The following diagram, based on notes from the Argamon Center teachings, gives the details of the lower four of the seven divisions of the Material plane as understood by Theon. This diagram is in French, I have given a corresponding English version below.
M A T E R I A L C L A S S I F I C A T I O N |
States | Degrees | Sub-degrees | |||
| 4th State Mental |
Mental | Colour: Blue | ||||
| Psychic | ||||||
| Nervous | ||||||
| Physical | ||||||
| 5th State Psychic |
Mental | Colour: Light Rose | ||||
| Psychic | ||||||
| Nervous | ||||||
| Physical | ||||||
| 6th State Nervous |
Mental | abode of the first Bannis, with Adad
(the brilliant/dazzling light) | ||||
| Psychic | region of harmonious evolution (light violet colour) | |||||
| Nervous | abode of Kai in Mahuiael - on the way to the Soul | |||||
| Physical |
| |||||
| 7th State Physical |
Mental Light of Equilibrium in Justice: Conception - Divination Intuition - Intelligence |
Mental | Divine Spark - Holy of Holies Sanctuary of the Individual Life Worship of the Divine Occupant | |||
| Psychic | ||||||
| Nervous | ||||||
| Physical | ||||||
| Psychic Passive Intelligence Ideal Thought Asopiration |
Mental |  Intellectual Soul | ||||
| Psychic | ||||||
| Nervous |  Sense Soul | |||||
| Physical | ||||||
| Nervous (called the Astral) Active Intelligence Perception Volitional Decisions |
Mental | small abyss | Deliberation | |||
| Psychomental | Determination | |||||
| Psychic | ||||||
| Nervopsychic | Volition | |||||
| Nervous | ||||||
| Nervophysical | Impulsion --> weak and dark; localised in the bony framework | |||||
| Physical | ||||||
| Physical Sensations |
Mental | Self-regulation of the functions of the organism
and celluar activity Breathable atmosphere - mixture of physical matter Terrestrial husks Concretions - components of the Glorious Body | ||||
| Psychic | ||||||
| Nervous | ||||||
| Physical | ||||||
Here we see a cosmology on the one hand very similar to the equivalent esoteric formulations of Blavatsky, Adyar Theosophy, Steiner, and Sant Mat, yet also differing in many details of interpretation. I have used Theon's cosmology as one of the guidelines in proposing my own integral metaphysics
There seems little doubt that what Theon (or at least this diagram) refers to as "the Nervous degree of the Physical state" (also termed "Astral" here, however Theon did not use that term) is what I have been referring to (following Adyar Theosphy, Rudolph Steiner, and Alice Bailey) as the "Etheric plane". This is the plane of Steiner's Etheric Formative Forces and Barbara Ann Brennan's Human Energy Field - the seven auric bodies. Both the Theon diagram and Blavatsky use the term "astral" here, and it seems that in both these teachings there is a confusion between the "etheric" and the "astral plane". What Leadbeater (Adyar Theosophy), popular occultism, and the New Age movement all call the "Astral Plane", I suggest (following Steiner) to be the region or ontological gradation beyond the "etheric". The the (6th) Nervous state of the Materialisms world is a similar but larger and more primary reality; Sri Aurobindo and Mirra call this the "Vital World', although to avoid confusion with "nervous" and "vital" I use the term Intermediate Universe (or Plane) to refer to this reality. This has four subdivisions or degrees (at least in this diagram) which can be considered four gradations of light and darkness. Only in the lowest, or Physical Nervo degree (which presumably shades into the Nervo Physical degree) does one find the "Hostile" or anti-divine forces. The three higher degrees constitute planes of (presumably increasing) light and harmonious evolution.
The two higher States (or Planes or Universes) represent more elevated, spiritual states, which are only poorly described here. More on this under Subdivisions of being - the 4-fold Classification
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