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INTRODUCTION -real objective entities, filling space ." And it may be said that the evidence for this has considerably increased of late years-quite aside from "materialization " and similar manifestations . Into this evidence we have not, unfortunately, the time to enter now .' It may be asserted, therefore, with considerable confidence, that the evidence for the existence of some sort of an " astral body " has been constantly accumulating as the result of our psychical investigations, and that this evidence is now very strong . It need hardly be pointed out that, if this were once definitely accepted, it would enable us to account for a large number of otherwise baffling phenomena very readily-haunted houses, apparitions seen by several persons at the same time, psychic photographs, clairvoyance, etc . ; and (assuming that such a body might occasionally move or affect matter) raps, telekinesis, " poltergeists," and other physical phenomena . In fact, once the objective existence of an astral body be postulated, a flood of light would be thrown upon psychic manifestations, both physical and mental. Now, quite apart from such collateral evidence, there have always been individuals who have asserted that they could leave the physical body at will, and travel about in some " astral body " for a longer or shorter period of time-retaining consciousness throughout . The difficulty has always consisted in furnishing proofs of such claims . Indeed, this is a most difficult thing to do, in view of the fact that the experience must of necessity be subjective ; and it is an open question whether such proofs have been furnished even in the present book. However, the attempt has been made to do so ; and the specific instructions which have been given will perhaps enable others to " project " themselves-thereby affording them the best possible means of verifying the accuracy of the statements made . Should a number of (otherwise sensible!) persons come forward and assert that they too have succeeded in voluntarily projecting their astral bodies, this question would at once assume a very different
status.
In the present book, Mr . Muldoon has discussed both falling and flying dreams, and has advanced the ingenious theory that many of these may be due to actual movements of the astral body. Of course, Mr . Muldoon would be the first to admit that the majority of such dreams are due to ordinary psychological-even physiological-causes, and, as examples of " illusions of levitation " pro1 It need hardly be said that alleged " spirit communications " have invariably
asserted this to be a fact . Thus, in Dr. Hodgson's Second " Report on the Trance Phenomena of Mrs . Piper," we read "The statements of the 'communicators' as to what occurs on the physical side may be put in brief general terms as follows . We all have bodies composed of ' luminiferous ether' enclosed in our flesh and blood bodies . The relation of Mrs . Piper's etherial body to the etherial world, in which the' communicators' claim to dwell, is such that a special store of peculiar energy is accumulated in connection with her organism, and this appears to them as ' a light .' . . . " etc. (Proc ., XIII, p. 400) .