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{{short description|Concept of a world of celestial spheres}}
{{Other uses}}
[[File:Oresme Spheres (detail).jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|right|The [[celestial spheres|astral spheres]] were thought to be [[plane (esotericism)|planes]] of [[hierarchy of angels|angelic existence]] intermediate between [[Sublunary sphere|Earth]] and [[heaven]].]]
{{planes of existence}}
The '''astral plane''', also called the '''astral realm''', or the '''astral world''', or the '''soul realm''', or the '''spirit realm''', is a [[Plane (esotericism)|plane of existence]] postulated by classical, medieval, oriental, [[Western esotericism|esoteric]], and [[New Age]] philosophies and [[Greco-Roman mysteries|mystery religions]].<ref name="G.R.S. Mead, 1919">G. R. S. Mead, ''The Doctrine of the Subtle Body in Western Tradition'', Watkins 1919.</ref> It is the world of the [[celestial spheres]], crossed by the [[soul]] in its [[astral body]] on the way to being born and [[afterlife|after death]], and is generally believed to be populated by [[angel]]s, spirits, or other immaterial beings.<ref>Plato, ''The Republic'', trans. Desmond Lee, Harmondsworth.</ref> In the late 19th and early 20th century, the term was popularised by [[Theosophy]] and neo-[[Rosicrucianism]].

Another view holds that the astral plane or world, rather than being some kind of boundary area crossed by the soul, is the entirety of spirit existence or spirit worlds to which those who die on Earth go, and where they live out their non-physical lives. It is understood by adherents that all consciousness resides in the astral plane.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=The Astral H.D.|last=Robinson|first=Matte|publisher=Bloomsbury|year=2016|isbn=9781628924176|location=United States of America|pages=15–47}}</ref> Some writers conflate this realm with [[heaven]] or [[paradise]] or [[Divinization (Christian)|union with God]] itself, while others do not. [[Paramahansa Yogananda]] wrote in ''[[Autobiography of a Yogi]]'' (1946), "The astral universe ... is hundreds of times larger than the material universe ... [with] many astral planets, teeming with astral beings."

The "World of ''[[Al-Ghaib]]''" and the "World of ''[[Barzakh]]''" are related concepts in [[Islam]] (also the concept of {{lang|ar-Latn|'âlam al-mithâl}} "[[Malakut|imaginal world]]" in [[Sufism]]). In [[Judaism]], it is known as the "World of ''[[Yetzirah]]''", according to [[Isaac Luria|Lurianic]] [[Kabbalah]].

== History ==

[[Plato]] and [[Aristotle]] taught that the stars were composed of a type of matter different from the four [[Classical element|earthly (classical) elements]] – an [[Aether (classical element)|ethereal]] [[Fifth Element|fifth element]] or [[Aether (classical element)|quintessence]]. In the "astral mysticism" of the classical world the human psyche was composed of the same material, thus accounting for the influence of the stars upon human affairs. In his commentaries on Plato's [[Timaeus (dialogue)|''Timaeus'']], [[Proclus]] wrote the following:

<blockquote>Man is a little world (mikros cosmos). For, just like the Whole, he possesses both mind and reason, both a divine and a mortal body. He is also divided up according to the universe. It is for this reason, you know, that some are accustomed to say that his consciousness corresponds with the nature of the fixed stars, his reason in its contemplative aspect with Saturn and in its social aspect with Jupiter, (and) as to his irrational part, the passionate nature with Mars, the eloquent with Mercury, the appetitive with Venus, the sensitive with the Sun and the vegetative with the Moon.<ref>Quoted in: G.R.S. Mead, ''The Doctrine of the Subtle Body in Western Tradition'', Watkins 1919, page 84 (Slightly adapted).</ref></blockquote>

Such doctrines were commonplace in mystery-schools and [[Hermeticism|Hermetic]] and [[Gnosticism|gnostic]] sects throughout the [[Roman Empire]].

Among Muslims the "astral" world-view was soon rendered orthodox by [[Quran]]ic references to the [[Muhammad in Islam|Prophet Muhammad]]’s [[Isra' and Mi'raj|ascent]] through the [[seven heavens]]. Scholars took up the Greek Neoplatonist accounts as well as similar material in [[Hinduism|Hindu]] and [[Zoroastrianism|Zoroastrian]] texts.<ref>The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: "There are two states for man &ndash; the state in this world and the state in the next; there is also a third state, the state intermediate between these two, which can be likened to the dream [state]. While in the intermediate state a man experiences both the other states, that of this world and that in the next; and the manner whereof is as follows: when he dies he lives only in the subtle body, on which are left the impressions of his past deeds, and of those impressions is he aware, illumined as they are by the light of the Transcendent Self"</ref> The expositions of [[Avicenna|Ibn Sina]] (i.e. Avicenna), the [[Brethren of Purity|Brotherhood of Purity]] and others, when translated into [[Latin]] in the [[England in the High Middle Ages|Norman era]], were to have a profound effect upon European medieval [[alchemy]] and [[astrology]]. By the 14th century, [[Dante Alighieri|Dante]] was describing his own imaginary journey through the astral spheres in his [[Paradiso (Dante)|''Paradiso'']].<ref>[[Miguel Asín Palacios]] ''La Escatología musulmana en la Divina Comedia [Muslim Eschatology in the Divine Comedy]'' (1919). Seyyed Hossein Nasr, ''An Introduction to Islamic Cosmological Doctrines'', University of New York Press, ''passim''. Idries Shah, ''The Sufis'', Octagon Press, 1st Ed. 1964.</ref>

Throughout the [[Renaissance]], philosophers, [[Paracelsus|Paracelsians]], [[Rosicrucianism|Rosicrucians]], and alchemists continued to discuss the nature of the astral world between Earth and the divine. Once the telescope established no spiritual heaven was visible around the [[Solar System]], the idea was superseded in mainstream science.{{citation needed|reason=Content unavailable|date=May 2016}}

== Astral experience ==

According to various [[occult]] teachings, the astral plane can be visited consciously through [[astral projection]], [[meditation]] and [[mantra]], [[near-death experience]], [[Lucid dream|lucid dreaming]], [[hypnosis]], or other means. Individuals that are trained in the use of the astral vehicle can separate their consciousness in the astral vehicle from the physical body at will.<ref>J. H. Brennan, ''Astral Doorways'', Thoth Publications 1996 {{ISBN|978-1-870450-21-8}}; Robert Monroe, "Journeys out of the Body,"</ref> The first stage in development, according to [[William Walker Atkinson]] (also known as Yogi Ramacharaka), is "mastery of the physical body and its care and attention", which pertains not only to the physical body but also to its double in the astral.<ref name=":0" /> In addition, one must spend time tuning the "instinctive mind".<ref name=":0" /> The first three subdivisions of the instinctive mind are passions, desires, and lusts. The second stage is the intellect, otherwise known as the sharpening of the mind. Someone operating largely out of the instinctive mind would "have only a glimmering of intellect", similarly those who are centered in the intellect would only have an inkling of the third, 'spiritual' stage of development. Once both earlier stages are completed the spiritual mind can be awakened.<ref name=":0" />

In early [[Theosophy (Blavatskian)|theosophical]] literature the term "astral" may refer to the [[aether (classical element)|aether]]. Later theosophical authors such as [[Annie Besant]] and [[Charles Webster Leadbeater|C. W. Leadbeater]] make the astral finer{{clarify|date=September 2024}} than the [[etheric plane]] but "denser" than the mental plane.  In order to create a unified view of seven bodies and remove earlier [[Sanskrit]] terms, an [[etheric plane]] was introduced and the term "astral body" was used to replace the former [[kamarupa]] - sometimes termed the ''body of emotion, illusion'' or ''desire''.<ref name="G.R.S. Mead, 1919" /> Some of those propounding such claims explain their belief that letting go of desires is spiritual progress by noting that, the more one lets go of earthly 'desire' feelings, the less tied down to the physical world, a world of illusion, and the more connected to the astral, where all is visible and known.<ref>Frank Lester, The Eternal Verities, 1962, Sedona, Az, pp. 31-35</ref>

According to [[Max Heindel]]'s [[Rosicrucianism|Rosicrucian]] writings, ''desire-stuff'' may be described as a type of force-matter, in incessant motion, responsive to the slightest ''feeling''. The desire world is also said to be the abode of the dead for some time subsequent to death. It is also the home of the [[Archangel|archangels]]. In the higher regions of the desire world thoughts take a definite form and color perceptible to all, all is light and there is but one long day.

In his book ''Autobiography of a Yogi'', [[Paramahansa Yogananda]] provides details about the astral planes learned from his guru.<ref name="Paramahansa Yogananda 1946">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iN6fdZR6rXkC&pg=PA400|title=Autobiography of a Yogi|author=Paramahansa Yogananda|year=1946|publisher=The Philosophical Library, Inc|isbn=9788120725249}}</ref> Yogananda claims that nearly all individuals enter the astral planes after death. There they work out the seeds of past [[Karma in Hinduism|karma]] through astral incarnations, or (if their karma requires) they return to earthly incarnations for further refinement. Once an individual has attained the meditative state of [[nirvikalpa|nirvikalpa samadhi]] in an earthy or astral incarnation, the soul may progress upward to the "illumined astral planet" of Hiranyaloka.<ref name="Paramahansa Yogananda 1946"/> After this transitional stage, the soul may then move upward to the more subtle causal spheres where many more incarnations allow them to further refine before [[Satcitananda|final unification]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://reluctant-messenger.com/yogananda/chapter_43.htm|title=Autobiography of a Yogi|author=Paramahansa Yogananda|year=1946|access-date=20 July 2011}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Astral religion]]
* [[Bardo]]
* [[Chakra]]
* [[Dream world (plot device)]]
* [[Etheric plane]]
* [[Inner space (science fiction)|Inner space]]
* [[Limbo]]
* [[Pure land]]
* [[Religious cosmology]]
* [[Spirit world (disambiguation)|Spirit world]]
* [[Subtle body]]
* [[Takamagahara]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
* Bruce, Robert, ''Astral Dynamics: A NEW Approach to Out-of-Body Experiences'', 1999, {{ISBN|1-57174-143-7}}
* [[Buhlman, William]], Adventures Beyond the Body: How to experience out-of-body travel. {{ISBN|978-0-06-251371-7}}
* [[Max Heindel|Heindel, Max]], ''The Rosicrucian Mysteries (Chapter III: [http://www.rosicrucian.com/rms/rmseng01.htm#Chapter_III The Visible and the Invisible Worlds])'', 1911, {{ISBN|0-911274-86-3}}
* [[C.W. Leadbeater|Leadbeater, Charles Webster]], [http://www.spiritwritings.com/leadbeaterastral.pdf ''The Astral Plane: Its scenery, inhabitants and phenomena''], 1900
* [[Arthur E. Powell|Powell, Arthur E.]], ''The Astral Body and other Astral Phenomena''
* [[Rudolf Steiner|Steiner, Rudolf]], ''Theosophy: An introduction to the supersensible knowledge of the world and the destination of man''. London: Rudolf Steiner Press. (1904) 1970
* [[Paul Twitchell|Twitchell, Paul]], "[[ECKANKAR]] - The Key to Secret Worlds" Eckankar, 2nd Ed.  2001.  {{ISBN|1-57043-154-X}}
* ----- ''Occult Science - An Outline''. Trans. George and Mary Adams. London: Rudolf Steiner Press, 1909, 1969
* [[Tommaso Palamidessi]], ''Come sdoppiarsi e viaggiare nei mondi soprasensibili'', Vol. III, ed. Archeosofica, 1989.
* [[Paramahansa Yogananda|Yogananda, Paramahansa]], [https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Autobiography_of_a_Yogi/Chapter_43 ''Autobiography of a Yogi''], Los Angeles, CA: Self-Realization Fellowship, 1946, Chapter 43.

{{Fantasy fiction}}{{Theosophy topics}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Astral Plane}}

[[Category:Afterlife places]]
[[Category:Astral projection]]
[[Category:Ceremonial magic]]
[[Category:Esoteric cosmology]]
[[Category:Theosophical philosophical concepts]]