Saturday, July 4, 2009

The Seven Planes of Existence

What follows is my interpretation of what I’ve read from several sources—chief among them being The Michael teachings [see the sidebar for several books in the series.]

The Tao or All that Is has divided itself into layers of existence. According to Michael, Cayce, Seth and others, there are 7 Planes:
The Ordinal Planes
1] The Physical Plane
On the Physical Plane we experience separateness in all its variety. We descend into the belief system that we are separate from one another, from animals, from rocks, from plants, from the table where I’m typing this, even from the All that Is itself.

Before we come to the planet for the first time, we spend time and energy checking out several planets. We can cohabit within several species of plants and animals—even rocks and mineral formations.
In fact, one reason for the widespread beliefs among virtually all primitive peoples regarding sprites, elves, ogres, leprechauns, fairies, totems, furies, various gods, etc. etc. etc. is a recognition, at a deep level, of the presence of these pre-infant souls investigating the planet. These new souls also help the planet rejuvenate itself and recover from problems brought about by the beings already inhabiting it.

Just about now, however, new souls are looking elsewhere for planets to move onto.
About the time a planet moves into the Mature Soul Level, most new souls lose interest in it. It’s not much fun playing catch-up when almost everyone on the planet is well ahead of you. It’s also no fun at all to get left holding the bag when the planet has been pretty well screwed up before you even got here. Someone is going to have to undertake a massive cleanup if the planet is going to survive—and the infants don’t see why they should have to do the cleanup if they didn’t participate in the mess-up. And, who can blame them?
The good news [for the planet] is that this will accelerate the growth of the population as the average soul age increases more rapidly as newer souls don't continue arriving. This means that the souls that are here will become more and more willing to accept responsibility for things like the environment generally, global warming, pollution, etc.
And here’s the bad news: since those very young souls aren’t here checking us out and, meanwhile, helping with rejuvenation and recovery behind the scenes, that leaves the rest of us on our own when it comes to cleaning up the place. Ruh-roh.

Anyhow, we’re here, we’re all pretty familiar with the physical plane already.
So, I’ll move on.

2] The Astral Plane
We go to the Lower Astral Plane every night when we’re dreaming. There we can confer with our Spirit Guides—friends we left behind when we entered this lifetime. We can also meet friends who are on-planet and are engaged in dreams of their own. All of these folks help us make sense of any knotty problems we’re currently dealing with in our lives in progress. And, of course, we return the favor to those who are currently earth-bound like us.
Those of us who learn how to travel out of our bodies also land on the Lower Astral Plane.

After we die, we return to the Lower Astral and hang out with friends. We assess our most previous life along with numerous earlier lives examining patterns we’ve developed and deciding if we want to continue down those paths or reassess and choose other, possibly more productive, methods of progress.
Those of us who are more developed might take on a job of some sort—helping younger souls reorient to the life between incarnations, say. Or working with those souls who are in something I’ve heard called The Intensive Care Unit. This is an area reserved for folks who have committed acts that are deeply evil. They need ‘time’ to recognize what they’ve done, assess their actions, comprehend the fact that they’re going to have to go through karmic reckonings, etc. Though I haven’t read that this is so, I would imagine that these folks might fall into despair and need help to get through it. After all, you can’t commit suicide after you’re dead. You have to face up to your actions. So, older souls work to help them do that.
I’m sure there are other jobs I’ve not heard of that souls engage in, as well.

After we’ve cycled off the planet we move on to the Mid-astral Plane. Here we hang out again waiting for the last souls of our Entity [a loose grouping of souls who split off from the All that Is at about the same ‘time’ (sorry about the references to time, here, but I don’t know how else to talk about this stuff. Please bear with me.)]

Our Essence Twin is probably cycling off at about the same ‘time’ and, soon after we both arrive at the Mid-astral, we fuse our two souls together. We don’t lose our separate egos yet, we’re each aware of our selves—but we’re also fully aware of our Twin’s being and of its experiences on the planet and on the astral plane during the time we’ve been separated.
When all the souls from the Entity arrive, we move to the Higher Astral Plane and continue fusing. Again we don’t lose our selves, but we do become aware of all the experiences of these entities.
At about this time, we’ve fused with about 1000 souls [what Michael calls ‘fragments’].
Then we move on to the next Plane.

3] The Causal Plane
Here we teach souls on the Astral Plane and, as mentioned in the post on Off World Soul Ages, at some point we send a representative back to the planet we left behind. There, the representative soul teaches what it has learned. It may lead a nation out of bondage as Mohandas Gandhi did—or it may act as a neighborhood organizer—or it may work to enable a group of people to assert its rights.
During a transition period like the planet is traversing now, many Causal Plane representatives come back to prepare the way for the Infinite Soul.
But, every Causal Entity sends at least one representative to its previous planet. So there are at least a few present on the planet at any given time.

Unlike the Infinite Soul manifestation, this Transcendental Soul isn’t self-aware. It doesn’t know that it is different from the other souls on the planet. It lives its entire life within the body, doesn’t perform miracles [other than those similar to the ones Gandhi was able to pull off when he convinced Hindus and Muslims to work together for their common good. Even those, though, were a major struggle—depending as they did on the good will of human beings.]

The Causal Plane is the level Michael is at now. It is at this point that we begin letting go of our egos.
In all the books, Michael is referred to as ‘they’. This is because they haven’t yet shed their egos enough to begin to think of themselves as a singular being. I find it simpler, here, to refer to Michael as ‘it’—but that’s a matter of my preference and isn’t the norm in any of the books I’ve read.

At the Higher Causal, we connect with one other entity [an entity generally consists of about 1000 souls or fragments] and begin the process of fusing. Often this is an entity with which we share a lot of Essence Twins. As this fusion begins becoming complete, we start moving toward the Mental Plane.

Michael apparently hasn't begun this process yet. First, as I said above, it hasn't yet begun thinking of itself in the singular. Also, I've read that Michael consists of about 1000 fragments. So it hasn't yet begun fusing with its twin entity.

The Neutral Plane
4] The Akashic Record
It is at the Causal Plane that we first begin to interact with the Akashic Record. Maybe that’s why teachers like Gandhi, Seth and Michael teach from the Causal—after they have made contact with the knowledge it contains.

We don’t exist on this level. Instead it is essentially a library that contains all the information in the universe. It neutrally observes all that has gone on within the universe from its inception to its completion. When the universe has completed its course and is ready to spin off a baby universe, it gives a copy of this record to the new universe.
This may not apply this time though. Michael says we’ve decided not to play the physical game again—at least for the time being. But, maybe the Akashic Record will still be needed for whatever the next game will be. Who knows?

Scholars [see the posts on the soul’s Roles] dump their accumulated knowledge into the Record when they cycle off their respective planets. Other souls or entities may do this as well if they’ve a mind to, I don’t know.

The Cardinal Planes
5] The Mental Plane
On the Mental Plane you have direct intellectual contact with the All that Is. You keep on combining with other essences and entities. At this level you grasp, at an intellectual level, the infinite universe and the All.
Lao Tsu taught from the Mental Plane of Existence.

6] The Messianic Plane
On the Messianic Plane you experience agape [complete, total love for all beings]. At this level you comprehend the oneness of all and recognize that love for the other is, in fact, love for oneself. You have direct emotional contact with the All that Is and grasp, at an emotional level, the Infinite.
You continue blending until you have enfolded about 100,000 souls.
The Christ Soul taught from the Messianic Plane of Existence.

7] The Buddhaic Plane

At the lower levels of the Buddhaic Plane, you merge with all other Essences, Entities and Cadres of sentient beings. As you rise higher you join with non-sentient beings—animals, plants, minerals, planets, suns, the space between all the matter in the universe. Here, you comprehend at the instinctive level, the infinity of the All that Is and, in the final levels, you combine with the total consciousness of the All that Is and your journey is complete.
The Buddha Soul taught from the Buddhaic Plane of Existence.

You may remain within the All that Is for as long as you wish [although here, again, language fails as you are no longer ‘you’ but are one with the Infinite]. At any time, any fragment may splinter off and begin a new journey. Or, any fragment may choose to remain within the Whole and never leave again.
If a fragment does choose to cast itself off and make the circle again it will, almost without exception, choose a new Role, a different male/female energy, a different frequency, a new Essence Twin, go to a different planet from the last time [or choose not to take the physical route and remain separate from the universe], and on and on. In this way, we continuously bring back a wide variety of experiences adding breadth and depth to the Whole.

Michael says that, on average, the souls on this planet are experiencing their third walk-about.
xxx
The entire universe, according to Michael, is based on the number 7. It also says that the number 3 is a significant number. That is why, so says Michael, people empower those two numbers. We instinctively know that they are important.
I’ve begun to wonder, lately, if this has anything to do with the discovery, by Einstein, of 11 dimensions in the universe. 7 + 4 [3 spatial + time] = 11.
Just wondering along.

10 comments:

Unparallel Love said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unparallel Love said...

Hi, I'm eighteen years old and have recently begun reading about what you discuss in this blog. I've read the Micheal teachings and other articles on souls levels and previous lives. Ever since I was a child I've had a difficult time interacting with people my own "age", and have always felt mentally older and more wise then those around me. Throughout the past year I've been drawn to certain people who I automatically feel comfortable around, when I typically never feel at ease with anyone. While spending time with these people my powers, so to speak, have grown stronger. This leads me to believe that we are in fact, drawn to souls of our own age. I believe that I am still gripping onto some of my mature soul, but am on the way towards my old soul. I have the ability to see right through people, see and sense spirits/demons, I feel the worlds pain and individuals as if it's my own, experience deja vu in regards to experiences I have no clear remembrance of, and have a far deeper understanding of the world then one would expect from a person my age. I'm very interested in recalling my past life experiences and figuring out who I was in previous lives, but am unsure of how to go about this. I am extremely curious about anything you have to say in regards to this subject, and would really love to talk to you and hear your experiences and wisdom if you so have the time. My email address is paralyticabyss@aim.com if you are interested in sharing and exchanging words with me :)

Thank you greatly, Chelsea

two crows said...

hi Chelsea and welcome to AtI.

I know what you mean about having a hard time connecting with people. Sometimes I feel like an outcast and wonder, "what's wrong with me?"

but I try to just let myself be ok with the fact that I'm different from the majority of the population.

and, yes, I'd like to talk with you privately. my email name is 'two crows' too -- so you'll know it's me when I write you.

susan said...

Oh, it's been too long since I've come by to visit your blog. Your wisdom is shining bright, dear lady.

two crows said...

hi, Susan --
it's good to see you again. thanks for the kind words.

Munkai said...

did i come to the right place?

The astral planes of existence exist outside of us, yet inside of us. When i let go words cannot describe.
I dont know if this universe is all that, what is my place in it?
describe the universe and its beauty dwindles in my eyes, and everyday i see little wonder left in it.

Anonymous said...

You are wrong in the final matter, by the way – the fundamental number of existence is not 7, but 5 – the, if you will, quintessential number. Seven is an illusion that is created when duality is applied to the Truth, which is One (or well, five, but humans have only one name for it: 5+2=7.

Unknown said...

This is a very interesting discussion. Much of the info here is fairly correct however, as I have been so far able to ascertain, the basic planes or levels are physical, astral, causal, mental, etheric and soul. The astral has many various sublevels just as here on earth which represent lifestyles such as for criminals up to philanthropic/spiritual people. We are much more connected on the inner and life tends to be a bit more peaceful and creative due to the lighter/higher vibration rate. There is also much lower iertia And thought forms happen much faster. Things in the physical take far longer to change or happen. The causal is all memories, the mental is mind stuff while the etheric is the primitive mind. The soul plane is the first of the true spiritual planes and is beyond duality. It is the true home of soul and is the stepping stone for exploration into the God Worlds

Unknown said...

I just want to say you are not alone in this world and also never feel alone

Anonymous said...

Why do I always feel I've been here and done this before? At first I thought it was an imbalance of hormones making me dream of what was to come and what was perceived. I've had vivid dreams of flying across the world near ground level seeing all but on an observatory level. Sometimes I'd crash into the ground waking me up but the euphoria of the dream staying with me with all the time with it's vivid detail. I feel others emotions and connect with everyone around me. I can steer people to the right path and it feels good I also have the ability to affect others when my mood is negative which worries me deeply. I envisage the future and feel my mood controls the outcome of future scenarios I always want to feel happy positive thoughts so others are not affected by my negative side. This feeling is not on a basic level but much higher. I always gravitate towards old souls and feel wiser than my age. I hold court when I speak to a group which is not my intention but happens anyway. Why do I always have the feeling that there is more than this? I've read your philosophy on the planes of existence it sort of makes sense but also lacks definition and presumes supposition, it is too opinionated and the grounding is weak. I/we need to understand why. I'm not bipolar by the way, I believe that we could have potentially been more than one otherwise the feeling of knowledge beyond your actual self would not be present.