The fourth dimension is our cosmic 'scratch pad' for learning to be co-creators with God. The Universe gave us an entire dimension in which to try out our ability to create.

We were given a mind and imagination as tools for the creative process. And that's not all folks. We were also given a series of realms, or sub-planes in which to place our creations.

In order to fully understand the realms of creation, we were given the ability to immerse ourselves in those realms. That means that instead of remembering that these worlds are merely a painter's canvas upon which to draw our thoughts and ideas, we began to believe these worlds were the totality of our being.

A similar thing happened when we entered the third dimension; we began to believe we were these physical bodies. So now many of us believe we are these minds.

Yet, getting free of that is easy compared to the traps of the mind. So let's review the aspects of this vast mental realm; the training place for gods-to-be.

And let's take a look at the hows and whys of getting stuck and unstuck.

The lower astral is a repository of our densest thoughts and creations. This is where we find fragments of ourselves that were split off in anger, rage, terror and grief. This is the 'hell' referred to in religious writings.

Every time we disown a part of ourselves in anger or guilt, that fragment is cast into the lower astral realm.

Anything we focus on intensely becomes a thought form and takes on a life of its own. That is because we are creators and what we put on the canvas of our minds becomes real within the realm in which it was created.

The more we focus on a particular thought or idea, the more real it becomes. As it becomes more and more real, it becomes a powerful force to be reckoned with.

The primary fragments of these souls may be human beings living in the outer 3D world without the knowledge that parts of themselves remain trapped in this world of mind and imagination.

The middle astral realm is the place where we usually go at night during the dream state. These worlds have a reality within the constructs of the fourth dimension, and entire cities and worlds exist within these realms, complete with their own coordinates, rules and principles.

For example; I have visited on many occasions the middle astral city of San Francisco. It looks very similar to the physical city of San Francisco.

Within the astral realm, places are consistent and can be drawn on a map and navigated, just as the physical city can be navigated. The oceans and bays are roughly in the same places, though often larger or smaller. Buildings are also larger or smaller, some having a physically corresponding form and some purely astral.

If you look into the eyes of an astral being while dreaming, you may see only the whites of the eyes, or the iris without the pupil. Figures may shimmer or shine and tend to float or hover.

The upper astral world is the realm of out-of-body experiences and is where many souls experience the 'silver cord'.

These are also the realms where many souls go in-between incarnations, and often discover loved ones, or fragments of loved ones. Here, one can review the physical life and resolve issues therefrom.

If a soul leaves the body and ends up here, it is temporary until that soul has completed whatever unresolved matters are at hand. Upon completion of the life lessons, the soul is then brought into the etheric realms to be counselled and guided by angels, archangels and masters from the higher realms.

The celestial planes vibrate at a much higher and more refined level and can only be reached once a soul has mastered the fourth dimensional aspects of self.

In the etheric realms, thought becomes manifest instantly. Here is the realm where you can have anything your heart desires, brought to you on a silver platter, if that is your wish.

This world is guided by faeries, elves, gnomes, devas, angels, archangels and master teachers. These are spirit folk that, unlike the astral selves, are primary fragments (sovereign beings).

Time and space still exist in the etheric realms, but are distorted and compressed. Many earth-bound souls remember being in the etheric realms before coming into embodiment.

This is the scratch pad of the conscious mind. This is the realm we use to create our physical reality. Every time we take an action, it is preceded by a thought.

This thought enters the mental realm and energizes the elements and atomic particles therein. As more energy is put into the thought, the mind directs the body to act on the thought and hence, outer creation takes place.

The causal planes are the highest level of the fourth dimension. This is where souls explore and learn about karma and past and parallel lifetimes. The causal planes are tied directly to the cycle of soul incarnations and serve as a bridge into the higher planes.

One can go to the causal planes in meditation and makes changes there that affect all the other sub-planes. A tiny change within a causal world can result in a big change in the physical, astral or etheric worlds. Very few earth-bound souls ever reach the causal plane while still on the cycle of reincarnation.

For many souls, it takes a very long time to transcend the fourth dimension. This is because we become attached to our thoughts and their resulting creations.

We become mesmerized by the bright colours, feelings and impressions of these realms. Like a good novel or movie, we get caught up in the drama and forget we are sitting in a seat reading a book or watching pictures move on a screen.

If we have any unresolved emotional issues, these will tend to get magnified in the astral and mental realms, becoming all-consuming until all we can think about is the pain, grief, loss, anger, fear or terror of traumatic events.

The first step in getting free is recognizing that we are stuck, and asking our God Presence to present a path to us for liberation.