What Is Anthroposophy?: Three Spiritual Perspectives on Self-Knowledge »

This is one of those books that can change your life.

Radical, thought-provoking, and indeed mind-boggling, it leads to a completely new way of looking at what it means to be human—a spiritual being in a universe that itself is not just physical, but psychic and spiritual as well.

These three previously untranslated lectures are a masterly introduction to what Rudolf Steiner means by "anthroposophy." They explain why he describes this path—which means literally "the wisdom of the human being"—as one that "unites what is spiritual in the human being with what is spiritual in the universe." Steiner begins by describing what happens when we die. He shows the relationship between our physical life on earth and the etheric, astral, and spiritual life of the cosmos.

Steiner also explains how physical lives are completely interwoven with cosmic existence, and how the "missing links" in evolution are spiritual in nature. He then demonstrates how mainstream psychology, since the second half of the nineteenth century, lost the idea of soul, and, consequently, understanding of our inner lives has been without a sure foundation.

A quite different view, however, emerges from a truly spiritual perspective. In the third lecture, Steiner takes as his guide our three states of being—waking, dreaming, and sleeping. He describes in detail what happens in these three states, and how each is bound up with our lives as physical, psychic, and spiritual beings.

With the profound insights in this book, the world becomes a much larger, richer, and more exciting place to live.

Author Biography: Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) became a respected and well-publishedscientific, literary, and philosophical scholar, particularly known for his work on Goethe's scientific writings. At the beginning of the twentieth century, he began to develop his earlier philosophical principles into an approach to methodical research of psychological and spiritual phenomena. His multifaceted genius has led to innovative and holistic approaches in medicine, philosophy, religion, education (Waldorf schools), special education (the Camphill movement), economics, agriculture (biodynamics), science, architecture, and the arts (drama, speech and eurythmy). In 1924 he founded the General Anthroposophical Society, which has branches throughout the world.