Re: common states of mind??
Hi Al,
Good luck! A lot of terms are bandied about as though they have real meaning, but connecting them to objective reality is not so easy.
Sleep paralysis is a legitimate physiological phenomena. It's an essential part of the body's function, allowing sleep to occur without tossing and turning. Mind awake/body asleep refers to the situation where sleep paralysis occurs whilst still conscious - such as under deep theta/delta stimulus.
Out of body experiences (OOBE) and astral projection are interpretations of the impression of travelling to or being aware of places, people or events whilst in various trance-type states. Understanding of such phenomena falls into to broad generalisations - those who believe in an external reality accessible via the mind, and those who believe that reality to be wholly within the mind.
Cheers,
Craig