Excellent information about the energy bodies

This website is fascinating!
http://www.energyreality.com/index.htm#tour

The Physical Body


Function:
The Physical Body provides an experience of complete separation, which is unavailable in any other body. This experience of separation clarifies personal character and the essence of individuality. The Physical Body also provides stability, a solid foundation for all the other bodies. The Physical Body also assists in the crystallization of consciousness - any lessons learned while in a Physical Body, any experiences processed through it, become clearly defined and permanent consciousness as result of the Physical Body's separative and stabilizing influence. This is why the Physical Body is so valuable in our growth process.
Range of Consciousness:
The five physical sensory organs giving perceptions of sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell limited to solid, liquid, and gaseous matter - painful and not painful (See Mechanism of Pleasure). The five physical organs of action: hands (grasping, etc.), feet (motion), digestive system (eating and excreting), throat (speaking), and genitals (sex and reproduction).

Form/Structure:
THE PHYSICAL BRAIN IS NOT A SOURCE OF EXPERIENCE as some current neuroscientists now mistakenly believe. While areas of the brain are associated with different consciousness functions, many neuroscientists do admit that they cannot locate emotions, mind, and soul in the brain. Nor can they fully explain the human psyche with neuroanatomy. THE PHYSICAL BRAIN IS A RELAY STATION, translating emotional, mental, and spiritual events and information into neuro-electrochemical events and information. NEUROCHEMICALS AND ASSOCIATED BRAIN PROCESSES ARE SIMPLY CHANNEL SELECTORS FOR VARIOUS STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS. All states of consciousness exist independent of the physical body. This relay station works in both directions: spiritual, mental, or emotional states trigger neuro-electrochemical events in the brain (physical consciousness) AND neurochemical stimulation (for example through drugs) open access to specific states of emotion, thought, or spiritual awareness. CONTEMPORARY PHYSICS HAS PROVEN VERY CLEARLY THAT SOLID PHYSICAL MATTER IS AN ILLUSION AND THAT ALL IS ENERGY ONLY. THEREFORE, TO SAY THAT THE SOLID PHYSICAL BRAIN IS THE MIND, IS A MISTAKE. While the brain appears to be solid, it is not - it is energy appearing solid, but is not solid - it is energy, only. The mind is also energy, an energy that interacts with the energy that creates the appearance of a brain.

The Physical Body is composed of the energy states of solids, liquids, and gases and is dependent upon the Etheric Body for its vitality, life, organization, and many processes that result in health. See an anatomy book for more details.

It has a total of 3 spatial dimensions. (See Understanding Spatial Dimensions)

How Awakened:
Through dynamic physical activity and intense physical sensory perception - painful and not painful (See Mechanism of Pleasure).

The Etheric/Vital Body

Function:
The Etheric Body gives vitality, health, life and organization to the Physical Body. It attunes our consciousness to the principle of Energy. It steps energies from the higher bodies down into our physical consciousness.

Range of Consciousness:
An awareness of various types of subtle energy moving through the Physical Body and in the environment. Subtle/etheric energy can be seen as well as felt.

Form/Structure:
The Etheric Body is the subtle level of the Physical Body. It is composed of various energies such as electromagnetic, chi, prana, ki, vitality, etc. It is also composed of subatomic particles, the finest of which are quarks.

It glows overall with color variations in the range of blue to violet to silver.

The Etheric Body has a figure form in the same shape as the Physical Body. This figure form is made of numerous energy channels called nadis or meridians. There are seven major energy centers, called chakras, that are connected to the endocrine glands and process seven main types of consciousness. There are 21 minor energy centers and many smaller energy centers.

The Etheric Body has two auric layers. The first extends about one foot from the Physical Body. The second extends about three or more feet from the Physical Body. Each auric layer has luminous string-like hairs that radiate out and always move in wave like motions. From the inner body, sparkles of vitality move outwards.

It has a total of 3 spatial dimensions. (For more information about this go to Understanding Spatial Dimensions.)

How Awakened:
Awareness of the Etheric Body and the etheric universe is awakened by do practices such as pranayama, tai chi, chi kung (qi gong), taoist yoga as well as simply by paying attention with the idea of energy in mind. (For information about the Etheric Universe go to The 7 Universes.)

Everything I'm posting is from the above site.

The Astral/Emotional Body

Function:
The Astral Body gives you the ability to have desires, emotions, imagination, and psychic abilities. To thought it lends power which is essential for effective action and manifestation.

Range of Consciousness:
Astral consciousness includes the full range of emotions from fear, hate, and sorrow to love, happiness, and ecstasy. (See Mechanism of Pleasure) It also includes the full range of desire from totally selfish and destructive desire to common personal desire to high spiritual aspiration to selfless serviceful desire.

Astral experiences include dreams, fantasies, out of body experiences, near death experiences, hallucinations, imagination, and visions.

The five astral senses are: Clairaudiance (astral hearing), Psychometry (astral touch/feeling), Clairvoyance (astral sight), Imagination (astral equivalent of taste), and Emotional Idealism (astral equivalent of smell).

Astral consciousness and the Astral Universe includes anything imaginable, from the worst possible hells to the most glorious heavens. The Astral Universe contains an astral replica of the higher universes. It is filled with imagery, feeling, and above all a personal point of view. (For more information about the Astral Universe go to The 7 Universes.)

Form/Structure:
The Astral Body has a figure form in the shape of the Physical Body and an aura usually in an ovoid shape pointed at both ends. The aura extends about 4 to 9 feet from the Physical Body. It has 7 major energy centers, 21 minor energy centers, and many smaller centers, just like the etheric body.

It is constantly changing color, dark to brilliant colors depending upon your mood.

It has a total of 4 spatial dimensions. (For more information about this go to Understanding Spatial Dimensions.)

How Awakened:
Astral/Emotional consciousness is primarily awakened through the stimulation of desire.

Awareness of the Astral Universe is awakened by meditation, psychic development techniques, out of body (astral) travel techniques, shamanic practices, lucid dreaming, drugs - especially psychedelics, certain pranayama practices, certain types of trauma, biochemical imbalances, and certain types of energetic stimulation.

The Causal/Soul Body

The Causal/Soul Body is named "Causal" because it is the originating source of each personality that incarnates in each lifetime. It is the source of your personality, causing it to be and exist. When your personality ends, the essence of you is absorbed back into the Causal Body. It is the first level of your individuality that is relatively immortal as the Causal Body exists for many millions of years, during your journey as a human through many incarnations or lifetimes. Animals have yet to obtain a Causal Body and super-humans that are liberated from the cycle of rebirth discard the Causal Body and move on to higher levels.

The word "Soul" is used as a label for many bodies or human aspects by various religions and cultures. Generally it is meant to designate the innermost individuality. Limitations of perception has caused this label to be applied to the astral body, the mental body and other inner aspects. Here it is applied to the Causal Body because it is the pinnacle of personal consciousness.

Function:
The Causal Body is the depository for all consciousness and virtues cultivated in each personality lifetime; especially developed will/power, love-wisdom, and creative intelligence. It is built out of all the benefits of all past lives. It is the treasure chest that safekeeps the fruits of all past experiences. It is the vehicle that facilitates the unfolding of consciousness that we use physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. It is the vehicle for human immortality, whether a personality is in incarnation or not.

Range of Consciousness:
The Causal Body/Soul is the central focal point of consciousness itself for the entire human being. Therefore its range of consciousness includes the physical, etheric, emotional/astral, mental/intellectual. As it awakens spiritually it becomes aware of other souls on its own level and participates in a universe and an existence independent of the personality. The Soul's life is one of unity, group consciousness, love, wisdom, bliss, and purpose. As it spiritually awakens with the aid of the meditating personality, it extends its range of consciousness into the Higher Mind/Manasic Body, Buddhic/Christic Body, Atmic Body, Monadic Aspect, and eventually the level of Logoic/ God/ Goddess/ Solar Aspect.

The Causal Body has two additional mental/manasic senses: Response to Group Vibration (used to find its soul group), and Spiritual Telepathy (used to communicate with other souls).

It lives primarily in the Manasic Universe. (For information about the Manasic Universe go to The 7 Universes.)

The experience of time is accelerated such that a physical lifetime is experienced as a day. (See Understanding Time.)

Form/Structure:
Viewed from a 3 dimensional perspective it appears as a radiant orb of white and golden light, a miniature sun, approximately 30 feet in diameter. It has vortices on the top and bottom, lines of light and sparkling energy throughout. Most people have slices missing that appear dark or vacant which are areas of consciousness that are to be unfolded in time.

It has a total of 5 spatial dimensions. (For more information on this go to Understanding Spatial Dimensions.)

Viewed from a 5 dimensional perspective it appears as a radiant, beautiful flower of light that is continually blossoming and turning in upon itself. It has 12 petals, each of which is a vortex that is rotating and conducts a major type of consciousness. As a person evolves through an average of 777 lifetimes these petals or vortices open and become radiant and functional. As the petals open they radiate subtle hues of the colors: orange, blue, yellow, indigo, green, violet, and much rose.

How Awakened:
Causal/Soul consciousness is awakened through life and certain meditation practices.

And there is much more than I'm planning to have a good read of when I have enough time to digest it all!