Awareness - Life - Form
GA 89
29 October 1904, Berlin
Planetary Evolution V
Conscious awareness on the first planet was at deep trance level. It had the widest horizon, yet it was also the dimmest. The human being had an overview of the whole planetary system in this state. On the second planet, conscious awareness was at the dreamless sleep level—somewhat brighter but also narrower. On the third planet, dream-filled sleep level awareness was distinctly brighter and narrower. At the dreamless sleep level, human beings were able to perceive life, at the dream-filled sleep level also the inner feelings. Conscious awareness on the fourth planet is daytime consciousness, narrowed down to the greatest degree but also destined to perceive the conscious self in another individual. This is the clearest state of conscious awareness. The psychic level of awareness on the fifth planet will be far brighter than our present one. It will extend across the whole astral sphere. On the sixth planet, conscious awareness will be at the hyperpsychic stage. The lower thought world will be openly apparent to human beings. On the seventh planet humanity will reach the spiritual stage of conscious awareness. Then the higher mental world will open up before them. Every developmental phase within such a level of conscious awareness is called a ‘planet’ or a ‘planetary evolution’. This covers the evolution of conscious awareness.
A review of the evolution of life follows. Every stage of awareness has to go through seven life stages, these being the first, second and third elemental worlds, the mineral, plant, animal and human worlds. Each phase of passing through a life stage is called a ‘round’. We thus have 7 rounds on each planet, and on the 7 planets together 49 metamorphoses of life.
The stages of form.
Every life stage has to go through seven form stages, the forms of the
- arupic
- rupic
- astral
- physical
- plastic (physically mobile—life governs form)
- intellectual (not only mobile, but can be penetrated by thought)
- archetypal (the whole I lies exposed to the outside world)
These form stages are called 'globes'. Every stage has a special function. Let us consider these functions in the case of human beings.
Human beings first of all go through the seven worlds in the seven form stages in deep trance awareness. On every planet, the densest stage is the middle one (No. 25 in the table below). We thus have the first elemental world in the arupic, rupic, astral, physical, plastic, intellectual and archetypal stages; then the second elemental world in the same seven stages, and likewise the third elemental world. We also have the mineral world in the stage states. These realms were only at the seed stage, however; in reality there was only one world. Number 49 is the human world in the archetypal stage, as the last globe in the last round—form, life, spiritual awareness.
The characteristic physical form is gone through in the middle of the 49 stages. The human being entered into evolution as a universal spirit which then became a separate spirit. First of all an individual orb separated off from a general orb. Those individual human orbs went through the different transformation stages. One of the later transformation processes yielded the ‘ether double body’. This stage of first separation from the universal is called ‘conscious awareness going down into the abyss’.60See notebook page ‘777 incarnations’ and Special Note, both in this volume. In a lecture given in Paris on 9 June 1906 (An Esoteric Cosmology, in GA 94; Spring Valley: St George Publications 1978), we read that the number 7-7-7 signifies the esoteric cipher of the three Logoi and the exoteric number is the multiplication of these three sevenhoods in the evolutional plan, i.e. 343. It is reached in the physical stage of the first planet. 24 stages went before, with another 24 to follow. The middle stage, the 25th, is the densest. The physical potential for the human being arose as a dense physical orb. At that time the Earth was like the ether or like the consistency of light on our present Earth. When awareness had fallen into the abyss it had a form rather like a mulberry.
On the second planet, in the deep sleep state of awareness (dreamless sleep), the human being became immersed in number. The orbs developed on the first planet were acting in a certain regular harmony. A relict from that second state is that chemical elements do not combine in any random numbers. Colours and sounds are in an order determined by their wave lengths. On the second planet we thus find order based on measure, number and weight.
Only one world existed at the first stage (Saturn); at the second stage (Sun), when the human being had become immersed in number, it was possible to separate into two worlds. One world arose which remained a continuum all the way to the human being, and another containing everything that was not suitable for developing as far as the human being. This became a separate second world (potential for animal and plant worlds, the lower forms of life). Law: It is not possible to have higher development unless something is separated out and left behind at a lower level. The degree of development was specific and given in that potential of the first planet. From it followed the law of life. It is the law of unequal but full development—no taking without giving. The first obligation of the esoteric student is to give something back.
On the third planet a third element developed—the law of elective affinities. People develop sympathy and antipathy for one another. This law applies in all worlds, in chemistry, for example, and in the mineral world. This also made it possible for a new world to develop. The animal, plant and mineral worlds developed. The human being as we see him today did not yet exist at that time. He was still a kind of animal then, at the kamic level. The spirit had not yet entered into the body.
On the fourth planet, in waking consciousness, a new potential developed for some entities so that they were not subject to the law of elective affinity. A life form that went further had to come. This was birth and death, which did not exist before. This form of life could only come because entities no longer existed in isolation but were held together by a supersensible thread of life. Individual incarnations were as if threaded on some cotton. The entity became manifold in time through birth and death. Before, human beings were manifold only in space. On the third planet (Moon), multiplication happened by tying off and division, and all lived in sympathy and antipathy with one another. Everything which multiplies by division is therefore immortal in material terms. Because of this the lowest animals, monads, are immortal (according to Weismann).62August Weismann (1834–1914), zoologist. Rudolf Steiner wrote about him in his essay ‘Haeckel und seine Gegner’ [in German] in GA 30. Death is only possible when insemination exists as well as division. The price for birth and death was that entities continued to be split off, with the human being developing at the cost of other entities. Because of this, birth and death was also imposed on all other entities, which have no individual karma. The human being had to push each of the worlds which were below him down by one level.
Birth and death are connected with human karma. On the next planet, the human being, having gained a higher level of awareness, will be aware not only of the workings of karma but will have conscious awareness in karma itself. His inner strength will have grown to such an extent that he will have the will to be his karma. He will bear it in his figure and physiognomy. His physiognomy will reveal what lies in his astral and mental body. It will then happen that someone who is good will also be truly seen to be good from the outside, and someone who is evil as evil. Such evil people will then be found only among those who trained in black magic. The great judgement will come, dividing good from evil. This will happen on the fifth planet. From the fifth planet onwards we can only speak of the evolution of goodness.
On the sixth planet everything that is meaningless will be eliminated as evolution continues—anything that shows itself to be senseless and illogical on the lower mental plane. This sixth planet is the planet of the Logos, the word, for it is the word which gives meaning.
On the seventh planet, a wholly purified condition will prevail. The planets that went before will have performed their functions, and the fruits of this will be gathered. This is the state of being in complete harmony with God.
The spirit was present all the time when the human body was evolving and going through all these stages. Initially it floated above the body, and then, in the middle of the Lemurian age, it united with the body. The spirit is meant to gather experience on the lower planes through the body. In Greek esoteric teaching, the human soul was compared to a bee gathering honey from the planetary evolutions, from the fall into the abyss on the first planet to the state of complete harmony with God on the seventh planet. Redemption is thus happening all the time. What is held under a spell in matter is released and redeemed. Human beings only gathered experiences from the time when they inhabited the body. Before that they were the architect who built the whole of it in order to inhabit it.
The human being thus goes through the following process of evolution.
| I. First elemental world | 1. arupic 2. rupic 3. astral 4. physical 5. plastic 6. intellectual 7. archetypal |
| II. Second elemental world | 8. arupic 9. rupic 10. astral 11. physical 12. plastic 13. intellectual 14. archetypal |
| III. Third elemental world | 15. arupic 16. rupic 17. astral 18. physical 19. plastic 20. intellectual 21. archetypal |
| IV. Mineral world | 22. arupic 23. rupic 24. astral 25. physical 26. plastic 27. intellectual 28. archetypal |
| V. Plant world | 29. arupic 30. rupic 31. astral 32. physical 33. plastic 34. intellectual 35. archetypal |
| VI. Animal world | 36. arupic 37. rupic 38. astral 39. physical 40. plastic 41. intellectual 42. archetypal |
| VII. Human world | 43. arupic 44. rupic 45. astral 46. physical 47. plastic 48. intellectual 49. archetypal |
The 25th level, the middle one, is always the deepest and densest. We are now on the fourth planet and at the 25th level, which means in the densest state. On the seventh planet, in the seventh world, the human world, and the seventh form, which is archetypal, human evolution will reach its greatest perfection. The human being will then have his archetypal form, be truly godlike and human, with an all-embracing, spiritual conscious awareness.
Fünfter Vortrag
Das Bewußtsein des ersten Planeten war das Tieftrancebewußstsein; es hatte den weitesten Horizont, war aber auch das dumpfeste Bewußtsein. Darin überschaute der Mensch das ganze Planetensystem. Darauf folgte auf dem zweiten Planeten das etwas hellere, aber auch beengtere Bewußtsein des traumlosen Schlafes, und auf dem dritten Planeten das wesentlich hellere und engere Bewußtsein des Traumschlafes. Im Bewußtsein des traumlosen Schlafes konnte der Mensch das Leben wahrnehmen, im Traumschlaf auch die Empfindungen. Das Bewußtsein des vierten Planeten ist das Tagesbewußtsein; es ist das allereingeengteste, aber berufen, das bewußte Selbst im andern wahrzunehmen. Es ist das klarste Bewußtsein. Die psychische Stufe des Bewußtseins auf dem fünften Planeten wird weit heller sein als die jetzige; das Bewußtsein wird sich da über alles Astrale erstrecken. Auf dem sechsten Planeten folgt die hyperpsychische Stufe des Bewußtseins; darin wird die niedere Gedankenwelt offenbar vor dem Menschen liegen. Auf dem siebenten Planeten erreicht der Mensch dann das spirituelle Bewußtseinsstadium; darin liegt die höhere Mentalwelt offen vor dem Menschen da. Man nennt jede Entwicklungsphase innerhalb einer solchen Bewußtseinsstufe einen «Planeten» oder eine Planetenentwicklung. Diese Einteilung umfaßt die Entwicklung des Bewußtseins.
Nun folgt eine Übersicht über die Entwicklung des Lebens: Jede Bewußtseinsstufe muß durch sieben Lebensstadien hindurchgehen, und zwar durch das erste, zweite und dritte Elementarreich, durch das Mineral-, Pflanzen-, Tier- und Menschenreich. Jede Phase des Durchganges durch eine Lebensstufe nennt man eine «Runde». Also haben wir auf jedem Planeten sieben Runden, oder zusammen auf den sieben Planeten 49 Metamorphosen des Lebens.
Die Stadien der Form: Jedes Lebensstadium hat durch sieben Stadien der Form hindurchzugehen, nämlich durch die Form des:
1. Arupischen
2. Rupischen
3. Astralen
4. Physischen
5. Plastischen (physisch beweglich: das Leben beherrscht die Form)
6. Intellektuellen (nicht nur beweglich, sondern für den Gedanken durchdringbar)
7. Urbildlichen, Archetypischen (das ganze Ich liegt nackt vor der äußeren Welt).
Diese Formstufen werden Globen genannt. Jedes Stadium hat eine besondere Aufgabe. Wir wollen diese Aufgaben für den Menschen betrachten.
Der Mensch geht zunächst im Tieftrancebewußtsein durch die sieben Reiche in den sieben Formstadien hindurch. Das dichteste Stadium ist das mittelste auf jedem Planeten (siehe Nummer 25 im Schema auf Seite ...nach Seite 21).
Wir haben also das erste Elementarreich im arupischen, rupischen, astralen physischen, plastischen, intellektuellen und urbildlichen Stadium; sodann das zweite Elementarreich in denselben sieben Stadien, desgleichen auch das dritte Elementarreich. Ferner haben wir das Mineralreich in denselben Zuständen. Diese Reiche waren aber nur als Keime vorhanden; in Wirklichkeit existierte nur ein Reich. Nummer 49 ist das Menschenreich im urbildlichen Stadium, als letzter Globus auf der letzten Runde: Form, Leben, spirituelles Bewußtsein.
Die charakteristische physische Gestalt wird in der Mitte der 49 Stadien durchgemacht. Eingetreten ist der Mensch in die Entwicklung als ein Allwesen. Er wird dann ein Sonderwesen. Zunächst sonderte er sich als einzelne Kugel von einer allgemeinen Kugel ab. Diese einzelnen Menschenkugeln gingen durch die verschiedenen Verwandlungen hindurch. Aus einer der späteren Verwandlungen entstand der sogenannte Äther-Doppelkörper. Man nennt dieses Stadium des ersten Sich-Absonderns von dem Allwesen das «Versinken des Bewußtseins in den Abgrund». Dieses wird bei dem physischen Stadium des ersten Planeten erreicht. Es gehen 24 Stadien voraus und es folgen 24 Stadien. Das mittlere, das 25. Stadium, ist das dichteste. Die physische Anlage entstand als derbe physische Kugel. Die Erde glich damals unserem Äther oder der Lichtmaterie "unserer jetzigen Erde und hatte nach dem Sturz des Bewußtseins in den Abgrund die Form einer Art Maulbeere.
Auf dem zweiten Planeten, im Tiefschlafbewußtsein (traumloser Schlaf), versenkte sich der Mensch in die Zahl. Die auf dem ersten Planeten entstandenen Kugeln wirken in einer gewissen regelmäßigen Harmonie. Zurückgeblieben von diesem zweiten Zustand ist, daß die chemischen Elemente nicht nach beliebiger Weise verbunden sind; Farben und Tonschwingungen sind nach ihrer Wellenzahl geordnet. So finden wir auf dem zweiten Planeten die Anordnung nach Maß, Zahl und Gewicht.
Im ersten Stadium (Saturn) gab es nur ein Reich, im zweiten Stadium (Sonne), als der Mensch sich in die Zahl versenkt hatte, war die Möglichkeit zu einer Trennung in zwei Reiche vorhanden. Es entstand erstens ein Reich, das kontinuierlich bis zum Menschen blieb, zweitens ein Reich von alle dem, was nicht geeignet war, daß es sich hätte bis zum Menschen entwickeln können; das wurde als ein besonderes zweites Reich ausgeschieden (Anlage zum Tier- und Pflanzenreich, zum niederen Lebendigen). Gesetz: keine Höher-Entwicklung kann erreicht werden, ohne daß etwas ausgesondert wird, das auf einer niederen Stufe zurückgelassen wird. Das Maß der Entwicklung ist ein bestimmtes und angegeben in dieser Anlage des ersten Planeten. Daraus folgt das Gesetz des Lebens. Das ist das Gesetz der ungleichen, aber vollen Entwicklung: Kein Nehmen ohne Geben. Die erste Verpflichtung des Esoterikers ist: Zurückzugeben.
Auf dem dritten Planeten entwickelte sich ein Drittes zu der Zahl hinzu: das Gesetz der Wahlverwandtschaft. Es besteht darin, daß die Menschen Sympathie und Antipathie füreinander entwikkeln. Man findet dieses Gesetz in allen Reichen, zum Beispiel in der Chemie, im Mineralreich. Damit war zugleich die Möglichkeit gegeben, daß sich ein neues Reich bildete. Es bildete sich das Tierreich, das Pflanzenreich, das Mineralreich. Der Mensch, den man heute sieht, existierte damals noch nicht. Er war damals noch eine Art Tier, auf der kamischen Stufe. Der Geist war noch nicht in den Körper eingezogen.
Auf dem vierten Planeten, im Tagesbewußtsein, kommt hinzu, daß sich die Möglichkeit entwickelt bei gewissen Wesen, daß sie nicht dem Gesetz der Wahlverwandtschaft unterliegen. Es muß eine übergreifende Lebensform kommen. Diese ist Geburt und Tod, die es vorher nicht gab. Diese konnte nur hinzukommen dadurch, daß nicht mehr Wesenheiten in Sonderheit bestanden, sondern daß sie durch einen übersinnlichen Lebensfaden zusammengehalten wurden. Die einzelnen Inkarnationen sind wie auf einem Faden zusammengereiht. Das Wesen wird jetzt durch Geburt und Tod in der Zeit mannigfaltig. Vorher waren die Menschen nur im Raume mannigfaltig. Das Vermehren auf dem dritten Planeten (dem Monde) geschah durch Abschnüren, Spalten, und alles lebte in Sympathie und Antipathie zueinander. Alles, was sich durch Spaltung vermehrt, ist materiell unsterblich. Daher sind die niedersten tierischen Lebewesen, Monaden (nach Weismann) unsterblich. Der Tod ist erst möglich, wenn zu der Spaltung die Befruchtung hinzutritt. Geburt und Tod kann nur dadurch erkauft werden, indem weiterhin Wesen abgespalten werden und der Mensch sich auf Kosten anderer Wesen entwickelt. Deshalb wird Geburt und Tod auch allen anderen Wesen auferlegt, die kein individuelles Karma haben. Der Mensch mußte die unter ihm stehenden Reiche um je eins herunterstoßen.
Was zusammenhängt mit Geburt und Tod, ist des Menschen Karma. Auf dem nächsten Planeten wird der Mensch bei dem erhöhten Bewußtsein sich nicht mehr nur der Wirkungen des Karma bewußt werden, sondern im Karma selbst bewußt sein. Seine innere Kraft wird so gewachsen sein, daß er den Willen haben wird, dieses Karma darzustellen. Er wird es in seiner Gestalt, in seiner Physiognomie tragen. Dann wird seine Physiognomie zeigen, was im Astral- und Mentalkörper ist. Dann tritt das ein, daß der Gute wirklich gut auch nach außen zu erkennen ist und der Böse wirklich als Böser. Solche Böse gibt es dann nur unter denen, die sich als schwarze Magier ausgebildet haben. Da geschieht die große Entscheidung, die Trennung zwischen dem Guten und dem Bösen. Das geschieht auf dem fünften Planeten. Von dem fünften Planeten an kann man nur noch von der Evolution des Guten reden.
Auf dem sechsten Planeten wird in der Weiterentwicklung alles ausgeschieden, was das Sinnlose ist, das, was sich auf dem niederen Mentalplan als unsinnig, unlogisch zeigt. Dieser sechste Planet ist der Planet des Logos, des Wortes, weil das Wort den Sinn gibt. Auf dem siebenten Planeten herrscht ein vollständig gereinigter Zustand, wo die Aufgaben der vorhergehenden Planeten erfüllt sein werden, wo daraus die Früchte gezogen werden — das ist der Zustand der Gottseligkeit.
Während der Entwicklung des Körpers des Menschen, der durch alle diese Stadien hindurchgeht, war auch der Geist die ganze Zeit vorhanden. Aber zuerst schwebte er über dem Körper, dann, in der Mitte der lemurischen Zeit, verband er sich mit dem Körper. Der Geist soll durch den Körper Erfahrungen auf den niederen Planen einholen. In der Esoterik nennt man die Seele eines Menschen eine Biene, die den Honig einsammelt aus den planetarischen Entwicklungen, vom Sturz in den Abgrund auf dem ersten Planeten bis zur Gottseligkeit hinauf auf dem siebenten Planeten. So gehen fortwährend Erlösungen vor sich, ein Herauslösen und eine Erlösung des in die Materie Verzauberten. Die Erfahrungen sammelt der Mensch erst von da an, wo er den Körper bewohnt, aber zuerst ist er der Baumeister, der das ganze aufbaut, um es nachher selbst zu bewohnen.
Der Mensch macht also folgende Entwicklung durch:
Erster Planet (Trancebewußtsein):
I. Elementarreich Form:
1. arupisch
2. rupisch
3. astral
4. physisch
5. plastisch
6. intellektuell
7. archetypisch
Pralaya
II. Elementarreich Form:
8. arupisch bis 14. archetypisch
Pralaya
II. Elementarreich Form: 15. arupisch bis 21. archetypisch
Pralaya
IV. Mineralreich Form: 22. arupisch bis 28. archetypisch
Pralaya
V. Pflanzenreich Form: 29. arupisch bis 35. archetypisch
Pralaya
VI. Tierreich Form: 36. arupisch bis 42. archetypisch
Pralaya
VII. Menschenreich Form: 43. arupisch bis 49. archetypisch
Größeres Pralaya
Zweiter Planet (Bewußtsein des traumlosen Schlafes):
I. Elementarreich
Alles wie beim ersten Planeten.
Die 25. Stufe, die mittlere, ist immer die tiefste, dichteste. Wir sind jetzt auf dem vierten Planeten, auf der 25. Stufe, also im allerdichtesten Zustand. Auf dem siebenten Planeten, in dem siebenten Reich, dem Menschenreich, und der siebenten Form, der urbildliichen, wird die höchste Vollendung der Menschenentwicklung erreicht. Der Mensch hat dann die urbildliche Form, ist wahrhaft gottähnlicher Mensch und hat ein allumfassendes, spirituelles Bewußtsein.
Fifth Lecture
The consciousness of the first planet was deep trance consciousness; it had the widest horizon, but was also the dullest consciousness. In it, man surveyed the entire planetary system. This was followed on the second planet by the somewhat brighter but also more restricted consciousness of dreamless sleep, and on the third planet by the much brighter and more restricted consciousness of dream sleep. In the consciousness of dreamless sleep, human beings could perceive life, and in dream sleep they could also perceive sensations. The consciousness of the fourth planet is daytime consciousness; it is the most restricted, but called upon to perceive the conscious self in others. It is the clearest consciousness. The psychic level of consciousness on the fifth planet will be much brighter than the present one; consciousness will extend over everything astral. On the sixth planet, the hyperpsychic level of consciousness follows; in it, the lower world of thought will be revealed to man. On the seventh planet, man then reaches the spiritual stage of consciousness; in it, the higher mental world lies open before man. Each phase of development within such a level of consciousness is called a “planet” or a planetary development. This division encompasses the development of consciousness.
Now follows an overview of the development of life: Each stage of consciousness must pass through seven stages of life, namely through the first, second, and third elemental kingdoms, through the mineral, plant, animal, and human kingdoms. Each phase of passing through a stage of life is called a “round.” So we have seven rounds on each planet, or a total of 49 metamorphoses of life on the seven planets.
The stages of form: Each stage of life must pass through seven stages of form, namely the form of:
1. Arupic
2. Rupic
3. Astral
4. Physical
5. Plastic (physically mobile: life dominates form)
6. Intellectual (not only mobile, but penetrable by thought)
7. Archetypal (the whole self lies naked before the outer world).
These stages of form are called globes. Each stage has a specific task. Let us consider these tasks for human beings.
Human beings first pass through the seven realms in the seven stages of form in a deep trance consciousness. The densest stage is the middle one on each planet (see number 25 in the diagram on page ...to page 21).
So we have the first elemental kingdom in the arupic, rupic, astral, physical, plastic, intellectual, and archetypal stages; then the second elemental kingdom in the same seven stages, and likewise the third elemental kingdom. Furthermore, we have the mineral kingdom in the same states. However, these kingdoms existed only as seeds; in reality, only one kingdom existed. Number 49 is the human kingdom in the archetypal stage, as the last globe on the last round: form, life, spiritual consciousness.
The characteristic physical form is passed through in the middle of the 49 stages. Man has entered into development as a universal being. He then becomes a special being. First, he separated himself as an individual sphere from a general sphere. These individual human spheres went through various transformations. One of the later transformations gave rise to the so-called etheric double body. This stage of the first separation from the universal being is called the “sinking of consciousness into the abyss.” This is achieved at the physical stage of the first planet. It is preceded by 24 stages and followed by 24 stages. The middle stage, the 25th, is the densest. The physical structure arose as a coarse physical sphere. At that time, the Earth resembled our ether or the light matter of our present Earth and, after the fall of consciousness into the abyss, had the form of a kind of mulberry.
On the second planet, in deep sleep consciousness (dreamless sleep), man immersed himself in numbers. The spheres created on the first planet work in a certain regular harmony. What remains from this second state is that the chemical elements are not connected in any arbitrary way; colors and sound vibrations are arranged according to their wave number. Thus, on the second planet, we find arrangement according to measure, number, and weight.
In the first stage (Saturn), there was only one realm; in the second stage (Sun), when humans immersed themselves in numbers, the possibility of a separation into two realms existed. First, a realm arose that remained continuous up to man; second, a realm of everything that was not suitable for developing up to man; this was separated out as a special second realm (appendix to the animal and plant kingdoms, to lower life forms). Law: no higher development can be achieved without something being separated out and left behind at a lower level. The measure of development is a specific one and is indicated in this appendix of the first planet. From this follows the law of life. This is the law of unequal but full development: no taking without giving. The first obligation of the esotericist is to give back.
On the third planet, a third element was added to the number: the law of elective affinity. It consists in people developing sympathy and antipathy for one another. This law is found in all kingdoms, for example in chemistry, in the mineral kingdom. This also made it possible for a new kingdom to form. The animal kingdom, the plant kingdom, and the mineral kingdom were formed. The human being we see today did not yet exist at that time. At that time, he was still a kind of animal, on the kamic stage. The spirit had not yet entered the body.
On the fourth planet, in daytime consciousness, the possibility develops in certain beings that they are not subject to the law of elective affinity. A comprehensive form of life must come into being. This is birth and death, which did not exist before. This could only come about because beings no longer existed in isolation, but were held together by a supersensible thread of life. The individual incarnations are strung together like beads on a thread. The being now becomes manifold in time through birth and death. Previously, humans were only manifold in space. Multiplication on the third planet (the moon) took place through separation, division, and everything lived in sympathy and antipathy with each other. Everything that multiplies through division is materially immortal. Therefore, the lowest animal creatures, monads (according to Weismann), are immortal. Death is only possible when fertilization is added to division. Birth and death can only be achieved by continuing to divide beings and developing at the expense of other beings. That is why birth and death are also imposed on all other beings that do not have individual karma. Man had to push down the realms below him by one each.
What is connected with birth and death is human karma. On the next planet, with their heightened consciousness, humans will no longer be aware only of the effects of karma, but will be conscious within karma itself. Their inner strength will have grown to such an extent that they will have the will to represent this karma. They will carry it in their form, in their physiognomy. Then their physiognomy will show what is in their astral and mental bodies. Then it will be the case that the good will truly be recognizable as good on the outside, and the evil as truly evil. Such evil will then only exist among those who have trained themselves as black magicians. There the great decision will take place, the separation between good and evil. This will happen on the fifth planet. From the fifth planet onwards, one can only speak of the evolution of the good.
On the sixth planet, everything that is meaningless, everything that appears nonsensical and illogical on the lower mental plane, is eliminated in the further development. This sixth planet is the planet of the Logos, of the Word, because the Word gives meaning. On the seventh planet, a completely purified state prevails, where the tasks of the previous planets will be fulfilled, where the fruits will be reaped — this is the state of godliness.
During the development of the human body, which goes through all these stages, the spirit was also present the entire time. But at first it hovered above the body, then, in the middle of the Lemurian period, it connected with the body. The spirit is supposed to gain experience on the lower planes through the body. In esotericism, the soul of a human being is called a bee that collects honey from planetary developments, from the fall into the abyss on the first planet to godliness on the seventh planet. Thus, redemption is constantly taking place, a liberation and redemption of those enchanted by matter. Human beings only gather experiences from the moment they inhabit the body, but first they are the builders who construct the whole in order to inhabit it themselves afterwards.
Human beings thus undergo the following development:
First planet (trance consciousness):
I. Elemental realm Form:
1. arupic
2. rupic
3. astral
4. physical
5. plastic
6. intellectual
7. archetypal
Pralaya
II. Elemental realm Form:
8. arupic to 14. archetypal
Pralaya
II. Elemental realm Form: 15th arupic to 21st archetypal
Pralaya
IV. Mineral realm Form: 22nd arupic to 28th archetypal
Pralaya
V. Plant realm Form: 29th arupic to 35th archetypal
Pralaya
VI. Animal realm Form: 36th arupic to 42nd archetypal
Pralaya
VII. Human kingdom Form: 43rd arupic to 49th archetypal Greater Pralaya Second planet (consciousness of dreamless sleep): I. Elemental kingdom Everything as on the first planet.The 25th stage, the middle one, is always the deepest, densest. We are now on the fourth planet, on the 25th stage, i.e., in the densest state. On the seventh planet, in the seventh realm, the human realm, and the seventh form, the archetypal one, the highest perfection of human development is achieved. Humans then have the archetypal form, are truly godlike, and have an all-encompassing, spiritual consciousness.