(One of the keys to astral travel involves the elimination of distractions and Tia has some ideas on how to cut down on the external noise and light that might affect the astral trip. She discusses ways on which to focus such as earplugs and eye shades.) 

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Tia: okay, do you have any questions?

Russ: not on this particular subject, I can't think of anything at all.

Tia: okay, what about other subjects?

Russ: on astral projection.

(Tia speaks in Durondedunn to one of the house cats)

Russ: one of the keys is designing your body to be lighter........

Tia: uh-huh.

Russ: than it actually is.

Tia: kind of.

Russ: your astral body.

Tia: correct.

Russ: now, as such, you have to divorce your sensory input......

Tia: uh-huh.

Russ: to nil.

Tia: uh-huh.

Russ: so that you can feel your body become lighter than the substance around you.

Tia: uh-huh.

Russ: now the problem you have is taking the sensory input and bring it down to nil.

Tia: uh-huh.

Russ: what you really need to do is to focus the mind on one thing to such an extent that your sensory input no longer is mattering.

Tia: correct. So basically what you're asking is how do you do that?

Russ: right.

Tia: okay, well there's numerous different ways of doing it. One is cutting down external noise as much as possible, cutting down on external lighting as much as possible and cutting down on what you feel. That's the hardest of all.

Russ: right.

Tia: okay, that one you basically don't worry about. Cutting down on the other two, the visual and the auditory right? Is simple.

Russ: that's just environment.

Tia: correct and if you're in a busy environment with lots of noise, what is a way cutting down on the noise?

Russ: close the door.

Tia: and put earplugs in.

Russ: right.

Tia: and if it is a bright sunny day with lots of light streaming in through your window, what you do?

Russ: close the drapes or put on eye shades.

Tia: or both.

Russ: uh-hmm.

Tia: now sometimes people make a ritual out of it. You know fasting, lighting candles, drawing the drapes, waiting till night. It's part of the reason why most people do a lot of astral traveling at night is because it's darker, there's less noise, there's less going on. So in doing so, it cuts down on a lot of the inputs and sensory stuff so that there's less things to do. By lighting the candles can have a hypnotic effect of the flickering of the candles.

Russ: hmmm, or a fireplace.

Tia: or a fireplace.

Russ: right.

Tia: or even soft, relaxing music.

Russ: true.

Tia: using things to focus on. It's like your entertainment........trying to look around for help. That one there, with the guy with the white gloves and the big ears.

(a theater poster for the 50th anniversary for the movie "Fantasia" showing Mickey Mouse)

Russ: uh-huh.

Tia: I believe that they talk about pure music in it. Pure music can give images into the mind which help to a certain extent. Softer drumming or heavy drumming can induce vibrations within the body that help to focus on that.

Russ: interesting.

Tia: uh-huh. There are many, many different ways to do astral traveling. Some people like to use an induced, altered state of consciousness. Other people like to use fasting which again is inducing a change in consciousness. Some people like to use chemical aids to induce a change in consciousness. When you astral travel, basically what you're doing is altering your consciousness, you're altering from one reality to another.

Russ: okay, the problem I've got is when I astral project.......

Tia: uh-huh.

Russ: I cannot divorce the feelings and sounds coming from around my body.

Tia: well have you tried earplugs?

Russ: I've tried the different kinds of alternate sounds coming in.

Tia: uh-huh, okay do away with them, do away with all sound.

Russ: so just earplugs?

Tia: uh-huh, you will hear your internal sounds which can be concentrated on.

Russ: all right, no way are you guys going to do that one again.

(speaking to the house cats)

Tia: shredding the toilet paper?

Russ: get away from the toilet paper.

Tia: (scolds the cats in Durondedunn) okay.......

Russ: anyway, I'll try the gun muffles.

(some ear plugs I have)

Tia: yeah and probably some kind of scarf over the eyes and everything to cut down on the light.

Russ: okay.

Tia: uh-huh.

Russ: thank you love.

Tia: you're welcome.

(Tia says goodbye in Durondedunn)