THEOSOPHY - THOUGHT-FORMS - ASTRAL PLANE Thought forms, seen by trained clairvoyants, on the astral plane, at a funeral. The form to the right is representative of selfish misery and despair - the downward thrust of astral hook seeks, as it were, to reach into the ground, and bring the dead person back to the material plane. The left hand form shows the deep sympathy felt by the mourner for the deceased - the rose-colour demonstrates affection towards both the dead and the living, while the upper range of colours express the devotional aspect of the funeral, and the spiritual aspirations which lie behind death: this person understands the nature of death. Paintings of thought-forms were originated by a group of Theosophists, towards the end of the nineteenth century. The paintings were done, following the occult observations of such 'thoughts' or 'visions' on the astral plane, by Charles Leadbeater (Besant claimed such an astral vision, but it is unlikely that this was genuine), by John Varley (a descendant of the John Varley who taught William Blake astrology), Mr. Prince and Miss Macfarlane, all three of whom painted 'in earth's dull colours the forms clothed in the living light of other worlds'. The paintings were reproduced, and discussed, in Annie Besant and C.W. Leadbeater, Thought-Forms, 1901 edn, from which these plates are photographed.