Editing Subtle body (section)

=== Theosophy ===
In the 19th century, [[H. P. Blavatsky]] founded the esoteric religious system of [[Theosophy (Blavatskian)|Theosophy]], which attempted to restate Hindu and Buddhist philosophy for the Western world.{{sfn|Samuel|2013|pp=1-3}} She adopted the phrase "subtle body" as the English equivalent of the Vedantic ''sūkṣmaśarīra'', which in [[Adi Shankara]]'s writings was one of three bodies (physical, subtle, and causal). Geoffrey Samuel notes that theosophical use of these terms by Blavatsky and later authors, especially [[C. W. Leadbeater]], [[Annie Besant]] and [[Rudolf Steiner]] (who went on to found [[Anthroposophy]]), has made them "problematic"{{sfn|Samuel|2013|pp=1-3}} to modern scholars, since the Theosophists adapted the terms as they expanded their ideas based on "psychic and clairvoyant insights", changing their meaning from what they had in their original context in India.{{sfn|Samuel|2013|pp=1-3}}
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* "Prana" - the "Life Force", the breath of Life
* ''[[Linga sarira|Linga Sharira]]'' - the Double or [[Astral body]], the vehicle of Prana
* ''Kama rupa'' - the "desire-body," the seat of animal desires and passions

The later Theosophists proposed a series of four subtle bodies, each with its own [[Aura (paranormal)|aura]] and set of [[chakra]]s:

* [[Etheric body]] (vehicle of [[prana]])
* [[Astral body|Emotional or astral body]] (vehicle of desires and emotions)
* [[Mental body]] (vehicle of the concrete or lower mind)
* [[Causal body]] (vehicle of the abstract or higher mind)-->