The Astral Plane | Page 4

psychic investigator,
for in his case matters are further complicated, first by the difficulty of
correctly translating from that plane to this the recollection of what he
has seen, and secondly by the utter inadequacy of ordinary language to
express much of what he has to report. However, just as the explorer on
the physical plane would probably commence his account of a country

by some sort of general description of its scenery and characteristics, so
it will be well to begin this slight sketch of the astral plane by
endeavouring to give some idea of the scenery which forms the
background of its marvellous and ever-changing activities. Yet here at
the outset an almost insuperable difficulty confronts us in the extreme
complexity of the matter. All who see fully on that plane agree that to
attempt to call up before those whose eyes are as yet unopened a vivid
picture of this astral scenery is like speaking to a blind man of the
exquisite variety of tints in a sunset sky--however detailed and
elaborate the description may be, there is no certainty that the idea
presented before the hearer's mind will be an adequate representation of
the truth.

SCENERY.
First of all, then, it must be understood that the astral plane has seven
subdivisions, each of which has its corresponding degree of materiality
and its corresponding condition of matter. Now numbering these from
the highest and least material downwards, we find that they naturally
fall into three classes, divisions 1, 2 and 3 forming one such class, and
4, 5 and 6 another, while the seventh and lowest of all stands alone.
The difference between the matter of one of these classes and the next
would be commensurable with that between a solid and a liquid, while
the difference between the matter of the subdivisions of a class would
rather resemble that between two kinds of solid, such as, say, steel and
sand. Putting aside for the moment the seventh, we may say that
divisions 4, 5 and 6 of the astral plane have for their background the
physical world we live in and all its familiar accessories. Life on the
sixth division is simply our ordinary life on this earth, minus the
physical body and its necessities; while as it ascends through the fifth
and fourth divisions it becomes less and less material, and is more and
more withdrawn from our lower world and its interests.
The scenery of these lower divisions, then, is that of the earth as we
know it: but it is also very much more; for when looked at from this
different standpoint, with the assistance of the astral senses, even

purely physical objects present a very different appearance. As has
already been mentioned, they are seen by one whose eyes are fully
opened, not as usual from one point of view, but from all sides at
once--an idea in itself sufficiently confusing; and when we add to this
that every particle in the interior of a solid body is as fully and clearly
visible as those on the outside, it will be comprehended that under such
conditions even the most familiar objects may at first be totally
unrecognizable. Yet a moment's consideration will show that such
vision approximates much more closely to true perception than does
physical sight. Looked at on the astral plane, for example, the sides of a
glass cube would all appear equal, as they really are, while on the
physical plane we see the further side in perspective--that is, it appears
smaller than the nearer side, which is, of course, a mere illusion. It is
this characteristic of astral vision which has led to its sometimes being
spoken of as sight in the fourth dimension--a very suggestive and
expressive phrase. But in addition to these possible sources of error
matters are further complicated by the fact that astral sight cognizes
forms of matter which, while still purely physical, are nevertheless
invisible under ordinary conditions. Such, for example, are the particles
composing the atmosphere, all the various emanations which are
always being given out by everything that has life, and also four grades
of a still finer order of physical matter which, for want of more
distinctive names, must all he described as etheric. The latter form a
kind of system by themselves, freely interpenetrating all other physical
matter; and the investigation of their vibrations and the manner in
which various higher forces affect them would in itself constitute a vast
field of deeply interesting study for any man of science who possessed
the requisite sight for its examination.
Even when our imagination has fully grasped all that is comprehended
in what has already been said, we do not yet understand half the
complexity of the problem; for besides all these