This is a text on the 'how to' of astral projection, dealing with 'how to get out of your body.' To some degree, it also addresses several things you can do on the Astral Plane. Let me emphasize that this is a very basic overview, and I strongly recommend that you read more on this topic. I recommend The Llewellyn Practical Guide to Astral Projection (Llewellyn Publications). First, a little background.
What is Astral Projection?
Astral Projection is the movement of your consciousness from the physical body to any place outside of it, most often the astral world, enabling observation of the physical world from a point of view other than that of the physical body and by means other than those of the physical senses. This movement forms an astral body - a representation that corresponds to your (usually subconscious) image of yourself. In the astral world, all physical objects have a replica. In addition, there are thought-forms, elementals, and spirits who have chosen not to continue on the Wheel. When used in ritual, these entities can carry out tasks such as healing, sending messages, or gaining information.
Many people have out of body experiences (OBEs) spontaneously while they are resting, sleeping, or daydreaming, for example, flying dreams. The majority of OBEs occur when people are in bed, ill, or resting, with a smaller percentage coming while drugged or medicated. By using various techniques, some people have cultivated the ability to have an OBE at will.
Interestingly, those who have 'willed' OBEs report different experiences than those who have undergone spontaneous OBEs. For instance the great majority of those who experience OBEs by design state that they find themselves still embodied, but in a body whose shape, features, and spatial location are easily altered at will, and an appreciable number refer to an elastic 'silver cord' joining their new body to their old one. A very small percentage of spontaneous OBEs mention being embodied, with some specifically state that they found themselves disembodied, and the 'silver cord' rarely mentioned. I personally believe that many features of self induced OBEs come from the subject's reading, and preconceived expectations.
Although OBEs may seem similar to Lucid Dreaming they are, in fact different. (Please see our Dream Work page for further information about Lucid Dreaming.)
On the following pages, we offer a way to learn to astral project yourself (its one I've used for years, and based on Denning and Phillips' technique. I've also included a description of Robert Monroe's method for achieving an OBE, and an article on the subject by Dan McClure.
I highly recommend the wealth of information available at:
http://www.astralvoyage.com/projection/index.html
~© Lisa Mc Sherry 2005, 2016,
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