This year, we have repeatedly drawn attention to the popularity of travel via lucid dreams due to the lockdowns imposed in most parts of the world. A huge number of instructions on this topic have appeared on the web. Another confirmation of this can be found in an article published in December 2020 in the British magazine “i-D”.
The article is devoted to a phase state whose popularity, up until recently seemed to have been dying out, namely, astral projection. The author, Abby Moss, shares statistics on a new trend hitting social networks through the use of the hashtag #astralprojection, which has reached 121 million views on TikTok. The subreddit /r/AstralProjection on Reddit meanwhile, has 167,000 members. In the UK, astral projection coaches are lining up to provide their services for 60 pounds an hour, while an astral projection package course costs as much as 1000 pounds.
However, despite the tempting popularity of the phenomenon, there is still no consensus on what astral projection is from the scientific point of view. Deborah Hyde, former editor-in-chief of The Skeptic Magazine, shares her opinion: “There’s huge interest in this area because abnormal functions in the brain can teach us a huge amount about how the brain functions normally.”
Hyde cites the largest NDE study in history, conducted in 2014 with 2060 participants. In her opinion, the sheer size of the sample makes it impossible to deny the experience of feeling one’s consciousness leaving one’s body, even if science cannot yet prove the existence of astral projection specifically. It remains to be seen if this topic will remain as popular next year.
Do you think the “astral” approach to the phase has something to do with the young age of the TikTok audience?
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