Experience your etheric body

What the Method Is

The core instruction, as implied by the title, is to directly perceive or feel one’s subtle, non-physical body, often referred to as the “etheric body” or “subtle body” (sukshma sharir). This method aims to shift identification from the gross physical body to a more subtle layer of being, leading to a profound sense of liberation and inner purity.

How It Is Done

Given the lack of direct instructions for this specific technique, the practice can be inferred by combining elements from other methods that focus on transcending the physical body and experiencing subtle sensations:

  • Preparation and Setting:
    • Relaxation: Begin by sitting or lying down comfortably, allowing the body to relax completely. Osho suggests avoiding strain or effort in relaxation.
    • Stillness: Keep the body motionless, which aids deeper focus and prevents distractions. For some, practices like zazen (just sitting without movement) can prepare the mind for inner stillness.
  • Cultivating Inner Awareness and Detachment:
    • Gentle Touch/Awareness of Sensations: To enhance sensitivity, gently touching parts of your body, such as your eyes with your palms, and feeling the sensation fully can make them “fresh and alive”. This practice helps to re-engage with the body consciously, restoring lost sensitivity.
    • Focus on Weightlessness: A direct approach involves lying on a bed or sitting and conceiving of yourself as weightless. Continuously feeling this weightlessness allows a moment to arrive when you suddenly realise you are weightless, indicating you are no longer identified with the physical body. This is because “the weight is of the body – not of you”.
    • Experiencing a “Dead” State: You can “Lie down as dead”, imagining your body is dead and unable to move. This sudden cessation of activity creates a gap between the circumference (body) and the center (you), allowing you to feel yourself for the first time.
    • Internal Observation: With eyes closed, focus inward. Instead of external sight, the goal is to “see your inner being in detail”. This involves looking at your body inwardly, from an inner centre, observing it as a distinct object. As the “looker is never the looked at,” this practice helps to separate you from the body.
  • The Transition: As your consciousness detaches from the physical body, it moves inward. The subtle body (etheric body) can then be perceived. The eyes, being the “most non-bodily part” and a “meeting point” between self and body, are a crucial gateway for this inner movement. By stopping the outward movement of the eyes, energy can be redirected inward.
Commentaries and Insights
  • The Nature of the Etheric Body: The etheric or subtle body is not a part of the physical body, but a “second body which is hidden – the subtle body, the sukshma sharir”. It has a corresponding spot in the physical body, like the third eye, but it is not material in nature. It is an energy form, not matter, and is described as the “life” or “energy cord” in the spinal column, connecting to both the visible and invisible existence.
  • Beyond Physical Identification: The primary insight is the realisation that “you are not the body”. Modern man is often identified solely with the body, which Tantra considers a “disease” or a “false identity”. Experiencing the etheric body breaks this identification, shifting your perception to a state of bodilessness and consciousness.
  • The Role of Senses as Gateways: Osho explains that senses are not merely for external perception; they are “just in the middle” between consciousness and the world of objects. They can be used to move inwards as well as outwards. If the senses are prevented from moving outwards, consciousness can turn inward.
  • Consciousness and Thought: When the body-mind identification is broken, the mind’s activity often ceases. Osho notes that the mind is a “bridge that gives you the feeling that you are in the body”. When you are “out of the body for a single moment, there will be no mind in that moment”. This leads to a state of thoughtless consciousness or “no-mind”.
  • Discovery, Not Achievement: Like many Tantric methods, experiencing the etheric body is not about attaining something new but about discovering what is already present. The spiritual essence is “already there,” just hidden by identification with the physical.
  • Simplicity and Ego’s Resistance: The method, like others discussed, might seem “simple”. However, Osho warns that the ego often resists simple techniques because it seeks difficulty and challenge to feel fulfilled. True transformation comes from accepting simplicity and daring to experiment.
  • Transformation and Inner Purity: Success in this method reveals an “inner purity” and “innocence”. The “livingness” that rises as you feel your essence as light indicates a profound inner rebirth. This experience leads to freedom from fear and identification, making one “absolutely free”.
  • Warnings and Guidance: These powerful techniques, especially those that directly manipulate subtle energy, must be completed properly. Osho strongly cautions against leaving the energy “somewhere in the middle” during the practice, as it can be “harmful” and create “mental illnesses”. For such potent methods, the guidance of a master is highly advised, as they can provide individualised instruction based on your specific state and needs.