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Every living being bears these formative forces in the form of the [[formative forces body]] or [[etheric body]]: [[plants]], [[animals]] and also [[human beings]]. If man learns to feel himself also in his body of formative forces, as he otherwise feels himself only in his [[physical body]], he also becomes aware of the supersensible activity of formative forces in [[nature]]; he then really perceives the supersensible in the sensuous.
Every living being bears these formative forces in the form of the [[formative forces body]] or [[etheric body]]: [[plants]], [[animals]] and also [[human beings]]. If man learns to feel himself also in his body of formative forces, as he otherwise feels himself only in his [[physical body]], he also becomes aware of the supersensible activity of formative forces in [[nature]]; he then really perceives the supersensible in the sensuous.


{{GZ|The plant, which is a living being, is not only composed of what physics and chemistry, or biology or physiology can investigate in them, but it contains something quite different. When we have come so far in ourselves that we feel ourselves in a body of formative forces, as we otherwise do with our ordinary I in a physical body, then, just as we use the eye and ear in the physical body for sense perception, we can also perceive through this body of formative forces, which we have differentiated out of the soul's sense of touch, what is supersensible in the rest of the world, what permeates and weaves through nature as supersensible. Then we see in all that is vegetable, all that is animal, and also in all that is physically human, that which is spiritual apart from us, which is then not a trivial visionary thing, but stands before the empowered soul just as the content of the sensory perceptions stands before the unpowered soul. Only we must everywhere be able to replace the concepts of space by concepts of time. How do we actually perceive that which is supersensible in the plant? By perceiving our own supersensible in the body of formative forces as it stirs and weaves, we now also perceive the supersensible in the plant world, just as if one tone were to perceive another in a musical context. The perception of the supersensible in the plant world is entirely based on the fact that the life and weaving of our own body of formative forces proceeds at a much slower pace than the life and weaving of the plant body of formative forces. I have explained this in more detail in a short paper entitled "Human Life from the Viewpoint of Spiritual Science". There you will find how everything depends on this different tempo in the time-measurement of the human and the vegetable body of formative forces. Through the fact that our body of formative forces can interact like a higher, formative organ with the much faster running life of the plant, we really perceive the other kind of life in the plant. Through this something quite different will come before our soul than the old, speculated life force was. We really perceive, in other words, the supersensible in the sensuous.|67|60f}}
{{GZ|The plant is composed not only of that which physics and chemistry, or biology or physiology can investigate but it contains something else. If we have brought ourselves to the point where we feel the body of formative forces in ourselves as we feel usually in the physical body, we can perceive the supersensible in the remaining world with this body of formative forces. Then we behold the spiritual in any plant, in any animal and in the physical human that is then not anything visionary in trivial sense, but also is there before the strengthened soul like the contents of sensory perception before the not strengthened soul. However, we have to replace the spatial concepts with temporal ones everywhere. In what way do we perceive, actually, the supersensible in the plant? By perceiving our own supersensible in the body of formative forces as if a tone perceives the other in a melody.
 
The perception of the supersensible in the plant realm is completely based on the fact that the life of our body of formative forces proceeds much slower than the life of the plant body of formative forces. I have more exactly explained this in a small writing "[https://wn.rsarchive.org/Lectures/HumLif_index.html The Human Life from the Viewpoint of Spiritual Science]". There you will find how everything depends on these different speeds. Because our body of formative forces can interact like a higher, malleable organ with the much faster proceeding life of the plant, we really perceive the other kind of the life in the plants. Thereby something else will face our soul than the old, speculative vitality. We perceive, to put it another way, something supersensible in the sensory.|67|60f}}


== Literature ==
== Literature ==

Revision as of 14:05, 10 April 2021

Formative forces are etheric universal forces in which and through which the higher Hierarchies up to the sublime zodiacal beings have a formative effect. That this is not a speculative theoretical concept, but that these formative forces can first be concretely empirically researched on the etheric level, is proven by the increasing literature on the results of research on formative forces. It is not only based on sensual observations, which, however, usually form the starting point, but also requires specific spiritual training, through which corresponding supersensory organs of perception must first be trained, which, however, is in principle possible for every human being with a little patience and perseverance.

Shape forming forces

In his "Morphology" Goethe speaks of the "Bildung", which in German means the activity of building, shaping or forming something, but also stands for education, through which someone not only acquires knowledge, but primarily forms his own personality. This shape-giving activity is characteristic for these etheric forces. It remains constantly mobile, in contrast to the finished, fixed shape:

„The German has the word Gestalt for the complex of the existence of a real being. With this expression, he abstracts from the mobile, he assumes that something belonging together is established, completed and fixed in its character.

But if we look at all forms, especially the organic ones, we find that nowhere is there an existing, nowhere is there a resting, closed thing, but rather that everything fluctuates in a constant movement. Hence our language is accustomed to use the word formation appropriately enough both of what is produced and of what is produced.

If, therefore, we wish to introduce a morphology, we must not speak of form; but, if we use the word, we must at best think of it only as an idea, a concept, or something held in experience only for the moment.

That which is formed is immediately transformed again, and if we wish to attain to some extent to a vivid perception of nature, we must keep ourselves so mobile and pictorial, according to the example with which it presents itself to us.“

– Goethe: Morphology: The Intention Introduced[1]

The etheric body or formative forces body

→ Main article: Etheric body

Every living being bears these formative forces in the form of the formative forces body or etheric body: plants, animals and also human beings. If man learns to feel himself also in his body of formative forces, as he otherwise feels himself only in his physical body, he also becomes aware of the supersensible activity of formative forces in nature; he then really perceives the supersensible in the sensuous.

„The plant is composed not only of that which physics and chemistry, or biology or physiology can investigate but it contains something else. If we have brought ourselves to the point where we feel the body of formative forces in ourselves as we feel usually in the physical body, we can perceive the supersensible in the remaining world with this body of formative forces. Then we behold the spiritual in any plant, in any animal and in the physical human that is then not anything visionary in trivial sense, but also is there before the strengthened soul like the contents of sensory perception before the not strengthened soul. However, we have to replace the spatial concepts with temporal ones everywhere. In what way do we perceive, actually, the supersensible in the plant? By perceiving our own supersensible in the body of formative forces as if a tone perceives the other in a melody.

The perception of the supersensible in the plant realm is completely based on the fact that the life of our body of formative forces proceeds much slower than the life of the plant body of formative forces. I have more exactly explained this in a small writing "The Human Life from the Viewpoint of Spiritual Science". There you will find how everything depends on these different speeds. Because our body of formative forces can interact like a higher, malleable organ with the much faster proceeding life of the plant, we really perceive the other kind of the life in the plants. Thereby something else will face our soul than the old, speculative vitality. We perceive, to put it another way, something supersensible in the sensory.“ (Lit.:GA 67, p. 60f)

Literature
References to the work of Rudolf Steiner follow Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works (CW or GA), Rudolf Steiner Verlag, Dornach/Switzerland, unless otherwise stated.
Email: verlag@steinerverlag.com URL: www.steinerverlag.com.
Index to the Complete Works of Rudolf Steiner - Aelzina Books
A complete list by Volume Number and a full list of known English translations you may also find at Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works
Rudolf Steiner Archive - The largest online collection of Rudolf Steiner's books, lectures and articles in English.
Rudolf Steiner Audio - Recorded and Read by Dale Brunsvold
steinerbooks.org - Anthroposophic Press Inc. (USA)
Rudolf Steiner Handbook - Christian Karl's proven standard work for orientation in Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works for free download as PDF.

Weblinks

References

  1. ↑ Goethe-HA Bd. 13, S 55
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