The Rudolf Steiner Archive

14. On the Therapeutic Way of Thinking

[ 1 ] Silicic acid carries its effects through the metabolic pathways into those parts of the human organism in which the living becomes the inanimate. It is found in the blood, through which the formative forces must make their way; and it occurs in the hair, that is, where the formative process closes off outwardly; it is found in the bones, where the formative process ends inwardly. It appears in the urine as a product of secretion.

[ 2 ] It forms the physical basis of the ego organization. Because it has a formative effect. This ego organization needs the silicic acid process right into those parts of the organism in which the shaping, the forming borders on the outer and inner (unconscious) world. In the area of the organism where the hair carries the silicic acid, the human organization is connected to the unconscious outer world. In the bones, this organization is connected to the unconscious inner world in which the will works.

[ 3 ] The physical basis of consciousness must unfold in the healthy human organism between the two fields of action of silicic acid. Silicic acid has a twofold task. Internally, it sets a limit to the mere processes of growth, nutrition, etc.. And it closes off the mere natural effects from the inside of the organism, so that the organism does not have to continue the natural effects within its own sphere, but can develop its own.

[ 4 ] In its youth, the human organism is most equipped with silicic acid in the places where the tissues with the formative powers are located. From there the silicic acid develops its activity towards the two border areas and creates the space between them in which the organs of conscious life can form. In a healthy organism these are primarily the sense organs. But it must be borne in mind that sensory life pervades the entire human organism. The interaction of the organs is based on the fact that one organ always perceives the effect of the other. In the case of those organs which are not sense organs in the proper sense, e.g. liver, spleen, kidneys, etc., the perception is so slight that in ordinary waking life it remains below the threshold of consciousness. Moreover, each organ is still a sensory organ

[ 5 ] But the whole human organism is permeated by mutually influencing perceptions and must be so, so that everything in it works together in a healthy way.

[ 6 ] But all of this is based on the correct distribution of silicic acid effects. One can actually speak of a special silicic acid organism integrated into the organism as a whole, on which the mutual sensitivity of the organs and their correct relationship inwardly to the development of the soul and spirit and outwardly for the correct conclusion of the effects of nature is based.

[ 7 ] This special organism will only work properly if the silicic acid is present in the organism in such a quantity that the ego-organism can utilize it to the full. For all remaining silicic acid, the astral organization, which lies below the ego-organization, must have the power to excrete it through the urine or in some other way.

[ 8 ] The excess amounts of silicic acid that are not excreted and not grasped by the ego organization must be deposited in the organism as foreign substances and, because of their tendency to form, through which they - in the right amount - serve precisely the ego organization, disturb it. Too much silicic acid introduced into the organism therefore gives rise to stomach and intestinal upsets. The task of the digestive area then consists in separating out what urges to form excessively Where the liquid should predominate, drying up is caused. This is most clearly shown when the disturbances of the mental balance, behind which the organic ones are unmistakable, take place with too much silicic acid. One feels dizzy, cannot prevent oneself from falling asleep, feels the inability to hear and see; indeed, one can almost feel something as if the effects of the senses had accumulated before continuing into the interior of the nervous system. All this shows that the silicic acid pushes itself towards the periphery of the body, but if it gets there too abundantly, it disturbs the normal formation by a foreign tendency to form. Likewise, the disturbance occurs on the side of the inner conclusion of the formation. All of this can then lead to inflammatory processes that arise where the foreign formation of silicic acid intervenes too strongly.

[ 9 ] This refers to the healing power that silicic acid can develop in the human organism. Let us assume that an organ that is not an actual sensory organ becomes hypersensitive in its unconscious ability to perceive the parts of the organism outside it. It will then be noticed that a disturbance occurs in the functions of this organ. If one is able to eliminate the hypersensitivity by supplying silicic acid, then one will be able to remedy the pathological condition. It will only be a matter of influencing the organic body effect in such a way that the supply of silicic acid acts precisely around the organ that has become diseased and does not influence the whole organism through a general effect in the sense described above.

[ 10 ] By combining silicic acid with other agents, it is possible to ensure that the silicic acid, when introduced into the organism, reaches the organ in which it is needed and can be excreted from there without harming other organs.

[ 11 ] Another case is that in which an organ is down-tuned in its sensitivity to the effects of the other organs. Then we are dealing with an accumulation of silicic acid effects around the organ. It is then necessary to achieve such an influence on the silicic acid effect of the whole organism that the local effect loses its power, or one can also promote the removal of silicic acid by means of excretory agents. The former is preferable because the accumulation of silicic acid in one place usually causes a deficiency in another. The distribution of the localized silicic acid effect on the whole organism can be achieved, for example, by a sulphur cure. You will see why this is the case if you read about the effects of sulphur in the organism elsewhere in this book.