What is the difference between lucid dreaming and astral projection? Some people - including some astral travelers themselves - say they are the same thing. Others say they are completely separate; the astral world overlays the dreamworld just like it overlays the physical world.
With Astral Projection you get into the Astral Plane direct from your physical body. When you have a Lucid Dream, you have
simply 'missed' the initial projection. They are just two different ways of entering the Astral Realm. In either case you are still
conscious in the Astral, however, as there are degrees of lucidity in dreaming, you may or may not be fully in control of your
experience. But this is highly unlikely in an Astral Projection. There is still a difference, whether more slight or obvious.
The difference arises mostly because of the framework you are entering from. If you project from the waking state, you may
encounter some difficulties due to restrictive ideas carried with you that don't apply to the Astral, and require some practice to
adjust to the new environment. On the other hand, in a Lucid Dream, having accustomed to the expansiveness of the dream
state, you can sometimes have the opposite problem, finding it hard to retain a conscious focus, and thus 'losing lucidity'. With
practice of course, both of these will be overcome.
However, knowing this distinction can be helpful when choosing our experience. In one sense, when we are Lucid Dreaming we
are within the 'creative state', and it is easier to consciously create what we desire. And in Astral Projection it is probably more
productive to explore the other realities that already exist, relatively unhampered by specific desires for self-fulfillment.
There is some contention between defining the difference between Lucid Dreaming and Projection. It is not a matter of clarity or
vividness as some people suggest, though typically Lucid Dreams will seem more substantial and realistic at least to begin with.
But either experience can be poorly or highly developed. Having already distinguished Etheric Projection and Astral Projection,
there remains a factor that does provide a feasible distinction.
Here is an experiment you can try for yourself. Next time you are lucid dreaming, climb into your dream bed and visualize yourself floating out of body. It will be much easier than practicing astral projection in real life. Observe your new surroundings - are you in the astral world? Or are you just dreaming of being in the astral world? What is the difference?
Practicing how to astral travel in a lucid dream can help you achieve an out of body experience in real life. In doing so, you can recreate the exact circumstances of an OBE and discover what it feels like to transfer your awareness out of body. Lucid dreaming is useful for many things!
A lot more can be said and written about the secrets to astral projection and lucid dreaming, which is something that can't be covered in just one article. I have written more about the subject of Astral Projection and Lucid Dreaming in my website Successful Hypnosis, I share more tips and review aids so that you can experience the sensations of astral travel a lot easier.
