Etheric to Real-time: Wilber vs. Robert Bruce
April 3, 2007
In Ken Wilber’s view of subtle energies seem to parallel Robert Bruce’s model of subtle world.
Ken Wilber’s Model (according to Excerpt G):
| Level of Mass-Energy |
| 1. Gross Physical (gravitational, electromagnetic, strong and weak nuclear) |
| 2. Etheric, L-field 1 (L-1), or Biofield 1 |
| 3. Astral, L-field 2 (L-2), or Biofield 2 |
Robert Bruce’s model (Astral Dynamics):
| Level of Mass-Energy |
| 1. Physical |
| 2. Etheric |
| 2a. Real-Time Body |
| 3. Astral |
Unfortunately, Robert Bruce does not talk about stages of consciousness and only vaguely covers altered state of consciousness in Astral Dynamics. But his level of focus on feelings, senses, emotions and sights that are witnessed from his perspective provide a lay persons map of what they might see on the way to Astral projection true to the name ‘Astral Dynamics’.
Interestingly enough, Bruce talks about what he calls a “Real-Time body” that projects from the Etheric body into the “real-time zone”.
His description of the real-time zone is how others (Theosopy, Wilber, Rudolph Steiner, et al) call the etheric plane:
The real-time zone can best be thought of as a buffer zone or intermediary area dividing the physical universe from the astral dimension proper. It shares some properties of the physical universe (a direct and objective real-time reflection of reality) and some properties of the astral dimension (a fluid, nonphysical environment).
Bruce goes on to say:
The astral dimension does not overlay the physical universe as precisely as the real-time zone does, especially at higher levels…
Wilber’s hypothesis of subtle energies parallels what Bruce has deduced from his Astral projection. According to Wilber’s third hypothesis on subtle energies, increasing complexity of gross form is correlated with increasingly subtlety of energies. So it would make since that most objects on the physical only appear as far as the etheric or “real-time zone”.
(Sri Aurobindo called it the subtle physical):
By the gross physical is meant the earthly and bodily physical – as experienced by the outward sense-mind and senses. But that is not the whole of Matter. There is a subtle physical also with a subtler consciousness in it which can, for instance, go to a distance from the body and yet feel and be aware of things in a not merely mental or vital way….the subtle physical has a freedom, plasticity, intensity, power, colour, wide and manifold play (there are thousands of things there that are not here) of which, as yet, we have no possibility on earth.
– Sri Aurobindo, Letters on Yoga, part 1, section v
Subtle Energies Accessible to Complex Physical Structures
April 2, 2007
Yet another amazing insight brought together by Ken Wilber.
He suggest that higher levels of subtle energies are accessible by the complexification of matter. In other words, atoms and molecules have access the “gross” physical energies such as gravity, electromagnetism, strong and weak nuclear force. More complex physical structures such as neurons and other cells have access to subtle “etheric” energies. Together, cells create organs and organisms that are exponentially more complex (e.g. limbic system, reptilian brain) which have access to “astral energies”.
Ken goes even further with complexification of the human brain being refined into stages of human development (based on the comprehensive studies by Graves/Beck, Giligan, Kohlberg and many other developmentalist). Here is an oversimplified look at the developmental stages of the human psyche: they go from preconventional to conventional to postconventional to post-postconventional. These can also be called egocentric, ethnocentric, world-centric, and theocentric (respectively). Don Beck (spiral dynamics) and Ken Wilber (AQAL) have worked out color coded schemes to indicate each level of human psychological development.
Once a person develops to a preconventional/egocentric (aka called a “red”) level of development they have access to the family of subtle-energies, genus “psychic-1.”
A Refined Taxonomy of Subtle Energies
Let us use the common “family, genus, species” scheme, combined with the terminology in Table 1, to summarize our (suggested) conclusions.
The three great families of energy are gross, subtle, and causal. (As necessary, we can add family turiya, and family turiyatita.)
- The family gross-energy contains genus gravitational, electromagnetic, strong nuclear, weak nuclear.
- The genus electromagnetic contains:
species (1) cosmic rays, (2) gamma rays, (3) x-rays, (4) visible light, (5)infrared, (6) microwaves, etc. - The genus strong nuclear contains:
species energies of (1) baryons, (2) hadrons, (3) mesons (etc.) - & D. (Likewise for any possible species in the genus gravitational and genus weak nuclear)
- The genus electromagnetic contains:
- The family subtle-energy contains genus etheric (L-1, biofield-1), astral (L-2, biofield-2), psychic-1 (T-1), and psychic-2 (T-2)
- The genus etheric ( L-1 or biofield-1) contains:
species energies of (1) viral, (2) prokaryotic, (3) neuronal, (4) neuronal cord (etc.) - The genus astral (L-2 or biofield-2) contains:
species energies of (1) reptilian brain stem, (2) limbic system (etc.) - The genus psychic-1 (or T-1) contains:
species energies of (1) red, (2) blue, (3) orange, (4) green (etc.)2 - The genus psychic-2 (or T-2) contains:
species energies of (1) yellow, (2) turquoise, (3) coral (etc.)
- The genus etheric ( L-1 or biofield-1) contains:
- The family causal-energy contains genus C-field (etc.)
Table 2. Taxonomy of Subtle Energies
Shedding subtle energy light on “myth of the given”
Ken nukes metaphysics in his book Integral Spirituality. This was initially a great concern to me. Since I have had a long love affair with metaphysics over the years, I was screaming “blasphemy” when I first read his categorical dismantle of the subject. His main argument is the “myth of the given”. Metaphysics makes a lot of statements about supernatural objects, forces and structures. Ken is saying that without showing exactly how to access the subjects and objects of metaphysical discussion, they are meaningless. It seems to me that Ken’s argument against traditional metaphysics is not that subtle energies don’t exist, but the way metaphysical writers express their views leave out important new discoveries such as structural development and the importance of culture on everyone interpretation (including the writer). it is o.k. to speak poetically in of metaphysical ideas, but if your going to make assertions you need to back it up with evidence or a method to repeat your assertions under similar circumstances.
Works Cited:
Wilber, Ken. Integral Spirituality, a startling new role for religion in the modern and postmodern world. Shambhala, 2006.
Wilber, Ken. Excert G: Toward a Comprehensive Theory on Subtle Energies. Shambhala - http://wilber.shambhala.com
| State of Consciousness | Level/Stage/Sheath of Consciousness | Body-Energy |
| Deep Sleep (Formless) (sushupti) |
5. Anandamayakosha (spirit-bliss) |
Causal Body (karana-sarira) |
| Dreaming (svapna-sthana) | 4. Vijnanamayakosha (buddhi; higher mind) 3. Manomayakosha (manas; mind) 2. Pranamayakosha (emotional-sexual) |
Subtle Body (suksma-sarira) |
| Waking (jagarita-sthana) | 1. Annamayakosha (sensorimotor) |
Gross Body (sthula-sarira) |
