Break on Through to the Other Side

What they do NOT teach you in Sunday School or Bible Study

IMPORTANT NOTE: The images used in my Explore the Astral World section are meant to serve as visual aids. They are not meant to necessarily portray the exact events or scenery of the subject matter being described, but rather as one visual representation out of perhaps millions of variations of the type of astral event(s) and scenery that exist in the Astral World.

The Seven Planes of Being

There are seven Planes of Being. This section of my website, Explore the Astral World, is only about the Astral Plane.

The seven Planes of Being are (from lowest to highest vibratory frequency):

7 — Material Plane = the lowest vibratory plane (where you and I are living now)
6 — Plane of Forces
5 — Astral Plane
4 — Mental Plane
3 — unexplainable to anyone on the lower planes ? TBD
2 — unexplainable to anyone on the lower planes ? TBD
1 — unexplainable to anyone on the lower planes ? TBD

7. Material Plane
This is the plane on which we currently inhabit. The Material Plane consists of seven (7) divisions: the solid, liquid, gaseous, etheric, super-etheric, subatomic, and atomic. In addition, each division has a sub-plane, and each sub-plane has a subdivision, and so on to the seventh degree of subdivision. So you see, there is a minute classification.

Put simply, there are forms and kinds of matter that are lower in vibrations than the densest forms of matter know to us. And there are forms and kinds of matter as much higher than the highest forms of ultra-gaseous matter known to us. In other words, THERE ARE MANY DEGREES.

6. Plane of Forces
This is where "prana" or "vital force" resides — I explain this "force" in detail in my Chakra section. Modern science research into radioactivity is heading into further knowledge of this plane of manifestation.

5. Astral Plane
This is the subject of this section/site. As I said in my brief introduction, according to esoteric occult philosophy (known as Theosophy) the astral world is a realm into which we pass at physical death and where we spend a period of time before moving on to a higher sphere. It is also believed to inhabit not just disembodied souls but also inhabitants of a non-human nature, such as the lower orders of the devas or angels, and nature-spirits or elementals (good and bad) such as fairies, which are just beyond the powers of human vision.

There are REGIONS, points of space, places, kingdoms, countries, a vast variety of inhabitants and things on the Astral. Sometimes they have a direct connection to the material plane and other times not.

4. Mental Plane
When the soul has finally completed his/her "work" on the Astral, the soul sinks into an astral slumber. When they awake, they find themselves on the next subdivision of the highest plane above the Astral. Their time here can be as long as a moment or as long as many centuries (to use an earth time relationship.) During the soul's time on these higher planes, the soul communes with its "Higher Self." More on this later.

3.2.1. The Three Highest Planes
These planes have no names that I am aware of that can be understood by those of us dwelling on the lower planes, and their existence seems to be incapable of explanation to those of us dwelling on the lower planes. But I am still researching the subject so perhaps I will offer some explanatory glimpses of them — as best as the human language can explain? — at the end of my Explore the Astral World section. Maybe.

THE ASTRAL WORLD

A very brief OVERVIEW of the Astral World's Seven Dimensions / Planes

The Astral World consist of seven (7) dimensions, which correspond to the seven divisions of "matter," namely: the solid, liquid, gaseous, etheric, super-etheric, subatomic, and atomic. These are believed to play an important part in the immediate destiny of humans, meaning, if through ignorance one has permitted the rearrangement of the matter of the astral body into sheaths, one will be only cognizant of only that part of his/her surroundings at a time, and only AFTER the experience of that part is complete can one move on and enjoy the bliss that the higher dimensions of the astral world possess.

Note: I will occasionally and INTENTIONALLY repeat some information throughout this section because, as an old teacher once told me, "repetition is the moral of study."

Seventh (7th) Astral Dimension / Plane
The 7th Division or Plane is the "lowest dimension" of the astral world. This Plane is known as Avichi. Here, is where the lowest, and the gross and unrestrained passions exist, and the astral material of the astral body is comprised of much the same dense matter, too. This plane is hell to the inhabitants who dwell here, and if there is such a place as Hell, this would be it. Why?

Because this is a place where the inhabitant's desires cannot be satisfied because they do not have a physical body to satisfy them. They can see but they can't touch! Thus, their inability to satisfy their desires is torturous. Perhaps this is the hell-fire Hell Christianity preaches about? In any event, unlike the Christian belief, according to Theosophy, the tortures of Avichi are NOT eternal but eventually dissipate as the desires (through prolong striving without fulfillment) gradually die away. Perhaps this place can better be described as a Purgatory state? More on this later.

Note: When we (our physical bodies) die, usually, most ordinary individuals do NOT wake up on this (7th) plane, but on one of the three higher planes — 6th, 5th or 4th plane.

Sixth (6th) Astral Dimension / Plane
On the sixth plane, there is very little difference between the LOWER subdivision of the LOWER sub-plane and physical existence. For the individuals who wake up on this subdivision/sub-plane, they find themselves in somewhat familiar surroundings, with former family and friends, who often, like the individuals themselves, do not realize they are dead — or perhaps they refuse to, or are not ready to, accept the fact they are dead? Remember the movie, The Sixth Sense?

On the HIGHER sub-planes of the 6th plane, inhabitants reside in a world of their own creation, formed through the influence of their own thoughts. Everything — scenery, cities, buildings, furniture, etc. — known in earth life are built here from the astral substance by the imaginative minds of the inhabitants. More on this later.

Fifth (5th) Astral Dimension / Plane
The dwellers on the 5th astral plane are busy working out their intellectual desires and ordinary tendencies, tastes, likes and aspirations that they were unable to manifest fully in earth life.

More on this later.

Fourth (4th) Astral Dimension / Plane
On the fourth plane you can see inhabitants and scenes of the old races of people acting out and enjoying their lives that they once enjoyed in earth life. Again, it is important to understand that all this scenery and things (including animals) are artificially created by their imagination.

American Indians might be seen hunting buffalo, enjoying the life of a time long ago. Valhalla is here, too. Valhalla was/is the great hall of the Einherjar - the heroic dead (Norse mythology). Warriors who died in glorious battle were chosen by Odin to wait in Valhalla until Ragnarok. The large structure had over 500 doors, each large enough for eight hundred warriors to march out of at the time of Ragnarok so that they could fight the futile battle with the gods...

Same goes with fighting obesity. You get the idea. More on this later.

Third (3rd) Astral Dimension / Plane
Dwellers who reside on the third plane are engaged in "useful work," to use earthly terminology. All work done being done here is of an inventive and constructive nature. Men and women are perfecting what their interest was while in earth life. Artist, musicians, architects, etc. are busy creating their masterpieces. More on this later.

Second (2nd) Astral Dimension / Plane
A great religious atmosphere permeates the second plane. Inhabitants of all races, creeds, and beliefs dwell here. This is not a PLACE but a REGION. Here, all religions find their ideals; in other words, their Heaven as they previously conceived it. Here is where the religious aspirations and emotions find their full power of expression. All the Heavens that theology has dreamed of or taught in churches are here.

Each great religion has their own particular REGION. Like the other astral planes, all this scenery has been build up from the astral substance by the imaginative power of the minds of those congregating there. The deeply religious souls find just what they expected and hoped to find. While some remain content here, others realize there is something amiss and drift toward a sub-Region, or a group of souls whom are closer to their newly awakened conception of Truth.

More on this later.

First (1st) Astral Dimension / Plane

The highest sub-planes of the Astral are inhabited by the great philosophers, scientists and metaphysicians. There are many schools of metaphysics here, as there are religious sects on the 2nd astral plane. There are many glorious forms on these Regions. They were once highly evolved beings — once human beings like ourselves — who have volunteered from the higher spheres (above the Astral) to teach those here on the highest Astral Plane.

More on this later.