Thursday 22 November 2012

The "Materialisms" Plane - four lower divisions

 



The following diagram, based on notes from the Argamon Center teachings, gives the details of the lower four of the seven divisions of the Material plane as understood by Theon. This diagram is in French, I have given a corresponding English version below.

Materialisms sub-divisions

Materialisms sub-divisions




M
A
T
E
R
I
A
L

C
L
A
S
S
I
F
I
C
A
T
I
O
N
States Degrees Sub-degrees
4th State
Mental
Mental Colour: Blue
Psychic
Nervous
Physical
5th State
Psychic
Mental Colour: Light Rose
Psychic
Nervous
Physical
6th State
Nervous
Mental abode of the first Bannis, with Adad
(the brilliant/dazzling light)
Psychic region of harmonious evolution
(light violet colour)
Nervous abode of Kai in Mahuiael - on the way to the Soul
Physical
Region of the Hostile
(large abyss)
Mixture of Molecular matter (colour leaden grey) Abode of the germes of vital dissociation

Intermediate stratum
Abode of larval formations
7th State
Physical
Mental
Light of Equilibrium in Justice:
Conception - Divination
Intuition - Intelligence
Mental Divine Spark - Holy of Holies
Sanctuary of the Individual Life
Worship of the Divine Occupant
Psychic
Nervous
Physical
Psychic

Passive Intelligence
Ideal Thought
Asopiration
Mental Intellectual Soul
Psychic
Nervous Sense Soul
Physical
Nervous
(called the Astral)

Active Intelligence
Perception
Volitional Decisions
Mental small abyss Deliberation
Psychomental Determination
Psychic
Nervopsychic Volition
Nervous
Nervophysical Impulsion

--> weak and dark; localised in the bony framework
Physical
Physical
Sensations
Mental Self-regulation of the functions of the organism and celluar activity


Breathable atmosphere - mixture of physical matter
Terrestrial husks
Concretions - components of the Glorious Body
Psychic
Nervous
Physical


Here we see a cosmology on the one hand very similar to the equivalent esoteric formulations of Blavatsky, Adyar Theosophy, Steiner, and Sant Mat, yet also differing in many details of interpretation. I have used Theon's cosmology as one of the guidelines in proposing my own integral metaphysics

There seems little doubt that what Theon (or at least this diagram) refers to as "the Nervous degree of the Physical state" (also termed "Astral" here, however Theon did not use that term) is what I have been referring to (following Adyar Theosphy, Rudolph Steiner, and Alice Bailey) as the "Etheric plane". This is the plane of Steiner's Etheric Formative Forces and Barbara Ann Brennan's Human Energy Field - the seven auric bodies. Both the Theon diagram and Blavatsky use the term "astral" here, and it seems that in both these teachings there is a confusion between the "etheric" and the "astral plane". What Leadbeater (Adyar Theosophy), popular occultism, and the New Age movement all call the "Astral Plane", I suggest (following Steiner) to be the region or ontological gradation beyond the "etheric". The the (6th) Nervous state of the Materialisms world is a similar but larger and more primary reality; Sri Aurobindo and Mirra call this the "Vital World', although to avoid confusion with "nervous" and "vital" I use the term Intermediate Universe (or Plane) to refer to this reality. This has four subdivisions or degrees (at least in this diagram) which can be considered four gradations of light and darkness. Only in the lowest, or Physical Nervo degree (which presumably shades into the Nervo Physical degree) does one find the "Hostile" or anti-divine forces. The three higher degrees constitute planes of (presumably increasing) light and harmonious evolution.

The two higher States (or Planes or Universes) represent more elevated, spiritual states, which are only poorly described here. More on this under Subdivisions of being - the 4-fold Classification




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