Soul to Spirit: The New Spiritual Psychology

Another post continuing to examine the Seven Sub-Planes of the Emotional Plane as found in the Ageless Wisdom teachings in regards to the levels of Integral. 

In the previous post I began to review what is said in regards to the seven sub-planes of the Emotional plane focusing primarily on what is known as sub-plane 7 and 6. I showed how sub-plane 7 may fit with Integral level Magenta. Then as I got to sub-plane 6, I began to discuss how there are problems with Integral Red level that have to be addressed. Now in this post I continue to move on additional sub-planes of the Emotional Sub-plane to try and solve some of the issues as we correlate the Ageless Wisdom model as put forth by Alice Bailey, with the Ageless Wisdom model as put forth by Theosophy, with the Integral model as first proposed by Ken Wilber and added to now by others.

To help us narrow on in just the Emotional Subplane. I have added the colors I am using here as well. (To let people know, I picked colors that moved on the spectrum from reddish to orange to yellow keeping in mind the correlation of the orange color to the sacral center in the chakra system as well).

Because in the last post correlations with Integral were already falling apart as I began to question their views of the Red level versus Amber and Orange (see that post here), before making more correlations to Integral, let me just discuss some more what the Ageless Wisdom teachings have to say about these levels.

5th Sub-Plane of the Emotional/Astral Plane. Salmon. Integral (none associated) – 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 the 5th and 4th sub-planes are seen as transitional planes. For the first time some level of mind is coming into play. (That could relate to the number five and the fifth ray of Concrete Science and Knowledge and its ability to help stimulate the more orderly processes of the mind).  In short, one can start to think a little more strategically about how to get their desires met. In the previous post with the 6th sub-plane of the emotional/astral plane, I spoke of Bonnie and Clyde. To me they seemed more like two young kids “in love” with each other taking on the world in a glamorous way to impulsively get their needs met and get out of poverty. They burned bright and fast, and burned out just as quickly in a maelstrom of bullets.  (Note: I put the words “in love” in here to show the slight activation of the Egoic Lotus Knowledge/Love petal connected with Group 3, which is connected to sub-planes 6 and 5 of the emotional/astral plane. They were seeking knowledge of love, but knew little of it at this level, confusing it with desire, glamour, and possessions).

At this more strategic level I think we have to think more of a local mob boss than of a Bonnie and Clyde. There is more method to the madness, more strategy. A more “mathematical calculation of if – then” exists to help one get more steady results in the quest to get one’s desires (money, pleasure, power met). I derive this interpretation not just from the ray associations to ray five, but I am keeping in mind how the Theosophical system views the overall emotional/astral plane as the ability to get ones desires (money, sex/pleasure, power) met. I also see at this sub-plane a more cold and calculated approach to the process of meeting one’s desires. Someone is probably better able to suppress emotions in a kind of “Cool Hand Luke” Clint Eastwood kind of a way. Like a local mob boss I am assuming that this person is more likely put others in harms way instead of oneself. Also, like the movie the Godfather, there may be some love of family involved, but that “love” is likely to involve aspects of abuse and control used in a calculated way to make sure “loved ones”stay in line so they don’t disrupt one’s own needs and desires.

4th Sub-Plane of the Emotional/Astral Plane. Amber = Integral (Amber, but not as steady) – Ageless Wisdom Group 4 – Some Connection with Egoic Lotus Knowledge/Sacrifice petals.

Group Four reminds me of the Buddhist conception of the Hungry Ghosts. These are beings with an intense desire nature, but who at the same time are picking up some of the addictive qualities of desire.  Used to getting more of their desires met (we are on the 4th sub-plane), they are now in the habit of trying to get their “fix.” The solution to all of their problems seems to be “more, and more and more.” As anyone who has worked with addictions understands, the substance used to overcome the addiction (sex, money, drugs, thrill seeking, gambling, etc) actually sets up a kind of 4th ray polarity. You get both pleasure and pain in the mix. It’s bi-polar really. You spend a lot of money and feel euphoric (mania), then you realize you overspent and get depressed. You go out and have an affair and feel on a high. Then you get caught and your world falls apart.

For me the hungry ghost idea fits because no matter how manic you get, it never seems to be enough. The approach to life is that you should always get everything you want. Because their is not enough mind stuff built in really critically look at that assumption, one continues to feed it. Unlike the 6th sub-plane of the emotional/astral plane where you fly high like Icarus (or Bonnie and Clyde I talked about in the previous post), and then fall just as fast, here you can sustain getting your desires met longer. And, that is the problem of the addiction. They have to get met and increasingly your life is oriented around being sure that all the gains you made (money, pleasure/sex, power) are not lost in the end.

Which leads me to another point related to what I spoke about in the post on Group Four. In that post I indicated that this group has found a steady way to get their needs met. In many ways they are more like the “middle class.” As I said before they tend to be caught up in work that involves long hours and little pay and their main attitude for getting out of their plight seems to be based primarily on luck.  In addition, they seem easily duped and swayed by others, especially demagogues, who often promise them something for nothing. And, Michael Robbins says this group is not bewildered by their environment the way Groups One and Two are, but they are still bewildered by events.  To say this differently, they can manage to get their basic food, clothing and shelter somewhat in order, but they do not understand very easily why things are happening in the larger world around them like wars, Wall Street scams, political maneuverings, etc.

In light of recent world events (2017) we could even say these are the “Trumpers”, those who voted for soon to be President Donald Trump. They want only highs (Make America Great Again) and no lows. They duped by demagogues who offer something for nothing. They are not bewildered by their environment (they can scrape by), but by events (as mentioned in the paragraph before).

3rd Sub-Plane of the Emotional/Astral Plane. Pumpkin – Integral (Amber) – Ageless Wisdom Group 5 – Some Connection with Egoic Lotus Knowledge/Sacrifice petals. As we get to this level, in the Theosophical literature they talk about people who have crossed over and are on the astral plane as finally getting their version of heaven. They mention Native Americans finally living in the Happy Hunting Grounds (this literature was written in the early 1900’s). We might also think of Christians finally going to heaven where they are the chosen ones, or Muslims getting to the place where rivers run like honey and you each get a 1000 virgins. You don’t have to relate this to an after life. You can think about this life where people finally build a material heaven on earth. They are upper middle class so to speak. They can get the RV’s and travel to all the national parks for example.

If we relate this to the 3rd sub-plane and connect it with the 3rd Ray of Intelligent Activity, these people seem to know how to intelligently get their desire needs met in a fairly consistent way. They don’t blow out like Bonnie and Clyde did. They don’t have to be the local bully (mob boss) to keep people in line. They don’t have to suffer the highs and lows quite so much like the bi-polar addicted approach. They are steady and consistent. They get by. They have stock and know how to invest it in a reasonable way. They live within the means of an inheritance or their earnings or investments. They know how to intelligently grow what they have. They may still be bewildered by events, but manage better to not be as impacted by them (ISIS, stock market swings etc). In short they have moved to what the Ageless Wisdom (Alice Bailey version) traditions call Group 5. To quote from my previous post on this group…  The difference between the highly emotional Group Four types and those of Group Five is that they have, “steadily increasing interludes wherein the mind can make itself momentarily felt, and thus at need effect important decisions.” (EP II)  Though they are still highly involved in social conditioning, they are more able to stop and think.  Some logical thoughts can peculate through especially where their interests are concerned. Though they still lead lives of emotional turmoil (similar to Group Four), they try to control their emotional impulses more by being “nice good people who are largely controlled by the mass consciousness because they are relatively unthinking.” (EP II) (Note: EP II is Esoteric Psychology, Vol. II)

As connected to Integral this group has certain aspects of Amber as well as the previous group, only they are more steady. For clarity I am putting in some of what I said in a previous post about how Integral describes their Amber level. Values:  Bottom line: Stability and purposeful life. Basic theme: Life has meaning, direction, and purpose with predetermined outcomes What’s important: Sacrificing self for a transcendent Cause, (secular or religious) Truth, Mission, future reward; laws, regulations, and rules; discipline, character, duty, honor, justice, and moral fiber; righteous living; controlling impulsivity through guilt; following absolutistic principles of right and wrong, black and white; being faithful, maintaining order and harmony; one right way to think/do; convention, conformity Where seen: Puritan America, Confucian China, Dickensian England, Singapore discipline; totalitarianism; codes of chivalry and honor; charitable good deeds; religious fundamentalism (e.g., Christian and Islamic); “moral majority”; patriotism

2nd Sub-Plane of the Emotional/Astral Plane. Orange – Integral (Amber/Orange) – Ageless Wisdom Group 6 – Some Connection with Egoic Lotus Love/Knowledge petals. In the older Theosophical texts they describe this level as comprised of materialistic artist types. They also say that if you could see this level clairvoyant it is quite beautiful. As I read the texts it made me think about Hollywood, especially the glamourous side of Hollywood, not the Hollywood today with its emphasis on horror, explicit and disconnected sex, violence, and dsytopia which is actually a lot more reminiciant of sub-planes of the astral plane below this one (maybe even all the way down to the Hell realms of the 7th sub-plane of the emotional/astral plane as well). Rather, this level seems to be the Marilyn Monroe type Hollywood, or the Peter Max type artists. It is the life styles of the Rich and Famous emerging. If we connect this 2nd sub-plane to the 2nd ray of love/wisdom these are the people we love to love (or hate because we want to be like them and feel we cannot). They are the beautiful people living the beautiful lives (or at least we think they are). The point is they seem to have made it desire wise. They get all the money, sex/pleasure, power they want and they have in in abundance. They fill the New York theaters and stages and our movie screens with stories of great emotional drama and intensity. The emotional and astral life is at it’s peak and those who live primarily on the emotional levels love to watch it all play out.

I have actually written quite well about this group before in this post on Group Six/Orange. So, I don’t repeat the whole post I invite youIn  to read it. In essence it says that this group is the current cream of humanity (Note: humanity as a whole is thought to be mostly kama/manasic or astral in nature and still composed a lot of what Theosophists call Atlantean consciousness). This group is said to actually be accessing a little bit more real mind (in the lower concrete mind kind of way). However, they use that mind to become mainly the predator elite, seeking more to be loved than to love though some aspiration to do good may show up (though that is often in hopes of being loved and further rewarded for the good they do). We might say that those in this group (not humanity as a whole) are heading into what Theosophists call the Aryan race, those led more by mind than purely by emotions. Also, for those who have a Buddhist bent we might say we have reached the realm of the demi-Gods, with the Gods in the next realm to come.

1st Sub-Plane of the Emotional/Astral Plane. Mustard – Integral (Orange) – Ageless Wisdom Group 6 – Some Connection with Egoic Lotus Love/Knowledge petals. At this level older Theosophical texts state we have the materialistic intellectuals. They have reached the apex of getting their desires met.In Esoteric Psychology II (EP II) we are told this group finally has a mind. Being so close to the mental plane we could say that this is truly the case. Being the 1st sub-plane of the Emotional/Astral plane we might also say they have great will and power. In short, they are the Gods! Or, the Masters of Industry. The Captains of Wall Street. The are the Ayn Rand followers who believe in the self made man (and on a rare occasion maybe their is room for a self made woman). They are the people the book The Secret aspires too. The “you can have it all” types, or the “Universe will always say yes to you” because you are “Masters of the Universe.” Mind is there. Will is there. Power is there. But, here is why the older Theosophical texts put all of this on the emotional/astral plane and not yet on the mental plane, desire is there!  DESIRE is the goal. Not mind. MIND IN SERVICE TO DESIRE. This was a big revelation to me in the preceding months before I wrote this post. Previously, even in previous posts on this blog, I would have put Group 6/Orange much higher up in regards to the Ageless Wisdom model. After wrestling for some time, I have demoted Group 6 and Integral Orange down to this “Mustard” zone of the top of the Emotional/Astral plane levels. And, quite honestly, the more I have done so the more sense it makes to me.

Having finished my work on the Emotional/Astral plane for now, I will switch to the Mental plane in posts to follow.