Astral spirits are beings made of life-energy and exist in a more evolved state of consciousness than physical beings. They typically feature heavily in Shamanistic and Eastern religions. Astral Spirits share the same time and space as we do. It is believed by some that when a human dies he becomes an Astral Spirit while waiting the day of judgement or, in some religions, reincarnation.
An Astral Spirit typically is not of human origin, however. Neither human, animal, nor inspired by deity, an Astral Spirit could be considered simply as living energy. Such living energy would be devoid of spirit and conscience and it's "thought" processes would be simple, low-level patterns related to survival and comfort.
Some practices attempt to invoke these spirits for use in ritual, however Astral Spirits are incapable of purposeful interaction other than avoidance.
This article incorporates text from the public domain 1907 edition of The Nuttall Encyclopædia.