A Road to Self-Knowledge
GA 16
Seventh Meditation
In which the Attempt is made to form an Idea of the Character of Experience in Supersensible Worlds
[ 1 ] The experiences that showed themselves to be necessary for the soul, if it wants to penetrate into supersensible worlds, may seem deterrent to many people. These may say they do not know what would befall them if they ventured upon such processes, or how they would be able to stand them. Under the influence of such a feeling the opinion is very easily formed that it is better not to interfere artificially with the development of the soul, but calmly to surrender to the guidance of which the soul remains unconscious, and to await its effect in the future upon one's inner life. Such a thought must, however, always be repressed by a person who is able to make another thought a living power within him; namely, that it is natural to human nature to progress, and that if no attention were paid to these things it would mean disloyally consigning to stagnation forces in the soul which are waiting to be unfolded. Forces of self-unfolding are present in every human soul, and there cannot be a single one that would not listen to the call for unfolding them if in some way or other it could learn something about these powers and their importance.
[ 2 ] Moreover, nobody will allow himself to be deterred from the ascent into higher worlds unless beforehand he has taken up a false position towards the processes through which he has to go. These processes are described in the preceding meditations. And if they are to be expressed by words which must naturally be taken from ordinary human existence, they can be rightly expressed only in that way. For experiences on the supersensible path of knowledge are related to the human soul in such a way that they are exactly similar to what, for example, a highly-strung feeling of loneliness, a feeling of hovering over an abyss and the like may mean to the soul of man. Through the experience of such feelings and sensations the powers to tread the path of knowledge are produced. They are the germs of the fruits of supersensible knowledge. All these experiences in a certain way carry something in themselves which lies hidden deep within them. When they are experienced this hidden element is brought to a state of the utmost tension, something bursts the feeling of loneliness, which surrounds this hidden “something” like a veil, and it then pushes forward into the soul's life as a means of knowledge.
[ 3 ] One must, however, take into consideration that when the right path is entered upon, something else at once presents itself behind every such experience. When the one has occurred, the other cannot fail to appear. When anything has to be borne there is at once added the power to bear it steadfastly if we will only reflect calmly on this power and also take time to notice that which wants to manifest itself in the soul. When something painful appears, and when at the same time there is a sure feeling in the soul that forces are to be found which will make the pain bearable and with which we are able to connect ourselves, we are then able to take up such a position towards experiences, which would be unbearable in the course of our ordinary life, so that we seem to be the spectator of ourselves in all such experiences. And thus people who, whilst on their way towards supersensible knowledge, pass through many a rise and fall of great waves of feeling, show nevertheless perfect equanimity in ordinary life. It is of course quite possible that experiences that are made within also react upon the state of mind in outer life in the physical world, so that for a time we do not come into harmony with ourselves and with life in the way which was possible before we entered upon the path of knowledge. We are then obliged to draw from that which has already been obtained within ourselves such forces as make it possible again to find the balance. And if the path of knowledge be rightly trod no situation can arise in which this would not be possible.
[ 4 ] The best path of knowledge will always be the one that leads to the supersensible world through strengthening or condensing the life of the soul by means of concentration on inner meditations during which certain thoughts or feelings are retained in the mind. In this case it is not a question of experiencing a thought or an emotion as we do in order to find our way in the physical world, but the point is to live entirely with and within the thought or emotion, concentrating all the powers of our soul in it, so that it entirely fills the consciousness during the time of retirement within ourselves. We think, for instance, of a thought which has given to the soul a conviction of some kind; we at first leave on one side any power of conviction it may have, and only live with it and in it again and again so as to become one with it. It is not necessary that it should be a thought of things belonging to the higher worlds, although such a thought is more effective. For inner meditation we can even use a thought which pictures an ordinary experience. Fruitful for instance, are emotions which represent resolutions with regard to deeds of love, and which we kindle within ourselves to the highest degree of human warmth and sincere experience. Effective—especially where knowledge is concerned—are symbolic representations, gained from life, or accepted on the advice of such persons as are in a certain way experts in these matters, because they know the fruitfulness of the means employed from what they themselves have gained by them.
[ 5 ] Through these meditations, that must become a habit, nay, a necessity of life, just as breathing is necessary for the life of the body, we shall concentrate the powers of the soul, and by concentrating strengthen them. Only we must succeed during the time of inner meditation in remaining in such a state that neither outer impressions of the senses nor any recollections of such play upon the soul.
Recollections also of all that we have experienced in ordinary life, all that gives pleasure or pain to the soul, must remain silent so that the soul may surrender itself exclusively to that which we ourselves determine shall occupy it. The capacities for supersensible knowledge grow legitimately only out of that which we have acquired in this way by inner meditations, the content and the form of which have been fixed by the power of our own soul. The important point is not the source whence we derive the object of the meditation; we may take it from an expert in these matters or from the literature of spiritual science; the important point is to make its substance an inner experience of our own life and not merely to choose it out from thoughts which may arise in our own soul, or from things which we feel inclined to consider as the best objects for meditation. Such an object has but little power, because the soul is already familiar with it and cannot consequently make the necessary effort in order to become one with it. It is in making this effort, however, that the effective means of acquiring the faculties for supersensible knowledge are to be found, and not in the mere fact of becoming one with the substance of the meditation as such.
[ 6 ] We can also arrive at supersensible sight in other ways. People may arrive at fervent meditation and inner experience by reason of their whole constitution. And so they may be able to liberate powers for acquiring supersensible knowledge in their soul. Such powers may all of a sudden manifest themselves in souls which do not seem at all predetermined for such experiences. In the most varied ways the supersensible life of the soul may awaken; but we can only arrive at an experience of which we are the masters as we are the masters of ourselves in ordinary life, if we tread the path of knowledge here described. Any other irruption of the supersensible world into the experiences of the soul will mean that such experiences enter in as it were forcibly, and the person in question will either lose himself in them, or lay himself open to every conceivable kind of deception with regard to their value, their true meaning, and their importance within the real supersensible world.
[ 7 ] It is most important to keep in mind that on the path to supersensible knowledge the soul changes. It may be the case that in ordinary life in the physical world, we are not at all inclined to fall into any kind of illusion or deception, but that on entering the supersensible world we fall victims to such deceptions and illusions in the most credulous manner. It may also happen that in the physical world we have a very good and sound feeling for truth, and understand that we must not think only in such a way of a thing or an occurrence as to satisfy our own egoism in order to judge it rightly; yet in spite of this we may arrive at seeing in the supersensible world only what pleases our egoism. We must remember how this egoism colours all that we behold. We are observing only that to which our egoism is directing its gaze in accordance with its own inclinations, though perhaps we may not realise that it is egoism which is directing our spiritual sight. And it is then quite natural that we should take what we see for truth. Protection against this can only be obtained if, on the path to supersensible knowledge through earnest self—observation, and through an energetic striving for clearer self—knowledge, we more and more develop our capacity to discern truly how much egoism is to be found in our own soul and where it is finding utterance. Only then we shall be able to emancipate ourselves by degrees from the leadership of this egoism if in our meditation we forcibly and relentlessly put before ourselves the possibility of our soul being in this or that respect under its domination.
[ 8 ] It belongs to the unhampered mobility of the soul in higher worlds that it should make clear to itself in what a different manner certain qualities of the soul react upon the spiritual world from that in which they do in the physical world. This becomes especially evident when we direct our attention to the moral qualities of the soul. Within the physical world we distinguish between the laws of nature and those of morality. When we want to explain natural processes we cannot make use of moral ideas. We explain a poisonous plant according to natural law, and we do not condemn it morally for being poisonous. We clearly understand that, with regard to the animal kingdom, there can, at the most, be only a question of something resembling morality, and that a moral judgment in the strict sense could only disturb the main issue. It is in circumstances of human life that moral judgment about the worth of existence begins to be of importance. Man himself makes his own value dependent on this judgment, when he comes so far that he is able to judge himself impartially. Nobody, however, would dream of considering the laws of nature as identical with or even similar to moral laws, if he considers physical existence in the right way.
[ 9 ] As soon as we enter the higher worlds this is changed. The more spiritual the worlds which we enter, the more do moral law and what may be termed natural law in these worlds coincide. In the physical world we know that we are speaking figuratively when we say of an evil deed that it burns in the soul. We know that natural fire is quite a different thing. But such a distinction does not exist in the supersensible worlds; for there hate and envy are forces acting in such a way that we may term their effects the “natural laws” of that world. Hate and envy have there the effect that the being who is hated or envied reacts upon the hater or envier in a consuming, extinguishing manner, so that processes of destruction are established which are hurtful to the spiritual being. Love acts in such a way in spiritual worlds that its effect is an irradiation of warmth that is productive and helpful. This can already be observed in the elemental body of man. Within the sense—world the hand that commits an immoral action must in its activity be explained according to natural law quite in the same way as a hand that serves morality. But certain elemental parts of man remain undeveloped, when no corresponding moral feelings exist. And we must account for the imperfect formation of elemental organs through imperfect moral qualities in the same way as natural processes are explained by natural law. On the other hand, we must never from the imperfect development of a physical organ draw the conclusion that the corresponding part of the elemental body must be imperfectly developed. We must always keep in mind that in the different worlds different kinds of law prevail. A person may have a physical organ imperfectly developed; but at the same time the corresponding elemental organ may be not only normally perfect, but more perfect to the same extent as the physical one is imperfect. [ 10 ] In a significant way does the difference between the supersensible and the physical worlds present itself in all that is connected with ideas of beauty and ugliness. The way in which these ideas are employed in physical existence loses all significance as soon as we enter supersensible worlds. Beautiful, for instance—only that being can be called beautiful which succeeds in communicating all its inner experiences to the other beings of its world, so that they can take part in the totality of its experience. The capacity of manifesting all that lives within oneself, and of not having to hide away anything, might in higher worlds be called “beautiful”. And in these worlds this conception of beauty completely coincides with that of unreserved sincerity, of honest manifestation of that which a being carries within itself. Similarly that being might be called ugly which does not want to show outwardly its own inner content, and which holds back its own experience and hides itself from other beings with regard to certain qualities. Such a being withdraws from its spiritual surroundings. This conception of ugliness coincides with that of insincere manifestation of oneself. To lie and to be ugly are realities which in the spiritual world are identical, so that a being which appears ugly is a deceitful being.
[ 11 ] What are known in the physical world as desires and wishes also appear with quite a different significance in the spiritual world. Desires which in the physical world arise from the inner nature of the human soul do not exist in the spiritual world. What may be termed desires in that world are kindled by that which is seen outside the being in question. A being which must feel that it has not a certain quality, which, according to that being's nature, it should have, beholds another being endowed with that quality, moreover it cannot help having this other being always before it. As in the physical world the eye naturally sees what is visible, so in the supersensible world the want of a quality always carries a being into the neighbourhood of another being endowed with the quality in question. And the sight of this other being becomes a continual reproach that acts as a real force, making the being, who is hampered with the fault, desirous of amending it. This is a quite different experience from a desire in the physical world; for in the spiritual world free will is not interfered with through such circumstances. A being may oppose itself to that which the sight of something else will call forth within it. It will then succeed by degrees in being taken away from its model.
The consequence, however, will be that the being who opposes itself to its model will bring itself into worlds where the conditions of existence will be worse than those would have been which were given to it in the world for which it was in a certain way predestined.
[ 12 ] All this shows the soul that its world of conceptions must be transformed when entering supersensible realms. Ideas must be changed, widened, and blended with others if we want to describe the supersensible world correctly. That is the reason why descriptions of supersensible worlds given in terms of the physical world without any alteration or transformation are always unsatisfactory. We may realise that it is the outcome of a correct human feeling, when we use, within the physical world—more or less symbolically or even as immediately applicable—ideas which only become fully significant with regard to supersensible worlds. Thus we may really feel lying to be ugly, but compared with the character of this idea in the supersensible world, such a use of words in the physical world is only a reflection, resulting from the fact that all the different worlds are related to one another, and these relations are dimly felt and unconsciously perceived in the physical world. Yet we must remember that in the physical world a lie, which we feel as ugly, is not necessarily ugly in its outer appearance, and that it would be a confusion of ideas if we were to explain ugliness in physical nature as the outcome of lying. In the supersensible world, however, anything false, seen in its right light, impresses itself upon us as being ugly in appearance. Here again possible deceptions have to be taken into consideration and guarded against. The soul may meet a being in the supersensible world which may rightly be characterised as evil, although it manifests itself in a form that must be called beautiful if judged according to the idea of the beautiful that we bring with us from the physical world. In such a case we shall not be able to judge correctly before we have penetrated to the heart of the being in question. We shall then discover that the “beautiful” manifestation was only a mask which does not harmonise with the nature of the being, and then that which we thought to be beautiful—according to ideas borrowed from the physical world—impresses itself with particular force upon our mind as ugly. And as soon as this happens, the “evil” being will no more be able to deceive us with its “beauty.” It must unveil itself to such a beholder in its true form, which can only be an imperfect expression of that which it is within. Such phenomena of the supersensible world make it especially evident how human conceptions must be transformed when we enter that world.
Siebente Meditation
Der Meditierende versucht Vorstellungen zu bilden über die Art des Erlebens in übersinnlichen Welten
[ 1 ] Die Erlebnisse, welche sich für die Seele als notwendig zeigten, wenn sie in die übersinnlichen Welten vordringen will, können abschreckend für manchen Menschen erscheinen. Ein solcher kann sich sagen, er wisse nicht, was sich für ihn ergebe, wenn er sich in diese Vorgänge wagt, und wie er sie ertragen werde. Unter dem Einflusse einer solchen Empfindung entsteht auch leicht der Gedanke, es sei besser, nicht künstlich einzugreifen in den Entwicklungsgang der Seele, sondern sich ruhig der unbewußt bleibenden Führung zu überlassen und abzuwarten, wohin diese im Laufe der Zukunft das Menschen-Innere bringen werde. Einen solchen Gedanken wird jedoch derjenige immer zurückdrängen müssen, der in sich den andren recht beleben kann, dass es im Menschenwesen naturgemäß liegt, sich selbst vorwärts zu bringen, und dass es bedeuten würde, Kräfte, die in der Seele ihrer Entfaltung harren, pflichtwidrig verdorren lassen, wenn man sich um sie nicht bekümmerte. Die Kräfte der Selbstentwickelung liegen in jeder Menschenseele; und es kann keine einzige geben, welche die Stimme nach Entfaltung dieser Kräfte nicht hören wollte, wenn sie von ihr und ihrer Bedeutung in irgendeiner Art etwas zu erfahren vermag.
[ 2 ] Es wird sich auch niemand von dem Aufstieg in die höhern Welten abhalten lassen, wenn er sich zu den Vorgängen, welche er durchzumachen hat, nicht von vorneherein in ein unrichtiges Verhältnis bringt. Diese Vorgänge sind so, wie sie sich - in den vorangegangenen Meditationen - darstellten. Und wenn man sie durch Worte ausdrückt, die ja nur dem gewöhnlichen Menschenleben entnommen sein können, dann können sie nur in dieser Art richtig ausgedrückt werden. Denn Erlebnisse des übersinnlichen Erkenntnisweges stellen sich eben zur menschlichen Seele so, dass sie ganz gleich dem sind, was zum Beispiele ein hochgesteigertes Einsamkeitsgefühl, ein Sich-Fühlen wie über einem Bodenlosen schwebend, und dergleichen für die Menschenseele bedeuten kann. In dem Erleben solcher Empfindungen erzeugen sich die Kräfte zum Erkenntnisweg. Sie sind die Keime für die Früchte der übersinnlichen Erkenntnis. Es tragen gewissermaßen alle diese Erlebnisse etwas in sich, das in ihnen tief verborgen liegt. Wenn sie dann durchlebt werden, so wird dieses Verborgene zur vollsten Spannung gebracht; es sprengt etwas das Einsamkeitsgefühl, das wie eine Hülle um dieses «Etwas» ist, und dringt hervor im Seelenleben als ein Mittel der Erkenntnis.
[ 3 ] Man muß aber in Betracht ziehen, dass, wenn der rechte Weg eingeschlagen wird, hinter jedem solchen Erlebnis sich sogleich ein anderes einstellt. Es geschieht das so, dass, wenn das eine da ist, das andre nicht ausbleiben kann. Zu dem, was man zu ertragen hat, kommt sogleich die Kraft hinzu, das Vorkommnis wirklich zu ertragen, wenn man nur auf diese Kraft in Ruhe sich besinnen will, und sich die Zeit läßt, um dasjenige auch zu bemerken, was sich in der Seele offenbaren will. Wenn sich ein Peinigendes einstellt, und zugleich das sichere Gefühl in der Seele lebt, dass es Kräfte gibt, welche die Pein ertragen lassen, und mit denen man sich verbinden kann, dann kommt es dahin, dass man sich zu den Erlebnissen, die unerträglich wären, wenn sie im Folgelauf des gewöhnlichen Lebens sich einstellten, in solcher Art verhält, wie wenn man bei allem so Erlebten sein eigener Zuschauer wäre. Dies macht, dass Menschen, welche auf dem Wege zur übersinnlichen Erkenntnis sind, in ihrem Innern das Auf- und Abwogen mancher Gefühlswogen durchleben, und doch in völligem Gleichmut innerhalb des Sinnenlebens sich zeigen. - Es ist ja durchaus die Möglichkeit vorhanden, dass Erlebnisse, welche im Innern sich vollziehen, auch der Stimmung des äußeren Lebens in der Sinnenwelt sich mitteilen, so dass man dann mit dem Leben und mit sich selbst zeitweilig nicht so zustande kommt, wie man es in dem Leben konnte, das vor dem Erkenntniswege liegt. Man ist dann darauf angewiesen, aus dem, was man sich im Innern bereits errungen hat, die Kräfte zu holen, die bewirken, dass man wieder zurechtkommt. Und es kann keine Lage auf dem rechtmäßig beschrittenen Erkenntniswege geben, in welcher dies nicht möglich wäre.
[ 4 ] Der beste Erkenntnisweg wird immer der sein, welcher zur übersinnlichen Welt durch die Verstärkung oder Verdichtung des Seelenlebens mittels innerer Versenkung gedankenkräftig oder empfindungskräftig führt. Es kommt dabei nicht darauf an, den Gedanken oder die Empfindung so zu erleben, wie man dies tut, um sich innerhalb der Sinneswelt zurechtzufinden, sondern darauf, dass man intensiv mit und in dem Gedanken oder der Empfindung lebt und alle seine Seelenkräfte in sie zusammenzieht. Sie sollen für die Zeit der inneren Versenkung das Bewußtsein ganz allein ausfüllen. Man denke zum Beispiel an einen Gedanken, welcher der Seele irgendeine Überzeugung gebracht hat; man lasse zunächst aus dem Spiele, was er an Überzeugungswert hat und lebe immer wieder mit ihm, so dass man mit ihm ganz eins werde. Es bedarf durchaus nicht eines Gedankens, welcher sich auf die Dinge der höhern Weltordnung bezieht, obwohl ein solcher im erhöhten Maße brauchbar ist. Es kann zur inneren Versenkung auch ein Gedanke genommen werden, welcher ein gewöhnliches Erlebnis abbildet. Fruchtbar sind Empfindungen, welche Vorsätze zum Beispiel in bezug auf Liebestaten darstellen, und die man in sich zum menschlich wärmsten und aufrichtigsten Erleben entzündet. Wirksam, wenn es sich vor allem um Erkenntnis handelt, sind aber sinnbildliche Vorstellungen, welche am Leben gewonnen werden, oder welchen man sich hingibt auf den Rat solcher Menschen, die gewissermaßen auf diesem Gebiet sachverständig sind, weil sie die Fruchtbarkeit der angewendeten Mittel kennen aus dem, was sich für sie selbst durch dieselben ergeben hat.
[ 5 ] Durch solche Versenkung, die zu einer Lebensgewohnheit, ja Lebensbedingung werden muß, wie das Atmen eine Bedingung des Leibeslebens ist, wird man die Kräfte der Seele zusammenziehen und im Zusammenziehen verstärken. Es muß nur gelingen, sich für die Zeiten der inneren Versenkung ganz so zu halten, dass keine äußeren Sinneseindrücke und auch keine Erinnerungen an solche in das Seelenleben hereinspielen. Auch die Erinnerungen an alles, was man im gewöhnlichen Leben erfahren hat, was der Seele Freude oder Schmerz macht, muß schweigen, so dass diese ganz allein demjenigen hingegeben ist, wovon man selbst will, dass es in ihr sei. Die Kräfte zur übersinnlichen Erkenntnis erwachsen nur aus dem in rechter Art, was man sich so errungen hat durch innere Versenkungen, deren Inhalt und Form man durch Aufwendung eigener Seelenmacht herbeigeführt hat. Nicht darauf kommt es an, woher man den Inhalt der Versenkung hat; man kann ihn von einem auf dem Gebiete Sachverständigen haben, oder auch aus der geisteswissenschaftlichen Literatur; man muß ihn nur selbst zum inneren Erleben machen und sich nicht zur Versenkung von dem nur bestimmen lassen wollen, was der eigenen Seele entstammt, was man selbst für den besten Versenkungsinhalt hält. Ein solcher hat deshalb geringe Kraft, weil sich die Seele von vorneherein ihm verwandt fühlt und so nicht die nötigen Anstrengungen machen kann, um mit ihm erst eins zu werden. In dieser Anstrengung liegt aber das Wirksame für die übersinnlichen Erkenntniskräfte, nicht in dem Einssein mit dem Inhalt der Versenkung als solcher.
[ 6 ] Man kann zu übersinnlichem Schauen auch auf andre Art gelangen. Es können Menschen durch ihre ganze Veranlagung zu innerer Vertiefung, zu inbrünstigem Erleben kommen. Dadurch können sich übersinnliche Erkenntnis kräfte in ihrer Seele loslösen. Es können sich solche Kräfte oft wie plötzlich in Seelen ergeben, von denen es scheinen könnte, als ob sie zu derartigem Erleben durchaus nicht vorherbestimmt seien. Auf die mannigfaltigste Art kann übersinnliches Seelenleben eintreten; doch zu einem Erleben, das sich beherrscht, wie der Mensch sich beherrscht in seinem gewöhnlichen Sinnessein, kann es nur kommen, wenn der geschilderte Erkenntnisweg beschritten wird. Jedes andre Hereinbrechen der übersinnlichen Welt in die Seelenerlehnisse wird dazu führen, dass sie sich wie durch Zwang einstellen und der Mensch an sie sich verliert, oder dass er sich über ihren Wert, über ihre wahre Bedeutung innerhalb der wirklichen übersinnlichen Welt allen möglichen Täuschungen hingibt.
[ 7 ] Man muß sich durchaus vor Augen halten, dass sich die Seele auf dem übersinnlichen Erkenntniswege wandelt. Es kann vorkommen, dass man für das Leben im Sinnensein durchaus nicht so veranlagt ist, sich allen möglichen Täuschungen und Illusionen hinzugeben; dass man aber, sobald man die übersinnliche Welt betritt, in der leichtgläubigsten Weise sich solchen Täuschungen oder Illusionen hingibt. Auch das kann sich ereignen, dass man im Sinnensein ganz guten gesunden Wahrheitssinn hat, der sich sagt: du darfst nicht dasjenige über eine Sache oder einen Vorgang glauben, was nur deinen Selbstsinn befriedigt; und trotzdem dies der Fall ist, kann eine solche Seele dazu kommen, in der übersinnlichen Welt dasjenige zu schauen, was diesem Selbstsinn angemessen ist. Man muß bedenken, wie dieser Selbstsinn an dem beteiligt ist, was man erschaut. Man schaut dasjenige, worauf sich dieser Selbstsinn nach seiner Neigung richtet. Man weiß nicht, dass er es ist, welcher den geistigen Blick lenkt. Und es ist dann ganz selbstverständlich, dass man das Geschaute für Wahrheit hinnimmt. Schutz kann da nur gewähren, dass man sich durch gute Selbstbesinnung, durch den energischen Willen zur Selbsterkenntnis auf dem übersinnlichen Erkenntniswege stets mehr und mehr bereit macht, wirklich an der eigenen Seele zu bemerken, wieviel von Selbstsinn vorhanden ist, und wo er spricht. Dann wird man, wenn man sich die Möglichkeit der eignen Seele, da oder dort dem Selbstsinn zu verfallen, in innerer Versenkung schonungslos und energisch vorführt, allmählich loskommen von der Führung des Selbstsinnes.
[ 8 ] Zu wahrer ungehinderter Beweglichkeit der Seele in den höheren Welten gehört es, dass sich diese eine Anschauung aneigne, wie anders gewisse seelische Eigenschaften der geistigen Welt gegenüberstehen als der sinnlichen. Es tritt dies besonders deutlich zutage, wenn der Blick auf die moralischen Seeleneigenschaften gelenkt wird. Innerhalb des Sinnenseins sind zu unterscheiden die Naturgesetze und die moralischen Gesetze. Man kann, wenn man sich den Verlauf von Naturvorgängen erklären will, sich nicht an moralische Vorstellungen halten. Eine Giftpflanze erklärt man nach Naturgesetzen und verurteilt nicht moralisch, dass sie giftig ist. Man wird sich selbst darüber klar sein, dass man für die Tierwelt höchstens von Anklängen an das Moralische sprechen kann, dass aber eine im echten Sinne moralische Beurteilung nur eine Störung dessen bewirkte, was wahrhaft in Betracht kommt. In den Zusammenhängen des menschlichen Lebens beginnt die moralische Beurteilung über den Wert des Daseins die Bedeutung zu haben. Sie ist etwas, wovon der Mensch selbst stets seinen Wert abhängig macht, wenn er dazu gelangt, über sich unbefangen zu urteilen. Niemand kann es aber bei richtiger Betrachtung des Sinnenseins einfallen, die Naturgesetze als etwas den Moralgesetzen Gleiches, ja auch nur Ähnliches anzusehen.
[ 9 ] Sobald man die höheren Welten betritt, wird das anders. Je geistiger die Welten sind, welche man betritt, desto mehr fallen Moralgesetze und das, was man für diese Welten Naturgesetze nennen kann, zusammen. Im Sinnensein ist man sich dessen bewußt, dass man für dieses Sein im uneigentlichen Sinne spricht, wenn man von einer bösen Tat sagt, sie brenne in der Seele. Man weiß, dass das natürliche Brennen etwas ganz anderes ist. Eine ähnliche Scheidung besteht für die übersinnlichen Welten nicht. Haß oder Neid sind da zugleich Kräfte, welche so wirken, dass man die entsprechenden Wirkungen als die Naturvorgänge dieser Welten bezeichnen kann. Haß oder Neid bewirken da, dass das gehaßte oder beneidete Wesen auf den Hasser oder Neider wie verzehrend, auslöschend wirkt, so dass sich Zerstörungsprozesse bilden, die dem geistigen Wesen nachteilig sind. Liebe wirkt in den geistigen Welten so, dass man die Wirkung wie Wärmeausstrahlung, die hervorbringend, fördernd ist, ansprechen muß. - Schon am menschlichen elementarischen Leibe kann dies bemerkt werden. Innerhalb der Sinnenwelt muß die Hand, welche eine unmoralische Tat verrichtet, in ihrer Verrichtung nach Naturgesetzen genau so erklärt werden wie diejenige, welche dem moralischen Handeln dient. Gewisse elementarische Teile des Menschen bleiben aber unentwickelt, wenn ihnen entsprechende moralische Empfindungen nicht vorhanden sind. Und man hat unvollkommene Ausbildungen von elementarischen Organen auf moralische Eigenschaften zurückzuführen ganz in solcher Art, wie man nach Naturgesetzen im Sinnensein Naturvorgänge durch Naturgesetze erklärt. Man darf nur niemals etwa von der unvollkommenen Entwickelung eines sinnlichen Organs auf die unvollkommene Entfaltung des entsprechenden Teiles im elementarischen Leibe schließen. Dessen muß man sich immer bewußt sein, dass für die verschiedenen Welten auch ganz verschiedene Arten von Gesetzmäßigkeit gelten. Ein Mensch kann ein physisches Organ unvollkommen ausgebildet haben; das entsprechende elementarische Organ kann dabei nicht etwa bloß normal vollkommen sein, sondern es kann sogar in dem Maße vollkommen sein, als das physische unvollkommen ist.
[ 10 ] Bedeutsam tritt der Unterschied der übersinnlichen Welten von der sinnlichen auch bei allem auf, was mit den Vorstellungen des «Schönen» und «Häßlichen» zusammenhängt. Die Art, wie man diese Begriffe im Sinnensein anwendet, verliert alle Bedeutung, sobald man die übersinnlichen Welten betritt. Ein «Schönes» kann da nur, wenn man sich auf die Bedeutung des Wortes im Sinnensein besinnt, ein solches Wesen genannt werden, dem es gelingt, alles, was es in sich erlebt, auch den andern Wesen seiner Welt zu offenbaren, so dass diese andern Wesen an seinem ganzen Erleben teilnehmen können. Die Fähigkeit, sich ganz mit allem, was im Innern ist, zu offenbaren, und nichts in sich verborgen halten zu müssen, könnte als «schön» in den höheren Welten bezeichnet werden. Und es fällt da dieser Begriff völlig zusammen mit dem von rückhaltloser Aufrichtigkeit, von ehrlichem Darleben dessen, was ein Wesen in sich trägt. «Häßlich» könnte das genannt werden, was den innern Inhalt, den es hat, nicht in der äußern Erscheinung offenbaren will, was das eigne Erleben in sich zurückhält und für andre Wesen sich in bezug auf gewisse Eigenschaften verbirgt. Es entzieht sich ein solches Wesen seiner geistigen Umgebung. Es fällt dieser Begriff zusammen mit dem von unaufrichtigem Sich-Offenbaren. Lügen und Häßlichsein ist in der geistigen Welt als Wirklichkeit dasselbe, so dass ein häßlich auftretendes Wesen ein lügnerisches ist.
[ 11 ] Auch das, was man im Sinnensein als Begierden, Wünsche erkennt, tritt mit ganz andrer Bedeutung in der geistigen Welt au£ Solche Begierden, welche aus der inneren Natur der Menschenseele in der Sinnenwelt entspringen, gibt es in der geistigen Welt nicht. Was man da Begierden nennen kann, entzündet sich an dem, was außer dem Wesen geschaut wird. Ein Wesen, das empfinden muß, es habe irgendeine Eigenschaft nicht, die es seiner Natur nach haben sollte, schaut ein andres Wesen, das diese Eigenschaft hat. Und es kann gar nicht anders, als beständig dieses andre Wesen vor sich zu haben. Wie in der Sinnenwelt naturgemäß das Auge Sichtbares sieht, so führt der Mangel einer Eigenschaft ein Wesen der übersinnlichen Welt stets in die Nähe eines entsprechenden andern Wesens, das die in Betracht kommende Vollkommenheit hat. Und der Anblick dieses Wesens wird ein immerwährender Vorwurf, der als wirkliche Kraft wirkt, so dass das Wesen, welches mit dem Fehler behaftet ist, durch den Anblick die Begierde hat, den Fehler an sich auszubessern. Es ist dies ein ganz andersartiges Erlebnis, als es eine Begierde im Sinnensein ist. - Das freie Wollen wird durch solche Verhältnisse in der geistigen Welt nicht beeinträchtigt. Ein Wesen kann sich wehren gegen das, was ein Anblick in ihm hervorrufen will. Dann wird es allmählich erreichen, dass es aus der Nähe des vorbildlichen Wesens hinwegkommt. Es wird jedoch die Folge davon sein, dass ein solches sein Vorbild abwehrendes Wesen sich selbst in Welten versetzt, in welchen es schlechtere Daseinsbedingungen hat, als die gewesen wären, die ihm gegeben waren in der Welt, für die es gewissermaßen vorbestimmt ist.
[ 12 ] Dies alles zeigt der menschlichen Seele, dass nach dem Betreten der übersinnlichen Welten die Vorstellungswelt umgebildet werden muß. Es müssen Begriffe umgewandelt, erweitert, mit anderen verschmolzen werden, wenn man die übersinnliche Welt richtig beschreiben will. - Daher kommt es, dass Beschreibungen der übersinnlichen Welten, welche die für das Sinnensein geprägten Begriffe ohne weitere Veränderung gebrauchen wollen, immer etwas Unzutreffendes haben. - Man kann sich darauf besinnen, dass es aus einem richtigen menschlichen Gefühle hervorgeht, Begriffe, die für die übersinnlichen Welten erst ihre volle Bedeutung haben, innerhalb des Sinnenseins mehr oder weniger sinnbildlich, oder auch als wirklich die Sache bezeichnend, zu gebrauchen. So kann jemand das Lügnerische wirklich als häßlich empfinden. Gegenüber dem, wie es mit diesem Begriffe in der übersinnlichen Welt steht, ist aber ein solcher Wortgebrauch im Sinnensein doch nur ein Anklang, der sich ergibt, weil alle Welten Beziehungen zueinander haben, und diese Beziehungen dunkel gefühlt, unbewußt gedacht im Sinnensein werden. Doch muß berücksichtigt werden, dass im Sinnensein das Lügnerische, das man als häßlich empfindet, nicht häßlich zu sein braucht in seiner äußeren Erscheinung. Dass man sogar die Vorstellungen durcheinander werfen würde, wenn man ein Häßliches in der sinnlichen Natur aus einem Lügnerischen erklären wollte. Für die übersinnliche Welt ist es aber so, dass das Lügnerische, wenn es wahr gesehen wird, in seiner Offenbarung sich als häßlich aufdrängt. - Auch hier kommen wieder Täuschungen in Betracht, vor denen man sich zu hüten hat. Es kann der Seele in der übersinnlichen Welt ein Wesen entgegentreten, das mit Recht als böse bezeichnet werden muß, und welches doch in einem solchen Bilde sich offenbart, welches man «schön» nennt, wenn man die Vorstellung vom «Schönen» anwendet, welche man aus dem Sinnensein mitbringt. In einem solchen Falle wird man erst richtig schauen, wenn man bis zum Innengrunde des Wesens durchdringt. Dann wird man erleben, wie die «schöne» Offenbarung eine Maske ist, die nicht dem Wesen entspricht; und man wird dann das, was man nach Vorstellungen aus dem Sinnensein als «schön» empfinden wollte, mit besonderer Stärke als Häßlichkeit ansprechen. Und in dem Augenblicke, wo dies gelingt, ist das «böse» Wesen auch nicht mehr imstande, die «Schönheit» vorzutäuschen. Es muß sich für einen solchen Beschauer in seiner wahren Gestalt enthüllen, die ein unvollkommener Ausdruck dessen nur sein kann, was es im Innern ist. An solchen Erscheinungen der übersinnlichen Welt wird es besonders anschaulich, wie sich die menschlichen Vorstellungen beim Betreten dieser Welt wandeln müssen.
Seventh meditation
The meditator tries to form ideas about the nature of experience in supersensible worlds
[ 1 ] The experiences which have proved necessary for the soul when it wants to penetrate into the supersensible worlds can appear daunting to some people. Such a person may say to himself that he does not know what will happen to him if he ventures into these processes and how he will endure them. Under the influence of such a feeling, the thought easily arises that it would be better not to intervene artificially in the soul's course of development, but to leave oneself quietly to the unconscious guidance and wait and see where this will take the human inner being in the course of the future. Such a thought, however, will always have to be pushed back by those who can really animate the other in themselves, that it is natural in the human being to bring themselves forward, and that it would mean letting forces that are waiting to unfold in the soul wither away contrary to duty if they were not taken care of. The powers of self-development lie in every human soul; and there cannot be a single one that would not want to hear the voice for the unfolding of these powers, if it is able to experience something of them and their meaning in any way.
[ 2 ] No one will allow himself to be prevented from ascending to the higher worlds if he does not place himself from the outset in an incorrect relationship to the processes he has to undergo. These processes are as they were presented in the previous meditations. And if they are expressed in words that can only be taken from ordinary human life, then they can only be expressed correctly in this way. For experiences of the supersensible path of knowledge present themselves to the human soul in such a way that they are quite similar to what, for example, a heightened feeling of loneliness, a feeling of floating above a bottomless pit, and the like can mean for the human soul. In the experience of such sensations, the forces for the path of knowledge are generated. They are the seeds for the fruits of supersensible knowledge. To a certain extent, all these experiences carry within them something that lies deeply hidden. When they are then lived through, this hidden something is brought to its fullest tension; it bursts the feeling of loneliness, which is like a shell around this "something", and emerges in the life of the soul as a means of knowledge.
[ 3 ] However, one must take into consideration that, if the right path is taken, behind every such experience another one immediately arises. It happens in such a way that if one is there, the other cannot fail to appear. To that which one has to endure is immediately added the strength to really endure the event, if only one will calmly reflect on this strength and take the time to notice that which wants to reveal itself in the soul. When a tormenting experience arises, and at the same time the certain feeling lives in the soul that there are forces which make the torment bearable and with which one can connect oneself, then it comes about that one relates to the experiences, which would be unbearable if they arose in the course of ordinary life, in such a way as if one were one's own spectator to everything experienced in this way. This is the reason why people who are on the path to supersensible knowledge experience the ups and downs of many emotional waves within themselves, and yet show themselves to be in complete equanimity within the life of the senses. - It is quite possible that experiences which take place in the inner life also communicate themselves to the mood of the outer life in the world of the senses, so that one then temporarily does not come to terms with life and with oneself as one could in the life that lies before the path of cognition. We are then dependent on drawing the forces from what we have already acquired within ourselves to enable us to come to terms again. And there can be no situation on the rightly pursued path of knowledge in which this would not be possible.
[ 4 ] The best path of knowledge will always be that which leads to the supersensible world through the intensification or condensation of the life of the soul by means of inner contemplation with the power of thought or feeling. It is not a matter of experiencing the thought or sensation as one does in order to find one's way within the sensory world, but of living intensely with and in the thought or sensation and drawing all one's soul forces into it. They should fill the consciousness completely for the time of inner contemplation. Think, for example, of a thought which has brought some conviction to the soul; first let it play out what it has in terms of conviction value and live with it again and again so that one becomes completely one with it. There is absolutely no need for a thought that relates to the things of the higher world order, although such a thought is useful to a greater degree. A thought that depicts an ordinary experience can also be used for inner contemplation. Sensations are fruitful which represent intentions, for example in relation to deeds of love, and which are kindled within oneself to the warmest and most sincere human experience. Effective, however, when it is primarily a matter of knowledge, are symbolic ideas which are gained from life, or to which one gives oneself on the advice of people who are, so to speak, experts in this field, because they know the fruitfulness of the means used from what has resulted for themselves through them.
[ 5 ] Through such contemplation, which must become a habit of life, indeed a condition of life, just as breathing is a condition of bodily life, the powers of the soul will be drawn together and strengthened in their contraction. One must only succeed in keeping oneself for the times of inner contemplation in such a way that no external sensory impressions and also no memories of such impressions play into the life of the soul. The memories of all that one has experienced in ordinary life, which gives pleasure or pain to the soul, must also remain silent, so that the soul is entirely devoted to that which one wants to be in it. The powers of supersensible knowledge arise only from what one has thus attained through inner contemplation, the content and form of which one has brought about through the expenditure of one's own soul power. It does not matter where one gets the content of the contemplation from; one can have it from an expert in the field, or even from spiritual-scientific literature; one must only make it one's own inner experience and not want to be determined to contemplation only by what comes from one's own soul, what one considers to be the best content of contemplation. Such a content has little power because the soul feels related to it from the outset and thus cannot make the necessary effort to first become one with it. However, this effort is what is effective for the supersensible powers of cognition, not the oneness with the content of immersion as such.
[ 6 ] There are other ways of attaining extrasensory vision. Through their whole disposition, people can come to inner deepening, to fervent experience. This can release supersensible powers of insight in their soul. Such powers can often arise as if suddenly in souls which might seem as if they were not at all predestined to such experiences. Supersensible soul-life can occur in the most varied ways; but an experience that controls itself, as man controls himself in his ordinary sensory being, can only come about if the path of cognition described is followed. Any other intrusion of the supersensible world into the experiences of the soul will lead to them being forced in and the person losing himself to them, or to him giving in to all kinds of illusions about their value, about their true meaning within the real supersensible world.
[ 7 ] It must be borne in mind that the soul walks on the supersensible path of knowledge. It can happen that one is not at all predisposed for life in the senses to indulge in all kinds of deceptions and illusions; but that as soon as one enters the supersensible world, one indulges in such deceptions or illusions in the most credulous way. It can also happen that one has a very good, healthy sense of truth in the senses, which says to itself: you must not believe that about a thing or a process which only satisfies your sense of self; and yet this is the case, such a soul can come to see in the supersensible world that which is appropriate to this sense of self. One must consider how this sense of self is involved in what one beholds. One sees what this sense of self is directed towards according to its inclination. One does not know that it is he who directs the spiritual gaze. And it is then quite natural that one accepts what one sees as truth. Protection can only be provided by good self-contemplation, by the energetic will to self-knowledge on the supersensible path of knowledge, to make oneself more and more ready to really notice in one's own soul how much of the sense of self is present and where it speaks. Then, if you show yourself the possibility of your own soul to fall prey to the sense of self here or there, relentlessly and energetically in inner contemplation, you will gradually free yourself from the guidance of the sense of self.
[ 8 ] True unimpeded mobility of the soul in the higher worlds requires that it acquire an understanding of how differently certain qualities of the soul relate to the spiritual world than to the sensual world. This becomes particularly clear when we look at the moral qualities of the soul. Within the senses, a distinction must be made between the laws of nature and the moral laws. If you want to explain the course of natural processes, you cannot stick to moral concepts. A poisonous plant is explained according to natural laws and is not morally condemned for being poisonous. It will be clear to you that for the animal world you can at most speak of echoes of the moral, but that a moral judgment in the true sense would only cause a disturbance of what is really under consideration. In the context of human life, moral judgment about the value of existence begins to have meaning. It is something on which man himself always makes his value dependent when he comes to judge himself impartially. No one, however, can think of regarding the laws of nature as something equal, or even similar, to the laws of morality if he considers the senses correctly.
[ 9 ] As soon as one enters the higher worlds, this becomes different. The more spiritual the worlds one enters, the more the moral laws and what can be called the laws of nature for these worlds coincide. In the senses, one is aware that one speaks for this being in a non-actual sense when one says of an evil deed that it burns in the soul. We know that natural burning is something quite different. A similar distinction does not exist for the supersensible worlds. Hatred or envy are at the same time forces which act in such a way that the corresponding effects can be described as the natural processes of these worlds. Hatred or envy have the effect that the hated or envied being has a consuming, extinguishing effect on the hater or envier, so that processes of destruction are formed which are detrimental to the spiritual being. Love works in the spiritual worlds in such a way that one must address the effect as a warmth radiation, which is generative, promoting. - This can already be noticed in the human elementary body. Within the world of the senses, the hand that performs an immoral act must be explained according to the laws of nature in exactly the same way as the hand that serves moral action. Certain elementary parts of man, however, remain undeveloped if they lack corresponding moral sentiments. And imperfect development of elementary organs must be attributed to moral qualities in the same way that natural processes are explained by natural laws according to the laws of nature in the senses. One must never conclude from the imperfect development of a sensory organ to the imperfect development of the corresponding part in the elementary body. One must always be aware that quite different kinds of laws apply to the different worlds. A human being may have imperfectly developed a physical organ; the corresponding elementary organ may not merely be normally perfect, but it may even be perfect to the extent that the physical organ is imperfect.
[ 10 ] The difference between the supersensible worlds and the sensible world is also significant in everything connected with the concepts of "beauty" and "ugliness". The way in which one uses these concepts in the senses loses all meaning as soon as one enters the supersensible worlds. A being can only be called "beautiful", if one remembers the meaning of the word in the senses, if it succeeds in revealing everything that it experiences within itself to the other beings in its world, so that these other beings can participate in its entire experience. The ability to reveal oneself completely with everything that is within, and not to have to keep anything hidden within oneself, could be described as "beautiful" in the higher worlds. And this concept coincides completely with that of unreserved sincerity, of honestly living out what a being carries within itself. That could be called "ugly" which does not want to reveal its inner content in its outer appearance, which holds back its own experience and hides itself from other beings with regard to certain qualities. Such a being withdraws from its spiritual environment. This concept coincides with that of insincere self-revelation. In the spiritual world, lying and being ugly are as a reality the same thing, so that a being that appears ugly is a liar.
[ 11 ] Also that which is recognized in the senses as desires, wishes, appears with a completely different meaning in the spiritual world. Such desires, which arise from the inner nature of the human soul in the sense world, do not exist in the spiritual world. What can be called desires there are kindled by what is seen outside the being. A being that must feel that it does not have some quality that it should have according to its nature, sees another being that has this quality. And it cannot help but constantly have this other being before it. Just as in the world of the senses the eye naturally sees visible things, so the lack of a quality always leads a being in the supersensible world into the vicinity of a corresponding other being that has the perfection in question. And the sight of this being becomes a perpetual reproach which acts as a real force, so that the being which is afflicted with the defect has the desire to correct the defect in itself through the sight. This is a completely different experience from that of a desire in the senses. - Free will is not impaired by such conditions in the spiritual world. A being can defend itself against what a sight wants to evoke in it. Then it will gradually manage to get away from the proximity of the exemplary being. However, the consequence of this will be that such a being that rejects its model will place itself in worlds in which it has worse conditions of existence than those that would have been given to it in the world for which it is, so to speak, predestined.
[ 12 ] This all shows the human soul that after entering the supersensible worlds, the world of imagination must be transformed. Concepts must be transformed, expanded, merged with others if the supersensible world is to be described correctly. - Hence it is that descriptions of the supersensible worlds, which want to use the concepts coined for the senses without further change, always have something inappropriate about them. - We can remember that it is the result of correct human feeling to use concepts that first have their full meaning for the supersensible worlds more or less symbolically within the senses, or even as truly descriptive of the thing. In this way, someone can really perceive lying as ugly. Compared with the way this concept stands in the supersensible world, however, such a use of the word in the senses is only an echo that arises because all worlds have relationships to one another, and these relationships are darkly felt, unconsciously thought in the senses. But it must be borne in mind that in the senses what is false, which is felt to be ugly, need not be ugly in its outer appearance. That one would even confuse the ideas if one wanted to explain an ugly thing in sensual nature from a lying thing. For the supersensible world, however, it is the case that the illusory, if it is seen to be true, imposes itself as ugly in its revelation. - Here, too, deceptions come into consideration, which we must beware of. The soul may encounter a being in the supersensible world which must rightly be called evil, and yet which reveals itself in such an image as is called "beautiful" if one applies the idea of "beauty" which one brings with one from the senses. In such a case, one will only really see when one penetrates to the inner depths of the being. Then one will experience how the "beautiful" revelation is a mask that does not correspond to the essence; and one will then perceive with particular strength as ugliness what one wanted to perceive as "beautiful" according to ideas from the senses. And the moment this succeeds, the "evil" being is no longer able to feign "beauty". It must reveal itself to such an observer in its true form, which can only be an imperfect expression of what it is on the inside. Such phenomena of the supersensible world make it particularly clear how human ideas must change when entering this world.