This next presentation will be the third in a series discussing the human body, with the previous two being “The Etheric Envelope” and “The Emotional Envelope”. Throughout this series, I have not attempted to prove or justify the statements made, except insofar as their internal evidence and reasonability support them. I consistently refer to the concept of the Hylozoic Framework. How does what you study relate to the foundation of your worldview? It is up to you to accept the credibility of the experienced investigators and teachers and the findings of their research that I relay to you. The question of proof is a separate and extensive topic. Trying to argue or prove the statements made would have undermined the main objective of these presentations. The goal is to provide the dedicated student with a condensed synthesis, within a reasonable scope, of the teachings from the named sources regarding the human bodies and the planes or worlds to which they belong. Those seeking proof are encouraged to explore other sources. As mentioned in the previous series, a significant portion of the material presented in these presentations has been obtained from the writings of Dr. Besant and Bishop Leadbeater, as well as through Arthur Powell’s abridgements. Although not explicitly referenced frequently, the debt to H. P. Blavatsky is more significant than ever, which could be seen through quotations from her monumental volumes. If she had not initially shown the way, later investigators might never have found the trail, let alone made it onto a path that others could follow with relative ease and safety.
Before we dive into describing the mental body of humanity, its functions, and its role in life and evolution, let’s provide a brief overview of what our study will cover. First, we need to consider the mental body as the vehicle through which the Self manifests as concrete intellect. It is where the powers of the mind, including memory and imagination, are developed. In the later stages of humanity’s evolution, the mental body serves as a separate and distinct vehicle of consciousness, allowing humanity to live and function apart from both the physical and emotional bodies.
It’s important to understand that in occult psychology, the mental equipment of humanity is divided into two distinct portions: the mental envelope, which deals with concrete thoughts, and the causal envelope, which deals with abstract thoughts. The mental envelope deals with form thoughts, while the causal envelope deals with formless thoughts. An analogy from mathematics would be arithmetic, dealing with particular numbers that belong to the lower form aspect of the mind, while algebra, dealing with symbols representing numbers in general, belongs to the higher or formless aspect of the mind. We also need to discuss the Mental Elemental Essence, a semi-intelligent and active life substance, and its role in helping humanity to think. Additionally, we will examine the structure and composition of the mental body and describe typical examples of mental bodies at various stages of development.
A significant aspect of our study will be an examination of Kama-Manas, the association between Desire and Thought, which plays a crucial role in the history of the human race and individual people. We will also describe the twofold action of thought in its own world, focusing on the radiation of waves of thought and the formation and projection of thought forms. The effects of these phenomena on their creators and others will be examined, including thought transference, both unconscious and conscious, with the latter division covering Mental Healing. We will also consider the effects of the physical body and physical surroundings on the mental body and its workings, as well as the of the mental body on the physical body and other physical objects. Furthermore, we will explore how the emotional envelope influences the mental envelope and vice versa. Our study will then turn to the operations of the mental envelope, how its faculties may be developed and trained, and its use as an independent vehicle of consciousness. This will lead us to the deliberate training of the mental envelope, which includes Concentration, Meditation, and Contemplation, ultimately leading to mystic consciousness. We will briefly touch on the use of the mental envelope during the sleep of the physical body and provide a short description of the temporary mental body known as the ayavi Rupa.
Next, we will explore life after physical and emotional death on the mental plane itself, also known as Devachan or “Heaven.” We will study the general principles underlying the course of that mental life and examine typical examples of life on each of the four lower mental sub-planes. Ultimately, we will study the mental plane as a world in itself, exploring the nature of life there and the general character of its phenomena. This will include an examination of Thought centres, the Akashic Records, and other intriguing features.
Before we can fruitfully study the mental envelope, its composition, structure, or methods of functioning, it is necessary to describe, though in general outline only, what is known as Mental Elemental Essence.
You will recollect that after the formation of the atomic states of matter in each of the planes of nature, the Third Aspect of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, the Life-giver, in Christian terminology, pours Himself down into the sea of virgin matter, the true Virgin Mary and, by His vitality, awakens the atomic matter to new powers and possibilities, resulting in the formation of the lower sub-divisions of each plane. Those subdivisions are what we call the molecular subplanes.
Into matter that has been vivified in this manner, the Second Great Outpouring of the Divine Life descends; again, in Christian terminology, the Son is “incarnated of the Holy Ghost and the Virgin Mary”. Are you beginning to see a pattern here? The Gospels are Gnostic texts.If you read them thinking you are reading a historical treatise, you completely miss the plot.
This Outpouring of the Divine Life is called by various names at various stages of Its descent. As a whole, it is often spoken of as a Monadic essence, especially when clothed only in the atomic matter of the various planes, because it has then become fit to supply permanent atoms to Monads. What is that essence composed of? Tertiary Matter, not Secondary Matter.
When it ensouls non-atomic, i.e., molecular matter, it is called Elemental Essence, a name borrowed from mediaeval occultists. They bestowed it on the matter of which the bodies of the nature spirits were composed, for they spoke of these as “Elementals.” It needs to be clarified here that the term Elemental Essence applies to Secondary Matter. The “ensouling” is done by Tertiary Matter. A single monad will control the combination of the two. This monad is the controlling Nature Spirit. When, on its downward course, the Second Outpouring energises the matter of the three higher levels of the mental plane, it is known as the First Elemental Kingdom
After spending a whole Chain Period in that evolution, this tertiary matter descends to the four lower levels of the mental plane, where it ensouls the Second Elemental Kingdom for another Chain period: a combination of the two is known as Mental Elemental Essence. How I personally visualise this combination of matter is that elemental essences are monad, as everything is a monad. When they are grouped together into an organisational unit, they become an elemental. This elemental is surrounded by tertiary matter. In the Cosmic Physical Plane, tertiary matter always plays the role of the envelope until it gets down to Plane-49. Then, everything you see, touch and taste is tertiary matter. Having said that, at the atomic level, as already mentioned, tertiary matter forms the whole permanent atom or molecule.
The next Chain Period is spent on the emotional plane and is called the Third Elemental Kingdom, or Emotional Elemental Essence.
A Chain Period is the time occupied by the passage of the life wave seven times around the seven globes of a Chain. There are, thus, forty-nine globe or world periods in each Chain Period.
Each of these three is a kingdom of nature, as varied in manifestations of its different life forms as are the animal and vegetable kingdoms, with which we are more familiar. Moreover, in each kingdom, there are, of course, the usual seven perfectly distinct types or “rays” of essence, each with its seven sub-types.
Both Mental and Emotional Elemental Essences are intimately connected with humanity, our envelope, and our evolution, as we shall see more clearly as we proceed with our study of the mental envelope.
What Powell tells us is that it is important to realise that, on both the emotional and mental planes, elemental essence is quite distinct from mere matter in those planes. I would clarify this by saying that using the term elemental essence is misleading. As I have already stated, the elemental essence is a monad and the general matter of the plane or world. Only when it is surrounded by territory matter does it become a functioning unit that earlier authors call elemental essence, which I call elementals.
Another point of great importance is that the life animating both mental and emotional matter is on the downward or outward arc of evolution: progress for it, therefore, means to descend into denser forms of matter and learn to express itself through them.
Evolution is just the opposite for humanity. Humanity has already sunk deeply into matter and is now rising out of it towards its source. There is consequently a constant conflict of interests between the person within and the life inhabiting the matter of the person’s various vehicles. As our subject unfolds, we shall see the full bearing of this critical fact more clearly in later presentations.