The Rudolf Steiner Archive

The Stages of Initiation

[ 1 ] The following teachings are elements of a spiritual training program whose name and nature will become clear to anyone who applies them correctly. They relate to the three stages through which the School of Spiritual Life leads to a certain degree of initiation. However, only as much of this discussion will be found here as can be said publicly. These are hints drawn from an even deeper, more intimate teaching. In the secret training itself, a very specific course of instruction is followed. Certain practices serve to bring the human soul into conscious communion with the spiritual world. These practices stand in roughly the same relationship to what is communicated below as the instruction given to someone in a higher, strictly regulated school does to the instruction occasionally provided at a preparatory school. However, the serious and persistent pursuit of what is hinted at here can lead to true esoteric training. Of course, impatient experimentation, without seriousness and persistence, can lead to nothing at all. – Esoteric study can only be successful if one first adheres to what has already been said and proceeds on this foundation.

[ 2 ] The stages indicated by the tradition in question are the following three: 1. Preparation, 2. Enlightenment, 3. Initiation. It is not strictly necessary for these three stages to follow one another in such a way that one has completely gone through the first before the second, and the second before the third. With regard to certain things, one can already partake of enlightenment, indeed of initiation, even while still in the stage of preparation with regard to others. However, one will have to spend a certain amount of time in preparation before any enlightenment can even begin. And one will have to be enlightened, at least to some extent, if one is to begin the process of initiation. In the description, however, for the sake of simplicity, the three stages must follow one another in sequence.

Preparation

[ 3 ] This preparation consists of a very specific cultivation of one’s emotional and intellectual life. Through this cultivation, the soul and the spiritual body are endowed with higher sensory faculties and organs of action, just as the forces of nature have equipped the physical body with organs from undifferentiated living matter.

[ 4 ] We must begin by directing the soul’s attention to certain processes in the world around us. Such processes include, on the one hand, life as it sprouts, grows, and flourishes, and, on the other hand, all phenomena associated with fading, withering, and dying. Everywhere a person turns their eyes, such processes are taking place simultaneously. And everywhere, they naturally evoke feelings and thoughts in the person as well. But under ordinary circumstances, a person does not devote themselves sufficiently to these feelings and thoughts. Instead, they rush far too quickly from one impression to the next. The point is for them to consciously and intensely direct their attention to these facts. When he perceives the blooming and flourishing of a very specific kind, he must banish everything else from his soul and, for a short time, surrender himself entirely to this one impression. He will soon find that a feeling which, in such a case, previously merely flitted through his soul, swells and takes on a powerful and energetic form. He must then allow this form of feeling to resonate quietly within him. In doing so, he must become completely still within himself. He must shut himself off from the rest of the outside world and follow solely what his soul says about the fact of blooming and flourishing.

[ 5 ] One must not, however, believe that one will get very far by, for example, dulling one’s senses to the world. First, one should observe things as vividly and as closely as is at all possible. Only then should one surrender to the feelings stirring within the soul and to the rising thoughts. What matters is that one directs one’s attention to both, in complete inner balance. If one finds the necessary calm and surrenders to what is stirring within the soul, then, after a suitable amount of time, one will experience the following. One will see new kinds of feelings and thoughts arise within, ones that one did not know before. The more often one directs one’s attention in this way to something growing, blossoming, and flourishing—and alternately to something withering and dying—the more vivid these feelings will become. And from the feelings and thoughts that arise in this way, the clairvoyant faculties develop, just as the eyes and ears of the physical body are formed from living matter through natural forces. A very specific form of feeling is associated with growth and becoming; another very specific form with withering and dying. But this is true only if one strives to cultivate these feelings in the manner described. It is possible to describe these feelings with reasonable accuracy. Everyone can form a complete picture of them for themselves by undergoing these inner experiences. Anyone who has often directed their attention to the process of becoming, of thriving, of blooming will feel something that is remotely similar to the sensation of a sunrise. And from the process of withering and dying, an experience will arise that can be compared in just the same way to the slow rising of the moon on the horizon. These two feelings are two forces which, with proper cultivation and increasingly vivid development, lead to the most significant spiritual effects. For those who repeatedly and systematically, with intent, surrender themselves to such feelings, a new world opens up. The world of the soul—the so-called astral plane—begins to dawn before them. Growth and decay are no longer mere facts that leave them with such vague impressions as before. Rather, they take shape as spiritual lines and figures of which they had previously no inkling. And these lines and figures take on different forms for different phenomena. A blooming flower conjures up a very specific line before his soul, as does an animal in the process of growing or a tree in the process of dying. The world of the soul (the astral plane) slowly unfolds before him. There is nothing arbitrary in these lines and figures. Two initiates who are at the corresponding stage of training will always see the same lines and figures in the same process. Just as surely as two people with proper vision see a round table as round—and not one as round and the other as square—so surely the same spiritual form presents itself to two souls when they behold a blooming flower. – Just as the forms of plants and animals are described in ordinary natural history, so too does the expert in esoteric science describe or depict the spiritual forms of the processes of growth and decay according to genus and species.

[ 6 ] When the student has reached the point where he can perceive such mental forms of phenomena that also manifest themselves physically to his physical eye, then he will not be far from the stage of seeing things that have no physical existence—things that must therefore remain entirely hidden (occult) to those who have not received instruction in the Esoteric Doctrine.

[ 7 ] It must be emphasized that the occult researcher should not lose himself in pondering what this or that thing means. Such intellectual exertion only leads him astray from the right path. He should look upon the sensory world with a fresh mind, sound judgment, and keen powers of observation, and then surrender to his feelings. He should not attempt to determine what things mean through speculative reasoning, but rather allow the things themselves to reveal their meaning to him. ^{1It should be noted that artistic sensibility, paired with a quiet, introspective nature, is the best prerequisite for the development of intellectual abilities. This sensibility penetrates the surface of things and thereby gains access to their secrets.}

[ 8 ] Another crucial aspect is what esoteric science calls orientation in the higher worlds. One attains this by allowing oneself to be completely imbued with the awareness that feelings and thoughts are real facts, just as tables and chairs are in the physical, sensory world. In the world of the soul and in the world of thought, feelings and thoughts interact with one another just as physical objects do in the physical world. As long as a person is not vividly imbued with this awareness, they will not believe that a wrong thought they harbor can have as devastating an effect on other thoughts that animate the realm of thought as a shotgun pellet fired blindly does on the physical objects it strikes. Such a person might never allow himself to commit a physically visible act that he considers senseless. But he will not shy away from harboring erroneous thoughts or feelings. For these seem harmless to him in relation to the rest of the world. In the secret science, however, one can make progress only if one pays as much attention to one’s thoughts and feelings as one does to one’s steps in the physical world. When someone sees a wall, they do not try to run straight through it; they steer their steps to the side. They simply conform to the laws of the physical world. — Such laws also exist for the world of feelings and thoughts. Only, these laws cannot be imposed on a person from the outside. They must flow from the life of the soul itself. One attains this by refraining at all times from harboring misguided feelings and thoughts. All arbitrary rambling of the mind, all frivolous daydreaming, and all feelings that ebb and flow at random must be avoided during this time. This does not make one emotionally stunted. For one will soon discover that one only becomes rich in feelings and creative in true imagination when one regulates one’s inner life in this way. Meaningful feelings and fruitful thoughts take the place of petty indulgence in emotions and frivolous associations of thought. And these feelings and thoughts lead a person to orient themselves in the spiritual world. One comes to have a proper relationship with the things of the spiritual world. A very specific effect takes hold within them. Just as one, as a physical human being, finds one’s way among physical things, so now one’s path leads through growth and decay—which one comes to know on the path described above. He then follows everything that grows and flourishes, and likewise everything that withers and dies, in the way necessary for his own flourishing and that of the world.

[ 9 ] The secret student must also devote attention to the world of sounds. A distinction must be made here between the sound produced by the so-called inanimate (a falling object, a bell, or a musical instrument) and that which originates from a living being (an animal or a human). Anyone who hears a bell will perceive the sound and associate a pleasant feeling with it; whoever hears the cry of an animal will, in addition to this feeling, sense in the sound the revelation of an inner experience of the animal—pleasure or pain. It is with this latter type of sound that the secret student must engage. He should direct his full attention to the fact that the sound reveals to him something that lies beyond his own soul. And he should immerse himself in this foreign element. He should intimately connect his feelings with the pain or pleasure conveyed to him through the sound. He should set aside what the sound is for him, whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, comfortable or disagreeable; only what is taking place within the being from which the sound emanates should fill his soul. Whoever performs such exercises systematically and with forethought will thereby acquire the ability to, so to speak, merge with the being from which the sound emanates. For a person with a musical sensibility, such cultivation of their inner life will be easier than for someone without one. Yet no one should believe that a musical sense alone can replace this cultivation. As a student of the mysteries, one must learn to feel this way toward all of nature. — And through this, a new disposition takes root in the world of feeling and thought. All of nature begins to whisper secrets to the human being through its sounds. What was previously incomprehensible sound to the soul becomes, through this, the meaningful language of nature. And whereas before he heard only sound—the sound of what is called the “inanimate”—he now perceives a new language of the soul. As he progresses in this cultivation of his feelings, he soon becomes aware that he can hear things he had not previously suspected existed. He begins to hear with the soul.

[ 10 ] Something else must also be added to reach the pinnacle that can be attained in this field. – What is particularly important for the training of the secret student is the way in which he listens to other people when they speak. He must accustom himself to doing this in such a way that his own inner being remains completely silent. When someone expresses an opinion and another person listens, the latter will generally feel a stir of agreement or disagreement within himself. Many people will likely also feel an immediate urge to express their agreement—and especially their disagreement. The initiate must silence all such agreement and all such disagreement. It is not a matter of suddenly changing his way of life so that he constantly strives to achieve such inner, profound silence. He will have to begin by doing so in individual cases that he deliberately selects. Then, very slowly and gradually, as if of its own accord, this entirely new way of listening will creep into his habits. — In spiritual research, this is practiced systematically. Students feel obligated, as part of their practice, to listen to the most opposing thoughts at certain times and, in doing so, to completely silence all agreement and, in particular, all disparaging judgments. It is essential that not only all intellectual judgments be silenced, but also all feelings of displeasure, rejection, or even agreement. In particular, the student must constantly and carefully observe whether such feelings are present, if not on the surface, then at least in the innermost depths of his soul. For example, he must listen to the words of people who, in some respect, are far below him, and in doing so must suppress every feeling of self-righteousness or superiority. – It is beneficial for everyone to listen to children in this way. Even the wisest person can learn an immeasurable amount from children. – In this way, a person learns to hear the words of another entirely selflessly, completely setting aside their own person, their own opinions, and their own feelings. If one practices listening uncritically in this way—even when a completely opposite opinion is expressed, even when the “most absurd” things unfold before one’s eyes—then one gradually learns to merge completely with another’s being, to dissolve entirely into it. One then hears through the words and into the other’s soul. Only through sustained practice of this kind does sound become the proper means of perceiving the soul and spirit. Admittedly, this requires the strictest self-discipline. But this leads to a lofty goal. For when these exercises are practiced in conjunction with the others that have been described regarding sounds in nature, a new sense of hearing develops in the soul. It becomes capable of perceiving manifestations from the spiritual world that do not find expression in external sounds perceptible to the physical ear. The perception of the “inner word” awakens. Truths from the spiritual world are gradually revealed to the secret student. He hears a spiritual voice speaking to him.^{2Only to those who, through selfless listening, attain the ability to truly receive from within—silently, without the stirrings of a personal opinion or feeling—can the higher beings, of whom esoteric science speaks, speak. As long as one still hurls any opinion or feeling at what one is hearing, the beings of the spiritual world remain silent.} – All higher truths are attained through such “inner communication.” And what one hears from the mouth of a true researcher of the occult is what he has discovered in this way. – This is not to say, however, that it is unnecessary to engage with esoteric writings before one can oneself hear such “inner inner voice.” On the contrary: reading such writings and listening to the teachings of esoteric researchers are themselves means of attaining one’s own insight. Every statement of esoteric science that a person hears is capable of directing the mind toward where it must go if the soul is to experience true progress. In addition to all that has been said, one must engage in diligent study of what the esoteric researchers share with the world. In all esoteric training, such study is part of the preparation. And anyone who sought to apply all other means would reach no goal unless they absorbed the teachings of the esoteric researchers into themselves. For because these teachings are drawn from the living “inner Word,” from the “living inner voice,” they themselves possess spiritual life. They are not merely words. They are living forces. And as you follow the words of an initiate, as you read a book that stems from a genuine inner experience, forces are at work in your soul that make you just as clairvoyant as the forces of nature have formed your eyes and ears from living matter.

Enlightenment

[ 11 ] Enlightenment arises from very simple processes. Here, too, the goal is to develop certain feelings and thoughts that lie dormant within every human being and must be awakened. Only those who work through these simple processes with complete patience, rigor, and persistence can be led by them to perceive the inner manifestations of light. The first step is to observe various natural objects in a specific way—for example: a transparent, beautifully formed stone (crystal), a plant, and an animal. One should first direct one’s full attention to comparing the stone with the animal in the following manner. The thoughts described here must pass through the soul accompanied by vivid feelings. And no other thought, no other feeling, must interfere and disturb this intensely attentive contemplation. Tell yourself: “The stone has a form; the animal also has a form. The stone remains still in its place. The animal changes its location. It is the instinct (the desire) that causes the animal to change its location. And it is also the instincts that the animal’s form serves. Its organs and senses are formed in accordance with these instincts. The form of the stone is not shaped by desires, but by a desireless force.” ^{3The fact referred to here, insofar as it relates to the observation of crystals, has been distorted in various ways by those who have only heard of it in an external (exoteric) manner, giving rise to practices such as “crystal gazing” and the like. Such manipulations are based on misunderstandings. They have been described in many books. But they never constitute the subject matter of true (esoteric) secret teaching.} If one immerses oneself deeply in these thoughts while observing the stone and the animal with rapt attention, two entirely different kinds of feeling arise in the soul. One kind of feeling flows into our soul from the stone, and the other kind from the animals. This will probably not succeed at first; but little by little, with truly patient practice, these feelings will arise. One must simply practice over and over again. At first, the feelings are present only as long as the contemplation lasts; later, their effects linger. And then they become something that remains alive in the soul. One need only reflect, and the two feelings will always arise, even without contemplating an external object. – From these feelings and the thoughts associated with them, clairvoyant organs are formed. – If the plant is then added to the contemplation, one will notice that the feeling emanating from it—in both its nature and its intensity—lies midway between that radiating from the stone and that from the animal. The organs that form in this way are spiritual eyes. With them, one gradually learns to see something like soul and spiritual colors. As long as one has only mastered what has been described as “preparation,” the spiritual world with its lines and figures remains dark; through enlightenment, it becomes bright. – Here, too, it must be noted that the words “dark” and “bright,” as well as the other terms used, only approximately express what is meant. But if one wishes to use everyday language, there is no other option. After all, this language was created solely for physical conditions. — Esoteric science now describes what radiates from the stone to the clairvoyant’s organ as “blue” or “blue-red.” That which is perceived by the animal is described as “red” or “red-yellow.” In fact, the colors seen here are of a “spiritual nature.” The color emanating from the plant is “green,” which gradually transitions into a light, ethereal pinkish-red. The plant is, in fact, the natural being that, in higher worlds, resembles its physical form in the material world in a certain respect. This is not the case, however, with stones and animals. – Now one must be clear that the colors mentioned above indicate only the main shades of the mineral, plant, and animal kingdoms. In reality, all possible intermediate shades exist. Every stone, every plant, and every animal has its own very specific color nuance. Added to these are the beings of the higher worlds—who never take on a physical form—with their colors, which are often wondrous but sometimes also hideous. In fact, the richness of color in these higher worlds is immeasurably greater than in the physical world.

[ 12 ] Once a person has acquired the ability to see with the “eyes of the spirit,” sooner or later they will encounter the aforementioned higher—and in some cases, lower—beings than humans, who never enter physical reality.

[ 13 ] Once a person has reached the stage described here, many paths are open to them. However, it is not advisable for anyone to go any further without carefully heeding what the spiritual researcher has said or otherwise communicated. And even for what has already been said, heeding such knowledgeable guidance is the very best course of action. Incidentally, if a person possesses the strength and perseverance to reach the level corresponding to the specified elementary stages of enlightenment, he will most certainly seek and find the right guidance.

[ 14 ] Caution, however, is necessary under all circumstances, and anyone who is unwilling to exercise it would do best to refrain from taking any steps toward the esoteric sciences. It is essential that a person who becomes an esoteric student lose none of the qualities that make him a noble, good person who is receptive to all physical reality. On the contrary, during their time as a student of the occult, they must continually increase their moral strength, their inner integrity, and their powers of observation. To mention just one example: During the elementary exercises in enlightenment, the student of the occult must ensure that they continually deepen their compassion for the human and animal worlds and their appreciation for the beauty of nature. If he fails to do so, those feelings and that sense will become increasingly dulled by such exercises. The heart would harden, and the mind would become dull. And that would lead to dangerous consequences.

[ 15 ] How enlightenment takes shape as one ascends toward the human being in the spirit of the above exercises concerning stone, plant, and animal, and how, after enlightenment, the union of the soul with the spiritual world eventually comes about under all circumstances and leads to initiation: this will be discussed in the following sections, as far as possible.

[ 16 ] In our time, many people are seeking the path to esoteric knowledge. This is done in various ways; and many dangerous, even reprehensible, procedures are being tried. Therefore, those who believe they know something true about these matters should give others the opportunity to learn something about esoteric training. Only as much has been revealed here as is appropriate for such an opportunity. It is necessary that some of the truth be made known so that error does not cause great harm. No one who does not force things can come to harm by following the paths outlined here. Only one thing must be observed: no one may devote more time and energy to such exercises than is available to them according to their station in life and their duties. No one may use the secret path to instantly change anything in their external circumstances. If one desires real results, one must have patience; one must be able to stop after a few minutes of practice and calmly go about one’s daily work. And thoughts of the exercises must not interfere with one’s daily work. Anyone who has not learned to wait in the highest and best sense is not fit to be a secret student and will never achieve results of any significant value.

Controlling Thoughts and Feelings

[ 17 ] If someone seeks the paths to the secret science in the manner described in the previous chapter, he must not fail to draw strength from a persistent thought throughout the entire process. For they must always bear in mind that, after some time, they may have made quite significant progress without it manifesting itself in the way they might have expected. Those who do not consider this will easily lose their perseverance and give up all attempts after a short time. The powers and abilities that one must develop are initially of a very delicate nature. And their nature is something entirely different from what a person had previously imagined. After all, he was accustomed only to dealing with the physical world. The spiritual and psychological realms eluded his gaze and even his understanding. It is therefore not at all surprising that now, as spiritual and psychological powers develop within him, he does not immediately notice them. – Herein lies the danger of being led astray for those who venture onto the path of the occult without adhering to the experiences gathered by knowledgeable researchers. The occult researcher is aware of the progress the student is making long before the student becomes conscious of it. He knows how the delicate spiritual eyes are developing even before the student is aware of it. And a large part of this esoteric teacher’s guidance consists precisely in expressing what ensures that the student does not lose confidence, patience, or perseverance before he comes to recognize his own progress. The initiate cannot give his pupil anything that is not already—in a hidden way—present within him. He can only guide the development of dormant abilities. But what he shares from his experiences will be a support to those who wish to struggle their way from darkness into the light.

[ 18 ] Quite a few abandon the path to esoteric knowledge soon after they have set out on it, because they do not immediately notice their progress. And even when the first higher experiences perceptible to the student occur, he often regards them as illusions because he has formed entirely different ideas about what he is supposed to experience. He loses heart because he either considers the first experiences worthless or because they seem so insignificant to him that he does not believe they could lead him to anything significant in the foreseeable future. Courage and self-confidence, however, are two lights that must not be allowed to go out on the path to the secret science. Anyone who cannot bring himself to patiently continue, time and time again, an exercise that has seemingly failed countless times will not get very far.

[ 19 ] Long before one becomes clearly aware of one’s progress, a vague sense arises that one is on the right path. And this feeling should be nurtured and cherished. For it can become a reliable guide. Above all, one must eradicate the belief that one must engage in some peculiar, mysterious practices in order to attain higher insights. One must realize that one must start from the feelings and thoughts with which one lives constantly, and that one need only give these feelings and thoughts a different direction than the one one is accustomed to. Let each person first say to himself: the highest mysteries lie hidden within my own world of feelings and thoughts—I have simply not yet perceived them. Ultimately, everything rests on the fact that human beings constantly carry their body, soul, and spirit with them, yet they are conscious only of their body in the explicit sense, not of their soul and spirit. And the initiate becomes conscious of the soul and the spirit just as the ordinary person is conscious of their body.

[ 20 ] That is why it is essential to direct one’s feelings and thoughts in the right direction. Then one develops the ability to perceive what is invisible in everyday life. Here, one of the ways to do this will be described. Once again, it is a simple matter, like almost everything that has been discussed so far. But it has the greatest effect when it is practiced persistently and when a person is able to devote themselves to it with the necessary inner disposition.

[ 21 ] Place a small seed from a plant in front of you. It is important to focus intensely on this unassuming object and to develop certain feelings through these thoughts. First, make it clear to yourself what you actually see with your eyes. Describe to yourself the shape, color, and all other characteristics of the seed. Then consider the following: When planted in the earth, this seed will grow into a plant of many forms. Visualize this plant. Build it up in your imagination. And then think: What I am now imagining in my mind’s eye, the forces of the earth and of light will later truly draw forth from the seed. If I had before me an artificially shaped object that were so deceptively modeled after the seed that my eyes could not distinguish it from a real one, no force of the earth or of light would draw a plant forth from it. Whoever makes this thought completely clear to themselves, whoever experiences it inwardly, will also be able to form the following thought with the right feelings. They will say to themselves: within the seed lies, already in a hidden way—as the power of the entire plant—that which will later grow out of it. This force does not reside in the artificial imitation. And yet, to my eyes they are both the same. The real seed therefore contains something invisible that is not present in the imitation. Let us now direct our feelings and thoughts toward this invisible element.^{4 Anyone who might object that, upon closer microscopic examination, the imitation does indeed differ from the real seed would merely demonstrate that they have failed to grasp what really matters. The point is not what one actually has before one in a sensory, tangible way, but rather that one develops spiritual and soul forces through it.} Imagine: this invisible element will later transform into the visible plant, which I will have before me in form and color. Let us dwell on this thought: the invisible will become visible. If I were unable to think, I would not be able to foresee even now what will only become visible later.

[ 22 ] It must be emphasized particularly clearly: Whatever one thinks there, one must also feel it intensely. One must, in calm—free from all distracting interminglings of other thoughts—experience within oneself the thought indicated above. And one must take one’s time, so that the thought and the feeling associated with it can, as it were, burrow into the soul. — If one accomplishes this in the right way, then after some time—perhaps only after many attempts—one will sense a power within oneself. And this power will create a new perspective. The seed will appear to be enclosed in a small cloud of light. It will be perceived in a sensory-spiritual way as a kind of flame. Facing the center of this flame, one feels as one does when perceiving the color purple; facing the edge, as one does when perceiving the color bluish. – There appears what one had not seen before—that which has been created by the power of thought and feeling that one has aroused within oneself. What was sensually invisible—the plant that will only become visible later—reveals itself there in a spiritually visible way.

[ 23 ] It is understandable that some people will regard all of this as an illusion. Many will say, “What good are such visions, such phantasms to me?” And some will fall away and not continue on the path. But this is precisely what matters: not to confuse fantasy with spiritual reality at these difficult junctures of human development. And furthermore, to have the courage to press forward and not become fearful or timid. On the other hand, however, it must certainly be emphasized that the sound judgment that distinguishes truth from deception must be continually cultivated. During all these exercises, a person must never lose full conscious control over himself. Just as surely as he thinks about the things and events of everyday life, so must he think here as well. It would be disastrous if one were to sink into daydreaming. One must remain clear-headed—not to say sober—at every moment. And the greatest mistake would be made if, through such exercises, one were to lose one’s balance, if one were prevented from judging the matters of everyday life as soundly and clearly as one did before. The initiate should therefore examine himself again and again to see whether he has perhaps lost his balance, whether he has remained the same within the circumstances in which he lives. He must preserve a firm inner calm and a clear sense of everything. However, it must be strictly observed that one should not indulge in just any daydreaming, nor should one give oneself over to all manner of exercises. The lines of thought outlined here have been tested and practiced in the secret schools since time immemorial. And only these are communicated here. Anyone who wishes to apply other kinds of methods—those he devises for himself or hears and reads about here and there—is bound to go astray and will soon find himself on the path of boundless fantasy.

[ 24 ] Another exercise that follows on from the one described is the following. Imagine standing in front of a plant that has reached the stage of full development. Now fill your mind with the thought that the time will come when this plant will die. Nothing will remain of what I see before me now. But this plant will then have produced seeds that will grow into new plants. Once again, I realize that within what I see, there lies something hidden that I do not see. I fill myself completely with the thought: this plant form, with its colors, will no longer exist in the future. But the idea that it produces seeds teaches me that it will not vanish into nothingness. What preserves it from vanishing, I can now see just as little with my eyes as I was previously able to see the plant within the seed. There is, then, something within it that I cannot see with my eyes. If I allow this thought to live within me and the corresponding feeling within me connects with it, then—after a suitable period of time—a force develops once more in my soul that becomes a new vision. A kind of spiritual flame emerges once more from the plant. This is, of course, correspondingly larger than the one described earlier. The flame can be perceived as greenish-blue in its central part and yellowish-red at its outer edge.

[ 25 ] It must be expressly emphasized that what is referred to here as “colors” is not seen in the same way that physical eyes see colors, but rather that through spiritual perception one experiences something similar to having a physical impression of color. To perceive “blue” spiritually means to sense or feel something similar to what one feels when the physical eye rests on the color “blue.” Anyone who wishes to gradually ascend to true spiritual perceptions must take this into account. Otherwise, they will expect to find in the spiritual realm merely a repetition of the physical. That would lead them into the most bitter of errors.

[ 26 ] Whoever has reached the point of seeing such things spiritually has gained much. For things reveal themselves to him not only in their present existence, but also in their coming into being and passing away. He begins to perceive everywhere the Spirit of which the sensory eyes can know nothing. And with that, they have taken the first steps toward gradually uncovering, through their own insight, the mystery of birth and death. To the external senses, a being comes into being at birth; it passes away in death. But this is only because these senses do not perceive the hidden spirit of the being. For the spirit, birth and death are merely a transformation, just as the sprouting of a flower from a bud is a transformation that takes place before the eyes of the senses. But if one wishes to come to know this through one’s own insight, one must first awaken the spiritual sense for it in the manner described.

[ 27 ] To address another objection that some people with certain spiritual (psychic) experiences might raise, let this be said. It is by no means disputed that there are shorter, simpler paths, and that some people come to know the phenomena of birth and death from their own experience without first having gone through everything described here. There are indeed people who possess significant psychic aptitudes that require only a small nudge to be developed. But these are exceptions. The path outlined here, however, is a general and reliable one. One can, of course, acquire some knowledge of chemistry through an exceptional route; but if one wants to become a chemist, one must follow the general and reliable path.

[ 28 ] A grave error would result if anyone were to believe that, in order to reach the goal more easily, they could simply imagine the seed or plant in question—merely hold it in their imagination. Anyone who does this may well reach the goal, but not as surely as by the method described. The perception one arrives at will, in most cases, be nothing more than a mirage of the imagination. In such a case, one would then have to wait for it to be transformed into spiritual perception. For what matters is not that I create perceptions out of mere caprice, but that reality creates them within me. Truth must well up from the depths of my own soul; but it is not my ordinary self that must be the magician seeking to coax the truth forth—rather, the beings whose spiritual truth I wish to behold must be that magician.

[ 29 ] Once a person has discovered within himself the first stirrings of spiritual insights through such exercises, he may proceed to contemplate human beings themselves. Simple phenomena of human life must be chosen first. – But before proceeding to this, it is necessary to work with particular earnestness on the complete integrity of one’s moral character. One must banish any thought that the knowledge gained in this way might be used for personal gain. One must be in agreement with oneself that never will one exploit any power over one’s fellow human beings—which one might come to possess—for evil purposes. Therefore, anyone who seeks secrets about human nature through personal insight must follow the golden rule of the true occult sciences. And this golden rule is: if you try to take one step forward in the knowledge of secret truths, then at the same time take three steps forward in perfecting your character for the good. — Whoever follows this rule can perform exercises such as the one that will now be described.

[ 30 ] Imagine a person whom you once observed desiring something. Focus your attention on that desire. It is best to recall the moment when the desire was most vivid and when it was quite uncertain whether the person would receive what they desired or not. And now, give yourself completely over to the image of what you observe in your memory. Establish the greatest possible inner calm in your own soul. Try as much as possible to be blind and deaf to everything else going on around you. And pay particular attention to ensuring that a feeling is awakened in your soul through this vivid imagination. Let this feeling rise within you like a cloud rising against an otherwise completely empty horizon. It is, of course, natural that, as a rule, the observation is interrupted because one has not observed the person to whom one is directing one’s attention long enough in the state of mind described. One will likely make hundreds upon hundreds of futile attempts. One must simply not lose patience. After many attempts, one will succeed in experiencing within one’s own soul a feeling that corresponds to the soul state of the person being observed. Then, after some time, one will also notice that through this feeling within one’s own soul, a power arises that becomes the spiritual perception of the other person’s soul state. An image will appear in one’s field of vision that one perceives as something luminous. And this spiritually luminous image is the so-called astral embodiment of the observed soul state of desire. This image can be described as resembling a flame. It will appear yellow-red in the center and reddish-blue or purple at the edges. It is very important to handle such spiritual vision with great care. It is best not to speak of this to anyone at first, except perhaps to one’s teacher, if one has one. For if one attempts to describe such a phenomenon with clumsy words, one usually succumbs to serious delusions. One uses ordinary words, which are not intended for such things and are therefore too crude and cumbersome for them. The result is that, through one’s own attempt to put the matter into words, one is led astray into mixing all sorts of illusory fantasies into the true visions. Again, an important rule for the secret student: Keep silent about your spiritual visions. Yes, remain silent even to yourself about them. Do not try to put into words what you behold in the spirit or to fathom it with your untrained intellect. Surrender yourself unreservedly to your spiritual vision and do not disturb it by overthinking it. For you must bear in mind that, at first, your thinking is in no way a match for your vision. You have acquired this way of thinking in your life thus far, which has been limited solely to the physical-sensual world; and what you are now acquiring goes beyond that. So do not seek to apply the standards of the old to the new and higher. Only those who already possess some steadiness in observing inner experiences can speak about them, in order to inspire their fellow human beings through such speech.

[ 31 ] A supplementary exercise may be added to the one described. Observe, in the same way, how a person has experienced the fulfillment of a desire or the realization of an expectation. If one applies the same rules and precautions that were just outlined for the other case, one will also arrive at a spiritual perception there. One will notice a spiritual flame that feels yellow at its center and is perceived as having a greenish rim.

[ 32 ] By observing others in this way, a person can easily fall into moral error. He can become unloving. We must strive by every conceivable means to ensure that this does not happen. If one observes in this way, one must already have reached the point where it has become a complete certainty that thoughts are real things. One must no longer allow oneself to think about one’s fellow human beings in a way that is incompatible with the highest respect for human dignity and human freedom. The idea that a human being could be merely an object of observation for us—this thought must not cross our minds for even a moment. Hand in hand with any secret observation of human nature must go self-education aimed at fully and unreservedly valuing the full self-realization of every human being and regarding what dwells within a person as something sacred and inviolable—even in our thoughts and feelings. A sense of sacred reverence for all that is human—even if conceived of only as a memory—must fill us.

[ 33 ] These two examples alone are meant to demonstrate, for the time being, how one can bring oneself to gain insight into human nature. At the very least, however, they point the way forward. Whoever finds the necessary inner stillness and peace that are essential for such observation will, by that very act, undergo a profound transformation of the soul. This will soon reach the point where the inner enrichment experienced by his being will give him confidence and serenity even in his outward behavior. And this transformed outward behavior will, in turn, have a reciprocal effect on his soul. And so he will continue to help himself. He will find ways and means to discover more and more of human nature that is hidden from the external senses; and he will then also become ready to gain insight into the mysterious connections between human nature and all that else exists in the universe. – And in this way, the human being draws ever closer to the moment when he can take the first steps toward initiation. But before these can be taken, one more thing is necessary. This is something whose necessity the secret student may at first find hardest to grasp. Later, however, he will come to understand it.

[ 34 ] For what the initiate must bring with him is a certain kind of cultivated courage and fearlessness. The student of the secret teachings must actively seek out the opportunities through which these virtues are developed. In the secret training, these should be cultivated quite systematically. But life itself is also a good school of the secrets, particularly in this regard—perhaps the best. To calmly face a danger, to strive to overcome difficulties without hesitation: the student of the secrets must be able to do this. For example, when faced with a danger, he must immediately summon the resolve: My fear serves no purpose whatsoever; I must not allow myself to feel it; I must think only of what needs to be done.” And he must reach a point where, in situations in which he was previously fearful, “being afraid” and “losing courage” become impossible for him—at least in his very innermost feelings. Through self-training in this direction, a person develops within themselves very specific powers that they need if they are to be initiated into higher mysteries. Just as the physical human being needs nervous energy to use their physical senses, so the spiritual human being requires that power which is developed only in courageous and fearless natures. For whoever advances toward the higher mysteries sees things that remain hidden from the ordinary person due to the deceptions of the senses. For even though the physical senses do not allow us to perceive the higher truth, they are, precisely because of this, also a blessing to humanity. Through them, things are concealed from him which, if he were unprepared, would plunge him into utter consternation—a sight he could not bear to behold. The initiate must be prepared to face this sight. He loses certain points of support in the external world that he owed precisely to the fact that he was caught up in illusion. It is truly and literally as if one were to alert someone to a danger in which he has long been suspended, but of which he knew nothing. Before, he had no fear; but now, after he knows, fear overwhelms him, even though the danger has not become any greater because of his knowledge.

[ 35 ] The forces of the world are both destructive and constructive: the fate of external entities is to come into being and pass away. The knower must look into the workings of these forces, into the course of this fate. The veil that lies before the spiritual eyes in ordinary life must be removed. Human beings themselves, however, are interwoven with these forces, with this destiny. Within their own nature are destructive and constructive forces. Just as other things appear unveiled before the seeing eye of the initiate, so does the soul reveal itself. In the face of such self-knowledge, the initiate must not lose heart. And he will not lack this strength only if he brings an abundance of it with him. For this to be the case, he must learn to maintain inner peace and security in difficult circumstances; he must cultivate within himself a strong trust in the good forces of existence. He must be prepared for the fact that certain motivating forces that have guided him until now will no longer guide him. After all, he will have to realize that up to now he has done and thought many things only because he was caught up in ignorance. Such motives as he has had up to now will disappear. He has done many things out of vanity; he will see how unspeakably worthless all vanity is to the one who knows. He has done many things out of greed; he will become aware of how destructive all greed is. He will have to develop entirely new motivations for action and thought. And courage and fearlessness are precisely part of that.

[ 36 ] Above all, it is a matter of cultivating this courage and fearlessness in the very depths of one’s inner life. The secret student must learn not to lose heart over a failure. He must be capable of thinking: “I will forget that I have failed at this once again, and try anew, as if nothing had happened.” In this way, he brings himself to the conviction that the sources of power in the world from which he can draw are inexhaustible. He strives again and again for the spiritual, which will lift him up and sustain him, no matter how often his earthly nature may have proved powerless and weak. He must be able to look forward to the future and, in this striving, not allow himself to be disturbed by any experience of the past. – If a person possesses the qualities described to a certain degree, then he is ready to learn the true names of things, which are the key to higher knowledge. For initiation consists in learning to name the things of the world by the names they bear in the spirit of their divine creators. In these names of theirs lie the mysteries of things. That is why the initiated speak a different language than the uninitiated, because the former use the designations of beings through which those beings themselves are made. – Insofar as one can speak of initiation itself, that will follow in the next chapter.