The Astral Plane
Firstly, the astral plane world-view isn't a religion ... as such it doesn't have the dogmas/doctrines that you'd normally find - yet, it is a way of interpreting the spiritual realm and how it functions. The astral tends to be at the core, whereas religion expands on this through greater definition of details/principles.
The above description is often used, although there are variants (#1 see annotations below).The word 'astral' comes from the Greek word meaning 'related to a star' and it originally described the heavens of the Greeks and the abode of their gods. The concept of the astral world expanded in time to refer to what the ancients called 'ghostland' a realm inhabited by etheric entities, disembodied spirits and highly developed angelic beings.
Under normal circumstances the limitations of our five physical senses keep us from seeing into the astral world. That is because that world is made up of an energy that is invisible to us, owing to the fact that it is vibrating at a higher rate than the energy that comprises the material world.
There are ways to perceive it other than through direct entry into it via Astral Projection.
Clairvoyants, Psychics and well-trained occultists have done so all through the ages. The former is the passive recipient of mental impressions, but these are usually fleeting and only moderately revealing.The esoteric thought system of theosophy depicts the astral as the realm into which we pass at physical death and in which we spend a period of time before moving on to a higher sphere.
It is also thought that other inhabitants of this realm are : lower orders of the devas or angels, and nature-spirits or elementals, both good and bad, such including fairies which are just beyond the powers of human vision, and the demons present to the vision of delirium.
While I don't think 'the astral plane' is the absolute entire picture as to the spiritual realm - yet it appears to be an underlying framework ...
Of which some religions loosely comprise within their scope.
Having a belief in something akin to 'the astral' ...
It helps to build bridges between various religions that may have opposing views/doctrines.
Many concepts of 'The Astral' appear to be entwined with religions found in our modern-day world.
An example is : 'The Astral' is sometimes said to have 7 primary planes or layers of existence.
- Some parts early Christianity considered multiple heavens (further supported by verses exist in bible).
- "General Christianity" considers 9 different spiritual layers/spheres as to "angels" residing upon ... (reference).
- Some religions talk about 7 heavens - Islam, Judaism, Hinduism.
- Buddhism and Maori also believe in more than 1 plane/layer of 'heaven'.
- In the book 'we don't die', the psychic medium George Anderson mentions that the souls say to him that "We go through different levels of consciousness. We're working our way up. It's like, to go up to the twelfth grade, you've got to pass the first through the eleventh" (#2).
The astral plane interpretation embraces psychic phenomena - astrology, mystics, mediums, shaman, etc - whereas the 'current Christian model' completely disregards these aspects (christianity essentially says it goes against the word of a christian god). A subject discussed at length elsewhere within this website.
My personal experiences certainly seem to be more in line with the astral world-view than anything else I've come across.
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The information below is excerpts from the article : 'Astral Sense' - published in issue #128 of Kindred Spirit Magazine - march/april 2014.
The full article also included information pertaining to dowsing, psychic protection, natural remedies to help, etc.
While equally important for anyone interested in the Astral, I wanted this page to focus on the Astral itself - a dialogue for absolute beginners.
Thankyou to the original author for giving permission to reproduce the article, in part : on this website. Flavia Green : The British College of Dowsing.
Permission must be sought from the original author before any further copying/reproduction.
All rights to the below passages are reserved by the author.
Copyright Flavia Green.
Astral Sense
article written by Flavia Green.
Those of you who are interested in psychic and paranormal phenomena will most likely have heard of the astral plane. If not, then you will have experienced this plane unconsciously when asleep, for your astral body operates without your conscious awareness.
Knowledge of the astral plane, its inhabitants and how it works is essential for all who are interested in spiritual and/or psychic matters.
The astral plane is the level of consciousness closest to our physical plane, and it interpenetrates our physical universe. It is a higher vibration than physical matter, which means that you can only tune into it psychically or through some other intuitive means like dowsing, or scrying, and, though not as safely, with the Ouija board. Some methods are safer than others for tapping into different levels of the astral, better known as the Higher Astral and the Lower Astral.
The Ouija board is more likely to open portals to the lower astral than some other divinatory methods. This is because it calls forth spirits of a very dense vibration to move the planchette in order to produce the physical phenomenon of spelling out words and messages. By the same token, spirit communication by means of raps, tableturning, apportation (sudden materialisation of objects) all attract the same lower astral frequencies to produce the phenomenon. This is because the more evolved a spirit is, the further away it is from the astral vibration and the less able it is to affect physical matter.
Sentient beings
Being a plane of existence in its own right, the astral is populated by sentient beings. Knowledge of its inhabitants enables us to understand what and who we are tuning into. Broadly, astral plane inhabitants can be divided into the following categories :
I.) Human : physically alive.
We all interact with the astral through our astral body; the vehicle of consciousness used on the astral plane.
Whether clairvoyantly to do readings, psychic investigation and astral projection, or unconsciously while we sleep or dream, we all experience the astral to one degree or another.
II.) Human : deceased.
Of all the subtle planes, the astral is the first visited by those who have passed on. Human spirits on the astral retain many of the characteristics they had when alive, as opposed to those who have moved to higher planes, having transcended them.
According to spiritual investigations, protective spirits reside on the Higher Astral or Summerland, including some of our spirit guides and ancestors, whilst ghosts, lost souls, and ill-intentioned spirits inhabit the Lower Astral or Grey World.
They are spirits who did not follow the Light when they passed on, thus being trapped between "heaven and earth". Unable to hear the higher call of Spirit, they determine to find another physical body. This often begins with a pressing need to communicate with the living, however, communication with these beings can lead to obsessions, possessions and mental aberrations.
Victims of murder suicide often remain trapped on the Lower Astral, for they are surrounded by the negative emotions of their last death.
Category II also includes the disintegrating astral bodies of those who have ascended to higher planes; these are known in Theosophy as shades or shells. These astral remnants, devoid of consciousness, are always malevolent, as those who had the misfortune to deal with can testify.
III.) Non-Human : Animals, physically alive and deceased.
As with humans, in the astral we also find the astral bodies of animals, both physically alive and dead.
Animals have astral bodies too, and they can display a rudimentary degree of clairvoyance; due to their ability to interact with the astral.
IV.) Non-Human : Include Angels and nature spirits.
Although angels vibrate at a much higher rate of vibration than the astral, they can also be found on the Higher Astral plane, for they are able to adjust their frequency and travel between planes. On the astral are also found nature spirits and their kings.
On the Lower Astral, under the non-human category, can also be found demons and negatively charged elementals and shells used for the purposes of black magick. The successful destruction of these elementals is too involved and dangerous, and best left for expert hands.
V.) The Astral Counterpart of Physical Objects.
Objects also have an astral counterpart, which stores their core vibration and history. This is what can be perceived during a psychometry reading (divination through touch).
Astral matter is extremely flexible and can be moulded with the right substances but primarily with repeated thoughts and feelings. This is one of the "secrets" of the art of manifesting; if you truly want to learn to obtain what you wish for; you need to feel as well as visualise the accomplished result often enough as to leave a lasting impression in the astral fabric.
The astral plane is, in fact, the backdrop against which the physical plane is able to manifest. Therefore, if one is sufficiently able to affect astral matter, the corresponding changes will manifest in the physical.
This is the underlying principle behind all magical workings, and the now so popular courses and books on manifestation, through the much misunderstood Law of Attraction.
The astral has also been called the "plane of glamour" because it can court and confuse the untrained psychic, due to the many beings that live there, and not all of them have good intentions.
On the astral are found the keys that unlock our psychic ability, the power of imagery, astral projection, spirit communication and especially the practice of magick and manifestation.
Annotations (to the above).
#1.a. Wikipedia : astral plane - gives roughly the same description, and it is good starting point for those that know little-to-nothing on the subject.
#1.b. Wikipedia : plane - esoteric for further reading.
#1.c. Wikipedia : seven heavens.
#2. A brief Q&A session with George Anderson, where he answers some of the questions about the afterlife.