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Lucid Dreams Waking Within the Dream - The First One
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Consciousness Research Using the Out-of-Body Experience
Astral Plane Scenery
First of all, then, it must be understood that the astral plane has
seven subdivisions, each of which has its corresponding degree of
materiality and its corresponding condition of matter. Now numbering
these from the highest and least material downwards, we find that they
naturally fall into three classes, divisions 1, 2 and 3 forming one
such class, and 4, 5 and 6 another, while the seventh and lowest of
all stands alone. The difference between the matter of one of these
classes and the next would be commensurable with that between a solid
and a liquid, while the difference between the matter of the
subdivisions of a class would rather resemble that between two kinds
of solid, such as, say, steel and sand. Putting aside for the moment
the seventh, we may say that divisions 4, 5 and 6 of the astral plane
have for their background the physical world we live in and all its
familiar accessories. Life on the sixth division is simply our
ordinary life on this earth, minus the physical body and its
necessities; while as it ascends through the fifth and fourth
divisions it becomes less and less material, and is more and more
withdrawn from our lower world and its interests.
The scenery of these lower divisions, then, is that of the earth as we know
it: but it is also very much more; for when looked at from this different
standpoint, with the assistance of the astral senses, even purely physical
objects present a very different appearance. As has already been
mentioned, they are seen by one whose eyes are fully opened, not as usual
from one point of view, but from all sides at once--an idea in itself
sufficiently confusing; and when we add to this that every particle in the
interior of a solid body is as fully and clearly visible as those on the
outside, it will be comprehended that under such conditions even the most
familiar objects may at first be totally unrecognizable. Yet a moment's
consideration will show that such vision approximates much more closely to
true perception than does physical sight. Looked at on the astral plane,
for example, the sides of a glass cube would all appear equal, as they
really are, while on the physical plane we see the further side in
perspective--that is, it appears smaller than the nearer side, which is, of
course, a mere illusion. It is this characteristic of astral vision which
has led to its sometimes being spoken of as sight in the fourth
dimension--a very suggestive and expressive phrase. But in addition to
these possible sources of error matters are further complicated by the fact
that astral sight cognizes forms of matter which, while still purely
physical, are nevertheless invisible under ordinary conditions. Such, for
example, are the particles composing the atmosphere, all the various
emanations which are always being given out by everything that has life,
and also four grades of a still finer order of physical matter which, for
want of more distinctive names, must all he described as etheric. The
latter form a kind of system by themselves, freely interpenetrating all
other physical matter; and the investigation of their vibrations and the
manner in which various higher forces affect them would in itself
constitute a vast field of deeply interesting study for any man of science
who possessed the requisite sight for its examination.
Even when our imagination has fully grasped all that is comprehended
in what has already been said, we do not yet understand half the
complexity of the problem; for besides all these new forms of physical
matter we have to deal with the still more numerous and perplexing
subdivisions of astral matter. We must note first that every material
object, every particle even, has its astral counterpart; and this
counterpart is itself not a simple body, but is usually extremely
complex, being composed of various kinds of astral matter. In addition
to this each living creature is surrounded with an atmosphere of its
own, usually called its aura, and in the case of human beings this
aura forms of itself a very fascinating branch of study. It is seen as
an oval mass of luminous mist of highly complex structure, and from
its shape has sometimes been called the auric egg. Theosophical
readers will hear with pleasure that even at the early stage of his
development at which the pupil begins to acquire this astral sight, he
is able to assure himself by direct observation of the accuracy of the
teaching given through our great founder, Madame Blavatsky, on the
subject of some at least of the seven principles of man. In regarding
his fellow-man he no longer sees only his outer appearance; exactly
co-extensive with that physical body he clearly distinguishes the
etheric double, which in Theosophical literature has usually been
called the Linga Sharira; while the Jiva, as it is absorbed and
specialized into Prana, as it circulates in rosy light throughout the
body, as it eventually radiates from the healthy person in its altered
form, is also perfectly obvious. Most brilliant and most easily seen
of all, perhaps, though belonging to quite a different order of
matter--the astral--is the kamic aura, which expresses by its vivid
and ever-changing flashes of colour the different desires which sweep
across the man's mind from moment to moment. This is the true astral
body. Behind that, and consisting of a finer grade of matter--that of
the rupa levels of Devachan--lies the devachanic body or aura of the
lower Manas, whose colours, changing only by slow degrees as the man
lives his life, show the disposition and character of the personality;
while still higher and infinitely more beautiful, where at all clearly
developed, is the living light of the Karana Sharira, the aura or
vehicle of the higher Manas, which shows the stage of development of
the real Ego in its passage from birth to birth. But to see these the
pupil must have developed something more than mere astral vision.
It will save the student much trouble if he learns at once to regard
these auras not as mere emanations, but as the actual manifestation of
the Ego on their respective planes--if he understands that it is the
auric egg which is the real man, not the physical body which on this
plane crystallizes in the middle of it. So long as the reincarnating
Ego remains upon the plane which is his true home in the arupa levels
of Devachan, the body which he inhabits is the Karana Sharira, but
when he descends into the rupa levels he must, in order to be able to
function upon them, clothe himself in their matter; and the matter
that he thus attracts to himself furnishes his devachanic or
mind-body. Similarly, descending into the astral plane he forms his
astral or kamic body out of its matter, though of course still
retaining all the other bodies, and on his still further descent to
this lowest plane of all the physical body is formed in the midst of
the auric egg, which thus contains the entire man. Fuller accounts of
these auras will be found in _Transaction_ No. 18 of the London Lodge,
and in a recent article of mine in _The Theosophist_, but enough has
been said here to show that as they all occupy the same space (which
by the way they share also with the physical health-aura), the finer
interpenetrating the grosser, it needs careful study and much
practice to enable the neophyte to distinguish clearly at a glance the
one from the other. Nevertheless the human aura, or more usually some
one part of it only, is not infrequently one of the first purely
astral objects seen by the untrained, though in such a case its
indications are naturally very likely to be misunderstood.
Though the kamic aura from the brilliancy of its flashes of colour may
often be more conspicuous, the nerve-ether and the etheric double are
really of a much denser order of matter, being strictly speaking
within the limits of the physical plane, though invisible to ordinary
sight. It has been the custom in Theosophical literature to describe
the Linga Sharira as the astral counterpart of the human body, the
word "astral" having been usually applied to everything beyond the
cognition of our physical senses. As closer investigation enables us
to be more precise in the use of our terms, however, we find ourselves
compelled to admit much of this invisible matter as purely physical,
and therefore to define the Linga Sharira no longer as the astral, but
as the etheric double. This seems an appropriate name for it, since it
consists of various grades of that matter which scientists call
"ether," though this proves on examination to be not a separate
substance, as has been generally supposed, but a condition of finer
subdivision than the gaseous, to which any kind of physical matter may
be reduced by the application of the appropriate forces. The name
"etheric double" will therefore for the future be used in Theosophic
writings instead of "Linga Sharira": and this change will not only
give us the advantage of an English name which is clearly indicative
of the character of the body to which it is applied, but will also
relieve us from the frequent misunderstandings which have arisen from
the fact that an entirely different signification is attached in all
the Oriental books to the name we have hitherto been using. It must
not however be supposed that in making this alteration in
nomenclature we are in any way putting forward a new conception; we
are simply altering, for the sake of greater accuracy, the labels
previously attached to certain facts in nature. If we examine with
psychic faculty the body of a newly-born child, we shall find it
permeated not only by astral matter of every degree of density, but
also by the several grades of etheric matter; and if we take the
trouble to trace these inner bodies backwards to their origin, we find
that it is of the latter that the etheric double--the mould upon which
the physical body is built up--is formed by the agents of the LORDS of
Karma; while the astral matter has been gathered together by the
descending Ego--not of course consciously, but automatically--as he
passes through the astral plane. (See _Manual_ No. IV., p. 44.)
Into the composition of the etheric double must enter something of all
the different grades of etheric matter; but the proportions may vary
greatly, and are determined by several factors, such as the race,
sub-race, and type of a man, as well as by his individual Karma. When
it is remembered that these four subdivisions of matter are made up of
numerous combinations, which, in their turn, form aggregations that
enter into the composition of the "atom" of the so-called "element" of
the chemist, it will be seen that this second principle of man is
highly complex, and the number of its possible variations practically
infinite, so that, however complicated and unusual a man's Karma may
be, the LIPIKA are able to give a mould in accordance with which a
body exactly suiting it can be formed.
One other point deserves mention in connection with the appearance of
physical matter when looked at from the astral plane, and that is that
the astral vision possesses the power of magnifying at will the
minutest physical particle to any desired size, as though by a
microscope, though its magnifying power is enormously greater than
that of any microscope ever made or ever likely to be made. The
hypothetical molecule and atom postulated by science are therefore
visible realities to the occult student, though the latter recognizes
them as much more complex in their nature than the scientific man has
yet discovered them to be. Here again is a vast field of study of
absorbing interest to which a whole volume might readily be devoted;
and a scientific investigator who should acquire this astral sight in
perfection, would not only find his experiments with ordinary and
known phenomena immensely facilitated, but would also see stretching
before him entirely new vistas of knowledge needing more than a
lifetime for their thorough examination. For example, one curious and
very beautiful novelty brought to his notice by the development of
this vision would be the existence of other and entirely different
colours beyond the limits of the ordinarily visible spectrum, the
ultra-red and ultra-violet rays which science has discovered by other
means being plainly perceptible to astral sight. We must not, however,
allow ourselves to follow these fascinating bye-paths, but must resume
our endeavour to give a general idea of the appearance of the astral
plane.
It will by this time be obvious that though, as above stated, the
ordinary objects of the physical world form the background to life on
certain levels of the astral plane, yet so much more is seen of their
real appearance and characteristics that the general effect differs
widely from that with which we are familiar. For the sake of
illustration take a rock as an example of the simpler class of
objects. When regarded with trained sight it is no mere inert mass of
stone. First of all, the whole of the physical matter of the rock is
seen instead of a very small part of it; secondly, the vibrations of
its physical particles are perceptible; thirdly, it is seen to possess
an astral counterpart composed of various grades of astral matter,
whose particles are also in constant motion; fourthly, the Jiva or
universal life is seen to be circulating through it and radiating from
it; fifthly, an aura will be seen surrounding it, though this is, of
course, much less extended and varied than in the case of the higher
kingdoms; sixthly, its appropriate elemental essence is seen
permeating it, ever active but ever fluctuating. In the case of the
vegetable, animal and human kingdoms, the complications are naturally
much more numerous.
It may be objected by some readers that no such complexities as these
are described by most of the psychics who occasionally get glimpses of
the astral world, nor are they reported at _seances_ by the entities
that manifest there; but this is readily accounted for. Few untrained
persons on that plane, whether living or dead, see things as they
really are until after very long experience; even those who do see
fully are often too dazed and confused to understand or remember: and
among the very small minority who both see and remember there are
hardly any who can translate the recollection into language on our
lower plane. Many untrained psychics never examine their visions
scientifically at all: they simply obtain an impression which may be
quite correct, but may also be half false, or even wholly misleading.
All the more probable does the latter hypothesis become when we take
into consideration the frequent tricks played by sportive denizens of
the other world, against which the untrained person is usually
absolutely defenceless. It must also be remembered that the regular
inhabitant of the astral plane, whether he be human or elemental, is
under ordinary circumstances conscious only of the objects of that
plane, physical matter being to him as entirely invisible as is astral
matter to the majority of mankind. Since, as before remarked, every
physical object has its astral counterpart, which _would_ be visible
to him, it may be thought that the distinction is a trivial one, yet
it is an essential part of the symmetrical conception of the subject.
If, however, an astral entity constantly works through a medium, these
finer astral senses may gradually be so coarsened as to become
insensible to the higher grades of matter on their own plane, and to
include in their purview the physical world as we see it instead; but
only the trained visitor from this life, who is fully conscious on
both planes, can depend upon seeing both clearly and simultaneously.
Be it understood, then, that the complexity exists, and that only when
it is fully perceived and scientifically unravelled is there perfect
security against deception or mistake.
For the seventh or lowest subdivision of the astral plane also this
physical world of ours may be said to be the background, though what
is seen is only a distorted and partial view of it, since all that is
light and good and beautiful seems invisible. It was thus described
four thousand years ago in the Egyptian papyrus of the Scribe Ani:
"What manner of place is this unto which I have come? It hath no
water, it hath no air; it is deep, unfathomable; it is black as the
blackest night, and men wander helplessly about therein; in it a man
may not live in quietness of heart." For the unfortunate entity on
that level it is indeed true that "all the earth is full of darkness
and cruel habitations," but it is darkness which radiates from within
himself and causes his existence to be passed in a perpetual night of
evil and horror--a very real hell, though, like all other hells,
entirely of man's own creation.
Most students find the investigation of this section an extremely
unpleasant task, for there appears to be a sense of density and gross
materiality about it which is indescribably loathsome to the liberated
astral body, causing it the sense of pushing its way through some
black, viscous fluid, while the inhabitants and influences
encountered there are also usually exceedingly undesirable.
The first, second, and third subdivisions seem much further removed
from this physical world, and correspondingly less material. Entities
inhabiting these levels lose sight of the earth and its belongings;
they are usually deeply self-absorbed, and to a large extent create
their own surroundings, though these are not purely subjective, as in
Devachan, but on the contrary sufficiently objective to be perceptible
to other entities and also to clairvoyant vision. This region is
beyond doubt the "summerland" of which we hear so much at
spiritualistic _seances_, and the entities who descend from and
describe it are probably often speaking the truth as far as their
knowledge extends. It is on these planes that "spirits" call into
temporary existence their houses, schools, and cities, for these
objects are often real enough for the time, though to a clearer sight
they may sometimes be pitiably unlike what their delighted creators
suppose them to be. Nevertheless, many of the imaginations that take
form there are of real though temporary beauty, and a visitor who knew
of nothing higher might wander contentedly enough there among forests
and mountains, lovely lakes and pleasant flower-gardens, or might even
construct such surroundings to suit his own fancies.
It may be said in passing that communication is limited on the astral
plane by the knowledge of the entity, just as it is here. While a
person able to function freely on that plane can communicate with any
of the human entities there present more readily and rapidly than on
earth, by means of mental impressions, the inhabitants themselves do
not usually seem able to exercise this power, but appear to be
restricted by limitations similar to those that prevail on earth,
though perhaps less rigid. The result of this is that they are found
associating, there as here in groups drawn together by common
sympathies, beliefs, and language.
An account of the scenery of the astral plane would be incomplete
without mention of what are commonly called the Records of the Astral
Light, the photographic representation of all that has ever happened.
These records are really and permanently impressed upon that higher
medium called the Akasha, and are only reflected in a more or less
spasmodic manner in the astral light, so that one whose power of
vision does not rise above this plane will be likely to obtain only
occasional and disconnected pictures of the past instead of a coherent
narrative. But nevertheless pictures of all kinds of past events are
constantly being reproduced on the astral plane, and form an important
part of the surroundings of the investigator there.
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Astral Plane Inhabitants
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Astral Plane Introduction
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