The astral realm is a place where the fabric of reality is percieved from an inner, mental point of view. Rather than seeing the world from an external way we see it from an internal view. But what you see is you in reality. It is a reflective world that is both a vission of the real world from an abstract frame of thought (one where physical laws are abstract instead of logical) and the inner emotions and desires of the self. So what you percieve will be of this world from a perspective of intentions and desires. The intentions and desires you stir prior to projection will be what you perceive on the astral world. What you percieve will be that of said intentions/desires. So one can incure if they are selfish they will find selfish things on the astral realm. If one seeks knowledge they will find libraries and beings willing to teach as well as others aslo wanting to learn and may be willing to exchange. If you are wanting to peer into another's privacy you will find that others will peer into yours. If you want to control another you yourself will be controled. That is why prior to projection one should be clear with their inner emotions and their true desires. For that is what one will find on the astral plains.

Like the real world there are places that are dangerous. To elaborate on the word dangerous there are certain beings who are liars and theifs, predators and parasites. There're places that can be traps or have a negative effect. There are temples of pyschopaths and "demonic" forces. Places that channel negative energies; hatred, anger, lust, greed, guilt, despair ect ect to people who approach them and allow themselves to be consumed. There are beings who are radiant in light but are also parasites and predators. You spot them by knowing yourself, your intentions and desires. Like the real world the astral realm is one where an individual would be wise to take protective messures as well as avoid such places and entities.

The side effects of hanging around negative places and entities for too long can be very detrimental. One can become sick or infected with negative forces. These can manifest as physical illnesses, mental distress, delusions, and spurts of anger. Currents that are destructive and serve no other purpose than to break down one's own essence right down to becoming insane if left unchecked. Such forces are only useful if one wishes to disrupt old behaviors to replace them with new ones. And even then it is not wise to tempt fate as a beginner.

This is why I stress knowing your intentions and having a desire to go somewhere or accomplish something. For what is within you, your desires, will be where you go. If all one does is project onto the astral world and have no clear intentions then sub-consous desires will take the reins. Where you go could be either a positive place or one that is negative. You could find yourself standing over the abyss or at an island paradise. Without clear intentions you may be subjected to the intentions of an entity who doesn't have you in his best interests. Having a desire to astral project serves a mechanism for self control. It afferms your own will power so others can not take advantage of you and your impressionable abstract frame of thinking. This desire can even be manipulated by one's own mind to manifest as a radiant shield. Should you be searching for healing a blue or yellow sphere of light may be what you choose to surround yourself with. Knowledge, perhaps white or black or even grey. There are other mechanisms too, servitors, avatars, elementals, thought forms and spirit guides all are very very useful ways to protect one's self from negative influences but to also reach the goals one desires to achieve. Also mandalas, talismens, sigils and other such charms are all useful for astral protection.

Should you encounter places or entities that stir fear do not let that fear control you. Fear is an emotion of intuition to alarm one's self of danger. The uncertainty of safety. To let it control you will give the places and beings that stir that emotion leverage to manipulate you and draw from you energy or power that they seek. Remember we are earth bound creatures. Radiant and charged by the power of the elements and personal will with divine authorities capable of interving should one just honestly ask for help from a higher power. Know that should you encounter places and entities, dispite having clear intentions and desires, even with guides or other protective measures, pay no attention to them. They are attempting to disrupt your will and they will win if you attack or pay too much attention to them. Defend yourself as nesseccery but to willfully and openly attack negative forces is to feed and empower them with negative energy. That will draw from you your own personal will power and ability to control yourself on the astral world. Your essence on the astral plains will deminish and when you return to the mundane world you will find yourself weakned, possibly even suffer the side effect of negative encounters.

In times of healing, to seek understanding of one's own negative potentials, specific astral rituals, initiation, soul retrival or penatence when decending into the sub-lunarary plains may be nesseccary. Personal will power and control will be the only tools that will truely be affective at defending yourself. You can use you mind to manifest these tools, a sword or sheild or guardian dragon but these will only be powered by your own desire and practice. Only a divine archetype can help you further. By channeling perfect and trust and perfect love to one's higher being one can reach a bond with a higher power. One that is understood by the individual and ampified by the power of that greater force. This can be used as a tool of protection into the lower plains. For one who is intuned with their god in perfect trust and perfect love can be guarded in an idestructible field of energy. This is because the power of a "god" archetype is just that, a force that is indestructable so long as one's own will power can stay surrendered to that force. Only corrupted desires- greed, arrogance, or lust can really disrupt a divine connection.

The astral plains is a world of its own full of places both positive and negative and all inbetween. There is no boundary for the lower plains any more for the positive. Neither are good or evil but nesseccary in the balancing of natural forces that form a stable reality. Both can have a postive and negative impact on the self. One is best to not dwell in either. The higher plains are blessed and peaceful. A place of meditation and enlightenment. But to dwell on these plains is just as harmful as the negative. It can lead to arrogance, forgetfulness of true human nature, disconnection from reality, and delusions of being a creature greater than human. Balance must be struck in the self and so the most common places you will travel will not be high or low but all over and inbetween.

To really enjoy the astral realm one should be confident, calm and collected, prepared to deal with what may be expereinced. A basic taoist philosophy is the are art of generating chi. Chi means eternal energy. And so one who generates and circulates Chi is also creating a state of mind capable of self control and astral projection. One does this through attitude, meditation, healthy living, excercise and living a life of fullfillment. Attitude is everything. To be pessimistic or overly skeptical to down right being arogant are all part of a bad attitude. Aviod these and learn what your own attitude is. For the rest of these one explores their mind and surrounding nature during mediation and trance, including dream time. One takes care of themselves. They eat well, practice good hygine and use their body regularly. Excercise can be aerobic, weight training and self discilplining. Martial arts is a great way to complete these aspects. Sex is a natural part of life and is very healthy. Regular sex coupled with healthy living can sustain greater will power and longevity. Though I should also mention that faithfulness to one's self and their lover is crittical. One should not indulge beyond reason.

Certain rites may also require a degree of celebacy. Abstaining from both sex and certain foods and behaviors. Living a fullfilling life is where one is not simply being but also doing. Explore life and the creative forces that exist. Take up hobbies and enjoy social atmospheres. Educate yourself and find a career path to follow. Remain only static for short periods of time such that you savor the pleasures of being alive. Through these basic ways one channels ch'i that can be used for healing, enlightenment, and projection of mind over matter as well as time and dimention. One can use Chi for both constructive and destructive ends. Evil is only in one who desires power over another human being. Through wealth in material possessions to satisfy ego and greed. To controling the freedoms of another person through any means is what, I at least, percieve as true evil. Those who live such lives I dare you to explore the astral realm if you can. See what you find. Greed and control? One may find that by harmonizing themselves with reality as described that exploring the bounds of it is almost second nature.

One's thoughts when understanding reality should be both logical and abstract. A mind that is rational, yet open to unseen possibilities. The main drive I have to even continue to add to this thread is I want people, who are truely interested, to explore the power of their own mind. Weather you believe in the occult or not you greatest tool is your brain. And how you use will determine its potential. By utilizing both logical and abstract thinking one will be able to test the bounds of science and religion to realize we know nothing except that we can think. Mind over matter is the priniciple test I urge readers to discover.