After a person passes from physical Earthly life and has often spent some time in the Etheric Body living close to the physical world, they will usually proceed to make the full transition to the Astral world, the next home and first stage of a much greater and truer level of existence and reality. In order to reside in the Astral worlds it is necessary to inhabit an Astral Body of exactly the same level and degree of vibration and density as the corresponding level of the Astral realms, until reincarnation into a new physical life, or progression onwards to the Spirit worlds takes place.

The Astral Body also known as the “Soul”, is also most appropriately known as the “desire body”. Usually when a person first arrives in the Astral worlds they still think and express themselves in exactly the same material terms as they did while still physically living on Earth. They will for example still think in terms of food, houses, cars, physical appearance, recreation, and indeed everything they were used to and familiar with before passing from the physical world. These earthly, material desires are largely driven by the ego and a lack of understanding of true purpose and ultimate destiny; the true meaning of life. This is also the very reason that the mid-Astral worlds are so similar in appearance to the physical world having been created by the Minds of humans based on what they have been used to during physical life. Humans create those things they believe they need, desire and feel most comfortable with.

This then is the main reason why this subtle body is usually known as the “desire body”, the body with which all mundane earthly, material and often desires of greed are fulfilled. It is not possible to progress to the true Spirit worlds or indeed to evolve further along the path until all physical, earthly and material desires have been completely satiated and purged, and seen as the illusions they really are. This process of realisation might only take a very short time as measured in Earth terms, or might take hundreds or even thousands of years depending on how materialistic, selfish and egocentric the person was while living in the physical world, and how they choose to pursue those passions in the Astral world.

Many people, at first at least, believe upon passing from the physical world that the Astral world is their true home which they often think of as “Heaven”. Eventually however, everyone without exception must arrive at the realisation that, like the physical world, the Astral worlds exist at the lowest levels of the Spiritual reality of the Universe, and are simply another aspect of the ongoing learning process, including in particular the true realisation of material desires for what they really are. As previously mentioned, the “heaven” of the Astral worlds are based entirely upon the human concept of “heaven”, in turn based upon material things.

If the physical world, the planet Earth is kindergarten and the Astral worlds or Astral Planes are the primary school reception class of the Universe, still a very long way indeed from achieving graduation from university with full honours. The true “Heaven worlds” are the Spiritual worlds of the Mental, Celestial and Cosmic planes, not the Astral Planes as many might presume upon arrival based purely upon a material focus, and indeed as many psychics living on Earth still do believe. The Astral worlds therefore exist as a transition zone between the physical world and our true home, the glories and splendours of the Spirit worlds where onward progression on the ascent back to our Divine Creator continues onwards.

This has been an overview of the Astral body, the body experienced while living in the Astral Worlds, also known as the Astral Planes.