DO YOU WISH TO FLY?

If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Most people choose super strength, while some go for invisibility. I, for one would choose the power to fly, teleport and travel into the past. Ridiculous much? Not if you went by the theory of astral travel.Many religions across the world believe in the existence of a separate entity that lives within us, called the soul or spirit. According to this belief, it leaves the body after a person’s demise. However, going by the theory of astral projection, the soul has the power to leave the body and travel to other planes of existence while the body is asleep.Astral travel places the soul at the core of one of the most fascinating metaphysical theories to have been set forth by humans. It is said to be spiritually beneficial and may, quite literally, be an out-of-body experience.Alas, it doesn’t have science’s stamp on it, for science does not support the existence of any consciousness apart from the one that is rooted in the human brain. The theory of astral travelThere are two realms of existence�"the physical and the astral. According to the theory of astral projection, the soul can be consciously lifted from the body. While the body stays in the physical realm, the soul, or the astral body, has the capacity to travel between two realms.Astral travel can be induced by falling asleep or relaxing. The body remains alive as the soul moves around, staying attached to the body by a silver cord that can be stretched infinitely. If the cord breaks, the body dies. And the soul can do plenty there. It can travel anywhere in the universe, encounter other astral spirits�"both negative and positive ones, meet lost souls, and even travel back in time. Where does the soul go?For millennia across religions, there have been mentions of the soul’s ability to be apart from the body during dream states. But where exactly does it fly off to? It travels to another realm which is a part of the same universe called the astral plane�"a place that is out of reach for the physical body but is accessible to the soul.And the soul can do plenty there. It can travel anywhere in the universe, encounter other astral spirits�"both negative and positive ones, meet lost souls, and even travel back in time. The soul’s departure from the body could be unnerving for some and soothing for others. Tingling, feeling of lightness, followed by a sensations of floating out of the body are the most commonly-shared experiences. Those who have tried it have narrated surreal and strangely similar experiences of being in an unreal world, of flying anywhere in that world, of meeting other astral bodies, and of travelling back in time.The theory of astral projection is gaining a lot of traction these days. Not only has it made a name for itself in new age spiritual practices, but with movies like Insidious and books like Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die�"astral projection has built itself quite a fan base in pop culture as well. To come to think of it, maybe astral travel can actually give us metaphorical wings. Or maybe it is spiritually illuminating. Maybe it can take us to another realm. Maybe it’s real. Maybe it’s not. For now, the legitimacy of astral travel cannot be promised. But what can be said with certainty is that the unleashed mind is capable of unimaginable feats.