Each thought-form bears the same color that it possessed when generated in the aura of its creator, though the colors seem to fade with time.  Many of them glow with a dull phosphorescence, instead of bright coloring.  The atmosphere of every person, and every place, is filled with various thought-forms emanated from the person, or persons who inhabit the place.  Each building has its own distinctive thought-forms, which permeate its mental atmosphere, and which are clearly discernible by trained clairvoyant vision.

I here take the liberty of quoting a few paragraphs from my little book entitled “The Astral World,” in which the phenomena of the astral plane are explained in detail.  I reproduce them here in order to show you what you may see on the astral plane when your clairvoyant vision is sufficiently developed to function there.  The words are addressed to one who is sensing on the astral, plane.

“Notice that beautiful spiritual blue around that woman’s head!  And see that ugly muddy red around that man passing her!  Here comes an intellectual giant—­see that beautiful golden yellow around his head, like a nimbus!  But I don’t exactly like that shade of red around his body—­and there is too marked an absence of blue in his aura!  He lacks harmonious development.  Do you notice those great clouds of semi-luminous substance, which are slowly floating along?—­notice how the colors vary in them.  Those are clouds of thought-vibrations, representing the composite thought of a multitude of people.  Also notice how each body of thought is drawing to itself little fragments of similar thought-forms and energy.  You see here the tendency of thought-forms to attract others of their kind—­how like the proverbial birds of a feather, they flock together—­how thoughts come home, bringing their friends with them—­how each man creates his own thought atmosphere.

“Speaking of atmospheres, do you notice that each shop we pass has its own peculiar thought-atmosphere?  If you look into the houses on either side of the street, you will see that the same thing is true.  The very street itself has its own atmosphere, created by the composite thought of those inhabiting and frequenting it.  No! do not pass down that side street—­its astral atmosphere is too depressing, and its colors too horrible and disgusting for you to witness just now—­you might get discouraged and fly back to your physical body for relief.  Look at those thought-forms flying through the atmosphere!  What a variety of form and coloring!  Some most beautiful, the majority quite neutral in tint, and occasionally a fierce, fiery one tearing its way along toward its mark.  Observe those whirling and swirling thought-forms as they are thrown off from that business-house.  Across the street, notice that great octopus monster of a thought-form, with its great tentacles striving to wind around persons and draw them into that flashy dance-hall and dram-shop.  A devilish monster which we would do well to destroy.  Turn your concentrated thought upon it, and will it out of existence—­there, that’s the right way; watch it sicken and shrivel!  But, alas! more of its kind will come forth from that place.”