Astral Plane

Theoretical plane of existence said to lie “above” or “deeper than” the physical world. It is variously said to be a plane of illusion, dreams, and mental images, or to be the underlying ground of reality. It’s also where people go when they’re on astral journeys, and may also be the medium through which people move when they’re having out-of-body experiences. (Alternatively, this may be the etheric plane, or something else entirely.)

“The Astral” is often considered to contain various “places” within it, much like an actual geographical territory. Among these are the Akashic Records and the various sephiroth of the Qabalistic Tree of Life.

The existence of the astral plane at all is, of course, both unproven and probably unprovable. However, it serves as such a useful concept that occultists are not likely to quit working with it anytime soon – even despite the occasional nagging doubts about its existence. It may be simply a useful psychological “user interface” through which occultists can process various tasks. For example, the information gained during some astral journey or quest might actually be acquired through plain ESP (clairvoyance, precognition, telepathy), but the occultist’s mind may find it easier to accept as coming through astral channels.