Due to the popularity of recent books on alleged trips to heaven, the closely related tales of NDEs (Near Death Experiences) and OBEs (Out of Body Experiences) are being spread into minds like poisonous fertilizer, seeding unhealthy roots of fascination for these esoteric experiences and practices. I speak as one who had many OBEs before I knew Christ as Redeemer. I am alarmed by the growing interest in these areas and by the seemingly endless number of books, many officially written by Christians, of purported visits to heaven. Therefore, I am copying a section from my Occult Terms document from my website in this Note.Astral Projection, Astral Travel, Astral Plane - Also known as out-of-body experience (OBE), this is a practice in which a person believes their astral self separates from the body and travels to other physical locations or possibly to an astral realm. Sometimes the person merely hovers above his/her body, especially during medical operations or severe accidents. This experience may be a physiologically caused hallucination. Astral travel is referred to in ancient practices from Egypt and Tibet, and is also written about by some ancient writers such as Plato, Plotinus and others (Guiley, Encyclopedia of the Mystical and Paranormal, 420). The astral self is a major belief of Theosophy (a religion based on Hinduism founded in the late 19th century by occultist Madame Blavatsky) and of other religions that divide a person into various essences and parts. The astral self is thought to be part of the etheric body and separates from the body at death. However, many occult teachings hold that the astral self can leave the body during life. It is claimed that the astral self is non-material but can be visible to those in material form, though not always. In many New Age and occult belief systems, such as the cult of Eckankar, it is thought to be good, although potentially dangerous, to practice astral travel, and techniques to do this are taught.
Some beliefs posit several planes of reality, such as the causal, spiritual, mental, astral and material, each being a realm through which the soul eventually passes. Teachings somewhat similar to this are in Tibetan Buddhism, as espoused in The Tibetan Book of the Dead, which gives advice on preparing for what will happen after death. Some believe the Akashic Records are part of the astral plane. Astral projection is also used by those calling themselves psychic vampires, who believe they can leave their body and in astral form secretly feed off the spirit or energy of another person. There is no clear evidence that astral projection is real, though there are stories from those who claim to practice it that make it seem as though it is real (including this writer, who experienced astral projection frequently). However, proponents of astral projection do not account for spiritual deception and would dismiss this as a possible explanation.
Some claim that Paul in Second Corinthians 12:1-5 is speaking of an out-of-body or astral experience. However, first of all, Paul says that he does not know if he was in his body or not, so the value of this as an astral or out-of-body experience is totally diminished at the very beginning of the account. Secondly, this is a revelation and experience that God initiated and gave to Paul; Paul did not seek this out or initiate it. Thirdly, Paul did not reveal what he saw because he was not permitted (verse 4). Fourth, this experience or visionary revelation is not the point of the passage, but is used to make another point, that Paul cannot boast of anything because he is a weak man and God keeps Paul humble through his weakness (verses 6-10). There is no endorsement of astral travel in this passage and using it as such is a gross misuse and distortion of the passage. The advocates of astral travel teach that one can learn to initiate the experience and that it can be of spiritual benefit, but the benefits are measured according to the teachings and standards of those advocating it, and these teachings are rooted in occult philosophies. (Source.)
FURTHER COMMENTS: I do not support using NDEs or OBEs as evidence for the afterlife. First of all, these experiences are not valid evidence of anything except of a subjective experience. Secondly, using an occult experience is not conducive for presenting the truth of Christ nor honoring to the Lord. Thirdly, NDEs conflict in details among various people and often conflict with information from the Bible, so we know they can't be true. Finally, belief in life after death is common among most people except for atheists, some agnostics, and a few others. Dr. Eben Alexander's alleged NDE and supposed trip to heaven, for example, has led him from disbelief to New Age views about the afterlife (Dr. Alexander authored the bestselling Proof of Life about his alleged trip to heaven). Anyone who tries to have these experiences is opening him/herself to deception and mind games from none other than the adversary, Satan. These experiences are also very addictive, like a drug. One will never be enough. We do not have to know what is really happening that causes an NDE or OBE, nor should we try to figure it out. The territory of the invisible is not ours to explore nor to understand except what we are told in God's word. The invisible and the unknown are realms that feed the occult, and on which the occult, the New Age, and false teachings thrive.