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Dr Robert Crookall - More Astral projections

Case No. 226-Mr D'nartsa is the pen-name for a well-known hypnotist and conjuror in the West Country who has kindly made his psychic experiences available for the present study. They include many noteworthy examples of fore-knowledge, etc. besides astral projections (the only ones with which we are here concerned).  The following account is abbreviated from a large manuscript which D'nartsa was good enough to place at my disposal. It will be seen that the projections began thirty years before he had heard of such things, when only 13 years of age.

In 1921 (when 13 years old), before falling asleep I suddenly felt a strange vapoury movement behind me, as of a fluttering in the bed. It seemed to start up a motor activity within me. The noise grew louder until I experienced a floating sensation and became unconscious. This experience was repeated some eight to ten times over a period of about eighteen months.

Early in 1953, when in bed, I felt the old 'motor' activity that I had experienced in my childhood. I determined to overcome my nervousness and to notice what happened. I was lying on my back at the time. As the 'motor' speeded up I felt myself float straight up above my body to a height of about three feet. I lay here for some fifteen minutes. Then I began to descend. I returned with a jolt, still fully conscious.

I was amazed at this experience and tried to find an explanation. Eventually, in a second-hand book shop, I picked up The Projection of the Astral Body, by Muldoon. Here was the answer to my mystery. Among other things, it gave instructions to get right away from the body. Following these instructions, at about 4.15 a.m. on 2nd November, 1953, I placed a pillow under my knees and one under my neck and lay back perfectly relaxed and strongly 'willed' conscious projection. It was some ten to fifteen minutes before anything happened.

Then suddenly the 'motor' started up and then, after a little internal struggle in which I lost consciousness for a few seconds, I found myself lying horizontally about three or four feet above the bed, willing to go forward into the upright position, I found myself there. There was a strong 'pull' at the back of my head. I struggled against this 'pull 'like a man who struggles to go forwards whilst pulling a rope to which is attached a half-ton weight. Suddenly I found myself free, standing right in the window-frame amongst the brickwork. I had been aiming to get there since I knew, from Muldoon, that if I could get as far as the window I should be free of  the astral cord.

I was delighted. I looked down at the garden and at the trees. I looked down to my sides and was thrilled to see right down into the wall-the layers of bricks, etc. I thought, 'I have only to step out into the air and I shall float or fly !' But I could not summon up enough courage to do this.

I looked down the wall on the outside and saw the coal bunkers. I thought, 'I will go down them this time', when lo and behold I found myself walking down the wall with my body straight out. In my mind I had imagined myself floating down in a vertical position. Naturally I was amazed to find myself walking down the wall as naturally as one would walk down a road. It even entered my mind at that moment that I was not the master of the motivity but was being controlled by a consciousness that was not my own.

 I stopped at the bottom with my face a few inches from the bunker. Arrived in this position, still stretched out horizontally from the wall, and with my face some six or eight inches from the top of the coal bunker, I held this position for some fifteen seconds during which time several thoughts passed through my mind.

One was how to move from there and two was to make a mental note of the graining and marks in the wood, so as to check up on the following morning (which incidentally I did and found to be exactly as I saw them, including a certain knot, shaped like an eye). Then I thought, ''Well that will do for a first trip. I will go back to my bedroom.' A sweep outwards and upwards and backwards and there I was, standing in the middle of the room!

I stood thrilled with the experience. Then I suddenly felt the 'pull' of my body. I lost consciousness for a few seconds and I awoke in bed.

In January 1954, I willed a projection. I heard the 'motor' start up and felt parts of myself drawing forwards for about three feet, and then return. This went on for a few minutes. It was like a battle of wills - the physical body saying, 'You shan't go !' and the astral body saying 'I shall!' All the time I was 75 per cent conscious and opened my eyes to make observations. But everything was black and I could just distinguish a shape pulling away and drawing back (as if on a film of elastic). Although I still retained consciousness, everything was hazy. Suddenly I saw a face close to mine. This startled me and I returned with a bang regaining normal consciousness, I realized that the face I had seen was my own, but it was distorted with effort.

Early in February1954, I had a partial projection in which, opening my eyes, I saw the head and shoulders of a thick-necked person. I was so startled that I returned at once. I had not recognized myself from behind. The next day I checked up on what I had seen by means of two mirrors.