That was how my experiences started. I explored it thoroughly, and found interesting things.
The scary feeling is from the ego, because it fears the approach of death as it feels the energetic body separate. But the ego can be overcome, because there is no fear of death, even though it feels likely! That scary feeling goes away when you prove to the ego, by practice, that you will always come back to the body.
edit: sounds like the classic way that "mystical experiences", mentioned in another thread, ACTUALLY happen; not from trying...