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.
