eant by this word "plane." The nearest approach
to it in English is the term or word "State." A portion of space may be
occupied by several planes at the same time, just as a room may be
filled with the rays of the sun, those of a lamp. X-rays, magnetic and
electric vibrations and waves, etc., each interpenetrating each other
and yet not affecting or interfering with each other.

On the lower planes of the Astral World there are to be found the
earth-bound souls which have passed out from their former bodies, but
which are attracted to the earthly scenes by strong attractions, which
serve to weight them down and to prevent them from ascending to the
higher planes. On the higher planes are souls that are less bound by
earthly attractions, and who, accordingly, are relieved of the weight
resulting therefrom. These planes rise in an ascending scale, each
plane being higher and more spiritual than the one lower than itself.
And dwelling on each plane are the souls fitted to occupy it, by reason
of their degree of spiritual development, or evolution. When the soul
first leaves the body it falls into a sleep-like stage, from which it
awakens to find itself on the plane for which it is fitted, by reason
of its development, attractions, character, etc. The particular plane
occupied by each soul is determined by the progress and attainment it
has made in its past lives. The souls on the higher planes may, and
often do, visit the planes lower in the scale than their own, but those
on the lower planes may not visit those higher than their own. Quoting
from our own writings on this subject, published several years ago, we
repeat: This prohibition regarding the visiting of higher planes is not
an arbitrary rule, but a law of nature. If the student will pardon the
commonplace comparison, he may get an understanding of it, by imagining
a large screen, or series of screens, such as used for sorting coal
into sizes. The large coal is caught by the first screen; the next size
by the second; and so on until the tiny coal is reached. Now, the large
coal cannot get into the receptacle of the smaller sizes, but the small
sizes may easily pass through the screen and join the larger sizes, if
force be imparted to them. Just so in the Astral World, the soul with
the greatest amount of materiality, and gross nature, is stopped by the
spiritual screen of a certain plane, and cannot pass on to the higher
ones, while other souls have cast off some o