Thread: How To

I know, I know, many people ask the question. I've practiced magick for years but astral travel has been the fish that's got away! I understand how much there is to learn in the astral and the amazing possibilities that exist.

But, please, in your own words, how does one astral project?

thanks,
natasha

Due to a variety of stressful circumstances that have surrounded my life over the last few years, I cannot claim any recent projections. Nevertheless, in better times, my method was simply to lie down on my back, and relax my body as completely as possible--any remaining somatic tension will prove an impediment to the process. You will know that you are on the right track when you start to feel like you are falling straight down and you hear this repetitive--sometimes frightening--rushing sound. In my experience, if one can endure these phenomena without panicking, the projection happens pretty much automatically.

There is an excellent book by Robert Bruce called Mastering Astral Projection (or something like that); his exercises are the best I've ever seen.

If you are more comfortable with ritual, you could go about it in that way. There was an Aurum Solis lunar ritual I was doing regularly a few years ago that pretty much guaranteed that I would experience at least the tell-tale signs of projection, when not projection itself, almost every night, at some time in the course of my sleep.

Regardless of what method you choose to pursue, the best preparation you can give yourself is to find and start practicing a body relaxation technique.

Thanks both of you. I do have that book, which is a great book. For the past many years I've had severe depression. Only recently have I had this chemical imbalance balanced. Serotonin is finely flowing correctly. Due to the imbalance I believe that is what has caused the complete failure of past attempts. Now I am balanced and healthy, so, I assume this puts me at even ground with projecting.

What I first of all is doing is creating a mediatation tactic and using the colour techinque, but I will try the lightbulb method soon. Very good post and something to really consider well.

Candle method is a good one, here is a little trick, picture a foot or a hand projecting from the physical and project it as far as you can, when you can not project any more snap the astral arm or foot back you will actually feel it if you are doing it right. practice makers perfect. Astral travel is traveling to different places and the astral realms, astral project is leaving the body. I can do it, but I prefer the physical instead of running around out of my body. My friend Eddy teaches astral travel, she taught me.

here is the first method that I was able to detach.

imagine a ball of light in front of you. Now imagine it filling you from the feet up this can be a long process and it has to be concentrated(concentration). this has to be real in your conscious mind, it is there, there is no doubt. the next step would be to raise your arm (astrally) and look at it, move it, this is your arm. now the hard part you have to detach your mind with your body, but the previous steps should ground that. it takes a lot of practice and concentration to astral project, and is by no means an easy thing to do.

hope this helps

Originally Posted by Natasha77

Thanks both of you. I do have that book, which is a great book. For the past many years I've had severe depression. Only recently have I had this chemical imbalance balanced. Serotonin is finely flowing correctly. Due to the imbalance I believe that is what has caused the complete failure of past attempts. Now I am balanced and healthy, so, I assume this puts me at even ground with projecting.

I don't want to probe Natasha, and I most certainly will not take offense if you choose to ignore this post, but I must ask: What makes you so sure that your depression was caused, simpliciter, by a chemical imbalance? (As someone who is frequently plagued by this same devil, let me also say, I'm glad to hear that the dark clouds have given way to a triumphant sun.)

Dealing with it for over ten years, even after applying every therapy/spirituality I can get my hands on. Finally, after giving in, becoming aware that I can't fix it by myself, medication has helped tremendously. After all, every state of mind is just a result of chemicals.

Originally Posted by Natasha77

Dealing with it for over ten years, even after applying every therapy/spirituality I can get my hands on. Finally, after giving in, becoming aware that I can't fix it by myself, medication has helped tremendously. After all, every state of mind is just a result of chemicals.

But one could equally argue that at least some neurochemical states are the effects of mental states. But before I continue just let me say that I am in no way opposed to the use of psychopharmaceutics for the treatment of most psychiatric disorders, including depression. I can only speak from my own case perhaps, and given that, I could definitely say that there were very real and tenable judgments that I was making--though some were implicit in other, less emotive judgments--about the world around me, that thusly constructed that world into a very unpleasant place. Many of these judgments were surely more defensible than the more optimistic judgments of my peers upon the same external facts; indeed, I began to feel that those around me preferred a continued state of coping over a confrontation with the facts as they stood--how certain they were; without any need to search or probe further--and the consequent estrangement that I felt from my peers made me even more miserable (I could honestly say that I would have been glowingly elated if I would have found companions of a similar disposition.) But I am off topic. How do you reconcile your belief in magic (that "mind" can influence matter, with your conviction that mental phenomena, at best, are mere results, mere "epiphenomena" of brain states?

Here's my preferred method of astral projection:

You will need: a space that can be made private, a candle and matches. The ritual can be done seated, at a table or in lotus position, but should not be done lying down. (You don't want to fall asleep)

Cleanse and consecrate a sacred space, and prepare for spellwork according to your school of magic. Extinguish all light sources except for a single lit candle. Relax and draw your consciousness up through the chakras and concentrate it into the sahasrara (crown.) Draw your consciousness out through the sahasrara toward the candle to form the astral cord. When the cord is fully extended, extinguish the candle. This leaves the terminus of the cord free to form the astral body. The astral body is you, for all relevant purposes, and connected through the cord to your physical body. Movement through the astral realm is a matter of visualization and will.