A New Look at Theosophy The Great Chain of Being Revisited
H. David Wenger
International Journal of Transpersonal Studies 2001 DOI: 10.24972/ijts.2001.20.1.107 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Proposes that Theosophical constructs, aligned with the Great Chain of Being, provide a model for understanding consciousness across physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual dimensions, with implications for spiritual psychology. |
Abstract
This paper presents an exploration of the evolution and multidimensional nature of human consciousness. It first establishes a context for this exploration in the Great Chain of Being (a central concept ofthe Perennial Philosophy-the core of philosophical wisdom common to the world's religious traditions). Next, certain constructs from the teachings of Theosophy are summarized, shown to be consistent with the Great Chain of Being, and then used as a model for exploring the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual dimensions of consciousness. Finally, implications of this model for a spiritual psychology are discussed.