How to Know Higher Worlds: A Modern Path of Initiation

268 Pages·0.699 MB·English

by  Rudolf Steiner, Christopher Bamford, Sabine H. Seiler

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How to Attain Knowledge of Higher Worlds
HOW TO KNOW
HIGHER WORLDS
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THEWAY TOKNOWLEDGE OFHIGHERWORLDS
C L A S S I C S I N A N T H R O P O S O P H Y
The Spiritual Guidance of the Individual and Humanity
Theosophy
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How to Attain Knowledge of Higher Worlds
H T K
OW O NOW
H W
IGHER ORLDS
R U D O L F S T E I N E R
A Modern Path of Initiation
Translated by CHRISTOPHER BAMFORD
ANTHROPOSOPHIC PRESS
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THEWAY TOKNOWLEDGE OFHIGHERWORLDS
This volume is a translation of Wie erlangt man Erkenntnisse der
höheren Welten? (Vol. 10 in the Bibliographic Survey, 1961) published
by Rudolf Steiner Verlag, Dornach, Switzerland. The previous transla-
tion of this text in English was published as Knowledge of the Higher
Worlds and Its Attainment by Anthroposophic Press, Hudson, N.Y.
The translator gratefully acknowledges the work of both Sabine H. Seiler
whose earlier translation provided the basis for the present version and
Eva Knausenberger, who helped check the translation.
This translation copyright © Anthroposophic Press, 1994.
Afterword copyright © Arthur Zajonc, 1994.
Published by Anthroposophic Press, Inc.
RR 4, Box 94 A-1, Hudson, N.Y. 12534
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Steiner, Rudolf, 1861–1925.
[Wie erlangt man Erkenntnisse der höheren Welten? English]
How to know higher worlds : a modern path of initiation /
Rudolf Steiner : translated by Christopher Bamford and Sabine Seiler.
p. cm — (Classics in anthroposophy)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-88010-372-8
1. Anthroposophy. I. Bamford, Christopher. II. Seiler, Sabine H.
III. Title. IV. Series.
BP595. S894W45813 1994
299’.935—dc20 93-38966
CIP
Cover painting and design: Barbara Richey
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form
without the written permission of the publisher, except for brief quota-
tions in critical reviews and articles.
Printed in the United States of America
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How to Attain Knowledge of Higher Worlds
CONTENTS
Foreword by Arthur Zajonc
Preface to the Third Edition 1
Preface to the Fifth Edition 7
Preface to the Eighth Edition 11
CHAPTER 1
How To Know Higher Worlds 13
CHAPTER 2
The Stages of Initiation 38
CHAPTER 3
Initiation 69
CHAPTER 4
Practical Considerations 83
CHAPTER 5
Requirements for
Esoteric Training 95
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THEWAY TOKNOWLEDGE OFHIGHERWORLDS
CHAPTER 6
Some Effects of Initiation 108
CHAPTER 7
Changes in the Dream Life
of the Esoteric Student 151
CHAPTER 8
Achieving Continuity of Consciousness 162
CHAPTER 9
The Splitting of the Personality
in Esoteric Training 172
CHAPTER 10
The Guardian of the Threshold 184
CHAPTER 11
Life and Death:
The Great Guardian of the Threshold 195
Epilogue 209
Afterword by Arthur Zajonc 217
Index 237
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How to Attain Knowledge of Higher Worlds
FOREWORD
by Arthur G. Zajonc
We live and act within a world whose deeper aspects are
hidden from our physical senses. Yet each of us possesses
other faculties which, when cultivated, can lift the veil
that separates us from spiritual knowledge. In this book,
Rudolf Steiner charts a meditative path that leads both to
inner peace and to enhanced powers of soul, and finally to
the lifting of that veil. The road is long but secure, and is
open to everyone. Its fruits of inner serenity, strength, and
wisdom benefit not only the seeker but others as well, and
certainly the world stands more than ever in need of in-
sights and actions that are born of the spirit.Howto Know
Higher Worlds is, therefore, not only a personal guide to
the spirit, but also a path through self-knowledge to com-
passionate action in the world.
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THEWAY TOKNOWLEDGE OFHIGHERWORLDS
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Preface 1
PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION
(The first publication in book form)
This book contains the first part of what originally ap-
peared as a series of articles under the title, “How To
Know Higher Worlds.”1 The second part will be pub-
lished separately later.2 A work of this kind, however,
dealing with the human inner development necessary to
perceive supersensible worlds should not come before the
public in a new form without some introductory remarks.
What is communicated in this book concerning the de-
velopment of the human soul is meant to fulfill several
different needs. First of all, it is intended to help a person
who, though feeling drawn to the findings of spiritual
science, is compelled to ask where those who claim to
have something to say about the deeper riddles of life get
their knowledge. Spiritual science certainly has some-
thing to say about such riddles. But if we wish to confirm
for ourselves the facts on which its claims are based we
must ourselves attain supersensible cognition. That is,
1.Wie er langt man Erkenntnisse der höheren Welten? (literally,How
can a person attain insights [cognitions] into higher worlds?), in the
journalLucifer-Gnosis, 13-28, Berlin, 1904-5. In German the present
work bears the same title as the series of articles.
2.The Stages of Higher Knowledge, Anthroposophic Press, 1967.