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8[[quoteright:350:[[ComicBook/DoctorStrange https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fire12_210.jpg]]]]
9[-[[caption-width-right:350:"I'm not in my body right now, but if you'll leave a message..."]]-]
10
11->'''Stephen Strange:''' What just happened?\
12'''The Ancient One:''' For a moment, you entered the astral dimension.\
13'''Strange:''' The what?\
14'''Ancient One:''' A place where the soul exists apart from the body.
15-->-- ''Film/DoctorStrange2016''
16
17Astral Projection is a magic/mystic practice which allows a character to detach either their soul or their conscious mind ([[AnatomyOfTheSoul the distinction is important]]) from their body and let it wander freely, either [[{{Invisibility}} invisibly]] in the material plane or out in the SpiritWorld.
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19Now effectively a living [[OurGhostsAreDifferent ghost]], the character can go just about anywhere, see and hear anything, and potentially engage in InvisibleJerkass behavior, depending on whether they can [[MindOverMatter move objects telekinetically]]. Also like ghosts, characters who are Astral Projecting may use DemonicPossession to take over host bodies, though this doesn't necessarily allow them to [[{{Telepathy}} pry into their mind]]. Most victims usually have no idea what happened afterward.
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21Unfortunately, the freedom of the soul comes at the expense of the body, which usually lies in a ConvenientComa, utterly helpless and [[RemoteYetVulnerable vulnerable to attack]] or neglect. In many cases, the body will ''die'' if the soul is separated from it for too long. Another danger is that, like a ghost, the soul/mind might be unable to find its way back. This is especially risky if the Astral Projector loses the "tether" that connects them back to their body, or if another person moves their body while they're "away." Worst case scenario, another detached soul (or [[DemonicPossession something even worse]]) takes up residence in the body and [[GrandTheftMe takes over the person's life]] while they are stuck outside their own body for good.
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23Some darker uses of this practice will forcibly evict the Astral Self from its host body. If the spirit doesn't know their body is still alive, they may even [[AnAstralProjectionNotAGhost confuse themselves for an actual ghost]].
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25It's entirely possible for an Astral Projector to separate from their body by accident. Perhaps they misused an AncientArtifact that forced them into an Astral Projection without [[EnlightenmentSuperpowers telling them how to undo the state]] or return to their body. Or they might accidentally end up in [[FreakyFridayFlip the wrong body]], or someone else might take possession of theirs. On the upside, this state makes them [[NighInvulnerability indestructible to everything]] (except angry ghosts, [[HollywoodExorcism exorcists]], irate housewives with [[GhostsAbhorAVacuum vacuum cleaners...]]).
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27Many people believe they have had experiences similar to these in RealLife. Astral projection is a serious part of belief systems like Spiritualism and Theosophy. However, TV Tropes is not the right place to argue whether or not they really exist.
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29Compare AnimalEyeSpy, where the character can see other locations through an animal's eyes.
30----
31!!Examples:
32[[foldercontrol]]
33
34[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
35* ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'': Schierke uses this to communicate with the elemental spirits that power her magic and occasionally [[BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind to go into Guts' mind to snap him out of the influence of his]] SuperpoweredEvilSide.
36* In ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'', because proper Shinigami are spirits that live in the afterlife and fight threats which are InvisibleToNormals, human protagonist Ichigo can only access his substitute Shinigami powers by expelling his spirit from his physical body. His first two methods of doing this are rather indignant: the first being a glove that Rukia wears to yank his spirit out of his body (more often than not done by ''punching'' him), and the second being Kon, a rather crude modsoul contained within a candy that Ichigo swallows so Kon can possess his body (kicking out Ichigo's soul in the process). Later in the series, Ichigo acquires a proper TransformationTrinket in the form of a badge that lets him expel his spirit from his body at will (though he still ends up using Kon a lot because Ichigo's body is effectively dead without a soul inside it).
37* ''VisualNovel/{{Clannad}}'': Fuuko is a spacey girl that protagonist Tomoya tends to run into at school. It turns out that Fuuko was hit by a car on her first day of high school, way before the series started. She is hospitalized and in a coma, and the Fuuko that Tomoya is seeing is a projection detached from her physical body.
38* ''Manga/{{Doraemon}}'' has a one-shot gadget, the "Ghost Candy", which allows a person's soul to leave their bodies (without dying, obviously), used in a chapter where after Nobita gets bullied by Gian for the ''n''th time, vows he'll haunt Gian if he dies first. Cue Doraemon taking out the candy to help Nobita get back at Gian as a "ghost", and yes, it works even on Doraemon himself.
39--> '''Doraemon''': You don't need to wait till you're dead to haunt him.\
40[''later, after Nobita and Doraemon had both taken the candy and are "ghosts"'']\
41'''Nobita''': Wait, robots have souls?\
42'''Doraemon''': ...shut up.
43* In ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'', once Future Trunks destroys Fused Zamasu's physical form, his astral form appears and merges with the Future Multiverse in order to become justice and order itself. In doing so, Zamasu destroys all life in the Multiverse, gods and mortals, and fulfills his goal: to create a Multiverse with only Zamasu as its sole inhabitant. Fortunately, Future Zen'O erases him before he could spread to other timelines.
44* In ''Manga/FairyTail'', this is "Thought Projection" magic in a nutshell. With enough mastery and using sufficient magical energy, a person can even [[spoiler:make the projection a corporeal, independent entity alongside their original self.]]
45* In the first movie of ''Literature/TheGardenOfSinners'', Kirie Fujou, though bedridden, can project a double of herself on top of the Fujou Buildings, which her family used to own.
46* In ''Anime/GenesisOfAquarion'' and its SequelSeries ''Anime/AquarionEvol'', the [[CoolPlane Vector]] co-pilots in the [[CombiningMecha Aquarion]] can project their souls into the main pilot's cockpit.
47* Production I.G.'s ''Anime/GhostHound'' features a group of teenage boys who each gained the ability to enter the "[[SpiritWorld Unseen World]]" after a traumatizing experience they went through in their own childhood. For the former half of the series, they use it to investigate their own past trauma.
48* Mai Taniyama in ''Manga/GhostHunt'' frequently astral projects in her sleep, giving her what seem to be psychic dreams.
49* Only the most powerful [[PsychicPowers Newtypes]] in the various incarnations ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' have this ability. Examples include series protagonist [[AcePilot Kamille Bidan]] and main villains [[DarkMessiah Paptimus Scirocco]] and [[LadyOfWar Haman Kahn]] of ''[[Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam Zeta Gundam]]'', [[LovableRogue Judau Ashta]] in ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamZZ ZZ]]'', and [[TheHero Amuro Ray]] by the time of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamCharsCounterattack''.
50* ''Anime/HeroicAge'': The Silver Tribe frequently does this, and are capable of it across the vastness of the galaxy. Dhienalia, the human princess, is also capable of it, and makes use of it for long-distance communication, or guiding the ship through uncharted space. It's apparently pretty well-known, as no one shows the slightest surprise when someone does it.
51* ''Manga/HoloearthChroniclesSideEYamatoPhantasia'': Mio can mentally leave her body to look for traces of a heart of a missing person, though not their exact location. She can do better, but is keeping it a secret due to a traumatic childhood experience.
52* ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureGoldenWind'': Being punched by Gold Experience causes one to think so fast the body cannot follow up and the consciousness can see their immobile body if it happens to visualize themselves moving into another position.
53* ''VisualNovel/{{Kanon}}'': Ayu, the amnesiac love interest of the protagonist, turns out to be a projection, while her physical body has been in a coma for seven years.
54* In ''Manga/{{Noragami}}'', this happens unintentionally to the main heroine after she was hit by a bus.
55* ''Manga/OnePiece'': This is one of the abilities that [[GothGirlsKnowMagic Perona's]] Devil Fruit grants her. She notably uses this to counter Usopp's immunity to her negative hollows.
56** During the two-year TimeSkip in ''Manga/OnePiece'', this ability is developed by [[spoiler: Brook]], apparently as an extension of his [[spoiler:Undead Fruit]] powers. [[PowerPerversionPotential Guess what was the first thing he did with it]]?
57* Something like this happens in the ''Anime/PokemonTheOriginalSeries'' episode "The Tower of Terror" where Ash visits the Pokèmon tower in hopes of catching a ghost type Pokèmon that can help him beat Sabrina. While trying to capture one, he and Pikachu get knocked out by a [[FallingChandelierOfDoom falling chandelier]] and Haunter takes the opportunity to pull their spirits out of their bodies. Ash discovers that the ghost Pokèmon just wanted some friends to play with, but tells them that he can't stay with them because he has to continue his quest to become a Pokèmon master. The ghost Pokèmon are disappointed by this, but they allow Ash and Pikachu to return to their bodies.
58* In the ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' manga an old man has this ability and uses it to enter and alter Ranma's dreams to date her.
59* The bedridden Grove in ''Literature/VampireHunterD'' has the power of astral projection, his soul becoming a powerful entity, though doing so drains his life.
60[[/folder]]
61
62[[folder:Comic Books]]
63* In Franchise/TheDCU, magic users like ComicBook/DoctorFate and ComicBook/{{Zatanna}} can do this.
64* ''ComicBook/DoctorStrange'': This is one of the many mystic arts that [[Characters/MarvelComicsStephenStrange Doctor Strange]] has mastered. He can also pull someone else's astral form out of his/her body, though the other person usually freaks out and needs constant reassurance that everything is okay. Strange bypasses the whole "physical body left helpless" thing; his body simply can't be harmed while he's not in it. However, this is an incredibly dangerous spell that leaves the body vulnerable and is fatal after 24 hours. [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fire12_210.jpg Strange barely even hesitates to use it]]. Inevitably, someone who sees his astral form will mistake him for a decedent, so he has to emphasize that he's AnAstralProjectionNotAGhost. Of course, he never makes that mistake himself.
65* ''ComicBook/ElfQuest'': Some elves, like Savah and Suntop, have an ability to "go out" of their bodies. In Savah's case this ends up getting her spirit trapped by Winnowill when she detects this.
66* ''ComicBook/{{Hellboy}}'': Johann Kraus was a spiritualist whose body was killed while during a seance. His soul had nowhere to return to, so he has to live in a containment suit to avoid completely evaporating.
67* ''ComicBook/JohanAndPeewit'': A form of astral projection called hypnokinesis is used on Johan and Peewit in the story "ComicBook/TheSmurfs and the Magic Flute". The main difference is that their projected forms have physicality, so it's as if they have actually been transported into the Cursed Land (or to the Smurf forest, in the AnimatedAdaptation [[WesternAnimation/TheSmurfsAndTheMagicFlute of the story]]).
68* ''ComicBook/{{Manifest}}'': The villain Scarab, and possibly the protagonist's mentor, the Spectral Wayfarer.
69* ''ComicBook/MartianManhunter'': The villain Bette Noir has this power. In fact, it's the only way she can explore the world, since her physical form is an immobile blob of flesh. Her astral self looks like a beautiful pale-skinned woman. Unfortunately, she's also a psychic vampire of sorts, feeding off of the psychic energies of others to empower herself.
70* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'': Superman does this one time with the help of ComicBook/WonderWoman's assistant I-Ching in ''ComicBook/KryptoniteNevermore'', where a sand-created duplicate of himself is stealing his powers.
71* ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'': Through the use of her soul-self, ComicBook/{{Raven|DCComics}} can project her consciousness into the mind, for therapeutic purposes (to aid in her own meditation, or to help calm an agitated ally), or for offensive attacks, rendering her enemies unconscious.
72** Raven can manifest a bird made of black energy referred to as her "soul-self". It can travel long distances, become intangible, communicate telepathically and act as a shield.
73* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman'': Wonder Woman, as written by her creator William Marston in ''ComicBook/SensationComics'' and ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'' often involves astral projection. A villain once forced Wonder Woman out of her body with electricity ("What a queer feeling... like ''falling!''"). Other times, characters learn the art of deliberately leaving the body.
74* ''ComicBook/XMen'': Being the world's most powerful telepath, [[Characters/MarvelComicsProfessorX Charles Xavier]] does this frequently. In the Marvel Universe, the astral plane used by sorcerers like Doctor Strange and that used by telepaths like Professor Xavier are one and the same.
75** Despite ([[DependingOnTheWriter usually]]) not having any PsychicPowers of his own, Xavier's [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor sometimes-ally, sometimes-enemy]] [[Characters/MarvelComicsMagneto Magneto]] can do this as well -- though he hasn't recently.
76** Xavier's ArchEnemy the Shadow King also specializes in astral projection. It was eventually retconned that he's a [[TheDisembodied purely astral being]] who possesses human hosts (specifically, other mutants with telepathic powers that can amplify his own). When Xavier and the Shadow King (at the time using the body of an Egyptian named Amahl Farouk) first met, to any outside observers they seemed to be just sitting motionless at their tables in a tavern. In reality, the astral forms had left their bodies [[BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind to duel]]. Once his astral form was defeated, his body slumped over, seemingly brain dead. This encounter was what led Xavier to conclude he needed to create a team of mutant superheroes in order to deal with mutant supervillains like Farouk.
77* ''ComicBook/ZatannaEverydayMagic'': When Zatanna is saying goodbye to Constantine at the airport, she's [[MundaneUtility actually just using her magic to project herself there and talk to him]]. When they're finished, her image just fades away, to the shock of the people watching.
78[[/folder]]
79
80[[folder:Comic Strips]]
81* In ''ComicStrip/{{Conchy}}'', Oom Paul has been known to meditate so hard that he accidentally detaches his consciousness from his body. Hilarity ensues when he decides to inhabit a rock or a plant.
82[[/folder]]
83
84[[folder:Fan Works]]
85* ''[[https://my.w.tt/BhewpND0VT Astral Journey: It's Complicated]]'', both [[Music/SpiceGirls Emma and Melanie]] obtain this ability thanks to freak accidents at the pitch.
86* ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'' has Doctor Strange do it, as usual, as well as Harry (apparently entirely by accident), and Jean, who manages to, with Cerebro [[spoiler: astrally project herself to Asgard]] at the end of the first book.
87** In chapter 30 of the sequel, ''Ghosts of the Past'', Harry does it again, this time on purpose, [[spoiler: through his and Carol's psychic link to fight a powerful Master Vampire]]. The circumstances of it place a serious strain on him.
88* ''Fanfic/AGameOfCatAndCat'': "Another Chapter of Just Talking": The speculation on how Dmitri's soul escaped Soma's Domination power, is by using his PowerCopying the Ghost soul's power of move the soul outside the body while keeping the body in a safe ConvenientComa:
89--> ''I believe that he duplicated the Ghost's power to separate soul from body'', said Stolas
90* In ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'' x ''Franchise/CthulhuMythos'' fic ''Fanfic/TheGodsAwaken'', Hypnos, the Greek god of sleep, is able to do this in his initial meeting with Luz and the others.
91* ''Fanfic/HalfPastAdventure'': While many characters have dream-based abilities, including the {{deuteragonist}} Robin, [[spoiler:Charlie]] is the only one shown to possess this ability, which she uses to communicate with Robin in zhir dreams [[spoiler:while she's in a coma]].
92* In ''Fanfic/TheNewAdventuresOfInvaderZim'', this is how the DreamWalker spell works.
93* ''Fanfic/NotTheIntendedUseZantetsukenReverse'': "Ghost": The power of the Ghost soul is to send to soul outside the body to scout out areas, but it has a short ArbitraryMaximumRange, and puts Soma into a suspicious ConvenientComa, making him RemoteYetVulnerable.
94* In ''Fanfic/QueenOfShadows'', Jade eventually learns how to do this with tutelage from [[HighPriest Sanshobo]].
95* In ''Fanfic/TheResurrectionOfRose'', [[Film/DoctorSleep Abra]] does this in order to secretly eavesdrop on Rose and her minions. However, Rose senses her spirit and inflicts pain on it so that Abra's physical body can feel it.
96* ''Fanfic/WithThisRing'': A number of magic-users are capable of this, though OL notes that the Atlanteans have it down to a science compared to surface occultists.
97[[/folder]]
98
99[[folder:Film -- Animation]]
100* ''WesternAnimation/PhantomBoy'': Leo is a young boy who's condition (cancer) somehow allows him to leave his body at will and fly across the city, which he and Lieutenant Tanner use to get a leg up on [[BigBad The Face]]. [[spoiler:However, being outside of his body too long will cause his soul to disintegrate.]]
101* ''WesternAnimation/{{Soul}}'': People "in the zone" actually have their souls temporarily depart to another dimension called The Zone. A group called "Mystics Without Borders" are aware of their souls in the Zone and help people who've gotten trapped there through obsession, their leader is a sign spinner who calls himself Moonwind.
102* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Wolfwalkers}}'', the Wolfwalkers' spirits leave their bodies and become physical wolves while they sleep. However, any injuries their wolf bodies sustain are mirrored on their human form, and their human bodies can't wake up until their wolf form returns to their side.
103* {{Implied|Trope}} in ''WesternAnimation/{{Coraline}}'' regarding the main character visiting the other world the first two times and waking up back in her own world. It's highly likely that the Other Mother caused her soul to visit the other world and that's why she couldn't go back to her own world when she tried to go to sleep for the third time in the alternate world.
104[[/folder]]
105
106[[folder:Film — Live-Action]]
107* After getting caught by the police, the BigBad of ''Film/NineSevenSixEvil2TheAstralFactor'' uses his OnePhoneCall and receives this power from the title phone number to continue his wrongdoings.
108* In ''Film/AceVentura: When Nature Calls'', the titular protagonist uses it to go back to Tibet and discuss his frustration with the case he has on hand with his master.
109* Happens a few times in ''Film/BeverlyHillsNinja''. Haru and Gobei both use astral projection to communicate with their master while on a mission in America.
110* ''Film/DoctorMordrid'': Wizards are capable of leaving their bodies behind so that their spirit can fight elsewhere. Their projection is immune to harm, though it does leave their bodies vulnerable.
111* ''Film/FreakyFriday2003'' unsuccessfully invokes this during Tess' and Anna's failed attempt to become "selfless" to undo a FreakyFridayFlip.
112* ''Film/HauntedMansion2023'': Ben uses this technique to enter the ghost realm, though Harriet calls it a "reverse seance."
113* The thematic foundation of ''Film/{{Insidious}}'', where a character's spirit can leave his body, which unfortunately also makes it open for possible DemonicPossession.
114* In the movie ''Film/JustLikeHeaven'' we think one of the characters is a ghost through most of the film, but it turns out the character in question is in a coma and AnAstralProjectionNotAGhost. The latter part of the movie is trying to prevent the person's life support from being shut off.
115* ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'':
116** In ''Film/TheAvengers2012'', Loki projects his consciousness across light-years of space to the distant lair of the Chitauri army while sitting in an underground base on Earth. He is holding the scepter with the Mind Stone, but in a deleted scene he is later communicating with the Other without it. In ''Film/ThorRagnarok'', he appears before Thor in the dungeons as an intangible illusion while physically being elsewhere. Loki learned this ability from his mother Frigga.
117** ''Film/DoctorStrange2016'': This is one of the sorcerers' main skills: being able to project their astral forms out of their bodies. Strange, the Ancient One and even Kaecilius's mook Lucian use it. In fact, most of the fight between Strange and Lucian is between their astral forms.
118** ''Film/AvengersEndgame'': [[spoiler:When Professor Hulk goes back to 2012 and meets the Ancient One to get the Time Stone, the Ancient One forces Hulk's astral form out of his body so she can explain why she can't give away the Stone to him. Notably, Hulk's astral form is that of an untransformed Bruce Banner.]]
119** ''Film/SpiderManNoWayHome'': Taking a page from the Ancient One, Doctor Strange forcibly ejects Spider-Man's astral form from his body to prevent Peter from running off with the MacGuffin that will force the multiversal villains back to their respective times. Unfortunately for Strange, Peter's physical body is playing keep-away thanks to his SpiderSense, allowing his astral form to reconnect with his body and make his escape.
120* ''Franchise/StarWars'': In ''Film/TheLastJedi'', [[spoiler:Luke Skywalker demonstrates the ability to project himself [[ShockingMoments across a substantial chunk of]] ''the galaxy'', in arguably the most powerful use of the Force seen to date, although the effort to do so claims his life.]]
121[[/folder]]
122
123[[folder:Literature]]
124* Caspian Knoll of the ''Literature/AstralDawn'' series is perhaps the most powerful astral projector there's ever been.
125** Caspian actually managed to astral project into the astral plane and back again while his body slept in his bedroom over the course of a night.
126** The second time Caspian astral projected, he realized he did so with the aid of a special ankh he bought in the city. His body is also left behind during the day instead of night.
127** The third time Caspian astral projects is after he is knocked unconscious at a funeral.
128** Caspian's son astral projects to the Land of Nod and gets stuck there, prompting Caspian to astral project again after many years.
129* The telepathically-gifted on ''Literature/{{Darkover}}'' do this a lot; there's a [[SpiritWorld psychic plane]] called the Overworld where they do various kinds of work (and occasionally engage in mortal combat...)
130* In the ''Literature/TheBartimaeusTrilogy''
131** In the first book, Underwood does this and discovers that his apprentice, the book's main character Nathaniel, has been spying on him. Things nearly turn very nasty, until he gets called away.
132** ''Ptolemy's Gate'' is named after the titular spell that allows a human to astrally project into the Other Place at the cost of finding their body has [[CastFromLifespan aged several decades]] when they return.
133* ''Literature/TheBelgariad'': Garion does this in ''Queen of Sorcery'' to tell Pol and Barak where he is so that he'll be rescued by them.
134* In the Franchise/CthulhuMythos story ''What Brings the Void'' by Will Murray, a government psychic agent does some remote viewing of the parts of the United States where the Old Ones [[AlienInvasion have taken over]]. Some areas are [[PowerOfTheVoid simply black]], other areas he's [[PsychicBlockDefense forced out of]]. So his superior orders him to go look in person as he's the only one likely to survive doing so. He doesn't.
135* Willie Connolly in the 1972 thriller ''Daughter of Darkness'' is accustomed to sneaking out of her body to skip boring classes. She gets [[PrimalScene more than she bargained for]] when she slips out late one night to see what her parents are up to.
136* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': Esmeralda Weatherwax can move her consciousness away from her body and share an experience with a target, or several as in ''Literature/LordsAndLadies'' when she possessed a swarm of bees. In ''Literature/AHatFullOfSky'', Tiffany Aching learns a similar trick but remains disembodied.
137* In the ''Literature/EighthDoctorAdventures'', [[EnsembleDarkhorse Fitz's]] mum can do this, prompting her to mention the times she's seen Fitz in his room doing something [[CaughtWithYourPantsDown too embarrassing to mention]].
138* ''Literature/GoblinsInTheCastle'': While visiting Granny Pinchbottom in ''Goblins on the Prowl'', Fauna receives a potion called Sleep Walk, with enough for four or five uses. It grants the user the ability to project out of their body, and is ''mostly'' safe, but has a time limit of two hours before the drinker is shut out of their body. Also, they aren't completely invisible -- some people can see them out of the corner of their eye, and others will think they've seen a ghost. Fauna gifts it to William (since she's wearing the gift that was ''meant'' for him and can't get it off), who ends up using it to keep in contact with Fauna and the others who are following after him to rescue him when he's abducted by the giant toad.
139* ''Literature/GrimmTales'': Sarah uses this ability to run down an ogre with a truck without risking her physical body in the crash.
140* In the horror novel ''Literature/{{Jago}}'', there's a sequence where the heroine is pushed out of her body after losing a psychic battle with the villain and spends some time trying to find her way back in.
141* The ''Literature/JediAcademyTrilogy'' has an involuntary example, when [[BigBad Exar Kun]] forcibly separates Luke Skywalker's spirit from his body.
142* Seems to be ''Literature/JohnCarterOfMars'''s primary method of traveling to Barsoom.
143* Creator/DennisWheatley's supernatural thriller ''Literature/TheKaOfGiffordHillary'' concerns a man whose spirit is separated from his body and forced to walk the Astral, invisible to almost all. The ''ka'' is the ancient Egyptian term for the astral body.
144* ''Literature/LammasNight'': Several of the characters in the novel can do this (called "going on the Second Road").
145* In the ''Literature/LeftBehind'' book ''The Indwelling'', Tsion Ben-Judah experiences something like this (twice) when he finds himself taken up to heaven to witness Revelation chapter 12 taking place -- the woman clothed with the sun giving birth to the Manchild that would rule the earth from God's throne, and Satan and his angels being cast down from heaven.
146* ''My Trip To Alpha 1'' by Alfred Slote uses a technological version called Voya-Code, where a person's mind and personality are transmitted through space to appear in a highly-functional android duplicate of the traveler's body so they can travel across the galaxy, while their original bodies remain in sleep storage until they return. (An android duplicate differs from the original body in that a small scar called the Computer Entry Scar appears on the small of the android's back.) The main protagonist of the story, Jack, uses this to visit his Aunt Katherine on Alpha 1, only to discover that the Aunt Katherine he is visiting is actually a Voya-Code android being used by her house servants, the Arbos, to give away all her property to them. The real Aunt Katherine is still in sleep storage on Alpha 1 and assumes that she is now on Earth and feels like she's been traveling forever when Jack finds her and has her awakened.
147* Is a central theme in Creator/JamesHerbert's ''Nobody True.''
148* Used as a means of space travel by Michael Ramer in Creator/JRRTolkien's unfinished story ''[[Literature/TheHistoryOfMiddleEarth The Notion Club Papers]]''. The story is partly written as a commentary on and criticism of Tolkien's friend Creator/CSLewis' ''Literature/TheSpaceTrilogy'' novels, and Tolkien - who disliked the idea of spaceships - was using this to suggest an alternative for how such an adventure could take place.
149* In ''The Other Side'' by Creator/JacquelineWilson, twelve-year-old Alison's mother is hospitalized after a psychiatric breakdown, so Alison has to live with her father and his new family. She is incredibly miserable at having to live with the stepfamily, and discovers that she is able to astrally project during times of stress. [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]] in that it's called into question whether she really has such powers, or is imagining them, or they're hallucinations caused by mental illness (although the truth is ultimately left open to the reader to decide.)
150* In the ''Literature/ParadoxTrilogy'', one of Maat's psychic powers is the ability to astrally project her consciousness anywhere in the vicinity of herself or one of her daughters. Her projection is invisible to most people, and her ability to influence physical objects depends on the proximity to her body.
151* ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'': Entering Shadesmar seems to involve this trope. Since it is the Cognitive Realm, this makes sense. All the Surges touch on the Cognitive Realm to some extent, but [[AlchemyIsMagic Soulcasting]] and [[DimensionalTraveler Elsecalling]] are the ones keyed to it the most. Elsecallers not only have the ability to project their minds through Soulcasting, but also to [[DimensionalTraveler travel there directly with Elsecalling]].
152* Creator/DennisWheatley used the concept in ''Literature/StrangeConflict'' which actually has battles on the astral plane, and is considered by some an actual proto {{cyberpunk}} novel.
153* ''Literature/SwordOfTruth'': The Slides can project their souls, plus those of people's whom they capture, into animals to control them or [[AnimalEyeSpy use their eyes and ears]].
154* In ''Literature/TheTraitorSonCycle'', skilled hermeticists can have their athereal selves leave their bodies and wander off to some distance, though they can't interact with anything material unless it has an athereal component as well.
155* In Creator/AnneRice's ''Literature/TheVampireChronicles'' and ''Literature/LivesOfTheMayfairWitches'' powerful vampires and some human psychics can do this. David Talbot contends that anyone could do it with the proper training or guidance. In ''The Tale of the Body Thief'' an unscrupulous [[{{Telepathy}} telepath]] guides a catatonic man into doing this so that he can [[BodySurf switch bodies with him]].
156* ''Literature/VillainsByNecessity'': Kaylana uses this for control over a herd of animals, projecting her mind on theirs. Valerie does the same to search for and find her when she's been taken by a dragon.
157* ''Franchise/Warhammer40000ExpandedUniverse'': In various novels, astral projection is a common ability for powerful psykers and sorcerers:
158** ''Literature/HorusHeresy'':
159*** In ''A Thousand Sons'', Magnus the Red uses an elaborate ritual to project his astral form halfway across the galaxy in order to warn the Emperor about Horus’s impending betrayal. Later on, Ahriman forces Othere Wyrdmake into astral combat by yanking the latter’s astral form out of his body.
160*** In ''Betrayer'', the World Eaters Librarians can [[FusionDance temporarily merge their astral forms together]], forming a gestalt entity called the Communion. In this form, their combined psychic might is so great that they manage to go toe-to-toe with ''Lorgar'' in astral combat for a short time.
161** ''Literature/PathOfTheEldar'': Thirianna gains the ability to astral project as she progresses along the Path of the Seer. She tests it out by exploring the corridors of the Webway, only to run afoul of daemons when she ventures too far.
162** ''Literature/{{Ravenor}}'': The titular Ravenor can project his consciousness across interplanetary distances, and can enter the minds of other people to either take control of them or hide himself from other psykers. He also gets into astral combat with hostile psykers on several occasions.
163* In ''Literature/TheWhiteRabbitChronicles'', Slayers can force their souls out of their bodies when they exhibit faith. This allows them to kill the zombies in the [[SpiritWorld spirit realm]].
164%%* ''Literature/ZoeMartinique'': This is the eponymous character's main ability as well as a central theme of the story.%%What is?
165* ''Literature/LostTime'': Occurs as Nathan-Prime does the extra-dimensional version of this at the end to converse with Blake as if he were also in the same reality. To Blake's eyes it looks like Nathan-Prime is physically there, but the latter confirms this is just an illusion designed to put Blake at ease.
166* ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfDorsa'': Joslyn's dreamwalking lets her do this in a way, as she can travel across a great distance while peeking into sleeping people's dreams and sees the landscape around doing so.
167[[/folder]]
168
169[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
170* ''Series/TheFortyFourHundred'': In "Audrey Parker's Come and Gone", the title character, an elderly free spirit, gains the power of astral projection after taking promicin. When she separates her consciousness from her body, she sees herself as the young woman that she was in the 1950s. Audrey uses her ability to travel throughout UsefulNotes/{{Seattle}} and observe the lives of its residents. After she is murdered while outside of her body, Audrey's consciousness survives. She discovers that her presence causes interference in electronic devices and NTAC determines what has happened as a result. Marco compares Audrey's disembodied consciousness to a signal which is disrupting the electrical fields of various machines. Audrey is able to alert NTAC that she was murdered and they are able to track down her killer before her consciousness fades away entirely.
171* ''Series/BehindHerEyes'': [[spoiler: A major twist in the story is that Adele can do this and spy on people. In flashback, she's seen teaching her friend Rob to do it as well.]]
172* ''Series/{{Beyond}}'': What happened to Holden and Charlie due to their comas, and what the machines Arthur and Frost built allow others to do. It also seems to be a separate ability Holden has generated or retained after he woke up from his coma.
173* ''Franchise/{{Buffyverse}}''
174** In the ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' episode "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS1E10Nightmares Nightmares]]", a twelve-year-old boy in a coma manages to do this (thanks to the Hellmouth's all-purpose magic-boost) but drags people's nightmares into the waking world along with him. Buffy has to help him defeat his own nightmare -- the guy who put him in the hospital -- for him to wake up.
175--->'''Buffy:''' Could I be seeing Billy's [[{{Malaproper}} asteroid body]]?\
176'''Giles:''' ''Astral'' body.
177** And in the ''Series/{{Angel}}'' spin-off, Angel is trying to get hold of Willow, but she's otherwise engaged.
178--->''"Astral projection? Well, is there any way to get her [[UnusualEuphemism astral]] over to L.A.?"''
179* ''Series/Charmed1998'':
180** Prue develops this as a power in the second season although it's treated more like [[SelfDuplication cloning]].
181** A warlock in Season One displays a more traditional version of the power; he is invisible to others (meaning he can spy on the girls) and he is able to influence people by whispering into their ear. He uses this to [[spoiler:simultaneously make Prue steal a tiara from the auction house and make her believe she's just locking up like normal, leading to her arrest]].
182** The power returns in Season 7 when [[spoiler:the girls are taught the power by Leo (who learnt it from Prue) offscreen and use it to distract Zankou and trick the authorities into believing they'd died in the explosion that killed the Nexus]].
183* Anne-Marie from ''Series/Constantine2014'' is capable of this. Notably, while the projection usually retains her current visual appearance, at one point, she projects herself topless to [[DistractedByTheSexy distract a guard]] who she's sneaking by.
184* In the ''Series/FreakyLinks'' episode "Subject: Police Siren", spirit of a comatose policewoman goes after her corrupt coworkers who tried to kill her.
185* In the 1995 BBC horror series ''Ghosts'', the episode "I'll Be Watching You" is about a gangster who gains the ability to astrally project. He uses it to spy on his wife from prison, and kill her when he discovers she's having an affair with his brother. [[spoiler:While he is astrally projecting, his body appears lifeless, and he is declared dead. By the time he can return to his body, he's already been buried.]]
186* ''Series/TheMagicians2016'': Penny gets this ability as part of being a Traveler.
187* ''Series/TheMessengers'': [[spoiler:Vera's ability]], referred to by Rose as "spirit walking".
188* In ''Series/ThePowersOfMatthewStar'' Matthew has astral projection as one of his powers. Unlike most astrals, his is solid and can interact with objects & people freely. He just needs to get back to his body within a certain amount of time.
189* In one episode of ''{{Series/Supernatural}}'', Sam and Dean are taught how to astral project so they can communicate with the spirits and reapers in a town and find out why no one has been dying.
190 * ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959'': In "[[Recap/TheTwilightZone1959S5E13RingADingGirl Ring-A-Ding Girl]]", Bunny Blake is seemingly able to astrally project herself to Howardsville while her physical body is on a plane. She does so in order to save as many townspeople as possible when the plane crashes during the Founders Day's picnic.
191* ''Series/TheTwilightZone1985'':
192** {{Discussed|Trope}} in "[[Recap/TheTwilightZone1985S1E1 Shatterday]]". Peter Jay Novins' alter ego claims that he is the real Novins and that the other one is a piece of him that wandered off while he was sleeping because of astral projection.
193** In "[[Recap/TheTwilightZone1985S1E17 Quarantine]]", Sarah and the other members of the {{Commune}} have the ability to astrally project themselves to anywhere in the universe that they choose, including inhospitable planets which ships could have never visited. Irene uses her [[HumansArePsychicInTheFuture psychic powers]] on Matthew Foreman and takes his mind on a trip around UsefulNotes/TheSolarSystem.
194** In "[[Recap/TheTwilightZone1985S2E11 Song of the Younger World]]", Amy Hawkline and Tanner Smith use the ''I Ching'' to transfer their souls into the bodies of a pair of wolves in a [[AlternateUniverse younger world]] so that they can be free of her [[AbusiveParents abusive father]] Mordecai forever.
195* ''Series/WandaVision'': In TheStinger of the series finale, [[spoiler:Wanda is seen performing an astral projection in order to study [[TomeOfEldritchLore the Darkhold]]]]. Notably, unlike Doctor Strange, [[spoiler:she can project herself while fully awake, as her physical body can be seen getting up to make tea]].
196* Weird Al did this once on ''Series/TheWeirdAlShow''. Once he achieved it, all he did was go watch TV for a while before returning to his body.
197* ''Series/TheXFiles'': In the episode "[[Recap/TheXFilesS03E07TheWalk The Walk]]", Rappo, the MonsterOfTheWeek and an EvilCripple, can detach his phantom soul from his body. He uses this power for RevengeByProxy, killing off families of military men.
198[[/folder]]
199
200[[folder:Music]]
201* The song "Kite" by Music/KateBush on her debut album ''The Kick Inside'' is about this.
202* This is one of the main themes of the Music/{{Mastodon}} concept album ''Crack the Skye''.
203* This is how the band Music/MaudlinOfTheWell claimed to write their songs, and most of their lyrics are about it as well.
204* As the title might suggest, astral projection features prominently in ''The True Story of the Bridgewater Astral League,'' a concept album by Music/TheWorldInfernoFriendshipSociety. The narrative (such as it is) follows the rise and fall of a group of teenagers in suburban [[{{Joisey}} New Jersey]] who use astral travel to commit a series of poetic crimes with impunity, until their leader is attacked by their astral guide for his arrogance. And it all really happened. [[UnreliableNarrator Maybe.]]
205[[/folder]]
206
207[[folder:Pinball]]
208* In ''Pinball/AvengersInfinityQuest'', the Soul Gem Quest involves ComicBook/DoctorStrange projecting into the astral realm to retrieve the Soul Gem and fight off Thanos' Outriders.
209[[/folder]]
210
211[[folder:Professsional Wrestling]]
212* This is the name of one of Wrestling/MandyLeon's {{Finishing Move}}s. This is just a ConversedTrope. She likes to make herself look supernatural on her posters, but she's only capable of doing wrestling moves otherwise.
213[[/folder]]
214
215[[folder:Religion and Mythology]]
216* OlderThanPrint: Iron Crutch Li, one of the Chinese Eight Immortals, was once a handsome man with the power of astral projection. He told his apprentice to wait seven days before cremating his body, but when the apprentice had to go visit his dying mother he had to cremate his master's body early, leaving his master with no choice but to enter the body of a recently deceased old cripple.
217* The [[http://anomalyinfo.com/Stories/1896-berbalangs-cagayan-sulu berbalang]] is [[OurVampiresAreDifferent a vampire-like creature]] from Filipino mythology that performs astral projection to hunt.
218* In the Epistles, the apostle Paul mentions how he knew a man that went into the "third heaven" (which some interpret as being himself, done through this means), though whether it was in the body or outside it, Paul doesn't know -- only God knows.
219[[/folder]]
220
221[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
222* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'':
223** The ''astral projection'' spell, naturally. It's higher-level magic than ''plane shift'', which instantly teleports the caster and any fellow travelers to a given plane, but ''astral projection'' works a bit differently. The subjects' bodies go into suspended animation as they send their astral forms, which are identical to their physical bodies save for a a silvery cord of infinite length extending behind them, to the [[VoidBetweenTheWorlds Astral Plane]], where they can search for a color pool linking to another plane of existence. Once on that plane, a duplicate body is created for the subject, and should it be "killed" or the caster decide to end the spell prematurely, everyone's souls get retracted along their silver cords back to their ''real'' bodies, which are unaffected (save for occasional complaints of a headache). So long as any planar travelers' original bodies are well-protected, ''astral projection'' is thus a safe way to explore the cosmos... with the big caveat that should they run into the rare threat capable of severing the silver cord of their astral forms - such as the teeth or claws of an [[{{Kaiju}} astral dreadnought]], or a [[SpacePirate githyanki]]'s silver sword - the victim's soul is separated from their body, instantly killing them.
224** Some [[OurDemonsAreDifferent fiends]] learn the trick of projecting their ethereal forms from their slumbering physical bodies to engage in some DemonicPossession. This comes with the restriction that they can only project themselves onto the Ethereal Plane or the same plane their comatose bodies are on, which means that if someone or something around you is being possessed, there's a hibernating fiend somewhere relatively close.
225** As of 5th Edition, [[BareFistedMonk Monks]] have the "Way of the Astral Self" subclass, which is an unusual variant of this trope that overlaps heavily with FightingSpirit. These martial artists learn how to manifest their astral selves while remaining conscious and fully in control of their corporeal bodies. The result is that they can punch you in the face with their physical arms ''and'' their astral arms in the same flurry of blows, look through the eyes of their astral visage to pierce darkness, or protect their physical body with their astral form. It's also noted that, unlike with the ''astral projection'' spell, these Monks' astral selves are not necessarily identical to their corporeal bodies, and instead take forms that reflect each individual's values and conception of their true self.
226* ''TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness'': This is pretty common; just about every gameline has one version of this. About half the players in ''TabletopGame/{{Orpheus}}'' are living people who temporarily kick their souls out of their bodies to interact with spirits. The other half are ghosts or cryogenically frozen people whose souls are wandering around while their bodies are on ice.
227* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'': An elder sphinx spends most of its life as a statue, during which time its consciousness casts itself far beyond the material world to explore the mysteries of the Astral and Outer Planes.
228* ''TabletopGame/RuneQuest'' allows players to become shamans, whose souls travel in the spirit world to commune with greater spirits and capture lesser spirits for their magic or other powers. Usually an ally spirit called a Fetch guards the shaman's body. At least as of Mongoose's RQII ([=RQ5?=]) advanced shamans can carry other characters' spirits along with them, either voluntarily to journey together or forcibly to engage in spirit combat.
229* ''TabletopGame/RocketAge'': Psychic characters can learn to separate their minds from their body, leaving it in a coma while their shimmering astral form goes out into the world. If their body dies while they are separated, a person will either fade away, or be left as a disassociated spirit.
230* ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'': Astral travel is a standard mage ability, and very useful for scouting since astral security is less common than physical or cyber-security. But you still have to watch out for wards, spirits, dual-natured critters that can perceive and interact with the astral, or even a topiary wall as you can't move through any living being's astral self. Also, it's difficult to find your body if it's been moved while you were projecting, Shedim can possess it as if it was a [[PossessingADeadBody corpse]], and anything that manages to kill your astral self kills you.
231* ''TabletopGame/VampireTheRequiem'': Vampires can gain this ability by mastering the Discipline of Auspex, which covers various forms of {{Super|Senses}} and supernatural senses. When projecting, they're [[OutOfClothesExperience naked]], {{intangible|Man}}, and unable to interact with the world around them. There's no time limit, but if their body is destroyed, lost, or somehow unable to be returned to, the projecting vampire dies within a few days.
232[[/folder]]
233
234[[folder:Toys]]
235* The [[MaskOfPower Mask of Spirit]] allows the wearer this power in ''{{Toys/BIONICLE}}.'' However, the user cannot affect objects while outside their body, as the writer feared that this would become a StoryBreakerPower.
236[[/folder]]
237
238[[folder:Video Games]]
239* ''VideoGame/AmberJourneysBeyond'': The titular AMBER device allows the wearer to do this, in this case to project one's mind into that of a ghost's. Prior to the events of the game, however, its inventor, Roxy, [[NiceJobBreakingItHero used a flawed prototype]], leaving her projections stuck among the ghosts. Your objective is to [[UnfinishedBusiness help the ghosts pass on]] so that her mind can be reintegrated using the various machines in her house.
240* In the UsefulNotes/ZXSpectrum games ''VidoeGame/{{Avalon}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Dragontorc}}'', the protagonist is an astral projection (originally so that the author could show him hovering in a lotus position, rather than having to animate legs).
241* ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'' can do this through her power as an Umbra Witch, which primarily sees use whenever she has to protect Cereza from the angels she fights.
242* In ''VideoGame/{{BioShock 2}}'', the Scout plasmid allows Delta to astrally project himself, as well as cast plasmids and, with some upgrades, hack machines. The plasmid automatically cancels if his body is harmed, though.
243* ''VideoGame/DiabloIII'': The Witch Doctor's Spirit Walk ability is supposedly this. In practice, it's two seconds of legal invincible wallhacking, and can be modified in five different ways.
244* In ''VideoGame/DragonQuestXI'', the PlayerCharacter and his CoolOldGuy grandpa Rab perform this in order to enter the SpiritWorld and learn from Rab's late mentor.
245* In ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' series, this is one of the many powers possessed by the [[MagicalSociety Psijic]] [[TheOrder Order]] thanks to their [[SufficientlyAdvancedMagic thousands of years in the study of magic]]. The can project to speak with and be visible to only the individuals they want, even across the continent.
246* In ''VideoGame/GhostTrick'', [[spoiler:those who are struck by the Temsik meteor]] gain the normal ghostly "powers of the dead" but also retain the ability to return to their original bodies.
247* What kicks off the plot of ''VideoGame/MindYourManors''. The protagonist falls asleep in an abandoned mansion and wakes up to find his spirit separated from his body, and must escape to restore himself.
248* In ''VideoGame/NightInTheWoods'', the main protagonist Mae Borowski was [[WhatCouldHaveBeen originally going to have the power]], which would have only been activated when she dreams at night in order to help tell her what's going on in the town that she is living in. However, in the final game, it's [[UnreliableNarrator ambiguous if she's actually astral projecting or if it's just a combination of the stress of coming back home and]] [[spoiler:her underlying mental disorder.]]
249* In ''VideoGame/TheNightOfTheRabbit'' the old magician A. Molena uses Astral Projection to help the hero. In this game it is called "active sleep", but it is the same thing.
250* Mesprit from ''VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl'' is said to utilize this ability and fly around Lake Verity without leaving its cave.
251* In the video game ''VideoGame/Prey2006'', Tommy's spirit can be projected from his body. Players can use the ability to pass through forcefields, dangerous obstacles, and attack enemies.
252** Also, when the player dies, they can shoot down spirits and regain health in the SpiritWorld to return.
253* Used in ''VideoGame/PsiOpsTheMindgateConspiracy'' to look around, check enemy movement and make the player motion sick.
254* One of the psychic toys from ''VideoGame/SamAndMaxTheDevilsPlayhouse'' is the "Astral Projector", a reel projector that allows the titular duo to spiritually enter the bodies of their respective [[IdenticalGrandfather Grandparents]]. [[spoiler:As well as allowing Sam to possess any cloned body.]]
255* ''VideoGame/SecondSight'' has this a power, which can be used to remotely operate switches and with a later upgrade, possess people.
256* ''VideoGame/SpiritOfTheNorth'': The fox acquires the ability Spirit Form, which allows it to abandon its physical body for short amounts of time to reach otherwise inaccessible places.
257* In ''Super VideoGame/StreetFighterIV'', this is one of [[HotGypsyWoman Rose's]] many PsychicPowers. [[spoiler: She uses it in T. Hawk's ending, to tell him that his girlfriend Julia is still alive but has become an EmptyShell.]]
258* Sadhus in ''VideoGame/TreeOfSavior'' can perform a short-ranged version of this with the Out of Body skill. Punching things with their soul, in fact, is their signature ability.
259* Naturally, Comicbook/DoctorStrange uses this at the beginning of his Level 3 super in ''[[VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3 Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3]]''.
260* The ghastly looking King of TheWildHunt you [[OptionalBoss can fight]] in ''VideoGame/TheWitcher'' is actually just the astral projection of the real deal, whom you fight in ''VideoGame/TheWitcher3WildHunt.'' Doubles with FightingAShadow.
261* ''VideoGame/TheWolfAndTheWaves'': Eating a blue mushroom will give you an out-of-body experience that lets you fly around the island. Just make sure to immediately cancel it if your health starts going down, because that means zombies are attacking your left-behind body.
262* In ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', when players die, they control their characters' spirits until they're revived.
263[[/folder]]
264
265[[folder:Webcomics]]
266* ''Webcomic/BloodIsMine'': One of the magic rituals contained in ''[[TomeOfEldritchLore Geoangular Control]]'' allows the caster to temporarily separate their soul from their body. The soul has similar properties to a ghost (intangible and can't be seen or heard without a lot of effort), while the body goes unconscious.
267* ''Webcomic/ChildrenOfEldair'': How Koe manifests while observing the past. He can walk to different places and watch, but can't interact or communicate with anyone.
268* In ''Webcomic/CunningFire'', much of the story takes place on the Astral Plane.
269* In ''Webcomic/GunnerkriggCourt'' going out-of-body allows to see other [[SpiritWorld Etheric]] entities and magic in colour, over grey shapes of the material world, and even communicate "invisibly" -- unless there's another observer in the same state, of course. Strong reactions translate to the body -- Antimony and George during the memory-dump didn't move, but wept. Later when Annie saw Lindsay and Bud kissing and when Red was surprised by Annie's trick this reflected in appropriate grimaces on their bodies. At least [[EnchantedForest Gillitie Wood]] creatures turned humans [[spoiler:can leave their bodies "on autopilot" speed-typing the lesson in the real world]] while they fly around and are distracted by something more interesting ("We's don't need our minds to learn dis junk!") and create illusions from memory if they concentrate a little.
270* In ''Webcomic/{{Housepets}}'' Tarot attends [[http://www.housepetscomic.com/comic/2012/08/06/being-conned/ PsyCon]] via astral projection, and brings Peanut along using an "astral projector".
271--> ''That was not "a bit" of tingling!''
272* ''WebComic/MagickChicks'': This is just one, [[SuperpowerLottery among many]], of Faith's abilities as an esper. First seen, [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/magick-chicks/this-kind-of-power when she attempts to helps Melissa,]] while the latter was unconscious, due to [[spoiler: the wand's powers being out of control]]. The second instance takes place in chapter 15, when [[spoiler: "fade-out girl" makes an unexpected appearance [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/magick-chicks/not-a-person in Faith's subconsciousness]]]].
273* ''Webcomic/NeoKosmos'': Seven can astral project out of their body, and in fact spends most of their time out of their body with Tye, Z, and Iris, even though none of the three are aware of Seven. They can see and hear perfectly well while projecting, but no one can see or hear them, and they can't communicate with anyone or make them aware of their presence.
274* Once in ''Webcomic/PoppyOPossum'' a monk astrally projected and had to reassure some kids he wasn't a ghost. Then a dragon killed his body and he became a ghost.
275* Jack of ''Webcomic/ZebraGirl'' does a lot of "meditation" that is essentially projection across Earth and into various parallel universes. There was also the Magi-net that was essentially mages using astral projection as a chat room [[spoiler: before it turned out to be a trap.]]
276[[/folder]]
277
278[[folder:Web Originals]]
279* In the ''Literature/ChakonaSpace'' stories, Skunktaurs of House Blackpaw have this ability, as do Chakats sired by them and some other individuals of different species.
280* ''Website/SCPFoundation'': [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-438 SCP-438 ("Addictive Straitjacket of Espionage")]] appears to be a normal straitjacket. When it is put on, the person wearing it falls into a coma and undergoes an OBE (Out of Body Experience). Their consciousness can travel great distances instantly and effortlessly, with a full range of sensory perception.
281* ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'': A number of psychics and wizards are capable of different forms of this.
282** The most notable of these is [[MeaningfulName Fubar]], who uses a projected image of an adult version of his original body, as well as using MindOverMatter to make himself seem physically present, in order to interact more naturally with others.
283** Generator's main power is arguably a variant of this: Jade is able to project a portion of her own soul into inanimate objects in order to possess them, while she herself remains awake and active. The duplicated/calved versions of herself think and perceive the world independently from her or each other, but eventually they run out of steam, at which point they and their memories merge back with Jade.
284[[/folder]]
285
286[[folder:Western Animation]]
287* Finn has done this twice on ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime''. In "Still", he mentally projects himself to the astral plane to summon an "astral beast" to help free him and Jake from their magic-induced paralysis. And in "Astral Plane" Finn astrally travels throughout Ooo and eventually to Mars [[spoiler: because of a comet that's on a collision course with Mars, which [[HeroicSacrifice Glob diverts]] to Ooo.]]
288* In ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', Aang can astrally project into the spirit world (or accidentally into the material one). ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' later confirms that non-Avatar people can do this as well.
289** Korra does this so she can fight the Dark Avatar. It also revealed earlier in the series that [[spoiler:at the time of his death, Iroh did this, and his spirit became a permanent resident of the Spirit World.]]
290** Jinora is found to be very talented at this in the third season. This becomes important when the team reaches Ba Sing Se.
291* In ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'', Batman performs this through meditation in "Dawn of the Dead Man!" after being BuriedAlive by Gentleman Ghost. With help from Deadman, he's able to [[DemonicPossession possess]] Speedy in order to get Green Arrow's help before he runs out of air and defeat Gentleman Ghost.
292* In the ''WesternAnimation/DefendersOfTheEarth'' episode "Bits 'n Chips", Ming uses a projection of Rick's late mother in an attempt to trick the youth into giving him full access to the data contained in Dynak-X, including the codes to Earth's missile systems. Mandrake, sensing what is about to happen, uses astral projection to warn Rick of Ming's trick; his physical form collapses unconscious, possibly explaining why he doesn't use this ability more often.
293* The sheep talisman in ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'' projects the user's spirit, which is able to [[DreamWalker enter people's dreams]]. In the third season [[spoiler:when the talismans are destroyed]], the power ends up being given to an actual sheep, who uses it to fly about and enter people's dreams.
294* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' in "Lady Bouvier's Lover" Nelson is shown to do this when Bart receives an animation cel of an arm that he bought for $350. This leaves him twitching on the Kwik-E-Mart floor.
295-->'''Apu:''' This boy is having an out of body experience. This is very bad for business.
296* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'': In [[Recap/StevenUniverseS5E23Reunited "Reunited"]], Steven gets knocked out during [[spoiler:a fight with Blue and Yellow Diamond]], only to find his mind out of his body. Once Steven figures out what's happening, he isn't too surprised by it because of the other dream-related powers he's used before. While projecting, Steven cannot interact with or even see physical objects, but he can see/sense people and interact with them telepathically.
297-->'''Connie:''' Wha-where are you? How are you...?\
298'''Steven:''' I'm not sure, but I think it's a classic psychic ghost type situation.
299* In ''WesternAnimation/UglyAmericans'' Leonard uses a “hologram” spell at times. Though in the second season the hologram is shown to be independently intelligent while Leonard is temporarily dead.
300* Doctor Orpheus in ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'' can do this, usually for the sake of communicating with Jefferson and/or The Alchemist.
301** Unfortunately, he cannot double project, which leads to some difficulty when talking to them both at the same time.
302[[/folder]]
303
304[[folder:Real Life]]
305* At the height of the UsefulNotes/ColdWar, both the USA and the USSR [[https://youtu.be/yIwrtZPzW64 extensively tested the veracity of this concept]], partly because "remote viewing" offered an intriguing new take on espionage (imagine a spy eavesdropping on Kremlin meetings without once leaving Washington), and mainly out of a paranoid fear that if they didn't at least check out whether there was any truth in it, it might be gifting the other side an advantage. Results were inconclusive.
306* The pseudoscientific self-help technique of "reality shifting" is based on the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics and modern astral projection, specifically the CIA's dead-end research into the topic mentioned above. It posits that through intense meditation and preparation, it's possible to transport one's consciousness into a different universe, either one that has changed according to their own terms or the world of a fictional narrative, while a copy of their consciousness runs around in this world until they get back. However, any astute observer of a "successful" shifting attempt will easily be able to point out that it sounds an awful lot like practicing lucid dreaming as a learned skill (which can induce dissociative effects if it doesn't come naturally); moreover, the many-worlds interpretation does not include worlds where the laws of physics are fundamentally different or can be violated.
307[[/folder]]
308
309----
310->"[[Film/TheLastJedi See you around, kid!]]"

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