Fear is probably the number 1 reason that most people fail at astral projection. Evidence suggests that when people stop their attempts frequently due to fear, their brain is rewiring itself to invoke fear faster and faster each time the person quits. Each subsequent failed attempt serves to reinforce the new synaptic pathway to work more efficiently.

This hasn’t been proven to be the case for AP specifically but there is no doubt that the brain rewires itself after repeated practice of instruments or typing for instance. When the brain recognizes something that happens often, it likes to be a buddy and help you out by creating short cuts for something familiar. This is what allows great musicians to sing and play instruments simultaneously and seemingly with little effort.

This is why it is a good idea to work on some of your fears before you seriously start to attempt AP. You don’t want to help fear out in anyway and constantly giving in to fear only serves to insure that it will arise faster. However, with determination and practice, you can still overcome it.

There are many different fears that cause people to give up too soon but the most common two are the fear of death and the fear of encountering demons and other nasty beings.

Death being a possibility or consequence of AP should be the furthest thing in your mind. If someone were to die while projecting, it would only be because it was their time to go. They could have been doing anything at that time and the results would have been the same. There is absolutely no causal effect.

Dealing with your fears of encountering demons and such is a little more complex. It can stem from a religious background or even from your personal interests. Some people have noticed a distinct correlation
between their fear of demons and their preference of scary movies and such that deal with them as subject matter.

Everyone likes to get a little scared from watching a scary movie from time to time. The problem is that when you start to worry about demons, your brain will recall the images and emotions you felt when you were enjoying those scary movies. However, it only recalls the fear and not you enjoyment of watching the films.

My personal belief in regards to demons is that they started out as a normal consciousness like you and I. The problem is that they have trapped themselves into constant state of jealousy over the living, self hatred, and hopelessness.

In other word, they have wasted most of their opportunities to evolve and are thus devolving into nothingness. Can you imagine how angry and bitter you would be if you wasted all this potential. If you do happen to encounter one, it is best that you just leave it be and go on your way.

However, if you think that you have it in you to confront one, pay close attention to their real energy and not the projection that they want you to see. They usually do not match. In one of my earlier experiences, I encountered one of these beings. When this being realized that I wasn’t buying into it’s act, it started to struggle with maintaining it’s demonic image.

She was a teenage girl (probably a suicide) and thought I was a demon coming to take her to hell. I was not aware of retrievals at that time so I did not pursue her to help. Besides, she was just too scared of me anyways.

When it comes to facing our fears, I believe that Robert Peterson said it best. He said that we need to figure out what the worst consequences are for what we want to do and decide if we can accept them. If so, you are ready to begin.

Many people don’t like to take the time to meditate and if they don’t, it’s akin to jumping into the deep end of the pool without knowing how to swim. Meditating allows you to experience different states of consciousness. I can’t tell you how many hundreds of threads that exist in which the poster says that they are in SP but they still can’t get “out”.

Well, if you really are in SP, all you need to do is realize that you are already in the necessary state of consciousness needed to project. Meditating helps you to realize this.

Another proven success factor is to take a short (30 min- 1 hr) nap a few hours before you make an attempt to project. This works because you are already a little closer to that state that you need to be in due to the short nap. Do not attempt to project while taking this nap.

I can’t stress enough how powerful affirmations are. Saying them puts your subconscious mind on notice that you fully intend to have a projection. They work great and fast. Say them to yourself several times a day and have real meaning in the words you choose.

You should also avoid all source of blue light for at least an hour before you make an attempt. Televisions, computer screens, I-pads, and even cell phones are all sources of blue light. Blue light screws up your internal sleep clock so the brain releases less melatonin that helps us relax and get some sleep.

My favorite thing to do during this hour is to read a good book. There’s no better way to exercise our visualization skills. Reading also puts us in an altered state of consciousness.

This actually led to one of my best validations. I was half way through a book when I projected right into the story. I got to watch it play out as an observer watching a play. I learned later that almost everything I saw played out exactly like it did in the book. There was even a new character that had not been brought up in the book at the point that I had quit reading it. It was a jaw-dropping and blissful moment.

If you are just starting out and have had a few successes, you may not have even recognized them for what they were. Don’t worry. It takes most people many experiences before they have the ONE.
That one experience that makes you want to tell everyone you know, how real AP is. It erases all doubt in your mind and motivates you to double your efforts.