Concerning The Astral World

Concerning The Astral World

Dr Raven Dolick M.s.D.

Mar 29, 2016

All rights reserved

2016 RavenStar Enchantments

The astral world is often synonymous referred to as the astral plane

because it replicates the physical world. The astral world is between

the elemental realm and the mental realm. It has seven dimensions or

worlds according to occult philosophy. Theosophical teachings claim to

possess definite knowledge of this world and its denizens. Specific

accounts that have been obtained through Spiritualistic after-death

communications, which are inaccessible to experimental research.

According to Theosophy, the Karma World is the second lowest of the

seven worlds; it contains emotions, desires, and passions. Immediately

after physical death man enters this karmic world where he functions

for timeless duration varying on the state of his development; the

person possessing more refined thoughts will spend a relative longer

duration in the astral world. The person possesses an astral body

while residing in this astral world.

Although the astral world, or plane, is primary thought of as an

after-death abode, it must be mentioned that even during physical life

some clairvoyants and ordinary people are aware of its presence. This

awareness may come through sleep, or through the action of anesthetics

or drugs, or accidents, and by the interpretation of the astral body

that leaves its physical denser counterpart; and taking with it the

sense of pleasure and pain, and living for a short duration in its own

world. Here again, it may be noted that persons possessing more

refined thoughts are more able to travel from their immediate physical

surroundings further into the astral world, and by doing so be

beneficial to their culture and humanity.

It is believed that disembodied people are not the only inhabitants of

the astral world. Other residents of non-human nature include the

lower orders of divas, and nature-spirits of elementals, both good and

bad, such including fairies, which are just beyond the range of human

vision, and the demons present to the vision of delirium tremors.

Also, the astral world, following physical death, is said to contain

both heaven and hell as popularly conceived.

The astral world's seven dimensions correspond to the seven divisions

of matter: the solid, liquid, gaseous, etheric, super-etheric,

subatomic, and atomic, and these are thought to play a most important

part in the immediate destiny of humans. That is, if through ignorance

one has permitted the rearrangement of the matter of the astral body

into sheaths, one is cognizant only of part of one's surroundings at a

time and it is not till after the experience, much of which may be

painful, that one can enjoy the bliss that the higher dimensions of

the astral world possess.

The seventh division is the lowest dimension of the astral world,

which is called Avichi. This is a world of the grossest, unrestrained

passions. The astral material of the astral bodies within this

environment is comprised of much of the same dense matter. They are in

a hell, the only hell which exists. This is a place in which such

desires cannot be satisfied because they are no physical bodies with

which to satisfy them. The tortures of these denizens are analogous to

those of the hell-fire depicted in the orthodox Christian hell; except

Theosophy teaches that the torments of Avichi are not eternal, but

eventually pass away when the desires through prolong gnawing without

fulfillment gradually die. Therefore, it is more appropriate to

describe Avichi as a purgatorial state.

Usually the ordinary individual does not find himself in the seventh

dimension, but rather in one of the other three higher divisions.

There is very little difference between the sixth division and

physical existence. The person finds himself in familiar surroundings

with former relatives and friends, who like the person himself, often

do not realize that they are dead.

The next three divisions are still further removed from the physical

world in which the inhabitants enjoy a state of bliss that is

inconceivable to the ordinary person. Earthly worries and cares are

nonexistent, the persistence of lower desires have been worn out in

lower divisions and it is now possible to live in an environment of

loftier thoughts and aspirations.

The third division is described as corresponding to the Spiritualistic

"Summerland, " where the inhabitants reside in a world of their own

creation-the creation of their thoughts. The entire environment, the

cities and their contents, the scenery of life, is formed through the

influence of thought.

The second division is that which is properly viewed as Heaven, and

the inhabitants of all races, creeds, and beliefs find it according to

each individual belief. It is discovered not to be a certain place

like taught by a particular religion, but rather a region in which

each and every religion finds its ideal. Christians, Mohammedans,

Hindus, and so on, find heaven to be just as they previously conceived

it. Here, and also in the first and highest division, the inhabitants

pursue noble aims freed of the selfishness that was mingled with such

aims when on earth. The literary man, artist, scholar, preacher, all

without the thought of self-interest, pursue the excellence of their

goals, and after long enough duration fine themselves to be fit for

change; they then depart the astral world and enter the Mental World,

which is one vastly higher.

The progression through the divisions of the astral world is thought

to be the result of the rearrangement of the matter of the astral body

at physical death that occurs because of ignorance. It is believed

those who are sufficiently instructed can prevent this rearrangement

from occurring, and, therefore, are not confined to any one division,

and do not have to progress from one division to another, but are able

to move through any part of the astral world, laboring in their

various pursuits to assist the great evolutionary scheme. Many

Theosophical teachings were derived from Traditional Hindu mysticism.

Some concepts are found in ancient Gnosticism too.