The Etheric Body

I’m starting this thread because I’ve run into two different takes on whether "energies" actually exist within living beings. I put "energies" in quotes—since we’re talking about things supposedly distinct from basic physics here.
Two perspectives: one subjective, one objective (though we still have to figure out which is which 😍).

bluemason3 said:...
Vegetarian arguments regarding energy don't have much more substance than cannibalistic theories about absorbing the qualities of what you eat—and honestly, even that cannibalism thing is more archetypally universal.
...

yakuzza said:...
Meat carries energetic information or "impressions" (binding samskaras) that a person eventually has to express in one way or another (just like any other impression).
...

My own take—based on experience—is that these energies definitely exist. But if I started explaining why, this post would be way too long for right now. So, let's just ask: what do you guys think about "energies"—specifically what Theosophists call etheric energies (shown in the diagram below as the 1-2-3-4 sub-layers of the physical plane)?

Energy is a measurable physical phenomenon.

In spiritual circles, people love tossing that term around to give abstract feelings or theoretical ideas an air of scientific legitimacy. But based on what we actually know right now, that "energy" isn't really there in a literal sense.

That doesn't mean nothing is happening. It just means that using the concept of "energy" is likely just our way of translating complex experiences into symbols our minds can grasp. It’s no different than how a shaman might interpret those same intuitive, psychological, or physiological sensations through the lens of nature spirits or ancestors.

So, tell me, casualtiger2, do you actually buy into this whole thing about an ethereal body and those other five non-physical layers?

Elizabeth Castillo87 said:So, tell me, casualtiger2, do you actually buy into this whole thing about an ethereal body and those other five non-physical layers?

I’m not entirely sold on all that stuff, to be honest. Though, I suppose some people swear by it:

Elizabeth Castillo87 said:So, tell me, casualtiger2, do you actually buy into this whole thing about an ethereal body and those other five non-physical layers?

Generally speaking, I’m skeptical of just about everything.
Like I’ve mentioned before—and I'll say it again—Theosophical ideas are interesting enough, but that doesn't mean I buy them as absolute truth (even if they feel intuitively logical sometimes).
Some of what's written there does align with things I've actually dealt with.

Specifically, there have been several times where something—call it matter, call it energy, whatever—has detached from my body and drifted toward someone else. When that substance hits them, I get a reaction—physical or verbal—from people sensing they were touched. Even if they had their backs turned to me or were looking away (it’s happened in public places with total strangers, too).
A few times, I've actually seen this energy as a hazy mist moving from me toward the person—and the second it makes contact, they react.

By the way, Theosophists consider the etheric level/body to be an integral part of the physical plane.
And Samkhya—which Yoga draws from partially—splits the world into Purusha and Prakriti. Purusha is consciousness/spirit, while Prakriti is matter (and by "matter," they'd include everything beyond the first level—basically everything besides physically defined matter and will, love, thoughts, and emotions).

casualtiger2 said:Generally speaking, I’m skeptical of just about everything.
Like I’ve mentioned before—and I'll say it again—Theosophical ideas are interesting enough, but that doesn't mean I buy them as absolute truth (even if they feel intuitively logical sometimes).
Some of what's written there does align with things I've actually dealt with.

Specifically, there have been several times where something—call it matter, call it energy, whatever—has detached from my body and drifted toward someone else. When that substance hits them, I get a reaction—physical or verbal—from people sensing they were touched. Even if they had their backs turned to me or were looking away (it’s happened in public places with total strangers, too).
A few times, I've actually seen this energy as a hazy mist moving from me toward the person—and the second it makes contact, they react.

By the way, Theosophists consider the etheric level/body to be an integral part of the physical plane.
And Samkhya—which Yoga draws from partially—splits the world into Purusha and Prakriti. Purusha is consciousness/spirit, while Prakriti is matter (and by "matter," they'd include everything beyond the first level—basically everything besides physically defined matter and will, love, thoughts, and emotions).

I’ve had some pretty similar experiences myself. Honestly, though, what I went through feels way more aligned with how Don Juan describes seeing auras as these glowing spheres or egg-like shapes—you know, that whole Castaneda vibe. It doesn't really click with the stuff you hear in Eastern spirituality, though I'll admit I haven't spent nearly as much time digging into that side of things.

By the way, you've got those theosophists claiming that the etheric level—or the etheric body, if you want to get technical—is actually just a fundamental part of the physical plane. Is that even possible? It’s like they think the two are totally inseparable.
So, look, Samkhya—which is basically the backbone of most yoga stuff we talk about—splits the entire universe into two big camps: Purusha and Prakriti. Think of Purusha as pure consciousness or the spirit, the "observer" sitting in the back of the room. Then you’ve got Prakriti, which is everything else. And when I say "everything else," I don't just mean physical matter like bricks and mortar. We're talking about the whole messy spectrum: your willpower, your capacity to love, your thoughts, those wild emotions that hit you out of nowhere... all of it. It's basically the "stuff" of existence versus the thing that's actually watching it happen. Makes sense, right? Or does it just make things more complicated?

Look, like I said, I haven't really dug deep into this yet. It’s all Greek to me at this point. Does this mean the etheric body is basically anything *except* the physical plane? Or am I just totally lost?

Elizabeth Castillo87 said:I’ve had some pretty similar experiences myself. Honestly, though, what I went through feels way more aligned with how Don Juan describes seeing auras as these glowing spheres or egg-like shapes—you know, that whole Castaneda vibe. It doesn't really click with the stuff you hear in Eastern spirituality, though I'll admit I haven't spent nearly as much time digging into that side of things.

By the way, you've got those theosophists claiming that the etheric level—or the etheric body, if you want to get technical—is actually just a fundamental part of the physical plane. Is that even possible? It’s like they think the two are totally inseparable.
So, look, Samkhya—which is basically the backbone of most yoga stuff we talk about—splits the entire universe into two big camps: Purusha and Prakriti. Think of Purusha as pure consciousness or the spirit, the "observer" sitting in the back of the room. Then you’ve got Prakriti, which is everything else. And when I say "everything else," I don't just mean physical matter like bricks and mortar. We're talking about the whole messy spectrum: your willpower, your capacity to love, your thoughts, those wild emotions that hit you out of nowhere... all of it. It's basically the "stuff" of existence versus the thing that's actually watching it happen. Makes sense, right? Or does it just make things more complicated?

Look, like I said, I haven't really dug deep into this yet. It’s all Greek to me at this point. Does this mean the etheric body is basically anything *except* the physical plane? Or am I just totally lost?

If the Theosophists cherry-picked bits from traditional systems—mixed them up, then reassembled them—then Castaneda (and a lot of today's trendy spiritual writers) likely pulled heavily from Theosophy (specifically those "spherical, egg-shaped auras"). Just look at the illustrations in the book by C. Leadbeater—
"Man, Visible and Invisible" (Aura, images).

Like I said, I haven't studied it much. It's all Greek to me. Does that mean the etheric body is anything other than the physical level?

Take a look at the diagram. The physical plane is split into seven sub-levels—solid matter, liquid, gas, and four etheric sub-layers.
After that comes the emotional layer, or the astral plane (which is also broken down into seven sub-levels...).
As for chakras, they're described as transformers—basically conduits that funnel energy from higher levels (astral, mental, etc.) down into the etheric, or physical, body.
Here’s a good visual of the chakras and their corresponding nadis (those energy flows between them).

casualtiger2 said:If the Theosophists cherry-picked bits from traditional systems—mixed them up, then reassembled them—then Castaneda (and a lot of today's trendy spiritual writers) likely pulled heavily from Theosophy (specifically those "spherical, egg-shaped auras"). Just look at the illustrations in the book by C. Leadbeater—
"Man, Visible and Invisible" (Aura, images).

Like I said, I haven't studied it much. It's all Greek to me. Does that mean the etheric body is anything other than the physical level?

Take a look at the diagram. The physical plane is split into seven sub-levels—solid matter, liquid, gas, and four etheric sub-layers.
After that comes the emotional layer, or the astral plane (which is also broken down into seven sub-levels...).
As for chakras, they're described as transformers—basically conduits that funnel energy from higher levels (astral, mental, etc.) down into the etheric, or physical, body.
Here’s a good visual of the chakras and their corresponding nadis (those energy flows between them).

You’ve got a point there. Thanks for the heads-up.
But honestly, what’s wild about Don Juan is how he talks about that egg being this grayish color... which is pretty much exactly what I’ve been seeing myself.

Take a look at this diagram. The physical plane is split into seven sub-layers—solid matter, liquid, gas, and then those four ET sub-layers.
After that, you hit the emotional level, or the astral plane (which also breaks down into seven sub-layers...).
When it comes to chakras, they're basically described as transformers, pulling energy from those higher levels (astral, mental, etc.) and funneling it down into the ET, or physical body.
Here’s a decent visual breakdown of the chakras and their corresponding nadis (those energy channels connecting them).

Interesting. I didn't study the diagram too closely because my German isn't exactly up to par, sorry! But I still see chakras when I look at people and then close my eyes—they always look like these spinning little vortices that turn purple, or if they stop spinning, they turn black. With little kids, they show up as blue.
Anyway, we drifted away from the ET body. So, is that essentially just the energetic shell surrounding our physical self? Is that what people call an aura?

What yakuzza said isn't just some wild theory; it’s actually grounded in reality. When someone undergoes an organ transplant—whether from a living donor or someone who's passed—they aren't just getting new parts. They're absorbing genetic data. There are plenty of documented instances where recipients have started picking up the donor's traits, or even certain abilities. Some people even claim to experience the donor's memories, particularly if those memories involve trauma.

I remember watching a documentary once about doctors experimenting with xenotransplantation, where they transplanted a pig's heart and lungs into a sick child. On paper, the procedure was a success. But as the kid grew older, his features began to shift—his ears and snout started looking more porcine. It seemed like he was physically taking on the pig's genetic makeup through those organs.

Eating meat definitely influences human DNA, though probably not nearly as drastically as what happens during a transplant.

@Kevin Ruiz36
Nobody’s actually pulled off a transplant like that before—it was probably just some "viral" documentary making things look easy.
I'd be pretty shocked if I didn't know about it by now.

Elizabeth Castillo87 said:You’ve got a point there. Thanks for the heads-up.
But honestly, what’s wild about Don Juan is how he talks about that egg being this grayish color... which is pretty much exactly what I’ve been seeing myself.

Take a look at this diagram. The physical plane is split into seven sub-layers—solid matter, liquid, gas, and then those four ET sub-layers.
After that, you hit the emotional level, or the astral plane (which also breaks down into seven sub-layers...).
When it comes to chakras, they're basically described as transformers, pulling energy from those higher levels (astral, mental, etc.) and funneling it down into the ET, or physical body.
Here’s a decent visual breakdown of the chakras and their corresponding nadis (those energy channels connecting them).

Interesting. I didn't study the diagram too closely because my German isn't exactly up to par, sorry! But I still see chakras when I look at people and then close my eyes—they always look like these spinning little vortices that turn purple, or if they stop spinning, they turn black. With little kids, they show up as blue.
Anyway, we drifted away from the ET body. So, is that essentially just the energetic shell surrounding our physical self? Is that what people call an aura?

Theoretically, there isn't just one aura—there are several (etheric, astral, mental, etc.).
At every level, we have a corresponding body that allows us to interact within that realm. Some parts overlap with the physical, while others extend outward—which is why that stuff extending beyond the physical, the part that’s easier to notice, is usually called the aura. Think of it like the corona around the Sun.
As for the etheric body, they say it extends anywhere from a few centimeters up to about a foot (while the astral and mental auras have an even larger "reach"), depending on the person and their psycho-physical state. Apparently, your ET state is huge for your overall health.

It would be pretty interesting if everyone interested gave a simple experiment a shot.
Put your hands together like you're praying, but don't actually let your palms or fingers touch. Keep the fingers slightly curved and a few inches apart (on each hand individually, and away from the fingers of the other hand). Roughly like this (+ spread your fingers out), but without contact (PS: imagine you're holding something, like a vase).

Try to focus on the flow of energy through your fingertips and the center of your palms.
Does anything happen? (Try it a few times, for at least a few minutes, staying completely physically relaxed but mentally focused).

Thomas Nelson25 said:@Kevin Ruiz36
Nobody’s actually pulled off a transplant like that before—it was probably just some "viral" documentary making things look easy.
I'd be pretty shocked if I didn't know about it by now.

They tried transplanting animal organs—specifically pig organs, since they’re the closest match to ours—over twenty years ago when it was all the hype. I remember watching it as a kid; they showed this footage of a child who received a pig heart and lungs. It stuck with me. You could clearly see the kid starting to develop pig ears and a snout. The explanation back then was that animal genes are much more aggressive than human ones, causing physical deformities where the person starts looking like the donor animal. They eventually realized transplanting animal organs into humans was a dead end. That kid had been written off medically, so his parents took the scientists' offer to try the pig organs to save him. But as he grew, the features became more pronounced—his face shifted, his nose turned into a snout, and those ears started growing out.

There was also an attempt at head transplants between two monkeys, though I’m not entirely sure if they succeeded. As for what I mentioned above, I know it happened; my father and I watched that broadcast together.

Look, this isn't actually a thread about organ transplants.

Kevin Ruiz36 said:They performed animal organ transplants—specifically pigs, since their organs are the most similar to ours—over 20 years ago...
The kid they transplanted those organs into was basically a lost cause, so his parents took the scientists up on the offer to use pig organs to save him. Fast forward a few years as he grew, and things got weird—he started looking more porcine, with his nose turning into a snout and ears starting to grow out.
...

That’s definitely not true.
PS
Correction: they tried it with a monkey organ, and the child died after 21 days— Xenotransplantation
Some ambitious surgeon was clearly just practicing on people.
If anyone actually wants to talk about this, go start a new thread.

casualtiger2 said:Look, this isn't actually a thread about organ transplants.

That’s definitely not true.
PS
Correction: they tried it with a monkey organ, and the child died after 21 days— Xenotransplantation
Some ambitious surgeon was clearly just practicing on people.
If anyone actually wants to talk about this, go start a new thread.

Sure, it's not strictly about transplantation. My point was that whether through transplants or just eating meat, information gets encoded into human DNA—which is itself made of energy. I remember watching a broadcast on one of the major national networks in Canada, maybe a few years after the war ended. I can't recall the exact year. It didn't gain much traction because it didn't exactly play well with mainstream science.

casualtiger2 said:Theoretically, there isn't just one aura—there are several (etheric, astral, mental, etc.).
At every level, we have a corresponding body that allows us to interact within that realm. Some parts overlap with the physical, while others extend outward—which is why that stuff extending beyond the physical, the part that’s easier to notice, is usually called the aura. Think of it like the corona around the Sun.
As for the etheric body, they say it extends anywhere from a few centimeters up to about a foot (while the astral and mental auras have an even larger "reach"), depending on the person and their psycho-physical state. Apparently, your ET state is huge for your overall health.

It would be pretty interesting if everyone interested gave a simple experiment a shot.
Put your hands together like you're praying, but don't actually let your palms or fingers touch. Keep the fingers slightly curved and a few inches apart (on each hand individually, and away from the fingers of the other hand). Roughly like this (+ spread your fingers out), but without contact (PS: imagine you're holding something, like a vase).

Try to focus on the flow of energy through your fingertips and the center of your palms.
Does anything happen? (Try it a few times, for at least a few minutes, staying completely physically relaxed but mentally focused).

They run tests like that all the time at circus hypnosis shows to measure suggestibility. There’s no such thing as "energy" here. 😉

bluemason3 said:They run tests like that all the time at circus hypnosis shows to measure suggestibility. There’s no such thing as "energy" here. 😉

So, if it isn't "energy," then what exactly are you calling it?

Maybe try suggestion, perhaps paired with some physical mechanics (for instance, how shifting into an unstable posture with tucked legs during rocking or swaying makes it easier, especially with eyes closed. I'm not sure if we can speculate on things beyond just pure suggestion here, but I'm just noting the theoretical possibilities)*.

It’s incredibly easy to trigger various physical sensations—tingling, warmth, "energy (which doesn't actually mean anything; it's just a nonsense label for everything and anything)," "magnetic attraction," and so on—simply through suggestion. It's much easier to pull off than full-blown hallucinations, though those are certainly possible too.

*Roughly speaking, relaxed fingers tend to curl slightly, particularly when held upright since gravity pulls them down. Holding palms flat creates a specific forward and downward pressure toward the other palm, which can create an illusion of attraction. Proximity alone is also enough to transfer body heat. These little details work wonders when combined with suggestion because they kickstart a feedback loop of self-affirmation. Once you start feeling *something*, you begin to "believe," which makes you more suggestible. Then, suggestions that aren't even directly related hit harder, further reinforcing that belief and suggestion in a continuous cycle. One of the core principles of suggestion and hypnosis is creating these little lies to progressively ramp up suggestibility.

Has anyone actually given what I suggested a shot?

casualtiger2 said:Has anyone actually given what I suggested a shot?

What would the result be? What kind of sensation, for instance?

.

casualtiger2 said:Has anyone actually given what I suggested a shot?

Not right now, but I’ve definitely dabbled in plenty of similar stuff over the years. I’ve messed around with bioenergy nonsense, Reiki, Chi Gong, those little energy balls, and all that. I honestly thought I was feeling some kind of force. That was before I got a better handle on psychology and gave hypnosis a shot.

Looking back with everything I know now, the whole energy hypothesis feels significantly weaker than this other theory.🙂