We would be neglecting the task to which we have set
ourselves in this book, were we to omit all mention of a
peculiar phenomenon of the Astral Plane which causes much
confusion to all beginners in the investigation of psychic
phenomena. We allude to what have aptly been called “Astral
Shells,” the worn-out Astral bodies of the souls who have
awakened from the soul-slumber of the Astral Plane. These
worn-out garments of the soul are frequently mistaken for the
soul itself, and much confusion has arisen by reason of this
mistake.
Each human entity on earth-life has, in addition to the
physical body, a finer and more subtle form of body, which is
called the Astral Body (sometimes called “the etheric double,”
is an exact counterpart of the physical body, and, in fact, is
the finer model upon which the physical body is moulded or
overlaid. Upon the departure of the soul from the physical body,
it carries the Astral body with it as its vehicle, and dwells in
it during the soul-sleep, discarding it only when it awakens
from the soul-slumber and passes on to the higher states or
conditions of the Astral. The Astral body, thus discarded by the
soul, then becomes what is known to occultists as an “Astral
shell.”
In a previous work, we have spoken as follows of the “Astral
shell,” after it has been discarded by the soul: “The Astral
body exists for some time after the death of the person to whom
it belongs, and under certain circumstances, it is visible to
living persons, and is by them called a ‘ghost.’ The “Astral
shell,” which is sometimes seen after it has been sloughed off
by the soul which has passed on, is in such cases nothing more
than a corpse of finer matter than its physical counterpart. In
such cases it is possessed of no life or intelligence, and is
nothing more than a cloud seen in the sky bearing a resemblance
to the human form. It is a shell, nothing more…. When discarded
by the soul it begins to slowly disintegrate…. It floats around
in the lower Astral atmosphere, until finally it is dissolved
into its original elements. It seems to have a peculiar
attraction toward its late physical counterpart, and will often
return to the neighborhood of the discarded physical body, and
disintegrate with it. Persons of psychic sight, either normal or
influenced by fear or similar emotions, frequently see these
“Astral shells” floating around graveyards, over battle-fields,
etc., and mistake them for the ‘spirits’ of departed persons,
whereas they are no more the real souls of the persons than are
the physical bodies beneath the ground.”
“These ‘Astral shells’ may be ‘galvanized’ into a semblance of
life by coming in contact with the vitality of some ‘medium,’
the prana of the latter animating it, and the sub-conscious
mentality of the medium causing it to manifest signs of life and
partial intelligence. At some of the seances of the mediums,
these astral shells are materialized by means of the vitality of
the medium, and are made to talk in a stupid, disconnected way
with those around, but it is not the person himself talking, but
a mere shell animated by the life principle of the medium and
the ‘circle,’ and acting and talking like an automaton. There
are, of course, other forms of ‘spirit return,’ but
investigators of spiritualistic phenomena should beware of
confounding these ‘Astral shells’ with the real soul of their
departed friends.”
A leading authority on the subject. has written of the “Astral
shell,” as follows: “At death it is disembodied for a brief
period, and, under some abnormal conditions, may even be
temporarily visible to the external sight of still living
persons. Under such conditions it is taken of course for the
ghost of the departed persons. Spectral apparitions may
sometimes be occasioned in other ways, but the third principle
(the Astral Body) when that results in a visible phenomenon, is
a mere aggregation of molecules in a peculiar state, having no
life or consciousness of any kind whatever. It is no more than a
cloud-wreath in the sky which happens to settle into the
semblance of some animal form. Broadly speaking, the linga
sharira never leaves the body except at death, case. When seen
at all, and this can but nor migrates far from the body even in
that rarely occur, it can only be seen near where the physical
body lies.
“…It is a mistake to speak of consciousness, as we understand
the feeling in life, attaching to the ‘Astral shell’ or remnant;
but, nevertheless, a certain spurious resemblance may be
awakened in that shell, and without having any connection with
the real consciousness all the while growing in strength and
vitality in the spiritual sphere. There is no power on the part
of the shell of taking on and assimilating new ideas and
intiating courses of action on the basis of those new ideas. But
there is in the shell a survival of volitional impulses imparted
to it during life. It is liable to be galvanized for a time in
the mediumistic current into a state of consciousness and life
which may be suggested by the first condition of a person who,
carried into a strange room in a state of insensibility during
illness, wakes up feeble, confused in mind, gazing about with a
blank feeling of bewilderment, taking in impressions, hearing
words addressed to him and answering vaguely. Such a state of
consciousness is unassociated with the notions of past and
future. It is an automatic consciousness, derived from the
medium.”
Another writer on the subject says of these “Astral shells:”
“These remnants of the Astral bodies so discarded and
disintegrating are not in any way related to the souls which
formerly inhabited them. They are mere shells, without soul or
mind, and yet preserving a slight degree of vitality. They are
Astral corpses, just as much a corpse as is the discarded
physical body. But, just as the physical corpse may be aroused
into apparent life activity by a strong galvanic current, and
will roll its eyes, move its limbs, and even utter groans—so may
these Astral corpses be galvanized by the vitality of a medium
(unconsciously by the latter), if the conditions be favorable,
and may be materialized so as to appear as a shadowy form,
acting, moving, and even speaking, the only mind in it, however,
being supplied by that of the medium or the persons present at
the seance.”
The careful student of occultism will find in the works of all
of the best authorities many warnings against the confounding of
the phenomena related to these “Astral shells,” with that
referring to actual communication between disembodied souls and
those in the flesh. But the general public, not being informed,
is very apt to fall into the error of supposing that this class
of psychic phenomena is a manifestation of “spirit return,” and
the cause of rational spiritualism has been very much injured in
this way. It is a ghastly mockery to have these disintegrating
“Astral shells,” galvanized temporarily into life by the
vitality and minds of a medium (consciously or otherwise), and
to have them mistaken for the souls of departed friends and
relatives. And yet this terrible experience has been the lot of
many earnest investigators of psychic phenomena, and by many
persons whose love has prompted them to seek to communicate once
more with their loved ones. It would seem that there is much
need for true occult knowledge on the part of the public, in
these days when so many are dabbling in psychic research, and
producing psychic phenomena the nature and character of which
they do not understand.
We trust that nothing we have said in this, or the preceding
chapters, will be taken as an attack upon modern spiritualism
in the Western world. We have no such intention, and no such
feeling. We realize that through the channel of modern
spiritualism many earnest souls have been brought to a
realization of the higher spiritual truths, and have been led to
the door of the higher occult understanding. In fact, modern
spiritualism to-day is concerning itself comparatively little
with “phenomena,” but, instead, is striving to unfold the truths
of the life on the higher spheres of being and existence of the
soul. But following on the outskirts of the movement are many to
whom only phenomena of the most sensational character appeals—it
is for these that this warning is intended. And, in the same
manner, for those who are following idly after the “psychic
research” movement, being attracted thereto by love of novelty
and hope of excitement. We would warn both of these classes of
investigators that in opening the doors of the minds and souls
to lower Astral influences, they are running great risks. There
are swamps and quagmires of the Astral world into which the
unwary feet are apt to sink. Therefore we say “Beware of the
lower astral vibrations.” Keep the mind and soul centered on the
higher truths, and resist the temptation to dabble in the
phenomena of the lower states. There is no satisfaction in the
Moon phase of occultism, and great dangers are often
encountered—turn your face toward the sun! Live on the spiritual
Heights—beware of the miasmatic swamps and malarial quagmires on
the lowlands of psychism. These warnings cannot be too often
repeated by those having the interest of the race at heart.
