Astral Projection
This is a text on the 'how to' of astral projection. It basically deals
with 'how to get out of your body' and is also about all the things you
can do and meet on the Astral Plane. It's a very good idea to read more
about all this. I recommend 'Astral Projection' by Denning & Philips
(Llewellyn Press). Their meditation is the one I use and is thus included
in this document. The Incense-recipe is from Scott Cunningham.

-- What is Astral Projection ?

Astral Projection is the projection of your mental body to any place
outside your physical body. To do this, the mental body needs a part
of your astral body to serve as its vehicle. It's not an unnatural
thing to happen. In fact, we unconsciously do it two to four times
at night, when we are asleep. Many little children for example report
'flying' dreams. Those weren't dreams, but astral projections. The real
fun starts if we can train our being to astrally project 'at will', or,
in other words, when we are conscious. When you are consciously 'out
there' (on the Astral Plane), you can go anywhere you want, see what
you want to see, heal the sick, work some spells and meet the other
beings on the Astral Plane; the elementals, the guides, other astral
travellers, earthbound spirits, angels etc. You can even have Astral
Sex! It's even more fun than Netsurfing!

-- How to do it ?

There are many ways to achieve Astral Projection. In fact, there are
about as many different ways as there are practitioners. Shamans may
call up on the help of nature spirits to take him out of his body. A
traditional Quabbalist may meditate upon the path between Yesod and
Tiphareth. A Golden Dawn or Enochian ritualist may use the 'skrying
in the spirit vision' rituals. So, there's not one way to do it. Please
remember this as you go along and feel free to make any adjustments
you want to make to the following meditation. As long as it 'feels
right', you're doing fine. The meditation in this text, however, was
designed to more or less 'bridge' the different methods used to
Astrally Project. It's Wiccan nor Crowleyian nor GD'ian nor whatever.
The designers (Denning&Philips) have taken a good look at all the
'overlapping' points in all those different rituals, and have concluded
that these 'overlap' points are the important 'points' in the process
of astral projection. They managed to sythesize these points into
the following meditation.

-- Preparation.

You have to prepare yourself properly before you can succesfully
astrally project. It takes a long, long time of hard work and practice
before you can just sit down and pop out. Only the best and most dedicated magicians may achieve this status. Us mere mortals have to gradually glide into the process and gently persuade our bodies to let go of
part of its consciousness and astral body. Here are some important
points:

Learn the meditation properly by heart. This is easier than
you think. You can not project while you're reading this text.

Get into a steady life-rhythm. Wake up at the same time,
go to bed at the same time. The body really appreciates this!
Try to get as much good sleep as you can. 8 hours a night
is the absolute minimum. 10 hours is much better.

Get plenty of physical exercise. This will release energy
blocks and thus allow energy to flow more vigorously through your body.

Watch your diet! Try to stay away from arrousing stuff as
much as possible. No hot or spicy foods, stay low on fat.
No coffee or chocolate (try herbal tea instead) and
ABSOLUTELY NO ALCOHOL ! Trying to project while under the
influence of this drug can get you into SERIOUS TROUBLE.

Try to eat no meat, or, if this is hard for you, as little
as you can. Try drinking plenty of water (no mineral water).
A big mug of water with some freshly squeezed lemon juice
can be a great coffee substitute at breakfast.

Pick a regular time at which you may try to project. This can
be at night, in the afternoon or in the morning. Just make it
the same time every time. The body doens't like surprises.

A good general rule. Before you try to astrally project, concentrate on it. This may start hours, days or even weeks in advance. Persuade your-
self that you ARE going to achieve it someday, and visualise youself being out of the body already. This gets your being in the right frame of mind.

Make sure you will NOT be disturbed while you perform the meditation. Disconnect the phone and try to jam the door-bell. Lock your cats away, and kick everybody else out of the house. Any disturbance to this meditation (or any meditation) can be extremely annoying, and get you into a really bad mood.

Pay attention to other disturbing factors. Your clothes for example. You may want to perform this mediation naked, because your clothes are too tight, or just getting in the way.

Room temperature is another factor. Not too cold, not too warm.

Disconnect all the electrical wiring that surrounds you. They can
generate disturbing energy fields. In fact, any steel/iron/metal
in and on your body can seriously fiddle with your energy-flows.
So take out those earrings and tongue-piercings. Any accupunctu-
rist can tell you that it's not a good idea to just jam a piece
of metal in your nervous system.

Oh, and here's a good one: remember to go to the bathroom before you start your meditation smile

If you insist on using music through the meditation, that's fine. It doesn't work for me, though. I always end up just listening to the music instead.

Make your room very dimly lit. This will relax your eyes. A very important and often neglected step. Getting out is very difficult when your eyes are still hard at work.

Like I said earlier: really work up to the moment you will start the meditation. If you feel you're not up to it, then don't do it. You will most likely not be able to project and this will only lead to disappointment and eventually break your moral. Always remember that it's a natural process and that you CAN and WILL do it.

A few hours before the meditation, open all the windows and doors in your room and allow fresh air to blow through it. You may want to use the incense I included in this text. Burn it beforehand and then extinguish the fire. Your body will instinctively react to fire burning somewhere in your room and relaxing will become very hard.

Make sure all your body's needs are satisfied. Make sure it's not hungry, not thirsty. Don't eat anything 'heavy' before meditating. Make sure your body is sexually pleased, although after having a taste of astral sex, the urge for having sex can actually be of help to achieve astral projection.

-- The Meditation.

Lie down, with your head pointing to the East. Relax. Make sure you're
in a comfortable position. Make sure your spine and neck are quite
straight. You may need a pillow to support your head. Breathe rhythmically.

In, hold, out, hold, in, hold, out, hold. Very deeply. Concentrate on your
breath. Feel it flowing and blowing through your body. In, down, trough
your lungs, cooling your ribs, all the way down to your genitals, hold it,
out, up through your belly, up your throat etc. Do this until you have
reached a very relxed posture and breathing rhythm. This may take a while, so don't rush things.

Now do a muscle relaxation exercise. Clench your toes for a few seconds,
then relax. Feel the fatigue taking over your muscles. Do this again.
Do the same with all your muscles, working from bottom to top. Your legs,
your bottom, your belly, your chest, your hands and arms, your neck etc.
Particularly important is relaxing your face! Try to really wear out your
facial muscles. Stick out your tongue as far as you can, make funny faces,
clench your jaw, lift your head a little of the floor, make yourself look
like an idiot (this is why there should be no other people present smile .
Then feel the fatigue and warm relaxation take over. Also try to relax
your eyes this way.

- Now comes the main meditation. It is made up out of four parts:

1. Energizing
2. Protection
3. Formulating the Astral Vehicle
4. Actual Projection

1. The energizing meditation is actually a very good meditation to perform whenever you feel like it. It balances out your chakras and
makes you feel fit and clear. It's also very important to perform
this meditation after having (whether or not succesfully) tried
to astrally project, because it will rebalance your being again.

On an 'out' breath, visualize the Crown centre (the top of your head) as a sphere of brilliant, white light. Keep on breathing until you get a steady image.

On an 'in' breath, draw down a shaft of white light to your next centre, in this case the Brow (your forehead, the third eye between your eyebrows).

On an 'out' breath, visualize a sphere of indigo light on your forehead. Make sure you get a steady image.

On an 'in' breath, draw down a shaft of white light from your forehead to your throat. etc. etc. etc.

Here are all the centres and their colors. The shaft is always made of white light. Visualize the spheres as being part inside and part outside your body. When you visualize a sphere, quickly recap al the spheres you already 'energized'.
Top of Head - white
Forehead - indigo
Throat - blue
Heart - green
Solar Plexus yellow
Sacrum - orange
Root - red

Once you have energized your whole body like this, concentrate
on all the spheres and shafts at once. Be aware of all the colors.
After having done this exercise a number of times, you will feel
actual tingling in the centres when you energize them. You will
feel your solar plexus (in the middle of your body, right between
your belly button and ribs) throbbing like crazy. Here's where you
will exteriorizing astral substance. Hold the spheres for a few
more seconds, then let them slowly fade away.

2. The protection. Visualize a large sphere of radiant white light lying
at your feet, until you get a steady image. Breath in, and pull all that
light in a long white shaft up through your body to the top of your head.
See it light up the inside of your body, leaving a steady shine. On an
out breath, let the light flow down along the outside of your body, en-
capsulating you in a waterfall of white, protective light. Let the light
recollect at your feet and at an in-breath, pull it back up again. This
is a greatly relaxing exercise, and it makes you feel great. Repeat this
cycle for as long as you like, at least 10 times.

3. Now you have to formulate your astral vehicle; the 'car' your conscious needs to 'travel' in. Here's how to do it. Visualize a jet of blue-silver mist to leave your body at your solar plexus. Make it form a cloud a few feet above you. Then form this cloud into a human figure, floating above you, facing down towards you. This human figure decides what you're gonna look like in the Astral plane, but don't worry! You can remodel this figure in great detail once you're out there. It is a good idea however, to, prior to the meditation, concentrate on how you want to look like.

Once your happy with this visualization, stop the flow of astral substance,
but keep the fine line between you and the vehicle intact. IMPORTANT: if
you don't succeed in projecting, ALWAYS make an effort to 'take back' the
exteriorized astral substance. Make the figure into a cloud again, and
pull it back. This will prevent unnecessary and severe energy loss and
fatigue.

4. The actual projection. Pick a point on your body. Any point will do, but I have found that the point that works best, is your solar plexus, because it's right where your astral vehicle is attached to your body.
Now, collect your being, your self, everything you are, all your wishes,
thoughts, movements into this point. It like crawling away into a grain
of sand. Empty your head, your legs, arms etc. and recollect yourself at
this specific point. Now visualize the same point on your astral vehicle,
that's still floating above you. Now, make a mental resolution to lift
this point where you are out of your body, along the line (cord) that
links you with your vehicle, into your vehicle, to the same point in
your vehicle, and SEE IT HAPPEN. Now the hard part: make a mental effort
to 'turn around' in your astral vehicle thus come to face your own body
lying a few feet away. Now expand your personality again, and make it
fill your astral vehicle. This is rather like putting on a thick glove. Make yourself aware of your new body. You've done it! You can fly! Whee! Have a good time!

Important notes:

- The first time it actually happens, don't do much more than just
floating in air and looking at your body. Keep this up as long as you can, then slowly 'drift down'. You will automatically 'snap back' (this is very much like what can happen to you when you're lying in bed, when you get that feeling like you're falling down. I already said that we all astrally project while we're sleeping). This 'snapping back' will happen more often that you wish for the first times you achieved actual projection. Don't worry. You have learned the 'knack', there's no reason why you cannot do it again, and you will learn how to stay out there for a longer period of
time automatically.

- Once you're out there comfortably, and you're ready to explore,
get away from your body as quickly as possible. Because, even looking at your body, or getting close, may cause snapping back.

- When you are back (or haven't succesfully projected), always do
the Energizing meditation again, to revitalize your being.

- I almost forgot: you need a good reason for your body to willingly
let you go. Like I pointed out, sex is a good reason. But also a friend in need, someone who needs healing, curiosity etc. Any reason that makes you feel comfortable (yes, this may include eavesdropping! But be careful, someone might actually see you!) It's a good thing to meditate on your reason to project, and to think of your reason and why it's a good one right before you try to project yourself.

- The Key-signal phenomenon. Many people who astrally projected,
reported a 'key-signal' right before they left their bodies. This usually is a strange, whistling sound in their ears, but can also be a cold draft on your forehead, a strange smell, or weird metallic noises. If this happens, don't be upset at it! It means you're on the right track. Thinking about your specific key-signal the next time you try to project may even facilitate
the process significantly.

-- What can I actually do out there ?

- You can remodel your astral vehicle with your willpower, to look like anything you wish. Yes, if you miss and arm or a leg, you can still have
one in the Astral world (this may explain the Phantom pain phenomena.
People who had to miss an arm or leg often experience pain in their
missing body part). Your eyesight can be very screwed up. You can at times experience eyes 'at the back of your head'. This 360 degrees vision
can be upsetting to some people, and very interesting to others. Making
a willed resolution to 'see as you wish', will solve the problem.
You may be able to dress up as you wish, you cannot disguise your perso-
nality on the astral. Other beings can see your aura very clearly, and
if it's no good, you will be treated likewise. You can check on your aura
by looking at yourself in streaming water, or a crystal ball (if you know
where there is one).

- Moving in astral space can be very difficult at first. Travel speed in
astral space equals thought speed. You can move yourself to the other
end of the universe by just thinking about it. So, you have to think
yourself forward and backward. This may be awkward at first, but you'll
soon get used to it. Don't be afraid about getting lost! Just think about
your body or your room and you're there. Get a little closer, and you'll
snap back automatically. Oh yes, physical obstacles form no barriers!
- You can also move in 'lightness' and in time ! Though this is a bit harder,
and you may want to really practice to stretch your limits on this.
Moving in 'lightness': You can, by an act of will, pull energy along the
astral cord from your body, or send back astral energy to your body.
Gaining energy causes your astral vehicle to get heavier and more 'to the
earth', losing energy makes you lighter and flow upwards, to the higher
astral realms. But getting too heavy or too light causes you to 'snap back'.
Through practice, you can get heavier or lighter. If you are at a particu-
lar scene that is of interest to you, try making yourself lighter and heavier
in turn. At every level you arrive at, something else is revealed about the
scene. Getting heavier is useful when you want to heal someone (you'll
need the extra energy), when you want to try to lift physical objects (this
takes great effort, you can lift about 56 grams), or if you want to try to
show yourself to someone (to haunt the living daylight out of him ..grin..)
Someone might be able to take a picture of your astral body this way.
Getting lighter is useful for visiting the upper realms, where the higher
astral beings hang out. The higher you can get, you more 'enlightened' you
are.

Moving in time: you can travel in time, about 500 years forwards and backwards. To archieve this, visualize a calender losing it's days, or a clock
going formards or backwards. Three interesting phenomena occur as you do this.
1. You will find that some era's are unreachable, no matter how hard
you try.
2. When you go back, the images you're getting fade and become
colorless. More than 500 years back, almost nothing can be seen. When you go forward, images become more and more vibrant and sharp, until they become painful and unbearable. You cannot interact with the physical level when you're back in time.
3. Time elasticity. When you spend a few minutes in the past, you may have spend a whole hour in the present. The further you go back, the more 'present time' you need to spend a time in the past. For going to the future, this is the other way around. You may be out of your body for an hour, and spend a few hours, days or even weeks in the future time. Odd, isn't it ? Traveling to the future opens up interesting possibilities. Yes, try and see if you can find out which horse will win the race next week.

Astral Perception.

Since the Astral plane is made up out of emotional energy, you tend to percieve everything in an emotional way. Buildings you find ugly can become unbearable to look at in the Astral plane.

Interesting anecdote: Vincent van Gogh, the famous painter, used to
drink for 'free' in a certain cafe in Paris. But suddenly, the cafe-
owner, refused to serve him any longer. They got into a serious fight,
and Vincent left the cafe in a rage. He then painted the interior of the
cafe as ugly as he could possibly make it, with disgusting browns, reds
and greens. This is a lot like seeing something you dislike in the Astral.

Reading something can be very hard. This has two reasons:
1. You don't have your brain with you
2. You can only read what's emotionally important to you. Talking can be done telepathically. Experiment with your perception. How do you percieve the music you really like ? Can you smell and taste food ? etc. etc. etc.

The Akashic records.
This is an astral place where all the knowledge is stored and can be studied. To go there, simple imagine a place of study, learning, students, teachers and books, and you will most probably find yourself back at the Akashic Records. You can ask for teachers, information etc. You will only be able to learn what you can understand. Remember the old saying: 'When the student is ready, the teacher is present.'

The Astral beings.
There are a lot of these. First, there are the elementals. Salamanders (Fire), Undines (Water), Sylphs (Air) and Gnomes/Elves (Earth). You can find them anyplace where their element is overly present Vulcanos, Rivers, Geysers, Mines, Cyclones etc.), but there's usually one present in your own house. Try to observe them closely. You may learn a lot of astral tricks from them, like astral kissing. If you want to get involved with them closer, keep one thing in mind: they are not particularly 'good' or 'evil', but playful, and most of them have the emotional reactions of a little child. This is fine of course, but they love imitating humans, and they can get you in serious trouble without them realizing it.

Earthbound spirits.
These are the spirits of dead people. No reason to be afraid of them, they are just like most people around and usually very frustrated. They pin themselves down on some reason to stay 'down here' and not evolve to the upper levels. You may try to talk some reason into them and thus help them.

Your astral guide.
(S)he's always with you, and (s)he can become a good and warm personal friend to you. They are usually at the same intellectual/emotional level as you are, and they know a great deal about you. You can ask him/her to guard your body, or to come along with you. There are numerous other astral beings. Angels, archangels etc. Going into describing them takes a lot of pages more. Read about it! Ask around!

Thoughtforms:
These can take on various shapes, from stunningly beautiful crystalline formations to clouds of viscious energy. They are a good indicator of what goes on in people minds and you can learn a great deal about certain people by looking at their thoughtforms. Don't touch them! You have
no reason to destroy other peoples thoughts, and you may even take on the negative thoughts of some people! Of course, you can make thoughtforms yourself, through willed action. They can be anything you like, from a pet familiar to a diamond castle!

Astral sex.
At last! Simply put: it is possible to 'melt' with another astral being. What happens then, I leave for you to explore, but...it will rock your socks! Study the elementals to learn about this. It's about the only thing they ever seem to do.

- You can show yourself to other people also while they're dreaming. You
can even 'shape' their dreams. This is frowned upon by some people, but
if you feel someone needs to 'think about something', this may be a decent
way to make sure that (s)he does.

Thoughtforms and Spellcasting. It's a good thing to perform the heavier/
lighter investigation on yourself (your own body). Thoughtforms will show
up that affect your life, and you can alter them. Ow ! Is there that memory
of the time you went swimming in the sea and lost your bathing outfit in
the water, so you had to walk back to your towel all naked ? Does it still
affect your life so you won't go swimming in the sea anymore ? Now is a
perfect opportunity to erase that thoughtform.

Spellcasting. When a magician casts a spell, (s)he makes an astral imprint
(=thoughtform) in order to change the course of his/her life. But it's
usually like drawing on a blackboard, blindfolded. When you're out there,
you can actually see what you're doing. The change it will bring about in
your life will be more radical, better. You can actually ask a higher
astral being to make the thoughtform for you. This is like being helped
by Rembrandt to shape your thoughtform. Before performing a change, however, always ask yourself these three questions:

1. Is this change really necessary?
2. How to do it in the best possible way 3. What are its consequences ? This seems easy enough, but people have great difficulty in living up to these rules (consider the environmental problems. Industrial changes were made (1. When they weren't particularly necessary 2.
In completely the wrong way 3. without ever considering the consequences.)The net result: big trouble.

That's about it! But be patient. It may take many months, even years before you fully master this art. Once you're an experienced traveller, you may try to 'loosen up' on the rules. Try another diet, and see how it affects
your astral abbilities. And if you're a steel-nerved kinda person, try
projecting while being drunk! Only do this if you really know what you
can do and how to do it. Oh yes, I almost forgot...:

RECIPE FOR INCENSE TO HELP ASTRAL PROJECTION (from Scott Cunningham)
Take the following ingredients:
3 parts Sandalwood
3 parts Benzoin
1 part Mugwort (Artemisia Vulgaris, NOT Artemisia Absinthium!)
1 part Dittany of Crete
Dry the ingredients and grind them. You'll have to sand the
sandalwood into a granular dust. Grinding the Benzoin can be
quite hard, because it can get quite sticky, but practise
makes perfect. Then, slowly, thoughtfully, while thinking
about the purpose of this incense, mix the ingredients to-
gether, one by one. Think about astral projection. See your-
self fly. When ye're finished, keep the incense in a dark,
airtight jar, and keep this in a dark, cool, dry place. To
use it, put some sand in a heat-resistant pot, light a coal
(or better, incense coal: a little 'cup' made of coal, which
you can buy at a store for Church supplies) and put some of
the incense on it. If you're going to use it indoors, expe-
riment with how much smoke the incense will generate. It's
hard to relax while you're suffocating!