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The Twelfth Lesson: Occult Miscellany.901
the knowledge of which has filtered through to the masses in the more or
less distorted theories regarding “heavens.”
But the Yogis do not teach that these “heavens” are places at all. The
teaching is that they are planes of existence. It is difficult to explain just what
is meant by this word “plane.” The nearest approach to it in English is the
term or word “State.” A portion of space may be occupied by several planes
at the same time, just as a room may be filled with the rays of the sun, those
of a lamp. X-rays, magnetic and electric vibrations and waves, etc., each
interpenetrating each other and yet not affecting or interfering with each
other.
On the lower planes of the Astral World there are to be found the earthbound
souls which have passed out from their former bodies, but which are
attracted to the earthly scenes by strong attractions, which serve to weight
them down and to prevent them from ascending to the higher planes. On
the higher planes are souls that are less bound by earthly attractions, and
who, accordingly, are relieved of the weight resulting therefrom. These
planes rise in an ascending scale, each plane being higher and more spiritual
than the one lower than itself. And dwelling on each plane are the souls
fitted to occupy it, by reason of their degree of spiritual development, or
evolution. When the soul first leaves the body it falls into a sleep-like stage,
from which it awakens to find itself on the plane for which it is fitted, by
reason of its development, attractions, character, etc. The particular plane
occupied by each soul is determined by the progress and attainment it has
made in its past lives. The souls on the higher planes may, and often do, visit
the planes lower in the scale than their own, but those on the lower planes
may not visit those higher than their own. Quoting from our own writings
on this subject, published several years ago, we repeat: This prohibition
regarding the visiting of higher planes is not an arbitrary rule, but a law of
nature. If the student will pardon the commonplace comparison, he may
get an understanding of it, by imagining a large screen, or series of screens,
such as used for sorting coal into sizes. The large coal is caught by the first