Theos-Talk Archives (April 2005 Message tt00241)

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" There are three subdivisions of the astral plane from which it may 
be possible (though not desirable) for disembodied men to see and 
follow events taking place upon the physical plane. On the lowest sub-
plane the man is usually occupied in other ways, and concerns himself 
little with what takes place in the physical world, except, as is 
explained in our literature, when he haunts vile resorts; but, in the 
next subdivision, he has very close touch with the physical plane, 
and may quite probably be conscious of a good many things in 
connection with it, though what he sees is never the physical matter 
itself, but always the astral counterpart of it. In rapidly 
diminishing degree this consciousness is also possible as he ascends 
through the next two sub-planes; but beyond that, it would be only by 
the special effort to communicate through a medium that contact with 
the physical plane could be gained, and from the highest sub-plane 
even that would be extremely difficult. 
10. The 
extent of a man' s power to see and follow physical events from the 
astral plane is determined by his character and disposition, as well 
as by the stage of development to which he has attained. Most of 
those whom we ordinarily call good people, living out their lives to 
their natural end, sweep through all these lower stages before 
awakening to astral consciousness, and they are therefore unlikely to 
be conscious of anything physical at all. Some few, however, even of 
these are drawn back into touch with this world by great anxiety 
about some one left behind. 

11. Less 
developed persons have in their composition of the matter of these 
lower sub-planes, and are therefore much more likely to be able to 
follow to some extent what goes on upon earth. Most of all is this 
the case if they are people whose whole turn of thought is 
essentially of this world-- who have in them little or nothing of 
spiritual aspiration or of high intellect. This downward tendency 
grows with the using, and a man who is at first happily unconscious 
of what lies below him may be so unfortunate as to have his attention 
attracted to it, frequently by selfish manifestations of the grief of 
the survivors. He then exerts his will to keep himself from rising 
out of touch with this life to which he no longer belongs; and in 
such a case his power of seeing earthly things increases for a time, 
and then he suffers mentally when he presently finds such power 
slipping from him. Such suffering is entirely due to the irregularity 
introduced into the astral life by his own action, for it is 
absolutely unknown in the ordinary and orderly evolution after 
death." 

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