Review: Basic info and interesting twists, but then... something unexpected
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 08 17, 2012
I'm not sure that astral projection techniques are right for me, but I was intrigued by the idea that anyone could achieve that kind of experience within 24 hours.The book begins with an interesting series of personal diary notes by the author.  Then, he provides a good overview of a variety of topics related to astral projection.After that, he shares several different ways to achieve astral projection.  In some cases, they sounded a lot like lucid dreaming to me, but I'm not an expert, so I could be very mistaken.  Other techniques sounded clearly like leaving the body, whether it's called astral projection, astral travel, OBE, or exteriorization. Skeptical critics might describe it in dissociative terms. I prefer to keep an open mind.I'm reading Kindle books on my computer, so some of this book's formatting distracted me, especially what probably looks like highlighting on some Kindle readers. (On my PC, that shows up as a text notation and a gray dotted line.) Despite that, I thought it was a good book for anyone interested in a good, first-person description of astral projection, plus a range of techniques to achieve that or something like it.Where he lost me was the chapter about demonic encounters.  Several of my friends are professionals in the field of demonology. From what they've said about cases they've worked with (one friend has worked in this field for about 30 years), the discussion about astral travel and demons would have been better as a complete book.  As a section that just highlights this kind of experience, it seemed to me that it presented an air of allure and excitement.  In the strongest possible terms, I recommend against anything that involves direct contact with any malicious entities, whether they're called "demons" or something else.It's not that I'm worried about astral travelers inadvertently encountering demons. Frankly, I haven't a clue whether that's likely; I've never heard anyone else talk about it, until I read this book.  That chapter -- as a warning -- may actually be the most valuable part of this book.Mostly, I am concerned that someone would feel an adrenaline rush, reading about demon hunting, and open the door to something he or she is ill-equipped to deal with.  For anyone tempted to get involved with this kind of work, first readShadows of the Dark.I'm giving "Astral Projection within 24 Hours" three stars based on the rest of the book, without the demon information.  It's good, basic information with some excellent insights and interesting twists.  And, as a starting point for anyone interested in astral projection, it provides better-than-average suggestions pointing to topics for additional research and study.