The first such method outlines going into a trance like state. I've heasrd that to be able to astral travel your mind must be able to communicate without words. So begin to relax in a comfortable position (lying down would probably be best) and go deeper and depper within yourself. Some people say that once you have jump or roll out of your physical body. Others say that you are pulled out once you reach the right state. It is also said by some that just before you are able to leave the body, it starts to shake and almost convulse uncontrollably.

The most reasonable method I have heard is to look within yourself. In this method it is not so much leaving the body, as it is allowing the mind to wander. This is achieved through meditation which delves within the self to find the answers.

Which ever method you try, most peole agree that it is necessary to reach an altered state of consiousness. Ancients used to do this with heavy drug use (which I do not recommend, unless you feel like killing brain cells and risking possession charges). Fasting, chanting, dancing and sensory deprivation were also used and may be useful in your own method.

Modern beliefs seem to also hold that it is necessary to reach alpha (a brain wave state) which is associated with dreaming, meditation and relaxation but can only be reached at an optimum level through meditation. In this state it is suggested that the mind can access the uncouscious as it would if dreaming, but it is still awake enough to be receptive to more extrasensory information such as telepathy, clairvoyance and astral travel.

It should be noted that astral travel is also associated with the near-death-experience and should be experimented with caution. It has been hypothesised that there is an "astral cord" which ties us to our bodies and can snap if circumstances are right (or I guess wrong).

If anyone has any luck with this, or even with anything to do with this, let me know!! melentha@givepeaceachance.com