5. Mineral, Plant And Animal Creation

When at a later time the Earth became denser, what we today call carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and so forth, were differentiated out of this atmosphere around the Earth. But it would be erroneous to say that the then albuminous atmosphere was composed of these elements which were not specific ingredients of it. Nowadays we think that everything is composite; but that is nonsense. Certain substances of a higher kind are not always composed of what comes to light when they are analysed. Carbon does not appear as carbon nor oxygen as oxygen in the higher kind of substance of which I am now speaking. As I said, it can be described as extremely fluid albumen. All this substance which surrounded the Earth in that age was permeated with the inpouring cosmic ether which imbued it with life; in addition, it was differentiated in a curious way. For instance, in one fairly wide area a man would have suffocated had he been present there, in another he could have been greatly invigorated. Chemical elements in the modern sense did not then exist but certain formations remind one of the effects of the chemical elements we know. The whole sphere teemed with gleaming reflections of light, with sparkling, luminous rays. And it was warmed through and through by the cosmic ether.