HPAVC/HPAVC CD-ROM.iso/ATRAL.ZIP/ASTRAL4.TXT

Text File | 1994-04-14 | 6KB | 102 lines

(4574)  Fri 21 May 93 12:53
By: Glenda Stocks
To: All Fido-New Age
Re: Astral 1 of 4         [D]
St:
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the astral vision, but under certain other conditions it takes on the
semblance of a vapory form of matter, and is perceptible to the ordinary
physical senses as a "ghost" or "apparition," even when the person is in
physical life.  The astral body is an exact counterpart of the physical
body, but survives the latter by a number of years.  It is not immortal,
however, and finally disintegrates and is resolved into its original
elements just as is the physical body.
   The advanced occultist, in his astral body, is able to leave his
physical body (which remains in a state of sleep trance) and to visit at
will on the Astral Plane, even at points in space far removed from his
physical body.
   He, however, is always connected with the physical body by a thin,
cobweb-like, filament of etheral substance, which extends or contracts as
he travels away from, or toward, the sleeping physical body.  l[f this
filament is broken by an accident on the Astral Plane, his physical body
"dies" and he is never able to return to it. Such accidents are rare, but
occult history has records showing their occasional occurrence.
   Many persons are able to travel in the astral body, during ordinary
sleep, but usually have no recollection of the same upon reawakening.  The
occultist, on the other hand, travels consciously, and with a purpose, and
always is wide-awake on such journeys.  He is as much at home on the
Astral Plane as on the physical one.
   And so, student, you see how the occult teaching regarding the Astral
Plane has been obtained; and how such teaching has as firm a basis in
actual experience as have those based upon physical observation,
experiment, and experience. Moreover, every occultist may verify the
teaching for himself - in fact actually does so.


                               CHAPTER III.
                          REALITY OF THE ASTRAL.

   It is customary among occultists to speak of the Astral Plane, simply
as "the Astral" as for instance "out in the Astral;" "visiting the
Astral;" "phenomena of the Astral;" "inhabitants of the Astral," etc.,
etc.  The student may as well familiarize himself with this use of the
term "the Astral," in order to understand, and be understood by, others
interested in occult study. Accordingly, I shall from now on use this
term, "the Astral," as indicating the Astral Regions, - the Astral Plane -
without further explanation.
   One of the hardest things for the elementary student to realize is that
the Astral is just as real, abiding, and fixed as is the material world.
Just as steam is actually as real as water, or even as ice, so is the
Astral just as real as the world of the physical senses.  For that matter,
if we could see our world of matter placed under a sufficiently strong
magnifying glass, we should perceive it not as a great body of solid fixed
matter, but rather as an aggregation of an infinite number of the tiniest
particles themselves built into atoms; these built into molecules; and
these built into solid masses.
   The space between the ions of the material atom is as comparatively
great as the space between the planets of our solar system.  And every
ion, atom and molecule is in constant and intense motion.  Under a glass
of sufficient power, there would seem to be nothing solid in the material
world.  If the magnifying glass were to be raised to an infinite power,
even the ions would melt into seething nothingness, and there would be
nothing left but the ether which has no weight and which is imperceptible
to the senses even when aided by the strongest instruments of the
laboratory.  So you see, the solidity of things is merely relative and
comparative.  The vibration of substance on the Astral is higher than
those of the material plane; but even the Astral vibrations are far slower
than those of the next higher plane, and so on.
   To the traveller on the Astral the scenery, and everything connected
therewith, seems as solid as the most solid material does to the physical
eye.  It really is just as solid as is the astral body in which you visit
it, for that matter.  As for reality, the Astral is just as real as is the
material, in every respect.
   The Forces of Nature are not perceptible to the physical eye, except as
manifesting through matter - but they are very real as all of us know by
experience.  you cannot see electricity, but when you receive its shock
you realize its reality.  You cannot see the force of gravity, but you
become painfully aware of its reality when it drops an apple on your head
; or causes you to fall suddenly when you make a misstep on the curb of
the street. In fact, it is realized by all advanced occultists, that if
there really can be said to be any degrees in reality between things, the
balance is in favor of the finer forms of substance and forces, and
against the less fine.
   So, student, never permit yourself to think of the Astral as something
comparatively unreal, or as only relatively existent.  I, of course, am
not speaking of Reality in the metaphysical sense of the term, for in such
sense the entire manifested universe, including all of its planes, is
unreal as compared to the One Reality.  And, again, do not permit yourself
to think of the astral senses as being one whit less real, reliable and
important than those of the physical body.  Each class of sense perception
has its own proper field in which it is king.  Each is master in its own
realm.  And there should be no attempt to draw distinctions of reality
between them At the last, they are all but the mechanism of consciousness,
or "awareness" each adapted to the peculiar requirements of its
environment.
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