Let us now deal with the relationship between the etheric body,
layer of life force or prāṇa, and the astral body, layer of mental
consciousness and emotions.
Some people tend to imagine the etheric body as a 1 or 2 inch layer
outside the limits of the physical body. Such a layer can actually
be seen, but this picture is inaccurate. For the etheric is not only
outside but also inside the tissues of the physical body. Imagine a
sponge (the physical body) permeated with water (the etheric
body). The sponge has water inside it, and there is also a layer of
water around it.
Something similar can be observed with the astral body, on
another level. The astral body permeates the etheric body, and
extends beyond it.
But the astral body does not always penetrate the etheric with the
same intensity. Sometimes the hand is completely in the glove,
sometimes it is only half inside. Or to take another example,
imagine a mist (the astral body), and a valley (the etheric body).
Sometimes the mist is condensed into the valley like a thick fog –
that's when you are fully awake. Sometimes the mist is floating
over the valley like a cloud – that's when you are sound asleep,
dreaming and/or astral travelling. Several intermediate stages can
be observed between these two extremes. Of course this is nothing
more than a metaphor and should not be taken too literally.
What are the consequences for the etheric and physical bodies
when the astral body comes closer or moves away? Let's look at the
physical body first. The general action of the astral body is to
make everything contract. Take a strong emotion, such as anger or
fear. A disorganised wave arises in the astral body, and you start
to feel angry or anxious. Immediately a chain reaction of tension is
generated in the physical body. Your eyelids contract, there is
tension in your solar plexus and in your abdominal muscles, your
heart starts to beat (meaning to contract) more quickly, and so on.
The more the astral body grasps the physical body, the more the
physical body gets contracted and cramped.
On the other hand, what happens to the physical body when the
astral body withdraws, as during sleep or deep states of relaxation?
The physical body relaxes, it lets go of tension.
Now, how does the etheric body react when the astral body moves
in or out of the lower complex (PB+EB)? When the astral body is
more impacted into the lower complex, and therefore into the
barré
(Barré)
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