Outline of Occult Science

This book "contains the outline of anthroposophy as a whole," states Rudolf Steiner in his preface. The "occult science" presented herein is not a "secret" knowledge but rather a knowledge of what remains hidden from ordinary sense perception. The light of supersensible research illumines this knowledge and makes it here into an "open secret." After an introduction to the invisible nature of the human body, soul, and spirit-including Steiner's spiritual scientific research on sleep, dreams, after-death experience, and reincarnation-the main content of the book begins in Chapter 4. This is a systematic description of the evolution of the world as it presents itself to an individual consciousness that has transcended the limits of space and time. Steiner portrays the immense drama of the cooperative working of lofty spiritual beings on the complex harmony of the human structure during the seven cycles of previous incorporations of the earth. Following this sweep through long ages of time, the higher tasks and events of the more recent "historical" periods are traced up to the present time and beyond. The fulcrum of this cosmic evolution is shown to be the Mystery of Golgotha. An additional chapter characterizes the training a student must undertake as a preparation for the path of initiation. Steiner depicts the first stages of knowledge of the new "Grail" initiation with the Christ mystery at its center. This path begins with a study of results of spiritual science, such as those presented in this book. The cosmogony outlined in Occult Science provides an inexhaustible source of insight into cosmic and human evolution and destiny. With repeated study of this material, the reader will find the means to open new vistas of understanding into the spiritual origins and connections of the universe, earth, and humanity.