The Opening of the Gate of Sense-Perception

The Spiritualization of Sense-Perception

The Opening of the Gate of Sense-Perception in the Knowledge Drama of the Second Coming

As Marcel Duchamp, pointed out in his lecture, Where Do We Go from Here? (Philadelphia Museum College of Art March 20, 1961), 'I am inclined, after this examination of the past, to believe that the young artist of tomorrow will refuse to base his work on a philosophy as over-simplified as that of the ‘representative or non-representative’ dilemma. I am convinced that, like Alice in Wonderland, he will be led to pass through the looking-glass of the retina, to reach a more profound expression’.

To understand the full significance of the spiritualization of perception, that allow us, in full consciousness,'to pass through the looking-glass of the retina, we also must understand the meaning of the shift from eastern to western consciousness, staking place in our time in the evolution of human consciousness.

 Before we begin to open the gate of perception, in order to pass through the looking-glass of the retina and investigate the profound mysteries of the etheric world through our senses, it might be objected that a spiritualization of perception is not necessary, if man has come thus far on the spiritual path, and that he can continue unhindered in the direction indicated previously. One can certainly continuewith the above-described separation of the soul forces and its further consequences, without the spiritualization of perception, following further the path of Knowledge of the Higher Worlds and Occult Science. However, our purpose is more specific. We found out that the research aimed at by the knowledge drama of the Second Coming, is greatly enhanced, if we follow the requirements set forth by Rudolf Steiner in the lecture cycle, the Boundaries of Natural Science, delivered in September- October 1920, and was intended to become the foundation of the hoped-for School of Spiritual Science in the first Goetheanum.^[1] What was new in these lectures was that Rudolf Steiner described how the spiritualization of thinking can be augmented by the spiritualization of sense-perception. He said that this path is especially adapted for anthroposophists, involved in modern science, seeking to construct a direct bridge from modern cognition, developed in natural science, to the spiritual cognition of spiritual scientific. It is significant to note that this Michaelic path, the ‘new yoga will’ of Michael, was Rudolf Steiner’s individual spiritual path from his earliest years, based on The Philosophy of Freedom and Goethe’s natural scientific works, which he could make available to his pupils for the first time in this way.

From outside, cosmic thoughts work into us, from inside, humanity's will works outward. Humanity's will and cosmic thoughtcross in this crossing point, just as the objective and the subjective element once crossed in the breath. We must learn to feel how our will works through our eyes and how the activity of the senses delicately mingles with the passivity, bringing about the crossing of cosmic thoughts and humanity's will. We must develop this new Yoga will... This will be Michael-culture. ^[2]

 In the cycle on The Boundaries of Natural Science, Rudolf Steiner explained that the development of the modern faculty of Imaginationby means of the spiritualization of sense-perception, is unique historical task of modern, western spiritual science, in the age of the Consciousness Soul, which must replace the ancient Inspirative consciousness of the East. And there he points out that this can happen if we develop Imagination through the spiritualization of perception, and the faculty of Inspiration through the spiritualize thinking in the Philosophy of Freedom. Then the combination of Imagination developed in the spiritualization of perception and Inspiration developed through the spiritualization of thinking, create the faculty of Intuition.^[3] We found this path because we searched further for the best ways to actualize the requirements of the knowledge drama of the Second Coming and because The Philosophy of Freedom was from the very start a central thread in our spiritual-scientific development. It was essential, therefore, to find a way, to add to the meditative exercises of Knowledge of the Higher Worlds and Occult Science, also a path based on the spiritualization of thinking and perception. It was our experience, that, as Rudolf Steiner says, ‘if man develops pure thinking by means of the Philosophy of Freedom, ‘he will be following a safe and sound path and can thus win for himself a feeling concerning the higher worlds, which will for all future time ensure for him the most beautiful results’.^[4]  And we realized that if we develop the faculty of Imagination by means of the spiritualization of perception, we can strengthen these ‘most beautiful results’, derived from the spiritualization of thinking with the forces derived from the spiritualization of perception, and that the their combination creates specialized cognitive tools, required to construct a firm bridge between the physical and etheric worlds and ordinary and imaginative cognitions. This was a matter of empirical spiritual test and trial, conducted over many years, that led to the discovery that the bridge of spiritual memory and continuation of consciousness becomes stronger and safer, the more sense-perception is spiritualized in addition to thinking, because it opens the path to penetrate deeper into the human bodies, grounding the bridge in the whole human constitution, in spirit, soul, and body. 

  To understand the full significance of the shift from east to west in the recent evolution of human consciousness, and the great change brought about by the western, Rosicrucian-Anthroposophical Michaelic stream to the spiritual life of humanity, we can contemplate, as an example, Madame Blavatsky's translation of the ancient eastern meditative treatise The Voice of The Silence.

The self of matter and the Self of Spirit can never meet.

One of the twain must disappear; there is no place for both.

Ere the Soul's mind can understand,

the bud of personality must be crushed out,

the worm of sense destroyed past resurrection.

The modern Michaelic stream, based on the Consciousness Soul and the transformation of the natural science to spiritual science, has a diametrically opposite approach to spirit and matte, self and world. To what resounds from the ancient earth in this powerful Luciferic temptation and challenge, we must reply, if we are honestly permeated by the modern, Michaelic Christ impulse, in this way.

The self of matter and the Self of Spirit must meet anew.

One of the twain must rise to new life; in Christ there’s place for both.

Ere the soul’s mind can understand,

The bud of personality must flourish ,

And the wonder of sense fully resurrected.

Notes

[1] The Boundaries of Natural Science, 27. 9- 3.10, 1920 (GA 322).

[2] Lecture of 30 November 1919 (GA 194). My italics.

[3] For this aspect of the East-West problem, see The Barr documents (GA 262), lecture of 2 October 1920 (GA 322), and the chapter 'Inspiration and Intuition', in Stages of Higher Knowledge (GA 12).

[4] Occult Science, An Outline, chapter 5, Concerning Initiation (GA 13).