14. How Can We Know About Supernatural Worlds?

What theosophists achieve depends on each individual; and spiritual research is not there to establish average points of view, but to give what each individual can find. Reaching an average viewpoint is not very fruitful in ordinary life, and in spiritual research it is impossible to speak of it at all, but everyone can achieve certainty and strength through it. It would be very surprising if, as mentioned at the beginning, there were no doubts. But someone comes along with a few found, fixed concepts and believes that this contradicts spiritual research: only a precise examination of the matter can help here. Most objections come from those who do not know the matter. Those who know something about it do not raise these objections, for example [about] what happens [as] the effect of previous earthly lives. One could prove that heredity exists, and science has proven this. Paungarten [writes about this in his book]: “Werdende Wissenschaft” (Emerging Science). Incidentally, the cause of heredity lies in the spiritual realm. Why does the person standing in front of me live? Because he has lungs inside and air outside. [The same applies to] characteristics [that one] inherits [from one's father]. Someone else might say: [There was a man] who hanged himself two weeks ago; I cut him down, and that is why he is alive. That is also correct. Both are right. [I have given lectures on the topic] “How can spiritual science be refuted?” The spiritual researcher already knows the possible points of view. Perhaps it is precisely by familiarizing oneself with the different points of view that one arrives at the truth.