Astral projection
An experience in which awareness seems to exist or move independently of the physical body.
Also known as: astral travel, out-of-body experience, soul travel
What it means in practice
People may report observing their sleeping body, moving around a familiar room or entering a different environment. The experience can be spontaneous or deliberately induced near sleep.
The term describes what the experience feels like. Spiritual and neurological accounts offer different explanations for what is happening.