Glossary
These terms are used throughout our site and are terms that we feel have not been clearly defined at any point in our Western upbringing. We establish what they mean here so that, when one comes across them anywhere in our site, you will know with greater accuracy what we are talking about.
Each term is a link. When you click on it, it will show you all of the site's content pertaining to that term.
The time after a person's disembodiment (or "death"). If one accepts reincarnation, the definition becomes: the interval of time between a person's disembodiment and their next embodiment (incarnation).
The term "astral" is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as "of, relating to, or coming from the stars" or alternatively as "of or consisting of a supersensible substance held in theosophy to be next above the tangible world in refinement". The word is derived from the late Latin astrālis, or from the Latin astrum, star, and is related to the Greek astron. An "astral body" in that context could refer to a star such as our sun. But in the literature regarding subtle bodies of humans it typically refers to a body composed of a more subtle form of matter that is reported to interpenetrate and reside within the physical body during ones waking hours. Note: since it is our premise that this state of matter is more subtle than the physical matter we're most familiar with we will at this website use the term "subtle body" to refer to this same body also termed elsewhere as the "astral body". The environment this functions in is what we will here call either the "astral plane" or "astral world" or the "subtle world".
This is defined as a world or realm (or "plane") composed of matter which though not visible to physical eyes is nevertheless everywhere present and which interpenetrates the physical matter the senses of the physical body observe and experience. The particles of substance of this realm exist everywhere in free form and possess a variety of characteristics and properties akin to chemical elements of the physical world. These subtle particles are capable of joining together to form coherent and stable objects as well as life forms having distinct components and functions. A certain amount of this subtle substance also makes up the astral or subtle body humans experience dreams in and resides in the same volume as the human body while an individual is awake. The existence of a astral plane (or subtle world) composed of a more subtle state or gradation of matter is posited as a fundamental premise of this website. In addition, there is no evidence to suggest this degree of matter ends at the upper limit of the earth's atmosphere. So another basic premise we posit is that it extends into space indefinitely in all directions continuously and with no breaks.
Consciously, with direction and purpose, to move out of your physical body and live and act through your subtle body, or astral body. This ability can be cultivated through practice and determination.
The English Transliteration of a Tibetan word meaning “the between” or “in-between”. This alludes to a state of being after the death of the physical body, and before the next incarnation or rebirth. The Bardo Thodol is a text of ancient teachings known in the West as The Tibetan Book of the Dead, which describes the experiences our consciousnesses have after death and guides us through them with the aim of spiritual liberation for all beings.
rhythmic fluctuations of voltage between parts of the brain caused by masses of neurons communicating with each other, resulting in the flow of a measurable electric current
Although this term is difficult to define, in essence, it is the lens through which we perceive, interpret, and act upon the world and ourselves.
One thing that can help is to describe some of the very important qualities of consciousness, such as:
- it largely determines the types of everyday thoughts that occur to us: those that tend to virtue or those that tend to vice
- it impels one towards creative or destructive behavior
- It colors our life experiences with positivity or negativity
- it can be altered
- there are several different states, or levels, of consciousness that can be experienced
- its growth is measured by how much a person perceives and how much that person can do
The word "dream" is usually understood as any and all experiences one undergoes while asleep. This includes all the visual, audio, olfactory, and taste sensations that one may have. At SubtleRealm.org we recognize that there are a great many different happenings and events that are grouped under the umbrella term "dream" and we try to distinguish them and tease them apart. Yes, much of what we see while asleep are merely mental imaginings, but some of it is caused by interactions of one or more of our energy bodies with the plane in which it resides. For a person who is completely conscious while awake and while asleep, there is no dreaming; falling asleep is simply a continuation of existing: first on this physical plane, then on the next plane: the astral plane.
an electroencephalogram (EEG) is a test or record of brain activity produced by electroencephalography, an electrophysiological monitoring method to record and measure voltage fluctuations resulting from ionic current within the neurons of the brain. It is typically noninvasive, with electrodes placed along the scalp.
We live in in this world of matter, and we need a body of matter in order to move around and effect changes in it. This principle pervades even subtler realms than the physical. The next subtler world (which exists in and around us) is the "astral plane". It follows that we have an "astral body" to move in it and to effect change in it. These are two gradations in a universe with seven major gradations and countless sub-gradations in between them. In order to be functional in them, we need the appropriate body, composed of the same matter as that gradation. These different bodies are what we are referring to as "energy bodies".
The realm of angels and God's "shining city on the hill". Described by Christianity as the place ones goes to after death that is infinitely beautiful and peaceful. People get admitted for all eternity if they have lived good lives while on earth.
In Hinduism and Buddhism, the force that is directed by human beings as the result of moral action. It is both the effect of past actions and the cause of future effects according to its nature (good or bad) and is immutable.
Often called the ‘karmic wheel’, the doctrine that human souls are immortal, and that are destined to live, die, and be reborn time after time until it has paid its karmic debt and is perfected by virtue of its moral character.
Becoming fully aware and conscious within a dream; acquiring complete control over one's faculties and being able to move around and interact with the environment while in the dream state.
There are a number of ways to define this term depending on one's practice. It can mean to engage in quiet inner reflection or contemplation. It can mean to engage in mental exercise to focus one's thoughts, such as concentration on repeating a mantra, or on one's breathing. Whatever the specific type of meditation, it is usually done for the purpose of refining spiritual awareness and development.
There are numerous accounts of people from all walks of life in various cultures having undergone some physical trauma which caused their bodies to fall dormant and outwardly exhibit all the signs of death. Such people often report that during that time they were completely aware of the surroundings of their physical bodies, were able to move around at the location of the physical body, were able to observe the surroundings with clarity of consciousness and even capable of hearing and remembering conversations of others and events during this temporary death. And they often report quite clearly seeing their physical bodies as completely separated spatially from themselves during that time. They often report experiencing a sense of ease and freedom from distress that one might otherwise experience related to the bodily trauma. Any individuals around them who are attending to the physical body often report the body exhibited all the signs of death: breathing and heartbeat cease and the body might even start to cool. After some period of time the body revives and the individual once again finds him or herself back in the body with full recall of the events observed while separate from it. We are here terming such an event as a "near-death experience" or "NDE" for short.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is the most common type of sleep apnea and is caused by complete or partial obstructions of the upper airway. It is characterized by repetitive episodes of shallow or paused breathing during sleep, despite the effort to breathe, and is usually associated with a reduction in blood oxygen saturation. These episodes of decreased breathing, called "apneas" (literally, "without breath"), typically last 20 to 40 seconds.
Sometimes called 'lucid dreaming' or 'astral projection', an Out of Body Experience (or OBE) is the experience of being fully conscious and functioning while being outside one's physical body. People who have experienced this often report sensations of floating, perceiving one's own physical body from a different place, and being able to direct or control one's experiences by using thoughts.
Polysomnography (PSG), a type of sleep study, is a multi-parametric test used in the study of sleep and as a diagnostic tool in sleep medicine. The test result is called a polysomnogram, also abbreviated PSG. Polysomnography is used to diagnose sleep disorders, and can be done in a laboratory or in your home. It is a comprehensive recording of the biophysiological changes that occur during sleep, including brain waves, eye movements, muscle activity or skeletal muscle activation, and heart rhythm. After the identification of the sleep disorder sleep apnea in the 1970s, the breathing functions respiratory airflow and respiratory effort indicators were added.
a kind of sleep that occurs at intervals during the night and is characterized by Rapid Eye Movements (REM), more dreaming and bodily movement, and faster pulse and breathing.
An ancient language used in poetic, scientific, philosophical, and religious texts. It has been used by Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and high cultures long ago in central Asia. It is the classical and liturgical language of the Brahmans, known as “a mystery language” according to the Theosophical dictionary.
This is another term we will use to indicate the astral body. Typically we will use this term instead of astral body. See the definition for astral body elsewhere in this Glossary.
This is defined as a world or realm composed of matter which though not visible to physical eyes is nevertheless everywhere present and which interpenetrates the physical matter the senses of the physical body observe and experience. The particles of substance of this realm exist everywhere in free form and possess a variety of characteristics and properties akin to chemical elements of the physical world. These subtle particles are capable of joining together to form coherent and stable objects as well as life forms having distinct components and functions. A certain amount of this subtle substance also makes up the astral or subtle body humans experience dreams in and resides in the same volume as the human body while an individual is awake. The existence of a subtle world composed of a more subtle state or gradation of matter is posited as a fundamental premise of this website. In addition, there is no evidence to suggest this degree of matter ends at the upper limit of the earth's atmosphere. So another basic premise we posit is that it extends into space indefinitely in all directions continuously and with no breaks.
A scientific experiment in which your mind is not only the inquirer, conductor, and observer of the experiment, but is actually, itself, the main subject of the experiment. Perhaps the main premise of a though-experiment might be: when I change my thoughts, how does my experience of life change?
During exercises to produce an out of body experience, this phase comes right before exteriorization from the physical body. It is experienced as intense vibrations, sometimes accompanied by humming or other vibrational noise. Popular understanding is that a person's consciousness is "changing frequencies" to be more attuned to the vibrational rate of the subtle world as opposed to that of the physical, where it normally resides. This change of vibrational rate causes the sensations described above.
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