All about astral projection

If everybody believed in astral projection, virtually everybody would want to do it. We have been so conditioned to believe that it is either impossible or extremely dangerous, though, that we have a mental block against even trying it. There is little that can be said to those who steadfastly refuse to believe that we are spirits who happen to be experiencing a physical incarnation. They will learn the truth in due time. If you do believe, though, that is the first step towards consciously experiencing the freedom and joy of astral projection. The second step will be in overcoming your fears.

Many, if not most people who attempt to have an out-of-body experience report that the first time it happens, they suddenly become fearful and return to their physical bodies even before they are completely released from them. This is normal and natural. The first time you try anything new and exciting, there is an element of fear involved. Have you ever tried bungee jumping? That knot in your stomach you get just before you jump is exactly the same thing that pulls you back into your body when you first realize that you actually can leave your physical body. When you watch bungee jumping on TV, you may think, "That looks fun!" but when you're staring down from a high platform, the reality of what you're doing sinks in and your survival mechanism kicks in to try to prevent you from jumping.

There are two ways to overcome fear. One of them is to "just go." You look down and before fear gets the better of you, you jump. The other way to overcome fear is to stand back and analyze the risks versus the rewards. When you bungee jump, you know that thousands of others before you have done it safely. This helps you overcome your fear enough to take that leap of faith into the unknown.

If you feel your spirit detaching from your body, you can use either one of these techniques to help you overcome your fear of exiting your body. Many people say that the way they finally managed to get out of their physical body and astral travel the first time was by literally pushing their way out of the body. This works for some, but others find that they instinctively push with their physical hands or feet and suddenly find themselves back in waking consciousness.

The other, gentler way to do it is to analyze your fears and see if they have any foundation. When you read accounts of astral projection online, you occasionally run across an account from someone who says they narrowly escaped from a dark astral entity or some other horrible fate. There can be several reasons why this might happen, but generally it is because the person went too far on their first attempt. Fear is your greatest enemy in any unfamiliar situation. That's why it's best to start slowly and get your bearings. Most teachers of astral travel will instruct students to call on their spirit guides or other benevolent helpers before they set out on an astral journey. Others recommend staying close to home, so to speak, on your first attempts.

One successful first time astral traveler only did so when he was traveling and decided he wanted to go to an internet café to check his email. He happened to be sleeping at the time and was surprised when he felt himself sitting up in bed and realized he had left his body behind. This was the first time he had gotten even that far, because on his previous attempts fear held him back. Sensing no danger, he got out of bed and walked to the door of his bungalow, through the unopened door and into the night, with every intention of just taking a short walk to the internet café. Thrilled with the freedom of being released from his physical body, he looked up at the stars and the next thing he knew, he was flying through space. Everything was fine until he realized how far away from his body he was. Then fear took hold and he quickly returned to his body.

This novice astral traveler learned a valuable lesson from his experience. You can't really get lost when you astral travel, because you are always connected to your physical body until the physical body dies. Just as you can will yourself to be in deep space or an internet café and be there in an instant, you can always will your way back into your body.

If you want to try astral projection, first learn some techniques to get you started. Then set yourself a modest goal, like simply getting outside of your body and turning around and looking back at it. This should be enough to quell your fears. Like any new undertaking, astral projection is as safe or as dangerous as you want to make it be. Take it safe and before you know it, it will be easy.