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) |
Toward a Quantum-Etheric Theory
March 30, 2007
I am beginning to feel like a Ken Wilber fan boy here. I am reading Excerpt G: Toward a Comprehensive Theory on Subtle Energies and I am nearly brought to tears by Ken’s gorgeous thoughts on subtle energies (etheric, astral, psychic etc).
What are Subtle Energies:
Theories on subtle energies go back thousands of years. There are versions of this model in Egyptian, Chinese, European, Jewish, Islamic, Indian (and many other) traditions. Ken’s version:
| Level of Mass-Energy | Corresponding Level of Consciousness |
| 1. Gross Physical (gravitational, electromagnetic, strong and weak nuclear) | 1. Sensorimotor |
| 2. Etheric, L-field 1 (L-1), or Biofield 1 | 2. Vital |
| 3. Astral, L-field 2 (L-2), or Biofield 2 | 3. Emotional-sexual |
| 4. Psychic-1 or T-field 1 (T-1) | 4. Mental |
| 5. Psychic-2 or T-field 2 (T-2) | 5. Higher mental |
| 6. Causal or C-field | 6. Overmental |
| 7. Nondual | 7. Supermental |
Table 1. Levels of Energy and Consciousness (from Excert G)
Is Quantum Potentiality a Subtle Energy?
One point that I have been confused on is Quantum Mechanics. Where does Quantum Mechanics fits in the Great Chain of subtle energies? Quantum Mechanics (and lately string theory/M-theory/k-theory or whatever the hell Ed Witten is calling it these days) is extremely popular among the New Age, metaphysics, Law of Attraction rock stars (Deepak, the Secret, What the Bleep.. no hate here, I love them). Philosophers, new agers, shaman, mystical fanboys/girls throw around the words “quantum mechanics” all the time (usually without knowing what the hell they are talking about, or at least I don’t know what the hell they are talking about).
Is Law of Attraction a Modern Mesmerism
I can’t help but be reminded of mesmerism and 1920s spiritualism of when I read some new age material. Animal magnetism (aka Mesmerism) was the metaphysical theory of Franz Mesmer in the 18th century. Mesmer’s theory was based on what he called “magnetic fluid” that he claimed was in every one and could be used to cure the sick (sound familiar… Reiki and qi gong have similar theories but different practice, east Indians have myriad practice and theories on something similar… maybe he was on to something). Like our modern day metaphysical theories on Law of Attraction and other new age theories, Mesmer’s animal magnetism had a following in France, but the scientific community didn’t accept it. Some of his clients claimed to be cured by his techniques. Although animal magnetism never took hold in modern science, a 19th century physician named James Braid took his techniques and developed a little something called “hypnosis”.
Like Mesmer’s animal magnetism, I believe some new age theories (Law of attraction, mystical connections to quantum mechanics) are on to something but as of right now the theories are to vague, simplistic and perhaps (as Ken says) naive to take hold in the community (namely science and academia) that can develop it. There is clearly a hunger for answers as people (laypersons, even some scientists and religions) all over the world flock to the latest new age, material-spiritual, quantum mechanics theories such as the material we see in things like “What the Bleep do We know?!” and the Secret.
The Philosopher with the Einstein’s Brain
Ken Wilber has blasted the new age movement, the Secret, What the Bleep and anything even remotely similar. He’s got a lot of arguments about the material, but his main problem (beside what he calls “Boomeritis“) seems to be their theory of reducing nondual spirit to (physical) Quantum phenomenon. Having read HIS version of how Quantum Reality relates to spirit, I must say that he has made me a believer.
His theory makes perfect sense. From what I understand, he is saying that spirit by itself is nondual, meaning it has no opposite so it is truly beyond infinite/finite (for even ‘infinite’ has and opposite, ‘finite’). Spirit has NO reference and no qualities that we can somehow measure and quantify, whereas quantum material do have qualities and opposites. Essentially, even though Quantum potentiality is incredible magical (spookiness at a distance, as Einstein called it) it is NOT equal to spirit as spirit.
Although spirit is manifest as soul (spirit-as-soul), as mind/causal (spirit-as-mind), as prana/etheric/astral (spirit-as-prana), as physical/gross/atoms/matter (spirit-as-matter), and each of the those have opposites, spirit-as-spirit has none so there is nothing we can say about it. It is beyond what we can symbolize with words and thought. Many mistake quantum potentiality for spirit-as-spirit but it is actually spirit-as-prana.
Ken Wilber’s Summary of Quantum Realities
Following the great philosopher-sages (such as Nagarjuna, Plotinus, and Shankara), we can summarize the reasons that any sort of quantum or subquantum events are not Spirit:
- Any quantum reality has some sort of characteristics, qualities, or dimensions that set it apart from manifest matter; but Spirit is radically shunya of drsti (empty of any and all qualities, including that characterization itself)—e.g., quantum vacuum has vast energy, spirit is unqualifiable.
- Any quantum reality is different in some important ways from gross matter; but Spirit is not different from any manifestation, but is rather the Suchness or Isness of whatever arises.
- Quantum reality has an opposite (e.g., non-quantum reality), but Spirit is radically nondual.
- Spirit is dimensionless; quantum reality is merely in a different dimension.
- And, most important, quantum material energy comes directly out of prana, not out of spirit (i.e., matter crystallizes out of spirit-as-prana, not spirit-as-spirit).
