Theosophical astral cosmology
Mantras and Sympathetic Vibration
Leadbeater distinguishes spells acting by repeated sound from those that command an elemental. He explains the former through sympathetic vibration. His analogy uses tuned harp strings and repeated rhythmic impulses, then extends it to supposed living astral matter. The analogy is the bridge of his argument, not experimental evidence for its occult conclusion.
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In the sources
Principal account
ReportedLeadbeater distinguishes spells acting by repeated sound from those that command an elemental. He explains the former through sympathetic vibration.
Further detail
ReportedHis analogy uses tuned harp strings and repeated rhythmic impulses, then extends it to supposed living astral matter. The analogy is the bridge of his argument, not experimental evidence for its occult conclusion.
Context & interpretation
Leadbeater presents a Theosophical classification based on claimed occult investigation. Its planes, beings, and mechanisms belong to that historical esoteric system; the book’s assurance of reality is an authorial claim rather than independent scientific verification.
Original passages
Source 1
The Astral Plane
Mantras, by the repetition of certain sounds, also depend for their efficacy upon this action of sympathetic vibration.Open this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Theosophical astral cosmology; active reader leaf 116
Exact passage checked against active scan text and original-leaf mapping; scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0005-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0005-E001-P0116
- Original scan leaf
- 119
- Recorded leaf number
- 119
- Current Reader position
- 112
- Reader verification
- Matches the reviewed Reader
Source 2
The Astral Plane
vigorously, its movement will call forth sympathetic- vibrations in the corresponding strings of any number of harps placed round it, ifOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Theosophical astral cosmology; active reader leaf 115
Exact passage checked against active scan text and original-leaf mapping; scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0005-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0005-E001-P0115
- Original scan leaf
- 118
- Recorded leaf number
- 118
- Current Reader position
- 111
- Reader verification
- Matches the reviewed Reader