The Rosicrucian Philosophy

The Rosicrucian Philosophy teaches that man is a complex being, an Ego, or threefold Spirit possessing:

(1) A DENSE BODY, composed of the solids, liquids and gasses of the Physical World. It is the visible instrument he uses here in this world to fetch and carry--the body people ordinarily think of as the whole man.

(2) A VITAL BODY, which is made of ether and interpenetrates the visible body as ether permeates all other forms, except that human beings specialize a greater amount of the universal ether than other forms. This ethereal body is our instrument for specializing the vital energy of the sun, and for carrying on the functions of assimilation, growth, propagation, etc.

(3) A DESIRE BODY, which is our emotional nature. This finer vehicle pervades both the dense and vital bodies. It is seen by clairvoyant vision to extend about sixteen inches outside the visible body, which is located in the center of this ovoid cloud as the yolk is in the center of an egg. The desire body contains sense centers which, when properly developed, are man's means of perception in the Desire World.

(4) THE MIND, which is a mirror, reflecting the outer world and enabling the Ego to transmit its commands as thought and word. It is the link between the Spirit and its bodies. At the present time it is but an unformed cloud, but will eventually be as well organized as man's other bodies.

THE EGO is the threefold Spirit which uses these vehicles to gather experience in the school of life and transmute it into soul power.