Steiner Studies: Band 3 - 2022

Articles:

• Johannes Wagemann: Bridging Anthroposophy and Cognitive Science with an Experimental First-Person Method
  
  Abstract

  Although Steiner’s anthroposophy has provided significant impulses for cultural practice, it has not yet received much attention in current philosophy and science. Nonetheless, it holds potential for methodological and theoretical innovation that could yield valuable contributions to mainstream research, especially with a view on phenomenal consciousness and mental action. To open up this option, bridges must be built between Steiner’s writings and empirical research as the supreme discipline of today’s science. One possibility is to provide a new nexus between philosophy of mind and experimental psychology focusing on the first-person perspective – as reminiscent of Steiner’s »introspective observation following the methods of natural science« in his Philosophy of Freedom. Various first-person methods have been developed recently, of which the ›Task-Based Introspective Inquiry‹ seems well suited to the challenge at hand. This approach is historically contextualized, briefly outlined, illustrated by examples of recent studies, and discussed in terms of Steiner and related academic research. In this way, specific forms of mental activity and respective agentive awareness are elaborated upon, which can clarify the topicality of Steiner’s basic structure of consciousness and his idea of freedom, both of which are based on his stratified conception of the human being.

Open Access

• Terje Sparby: Rudolf Steiner and the ›Guardian of the Threshold‹, Part I
  
  Abstract

  The concept of an adversarial ›guardian‹ can be found in various areas of culture, ranging from myths and religions to works of literature and deep psychology. Often this adversary is deeply connected to a protagonist. The adversary challenges, tests, or even helps the main character. With his idea of the ›guardian of the threshold‹, Rudolf Steiner presents a unique approach to this archetype. This article sets out to give an overview of all of Steiner’s statements about the ›guardian‹. Tensions within the ›guardian‹ concept are identified and discussed. For example, there is tension between statements claiming that the ›guardian‹ is inside or part of the human being and statements claiming that the ›guardian‹ is independent of the human being. A novel interpretative perspective is suggested, namely that humanity itself may be understood in a certain way as a ›guardian‹ of the spiritual world. Overall, this article attempts to systematize the fundamentals of Steiner’s ›guardian‹ concept and hence lays a ground for more in-depth studies. One such study will be provided in a follow-up to this article.

Open Access

• Terje Sparby: Rudolf Steiner and the ›Guardian of the Threshold‹, Part II
  
  Abstract

  In a preceding study, an interpretation of Rudolf Steiner’s idea of the ›guardian of the threshold‹ was developed based on textual sources. The study at hand turns to experiential perspectives related to this topic. These include: (1) nightmares and sleep paralysis, in particular in the way these have been investigated in an anthropological and psychological context; (2) reports on experiences of the guardian by practitioners of Anthroposophic meditation; and (3) phenomenology and the development of self-consciousness. The existing research on nightmares and sleep paralysis indicates that experiences corresponding to Steiner’s guardian-concept are prevalent, although they are interpreted in a wide variety of ways by different populations worldwide. Furthermore, the experiential reports of Anthroposophic practitioners show how certain sleep-related and meditative experiences are connected to the idea of the guardian. Of particular importance is the idea that the guardian concept represents a narrative that may have a positive impact on how people deal with and grow through meditation challenges. Finally, the process leading up to a guardian experience is given phenomenological analysis, and it is shown how there may be a connection between Steiner’s notion of the guardian in a historical context and observational findings in developmental psychology. These three perspectives help paint a comprehensive picture of how the experience described by Steiner may be conceived and interpreted today.

Open Access

Report:

• Andy Brogan, Marcelo da Veiga: The Actuality of Rudolf Steiner: An Interdisciplinary Exploration of Steiner in the 21st Century
  
  Abstract

  From October 8 to 10, 2021, the first »International Steiner Symposium of the Institute for Education and Social Innovation« (IBUGI) took place: »The Actuality of Rudolf Steiner – An Interdisciplinary Exploration of Steiner in the 21st Century.« Andy Brogan, the organizer and moderator of the symposium, provides in the following a conference report that briefly summarizes the contributions presented during this event. Marcelo da Veiga then portrays the host institute and its institutional goals.

Open Access