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Astral Projection is the power to project one's consciousness (or 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", active powers are dormant. However, some advanced users have mastered the skill to use their powers whilst astral projecting.

Types of Astral Projection

There are two types of astral projection:

Corporeal form

2x09-AstralPrue

Prue's corporeal projection next to Piper

This form of astral projecting allows the user to interact with other people and vice versa. In Prue's case, telekinesis is used to move her astral form outside the body and to keep her in "astral mode". Because of this, she can not use Telekinesis during the projection. However, this limitation can be overcome after excessive exercise with the power. Though her Telekinesis is neutralized, she still demonstrates the basic witch ability to cast spells.[1] In this astral form, it is also possible to project from one place to another without returning to the body. Prue Halliwell once did this to avoid bullets.[2]

Astral Exercises

Prue unsuccessfully trying to perform telekinesis in astral mode.

When astral projecting, the user's body will become unconscious. When new to the power, the body will collapse and fall to the ground, although, 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 and can be recognized by a pink flash that accompanies the projection when it appears and disappears. Demonic beings astral project as an invisible spirit form.

Invisible form

1x10-RexBuckland-AstralMode

Rex Buckland giving Prue suggestions whilst astral projecting

This form of astral projection allows the user to appear invisible and make a telepathic connection with someone. 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.

5x07-Barbas-AstralMode

Barbas, the demon of fear, in astral mode

Barbas is a prime example of demons who use this ability. He learned 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 ever knowing that he implanted any thoughts, as well as attack them from a distance.

Exhaustion

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An exhausted Prue after astral projecting

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 not last 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

7x22-Sisters-AstralProject

The sisters astral project back into their bodies

Paige: "Did you astral project?"
Miss Donovan: "Mrs. Winterbourne taught me before she went on sabbatical. Don't worry, I'll get used to it."
Miss Donovan shows off her learnt skill[src]

Astral Projection is one of the few (if not only) powers that can be taught to those who do not naturally possess it. 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. Although Leo kept this a secret from the sisters for a while, in 2005, he passed on this knowledge to them when they had to vanquish Zankou. A vanquishing which would not only kill Zankou, but the sisters as well in the process.

Donovan 4

Miss Donovan astral projecting back into her physical body

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

Original power
Learned skill
Through spell, potion, power stealing, etc.

Related Powers

Astralecho9

Phoebe with her future self

Astral Premonition

Main article: Astral Premonition

Astral Premonition is the ability to project one's consciousness into a future event, either as a physical astral form or through the body of one's future-self; allowing the user to experience a premonition first-hand. This is a combination of Premonition and Astral Projection and is the closest a Charmed One has gotten to natural Time Travel. The only known user of this power is Phoebe Halliwell. It allows her to see things in more detail and to stay within the future for a longer period of time.

Gallery

Small triquetra The Astral Projection article has a Photo Gallery.

Notes and Trivia

  • Astral Projection is featured in all televised seasons.
  • Interestingly, good users of this power were only seen using the visible version, while evil users were only seen using the invisible version.
    • This led many fans to speculate that each version of this power is exclusive to each side, however this was never confirmed.
  • Kit was able to see Rex Buckland in his invisible astral form. She is the only known being capable of this.
  • Zachary demonstrated the most powerful demonstration of Astral Projection by using his Telepathy to copy Astral Projection and still use both his and Piper's Molecular Immobilization in astral mode.
Clone 5

Prue's power augmented by empathy

  • While Prue was temporarily an 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. Miss Donovan could also stay semi-conscious while in astral mode, pulling herself up before retreating to her body.
  • There are spells that allow the caster to astral project:
3astral

The astral selves of the Charmed Ones during Zankou's vanquish

    • The Book of Shadows contains a spell which allows witches without this power to astral project. Phoebe used this spell once to provoke 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.
    • The book also contains a spell that allows witches to summon an astral form to their location against their will, as seen when Phoebe forced Prue back to the manor in "Just Harried".
    • Drake dè Mon cast a spell in "Show Ghouls" that allowed him and Phoebe to astral project into Cabaret Fantome long enough to witness the moment the spirits died.
  • According to the sisters in "Something Wicca This Way Goes...?", they learned to astral project from Leo Wyatt, who learned it from Prue. She had taught him how to astral project shortly before her death.
  • When a being would astral project, their astral self would always manifest the clothes they currently had on. The only exception to this was Prue in "Just Harried", who's astral self wore a different yet each time the same outfit whenever she involuntarily astral projected, regardless of what her physical body was wearing.
  • The animation for astral projection changed over the seasons;
  • The demon Litvack could project images of himself in the minds of others while speaking to them telepathically. When he did this, it closely resembled Astral Projection.
  • In "Just Harried", it was revealed that if Prue ignored her inner desires for too long, her astral form would take on a life of its own to act on those desires.
  • Shannen Doherty said on The Daily Show that she was instructed by the producers to look 'orgasmic' when Prue astral projects out of her body.[3]

References

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