Everyone who walks on this planet has a body. The body can be tall or short, fat or slim, black or white, but in essence, all are similar, being composed of the same organs, bones, flesh, and skin. Not only the body is similar, but the soul inside the body is the same.
But, what if I would tell you that each of us actually has two bodies? Yes, two. That’s how the Vedas explain it.
According to the ancient scriptures, we have a gross body, composed of material elements like flesh and bones, and a subtle body, composed of mind, intelligence, and ego. At the time of death, when the gross body ceases to function, the subtle body carries the soul to another gross body, leading to the start of a new cycle, that we call birth.
The mind includes all the desires, hopes, anxieties, frustrations, traumas, etc. while intelligence is the tool we use to understand the world, perform activities, and progress in the material and spiritual paths, according to our choices. The ego, or more specifically the false ego is our concept of identity, as a man, a woman, a child or elder, as a citizen of a certain country, a follower of a certain religion, etc. When one dies, although the gross body is destroyed, the subtle body remains.
The problem is that once the gross body is destroyed, the soul in the subtle body loses contact with his relatives, friends, etc. He can see others and move around, but nobody can see or hear him. He can’t touch the objects he was accustomed to using, can’t eat foods that he liked, and so on. In other words, he keeps his concept of identity and memories, but can’t interact with the word anymore.
Persons who can accept that their time is finished, understanding that they now need to move on can easily transition to a new body and start a new chapter, taking birth in a new family, receiving a new name, a new nationality, etc. His unfulfilled desires, as well as his personality, remain, but the memories of his previous life are buried in his subconscious mind. That’s why we can’t usually remember our past lives, although these memories can sometimes be reached through past life regression therapy or other means. One who becomes advanced in the spiritual path also gradually gains awareness of his past lives, which helps him become even more resolute in the path.
However, if one is not prepared to go, if he is too attached to his family, possessions, or to unfinished plans, he can remain stuck in this plane. This can lead to a period of suffering where one wonders around in his subtle body, trying to contact his friends and relatives, but without means to do so. Such wandering spirits are described in different cultures as ghosts and spirits. This period of wandering can continue for quite a long time, until one is prepared to be helped in his transition.
We tend to believe the brain is the repository of memories and intelligence, but the Vedas explain that the brain is more like an interface between the gross and subtle bodies. You can check our previous video on this point, “The five coverings of the soul”.
One can remain for a long time in this material world, transmigrating from one gross body to the next, although the same subtle body remains for the whole journey. Deep in our subconscious mind are the memories of hundreds of thousands of our past lives.
As explained in the Bhagavad-Gita:
“The living entity in the material world carries his different conceptions of life from one body to another, as the air carries aromas. Thus he takes one kind of body and again quits it to take another. The living entity, thus taking another gross body, obtains a certain type of ear, eye, tongue, nose and sense of touch, which are grouped about the mind. He thus enjoys a particular set of sense objects.” (Bg 15.8-9)
The mentality one has at the time of death determines his next destination. One who has a strong identity as a citizen of a certain nation may take his next birth in this same country, one who is very attached to his family may take his next birth a few generations down in the same family, and so on. Transcendentalists who are serious in the path of self-realization, as well as persons who are extraordinary pious, can progress to higher planes, where they will have more material facilities and more opportunities to develop further.
However, death also brings a brighter opportunity: one who is serious in the spiritual path, and develops a concept of identity related to his original identity as a soul, and not as a product of this material world, can transfer his consciousness to the transcendental realm. This is both our origin and our final destination. Souls who attain this level of perfection leave behind not only their gross bodies but also their subtle bodies, regaining their original identity as pure souls. As explained in the Bhagavad-Gita:
“The real form of this tree cannot be perceived in this world. No one can understand where it ends, where it begins, or where its foundation is. But with determination one must cut down this strongly rooted tree with the weapon of detachment. Thereafter, one must seek that place from which, having gone, one never returns, and there surrender to that Supreme Personality of Godhead from whom everything began and from whom everything has extended since time immemorial. (…) That supreme abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by fire or electricity. Those who reach it never return to this material world.” (Bg 15.3-4, 6)
The Vedas describe that all the enlightened souls who attain this plane enjoy a combination of eternity, bliss, and complete knowledge. They can understand both the transcendental world and this material world, and thus they usually don’t desire to return here. There is an exception, however: some desire to come here as teachers, to help others to attain the same perfection. They become the prophets, sons of God, and spiritual masters who help humanity to evolve in the spiritual path. Although frequently misunderstood and misused, their teachings remain as a guide for the sincere souls who are looking for spiritual perfection.