Astral Travel

What is astral travel or as it is sometimes called - astral projection? The word astral comes from the Latin word astrum (star) and its use indicates that we are using our "star" bodies to travel through time and space. The idea that every human being has an astral body which is capable of separation from the physical body is a very old one and is well documented in Hindu and Tibetan Buddhism teachings. Even the Catholic church acknowledges a technique called bilocation and there are many accounts of saints having used this technique to apparently be seen in two places at once.

There are basically three types of astral travel:

There is mental projection which is used to mentally explore the astral plane and this is a technique often used in ritual magic.
There is etheric projection where a quantifiable etheric substance is emitted by the body. This can be seen by others and is a relatively common occurence for some mediums.
Then there is what most people commonly understand astral travel or projection to be. A separation of the astral body from the physical body and the capability to travel through physical time and space. There is no restriction on the distance travelled with this technique.

The astral level is very close to our everyday physical level and many people experience the astral plane without even realizing it. Have you ever seen something out of the corner of your eye only to turn your head and look directly to find nothing there? This is a glimpse of the astral plane. Have you ever gone into a house and felt a presence or energy? This too can be a glimpse of the astral. Have you ever had a reiki master practice on you and despite the fact they may be hundreds or thousands of miles away you can literally feel them touch you? That is astral projection.

Astral travel can be different for different people. Some report the ability "to fly" others to "float". With practice there is no reason why you can't do either or both.