Otherwhere: A Field Guide for Astral Travelers

I picked up Leland's book, thinking list most other books on spirtuality, I would read part way through it and put it down. Not so! His relation of personal experience, explanation and instruction kept me interested the entire way through. I found the writing colorful and entertaing rather than the dry repetition you find in many books of the genre.If you're interested in out-of-body experiences, or seeking clarification for what goes on when they happen, I highly recommend Mr. Leland's book.

Having read widely for over the past few decades in the spiritual realm, I've always considered the books by Robert A. Monroe to be the benchmark for all other books on out-of-body-experiences--or as Monroe calls them OOBE's. In particular his books "Journeys Out of the Body", and especially "Far Journeys", have heretofore been my favorite two books in this particular area. Well I have a third favorite book now! "Otherwhere" is not only well and entertainingly written, but also both original and thought-provoking. And interestingly enough the book actually starts out with the author visiting the Monroe Institute and having an OOBE there.If you are interested in OOBE's, I don't think that you would possibly be able to put this book down.

The author of this book has traveled far and wide into many realms. He is a master manipulator of his own consciousness, because he is also a trance channneler. He seeks however, not to manipulate ours, only to tell us where he has been and what he has seen and learned from beings who live in the non-physical world. His recall or (re-channeling upon awakening?) of the material he has experienced while in the Afterdeath Zone is nothing short of astounding. He combines the best of the Monrovian out of body travellogue with the after-death fascinations of the Van Praghers, but he does so much more informatively than the latter. Of course, all books like these must be taken with a grain of salt since it is so hard to verify the results for ourselves. Yet what is compelling is the way all his information seems to come from one cloth, rather than being a patchwork quilt of various ideas. If there are "rules" to follow in these realms, it only means that Life and the AfterLife have an intrinsic meaning. Ultimately one must decide for oneself whether the words presented in any book coalesce in a compelling way that could only come from a real world. Yet the author himself is no proselytizer for his worldview. He would love nothing better than that the reader be able to go there and see for him/herself. In the meantime, however, here is as clear, humane and literate an exegesis of what happens to us after death and between lifetimes as I can ever remember reading.

Kurt Leland has taken us on a trip where few have gone, short of dying. I call Leland's book a kind of field guide for out of body experiences. Leland explains his adventures in delicious detail, all the time with the qualifier that my trip would be tailored just for me. Keeping this in mind, his trips let me know what to expect on future out of body trips, as well as understand what I've seen in the past.The best thing about this book is that I can read it again and again, each time with more understanding. Oh, and by the way, it's a great read. What more could I ask for?

I enjoy lucid dreams and astral travel when they happen to me at night, but I was in need of some serious help to understand what they were for beyond my ego's abilities to be impressed by whiz-bang special effects and name-dropping. I've read several out-of-body travelogues and collected many good ideas, but "Otherwhere" really pulled it all together for me. Some astral travel books are so will & action oriented, even macho, that they miss the instructive points behind the endlessly varied and reflective realities that our souls create for us to explore. Mr. Leland is a true teacher/philosopher for the ages, because he is willing to follow the threads of meaning from such sources as Greek myths, Christian symbolism, and Dante into our own modern society and metaphysics. The author, who also trained at the Monroe Institute, complements his classical background with the humility of a real guide who has been there for us; so for example the stories of his confusion in astral environments are so human and reassuring that we cannot help but learn while we laugh. Mr. Leland's willingness to work with higher guides and share their private conversations guarantee that we will always find out the purpose behind even the strangest of events. This book is so well-written and friendly that everyone can benefit, from the beginning seeker who is treasuring an anomalous experience, to the advanced traveler who is seeking to solidify their belonging within the time-honored traditions of nonphysical education. I've had the good fortune of meeting the author, who also channels wonderfully, so I can say with confidence that nothing here is pretense. "Otherwhere" is a very fine, wide-ranging, idea-packed book from a truly gentle wise old soul, so it is sure to help you on your own path of dream and astral exploration. Thank you Mr. Leland!