If the Ego is a conventional term to indicate the true individual, immortal, pre-existent and present in every new reincarnation; if the Ego has, in itself, the three principles which we have already dealt with, the” Causal Body”, also called “Body of Grace”, is a subtle body which survives through all the different reincarnations and records the strongest memories of past lives; therefore it is not a principle.

 

The Causal Body is composed of atoms, of the first, second and third sub-planes of the mental plane. It has an ovoid form which vaguely recalls the physical body. Its dimension is 45 centimeters. In ordinary people it is not very active, only in the Perfects, Adepts or Masters is it well-developed. In a primitive man it resembles a colorless, empty air-bubble. Even though full of superior mental matter it remains inactive. It colors as soon as it enters into action, and from a transparent bubble it becomes full of delicate and beautiful colors. The Buddha and the Christ are painted with a colored halo around the head, probably without the artists knowing they were painting the Causal Body.

 

In this Body are centers of force or Chakrams of Yoga, in correspondence to those of the other coarser vehicles, which are the mental , astral and etheric . These centers of force, until not developed by spiritual evolution and by ascesis, can give the impression of being inexistent. Invisible to clairvoyance and not shown by instruments, after the exercises they become visible and are revealed by apparatus.

The Causal Body accumulates charges of force, and is the distillation of the Ego. Recorder of memories, of good and bad tendencies, this body causes at every new reincarnatory experience the environmental conditions, the characteristics of the new bodies to be used on the basis of one’s own Karma. It is the superior mental principle, the Thinker, that which endures in the course of evolution .

 

Tommaso Palamidessi

excerpt from "THE CAUSAL BODY OR BODY OF GRACE"

in the 8^th Booklet of Archeosophy