Theos-Talk Archives (October 1995 Message tl00269)

Jerry S. writes,

> Eldon, why do you suggest the psychic as an "extension of the
> physical senses?" Is this from Purucker? I see the physical senses
> as perception on the physical plane via the physical body. We have
> bodies with appropriate senses on each plane. I see the "psychic" as
> data incoming through the astral or mental senses on either the astral
> or mental planes. They are not extensions of the physical senses in
> any way that I can see and act quite independent of the physical body
> and/or the physical senses.
HPB and William Q. Judge both speak of the psychic/astral as the ROOT of the
physical senses. The physical organs do not sense OF THEMSELVES, but have
their actual seats on the astral plane. On that plane, those senses are
potentially unlimited, but when expressed through the veil of matter in a
physical body, they are greatly curtailed because of the density of matter.

When one awakens to one's astral self, those senses become activated there,
and are greatly extended, since this is their natural place.

"Psychic" in HPB's and WQJ's terms means simply "astral" and has little or
nothing to do with "mental" since lower manas is focused (in general in
humanity (including us)) on the PHYSICAL PLANE. Lower Manas is "embodied
mind" and so deals with the physical, temporal, spatial, sensible. Higher
Manas is not in a vehicle of gross matter, and thus is NEVER called psychic,
but "noetic." We are not taught any "mansic" body by early writers, in fact
they call it "arupa", formless or bodiless.

No where do I see HPB or WQJ teaching that we have "bodies" and "senses" on
each plane. The three higher principles (Atma, Buddhi, Higher Manas) are
absolutely formless, have no bodies, nothing that we could call senses, and
experience "directly," or intuitively, without instruments (on their own
planes). Only when they work in the lower realms do they require bodies.

As for the Kama principle, we know that it too is "bodiless" in life except
for being groudned in the physical body (rupa). After death, the kamic
coalesces with the astral body, forming what is called the "kama-rupa" of
body of desire, but this is the ASTRAL body informed by Kama, kama has not
body of it's own.

In all primary Theosophical sources (and Crosbie and Purucker stick to this)
only 2 bodies are spoken of, physical and astral, and only 7 senses -- 5
developed, 2 to go. I have never heard that Manas has a "body" on its own
plane, with or without senses.

Rich