Dialogue ~ 21

I am reading ‘The Superphysical World and its Gnosis’ which forms part of a book that Rudolf Steiner wrote, published in 1910 and subsequently translated by Max Gysi. Here are some extracts from this chapter:   
 

Steiner writes, “… it is noticeable, as a characteristic of the majority, that they will accept nothing on faith, or mere ‘authority’, but wish rather to rely entirely upon their own judgment … there are those who cautiously reject any information pertaining to the super physical because to them it does not seem reasonable. Thereupon they partially satisfy themselves, by claiming that we cannot know anything of what lies beyond birth or death, or of anything which cannot be perceived through our five ordinary physical senses.”

Steiner proposes that every person has ‘additional senses’ which are dormant within them, but which can be developed in order to acquire the faculties through which it is possible to speak of glimpses into super physical regions. He points out that a sceptic is often reluctant or unwilling to develop the dormant powers within themselves, but will demand that proofs of the super physical is given to them as they now are. 

He writes, “… nor do they see that this is exactly as if a peasant at his plough should demand of the mathematician the proof of a complicated problem, without his undergoing the trouble of learning mathematics. This mixed mental condition appears to be so general and its solution so simple that one almost hesitates to speak of it. And yet it indicates a delusion under which millions of people continue living at the present time … It matters not whether the mystic of to-day moves among thinking artisans, or in a more educated circle, wherever he goes he meets with the same prejudice, the same self-contradiction.”

Further, “… We must understand that this prejudice against the higher truths, lies deep in the very being of our age … The nineteenth century especially had in the above respect a dark side to its wonderful excellences. Its greatness rests upon discoveries in the external world, and conquest of natural forces for technical and industrial purposes. These successes could have been attained only by the employment of the mind directed toward material results.”

He continues, “… it is under the influence of these blessings of civilisation that the habits of thought, prevalent among our fellow-men, have been developed. They continue to abide by the senses and the mind, because it is by means of these that they have grown great. People were taught to train themselves to admit nothing as true except those things that were presented to them by the senses or the intellect. And nothing is more apt to claim for itself the only valid testimony, the only absolute authority, than the mind or the senses. If a man has acquired by means of them a certain degree of culture, he thenceforth accustoms himself to submit everything to their consideration, everything to their criticism.”

And, “… in another sphere, in the domain of Social Life, we find a similar trait. The man of the nineteenth century insisted, in the fullest sense of the word, upon the absolute freedom of personality, and repudiated any authority in the Social Commonwealth. He endeavoured to construct the community in such a way that the full independence, the self-chosen vocation of each individual, should, without interference, be assured. In this way it became habitual for him to consider everything from the standpoint of the average individual.”

“ … civilisation during the nineteenth century has moved altogether along physical lines; and people have accustomed themselves to move on the physical plane alone, and to feel at home there. The higher powers are developed only on planes higher than the physical, and the knowledge which these faculties bring is, therefore, unknown to the physical man … on all sides one may observe the haughtiest and most complete denial of everything that cannot be seen with the eyes, or felt with the hands, or comprehended by the average mind.”

“We do not condemn this attitude for it denotes a necessary stage in the development of humanity. Without the pride and prejudices of mind and sense, we should never have achieved our great conquests over material life, nor have been able to impart to the personality a certain measure of elasticity: neither can we hope that many ideals, which must be founded on man's desire for freedom and the assertion of personality, may yet be realised.”

Whilst Steiner has discussed the developments of the nineteenth century in particular in this chapter, in other texts he has written that humanity had been moving towards its prevailing pre-occupation with the senses and material plane (a shadowlike intellect as he describes it) from about the fourth century A.D. onwards. 

Throughout the chapter, Steiner discusses how the average intellect, “qualified for the highest triumphs in practical sense-knowledge, sets itself up, in naive pride, as a judge in domains, the existence of which it does not even care to know..." and further, "for that which appears as a ‘Revelation’, one must employ the kind of knowledge or forces through which the ‘Revelation’ itself has come to us.”

As if to make this clear, Meister Eckhart, a theologian and philosopher in the 13th century, said, "There are some who desire to see God with their eyes, as they look at a cow; and just as they love a cow, so they desire to love God....Simple-minded people imagine that God may be seen as if He stood there and they stood here. But this is not so: in that perception, God and I are one.” 

The following verse is coming to mind, (Matthew 7:6): “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.” I do not have an impression that this verse is advocating caution with regards to sharing revelation or wisdom with those that an individual is judging as being unworthy of their endeavour; it is more as a caution towards an individual’s own sense of self, in that their 'lower mind' or 'shadowlike intellect' (as Steiner might describe it) is not able to grasp or to receive impressions from a higher nature or sense of self until it is in a state of receptivity (i.e. it is fertile). 

Remember that Steiner had advocated that "every person has 'additional senses' which are dormant within them, but which can be developed in order to acquire the faculties through which it is possible to speak of glimpses into super physical regions". The question is of course, how does that process come about - are we back to the realms of 'the last judgment' as in saints and sinners (or atonement) or is it possible that there is more to that narrative than meets the 'eye' and which Steiner has been preparing the ground and pointing towards?