There are 3 main layers of energy surrounding the body:
1. The Etheric Body: this layer draws vital energy from the ocean of the energy through the solar plexus chakra and distributes it via the chakra system into the physical body. When the body is receiving healthy amounts of vital energy, this will be reflected in the strength of the etheric field around it. The etheric field is made up of rays of light radiating from the physical body. These rays make up a protective web of light around the physical body.
2. The Emotional Body: This layer reflects the emotional state of the person. In addition to immediate feelings and emotions (anger, fear, love, joy), the emotional body holds all the unresolved emotional conflicts and fears relating back to a person’s early life. These fears and conflicts are transmitted to the external world via the chakras as an unconscious message. We refer to this as the emotional signature of a person, and the simple rule of “like attracts like” reflects this message. The signature we send out into the world will act like a magnet drawing us to situations and experiences that reflect our unconscious fears and emotions. In this way, the world can be seen as a mirror in which to observe our own unconscious self.If somebody is unconsciously angry then the people or situations they attract will reflect that anger. They might consider themselves to be loving and peaceful, while unconsciously sending out deeply aggressive energy signals. The signals they are sending out will draw experiences to them that reflect this aggression.The purpose of this mirroring is to bring our unresolved issues up onto the conscious level. Once we are aware of the signals we are sending out into the world and understand the law of attraction, we can begin to take responsibility and start to change them.
3. The Mental Body: this field of energy holds our beliefs about reality formed throughout our lives. Belief systems reflect the culture we have been brought up in, the beliefs we have inherited from our parents, our religion and our peer groups. The experiences we have in the physical body are processed in the mental body after having passed through the emotional body. Therefore, our perception and rational thoughts are often deeply affected by any unresolved issues on the emotional level. This field of energy is very much like a transmitter and receiver. We pick up on the thought projections of the people around us, and the unconscious messages being sent into the world through sources such as television and newspapers. These projections are often fearful and concerned with worldly matters. We absorb these and hold them in our own energy field—we start to believe they belong to us. Our own perception of the world can then become clouded by this invasion of negative thought patterns, and we will find our attention becomes focused on these issues. What we think is what we become. When we send our beliefs about ourselves into the world, they are reflected back to confirm our thoughts. So if we believe the world is a dark place and that we are powerless victims of it, the world will oblige us by reflecting our beliefs and presenting us with situations and people that support these beliefs.
The true function of the mental body is to marry the conscious mind with the intuitive perception. We are a bridge between spirit and Earth and part of our function is to access the information given by spirit and utilize it here on Earth. While we may receive clear and precise guidance, our own issues can distort this information or manipulate it to serve our own needs. Our beliefs can also block this perception, as it may threaten our limited view of reality.
Practical Reiki by Richard Ellis
