Theosophy, Besant and Leadbeater
Mental Body
Thought-Forms describes a mental body composed of subtle matter and organised according to intellectual development. In the authors' model, thinking produces vibrations and colours within it. The body is distinguished from the astral or desire-body, and provides the proposed starting point for radiating vibrations and floating forms.
Also known as Body of the mental plane · Theosophical mental body
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In the sources
A body of subtle mental matter
ReportedThe authors describe the thinker as clothed in a body of subtle matter of the mental plane. They say thoughts set up correlated vibrations and a play of colour in that body.
Two proposed effects of thought
ReportedThe following section says each definite thought has a double effect: a radiating vibration and a floating form. Clairvoyant perception of a vibration in the mental body is proposed as the first stage.
Context & interpretation
This is Besant and Leadbeater's metaphysical model, not an anatomical organ or an established biological explanation of thinking. The developmental hierarchy and subtle matter are the source's claims.
Original passages
Source 1
Thought-Forms
the subtle matter of the mental planeOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Difficulty of Representation, printed pp. 18–19
Read directly from the active prepared scan; line breaks and spacing normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0021-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0021-E001-P0011
- Original scan leaf
- 10
- Recorded leaf number
- 11
- Current Reader position
- 11
- Reader verification
- Matches the reviewed Reader
- Location review
- Original scan location confirmed against the reviewed Reader mapping; the earlier recorded number is retained above.
Source 2
Thought-Forms
a radiating vibration and a floating formOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: The Two Effects of Thought, printed pp. 20–21
Read directly from the active prepared scan; line breaks and spacing normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0021-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0021-E001-P0012
- Original scan leaf
- 11
- Recorded leaf number
- 12
- Current Reader position
- 12
- Reader verification
- Matches the reviewed Reader
- Location review
- Original scan location confirmed against the reviewed Reader mapping; the earlier recorded number is retained above.