Tips for Astral Projection

Before you attempt to project, there are several things you can do to relax and get in the right frame of mind. These things are not necessary prerequisites, but you can discover the methods that work best for you and use them in your practice.

Get comfortable and make sure you won't be disturbed. This is very important. You surely don't want to come back from astral because your back hurts or the phone rings. Put a "Don't disturb"-sign to the door and disconnect your phone, or wear earplucks, or use soft music to mask smaller distracting sounds (preferably not music with vocals, because you can end up focusing on them instead of projecting). Music can also help you get to the right mindframe for projection. Make sure it's not too hot or too cold (but if you have to choose one, a bit too hot is preferable to a bit too cold), and dim the lighting so that you can't see any light through the eyelids. Also wear loose, comfortable clothing (or no clothing at all), and sit/lie in comfortable position. (Make sure the position is comfortable in long run. What seems comfortable for a few minutes may not be comfortable after half an hour.)

Proper breathing. Try focusing on your breathing for a second. If you find yourself breathing through your chest, you are not breathing correctly. If your shoulders are rising and falling with each breath you take, you are not breathing correctly. Proper breathing should come from your diaphragm. Try focusing on different breathing patterns and see which works best for you. For example, try breathing in for three seconds, holding for one, breathing out for three, and holding for one. Don't panic if you begin to feel light-headed. You were trying to relax, right? Feeling light-headed is completely normal. Only if you begin to feel you don't get any air (for example if you're asthmatic), you have a reason to worry. With a little experimentation you should be able to find a breathing technique that is best for you.

Meditation and visualization. Successful astral projection requires an altered state of consciousness. You want to be relaxed enough that your physical body falls asleep but your mind stays conscious and alert. Meditation is great preparation for astral projection, because you will learn how to relax your body and focus your mind. Once you have become successful at meditation, you will more that likely find that astral projection will come easier to you. Also visualization can help, as you can see in methods for astral projection.

Cleaning and balancing chakras. Another thing you may want to do in preparation of projection is to cleanse and balance your chakras. Do it any way you feel comfortable with. (There are some methods in "How to clean and balance chakras".) When you are done with your projection practice, go back and partially close each chakra. You do not want to keep them completely open because you do not want too much uncontrolled energy, but you do not want to close them all the way either.

Protective measures. There are several protective measures you can undertake to keep your mind at rest while you project. You can try a simple prayer, asking for protection while you project. The words you use are not as important as the feeling you put behind them. You can also ask your guides to be with you. Another method is visualizing a protective barrier or shield around your physical and astral body, or surrounding yourself in white light.

Diet. Don't eat just before projecting or eat only light foods. Also don't take any drugs (unless you have some daily medication) before projection and wait at least 3 hours after smoking a cigarette or drinking coffee.

Give yourself good reason for wanting to project. This will increase your focus and your motivation and make it easier to do. Most often we will try harder when we have a set goal in mind.

Read books on astral projection or listen to tapes. These can set the mind frame for projection and make it easier to achieve. You can listen to tapes that guide you through astral travel or you could listen to songs, with or without words, that remind you of projection.

Imagine yourself astral projecting, and see experiences in detail. Imagining yourself astral projecting over and over puts you in the right mindset to project. It gives your mind a visual message telling it that you desire to project, and eventually it will move to achieve this goal.

Set a certain time of the day to project. It helps to condition your mind to get ready for astral travel at a certain time each week, day, or whenever you choose to project. It is best to work in the morning because you have already rested and your mind is still close to a hypnapompic state.

Incense, herbs, or oils. This may help achieve an altered state of consciousness more easily. Historically, Witches used "flying ointments" to achieve altered state of consciousness. If you find any recipe of supposed flying ointment which lists ingredients such as Hemlock, Belladonna, Aconite, or Cowbane somewhere _do_not_use_them_. These plants are extremely toxic and you stand a good chance of killing yourself. Here's a safer version:

2 drops Sandalwood Oil
1 drop Jasmine Oil
1 drop Benzoin Oil
1 drop Mace Oil

Put a few drops of this mix to scent lamp, or mix to ointment base or base oil, and anoint the body prior to an astral projection session.