Soul to Spirit: The New Spiritual Psychology

In this post I will give more detail on the levels of the Emotional Plane and make more direct correlations with how the seven sub-planes (or levels) fit with the Integral model. 

In the past few posts I began to discuss the various levels of the Emotional Plane and mentioned how the traditional view of the Emotional (Astral) plane just being related to emotions might not be entirely accurate. In traditional Theosophical circles it is also related to the notion of desire. In this post I will attempt to outline more specifically what psycho-spiritual and developmental lessons are said to be connected with these various sub-planes.

To start with let’s take a look at the chart below.

Please note that the astral/emotional sub-planes are represented by the following colors and levels. Magenta/7th sub-plane, Red/6th sub-plane, Salmon/5th sub-plane, Amber/4th sub-plane, Pumpkin/3rd sub-plane, Orange/2nd sub-plane, Mustard/1st sub-plane. Of these seven sub-planes of the astral plane four of them correlate to the Integral model reposted below. They are Magenta, Red, Amber, and Orange.

First of all a side note. I am becoming increasingly surprised as I come to understand the Ageless Wisdom model better, how much of the Integral model gets pushed down into the lower levels of the Ageless Wisdom one. Previously, I had thought that at least the Amber and Orange levels of the Integral model were on the Mental planes of the Ageless Wisdom one. But, then in recent months I have had to radically readjust my understanding of the Ageless Wisdom Emotional and Mental planes and sub-planes. Why is this?

Previously, I have understood the lower sub-planes of the Mental plane in the Ageless Wisdom teachings as referring to lower concrete mind. Those who could find their way around in the world, using their minds to be employed and get what they wanted, I figured had some concrete mind processes. Amber, Orange and to some degree maybe even Red in the Integral model seemed to fit into the Ageless Wisdom model’s lower mental planes. We even see in the Integral chart above (in black) within the 1st Tier, that Orange, and to some degree Amber fit into the Rational vs. Pre-Rational levels of the mind. That sounded like lower concrete mind to me!  Besides Integral Orange has a lot to do with scientific thinking. You can’t get more lower concrete mind than that. In fact, some scientific mind even involves abstract reasoning processes (mathematics for example).

Thus, my puzzlement (and I welcome your feedback if you think my views are misplaced) over reading Theosophical texts on the sub-planes of the Emotional and Mental planes. To give you an orientation to what they say, let me illustrate through a summary below. As mentioned in my last post they are speaking about the Emotional Plane being related to both desire/mind (kama-manas) and a materialistic view of the world. As we get into the Mental Plane they speak about that materialistic view of the world being dissolved and even at the lowest sub-plane of the mental plane some evidence of selflessness is emerging. Wow!  Was that disorientating to my world view of the Ageless Wisdom system.

Summary of the Theosophical View of the Emotional Sub-Planes. 

7th Sub-Plane of the Emotional/Astral Plane. Integral Magenta – Ageless Wisdom Group 2 – Some Connection with Egoic Lotus Knowledge/Knowledge petal. To begin with it might interest you to read the post I have on Group 2 and Magenta.  To orient you let me post a portion of what I posted there again here. “In the Alice Bailey model, we are told in Esoteric Psychology, Vol II, pp. 203 – 204 that Group Two is said to consist of people who are aware of life and physical sensation, but who are slow, inert, and inarticulate. They are also said to be bewildered by their environment and by events. Michael Robbins in his  Egoic Lotus Webinar Commentaries 3 Series starting at around 22:00, talks about Group 2 as being confused by events around them usually because they are not able to put these events into any kind of meaningful context. Esoteric Psychology, Vol II (EP II) goes on to say that those in this group have no sense of time or purpose and cannot really plan.  They usually have little skill in any direction, but can “dig and carry” under direction.” To put in some ideas from Integral found in the Group 2 and Magenta post they say this group has a child-like belief in regards to those in charge. They are also motivated mainly by safety and gratification of basic needs; and following one’s impulses. In the Theosophical view, these also relate to the Hell realms. Why? In part because this group is so unable to master their emotions or figure out how to get their desires met, they are blown about by fears, lack, and easily dominated and terrorized by others. In regards to the link to the Egoic Lotus Knowledge/Knowledge petal in the Ageless Wisdom model, we could say that they are seeking knowledge about how to get the knowledge of how to get their basic desires and needs met.

6th Sub-Plane of the Emotional/Astral Plane. Integral Red (maybe) – Ageless Wisdom Group 3 – Some Connection with Egoic Lotus Knowledge/Love petal.  And, here my friends is where correlations start to fall apart. To begin with in the Theosophical literature this is the sub-plane where strong desires exist. For those of you who understand the rays in the Alice Bailey system this makes sense. The overall Emotional Plane is said to be ruled by the 6th ray of desire. This is the sixth sub-plane also associated with desire. So naturally, it seems safe to say that a strong sense of desire exists here. It makes sense in a way to associate this level with Integral Red because they speak of this level (as found in my Group Three and Red post on this blog) as “Be what you are and do what you want, regardless [of how you get it]. What’s important: Power, spontaneity, heroism, immediate gratification; standing tall, calling the shots, receiving respect, and getting attention; being daring, impulsive, and enjoying oneself without regret; conquering, outsmarting, dominating.” For this reason they put the soon to be President of the United States Donald Trump on this level and say he is Red consciousness (with an emotional developmental level of about a five year old they also claim).

Michael Robbins (of the Ageless Wisdom line) I also quoted in the post says this level has a shallow wish-life and lacks the mental discernment to really understand what is of value.  He gives an example of their being confronted with a diamond and a shiny piece of glass and taking the glass because it is more shiny. In short, it appears that they have little depth (emotional or otherwise). They do have more mind development than Group One and Group Two, but Robbins says when their minds are used it is to satisfy their selfish, superficial, and mostly physical desires.  In short to me, this level sounds like the stereotypical idea of a brute. What they seem to do is bully their way around to get their desires met. As for their emotions, they mostly seem to stuff them allowing themselves certain emotional fits (temper, hysterics) if they don’t get what they want, but in general they have no emotional control.

So, why do things start to fall apart for me? Well, in the Theosophical model the higher you go up on the emotional/astral plane the more you can get your desires met. In their system you don’t have emotional refinement (that comes when you get onto the mental plane levels). But, you do have emotional control enough to where you can dominate and get what you want. In the Theosophical System you shift from being in hell because you can’t get your selfish needs met due to a serious lack of emotional control, to gaining some emotional control to bully others to get your needs met somewhat, to eventually getting to the glorious realms of full-blown materialism and narcissism by the time you get to the 1st sub-plane of the emotional/astral plane. Line that up with the Integral model and frankly I feel we have a mess!

If Donald Trump a billionaire President is only at Red, then something is messed up in either their system, the Ageless Wisdom system, or the correlations I am making between the two. Quite frankly, I feel the fault lies in Integral. I think it is better to consider the Red level as the stereotypical thug or bully. It is the person running on impulse and full speed on the drug of desire leading them to trouble in the end. It reminds me of Bonnie and Clyde. They are out for a fun ride for a few years, but in the end they are in a car riddled with bullets. And, if you have ever studied the lives of people like this, they live pretty close to the hell realms (poverty, abuse, paranoia, violence) for almost as long as they live. How does Donald Trump fit in with that? How does someone who is capable of manipulating and dominating around the entire planet for his entire life correlate with this level?  And, after this level Integral shifts to Amber where you begin to conform to norms. And, then Orange, to where you have a more scientific world view.  Is it because Donald Trump is not a conformist or cares much for science that they dump him down to Red? That just doesn’t make sense to me. In short, something seems seriously off here.

After pondering it for a few months I have come to the conclusion that the Ageless Wisdom and Theosophical models actually make more sense. In there models (especially the Theosophical one) you go up the levels of the astral plane as you learn to achieve more and more of your desires in the materialistic sense of the world (of money, sex/pleasure, power). You develop a stronger capacity of mind to achieve your desires. It isn’t just about can you go from pre-rational to rational. And, yes there is some movement from pre-egoic to egoicentric to ethno-centric. (Note: Ego means soul in the Ageless Wisdom teachings. In the mainstream use of the word ego now, it means a selfish person, which the Ageless Wisdom teachings define as personality). It’s just the main idea behind the emotional plane is desire and a materialistic world view even if you believe in an after-life. Again, the after-life for these people is just an extension of a place where you can get your desires met. Donald Trump is a master at getting his desires met. I would place him at the highest level of the astral plane (sub-plane one). That is why the masses adore him (the Amber types the Integral system speak about who technically should be above Red where they put Donald Trump). Trump has “trumped” the astral nature, not because he has insight, awareness or control of his astral body. But, because he knows how to play on people’s emotional desires like the master salesman he is. Thus, my quandary and why my brain is scrambled and trying to unscramble itself in further posts.

To be continued in another post.