The Rudolf Steiner Archive

73. Cosmological and Consciousness Development

[ 1 ] Let us consider some cosmological aspects. Evolution is focused on the development of states of consciousness. Our current state of consciousness is a stage—it is the fourth. Three have preceded it; three will follow. It is the waking state in which we now find ourselves.

[ 2 ] The seer who looks back into the past finds that this was initially preceded by a dreamlike state—somewhat brighter than that of our more highly developed animals, and more subdued, yet more all-encompassing, than present-day humans can imagine. This consciousness encompassed the plant world. At that time, humans could see life flowing through the plants—germinating, sprouting. It is something we still find in some mediums: a more subdued but all-encompassing state of consciousness.

[ 3 ] Before that, we find a state that we might call a “sleep trance”; it is even more subdued and all-encompassing; beings were able to perceive not only life, but also pain and joy directly; today, only the gestures of these experiences are visible to us. The dream state symbolized pain and joy through imagery, just as dreams still do today. Everything manifested itself in symbolic forms back then, and our modern use of symbols is an atavism of that earlier state of consciousness. Even the sleep trance—this dreamless state of sleep consciousness—can still be studied today in mediums.

[ 4 ] The third state of consciousness—looking back—is deep trance; it is also called induced trance. It is very rare today, but can be achieved in pathological conditions, and in such cases the medium constructs chains of worlds.

[ 5 ] We have thus become acquainted with four states of consciousness: deep trance, dreamless sleep, the dream state, and waking daytime consciousness. Human beings have passed through these four states. What has been achieved at each stage must be summarized and carried over in its embryonic form to the next stage.

[ 6 ] This contraction is called Pralaya, and the expansion is called Manvantara; the state of consciousness itself is called a planet.

[ 7 ] The next state that lies ahead of us is the psychic state; it is similar to the previous one and is associated with an expansion, yet at the same time a preservation, of the state of waking consciousness. Consciousness now advances step by step: the expansion occurs, but within the context of waking daytime consciousness. This is the development of the clairvoyant. All theosophical teachings originate from this expanded state of waking consciousness. This psychic state of consciousness now grants the clairvoyant insight into the beautiful stream of life that can be seen flowing through all plants; one sees it when one visualizes the plant—it can best be compared to the color of a peach blossom and can also be seen in humans, only—clouded by Kama.

[ 8 ] The next level of superpsychic consciousness extends beyond all sensations, pain, and emotions. The clairvoyant learns to perceive it when he brings his astral body to a standstill—and also the lower mental world.

[ 9 ] The highest spiritual state of consciousness grants insight into the higher mental world and extends beyond the planets.

[ 10 ] These seven states of consciousness thus form the basis for all further development.

[ 11 ] Every state of consciousness must pass through seven states of existence. These are also called the seven kingdoms. They are: the first, second, and third elemental kingdoms; the mineral, plant, and animal kingdoms; and the human kingdom.

[ 12 ] The physical body has already gone through the seven stages; the astral body will not make its way through them until the next cycle.

[ 13 ] A journey through a realm is called a round.

[ 14 ] Every state of life must pass through seven stages of form again.

[ 15 ] Between each state of existence and the next lies another small pralaya.

[ 16 ] The states of form are designated as arupa (which is actually still formless, only beginning to take shape after unfolding), rupa, astral, physical, plastic, intellectual, and archetypal. The seventh state is the result of the six preceding ones; after it has been able to shape itself plastically and intellectually, it creates, as it were, the skeleton to which what follows will be able to attach itself—which in turn must sprout from the seed. It is the archetypal.

[ 17 ] Beyond the state of spiritual consciousness lies mastery; the state of spiritual consciousness is the highest that the chela can attain, from which he can survey all others. After that, mastery begins for him.

[ 18 ] To the clairvoyant, our current physical state would shine in a color most similar to a beautiful green; the astral state in a luminous yellow; the rupa state in orange; and the arupa state in rose red. The color tones of the future phases are blue, indigo, and violet.

[ 19 ] In esoteric terminology, the preceding planets are called the “Moon” and the Sun.

[ 20 ] The state of consciousness that humans attained on the Moon yielded a result, as did the previous one; the first state of consciousness yielded the most profound result.

[ 21 ] The mystic finds within himself what he has seen spread out around him; what is now our inner life was once all around us; what is now our life with the world will later become our inner life; we must process it all. Our entire external nature will fade away, but it will become our inner life. What is expansion is called “evolution,” and what is contraction is called “involution.”

[ 22 ] Thus, when the mystic delves deep within himself, he will find the earlier stages of expansion within himself. The result of these earlier stages is self-consciousness; the Earth has the task of developing this self-consciousness—which the Indians call ahamkara.

[ 23 ] The ability to perceive is linked to the third state of consciousness, that of dream sleep; the mystic experiences once again the sensation of swimming directly in the stream of life, and he experiences it to a greater degree, since he transfers his current waking consciousness into that state. The Indians call this state Chita; mystical language calls it “the waters, the sea of life”; Suso, Ruysbroek, and Böhme speak of “dissolving into the heavenly tincture” and of “tasting life”—through the direct perception of earlier states that are rediscovered in the depths of consciousness. It is a journey back in time, not in space.

[ 24 ] If one goes back even further, one finds a state of consciousness known only to the Chela who has maintained the continuity of consciousness even through sleep. The laws of nature are the only thing that can be grasped from this state of consciousness. Today they are present in the rudimentary Manas; Manas is what remains of them. In the state of deep sleep, the Chela perceives thoughts—Devachan. This state is brought about by elevating dreamless sleep to consciousness. The Indian calls it ; the mystic calls it “the marriage with the heavenly Sophia.”

[ 25 ] The final state of consciousness, in which one experiences everything there is to see regarding cycles and planetary evolution, is deification or union with God—in fact, union with the primal creative force of the cosmos. The Indians call it “moksha.” The chela attains this state only immediately before becoming an adept. What dawns within the human being is not merely the perception of thoughts, but of the “I.” It is a merging with humanity; it is the realization: Budhi. The teaching that has flowed from the conscious vision of Budhi is therefore called “Esoteric Buddhism.”

[ 26 ] We have thus become acquainted with the states of consciousness just described under the names: Ahamkara, Chita, Jujuksha or Manas, Mokscha or Budhi.

[ 27 ] Through ahamkara, a person becomes aware of themselves.

[ 28 ] Through Chita, he becomes aware of the utterances of the beings around him.

[ 29 ] Through Manas, he becomes aware of the inner life of beings.

[ 30 ] Through the budhi of the core essence of the beings around them.

[ 31 ] We call this continuous thread of development, which passes through 343 stages of consciousness, the Pitri.