05/31/2026
Yogananda & The Astral World…….
In his spiritual masterpiece, Autobiography of a Yogi, Paramahansa Yogananda provides an extraordinarily detailed description of the astral world, defining it as a vibrant universe of light, color, and lifetronic energy that exists directly behind the physical cosmos.
According to his teachings, the material universe is merely a dense, inert shadow of this higher-vibrational blueprint.
The Three Bodies of the Soul:
Yogananda taught that every soul is wrapped in three successive vehicles:
The Causal Body: Made of pure thought, ideas, and blueprints.
The Astral Body: Made of prana (lifetrons), housing human emotions and the mental nature.
The Physical Body: Made of heavy, gross matter.
Nature of the Astral Universe:
The detailed dynamics of the astral realm were revealed to Yogananda during a miraculous resurrection manifestation by his guru, Swami Sri Yukteswar:
Composition: It is completely composed of subtle vibrations of light and life energy, completely free from physical elements, disease, or aging.
Creation by Will: Objects, landscapes, and changes are manifested instantly through pure thought and intense willpower.
Environment: It features vibrant celestial scenery, including luminous plants, musical vibrations, and various animals that can willingly change their form.
Freedom: Inhabitants do not require food, sleep, or mechanical transportation, as they effortlessly move at the speed of thought.
Graduated Realms and Reincarnation:
The astral world is not a single location but consists of many mansions or graduated vibrational levels:
Ordinary Levels: Most souls arrive here after physical death to rest and review lessons based on their karmic merit.
The Advanced Spheres: Highly evolved beings travel to high astral planets like Hiranyaloka, where they assist other souls in dissolving their remaining subtle desires.
The Cycle: Unless a soul achieves final liberation (Samadhi) by merging with God, its unfulfilled material desires inevitably draw it back to the physical earth for rebirth.
Accessing the Astral Dimension:
Yogananda emphasized that the astral realm is not a distant, unreachable place but a current reality right behind human senses.
Practitioners can consciously tap into this dimension through deep meditation by focusing attention at the spiritual eye (the point between the eyebrows), which acts as a direct portal to higher spheres.