Lehal Library

One would not venture, in such a matter, to differ from Theosophical teaching, which has provided us with a nomenclature not always intelligently used. But a study of Major Arthur Powell's volume on The Etheric Double — which includes the views of every Theosophic notable — seems to favour such a description of the subtle body with which we propose to deal. "The Etheric Double," he tells us, "has been given a variety of names. In early Theosophical literature it was often called the astral body, the astral man, or the Linga Sharira. In all later writings, however, none of these terms are ever applied to the Etheric Double, as they properly belong to the body composed of astral matter, the body of Kama of the Hindus. In reading The Secret Doctrine, therefore, and other books of the older literature, the student must be on his guard not to confuse the two quite distinct bodies, known today as the Etheric Double and the Astral Body.... Every solid, liquid and gaseous particle of the physical body is surrounded with an etheric envelope; hence the Etheric Double, as its name implies, is a perfect duplicate of the dense form.... The Double may be separated from the dense physical body by accident, death, anaesthetics, such as ether, or gas, or mesmerism. The Double being the connecting link between the brain and the higher consciousness, the forcible extrusion of it from the dense physical body by anaesthetics necessarily produces anaesthesia.... Separation of the Double from the dense body is generally accompanied by a considerable decrease of vitality in the latter, the Double becoming more vitalized as the energy in the dense body diminishes." As all that corresponds with our observation of the subtle body one seems justified in claiming Theosophical sanction for our description of it as the Etheric Double; but, of course, in all quotations, the nomenclature adopted by the writer will be preserved, and thus, where not otherwise defined, astral and