[Haftdrarp]

these past weeks discussions focusing on meditation, chakras, kundalini, have refreshed my memory and helped me to re-focus. i thought about adding this to the current discussions, but felt it was deserving of its own thread.

upon further research of the corporeal energy that is kundalini, i came across some writings of the etheric body, which brought me back in time to when i "researched" the various bodies that comprise "us".

here is one of the better, albeit shorter articles i dug up today (please remember, there are various interpretations across history, if this article does not resonate, feel free to keep looking; search "subtle bodies")

eastern esoteric yoga informs us that the human has not only the physical body, but a series of overlapping, multidimensional bodies. these bodies are variously described according to different traditions, but essentially they include the etheric/electromagnetic body (seat of the chakras), the astral/emotional body (the basic formative dimension for emotions as polarized expressions), the mental body (the sphere of abstract knowledge and concrete thinking, the realm of forms). the last is the causal body (seat of the soul, the timeless, spiritualized agent behind sequential human incarnations).

physical
this is pretty self explanatory. the physical body has the lowest vibrations and is attached to the etheric and the astral.
etheric
the etheric body can leave the physical, but when it does, i don't think it goes any great distance. i think its role is a "life energy" body. when the body goes to sleep, the etheric expands, the chakras open, and we receive energy and restore our depleted supply. this is why it is also referred to as the vitality sheath or health body. when i'm tired and drained, i can lay down for half an hour, enter a trance like state and wake up feeling totally refreshed. this is not the projection of the astral body, but a charging of the etheric. if the etheric projected a great deal, our bodies would feel drained, not refreshed, upon return. when i astral project, my etheric is doing its job of replenishing my body, and when i come back, i am refreshed. the two are independent.

when people experience "duality" aka mind splitting (where the consciousness resides at two locations) i believe one part of the consciousness is in the etheric and another one is in the astral.

there are also a lot of discrepancies on the silver cord. i personally have never seen this cord (but i haven't really looked for it either). is has been suggested that the cord is related to etheric projection, not astral. if the cord was associated with just astral projection, then we would see it every time we astrally projected.

i remember once leaving my body and out of curiosity i looked back towards my physical body. i saw a body, but it was in a totally different position than my physical! it was the etheric body that i was seeing. in the astral, we see the astral counterparts of the physical, but i think we can also see our etheric shell (this explains why i saw the etheric body, and not the physical).

on several occasions, during meditation, i have been able to see the ceiling through my physical eyelids. this is also not astral projection.

people who are sickly have reported more obes. i think this is because the etheric is weak and the astral is able to separate more easily. both our physical and etheric bodies are magnetic in nature and influence the pull of the astral.

when objects are moved, i think it is more from the influence of the etheric body, rather than the astral which does not share the same vibrations as objects in the physical. the etheric is of a higher vibration than the physical, but lower than the astral.

astral
the astral body is aligned with the physical and is of a lower vibration when it is attached. to unattach, the frequencies must be raised. the astral body can transcend various levels in the astral plane. it reacts to thoughts and can see the astral counterpart of the physical world. it cannot affect physical objects because they do not share the same vibrations. the astral body can transcend time and space. there is a feeling of separation when consciously projecting from the body. rushing, vibrating, roaring, crackling and popping (to name a few). when in the astral, our filter is removed and we are able to see, hear and feel more.

mental
the mental body is where remote viewing happens. when you achieve bi-location during remote viewing, there is no feeling of separation as with astral projection. there is also no visual distortion as there sometimes is with astral projection (depending on where you are at on the astral plane). my first "projection" was a mental one. i went straight from the physical to the mental body which explains why there were no vibrations. i just involuntarily "popped" out and was several blocks away. i also think the mental body is often independent of our physical one. unlike astral projection, when i separate, i detach from the body and travel accordingly. in the mental, you just show up somewhere and have done nothing to travel there. the mental body does not contain the thought "junk" of the astral. you may be able to see partial thoughts formed in the astral (as in a partially built ship), but not in the mental. when i wake up in the mental, i am usually nowhere near my body and have no sensation of a body of any kind. i once "woke up" in the mental and i had no way to determine where i was. it was pitch black, i had no ears, no eyes, no body. it was a void that i remained in until a sudden return to the physical. it was a pure state of 'being'.

the mental body also transcends time and space. advanced remote viewers, using their mental body, communicate telepathically.

causal
the causal body is where past life memories are stored. this plane is one up from the astral. when we die, we enter the astral and eventually experience a second death (the astral body diminishes) and we enter the causal plane where we then remember our past lives and can then make decisions for our next. here is a small "gathering" of interpretations:

* * the indian five-self doctrine of the taittiriya upanishad

* * the hellenistic (neoplatonic-hermetic) idea of body, vital spirit (pneuma), soul (psyche), and divine intellect (nous)

* * the advaita vedantic theory of the five koshas ("sheaths")

* * the kabbalistic doctrine of five souls

* * the original theosophical doctrine of seven principles of consciousness (blavastky)

* * the later theosophical doctrine of seven vehicles of consciousness (adyar school)

* * the anthroposphical theory of physical body, etheric body, astral body, and ego, (or body, soul, and spirit) (rudolph steiner)
the general theosophical-anthroposophical-new age conception

* * barbara ann brennan on the seven energy field bodies here is a comparison based on similarities:

...there is indicated here the basic sequence of "vehicles of consciousness":

* * the physical body first;

* * then a subtle or supraphysical formative life-force body (which the adyar theosophists and many occultists call the "etheric body"), or a series of such subtle bodies or auric energy fields.

* * then a totally psychic or non-physical body, popularily referred to as the "astral body"; independent enough to be able to leave the physical body and wander around on its own; the so-called "out of body experience" or phenomenon of "astral projection";

* * and finally a very transcendent level or levels, which pertain to the region of pure ideation, platonic archetypes, and so on. sometimes termed the mental body, especially when it is confused with the mental etheric auric body, it can perhaps better be referred to as the ideational body.

* * frequently confused with the preceeding is the most subtle and elevated body, which consist of pure feeling, thinking and spiritual nature, the so-called "causal body", which serves as the "vehicle" or body of the higher self, or in fact may be identical with the higher self.

this general schema can be represented diagrammatically by concentric circles. the physical body is the most "external" or visible part of the being. within this, according to the standard theosophical paradigm, is the etheric body, then the astral and the mental bodies, and finally the higher self in the end, i think its fair to say that on the basic levels, many people agree there are at least five bodies which "make" an individual. unfortunately, i don't presently have loo references to 5 bodies, and am running short on time. in other words, this article could use some loo "backup" (if it exists) from all you loo scholars.

i look forward to hearing what interpretations resonate with you. :d

art

[Haftdrarp]

moderator - please place this under my first post in the thread "the five "subtle" bodies...

here are some law of one quotes from april 18th, 1981 - book ii, discussion 47 (per llresearch.org):

questioner: in our esoteric literature numerous bodies are listed. i have listed here the physical body, the etheric, the emotional, the astral. can you tell me if this listing is the proper number, and can you tell me the uses and purposes and effects etc. of each of these and any other bodies that may be in our mind/body/spirit complex?

ra: i am ra. to answer your query fully would be the work of many sessions such as this one, for the interrelationships of the various bodies and each body’s effects in various situations is an enormous study. however, we shall begin by referring your minds back to the spectrum of true colors and the usage of this understanding in grasping the various densities of your octave.

we have the number seven repeated from the macrocosm to the microcosm in structure and experience. therefore, it would only be expected that there would be seven basic bodies which we would perhaps be most lucid by stating as red-ray body, etc. however, we are aware that you wish to correspond these bodies mentioned with the color rays. this will be confusing, for various teachers have offered their teach/learning understanding in various terms. thus one may name a subtle body one thing and another find a different name.

the red-ray body is your chemical body. however, it is not the body which you have as clothing in the physical. it is the unconstructed material of the body, the elemental body without form. this basic unformed material body is important to understand for there are healings which may be carried out by the simple understanding of the elements present in the physical vehicle.

the orange-ray body is the physical body complex. this body complex is still not the body you inhabit but rather the body formed without self-awareness, the body in the womb before the spirit/mind complex enters. this body may live without the inhabitation of the mind and spirit complexes. however, it seldom does so.

the yellow-ray body is your physical vehicle which you know of at this time and in which you experience catalyst. this body has the mind/body/spirit characteristics and is equal to the physical illusion, as you have called it.

the green-ray body is that body which may be seen in séance when what you call ectoplasm is furnished. this is a lighter body packed more densely with life. you may call this the astral body following some other teachings. others have called this same body the etheric body. however, this is not correct in the sense that the etheric body is that body of gateway wherein intelligent energy is able to mold the mind/body/spirit complex.

the light body or blue-ray body may be called the devachanic body. there are many other names for this body especially in your so-called indian sutras or writings, for there are those among these peoples which have explored these regions and understand the various types of devachanic bodies. there are many, many types of bodies in each density, much like your own.

the indigo-ray body which we choose to call the etheric body is, as we have said, the gateway body. in this body form is substance and you may only see this body as that of light as it may mold itself as it desires.

the violet-ray body may perhaps be understood as what you might call the buddha body or that body which is complete.

each of these bodies has an effect upon your mind/body/spirit complex in your life being-ness. the interrelationships, as we have said, are many and complex

perhaps one suggestion that may be indicated is this: the indigo-ray body may be used by the healer once the healer becomes able to place its consciousness in this etheric state. the violet-ray or buddhic body is of equal efficacy to the healer for within it lies a sense of wholeness which is extremely close to unity with all that there is. these bodies are part of each entity and the proper use of them and understanding of them is, though far advanced from the standpoint of third-density harvest, nevertheless useful to the adept.
there is additional information in this transcript which i intentionally left out, but is interesting to read...

here is some additional information from june 16th, 1981 -- book iii, session 58. i found this passage, while not informative on the subtle bodies, did have some interesting confirmation of "finding energy blockages", which could contribute to the other threads on chakras, etc.

questioner: we have tried healing with the diamond crystal. i have tried both using the crystal around my neck and dangling it from a chain held in my right hand. i think that possibly that to do the best work on the wrist i should dangle the crystal just below my right hand from a distance of just a centimeter or two, holding it directly above the wrist. is this correct?

ra: i am ra. this would be appropriate if you were practiced at your healing art. to work with a powerful crystal such as you have, while unable to perceive the magnetic flux of the subtle bodies, is perhaps the same as recommending that the beginner, with saw and nail, create the vatican.

there is great art in the use of the swung crystal. at this point in your development, you would do well to work with the unpowerful crystals in ascertaining, not only the physical major energy centers, but also the physical secondary and tertiary energy centers and then begin to find the corresponding subtle body energy centers. in this way, you may activate your own inner vision.

questioner: what type of crystal should be used for that?

ra: i am ra. you may use any dangling weight of symmetrical form, for your purpose is not to disturb or manipulate these energy centers but merely to locate them and become aware of what they feel like when in a balanced state and when in an unbalanced or blocked state.

questioner: am i correct in assuming that what i am to do is to dangle a weight approximately two feet below my hand and place it over the body, and when the weight starts moving in a clockwise rotational direction it would indicate an unblocked energy center. is this correct?

ra: i am ra. the measurement from hand to weight is unimportant and at your discretion. the circular motion shows an unblocked energy center. however, some entities are polarized the reverse of others and, therefore, it is well to test the form of normal energy spirals before beginning the procedure.

questioner: how would you test?

ra: i am ra. test is done by first holding the weight over your own hand and observing your particular configuration. then using the other-self’s hand, repeat the procedure.
here is another quote i found from september 18th, 1979 -- from transcript, i guess this was latwii... while even less descriptive about subtle bodies, i was particularly interested in reading how nuclear explosions destroy all bodies (i would suggest reading the entire transcript.).

mortals are precisely identical to immortals, if you are assuming these two classifications. what you call a mortal is the chemical appearance of what you call immortal. it is the clothing of the immortal for a short period of time (inaudible) physical plane of existence. the immortal is always the active force. the mortal is only temporary (inaudible) very intense. therefore the action of the mortal is always the action of the immortal.

the immortal is the creator. the mortal is his physical appearance in this particular plane of existence. is it possible then for the creator to destroy himself or cause, shall we say, termination of the continuity for a portion of his experience? this is possible. it is possible through the association of the intelligent configuration (inaudible) vibratory nature (inaudible) the individualized consciousness which is a portion of the infinite creator. this is possible with a form of technology which you know of, the nuclear explosive device. this device has effect not only on the physical clothes of the entity, that is, the chemical body, but also the subtle body, which you call the soul.

the reason for this is the very nature of the nuclear device. energy generated from this device is spinning energy, what you call the atom. the atom is a vibratory arrangement, motion manifested in both what you know as the physical plane and several planes beneath, shall we say, the physical. the spiritual or soul body is composed of, shall we say, a more subtle vibratory arrangement. from your point of view in the chemical body, this vibratory arrangement is highly energetic. a large portion of the energy (inaudible) from the nuclear explosion is contained at this level of vibration.

for this reason, the detonation of a nuclear device affects more subtle planes of existence, as you would call it. we were first attracted to your planet in great numbers because of the threat, shall we say, to a portion of the individualized consciousness of the infinite creator. we were, shall we say, quite (inaudible) invading threat. we were successful and shall be successful in the future. well, this information wasn't hard to find, and i'm certainly no law of one scholar. anyone can go to www.llresearch.org and use the search feature...

art

[intendepods]

the first thing the mention of this reminded me of was the book by [email soup for the book and author], which discloses "the way of the five bodies." this seems a path of egyptian roots.

the second thing i considered was an idea related to the coexistence of densities, as if there could be a correspondance of 3d, 4d, 5d, 6d, and 7d with the notion of the "five bodies." it may be something to contemplate.

[iqxdvjgmat]

simply--thank you, art, for posting this. i have long been attracted to the chakras, their emotional and physical expressions, and the balancing of them, but i've not come across the subtle bodies you mention here (maybe just didn't notice them in the material before that i used). i've noticed a difference in terms of what i experience as "dreams" and what i describe as "visions"--and this post has been helpful in clarifying them. i'll be revisiting this, you can bet on it!

much gratitude,
penny

[Haftdrarp]

penny -

you're welcome. :d i had come across alot more information/ interpretations, but felt them to be too vague to present here. one of these writings referred to the subtle bodies each having their own chakras, etc. i am curious as to whether the chakras we've been discussing in the other threads are the "seats" to the various bodies that ra mentiones (upon writing that sentence, makes sense - kinda like a "duh" statement...). for some strange reason, its easier for me to visualize 7 bodies, each "seated" at a chakra, than to treat the chakras and the subtle bodies as "separate" (there's that ugly word again!)...

at any rate, i've found it helpful for me to incorporate the concept of subtle bodies in my understandings of the chakras and mind/body/spirit complex, but would like to hear what others have to say on this, so i can further refine my interpretations.

additionally, in my recent research sessions, i was "encouraged" to see that the topic of the ll research 2006 homecoming and this year's homecoming is "the chakras of the energy body"... in that sense, i feel "justified" or "reinforced" for focusing my attention back to here... :d

art

[intendepods]

...this seems a path of egyptian roots... one of the reasons that i was interested in seeking along this path was that the reiki emotional healing symbol seems to have both symbolic and phonic correspondance, as if there was a chance of connection, as if it was a sort of cross cultural bridge to both reiki and the ra materials.

[StethyEntinic]

dear art,

i must say this subject has interested me from time to time, and with the help of my divine self i cam to the following understanding.

different entities with different soul backgrounds have different subtle body systems.
the sole purpose for the body system is, to support the soul extension outside the soul. with that, the most outer body is not the seat of the soul, but rather the seat of the soul extension.( the soul has no need for bodies ) so, if someone did not see the silver cord by looking back to the body, was simply looking into the "wrong" direction.
i cam across the differences of the body systems, when i used a particular healing modality on my cat, and later on other people where all bodies need to be cleared of pathologies.
i know myself, that i have five bodies, as described in the article.
i simply call them physical, energy, astral, mental, spiritual.
when i checked on my cat, i was given 12 bodies. i had read about 12 body systems before, didn't feel like learning all of them and simply numbered them. it worked just fine.
after checking many different people, and their body systems i cam to the conclusion, that anyone who individualized form an oversoul had a 12 body system, anyone who's soul is an extension of a monad (a being that exists in 6d or higher and cam into existence in those dimension or vibrational levels) has a 5 body system, as well as angelic entities. i cam across a 4 body system, those seam to be the one that belong to, what i call the guardian of the physical realm, or what is sometimes called the elementals (a very misleading term) a seven body system is used what is called the elohim.
those bodies or shells have very little to do with different dimensions (with the exception of the elohim), but rather the function the shell will provide for the soul extension.

regards detlef
rah nam