Astral projection for enlightenment? Help me understand.

I’m seeking guidance to better understand some profound experiences I’ve had after a long journey of spiritual awakening. It’s been over a decade of searching for answers after a dark night of the soul caused by a lot of suffering and a paranormal experience me and my family lived in a house. My path eventually led me to Robert Monroe’s Gateway Tapes, where I explored astral projection (AP) as a means to seek answers. While I felt the vibrations a few times, I never had a successful AP and eventually stopped practicing.

Recently, everything changed after a Kundalini awakening during an Ayahuasca ceremony. It healed so much within me and showed me the universe's true nature—love and oneness. Since then, I’ve been meditating daily and feel deeply connected spiritually.

Here’s where I need your insights:

My AP/OBE Experience

A few days after my Ayahuasca ceremony, I unintentionally had my first successful out-of-body experience (OBE) but didn't last much (basically I wandered through my house for like 1 minute). Recently, I intentionally induced another that lasted more. Here’s what happened:

  • I woke up at 5 a.m., stayed awake for half an hour, then went back to sleep. In that state of half-sleep, I felt the Kundalini energy rise from my lower spine to my cervical spine, where it “stuck.” The vibrations were intense and accompanied by a loud ringing in my ears.
  • It was kind of uncomfortable, but decided to relax and endure the energy. It worked—the vibrations rose to my skull (crown chakra I believe), and I successfully exited my body.

In the OBE, my house looked the same but had subtle differences. For instance, I saw my family talking in their room, though they were actually asleep in reality. I later left my house and flew over my city. I decided to connect with the higher light I encountered during my Ayahuasca ceremony, meditated in the astral, and entered a different dimension.

I ended up in an empty room with a TV. The screen had a documentary and a voice told me “Welcome, Alejandro” (not my name), and I felt the presence of Jesus speaking to me (at least that's what I thought there). Confused, specially by being called a wrong name, I left the room and returned to my body.

These experiences left me with so many unanswered questions. I would deeply appreciate it if you could share your wisdom and insights with me.

Here are some of my questions so far:

  1. Why does Kundalini energy seem more active early in the morning, especially when I’m tired and recently woken up? Should I focus on meditating during these hours? Is this related to energy flows during early morning or does it has more to do with the state of my mind (e.g circadian rhythm)?
  2. When we astral project, are we exploring another dimension? The subtle differences I noticed in my house during my experience make me wonder if the astral realm is a mirrored version of our world with slight variances. When traveling to other dimensions, is it possible to achieve the same insights or experiences that are typically associated with DMT and Ayahuasca journeys?
  3. How meaningful are AP experiences on the path to enlightenment? Do they provide valuable insights, or are they symbolic like dreams? Should I interpret experiences like the “TV room” as messages with deeper meanings from my higher self?
  4. Much of the literature I’ve read advises against meditating with the expectation of specific experiences. However, could these types of experiences be considered meaningful steps toward enlightenment? Are they reflective of what meditation for the purpose of enlightenment—such as Kundalini yoga—should look like? Or do these experiences align more closely with the principles of dream yoga?
  5. For those with experience in Kundalini energy: I noticed the Kundalini energy getting stuck in my cervical spine, requiring significant time and effort to rise fully to the crown chakra and enable the OBE. Does this suggest that my throat chakra might be blocked? I’ve been meditating with the “VAM” mantra and using the water symbol mudra to work on my sacral chakra, as I’ve read that it’s essential to work sequentially from the root chakra upward. However, could this persistent blockage at the cervical spine indicate a need to specifically focus on “unclogging” the throat chakra?

This morning, I tried again and felt the Kundalini energy rise but couldn’t focus enough to sustain it. I’d love to hear your advice, wisdom, and thoughts on all of this. Thank you for sharing your wisdom :)