The Rudolf Steiner Archive

Popular Occultism IX

[ 1 ] In the following lectures, we will examine the evolution of humankind, the Earth itself, and the entire solar system; furthermore, we will explore the methods of occult, inner training—in particular, the difference between Eastern and Western initiation—and then Christian initiation, as it has been practiced since the time of John, the author of the Gospel of John and the Book of Revelation.

[ 2 ] Occult research into human evolution goes far beyond the times documented by history and the natural sciences. How does the occultist know about these long-past events? He learns about them and investigates them through the Akashic Records. This living chronicle of the spiritual world contains the documents and facts of which we shall speak. They are in complete harmony with the findings of natural science. Even conventional natural science is now beginning to study Atlantis. For occult research, this Atlantis has always existed and been known. It is important to note that while what can be seen with the eyes is indeed better understood by modern science than in the past, the ancient science of the mysteries, on the other hand, had knowledge of more comprehensive and more powerful realities. What modern science does not yet admit—namely, that human beings already lived in Atlantis—is presented by occultism as a fact. Our ancestors—the peoples living on our continent—are all descended from the Atlanteans. Of course, the Atlantean human, adapted to the conditions on Earth at that time, looked quite different from modern humans. Atlantis had a completely different climate and, consequently, a completely different distribution of air and water. It was a land of mist. Therefore, the alternation of rain and sunshine did not yet exist at that time. Everything was shrouded in clouds; only the level of humidity varied. It was not until the floodwaters had receded and Atlantis had sunk that the alternation of rain and sunshine arose, as we can also read in the Old Testament. There, mention is made of the rainbow that Noah saw after the Flood.

[ 3 ] Religious texts can be viewed from four perspectives. First: Naively and taken literally. Second: From the standpoint of science, which considers itself wiser than the authors of these texts. Third: Through allegorical and symbolic interpretation. This type of interpretation can be very ingenious, but it is often arbitrary. Fourth: From an occult perspective, by accurately grasping the facts expressed in the peculiar language of such documents and thereby regaining a literal understanding. For example, Noah’s rainbow is not a symbol, but rather an expression of the fact that a rainbow was only possible after the downfall of Atlantis and the dissipation of the mists. After all, there could not yet have been a rainbow in ancient Atlantis. Noah is to be regarded as the leader, Manu, who was tasked with leading the peoples out of the sinking Atlantis. It was at this moment that the rainbow appeared for the first time. In this way, one learns to take the Bible literally again, and at the same time, one learns to be more cautious about what others criticize. The following saying applies: Where you consider yourself a critic today, you will later feel like an apprentice once your knowledge and understanding have grown. Likewise, there is a deeper meaning and an ancient truth in legends and fairy tales. The Germanic legend, for example, speaks of “Niflheim.” This refers to the mist-shrouded land of Atlantis. “NibelungenLand” is a variation of the word Niflheim, meaning “Land of Mist.”

[ 4 ] The animal and plant kingdoms, just like human beings, were of a completely different nature in Atlantis than they are today. High foreheads did not yet exist at that time; they were flattened far back. The ratio of the etheric body to the physical body in Atlanteans was such that the former protruded significantly, especially at the head. Human evolution since then has consisted in the etheric head moving inward into the physical head. The ancient Atlantean did not yet possess the capacity for abstract thought, nor the power to say “I” with certainty. Instead, other abilities were highly developed in him, such as memory. He had little intellectual power, but his will was strong and effective. For example, through a specific impulse of will, he could promote the growth of plants. The power of his will had a magical effect. The Atlanteans lived in a state of twilight clairvoyance. They did not see things as we see them today as material objects, but in supersensory images. That is why all their intellectual products were pictorial myths.

[ 5 ] The culture of the Atlanteans was of an entirely different nature. The Atlanteans mastered the life force, especially in earlier times. In this way, they constructed their modes of transportation, with which they could rise from the ground and move above it. They powered these gliders with the life force hidden within plants. These Atlantean vehicles were fueled by grains, much like our railroads are fueled by coal. In the technical realm, the future will bring many remarkable developments in this regard. Housing conditions were also quite different back then. Since the Atlanteans had mastered the life force, they were able to build a kind of dwelling cave out of trees, which they could bend at will; for their construction, they used only living materials, no dead matter. The Atlanteans were infinitely closer to nature than modern humans. Their culture was a very advanced one. There was a city where the highest initiates lived, and of which the ancient mysteries spoke as the city with the golden gates. The method of teaching was also different back then. Teachers exerted a suggestive influence on their students through the powerful force of the will. The Atlanteans still had a direct sense of the living radiance of the Divine in all natural phenomena. For them, the process of breathing was still something sacred and religious. All these religious sentiments converged in human beings into a fundamental feeling. The external sound corresponding to this can no longer be articulated today, but among the Chinese, something similar is still contained in the word TAO. You will find the symbol for this sound in the Greek letter Tau and in the ancient sign of the cross, which still plays a role in Freemasonry today.

[ 6 ] The predecessor of the Atlantean was the Lemurian. Lemuria represents an even earlier stage of human development. At that time, due to much higher temperatures, Earth’s conditions were quite different from what they are today. Humans already existed back then as well. This brings us to the relationship between animals and humans. Roughly in the middle of the Lemurian period, the union—the merging—of the human soul with the body took place. The soul already lived in the human body during the late Lemurian period and in Atlantis. Before that, however, there was a time when human beings were not yet capable of having their soul in a physical body. At that time, the human soul still lived entirely in the higher worlds, on the astral plane. We will discuss this tomorrow.