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Dr Robert Crookall - More Astral projections

Case No. 177 - Mr J McCormick, of Glasgow, sent the following (in litt., Sept. 3, 1960):

I have just finished reading your article in the May 27 issue of Psychic News on astral projection. ... I had an experience about three weeks ago which I believe to have been a projection. I had retired to bed at about midnight and, as usual, lay awake thinking over various matters (all very mundane, I should say).

I am usually in good health and ... on this occasion I felt extremely well and mentally exhilarated. The sensation of extreme well-being increased and I became aware of a great feeling of lightness. At this point an odd, but very pleasant feeling of energy started to build up about the area of the solar plexus.

This sensation was so intense that I became convinced that power or energy was being released from my body - I was almost convinced that it was taking tangible form.   

When this sensation had built up for some time, the feeling of lightness increased. (I remember now, as I write, that there was a rushing or roaring sound in my ears, also rather pleasant.) My consciousness, at this stage appeared to become dual, with the emphasis growing on what I assume to have been my actual consciousness. Now, while I was still aware of the weight of my physical body on the bed, and the sensation of energy coming from it, ‘I’ suddenly rose ... horizontally from the body. At this point, still horizontal, I appeared to swing round in an angle so that I lay diagonally across the bed, and over the physical body (rather like a ship at anchor).

I must digress here to say that, for about six months past, I have found myself lying in this rather odd position almost every morning, on awakening from a normal sleep. On checking, I find the position to be almost due north and south. This may not be pertinent to the subject, of course.

Having reached the position described, I then found myself moving backwards, still horizontally, away from the bed and ultimately from the room and the building itself.

At this stage I appeared to 'reverse' and now moved forward and upwards and with accelerated speed. I now had a very definite impression of moving over the city. I could see streets, etc. I must point out that, although I was delighted that this was happening to me, and I wished to prolong the experience, I was apprehensive on two points:

(1) I knew that someone was due to arrive back in the flat between 12 and 1 a.m., and was afraid that this person might slam the door, thereby shocking me back too quickly. ...

(2) I was still convinced that the energy which I had felt extruding from my diaphragm had taken tangible form. I imagined - and I anticipated – a rather embarrassing session with my landlady the following day. I fully expected the bed on which I lay to be saturated with some kind of odd substance.

These thoughts were in my mind as I felt myself to be travelling in the astral plane and therefore possibly I returned sooner than I would have wished.

On returning, I experienced no shock but found myself 'fusing' or 'merging' with no difficulty but with a definite feeling of disappointment. Having returned, I found myself in a state of exhilaration and with a desperate desire to repeat the performance. I tried to do so voluntarily, without success.

After I had calmed down somewhat, I rose, switched on the light, and found, to my relief and surprise, that there was no sign of the 'ectoplasm' which I had anticipated finding on or around the bed.

This is a rather long and not very scientific account, I'm afraid. But it may be of some interest and I should certainly like to know if it corresponds with your knowledge of astral projection. At the time it happened I was in no doubt of the reality of the experience, but the passage of only a few weeks, (together with the scepticism of a friend to whom I incautiously related the affair) have taken the bloom off my initial enthusiasm. However, I should still like to know more.

I replied to Mr McCormick (Sept. 11, 1961) and asked, "Did you know about astral projection before having the experience?" He replied, "Yes, I did have previous knowledge of astral projection-but I can assure you that nothing was further from my mind at the time of my experience."