All the sciences explain each other to some extent. Psychologically, Mental Travel and Astral Travel is Lucid Dreaming. Magically, they are literally the traveling on the mental and astral planes, and the resonating of consciousness with the planes. Biologically, it is chemical production and secretion and nervous system impulses between the brain and body. In terms of Physics, it is changes in the energetic state and frequency of our consciousness and minds especially in relation to the different content and information in it.
Do not make the mistake of assuming that because it is explained by the other sciences that there is not a magical side to the phenomenon. The mind literally exists on the mental plane, and the astral body literally exists on the astral plane. Our minds and astral bodies are connected to the physical body by energetic interactions and energetic links. For instance, the mind is connected to the brain through an energetic link that extends from the mind on the mental plane to the 6th chakra on the astral plane which is energetically connected to the brain. These laws have been symbolized by such terms as Heaven, Purgatory, Hell; the Caduceus when not symbolizing the spine and kundalini; the ladder of lights when not symbolizing the spine and chakras; the so-called spiritual ascension and descending of spirits; and more.
Most people simply lucid dream, i.e. they are creating experiences on the mental plane unknowingly, and so cannot experience the mental plane as it is without interfering. Lucid dreaming is mental travel, not astral travel, in which the person is creating their own experiences usually unknowingly with their mind and its content. Obviously, because our thoughts, beliefs, et cetera are mental phenomenon they affect the mental plane. This is why most people's experiences conform with their expectations, beliefs, religious beliefs, thoughts, programming, et cetera. Astral travel is also heavily influenced by our minds, as the mental affects the astral plane, this is why we can use visualization in magic to cause effects. Remember, the astral plane also influences the physical.
Once you master lucid dreaming, the next step is to inhibit your mind from creating your experiences. In fact, this is why deprogramming and practices like the Munka working are so useful besides for breaking your connection with the enemy. Once, this is done you will begin to experience the mental plane as it is. You then lastly, rid yourself of the last bit of manifestations your mind is creating for you on the mental plane. Once this is all done you can then begin to work on the mental plane and astral plane knowledgeably, and for instance, use your mind not to create experiences, but magically actually contact the gods instead of your mind simply manifesting thought-forms or self-created experiences of so-called gods.
Now, you can see why there is so many differing experiences in magical traditions, and why magic is so flexible, and why you have to be careful to make sure you are actually creating magical effects or having genuine experiences and not simply creating experiences on the mental plane and astral, nor simply hallucinating. Furthermore, this is why training programs like that in the Spiritual Warfare Training Program for Satanists, and Initiation into Hermetics are so useful and important.
Great post, and very interesting documentary!
Hail Satan, Hail Thoth
