Etheric body

The etheric body, ether body or life body is in the esoteric teachings of modern theosophy and anthroposophy is one of seven members, principles, or parts of the human being.

The in the 1870s, founded by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky or modern Anglo-Indian theosophy writes the man next to the visible physical body further six invisible principles or parts which penetrate the physical body. In early writings of modern theosophy, the term " etheric body " was first used as a synonym for the Sanskrit term ' linga sarira " or " astral body " in use. As an independent principle led the British theosophist Annie Besant the etheric body in 1896 published their writing Man and His Bodies one, by presenting it as a part of the physical body, which thus consisted of a " dense " and an essential component. It was followed up by German theosophist and later founder of anthroposophy, Rudolf Steiner, at, by distinguishing a physical body, an etheric body (also called " life body " or more rarely " body of formative forces " ) and an astral body.

Annie Besant relied on their representation in Man and His Bodies on their own research in an out of body state of consciousness. As the actual people they considered " the living, conscious, thinking self, the individuality ". This was surrounded by several bodies, sheaths or vehicles whose basest is the physical body. The physical body is made up of physical matter, which exists according to Besant in seven states into one another convertible: the three states of solid, liquid and gaseous as well as four " essential " states. Solid, liquid and gaseous matter forms the " tight " body, while the " etheric " body from the four ether species. Here Besant takes on the hypothetical in the former Physics ether reference, claimed, however, that the etheric body of man is not a hypothesis, but could be observed directly after appropriate training and be colored purple gray. Because the etheric body the dense body completely permeates and is an exact duplicate of the same, they referred to him as the " etheric double body ". If the person falls asleep, he leaves (the " ego " ) with its higher bodies the physical body. If he dies, and the etheric body from the dense body, which is why mediated through him " life force" (Sanskrit prana) can no longer act on the latter separates. The etheric body remains connected for some time with the ego, but is then, if this sets out on the " astral plane ", left behind and goes along with the dense body. The ego is immortal according to this doctrine, and returns in new bodies again ( reincarnation ).

Rudolf Steiner concluded in his book Theosophy (1904) and in the same time held lectures at close to Besant, what is " ( etheric ) body double " shows especially on the later use of the term no longer used by him. In contrast to Besant is with him the etheric body (later mostly etheric body ) but not part of the physical body, which in Steiner's representation of the dense body (Sanskrit: Sthula Sharira ) corresponds to Besant. Even Steiner cited a " observation of the supernatural " and made ​​a point of only "in this sense own experiences " display. The etheric body or life body was a " life- filled spirit form ," which means the " awakened mind's eye " to be perceived in any organism. He had but despite the identical (of Besant assumed ) name nothing to do with the hypothetical ether of that physics and is not to be confused with the life force, which was adopted in the old doctrine of vitalism.