any interested occultist. Credit to the respective authors for inspiring this post and my explorations into this area of the mystical.

Tepaphone – The Magickal Death Ray
STRANGE MACHINES
Oh Tepaphone, Oh Tepaphone

Doing Stuff

A problem that I encounter a lot in paranormal or occult groups is a that there is a lot of discussing and philosophizing but not a lot of practice. Granted, it's difficult to do any sort of group practice when the group is hosted on a message board or chat server. However, I feel it's important to guard against armchair occultism which is too easy to fall into. Day-to-day life tends to get in the way of metaphysical efforts but recognizing this is the first step in doing something about it.

Lately I've found myself invested in mundane concerns with not a lot of time to devote to occultism. When I do find time I usually spend it on the computer or in front of the television. Recognizing this, I'm going to make more of an effort to actually do something in the realm of the paranormal and occult. This may start as just reading another book for inspiration but I have a project in mind and a goal I want to work toward. I'm sure that I'm not the only occultist that has had this happen to them. I think that taking a break from occult or spiritual projects is sometimes necessary in order to rest and gain some perspective.

Now I'm ready to pick it back up again. Ready to do more rather than just talk about doing more. Hopefully this can serve as some inspiration to my fellow occultists out there that are tired of just learning stuff and now want to do stuff. Thanks to the people that have stressed doing stuff in the past and tried to get all of us lazy occultists motivated again. You know who you are. So what are you waiting for? Go do something.

2012 Scenarios Debunked

2012 Pictures: 6 Maya Apocalypse Myths Debunked

This is something to think about for anyone feeling on edge this year. This debunking says nothing of unforeseen supernatural influences but it does give a little more insight into the date and the theories that are getting passed around. There are, of course, many more individual theories of apocalypse as well as theories of transformation.

I don't worry about it too much. Whatever is coming, if anything, is totally beyond my control. An event of this magnitude is on a scale so large that my worry and fear will do absolutely nothing to thwart it. As such I don't worry about it. I just go on with my life. If this really is the last year then I'm going to live it how I want, not cowering in fear of something I have no control over. Live life to the fullest whether the world ends tonight, tomorrow, in December, or never.

A New Year of Weird Stuff

The New Year is upon us and it should be an interesting one. The culmination of this 2012 business along with the usual paranormal news should keep seekers of the strange busy. Stephen Wagner over at the Paranormal Phenomena section of About.com has compiled a recap of 2011's paranormal news stories and events, some of which I shared here over the course of the year.

Top Paranormal Events of 2011

Reading through the list made me realize how many strange things actually occur that see some kind of news exposure. Speaking of strange things and news exposure, there's already been a strange event similar to one that happened a year ago: another New Years bird die-off in Arkansas.

What a way to start off the year.