A man in his forties, a corporate executive with no interest in the occult, woke one night to find himself floating near the ceiling of his bedroom. He watched his own body lying still on the bed. The panic passed. Curiosity took over. That spontaneous out-of-body experience (OBE) in the 1970s set William Buhlman on a path that would produce three books, a website, and an online course that has become one of the most referenced resources for astral projection today. William Buhlman’s online course is a structured, step-by-step program for inducing OBEs, built on four decades of personal practice and research. We took the course ourselves. This is what we found.
An honest evaluation of William Buhlman’s online astral projection course: its content, structure, effectiveness, and how it compares to other methods. Written from a practitioner’s perspective.
What the Course Actually Is
The course is a self-paced video and audio program hosted on Buhlman’s website, AstralProjection.com. It consists of roughly 20 hours of video lessons, guided meditations, and downloadable audio tracks. The core method is what Buhlman calls the “direct approach” – techniques designed to trigger the vibrational state and then separate the astral body from the physical. There are no rituals, no incense, no tools. The only requirement is a quiet room and a willingness to lie still for 20 to 40 minutes.
Buhlman divides the material into modules that progress from basic relaxation to advanced exploration of the astral planes. Each module includes a lecture, a demonstration, and a practice session. Students are asked to keep a journal and to attempt the techniques daily. The course also grants access to a private forum where Buhlman himself occasionally answers questions.
William Buhlman’s Background: Why His Method Exists
Buhlman’s first OBE was accidental, but he spent the next decade trying to reproduce it. He read everything available at the time: Robert Monroe’s Journeys Out of the Body (1971), the works of Sylvan Muldoon and Hereward Carrington (The Projection of the Astral Body, 1929), and the Tibetan Buddhist texts on dream yoga. He found most accounts either too vague or too steeped in religious language.
In 1996 he published Adventures Beyond the Body, a manual that stripped astral projection of its occult trappings and presented it as a learnable skill. The book became a standard reference. The Secret of the Soul (2001) expanded the theory, and Higher Self: Your Forgotten Identity (2010) pushed into the spiritual implications. By the early 2010s Buhlman had built a small online following and began offering live workshops. The online course, launched around 2015, was his attempt to make the workshop material available to anyone.
What distinguishes Buhlman from earlier teachers is his insistence that the OBE is not a mystical gift but a natural human capacity. He compares it to learning to ride a bicycle: frustrating until it clicks, then effortless. That pragmatic tone runs through the entire course.
What the Course Teaches: The Techniques
The course is built around three core techniques, each with variations:
The Rope Technique. The student visualizes a rope hanging above the bed. The mind reaches for it, hand over hand, while the body remains completely still. The goal is to shift awareness into the imagined motion without triggering physical movement. Buhlman claims this is the most reliable method for beginners.
The Direct Method. The student lies in a state of deep relaxation and simply intends to leave the body. No visualization. No counting. Just the clear command: “I am now out of body.” This works for people who can already reach the vibrational state easily.
The Indirect Method. The student wakes after four to six hours of sleep, stays awake for a few minutes, then returns to bed with the intention of projecting while the body is still in a hypnagogic state. This exploits the natural transition between waking and sleeping.
Each technique is demonstrated in a video and then practiced with a guided audio track. Buhlman narrates the tracks in a calm, unhurried voice – no dramatic music, no binaural beats. The simplicity is deliberate. He wants students to learn to produce the state without external aids.
How It Compares to Other Astral Projection Courses
The most direct comparison is with the Monroe Institute’s Gateway Process, which uses Hemi-Sync audio technology to guide the brain into specific frequencies. Monroe’s approach is more passive: the audio does much of the work. Buhlman’s course is more active: the student must generate the state through mental effort. Neither is better, but they suit different temperaments.
Michael Raduga’s Phase method (from the OOBE Research Center) is the closest competitor. Raduga’s approach is even more stripped down: no theory, no spiritual context, just a set of algorithms for inducing the “phase state.” His free online course is shorter and more aggressive. Buhlman’s course is slower, more patient, and includes the philosophical framework that Raduga deliberately omits.
For readers of traditional occult literature, Buhlman’s course will feel almost secular. There is no invocation of spirits, no astral temples, no protective circles. The Golden Dawn’s “Body of Light” exercise, by contrast, is embedded in a ritual system. Buhlman’s method works for people who want the experience without the religion.
Common Misconceptions About the Course
“You need to be psychic.” Buhlman states explicitly that OBEs are a physical phenomenon, not a psychic one. The course is designed for anyone who can relax and focus.
“It’s dangerous.” The course addresses safety in the first module. Buhlman explains that the astral body is always connected to the physical by the silver cord and that no one has ever been lost. We found his reassurances measured and evidence-based.
“It’s just lucid dreaming.” Buhlman distinguishes OBEs from lucid dreams by the sense of physical separation and the consistency of the environment. The course teaches techniques to verify the experience – for example, reading text in the astral and then checking it in the physical.
“You’ll project on the first try.” The course does not promise instant results. Buhlman says most students need two to four weeks of daily practice. Some take months.
FAQ
How long does the course take to complete? The video lessons can be finished in a weekend, but the practice modules are designed to be repeated over several weeks. Most students spend four to six weeks working through the material.
Do I need prior experience with meditation? No. The first module teaches basic relaxation and mental stillness. However, people who already meditate tend to progress faster.
Is the course suitable for beginners? Yes. Buhlman assumes no prior knowledge. The language is clear, and the techniques are explained step by step.
The Verdict: Is It Worth It?
We approached the course with skepticism. There are dozens of free guides online, and Buhlman’s own books cover the same material. What the course adds is structure and accountability. The guided audios are useful for people who cannot maintain focus on their own. The forum provides a sense of community that solo practice lacks.
The course is not cheap – at the time of writing it costs roughly $197 – but it is less expensive than a weekend workshop. For a serious beginner who has tried free resources without success, the investment is reasonable. For experienced projectors, the course offers little new.
We found Buhlman’s tone refreshingly honest. He does not claim to have all the answers. He admits that some people are naturally better at projecting than others. He does not sell supplements or advanced courses. The whole program is one purchase, no upsells.
The fire is not in the technique. It is in the daily practice. The course gives you the tools. You have to light the match.
If you are ready to explore the mechanics of astral projection further, start with our astral projection guide for an overview of the phenomenon and its history. For a detailed explanation of the vibrational state that Buhlman emphasizes, see our glossary entry on the vibrational state. And if you want to compare Buhlman’s approach to the Monroe Institute’s Gateway Process, read our comparison of OBE methods.