The Ruach, The Conscious Self Options

This aspect of the self comprises of five faculties:-

INTELLECT
EMOTION
IMAGINATION
WILL
MEMORY.

The first of these two aspects correspond to Hod & Netzach and are the ordinary thinking and feeling processes of the human mind.

The remaining three correspond respectively to Tipareth, Geburah an Chesed and are a little more complex.

The Ruach reflects not only the Sepiroth of the Tree but also the veil (that which is the lowest of the two great barriers of the tree). The veil manifests as a clouding of the Ruach which blocks the full function of its three higher faculties.

Therefore while mind and heart ... the thinking and feeling processes ... are functional in most human beings, true imagination, will and memory are usually not. They are usually experienced in a reflected form which is more often than not distorted and weakened to a tiny fraction of its true potential.

Most human beings experience flashes of unexpected power when these higher faculties are available briefly ... the recollections of childhood memories in great detail ... inspirational decision making out of the blue ... moments of creative insight where unconnected pieces have suddenly come together into a pattern full of meaning.

All of these are mere glimpses of the power potential of the three higher faculties of the ruach. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wizard.gif)

I wouldn't go so far as saying the Ruach is a spiritual vehicle. It is our true self but it is covered by the ego. The ego likes to lay like a blanket coloring our vision and thoughts and tells us, that the ego is truly us. The ego is not us. Unfortunatly it is often the vehicle we sit in, the glasses we wear and see through to the world. As you progress in meditation and magick practice the ego takes on less and less dominence until the day you can completely destroy the ego at which point it is reborn and then takes on a correct role as only one part of a whole of our intellect or Ruach.

Now this intellect sadly has a shelf life. When you die it disappears. The experences and lessions learned are absorbed by the higher self but you as you see yourself now will never exist again. Unless of course you complete the great work.

Your divine self resides up in the Neshamah. He is your true and holy self and is one with the divine. He cannot come to you and you cannot go to him. BUT the higher self can act as the go between. In fact your higher self is your high priest. Contact with him will allow you to purify your nephesh and allow it to join with your Ruach. Then the ruach/nephesh along with the higherself can journey into the holiest of holys to join with the divine self and be one with the divine.