Dangers of Astral ProjectionMuch like lucid dreaming, gaining the ability to astral project can open up opportunities for adventure, personal insight and mental exploration. However, if you’re new to the idea of astral travel, it’s good to seek out more information on the dangers of astral projection. While most astral projections I’ve read about were positive experiences, there are also anecdotes from people who have had frightening astral projection experiences. In the article below, I’ll try to describe some of the potential dangers of astral projection and the different methods of astral projection protection that you can take to deal with these dangers if you decide to try astral projection.

One of the first things people ask is, can you die from astral projection? People who practice astral projection claim that a “silver cord” connects the astral body to the physical one, which has given rise to the idea that the physical body will die if this silver cord is severed. First of all, astral travel practitioners generally agree that it is not possible to sever the silver cord. Generally speaking, nothing you can do while astral will harm your physical body, and because the astral body is immaterial, it can’t be physically harmed. That said, your body can still experience physical harm while you’re astral, so it’s always important to choose a safe, private space like your bedroom for your astral projection experiments. If you wouldn’t feel comfortable going to sleep in a park at night, don’t use it as a space for astral projection As long as you are sleeping in a safe space, though, the known astral projection dangers do not include death.

Another danger of astral projection is that people have reported having difficulty breathing at the onset of astral projection, especially as they’re starting to float upwards or just after they’ve left their bodies. This might be a side effect of  sleep paralysis, as your brain tries to process the sensations of leaving your body. Breathing through your nose can speed up the process of separation, and so can maintaining a calm intention to complete your astral projection. Especially the first time you manage it, such astral projection side effects can be alarming. Fear can interfere with your breathing and make it that much harder to separate from your body. It’s a lot easier to fall back into your body from a projected state than to leave it; if your body is in any physical distress or danger, most likely you’ll reenter it immediately.

However, what if something has gotten there before you? The fear of possession is one of the perceived dangers of astral projection that is most likely to make people leery to try it. If you astral project, you’ll probably emerge on one of the lower planes: many practitioners claim this plane is home to what have been variously called demons or malevolent spirits, which can take over your body when you’re away. While I’ve never heard or read about an instance of actual possession, it’s probably prudent to take steps to protect yourself against any hostile-seeming entities you may encounter in the astral state. Some precautions include imagining a white or golden light around your astral body, calling on protective spirits, angels or guides to help you,or even saying a prayer to banish hostile entities. You can usually tell if a presence or spirit is malevolent by its aura, which may be dark, muddled, or simply give you a ‘bad vibe’. It’s up to you to interact with these entities or not; according to astral projection lore, they can’t harm or possess you unless you invite them to do so.

For astral projection newbies, another of the dangers of astral travel that can be of concern is not being able to return to your body after an astral journey. All the accounts I’ve read agree that it is not possible to become permanently lost from your body. While astral, it usually takes no more effort than thinking about your physical body for you to rush back into it. This is because you are highly suggestive to mental suggestion while in an astral state: if you want to travel somewhere, it usually takes no more effort than imagining where you want to go. If you think about your physical body, you’ll find yourself back in it. Keeping separate from your physical body is what takes mental focus and concentration. So, I wouldn’t include ‘losing’ your body among potential astral traveling dangers.

Like the phenomenon of astral projection itself, I’m not going to debate whether astral projection involves actual travel to a different plane or if, instead, it is a type of lucid dream. The reality is that some people have had frightening experiences during astral projection and have explained them as encounters with malevolent entities or troubles associated with leaving or getting back to their physical bodies. Whether astral projection is a mental or a metaphysical journey, making your mind a calm and safe place is a good way to mitigate or avoid a scary astral projection experience. Remember that you have the ability to shape your astral journey and surround yourself with protective and nurturing energy, and you will be able to have an experience that is enriching rather than frightening.