You ask me about the surrounding world here in Devachan, and whether it is mere appearance or reality:
The astral world is a world of mere appearance. This celestial world, however, consists of an entirely different material. What the inhabitant of Devachan sees is existent substance. For the novice, it is of positively overwhelming beauty, form and harmony. These things really exist; only they are not perceived by undeveloped, still-sleeping persons, despite the fact that they live in the midst of them. It is difficult to describe these surroundings to you. Let’s say for example you see a moonscape out of which fantastical forms suddenly spring up before your eyes and, through your different reflexes, become fairy tale-like images. You see more than what is actually in front of you, because the appearance shows something else that lies much deeper. And this is also a positive world that actually exists, the changing shapes notwithstanding.
To read the full series: Mar 25-Apr 11, 1917
The astral world is a world of mere appearance. This celestial world, however, consists of an entirely different material. What the inhabitant of Devachan sees is existent substance. For the novice, it is of positively overwhelming beauty, form and harmony. These things really exist; only they are not perceived by undeveloped, still-sleeping persons, despite the fact that they live in the midst of them. It is difficult to describe these surroundings to you. Let’s say for example you see a moonscape out of which fantastical forms suddenly spring up before your eyes and, through your different reflexes, become fairy tale-like images. You see more than what is actually in front of you, because the appearance shows something else that lies much deeper. And this is also a positive world that actually exists, the changing shapes notwithstanding.
To read the full series: Mar 25-Apr 11, 1917