other, by a simple act or effort of will, whenever he may wish to do so.
Advanced occultists are often able to function on both physical and astral
planes at the same time, though they do not often desire to do so. To
vision astrally, the trained occultist merely shifts his sensory mechanism
from physical to astral, or vice versa, just as the typewriter operator
shifts from the small-letter type to the capitals, by simply touching the
shift-key of his machine.

Many persons suppose that it is necessary to travel on the astral plane,
in the astral body, in order to use the astral senses. This is a mistake.
In instances of clairvoyance, astral visioning, psychometry, etc., the
occultist remains in his physical body, and senses the phenomena of the
astral plane quite readily, by means of the astral senses, just as he is
able to sense the phenomena of the physical plane when he uses the
physical organs--quite more easily, in fact, in many instances. It is not
even necessary for the occultist to enter into the trance condition, in
the majority of cases.

Travel in the astral body is quite another phase of occult phenomena, and
is far more difficult to manifest. The student should never attempt to
travel in the astral body except under the instruction of some competent
instructor.

In Crystal Gazing, the occultist merely employs the crystal in order to
concentrate his power, and to bring to a focus his astral vision. There is
no supernatural virtue in the crystal itself--it is merely a means to an
end; a piece of useful apparatus to aid in the production of certain
phenomena.

In Psychometry some object is used in order to bring the occulist "en