ong
us has not had the experience of "walking on the air," or in the air,
without the feet touching the ground, being propelled simply by the effort
of the will? And who of us has had not experienced that dreadful--"falling
through space" sensation, in dreams, with the sudden awakening just before
we actually struck earth? And who has not had the mortifying dream
experience of walking along the street, or in some public place, and being
suddenly overcome by the consciousness that we were in our night-clothes,
or perhaps without any clothing at all? All of these things are more or
less distorted recollection of astral journeyings.

But while these dream excursions in the astral are harmless, the conscious
"going out in the astral" is not so. There are many planes of the astral
into which it is dangerous and unpleasant for the uninstructed person to
travel; unless accompanied by a capable occultist as guide. Therefore, I
caution all students against trying to force development in that
direction. Nature surrounds you with safeguards, and interposes obstacles
for your own protection and good. Do not try to break through these
obstacles without knowledge of what you are doing. "Fools rush in where
angels fear to tread," remember; and "a little learning is a dangerous
thing." When you have reached the stage of development in which it will be
safe for you to undertake conscious astral explorations, then will your
guide be at hand, and the instruction furnished you by those capable of
giving it to you. Do not try to break into the astral without due
preparation, and full knowledge, lest you find yourself in the state of
the fish who leaped out of the water onto the banks of the stream. Your
dream trips are safe; they will increase in variety and clearness, and you
will remember more about them--all this before you may begin to try to
consciously "go out into the astral" as do the occultists. Be content to
crawl before you may walk. Learn to add, multiply, subtract and divide,
before you undertake the higher mathematics, algebra, geometry, etc., of
occultism.

LESSON XV.

STRANGE ASTRAL PHENOMENA.

There are several phases of astral phenomena other than those mentioned in
the preceding chapters, which it will be better for the student to become
acquainted with in order to round out his general knowledge of the
subject, although the manifestations are comparatively rare, and not so
generally recognized in works on thi