Choosing a time : First of all, consider practicing astral projection early in the morning. This time of the day holds several key advantages to inducing an OOBE: you are already relaxed from a good night of sleep, there are less distractions and most importantly, the chemistry of the brain at this time of the day is naturally conducive to astral projection.
Basically, early in the morning (around 5 am), melatonin levels in the brain are relatively high. This helps you stay very relaxed. At the same time, cortisol levels begin to build up in anticipation of the day to come. This creates a stimulating energy that may be used to remain alert through the process of projecting the consciousness out of the body.
If you’re not a morning person, any other time than late at night should be advantageous. Most people try to astral project at night but only end up falling asleep because they are already too tired. If you are serious about astral projection, get into the habit of going to bed early so you can wake up early.
A good setup : Next, create an environment that you are fond of and in which you feel comfortable. The bedroom is perfect for this type of activity. It already is a room dedicated to sleeping, resting, intimacy and dreaming. Unplug the phone and other devices susceptible to create distractions, obviously.
Mental and emotional hygiene : It is important that your mind be as carefree as possible. A busy and worrying mind will be too focused on external matters to let go and allow out of body experiences to occur. Staying up to date with daily tasks, clearing up misunderstandings with others and living according to one’s means, for example, will all contribute to create good mental and emotional conditions to relax and focus on astral projection when you want to. Stress diminishes your chances of consciously astral projecting.
I also find it is easier to experience astral travel and lucid dreaming during periods where I am relatively less socially involved, don’t read the news and don’t watch tv (I got rid of it actually). This does not mean you have to become a recluse, I’m just pointing out that less involvement with the outer world can facilitate
