The Ultimate Guide to Crystals & Stones: A Practical Path to Personal Power, Self-Development, and Healing - Uma Silbey 2016
The Subtle Energy Body
Subtle Energy Bodies and Subtle Planes of Reality
The human body has ten other subtle bodies surrounding the physical body, each in its essence vibration. Each subtle body is part of a corresponding subtle reality, much like our physical body is part of the physical world. Just as the physical world has the law of gravity, each subtle world has its own laws that both describe and determine it. For example, in the physical world it is not possible to walk through walls or fly, while in the astral world both can be done easily because different laws apply. As we work with our crystals and stones, we can gain knowledge of these laws and work with them. It is important to remember, however, that even though we are labeling divisions between the physical and different subtle realms, at the core everything is all one vibratory world, as was expressed earlier in this book.
This explanation of the various bodies and subtle planes is meant to give us an intellectual context in which to work and an idea of what we may be experiencing as we work. It is important, however, that we not replace actual experience with intellectual understanding, for it isn’t really necessary to even know about these bodies in order to do effective work as long as we can feel the vibration and are guided by that feeling. The knowledge of subtle planes and bodies, however, will serve as a useful framework that will allow us to open to new possibilities in our work with our crystals and stones. First, contemplating this information will begin to open our awareness. With the knowledge of the subtle bodies and world serving as a frame of reference, coupled with our expanding awareness as we center, ground ourselves, and open and balance the subtle energy centers within our body, our awareness will expand and we can begin to be conscious on other planes beside this physical one. This will be helpful not only in terms of general enlightenment, but will also give us more ideas about how we might do our work with the crystals and stones as well as other metaphysical or subtle healing work. Also, if we begin to have out-of-body experiences, or experiences on other planes of reality, we will understand them rather than be frightened, confused, or have other negative reactions.
In our work with quartz crystals and other stones, we are chiefly concerned with four subtle bodies and corresponding subtle worlds because these are primarily what we work with. Besides the physical body, we are concerned with the etheric, astral, and mental bodies, as well as the planes of existence in which these bodies exist. These different, yet connected, bodies and their corresponding worlds can be pictured as layers, one on top of another, even though in actuality each body is contained within the subsequent higher bodies.
The etheric, astral, and mental bodies surround the physical body roughly in the shape of an ovoid. Each has its particular density and vibratory rate. As the bodies extend out from the physical body, they become increasingly finer in vibration. Though all of these bodies are of different densities, they correspond and are joined to one another, so a change in one body affects all of the others. When we create a change on a subtle vibrational level to affect the physical body, then we are actually working directly with the vibrations of the etheric body, the astral, sometimes the mental body, and very occasionally the causal body. We can consciously work with only one body, or work with several at once.
The physical body has the slowest rate of vibration of all the other bodies. This vibratory rate represents a type of mass that determines our physical body and the senses of which we are the most aware in our daily life. (There are bodies that have more density than the physical body, but these are generally irrelevant to our work.) The etheric body vibrates more rapidly than the physical body, but not as rapidly as the astral body. (To vibrate more rapidly is what is meant when we refer to it as being “more fine.”) Because the rate of vibration is more rapid or fine, more of the vibrations will fit in a given rate of time in the same space, so it can be said that the etheric body is vibrationally contained within the physical body. Next in fineness is the astral body, which, because of the rapidity of its vibratory rate, is contained within the etheric as well as the physical body. The astral body extends beyond the physical and slightly beyond the etheric body. Likewise, the mental body is higher in vibration than the astral, etheric, and physical, so due to its higher rate of occurrence in the same time and space than the other, slower vibratory rates, it is contained within the other three bodies. Though the higher vibratory bodies are contained within the lower, together they form one body. (There are higher bodies that vibrate more rapidly. However, we generally don’t consciously use these during crystal and stone work, so they are not presented here.) Because each is contained within the other, changing one rate of vibration affects all the other bodies. This is why we can work on a subtle body to affect the physical body in work with stones and crystals.
Though each subtle body and universe interrelates, each has its unique characteristics. First, each body or world is essentially vibration. Each body of a particular plane of reality, whether the physical or another more subtle plane of reality, is a conglomerate of the general vibrations of that plane held together by a particular force of consciousness. That force of consciousness regards itself with separate boundaries, edges, or characteristics that set it apart from what is around it. It is like being a subset of a larger set. For example, with respect to our physical body on the physical plane of reality, our physical consciousness experiences that our body is clearly different than the air around it or other objects. Thus, the force of consciousness gathers a body around it in a particular plane, having all the characteristics of that plane because it is the same as it.
In other words, a body is just like a piece of a world. To remain a piece of a world, a body must retain some sense of separateness from it. So the body or individual is not aware of all that it shares with its universe or it would no longer be able to experience its separateness. This experience of separateness does not reduce the shared characteristics with the corresponding plane, but only inhibits the use of those characteristics due to the lack of focus on them. That is why we are not usually immediately conscious of all the subtle plane characteristics that are contained with us until we first let go of our deep-rooted assumptions of what is real or not, along with our own sense of separateness.
The Etheric Body
The etheric body, easily confused with the astral body, usually projects about a quarter inch beyond the skin. Its aura can project several inches beyond it, though usually no more than a foot. However, with certain practices, increased vitality, and/or placement of quartz crystals and other stones on the physical body, the etheric aura can extend at least another foot and sometimes several feet. The etheric body is a perfect duplication of the physical body. This body is not a separate vehicle of consciousness from the physical body, however, it is completely necessary to its life. The etheric body receives and distributes the vital forces that emanate from the sun, so it is vital to the physical health. The vital forces with which this body is concerned are the kundalini energy and prana, or vital force. (Kundalini and prana are not exclusive of this body; they are known to affect all the other bodies as well.) In addition, the etheric body works with practically all of the most familiar physical forces: magnetic energy, light, heat, sound, chemical attraction/repulsion, and motion.
We can train ourselves to become awakened to self-conscious activity on the astral plane using crystal gazing techniques. This crystal sphere has many inclusions that act as doorways, or portals, to higher realms and expanded consciousness.
Prana (or vitality) is collected, filtered, and distributed by the etheric chakras (or energy centers) through the body in various energy channels or pathways to be the controlling energy working through our nerve centers, keeping both the physical and etheric bodies alive. The etheric body acts as a two-way bridge between the physical and the astral. The etheric chakras bring into the physical consciousness whatever the inherent quality is in the corresponding astral centers. With this bridge our dreams are brought to consciousness when waking. Through this bridge our physical sense contacts are transmitted through the etheric brain to the astral body. Similarly, our consciousness from our astral body and other higher bodies is transmitted into our physical brain and nervous system. It is with the etheric body and its systems that we so intimately work with our crystals and stones.
The Astral Body
The astral body is somewhat contained within and extends beyond the etheric body. The more developed the astral body, the further its extension from the physical. Having a vibratory rate higher than the physical and etheric bodies and lower than the mental and causal bodies, the astral body is the vehicle of sensation and emotion. Whenever we express an emotion, we are using our astral body, whether we are conscious of it or not. Every feeling instantly affects this body and is reflected in it. Every thought that affects us personally is also reflected on this body. Our astral body not only responds to that which is directed from our physical body, but also to that which is directed from our mental body, both consciously and unconsciously.
Unlike our etheric body, we can consciously inhabit and use our astral body apart from our physical body. This happens automatically in our sleep. However, our ability to use our astral body apart from the physical body, whether in sleep or during the waking state, depends on our ability to be conscious in it. To be conscious in our astral body, we need to be able to build a bridge or connection between that body and our physical body that allows us to operate in our astral body and still remain conscious as we shift back and forth between them. If this etheric bridge is strong, we will be able to remember all of our experiences and information gained and can communicate and make use of them in our physical world. When this etheric bridge is built and we are able to remain conscious in our astral body, there is no difference between the sleeping and waking states, or between death and life, because there is a continuous stream of consciousness in which we are always alive.
The astral plane, of which the astral body is a part, is an entire universe that occupies the same space as the physical universe, but because it vibrates at a much higher rate than the physical, normal physical senses are unable to apprehend it. Though the objects and events on this plane are shaped and formed by our imagination and the thoughts of those on it, it has an independent existence apart from our mind. It operates according to its own astral laws, just as the physical universe operates with its laws. The astral plane has lights, sounds, and colors that don’t exist on the physical plane. Perception on this plane can differ from the physical perception and can be confusing if we have not learned to use our astral senses, which are gained as we raise our body’s vibration and develop our intuitive awareness. However, to actually be on this plane, we need to develop the consciousness of our astral body and free it from our physical body. It is with our astral body that we travel to the astral plane.
Through our crystal work we can develop sensitivity to emotions, and then to the astral plane itself. To then work with this plane we need only to use our astral sensitivity rather than using our astral body. We do this by adding an emotional component to our work with the stones and crystals, choosing the appropriate emotions that will stimulate the emotional/astral body directly, which will then indirectly affect the physical body because of their dynamic vibrational interrelationship. For example, when we are doing a crystal healing, if we visualize what the healing is that we want, we can also accompany this with an emotion that most closely resembles the healed state that we intend. Another method is to notice the emotional state that seems most closely associated with the illness, and then use our focused will to change that. If we change the underlying negative emotional state to a positive one, we can heal the illness completely or at least help its healing.
The techniques that we can use to do this are many, however, in all of them we must use our intuition, or inner knowing, to sense what the appropriate emotion is. Then we can see what it feels like in our body, change the feeling to a more appropriate one, and then project the altered emotion back to the person we are working with.
Though working with emotion can be quite effective, we can do even more by working directly on the astral plane with our astral body. We can then work directly with someone’s astral body using our astral consciousness. As shown in a later chapter, we can train ourselves to become awakened to self-conscious activity on the astral plane using crystal gazing techniques and dream work.
The Mental Body
The mental body projects beyond the astral body and is also contained within the astral, etheric, and physical bodies. The mental body is ceaselessly in motion and constantly changing, although tending to remain roughly in an ovoid shape around our physical body. The mental body has to do with the manifestation of the self as mind or intellect. Whenever we use our intellect, memory, or visualization, we are using our mental body. As with the astral body, we can become conscious in our mental body and use it apart from our physical body.
There is also a separate plane of being, the mental plane, which is a universe unto itself, with its own laws and appearances. Our mind becomes our vehicle in the mental plane, not our mind working from our physical brain, but our mind working apart from any physical matter. The mental plane is made up of mental vibrations that create their own images. These images look like objects and beings to us if we were to travel on that plane. The sensitivity and development of our physical brain determines which of these mental vibrations we are able to respond to. It is the response in our brain to these mental plane vibrations that are perceived as thoughts.
This experience then clearly shows us that thoughts do not originate in our brain, but come and go depending on its receptivity. We can experience this mechanism ourselves if we become centered, still our mind, and then focus on our thoughts without trying to change them or act on them. Doing this, we watch the thoughts come and go, seemingly appearing from nowhere and ending up nowhere, floating through our mind as if they are clouds in a clear sky.
Every time that we think, imagine, or visualize, we set up a vibration in our mental body. This produces two results: radiating waves, or vibrations, called thought waves; and specific thought forms that can create bodies in the mental world. We use both thought waves and thought forms in our crystal work when we utilize thought projection and visualization. These techniques will be covered in later chapters.
THE ENTIRE CREATION IS CONTAINED WITHIN.