In Search of the Miraculous

"The first is the physical body, in Christian terminology the 'carnal' body; the

second, in Christian terminology, is the 'natural' body; the third is the 'spiritual' body; and the fourth, in the terminology of esoteric Christianity, is the 'divine' body. In theosophical terminology the first is the 'physical' body, the second is the 'astral,' the third is the 'mental,' and the fourth the 'causal.'1

"In the terminology of certain Eastern teachings the first body is the 'carriage'

(body), the second body is the 'horse' (feelings, desires), the third the 'driver' (mind), and the fourth the 'master' (I, consciousness, will).

1st body

2nd body

3rd body

4th body

Carnal body

Natural body

Spiritual body

Divine body

"Carriage" (body) "Horse" (feelings, "Driver" (mind)

"Master" (I,

desires)

consciousness,

will)

Physical body

Astral body

Mental body

Causal body

FIG. 1

"Such comparisons and parallels may be found in most systems and teachings

which recognize something more in man than the physical body. But almost all these

teachings, while repeating in a more or less familiar form the definitions and divisions

of the ancient teaching, have forgotten or omitted its most important feature, which is:

that man is not born with the finer bodies, and that they can only be artificially

cultivated in him provided favorable conditions both internal and external are present.

"The 'astral body' is not an indispensable implement for man. It is a great luxury

which only a few can afford. A man can live quite well without an 'astral body.' His

physical body possesses all the functions necessary for life. A man without 'astral

body' may even produce the impression of being a very intellectual or even spiritual

man, and may deceive not only others but also himself.

"This applies still more, of course, to the 'mental body' and the fourth body.

Ordinary man does not possess these bodies or their corresponding functions. But he

often thinks, and makes others think, that he does. The reasons for this are, first, the

fact that the physical body works with the same substances of which the higher bodies

are composed, only these substances are not crystallized in him, do not belong to him;

and secondly, it has all the functions analogous to those of the higher bodies, though

of

1 That is, the body which bears the causes of its actions within itself, is independent of external causes, and is the body of will.

course they differ from them considerably. The chief difference between the functions

of a man possessing the physical body only and the functions of the four bodies, is that, in the first case, the functions of the physical body govern all the other functions, in other words, everything is governed by the body which, in its turn, is governed by

external influences. In the second case, the command or control emanates from the

higher body.

"The functions of the physical body may be represented as parallel to the functions

of the four bodies."

G. drew another diagram (Fig. 2), representing the parallel functions of a man of

physical body and a man of four bodies.

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Automaton working

Desires produced by Thoughts

Different and

by external

automaton.

proceeding from

contradictory "wills"

influences.

desires.

created by desires.

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Body obeying

Emotional powers

Thinking functions

1 Ego

desires and

and desires obeying obeying

Consciousness Will

emotions which are

thought and

consciousness and

subject to

intelligence.

will

intelligence.

FIG. 2.

"In the first case," said G., "that is, in relation to the functions of a man of physical body only, the automaton depends upon external influences, and the next three

functions depend upon the physical body and the external influences it receives.

Desires or aversions—'I want,' 'I don't want,' 'I like,' 'I don't like'—that is, functions occupying the place of the second body, depend upon accidental shocks and

influences. Thinking, which corresponds to the functions of the third body, is an

entirely mechanical process. 'Will' is absent in ordinary mechanical man, he has desires

only; and a greater or lesser permanence of desires and wishes is called a strong or a weak will.

"In the second case, that is, in relation to the functions of the four bodies, the

automatism of the physical body depends upon the influences of the other bodies.

Instead of the discordant and often contradictory activity of different desires, there is one single I, whole, indivisible, and permanent; there is individuality, dominating the physical body and its desires and able to overcome both its reluctance and its

resistance. Instead of the mechanical process of thinking there is consciousness. And there is will, that is, a power, not merely composed of various often contradictory desires belonging to different "I's," but issuing from consciousness and governed by individuality or a single and permanent I. Only such a will can