My friend has the question.

[IJCD]

My friend asked if astral projection was against religion (Christian) i wanted to give him a complete answer (ex. why some people think its against and others say it isn't).
Thanks in advanced.

[ButterflyWoman]

There are a few threads on this topic, but I can't find any of them right now, and I'm about to go out, so I haven't got time to do a really thorough search.

I will, however, note that Christianity is quite varied and broad, and has many different denominations and styles of worship and belief. Some of them might have some issue with OBE, but the bottom line is that the Apostile Paul wrote in one of the Epistles in the Bible about an out of body experience (he even mentions that he was unsure if he was in the body or without, and he says it as if this is a fairly well-understood phenomenon), and there are hints toward it in a couple other places.

Furthermore, OBE has traditionally been known in the lives and experiences of Christian mystics throughout the centuries. Off the top of my head, Saint Catherine of Sienna was go out of her body, sometimes for days at a time.

Your friend will have to decide for himself/herself what the deal is, based on his/her own understanding and style of Christian spirituality. And, of course, what one does in the privacy of one's own reality is really nobody else's business, is it? So long as your friend is personally okay with it (and there's no reason not to be, given the endorsement by Paul and the long history of OBE in Christian mysticism), there's no reason to have to tell anyone else about it and risk getting a lecture from people who have different ideas (and disagree with Paul, probably because they've never actually read the Bible in any deep sense and just go on what they THINK is in there ).

[CFTraveler]

Here is a link to one of the discussions we've had in the past regarding this.
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=16189&p=118777

ps.
OBE's in the bible.
Rev 1:10 "I was in the spirit on the lords day...." and goes on to describe his astral travel.
In chapter 13 verses 1 and 2 he speaks of his own gifts and in verse 12 alludes to learning his prophecies through scrying which was commonly done with dark glass. "For now we see through a glass darkly..."



1 Cor
2:15But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, and he himself is judged of no man. 2:16For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
3:16Know ye not that ye are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

12:4Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 12:5And there are diversities of ministrations, and the same Lord. 12:6And there are diversities of workings, but the same God, who worketh all things in all. 12:7But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit to profit withal. 12:8For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom; and to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit: 12:9to another faith, in the same Spirit; and to another gifts of healings, in the one Spirit; 12:10and to another workings of miracles; and to another prophecy; and to another discernings of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; and to another the interpretation of tongues: 12:11but all these worketh the one and the same Spirit, dividing to each one severally even as he will. 12:12For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ.
12:28And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, divers kinds of tongues. 12:29Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? 12:30have all gifts of healings? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? 12:31But desire earnestly the greater gifts. And moreover a most excellent way show I unto you.

14:1Follow after love; yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.

And then, the quote to what CW was talking about:
2 Corinthians 12
1
I 1 must boast; not that it is profitable, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.
2
I know someone in Christ who, fourteen years ago (whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows), was caught up to the third heaven.
3
And I know that this person (whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows)
4
was caught up into Paradise and heard ineffable things, which no one may utter.

Obviously talking about OBE here, and as a good thing too. "I must boast..."