The Rudolf Steiner Archive

3. The Influence of the Dead on the World of the Living

[ 1 ] on the inauguration of the Johannes-Raffael branch

[ 2 ] It must be a great joy to us that we have been able to come together in this city from the various locations of our anthroposophical work, where some of our friends have been working together for a long time to try to foster anthroposophical life for spiritual development, even under sometimes adverse circumstances. And the fruit of this work is this Johannes-Raffael branch. As we gather here from afar with our friends in Erfurt and are able to inaugurate this branch, let us begin by turning our attention, with a few thoughts, to the significance of contemporary anthroposophical work for the development of humanity as a whole.

[ 3 ] My dear friends, how do our anthroposophical branches come into being? When one reflects on it, they actually arise in a rather wondrous way. For they blossom here and there, as it were, like spiritual products of nature, and those who feel called, through their enthusiasm for the cause, to found such a branch stand, through their feelings and through the secret forces behind those feelings, as a spiritual power. They feel that they must do something. A branch is not founded through the external culture of our time, but rather it is founded from the hearts of those who feel called to do so. In our present-day culture, there is nothing that approaches people and could, so to speak, suggest from the outside that they should collaborate in an anthroposophical way. For those who decide to collaborate in anthroposophy have much more to expect from the promotion of our endeavors than mere comfort and recognition. There are none of the current trends and movements that seek to win souls for anthroposophy, and anyone who observes what our anthroposophical movement is will attest that it does not proceed in an agitational manner in the conventional sense. Apart from the fact that external circumstances do not permit the lecturers to go anywhere other than where they are invited, we understand the nature of the movement to be such that we do everything we can to offer people the opportunity to hear something; but they are to approach the anthroposophical work themselves. If one sees that propaganda is being carried out, one will see that this has nothing to do with the current we represent, and this is how every movement grounded in occultism should act. It should be left to the souls themselves to come. And then this movement will see that here and there anthroposophical branches blossom, because what flows into the movement continues to work in the right karmic sequence. And most often it turns out that the branches are brought to the existing movement. It is important to ensure that these branches arise despite all the prevailing prejudices. Enthusiastic souls must be found who, of their own accord, take the initiative to establish such branches.

[ 4 ] We cannot expect any great or immediate impact from the start, and those who are enthusiastic about our work must not shy away from scorn and ridicule. They must be prepared for this, and also for the fact that, at first, the work will be difficult and require self-sacrifice. Nowhere have we had a different experience; disappointment follows disappointment. Public lectures are held time and again, but we have actually only met with failure where we allowed ourselves to be deterred by initial setbacks. Where we calmly observed that the first lecture was attended by five people, the second remained completely empty, and yet we continued the work—there, we have ultimately achieved success. We should make ourselves independent of immediately visible successes, for it is easy to feel encouraged by successes, but not to slacken off—that is difficult. The latter requires that we have no external support. Thus it turns out that our branches often have to work from the very beginning. Misunderstanding follows misunderstanding, but one should train oneself to find what is right.

[ 5 ] Sometimes we encountered a different response. I was invited to a city—I won’t name it—two or three times to give lectures. When there was no success, the person in question said: “That’s enough now; people should come and ask us to give lectures.” — I told him we’d probably be waiting a long time for that—and we’re still waiting for it today. I am well aware that it is appropriate here to speak gratefully of our friends, after they have worked so hard for years. Those who have come here with us will share in this gratitude. The thoughts directed here by our friends will have a strengthening effect, and we will go further if we remain faithfully united. The support of souls is the main thing for spiritual work; the more this support is given to them, the better the work will succeed. I would like to say that, through an outward sign, this Erfurt branch in particular has expressed how deeply it feels connected to our way of working and our spirit, and this sense of connection will be an inner spiritual impulse for the success of the work.

[ 6 ] In a certain sense, it is somewhat daring to delve into the concrete details of anthroposophical research, and in a certain sense I may describe it as an achievement of our work that our friends’ immersion in anthroposophy has led some of them to develop a sense that one can not only develop theories, but that the work itself leads to insights. It is precisely in these fields that the strangest discoveries are made. It is curious that outsiders who know nothing of anthroposophical work—that such circles begin to direct their criticism at the concrete research without having the slightest idea of the spiritual work required, for example, to establish what is stated in my book *The Spiritual Guidance of the Individual and of Humanity*. They rush in to criticize how research is conducted in this field. For example, they criticize the two Jesus children. If one sticks to general truths, people may be able to join in the discussion. But when it comes to the specific details, one can do nothing but remain silent. Every person should say to themselves: It strikes me as odd when such claims are made, but they are none of my business.

[ 7 ] It is all the more valuable, however, when our friends in Erfurt feel connected to these special matters. For nothing is communicated here other than those things that can be verified using the means at our disposal. Among such truths is the fact that John the Baptist is the same soul as Raphael. It is therefore, in my view, a beautiful spiritual act to name this branch the “John-Raphael Branch,” thereby expressing the intimate understanding of a truth explored spiritually. That is why this dedication is also an intimate one. By drawing upon such an occult truth through the choice of a name, we declare that we stand together in loyalty regarding matters that are most intimate to us. And then the words—spoken by the bearer of the name, Novalis, which rang in our ears at the beginning of our celebration today—become something profound.

[ 8 ] We must, after all, seek what is most important in the sentiments and feelings that unite us. They cannot arise except on the basis of our understanding. But we must not be complacent. Knowledge must know how to ignite itself into a shared feeling, and if it corresponds to the intentions of our friends, if I perform the consecration with a few words, then I may calmly say: To speak these words is extremely satisfying; it is a consecration that corresponds to the heart. Therefore, I may say: Let what I speak to you be an impulse for what we have begun. You will work under the protection of the powers and forces of which we know that they reign invisibly among us: the Masters of Wisdom and of the Harmony of Feelings, when we perform our work in love and faithfulness. What has been at work within you as you have sought, out of an inner impulse, to give your branch a name, I may now express: The protective powers that watch over us and give us impulses for our work, whom we know are called the Masters of Wisdom and the Harmony of Feelings—I call upon the protectors of this work that the branch may flourish and become a center in this city for what we long for as spiritual progress. — And with that, you are given the opportunity to connect with something I spoke of to the friends gathered in Weimar, to connect in a certain way, without it being necessary for each of us to have heard it.

[ 9 ] This refers to the life between death and a new birth. It has been mentioned that, after leaving the physical plane, a person may, in a certain sense, have difficulty maintaining connections with those who have remained on Earth. It may turn out that the one who has passed through the gate of death knows of someone they have left behind, knowing, “I experienced this with them until I passed through the gate of death.” What is shared in the consciousness of the deceased is what was experienced together on Earth. Often, however, such a connection cannot be established if the one left behind harbors thoughts that are not of a spiritual nature.

[ 10 ] If someone has remained behind on Earth and rarely fills their soul with spiritual thoughts, then that soul is one to which the departed soul has no access. This refers to the way in which the living can connect with the dead.

[ 11 ] A certain line of research provided me with some curious insights into communication with the dead. At first, it might seem surprising that John the Baptist brought into the world a prophetic power imbued with impulses of the will, and then reappears in this soul of Raphael in such a wonderfully complete way, wholly devoted to a deep devotion to the world. Much seems surprising to us in spiritual research. Much seems dangerous to us because it is so self-evident. And when one then examines things more closely, they have a shattering effect on the soul when one sees that some things are different from what one had thought. For those who have recognized a fact such as the one illuminated here—the identity of John and Raphael—as true, it is important to maintain a sense of wonder. I can assure those who are unable to investigate such facts that nothing comes to light when one seeks it; such things come unsought. Thinking a great deal about such things helps very little. What helps most is the ability to wait calmly until the inspiration comes. And then it is good if one can, in a certain way, be amazed by what emerges.

[ 12 ] The straightforward path of reason is not suited to occult research. Wondering leads one to gradually realize that what is wondrous turns out to be comprehensible. Thus it became clear to me one day that in Raphael, who painted in an astonishing way, something else was at work in his soul, and I was able to discover that what was at work there was nothing other than what emanated from his father. His father died when Raphael was only ten years old. This father might perhaps have lived a little longer—I mean this, of course, in a hypothetical sense. He might have retained the strength to live longer, but he carried these forces over into the spiritual world, and under certain circumstances these forces can exert a powerful influence from there. The father was not a great painter, but he was a painter at heart; he lived in pictorial visions that he could not realize as long as he was still in the physical body. From the spiritual world he sent these forces to his son, and this is why the young Raphael was able to become such a great painter. He gained his artistic ability through what his father sent him from the spiritual world. This does not, of course, diminish Raphael; rather, it is merely meant to show how forces from the spiritual world work down into the physical world. Lessing made a remarkable statement. He said that Raphael would have become a great painter even if he had been born without hands. The forces that were in John the Baptist were transformed into the painter Raphael.

[ 13 ] If we can gain an understanding of how the spiritual world influences the physical world, then life will be taken to a whole new level.

[ 14 ] For a long time, I worked as a teacher. My job was to teach children who had lost their fathers. When educating children conscientiously, one must take all circumstances into account. One must ask: What are their aptitudes? How does their environment affect them? And so on. I had tried to take into account everything that could be observed externally, but a difficulty remained. Then I told myself: the father has died, and he had certain intentions regarding his children. When I then took the father’s will into account, things worked out. The father’s willpower was present. There one sees how the dead, in turn, exert an influence on the realm of the living.

[ 15 ] Nevertheless, it must be maintained that the dead cannot know what their loved ones on Earth are doing, as was said this morning. When someone has passed through the gate of death and knows that their impulses are influencing the physical world, it can be painful for them that they cannot perceive anything about their loved ones. The deceased may feel an inner unease if they cannot know what is happening down there. However, this feeling can be alleviated if we send them sustenance. We, as the living, must ourselves create the opportunity for the dead to perceive us. Now consider that we can easily, so to speak, kindle spiritual life in our souls through a thought. It is already an important positive thought to know that the deceased is there, accessible to us, even after passing through the gate of death, for this is a thought that can never be brought about by preoccupation with the sensory-physical world. In our inner life, we should carry the conviction clearly: the deceased lives.

[ 16 ] You see, in times when there was nothing to lead people astray, there was no real need for anthroposophy, but times change as humanity evolves. While it was not long ago that every soul, even if engaged in the sciences customary in those times, could be convinced of the life of the deceased, people today are led astray. It is not only those who doubt the existence of the dead who are led astray, but other souls as well, and that is also the reason why anthroposophy had to come into the world. We know that the dead live. What we hold deep within our souls is what matters, and we often have no idea about it at all. We are all in the midst of the mechanical age, which has given us railroads, ships, telegraphs, and other inventions. What does it mean, for example, to ride on an electric train, as opposed to the fact that not so long ago one could not ride on an electric train? It means one is surrounded by a purely mechanical assembly. This gives rise to an image, yet it may remain unconscious; but it is there and works upon the soul, and is capable of robbing us of our belief in the life of the soul after death. This life is thereby uprooted. Belief still arose in the face of the old stagecoaches, but not in the face of today’s means of transportation; for that, greater, stronger forces are required.

[ 17 ] I would now like to start with something I have said on several occasions. Some people want to stop the anthroposophical movement. When the first railroad was to be built, the Medical Board was asked what it thought of the project in terms of the health of the passengers. The doctors expressed serious concerns about the operation of the railroad and strongly advised against it. However, if the railroad were to be built anyway, they said it was absolutely necessary to erect high wooden walls along the track; otherwise, the rapidly changing scenery would undoubtedly cause passengers to suffer concussions. But this expert opinion could not halt progress, just as the anthroposophical movement cannot be halted by opposing efforts. I did not mean to make fun of the Medical Council, but I simply wanted to say that progress cannot be stopped by such an expert opinion; it follows its own course despite its opponents. In fact, the railroads have made people more nervous, and humanity has been transformed by the railroads. The entire structure of spiritual life has changed; without the railroads, people would have remained more inward-looking. The report had certainly caused some trouble, but it had been right.

[ 18 ] The course of Earth's evolution is such that things had to turn out the way they did. Anthroposophy does not seek to turn back the clock, but it will be clear that faith could arise in opposition to the old stagecoaches, but not to the railroads.

[ 19 ] Anthroposophy works in the subconscious, and belief in the spiritual world will be an important factor in human development. In the broadest circles, belief is no longer sincere. Therefore, the reasons that flow from anthroposophy must be brought to the fore. If we consider this, we find that in earlier times people had a spiritual inclination toward the dead; they were able to give them sufficient strength. Today, spiritual insight is necessary, and we see that the spiritual idea of the soul’s survival must be inspired by this insight. We can say: Because our time has taken on a certain form, it was necessary to allow anthroposophy to flow into this era, and this current will once again make it possible for the living to feel connected to the dead. A person need not be desolate because they remain here, for they can become a helper to the departed.

[ 20 ] But those who have passed away can also become our helpers. Some people are well aware of what they owe to the dead. In terms of spiritual insight, much can be attributed to the dead, and this experience—for example, that the dead, especially those who died young, were precisely helpers—has always been extraordinarily important to me. It is not always the case that the one who has passed through the gate of death must have been intellectually outstanding here on earth in order to help the living. Young children often die, and yet they are often advanced souls in the spiritual world and can tell us many things. Those who view the matter purely intellectually will not be able to penetrate such mysteries.

[ 21 ] I mentioned earlier that the dead can show us this and that. How does this happen? I would like to give an example here. I have often spoken in the past about Raphael’s painting “The School of Athens.” Usually, the two central figures are interpreted as Plato and Aristotle. This is a misrepresentation, and anyone who approaches the painting in the manner of Baedecker—who claims that the individual figures represent this or that personality—will not be able to glean much from this significant work. For one of the figures is Paul, who appears among the philosophers in Athens. Many things became clear to me when I traced, with the help of the Akashic Records, what had led Raphael to create the painting. Through other research, I had come to understand how the Gospels came into being—this has no connection to “The School of Athens.” The writers of the Gospels had at times determined the dates based on the stars; they had, in other words, practiced astrology. That is a fact in itself and initially has no connection whatsoever with Raphael’s painting. Now I had the good fortune or grace: a soul who had passed away relatively young drew my attention to the connection between the right and left sides of the painting, and I was told that the words from the Gospel of Luke that had been on the painting had later been painted over, and words from the Pythagorean school had been written there instead. Now one also understands the gesture of pointing to astronomy over there with the compass, and I was able to determine that Raphael intended to depict astronomical research on the right. And what was recognized there was written down on the other side. Thus, Gospels were written based on astronomy. Well, you see, it was important to me to draw your attention to the connection between the living and the dead. One who undertakes such a task, having passed through the gate of death, can face spiritual events just as a child faces nature. It looks at nature but does not understand it. Yet, out of intuition, it can communicate wonderful things.

[ 22 ] What is developed through intellectual thought does not reach the dead. The living must be at the disposal of the dead. The dead must be able to turn to the thoughts of the living, and what they experience must be able to be seen reflected in the thoughts of the living within them.

[ 23 ] Anthroposophy would never exist in the spiritual world if people had not acquired it on Earth. That is why it is true that initiates who work on Earth hold these thoughts in their souls through this indirect path, and that the dead are able to receive these thoughts. One cannot say, ‘Why should we read to the dead?’ since the dead do, after all, live in the world we are thinking about. Children also live in the world we are speaking of. Children do not have on Earth what science provides, but they can receive anthroposophy in the spiritual world. Yet this anthroposophy can only reach the dead from Earth.

[ 24 ] I hope we understand each other on this point. It is indeed evident that the person who encounters a deceased individual experiences something within themselves akin to a longing. However, they do not know what this longing is leading toward. When one comes into contact with them, and if this leads one to enter into a relationship with them, then one can interact with the dead in all circumstances. If one stands in spiritual wisdom, it is illuminated, and the dead perceive the light. But if the soul does not take in spiritual wisdom, it remains dark, and the dead cannot perceive the soul. Whether the dead can live with us depends on what we can offer them.

[ 25 ] This is the other side of what we discussed this morning. We bring about what grants the dead inner satisfaction, and this will indeed be the most beautiful fruit of anthroposophical life and work: that one not only has a belief in the life of the dead, but that there will increasingly be a working, a spiritual working, that attracts the dead. And this will become ever more necessary for cultural development. The less a person fills themselves with spiritual wisdom, the less they will remain connected to what remains to them of the life between death and a new birth. In the physical world, souls will have to grow ever poorer and colder if they do not turn to spiritual life. They are internalized only through communion with the spiritual world.

[ 26 ] One thought should take root in our souls as a source of strength: that our work need not come to an end when we have passed through the gate of death, nor need it come to an end for the progress of culture; rather, we can continue to exert an influence from above if those below are willing to receive our work. If the spiritual world were accessible to us without human effort, people would become complacent. Human beings must make an effort. This is precisely proof of the fundamental truth that flows from anthroposophy.