© 2006 by Star System, Tomé, NM
In Revelation
Concepts Relative to Initiation and Empowerment
Page 2
.
.
Age
Age – It is commonly known that if one is going to "tread the spiritual path," it is advantageous to start at the earliest age possible. In Ancient Aegypt, candidates were admitted to the Temple at age 13*, corresponding with puberty, an age that is also found among many other cultures. Tibetan lamaseries accept students at age 8 (sometimes earlier). Western schools usually require a candidate to be 18-years old, mainly due to legal, "age of consent," issues. These age figures apply only to external agencies.
* Of course, the average life-expectancy in Ancient Aegypt was 25 years, mainly due to diseases or accidents.
Internally, a person will start when the inner-prompting begins. In some cases, there appears to be a factor activated around 30-years of age (28 to 33), where many Masters (who started early in life) begin to display the fullness of their radiance.
When anyone progresses in life, their consciousness becomes more-and-more crystallized, and the process of un-doing subconscious programming becomes more difficult with each passing year. It has been said that after age 56, initial progress is no longer possible.
.
The Astral Realm
Astral Realm – The technical definition of the Astral Plane is that it is found at Yesod, the second emanation (up from the bottom) of consciousness on The Tree of Life. It is also defined as the emotional level of consciousness. It is composed of glamour and illusion. "Astral Projection," or "Out-of-Body" (OOB) experiences, consist of transferring one's consciousness into an "Astral Body" and temporarily "leaving" the physical body. It must be understood that we really don't go somewhere else. Astral visions are internal phenomena*, even though it appears as though we are travelling externally.
* Phenomenon = "An unusual happening or event."
The Seven Planes Chart displays seven subplanes of the astral realm, ranging from the demonic to the angelic. Now what does that mean? It means that the lower astral planes are filled with energies and visions of demons, fires, serpents, spiders, insects, and monstrous, threatening creatures. This is the level of the D.T.'s (delirium tremens) of the overloaded or withdrawing alcoholic. The higher astral planes are filled with energies and visions of angels, temples, gods, and closely depict a Christian or Moslem concept of heaven.
The astral plane is composed of images and forces that are all generated by DESIRE. Selfish desires, such as greed, jealousy, wishes to kill, etc. generate frightening visions. Unselfish desires, such as family togetherness, peace, wishing the best for one's grandchildren or friends, etc. generate visions of a lofty, and usually religiously-oriented, nature. Yet, this is all a form of illusion, for the astral visions are created by desire, hope, wishes, and other types of emotional wanting.
When most people fail to receive or achieve their desire(s), they have an emotional reaction. Oriental Medicine tells us that emotional actions and reactions affect the smooth flow of the five phases of transformation: Anger and Depression block the liver, excessive Joy damages the heart, prolonged Thinking depletes the spleen, Grief and Sorrow attack the lungs, and Fear and Worry drain the reserve energies of the kidneys. In particular, Fear and Anger are the primary culprits of the astral plane.
When the emotions are disturbed, the astral body is disturbed, and the lower astral plane is impressed with the disturbance. When the emotions are uplifted, as in a religious service or spiritual experience, or in a love affair, the astral body is uplifted (energized) and the higher astral plane is impressed with the glorious experience. In between the bottom-line "demonic" and the rarified "angelic" subplanes are all the other "in-between" desires of humanity. Every desire ever wished is floating around at some level of the astral plane. As humans, we inherit the astral plane and are either subject to its demands or are masters over it (partially or completely).
A tremendous amount of discipline and understanding is required when converting from "subject to" status to "mastery" status.
When the average individual first ventures out of the physical body, whether in a conscious ("lucid") dream state, in a controlled astral projection experiment, or by poisoning with psychedelic substances, the first thing he or she usually encounters is a dense fog or darkness. This is the Veil of the Astral Plane, and if penetrated, further leads to an almost overwhelming display of bright colors, visions, kaleidoscopic mandalas, and perhaps terrifying visions.
Nobody ever said it was going to be easy.
However, with continuing effort and practice the confusion and lack of control give way to order and the ability to move about at will upon the astral plane and subplanes.
The Most Popular Request that people make of metaphysical counselors, or of procedures such as Spiritual Acupuncture, is to get out of their body. This is a commonplace desire and an universal principle: People want to get out of their bodies; they want to be unlimited; they want to be free!
It is not necessary for one to be 100% totally out of the body in order to perform astral projection. We are thoroughly capable of sitting or lying still and entering into a daydream, a reverie, or a visualization. We are further capable of interacting with such visions, according to our ability and training, and even of transferring our consciousness into the vision so deeply that it appears that the reality of the vision is greater than the reality of the three-dimensional world.
In the tradition of the magician, we may project our consciousness into our own unconscious mind, we may travel to any of the planes or subplanes represented on the Seven Planes Chart, or to any sphere symbolized on The Tree of Life. And while all this is taking place, a certain percentage of our consciousness remains aware of the three-dimensional body; perhaps ten percent, perhaps ninety percent.
But is this what people want when they ask for astral projection? No!
People want the 100% separation experience, and we don't blame them. Everyone should have this experience at least once in their lifetime so that they will have direct knowledge of this portion of the death process (and will therefore not be surprised when the transition finally comes). Unfortunately, Spiritual Acupuncture can not offer 100% astral projection as one of its common results 100% projections are rare, but 80% is common.
One of the best representations of an astral projection experience can be seen in the television production of Shirley MacLaine's book, Out on a Limb. The manner in which the experience is portrayed is remarkably accurate.
Types of Astral Projection
1. Lucid Dreaming: This is a phenomenon that most of us have experienced. One is dreaming, yet one is aware that one is dreaming. The ability to exert control over the dream state varies from 'none' to 'some' to 'complete.' Purists might argue that this is not astral projection, but we include it, as it certainly is in the same category of processes, and some teachers of astral projection will get you to use the lucid dreaming experience as the first step in learning to project.
2. Penetration of the Subconscious: This appears to be an 'inward' journey rather than an 'outward' projection. A scene is set in one's mind by creative visualization, and then you step into the scene.
3. Floating or Hovering: Often reported by teenage girls and by people premedicated for surgery, this is the sensation of leaving one's physical body and floating around the room, usually near the ceiling, and then looking back upon one's body lying in bed.
4. Horizontal Projection: This is where you leave your body, walk through walls, and investigate the world around you, including your neighbor's house. When most people think of astral projection, this is the variety which comes most rapidly to mind. This is interaction with an astralized, three-dimensional world.
5. Vertical Projection: As seen in Out on a Limb, this is a vertical ascent which leads to other dimensions or to a position high above the Earth.
6. Rising on the Planes: This is a form of controlled, vertical (rocket-like) projection in which one does not stop or waiver from a straight-up ascent. The object is to reach the highest possible level of consciousness.
All of the methods listed above are forms of astral projection. Only numbers 5 (vertical projection) and 6 (rising on the planes) are of ultimate value to the initiate as a discipline or as a practice, although any of the varieties might occur as a 'result.'
All the Way Out
The full-blown, one hundred percent out-of-the-body astral projection is described as an "imprint" of the Monadic consciousness:
Some humans receive an "imprint" of the Monadic consciousness upon activating a proper trigger, that may include clinical death (dying on an operating table and then being revived), and other 100% out-of-the-body astral projections. The Monadic plane is known by some metaphysicians and parapsychologists as the Quantum Circuit.
Specifically, the monadic imprint confers the ability to Access all the information of the Universe. Accessing this level of consciousness often results in reports of extra-terrestrial contact, communication with a "galactic overmind," or conversations with angels. Monadic consciousness exists without a biological container. The monadic imprint is something we have in common with only one to two percent of humanity.
On The Tree of Life, the Monadic plane is the uppermost sphere (number One). It has little to do with the events taking place in the three-dimensional world, and is said to cause an obliteration of the perception of time and space. You may have heard mystics (or marbleheads) discoursing on being "beyond time and space;" this is the realm to which they referred.
.
.
The Aura
Aura - The human aura is egg-shaped. It radiates from the etheric network of the physical body and extends in all directions for approximately fifteen feet in the average person.
.
The Aura is actually composed of several concentric energy fields.
.
The individual energy fields and their correspondences are as follows:
.
.
In order to perceive the auric energy fields, you must see them or sense them in some manner with other than the physical senses. The etheric aura is particularly easy to see. The more expanded fields become increasingly difficult to see.
In order to see any of these fields, your vision must be "seeing" at the same level. Thus, to see the Causal aura, you must be in Causal consciousness; this might prove to be a little difficult.
It is possible to perceive these fields through sensations in your palm. This is not difficult to learn. Many people interpret the auric emanations through their feelings.
.
.< Click this Symbol to go to Page 3
.
