Robert Monroe (1915-1995)

Robert Monroe was many things to many people.

His legend begins when he was a successful engineer and businessman in New York and Virginia. In the 1950s he experimented with sounds and binaural frequencies to assist the learning process during sleep. While testing the technology (which became Hemi-Sync) it triggered his first out-of-body experience. This moment was also the catalyst for the next chapter in his life.

Mr. Monroe wrote three books during his life: Journeys Out of the Body in 1971, Far Journeys in 1985, and The Ultimate Journey which was published in 1994 – right before his death in 1995.

I stumbled on to Mr. Monroe’s first two books during the 1980s. At the time I thought his books were interesting…he asked a lot of questions…but did not seem to have a lot of answers. Be that as it may, I was still fascinated with the hemi-sync technology and made a footnote in my brain, that if I ever had the money and the means, I would find a way to attend a seminar at Monroe Institute in Virginia.

In my opinion, the importance of Mr. Monroe’s first books was the suggestion that, “…we are more than our physical body”. In a very straight forward prose, he presented the idea that there is more going on within our own consciousness than we are aware.

Hemi-Sync technology is basically unique patterns of binaural frequencies that are sent through headphones. These frequencies assist individuals in quieting their internal chatter and help them attain deep meditative states without spending decades in a monastery. Mr. Monroe labeled these deep meditative states as Focus Levels (i.e. Focus Level 10, 12, 15, 21, 27, 34/35, etc.). Mr. Monroe’s books describe in great detail his experiences journeying through the various Focus Levels (or meditative states).

I re-discovered Robert Monroe in the 1990s when Remote Viewing was starting to make headlines on Nightline and his final book, Ultimate Journey, was published.

I enjoyed Ultimate Journey the most of his three books. They say that knowledge + experience = wisdom. By the time Mr. Monroe wrote his final book, he had decades of experience and a great deal of perspective on his 40 years as an explorer within the realm of consciousness.

Around this time, I also started to read the first round of books written by the Department of Defense’s Remote Viewers. I found it interesting that that the government sent the first remote viewers to the Monroe Institute to attend the Gateway Voyage seminar prior to being trained in remote viewing.

However, it made sense. Hemi-sync technology is a tool that can quickly quiet one’s internal chatter and attain deep meditative states. It is in these states that an individual is open to receiving information from a remote geographic location using something other than the known five senses.

All this got my curiosity aroused. I repeatedly visited the TMI (The Monroe Institute) website and tried to figure out how I could get from Alaska to Virginia to attend at least one seminar at TMI…

Little did I know that when the universe wants to make something happen…it happens very quickly.

In the end, I would eventually attend at least five seminars at TMI.


References:

Atwater, F.H. (2001). Captain of My Ship, Master of My Soul: Living With Guidance
Charlottesville, SC: Hampton Roads Publishing Company.

McMoneagle, J. (1993). Mind Trek: Exploring Consciousness, Time, and Space Through Remote Viewing. Charlottesville, SC: Hampton Roads Publishing Company.

Monroe, R. (1971). Journeys Out of the Body. New York: Doubleday.

Monroe, R. (1985). Far Journeys. New York: Doubleday.

Monroe, R. (1994) The Ultimate Journey. New York: Doubleday

Targ, R. & Katra J. (1998) Miracles of Mind: Exploring Non-local Consciousness and Spiritual Healing. Novato, CA: New World Library.