Astral Projection: A Record of Out-of-the-Body Experiences

«In the spring of 1902, when I was midway between my sixteenth and seventeenth birthdays, I started a three years’ course in science and electrical engineering at the Hartley Institute» — fecha su punto de partida a los dieciséis años

«concentrating upon dreams was that I found in some of them a Beauty and Divinity which I most ardently desired but could not find on earth» — el motivo que declara para volcarse a los sueños

«I knew nothing of astral projection, nor had I the slightest inkling of the surprising turn events would take so soon» — y su ignorancia previa del asunto

«I set out in search of Beauty, and in the end I proved, at least to my own satisfaction, that I possessed an immortal soul» — cómo enuncia lo que dice haber alcanzado, acotado a su propia satisfacción

«Also it may help to settle the question as to whether my projection experiments have been made possible by some congenital psychic abnormality; but it must be remembered that, although generally dismissed as nonsense and make-believe, psychic experiences are by no means uncommon in early childhood» — Fox plantea su infancia como prueba de una posible anormalidad psíquica congénita y él mismo desactiva el argumento: las experiencias psíquicas de la niñez, dice, no son raras.

«The first of these I have named the dream of the Double. In this dream my mother and I would be sitting together in the dining-room; and nearly always it was evening, and the oil-lamp would be burning and perhaps a cozy fire blazing on the hearth. At first things seemed quite normal, but soon a strange change came over the peaceful scene. My mother would stop talking and stare fixedly at me with her beautiful, compelling eyes, and at the same time the lamplight and the firelight would grow dim, while another light—golden and coming seemingly from nowhere—filled the room» — Fox nombra la primera de sus dos pesadillas recurrentes, el sueño del Doble, y le pone como señal fija el cambio de luz: las luces del cuarto bajan y entra una luz dorada sin origen.

«Then the door would open and another mother, dressed in exactly the same way to the smallest detail, would enter and walk towards me» — la duplicación que da nombre al sueño: la segunda madre entra por la puerta vestida igual hasta el último detalle.

«It seemed to me at the time, and for many years after, that my fear found its origin in this dilemma: I was confronted with two mothers, as alike as two peas, and I could not tell which was my real mother» — la explicación que Fox se dio durante años y que en el mismo párrafo declara insuficiente, porque no le explica el pánico.

«I incline now to the view that these “double” dreams were different from the ordinary nightmare, that my body was in a deeper state of trance than is usual with normal sleep, and that some degree of separation had occurred, so that my consciousness became invaded by the terrible unreasoning fear so often associated with this trance condition» — la hipótesis que prefiere ahora, enunciada como inclinación y no como hecho: trance más hondo que el sueño normal, algún grado de separación, y el miedo irrazonado que atribuye a esa condición.

«Just once my wife was the principal character, and once I saw my own double. In the latter case I seemed to glimpse my Twin of Darkness, for I looked very old and incredibly evil; but it is interesting to note that, though shocked by the wicked appearance of my double, I did not feel afraid of it» — el único caso en que el doble fue el suyo propio, al que llama su Gemelo de Tinieblas; consigna que le chocó su aspecto y que aun así no le tuvo miedo.

«The other nightmare, which I regard as having peculiar significance, was much rarer and took many forms, though the same underlying principle was manifest in each. I have called it the fear of Extension» — Fox nombra la segunda pesadilla recurrente, el miedo a la Extensión, y aclara que lo que se repite es el principio, no la escena.

«The earliest example I can remember of this dream is an unending procession of coal-men emptying sacks of coal on to a pile which slowly grows higher and higher. Something in me seems to be linked with the mounting black column and is gradually being stretched tighter and tighter. There is a terrible sense of fate, of inevitability: the coal-men will never cease emptying their sacks, the black column will never cease mounting to the sky, and the torment in me will grow and grow until» — el ejemplo más antiguo que recuerda del sueño de Extensión: algo suyo queda ligado a la columna que crece y se estira con ella, con sensación de fatalidad.

«Suddenly he took a threepenny-bit from his pocket and held it between his finger and thumb across the table for me to see. “A little threepenny-bit!” he exclaimed, “but it will grow and grow and grow and nothing can ever stop it!” His voice grew steadily louder until it ended in a scream: “It will grow and grow and grow until it cuts the world in two!”» — el último ejemplo que recuerda, hacia los dieciocho años, con su abuelo y una moneda de tres peniques como objeto que se expande.

«The illusion was that I could not remove my hands and that the table and chair were very slowly separating and stretching me, yet at the same time I knew with one part of my mind that they were not really moving» — la variante despierto, hacia los cuatro o cinco años; Fox subraya que una parte de su mente sabía que nada se movía, y a eso atribuye que no llegara al pánico.

«I think that these Extension nightmares also were probably the result of an abnormal physical state—the body being in an unusually deep trance—and invaded by the fear peculiar to that condition. Here, too, some degree of separation of the vehicles may have taken place, the exteriorization arousing in my consciousness the idea of strain or extension. The waking Extension experiences were obviously produced by self-hypnosis» — su lectura de la Extensión, con los límites puestos por él mismo: probable, pudo haber ocurrido; solo las de vigilia las declara sin reservas producto de autohipnosis.

«This chap Fox seems to have knocked the bottom out of his projection experiments already! In early childhood he was dominated by the ideas of the Double and Extension, and all the rest follows from these two facts. His seeming out-of-the-body adventures have been purely imaginary» — la objeción psicoanalítica que Fox se pone en boca de un lector hipotético para responderla, no una cita de nadie.

«However, one has only to turn to The Mystery of the Human Double, by the Hon. Ralph Shirley, to see what a large amount of corroborative evidence has followed the publication of my article, “The Pineal Doorway”, in the Occult Review for April, 1920» — la respuesta que da: remite al libro de Ralph Shirley por el material corroborante reunido tras su artículo, que fecha en abril de 1920.

«While in my opinion the experiences narrated in this chapter are of undoubted interest for the light they throw upon my psychic constitution, I do not think they can fairly be said to invalidate the results of my research» — Fox concede que el capítulo dice algo de su constitución psíquica y niega que eso invalide lo que sigue; lo enuncia como opinión suya.

«Personally, I am disposed to look to my horoscope, to which I refer later, for the true explanation of those forces which were to manifest in my life, producing first the Double and Extension dreams and later the experiments which form the subject of this book» — dónde busca él la explicación última: en su horóscopo, presentado como inclinación personal y remitido a un tramo posterior del libro.

«Sometimes, just before falling asleep, I would see through my closed eyelids a number of small misty-blue or mauve vibrating circles. Now I should describe this structure as somewhat resembling a mass of frog’s eggs, and only just on the border line of visibility» — el fenómeno hipnagógico que describe como círculos vibrantes en el umbral de lo visible, comparados con una masa de huevos de rana.

«At first these circles would be empty, but soon a tiny grinning face, with piercing steel-blue eyes, would appear in each circle, and I would hear a chorus of mocking voices saying very rapidly, as though in tune with the vibration, “That is it, you see! That is it, you see!” Always they said the same thing, but I have never been able to trace the origin of these words or to fathom their meaning, if any» — las caras y la frase que las acompañaban, con la abstención expresa: nunca pudo rastrear el origen de esas palabras ni averiguar si significaban algo.

«The vibrating circles appeared, empty at first, and lo and behold, they became filled by little glass ink-pots! And there was no nightmare! Thereafter I performed a feat of childish magic. When the empty circles came I would give the command, “Let it be ink-stands!”» — el recurso infantil con que aprendió a desviar la pesadilla: mandar que los círculos se llenaran de tinteros antes de que aparecieran las caras.

«This queer incident forms a good illustration of the power of suggestion, but it has a deeper significance also; for in my out-of-the-body experiences I have noted on several occasions, beneath the golden glow suffusing the room, this barely visible, vibrating curtain of circular cells» — Fox enlaza el episodio infantil con lo que dice haber visto después fuera del cuerpo: la misma cortina vibrante de células circulares bajo el resplandor dorado.

«In my drowsy condition I used to watch these mounting spots as they traversed the dark space and became lost in the outer brightness, and sometimes things would suddenly “go wrong”. The light of the gas-flame grew dim and that mysterious pale-golden light from nowhere suffused the room. I would hear strange noises, crackling and snapping noises, while little shafts of blue flame, like miniature lightning, darted from the corners of the room» — Fox describe cómo miraba fijamente el mechero de gas hasta que sobrevenían el atenuarse de la luz, la luz dorada sin origen, los ruidos y los destellos azules.

«And then came the apparition: a man with a grotesquely horrible face, a wolf with eyes of fire, a lion, a huge serpent, a great black bear standing erect so that it reached the ceiling—I saw all these at different times. And I just yelled and yelled» — la lista de apariciones que dice haber visto en distintas ocasiones al cabo de esa secuencia.

«The apparition would stay quite still, glowering at me, and I could hear my mother running up the stairs in answer to my frantic SOS; but as soon as she turned the door-knob, the fearsome beast vanished and things “came right” again» — el detalle que él retiene como dato: la aparición se disipaba al girar su madre el picaporte, no antes.

«She, of course, thought that I had been dreaming, and impressed upon me that it was only a nightmare. Well, I know now that it was not» — Fox consigna la explicación de su madre y la rechaza en primera persona, sin argumentarla en esa línea.

«These experiences, which were quite rare and probably finished with by the time I was six, were undoubtedly the result of self-induced trance caused by staring at the gas-flame. Such apparitions, lights and sounds are common happenings in that trance condition which forms the prelude to a conscious projection» — la lectura que sí da: trance autoinducido por mirar la llama, y ese cuadro de apariciones, luces y ruidos como el preludio ordinario de la proyección consciente.

«There is one thing, however, which still puzzles me: I cannot understand why my shouts did not break the trance» — la pregunta que deja abierta sobre su propio caso, sin resolverla.

«It may be that my memory is unreliable in respect of the precise point at which the apparition vanished, but I do not feel that this is the explanation» — considera la salida fácil, el fallo de memoria, y la descarta por impresión propia, sin dar por cerrado el punto.

«A funny little fellow dressed in brown—rather like those garden gnomes one gets a little tired of seeing nowadays—clambered up on to my bed and smiled at me reassuringly. He pointed to a screen that stood near, and then a bright circle of light appeared which is now suggestive of a magic-lantern, although I do not think I had ever seen one at the time this happened» — el único episodio grato de la serie; Fox acota la comparación con la linterna mágica advirtiendo que entonces no creía conocer el aparato.

«The chief point of interest here is the circle of light; for in the years to come I was to see it again, though without the gnome and the farmyard scene, and other investigators have noted a similar phenomenon» — qué retiene de ese episodio: el círculo de luz, que dice haber vuelto a ver después y que atribuye también a otros investigadores, sin nombrarlos.

«Immediately I heard the most delightful sound, like a grand fanfare of celestial silver trumpets. I opened my eyes again in amazement and lay blinking in the morning light; for the night was over! It had passed in a seeming second, and after nearly fifty years this still remains the only experience I have had of this nature» — la noche que dice haber pasado en un segundo tras oír las trompetas, caso único en casi cincuenta años y que él mismo declara sin relación con la proyección.

«if only in imagination, a very gracious lady whose beauty time shall never dim. She comes across the years to greet me, and all the little golden curls that crowned her brow are radiant in the sun» — el cierre del capítulo no es una visión sino un recuerdo, y Fox lo marca como tal: la dama que ve en Finsbury Park la ve, dice, aunque sea en la imaginación.

«I suppose that I was abnormal in three ways, which I will describe very briefly in order to complete my picture of this transitional stage which links the (at the time) incomprehensible happenings of early childhood with the real start of my research» — Fox anuncia el plan del capítulo: tres anormalidades suyas que sirven de puente entre la infancia del capítulo anterior y el arranque de su investigación.

«When I was thirteen I lost my mother, and my father followed her within six months. The Finsbury Park days were over, and I went to live with my grandparents at Southampton. I was too young to realize the irreparable calamity that had befallen me; but it did at least change my attitude towards death, of which I had been rather afraid till then. Although dying might be a painful business, I felt that beyond the grave I should surely meet my mother, and that thought robbed the mysterious next world of most of its terrors and greatly stimulated my interest in the after-life» — la primera anormalidad: la orfandad a los trece años, que él pone como origen de su interés por la otra vida y no de un temor a la muerte.

«I read Light, and Stainton Moses. With the aid of a sympathetic school-friend I even dabbled in table-turning and planchette, but the results were neither convincing nor particularly edifying. I soon abandoned these experiments, but continued to read anything on Spiritualism that came my way» — sus primeras lecturas y ensayos espiritistas, con el balance que él mismo les pone: ni convincentes ni edificantes, y abandonados pronto.

«My second abnormality was almost a shameful thing, and clear proof that Fox was really mad; for I was a poet, and people who should have known better predicted a great future for me» — la segunda anormalidad, enunciada con la ironía sobre sí mismo que recorre el libro.

«I doubt now whether those early poems were altogether the work of my unaided consciousness» — la duda que le queda sobre la autoría de aquellos versos.

«Then all at once the words would seem to form in my brain and I would sense the underlying rhythm» — cómo describe el proceso de escritura, que precedía un malestar y una inquietud.

«Yes, I incline now to the view that some disembodied poet was trying to get music out of the very elementary instrument at his or her disposal. And that is why I have considered the matter worthy of mention in this record» — la hipótesis que se inclina a preferir, dicha como inclinación: un poeta desencarnado usándolo a él de instrumento; y por eso, dice, incluye el asunto.

«My third abnormality has a very direct bearing upon our subject of astral projection. Though not indifferent to the charms of Day, her dark sister Night was dearer far to me. Day’s appeal was more a surface stimulation of the five senses; but Night pierced deep and reached perhaps a sixth» — la tercera anormalidad, la única que declara ligada de modo directo a la proyección: su atracción por la noche, que asocia a un sexto sentido.

«I glanced through one popular Dream Book and promptly dismissed it as bosh, a verdict I still adhere to; for though a certain dream may have real prophetic significance for a certain person, the symbols employed vary according to the peculiar psychic make-up of the dreamer, and to attempt to standardize them in the Book-of-Fate way is absurd. There is no universal language of dreams» — Fox rechaza la clave de sueños porque los símbolos varían con la constitución psíquica de cada quien; niega que exista un lenguaje universal del sueño, y a la vez concede significado profético a algunos.

«Most of my dreams were obviously a more or less nonsensical mix-up, based on past happenings and memories of books I had read. They might be highly pleasurable and entertaining, but I did not feel that any importance could be attached to them. Here I was, of course, quite wrong; but Dr. Freud’s researches were not to become known to the general public for many years» — primera de las seis conclusiones con que cierra sus años de escuela, y en la misma línea la enmienda que le hace desde el presente: se equivocaba, y lo excusa por la fecha de Freud.

«Now and then it would happen that a dream possessed real prophetic significance, but only in connection with quite trivial matters» — segunda conclusión, acotada por él a asuntos triviales; remite el desarrollo a un artículo suyo posterior.

«When I dreamed of my mother I did not realize that she was dead, and she did not refer to her passing or tell me anything concerning her new life. Therefore I could not feel sure the dream was not based entirely upon my memories of her» — tercera conclusión, y una abstención expresa: los sueños con su madre muerta no le dan pie para descartar que fueran solo memoria.

«On rare occasions I would have what might be called an historical dream, staged on a really big, spectacular scale and seemingly set in the past. These dreams had two peculiar features: I was not an actor in them, only a spectator—as though at a vast open-air theatre; and I could never remember them in detail, retaining only a confused impression on awaking» — cuarta conclusión: el sueño histórico, con sus dos rasgos fijos, ser espectador y no recordarlo en detalle.

«At first I attributed such dreams to some dramatizing principle working on my memories of books and plays, but I wondered why I had not been cast for an actual part in the drama. Later, however, when I became acquainted with Theosophy, I favored the theory that in these dreams I had contacted the Akashic Records, or more probably their reflection in the Astral Light» — las dos explicaciones que fue dando al sueño histórico, la segunda tomada de la teosofía y presentada como teoría favorecida, con el reflejo en la Luz Astral como lectura más probable que el contacto directo.

«Though I am at heart a mystic, I am trying to write this book more from the standpoint of Psychical Research, and I shall use Theosophical terms as sparingly as possible and in no dogmatic spirit» — la posición desde la que declara escribir: místico de fondo, pero con método de investigación psíquica y terminología teosófica usada sin dogma.

«It is probable that many of my readers will be Theosophists, and that is why I have thought it better to speak of “astral” projection and not “etheric”, even though some of my experiences may perhaps be more etheric in nature, using this word in the Theosophical sense and without reference to the postulated ether of Science» — el único lugar del libro donde Fox razona el adjetivo astral, y lo hace por conveniencia de público, concediendo que parte de sus experiencias serían más bien etéricas.

«According to Theosophy the etheric double, or etheric body, is a subtle, interpenetrating extension of the physical vehicle, and through it circulates the vitalizing life force. When exteriorized, it cannot move more than a few feet from its material counterpart, to which it is attached by a silver cord, and severance of this cord means death» — la doctrina teosófica del doble etérico tal como Fox la resume, con la fuente declarada: alcance de pocos pies, cordón de plata y muerte al cortarse.

«The astral body is a much more subtle vehicle of the consciousness, and though it, too, is linked by another highly complex structure, or cord, to the physical body, it has practically unlimited freedom; for this cord appears to be of almost infinite elasticity» — la otra mitad del resumen teosófico: el cuerpo astral con cordón propio y elasticidad casi infinita.

«Now, as sometimes in my out-of-the-body adventures I have seemed to travel for many miles, it is obvious that» — el criterio con que decide entre los dos términos es la distancia recorrida, y lo enuncia con el verbo de apariencia: le pareció viajar millas.

«“astral” is the better term for me to use. Thus shall I avoid any confusion with the scientist’s “ether”, and escape the criticism of my Theosophical friends» — cierre de ese razonamiento, que continúa la línea anterior desde la plana siguiente: astral por evitar el éter de los físicos y por no pelearse con los teósofos.

«Dreams in which I was exploring what appeared to be a marvelous celestial world exhibiting the most amazing extremes of beauty and ugliness, of attraction and repulsion, of hope and despair. This world was saturated with an indescribable glamour, a seemingly divine atmosphere; so that, on waking, I felt I had been nearer to God even in a dream-hell than I was in my pleasant room lit by the morning sun» — quinta conclusión: el sueño celestial, definido por los extremos y por una atmósfera que él dice divina incluso en su versión infernal.

«And in these dreams I noted on many occasions what seemed to be the manifestation of some underlying divine law. If the shape of horror was faced boldly it would either be dissipated or actually changed into a thing of beauty, and the latter always happened when my compassion was aroused and conquered my aversion» — la regla que dice haber observado en esos sueños y que enuncia como ley divina aparente: enfrentar el horror lo disuelve, y la compasión lo transforma.

«I observed that sometimes in a nightmare, or a painful dream of the ordinary non-celestial kind, the very unpleasantness of my predicament would give rise to the thoughts: “But this can’t be real! This wouldn’t happen to me! I must be dreaming!” And then: “I’ve had enough of this. I’m going to wake up.” And I would promptly escape from the situation by, as it were, pushing the dream from me and waking. In those days I never realized the great possibilities latent in this discovery, but my curiosity was aroused to some extent. I wondered why it was only now and then one could get to know in the dream that it was a dream, and how was this knowledge acquired?» — sexta conclusión, y el germen de todo el método: saber dentro del sueño que se sueña, planteado aquí todavía como pregunta sin respuesta.

«It is interesting to note that while many people can escape from a nightmare in this way, very few know they are dreaming if the dream is pleasant or ordinary. It may be that it is the intense emotional stress which arouses the critical faculty in the consciousness, enabling it to argue from the extraordinary circumstances of the dream that they are too far removed from everyday life to be real» — Fox sitúa el reconocimiento del sueño en la angustia y no en la calma, y propone como explicación tentativa que la tensión emocional despierta la facultad crítica.

«by nature a rather conceited person, why should I affect a modesty I do not really feel?» — Fox se declara vanidoso y rechaza fingir modestia, en las mismas planas en que su prologuista estadounidense le atribuye una modestia casi excesiva.

«And it was in the early summer of this year that I had the dream which marks the real beginning of my research» — Fox fecha en el verano de 1902 el sueño que da por comienzo real de su investigación.

«I was about to enter the house when, on glancing casually at these stones, my attention became riveted by a passing strange phenomenon, so extraordinary that I could not believe my eyes—they had seemingly all changed their position in the night, and the long sides were now parallel to the curb! Then the solution flashed upon me: though this glorious summer morning seemed as real as real could be, I was dreaming!» — el detalle que lo delata es una incongruencia mínima: las losas de la banqueta cambiadas de orientación.

«With the realization of this fact, the quality of the dream changed in a manner very difficult to convey to one who has not had this experience. Instantly the vividness of life increased a hundredfold. Never had sea and sky and trees shone with such glamorous beauty; even the commonplace houses seemed alive and mystically beautiful. Never had I felt so absolutely well, so clear-brained, so divinely powerful, so inexpressibly free!» — lo que dice haber cambiado al reconocer el sueño: la vividez multiplicada por cien y una sensación de salud, lucidez, poder y libertad.

«The sensation was exquisite beyond words; but it lasted only a few moments, and I awoke. As I was to learn later, my mental control had been overwhelmed by my emotions; so the tiresome body asserted its claim and pulled me back» — por qué terminó, según la explicación que dice haber aprendido después: la emoción desbordó el control mental y el cuerpo lo jaló de vuelta.

«For though I did not realize it at the time, I think this first experience was a true projection and that I was actually functioning outside my physical vehicle» — Fox lee retrospectivamente ese primer sueño como proyección verdadera, y lo dice con verbo de creencia, no de constatación.

«Why, when all else was so normal, the position of the paving-stones should have become thus displaced in my consciousness, I cannot explain» — abstención expresa sobre el punto central de su propio relato: no sabe por qué se desplazaron las losas.

«strange astral world which forms the background to such seemingly-objective adventures out of the body, and it is very fortunate for the would-be experimenter that they do» — continúa desde la plana anterior: adjudica esas incongruencias al mundo astral y las declara la suerte del experimentador, porque son las que dan la señal.

«I have always regretted failing to notice whether the stones resumed their proper position before the dream ended» — la observación que dice no haber hecho y que lamenta, en el mismo caso que funda su método.

«Although at this time I did not know projection was possible, I was tremendously bucked by my discovery that in a dream one could acquire, by observing some incongruity or anachronism, the knowledge that one was dreaming» — el hallazgo que separa del resto: por una incongruencia o un anacronismo se puede saber, dentro del sueño, que se sueña.

«The ensuing change in the quality of the dream, and the fact that it did not end immediately, placed this discovery in a very different category from the method of escaping a nightmare mentioned in the previous chapter» — Fox distingue este hallazgo del recurso de escape de la pesadilla del capítulo anterior por dos rasgos: el cambio de calidad y que el sueño no acaba.

«Moreover, it led to this exciting question: Was it possible, by the exercise of willpower, to prolong the dream? And I pictured myself, free as air, secure in the consciousness of my true condition and the knowledge that I could always wake if danger threatened, moving like a little god through the glorious scenery of the Dream World» — la pregunta con que abre la investigación —si la voluntad puede prolongar el sueño— y la imagen con que se la figura.

«This new kind of dream I named a Dream of Knowledge; for one had in it the knowledge that one was really dreaming. Before going to sleep I must impress upon my mind the desirability of not allowing the critical faculty to slumber; it must be kept awake, ready to pounce on any inconsistency in the dream and recognize it as such» — Fox nombra el *Dream of Knowledge* y da su preparación: encargarle a la mente, antes de dormir, que la facultad crítica no se duerma.

«It sounds simple; but in practice I found it one of the most difficult things imaginable. A hundred times would I pass (as I still do) the most glaring incongruities, and then at last some discrepancy would tell me I was dreaming; and always this knowledge brought, at least to some extent, the change I have described» — la dificultad que él mismo declara, y que sigue teniendo al escribir: pasa cien veces por alto las incongruencias más gruesas.

«But I found that though I might know I was dreaming, there were degrees of realization, and the vividness or perfection of the experience was proportionate to the extent of the consciousness manifesting in the dream» — el reconocimiento no es de todo o nada: hay grados, y la calidad de la experiencia sigue a cuánta conciencia se manifiesta.

«To get the best results I had to know all about the past life of my earthly self, just as one does in waking life, to realize my body was asleep in bed, and to appreciate the extended powers at my command in this seemingly disembodied state» — qué exige el grado pleno: recordar la propia vida terrena, saber que el cuerpo está dormido y contar con las facultades ampliadas.

«In order to attain to the Dream of Knowledge we must arouse the critical faculty which seems to be to a great extent inoperative in dreams, and here, too, degrees of activity become manifest. Let us suppose, for example, that in my dream I am in a café. At a table near mine is a lady who would be very attractive—only, she has four eyes» — el ejemplo con que gradúa la facultad crítica, la dama de cuatro ojos en un café.

«My critical faculty is now fully awake and refuses to be satisfied by this explanation. I continue my train of thought, “But there never was such a freak! An adult woman with four eyes—it’s impossible. I am dreaming.”» — el cuarto y último grado del ejemplo, el único que llega al reconocimiento: la explicación tranquilizadora ya no basta.

«I have found to my surprise that some people are quite unable to grasp this idea of the Dream of Knowledge, that it is really a new level of consciousness and different from the states experienced in ordinary dreams and in waking life» — Fox sostiene que el sueño de conocimiento es un nivel de conciencia distinto del sueño común y de la vigilia, y consigna que a muchos no les entra la idea.

«They object, “But after all, it’s only a dream. How can a dream be anything else?” And their expression is eloquent of the doubt they are too polite to voice» — la objeción de sus interlocutores, que él reproduce con su gesto de duda cortés.

«Well, to resume, I found that in these Dreams of Knowledge new methods of locomotion were open to me. I could glide along the surface of the ground, passing through seemingly solid walls, etc., at a great speed, or I could levitate to a height of about one hundred feet and then glide. I shall return to these methods later on» — las formas de locomoción que dice haber encontrado: deslizarse atravesando paredes o levitar hasta unos treinta metros y deslizarse desde ahí.

«I could also do some intriguing little tricks at will, such as moving objects without visible contact, and molding the plastic matter into new forms; but in these early experiments I could stay out of my body for only a very short time» — los otros poderes que reclama —mover objetos sin contacto, moldear la materia plástica— y el límite de aquellos primeros ensayos, muy breves.

«The mental effort of prolonging the dream produced a pain in the head—dull at first, but rapidly increasing in intensity—and I knew instinctively this was a warning to me to resist no longer the call of my body» — el primero de los dos descubrimientos siguientes: un dolor de cabeza creciente que él interpreta como aviso de volver.

«In the last moments of prolonging the dream, and while I was subject to this pain, I experienced a most curious sensation, as of dual consciousness. I could feel myself standing in the dream and see the scenery» — el segundo descubrimiento, la conciencia dual, sentida mientras dura el dolor.

«As the call of the body grew stronger the dream-scenery became more faint; but by asserting my will to remain dreaming I could make the bedroom fade and the dream-scenery regain its apparent solidity» — cómo describe la disputa entre los dos escenarios: la voluntad de seguir soñando desvanece la recámara y devuelve solidez al sueño.

«And at this stage of my research a new query arose: what would happen if I disregarded the warning pain and fought it to a climax? As a matter of fact I was horribly afraid of making the experiment, but a sense of destiny urged me on. About a year after the paving-stones dream I screwed up my courage, took the risk, won the battle, and had a never-to-be-forgotten adventure» — la pregunta que sigue —qué pasa si se desoye el dolor de aviso— y su confesión de haberle tenido miedo un año antes de probar.

«A battle ensued; now my bedroom became clearly visible and the shore-scene dim; then my bedroom would become indistinct and the shore-scene brighter. My will triumphed. I lost the sense of dual consciousness. My bedroom faded altogether from my vision, and I was out on the shore, feeling indescribably free and elated» — el relato de esa prueba, con la alternancia entre recámara y playa hasta que cesa la conciencia dual.

«The pain in my forehead gradually increased, reached a maximum, and then, to my delight, suddenly ceased. As the pain vanished, something seemed to “click” in my brain. I had won the battle. My body pulled no longer, and I was free» — el desenlace: el dolor llega a un máximo y cesa, y algo hace clic en el cerebro; el clic queda como marca del cambio de estado, sin explicación aquí.

«How long elapsed I cannot say; time is a most perplexing thing in the Dream World; but presently it occurred to me that I ought to be getting back to my body» — la pérdida de la noción del tiempo, que declara rasgo del Mundo de los Sueños y no fallo suyo de memoria.

«I therefore willed to end the dream and to awake. To my great surprise nothing happened. It was as though a man actually wide awake willed to awake. It seemed to me that I could not be more awake than I was. My reason told me that the apparently solid shore and sunlit waves were not the physical land and sea; that my body was lying in bed, half a mile away at Forest View; but I could not feel the truth of this. I seemed to be completely severed from that physical body» — lo que no funcionó: querer despertar no lo despertó, y su razón le decía dónde estaba su cuerpo sin que pudiera sentirlo.

«A little later, however, when I met another man and asked him the time, he took no notice and was evidently unaware of my presence. And then I wondered if I was “dead”. Worse still, if I was in danger of suffering premature burial! What was the real time—the actual time on earth? How long had this dream lasted?» — los transeúntes que no lo perciben lo llevan a preguntarse si está muerto y si corre riesgo de que lo entierren vivo.

«I began to feel terribly lonely. This experience was quite new to me: always before I had been able to wake when I cared to will it—indeed, the trouble had been that I woke too easily. Now I was afraid, and it was difficult to keep control and not give way to panic. Desperately I willed to wake—again and again, until a climax was reached. Something seemed to snap. Again I had that queer sensation of a “click” within my brain. I was awake now—yes, but completely paralyzed! I could not open my eyes. I could not speak. I could not move a muscle» — el pánico que describe al no poder despertar, el segundo clic en el cerebro y el resultado: despierto y totalmente paralizado.

«I had a slight sense of daylight shining through my eyelids, and I could distinctly hear the clock ticking and my grandfather moving about in the adjoining room» — lo que sí percibía en ese estado, y que él toma por prueba de estar despierto: la luz por los párpados, el reloj y su abuelo en el cuarto contiguo.

«It seemed to me imperative that I should remain as calm as possible. To this end I mentally repeated the Binomial Theorem and several other mathematical formulae» — el recurso con que dice haberse mantenido en calma: repetir mentalmente el teorema del binomio y otras fórmulas.

«Then I had an inspiration: I would devote all my mental energy to raising just my little finger. I succeeded. The third and middle fingers followed. I then was able to move my whole hand—the right one. Then I managed to raise my arm above my head and to grip the bed-rail. I was still blind, and the rest of my body seemed made of iron. Willing steadily to rise, I tugged and tugged at the bed-rail. At first without success, and then quite suddenly the trance was broken» — el procedimiento con que dice haber roto la catalepsia, de menor a mayor: meñique, dedos, mano, brazo y el barandal de la cama.

«prey to deathly sickness and feared that I would faint, but I speedily recovered. It was eight o’clock, so I had to hurry to get to College in time. I felt rather unwell and very depressed for the rest of the day, though not seriously inconvenienced. About three days passed before I regained my normal health and spirits» — las secuelas que consigna, en la plana siguiente al despertar: mareo mortal, malestar y abatimiento el resto del día, y tres días hasta recuperarse.

«This was my first experience of that deep trance state in which the physical body appears to the experimenter to be in a cataleptic condition. The way in which this was overcome (by raising first the little finger, etc.) may have been an illusion, i.e. there may have been no movements of the physical body before the trance was broken— though the fact that I found myself sitting up is in favor of the physical reality of the means whereby the trance was ended» — Fox nombra el estado —trance profundo con el cuerpo en apariencia cataléptico— y pone en duda su propio método de salida: pudo ser ilusión, aunque haber despertado sentado juega a favor de que los movimientos fueran reales.

«No proof is possible one way or the other in this case, as no one but the experimenter was there to observe what actually happened» — la razón que da para no cerrar el punto, y que vale para casi todo el libro: no había más observador que él.

«For a time this fright had a sobering effect, and then the rashness of youth broke out once more; yet perhaps it was the urge of the investigator, and not the adventurous mystic in me, which made me repeat my experiment of ignoring the call of the body. Allowance must be made for my age, but I thought I had stumbled upon something really big and I wanted to confirm my results» — por qué repitió el experimento pese al susto; deja abierto si lo movió el investigador o el místico, y pide que se le descuente la edad.

«Through prolonging a dream (the details of which were not remembered) in defiance of the warning pain, I again experienced great difficulty in leaving the dream and awaking. Again I found myself in a state resembling catalepsy and had to resort to the methods already described. This time, however, when I had succeeded in raising one arm the trance was broken-I experienced slight sickness and felt the effects, fatigue and depression, for the rest of the day. An unusual feature was that all memory of the details of the dream was lost in the stress of breaking the trance» — el segundo episodio cataléptico, con un rasgo nuevo: el esfuerzo de romper el trance le borró el sueño entero.

«This experience was certainly less severe than the first recorded, but it was sufficiently unpleasant to deter me for several years from running the risk of another. I had experienced this cataleptic trance twice within a few weeks, and felt that I was “playing with fire”. I feared heart-failure, premature burial, or the possibility of becoming obsessed» — los riesgos que temía y que lo apartaron años del ensayo: fallo cardiaco, entierro prematuro y quedar obseso.

«So for many months, in my further experiments in prolonging dreams, I always took the pain in my forehead to be a direct warning to return to my body. When I felt it, I willed to break from the dream, and I had no difficulty in waking» — la regla que se impuso mientras duró el miedo: tomar el dolor frontal como aviso y despertar en cuanto aparecía.

«Catalepsy can be produced by hypnosis, and it is very probable that my symptoms were actually physical and not merely an illusion of the trance state» — se inclina a que los síntomas fueran físicos y no ilusión del trance, apoyándose en que la hipnosis produce catalepsia; lo dice como probabilidad.

«there was no need for me to have had that painful struggle to break the condition. If I had just composed my mind and dozed off again, my body would have been normal on waking. I have proved this on many occasions, and can recommend it as much the better course to pursue if any reader should find himself, perhaps quite by accident, in this state; for the mental strain and tendency to panic might react unfavorably upon a weak heart» — la recomendación práctica que da a quien caiga en ese estado por accidente: dejarse dormir otra vez en vez de forzar la salida, porque la tensión y el pánico pueden dañar un corazón débil.

«My fear of premature burial was also groundless; for as I had not received medical attention for a year or so, a post-mortem would have been necessary, and the trance would most probably have been dispelled by the surgeon’s knife before the body had suffered much damage» — el razonamiento con que desactiva su propio miedo al entierro prematuro, apoyado en que su caso habría exigido autopsia.

«There might, however, be a very serious risk of premature burial in cases where an inquest would not follow, if the cataleptic condition proved to be of exceptional severity» — y el resto de riesgo que no retira: donde no hubiera investigación forense y la catalepsia fuera muy severa.

«always at the back of my mind was the delightful thought, kept more or less a secret, that I was really different from other men. I was a sort of celestial pioneer, an explorer of the vast, unseen, transcendent realm of Spirit, and destined, it might be, to make some great discovery for the lasting benefit of mankind» — cómo se veía a sí mismo en aquellos años, dicho sin coartada: distinto de los demás y pionero celestial.

«Yet must it be recorded that this pioneer wasted his rarely-found opportunities for research very badly. It was so difficult to maintain the role of an impersonal observer in this strange Dream World, to realize that if I allowed my emotions to get the better of my mental control the dream would come to an abrupt end» — el balance que se pone: desperdició las oportunidades por no sostener el papel de observador impersonal, porque la emoción corta el sueño.

«I would enter a restaurant and order a meal, only to wake after savoring the first few mouthfuls. Indeed, to see how much one could eat, without paying attention to the taste, would form a very good exercise in mental control if only these Dreams of Knowledge were more easily come by; but, as things are, there are better ways of spending one’s time in the dream, and I do not recommend it. Similarly I would visit a theatre, but could never stay in the dream more than a few minutes after the curtain had risen, because my growing interest in the play broke down my mental control of the experience. I would encounter a fascinating lady and even talk to her for a little while, but the mere thought of a possible embrace was fatal» — los tres ejemplos con que ilustra ese fallo de control: la comida, el teatro y la mujer.

«I was very slow to learn that the motto for the projectionist should be: “I may look, but I must not get too interested—let alone touch.”» — la regla que saca de esos fracasos y que gobierna su práctica: mirar sin interesarse demasiado y sin tocar.

«A fellow student named Barrow, whose father was a Theosophist, brought the subject of Theosophy actively to my notice; but before this I had come across references to it in Light in connection with reincarnation. I read several of the elementary manuals and was much impressed by the resemblance between my “celestial dreams” and the astral plane of Theosophy» — cómo llegó a la teosofía y qué le impresionó de ella: el parecido entre sus sueños celestiales y el plano astral teosófico.

«Also, Annie Besant paid a visit to Southampton, lecturing at the Philharmonic Hall, and I soon succumbed to the charm of her oratory» — consigna la conferencia de Annie Besant en Southampton y el efecto que le hizo su oratoria.

«But though I found a wealth of new and fascinating ideas in my Theosophical studies, I could not find anything of practical use to me» — el saldo que le saca a la teosofía: muchas ideas nuevas y nada de uso práctico para su investigación.

«nor could I find any mention of this peculiar dream in which one has the knowledge of dreaming» — y el vacío que denuncia, continuando la frase desde la plana anterior: en esa literatura no encontró mención del sueño en que uno sabe que sueña.

«I rather think it was hinted that Masters and very high Adepts were able to leave their bodies at will, but no information was vouchsafed concerning their methods, nor was one encouraged to suppose that such a thing was possible for ordinary people» — lo que sí halló insinuado en esa literatura —Maestros y Adeptos capaces de salir del cuerpo— sin método y sin aliento para la gente común; lo dice con reserva sobre su propio recuerdo.

«One day Barrow said to me, “Do you believe in Astrology?” “No,” I replied, “it’s all rot. An exploded science.” “How do you know it is?” he persisted. “Have you ever read a book on it? Can you cast a horoscope?” “No, but the scientific johnnies say there’s nothing in it» — el diálogo con Barrow que lo mete en la astrología, y su propia posición inicial: que era una ciencia refutada.

«Which decided me to look into it for myself. So we made acquaintance with the works of Raphael, Zadkiel, Sepharial, and benevolent bright-eyed Alan Leo» — los autores astrológicos por los que dice haber entrado, con Alan Leo por encima del resto.

«And we found that Astrology did work, though why it should was beyond our comprehension. But when all our knowledge is relative, it is foolish to trouble over-much about the “whys”» — afirma que la astrología funcionaba y a la vez declara no entender por qué, y justifica no perseguir la causa.

«Before leaving this subject I would add, for the information of any astrological reader, that I was born at 9.10 a.m., November 30, 1885, at Southampton. My projection experiences are perhaps indicated by the double-bodied sign Sagittarius rising with the Sun therein. Also a loose triple-conjunction of Jupiter, Herschel and the Moon occupies the Ninth House—the house of religion, philosophy, science and long journeys—and the Moon in Virgo is in close trine with Neptune, planet of trance, in the Fifth» — los datos natales que ofrece y las configuraciones a las que atribuye sus experiencias; el signo doble de Sagitario y Neptuno como planeta del trance.

«On the eve of sitting for an examination in machine construction, I willed to dream of seeing the paper that would be set. I dreamed that I was taking the examination, and, knowing that I was dreaming, attempted to memorize the questions upon the paper. On awakening, I remembered two: (1) Sketch and describe some form of steam-separator. (2) Sketch a grease-box suitable for a goods-truck» — el experimento de premonición: soñar el examen y memorizar dos preguntas dentro del sueño.

«when I actually took the examination, I found both these questions upon the paper. They did not appear as complete questions by themselves, but were sections of others. The first was a likely question; but a persual of past papers (made after the dream) showed that the second question had not been asked for many years» — el resultado y el acotamiento que él mismo hace: no eran preguntas completas sino secciones, y solo la segunda era improbable según los exámenes anteriores.

«I might have brought through more details of the paper but for the fact that in a Dream of Knowledge reading is a very difficult matter. The print seems clear enough until one tries to read it; then the letters become blurred, or run together, or fade away, or change to others» — por qué no sacó más: dentro del sueño de conocimiento la letra impresa se borronea, se junta, se desvanece o cambia.

«Each line, or in some cases each word, must be held by an effort of the will until its meaning has been grasped; then it is released—on which it becomes blotted out or changed—and the next held in its turn and so on. Other people have told me that they find the same difficulty in reading dream-literature; but I have not as yet seen any really satisfactory theory to account for it» — la técnica de lectura que describe y su abstención: otros le confirman la dificultad y él no ha visto todavía una teoría satisfactoria.

«It is highly improbable that I could have repeated this success, but I did not try; for after the experiment I had an uneasy feeling that it was not quite playing the game. It was true other people were at liberty to do the same thing, but I knew it would never occur to them to make the attempt» — por qué no repitió el experimento del examen: le quedó la sensación de estar haciendo trampa, aunque concede que cualquiera podía intentarlo.

«I had been spending the evening with two friends, Slade and Elkington, and our conversation had turned to the subject of dreams. Before parting, we agreed to meet, if possible, on Southampton Common in our dreams that night. I dreamed I met Elkington on the Common as arranged, but Slade was not present. We both knew we were dreaming and commented on Slade’s absence. After which the dream ended, being of very short duration. The next day when I saw Elkington I said nothing at first of my experience, but asked him if he had dreamed. “Yes,” he replied, “I met you on the Common all right and knew I was dreaming, but old Slade didn’t turn up. We had just time to greet each other and comment on his absence, then the dream ended.”» — el experimento de la cita onírica concertada, con el relato de Elkington al día siguiente coincidiendo en la ausencia de Slade.

«On interviewing Slade we learned that he had not dreamed at all, which perhaps accounted for his inability to keep the appointment» — el cierre del caso: Slade no soñó nada, y Fox lo apunta con ironía como explicación de su falta.

«Some people have raised the objection, “Oh, well, you expected to meet your friend and so you dreamed you did. That’s all.” But if expectation is to explain the experience, then I expected to meet Elkington and Slade, while Elkington expected to meet Slade and me. How is it, then, expectation failed us both with regard to Slade? Why was he absent? How is it expectation failed to make him dream of meeting us?» — la objeción de la expectativa y la réplica que Fox le opone: la expectativa tendría que haber puesto también a Slade en la escena.

«Elkington and I were unable to repeat this small success. The whole question bristles» — reconoce que no pudieron repetirlo y que la cuestión está erizada de dificultades; la frase sigue en la plana siguiente.

«I will now give three examples from my records» — anuncia que documentará el falso despertar y la condición de trance con tres casos de sus registros.

«I passed from unremembered dreams and thought I was awake. It was still night, and my room very dark. Although it seemed to me that I was awake, I felt curiously disinclined to move. The atmosphere seemed changed, to be in a “strained” condition. I had a sense of invisible, intangible powers at work, which caused this feeling as of aerial stress. I became expectant. Certainly something was about to happen. Suddenly the room was faintly illuminated. A soft greenish glow, suggesting phosphorescence, was emanating from a glass-doored Japanese cabinet beside my bed. From this source it spread slowly and evenly, like a luminous gas—a cold, spectral light, of unvarying brightness. For a while I stayed motionless, watching it. I did not feel afraid, but I was filled with wonder» — el primer ejemplo: la atmósfera en tensión, la desgana de moverse y el resplandor verdoso que sale del gabinete japonés.

«Then, wishing to observe more closely the source of this mysterious light, I made an effort to overcome my strange disinclination to move. Instantly the light vanished and things were as usual. I was really awake now, with my head half raised from the pillow» — cómo terminó: el intento de moverse disipó la luz y lo dejó realmente despierto.

«Note: I did not know it, but I could have left my body quite easily (by the method of instantaneous projection) when in this condition, as will become apparent later on» — la nota que agrega desde el presente: en ese estado habría podido salir del cuerpo por proyección instantánea, y entonces no lo sabía.

«The glow, though real enough on its own plane, was from the physical standpoint only an illusion» — el estatuto que le da a la luz sin armonizar los dos planos: real en el suyo, ilusión desde el punto de vista físico.

«I saw that inside the bluish-white ovoid surrounding him were bands of color—deep red, rose-red, violet, blue, sea-green and pale orange. Excepting the lastmentioned, I cannot remember the order in which they were arranged; but the pale orange was centered around the head, shooting upwards from it in a widening conical ray until it reached the ceiling» — segundo ejemplo del capítulo: la aparición de Barrow dentro de un óvulo blanquiazul con bandas de color, y el naranja pálido subiendo en cono desde la cabeza.

«As I lay there (on the left side of my double-bed) watching him, I felt paralyzed—not with fear, but astonishment and admiration. He did not speak, but I felt that he was telling me mentally not to be afraid. It must be remembered that all this happened in a moment or two; then, even as I struggled to break the strange inertia possessing me and to address him, he vanished as suddenly as he had come» — la parálisis que describe, que atribuye al asombro y no al miedo, y la comunicación sin palabras.

«In the air above the foot of my bed appeared a circle of yellow light, as though projected from a magic-lantern, and in this were three figures—a man and two women—enacting a drama of the “eternal triangle” description. These figures were about three feet high; the dress was modern, and the coloring perfect; but I cannot remember what the background was like. I could not actually hear their words, but I knew mentally what was being said» — el fenómeno siguiente, un círculo de luz amarilla con tres figuras representando lo que llama el triángulo eterno; oía las palabras mentalmente, no con el oído.

«It ended for me when one woman stabbed the other. Mentally I heard the victim’s scream, and the induced shock terminated the trance. The scene vanished instantly, and I lay, really awake now, staring into the darkness» — cómo terminó: el grito mental de la víctima le produjo un choque que rompió el trance.

«Note: Barrow’s dream-experience proved disappointing. He had no recollection of having been in my room, but he did remember that he had found himself at the foot of the Forty Steps—only two minutes’ walk from my home» — el contraste con lo que recordaba Barrow, que Fox consigna sin acomodarlo: no recordaba haber estado en su cuarto, sino haberse hallado al pie de los Cuarenta Escalones.

«We had originally decided to meet (in our dreams) in the hall of the Hartley, but abandoned this idea in favor of my friend’s attempt at astral projection. In the first stage of my dream I was evidently adhering to our original plan, and I have little doubt that this was an actual projection on my part» — lo que sí reclama como proyección propia: haberse encontrado en el vestíbulo del Hartley, que era el plan original de los dos.

«From the scientific standpoint, the door ajar, Barrow’s apparition and the play may all be regarded as illusions experienced in the Trance Condition—that is, these phenomena had no existence on the physical plane of waking life. From the occult standpoint, however, Barrow’s apparition, encased in the auric egg, may have been an actual fact, as real on its plane of manifestation as any physical phenomenon is on earth» — Fox pone las dos lecturas una junto a la otra sin decidir: desde la ciencia son ilusiones de la condición de trance, desde el ocultismo un hecho tan real en su plano como cualquier fenómeno físico.

«Occultists will agree that the absence of recollection on his part does not affect the genuineness of the projection, while the presence of the well-marked aura supports this and is in opposition to the theory that I saw merely a thought-form of my own making. In those days my idea of the aura was very vague and I certainly should not have imagined him in the form in which he appeared» — el argumento ocultista que recoge a favor de la proyección: el aura marcada, que él dice no haber podido imaginar porque entonces tenía del aura una idea vaga.

«It may be remarked that Barrow was an intellectual person, probably a highly evolved soul, and that yellow is the color denoting the Manasic element—the mentality. Nevertheless, though it may be just jealousy on my part, this aura does seem to have been a bit too splendid—more what one would expect to find with an Adept» — la lectura teosófica del color —el amarillo por el elemento manásico— y la objeción que él mismo le pone: el aura le parece demasiado espléndida para Barrow.

«And now, in the interests of science, I must suggest another more probable, but rather unkind, theory: that what I saw was not Barrow’s astral vehicle, but a thought-form emanating from him; for at that time he was ahead of me in Theosophical matters and was well acquainted with pictures of the aura» — la hipótesis rival que él mismo declara más probable: no el vehículo astral de Barrow, sino una forma-pensamiento emanada de él, que conocía bien las láminas del aura.

«It must be understood, of course, that even if this theory be true it does not involve any conscious deception on his part» — el límite que le pone a esa hipótesis: aunque fuera cierta, no implicaría engaño consciente de su amigo.

«The play may have been the creation of one part of my consciousness, being objectified in the process, so that it seemed an external thing to the part observing the phenomenon. Again, it may have been an astral play, or even a fragment from the Records reflected in the Astral Light. I do not know» — las tres explicaciones que ofrece para la obra teatral, y la abstención con que las cierra: no lo sabe.

«I passed from an unremembered dream to find myself apparently awake in the darkness of my room. In a moment or two I became aware of that curious change in the atmosphere which has already been described. The thought came to me that something unusual was about to happen, but I had no idea as to the form this expected manifestation would take. Then, with startling suddenness, an ovoid of bluish-white appeared a few feet from my bed, and in it was a seemingly solid figure which I instantly recognized. The apparition was clothed in a simple white robe of intense brilliance, but no astral colors were discernible» — tercer ejemplo: la figura sólida en un óvulo blanquiazul, y el dato que él subraya, la ausencia de colores astrales.

«The face was on the lines of the orthodox representations of Christ and wondrously beautiful. I think the hair and beard were a dark shade of reddish-brown, and the eyes were a deep dark blue. The expression was orthodox too, being mild and sorrowful» — la descripción del rostro, que él marca dos veces como ortodoxo: la imagen convencional, no una revelación.

«I must admit that I was awed by this vision, and its very beauty seemed to increase the paralysis afflicting me. After some fraction of time I succeeded in overcoming this inability to move. I stretched out a hand to touch the figure, and then it immediately vanished. Not a word had been spoken. I was now awake and found my body, supported on one elbow, half-raised from the bed; my left arm was still outstretched» — cómo terminó: al estirar la mano para tocarla, la figura desapareció, y se encontró medio incorporado en la cama.

«Note: I have pleaded guilty to being rather a conceited person, but even in those days I was not conceited enough to believe this experience was really what it appeared to be» — la nota con que descarta la lectura devocional de su propia visión, y de paso repite el juicio que hace de sí mismo.

«It has been suggested to me that some Adept, who happened to pass my way, noted my entranced condition and assumed this shape in order to quicken the devotional element within me. If this be the true explanation, I cannot understand why the Adept did not choose a less conventional form» — la explicación que otros le propusieron —un Adepto tomando esa forma para avivarle la devoción— y la objeción con que la contesta.

«Much compulsory church-going and “religious instruction” had successfully nipped in the bud any interest I might have felt in Christianity. The popular conception of Christ appealed to the poet in me, but it did not stir my religious instincts—perhaps because it was too familiar. Had the form taken been Indian, or even Chinese, I should have been much more impressed and more ready to believe that this apparition was really a celestial visitor of high grade» — por qué la forma cristiana no lo convence: le habla al poeta y no al instinto religioso, y una figura india o china lo habría impresionado más.

«Taking into consideration the absence of the auric colors, which one would most certainly expect to see, I think this figure was only a thought form, though of exceptional beauty and power, emanating from some unknown source» — su conclusión sobre la visión, apoyada en la falta de colores áuricos y dejando el origen sin identificar: una forma-pensamiento de fuente desconocida.

«The house, which was my home at this period of my life, seemed to be haunted by an earth-bound spirit. Often in the night, or even in the light of early morning» — Fox declara encantada por un espíritu terrestre la casa donde vivía entonces, y sitúa los ruidos de noche o de madrugada.

«hear footsteps ascending and descending the stairs, and sometimes they had a nasty trick of stopping just outside my door—and this when I was really awake and not in the Trance Condition» — los pasos que dice haber oído en la escalera, con la aclaración que él subraya: despierto y fuera de la condición de trance.

«I funked several opportunities and then one night, when the “ghost” paused in this way, I bounded out of bed and had the door wide open in a trice. I could not see anything, and I readily admit I was more relieved than disappointed as I turned in again» — la vez que abrió la puerta de golpe y no vio nada, contada sin adorno y con el alivio confesado.

«On one occasion my grandfather and I heard these footsteps together. We were alone in the house, for our housekeeper had provided us with a cold supper and gone out to visit a friend. So we sat by the fire, reading in silence. Then we distinctly heard footsteps descending the stairs and passing along the passage to the kitchen. My grandfather looked up from his book in mild surprise. “Why, I did not know Emma had come back,” he exclaimed. “Did you? She’s early tonight.”» — el caso que él da por más probatorio: los pasos oídos por dos personas y tomados por su abuelo como la llegada de la sirvienta.

«But about twenty minutes later we regarded each other in mute astonishment as a key turned in the front door. It was Emma, and we had been alone in the house when we heard the footsteps. The back door was bolted, just as she had left it when she went out» — el remate del caso: Emma llegó veinte minutos después con su llave, y la puerta trasera seguía cerrada por dentro.

«I was able to eliminate our cat from the problem; for, as I was first down in the morning, I could confirm that he was still locked up in the kitchen. I tried balancing a button on the knob, so that the slightest audible movement would cause it to fall; but curiously enough every time I did this, even though I might hear the steps, I did not hear the knob turned and the button was still balanced in the morning. So I never solved the mystery» — los controles que dice haber puesto —el gato encerrado, el botón en equilibrio sobre la perilla— y el resultado, que deja el caso sin resolver.

«Well, Elsie viewed my experimenting with extreme disfavor. It was wicked, she felt, and God would be seriously angry with me if I persisted. Anyhow, she didn’t like it, and that was that!» — la postura de Elsie sobre los experimentos, que Fox reproduce como condena moral: eran malos y Dios se enojaría.

«Yes,” said Elsie with great emphasis, “I do! I know more than you think. I could go to you tonight if I wanted to.” Whereat I laughed rudely and immoderately; for she knew no more of occultism, theoretical or practical, than I of needlework. Elsie, small blame to her, lost her temper. “Very well,” she exclaimed, “I’ll prove it! It’s wicked, but I don’t care. I’ll come to your room tonight and you shall see me there.”» — el desafío de ella, del que sale el caso; Fox consigna que se rió y que ella se enojó.

«Then we ended our quarrel and presently I walked home—over a mile from Elsie’s —and straightway forgot her in reading for my exams. I went to bed late and very tired. Her boast had seemed so childish that I never gave it a thought» — el dato que él ofrece contra la sugestión: se fue a dormir tarde y cansado sin volver a pensar en la apuesta.

«Some time in the night, while it was still dark, I woke—but it was the False Awakening. I could hear the clock ticking and dimly see the objects in the room. I lay on the left side of my double-bed, with tingling nerves, waiting. Something was going to happen. But what? Even then I did not think of Elsie» — el estado en que ocurrió, nombrado por él: falso despertar, con el reloj audible y la expectación previa.

«Suddenly there appeared a large egg-shaped cloud of intensely brilliant bluish-white light. In the middle was Elsie, hair loose, and in her nightdress. She seemed perfectly solid as she stood by a chest of drawers near the right side of my bed. Thus she remained, regarding me with calm but sorrowful eyes, and running her fingers» — la aparición de Elsie dentro de la nube ovoide, sólida en apariencia y junto a la cómoda; la frase sigue en la plana siguiente con el escritorio.

«For what seemed to be some seconds I could not move or utter a word. Again I felt the strange paralysis which I have previously noted. Wonder and admiration filled me, but I was not afraid of her. At last I broke the spell. Rising on one elbow I called her name, and she vanished as suddenly as she had come» — la misma parálisis de los casos anteriores y el final: se disipó al llamarla por su nombre.

«I did come to you!” she greeted me. “I really did. I went to sleep, willing that I would, and all at once I was there! This morning I knew just how everything was in your room, but I’ve been forgetting all day—it’s been slipping away.”» — lo que Elsie le contó al día siguiente, incluido el desvanecerse del recuerdo a lo largo del día.

«Well, despite her impatience, I would not say a word about what I had seen until she had told me all she could remember. So, although this experience can never be absolutely convincing to her or to anyone else, it is at least to me» — el control que dice haberse impuesto —no adelantarle nada— y el límite probatorio que él mismo reconoce: el caso no puede convencer a nadie más que a él.

«Relative positions of door, bed, window, fireplace, washstand, chest of drawers and dressing-table. (2) That the window had a number of small panes instead of the more usual large ones» — los dos primeros aciertos de la lista que ella describió: la disposición del cuarto y los cristales pequeños de la ventana.

«That I was lying, eyes open, on the left side of a double-bed (I had never told her it was double) and seemed dazed. (4) An old-fashioned pin-cushion, an unusual object in a man’s room. (5) A black Japanese box covered with red raised figures» — los aciertos que él considera más difíciles de explicar: la cama doble, el alfiletero y la caja japonesa negra.

«A leather-covered desk lined with gilt, sunk plate on top for handle to fall back into, standing on the chest of drawers. She described how she was running her fingers along a projecting ridge on the front of this desk» — el detalle del escritorio, que es el que arma el caso, con el reborde saliente que ella dijo haber tocado.

«You’re wrong in just one thing,” I said later. “What you took for a ridge was a gilt line on the leather. There’s no projecting ridge anywhere.”» — la objeción que él le puso en su momento, convencido de conocer su propio escritorio.

«I took her advice. The desk was placed to front the wall, and the hinges (which I had quite forgotten) made a continuous projecting gilt ridge just as she had described. Owing to its position, she had naturally mistaken the back of the desk for the front» — la verificación, que él consigna a su costa: las bisagras hacían el reborde, y ella había tomado el respaldo del escritorio por el frente.

«Though elated by her success, she still maintained that such experiments were “wicked” and I could never persuade her to come to me again» — el desenlace personal: Elsie no cambió de juicio moral y no repitió el experimento.

«I am positive that Elsie, in the flesh, had never seen my room; for, as she never visited my home, she could not have had a peep without my knowledge, nor could she have obtained a description from any common friend. I am also quite sure that I had never told her about the pin-cushion, Japanese box and desk» — los controles que declara sobre la información previa de ella, dichos como certeza propia.

«Perhaps I had better say here that an account of this projection was published anonymously in the Weekly Tale-Teller for July 11, 1914» — la publicación previa del caso, anónima y fechada por él en 1914.

«Elsie’s statement that my eyes were open raises an interesting question: were they really open, or did they only seem so to her?» — la pregunta que le abre el testimonio de ella y que Fox no resuelve aquí: si sus ojos estaban abiertos o solo se lo parecieron.

«My physical eyes were certainly shut in my cataleptic experiences, for then I was blind, except for the light penetrating my eyelids. In the other trance happenings I have described it seemed to me that my eyes were open; but for reasons to be explained later, I now think my physical eyes were closed. They actually opened at the moment the trance was broken, so that I found myself staring into the darkness» — lo que sí da por seguro sobre sus ojos físicos, y la corrección que se hace a sí mismo: ahora piensa que estaban cerrados.

«Elsie probably saw the open eyes of my astral, or perhaps my etheric, counterpart» — la explicación que propone, con doble reserva: probablemente, y sin decidir entre lo astral y lo etérico.

«Truth to tell, though a few of my friends were sympathetic, the world refused to be impressed by my great discovery, or even to take it seriously. When I tried to get into print, one editor actually insinuated in polite-nasty fashion that mouse-like flying quadrupeds inhabited my campanile» — la recepción que dice haber tenido, con la burla de un editor contada por él mismo.

«Therefore in the years to come I had my periods of reaction and downright skepticism. After all, was there anything in my research? Might not my out-of-the-body adventures be purely subjective—just imagination or dream-stuff?» — el escepticismo propio que consigna como periódico, con la duda enunciada sin adorno.

«But always when I pondered on the Elsie projection my spirits rose. I had discovered something of great importance, but the time was not yet ripe to give it to the world. I knew—and indeed I still know—that Elsie was in my room that night in her spirit, though her body was in bed a mile away» — el papel que el caso Elsie cumple en su convicción, dicho en presente: sigue sabiendo que ella estuvo ahí en espíritu.

«Elsie had a soul or spirit, and that meant I had one, and if I really had a soul» — el primer eslabón de la cadena que arma desde el caso Elsie: si ella tenía alma, él también.

«body when I was “locked out” on the shore. And if the soul could leave the body while the latter still lived, was there not every reason to suppose man had an immortal spirit?» — el cierre de esa cadena en la plana siguiente, que enlaza el caso Elsie con su aventura de quedarse fuera del cuerpo en la playa y desemboca en la inmortalidad, planteada como pregunta.

«Perhaps no rigid proof was possible, but it made the whole thing—this question of immortality and the soul and God—so much more probable» — el límite con que cierra la inferencia: no prueba rigurosa, sino mayor probabilidad.

«In this same summer of 1905, all unwittingly, I gave Elsie quite a nasty fright. She woke on a bright morning to find me standing, fully dressed but hatless, by her bed. I looked so solid and real that she never doubted I was there in the flesh» — el caso recíproco: Elsie lo vio a él junto a su cama, sólido y vestido.

«I am sure Elsie gave me a truthful account of how things seemed to her, but she was clearly in the Trance Condition. I verified that I was asleep at the time, but I had no memory of the happening» — cómo lo adjudica: cree el relato de ella, lo atribuye a la condición de trance y consigna que él no recuerda nada.

«Sometimes after the False Awakening I had the rather frightening experience of feeling an apparently solid hand touching or gripping me. As I lay in the darkness I would satisfy myself as to the position of my own hands—that they were underneath the clothes—yet a third hand would be pressing on my forehead» — las manos que dice haber sentido tras el falso despertar, con la comprobación de dónde tenía las propias.

«One apparition of a non-human kind particularly impressed me; indeed, the intrepid pioneer gave a yell that broke the trance very effectively. My visitor resembled a conical mass of glistening snow and nearly reached the ceiling. It had no features, but two blazing blue eyes completed the picture» — la aparición no humana: una masa cónica de nieve reluciente, sin rasgos y con dos ojos azules.

«After I had got over my scare, I came to the conclusion that this strange shape was not malevolent in nature and probably had a real existence on its plane of manifestation. I now think it belonged to the Deva Kingdom, but the reader is quite welcome to consider it merely as an illusion experienced in the Trance Condition» — la adjudicación que hace de esa figura al Reino Deva, y la salida que deja abierta al lector para leerla como ilusión del trance.

«I heard also, when in this state, in addition to physical sounds, several strange noises: crackling sounds suggesting electrical phenomena; roaring and whirring» — el catálogo de ruidos que dice haber oído en ese estado, que continúa en la plana siguiente.

«Some of these sounds may have been caused by variations in blood-pressure, but I do not think that all of them can be accounted for in this way» — la explicación fisiológica que concede en parte y no acepta para todos los casos.

«By the end of my College days the results of my research can be briefly summarized as follows: (1) The Dream of Knowledge and the peculiar powers enjoyed therein. (2) Dual Consciousness. (3) The Warning Pain. (4) The Cataleptic State. (5) The False Awakening. (6) The Trance Condition and the apparitions, sounds and other phenomena associated therewith» — el balance en seis puntos con que cierra sus años de colegio, y que da los términos con que sigue trabajando el libro.

«When I planned this book, I decided to confine myself to the subject of Astral Projection and to make only passing reference, where necessary, to my investigations in other branches of occultism. It seemed desirable also to exclude all autobiographical matter that had little direct bearing on my subject» — el criterio de composición que Fox declara: solo proyección astral, con referencias de paso a lo demás y sin autobiografía que no sirva al tema.

«By the time my three years’ course was over, I had come to the conclusion that I did not like the practical dirty-overalls side of engineering, but that I was very keen on laboratory research-work. What seemed a certain job on these lines fell through at the last moment and no other was forthcoming. So, much to the sorrow of my grandfather, I packed the whole thing up and joined a tenth-rate theatrical company» — el tramo de vida que sí admite contar, para explicar la lentitud de su investigación: ingeniería abandonada y una compañía de teatro de décima.

«When I came of age I found myself with nearly £300, the remnant of a legacy which would have been quite comfortable if things like the Liberator smash had never happened. However, it seemed a fortune to me; so I abandoned the Thespian Art and promptly took unto myself a wife—perhaps the wisest thing I have ever done. There followed two unsuccessful business ventures and then I decided I would be an author. And eventually I was—of a sort—and led a delightfully lazy, but very precarious, existence as a writer of magazine stories until the cataclysm of the Great War» — el resto de ese recuento hasta la guerra: la herencia, el matrimonio, dos negocios fallidos y el oficio de cuentista.

«It is true I continued to have experiences of the Dream of Knowledge and made some projections; but I never troubled to record them, and now they have completely vanished from my mind» — lo que se perdió por no anotarlo, dicho sin atenuantes: hubo sueños de conocimiento y proyecciones de aquellos años que ya no recuerda.

«I do not know why, but the impression made on the brain by these out-of-the-body adventures is extremely fugitive. They should be noted in detail as soon as possible after the event—which is a great nuisance as it breaks the night’s rest» — la regla práctica que saca de ahí, con la causa declarada desconocida: la huella es fugaz y hay que anotar de inmediato aunque cueste el sueño.

«I have certainly not been the ideal investigator: I have been lazy and have worked only by fits and starts, pulled this way and that by conflicting ambitions and other interests» — el juicio que hace de sí mismo como investigador, sin coartada.

«Two of my early note-books have vanished and were probably destroyed in the clear-up preceding a move. I still have notes of several hundred dreams, but of these only» — el estado de sus archivos: dos cuadernos perdidos en una mudanza y varios cientos de sueños anotados; la cifra de proyecciones sigue en la plana siguiente.

«about sixty can rank as true projections. I have, however, made many more which were either never recorded or in the lost books» — la cifra con que acota ese archivo: unas sesenta proyecciones verdaderas entre los cientos de sueños anotados, más las que nunca registró.

«I find a brief note, made in August, 1906, of another apparition seen in the Trance Condition. This time it was of the lady who was shortly to become my wife. She was at Southampton, and I in West Kensington. I passed from a forgotten dream to find myself apparently awake; disinclination to move and the atmospheric changes previously described. The apparition was similar to Elsie’s and vanished on my moving, which broke the trance. No words were spoken and no astral colors were visible» — la aparición de su futura esposa en la condición de trance, que él compara con la de Elsie y donde vuelve a faltar el color áurico.

«My wife-to-be was asleep at the time, but had no memory of dreaming» — el control que hizo y su resultado negativo, que consigna sin acomodarlo: ella dormía y no recordó nada.

«Lying on the sofa in the afternoon with my eyes closed, I suddenly found that I could see the pattern on the sofa-back. This told me that I was in the Trance Condition. I then left my body, by willing myself out of it» — el caso de julio de 1908 que él da por avance mayor: ver con los ojos cerrados le indica la condición de trance, y sale del cuerpo por pura voluntad.

«and experienced an extremely sudden transition to a beautiful unknown stretch of country. There I walked for some time over wild and charming ground beneath a bright blue sky in which were fleecy sunlit clouds. All too soon my body called me back, and on my homeward flight I distinctly remember passing right through a horse and van which were standing in some unfamiliar street» — lo que describe de esa salida, incluido el atravesar un caballo y una carreta en el regreso.

«The actual appearance of the London sky at the time of making this experiment is unknown to me. I should have made a point of observing it directly the trance was over» — la verificación que no hizo y que él mismo señala como falta: no comparó el cielo del sueño con el de Londres.

«It showed that the Dream of Knowledge, which I had hitherto regarded as an indispensable preliminary to projection, was not really essential and could be dispensed with altogether» — la conclusión que da título al capítulo: el sueño de conocimiento no es indispensable para proyectarse.

«For I had not actually been to sleep, but was only in a drowsy condition, when I discovered that I could see through my closed eyes. It was as though I had an inner pair which had suddenly opened» — el fundamento de esa conclusión: no llegó a dormirse, y describe la vista interior como un segundo par de ojos que se abre.

«This meant that, when conditions were favorable, it was possible to pass into the Trance Condition without the intervening dream and that one could experiment at any time and not only on the rare occasions when the critical faculty had been kept awake in the dream» — qué habilita ese hallazgo: experimentar a cualquier hora, sin depender de que la facultad crítica despierte dentro del sueño.

«I was to find, however, that both methods were equally difficult; for, though the initial stages of the trance were easily induced, the very slightest disturbance was sufficient to break the condition before it had become sufficiently deep to allow of separation» — el límite que le pone enseguida: los dos métodos resultan igual de difíciles, porque cualquier ruido rompe el trance antes de que sea bastante hondo.

«Ridiculous as it may appear to the reader, I had never realized that the Trance Condition preceded the act of projection. Probably because of my two early cataleptic experiences, I thought the order of the phenomena was: Dream of Knowledge, Projection, False Awakening, and then the Trance Condition as the concluding phase» — el error de secuencia que confiesa: creía que la condición de trance venía al final y no antes de la proyección.

«Yes, now it seems very stupid of me; but it must be remembered that I was working quite alone and that there was no literature on the subject available in those days. It was just an inspiration which made me attempt to leave my body on this occasion, a thing I had never thought of doing in all my previous experiences of the Trance Condition, and there is no accounting for it» — cómo lo explica: trabajaba solo y sin literatura disponible, y de la ocurrencia de salir del cuerpo aquella tarde dice que no tiene explicación.

«After the sun had set, I lay down on the sofa to experiment. My eyes were closed; but presently, with my astral sight, I could see the room quite plainly and my wife sitting sewing by the fire. I also felt a numbness creeping up my legs and the old disinclination, or inability, to move. This told me I had attained the Trance Condition» — el caso de octubre de 1909, con los signos por los que reconoce el trance: vista astral, entumecimiento y desgana de moverse.

«As before, I just willed to leave my body» — la salida de octubre de 1909, hecha otra vez por pura voluntad y sin sueño previo.

«I walked along the street for a short distance and entered a grocer’s shop. This was full of customers, but no one took any notice of me. I wished to see whether I should be visible to the grocer; but my body called me back» — el experimento que se propuso en la calle —averiguar si el tendero lo vería— interrumpido por la llamada del cuerpo, con los clientes sin notarlo.

«The room seemed just as real as in waking life, but at that moment a brightly plumaged parrot flew over my head and through the wall. I then knew, from observing this illusion, that I had experienced the False Awakening and was still in the Trance Condition» — cómo detectó el falso despertar: un loro atravesando la pared le sirvió de incongruencia de control.

«To this period belongs my only experiment with chloroform. Having obtained about a teaspoonful from a medical friend, I poured a little on a cotton-wool pad and proceeded very cautiously to inhale it» — el único ensayo con cloroformo que declara, con testigos presentes y dosis mínima.

«After a few sniffs, it seemed to me that I shot up to the stars, and that a shining silver thread connected my celestial self with my physical body. Dual consciousness was very pronounced. When I spoke, it seemed to me that my words traveled down the thread and were then spoken by my physical self; but the process was simultaneous, and I could feel myself among the stars and on the sofa at one and the same time» — lo que describe de ese ensayo: el hilo de plata entre el yo celeste y el cuerpo, y la conciencia dual con las palabras bajando por el hilo.

«From this Olympian height I discoursed to my small audience; but alas, the great brain was clouded!» — cómo cuenta lo que hizo bajo el cloroformo, a su propia costa.

«and that my remarks did not constitute a valuable contribution worthy of preservation in the annals of Psychical Research. Also, after the experiment, I was for a few minutes extremely unwell» — el saldo del ensayo según lo que le refirieron los presentes, más el malestar posterior; la frase viene de la plana anterior.

«Therefore, all things considered, I cannot recommend the chloroform method of obtaining separation to the serious student» — la recomendación en negativo con que cierra el episodio del cloroformo.

«I said to my wife, “This means I am dreaming, though everything seems so real and I feel perfectly awake. Those houses could not disappear in the night, and look at all that grass!”» — el sueño de 1909: reconoce el sueño por las casas desaparecidas y se lo dice a su mujer dentro del sueño.

«Well,” I continued, “I am prepared to stand by my reason and put it to the test. I will jump out of the window, and I shall take no harm.” Ruthlessly ignoring her pleading and objecting, I opened the window and climbed out on to the sill. I then jumped, and floated gently down into the street» — la prueba que se impone dentro del sueño —saltar por la ventana— y el resultado, que flotó.

«As a matter of fact, I was very nervous about jumping; for the atmosphere inside our bedroom seemed so absolutely real that it nearly made me accept the manifest absurdity of things outside» — el miedo que confiesa antes de saltar y la razón: la realidad del cuarto casi le hace aceptar el absurdo de afuera.

«Was my dream-wife only the creation of my mind?—or was she actually my wife functioning in her astral vehicle? I do not know. As will be seen later, it is a problem I have never been able to solve» — la pregunta que deja abierta sobre la mujer del sueño y que declara sin resolver en todo el libro.

«Most unfortunately, my wife has never had any memory of dreaming on the occasions when I have seemed to encounter her either in a projection experience or in an ordinary dream» — la constancia del resultado negativo: su esposa nunca recordó haber soñado en los encuentros que él relata.

«There is a contrariness about things; for once, being probably in the trance state herself, she was frightened by seeing my etheric or astral self sitting up out of my recumbent physical form, and then of course I could not remember anything» — el caso simétrico, con la asimetría intacta: ella lo vio incorporarse en cuerpo etérico o astral y él no recordó nada.

«I have also a note of a telepathic experience. One night, after supper, I went out for a stroll and was much absorbed by the theme of a story I was then writing. I was smoking the very strong tobacco I affected in those days, and I puffed away mechanically as I pondered over my plot. Just as I was passing an advertisement hoarding in the Westminster Bridge Road I caught myself swaying and thought I should be sick. In a few minutes I mastered the situation, put away the offending pipe, and resumed my walk» — el episodio telepático: el mareo por exceso de tabaco frente a una valla publicitaria.

«When I got home I had almost forgotten the incident and was surprised to find my wife quite anxious about me. It seemed she had had a sudden mental vision, in which she saw me reeling as I passed this particular hoarding» — lo que su esposa refirió al volver él a casa: una visión mental de él tambaleándose en esa misma valla.

«I could not remember having thought of her at all, being so preoccupied with my story up to the point where I discovered I had over-smoked; nor could she remember thinking of me until the mental picture suddenly intruded on her consciousness. The trivial nature of the incident adds to the difficulty of finding a satisfactory explanation» — el rasgo que él subraya contra una explicación fácil: ninguno de los dos pensaba en el otro, y el hecho era trivial.

«Once, when I was in really grave danger, my wife sensed my perilous position and was in great distress; yet there was no mental picture, and she had not the slightest idea as to the nature of my predicament, despite the fact that she was very much in my thoughts at the time» — el caso contrario que consigna sin armonizarlo con el anterior: peligro grave, ella lo sintió sin imagen ni contenido, y él sí pensaba en ella.

«I was lying on the bed in the afternoon when I experienced the False Awakening, imagining that my wife and two friends were sitting in the room and talking. I felt too tired to take any part in this conversation and “went to sleep” again. When I next became aware of my surroundings I realized that I was in the Trance Condition and could leave my body» — el caso de julio de 1912: falso despertar con una escena imaginada, y el reconocimiento de la condición de trance al volver en sí.

«I therefore sat up (out of my body, as it were) and then leisurely got off the bed. Dual consciousness was very strong. I could feel myself lying on the bed and standing by it, my legs pressing against the coverlet, simultaneously; but though I could see all the objects in the room quite clearly, I could not see my body when I looked for it upon the bed» — la separación descrita paso a paso, con conciencia dual muy fuerte y el dato que él repite: no vio su propio cuerpo en la cama.

«Everything seemed just as real as in waking life— more so, extra vivid—and I felt indescribably well and free, my brain seeming extraordinarily alert» — cómo describe la calidad de esa salida: más real que la vigilia, con sensación de salud, libertad y lucidez.

«I left the bed and walked slowly round the room to the door, the sense of dual consciousness diminishing as I moved farther away from my body; but just as I was going to leave the room, my body pulled me back instantaneously and the trance was broken» — el detalle mecánico que consigna: la conciencia dual disminuye al alejarse del cuerpo, y el regreso fue instantáneo.

«There was no final stage of apparent catalepsy, and I experienced no unpleasant after-effects» — lo que faltó esta vez respecto de los casos cataléticos: ni catalepsia final ni secuelas.

«This record does not seem very interesting; but it marked an important advance, and its special significance lies in the gentle way in which separation was effected. It was my first experience of a non-instantaneous projection, made when in a state of self-induced trance and without the preliminary Dream of Knowledge» — por qué le da importancia a un caso que él mismo llama poco interesante: primera proyección no instantánea, desde trance autoinducido y sin sueño de conocimiento previo.

«It will be seen that these remarks also apply to other examples of non-instantaneous projection» — el alcance que le da a esa lectura: vale para sus demás proyecciones no instantáneas.

«An Instantaneous Projection is the name I have given to the kind where separation is effected by more or less forcibly ejecting the subtle vehicle from the physical body by a strong effort of will» — la definición del otro método: expulsar el vehículo sutil por un esfuerzo fuerte de voluntad.

«In these cases the apparent speed is so great that one passes through the walls of the room in a flash, and thus there is no time for the sensation of dual consciousness. Often, too, in this method, breaks in consciousness will occur, so that the experimenter may not be fully aware of his conditions, identity, etc., until he comes to rest perhaps seemingly many miles away from his body» — los dos rasgos de la proyección instantánea: no da tiempo a la conciencia dual y suele haber lagunas de conciencia.

«It will be noted that I could not see my body when I looked for it upon the bed, and this has been my general experience, yet other projectionists state they can see theirs» — Fox pone su experiencia general frente a la de otros proyectantes sin resolver la discrepancia.

«It has been suggested to me that if I am functioning in my astral body, I should be able to see only the astral counterparts of the objects in the room; and therefore to see my physical body a sort of “downward clairvoyance” would be necessary, as its astral counterpart would be no longer coincident with it» — la explicación que otros le propusieron, con el término que la nombra: haría falta una clarividencia hacia abajo para ver el cuerpo físico.

«Perhaps other people have this power and I do not possess it» — la salida más simple que también deja abierta: que otros tengan esa facultad y él no.

«But, fundamentally, different states of consciousness are the result of being able to respond to different rates of vibration; and for this reason it may be the projectionist when exteriorized lives to some extent in a world of his own, and no two experimenters will ever get precisely similar results, because they will not both respond to exactly the same range of vibrations» — su propia hipótesis sobre por qué los relatos difieren: los estados de conciencia responden a tasas de vibración distintas, y cada proyectante vive en parte en un mundo propio.

«This is true, but to a much smaller degree, even in waking life. Our physical world is by no means the same place for all of us, even though there is sufficient general agreement about the phenomena it presents to enable us to get on with the business side of things. Some people are color-blind, others tone-deaf; and if several people witness the same happening and their separate impressions are recorded, remarkable differences occur in their narratives» — el apoyo que le da a esa hipótesis desde la vigilia: daltonismo, sordera tonal y las diferencias entre testigos del mismo hecho.

«Mr. Sylvan Muldoon, in his book The Case for Astral Projection, The Aries Press, Chicago, 1936, writes as follows: “Mr. Fox maintained that while projected he never could see his physical body— although he could see his wife’s very plainly. This fact has been pointed out to me often in the past as evidence against the reality of his exteriorizations. While, as I have pointed out, I am not resorting to explanations in this present volume, there is nothing unusual about this fact whatever. There are many reasons why this could be true which in fact strengthen, rather than weaken, Mr. Fox’s account. In a subsequent» — Fox cita a Muldoon con obra, editorial y año declarados; la cita sigue en la plana siguiente.

«volume this will be fully explained.”» — el cierre de la cita de Muldoon: promete la explicación para un volumen posterior, de modo que en este no la da.

«There was, however, just one occasion on which I was able to see my body. The projection, which was of the instantaneous kind, was made in a very unusual way» — la excepción que él mismo consigna contra su regla, y que fecha y localiza.

«In the afternoon I was experimenting seated in a deckchair. Presently I got into the right Trance Condition, seeing with the astral sight though my eyes were tightly closed. I willed to ascend. Then suddenly I seemed to be wafted out of my body, turned so that I faced it, and borne upwards in a position almost horizontal. In this rapid passage upwards I saw my face as though viewed from only an inch away, strange and monstrous, yet unmistakably mine» — el caso de febrero de 1914: proyección instantánea hacia arriba en la que vio su propio rostro a una pulgada, monstruoso y suyo.

«And through the closed eyelids the eyeballs were plainly visible. They were rolled upwards, thus showing only the whites, which added to the gruesome effect» — el detalle que él retiene: vio los globos oculares a través de los párpados cerrados, vueltos hacia arriba.

«This apparition was so unexpected and ghastly that I was startled. Nevertheless I continued to will to ascend, and shot up into blackness. Then, when I was thinking of taking the next step, the trance ended. The shock had proved too much for my mental control of the situation» — cómo terminó: siguió ascendiendo hasta la negrura y el sobresalto le rompió el control mental.

«The peculiar closeness of the view-point may have rendered my face visible to me on this one occasion» — la explicación que propone para la excepción, dicha como posibilidad: la cercanía del punto de vista.

«The dearth of records is now over and I have plenty of material to select from, both of successful projections and of trance experiences which were terminated before separation was achieved. In the present chapter I have chosen eight records from this period, each of which seems to me to possess features of especial interest» — el criterio de selección del capítulo: ocho registros escogidos por él entre los que da por proyecciones y los trances interrumpidos antes de la separación.

«The reader is warned not to take my statements on the pineal gland too literally; indeed, if it please him, he is welcome to look upon the Pineal Door as purely imaginary; but, at least, this conception forms a very useful aid to a mental exercise which undoubtedly leads to a new form of consciousness—even if the projection theory is rejected» — la advertencia que Fox pone él mismo sobre su término central: la Puerta Pineal puede tomarse como enteramente imaginaria y el ejercicio mental sigue dando un estado de conciencia nuevo.

«The result I obtained is beyond all question; but my explanation of the actual process involved may be more symbolical than accurate» — cómo reparte lo que afirma y lo que no: el resultado lo da por firme, la explicación del proceso la declara acaso más simbólica que exacta.

«However, I have reason to suppose that I am not far out in my description, always remembering that things are only relatively true, and that the truth must ever elude the spoken or written word» — la reserva con que sostiene su descripción: cree no andar lejos, y a la vez tiene las verdades por relativas y por inasibles para la palabra.

«And it is quite immaterial to the success of the experiment. By employing this method the result can be obtained» — el punto que le importa: la discusión teórica no afecta al resultado práctico del método.

«In the afternoon, intending to experiment, I lay down on the bed and succeeded in getting into the Trance Condition. I then proceeded to leave my body, dual consciousness being experienced until I had passed out of the house» — el primero de los ocho registros, del otoño de 1913: trance y salida del cuerpo con conciencia dual hasta salir de la casa.

«through the closed doors); but on reaching the street I could not feel my physical body lying upon the bed» — el detalle mecánico que continúa desde la plana anterior: atravesó las puertas cerradas y en la calle dejó de sentir su cuerpo.

«I had walked on for about a hundred yards, apparently unobserved by the few people about, when I was caught up in some strong current and borne away with great velocity. I came to rest on a beautiful but unknown common. There seemed to be a school-treat going on; for there were many children, dressed in white, playing games and having tea beneath the trees. There were also some adults present —in particular I noticed one old gypsy woman. Bluish smoke rose up from the fires they had lit, and a magnificent amber sunset cast a mellow golden glow upon the peaceful scene» — la corriente que lo arrastra a un descampado desconocido, con los niños de blanco y la vieja gitana entre los presentes.

«The front door of one of these houses was half-open, so I entered, curious to see if the inhabitants would become aware of my intrusion» — el motivo declarado para entrar en la casa: averiguar si lo percibirían.

«Seeing a door ajar on the first landing, I entered and found myself in a comfortably furnished bedroom. A young lady, dressed in claret-colored velvet, was standing with her back to me, tidying her hair before a mirror. I could see that radiant amber sky through the window by the dressing-table, and the girl’s rich auburn tresses were gleaming redly in this glamorous light» — la joven de terciopelo color burdeos peinándose ante el espejo, con la misma luz ámbar por la ventana.

«I did not mind intruding upon her privacy; for she might have no existence outside of my brain, and I knew, from previous experiences, that there was small likelihood of my being visible to her» — la razón con que se justificó entonces, y que él enuncia como duda no resuelta: ella podía no existir fuera de su cerebro.

«It occurred to me that I would stand just behind her and look over her shoulder into the mirror. I wanted to see whether it would reflect my face. I stood so close to her that I was conscious of a pleasant fragrance emanating from her hair, or perhaps from the soap she had recently used. In the mirror I could see her face—a good-looking one, I think her eyes were grey—but not the faintest indication of mine was visible» — la prueba del espejo, que él plantea como experimento: se vio el rostro de ella y ninguno suyo.

«And I laid a hand upon her shoulder. I distinctly felt the softness of her velvet dress, and then she gave a violent start—so violent that I in my turn was startled too» — la segunda prueba, por el tacto: sintió el terciopelo y ella se sobresaltó.

«Instantly my body drew me back and I was awake, my condition being immediately normal—no duration of trance, or cataleptic sensations. No bad after-effects» — el regreso inmediato tras ese sobresalto, sin trance residual ni secuelas.

«western sky was blue when I lay down; but on breaking the trance I saw that it was actually the same glorious amber color it had been in my out-of-the-body experience» — el único cotejo con el mundo físico que hizo en ese caso, y que continúa desde la plana anterior: el cielo del poniente había cambiado al mismo ámbar que vio fuera del cuerpo.

«Unfortunately, I omitted the date of this experiment, though I wrote the account immediately afterwards» — la falla de registro que él mismo declara: escribió el relato en el acto y omitió la fecha.

«From the point of view that to prolong the experience should be the first consideration, touching the lady was certainly a mistake. I have often found that, though I may be invisible to the people I encounter in my dream-traveling, they respond readily to touch. If the shock produced is great enough to affect me, then my body calls me back—probably through repercussion» — la regla que saca del caso: la gente responde al tacto aunque no lo vea, y el sobresalto ajeno lo devuelve al cuerpo, quizá por repercusión.

«Note: Projection is at present in its infancy; but if in the future it should become a fairly common accomplishment, this question of one’s right to intrude, even in an unseen body, upon the privacy of another person will have to receive serious consideration. I think such an intrusion as mine, deliberately made, is really indefensible conduct for any person who has become convinced that projection is a truth» — el juicio moral que se hace sobre su propia intrusión, condicionado a que la proyección sea verdadera.

«However, owing to the strong astral currents and the fact that most often one has little or no control over the out-of-the-body experience, it seems to me that accidental intrusions are unavoidable» — el límite que le pone a esa norma: sin control sobre el viaje, las intrusiones accidentales son inevitables.

«This much is clear: unless we are quite sure that a friend would not be frightened, or object to receiving an astral visit, we should not attempt to reach another person without his consent. Once permission had been obtained, it would be better for evidential reasons not to acquaint the percipient with the time of the proposed visit, but to place a written statement, enclosed in a sealed envelope, in the hands of a third party before making the experiment» — el protocolo que propone: consentimiento previo, y para valor probatorio, no avisar la hora y dejar una declaración sellada con un tercero.

«I was walking through some side-streets in a place that might have been a hitherto unexplored portion of the vast dream-London, and I knew that I was dreaming. No one was abroad but me, though it was bright daylight, the cloudless sky being a delightful pale azure» — el registro del 14 de diciembre de 1913, situado en lo que llama la vasta Londres onírica y reconocido como sueño desde dentro.

«So I emerged into a mighty square, and there before me towered a colossal building—a miracle of bulk and architectural beauty. Roughly it was Gothic in design, a mass of lacework and carven detail, with innumerable pointed windows and countless niches holding statues. The whole glowed with an indescribable mellowness, compounded of a thousand subtle shades and tints, in the wonderful brilliance and purity of the dream-light» — la descripción del edificio colosal, gótico y desmesurado, que ocupa el centro del registro.

«This building was not only a thing of brick and stone; it seemed to be a living thing, to have an eternal soul; and for me it» — cómo lo califica: no solo ladrillo y piedra, sino algo vivo y con alma eterna; la frase sigue en la plana siguiente.

«had all the high, intensely spiritual appeal of a lovely woman. That building alone might have inspired a novel, which one could call “The Pinnacled Glory”— borrowing from Browning’s Abt Vogler» — el remate de esa descripción, con el título que dice que habría tomado de Browning.

«As I greatly wished to reach the summit of this beautiful building, I decided to levitate and made the slight paddling motions, which I have hitherto found necessary, at the same time leaning backwards as though about to float on water» — la técnica de levitación que describe: movimientos de remo y el cuerpo echado hacia atrás como para flotar.

«At first I rose slowly, then I seemed to be caught in some strong current and was borne up with great velocity in a slanting direction. I remember passing close to the face of the statue—a monstrous, weather-beaten, ghastly thing, which had the appearance of having been eaten away by some loathsome disease, the crumbling nostrils making the nose grotesquely pointed—and the little images in the niches grew suddenly large as I swept up and up. Then, when it seemed that I in my diagonal course must penetrate the building, my body called me back and I awoke» — cómo la corriente astral se apodera del ascenso y lo lleva en diagonal hasta que el cuerpo lo reclama.

«Note: Unlike the Bletchingden Bay adventure, in which I seemed to be earthbound, the above experience was located on some level of the astral plane» — la distinción que hace entre sus dos clases de experiencia: aquella parecía terrestre y esta la sitúa en el plano astral.

«In the course of my various explorations of this place I have found that the astral counterpart (if such it be) of a city appears much larger than the earthly one; for in addition to its present structures and features are to be found buildings, monuments, etc., which have no present existence on the earth» — la observación que generaliza, con reserva sobre el término mismo: la contraparte astral de una ciudad se ve mayor que la terrestre.

«Some of these may have existed in the past; and others I suspect to be very powerful thought-forms—or perhaps the astral foreshadowings of earthly buildings yet to come» — las tres explicaciones que ofrece para esos edificios, todas en potencial: pasado, formas-pensamiento poderosas o anticipos de lo por venir.

«To the uninitiated this will sound very nonsensical; but consider it this way—every enterprise has its horoscope, the key to the occult forces behind its inception. If you can become connected up with the psychic trail of the forces governing the Xtown Technical College, you may get a vision of the new buildings to be occupied by that institution in 1960—which is what a psychometrist actually does» — el argumento con que lo apoya: cada empresa tiene su horóscopo, y conectarse con esa huella psíquica es lo que hace un psicómetra.

«Was it not written long ago that Past, Present, and Future are in truth but one? Well, the astral plane is an infinite network of psychic trails, and Xtown, as a whole, also has its horoscope» — la máxima que invoca sin dar fuente y la extensión de la idea del horóscopo a la ciudad entera.

«To the astral explorer, then, Xtown will seem at once both familiar and strange, a curious blend of known and unknown, of old-style and new or ultra-new; and the general effect will be that» — el efecto que describe para el explorador astral, mezcla de conocido y desconocido; la frase sigue en la plana siguiente.

«the astral Xtown is much larger than the earthly one. And as far as my experiences go, the investigator, who makes his nth trip to the astral Xtown, will still find the same features (non-existent on earth) that puzzled him on his first adventure» — el cierre de esa observación y el dato que le da consistencia según él: los mismos rasgos inexistentes en la tierra reaparecen viaje tras viaje.

«At 9 a.m. I lay down on my bed to experiment in dream-traveling. Events happened as follows: (1) I fell asleep and dreamed that I awoke; this False Awakening being followed by my actually waking» — el registro del 9 de julio de 1914, con la secuencia numerada por él y el falso despertar como primer paso.

«I dozed off again, and this time I succeeded in getting into the right state of trance, and I was perfectly conscious of my condition. I then left my body (but could not see it on the bed) and crossed the room to the door. Dual consciousness very strong: I could feel myself lying on the bed and standing by the door at one and the same time» — la salida siguiente, con conciencia dual muy fuerte y sin poder ver su cuerpo en la cama.

«passed into the hall, then opened the front door and closed it; but of course it was not the real physical door that I opened. At this point the dual consciousness ceased and I could no longer feel my body upon the bed» — el detalle que le importa: la puerta que abrió no era la física, y ahí cesó la conciencia dual. El troceo imprime aquí un 1 por I al inicio de la frase, y la cita arranca después.

«Intending to pay an astral visit to some friends close by, I walked for about a hundred yards up Foundry Lane towards Shirley Avenue. I passed a girl who did not see me. However, before I could reach the Avenue, I was caught up by some force and borne away with immense velocity, finally coming to rest in a strange town» — la visita que se proponía y la corriente que se lo llevó a otra parte, contra su intención.

«Unseen, I passed along a busy street, observing with interest the unfamiliar buildings and the heedless people. In particular, I remember one front garden, where a miniature wind-vane worked a curious little dancing Punchinello. I crossed a very grimy railway bridge. Green locomotives were shining in the brilliant sunlight; and I noticed how beautiful were the clouds of condensing steam from the funnels, pearly clouds against the azure sky» — los detalles concretos que registra de esa ciudad desconocida, entre ellos el veleta con el polichinela y las locomotoras verdes.

«So I walked for about a quarter of a mile, then I began to feel my feet grow heavy. Heavier and heavier they became. My body was tugging hard—that body lying on the bed perhaps many miles away. At last I could withstand the call no longer. It was as though a mighty cord of stretched elastic, connecting my two bodies, had suddenly come into existence and overpowered me. I shot backwards at an amazing speed, entering my body so violently that the trance was instantly broken» — cómo describe la llamada del cuerpo: los pies pesados y luego un cordón elástico tenso que lo dispara de vuelta.

«I then decided that I would make my first attempt at “skrying” or “rising through the planes”. I stood erect, arms to my sides, and concentrating all my willpower in one supreme effort, I willed to ascend» — el primer intento de lo que llama *skrying* o ascenso por los planos, hecho por concentración de la voluntad.

«The effect was truly surprising. Instantly the earth fell from my feet—that was how it seemed to me, because of the suddenness and speed of my ascent. I looked down on my home, now no bigger than a matchbox; the streets were now only thick lines separating the houses» — cómo describe el arranque del ascenso: la tierra cayendo bajo los pies y su casa reducida al tamaño de una caja de cerillos.

«I noted that I was traveling in a slanting direction. I rectified this by an effort of the will and continued to ascend straight up. Soon the earth was hidden by white clouds» — el control que dice haber ejercido sobre la trayectoria, corrigiéndola con la voluntad.

«My consciousness was perfect, except for one thing—I lost my sense of time. I might have been out of my body for hours, or even a day—I could not tell. Thoughts of premature burial haunted me» — el único fallo que reconoce en ese estado, la pérdida del tiempo, y el miedo que le vuelve: el entierro prematuro.

«This loneliness was dreadful; only those who have had a similar experience can realize what I felt» — la soledad como rasgo central del ascenso, que él declara incomunicable.

«Now I saw a most awe-inspiring phenomenon: from a point on the zenith emerged» — el fenómeno con que topa en lo alto, que él llama sobrecogedor y describe como círculos concéntricos saliendo del cenit en ondas.

«At this sight I got really frightened, but I did not lose my self-control. Realizing that I had nearly reached the limit to my powers of endurance, I willed to descend» — el límite en que se detuvo, declarado por él como agotamiento de su resistencia y no como término del camino.

«Instantly the process was reversed; the sky grew blue again; earth came into sight through the fleecy veil of clouds and rose up to meet my feet. I passed again into the house and gently entered my body» — el descenso, que dice haber sido inmediato y simétrico al ascenso.

«I then experienced a touch of catalepsy and had the illusion that my wife was embracing me, trying desperately to bring me back to life. Actually she was not in the house» — la ilusión de la vuelta y el desmentido que él mismo le pone: su esposa no estaba en la casa.

«It was noon; so the whole experiment had lasted three hours. I felt no sickness or bad aftereffects. Indeed, I had an unusual sense of physical freshness and spiritual exaltation which lasted for the rest of the day» — la duración medida por el reloj y el estado en que quedó, que aquí es de frescura y exaltación y no de agotamiento.

«Actually the sun was shining brilliantly throughout my experiment, and so it was in my experiences outside of my body» — el cotejo con el mundo físico que sí hizo esta vez: el sol brillaba igual dentro y fuera.

«Note: The traveling upwards, or skrying, must not be confused with the clumsy attempts at levitation made by me in some dreams in which I have had the knowledge» — la distinción que traza entre el *skrying* y la levitación onírica; la frase sigue en la plana siguiente.

«In these latter, levitation was effected by beating down or paddling motions of the hands and arms, the body leaning backwards at an angle as though about to float on water. In these cases the apparent height reached was only about fifty to one hundred feet, and then the pull of my physical body, or some force similar to gravitation, would make me descend» — la mecánica y el techo de la levitación onírica: entre quince y treinta metros, y luego algo parecido a la gravedad lo baja.

«Indeed, I think that the real motive power is in the will alone and that the motions of the hands, arms and legs, are only aids to concentration and may therefore be dispensed with if one’s condition is fully realized» — su hipótesis sobre el movimiento: la fuerza está en la voluntad, y los gestos de brazos y piernas son solo apoyos de concentración.

«Skrying, however, is accomplished by a supreme effort of the will alone, and the results obtained are very different» — lo que separa al *skrying* de lo anterior: solo voluntad, y resultados de otro orden.

«While attempts at dream-levitation are quite harmless, true skrying—such as that accomplished by me in the above experiment—is, I believe, a very dangerous proceeding and not to be lightly or frivolously undertaken» — la advertencia de peligro que pone sobre el *skrying*, marcada como creencia suya.

«Skrying is like gliding, but in a vertical direction. There is no downward pull analogous to gravity, but only the call of the body. It is done by a purely mental effort, the arms being quite passive, and it is characterized by an enormous velocity of ascent» — la definición operativa que da: deslizarse en vertical, sin gravedad y con los brazos pasivos.

«I have been told that by using this method it is possible to travel to other planets; but that it is extremely dangerous for a student who is not under the guidance of an Adept» — lo que dice haber oído de otros, sin hacerlo suyo: que por esa vía se llega a otros planetas, y que sin guía de un Adepto es peligrosísimo.

«In skrying I have advanced no further than I did in this first experience. I tell myself that a married man must exercise some prudence in pursuing these investigations, but, really, I am afraid» — hasta dónde llegó y por qué no siguió, dicho sin adorno: tiene miedo.

«Other projectionists state that they can see this elastic cord, which connects the exteriorized vehicle with the physical body, and even describe it in some detail. I have struggled against the pull of it often enough, but I have never been able to see it —if we exclude the chloroform episode» — la discrepancia que consigna sin resolver: otros ven el cordón elástico y él nunca lo vio, salvo acaso bajo cloroformo.

«It is interesting to note that when the trance is terminated involuntarily, and therefore suddenly, the effect is that one is drawn backwards to the physical body, but the speed is so great that the return seems almost instantaneous» — cómo describe el regreso forzado: hacia atrás y a velocidad tal que parece instantáneo.

«On attempting to leave my body, I experienced very peculiar and rather terrifying preliminary sensations—like a great outrush or uprush of all my being» — el registro del 13 de junio de 1915, con las sensaciones preliminares que después adjudicará a la Puerta Pineal.

«Then I was caught up and borne away to what seemed to be a large oriental palace. A beautiful girl was dancing before an assembly of reclining, richly garbed men and women. No one could see me. I stood before the dancer and looked into her sky-blue eyes, but she took no notice» — el palacio oriental y la bailarina, con el rasgo constante de que nadie lo ve.

«Foolishly succumbing to her fascination, I placed my arm around her bare, warm waist. She started so violently that the shock induced in me broke the trance. Instantly I rushed back to my body and awoke. Thus, through gratifying the senses, my experiment came to an untimely end» — cómo terminó y el juicio que se pone: por ceder a los sentidos, contra su propia regla de mirar sin tocar.

«Note: This record is of especial interest, for it marks my first conscious experience of a Pineal Door projection» — el valor que le da al registro: su primera experiencia consciente de proyección por la Puerta Pineal.

«Until one has become accustomed to it, the actual process of passing through the “Door” in the pineal gland produces an effect of extreme mental confusion and a terrible fear. Indeed, one feels that one is heading straight for death or insanity» — la primera de las cuatro razones que da para que el proceso no se capte de golpe: confusión mental extrema y terror de muerte o locura.

«In addition to this the sounds peculiar to the Trance Condition (see Chapter V) distract one’s attention and increase the general confusion» — segunda razón: los ruidos propios de la condición de trance distraen y confunden.

«Breaks in consciousness occur, so that such things as the cerebral “clicks” (see Chapter III) will often be missed» — tercera razón: las lagunas de conciencia hacen perder detalles como los clics cerebrales.

«After the return to the body, one is dependent upon the physical brain for the memories retained of the whole experience, and the impressions often become blurred, or wiped out by others, or fail altogether to register on the brain substance— especially if the return be abrupt» — cuarta razón, que es también su límite general de evidencia: el recuerdo depende del cerebro físico y se borra, sobre todo si el regreso es brusco.

«Before dawn I experimented in astral projection. I obtained separation—i.e. left my body—six times. During the whole experiment my trance remained unbroken. Each time I returned to my body I strengthened the trance by willpower» — el registro del 28 de junio de 1915: seis separaciones con el trance sostenido y reforzado a voluntad entre una y otra.

«deeper and deeper, my body becoming seemingly as rigid as a corpse» — a qué llevó ese refuerzo, continuando desde la plana anterior: el cuerpo tan rígido como un cadáver.

«Finally I broke the trance myself, because I was not sure how much time had been occupied in my journeys, and I feared it might prove dangerous to delay my return any longer» — por qué lo cortó: no sabía cuánto tiempo llevaba y temió el riesgo de alargarlo.

«I could have written a fairly long account of them, had I made notes immediately on breaking the trance; but when I dressed, several hours later, and after two or three ordinary dreams, most of the details of my travels had slipped away» — la pérdida de material que él mismo declara por no anotar en el acto.

«Left my body and stood by the bed, watching what might have been my wife’s astral vehicle or some spirit or elemental impersonating her» — la primera salida, con la adjudicación dejada abierta entre el vehículo astral de su esposa y un espíritu o elemental haciéndose pasar por ella.

«Left my body and passed out of the house. Sudden transition to a strange town or city. Night, and the streets crowded. Moved about unseen by the people. I rode for some distance on a tram, but the conductor did not see me. Read a recruiting poster in English» — la cuarta salida, con el detalle del cartel de reclutamiento en inglés que después usará para fechar el episodio como astral.

«Sudden transition to an oriental city. Bright day. Crowds of natives, who looked like Indians, and some Europeans. Street bazaars and shining white oriental buildings. In the distance I could see a curious fountain: a huge, kneeling elephant, sculptured in black stone» — la quinta salida, a una ciudad oriental con bazares y el elefante de piedra negra que hace de fuente.

«Awake at last, I got out of bed and looked at the moon. It was just as I had seen it when out of my body a few minutes earlier» — el cotejo físico de ese registro: la luna estaba como la había visto fuera del cuerpo.

«The initial trance experiences and the final return to waking life were slightly unpleasant; but, when separation had been attained, the results were highly pleasurable by reason of the delightful feeling of perfect freedom, health and clarity of perception» — el balance de sensaciones: molesto al entrar y al salir, gozoso en medio por la libertad, la salud y la claridad.

«Note: This record is given as it was written in 1915. After this length of time I cannot remember how the first separation was effected, but it was most certainly a gentle one. Probably I was unconscious during the passing of the Pineal Door and found myself in that state where separation was only a matter of sitting up out of my physical body» — la nota tardía que declara la limitación del registro y reconstruye en potencial cómo debió de ser la primera separación.

«Owing to obvious time discrepancies—for I was experimenting in the early hours of the morning, between 2 and 3 a.m.—episode (4) must have been astral in nature, as it seemed to be in England; but the others may have had an earthly location» — el razonamiento con que adjudica un episodio al plano astral por la hora, y deja los otros en duda.

«People who cannot forget or forgive poor Raymond’s cigar will get very cross with me when I say that there are electric trams on the astral plane; but there are—unless there is no astral plane, and my trams run only in my brain» — la afirmación con que cierra el capítulo, con la alternativa incluida por él mismo: hay tranvías eléctricos en el plano astral, o no hay plano astral y los tranvías están en su cerebro.

«Last night in a dream in which my wife figured, I got to know that I was dreaming through the unexpected appearance of a large model battleship which was propelled through the streets by men walking inside it» — el registro del 15 de diciembre de 1915: la incongruencia que le da la señal es un acorazado de juguete movido por hombres que caminan dentro.

«As we stood at the foot of this path it suddenly rose up before us and became a roadway of golden light stretching from earth to zenith» — el camino amarillo que se levanta y se vuelve calzada de luz dorada de la tierra al cenit.

«Now in this amber-tinted shining haze there appeared countless colored forms of men and beasts, representing man’s upward evolution through different stages of civilization» — lo que ve en esa luz: formas de hombres y bestias que él lee como la evolución ascendente del hombre.

«These forms faded away; the pathway lost its golden tint and became a mass of vibrating circles or globules (like frog’s eggs), a purplish-blue in color. These in their turn changed to “peacock’s eyes”; and then suddenly there came a culminating vision of a gigantic peacock, whose outspread tail filled the heavens» — la serie de transformaciones hasta el pavo real gigante, con los círculos vibrantes en medio, los mismos de su infancia.

«I exclaimed to my wife, “The Vision of the Universal Peacock!” Moved by the» — el nombre que le da a la visión dentro del propio sueño; la frase sigue en la plana siguiente.

«splendor of the sight, I recited in a loud voice a mantra. Then the dream ended» — cómo reaccionó ante la visión, según él mismo: recitando un mantra en voz alta.

«On passing from this Dream of Knowledge, I experienced the False Awakening. Later I found myself in the Trance Condition and proceeded to experiment. I obtained separation and left my body. I then saw my wife’s astral vehicle (which was much altered), or an impersonation of her, seated in a chair» — la secuencia completa de esa noche, con el vehículo astral de su esposa —o una suplantación— como interlocutor.

«We talked for a while about astrology and the Isis worship of Ancient Egypt. Presently I was torn by what seemed to be cross currents of occult forces» — de qué dice haber conversado en ese estado y qué lo interrumpió: corrientes cruzadas de fuerzas ocultas.

«I also had the illusion that my wife (in her physical body) was anxious about me and that I was actually speaking to her, explaining my condition. When I broke the trance I found her still asleep; but I cannot tell if I had really spoken» — la ilusión de haberle hablado a su esposa despierta, y la abstención con que la cierra: no puede saber si habló de veras.

«Unfortunately, my wife had no memory of the dream or of our astral meeting and conversation» — el resultado negativo del control, consignado sin acomodarlo.

«On this occasion I experimented with a definite object, to visit Mrs. X at her house in Lumsden Avenue, Southampton. On retiring for the night, I lay on my right side, keeping as still as possible and taking deep rhythmic breaths. I did not concentrate on Mrs. X., but on the preliminary stages of the experiment, as I wanted to pass into the Trance Condition without losing consciousness even for a moment» — el registro del 6 de febrero de 1916, con un objetivo declarado y la decisión de no concentrarse en él sino en las fases previas.

«On retiring for the night, I lay on my right side, keeping as still as possible and taking deep rhythmic breaths» — la postura y la respiración con que abre el procedimiento.

«After the breathing had continued for some time, I noted a curious sensation in my physical eyes, as though they were rolled upwards and squinting slightly. At the same time all my consciousness seemed to be focused upon some point situated in the middle of my brain, perhaps in the region of the pineal gland» — el primer signo que registra: los ojos físicos vueltos hacia arriba y la conciencia concentrada en un punto medio del cerebro, que sitúa con reserva en la glándula pineal.

«It occurred to me that I was “concentrating inwardly,” as some occult students term it. For some time I continued this concentration, and more and more it seemed to me that all my incorporeal self was being condensed about this central point within my physical brain» — el término que toma de otros, con la fuente declarada como estudiantes de lo oculto, y la sensación de condensarse en ese punto.

«Soon I began to feel a numbness stealing over my body, extending from the feet upwards and gradually stiffening into a painful rigidity. I now seemed to be in a state resembling catalepsy, even my jaws being bound together, as though the muscles had changed into iron clamps» — la fase corporal del procedimiento: entumecimiento ascendente y rigidez dolorosa parecida a la catalepsia.

«I was still in darkness, my physical eyes being tightly closed and rolled upwards; but now I had the sensation of possessing another pair, and these non-physical or astral eyes I opened» — el paso siguiente, con el par de ojos no físicos que dice haber abierto.

«passed from waking life into the proper trance condition without any break in my consciousness» — lo que este registro tiene de particular para él, y que continúa desde la plana anterior: pasó de la vigilia al trance sin corte de conciencia.

«I then caught sight of a hideous monster—a vague, white, filmy, formless thing, spreading out in queer patches and snake-like protuberances. It had two enormous round eyes, like globes filled with pale blue fire, each about six or seven inches in diameter» — el monstruo que ve al abrir los ojos astrales, descrito sin forma definida y con dos ojos enormes de fuego azul.

«I was certainly very frightened. I felt my physical heart leap, and my breathing changed suddenly to jerky gaspings» — el efecto físico del susto, que él registra como dato: el corazón y la respiración.

«However, my reason conquered my fear. I turned over again within my physical body, so that the monster was out of sight. Telling myself that nothing could harm me, I concentrated my will on prolonging the trance, which the shock had very nearly broken. In this I was successful. My heart became normal again, and my breathing rhythmic» — cómo dice haber recuperado el trance: girando dentro del cuerpo para perder de vista al monstruo y sosteniendo la voluntad.

«I then sat up in my astral body, thus raising myself out of the recumbent physical, swung my legs over the side of the bed and finally stood up, having effected complete separation. Dual consciousness was most pronounced, I could distinctly feel myself lying on the bed and standing on the floor at the same time» — la separación completa descrita paso a paso, con la conciencia dual en su forma más marcada.

«However, I could not see my body on the bed, perhaps because its astral counterpart had been withdrawn with me—but this is only theory» — la explicación que ofrece de no ver su cuerpo y que él mismo degrada a teoría en la misma frase.

«My wife’s form was plainly visible. I bent over and kissed her, and she opened her eyes, regarding me sleepily» — lo que dice haber hecho antes de salir, con la reacción de ella dentro de la experiencia.

«Passing through both room door and front door, I stood outside the house and paused while I concentrated all my willpower upon the idea of traveling to Mrs. X. At this point I had a brief glimpse of a barely visible curtain of vibrating circular objects —resembling frog’s eggs. I think they were a misty blue or purple in color, but they were just on the border of visibility» — el método de traslado —concentrar la voluntad en la idea del destino— y la cortina de círculos vibrantes en el umbral de lo visible.

«I had now lost the sensation of dual consciousness. All of me seemed to be outside the house. My reason told me that my physical body was lying on the bed beside my wife, but I no longer felt it there» — la distinción que traza entre lo que su razón sabía y lo que sentía.

«Almost immediately I was caught up and borne along with ever-increasing velocity, passing through houses and trees, and apparently taking the shortest path to the desired goal. At the end of this journey, which occupied only a second or so, if that, I found myself beating against the fronts of houses resembling those in Lumsden Avenue. I was like a piece of paper blown by a gale hither and thither. The directing impulse seemed to have suddenly given out, and I could not find the right house» — el viaje y su fracaso: llegó a fachadas parecidas a las de la calle correcta y no dio con la casa.

«I concentrated for a while on strengthening the trance, as I intended to try again. Just as I was about to leave my body, I heard my wife say with peculiar distinctness: “No! You must not do it again now, or I shall be frightened.”» — la voz que oyó al querer repetir la salida, atribuida a su esposa.

«I thought her voice was probably only an illusion and so hesitated. Then she spoke again: “Wake up, dear!” I still thought the voice was most likely unreal in the physical sense; but not wishing to run any risk of distressing her, I obeyed. I broke the trance quite easily and questioned her. She had not spoken and had no recollection of seeing me leave my body» — cómo trató esa voz —probablemente ilusión— y el control posterior, que salió negativo.

«Note: This was the first time I had succeeded in passing from the waking state into the Trance Condition without experiencing a break in consciousness. I was thus able to observe the successive stages involved, which makes this experiment of particular value» — por qué da ese registro por especialmente valioso: pudo observar las fases sucesivas sin perder la conciencia.

«Nevertheless, once the trance state had been reached, despite the apparent continuity of the experience, I think there must have been some break in my consciousness if only for a minute fraction of time. For the leisurely and easy manner in which separation was effected points to this having been a true Pineal Door projection, yet I had no memory of actually passing through this hypothetical door or of hearing the “click” as it shut behind me» — la objeción que él mismo se pone contra esa continuidad: la salida suave apunta a una proyección por la Puerta Pineal, y de esa puerta hipotética no tiene memoria.

«It should be mentioned that at this date I was unaware of the precise position of Mrs. X’s house, though I knew the locality roughly, and I had not seen her» — el control sobre su información previa: no conocía la casa ni la había visitado.

«On visiting Mrs. X for the first time, I recognized the houses above and below hers as similar to those against which I had found myself beating in my experiment, but hers was of a different design» — el cotejo posterior, que él consigna con el acierto y el fallo juntos: reconoció las casas vecinas y no la de ella.

«Finally, it should be noted that my wife, functioning in her astral vehicle, might have seen me leave my body and also have spoken to me and yet have retained no memory (registered on her physical brain) when suddenly awakened by my voice questioning her» — la explicación que ofrece para el control negativo, y que deja como posibilidad: el despertar brusco borra el recuerdo.

«The “monster” may have been some form of elemental or non-human entity» — la adjudicación tentativa que hace del monstruo, en la plana siguiente y sin cerrarla.

«Another incident connected with Mrs. X is worthy of record: On the night of March 15, 1916,1 dreamed much of Mrs. X. In the morning, although I could recall no details, I felt I had made astral contact with her. There was, however, one thing I could remember, that some time in the night I had been accompanied by a small, black, furry animal, which might have been a dog» — el caso de marzo de 1916: lo único que recuerda del sueño es un animalito negro y peludo.

«On this same night Mrs. X. lying awake in bed, was disturbed by a scratching and pattering sound in her room. On rising and switching on the light, she, being clairvoyant, distinctly saw a small, black, furry animal, which ran to the fireplace, rattled the fire-irons, and then vanished in the grate» — lo que Mrs. X refirió de esa misma noche, con su condición de clarividente declarada por él.

«After this, despite the bright light, the noises continued and a picture was persistently rattled against the wall» — el detalle que él añade contra una explicación por sugestión: los ruidos siguieron con la luz encendida.

«Now, although she had no material reason whatever to connect me with these manifestations, she said that she could feel my presence in the room and believed the phenomena were caused by a force emanating from me» — la atribución que hizo ella, que Fox consigna como suya y no la hace propia.

«She gave me the above account, my wife being present, before I had mentioned my dream and the animal» — el control de contaminación que él declara: ella contó primero, con testigo, y él calló su sueño.

«Before dawn I experienced the False Awakening. Illusions of sound and a great sensation of fear made me aware that I was really in the Trance Condition. Knowing this, my fear passed and I decided to experiment» — el registro del 10 de abril de 1916, con el miedo y las ilusiones de sonido usados como señal de la condición de trance.

«I concentrated on the attempt to leave my body, and the result was most interesting. I felt my incorporeal self rushing towards, and being condensed in, the pineal gland—at least, this was the sensation» — la sensación central de su método, marcada por él como sensación y no como hecho: el yo incorpóreo precipitándose y condensándose en la glándula pineal.

«and at the same time the golden astral light blazed up and became very brilliant; then my body pulled me back, and the astral light died down again, the sensation being precisely the reverse of the previous one—i.e. my incorporeal self rushed back, away from the pineal gland and expanding, until it coincided with the physical body once more» — el fenómeno que acompaña a esa condensación y su reverso exacto al fallar el intento: la luz astral que sube y baja con él.

«I concentrated again and the same thing happened, but at the third attempt I succeeded in obtaining separation. Once this had been effected, the astral light became normal again» — el desenlace tras tres intentos, con la luz astral volviendo a su nivel una vez que da por hecha la separación.

«I then moved off the bed and tried to feel with my astral hand my physical body lying in the trance, but I could neither feel nor see it» — la prueba que se hizo a sí mismo, con resultado negativo: no pudo ni ver ni tocar su cuerpo físico.

«emanating from my wife, whom I could see, pleaded with me not to experiment any further. Knowing from previous experience that this voice—with regard to my wife’s physical body—was very probably only an illusion, I chose to disregard it» — la voz que le pide detenerse, que él descarta por experiencia previa como ilusión y desobedece.

«I then walked across the room and was surprised to find myself stopped by the wall, which seemed as solid as in ordinary waking life. Now usually, in my out-of-the-body adventures, I can pass through walls without being conscious of any appreciable effort; but this time, for some unknown reason, the conditions seemed altered» — la anomalía de este registro: la pared lo detuvo, cuando de ordinario las atraviesa sin esfuerzo, y no sabe por qué.

«I stood facing the wall, gently pressing against it, and steadily willed to pass through it. I succeeded, and the sensation was most curious. Preserving full consciousness, I seemed to pass like a gas—in a spread-out condition—through the interstices between the molecules of the wall, regaining my normal proportions on the other side» — cómo dice haberla pasado y qué sintió: expandido como un gas entre los intersticios de las moléculas, y recompuesto del otro lado.

«I then willed to travel to a certain temple which I have been told once existed in Allahabad. I moved off at a great speed and came to rest in a modern brilliantly lighted room. Here a man and a woman were seated at a table, having a meal» — el objetivo del viaje, tomado de lo que otros le contaron, y el resultado: una habitación moderna con gente comiendo.

«Again I repeated my desire: “Temple—Allahabad—India—in the Past”. And now it seemed to me there was a sort of hole or break formed in the continuity of the astral matter; and through this, in the distance—as though viewed through a very long tunnel—I could see something indistinct which might have been an entrance to a temple, with a statue still further away showing through it» — la fórmula con que insiste y el fenómeno que sigue: una ruptura en la continuidad de la materia astral, vista como un túnel largo.

«I then moved forward again, but to my disappointment came to rest almost immediately in another room, where three women were seated at a table which also bore the remains of a meal. A fourth woman—pretty, with fair hair and blue eyes—was standing up in the act of leaving the table. Apparently, none of them could see me» — el segundo desvío, otra vez a un cuarto moderno con gente que no lo ve.

«Sticking to my objective, I once more repeated: ‘Temple—Allahabad—India—in the Past”. The tunnel arrangement was coming into view again, then something must have occurred which broke my trance—though what, I do not know» — el tercer intento, interrumpido por algo que él declara no saber qué fue.

«Note: The wall incident is decidedly curious. My wife has suggested an ingenious explanation, based on Mrs. X’s belief that I have mediumistic powers. My wife thinks, then, that I may have actually materialized to some extent my out-of-the-body self on this occasion, drawing the matter from my entranced physical body, which she thinks might account for my unexpected difficulty in passing through the wall» — la hipótesis de su esposa, que él consigna con la autora nombrada: que se habría materializado en parte tomando materia de su cuerpo entrancado.

«The physical particles would have to be dematerialized, or more finely divided, to pass through the physical wall. An ingenious idea, though perhaps far-fetched» — cómo juzga esa hipótesis: ingeniosa, y quizá traída de los pelos.

«I have so much to learn about the conditions obtaining in this astral» — la abstención con que cierra el episodio, cuya frase arranca en la plana anterior: le falta mucho por saber de las condiciones de ese mundo astral u onírico.

«There are certainly unknown forces working, and these may at times greatly affect the results of my experiments. On some occasions everything goes very smoothly; on others, unexpected obstacles or retarding elements become manifest» — lo que sí afirma sobre la irregularidad de sus resultados: hay fuerzas desconocidas que a veces estorban.

«One point in conclusion: If this world in which I find myself in my projection experiments exists only in my imagination, as the scientific skeptic would insist, why did I not reach this Indian temple with which I was mentally familiar? Instead, I found myself in these strange and totally unexpected rooms. Why?» — el argumento con que contesta al escéptico, dejado en pregunta: si todo fuera su imaginación, habría llegado al templo que tenía en mente y no a cuartos desconocidos.

«That attempt to reach the temple in Allahabad was destined to be my last conscious Pineal Door projection—at least, up to the time of writing this book» — el corte que da nombre al capítulo, fechado por él en el intento de Allahabad y acotado al momento de escribir.

«The next time I tried to induce the Trance Condition, I found that always before my inner eyes was the vision of a black crux ansata; and now my magic would not work, the “trap-door” would not open» — lo que dice haber encontrado en su lugar: la visión de un crux ansata negro con la que su magia deja de funcionar.

«The crux ansata could not be dispelled. When I closed my eyes and turned to the light, the symbol showed clear-cut, as though painted in black on the red field of my eyelids. With my eyes open, in a dim light, I could still see it as though it were projected in front of me. And try as I might I could no longer pass the Pineal Door» — la persistencia del símbolo con los ojos abiertos y cerrados, y el resultado: ya no pudo pasar la Puerta Pineal.

«Soon after this I started a long investigation into the powers of a most remarkable medium, who had, however, the rather unenviable reputation of being a black magician—the “Dhyan” of my article, “A Deva Revelation,” published in the Occult Review for August, 1922» — el médium al que llama Dhyan, presentado con la reputación de mago negro y remitido a un artículo propio con fecha.

«In his company I had many astral adventures—after a break in consciousness I would find myself with him upon the astral plane—but I could no longer leave my body at will» — lo que sí conservó en compañía de ese médium y lo que perdió: aventuras astrales tras una laguna de conciencia, pero ninguna salida voluntaria.

«And there I met and conversed with the group of spiritual beings who manifested through my friend. Their teachings were extraordinary, and their spiritual grade seemed very high. They told me they had sealed my “Door” because I was becoming attuned to psychic forces which might sweep me away before my work on earth was done» — la explicación que le dieron esos seres, que Fox atribuye a ellos y no hace suya: le sellaron la Puerta para que las fuerzas psíquicas no se lo llevaran antes de tiempo.

«I can suggest another explanation which may appeal more to people who have no time for crux ansatas and high-grade spiritual beings. I never minded making the instantaneous projections, but it is a fact that I was always rather afraid of the Pineal Door method» — la explicación alternativa que él mismo ofrece, dirigida a quien no acepte símbolos ni seres espirituales, y que arranca de un miedo confesado.

«You see, the sensations attending the process of getting through the “Door” were really so extremely unpleasant, though once separation was effected I had a most delightful time. The tempest over, one passed into calm and sunlit waters» — el contraste que describe entre el paso por la Puerta y lo que venía después.

«Therefore, when conditions permitted, I was impelled to continue my research and force this mysterious “Door”; but I did so with much the same feelings as one experiences when approaching the dentist’s chair» — el símil con que mide su propio ánimo al forzar la Puerta.

«This repressed fear may have become stored up in my unconscious mind and, reinforced by the Extension fear of my childhood, set up an» — la hipótesis psicológica que propone en potencial: miedo reprimido más el miedo infantil a la Extensión; la frase sigue en la plana siguiente.

«inhibition, manifesting as the auto-hypnotic suggestion that I had lost my power and could no longer obtain separation by the dreaded Pineal Door method. The loss of my power would therefore be an unconscious wish fulfillment» — el remate de esa hipótesis: una inhibición por sugestión autohipnótica, y la pérdida como cumplimiento de un deseo inconsciente.

«In the same way, during the War, there were many cases where the repressed desire to escape produced blindness or paralysis and thus saved the soldier from being sent back to the front» — el paralelo clínico con que apoya esa lectura, tomado de la guerra.

«Nevertheless, as far as the conscious part of me is concerned, I have always greatly regretted that this method of projection is no longer possible for me, and I still live in hopes of recovering it one day» — la reserva que pone a su propia hipótesis: conscientemente lamenta la pérdida y espera recuperar el método.

«I have heard that if a projectionist once loses his power he can never regain it, but anyhow, this is only partly true in my own case» — lo que dice haber oído de otros sobre la pérdida definitiva, y el desmentido parcial que le opone desde su caso.

«In 1915 the Army people had refused my services; but in March, 1917, they changed their minds and kindly entrusted me with a pick and shovel—later, a rifle also. Through two and a half years of Active Service my black crux ansata kept me company, and I remained a prisoner in my body» — el tramo militar, con el símbolo acompañándolo dos años y medio y sin ninguna salida del cuerpo.

«It seems the gods have a sense of humor; for when I was invalided home after a most serious operation, the scar upon my abdomen was roughly in the shape of the Egyptian ankh» — la coincidencia que él consigna con humor: la cicatriz de la operación con la forma del ankh.

«The visionary symbol still remains before my inner eyes, but it is now very faint and difficult to see» — el estado del símbolo al momento de escribir: sigue ahí, muy tenue.

«I felt tolerably certain that if I “went west” I should only find myself in a condition with which I was already quite familiar, but my “great discovery” would never be given to an unappreciative world» — lo que pensó antes de la operación, y que resume su posición: la muerte no le era desconocida; lo que lamentaba era no haber publicado.

«When I left the Army in October, 1919, I was still very keen on all matters appertaining to the Occult, but I no longer wanted to turn out stories for the magazines. I sold eight in the course of the next two years and then stopped writing them. Early in 1920 I got a job as a temporary Civil Servant, subsequently passing the first Lytton examination and becoming duly established» — el tramo de vida posterior, hasta el empleo de funcionario que tuvo mientras escribía.

«Then, when I had settled down a bit, remembering a certain evening at Cologne, I got out my note-books, wrote “The Pineal Doorway”, and sent it to the Hon. Ralph Shirley, Founder and Editor of the Occult Review. In a few days I received the proofs, and the article appeared in April, 1920. “Beyond the Pineal Door” followed in the next number, and a third article, “Dream Travelling”, was published in December, 1923» — cómo llegaron a publicarse sus artículos, con los tres títulos y sus fechas dados por él.

«Today these articles seem only a slight contribution to the literature of the subject, but seemingly, despite my procrastination, I was first in the field in England; for in the Editorial to the Occult Review for April, 1929, I find this statement: “Practically the only detailed and firsthand accounts of voluntary projection of the double hitherto available in the English language were those of Oliver Fox…”» — la prioridad que se reclama en Inglaterra, apoyada en una cita editorial del Occult Review de 1929 con su fuente declarada.

«The first book on projection was Mr. Sylvan J. Muldoon’s The Projection of the Astral Body, published by Messrs. Rider & Co. in 1920» — el dato bibliográfico que da sobre el primer libro del asunto; la fecha y el sello que consigna aquí no coinciden con los del prólogo estadounidense.

«Perhaps I should explain here that I do not propose to give any account of the methods of other projectionists or to compare their experiences with mine, not because I do not appreciate their work, but because this has been done already—and far more ably than I could do it—by Mr. Shirley in his The Mystery of the Human Double, to which reference was made in my opening chapter» — por qué no compara su método con el de otros proyectantes: remite esa tarea al libro de Shirley.

«Since I lost my power to force the Pineal Door, my position has become much what it was in the early days of my research: that is, I have to depend upon either the Dream of Knowledge or the False Awakening, leading to the recognition of the fact that I am in the Trance Condition» — dónde queda tras la pérdida: otra vez dependiente del sueño de conocimiento o del falso despertar.

«It is true that I can still induce the preliminary symptoms of the trance at will; but it is only on very rare occasions, when conditions are exceptionally favorable, that I can get the trance deep enough to allow of an instantaneous projection» — lo que conserva y con qué límite: puede inducir los síntomas previos, y solo rara vez el trance llega lo bastante hondo.

«It will be seen from the dates that all these experiences were after I had lost my power of passing through the “Door” and they illustrate the results which may be obtained without any very unpleasant or frightening symptoms» — qué se propone mostrar con los registros que siguen: resultados obtenidos sin los síntomas penosos del método perdido.

«To the general reader some of these records may seem uninteresting» — la advertencia que hace sobre lo que sigue; la frase continúa en la plana siguiente.

«perhaps very like ordinary dreams; but I would emphasize the point that they are not ordinary and that, even where the experience seems trivial and of little interest, it is an example of an abnormal state of consciousness» — lo que sostiene de esos registros aun los triviales: son estados anormales de conciencia y no sueños comunes.

«In the early hours of the morning I found myself in the Trance Condition. Obtained separation with full consciousness, by willing myself out of my body, and was borne away by an astral current. I came to rest in a poorly furnished room lit by gas. Two girls were sitting by a table, talking together» — el registro del 4 de abril de 1923: salida por voluntad, corriente astral y un cuarto pobre con dos muchachas.

«This time I came to rest in the country, on the bank of a river, and there I met my wife. I forget how she was dressed, except that I know she was not in her night apparel. The moon was shining brightly, making the scene very beautiful and peaceful, and we walked on together by the side of the river. I explained to her that I was experimenting in projection and that in this condition I could levitate. I then decided to try to levitate with her and took her hand, but at this moment my body called me back and the trance was broken» — el encuentro con su esposa junto al río, con la levitación intentada de la mano y el regreso al cuerpo.

«Fairly long duration. My wife had no memory of dreaming. It was actually moonlight when I woke» — los dos controles del registro, uno negativo y otro positivo: ella no recordó nada y sí había luna al despertar.

«In a preliminary unremembered dream I got the knowledge that I was dreaming. I decided that I would experiment and was immediately swept away by some astral current. I came to rest on a stretch of sand by the sea. It was dark, foggy and very melancholy. I was perfectly conscious of my condition and that my physical body was in bed at Worple Road, Wimbledon. I walked on for a little while through the mist, noting that the conditions seemed unusually favorable. My body was not pulling me and there were no more currents» — el registro del 11 de junio de 1928, con las condiciones que él declara inusualmente favorables.

«I then decided that I would try to reach a certain ruined temple in Tibet, of which my Master, Azelda, had spoken. With this end, I concentrated all my will in one big effort, expecting to rush off in some horizontal direction» — el objetivo del intento, tomado de lo que le dijo quien llama su Maestro, Azelda.

«The result was absolutely unexpected. The ground collapsed beneath my feet and I was falling, with seemingly tremendous velocity, down a dark, narrow tunnel or shaft. This downward descent continued until I lost my time-sense and it seemed that I» — el resultado contrario a lo esperado: una caída vertical por un pozo oscuro, con pérdida del sentido del tiempo; la frase sigue en la plana siguiente.

«might have been falling for hours. Something in me was getting frightened, but I managed to keep calm by telling myself that I was really in bed at Wimbledon and that my Master would protect me» — cómo dice haberse sostenido durante la caída: recordándose dónde estaba su cuerpo y confiando en la protección de su Maestro.

«My eyes seemed hopelessly out of focus: I could see only a blur of bright colors— red and yellow predominating. I was naked and bound to an X-shaped framework in a vertical position. Something was trickling down my bare flesh. It was blood from many wounds. I was burning and smarting all over. I could not see, because my sight had been almost destroyed by red-hot irons» — dónde vino a parar aquella caída: atado a un bastidor en aspa, herido, quemado y casi ciego.

«Then I heard a man’s voice speaking close to my right ear—calm, but with a horrible insistence: “Say thou art Theseus!” I seemed nearly past speech, but with a great effort I replied: “I am not Theseus. I am Oliver Fox, the servant of Azelda!”» — el diálogo que da su nombre al episodio: la voz le exige declararse Teseo y él se nombra a sí mismo y siervo de Azelda.

«My words produced an effect like the explosion of a bomb. The world seemed to collapse about me: a chaos of blinding light, terrific sounds, and a whirling tempest. My return was instantaneous, and the trance was broken» — el efecto de esa respuesta: el mundo se deshace en luz, ruido y tempestad, y vuelve al cuerpo de golpe.

«I had the idea in my mind that I might have contacted the akashic records and stumbled, as it were, upon the last episode in the life of one of the predecessors in my Group—or, in Theosophical language, upon a past incarnation of myself» — la lectura que ofrece en potencial, dada en dos lenguajes: registros akáshicos, o en términos teosóficos una encarnación pasada suya.

«The fact that Theseus, slayer of the Minotaur, was one of the greatest heroes of Mythology seems to point to colossal vanity on the part of my subconscious self» — la objeción que él mismo le pone a esa lectura: el nombre es demasiado ilustre y delata vanidad de su subconsciente.

«and I must admit that this experience would be more convincing if the name had been a more ordinary one. There is, however, the possibility that this great name may have become fairly common at some period—even now unfortunate babies get christened Hercules!—and it might conceivably have been the actual name of some forerunner of mine who got into a political bother and was being forced to confess to his identity» — la concesión y la salida que ensaya para salvar el caso, marcada como concebible y no como probable.

«This experience had all the “feel” of a true Pineal Door projection; and I think it is just possible that on this one occasion, despite the loss of my power, I may have passed through the “Door” while my physical self was unconscious. Presumably the memory of the preliminary Dream of Knowledge became wiped out in the tempestuous return» — la adjudicación que hace del episodio, en potencial y contra su propia regla de haber perdido el método.

«Dreamed that my wife and I were in bed in a strange room. An electric light hung over the bed, and my wife was brightly illuminated by it. Suddenly she disappeared from my sight; she seemed to dissolve into a cloud and vanish. This told me that I was dreaming» — el registro del 3 de noviembre de 1929: la figura de su esposa disolviéndose en una nube le sirve de incongruencia.

«The atmosphere of the dream then became subtly changed, and I experienced that wonderful sense of mental clarity and well-being which results from the abnormal state of consciousness produced by knowing, in a dream, that one is dreaming» — lo que describe al reconocer el sueño: claridad mental y bienestar como efectos de ese estado anormal de conciencia.

«This bedroom was a huge apartment, paneled from floor to ceiling in red lacquer, richly ornamented with oriental scenes. The bed and all the furniture were of the same beautiful color and workmanship. In particular, I remember an enormous wardrobe. The bed had silken sheets and an orange silk quilt and coverlet» — el detalle del cuarto laqueado en rojo, que él registra con precisión de inventario.

«I passed out into a long passage, in which were many doors. One was ajar, and I saw a bathroom dimly lit by the starlight coming through a window. From a room near the end of this passage voices reached me, and I thought that I could detect a woman’s. I decided that I would enter this room, but at that instant I was caught up by some astral current and borne away. I then found myself standing on a parapet on the roof of this great palace, which was built of shining white stone and very lofty. Below, I could glimpse a sea of housetops, with here and there a twinkling light. I was about to launch myself into space, when I became aware of a young man» — el pasillo con muchas puertas, las voces al fondo y la corriente astral que lo lleva al techo del palacio; la frase sigue en la plana siguiente.

«He took hold of my left wrist. ‘Take me with you, Brother,” he pleaded; “for I cannot go by myself.”» — el joven desconocido que le pide que lo lleve consigo, llamándolo hermano.

«I consented, though I feared it would curtail my experiment. I stepped off the parapet and by a mental effort shot forward at a great speed, bearing my companion with me» — que aceptó pese a temer que le acortara el experimento, y el vuelo con el acompañante a cuestas.

«As I had expected, my companion’s weight soon began to tell on me. I found myself sinking, and the call of my physical body (which I knew quite well was in bed at Worple Road, Wimbledon) battled ever more strongly with my effort to prolong the dream. Very gently we sank into a street. I had a brief confused impression of my companion lying on the ground and of people moving about us, then I was drawn back to my body almost instantaneously and the trance was broken» — cómo terminó: el peso del acompañante, el descenso y el regreso casi instantáneo al cuerpo.

«Very early in the morning I experienced the False Awakening. I got out of bed and tried to switch on the electric light, but it would not work. This told me I was dreaming, and I then realized that separation had taken place and that I was actually out of my body, having left it when I got off the bed» — el registro del 8 de diciembre de 1929: la luz eléctrica que no enciende le da la señal, y descubre que ya estaba fuera del cuerpo.

«At this point I saw a misty form —a woman’s—standing by the bed near my wife. This form seemed to fall backwards and vanish as I drew near it» — la forma femenina brumosa junto a su esposa, consignada sin adjudicación.

«I then launched myself out through the window into the stormy night, and I could feel myself pass through the panes of glass» — la salida por la ventana, con la sensación de atravesar los cristales.

«I willed to reach that ancient Tibetan temple of which my Master, Azelda, had spoken. Keeping the password well in mind, I traveled on at a great speed in a horizontal direction. In what seemed to be a very short space of time it grew lighter, and I could see what appeared to be the half-excavated ruins of some mighty building or temple built of brown rock or stone» — el segundo intento por el templo tibetano, esta vez con lo que él llama la contraseña presente y con un resultado parcial.

«Later I succeeded in getting again into the Trance Condition. I left my body by willing myself out of it and passed into the front room. It was brilliantly illuminated by a golden light, and I saw to my surprise that some of the furniture and objects were strange and very beautiful. In particular, I noticed a small oriental cabinet. The furniture on one side of the room, however, was as it really is. The fire-place appeared» — la segunda salida de esa noche, al cuarto delantero, con muebles en parte extraños y en parte reales; la frase sigue en la plana siguiente.

«to have shifted into a corner. It occurred to me that these changes might possibly be produced by thought-streams impinging upon my consciousness and causing a vision» — la explicación que ofrece para esas alteraciones del cuarto, dicha como posibilidad: corrientes de pensamiento que le causan una visión.

«I decided that I would make another attempt to reach the temple, approaching it from the same direction as before. Crossing the landing, I returned to my bedroom, which was normal in appearance; but just as I was going to pass through the window, my wife gave a nervous start in her sleep and jolted my physical body. This broke the trance, and my return was so rapid that it seemed almost to coincide with her movement» — lo que interrumpió el tercer intento, y el dato mecánico que le saca: un movimiento de su esposa sacudió su cuerpo y el regreso pareció coincidir con él.

«I dreamed that I was walking, by day, through some unfamiliar street containing very fine buildings. There were plenty of people about in ordinary attire. Some incident or incongruous detail, which I cannot remember, told me I was dreaming, and I decided to experiment in prolonging the dream» — el registro del 27 de febrero de 1930, con el detalle que le dio la señal ya olvidado por él.

«I noticed that I was dressed in the uniform of an Army officer; so when I passed a very fine War Memorial, I played my part by giving it “eyes left” and saluting. I also returned the salute of a soldier who happened to pass me» — el rasgo que hace interesante ese registro: se ve de uniforme de oficial y actúa en consecuencia; un soldado le devuelve el saludo, es decir lo ve.

«Nevertheless, I had perfect consciousness of my real physical condition. I knew I was a Clerical Officer at the —— Dept, and that my body was sleeping in my home in Worple Road. I knew also that in my Army days I was only a private» — la conciencia doble que sostiene en el mismo momento, incluido el saber que en el ejército fue solo soldado raso.

«I had my usual feeling (in these experiments) of wonderful health and vitality, and the atmosphere was charged with beauty and the sense of coming adventure. Very glamorous indeed; but the effort of prolonging the dream was causing a pressure in my head, and the experience had a commonplace ending» — el estado que declara habitual en sus experimentos, y el precio: la presión en la cabeza por sostener el sueño.

«Note: If an earthly place formed the scene of my out-of-the-body adventure, it was obviously in a country where the seasons are in advance of ours; but my officer’s uniform, and the fact that the soldier could see me, make it appear more probable that this experience was purely astral in its setting» — el razonamiento con que adjudica la escena: la estación adelantada apuntaría a otro país, pero el uniforme y el soldado que lo ve la vuelven más probablemente astral.

«Was this an unconscious wish fulfillment? No, I think not! I have always shirked responsibility» — la objeción psicoanalítica que se pone y la respuesta que le da desde su carácter; la frase termina en la plana siguiente.

«I dreamed that I woke in the night in our bedroom at Worple Road. I had a great longing for chocolate, but knew there was none in the house. I therefore dressed, without waking my wife, and walked to the Raynes Park railway station, thinking I might get some chocolate from a machine on the platform. No one was about and I made my way there all right, but no chocolate was left in the machines» — el registro del 7 de septiembre de 1930, que empieza como un sueño ordinario en busca de chocolate.

«I then noticed, to my surprise, a dozen or more green parrots perched in the branches of some trees which were planted in tubs. The parrots regarded me inquiringly with their orange-rimmed eyes, but made no sound» — los loros verdes que lo miran en silencio en la trastienda del comercio abierto a media noche, y que serán la rareza del caso.

«Then, quite suddenly, the ridiculous nature of my behavior—going out in the middle of the night for chocolate —dawned upon me. How came I to behave so foolishly? And that strange shop with all those wakeful silent parrots and the sleeping children—Why, of course! No need to trouble about my wife. I was dreaming; and now I knew it, I was free to experiment» — cómo llega al reconocimiento: no por el detalle extraño sino por lo absurdo de su propia conducta.

«I then decided I would try to reach my Master, Azelda. I made a great mental effort and immediately started to glide very quickly—but backwards. On I rushed, through buildings and over fields at an ever-increasing speed, and as I traveled in this strange fashion I was concentrating upon the Master. It did not seem to me, however, that I had been gliding long, and nothing of interest had happened, when my body called me back and I awoke, much to my disappointment» — el intento de alcanzar a Azelda y el resultado: se deslizó hacia atrás, sin nada que registrar, hasta que el cuerpo lo llamó.

«Note: The backward motion is very interesting; for it is the only example I have at present of traveling in this way at the beginning of a glide, though the return to the body very often occurs in this fashion» — el rasgo que él aísla del caso anterior: es el único deslizamiento suyo que empieza hacia atrás, aunque el regreso al cuerpo suele serlo.

«Indeed, it strongly suggests that, though the scene of my adventure seemed to be quite close to my home, it was really an astral experience and that my body was calling me back from the time when I attempted to reach my Master. Thus, when I thought I was starting out on a fresh journey, I was really being drawn back» — la reinterpretación que hace de su propio registro: lo que tomó por un viaje nuevo habría sido el regreso al cuerpo.

«My dream of waking was, I think, the False Awakening that denotes the Trance Condition. Separation was effected when I got up to dress, but I was not conscious of my out-of-the-body state» — la reconstrucción de las fases, marcada como creencia suya: el sueño de despertar era el falso despertar, y la separación ocurrió sin que él lo advirtiera.

«Probably I actually visited the Raynes Park station; for the Worple Road and station seemed quite normal. Later a change of vibration appears to have taken place, and when I entered that fantastic shop, which had no physical counterpart to my knowledge, the experience became definitely astral in nature» — cómo reparte el episodio entre lo terrestre y lo astral, apoyándose en que el comercio no tiene contraparte física conocida.

«I dreamed that I woke in the daylight, got out of bed, and walked across the landing into our sitting-room. I looked out into the Worple Road. All the details of the street and room were very real and vivid, especially the new blue wallpaper and the pictures and china. I then noted a discrepancy: an oriental lacquer cabinet stood near the little table bearing our miniature Chinese gardens. We have no cabinet, and this told me I was dreaming» — el registro del 13 de septiembre de 1931, con un mueble que no existe en la casa como incongruencia de control.

«I then walked back to the bedroom and saw my wife lying in bed and seemingly awake. I told her we were dreaming and kissed her. This terminated the dream and I awoke. It was actually daylight, but my wife was asleep» — cómo terminó y el doble control del registro: era de día, en efecto, y su esposa dormía.

«Note: Another example of the False Awakening. Separation was probably effected when I dreamed that I got out of bed. Even when I knew I was dreaming, I was not fully conscious of my out-of-the-body condition, for it did not occur to me to experiment further by leaving the house» — el análisis que hace de su propio fallo: sabía que soñaba y no llegó a la conciencia plena de estar fuera del cuerpo.

«Kissing my wife was a mistake; for the emotion aroused interrupted my mental control and broke the trance» — la regla de siempre aplicada a sí mismo: la emoción rompe el control mental.

«In some way, which I cannot recall, I got the knowledge that I was dreaming and then experimented in prolonging the dream. It was daylight, and I found myself» — el registro del 17 de noviembre de 1931, con la señal de reconocimiento ya olvidada; la frase sigue en la plana siguiente.

«walking through a narrow street with shops on either side. Presently I came to some fields which I crossed. These led to a hill, and this I climbed and descended. I then saw that I was on the outskirts of a town which the hill had hidden. The shops were open and people were about. I noticed a milkman’s horse and cart. Just as I was passing a butcher’s shop, my body called me back and the experiment ended» — el recorrido a pie por calles, campos y una colina hasta las afueras de un pueblo.

«Unfortunately I did not note the names above the shops, but the dress of the people seemed to be quite ordinary» — la observación que no hizo y que él mismo lamenta: los nombres de las tiendas, que habrían servido de cotejo.

«Note: I was fully conscious that my physical body was asleep at Worple Road, and the experience had the peculiar glamour and vividness I have so often described; but in the return journey, which seemed practically instantaneous, my memories had become blurred» — el estado de conciencia que declara y el precio del regreso instantáneo: los recuerdos borrosos.

«As it was still dark when I awoke, this experience must have been either purely astral or in some earthly place ahead of us in time» — la disyuntiva con que adjudica el episodio, y que deja sin decidir: astral, o un lugar terrestre adelantado en el huso.

«In the night I experienced the False Awakening and thought that I was talking to my wife. Though I was in a state of trance with very painful symptoms—great pressure in the head and seeming muscular rigidity—I did not realize my true condition» — el registro del 27 de noviembre de 1932, con síntomas dolorosos que no bastaron para hacerle reconocer el estado.

«Even when two women, one dark and the other fair, entered our bedroom and began talking to us I still did not realize that they were illusions from the physical standpoint, but I was surprised by their unexpected intrusion» — hasta dónde llegó el engaño: dos mujeres entraron y hablaron con ellos sin que él las tomara por ilusiones.

«At this point I experienced a sudden transition to a brilliantly lighted ballroom where many people were dancing. I knew that a moment before I had been in the bedroom at Rothesay Avenue and this, together with the memory of the pains and the two women, told me that I was really functioning outside of my physical body» — qué le dio finalmente la señal: el salto brusco de la recámara al salón de baile, sumado al recuerdo de los dolores y de las dos mujeres.

«I was swept out of the ballroom by some current and borne away to further adventures, but the memory of these was lost in the return journey» — la pérdida de material que vuelve a consignar: las aventuras siguientes se borraron en el regreso.

«After an early cup of tea I dozed off again and presently became aware that I was in the Trance Condition. I then succeeded in leaving my body by willing myself out of it. I was borne away at great speed and came to rest in some country road» — el registro del 17 de mayo de 1936, con salida por pura voluntad desde la condición de trance.

«I stroked it and could distinctly feel its warm, rather rough coat» — el detalle táctil del caballo, que él da como sentido con nitidez.

«but it did not seem aware of my presence. This, however, was a mistake; for it distracted my attention from the experiment, and my body called me back. The duration of this experience was therefore only short» — el juicio que se pone: acariciar al caballo fue un error porque le distrajo la atención del experimento.

«Dreamed that I was walking in a strange street at night. Some incident or observation, which I cannot recall, gave me the knowledge that I was dreaming. Decided to experiment» — el registro del 1 de marzo de 1938, el último fechado del libro y el que su prologuista estadounidense usará para datar la edición inglesa.

«The conditions were unusually favorable for levitation. I rose quite easily to a height of several hundred feet (an exceptional height to reach, as I was not slaying) and then glided horizontally with increasing velocity. Passed from night to day, witnessing a glorious sunrise» — la levitación excepcional de ese registro, a varios cientos de pies, y el paso de la noche al día. El troceo imprime aquí *slaying* donde el sentido pide *skrying*, y la cita va como la devuelve la herramienta.

«I passed a railway station with a name something like Ipswich, but obviously it could not have been our Ipswich» — el dato que él mismo desactiva: el nombre de la estación se parecía a uno inglés y descarta que lo fuera.

«I decided to descend and explore. Came down gently in a little public garden or park and saw a bed of blue lobelia. It seemed to be summer in this place and also early in the morning, for few people were about and they took no notice of me» — el descenso al parque, con la estación del año y la hora anotadas como discrepantes de las suyas.

«Presently I came to a lake in front of a picturesque old house. I noticed a woman looking out of a window, and some ducks swimming on the lake. The water had overflowed and flooded a narrow tree-lined lane. I walked a short distance up this lane, but could not feel the water though it was half-way to my knees, and then my body called me back» — el detalle que le sirve de prueba interna: caminó por una vereda inundada sin sentir el agua a media pantorrilla.

«This was a most enjoyable experience: very glamorous. I was perfectly conscious all the time of my identity, that my body was in bed at Rothesay Avenue, etc. The seeming duration would be about twenty minutes» — el balance del registro, con la conciencia de identidad intacta y una duración que él marca como aparente.

«this chapter is intended primarily for the student who means to experiment for himself, and I hope that it may prove helpful to him. It is essentially a subtle subject, and it is difficult to convey by the written word the reality of the result obtained» — a quién dirige el capítulo y por qué admite repetirse: al estudiante que va a experimentar, y porque el resultado es difícil de transmitir por escrito.

«Indeed, I have found to my surprise that some people, quite intelligent in many ways, seem fundamentally incapable of grasping the ideas I have sought to convey. To them, there are only two states of consciousness: waking and sleeping. A dream is just a dream and can’t be anything else—and there you are! Further progress is rendered impossible by this attitude» — el obstáculo que él sitúa en el lector y no en el fenómeno: quien solo admite vigilia y sueño no puede avanzar.

«It would now be well to consider what risks, if any, are involved in the making of such experiments. Here I do not feel on very sure ground; for though I do know that some of the symptoms attending the Pineal Door method are painful and extremely unpleasant, I have no evidence that they are really as dangerous as they feel or injurious to the health of the experimenter» — cómo abre el apartado de riesgos, con la reserva por delante: los síntomas son penosos y no tiene evidencia de que sean tan peligrosos como se sienten.

«I think, however, this much can be said with certainty: no one with a weak heart should seek practical acquaintance with the phenomena of separation; and very excitable, nervous people would do well to leave the subject alone» — lo único que sí da por cierto en materia de riesgo: fuera los cardiacos y las personas muy nerviosas.

«We are dealing with what is essentially a mental exercise or process, and it is easily conceivable that an ill-balanced mind, lacking in self-control, might become temporarily or even permanently deranged» — el argumento con que sostiene esa exclusión: es un ejercicio mental, y una mente mal equilibrada podría desarreglarse.

«Heart failure, or insanity, arising from shock. (2) Premature burial» — los dos primeros peligros de la lista que enumera.

«Temporary derangement caused by the non-coincidence of the etheric body with the physical body after the experiment. This might render the experimenter temporarily incapable of distinguishing between waking life and dream-life. Though actually awake, he would act as one does in dreams and so appear mentally deranged» — el tercer peligro: la no coincidencia del cuerpo etérico tras el experimento, que borraría la frontera entre vigilia y sueño.

«In the case of a person with an unusually “loose” etheric vehicle, such an effect may be produced by a purely involuntary extrusion of the etheric double during sleep or in the drowsy condition which preludes it» — el caso que agrega, continuando desde la plana anterior: con un vehículo etérico flojo eso puede pasar de modo involuntario mientras se duerme.

«Cerebral hemorrhage. I have been told that a too intense concentration may lead to the bursting of a blood-vessel in the brain» — el cuarto peligro, que consigna como cosa oída y no como hallazgo propio.

«Severance of the Cord, which means “death”» — el quinto peligro, enunciado en una línea: el corte del Cordón.

«Repercussion effects upon the physical vehicle caused by injuries to the astral. Such results are extremely rare and are similar to stigmata phenomena and the production of birthmarks by cravings and frights» — el sexto peligro y los fenómenos con que lo empareja, declarándolo rarísimo.

«Obsession. I do not think we should dismiss this possibility too lightly, especially in the case of a person of known mediumistic tendencies. Although I have had no experience of it myself, I should not be surprised if this danger was a very real one» — el séptimo peligro, sostenido como sospecha y con la falta de experiencia propia declarada.

«It seems a formidable list, and I have thought it advisable to give it; but I would not dissuade any earnest investigator with a passion for truth. He will be protected, I believe, by the unseen intelligences that guide our blundering efforts in the divine quest, and the merely frivolous inquirer will soon be frightened away by the strange initial experiences» — por qué da la lista sin desalentar: cree que el investigador sincero está protegido y que el frívolo se espanta solo.

«Very likely these experiments are no more dangerous than motoring; but I must confess that I do not really understand what I have been doing. It is easy to say, “The Soul leaves the body and returns to it”; but this riddle of projection—of what actually happens—is in truth a most profound subject and hedged around with many subtle problems» — la confesión que cierra el apartado y que vale como cifra del libro: no entiende realmente lo que ha estado haciendo.

«I hope it will be clear by now that there are two roads open to the would-be projectionist: the Way of Dreams and the Way of Self-induced Trance, i.e. either a dream or waking life may be his starting-point-There is little to choose as regards difficulty between the two methods of approach; but the first is undoubtedly more pleasant and it may also be less dangerous» — las dos vías que distingue y la comparación que hace entre ellas: igual de difíciles, la primera más grata y quizá menos peligrosa.

«I would advise the “dreamers of strange dreams”, who are able to remember their nocturnal wanderings, to try this method first» — a quién recomienda empezar por la vía de los sueños.

«Some people would have us believe they never dream—except for a nightmare after an unwise supper—but it is difficult to credit this statement. They do not remember their dreams, probably because the subject has no interest for them» — su lectura de quienes dicen no soñar: no lo recuerdan por falta de interés.

«suspect, too, that often a repressed fear of the Unknown is at the root of their inability to remember—another case of the unconscious wish fulfillment. But this much may be said: the more interest we take in our dreams, the more easily shall we remember them» — la explicación psicológica que agrega en potencial y la regla práctica que sí afirma: a más interés, más recuerdo.

«A counsel of perfection is to note the dream immediately upon waking; but for people who have to rise early and go to work, this method possesses the serious disadvantage of breaking the night’s rest rather badly» — la regla ideal y el costo real que él mismo le reconoce.

«A very good plan is to make a mental précis of the dream, noting the salient points or stages by perhaps a single word, and then memorizing this chain of words before going to sleep again. With practice the process does not take long and is not nearly so disturbing as sitting up and switching on the light, etc.» — el método que propone en su lugar: un resumen mental en palabras clave, memorizado antes de volver a dormir.

«People who find it difficult to recall their dreams should note every fragment they can bring through—however slight or absurd—for the act of noting dreams certainly stimulates the ability to remember them» — el consejo para quien recuerda poco, con el efecto que le atribuye: anotar entrena la memoria del sueño.

«The fact that the long sides of the paving-stones were parallel to the curb would make little difference to a picture of a street-scene, yet observing this in a dream was fraught with surprising consequences for me» — por qué insiste en anotar los detalles nimios, con su propio caso fundacional como ejemplo.

«Having acquired some facility in remembering dreams—with the result that dreams now appear to increase in frequency—the next step is to awaken the critical faculty (normally dormant in dreams) and by noting some incongruous happening, or anachronism, or inconsistent detail, to obtain the knowledge (in the dream) that one is dreaming» — el segundo paso del método, formulado como instrucción: despertar la facultad crítica y reconocer el sueño por una incongruencia.

«The student will find that the mental strain of prolonging the dream induces these curious sensations: his feet feel heavier and heavier, he moves as though struggling against the pull of an increasingly powerful elastic cord which seems to be attached between the shoulder-blades, and finally he develops a pain—dull at first, but swiftly» — los tres síntomas de la resistencia del cuerpo: pies pesados, cordón elástico entre los omóplatos y dolor; la frase sigue en la plana siguiente.

«becoming more acute—in the top of the head and the center of the forehead. On feeling this warning pain, he should terminate the experiment» — dónde sitúa el dolor de advertencia y qué manda hacer al sentirlo: terminar el experimento.

«He will then have the sensation of being drawn backwards at an amazing speed by this elastic cord which appears to link him with his physical body. He should then be able to break the trance quite easily and experience no unpleasant symptoms» — qué debe esperar al obedecer el aviso: el regreso por el cordón elástico y una salida limpia.

«I think that in some cases ignoring this warning pain might be very dangerous. If, however, the intrepid (or foolhardy) experimenter decides to continue prolonging the dream in defiance of the pain, which I definitely do not advise, he will probably experience a phase of dual consciousness; lose the pain, hear a “click” in his brain, and find it very difficult to end the dream and wake» — la advertencia expresa contra desoír el dolor, que él mismo desoyó en su juventud, con las consecuencias enumeradas.

«On returning to his body he will find it in a cataleptic state, and I now think the best thing he can do is just to go to sleep again instead of struggling to break the trance. His body will in all probability be normal when he wakes. This advice should be borne in mind; for I have heard of several cases where a person has awakened in this condition and been greatly distressed, knowing nothing of projection and fearing he had become paralyzed» — la corrección de método que le costó dos episodios: volverse a dormir en vez de forzar la salida del trance.

«When the student has succeeded in obtaining a few Dreams of Knowledge, it will probably not be long before he makes acquaintance with the False Awakening. He will believe himself to be awake—though feeling strangely disinclined to move— until that curious sense of atmospheric tension, the peculiar sounds (see Chapter V), invisible hands touching him, or perhaps even an apparition, all combine to tell him that he is not awake but in the Trance Condition. If he does not like this experience, he can easily end it by moving and breaking the trance, which is usually quite light in the False Awakening; but when he has grown accustomed to this state, the time is ripe for essaying a conscious projection» — cómo describe el falso despertar para quien lo encuentre por primera vez, y cuándo lo declara oportunidad de proyectarse.

«Let him first try to sit up out of his body: that is, he will not try to move his physical body by any muscular effort, but make a purely mental attempt. Unless it happens to be one of those cases where the Pineal Door has been passed while the student was unconscious, he will certainly fail and nothing will happen» — la prueba diagnóstica que propone: el intento suave de incorporarse solo funciona si la Puerta Pineal ya se pasó sin conciencia.

«Let him now concentrate all his willpower on the idea of jumping out of, or hurling himself from, his body, and in all probability he will succeed in making his first Instantaneous projection» — la instrucción para la proyección instantánea: concentrar la voluntad en la idea de arrojarse fuera del cuerpo.

«He will find himself passing in a flash through the walls of the house; and after that almost anything may seem to happen to him until something occurs to break» — qué se encuentra enseguida, dicho sin promesa de control; la frase sigue en la plana siguiente.

«the trance. There will be no difficulty about coming back, for he will return to his body as quickly as he departed from it, and his condition should become normal almost immediately» — lo que sí garantiza del método instantáneo: el regreso es tan rápido como la salida y sin secuelas.

«Of course, when the student has learnt to recognize the Trance Condition he can always attempt a Pineal Door projection, once he has assured himself by the failure of the gentle “sitting up” test that the “Door” has not already been passed» — el orden que prescribe entre los dos métodos, con la prueba del incorporarse como filtro previo.

«I have said that the Way of Dreams is a more pleasant road and probably less dangerous, but it has two disadvantages: (i) opportunities for experiment are limited to the comparatively rare occasions when one is able to achieve the Dream of Knowledge or happens to find oneself in the Trance Condition with the preliminary work, as it were, already done» — la primera desventaja de la vía de los sueños: las ocasiones son escasas y no dependen de la voluntad.

«as a rule—though by no means invariably—the experience is a little inferior in quality, just a shade less vivid, and one has very little control over one’s movements, being almost completely at the mercy of those mysterious astral currents» — la segunda desventaja, con la salvedad incluida: algo menos vívida y sin control sobre el movimiento.

«Nevertheless, as I hope my records will have shown, the Instantaneous method is by no means to be despised. It is in any case a remarkable experience, well worth all the preliminary efforts, and it may lead to very surprising results» — el balance con que defiende el método instantáneo pese a sus desventajas.

«Let us now consider the Way of Self-induced Trance, where our starting-point is not from a dream but from waking life. I am afraid this is the only way for people who can make no progress in remembering their dreams. Briefly stated, the problem before the experimenter is this: to send the body to sleep while the mind is kept awake» — el problema de la segunda vía, enunciado por él en una frase: dormir el cuerpo y mantener despierta la mente.

«Speaking for myself, it does not matter whether I lie on my back or on my side; and some of my best results have been obtained in the latter position, despite the fact that one projectionist has stated that separation can be effected only when lying on one’s back» — la postura, donde Fox discrepa de otro proyectante sin nombrarlo y sin resolver la discrepancia: a él le funcionan las dos.

«Having chosen his position, the student should concentrate upon an imaginary trap-door within his brain. His breathing should be deep and rhythmical, his eyes closed, but rolled upwards and slightly squinting» — la instrucción central del método: concentrarse en una trampilla imaginaria dentro del cerebro, con respiración honda y rítmica y los ojos vueltos hacia arriba.

«Presently he will feel a numbness, starting at his feet and traveling up his legs until eventually it spreads all over the body. This numbness deepens into a sensation of muscular rigidity, which may become quite painful, especially in the muscles of the jaw, and there is a feeling of great pressure in the head» — la fase corporal: entumecimiento ascendente, rigidez muscular dolorosa y presión en la cabeza.

«At this stage he will have the effect of being able to see» — el signo siguiente, cuya frase continúa en la plana siguiente: la vista a través de los párpados cerrados.

«through his closed eyelids, and the room will appear to be illuminated by a pale golden radiance. There may also be flashes of light, apparitions, and (almost certainly) terrifying noises» — lo que aparece entonces: la luz dorada pálida, los destellos, las apariciones y los ruidos, estos últimos casi con seguridad.

«He may also have the illusion that someone is trying to wake him or dissuade him from making the adventure. He should tell himself that such apparitions are subject to his will and powerless to harm him» — la ilusión de que alguien intenta despertarlo y la instrucción de tratarla como sujeta a la propia voluntad.

«and he should disregard any interrupting influence—even if it seems to proceed from his wife!—for I think it is practically a certainty that if any person were really there and trying to wake him, the trance would be broken at once» — el criterio con que manda desoír esas interrupciones, y el argumento que lo sostiene: una persona real habría roto el trance.

«And now the student will be experiencing the very peculiar sensation of having two bodies: the painful physical one and, imprisoned within it, a fluidic body» — la dualidad que describe como signo de estar listo: el cuerpo físico doloroso y dentro de él uno fluídico.

«He is ready for the next step, which is, by a supreme effort of the will, to force this subtle vehicle through the imaginary trap-door in his brain» — el paso decisivo del método, dicho con el adjetivo puesto por él: forzar el vehículo sutil por la trampilla imaginaria.

«It will seem to him that his incorporeal self, which was coincident with its physical prison, now rushes up his body and becomes condensed in that pineal point within his brain and batters against the door, while the pale golden light increases to a blaze of glory and a veritable inferno of strange sounds assails his ears» — lo que se siente al intentarlo, marcado como apariencia: el yo incorpóreo condensándose en el punto pineal y golpeando la puerta, con la luz y los ruidos en aumento.

«If the attempt should fail, the sensations, are reversed. The incorporeal self subsides and becomes again coincident with the physical body, while the light dies down and the sounds diminish in violence» — el reverso exacto cuando el intento falla, que es la señal por la que se reconoce el fracaso.

«If the attempt succeeds, he will have the extraordinary sensation of passing through the door in his brain and hearing it “dick” behind him; but he will not seem to be out of his body yet» — lo que dice que ocurre cuando el intento sale bien: el paso por la puerta y el clic al cerrarse, sin que uno se sienta todavía fuera del cuerpo. El troceo imprime aquí *dick* donde el libro dice click, y la cita va como la devuelve la herramienta.

«It will appear to him that his fluidic self has again subsided within his physical body; but the terrifying sounds and apparitions are no more, and the room is evenly illuminated by the pale golden radiance. There is a blessed sense of calm after storm, and fear gives place to triumphant exaltation; for the phase of terror, with its suggestions of coming death or madness, is over. He has passed through the Pineal Door» — cómo se reconoce el éxito: cesan los ruidos y las apariciones, queda la luz dorada pareja y el terror da paso a la exaltación.

«If the first attempt should fail, it is well to strengthen the trance by continuing the concentration for a little while before making the next» — la instrucción para el reintento: reforzar el trance con más concentración antes de volver a probar.

«Our student will still feel himself to be within his physical body; but now he can get out of bed in leisurely fashion and walk away, leaving his entranced body behind him on the bed» — cómo describe la separación una vez pasada la puerta: levantarse sin prisa y dejar el cuerpo entrancado en la cama.

«He may be able to see it, judging from the evidence of other projectionists, but I could not see mine» — la discrepancia con otros proyectantes, que consigna con la fuente declarada y sin armonizar.

«The experience is so extremely real that he may wonder if he is walking in his sleep—if he cannot see his body upon the bed. His doubts will speedily be set at rest when he finds he can walk through the wall» — la prueba práctica que propone contra la duda de estar sonámbulo: atravesar la pared.

«Should he feel nervous at this first venture, it might be well not to leave the room, but to sit in a chair—which will support him all right so long as he believes it will—and just think things over» — el consejo para el primer intento, con el detalle de la silla que sostiene mientras uno crea que lo sostendrá.

«He can pass through the wall; but if he doubts his ability to do this, he will probably find that it stops him as it would in waking life» — la regla que gobierna ese mundo según él: la duda basta para que la pared detenga.

«Once outside the house—and especially if he has no pre-arranged plan of action— the chances are that he will find himself caught up by some invisible force and borne away, flashing through houses, trees, etc., until he finally comes to rest in some totally unexpected place» — qué esperar al salir de la casa sin plan: la corriente se lo lleva a un lugar inesperado.

«There is nothing to be afraid of and no warning pain. I believe it is quite safe to stay out as long as one can; for sooner or later the experience will be terminated by some force outside one’s control» — lo que declara seguro en esta vía, con la salvedad de que el final no depende de uno.

«I have seen the body I travel in (etheric, astral, or perhaps mental) seemingly clothed in many ways, but never naked—except in the last phase of the Theseus adventure, and then I only felt that I was naked as I was nearly blind» — lo que dice del vehículo en que viaja, sin decidir su naturaleza y con la única excepción declarada.

«Occasionally I have not been able to see any astral body when I looked for it—no legs, no arms, no body!—an extraordinary sensation—just a consciousness, a man invisible even to himself, passing through busy streets or whizzing through space» — el caso extremo que registra: ninguna forma visible, solo una conciencia invisible para sí misma.

«There is one thing that is sure to trouble the student sooner or later in his out-of-the-body excursions: he will lose his time-sense more or less completely. He will be quite aware of his identity and have a perfect memory of the events of the day up to the time of making his experiment; he will know well enough that his physical body is at home in bed; but he will not know how long he has been out, how long the experiment has really lasted» — el fallo constante del estado: la identidad y la memoria quedan intactas, y el sentido del tiempo no.

«If the setting seems to be purely astral in nature, there is no way of telling; but if the scene of his adventure seems to be on the earth, and there is no perplexing change from night to day or vice versa, the appearance of the sky and the position of the moon, stars, or sun will form a fairly reliable guide as to the duration of the trance» — el remedio parcial que propone, acotado a las escenas terrestres: el cielo, la luna y el sol como reloj.

«As to his powers of locomotion, he can walk, glide, levitate and then glide at a great height, or try his luck at skrying—which, I repeat, is dangerous. In short, he can behave as an ordinary man, if it please him, or as a superman as far as the astral currents will permit» — el repertorio de locomoción, con la advertencia sobre el *skrying* repetida y el límite puesto por las corrientes.

«If the experiment is terminated involuntarily, he will just flash» — cómo es el regreso forzado; la frase sigue en la plana siguiente.

«home and find himself within his body almost instantly. Generally the trance will be broken at once; but at times there may be a touch of catalepsy, and perhaps the illusion that someone is distressed and trying to restore him» — el remate de esa descripción, con la catalepsia ocasional y la ilusión de que alguien intenta reanimarlo.

«If the return is voluntary —accomplished by walking home or willing himself back—the approach to the body should be quite gentle. He can walk up to the bed and lie down, and he will feel himself merge into his body and become one with it—a strange sensation» — cómo es el regreso voluntario, con la fusión gradual descrita como sensación extraña.

«The trance will probably not be broken when the return is gentle. He can either strengthen it by further concentration, and then step out of his body again for fresh adventures, or he can break the trance by willing to awake» — qué se puede hacer tras un regreso suave: reforzar el trance y volver a salir, o despertar por voluntad.

«Once the Pineal Door has been passed, it is not necessary to pass through it again—and I believe it would be impossible to do so —as long as the trance remains unbroken» — la regla que ahorra el peor tramo del método, con la creencia declarada de que además sería imposible repetirlo.

«I strongly advise the really keen student to take no chances with his memory, but to switch on the light and write his record straight away; for if he waits till morning much detail will have faded or become smoothed out or blurred—whatever the process may be—especially if he has a few more dreams before rising. As I have said, for some reason beyond my ken these memories of the discarnate experiences are peculiarly evanescent, even more fleeting than ordinary dreams» — la insistencia en anotar de inmediato, con la causa otra vez declarada fuera de su alcance.

«He will feel that it is quite safe to leave the recording till the morning, but it is not. And at the risk of appearing wearisome I will repeat once more: the projectionist’s motto should be, “I may look, but I must not get too interested—let alone touch!”» — el error que anticipa en el lector y la repetición del lema del proyectante.

«The fact that it is really very funny for me to be advising people not to procrastinate or be too—let us say— inquisitive does not affect the wisdom of my words» — la ironía sobre sí mismo con que sostiene el consejo, sabiendo que él lo incumplió.

«I believe the art of conscious projection to be purely mental. From beginning to end the Will must be master, and when it loses its control the experiment is brought to a seemingly premature conclusion» — la tesis del método, dicha como creencia: la proyección consciente es un arte puramente mental y la voluntad manda.

«Perhaps this is not so evident in my “Locked out” adventure, when I was unable for a time to terminate the out-of-the-body experience, yet even then it was through the exercise of willpower that I managed at last to return» — el caso propio que podría objetar esa tesis y cómo lo resuelve sin retirarla.

«But let it be understood that I do not claim to possess exceptional willpower. I’m afraid I have been too lazy and easy-going. Occasionally in my astral journeys I can get where I want to; but as a rule I cannot—the currents are too strong for me—so on the whole my records make poor reading» — la abstención sobre sus propias dotes y el balance que le pone a sus registros.

«The reader with no practical experience of projection, even if he be kind enough not to doubt my veracity, may incline to the view that my methods lead only to a new state of consciousness, that the projection is only seeming» — la lectura escéptica que le concede al lector: sus métodos llevarían solo a un estado de conciencia nuevo y la proyección sería aparente.

«whether man possesses a soul or spirit, capable of functioning apart from his body, remains unanswered» — cómo cierra esa concesión desde la plana siguiente: la pregunta por el alma quedaría sin responder.

«Nor have I the least objection to his adopting this attitude. But let him follow my methods and achieve two or three successful Pineal Door projections, or even some of the Instantaneous kind, and I think he will be convinced that he has a soul and that it does leave the body in these experiments» — la prueba que le propone en lugar de discutir: que practique el método y saque su conclusión.

«Though I have stated the alternative view once or twice in this book, I am not sitting on the fence. I come down definitely on the side of projection; but it is only fair to add that my belief has been greatly strengthened by the “Elsie” experience and my researches in other occult directions» — dónde se para él, dicho sin rodeos y con las dos fuentes de su convicción declaradas: el caso Elsie y sus otras investigaciones.

«Yes, I have a soul. I have left my body many times, being fully conscious of my duality. I can still do it by the Instantaneous method when conditions permit; but please do not ask me to give a test demonstration!» — la afirmación más fuerte del libro y su límite en la misma frase: no puede dar una demostración de prueba.

«I might perhaps have done this before I lost my power, but now I cannot. I will return to this subject later on» — la reserva que agrega: acaso pudo antes de perder el método, y remite el asunto a un capítulo posterior.

«It is certain that a new state of consciousness results from the methods I have employed, and I have said I believe my soul really does leave my body, but I have also confessed that I do not understand the true nature of my modus operandi» — cómo abre el capítulo, separando lo que da por cierto de lo que no: el estado de conciencia nuevo es seguro, y el proceso no lo entiende.

«I have made experiments and (sometimes) noted the results, but I feel a far better brain than mine is needed to tackle the extremely obscure problems involved and formulate a satisfactory explanation of the underlying mental or spiritual process. I try to write clearly; yet when I get away from my records and attempt to elaborate thereon, I realize the job is much too big for me» — dónde pone su límite como autor, con el paréntesis sobre sus registros incluido por él: al salir de los registros y teorizar, la tarea le queda grande.

«So if this chapter induces in the reader a fogged feeling, it is fully shared by the author» — la advertencia con que encabeza el capítulo teórico.

«Projection made from the Dream of Knowledge. Sometimes this appears to be similar in nature to a true Pineal Door projection, but the consciousness has no memory of having passed through the “Door”» — el primer tipo de su clasificación: desde el sueño de conocimiento, a veces con la marca de una proyección pineal pero sin memoria de la puerta.

«Projection made after the False Awakening has led the experimenter to realize that he is in the Trance Condition. This may be either an Instantaneous projection, or a gentle separation—the Pineal Door, it would seem, having been passed while the experimenter was unconscious» — el segundo tipo: desde el falso despertar, instantánea o suave, y en el segundo caso con la puerta pasada sin conciencia.

«The experimenter is lucky enough to find himself in the Trance Condition straight away and has no memory of any preliminary Dream of Knowledge or of a False Awakening. Separation may be either Instantaneous, or gentle (see above), or (if the “Door” has not already been passed) a true Pineal Door projection may be attempted» — el tercer tipo: caer directamente en la condición de trance, con las tres salidas posibles desde ahí.

«Instantaneous projection made when in a state of self-induced trance; no preliminary dream, and no break in consciousness» — el cuarto tipo: instantánea desde trance autoinducido, sin sueño previo ni corte de conciencia.

«As (4), but a Pineal Door projection. This is the most difficult to achieve» — el quinto tipo, que él declara el más difícil de todos.

«Can a conscious projection be made from waking life without the Trance Condition?» — el primero de los problemas que enumera, con el adjetivo consciente subrayado por él.

«I have italicized “conscious”, because it would appear from cases cited by Mr. Shirley and other authorities that unconscious projections have been made without any degree of trance being manifest in the person whose double was seen. It may be, however, that in these cases a telepathic explanation is the more likely» — por qué acota la pregunta y qué hace con los casos de Shirley: los deja abiertos a una lectura telepática.

«In the early days of my research I should have said the answer to Problem ` was definitely “No”; but now I am afraid to be dogmatic» — cómo cambió de posición sobre ese problema y por qué se abstiene de ser dogmático. El troceo imprime aquí un acento grave donde iba el número del problema.

«My very good friend, Mr. G. Murray Nash (Paul Black), was walking home from the office in daylight through the busy street. Suddenly all the houses and people vanished. He was standing in beautiful open country. He walked on for a few yards and came to a flight of old stone steps leading down to the bank of a wide stream or little river. A boat of beautiful, but very ancient, design was moored there. Across the stern a rich purple robe had been carelessly thrown. Not a person was in sight anywhere. Mr. Nash was about to descend the steps, when the vision faded and he found himself walking on through the familiar street, and seemingly he had never stopped walking» — el caso ajeno que le impide cerrar el problema, con el testigo nombrado y su seudónimo: la calle que desaparece y el barco amarrado.

«This experience seemed to him to last for two or three minutes; but judging from his position on returning to normal consciousness, he had not walked more than half a dozen paces along the street» — la discrepancia de tiempo que él subraya del caso: dos o tres minutos vividos contra media docena de pasos andados.

«Such an excursion is, of course, extremely rare and is very probably different in nature from the projections I have made. It is more like a projection into the Past and recalls the famous Versailles adventure» — cómo clasifica ese caso sin asimilarlo a los suyos: más bien una proyección al pasado, emparentada con la aventura de Versalles.

«I have been told it is possible to travel from here to, let us say, China, without astral projection, as understood in this book, being involved. There is another method which might be colloquially described as “falling through a hole in oneself into the Fourth Dimension”. Needless to say, I do not understand how this is done, nor have I succeeded in doing it» — el método ajeno que consigna sin hacerlo suyo, con la ignorancia declarada: caer por un agujero de uno mismo a la cuarta dimensión.

«but it has bearing on those strange cases of people “taken by the fairies» — con qué material folclórico enlaza ese método.

«Does the Dream of Knowledge induce the Trance Condition? or is the awakening of the normally dormant critical faculty in a dream possible only when, for some unknown reason, the sleeping physical body has become abnormally entranced?» — el segundo problema, planteado como disyuntiva entre dos causalidades opuestas.

«If the former alternative be true, the Dream of Knowledge is the real starting point» — la primera rama de esa disyuntiva; la frase sigue en la plana siguiente.

«of the projection experiment; but if the latter be true, then the Dream of Knowledge is only a device which enables us to become aware that the physical body is in this unusually deep trance state» — la segunda rama: el sueño de conocimiento sería solo un recurso para advertir que el cuerpo ya está entrancado.

«In the ordinary way no attention is paid to the physical body in a dream, because the dreamer is not aware that the body in which he seems to be functioning is not his earthly body; and it looks as though this awakening of the critical faculty in the dream was necessary to draw our attention to the physical body and so bring home to us our seeming duality, to make us realize that we are “out”» — el papel que atribuye a la facultad crítica: llamar la atención sobre el cuerpo físico y hacer patente la dualidad.

«Scientists of the broad-minded type now hesitate to affirm that memory is merely a function of the physical brain, and I think it is pretty certain that the true seat of the critical faculty—allied as it is with the principle in us which asserts “I am I. I exist”—is also not to be found within the brain matter» — el apoyo que busca fuera y lo que sostiene: la sede de la facultad crítica no estaría en la materia cerebral.

«The realization of duality causes the Soul (to put it very roughly) to withdraw to an unusual extent from the sleeping body, and so the normal sleep-condition of the latter deepens into trance» — el mecanismo que propone, con la salvedad de estar dicho a grandes rasgos: reconocer la dualidad retira al alma y ahonda el sueño en trance.

«We can also dispense with the Dream of Knowledge and still obtain separation, but how do we do it? By starting with the critical faculty awake and concentrating upon this idea of duality, and the result is that the body becomes entranced. I therefore think the Dream of Knowledge does induce the Trance Condition» — cómo resuelve el problema 2, en favor de la primera rama y con el verbo de creencia.

«Problem 3. What is the Warning Pain?» — el tercer problema, sobre el dolor de advertencia.

«At first one is inclined to think it merely a celestial headache caused by the strain of concentrating on prolonging the dream, or that it results from blood-pressure and congestion in the physical brain; yet if this concentration be persisted in, the pain suddenly ceases. Why?» — las dos explicaciones fáciles que descarta y el dato que las desmiente: el dolor cesa si se persiste.

«It may be helpful to recall that when separation has been effected by the Pineal Door method the Warning Pain is not experienced» — el dato de control que aporta: por la Puerta Pineal ese dolor no aparece.

«Also, while the pain is felt, dual consciousness is operative, and the projectionist swings as it were between the dream-scene and his bedroom. The consciousness seems to be split, functioning simultaneously outside of and in the body. The seeming two halves are engaged in a battle, and I would suggest that the Warning Pain results from this» — la hipótesis que propone: el dolor sale del conflicto entre las dos mitades de la conciencia partida; la frase sigue en la plana siguiente.

«conflict. The psycho-analyst might consider this phenomenon a true, though evanescent, manifestation of split personality: a struggle between the Conscious Will and the Unconscious, the latter being charged with all the repressed fears of the Unknown» — cómo traduce esa hipótesis al lenguaje del psicoanálisis, atribuyéndosela a ese lector y no a sí mismo.

«Problem 4. What is the “click?” I cannot answer this question. The cause might be found within the physical brain, or it might be purely psychic» — el cuarto problema y la abstención con que lo abre: no sabe responderlo.

«Considered as a “sound” it is an illusion—similar to the noise-effects produced by blood-pressure» — lo único que sí afirma del clic: como sonido es ilusorio.

«I heard it when I fought the Warning Pain and got “locked out” in my dream, and I have frequently experienced it at the moment of passing through the Pineal Door, though sometimes I have failed to note it— perhaps because my attention was focused upon other happenings. I have heard it also when breaking a trance of exceptional severity» — el inventario de las ocasiones en que dice haberlo oído, con la falla de observación incluida.

«In the drowsy state that preludes sleep a mental image is formed of a well-known street or strip of country or room. The Will is then concentrated upon the idea of projecting oneself into this picture. When successful, the thing happens in a flash: the “click” is heard, and one is there» — el método adicional que describe aquí por primera vez: formar una imagen mental y proyectarse dentro de ella.

«A moment before, the picture was in the consciousness; a moment later—after the “click”—the consciousness appears to function in the picture which now forms the surrounding world» — cómo describe el resultado de ese método: la imagen que estaba en la conciencia pasa a ser el mundo circundante.

«On the three or four occasions when I have succeeded, I did not notice the “click” on the return journey to my body, which seemed practically instantaneous» — cuántas veces dice haberlo logrado y qué faltó en el regreso.

«It would seem, then, that this mysterious “click” may be heard when the consciousness switches from one state to another, or when a sudden change occurs in the range of vibrations to which the soul is capable of responding; but further than this I cannot go» — la conclusión tentativa sobre el clic, con el límite dicho por él: cambio de estado o de rango de vibración, y de ahí no pasa.

«Problem 5. Why did I experience such great difficulty in ending the dream and returning to my body on the two occasions when I fought the Warning Pain until it ceased? I do not know, nor can I hazard a guess» — el quinto problema y la abstención más rotunda del capítulo: ni respuesta ni conjetura.

«It seemed like a breakdown of the Will; yet as a rule, as soon as the mental control is lost the experiment is brought to an abrupt end. It was a complete reversal of the ordinary course of events and rather suggests the inexperienced magician who becomes the prey of the phantom he has evoked» — por qué le resulta anómalo el caso y con qué imagen lo describe: el mago inexperto presa del fantasma que evocó.

«Several times I have been tempted to get “locked out” again, and I have» — la tentación de repetir aquel episodio; la frase sigue en la plana siguiente.

«resisted the pain up to a certain point; but when the crisis seemed to be very near, prudence (or cowardice?) has prevailed» — por qué no lo repitió, con la duda sobre su propio motivo puesta por él entre paréntesis.

«Problem 6. Are the cataleptic symptoms real—i.e. physical—or only imaginary? Judging from my own experiences, and bearing in mind the well-known fact that catalepsy is easily induced under hypnosis, I think there is no doubt that these symptoms are real» — el sexto problema y la única respuesta afirmativa neta del capítulo, apoyada en la catalepsia por hipnosis.

«Problem 7. What is the true nature of the mental process which I have termed “passing through the Pineal Door?”» — el séptimo problema, que es el de su propio término central.

«From the standpoint of Psychical Research, I can only suggest that the concentration produces a temporary split in the personality; but with the aid of Theosophy I can get a little further» — las dos lenguas en que responde y lo que cada una le da: la investigación psíquica, una escisión temporal de la personalidad.

«The effect of turning one’s attention inward upon the pineal gland is to stimulate the chakras and increase their revolutions, thus inducing clairvoyance and clairaudience—hence the visual and auditory illusions of the Trance Condition—until, as a culmination, the consciousness becomes identified to some degree, albeit only very slightly and very imperfectly, with the Great Lotus of a Thousand-and-One Petals which we are told is situated just above the head, being therefore actually outside the physical body» — la explicación teosófica que toma prestada, con la fuente marcada como cosa que se le dice: chakras, clarividencia y el Gran Loto de mil y un pétalos por encima de la cabeza.

«It might therefore seem to the consciousness that it had left the body and was functioning apart from it» — la consecuencia que extrae de esa explicación y que relativiza su propia tesis: a la conciencia le parecería haber salido del cuerpo.

«It must be clearly understood that in my case only the first faint stirrings of the Lotus would be involved. To have it fully operative one would have to be either a Master or a very high Adept» — el límite que se pone: en su caso solo los primeros movimientos del Loto, y el pleno para Maestros o Adeptos.

«Aleister Crowley tells us in “The Temple of Solomon the King” (The Equinox, Vol. I, No. 4): “When the Kundalini is aroused, and enters the canal of the Sushumna, all the perceptions are in the mental space or Chittakasa. When it has reached that end of the canal which opens out into the brain the objectless perception is in the knowledge space or Chidakasa.”» — la cita de Crowley sobre la Kundalini y el Sushumna, que Fox trae con obra, volumen y número declarados.

«These are just suggestions which may, or may not, have significance, and they are not made in any dogmatic spirit; for, as I have said, I do not pretend to know what is the essential truth beneath my Pineal Door imagery» — el estatuto que le da a todo ese aparato: sugerencias sin dogma, porque no pretende saber qué hay bajo su imaginería de la Puerta Pineal.

«From my standpoint it does not» — cómo desacopla su método de la creencia; la frase sigue en la plana siguiente.

«matter if the student is a materialist and flatly refuses to believe that he has a soul, and considers his pineal gland to be merely a useless relic of some far-distant past. By doing certain things certain results will follow, and if he perseveres with my method he will at least succeed in demonstrating for his own satisfaction that a temporary phase of split personality may be induced at will» — lo que le ofrece incluso al materialista: el método daría un resultado comprobable, una escisión temporal de la personalidad inducida a voluntad.

«While, naturally, I am not prepared to put myself wholly under the microscope, I have tried to give the psycho-analyst a fair amount of material to work upon, should he seek to attempt a Freudian explanation of my projection experiences. And for this reason I have admitted some autobiographical matter which may have seemed not wholly pertinent to my subject» — por qué admitió material autobiográfico: para darle materia al psicoanalista que quiera explicarlo, con el límite de no ponerse entero bajo el microscopio.

«The psycho-analyst observes that a relation exists between Fact A and Fact B and then tells us that A is the cause of B; but my view is that both A and B are effects produced by X—a factor further back still—and to find X, look to the horoscope» — la objeción de fondo que le hace al psicoanálisis y su alternativa: A y B serían efectos de un factor anterior, que él busca en el horóscopo.

«You see, I know that astrology does work, but how many students of the Freudian school would admit this?» — cómo cierra esa disputa, con su certeza sobre la astrología y una pregunta retórica.

«What is the real difference between a Pineal Door projection and one made from the Dream of Knowledge or by the Instantaneous Method? Again I do not know» — el octavo problema y la abstención con que lo abre.

«but different rates of vibration, in the vehicle employed by the consciousness during its out-of-the-body adventure, may be at the root of the matter» — la única hipótesis que ofrece, en potencial: tasas de vibración distintas en el vehículo empleado.

«Beyond this vibration theory I cannot venture an opinion, but I can indicate the main differences observed by me in the results obtained by the three methods» — el límite que se pone y lo que sí ofrece en su lugar: la comparación empírica de los tres métodos.

«The setting is as a rule more astral in nature and consequently more spectacular and varied. Greater extremes of beauty and ugliness are encountered, and the fantastic element is more marked» — primer rasgo del sueño de conocimiento: escenario más astral, con extremos de belleza y fealdad.

«I am visible to the people I encounter and can therefore talk to them. For example, in a restaurant I can order a meal and even eat, but the distracting influence on the Will soon terminates the experiment» — segundo rasgo: en ese método sí lo ven y puede hablar, aunque la distracción termine el experimento.

«I am at all times liable to be swept away by a current, even as a leaf is caught up by a sudden wind» — tercer rasgo: la exposición constante a las corrientes.

«When levitating, it is difficult to rise more than a hundred feet» — cuarto rasgo del sueño de conocimiento: el techo de la levitación, con un fuerte tirón hacia abajo que la frase describe ya en la plana siguiente.

«I am subject to the Warning Pain and the pull of the Cord» — quinto rasgo: en este método hay dolor de advertencia y tirón del Cordón.

«The degree of realization of my out-of-the-body state varies, but generally it is very vivid. Just at times the possibilities for useful experiment will be missed and I am content to take things as they come, though quite aware of my identity and that my physical body is in bed» — sexto rasgo, con la variabilidad reconocida y las ocasiones desaprovechadas admitidas.

«Duration generally fairly short if the Warning Pain is obeyed. I mean, of course, the seeming duration. The time actually occupied, as measured by the clock, is another matter» — séptimo rasgo, con la distinción que él insiste en marcar entre duración aparente y tiempo de reloj.

«The effect is that I am earth-bound, a veritable pale ghost revisiting the glimpses of the moon. Except for a certain glamour, which enhances the beauty of the scenes and imparts an atmosphere of mystery and seeming vitality even to the commonplace and inanimate, the places I visit seem to be on this earth» — primer rasgo de la proyección por la Puerta Pineal: escenarios terrestres, con un resplandor que los realza.

«It is strange that this very painful and difficult method should lead to such ordinary—but exceedingly real— surroundings» — la paradoja que él mismo señala: el método más penoso lleva a los alrededores más ordinarios.

«As a rule I am quite invisible to the people I meet and therefore cannot talk to them. In a restaurant I cannot order a meal, because the waiter is unaware of my presence. If I spoke to him he would not hear; but if I touched him he would feel me and give such a start that the trance would be broken» — segundo rasgo: invisible y sin habla, pero el tacto sí lo delata y rompe el trance.

«However, if I do not concentrate my attention upon people, I can pass through their bodies without their becoming aware of my presence» — la excepción que consigna: puede atravesar cuerpos sin que lo noten si no fija en ellos la atención.

«Only very rarely have I been visible to another person and able to enter into conversation. And in these exceptional cases our talk has been of very brief duration; for the act of speaking divided my attention and upset my mental control, and the trance was broken» — el caso raro y su costo: hablar le parte la atención y le rompe el control.

«In Dreams of Knowledge I have frequently encountered beings who were seemingly far above me in spiritual grade; but I have never met with such in my fully-conscious functioning on the astral plane after forcing the Pineal Door. In all these experiments I have seemed to be peculiarly isolated, meeting no superior intelligence, nor have I come across a fellow» — la asimetría que registra entre los dos métodos: en el sueño de conocimiento encuentra seres de grado superior y tras la Puerta Pineal, ninguno.

«Once I have won through the intermediate trance state and passed the» — y tampoco elementales ni criaturas de los infiernos astrales; la frase sigue en la plana siguiente.

«Although still subject to the currents, they are less frequent, and as a general rule I have far more control over the experiment» — tercer rasgo: menos corrientes y más control.

«Levitation is much easier, very little or no downward pull being felt, and it is possible to rise to great heights. Indeed, a seeming height of many miles may be reached by slaying; but, as I have said, this method differs from levitation and is very dangerous» — cuarto rasgo, con la advertencia sobre el ascenso repetida una vez más. El troceo imprime aquí *slaying* donde el sentido pide *skrying*.

«There is no Warning Pain, and the pull of the Cord is seldom felt unless the experiment is terminated abruptly and involuntarily by some untoward happening breaking the trance. In this case the Cord—like a mighty rope of stretched elastic— seems to come into operation all at once, and I am drawn backwards with tremendous speed, re-entering my body with the effect of “a bang”» — quinto rasgo: sin dolor de advertencia, y el Cordón solo aparece de golpe si algo corta el trance.

«The degree of realization of the out-of-the-body state does not vary and is really perfect. The Pineal Door method scores heavily here. And the same applies to that wonderful feeling of well-being and mental clarity which my readers are probably tired of hearing about by now. Alas, that words should be so futile!» — sexto rasgo, donde declara superior a la Puerta Pineal, con la confesión sobre la insuficiencia de las palabras.

«Duration: here too this method is greatly superior; for a series of excursions may be made, without breaking the original trance, by returning to the physical body, strengthening the trance by concentrating upon it, and then leaving the body again» — séptimo rasgo y la ventaja operativa: series de salidas sin romper el trance original.

«The setting may be apparently on the earth, or purely astral, or switch from one to the other» — primer rasgo de la proyección instantánea: escenario variable entre lo terrestre y lo astral.

«When the earthly element predominates, I am invisible to people; but when the experience is more astral in nature, I am visible to people and can therefore converse with them» — segundo rasgo, ligado al anterior: la visibilidad depende de cuál elemento predomine.

«Astral currents at their strongest. As a rule I have very little power to influence the course of events. Even worse, from the “control” standpoint, than the Dream of Knowledge projection» — tercer rasgo: es el método con menos control de los tres.

«Levitation conditions much the same as in the Dream of Knowledge projection. Perhaps slightly better» — cuarto rasgo, con la comparación matizada por él.

«As in the Dream of Knowledge projection; but owing to the short duration of the average experiment, the Warning Pain and the pull of the Cord are not often experienced. Dual consciousness also is rare in projections of this kind» — quinto rasgo: dolor y Cordón poco frecuentes por lo breve, y conciencia dual rara.

«The degree of realization of the out-of-the-body state is usually quite good, and perhaps better than in the Dream of Knowledge projection; but it is inferior to that experienced beyond the Pineal Door» — sexto rasgo, con el orden completo de los tres métodos.

«The duration is, as a rule, very brief. Occasionally, however, I have seemed to be out of my body for about twenty minutes» — séptimo rasgo, con la excepción que él mismo consigna.

«It should be observed that these notes refer to conscious projections. As will be seen from some of my records, the actual separation may be made during a period of unconsciousness and be followed by the realization of the out-of-the-body state» — la salvedad con que acota toda la comparación: vale para las proyecciones conscientes.

«Sometimes, too, through failing to recognize the False Awakening, it will seem to the projectionist that he is getting out of bed at the time when he leaves his body, as in my “chocolates and parrots” record» — el caso en que la separación pasa inadvertida, ejemplificado con uno de sus propios registros.

«Yram, the French projectionist, among other rather startling statements, claimed to be able to achieve a whole series of projections, passing from plane to plane and leaving a chain of bodies, or vehicles, behind him in the process» — lo que Yram reclama, con la fuente declarada y sin hacerlo propio: series de proyecciones dejando atrás vehículos sucesivos.

«The word “chain” is mine and is, of course, misleading; the layers in an onion provide a better simile; but really, as I have said more than once, it is all a matter of vibration» — la enmienda que Fox le hace a su propia paráfrasis, señalando qué palabra es suya y no de Yram.

«I will make no comment on Yram’s claim beyond stating that I have three—and only three—records of a very puzzling nature, which do not seem to fit in with the classification I have attempted, and which do rather suggest that a second projection was made by me on these occasions» — la abstención sobre Yram y lo único que aporta: tres registros propios que no caben en su clasificación.

«But I do not feel at all sure about this, and I have at times thought that these three perplexing examples should really be called “Dreams of Making a Projection”, or more simply, “Pseudo-Projections”. I will now give these records, together with my notes made at the time, and leave the reader to judge for himself» — el nombre alternativo que les da a esos tres registros y la decisión de no adjudicarlos él.

«The room was nearly in darkness, so I tried to switch on the light, but it would not work. This told me that I was dreaming; but I believed myself to be lying on the sofa in this room, and I did not realize that I was in bed at Worple Road» — el registro del 23 de febrero de 1930: la luz que no enciende le dice que sueña, y aun así se cree acostado en el cuarto del sueño.

«I then made a great mental effort to leave my (astral?) body and found myself rushing through space at a tremendous speed until I suddenly came to rest in what I felt was another sphere» — la segunda salida dentro del sueño, con el signo de interrogación puesto por él sobre qué cuerpo dejaba.

«I was in a vast and lovely garden beneath an intensely blue sky. The effect was of brilliant sunlight, but I do not remember seeing the sun. Beautiful flowers abounded, and gaily-hued birds were flitting to and fro» — el jardín al que llega, con el detalle que él subraya: el efecto de sol brillante sin recordar haber visto el sol.

«I joined a stream of people, robed in various colors, and entered a large lecture-hall or temple. The people regarded me curiously, as though I were a stranger; but although they made no signs of welcome, they did not seem actually to resent my presence» — la recepción que describe en el templo: curiosidad sin bienvenida y sin rechazo.

«Then there appeared on the dais a thin, dark, austere-looking man robed in black. This priest, or teacher, at once singled me out and approached me. “You do not belong here,” he said—or words to that effect» — el hombre de negro que lo confronta, al que llama sacerdote o maestro, con la reserva sobre la exactitud de la frase.

«No,” I replied; “and as my body may call me back at any moment, you may as well let me stay as long as I can.”» — la respuesta que dice haber dado, que apoya en la precariedad de su estancia.

«Do you know where you are?” he asked. I answered that I believed all the people around me were what the world calls “dead” and that I too might perhaps pass to this sphere when my time came» — la pregunta del hombre de negro y la lectura que Fox da del lugar, en potencial: los presentes serían lo que el mundo llama muertos.

«Note: From my sensations, in the out-of-the-body experience and on my return to my physical vehicle, I am inclined to think that this was really a true projection» — cómo adjudica el episodio, con verbo de inclinación y apoyado en sus sensaciones.

«Apart from the curious fact that I had gone back in time some 23 years, to a period when my wife and I were living at Forest View, I was perfectly conscious of my condition after the failure of the electric light had told me that I was dreaming» — el rasgo que él deja sin explicar del mismo registro: el retroceso de unos veintitrés años en el escenario.

«I dreamed that I was at the office in the daylight. As I sat at my desk, I fell into a reverie and had a vision in which my wife was standing near some white flowers in a garden. I held the vision in my mind and was examining the flowers, when it occurred to me to try to project myself into this garden» — el registro del 20 de diciembre de 1930: una visión dentro del sueño y la decisión de proyectarse dentro de ella.

«With this end, I concentrated upon the white flowers. Then something seemed to snap in my head and instantly I found myself standing by my wife in the garden, which was flooded with bright sunshine» — el método aplicado y el resultado, con el chasquido en la cabeza como marca del cambio de estado.

«It was very interesting to note how all at once the white flowers had changed from a mere mental image into a seemingly solid reality» — lo que él destaca del caso: el paso de imagen mental a realidad aparentemente sólida.

«My wife was not surprised, though I must have seemed to appear quite suddenly. I explained to her my experiment and said that my body was at the office and that I supposed she must really be asleep and dreaming» — lo que le explicó a su esposa dentro de la experiencia, incluida su propia hipótesis sobre el estado de ella.

«Note: From my physical sensations on awaking and also the peculiar state of consciousness experienced in the dream, I think my body was actually in the trance state and that I was functioning in my astral vehicle at first, and later, perhaps, during» — cómo reconstruye el caso desde las sensaciones al despertar, con la duda sobre el vehículo; la frase sigue en la plana siguiente.

«the seeming projection, in my mental body. On rare occasions, when in the Trance Condition, I have concentrated upon a well-known scene and then succeeded in projecting myself into it. There came that queer sensation of a “dick” in the brain, and then I was there, the transition seeming instantaneous» — el remate de esa reconstrucción y el método que declara haber usado en contadas ocasiones: concentrarse en una escena conocida y aparecer en ella. El troceo imprime aquí *dick* donde el libro dice click.

«The fact remains, however, that in this “white flowers” experiment my consciousness was not as perfect as usual; for I did not realize that my physical body was in bed at Worple Road» — el defecto que él mismo señala en ese registro: la conciencia no fue tan perfecta como de costumbre.

«Nevertheless, for the reasons stated, I doubt if this experience can be dismissed merely as a dream within a dream, but it was of course purely astral (or mental?) in its setting» — lo que sostiene pese a ese defecto y sin cerrar el punto: duda que sea un sueño dentro de otro, y deja el escenario entre lo astral y lo mental.

«It was still dark when I awoke and there were no white flowers in our garden. My wife had no memory of dreaming» — los tres controles con que cierra el registro, los tres en contra de una lectura terrestre o compartida.

«With the shining exception of the “Elsie” projection, I must admit this book presents but little of evidential value as to the truth of astral projection» — el balance probatorio que Fox hace de su propio libro, con una sola excepción salvada.

«It does contain a large amount of evidence—verifiable, I believe, if the reader is prepared to take the trouble—that it is possible to obtain a new state of consciousness in which the soul appears to function outside of the body; but I have been on the whole singularly unfortunate in obtaining corroborative evidence as to the reality of my own seemingly discarnate experiences» — qué sí reclama haber probado y qué no: un estado de conciencia nuevo y reproducible, no la realidad de sus viajes.

«Several people have told me they woke in the night to find me standing by the bed; but though I do not doubt their word, on each occasion I have not been able to remember anything. And when I have seemed to encounter a person during my astral functioning, either he or she has failed to remember, or it has been a stranger, so that confirmation could not be obtained» — por qué le faltó corroboración, con los dos modos de fallar enumerados por él y sin poner en duda la palabra ajena.

«The question now arises: Can a really satisfactory test be devised? And the answer is: It depends upon our attitude and whether we are prepared to be moderately reasonable. If we persist in investing the Subconscious Mind, or the Superconscious Mind, with all the powers of the Almighty, obviously it is impossible to imagine how rigid scientific proof could be obtained» — cómo plantea el problema de la prueba: depende de que se acepte limitar los poderes atribuidos al Subconsciente.

«Spiritualists are in just the same difficulty; for the Subconscious Mind theory is infinitely elastic and can be stretched to cover every phenomenon of the stance room, every seeming manifestation of man’s survival—however convincing to the ordinary “non-scientific” mind. Indeed, it seems to me psychical researchers must just go round and round in circles, without getting anywhere, unless they can agree to limit somewhat the all-embracing powers at present credited to the Subconscious» — la objeción que le hace a la teoría del Subconsciente, extendida también a los espiritistas: es infinitamente elástica y por eso estéril. El troceo imprime *stance room* donde el libro dice séance room.

«It may be—and I believe it is—true that an infinitesimal Spark of the Logos exists in every man and that if he could make direct contact with this Divine Flame all knowledge would be open to him; but the Jewel is in a safe with seven locks, and not one man in a million can hope to glimpse it even once in his lifetime» — lo que concede de la doctrina de la Chispa del Logos y el límite que le pone: casi nadie alcanza a vislumbrarla.

«Therefore, I find it easier to believe I am in touch with a Master, a celestial being on another plane of existence, apart altogether from my consciousness (whether Sub. or Super.) and that the Golden Book came from Azelda and not from the Divine Flame in the superconscious minds of Paul Black and Oliver Fox» — cómo enuncia su preferencia, sin darla por probada: le resulta más fácil creer en Azelda que en la Llama Divina de dos superconscientes.

«I refer to our five-and-a-half years’ research in purely automatic writing, where the consciousness plays no part in the transmission of the script. My left hand rested on» — el trabajo de escritura automática al que remite, con su duración; la frase sigue en la plana siguiente.

«my partner’s right, and Azelda’s force entered at the top of my head and traveled down my left arm. P.B. felt it like a cold breeze (streaming from my fingers) upon the back of his hand, and then the pencil would start its tempestuous passage across the paper» — el procedimiento descrito con detalle mecánico, incluida la sensación que declara su compañero.

«We could talk, read, or sit with closed eyes, without interfering with the message. I refer the curious to “The Coming of Azelda’s Golden Book,” by Paul Black and Oliver Fox, published in the Occult Review for January, 1928» — el dato con que sostiene que la conciencia no intervenía, y la fuente publicada con sus dos autores y su fecha.

«Yet, despite its extraordinary subject-matter and cumulative effect, there are many people who would dismiss the 192,000 words of the Azelda Script as being merely an unusually complex manifestation of split personality» — la lectura rival que consigna para su propio material, con la cifra de palabras del guion incluida.

«And to them the great psychic opposition we encountered is only a sort of sublimation of the persecution mania frequently met with in mental cases. Ye gods and little fishes!» — cómo despacha esa lectura: no con argumento sino con una exclamación.

«But to revert to our proposed test. X is the ideal projectionist and his name is not Oliver Fox. X arranges with Dr. Z to visit the latter’s study, which he has never seen, at 9 p.m. on a certain day. Dr. Z invites a clairvoyant and a materializing medium to be present in the room at the appointed hour, but does not tell them why they are wanted. The clairvoyant sees X (a stranger to him) enter the room, finger various articles, and read a book lying open on a table, etc., and then writes a full report of all he has seen. X then goes to the entranced medium and manifests through him, and a photograph is taken of X’s materialized form. Finally, the next morning, Dr. Z receives X’s written account of all that he did when out of his body, including a passage from the book, and this is found to agree in every detail with the clairvoyant’s written report» — el experimento crucial que diseña, con cuatro participantes y doble registro escrito, y con la salvedad de que el proyectante no es él.

«Now such a test would, I think, be accepted by the majority of people as proof positive that X’s soul had really left his body, but it would all be explained away quite easily by the enthusiastic adherents of the Subconscious Mind theory. Their position is simply unassailable; but whether such an attitude is a reasonable one, in the everyday use of the word, is a debatable point» — el límite que él mismo le pone a su experimento: la teoría del Subconsciente lo explicaría igual, y su posición es inexpugnable.

«Is his path predestined to the end? Does his free will, seemingly negligible at first, become more and more perfect as he slowly and painfully— perhaps through countless “lives”—attains to union with the God within him, that infinitely precious Jewel of which I have spoken? I am sometimes tempted to think that all such questions resolve themselves into one, which is of insuperable difficulty to our three-dimensional brains: What is time?» — las preguntas con que abre el apartado del tiempo —el libre albedrío, las vidas sucesivas, la unión con el Dios interior— todas dejadas en pregunta y reducidas por él a una sola.

«It is almost forty years since my mother left me; and save for those fragrant» — cuántos años lleva sin su madre y lo único que dice haber recibido de ella; la frase sigue en la plana siguiente.

«contacts in my dreams, I have received only one message from her in all that time. It did not come from her direct, but was transmitted—through automatic writing—by a celestial messenger. She speaks of her “residence in timeless places where the call of the hours is heard not at the door of the Soul”» — el mensaje único, con su vía declarada —escritura automática y un mensajero celeste, no ella directamente— y la frase que cita de él.

«This message was beautifully worded, and in many ways all that I could desire, and yet my heart sank as I read it. This new mother seemed so divinely remote, so far ahead of me in wisdom and knowledge, so celestially calm and “non-human”, so utterly lost to that small boy who still exists in me» — por qué el mensaje lo decepcionó pese a estar bien escrito: la madre que le devolvía era una diosa remota.

«I wanted her to recall the day when she took me to Edmonton for a picnic and paddled in a stream and was startled by a frog. I can still hear the little scream she gave as it touched her leg. But she spoke of none of these dear trifles; and even if she had, they would have possessed no evidential value» — qué habría querido oír y la lucidez con que lo descarta: ni siquiera eso habría tenido valor probatorio.

«Yet near the end of her message she exclaims, “Oh, thy time!” And those three words struck home: there was my mother of long ago. For I could see again the charming, half-petulant movement of her head and her splendid eyes alight with mock indignation» — qué sí reconoció como suyo: tres palabras, y no el contenido doctrinal del mensaje.

«Sometimes I try an experiment that always fails. I visualize our sitting-room—the room where things “went wrong”—at Finsbury Park. I wear my sailor-suit and curl up in the comfortable depression in Daddy’s armchair. On a table near by are his microscope, cigar-cabinet, the green china elephant which served as a receptacle for ashes, and a host of other objects—one by one I recall them. And there is the piano where my mother played duets with me, and our hands were four white horses galloping side by side. My toy pump stands on the window-sill, and it has made a rusty mark on the paintwork—there’ll be trouble about that! The Strand Magazine is on my mother’s chair where she left it a few minutes ago. I can hear her moving about overhead. And on the ceiling is an incriminating patch, because I stood on the soap and upset my bath» — el experimento de volver al pasado por reconstrucción de una habitación, con el inventario de objetos que recuerda.

«Now, surely, I shall hear a “dick” in my brain, and I shall be there—back in the Past? The door will open, and my mother will enter. But no—I cannot do it! Always I fail» — qué esperaba de ese experimento y qué obtiene: el fracaso, cada vez. El troceo imprime aquí *dick* donde el libro dice click.

«Of course I am unable to recall many of the objects in that over-crowded Victorian room. The pattern of the wallpaper eludes me. Carpet, hearthrug and tablecloth—even some of the pictures—I can’t recall them, and yet they are all registered in some inaccessible region of my mind» — la explicación que se da del fracaso: los objetos que no puede recordar están, dice, en una región inaccesible de su mente.

«With the possible—if doubtful—exception of the Theseus adventure and those dreams in which I may perchance have contacted the Eternal Records, the door of the Past has proved unyielding; but the Future has opened, to some extent, many times» — el saldo asimétrico que declara: la puerta del pasado cerrada, la del futuro abierta muchas veces.

«I have had a good number of dreams of the type Mr. J. W. Dunne deals with in his An Experiment with Time; but they have all been trivial in nature or of small importance to me» — los sueños del tipo que estudia Dunne, con la obra declarada, y el acotamiento que él les pone: todos triviales.

«The most striking experience I have had of a prophetic kind was not a dream, but a vision. Very shortly after I had met the lady who was to be my wife and before I had fallen in love with her—indeed, I think this happened at our third or fourth meeting—we were walking along the Western Shore beside the railway. It was a dark night and very quiet until an express rushed past us like a fiery dragon, the glow from the furnace being reflected in the trail of smoke. As I watched the line of lighted windows flashing past and heard the roar and rattle, quite suddenly a picture formed within my brain: just an ordinary sitting-room in which my companion and I were seated on either side of the hearth; and then I knew with absolute certainty that we were destined to marry» — la visión profética que da por su caso más notable, con la certeza declarada en el momento mismo.

«Being young and impetuous and considerably shaken by this sense of destiny, I promptly told her what I had seen. And she said nothing at all for a few minutes and then took up our conversation at the point where the train had interrupted. But she was obviously not offended» — cómo reaccionó él y cómo ella, contado sin adorno.

«Some months later she told me that after our first meeting at a friend’s house—although finding me too talkative and dogmatic to be attracted by me—she had suddenly felt with almost overwhelming force that she had met her fate» — el testimonio de ella, que Fox consigna con la asimetría intacta y con el juicio que ella hizo de él.

«Yet on that occasion I had no sense of destiny and was not particularly interested in her, being too busy holding forth about my dream-research and Theosophy. So strangely do things happen» — la asimetría que él subraya: en el primer encuentro el presagio fue de ella y no suyo.

«Why is it that our spiritual experiences, like the roseate hues of early dawn, are so fleeting, so difficult to retain within the mind? Swiftly the exaltation passes; the memory becomes blurred; we question its reality. Did that really happen?» — la pregunta que recorre el libro sobre lo fugaz de estas experiencias, y la duda que deja en boca propia.

«I have gone further than many people along a certain path. I have talked with Masters in another world. I have seen—though from afar—Celestial Beings, great shapes of dazzling flame, whose beauty filled the soul with anguished longing» — lo que reclama haber alcanzado, con la distancia declarada en el caso de los Seres Celestes.

«And yet were it not for my records, the blessed written words—which ensure permanence, even though they veil and distort and make untrue—were it not for these, there are times when I should doubt everything; yes, even the reality of my Master. So hard it» — para qué le sirven sus registros y qué concede de ellos en el paréntesis: velan, distorsionan y falsean, y aun así lo sostienen contra su propia duda.

«is to kill the skeptic in me, nor do I want to altogether; for skepticism is very useful as an aid to preserving mental equilibrium» — el lugar que le da al escepticismo propio: no quiere matarlo del todo porque le sirve de equilibrio.

«As long as I can behave like a normal comfortably stupid person, it matters not though I be really mad as the proverbial hatter» — con qué criterio zanja la cuestión de su propia cordura.

«long time to me who wait; yet it may be only the equivalent of a few months in her strange, incomprehensible, “timeless” existence» — cómo explica el silencio de Azelda: la desproporción entre su tiempo y el de ella, dicho en potencial.

«Yet, though no message comes to me, I have a sense of nearness. It is as though my Master and I lived in the same house together, but in separate rooms. No sound can penetrate those walls, nor are there any windows, but still I know that she is there» — el símil con que describe esa presencia sin comunicación: dos cuartos de una misma casa, sin ventanas ni sonido.

«I am free to enter if I can solve the riddle of the intricate lock upon her door, but to do this I must understand Time and the Fourth Dimension. I can only wait and hope» — qué le falta para franquear esa puerta, según él: entender el Tiempo y la Cuarta Dimensión.

«One day the door may open and Azelda emerge from her so-long seclusion to make her wishes known. And I shall hear her voice again and see her calm, wise face» — lo que espera de ese día, enunciado como posibilidad y no como certeza.

«What of the Last Projection? There is nothing to fear. Be assured of that! The terror is not in us, but in the body—the poor, frail, animal part, so weary, yet dreading its coming dissolution» — cómo nombra la muerte —la Última Proyección— y dónde sitúa el terror: en el cuerpo, no en nosotros.

«Yes, young and strong again, shall we stand erect in the glamorous dawn of the new life, and stretch our spirit-arms to greet the glory of the rising sun» — la imagen con que describe el tránsito: jóvenes y erguidos otra vez en el alba de la vida nueva.

«My tale is told. Azelda shall speak the final words; for I can think of no more fitting end than this quotation from her Golden Book» — cómo cede la palabra final, con la fuente declarada: el Golden Book de Azelda, no su propia voz.

«When the last notes of the Summer Symphony steal through the garden, I shall prepare for a journey. I shall close the Book of Hours and set my seal thereupon with unfaltering hand» — apertura del canto que Fox atribuye a Azelda: la partida anunciada como cierre del Libro de las Horas.

«I shall need no gold for the journey: only the treasures of Love, the first-fruits of Sacrifice. Having not these, I must depart empty-handed» — lo único que el canto declara necesario para el viaje —Amor y Sacrificio— y la consecuencia de no tenerlo.

«No creed writ on paper shall serve as a passport: only the Laws of Devotion— Right Thinking, Right Doing—engraven by the sculptor of Life on the scroll of the Heart» — la parte del canto que niega valor a los credos escritos y pone en su lugar las Leyes de la Devoción, grabadas por el escultor de la Vida.

«The land to which I travel is not distant. Though I move to a new house, we shall still be as neighbor. The hedge which divideth is not an impenetrable thicket; it shall be pierced by the arrows of Love sped by a reverent desire» — cómo describe el canto la cercanía del más allá: un seto que las flechas del Amor atraviesan, no un muro.

«Then, when the Gong of Night striketh the amen to the Discourse of Time, I shall fling wide the door and go forth into the Dawn, singing. “How shuttered and silent the house after my going! None shall see me or hear me depart, save those having vision» — el momento de la partida en el canto, silenciosa para todos salvo quien tenga visión.

«Upon sandals winged as Thought shall I travel the roadway. I shall lift mine eyes unto the hills crested with glory. There, at the end of the journey, someone lovelier than the rose, tenderer than a mother, more understanding than the wise, will be waiting for me» — el destino que el canto describe, con la figura que espera al final sin nombrarla.

«My greeting, only these words: ‘Is it thou, Love?’ In answer, only these: ‘Come! It is I!’ “Then in silence, after the seeking, the tilling, the sowing, after the watching, the sorrowing, the hoping, into the fields of Harvest shall we go hand in hand.”» — el diálogo con que cierra el canto y el libro, en dos frases y sin doctrina.

«His original articles in the Occult Review in 1920, for which he is justly considered the pioneer in this field, were entitled “The Pineal Doorway,” and “Beyond the Pineal Door.”» — el prologuista data los artículos originales y da sus títulos propios

«In the text of this book, too, I find no passage in which he speaks of it as “Astral Projection.” I think the term was imposed upon him by his English publisher» — el prologuista adjudica el título «Astral Projection» al EDITOR, no a Fox

«this was really a “Pineal Door” projection, and the painful business of getting through the “door” was accomplished while I was unconscious on the physical plane» — usa su propio término, *Pineal Door*, dentro del cuerpo del libro

«My next discoveries were the False Awakening and the Trance Condition—the latter being really a much milder form of the cataleptic state already described and merging into it if the trance grows deeper, as later experience was to show» — nombra dos estados y los relaciona con la catalepsia

«I would seem to wake and remain quite under the impression that I was awake, and then some abnormal happening would show me I was in a state of trance» — la descripción del falso despertar, que es su criterio de control

«it is an extremely rare occurrence for two people to share apparently the same dream-experience and for both to remember it on awaking» — la cautela que se impone sobre los sueños compartidos

«Red Kestrel Books 2019, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means, electrical, mechanical or otherwise without the written permission of the copyright holder» — la línea de copyright fecha en 2019 el ejemplar que trocemos, de Red Kestrel Books; el año que registra el encabezado de esta ficha (2016) no sale del libro.

«Although in most cases we have retained the Author’s original spelling and grammar to authentically reproduce the work of the Author and the original intent of such material, some additional notes and clarifications have been added for the modern reader’s benefit» — la nota de esa misma editorial declara que conserva la ortografía y la gramática de Fox, y que las notas y aclaraciones añadidas son de ella y no del autor.

«Astral Projection was originally published in 1962 by University Books Inc., New Hyde Park, New York» — la portada de este ejemplar data la edición de la que desciende en 1962 y la adjudica a University Books; es la edición estadounidense que prologa John C. Wilson.

«O Soul, thou quivering, radiant bird! Wing from thy prison-house: God bids thee speed. Wisdom and love beyond the spoken word Await thee, freed» — el epígrafe en verso que la portada imprime sin firma, entre el nombre del autor y la dedicatoria a su esposa; el libro no dice de quién es.

«I owe my knowledge of this book to Hereward Carrington. In his introduction to Sylvan Muldoon’s book on the same subject, Dr. Carrington says of it: “The only detailed, scientific and firsthand account of a series of conscious and voluntarily controlled astral projections which I have ever come across is that by Mr. Oliver Fox, published in the Occult Review for 1920.”» — Wilson declara que llegó al libro por Hereward Carrington y reproduce el elogio, que Carrington escribió en su introducción a Muldoon y que se refiere a los artículos de 1920, no al libro.

«The book itself bears no date of publication. But, as the reader will note on page 117, there is a comment by the author dated March 1, 1938, so that the book must have been published thereafter. It appears to have been published just the once, in England» — Wilson consigna que el volumen inglés no lleva fecha y la infiere por una nota interna del autor de marzo de 1938; la fecha que corre como de composición es deducida, no impresa.

«If I had any control over the situation, I would prefer not to use the term “Astral Projection.” Much more simple and accurate is to use the term “Out of Body Experiences.”» — Wilson dice que él mismo preferiría no usar el rótulo del título y propone en su lugar el de experiencias fuera del cuerpo, por simple y por exacto.

«As far as I have been able to ascertain, Oliver Fox, himself, never uses the term “Astral Projection.”» — Wilson acota su hallazgo a lo que pudo averiguar y no lo enuncia como hecho cerrado.

«(As he explains in this book, one should not think that he is using the term pineal anatomically.)» — Wilson advierte, entre paréntesis y remitiendo al propio libro, que el término pineal de Fox no es anatómico.

«The point is that the term, “Astral Body,” which was made so popular by Mr. Muldoon, properly belongs to the doctrine of Theosophy, where it has quite another meaning, being one of five bodies, and not at all the most spiritual» — Wilson devuelve el término cuerpo astral a la doctrina teosófica, donde dice que es uno de cinco cuerpos y no el más espiritual, y adjudica su popularidad a Muldoon.

«One must recognize, however, that at least for the present Mr. Muldoon’s use of the term “Astral Projection” is the one most familiar to people today, and one will have to be content with it» — tras objetar el rótulo, Wilson lo acepta por uso corriente y acota la concesión al momento presente.

«In this use of the term, the Astral Body is the Double, or the ethereal counterpart of the physical body, which it resembles and with which it normally coincides. Each of us has one» — la definición que Wilson da del cuerpo astral en el sentido corriente que acaba de conceder: el Doble etéreo que se parece al cuerpo físico y coincide con él, y que atribuye a todos.

«The interested reader will find a quick summary of all this in Hereward Carrington’s introduction to Sylvan Muldoon’s book. Those who wish to go further will find a considerable amount of material in two books that we have published: F. W. H. Myers’ Human Personality and its Survival of Bodily Death and Mrs. Sidgwick’s Phantasms of the Living. There is also a short section, giving typical cases, in G. N. M. Tyrrell’s Science & Psychical Phenomena & Apparitions, which he entitles “Out-of-the-body” experiences» — la bibliografía complementaria que Wilson ofrece para los casos espontáneos, dos de ellos de su propio sello; adjudica *Phantasms of the Living* a Mrs. Sidgwick, y así se consigna.

«All these cases include very little conscious, experimental work in inducing out of the body experiences. It is for this conscious, experimental approach that Sylvan Muldoon is justly famous in his The Projection of the Astral Body» — Wilson separa el corpus de casos espontáneos del trabajo experimental deliberado, y en ese segundo grupo pone a Muldoon.

«There is an almost excessive modesty in Mr. Fox’s writings on this subject. It is plain that he feels deeply the need not to underline those of his experiences which carry more evidential weight than the others, he records his failures and inconsequential experiences at well nigh equal length» — Wilson explica por qué el libro se lee flojo: Fox no jerarquiza sus casos por valor probatorio y da igual espacio a los fracasos.

«Mr. Fox provides a quite precise methodology for inducing out of the body experiences. How unique this is in the literature is known to those of us who have had to chew a great deal of straw without result» — el argumento con que Wilson justifica reeditarlo: bajo la descripción casual hay un método preciso, y eso lo declara raro en la literatura.

«Inevitably, however, he has had to indicate his own Theosophical background. But we can share his experiments and experiences without embracing his Theosophical views» — Wilson reconoce el fondo teosófico de Fox y propone separar el experimento de la doctrina que lo enmarca.

«To put it even more plainly, out of the body experiences are facts no matter how each one of us explains them to himself. No genuinely open minded person has questioned this since Myers’ Human Personality and Mrs. Sidgwick’s Phantasms of the Living» — Wilson declara hecho la experiencia misma, con independencia de cómo se explique, y data el consenso en Myers y en el volumen que atribuye a Sidgwick.

«technique for inducing them offered by Oliver Fox. But whatever one’s final conclusion, his technique merits our study» — y deja abierta la técnica: se puede discutir, dice Wilson, y aun así merece estudio.

«Thank you so much for reading our book, we hope you really enjoyed it. As you probably know, many people look at the reviews before they decide to purchase a book» — la plana final del ejemplar es una petición de reseña firmada por Red Kestrel Books, aparato de la edición de 2019 y no del libro de Fox.

Puerta Pineal — El término propio de Fox para la salida del cuerpo: una trampilla imaginaria dentro del cerebro que se fuerza por un esfuerzo supremo de voluntad, con un clic al cerrarse detrás; él mismo advierte que sus afirmaciones sobre la glándula pineal no se tomen al pie de la letra y que la puerta puede leerse como enteramente imaginaria.

Glandula Pineal — Punto medio del cerebro donde dice condensarse el yo incorpóreo antes de la separación, situado ahí con reserva; el prologuista avisa que Fox no usa el término anatómicamente.

Sueno de Conocimiento — El *Dream of Knowledge*: saber dentro del sueño que se sueña, reconocido por una incongruencia o un anacronismo; Fox lo nombra en 1902 a partir de unas losas cambiadas de orientación y lo declara un nivel de conciencia distinto del sueño y de la vigilia.

Facultad Critica — La facultad que en el sueño duerme y hay que mantener despierta; Fox la gradúa con el ejemplo de la mujer de cuatro ojos y sostiene que su sede no está en la materia cerebral.

Falso Despertar — Creer haber despertado y seguir en trance; se detecta por una incongruencia y Fox lo declara la antesala más frecuente de sus proyecciones.

Condicion de Trance — Forma más leve del estado cataléptico, que se ahonda hasta él; trae luz dorada, ruidos, apariciones y desgana de moverse, y precede a la proyección, cosa que Fox tardó años en advertir.

Catalepsia — El estado en que encuentra su cuerpo al volver de un forcejeo con el dolor de advertencia; Fox lo da por físico y no ilusorio, apoyado en que la hipnosis produce catalepsia, y recomienda volver a dormirse en vez de forzar la salida.

Proyeccion Instantanea — Expulsión forzada del vehículo sutil por un esfuerzo fuerte de voluntad: se atraviesan las paredes en un destello, no da tiempo a la conciencia dual y suele haber lagunas; es el único método que conserva tras perder la Puerta Pineal.

Conciencia Dual — Sentirse a la vez acostado y de pie; disminuye al alejarse del cuerpo y cesa al salir de la casa, y acompaña al dolor de advertencia.

Dolor de Advertencia — Dolor frontal y en la coronilla que crece con el esfuerzo de sostener el sueño; Fox lo lee como aviso de volver, propone que sale del conflicto entre las dos mitades de la conciencia partida y consigna que no aparece en la proyección pineal.

Clic Cerebral — El chasquido que oye al cambiar de estado; declara no saber qué es, lo tiene por ilusorio como sonido y lo asocia al cambio de rango de vibración. El troceo lo imprime a veces como *dick*.

Cordon Elastico — La liga tensa que lo devuelve al cuerpo, sentida entre los omóplatos; Fox nunca la vio, salvo acaso bajo cloroformo, y consigna que otros proyectantes sí la describen.

Cuerpo Astral — El vehículo en que dice viajar; toma el término de la teosofía por conveniencia de público, admite que parte de sus experiencias serían más bien etéricas y a veces no ve vehículo alguno.

Cuerpo Eterico — El doble etérico teosófico, de alcance corto y atado por el cordón de plata cuyo corte es la muerte; Fox lo resume con la fuente declarada y lo deja como alternativa no decidida frente a lo astral.

Doble — El sueño recurrente de la infancia en que aparece un duplicado de su madre; Fox lo separa de la pesadilla común y lo atribuye a un trance hondo con algún grado de separación. Una vez vio su propio doble, viejo y malvado.

Extension — La otra pesadilla recurrente: un objeto que crece sin término y estira algo dentro de él. La atribuye también a trance profundo y a exteriorización, y la enlaza con la inhibición que después le cierra la Puerta.

Skrying — Ascenso vertical por pura voluntad, sin gravedad y con los brazos pasivos; Fox lo distingue de la levitación onírica, lo declara peligroso y dice no haber pasado de su primer intento porque tiene miedo.

Levitacion — Fox la describe con movimientos de remo y el cuerpo echado atrás; en el sueño de conocimiento no pasa de unos treinta metros y tras la Puerta Pineal sube mucho más. Fox sostiene que la fuerza motriz está solo en la voluntad.

Corrientes Astrales — Las corrientes que lo arrebatan contra su intención y le impiden llegar adonde se propone; son más fuertes en la proyección instantánea y menores tras la Puerta Pineal.

Plano Astral — Escenario de parte de sus viajes, que él distingue de los terrestres por indicios como la hora o el uniforme; sostiene que la contraparte astral de una ciudad se ve mayor que la terrestre y que en ella hay tranvías eléctricos, o no hay plano astral.

Registros Akashicos — Explicación teosófica que ofrece para sus sueños históricos y para el episodio de Teseo, siempre en potencial y prefiriendo el reflejo en la Luz Astral al contacto directo.

Forma Pensamiento — Lectura rival que él mismo aplica a sus dos apariciones mayores: la de Barrow, que declara más probable que la proyección, y la figura de Cristo, que da por forma-pensamiento de fuente desconocida.

Horoscopo — Donde Fox busca la causa última de sus dones y de sus fenómenos; da sus datos natales, sostiene que la astrología funciona sin entender por qué, y opone el horóscopo al psicoanálisis como factor anterior a los hechos que este correlaciona.

Subconsciente — Fox le reprocha a la teoría del Subconsciente ser infinitamente elástica y por eso estéril, y muestra con un experimento diseñado por él que ninguna prueba la refutaría.

Escritura Automatica — Cinco años y medio de trabajo a dos manos con Paul Black, con procedimiento descrito y fuente publicada; de ahí sale el Golden Book de Azelda y el único mensaje que dice haber recibido de su madre.

Maestro — Azelda, a quien llama su Maestro y a quien dice haber intentado alcanzar en dos registros; prefiere creer en un ser celeste aparte de su conciencia antes que en la Llama Divina de dos superconscientes.

Adepto — Grado al que remite lo que él no alcanza: el aura demasiado espléndida de Barrow, la guía necesaria para el *skrying* y el Gran Loto plenamente operativo.

Deva — Reino al que adjudica, con reserva y dejando al lector la salida contraria, la figura cónica de nieve con ojos azules que se le apareció tras un falso despertar.

Kundalini — La práctica del Raja Yoga con que empareja el paso pineal, apoyándose en una cita de Crowley sobre el Sushumna; lo ofrece como sugerencia y sin dogma.

Pseudo Proyeccion — Nombre alternativo que da a tres registros suyos que no caben en su clasificación y que podrían ser una segunda proyección o sueños de estar proyectándose; declina adjudicarlos y deja al lector juzgar.

Ultima Proyeccion — La muerte, nombrada así en el cierre del libro y descrita como despertar joven y erguido en el alba; el terror, dice, no está en nosotros sino en el cuerpo.

Tiempo — El fallo constante del estado proyectado: la identidad y la memoria quedan intactas y el sentido del tiempo no. Fox reduce a la pregunta por el tiempo las cuestiones del libre albedrío y del destino, y hace de entender el Tiempo la condición para llegar a Azelda.