A delicate hoop, made of plastic or willow wood, woven with a web of yarn, adorned with colourful beads or feathers, is commonplace these days. Often found hanging on a wall or from tree branches, these intricate things are now part of contemporary cultures, and not just confined to closed tribal communities. Ever since I saw a dreamcatcher in a trinket store, I dug deep into its origin and legends only to become fascinated by the mystical tradition they represent. Here’s how the legends unfolded in my curious mind.Many moons ago, before the Europeans colonised America, the native American tribes Ojibwe and Lakota were fascinated with spiders. They believed that spiders protected them from bad omens. Ojibwe people often spoke of a spider woman called Asibikaashi, who possessed mystical powers. She was believed to be the protector of people, especially children.
Over time, as the tribe migrated to far off lands, Asibikaashi found it difficult to cast her protective spell on her children. She, then, created a talisman—the first dreamcatcher. Called asabikeshiinh by the natives, the word literally means ‘spider’ in English. And soon after, grandmothers and mothers started making dreamcatchers to keep their young ones safe.Also called ‘Sacred Hoops’, dreamcatchers were known to protect people from bad dreams and evil forces, while asleep. Ojibwe people believed, at night air is laden with dreams—both good and bad. When a dreamcatcher is hung above a bed, dreams get trapped in its web. The good dreams pass through its feathers and descend upon the sleeper. Bad dreams remain entangled in the net, only to evaporate the next morning like dew drops on the grass.When Iktomi was done weaving, it handed the hoop to the old man, explaining to him that the web was a perfect circle with a hole in the centre, which could help him and his people fulfil their dreams.A dreamcatcher may have been created as a talisman to protect children from nightmares, but it soon became an instrument to guide grown-ups. Author Bob Anderson narrates a well-known legend about the Lakota tribe in his book Grandfather Speaks Again. The legend goes something like this: A long time ago, when an old Lakota spiritual leader was up in the mountains, he had a vision wherein Iktomi, a sacred spider spirit, appeared in front of him. It spoke to him in a sacred language which only he could understand. As it spoke, Iktomi took a willow hoop from him and began to weave a web across it. It spoke not only of the cyclical stages of life (infancy, childhood, adulthood and old age) but also of the good and bad forces people encounter in their lives. It went on to explain that when people listen to the good forces, they are steered in the right direction. But, when they listen to the bad ones, they are steered in the wrong direction. When Iktomi was done weaving, it handed the hoop to the old man, explaining to him that the web was a perfect circle with a hole in the centre, which could help him and his people fulfil their dreams. The web would catch the good ideas and the bad ones would go through the http://hole.As interesting as these legends are, I must confess that the idea of hanging a dreamcatcher that could eliminate evil dreams seems implausible to me. This being said, what dreamcatchers stand for certainly seems profound. And the legends they carry with them have lessons and insights to learn from. To me, they teach two things—one, we are all capable of conjuring up both good and bad dreams consciously, and two, instead of harping on our evil dreams and nightmarish fears, we ought to nurture our hopes and passions. As author G W Mullins (of native American descent) writes in his book Walking with Spirits Native American Myths, Legends, And Folklore: “Dreams are not just for the young. They are for children of all ages. To dream is to live, without dreams, we will cease to live and merely exist.”

We all have an innate need to anchor ourselves. How we do it varies—some pray, others meditate, some practise yoga, others tai chi. The why we do them doesn’t vary all that much. Sure, one might say they do these for peace of mind, others for better wellbeing, and some for health. But there’s a common factor behind these reasons—what we’re after is self-improvement. Not just in an everyday, practical sense, but also in a larger, spiritual SENSE.IT’s true that spirituality is a natural part of our lives. Whatever the spiritual practice, it blends in seamlessly into our everyday life. It becomes an integral part of our belief system carrying us forward in our journey. Sometimes, this self-practice might not nearly be enough to move us ahead and help us grow spiritually. When we actively pursue a spiritual journey, self-practice might not quite make the mark. Because, soon, we might find ourselves unequipped for the journey we embarked on.While we might not necessarily view our spiritual practice as something that requires teaching we might find ourselves full of questions we wish we could discuss with someone well-versed in the practice—a guru. Many might question whether we even need a guru to walk the spiritual path. But a better question might be ‘When do we need a guru to walk the spiritual path?’, as the need for a guru is rather self-evident.Many read holy scriptures—some for knowledge and wisdom, others for spiritual needs. They read various translations of the originals and probably carry, for life, the underlying messages in those texts. Needless to say, it’s imperative that those messages be true to their original texts. “Even assuming one can find profound knowledge through scriptures on their own, there’s no replacement for a guru. Only he can answer the questions that your mind encounters in any spiritual practice,” points out, Sanskrit and Vedic scholar CV Giridhara http://Shastry.An individual would be hard-put to understand how much energy they channel during meditation and how much of it is actually good for them.Shastry has a point. There’s a very good chance we might be led astray without the guidance of a guru. It’s not uncommon for astrology enthusiasts to get carried away by horoscopes. Most are aware of their sun sign, some of their moon sign, few of their rising sign. Hardly anyone knows that every planet in their chart resides within a zodiac sign, and in turn a nakshatra (asterism). So, when various websites on the internet publish forecasts, they might be only partially accurate, if at all. Many even succumb to taking life-altering decisions based on these generic readings!Yoga trainer Rajesh Jain has a different take from Shastry’s. He’ll tell you a guru doesn’t have to be a person. He says, “Every individual has an inner voice that guides them. So, there is a guru within each individual.” Jain’s view is rather similar to the idea of ‘sat’ described in the Upanishads. ‘Sat’ (the seed of truth) is the universal spirit or the ‘Brahman’ that guides every individual on their spiritual journey right from birth. It’s believed that this satdetermines our life path and the deeds we perform to complete that journey.But how many of us are in sync with our sat? And how many of us are able to tap into it without the guidance of a guru? We might assume that meditation is one of the best ways to tap into it, but do we even know that not all meditations can be practised by everyone? Several individuals seek a kundalini awakening (spiritual emergence), through meditations, in the hope of unfurling their sat. Many are often in a hurry to achieve higher states of consciousness and spirituality without any concern for their physical limitations. According to Arhatic Yoga practitioner and pranic healer Cynthia de Leon, meditations can draw in divine energies that could cause over-congestion in the chakra (energy junctions in the body). She explains, “The volume of energy channelled could exceed the chakras’ capacities. It is like plugging an appliance of 110 volt capacity to a 220 volt socket! This could result in an unsafe awakening of the kundalini, bringing about adverse physical, psychological and mystical (karmic) results for the meditator.” An individual would be hard-put to understand how much energy they channel during meditation and how much of it is actually good for them. A guru’s experiential knowledge is imperative in such instances, for only s/he’d know the right amount of energy that’s needed for an individual’s safe spiritual awakening, de Leon says.It’s easy to think spirituality is a free-flowing, natural aspect of life. But if we want to truly strengthen our foundation to spiritual awakening, we’d do well to pursue it with a guru’s grace and guidance. If not, we might find ourselves groping in the dark after a point. Interestingly enough, they say ‘guru’ means the dispeller of darkness. And it’s easy to see why. A guru is someone who’s been there, done that; and knows what’s right, what’s wrong; what’s good, what’s bad, and everything in between and beyond. It’s a feat the guru has to his credit, a feat we’d have a hard time achieving without his help.We all have an innate need to anchor ourselves. How we do it varies—some pray, others meditate, some practise yoga, others tai chi. The why we do them doesn’t vary all that much. Sure, one might say they do these for peace of mind, others for better wellbeing, and some for health. But there’s a common factor behind these reasons—what we’re after is self-improvement. Not just in an everyday, practical sense, but also in a larger, spiritual SENSE.IT’s true that spirituality is a natural part of our lives. Whatever the spiritual practice, it blends in seamlessly into our everyday life. It becomes an integral part of our belief system carrying us forward in our journey. Sometimes, this self-practice might not nearly be enough to move us ahead and help us grow spiritually. When we actively pursue a spiritual journey, self-practice might not quite make the mark. Because, soon, we might find ourselves unequipped for the journey we embarked on.While we might not necessarily view our spiritual practice as something that requires teaching we might find ourselves full of questions we wish we could discuss with someone well-versed in the practice—a guru. Many might question whether we even need a guru to walk the spiritual path. But a better question might be ‘When do we need a guru to walk the spiritual path?’, as the need for a guru is rather self-evident.Many read holy scriptures—some for knowledge and wisdom, others for spiritual needs. They read various translations of the originals and probably carry, for life, the underlying messages in those texts. Needless to say, it’s imperative that those messages be true to their original texts. “Even assuming one can find profound knowledge through scriptures on their own, there’s no replacement for a guru. Only he can answer the questions that your mind encounters in any spiritual practice,” points out, Sanskrit and Vedic scholar CV Giridhara http://Shastry.An individual would be hard-put to understand how much energy they channel during meditation and how much of it is actually good for them.Shastry has a point. There’s a very good chance we might be led astray without the guidance of a guru. It’s not uncommon for astrology enthusiasts to get carried away by horoscopes. Most are aware of their sun sign, some of their moon sign, few of their rising sign. Hardly anyone knows that every planet in their chart resides within a zodiac sign, and in turn a nakshatra (asterism). So, when various websites on the internet publish forecasts, they might be only partially accurate, if at all. Many even succumb to taking life-altering decisions based on these generic readings!Yoga trainer Rajesh Jain has a different take from Shastry’s. He’ll tell you a guru doesn’t have to be a person. He says, “Every individual has an inner voice that guides them. So, there is a guru within each individual.” Jain’s view is rather similar to the idea of ‘sat’ described in the Upanishads. ‘Sat’ (the seed of truth) is the universal spirit or the ‘Brahman’ that guides every individual on their spiritual journey right from birth. It’s believed that this satdetermines our life path and the deeds we perform to complete that journey.But how many of us are in sync with our sat? And how many of us are able to tap into it without the guidance of a guru? We might assume that meditation is one of the best ways to tap into it, but do we even know that not all meditations can be practised by everyone? Several individuals seek a kundalini awakening (spiritual emergence), through meditations, in the hope of unfurling their sat. Many are often in a hurry to achieve higher states of consciousness and spirituality without any concern for their physical limitations. According to Arhatic Yoga practitioner and pranic healer Cynthia de Leon, meditations can draw in divine energies that could cause over-congestion in the chakra (energy junctions in the body). She explains, “The volume of energy channelled could exceed the chakras’ capacities. It is like plugging an appliance of 110 volt capacity to a 220 volt socket! This could result in an unsafe awakening of the kundalini, bringing about adverse physical, psychological and mystical (karmic) results for the meditator.” An individual would be hard-put to understand how much energy they channel during meditation and how much of it is actually good for them. A guru’s experiential knowledge is imperative in such instances, for only s/he’d know the right amount of energy that’s needed for an individual’s safe spiritual awakening, de Leon says.It’s easy to think spirituality is a free-flowing, natural aspect of life. But if we want to truly strengthen our foundation to spiritual awakening, we’d do well to pursue it with a guru’s grace and guidance. If not, we might find ourselves groping in the dark after a point. Interestingly enough, they say ‘guru’ means the dispeller of darkness. And it’s easy to see why. A guru is someone who’s been there, done that; and knows what’s right, what’s wrong; what’s good, what’s bad, and everything in between and beyond. It’s a feat the guru has to his credit, a feat we’d have a hard time achieving without his help.

If you don’t live in a cave, chances are you have heard the medical term, anxiety. After all, statistics suggest, one in every five persons on the planet suffer from anxiety. Given the sheer power of numbers, the disorder can be considered a global epidemic, if not as big a threat as diabetes or cancer. But it isn’t, because people are largely unaware of its harmful effects. Most people see anxiety as mere sweaty palms, heavy breathing, or “something that happens to others”.Such lack of awareness about anxiety is what makes it an enemy of the human mind. “As per the latest research by National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences, Bangalore, an individual takes around 8 to 10 years to reach an expert for their anxiety-related issues,” says a Mumbai-based psychiatrist, Dr Hemant Mittal. He adds, by this time, anxiety becomes an integral part of one’s temperament making it difficult for a patient to recover from Watch Cartoons Online Free in High Quality CartoonWireovercome anxiety, you need to know who you are up against—how it looks and how it works behind the shadows. Dr Mittal classifies anxiety into three groups on the scale of their intensity. Mild, moderate, and extreme. In the first one, anxiety looks like a mix of emotions that ranges from nervousness and agitation to discomfort and apprehensiveness. Almost everyone in the world experiences mild anxiety. The triggers could be hiccups in relationships, problems at work, bad traffic, or bad grades.Dr Archita Reddy, a psychotherapist, believes the fear of loneliness, feeling of emptiness, and self-doubt are also stimulants of anxiety. Moderate and extreme anxiety have severe effects as they combine negative emotions such as nervousness, emptiness, discomfort, and self-doubt that require expert intervention. “Moderate and extreme anxiety attacks work like a spring. The more you try to suppress them, they bounce back with equal ferocity,” says Dr Mittal.However, with the right coping mechanisms, people can easily overpower anxiety in its nascent form. Below are five strategies people can adopt to calm their anxious mind.But he didn’t imagine that the mirror-talking would one day become a remedy for people suffering from anxiety.Talk to someone you trustOpening up to a friend, partner or family is the best way to manage your anxiety. Although it sounds preachy, talking to someone you trust can open doors you didn’t even know existed. How? One word, perspective. Sometimes anxiety blurs the line between the real and the imaginary. Things become magnified. Where there is nothing, one sees an immediate danger. But when you reveal your thoughts to someone, they can give you a perspective on things that you might be missing. “Communication is the most effective way to cope with mild anxiety. It can also work to manage moderate anxiety as it enables you to find a solution,” says Dr Mittal. Who knows? They might share a story of someone who was in the same boat but rose above the disorder by confiding in someone.Mirror activityRemember Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver, talking to himself in the mirror? That “are you talking to me” mirror-scene, is a testimonial performance of the legendary actor. But he didn’t imagine that the mirror-talking would one day become a remedy for people suffering from anxiety. Dr Reddy believes talking to oneself in the mirror can give people perspectives and ideas to manage their anxiety. “Stand in front of the mirror, talk to yourself. Talk about your likes and dislikes, your dreams, your aspirations, your challenges. Do a conversation you would do with other people. Try to figure out who you are. In the introspection, you can find a safe space in your mind that could help you fight your anxiety,” Dr Reddy explains.Instead of taking a walk outside, watching a show in a theatre or going for a drive, many people nestle in their bed for hoursMeditation and exerciseWhen it comes to calming a mind, nothing works better than meditation. For centuries, monks and hermits have practised meditation to attain mindfulness. Now, experts claim it can also help people control their anxieties. A study, conducted by the researchers from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, assessed over 3000 anxiety patients who were advised to meditate. The results revealed the benefits of meditation on anxiety.While people can practice any form of meditation, Dr Mittal has one in particular that tops the list. “Among various types of meditation, deep breathing is the only proven mechanism that helps to curb anxiety,” he says. Other than deep breathing, he also suggests lightweight workout and aerobic exercises that can help anxiety patients keep their mind healthy and rational.Do what you don’t want to doWhen people are anxious, they often look for a cocoon. Such people are easily overwhelmed by fear or a feeling of helplessness. They often lose the motivation to do anything, when they are under the grip of fear or helplessness. Instead of taking a walk outside, watching a show in a theatre or going for a drive, many people nestle in their bed for hours. In such cases, Dr Reddy advises people to do exactly what they are avoiding. “The idea is to not let anxiety take control over you. Instead, take the reins in your hands. You have to become bigger than your anxiety. So much so that you can stomp it like an ant,” says Dr Reddy.Keep a journalBoth, Dr Mittal and Dr Reddy believe writing a diary can make people mindful and proactive. “Writing a diary should be a continuous and consistent process. I advise my patients to write one page almost every day,” says Dr Mittal. An important thing to remember, experts advise, is not to read what you have written until after two months. Once you have recorded several pages about your days, fears and desires, go back to the first page and read what you wrote on day one. Dr Reddy believes by doing so, people can recognise their triggers and find a solution to mitigate them.Like all coping mechanisms, writing a diary is also a one-step-at-a-time strategy to alleviate anxiety. But nothing can be accomplished without discipline. It is the antidote for anxiety.

 

Laughter is wine for the soul—laughter soft, or loud and deep, tinged through with seriousness—the hilarious declaration made by man that life is worth living,” once wrote Sean O’Casey. Laughter makes us feel good and uplifts our spirit too. That is a good enough reason to laugh every day!We all would like to laugh more. But the truth is, without an external stimulus, most of us can’t laugh. As a result, most of us don’t laugh as much as we ought to in our lives. To ensure we laugh enough, physician and founder of Laughing Club International, Dr Madan Kataria has come up with a simple solution, Laughter Yoga—it inspires everyone to laugh for no reason at all. He says laughter has the power to wipe away negative emotions such as anger, fear, and anxiety, and transform our http://lives.InLaughter Yoga: Daily laughter practices for health and happiness, Dr Kataria explains laughter yoga—its inception, its premise, the science behind it, how to incorporate it in our lives, and the benefits we can reap from practising it. Divided into five parts, the book is well-organised and comprehensive. Each section of the book is concise, without any digressions. Moreover, bullet points, subheads, and numbered lists present throughout the book make it easy to read and follow.How many of us knew that by simply engaging in fake laughs, we can derive the same benefits that we’re bound to derive from genuine laughs?Initially, the book might seem methodical and dry, but it is not devoid of interesting facts. For instance, how many of us knew that by simply engaging in fake laughs, we can derive the same benefits that we’re bound to derive from genuine laughs? Or that by simply imagining ourselves laugh during difficult times, can release happy hormones to uplift our spirit? Or that the power of breathing in laughter yoga can be compared to any aerobic exercise that increases heart rate and blood circulation? In Chapter 3, he writes: “Laughing for as long as possible helps keep the lung cells healthy and uses the abdominal muscles even in the absence of strenuous physical workouts.” Sprinkled with such facts backed by science, the book is a treasure house of knowledge.Overall, Laughter Yoga is a do-it-yourself manual for anyone interested in trying laughter yoga. The book’s easy, step-by-step exercise regimes guide us to not just practice laughter in our lives but stimulate hope to restore our health and recover from chronic ailments too. The book delights and engages readers, and simultaneously provides a glimpse of spiritual enlightenment.

Burmese writer Ma Thida was imprisoned under the censorship laws in her home country. When the writer won the Norwegian Authors Union Freedom of Expression Prize, she decided not to attend the award ceremony. Instead, Thida sent a video note thanking the organisers. Here’s an excerpt from her note: “For me, losing the chance to be a writer in Burma is worse than being imprisoned. To keep freedom of expression, I have to create. In other words, freeing the words is more important for me than freeing myself.”Living in a society where the right to express is curbed is akin to living in a prison. Thida’s words reflect the tense, hostile climate of her country, where a writer is imprisoned for exercising her basic freedom of expression. However, this is not a writer’s plight alone. Many individuals, at times, fear voicing their opinions. This is a reality in many parts of the world today.The right to express has been fundamental to man since ages. When an individual expresses his opinions about issues around him, not only does it help in the development of the society, it also helps the individual’s growth. When an idea is put forth through a medium, it starts a conversation. Such conversations enrich and challenge the intellect, helping individuals grow and evolve. It is on this very premise that the fourth estate of democracy–the media– rests.Ideas, as we know, run the world. They fuel action and create reality. For example, most countries today follow democracy, which was once just an idea. Today’s reality was a probably just an idea yesterday. Mediums like literature, media, and cinema are reservoirs of fresh ideas and perspectives. On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, Soulveda explores how these mediums facilitate freedom of expression, thereby ushering in waves of change in society.Irrespective of the medium–newspapers, television or electronic media–news spreads information mixed with a sense of urgency among its audience.The written wordLiterature has the power to influence individuals by highlighting various issues plaguing the society. For instance, George Orwell’s novel 1984 revolves around a dystopian world where the government controls every aspect of the people’s lives with no room for individual freedom. The leader, called ‘Big Brother’, uses fear and force to control his subjects. The premise of the novel is eerily similar to how the situation is in some countries today. It is making people recall the novel and realise that we are treading a dangerous path.Says fiction writer Rachna Chhabria, “Literature can throw a spotlight on an issue by bringing it into public view by the way of a book or a story, making it the topic of television debates and editorials,” she says. Even though its scope may be limited when compared to cinema or television, literature has been a steadfast voice of expression and thought, Rachna believes.The voice of the publicBefore they were turned into books, the most important affairs of the world were broken to the people in the form of news. Irrespective of the medium–newspapers, television or electronic media–news spreads information mixed with a sense of urgency among its audience. This, perhaps, is what makes it more effective in terms of bringing change.We may recall how a major American publication exposed the Watergate Scandal in the 70s, bringing to light the illegal activities of the US government, and eventually leading to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. Closer home, the Bofors Scandal exposed the clandestine activities of the Indian and Swedish governments in the late 80s. These two landmark cases upheld the freedom of the press.This freedom is fundamental in a democracy, as it keeps the citizens informed and aware of the state of the administration and society. As former journalist Merlin Francis points out, “It is the objective and responsibility of the media is to inform and educate its audience.” Even today, in the age of fake news, publications and media houses strive to keep up their standards and reflect the voice of the public.Films engage the audience both visually and aurally. Its focused and immersive nature helps it bring many issues to the fore.The silver screenMexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu of the Birdman fame is known to have said: “Cinema is a mirror by which we often see ourselves.” He is indeed right. Movies are a reflection of people, their stories and societies. And stories have the power to start conversations and create change. The Bollywood film Taare Zameen Par brought the truth behind dyslexia to every household. Its massive reach may have even changed many an individual’s perception about this learning disability. Academy award-winning movie Moonlightshowed how the environment an individual grows up in can shape his personality. Furthermore, it challenges the way black masculinity and queerness are viewed today.How does the medium achieve such an impact? Bharat Mirle, independent filmmaker and 2015 Sundance Short Film Award winner, says, “Films engage the audience both visually and aurally. Its focused and immersive nature helps it bring many issues to the fore.” Moreover, the content that an average person consumes is increasing, owing to the various social media platforms, he adds.Literature, media and cinema have–through their stories–given a voice to the voiceless; introduced new perspectives and ideas among the masses and educated the society. These mediums have opened our minds to the world around us. In doing so, they have bolstered the basic freedom of thought and expression. While we live in testing times, there is still hope that we will continue to hold on to our right to say what we feel, write what is right and present the truth about the world.

 

If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Most people choose super strength, while some go for invisibility. I, for one would choose the power to fly, teleport and travel into the past. Ridiculous much? Not if you went by the theory of astral travel.Many religions across the world believe in the existence of a separate entity that lives within us, called the soul or spirit. According to this belief, it leaves the body after a person’s demise. However, going by the theory of astral projection, the soul has the power to leave the body and travel to other planes of existence while the body is asleep.Astral travel places the soul at the core of one of the most fascinating metaphysical theories to have been set forth by humans. It is said to be spiritually beneficial and may, quite literally, be an out-of-body experience.Alas, it doesn’t have science’s stamp on it, for science does not support the existence of any consciousness apart from the one that is rooted in the human brain. The theory of astral travelThere are two realms of existence–the physical and the astral. According to the theory of astral projection, the soul can be consciously lifted from the body. While the body stays in the physical realm, the soul, or the astral body, has the capacity to travel between two realms.Astral travel can be induced by falling asleep or relaxing. The body remains alive as the soul moves around, staying attached to the body by a silver cord that can be stretched infinitely. If the cord breaks, the body dies. And the soul can do plenty there. It can travel anywhere in the universe, encounter other astral spirits–both negative and positive ones, meet lost souls, and even travel back in time. Where does the soul go?For millennia across religions, there have been mentions of the soul’s ability to be apart from the body during dream states. But where exactly does it fly off to? It travels to another realm which is a part of the same universe called the astral plane–a place that is out of reach for the physical body but is accessible to the soul.And the soul can do plenty there. It can travel anywhere in the universe, encounter other astral spirits–both negative and positive ones, meet lost souls, and even travel back in time. The soul’s departure from the body could be unnerving for some and soothing for others. Tingling, feeling of lightness, followed by a sensations of floating out of the body are the most commonly-shared experiences. Those who have tried it have narrated surreal and strangely similar experiences of being in an unreal world, of flying anywhere in that world, of meeting other astral bodies, and of travelling back in time.The theory of astral projection is gaining a lot of traction these days. Not only has it made a name for itself in new age spiritual practices, but with movies like Insidious and books like Paulo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die–astral projection has built itself quite a fan base in pop culture as well. To come to think of it, maybe astral travel can actually give us metaphorical wings. Or maybe it is spiritually illuminating. Maybe it can take us to another realm. Maybe it’s real. Maybe it’s not. For now, the legitimacy of astral travel cannot be promised. But what can be said with certainty is that the unleashed mind is capable of unimaginable feats.