The Astral
Astral is a spiritual, ether-like substance composing the astral material that makes up the astral body and aura. The astral substance and ether are not synonymous but produce similar effects. Thoughts and actions are impressed on the astral material, which are duplicated in the human, or physical body. Both bodies are subjected to injury, the astral substance in its fabric, and the physical body by its skin. The astral fabric is material that comprises the astral light, the creative medium of magical manifestations.
The direct source of the astral substance is divine energy that causes it to have its own primal consciousness. This consciousness is derived from a spark from the Divine. Ether, however, does not come from a divine source; rather it is generated through phenomena that came into existence from divine creativity. This process is analogous to light and electricity, which are not identical but share a commonality.
The Astral Light
The astral light is a term for an energy field that comprises the astral material. Astral light, according to many occultists, is the substance that forms images from thoughts or thought-forms. Anything entering astral light stimulates it to form around the catalyst. In performing this process it creates a replica of the object, or a conceptual image of the thought or idea. Afterwards such images can be transmitted into the physical dimension where they are manifested as material objects or situations. Astral light possesses sentience that is derived from the primal imprint of the divine consciousness within the astral dimension.
The Astral Plane
The astral plane is often synonymously referred to as the astral plane because it replicates the physical world. It is between the elemental realm and the mental realm. It has seven dimensions or worlds according to occult philosophy. Specific accounts that have been obtained through Spiritualistic after-death communications, which are inaccessible to experimental research.
The etheric plane is the second lowest of the seven worlds; it contains emotions, desires, and passions. Immediately after physical death man enters this etheric world where he functions for timeless durations varying on the state of his development; the person possessing more refined thoughts will spend a relative longer duration in the astral world. The person possesses an astral body at all times, not only while residing in this astral world.
Although the astral plane, is primary thought of as an after-death abode, it must be mentioned that even during physical life some clairvoyants and ordinary people are aware of its presence.
This awareness may come through sleep, or through the action of anesthetics or drugs, or accidents, and by the interpretation of the astral body that leaves its physical denser counterpart; and taking with it the sense of pleasure and pain, and living for a short duration in its own world. Here again, it may be noted that persons possessing more refined thoughts are more able to travel from their immediate physical surroundings further into the astral world, and by doing so be beneficial to their culture and humanity.
The disembodied people are not the only inhabitants of the astral world. Other residents of non-human nature include the lower orders of evolved energetic beings, and nature-spirits or elementals, both good and bad, such including fairies, which are just beyond the range of human vision, and the demons present to the vision of, for instance, delirium tremens.
Also, the astral plane, following physical death, contains both heaven and hell as popularly conceived.
The astral world's seven dimensions correspond to the seven divisions of matter: the solid, liquid, gaseous, etheric, super-etheric, subatomic, and atomic, and these are thought to play a most important part in the immediate destiny of humans. That is, if through ignorance one has permitted the rearrangement of the matter of the astral body into sheaths, one is cognizant only of part of one's surroundings at a time and it is not till after the experience, much of which may be painful, that one can enjoy the bliss that the higher dimensions of the astral world possess.
The seventh division is the lowest dimension of the astral world, which is called the Avichi. This is a world of the grossest, unrestrained passions. The astral material of the astral bodies within this environment is comprised of much of the same dense matter. They are in a hell, the only hell which exists.
This is a place in which such desires cannot be satisfied because they are no physical bodies with which to satisfy them. The tortures of these denizens are analogous to those of the hell-fire depicted in the orthodox Christian hell; except Theosophy teaches that the torments of Avichi are not eternal, but eventually pass away when the desires through prolong gnawing without fulfillment gradually die. Therefore, it is more appropriate to describe Avichi as a purgatorial state.
Usually the ordinary individual does not find himself in the seventh dimension, but rather in one of the other three higher divisions. There is very little difference between the sixth division and physical existence. The person finds himself in familiar surroundings with former relatives and friends, who like the person himself, often do not realize that they are dead.
The next three divisions are still further removed from the physical world in which the inhabitants enjoy a state of bliss that is inconceivable to the ordinary person. Earthly worries and cares are nonexistent, the persistence of lower desires have been worn out in lower divisions and it is now possible to live in an environment of loftier thoughts and aspirations.
The third division is described as corresponding to the Spiritualistic "Summerland," where the inhabitants reside in a world of their own creation-the creation of their thoughts. The entire environment, the cities and their contents, the scenery of life, is formed through the influence of thought.
The second division is that which is properly viewed as Heaven, and the inhabitants of all races, creeds, and beliefs find it according to each individual belief. It is discovered not to be a certain place like taught by a particular religion, but rather a region in which each and every religion finds its ideal. Christians, Mohammedans, Hindus, and so on, find heaven to be just as they previously conceived it. Here, and also in the fist and highest division, the inhabitants pursue noble aims freed of the selfishness that was mingled with such aims when on earth. The literary man, artist, scholar, preacher, all without the thought of self-interest, pursue the excellence of their goals, and after long enough durations fine themselves to be fit for change; they then depart the astral world and enter the Mental World, which is one vastly higher.
The progression through the divisions of the astral world is thought to be the result of the rearrangement of the matter of the astral body at physical death that occurs because of ignorance. It is believed those who are sufficiently instructed can prevent this rearrangement from occurring, and, therefore, are not confined to any one division, and do not have to progress from one division to another, but are able to move through any part of the astral world, laboring in their various pursuits to assist the great evolutionary scheme.
The Astral Body
Astral Body is the spiritual, ether-like counterpart of the physical body. The body is composed of astral material and is an exact energy duplication of the physical form that it encompasses. This energy body is attached to the physical body, usually at the navel, by a silver-like cord. The astral body accompanied by the mind is capable of travel during period in which the physical body sleeps. Such an act is referred to as "astral projection."
This astral body is the instrument of passions, emotions, and desires, and, since it interpenetrates and extends beyond the physical body, it is the medium through which these are conveyed to the latter.
When separated from the physical body during sleep, or by the influence of the use of drugs, or in cases of accidents, it takes with it the capacity of sensation and only by its return can pain be felt.
During these separation periods the astral body is an exact replica of the physical body and it is extremely sensitive to thought, the aspirations of the dead and dying resemble in minute detail the physical bodies that they recently departed.
The Astral World is attainable to clairvoyants and the appropriate body is visible to them.
The aspiration is not the abstraction that it is commonly considered to be, but composed of definite forms the shape of which depends on the quality of thought, and it also causes vibrations, which are seen as colors. Therefore, clairvoyants may determine the state of the man's development from the appearance of his astral body (here meant as a combination of energy body and aura).
The nebulous appearance indicates an imperfect development, while an ovoid appearance is an indication of a more perfect development. Colors, too, are indicative of the kind of thought; their variety within the astral body indicates the possessor's character.
Inferior thoughts produce loud colors, so rage for instance, will be recognized by the red appearance of the astral body. The contrary is true of higher thoughts, which are recognizable by the presence of delicate colors, religious thought for instance, causing a blue color. (see Aura) The colorization of the astral body is more familiar to those within the physical realm of life. Inhabitants usually are not acquainted with the bodies higher than the astral bodies.
The matter of which it is composed does not possess intelligent life, but rather possesses a kind of life that enables it to convey an understanding of its own existence and desires. This life is in a descent stage of evolution, as the turning point has not been reached yet, as far as the astral body is concerned.
The possessor of the attached physical body, however, has commenced to ascend; and, therefore, there continues to be opposition between the astral and physical bodies. The divergency lies within the opposition between the grosser and finer thoughts or matter that eventually resides within the astral body. The constitution of the astral matter is, therefore, altered; the grosser thoughts demanding their medium gross astral matter, the purer thoughts demanding fine astral matter.
In life, at periods, one type of matter may get the upper hand; the stronger matter may diminish the weaker matter altogether. During physical life the different kinds of matter in the astral body intermingle, but at physical death the elementary life in the matter of the astral body seeks instinctively after self-preservation, and it therefore causes the matter to rearrange itself in a series of seven concentric sheaths, the densest being outside and the finest being inside.
While physical vision depends on the eyes, astral vision depends on the various kinds of astral matter being in a condition of receptiveness to different undulations. The various kinds of matter within the astral body are aware of their own kind; thus, fine matter is aware of fine matter, and gross matter is aware of gross matter, and so on. As the result of rearrangement only the grossest matter of the astral body is visible since it is the kind of matter that compose the thick outer sheath.
Under such circumstances, the new denizen of the astral sphere sees only the worst of it, and also only the worst of his fellow denizens, even though they are not in so low of a state as himself.
The state in which the denizen finds himself is not eternal, but a part of an evolutionary process by which the sheath of the grossest astral matter gradually wears away, and the individual remains clothed in the six less gross sheaths. With the passage of timeless durations these too gradually dissipate, being resolved into their compound elements, and as last when the final disintegration of the least gross sheath occurs, the individual departs the Astral World and enters the Mental. Such a rearrangement of the astral body is not, however, inevitable, and those who have learned and know, are capable of preventing it at physical death. When such prevention occurs, the change appears to be very small, so that the so-called dead continue living and doing the work that they did in their physical bodies.
Astral Projection
Astral projection is the act of separating the astral body from the physical body. Normally this occurs as part of the sleep process, usually at the deepest dream level. It also can occur in a trance state. When the person is conscious of this separation it is called conscious astral projection. The separation also is called Etheric Projection or Out-of-the-Body Traveling.
Through conscious astral projection one is able to remember events occurring during an astral journey. On such journeys the conscious mind traveling within the astral body can explore not only various earthly places, but also different realms within other dimensions.
The conscious astral projection can be induced through deep meditative states. Some individuals exit their bodies from the solar plexus area, while others leave from the third eye (see Chakras, particularly the crown), or simply discover themselves looking down from above at their physical body. The experience of traveling while in this astral state can be accomplished by methods such as a dream-like flight or by visualizating the destination that the individual wishes to visit.
