Astral body
From The Book of THoTH (Leaves of Wisdom)
| Planes of existence Subtle bodies | |
|---|---|
| Theosophy | |
|
Causal plane: Causal body | |
| Rosicrucian | |
|
The 7 Worlds & the 7 Cosmic Planes | |
| Thelema | |
|
Body of Light | Thelemic mysticism | |
| Surat Shabda Yoga | |
| Sufism | |
|
Sufi cosmology | |
| Hinduism | |
| Lokas - Kosas | |
| Buddhism | |
| Buddhist cosmology | |
| Kabbalah | |
| Atziluth - Beri'ah - Yetzirah - Asiyah Sephirah | |
| Fourth Way | |
|
Ray of Creation | |
| Popular culture | |
|
Plane (Dungeons & Dragons) | |
The astral body, also known as desire body or emotional body refers to concept of a subtle body which exists alongside the physical body, as a vehicle of the soul or consciousness.
Contents |
The astral body in Neoplatonism
While Neoplatonists agreed as to the immortality of the soul, they disagreed as to whether the "irrational soul" was immortal and celestial ("starry", hence astral), or dissolved after death. Proclus combined both ideas by positing two subtle bodies or "vehicles" (okhema) intermediate between the Soul and the physical body. These were the spiritual (pneuma) vehicle which he considered mortal, and the astral vehicle which was the immortal vehicle of the Soul.
The astral body in Theosophy
Blavatsky used the term "astral" to refer to the double (linga sharira) which was the lowest but one of the seven principles (immediately above the physical).
Later however, C.W. Leadbeater and Annie Besant (Adyar School of Theosophy), and following them, Alice Bailey, equated the astral with Blavatsky's Kama (desire) principle (the fourth of the seven principles of man, and called it the Emotional body (a concept not found in earlier Theosophy).
In this way, astral body, desire body, and emotional body became synonomous, and this identification is found in much of New Age and theosophically-inspired thought since.
The astral or emotional body here is understood as a sort of psychic body or aura that is made up of emotions, just as the physical body consists of matter. In occult thought, emotions are not just subjective qualia, but have an existence apart from the individual consciousness, and exist on a cosmic plane of existence, in this case, the astral plane.
The desire body in Rosicrucianism
According to Max Heindel's Rosicrucian writings, the Desire body is made of desire stuff from which human beings form feelings and emotions and also it impels to seek sense gratification. But while it is referred that the Dense (physical) body and the Vital (etheric) body are well organized, the desire body is said to appear to spiritual sight as an ovoid cloud extending from sixteen to twenty inches beyond the physical body; it is seen above the head and below the feet so that the dense (physical) body sits in the center of this egg-shaped cloud as the yolk is in the center of an egg. This desire body has a number of whirling vortices - since a characteristic of desire-stuff is to be in constant motion - and from the main vortex in the region of the liver, there is a constant outwelling flow which radiates toward the periphery of this egg-shaped body and returns to the center through a number of other vortices. It is said the desire body also exhibits all the colors and shades, which we know and a vast number of others unknown to physical sight, and those colors vary in every person according to his or her characteristics and temperament, and they also vary from moment to moment as passing moods, fancies, or emotions are experienced by the person.
In his writings he also states that the term "Astral body" - a vehicle made of ether, which is lighter than air and therefore capable of levitation - was employed by the mediaeval Alchemists, because of the ability it conferred upon the one who has it to traverse the "starry" regions. The Astral body - not to be confounded with the Desire body - is the 'Soul body', the 'Golden Wedding Garment', the 'Philosopher's Stone', or the 'Living Stone', spoken of in some of the ancient philosophies as the 'Diamond Soul' ("for it is luminous, lustrous, and sparkling--a priceless gem"), and will eventually be evolved by humanity as a whole.
Later interpretations
Rudolf Steiner at first followed Theosophical jargon like astral and Devachan, but after he broke away from the Theosophical society to form his own movement, Anthroposophy, he also adopted a distinct terminology, replacing astral plane with "soul" and devachen with "spirit", and substituting the seven-fold model of man with a fourfold one (physical body, etheric body, astral body, and ego). However his description of the "soul world" remained very similar to Leadbeater's description of the astral plane, and his definition of the astral body remained basically similar as well. Unlike Leadbetaer however he placed little emphasis on the astral or soul level, being more interested in the evolution of the ego (the immortal spirit principle, not the psychological ego) and the spiritual hierrachies (see e.g. his Occult Science - An Outline).
Mirra Alfassa / The Mother sometimes refers to the astral body and experiences on the astral plane (see her Collected Works and The Agenda). In this context she also incorporates a lot of ideas from Max Theon. She uses the term "vital" rather than astral, and refers to exteriorisation, whereby one can move out from the physical into the vital ("astral"), and from there to successively higher bodies, twelve in all.
In contrast to theosophical and anthroposophical position, Barbara Brennan in her book Hands of Light distinguishes between the Emotional body and the Astral body. She sees these as two distinct layers in the seven-layered "Human Energy Field" or Aura. The Emotional body pertains to the physical universe, the astral body to the astral world. However the descriptions of both are similar, in that both consist of swirls of colour. (See links for illustration and more description)
The astral body in generic New Age thought
New Age thought incorporates many theosophical ideas, including the concept of subtle bodies and planes of existence. While there is no consensus position, the general idea is that the Astral body corresponds to the astral plane which is sometimes also called the 5th dimension.
The astral body is also widely understood here as the subtle body in which astral projection occurs (see Astral projection). This is one of several types of out of body experiences, or OBEs. The term "light body" is sometimes used in this context.
Artistic depictions
The emotional and/or astral body is usually drawn in terms of an aura or consisting of swirling colours. See illustrations in Man, Visible and Invisible and Hands of Light for examples of this.
See also
- Subtle body
- Esoteric cosmology
- Linga sarira
References
- Besant, Annie, Man and His Bodies
- Brennan, Barbara Ann, Hands of Light : A Guide to Healing Through the Human Energy Field, Bantam Books, 1987
- ----- Light Emerging: The Journey of Personal Healing, Bantam Books, 1993
- Dodds, E.R. Proclus: The Elements of Theology. A revised text with translation, introduction, and commentary, 2nd edition 1963.
- C. W. Leadbeater, Man, Visible and Invisible
- The Mother (Alfassa, Mirra) Collected Works of the Mother
- ----- The Agenda
- Poortman, J.J. Vehicles of Consciousness; The Concept of Hylic Pluralism (Ochema), vol I-IV, The Theosophical Society in Netherlands, 1978
- Powell, Arthur E. The Astral Body and other Astral Phenomena
- Steiner, Rudolf, Theosophy: An introduction to the supersensible knowledge of the world and the destination of man. London: Rudolf Steiner Press. (1904) 1970
- ----- Occult Science - An Outline. Trans. George and Mary Adams. London: Rudolf Steiner Press, 1909, 1969
- Heindel, Max, The Rosicrucian Mysteries (Chapter IV: The Constitution of Man: Vital Body - Desire Body - Mind), 1911, ISBN 0-911274-86-3
