The Astral Plane

[Goober]

When I learned about OBE'ing, it didn't seem hard to understand..

The Etheric plane is basically earth, and everything ( if we had a jet pack ), could see now.

  The Astral plane is another plane. I thought it was just another world, with living creatures and whatnot. But from what I have read ( And that thing about "Astral Pulse Island." ), it seems that it is an endless number of "worlds" that people have created and somehow can let other people into.

  I was wondering, is this true? And are the things in these astral worlds real, or just someones imagination that is somehow interact-able?





  This also made me think of another thing.. Maybe we are in one of the astral worlds that someone elses mind has created? Maybe when we astral project we are just leaving this astral world, and going into one of the others..

[Stookie]

Here's one interpretation:

The physical world really consists of the physical, etheric, and astral planes. We only percieve on the physical, but the etheric and astral are just as important. The etheric is like the physical world's framework, bonding atoms & whatnot. The astral is more of a "creative", thinking level. Our minds influence and are influenced by the astral. What we create here is created there first in imagination and creativity. When a person astral travels, they aren't actually going anywhere - they've just tuned their perception into a different sphere of consciousness outside of physical consciousness. But the physical level couldn't exist without it. They are one and the same, just not in perception.

[knightlight]

I agree with stookie in a way.  The real answer is we cant REALLY know.  Stookies theory in my eyes is the most acceptable to me personally but how can we prove it one way or the other? 

[MisterJingo]

Agree with much of what Stookie has written. The only addition I'd add is a possibility. If one views the astral in terms of phasing, then there are no locales or planes as such. Just various 'structures' spread throughout consciousnesses infinite reach. One would have to include the physical as one of these locales too – that is, physical reality is just another point on the spectrum of consciousness. Why the physical is so consistent amongst many observers compared to other astral locations, and why it seems so structured and well formed is a question I don't have the answer to. Although the physical is also experienced through consciousness, I currently can't discount the idea that the physical has an 'external' existence too us, and is the staging board for the rest of the astrals creation. Time will tell.

[Awakened_Mind]

The etheric plane is a sought of "buffer zone" between the physical and astral worlds. Know that in our world we have for example our physical makeup which includes, physiological makeup, cellular, atomic etc. All these particulars have their own language, their own mathematics, their own truth. This is purely an analogy to explain my next point, don't get caught up on it.  The astral realm is very similar.  It has 7 primary planes. Each plane has sub-planes and they have sub-sub-planes. Then there are realms and kingodms. Again imagine these as all part of a whole on one plane. As your body has many smaller parts that constitute a whole. The whole design is incredible but it has a definite structure associated with it. In my oppinion it was "designed" by beings of much higher intelligence.  This is getting down to the really nitty gritty though. The Akashic records may be the next buffer zone between the astral and the mental planes. Astral is not the end of the line. Our consciousness in even the astral level, are no where near ready to experience the greatness of God.

-Awakened_Mind

[Skeletor]

Because of the extremely dynamic characteristics of the astral "environment", it can be difficult to describe.  It may exist as one plane (like the physical), or as many.  For instance, try locating to a place in the astral and then at a later date returning to that exact location.  You probably won't be able to.  I can't really explain why.

As to reality of astral forms...  Some of the things you encounter are definitely real in that they independently act and do not depend on the thoughts or imagination of another being.  But a lot of astral "wildlife" is created by your (or someone else's) subconscious.

[catmeow]

And are the things in these astral worlds real, or just someones imagination that is somehow interact-able?

I don't think there is a difference.  If we have a concensus imaginary world, then it is by definition "real".  This is a serious point. All of existence, physical, astral whatever is probably just such a concensus world of connected consciousnesses.  There is no evidence that anything "external" to consciouseness actually exists. Nothing need exist and nothing probably does exist apart from a "collective imaginary world".

I currently can't discount the idea that the physical has an 'external' existence too us, and is the staging board for the rest of the astrals creation.

Same comment again.  There need be no "external reality". Indeed quantum mechanics teaches us that until something is observed, it doesn't really exist in any definite sort of way at all.  According to quantum mechanics the universe needs observers for it to actually exist.  In essence there is no actual external reality, until we "create" it by observing it.  All that we think of as "real" is just our collective agreement as to what is "out there".

But as MisterJingo says, it is a bit of a mystery as to why the physical world is so consistent and immutable, whereas the astral is much more responsive to our thoughts.  But really neither is an "external" world as such.  we create them both.

The old theosophical teachings are of physical, etheric, astral, mental, causal worlds etc - worlds of ever-increasing "refinement".  Each of these "worlds" is subject to the influence of thought, with the physical being the "densest" and therefore the hardest to influence.  The more "refined" worlds exist at a higher "vibrational" rate, etc.  This model of a series of ever-more refined external vibrating worlds has recently been superseded by the "phasing" model.  In the phasing model these worlds are simply different areas of awareness, which we can switch to by changing our focus of consciousness (by "phasing").

You takes your choice as to how you wish to see the universe, but I do believe that there is no actual external reality.  We create all of our own realities.  It's hard to believe, I know, especially for me with a long standing smashed up knee which hurts a lot, but that's the way it is.  All of existence is really our own creation (ie "imaginary").  Well that's what i think anyway!