The Inner / Subtle Being

Meaning of the Term "Subtle"

The term "Subtle Being" and "Subtle Reality" is used here on the basis of the following somewhat arbitrary and incomplete list

Type description 1 - reference: Ken Wilber uses the term Subtle to indicate the yogic and mystic holonic-evolutionary level intermediate between "Psychic" (in his series = Nature Mysticism) and "Causal" (=Realisation"); it includes many psychic and occult experiences and can be considered as pertaining to the Subtle as defined here (although it also includes other realities and experiences that might also be interpreted as "Inner Gross" - e.g. Kundalini as a classic example).

Type description 2 - reference: Sri Aurobindo's description of the Intermediate Zone would seem to belong to this reality, at least in part (as it also extends to the Causal region)

Type description 3 - reference: Suhrawardian and later derived concepts regarding the Interworld / Barzakh; but these also might include the Inner Gross reality, or at least aspects of it

Type description 4 - reference: Jung's account of the collective unconscious, divested of its biological reductionism ("racial memory") might be a good example of the Subtle Reality. Jung is very weak on metaphysics; his strength lies in his superb phenomenological descriptions - taken from classic mythological, alchemical, and esoteric literature as well as the accounts of his patients and later, his own experiences as well, provide a rich source of material on the phenomena and dynamics of the Subtle reality inasmuch as it interacts with the outer human psyche or physical consciousness (Gross Being). However, some of what he describes also pertains to the Eso and Inner Gross reality; also the vague quality of what defines an archetype means that archetypes could pertain to anything of transpersonal nature (e.g. mystical experiuences are experiences of archetypes).

The above list is in no way definitive - no doubt other descriptions in different esoteriuc traditions can be added here as well.

Other definitions of "Subtle" in Esoteric Teachings

The Sukshma Sthula or Subtle Body is one of the seven principles of man in Blavatskian Theosophy; it is also called the "astral body" but has little similarity with the astral body of Out of Body experiuence (because it cannot move far from the gross physical vehicle), and identified with the Double or Ka

In Sant Mat / Radhasoami cosmology - the Anda (Cosmic Egg) / Sahans-dal Kanwal (Crown Chakra) / Subtle seems to refer to the Subtle Astral

The term Subtle Physical is used somewhat generically by Sri Aurobindo (in Letters on Yoga) to refer to a wider reality behind the external physical.

In Vedanta (Mandukya Upanishad and later teachings - e.g. Advaita - based on it) "subtle" is used to designate the "dream state" of consciousness, and in Advaita this also includes the Prana, Manas, and Vijnana koshas (= the vehicles of vital force, mins, and higher consciousness) re-interpreted from of the Taittiriya Upanishad.

In Tibetan Buddhism it refers to an intermediate grade between the "gross" and "very subtle" "minds" and "winds" (vayu -= prana).

Although all the above realities each resenting experiences pertaining to their own specific spiritual and yogic tradition - are not necessarily synomous (In Sant Mat the Sahans-dal Kanwal is associated with the Astral, while Sri Aurobindo distinguished between the Subtle Physical, the Vital, and the Inner Being), in all cases they represent a larger reality behind and supporting the gross surface or outer being. While in Vedanta the emphasis is on yogic experience rather than metaohysics, and the definitions offered there are too broad or too vague (or if referring to the dream state alone, not applicable, as dreams pertain to the "gross" level) to be of much use in specific "type descriptions" of states of consciousness for an ontological map or cartography of states of existence. Tibetan Buddhist conceptions obviously refer to a series of ch'i levels, but these seem more related to the etheric or ch'i octaves of the inner or perhaps even the purushic being.

Meaning of the Term "Inner Being"

The term "Inner Being" is used here as the Inner Being sensu Sri Aurobindo.

The Nature of Inner Consciousness

Just as one ascends through the "vertical" Universes, from Physical to Astral/Orectic to Ideational/Spiritual, and even beyond, so the progression from the Outer to the Inner and finally the Innermost Being is also a mystical path to Divine Light, Truth, and Love.

The ordinary mundane consciousness and existence pertains to the Outer Being only.  This is the usual state of the person who is ruled by the ego and considers him or her self seperate from the rest of creation, and so strives for his or her own needs alone, either not considering, or else subordinating, the needs of others.   But once we enter the Inner Being we have a new phenomena, relative to ordinary existence; the transcendence of egotism.  The yogi and mystic therefore tend to explore by going inwards, to the Inner Being.  The further one progresses in this direction, the more selfless and truely spiritual one becomes.

What is the Inner Being?

By Inner Being I mean all those realities immediately behind or within and supporting and directing the outer consciousness or outer being. This means an incredibly vast range of realities and states of consciousness, including clairvoyant or expanded consciousness, meditrative states, dreams, trance states, and other altered states of consciousness, psychic states, the preconscious and middle unconscious in part, the Jungian unconscious to some extent, devas, auras, secondary chakras, and a great range of New Age phenomena.

Because the Inner Being immediately relates to, and merges with, the Outer Being or our normal waking consciousness, it is easy to access and often contacted.

Aspects of the "Inner" or Subtle Being

As defined here, the "Inner Being", or "Subtle Being" or "Imaginal Realm" refers to the emanational reality immediately preceeding the gross realm. These represent a large number of different realities. These are of an occult or mystic nature, and indeed many occult and esoteric experiences would seem to pertain to this reality.

Add to this the "Vertical" dimensions of consciousness means that at least three Subtle Universes can be posited. There are of course further higher ones, progressing to the Manifest Godhead, but these pertain to higher stages of Revelation and Illumination that are not often attained. Obviously, the further from the physical one progresses, the harder and rarer it is for the embodied consciousness to attain these spiritual summits.Those who have attained such states are generally reverred as "Masters" or "Enlightened".

The three regions or subregions referred to here are:

Because the microcosm consists of a Physical/Etheric, an Emotional, and a Mental component, there are a number of different Inner Being experiences and realities, each represented by a particular spiritual path.

The Inner Mental is experienced through meditation and one-pointedness, clarity and focus of mind.  The most effective technique to access this dimensional of being is the Theravada practice of Vipassana meditation. Very similiar is the Soto Zen path of meditation and gradual Enlightenment.  Eventually, through these techniques, one is said to break through to the transcendent dimension.

The Inner Emotional is the experience of wholesome positive emotions, or even Divine Love.  On the Physical body level we have phenomena like rebirthing and primal screaming, which temporarily clear out emotional blockages.  On the etheric Emotional body level there is the approach of devotional mysticism, represented by the Sufi way of the Heart, Contemplative Christianity, and Hindu Bhakti-yoga.

The Inner Physical is experienced through the activation of the inner ch'i energy, as in Taoist Internal Alchemy yoga [1].

All these techniques pertain to the inner dimensions of the psychophysical faculties.  On a more subtle level, the Inner Mental corresponds to "the opening of the third eye", and the Inner Emotional to "the opening of the heart chakra". This leads us to the more innermost Subtle being, and ultimately to the Causal and beyond (the Primary or Archetypal Chakras)

Through continual occult development that part of the being that is closest to the Augoeides or Higher Self becomes transformed by it, and constitutes a sort of perfected Inner Being.  This is more or less the "vehicle of the (Divine) Soul" of Neoplatonism (sometimes called the "astral body" - okhmea asteroides), and the "Causal body" of Theosophy.

In addition, there is the epistemic axis, from samsara to enlightenment

It may be that the Inner Reality and the Enlightenment experience have a synergistic relationship, so at this level enloightenment is not just epistemological (as it is in the Outer Gross being or ordinary consciousness) but ontoloogical as well, involving a metamorphosis of the whole being. There are also innumerable transitional experiences, especially if the enlightenment is not integral.

Subplanes

Whole octaves and resonances of the subtle physical have been suggested in different esoteric teachings. This is indicated by the following diagram:

(note: diagram may need some revision as it has been transferred from another page and I revising my ideas:

References

[1] Mantak and Maneewan Chia, Awaken Healing Light of the Tao, Fusion of the Five Elements I, and other books by Mantak Chia.

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