A description of the dream state has been given in another chapter of this
book. On the one hand it is to be regarded as a relic of the old
picture-consciousness peculiar to man during the Moon evolution, and also
during a great part of the evolution of the Earth. Evolution goes forward
in such a way that earlier conditions resolve themselves into later ones.
And so, in the dream state, there now appears in man a relic of what was
once his normal condition. But at the same time this condition from
another aspect is different from the old picture-consciousness. For since
its development, the ego also has taken part in those activities of the
astral body which are carried on during sleep in the dream life. Thus
through the presence of the ego there arises in dreams a transformed
picture-consciousness. But since the ego does not consciously exercise its
authority over the astral body during dream life, nothing belonging to the
sphere of that life can be regarded as being really able to lead to a
knowledge of higher worlds in an occult sense. Something similar holds
good with regard to what is often called vision, premonition, or "second
sight." These arise through silencing the ego and the consequent
appearance of remnants of the old condition of consciousness. In spiritual
science these are of no value. What may be observed in them cannot in any
real sense be regarded as a result of it.

The Attainment Of Supersensible Knowledge

The path to the attainment of knowledge of the higher worlds, which has
been more fully described in this book, may also be called the "direct
path of knowledge." In addition to this path there is another, which we
may designate as the "path of feeling." It would be quite a mistake,
however, to believe that the former had nothing to do with the development
of feeling. On the contrary, it leads to the greatest possible deepening
of the life of feeling. But the "path of feeling" addresses itself
directly and solely to the feelings, and seeks from this point to rise to
knowledge. It rests on the fact that when the soul entirely surrenders
itself to a feeling for a certain length of time, the latter is
transformed into knowledge, into imaginative perception. When, for
example, the soul is filled for weeks or months, or even longer, with the
feeling of humility, the content of the feeling becomes transformed into a
perception. Now a path leading to supersensible regions may be found by
devoting onese