You’ve probably heard of people who claim they’ve had out of body experiences. They may even have explicitly referred to it as astral projection. It’s likely you’ll also have seen this seemingly mysterious practice in supernatural movies.
Consequently, you might wonder whether it’s really possible to astral project, or if it’s just a myth or fantasy?
As it turns out, anyone can learn the skills required to begin astral projection, and it can be a profoundly positive, life-changing experience. However, the reality of astral projection may be quite different from what you imagine, so it's important to get a concrete sense of what it really is before you attempt to cultivate the necessary skills.
This beginner's guide will walk you through the meaning, history, and practice of astral projection. We'll also explore how your everyday life can influence your ability to astral project, and why everyone should try to learn this skill.
So, what exactly is an out of body experience? In the simplest terms, astral projection is about separating your spirit, or essence, if you prefer, from your physical body. It is typically described as a feeling of floating above or away from your resting body, and many people report being able to see themselves lying or sitting below.
Although this might sound daunting or even frightening, you are in complete control of what happens. You remain connected to your physical form at all times and are always free to return, but while you’re projecting you can explore what’s called the “astral realm.”
Essentially, it involves reaching a new kind of purely mental or spiritual awareness. When you're in this place, you are disconnected from the concerns of the body and can focus purely on your deepest nature. For many people, out of body experiences facilitate discovering their true purpose and what they really want from life.
The concept of astral projection (or out of body experiences) is not new, even though you'll often find the relevant literature under the “new age” heading. From what we can tell, people have been astral projecting for up to 5,000 years now.
For example, you can find references to astral projection in the texts of priests from Ancient Egypt. It is also represented in art from the same time period, often depicted as a glowing light leaving the body behind.
Astral projection is also a cornerstone of Shamanism. Shamans believe that the practice allows them to seek guidance from higher powers and that this contact facilitates healing and promotes clarity.
Meanwhile, many other religious and spiritual practices refer to astral projection in less direct terms. In Kundalini yoga, for example, you are taught that every being is constructed of multiple layers, which fits well with the idea that these layers might separate through processes like astral projection.
There has always been a debate about whether astral projection is real.
However, the sheer number of people claiming to have experienced it over thousands of years strongly suggests that it is something significant and powerful. The best way to decide what you believe is to try and learn the required skills for yourself.
You can find all sorts of different exercises designed to help you with astral projection. Some of them can enhance your abilities in a general sense, while others are geared towards accomplishing specific goals through out of body experiences (e.g. relaxation, self-discovery, spiritual awareness).
Today, we'll simply focus on the most fundamental elements of astral projection, offering you an easy step-by-step guide that you can repeat as often as you like. The more you practice these steps, the easier it will become to instigate an out of body experience and to remember what you've learned during your astral projection.
The right conditions for astral projection are very similar to those required for meditation.
The ideal space and environment checklist:
You may find that bed is the ideal space for this exercise, whether you are just waking up or will shortly be going to sleep. However, other people prefer to stay on the floor, either lying on a soft surface or sitting on cushions. If you can think of any special touches that help you feel calm (such as soothing music or an incense burner), feel free to add those as well.
Finally, do remember to switch off your phone, and to ask anyone else in the house to give you some privacy.
To enter a hypnotic state, you want to relax almost to the point of falling asleep. Begin by breathing slowly and deeply, in through your nose and out through your mouth. As you do so, focus on breathing from your diaphragm rather than your chest. Do this for at least a few minutes, and notice the slowing of your heartbeat.
Next, focus on each body part one by one, deliberately loosening all of the muscles as you go. Start at the top of your head, imagining your forehead muscles letting go of all of their built-up tension.
Then, work all the way down to your toes. If you've done a body scanning meditation before, the procedure is exactly the same here.
By the time you finish, you should be in a deeply relaxed, highly suggestible state. It is at this point that you're maximally primed for projection.
Even if you're used to practicing meditation, this stage of entering into a state of vibration should be new to you.
Allow yourself to notice tiny vibrations in your body. As you focus on these, they will begin to come in waves and at apparently different frequencies. This can be a little unsettling when you are astrally projecting for the first time, but there is nothing to fear. You can exit your hypnotic state at any time, and if you become too nervous then you may leave that state involuntarily.
Try to relax into the waves of vibrations as they come. This is your soul temporarily preparing itself to leave your body behind. Once you're used to out-of-body experiences you may find that the vibrations also bring a feeling of peace. If you don't think you feel any vibrations at first, don't worry. Simply continue to breathe deeply, and they will arrive in due course.
You've now arrived at the most crucial stage of astral projection: moving the soul from the body.
However, this can involve quite a bit of effort at first, and it will need to be done in stages.
You'll know you have achieved genuine astral projection when you feel like you are gazing at the body as something truly separate from your soul or self. Some people manage to do this the very first time they try, and others need to practice the exercise many times before success. This is not an indicator of your talent or ability, so don't give up.
It's so important that you remember astral projection isn't just about what you do when you're traveling out of your body. It is also about how you conduct yourself in everyday life. If you become very good at focus and concentration outside of astral projection, you'll take these skills into your projection journey and the whole process will become simpler.
Some good ways to boost your general focus include daily meditation and mindfulness exercises, as well as self-reflective hobbies such as diary writing. Anything that keeps you lucid and aware is an asset when you're learning astral projection.
If you find yourself struggling to focus during your chosen projection time, try switching to a different time (e.g. evening instead of morning). There is no one time or approach that is right for everyone. Get to know when your mind is at its sharpest and most powerful, and use that time to your advantage.
You'll get the most out of astral projection is if you work on fully recalling your experiences after the fact. This may not come naturally, as astral projection can be qualitatively similar to dreaming or hypnosis.
The smartest thing you can do is take notes immediately after your journey, keeping them as clear and concise as possible. It may be that you can only remember words, images, or ideas, so don't feel you need to write full sentences.
In addition, some people prefer to sketch or draw an impression of their experience. Your choice will depend on whether you are a more verbal or visual person.
If you know others (online or in-person) who are learning more about this, why not try astral projection hypnosis?
You can share what you remember with them is also a great way to improve recall. And above all, have fun! This is an adventure that can help you learn and grow as a person, so enjoy it.
