I have been thinking about the energetic centers in the body lately and have come to a different view about them. I have expressed this before and i have seen the basic idea been talked about on here but i don't believe i have seen a thread directly about it. The energy centers i think are really different levels of awareness or consciousness, which are simply visualized or thought of as circles of energy in the body, as a means to understand them in a way which is perhaps a little closer to physical reality than a metaphysical reality, an invocation or creation of energy or self created expansion in awareness. The centers are simply an evolution of consciousness rising from the foundations of survival and ending in a unified transpersonal experience of non-duality. In truth the energy centers do not really exist in and of them selves, but are simply the manifestation of an ever expanding and evolving consciousness. I perhaps may go as far to say that the attachment to the idea of an energetic body or centers may really be the product of ego, something to grasp or to hold on to, almost like a walking stick that helps one make sense of experience. I am not out rightly saying that they do not effect us or have a place in reality but simply sharing a slightly different view on the centers.
The energy body may then be seen as something we create through experience , something more subjective in nature rather than being fixed or solid. The idea of the energy centers already being in potential may really reflect the nature of time/space being 3 dimensional time with the possibility of a future happening in the present rather than something already happening and here, yet to say it is not happening would also not be fully correct.
the energy centres are a way of connecting to the 7 sub-densities of each density. Thus the mind is 'informed' of the relevant context for each density. And so one can do 'work' in that particular density.
if one has become 'clear' or transparent in each energy centre, the mind has no resistance to what that Density is offering the self. And thus, one is free to pass through that Density.
That's the matter of the mind crystallizing certain biases, so they are then expressed in some physical/energetic form in the energy centers.
I agree with both Matt1 and Plenum.
Location is an illusion, and as such, location in terms of metaphysical structures like "chakras" may be viewed in the same light we might look at locations in a dream world. The locations may not be real, but their locations are symbolically relevant parts of their structure. For example, the heart chakra is in the center of the system in very close proximity to the physical heart symbolizing the importance of this metaphysical aspect of consciousness -- at the very "heart" or core of the structure. A similar analysis and relevance can be found with the rest of the structures. You can also look at in terms of being the portion of the physical body that 'resonates' most closely with the level of consciousness of the energy center. In fact if you look at the frequency of sound it has been shown that bass most strongly affects the lower organs and nerve centers, and the stomach and sexual organs. Midrange affects the chest and heart, and higher pitch noises and white noise affect the head and brain as well as most strongly affecting our more subtle emotions.
Each higher ray encompasses a level of consciousness that is more subjective than the last. In the world of consciousness there is a nexus between subject and object, mind and matter, experiencer and experience. At the lowest level, red ray, the consciousness is oriented most predominately toward the objective world -- the consciousness is almost completed projected "outwards" which gives it its "tangibleness" or "physicalness". The next layer of consciousness, orange ray, still leans predominately toward this objective "outwards" world but has begun to lean towards the subjective to some degree. The next level, yellow ray, begins to lean enough towards the subjective world to be able to encompass "abstract thought". And so on up the rays until you get to violet ray which is pure subjective energy, pure mind, just as red ray is pure matter. Technically violet ray encompasses the whole spectrum, so the pure matter of red ray is included in its vibratory field as the counterbalance to its pure mind. The pure outwards focus balances the pure inwards focus.
In terms of the energy bodies, you talked of them being something created through experience. I think this is largely correct in the sense that each progressive ray or layer of consciousness encompasses a different "energy body" but each of these bodies exists in a progressively more subjective reality. While there are physical reflections of these rays at every level (for example, there is a physical red ray body, a physical orange ray body, a physical yellow ray body etc.) there are also "pure ray" versions of these bodies which are the nonlocal energy bodies, or subtle bodies of these levels. For example, the subtle orange ray body, from my perspective would be the "lower astral energy body", which is the subjective manifestation of interacting with the orange ray energy level. In the same way you could look at the physical body as being able to only see and interact with "red ray physical material", in the lower astral body you are seeing and interacting with only orange ray vibratory material. Here there are still vestiges of the tangible since it is not far removed from it, but there will be differences in the experience, it will be less solid or tangible in certain respects. I've said before this is the level where most people dream at night, in the focus of energy that is the "personal level".
The remainder of the subtle bodies follow a similar logic of progression from the outer projection of objective reality we are familiar with to more and more purely subjective world of inner realities, literally "within us". We tend to associate the "subjective" with not being real due to materialistic notions, but it is actually an even more real, consistent, and more vivid reality than what we are familiar with in the physical world, albeit far more fluid. The fluid part is only the outer appearance, as the "inner aspects" of these realities are actually quite consistent in terms of "consciousness texture", which can be just as solid and steady from that framework as a physical landmark is to us in this physical reality.
So the ultimate point of describing that was just to affirm that your concept, that energy bodies are something we "create" as a matter of convenience for navigating reality, is a valid one in my opinion. Ultimately, there are no barriers in consciousness, there are simply "filters" that we have chosen to take on, for the sake of the experience. As such, the levels of consciousness that the energy centers represent are just levels of "filter" or thresholds of understanding that encompass a certain degree of the all encompassing light of the OIC.
All is just consciousness. The "inner" and "outer" aspect comes into being in my opinion at the exact same point as the Logos comes into focus. It takes a "self" to have an inner and outer aspect. Self is the line in the sand between the two. In fact the self reflexively produces this barrier between the subjective and objective. It is my belief that the 8th density lies beyond that "self" and as such there is no distinction between the two after that point. The Logos is a 7th density focus of consciousness from my perspective -- the proto or archetypal Self that we are all reflections of. So I tend to think of the 8th level as being akin to the eastern concept of nirvana, or liberation, that is beyond all sense of ego or self.
Anyway, just thought I would share some thoughts on the matter. Always a fascinating topic of discussion.
Not really my understanding once I apply geometry, but an interesting thought.
How I understand from LOO:
Energy centers or chakras are entering points of energy (some function also as output).
Quote:Ra: /.../ Love, creating light, becoming love/light, streams into the planetary sphere according to the electromagnetic web of points or nexi of entrance. These streamings are then available to the individual who, like the planet, is a web of electromagnetic energy fields with points or nexi of entrance.
In a balanced individual each energy center is balanced and functioning brightly and fully. The blockages of your planetary sphere cause some distortion of intelligent energy. The blockages of the mind/body/spirit complex further distort or unbalance this energy. There is one energy. It may be understood as love/light or light/love or intelligent energy.
Yeah I view the energy centres as psychological milestones. They are not abstract colourful crystal patterns as such to me, although they may be understood that way I guess. The metaphysical rhetoric eludes me for the most part. The way in which I grasp our psychic energy centres (I remember Ra defining the study of the 22 archetypes as "archetypes of the mind" somewhere) is by fleshing out what I am generally thinking about and exploring the motivation of why I am thinking such things. This points me to where I am situated psychically. Or points to which window I am currently looking out of (I love the idea of energy centres being represented as windows).
Essentially I think I am just reiterating what Plenum has offered.
To add something else, I believe the reason that Ra term the green centre as a "springboard" to blue is because of a fearless momentum. It takes a lot of courage to activate the heart centre within a social climate of orange/yellow. It only requires a stubborn faith in something that appears new and undiscovered to the self, that acts as a catalyst to self realisation. Self doubt is then perceived as a wholly unhelpful experience, as opposed to a rational query that elongates the journey from air to water. Breathing while under water is a good metaphor for blue ray perception imo.
Something that makes me scratch my head regarding energy centers is how a red ray blocage can block the upward flow of energy to the higher chakras but never actually restrict someone from actually connecting with higher rays. How should we describe blocages then? Is it only a restriction to freedom of expression of the rays? Or maybe just restriction of equilibrium between each of them?
(02-04-2017, 10:04 PM)Night Owl Wrote: [ -> ]Something that makes me scratch my head regarding energy centers is how a red ray blocage can block the upward flow of energy to the higher chakras but never actually restrict someone from actually connecting with higher rays. How should we describe blocages then? Is it only a restriction to freedom of expression of the rays? Or maybe just restriction of equilibrium between each of them?
In my humble understanding the energy from the South Pole needs the higher centers in order to be transmuted into higher work, while the energy from the North Pole needs unblocked lower centers for it to become manifested in the physical. For example someone can be philosophical but can't actually function in society, or someone has a lot of personal power but it's wasted on hedonistic pursuits.
A more practical question: What's the advantage of knowing energy centers and how can you work with them?
We can't see these centers and energy flow but we can feel it in our body and see some manifestations and alerts. I think the advantage of becoming the adept is to know what are your main study areas of mind/body/spirit complex to keep watch over and to work at.
It's also good to know the order of the chakras. Ra recommends to start building the fundaments of mind/body as preparation for spiritual (healing) work.
But later Ra gives some different exercises for general developement of the reader:
1. The moment contains love. That is the lesson/goal of this illusion or density. The exercise is to consciously seek that love in awareness and understanding distortions. The first attempt is the cornerstone ...
2.-4. See Creator in every other-self, self and creation.
Prerequisite: predilection towards what may be called meditation, contemplation, or prayer.
This looks like building from the middle or from top! So: In what order should one work?
I must be one of those weirdos that considers everything metaphysical to have a physical analog. I think the chakras or galgalim exist as points of focus for 'the cosmic instreaming' and as such as focal points are perfectly 'real' in the body. Geometry is still a thing even if it's built on an invisible abstract
I am fairly convinced the body has as much validity of existence as the mind as an extension of consciousness and don't see how it would be anymore illusory than the mind. The line between 'illusion' and 'not-illusion' is rather small in my mind since supposedly all of Creation is predicated on the idea of it being illusory.
Maybe consciousness is illusory too? Why is everyone so convinced it's 'the real thing'? That is the freedom of will of awareness. Totally an illusion. The Creator has only tricked itself in to believing it is aware, am I right?
(02-05-2017, 08:32 AM)1109 Wrote: [ -> ]In my humble understanding the energy from the South Pole needs the higher centers in order to be transmuted into higher work, while the energy from the North Pole needs unblocked lower centers for it to become manifested in the physical. For example someone can be philosophical but can't actually function in society, or someone has a lot of personal power but it's wasted on hedonistic pursuits.
That seems to be it. I've always been bothered by this question myself. I think the stumbling block is that we are only ever the totality of our experiences, so thinking of the higher rays as more complete leads to confusion. The higher rays seem to be something we can access, yet we will never fully be working with the ray if the lower energies are less than adequate, or rather, everything only exists or can only be defined in relationship to other things. The lower and higher weave together..one moves upward as the other moves downward.
(02-05-2017, 12:07 PM)Aion Wrote: [ -> ]Maybe consciousness is illusory too? Why is everyone so convinced it's 'the real thing'? That is the freedom of will of awareness. Totally an illusion. The Creator has only tricked itself in to believing it is aware, am I right?
Something on this topic (from the book about Ramakrishna):
Quote:Sri Ramakrishna, on the other hand, though fully aware, like his guru, that the world is an illusory appearance, instead of slighting maya [illusion], like an orthodox monist, acknowledged its power in the relative life. He was all love and reverence for maya, perceiving in it a mysterious and majestic expression of Divinity. To him maya itself was God, for everything was God. It was one of the faces of Brahman. What he had realized on the heights of the transcendental plane, he also found here below, everywhere about him, under the mysterious garb of names and forms. And this garb was a perfectly transparent sheath, through which he recognized the glory of the Divine Immanence. Maya, the mighty weaver of the garb, is none other than Kali, the Divine Mother. She is the primordial Divine Energy, Sakti, and She can no more be distinguished from the Supreme Brahman than can the power of burning be distinguished from fire. She projects the world and again withdraws it. She spins it as the spider spins its web. She is the Mother of the Universe, identical with the Brahman of Vedanta, and with the Atman of Yoga. As eternal Lawgiver, She makes and unmakes laws; it is by Her imperious will that karma yields its fruit. She ensnares men with illusion and again releases them from bondage with a look of Her benign eyes. She is the supreme Mistress of the cosmic play, and all objects, animate and inanimate, dance by Her will. Even those who realize the Absolute in nirvikalpa samadhi are under Her jurisdiction as long as they still live on the relative plane.
(02-05-2017, 08:32 AM)1109 Wrote: [ -> ]In my humble understanding the energy from the South Pole needs the higher centers in order to be transmuted into higher work, while the energy from the North Pole needs unblocked lower centers for it to become manifested in the physical.
Is this
upward and downward flow a part of the
rhythm of universe or the beating of a "big heart" as Ra said? We experience this as two flows/processes:
-
outward - I understand this as creation, embodiment
-
inward - I understand this as the reverse of creation, spiritualization, becoming Creator, deification
(02-08-2017, 02:34 AM)loostudent Wrote: [ -> ] (02-05-2017, 12:07 PM)Aion Wrote: [ -> ]Maybe consciousness is illusory too? Why is everyone so convinced it's 'the real thing'? That is the freedom of will of awareness. Totally an illusion. The Creator has only tricked itself in to believing it is aware, am I right?
Something on this topic (from the book about Ramakrishna):
Quote:Sri Ramakrishna, on the other hand, though fully aware, like his guru, that the world is an illusory appearance, instead of slighting maya [illusion], like an orthodox monist, acknowledged its power in the relative life. He was all love and reverence for maya, perceiving in it a mysterious and majestic expression of Divinity. To him maya itself was God, for everything was God. It was one of the faces of Brahman. What he had realized on the heights of the transcendental plane, he also found here below, everywhere about him, under the mysterious garb of names and forms. And this garb was a perfectly transparent sheath, through which he recognized the glory of the Divine Immanence. Maya, the mighty weaver of the garb, is none other than Kali, the Divine Mother. She is the primordial Divine Energy, Sakti, and She can no more be distinguished from the Supreme Brahman than can the power of burning be distinguished from fire. She projects the world and again withdraws it. She spins it as the spider spins its web. She is the Mother of the Universe, identical with the Brahman of Vedanta, and with the Atman of Yoga. As eternal Lawgiver, She makes and unmakes laws; it is by Her imperious will that karma yields its fruit. She ensnares men with illusion and again releases them from bondage with a look of Her benign eyes. She is the supreme Mistress of the cosmic play, and all objects, animate and inanimate, dance by Her will. Even those who realize the Absolute in nirvikalpa samadhi are under Her jurisdiction as long as they still live on the relative plane.
Makes me think of the Aghori, which I certainly see a kinship with.
So there are
two types of energy meeting and forming energy centers. South pole energy (lower, cosmic, natural) and north pole energy (upper, inner) (sanctifying grace in christian theology?):
Quote:57.14 Questioner: What is the aid or the mechanism of the aid received for meditation for an entity who would be positioned in the so-called Queen’s Chamber position?
Ra: I am Ra. Consider the polarity of mind/body/spirit complexes. The inner light is that which is your heart of being. Its strength equals your strength of will to seek the light. The position or balanced position of a group intensifies the amount of this will, the amount of awareness of the inner light necessary to attract the instreaming light upward spiraling from the south magnetic pole of being.
Thus this is the place of the initiate, for many extraneous items or distortions will leave the entity as it intensifies its seeking, so that it may become one with this centralized and purified in-coming light.
To balance and polarize means to connect inner light with universal light:
Quote:57.6 Questioner: Would you tell me how to use that crystal for this purpose?
Ra: I am Ra. This is a large question.
You first, as a mind/body/spirit complex, balance and polarize the self, connecting the inner light with the upward spiraling inpourings of the universal light. You have done exercises to regularize the processes involved. Look to them for the preparation of the crystallized being /.../
I understand crystalized as holy, transparent being.
Inner light is activated and strenghtened by
will, desire and inner seeking. This aspect of self is doing the pulling.
Quote:Ra: I am Ra. We have addressed the filtering process by which in-coming energies are pulled upwards according to the distortions of each energy center and the strength of will or desire emanating from the awareness of inner light.
/.../ In the experiences of the mystical search for unity, these need never be considered, for they are but part of an illusory system. The seeker seeks the One. This One is to be sought, as we have said, by the balanced and self-accepting self, aware both of its apparent distortions and its total perfection. Resting in this balanced awareness, the entity then opens the self to the universe which it is. The light energy of all things may then be attracted by this intense seeking, and wherever the inner seeking meets the attracted cosmic prana, realization of the One takes place.
The purpose of clearing each energy center is to allow that meeting place to occur at the indigo-ray vibration, thus making contact with intelligent infinity and dissolving all illusions. Service-to-others is automatic at the released energy generated by this state of consciousness.
Quote:Q'uo: /.../ It is you who draws the infinite love and light of the one Creator up into that structure, up into that energy body. It is you, by prayer, meditation and other forms of requesting guidance, insight and vision, who draw from the energies of the one infinite Creator teaching entities such as we and many, many other types of entities that do not speak at all but who stream from the point of entry at the gateway of intelligent infinity down into the energy system that determines what kind of life your energy system has.
Picture with us, if you will, the creature that you are. You receive this information along your spine, in the physical lines of a system of energy, reception and usage. It is fed infinitely, in an unending supply, by the love and the light of the one Creator.
That light is literally sent down into the heart of the Earth, your mother, who then pours it from the center of the Earth—or you might even say the womb of the Earth—up through the Earth into the soles of your feet, into your body system, so that it is constantly streaming into your energy system at the red-ray level and rising as it will up and out through the top of your head to the gateway to intelligent infinity.
Meanwhile, according to your desire and will and your requests, guidance and teaching is being pulled into your energy system from the top through the violet ray, then the indigo ray, and so forth, until it reaches the blue ray or the green ray, depending upon whether you are using those energies in communication or whether you are using them in healing, basically.
Realize that the point at which those two energies meet is the point at which your kundalini is now focused. If you wish to raise your kundalini you have two things to work on. Firstly, you have the clearing of the lower energies so that you get full creative energy up through the soles of your feet and into your energy body.
Secondly, you are attempting to focus your will, discipline your personality, and call forth the most helpful energies that you can to teach and guide you as you seek the truth.
Quote:Orthodoxy teaches that it is possible and necessary for the human will to cooperate with divine grace /../ This cooperation is called synergism, so that humans may become deified. (Wiki)