s
passages the author has realized how poor the means of presentation
accessible to him prove to be in comparison with what superphysical
research discovers. Thus it was scarcely possible to do more than point
out the way in which to reach conceptions of the events described in this
book as the Saturn, Sun, and Moon evolutions. An important aspect of this
subject has been briefly remodelled in this edition. But experiences in
relation to such things diverge so widely from all experiences in the
realm of the senses, that their presentation necessitates a continual
striving after expressions which may be, at least in some measure,
adequate. One who is willing to enter into the attempted presentation
which has here been made, will perhaps notice that in the case of many
things which cannot possibly be expressed by mere words, the endeavour has
been made to convey them by the _manner_ of the description. This manner
is, for instance, different in the account of the Saturn evolution from
that used for the Sun evolution, and so on.

Much complementary and additional matter has been inserted in this edition
in the part dealing with "Perception of the Higher Worlds." The endeavour
has been made to represent in a graphic way the kind of inner
soul-processes by which the power of cognition liberates itself from the
limits which confine it in the world of sense and thereby becomes
qualified for experiencing the supersensible world. The attempt has been
made to show that these experiences, even though gained by entirely inner
ways and methods, still do not have a merely subjective significance for
the particular individual who gains them. The description attempts to show
that _within_ the soul stripped of its individuality and personal
peculiarities, an experience takes place which _every_ human being may
have in the same way, if he will only work at his development from out his
subjective experiences. It is only when "knowledge of supersensible
worlds" is thought of as bearing this character that it may be
differentiated from old experiences of merely subjective mysticism. Of
this mysticism it may be said that it is after all more or less a
subjective concern of the mystic. The scientific spiritual training of the
soul, however, as it is described here, strives for objective experiences,
the truth of which, although recognized in an entirely inner way, may yet,
for that very reason, be found to be universally valid. This again is a