You are more than the physical body that you sense. Your mind, emotions, and soul have their own bodies. These bodies are distinct from yet connected to your physical body. You have many bodies. Highly sensitive people have always been able to perceive one or more of these nonphysical bodies. Recent advances in science and technology are verifying their existence. Our day to day experience confirms their reality.
Function:
The Etheric Body gives vitality, health, life and organization to the Physical Body. It attunes our consciousness to the principle of Energy. It steps energies from the higher bodies down into our physical consciousness.
Range of Consciousness:
An awareness of various types of subtle energy moving through the Physical Body and in the environment. Subtle/etheric energy can be seen as well as felt.
Form/Structure:
The Etheric Body is the subtle level of the Physical Body. It is composed of various energies such as electromagnetic, chi, prana, ki, vitality, etc. It is also composed of subatomic particles, the finest of which are quarks.
It glows overall with color variations in the range of blue to violet to silver.
The Etheric Body has a figure form in the same shape as the Physical Body. This figure form is made of numerous energy channels called nadis or meridians. There are seven major energy centers, called chakras, that are connected to the endocrine glands and process seven main types of consciousness. There are 21 minor energy centers and many smaller energy centers.
The Etheric Body has two auric layers. The first extends about one foot from the Physical Body. The second extends about three or more feet from the Physical Body. Each auric layer has luminous string-like hairs that radiate out and always move in wave like motions. From the inner body, sparkles of vitality move outwards.
It has a total of 3 spatial dimensions. (For more information about this go to Understanding Spatial Dimensions.)
How Awakened:
Awareness of the Etheric Body and the etheric universe is awakened by doing practices such as pranayama, tai chi, chi kung (qi gong), taoist yoga as well as simply by paying attention with the idea of energy in mind. (For information about the Etheric Universe go to The 7 Universes.)