that is sweeping on toward re-birth, and is gradually carried
on to re-birth in conditions chosen by its desires and characteristics,
in connection with the operation of the laws of Karma. From the
soul-slumber it passes through what may be called a "death" on the
Astral plane, when it is re-born on the earth plane. But, remember
this, the soul, when it is re-born on earth, does not fully awaken from
its Astral sleep. In infancy and in early childhood the soul is but
slowly awakening, gradually from year to year, the brain being built to
accommodate this growth. The rare instances of precocious children, and
infant genius are cases in which the awakening has been more rapid than
ordinary. On the other hand, cases are known where the soul does not
awaken as rapidly as the average, and the result is that the person
does not show signs of full intellectual activity until nearly middle
age. Cases are known when men seemed to "wake up" when they were forty
years of age, or even later in life, and would then take on a freshened
activity and energy, surprising those who had known them before.

On some of the planes of the Astral world the souls dwelling there do
not seem to realize that they are "dead," but act and live as if they
were in the flesh.

They have a knowledge of the planes beneath them, just as we on earth
know of conditions beneath us (spiritually), but they seem to be in
almost absolute ignorance of the planes above them, just as many of us
on earth cannot comprehend the existence of beings more highly
developed spiritually than ourselves. This, of course, is only true of
the souls who have not been made acquainted with the meaning and nature
of life on the Astral Plane. Those who have acquired this information
and knowledge readily understand their condition and profit thereby. It
will be seen from this that it is of the greatest importance for
persons to become acquainted with the great laws of Occultism in their
present earth life, for the reason that when they pass out of the body
and enter some one of the Astral Planes they will not be in ignorance
of the condition, but will readily grasp the meaning and nature of
their surroundings and take advantage of the same in order to develop
themselves more rapidly.

It will be seen from what has been written by us here and elsewhere
that there are planes after planes on the Astral side of life. All that
has been dreamt of Heaven, Purgatory or Hell has its corresp