An Outline of Occult Science by Rudolf Steiner.pdf

An Outline of

Occult Science

Rudolf Steiner

1972

ANTHROPOSOPHIC PRESS, INC.

Spring Valley, N.Y.

This volume is a translation of Die Geheimwissenschaft

den Umrissr (Vol. 13 in the Bibliographic Survey,

1961). Translated by Maud and Henry B, Monges

and revised by Lisa D. Monges.

This translation has been authorized for the Western

Hemisphere by agreement with the Rudolf Steiner

Nachlassverwaltung, Dornach, Switzerland.

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RUDOLF STEINER,

philosopher, scientist and

educator, (1861–1925), has

achieved world-wide fame as

the originator of the Science

of the Spirit known as

Anthroposophy, and as a

pioneer of genius in a variety

of fields of learning.

“As a scientist by external training and inmost calling, Rudolf Steiner shared the generally expressed

goal of science — that the wisdom of man shall discover the wisdom of the universe. Through Steiner this

goal now clearly extends beyond physical-material limits. Modern exact clairvoyance, as developed by him,

reveals spiritual facts to spiritual vision as clearly as men's ordinary senses reveal to the intellect the facts of

the physical world. The facts of the physical world actually demonstrate and clarify spiritual knowledge.

Yet the anthroposophy of Steiner shuns vague mysticism, finding facts of the spiritual world fully accessible

to scientific investigation and proof. Thoughts, to him, are objective, and like any thought of science, a

thought with purely inner existence can now be tested, tried and verified (or disproved) through its physical

applications or on its own ground of thinking. Steiner's anthroposophy, or “spiritual science,” thus greatly

extends the dimensions of science. It breaks through the limits of knowledge that Kant had proclaimed and

the world had accepted, almost as under a kind of hypnotic spell.”

Floyd McKnight. Rudolf Steiner and Anthroposophy.

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Contents

Preface, Sixteenth to Twentieth Edition

Preface, Seventh to Fifteenth Edition

Preface, Fourth Edition

Preface, First Edition

I. The Character of Occult Science

II. The Essential Nature of Mankind

III. Sleep and Death

IV. The Evolution of the Cosmos and Man

V. Cognition of Higher Worlds — Initiation.

VI. The Present and Future of Cosmic and Human Evolution

VII. Details from the Realm of Spiritual Science

1. The Ether Body of Man

2. The Astral World

3. The Life of Man After Death

4. The Course of Human Life

5. The Higher Regions of the Spiritual World

6. The Members of Man's Being

7. The Dream State

8. The Acquirement of Supersensible Knowledge

Observation of Special Events and Beings of the World of Spirit

VIII. Special Comments

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An Outline of Occult Science

PREFACE

SIXTEENTH TO TWENTIETH EDITION

NOW, fifteen years after the first edition of this book, I may well be allowed to say something publicly

about the state of soul out of which it arose.

Originally, it was my plan to add its essential content as final chapters to my book Theosophy , which had

been published previously. This proved to be impossible. At the time of the publication of Theosophy the

subject matter of Occult Science did not yet live in me in its final form as was the case with Theosophy . In

my imaginative perceptions the spiritual nature of individual man stood before my soul and I was able to

describe it; the cosmic relationships, however, which had to be presented in Occult Science did not yet live

in my consciousness in the same way. I perceived details, but not the complete picture.

I, therefore, decided to publish Theosophy with the content I had seen as the nature of the life of

individual man, and then to carry through Occult Science in the near future, without undue haste.

The contents of this book had, in accordance with my soul mood at that time, to be given in thoughts that

are further elaborations of the thoughts employed in natural science, suited for the presentation of the

spiritual. In the preface to the first edition, reprinted in this book, it will be noted how strongly responsible I

felt toward natural science in all that I wrote at that time about the science of the spirit.

What reveals itself to spiritual perception as the world of spirit cannot, however, be presented in such

thoughts alone. For this revelation does not fit into a mere thought content. He who has experienced the

nature of such revelation knows that the thoughts of ordinary consciousness are only suited to express what

is perceived by the senses, not what is seen by the spirit.

The content of what is spiritually perceived can only be reproduced in pictures (imaginations) through

which inspirations speak, which have their origin in spiritual entity intuitively perceived. 1

But he who describes imaginations from the world of spirit cannot at present merely present these

imaginations. For in doing so he would be presenting something that would stand as quite a different content

of consciousness alongside the content of knowledge of our age, without any relationship whatsoever to it.

He has to fill modern consciousness with what can be recognized by another consciousness that perceives

the world of spirit. His presentation will then have this world of spirit as content, but this content will appear

in the form of thoughts into which it flows. Through this it will be completely comprehensible to ordinary

consciousness, which thinks in terms of the present day but does not yet behold the world of spirit.

This comprehensibility will only then be lacking if we ourselves raise barriers against it, that is, if we

labor under the prejudices that the age has produced regarding “the limits of knowledge” through an

incorrectly conceived view of nature.

In spiritual cognition everything is immersed in intimate soul experience, not only spiritual perception

itself, but also the understanding with which the unseeing, ordinary consciousness meets the results of

clairvoyant perception.

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Those who maintain that anyone who believes he understands is merely suggesting the understanding to

himself have not the slightest inkling of this intimacy.

But it is a fact that what expresses itself merely in concepts of truth and error within the scope of

comprehension of the physical world becomes experience in regard to the spiritual world.

Whoever permits his judgment to be influenced — be it ever so slightly — by the assertion that the

spiritually perceived is incomprehensible to the everyday, still unperceiving consciousness — because of its

limitations — will find his comprehension obscured by this judgment as though by a dark cloud, and he

really cannot understand.

What is spiritually perceived is fully comprehensible to the unprejudiced, unperceiving consciousness if

the seer gives his perceptions thought form. It is just as comprehensible as the finished picture of the painter

is to the man who does not paint. Moreover, the comprehension of the spirit world is not of the nature of

artistic feeling employed in the comprehension of a work of art, but it bears the stamp of thought employed

in natural science.

In order, however, to make such a comprehension really possible, the one who presents what he perceives

spiritually must bring his perceptions up to a point where he can pour them into thought form without loss

of their imaginative character within this form.

All this stood before my soul as I developed my Occult Science .

In 1909 1 felt that, under these premises, I might be able to produce a book which, in the first place,

offered the content of my spiritual vision brought, to a sufficient degree, into thought form, and which, in

the second place, could be understood by every thinking human being who allows no obstructions to

interfere with his understanding.

I say this today, stating at the same time that in 1909 the publication of this book appeared to be a risk.

For I knew indeed that professional scientists are unable to call up in themselves the necessary impartiality,

nor are the numerous personalities able to do so who are dependent on them for their judgment.

But, before my soul there stood the very fact that at the time when the consciousness of mankind was

furthest removed from the world of spirit, the communications from that world would answer a most urgent

necessity.

I counted upon the fact that there are human beings who feel, more or less desperately, the remoteness

from all spirituality as a grave obstacle to life that causes them to seize upon the communications of the

spiritual world with inner longing.

During the subsequent years this has been completely confirmed. Theosophy and Occult Science , books

that presume the goodwill of the reader in coping with a difficult style of writing, have been widely read.

I have quite consciously endeavored not to offer a “popular” exposition, but an exposition that makes it

necessary for the reader to study the content with strict effort of thought. The character I impressed upon my

books is such that their very study is the beginning of spiritual training. For the calm, conscious effort of

thought that this reading makes necessary strengthens the forces of the soul and through this makes them

capable of approaching the spirit world.

The fact that I have entitled this book Occult Science has immediately called forth misunderstandings.

From many sides was heard, “What claims to be science must not be secret, occult .” How little thought was

exercised in making such an objection! As though someone who reveals a subject matter would want to be

secretive about it. This entire book shows that it was not the intention to designate anything “occult,” but to

bring everything into a form that renders it as understandable as any science. Or do we not wish to say when

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