The Threshold of the Spiritual World
GA 17
XVI. Remarks on the Connection of what is described in this Book with the Accounts given in my Books Theosophy and Occult Science
[ 1 ] Names which are to express the experiences of the human soul in the elemental and spiritual worlds must be adapted to the special characteristics of those experiences. In giving such names it will have to be borne in mind that even in the elemental world experience runs its course in quite a different way from that in which it does in the physical world. Experience in the elemental world is due to the soul's capacity for transformation and to its observation of sympathies and antipathies. The terminology will necessarily assume something of the changeful character of such experiences. It cannot be as fixed and rigid as it must be with regard to the physical world. One who does not keep in view this fact, arising out of the nature of the case, may easily find a contradiction between the terminology used in this book and that in Theosophy and Occult Science. The contradiction disappears when it is remembered that in the two latter works the names are so chosen that they characterise those experiences which the soul has during its complete development between birth (conception) and death on the one hand, and between death and rebirth on the other. In this book, however, the names arc given with reference to the experiences of clairvoyant consciousness when it enters the elemental world and the spiritual spheres.
It is seen from Theosophy and Occult Science that soon after the detachment of the physical body from the soul at death, there is also detached from the soul that which in this book is called the etheric body. The soul then lives for a while in the entity which is here called the astral body. The etheric body, after being detached from the soul, is transformed within the elemental world. It passes into the beings forming that world. When this transformation of the etheric body takes place, the soul which had lived in it is no longer there. The soul, however, experiences as its outer world after death the processes of the elemental world. This experience of the elemental world “from withou” is described in Theosophy and Occult Science as the passage of the soul through the “soul-world.” It must therefore be realised that this soul-world is identical with that which, from the standpoint of clairvoyant consciousness, is in this book called the elemental world.
When the soul in the interval between death and rebirth—as described in Theosophy—becomes detached from its astral body, it goes on living in the entity which is here called the real ego. The astral body then experiences by itself, the soul being no longer with it, that which has been described above as oblivion. It plunges, so to speak, into a world in which there is nothing which can be observed with the senses, or experienced in the way in which will, feeling and thought, as man develops them in his physical body, experience things. This world is experienced as its outer world by the soul which continues to exist in the real ego. If it is desirable to characterise the experience in this outer world, it can be done in the same way in which it is described in Theosophy and Occult Science, as the passing through the “spirit region.” The soul, experiencing itself in the real ego, has around it within the spiritual world that which has been formed in it as soul-experiences during physical existence. Within the world above described as that of living thoughts-beings, the soul finds between death and rebirth all that it has experienced in its inner being during physical existence through its sense perceptions and its thinking, feeling, and willing.
Bemerkungen über das Verhältnis des in dieser Schrift geschilderten zu der Darstellung in meiner „Theosophie“ und „Geheimwissenschaft“
[ 1 ] Namen, welche die Erlebnisse der menschlichen Seele in der elementarischen und in der geistigen Welt ausdrücken sollen, werden sich den Eigentümlichkeiten dieser Erlebnisse anpassen müssen. Man wird bei solcher Namengebung zu berücksichtigen haben, daß das Erleben schon in der elementarischen Welt in ganz anderer Art verläuft als in der Sinneswelt. Es beruht dies Erleben da auf der Verwandlungsfähigkeit der Seele und ihrem Beobachten von Sympathien und Antipathien. Notwendigerweise wird die Namengebung etwas von dem Wechselvollen dieser Erlebnisse annehmen müssen. Sie wird nicht so starr sein können, wie sie für die Sinneswelt sein muß. Wer dieses in der Natur der Sache Liegende nicht berücksichtigt, wird leicht einen Widerspruch in der Namengebung dieser Schrift und derjenigen in meiner «Theosophie» und «Geheimwissenschaft» finden können. Der Widerspruch löst sich auf, wenn man bedenkt, daß in diesen beiden Schriften die Namen so gewählt sind, daß sie die Erlebnisse der Seele charakterisieren, welche diese bei ihrer vollen Entwickelung zwischen Geburt (Empfängnis) und Tod einerseits und zwischen Tod und Geburt andrerseits hat. Hier jedoch sind die Namen mit Rücksicht auf die Erlebnisse gemacht, welche das hellsichtige Bewußtsein hat, wenn es die elementarische Welt und die geistigen Gebiete betritt. Man ersieht aus «Theosophie» und «Geheimwissenschaft», daß bald nach dem Ablösen des physisch-sinnlichen Leibes von der Seele mit dem Tode auch derjenige Leib von ihr abgelöst wird, welcher in dieser Schrift der ätherische genannt ist. Die Seele lebt dann zunächst in der Wesenheit, welche hier als der astralische Leib bezeichnet ist. Der ätherische Leib verwandelt sich nach seiner Ablösung von der Seele innerhalb der elementarischen Welt. Er geht in die Wesenheiten über, welche diese elementarische Welt bilden. Bei dieser Verwandlung des ätherischen Leibes ist die Seele des Menschen nicht mehr dabei. Wohl aber erlebt die Seele als ihre Außenwelt nach dem Tode die Vorgänge dieser elementarischen Welt. Dieses Erleben der elementarischen Welt von außen ist in «Theosophie» und «Geheimwissenschaft» als Durchgang der Seele durch die Seelenwelt geschildert. Man wird sich also vorstellen müssen, daß diese Seelenwelt die gleiche ist mit der, welche hier, vom Gesichtspunkte des übersinnlichen Bewußtseins aus, die elementarische genannt wird. - Wenn dann die Seele in der Zwischenzeit zwischen Tod und Geburt - im Sinne des in meiner «Theosophie» Geschilderten - sich von ihrem astralischen Leibe löst, so lebt sie weiter in der Wesenheit, welche hier als das «wahre Ich» bezeichnet ist. Der astralische Leib macht dann für sich, so daß die Seele nicht mehr dabei ist, dasjenige durch, was hier als das «Vergessen» charakterisiert worden ist. Er stürzt sich gewissermaßen in eine Welt, in welcher nichts ist von dem, was mit Sinnen beobachtet werden kann, oder was so erlebt wird, wie das Wollen, Fühlen und Denken erleben, welche der Mensch im Sinnesleibe entwickelt. Diese Welt durchlebt dann als ihre Außenwelt die in dem « wahren Ich» fortbestehende Seele. Wenn man das Erleben in dieser Außenwelt kennzeichnen will, so kann man dieses so, wie es in «Theosophie» und «Geheimwissenschaft» bei der Schilderung des Durchgangs durch das «Geistgebiet» geschehen ist. Die im «wahren Ich» sich erlebende Seele hat dann innerhalb der geistigen Welt um sich dasjenige, was sich in ihr während des Sinnesseins als Seelenerlebnisse gebildet hat. Innerhalb der Welt, welche hier als diejenige der Gedankenlebewesen geschildert ist, findet die Seele zwischen Tod und neuer Geburt alles, was sie selbst in ihrem Innensein durch ihr Sinneswahrnehmen und durch ihr Denken, Fühlen und Wollen im Sinnessein erlebt hat.
Remarks on the relationship of what is described in this writing to the presentation in my "Theosophy" and "Secret Science"
[ 1 ] Names which are to express the experiences of the human soul in the elementary and in the spiritual world will have to be adapted to the peculiarities of these experiences. When giving names to these experiences, it will have to be taken into account that the experience in the elementary world already takes a completely different course than in the sensory world. This experience is based on the soul's ability to change and its observation of sympathies and antipathies. The naming will necessarily have to take on something of the changeable nature of these experiences. It cannot be as rigid as it must be for the sensory world. Anyone who does not take this into account, which is in the nature of things, will easily find a contradiction in the naming of this writing and that in my "Theosophy" and "Secret Science". The contradiction is resolved when one considers that in these two writings the names are chosen in such a way that they characterize the experiences of the soul which it has in its full development between birth (conception) and death on the one hand and between death and birth on the other. Here, however, the names are made with regard to the experiences which the clairvoyant consciousness has when it enters the elementary world and the spiritual realms. It can be seen from "Theosophy" and "Secret Science" that soon after the detachment of the physical-sensual body from the soul at death, that body is also detached from it, which in this writing is called the etheric body. The soul then first lives in the entity which is here called the astral body. After its detachment from the soul, the etheric body is transformed within the elementary world. It passes over into the entities which form this elementary world. The soul of the human being is no longer present during this transformation of the etheric body. However, the soul experiences the processes of this elementary world as its outer world after death. This experience of the elementary world from the outside is described in "Theosophy" and "Secret Science" as the passage of the soul through the soul world. One must therefore imagine that this soul-world is the same as that which, from the point of view of supersensible consciousness, is here called the elementary world. - If then the soul in the interim between death and birth - in the sense of what is described in my "Theosophy" - detaches itself from its astral body, it continues to live in the entity which is here called the "true I". The astral body then undergoes for itself, so that the soul is no longer present, that which has been characterized here as "forgetting". It plunges, as it were, into a world in which there is nothing of what can be observed with the senses, or what is experienced in the same way as the will, feeling and thinking that man develops in the sensory life. This world then lives through the soul that continues to exist in the "true I" as its outer world. If one wants to characterize the experience in this outer world, one can do so in the same way as it was done in "Theosophy" and "Secret Science" when describing the passage through the "spiritual realm". The soul experiencing itself in the "true I" then has around it within the spiritual world that which has formed in it as soul experiences during its sensory existence. Within the world, which is described here as that of the thought beings, the soul finds everything between death and new birth that it itself has experienced in its inner being through its sensory perception and through its thinking, feeling and willing in its sensory being.