Astral flight is a common occurence in the "rem" state of sleep. Have you ever dreamt of flying or falling? Many of us have. In fact, many people have these dreams almost on a nightly basis. Yogis and witches who practice this act regularly tell us that these dreams are, in fact, experiences of astral flight. Question: Can my astral body wander off and get lost? Answer: The answer is that there is no way the spirit can be lost from the physical body while the individual still lives. The two "bodies" are inexorably connected by a "silver cord." Nothing can break this cord or loosen it but the death of the practitioner.
In astral form we are capable of traveling anywhere our minds can imagine, anywhere our will is strong enough to go. Many people who are ill or running a high fever experience gazing down from the ceiling of their hospital room at their failing body. Sometimes the spirit leaves the body because the stress of staying is simply too great. Often, inmates in prisons have this experience also. When the mind feels so closed in by the surroundings that the host can no longer tolerate it, the astral body takes flight. This is one way of coping with unbearable circumstances.
These experiences are common to us all. Though many report that their lives have been changed by such experiences, let's see if we can perhaps learn to control the phenomenon. A long time ago (about 30 years) I got hold of a pamphlet (much like this one) which outlined the procedure for achieving controlled astral projection. I practiced the prescribed technique for about a month and had a very pronounced experience. For me, this experience marked a turning point in my life. Along with a few other happenings around the same time, some profound changes took place in my belief system. The technique for controlling astral projection of the spirit is as follows:
The first thing you must do is to find a comfortable position. If you are uncomfortable or nervous, it's not likely to occur. If you meditate regularly, you may feel comfortable locked in a yoga posture (full or half lotus). If you don't meditate regularly, don't worry about it. This has nothing to do with astral projection. A comfortable chair or even lying down on a sofa or bed is perfectly acceptable. The important thing is to make your physical body so at ease that you no longer notice it. A hypnotist can bring about this condition almost immediately; it may take a bit longer for you to do it yourself, but it will come with practice.
Once you are relaxed, attempt to become aware of your spirit. Concentrate on moving your consciousness around in your body. Most of the time our consciousness resides in our heads unless a body part is injured or we are sexually excited. However, if you've ever been in a fight, you know that you can telegraph this energy or strength or chi (as it is called in the Eastern disciplines) into your fists. This is the event we are trying to recreate. When the astral body leaves the physical one, it departs from the solar plexis (the diaphragm). This is the only doorway. So, try to gather your consciousness into your solar plexis. It sounds difficult, but it really isn't. Once you become aware, you'll be able to move your consciousness from one part of your body to another with comparative ease.
A good way to begin is by tensing all the muscles in your body. Become very rigid. Then, completely relax. This helps you to become fully aware of the difference between the state of tension and the state of relaxation. Now that you are relaxed, try to relax even more. Begin with your feet. Relax your toes, heels, ankles. Then move up your legs. Allow the muscles to become soft and tension-free. Move up your body. Relaxing every part: stomach, buttocks, chest, heart, hands, arms, shoulders, neck, face, and finally, head. Take a few minutes to just enjoy the sensation of full relaxation. Watch the tension draining away. Allow it to become separate from you.
Now, feel the energy which is your consciousness. In the beginning you will feel it inside your head. Mentally push it into your hands. As we said earlier, as though you were about to use your fist to strike a punching bag. Send all the strength you can muster. Once you feel the strength in your hands, then bring it back into your head. Now, try moving it down to your feet, as though you were going to kick the punching bag. Once you feel that you have control of these functions, attempt to move your consciousness into your heart and lungs. Once you control your breathing, you will find that you can also control your heartrate and perhaps even your bloodpressure. These things are side benefits of this practice. When you have a bit of control mustered then try moving your consciousness into your solar plexis.
Okay now, we've managed to make this sound as though it should all take place in the course of about an hour. This is probably not going to be the case. Night after night you will most likely meditate. On some days you will probably find that your session was more productive; on some days it will probably be less productive. But with each passing session you will become more and more aware of the separation of your physical being and your spirit. At some point, you will become positive that, although it may seem to be taking an eternity, eventually the conscious separation is going to occur. Usually, your nightime dreams begin to take on the scheme we described earlier of flying--actually lifting off the ground. This means that your unconscious has gotten the message. Now, all we have to do is pull this message into the waking state. Give it time. It will happen.
