(PLEASE NOTE: It is assumed that readers of this chapter are familiar with the concepts in the first two works in this series, A Guide for the New Renaissance and The Circle of Lives. Persons who have not had an opportunity to study these books may find this chapter somewhat difficult to follow. For readers who do encounter such trouble, perusal of the two earlier volumes in this series will no doubt correct the problem.)

Perhaps none of the concepts covered the recent book, The Circle of Lives, was greeted with as much interest and controversy as was the discussion of the AEtheric Body. Although the discussion did not present attributes of reincarnation which were not previously understood, it did offer a new insight into the mechanism of this intricate process.

The AEtheric Body from A to Z

Had the angelic beings never looked upon the daughters of men and "found them fair," there would have been no need for the AEtheric Body. This structure is necessary only because of that unique being called man; by a strange combination of events this man became a dual creature - human and Divine at the same time. Operation of this unusual combination is not unlike trying to mix oil and water. Certainly, for the human and Divine elements of the individual to coexist, a mediator and custodian of this strange being is required. For this purpose the AEtheric Body was developed.

Before we can understand this entity, we should realize that its work is cyclical. It has neither beginning nor end. Man lives two lives; perhaps we should say that he lives one life but in two continually alternating environments. Both of these lives are of approximately equal length (from twenty-five to one hundred fifty years), although for various reasons the earthly life may be shortened and the Soul World life lengthened. In each of these environments the individual requires some form of separate envelope or body because he lost his own Eternal Body many incarnations ago. It is the duty of the AEtheric Body to help provide a certain continuity in these various bodies so that justice is always served.

The AEtheric Body must provide for the physical body which we all now possess. It must see that all the good or the bad we do to this body during this incarnation is recorded so that it can be used in creating the body we are to inhabit during our next incarnation. When we die, it must divide itself and allow half to go to the Soul World with the Divine Spark while the other part stays here on Earth to oversee the disintegration of its other charge, the remains of our physical body. Once this physical body has returned to its earthly elements, the AEtheric Body is freed in toto to reunite with the Divine Spark and do its work in creating a Soul World body for that part of its life cycle.

The Soul World body, like the human body, is built from the patterns of the thoughts and desires of the person during his various earthly visits. Once the Soul World body is formed, the AEtheric Body has what is probably its best opportunity for rest. It has little to do until the call for the next earthly incarnation comes from the Powers That Be. At that time, when the new mother and father have been chosen and conception has taken place, the AEtheric Body again divides itself; part of it goes to Earth to oversee and supervise the construction of this new body for its Soul World Charge. At this time, it plays back all the deeds both good and harmful that the previous earthly personality did to the last physical body and it now duplicates them in such a manner that this new body will begin exactly where the old one ended.

The AEtheric Body is the vehicle that allows for the various permutations of this man, as it keeps a complete set of records concerning his travels and sees that he always receives neither more nor less than he deserves whether during existence on Earth or in life in the Soul World. The AEtheric Body is as real as it is essential.

Responsibility of the AEtheric Body for Justice

The main responsibility of the Law is to see that justice is always maintained in regard to the various bodies the person inherits from one incarnation to the next. That is, whatever we do to our physical body this incarnation is recorded on our AEtheric body and will be implemented in our next incarnation's body.

This, of course, works both to our advantage and to our disadvantage. If we inherited a body poor in appearance, health, or both this incarnation, we can improve upon that next time by what we build - or program - into the AEtheric Body during this incarnation. Not only will all the improvements we make this time be saved for us to be implemented in the next incarnation, but some improvements that we are not able to make in our present physical body may be a part of the next by the efforts made now because they are recorded on the AEtheric Body.

For example, a woman who is dissatisfied with her appearance in this incarnation may not be appreciably able to change her appearance now, but she can fill her mind and personality with beauty and all forms of loveliness. She can build an ardent desire to have a more attractive body in her next incarnation while accepting fully the reasons she was not so favored this time. This last concept is most essential to produce the end she has in mind. If she constantly bemoans her fate and fills her being with thoughts of pity over her present plight, she will only reinforce her present predicament upon the AEtheric Body and her next body will likely be worse than the one she now bemoans.

Or, in another example, an individual may be plagued with one severe disease after another during this incarnation. If he does not keep his thoughts less on what is and more on what he would have next time, he fails in his opportunity. And he will find himself again beset in his next reincarnation with disease and ill health.

In both these instances it is vital to the individuals' next incarnation that they do the best they can during this lifetime to improve what they brought into the world. If they do not attempt this, their other efforts at constructive thought will be far less effective. Whatever one does in this life to improve the present situation will be reflected both in the present and, by the effect on the AEtheric Body, into future incarnations.

In general, it can be said that the effect on the AEtheric Body is much more pronounced than is the effect on the physical body. Therefore, although the efforts of the individual in the second example may not be sufficient to correct all of his diseases this time, the influence on the AEtheric Body may be sufficient to eradicate the diseases for the next incarnation.

This action is our salvation. It allows for justice to reign even if we do not see it during this lifetime. This ability of the AEtheric Body is man's best reason to never give up. Even if a person doesn't succeed in this life, no effort is ever lost. All is recorded on the AEtheric Body and will be taken into account when the next bodies (both the Soul World and the earthly) are created. In this way, the AEtheric Body is the vehicle for the perfect justice of God and His Law.

Proper Distribution of the Physical Elements

Secondly, the AEtheric Body is the agent responsible for proper disposition, after physical death, of the physical elements that made up the earthly body it inhabited. These elements, particularly the minerals, take on a special significance when they are privileged to become a part of a human body. For the mineral elements this is the apex of their development before evolving into higher forms.

Everything that exist does do on at least two levels - the physical and the spiritual. This relationship is beautifully portrayed in The Blue Bird by Maurice Maeterlinck, the Belgian playwright. In this so-called fairy story Maeterlinck described the spirit elements of such mundane substances as sugar, bread, water, and milk. In one section the spirits of trees play an important part of the story.

Maeterlinck was not, of course, the first to attribute a spirit existence to inanimate objects and beasts of the field. Almost all primitive peoples have some beliefs along this line. Although anthropologists attempt to explain these beliefs by patronizingly attributing them to the peoples' nativity, one can but wonder if these primitives do not know, or rather feel something we do not?

The Spirit in Inanimate Objects

Inasmuch as primitive peoples are much closer to the Earth and the things of the Earth than is modern man, is it not possible that they do indeed have the ability to sense the spiritual - as well as the physical - part of the creations that surround them? In this regard, it is interesting to note the great similarity of the ceremonies various groups use to placate or seek help from these spirits. To attribute this sameness to coincidence or some basic psychological need in all such people does seem to beg for rebuttal. The similarity, no doubt, is more likely based on the fact that these procedures have proven helpful over the years and therefore are handed down from generation to generation. In accord with the nature of all human endeavor, only the useful survives; that which does not serve a useful function dies out of its own accord.

The Redmen in America had such a civilization. The moral and family stability of this culture would put contemporary customs to shame. The Indians made peace with the elements of earth, water, and sky. They had respect for those of lesser development than they, realizing that they were once at that stage, and attempted to follow the Golden Rule and treat these lower forms with the respect they would want for themselves. We, on the other hand, all to often have treated the lower forms shabbily, and there is little doubt that we shall be called to account for this abuse of those weaker than ourselves.

Does this sound far-fetched? Perhaps we have simply moved so far from our roots that we can no longer recognize the priorities of our world.

Have we not angered the spirit of the waters by our pollution? Could not floods be their way of retaliating? Is not the air - the sky above - incensed by the refuse we bellow into it each day? Could not the hurricane, tornadoes, and other forms of destruction from the sky be the report of its disapproval? As we leech to soil and saturate it with all forms of toxic chemicals will not the spirits of the Earth have their retribution? Do they not have a right to defend themselves? Will the Earth open up and swallow the evil doers?

These, of course, are questions no one can answer, but they are still valid questions. The approaching age is the Age of Personal Responsibility. Does anyone really believe man can avoid paying the penalty for his grievous past actions to the spirits of these parts of God's creation?

Serves Like an Executor of an Estate

Because the AEtheric Body is responsible for both body and Soul, it cannot depart from the physical body until the elements that made up this entity no longer have the organization that allowed them to partake in this most advanced of earthly forms.

In a way, it may be said that the AEtheric body is the executor of this part of the estate of the departed person. In the same way that the human executor cannot leave his charge until all the possessions that have been left by the deceased are accounted for and distributed per instructions, so must the AEtheric Body remain and supervise until the various assets of the human have to greater part found new homes.

Scientifically, the AEtheric Body is not free until the special differentiation which made these elements human flesh, nerve tissue, blood, and bone has been lost and elements have returned once again to a less differentiated state. Only at this time is the work of the AEtheric Body completed and it may be discharged as executor and allowed to return to the Soul World to help build the Soul World body for its more spiritual charge.

Other Developments

Through modern science, new considerations concerning this portion of the AEtheric Body have arisen. Among these is the procedure of cryogenics. In this process the body at death is frozen in liquid nitrogen and kept in this condition in a capsule specially designed for this purpose. The reason for this deep freeze is the hope that at some later time a cure will be found for the disease from which the person suffered so that he can be revived, cured, and able to continue the life he once lived.

It is not our place to comment on the logic or morality of this project, as all men are given free will. But we can mention the effect of this procedure on the AEtheric Body. As may be expected, a portion of the AEtheric Body must remain with this frozen body much in the same was that it did with the Egyptian mummy of old. In actuality, this new science is a modern form of mummification developed by the Egyptians long ago. There is truly nothing new under the sun.

The objectives of the two processes differ, of course, but the effect on the AEtheric Body is identical. Until the frozen physical body is released by the final unfreezing and disintegration of its organized elements, the AEtheric Body is not free to go to the Soul World and form the Soul World body for the spiritual part of the now-frozen being. Therefore, the Soul of this person is held in limbo and may not advance to take place in the Soul World until the earthly part of the AEtheric Body is released.

Questions often arise about bones, especially when prehistoric skeletons are discovered. Bones, it is known, are the semblance of the human to decay. Is the AEtheric Body held back by their failure to disintegrate? This agency is not usually considered to be retarded by the existence of a skeleton. Perhaps this is because the mineral elements in bones are so near to their natural form that they are not able to prevent the AEtheric Body from fulfilling its more spiritual purposes.

Shaping the Soul World Body

The third responsibility of the AEtheric Body is to shape the Soul World body much in the same way that it has ultimate responsibility for the earthly vehicle. Background information may be required in this regard, as one might understandable ask, Why do we need a Soul World body if all there is is spirit and our soul itself is spirit?

Although this is a good question, certain facts have not been taken into consideration in this statement. As a result of man's disobedience to the Law, in the early days of his existence, he lost his own spiritual body so that all that remained was a Divine Spark or Intelligence. This, what I call the Spiritual Mind, cannot be active or productive without some form of body through which it can function. Its ultimate goal is to build itself a new spiritual body to replace the one it destroyed so long ago. But until it can do this, it must live in a "rented" body provided by the AEtheric Body.

This concept may seem far-fetched to persons new to the concepts of reincarnation and the AEtheric Body, but it does answer many previously unanswerable questions and is in the last analysis the most logical explanation in this age of advanced science. Science has taught us that there are no miracles as such, only processes and laws that we do not understand - as yet. The AEtheric Body provides an interim service for a very unusual situation under the Law. Some mention of this unique situation can be garnered from the biblical statement, "the Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." Conventional wisdom has it that the Nazarene was speaking of Himself in this statement, but further consideration leads us to another conclusion. We have no evidence that, except in His own village, Jesus was not welcomed everywhere He went and did not really have to be concerned where to lay His head. What He was referring to was not Himself (was He not the Son of God rather than the son of man?), but to the Divine Spark, within us all, which has, indeed, nowhere to lay its head, having lost its body in the distant past.

Therefore, the purpose of all our lives is to rebuild the body that was lost so that we will have a place to lay our head. Until this can be accomplished (it can take many incarnations for most of us), we need a home in which to live. These homes are built in each plane (Earth and the Soul World) by the existing mechanisms on those planes (the human mother and father on the Earth and Spiritual Forces in the Soul World) under the direction and control of the AEtheric Body so that the proper characteristics and karmic influences are carried forward from the past existence on each of the planes.

The AEtheric Body and the Soul World

In the earlier volume in this series, The Circle of Lives, the formation of the Soul World body was fully described. Discussion of this process will not be repeated here, but a few further comments are in order.

The AEtheric Body is not all powerful. It does have certain limitations. As described earlier, it cannot oversee the formation of the Soul World body while it has to watch over the disintegration of the old physical body. However, the converse is not true. The AEtheric Body apparently can work to help construct the next physical body while a portion of it remains with the Soul World body.

Possible reasons for this action - whether the physical body is easier to oversee than the Soul World body, whether supervision of the remnants of the physical body is a greater task than holding the Soul World body together, or whether the Soul World body is, in actuality, that difficult to construct - will not be discussed here. However, the AEtheric Body does work in the fashion described here.

There are many other more esoteric sides to the AEtheric Body, but these, too, will be discussed in later works.
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