supersensible conditions of other planetary bodies, whereas the questioner
is thinking of physical sense conditions. Therefore in this work it was
possible to speak of certain relations of the earth's evolution to the
simultaneous evolution on Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, etc. Now when the human
astral body has been drawn away by sleep, it belongs not only to the
earth, but to worlds of which still other regions of the universe (stellar
worlds) are a part. Indeed, these worlds extend their influence to man's
astral body even when he is awake. For this reason the name "astral body"
appears to be justified.

Of Man's Life After Death

Mention has been made, in the course of this book, of the time during
which the astral body still remains joined to the etheric body of man
after death. During this time there exists a slowly paleing recollection
of the whole earth life just ended. The duration of this time varies in
different individuals. It depends upon the strength with which the astral
body clings to the etheric body, on the power which the former has over
the latter. Supersensible cognition can gain an idea of this power by
observing a person who, judging from his degree of fatigue, must of
necessity fall asleep, but, by sheer inner force, keeps awake. It then
appears that different people can keep awake for different lengths of time
without being overpowered by sleep. The memory of the past life, in other
words the connection with the etheric body, lasts about as long after
death as the length of time a man can keep awake when, in the most extreme
case, he is compelled to.

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When the etheric body is detached from the individual after death,
something of it nevertheless remains for man's whole subsequent
development; this may be described as an extract, or the essence of it.
This extract contains the result of the past life, and is the vehicle of
all that which, during man's spiritual development between death and a new
birth, unfolds like a germ for the following life.

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The duration of time between death and a new birth is determined by the
fact that the ego, as a rule, returns to the physical sense-world only
when that world has been so transformed that the ego can experience
something new. During its sojourn in spiritual regions, its dwelling place
on earth undergoes a change. But this change is connected