The Rudolf Steiner Archive

Discussions at Medical Conferences II

[ 1 ] Following up on the question posed yesterday by Dr. Husemann, we have decided to read aloud two cases from the book that Dr. Wegman will be publishing shortly. The presentation of these cases can then be followed by whatever additional information you may find useful, in keeping with the spirit of your question.

[ 2 ] Of course, I will ask that these cases be treated with the utmost discretion for the time being, as they will be integral parts of the book to be published shortly.

[ 3 ] These cases are intended to demonstrate how one arrives at a treatment, specifically through diagnosis. It is precisely this point that is to be illustrated, based on anthroposophy. In this book, we will not hesitate to speak in a truly anthroposophical manner.

Dr. Wegman reads aloud the “Fourth Case” described in the book *Fundamentals for an Expansion of the Art of Healing Based on Insights from the Spiritual Science* on page 97 ff. [pp. 107 ff. in GA 27, 1984]: “A child who was brought to our clinic twice, first at the age of four, then at five and a half. Also present were the child’s mother and the mother’s sister.”

[ 4 ] It's important that my mother and sister were there; you'll see why in a moment.

“The diagnosis led from the child’s illness to those of both the mother and the sister. Regarding the child, we were able to determine the following: The child is a twin, born six weeks premature. The other child had died in the final embryonic stage. At six weeks of age, the child fell ill, cried excessively, and was taken to a hospital. There, the diagnosis of pyloric spasm was made. The child was fed partly by a wet nurse and partly by bottle. At eight months, the child was discharged from the hospital. Upon arriving home, the child had a seizure on the first day, which recurred daily during the first two months. During these episodes, the child became stiff and rolled its eyes. Anxiety and crying preceded the seizures. The child also squinted with the right eye and vomited before the seizure began. At two and a half years of age, another seizure occurred that lasted five hours. The child became stiff again and lay there as if dead. At four years of age, a seizure occurred that lasted half an hour. For the first time, we were informed that this seizure was accompanied by signs of fever. Following the convulsions that occurred after the child was brought home from the hospital, the parents noticed paralysis of the right arm and right leg. At two and a half years of age, the child made his first attempt to walk, which resulted in only the left leg being able to take steps while the right leg was dragged along. The right arm also remained unresponsive. The same condition was still present when the child was brought to us. The task was to determine the state of the child’s organizational structures. This was attempted independently of the complex of symptoms. It turned out that there was severe atrophy of the etheric body, which in certain parts was only minimally influenced by the astral body.”

[ 5 ] That is essentially the finding. We are dealing with an etheric body that has atrophied in various places and does not receive the influence of the astral body in those atrophied areas. There are such gaps in the etheric body (see drawing). In the areas where the etheric body is atrophied, the astral body does not penetrate. This has been the case in various parts of the organism.

“The area of the right side of the chest felt as if it were paralyzed in Archer’s body. In contrast, there appeared to be something like a hypertrophy of the astral body in the stomach region.”

[ 6 ] One must use terms that are unfamiliar. Just as the term “hypertrophy” is used to describe areas that are too active or too restless.

“The task now was to reconcile the complex of symptoms with these findings. There is undoubtedly a heavy strain on the stomach during digestion due to the astral body; however, this strain causes a blockage in the transition from the intestines to the lymphatic vessels because of the paralysis of the etheric body. As a result, the blood is undernourished. We must therefore regard the symptoms of nausea as particularly important. Cramps always occur when the etheric body becomes atrophied and the astral body exerts a direct influence on the physical body without the mediation of the etheric body.”

[ 7 ] This is a matter of fundamental importance. The symptoms of cramping arise because there is no regular connection between the astral body, the etheric body, and the physical body. One must create a mental image in which the astral body acts upon the physical body only with the help of the etheric body. If such atrophic areas are present, the astral body acts upon the physical body by bypassing the etheric body. Cramps occur wherever this is the case. It is known that in a place where cramps occur, the etheric body is not mediating properly between the astral body and the physical body.

“This was present to the highest degree in the child. If this condition becomes permanent during the growth period—as was the case here—the processes that enable the motor system to respond normally to the will fail to develop. This was evident in the child’s inability to use the right side of the body. - We then had to relate the child’s condition to that of the mother. She was 37 years old when she came to us. She stated that at age 13 she was already as tall as she is now. She had poor dental health from an early age.”

[ 8 ] I would like to draw particular attention to this. She has not grown at all from the age of thirteen until now, so that her entire growth up to puberty was complete.

“She had poor dental health from an early age, suffered from rheumatoid arthritis as a child, and claims to have had rickets. Her menstrual periods began relatively early. The patient states that she had kidney disease at age 16 and also mentions spasmodic episodes she experienced. At age 25, she experienced constipation due to a spasm of the anal sphincter, which had to be dilated. She still experiences spasms during bowel movements. The findings, observed directly without drawing conclusions from the complex of symptoms, show an extraordinary similarity to those of a child. However, everything manifests in a much milder form. One must take into account that the human etheric body undergoes a special phase of development between the change of teeth and sexual maturity. In the patient, this is expressed by the fact that the available forces of the etheric body—which are not very strong—allow for growth only up to sexual maturity. With the onset of puberty, the specific development of the astral body begins; with its hypertrophy, it now overgrows the etheric body and interferes too strongly with the physical organization.”

[ 9 ] This has been the pattern in both cases. The mother and child experience excessive interference of the astral body with the physical body.

“This becomes apparent when growth comes to a halt at the age of 13. The patient is by no means dwarfed, but rather very tall, which stems from the fact that the growth forces of the etheric body—though weak, yet uninhibited by the astral body—caused a significant increase in the volume of the physical body. These forces were not yet able to intervene regularly in the functions of the physical body. This manifested itself in the onset of rheumatoid arthritis and, later, in convulsive episodes.”

[ 10 ] Rheumatoid arthritis, as such, is also related to the fact that the astral body directly interacts with the physical body at the joints. This interaction can lead to inflammatory conditions wherever they can arise. Thus, one is dealing either with spasms or with inflammatory conditions.

“Due to the weakness of the etheric body, the astral body exerts a particularly strong influence on the physical body. This influence is a destructive one. In normal life development, it is balanced by the restorative forces at work during sleep, when the astral body is separated from the physical and etheric bodies. If the etheric body is too weak, as in the case of our patient, an excess of this degrading effect occurs, which manifested in her case by the fact that her teeth required their first filling as early as age 12.”

[ 11 ] Excessive interference by the astral body leads to excessive breakdown. The physical body and the etheric body build up; the astral body and the ego organization break down. If there is now an excess of this breaking-down activity, it manifests in such a way that she already has to wear fillings at the age of twelve. Her teeth have deteriorated with every pregnancy.

“Whenever the etheric body is particularly strained—as during pregnancy—the patient’s teeth deteriorate. The weakness of the etheric body in terms of its connection to the astral body is particularly evident in the frequency of dreams and in the patient’s sound sleep, despite all the irregularities.”

[ 12 ] If there is complete harmony in the connection between the astral body, the etheric body, and the physical body, there will not be an excess of dreams. The moment the astral body gains the upper hand—because the etheric body is weakened—frequent and vivid dreams occur. Moreover, because the astral body is strong, it can easily leave the body, and sleep remains healthy nonetheless.

“The weakness of the etheric body is also evident in the fact that foreign processes, which the etheric body is unable to control, take place in the physical body and manifest in the urine as protein, isolated hyaline casts, and salts.”

[ 13 ] These are the breakdown products formed as a result of hypertrophy of the astral body. One must always look for them when dealing with hypertrophy of the astral body.

“It is curious to note the similarity between these disease processes and those of the mother’s sister. The findings regarding the composition of the parts of the human being are almost exactly the same: a weak etheric body, resulting in a predominance of the astral body. However, the astral body itself is weaker than in the sister’s case. Consequently, just as with her sister, menstruation begins early, but instead of inflammation, she experiences only pain resulting from irritation of the organs—for example, the joints.”

[ 14 ] That is really very interesting. The mother and child have almost identical constitutional patterns of illness. The sister, who is going through the same process at the same time, only experiences milder symptoms; she has everything to a lesser degree—everything, I would say, in miniature, in hints.

“The etheric body must be particularly active in the joints if vitality is to function normally. If the activity of the etheric body is weak, the activity of the physical body becomes predominant, which manifests here as swelling and chronic arthritis. A preference for sweet foods, which heighten the sensations of the astral body, indicates a weakness in the astral body, which has too little effect on subjective perception.”

[ 15 ] That is very interesting. In order to come to terms with the diagnosis, one must indeed ask what the person in question likes to eat: sweet or bitter foods, a preference for this or that sensory experience. Some people have a peculiar weakness when it comes to olfactory sensations. All of this shows that the astral body needs to be engaged in some way. This preference of the astral body indicates that it is not engaged; it becomes engaged immediately when it has sweets.

“If the weak astral body is further depleted by daily life, the pain becomes more severe if the weakness persists. The patient complains of increased pain in the evening. The connection between the medical conditions of the three patients points, in terms of ancestry, to the generation preceding the two sisters—in particular, to the child’s grandmother. The cause must be sought in her. The disturbed balance between the astral and etheric bodies in all three patients can only be attributed to a similar imbalance in the child’s grandmother. This irregularity must be due to the inadequate development of the embryonic nourishing organs—particularly the allantois—as a result of the grandmother’s astral and etheric bodies.”

[ 16 ] This case is particularly interesting because it reveals that the cause actually lies in the grandmother’s defective development of the allantois. The entire condition of this astral body—which, of course, manifests more strongly in one person (the mother) and less so in the other—can be traced back to the grandmother. It is not confined to one part but pervades the entire astral body constitutionally and can only be attributed to that peculiar formation, the allantois, during the embryonic period.

[ 17 ] There is an occult finding here that must be taken into account. But once you’ve identified it, the individual manifestations are certainly amenable to verification. It is essential to get into the habit of verifying the causes of the causes. After all, the combination of symptoms really only paints an unclear picture.

“This underdeveloped allantois must be sought in all three patients. In our work, it was initially identified using purely methods of Spiritual Science. The physical allantois undergoes a metamorphosis, transitioning into the spiritual realm, and manifests as the potency of the astral body’s forces.”

[ 18 ] In addition—and we could only hint at this as a principle—there is the physical allantois, which can likewise be only embryonic; all the organs that develop in the embryo are present in the born human being as the higher members. What is physical as a secondary organ is spiritual in the adult state, so that we must regard the allantois merely as the physical counterpart of the embryonic period.

“A degenerated allantois results in reduced functionality of the astral body, which manifests itself particularly in all motor organs. All of this is the case with the three patients; one can truly discern the condition of the allantois from the condition of the astral body.”

[ 19 ] The fact is that one must understand: the amnion is the physical counterpart of the etheric body, the allantois is the physical counterpart of the astral body, and the chorion is the physical counterpart of the “I” organization of the adult human being.

“It will be evident from this that our reference to ascension does not stem from a bold, imaginative conclusion, but rather from a genuine observation in the field of Spiritual Science.

To those whom this truth may trouble, we would like to say that our remarks stem not at all from a penchant for paradox, but rather from the desire not to withhold from anyone the knowledge that simply exists. The mystical concepts of heredity will, after all, always remain obscure if one shies away from acknowledging the metamorphosis from the physical to the spiritual—and vice versa—across generations.

From a therapeutic standpoint, such insight can only lead to an understanding of where to begin the healing process.»

[ 20 ] Now we move on to the therapeutic aspect.

“If one had not been led to consider heredity in this way, but had simply noticed the irregularities in the connection between the etheric body and the astral body, one would have applied remedies that act on these two parts of the human being. However, these would have remained ineffective in our case, because the damage, which has been passed down through generations, lies too deep to be balanced out within these parts of the human organism themselves.”

[ 21 ] It is particularly important that we examine this case. What we have here ties in with yesterday’s question. If one were simply to conclude that the astral body and the etheric body are not in close harmony, and that one must now take this or that remedy—then one would hardly achieve any particular effect. If we proceed rigorously to the root cause, the therapy also becomes clearer. By being led away from immediate observation and into the succession of generations, the path to rigorous precision was laid out.

“In such a case, one must work on the ego organization and bring to fruition within it everything that relates to the harmonization and strengthening of the etheric and astral bodies. This can be achieved by applying, in a sense, intensified sensory stimuli (sensory stimuli act upon the ego organization) to the ego organization. In the case of this child, this was attempted in the following manner: a bandage containing a 5 percent pyrite ointment was applied to the right hand, while at the same time the left side of the head was rubbed with Kaiserschwamm ointment.”

[ 22 ] Here, then, is the therapy: We apply pyrite, or iron sulfide, directly to the hand. This enables us to influence both the astral body and the etheric body simultaneously, thereby bringing about harmonization. We must work toward bringing the etheric body and the astral body closer together. This is the basis of healing. And to do so, we must use remedies that go beyond the immediate, because this process spans generations.

“Pyrite, a compound of iron and sulfur, when applied externally, stimulates the ego-organization to enliven the astral body and increase its affinity with the etheric body. The imperial sponge substance, with its special content of organized nitrogen, acts in such a way that an effect emanates from the head, which, through the ego organization, makes the etheric body more vibrant and increases its affinity with the astral body. The healing process was supported by therapeutic eurythmy, which stimulates the ego organization itself into active function. As a result, what is applied externally is channeled into the depths of the organism. The healing process thus initiated was then further enhanced by remedies intended to make the astral and etheric bodies particularly receptive to the influence of the ego organization. In a rhythmic daily sequence, the following were applied: baths with a decoction of Solidago, back rubs with a decoction of Stellaria media, and, taken internally, willow bark tea (which acts specifically on the receptivity of the astral body) and Stannum 0.001 (which makes the etheric body particularly receptive). We also administered poppy juice in a low dosage to allow the impaired self-organization to give way to the healing effects.

For the mother, the latter therapy was used more frequently because, as she belonged to a higher generation, the forces of heredity had exerted less influence. The same applies to the mother’s sister. — While the child was still in the clinic, we were able to observe that it was easier to guide and that its mental state had improved. For example, it became more obedient; and the movements it had previously performed very clumsily were now carried out more skillfully. Subsequently, the aunt reported to us that a significant change had taken place in the child. The child has become calmer; the excess of involuntary movements has decreased; the child has become so dexterous that it can play on its own; and, emotionally speaking, the former stubbornness has disappeared.”

[ 23 ] Perhaps you would like to say something? In this way, the diagnosis leads into therapy. This is how one comes to draw upon the higher aspects of human nature. The clinical picture is present from the outset. The starting point of this case is this: The diseased organism was subjected to a process that follows a specific course. This course must be reversed. By properly understanding the course of events, one is able to reverse the process by realizing how not only a single organ, but the entire human interior, is connected to what is happening outside in the world.

[ 24 ] So let’s say you want to figure out how to treat some kind of damage—let’s say, in the gallbladder. In that case, you have to study it in terms of the opposite process; at the very least, you have to use that opposite process as a guide. If you recognize one as, say, the outgoing process, you recognize the other as the incoming process, and thus you have a closed cycle. Do you have any more questions?

Sometimes the diagnosis can be made in adults, and sometimes in emotionally responsive individuals. I have also tried this with children; however, I feel that I may have gone too far with this type of diagnosis.

[ 25 ] That by delving into the child’s inner world, you did not achieve what you had intended? That is something that may be true and something that may be false. It depends entirely on how well one is able to draw out of the child the things one is looking for; and also on whether the child is communicative or not. It also depends on the effect on memory; and on whether one is able to draw out the right psychological aspects. In principle, a child can truly reveal something remarkable, especially when condensed soul phenomena are present. If one takes the child’s account seriously, and the child recounts what they have seen of these condensed soul phenomena, one can gain a very deep insight into irregularities; these are always the correlate of such phenomena. One must consider each case entirely on its own merits.

[ 26 ] With adults, of course, it is fairly easy to penetrate the psyche if one understands the psychological organism as such—if one knows that people tend to tell you certain things. Then one proceeds. Most of the time, what they say isn’t true. It begins with the patient not telling it like it is. Now one must find a point of entry. You arrive at what is most true. Once you’ve grasped that, you can proceed. You have to determine whether one thing fits with another. An animal with an eagle’s beak cannot at the same time have the feet of an ostrich. In the same way, things in the soul fit together. You have to guide the patient toward this. Until you’ve found a foothold, you believe everything—that is to say, you believe nothing—but you make it clear to the patient that you believe everything they say. Once you’ve found a foothold at a point where the matter must be true, you draw their attention very sharply to what cannot be. This creates a kind of psychological organism that points very strongly to the physical organism. Thus, it is indeed useful to base one’s approach on psychological diagnosis.

A participant speaks.

[ 27 ] The approach you pointed out yesterday is this: I make a diagnosis; I have the diagnosis before me. I know that if this turns out to be the case, these remedies will be available to me. I can choose from among them. Now you wanted to know: How does one actually choose? The answer can only be given by saying: If I can choose between several remedies, then I must assume that I have not yet finalized the diagnosis, that I must continue with the diagnosis until I arrive at a clear remedy. In principle, there is no such thing as a truly arbitrary choice. This was truly a fortunate case that astonished me. To proceed from the child’s constitution to the grandmother’s allantois is something that does not normally occur in the diagnosis. I was extremely surprised that this was the motive; on the other hand, the result shows that one must try to get to the root cause.

Dr. Wegman reads aloud the “Fifth Case” described on pages 114–116 of the book mentioned at the beginning:

“A 26-year-old female patient was admitted to our clinic suffering from the severe aftereffects of an influenza she had contracted in 1918, which was complicated by bronchitis and had followed a case of pleurisy that had resolved in 1917. Since contracting the influenza, the patient had been unable to fully recover. By 1920, she was very emaciated, weak, and had a low-grade fever and night sweats. Soon after the flu, lower back pain set in, which steadily worsened through late 1920; and then, accompanied by severe pain, a curvature of the lower back became apparent. Swelling of the right index finger also developed. A course of bed rest reportedly brought relief from the back pain. — When the patient arrived at our clinic, she had a subcutaneous abscess on her right thigh, a distended abdomen with some ascites, and catarrhal sounds over the lung apices, both on the right and left. Digestion and appetite are good. Urine is concentrated and shows traces of protein. The Spiritual Science examination revealed: hypersensitivity of the astral body and the ego organization; such an abnormality initially manifests in the etheric body in that it does not develop the actual etheric functions, but rather an etheric imprint of the astral functions.”

[ 28 ] It is very interesting when, as in this case, the etheric body is so weak that it does not perform its own functions, but rather acts like a matrix—like wax—into which the astral body imprints its own functions. We have an etheric body that actually functions as a masked astral body. That is the case here.

“The astral functions are degenerative. Consequently, vitality and the normal processes in the physical organs must have shown signs of atrophy. This is always associated with, so to speak, non-human processes that take place within the human organism.”

[ 29 ] We must firmly hold on to this. When anything enters the human organism—whether from any state of matter or whether it is warm air and so on—it must undergo a transformation within the human organism—roughly speaking, within the human skin. Nothing remains the same outside and inside the human organism. The human organism must process everything that comes from the outside. No thermal process may take place in the body the way it does in a stone, where a temperature simply passes through and warms the stone. When we are warmed from the outside—that is, like an inorganic body—we process the heat that comes to us so deeply that it is completely enlivened. If a symptom of a cold occurs—even an internal cold affecting the internal organs—it does not originate from within, but from a state of heat imposed from the outside.

[ 30 ] This extends all the way down to metabolic states. When a substance enters the human organism, it must be transformed right down to its most intimate processes. If we have ingested something—say, a carbohydrate—a process still takes place within the organism. The carbon-hydrogen-oxygen process, which takes place outside of human nature, must not be present inside the body in the same way. There is a process within the human being that is foreign to human nature. Essentially, all disease states based on metabolic deposits stem from this. All of them are fundamentally based on the fact that the thermal processes taking place are not generated by the human being itself, but are processes that arise as inherent processes of matter, because the human organism is not strong enough in some respect. If, for example, the “I” organization is too weak, one will find that the fat ingested is not processed properly. If the astral organization is too weak, one will find that carbohydrates are not processed properly. If the etheric organization is too weak, one will find that the proteins ingested are not processed properly. This is something to keep in mind.

“The abscess, the back pain, the bloating of the body, the catarrhal symptoms in the lungs, and even the poor processing of protein all stem from this. The goal of the therapy is to reduce the sensitivity of the astral body and the ego organization. This is achieved by administering silicic acid, which always strengthens the body’s own power against this sensitivity.”

[ 31 ] So silicic acid always enhances one's own strength relative to sensitivity.

“In this case, we did so by adding powdered silica to the food and administering it as enemas. We also alleviated the sensitivity by applying mustard plasters to the lower back. Their effect is based on the fact that they themselves induce sensitivity, thereby relieving it from the astral body and the ego organization.”

[ 32 ] See how one can help oneself: One applies mustard plasters to the lower body; this induces an artificial sensitivity. This artificial sensitivity takes away the astral body’s inner sensitivity, thereby creating an intimation. This is often the case when something is wrong with the human limbs; an intimation is created—in this instance, a strong intimation from the astral body downward. If this becomes strong enough, the sensitivity is no longer present. The sensitivity of the astral body decreases downward. If the sensitivity moves upward, it increases.

“Through a process that dampens the hypersensitivity of the astral body in the digestive tract, we redirect this astral activity to the etheric body, where it normally belongs. We achieved this through small doses of copper and Carbo animalis. We counter the possibility that the etheric body might withdraw from normal digestive activity—which is unfamiliar to it—by administering pancreatic juice.”

[ 33 ] This is just a helping hand, a last resort.

“The inguinal abscess was punctured several times. Large amounts of pus were drained by aspiration. The abscess subsided and the abdominal swelling decreased as pus formation steadily diminished and eventually ceased. While pus was still draining, we were surprised one day by a renewed rise in fever. This did not seem inexplicable to us, since, given the constitution of the astral body described above, even minor psychological agitation can cause such a fever. However, one must distinguish between the explainability of the fever in such cases and its highly damaging effect. For under the conditions described, such a fever is, in fact, the very mediator for a profound intervention of degenerative processes in the organism. And one must immediately take steps to strengthen the etheric body so that it can paralyze the damaging effect of the astral body. We administered highly potent silver injections and achieved a reduction in the fever. — The patient left the clinic having gained 20 pounds and in a strengthened condition. We are under no illusion that, in this case, a follow-up course of treatment will be necessary to consolidate the cure.”

[ 34 ] So this case is meant to show how one can actually come to apply, in a therapeutic context, what is otherwise discussed more theoretically regarding the astral body and the etheric body. One might now be faced with the question that has always been raised by “well-meaning” people: Should the terms used here be presented as the plain truth and reality, or should they be veiled? — “Well-meaning” people have said that one should not speak of the etheric body, but rather of functional processes or something similar. One cannot then ascend as far as the astral body. The fact is that most illnesses are not addressed in their very essence unless one ascends as far as the astral body. The damage caused by the ego organization—that is, the severe damage resulting from metabolic deposits—is already clearly present. In contrast, the degenerative damage caused by the astral body is more insidious. It is precisely this that we must speak of in all seriousness.

[ 35 ] Now, the situation is such that one could simply say—and indeed, many people will say—that one shouldn’t immediately start talking to people about the astral body and the etheric body. But if one doesn’t bring these concepts up, there is absolutely no reason to believe at all that there is anything new here. People believe that only a few minor changes have been made here, that things are done here just as they are elsewhere, and that at most it’s just a small step forward. That’s not the case! And this must be presented to people with the utmost clarity. If one shows that these are not abstract concepts, but instead points out in these many very concrete individual cases what the nature of those cases is, and then demonstrates how the diagnosis leads into the therapy, and how, as soon as the therapy is applied, the healing progresses—it is indeed the case that this must be understood; otherwise, one would have to despair of humanity’s ability to understand at all. I am completely convinced that only this method can help us: to speak the truth boldly and fearlessly.

The question is raised as to what the scientific picture looks like upon close examination of the carcinoma.

[ 36 ] In the case of carcinoma, what we are dealing with is that a sensory organ is formed in a part of the organism where there is no reason to produce one. Take what I would call the most radical sensory organ—just to illustrate the point—take the eye. How does the eye come into being? As you know, it is actually formed partly from the outside; it is incorporated into the organism. Roughly speaking, the organism hollows out the eye socket on its own. Then the eye is embedded within it. This suggests that, in the formation of the eye, essentially non-human processes are at work. The eye is merely encompassed by the human being. When we have such a striking sense organ as the eye, we can say: a foreign body is incorporated into the human organism. This is a radical way of putting it, because it is so completely unfamiliar. Something like the shape of the lens or the vitreous body—or the substantial composition of the lens or the vitreous body—would never arise from within the human organism itself. Now, everything that is incorporated there—which in the case of the eye is in part even an etheric, not merely physical, incorporation—is encompassed by the astral body and the “I” organization, which are actually as emancipated as possible from the physical and etheric aspects of the eye. In the eye, there is a completely different relationship between the “I,” the astral body, the etheric body, and the physical body than, say, in a piece of muscle. In a piece of calf muscle, you see a very intimate interconnection between the I, the astral body, the etheric body, and the physical body. This is the normal constitution of that interconnection. If I were to write it out like a chemical formula, in the eye the I and the astral body are closely bound together (see Diagram I and A), and the other two are also intensely bound to one another! There is a loose affinity between the etheric body and the astral body. This is only the case with the eye.

[ 37 ] With other sense organs—for example, the ear—this is not the case; it cannot be expressed in this way. There is, in fact, a loose affinity between the “I” organization and the astral body, and likewise between the physical body and the etheric body. It is slightly different for each sense.

[ 38 ] If, anywhere in the human organism where there should be no sensory organization, a tendency toward sensory organization arises—and this tendency can arise in any part of the human organism; what is meant to happen in one place may instead give rise to a tendency toward it in some other place—then one can see how the physical body and the etheric body on the one hand, and the astral body and the “I” on the other, begin to drift apart.

[ 39 ] Consider a very specific case. In the event of a severe physical trauma—say, a blow to the mammary gland—the impact continues inward in such a way that, roughly speaking, it follows a path within the skin that originates from the outside—that is, a mechanical trauma that propagates inward. In most cases, this will be the actual origin of breast cancer. The only other possibility would be a prolonged process of overheating or a burn. It will always be, in this sense—externally speaking, as I am describing it here—an insult that brings it about. Now, in this case, what occurs is that the astral body, which is otherwise absorbed by the etheric body, appears very strongly at that spot. When the astral body suddenly appears at that spot, it manifests, I might say, in a glimmering light; it appears as if it were burning. Once it becomes noticeable in this way, there is a tendency at that spot to form a sensory effect, and a carcinoma develops. In such cases, there is no question that one can begin with at least the first seven vaccinations.

[ 40 ] These connections become particularly interesting when you see how one thing relates to another. Suppose you have a patient who is no longer very young. You are compelled to remove the carcinoma. However, what is present in a fairly advanced carcinoma manifests itself in such a way that—since the organism is, after all, a single entity—there is actually a tendency throughout the entire body to allow non-human processes to unfold. The carcinoma changes in a very peculiar way as it progresses. After some time, the localized carcinoma becomes a valve through which the carcinomatous development is concentrated. If you excise the carcinoma, the outlet is suddenly gone. But when dealing with an elderly person, you find that this tendency—to harbor non-human elements within the human being—now finds its outlet in the organ that most readily absorbs inorganic, non-human elements: the lungs. Therefore, especially in the case of carcinoma present in old age, the process will resolve into pneumonia. If the organism is sclerotic, the process in old age culminates in pneumonia. This is related to the fact that the elderly organism absorbs the non-human even more readily and easily than the younger one. The organ that most readily absorbs non-human processes is the lung; and it is damaged in the process. There is one organ that can easily absorb non-human processes without being damaged; that is the liver. It is very resilient against non-human processes. The lungs absorb them but are damaged as a result. This is the essential point: that the lungs absorb them easily but are damaged in the process.

Question about the heritability of a predisposition to carcinomas.

[ 41 ] This is related to ingrained mental images. In and of itself, humans have no natural tendency to fear cancer. This is evident from the fact that this fear is actually more prevalent among educated members of civilized societies. Farmers in the countryside have no fear. They contract cancer, die from it, and knew absolutely nothing about it. This is something rooted in upbringing, which must be counteracted.

To what extent is extrasensory perception necessary in these two cases, and how is it applied?

[ 42 ] The process must be as follows: First of all, in order to even begin—and this becomes clear over time—one must have fully mastered the perspective of Spiritual Science and see how what can be established through Spiritual Science is connected to outward symptoms. Unless otherwise specified, the purely spiritual-scientific finding is always evident.

How does this manifest externally?

[ 43 ] One might just as well say: Of course, it should be meditative. You can meditate on rheumatoid arthritis; you can meditate on diabetes. But that, in turn, will set you back. It is a very good way to arrive at observation under Spiritual Science if you meditate on a disease process based on its symptoms. It’s just not easy to take the reverse approach. You can even do it like homeopaths do, who compile a complex of symptoms and base the treatment on it. But there—I’m not even saying “it can happen”; I know it’s true—it happens time and again that symptoms are overestimated or underestimated, that they’re incorrectly compiled, so that sometimes a symptom complex put together by homeopaths is nothing more than a caricature of reality. When you meditate on this, you’re meditating your way into these caricatures. If you have a genuine Spiritual Science cause—which is decisive for the symptom complex—then you will neither overestimate nor underestimate any of the symptoms. You will have noticed that we have listed the symptoms first; these are not caricatures, but well-defined symptom complexes. When you meditate, you will come to realize the impossibility of arriving at Spiritual Science findings. And if someone says that’s not possible, I must say: Try it once—but not with a randomly assembled complex of symptoms, rather with a complex of symptoms established through Spiritual Science.

What is the basis of eurythmy?

[ 44 ] In the human organism, everything is based on the fact that the conscious stems from the unconscious. Eurythmy is based on the fact that when a human being comes into the world and wants to express themselves, they do not lack a language as such, but rather the ability to express themselves through the use of limb movements. This is suppressed; the person is not allowed to do it and cannot do it. Today, this suppression goes unnoticed because it has already been suppressed through heredity. All of this becomes integrated, undergoes a metamorphosis, emerges bound to the air, and finds expression in language. If one knows how this has become embedded in language, if one knows that this is the origin of language, then one returns to the movements from which language arose, consciously and in reverse. The same applies here: a diagnosis by Spiritual Science sheds light on the complex of symptoms. If one forms a picture of it and meditates on it, one returns to a diagnosis by Spiritual Science. I must conclude these three hours here; I hope we will see each other again. But if you come more often, this small social being will become the key to future work.

[ 45 ] In any case, it was nice that we were able to talk about things again.