The Rudolf Steiner Archive

21. Insights into the Higher Worlds II

[ 1 ] Today I would like to continue my discussion of the topics we began eight days ago. Not long ago, one of our Theosophical friends showed me a letter written by a pastor from southern Germany in response to an invitation from this Theosophical friend. The friend thought it might be a good idea to invite the gentleman in question to the lecture on the wisdom teachings of Christianity, because he believed that the man was actually preaching Theosophy, and that a connection could be established between Theosophy and the pastor’s understanding of Christianity. The response given by the gentleman in question was interesting. He declined to attend that evening, citing external circumstances. However, he said that he had studied Theosophy and had even tried to read a few issues of *Lucifer – Gnosis*, and from this he concluded that Theosophy aims to revive certain ancient Gnostic ideas. He said he could not really see anything particularly special in all these endeavors, for the reason that he preferred to establish a direct relationship with his God and was not content to arrive at the Divine through such a mediated relationship, one that passes through many intermediary beings. This is a very characteristic response, which I mention because it is given by so many people today. Very many people—and this is not meant as any kind of criticism of our contemporaries, but merely an observation—for the phenomenon is as justified as can be. It arises entirely from the consciousness of our time. —I say: This response is given frequently today. People believe that one is actually doing something that does not quite align with today’s sense of the times and their feelings if, in addition to the sensory world in which we live—and in which divinity permeates the world—one also posits a whole series of intermediate beings, let us say gods or spiritual entities, in between. For four centuries, humanity has been educated in this view. It is therefore not surprising that such a sentiment has become widespread today, and that people believe Theosophy has a little too much to do with all the various spirits and spiritual beings—with an entire hierarchy of spiritual beings among human beings—of whom one can have no consciousness, but only a vague inkling.

[ 2 ] The teaching that conveys a vision of such a vast multitude of spiritual beings is not new, but as old as humanity itself. The period during which people believe they can disregard this sense of the spiritual is actually brief in relation to the long course of human evolution. Wherever there was an awareness of the true significance and depth of the spiritual world, the view that one can disregard spiritual beings and knowledge of them was never widespread. I have often mentioned here that Theosophy as such is nothing particularly new; it merely represents the popularization—the proclamation in terms accessible to all—of teachings that have always been cultivated within the so-called brotherhoods. Only the way in which people came to these teachings in past centuries differed from how it is today. Fifty years ago, it would not have been possible to speak of any of the things we are discussing today. Back then, anyone who wished to know such things was quite explicitly required to seek admission into a so-called occult school, and no one was immediately introduced to such significant and far-reaching concepts as those found today in every little handbook on theosophy. One had to earn the opportunity to become acquainted with such things slowly and gradually; one had to progress step by step and study. Each new level one attained first entitled one to absorb certain higher concepts. And the education within such a level consisted in developing the sense that what one received from the teachers of occult schools—in the course of humanity’s ascending development—was the true, right, and essential. This was not because it was forbidden—no criticism of the occult teacher—but because one gradually became convinced that it would be nonsense to criticize the occult teachers, just as it would be absurd for a child to to criticize the multiplication tables before mastering them, or for a student of geometry to do so before being ready to understand it. Similarly, people in the past never said, “I don’t like that; it doesn’t suit me,” and so on. They accepted it as a matter of course because they had been prepared for it.

[ 3 ] Today we are faced with the necessity of being able to introduce another group without such preparations and to speak about the elementary teachings of occultism. I have often explained the reasons why the spiritual teaching is proclaimed to all people. Do not believe that what we are permitted to proclaim of these occult teachings constitutes the entire teaching of occultism. It is only the very beginning. And the time is still far off when the deeper teachings can be revealed. But that time will also come, when it will be possible to gain access to higher spiritual worlds. Today, it is necessary to proclaim only as much and to introduce people to only as much as the course of time requires of us. Those sitting here have, for the most part, been here time and again, and for this reason, statements and revelations may continually be made here that appear grotesque and paradoxical—fantastical, if not downright crazy—to those on the outside, to those who come to a public lecture. But the deeper truths—precisely those that constitute the very essence of life, the deepest laws of world-knowledge—these teachings initially appear illusory and paradoxical to those who are captivated solely by external sensory perception and who rely on what they are otherwise told about the spiritual world. To those who penetrate deeper and deeper into the modern world, precisely what our senses teach us in ordinary life and what our intellect can convey to us appears to be an illusion. Now, for centuries, humanity has lost the ability to truly discern the spiritual, and this, ladies and gentlemen, is something you should regard as essential in the introduction to today’s lecture: that humanity has somewhat lost its powers of discernment over the last four centuries.

[ 4 ] That is why objections such as those raised in the letter mentioned can be made. Just imagine what such an objection means. It is exactly the same as if you were to suggest to someone that they attend a lecture on botany and they wrote back to you: “I’ve read a bit about botany—I’ve read that it distinguishes between different plants—orchids, oaks, palms, and so on—but I’m not really interested in it.” I don’t want to distinguish between individual plants; I’m content to have a general, immediate sense of plant existence as such. I know that the world has plants: oaks, lilies, tulips, poplars—these are plants; but for me, it’s an exaggerated form of gnosis to have to distinguish between lilies, firs, tulips, and poplars. I am content with the fact that, in general, there is something spiritual, something divine, that permeates the world—what do people mean when they talk to me about such entities? Such a person is in the same position as the one who objects to distinctions in botany. Humanity has, to some extent, lost this power of discernment over the centuries. But this power of discernment must be reawakened today. The theosophical worldview exists precisely for this purpose. For those who understand the spiritual connections, it is truly no easy decision to step before the world and speak of the great interrelationships among the great spiritual beings, for they know how difficult it is to gain understanding in this age, and how people can be led astray by such discussions about spiritual beings. But at the same time, such a person must gain insight into the workings of the spiritual world.

[ 5 ] It is little known that the phenomena of the world unfold in so-called cycles. Today, in this materialistic age, people overlook the regular, rhythmic course even of the fateful phenomena in the world. But those who look into the workings of the great human spiritual life see something approaching—something that is revealing itself more and more to humanity. What I am about to say is also paradoxical, but it will become all too clear in time—perhaps in the not-too-distant future. What lies ahead for humanity—and must lie ahead simply because of the materialism that has been building for four centuries—is a certain loss of spiritual life, a confusion in spiritual life that would most certainly develop into a kind of spiritual illness, a kind of epidemic, were it not for the influence of the teachers of spiritual life, who are actively counteracting this spiritual epidemic. That is what we would be facing. Today, it is slowly taking shape. Those who have no eyes do not see, and those who have no ears do not hear, even if they are in a psychiatric ward. But whoever is capable of spiritual observation knows the danger humanity faces. This danger need not come to pass, but it would if human spirit were not re-anchored within itself through this life—that is, if it were not given a true center. Theosophy exists for no other purpose than to foster character—a firm, strong character—in the deepest recesses of the human soul, and to prevent the emergence of a spiritually wavering nature. Anyone whose perception flits about, wandering aimlessly through the external material phenomena of existence—turning to one thing today and another tomorrow—is exposed to the great danger of losing their spiritual center. And it does no good to imbue this flitting with general ideas of divinity and spirituality. Just as only the one who has studied botany is in control and secure in the plant kingdom, so too can only the one who has knowledge of the spiritual world find security in relation to the spiritual beings—which do, after all, exist.

[ 6 ] In the past, no one ever spoke of higher spiritual beings. Those who were ready for it sought it out and found it. By chance—which was no chance at all—they came into contact with people who could initiate them. It was the great, spiritual human magnetism that inevitably drew the teacher to the student. Outwardly, they seem to encounter a harmless person—say, in a waiting room or on a train, where they might have to sit for several hours. There they strike up a conversation with such a person. It seems to be by chance, but in truth it is a necessity for you. You may find in such a person the one who has the most significant influence on you—who may well be your occult teacher. Thus it came to pass that this inner spiritual magnetism has diminished to such an extent that this force no longer plays a role. You no longer find it so easy to connect with true spiritual teachers.

[ 7 ] It has therefore become necessary to present the basic principles of occult teachings in a dynamic manner through the spoken word to the broader masses of our contemporaries, so that everyone can say to themselves, “Here and there is a center; if I wish, I can join it.” In fact, no one should be urged to join any occult movement. How far the individual goes in this must be his or her absolutely free decision. One should never act in the name of occultism, as it is understood today. Such agitation, in fact, brings about what should not exist in this field. Those who join without actually being seekers say: “I like this, and I don’t like that—and that isn’t right.” In reality, the principle of social association is not what is right, as in Buddhism. It is merely a substitute today, because people form social associations for everything. What is right in occultism is the group.

[ 8 ] It makes just as little sense to form a society for the purpose of the occult as it does to form one for the purpose of geometry. One can learn geometry from someone who knows geometry, but in a society one cannot determine anything about the truth of geometry. Occultism is a small circle within our society. The Theosophical Society is an organizational matter, an administrative matter. But the occult life can be cultivated in no other way than I have attempted to discuss. Those who have become accustomed to the occult life know that the great security of the inner character of the soul can only be attained if one possesses the power of discernment within the spiritual world.

[ 9 ] I had to make this assumption because, with the theories we are now going to develop, we will encounter the same contradictions over and over again.

[ 10 ] Now I would like to expand further on what we discussed last time. I have already indicated that there are four stages of knowledge. These four stages have always been cultivated wherever there have been occultists. It is not by chance, my esteemed audience, nor through deliberation, conclusions, or speculation that humanity has gained knowledge of the higher spiritual worlds and their beings; rather, such knowledge is attained by developing the spiritual organs through which one can have experiences in these higher worlds.

[ 11 ] Now let us briefly present these stages of higher life to the soul. Ordinary perception, which is common to all people throughout the world, is called material perception. This material aspect is what modern people know almost exclusively. There is almost no other form of cognition known today besides this material cognition. You seek it in everyday life—whether you are dancing, cooking, or doing something else—you perceive in this way. But even in the anatomy lab, in the laboratory, and throughout the entire realm of science, there is nothing other than material cognition. It is the first stage of cognition. It is not the case that the occultist wishes to criticize material cognition. Material cognition has its full justification in life. It must simply be said, however, that there are higher stages of cognition. You must understand this material cognition in all its individual aspects.

[ 12 ] There are four elements that play a role in material cognition. Now I ask you to follow me closely. What is involved in ordinary material cognition? Imagine that you are to observe this flower from the perspective of material cognition. Four things are necessary for this material cognition to take place. First, the flower—that is the object. Second, the image of the object. —If you wish to appreciate something like this at all, you must be open to such subtle matters. Third, the concept. This is something different from the image. The concept is attained through inner mental work. The image remains as an impression of the object on your soul. The concept, however, is something else. Let me make it even clearer to you.

[ 13 ] Just think: Many people have looked up at the starry sky. They either had the image without the concept, or they had both the concept and the image. The astronomer has a concept of the starry sky and the image; the farmer has an image of it, but no concept. Here you can see that concept and image are different. Let’s take the concept of a circle. A circle is a line that extends an equal distance from the center.

[ 14 ] The fourth is the “I,” yourself. If you keep these four things in mind, you have the components of ordinary material cognition. That which gives rise to the image in material cognition is called sensation.

[ 15 ] The second stage of cognition, which also exists, differs from the first in that the external object is absent, and with it, the sensation. That which provides the stimulus for the image is gone. Everything you perceive in this way—that an object is acting upon you—is precisely not the second stage of cognition. You must imagine that the entire world has vanished. Now, the materialist might say, “Then there is nothing left at all.” But that is precisely the point: that you still have something. In fact, someone who has not undergone any spiritual development has nothing left when they close their eyes. They are surrounded by an empty, dark space. The second stage of cognition is cultivated through what is known as meditation. The external object has disappeared. What remains are the image, the concept, and the “I.” These three are still present. The fact that there is no external object—only the image—leads many to say: “That’s just fantasy.”

[ 16 ] That may well be the case, and it will always be considered fantasy if it is not systematically developed. To regard it as fantasy based solely on a single image would be sheer folly. If someone were to invent the steerable balloon in a “dream” and then bring it to life, it would not matter at all whether the discovery was made while dreaming or while awake. If you can become convinced that what appears to you in a dream is true, then it is true—and that is what matters. The object that otherwise causes a sensation must be replaced. This is precisely when what is called “illumination” in occultism occurs. And this entire process of cognition, which in turn has four parts—namely, image, concept, “I,” and illumination—is now called “imaginative cognition.” This imaginative cognition is developed through meditation. I have described how this is done on several occasions. One cannot meditate without the guidance of someone who has experience in this field. Meditation proceeds in such a way that the meditator truly loses awareness of the objects around them, making themselves blind and deaf, and then also losing their memory, so that the soul is completely emptied of external objects. You must be able to fire a cannon without paying attention to it; then you have attained the stillness of the soul.

[ 17 ] Then, through practice, enlightenment must be stimulated. One can recognize that one has achieved something by noticing that dreams no longer have a chaotic character. One must pay attention to the fact that the dream world proceeds calmly and steadily. For ordinary people, the dream world usually consists of reminiscences or experiences of the moods of external life. When one meditates, however, the dream world begins to take on a regular character. One then comes to know things that one did not know before. Dreams initially speak in symbols. This must be sensed. But here, people usually go too far. They try to interpret these dream images. However, one should not interpret them rationally. The legend of the treasure dig also refers to this fact. It says that when digging for treasure, one must not speak, otherwise the treasure cannot be unearthed. Even if one voices something inwardly—that is, interprets it—this in itself is already a danger. One should speak only with someone who has direct experience of the matter. But if one interprets, the intellect begins to act upon the subtle spiritual life like a scorching, burning force.

[ 18 ] One should experience dreams in a very intimate way, treating them as extremely delicate things to which one surrenders with a sense of foreboding, and not immediately interpret them in terms of sharp, crude rational distinctions. One must do this because when dream images appear with a sense of reality, they possess such a rich and comprehensive sense of reality that ordinary intellectual faculties are insufficient to grasp them. One destroys one’s inner life by approaching these inner structures—as delicate as a spider’s web—with the outer intellect. This is how this wondrous life begins; this is how the inner illuminations start, and soon you will become aware that a new world is unfolding within it. Through this, you come to know something that is entirely different from this ordinary, material world around you.

[ 19 ] I’d like to clarify how a certain way of perceiving things manifests within enlightenment. Take this flower, for example. It is yellow and has green leaves. Let’s first focus on the colors. These colors are, so to speak, spread across the surface of the object. Think about how you usually perceive color in such a way that it appears spread across the surface of the object. Try to consider how rarely you see colors that are separate from the objects themselves. You experience this, at most, with a rainbow. Roughly speaking, this is what you see when a ray of sunlight enters a dusty room. That’s roughly the sensation you have of a color. Now imagine that the yellow does not adhere to the object but is free, like flakes of color floating through the room. Now imagine such a room permeated in all directions by these color flakes and color formations—then you have roughly what presents itself to you in the visions of illumination regarding the world of colors.

[ 20 ] Those occult students who have a gentler nature than Westerners perform very special exercises. Westerners are far too rigid for this. Easterners, however, because of their gentle nature, are able to perform these exercises. The Eastern yogi sits down and looks at the color of such a flower, focuses all his attention on this color, and lives within this color to such an extent that he is able to divert his attention completely from the object and hold it solely on the color; then he acquires the ability to retain the color even when the object is gone. Then it becomes possible for him to gradually bring this ethereal world of colors into his consciousness.

[ 21 ] The same may be true with regard to the world of sound and also with regard to other aspects of the world. You see: Human beings are opening up an entirely new realm of perception. This world and these flakes of color are always and everywhere present. These flakes of color are not irregular; they are not merely clouds floating about. Just as, on the physical plane of the Earth, objects are not merely blocks but also beings, so too do beings reveal themselves in this flaky world of color. They have neither bones nor flesh; they are incarnated in the substance I have just described.

[ 22 ] These, then, are the bodies of certain beings. The forms of these beings that you may encounter once you have achieved illumination—allowing you to perceive them in this space—are for the most part the bodies of the spirits of twilight. You can thus perceive as the preeminent spirits of this sphere: the spirits of twilight, the lunar or Moon Pitris. Such beings were once human beings themselves on the planet that preceded our Earth. They have attained their present form solely through their densification. Those beings who have not achieved human densification—who have remained at that stage—exist today in that world as Lunar Pitris, as spirits of the twilight.

[ 23 ] Just as one must become acquainted with each kingdom in turn as one ascends from the mineral kingdom to the plant kingdom and then to the animal kingdom—and one must not lump all three kingdoms together—so we can now ascend further to the kingdom of the lunar Pitris, who are able to manifest themselves in this so-called elemental kingdom. This is the first elemental kingdom—actually the third.

[ 24 ] We have not been speaking in vague terms here, but rather have pointed to a path that leads to the perception of a certain kind of beings that you will come to know in the course of planetary evolution. These spirits of twilight play a very special role in this process. These are the beings in the higher spiritual world that are most closely related to human beings. Next time, I will share some insights about the kinship between human beings and these spiritual beings. These beings are present all around you and constantly influence you.

[ 25 ] At the next level of cognition, therefore, the image also disappears. All that remains, then, are the concept and the “I.” This state is attained through concentration. This consists in the person connecting certain elements with specific parts of the organism. What prevents him from blindly fantasizing, from inventing concepts, is something similar to “illumination” at the previous stage and to “sensation” at the stage before that. So we have sensation, illumination, and now, at the third stage, inspiration. Here, the object and the image are absent, and the concept gains content through the onset of inspiration. You are thus dealing here with the “I,” the concept, and inspiration.

[ 26 ] Illumination has something of the nature of light; that is why it is called illumination. Inspiration, on the other hand, is entirely free from all such pictorial images. There, the human being soars in the purely spiritual world. That is why it is also said that his ideas acquire content without first having to be images. It is the word’s lack of imagery that serves as a point of comparison. That is why it is also said that, at this stage, a person receives the inner word—that is, they are able to discover truths through inspiration, as the spiritual world works into their understanding, so that it is not the image that acts upon them, but the Spirit that speaks directly to them. The language of the spiritual world itself flows into his concepts. This is inspiration. It is a conversation with the beings of the spiritual world. The human being is quietly withdrawn into himself, rejects everything visionary and pictorial, remains calm and still, and the spirits tell him the truth. This is the stage of inspiration, the inner word. This stage of inspiration makes it possible for a person, wherever he goes, not merely to see objects, but for them to speak to him everywhere, so that he hears everywhere what is swirling around in a space that is now, once again, new. Goethe refers to this stage of knowledge when, at the beginning of the prologue in heaven, he utters the words: “The sun resounds, in the old manner, with a song of value in the spheres of brotherhood.” This is not a mere phrase; it is reality. He is speaking here of the spiritual sun that resounds. The whole world becomes a resounding world that instructs us meaningfully about the inner core of being. In this world, we then become acquainted with a higher group of spiritual beings whom we call the sun spirits or the fire spirits. Just as we became acquainted with the spirits of twilight there, so here we become acquainted with the spirits of fire.

[ 27 ] So we have: the mineral kingdom, the plant kingdom, the animal kingdom, spirits of twilight, and spirits of fire. Knowledge at this level is a will-based form of knowledge, because the power one must develop in particular is the will. This involves a special training of the will through concentration, through inner self-discipline, and through the cultivation of the will. One then becomes acquainted with the beings who embody the power that brings about growth, the power of procreation, and so on. This is how we come to know them. That which exists everywhere in these spirits of fire lives in all growing beings. The one who rises to an inspired realization is one who “hears the grass grow.” Proverbs are often words of immense wisdom. At this stage, all growth is heard. That which causes beings to grow is the power that lives in the fire spirits.

[ 28 ] Finally, [the fourth] stage. Here, the concept is no longer present. Then the “I” remains alone. There is no longer any cognition through concepts; there is cognition without concepts—a pure life in the spiritual realm. There, you creep into the beings you wish to perceive. The coarsest form of cognition is in the material realm. Just think how little you are able to “creep” into a flower. You have to remain outside. In imaginative cognition, the images surround you. In inspired cognition, the sounds from the external world reach you. But now you enter into the beings themselves. You are every being you perceive. There, space and time cease to exist. You are right there where you perceive the corresponding being. You are no longer distinct from that being. Your “I” is immersed in that being. And that is cognition through intuition—intuitive cognition.

[ 29 ] These are the four stages of knowledge. Through this intuitive recognition, you come to know not only the outer appearance of beings, but also their inner essence. In this way, the “I” expands to encompass the entire environment. The person who has attained this higher insight is called the “swan.” Lohengrin is led from a spiritual world into the physical world by a swan. Through this gift, one thus attains an insight that is accessible only to those who possess the gift of metamorphosis—of transformation into these beings. If you wish to rise to this level, where intuitive knowledge resides, you must present yourself in such a form that intuitive knowledge can be transformed into you. That is why Zeus must transform himself into a swan so that he can be perceived. All myths have a profound connection to this earthly existence.

[ 30 ] Through this intuitive recognition, you rise to the level of beings known as the spirits of personality or the spirits of egoism. Everything that lives within us as a principle, as the essence of egoism, belongs to this spiritual realm—the realm of the spirits of egoism or personality. The spirits of egoism have always been at work. First, the physical body is influenced by the spirits of egoism, then the etheric body, and then the astral body. Therefore, as a kama-manasic being, the human being is egoistic. What he thinks is both independent and self-centered. One can only recognize what kind of beings these are when one has reached the stage where one can penetrate into the essence, into the ego of these beings. There you will come to know the spirits of the personality.

[ 31 ] So you can see that it is not mere speculation when you find such things cited in my *Lucifer* or in Mrs. Besant’s writings—even if perhaps not under the same names. The spirits are not invented, but have been discovered through the stages of knowledge. Therefore, we distinguish between: the mineral kingdom, the plant kingdom, the animal kingdom, the human kingdom, the Lunar Pitris or spirits of twilight, the fire spirits or Solar Pitris, the spirits of egoism or spirits of personality—the Suras and Asuras. Then there are the higher kingdoms: spirits of form, spirits of movement, and spirits of wisdom. We will discuss these four spiritual levels next time.

[ 32 ] But even from what I have said today, you can draw a practical conclusion: namely, that anyone who knows something about this nature—even if they have not yet risen to direct experience in this way—gains an inner strength, even if they know only a little. Humanity would completely lose its center in the coming decades if knowledge of these things did not come. These beings do not exist in some far-off fantasy world, but surround us constantly. When a person stands before me, they are not merely a human being; connected within them and to them are the Lunar Pitri, the Solar Pitri, the spirits of egoism, and so on. And they are constantly at work within this person. My perception is incomplete if I see only the outer human being before me. Just imagine how uncertain you would feel if you were to go blind. Orientation in this new world is made possible only through new senses. In the same way, knowledge of the world is made possible only by knowing what is there. This gives us a firm foundation: the knowledge that such things exist, that they are there. It is therefore necessary for humanity today to know such things. In the fourth century, higher spiritual beings still guided humanity—unbeknownst to them. That is higher evolution. The meaning of the materialistic age is that the spirits have fled, only to reemerge in human consciousness. Humanity has descended into darkness in order to consciously ascend once more toward the light. It would be the greatest tragedy if humanity were to remain down here in the darkness and fail to find its way back to the light. The theosophical teachings were not brought forth out of mere caprice, but because they are a necessity for humanity. There have always been individuals in secret societies who possessed this knowledge. But it must become much more widespread. That is why these teachings are disseminated in such a popular manner within Theosophy.