Robert Monroe

Monroe — Far Journeys (1985) [DECLARED]

Monroe — Journeys Out of the Body (1971) [DECLARED]

Monroe — Ultimate Journey (1994) [DECLARED]

«In the spring of 1958 I was living a reasonably normal life with a reasonably normal family. Because we appreciated nature and quiet, ours was a country environment. The only unorthodox activity was my experimentation with techniques of data learning during sleep—with myself as the chief subj» — fecha el comienzo y lo enmarca en un experimento previo de aprendizaje durante el sueño

«In 1958, without any apparent cause, I began to float out of my physical body. It was not voluntary; I wasn’t attempting any mental feats.» — vuelve a fechar el comienzo en 1958 y declara que no fue voluntario ni resultado de proeza mental alguna.

«Without any obvious reason, I began to “go” out of my body in the fall of 1958. In the light of later historical events, it is important to state that no drugs or alcohol were involved.» — fecha el comienzo en el otoño de 1958 y declara lo que le parece importante decir a la luz de lo que vino después: no hubo drogas ni alcohol de por medio.

«That the out-of-body experience frightened me then is a quantum understatement. When it recurred, I was filled with panic-driven visions of brain tumors and oncoming insanity.» — y cómo describe su primera reacción: el miedo, con visiones de tumor cerebral y de locura inminente.

«I was fully occupied; I owned several radio stations and other businesses, had offices on Madison Avenue in New York, a home in Westchester County, and, not the least, a wife and two small children.» — el único retrato de su vida de entonces que imprime el corpus, dicho por él: varias radiodifusoras y otros negocios, oficinas en Madison Avenue, casa en el condado de Westchester, esposa y dos hijos pequeños.

«I was not particularly involved in any religion, nor was I a student of philosophies or Eastern disciplines.» — y la negativa con que se deslinda: no estaba metido en religión alguna ni era estudioso de filosofías ni de disciplinas orientales.

«I was a misfit in a culture of which I thought I was a part, a culture that I admired and respected.» — cómo se describe en ese trance: un inadaptado dentro de una cultura de la que se creía parte y que admiraba y respetaba.

«But it took a full year before I came to accept the reality of the out-of-body experience— now familiarly known as OBE.» — mide en un año entero el tiempo que tardó en aceptar la realidad de la experiencia fuera del cuerpo.

«Therefore, to provide systematic help to me and also to gather information related to this strange “Unknown,” I set up a research and development division in the corporation privately owned by me and my family. This division later was detached and became eventually what is now The Monroe Institute.» — da el origen de su instituto: una división de investigación y desarrollo dentro de la empresa de su propiedad y de su familia, desprendida después hasta ser lo que llama The Monroe Institute.

«Thus the original purpose was solely to solve my own personal and urgent problems: to convert my fear-producing Unknowns into Knowns if at all possible.» — y cuál era el propósito original, dicho por él: resolver sus propios problemas urgentes, convirtiendo sus Desconocidos productores de miedo en Conocidos.

«To begin with, I was the only one I knew who needed such help, so the motive was personal and selfish, not profound, idealistic, or noble. I offer no apology for this; I was the one who paid the bills.» — y el móvil que se adjudica sin adornarlo: personal y egoísta, ni profundo ni idealista ni noble, y sin disculpa porque era él quien pagaba las cuentas.

«It was an interesting experience, to say the least, when I publicly became a member of a highly suspect group labeled Psychic, Sensitive, Freak, and, more generously, Parapsychologist.» — describe en el Foreword de 1977 lo que la publicación le hizo: pasó públicamente a ser miembro de un grupo muy sospechoso, rotulado psíquico, sensitivo, fenómeno y, más generosamente, parapsicólogo.

«The publication of the book quite thoroughly “blew my cover” as a reasonably orthodox business executive.» — y qué le descubrió: dice que el libro le voló la tapadera de ejecutivo de negocios razonablemente ortodoxo.

«For example, the fact that I was (and still am) well grounded and active in the material world of business helped greatly in the serious consideration of the book material.» — y a qué atribuye que lo tomaran en serio: a estar bien plantado y activo en el mundo material de los negocios, cosa que dice seguir siendo.

«Still, I was greatly concerned about the reaction to the book of the board of directors of the corporation of which I was president.» — consigna su propio temor: la reacción del consejo de administración de la empresa que presidía.

«Thus I made an important decision. For the most part, I would set up the conscious out-of-body state, then turn the action over to my total self (soul?). My present consciousness would go along for the ride, as a part of the whole.» — la decisión de método que declara en ese mismo Foreword: montar el estado fuera del cuerpo consciente y entregar la acción a lo que llama su yo total, con el signo de interrogación de «soul?» puesto por él.

«Yes, a research facility was formed and became active in 1972.» — data en 1972 la formación de la instalación de investigación.

«Over seven hundred persons have participated in our research and experimental training program.» — y cifra en más de setecientas las personas que habían pasado por el programa de investigación y entrenamiento cuando escribe.

«I still don’t know what the word “astral” means. Thus I prefer to stick to the terms “Second Body” and “Second State.”» — rechaza el término «astral» y elige su propia nomenclatura

«In earlier literature, it was commonly labeled “astral projection.” I began by refusing to use this term, as it had an occult connotation and was certainly nonscientific by our standards.» — dice por qué rechazó el rótulo heredado: en la literatura anterior se llamaba proyección astral, y él se negó a usar el término por su connotación ocultista y por no ser científico según sus criterios.

«Charles Tart, a psychologist friend, popularized the term “out-of-body experience” when we were working together in the sixties.» — y a quién atribuye el término que sí usa: Charles Tart popularizó «out-of-body experience» mientras trabajaban juntos en los años sesenta.

«This sensory impression was later discovered to be reported consistently in the experiences of spiritualists, occultists, and others in the late nineteenth century» — reconoce que su sensación clave ya estaba descrita por espiritistas y ocultistas del XIX

«If there is a first and obvious point to be made, I can report that I am still alive physically after twenty-five years of exploring personally the out-of-body experience.» — abre Far Journeys con el dato que le parece primero y obvio: sigue vivo físicamente después de veinticinco años de explorar en persona la experiencia fuera del cuerpo.

«Also, after having been tested periodically by experts, I can still make the statement that I am reasonably sane in a not so reasonably sane world.» — y añade lo segundo, con la prueba puesta en manos ajenas: tras ser examinado periódicamente por expertos sigue pudiendo decir que está razonablemente cuerdo.

«Robert A. Monroe has been a pioneer in exploring out-of-the-body experiences, and JOURNEYS OUT OF THE BODY, his first book, has become the undisputed classic in the field.» — la nota biográfica del editor, en tercera persona y no en voz de Monroe, lo llama pionero de la exploración de las experiencias fuera del cuerpo y a este libro el clásico indiscutido del campo.

«He had a long and distinguished career in the broadcasting industry, as a writer, director of programs, and creator and producer of some four hundred radio and TV network programs, and eventually as owner and operator of a radio network and cable TV system in Virginia.» — y la misma nota le da el oficio: carrera larga en la radiodifusión como escritor, director de programas, creador y productor de unos cuatrocientos programas de radio y televisión, y después dueño y operador de una cadena de radio y un sistema de cable en Virginia.

«He is the founder and executive director of the Monroe Institute, internationally known for its work on the effects of sound wave forms on human behavior.» — y lo declara fundador y director ejecutivo del Monroe Institute, conocido internacionalmente por su trabajo sobre los efectos de las formas de onda sonora en la conducta humana.

«Robert A. Monroe is a successful businessman who began experiencing OOBEs quite unexpectedly over a decade ago. Coming from an academic family and having more than the average intellectual training, he realized the unusualness of these experiences and began taking systematic notes from the beginning.» — Charles Tart, en el prólogo que firma, lo presenta como un hombre de negocios exitoso a quien las experiencias le llegaron de modo inesperado y que, por venir de familia académica y tener formación intelectual más que media, advirtió su rareza y se puso a tomar notas sistemáticas desde el principio.

«Instead, I shall note the qualities he possesses that make him a good reporter, and which give me a good deal of confidence in his accounts.» — y declara qué hará en vez de comentar las experiencias: señalar las cualidades que a su juicio lo hacen buen informante y le dan confianza en sus relatos.

«Dr. Tart states that the EEG shows definite unusual and unique tracings during time of activity» — el dato instrumental que Monroe atribuye a Tart

«Mr. Monroe was able to produce two brief OOBEs. He awoke almost immediately after the first OOBE had ended, and estimated that it had lasted eight to ten seconds» — del registro de laboratorio de Tart

«Robert Monroe presented himself to us at the Topeka Veterans Administration Hospital Research Department so that we could learn more about the relationships between his personality and his out-of-the-body experiences. The primary goal of our investigation was an in-depth “psychological evaluation.” Monroe was highly co-operative and open during the intensive interviewing and batteries of different psychological tests which were aimed at examining the depths of his unconscious mind, his value structures, his fantasy life, and the humanistic or self-actualizing aspects of his mind.» — el psiquiatra Stuart W. Twemlow, jefe de investigación del Hospital de Veteranos de Topeka, describe el encargo con que Monroe se presentó ante ellos: una evaluación psicológica a fondo de la relación entre su personalidad y sus experiencias fuera del cuerpo

«Monroe, a sixtyyear-old businessman, had a relatively solid orthodox “southern” upbringing, although certain features of his life indicate that he was an unusual person from a very early age with unevenly developed intellectual and emotional abilities, and an unusually mature sense of person and independence. He reports that his first out-of-the-body experience occurred during his adult years, another point of difference, since in our work we have found that many people associate to out-of-the-body or similar experiences during their childhood. First experiences are often associated with severe physical illness, childbirth, various drugs (including anesthetics), or extreme states perceived as a psychological or physical threat to the person. Robert Monroe appeared not to be suffering from any severe physical illnesses at the time he had his first out-of-the-body experience. He was, however, at age forty-two, in the midst of mid-life adjustments and changes. It should also be noted that as a child he had severe scarlet fever, an illness that is associated with a high temperature. From his own account he was quite ill, although his mother, a physician, was able to look after him outside the hospital. In addition, later in his life Monroe has had some evidence of arteriosclerotic narrowing of the blood vessels to his brain, which could create a state of low» — Twemlow marca en qué se aparta el caso de los demás que ha visto —la primera experiencia le llegó en la adultez y no en la infancia, y sin enfermedad grave de por medio— y a la vez consigna sin suavizarlos los dos factores médicos que sí podrían pesar: la escarlatina con fiebre alta de la niñez, y un estrechamiento arterioesclerótico de los vasos cerebrales capaz de producir una baja oxigenación que se sabe precipita esta clase de experiencias

«The way in which Monroe utilizes his experiences is what is unusual. If we were to have such experiences most of us would be extremely frightened, and attempt to avoid them.» — el psiquiatra sitúa la singularidad no en las experiencias sino en el uso que Monroe hace de ellas: la mayoría, dice, se asustaría e intentaría evitarlas

«These include a tendency to feel socially isolated and different from others at quite an early age, often seeing the world itself as somewhat alien. This relative isolation is combined with a tendency to be autonomous, and yet also to be a leader, quite aggressive and danger-seeking.» — Twemlow enumera los rasgos que su equipo halla en las personas capaces de estas experiencias y que Monroe presenta: aislamiento social temprano y sensación de ser distinto, con el mundo percibido como algo ajeno, junto a autonomía, capacidad de liderazgo, agresividad y búsqueda de peligro

«Test examinations of his attitudes to death indicated that, compared with a normal population, Monroe’s anxiety and fear of death is very low.» — el resultado que Twemlow contrasta con la literatura del campo: frente a la población normal, la ansiedad y el miedo a la muerte de Monroe son muy bajos. Y objeta con eso la lectura corriente — algunos estudios cargan el acento en la NEGACIÓN de la muerte, y el análisis profundo de las pruebas no muestra en él temor a una muerte inminente ni intento de negarla

«Dr. Jones and I simultaneously had the impression of a heatwave-like distortion of Monroe’s upper body while the lower part of his body was clearly in focus to us.» — el dato que los dos observadores registran a la vez y por separado: una distorsión como de onda de calor en la mitad superior del cuerpo de Monroe, mientras la inferior se veía nítida. Twemlow lo consigna como impresión simultánea de dos personas, no como medición

«From a technical point of view, while out of the body, Monroe’s GSR level showed an arousal of approximately 150 microvolts and was marked by a total absence of either specific or nonspecific responses once the experiment began, even when the technician actually touched his body to adjust the electrode placements. This is most unusual, as the GSR is highly sensitive to such interferences.» — la anomalía instrumental, dicha con su patrón de comparación: durante el estado, la respuesta galvánica de la piel no registró reacción alguna, específica ni inespecífica, ni siquiera cuando el técnico le tocó el cuerpo para ajustar los electrodos — y la GSR es muy sensible a esas interferencias

«A computer analysis of Monroe’s brain waves demonstrated that most of his brain energy was in the four to five (Theta) frequency range, with nothing at all above ten cycles per second.» — el análisis por computadora del electroencefalograma: casi toda la energía cerebral en la banda theta de cuatro a cinco ciclos, y nada por encima de diez

«Essentially, this brief experiment showed that Monroe was able during a state he defined as out-of-the-body to focus his brain energy into a narrow frequency band and to produce visible distortions of his body, observed by two people independently under low-illumination conditions.» — el resumen que el propio Twemlow hace de lo que el experimento mostró, acotado a eso y no más: durante un estado que Monroe definió como fuera del cuerpo, pudo concentrar su energía cerebral en una banda estrecha y producir distorsiones visibles de su cuerpo, observadas por dos personas de manera independiente y con poca iluminación

«It is almost as if energy is rampant and not under the full control of either the experimenter or the subject.» — la explicación que ofrece para los fallos técnicos recurrentes del instrumental en esta clase de experimentos —Monroe había movido las agujas de voltímetros sensibles pasando la mano por encima— y la deja como impresión: es casi como si la energía anduviera suelta y fuera del control tanto del experimentador como del sujeto

«Robert Monroe is a businessman from Virginia, now in his sixties, who is one of the most widely known gifted subjects in the OBE literature.» — Stuart W. Twemlow y Glen O. Gabbard abren su estudio psicofisiológico, incluido como apéndice, llamándolo hombre de negocios de Virginia, entonces sesentón, y uno de los sujetos dotados más conocidos de la literatura sobre la experiencia fuera del cuerpo.

«Robert Allan Monroe is a man of many talents. More important, he has the ability to explore and experience these different facets that make up an unusual personality.» — abre la nota biográfica del editor, en tercera persona: no es voz de Monroe sino aparato del volumen.

«Mr. Monroe’s major avocation in recent years has been exploration and research into practical methods of accelerated learning through expanded forms of consciousness. To augment such activity, he founded the Monroe Institute of Applied» — cómo la nota nombra el giro de su ocupación: métodos prácticos de aprendizaje acelerado por formas expandidas de conciencia. La frase sigue en la plana siguiente, donde fecha el instituto en 1973.

«Along with others, the Monroe Institute (now located in Nelson County, Virginia) is exploring the potentials of such methods in all areas of individual and cultural activity.» — el dato que sitúa al instituto al momento de esta edición, ya en el condado de Nelson.

«Robert Monroe is a mapmaker. In Ultimate Journey he seeks to chart that area which lies “over the edge,” beyond the limits of the physical world. He presents us with a map of the “Interstate”—the route that opens to us when we leave our physical lives, with its entry and exit ramps, its signposts and its hazards. This he is able to do because he has traveled the route himself; he writes from knowledge, not from belief.» — abre el prólogo, que no es de Monroe sino de Ronald Russell: lo presenta como cartógrafo de la zona de más allá del borde y le atribuye escribir desde conocimiento y no desde creencia.

«Monroe’s first book, Journeys out of the Body, was published in 1971. Since then, according to Dr. Charles Tart, one of the leading experts on consciousness and human potential, “innumerable people have found comfort and help in the knowledge that they weren’t alone and weren’t crazy just because they had had out-of-body experiences.” In that book and its successor, Far Journeys, Monroe recorded his out-of-body experiences over three decades and established a reputation as a trailblazer in the exploration of the far reaches of human consciousness.» — Russell encadena los tres volúmenes y apoya la recepción del primero en una frase que atribuye a Charles Tart; la valoración es del prologuista y la frase entrecomillada, de Tart.

«There is one major difference between this book and its predecessors. Until now, the story has been Monroe’s alone; it has been his own adventures he has described, his own meetings, dialogues, perils, and discoveries. In Ultimate Journey, he tells how he found the route—the new direction—traveled it, and uncovered the reason and the purpose for this pioneering expedition. And, most important, he includes the reports of others who, through his new teaching program, have been able to read the map, follow the direction, and fulfill the same purpose.» — Russell señala qué cambia en este tercer volumen respecto de los dos anteriores: deja de ser solo la aventura de Monroe e incorpora los informes de otros participantes de su programa.

«Monroe says that nothing in this book negates the validity of its two predecessors, “which represent stages of growth and are accurate according to the Knowns available through personal experience at the time.” His personal experience while working on his third book, however, took a sad and unforeseen turn when his wife Nancy was diagnosed with cancer. His search for the missing Basic was intensified by the knowledge that for Nancy’s sake there was little time to spare.» — Russell cita a Monroe para que los dos volúmenes anteriores no queden invalidados —los llama etapas de crecimiento, exactas según los *Knowns* disponibles entonces— y sitúa el motivo personal del libro, el cáncer de Nancy.

«ROBERT A. MONROE was the founder of the Monroe Institute, a nonprofit educational and research organization devoted to the exploration of human consciousness and practical methods of accelerated learning through expanded forms of consciousness. The institute is internationally known for its work in the effects of sound wave forms on human behavior.» — la nota del volumen de 1994, ya en pasado, lo hace fundador del Monroe Institute, organización educativa y de investigación sin fines de lucro dedicada a la exploración de la conciencia humana.

«Mr. Monroe, the son of a college professor and a medical doctor mother, received his degree from Ohio State University after studies in engineering and journalism.» — y da los únicos datos de origen que el corpus imprime de él: hijo de un profesor universitario y de una madre médica, titulado por la Universidad Estatal de Ohio tras estudios de ingeniería y periodismo.

«In 1958, as a broadcasting executive in New York, he began to undergo spontaneous experiences that drastically altered his life and are documented in his first book, Journeys Out of the Body (Anchor Press/Doubleday).» — la misma nota data en 1958, siendo él ejecutivo de radiodifusión en Nueva York, el comienzo de las experiencias espontáneas que dice que le alteraron la vida drásticamente.

«In addition to his interest in human consciousness and his accomplishments as an author, Mr. Monroe owned and operated radio stations in Virginia and North Carolina. He later formed Jefferson Cable Corporation and as president guided the construction and operation of cable-TV systems in Charlottesville and Waynesboro, Virginia.» — y enumera sus negocios: radiodifusoras en Virginia y Carolina del Norte, y después la Jefferson Cable Corporation, cuyos sistemas de televisión por cable en Charlottesville y Waynesboro dirigió como presidente.

«Since 1976, Mr. Monroe has devoted his life to exploring the potentials of human consciousness at the Monroe Institute through research and education using his patented audio sound technology, Hemi-Sync.» — data en 1976 el giro con que dedicó la vida a explorar los potenciales de la conciencia humana en su instituto, con la tecnología de sonido patentada que llama Hemi-Sync.

«Mr. Monroe made his transition on March 17, 1995.» — y es la única plana del corpus que data su muerte, dicha con la palabra que el instituto emplea: hizo su transición el 17 de marzo de 1995.

«much recent interest in them is connected with the case of Robert A. Monroe, a successful businessman from Virginia, who found out in 19S8 that he was able to dissociate himself from his physical body.» — Ioan Couliano lo llama hombre de negocios exitoso de Virginia y data en 1958 el descubrimiento de que podía disociarse del cuerpo físico; la capa de texto imprime 19S8 con ese por cero.

«Monroe could certainly not have achieved rotation if not in hyperspace, whereby his "second body," flipped through the fourth dimension, became its own mirror image.» — aplica a Monroe el criterio de Hinton: la rotación que describe exige hiperespacio.

«The psychologist Charles Tart tested Monroe's ability to report events while out of the body, with inconclusive results.» — consigna que la prueba experimental de Tart sobre Monroe no concluyó.

«In conclusion, even if Monroe's own speculations about the three worlds he was visiting turned out to be entirely wrong, his "trips" themselves seem to be authentic, and his reports, published in 197I, although inevitably distorted by his efforts to "translate" them into everyday language, seem to be faithful.» — separa en Monroe la especulación del relato: aquella puede estar errada y este le parece fiel, con el seems como límite.

«example, Robert Monroe, in one of the classics of this literature, states that one day when he lay down for a nap he saw a light which he at first mistook for daylight and then realized was not. This light, he said, touched him.» — del caso de Monroe, a quien nombra como clásico de esa literatura: al echarse una siesta vio una luz que tomó por la del día y que lo tocó

«The effect when the beam struck my entire body was to cause it to shake violently or ‘vibrate.’ I was utterly powerless to move. It was as if I were being held in a vise.» — y lo que Monroe describe, en su letra: vibración violenta del cuerpo entero e impotencia total para moverse, como sujeto en un tornillo de banco

«experiences, Monroe, like Madge, decided he would “stay with it and see what happened rather than fight my way out of it.» — con el paralelo que traza entre Monroe y el caso 36: los dos decidieron quedarse a ver qué pasaba en vez de forcejear

«After repeated episodes, Monroe found full-blown out-of-body experiences to be the consistent sequellae to the paralysis experiences. Unlike Madge he decided that he enjoyed them.» — y la divergencia que consigna sin armonizar: a Monroe las experiencias fuera del cuerpo le siguieron a la parálisis y las disfrutó, al revés que Madge

«I suddenly felt bathed in and transfixed by a very powerful beam that seemed to come from the North, about 30º above the horizon. I was completely powerless, with no will of my own, and I felt as if I were in the presence of a very strong force, in personal contact with it.» — testimonio de Robert Monroe sobre el haz, tomado del libro que Vallée titula Out of the Body.

«It had intelligence of a form beyond my comprehension, and it came directly (down the beam?) into my head, and seemed to be searching every memory in my mind. I was truly frightened because I was powerless to do anything about this intrusion.» — sigue el mismo testimonio de Monroe: la inteligencia que registra su memoria.

«The same impersonal probing, the same power, from the same angle. However, this time I recieved the firm impression that I was inextricably bound by loyalty to this intelligent force, always had been, and that I had a job to perform here on earth» — Monroe, en sus notas del 16 de septiembre, sobre la lealtad que se le impone; recieved es corrupción de la capa de texto.

«It is an impersonal, cold intelligence, with none of the emotions of love or compassion which we respect so much, yet this may be the omnipotence we call God.» — Monroe deja la identificación con Dios en modo conjetural.

«I sat down and cried, great deep sobs such as I have never cried before, because then I knew without any qualification of future hope of change that the God of my childhood, of the churches, of religion throughout the world was not as we worshipped him to be – that for the rest of my life, I would "suffer" the loss of this illusion.» — Monroe describe la pérdida del Dios de su infancia como consecuencia de la experiencia.

«There is a curious parallel to this case in the experiences of Robert Monroe, whose investigations of "out-of-body" travel have already been mentioned.» — Vallée empareja el caso brasileño con las experiencias fuera del cuerpo de Robert Monroe.

«particularly as the latter is mapped by the American businessman turned metaphysical writer Robert Monroe» — Jeffrey Kripal lo llama el hombre de negocios estadounidense vuelto escritor metafísico; el verbatim se corta ahí porque la llamada de nota pegada al apellido dispara la guarda anticosido.

«Monroe’s books are especially provocative for their elaborate descriptions of out-of-body states, literally thousands of which Monroe experienced throughout his life.» — y declara provocativos sus libros por las descripciones elaboradas de estados fuera del cuerpo, de los que dice que vivió literalmente miles a lo largo de su vida.

«Note both the fantastic nature and the disillusioning honesty of Monroe’s descriptions:» — y con qué par pide leerlas: la naturaleza fantástica y a la vez la honestidad desilusionante de sus descripciones.

«Monroe had confessed his own disillusionment with respect to religion.» — y traza el paralelo con Vallée: Monroe había confesado su propia desilusión respecto de la religión, y Vallée expresa la suya respecto de la ciencia.

«Toward this end, he had taken up a particular practice recommended by the out-of-body researcher and technician Robert Monroe: “mind awake/body asleep.» — Kripal adjudica a Robert Monroe la técnica que dice que Strieber adoptó para profundizar el contacto.

«Robert Monroe, author of journeys Out of the Body, and his research colleagues at The Monroe Institute in Faber, Virginia, have developed what he calls hemi-sync, which can lead to a variety of nonordinary experiences including channeling.» — el procedimiento que Robert Monroe, autor de *Journeys Out of the Body*, y sus colegas del Monroe Institute de Faber, Virginia, desarrollaron: lo que llama *hemi-sync*, que puede llevar a experiencias no ordinarias, el channeling entre ellas.

«One day Mr. Yost came by my desk and tossed a book at me. I caught it in mid air and read the title Journeys Out Of The Body, by Robert A. Monroe.» — cómo entra Monroe en la historia: su jefe Bill Yost le echa el libro sobre el escritorio. El puente entre esta obra y el testimonio de Monroe empieza aquí y como encargo laboral, no como búsqueda.

«The book was configured as a diary. It was a “This is what happened to me” type of story wherein Monroe claimed to have collected hard evidence in support of the reality of the out-of-body experience.» — cómo lee ese libro: un diario, un relato de lo que le pasó al autor, con la pretensión de haber reunido evidencia dura de la realidad de la experiencia fuera del cuerpo.

«Bob Monroe lived on an estate named Whistlefield — five-hundred acres of lakes, forests and fields. A large country manor house elegantly perched on top of a hill, half dozen horses, a barn, and two small lakes thrown in for good measure.» — dónde ocurre todo lo que sigue: la finca de Whistlefield, quinientos acres con casa solariega, caballos y dos lagos. El dato no es escenografía: Campbell lo usa enseguida para descartar el móvil económico en Monroe.

«It just happened,” he said. “It just started happening about fifteen years ago for no apparent reason.» — la respuesta de Monroe a la primera pregunta directa que le hicieron esa noche: la experiencia fuera del cuerpo empezó unos quince años antes y sin causa aparente. La voz es de Monroe citado por Campbell.

«I thought I might be going nuts,” he said. “It worried me initially, but I couldn't help experimenting with it — that's my nature.» — y cómo Monroe describe su propia reacción: temió estar enloqueciendo, y aun así no pudo dejar de experimentar. Campbell recoge de él la misma pareja que se atribuye a sí mismo, alarma y curiosidad, sin señalar la coincidencia.

«Monroe seemed to have inadvertently stumbled into an altered state of consciousness that gave him access to a larger reality, producing some amazing evidential data under controlled circumstances with the parapsychologist.» — cómo encuadra Campbell el caso de Monroe: un tropiezo involuntario con un estado alterado que dio acceso a una realidad mayor y produjo datos evidenciales en circunstancias controladas. La formulación es suya, no de Monroe, y ya trae la conclusión que el resto del libro va a defender.

«Obtaining information paranormally by going somewhere in the out-of-body state to collect the target information — without taking your body along, as it were.» — la definición de visión remota que Monroe le da en esa conversación: obtener información por vía paranormal yendo al sitio en estado fuera del cuerpo, sin llevarse el cuerpo. La voz es de Monroe.

«It was obvious to me that he desperately wanted to legitimize what had spontaneously happened to him. He wanted to remove the stigma of nutty and replace it with the approval of an accepting science.» — qué móvil le atribuye Campbell a Monroe: querer legitimar lo que le había ocurrido y cambiar el estigma de chiflado por la aprobación de una ciencia que lo aceptara. Es lectura de Campbell, no declaración de Monroe.

«He wanted legitimacy, not recognition, money, or fame. He was a successful local businessman. Additionally, he was the CEO of a growing cable company and appeared to me to be totally sane, intelligent, under control, and conservative.» — y con qué lo descarta como impostor: la posición de Monroe como empresario y director de una empresa de cable, con lo que el dinero queda excluido como motivo. El juicio de cordura es de Campbell y va dicho como impresión.

«I am looking for some hard-core science and engineering types,” he continued. “Someone with good professional credentials who could help me do real and proper science that would be acceptable to other scientists.» — la oferta de Monroe aquella noche, dicha por él: busca credenciales profesionales que le permitan hacer ciencia aceptable para otros científicos. Lo que pide no es investigación sino aval.

«I am a physicist and I am very interested in your research into altered states. If you will teach me what you know about out-of-body and altered states of consciousness, I will help you do legitimate scientific research.» — y el trato que Campbell le propone en el acto: enseñanza a cambio de legitimación científica. Toda su relación con el grupo de Monroe arranca de ese intercambio explícito.

«If they had established professional reputations, they had reputations to protect and would never allow themselves to become associated with something this far out on the fringe — this far away from the safety of the crowd.» — por qué Monroe tuvo que conformarse con dos recién titulados: quien ya tiene reputación tiene reputación que perder y no se asocia con algo tan al margen. Campbell lo dice para explicar su propia oportunidad.

«In time, I would eventually get used to Monroe being distracted and knowing things paranormally. His mind was not loose, he was always a step ahead and usually right. Unlike me, he did not need to wait for the facts.» — el juicio con que cierra el episodio del teléfono: lo que había tomado por despiste de Monroe lo reinterpreta como saber paranormal, y se contrasta con él mismo, que necesita esperar los hechos. Es la primera vez que adjudica a otro una capacidad que todavía no admite tener.

«Under Bob Monroe's guidance, Dennis and I would begin a systematic exploration of altered states of consciousness. We were constantly working towards consistent repeatable, evidential experience.» — cómo describe el reparto de papeles en el laboratorio: Monroe guía, Campbell y Mennerich exploran, y el objetivo declarado es experiencia evidencial repetible, no experiencia a secas.

«Bob had zero tolerance for that sort — he did not want to tarnish his legitimacy by being associated with drug users. The Timothy Leary types were out. Other than that, Bob was open to almost everything anybody took seriously. However, he was also always skeptical. Open minded and skeptical — he wanted to see hard evidence — claims were interesting, but never enough.» — el filtro que atribuye a Monroe: fuera las drogas y los del tipo de Timothy Leary para no manchar la legitimidad, y para lo demás mente abierta con escepticismo, porque la afirmación sin evidencia dura nunca bastaba. Es el retrato de método que Campbell hereda.

«One key datum Bob had derived from his personal study of out-of-body experience (OOBE) was the perception of a 4 Hz oscillation within his body and consciousness just before exiting his body and sometimes just after returning to it.» — el dato de partida, y es de Monroe: una oscilación de 4 Hz percibida en el cuerpo y en la consciencia justo antes de salir y a veces al volver. Toda la técnica posterior sale de intentar reproducirlo.

«Bob knew that if we were to experience the larger reality as he did, we would have to get there on our own. He could guide, but not lead — that would ruin the independent quality of our effort. He wasn't looking for an echo — he wanted to accomplish real science.» — la cautela metodológica que le atribuye a Monroe, y que es el punto donde el puente entre las dos obras se declara: guiar sin conducir para no arruinar la independencia del resultado, porque no buscaba un eco. La formulación es de Campbell.

«Fellow travelers. First and foremost, acknowledgement goes to Bob Monroe and his wife Nancy who enabled my exploration of the path that eventually led to the My Big TOE trilogy.» — y sitúan el origen del camino en Bob Monroe y su mujer Nancy: es Campbell quien declara esa dependencia, en primer lugar de la lista.

«1. Mental Projection, concerned mainly with exploratory acts of skrying or the using of symbolic doors as an aid to understanding a particular part of the astral plane. This is 'projection-by-symbol'. 2. Astral Projection (proper) in which the astral body (or Second Body to use Robert Monroe's term) (5) is able to move a distance from the physical body and accurately report what it sees on the physical plane, facts that could not have otherwise have been ascertained by the apparently sleeping practitioner. There is little restriction on the distance the astral body can travel.» — las dos primeras formas: la mental, que es la proyección por símbolo, y la astral propiamente dicha, con el término de Robert Monroe que citan

«Some of the approaches to a higher power are initiated by individuals themselves. These include traditional forms of religious worship, such as prayer, meditation, and devotional service; twelve-step programs for the treatment of addictions; yoga, Holotropic Breathwork, and controlled out-of-body experiences (Buhlman 1996; Monroe 1971 and 1996); thoughtful use of psychedelic agents; vision quests and other activities associated with native and Eastern spiritual practices and rituals.» — el catálogo de vías buscadas por la propia persona, donde el autor cita a Buhlman 1996 y a Monroe 1971 y 1996 para las experiencias extracorporales controladas.

«We were visited over the weekend by Robert Monroe and his wife, Nancy; they live on a farm in central Virginia. Bob Monroe is the author o/Journeys Out of the Body,* the book that Jane and I regard as the premier work on the subject.» — Robert Butts consigna en las notas de la sesión del 4 de abril de 1973 la visita de Robert Monroe y su mujer Nancy, y declara que Jane Roberts y él tienen su libro por la obra principal sobre el asunto.