There are two common reasons why people can not astral project and the reasons are falling asleep while trying to project and fear of the astral plane. Falling asleep is an easy problem to fix. Some solutions are to keep your self a bit cold, keep yourself a bit hungry. Drink something sugary, but be careful with caffeine. Caffeine can help some stay awake and increase their concentration, or it can distract and make others lose focus. It is advised not to try to project when you go to bed, or you will be tempted to fall asleep. If you are still having trouble staying awake, remove any blankets on you, to keep yourself a bit uncomfortable. Try sitting up, rather than lying down. You will want your body to relax until the body falls asleep, but the mind should be awake and alert.Fear, being the other factor for not being able to project, is a much harder and more complex problem to solve. As human beings, we tend to fear the unknown and what we do not understand. Since there is little known about the astral plane, we naturally fear it. The fear is escalated by the fact the few dangers of the astral plane are over hyped. There is very little danger to projecting and the danger is highly unlikely to happen to you on your first few visits. Although no information can be verified with science, and many definitions are argued, this article will present some of the sides and ideas. To deal with this fear, one must recognize it, understand it, and face the fear. So let’s go into the various fears.
Some people are scared of what they may see the first time they project. These people are scared of seeing a ghost or a demon. There are many ideas of what a demon is, but the generally accepted definition is an astral being, who tend to be self centered, cunning, and seductive to others. This personality leads people into thinking that a demon is purely evil, looking to attack and or/kill innocent beings, but is rarely true.
Through some research, it is found that most people believe in demons due to their religion has taught the people to beware of demons. Some of these religions have made the image of a demon seem like a monstrous creature or spirit, also known as an entity, who wants to harm others. Our society had helped popularize demons in books, television, and in movies. Some people believed that you mostly attract negative entities if your own personality is evil and corrupt, or you are actively looking for trouble. So, needless to say, do not go searching for demons and chances are, though not guaranteed you will not find any.
Although I am not religious, and do not believe in monstrous creatures, I have encountered one entity in the last three years. He was a human and did mean harm me for self gain. It is my opinion, that demons do not exist, (I am aware that many others disagree) but there are spirits, dead humans, whose living, violent personality transferred with the spirit when the person died. I believe that belief (or not) of demons is not necessary to encounter such an astral being.
A frequent question many new psions ask: Is it possible to get lost in the astral plane? The also asked if a person can lose their real body while astral projecting and be trapped in the astral plane. The short, simple answer to both questions is no, neither are possible. The reason for this is when you open your eyes, or consciously stop projecting, you astral body instantly returns to your real body. If you are wondering where your body is, just think about your real body and you will feel the link between the astral and real body. Some people believe there is a silver cord, an ethereal cord made of energy, connecting the astral to the real body, but this is much debated. So, if you were to project to the Amazon and did not know where you were, you could just open your eyes and find yourself back in your room.
Of course, this answer leads to another common question: can someone get stuck outside their body? Once again the answer is no, but with one slight exception. There is a type of astral projection called a near death experience (NDE). The person will find them selves temporally trapped and unable to enter the body. There is one more fear of a spirit, good or bad, entering, and controlling the body, while your spirit is out. Some people believe this to impossible due to the fact you only have control over your own body.
Going back to the fear of seeing entities, some people fear being attacked by a ghost, demon, or a spirit guide. The chance of being attacked is low and especially small during the first few projections. Most people who do get attacked, as rare as that is, were looking for a fight or letting their imagination run wild. If you are getting attacked, there is a very easy way to escape. Just open your eyes and the projection will stop. The attacker can not cause physical harm to you at any time, astral projecting or not. If you feel that you must fight this entity, all fighting methods are available along with psionics. If you think a spirit guide is the attacker, and then know this is not your spirit guide. Guides are thoroughly taught and tested to make sure they only guide and not harm you.
Some people are scared about dying in the astral plane. To clear this myth up, know that you can not die on the astral plane. A person can get hurt to the point they should have died, but they will not die. A person could be attacked, had their limbs ripped apart and yet still be alive in real life and be able to project again, and with the astral body fully repaired. Other people think if you die in the astral plane, you die in real life. This is an extremely rare occurrence and usually a person would withdraw back to their body. It is possible to be attacked on the plane and feel physical pain in the real world.
Another fear is about coming back to the real body. Many people experience an unpleasant whoosh feeling as the astral body merges with the real body. The return of the astral body can make a person dizzy, disoriented, or weak. The feeling will stop after a few seconds. Returning to the body does not cause harm, like a heart attack, to the real body, but it is advised to not stand up for a few minutes.
Manifestation is an ability that can be done on the astral plane to create anything. It is done by thinking of the object. An example, is you project and wanting an apple. To manifest an apple, all you do is think of the apple, in good detail, in your hand and the apple will appear. The trouble with manifestation is it will manifest your fears or desires without you being aware of it happening. So, if you strongly fear meeting a demon, your mind will manifest this demon. The demon is not real, but your fear has made it real. It is important to recognize your fears, take a deep breath, and calm them down before you project. Your trips will be more real and fun.
The last fear that is common is the fear of being pulled out of your body against your will. Let it be known that you can not be pulled out of your body, by anyone, if you do not want to. This means no friend, stranger, guide, or other spirit can pull your out with out you allowing them to. You have ultimate control over yourself and what you do.
Hopefully, many of your problems with astral projection have been solved now that you know the common problems people have. You know how to combat the temptation of sleep and what fears there, why we fear them, and what to do about them. Hopefully, you will fear no more, find no mental barriers, and can now astral project for the first, experience full time.
Written By: JediKaren (2009)
© 2012 Psionics Institute