Reference to the astral plane, or Kâmaloka as it is called in Sanskrit, has frequently been made by Theosophical writers, and a good deal of information on the subject of this realm of nature is to be found scattered here and there in our books; but there is not, so far as I am aware, any single volume to which one can turn for a complete summary of the facts at present known to us about this interesting region. The object of this manual is to collect and make some attempt to arrange this scattered information, and also to supplement it slightly in cases where new facts have come to our knowledge.

C. W. Leadbeater here writes about the concept of time, a popular topic of philosophical introspection at the turn of the 19th to the 20th century. He imagines a reality where time is neither static nor linear, in spite of how we perceive it. He then ties all of this in with an individual's spirituality. This was originally a published edition of a lecture of his from 1913.

Leadbeater writes on the subject of meditation. He makes a distinction between meditation and contemplation, asserting that not everyone is suited to do either. He talks about using the ascended masters as sources of guidance and inspiration during attempts at meditation. He also discusses the benefits and pitfalls of collective meditation by a group of people. This is not a how-to guide, but a philosophical examination for the practitioner, as related to Theosophy in particular.

Leadbeater discusses his own struggles in occult initiation, through both astral and physical trials, which eventually led him to the ability to access what he describes as the Buddhic consciousness. He describes how each master has his own plan and that every path is different. Also, he discusses the relationship between the student and the teacher and gives examples of what a new student on the path might expect.

Leadbeater writes about the distinctive theosophical idea of the Perfected Man, which is intended to be the final stage past evolution and repeated reincarnation. He discusses the path of Adeptship and achieving the life of the Monad. He writes about the terrestrial evolution of human progress to the attainment of perfection and being unselfish as well as the ability to meet the Great Masters in astral form.