Inner Warmth and Spiritual Development: Esoteric Exercises and Their Effects

GA 266II — 30 May 1912, Norrköping

Esoteric Lesson

Introductory words in memory of Mrs. Danielsson, who passed away a few months ago. Reference to the fact that in moments of clarity in the spiritual world, the soul feels united with those who shared its aspirations, and that the streams of love sent to her from here provide her with these moments of light; that she is effective in the interests of theosophy as an angel who establishes the connection between theosophists in the north and those in Central Europe.

1. The prayer of the day, Thursday, “Great comprehensive spirit ...”
2. [No entry]
3. On individuality, on the sense of shame.
4. On the result we should draw from this. We should regard all this as pertaining to our own personality. Representation of our own being.
5. On feeling the inner being, as if a vessel of water were being heated from an inner point and one felt the warmth of the water as if one were the water itself.
6. How this warmth must then permeate all parts of the human being.
7. The feelings that are to be associated with the exercises.
8. The breathing process is used as an aid to esoteric training, as are abstaining from alcohol and eating a vegetarian diet.
9. [No entry]
10. The spiritual being becomes ever greater, expanding throughout the cosmos.
11. [No entry]
12. From the feeling of devotion and worship.
13. [No entry]
14. Two forces
15. ... Angels ... Demons
16. ... Christ
17. How esoteric development proceeds. From the visions.
18. Signs that it is proceeding correctly. Fear, instability, feeling that the ground is being pulled out from under your feet.
19. The feelings that must arise. Shame, ...
20. The feelings that must not arise. Egoism, ...
21. The counterforces that the student must oppose.

What must occur as a result of esoteric exercises

Those who do the exercises correctly will notice certain effects in a shorter or longer period of time. The effects can be correct or incorrect. To judge whether one or the other is the case, one can look for certain characteristics or accompanying phenomena. If these certain accompanying phenomena occur, then progress is correct, even if no visions, images, colors, or light effects occur. Whether the former can occur is karma. The teacher can only show the way, but cannot remove the obstacles.

It is often an obstacle to further development that the human soul desires visions and apparitions. It is also a mistake that people, when they have them, are satisfied with them and no longer want to strive further.

At first, one feels something coming alive inside. This feeling is like being in a vessel of water with a source of warmth in the middle flowing through the water. We must then feel this warmth with our whole being.