sified by the heat. Thus earth-life is
enkindled in them. They therefore still belong to psycho-spiritual worlds
with regard to the greater part of their nature, but by coming in contact
with the earth's fire, vital heat plays around them.

If we wish to draw a material, yet supersensible, picture of these human
beings in the very beginning of the earth's evolution, we must imagine a
psychic ovoid, or egg, contained within the circumference of the earth,
and enclosed on its lower surface, as an acorn is by its cup. The
substance of the cup, however, consists solely of heat or fire. The
process of being enveloped by heat not only causes the kindling of life in
the human being, but a change appears simultaneously in the astral body.
In this body becomes incorporated the first germ of what afterwards
becomes the sentient-soul. We may therefore say that man at this stage of
his existence consists of the sentient-soul, the astral body, the etheric
body, and the physical body, which latter is formed out of fire. Those
spiritual beings who participate in human existence surge through the
astral body. Man feels himself bound to the earth body by the
sentient-soul. He has therefore at this time a preponderating
picture-consciousness, in which are manifested those spiritual beings in
whose bosom he reposes; and the feeling of his own body seems to be merely
a point within that consciousness. He looks down, so to speak, from the
spiritual world upon earthly possession, which he feels belongs to him.

Further and further the condensation of the earth now proceeds and at the
same time the differentiation of the various parts of man, as has been
described, becomes more and more defined. From a definite point of
evolution onward, the earth is so far condensed that only part of it is
fiery; another part has assumed a substantial shape, which may be termed
"gas" or "air." A change also takes place now in man. He is not only
brought into contact with the heat of the earth, but the air substance is
incorporated in his fire-body. And as heat kindled life in him, the air
playing around him creates an effect within him which may be called
(spiritual) sound. His etheric body begins to resound. Simultaneously, a
part of the astral body becomes separated from the remainder; this part is
the germ of the intellectual-soul which appears later.

In order to bring before our eyes what takes place in the human soul at
this time, we must notice that