In general, the majority of the population has heard of astral projection. They may have heard of it from a reading a book, watching a movie or from an enlightened friend. However, it seems very few know that astral projection is a genuine occurrence. It is something that we can all naturally do. You may have even projected and never realize that you did so. Many people do.

First, you need to understand that astral projection is real. It is the ability of any individual to leave their body. We all have this ability, it happens as we lay sleeping during the night. While we sleep, our physical body is at rest, the subconscious mind then takes control. While this is going on an individual is astral projecting, although for the most part, they will not remember doing so.

While you are projecting, you can go anywhere you want to go. You should try recalling your childhood; you may be able to remember being able to do this after you went to sleep. Over time, you may have forgotten. When it involves astral projection there is no such thing as time or distance. You can go anywhere, since while asleep your physical body is at rest and your astral body travels.

This brings to mind the next question, what is the astral body? The astral body is the invisible duplicate of the body, commonly known as the ethereal body. It is the core of our feelings and desires. Why doesn’t the astral body leave and not come back? The astral body is tied to the physical body with a silver cord.

As the astral body first enters the physical body, the silver cord is connected. There is no depletion of this until after the time of death, when the astral body leaves the physical body for the very last time. This silver cord prevents the astral body from leaving and not coming back.

You may wonder where you may go when you astral project. The astral body goes to the astral plane. It is the invisible double of the Earth. It has a faster vibration than the physical Earth and its vibrations penetrate to the center of the Earth. Some define it as another dimension of reality. However, the majority agree that there are many levels of the astral plane.

It is only natural at this point to question whether or not there are any dangers to astral projection. The answer is yes and no. We have established that astral projection is something everyone is capable of doing. We have also stated that there isn’t a way that the astral body can leave the physical body and not come back. But as with anything you do, you need to keep your head about you. This means that you need to make sure you have solid thinking skills so that you are going where you want and you know what you want.

You can find danger if your mind is not sound when you astral project. Therefore, anyone under the influence of drugs or alcohol can find themselves in a crisis. These may be the lower levels of the astral plane.

It is essential that you know what it is you do and where it is you want to go. Your goal is to consciously astral project. You need to have complete control of what your astral body is doing. Your thoughts control your astral projection.

You can learn to astral project very quickly if you prepare properly beforehand. Many individuals prefer to astral project alone in their own home. However, numerous professionals in the field of astral projection teach various methods to help others gain control and enjoy an enriched experience. You might even like to try both methods of learning how to astral project.

There are many books and other resources you can find online. For example, listening to a good quality astral projection hypnosis recording will create the correct state of mind needed. It will get you fully relaxed as well as going through the stages with you. The advantage of this rather than a professional session is that you can keep playing the recording several times until your subconscious mind gets the message that it is perfectly okay for you to leave your body.

Recently there have been great advances in sound technology called binaural beats. This works by playing slightly different degrees of sound frequencies in either ear. This offers a very quickly relaxing and deep state of meditation to occur which is essential for astral projecting success.

You should not become frustrated when you are not successful at astral projection when you first begin. You must practice the art to perfect it. It is not something you must acquire, since we are all capable of doing it. However, you need to fine-tune your natural ability since you have forgotten it.

Still not convinced? When was the last time you dreamt of flying or felt as though you were falling? The flying was the astral body moving through the astral planes. The falling sensation came when you noticed that astral body coming back to the physical body. Astral projection is real! Anyone can do it and benefit from it, if they take the time to fine tune their natural ability.

For those that are new to astral projecting, there can be a number of stumbling blocks that you need to overcome to successfully astral project. First you need to understand that you have the ability, everyone does. So this isn’t about trying to learn something new, or force something that isn’t nature. Look at it as something that you have to fine tune, like roller skating, cartwheels, riding a bike. You never forget how to do these activities, when you haven’t done them in a long time you do have to practice. The same holds true for astral projecting.

One major stumbling block that many people encounter is relaxation. When learning astral projecting the mind and the body have to be deeply relaxed. This can take some practice, but there are many relaxation techniques that you can employ to help your mind and body relax. There are breathing techniques and muscle relaxation techniques that you can try.

If you choose to practice your astral projecting in a relaxed environment you will have a much better chance of doing so successfully. Try the tips below in order to practice astral projecting successfully.

*Start by removing any tight, restrictive clothing and any jewelry. Some people even find taking off their clothes to be helpful when astral projecting, but whatever works for you is the right way to go.

*You will want to practice your astral projecting in a dim or dark room. It should be dark enough that you cannot see light through your closed eyes, but not so dark as to be pitch black.

*With your head pointed north, lie down along a north-south axis. This should be easy to figure out with the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. So if our of your bedroom window you can see the sunset that means you need to be laying along the window, not with your head or feet pointing towards the window.

*While you practice astral projecting, make sure that the clothes you wear keep you warm, but are comfortable and loosely fitting.

*Make sure that you have a place which is quiet and where you will not be distracted as you practice your astral projecting.

*Start by using relaxation techniques which get the best results for you. You need to be able to relax completely, so this is very important.

*Start giving yourself mental suggestions that will help you be able to remember what is happening during your session. Keeping a pen and paper close by is helpful, so that as soon as you finish your astral travels you can write down what you remember. Remembering can be enhanced by saying to yourself five times, “I will remember.”

*Continue to practice your breathing.

*While you relax yourself with your breathing techniques, start focusing on the blackness in front of you.

*Start to focus on a point which is about one foot away from your forehead. Once you have done this, move your focus to a point about six feet away.

*After this, think of a line which runs perpendicular to your body from your focal point six feet away.

Following these simple steps will prepare you for astral projecting. It is important that we note that you also have to have mental control of what you are going to do. You don’t want your astral body to just go out and bounce through the astral planes with no direction. You can go anywhere, do anything so it is important that you have direction.

Those who are well practiced at astral projecting have reported being able to perform feats which their physical bodies would be unable to do and even speaking with departed loved ones. Remember, astral projection is something you have done before. You know those dreams where you wake up and remember everything vividly? Those were actually astral travels – and with practice, you can astral project at will and gain many benefits.

The last time you were having a dream where you were flying, you were experiencing what astral travel was like. Astral travel is the way the astral body moves about in the astral plane, and it does so by flying. You simply think about where it is you want to go and what it is you want and once your physical mind and body are asleep the subconscious mind and astral body are off to fulfill your desires.

It is important to know that astral travel is not the same thing as dreaming. Dreaming is a more scientific condition. It is essentially your mind’s way of dealing with the stresses of the day, playing them out in various ways as you dream. Regular dreaming can sometimes be remembered, and sometimes not, but there is a definite difference between that and astral travel.

But those dreams which you awake from being able to recall each and every detail as it were still happening – these are astral travel experiences. It is a good idea to keep a dream journal by your bed so that you can write down everything you remember of these experiences as soon as you awake. While it not all make sense at first, keep your journal – it will all make more sense later on.

Just like regular dreams help you work out the stresses of your life, astral travel dreams also have extreme benefits. The types of astral travel experiences you have will be unique to you, as will be the benefits. This is why it is important for you to keep track of them rather than try to compare them with someone else’s.

Generally speaking though, benefits to experiencing astral travel and keeping track of your experiences can include a deepening of spirituality. When we say this, what we are referring to is a deeper connection to the soul and the world around you. This promotes inner peace and feelings of well being. Another benefit to astral travel is that it can increase memory and creativity. This is because astral travel sparks activity in parts of the brain that we typically do not use.

You’ll also find your psychic abilities sharpened. Regular astral travelers have said that their precognition,telepathy and ability to sense the presence of spirits all become heightened.

Astral travel is a path to your inner strength. It enhances just about every other mental skill and ability you already have.

Even skeptics who didn’t believe that astral projection and astral travel were real, experienced that ability to see and read peoples’ auras.

This can also be a thrilling, fun experience which can give you a new found sense of empowerment. When you astral travel, you have the ability to go anywhere you want and do things far beyond the limitations imposed by your physical body.

With all of these benefits to improve one’s life, why aren’t more people practicing astral travel. The answer is that most people are under the false assumption that astral travel and astral projection are only for a gifted few. When the fact is that every person that is alive today has the ability to astral project.

It is a safe bet that you have astral traveled and not even realized that you have done it. Remember in the beginning you were encouraged to remember the last time you dreamt that you were flying, that was an astral travel experience.

To unlock all of the benefits of astral travel, the secret is to learn to do so consciously. If you know that you are astral traveling, you will then have full control over where your astral body goes and what it does.

There plenty of resources out there, including books and videos developed by people who astral travel regularly. You already have this ability – it’s up to you to use it and reap the rewards.

Each and every human being is born with the ability to astral project. The only difference between those who can astral project at will and those who cannot is practice. Astral projection is a technique which has a very long history, just as do yoga and meditation. Astral projection goes by a lot of different names; and there are a lot of different ways you can astral project.

One type of astral projection is lucid dreaming. This occurs when you are dreaming and know it. When your conscious mind knows you are dreaming you can astral project very easily. Get into the habit of telling yourself ‘I am dreaming’ when you are having a lucid dream.

Doing this lets you take the reins in your dreams – but it takes a while to master this, making it not the best way for beginners to astral project.

Astral projection is something you have done before, although you may not realize that you have done so. Have you ever awoken from a particularly vivid dream remembering every detail? You were not dreaming this – you were astral projecting.

The key element to astral projection is to know that you can do it. This will help erase any fears or doubts that you may have that could be keeping you from being able to astral project.

Meditating and practicing relaxation techniques will also help you astral project. Meditating is actually an ideal way to prepare your mind and body for astral projection. All you have to do is find a meditative practice that you can follow easily and that you will be able to stick with.

Find a quite place to relax, a comfortable chair or lie down, making sure you will not be interrupted. Clear your mind of all thoughts, picture a blank screen. Pay attention to your breathing, take slow deep breathes. Imagine all your troubles leaving your body when you breathe out. This will put you in a deeply relaxed state that will enable you to astral project.

Your focus should remain on your breathing. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. As you become more relaxed, your breathing will become deeper and slower.

Starting from your toes and working your way up, relax each part of your body. There are two ways you can do this. One is to tense, then relax each part of your body as you move upwards, the other is to visualize the tension leaving each part of your body as you exhale.

You’ll begin to feel heavy and limp as you release all of the tension and negative energy. After you have relaxed your entire body, then it’s time to move on to the next step in starting to astral project.

By now your mind and body are ready for sleep, you need to stay alert. To do this many practitioners recommend that you come up with a line that you can repeat to yourself such as ‘I fly, I fly, I fly,’ you decide what you are going to say as there isn’t a right or wrong thing.

The mind tends to get bored when it is not doing anything, which can mean that it will drift and find something else to focus on. You don’t want that to happen. If the mind wanders then you need to quit the session. To help bring the mind back repeat your phrase.

There are different ways to achieve a state of altered consciousness. You can repeat your chosen phrase or do it another way. Imagine a glowing light, and then imagine you entering it and transforming yourself into this body of light. This is referred to as the body of light technique.

There are three signs which will let you know that you are successfully astral projecting. One is that you’ll experience a sensation of motion, followed by seeing light and color even though your eyes will be closed. Finally, you’ll hear voices urging you either to continue or to stop what you are doing – this is a surefire sign that you have managed to astral project.

Have you ever had a dream where you were able to fly? Wasn’t that an incredible experience? As it happens, astral travel is very similar to this. Astral travel refers to the way that your astral body traverses the astral plane -by flying. All you need to do when you are astral traveling is to think of where you’d like to go and what you want to do; your astral body will take care of the rest, flying to your destination.

Astral travel and dreaming may get confusing for some individuals they are not the same. This of course, does not mean that every dream is an astral travel experience. Just after you fall asleep and you start to dream, this is when your mind begins sifting through those issues that are not resolved while you are awake. This nightly process of dreaming saves your sanity. Most often, many of these dreams go unremembered; unless you remember small fragments or pieces of your dreams once, you are awake.

Whenever you can vividly remember a dream, rest assured you were likely experiencing some form of astral projection. No matter what you intend to do with the information, it is a good idea to recall these dreams as best you can and put them down on paper in a journal. While one or two of these dreams will not make sense to you, there will be time when you can go through several of your recalled dreams and they will make complete sense.

Similar to the dreams that allow you to work out the problems and frustrations of the day, so astral travel has some benefits as well. The benefits will be unique to you, as they are to each person who experiences astral projection, and that is why it is so important that you write them down.

When you take the time to record everything you can remember about your astral travel experiences you will achieve a deeper inner understanding of yourself and the world we live in. You will notice an increased sense of inner tranquility and personal spirituality, by keeping a journal of your dreams. Other benefits of astral travel may include a higher sense of creativity and the enhancement of your memories. Although this type of brain activity is not stimulated during your waking hours, it is stimulated while you are on the astral plane.

Astral travel can also sharpen your psychic abilities and even make latent psychic abilities surface. Many who astral travel regularly say that it has increased their capacities for telepathy, precognition and sensing the presence of spirits.

This is why when you are astral projecting and astral traveling you can tap into the higher energies of your spiritual self and the universe, for many individuals these gifts have been forgotten by the way side as they mature into adults.

There are just about as many skeptics and non-believers of astral projection and astral travel who report that they, themselves have developed an ability to see the aura of other people and the ability to read auras, when they never could do this before practicing astral projection.

Multitudes of individuals find a pure simplistic benefit by astral projection and astral travel, because it provides them with a newfound freedom they never considered before. It is possible to do anything or to go anywhere when you astral travel.

With the variety of benefits to be gained by practicing astral travel, it’s surprising that everyone doesn’t take advantage of this ability. The problem is that a lot of people assume that only a few special people have this ability – they’re wrong. Every one of us has the ability to astral project; it’s only a matter of practice.

It is likely that you’ve experienced some astral travel in your lifetime, as stated above, either through your remembered dreams or daydreams. You have flown out of your body before, whether you like it or not!

The best way to gain the benefits of astral projection is to simply allow these experiences to happen freely, and try to blend with these experiences and to gain some sort of control over them. Through this mental exercise, you will get stronger in mind and body.

There are many methods which you can learn using books and videos made by astral travel experts. It’s not hard at all to learn, despite what many may suppose. This is an ability you already possess – it’s up to you to develop it and make the most of it.