The Energy Body (also known as the light body, or astral body)
The soul gives rise to the energy body, which in turn is the source of the physical body. The energy body is a field of conscious energy. It exists independent from the physical body, and continues after the physical body ceases at death. The energy body carries within it Divine intelligence that is instrumental to our spiritual evolution.
But along with spiritual riches, it also contains memories from this as well as past lives. Many of these are very empowering and are the basis for aptitudes and gifts in our present life. And yet, some of these memories may be unresolved, and contain trauma that can have a negative effect upon us until they are healed.
Although these latter kinds of memories may be deemed “negative,” they play a role for our psycho-spiritual growth. When they are understood and processed by the conscious mind, they produce lessons that are essential to our individuation as souls. In this way, painful experiences are transformed into wisdom.
The relationship between the energy body and the unconscious; why suppressed trauma must be brought to conscious light
But until these negative memories are brought to conscious awareness, they lie hidden within the unconscious mind. From there they can exert a harmful influence on our emotional, physical, and spiritual health.¹ However, when we become cognizant of them, they no longer have power over our lives – for then we have the choice to change them, heal ourselves, and move forward spiritually.
Why are we endowed with this dual existence that persists from lifetime to lifetime? Because the memories that it contains are important to our spiritual growth as our souls evolve from one incarnation to the next.

1. As has been said, the physical body is derived from an energy body, which is its non-physical analog. The thought-forms contained in the energy-body have a direct effect on our psycho-spiritual and physical well-being. For this reason, healing a wrong belief or trauma stored in the energy body can sometimes create dramatic psychological and physical healing even in conditions that seem to be unresponsive to conventional therapy.
   “As you see it right now, your body is the physical structure, in 3-D of what you’re thinking… the whole body projects thoughts.”
   Quote from Quantum Healing by Deepak Chopra, M.D. p.69
   “The fact that the mind rules the body is, in spite of its neglect by biology and medicine, the most fundamental fact which we know about the process of life.” Quote from Psychosomatic Medicine by Franz Alexander M.D. P.37
   As mentioned, the energy body contains memories from past lives. The fact that past-life memories can be accessed through the unconscious is accepted in certain fields of psychology. This is the basis of a psychological modality known as past-life regression therapy. ↩︎