It is important to remember that the returning Ego incorporates in its vital body the quintessence of its former vital bodies and in addition to this also does a little original work. This is done so that in the coming life there may be some room for original and individual expression, not predetermined by past action.

What is epigenesis? (The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception, pages 135-136.)

   In the period immediately following birth the different vehicles are all present, but none of their positive faculties are active.

Describe the faculties of the child during early years. (The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception, pages 139-141.)

   As the dense body is slowly prepared for the separate, individual life within the protecting cover of the womb, so the other bodies are gradually born and nurtured into activity.

At what ages are the vital body, the desire body, and the mind born? (The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception, pages 141-143.)

   The blood is the highest expression of the vital body, and is the means by which the Ego guides and controls its dense instrument. At the age of 14 years the blood is made, and entirely dominated, by the Ego.

What is the relation between the blood and the Ego? (The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception, pages 143-146.)

   In the present phase of human development man goes through certain principal stages in each life cycle, from one birth to the next.

What are these stages? (See diagram, page 146 of The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception)

1] At death the rupture of the dense seed atom causes the heart to stop, and the vital body, the desire body, and the mind leave the dense body with a spiral movement, taking with them the forces of the dense seed atom.

2] The dying should be kept in an undisturbed condition so that the panoramic record being seen by the Ego may be clearly imprinted on the desire body and a thorough purgatorial experience thus assured.

3] In purgatory every incident of the preceding life is lived over again in reverse order. When a point is reached where a man injured someone, he himself feels the pain as the injured person felt it; but his suffering is much keener, as he has no dense body to dull the pain. He experiences all the sorrow and suffering he has caused others. He learns how painful is the hurt and how difficult it is to bear the sorrow he has caused. Life in purgatory of the average person is about one-third as long as his previous Earth life.

4] In the Borderland are found people who were honest and upright, who wronged no one, but who were so deeply immersed in business that they thought nothing of the higher life. These people are very difficult to help and are in the deepest despair, often suffering much longer than anyone else.

5] In the First Heaven the good acts of life are the basis of experience. When we come to scenes where we helped others we realize anew all the joy of helping which was ours at the time, and in addition we feel all the gratitude poured out to us by the recipient of our help. When we come to scenes where we are helped by others, we feel again all the gratitude that we then felt toward our benefactor.

6] When the change is made from the First Heaven to the second, man has a feeling of standing utterly alone, yet unafraid, and his being is filled with a wonderful peace. This is called the great silence. Then comes the awakening, and the Ego is taught by Teachers from the higher Creative Hierarchies to build a body which shall afford a better means of expression. He prepares the earthly conditions for a new physical existence, and by means of harmonious sound vibration builds into the threefold spirit the quintessence of the threefold body, thus assimilating all the fruits of his last Earth life.

7] The purpose of rebirth is experience.