Astral Body
Preserved but no longer current.
In tlieosophical parlance, the phantasmal or spiritual appearance of the physical human form, that is existent both before and after the death of the material body, though during life it is not usually separated from it; also the "kamarupa" or body of desires, which retains a finite life in the astral world after bodily death.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Astral Body” mean?
In tlieosophical parlance, the phantasmal or spiritual appearance of the physical human form, that is existent both before and after the death of the material body, though during life it is not usually separated from it; also the "kamarupa" or body of desires, which retains a finite life in the astral world after bodily death.
Is “Astral Body” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.