This post continues the deeper look at the Mental Plane from the perspectives of Theosophy, Alice Bailey and ties these views into the Integral Model. 

In the previous post I went over the 7th and 6th sub-planes of the Mental Plane. Now, in this post I review the 5th and 4th sub-planes giving a lot more details about what may be happening spiritually and psychologically as one activates and lives from these realms.

For starters here again are the charts we are working with followed by comments regarding the next two sub-planes we have yet to review.

ageless-wisdom-chart-2

ageless-wisdom-mental-plane

5th Sub-Plane of the Mental Plane. Canary Yellow – Integral (Green/Teal) – Ageless Wisdom Group 7 – Some Connection with Egoic Lotus Love/Sacrifice petal. In the Theosophical teachings we are told that people who function on this level of the Mental Plane are now using their minds primarily to attempt to comprehend larger events in the world. If you have been following these posts, you will remember that those on the levels of the Emotional Plane (especially in the levels below sub-plane 2) have trouble with events. They do well with their everyday lives, but they have trouble comprehending the causes and implications of political, social and cultural happenings. As we reach into the 1st and 2nd sub-planes of the Emotional/Astral planes this is changing. Often, the people at those sub-planes are the cause of these events (or at least it seems that way). For example, we could say that Hitler caused Nazi Germany to emerge. That may be true, somewhat! I say that because at this level the view of who causes things goes beyond simply an apparently material view. (This person caused this thing to happen for example). Instead, events are viewed more and more as a convergence of various happenings, forces, movements, causes, and even effects. People are looking for a deeper understanding of things, which is much more intellectual in orientation.

This is not just the mind being used to grasp a few patterns in order to understand how to fulfill one’s desires. It is not an Ayn Rand Fountainhed kind of view, where financiers, business men, professors, and “scientists” are using their minds to expedite quickly stock market gains, bringing a drug quickly to market, understanding how some groups (or marketing tactics) work to help a separate group get the goodies and get ahead, and so forth. That, according to the Theosophical view, is all part of the kama-manas, desire mind, or mind used in the service of fulfilling desires.

Here the mind is being applied for different reasons. Increasingly the mind is being used to understand systems, wholes, or holons. Slowly, but surely, the mind is grasping the interconnection of things. Patterns emerge. Many different streams of thought are coordinated and integrated, possibly from many different disciplines. True this could result in a lot of mental masturbation, pride, and criticism (some of the vices of the personality which must be overcome on these lower levels of the mental plane). We are told in Theosophical literature that the heart is also starting to open to some degree to include not just one’s family and immediate social group or tribe, but more and more all of humanity. That is why we read about the emergence of philanthropy taking place on this level. Increasingly, there is a desire to use what one knows for the good of the whole, and no longer just for meeting the good of the separated individual. Humanitarians and practical mystics may also start to emerge, primarily because of their over-arching concern for the common good.

4th Sub-Plane of the Mental Plane. Yellow – Integral (Green/Teal) – Ageless Wisdom Group 7 to 8 – Some Connection with Egoic Lotus Love/Sacrifice to Sacrifice/Knowledge petal. Steadily (and at times quickly) the individual is continually impelled to use the mind to delve behind the veils of the material world into metaphysical, quantum physical, and non-material realms. Depending on the individual they may delve in through prayer, mathematical or scientific inquiry, meditation, working with philosophic or metaphysical ideas and more. In many ways the person will seem “other-worldly”, and the pull towards living “not in the world” will be increasingly felt and at odds with being “in the world.” Those who live primarily on the astral plane remain consumed with the lower chakra orientations of money, pleasure/sex, and the power to have more of these (either in fantasy or physical reality). But, those who live on the mental planes increasingly could care less. Regardless this crisis of how to provide for oneself while living in these higher increasingly more “abstract” realms may be a real issue (something the 4th sub-plane association to the 4th ray of Harmony through Conflict may be adding to). And, the world of the mind and the demands of Spirit (as non-physical or even astral/desire realities) will be increasingly felt.

Whether you are a mystic, a philosopher, an environmentalist, a metaphysician, an emerging saint, a mathematician, a quantum physicist, a humanitarian, an artist trying to reveal new Spiritual realities to others, finding your place in the mostly emotional/astral world will not be an easy fit. Still the capacity to see larger and larger wholes and the desire to deal with the increased complexities of multiple levels of information and points of view will be felt. This is very much related to stages that relate to aspects of Integral’s Green and Teal levels, and is somewhere between what the Alice Bailey teachings call Group 7 and Group 8. (See my post on Green/Teal and Group 8 here).  For those familiar with the Alice Bailey initiation system, those on this sub-plane are getting ready to penetrate more fully into the Egoic Lotus and the Six Stages of Discipleship. I have talked about these extensively on this blog (though I may have to do some revisions about the Little Chelaship and Chela on the Light stages of Discipleship due to my increased understanding of the Mental Sub-plane levels). The main reason I say “getting ready” for initiation is because those on the 4th sub-plane of the Mental plane may be theorizing, but they do not yet fully know or live what they are recognizing. The Oneness of SELF is sensed and known, but the actual realization of the SELF has yet to be full accomplished. This also accounts for what can seem like the amorality of the Green level expressed by Ken Wilber in his book on Boomeristis. Those at this level in many ways are confused. They do not understand that non-duality must include duality. To say I include non-dualism and exclude dualism is dualism. All truth is paradox. Slowly that dawns on the individual here (something related to the 4th ray and the 4th sub-plane with its focus on trying to wrestle with paradoxes and harmonize them).

Still, those at this level are doing a very important process. They are sensing increasingly the Oneness of everything, and they are increasingly driven to mentally understand it. Not at the level of mind most people define as mind. But, as the higher levels of the mental plane are penetrated, mind becomes something much, much more. In many ways as we reach into the 3rd, 2nd, and 1st sub-planes of the Mental Plane the mind seems increasingly abstract, dealing with subjects few others would find essential or important. Yet, the person is also training to penetrate the veils that keep one enthralled with the three lower worlds (mental, emotional/astral, physical). The veils of the material realms are about to be penetrated in such a way, the reality and livingness of the non-material realms shines forth. And, the process of initiation (a series of progressive expansions of consciousness into these realms) as spoken about in the Alice Bailey teachings begins.

In conclusion, as I reach into the 3rd, 2nd, and 1st, sub-planes of the Mental Plane, I invite you to review what I have said about Initiation and the Six Stages of Discipleship as they explain a lot about what does on on those sub-planes. In the meantime, I will continue my own explorations and post as I have continual (and often revised and updated) insights.