The physical body is surrounded by a seven-level structured energy field, which is commonly referred to as the aura. The physical body and the aura, closely connected, interact with each other.
According to ancient Hindu culture, all beings have an energy field that surrounds and envelops the physical body. In humans and animals, the points of communication of this energy field with the physical body were called chakras, a Sanskrit term that means "wheel": the various schools of yoga tried to know them, describe them and give them symbolic definitions. With the spread of oriental knowledge in the West and with the rediscovery of the indissoluble link between man and nature, the chakras and the human energy field have been the subject of careful studies in our society in recent decades, in order to understand the human being in its entirety, beyond the reductive materialist model imposed by the doctrines of the Enlightenment and of official medicine.
Vital energy is not an exclusive feature of matter, on the contrary: according to holistic thinking, energy precedes matter and creates it, therefore both the physical body and everything that appears to our senses as something material represents the last stage, the densest, of a generation process that started earlier. The universe breathes: even the most recent hypotheses of astrophysics seem to recognize that the universe contracts and expands rhythmically, as happens during breathing, while subatomic physics has long demonstrated that matter and energy are two aspects of the same phenomenon. With each contraction and expansion of the universe, energy is released, which then tends to condense into matter, giving rise to stars, planets, minerals, water, plants, animals and man.
To take care of our organism as a whole it is, therefore, necessary to consider not only the physical body but also the energy field connected to it, which is commonly called the aura.
One of the greatest psychics and therapists of the contemporary era, Barbara Ann Brennan, in her book Hands of Light defines the human energy field as "the manifestation of universal energy intimately connected with human life". The human energy field, the aura, has the task of drawing and metabolizing energy by drawing it from the universal energy field. In the wisdom of the great non-Western millenary cultures - such as Indian, Chinese, Egyptian and pre-Columbian civilizations - the universal energy field was investigated from the earliest times and defined in different ways (prana in India, qi in China, with other words elsewhere), and it was understood that any change that occurs at the level of matter is preceded by an observable change in the universal field: energy is incessantly transformed into matter, but also matter is converted back into energy. Thus, even today, psychics capable of visualizing energy fields and Western scholars who have devoted themselves to this topic have ascertained that the aura is made up of seven layers or levels, each of which corresponds to one of the seven major chakras. The latter are centres in the form of a vortex, resembling whirlpools of energy, in charge of managing the vital fluid from the universal energy field and transmitting it to the various levels of the aura and to the physical body.
The seven main chakras form at the points of the aura where the energy lines intersect twenty-one times; in addition to these, there are twenty-one minor chakras, which are formed at the points of the aura where the flows of energy cross fourteen times. Other chakras, even smaller in size, are placed at the points where the flows intersect seven times, and so on according to a decreasing scale, a phenomenon that leads us to consider acupuncture points as chakras of tiny dimensions. Each of the seven major chakras is connected to the corresponding layer of the aura, i.e. the subtle body that vibrates with it: the 1st chakra works in harmony with the etheric body, the 2nd chakra with the emotional body, the 3rd chakra with the mental body, and so on. For each layer of the aura, the psychics detect the presence of seven chakras: each of these vortexes appears as a cone inserted inside the previous one and is characterized by a higher and higher vibrational frequency.
The seven levels of the aura, or subtle bodies, interpenetrate with each other and extend beyond the consumptive body; the substance that constitutes them becomes more and more rarefied by proceeding from the first layer to arrive at the seventh, which indicates the presence of vibrations from higher and higher frequencies. The subtle bodies, in addition to the frequency of vibration, differ in terms of functions, characteristics, shape, and colours: their structure reveals a dualism that is expressed in relation to the greater or lesser fluidity of the energetic vibrations. The subtle bodies of odd numbers (1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th) appear more stable and well-defined in their contours, while the subtle bodies of even numbers (2nd, 4th, 6th) appear as fluids in movement, which do not have a definite shape but are conditioned, as far as the shape is concerned, by bodies of odd numbers.
The seven levels of the aura
1st LEVEL OF THE AURA. ETHERIC BODY
6500-13.500 UB
Range of 3-4 cm relative to the physical body.
Width of the etheric body: about 3-4 cm.
It particularly resonates with the 1st chakra. The ether is the intermediate state between matter and energy: this first layer is a duplicate of the physical body and reproduces it faithfully, also as regards the internal organs and all the anatomical parts. It appears as a set of sparkling lines of light, the colour of which can vary from pale blue to grey: in delicate and sensitive people, the etheric body more properly takes on shades of blue, while in robust and athletic individuals it reveals a grey colour. The etheric body gives structure to the physical body and reflects all the physiological processes that take place in the latter; since it acts as a support for the physical conformation of the individual, the 1st level of the aura contains all the information on the material reality of that individual. Treatments on this level act on minor disturbances, especially on physiological and functional imbalances. The chakras of this subtle body are all pale blue to grey in colour.
2nd LEVEL OF THE AURA. EMOTIONAL BODY
13.500-21.500 UB
Range of 4-8 cm relative to the physical body.
Width of the emotional body: about 4 cm.
It particularly resonates with the 2nd chakra. It's about emotions, sensations, feelings, fears, and the ability to feel pleasure. Unlike the etheric body, the emotional body does not faithfully reproduce the physical body but is made up of fluid accumulations of moving colours. The hues observed there include all seven colours of the iris, and vary from dark to bright in relation to the subject's emotions, his clearness of feelings or the degree of confusion that characterizes him. The seven chakras of this aura level have, in order, the colours proper to each vortex, as specified below. Similarly to the 2nd chakra, this body records information from the emotional side of the personality. All the imbalances that have to do with emotions are formed here.
3rd LEVEL OF THE AURA. MENTAL BODY
21.500-30.500 UB
Range of 8-14 cm with respect to the consumptive body.
Width of the mental body: about 6 cm.
It particularly resonates with the 3rd chakra. Since this level concerns intellectual activities and mental functions, its dominant colour is yellow in various shades. In the case of a subject engaged in mental occupations, the yellow is accentuated at the head and shoulders. The thoughts of any kind that affect the individual are detectable by the analysis of this body, into which other colour clusters coming from the emotional body are also poured: these clusters represent the emotions connected with specific ideas and thoughts. If an idea is clear and well-defined, the colours of the emotions associated with it will be vivid and bright, otherwise, you will notice dull and dark shades. The energetic disharmonies present at this level are related to the rational mind and conscious thoughts. The chakras of this subtle body are all yellow in colour.
4th LEVEL OF THE AURA. ASTRAL BODY
30.500-40.500 UB
Range of 14-28 cm relative to the physical body.
Width of the astral body: about 14 cm.
It particularly resonates with the 4th chakra. Also, this level is distinguished by the presence of colours, generally more intense and shining than those of the emotional body, often crossed by green and pink flashes. In the astral body, we observe the energetic exchange between people: if two subjects are deeply united by a love relationship, their astral bodies appear connected by energetic flows in the form of pinkish cords. In fact, this body concerns all the affective experiences through which the individual can be crossed: if the heart is closed in resentment, hatred and similar negative attitudes, the colours of the astral body will be dark, dull, devoid of the nuances of green and pink. When a romantic relationship or friendship breaks down, the energy flows that connect the auras of the two people stop more or less simultaneously. It is necessary to operate on this body to correct the imbalances related to love and affectivity, to joy (or lack of joy) in facing life situations. The chakras of this subtle body each have a different colour, as we will see below.
5th LEVEL OF THE AURA. ETHERIC BODY MATRIX
40.500-51.500 UB
Range of 28-48 cm relative to the physical body.
Width of the etheric matrix body: about 20 cm.
It especially resonates with the 5th chakra. This body is called a matrix because it reflects everything that exists in the individual on the physical plane as if it were a model, a kind of photographic negative. It contains the original configuration of the etheric body: if the latter is altered due to trauma or disease, it is possible to act on the etheric matrix body to support the regeneration process.
It represents the archive of our existence. The shapes and structures that appear in the 5th level of the aura are made up of transparent lines on a cobalt blue background. The deep, degenerative pathologies that afflict the physical body, together with the problems of communication and self-expression often have as their root energy imbalances present in this level. The chakras of this subtle body are all cobalt blue in colour.
6th LEVEL OF THE AURA. CELESTIAL BODY
51.500-63.500 UB
Range of 48-74 cm relative to the physical body.
Width of the celestial body: about 26 cm.
It especially resonates with the 6th chakra. The celestial body is usually referred to as an emotional body transposed onto the spiritual level. It is perceivable as a set of delicate, very bright hues crossed by silvery, golden and mother-of-pearl rays. Through the qualities of this level of the aura, meditation practices that lead to the elevation of individual consciousness are possible.
It contains all those truths that each of us is looking for, and as such it represents the dimension in which to obtain the increase of knowledge. Moreover, similarly to the 6th chakra, the celestial body can be affected by interventions that do not require the physical proximity of two subjects, such as telepathy and remote healing. Among the experiences that are reflected by this body, we also find the forms of mysticism aimed at leading man to spiritual ecstasy. It is necessary to operate on this level in the case of serious mental problems, inability to see reality correctly, and excess of rationality. The chakras of this subtle body have very delicate and luminous colours, ranging from silver to golden, to pearly.
7th LEVEL OF THE AURA. CAUSAL BODY
63.500-76.500 UB
Range of 74-104 cm relative to the physical body.
Width of the causal body: about 30 cm.
It particularly resonates with the 7th chakra. It is also called the ketheric body, a term that derives from the Hebrew Kether, meaning "crown". It represents the mental level of the spiritual plane: through this body, we experience transcendence and union with the Absolute.
It is an energy field with extremely high vibrations: the outer belt, in the shape of an eggshell, contains information on previous lives, while the area below, incorporating the layers of the aura from the 1st to the 6th, refers to the current incarnation. The dominant colour is gold: it appears both in tiny filaments, which enclose the previous levels of the aura as in a web and as shades of golden light linked to the chakras and to the conformations of the physical body. The 7th is the level that seems to have the greatest resistance; the program of the present incarnation is inscribed there, and it also serves as a bridge for communication with the guiding spirits. Since this body is connected with karma, it is rather difficult to influence it therapeutically. The chakras of this subtle body are all gold in colour.
The first three bodies are part of the physical plane, as they metabolize the energies connected with matter, to physicality; the astral body, acting as a transition hinge between the physical and spiritual planes, represents the area of the aura where material energies are transformed into spiritual energies; finally, the task of the 5th, 6th and 7th bodies is to manage the spiritual life of the individual. The auric levels from 4th to 7th are located beyond the physical world, and as such, they concern other states of reality: by attuning to these levels, various entities without a physical body can be perceived, such as the guiding spirits. As we have said, the chakras act as transmitters of energy between the different levels of the aura and distribute the energy of the universal energy field to the physical body also using the endocrine system: therefore, an endocrine gland is associated with each vortex. Each vortex is also distinguished by a precise colour and other characteristics that will be specified later. Each chakra carries out well-defined functions and possesses qualities that are it's own: therefore, through the analysis of the individual vortices, information is obtained on the subject's psychological, character and behavioural areas.
The vortices from the 2nd to the 6th inclusive are double, meaning they are present both on the front part of the body and on the back part; the vortices 1st and 7th, as the extremity of the central column that directs the energy flow upwards, are instead single.
The 4th chakra acts as a bridge, as a connecting element between the three lower chakras and the three upper ones, and is connected with each of them; furthermore, being the energy centre of the heart, it assumes special importance. Each of the three lower vortices is connected to one of the upper vortices (the 1st chakra is connected to the 5th; the 2nd is connected to the 6th, the 3rd to the 7th), therefore to study the disharmonies it is good to always keep in mind also consider the corresponding chakra. The anterior chakras refer to behaviours, situations and forms of knowledge of an active, masculine, Yang type (although the even-numbered front chakras are characterized by the presence of passive, feminine, Yin shades), and as such, they concern the conscious Self. They mainly control conscious problems, of a rational type, which can be experienced directly: everyday realities, current life and the decisions to be made, the needs and experiences we know, and the need to relate to the world by acting differently to solve concrete problems. Linear thinking and everything that has an immediate influence on the subject, whether it is memories, sensations, emotional needs or situations of which the person is aware and which are experienced in a problematic way must be addressed through the front chakras. The posterior chakras refer to passive, feminine, Yin energies (although the odd-numbered posterior chakras are characterized by the presence of active, masculine, Yang shades), therefore they concern the unconscious Self. These vortices reflect indirect and irrational experience, they control the world of intuition, inspiration, and the dilation of consciousness; they resonate with extended realities, with difficulties of an unconscious type, with analogical thinking, with everything that is not tangible and directly experienceable in terms of rationality. They represent the link with the hidden and repressed part of the personality, with the "shadow zone", with previous lives, guiding spirits, and supernatural entities.
The flows of energy processed by the chakras are channelled into the aura and into the physical body through the nadis (from the Sanskrit root nad, "flowing to flow"), energy channels that have some analogy with the meridians of traditional Chinese medicine, even if the nadis are much more numerous and form a kind of "subtle circulatory system". According to Indian doctrines, including yoga, in particular, the human energy system is made up of 72,000 nadis: the most important are ida, pingala and Sushumna. These three vertical channels originate in the 1st of the seven major chakras: ida and pingala follow a sinusoidal movement on the sides of Sushumna - which instead has a rectilinear trend - intertwining at each of the main chakras. Ida is of feminine valence, Yin, and controls all mental processes, while pingala is of masculine valence, Yang, and as such, it refers to vital, dynamic and physiological processes. In addition to the seven major chakras, there are twenty-one minor chakras, and others, of smaller and smaller dimensions. The seven major energy centres are given great value in all energy therapies; however, also the twenty-one minor chakras allow to conveniently direct the therapeutic flows so that some of these can be the object of treatment. Starting from the bottom up, they are the two chakras of the soles of the feet, the two chakras of the knees, the two chakras of the hands, the two chakras of the gonads (testicles and ovaries), the liver chakra, the chakra of the stomach, the double spleen-pancreas chakra, the minor solar plexus chakra, the two sinus chakras, the minor thymus chakra, the chakra located on the sternum at the junction of the clavicles, the two ear chakras and the two eyes.
Only the chakras located under the feet and the ear chakras are single; the others have the anterior aspect and the posterior aspect like the major vortices. Regarding the minor chakra of the solar plexus, this is moved a little above, towards the breasts, with respect to the 3rd main chakra, which is also located in the region of the solar plexus; the thymus chakra is instead a separate chakra connected to the endocrine gland, even if the latter as a whole is related to the 4th main chakra.
The study of the chakras and the human energy field brings us back to the great truth that has always been known by millennial non-Western cultures and the Western esoteric tradition: man is not only made up of that material part that we can see and touch with our limited senses but also of an emotional-mental and a spiritual plane. These last two concepts can be assimilated in some way to the aura which, being directly connected to the physical body, makes us reflect on the fact that the division of the organism into distinct sections makes no sense: everything interacts continuously with everything, it is not possible to separate the physical plane from the other planes, nor can we extrapolate a single body organ and treat it as if it existed in itself as if it were not connected to everything else.
The triple body-mind-spirit division acquires a profound meaning only if we realize that these three elements are not actually separate, but influence each other. The holistic vision of the world teaches us to know man and nature in their totality and in mutual relations, without carrying out those splits so dear to scientific thought: splits that generate a rough and approximate knowledge of reality.
Light and Love
Reiki Master Stefano P.