A possible an example of an astral-cord portrayal in Hindu spirituality: Brahma is perhaps depicted as being spiritually disconnected from his body, thus residing within a lotus flower that is connected by a cord or a thread that recedes to the Manipuraka force-center of his body; perhaps this symbolizes a disembodied state in which displays an astral-umbilical-cord?
Neither Annie Besant nor Madam Helena Blavatsky mentioned the silver-cord to any in-depth, and nor did Charles Leadbeater or the other Classical Theosophists; yet great emphasis has been placed upon different astral-cord phenomena in other metaphysical literature sources.
The holy Torah and the Biblical Old Testament in regard to the silver-cord: When the silver cord be loosed then shall the dust return to the earth as it was and the spirit shall return to God who gave it.
Helena P. Blavatsky and the silver-cord: The astral body is connected to the physical body by a silver cord, an extended umbilical cord.
G.R.S. Mead: The Doctrine of the Subtle Body in Western Tradition: An outline of what philosophers thought and Christians taught on the subject: Perhaps it is then hardly worth while in this connection to remind ourselves of a certain mystic silver cord, or psychical attachment, which is variously* seen and spoken of. This is supposed by a few figuratively to start from between the shoulder-blades; it is also imagined to unroll itself as it were from a point or centre, and contract itself again into a point. -- The subtle vehicle (Lepton Ocliema) of the soul, & quot; quoted by Hierocles in his commentary on The Golden Vertes of Pythagoras, xxvi. 67-69. The reference to a silver cord will indubitably remind the reader of the phrase in the magnificent, but exceedingly puzzling, concluding outburst of Koheleth (Eccl. xii. 6). But the treatment of the whole passage. XII. 1-8, \would be too long a story for this occasion. -- When the subtle vehicle leaves and returns to the body in certain mystic experiences. The phenomenon is very variously described, and the cord has numerous points of attachment according to others.
Edgar Van Oostrum; Astral Projection 101: Pick a point on your body. Any point will do, but I have found that the point that works best, is your solar plexus, because its right where your astral vehicle is attached to your body.
Dr. Douglas M. Baker; Techniques of astral projection:It is said that the cord is made of a silver like material and so long as it is patent, the astral body will always return to its physical counterpart when we awake or return to our physical habitat. There is also the suggestion that if the cord were to snap, return would not be possible. This becomes a real fear to many. In my own instance, many years back, I used to lock my bedroom door before any sort of esoteric endeavour like meditation or astral projection because of this fear. It was widely believed that any sort of interruption whilst out of the body could bring about rupture of the silver cord. Does it exist? Is there any danger linked to its breakage? I can only speak from experience. In all my many projections, I have never seen a cord, either linked to me or to another person. This does not mean that the cord does not exist. It may be that with my nasty scientific mind, I don't or won't accept that a piece of material like the so-called astral cord can be extended indefinitely, perhaps as much as two hundred thousand miles, say, to the Moon. That there is a tug back towards the physical body, I admit. That there is a feeling of linkage near the umbilicus or, in women, as Eileen Garrett describes it, just above the breasts, I will also admit but that it is a cord, that I will not accept. I always say: If you see a cord, take a pair of scissors and cut it!
J.D.S.;the Chakra of Exit and the silver-cord: This last occurrence is absolutely fascinating in that the soul extension and Kundalini exist from the chakra that the person focused on the most in that lifetime. The ideal would be to leave out of the crown chakra or at minimum, the third eye. However, the soul extensions, or personalities, that were very astrally focused in that lifetime will leave out of the soul plexus chakra. If they were love-focused they will leave out of the heart chakra. If they were will- and communication- focused in that lifetime they will leave out of the throat chakra. If they were focused on spiritual sight as their main interest they will leave out of the third eye. If they were God-focused they will leave out of crown. Which chakra the personality leaves out of will also affect the Bardo experience and possibly which plane it will magnetize toward after the Bardo. It is usually the astral seed atom that leaves first, then the mental seed atom, and lastly the head seed atom. When the emotional and mental seed atoms leave, one is no longer conscious of the Earth plane. When the head seed atom leaves, the silver cord then breaks, releasing the soul extension completely. The hear seed atom will leave rather quickly in an initiate, but may remain in the physical body for three days in the case of a less evolved soul extension.
Robert Bruce;Treatise on Astral Projection Vol. II; Energy Flow: The famed Silver Cord does more than just tie the two bodies together. It is a true umbilical cord, transmitting information and energy between the physical and subtle bodies. It is seen by some projectors and not seen by others. Sometimes it is seen emanating from the navel, sometimes from the forehead. The area the cord is seen emanating from may depend on chakra activity. Whichever chakra is the strongest, most active, could have control of energy flow to the subtle bodies. There is also the belief system of the projector to consider and the creative power of the subconscious mind. The cord will usually appear to be wherever you believe it will be, courtesy of the subconscious. Robert Bruce; Treatise on astral projection Vol. 1: While you are climbing the ribbon imagine you are coming loose from the physical body. Imagine you can feel yourself rising a little with each new hand hold. Feel yourself floating free. You will feel a slight giddy feeling in the pit of your stomach, or solar plexus, as pressure is put on the astral body.
Bod Peterson; Out of Body Experiences versus Lucid-Dreams:After all, not every OBEer perceives the legendary silver cord, and of those that do some report it as emerging from different points on the body to the solar plexus, such as the small of the back, the neck or the top of the head to name a few. It seems to depend on where you expect to see it. So, whether a physical body is percieved or not depends on whether you expect to see a body or not, in my opinion
Matrica; Astral Travel, simplicity itself: Work on projecting a cloud of your energy out through your solar plexus (some people work better projecting from the 3d eye, I personally project the body through the solar plexus and when I project the consciousness into it, I do it via the 3d eye.
Lee Bladon; Esoteric Knowledge: When we fall asleep the monad (in the triad) detaches the consciousness thread from the physical-etheric brain and leaves the physical-etheric body, usually via the navel or heart chakra, causing the physical body to become unconscious. The monad can leave the physical-etheric body by one of three exits: the navel chakra, the heart chakra or the crown chakra. Primitive and civilised people use the navel chakra, developed and humanistic people use the heart chakra, and enlightened people use the crown chakra. The navel and heart chakras correspond to the lower (2:12:3) and upper (2:42:6) emotional plane so are obvious points of exit to the emotional world. Exiting through the crown chakra ensures that the consciousness thread is not detached, which not only allows the waking consciousness to remember the monads out-of-body activities but to actually experience the events as they occur. This is an ability that naturally develops at (or just prior) to enlightenment, but it is possible for fairly well developed individuals to acquire the ability early through the use of specific yogic and meditative disciplines.
Max Heindel; the Rosicrucian Mysteries: No matter how long we may keep the Spirit from passing out, however, at last there will come a time when no stimulant can hold it and the last breath is drawn. Then the silver cord of which the Bible speaks, and which holds the higher and the lower vehicles together, snaps in the heart and causes that organ to stop. That rupture releases the vital body, and it, with the desire body and mind, floats above the visible body for from one to three and one-half days, while the Spirit is engaged in reviewing the past life, an exceedingly important part of its post-mortem experience. Upon that review depends its whole existence from death to a new birth.
Andrew Jackson: Death and the afterlife: The golden emanation, which extends up midway to the ceiling, is connected with the brain by a very this, life-thread. the fine life-thread continues attached to the old brain. The next thing is the withdrawal of the electric principle. When this thread snaps, the spiritual body is free.
Mike Azreal: The way to achieve OBE: Now another term you may have come across during your investigations into projection is the silver cord. This is basically a term for the link that is always present (but not always visible) between your physical body and your astral body. You may have already spotted this during your projection and if so then one of the easiest methods you can use to get back to your body is to follow it. Believe it or not as your physical body begins to require the routine maintenance tasks such as eating or drinking or needing the bathroom, you will begin to feel a pulling on your astral body much like the one you felt as soon as you got out and were still reasonably close to it. This pulling will increase as the hunger/thirst etc. increases and youll find it increasingly difficult to stay out. transfer your consciousness along the glowing thread.
Edgar Van Oostrum: Astral projection 101: Once you have energized your whole body like this, concentrate on all the spheres and shafts at once. Be aware of all the colors. After having done this exercise a number of times, you will feel actual tingling in the centres when you energize them. You will feel your solar plexus (in the middle of your body, right between your belly button and ribs) throbbing like crazy. Here's where you will exteriorizing astral substance. Now, make a mental resolution to lift this point where you are out of your body, along the line (cord) that links you with your vehicle, into your vehicle,
Astral travel Wiccan method by an unknown Author: It seems as though the aka thread which connects the spirit and the body has elastic-like properties. When it is short it is very strong, but as you stretch it, it becomes weaker. Once you have put in about 30 feet of separation it seems you can go anywhere. -a thread called an AKA THREAD connects the spirit and the body. (If this thread should ever become disconnected it means that you have passed on). When you first seperate the spirit from the body you will actually see this small white-like thread connecting the two beings).
Spiritual Journeys: Teachings from another dimension, by Michael Connolly: On a material level, they are; on an energy level, they are not. All living things, all sentient beings are connected to each other by a fine thread of energy.; bear in mind that the silver thread does not carry vital energy, but energy impulses. The etheric body uses the chakras - especially the Solar Plexus chakra - to draw the required amount of vital energy from the ether. The silver thread is a thin cord of energy that links each unit of energy/consciousness to the Central Sphere, the Source. It acts not only as a link, but also as a conduit for impulses of pure energy from the Source to the individual. It is also a conduit for the return of consciousness to the higher planes.
Holotropic mind: By Stanislov Grof, M.D. with Hal Zina Bennet, Ph.D:Some people also identify with the experience of astronauts floating weightlessly in space, attached to the mother ship with the life-giving umbilical pipeline.
Astral projection: A complete guide unknown Author: Energy Flow: The famed "Silver Cord" does more than just tie the two bodies together. It is a true umbilical cord, transmitting information and energy between the physical and subtle bodies. It is seen by some projectors and not seen by others. Sometimes it is seen emanating from the navel, sometimes from the forehead. The area the cord is seen emanating from may depend on chakra activity.
Tips for astral projection: Unknown Author: work on projecting a cloud of your energy out through your solar plexus (some people work better projecting from the 3d eye, I personally project the body through the solar plexus and when I project the consciousness into it, I do it via the 3d eye.
Adventures beyond the body: How to experience out of body travel: By William Buhlman: Silver cord: The traditional biblical term for the non-physical connection between the first inner energy body and the biological body. In many respects, it is similar to an energy umbilical cord capable of stretching for immense distances. In appearance, though, it is not cordlike but is observed as thin, fibrous filaments connecting the biological body to its densest non-physical counterpart. The biblical concept of the silver cord is accurate. According to my observations, it is not actually a cord but a thin, fibrous substance similar in appearance to a spiders web. The silver cord appears to function as the connection between the physical body and the first inner energy-body of all life-forms. Though its complete function is unknown, its logical that it may act as an inner energy conduit. One thing is certain, when the cord is severed, the biological life ends.
Edgar Cayce and the silver cord: Known as one of the greatest prophets of the 20th Century; Edgar had the reputation of being able to disconnect from his physical-vehicle to thus channel or to clairvoyantly acquire information for another. Intriguingly, he was even said to be capable of speaking through his physical-vehicle as he was astral-projected; a phenomenon in which few have ever reported. Edgar was once interrupted during one of his clairvoyant out-of-body sessions, and a certain friend of his claimed to have witnessed what he called Edgars astral-body amidst a materialized state, thus connected by a silver-cord in which extended from the midsection of his disembodied ghost tothe solar-plexus region of his physical-body. When this instance had occurred Edgars dislocatedastral-form suddenly turned his head to observe the man who had interrupted the session. Edgars physical-vehicle then immediately ceased speaking.
