There is a certain analogy between the dense and subtle bodies: in particular, the atmanic body is quite similar to the astral body, the buddhic body to the etheric body, and the causal body to the physical body.

Keywords: sensations, bioenergetics; health,
physiology; functional features.

The life tone, endurance, and resistance of the physical body to various infections are determined by the overall energy level of the etheric body. Diseases of physical organs and systems are always preceded by malfunctions in their etheric counterparts. Good etheric energy means excellent protection for the physical body. Such individuals do not feel cold, can walk barefoot over coals with some effort, or hold their hand in the flame of a candle without burning even the finest hairs. When the muscles in the physical body contract and relax, ligaments stretch and loosen, and joint surfaces rub against each other, there is not only a loss of etheric energy but also a restoration of it, with a different, finer spectrum of vibrations being restored than what is expended.

At the same time, many, especially athletes and ballerinas, often ruthlessly exploit their joints, forcing them to work under completely unbearable conditions. It is important to know that each joint (as well as muscles and ligaments) has two fundamentally different modes of operation: with a positive and with a negative etheric balance, and this must be clearly understood and, moreover, felt directly if one does not want to become ill.

The mode with a positive etheric balance is a movement that increases the etheric energy of the joint (muscles, ligaments). Subjectively, it is experienced as a pleasant stretching exerted by external forces on the joint and its ligaments — up to the level of light pain sensations perceived as healing. After the stretching ceases, a pleasant warmth and fullness of life energy is felt in the joint — a gratitude from the nourished etheric body.

The mode of movements with a negative etheric balance decreases the etheric energy of the joint, ligaments, or organ, while they work under overload, at the limit, and the etheric body urgently draws energy from other parts of itself, redirecting it to the overloaded organ. This scheme underlies modern sports, which is essentially not much different from bullfighting, where athletes play the role of the bulls, while the spectators and the entire competition system serve as the banderilleros and picadores.

Less obvious than sports but no less devastating for the physical body is the so-called sedentary lifestyle. It consists mainly of movements with a negative etheric balance, compensated primarily by food. The reason for this is that a positive etheric balance arises only under a certain average load, that is, not too great and not too small, on the muscle, ligament, or joint: then they warm up pleasantly and are perceived by a person as independent sources of energy and warmth. However, if the load is too great or too small, the amount of etheric energy expended on movement exceeds what is gained from it — resulting in a deficit.

The boundaries of the etheric body are variable. If a person is healthy and feels good, it extends beyond the physical body by several centimeters or even tens of centimeters. There is a social taboo against the contact of etheric bodies, except for strictly ceremonial moments: a handshake or a kiss on the hand of a lady upon greeting. To approach a semi-acquaintance closely enough to feel their etheric body with your own means to directly express your sincere interest in them, which is often perceived as a direct invitation to intimacy.

Conversely, a rupture of the etheric body leads to an incurable disease of the corresponding physical organ, and in fact, the efforts of doctors are directed, directly or indirectly, precisely at etheric healing; otherwise, the disease quickly recurs.

The quality of the skin is determined by the intensity of its etheric protection. When the latter weakens, the skin loses elasticity and firmness, becoming flabby and wrinkled, thus compensating for the loss of its previous resilient qualities: the skin needs a certain mobility around muscles and bones, which, when elasticity decreases, is compensated by folds. When the etheric energy of the intervertebral discs weakens, they also become less elastic, but here compensation occurs differently: osteophytes—special bony growths — develop around them, reinforcing the weakened spinal column; however, this causes it to stop bending, but the integrity is maintained, meaning it does not crumble into pieces.

The etheric absolute is the source of energy that supports the physical plane, prana for the Hindus. Connecting to the etheric absolute means the finest creativity in energy flows — Lord Shiva, who created numerous poses of hatha yoga.

The etheric body represents the primary energy framework or matrix of the physical body. It contains information about the structure of the physical body, which governs the growth of a child and recovery from illnesses, cuts, and so on. Diseases of the physical body are usually preceded by disturbances in etheric energy, which then materialize in the human body. The etheric body receives energy (of various kinds) from three sources: the astral body, the physical body, and the surrounding environment. The state of the etheric body as a whole is felt by a person as their level of vitality, energy, vigor, tone, and immunity. The influence of the astral body on the etheric has long been noted—this includes the influence of mood on life tone. The influence of the physical body on the etheric is even more noticeable — this is the energy from moderate physical exercise and digested food. The third source of energy for the etheric body is the surrounding environment (which can also poison it), represented by the four elements (fire, earth, air, and water), which exchange energy with the etheric body directly. Similarly, the astral body directly exchanges energy with the astral bodies of other people, as well as with the astral plane of the subtle world. The same applies to the mental and other bodies. However, the main sources of energy for the etheric body are within the person themselves: these are the astral and physical bodies. The etheric body draws energy of lower vibrations from the physical body; more precisely, it takes a part of the vibrations emitted during the assimilation of food. A sign that the etheric body is ready to receive energy from the physical body is appetite, which also (if not spoiled, which will be discussed below) will indicate to a person what kind of food their etheric body needs in terms of energies. If a person eats without appetite, the energy of the digested food will not enter the etheric body and will be distortedly distributed throughout the physical body, sending it to the finer bodies while bypassing the etheric, leading, for example, to strong emotional tension in the astral body: a person begins to «fume with fat»

The culture of the etheric body in the average modern person is very low. We only feel it when and where there are significant etheric disturbances, such as ruptures, usually accompanied by severe physical pain — then one is compelled to listen. At the same time, it is very important to feel the etheric structures in a healthy state — this affects both the well-being of all organs and the effectiveness and beauty of all human movements. Nevertheless, even the most etherically unrefined person clearly feels their etheric body at certain moments. These include:

• a state of strong hunger and thirst and, conversely, pleasant satiety after a delicious meal;
• strong drowsiness, fatigue after heavy physical work, and vigor after sleeping in fresh air;
• a state of severe nausea when the physical body prepares to expel an etherically unsuitable product;
• physical contact with a loved one or, conversely, an unpleasant person, regardless of the presence of sexual sensations;
• meditations on the beach, in a warm bath, or in an ice hole.

Awkward, clumsy movements, an inability to navigate around a table corner without bumping into it; dishes and other small objects constantly slipping from a person's hands and breaking on the floor — all this reveals a person who has not found contact with their etheric body and is therefore living in disharmony with it.

Conversely, smooth movements, like those of mimes, creating the illusion of movement in a dense medium, indicate precise coordination between the etheric and physical bodies. When they are well coordinated, a person is capable of quick movements during which the physical body does not extend beyond the etheric — this art is mastered by good dancers and martial arts masters: karate, kung fu, and so on.

Etheric interactions within a family occur constantly every day: food is prepared, clothes are washed, children and adults are hugged, patted, and kissed, and if there is no poisoning action from the astral plane, such as strong (even if repressed) emotional rejection from parents towards children or each other, then, as a rule, a certain coziness, that is, a soft etheric field, arises in the home.

It is important to distinguish between the causal, mental, and astral limitations imposed on the etheric body. The necessity to keep one’s physical body within certain boundaries—say, not to lean too far out of a window or to cross the street on a red traffic light — does not exhaust the purely etheric limitations imposed on a civilized person by the social environment. A large part of the rules of good manners pertains to limiting and organizing a person's etheric manifestations. Even simply taking an object from a table and fiddling with it in your hands for just a little longer than is deemed appropriate while you are a guest is not allowed; you would be considered an uncultured boor who does not know the elementary rules of social behavior.

Mental prohibitions and limitations imposed on the etheric body are often related to unsuccessful attempts by a person to adhere to social ideals of physical beauty and harmony. Who in their youth is satisfied with their nose, legs, or belly? The discrepancy between desired physical forms, however, affects not the physical but the etheric body. When a person mentally tries to shrink themselves somewhere and expand themselves elsewhere, they usually do not realize that their seemingly innocent dreams distort their etheric body and disrupt its coordination with the physical.

However, the worst thing for the etheric body is the war waged against it by the astral body. It is difficult to become beautiful, but it is very easy to become unattractive, even ugly. For this, it is enough to hate one’s face or figure. Then the etheric body sharply retreats inside the physical, protruding beyond its surface in certain places in the form of sharp fangs — this is how artists depict fairy tale witches and sorcerers.

A beautiful, well-groomed etheric body, whose energy is enhanced by exquisite clothing and cosmetics, is necessary for creating the image of a beauty or handsome man, and here the efforts of the masseur, hairdresser, and makeup artist find their culmination. When such a being appears in society, the owners of strong and beautiful causal bodies are involuntarily overcome by envy. After all, etheric energy is much denser and more tangible than causal energy! It literally "captures the gaze"; however, having saturated them with etheric splendor, society (oh, human ingratitude!) again "distracts" itself to its ongoing affairs.