The Earth
THE NATURAL EARTH
- Chapter 26 -
Appearances in the third region
There are, of course, some illuminated meteors that ignite to such a degree that actual burning takes place. The ignition of such meteoric bodies originates in the third region of the air. The act of burning does not take place until a meteor of fairly large size enters the second or even the first region of the air of the Earth; it must move very fast. A meteor must travel at least twenty-three miles (thirty-seven kilometers) per second if it is really to burn. If it moves hesitantly, it quickly burns out and falls to Earth extinguished.
One particular phenomenon of a meteor falling through the third air region, when it ignites or illuminates, is that its head is its most illuminated part. The illumination of the head is very similar to the illumination of the tail. It is a concentrated ray reflection, because the solid, usually round, body drives apart the light ætheric air surrounding itself, and especially before the front part of the head where it forms an air shell.
This air shell produces a concave mirror-like shining surface a round the body, which captures the light of the illuminated celestial bodies and sends them farther down to Earth. When someone throws a round black stone into the water, you will see this stone advance under water with a white head. This whiteness is a watery concave mirror formed by the rapidly advancing stone, which captures the rays that fall into the water and concentrates and reflects them. This is the reason why the foam of water appears white, because the water bubbles are many concave mirrors. That which we are shown here by the water is shown in the skies as an illuminated meteor, and it is nothing but a concentrated reflection of light.
There are other phenomena that originate in this airy sphere. You probably have quite often seen small, white, fleecy clouds; they are extremely delicate, and so transparent that they even let the light of the stars shine through undisturbed. These fleecy clouds are the highest clouds that ever appear over the Earth. They come into being through contact between the pure tether and the surface of the third region of the air. They are not really clouds at all, but undulations upon the highest surface of the third region of the air, caused by the vast tether when light beings that originate from the bodies of the suns approach the Earth.
Although these beings of delicate substance have some weight, even if very minute, they cause an undulatory motion on their entry upon the smooth surface of the third region of the air. These waves do not allow the sunbeams to fall through in a straight line, but only to pass through refracted. The varied refraction upon the waves of the third region of the air causes the appearance of the fleecy clouds.
The reason why we usually have bad weather after such appearances is because of a confrontation between the spirits of this region that keep order and the newcomers who must be accommodated on Earth, but in such a way that they cannot harm the Earth. When they submit patiently, which is rarely the case, these fleecy clouds will not turn into bad weather or thunderstorms. When, however, they do not submit, then force is applied and the newcomers must submit. Finally, there is another phenomenon, but this one is purely spiritual, although it may be seen with the physical eye. It may be observed on extremely hot days, and it manifests in the form of a bluish-white streak. These streaks are a sign of "blissful spirits" that are at peace and in conference. On such days, everything on Earth is at peace; not even a leaf moves. No common cloud may be seen, and on Earth it is oppressively hot. However, this condition does not last for long. As soon as these conferences come to an end, you can feel new movement again, especially when new spirits are ordered to control the air, the mountains, the oceans, and so on. Then it becomes windy, and the barometers indicate "change."
The bluish-white streaks are nothing but hosts of spirits that stand peacefully side by side upon the surface of the third, the purest of the regions, which may be seen even with the physical eyes of a human being.
Developed human beings who have the ability to see with their spiritual eyes will, of course, perceive considerably more than mere bluish-white streaks.