TECHNIQUES FOR ASTRAL PROJECTION
One of the chief barriers people learning to project face is fear.
Many are afraid that they may die, or be harmed in some way as
a result of their projection. Nothing could be farther from the
truth. The Cantebury Institute, reknowned for its occult studies,
executed an experiment in projection involving over 2,000 people.
None of them were hurt in any way by this, and now, three years
later, none have complained of any newly arising problems. Once
you are aware that you cannot be harmed by projecting, you should
begin monroe's techniques, step by step.
Step one:
Relax the body. According to Monroe, "the ability to relax
is the first prerequisite, perhaps even the first step itself"
to having an OBE. (out of body experience) This includes bothe
physical and mental relaxation. Monroe does not suggest a method
of attaining this relaxation, although Progressive Muscle relaxation,
coupled with deep breathing exercises (inhale 1, exhale 2, inhale
3.... until 50 or 100) are known to work well.
Step two:
Enter the state bordering sleep. This is known as the hypnagogic
state. Once again, Monroe doesn't recommend any method of doing
this. One way is to hold your forearm up, while keeping your upper
arm on the bed, or ground. As you start to fall asleep, your arm
will fall, and you will awaken again. With practice, you can learn
to control the Hypnagogic state without using your arm. Another
method is to concentrate on an object. When other images start
to enter your thoughts, you have entered the Hypnagogic state.
Passively watch these images. This will also help you maintain
this state of near-sleep. Monroe calls this Condition A.
Step three:
Deepen this state. Begin to clear your mind. observe your field
of vision through your closed eyes. Do nothing more for a while.
Simply look through your closed eyelids at the blackness in front
of you. After a while, you may notice light patterns. These are
simply neural discharges. They have no specific effect. Ignore
them. When they cease, one has entered what Monroe calls Condition
B. From here, one must enter an even deeper state of relaxation
which Monroe calls Condition C-- a state of such relaxation that
you lose all awareness of the body and sensory stimulation. You
are almost in a void in which your only source of stimulation
will be your own thoughts. The ideal state for leaving your body
is Condition D. This is Condition C when it is voluntarily induced
from a rested and refreshed condition and is not the effect of
normal fatigue. To achieve Condition D,
Monroe suggests that you practice entering it in the morning or
after a short nap.
Step Four:
Enter a state of Vibration. This is the most important part of
the technique, and also the most vague. Many projectors have noted
these vibrations at the onset of projection. They can be experienced
as a mild tingling, or as is electricity is being shot through
the body. Their cause is a mystery. It may actually be the astral
body trying to leave the physical one. For entering into the vibrational
state, he offers the following directions:
1. Remove all jewelry or other items that might be touching your
skin.
2. Darken the room so that no light can be seen through your eyelids,
but do not shut out all light.
3. Lie down with your body along a north-south axis, with your
head pointed toward magnetic north.
4. Loosen all clothing, but keep covered so that you are slightly
warmer than might normally be comfortable.
5. Be sure you are in a location where, and at a time when, there
will be absolutely no noise to disturb you.
6. Enter a state of relaxation
7. Give yourself the mental suggestion that you will remember
all
that occurs during the upcoming session that will be beneficial
to your well-being. Repeat this five times.
8. Proceed to breath through your helf-open mouth.
9. As you breath, concentrate on the void in front of you.
10. Select a point a foot away from your forehead, then change
your point of mental reference to six feet.
11. Turn the point 90 degrees upward by drawing an imaginary line
parallel to your body axis up and above your head. Focus there
and reach out for the vibrations at that point and bring them
back into your body.
Even if you don't know what these vibrations are, you will know
when
you have achieved contact with them.
Step five:
Learn to control the vibrational state. Practice controlling them
by
mentally pushing them into your head, down to your toes, making
them surge throughout your entire body, and producing vibrational
waves from head to foot. To produce this wave effect, concentrate
of the vibrations and mentally push a wave out of your head and
guide it down your body. Practice this until you can induce these
waves on command. Once you have control of the vibrational state,
you are ready to leave the body.
Step six:
Begin with a partial seperation. The key here is thought control.
Keep your mind firmly focused on the idea of leaving the body.
Do not let it wander. Stray thought might cause you to lose control
of the state. Now, having entered the vibrational state, begin
exploring the OBE by releasing a hand or a foot of the "second
body". Monroe suggests that you extend a limb until it comes
in contact with a familiar object, such as a wall near your bed.
Then push it through the object. Return the limb by placing it
back into coincidence with the physical one, decrease the vibrational
rate, and then terminate the experiment. Lie quietly until you
have fully returned to normal. This exercise will prepare you
for full seperation.
Step seven:
Disassociate yourself from the body. Monroe suggests two methods
for this. One method is to lift out of the body. To do this, think
about getting lighter and lighter after entering this vibrational
state. Think about how nice it would be to float upward. Keep
this thought in mind at all costs and let no extraneous thoughts
interrupt it. An OBE will occur naturally at this point. Another
method is the "Rotation method" or "roll-out"
technique. When you have achieved the vibrational state, try to
roll over as if you were turning over in bed. /do not attempt
to roll over physically. Try to twist your body from the top and
virtually roll over into your second body right out of your physical
self. At this point, you will be out of the body but next to it.
Think of floating upward, and you should find yourself floating
above the body. Monroe suggets you begin with the lift-out
method, but argues that both are equally efficacious.
If, after all this, you still can't project, I recommend purchasing
Leaving The Body, by R. Scott Rogo. It only costs $7.95 and contains
another eight or so techniques. Not all techniques work for everyone,
but chances are you'll find one that works for you in this book.
Good luck!
Thich Van.
