Lady Victoria Eclectic Pagan's blog: "Astral Projection"

Astral Projection Astral projection, or the out-of-body phenomenon, is one of the most life-changing events that can ever take place. For many it will remove any fear of death but it should also be acknowledged as an exhilarating experience that is totally unique. The reason that, I believe, it is not immediately accessible to most people is because it could easily become a distraction from the mundane life that we are all supposed to be living. Each one of us is on an individual path that we are required to follow, given that we are aware of our direction, and astral travel can appear so much more exciting by comparison. These paths are the ultimate reason for our being here in the first place and they can be just as magical if we choose to make them so. The out-of-body phenomenon certainly has a place in our existence but it ought not to be allowed to dominate it. Having said this, I would also mention that if it were more readily achievable, what a superior alternative it would provide to the recreational drugs that are currently destroying the lives of the people that take them and of the people that are affected by the consequences of this evil industry. For those who wish to try leaving their physical bodies there are a number of practical tips that may help. Sleep If you are constantly tired when you go to bed then you will sink into a dreamless sleep. Try getting a good nights rest plus an extra hour so that you are more alert on the following night when making your attempt at projection. Diet Magicians stick to a simple diet as a preparation for ritual magic and so should you. Heavy foods and alcohol will affect your chances of success so keep it light and eat plain fish with salad accompanied, perhaps, by one glass of wine to aid relaxation. Intent You must have a clear intention to succeed in your aim. A gentle determination and sense of purpose together with a little creative visualization will set you on the right course. Breathing There is not enough time here to go into this subject in any great depth but at least you should try to breath deeply, steadily and comfortably. Do not adopt any pattern of breathing that feels unnatural, just aim for complete and enriching breaths. State of mind One of the major reasons that people do not experience out-of-body states is because we are all tethered to the material and physical aspects of our lives. If you are going to succeed in your attempt then you will need to alter your state-of-mind. This means that you have to ignore any thoughts that dwell on our earthly perceptions, needs and sensations, as you must endeavor to reach a neutral frame of being. You could describe this as an openness or potential in its raw form where possibilities become probable. If your mind is cluttered with earthly thoughts you will block out the place where events can occur. Destination Sometimes imagining yourself to be travelling to a chosen destination promotes the exit from your body. Try visualizing yourself walking through a familiar place and then make a detour that takes you into unfamiliar territory. The Conscious mind When you are on the verge of leaving your body you can expect to experience common fantasies that are thrown up by your conscious mind in order to disguise what is taking place. Various scenarios such as a fall off a mountain or a stumble down a flight of stairs will occur but if you can get past these tricks and remain awake you will discover that the fantasy was actually hiding the sensation of movement away from your body. You will, at this point, be entirely cognizant of your surroundings and your sense of well-being will be manifest. I hope that these tips help you to reach the transformation in your life that follows your first journey away from your body. Once you have witnessed this alternate reality you will carry the knowledge with you for ever after.

Quiet your mind. Clear your thoughts. In your mind say: "I'm going to count down from 3 to 1, visualizing each number on a white orb suspended in the air above my head. When I reach the third and final "1" my body will be deeply relaxed. I will have no awareness of physical sensations. I will not perceive any physical discomfort. My consciousness will be focused on my astral body. Now visualize a white orb suspended in the air above your head. Mentally focus on the orb I visualize a number "3" on the face of the orb. The numbers can be any color. They may vary with each experience. Visualize the 3 --three times: three number "3's" on the orb. Your body is completely relaxed. You are losing awareness of your physical body. Then repeat the visualization with three number "2's." You are into greater relaxation. Now visualize the "1's." You are losing awareness of physical sensations. Your consciousness will be in your astral body. Repeat this using the number "1's" three times. Your consciousness is now in my astral body. This could involve training of several sessions. You may also find audio tapes that take you down into these altered states as well. You getting better and faster as you go along each time. There is no set agenda for how often you practice astral projection or any other out-of-body technique. It soon becomes fun. It is like a deep meditation. Now the key is to remain conscious while my body is asleep. Different thoughts may pull you from your focus as the mind loves to chatter. Just push these thoughts away.

Taken from Leaving The Body: A Complete Guide to Astral Projection, D. Scott Rogo, Prentice Hall Press One of the chief barriers people learning to project face is fear. Many are afraid that they may die, or be harmed in some way as a result of their projection. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The Canterbury Institute, renowned for its occult studies, executed an experiment in projection involving over 2,000 people. None of them were hurt in any way by this, and now, three years later, none have complained of any newly arising problems. Once you are aware that you cannot be harmed by projecting, you should begin Monroe's techniques, step by step. Step one: Relax the body. According to Monroe, "the ability to relax is the first prerequisite, perhaps even the first step itself" to having an OBE. (out of body experience) This includes both physical and mental relaxation. Monroe does not suggest a method of attaining this relaxation, although Progressive Muscle relaxation, coupled with deep breathing exercises (inhale 1, exhale 2, inhale 3...until 50 or 100) are known to work well. Step two: Enter the state bordering sleep. This is known as the hypnagogic state. Once again, Monroe doesn't recommend any method of doing this. One way is to hold your forearm up, while keeping your upper arm on the bed, or ground. As you start to fall asleep, your arm will fall, and you will awaken again. With practice, you can learn to control the Hypnagogic state without using your arm. Another method is to concentrate on an object. When other images start to enter your thoughts, you have entered the Hypnagogic state. Passively watch these images. This will also help you maintain this state of near-sleep. Monroe calls this Condition A. Step three: Deepen this state. Begin to clear your mind. observe your field of vision through your closed eyes. Do nothing more for a while. Simply look through your closed eyelids at the blackness in front of you. After a while, you may notice light patterns. These are simply neural discharges. They have no specific effect. Ignore them. When they cease, one has entered what Monroe calls Condition B. From here, one must enter an even deeper state of relaxation which Monroe calls Condition C- a state of such relaxation that you lose all awareness of the body and sensory stimulation. You are almost in a void in which your only source of stimulation will be your own thoughts. The ideal state for leaving your body is Condition D. This is Condition C when it is voluntarily induced from a rested and refreshed condition and is not the effect of normal fatigue. To achieve Condition D, Monroe suggests that you practice entering it in the morning or after a short nap. Step Four: Enter a state of Vibration. This is the most important part of the technique, and also the most vague. Many projectors have noted these vibrations at the onset of projection. They can be experienced as a mild tingling, or as is electricity is being shot through the body. /their cause is a mystery. It may actually be the astral body trying to leave the physical one. For entering into the vibrational state, he offers the following directions: 1. Remove all jewelry or other items that might be touching your skin. 2. Darken the room so that no light can be seen through your eyelids, but do not shut out all light. 3. Lie down with your body along a north-south axis, with your head pointed toward magnetic north. 4. Loosen all clothing, but keep covered so that you are slightly warmer than might normally be comfortable. 5. Be sure you are in a location where, and at a time when, there will be absolutely no noise to disturb you. 6. Enter a state of relaxation 7. Give yourself the mental suggestion that you will remember all that occurs during the upcoming session that will be beneficial to your well-being. Repeat this five times. 8. Proceed to breath through your half-open mouth. 9. As you breath, concentrate on the void in front of you. 10. Select a point a foot away from your forehead, then change your point of mental reference to six feet. 11. Turn the point 90 degrees upward by drawing an imaginary line parallel to your body axis up and above your head. Focus there and reach out for the vibrations at that point and bring them back into your body. Even if you don't know what these vibrations are, you will know when you have achieved contact with them. Step five: Learn to control the vibrational state. Practice controlling them by mentally pushing them into your head, down to your toes, making them surge throughout your entire body, and producing vibrational waves from head to foot. To produce this wave effect, concentrate of the vibrations and mentally push a wave out of your head and guide it down your body. Practice this until you can induce these waves on command. Once you have control of the vibrational state, you are ready to leave the body. Step six: Begin with a partial separation. The key here is thought control. Keep your mind firmly focused on the idea of leaving the body. Do not let it wander. Stray thought might cause you to lose control of the state. Now, having entered the vibrational state, begin exploring the OBE by releasing a hand or a foot of the "second body". Monroe suggests that you extend a limb until it comes in contact with a familiar object, such as a wall near your bed. Then push it through the object. Return the limb by placing it back into coincidence with the physical one, decrease the vibrational rate, and then terminate the experiment. Lie quietly until you have fully returned to normal. This exercise will prepare you for full separation. Step seven: Dissociate yourself from the body. Monroe suggests two methods for this. One method is to lift out of the body. To do this, think about getting lighter and lighter after entering this vibrational state. Think about how nice it would be to float upward. Keep this thought in mind at all costs and let no extraneous thoughts interrupt it. An OBE will occur naturally at this point. Another method is the "Rotation method" or "roll-out" technique. When you have achieved the vibrational state, try to roll over as if you were turning over in bed. /do not attempt to roll over physically. Try to twist your body from the top and virtually roll over into your second body right out of your physical self. At this point, you will be out of the body but next to it. Think of floating upward, and you should find yourself floating above the body. Monroe suggests you begin with the lift-out method, but argues that both are equally efficacious. If, after all this, you still can't project, I recommend purchasing Leaving The Body, by R. Scott Rogo. It only costs $7.95 and contains another eight or so techniques. Not all techniques work for everyone, but chances are you'll find one that works for you in this book. Good luck!