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THE SUBTLE ENERGY BODIES

Writer's picture: Ashley ChattawayAshley Chattaway

Updated: Jan 16

We are not our bodies. I hate to break it to you. We are much, much more than this meat suit you walk around it. We, and all physical matter (animals, tables, rocks, plants) exist on different plains of existence simultaneously. Our energy systems operate on multiple levels – physical, vital, mental, and spiritual, each of which constantly exchanges energy with each other and the environment. Understanding this is the key to unlocking our maximum potential, optimising our health and opening us up to higher levels of consciousness.


Physical Body

The physical body is the vehicle for our spirit to experience the physical world, but that is all it is: a vehicle. It is a material body. The Hindu’s refer to it as Annamaya kosha, which translated from Sanskrit means “the Sheath made of Food”. It’s literally a food processor. It is dead and inert unless animated by the Vital body.


Vital Body

This is the Life Energy which animates the physical body. It also has other names in different traditions.


  • West = etheric

  • China = chi

  • India = prana

  • Japan = ki


When the vital body is balanced, we are healthy; free of pain, toxicity and acidity. We glow from the inside.


Emotional Body

The emotional body is the bridge between the physical and the mental. It is sometimes referred to as the Astral Body. It is where our experience of the world is interpreted and is linked to our nervous system. It represents our feelings and instincts. When it is in balance, we are centred, and acting from the heart, not overly emotional.


Mental Body

This is all things intellectual; analytical thought, logic, intellect, and memory. When unbalanced, a person is prone to overthinking and tend to be ego-centric.


Spiritual Body

The spiritual body can be split into three:


  1. Causal body – links between the higher spiritual levels and denser matter. It is said that this is where the Akashic records and karmic patterns are stored

  2. Spiritual body – body of higher consciousness

  3. Divine body – the highest body. Divine essence.


Put simply, the spiritual body contains a lot of wisdom. This is the body we want to access to gain higher consciousness and experience oneness.


Each energy body interreacts with each other

  • Physical on physical: we hit an object and we bruise

  • Emotional on physical: we’re embarrassed and we blush, we’re angry and there’s a rush of adrenaline in the blood

  • Mental on physical: psychological trauma can cause physical illness

  • Spiritual on physical: prayer and meditation can cause changes in the physical body


Manly P Hall was quoted to say "An unhealthy mind, even in a healthy body, will ultimately destroy health." He negates the importance of our connection to our spiritual body in our overall vitality. If we align all four of our energy bodies we are literally flying. This holistic view of health is necessary, but overlooked by modern society.


Each energy body has its own consciousness

Egyptian mysteries taught that the different subtle bodies of the human being all have their own separate consciousness; this means that each energy body can be communicated with. This explains, to some extent, astral travel and psychic mediumship.


Each energy body is on the outside and inside of the physical body

The above diagram is very important:


  1. Our energy bodies are found within us, and are mirrored in our aura (“as within, so without”)

  2. Energy never lies. You can have a smile on your face, but your inner sadness can still be felt by others through your auric field

  3. The vital body is always closest to the physical body, this is the densest energy frequency

  4. Thoughts (mental) creates feelings (emotional) which determines actions (vital) (you're thoughts create your reality)

  5. You can’t have anything in your world without first thinking about it first. “All is in the mind; the Universe is Mental”

  6. You can (and should) access spiritual energy by going within (rather than looking outside of yourself as we have been told by religion). Everything, all the answers, are inside of you

  7. You have to let go, let go of the physical body, let go of the emotions, let go of your desires, let go of your thoughts to access higher consciousness, the spiritual body



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