Vehicles of Consciousness: Overview
I like the theosophical idea of vehicles of consciousness presented in Annie Besant’s book, Man and His Bodies. A vehicle of consciousness is one of several nonphysical "bodies" that we each possess. These vehicles surround our physical form as different layers of the human aura. They also act as modes of perception and transportation within various aspects (levels, planes, or zones) of nonphysical reality, which I call Otherwhere, because the rules that govern it are so different from (other than) those we're familiar with in physical reality.
This notion of vehicles of consciousness accords with my own out-of-body (OBE) adventures, as well as the experiences recorded in Robert Monroe's books, and those of a number of other out-of-body explorers. I believe that they also explain some of the difficulties beginning OBErs may have, especially when they find that their range of exploration in the out-of-body state is extremely limited.
In this and the next several posts, I'll be exploring the idea of vehicles of consciousness, as presented in Besant's book.
Man and His Bodies is based on several assumptions, having their origin in ancient Vedic (Hindu) teachings, going back to at least 800 BCE:
1) The Self (Sanskrit: atman, something like the soul in Western religions) is enclosed in five layers or sheaths (Sanskrit: kosha), with the physical body being the outermost.
2) These sheaths are also vehicles of consciousness that allow the Self to travel in various realms, both physical and nonphysical.
3) Their makeup reflects various degrees of physicality or nonphysicality (subtlety), with the physical body being the most dense (or gross), and the inmost sheath being the finest (most subtle).
These bodies were first described in the Taittiriya-Upanishad (2.2-5), where they are called:
1) anna-maya-kosha: the body made of food
2) prana-maya-kosha: the body made of life force
3) mano-maya-kosha: the body made of mind
4) vijnana-maya-kosha: the body made of awareness
5) ananda-maya-kosha: the body made of bliss
In Theosophy, these bodies are given the following English names:
1) the physical body
2) the etheric body (or etheric double)
3) the astral (or desire) body
4) the mind (or mental) body (and the causal body--see below for explanation)
5) the body of bliss
Each of these bodies is ideally suited for operation as a vehicle of consciousness in a certain physical or nonphysical realm. In Theosophy, this realm is called a plane (I would call it a Zone).
These planes are arranged in a hierarchy from lower (more physical, coarse, or earth-oriented) to higher (more nonphysical, subtle, or Otherwhere oriented, as I would call it). There are seven such planes:
1) the physical plane
2) the astral plane
3) the mental plane
4) the buddhic plane
5) the nirvanic plane
6) the monadic plane
7) the divine plane
The physical and etheric bodies are limited to the physical plane. Both last for a single lifetime and dissolve back into their elements after death.
The etheric body is separable from the physical body, but is not able to go far from it. It has the same shape as the physical body, but is not visible to physical eyesight. It may, however, be perceived by the inner senses, e.g., clairvoyant vision.
Many OBErs, including Robert Monroe, have reported that once out of their bodies, they were confined to a limited range surrounding the physical body (frequently, the dimensions of their bedroom). Perhaps they were operating in the etheric body as their vehicle of consciousness. The ancient Egyptians had a similar notion: the ka was separable from the body, but not able to move very far from it.
The astral body may move freely in the physical or the astral plane, but is not able to access the higher planes. This body is the usual vehicle of conscious for out-of-body travel from point to point in the physical world. It also functions as the vehicle of consciousness for dreams and certain phases of the Afterlife.
The astral body often makes perceptual errors in evaluating what it experiences on the physical and astral planes, although it can improve with practice. I suspect that this is the result of carrying over various assumptions that pertain to the physical body and physical plane into the astral body and the astral plane.
For example, many beginning OBErs have trouble perceiving anything at all once out of body. They seem to be blind. But if they give themselves the command to open their eyes so they can see, their physical eyes open and the OBE is over.
The astral body seems to correspond to the ancient Egyptian notion of the ba, which is able to move freely between physical and nonphysical reality and within the nonphysical reality of the Afterlife.
In Theosophy, the astral body is eventually abandoned at a certain stage in the Afterlife, whereupon it disintegrates (on the astral plane) into its elements.
The mind body is the vehicle of consciousness in the mental plane--but only on the lower four (out of seven) subplanes of that plane. The mind body loses its human form and usually appears on its own plane as an egg-shaped energy field, its size varying according to the evolutionary degree of the Self it contains.
The mind body may range freely on the physical or astral planes. It is less susceptible to making perceptual errors on that plane than is the astral body. It may assume human form at will.
This body too will eventually be left behind on the mental plane, at a late stage in the Afterlife, and will disintegrate into its elements.
The causal body is without form, although it may assume the human form if it wishes, and often does so when traveling on the astral plane.
Some OBErs have reported that they seem to be operating as a point of light or awareness rather than a replica of the physical body. They may be using the mind or causal body as a vehicle of consciousness. The ancient Egyptians have a similar concept, akh, which refers to consciousness when it appears as a dazzling light. The akh, however, is limited to nonphysical reality.
In Theosophy, the causal body is the reincarnating self: "all causes that effect [generate] future incarnations reside in it." (p. 108). Besant goes on to say that "People do not remember their past lives because they are not yet conscious in the causal body as a vehicle." (p. 109)
In Theosophy, the causal body is the true self, the immortal aspect of human consciousness, immensely greater than one’s personality or individuality in any given lifetime. It’s the repository of everything that has been learned in a particular lifetime, and the sum of the wisdom acquired in all of one’s lifetimes.
The vehicle of consciousness on the buddhic plane is the body of bliss. This body is used as a vehicle of consciousness by advanced yogis in deep meditation. In it, they may experience a blissful sense of the unity of all life. This is all that Besant has to say in Man and His Bodies on this topic.
Also, no explanation is given of the bodies that may function as vehicles of consciousness on the nirvanic, monadic planes, or divine planes. These are areas of further investigation. There may be other theosophical writings with which I’m not yet acquainted that deal with them.
This notion of vehicles of consciousness accords with my own out-of-body (OBE) adventures, as well as the experiences recorded in Robert Monroe's books, and those of a number of other out-of-body explorers. I believe that they also explain some of the difficulties beginning OBErs may have, especially when they find that their range of exploration in the out-of-body state is extremely limited.
In this and the next several posts, I'll be exploring the idea of vehicles of consciousness, as presented in Besant's book.
Man and His Bodies is based on several assumptions, having their origin in ancient Vedic (Hindu) teachings, going back to at least 800 BCE:
1) The Self (Sanskrit: atman, something like the soul in Western religions) is enclosed in five layers or sheaths (Sanskrit: kosha), with the physical body being the outermost.
2) These sheaths are also vehicles of consciousness that allow the Self to travel in various realms, both physical and nonphysical.
3) Their makeup reflects various degrees of physicality or nonphysicality (subtlety), with the physical body being the most dense (or gross), and the inmost sheath being the finest (most subtle).
These bodies were first described in the Taittiriya-Upanishad (2.2-5), where they are called:
1) anna-maya-kosha: the body made of food
2) prana-maya-kosha: the body made of life force
3) mano-maya-kosha: the body made of mind
4) vijnana-maya-kosha: the body made of awareness
5) ananda-maya-kosha: the body made of bliss
In Theosophy, these bodies are given the following English names:
1) the physical body
2) the etheric body (or etheric double)
3) the astral (or desire) body
4) the mind (or mental) body (and the causal body--see below for explanation)
5) the body of bliss
Each of these bodies is ideally suited for operation as a vehicle of consciousness in a certain physical or nonphysical realm. In Theosophy, this realm is called a plane (I would call it a Zone).
These planes are arranged in a hierarchy from lower (more physical, coarse, or earth-oriented) to higher (more nonphysical, subtle, or Otherwhere oriented, as I would call it). There are seven such planes:
1) the physical plane
2) the astral plane
3) the mental plane
4) the buddhic plane
5) the nirvanic plane
6) the monadic plane
7) the divine plane
The physical and etheric bodies are limited to the physical plane. Both last for a single lifetime and dissolve back into their elements after death.
The etheric body is separable from the physical body, but is not able to go far from it. It has the same shape as the physical body, but is not visible to physical eyesight. It may, however, be perceived by the inner senses, e.g., clairvoyant vision.
Many OBErs, including Robert Monroe, have reported that once out of their bodies, they were confined to a limited range surrounding the physical body (frequently, the dimensions of their bedroom). Perhaps they were operating in the etheric body as their vehicle of consciousness. The ancient Egyptians had a similar notion: the ka was separable from the body, but not able to move very far from it.
The astral body may move freely in the physical or the astral plane, but is not able to access the higher planes. This body is the usual vehicle of conscious for out-of-body travel from point to point in the physical world. It also functions as the vehicle of consciousness for dreams and certain phases of the Afterlife.
The astral body often makes perceptual errors in evaluating what it experiences on the physical and astral planes, although it can improve with practice. I suspect that this is the result of carrying over various assumptions that pertain to the physical body and physical plane into the astral body and the astral plane.
For example, many beginning OBErs have trouble perceiving anything at all once out of body. They seem to be blind. But if they give themselves the command to open their eyes so they can see, their physical eyes open and the OBE is over.
The astral body seems to correspond to the ancient Egyptian notion of the ba, which is able to move freely between physical and nonphysical reality and within the nonphysical reality of the Afterlife.
In Theosophy, the astral body is eventually abandoned at a certain stage in the Afterlife, whereupon it disintegrates (on the astral plane) into its elements.
The mind body is the vehicle of consciousness in the mental plane--but only on the lower four (out of seven) subplanes of that plane. The mind body loses its human form and usually appears on its own plane as an egg-shaped energy field, its size varying according to the evolutionary degree of the Self it contains.
The mind body may range freely on the physical or astral planes. It is less susceptible to making perceptual errors on that plane than is the astral body. It may assume human form at will.
This body too will eventually be left behind on the mental plane, at a late stage in the Afterlife, and will disintegrate into its elements.
The causal body is without form, although it may assume the human form if it wishes, and often does so when traveling on the astral plane.
Some OBErs have reported that they seem to be operating as a point of light or awareness rather than a replica of the physical body. They may be using the mind or causal body as a vehicle of consciousness. The ancient Egyptians have a similar concept, akh, which refers to consciousness when it appears as a dazzling light. The akh, however, is limited to nonphysical reality.
In Theosophy, the causal body is the reincarnating self: "all causes that effect [generate] future incarnations reside in it." (p. 108). Besant goes on to say that "People do not remember their past lives because they are not yet conscious in the causal body as a vehicle." (p. 109)
In Theosophy, the causal body is the true self, the immortal aspect of human consciousness, immensely greater than one’s personality or individuality in any given lifetime. It’s the repository of everything that has been learned in a particular lifetime, and the sum of the wisdom acquired in all of one’s lifetimes.
The vehicle of consciousness on the buddhic plane is the body of bliss. This body is used as a vehicle of consciousness by advanced yogis in deep meditation. In it, they may experience a blissful sense of the unity of all life. This is all that Besant has to say in Man and His Bodies on this topic.
Also, no explanation is given of the bodies that may function as vehicles of consciousness on the nirvanic, monadic planes, or divine planes. These are areas of further investigation. There may be other theosophical writings with which I’m not yet acquainted that deal with them.
1 Comments:
Hi Kurt, just stumbled on your blog while doing a Google blog search. My parents were theosophists and as a teen in the sixties, I used to go to society meetings. I've read the Annie Besant book you refer to and several others by theosophists over the years. I never managed to understand the 'big picture' however, until I read a book by Meher Baba titled "God Speaks". Don't let the title put you off. It's the clearest expositions I've read about of how the hell we got here and where the hell we're going. Just a suggestion. It's late at night here in Jakarta but I've bookmarked your blog and will return for a closer look later. You certainly seem prolific in your creative output ... if you have any spare could you channel it my way ;-)
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