What's the difference between astral and etheric projection?

Question

I've been reading about astral projection and encountered the word 'etheric.' What is the etheric part of the human consciousness and how does it differ from the astral self?

Answer 1

etheric is still earth bound astral is not

Answer 2

There are quite a few 'separations':

MENTAL PROJECTION - Where the practitioner projects just his Consciousness to some other place, beyond the physical body. It's similar to a day dream only much stronger. You see a mental picture, like watching a movie, but there are no senses per se, taste, feel, hearing, smell etc. Some call it REMOTE VIEWING or CLAIRVOYANCE.

ASTRAL PROJECTION - This is where the Consciousness & the Astral body separate together from the physical body. The practitioner has use of all fives senses plus those used by the Astral body. You may have a sense of flying or floating. Vivid dreams are often natural AP during sleep. It's perfectly safe. Nothing can enter the physical body while on an Astral projection as only you have the exact key.

At any sign of danger the Astral body is "reeled in" rather quickly.

ETHERIC PROJECTION - This is where the Consciousness, the Astral body & the etheric body separate together from the physical body. The ectoplasm of the Etheric body can been seen by others. The physical body is reduced to a state of near catalepsy during the projection and must be protected from sudden shock or disturbance as there is a rare occurrence of physical death.

BILOCATION - This is where the Consciousness, the Astral body, the Etheric body & the Physical body are in TWO different places at the same time. This is only to be used by advanced Magi and then rarely.

[EDIT:]

Some delimited the human body in different layers:

- the physical, chemical or carnal body;

- the vital, etherical body; the 'vital double', bioplasmatic - same shape as the physical body, formed by etheric or fluidical matter. Here lie the human sensations. It is considered this 'matter' comes from the primordial universe's ether;

- the astral, planetary or terrestrial body; like the vital body, it is part of the aura, but only vaguely reproduces the physical body. Here are the feelings, wishes; it is also responsible for the colors of the aura according to the current emotional state of the person;

- the solar body - this one does not emulate the physical body, it is spherical, situated on the superior part of the body, around one's head.

Answer 3

Those are just two different versions of the same fantasy.