,

[Adrian]

Greetings bba!

The Mental planes are a series of planes, or spheres above the Astral plane. In Kaballistic terms, the Astral Plane is "Malkuth", and above/inside that plane we have:

"Yesod", "Hod", "Netzach", "Tiphareth", "Geburah", "Gedulah" "Chokmah" and "Binah". These are sometimes referred to analogously as the planetary spheres. In broad terms, these correspond to the various Astral planes (usually considered to be seven), the Mental planes, the Celestial planes and the Cosmic planes.

It is evident therefore just how far mankind has to progress after leaving even the highest levels of the Astral worlds, which are the very lowest after the physical world.

The lowest planes, i.e. the Astral have the lowest vibration and highest density, and the highest planes have the lowest density and highest vibration. It is impossible therefore to travel beyond the Astral spheres by any form of Astral projection. The density of the Astra-Mental body is simply too high.

So to answer your question, the main ways of reaching the higher/inner planes are my Mental projection or Meditation.

With best regards,

Adrian.

[Adrian]

Greetings bba,

No, everyone has to spend time in the Astral after physical death. The place you occupy and time spent there will depend on your level of development. Most decent people will find themselves in what is known as Level 27 after passing on. More evolved people, i.e.with a greater level of Spiritual perfection will migrate to the highest levels - probably 35 or so in Monroe terms. Such people could probably move on to the corresponding levelof the Mental plane quite quickly (as time is measured in the physical).

Many people might spend hundreds or even thousands of Earth years in the Astral fulfilling desires and other things that they were guilty of in the physical world, and then might re-incarnate to make further progress. The more evolved a person is, the higher their Astra-Mental body vibrates, and the lower the density of their body. Those who had many passions in the physical world, e.g. material things, money, sex etc., will have alot of "baggage" which will weigh them down and prevent progression until they have learned the error of their ways and the reality of things according to Universal laws.

Other people due to their evil actions on Earth might find themselves in the lowest levels of the Astral until they learn their lessons by example. Others might be religious, and get stuck for possibly hundreds of years in the lower part of the Astral known as the belief system territories. Such people either have to come to realise religion for the dogma it is before they can move on, or be rescued from their belief system, i.e religion.

Of course, the cycle of reincarnation takes millenia for most people until they can reach a level of perfection where reincarnation is no longer necessary. Very few have attained such exalted levels as yet. Most people will reincarnate from the Mental plane rather than the Astral - people pass to the level of the Mental plane with their Mental body (Spirit) to the corresponding level of vibration which would have been applicable in the Astral.

The best way to find your inner-self is by regular true meditation. Incarnated humans have the ability to expand consciousness to almost any level of the Astral or Mental/Celestial/Cosmic planes and indeed to Unity by meditation, and much can be learned by so doing.

With best regards,

Adrian.

[wisp]

Adrian, I really like how you explain things. I'm just learning these concepts and the way you put it helps make it clear. []

[Tom]

Astral Dynamics. We all know who wrote it and how to get an autographed copy.

Chapter 32 -- Higher-Level Projection ... 466 (to 477)
This chapter talks about how to project to higher levels than the astral and gives some examples.

http://www.astralpulse.com/guides/oobe/oobe_2.htm#8
A quote:

The Mental Dimension
This is a spectacular dimension! Iridescent rivers of sound bounded by rainbow shores of pulsating light. Thoughts appear as kaleidoscopic patterns of light and sound. You walk across fields of ideas under a sparkling crystal sky of inspiration. If you enter this world don't try to rationalise or understand it, or you may go mad, for it is beyond human understanding. Just accept it all, go with the flow and enjoy it!

This dimension is what, I believe, the ancient Vikings called the famed "Rainbow Bridge" into Asgard. It truly looks and feels as if you are walking up a rainbow into some wonderful world where the Gods must surely dwell.

Exist here in wondrous amazement. Let loose the child within you to play in this fairy wonderland. Everything feels real and solid. Time is even further distorted here than in the Astral and reality is kaleidoscopic.

[Oliver]

Hi,

"Of course, the cycle of reincarnation takes millenia for most people until they can reach a level of perfection where reincarnation is no longer necessary. Very few have attained such exalted levels as yet"

Hey Adrian, How do you know this for sure?

Oliver

[Tom]

Mahayana Buddhism talks about how long it takes to become a Buddha. The number given is based on the life and previous lives of Siddhartha Gautama, Sakayamuni Buddha. This would be the particular Buddha around whom Buddhism has been arranged for the last 2,500 or so years. The number is not given in millenia. It is always "three incalculable aeons". During each of these the universe is created and destroyed many times.

As to the quantity of people who accomplish enlightenment to the extent of no longer having no choice about reincarnation, the odds are so bad that the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara once almost quit trying to help. That incident led to his being drawn as having eleven heads and one thousand arms. Because of the vow he had taken, his head and body split up and one of the Buddhas put him back together again so that he would be able to help beings even faster than before. There have been times when four arms might have been convenient, but I don't know how anyone can use one thousand arms in a coordinated way.

The good news is that eventually everyone will become a Buddha. That is the main reason why there is a Mahayana Buddhism in addition to the Theravada.

[Tom]

Sex and money are not bad. There is no need to give up things which are pleasant. What matters is your relationship to them. It is important to be able to let go of things when they change or become unavailable. External circumstances are often difficult to control, but we can always choose how to feel about them. This is where the matter of open or closed chakras begins.

[Adrian]

Greetings everyone,

Physical world things that are pleasurable are not necessarily negative for progress - only when they become uncontrolled or passions. Everyone should be on their guard for this danger.

As for the cycle of reincarnation - the only way to ascend beyond that necessity, is through attaining the necessary level of perfection - there is no other way, because the Astral and Mental body will simply be too impure, dense and of too low a vibration.

Everyone will have to go through a number of reincarnations in order to learn the fundamental lessons and equilibrate Karma - after that it is a matter of how long it takes, or how many incarnations, to discover the Spiritual and Universal truths and realities, and are then prepared to arrange their lives to embrace those truths and realities, and proceed accordingly on the path to perfection.

With best regards,

Adrian.

[Gandalf]

Other people due to their evil actions on Earth might find themselves in the lowest levels of the Astral until they learn their lessons by example. Others might be religious, and get stuck for possibly hundreds of years in the lower part of the Astral known as the belief system territories. Such people either have to come to realise religion for the dogma it is before they can move on, or be rescued from their belief system, i.e religion.

Of course, the cycle of reincarnation takes millenia for most people until they can reach a level of perfection where reincarnation is no longer necessary. Very few have attained such exalted levels as yet. Most people will reincarnate from the Mental plane rather than the Astral - people pass to the level of the Mental plane with their Mental body (Spirit) to the corresponding level of vibration which would have been applicable in the Astral.
Adrian
-------------------------------------------------------

What do you mean by this?
Do you mean that, in order to re-incarnate, one must pass to the mental first? I take it at some point in the astral, say at f27 or 35 or whatever, after you are ready to move on, you will pass to the mental? I have heard of the process of the 'second death', I think that this must relate to what you describe.
From what I heard, you go through the 'second death' (where you shed your astral body) and pass into the mental plane which remains open to you for exactly as long as you can handle it, at which point you return to earth again (re-incarnate).

But are you sure it is not possible to re-encarnate from the astal? or at least pass on to the mental from a lower level?
say someone was stuck in the beleif system territories for ages, would it not be possible for them to re-incarnate from there?
(or at least shed their astal body so that they can re-incarnate from the mental level), perhaps that would be the only option if they were stuck in the astral somewhere.
Unless of course, once in the astral, the only escape is to advance through it.

Douglas

[Electro]

I have had one astral experiance, and it took me a long timeand it is very hard

[Paukki]

quote:Of course, the cycle of reincarnation takes millenia for most people until they can reach a level of perfection where reincarnation is no longer necessary. Very few have attained such exalted levels as yet

This reminds me of P. Yogananda's "Autobiography of a Yogi", wherein he also states that it may take an extremely long time, such as we call time, for most of us to attain cosmic consciousness.  Would you believe "a million years of normal, diseaseless evolution"?  He also claims that, assuming one is using constant, intelligent self-effort at it, the "kriya yoga" meditation that he came to the U.S. to teach can cut this huge chunk of time down to, <voila!>, 3 years??!!!  Gosh, and I remember reading someone in this forum who griped about having tried to get oob for a week, <gasp!>, and it took a whole 'nother week to succeed, <damn!>

--Paukki  

Life is funny, life is strange,
Aren't we all a bit deranged?

[bba]

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