Astral projection refers to an out-of-body-experience (OBE) during which the astral body leaves the physical body and travels to the astral plane. People often experience this state during illness or when involved in a near death experience, but it is also possible to practice astral projection at will. This article contains instructions on how to get started.

Preparing for the astral projection

1 Start in the morning

Rather than practising astral projection at night, right before you go to sleep, start in the early morning hours when you're still fudging drowsy. Some say that it's easier to reach the necessary state of relaxation and heightened awareness around dawn. Yet it is possible to astral travel at any time so there are no hard and fast rules. It is a personal preference or simply astral travelling when we feel empowered to do it.

2 Create the right atmosphere

Astral projection requires a state of deep relaxation, so it should be performed in a part of your home where you're completely comfortable. Lie on your bed or sofa and relax your mind and body.

It's easier to perform astral projection alone than it is with someone else in the room. If you usually sleep with a partner, choose a room other than the bedroom to practice astral projection. A good time to do it is when no one else is in and make sure no one is going to walk into the room when you're in astral flight.

Draw the shades or curtains and rid the room of distracting noises. Any type of interruption could disrupt the state of relaxation you need to achieve.

3 Lie down and relax

Position yourself on your back in your chosen room. Close your eyes and try to clear your mind of distracting thoughts. Concentrate on your body and how it feels. The goal is to achieve a state of complete mind and body relaxation.

Flex your muscles and then loosen them. Start with your toes and work your way up your body, gradually making your way to your head. Make sure every muscle is completely relaxed when you are through.

Breathe deeply and exhale completely. Don't hold tension in your chest and shoulders, just relax.

Focus your mind on your breathing. Don't get carried away with thoughts of outside worries, and don't get preoccupied yet with the idea of your soul projecting from your body. Just let yourself sink into relaxation.

It can be helpful to use a quartz crystal to raise and speed up your vibrations as preparation. Gently hold the crystal on your third eye slightly above the centre of your eyebrows with closed eyes and breathing deeply. Feel the vibrations and your head clearing; you can envision golden, white, purple or any colour light if you like. During the meditation and astral travelling you can hold the crystal in your hand or place it on your chest or abdomen. The crystal will empower and protect you because of it's high vibrations; negative energies have lower vibrations.

4 Reach a hypnotic state

This hypnotic state is normally known as the hypnagogic state. Let your body and mind approach sleep, but don't completely lose consciousness. Being at the edge of wakefulness and sleep, a hypnotic state, is necessary for astral projection to occur. Reach this state using the following method:

Keeping your eyes closed, let your mind wander to a part of your body, such as your hand, foot or a single toe.

Focus on the body part until you can visualize it perfectly, even with your eyes closed. Continue focusing until all other thoughts fall away.

Use your mind to flex your body part, but do not physically move it. Visualize your toes curling and uncurling, or your fingers clenching and unclenching, until it seems as though they are physically moving.

Broaden your focus to the rest of your body. Move your legs, your arms, and your head using only your mind. Keep your focus steady until you're able to move your whole body in your mind alone.

5 Enter into a state of vibration

Many report feeling vibrations, which come in waves at different frequencies, as the soul prepares to leave the body. Don't be afraid of the vibrations, since the presence of fear might cause you to leave your meditative state; instead, succumb to the vibrations as your soul prepares to leave your body.

6 Use your mind to move your soul from your body

Imagine in your mind the room in which you are lying. Move your body in your mind to stand up. Look around yourself. Get up off the bed and walk across the room, then turn around and look at your body on the bed.

Your OBE is successful if you feel as though you are gazing upon your body from across the room, and that your conscious self is now separate from your body.

It takes a lot of practice to get to this point for some people, though for others it comes as naturally as breathing. Either way it is possible for everyone if it is desired and practised enough! If you have trouble completely lifting your soul from your body, try lifting just a hand or a leg at first. Keep practising until you're able to move across the room.

7 Return to your body

Your soul always remains connected to your body with an invisible force, sometimes referred to as a "silver cord." Let the force guide your soul back to your body. Re-enter your body. Move your fingers and toes - physically, not just in your mind - and let yourself regain full consciousness.

Exploring the astral plane

1. Confirm that you are projecting your soul from your body

Once you have mastered the act of projecting your soul from your body in the same room, you will want to confirm that you were indeed in two separate planes.

Next time you practice the astral projection, don't turn around to look at your body. Instead, leave the room and walk into another room in the house.

Examine an object in the other room, something that you had never noticed before in the physical sense. Make a mental note of its color, shape and size, paying attention to as many details as possible.

Return to your body. Physically go into the room you previously projected yourself into. Walk to the article you examined during the astral travel. Can you confirm the details you noted when you explored the object with your mind?

2. Explore further

During subsequent astral projection sessions, go to locations that are less and less familiar to you. Each time, note details that you had never noticed before. After each session, physically verify the details. After a few trips, you will be experienced enough to travel to locations that are completely unfamiliar with the confidence that you have actually performed astral projection.

3. Return to your body

Some say that astral projection is dangerous, especially when one gets enough practice to explore unfamiliar places but it need not be. Those people simply don't understand it or fear it because they don't use enough protection,.as long as you ask for protection in your own way it'll be a good experience. Before you astral project it is nice to imagine yourself bathed in a glowing, white light. Imagine it as a cloud around you or inside you; this will protect you from other thought forms or negative energy forms.

There is so much to get into, but know that no harm will come to you unless you think it will. The thrill of having an OBE keeps some people out of their bodies for long periods of time, which is said to weaken the silver cord but the silver cord cannot be weakened. It is pure energy and energy can't be eliminated or removed, only moved from one place to another, or one form or another so don't worry about astral travelling; it is natural, powerful and healing.

The silver cord can never be broken, but it is said that your soul can be delayed from re-entering your body if you spend too much energy outside of it. Yet your soul and body are so intrinsically entwined that the soul will naturally come back when it's right to.

Some say that demons can inhabit the body while the soul is being projected. If you fear this may happen, protect your body by blessing the room with a prayer before you perform projection. It is only here say anyway and seeing as you'll have already asked for light protection nothing bad will occur.

Your soul can also interact with other astral projections. Try it with a friend who has practiced as much as you have. Some say astral sex is mind blowing. However, remember to always return to your body.

It is possible to heal others during astral travel; this is a form of distance healing that is very powerful. Envision the sick person, perhaps lying in their bed. It doesn't matter if they're not physically in their bed while you're doing it because time and distance becomes void when you're in the astral plane. Always ask for protection, healing power and guidance from whoever you pray to and envision light; you can ask during astral projection as and when you wish. See light in your hands as white and strong as you can, and if you feel ready put one hand on their forehead and another on their abdomen and pour the light into them. Your intentions must be pure and you should be feeling nothing but love for them. Sometimes people will report back to you that something amazing has happened to them, even though you didn't tell them you were the source of it! Enjoy your astral journeys!