Well I dont know if this is a requirement but I learned to lucid dream years before I could astral project.
I dont think you need to be abl;e to lucid dream first, I think it just has to do with strong mental discipline.
So if you dont want to learn how to lucid dream than you could try using a strict diet and exercise routine.
My long explanation of astral projection.
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My understanding of astral projection is that your body and soul work together to create energy and you then use your soul to project and morph that energy into a form suitable to use.
The problem is for some people their soul with either little effort or no effort at all morphs the form for them, but for other people(Me in particular.) they have to cultivate the form with no real automatic assistance.
Not only do you have to make a form capable of moving but it also has to be able to relate to your familiar conscious stimuli(AKA Your feeling of balance, touch, temperature, sight, sound, etc).
Like I said some people are naturally gifted and all this stuff makes itself but for me I had to practice shapeshifting in my lucid dreams for a few weeks and then I had to focus my energy into making a form for a few days.
Its been about 4 months since I started and I have everything in my astral form figured out except for a sense is taste and smell(Not sure if thats possible though.).
Well, there is a short way and there is a long way. I usually advise people to not go for the short way, which would mean ingesting certain plants, smoking Salvia Divinorum or using flying ointments, as they can be quite dangerous and cause a lot of harm to one's body. The best way is a long way, which means to do it through meditation, visualisation and profound integration of the soul into an upper self. Meditation starts as any other normal meditation would, being aware of your body, of your surroundings, etc. And after you achieve control over your mind, starts the visualisation process in which you project yourself out of your body and slowly start moving until you feel that your whole being is out of your body, therefore reaching the "upper self". Now again, this takes a lot of practice and time, personally, I haven't managed to actually do it the long way. If you are to choose to use a little "shortcut", try smoking Salvia Divinorum, but do your research before. Know the exact quantity and how to smoke it, be careful and of legal age to do so. Make sure the plant is not forbidden by law in your country or state. And also, be careful where you get it or buy it from. But again, better try to avoid using these "helpers" and do it by yourself.
Be blessed!
