The Rudolf Steiner Archive

10. The Effects of Certain Supernatural Beings on Human Beings

[ 1 ] Last time, we explored a topic that led us from our physical world up into higher worlds through what are called the elemental realms, and on that occasion we were able to gain insight into the complex nature of the human being—all that with which it is connected, and the many threads that lead from the human being into the higher worlds. It will be advisable to expand on this subject a bit today. In doing so, it will be necessary to preface this with a brief remark.

[ 2 ] We would not be able to make much progress in our theosophical reflections if we dealt only with the elementary facts. In that case, many of the members would have to keep returning to the same topics over and over again. However, “elementary matters” should not be understood to mean only what one hears at the outset of the theosophical worldview, but also that which deviates only slightly from what a reasonable person of today’s mindset can comprehend. That is to say, a reasonable person of today’s mindset will, at most, accept a tiny bit of what transcends the physical world. There may be some people who accept such ideas. But they say that one cannot know anything for certain about them, even if they are not entirely outlandish. This latter point, however, is held up as a counterargument to what corresponds to the higher realms in theosophical terms. These higher realms are not meant merely in the sense that a higher degree of understanding is necessary to hear and comprehend them, but they also involve a range of feelings that one can only possess after having long sought knowledge within the theosophical life. In a certain sense, one may expect more from someone who has been part of this life for a long time. Those who have only recently joined us may be asked to keep in mind that today’s topic will be somewhat removed from what is usually discussed. But it is not so difficult to tell oneself: Some things may seem a bit fanciful and dreamlike to me at first, but once I have been thinking along these lines for a while, they will no longer seem so strange to me. It could well be that some things seem far-fetched to me only now; but once I’ve developed a feel for them, they will no longer appear that way to me.

[ 3 ] After that, let us approach the subject with an open mind; for those who have advanced in their spiritual development, this constitutes a higher chapter of the theosophical worldview.

[ 4 ] As we continue to penetrate, with the seer’s open eye, into the higher worlds—of which we have spoken many times before—into the astral world, the lower and higher Devachan, we see that there are beings there who do not incarnate all the way down into our physical world, who do not take on a physical body, but who are nonetheless complete beings, just like human beings here on our plane. When a human being ascends from the solid ground of the physical world into the higher worlds, he must distinguish between two different kinds of beings: one kind sends its manifestations all the way down to the physical plane; the other kind either does not manifest at all or manifests on the physical plane in such a way that this manifestation is scarcely perceptible to the ordinary eye.

[ 5 ] Let us consider groups of animals that are similar in form and related to one another. They have a group soul, a group “I,” in the astral world. When we observe such a group ego on the astral plane, that being is just as self-contained an entity—a personality—as a human being is on the physical plane. The seer encounters the group souls of animals there, just as one encounters human beings here. They are individual, self-contained personalities on the astral plane, and only their manifestations are sent into the physical world. It is just as if I were separated from you by a wall that has holes in it, so that fingers can be stuck through them. One could then also say: I see something that belongs to another being. That is roughly what it is like when you look at a lion. The soul to which it belongs is also as if behind a wall, and all lions are like outstretched fingers. We thus encounter these group-I’s as self-contained entities on the astral plane. They can therefore be easily found in their manifestations in the physical world. One sees the organs that are extended into it.

[ 6 ] However, this is not the case with all astral beings—it is not always possible to observe their manifestations clearly; a person is completely unaware of the presence of these astral beings unless their senses are heightened. Thus, a person encounters personalities on the astral plane who are partly familiar to them, as well as other beings who seem unfamiliar—beings they do not know very well from the physical plane; in a certain sense, they are new to them. The astral plane is very populous, and all manner of things live there that people cannot even imagine. It is not to be claimed that these beings have no effect whatsoever on the physical plane; on the contrary, they have a tremendous effect on human beings. Only then do we realize how complex the interrelationships are when we see all the factors at play. We encounter these beings, some of whom give the impression of being extraordinarily gentle, mild creatures who also live very peacefully among themselves. But we also encounter others who cannot exactly be characterized in this way—who possess all manner of malicious traits and who, above all, pose a danger when they come into close proximity to humans.

[ 7 ] What is peculiar about these beings is that all our mental images of spatial relationships—which we derive from the physical world—are turned upside down. If we do not wish to be fanciful, we must gradually accustom ourselves to mental images that are entirely different from those we usually hold. What strikes us about these rather unsympathetic beings is that, fundamentally, they are not where we perceive them to be, but somewhere else entirely. Their effects are in the astral world, but that is not their home.

[ 8 ] A rough comparison would be as follows. Imagine a worker who lives outside the city and commutes to work in the city every morning. That’s where his workplace is, but he lives outside the city. That’s a rough comparison. The following comparison is a bit more accurate, but it’s still quite far-fetched. Imagine that the worker lives far away from Munich but has elastic arms, so that he can perform his work from hours away. You must develop a mental image of spatial relationships that are entirely different from those you are familiar with on the physical plane. Any being of an astral nature can dwell on another planet and yet exert its influence here on the astral plane, for the separation of spatial relationships no longer exists. These influences—which, for example, it initiates on other celestial bodies—are transmitted and manifest on Earth. We must not only seek to explore the spiritual world using the mental images formed in the physical world, but we must also be willing to form new mental images.

[ 9 ] The beings I have just spoken to you about—those who belong to the unsympathetic beings—are lunar beings. That is where they truly belong. With clairvoyant eyes, you can observe them as if you were seeing the outstretched fingers here in Munich and now had to walk for hours to be able to observe the beings themselves. You will find that such beings have a hand in what happens here on Earth. But if you follow the lines of force, you will arrive at the Moon. That is where they belong. The Moon is indeed populated in this way. These beings do not possess the dense physicality of us Earth beings, although they do have a physical form. But this form is so rarefied that it expresses itself on Earth in the astral realm. One could compare them to dwarf-like beings no taller than a six- or seven-year-old child. These beings possess a peculiarity that is determined by the conditions of the Moon and that will seem quite strange to you; but if all worlds were the same, then there would be no need for so many to exist. This peculiarity consists in their ability to roar with infinite intensity. Their vocal organs are extraordinarily well-developed. These beings first manifest themselves on the earthly astral plane; they are not always present everywhere, but are drawn to certain circumstances in our lives. The activities of such beings can be found in certain places, especially where there are mediums and somnambulists, and where very specific conditions exist. There they intrude with their influences and actions and manifest themselves to humans in a very unpleasant manner. They can also be found where base passions unfold. In contrast, you can find the benevolent entities of the astral plane where exceptionally humanitarian passions are expressed. In any charitable organization where genuine charity lives in the souls of its members, that which draws such entities into the sphere of human life is stimulated; so that, in fact, through what a person does—and what radiates from him by virtue of his qualities—he exerts an attraction on certain beings and thus establishes a connection with distant celestial bodies, a connection brought about by the expression of the deeds of celestial beings and human souls. The beings I spoke to you about last, who are gentle and mild, also have their home on another planet, namely Mars. From there they exert their influence upon the Earth. These beings thus act by, one might say, traversing the vastness of space with their deeds. Everything that is truly an effect—other than physical effects—from one planet to another is based on such relationships between the inhabitants of the celestial bodies. You see, then, that when we ascend into the higher worlds, we find most extraordinary companions. It is of no use to say, “There are spiritual worlds”—and so on; rather, human beings must get to know these beings.

[ 10 ] When we now ascend to even higher worlds using our clairvoyant powers, we arrive at the lower Devachan plane, the lower spiritual world. It, too, permeates our physical and astral worlds. There we find the group-I’s of the plants. You already know that the plants covering the Earth can be united into large groups, each of which corresponds to a group-I. These group-I’s are found on the Devachan plane, but they are initially located at the center of the Earth. That is where all the group-I’s of the plants have their center. And if you have a mental image of the entire Earth in this way, you will see it as a great organism in which the various group-I’s of the plants also interpenetrate. This sum of the plants’ group-I’s experiences suffering and joy, pleasure and pain, just as the human organism does. We can specify quite precisely how pleasure and suffering are present in this Earth organism. We know that picking plants brings pleasure—indeed, sensual delight—and a sense of well-being, similar to the comfort a cow feels when her calf suckles her milk. Pulling up the roots, on the other hand, hurts the Earth organism and causes it distress. So you see how one can specify, in concrete terms, how the beings of the Devachanic world feel. Whatever we do on Earth is not merely a matter of dry facts; rather, when we undertake this or that, we cause some being pleasure or pain, joy or sorrow. When the reaper cuts through the stalks, a breath of well-being—which the plant soul feels—passes over the fields. Thus, the one who is sensitive to these things walks upon the Earth, learning to empathize with the spiritual beings who live in the higher worlds and who, in turn, send only their organs into the physical world.

[ 11 ] But once one enters these Devachanic realms, one encounters yet other beings who do not exert their influence on the physical world in such an overt manner, but rather manifest themselves in a much more hidden way. Here, too, two types of beings must be distinguished: on the one hand, extraordinarily gentle, mild beings who radiate harmony; and on the other hand, predatory beings who are constantly at war with one another. These, too, have their home on another planet and exert their influence only on the Devachan plane. They have their roots on Venus; there they are found as inhabitants of that planet when one visits it with spiritual vision. Thus, for each of the worlds, there are new acquaintances to be made once one moves beyond the physical plane—beyond what one perceives in gross matter—and then rises to the source of the beings. If you start with entire groups of plants or groups of animals, you will find the plant soul and the animal soul, but then you will also be able to find other beings that do not manifest themselves in such a gross, sensory way on the physical plane.

[ 12 ] Instead of plants or “animals,” one can also consider minerals or stones, and there one finds the beings in the higher Devachan. They, too, experience pleasure and suffering, joy and pain. When the seer looks at a quarry where workers are chipping away at and breaking up the stones, he sees how the mineral soul experiences something. One must not draw conclusions here based on analogies and parables. The striking with the hammer does not cause pain. A hint of well-being emanates as the stones are struck. A sense of pain is present when you attempt to reunite the stones from separated masses of rock; when you seek to crystallize a whole from scattered masses, pain is inflicted. In this way, one can also learn to empathize with and share in the experiences of the mineral world, with the “I” of the minerals.

[ 13 ] Once again, however, we come to recognize here entities that do not manifest themselves in such a crude, coarse manner in the physical world. Once again, let us consider two types as the most striking examples here. There are those who possess a remarkable spiritual constitution. They are difficult to describe, but you will get an idea of them if you create a mental image of an extraordinarily gifted being who, however, does not need to think much in order to make inventions, but is instead prompted by their perceptions to transform the object in some ingenious way. These are beings who, in a certain sense, live through perception, without thinking as such playing a major role for them. They are very remarkable beings of extraordinary inventiveness, though this is based solely on perception, not on thinking. Opposite to these are other beings who are just as unsympathetic as the former are sympathetic. These other beings are characterized by the fact that they, too, live in the world of perception, do not think particularly much either, but specifically seek out those perceptions that are hideous and gruesome to us humans. This is a source of pleasure for them; they revel in it. These entities now have their home on Saturn, just as the others described dwell on the Moon, Mars, and Venus.

[ 14 ] So here we have a perspective on the higher beings. We might ask: But what do all these beings have to do with us? — It might seem like idle curiosity to concern ourselves with them. But they concern us very much indeed. For even if they do not make themselves so obviously known in the physical world, they nevertheless manifest themselves through their effects in a way that is extraordinarily important for human beings. And there we are guided, as it were, by these beings toward an effect of theirs that is normal for us humans. What has been said about somnambulists and so on constitutes, in a certain sense, an exceptional case. But these entities also have entirely normal effects on human beings—more so for some, less so for others. The effects they have on us become apparent to our soul when we consider the human being, in a certain sense, in terms of his constitution—the life fluids flowing through him. Life fluids of various kinds flow through the human being.

[ 15 ] First, let us consider the digestive fluid, the chyle. Food is taken in as a variety of components, digested, passes into the intestine, and is pressed through the intestinal walls by the organs located there, so that it can be used appropriately for the regeneration of the body. This is one current that flows through the human body. It has its source in the ingested food. Another type of fluid is the lymph, a fluid that flows through vessels, some of which run alongside the blood vessels and collect in the abdominal cavity, but which also, in a certain sense, flows through the entire organism. These have a peculiarity that we will examine another time: namely, that all these lymphatic vessels, which come from the left side of the trunk and the head, gather and flow into the left subclavian fossa. Only the streams coming from the right side of the body are separated from this. There is an occult significance underlying this.

[ 16 ] A third fluid is blood, which in turn flows through the human organism in a wide variety of ways. Anyone who views human beings solely from a materialistic perspective sees in these substances—blood and so on—bodies that can be chemically analyzed, consisting of this or that chemical component. But whoever views the matter with spiritual eyes knows that Spirit is everywhere, that all matter is founded on Spirit. Whatever you may see—gold running through the earth in veins, mercury settling in droplets—it is the expression of something spiritual. And so, whoever views the three humors with spiritual eyes knows that little is said by examining the humors chemically and so on. Spiritual beings permeate the organism through the humors. Spiritual beings flow through the human body with the blood, just as they do with the lymph and chyle. Only those who recognize these humors as expressions of spiritual beings truly understand them. Only those who know that spirits—present in the world and in our surroundings—flow through us from all sides, from above to below and so on, can correctly situate the human being within the Earth’s organism, on the Earth’s stage.

[ 17 ] Only one of the three fluids mentioned is a more or less independent expression of the human “I.” That is the blood. Blood is the physical expression of the “I,” so that one can say: as the blood pulses through the body, the human “I” flows through the body. But only to a certain degree—which is greater in one person and lesser in another—is a person master of his or her organism with regard to the blood.

[ 18 ] This is not the case with the lymph. It is not our own “I” that lives within it, but other entities—astral entities—that have their home on the Moon and Mars. As the lymph forms and dissolves, these beings penetrate the human being, and just as the lymph flows through him, so do the lines of force—the actions of these beings—flow through him. Consider now that the “I” has a purifying effect on the astral body. To the same extent that a person gains mastery over the astral body, to that same extent does he also gain mastery over the spirits—or their effects—that flow through the body via the lymph, so that through purification and cleansing of his astral body, a person increasingly restricts the arbitrary power of these entities. You see, what you are doing spiritually is ensuring that your intellectual faculties are developed, that your ethics become purer and nobler, and that your aesthetic sensibility is refined. In this way, you alter the effects emanating from the aforementioned entities of the astral plane. These entities lose their foothold within you. This is what higher development consists of: that human beings increasingly become an expression of their own being.

[ 19 ] Just as astral beings permeate and flow through the lymph, so do the Venusian beings permeate the nourishing fluid. It is not governed by lower beings, but by higher beings. A higher power is required to make the composition of the chyle an expression of one’s own personality. If you recall that these beings are the companions of the plant souls—the plant “I”s—you will see that these entities essentially focus their influence on the type of food that humans consume. This is why people differ by race and nation in the various regions of our globe: because they consume different foods. And when human beings gradually learn to free themselves from the whims of their diet—when they choose their food according to the principles of spiritual knowledge—they gradually gain control over this nutritional fluid and free themselves from these entities that act from the outside. This is why such great importance is attached to the foods that affect human beings in one way or another. What one eats contains the power of certain beings, and by gaining influence over them, one makes oneself the master of one’s own organism. In fact, by consciously choosing one’s food, one drives out the spirits that previously possessed one.

[ 20 ] In fact, humans are masters of their blood only to a certain extent. However, they can also gain control over other bodily fluids. Try to recognize how, through this or that food, a person attracts these entities—evil entities—and you will understand the significance this has for education, medicine, and other sciences. It is not enough for progress to simply say: “A person must perfect himself.”—One must go into detail about how one can perfect oneself.

[ 21 ] The Saturn beings exert an influence on another aspect of our existence. Because they live entirely within external perception, they influence our own external perception. It is not a matter of indifference whether a person passionately directs his eyes and senses toward what is repulsive and base, or whether he turns his gaze with a certain attraction toward what is beautiful and noble in the world. Depending on this, either good or evil Saturn beings exert their influence on the person.

[ 22 ] With the same passion with which a person absorbs any sensory impression here, spiritual beings creep into him, just as with blood and lymph. There are always side effects when you focus your gaze on sensory impressions. With every glance, you take in the actions of spiritual beings. When you look at a beautiful, noble image, it is not only what is visible to you that flows into you, but along with what you see, spiritual beings also flow in. When you listen to sensual music, the spiritual power of Saturnian beings also flows into you. From this, you can gauge just how complex life is once one delves into its spiritual foundations.

[ 23 ] The sensory impressions we call “smell” have a particularly powerful effect. Through smells, human beings absorb a vast array of influences from spiritual beings. These beings can consciously influence a person by using smells to convey the effects of hideous entities. Many perfumes would not be used if people knew what effects they have on those around them. In the intrigues of some royal houses, it was not only words that played a role; there were times when certain individuals knew how to beguile those around them through the effects of perfume and aroma.

[ 24 ] The most important things in life are beyond the reach of the senses, and people go about their lives unconsciously, without realizing the effects of spiritual beings to which they are constantly exposed.