Astral Projection

Have you ever dreamt of soaring through the air like a bird? Or maybe you wish to meet with those loved ones who have crossed over through the veil? Maybe you just want to escape the physical reality that you are stuck in at the current time?

These are all things, that while impossible for your physical body to do, may be possible for you during Astral Projection. I am not saying it is easy or that it is a practice without risks. Or even that it is easy. Astral Projection takes time and a LOT of practice to master. Some go their entire lives without being able to produce a full or even half projection. I, myself, have only gone to the Astral Plane once. And have had a handful of half projections when attempting.

On this page I am going to share:

• What Astral Projection is
• What the Astral Plane is and what other planes there are
• How Astral Projection is accomplished (there IS more than one way)
• Interviews and stories from people who have experienced the phenomenon for themselves

We will start with what exactly Astral Projection (abbreviated to AP from here on out) is.

The definition of AP is the interpretation of the out-of-body experience that assumes the existence of an "Astral Body" separate from the "Physical Body" and capable of traveling outside of it.

I have a friend who explains AP as being a Living Ghost. Basically, it is when your essence (some refer it as their soul, or energy, and others - vibration.) leaves your body, either consciously or subconsciously, and travels on the Astral Plane. Some experience this quite frequently in their dreams. I had a chance to discuss this with a Dream Walker. I will share her story a little later. Others can get to this point through meditation. Some have recounted AP'ing during their near death experience. Others have reported AP'ing during illness, surgical operations, drug experiences, and sleep paralysis (also known as 'Hag Riding'. On a side note... I just found out about Hag Riding recently. It was something I had experienced ever since I was a young child. This topic is best reserved for a later post though.)

What is the Astral Plane, you ask? Well... you can ask 10 different people and probably come up with 10 different answers. The following answer is MY interpretation of what the Astral Plane is.

I believe, at the current time because with knowledge often comes change, that the Astral Plane itself is one of many planes. There are at least 7 that I know of currently. They are listed from lowest vibrational frequency to highest:

1. Physical
2. Astral
3. Mental
4. Intuitional or Buddhi
5. Spiritual or Nirvana
6. Monadic
7. Divine

Each plane is a different frequency and that is why we cannot 'see' them. There are few exceptions, such as the Yogi's, Buddha's, and other spiritual leaders and prophets, that have reached the higher planes. For the most part, however, it is difficult for the everyday person to get off the Physical Plane and into the Astral, let alone the higher vibrational planes. It takes a very enlightened individual to travel into the other planes. When you meet one of them, you can tell that they have visited them instantly. You can FEEL it in their presence. Or, perhaps I am more in tuned to vibrations since I have done so much work with energies and such.

Each plane has it's own rules and to exist on those planes you MUST abide by those rules. Such as the plane we exist on every day. There is the law of gravity. We have no choice but to abide by it. The same is said for the Astral Plane. I'm not saying that there is a list of rules at the door stating that if you don't follow each that you will not be allowed in. What I mean is, if you don't follow the rules you simply no longer can be on/in that plane. For example, you cannot take your physical body on to the Astral Plane. It's just not possible, therefore it does not exist on that plane. Make sense?

Now, I have encountered MANY ways to AP. I use a meditative state to AP. To date, I have only produced a full projection once. My problem with AP'ing is that I have control issues, an inherent fear of what I can and cannot control, and what is unknown. So, in many ways, I am too afraid to give myself into Astral Projecting myself into another plane. I am very capable of releasing parts of my body though.

I have a friend (the one who actually inspired this post through all her questioning) who is new to AP'ing and uses Binaural Tones to help her release her Astral self from her physical self. It is a technique I've yet to try. I am not exactly sure how to explain HOW to AP... it's not something easily put into words. But I can give you the basic steps on how to do a meditative Astral Projection.

1. RELAX!! This is the most important step there is. If you can't do this, you won't go anywhere. Try deep breathing exercises or tensing your muscle groups one at a time and then releasing them.
2. Enter the state bordering sleep. This is known as the hypnagogic state. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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. 
5. 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 begin exploring the out-of-body phenomenon by releasing a hand or a foot of the "astral body". (This is where I seem to be stuck! I can't move on to a full release anymore.)
6. Let go!! To do this, think about getting lighter and lighter. Think about how nice it would be to float upward. You should be able to sit up out of your body, or stand next to your body, and look back at yourself lying there.

I have a few tips on how to more easily get to the vibrational state...

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.

Make sure you have the TIME to do this. It is not something that you can rush through. Although some people can get to a full body projection in minutes, it is not something that most can do without LOTS of practice. Do not get frustrated if you do not get a projection the first time you try. Or even after you have tried 100 times. It is something that cannot be rushed. Also, if you have children (like I do), try and do this if they are going to be gone for a few hours, or if young enough, during their nap. Distraction will make this impossible.

I have been asked repeatedly if it is possible for something to harm you during Astral projection. In my opinion and experience, I'm still not sure. I have heard and seen things on the Astral Plane that still make me question this. Some "experts" (and I use that term loosely) say that there is no way to get hurt while AP'ing. I have friends, however, that have experienced things that have made it impossible for them to get back to the Astral Plane, either out of fear or sheer inability to face whatever was on the other plane.

Now as promised, I did speak with 5 women who have all Astral Projected at one time or another. Here are 2 of their stories:

A woman who I have known for many many years, I have a great love for her, and have the highest respect for her, told me of the time she Astral Projected. This is what she said:

 "I had an astral experience that made astral projection pretty difficult for me. I was growled at while in an astral projection and it startled me so much that I literally slammed down into my body hard enough to throw me up into a sitting position gasping for breath."

Another woman, who I know through a Pagan Parenting group, told me of her experiences. Her name is Betty Ogletree, she is a Dream Walker and here is her story:

Betty-Badger Ogletree I started to AP, or what we think is AP, when I was 5. I would find myself standing in a silvery-rainbow thread and there were thousands that stretched out in all directions in front of me, and everything else was black. I would walk on the line, and could *feel* it under my feet-like a tightrope walker without the fear of falling off. As I grew older my dreams changed dramatically, and while I did this less and less, I started to have more and more vivid dreams. And then the humming started in my 20's. I would hum, monotone, and sometimes loud enough to wake myself up. My husband found it amusing at times, annoying at others. We've come to believe now after watching a documentary on DMA, that I was physically "attuning" myself with astral plane. The thing I don't typically talk about, is that when I go to sleep now, almost every night I wake up in the same place. There are landmarks, places I know, people I know, and I can draw a map of this world. There has *never* been daylight in my dreams, it's always twilight. And this world and that world are connected in ways I never realized until recently-but that's a different, longer story. I've never met anyone like me, who goes to sleep and wakes up in another world on a continual basis. I've been called a "dreamwalker" by other more experienced pagans, shamans, etc. And even though I have been doing this for as long as I can remember, it's taken me this long to be able to talk about it more openly. Recently I came across a place in real life that I had only seen in the astral plane. They had just opened a water park, that has been there for at least two years in "my" world and that's the only reason I recognized it. I had told my husband about a place on top of a mountain with a water park in it, drew it out months ago, and when a friend posted a picture on FB, it was literal deja-vu. I found out it was in a National Park not too far away, and was jumping when I showed my husband the picture.

Anyways. I hope this wasn't too long. As I said, I don't talk about this but when I saw this I just felt compelled to respond. My daughter is seven and she shows signs of the same "capability", I guess is the best thing to call it. I figure at least I am more prepared than my parents were lol.

Dayna Brock That is absolutely amazing!! Do you mind if I use your story (word for word) in my blog? If you don't want it to be public knowledge I can always make up an alias for you. I understand that there are some things that you are ok sharing in a group of people who share common interests/beliefs, but may not be comfortable with others knowing! Thank you so much for sharing!

Betty-Badger Ogletree It's ok. I would honestly love to know if there is anyone else out there like me, and if it helps anyone else to come forward then that would be great. I know there are some people who are going to think "that chic is crazy!" and maybe I am, but I have come to accept it as a part of me, and an interesting one at that. I live two lives, I've seen things most people will never see, and while it can be scary it's also amazing. It's opened my perception of time, and how we all exist in this world on a timeline that is infinitely small and gigantic at the same time. I've started to look at this place as where time congeals almost and things from every possibility exist. Past lives, future lives, and parallel lives combine and you are not in just this moment but every moment. I've seen the Apocalypse, I've met myself in other lives, I've sat on a porch swing that no longer exists and spoke with my Nana about my troubles, knowing she was dead and knowing that I wasn't awake. I cannot be the only one who experiences this. I'd actually love to have a sleep study done just to see what my brain does in this state!

Dayna Brock I don't find you crazy one iota!! I think you are amazingly brave to come forward and say 'hey this is me'.

Betty-Badger Ogletree Thank you :) It took watching the doc on DMA before I said a world to anyone. It's about people who use DMA as a drug to reach this state, but everything they talked about happened to *me* without drugs. When they started to talk about the humming, my husband and I both looked at each other and I said "Ok it's time to talk", and I spilled the beans. He, the Vulcan-he is literally Mr Logic-took it in stride. That helped me a hell of a lot to feel more comfortable talking about it and now, I will. I look back and wonder "What started this? What caused this?" and there are so many possibilities I don't know. I have a very psychic family, this is not my only "ability", but it's the only one I never really talk about. Ghosts, psychic connections, tarot, I've never had a problem being on the forefront. This has always been my secret, though. The closest I've come to a counterpart is a girl in a fictional novel by Charles DeLint named Sophie.

Dayna Brock I've heard of Dream Walkers before, but I never met or came into contact with one. I've never quite had your experience, but I have dreamt of future things (exactly as they happen). It started when I was in 2nd grade. And I have spoken with my deceased grandmother. I could even smell her perfume. I never thought of it as AP'ing though... maybe that is what they have always been.

I commend all the women who took the time and shared, what can be a very personal experience with me. I appreciate all the help and guidance I have received!!