Podcast Summary: Astral Travel with Robert Temple

Podcast: New Thinking Allowed Audio Podcast
Host: Jeffrey Mishlove
Guest: Robert Temple
Release Date: May 1, 2025
Main Theme:
Jeffrey Mishlove interviews author and researcher Robert Temple about his decades-long experiences with astral projection, encounters with non-physical entities, and what these experiences reveal about the structure of the afterlife and consciousness. The conversation blends personal narrative, cross-cultural insights, and reflections on the boundary between imagination and ontological reality.

Episode Overview

Robert Temple discusses his unique nightly experiences with what he interprets as astral travel—initially as a passive observer linked to an interstellar “probe,” and later as an active “dreamwalker” traversing realms inhabited by the dead. He details the structure and inhabitants of the so-called “other world,” his interactions with guides and entities, and the philosophical implications of his experiences. The conversation delves into distinctions between fantasy and genuine transcendental experience, and links ancient traditions with modern parapsychological research.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Robert Temple’s Early Astral Experiences

• Galactic Probe Live Stream ([03:56]–[10:12])

  • For a decade, Temple found himself nightly “plugged into” a consciousness stream from an automated probe searching for moons and planets throughout the galaxy.

    “Every night I would be plugged into like a sort of live stream of an exploring satellite...somebody rather hooked me onto its live stream.” (A, [03:56])

  • He observed countless crystalline moons, many so distinctly detailed over thousands of nights that he doubts it could be fantasy alone.

    “How could I invent 10 years worth of...20, 30 moons a night and multiply that by 10 years?...That’s too many moons to invent.” (A, [07:45])

• Speculation on Plasma Entities ([05:30]–[07:31])

  • Temple and Mishlove discuss the possibility that these probes are conscious plasma entities, tying in Temple’s earlier research on plasma physics and consciousness.

2. Transition to Dreamwalker and Afterlife Realms

• Becoming a Dreamwalker ([10:12]–[29:40])

  • Approximately 30 years ago, the experiences shifted to nightly visits to the “other world,” encountering tens of new personalities each night, totaling over 250,000.

    “If I’m doing this by my own creative fantasy I must be the greatest fantasist in the history of the universe...I don’t think it’s possible. So by Occam’s razor, it must be true that they really exist.” (A, [10:12])

  • Temple identifies as a “dreamwalker”:

    “I must rush to say that I’m by no means the only dreamwalker...Many people do what I’m about to describe. It’s just that they have amnesia when they wake up.” (A, [10:12])

• Guides in the Other World ([14:00]–[18:00])

  • A central “woman guide,” always in a gray gown with an unseen face, insists that Temple share his observations with the earthly public.

    “She’s saying, you have to tell people on Earth, the public, these things that I’m showing you. That’s why I’m showing them to you.” (A, [12:45])

  • Guardian entities, not to be called “angels,” aid the process:

    “My Guardian has communicated with me on her orders. She’s higher than him...they don’t like being called guardian angels.” (A, [18:00])

• Structure of the Afterlife ([21:00]–[29:40])

  • The “other world” is divided into three: the Pit (hell), the Light Regions (heaven), and the Gray Regions (a vast middle, analogous to purgatory), with most deceased residing in the gray regions.

    “It’s like what Julius Caesar said about Gaul...all Gaul is divided into three parts. The same is true of the other world.” (A, [21:00])

3. Detailed Descriptions of the Afterlife Regions

• Gray Regions: Levels and Inhabitants ([29:40]–[44:37])

  • Millions of hierarchical levels, constructed as if inside a hollow, artificial sphere.

    “I realized that this whole thing is inside a hollow sphere...it’s been constructed. This is not natural.” (A, [37:00])

  • The lowest levels are bleak:

    “I saw these sort of giant slugs crawling along...these are the lowest level of people that we have in the middle region. They’re so bad that they can’t even take on human form.” (A, [32:30])

  • The upper levels are pleasant; residents can shape their surroundings through imagination—creating homes, landscapes, or even golf courses.

• No Physical Sensuality, but Retained Gender and Scent ([39:00], [51:15])

  • Sexual anatomy or reproduction are absent, yet gender distinctions persist and matter profoundly.

    “Gender transcends sexual form that we have here on Earth.”

  • Scent, especially aromas like incense or food, uniquely carries across realms.

    “The only physical sense that carries over is scent. You can detect aromas in the other world. And the ancient shamans came to realize this...” (A, [52:00])

4. Behavior of the Dead and the Nature of Encounters

• Dreamwalkers as Entertainment ([44:44]–[51:15])

  • The dead, recognizing dreamwalkers by their nakedness (in contrast to clothed denizens), taunt and scare newcomers, often staging elaborate “haunted house” scenarios akin to movies.

    “One of their favorite things, especially the younger ones, is to pretend to be evil demons...They think that’s hilarious.” (A, [44:44])

• Dream Construction and Boredom ([44:44]–[49:19])

  • Activities are ultimately fruitless, leading to boredom and eventual hibernation or “amber” suspension until reincarnation.

    “They basically hibernate until it’s time for their next incarnation.” (A, [41:40])

5. Affirmations of Ancient Knowledge

• Alignment with Historical Esoteric Traditions ([41:00], [54:30])
  • Much of what Temple found in the “other world” matches ancient religious ideas (Tibetan Bardo, incense for the gods, afterlife structures).

    “Some of the things that I read were so, so fantastic that even I...was dismissing these things as just complete childish fantasy...So much of it turns out not to be at all.” (A, [41:00])

6. Plasma Beings and Encounters in the Waking State

• Encounters on Airplanes and with Plasma Entities ([63:16]–[73:08])

  • Temple describes meeting a tall, luminous plasma entity while asleep on an airplane, communicating telepathically, interested in humans who “have light.”

    “She bent over...kissed the top of my head and woke me up...She said, I go into the planes and study humans...most of them are all dark...you and your wife are the only ones who have light.” (A, [66:23])

  • The entity explains her people avoid Earth’s surface due to “lizards,” symbolic of growing evil, forcing good beings to higher atmospheric levels.

    “We can’t go down there because of the lizards. It was her language. She said, and the lizards get worse all the time.” (A, [69:40])

• Plasma/Automaton Entities ([73:08]–[79:56])

  • Temple details an encounter with a colossal, spinning plasma cylinder entity named “Orthar,” with an acronymic English name, visible to both him and a witness.

    “He said, Orthar. My name is Orthar. You mean O R T H A R. Yes...That stands for orbital reconnaissance, terrestrial hugging, automated rover, doesn’t it? Yes.” (A, [73:45])

7. Language and Communication in the Other World

• Encounters with Non-English Speakers ([80:06])
  • Most visits are in English-speaking areas, but in the “disembodied” state, Temple can speak fluent German, suggesting mental translation is possible.

8. Philosophical Considerations: Fantasy or Reality?

• Mishlove repeatedly raises the skepticism that these experiences may originate from imagination or creativity, but Temple’s shared visions with others (as in the plasma cylinder witnessed by his coworker) suggest possible objectivity.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Veracity of Experiences:

  “If I’m doing this by my own creative fantasy I must be the greatest fantasist in the history of the universe...So by Occam’s razor, it must be true that they really exist.” (Robert Temple, [10:12])

• On the Smell Crossing Over:

  “The only physical sense that carries over is scent...If you burn mountains of frankincense, it can be smelt by non physical beings.” (Robert Temple, [52:00])

• On Ancient Traditions Being Accurate:

  “Some of the things that I read were so...fantastic...so much of it turns out not to be at all [fantasy]—accurate to the most astonishing and almost terrifying degree.” (Robert Temple, [41:00])

• On Guides and Their Hierarchy:

  “My Guardian...got really upset by being called an angel. He said, none of us are angels. Guardian angel is wrong. Angels are very high and we would never dare to call ourselves angels.” (Robert Temple, [18:00])

• On the Boredom of the Dead:

  “All these dead people in the middle regions are bored stiff. There’s nothing to do. You can’t accomplish anything.” (Robert Temple, [44:44])

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Topic / Segment | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:56-07:31 | Astral travel via galactic probe; crystalline moons and plasma entities | | 10:12-14:00 | Dreamwalking and the nightly afterlife encounters | | 14:00-18:00 | Description of guides, the woman in gray, and guardian entities | | 21:00-29:40 | Structure of the afterlife: Pit, Gray Regions, Light Regions | | 29:40-44:37 | Detailed gray regions; levels, inhabitants, and artificial construction | | 44:44-49:19 | Dead people’s boredom; interactions with dreamwalkers | | 51:15-54:30 | Aroma, incense, and food in the afterlife | | 63:16-73:08 | Encounters with plasma beings (airplane and Orthar the cylinder) | | 80:06-80:38 | Language skills in the afterlife: speaking German fluently as a disembodied mind |

Tone and Language

The discussion is candid, speculative, and tinged with a sense of humor and humility. Temple oscillates between skeptical reflection and direct reporting of his experiences, while Mishlove frames questions with a blend of scientific interest and open-mindedness. Both acknowledge the difficulty in separating fantasy from alternate realities, and the limits of current vocabulary to fully describe such experiences.

Final Thoughts

This episode provides a captivating, at times whimsical, but deeply thought-provoking exploration of the afterlife and non-physical realities as experienced by Robert Temple. Both guest and host invite listeners to question the boundaries between imagination, ancient wisdom, and possible ontological truths of consciousness beyond the body. Whether approached from a psychological, spiritual, or scientific lens, the conversation remains accessible, richly detailed, and infused with curiosity.

“You don’t mind talking to somebody who’s out of his mind. You have a very wide tolerance.”
— Robert Temple ([81:00])

“Well, you’re out of your mind in the very best way.”
— Jeffrey Mishlove ([81:10])

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