Definitions
Lucid dreaming occurs when you are dreaming and are aware that you are in fact dreaming. Once you become lucid (aware) in your dream, you can control all of the dream characters, albeit with some practice. You can fly in a lucid dream, go out with Brad Pitt, go hang gliding, or even shape shift into a cat and see what that’s like. Knock yourself out (you can even do that!). You’re only limited by your imagination.
Astral projection, or out of body experiences, occur when your soul or consciousness leaves your body and enters a realm known as the astral plane. This is not the dream plane. This is an entirely different place.