Psychics & Mediums Share 7 Tips For Traveling To Other Realms

After a year of being cooped up, quarantined, and sheltered in place to varying degrees, the idea of traveling freely and seeing new sights sounds pretty enticing. And apparently, through the ancient esoteric practice of astral projection, it’s possible to do so without even having to leave our beds. When we astral travel, it’s believed that our “astral bodies” transcend our physical bodies and allows us to explore other realms using the power of our psychic sense. If this sparks your curiosity, there are some astral projection techniques that you can start practicing at home to tap into your innate ability.

Astral projection may sound a little out there, but it’s simply an intentional out-of-body experience that allows a person’s consciousness to travel through time, space, and other dimensions — entirely through the mind’s eye. It’s very similar to what one might experience during a lucid dream or a deep meditation. And it's considered a skill that can be learned by anyone who's willing to practice. “Sending one's consciousness to another place through visualization and intention may take some practice, especially for those who have told themselves they're unable to do it,” ascension guide and channeler Laura Brown tells Bustle. “But like all intuitive abilities, we are born with the ability to astral project.”

If you’re interested in learning how to astral project, you can find tons of podcasts on astral projection or read books on astral travel from the comfort of your home. But you can also start exploring the astral realm and expanding your consciousness by simply following some basic astral projection tips.

Tap Into Your Natural Abilities

Many practitioners believe that astral projection is an innate skill in all of us, and that we simply have to clear away the blockages that stop us from accessing our own power. “When we astrally project, we send our consciousness to another place,” Brown says. “But like any other muscle, if it's unused, it begins to atrophy — so learning to astral project is about strengthening this ability through practice and visualization.” Brown suggests thinking of times when you’ve been in one place physically, but your mind is fully absorbed in a thought of another place. Adjusting to the feeling of having an experience in your mind that’s separate from the location of your body can help you tap into your innate astral projection abilities.

Practice Meditations & Self-Hypnosis

If you’re completely new to the astral projection world, practicing meditation is a great way to start dabbling — as this can help you get more comfortable tapping into the more etheric parts of your consciousness. Clear your mind and try to allow thoughts to pass, opening yourself up to the idea that there is an astral realm beyond the physical world. If you need some help, use guided meditation videos or try downloading a meditation app that can put you into the zone. Once you’ve mastered meditation, try using self-hypnosis techniques, which can help you go deeper into a trance-like state where you can begin to focus on astral travel.

Try Lucid Dreaming

While we’re usually fully conscious during an astral projection session, many practitioners believe that lucid dreaming is a form of this practice, too — so mastering this skill can help you strengthen your abilities. “Dreaming at night is an astral projection, but when you sleep, you are not aware that you’re projecting,” energy healer and psychic medium Manu Del Prete tells Bustle. “But lucid dreaming is a form of astral projection during which your mind is aware you are dreaming.” Try using lucid dreaming techniques to explore the astral realm.

Work With Crystals

There are so many different uses for crystals in the metaphysical world — they’re often used as tools in meditation, healing practices, and much more. And they can also offer support and protection when accessing the astral realm. “If you’re into crystals, blue kyanite is perfect for traversing the astral planes,” professional psychic Renée Watt tells Bustle. “Selenite can also keep you safe from anything that may want to attach to you.” If you’re trying to connect with crystal energy for astral projection, start by meditating with crystals to familiarize yourself with their frequencies.

Do It In The Dark

When we astral project, we are focusing on our mind’s eye and trying to disconnect from the confines of the physical world. That said, it can be helpful to eliminate any distracting visuals by practicing in the dark. “When astral projecting, blocking all the light with a good eye mask is also helpful,” Del Prete says. “I use Manta sleep masks.” If you don’t have a proper eye mask, you can lay a soft shirt over your eyes or just practice at night with all the lights off.

The “Wake Back To Bed” Method

The “wake back to bed” method is a technique that’s often used when learning lucid dreaming, and its believed to help you more readily access a state of heightened consciousness in the dream world — which is helpful for astral projection, too. “Try waking up at 5 or 6 a.m., staying up for 10 to 15 minutes, and falling asleep again,” Del Prete says. “That may help in achieving different projections, [especially] if you have already mastered the ability to meditate deeply and can easily lose focus of your mind and body.”

Let Go Of Your Expectations

Instead of visualizing exactly what you want you to see or experience in the astral realm, some practitioners advise fully clearing your mind and letting go of any expectations of what it will be like. “When astral projecting, it is important to leave all of your expectations at the door, because having ideas about what will happen can actually close you off,” Watt says. “Just allow yourself to become completely relaxed and at peace, then let the information come through as it pleases.” You might be surprised at what you see.