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Course for Young Doctors
Easter Course
GA 316

25 April 1924 a.m., Dornach

Lecture V

I should still like to add something to what we have been studying, and afterwards to consider the more general theme to which certain of your questions relate.

I want to speak now of something that it is well to consider only after we have listened to what has been given here in the last few days. It is not well to give the general truths first but only to pass on to them when certain things have already been learned. Only so can general truths receive their proper coloring.

We will now picture to ourselves that each of the four members of man's being—physical body, etheric body, astral body, and ego has its own special structure. The structure of physical body and etheric body is one of space and time. The structure of astral body and ego is purely spiritual. A purely spiritual structure is not governed by space and time. It is possible, nonetheless, to make a picture of the spiritual structure so that we can have a conception of it. This can be done in imaginative consciousness. Hold it firmly in your minds, my dear friends, that on the one side we have to do with a physical etheric structure which in the sleeping human being is separated from the structure of spirit and soul, and, on the other side, with the structure of spirit and soul.

In the sleeping human being we have a physical etheric structure which has sent out the ego and astral body, and again we have the structure of spirit and soul that is separated from physical body and etheric body. These two structures are very different from each other. The physical-etheric structure is differentiated into the single organs, as an organism that has, so to speak, driven out the single organs from the center of life. The astral body and ego structure have, however, been driven inwards from outside—it is as though space and time had been left free by this process. The essential thing is that the physical-etheric structure and the structure of spirit and soul are fundamentally different from one another. In the human being as he stands in the physical world in waking consciousness, the spirit and soul (astral body and ego) are inserted into the physical-etheric organization—to use a form of expression that is not absolutely accurate but enables us to visualize the state of things. To a certain degree they permeate each other. So that every physical organ that is warmed through and irradiated by the etheric body is also filled with life, inasmuch as the cosmos works through the etheric body, and in every physical organ ego organization and astral organization are working, when the human being is in waking consciousness.

And now think of the following: Suppose that astral organization and ego organization impress their own structure upon some organ or system of organs. In other words, something that ought to maintain its physical and etheric structure receives a spiritual structure, becomes an image of the astral and ego organization. This, speaking quite generally, is the cause of physical illnesses. Speaking generally, the cause of physical illnesses is that the body of the human being is becoming too spiritual, in some parts or as a whole. Hence, as was well-known in olden times, real and devoted study of the sick human being throws tremendous light upon knowledge of man as a being of spirit.

In ancient times quite a different idea prevailed of man's nature. Therefore I do not say the following in any sense for the purpose of suggesting that this conception should be re-adopted or made the basis for modern methods. In olden times, when conceptions of the human being were more robust, a man who held heretical views was burned, if such a fate was deemed necessary for the salvation of his soul. These heretics were burned for the salvation of their souls—so at least it was alleged. They were burned in order that they might be freed from what, after their death, would cause them the most terrible sufferings. This procedure was, in earlier times, the outcome of a form of vision; later on, of course, it assumed a really brutal form. Views about the human being were more robust and so it might happen that a certain preparation of melissa (balm mint) would be given to someone who might be regarded as healthy. When he took melissa that had been prepared in a certain way, his consciousness would become slightly dreamy. He became more dreamy than he was before taking the melissa preparation. In this condition, faint imaginations entered into his consciousness. If, for instance, a man was treated in a certain way with henbane (Hyoscyamus niger) he became very susceptible to inspirations. Such investigations revealed that if the solar plexus was stimulated by means of henbane, it was permeated with spirit; in such a case, astral body and ego organization take firm hold of the solar plexus. Or it was noticed that the whole blood supply of the cerebrum became stronger—to a slight extent, but the effect was very significant—by the administration of melissa juice, because the ego organization takes a firm hold by way of the cerebrum. And so the whole human being was tested for the purpose of finding out how he could become spiritual and of perceiving how the single organs could become more spiritual.

It is a preconceived notion to imagine that we think with the head. This is simply not true. We think with legs and with arms and the head beholds what is going on in the arms and legs and receives it into the pictures of thought. I said at Christmas that man would never have learned the law of angles if he had never walked. He would never have learned the mechanical laws of equilibrium if he had had no experience of them through his own center of gravity which lies in his subconsciousness. When we come to the astral body which unfolds these things in the subconsciousness, the human being appears to us to be extraordinarily wise, even if he is often a fool in the physical world, because the geometry that comes to expression in walking, for instance, is all known—if I may put it so—in the subconsciousness, and then perceived by the brain.

Now when the organization of spirit and soul takes too strong a hold of the physical-etheric organization, physical illness ensues. In former times, therefore, the spirit in the physical organs was investigated because everything that can be spoken of as a gift from above is spiritual, of the nature of spirit and soul. But a distinction has to be made here. What the human being received, in a purely spiritual way, as a gift from above, was called a gift and retained this name. But now take a substance like belladonna for example.

Whereas in ordinary plants the physical and etheric principles are at work, there are others where the cosmic astrality works very strongly from outside, where the spiritual element—either the astral or what corresponds in the cosmos to the ego organization—works upon plants or animals. Poisons are then produced instead of the gifts bestowed by the spirit. But the poisons are a true correlate of the spiritual because, in plants and animals, they are the element of cosmic astrality which transcends the plant nature proper. By administering henbane we lead over the astral contained in the warmth mantle of the earth (which marks the boundary of the atmosphere) into the solar plexus and thereby into the diaphragm of the human being. Melissa, which is not a poison in the real sense, produces a gentle working of the spiritual which shows itself only in a form of slight stupor. In melissa, the poisoning process is in statu nascendi. This leads to the principle: physical illness arises when the physical organism or its parts are becoming too strongly spiritual.

But a different condition may set in. It may happen that when a human being is in waking consciousness, the soul-spiritual structure of his astral body or ego organization is transferred with too much strength into some physical organ. But instead of impressing itself upon the physical organism the physical organism forces physical structure upon the structure of spirit and soul, so that when he is asleep the human being becomes, in his astral body and ego, an image of his physical and etheric body. He takes the physical structure into his astral body and ego.

Here we have the difference in the two forms of irregularities which may appear. Even to observation they differ quite essentially. When a human being is ill, the sick organ is, strange to say, spiritualized. It becomes clearer. As though from outside, from its surface inwards, it is laid hold of by spirituality. Long before any definite traces are noticeable in the color of the skin and the like, a sick man appears transparent—shall I say—to occult sight and the spirit and soul is pressing into the transparency.

We notice the opposite condition, where the organization of spirit and soul is taking on the structure of the physical and etheric, when a man in his life of soul and spirit is really asleep. Then he becomes a ghost, a fleeting, wavering ghost of his physical body. He remains like his physical body. He truly becomes a specter of his physical body, and all the crude experiments that are made by spiritualists in connection with manifestations, as they are called, are due to the fact that the spirit and soul in the medium is weakened. That is indeed obvious. In some hidden way, this is what happens. In a dark room the weakened astral body and ego can take on the forms of the organs to the point of visibility. The manifestations are real, but illicit.

Now all so-called mental diseases are due to the spirit and soul—astral body and ego organization—assuming the physical and etheric structure. All so-called mental illnesses are due to this. We may therefore say: Physical illnesses are due to the physical organism or its parts becoming spiritual. Mental illnesses are due to the astral body or ego organization, or one of their parts, taking form in the physical or etheric sense. This universal truth is a very good guiding principle.

These things have a bearing, too, upon questions put by individuals about the connection between medicine and pedagogy, for in the child's organism we have before us every grade between these two extremes. The astral and ego organization in one child will tend to make the physical and etheric body spiritual. In another child the tendency of the astral and ego organization will be to allow the physical and etheric to give them form. Between these two extremes there are all kinds of intermediate stages. This fundamental principle also comes to expression in the temperament. When the astral body and ego organization have a vehement tendency (not as in insanity but of a kind that is controllable) to assume forms belonging to the physical and etheric body, we have the melancholic temperament. When the astral body and ego organization have the tendency to impress their structure on the physical and etheric body, we have to do with the choleric temperament. The phlegmatic and sanguine temperaments lie in between. In the phlegmatic temperament the astral body and ego organization have a tendency, but only in a certain sense, to assume the structure of the physical and especially of the etheric body In the sanguine temperament, the vital principle in the etheric body is strongly influenced by the astral body. So this principle also comes to expression in the temperaments.

What, in radical cases, is the guiding principle for the physician, namely, knowledge of how the spirit and soul and physical-etheric are interlinked in the waking consciousness of a human being, is also a guiding principle for educators, although they have to deal with latent conditions. Pedagogy and medicine are mutual continuations, the one of the other.

Now what you have to do, my dear friends, is to strive with might and main to attain imagination in your conception of man's being. I should therefore like, in this connection, to give you a few fundamental indications.

The form of the human being in the embryonic state is familiar to you as a picture—or at any rate can become so. We know today what the embryo looks like in its earliest stages and the form it takes later on, and from this you can make a connected picture of the human being in the embryonic state. You can also form a connected picture of the human being during childhood. You must try to make both the first and second pictures as intense as possible, as though your thinking were actually touching them, so that it seems as if the embryo were tangible to your thinking and you were inwardly following its forms. Then, in your thoughts, expand the embryo to the size of the child in an equally intense mental picture which you can look at and observe. Then, inwardly metamorphosing the mental picture of the embryo, let it pass into the picture of the child. If you really carry this out, you will be aware of certain difficulties. You will feel: If I enlarge the head of the embryo to the size of a child's head, it becomes very big. I must compress it. I must also inwardly crystallize, as it were, all that in the embryo is still watery and fluid, being part of the fluid man so that it becomes the embryonic brain. Then you will have to stretch and give shape to the limbs in the embryonic state. Inwardly you will have to carry out an act of plastic activity by letting the unplastic limbs of the embryo pass over to become the limbs of the child. It is an extraordinarily interesting inner occupation to let the embryo pass over into childhood in inner contemplation.

Then, going further, you can make the same experiment with the child and the grown-up person. Here there will be greater difficulty. The differences between embryo and child are very considerable and you will have to be extremely active inwardly if you are to succeed. But when you compare childhood with the prime of life, the differences will not be so great. The difficulty will be to fit the one into the other. But if you succeed in this, the imagination of the human etheric body will actually come to birth within you, and comparatively soon.

Shove man's earliest time
[- the embryonic life -]
On into childhood,
And carry childhood on
Into the days of youth.
There will appear to you, condensed, Human ether being
Behind the body's structure.
[- physical body in its structure -]

Here you have a guiding principle which you can use just as well as the others I have given during these lectures. But you must fully realize that the acquisition of imaginative consciousness demands effort. It is not to be attained by mere beckoning but only by strenuous work.

Now you can go still further. You can try to picture an old, sclerotic man—old men are, to a certain extent, sclerotic—feeling that you are touching him and in this act of spiritual touching you get the impression that he is really hollow. The impression you get when you touch an old, sclerotic man spiritually is not as if he were more solid, harder, but, on the contrary, as if he were sucking at you. In this spiritual touching the feeling is as if, in the physical world, you were to run a moistened finger along the foam of a breaking wave or along the surface of clay. This, as you know, gives the impression of suction. So it is, spiritually, with a sclerotic old man. You must develop this experience of touch in your visual picture of the old man. This applies not only to the visual act but to any one of the twelve senses, also to the sense of life (Lebenssinn). So you have a picture of age, with its density, which seems to exercise suction. And now just as in the first instance you let the picture of the embryonic period pass on into the picture of childhood and then into that of the prime of life, maturity—now let the picture of old age pass backwards. Picture the mature human being and let your touch experience of the aged man pass back into the picture of man in the prime of life, who does not seem to suck but stands in the world full of vigor. When you let the picture of the embryonic structure pass over into the structure of childhood, you carried out a spatial metamorphosis—what happens now is that with old age you have the impression of a being who has been hollowed out, who sucks all the time, and this hollow being seems to be filled with force and energy when you let the picture pass back into the age of maturity. Whereas the first picture of abounding strength is connected with an experience of being very slightly paralyzed, when the picture of the old man is let pass backwards, vigor seems again to come into his bones and into the whole structure of his solid organism. More care must be taken when this inner process is being carried out. And then the picture of the prime of life must be carried back to that of youth. This is an easier thing to do. We picture a man who already has one or two wrinkles and then let him be merged into the picture of a young, chubby-faced person. When we succeed in doing this, we get the impression of the etheric body being animated, beginning to ring and sound. This gives us an impression of the astral nature of the human being. And so you have a guiding principle for the ascent to inspiration.

Shove old age's density
Back into the prime of life,
And the prime of life
Back into the life of youth.
There will ring forth in cosmic tones The working of man's soul
[—astral body—]
Out of the Ether life.

You will realize from what I have told you that guiding lines for meditation are not given out as a commandment but are based upon things that can be understood. When a human being is guided to meditation in the proper way, conditions are not as they once were in the ancient East, when both the upbringing of children and the development of old age rested upon quite different foundations. When somebody is given meditations today, they are of such a form that he realizes and understands what he is doing with himself. In the East the child was under the guidance of his Dada. This meant that the child was taught and brought up according to the Dada's mode of life. The child learned no more than he was able to learn by watching the Dada. When a grown-up man wished to make progress, he had his Guru. And the Guru taught in no other way than: thus it is and thus it shall be done. The difference in our Western civilization is that an appeal is always made to the free spiritual activity of the human being, so that he is fully aware of what he is doing. He also has insight into how inspiration arises.

If with the powers of healthy human intelligence we have grasped how physical illness and spiritual illness work—and the things I have told you today can be understood by healthy human intelligence—if we go on to realize what we should achieve in meditation, we have reached, with the powers of healthy human intelligence, the boundary of what can be attained. Healthy human intelligence can acquire everything that proceeds from Anthroposophy. When things begin that are not to be understood by healthy human intelligence, then it is right for this intelligence to work only so far as that boundary, and no farther. It is like standing by an lake—a boundary is there, too. We look towards it from the shore. Truly, the healthy human intelligence leads right up to this boundary. No criticism ought to be leveled at you for spreading an obscure, mystical view of the world, for it should be one that is attainable by all healthy human intelligence. When I once said the same thing in Berlin, an article that was written about the lecture, said: Healthy human intelligence can comprehend nothing whatever about the spiritual world and a form of intelligence which does grasp something about the spiritual world is ill; it is not healthy. This was what was held up against me.

I want still to say something else. Your medical studies oblige you to look very intimately into the whole nature and being of man and as young men and women you are in a special position. In all seriousness we must take the fact that the Kali Yuga has passed, that we have entered a new Age of Light although for the reason that the old continues through inertia, humanity is still living in the darkness. From the spiritual universe, light is shining in; as human beings, we are entering an Age of Light; only we must make ourselves fit to realize the intentions of this Age of Light. Young people are especially predestined for this and if with the necessary earnestness they unfold a definite consciousness of why they have been born precisely at the beginning of the Age of Light, it will be possible for them to adjust themselves to what is really demanded in the sense of the true evolution of humanity. And what is demanded now is that we shall look into the human being if we want to explain the world, just as formerly men looked at nature in order to see how the human being is built up out of the forces and processes of nature. Man and his being will have to be understood and the single nature processes as specializations, one-sided processes of what is going on within the human being. When this point is reached a certain inward quality in all the activities of human feeling and the human mind will arise—a quality that has been sought for, although in a rather tumultuous fashion.

Think only of how youth began to deify nature when the Youth Movement of the Age of Light began. It was all abstract, however vitally the impulse may have been felt. The true path of spiritual development for the young man or woman today must lead to the unfolding of intimate feelings for his connection, as a human being, with the world—there must be intimate, tender feelings and what the young absorb spiritually must no longer be a science for the intellect. In that he remains cold—it has always been so. Science must take a form in which every stage that is reached means that one becomes a different human being in feeling and in mind, and acquainted with something that has been forgotten. We also learned to know nature before we came down into the physical world. But then, nature had a different appearance. When a young human being today is led to a coarse, robust, external way of looking at things, the deathblow is struck at what he experienced in pre-earthly existence. If we could succeed in feeling that an old acquaintance of pre-earthly life had entered into our external, material way of looking at things, then feeling would flow into knowledge and understanding. And like a bloodstream, a spiritual bloodstream, this must go through the whole of scientific life, above all through the whole education and teaching of the human being. It is this intimacy with reality that must be acquired in science. Truly the modern age was lacking in understanding in this respect.

Comparatively early in my life I tried to show how the human being, when he confronts the outer world of sense, really has only the half reality, and how he only reaches the whole reality when he unites what arises within him with the outer, material reality. And to begin with, because the times were quite different then—things have always to be prepared—I had to present it in terms of a theory of knowledge. When you read my little book Truth and Science (Mercury Press, 1993), try to let the spiritual rise up into the mind and heart, the spiritual that wells forth from within. Thereby the first step is taken towards this “making inward” of science, especially towards a heart-filled receptivity to world reality. The physician has particular opportunities for this intimate experiencing of reality and therefore the physician, just because he is a physician, can be the person who can make the abstractness prevalent in the other Youth Movement composed of those who are not destined to be physicians, more concrete, more full of heart. A young person today who has some real knowledge of medicine has the advantage when he comes together with someone else who knows nothing but jurisprudence and is, consequently, to be pitied. Medicine can be deepened as we are deepening it here, but with law this is quite impossible. Even up to the beginning of the eighteenth century, something of the spirit still remained in medicine; in jurisprudence spirituality ceased far away in the Middle Ages, when men no longer even dreamed of the spirit and had nothing but recorded statutes. The physician who from the very beginning comes to grips with the most concrete facts of life can have an extraordinarily good effect upon the rest of the youth.

It would be good if you, as physicians, would interest yourselves, too, when opportunity arises, in the educational work that is being done in the Anthroposophical movement. There would be nothing to prevent this if you are in real earnest. The information contained in the Waldorf School Seminary courses cannot be given to everyone, but when somebody shows genuine interest there is nothing against your getting these courses if you really study them from the medical point of view, remembering the close relationship that existed in ancient times between healing and education.

In these days we have quite got away from the conception of man as a being who comes into earthly life burdened with sin, because the modern mind simply does not know what sin really is. What is it that took form as the notion of sin? It is what I have spoken of here as the law of heredity—this is the inherited sin. Individual sin, too, is something that the human being has to overcome in the second half of his life. He has to overcome the sinful model, which comes from heredity. We can also say the sick model, according to ancient conceptions. If the human being were to retain, as his body, what works in his model up to the change of teeth, he would carry it within him his whole life long and at nine years of age he would be a man—how shall I put it?—the whole of his skin would be covered with a kind of moist eczema and if the condition continued he would get little cavities all over his body, would look like a leper, and if he lived on at all the flesh would fall away from his bones. Man is born as a sick being into the world and to educate him, that is to say, to understand and guide what is working according to the model, is the same thing as a mild healing process. Within the Youth Movement and when speaking of education, you should consider yourselves as healers. You can indicate the remedies—which in the first place, of course, remain a spiritual matter—but can certainly be applied physically when a child's condition becomes pathological. In pedagogy, too, there is an art of healing, only it is on another level, another plane. On the other hand, when a patient gives no help at all by working with any guiding principle we may give him for his own subjective consciousness, for the understanding of his illness, for pessimism or optimism in his conception of life—when we simply cannot work educationally—it is exceedingly difficult to help him medically. If the patient—I do not say that he must have blind faith in the remedy for that would be an exaggeration—but if the patient, simply through the individuality of the physician, is brought to a point where he feels the physician's will-to-heal, the reflex action in him is that he will be filled with the will to become healthy. This interplay of the will-to-heal and the will to be healthy plays a tremendous part in the therapeutic process. We can therefore say that there is a reflection of education in healing, and in education a reflection of healing.

Very much depends today upon human beings in the world coming together in the right consciousness. If, therefore, medical youth comes together with the other youth in the right consciousness, the result will certainly be that the medical youth can work very fruitfully on the others. But what is so necessary is to sharpen the consciousness in both directions.

These are the things that I would fain have laid into your souls and hearts, now that you have come here again. I hope they have helped to strengthen still more the bonds between your souls and the Goetheanum and that even in such a concrete domain as that of medicine, the Goetheanum will find human beings who carry out into the world those things that can be found here. You will think rightly about this if you will also feel yourselves as part of the Goetheanum and will often turn your thoughts to what the Goetheanum desires for the world and the growth of civilization. And so the ties of heart that you can form with the Goetheanum may be a very great help to you in the tasks before you. This is what I have had in mind in giving these more intimate addresses and I believe that we shall be able to achieve much if, after what must be the last lecture now, you will carry this feeling out into the world. Thereby we shall also remain together and the Goetheanum will feel itself a center with a definite task. Then the Goetheanum will be a real Goetheanum and you, true Goetheanists. And at the same time, out yonder in the world you will be the supporting pillars which the Goetheanum needs. If things go on in this way, everything will be well.

Fünfter Vortrag

Meine lieben Freunde!

Ich möchte heute noch einiges im Anschluß an die gepflogenen Betrachtungen Ihnen mitteilen und nachher ein wenig eingehen auf das allgemeine Thema, auf das sich die einzelnen von Ihnen ausgegangenen Fragen beziehen. Ich möchte jetzt etwas sagen, was gut ist, erst zu betrachten, wenn man solche Erkenntnisse hat vorangehen lassen, wie sie in den letzten Tagen gepflogen worden sind. Es ist namentlich notwendig, daß man allgemeine Wahrheiten nicht an die Spitze der Betrachtungen stellt, sondern daß man erst, wenn man einiges erlebt hat, in das Allgemeine übergeht, weil das Allgemeine dadurch erst seine wirkliche, reale Färbung bekommt. Und so wollen wir jetzt vor uns hinstellen, daß von den vier Gliedern der menschlichen Natur, physischer Leib, Ätherleib, Astralleib und Ich, jedes dieser Glieder seine besondere Struktur hat. Physischer Leib und Ätherleib haben eine räumlichzeitliche Struktur, Astralleib und Ich eine rein geistige Struktur. Eine rein geistige Struktur hat man sich dadurch vorzustellen, daß man sich ‚sagt: Räumlich-zeitlich ist die geistige Struktur nicht. Raum und Zeit ist da fort. - Wenn ich mir aber im Bilde die Sache so vorstelle, kann ich mir die geistige Struktur auch verbildlichen, sie dadurch auch zur Vorstellung bringen. Das geschieht im imaginativen Bewußtsein. Nun halten Sie aber daran fest, daß wir es zu tun haben mit einer physisch-ätherischen Struktur auf der einen Seite, die beim schlafenden Menschen von der geistig-seelischen Struktur ganz abgetrennt ist, und auf der andern Seite mit einer geistig-seelischen Struktur.

Sehen Sie, wenn wir den schlafenden Menschen betrachten, haben wir eine ausgesprochene physisch-ätherische Struktur bei diesem schlafenden Menschen, der von sich fortgeschickt hat sein Ich und seinen astralischen Leib, und wir haben wieder getrennt vom physischen Leib und Ätherleib die seelisch-geistige Struktur. Die sind sehr voneinander unterschieden. Die physisch-ätherische Struktur ist so, daß sie sich differenziert in die einzelnen Organe, als Organismus, der gewissermaßen die einzelnen Organe wie von dem Zentrum des Lebens herausgetrieben hat. Die astrale und Ich-Struktur sind viel mehr so, daß sie von außen nach innen getrieben werden, also mehr durch Einstülpung zustande kommen, so daß das Wesentliche dabei ist das Aussparen des Raumes und auch das Aussparen der Zeit durch Einstülpung. Das Wesentliche ist, daß die beiden grundverschieden voneinander sind, die physisch-ätherische und die geistig-seelische Struktur. Nun, im Menschen, der im Wachzustande in der physischen Welt steht, ist - wenn wir uns eines Ausdrucks bedienen, der nicht ganz stimmt, aber die Sache veranschaulichen kann - eingeschaltet das Geistig-Seelische, also die astrale und die Ich-Organisation, in die physisch-ätherische Organisation. Sie durchdringen einander in einem bestimmten Grade. Also in jedem physischen Organ, das ja durchwärmt und durchleuchtet ist von seinem Ätherleib, auch durchlebt, indem der Kosmos durch den Ätherleib wirkt, in jedem physischen Organ haben wir beim wachenden Menschen schon das Eingreifen der Ich-Organisation und der astralischen Organisation. Nun denken Sie sich einfach das Folgende: IchOrganisation und astralische Organisation drängen irgendeinem Organ oder Organsystem ihre eigene Struktur auf, das heißt mit andern Worten: Irgend etwas, was seine physische und ätherische Struktur haben sollte, bekommt eine geistige Struktur, wird ein Abbild der astralischen und Ich-Organisation. Das ist im Grunde genommen ganz universell die Ursache der physischen Erkrankungen. Universell gesprochen ist Ursache der physischen Erkrankung dieses, daß der Leib des Menschen zu geistig wird an irgendeiner Stelle oder im Ganzen. Deshalb ist die sachgemäße, hingebungsvolle Betrachtung des kranken Menschen so ungeheuer aufklärend — wie man das besonders stark in alten Zeiten berücksichtigt hat - für die Erkenntnis des geistigen Menschen. Denken Sie doch nur, in alten Zeiten, wo man über die Menschennatur überhaupt ganz anders empfunden hat als heute - ich sage daher das Folgende nicht, damit es irgendwie die Begierde erzeugt, wieder heraufgenommen zu werden, zur heutigen Methode gemacht zu werden -, aber in alten Zeiten, wo man robustere Anschauungen über den Menschen hatte, drückten sie sich auch aus durch solche Erscheinungen wie diese: Wenn man es zum Seelenheil eines Menschen, der ketzerische Anschauungen hatte, für notwendig hielt, wurde er verbrannt. Sie wurden verbrannt, wenigstens angeblich zu ihrem Seelenheil, die Ketzer, damit sie frei werden von demjenigen, was sie nach ihrem Tode überliefern würde furchtbaren Qualen. Das war früher eine Art Schau, die später brutal geworden ist. Man hatte robustere Anschauungen über den Menschen, und so kam es dazu, daß man, sagen wir zum Beispiel einem Menschen, den man für gesund halten konnte, nun, sagen wir, Melisse gab in einem bestimmten Präparat. Wenn er Melisse verabreicht bekam in einer bestimmten Art, wurde sein Bewußtsein mit einem kleinen Anflug von Traumhaftigkeit durchzogen. Er wurde träumerischer, als er sonst war vor der Melissenverabreichung, dafür aber lagerten sich in das Bewußtsein leise Imaginationen ein. Behandelte man ihn zum Beispiel mit Hyoscyamus in einer bestimmten Weise, dann bekam er eine sehr starke Anlage zu Inspirationen. Man fand durch solche Untersuchungen zum Beispiel das Folgende. Man fand, daß, wenn man das Sonnengeflecht anregt durch Hyoscyamus, das Sonnengeflecht dann durchgeistigt wird. Man fand, daß wirklich dann der Astralleib und die Ich-Organisation stark in das Sonnengeflecht eingreifen, oder man merkte, daß die ganze Blutversorgung des Großhirns eine um einen geringen Grad - aber der wirkt sehr bedeutsam - stärkere wurde, wenn man dem Menschen Melissensaft beibrachte, weil die Ich-Organisation durch das Großhirn stark eingreift. Und so probierte man den ganzen Menschen, wie er geistig werden konnte und wie man in den einzelnen Organen sehen konnte, wie sie geistiger werden konnten. Es ist ein Vorurteil, daß wir mit dem Kopf denken. Das ist gar nicht wahr. Wir denken mit den Beinen und mit den Armen; und dasjenige, was in den Armen und Beinen vor sich geht, bei dem schaut der Kopf zu und nimmt es in den Bildern der Gedanken auf. Er würde niemals, ich habe Ihnen das schon gesagt bei dem Weihnachtskursus, das Gesetz des Winkels kennenlernen, wenn er nicht schreiten würde. Er würde niemals mechanische Gleichgewichtsgesetze kennenlernen, wenn er sie nicht durch seinen eigenen Schwerpunkt, den er im Unterbewußtsein herumführt, kennenlernen würde. Sobald man zu dem Astralleib hinunterkommt, der das alles im Unterbewußtsein verarbeitet, erscheint einem der Mensch, wenn er [auch] manchmal auf der physischen Welt ganz töricht ist, ungemein weise, weil das alles, was da zum Beispiel an Geometrie entwikkelt wird im Gehen, im Sich-Fühlen, weil das alles, wenn ich mich des Paradoxons bedienen darf, durchaus gewußt wird im Unterbewußtsein und dann durch das Gehirn angeschaut wird. Nun, sehen Sie, wenn eben die geistig-seelische Organisation zu stark eingreift in die physisch-ätherische Organisation, entsteht die physische Krankheit, und man untersuchte ehedem einfach den Geist an den physischen Organen, weil alles dasjenige, wovon man so sprechen kann, daß es eine Gabe von oben ist, eben geistig ist, geistig-seelisch ist. Nun muß man aber unterscheiden dasjenige, was der Mensch als Gabe bekam von oben auf rein geistigem Wege. Das blieb eben eine Gabe genannt. Aber, nehmen wir ein Beispiel, die Belladonna.

Während sonst bei den Pflanzen das Physische und Ätherische wirkt, wirkt bei der Belladonna sehr stark von außen das Kosmisch-Astralische, und in alledem, wo das Geistige, entweder das Astralische oder das, was im Kosmos der Ich-Organisation entspricht, auf Pflanzen oder Tiere wirkt, entstehen die Gifte im Gegensatz zu den geistigen Gaben. Aber sie sind durchaus das Korrelat vom Geistigen, weil sie an den Pflanzen und Tieren dasjenige sind, was über das Pflanzenhafte hinausgeht und kosmisch-astralisch ist. Wenn wir das Astralische überleiten durch Hyoscyamus, leiten wir einfach über das, was im Wärmemantel der Erde lebt, womit die Atmosphäre abschließt, in das Sonnengeflecht des Menschen, auch schon mit in das Zwerchfell des Menschen. Wenn wir aber Melisse nehmen, das nicht ein eigentliches Gift ist, dann bekommen wir diese leise Wirkung des Geistigen, die sich nur in der Benommenheit zeigt. Man möchte sagen, bei der Melisse ist die Giftentstehung im Status nascendi. Das führt Sie auf die Regel: Physische Erkrankung ist das zu starke Geistigwerden des physischen Organismus oder seiner Teile. Nun kann noch ein anderes eintreten. Es kann das eintreten, daß, während der Mensch im Wachzustande ist, die geistig-seelische Struktur seines Astralleibes oder seiner Ich-Organisation zu stark sich hineinversetzt in irgendein physisches Organ und nun nicht durch deren Stärke ihre geistig-seelische Struktur dem physischen Organismus aufdrängt, sondern im Gegenteil, vom physischen Organismus aufgedrängt bekommt die physische Struktur, so daß der Mensch, wenn er schläft, in seinem Astralleib und Ich eine Nachbildung wird seines physischen und ätherischen Leibes, so daß der Mensch in seinen Astralleib und sein Ich die physische Struktur hineinnimmt. Sehen Sie, da unterscheiden sich diese beiden Arten, wie Unregelmäßigkeiten beim Menschen auftreten, ganz wesentlich voneinander, auch in der Beobachtung. Bei einem Menschen, der krank ist, wird das kranke Organ merkwürdig vergeistigt. Es wird heller. Es zeigt sich in einer solchen Art, wie wenn es von außen herein, von seiner Oberfläche aus erfangen würde von der Geistigkeit. Ein kranker Mensch, lange bevor man irgendwie deutliche Spuren an seiner Hautfärbung und dergleichen sieht, zeigt sich für den okkulten Blick durchsichtig, möchte ich sagen, aber eindringend in die Durchsichtigkeit hat man das GeistigSeelische. Bei einem Menschen, bei dem das andere der Fall ist, daß die geistig-seelische Organisation annimmt die Struktur des PhysischÄtherischen, bemerkt man das an der Art und Weise, wenn der Mensch schläft, seinem Seelisch-Geistigen nach: da wird er ein Gespenst, ein leichtes, windiges Gespenst seines physischen Körpers. Er bleibt ähnlich seinem physischen Körper. Er wird tatsächlich ein Spektrum seines physischen Körpers. Und die groben Experimente, welche die Spiritisten machen bei den sogenannten Manifestationen, beruhen alle darauf — in irgendeiner verborgenen Weise geschieht schon das, was ich sage —, daß man bei Medien das Geistig-Seelische schwächt. Das ist Ja auch offenkundig. Dann kann allerdings in der Dunkelkammer - es ist auch so der Fall- der geschwächte astralische Leib und das geschwächte Ich die Formen der Organe bis eben zur Sichtbarkeit in der Dunkelkammer annehmen, so daß zwar die Manifestationen wahr sind, aber ruchlos. Nun beruhen alle sogenannten Geisteskrankheiten darauf, daß das Geistig-Seelische, der Astralleib und die Ich-Organisation, die physische und ätherische Struktur annehmen. Darauf beruhen alle Geisteskrankheiten, so daß Sie sagen können: Physische Erkrankungen beruhen auf dem Geistigwerden des physischen Organismus oder seiner Teile; geistige Erkrankungen beruhen auf dem im physischen oder ätherischen Sinn Gestalterwerden des Astralischen oder der Ich-Organisation oder einer ihrer Teile. - Das ist eine allgemeine Wahrheit, die außerordentlich leitend ist für die menschliche Erkenntnis.

Das ist wiederum etwas, was sich auch bezieht auf Fragen, die Einzelne gestellt haben in bezug auf das Verhältnis von Medizin und Pädagogik. Denn alle Grade zwischen diesen zwei Extremen hat man ja im kindlichen Organismus vor sich. Bei dem einen Kind hat mehr die Astral- und Ich-Organisation die Tendenz, den physischen Leib und Ätherleib geistig zu machen, bei dem andern Kinde mehr die Tendenz, sich selber die Form geben zu lassen vom Physischen und Ätherischen; und dazwischen sind alle möglichen Zwischenstufen vorhanden. Es drückt sich auch dieses Grundgesetz wiederum im Temperament aus. Wenn das der Fall ist, daß der Astralleib und die Ich-Organisation ganz stark, vehement die Tendenz haben - noch nicht so wie beim Verrückten, so daß der Mensch noch zurechtkommt -, aber vehement die Tendenz haben, Formen aus dem physischen oder ätherischen Leib anzunehmen, dann haben wir es mit dem melancholischen Temperament zu tun. In dem Augenblick, wo der Astralleib und die Ich-Organisation die Tendenz haben, ihre eigene Struktur stark aufzudrücken dem physischen oder ätherischen Leib, haben wir es mit einem cholerischen Temperament zu tun; und das phlegmatische und sanguinische Temperament liegen dazwischen. Beim phlegmatischen ist es so, daß der Astralleib und die Ich-Organisation nicht so vehement, aber in einem gewissen Sinne die Tendenz haben, die Struktur des physischen und namentlich des Ätherleibes anzunehmen; beim sanguinischen ist es so, daß eigentlich das Vitale, das im Ätherleib liegt, stark beeinflußt wird vom Astralleib. So drückt sich das auch in den Temperamenten aus. Und wir sehen, wie das, was in den radikalen Fällen die Richtschnur ist für den Mediziner - zu erkennen, wie im wachen Menschen ineinandergeschaltet sind Seelisch-Geistiges in Physisch-Ätherisches -, auch für den Pädagogen in den latenten Zuständen die Regel ist, so daß eigentlich Pädagogik und Medizin Dinge sind, die sich ineinander fortsetzen. Es handelt sich darum, daß Sie da möglichst stark suchen, meine lieben Freunde, in der Anschauung des Menschen zur Imagination zu kommen. Nun möchte ich Ihnen gerade noch in bezug auf dieses einige Anhaltspunkte geben.

Sie kennen ganz bildhaft, wenigstens können Sie es kennen, Sie kennen ganz bildhaft die Gestalt des Menschen im Embryonalzustand. Man hat sich auch heute, soweit dies möglich ist, eine Anschauung davon verschafft, wie der Embryonalzustand in den ersten Stadien ist, wie er später sich gestaltet, und Sie können sich dadurch ein zusammenhängendes Bild machen von dem Menschen während des Embryonalzustandes. Sie können sich weiter ein zusammenhängendes Bild machen von dem Menschen während des Kindheitsstadiums. Sie müssen versuchen, sich das erste und zweite Bild möglichst intensiv zu machen, so daß Sie wirklich mit dem Denken tasten, daß es Ihnen wirklich vorkommt, wie wenn Sie den Embryo mit dem Denken abtasten würden, innerlich seine Formen verfolgen würden. Dann vergrößern Sie den Embryo bis zu der Größe [Handbewegung], einfach in Gedanken bis zu der Größe, die das Kind hat, das Sie ebenso intensiv anschauen, beobachten können. Und dann schieben Sie die Vorstellung, das Bild des Embryos schieben Sie, indem Sie es innerlich metamorphosieren, in das Bild des Kindes hinein. Da werden Sie, wenn Sie real vorgehen, in Ihrem innerlichen Erleben einige Schwierigkeiten haben. Sie werden sich sagen müssen: Wenn ich den Kopf des Embryos nehme und ihn vergrößere bis zum kindlichen Stadium, dann wird er sehr groß. Ich muß ihn dann zusammenschieben. Ich muß auch dasjenige, was beim Embryo noch wässerig-flüssig ist, stark dem Flüssigkeitsmenschen angehört, innerlich kristallisieren und koagulieren lassen, damit es in das Gehirn des Embryos aufgeht. Dann aber werden Sie den Embryonalzustand der Gliedmafßen nehmen, werden diese strecken, formen müssen, werden innerlich eine plastische Tätigkeit ausüben müssen, die unplastischen Gliedmaßen des Embryos hineinschieben in die Gliedmaßen des Kindes. Das ist eine außerordentlich interessante innere Beschäftigung, den Embryo im innerlichen Anschauen hineinzuschieben in das Kindesalter.

Dann können Sie weitergehen. Dann können Sie das Kind nehmen und den Erwachsenen und dabei dasselbe Experiment machen. Da wird es schwieriger; es sind ja die Differenzen zwischen Embryo und Kind sehr groß, da werden Sie eine große innere Tätigkeit entwickeln müssen, wenn Sie das ausführen. Wenn Sie aber jetzt das Kindesalter vergleichen mit dem Erwachsenenzustande im reifen Menschen, dann werden die Differenzen nicht so groß, da wird es etwas schwierig, das eine dem andern anzupassen. Wenn Sie aber dies zustande bringen, daß Sie so vorgehen können, dann gebiert sich in Ihnen wirklich die Imagination des menschlichen Ätherleibes; verhältnismäßig sehr schnell gebiert sich die Imagination des menschlichen Ätherleibes. — Beachten Sie:

Schiebe die Frühzeit

— Embryonalzeit —

In des Kindes Alter,
Und des Kindes Alter
In die Jugendzeit:
Dir erscheint verdichtet
Menschenäthersein
Hinter Körperwesen

— physischer Leib in seiner Struktur.

Da haben Sie eine Anleitungsregel, die Sie ebensogut wie die andern, die ich gestern und in der ersten Stunde gesagt habe, benützen können. Nur müssen Sie überall sich klar sein darüber, daß das Sich-Aneignen des imaginativen Bewußtseins Mühe erfordert. Man kann es sich nicht anzaubern, man muß es sich erwerben durch intensive Arbeit.

Nun können Sie noch weitergehen. Sie können jetzt versuchen, sich vorzustellen einen Greis, einen sklerotisierten Greis. Greise sind bis zu einem gewissen Grade sklerotisch. Und bekommen Sie dabei die Empfindung, daß Sie diesen sklerotischen Greis auch abtasten, so empfangen Sie in dem geistigen Tasten durch die Sklerose den Eindruck, daß der Greis eigentlich hohl ist. Also nicht den Eindruck bekommen Sie, als ob ein sklerotisierter Greis, wenn Sie ihn geistig abtasten, dichter wäre, härter wäre, sondern im Gegenteil, daß er gar nicht härter ist, daß er eigentlich saugt. Sie bekommen im geistigen Tasten das Gefühl, wie wenn Sie im Physischen mit eingespeicheltem Finger am Meerschaum eine Zeitlang sich bewegen. Sie wissen ja, daß, wenn man an Ion oder Meerschaum entlangfährt mit dem angenetzten Finger, man das Gefühl hat, es saugt. Dieses Gefühl des Saugens haben Sie dem sklerotisierten Greis gegenüber. Sie müssen dieses Tastgefühl, dieses Erlebnisgefühl entwickeln dem Anschauen gegenüber. Das ist nicht nur beim Auge, beim Anschauen der Fall, sondern bei jedem Sinn kann das auftreten, auch beim Lebenssinn. Sie haben nun die Altersdichte, die saugend ist, wenn Sie dies auffassen. Nun schieben Sie - geradeso wie Sie da vorwärtsgeschoben haben beim ersten Fall - die Embryonalzeit in das Kindesalter und dann in den reifen Menschen, so schieben Sie jetzt zurück. Stellen Sie sich den reifen Menschen vor, der noch nicht saugt, sondern der kraftvoll sich in die Welt hineinstellt und schieben Sie das, was Sie am Greise ertastet haben, schieben Sie das da hinein. Nicht wahr, wenn Sie die embryonale Struktur in die Kindesstruktur hineinschieben, haben Sie eine räumliche Metamorphose, die Sie da vollführen; jetzt, wenn es Ihnen vorkommt, daß der Greis ein ausgehöhltes Wesen wäre, das fortwährend saugt, müssen Sie das so machen, wie wenn das mit Kraft sich erfüllen würde, wenn man es zurückschiebt ins reife Lebensalter. Es ist so, daß man beim Rückschieben der reife Mensch wird. Während man vorher, wenn man in der strotzenden Stärke angeschaut wird, etwas von einer leisen Lähmung aufnimmt, wird der Greis, wenn man ihn so zurückschiebt, wieder stark in seinen Knochen und in seiner ganzen Struktur des festen Organismus. Dieses innerliche Ineinanderschieben, das muß man da mehr beachten, und dann muß man auch das reife Alter in die Jugend zurückschieben. Da hat man es eigentlich wiederum leicht. Man stelle sich vor einen Menschen, der schon ein runzliges Gesicht hat und dann lasse man ihn verschmelzen mit einem jungen pausbäckigen Menschen, da wird man sich ausgleichen. Wenn man das zustande bringt, dann bekommt man den Eindruck, wie wenn der Ätherleib durchwellt würde und anfangen würde zu klingen und zu tönen. Man bekommt dadurch den Eindruck des Astralischen im Menschen. So haben Sie eine Regel, die Sie anleitet, aufzusteigen zur Inspiration:

Schiebe die Altersdichte
In die Menschenreifezeit,
Und das Reiifealter
In das Jugendleben.
Dir ertönt in Weltenklängen
Menschenseelenwirken

— der Astralleib also —

Aus dem Ätherleben.

Sie sehen aus dem, was ich Ihnen da sage, auch, daß man die Anleitung zur Meditation nicht als Befehl ausgibt, sondern sie begründet auf dasjenige, was man einsehen kann. Der in der richtigen Weise zur Meditation Angeleitete, der wird nicht so autoritativ behandelt, wie es einstmals im alten Orient war, wo ja sowohl das Erziehen und Entwickeln der Kinder wie des Alters auf ganz andern Unterlagen ruhte als bei uns. Wer also bei uns Meditationen empfohlen bekommt, bekommt sie so, daß er einsieht, was er mit sich macht. Nicht wahr, im Orient hatte das Kind die Anleitung seines Dadas. Das bedeutete, daß durch die Art und Weise, wie der Betreffende lebte, das Kind erzogen und unterrichtet wurde. Mehr lernte es nicht, als es gewissermaßen absah dem Dada. Der erwachsene Mensch hatte seinen Guru, wenn er weiterkommen wollte. Da war er angewiesen darauf, daß der Guru keine andere Regel angab als die: So ist es - man soll es eben probieren. Das ist der Unterschied. Was wir in unserer abendländischen Zivilisation haben, ist, daß überall an des Menschen Freiheit appelliert wird, daß der Mensch weiß, was er macht. Und man kann auch einsehen, wie das inspirierte Erkennen zustande kommt, wenn man mit dem gesunden Menschenverstand begriffen hat, wie die physische Erkrankung und die geistige Erkrankung wirken, und wenn man das alles zusammenhält, was ich Ihnen heute gesagt habe. Denn diese Dinge sind gerade mit dem gesunden Menschenverstand zu begreifen. Geht man weiter, um zu begreifen, was man machen soll in der inneren Meditation, dann ist man mit dem gesunden Menschenverstand bis an die Grenze dessen gekommen, was man erreicht. Der gesunde Menschenverstand kann alles erreichen, was von der Anthroposophie ausgeht. Wenn das beginnt, was nicht mehr mit dem gesunden Menschenverstand zu erreichen ist, dann hat er richtig bis zur Grenze gewirkt, und es ist so, wie wenn man vor einem See steht. Da ist eine ebensolche Grenze, man schaut vom Ufer des Sees noch hin. Wirklich, der gesunde Menschenverstand führt zu dem allen hin. Sie dürfen nicht der Verleumdung anheimfallen, als ob Sie eine mystische, obskure Weltanschauung verbreiten, sondern eine solche, die mit dem gesunden Menschenverstand zu erreichen ist. Als ich das in Berlin einmal sagte, hielt man mir dann in einem Artikel, der über diesen Vortrag geschrieben wurde, entgegen: Derjenige Menschenverstand, der gesund ist, kann überhaupt nichts begreifen von der geistigen Welt; und derjenige, der etwas begreift von der geistigen Welt, der ist eben krank, der ist nicht gesund. - Das wurde mir entgegengehalten.

Nun möchte ich noch einiges sprechen darüber, daß Sie gerade dadurch, daß Sie genötigt sind durch Ihr medizinisches Studium, recht innig hineinzuschauen in die gesamte Natur und Wesenheit des Menschen, auch als junge Menschen, in einer ganz besonderen Lage sind. Nicht wahr, man muß das ganz ernst nehmen, daß das Kali Yuga abgelaufen ist, daß wir eingetreten sind in ein lichtes Zeitalter, wenn auch dadurch, daß das alte durch die Trägheit vorwärts rollt, die Menschheit noch im Finstern lebt. Vom geistigen Weltenall leuchtet ein Helles herein und wir gehen als Menschen in ein lichtes Zeitalter hinein, und die Menschen müssen sich nur geeignet machen, die Intentionen des lichten Zeitalters aufzunehmen. Nun ist die Jugend durchaus prädestiniert, sich hineinzuleben in das lichte Zeitalter; und wenn die Jugend mit dem nötigen Ernst ein gewisses Selbstbewußtsein davon entwickelt, wie sie einmal dazugekommen ist, gerade mit dem Beginn des lichten Zeitalters geboren zu werden, dann wird diese Jugend in den verschiedensten Graden die Möglichkeit haben, sich anzupassen dem, was eigentlich der Sinn des Entwickelungsimpulses der Menschheit erfordert. Und der erfordert eben heute, daß man in allem nach dem Menschen hinschaut, wenn man die Welt erklären will, wie man früher auf die Natur gesehen hat, um den Menschen zusammenzusetzen aus einzelnen Naturkräften und Naturvorgängen. Man wird allmählich dazu kommen müssen, den Menschen zu verstehen und die einzelnen Naturvorgänge als Spezialisierungen dessen, was im Menschen vorgeht, als Vereinseitigungen dessen, was im Menschen vorgeht, zu begreifen. Wenn man dazu kommen wird, wird auch ein gewisses intimes Verhältnis in der ganzen menschlichen Empfindung und Gemütstätigkeit Platz greifen, das gesucht worden ist, aber auf eine gewisse tumultuarische Weise gesucht worden ist. Denken Sie nur, wie die Jugend angefangen hat, in einem gewissen Sinne die Natur zu vergöttern, als die Jugendbewegung des lichten Zeitalters kam. Das war abstrakt; wenn auch noch so vital empfunden wurde, es war abstrakt. Dagegen muß der geistige Entwickelungsweg des jungen Menschen heute dahin führen, intime Gefühle zu haben für seine Verbindung als Mensch mit der Welt, intime Gefühle, und es muß dasjenige, was er geistig aufnimmt, nicht mehr Wissenschaft sein für den Intellekt. Dabei bleibt man kalt, man ist immer kalt geblieben dabei; sondern es muß die Wissenschaft so gestaltet werden, daß tatsächlich etwas von dem eintritt, daß man bei jeder Stufe, die man in der Wissenschaft macht, auch im Gemüte, in der Empfindung ein anderer Mensch wird, Bekanntschaft macht gewissermaßen mit etwas, was man vergessen hat. Man hat ja auch die Natur kennengelernt zum Beispiel, bevor man heruntergestiegen ist in die physische Welt. Da hat sie aber anders ausgeschaut. Heute schlägt man tot in dem jungen Menschen, was er im vorigen Dasein durchgemacht hat, wenn man ihn hinweist auf die grobe, robuste äußere Anschauung. Wird man wieder daraufkommen, die äußere sinnliche Anschauung so zu behandeln, wie wenn ein alter Bekannter auftauchen würde in der sinnlichen Anschauung, den man kennt aus dem vorirdischen Leben, dann entsteht überall Empfindung im Wissen, Empfindung im Erkennen. Und dies muß tatsächlich wie ein Blutstrom sein, muß wie ein geistiger Blutstrom durch das ganze wissenschaftliche Leben, überhaupt durch das ganze Erziehungs- und Unterrichtswesen des Menschen durchgehen. Diese Intimität mit dem Realen, das ist es, was wir gewinnen müssen in der Wissenschaft.

In dieser Beziehung war wirklich die neuere Zeit schwer von Begriffen. Sehen Sie, ich habe verhältnismäßig früh zu zeigen versucht, wie der Mensch, wenn er der äußeren Sinneswelt gegenübersteht, eigentlich nur die halbe Wirklichkeit hat; wie er die ganze Wirklichkeit erst gewinnt, wenn er das, was in ihm aufsteigt, vereinigt mit der äußeren sinnlichen Wirklichkeit. Und ich habe ja das zunächst tun müssen, weil die Zeit damals noch eine ganz andere war als heute. Denn die Dinge werden doch erst vorbereitet. Ich habe es in einer erkenntnistheoretischen Weise darstellen müssen. Aber wenn Sie meine Schrift «Wahrheit und Wissenschaft» lesen, arbeitet sie darauf hin, auferstehen zu lassen im Menschengemüte das Geistige, das aus dem Inneren hervorquillt. Damit ist der erste Schritt gemacht zu dieser Intimisierung des Wissenschaftlichen, insbesondere in die gemütvolle Aufnahme der Weltenwesenheit. Das hat nun der Mediziner ganz besonders in der Möglichkeit, daß er kennenlernt dieses intime Erleben der Realität, und deshalb wird der Mediziner einfach dadurch, daß er Mediziner ist, derjenige Mensch sein können, der die Abstraktheit der andern Jugendbewegung, derjenigen, die nicht durch ihr Schicksal Mediziner sind, konkreter, gemütsinniger macht. Man kann doch, wenn man heute als junger Mensch, der das Medizinische innerlich hat, mit einem andern, der zum Beispiel nur die Jurisprudenz innerlich hat und der ein armer Kerl ist, weil er nur Jurisprudenz hat, das Medizinische schon so weit vertiefen, wie wir das hier tun; beim Juristen ist das ganz unmöglich. Beim Medizinischen war noch bis zum Anfang des 18. Jahrhunderts etwas vom Geist da; in der Jurisprudenz hat die Geistigkeit schon aufgehört tief im Mittelalter drinnen, wo die Menschen nicht einmal mehr Geist darin ahnen, sondern nur mehr Satzungsnotizen. Es ist durchaus möglich, daß der Mediziner, der am allerersten ins konkrete Leben hineinkommt, außerordentlich befruchtend wirken kann auf die übrige Jugend.

Daher wäre es schon gut, wenn die einzelnen Gruppen, die sich jetzt herausgestellt haben, namentlich in der anthroposophischen Jugendbewegung, gerade von den Medizinern unterstützt würden. Natürlich muß man dabei die realen karmischen Verhältnisse bedenken. Aber nicht wahr, wir haben da ja die ganz hoffnungsvolle Tübinger Gruppe, die pädagogisch arbeitet und die zum Beispiel außerordentlich viel wird gewinnen können, wenn sie einen Mediziner in ihrer Mitte hat, der also nach der medizinischen Seite hin manches aufklären kann. Wir haben hier jetzt, wenn das auch nur interimistisch ist, Dr. Bockholt leitend die Jugendbewegung, und es wird sehr gut sein, wenn gerade aus dem, was dem Mediziner innerlich wird, die Jugendbewegung befruchtet wird. Und so können wir im einzelnen außerordentlich viel tun. Aber auf der andern Seite wäre es gut, wenn Sie gelegentlich, falls sich das als eine Möglichkeit herausstellen würde, möglichst viel sich auch mit der pädagogischen Arbeit innerhalb der anthroposophischen Bewegung befassen würden. Wenn das vom Ernst ausgeht, gibt es kein Hindernis, wenn Sie sich mit dem befassen könnten, aber eben in ernster Weise. Man kann nicht dasjenige, was in den Seminarien der Waldorfschule gegeben ist, jedem geben. Aber wenn jemand zeigt, daß er sich ernstlich damit befaßt, kann es kein Hindernis geben, die Seminarkurse der Waldorfschule kennenzulernen, sobald diese Dinge auch wirklich von der medizinischen Seite betrachtet, auch innerlich mit dem Gedanken durchdrungen werden, wie nahe verwandt im Altertum Heilen und Erziehen gehalten war.

Bedenken Sie, wir sind heute ganz abgekommen von der Auffassung des Menschen als eines Wesens, das in das Erdenleben hereintritt, behaftet mit Sünden, weil die moderne Auffassung überhaupt gar nichts mehr weiß von dem, was Sünde bedeutet. Was hat sich denn da zum Sündenbegriff verdichtet? Das, was ich Ihnen in diesen Tagen hier als das Gesetz der Vererbung gezeigt habe, das liegt in der Sünde, in der Erbsünde. Und auch die individuelle Sünde ist also etwas, was der Mensch in der zweiten Hälfte seines Lebens zu überwinden hat. Er muß richtig überwinden das sündhafte Modell, das aus der Vererbung stammt, man kann auch sagen aus dem kranken Modell nach den alten Begriffen. Aber würde das der Mensch als seinen Leib behalten, was in seinem Modell bis zum Zahnwechsel wirkt, würde er das sein Leben lang an sich tragen, dann würde er mit neun Jahren ein Mensch sein, der — ja nun, er würde mit einem feuchten Ekzem an der ganzen Haut bedeckt sein, wenn die Organisation so fortgehen würde; er würde Löcher bekommen am ganzen Leib, würde wie ein Aussätziger ausschauen, dann würde das Fleisch von den Knochen abfallen, wenn er das überhaupt aushalten würde. Der Mensch wird krank hineingeboren in die Welt; und erziehen, das heißt, erkennen und leiten das, was nach dem Modell arbeitet, heißt dasselbe wie leises Heilen. In diesem Bewußtsein sollten Sie in der Jugendbewegung leben, daß, wenn Sie die Erziehung beschreiben, Sie sich als Therapeuten betrachten. Sie geben die Heilmittel an, die ja natürlich im Geistigen bleiben, aber stark ins Physische übergehen können, je nachdem das Kind ins Pathologische übergeht. Das haben Sie im Grunde genommen, nur auf einem andern Niveau, nur auf einem andern Plan, in der Pädagogik: auch eine Heilkunst. Und auf der andern Seite, wenn einem der kranke Mensch gar nicht zu Hilfe kommt durch dasjenige, was man ihm als Richtschnur geben kann für sein eigenes subjektives Bewußtsein für die Auffassung seiner Krankheit, für Pessimismus oder Optimismus zu der Auffassung des Lebens, wenn man gar nicht pädagogisch wirken kann, ist es ungeheuer schwer, ihm heilend beizustehen. Wenn der Kranke - ich will nicht sagen, daß er einen blinden Glauben an das Heilmittel haben muß, das wäre zu stark übertrieben -, aber wenn der Kranke einfach durch die Individualität des Arztes dahin gebracht wird, daß er empfindet, wie der Arzt vom Heilwillen durchsetzt ist, so gibt das beim Kranken einen Reflex, der dann vom Gesundwerdewillen durchsetzt wird. Dieses Aufeinanderprallen von Heilwillen und Gesundwerdewillen spielt eine ungeheuer große Rolle in der Therapie, so daß man schon sagen kann: da ist schon ein Abbild darinnen des Pädagogischen, und im Pädagogischen wieder ein Abbild vom Heilen. Es kommt heute viel darauf an, daß sich die Menschen in der Welt heute im richtigen Bewußtsein zusammenfinden. Wenn sich also die medizinische Jugend mit der andern Jugend zusammenfindet in dem richtigen Bewußtsein, dann werden Sie schon sehen, daß die medizinische Jugend außerordentlich befruchtend wirken kann auf die andere. Aber so das Bewußtsein zu schärfen nach beiden Seiten hin, ist, was ganz besonders notwendig ist.

Sehen Sie, das sind die Dinge, die ich gern in Ihre Seele und in Ihr Herz gelegt hätte, nachdem Sie wieder einmal in so befriedigender Weise hier gewesen sind. Ich hoffe, daß das wieder beigetragen hat dazu, die Bande zwischen Ihren Seelen und dem Goetheanum noch enger, stärker zu machen, und daß Sie fühlen werden, daß schließlich gerade auf einem solchen konkreten Gebiete wie dem der Medizin, das Goetheanum Menschen findet, die in die Welt hinaustragen dasjenige, was hier gefunden werden kann. Sie werden zu einem richtigen Bewußtsein davon kommen, wenn Sie sich auch in Ihrem Fühlen als zum Goetheanum gehörend betrachten, und die Gedanken öfter an dasjenige richten, was vom Goetheanum eigentlich heute für die Welt und Zivilisationsentwickelung gewollt wird. Und so werden die Herzensbande, die Sie schließen können mit dem Goetheanum, etwas sein, was Ihnen gerade als Mediziner in einer tiefen Weise zu der Aufgabe helfen können wird, die Sie sich eigentlich gesetzt haben. In diesem Gefühle habe ich gerade diese mehr intimen Auseinandersetzungen, die in diesen Stunden hier zwischen uns gepflogen worden sind, halten wollen und glaube, daß wir manches werden erreichen können, wenn Sie dieses Fühlen, das auch gerade diese Besprechungen durchzogen hat, nunmehr, nachdem wir heute die letzte Stunde halten müssen, in die Welt hinaus fortsetzen. Und dabei werden wir auch am schönsten beisammen bleiben. Das Goetheanum wird damit am besten sich als ein Mittelpunkt auffassen dürfen, der sich eine bestimmte Aufgabe gestellt hat. Das Goetheanum wird dadurch wirklich das Goetheanum sein und Sie werden wirkliche Goetheaner sein. Dann sind Sie zugleich die tragenden Stützen draußen in der Welt, die das Goetheanum braucht, und von diesem Gesichtspunkt aus appelliere ich an Ihre Seele, richtige, rechte Goetheaner zu werden. Machen wir es so, dann wird schon alles gut werden.

Schiebe die Frühzeit
In des Kindes Alter,
Und des Kindes Alter
In die Jugendzeit:
Dir erscheint verdichtet
Menschenäthersein
Hinter Körperwesen

Schiebe die Altersdichte
In die Menschenreifezeit,
Und das Reifealter
In das Jugendleben.
Dir ertönt in Weltenklängen
Menschenseelenwirken
Aus dem Ätherleben.

Fifth Lecture

My dear friends!

Today, I would like to share a few more thoughts with you following on from the previous considerations, and then go into a little more detail on the general topic to which the individual questions you have raised relate. I would now like to say something that is best considered after having gained the insights that have been presented over the last few days. It is particularly important not to place general truths at the forefront of our considerations, but rather to move on to the general only after we have experienced something, because only then does the general take on its true, real color. And so let us now consider that of the four members of human nature, the physical body, the etheric body, the astral body, and the I, each of these members has its own particular structure. The physical body and the etheric body have a spatial-temporal structure, while the astral body and the I have a purely spiritual structure. One can imagine a purely spiritual structure by saying to oneself: the spiritual structure is not spatial-temporal. Space and time are absent there. But when I imagine the matter in this way, I can also visualize the spiritual structure and thus bring it to mind. This happens in imaginative consciousness. Now, however, bear in mind that we are dealing with a physical-etheric structure on the one hand, which in the sleeping human being is completely separated from the spiritual-soul structure, and on the other hand with a spiritual-soul structure.

You see, when we look at the sleeping human being, we have a distinct physical-etheric structure in this sleeping human being, who has sent away his ego and his astral body, and we have the soul-spiritual structure again separated from the physical body and etheric body. They are very different from each other. The physical-etheric structure is such that it differentiates into the individual organs, as an organism that has, in a sense, driven the individual organs out from the center of life. The astral and ego structures are much more like being driven from the outside in, that is, they come about more through invagination, so that the essential thing here is the omission of space and also the omission of time through invagination. The essential thing is that the two are fundamentally different from each other, the physical-etheric and the spiritual-soul structures. Now, in human beings who are awake in the physical world, the spiritual-soul, that is, the astral and ego organization, is integrated into the physical-etheric organization, to use an expression that is not entirely accurate but can illustrate the point. They interpenetrate each other to a certain degree. So in every physical organ, which is warmed and illuminated by its etheric body, and also lived through by the cosmos working through the etheric body, in every physical organ we already have the intervention of the ego organization and the astral organization in the waking human being. Now just imagine the following: the ego organization and the astral organization impose their own structure on some organ or organ system, which means, in other words, that something that should have a physical and etheric structure acquires a spiritual structure and becomes a reflection of the astral and ego organizations. This is basically the universal cause of physical illness. Universally speaking, the cause of physical illness is that the human body becomes too spiritual in some part or as a whole. That is why the proper, devoted observation of the sick person is so enormously enlightening — as was particularly strongly taken into account in ancient times — for the recognition of the spiritual human being. Just think, in ancient times, when people's understanding of human nature was completely different from today's — I am not saying the following in order to somehow create a desire to revive it and make it today's method — but in ancient times, when people had more robust views of human beings, they also expressed themselves through phenomena such as the following: If it was considered necessary for the salvation of a person who held heretical views, they were burned. They were burned, at least supposedly for their salvation, the heretics, so that they would be freed from what would bring them terrible torment after their death. This was formerly a kind of spectacle, which later became brutal. People had more robust views about human beings, and so it came about that, for example, a person who was considered healthy was given, say, lemon balm in a certain preparation. When he was given lemon balm in a certain way, his consciousness was permeated with a slight touch of dreaminess. He became more dreamy than he had been before the lemon balm was administered, but in return, quiet imaginings settled into his consciousness. If, for example, he was treated with hyoscyamus in a certain way, he developed a very strong predisposition to inspiration. Such investigations revealed the following, for example. It was found that when the solar plexus is stimulated by hyoscyamus, the solar plexus becomes spiritualized. It was found that the astral body and the ego organization then really intervene strongly in the solar plexus, or it was noticed that the entire blood supply to the cerebrum became slightly stronger – but this has a very significant effect – when the person was given lemon balm juice, because the ego organization intervenes strongly through the cerebrum. And so they tried to see how the whole human being could become spiritual and how the individual organs could become more spiritual. It is a prejudice that we think with our heads. That is not true at all. We think with our legs and arms; and what goes on in the arms and legs is observed by the head and absorbed into the images of thought. He would never, as I already told you in the Christmas course, learn the law of angles if he did not walk. He would never learn the mechanical laws of balance if he did not learn them through his own center of gravity, which he guides around in his subconscious. As soon as one descends to the astral body, which processes all this in the subconscious, the human being, even if he is sometimes quite foolish in the physical world, appears to be extremely wise, because everything that is developed there, for example, in geometry, in walking, in feeling oneself, because everything, if I may use the paradox, is known in the subconscious and then viewed by the brain. Now, you see, when the spiritual-soul organization interferes too strongly with the physical-etheric organization, physical illness arises, and in the past, one simply examined the spirit in the physical organs, because everything that can be said to be a gift from above is spiritual, spiritual-soul. Now, however, we must distinguish between what the human being received as a gift from above in a purely spiritual way. That remained a gift. But let us take an example, belladonna.

Whereas in other plants the physical and etheric forces are at work, in belladonna the cosmic-astral forces have a very strong effect from outside, and wherever the spiritual, either the astral or that which corresponds to the ego organization in the cosmos, acts on plants or animals, poisons arise in contrast to spiritual gifts. But they are definitely the correlate of the spiritual, because they are what goes beyond the plant-like and is cosmic-astral in plants and animals. When we transfer the astral through Hyoscyamus, we simply transfer what lives in the warm mantle of the earth, which closes off the atmosphere, into the solar plexus of the human being, and even into the diaphragm of the human being. But when we take lemon balm, which is not actually a poison, we get this gentle effect of the spiritual, which only manifests itself in drowsiness. One might say that with lemon balm, the formation of poison is in its nascent stage. This leads you to the rule: physical illness is the excessive spiritualization of the physical organism or its parts. Now something else can happen. It can happen that, while the human being is awake, the spiritual-soul structure of their astral body or their ego organization is too strongly projected into some physical organ and now, instead of imposing its spiritual-soul structure on the physical organism through its strength, the physical structure is imposed on it by the physical organism, so that when the person sleeps, their astral body and ego become a replica of their physical and etheric bodies, so that the person takes the physical structure into their astral body and ego. You see, these two types of irregularities in humans differ significantly from each other, even in observation. In a person who is ill, the diseased organ becomes strangely spiritualized. It becomes brighter. It appears in such a way as if it were being captured from the outside, from its surface, by spirituality. Long before any clear traces can be seen in the color of their skin and the like, a sick person appears transparent to the occult gaze, I would say, but penetrating this transparency is the spiritual-soul aspect. In a person in whom the opposite is the case, where the spiritual-soul organization takes on the structure of the physical-etheric, one notices this in the way the person sleeps, in their soul-spiritual state: they become a ghost, a light, windy ghost of their physical body. They remain similar to their physical body. They actually become a specter of their physical body. And the crude experiments that spiritualists carry out in so-called manifestations are all based on this — in some hidden way, what I am saying is already happening — that the spiritual-soul aspect of mediums is weakened. This is indeed obvious. Then, of course, in the darkroom — and this is also the case — the weakened astral body and the weakened ego can take on the forms of the organs to the point of visibility in the darkroom, so that the manifestations are true, but nefarious. Now, all so-called mental illnesses are based on the spiritual-soul, the astral body, and the ego organization taking on the physical and etheric structure. All mental illnesses are based on this, so that you can say: Physical illnesses are based on the physical organism or parts of it becoming spiritual; mental illnesses are based on the astral or the ego organization or parts of them becoming formative in the physical or etheric sense. This is a general truth that is extremely guiding for human knowledge.

This, in turn, is something that also relates to questions that individuals have asked about the relationship between medicine and education. For all degrees between these two extremes are present in the child's organism. In one child, the astral and ego organization tends more to make the physical body and etheric body spiritual, while in another child, the tendency is more to allow the physical and etheric bodies to shape them; and in between, there are all kinds of intermediate stages. This fundamental law is also expressed in temperament. If the astral body and the ego organization have a very strong, vehement tendency — not yet as in the case of the insane, so that the person can still cope — but a vehement tendency to take on forms from the physical or etheric body, then we are dealing with the melancholic temperament. The moment the astral body and the ego organization have a tendency to strongly impose their own structure on the physical or etheric body, we are dealing with a choleric temperament; and the phlegmatic and sanguine temperaments lie between these two. In the phlegmatic temperament, the astral body and the ego organization do not have such a vehement tendency, but in a certain sense they tend to take on the structure of the physical body and especially the etheric body; in the sanguine temperament, the vital force that lies in the etheric body is strongly influenced by the astral body. This is also expressed in the temperaments. And we see how what is the guiding principle for the physician in radical cases — recognizing how the soul-spiritual and the physical-etheric are intertwined in the awake human being — is also the rule for the educator in latent states, so that pedagogy and medicine are actually things that continue into each other. The point is, my dear friends, that you should strive as hard as possible to develop your imagination in your view of the human being. Now I would like to give you a few pointers in this regard.

You know very vividly, or at least you can know, you know very vividly the form of the human being in the embryonic state. Today, as far as possible, we have gained an insight into what the embryonic state is like in the early stages, how it develops later, and you can thus form a coherent picture of the human being during the embryonic state. You can also form a coherent picture of the human being during the childhood stage. You must try to make the first and second images as intense as possible, so that you really feel your way with your thoughts, so that it really seems to you as if you were feeling your way around the embryo with your thoughts, tracing its forms inwardly. Then enlarge the embryo to the size [hand movement], simply in your mind, to the size of the child, which you can look at and observe just as intensely. And then push the image of the embryo, push it by metamorphosing it internally into the image of the child. If you proceed realistically, you will encounter some difficulties in your inner experience. You will have to say to yourself: if I take the head of the embryo and enlarge it to the child stage, it will become very large. I will then have to push it together. I will also have to crystallize and coagulate internally what is still watery and fluid in the embryo, which belongs strongly to the fluid human being, so that it merges into the brain of the embryo. But then you will have to take the embryonic state of the limbs, stretch them, shape them, perform an internal plastic activity, pushing the non-plastic limbs of the embryo into the limbs of the child. It is an extraordinarily interesting inner activity to push the embryo into childhood in your inner vision.

Then you can continue. Then you can take the child and the adult and do the same experiment. This becomes more difficult, because the differences between the embryo and the child are very great, so you will have to develop a great deal of inner activity if you carry this out. But if you now compare childhood with the adult state in a mature human being, the differences are not so great, and it becomes somewhat difficult to adapt one to the other. But if you manage to do this, if you can proceed in this way, then the imagination of the human etheric body is truly born within you; the imagination of the human etheric body is born relatively quickly. — Note:

Push the early days

— Embryonic period —

In childhood,
And childhood
Into youth:
You appear condensed
Human etheric being
Behind physical being

— physical body in its structure.

Here you have a rule of thumb that you can use just as well as the others I mentioned yesterday and in the first lesson. But you must be clear about the fact that acquiring imaginative consciousness requires effort. You cannot conjure it up; you must acquire it through intensive work.

Now you can go further. You can now try to imagine an old man, a senile old man. Old people are senile to a certain extent. And if you get the feeling that you are also feeling this senile old man, you will receive the impression through your spiritual touch that the old man is actually hollow. So you do not get the impression that a sclerotic old man is denser or harder when you mentally palpate him, but on the contrary, that he is not harder at all, that he actually sucks. In your mental palpation, you get the feeling of moving your finger, moistened with saliva, over sea foam for a while. You know that when you run your wet finger along ion or sea foam, you have the feeling that it sucks. You have this feeling of suction when you look at the sclerotic old man. You must develop this feeling of touch, this feeling of experience, when you look at him. This is not only the case with the eye, with looking, but it can occur with every sense, including the sense of life. You now have the density of age, which is sucking, if you understand this. Now, just as you pushed forward in the first case, push the embryonic period into childhood and then into the mature human being, and now push back. Imagine the mature human being who no longer sucks, but who stands powerfully in the world, and push what you have felt in the old man into that. Isn't it true that when you push the embryonic structure into the child's structure, you are performing a spatial metamorphosis? Now, if it seems to you that the old man is a hollow being who is constantly sucking, you must do this as if it were filling with strength when you push it back into mature age. It is so that when you push it back, you become the mature human being. Whereas before, when you look at someone in the prime of life, you sense a kind of quiet paralysis, when you push the old man back like this, he becomes strong again in his bones and in the whole structure of his solid organism. You have to pay more attention to this inner pushing together, and then you also have to push mature age back into youth. This is actually quite easy to do. Imagine a person who already has a wrinkled face and then let them merge with a young, chubby-cheeked person, and you will achieve balance. If you can do this, you will get the impression that the etheric body is being rippled and begins to sound and resonate. This gives you an impression of the astral in human beings. So you have a rule that guides you to ascend to inspiration:

Push the density of age
Into the time of human maturity,
And the age of maturity
Into the life of youth.
You hear in the sounds of the world
The workings of human souls

— the astral body, that is —

From the etheric life.

From what I am telling you, you can also see that the instructions for meditation are not given as commands, but are based on what can be understood. Those who are guided to meditation in the right way are not treated as authoritatively as they once were in the ancient Orient, where the education and development of children and the elderly was based on completely different principles than ours. So when meditation is recommended to us, it is done in such a way that we understand what we are doing with ourselves. Isn't it true that in the Orient, children were guided by their Dadas? This meant that the child was educated and taught through the way in which the person concerned lived. The child learned no more than it saw in the Dada, so to speak. The adult had his guru if he wanted to progress. He was dependent on the guru not giving any other rule than this: That's how it is – you just have to try it. That is the difference. What we have in our Western civilization is that everywhere people's freedom is appealed to, that people know what they are doing. And one can also understand how inspired recognition comes about when one has understood with common sense how physical illness and mental illness work, and when one holds together everything I have told you today. For these things can be understood precisely with common sense. If you go further to understand what you should do in inner meditation, then you have reached the limit of what you can achieve with common sense. Common sense can achieve everything that comes from anthroposophy. When what can no longer be achieved with common sense begins, then common sense has worked correctly to its limit, and it is like standing in front of a lake. There is a similar limit, and you can still see it from the shore of the lake. Truly, common sense leads to all of this. You must not fall prey to the slander that you are spreading a mystical, obscure worldview, but rather one that can be achieved with common sense. When I said this once in Berlin, I was confronted with an article written about this lecture: Common sense that is healthy cannot comprehend anything at all about the spiritual world; and anyone who comprehends something about the spiritual world is sick, not healthy. That was held against me.

Now I would like to say a few words about the fact that, precisely because you are compelled by your medical studies to look deeply into the whole nature and essence of human beings, you are in a very special position, even as young people. It must be taken very seriously that the Kali Yuga has come to an end and that we have entered a light age, even if humanity still lives in darkness because the old age rolls onward through inertia. A bright light shines in from the spiritual universe, and we as human beings are entering an age of light, and people only need to make themselves ready to receive the intentions of the age of light. Now, young people are predestined to live into the age of light; and if young people develop the necessary seriousness and a certain self-awareness of how they came to be born at the very beginning of the age of light, then these young people will have the opportunity, to varying degrees, to adapt to what is actually required by the developmental impulse of humanity. And today, this requires that we look to the human being in everything if we want to explain the world, just as we used to look to nature in order to compose the human being from individual natural forces and natural processes. We will gradually have to come to understand the human being and to comprehend the individual natural processes as specializations of what goes on in the human being, as one-sided aspects of what goes on in the human being. When we come to this, a certain intimate relationship will also take hold in the whole of human feeling and mental activity, which has been sought, but sought in a somewhat tumultuous way. Just think how young people began to idolize nature in a certain sense when the youth movement of the light age came. That was abstract; even though it was felt very vitally, it was abstract. In contrast, the spiritual path of development for young people today must lead to intimate feelings for their connection as human beings with the world, intimate feelings, and what they take in spiritually must no longer be science for the intellect. That leaves one cold; one has always remained cold in that regard. Instead, science must be shaped in such a way that something actually happens, that with every step one takes in science, one also becomes a different person in one's mind and feelings, becoming acquainted, as it were, with something one has forgotten. One also got to know nature, for example, before descending into the physical world. But there it looked different. Today, one kills in young people what they went through in their previous existence when one points them to the crude, robust external view. If we return to treating the external sensory perception as if an old acquaintance were to appear in the sensory perception, one whom we know from our pre-earthly life, then feeling arises everywhere in knowledge, feeling in recognition. And this must indeed be like a bloodstream, must flow like a spiritual bloodstream through the whole of scientific life, indeed through the whole of human education and teaching. This intimacy with the real is what we must gain in science.

In this respect, modern times have really been difficult in terms of concepts. You see, I tried to show relatively early on how human beings, when confronted with the external sensory world, actually only have half of reality; how they only gain the whole of reality when they unite what arises within them with external sensory reality. And I had to do that first, because times were very different then than they are today. For things must first be prepared. I had to present it in an epistemological way. But if you read my book Truth and Science, it works toward resurrecting in the human mind the spiritual that springs forth from within. This is the first step toward this intimization of science, especially in the heartfelt reception of the world being. The physician now has this opportunity in particular, in that he gets to know this intimate experience of reality, and therefore, simply by being a physician, he can be the person who makes the abstractness of the other youth movement, those who are not physicians by fate, more concrete and more heartfelt. After all, if you are a young person today who has medicine in your heart, you can deepen your knowledge of medicine as far as we do here with someone else who, for example, only has law in their heart and who is a poor fellow because they only have law; this is completely impossible for the lawyer. Until the beginning of the 18th century, there was still something of the spirit in medicine; in jurisprudence, spirituality ceased to exist deep in the Middle Ages, where people no longer even sense the spirit in it, but only statutory notes. It is quite possible that the medical student, who is the first to enter concrete life, can have an extraordinarily stimulating effect on the rest of the youth.

Therefore, it would be good if the individual groups that have now emerged, particularly in the anthroposophical youth movement, were supported by medical students. Of course, one must take into account the real karmic conditions. But isn't it true that we have the very hopeful Tübingen group, which is working in the field of education and which, for example, could gain a great deal if it had a physician in its midst who could explain many things from a medical point of view? We now have Dr. Bockholt leading the youth movement, even if only on an interim basis, and it will be very good if the youth movement is enriched by what the physician brings to it. And so we can do an extraordinary amount in individual cases. But on the other hand, it would be good if you could occasionally, if the opportunity arises, also engage as much as possible with the educational work within the anthroposophical movement. If this comes from a serious place, there is no obstacle to you engaging with it, but in a serious way. You cannot give everyone what is given in the Waldorf school seminars. But if someone shows that they are seriously interested in it, there can be no obstacle to getting to know the Waldorf school seminar courses, as soon as these things are also really considered from the medical point of view and are also inwardly permeated with the idea of how closely related healing and education were in ancient times.

Consider that today we have completely departed from the view of the human being as a being who enters earthly life burdened with sin, because the modern view no longer knows anything at all about what sin means. What has become condensed into the concept of sin? What I have shown you here in recent days as the law of heredity lies in sin, in original sin. And so individual sin is also something that human beings must overcome in the second half of their lives. They must truly overcome the sinful model that comes from heredity, or, to use the old terminology, the diseased model. But if man were to retain in his body what is active in his model until his teeth change, if he were to carry this with him throughout his life, then at the age of nine he would be a person who — well, he would be covered with moist eczema all over his skin if the organization were to continue like this; he would get holes all over his body, would look like a leper, then the flesh would fall off his bones, if he could even bear it. Man is born sick into the world; and to educate, that is, to recognize and guide what works according to the model, is the same as quiet healing. In this awareness, you should live in the youth movement, so that when you describe education, you see yourselves as therapists. You provide the remedies, which of course remain in the spiritual realm, but can strongly transition into the physical realm, depending on whether the child transitions into the pathological realm. You have this, basically, only on a different level, only on a different plane, in pedagogy: also an art of healing. On the other hand, if the sick person does not respond at all to what you can give them as a guideline for their own subjective consciousness, for their understanding of their illness, for pessimism or optimism in their view of life, if you cannot have any pedagogical effect, it is extremely difficult to help them heal. If the sick person—I don't want to say that they must have blind faith in the remedy, that would be too much of an exaggeration—but if the sick person is simply led by the individuality of the doctor to feel how the doctor is imbued with the will to heal, this triggers a reflex in the sick person, which is then imbued with the will to get well. This clash between the will to heal and the will to get well plays an enormously important role in therapy, so that one can already say: there is already an image of pedagogy in it, and in pedagogy again an image of healing. Today, it is very important that people in the world come together with the right consciousness. So when young medical students come together with other young people with the right consciousness, you will see that the young medical students can have an extraordinarily stimulating effect on the others. But sharpening this consciousness on both sides is what is particularly necessary.

You see, these are the things I would like to have placed in your soul and in your heart after you have once again been here in such a satisfying way. I hope that this has again contributed to making the bonds between your souls and the Goetheanum even closer and stronger, and that you will feel that, especially in such a concrete field as medicine, the Goetheanum finds people who carry out into the world what can be found here. You will come to a real awareness of this if you also consider yourselves to belong to the Goetheanum in your feelings and if you direct your thoughts more often to what the Goetheanum actually wants for the world and the development of civilization today. And so the bonds of the heart that you can form with the Goetheanum will be something that, especially as a physician, will help you in a profound way with the task you have set yourself. With this feeling in mind, I wanted to preserve these more intimate discussions that have taken place between us here during these hours, and I believe that we will be able to achieve many things if you continue to carry this feeling, which has also permeated these discussions, out into the world now that we must hold our last hour today. And in doing so, we will also remain together in the most beautiful way. The Goetheanum will thus be best understood as a center that has set itself a specific task. The Goetheanum will thereby truly be the Goetheanum, and you will be true Goetheans. Then you will also be the supporting pillars out in the world that the Goetheanum needs, and from this point of view I appeal to your soul to become true, right Goetheans. If we do this, everything will be fine.

Push the early years
Into childhood,
And childhood
Into youth:
You will see condensed
Human etheric being
Behind physical being

Push the density of old age
Into the age of human maturity,
And the age of maturity
Into the life of youth.
You hear in the sounds of the world
The workings of human souls
From the etheric life.