(Taken from Leaving The Body: A Complete Guide to Astral Projection, D.
Scott Rogo, Prentice Hall Press)
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
Canterbury Institute, renowned 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 both 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 half-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 separation.
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 separation.
Step seven: Dissociate 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 suggests you begin with the
lift-out method, but argues that both are equally efficacious.
