Post by Metaphysical Beginnings on Jul 25, 2013 1:54:47 GMT
THE FOUR WORLDS
The ancients described man as mind, body, and soul. Psychologists of the twentieth century added the
subconscious to that definition. This produces a four-fold classification. The universe is also divided into
four corresponding parts ('worlds'), as shown below:
WORLD =====
spiritual world mental world
astral world physical world
BODY ====
spiritual body (soul or kia) mental body (conscious mind)
astral body (subconscious)
physical body
QUALITY =======
intuition rational
thought emotions
physical senses
The astral body (subconscious) is the intermediary for intuition, magical and psychic phenomena, and is
the 'psychic link' to the physical world. Most occult and magical phenomena originate in the invisible,
non-sensate, non-physical realm (ie. without physical senses). Each of the four worlds interacts with the
other worlds. Psychic energy flows from the spiritual to mental to astral to physical. The physical world is a
projection (manifestation, reflection, or shadow) of the higher worlds. Our center of consciousness is
generally within these higher worlds.
"We are", to quote the rock music group the Police, "spirits in the material world".
There are many similar terms used by other occult groups. For example, 'astral light' is another name for
astral world, although it may sometimes also refer to the entire non-physical realm, as may 'inner planes'
or 'the invisible world'. Planes are essentially the same as worlds. Vehicles or sheaths are the same as
bodies. Some groups include an etheric or vital body between physical and astral: it is mostly 'physical'
with a little of the lower 'astral' besides. And sometimes astral and mental
are each divided into two parts (upper and lower). The 'causal body' is the upper 'mental'.
The ancients described man as mind, body, and soul. Psychologists of the twentieth century added the
subconscious to that definition. This produces a four-fold classification. The universe is also divided into
four corresponding parts ('worlds'), as shown below:
WORLD =====
spiritual world mental world
astral world physical world
BODY ====
spiritual body (soul or kia) mental body (conscious mind)
astral body (subconscious)
physical body
QUALITY =======
intuition rational
thought emotions
physical senses
The astral body (subconscious) is the intermediary for intuition, magical and psychic phenomena, and is
the 'psychic link' to the physical world. Most occult and magical phenomena originate in the invisible,
non-sensate, non-physical realm (ie. without physical senses). Each of the four worlds interacts with the
other worlds. Psychic energy flows from the spiritual to mental to astral to physical. The physical world is a
projection (manifestation, reflection, or shadow) of the higher worlds. Our center of consciousness is
generally within these higher worlds.
"We are", to quote the rock music group the Police, "spirits in the material world".
There are many similar terms used by other occult groups. For example, 'astral light' is another name for
astral world, although it may sometimes also refer to the entire non-physical realm, as may 'inner planes'
or 'the invisible world'. Planes are essentially the same as worlds. Vehicles or sheaths are the same as
bodies. Some groups include an etheric or vital body between physical and astral: it is mostly 'physical'
with a little of the lower 'astral' besides. And sometimes astral and mental
are each divided into two parts (upper and lower). The 'causal body' is the upper 'mental'.