Astral Projection (AP) can be a learned ability for those who are committed to their desire and can stick to a practice for a while. This article is an accumulation of what I have learned through my own practice and obtained from reading several books. It is designed as a beginner's primer to teach you, the interested seeker of knowledge, the basics of AP. I will begin by defining what is AP.
There are several questions that come to mind when one begins to study AP. The first question generally falls along the lines of, "Can it be done?" My answer to that is an emphatic "Yes!". AP is not only a fun undertaking for those with a keen eye towards the spiritual, it is also a very useful tool for any ritual practitioner, regardless of their religious orientation.
Because I enjoy wikipedia, here is their definition of Astral Projection: "Astral projection (or astral travel) is an interpretation of out-of-body experiences (OBEs) achieved either awake or via lucid dreaming, deep meditation, or use of psychotropics. Proponents of astral projection maintain that their consciousness or soul has transferred into an astral body (or "double"), which moves en tandem with the physical body in a parallel world known as the astral plane."
For the sake of simplicity and length, I am going to address the type of AP that is a result of deep meditation. Of course, this means that one must have begun to master the art of meditation.
Meditation is essential, in my opinion, to just about every type of religious practice and is beneficial to calm the mind, ease stress, and more importantly, to focus intent and will. Without the practice of calming the mind, clearing the thoughts, and focusing, conscious AP is nearly impossible.
Seek out a quiet place of your choosing, preferably away from distracting light. If you can make this space free of electronics all the better (except the radio if you decide you wish to use music). This is the place where you will come regularly and learn to relax. There are several articles on meditation throughout the Internet. Choose whatever method of relaxation works for you. If you have never meditated before, I recommend quiet music or ambient noise (although I've heard of people achieving results with death metal) and a dark room lit by candles but little else. Be free from distraction, so having a pet in the room or familiar in the room that is going to be pouncing on your lap every other minute is a bad idea. if you live with others, be sure that they are aware that you are not to be disturbed for the next 30 minutes. As you grow in your ability to meditate and project, your periods of meditation will grow longer. 30 minutes is an excellent starting point and a lofty goal for the beginner to attain.
Sit with your back supported against a wall or in a chair. You may also choose to lie on the floor or a bed. Beginners may wish to avoid this because it often leads to falling asleep for a nice cat nap vs a successful AP. The greatest importance is finding a position that you can maintain for at least 30 minutes without cramping or falling asleep.
Once you have found your position, close your eyes and begin to relax. Focus on your breathing. There is an excellent resource here on VR written by Stabb666. You may find it here: Stabb666's article on breathing. Focus on your breathing and allow your thoughts to come and go freely, as they will do during your first few seconds. Some believe that focusing on a symbol in your mind is helpful. If you choose to do this, then pick a symbol that is simple and easy to hold in your mind's eye for a prolonged period of time. Others use the chanting of monosyllabic tones to help focus the mind inwards. After the first 30 minutes, you may have achieved a sense of calm to where no thoughts are intruding. But keep in mind that thinking "Wow it's quiet in here" is a distracting thought as well.
This calmness of mind is likened to being a frame of "no-mind" in eastern traditions, where there is no thought, only awareness of the inner spaces of the self. If you are no longer fighting the urge to stand, open your eyes, move, or think about your day then congratulations, you are in a relaxed state of mind.
Once this state of mind has been achieved, conscious AP is possible. There are several methods and if you wish to find a good book for beginners, I recommend Edain McCoy's "Astral Projection for Beginners". She offers many methods of projecting out of your body in a very simple straightforward manner.
My personal favorite is to begin counting breaths, starting with the number 1 and working very slowly to the number 12 to represent the cycle of the calendar year. Then I count 13 to 1 to honor the 13 moons of the year. As you begin the countdown from 13, see yourself walking down a flight of 13 steps. If distraction or distracting thoughts enter your mind at this phase, then stop, take some deep breaths and let them go freely. The more you fight them, the more distracted you become.
As you reach the bottom step, exhale very slowly and as you do, will your spirit to exit with your breath and find yourself in a different place. At this point, there are several tell-tale signs of whether or not you are achieving a separation.
Many who study AP have reported at this phase to sense a spiraling feeling going downwards. Others report seeing small balls of energetic light. Yet others get the sense that they are literally coming out of their skin and this startles them so that they snap awake. If you feel resistance at this point, like something is holding you back, keep in mind that this is normal. Subconsciously we associate the energy body's departure with physical death, but this is not the case with a conscious AP. There are some old-schoolers who insist that you create a "cord of light" to attach your etheric body to you so that you can find your way home. I have found this to be not only unnecessary but a useless distracting detail. If you are snapped back into this level of existence, don't give up. But this would be a good time to leave it alone for a day and try again. This is the hardest bump in the road to achieving successful AP. But if you make it past this point you might be amazed at where you find yourself.
I will close this article by mentioning some of the practical uses of AP. Some practitioners create their ritual space on the astral realm in the form of large Gothic cathedrals. Others have been able to visit a friend far away. Still others have met up with a friend or relative who has departed this plane of existence. Some have gone to view their Akashic Records of past lives and recalled to their waking memory the experiences of another life time. Yet others use this method to contact their spirit guides. The possibilities are endless and it is my hope that you will achieve successful projection after successful projection.
With time, the minutes required to calm the mind and enter an altered state of mind will lessen, and so will the time it takes to focus and willingly project your being away from your body. Good luck, and happy trails to you, the astral trailblazer.
