The History of the Esoteric School 1904–1914, Volume One

GA 264 — 14 August 1905

To Mathilde Scholl in Cologne

[Haubinda, Klosterheim. Postmark: Friedrichshall (Sachsen-Meiningen) 8/14/05] Dear Miss Scholl.

Your penultimate letter speaks of your current state of depression.¹ Please do not worry about it. Such experiences are a necessary part of effective esoteric work. The main thing in all of this is that we take ourselves in hand in a clear way. In particular, it is important to always make sure that we do not allow the harmonious connection with our respective surroundings to be compromised. You are a very strong, but also a very receptive nature and nothing prevents you from safely surviving the nevertheless profound transformations that your present exercises are undergoing in your astral and even your etheric body. There are not many German members of the Theosophical Society who follow or can follow the same path, but all those who do have the same experiences as you. And I must regard these experiences as a sign of real progress. Real progress is not possible without the loosening of certain centers in the etheric and astral bodies.

A higher consciousness awakens when centers that were previously regulated by an unconscious organism in their interaction are released from their connection. Then the previously unconscious organism is gradually transformed into a conscious one, and the loosened centers are subordinated to this latter. I would like to make myself understood with a small drawing.

Firm connection of the three centers
Psychic subconscious, which regulates these centers.
Present clear day-consciousness, which in a more passive way preserves the results of the activity of the physical subconscious, which remains unconscious.

This is the present “normal state of man”. Now, through esoteric work,

1. The loosening of center A B C

2. The psychic subconscious is raised to the level of the psychic superconscious, and the results of the bright day consciousness are transformed into things of the past. The situation is then as follows:

bright day consciousness
awakened super-psych consciousness

In DEFCG, new centers are formed, which are regulated by the acquired bright day consciousness through its firmness gained in the sense life. The centers A, B, C now stand isolated, and will later be regulated individually at will by the awakened higher consciousness.

The meditation “I Am, It Thinks, It Feels, It Wants” brings about the loosening indicated.² The centers of thinking, feeling and will separate and connect with the primal forces of the universe, which you can find described in Mrs. Besant's last writing³ as will, wisdom, action, and in this way:

Powers of will
Powers of wisdom
Powers of action

Please consider the assignment correctly: the subjective feeling, for example, corresponds to the objective wisdom in the universe, and the subjective thinking corresponds to the action.

Now, as the relaxation develops, certain incubation states occur that are associated with twilights. And that is what you are feeling now.

We will also have a lot to talk about when you are in Berlin.

Now I ask you to continue the given exercises exactly. If you find that the matter goes better with real breathing, that is very good. Later on it should definitely be combined with it. But usually one practices “spiritual-symbolic” breathing as a preliminary stage beforehand. But you can combine it with real physical breathing right away.

I fully agree with your last letter. I will just tell you in confidence that I know that good Bresch should not be judged in the same way as a healthy person. However, the condition he has developed can develop very slowly and remain hidden from inaccurate observers, who then do not realize that the personality in question has already crossed the line from healthy to unhealthy. You can imagine how this makes the whole matter difficult and worrying for me, because I cannot publicly tell the truth about Bresch, as I see it.

Heartfelt greetings to you and the Künstlers

Dr. Rudolf Steiner