In this presentation, we will begin to look at what mental matter does. The function of mental matter is to vibrate in response to the modes of the Monad working as intellect, similar to how emotional matter responds to desire and emotion, and Unity matter (46) responds to the Monad working as intuition. Therefore, the mental plane is the aspect of nature that pertains to consciousness working as thought rather than the mind working through the physical brain. It is the realm of mind working in its own world, free from physical matter but still embedded in the matter of the Mental World itself.
The five lower planes of nature correspond to the five “elements” of the ancients as presented in this table:
In certain Hindu texts, there is another classification in which the mind is grouped with the elements. Hindus have a way of looking at things from a very high standpoint, often from that of the Monad. To them, the mind is simply an instrument of consciousness. In the seventh chapter of the Gita, Shri Krishna says, “Earth, water, fire, air, ether, manas, buddhi, and ahamkara – these are the eightfold divisions of my manifestation” (Prakriti). A little later on, he speaks of these eight as “my lower manifestation.”
The Mental World is the world of the real human being. The word “man” derives from the Sanskrit “to think”. Thus, ‘man’ means thinker; humans are named by their most characteristic attribute, intelligence.
The mental world is, therefore, the land of our birth, the realm to which we truly belong. Our native atmosphere is that of ideas, not physical phenomena.
When a person, the Thinker, became incarnate in the physical body made to receive them, the senseless animal became a thinking being thanks to the Manas that entered and dwelled in them. Thus, Humanity was clothed in a “coat of skin” after its descent into physical matter so that it could partake of the Tree of Knowledge and become a “God”. Therefore, Humanity is the link between the Divine and the animal.
The world of the mind is particularly interesting. Humanity spends most of its time here, not on the Physical Plane (49), which art only enters for brief periods of time to achieve certain objectives. It is in the mind where the Lower (47:47) and Higher (47:1-3) meet.
The word “mind” in English refers to both the intellectual consciousness itself and the effects it has on the physical brain. However, in occultism, we should think of the intellectual consciousness as an individual entity or a being, with its life vibrations manifesting as thoughts and images rather than physical words.
The true essence of Humanity is the thinker, Manas, who operates on the higher or causal levels of the mental plane. Only a small portion of Humanity’s vibrations can be reproduced in the physical materials, and even that is done imperfectly. The physical brain and nervous system can only replicate a fraction of the complex series of mental vibrations generated by the thinker in their own realm.
The level of intellectual power or idiocy in individuals depends on the responsiveness of their brains. Some brains respond very well, which we call genius, while others do not respond well, which we call idiocy. This means that each person’s mental abilities reflect the sensitivity of their brain to the millions of thought waves they can receive from the Thinker.
The consciousness working in the brain is illuminated from above by ideas that do not come from the physical world but are reflected directly from the Universal Mind. The “laws of thought” regulate all thinking, and the very act of thinking reveals their preexistence. Thinking is done by them and under them and is impossible without them.
On a broader scale, the mental plane can be defined as the reflection of the Universal Mind in Nature. In our small system, this plane corresponds with the Great Mind in the Cosmos. This Great Mind is Mahat, the Third Logos, or Divine Creative Intelligence. It is known as Brahma in Hinduism, Mandjusri in Northern Buddhism, and the Holy Spirit in Christianity.
The Universal Mind contains all archetypal existence. It is the source of beings, the origin of creative energies, and the storehouse where all archetypal forms are stored and developed. These forms are brought from past universes as seeds for unfolding in the current universe. This implies that a universe is not a standalone event but a series of outpouring into positive manifestation.
On the higher part of the mental plane exist the archetypal ideas that are currently being concretely evolved. In the lower regions, these ideas are developed into successive forms, which are then reproduced in the emotional and physical worlds.
An example of these concepts is the presence of tiny artificial elemental beings that can sometimes be observed around a plant or flower while its buds are forming. These beings are thought forms created by the great devas who oversee the evolution of the vegetable kingdom. They are designed for the specific purpose of manifesting the ideas and intentions of the devas in relation to the plants and flowers. Typically, these elementals take the form of an ethereal replica of the flower itself or a small creature that gradually shapes the flower according to the deva’s vision. Once the elemental has completed its task, its energy is depleted, and the matter of which it is composed dissolves back into the general pool of such matter. Artificial elementals should not be confused with nature spirits, which are often seen playing around flowers. Remember, when we use the term “elemental” in the context of the Solar Systemic Plane 49, we are not talking about elemental essences, which are secondary matter. These elementals are composed of tertiary matter, which was described by Leadbeater as “elementals”. What is important to remember is that these tiny units of action are themselves undergoing an evolution and will one day turn into devas, many chains or schemes in the future.
Before the Manu of a Chain or Round begins the assigned task, He reviews the relevant part of the grand thought form of the Logos, bringing it down to a level for easy and constant reference. The same process is carried out at a lower level by the Manu of each World and each root-race. Each Manu then strives to build as close as possible to the model before Him, typically approaching the required perfection gradually. The initial attempts at forming a race, for example, are often only partially successful. We have already discussed this process in the series on Chains, Rounds and Globes.
The archetypes for humanity were established at the beginning of the present round, including the races that have not yet come into existence. By examining these archetypes, it is possible to gather insights into what future humans may be like. They are anticipated to have enhanced physical bodies and will be noticeably more beautiful, reflecting spiritual qualities in their appearance.
On Globe A, during the fourth round, human minds started to become distinct on the lower mental level, and this is when people began to truly think. Initially, the outcome was not favourable. In previous rounds, humans were not developed enough to generate thought forms significantly, so the elemental essence of the globes had only been influenced by the thoughts of the devas, leaving everything harmonious and peaceful. However, this harmonious condition was greatly disturbed when humans began to introduce their selfish and conflicting thoughts. Conflict, unrest, and disharmony were introduced, and the animal kingdom started to distance themselves from humans, feeling fear and hatred towards them.
On Globe A, there were also group-souls of animals, vegetables, and even minerals. It is difficult for us to conceive what a mineral could be on the mental plane. It would correspond to our thought of a mineral, but the thought form that exists there is that of the Manu and is moulded by a power altogether beyond comparison with that of our mentality.
In a previous presentation, we learned that the fourth round should focus on developing our emotions, while the fifth round should be dedicated to intellectual growth. However, we have progressed much further than originally planned, thanks to the influence of the revered beings known by various names as the Lords of the Flame, the Children of the Fire-Mist, and the Lords of Venus. These beings originated from the planet Venus and have significantly advanced our development on Earth.
Most of them stayed with us only during that critical period of our history. A few still remain to hold the highest offices in the Great White Brotherhood until the time when humanity, through our own evolution, shall be able to relieve them of their high office. By the way, the term “Great White Brotherhood”, used by Theosophists, refers to the light emitted by these beings. They express white light because they contain the light from all the rays. The term hierarchy refers to monads who are charged with the evolution of humanity within the solar system. The Brotherhood includes the Planetary Government, currently led by Sanat Kumara, who was and is from Venus. The Lord Buddha is the first monad from the human stream to join his council of the six Buddhas of activity.
As explained previously, the materials of the mental plane can combine under the influence of thought vibrations to create any form that thought can conceive. Just as iron can be crafted into a spade or a sword, mental matter can be shaped into thought forms that can be used to help or harm. In the mental realm, thought and action are one and the same; matter obediently serves life, adapting to every creative impulse.
The mental plane, as the realm of thought itself, is the very dwelling place of thought. It is much closer to reality than any lower plane because everything material is concealed within matter. Any reality it may possess is much less evident and recognisable when viewed from a lower perspective.
Let us continue this discussion in the following presentation.