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The Illusion of Method: Undressing the Core Practice of Astral Projection, Lucid Dreaming, and other Psychic Phenomena
This is not a normal book about Out-of-Body Experiences. Herein you will find the very core practice of astral projection, which is not a method or a technique, for it is beyond that. In order to project on command, one must dispel what the author refers to as the illusion of the fallacy that we are the architects of the Out-of-Body Experience. To project on command, one needs to get rid of the chains and limitations of methods, which are but a self-imposed delusion. The core practice of astral projection awaits beyond the threshold of methods, and this is what this book is all about.TABLE OF CONTENTS- Acknowledgments- Introducing The Present Book- Chapter 1: Initial Considerations- Chapter 2: Developing Absorption- Chapter 3: The Ear Ringing Technique- Chapter 4: Dancing With The Higher Self- Chapter 5: Projecting From The Sleep Offset- Chapter 6: Projecting From The Dream State- Chapter 7: Affirmations And Belief Shifting- Chapter 8: The Illusion Of Method And The Core Practice- Chapter 9: The Illusion Of Method Applied To Lucid Dreaming- Chapter 10: The Illusion And Other Psychic Experiences- Chapter 11: Some Final Conclusions- Appendix 1: A Few Projection Tips To Enhance Results- Appendix 2: The Illusion Of Method Original Reddit Post- Appendix 3: Q&A About The Core Practice- About The Author
- GenresSpirituality
158 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 24, 2021
41 people are currently reading
98 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 31, 2022
This is a valuable book for improving an Astral Projection (AP) practitioner's success rate, however, despite what the author claims, I would have to disagree with him that his "Core Practice" method that he insists is not a method, is sufficient for a beginner. However it may serve as an excellent motivator for struggling beginners to keep trying.
The central claim in this book is that one doesn't have to employ ritualistic meditation and visualization protocols to initiate Out-Of-Body Experiences (OBE's). One simply has to lie down in a comfortable position decide that one will have an OBE, trust that it will happen, and drift off as though going to sleep. The nervous system or subconscious mind will then make it happen without any further conscious effort. The author then says that if this fails, then it means you simply didn't have enough faith or trust that it would. Try again.
The book tells the story of how he reached this conclusion. After many months of using popular AP techniques & having only occasional successes, many of which were spontaneous and unintentionally initiated, he theorized that OBE's are never caused by conscious effort, but by subconscious impulse. He then tested this theory by simply falling asleep with above described intent and trust, and this caused his OBE success rate to skyrocket. Thus his "Core Practice" was born.
Because of this, he advises the reader not to bother with meditation and visualization techniques commonly described by other authors, and instead, just start with his Core Practice from the beginning.
My criticism of his advice is that he states in his own book that when he himself began using his "Core Practice" approach, he was no longer a beginner. In fact, he had already had many times more OBE's within the previous year than most people have in their entire lifetime.
Aside from this, as a beginner, I've attempted his "Core Practice" and had nothing close to success. In fact, I had tried popular methods before, and was able to occassionally achieve at least some near OBE's, which while not completely successful, was better than the nothing I experienced using this book's methods.
That doesn't mean his Core Practice is not effective however. I suspect that the author has mistaken an advanced approach for a beginner approach. Through focused meditation techniques, he had taught his subconscious to understand what an OBE is, and how to start one, and once his subconscious mind had become familiar with it, only then could his "Core Practice" work. If I tell my subconscious mind that I'm going to have an OBE, it doesn't matter how much trust I have if my subconscious mind doesn't know what I mean by it. Repeated failures of the Core Practice isn't going to help my trust grow anyway.
So in conclusion, I think that this book is useful for people who are already having occassional OBE's and want to have them more frequently, as well as an encouraging book for beginners. If you know that once you start having them, using the more common methods, you can start leaving the training wheels of method behind, and start having them automatically like second nature, using the Core Practice, it might help motivate you to keep trying. It's certainly encoraging me.
The central claim in this book is that one doesn't have to employ ritualistic meditation and visualization protocols to initiate Out-Of-Body Experiences (OBE's). One simply has to lie down in a comfortable position decide that one will have an OBE, trust that it will happen, and drift off as though going to sleep. The nervous system or subconscious mind will then make it happen without any further conscious effort. The author then says that if this fails, then it means you simply didn't have enough faith or trust that it would. Try again.
The book tells the story of how he reached this conclusion. After many months of using popular AP techniques & having only occasional successes, many of which were spontaneous and unintentionally initiated, he theorized that OBE's are never caused by conscious effort, but by subconscious impulse. He then tested this theory by simply falling asleep with above described intent and trust, and this caused his OBE success rate to skyrocket. Thus his "Core Practice" was born.
Because of this, he advises the reader not to bother with meditation and visualization techniques commonly described by other authors, and instead, just start with his Core Practice from the beginning.
My criticism of his advice is that he states in his own book that when he himself began using his "Core Practice" approach, he was no longer a beginner. In fact, he had already had many times more OBE's within the previous year than most people have in their entire lifetime.
Aside from this, as a beginner, I've attempted his "Core Practice" and had nothing close to success. In fact, I had tried popular methods before, and was able to occassionally achieve at least some near OBE's, which while not completely successful, was better than the nothing I experienced using this book's methods.
That doesn't mean his Core Practice is not effective however. I suspect that the author has mistaken an advanced approach for a beginner approach. Through focused meditation techniques, he had taught his subconscious to understand what an OBE is, and how to start one, and once his subconscious mind had become familiar with it, only then could his "Core Practice" work. If I tell my subconscious mind that I'm going to have an OBE, it doesn't matter how much trust I have if my subconscious mind doesn't know what I mean by it. Repeated failures of the Core Practice isn't going to help my trust grow anyway.
So in conclusion, I think that this book is useful for people who are already having occassional OBE's and want to have them more frequently, as well as an encouraging book for beginners. If you know that once you start having them, using the more common methods, you can start leaving the training wheels of method behind, and start having them automatically like second nature, using the Core Practice, it might help motivate you to keep trying. It's certainly encoraging me.
July 4, 2025
An old saying goes that there is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path. This book beautifully explores the illusion we confront at the end of our journey—the realisation that there was no predetermined path at all, only our imagination creating the idea of a path to be followed.
May 30, 2023
astral projection in progress (manifesting)
August 28, 2021
Highly recommend
I’ve been trying to AP for about 6 months on and off. I’ve fallen down many a rabbit hole into different techniques and teaching that just haven’t worked well for me so far. I’ve read several books on the subject and am still no closer to my goal than I was 6 months ago.
The author of this book has an easy way of writing that captures your attention and doesn’t loose you in fancy words and long drawn out explanations that don’t serve you. He makes it seem so simple and believable that I feel there’s no way I won’t have better results.
I highly recommend this book to anyone just starting out because it answered so many of my questions, the techniques are very easy to use and the author only speaks of himself and his experiences as it applies to what he’s trying to teach you.
I look forward to rereading this book and hope to update my review once I’ve been successful!
I’ve been trying to AP for about 6 months on and off. I’ve fallen down many a rabbit hole into different techniques and teaching that just haven’t worked well for me so far. I’ve read several books on the subject and am still no closer to my goal than I was 6 months ago.
The author of this book has an easy way of writing that captures your attention and doesn’t loose you in fancy words and long drawn out explanations that don’t serve you. He makes it seem so simple and believable that I feel there’s no way I won’t have better results.
I highly recommend this book to anyone just starting out because it answered so many of my questions, the techniques are very easy to use and the author only speaks of himself and his experiences as it applies to what he’s trying to teach you.
I look forward to rereading this book and hope to update my review once I’ve been successful!
January 12, 2025
Simply brilliant! I had serious problems with AP. Lucid dreaming comes very easy for me, but not AP since it involves so much struggle to stay in perfect conditions that I end up aborting all AP attempts when I hit vibration/sound/weird sensations stage cause I get tense to do it right. Eventually I stopped being able to reach these stages at all, it simply cause me anxiety. While with LD I just sleep and wake up in a dream, no struggle at all (I do practice reality checks, it strengthens my intention and also simply to make sure I know were I am cause not once I was quite surprised). I started to ponder how can I achieve AP without so much struggle and started to focus on intention to simply have spontaneous AP. And this book comes to my attention! And gives me all the answers. Since I just finished it, no full blown AP yet, but I started to wake up in the middle of sleep having vibrations so AP is opening up for me again.
April 29, 2024
A really good book that I guggest for some Awakening tips and a different view. But I give to the "let it happen" a partial agreement. True that it's our subconscious that we are "commanding" but there are truly some physical processes that speed up things muuuuch more than just waiting. There are really BODY TRIGGERS, as moving waves of energy up down the body and eyes movements that let the body believe we are in the dream phase ecc.
November 18, 2021
EDIT: I come back three weeks after I finished this book to update my review. This book has been lifechanging. After adopting the mindset of this book, the frequency of my projections have skyrocketed. Before, I would have one projection every 2-6 months. This week alone I have had three projections, all spontaneous. It seems that some sort of light switch has been flipped and I expect projections will continue to be a daily or every other day occurrence moving forward. I can not recommend this book enough. Not only does it contain wisdom, it also provides the mindset required to break past the self imposed barriers that prevent us from getting out and exploring every night. I can not thank the author enough, for the lasting effects of reading this book has already provided insights that will forever change my understanding of the universe.
Original Review: I picked this book up and could not put it down. Very concisely written and in plain language, the author breaks down their insights into the nature of manifesting results through their experience learning how to astral project. In this book the author breaks down common pitfalls of AP practitioners, how to identify them, and how to avoid them. He provides a conceptual framework that elegantly links all currently suggested methods of AP, and pinpoints their core commonality that can be used to cut through the unnecessary fluff. Reading this book alone has given me a level of confidence and trust in my ability to astral project that I did not have before.
But that is just a surface level explanation of what this book is. Although the authors framework of The Illusion of Method is directly applicable to AP, it also has much more far reaching implications, digging deep into the nature of free will and manifestation. This book drips of potential wisdom, waiting to be utilized and unlocked in every moment where you are setting out to accomplish something.
I could not recommend this book more for AP beginners and experienced practitioners alike. For beginners, read this first to take the easy route. For experienced practitioners, read this to break free of your conditioning that hinders you to make progress. I also recommend this book to anyone looking to understand what components are necessary to manifest your desires.
Original Review: I picked this book up and could not put it down. Very concisely written and in plain language, the author breaks down their insights into the nature of manifesting results through their experience learning how to astral project. In this book the author breaks down common pitfalls of AP practitioners, how to identify them, and how to avoid them. He provides a conceptual framework that elegantly links all currently suggested methods of AP, and pinpoints their core commonality that can be used to cut through the unnecessary fluff. Reading this book alone has given me a level of confidence and trust in my ability to astral project that I did not have before.
But that is just a surface level explanation of what this book is. Although the authors framework of The Illusion of Method is directly applicable to AP, it also has much more far reaching implications, digging deep into the nature of free will and manifestation. This book drips of potential wisdom, waiting to be utilized and unlocked in every moment where you are setting out to accomplish something.
I could not recommend this book more for AP beginners and experienced practitioners alike. For beginners, read this first to take the easy route. For experienced practitioners, read this to break free of your conditioning that hinders you to make progress. I also recommend this book to anyone looking to understand what components are necessary to manifest your desires.
September 16, 2024
Game changer, folks
I’ve read and re-read a number of books that got me nowhere. Frustrated is an understatement. I just finished reading this book and I’m still in shock; my intuition was driving me in this direction but I needed a confirmation and I got it! Thanks, Mark,
I’ve read and re-read a number of books that got me nowhere. Frustrated is an understatement. I just finished reading this book and I’m still in shock; my intuition was driving me in this direction but I needed a confirmation and I got it! Thanks, Mark,
October 9, 2025
Straightforward and pragmatic approach to the topic of Astral Projection/ out of body experiences.
The book is a guide to uncomplicate things. It gives you tips on how to reduce the practice of astral projection to its simplest form.
quite a different approach to the topic. highly recommend.
The book is a guide to uncomplicate things. It gives you tips on how to reduce the practice of astral projection to its simplest form.
quite a different approach to the topic. highly recommend.
April 7, 2024
Hands down best book on Astral Projection I've read. Successful projection on my first try. Also helped me finally fully understand why and how affirmations work, so that was a plus!
August 1, 2024
The only Astral Projection “how to” book you will ever need. Strips away everything non-essential to having Out-of-Body experiences. Bonus points for being concise and accessible.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews