Astral Talk

The Theosophists believe that Man has many bodies--the physical body is just the lowest manifestation of a hierarchy of overlapping bodies which we possess. They are altogether seven of them but the most common one that we hear people talk about is the astral body. The bible for the Thesophists are the writings of Madame Blavastky, namely, The Secret Doctrine.

Many other religious and mystical groups besides the Theosophists believe in the existence of these non-physical bodies. We hear people talking about out-of-body experience--it is is nothing but the astral body separating from the physical one. The human soul and ghosts could be just these non-physical bodies.

When I was a teenager, I was a bit of a fan of such esotericism and read widely on such subjects. These kind of "superstitions" would be anathema to rational scientists like Carl Sagan who criticised such beliefs severely in his book The Demon-Haunted World.

But reading them is great fun. I see them as useful "models" to view the world. I have personally met a few people in my life who claim that they can see the aura of a person. The aura is nothing but the astral body itself--it emanates radiation-like outward from the physical body and changes its colour based on the mood and temper of a person.

Saints are often depicted with a luminous aura around their heads. Theosophists claim that intellectually and spiritually developed people have very bright and liminous astral bodies. Astral matter is nebulous like clouds and a psychically developed person can see "storms" raging within the astral world.

Whenever we speak, we actually eject astral "projectiles" out to the person we are speaking to. Harsh words are like missiles of astral matter that penetrate into our recipient's astral body and create harmful perturbations within. Soothing words or sounds like the chime of a bell evoke astral emanations with harmonious shapes--like bubbles, or ripples--enveloping the person we are talking to.

It is fun to think of words having tangible "shapes". It makes speaking easier. Immediately one would use hand gestures to "shape" these balls of astral matter whenever we articulate something.

Again I could be indulging in mystical mumbo-jumbo. Being someone trained in the sciences, I take these things with a great pinch of salt. But it is certainly no harm knowing what mystics believe. Who knows, one day, astral matter could be proven to exist as a natural part of the universe. At the meantime, I'll continue having great fun creating various "astral objects" whenever I speak.