Astral Plane

The Astral Plane is associated with the mental processes of thoughts, dreams, altered states of consciousness, and Psionic Energy. Certain psychics have the ability to mentally project their consciousness into this alternate dimension, but nearly every creature in the Material realm is able to temporarily interact with it in some form. For many higher brain functioning creatures, like humans, this is often through dreams, hypnotic trances, religious rituals, and/or psychedelic substances.

According to the Paranormal Multiverse Model, the Astral Plane flows generally perpendicular to the temporal vectors that anchor the Material and Ethereal planes. This implies two things:

1. time is not anchored to the Astral Plane, which is why there is no sense, experience, or effect of time associated with that plane;
2. the intersection with the Material and Ethereal Planes with the Astral is one-dimensional.

The first point explains the sense of timelessness or compressed time that one experiences while dreaming, entranced, or in an altered conscious state. The second point explains the perception of a person projecting themselves into the Astral Plane as being connected to the Material Plane by a one-dimensional "silver thread". Taken together, this also explains why the observer "snaps back" temporally when their consciousness returns to the Material Plane—time continues to flow, so when the consciousness returns, the jolt can seem jarring.

The equivalent of matter in that realm is called "ectoplasm", which is often described as a mist-like substance that flows like a silvery cloud until is coalesces into solid form. In the Astral realm, conscious, unconscious, subconscious, and extra-conscious thought is able to mold and shape the environment much like gravity, electromagnetism, and atomic forces shape the Material.

Geography

Those who are able to project their consciousness into the Astral Plane describe it as a "strange, chaotic place". These travelers describe the regions surrounding the "worlds" of ectoplasmic realities as appearing like a great sea of white and gray clouds. The breathable in-between "open sky" is like a clear night, and the distant worlds appear like glittering stars. Maelstroms of swirling, prismatic light twirl in between. Within each cloud bank, each world becomes solid and defined, each with different properties and characteristics.

Fauna & Flora

An almost infinite diversity exists here. Beings known in the Material Plane as fairies (or fae) are thought to originate here. Other fanciful creatures, like unicorns, and particularly hybrids like griffons, satyrs, centaurs, and pegasii, are also thought to have originated and live in the Astral plane.
Certain other creatures, like werewolves and other such lycanthropes, may not originate from the Astral Plane and may be Material beings, despite using copious amounts of ectoplasm to transform.

Natural Resources

The Astral Plane is the origin and source of Psionic Energy and ectoplasm.

Alternative Name(s)

the Dreamscape

Type

Dimensional plane