in the connection
of the principles of man's being. And what is visible to clairvoyant
observation with regard to death may also be seen in its effects in the
manifested world; in this case also, an unbiased judgment will find the
teachings of occult science confirmed by observing external life. The
expression of the invisible in the visible is, however, less evident with
regard to these facts, and there is greater difficulty in feeling the full
importance of that which in the events of outer life endorses the
statements of occult science in this domain. These statements may be
supposed to be mere pictures of fancy, even more readily than many other
things that have been dealt with in this work, if we shut ourselves off
from the knowledge that everywhere in the visible is contained an
unmistakable foreshadowing of the invisible.

On the approach of sleep, only the astral body is released from its
connection with the etheric and physical bodies, which still remain
united, whereas at death the separation of the physical from the etheric
body takes place. The physical body is abandoned to its own forces, and
must therefore disintegrate as a corpse. At death the etheric body finds
itself in a condition in which it has never been before during the time
between birth and death,--with the exception of certain abnormal conditions
to be dealt with later. That is to say, it is now united with the astral
body in the absence of the physical body; for the etheric and astral
bodies do not separate immediately after death: they are held together for
a time by the agency of a force the presence of which can be easily
understood; for were this force not present the etheric body could not
detach itself from the physical body. It would remain bound to the latter,
as is shown in the case of sleep, when the astral body is not able to rend
asunder these two principles of man's being. This force comes into action
at death. It releases the etheric from the physical body, so that the
former remains united to the astral body. Clairvoyant observation shows
that this connection varies with different people after death. The time of
its duration is measured by days. For the present, this period of time is
mentioned only for the sake of information.

Subsequently, the astral body is also released from the etheric body and
goes on its way alone. During the union of the two bodies, the individual
is in a state which enables him to be aware of the expe