Chakras and the World of Vibrations
The concepts we try to present to you within the teaching series of Yoga Consciousness may at first appear independent or disconnected from one another. However, each of these concepts forms a fundamental building block of the explanations we will later unfold. Once the essential concepts—those that are indispensable for the traveler on the path of enlightenment—are introduced, we will synthesize them and gradually move into the core subjects.
In this article, I would like to speak once again about a very fundamental knowledge in the journey of self-knowing: the world of vibrations.
In the so-called “illusory world” we mentioned in the previous article, everything that appears to us as separate and different—matter, sound, light, electricity, living and non-living forms—actually originates from the same essence, manifesting itself through different vibrational frequencies. Within our three-dimensional illusory reality of matter, space, and time, our senses and perception centers allow us to experience phenomena whose vibrational speeds differ from one another.
Our sense of touch perceives solid matter, liquid matter, and even gaseous matter such as wind, because it detects matter in its lowest vibrational state. As vibrations increase, the body continues to perceive through different organs.
For example, if a thin steel strip is fixed at one end and released after being pulled, it will vibrate and produce a “ting” sound. This occurs because its vibration frequency exceeds 16 cycles per second, allowing our ears to perceive it as sound. If we move a stick rapidly back and forth more than 16 times per second, we begin to hear a deep humming sound. As the speed increases, the sound becomes higher in pitch, moving through octaves from Do to Si. When vibrations reach around 32,000 cycles per second, sound becomes inaudible. Beyond this point—up to millions of vibrations per second—our sensory organs can no longer perceive them.
As vibrations continue to increase, they manifest as energy: first electricity, then heat, and finally light. Electricity is an energy our bodies can directly perceive. Heat is felt as cold or warmth depending on its intensity. With further vibrational increase, radiation appears as light, which our eyes perceive not only as brightness but also as color.
The lowest vibrational color is red, and the highest is violet. Each of the seven colors corresponds to a specific vibrational octave, just as musical notes do. We cannot see infrared below red or ultraviolet beyond violet, yet these frequencies still affect us, sometimes positively and sometimes negatively.
Beyond light lie X-rays, used in scientific fields. However, physical science cannot perceive vibrations beyond this point. From here onward begins the metaphysical realm. Although these higher vibrations cannot be detected by physical instruments, the human being still possesses the capacity to perceive and utilize them.
Energy Bodies and Chakras
The bio-energetic body, also known as the etheric body, is an energetic sheath that gives life to the physical body. Life is possible through high-frequency energy flows within this etheric field. Every living being possesses an etheric energy body.
The entry point of life energy into the human system is the first chakra, or root chakra, located at the base of the spine. This center cannot be physically seen or measured. The medical discipline that works with etheric energy flows is acupuncture. When energy flow is blocked, imbalance appears in the corresponding part of the body. By inserting conductive needles, the flow is restored.
Etheric energy is subtler than electricity and still belongs to the material realm. Beyond etheric energy lies a higher vibration known as astral energy, which forms the second energy body. This astral body is the field in which emotions exist—fear, attraction, joy, desire, hunger, sexuality, and all sensory feelings. Its gateway in the body is the second chakra, located below the navel.
Above astral vibration lies the realm of thought. Thoughts flow through a distinct mental body, whose center is the third chakra, located above the navel. While connected to the brain, the mental body is a higher-frequency energetic field. When thinking occurs, streams of colorful light move through this intellectual body. Thoughts are not created by us; they already exist in a vast ocean of thought, and we draw them in according to our vibrational capacity.
Even thought energy, though seemingly spiritual, still belongs to the material plane—albeit at its highest vibrational level.
Beyond this level begin truly spiritual vibrations, which can be grouped as love, unity consciousness, intuitive awareness, and divine vibrations. These ultimately lead to vibrationless infinity.
Chakras as Evolutionary Indicators
The human being is a divine instrument. Through the awakening of the highest chakra, one comes to live God—this is enlightenment.
Chakras are both entry points of energy bodies and powerful centers that shape our philosophy of life, goals, desires, and thought patterns. They are also indicators of our evolutionary level. As a person evolves, their vibrational frequency rises, and different chakras become dominant.
The first three chakras are ego-based centers, focused on survival, desire, and acquisition. They are “receiving” chakras and dominate most of humanity today, which explains the current state of the world. True happiness begins with the activation of the fourth chakra, the heart, where love and giving emerge.
The awakening of the seventh chakra, located at the crown of the head, marks the final stage of human evolution in the physical world. This awakening is enlightenment—the state of the realized human being, symbolized in sacred art by a halo of light.
All chakras are necessary. None are low or bad. Each serves a function. Responsibility lies not in the chakra itself but in being stuck at a certain level of evolution.
The word “chakra” comes from Sanskrit, though the concept exists in many traditions. In Islamic Sufism, similar stages are described as the levels of the nafs. The essence is universal.
Each chakra corresponds to a color, from red at the root to violet at the crown, reflecting increasing vibrational frequency.