We ended the last presentation by looking at how prana manifested itself in the physical envelope and what its function was. We think of our skin and the nerves behind it as being our sensory organs. The registration of sensations due to physical contacts are transmitted inwards by prana and these are acute, sharp, keen, and specific, quite different from the heavy, diffused sensations deriving from the cells themselves. In every case, it is prana which gives the sense-activity to the physical organs and transmits the outer vibration to the sense-centres, which are situated in Kama (emotional envelope). This is located in the sheath known as Manomaya Kosha, which links the emotional and mental envelopes, through the etheric to the physical body. This is the system that runs the day-to-day nervous activities of our bodies. It is through the Etheric Double that prana runs along the nerves of the body and thus enables them to act not only as the carriers of external impacts but also of motor force, originating from within.
It is the play of the pranic life-currents in the Etheric Doubles of minerals, vegetables and animals, which awaken out of latency the emotional matter involved in the structure of their atomic and molecular constituents, thus producing a “thrill”, which enables the Monad of form to draw in emotional materials, which are built by nature-spirits into a loosely constituted mass, the future emotional body of these monads.
In the mineral, emotional matter is hardly active so there is no perceptible working from the emotional to the physical. In the higher plants the increased emotional activity affects their etheric and, through this, their dense matter. With animals, the much greater emotional consciousness affects their Etheric Doubles and, by these etheric vibrations, the building of the nervous system, which was only foreshadowed in plants, is stimulated. The journey to the 4th, our kingdom, is a long one. We have already traversed three chains and this is how we gradually evolved the envelopes we possess today.
It is thus impulses set up by the consciousness – willing to experience – which cause emotional vibrations, these producing vibrations in etheric matter: the impulse thus comes from the consciousness, but the actual building of the nervous system, which the consciousness at this stage is unable to undertake, is performed by etheric nature-spirits, directed by the Shining Ones of the Third elemental Kingdom and the Logos working through the Group Soul. Remember the group soul and the role it plays in the evolution of the lower kingdoms?
There appears first in the emotional body a centre, having the function of receiving and responding to vibrations from outside. From this centre, vibrations pass to the etheric body, causing etheric vortices, which draw into themselves dense physical particles: these eventually form a nerve cell and groups of cells, which, receiving vibrations from the outer physical world, transmit them back to the emotional centres. The physical and emotional centres thus act and react on one another, each, in consequence, becoming more complicated and more effective. Out of these nerve cells, the sympathetic system is built first, by impulses, as we have seen, originating in the Emotional World: later the cerebrospinal system is constructed, by impulses originating in the Mental World.
The sympathetic system always remains directly connected with the emotional centres: but it is important to note that these emotional centres are not the emotional chakras, of which we shall speak later, but are merely aggregations in the emotional sheath, which form the beginnings of the centres, which will build the organs in the physical body. The emotional chakras are not formed till a much later period in evolution.
From these centres then – which are not the chakras – ten organs in the physical body are formed: five to receive impressions, known as “knowledge-senses” or sense-centres in the brain, which eventually are connected with eyes, ears, tongue, nose and skin: and five to convey vibrations from consciousness to the outer world, “action senses,” or sense-centres, which cause action, these being the motor-centres in the brain, to be connected with the sense-organs in hands, feet, larynx, organs of generation and excretion.
We must carefully note that the prana, which courses along the nerves is quite separate and distinct from what is called a person’s magnetism, or nerve-fluid, which is generated within the body. This nerve-fluid or magnetism keeps the etheric matter circulating along the nerves, or, more accurately, along a coating of ether, which surrounds each nerve, much as the blood circulates through the veins. And just as the blood carries oxygen to the body, so does the nerve-fluid convey prana.
Furthermore, just as the molecules of the dense physical body are constantly changing and being replaced by fresh molecules derived from food, water, and air, so are the molecules of the etheric body being constantly changed and replaced by fresh etheric molecules, these being taken into the body along with the food eaten, with the air breathed and with prana, in the form known as the Vitality Globule, a term we will describe shortly
Prana, or Vitality, exists on all planes – physical, emotional, mental, etc. Prana, the One Life, is “the nave to which are attached the seven spokes of the universal wheel”. We are here, however, concerned only with its appearance and methods of work in the lowest, the physical plane.
It must also be noted that prana on the physical plane is sevenfold, i.e., there are seven varieties of it. What else would you expect?
We have seen already that it is quite separate and distinct from light, heat, etc., but its –
DIAGRAM II The Vitality Globule (1)
manifestation on the physical plane appears to depend upon sunlight: for when sunlight is abundant, prana also appears in abundance and where sunlight is absent, prana is deficient.
Prana emanates from the sun and enters some of the ultimate physical atoms, which float about in the earth’s atmosphere in great numbers. Although we say that this pranic force “enters” the physical atom, it does not do so from outside: it enters from a higher dimension, the fourth found on the emotional plane and so appears to the clairvoyant as welling up within the atom.
There are thus two forces, which enter the atom from within: (1) the Will-force of the Logos, which holds the atom together in its proper shape; (2) the Pranic force. It is important to note that Prana comes from the Second Aspect of the Solar deity, whereas the Will-force emanates from the Third Aspect
DIAGRAM II The Vitality Globule (2) Vitality-Force enters Atoms
The effect of Prana on atoms is entirely different from that of electricity, light, heat or other expressions of Fohat. Electricity, rushing through the atoms, deflects them and holds them in a certain way and also imparts to them a separate and distinct vibration rate. Any of the variants of Fohat, such as electricity, light, or heat, cause an oscillation of the atom as a whole, an oscillation the size of which is enormous as compared with that of the atom itself, these forces of course acting on the atom from without.
You may remember from previous presentations, the shape and structure of the ultimate physical atom, the smallest particle of matter on the physical plane, out of combinations of which are made the various elements we know as solids, liquids and gases. In diagrams presented in this presentation, these ultimate physical atoms are indicated as outlines only.
DIAGRAM IIIThe Vitality Globule (3) The Atom attracts 6 other atoms The Vitality Force “endows the atom with an additional life, and gives it a power of attraction… “
The force of Prana, then, radiated from the sun, enters some atoms in the atmosphere and causes them to glow. Such an atom, charged with this additional life, has a sixfold power of attraction so that it immediately draws around it six other atoms. This is arranged in a definite form, making what is termed in Occult Chemistry a hyper-meta-proto-element, a combination of matter on the sub-atomic (49:2) sub-plane. This combination, however, differs from all others so far observed, in that the force which creates it and holds it together comes from the Second Aspect of the Solar Deity instead of from the Third. This form is known as the Vitality Globule and is shown in the diagram. This little group is found in the chemical element oxygen and it is also the heart of the central globe in radium.
Diagram II- The Vitality Globule (4) Formation of the Globule
The globules, on account of their brilliance and extreme activity, can be seen by almost anyone who cares to look, darting about in the atmosphere in immense numbers, especially on a sunny day. The best way to see them is to face directly away from the sun and focus the eyes a few feet away, with a clear sky as background. Although brilliant, the globule is almost colourless and may be compared to white light.
It has already been remarked that although the force, which vivifies these globules is quite different from light, it nevertheless appears to depend upon light for the power of manifestation. In brilliant sunshine, this vitality is constantly welling up anew and the globules are generated in incredible numbers; but in cloudy weather, there is a great decline in the number of globules formed and during the night the operation appears to be entirely suspended. During the night, therefore, we may be said to be living upon the stock manufactured during the previous day and although it appears practically impossible that it should ever be entirely exhausted, that stock evidently does run low when there is a long succession of cloudy days.
It is, of course, the work of the physical tertiary matter, guided by a nature spirit known as an elemental, to defend the body and to assimilate vitality -as will be described in detail in the next presentation – in order to recuperate the physical body. Whilst the physical body is awake, the nerves and muscles are kept tense, ready for instant action. When the body is asleep, the tertiary matter, guided by Nature spirits, lets the nerves and muscles relax and devotes itself, especially to the assimilation of vitality. This accounts for the strong recuperative power of sleep, even of a momentary nap. When the monad is in residence, the elementals are not able to rejuvenate the cells. They are always ready for “action”. That is why we have to sleep or our cells run out of energy and die. It should be noted that the elemental described here is not the same as an elemental generated by thoughts and emotions in the Emotional and Mental Worlds. Those elementals are artificial and composed of secondary matter. The elementals described here are members of a hierarchy that will eventually become divas.
The elemental works most successfully during the early part of the night, when there is a copious supply of vitality. In the daily cycle, the supply of globules is at its lowest ebb in the small hours of the morning, before sunrise and this is one reason why so large a proportion of deaths occurs during those hours. Hence also the saying that an hour’s sleep before midnight is worth two after it. Similarly, of course, the supply of prana is at a lower ebb in winter than in summer.
It should be noted that Prana is poured forth, not only on the physical but also on all planes, emotional, mental, casual etc. These envelopes will be at their best under clear skies and with the inestimable aid of sunlight. It is worth mentioning that the colours of etheric prana correspond to some extent to similar hues on the emotional plane. Hence right feeling and clear thought react on the physical envelope and assist this envelope to assimilate prana and maintain vigorous health. We thus find an interesting light thrown on the intimate connection between spiritual, mental, and emotional health and the health of the physical body and are reminded of the well-known saying of the Lord Buddha that the first step on the road to Nirvana is perfect physical health.
The vitality globule, once charged, remains a sub-atomic element and does not appear to be subject to any change or loss of force unless and until it is absorbed by some living creature.
Before proceeding to study the extremely interesting and important subject of the absorption of Prana in the physical body, we must first study the mechanism by which this process is brought about in the Etheric envelope.
See you in the next presentation.