Old and new clairvoyance (1 of 2)

In earlier times people had a basic, atavistic clairvoyance. It was possible for them to have Imaginations, even Inspirations. But in contrast to this earlier stage, we have now reached an advanced stage and can form ideas about the physical world. When people still possessed an atavistic clairvoyance, they could not think properly. For proper thinking to develop, the strength used earlier in clairvoyance had to be applied to thinking. Some people nowadays develop clairvoyant faculties at certain times in their life by methods other than those described by spiritual science. This is because they have inherited these faculties from earlier times and they have not yet achieved sound judgment in those areas of life where they are clairvoyant. But we are approaching the time when sound judgment must be present before clairvoyance can be developed on the basis of such mature and balanced judgment.

In other words, when people these days show certain psychic abilities, a certain clairvoyance, without having done serious exercises, without having studied spiritual science – which, if applied in the right way, can be the best exercise to bring out the old clairvoyance – this does not mean that they are more advanced than everyone else, but rather that they are lagging behind. Having atavistic abilities today does not mean one has reached the stage of clear thinking.

To be continued

Source: Rudolf Steiner – GA 154 – Presence of the Dead: Lecture One: Understanding the Spiritual World (Part One) – Berlin, 18th April 1914

https://rsarchive.org/Lectures/19140418p01.html

Translated by C. von Arnim

Jubilation arising – Iris Sullivan

Previously posted on 23 september 2013 

Healthy and properly thinking is necessary for higher knowledge

In order to know how to relate these pictures (of the spiritual world) to the spiritual reality they represent, we have to apply to them the exact thought processes we have acquired as modern human beings. We really have to think within this world of pictures in the very way we have learnt to think in the ordinary physical world. Every thoughtless glance is damaging to modern initiation. 

All the healthy ways of thinking we have developed as modern human beings must be brought to bear on higher knowledge. Just as we can find our way about the ordinary physical world if we can think properly, so can we only find our way about in the world of the spirit — which we enter through modern initiation — if we are able to penetrate with the thinking we have gained here in the physical world into all the knowledge we attain through Imagination, Inspiration, Intuition.

Source: Rudolf Steiner – GA 210 – Old and New Methods of Initiation: Lecture 7 – Dornach, 12th February 1922

Translated by Johanna Collis and edited by Joan M. Thompson

https://rsarchive.org/Lectures/19220212p01.html

Art of Carol Herzer

Previously posted on 22 May 2019

Realistic thinking

When thinking, the spiritual investigator asks not only whether it is logical, but also whether it is in accordance with reality. That is the deciding factor for him to adopt a conception or not. Only then does he adopt a conception if this conception is true to reality. 

Translated bij DeepL and Google and me

Source (German): Rudolf Steiner – GA 76 – Die befruchtende Wirkung der Anthroposophie auf die Fachwissenschaften – Dornach, 7 April 1921 (page 152)

https://odysseetheater.org/GA/Buecher/GA_076.pdf#view=Fit

About radishes, potatoes and thinking

If you need to have your thinking stimulated, the salty stimulation of radishes, for instance, might be necessary. Anyone who is not quick in the head will get good results eating radishes — because the addition of radishes to his meals will set his thoughts into movement.

So we can now see a remarkable thing: the radishes stimulate thinking, and it is not necessary to be really active oneself thoughts come naturally as a result of eating radishes thoughts so strong that they also stimulate very powerful dreams. On the other hand, one who eats a lot of potatoes will not have strong thoughts, and his dreams will make him heavier. If you habitually eat potatoes, you will find yourself constantly tired and always wanting to sleep and dream. You can see that there is enormous cultural and historical meaning in what foods people actually have access to.

Source: Rudolf Steiner – GA 350 – LEARNING TO SEE IN THE SPIRITUAL WORLD – IV. Learning to Live Correctly in the Outer World – Dornach, 18 July 1923

Translated by Walter Stuber and Mark Gardner

Goetheanum Motive – Nesta Carsten-Krüger 

Three quotes about learning different languages

For the development of thinking, we must learn to speak the languages of the current cultural peoples with whom we live.

Source (German): Rudolf Steiner – GA 192 – Geisteswissenschaftliche Behandlung sozialer und pädagogischer Fragen (bladzijde 93)

By learning different languages, people become more universal.

Source (German): Rudolf Steiner – GA 306 – Die pädagogische Praxis (bladzijde 39)

With language education, we do it in Waldorf schools in such a way that we really teach two non-German languages for the little ones from the time they enter primary school. […] The bottom line is that we not only broaden their field of vision, but that the richness of the emotional life is substantially increased by giving this language education.

Source (German): Rudolf Steiner – GA 306 – Die pädagogische Praxis (page 169)

Translated by Google and DeepL

GA 306 is also available in RS Archive https://rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA306/

Watercolour – Irma Stropeni