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Astral projection is something Iโve had a fascination with since I first experienced it several years ago.
It has become apparent that within our consciousness lies a doorway into foreign realms of experience โ distant from ordinary reality. People can reach these doorways via various disciplines, whether it be meditation, fasting, prayer, yoga, breathwork, mediumship, shamanism, or astral projection โ just to name a few.
Here Iโll focus on astral projection because it tends to be one of the lesser-known spiritual crafts, yet itโs undeniably profound.
I want to be clear, Iโve only successfully astral projected four times in my life. Iโve experienced this intriguing phenomenon a couple of times under the influence of plant medicines, and a couple with no aid at all.
These experiences have all been profound, yet worlds apart from the many stories Iโve heard. Thereโs a lot of conflicting information out there, so I want to clear the table from my limited, but genuine experiences with this other-worldly phenomenon.
What Is Astral Projection?
Astral projection occurs when your soul temporarily unplugs from physical reality โ allowing you to perceive and experience other realms of consciousness. Think of it as projecting your consciousness into other dimensions that canโt be ordinarily perceived.
Instead of viewing your human awareness as an isolated point, imagine it as a node on a string. This string connects you to source (the core of all creation), and vicariously exists in other realms too. We understand this string as the soul.
This means your soul vicariously exists within other realms, and currently, youโre only experiencing a single manifestation of your immense consciousness.
If my experiences with astral projection have taught me anything, we can move our awareness along this string by sinking deeper into the experience of consciousness. We can leverage deeper states of awareness to tap into different experiences of the soul.
While tapping into deeper parts of your soul, you will traverse foreign realms, contact spirits, and soak up an abundance of wisdom within these realms.
I know what youโre thinking.
โDude, I just want to fly around the Earth and look at things, letโs not overcomplicate thisโ.
Although I do believe flying around our universe in real-time is a true phenomenon, I understand this phenomenon as remote viewing, not astral projection. Astral projection is interdimensional, and teeming with entities of all kinds. Angelic, demonic, beautiful, weird, neutral, you name it.
So letโs explore the common misconceptions about astral projection to know what weโre dealing with here.
Common Misconceptions of Astral Projection
First off, itโs important to separate fact from fiction and untangle this mess weโve created.
Astral projection is interdimensional, not part of this universe.
Iโve heard one too many stories of people flying around the universe or touring the pyramids of Giza in spirit. Itโs difficult to say what others have experienced, but I believe people tend to mix up the terminology.
Even though astral projection is technically an out-of-body experience because your consciousness is detached from your physical body, itโs not in the way you would think.
I once had an out-of-body experience onset from a lucid dream. I was walking around my house while simultaneously aware of my physical body in bed. However, when I stepped outside into the cold morning mist, my physical body began shivering even though it was cocooned in warm blankets.
This is what I understand as an out-of-body experience. Itโs completely different from astral projection because youโre still here in reality. Sure, you may be disembodied, but itโs the same universe.
I believe remote viewing is a variation of an out-of-body experience. Rather than solely walking around like a regular human, people train themselves to fly, appear in different locations, and go on world tours.
What Are the Astral Realms?
Our reality is akin to a layer of an onion, not the onion itself.
Beyond reality lies other realms of existence that consciousness occupies, but currently weโre experiencing a single layer of it here in the flesh. Each layer represents a different dimension of consciousness, and the core represents source (or god), where all things manifest.
The astral planes are of a different dimension. Different dimensions act as alternate platforms for consciousness to undergo experience. The nature of existence within the astral planes is purely energetic (vibrational), and void of Earthly constructs such as time, matter, and form.
Within the astral planes, I tend to experience moving sacred geometry, colors, and entities. Sometimes, entities have a form, however, they often appear as qualities of energy, orbs, or auras.
Iโve tapped into some of these alternate dimensions of consciousness mostly through shamanic ceremonies and plant medicines, which have been extremely foreign to our experience here.
You can read about my complete submersion into one of these realms via ego death here.
How to Astral Project
Now weโre getting into the fun stuff โ the experience of astral projection, and how Iโve achieved it.
Astral projection is most commonly experienced during deep states of awareness induced by meditation. Imagine sinking so deep into your consciousness that you penetrate the fabric of reality. By creating a needle-like focus on your 3rd eye, your awareness pushes through that hole to enter a foreign realm of experience.
Although I have experienced this phenomenon spontaneously without intending to do so, it occurred during deep states of meditation every other time.
My journey of astral projection is characterized by distinct stages. These stages include:
- Regular meditation
- Deep mindfulness via meditation
- Gateway phenomenon
- Astral projection
Understand that astral projection is an advanced spiritual discipline. Donโt expect to successfully astral project after a few attempts, as it requires a lot of practice and patience, as does any spiritual discipline. This process is a long learning curve and can take years to experience.
As mindfulness is the foundation of astral projection, youโre learning curve is likely much quicker if you regularly meditate.
Set Your Intentions
Setting intentions is an important element of any spiritual practice because your intention is the compass. If there is no desire to enter these realms, you will call quits as soon as anything out of the ordinary happens because it will be a shock.
Before you attempt to astral project, intend to reach these deeper states of consciousness where you can project outwards, and then let go of the result. Donโt think about your intention or hold onto it. Thinking about it will activate the mind and prevent you from slipping into deeper states of awareness.
Start Meditating With a Focus on the 3rd Eye
First, you want to start meditating. Either sit or lie in a comfortable position, and loosen up your mind.
Usually, the first 10 โ 20 minutes of my meditation sessions will be observing my thoughts in silence. I give my full attention to any thoughts or feelings that arise, and allow myself to think about whatever is coming up. I allow my mind to wander, and donโt resist where it takes me.
Slowly, Iโll begin recentering my mind to my third eye (point of awareness between the eyes). My thoughts will begin to slow down and become less intrusive the more I sit with them without judgment.
At this point, there is about a 50/50 chance that I will transition into a deeper state of awareness marked by tangible differences in my state of consciousness. However, this doesnโt always happen. Often enough, I wonโt make it past the cerebral stage of meditation, and wrap up the session.
After years of inconsistent practice, it is just now becoming more common (and quicker) to pass the cerebral stage of meditation to enter the state of stillness that ensues.
So donโt pressure yourself. If you spend the whole session thinking, thatโs also good because youโre processing your thoughts and emotions, and building the practice of disciplining your mind.
Reach a Deep State of Awareness
Sometimes when Iโm meditating, I reach a stage where my thoughts seemingly stop. I notice my brainwaves changing, and everything slowing down to a near-halt.
There will be a deep sense of stillness, comfort, and peace in this state of consciousness. My breathing finds a natural rhythm by becoming slower and more shallow, to the point I almost feel as if Iโm not breathing at all.
There may still be some thoughts, but they are non-intrusive, more so acting as background noise without goading my attention. I donโt have any desire to โdo somethingโ, because during this deep state of awareness, I feel fulfilled. Iโm completely present. Thereโs no place I would rather be than in this moment.
Iโve noticed that this state of deep awareness can be delicate. If my mind is reactivated, I slide back into the cerebral state of awareness (thinking). A single thought, or perhaps a loud noise can trigger this shift, so it takes discipline to sit with this experience and slowly slide into deeper states of awareness.
This is a very nourishing state to be in, however, occasionally Iโll go even deeper into my consciousness, and this is where I enter the gateway.
Enter the Gateway
After entering a deep meditative state, sometimes I will enter an even deeper state of consciousness which I call the gateway. This is where things start to get real.
The astral gateway is the bridge between our physical reality and the astral realms, and you need to reach a certain state of consciousness to access it. The gateway is marked by a set of symptoms that occur simultaneously during deep states of meditation.
This experience tends to come on quite rapidly and it can certainly throw you out of balance, therefore maintaining your composure is necessary, otherwise, youโllย ground yourselfย and end the experience.
A sharp ringing in my ears occurs while my body energetically vibrates. There will be a sense of expansion, and often my heart starts racing. When this expansive feeling happens, my vision begins brightening โ while becoming more complex with colors, patterns, and shapes. There is a heavy feeling in my body like Iโm starting to disassociate from it.
Imagine your regular closed-eye vision as a static TV screen. As I become immersed in this expansive state of awareness, that screen becomes three-dimensional as the boundaries stretch outwards.
Within moments my closed-eye vision has depth while visuals including sacred geometry, movements, colors, orbs, and auras begin to appear inside that space.
Hereโs what happens when I reach the astral gateway. These symptoms tend to all happen spontaneously, and simultaneously.
- A loud ringing in both my ears occurs
- My heart usually begins to beat quickly
- My closed-eye vision begins to broaden, providing the sensation of stretching out
- My closed-eye vision brightens to a whitish hue
- There is an intense vibration feeling in my body
- There is a generally heavy body feeling as my consciousness begins to detach (it feels like Iโm being stretched out)
- I begin to lose awareness of my physical body
- I may hear disembodied sounds, hums, and noises
- Sometimes there are visuals including patterns or a grid matrix
Leave Your Body
To pass through this gateway, I need to maintain this deep state of awareness without snapping out of it โ which has proven to be a challenge.
There were multiple times when I would start disassociating from my body, however, the only times when I successfully passed through this gateway occurred when I could maintain complete composure while undergoing these intense symptoms.
At first, I began to feel fear when this phenomenon began because it was a very unusual experience, and I didnโt know what was going on. The fear would activate my mind and instantly snap me out of my deep meditative state.
Once I recognized this experience was the onset of astral projection, I felt excited when it happened. I would think โWoah, itโs happening againโ which activated my mind and again, snapped me out of my meditative state.
When you enter this astral gateway, you need to be indifferent to the experience which allows you to maintain a deep meditative state.
As soon as you react to whatโs happening, youโll instantly reactivate your mind and end the experience. You donโt want to be grounded, you want to leave your body and explore. Therefore, being indifferent to the experience is critical.
After a few moments of maintaining composure while passing through this gateway, the journey seems to stabilize somewhat, and youโll find yourself in a space with a very different quality of experience.
Navigating the Astral Planes
If youโve made it this far, congratulations, youโre in for a ride. So now youโve made it through the gateway where your conscious experience resides in a bizarre but beautiful place. You now exist as a form of self without cognition or rational thought.
Everything in this space is energetic, but you innately recognize everything you interact with. It feels very real, and thereโs no argument that youโre no longer in reality (although there may still be a sense that you are energetically connected to your body and aware that youโre astral projecting).
How to Guide the Experience of Astral Projection
The nature of your awareness is different in the astral planes. You donโt think โIโm going to go that way!โ You instinctively act from desire. In other words, you cut out the middle man โ the mind, which allows your experience to be purer.
If you encounter something dark, your first instinct tells you โIโm getting out of hereโ and the experience changes. If you encounter a loving being with a bright golden aura, you will feel beautiful feelings, and stay around unless you intend the experience to change (or until the being leaves).
Energy is the language of the astral planes, and intention is your guiding mechanism. Whatever you intend when youโre astral projecting tends to happen. If you get a message from a spirit saying โLet me show you somethingโ and you instinctively feel like itโs a good idea, you will follow it.
Even though there is a sense of movement, I donโt necessarily perceive space in the astral planes. Sure, the experience changes, but itโs almost like youโre watching a video rather than playing a game.
So trust that you know what to do. When you donโt have a mind to think from, guiding yourself in the astral realms is quite simple.
Interacting With Entities in the Astral Realms
As the astral planes are teeming with life, youโre likely to encounter entities when youโre in this space. In my experiences, encounters with entities have always been a vivid experience. There was no doubt that I was interacting with a being.
Iโve experienced orbs with colorful auras that were either distinctly masculine or feminine. There have been all sorts of bizarre spirits both of light and darkness. Iโve also encountered neutral entities who I couldnโt read at all. They didnโt seem to have an intention or distinct energy. They were just there.
Last year I was thrust out of my body randomly and attacked by a dark energy. It was a terrifying experience, and I heard it very clearly speaking to me in deep whispers. I felt like I was in imminent danger, and that danger felt very real, regardless if it was in the astral realms.
During my time working at a shamanic healing center in Ecuador, I was told that dark energies can cause real-life issues, and I witnessed several exorcisms during this time too. Dark spirits can attach themselves to you and ride your spirit back into reality.
Unless you know what youโre doing, youโre vulnerable (or rather, exposed) in these states of consciousness. Youโre in their world, so donโt play with fire.
There is often a visual component to spirits in the astral realms as they may manifest a form, however, you feel them, the same way you feel the presence of someone else in the room โ however youโre much more sensitive in these energetic states.
Each being has a distinct, yet unique energy. When youโre in their presence, you will start to feel things. You may feel love and compassion, you may feel pain and hatred. Likewise, you may feel calm, strange, uneasy, or just downright weird because youโre picking up the energy field of the being youโre interacting with.
Astral beings can communicate with you, but as with all spiritual encounters, they do so telepathically. You may receive messages or insights as if youโre getting a download. You may hear voices or attain instant understanding.
Grounding Yourself After Astral Projection
At some point during the experience, you will snap back into your body. Like a lucid dream, I donโt see a need to end the experience. It will naturally end at some point, so my advice is to enjoy it while it lasts.
Remember, youโre still energetically tied to your physical body, so you canโt get lost. Having trust in the process may help. With that said, perhaps youโre feeling afraid and just want the experience to end. In this case, your desire to end the experience will probably end the experience.
Itโs no mystery that the astral realms are an intriguing place to visit. There are so many beings to interact with, so much you can learn, and overall, itโs just a fascinating experience.
Enjoy the journey, and donโt be afraid to explore your immense consciousness!