Ethel Archer Diary Entry

Wednesday, 28 February 1912

11:20 a.m. Asana in God position. Tried to go on an astral visit to that mountain. No success. Found sentences such as “One is She, the Elohim, the spirit of Life” constantly recurring as a species of mantra. Easily lost bodily sensation, but, just as I felt something pleasant was about to happen became all at once conscious of my breathing, which seemed as that of another person. It was very forceful and regular and ceased as suddenly as it commenced. Then I seemed surrounded by some magnetic influence, also I longed infinitely to fling myself into the arms of some glorious being that I felt was just within reach. I found myself formulating passionate prayers in an ecstasy of adoration to Adonai; repeating them 'till I almost swooned,—and always, just as I was about to rise with my lover some gravitating force compelled me to earth. Now I was conscious of an exhilarating coldness which seemed to bathe me in a sparkling yellow light. On opening my eyes to see if it were caused by the sun, it appeared to be streaming from my own eyes; also I found that my hands had raised themselves from my knees and were about ten inches above them almost on a level with my chest! The strenuous breathing had again commenced, when I couldn't say, but it seemed that at each breath my body grew lighter and imperceptibly my hands and arms were raising themselves, though speaking correctly, I didn't feel them do so.

I identified each breath with the propelling of a [?] and closing my eyes exerted all will power to get out of myself again and rise. Then I knew that my feet were quivering and the heels of my shoes had left the ground. My hands were on a level with my shoulders in the position of the swimming stroke, elbows out.

Again with closed eyes I tried yet harder to forget all, then I knew that my arms had moved backwards in a wide circular sweep to the shoulders, and were coming forward again, just as a man swimming. My feet and legs were vibrating at a terrific rate and quite automatically, I felt that if prolonged sufficiently I should have eventually risen, but thought “this can't be right” so stopped the experiment.

Query

(1) Would anything have occurred if I had been properly robed, instead of being in my ordinary clothes (boots, stays, etc.)

(2) Is this supposed to happen? Personally, I should think not. I started with the idea of going on an astral journey, instead of which I find my physical body trying to rise.

After writing this I looked at the clock. It was 2:25! It had seemed scarcely an hour.

[94]