The Spirit in Human Evolution - Waldorf Research Institute

etheric forces, in contrast to the force of gravity which works from the center, work from
the periphery as forces of levity. Living form is always a balance between the forces of
gravity and levity, at any moment either gaining the upper hand. The forces of levity
come more strongly to expression in the young green shoot, the forces of gravity in the
heavy ripening fruit. Strangely we do not have difficulty accepting the force of gravity,
even though it is equally intangible or “spiritual.”
At key stages in the maturation of the human being, these formative forces are
emancipated from the organic processes and become free to develop within the soul of the
individual. The life-body then becomes the bearer of habitual behavior, temperamental
disposition, and memory and the organizing principle in patterns of cognition. It is the
life body that mediates between the physical organism and the soul.
There is of course also a relationship between the environment and the human
life-body. We are just as embedded in the formative qualities of our environment as
other animals, especially in the environment in which we spend our formative years in
childhood. We can see this in the character and temperament of peoples from different
environments. Obviously this merges with cultural influences, yet it is possible to
distinguish the mood of those who grow up in the far north from those who live in a
tropical climate, of a desert or steppe nomad from a city dweller (anywhere New York
to Tokyo).
In more intimate ways we have a symbiotic relationship with our domestic
environment. A tidy mind is often reflected in a tidy study. Some people prefer a wild,
overgrown garden, others neatly manicured lawns and color-graded flower beds. It
works both ways. The space works subconsciously on our sense of well being and we
shape our environments to reflect how we feel about ourselves. In its higher form we
are capable of shaping an environment that is uplifting, as in a church or temple, or
supportive and calming, as in a kindergarten or birthing room. We can also ignore this
factor and leave ourselves and others to the mercy of awful spaces!
Instincts
It is often said that apart from a group of primitive reflexes which most outgrow
within a few months of being born, humans are characterized by having so few instincts
compared with (other) animals. Modern evolutionary psychology has in fact revealed to
us that we possess a large number of specifically human instincts, deep seated impulses
that have evolved over millions of years.
Sentience
Only humans and animals can experience sensation. The realm of sentient
experience is the soul. Within the soul, Steiner distinguishes the sentient body, which
organizes bodily processes to the point where they become receptive to sensation, and the
sentient soul which is the bearer of the experience of sensation as inner life. The primary
experiences of pain and pleasure, color sensation, our drives, urges, cravings, passions,
anger and so on, all derive directly or indirectly from bodily processes. The sentient body
is dependent on the etheric body’s connection to the physical processes.
What connection is there between this process and the functions of the central
nervous system? I interpret this activity as focusing on that part of the nervous system
connected to the brain stem and limbic system and which relate to the systems concerned
with behavior linked to hunger, sexual drive, the satisfaction of other urges as well as
aggressive and defensive responses. It is also closely linked to the bodily cycles of the
74