The Life Beyond Death
Chapter VIII Astral Plane Geography
Before proceeding to a consideration of the experiences of
the newly awakened disembodied soul, we ask you to take a brief
glimpse at what may be called geography of the Astral Plane,
that great scene or plane of the activities of the disembodied
souls of the race; this is the logical path of approach to the
subject. For, before we are asked to consider the inhabitants of
a new country, we are generally made acquainted with the country
itself, its hills and valleys, its rivers and plains, its
highlands and lowlands. And, using the same figure of speech,
let us now take a little lesson in the geography of the Astral
Plane, the place of abode of the disembodied souls.
But, first let us again remind you that the Astral Plane is not
a country. It is not a place at all - in the usual sense. Its
dimensions
are not those of space, but of vibration. In a way it may be
said that the dimensions of the Astral Plane are the dimensions
of
Time, for vibrations can be measured only by their rate of
motion, and that rate is determined only in terms of Time. The
same
is true of all vibrations whether of Astral energy or the lower
forms of energy. The vibrations of light are measured in terms
of
Time, that is to say so many vibrations to the second, and so
on.
The higher the rate of vibration, the greater the rate of speed
manifested in the vibration. The ancient occultists were fond
of stating the truth regarding the highest forms of vibration,
by saying that there a rate of vibration so infinitely rapid
that it
seems to be absolutely still and motionless. From this extreme,
we descend by degrees until the very grossest forms of matter
are reached, and there we find a rate of vibration so slow that
it likewise seems motionless.
The substance of the Astral Plane is, of course, very much finer
than that of the material plane - its vibrations very much
higher than the finest form of material substance. But there is
the widest range between the vibrations of the lowest planes
and those of the higher ones. In fact, the difference between
the lowest plane of the Astral, and the highest of the material
plane,
is less than the difference between the lowest and highest of
the Astral itself. So that between these two extremes of Astral
vibrations, we have the same great territory that we would have
on the material plane, with this difference, however, that
the material territory is measured by space dimensions, while
that of the Astral is to be measured only in terms of vibration,
or time, and not of space.
For instance, when one travels on the material plane, he must
traverse space-feet, yards, or miles. But, on the Astral
Plane, when one travels he traverses rates of vibrations - that
is to say, he passes from a high rate of vibration to a lower,
or
vice versa. And these various planes or sub-planes of vibratory
energy constitute the geographical features of the Astral Plane.
There are countless planes and sub-planes, or regions of the
Astral Plane, which may be traveled, but all Astral travel is
performed simply by passing from one degree of vibration to
another. Using a crude example, we may say that it is somewhat
akin to passing from the state of ice to that of water, and then
of steam. Or, again, it may be thought of as passing from
ordinary
atmospheric air, to liquid air, and then to solid air (the
latter is theoretically possible, although science has not yet
been able
to solidify air. These illustrations are of course very crude,
but they may help you to understand the geography of the Astral
Plane a little better.
Henceforth, we shall speak of travel on the Astral Plane. Tthat
is travel between the different planes and sub-planes of the
Astral - as if it were on the material plane. That is to say,
instead of saying that the soul passes from one state of
vibration to
another, we shall speak of it as proceeding from one subplane or
plane to another, in the same terms that we would employ
in describing a journey on the material plane. This will
simplify matters for us, and will obviate a needless repetition
of the
statement regarding vibrational conditions or states. With
thisunderstanding, we shall now proceed.
There are many states or conditions of existence on the Astral
Plane, which are spoken of as planes and sub-planes. These
planes and sub-planes are inhabited by souls fitted to dwell
upon the particular series of planes or sub-planes uponwhich
they awaken from the soul-slumber. Subtle principles of soul
attraction draw each soul to the particular place for which it
is fitted. The great law of attraction operates unerringly here.
There is no chance or haphazard about the mechanism of the law
of attraction. The law operates with absolute precision and
uniformity - it makes no mistakes. Each soul is restricted in
its range by its own inherent limitations and degrees of
development. There is no need of Astral policemen to keep the
disembodied souls in their rightful places. It is impossible for
the disembodied soul to travel into planes above its own
immediate series. The law of vibration prevents this. But, on
the contrary, each and every soul may, if it so chooses, freely
visit the planes and sub-planes beneath its own series, and
freely witness the scenery and phenomena of those lower planes
and mingle with the inhabitants thereof. (This entirely apart
from the high form of telepathic
communication which prevails between disembodied souls on the
Astral Plane.) This is a very wise provision of the Law,
for were it otherwise the higher planes would be open to the
influence of those dwelling on the lower, and the soul-life
and development would be interrupted, just as a class-room in a
school of philosophy might be interrupted by a gang of
hoodlums from the slums of a large city. (For, remember, the
Astral Plane has its slums and hoodlums, as well as the material
plane.)
In a previous work we gave a somewhat crude, but nevertheless a
very striking illustration of this matter of the
intercommunication between the various planes and subplanes of
the Astral Plane, which we herewith reproduce, asollows: It is
absolutely impossible for a soul to go beyond the plane to which
it belongs, although those on the upper planes may freely
revisit the lower planes, this being the rule of the Astral
Plane - not an arbitrary law, but a law of nature. If the
student will pardon the commonplace comparison, he may get an
understanding of it by imagining a large screen, or series of
screens, such as are used for sorting coal into sizes. The large
coal is caught by the first screen, the next size by the second,
and so on until the tiny coal is reached. Now, the large coal
cannot get into the receptacle of the smaller sizes, but the
small sizes may easily pass through the screen and join the
large sizes, if force be imparted to them. Just so on the Astral
Plane, the soul with the greatest amount of materiality, and
coarsest nature, is stopped by the screen of a certain grade or
plane, and cannot pass on to the higher ones; while one which
has passed on to the higherplanes, having cast off more
confining sheaths, can easily pass backward and forward among
the lower planes, if it so desires. In fact, souls often do so,
for the purpose of visiting friends on
the lower planes, and giving them enjoyment and comfort, and, in
case of a highly developed soul, much spiritual help may be
given in this way, by means of advice and instruction, when the
soul on the lower plane is ready to receive it.
In the passage alluded to above, there is the following
additional words, which also should be repeated here, for it
concerns the geography of the Astral Plane. We allude to the
following: The one exception to the rule of free passage tothe
planes below that of the particular soul, is the one which
prevents the lower- plane souls from entering the plane of the
sleepers, which plane may not be entered by souls which have
awakened on a low plane, but which may be freely entered by
those pure and exalted souls who have attained a high place.
The plane of soul- slumber is sacred to those occupying it, and
those higher souls just mentioned, and it is in fact rather of
the
nature of a distinct and separate state than one of the great
series of planes and subplanes.
There are as many different kind of regions on the Astral Plane
as there are on the material plane, and each plane is inhabited
by
exactly the class of souls which it might be expected to
attract. There are to be found the abodes of degraded souls, so
steeped
in materiality and animality, that they would be veritable hell
to a soul of higher attainment. It may well be imagined that
the soul of higher impulses has no desire to travel into these
depths of the Astral, unless, indeed it be some very highly
developed soul which is willing todescend into hell in order to
minister to the needs of some lower soul which is striving
to emerge from the slough of despond into which its earth life
has thrown it. Such ministering spirits do exist, and perform
this work for their lower brothers and sisters. But, as a rule,
the disembodied souls prefers to work out its own evolution on
its
own plane, that it may ascend to the higher grades of spiritual
opportunity in its next incarnation, and that it may acquire
spiritual knowledge during its sojourn on its particular planeof
the Astral.
