THE MENTAL BODY

Book Specification

Book Description

About the Book The mental body is the vehicle of thought and is one of the subtle bodies of a human being. To plant our feet firmly on the thought-world, and reach upwards to the very abstractions of thought will surely bring us to the threshold of a world higher and purer, not only in degree, but also in kind. Through those abstractions we shall rise to the world of the spirit, and draw appreciably nearer to the God-consciousness from which we now feel and know ourselves to be temporarily exiled.

This book describes the anatomy, nature, and functions, of the mental body based on the first-hand testimony of noted clairvoyants like C. W. Lead beater and Annie Besant. It is the third in a series by Col Arthur E. Powell, attempting to provide a condensed synthesis of theosophical knowledge to all lovers of esoteric lore. The others in the series are The Etheric Body, The Astral Body, The Causal Body, and The Solar System.

Introduction THIS book is the third of the series dealing with man’s bodies, its two predecessors having been The Etheric Double and The Astral Body. In all three, identically the same method has been followed: some forty volumes, mostly from the pens of Dr Annie Besant and Bishop Lead beater, have been carefully searched for data connected with the mental body; those data have been classified, arranged and presented to the student in a form as coherent and sequential as the labors of the compiler have been able to make it.

Throughout this series no attempt has been made to prove, or even to justify, the statements made, except in so far as their own internal evidence and reasonability justify them. The bona fides of these veteran investigators and teachers being unquestionable, the results of their investigations and their teachings are here set out, without evasion or reservation of any kind, so far as possible in their own words, modified and abridged only where necessary to suit the requirements of an orderly and logical presentation of the subject matter.

The question of proof is an entirely separate issue, and one, moreover, of vast dimensions. To have attempted to argue or prove the statements made would have defeated the primary object of these books, which is to lie before the serious student a condensed synthesis, within reasonable compass, of the teachings from the sources named regarding the bodies of man and the planes or worlds to which these belong. Those who desire proofs must search for them elsewhere.

The fact that, after some two and a half years of intensive study of the writings of the two authors named, no discrepancies or contradictions, beyond, literally, two or three of trifling moment, have been discovered, constitutes a striking testimonial to the faithfulness in detail of the investigators, and to the coherence of the Theosophical system.

As in the two preceding volumes, marginal references have been given in order that the student may, if he wish, verify for himself any statement made at the original sources. The indices of the series of three books, together with the marginal references, thus virtually constitute in themselves a fairly complete index to everything dealing with the etheric, astral and lower mental worlds in the writings of Dr Besant and Bishop Lead beater.

It is hoped that there will be added to the series in due time a fourth volume, on the Causal Body.

CONTENTS

Sample Pages