Astral Projection and First Formless Jhana

I wrote an article about meditation: http://www.geocities.com/kakarukeys/astral.html

Sorry the original website is down.
Here's the alternative URL: http://www.stochasticsoccer.com/astral.html

[QUOTE]Originally posted by kakarukeys:
Sorry the original website is down.
Here's the alternative URL: http://www.stochasticsoccer.com/astral.html [/QUOTE]

That is a very interesting piece of article you wrote. However, I would like to ask you, what is the purpose of the article? To highlight the difference? Or to reconcile the 2?

In my opinion, the 2 can never be reconcile due to a very fundamental difference, i.e. the notion of a "self". While Astral Projection deals with a "self leaving the material body", hence acknowledging a "self" and a "permanent entity", Buddhism, Therevada or Mahayana rejects such notions.

I try to reconcile, but also list out the differences too.

And I kind of disagree with you. Buddhism (Therevada) never rejects the notion of "self" nor does it accept. Buddhists are agnostic regarding "self", there is a classic suttra that recounts the silence of Buddha when asked by a Brahman the question "is there a self?". Such agnostic viewpoint is a key to enlightenment, this is the doctrine of "an-atta" (not-self).

and "anata" in Japanese means "you" or "not self"