We have previously studied the Desire World, which is everywhere about us and whose substance interpenetrates everything. The animals and man have drawn to themselves a portion of this desire substance to form a desire body, and it gives them incentive for action and enables them to feel desire, emotion, and passion. The minerals and plants do not have an individual desire body; hence they are not capable of feeling, desire, or emotion.

  (You are welcome to e-mail your answers and/or comments to us. Please be sure to include the course name and Independent Study Module number in your e-mail to us. Or, you are also welcome to use the answer form below. You will find the answers to the questions below in the next Core Concepts Independent Study Module.)

What is the function of the desire body? (The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception)

   There are no organs in the desire body as in the dense and vital bodies. In the distant future man's desire body will become as definitely organized as are the physical and vital bodies. When that stage is reached we shall have the power to function in the desire body as we now do in the dense.

Describe man's desire body. (The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception)

   While the animal kingdom has not acquired the faculty of thought, some of the higher domestic animals do think by induction on the same principle that a highly charged wire will induce a weak current in another wire brought close to it. Animals are not individualized but are divided into species and all members of the same animal tribe act alike under similar conditions. Man is individualized, and each individual is a law unto himself, separate and apart from any other individual and as different from his fellow man as one species of the animal kingdom is from another. Before reaching individualization he was under a Group Spirit. Later he was placed under the guidance of a Race Spirit (Archangel), from which he is gradually freeing himself as he becomes more and more capable of self-government.

What makes man an individual? (The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception)

   While man is an individual and is guided by his own indwelling spirit which dictates his thoughts and actions, the three lower kingdoms have group spirits which are variously located in the Higher Worlds.

What is a group-spirit? (The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception)

   Each species of the animal kingdom is ruled by a group spirit. This is a Being belonging to the Archangelic life wave that works from the outside, directing the animal's actions by means of the silver cord of the animal, which is attached to the group spirit.

Explain the fact that the animal often seems to display more wisdom than man. (The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception)

   The relation of plant, animal, and man to the life currents in the earth's atmosphere are symbolically represented by the Cross. The mineral kingdom is not represented because it does not possess a vital body.

Explain the symbology of the Cross in relation to the three higher kingdoms. (The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception)

   No animal can be made to remain constantly upright, because in that case the currents of the group spirit could not guide it, and if it were not sufficiently individualized to endure the spiritual currents which enter the vertical human spine, it would die.

What are the three requisites for the expression of an individual ego? (The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception)

1. (a) Man moves, grows, and propagates his species. The mineral, in its native state, does none of these things. The plant grows and propagates, but cannot move or perceive things exterior to itself. The animal feels, moves, grows, propagates, and is capable of sense perception, but man, in addition, has the faculty of speech, a superior structure of the brain, and hands.

   (b) To function in any world it is necessary to have a vehicle composed of the material of that world.

2. In the vital body of the plant only the chemical and life ethers are fully active. In the animal the chemical, life, and light ethers are dynamically active. In man all four ethers are dynamically active.

3. The vital body permeates the dense body and extends out beyond it about one and one-half inches. The part outside of the dense body is very luminous, and is about the color of a new-blown peach blossom.

4. The exception is that the vital body of man is female or negative, while that of a woman is male or positive.

5. Separation of the vital from the dense body prevents the ingress of the solar force and if carried far enough results in death.

6. The source of our vital force is the Sun, and it gains entrance to the dense body through the etheric counterpart of the spleen.

7. The radiations from the vital body when in health carry away disease germs.

  Material science has observed that people who consume meat have higher risks of developing arteriosclerosis, coronary heart disease, stroke, diverticular disease, cancer of the colon, and cancer of the breast.

   Meat contains high levels of cholesterol and fat. If a person has too much cholesterol and fat in his blood, fat deposits tend to collect in the arteries, which makes them narrower and makes it more difficult for the blood to flow. If a blood clot lodges in a narrowed artery leading to the heart or brain, circulation may be cut off to a portion of the heart muscle or brain and a heart attack or stroke may result.

   Meat contains little fiber. Fibers, when they reach the large intestines, draw water into the intestinal tract so that the intestinal contents will not become too hard. Fiber helps stimulate peristalsis in the intestines, which helps move the contents. When the contents of the intestines move readily, these is less danger of diverticular disease (in which pockets from in the intestine wall and matter and bacteria collect in the pockets) and less danger of appendicitis. When the contents of the intestines do not spend too long there, there is less opportunity for bacteria to produce carcinogens and thence less risk of cancer of the colon.

   Meat tends to develop more anaerobic bacteria in the intestines that produce carcinogens, while a vegetarian diet produces more aerobic bacteria in the intestines that do not produce carcinogens.

   In every animal body, the venous blood is filled with carbon dioxide and other noxious products on their way to the kidney or the pores of the skin to be expelled as urine or perspiration. These loathsome substances are in every part of the flesh, and when we eat such food, we are filling our bodies with toxic poisons. Meat contains urea and uric acid, which tends to produce gout or gouty arthritis. In the present day, many livestock raisers feed hormones, tranquilizers, and antibiotics to their livestock. DES (diethylstilbestrol), the synthetic estrogenic hormone used to fatten cattle, has been isolated as a carcinogen. Many fish that reach the market were grown in water polluted by industrial wastes, lead, and mercury.

  It is further observed by material scientists that people who eat mainly animal protein (meat, eggs, milk) cannot maintain vigorous physical exercise for as long as those on a complex-carbohydrate diet (bread, potatoes, corn).

   Clairvoyants observe that the cells in plant and animal bodies carry with them some invisible components that are not detected by material scientists. Plant cells are permeated by ether, which, when eaten, helps energize the vital body of man. Cells from animal bodies contain little ether because the vital body of the animal left the dense body when the animal was killed. The cells in the animal body were, during the life of the animal, worked on and interpenetrated by the individual desire body of the animal, and are permeated by the passions and desires of the animal. When animal flesh is eaten, it tends to stimulate animal passions (ferocity, low cunning, and depravity) in man. Cells in the animal body are more individualized than the cells in the plant body, and thus more energy is required to overcome the animal cells and get them to obey the Will of the one who is using them as food.

   Clairvoyants also observe that animals are evolving beings who come into embodiment in order to gain experience. When humans cut short the life of an animal, they hinder the evolution of the animal. Although plants are also evolving beings, when fruit is ripe, it has accomplished its purpose, which is to act as a womb for the ripening seed. If is is not eaten, it decays and goes to waste. Any egg or seed, of itself, is devoid of life. If it is given the proper conditions of incubator or soil, the life enters it, thus grasping the opportunity so afforded of producing a dense body. If the egg or seed is cooked, crushed, or not given the conditions necessary for life, the opportunity is lost, but that is all.

   Clairvoyants also note that through evolution, all men are destined to develop clairvoyant powers and spiritual powers that will enable them to see spiritual things and to speak the creative word. But before men can be entrusted with these powers, they must become harmless as doves, for otherwise they would be apt to turn their powers to such selfish and destructive purposes that they would be an inconceivable menace to others.

   When people decide to discontinue eating meat, they must rearrange their diet so that they get sufficient proteins from other sources. Lowfat milk and milk products, beans, nuts, seeds, and whole-grain cereals are good sources of protein. Most fruits and vegetables contain some protein.

   Proteins are composed of amino acids. In digestion, proteins are broken into their component amino acids, which are then re-synthesized into new proteins that the body can use. There are eight essential amino acids for adults (ten for children). These are essential because the human body cannot synthesize them in great enough quantities to satisfy body needs.

   All eight must be received in the stomach within about four hours of one another in certain relative amounts to be efficiently utilized by the body. If one amino acid is present in less than the ideal amount, the utilization of all the others will be decreased. All the foods listed in the following chart contain all of the eight amino acids to a level of at least 40 percent of the ideal, and thus any one can supply the protein needs of the body with at least 40 percent efficiency. The amino acids that are listed as being deficient are between 40 and 60 percent of the ideal.

  If foods from the above chart that are deficient in some amino acids are eaten with foods that are not deficient in those amino acids, then the efficiency of these foods in supplying the protein needs of the body will be increased.

   The vegetarian must also make special effort to obtain sufficient vitamin B12 as it is not present to any measurable degree in plants. Eggs, milk, and brewer's yeast contain vitamin B12.

— Lappe, Frances M. Diet for a Small Planet, Rev. ed. New York: Ballantine, 1975.

  Material scientists observe that when alcohol is consumed, the alcohol passes through the stomach and intestinal wall into the blood. Thence it is carried throughout the body. Alcohol acts as a depressant on the functioning of the brain and nervous system. A small amount of alcohol depresses the area of the brain that deals with judgment, motor coordination, self- control, and memory. The individual may then feel less inhibited and may say and do things that he might not ordinarily do if his judgment were not impaired. If more alcohol is consumed, muscular coordination and reflexes suffer, sleepiness is felt, and heartbeat rate may decrease and breathing may be depressed. The liver works on most of the alcohol in the body. There the alcohol goes through a chemical process, oxidation, in which its energy is released as heat. Some alcohol is oxidized or burned off in the lungs, and some is removed through sweat and urine. If only a small amount of dilute alcohol has been consumed, when the body has rid itself of the alcohol, it may appear to return to normal.

   When substantial amounts of alcohol (over a period of time) have been consumed, some other effects become noticeable. Alcohol is particularly poisonous to the protoplasm of the delicate cells of the nervous system. it interferes with the functioning of these cells at an early stage, ultimately causing permanent alteration of tissue. Cells become indistinct in shape, eventually with some parts shriveling up. At this stage the cells are not recoverable. It becomes serious when one loses large number of brain cells to be replaced. There is then memory loss, poor judgment, confusion, and disorientation. Alcohol can also damage nerve cells in the stomach, and thence may impair the ability of the stomach to churn and pass on its contents. Alcohol relaxes muscles and makes them weak and less able to perform. Over time they become flabby. When the heart muscle is so affected, circulation is decreased. Fatigue and shortness of breath result. Alcohol may cause the destruction of cells in the liver (cirrhosis). Alcohol can damage the mucosal lining of the stomach, and cause ulceration. Alcohol can cause the kidneys to degenerate so that waste products are retained while albumin is allowed to escape.

   Clairvoyants can give added information on the effects of alcohol consumption. They can see that man has both a dense body (composed of atoms) and a vital body, which contains "points" that enter into the hollow centers of dense atoms, imbuing them with vital force that sets them vibrating at a rate higher than that of the mineral of the earth, which is not thus accelerated. Normally, when foods are taken into the body, during the process of assimilation, the food particles are fit into the points of the vital body, and their rate of vibration is brought into harmony with the rest of the body. Alcohols vibrate with such intense rapidity that the human spirit is incapable of tuning it down and controlling it. The alcohol acts as an anesthetic, and partially drives the vital body out. It then accelerates the vibratory rate of the atoms in the body to its own rate. Thus, the alcohol takes control of the body away from the man.

   The clairvoyant notes that there are two organs in the body, called the pituitary body and pineal gland, which in the past were used by man as organs of perception in the spiritual worlds. Consumption of alcohol, however, has caused these organs to become dazed so that they can no longer perform their previous function. In the course of evolution, man's view needed to be turned away from the spiritual worlds for a time so that he would develop more self-consciousness and turn his attention toward solving the problems associated with physical existence. But when man gets ready to again turn his vision toward spiritual existence, the consumption of alcohol will have to be discontinued before the pituitary body and pineal gland can again be reawakened.

   Two statements have now been made about alcohol that at first glance may appear contradictory. It was stated that alcohol tends to accelerate the vibratory rate of the atoms in the body, and an accelerated vibratory rate is normally associated with a higher (more spiritual) consciousness. It was also stated that alcohol dazed the pituitary body and pineal gland so that they could not function as organs of perception in the spiritual worlds, so that alcohol turned man's consciousness away from the spiritual worlds. The relation of these statements can be understood by means of an analogy. Suppose someone caught a bird, tied a band around its wings so that it couldn't fly, and then lifted the bird up off the ground. Even though it was lifted up, the net effect would be that the bird was essentially earthbound. Likewise, alcohol prevents people from soaring to spiritual heights of consciousness although it may promote dreams of grandeur in the resulting earthly view. Just as the bird with its wings tied loses its self- control when someone lifts it off the ground, so also the man loses his self-control when he uses alcohol to raise the rate of vibration of his body.

   The material scientists find it difficult to explain why alcohol is addictive. About all they can say is that in the drinker the cells of the body shift their metabolism so that they become dependent on alcohol. The clairvoyant Max Heindel, states that it is not the dense body that craves alcohol. The dense body is made sick by alcohol and would rather be without it. It vainly protests in different ways, but the desire body of the drunkard craves the drink and forces the dense body to take it, so that the desire body may have the sensation of pleasure resulting from the increased vibration.

   Should a person drink alcohol? The answer to this question will be different for different people. If a person needs his consciousness focused more closely in the material world, then occasional partaking of limited amounts of alcohol may be appropriate. Such a person must, however, be careful not to do anything that could injure himself or anyone else when he is under the influence of alcohol, such as driving a car or operating potentially dangerous machinery or trying to forcefully get others to obey his desires. If, on the other hand, a person has begun to tread the path that leads to spiritual enlightenment, he should strictly abstain from alcohol in all forms.

  Material scientists observe that people can communicate by means of the spoken word. When one person speaks, he sets his own vocal cords to vibrating. When the vocal cords move upward, they cause the air above them to be compressed; and when they move downward, they cause the air above them to become rarified. Thus, the alternate up-and-down motion of the vocal cords produces a series of compressions and rarefactions in the air, which is known as a sound wave. The tongue and lips can be put in various positions to affect this sound wave as it passes them, and thus words are formed. The sound wave can travel outward in all directions from the speaker. If part of it enters the ear of a listener, each compression causes the eardrum of the listener to be pushed inward and each rarefaction causes the eardrum of the listener to be pulled outward. Thus the eardrum is set to vibrating with the same frequency of vibration as the sound source, and thus the same message that was sent out is received. A person's eardrum is capable of responding to only a certain range of frequencies. if the frequency of the sound is too high or too low, the sound will not be heard. A human cannot hear the high frequency sound produced by a dog whistle, even though dogs can hear it.

   Material scientists also observe that information can be carried by means of electromagnetic waves. Radio and TV waves, radar and microwaves, visible light and X-rays are all examples of electromagnetic waves. Electromagnetic waves are produced by oscillating or vibrating electric charges. In the radio, TV, and radar transmitting antennas, electrons are made to run back and forth. In hot objects, such as the filament of alight bulb or a flame, the electrons vibrate within the atoms and molecules. As electromagnetic wave travels outward in all directions from its source until it encounters some other object. Whether or not the electromagnetic wave is able to convey its vibrations to the object it hits depends on whether the object is able to vibrate at the frequency of the wave. When a radio has its dial set at a particular frequency, then the radio is only able to respond to waves of that frequency. It will receive the waves of a station that transmits at that frequency, but all other waves will pass through it with no effect. Our eyes are capable of responding to only a certain range of frequencies. We cannot see radio waves, TV waves, radar waves, or microwaves, because their frequencies are too low. We cannot see X-rays because their frequencies are too high. We see only the visible spectrum: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet.

   Clairvoyants observe that in addition to sound waves and electromagnetic waves there are other radiations that carry messages through space. In every person there is a small organ in the brain known as the pineal gland. If anyone thinks very intently on a single idea, with concentration and sustained attention, the ether in the pineal gland is set into vibration. This sets up waves in the surrounding ether, which travel outward in all directions. When these waves reach another person's pineal gland, if they set the ether in it into vibration, the vibrations are transmitted to the desire body and mind in succession, thus reaching the consciousness. If the second pineal gland cannot reproduce these undulations, then the thought will pass unnoticed, making no impression.

   Thought-waves themselves are able to carry messages without coming down into the etheric region of the Physical World. The thinker, having created a thought form, may send it directly to another mind on the mental plane. In fact, all thoughts radiate outward from their originator and can influence receptive and responsive minds. Each mind that receives a thought reproduces the vibrations and then re-radiates the thought, and thus strengthens the original thought-wave, so that it may go on to influence other minds.

   Men communicate with one another by means of spoken words or electromagnetic waves or etheric waves or thought waves. They then look around and ask, "Who else can we communicate with?" Some small amount of communication is achieved with animals through sounds and actions and thoughts. Men then look into the sky and wonder if there is anyone "out there." Material scientists have made many studies to try to determine, what conditions are needed for life (as they know it) exist, where in the universe these conditions exist, and how communication can be established with such life. In rockets that are sent out of the Solar System are placed plaques that are inscribed with symbols that it is hoped an alien would be able to comprehend. Also radio signals have been beamed in likely directions carrying what are intended to be universal symbols, and some "listening" for signals from outer space is also being done. So far, no communication appears to have been established. Some people believe that some unidentified flying objects (UFO's) may be visitations from other civilizations, but the UFO reports are unsatisfying to the scientific community because they find that a large number of the reports can be explained in terms of natural (earthly) phenomena, and because no UFO's have stayed around long enough for sustained scientific investigation. Thus, material science still pictures humans as being rather lonely travelers in this great universe.

   The clairvoyant, who is able to perceive a wider range of frequencies than the material scientist, detects many living beings beyond the confines of the Earth. Max Heindel notes that the twelve constellations of the zodiac are the visible vehicles of the twelve great Creative Hierarchies that have helped and are helping mankind to evolve. The whole Solar System may be considered as the body of the God of the Solar System. Every atom within it is infused with His Life and consciousness and would cease to exist if His Life were withdrawn. God contains within His being a multitude of other beings at various stages of development. Their diverse needs require diverse external environments. In order to furnish such proper conditions, planets are thrown off from the central mass, each being differently constituted. The Christ and the Archangels have their home mainly in the Sun, although Christ sends a ray of His consciousness to the Earth during the fall and winter seasons each year and the archangels work to carry the solar rays from the Sun to the various planets and from each planet on to other planets. Also some archangels work as ambassadors from the various planets to the Earth, and some work as race and national spirits on Earth.

   Jehovah and the angels have their main home on the moons of the various planets, although they work on the planets to direct the processes of growth and reproduction of forms. Four angels, called the Recording Angels, see that each human pays his debts of destiny and encounters those experiences that he needs for his development. The Lucifer Spirits (fallen angels) have their home on Mars, but work to encourage humans to gain self-consciousness, to seek knowledge, and to act creatively and independently of external forces. The members of the class of virgin spirits to which our humanity belongs have, during the evolutionary periods, progressed at varying rates, so that at present different conditions of heat and vibration are needed by different ones. Thus some of our class of virgin spirits are on each of the planets and their moons. Those on Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter are generally more advanced than the humans on Earth. Those on Mars, Saturn, and Uranus are generally less advanced. The moons serve as homes for stragglers who were not able to keep pace with the beings on the main planet.

   The clairvoyant can not only see these extra-terrestrial beings, but also can note the interaction of these beings with humanity on Earth. The clairvoyant sees that each Archangel who acts as a national spirit radiates into the atmosphere of the nation of which he has charge various images, ideas and feelings and thereby influences the body structure, language, habits, customs, and feelings of the inhabitants. All people respond to the directions of the race, national, or family spirit until they develop the will power, conscience, and reasoning power to be their own guide.

   There are some archangels who bring the solar rays both directly to the Earth and indirectly to the Earth by way of the moon and other planets. These rays (which are what the astrologer studies) each carry messages, and each has power to enliven various parts of the person if the person attunes himself to them and allows them to resonate within his being (just as the radio wave has power to "enliven" a radio that has its circuit tuned to the frequency of the wave). During the fall and winter months each year, the Christ bathes the Earth in a flood of spiritual light, which carries a message of love and good will and generosity toward all. At the present time, humans feel these rays from the Christ only weakly, but as humanity grows in its ability to respond, feelings of Universal Brotherhood will grow on Earth.

   Is the communication between the higher powers (Christ, the Archangels, and others) and humanity always a one-way street? Does it always go from the higher to the lower? No! Man may also send communications to Christ, the Archangels, and the other higher powers. Doing so is called prayer. The higher powers are not particular as to the manner in which the prayer is made (the position of the body and the location are not important to them). In fact, every thought of every human is known to them and in a sense constitutes a prayer. Christ has given his promise (Matt. 7:7), "Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." Some people feel that they ask and do not receive. Patience is needed. Continued asking, in time, will bring response, provided we ask with our whole being and do all in our power to bring about the desired end, and provided the condition of conformity to God's Law is met. This latter condition was known to Saint James, for he wrote (James 4:3), "You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions." If two countries are fighting a war and both countries are asking God to help them win the war, then obviously God cannot answer both prayers affirmatively. Max Heindel affirms, "If our prayers...are in conformity with the laws of God, the divine purpose can manifest through us and our prayers are answered."

   Max Heindel states that it is also possible to pray to the ambassadors from the planets to the Earth. Their names are given in the following chart.

   The great commandments are (Matt. 22:37-39), "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind,"...and "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love comes through understanding, and understanding comes through communication, and communication is only possible when we open ourselves up and allow other beings to produce an effect on us. Psalm 46:10 has the key, as it states, "Be still, and know that I am God." This is the way to come to know God. This is also the way to come to know the god within each of our neighbors. When Love has developed, then it will radiate out from each of us and be a blessing to all.

— Besant, Annie. Thought Power. Wheaton, Ill.: Theosophical Publishing House, 1973
— Heindel, Max. Questions and Answers, Vol. I. (p.322-324)

Supplemental Student
Material Reference:
Science and Religion,
Elsa M. Glover, PhD