The Invisible Elements of Human Nature and Practical Life

Insofar as human beings are merely natural beings, they initially share the etheric or life body with plants. What causes the sap to rise and fall in plants, what causes them to nourish themselves and reproduce, has the same effect in human beings. But this etheric or life body is imprinted from above with what we call habit, practice, or conscience. Thus, what is soul-spiritual is imprinted on human beings from above. The experiences of the higher members are transferred more and more to the lower members. Here we see how important it is for human beings to have an inkling that the higher members must work into the denser members. It is thus placed in human hands to work into the lower members in a healthy, practical way.