During astral projection, the consciousness can travel with the astral body.
During mental projection, it feels like an imaging process is taking place.
As science progresses, we'll no doubt learn more about these subtle projections; but for now we can at least experiment and observe our results.
As an example of the power of mental projection, healer Olga Worrall placed her hands at each end of a Wilson Cloud Chamber without touching it.
She imagined healing energies flowing from her hands into the chamber.
Within 30 seconds the mist began to pulsate and dark waves became visible.
The experiment was repeated while Olga was 600 miles from the apparatus, and the same results were achieved when she only visualized her hands at each end of the chamber directing her energies into it! As an exercise, assume a comfortable, relaxed position and do some deep, abdominal breathing.
Imagine projecting your mental body out of your physical body so that it is hovering over and looking down on your relaxed body.
Look at your clothes, hair, body position, etc. and feel totally comfortable.
Now imagine you are zooming up through the ceiling and out of the building.
Pause for a few seconds and look back at the areas surrounding the building, then project yourself onward.
Speed by familiar parks, houses, stores and watch the traffic passing underneath you.
Now proceed over to a friend's house.
Go inside and view the different rooms and see if anybody is at home.
Listen to the sounds of any animals or conversations.
Take note of anything out of the ordinary -- new faces, items or happenings.
Then exit the house and return to your own location.
Look at your body briefly and then resume your normal occupancy.
Write down or draw what you saw; then call your friend up to see how close you came.
Such mental projections are far easier to do than astral projections.
The speed of the mental body is as great as the speed of thought.
If there is no direct perception of where you are going, the places become imagination.
When there is perceptual knowledge, imagination turns to reality.
With practice, they become less imagination and more substantial projection.