The Etheric Body
Etheric Awareness
Humanity gets more and more informed about ether, for the unfoldment of etheric consciousness is the next step of human evolution. Medical science will be the first science to recognize the existence of the etheric body. Ayurveda knows it already since thousands of years, and homoeopathy, too, assumes the existence of the vital body. They know that the cause of disease is not in the physical body. Even if we catch a cold, it is not something physical: If vitality is disturbed every change in the atmosphere causes a disturbance in the etheric body. A healthy body can resist all diseases as well as the decay of the physical body.
The Masters of Wisdom are intensely working that we become aware of etheric existence and that we attain a stable etheric body. When it is time we can consciously come out of the body and thus overcome the illusion of death.
Etheric awareness expresses itself first in the ability of etheric sight and to perceive etheric matter. When we think of etheric substance we should try to see it everywhere and to keep it in our minds. Through constant training etheric vision matures in us and we will be able to see through the dense form. Then we don’t just see the physical leaf but also the etheric existence behind the leaf. We will perceive not only the etheric side of forms which have become physical but also of those forms which only exist in the ether. Thus, our awareness shifts to the ethereal.
Each dense physical form has an etheric form as a basis. When the etheric substance departs from the physical body, the physical form decays. Then the etheric substance normally merges into Akasha, the ether of space. The masters have developed a technique to keep the etheric structure intact so that the reincarnating individual can reappear in the same form. Thus, the masters can disappear at one place and reappear at another place. Wherever they want to manifest they assemble the dense material and appear. This is called “Resurrection” in the West. There are many reports of masters appearing to their disciples. Over millenniums they appear with the same body: Lord Maitreya not only exists somewhere in the ethereal, but also in the physical, and he has the most beautiful body shape existing on earth today.
The state of the stable etheric body is called Dharana or Antahkarana Sarira in the east. Christ refers to it as his “glorious white robe”. This radiant robe has been created for the descent of Lord Krishna. When he left the body he gave this etheric body to Lord Maitreya. As explained in the Secret Doctrine, the etheric robe has also been given to Gautama Buddha and to the great initiate Shankaracharya. In the same way Master CVV used the etheric body of Helena Blavatsky for experiments with his wife in planetary spheres. He made his own etheric body perfect and arranged that this body is available for many thousands of years. He resides in the etheric plane of this earth and willingly rejected his further progress to help humanity. He formed a reservoir of prana which he called “Plenty of Prana”. Whosoever invokes the sound “CVV” will call this reservoir of prana into himself through the etheric body of the master. In addition Master CVV gave his picture for this work, because by connecting with his etheric form he accelerates the construction of the human etheric body. Other masters also are available in the ether and convey energy.
Colours
Contemplating on brilliant colours strengthens the etheric tissue and thus closes the door to the entry of emotions which might find entrance through the emotional body and weaken us. The primary expression of the etheric body is through the colour violet. Violet precedes the dense physical state; it is the bridge between the visible and the semivisible and links us with the Deva kingdom. Violet is the reflection of blue, the higher counterpart. Blue stands for synthesis in the higher worlds, violet for synthesis in the dense worlds. It is easier to meditate upon blue than upon violet and thus to shape the vital body. Esoterically, violet as well as blue are white.
The etheric body should not be confused with the body of the soul. The soul itself is the vehicle of the spirit, the causal body is the vehicle of the soul, the etheric body is the vehicle of prana. In itself it is of golden light; the colour of the causal body is diamond. If the etheric body contains dim colours, it means that the aura is polluted; we thus contaminate and poison our environment and create the ground for diseases.
The beauty of subtle colours purifies and regulates the etheric currents; therefore, it is good to contemplate upon radiant colours. Orange stimulates the etheric body; it gets yet even more vivified by positive and cheerful thoughts. When we aren’t positive it shrinks and loses energy. Smiling automatically produces an expansion. When we often smile from the heart the boundaries between ourselves and others disappear. Smiling evokes an instinctive, positive answer. When we are humorous, not excessively, but as a strong undercurrent, we are already etheric; we thus also uplift other people who got stuck in the dense physical.
Pure fragrances help with the purification of the ether. When a high being visits us we can experience the scent of sandalwood even before his visit. At first the good smell comes, then the being might appear or not. Via the fragrance we can also feel the nearness of an ashram. At all old places where great beings have lived and which still radiate with strong power we can experience with etheric vision the sublimity of an etheric temple.
Etheric Work
Around us in space there are many layers of etheric substance which we normally don’t perceive. For example, when we come exhausted from work and take a shower, we get refreshed by the supply of etheric energy via water. Fresh air brings energy from out of the ether of space. Through the ether we are in continuous contact with our surroundings; it is one ether in which the many forms exist. Thus we can connect with people and focus on a sick person, and in doing so propose healing. Then the etheric current of healing power can flow through us to the patient.
Through the ether we think with the etheric side of the brain which is outside the physical brain. Through the fourth ether, the buddhic plane, inspiration pours into our thought and action and we bring light to people. Whenever we create a powerful positive thought the energies of our etheric bodies start flowing into the corresponding direction. Blockages are removed and our etheric bodies rejuvenated. A well-built etheric body allows us to translate subtle spiritual principles into tangible acts of goodwill and thus to contribute to the manifestation of the Divine plan. This way we can serve in a much greater measure.
Even before we have gained our bodies of golden light the master can release us from the body of flesh and blood for subtle work without our being conscious of it. At the third initiation we consciously experience the connection between subjective and objective life. We thus can realise our original identity and the purpose of our lives. We identify with the spiritual part and continue to live with its identity through all incarnations. Finally, the transformations will stabilise us on the etheric plane in a way that we can fly with the help of the etheric body. The aids for flying, airplanes, also emerged in the Aquarian age which is related to ether and space.
Master CVV said, “While you are sleeping I shall de-link your etheric body from the physical and impart knowledge to you.” This knowledge goes deep into our system and allows us to settle in the etheric. He stops the causal functioning up to a certain point so that the etheric body can gain strength. The causal body is our memory body through which we accumulate experiences and karma from incarnation to incarnation. The next life normally takes place as an effect of the stored seeds which unfold anew. However, we have no more memory of what has happened in the preceding incarnations, and thus, we unconsciously take the direction of our lives. By condensing the etheric body the seed of past karma gets like dried up. Then it cannot grow anymore and we can consciously take to a new direction. The Master said he would ensure that the etheric body gets condensed in a way that all the memory remains in it and we then even have a free will whether to incarnate or not.
Sources: K.P. Kumar: Uranus. The Alchemist of the Age / notes from seminars. The World Teacher Trust - Dhanishta, Visakhapatnam, India (www.worldteachertrust.org )