Astral Projection Techniques Revealed

Astral Projection and Astral Travel—How Do They Differ?

by Steve G. Jones

Many beginners have trouble discerning the difference between astral travel and astral projection. Although the line between the two may be blurry at first, practitioners of astral projection will quickly gain a working knowledge of how different they really are. Even though out of body experiences and astral travel are rooted in the same practice, projection only occurs with much more experience. Other related experiences include remote viewing, near death experience, sleep walking, and out of body experiences. With endless possibilities and many motivations that lead people to seek out these experiences, interest in traveling the astral plane has grown.

Astral Travel Explained

The process of astral travel involves visualization in traveling the astral plane. It involves projecting the subconscious into visual scenes through meditation, which can actually give you the feeling of being in specific scenes. It differs from out of body experiences in that it only involves visualizing being there while projection allows you to allow your astral body to actually go into other scenarios. During astral travel, our astral body remains with the physical body at all times. For most, astral travel is something that is much easier to experience. Many do consider astral travel and astral projection to be interchangeable terms, but they are different levels of experience.

Astral Projection Basics

For most, out of body experiences is an unconscious experience. It occurs for most people in a dream state with no memory of what happened. Sometimes, memories of the experience allow for a higher level of spiritual awareness and growth. Astral projection occurs in two basic forms: voluntary and involuntary. It is believed that most people experience astral travel or astral projection during at some point. During projection, the astral body will leave the physical body to travel the astral plane. The astral body can travel to place the physical body cannot--traveling through time and space to fulfill certain goals by the traveler.

Involuntary or voluntary astral projection can occur with or without consciousness. Voluntary astral projection can be motivated for many reasons. For many, the opportunity to learn about themselves or the spiritual world motivates them to master the art of astral projection. It can also be an opportunity for active healing techniques. Often, travelers on the astral plane use it as a means of resolving problems in the real world. Because of the freedom of the astral plane, the astral body can resolve problems that may be impossible to solve on the physical plane.

The History of Astral Projection

Since Ancient times, cultures have used out of body experiences, like astral projection as parts of religious and spiritual practices. Ancient Egyptians were known to travel the astral plane to communicate with spirit guides and achieve spiritual enlightenment. Ancient Egypt referred to the astral body as the subtle body and believed it could hover outside the physical body. Western philosophies throughout medieval times and the Renaissance believed the astral body to be an intermediate body of light that could be found between Heaven and Earth. Reference to astral travel can also be found in the Bible as the physical body being attached to the subtle body by a psychic silver cord.

Throughout time, astral projection has been met with misunderstanding in certain cultures. The terms astral and etheric are often tied into the experience of astral projection. The astral or subtle body can travel the astral plane, which is often referred to as etheric travel as well. The first noted practitioners to record evidence of etheric travel date back to the 1700s. Emanuel Swedenborg, Honoré de Balzac recorded these experiences and gained notice for being among the earliest to record astral experiences. As time moved on, more people began to study and write about astral projection and etheric travel.

Although it is thought to happen to most people at some point, many don't believe astral projection exists. Wherever your interest lies, traveling the astral plane is a fascinating phenomenon to experience or study. With a history that dates back thousands of years, it is something that many people worldwide have experienced and still seek out today. The limitless opportunities that exist on the astral plane make it an ideal place to find healing and experience a new level of growth.

About the Author: Steve G. Jones is a founder Steve G. Jones Explorations Beyond the Body, Intensive and Advanced. For over 25 years he was refining and testing the techniques he learned in Military school and teach others how to astral project. Learn more about astral projection here.