The descending light; a series of lessons from higher intelligences on the philosophy of life

Contents

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Chapter

I. The Astral Body 37

Chapter I. The Astral Body

(The material for this chapter was gathered from different lectures which were given thru the mediumship of Mrs. Brace during complete entrancement. The lectures are given every Sunday evening in a large auditorium and the subjects are announced by the spirit teachers a week in advance.)

First, we will tell you something of that new body through which you will manifest after death, as you do through your physical body today.

The astral or star body is that which would appear as a reflection or electric flash, were you able to catch a glimpse of it through the physical sense of sight. This body which envelops your physical body is growing and developing each day of your physical expression.

It has every appearance of the physical body except its composition which embodies ether, electricity, star magno, or star magnetic force, holding records of every emotion, thought and act of the individual.

Ether is a chemical or quality of the atmosphere which permeates everything, but which, as yet, scientists have not been able to analyze. The astral body has -more of this in its composition than has the physical body. . Upon this astral body is recorded every emotion, every thought, every act which passes through the particular material expression of the individual who manifests through this body of which we speak. The astral body is that body which you are building, making, every day of your expression upon the physical plane. It is more of the electric force; it is formed or rather composed of more of the conditions which come from the atmosphere, but in, around and about you, penetrating within you are these rays with which you in time become directly in touch by thought. You may not understand this — it is spoken of as being electricity in wonderful magnetic healers. This electric force which is about them is gathered through their astral bodies; and they are able to draw and express more of the force from the atmosphere. This force is the food, so to speak, upon which the astral body, I will not say exists, but gathers its force.

Your physical body would grow terribly weak were it not possible to feed and satisfy it— material food is placed in the mouth ; that is the way to feed the physical body, but the astral body gathers its food, its force, from the atmosphere as one would draw within him electric force. This is why electric treatments aid greatly the physical body; but it enters into that body through the astral body, and the stronger the astral body the more beneficial the electric treatments; because if the astral body is undeveloped, which is so in many instances until one grows to be of some age, it does not gather much electric force ; but if it is in a strong condition there you will see one who is magnetic, and has great force to heal. I am not speaking of mental

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healing, but magnetic healing, two distinctly different kinds of healing.

Man is now beginning to find the power of electricity—he can do much with it now, but he is only touching upon the very edge of it. Electricity is the food of the astral body. Man attempts to place it in the physical body, but it only comes away, leaves it again and goes into the astral body which can gather it through natural means. And as the child is fed before its birth into the flesh by natural means so is the astral body whilst in the physical, but after death it is for you to learn how to manipulate, and how to care for the astral body.

In each expression you have a body — in the physical expression, a physical body, and in the astral expression, an astral body, and each is controlled by you; an instrument in your hands, so to speak.

The terrestrial or star magno, which is part of the astral body, causes it to respond to the law of gravity— and this enables the soul to be in close touch with the earth life. It is the force which attracts bodies to the particular planet upon which they manifest; and there is a strong sympathetic vibration between the astral and the earth.

But after they have reached a certain stage of perfection, so to speak, the soul in its growth and the spirit in its unfoldment rises and grows to understand, not more wise, as you would say in the physical, but grows in spirituality, in spiritual growth, in spiritual unfoldment nearer and nearer to that perfect standard; then in time it outgrows and casts aside that astral body; after which it is possible for that spirit to pass to other planets and rise far into the unknown world planets, unknown as yet.

It is possible for those who have left their astral bodies to borrow another's astral body and return to their old familiar planet to manifest, but it is through the astral body borrowed for the time, just as the spirit returning from the astral plane borrows your body— the body of an instrument, the medium, as you know it, to speak through it. Thus they manifest as missionaries from the purer and more perfect realms of spirit through the astral body on the astral plane, and eome for the purpose of enlightening and lifting souls to a higher conception of spirit.

The astral body in appearance is very much like the physical body of the individual because it reflects upon this star magno, (electric force, I will call it, but it is a finer force than electricity; yet it can be compared in a sense to it that you might the more clearly comprehend it). It appears so much like the physical body that one who can just catch a glimpse of it thinks it is surely a materialized form that they see.

The astral body depends greatly upon the environments, the life and expression of the individual. Much of it is but a solid— it is not solid as you would call it, because your thought of this is material — but it is solid for the astral— coarser— heavier — less like the spirit. He who has not progressed very far from the physical thoughts and needs, to him it is solid.

So as you live and as you express yourself in

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your service and such, you are building and building that body about you which envelops you, so to speak. It is just as a reflection would seem to your eye, so fine you cannot see it, yet it is there; and it is the vehicle through which you will manifest as you are manifesting today. After you have discarded your physical body that astral body will be just as much you as the physical body through which you manifest today is you.

True, you use but one body at a time because through the physical life the astral is being completed, perfected, made ready for its tenant. During the physical expression of the individual the astral body is in an embryonic state of development, so those who live to a "ripe old age" have a more fully developed and perfectly formed astral body to start in their new expression. This is the case also with those who pass out after a long illness, for as the physical body declines the other body through a natural process grows stronger in preparation for its tenant.

When death comes suddenly as by accident, etc., the astral body is weak, not fully developed^ and the soul finds some difficulty in manifesting for a time, much as does the child prematurely born into the flesh. However, souls who pass into the other life under those conditions are cared for by other souls who serve in this way. There are great armies of souls who devote much time and thought to the care of weak and undeveloped astral bodies, much the same as there are many in the flesh who give their time, thoughts and lives to the study of the physical.

And so kind and loving souls on the astral plane give succor to their unfortunate brothers and sisters who pass into that life without completing their physical expression.

The astral body radiates color vibrations which are governed by the predominating characteristics and thoughts of the individual, (see chapter on Heaven) and generally the last thought a soul has in the physical is much colored with fear and doubt; this causes the new body to reflect a dull grey, but which becomes illuminated more and more as the soul unfolds the finer qualities.

Every person has some particular thought or quality which is more pronounced in them than any other — a pet thought — and this gives the astral body a certain predominant color. These color rays are not always discernible through the physical sense, but sometimes one does catch a glimpse of light which he cannot explain any other way than that it was a light which did not come from any place, — just a light. However, through spiritual unfoldment and cultivation of the powers within one can see the astral body very plainly at times.

Some astral bodies hold almost every color there is. As you sit in a seance or in the silence of your own room, many times you will see a light— blue, red, gold— they vary in color, and as you study the meaning of these colors you will learn to know when you see that color that it is just a little portion of an astral body, your friends are near you. In your meditation or when you are weary and filled with woe, you will know that your loved ones are near, and as you study the language of colors, you will know after you have studied, as you would know the characteristics of your friends.

The astral body is in a higher rate of vibration than the physical body so it can rarely be discerned through the physical sense of sight. It vibrates higher than light; in fact, higher than any vibration which can be reached through the physical senses. Although sometimes one feels a presence— as for instance, one sitting in a circle will receive a shock much like an electric shock or thrill which will sometimes cause him to visibly tremble— this is caused by the close proximity of the astral body of a discarnate soul whose vibrations are not in the same rate as the one who is effected thus, and then also the one who is endeavoring to manifest does not understand how to reduce or increase the vibration to harmonize with the one in the flesh— this causes a shock. But through a sympathetic response on the part of one or the other, harmony is produced and frequently a message is received in one way or another.

The astral body is lighter than light; it is lighter than the light rays because it is of a higher vibration ; it is lighter and higher, and yet more powerful than electricity, yet it is a form of this. There are two distinct principles in all of nature— the positive and negative — and the contact of these two principles in the atmosphere produces a dynamic power called electricity. And man is going to find these things in the near future.

Today man knows positively that when he has finished with the physical expression of life that he will step into a new expression — every living man and woman must live in another expression— and death is that condition or experience through which every man is placed in an entirely different expression of life.

All mankind expressing itself upon this lower plane of expression holds within its own existence a trinity. First, the elements, the terrestrial body, the lower grosser qualities of the beast expression ; second, the higher or star body, the astral body; third, the spirit, the God spark, that quality within man which reflects his Creator, which reflects harmony, love, truth and the finer (qualities which are a part of God.

Man has learned something through experience of the lower expression of life, so now we will touch upon the second or intermediate part of that trinity, the astral or star body which is so closely allied to his flesh body during the physical expression that it has every appearance of his first body save that it is of an entirely different composition.

Under certain conditions it is possible to see the astral body separating itself from the physical at death when vapory fragments will be seen to rise above the body. The solar plexus holds to the very last portions of the astral body until a very fine line or thread of light which binds the two bodies at the center of the physical body (the solar plexus) is suddenly snapped and "the silver cord is broken." The reason it is more possible to see the astral body at this time than under ordinary conditions is the resistance of the physical which causes the astral to reduce in vibration for a short time during the process of transition. The astral body tears itself

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away and finally it is closed upon that center of nerves. That is the last grip which that physical body has upon its astral shell.

Physical sensations and memories are retained by the astral body for some time after death— the length of time being governed by the individual. If a person 's predominating qualities are physical and habits were formed to satisfy the physical appetites, then the physical memories are more pronounced and the soul finds more difficulty in becoming acquainted with its new environments, etc.

Unless a person is very highly developed spiritually, it is very likely that the soul will stay near the physical body for a few days after transition, therefore it is not advisable to destroy the clay or physical body until over three days have elapsed and then cremation is the proper way to dispose of the flesh body. Especially if the soul had any pronounced habits, such as drug or intoxicants, etc., because after the flesh body has returned to dust or ashes the physical sensations or desires no longer reflect upon the astral body, and the higher spiritual qualities begin to develop and manifest.

In some instances, (when the life has been void of spiritual thoughts and all the thoughts and desires have been very earthy and physical) the physical memories are very pronounced, until the flesh body has lost its form completely and passed to earth.

When man finds that he can stand beside that flesh body and see it and know that it is his, his first thought is fear. The first sensation that man has when coming into that new life is fear — and the very first sensation the child has when born into the flesh is fear. The very first thought in the flesh, and the very last, is fear.

Some have builded snch a strong thought force about them intermingling with fear that the astral body reflects very little else for a time; until that coarser force or thought sheds away from the astral body then it holds the finer qualities. The little child finds great difficulty in learning how to use hands and feet ; they move awkwardly at first because that part of the mind has not become acquainted with its duties ; and so it is with the man as he first steps into his astral body. So if the astral body be heavy ; be weighty, be more seemingly material, it is because that man's life has been such, and he needs more experience to reveal the God spark within him, and so that astral body carries the individual into that new life. He learns after a time how to manipulate that new body, he becomes acquainted with it as he has his flesh body, its uses and its needs.

The astral body also needs food as your flesh body does, but it gathers it from that force, electricity; (I will use that term because you are acquainted with the interpretation) those in the astral body draw that for themselves, they learn to feed that body as they have learned to feed the physical body, but they do not satisfy their astral bodies through the mouth as in the physical; they must learn how to gather to themselves their needs and desires.

They must learn how to keep and use that body and then they begin to develop understanding through various experiences. They are drawn into different realms by the law of attraction. They have their own experiences; some are forced to come in direct contact with man in the flesh body — some to learn and some to guide and some to help physical bodies — by various ways comes the experience through which they must pass. And in those experiences they grow more and more enlightened, and finally they grow lighter and closer to spirit until in time they have another body. It is a glad day when they can cast aside all memories of earth and ascend into pure spirit. They still hold their individuality— that is the thing which never dies because it has been gathered through all the different schools of experiences.

Man must have some experiences close to the earth plane after death by coming in contact with other souls manifesting in the flesh, seeing their lives through the spiritual vision (understanding) thus learning the effect of different experiences, and feeling the sorrow and joys of or with others, and learning in that way the real meaning of the trials of life which enables them to work out their lives in harmony with the inviolable law of compensation. They must know all the flesh experiences before they can pass entirely into spirit.

Therefore, the astral body is that vehicle of the soul or the spirit which helps man to manifest close to his particular plane upon which he has spent his earth expression. When the astral body has gone, the spirit returns to the earth plane only in borrowed vehicles, borrowing the astral bodies from those who are as mediums or manifesters between the higher life in the spirit and the astral plane.

There are mediums, as you term it, manifesting on the astral plane who are bringing to those spirits who are manifesting in the lower expression, and yet still upon the astral plane, bringing to them the higher, purer thought of spirit.

Souls have risen while still in the flesh ; they have soared out of the earthly conditions into the universal light and still hold their flesh bodies, but that flesh body grows weaker and finer, less coarse, the vibrations are higher, and soon it will fall away and that soul in its ascension will know more of that new plan of life and he may pass directly into a school which will prepare him to return and to teach and help others.

You all know it is well to understand the care of the physical body and its requirements ; that understanding it enables you to keep it in better condition, and so since it will be but a limited time until you will occupy your other body, the astral, it surely behooves you to know something of the new body, for surely it is yours, and it will be just as much yours as is your physical body today yours. So it is well that you know something of what it is to express yourself in the astral body.

As the astral body has reflected upon it the knowledge of existence, reflected upon it and through it by the physical expression, if that thought or that knowledge of such a body existed within man, why, surely it would reflect itself upon the new body and he would readily become acquainted with the future state. Then it would be very much easier for one to adapt himself to his new mode of life than if he goes over with the thought that he will immediately

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plunge into a heavenly home of peace and harmony, forgetting all the little sorrows he has caused, forgetting all the griefs he has brought into the hearts of his fellow-men. Do you think you cam do these things and escape retribution?

There is one great law— harmonious attunement— not atonement, but attunement. You are all striving to rise into this, and you will, but you cannot hide one thought, one desire— it is revealed to the unfolded spirit. So it is well for you to know something of this new body which will be yours in that not far-distant future, perhaps tomorrow, when you will be molded through the inevitable laws of nature —evolution— you will come in direct touch with the earth plane and then you must do your work.

After the spirit has discarded or outgrown or consumed its astral body, finished its work, in that particular expression, it can pass at once into, about or above all the different planets for there is no magnetic force to draw it down or back to that plane upon which it expressed itself in the physical.

The aura is the soul body which surrounds and encloses the mortal body. It is as a light which seemingly radiates from the mortal man. These lights are colored with his thoughts, which have their own particular colors, with his acts, and every act and every thought that man sends out into the universe shows upon this aura about him, and this attracts kindred spirits to him.

The soul holds a record of everything; every experience through which you pass in your physical expression is imprinted upon the soul of you; and even as the spirit leaves the body the soul of you leaves the flesh and enters into that astral body which is being prepared during your physical expression.

The spirit is that Godspark within each and every individual; it is that part of you which makes you to the image and likeness of God; it is the ray, the spark, we will say, of the Great Over Soul, the Spirit of spirits, the CAUSE of all things. Therefore the soul is that part of man which individualizes the spirit, and makes that portion of the Great Spirit you.

Now the soul of man records individually, all his experiences, his thoughts, his beliefs, yes, and all conditions mentally and physically through which he passes— they all tend to the building of his soul. Therefore, the soul has as its duty the bringing out or rather the spiritual enlightenment or illumination of the consciousness which makes him realize what part he has to play in the world.

It is thru the mind the records are produced, as the human mind is constantly generating and discharging and every thought discharged from the mind of the individual leaves its imprint upon the astral body. Now it is the improper use of the mind which causes much of the physical ills of today. The records or impressions made upon the astral body sometimes reflect so positively upon the physical as to cause a chemical change to take place causing sickness or health, according to the constructive or destructive quality of the thoughts. Either consciously or unconsciously man is constantly building or destroying.

Constructive thinking builds and perfects, and destructive thinking destroys and breaks down because the impressions on the astral body made by these thoughts reflecting upon the physical body produce results according to their quality.

So you see the necessity of proper thinking. One should strive to perfect every idea before discharging it, for wonderful results can be produced by good, wholesome, healthy, perfect thoughts, not only in the physical body but in every condition pertaining to the individual.

There are those whose consciousness has not seemingly been illuminated during the physical expression — but there are no lost souls; for every soul hath within it a spirit, and spirit is of eternity, spirit is of God, spirit is eternal and continues to live. And so long as it needs these various experiences (the spirit does not need them but the individual does) in bringing out the spirit, his particular spark to perfection, the school of experience is before him and about him and he must go thru it.

The mental sensations of individuals leaving the flesh body depend very largely upon the life they have lived and upon their thoughts, their expectations, and their feelings, whether of fear or eagerness to leave the body. Invariably the very last thought that man holds as he leaves the flesh is that of fear, as is the first physical thought that man holds.

Fear is an earth thought.

When man leaves the physical body after an illness, his loved ones in spirit have made preparations to receive him and they assemble about him preparing to take him to his home, which is of his own building closely associated to the earth, and memories of those who have been with him. And sometimes if one is taken out of the physical body suddenly then he is carried to what you would call a hospital in your expression of life. It is not a place but a condition in which there are many intelligences trained to do this work of bringing them back to consciousness and into a clear realization of the new life. In this condition things are made clear to them in such a way that they may know and that they may realize the composition of the new body, how to use it, how to nourish it and all of this.

Man builds about him conditions which make for him that which is good and make for him that which is not helpful. The physical body is born of physical bodies, is brought into physical existence thru the physical expression, and into which is placed and imbued and grown in him, his soul, his individuality, and then comes a time when mother earth takes back into her bosom that which is hers, the flesh body.

Death comes sometimes when man's physical body is perfect; when there is no preparation, so to speak, for the severance of one part of that being from the other. When the time for separation has not come thru a natural process the astral body is weak and not prepared for its tenant, it is not entirely formed, and does not hold the powers which are required of it to carry and bear into another life that man, that individuality.

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When the physical body is perfect, when the desires for the physical expression are full and vigorous and ambitions, when the whole thought is building upon the physical plane of expression, when he has not a thought of spiritual things, should that soul be suddenly plunged by accident from that expression into a strange one, into a weaker body, prematurely born into a new life, then it is true that thru the law of gravity he is drawn by attraction down close to the earth plane.

And by that law of attraction it is possible for him to develop and grow to that stage of perfection where it will be possible for him to rise into higher thought realms. But at first he is drawn close to those in the physical and there he grows and gathers strength and power for the real necessities of that astral body. Still during this time that spirit is unfolding, the individuality is growing purer, more illuminated ; he is beginning to see and to know — not to see thru the physical eye, but to see thru the great law of life. Then when the time comes that the astral body has developed to its fullest degree, has become perfect, has become all that it should have been, had death delayed for a time until that individual's physical body had cast it off thru a natural process, then begins its growth into another realm of thought where he not only helps man to build conditions, but builds and aids his fellowman in the flesh; and he rises into a higher conception of the things which are of God. But during this time that astral body carries that soul to all parts just as you would send a thought.

Now we will tell you something of one who passes out from the body during disease — long illness. Unconsciously there is coming into his consciousness, without his realizing it, I would say, that little thought that the physical body is not going to stay long. That little thought gathers to itself more and more of the things of spirit. He may not express to you that he is rising out of the flesh, but the spirit forces who are assembled about him know and realize positively that that body is going back to earth and they hasten to aid in building and strengthening and perfecting that astral body so that it comes into that condition which is perfect more rapidly because all this time during the physical weakness they have been treating upon his spirituality, his individuality, his soul qualities; and in these instances they pass into the astral body with a clearer realization of how to use it, how to manipulate it, how to live with it, and they may more rapidly return to man.

"When death comes by man's own thought, by man's own desire, when man in his mistaken thought of things crushes, destroys his temple of flesh, the mind holding that destructive thought, holding that desire within itself until it becomes an act, does not only crush the flesh body but retards the growth of the astral body. But if it is because of a diseased organ within that physical body, because of a deranged mental condition then the thought is entirely different; 'tis much the same as those who pass away thru illness; tho it scatters to a certain extent those forces who are assembled at all times about that individual. It breaks down that law which helps to build and make the conditions right for the passing of the soul from the physical body.