Astral Projection

Astral Projection is the ability to project your soul into an astral form outside the body. When a person astral projects, their physical body falls to the floor, slumps over or remains still until they return. While in "astral mode", powers are dormant. However, some advanced users have mastered the skill to use their powers when astral projecting.

Types of Astral Projection
There are two types of astral projection:
 * Projection yourself onto the physical plane with a corporeal body. An extension of someones Telekinesis.
 * Projection yourself onto the astral plane as an invisible spirit. An extension of someones Telepathy.

Corporeal form
This form of astral projecting allows the user to interact with other people and vice versa. Since the telekinesis power is used to move the user outside the body and to keep the user in "astral mode", the power can not be used during the projection. However, this limitation can be overcome after excessive exercise of the power.

When astral projecting, the users body will become unconscious. When new to the power, the body will collapse and fall to the ground, more experienced users will be able to let their body stand still.

This form of astral projection is most common for beings such as witches. Demonic beings astral project with the other, invisible form.

Invisible form
This form of astral projection allows the user to appear invisible and make a telepathic connection with someone. This form is considered to be demonic since it is only demons and warlocks have displayed this ability.

While in "astral mode", the user of this form can implant thoughts and suggestions to other people. The suggestions can be heard by anyone or by an individual, depending on the concentration and strength of the user.

Barbas is a prime example of demons who use this ability. He learnt to astral project from another demon whilst in purgatory in return for that demon's freedom. Together with his power to read fears, Barbas gained much strength over his victims, allowing him to plant subliminal thoughts into the mind of his victims and creating illusions. It also allowed Barbas to attack and manipulate his victims without them every knowing that he implanted any thoughts, as well as attack them from a distance.

Exhaustion
When new to the power, astral projecting can be exhausting for its users as it requires a lot of energy to maintain two corporeal selves. This also causes their astral selves to last not very long. Over time, users will master the skill to use their ability without fatigue and maintain an astral self for a longer period of time.

Very advanced users will even master the skill to be awake in both their physical body as well as their astral form. However, this would require a lot of energy, exhausting even the most advanced users.

Teaching Astral Projection
Astral Projection is one of the few, if not only powers, which can be taught. However, spells and potions are favored for those who do not possess the power and do not have or want to take the time to learn this ability.

In 2001, shortly before her death, Prue Halliwell taught Leo Wyatt how to astral project. She probably learned how to teach it from books she read during the time that she wanted to refine her skills. Altough Leo kept this a secret from the sisters for a while, in 2005 he passed on this wisdom to them when they had to vanquish Zankou. A vanquishing which would not only kill Zankou, but sisters as well in the process.

Prue was not the only witch to teach someone else how to astral project. Mrs. Winterbourne, the nursery teacher at Magic School, taught the librarian, Miss Donovan, how to astral project before she went on a sabbatical. Miss Donovan displayed her newly acquired astral projection skills to Paige Matthews while trying to get the post of Literature Professor after the death of Mr. Monkeyshines. Although it seemed like she had began to learn it a few weeks back before demonstrating it to Paige, the power still exhausted her, which makes sense because she was not born with the power and thus will need more time to get skilled with the ability.

List of beings who use(d) Astral Projection
• 2
 * Original power

• 3
 * Through spell, potion, power, stealing, etc.

Prue Halliwell
The telekinetic powers of Prue Halliwell advanced during her second year as a witch, gaining the power to astral project. At the time she was at Buckland's Auction House. After just finishing a meeting, her sister Piper who was waiting outside the meeting room, urged Prue to leave. However, Prue's college Jack Sheridan urged her to stay and finish a conversation. Feeling the pressure of both her sister and college, Prue suddenly slips into unconsciousness and astral projected herself next to Piper. Surprised and confused, Prue returns to her body and awakens.

Notes and Trivia

 * Kit was able to see Rex Buckland in his invisible astral projection. She's the only being known to be able to see the invisible form of astral projectors.
 * A monkey was able to astral project after her blood was mixed with the blood of Prue Halliwell. This was the work of Dr. Williamson who wanted to study the Charmed Ones blood after Piper's miraculous recovery of Oroya Fever. He later accidentally mixed the blood of the sisters with his blood, but never astral projected.


 * While Prue was temporarily and Empath, her power of astral projection was augmented by empathy which allowed her to stay awake in both her physical body as well as her astral self.
 * The Demonic Wasteland is located on the Astral Plane. In order for someone to visit the wasteland, they have to astral project onto the plane. When Phoebe had cast the "To Find a Lost Love" spell to bring herself to Cole, the spell manifested her astral self in the wasteland.


 * The Halliwell's Book of Shadows contains a spell which allows witches without this power to astral project. Phoebe used this spell once to entice Barbas, who stood on the verge of becoming the next Source of All Evil, to attack her and her sisters. While in astral mode, Phoebe's fears could not be read by Barbas.
 * In 2005, when the Charmed Ones were to vanquish Zankou by banishing the Nexus, they had astral projected themselves into the manor. The explosion of the vanquish would kill them, and thus they had left their bodies outside the manor and used their astral selves to cast the spell and vanquish Zankou.
 * According to the sisters, they had learned to astral project from Leo Wyatt who learned it from Prue. She had thought him how to astral project shortly before her death.