The Planes and Bodies

(An extract from the N.S. Study Guide)

In these courses we discuss a variety of planes and bodies, including the Buddhic, mental, astral, physical-etheric, and physical-dense. The “planes” may be compared to the seven octaves on a piano. Starting on the left, with the deeper notes, and moving to the right, the first three (white) keys correspond to solids, liquids, and gases. These three are collectively called the Physical-dense plane.

The remaining four keys in the first octave correspond to the physical-etheric plane. The matter of this plane is vibrating more rapidly than the matter of the physical-dense plane. A portion of our personality is made up of this form of matter. This portion of our persona is sometimes called the physical-etheric body. The electrical energy associated with our physical bodies is actually the densest portion of our physical-etheric bodies. In the movie “Ghost” the bodies of the ghosts would be made of physical-etheric substance.

The next higher octave corresponds to the astral or emotional plane. The matter of this plane is vibrating more rapidly than physical-etheric substance. On this plane matter takes shape and form as emotions (such as aspiration) and glamours (distortions on the astral plane, such as the glamour surrounding blond hair, blue eyes and fair skin as an ideal appearance). The portion of our persona associated with our emotions is made of astral substance.

The third octave corresponds to the mental plane. The matter of this plane vibrates more rapidly than astral substance. On this plane matter takes shape as ideas, thought-forms and illusions (distortions on the mental plane, such as the idea of a “Master Race”, achievable through “racial cleansing”).

The part of our persona that is made of mental substance is the mind. The denser portion of the mind is sometimes called the intellect or concrete-rational mind. The intellect is very good at perceiving details, and very poor at understanding relationships. The higher portion of the mind is sometimes called the abstract mind. The abstract mind is very good at understanding relationships and is, in its very highest portion, the connection between the persona and the soul. This is why the soul is sometimes mistakenly called the mind.

The fourth octave corresponds to the buddhic plane. The substance of this plane is vibrating more rapidly than mental substance. The substance of this plane does not take on a shape or form that our persona can recognize. This is the plane on which the Spiritual Soul has its being.

These bodies interpenetrate each other. The physical-etheric corresponds closely in shape with the physical-dense, but extends one or two inches beyond it. The astral body extends even further beyond the physical-dense, and is ovoid in shape. The mental body extends beyond the astral, and is shaped more like a globe.

These bodies share a system of subtle energy organs called chakras or centers. These organs consist of a central point of consciousness, a creative sound, and a vortex of swirling force topped by a lotus-shaped mandala.

Each of these subtle organs has a number of functions within the persona. The ajna is both the organ of conscious persona integration, and the lens of the third eye (which has to be built). Thus, the third eye is one of the functions of the ajna center, just as speech is one of the functions of the mouth.

As the integrating center for all the centers below it, the ajna is positive to the rest of the persona. That is, the ajna is the master switchboard which tells the other persona centers what to do. The ajna has been called “the seat of the observer”. From this point of awareness, the integrated persona functions as a detached observer. He/she has a sense of being in a body, but not of the body. From this point of awareness your physical body, emotions, and intellect are something you have, not something you are.