Awareness - Life - Form
GA 89
25 October 1904, Berlin
Planetary Evolution IV
Since all evolution follows three principles—conscious awareness, life and form—and every entity must go through these three principles many times, we need to know exactly what levels of awareness, life or form we may be speaking of. Something can be known about seven of them. The seven levels of conscious awareness are:
- The ‘trance’ state of the mind, also known as ‘deep trance’
- Dreamless sleep
- Dream-filled sleep
- The waking state, or awareness of objects
- The psychic state, or life in image awareness
- The hyperpsychic state, or life in conscious awareness
- The spiritual state = self-aware all-embracing awareness
The trance state is characteristically universal. It is the most comprehensive awareness as far as the range is concerned, but it is limited by dimness. It is the dimmest state of awareness. An entity living on our Earth which is put into this trance state would perceive the movements of the planets, mineral forms, crystalline forms, etc. Plant, animal and human life would not exist for this spirit. If this trance state is induced, the entity is in a position to see such things in the cosmos, but not the life of physical life forms. If a trance is entered into pathologically, the individuals concerned start to describe cosmic chains, and so on; sometimes this is in a confused way, but sometimes they will produce some very strange things that are very similar to the theosophical teachings. It is a wide-ranging universal awareness, but too dim to perceive actually living, sentient life forms.
The second state is the one we call 'dreamless sleep'. The way in which human beings go through their sleep state is generally still so dim that most of them feel that they are unconscious in it. It is less dim than the first state, but narrower. People who go through it consciously perceive what happens in the mineral and plant worlds, but the animal world, and so on, the world of inner responses and thoughts, does not exist for them. Sleepwalkers of this degree produce extraordinary drawings of arabesques in this state, but are not able to draft cosmic systems.
The third state is that of dream-filled sleep, which is familiar to us. We usually know nothing of any connection between our dreams and what is going on in the cosmos. The state is not all-encompassing but reflects the inorganic world and mineral, plant and animal nature. To someone who has not developed further, reflections of his own passions, his animal nature, will often appear in such dreams.
In the fourth state, the waking state, which is the narrowest but also the clearest, we perceive the mineral world, plants, animals and humans, but only in their outer form; not the law, not the inner response. This is something people must construct for themselves in the waking state, going by the outer gesture.
In the more enhanced states of awareness the bright clarity of physical awareness is retained. The fifth state, psychic awareness, extends through the astral world where feelings are directly perceived. Thus you will not just see someone’s sour face but directly perceive his feelings. The sixth state is the hyperpsychic state of awareness. Here human beings perceive all kama, and in addition also all that lives. They see the principle of growth and of life itself. The seventh state is spiritual awareness. In this, human beings perceive everything that happens in the cosmos in bright, clear conscious awareness.
We then also have the seven stages in the evolution of life. They are:
- The first elemental world
- The second elemental world
- The third elemental world
- The mineral world
- The plant world
- The animal world
- The human world
To characterize these stages in a way similar to the one used for the conscious mind above, we may say the following. The first elementary world is the most subjective. The second is less subjective. The third even less so. We are in fact able to distinguish three degrees of subjectivity in the three elemental worlds. Where it begins to be objective, that is, acts in such a way that it acts not only from the inside to the outside but is seen from outside, it becomes mineral world. In the case of the first elemental world, existence comes into its own in outer terms. In the case of the second elemental world, life comes into its own in outer terms. In the case of the third elemental world, sentience or awareness comes into its own in outer terms. In the case of the fourth state, which is the mineral world, existence has become objective (4th level of life). The plant world: life has become objective (5th level of life). The animal world: sentience and awareness have become objective (6th level of life). In the human world all three degrees become objective (7th level of life). Conscious awareness and the I have then entered wholly into objectivity.
Life thus evolves through the seven worlds. Form also goes through seven stages, as follows.
- The arupic form, which is form in its earliest potential, when it is not as yet actual form, but already has the urge to go outwards.
- The rupic form, which is the spiritual form, with a mere hint of an outer form.
- The astral form begins to be outwardly visible.
- The physical form.
- The plastic form, no longer rigid but making itself felt from the inside, with life pushing outwards, into form.
- The intellectual form, which has grown even more mobile, with the spirit pushing outwards.
- The archetypal, original form. This form is absolutely in control of itself, wholly mobile in itself. Everything pushes outwards; it can configure anything; it is active.
If we now want to consider the evolution of a particular entity, we have to be clear in our minds that it has to go through all the stages of conscious awareness, life and form, and that this happens in the following way.
Every entity must go through the seven stages of conscious awareness. Each stage of this state of consciousness in the various forms it takes is called a 'planetary system' in theosophical textbooks. An entity goes through a planetary system, which means that it metamorphoses through these seven states of awareness. The human being is now going through the stage of waking consciousness. This is known as the 'Earth state'. Before this he went through the state of dream consciousness. That was at the stage of lunar evolution. This is put in words as: The human being has completed the Moon stage in his evolution.
Human beings have to go through all realms of life in every state of conscious awareness. On the Moon they thus went through the first, second and third elemental worlds, and through the other four worlds in dream consciousness. On Earth they have to go through the seven stages of life. At present humans are on the planetary system of the Earth, which means in the waking state, in the middle life stage, and in the mineral world. In form, humans are now physical (fourth globe or fourth form state); in terms of life they are mineral (fourth round); in terms of conscious awareness, awake (fourth planetary system). A 'round' means the passage of an entity through one of the realms of life. Each planetary system has seven rounds. On Earth, human beings are in their fourth round. In this round, mineral evolution will be taken to its perfection, in the fifth round plant evolution, in the sixth animal evolution, the animal level of awareness, and in the seventh round human conscious awareness.
Every entity must go through all forms in each of these seven worlds, assuming every form. It will be arupic first, then rupic, astral, physical, plastic, intellectual and finally archetypal. These seven metamorphoses of form were called the seven 'globes' in the early days of developing theosophical teachings:
- arupic metamorphosis the first globe,
- rupic metamorphosis the second globe,
- astral metamorphosis the third globe,
- physical metamorphosis the fourth globe,
- plastic metamorphosis the fifth globe,
- intellectual metamorphosis the sixth globe,
- archetypal metamorphosis the seventh globe.
These seven globes are not actually separate globes; the objective process is not such that one leaves one globe for another. Together they make up an orb in which these different form states are interpenetrating. This evolution of form states was called the 'phase states' in earlier esoteric terminology. Something is connected with this that may be described by taking the following line of thought.
Imagine an entity with physical eyes, and also that all those states are always present in the world. Whilst human beings are at their level, other entities are at different stages of evolution. In esoteric terms this is called: Here a higher form of space begins. This region is called the region of perviousness in esoteric language. Even in the astral world, two entities are able to interpenetrate. You need to develop an inner feeling for this region of perviousness, for the way our world is penetrated by another. Physically we see only part of the cosmos, a part of the whole. From this point of view a visible heavenly body is one that is in the fourth state of form, in the phase of physical form; with regard to life this is the mineral world.
Physical visibility arises gradually, from the arupic form downwards, and then gradually disappears again as we move towards the archetypal form. We therefore also call these form states 'phases'. The Earth went through the arupic, rupic and astral states before it became physically visible. After the physical it will still go through the plastic, intellectual and archetypal states.
On the physical plane, an occult relationship exists between these form phases and the phases of the Moon. The passage through the seven form phases from the arupic to the archetypal state is therefore called a ‘cosmic month’, though the term is not used in all esoteric languages. Passage through all states of conscious awareness is called a ‘cosmic year’. Between cosmic day (form cycle) and cosmic year (conscious awareness cycle) lies the cosmic month (life states). It is longer than a cosmic month and shorter than a cosmic year.
In esoteric terms conscious awareness is ‘the Sun’, form ‘the Moon’, life for us now ‘the Earth’. A state of conscious awareness takes longest, a life state takes less long, and a form state is the least long. Every life state must go through all seven form states. From arupa to archetypal state it goes, first of all in the first elemental world, then in the second and third elemental worlds, and so on. It thus goes through seven times seven consecutive metamorphoses of life—those are the seven rounds, each of which goes through seven metamorphoses. Seven times seven metamorphoses or 49 which every entity has to go through: 49 on Earth, 49 on the Moon, thus 49 each on seven planetary systems, i.e. 7 times 49 = 343 (the sum of digits = 10). These 343 states make up a cosmic year.59See lecture given in Domach on 20 November 1914, in Balance in the World and Man, GA 158, tr. D. Osmond; N. Vancouver: Steiner Book Centre 1977.
We are now in the fourth planetary system (fourth state of conscious awareness, waking consciousness). We are on the Earth, going through the fourth sphere of life, the fourth round, the mineral world. The mineral world has reached the fourth globe, that is, the fourth form phase, which is the physical phase. It will reach perfection in this round, which also means that the human physical body in its mineral aspects will reach perfection in this round. On completion of all 343 states the human being will be what we call a ‘god’. This is not the supreme god but 'the third Logos', which is in truth the Logos of form when it will have gone through the 343 metamorphoses. It is form at its most advanced stage. These different configurations of conscious awareness are form again on the higher plane. Conceived as a whole, these 343 forms are thus the third Logos. The second Logos will represent life at its highest stage, and the first logos, conscious awareness at its highest stage. The stages of form are represented in colours and signs for esoteric students, the stages of life in sounds, life sounding forth. No characterizing signs exist in the physical world for the stages of conscious awareness.
Vierter Vortrag
Da alle Evolution in drei Prinzipien verläuft: Bewußtsein, Leben und Form, und jedes Wesen viele Male diese drei Prinzipien durchlaufen muß, müssen wir genau wissen, von welchen Stadien des Bewußtseins, des Lebens oder der Form wir sprechen können. Von diesen können wir über jeweils sieben etwas wissen. Die sieben Stadien des Bewußtseins sind:
1. Der sogenannte Trancezustand des Bewußtseins, auch Tieftrance genannt
2. Der traumlose Schlaf
3. Der Traumschlaf
4. Der Wachzustand oder das Gegenstandsbewußtsein
5. Der psychische Zustand oder das bewußte Bilderbewußtsein
6. Der überpsychische Zustand oder das bewußte Leben
7. Der spirituelle Zustand = selbstbewußtes Allbewußtsein.
Der erste, der Trancezustand, zeichnet sich dadurch aus, daß er ein Allbewußtsein ist. Hinsichtlich der Weite ist er das allerumfassendste Bewußtsein, andererseits ist er aber beschränkt durch seine Dumpfheit; er ist der dumpfeste Zustand des Bewußtseins. Ein Wesen unserer Erde, das in diesen Trancezustand versetzt wird, würde wahrnehmen die Bewegungen der Planeten, die mineralischen Formen, die Formen von Kristallen und so weiter, aber Pflanzen, Tier und Menschenleben würden für dieses Wesen nicht da sein. Wenn man heute diesen Trancezustand herbeiführt, so ist das Wesen in der Lage, die Dinge im Kosmos zu sehen, aber nicht das Leben der physischen Lebewesen. Wenn heute in pathologischem Zustand Trance eintritt oder wenn man diesen Zustand induziert, fangen die darin Befindlichen an, Weltenketten zu beschreiben und dergleichen, manchmal verworren, manchmal aber produzieren sie merkwürdige, den theosophischen Lehren ganz ähnliche Dinge. Es ist ein weitausgedehntes Allbewußtsein, aber zu dumpf, um wirklich lebendige, empfindende Wesen zu erfassen.
Der zweite Bewußtseinszustand ist derjenige, den wir den Zustand des traumlosen Schlafes nennen. Die Art, wie der Mensch den Schlafzustand durchmacht, ist im allgemeinen noch so dumpf, daß die meisten darin sich wie bewußtlos empfinden. Es ist ein weniger dumpfes Bewußtsein als das vorhergehende, aber ein engeres. Diejenigen, die diesen Zustand durchmachen, nehmen darin wahr, was im Mineral und Pflanzenreich geschieht, aber das Tierreich und so weiter, die Empfindungs- und Gedankenwelt sind für sie nicht da. Somnambule dieses Grades entwerfen in diesem Zustand außerordentliche Zeichnungen in Arabesken, haben aber nicht die Fähigkeit, Weltensysteme zu entwerfen.
Der dritte Zustand ist der Traumschlaf, der dem Menschen bekannte Zustand des Träumens. Meistens weiß er nichts davon, was für ein Zusammenhang zwischen seinen Träumen und den Weltenvorgängen besteht. Dieses Traumschlafbewußtsein ist nicht umfassend, aber es spiegelt sich darin ab das Unorganische, das Mineralische sowie das Pflanzliche und das Tierische. Dem Unentwikkelten erscheinen in diesen Träumen vielfach Spiegelbilder seiner eigenen Leidenschaften, seiner Tiernatur.
Im vierten, dem Wachzustand, dem engsten, aber auch klarsten Bewußtseinszustand, nimmt man wahr das Mineralreich, Pflanzen, Tiere, Menschen, aber nur das Äußere, die Form, nicht das Gesetz, nicht die Empfindung. Das muß der Mensch im Wachzustand sich erst konstruieren nach der äußeren Gebärde.
Hierauf folgen die höheren Zustände des Bewußtseins, bei denen die helle Klarheit des physischen Bewußtseins erhalten bleibt. Der fünfte Zustand, das psychische Bewußtsein, dehnt sich aus, erweitert sich über die astrale Welt. Darin werden Gefühle unmittelbar geschaut. Man sieht zum Beispiel nicht nur das saure Gesicht eines Menschen, sondern unmittelbar das Gefühl. Der sechste Zustand ist das hyperpsychische Bewußtsein. In diesem kann der Mensch zu allem Kamischen hinzu auch noch wahrnehmen alles, was lebt. Er schaut das Prinzip des Wachstums, des Lebens selbst. Der siebente Zustand ist das spirituelle Bewußtsein: Der Mensch nimmt darin alles, was im Kosmos geschieht, in hellem, klarem Bewußtsein wahr.
Dann haben wir die sieben Evolutionsetappen des Lebens; diese nennen wir:
1. Das erste Elementarreich
2. Das zweite Elementarreich
3. Das dritte Elementarreich
4. Das Mineralreich
5. Das Pflanzenreich
6.Das Tierreich
7. Das Menschenreich.
Wenn wir diese Stadien charakterisieren wollen in ähnlicher Weise wie vorher die des Bewußtseins, so können wir sagen:
Das erste Elementarreich ist am allersubjektivsten. Das zweite Elementarreich ist schon weniger subjektiv. Das dritte Elementarreich ist noch weniger subjektiv. Wir können nämlich drei Grade der Subjektivität in den drei Elementarreichen unterscheiden. Da, wo es anfängt objektiv zu werden, das heißt, so wirkt, daß es nicht nur von innen nach außen wirkt, sondern von außen gesehen wird, wird es zum Mineralreich. Bei dem ersten Elementarreich macht das Sein sich nach außen geltend. Bei dem zweiten Elementarreiche macht sich das Leben nach außen geltend. Bei dem dritten Elementarreich drängt sich die Empfindung oder das Bewußtsein nach außen. Bei dem vierten, dem Mineralreich, ist das Sein objektiv geworden (4. Lebensstufe). Das Pflanzenreich: dabei ist das Leben objektiv geworden (5. Lebensstufe). Das Tierreich: dabei sind Empfindung und Bewußtsein objektiv geworden (6. Lebensstufe). Im Menschenreich werden alle drei Grade objektiv (7. Lebensstufe). Bewußtsein und Ich sind dann ganz in die Objektivität getreten.
Es entwickelt sich also das Leben durch die sieben Reiche hindurch, aber auch die Form geht durch sieben Stadien hindurch. Diese sind:
1. Die arupische Form, die Form in ihrer allerersten Anlage, wo sie noch keine eigentliche Form ist, aber schon nach außen drängt.
2. Die rupische Form, die geistige Form, die zarteste Andeutung einer äußeren Form.
3. Die astrale Form, sie fängt an, äußerlich sichtbar zu werden.
4. Die physische Form.
5. Die plastische Form, die nicht mehr starr ist, sondern von innen heraus sich geltend macht, in der das Leben nach außen drängt in die Form.
6. Die intellektuelle, noch beweglicher gewordene Form, worin der Geist nach außen drängt.
7. Die archetypische, die urbildliche Form. Diese Form beherrscht sich absolut, ist ganz in sich beweglich. Alles drängt nach außen, sie kann alles gestalten, sie ist tätig.
Wenn wir nun die Evolution irgendeiner Wesenheit betrachten wollen, müssen wir uns klar sein, daß sie durch alle diese Stadien des Bewußstseins, des Lebens und der Form gehen muß, und zwar in folgender Weise:
Jedes Wesen muß die sieben Stadien des Bewußtseins durchmachen, und eine jede Etappe dieses Bewußtseinszustandes in ihren verschiedenen Ausgestaltungen wird in den theosophischen Lehrbüchern ein planetarisches System genannt. Ein Wesen macht ein planetarisches System durch, heißt: Es metamorphosiert sich in diesen sieben Bewußtseinszuständen. Jetzt macht der Mensch den Zustand des wachen Bewußtseins durch; dieses nennen wir Erdenzustand. Vorher hat der Mensch den Zustand des Traumbewußtseins durchgemacht. Damals lebte er in der Etappe der lunarischen Entwicklung. Man sagt: Der Mensch hat in seiner Entwicklung den Mond absolviert.
In jedem Bewußtseinszustand muß der Mensch durch alle Reiche, das heißt durch alle Zustände des Lebens hindurchgehen. So ging er auf dem Monde durch das erste, zweite, dritte Elementarreich sowie durch die anderen vier Reiche traumbewußt. Dann mußte er auf der Erde die sieben Lebensstadien durchmachen. Gegenwärtig ist der Mensch auf dem planetarischen System der Erde, also im Wachzustand, im mittleren Lebensstadium, dem Mineralreich. Der Form nach ist der Mensch jetzt physisch (vierter Globus oder vierter Formzustand); dem Leben nach mineralisch (vierte Runde); dem Bewußtsein nach wach (viertes planetarisches System). Der Durchgang eines Wesens durch eines der Lebensreiche wird eine Runde genannt. Zu jedem planetarischen System gehören sieben Runden. Der Mensch ist auf der Erde in der vierten Runde. In dieser wird die mineralische Entwicklung zur Vollendung geführt, in der fünften Runde die pflanzliche, in der sechsten Runde die tierische, das Tierbewußtsein, in der siebenten Runde die menschliche, das Menschenbewußtsein. Jedes Wesen muß in jedem dieser sieben Reiche alle sieben Formen durchmachen, er nimmt jede Form an. Es wird erst arupisch, dann rupisch, dann astral, dann physisch, dann plastisch, dann intellektuell und schließlich urbildlich. Diese sieben Formmetamorphosen nannte man im Anfang der theosophischen Lehr-Entwicklung die sieben Globen:
Die arupische Metamorphose den ersten Globus,
die rupische Metamorphose den zweiten Globus,
die astrale Metamorphose den dritten Globus,
die physische Metamorphose den vierten Globus,
die plastische Metamorphose den fünften Globus,
die intellektuelle Metamorphose den sechsten Globus,
die urbildliche Metamorphose den siebenten Globus.
Diese sieben Globen sind nicht wirklich getrennte Globen; der objektive Vorgang ist nicht so, daß man einen Globus verläßt und auf einen anderen kommt, vielmehr bilden die Globen zusammen eine Kugel, in der sich diese verschiedenen Formzustände gegenseitig durchdringen und auf der dasselbe Wesen sieben Metamorphosen durchläuft. Diese Entwicklung der Formzustände nennt man in der älteren esoterischen Sprache Phasenzustände. Das hängt zusammen mit etwas, was sich durch folgenden Gedankengang beschreiben läßt.
Wir denken uns ein physisch sehendes Wesen und stellen uns vor, daß alle diese Zustände immerwährend in der Welt vorhanden sind. Während der Mensch auf seiner Stufe steht, stehen andere Wesenheiten in anderen Entwicklungsstadien. Man nennt das in der esoterischen Sprache: Hier beginnt eine höhere Form des Raumes. Diese Region nennt der Esoteriker die Region der Durchlässigkeit. Schon im Astralen können zwei Wesen einander durchdringen. Man muß in sich eine Empfindung von der Region der Durchlässigkeit entwickeln, von der Durchdringung unserer Welt durch eine andere. Wenn wir den Blick in die Welt hinaus richten, können wir physisch nur einen Teil des Kosmos sehen, einen Ausschnitt aus dem Ganzen. Ein Himmelskörper ist sichtbar, heißt: er befindet sich im vierten Zustand der Form, in der Phase der physischen Form, und unter den Stadien des Lebens befindet er sich im Mineralreich.
Ein Wesen, das durch die verschiedenen Formen hindurchgeht, wird nach und nach sichtbar, von der arupischen Form abwärts und verschwindet wieder nach und nach bis zur urbildlichen Form. Deshalb nennen wir diese Formzustände auch Phasen. Die Erde hat den arupischen, rupischen und astralen Zustand durchgemacht, ehe sie physisch sichtbar wurde. Sie wird nach dem physischen noch den plastischen, den intellektuellen und den urbildlichen Zustand durchmachen.
Auf dem physischen Plan besteht eine okkulte Beziehung zwischen diesen Phasen der Form und den Phasen des Mondes. Man nennt daher das Hindurchgehen eines Wesens durch die sieben Formphasen vom arupischen Zustand zum archetypischen einen Weltenmonat. Das Durchgehen durch alle Bewußtseinszustände nennt man ein Weltenjahr. Zwischen dem Weltentag (Formzyklus) und dem Weltenjahr (Bewußtseinszyklus) liegt der Weltenmonat (Lebenszustände), der länger ist als der Weltentag und kürzer als das Weltenjahr.
In der esoterischen Sprache heißt das Bewußtsein: die Sonne; die Form: der Mond; das Leben für uns jetzt: die Erde. Ein Bewußtseinszustand dauert am längsten, dann ein Lebenszustand weniger lang und ein Formzustand am kürzesten. Jeder Lebenszustand muß durch alle sieben Formzustände hindurchgehen. Vom Arupa- bis zum archetypischen Zustand geht er hindurch zunächst im ersten Elementarreich, dann im zweiten und dritten Elementarreich und so weiter. Dadurch macht er sieben mal sieben aufeinanderfolgende Metamorphosen des Lebens durch - das sind die sieben Runden, die durch je sieben Metamorphosen der Form hindurchgehen, die sieben mal sieben Metamorphosen oder 49, die jedes Wesen durchzumachen hat: 49 auf der Erde, 49 auf dem Monde, so je 49 auf sieben planetarischen Systemen, also sieben mal 49 = 343 (die Quersumme ist 10). Diese 343 Zustände heißen ein Weltenjahr. Jetzt sind wir im vierten planetarischen System (dem vierten Bewußtseinszustand, dem Wachbewußtsein). Auf der Erde sind wir, und zwar gehen wir durch das vierte Reich des Lebens, die vierte Runde, das Mineralreich hindurch. Das Mineralreich ist auf dem vierten Globus, das heißt in der vierten Formphase, der physischen, angelangt, und es wird in dieser Runde zur Vollendung kommen, daher auch der physische Körper des Menschen in seinen mineralischen Bestandteilen in dieser Runde zur Vollkommenbheit gelangt. Erst nach Vollendung aller 343 Zustände wird der Mensch das, was wir einen «Gott» nennen, aber doch nicht der höchste Gott, sondern das, was wir den dritten Logos nennen, das ist in Wahrheit der Logos der Form, der durch die 343 Metamorphosen hindurchgegangen sein wird. Er stellt die Form im höchsten Stadium dar. Diese verschiedenen Gestaltungen des Bewußtseins sind auf dem höheren Plan wiederum Form. Als Einheit gedacht sind also diese 343 Formen der dritte Logos. Der zweite Logos wird das Leben im höchsten Stadium darstellen und der erste Logos das Bewußtsein im höchsten Stadium. Die Stadien der Form werden den Esoterikern durch Farben und Zeichen dargestellt, die Stadien des Lebens durch Töne, das Leben erklingt. Für die Stadien des Bewußtseins sind in der physischen Welt zu charakterisierende Zeichen nicht vorhanden.
Fourth Lecture
Since all evolution proceeds according to three principles: consciousness, life, and form, and every being must pass through these three principles many times, we must know exactly which stages of consciousness, life, or form we can speak of. We can know something about seven of each of these. The seven stages of consciousness are:
1. The so-called trance state of consciousness, also called deep trance
2. Dreamless sleep
3. Dream sleep
4. The waking state or object consciousness
5. The psychic state or conscious image consciousness
6. The super-psychic state or conscious life
7. The spiritual state = self-conscious universal consciousness.
The first, the trance state, is characterized by the fact that it is an all-consciousness. In terms of breadth, it is the most all-encompassing consciousness, but on the other hand, it is limited by its dullness; it is the dullest state of consciousness. A being on our Earth who is put into this trance state would perceive the movements of the planets, the mineral forms, the forms of crystals, and so on, but plants, animals, and human life would not exist for this being. When this trance state is induced today, the being is able to see things in the cosmos, but not the life of physical beings. When trance occurs today in a pathological state, or when this state is induced, those in it begin to describe chains of worlds and the like, sometimes confused, but sometimes producing strange things quite similar to theosophical teachings. It is a far-reaching universal consciousness, but too dull to truly grasp living, sentient beings.
The second state of consciousness is what we call the state of dreamless sleep. The way in which humans experience the state of sleep is generally still so dull that most feel unconscious in it. It is a less dull consciousness than the previous one, but a narrower one. Those who experience this state perceive what is happening in the mineral and plant kingdoms, but the animal kingdom and so on, the world of feelings and thoughts, are not there for them. Somnambulists of this degree create extraordinary arabesque drawings in this state, but do not have the ability to design world systems.
The third state is dream sleep, the state of dreaming familiar to humans. Most of the time, they are unaware of the connection between their dreams and world events. This dream sleep consciousness is not comprehensive, but it reflects the inorganic, the mineral, as well as the plant and animal worlds. To the undeveloped, these dreams often appear as mirror images of their own passions, their animal nature.
In the fourth, the waking state, the narrowest but also the clearest state of consciousness, one perceives the mineral kingdom, plants, animals, humans, but only the exterior, the form, not the law, not the sensation. The human being in the waking state must first construct this according to the external gesture.
This is followed by the higher states of consciousness, in which the bright clarity of physical consciousness is retained. The fifth state, psychic consciousness, expands and extends beyond the astral world. In it, feelings are seen directly. For example, one sees not only a person's sour face, but also the feeling itself. The sixth state is hyperpsychic consciousness. In this state, in addition to everything physical, the person can also perceive everything that lives. They see the principle of growth, of life itself. The seventh state is spiritual consciousness: in this state, the person perceives everything that happens in the cosmos with bright, clear consciousness.
Then we have the seven evolutionary stages of life, which we call:
1. The first elemental kingdom
2. The second elemental kingdom
3. The third elemental kingdom
4. The mineral kingdom
5. The plant kingdom
6. The animal kingdom
7. The human kingdom.
If we want to characterize these stages in a similar way to those of consciousness, we can say:
The first elemental kingdom is the most subjective. The second elemental kingdom is already less subjective. The third elemental kingdom is even less subjective. We can distinguish three degrees of subjectivity in the three elemental kingdoms. Where it begins to become objective, that is, where it acts not only from the inside out, but is also seen from the outside, it becomes the mineral kingdom. In the first elemental kingdom, being asserts itself outwardly. In the second elemental kingdom, life asserts itself outwardly. In the third elemental kingdom, sensation or consciousness pushes itself outward. In the fourth, the mineral kingdom, being has become objective (4th stage of life). The plant kingdom: here, life has become objective (5th stage of life). The animal kingdom: here, sensation and consciousness have become objective (6th stage of life). In the human kingdom, all three degrees become objective (7th stage of life). Consciousness and the I have then entered completely into objectivity.
Life thus develops through the seven kingdoms, but form also passes through seven stages. These are:
1. The arupic form, the form in its very earliest stage, where it is not yet a real form, but is already pushing outward.
2. The rupic form, the spiritual form, the most delicate hint of an outer form.
3. The astral form, which begins to become visible externally.
4. The physical form.
5. The plastic form, which is no longer rigid, but asserts itself from within, in which life pushes outward into form.
6. The intellectual form, which has become even more mobile, in which the spirit pushes outward.
7. The archetypal, the primal form. This form is completely self-controlled and entirely mobile within itself. Everything pushes outward, it can shape everything, it is active.
If we now want to consider the evolution of any entity, we must be clear that it must go through all these stages of consciousness, life, and form, in the following manner:
Every being must go through the seven stages of consciousness, and each stage of this state of consciousness in its various forms is called a planetary system in theosophical textbooks. A being goes through a planetary system, meaning it metamorphoses into these seven states of consciousness. Now man is going through the state of waking consciousness; we call this the earthly state. Before that, man went through the state of dream consciousness. At that time, he lived in the stage of lunar development. It is said that man has completed the moon in his development.
In each state of consciousness, human beings must pass through all the realms, that is, through all the states of life. Thus, on the moon, they passed through the first, second, and third elemental realms, as well as through the other four realms, in a dream-conscious state. Then, on Earth, they had to pass through the seven stages of life. At present, human beings are in the planetary system of the Earth, that is, in the waking state, in the middle stage of life, the mineral realm. In terms of form, human beings are now physical (fourth globe or fourth state of form); in terms of life, mineral (fourth round); in terms of consciousness, awake (fourth planetary system). The passage of a being through one of the life kingdoms is called a round. There are seven rounds in each planetary system. Human beings are in the fourth round on Earth. In this round, mineral development is brought to completion; in the fifth round, plant development; in the sixth round, animal development, animal consciousness; and in the seventh round, human development, human consciousness. Every being must pass through all seven forms in each of these seven realms, taking on each form. It first becomes arupic, then rupic, then astral, then physical, then plastic, then intellectual, and finally archetypal. In the early days of theosophical teaching, these seven form metamorphoses were called the seven globes:
The arupic metamorphosis is the first globe,
the rupic metamorphosis is the second globe,
the astral metamorphosis is the third globe,
the physical metamorphosis is the fourth globe,
the plastic metamorphosis the fifth globe,
the intellectual metamorphosis the sixth globe,
the archetypal metamorphosis the seventh globe.
These seven globes are not really separate globes; the objective process is not such that one leaves one globe and enters another, but rather the globes together form a sphere in which these different states of form interpenetrate each other and on which the same being undergoes seven metamorphoses. In older esoteric language, this development of states of form is called phase states. This is related to something that can be described by the following train of thought.
We imagine a physically seeing being and form a mental image of all these states being ever-present in the world. While human beings are at their stage, other beings are at other stages of development. In esoteric language, this is called: Here begins a higher form of space. Esotericists call this region the region of permeability. Even in the astral realm, two beings can permeate each other. We must develop within ourselves a sense of the region of permeability, of the permeation of our world by another. When we look out into the world, we can only see a part of the cosmos physically, a section of the whole. A celestial body is visible, meaning it is in the fourth state of form, in the phase of physical form, and among the stages of life it is in the mineral kingdom.
A being that passes through the various forms gradually becomes visible, descending from the arupic form, and gradually disappears again until it reaches the archetypal form. That is why we also call these states of form phases. The earth went through the arupic, rupic, and astral states before it became physically visible. After the physical state, it will go through the plastic, intellectual, and archetypal states.
On the physical plane, there is an occult relationship between these phases of form and the phases of the moon. Therefore, the passage of a being through the seven phases of form from the arupic state to the archetypal state is called a world month. Passing through all states of consciousness is called a world year. Between the world day (form cycle) and the world year (consciousness cycle) lies the world month (states of life), which is longer than the world day and shorter than the world year.
In esoteric language, consciousness is called the sun; form is called the moon; life for us now is called the earth. A state of consciousness lasts the longest, then a state of life lasts less long, and a state of form lasts the shortest. Every state of life must pass through all seven states of form. From the arupa state to the archetypal state, it passes first through the first elemental realm, then through the second and third elemental realms, and so on. In this way, it undergoes seven times seven successive metamorphoses of life—these are the seven rounds, each of which passes through seven metamorphoses of form, the seven times seven metamorphoses or 49 that every being must undergo: 49 on Earth, 49 on the Moon, 49 on each of the seven planetary systems, i.e., seven times 49 = 343 (the cross sum is 10). These 343 states are called a world year. We are now in the fourth planetary system (the fourth state of consciousness, waking consciousness). We are on Earth, and we are passing through the fourth kingdom of life, the fourth round, the mineral kingdom. The mineral kingdom has reached the fourth globe, that is, the fourth form phase, the physical, and it will reach completion in this round, which is why the physical body of the human being will also reach perfection in its mineral components in this round. Only after completing all 343 states will the human being become what we call a “god,” but not the highest god, rather what we call the third Logos, which is in truth the Logos of form that will have passed through the 343 metamorphoses. It represents form in its highest stage. These different forms of consciousness are, in turn, form on the higher plane. Thought of as a unity, these 343 forms are the third Logos. The second Logos will represent life at its highest stage and the first Logos consciousness at its highest stage. The stages of form are represented to esotericists by colors and signs, the stages of life by sounds; life resounds. There are no signs in the physical world that can be used to characterize the stages of consciousness.