Astral Projection
Table of Contents
What is Astral Projection?
Astral Projection or travel is an intentional Out-of-Body experience. In yoga practices, it is done through meditation and other kriyas.
In yogic mythology, our body is divided into two parts: Sthool Sharir (physical body) & Sukshama Sharir (subtle body).
Astral travel is performed through Sukshama Sharir, and it is possible to have this experience after long practice of self-control and discipline.
Out Of Body Experience (OBE)
Astral travel is an out-of-body experience in which a yogi or practitioner attains super-consciousness. Out-of-Body is a process of detaching the soul from the physical entity.
As a yogi can visualise his actual appearance, he is ready to lift his spirit or focus on the realm of self-appearance. Yoga retreats are among the best ways to practice it.
OBE is for advanced practitioners or those practising under a Guru or an experienced yoga teacher. In this process, the senses are totally at rest, and the mind becomes very powerful.
At Yog Niketan Dham, during yoga teacher training, wellness retreats, and silence retreats, we demonstrate astral travel in detail to our students.
Panch Kosha/ Five Bodies
Before practising astral travel, a practitioner should have a deep awareness of the panch koshas. These five bodies are:
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- Annamaya kosha (physical body);
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- Pranamaya kosha (pranic body);
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- Manomaya kosha (mental body);
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- Vijyanmaya kosha (wisdom body);
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- Anandamaya kosha (bliss body).
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Annamaya Kosha
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Astral Projection is typically performed while the physical body is present. It is a conscious mode where a Sadhaka (practitioner) is fully aware of his Panch Indriyas (five senses) and Panch Tattvas (five elements).
Under this kosha, one becomes aware of the body’s boundaries and can prepare one’s senses to go beyond them.
In OBE, a person has to work on settling their physical appearance and resting it at its best.
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Pranamaya Kosha
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Prana is considered a vital force that keeps our body and mind in a healthy state. Pranamaya kosha consists of five main Pranas and five of them Sub-Pranas.
As a Sadhaka begins to extend his prana and brings his excessive prana into neutral mode, the senses remain calm, and he can easily move towards his astral journey.
During OBE, this kosha plays a vital role in transcending physical limits and enhancing the serenity surrounding it.
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Manomaya Kosha
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OBE has a deep working of the Manomaya kosha. There is a profound manifestation during this journey. Our mind is full of thoughts that are the consequences of our thinking process.
As a practitioner prepares himself to expand the brain and directs all his positive thoughts towards a better movement, he achieves the supreme goals.
Astral travel has a strong effect on the mental body, as do other alternative healing modalities such as Yoga Nidra, Reiki, and Jin Shin Jyutsu.
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Vijyanmaya Kosha
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Our wisdom or intuition significantly impacts the OBE process. As a Sadhaka develops a higher state of intuition, he efficiently purifies his visionary formation.
Vijñāna-maya kosha is mainly concerned with the sense of self. As the astral project is about to proceed towards the self, this kosha clarifies all the doubts of the mind.
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Anandamaya Kosha
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Bliss body or Anandamaya kosha is the topmost kosha. It is full of love and compassion. In the yoga world, it is also known as the super-conscious state of mind in which a practitioner attains perfection.
During an astral journey, as a Sadhaka detaches his soul from the physical body, he remains in pure bliss at this level.
How to practice Astral Travel
Astral travel, or journey, is always undertaken after extensive preparation and awareness. It is always practised under an experienced yoga teacher or guru who has already undergone astral projection. To practice astral travel, someone should follow the steps in this order:
- Please lie down in Savasana on the mat and relax your body.
- Focus all attention on physical appearance and prepare the senses for the astral experience.
- Manifest about the real experience of the self and make sense at rest.
- Expand your aura and try to make it bigger at a distance of 4 to 5 feet.
- Start to lose the body parts and bring all the attention to the life force (prana).
- Bring all the attention to the Beej mantra or repeat a mantra for a specific duration.
- Be still and allow your spirit to have an Out-of-Body experience.
- Stay there longer and feel the emptiness around.
- After reaching the highest level, start coming back down
- Feel all the working behind and the reverse sequence of consciousness.
- Recognize your physical body and observe all the phases of astral Projection.
Precautions
- Beginners should not attempt yoga without all the information about astral travel.
- It should always be practised under the guidance of trained yoga instructors or teachers.
- Astral Projection requires a calm atmosphere; it should not be attempted in noisy places.
- Someone who is having chronic headaches or body pain should avoid it.
- A person should be fully aware of the body’s systems and their functioning.
