SINCE a recognition of the truth of the continuous evolution of the soul by means of Reincarnation precludes all such puerile and childish conceptions of Post-mortem states as the Christian's "heaven" and "hell," the Spiritualist's "Summerland" or the Materialist's blank negation, it becomes necessary to examine into this phase of the Ego's existence from the view-point of the larger philosophy. As few men have evolved the ability to consciously penetrate during life to those inner planes where the Reincarnating Ego of necessity retires upon the death of its physical body, it follows that the teachings concerning the Post-mortem states of consciousness are somewhat ex cathedra. Nor is there anything derogatory to intellectual dignity in accepting statements of this nature from those who are in a position to know as sufficient evidence of the facts. We willingly accept the statements of astronomers, mathematicians, chemists, etc., as to facts beyond our reach physically, and often above our perception intellectually, because they are known to be experts by virtue of study along these particular lines. We are under equal obligations to accept information or facts concerning the spiritual aspects of our being from known students and experts in these fields.

Both classes of data are equally capable of personal verification - the one by the exercise of our intellectual, the other by our spiritual, faculties. And spiritual truths at first veiled by spiritual blindness may be perceived later by persistent cultivation of the spiritual faculties, for growth and power follow exercise of these as certainly as that using the hammer enlarges and strengthens the biceps of a blacksmith.

However, information and knowledge concerning these Postmortem states are not purely, nor even largely, ex cathedra. The teaching has all the authority of a philosophic hypothesis which fully explains and synthesizes the phenomena within its proper territory. Were there no other reason for accepting it, the fact that it explains the chaotic phenomena of "spiritualism" would alone entitle it to our respectful consideration; and when to these are added large classes of cognate and quite unclassified super- sensuous facts, it may be said to rest upon a strictly philosophic and scientific basis.

The Theosophic classification of these Post-mortem or antenatal states is into Kama Loca, Devachan, and Nirvana - terms borrowed from the Sanscrit because of the want of accurate English synonyms. These are simply states of consciousness, dependent upon the relation of Ego to its material vestments and environments. Our ordinary waking consciousness is dependent upon and conditioned by the sense organs of the body, being the result, as pointed out in the chapter upon the Physiological Evidence of the Soul, of innumerable molecular shocks or changes arising chiefly without, but also within, the organism. Deprived of sense organs by death, consciousness depends upon the ability of the Ego to function upon interior planes of ethereal substance. The ordinary man has not evolved to the point of being able to do this, so that after complete separation from his lower and more truly "material" principles his consciousness becomes subjective - a state analogous to pure dream, and undisturbed by any real, objective phenomena whatever. Before reaching this state of pure subjectivity, however, the consciousness has to pass through a process of gradually abandoning these lower vehicles.

This condition of mixed objectivity and subjectivity is termed Kama Loca; that of pure, dreaming subjectivity, Devachan; while Nirvana may be defined as consciousness upon planes so far interior to this one of molecular matter that he who enters it self-consciously can never return to lower worlds - loses all possibility of response to molecular vibration. All are in their nature and essence subjective states of being, as, indeed, all consciousness necessarily is. The Conscious-Aspect of the Causeless Cause ever appears subjective in its relation to the Substance-Aspect, its material vehicle.

Since physical consciousness is manifested on the physical plane of matter, which latter to our senses is certainly a place, in like manner Kama Loca consciousness, being limited to the lower astral plane of substance, may also be understood as connected with locality, that locality being the Linga Sharira of the earth. But these associations of locality are not essential. The place where consciousness is experienced is nothing; the state itself, everything.

All states of consciousness, too, may be actually experienced while the body is on the physical plane, and all have their physical correspondences in our ordinary waking consciousness. An Arhat attains to Nirvana while yet in the physical body, because he has, through the efforts of his trained will, risen beyond the limitations of this vehicle for purely sensuous consciousness. An ordinary man experiences Devachan on earth. The day-dreamer, building "castles in the air," very closely approximates this condition, because his mind has cast off, for a time, its material fetters, and functions on an inner and more spiritual plane. The sensual and passionate man finds himself very closely approximating the Kama Loca state when yielding to the angry impulses of his lower nature, for the reason that his consciousness is then limited to the physical correspondence of that plane. The analogous states of day-dreaming, anger, or passion, are not accurately identical with Devachan or Kama Loca, for the reason that with the former states there is always the modification of the Thinking Principle through its connection with the body, while in the latter this union is severed by death, and the impeding action of our physical senses due to physical stimuli is withdrawn.

Still, we will be best able to understand the nature of the real Kama Loca and Devachan by a close study of their physical analogies; for, as we have said, they are the actual states, excepting for this modification by the physical body and lower Principles. It is the one center of consciousness, modified by the vehicle which expresses its dominating condition; while in the body, if in a passion, the Animal Soul, or vehicle for the expression of this form of mental energy, is of necessity used - as a mechanic is compelled to take up a different tool, when he wishes to cut, from that he uses for polishing only. On the other hand, this passional vehicle could not be employed for devachanic day - dreams; one can not build castles in the air while in a furious passion.