Astral projection is simply mental/spiritual travel out of the body to any place on the astral plane; the realm of dreams and spirits etc. It’s as easy as daydreaming, but full transfer of consciousness to the point where the experience is more real than normal waking reality takes practice. Below and at this link I give the process step by step. Here in pdf format http://horizonsmagazine.com/mags_online/Astral-Projection-Handbook.pdf — below is the text
Wikipedia:
Astral projection (or astral travel) is a type of out-of-body experience that assumes the existence of an “astral body” separate from the physical body and capable of traveling outside it. Astral projection is experienced as being “out of the body.” Astral projection, or astral travel, denotes the astral body or etheric double leaving the physical body to travel in the astral plane. The astral body is a body of light intermediate between, and uniting, the rational soul and the physical body. Individuals that are trained in the use of the astral vehicle can separate their consciousness in the astral vehicle from the physical body at will.
The most basic methods for projecting involve closing the eyes, getting into a deeply relaxed state via meditation, and ‘believing’ that you are in a place. Try to feel that you are actually in a different place from where your body is located. It can be across the room even. Touch the walls with your mental ‘body’ (just as you would have in a dream), and try to feel them as real. Believe you are in a place, and you will be there.
Early attempts at projection are often like controlled daydreams, but with practice they become more real and vivid, and contact with the physical realm can even be made and information brought back with accuracy.
The biggest problem most people have is that they think there will always be an immediate conscious separation of the body/mind that they will be able to witness right away. When learning to project, try not to pay any attention to your body or the act of separation. Usually, consciousness of the body is never fully lost (you just ignore the body in favor of the vision), and the transfer of consciousness over to the ‘vision’ or astral landscape is most easily accomplished by allowing it to occur gradually; the more you practice ‘seeing’ with your mind and traveling with your mind, the more you’ll be able to focus your attention on the astral plane, and transfer of consciousness will be gradual and almost unnoticed. This is the easiest way to project.
THE PROCESS
Astral Projection: To will the conscious mind into the astral body and then to project one’s conscious self out of the physical body into the etheric realm. The length and location of the projection is preplanned and preprogrammed. The project requires an altered state of awareness such as a deep meditation.
There are several steps to the process of astral projection. They are:
Create Your Space
Ground Yourself Here and Now
Intention
Breathe to Connect
Relaxation
Program Your Mind
Visualize
Focus
CREATE YOUR SPACE
Get comfortable laying down, or in a recliner. Keep a warm blanket next to you, since when you relax, your body temperature drops.
Prepare your space as you would for any spiritual development effort. Light a candle, say a prayer for protection, ask your guides for assistance and so on. This ritual is part of “setting the intent” for your travel. During your prayer, call in your guides and teachers, the location and why you want to go on this journey. Clearly define the “flight plan” to program both your conscious mind and your soul mind.
GROUND YOURSELF INTO THE HERE AND NOW
Take a few moments to ground yourself IN your body, to relax into yourself at this moment at this particular place and time. Become aware of the feeling of the cushion beneath you and the feeling of the breath going in and out of your nostrils. Feel your lungs fill with each breath, and feel your chest rise and fall.
Do this for 3 full deep breaths.
INTENTION
Invoke your intention: I intend to leave my body in order to go ___________________________ and see ________________________________________ and do ________________________. I intend to pay close attention to detail and remember my experience in detail once I return.
I know I am more than my physical body. Because I am more than physical matter, I can perceive that which is greater than the physical world. Therefore, I deeply desire to experience and understand such greater energy systems as may be beneficial to me. Also, I desire the cooperation, guidance and protection of those whose wisdom and experience are greater than my own.
BREATHE TO CONNECT
Do another 3 full deep breaths, repeating your destination in your mind with each breath.
RELAXATION
Beginning with your feet, move through your body from the feet up clenching and then relaxing and then stretching each muscle in that part of the body. Do a deep, full breath with each muscle relax and another full, deep breath with each muscle stretch.
PROGRAM YOUR MIND
You will count down from 3 to 1, visualizing each number on a white ball suspended in the air above your head. When you reach the third and final “1,” you will no longer have awareness of bodily sensation and your consciousness will be focused in your astral body.
Visualize a white ball suspended in the air above your head. When you are well-focused on the ball, visualize a number “3” on the face of the ball. The numbers can be any color you choose.
In doing this, you are creating a conscious trigger, so the important thing is to create a pattern for the trigger. A conscious trigger trains your brain to react the way you desire whenever you perform the proper sequence. In this case: relaxing your physical body into sleep and making you aware while in your astral body.
Visualize the number “3” three separate times: three number “3’s” on the ball, one after another.
Affirm: “My body is completely relaxed and I am now in a state of body asleep, mind awake.”
Repeat the visualization with three number “2’s.” “ I am now body asleep, mind awake. I will now visualize the “1’s. When I am finished, my physical body will be asleep and my consciousness will be in my astral body.”
Then visualize the “1’s” three times. “My body is now completely asleep and my mind is completely awake in my astral body.”
By programming your mind this way, you greatly accelerate the process of moving your awareness away from the physical body and directly into your consciousness. The key is to remain conscious while your body is asleep. In yoga they call it chitta nidra. When you are fully focused in your consciousness, you can travel with the astral body as easily as you travel with your physical body – easier, and it’s every bit as real.
VISUALIZE
Then visualize yourself gently flooded with white light, as if pouring down from above like a shower. Focus on the feeling of becoming absorbed in this shower of divine white light, and it brings with it feelings of peace, security and protection.
As you breathe in the white light through your nose, imagine a large ball of energy collecting in your solar plexus. As the light grows within you, imagine your silver cord emerging from the glow. Imagine the cord moving through your body and forming into a replica of you across the room, facing you. Try to form this image as your astral body.
When the two bodies are facing each other, transfer your conscious mind into the astral form. You do this by imagining you are doing it. Imagining you are doing something is a crucial step toward getting the feel of actually doing it.
With steady practice, you’ll be able to do it.
OK, YOU’RE OUT, NOW WHAT?
Once you’ve made a connection from your awareness as your astral self, look over at your physical body. Record in your conscious mind what you see in as much detail as you can.
When you’re ready, move your astral body through the ceiling, through the roof and out into the air above your home. Look down at your home and neighborhood, and look back and see your silver cord floating in the breeze, completely intact.
Continue through space on the journey you outlined for yourself when setting the intent for this travel experience.
When you get to your destination, take note of all the details of the scene and repeat these details to yourself as you notice them, in order to lock them into your memory so you can recall them later to record.
Where are you?
What is going on?
Who is there with you?
What are they wearing?
Is there a clock? Take note of the time.
What is going on in other rooms of your location?
Is there a calendar or newspaper there? Take note of the date.
If it is someone unfamiliar, is there mail on a desk or a license tag number or something that would help you identify who this is?
If there are pets, you can, with practice, make them see you. This can be a good
“evidential” opportunity, to make your target aware of an out of the ordinary occurrence in his room at a particular date and time to later verify your visit. “Remember last night the dogs put up a ruckus out of the blue at 10:10pm and you couldn’t figure out what they were barking at?”
As you see the person (or pets) from across the room, try to get their attention and get a message to them.
What I used to do in the beginning was shout at them in my mind, “Hey, Chris. Look over here! Look at me! It’s Andrea!” I did that because I believed back then that was what I needed to do to get their attention. So it may help your belief if you start out that way as well. You won’t always have to shout, I promise.
TIME TO RETURN
Complete your mission. When you’re ready, simply think “It’s time to return.”
Journal your experience as soon as you RETURN. Record your experiences while they are fresh in your mind. Write them down for later review.
IT HELPS TO KNOW WHERE YOU WANT TO GO
For your first few journeys, define some easy goals to validate your experience.
Visit No. 1 Visit someone who doesn’t expect you, and take note of the time and what was going on and who all was there and what they were wearing and doing.
Visit No. 2 Visit another friend and prearrange ahead of time,
“Between 9-11pm expect to see or feel my presence. Have a page of paper in a particular location and on that paper write 3 numbers in giant letters. Hang a wind chime in the room. Line up 4 paper boats and 3 lit candles.”
Then when you visit, he will be very receptive. In a state of expectancy and belief, his attention will be focused between saying the numbers in his mind, listening for the wind chime, looking at the paper boats and watching the candle flames.
That’s like surfing in the wake of someone’s boat, it makes it easy to get in, while he is focused on watching those other things. They are not just focus tools, they are also relatively easy things to make move. And once you do one and he sees it and gets excited, that gives fuel to the astral atmosphere, which in turn makes it easier for you to get your next object moving.
The more you get going, the easier it is to get more going.
This process of evidence, and of validating your travel, is meant simply to build your confidence. To prove to you that you are able to project yourself out of your physical body. As your confidence builds, each projection becomes easier. As you grow in experience, your intent and destinations will evolve as well.