A Psychology of Body, Soul, and Spirit: Anthroposophy, Psychosophy, Pneumatosophy (CW 115)

"Steiner does not talk about soul; he speaks from soul. That is the entire method. There is, however, an entrance fee for doing psychology. The fee is that you need to leave behind your well-known-to-you self-identity. You must suffer the experience of leaving behind not only what you know, but also what you think you know of yourself. This requirement qualifies psychology as integral to the work of initiation. -Robert Sardello, from his introduction "Essentially, the correct meaning of theosophy is the allowing of the god within us to speak; what it tells you about the world is theosophy. Anthroposophy, for its part, may be characterized as the wisdom spoken by us as human beings when we are between God and nature, and allow the human being in us to speak of what is shining into us from above and of what is projecting into us from below. Anthroposophy is the wisdom that human beings speak. -Rudolf Steiner In 1904, Steiner publicly described this classic account of the Western path of initiation. Beginning with the assumption that "the capacities by which we can gain insights into the higher worlds lie dormant within each one of us," Steiner carefully and precisely leads us through the stages of preparation, illumination, and initiation, from cultivating fundamental soul moods of reverence and tranquility to esoteric self-development. He also provides practical exercises for inner and outer observation and moral development. By patiently and persistently following his suggestions, new capacities of soul and spirit begin to form, revealing the contours of the higher worlds previously concealed from us. Robert Sardello's in-depth introduction places Steiner's lectures within the context of modern life and psychology and provides insights into how to read and use this text for inner development and a deeper understanding of spiritual science. The challenges we face in modern life require ever-deeper levels of wisdom and insight. In this important book, Rudolf Steiner becomes a teacher, counselor, and friend through advice that is practical, clear, and powerful. The text shows us how to cultivate the capacities for such insights and places them at the service of humanity.