The book provides early Western frameworks for what we now call Out-of-Body Experiences (OBEs).
Higher Intelligences: Teachers and guides who assist those navigating the astral realms. Developing Astral Vision
First, a crucial piece of historical context: There was no single “Swami Panchadasi.” The name was a pen name used by William Walker Atkinson (1862–1932), a prolific American pioneer of the New Thought movement. Atkinson wrote under dozens of pseudonyms (Theron Q. Dumont, Yogi Ramacharaka, etc.) to suggest that his vast library of work came from a diverse range of Eastern masters.
And with that, I found myself back in my physical body, my eyes snapping open as I returned to the world of everyday reality. But I knew that my experience in the astral world had changed me, that I had gained a new perspective on the mysteries of existence.
To understand the book, one must understand the author. "Swami Panchadasi" was the moniker of , a prolific American attorney, publisher, and author. Atkinson was a pioneer of the New Thought movement. After experiencing a mental and physical breakdown in his late thirties, he attributed his recovery to the principles of mental healing and positive thought.
Let’s decode the keyword:
Upon awakening, the traveler finds a world shaped by .