Theosophy of the Rosicrucian
GA 99
26 May 1907, Munich
Translated by Mabel Cotterell and Dorothy S. Osmond
III. The Elemental World and the Heaven World. Waking Life, Sleep and Death.
We shall now study man in the state of waking life in the physical world, in the state of sleep and in so-called death. Everyone is familiar, from his own experience, with the waking state.
When the human being sinks into sleep, his astral body and ego, together with what has been worked upon in the astral body by the ego, withdraw from the physical and etheric bodies. When you observe the sleeping human being clairvoyantly, physical body and etheric body lie there in the bed. These two members remain connected whereas the astral body emerges together with the higher members; with clairvoyance we can see how, when sleep begins, the astral body, bathed in a kind of light, draws out of the other two bodies. To describe this condition with greater exactitude we must say that the astral body of modern man appears as if it consisted in many streams and sparkles of light and the whole appears like two intertwining spirals, as if there were two 6-figures, one of which vanishes into the physical body, while the other extends far out into the cosmos like the trail of a comet. Both these trails of the astral body very soon become invisible in their further extensions, so that the phenomenon then has an ovoid shape. When the human being wakes, the trail no longer extends into the cosmos and everything draws again into the etheric and physical bodies.
Dreaming is an intermediate condition between waking and sleeping. Sleep that is filled with dreams is a condition where the astral body has, it is true, loosened its whole connection with the physical body, but is still connected with the etheric body. Man's field of vision is then pervaded with the pictures we call dreams. This is, in very truth, an intermediate condition because the astral body has detached itself completely from the physical body, while remaining connected, in a certain way, with the etheric body.
The human being, while he is asleep, lives in his astral body outside his physical and etheric bodies. The fact that he must sink into sleep has deep significance for his whole make-up. Do not imagine that the astral body is inactive and has no work to do during the night while it is outside the physical and etheric bodies. During the day, when the astral body is within the physical and etheric bodies, influences come to it from the outside world, impressions which man receives as a result of the functioning of his own astral body, through his senses, through his activity in the physical world. Feelings and experiences, everything that works in upon him from outside continues on into the astral body. This constitutes the actual feeling and thinking part of man, and the physical body, together with the etheric body, is only the transmitter, the instrument. Thinking and willing take place in the astral body. While the human body is active in the external world during the day, the astral body is receiving impressions all the time. But let us remember, on the other hand, that the astral body is the builder of the etheric and physical bodies. Just as the physical body with all its organs has hardened out of the etheric body, so everything that streams and is active in the etheric body has been born out of the astral body.
Out of what is the astral body itself born? It is born out of the universal astral organism which weaves through the whole of the cosmos. If you want to envisage, by means of a simile, the relation of the small portion of astral substantiality contained in your astral body to the great astral ocean in which all human beings, animals, plants, minerals, and planets too, are contained and out of which they are born, if you want to envisage the relation of the human astral body to the great astral ocean, think of one drop of a liquid in a glass. The drop derives its existence entirely from the liquid in the glass. Similarly, what is contained in an astral body was once embraced within the astral ocean of the cosmos. It has separated out from this ocean and having passed into an etheric body and a physical body, has become a distinct entity, like the drop of liquid.
As long as the astral body lay within the astral ocean, it received its laws and its impressions from this cosmic source. It had its life within this cosmic astral body. After its separation it is exposed, during man's waking consciousness, to the impressions received from the physical world; so that it is divided between the influences coming from the cosmic astral body and those which it receives from outside as the result of the activity imposed upon it by the physical world. When man has reached the goal of his earth-evolution, this division, will merge into harmony. Today, these two kinds of influences do not harmonise.
Now the astral body is the builder of the etheric body and indirectly—because the etheric body is in turn the builder of the physical body—also of the physical body. Everything that the astral body has built up piece by piece through the ages has been born out of the great cosmic astral ocean. Because only harmonious and sound laws proceed from this astral ocean, the work carried out by the astral body in building the etheric and physical bodies is originally sound and harmonious; but as a result of the influences which came to the astral body from outside, from the physical world, impairing its original harmony, there arise all those disturbances of the physical body which prevail in mankind today.
If the astral body remained all the time within the human being, the strong influences of the physical world would soon destroy the harmony brought by the astral body from the cosmic ocean. The human being would very soon be spent by illness and exhaustion. During sleep the astral body withdraws from the impressions of the physical world, which contain nothing that produces harmony, and passes into the cosmic harmony from which it was born. And so in the morning it brings with it the lingering effects of the refreshment and renewal it has experienced during the night. Every night the astral body renews its harmony with the cosmic astral ocean and reveals itself to the clairvoyant as anything but inactive. The clairvoyant perceives a connection between the astral ocean and the one comet-like trail and observes how this part of the astral body works to eliminate the debility caused by the world of disharmony. This activity of the astral body expresses itself in the feeling of refreshed vigour in the morning. Having lived during the night within the great cosmic harmony, the astral body has of course again to adjust itself to the physical world; hence the feeling of greatest vigour does not arise until a few hours have elapsed after waking, when the astral body has again drawn into the physical body.
We will now turn to death, the “brother” of sleep, and study the condition of the human being after death. The difference between a man who is dead and one who is only sleeping is that at death the etheric body passes away together with the astral body and the physical body alone is left behind in the physical world. From birth until death the etheric body never leaves the physical body except during certain states of Initiation.
The period immediately following death is of great importance for the human being. It lasts for many hours, even days, during which the whole of the incarnation that is just over comes before the soul of the dead as in a great tableau of memories. This happens to every human being after death. The peculiarity of this tableau is that as long as it remains in the form in which it appears immediately after death, all the subjective experiences of the man during his life are expunged.
Our experiences are always accompanied by feelings either of joy or pain, upliftment of sorrow, in other words our outer life is always associated with an inner life. The joys and sorrows connected with the pictures of the past life are not present in the memory-tableau. The human being confronts this memory-tableau as objectively as he confronts a painting; even if this painting depicts a man who is sorrowful or full of pain, we still look at him quite objectively; we can, it is true, discern his sorrow, but we do not experience it directly. So it is with these pictures immediately after death. The tableau widens out and in an astonishingly brief span of time man sees all the detailed events of his life.
Separation of the physical body from the etheric body during life can take place only in an initiate, but there are certain moments when the etheric body suddenly loosens from the physical body. This occurs when a man has had terrible experiences, for instance, a dreadful fall or has been in danger of drowning.—The shock causes a kind of loosening of the etheric body from the physical body and the consequence is that in such a moment the whole of the previous life stands before the soul like a memory-picture. This is analogous to the experience after death.
Partial separations of the etheric body also occur when a limb has “gone to sleep” as we say if a hand, for instance, has gone to sleep, the seer can perceive the etheric part of the hand protruding like a glove; parts of the etheric brain also protrude when a man is in a state of hypnosis. Because the etheric body is woven in the physical body in tiny, pinpoint formations, there arises in the physical body the well-known sensation of prickling in a limb that has gone to sleep.
After the lapse of the time during which the etheric body together with the astral body is emerging from the physical body after death, there comes the moment when the astral body, with the higher members, leaves the etheric body. The latter separates off and the memory-tableau fades away; but something of it remains; it is not wholly lost. What may be called ether- or life-substance dissipates in the cosmic ether, but a kind of essence remains and this can never be lost to the human being through his further journeyings. He bears this with him into all his future incarnations as a kind of extract from the life-tableau, even though he has no remembrance of it. Out of this extract is formed what is called, with concrete reality, the “Causal Body.” After every incarnation a new page is added to the Book of Life. This augments the life-essence and, if the past lives were fruitful, causes the next life to develop in the proper way. This is what causes a life to be rich or poor in talents, qualities and the like.
In order to understand the life of the astral body after its separation from the etheric body, we must consider the conditions obtaining in physical life. In physical life it is the astral body that is happy, suffers, satisfies its desires, impulses and wishes through the organs of the physical body; after death these physical instruments are no longer at its disposal. The epicure can no longer satisfy his desire for choice food because the tongue has passed away with the physical body; but the desires, being connected with the astral body, remain in the man and this gives rise to the “burning thirst” of the Kamaloca period. (Kama = desire, wish; “loca” is “place”, but it is in reality a condition, not a place.) A man, who during physical life learns to transcend the physical body, shortens his time in Kamaloca.
To take delight in the beauty or harmony of things means growth and development, for this leads us beyond the material world. To delight in art that is materialistic increases the difficulties of the Kamaloca state, whereas delight in spiritual art lightens them. Every noble, spiritual delight shortens the time in Kamaloca. Already during earthly life we must break ourselves of pleasures and desires which can be satisfied only by the physical instrument. The period of Kamaloca is a time of the breaking of material pleasures and impulses. It lasts for approximately one third of the time of the earthly life. There is something singular about the experiences undergone in Kamaloca. The human being begins actually to live backwards through the whole of his past life. Immediately after death there was a memory-tableau devoid of the elements of joy and suffering; in Kamaloca the human being lives through all the joy and all the suffering again in such a way that he must experience in himself all the joy and the suffering he caused to others. This has nothing to do with the law of karma.
The journey backwards begins with the last event before death and proceeds at triple speed, to birth. When in this backward passage of remembrance the human being reaches his birth, the part of the astral body that has been transformed by the ego combines with the causal body and what has not been so transformed falls away like a shade, a phantom; this is the astral corpse of the human being. He has laid aside the physical corpse and the etheric corpse and now the astral corpse. He now lives through new conditions: those of Devachan. Devachan is all around us, just as is the astral world.
When the life has been lived through backwards as far as earliest childhood, when the three corpses have been discarded, man reaches the condition mysteriously indicated in the Bible by the words: “Except ye become as little children, ye cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Devachan, the spiritual world—this is the Kingdom of Heaven in the Christian sense.)
The world of Devachan must now be traversed. It is a world as manifold and differentiated as our physical world. Just as solid regions, continents, are distinguished in the physical world, with an expanse of water surrounding the solid land, with the air above and above the air still finer conditions, so there is a similar differentiation in Devachan, in the spiritual world. By analogy with conditions on earth, the phenomena to be found in Devachan have been given similar names.
Firstly, there is a region which may be compared with solid, physical regions: it is the Continental region of Devachan. What is physical here on the earth is, in this region of Devachan, found to be a multitude of spiritual Beings. Think, for example, of a physical human being. To devachanic vision he appears like this: what the physical senses perceive, vanishes, and light flashes up in the sphere immediately around the physical man, where otherwise there is a void; in the middle, where the physical body is, there is an empty, shadowy space—like a kind of negative. Animals and human beings appear here in negative pictures; blood appears as green—its complementary colour. All formations which are physical in our world are present in the Archetypes of Devachan.
A second region—not separated off, but like a second stage—is the Oceanic region of Devachan. It is not water it is a particular substantiality which in rhythmic streams pervades the world of Devachan in colour that may be compared with that of young peach-blossom in Spring. It is fluidic life and it pervades the whole of Devachan. What is divided among individual human beings and animals here below is present in Devachan as a kind of watery element. We have a picture of it when we think of the diffusion of the blood in the human organism.
The third region of Devachan can best be characterised by saying that what lives here, in the physical world, within beings in the way of feelings, of happiness and suffering, joy, pain and the like, is present there in external manifestation.
To take an example.—Suppose a battle is waged here on the earth. Cannons, weapons and the like—these are all on the physical plane. But within human beings on the physical plane there are mutual feelings of revenge, pain, passions; the two armies confront one another full of opposing passions. Think of all this translated into external manifestation and you have a picture of how it appears on the devachanic plane. All that happens here on a battlefield, appears, in Devachan, like the bursting of a fearful storm. This is the atmosphere, the surrounding air of Devachan. Just as our earth is surrounded by air, so all the feelings that break out here, whether they come to physical expression or not, spread out in Devachan like an atmosphere.
The fourth region of Devachan contains the archetypal forms, the archetypal foundations of all truly original achievements on the earth. If we examine closely the happenings of the physical world, we find that the vast majority of inner processes are instigated from outside. A flower or an animal gives us joy; without the flower or the animal we should not experience this joy. But there are also processes which are not instigated from outside. A new idea, a work of art, a new machine—all these things bring into the world something that was not there before original creations come into being in all these domains. If new creations did not arise in the world, humanity would make no progress. Original creations given to the world by great artists and discoverers are only higher in the sense of degree than every other truly original act—even the most insignificant. The point is that something original arises in the inner being.
Archetypes exist in Devachan even for the most insignificant original actions; all these things are already prefigured in yonder world; any original achievement of a human being is already present in the germinal state, even before his birth.
Thus in Devachan we find four regions whose counter-images on the physical plane are Earth, Water, Air and Fire. There is the Continental region as the solid crust in Devachan-in the spiritual sense, of course; then the Oceanic region, corresponding to our area of water; the Atmospheric region, the streaming flow of passions and the like—beauty, but also tumult is to be found there. Finally, there is the all-pervading world of the Archetypes. Everything in the way of initiatives of will and original ideas to which, later on, effect is given in the physical world by beings who return thither—all this must be lived through by the soul in yonder world in order that fresh power may be gathered for the new life.
Dritter Vortrag
[ 1 ] Wir werden heute den Menschen in seinem Zustande des Wachens hier in der physischen Welt, in dem Zustande des Schlafes und des sogenannten Todes betrachten. Den Zustand des Wachens kennt jeder aus der eigenen Erfahrung.
[ 2 ] Wenn der Mensch in Schlaf versinkt, dann zieht sich gleichsam alles, was Astralleib, Ich und das, was das Ich im Astralleib gearbeitet hat, heraus aus dem physischen und dem Ätherleib. Wenn Sie hellsehend den schlafenden Menschen betrachten, dann haben Sie im Bette liegend den physischen und den Ätherleib. Diese zwei Glieder bleiben in dem Zusammenhang, in dem sie sonst auch sind, während der Astralleib alles, was höhergliedrig ist, herauszieht, so daß man hellsehend verfolgen kann, wie im Einschlafen der Astralleib in einem gewissen Licht sich aus den erstgenannten zwei Leibern herauszieht. Wenn dieser Zustand noch genauer beschrieben werden soll, muß man sagen, daß der Astralleib bei dem heutigen Menschen gegliedert erscheint durch mannigfache Strömungen und Licht-Erglänzungen, und wenn man diese summarisch anschaut, so sieht das Ganze aus wie zwei ineinandergeschlungene Spiralen, gleichsam wie zwei ineinandergeschlungene 6Zahlen, von denen sich die eine in den physischen Leib hinein verliert, die andere aber weit hinaus wie ein Kometenschweif in den Kosmos sich erstreckt. Es werden nur diese beiden Schweife des Astralleibes sehr bald unsichtbar in ihrer weiteren Verbreitung, so daß die Erscheinung dann mit der Form eines Eies sich vergleichen läßt. Wenn der Mensch wiederum aufwacht, verliert sich der in den Kosmos hinausgehende Schweif, und das Ganze zieht sich wieder hinein in den Äther- und physischen Leib.
[ 3 ] Ein Zwischenzustand zwischen Wachen und Schlafen ist ja das Träumen. Der traumerfüllte Schlaf ist dann vorhanden, wenn der Astralleib zwar schon ganz seine Verbindung mit dem physischen Leib gelöst hat, gleichsam seine Fühlfäden aus dem physischen Leib herausgezogen hat, aber noch mit dem Ätherleib verbunden ist. Dann wird das Blickfeld des Menschen von jenen Bildern durchzogen, die wir die Träume nennen. Es ist das sachlich ein Zwischenzustand, weil der Astralleib seine Verbindung mit dem physischen Leib vollständig gelöst hat, während er noch mit dem Ätherleib in gewisser Weise zusammenhängt.
[ 4 ] Das also ist der schlafende Mensch, der in seinem Astralleib, außerhalb seines physischen und Ätherleibes, lebt. Daß der Mensch in solchen Schlaf versinken muß, hat in der ganzen Natur seine tiefe Berechtigung. Sie dürfen sich nicht vorstellen, daß der Astralleib, wenn er in der Nacht beim Schlaf außerhalb des physischen und Ätherleibes ist, untätig sei und keine Arbeit hätte. Wenn während des Tages der Astralleib im physischen und Ätherleib ist, treffen ihn die Wirkungen von der Außenwelt, die der Mensch erhält durch die eigene Tätigkeit des Astralleibes, durch seine Sinneseindrücke, durch seine Tätigkeit in der physischen Welt. Alles, was der Mensch so erhält an Gefühlen und Empfindungen, alles, was von außen auf ihn einwirkt, setzt sich fort bis zum Astralleib. Das ist der eigentlich empfindende und denkende Teil des Menschen, und der physische Leib und auch das, was im Ätherleib ist, sind nur seine Vermittler, die Instrumente. Alles, was denkt und will, ist im Astralleib. Während der Mensch am Tage in der Außenwelt tätig ist, erhält so der Astralleib fortwährend Eindrücke von der äußeren Welt. Auf der anderen Seite aber halten wir fest, daß der Astralleib der eigentliche Aufbauer vom Äther- und vom physischen Leibe ist. Ebenso, wie der physische Leib in allen seinen Organen herauserstarrt, verhärtet ist aus dem Ätherleib, so ist alles, was im Ätherleib strömt und tätig ist, herausgeboren aus dem Astralleib.
[ 5 ] Woraus ist nun der Astralleib selber geboren? Er ist geboren aus dem allgemeinen astralischen Organismus, der unsern ganzen zu uns gehörenden Kosmos durchwebt. Wenn Sie sich durch ein Gleichnis dieses Verhältnis vorstellen wollen, das Verhältnis des kleinen Teils von astraler Körperlichkeit in Ihrem Leibe zu dem ganzen mächtigen Astralmeere, in dem alle Menschen, Tiere, Pflanzen, Mineralien und auch Planeten schwingen und aus dem sie herausgeboren sind, wenn Sie dieses Verhältnis des astralen Leibes zum Astralorganismus sich vorstellen wollen, so denken Sie sich einen Tropfen einer Flüssigkeit in einem Gefäße. Wie der Tropfen sein ganzes Sein hat von der Flüssigkeit, die in dem Gefäße ist, so ist das, was in einem Astralleib ist, einmal eingeschlossen gewesen in dem ganzen Astralmeere des Kosmos. Es hat sich herausgetrennt, und dadurch, daß es eingezogen ist in den Äther- und physischen Leib, hat es sich abgesondert wie der Tropfen aus dem Gefäße.
[ 6 ] Solange der Astralleib im Schoße des allgemeinen Astralleibes ruhte, erlangte er seine Gesetze, seine Eindrücke von diesem ganzen kosmischen Astralkörper. Er lebte innerhalb dieses kosmischen Astralleibes sein Leben. Seit diesem Heraustrennen ist er während des Tagwachens angewiesen auf die Eindrücke, die er von der physischen Welt erhält, so daß er seine Natur teilen muß zwischen den Eindrücken, die er noch mitgebracht hat von dem kosmischen Astralleib, und denen, die er jetzt von außen erhält durch die Tätigkeit, die ihm von der physischen Welt zugewiesen ist. Diese zwei Seiten werden, wenn der Mensch am Ziel seiner Erdenentwickelung angelangt sein wird, eine Harmonie ergeben. Heute ist das nicht der Fall, es klingen diese zwei Wirkungen nicht zusammen.
[ 7 ] Nun ist der Astralleib der Aufbauer des Ätherleibes und dadurch indirekt — weil der Ätherleib wieder den physischen Leib aufbaut — auch der Aufbauer des physischen Leibes. Alles, was der Astralleib im Laufe der Zeiten Stück für Stück aufgebaut hat, ist herausgeboren aus dem großen kosmischen Astralmeere. Dadurch, daß aus diesem Astralmeer nur Harmonie, nur gesunde Gesetzmäßigkeit herausgekommen ist, ist das Bauen des Astralleibes am Äther- und physischen Leib ursprünglich gesund, harmonisch; durch jene Einflüsse aber, die der Astralleib von außen, aus der physischen Welt, erhält und die seine ursprüngliche Harmonie beeinträchtigen, kommen alle Störungen des physischen Leibes zustande, die beim heutigen Menschen vorhanden sind.
[ 8 ] Würde der Astralleib ständig im Menschen drinnen sein, so würde der starke Einfluß der physischen Welt bald die gesamte Harmonie zerstört haben, die sich der Astralleib aus dem kosmischen Meere mitgebracht hat. Sehr bald würde sich der Mensch durch Krankheit und Ermüdung abnützen. Während des Schlafes zieht sich der Astralleib zurück von den Eindrücken der physischen Welt, die nichts mehr enthält, was Harmonie gibt, und geht ein in die allgemeine Harmonie des Kosmos, aus der er herausgeboren ist. Und so bringt er sich des Morgens die Nachklänge dessen mit, was er an Erneuerung während der Nacht erlebt hat. Es erneuert der Astralleib während jeder Nacht seine Harmonie mit dem großen kosmischen Astralmeere, und so zeigt sich auch dem Hellseher dieser Astralleib gar nicht untätig; er sieht einen Zusammenhang zwischen dem Astralmeere und dem einen kometenähnlichen Schweif des Astralleibes und kann sehen, wie dieser Teil arbeitet an der Fortschaffung der durch die disharmonisierende Welt erzeugten Erschlaffung. Diese Tätigkeit des Astralleibes drückt sich dadurch aus, daß man sich am Morgen gestärkt fühlt. Allerdings muß sich der Astralleib, der während der Nacht in der großen Harmonie gelebt hat, erst wieder hineinfinden in die physische Welt. Deshalb erscheint das größte Gefühl der Stärkung erst einige Stunden später, nachdem der Astralleib wiederum den physischen Leib bezogen hat.
[ 9 ] Nun wollen wir zu dem Bruder des Schlafes, zum Tode, übergehen und uns klarmachen, welches der Zustand des Menschen nach dem Tode ist. Der tote Mensch unterscheidet sich dadurch von dem bloß schlafenden, daß beim toten Menschen der Ätherleib mitgeht mit dem Astralleib und nur den physischen Leib hier in der physischen Welt zurückläßt. Dieses Herausdringen des Ätherleibes aus dem physischen Leibe ist niemals beim Menschen von der Geburt bis zum Tode vorhanden, wenn er nicht gewisse Einweihungszustände durchmacht.
[ 10 ] Ein wichtiger Augenblick für den Menschen, der gestorben ist, ist der Moment unmittelbar nach dem Tode. Er dauert ja längere Zeit, Stunden, selbst Tage. In diesem Zustande zieht vor der Seele des toten Menschen vorbei das ganze Leben der letzten Inkarnation wie in einem großen Erinnerungs-Tableau. Dies ist bei jedem Menschen nach dem Tode vorhanden. Die Eigentümlichkeit dieses Tableaus besteht darin, daß, solange es in der Art ist, wie es unmittelbar nach dem Tode sich zeigt, in ihm wie gestrichen sind alle die Erlebnisse, die der Mensch subjektiv bei seinem Gang durch die Welt durchgemacht hat. Wir haben bei unseren verschiedenen Erlebnissen immer auch das Gefühl der Lust und des Schmerzes, der Erhebung oder der Traurigkeit gehabt. Unser äußeres Anschauen war immer mit einem Innenleben verknüpft. Alle die Freuden und Schmerzen, die sich an die Bilder des Lebens heften, sind bei dieser Rückerinnerung nicht vorhanden. Man steht diesem Erinnerungstableau ebenso objektiv gegenüber wie einem Gemälde. Wenn dasselbe einen Menschen darstellt, der traurig, der von Schmerzen erfüllt ist, so sehen wir ihn objektiv an. Wir können wohl seine Traurigkeit nachfühlen, doch empfinden wir nicht unmittelbar den Schmerz, den der Mensch gehabt hat. So ist es mit den Bildern dieses Tableaus unmittelbar nach dem Tode: es breitet sich aus, und man sieht in Zeiträumen, die erstaunlich sind, weil sie so kurz sind, alle Einzelheiten, die sich im Leben zugetragen haben.
[ 11 ] Die Trennung des physischen Leibes vom Ätherleib während des Lebens ist sonst nur bei einem Eingeweihten vorhanden; doch gibt es gewisse Augenblicke, wo wie mit einem Ruck der Ätherleib sich löst von dem physischen Leib. Das ist dann der Fall, wenn der Mensch besonders schreckhafte Erlebnisse hat, zum Beispiel bei einem Absturz oder bei der Gefahr des Ertrinkens. Dann findet durch diesen mächtigen Schock eine Art Lösung des Ätherleibes vom physischen Leibe statt. Die Folge davon ist, daß in solchem Augenblick das ganze bisherige Leben wie eine Erinnerung vor der Seele des Menschen steht. Da haben wir ein Analogon für das Erlebnis nach dem Tode.
[ 12 ] Partielle Trennungen des Ätherleibes finden auch statt, wenn ein Glied eingeschlafen ist. Wenn zum Beispiel die Hand eingeschlafen ist, so kann der Seher beobachten, wie der Ätherteil, der der Hand entspricht, heraushängt wie ein Handschuh. Ebenso hängen Teile des Äthergehirnes heraus, wenn der Mensch in einem hypnotischen Zustande sich befindet. Weil der Ätherleib eingesponnen ist in ganz kleinen punktartigen Gebilden im physischen Leib, so entsteht das bekannte eigentümliche Gefühl des Prickelns bei einem eingeschlafenen Gliede.
[ 13 ] Nach Ablauf der Zeit, während der sich der Ätherleib in Verbindung mit dem Astralleib aus dem physischen Leib herausgelöst hat, kommt der Moment, wo der Astralleib mit all dem, was die höheren Glieder sind, wiederum sich herauslöst aus dem Ätherleib. Dieser letztere trennt sich ab, das Erinnerungs-Tableau verglimmt. Aber es bleibt dem Menschen etwas davon, es geht nicht ganz verloren. Zwar das, was man nennen könnte Äther- oder Lebenssubstanz, zerstreut sich in den ganzen Weltenäther, aber eine Art Essenz bleibt davon, die dem Menschen niemals wieder auf der ferneren Wanderung seines Lebens verlorengehen kann. Er nimmt sie wie eine Art Extrakt aus dem Lebens-Tableau mit in alle seine zukünftigen Inkarnationen, wenn er sich dessen auch nicht erinnern kann. Das, was sich aus diesem Erinnerungsextrakt bilder, nennt man konkret-real den Kausalleib. Nach jedem Leben legt sich ein neues Blatt zu dem Lebensbuch hinzu. Das vermehrt die Lebensessenz und bewirkt, wenn die vergangenen Leben fruchtbar waren, daß sich das nächste in der entsprechenden Weise entfaltet. Darin liegt die Ursache, weshalb ein Leben reich oder arm an Talenten, Anlagen und so weiter ist.
[ 14 ] Um das Leben des Astralleibes nach seiner Trennung vom Ätherleibe zu verstehen, müssen wir einen Blick tun auf physische Verhältnisse. Im physischen Leben ist es der Astralleib, der sich freut, der leidet, der seine Begierden, Triebe und Wünsche befriedigt durch die Organe des physischen Leibes. Nach dem Tode fehlen ihm diese physischen Instrumente. Der Feinschmecker kann seine Lust an guten Dingen nicht mehr befriedigen, denn die Zunge fehlt ihm; die ist mit dem physischen Leibe fortgegangen. Die Begierde aber bleibt dem Menschen, da diese mit dem Astralleib zusammenhängt, und daraus resultiert der brennende Durst der Kamaloka-Zeit. Kama heißt Begierde, Wunsch; loka wäre der Ort, doch ist es in Wirklichkeit kein Ort, sondern ein Zustand.
[ 15 ] Wer schon herauswächst innerhalb des physischen Lebens aus dem physischen Leibe, der kürzt seine Kamaloka-Zeit ab. Es ist ein wirkliches Herauswachsen, wenn wir uns an Gegenständen des Schönen, der Harmonie entzücken. Sie führen uns schon hier aus der sinnlichen Welt heraus. Die sinnlich-materialistische Kunst bedeutet eine Erschwerung des Kamaloka-Zustandes, während die spirituelle Kunst eine Erleichterung desselben bedeutet. Jede edle, durchgeistigte Lust kürzt Kamaloka ab. Deshalb müssen wir uns schon hier jene Lüste und Begierden abgewöhnen, welche nur durch das sinnliche Instrument befriedigt werden können. Kamaloka-Zeit bedeutet eben eine Zeit des Abgewöhnens der sinnlichen Lüste und Triebe. Diese Zeit dauert ungefähr ein Drittel des gewöhnlichen Lebens. Etwas Eigentümliches gibt es beim Durchleben dieser Kamaloka-Zeit. Sie vollzieht sich so, daß der Mensch anfängt, wirklich sein ganzes Leben zu durchleben. War es gleich nach dem Tode ein lust- und leidloses Erinnerungsbild, so durchlebt er jetzt alle Lust und alles Leid wirklich noch einmal, und zwar in umgekehrter Art, so daß er alle Lust, alles Leid, das er anderen zugefügt hat, in sich selbst erleben muß. Mit dem Karmagesetz hat dies nichts zu tun.
[ 16 ] Man fängt das Zurückerleben bei dem letzten Erlebnis vor dem Tode an und geht mit dreifacher Schnelligkeit bis zur Geburt zurück. In dem Moment, wo der Mensch in seinem Rückerinnern bei seiner Geburt angelangt ist, gesellt sich der Teil des Astralleibes, der vom Ich bearbeitet und umgestaltet ist, zum Kausalleib, dagegen fällt ab wie ein Schatten und Schemen dasjenige, was der Mensch noch nicht bearbeitet hat. Das sind die astralen Leichname der Menschen. Dann hat der Mensch abgelegt den physischen, den Äther- und jetzt auch den astralen Leichnam. Er durchlebt jetzt neue Zustände, die des Devachan. Devachan ist ebenso um uns wie die astrale Welt.
[ 17 ] Wenn der Mensch sein Leben bis in die Kindheit zurückgelebt hat, wenn er also die drei Leichname abgestreift hat, ist der Zustand erreicht, den die biblische Urkunde geheimnisvoll andeutet in den Worten: So ihr nicht werdet wie die Kindlein, werdet ihr nicht in das Himmelreich kommen. — Devachan, geistige Welt, ist das Himmelreich im christlichen Sinne.
[ 18 ] Wir müssen nun die Welt des Devachan selbst beschreiben. Sie ist eine ebenso mannigfaltige und gegliederte wie unsere physische Welt. Ebenso, wie wir in unserer physischen Welt feste Gebilde unterscheiden, Kontinente, wie wir um das Feste herum eine Wassermasse haben, dann die Luft und darüber hinaus feinere Zustände, ebenso haben wir auch eine solche Gliederung im Devachan, im geistigen Reich. Man hat in Analogie mit den Verhältnissen auf der Erde die Dinge, die man im Devachan findet, mit ähnlichen Namen belegt.
[ 19 ] Wir haben da zunächst ein Gebiet, das sich vergleichen läßt mit den festen physischen Gebieten. Das ist das kontinentale Gebiet im Devachan. Dort findet man alles, was hier auf der Erde physisch ist, als geistige Wesenheiten. Man denke sich zum Beispiel einen physischen Menschen. Mit dem devachanischen Schauen betrachtet, erscheint er so: es verschwindet, was die physischen Sinne wahrnehmen, dagegen fängt es an aufzuleuchten dort, wo beim physischen Menschen nichts ist. Rund um den Menschen herum fängt es an zu glänzen und zu leuchten. In der Mitte, wo der physische Körper ist, ist ein leerer Raum, wie eine Art ausgespartes Negativ, wie eine Schattenfigur. Tier und Mensch so betrachtet, erscheinen im Negativbilde. Blut erscheint grünlich in der Gegenfarbe. Alle Gebilde, die hier physisch sind, sind da oben irgendwie in den Urbildern vorhanden.
[ 20 ] Ein zweites Gebiet, jedoch nicht abgegrenzt, wie eine zweite Stufe ist das Meeres-, das Ozeangebiet des Devachan. Es ist nicht Wasser, es ist eine eigentümliche Substanz, die in regelmäßigen Strömungen wirklich durchsetzt das Gebiet des Devachan, in einer Farbe, die man vergleichen kann mit der jungen Pfirsichblüte im Frühling. Flüssiges Leben ist dies, welches das ganze Devachan durchzieht. Das, was sich hier unten verteilt auf die einzelnen Menschen und Tiere, das ist dort oben als eine Art wässerigen Elementes vorhanden. Wir haben ein Bild davon, wenn wir an die Verteilung des Blutes im Menschen denken.
[ 21 ] Das dritte Gebiet kann man am besten charakterisieren, wenn man sagt, daß in ihm alles das als Äußeres vorhanden ist, was hier im Innern der Wesen an Empfindungen, Gefühlen, Lust und Leid, Freude und Schmerz lebt. Es wird hier zum Beispiel eine Schlacht geschlagen. Kanonen, Gewehre und so weiter, das ist alles auf dem physischen Plan. Aber innerhalb der Wesen hier auf dem physischen Plan ist vorhanden gegenseitiges Rachegefühl, Schmerz, Leidenschaften. Die zwei Heere stehen sich mit einer Fülle von polaren Leidenschaften gegenüber. Denke man sich das Ganze umgesetzt in äußere Erscheinungen, dann hat man das Bild, wie es sich auf dem Devachanplan ausnimmt. Wie wenn sich hier ein furchtbares Gewitter entlädt, sieht man dort dasjenige, was sich hier auf einem Schlachtfelde vollzieht. Das ist die Atmosphäre, der Luftkreis des Devachan. So wie unsere Erde eine Lufthülle umgibt, so ist dort ausgebreitet wie eine Atmosphäre alles, was sich hier auf dem physischen Plan an Gefühlen entlädt, ob es nun hier im Physischen zur Ausgestaltung kommt oder nicht.
[ 22 ] Das vierte Gebiet des Devachan enthält die Urformen, die Urgründe von all dem, was hier auf der Erde originell geleistet worden ist. Wenn wir uns umsehen, wenn wir die Geschehnisse der physischen Welt prüfen, so finden wir, daß weitaus die meisten inneren Vorgänge von außen veranlaßt werden. Eine Blume, ein Tier bereitet uns Freude; ohne die Blume, ohne das Tier würden wir diese Freude nicht empfinden. Es gibt aber auch solche Vorgänge, die nicht von außen veranlaßt werden. Ein neuer Gedanke, ein Kunstwerk, eine neue Maschine bringt etwas in die Welt, was noch nicht da war. Auf allen diesen Gebieten geschehen originelle Schöpfungen. Die Menschheit würde nicht vorwärtskommen, wenn nicht Neues in die Welt hineingebracht würde. Besonders originelle Dinge, welche die großen Künstler und Erfinder der Welt gegeben haben, sind nur gradweise höher als jede andere originelle Handlung, selbst die unbedeutendste. Es kommt darauf an, daß etwas originell im Innern entsteht. Auch für die unbedeutendsten originellen Handlungen sind schon Vorbilder im Devachan vorhanden. Alles das ist oben schon vorgezeichnet. Was originaliter von den Menschen geleistet wird, angelegt ist es dort schon vor der Geburt des Menschen.
[ 23 ] So finden wir im Devachan vier Gebiete, deren Gegenbilder auf dem physischen Plan Erde, Wasser, Luft und Feuer sind: das kontinentale Gebiet als die feste Kruste des Devachan, natürlich im geistigen Sinne, dann das Meeresgebiet, das entspricht unserem Wassergebiet, das Luftgebiet, die Strömungen der Leidenschaften und so weiter — Schönes, aber auch Sturmvolles findet sich dort —, und endlich das, was alles durchzieht, die Welt der Urbilder. Alles das, was in der physischen Welt später von Wesen, die wieder zurückkehren in die physische Welt, geleistet wird an Willensimpulsen und originellen Ideen, alles das muß die Seele durchleben und durchweben, um sich dort neue Kraft zu sammeln für das neue Leben.
Third Lecture
[ 1 ] Today we shall observe the human being in his state of waking here in the physical world, in his state of sleep and in the state of so-called death. Everyone knows the state of waking from his own experience.
[ 2 ] When a person falls asleep, everything, so to speak, the astral body, the ego and what the ego has worked in the astral body, withdraws from the physical and etheric bodies. If you look at a sleeping person with clairvoyance, you have the physical and etheric bodies lying in bed. These two members remain in the same connection as they are otherwise, while the astral body draws out everything that is higher, so that one can clairvoyantly observe how, in the process of falling asleep, the astral body withdraws from the first two bodies in a certain light. If this state is to be described in even greater detail, it must be said that in the case of modern man, the astral body appears structured through manifold currents and glows of light. If one looks at these summarily, the whole thing looks like two intertwined spirals, like two intertwined numbers, one of which loses itself in the physical body, but the other extends far into the cosmos like a comet's tail. Only these two tails of the astral body soon become invisible in their further spread, so that the appearance can then be compared to the shape of an egg. When the person wakes up again, the tail that extends into the cosmos disappears, and the whole thing retracts back into the etheric and physical body.
[ 3 ] Dreaming is an intermediate state between waking and sleeping. Dreaming sleep occurs when the astral body has already completely severed its connection with the physical body, so to speak, has pulled its sensory threads out of the physical body, but is still connected to the etheric body. Then the person's field of vision is permeated by the images we call dreams. Objectively, this is an intermediate state because the astral body has completely severed its connection with the physical body, while it is still connected to the ether body to a certain extent.
[ 4 ] Thus is the sleeping human being, who lives in his astral body, outside of his physical and etheric body. That man must sink into such sleep is deeply justified in the whole of nature. You must not imagine that the astral body is inactive and has no work to do when it is outside the physical and etheric bodies during the night while you are sleeping. When the astral body is in the physical and etheric bodies during the day, it is affected by the impressions from the outside world that the human being receives through the astral body's own activity, through his sense impressions, through his activity in the physical world. Everything that the human being receives in the way of feelings and sensations, everything that affects him from the outside, is continued up to the astral body. This is the actual sensing and thinking part of the human being, and the physical body and also what is in the etheric body are only its mediators, the instruments. Everything that thinks and wills is in the astral body. While the human being is active in the outside world during the day, the astral body thus continually receives impressions from the outer world. On the other hand, however, we hold that the astral body is the actual builder of the etheric and physical bodies. Just as the physical body, in all its organs, is frozen and hardened out of the etheric body, so everything that flows and is active in the etheric body is born out of the astral body.
[5] From what is the astral body itself born? It is born out of the general astral organism that permeates our entire cosmos that belongs to us. If you would like to visualize this relationship through a simile, the relationship of the small part of astral physicality in your body to the whole mighty astral sea in which all people, animals, plants, minerals and even planets vibrate and from which they are born, if you would like to imagine this relationship of the astral body to the astral organism, then think of a drop of liquid in a vessel. Just as the drop has its entire being from the liquid in the vessel, so that which is in an astral body was once enclosed in the whole astral sea of the cosmos. It has separated itself out, and by moving into the etheric and physical body, it has set itself apart like the drop from the vessel.
[ 6 ] As long as the astral body rested in the bosom of the general astral body, it acquired its laws, its impressions, from this cosmic astral body. It lived its life within this cosmic astral body. Since this separation, during the waking hours it depends on the impressions it receives from the physical world, so that it has to divide its nature between the impressions it still has from the cosmic astral body and those it now receives from outside through the activity assigned to it from the physical world. These two aspects will result in harmony when the human being has reached the goal of his or her development on earth. Today this is not the case, these two effects do not resonate.
[ 7 ] Now the astral body builds up the etheric body and thereby indirectly – because the etheric body builds up the physical body – also the physical body. Everything that the astral body has built up piece by piece over time has been born out of the great cosmic sea of astral matter. Because only harmony and healthy laws have emerged from this astral sea, the astral body's building of the etheric and physical bodies is originally healthy and harmonious. But because of the influences that the astral body receives from the outside, from the physical world, and which impair its original harmony, all the disturbances of the physical body that are present in today's human beings come about.
[ 8 ] If the astral body were constantly within man, the strong influence of the physical world would soon have destroyed the entire harmony that the astral body brought with it from the cosmic sea. Very soon man would wear out through illness and fatigue. During sleep, the astral body withdraws from the impressions of the physical world, which no longer contains anything that gives harmony, and enters into the general harmony of the cosmos from which it was born. And so, in the morning, it brings with it the echoes of what it has experienced during the night in terms of renewal. During each night the astral body renews its harmony with the great cosmic astral sea, and so the clairvoyant also sees that the astral body is not inactive at all; he sees a connection between the astral sea and the comet-like tail of the astral body and can see how this part works to help remove the slackness caused by the disharmonizing world. This activity of the astral body expresses itself in the fact that one feels strengthened in the morning. However, the astral body, which has lived during the night in the great harmony, must first find its way back into the physical world. Therefore, the greatest feeling of strengthening only appears a few hours later, after the astral body has again entered the physical body.
[ 9 ] Now let us turn to the brother of sleep, to death, and realize what the state of man is after death. The dead man differs from the merely sleeping man in that the etheric body goes with the astral body in the case of the dead man, leaving only the physical body here in the physical world. This emergence of the etheric body from the physical body is never present in a person from birth to death if he does not undergo certain states of initiation.
[ 10 ] An important moment for a person who has died is the moment immediately after death. After all, it lasts for a long time, hours, even days. In this state, the entire life of the last incarnation passes before the soul of the dead person like a great tableau of memories. This is the case for every person after death. The peculiarity of this tableau is that, as long as it appears in the way it does immediately after death, all the experiences that the person has undergone subjectively during his life in the world are erased in it. In our various experiences we have always felt pleasure and pain, elation and sadness. Our outer observation was always linked with an inner life. All the joys and pains that attach themselves to the images of life are not present in this reminiscence. One faces this tableau of memories just as objectively as one would a painting. If the same painting shows a person who is sad, filled with pain, we look at him objectively. We can certainly empathize with his sadness, but we do not directly feel the pain that the person has experienced. This is how it is with the images in this tableau immediately after death: it unfolds, and we see all the details that have taken place in life in periods of time that are astonishing because they are so short.
[ 11 ] The separation of the physical body from the etheric body during life is otherwise only present in one initiate; but there are certain moments when, with a jolt, the etheric body detaches itself from the physical body. This happens when a person has particularly frightening experiences, for example in a crash or in danger of drowning. Then, through this powerful shock, a kind of detachment of the etheric body from the physical body takes place. The result of this is that at such a moment the whole of one's previous life stands before the soul of the person like a memory. Here we have an analogy for the experience after death.
[ 12 ] Partial separations of the etheric body also take place when a limb has fallen asleep. If, for example, the hand has fallen asleep, the seer can observe how the ether part that corresponds to the hand hangs out like a glove. Likewise, parts of the etheric brain hang out when a person is in a hypnotic state. Because the etheric body is spun into very small, point-like structures in the physical body, the well-known peculiar feeling of tingling arises when a limb has fallen asleep.
[ 13 ] After the time has elapsed during which the etheric body, in connection with the astral body, has detached itself from the physical body, the moment comes when the astral body, with all the higher limbs, detaches itself from the etheric body. The latter separates, the tableau of memory fades away. But something remains with the person, it is not completely lost. Although what could be called the etheric or life substance is scattered throughout the entire cosmic ether, a kind of essence remains that can never be lost to the person again in the further journey of their life. He takes it with him like an extract from the life tableau into all his future incarnations, even if he cannot remember it. What is formed from this memory extract is called the causal body in a concrete and real way. After each life, a new page is added to the book of life. This increases the life essence and, if past lives were fruitful, causes the next one to unfold in a corresponding way. This is the reason why a life is rich or poor in talents, abilities, and so on.
[ 14 ] To understand the life of the astral body after its separation from the etheric body, we have to take a look at physical conditions. In the physical life, it is the astral body that rejoices, that suffers, that satisfies its desires, instincts and wishes through the organs of the physical body. After death, these physical instruments are no longer available to him. The gourmet can no longer satisfy his desire for good things, because he lacks the tongue; it has left with the physical body. But the desire remains with the person, because it is connected with the astral body, and this results in the burning thirst of the Kamaloka period. Kama means desire, wish; loka would be the place, but in reality it is not a place but a state.
[ 15 ] Those who outgrow the physical body within their physical life shorten their Kamaloka time. It is a real outgrowing when we are delighted by objects of beauty and harmony. They lead us out of the sensual world already here. Sensual materialistic art means a complication of the Kamaloka state, while spiritual art means a relief of the same. Every noble, spiritualized pleasure shortens Kamaloka. Therefore, we must already here unlearn those pleasures and desires that can only be satisfied through the sensual instrument. Kamaloka time means a time of getting rid of sensual pleasures and urges. This time lasts about one-third of ordinary life. There is something peculiar about living through this Kamaloka time. It happens in such a way that man really begins to live through his whole life. Immediately after death, it was a memory without pleasure or pain, but now he really lives through all pleasure and all pain again, and in reverse order, so that he must experience in himself all the pleasure and pain he has caused others. This has nothing to do with the law of karma.
[ 16 ] The reliving begins with the last experience before death and goes back to the birth with triple speed. At the moment when the person, in their recollection, reaches their birth, the part of the astral body that has been processed and transformed by the ego joins the causal body, while what the person has not yet processed falls away like a shadow. These are the astral corpses of people. Then the person has discarded the physical, the etheric and now also the astral corpse. He now experiences new states, those of Devachan. Devachan is around us as is the astral world.
[ 17 ] When a person has lived through his life back to childhood, when he has thus discarded the three corpses, the state is reached that the biblical document mysteriously suggests in the words: Unless you become like little children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. — Devachan, spiritual world, is the kingdom of heaven in the Christian sense.
[ 18 ] We must now describe the world of Devachan itself. It is just as diverse and structured as our physical world. Just as we distinguish solid objects in our physical world, continents, and have a mass of water around the solid, then air and even finer states above it, we also have such a structure in devachan, in the spiritual realm. In analogy to the conditions on earth, the things found in devachan have been given similar names.
[ 19 ] We first have a region that can be compared to the fixed physical regions. This is the continental region in Devachan. There you will find everything that is physical here on earth as spiritual entities. Imagine, for example, a physical human being. Seen with the devachan's gaze, he appears like this: what the physical senses perceive disappears, but where there is nothing in the physical man, it begins to shine. It begins to shine and glow all around the man. In the middle, where the physical body is, there is an empty space, like a kind of negative space, like a shadow figure. Animals and humans, when viewed in this way, appear in negative form. Blood appears greenish in the complementary color. All physical entities here are somehow present up there in the archetypes.
[ 20 ] A second area, but not distinct like a second stage, is the sea, the ocean realm of Devachan. It is not water, but a peculiar substance that permeates the realm of Devachan in regular currents, in a color that can be compared to the young peach blossom in spring. This is liquid life that permeates the entire Devachan. What is distributed among the individual humans and animals down here is present up there as a kind of watery element. We have an image of this when we think of the distribution of blood in the human body.
[ 21 ] The third sphere can best be characterized by saying that everything that lives here inside the beings in terms of sensations, feelings, pleasure and suffering, joy and pain is present on the outside. A battle is being fought here, for example. Cannons, guns and so on, that is all on the physical plane. But within the beings here on the physical plane there is a feeling of mutual revenge, pain, passions. The two armies face each other with an abundance of polar passions. If you imagine the whole thing transposed into external appearances, then you have the image of what it looks like on the Devachan plan. Just as a terrible thunderstorm discharges here, you see there what takes place here on a battlefield. That is the atmosphere, the air circle of Devachan. Just as our earth is surrounded by an atmosphere, so everything that is discharged here on the physical plane in terms of feelings is spread out there like an atmosphere, whether it comes to expression here in the physical or not.
[ 22 ] The fourth region of Devachan contains the archetypes, the origins of everything that has been originally achieved here on earth. When we look around us, when we examine the events of the physical world, we find that by far the greatest number of inner processes are caused from the outside. A flower, an animal gives us joy; without the flower, without the animal, we would not feel this joy. But there are also such processes that are not caused from the outside. A new thought, a work of art, a new machine brings something into the world that was not there before. In all these areas, original creations happen. Humanity would not progress if nothing new were brought into the world. Particularly original things, which the great artists and inventors have given to the world, are only slightly higher than any other original act, even the most insignificant. What matters is that something original arises within. Even for the most insignificant original acts, models already exist in Devachan. All this is already predetermined. What is originally achieved by people is already laid down there before the person is born.
[ 23 ] Thus, in devachan, we find four areas whose counter-images on the physical plane are earth, water, air and fire: the continental area as the solid crust of devachan, in the spiritual sense, of course, then the sea region, which corresponds to our water region, the air region, the currents of the passions and so on — beautiful things, but also stormy ones, and finally, what permeates everything, the world of archetypes. Everything that is later accomplished in the physical world by beings who return to the physical world, in terms of volitional impulses and original ideas, must be experienced and interwoven by the soul in order to gather new strength there for the new life.