Step VIII: Mental Projection, Fluids, & Astral Charging

1. Magic Mental Training: Mental Travel (Out-of-Body Consciousness)

Step VIII introduces the ability to detach your mental body (spirit) from the physical frame and move consciously through space.

                 +-----------------------+

                 |     PHYSICAL BODY     |

                 | (Trance State / Rest) |

                 +-----------------------+

                             |

             (Mental Matrix Extension)

                             |

                             v

                 +-----------------------+

                 |      MENTAL BODY      |

                 |  (Pure Consciousness) |

                 +-----------------------+

                             |

                 +--------------------+-----------+

                 |                                              |

        [ Nearby Exploration ]  [ Distant Travel ]

• The Technique for Mental Travel:
  1. Sit in your habitual posture (Asana) and enter a deep state of mental emptiness. 
  2. Transfer your whole consciousness into your mental body, imagining yourself standing right beside or in front of your physical body. 
  3. Look at your physical body resting in the chair. Practice seeing, feeling, and hearing from the perspective of the exteriorized mental body. 
  4. Short Journeys: Begin by moving around your room, then step into neighboring rooms. Observe small details (e.g., objects on a table, people in another room). 
  5. Verification: Return your mental body to your physical vessel, awaken fully, and physically verify what you observed during the journey. 
• Distant Travel: Once short distances are verified with absolute precision, practice traveling to distant locations, cities, or natural settings. 

2. Magic Psychic Training: Control of the Electric & Magnetic Fluids

Building on the fluid foundations established in Step V, you now train to control and project these polar fluids through specific regions of the body for advanced magical operations.

• Inducting Fluid Regions:
  • Electric Fluid (Fire/Air): Controlled through the upper half of the body (head, chest, right side). It creates expansion, heat, light, and dynamic activity. 
  • Magnetic Fluid (Water/Earth): Controlled through the lower half of the body (abdomen, legs, left side). It creates contraction, coolness, darkness, and receptive power. 
• Fluid Accumulation & Projection:
  • Practice condensing the Electric Fluid in your right hand and the Magnetic Fluid in your left hand simultaneously. 
  • Learn to project these polar fluids into objects, places, or people to produce physical or psychic effects without needing raw elemental formulas. 

3. Magic Physical Training: Fluid Condensers & Object Charging

Step VIII introduces Fluid Condensers—special liquid, solid, or resinous mixtures designed to absorb, store, and retain immense amounts of magical energy or elemental force.

• Understanding Fluid Condensers:
  • Just as a battery stores physical electricity, a fluid condenser acts as a physical vessel that holds vital energy, elemental forces, or fluid charges for long-term use. 
  • Simple Condensers: Gold (the highest physical conductor of vital force), herbal decoctions (e.g., chamomile, oak bark, or willow), or resin/oil mixtures. 
• Charging Magic Mirrors & Tools:
  • Coat or fill mirrors, talismans, or specific tools with fluid condenser liquid. 
  • Accumulate vital energy or elemental/fluid forces and project them into the condenser to permanently charge the item for specific operations (e.g., clear vision, protection, or long-distance communication). 

Evolution Across Steps VI–VIII - Metrics

Mental Domain

• Step VI: Awareness of Mental Matrix
• Step VII: Deconstruction of Mental Faculties
• Step VIII: Mental Travel / Out-of-Body Projection

Psychic Domain

• Step VI: Awakening Astral Senses
• Step VII: Perfect Astral Equilibrium
• Step VIII: Dual Fluid Manipulation (Electric/Magnetic)

Physical Application

• Step VI: Creating Elementars
• Step VII: Sense Magic (Eyes/Voice/Touch)
• Step VIII: Fluid Condensers & Charged Tools

In Step IX, Bardon elevates the practitioner from basic out-of-body movement to true Astral Travel (Astral Projection), clear vision in magic mirrors, and direct communion with non-physical beings.

Here is the exact breakdown for Step IX from Initiation Into Hermetics -->