Introduction to Counselling Essay

   Definition of a Counsellor Counselling is about to give help rather than advice, advice frequently means telling people what they should or ought to do, and this has no place in counselling. Counsellors look at what is possible, but do not tell clients what they should do. That would be the counsellor taking control rather than the client gaining control. The primary difference between counselling and other forms of helping is the way in which the counsellor listens. A counsellor should always be factual within their notes, you should always take notes after a session while fresh on your mind, taking notes in a session can cause clients to maybe feel worried or nervous on what you’re putting down and also keep you interested and proven to be listening. The difference between advice, guidance and counselling Advice: Mainly a one-way exchange, giving an opinion, making a judgement, making a recommendation =Persuasive. Guidance: Mainly a one-way exchange, showing the way, educating, influencing, instructing =Encouraging. Skills of a counsellor Every person who uses counselling skills is designated a counsellor. We can distinguish two broad groups of people who use counselling skills, people who are called counsellors who engage in counselling as a distinct occupation and others who use counselling skills as part of their other skills. They would be temporarily in the role, for example we go to our doctor for something medical or a psychiatrist for something spiritually wrong these establish a helping relationship. What they offer is not counselling however they use counselling skills, they may also be trained counsellors so the dividing line is not clear cut. The difference is that the person knows when counselling is taking place and has agreed to it. Other skills you pick up on when counselling are: * Respecting personal space * keeping legs uncrossed and sitting relaxed * Being open with body language, * Bringing your body in to talk is being interested and sitting back shows you’re interested and engaged. * Memory is the key. * Try not to talk with hands or sit on them. * Clothing can be casual but formal depending on where you work * Setting a good first impression is important * Keep facial expressions to a minimum show expression but limit to how much. * Eye contact should be minimal keep eyes moving around the face * Think about distractions before your client arrives * Keep your client informed on what we’re going to do and not do. * Being agreeable and willing to be there, and most importantly helping your client to get back on track. Values of counselling and psychotherapy Values inform principals. They represent the important way of expressing a general ethical commitment that becomes more precisely defined and action-orientated when expressed as a principal. At all times counsellors must show a commitment to: Respecting human rights and dignity Protecting the safety of clients Insuring the integrity of practitioner/client relationships Enhancing the quality of professional knowledge and its application Alleviating personal distress and suffering Fostering a sense of self that is meaningful to the person(s) concerned Increasing personal effectiveness Enhancing the quality of relationships between people Appreciating the variety of human experience between people Striving for the fair and adequate provision of counselling and psychotherapy services Ethical principles of counselling and psychotherapy Principles direct attention to important ethical responsibilities, there are six ethical principles that are used which also help on making decisions when looking over them, they are as follows: * Being trustworthy – honouring the trust placed in the practitioner, he’s to building good understanding and helps your client being able to open up if the trust is there. * Autonomy – respect for the clients to be self-governing, this is important to allow and help our client to gain their ability to be self-directing. * Beneficence – a commitment to promoting the clients well-being, always acting in the best interests of the client based on professional assessment. * Non-maleficence – a commitment to avoiding harm to the client, do not take advantage of the client at their most vulnerable part in their life i.e. sexual, financial, emotional or any other form of client exploitation. * Justice – the fair and impartial treatment of all clients and the provision of adequate services, a commitment to fairness requires the ability to appreciate differences between people and to be committed to equality of opportunity, and avoiding discrimination against people or groups contrary to their legitimate personal or social characteristics. * Self-respect – fostering the practitioner’s self-knowledge and care for self, seeking counselling or therapy and other opportunities for personal development as required. The practitioner’s personal moral qualities are of the utmost importance to clients. Personal moral qualities The practitioner’s personal moral qualities are of the utmost importance to clients. Many of the personal qualities considered important in the provision of services have an ethical or moral component and therefore considered as virtues or good personal qualities. It is inappropriate to prescribe that all practitioners possess these qualities, since it is fundamental that these personal qualities are deeply rooted in the person concerned and developed out of personal commitment rather than the requirement of an external authority. Personal qualities to which counsellors and psychotherapists are strongly encouraged to aspire include: Empathy: The ability to communicate understanding of another person’s experience from that person’s perspective. Understand and letting them know that you understand Sincerity: a personal commitment to consistency between what is professed and what is done. Being honest, saying something and meaning it. Being able to be sincere and li sten to your client rather than talking. Integrity: commitment to being moral in dealings with others,  personal straightforwardness, honesty and coherence. Trust is very important. Resilience: the capacity to work with the client’s concerns without being personally diminished. Being able to hear what your client is saying to you and being able to stay there and not feeling the need to leave or cry with your client because of their story you are hearing, being able to hold your own. Respect: showing appropriate esteem to others and their understanding of themselves. Appropriate esteem and understanding themselves, respect that the person respects themselves. Not judging why they got to that point and help them understand why they got to this point. Humility: the ability to assess accurately and acknowledge one’s own strengths and weaknesses. Believing your good at something, work towards not feeling that you’re put down and low. Competence: the effective deployment of the skills and knowledge needed to do what is required. Keep improving skills, knowing you know what you are doing but you can build on it. Fairness: t he consistent application of appropriate criteria to inform decisions and actions. Knowing your able to meet your clients’ needs and if not discuss you could refer them to someone else, also about being fair to self, make sure your always being fair to your clients in the decisions you make. Wisdom: possession of sound judgement that informs practice. Sound judgement, understanding boundaries. Courage: the capacity to act in spite of known fears, risks and uncertainty. To be able to sit and listen to your client’s story, having the courage to be honest to your client. Non-verbal communication Awareness of non-verbal communication between the listener and the talker; we try to be aware of how we use our own bodies and how the talker uses their body to communicate. * Eye contact – keep eye contact minimal and moving around the face. * Facial expression – show expression but be limiting to how much you show. * Body posture – keep legs uncrossed and body straight, keep body language open. * Body movement – bring your body out to show you’re interested and bring body in when you’re really taking in what your client is saying. * Head nodding – is a strong thing to do shows your listening. * Proximity/position of chairs – positioning of the chairs is important as not to be directed in front of each other. Why we use this skill? * To show talker that the listener is paying attention. * To try to communicate that the listener is present. * To create a warm environment. * To encourage the talker to open up. * To begin to build a trusting relationship. Minimal encouragers Minimal encouragers are a form of verbal communication. They are brief sentences or a single word. Examples include: * ‘Go on’ * ‘Tell me more’ * ‘And’ * ‘Because’ * ‘Mmm†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.’ * ‘Ah ha’ * ‘Oh’ Using some of your minimal encouragers will help to keep your client talking and prompt them to continue in there story. * To show the talker that the listener is paying attention. * To communicate that the listener is present. * To encourage the talker to continue their story. Reflecting A reflection is offering back what the talker has said but it includes the feeling that the listener thinks was communicated. Feelings might be contained in the words the talker is using or feelings might also show themselves in how the talker presents i.e. looking sad or showing that they are angry. Why we use this skill? * To check or show that the listener has understood. Gives client confidence that the listener is actually paying attention in what the client is saying * To help the talker become aware of their feelings. Gives the client the option of discovering what they are actually feeling for themselves. * To work closer in the relationship. Gaining your clients trust to build a relationship. * To create a sense of intimacy. As your allowing your client to hear what they are saying and showing that the feeling you may be providing them with helps them to know you are truly listening to them. Paraphrasing Paraphrasing is to offer back in a few words what the talker has said in order to check understanding and communicate your attention. Paraphrasing can be good to help your client to hear what they have said and they know you have heard what they have said. Helps to show you are trying to understand what your client is saying. Why we use this skill? †¢To give the talker an opportunity to hear back what they are saying. As it can be very helpful for your client to hear back what they have said. †¢To check or show that the listener has understood. It also gives your client confidence that you have listened and heard what they have to say. †¢To invite further exploration of the talker’s story. It helps your client maybe feel more confident and open to talk more freely. Example: Talker: It’s been a rough week. I’ve done nothing but argue with my partner, the house has been burgled, there’s bad news from the hospital†¦at least I got a win on the scratch-card. Listener 1: You got a win on the scratch-card Listener 2: It’s been a rough week. Listener 3: You’ve been arguing with your partner †¢What do you think of the different listener’s responses? I think listener 2 is a much better response to what the client has said as leaves the story open for the client to decide where they want to go next. †¢What do the responses say about the listener’s points of view? Listener 1) is very in appropriate as quite a few bad things gone on for your client. Listener 2) leaves it open for your client to choose what to talk about Listener 3) is also a good thing to say but doesn’t give the client a chance really to decide what they would prefer to talk about. * What other responses can you think of? Maybe number 2) but also ask client to describe maybe the worst part about the week? Summarising A summary is an overview of what the talker has been talking about during the session. A summary can be used during the session as well as to end the session. Think about the main points of a session and say it back to your client. Summarising really helps letting your client know you are really listening and heard what they have said. Knowing if a silence is that your client is thinking, or gone quiet as maybe a bit lost so you could recap what your client has told you. Re capping can help to start your client talking again. Near the end of a session say to your client you have a few minutes left so let’s summarise and the pick out points, once relayed back ask your client if they would like to add anything else. Why we use this skill? * To communicate that the listener has heard and understood the content of the session. * To gather important points together. * To help the talker decide which points they want to talk about in more detail. * To help the talker if they are stuck, going round in circles, confused or if the session needs moving forward. Counselling Contract †¢Place, time, dates †¢Number of sessions †¢Confidentiality and limitations †¢Supervision and note taking †¢Model of counselling used †¢Fees and cancellation arrangements †¢Out of session contact Having a contract helps your client to know what’s expected of them, also what is going to happen. Confidentiality and limitations Offering confidentiality is part of a counsellor’s contract with their clients but there are limits to this at which point further action will be needed. What are the limits? †¢At risk – a person, who is deemed to be at risk to self or others, so could be talking about harming his self or others. †¢Children – any child at risk of abuse, maybe a partner hurting or abusing the child. †¢Vulnerable persons – vulnerable people at risk of abuse, by client or there partner. †¢Terrorism Act – there is a terrorism hotline number, for instance if someone said they were taking a bomb to the mall ECT. †¢If working for an agency you would follow their guidelines around confidentiality. If at any time you hear you client talk about any of the limits you have discussed, you need to make your client aware that you have to break the confidentiality. Other limits include: †¢Supervision – client material discussed with a supervisor, although this could be discussed with clients permission about their case but not mention there name. †¢Note-keeping – brief and factual notes made after each session, as a client has the rights to ask for their notes to see.

Achievement Motivation Essay

What is it? This links personality with the degree of competitiveness shown by an individual. Its main focus is the extent to which an individual is motivated to attain success. Some Theories about it   Murray (1938) indicated that it was natural for individual to strive to surpass another (genetically) like trait. Bandura (1977) believed that a competitive drive was a product of learning (social learning). Atkinson and McCelland (1976) has the view of an interactionist and predicts achievement motivation is generated through a combination of personality and situation factors. Atkinson and McCelland view of achievement motivation as a personality trait which is activated by a situation, the situation comprises the probability of success and the incentive value of success. -Probability of success;the extent to which success is likely;For example success is more likely of the task is found by the individual to be easy. -Incentive value of success;the incentive value experienced by the individual after success-been achieved. For example the harder the task the greater will be the incentive value because the probability of success is reduced. There are two personality types to determine achievement motivation and these are; 1.High need to achieve (high Nach) Linked with the low need to avoid failure (Low Naf). With these characteristic, desire to succeed overcomes the fear of failure. These performers=high in achievement motivation (high achievers) 2.Low need to achieve (Low Nach) Also linked with high need to avoid failure (High Naf). These characteristics the fear of failure overcome the desire to success. These performers=low in achievement motivation (low achievers) Characteristics of high and low achievement motivation personality traits. High Nach Personality Characteristics Low Nach personality characteristics High need to achieve Low need to achieve Low need to avoid failure High need to avoid failure Approach behaviour is adopted Avoidance behaviour is adopted Challenges is accepted Challenges is rejected Risks are undertaken Risks are declined Shows persistence and perseverance when task is difficult Curtails effort when task is difficult Success tends to be attributed to external factors Failure tends to be attributed to internal factors Failure is seen as a route to success Failure is seen as the route to further failure Aspire to mastery orientation Adopt learned helpessness Key Terms Approach behaviour-describes behaviour that accepts a challenge Avoidance behaviour-describes behaviour that rejects a challenge Attribution-The process that predict reasons for success or failure Mastery Orientation-The strong motive to succeed found in the high achievement. This type of person will expect to succeed but will persist when failure is experienced Learned helplessness-The belief that failure is inevitable and that the individual has no control over the factors that cause failure. Atkinson and McCelland Their theory of achievement motivation is best at predicting behavioural responses in situations where there is a 50/50 chance of success. This will trigger motivation for those performers with high achievement traits=likely  to display approach behaviour and mastery orientation characteristics in these circumstances. Incentive value=high when chance is evenly balanced. In contrast to performers who show low achievement motivation would experience greatest anxiety in situations with a 50/50 chance of success— later adopt avoidance behaviour and experience learned helplessness. Approach or avoidance behaviours likely to arise when in a evaluative situation=Situation in which an individual believes they are being assessed. Drawbacks 1.Achievement or success can interpreted in many ways. Some performers regard success as victory over others. For example a long jump athlete winning an event. These people are said to have ego goal orientation. Those with this believe that ability and comparison over others=criteria for success. 2.Others judge on the basis of person improvement in a given task-For example a second long jump athlete may view success as the achievement of an improved performance. These people are said to have task orientation. Those with the task orientation value internal goals and believe that effort and comparison with self=criteria for success. Sport Specific Achievement Motivation(Competitiveness) Competitiveness in this context means- motivation to achieve in sport. Gill and Deeter (1988), using their own test called the ‘Sport Orientation Questionnaire’ (SOQ), confirmed that athletes were far more competitive than non-athletes. As as statement, this would appear obvious. Evidence of greater significance-athletes favoured performance goals (task orientation) while non-athletes emphasised the importance of winning (ego orientation) The type of goal set by the teacher as the measure of success in sport-related activities has, therefore, a significant influence upon the decision to adopt and sustain an active and healthy lifestyle. The important association between sport-specific motivation (competitiveness), confidence and goal setting.

In the care of a nurse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

In the care of a nurse - Essay Example Caring has been advocated as integral to nursing ethics, and much theorizing has suggested that it may be a partial or the entire foundation for nursings ethic. As human beings we normally care and don’t want to see people suffering from an illness, especially if we see that all hopes were gone. On a personal level, Janet was an advocate of Mrs. Jordan with respect to the permission of the family and wish of her patient that â€Å"she is ready to go† given her agony. However, on the professional side, nurses are responsible for the welfare of their patients and must be able to deliver health care based on the judgment of the doctor and her own learned duties as a nurse. With what Janet did, he never advocated her patient’s right to live based on professional judgment of the doctor. The doctor may have lately ordered NFR when Janet reported the patient’s failing condition, as a result of her not giving dopamine, which is not the advice of the doctor given the uncertainty of the disease. But still, the case did not support Yarling and McElmurry (1986) argument that â€Å"an NFR decision is not a medical decision per se, and neither is it a legal or nursing decision. Rather, they contend, the NFR decision is a moral decision, since it is based primarily on moral values, such as those concerning the meaning, sanctity, and quality of life". Even if all of the failing human conditions of Mrs. Jordan deserve a NFR order as the case presents it, the doctor initially still never gave the command. The case wants to show that if nurses are authorized to write NFR orders, it may be a venue for abuse and easy exit on the part of health professionals in times of disease uncertainties. Normally, nurses are already being left to carry a disproportionate burden in mora l, legal, professional and personal terms in following NFR orders, much more if they are already the ones writing them. There

Critical analysis worksheet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Critical analysis worksheet - Essay Example In this article the author looks at the information presented during the Iraq War. As the author alludes to, the American military is full of people with conflict of interests, not the least retired military officers. These officers are often sought for their opinion by national television networks. The reason why these ex-military men are wanted for expert opinion is because they may have operational insights or at least understand how the military works. The issue about using such experts is that they often present a view that has already been distorted by the American military. It can sometimes even be the case that these experts are duped themselves by misinformation. I would ask the author about why this fascination for publicly funded sports stadiums has recently come into focus. What were the factors that resulted in an upswing for sports stadiums being funded by the public? Another question I would ask the author has to do the effect that a sports team has on a city. Is a professional sports team necessary for a small city because it gives everyone a "feel-good" factor or has this explanation been blown out of proportion? I would ask the author why the military feels that it needs to feed information to the media, either through press releases or ex-military officers, in order to justify military efforts. Is it because the information is distorted or does the American public need convincing? Also, do the network cable channels need to take some responsibility for the appearance of these military experts? Whose job is it to vet these people or establish some basic facts before getting some opinions about an issue? I do agree with the main premise of the reading. The reason why I feel these authors are onto something is because while the benefits of having publicly funded sports stadiums are prominently displayed in the media and by local politicians, to my knowledge there has not been many

Cold War America Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Cold War America - Research Paper Example identity, by divergence with the corresponding fabrication of patriotism, which comprises of the social conditioning and personal bearing that underwrite a country’s decision and actions. Nationalism is studied through two perspectives that are psychological and political or social perspective.The former point of view encompasses personal attachment to religion or a person, the need to interact and communicate or a desire to belong. This perspective depicts the elementary human motivation. The latter perspective talks about Primordialist perspective; here nationalism is explained as a shadow of the antique and opinionated evolutionary attitude of mankind to merge into different groups or colonies that share the same propinquity of birth. The second perspective describes nationalism as a novel episodes pre-requisite of existence of modern society. Henceforth, this paper is set about study the role of nationalism in modern Europe on multiple levels, how it is being manifested in the regime and what are some aspects of the character of the issue in Europe. Starting with the evolution of nationalism in Europe, a wave of romantic nationalism swept the major countries of Europe such as Germany, Italy and Romania. Here, the role of Napoleon played a crucial role, since his code and intellectualities became an influential ethics for the European. Furthermore, taglines for liberty, freedom, equality and brotherhood started sweeping into the ideologies of the people. Apart from this, national awakening emerged as a result of theories of national identity, self-expression for nationhood and attachment to the culture. Other than Napoleon, G. W Friedrich Hegel proposed the idea that where religion and dynastic duty were on downswing, there nationality is an essential backbone for structuring of societies (McKay, Hill & Buckler. et al 2013). The eruption of Nationalism was not only on one level, but many. Many researches and studies show that in the 19th century in Europe,

Music report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Music report - Essay Example The performance was rather complicated for me to perceive. It challenged my expectations because I had prepared to listen to rhythmic and harmonious classical music. At the same time, the piece accurately rendered actions of athletes adding strong emotional connotations to them. Intensity of the sound, loudness and tonality were used to express exact feelings associated with the game. The presence of commentator added even more theatrical effects to the piece; the man was completely absorbed by the game and I could easily imagine the real action of athletes following his comments. I think that Midnight Voyage is a great performance. The system of passages-actions applied in the piece can be used to present any football game in the USA or anywhere in the world. I felt that the game was real during the performance. Still, the music itself was complicated when it was taken from its context. It would sound as a cacophony without the commentator who carefully guided the spectators and told them what was going on. I am convinced that Midnight Voyage proves that music is far more than melody and rhythm; it is a performance full of emotions, feelings and

Non-fiction short story The Nine Moods of a Magnificent Manager Essay

Non-fiction short story The Nine Moods of a Magnificent Manager - Essay Example The management consultant argues thus: â€Å"The subject of management is an overcrowded field. I quote Voltaire (1694-1778) who says that the magnitude of books is making us ignorant. â€Å"The major branches of management are financial management, marketing management, human resource management, strategic management, production management, operations management, service management and information technology management. The problem with the present managerial world is there are more books on management topics than the numerical strength of managers all over the world. Is it possible for a management trainee to study all of them and then become a successful manager? The relationship between success and management is like the one between wife and husband who desire to lead a harmonious life but are unable to do so but would not like to divorce either. Management is all about the ability of a Manager to rob the pocket of a gullible commoner/consumer or of another Manager in a competi ng organization! You all have made hefty payments to attend this one day’s seminar. You have done so with a hope. I congratulate you on your dynamism and your desperate desire to become magnificent managers. By the end of the session, I am sure you will become one and will have no inclination to return to this auditorium yet again. With this training, if you are unable to prove your worth as a magnificent manager, try your luck as a consultant on the topic of management. My formula for success is simple and straightforward. No textbooks and research journals are used in this seminar. No pen, pad or folder will be provided to you. No home assignments either; have a peaceful sleep after this session. Lend me your ears and mind and see how I change your thought processes to chisel an interesting personality to restore your inner cheer and inspiration. Those with whom you interact will remember you forever, for better or worse, depending on your luck. We begin with an important s ession-- Think that in place of your confused mind, a beautiful garden of roses has emerged with many hues and colors and invigorating fragrance. Think! Nothing is impossible to think! Has it emerged? I can see that in some of you from the expression on your countenance. Make an effort to smile. You are an individual of many moods. Various scriptures have defined nine moods. They are Erotic, Humorous, Pathetic, Terrible, Heroic, Fearful, Odious, Wondrous, and Peaceful. Now, think that you are a performing artist. The wise ones say that this world is a stage, and we are all dancing puppets attached to the strings in the hands of God. Each mood is associated with a particular color. Erotic: Pale Light Green, Humorous: White, Pathetic: Grey, Terrible: Red, Heroic: Pale Orange, Fearful: Black, Odious: Blue, Wondrous: Yellow, Peaceful: White. Some of the top fashion designers and connoisseurs of dress are aware of this weakness of humankind and exploit it to maximize their profits. Now w e come to the core part of the discussion. You need to spend some money to secure your future. Buy nine shirts for gentlemen and tops for ladies, of the colors specified above. Only shirts and /tops not trousers or other types of garments! Now, divide your working hours and allot one hour for each mood. Change your shirt/top after one hour and see the remarkable effect in your interactions. I do not ask you to adopt this system in one go. Hasten slowly. Let your session be restricted to some minutes to begin with. So, you will emerge as a complete individual full of delight, a conglomeration in human form of nine moods of

Robert Frost's Fire and Ice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Robert Frost's Fire and Ice - Essay Example The author used an open form of poetry to effectively express his thoughts and feelings about what the end of the world could be. Scientists are studying the possible end of the world and they have two theories which most probably might happen. That is, that the world will be destroyed through fire, destroying all living things as the consuming of power of fire devours the earth or that the earth will die because of extreme cold. Frost has ingeniously caught the attention not only of the poetics but also of those who base their passions through the study of sciences and goes on to discuss the basic facts of human life that is not only true to the romantics but to the nerds as well. From a general fact, Frost calls the attention of his audience to the contents of a collective unconscious, as the psychologist Carl Gustav Jung (Ketkar) phrases it for them to ponder and think of such a necessary matter that is usually taken for granted because of the demands of daily human activities. Th e poem uses parallelism of words to express the pictures in his mind when he talks about desire and hatred equating them to fire and ice, respectively, through the use of metaphors which is otherwise considered a symbolism (http://www.freeonlineresearchpapers.com).

The value of Civil Engineering to the world Essay

The value of Civil Engineering to the world - Essay Example They have played their due part at constructing urban designs which have made sure that urban sprawls are taken care of in a respectable manner. The civil engineers of today are indeed the heroes since their work is used by nearly all of the people, irrespective of where they come from or who they are. This is a fact that the civil engineers are in high demand now than ever, as the world has woken up to the ideology that Civil Engineering is a very realistic entity and therefore it should be given its due place within the engineering and infrastructural development domains. The world has seen the role of civil engineers grow by leaps and bounds since they have seen the wonders of the world getting redefined and reshaped time and again. This has meant that the field of Civil Engineering has become advanced more and more with the passage of time (Davidson 1990). The value of Civil Engineering comes about in an apparent manner both within the public sector domains as well as the private sector undertakings – it has manifested itself in such a manner that the effects are bountiful and the results aplenty. International co mpanies have hired these civil engineers because they believe they bring in a much needed difference, and this indeed is a difference that is for the betterment of the society and the world without any doubt. The value proposition of Civil Engineering has come to the forefront with the addition of skyscrapers, the world’s biggest dams and water reservoirs, the tallest buildings, the railroads and road networks, the underground tube systems, and so on. All of these have rightfully manifested the need for having due acclaim for the Civil Engineering tenets and people have realized that there are a number of marvels which can still be achieved in the coming decades (Wells 2007). There are a number of areas where the field of Civil Engineering has been able to represent its own self over

Causes of Gang Involvement Essay Example for Free

Causes of Gang Involvement Essay Today, gangs in America cause a huge problem. Are there any positives for having a gang in the community? Does anything good come out of having a gang in the area? The answer to all of these questions is no. Gang involvement directly affects neighborhoods and has negative effects on communities. One of the first reasons a person joins a gang is because of economic despair or deprivation in the area they live in. Gangs form as a way for their group to make money. Some ways gangs earn an income is by selling drugs, committing thefts, prostitution of women, and sometimes even killing others for money. Because of economic despair, gangs are usually found in rundown neighborhoods. When we think of rundown neighborhoods, we think of poor housing and small incomes for those living in the neighborhood. This is why gangs will do just about anything for money. If the community or neighborhood fails to provide a way to earn money, the gangs will have to find other ways to receive an income. Gangs provide the member a way out of economic despair and into the lifestyle of â€Å"fancy living.† Because of bad economic times, this may cause a gang member to have low self-esteem about themselves. A member might be an outcast at the school they attend and are not well liked even in their own home sometimes. Even their own peers might give them a hard time. The gang entices the possible member with the ability to receive power, respect, and money. Gangs form in order to provide the individual with low self-esteem a chance to build their self-esteem through the gang. The gangs reputation, interaction with gang members, accomplishments of the gang, and gaining power through the gang sends loads of confidence to the new member. This new confidence usually gives the newest member the feeling of invincibility. But, as we all know, no one today is invincible. The thought of being rich and having the respect of others are two main reasons for members to join a gang. But, one of the simplest and easiest reasons new members join is because simply they can! Gangs from because they can; it is as simple as that. Gangs form when non-gang delinquents and gang delinquents are left for themselves. The groups simply are left unmonitored and have no structure to guide them while living their lives. These individuals are looking for ways to get into trouble and to cause problems. The members also do not respect their elders which also can cause problems. As long as there are victims to prey on, the gangs will prey on them. Overall, gangs do not send a positive wave of feeling when the word is heard. The members of gangs are troubled and confused individuals who are looking for ways to fill the voids that are in their lives. That is what a gang offers, ways to fill these voids. These are frequently negative ways to complete the person. The causes of gangs directly affect the community and neighborhood where the residents live.

Biocompatibility Study of Lactobacillus Casei

Biocompatibility Study of Lactobacillus Casei BIOCOMPATIBILITY STUDY OF LACTOBACILLUS CASEI ISOLATED FROM CUCUMBER AND EVALUATION OF PROBIOTIC EFFECTS IN THE HUMAN GUT NANNU SHAFAKATULLAH* and M. CHANDRA Abstract: Probiotics are live microorganisms introduced orally in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) that are able to contribute positively to the activity of intestinal microflora and therefore, to the health of its host. A variety of probiotic supplements are currently available in the market which target towards improving the balance and activity of the intestinal microflora. Probiotics must have robust survival properties in the gut in order to exert any beneficial health promoting properties. Many in vitro properties, such as adhesion, co-aggregation, aggregation, hydrophobicity, resistance to pH, bile, etc., are usually investigated to determine if a specific selected strain would be suitable as a probiotic. Lactobacillus casei has been isolated from raw cucumber and identified based on phenotypic and biochemical characteristics. The isolate was studied for its survival at acidic pH, bile salt, intestinal juice, gastric juice, co-aggregation, aggregation, different NaCl concentrations, the ir action against pathogens, and resistance to antibiotics. The organism has shown well resistance to antibiotics, gastric acids and bile digestion and also exhibited good adhesion to intestinal mucosa and aggregation properties. Key words: Biocompatibility, cucumber, gastrointestinal tract, Lactobacillus casei, probiotics Introduction: Probiotics are defined as â€Å"live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host†1. The use of probiotic bacteria for the health of human has been increased from the last decade due to the increased research on benefits of the probiotics for human. Knowledge of gut health and awareness of general health consciousness in human leads to the search of new probiotic bacteria2-7. It has been proved that irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, and antibiotic-induced diarrhea that occur due to the imbalance in the intestinal microflora can be reversed by the intake of probiotics.Lactobacillus species are â€Å"Generally Recognized as Safe† (GRAS) microorganisms and they are the most commonly used microorganisms as probiotics and are the most desired intestinal microflora. It is important to study the biocompatibility of the lactobacillus species before using them as probiotics. Acidic pH, bile salts, and gastric and intestinal juice in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) are the major stress factors that the probiotics should overcome in order to survive in GIT. Other than their survival capabilities, the probiotic microbes consumed should possess the capacity to adhere and colonize in the gastro intestinal tract. More the adherence capacity of the probiotics more is their chance to retain themselves in the GIT and provide positive effect to the consumer. In accordance with the FAO/WHO8 guidelines in order to prevent the transmission of antibiotic resistance genes from the probiotics to the intestinal pathogens it is recommended that the antibiotic resistance/susceptibility pattern of every probiotic strain (including bacteria with GRAS status) is to be determined. Due to the development of antibiotic resistant pathogens there is increased interest in the alternative antimicrobial strategies for treatment and prevention of infections by using probiotics and their antimicrobial metabolites. Hence, antimicrobial activity against pathogens is a desirable property of a potential probiotic strain. The present study was aimed at isolation, identification, characterization and biocompatibility study of the Lactobacillus strain isolated from cucumber. The biocompatibility properties were investigated throughin vitro assays. Material and Methods Isolation and Identification of Bacteria Fresh cucumber juice was prepared and 1ml of this was serially diluted to 10-5 to 10-6 and inoculated 0.1 ml on to lactobacillus MRS agar plates and incubated at 37 °C for 24-48 hours anaerobically. Gram’s staining, catalase activity, gas production from glucose, acid fast test, MRVP test, gelatine hydrolysis, oxidase test, growth in different NaCl was determined according to methods for lactic acid bacteria9-10. The identification work was done according to the methods described in Bergey’s Manual11 and the Prokaryotes. All the strains were maintained by weekly sub culturing from 48hrs MRS agar cultures. Growth characteristics at different temperature were monitored for 7 days period. Production of ammonia from arginine was done according to the method described by Abdel-Malek and Gibson12, Nitrate reduction was done as described by Gerhardt et al., 13. The isolates were maintained in MRS broth, stock cultures were stored on agar slants in refrigerator and also freez e dried and stored for longer period. Growth at acidic pH The growth behavior of culture isolate was observed at acidic pH to find the acid tolerance capacity of organisms. The Isolate was inoculated in MRS broth with pH 2 and 3 and incubation was done at 37 °C for 48-72 hrs. During these incubation time cells growth was observed and results were recorded. Transit Tolerance: 1. Simulated Gastric Juice The simulated gastric juice was prepared freshly by suspending pepsin 1:10000 (3g/L) (SRL) in sterile NaCl (0.5%) and the pH was adjusted to 2.0 and 3.0 respectively. This was filter sterilized using 0.45 µm filter. The L. casei was grown in de Man, Rogosa and Sharpe (MRS) broth at 37 °C for 24 h and centrifuged at 2,500 Ãâ€" g at 4 °C for 10 min. The collected cells were resuspended in sterile saline (0.5% NaCl) and inoculated into the simulated gastric juice (pH 2.0 and 3.0) at 108 cfu/ ml. The test was done in triplicates. Because the pH in the human stomach ranges from 1 (during fasting) to 4.5 (after a meal) and food ingestion can take up to 3 h, tolerance was assayed by determining the total viable count at 0, 1.5 and 3-h incubation in simulated gastric juice (pH 2.0 and 3.0). 2. Simulated Intestinal Juice The simulated intestinal juice was prepared freshly by suspending pancreatin (1g/L) in sterile NaCl (0.5%) and adjusted the pH to 8.0. This was again filter sterilized by using 0.45 µm filter. 1ml of the suspension of the L. casei was inoculated into 9ml of simulated intestinal juice (pH 8.0) and incubated at 37 °C. The test was done in triplicates. The survival rate was assessed by determining the total viable count at 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8hrs of incubation. 3. Bile Tolerance Bile plays an important role in the survival of bacteria in the small intestine. Food remains in the small intestine for around 4-6 hours14 till it gets absorbed. The L. casei was screened for its survival at different bile concentrations. The organism was inoculated into 10 ml MRS broth in test tubes and incubated at 37 ºC overnight in anaerobic condition. 100ÃŽ ¼l of active culture was inoculated into fresh MRS broth tubes with pH 6.5 containing 0.3%, 0.5% and 1.0% bile (CDH India). The bacterial survival was measured by MRS agar colony count by taking 100ÃŽ ¼l culture for 0, 30, 60, 90 and 180 min and aliquots spread onto MRS agar plates to calculate the CFU/ml. The experiment was determined in triplicate to calculate intra-assay variation. CFU/ml was recorded. Aggregation (Del Re et al., 2000) Aggregation assay was performed by growing the isolates in MRS broth for 24 hours anaerobically at 37oC. The cells were harvested by centrifugation at 5000 rpm for 15 min, at 4oC. The cells were washed twice and re-suspended in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) to give viable counts of approximately 108 CFU/ ml. Four ml of the cell suspension was mixed for 10 seconds in a sterile tube to determine auto aggregation during 5h of incubation, at room temperature. The upper suspension was used in each hour by transferring 0.1ml to another 3.9ml of phosphate buffer solution, and the optical density at 660nm was measured. Tests were carried out in triplicate and the results were averaged. The auto aggregation percentage was calculated by the formula: 1- (At/A0) X 100, where, At represents the absorbance at time t = 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, and A0 the absorbance at t = 0. Aggregation abilities of microorganisms were screened by visual observation. Co-aggregation The bacterial cells were harvested by centrifugation at 5000 rpm for 15 min after incubation at 37 °C for 18h, washed twice and resuspended in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) to give viable counts of approximately 108 CFU /ml. Equal volumes (2 ml) of each cell suspension were mixed together in pairs by vortexing. Control tubes were set up at the same time, containing 4 ml of each bacterial suspension on its own. The absorbances at 660 nm of the suspensions were measured after mixing and after 5 h of incubation (6-9). The percentage of co-aggregation was calculated using the equation Handley et al. (1987) as, Co-aggregation (%) = [(Ax + Ay) /2) A (x+ y)] / [(Ax + Ay)/ 2] Ãâ€" 100 Where x and y represent each of the two strains in the control tubes, and (x + y) the mixture of isolate tested for co-aggregation. Antibiotic Sensitivity test Antibiotic sensitivity test of the isolate was performed by standard disc diffusion method (NCCLS 1999) towards thirteen antibiotics. The pure culture of L. casei suspension was spread on the MRS agar plates to form a uniform smear. Selected antibiotic discs were aseptically transferred on to the seeded plates. The diameters of the zone of inhibition were measured using antibiotic zone scale (Himedia India) after 24 h of incubation. The experiment was repeated thrice and the average inhibitory zone diameters were compared with the standards provided by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards. Diameters of inhibition zones were measured and results were expressed as sensitive, S (≠¥ 21 mm); intermediate, I (16-20 mm) and resistant, R (≠¤ 15 mm), respectively according to that described by Vlkovà ¡ et al., 15. Antimicrobial Activity Test Agar well diffusion method16 was used to determine the inhibitory capacity of the L. casei against pathogenic strains such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis. The isolate and pathogenic strains were incubated in MRS agar medium at 37 °C for 24 to 48 h. Result and Discussion Physiological and Biochemical Characterization The isolate was subjected to Gram’s staining and it was examined under light microscope. The strain gave blue- purple color with staining; hence it was Gram positive bacteria. Isolate was tested for catalase activity. It was catalase negative (do not show catalase activity). To test the gas production from glucose test tubes were observed for 5 days. The Isolate shown no gas production this indicates its homofermentative nature (Table 1). Another criterion for the identification the isolate was the ability of growth at different temperatures (Table 2). From the results of 5 days observation the isolate showed growth at 15-50  °C. Growth at different NaCl concentrations was observed. The isolate has the ability to grow at 2-6% NaCl concentration. Arginine hydrolysis test was another step to follow the identification procedure. The isolate which gave the bright orange were accepted that they can produce ammonia from arginine. The yellow colour indicated negative arginine hydro lysis. The isolate has shown -ve for arginine hydrolysis. Hydrolysis of starch was negative by isolate. The isolate was non motile, non spore forming. The most useful test for the determination of strain differences is carbohydrate fermentation. Twenty one (other than glucose) different carbohydrates were used for identification. They gave different fermentation patterns when they were compared. The patterns are showed in Table 3. Resistance to acidic pH Being resistant to low pH is one of the major selection criteria for probiotic strains17-18. Since, to reach the small intestine they have to pass through from the stressful conditions of stomach19. Although in the stomach, pH can be as low as 1.0, in most in vitro assays pH 3.0 has been preferred. Due to the fact that a significant decrease in the viability of strains is often observed at pH 2.0 and below20. Sudden decrease in the survival rate of the isolate has been observed at pH 2. At the third hour the survival rate reduced below 5%. At pH3 more than 10% survival has been observed after 3 hours of incubation. Tolerance against Bile The isolate was screened for its ability to tolerate the bile salt. Although the bile concentration of the human gastrointestinal tract varies, the mean intestinal bile concentration is believed to be 0.3% w/v and the staying time is suggested to be 4 h. Strain was screened for 3 hours in 0.3%, 0.5% and 1.0% of bile salt for its survival. The cfu values were observed. According to the results the isolate was resistant to 0.3% and 0.5% bile salt. Whereas sudden fall in the number of survival organisms has been observed at 1.00% bile. The survival rate reached to 5% at the end of 3 hours of incubation at 1.00% of bile. Tolerance to Gastric Juice The degree of gastric juice resistance exhibited by isolate was determined and results (Figure 4) showed that >75% of survival has been observed in gastric juice at pH 3 for 1.5 hours of incubation, whereas at pH2 the survival rate was >30% for 1.5 hours of incubation. But at 3 hours of incubation the survival rate at pH 3 reached to Tolerance to Intestinal Juice The isolate was tested for its ability to grow in intestinal juice. It appears that the strain exhibited good resistance to intestinal juice at pH 8 for four hours of growth (Figure 5). Good multiplication of all the isolates has been found at 6th hour of incubation. Aggregation On the basis of sedimentation characteristics aggregation capability of the isolate was tested. L. casei has exhibited good amount of aggregation during the test time of 5 hours (Figure 5). Co-aggregation The co-aggregations of L. casei with five pathogenic bacteria were examined. Results were expressed as the percentage reduction after 5 h in the absorbance of a mixed suspension compared with the individual suspension. Good co-aggregation of L. casei with S. aureus has been seen. There was no co-aggregation between L. casei and B. subtilis. 2-6% of co-aggregation has been seen with E. coli, K. pneumonia and P. aeruginosa (Figure 6). Antibiotic Sensitivity test The determination of antibiotic sensitivity of the isolate is an important prerequisite prior to considering it safe for human and animal consumption. The isolate was subjected to antibiotic susceptibility test. The results are given in Table 4. The isolate was resistant to most of the antibiotics used. According to earlier reports, specific antibiotic resistance traits among probiotic strains may be desirable21. It has been said by many authors that probiotics should be resistant to certain antibiotics when used along with antibiotics to prevent gastrointestinal disorders. Whereas others claim that antibiotics resistant probiotics used may serve as host of antibiotic resistance genes, which can be transferred to pathogenic bacteria. Antimicrobial Activity Test Antimicrobial activity helps to select the potential probiotics strains. Antimicrobial activity usually targets the intestinal pathogens. The isolate was examined for antibacterial activity. L. casei was grown with indicator microorganisms, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis. The antibacterial effect on the indicator microorganisms was determined by diameter of inhibition zones. Lactobacilli casei has a high ability to inhibit the growth of pathogenic microorganisms. The degree of inhibition was highest in S. aureus, whereas the inhibition was moderate in E. coli, K. pneumonia and P. aeruginosa. The isolate could not inhibit the growth of spore forming B. subtilis. Conclusion: Lactobacillus casei has shown good survival in acidic pH, different bile concentrations, gastric juice and intestinal juice. The organism exhibited good survival in the presence of different antibiotics. The isolate is also able to inhibit the growth of different pathogenic microorganisms examined. All these characteristics of the organism will help it to survive in the stomach and proliferate in the intestine. This will help strains to reach the small intestine and colon and contributing to the balance of intestinal microflora.

Feminism Essay -- Women Rights Feminist Papers

Feminism The notion of difference among the sexes has been studied extensively in terms of cognition and brain activity. An MRI can back these claims, showing male and female brains 'lighting up' in different locations based upon different stimuli. Anyone with a close relationship to a child can attest to the fact that they were born with certain traits. Perhaps their nephew is very shy, while their niece has never met a stranger. In other words, some difference among individuals is innate, fundamental. This notion has been applied to studies in the animal world. Susan Allport, author of A Natural History of Parenting,, notes that "Males provide direct childcare in less than 5 percent of mammalian species, but in over 90 percent of bird species both male and female tend to their young." While researchers have focused on other species, they have been hesitant to apply this sort of lens to human families, largely because this sort of biological inherency does not directly align with the push fo r equality and equal rights that have been so important in recent history in the United States. Fundamentally, to state that biology creates difference in humans and that this sort of difference has the ability to manifest itself in divergent capabilities carries political and social risk for minority and oppressed groups. This has been a main tenet of the argument against difference feminism, yet even some of the most socially radical women have yet to abandon the importance of difference. This paper will examine the limitations of difference feminism, applying a critical lens to the discussion both for and against, with special attention to current political implications. The devaluation of care work in the United States will figure pr... ...es them the unique ability to directly affect the way in which their children view work and family. They may produce a new generation of "opt-in" women and an equally fair-minded generation of compatible men. Clearly, a division among women as to whether opting-out is revolutionary or limiting means that a shared sentiment within the discussion, and most likely policy solutions, still have a long time before they can be realized. It may be that the changes to the workplace that opt-out women desire may have to wait until this next generation, or perhaps longer. In the meantime, it would be careless to imagine that women who opt-out are simply incapable of participation and success in male-dominated spheres. Belkin poignantly addresses the element of rational choice, asking, "Why don't women run the world?" and answering, "perhaps it's because they don't want to."

Groups Essay -- Communities Psychology Group Essays

Groups Group Processes and Structures One of the most elementary aspects of group formation may be the experience of common fate, the perception that ones outcomes are bound up with those of others. An even stronger form of interdependence is that shaped by the task goals of the group. Where these bring people into a positive relationship with one another then cooperation, cohesion and enhanced group performance are likely. Negative interdependence on the other hand leads to competition, reduced liking for others in the group and usually lower performance. As the group develops, the roles to be occupied by individuals emerge and develop This process of role differentiation emerges where there is a new group one individual may assume the task-leadership role other may emerge as well. Where the group has been in existence for some time and a member of the group leaves a newcomer may be specifically assigned to take over the role. This division of labour will contribute to peoples identities. As the group developes so also do the expectations members have about what rules and procedures might be appropriate to develop. This is the process of the establishment of group norms. Group members enjoy different amounts of power and prestige which gives rise status hierarchies in groups. Such status differences can generate expectations for group members behaviour. Closely tied to status differentiation are social comparison processes through which individuals can make a...

Hinduism vs. Buddhism :: essays research papers

Hinduism and Buddhism are the two main religions of Ancient India. Both religions share common beliefs and have their differences. Some differences are the gods worshiped, the founders of the religions and the holy books worshiped. Both religions are similar and different at the same time. In the Hindu religion, the founder was not one person alone. Hinduism was developed over 3500 years ago by the Aryans. The Hindu religion was developed around the caste system. Important books of the Hindu religion are the Vedas. The Hindus are polytheistic, or they believe in many Gods. The caste system was the social class of India. At the top of the caste system were the Brahmins or the priests. Below them were the warriors followed by the merchants, the farm workers and lastly the untouchables. Some goals of the Hindus are to reach Moksha, or to be free of the caste system. The Hindu religion had many priests and religious rituals. Hinduism is still important and followed by people in India today. In the Buddhism religion, there was only one founder. The founder was the Siddhartha Gantina. Siddhartha founded Buddhism in 560 B.C. Buddhists rejected the caste system. Instead they focused on individuals. Important books of the Buddhist religion are the Triptakas. Buddhists have no Gods. They believed if you follow the Four Nobile Truths and the Eight Fold Path, you will live a great life. Buddhism is important throughout Asia, but there are few followers of Buddhism in India today. Hinduism and Buddhism share some beliefs as well. Both religions told people to live moral lives. People tried to live non-violent lives, or ahimsa. Both religions accepted reincarnation, which is the belief that after someone passes away, their soul, comes back to life in another body. The goal was to be united with an all powerful, spiritual force. They both thought animals were sacred.

General Knowledge

http://www. rsarchive. org/Books/ SUPERSENSIBLE KNOWLEDGE: Its Secrecy in the Past and Publication in our Time THERE are two experiences whence the soul may gain an understanding for the mode of knowledge to which the supersensible worlds will open out. The one originates in the science of Nature; the other, in the Mystical experience whereby the untrained ordinary consciousness contrives to penetrate into the supersensible domain.Both confront the soul of man with barriers of knowledge — barriers he cannot cross till he can open for himself the portals which by their very essence Natural Science, and ordinary Mysticism too, must hold fast closed. Natural Science leads inevitably to certain conceptions about reality, which are like a stone wall to the deeper forces of the soul; and yet, this Science itself is powerless to remove them. He who fails to feel the impact, has not yet called to life the deeper needs of knowledge in his soul.He may then come to believe that it is imp ossible in any case for Man to attain any other than the natural-scientific form of knowledge. There is, however, a definite experience in Self-knowledge whereby one weans oneself of this belief. This experience consists in the insight that the whole of Natural Science would be dissolved into thin air if we attempted to fathom the above-named conceptions with the methods of Natural Science itself.If the conceptions of Natural Science are to remain spread out before the soul, these limiting conceptions must be left within the field of consciousness intact, without attempting to approach them with a deeper insight. There are many of them; here I will only mention two of the most familiar:  Matter  and  Force. Recent developments in scientific theory may or may not be replacing these particular conceptions; the fact remains that Natural Science must invariably lead to some conception or another of this kind, impenetrable to its own methods of knowledge.To the experience of soul, of which I am here speaking, these limiting conceptions appear like a reflecting surface which the human soul must place before it; while Natural Science itself is like the picture, made manifest with the mirror's help. Any attempt to treat the limiting conceptions themselves by ordinary scientific means is, as it were, to smash the mirror, and with the mirror broken, Natural Science itself dissolves away. Moreover, this experience reveals the emptiness of all talk about ‘Things-in-themselves,’ f whatsoever kind, behind the phenomena of Nature. He who seeks for such Things-in-themselves is like a man who longs to break the looking-glass, hoping to see what there is behind the reflecting surface to cause his image to appear. It goes without saying that the validity of such an experience of soul cannot be ‘proved,’ in the ordinary sense of the word, with the habitual thoughts of presentday Natural Science. For the point will be, what kind of an inner experien ce does the process of the ‘proof’ call forth in us; and this must needs transcend the abstract proof.With inner experience in this sense, we must apprehend the question: How is it that the soul is forced to confront these barriers of knowledge in order to have before it the phenomena of Nature? Mature self-knowledge brings us an answer to this question. We then perceive which of the forces of man's soul partakes in the erection of these barriers to knowledge. It is none other than the force of soul which makes man capable, within the world of sense, of unfolding  Love  out of his inner being.The faculty of Love is somehow rooted in the human organisation; and the very thing which gives to man the power of love — of sympathy and antipathy with his environment of sense, — takes away from his cognition of the things and processes of Nature the possibility to make transparent such pillars of Reality as ‘Matter’ and ‘Force. ’ To t he man who can experience himself in true self-knowledge, on the one hand in the act of knowing Nature, and on the other hand in the unfolding of Love, this peculiar property of the human organisation becomes straightway apparent.We must, however, beware of misinterpreting this perception by lapsing again into a way of thought which, within Natural Science itself, is no doubt inevitable. Thus it would be a misconstruction to assume, that an insight into the true essence of the things and processes of Nature is withheld from man because he lacks the organisation for such insight. The opposite is the case. Nature becomes sense-perceptible to man through the very fact that his being is capable of Love. For a being incapable of Love within the field of sense, the whole human picture of Nature would dissolve away.It is not Nature who on account of his organisation reveals only her external aspect. No; it is man, who, by that force of his organisation which makes him in another direction capable of Love, is placed in a position to erect before his soul images and forms of Reality whereby Nature reveals herself to him. Through the experience above-described the fact emerges, that the scientific frontiers of knowledge depend on the whole way in which man, as a sense-endowed being, is placed within this world of physical reality. His vision of Nature is of a kind, appropriate to a being who is capable of Love.He would have to tear the faculty of Love out of his inner life if he wished no longer to be faced with limits in his perception of Nature. But in so doing he would destroy the very force whereby Nature is made manifest to him. The real object of his quest for knowledge is not, by the same methods which he applies in his outlook upon Nature, to remove the limitations of that outlook. No, it is something altogether different, and once this has been perceived, man will no longer try to penetrate into a supersensible world through the kind of knowledge which is effec tive in Natural Science.Rather will he tell himself, that to unveil the supersensible domain an altogether different activity of knowledge must be evolved than that which he applies to the science of Nature. Many people, more or less consciously aware of the above experience of soul, turn away from Natural Science when it is a question of opening the supersensible domain, and seek to penetrate into the latter by methods which are commonly called Mystical. They think that what is veiled to outwardly directed vision may be revealed by plunging into the depths of one's own being.But a mature self-knowledge reveals in the inner life as well a frontier of knowledge. In the field of the senses the faculty of Love erects, as it were, an impenetrable background whereat Nature is reflected; in the inner life of man the power ofMemory  erects a like background. The same force of soul, which makes the human being capable of Memory, prevents his penetrating, in his inner being, down to that e xperience which would enable him to meet — along this inward path — the supersensible reality for which he seeks.Invariably, along this path, he reaches only to that force of soul which recalls to him in Memory the experiences he has undergone through his bodily nature in the past. He never penetrates into the region where with his own supersensible being he is rooted in a supersensible world. For those who fail to see this, mystical pursuits will give rise to the worst of illusions. For in the course of life, the human being receives into his inner life untold experiences, of which in the receiving he is not fully conscious. But the Memory retains what is thus half-consciously or subconsciously experienced.Long afterwards it frequently emerges into consciousness — in moods, in shades of feeling and the like, if not in clear conceptions. Nay more, it often undergoes a change, and comes to consciousness in quite a different form from that in which it was experien ced originally. A man may then believe himself confronted by a supersensible reality arising from the inner being of the soul, whereas, in fact, it is but an outer experience transformed — an experience called forth originally by the world of sense — which comes before his mental vision.He alone is preserved from such illusions, who recognises that even on a mystic path man cannot penetrate into the supersensible domain so long as he applies methods of knowledge dependent on the bodily nature which is rooted in the world of sense. Even as our picture of Nature depends for its existence on the faculty of Love, so does the immediate consciousness of the human Self depend upon the power of Memory. The same force of the soul, endowing man in the physical world with the Self-consciousness that is bound to the bodily nature, stands in the way to obstruct his inner union with the supersensible world.Thus, even that which is often considered Mysticism provides no way into the supersensible realms of existence. For him who would penetrate with full conscious clarity of understanding into the supersensible domain, the two experiences above described are, however, preparatory stages. Through them he recognises that man is shut off from the supersensible world by the very thing which places him, as a self-conscious being, in the midst of Nature. Now one might easily conclude from this, that man must altogether forego the effort to gain knowledge of the Supersensible.Nor can it be denied that many who are loath to face the painful issue, abstain from working their way through to a clear perception of the two experiences. Cherishing a certain dimness of perception on these matters, they either give themselves up to the belief that the limitations of Natural Science may be transcended by some intellectual and philosophic exercise; or else they devote themselves to Mysticism in the ordinary sense, avoiding the full enlightenment as to the nature of Self-consciou sness and Memory which would reveal its insufficiency.But to one who has undergone them and reached a certain clarity withal, these very experiences will open out the possibility and prospect of true supersensible knowledge. For in the course of them he finds that even in the ordinary action of human consciousness there are forces holding sway within the soul, which are not bound to the physical organisation; forces which are in no way subject to the conditions whereon the faculties of Love and Memory within this physical organisation depend. One of these forces reveals itself in  Thought.True, it remains unnoticed in the ordinary conscious life; indeed there are even many philosophers who deny it. But the denial is due to an imperfect self-observation. There is something at work in Thought which does not come into it from the faculty of Memory. It is something that vouches to us for the correctness of a present thought, not when a former thought emerging from the memory sustains it, but when the correctness of the present thought isexperienced directly. This experience escapes the every-day consciousness, because man completely spends the force in question for his life of thought-filled perception.In Perception permeated by Thought this force is at work. But man, perceiving, imagines that the perception alone is vouching for the correctness of what he apprehends by an activity of soul where Thought  and  Perception in reality always flow together. And when he lives in Thought alone, abstracted from perceptions, it is but an activity of Thought which finds its supports in Memory. In this abstracted Thought the physical organism is cooperative. For the every-day consciousness, an activity of Thought unsubjected to the bodily organism is only present while man is in the act of Sense-perception.Sense-perception itself depends upon the organism. But the thinking activity, contained in and co-operating with it, is a purely supersensible element in which the b odily organism has no share. In it the human soul rises out of the bodily organism. As soon as man becomes distinctly, separately conscious of this Thinking in the act of Perception, he knows by direct experience that he has himself as a living soul, quite independently of the bodily nature. This is man's first experience of himself as a supersensible soul-being, arising out of an evolved self-knowledge. The same experience is there unconsciously in every act of perception.We need only sharpen our selfobservation so as to Observe the fact: in the act of Perception a supersensible element reveals itself. Once it is thus revealed, this first, faint suggestion of an experience of the soul within the Supersensible can be evolved, as follows: In living, meditative practice, man unfolds a Thinking wherein two activities of the soul flow together, namely that which lives in the ordinary consciousness in Sense-perception, and that which is active in ordinary Thought. The meditative life thu s becomes an intensified activity of Thought, receiving into itself the force that is otherwise spent in Perception.Our Thinking in itself must grow so strong, that it works with the same vivid quality which is otherwise only there in Sense-perception. Without perception by the senses we must call to life a Thinking which, unsupported by memories of the past, experiences in the immediate present a content of its own, such as we otherwise only can derive from Sense-perception. From the Thinking that co-operates in perception, this meditative action of the soul derives its free and conscious quality, its inherent certainty that it receives no visionary content raying into the soul from unconscious organic regions.A visionary life of whatsoever kind is the very antithesis of what is here intended. By self-observation we must become thoroughly and clearly familiar with the condition of soul in which we are in the act of perception through any one of the senses. In this state of soul, fu lly aware that the content of our ideation does not arise out of the activity of the bodily organism, we must learn to experience ideas which are called forth in consciousness without external perceptions, just as are those of which we are conscious in ordinary life when engaged in reflective thought, abstracted from the enter world. As to the right ways of developing this meditative practice, detailed indications are given in the book‘Knowledge of the Higher Worlds and its Attainment’  and in several of my other writings. ) In evolving the meditative life above-described, the human soul rises to the conscious feeling perception of itself, as of a supersensible Being independent of the bodily organisation. This is man's first experience of himself as a supersensible Being; and it leads on to a second stage in supersensible self-knowledge.At the former stage he can only be aware that he  is  a supersensible Being; at the second he feels this Being filled with real content, even as the ‘I’ of ordinary waking life is felt by means of the bodily organisation. It is of the utmost importance to realise that the transition from the one stage to the other takes place quite independently of any co-operation from outside the soul's domain — namely from the mere organic life. If we experienced the transition, in relation to our own bodily nature, any differently from the process of drawing a logical conclusion for example, it would be a visionary experience, not what is intended here.The process here intended differs from the act of drawing logical conclusions, not in respect of its relationship to the bodily nature, but in quite another regard; namely in the consciousness that a supersensible, purely spiritual content is entering the feeling and perception of the Self. The kind of meditative life hitherto described gives rise to the supersensible self-consciousness. But this self-consciousness would be left without any supersensibl e environment if the above form of meditation were unaccompanied by another. We come to an understanding of this latter kind by turning our self-observation to the activity of the  Will.In every-day life the activity of the Will is consciously directed to external actions. There is, however, another concomitant expression of the Will to which the human being pays little conscious attention. It is the activity of Will which carries him from one stage of development to another in the course of life. For not only is he filled with different contents of soul day after day; his soul-life itself, on each succeeding day, has evolved out of his soul-life of the day before. The driving force in this evolving process is the Will, which in this field of its activity remains for the most part unconscious.Mature self-knowledge can, however, raise this Will, with all its peculiar quality, into the conscious life. When this is done, man comes to the perception of a life of Will which has absolut ely nothing to do with any processes of a sense-perceptible external world, but is directed solely to the inner evolution of the soul — independent of this world. Once it is known to him, he learns by degrees to enter into the living essence of this Will, just as in the former kind of meditative life he entered into the fusion of the soul's experiences of Thinking and Perception.And the conscious experience in this element of Will expands into the experience of a supersensible external world. Evolved in the way above described, and transplanted now into this element of Will, the supersensible self-consciousness finds itself in a supersensible environment, filled with spiritual Beings and events. While the supersensible Thinking leads to a self-consciousness independent of the power of Memory which is bound to the bodily nature, the supersensible Willing comes to life in such a way as to be permeated through and through by a spiritualised faculty of Love.It is this faculty of Love which enables the supersensible self-consciousness of man to perceive and grasp the supersensible external world. Thus the power of supersensible knowledge is established by a self-consciousness which eliminates the ordinary Memory and lives in the intuitive perception of the spiritual world through the power of Love made spiritual. Only by realising this essence of the supersensible faculty of knowledge, does one become able to understand the real meaning of man's knowledge of Nature. In effect, the knowledge of Nature is inherently connected with what is being evolved in man within this physical world of sense.It is in this world that man incorporates, into his spiritual Being, Self-consciousness and the faculty of Love. Once he has instilled these two into his nature, he can carry them with him into the super sensible world. In supersensible perception, the ordinary power of Memory is eliminated. Its place is taken by an immediate vision of the past — a vision for whi ch the past appears as we look backward in spiritual observation, just as for sense-perception the things we pass by as we walk along appear when we turn round to look behind us.Again the ordinary faculty of Love is bound to the physical organism. In conscious supersensible experience, its place is taken by a power of Love made spiritual, which is to say, a power of perception. It may already be seen, from the above description, that supersensible experience takes place in a mood of soul which must be held apart, in consciousness, from that of ordinary Perception, Thinking, Feeling and Willing.The two ways of looking out upon the world must be kept apart by the deliberate control of man himself, just as in another sphere the waking consciousness is kept apart from the dream life. He who lets play the picture-complexes of his dreams into his waking life becomes a listless and fantastic fellow, abstracted from realities. He, on the other hand, who holds to the belief that the essence of causal relationships experienced in waking life can be extended into the life of dreams, endows the dream-pictures with an imagined reality which will make it impossible for him to experience their real nature.So with the mode of thought which governs our outlook upon Nature, or of inner experience which determines ordinary Mysticism: — he who lets them play into his supersensible experience, will not behold the supersensible, but weave himself in figments of the mind, which, far from bringing him nearer to it, will cut him off from the higher world he seeks. A man who will not hold his experience in the supersensible apart from his experience in the world of the physical senses, will mar the fresh and unembarrassed outlook upon Nature which is the true basis for a healthy sojourn in this earthly life.Moreover, he will permeate with the force of spiritual perception the faculty of Love that is connected with the bodily nature, thus tending to bring it into a deceptive rela tionship with the physical experience. All that the human being experiences and achieves within the field of sense, receives its true illumination — an illumination which the deepest needs of the soul require — through the science of things that are only to be experienced supersensibly. Yet must the latter be held separate in consciousness from the experience in the world of sense.It must illumine our knowledge of Nature, our ethical and social life; yet so, that the illumination always proceeds from a sphere of experience apart. Mediately, through the attunement of the human soul, the Supersensible must indeed shed its light upon the Sensible. For if it did not do so, the latter would be relegated to darkness of thought, chaotic wilfulness of instinct and desire. Many human beings, well knowing this relationship which has to be maintained in the soul between the experience of the supersensible and that of the world of sense, hold that the supersensible knowledge must on no account be given full publicity.It should remain, so they consider, the secret knowledge of a few, who have attained by strict self-discipline the power to establish and maintain the true relationship. Such guardians of supersensible knowledge base their opinion on the very true assertion that a man who is in any way inadequately prepared for the higher knowledge will feel an irresistible impulsion to mingle the Supersensible with the Sensible in life; and that he will inevitably thus call forth, both in himself and others, all the ill effects which we have here characterised as the result of such confusion.On the other hand — believing as they do, and with good reason, that man's outlook upon Nature must not be left to grope in utter darkness, nor his life to spend itself in blind forces of instinct and desire, — they have founded self-contained and closed Societies, or Occult Schools, within which human beings properly prepared are guided stage by stage to supe rsensible discovery. Of such it then becomes the task to pour the fruits of their knowledge into life, without, however, exposing the knowledge itself to publicity.In past epochs of human evolution this idea was undoubtedly justified. For the propensity above described, leading to the misuse of supersensible knowledge, was then the only thing to be considered, and against it there stood no other circumstance to call for publication of the higher knowledge. It might at most be contended that the superiority of those initiated into the higher knowledge gave into their hands a mighty power to rule over those who had no such knowledge.None the less, an enlightened reading of the course of History will convince us that such conflux of power into the hands of a few, fitted by self-discipline to wield it, was indeed necessary. In present time, however — meaning ‘present’ in the wider sense — the evolution of mankind has reached a point whenceforward it becomes no t only impossible but harmful to prolong the former custom. The irresistible impulsion to misuse the higher knowledge is now opposed by other factors, making the — at any rate partial — publication of such knowledge a matter of necessity, and calculated also to remove the ill effects of the above tendency.Our knowledge of Nature has assumed a form wherein it beats perpetually, in a destructive way, against its own barriers and limitations. In many branches of Science, the laws and generalisations in which man finds himself obliged to clothe certain of the facts of Nature, are in themselves of such a kind as to call his attention to his own supersensible powers. The latter press forward into the conscious life of the soul. In former ages, the knowledge of Nature which was generally accessible had no such effect.Through Natural Science, however, in its present form — expanding as it is in ever widening circles — mankind would be led astray in either of two directions, if a publication of supersensible knowledge were not now to take place. Either the possibility of a supersensible world-outlook would be repudiated altogether and with growing vehemence; and this would presently result in an artificial repression of supersensible faculties which the time is actually calling forth.Such repression would make it more and more impossible for man to see his own Being in a true light. Emptiness, chaos and dissatisfaction of the inner life, instability of soul, perversity of will; and, in the sequel, even physical degeneration and illhealth would be the outcome. Or else the supersensible faculties-uncontrolled by conscious knowledge of these things-would break out in a wild tangle of obtuse, unconscious, undirected forces of cognition, and the life of knowledge would degenerate in a chaotic mass of nebulous conceptions.This would be to create a world of scientific phantoms, which, like a curtain, would obscure the true supersensible world from the spiritual eye of man. For either of these aberrations, a proper publication of supersensible knowledge is the only remedy. As to the impulse to abuse such knowledge in the way above described, it can be counteracted in our time, as follows: the training of thought which modern Natural Science has involved can be fruitfully employed to clothe in words the truths that point towards the supersensible.Itself, this Science of Nature cannot penetrate into the supersensible world; but it lends the human mind an aptitude for combinations of thought whereby the higher knowledge can be so expressed that the irresistible impulsion to misuse it need not arise. The thought-combinations of the Nature-knowledge of former times were more pictorial, less inclined to the domain of pure Thought. Supersensible perceptions, clothed in them, stirred up — without his being conscious of it — those very instincts in the human being which tend towards misuse.This being said, it cannot on th e other hand be emphasised too strongly that he who gives out supersensible knowledge in our time will the better fulfil his responsibilities to mankind the more he contrives to express this knowledge in forms of thought borrowed from the modern Science of Nature. For the receiver of knowledge thus imparted will then have to apply, to the overcoming of certain difficulties of understanding, faculties of soul which would otherwise remain inactive and tend to the above misuse.The popularising of supersensible knowledge, so frequently desired by overzealous and misguided people, should be avoided. The truly earnest seeker does not call for it; it is but the banale, uncultured craving of persons indolent in thought. In the ethical and social life as well, humanity has reached a stage of development which makes it impossible to exclude all knowledge of the supersensible from public life and thought. In former epochs the ethical and social instincts contained within them spiritual guiding forces, inherited from primaeval ages of mankind.Such forces tended instinctively to a community life which answered also to the needs of individual soul. But the inner life of man has grown more conscious than in former epochs. The spiritual instincts have thus been forced into the background. The Will, the impulses of men must now be guided consciously, lest they become vagrant and unstable. That is to say, the individual, by his own insight, must be in a position to illumine the life in the physical world of sense by the knowledge of the supersensible, piritual Being of man. Conceptions formed in the way of natural-scientific knowledge cannot enter effectively into the conscious guiding forces of the ethical and social life. Destined as it is — within its own domain — to bear the most precious fruits, Natural Science will be led into an absolutely fatal error if it be not perceived that the mode of thought which dominates it is quite unfitted to open out an underst anding of, or to give impulses for, the moral and social life of humanity.In the domain of ethical and social life our conception of underlying principles, and the conscious guidance of our action, can only thrive when illumined from the aspect of the Supersensible. Between the rise of a highly evolved Natural Science, and present-day developments in the human life of Will — with all the underlying impulses and instincts — there is indeed a deep, significant connection.The force of knowledge that has gone into our science of Nature, is derived from the former spiritual content of man's impulses and instincts. From the fountain-head of supersensible Realities, the latter must now be supplied with fresh impulsive forces. We are living in an age when supersensible knowledge can no longer remain the secret possession of a few. No, it must become the common property of all, in whom the meaning of life within this age is stirring as a very condition of their soul's existence .In the unconscious depths of the souls of men this need is already working, far more widespread than many people dream. And it will grow, more and more insistently, to the demand that the science of the Supersensible shall be treated on a like footing with the science of Nature. Knowledge of the State Between Death and a New Birth The following thoughts are intended as aphoristic sketches of a domain of knowledge that, in the form in which is it characterised here, is almost entirely rejected by the culture of our time.The aphoristic form has been chosen in order to give some idea of the fundamental character of this field of knowledge, and to show — at least in one direction — the prospects for life which it opens up. The narrow frame of an essay requires one to refer the reader to the literature of the subject for further information. The author is fully aware that precisely this form of presentation may easily be felt as presumptuous by many who, from the well-foun ded habits of thought of the culture of the day, must find what is here brought forward directly pposed to all that is scientific. It may be said in answer to this that the author, in spite of his ‘spiritual-scientific’ orientation, believes that he can agree with every scientist in his high estimation of the spirit and significance of scientific thinking. Only it seems clear to him that one can fully accept Natural Science without being thereby compelled to reject an independent Spiritual Science of the kind described here.A consequence of this relation to Natural Science will, at all events, be to guard true Spiritual Science from that amateurishness which is noticeable in many quarters to-day, and which usually indulges the more presumptuously in phrases about the ‘crude materialism of Natural Science’ the less the speakers are able to judge of the earnestness, rigour and scientific soundness of Natural Knowledge. The writer wished to make these introduc tory remarks because the brevity of the discussions in this article may possibly obscure from the reader his attitude towards these matters.He who speaks to-day of investigating the spiritual world encounters the sceptical objections of those whose habits of thought have been moulded by the outlook of Natural Science. His attention will be drawn to the blessings which this outlook has brought for a healthy development of human life, by destroying the illusions of a learning which professed to follow purely spiritual modes of cognition. Now these sceptical objections can be quite intelligible to the spiritual investigator.Indeed it ought to be perfectly clear to him that any kind of spiritual investigation which finds itself in conflict with established ideas of Natural Science cannot rest on a sure foundation. A spiritual investigator with a feeling for, and an understanding of the earnestness of scientific procedure, and insight into the achievements of Natural Knowledge for human life, will not wish to join the ranks of those who, from the standpoint of their ‘spiritual sight,’ criticise lightly the limitations of scientists, and imagine their own standpoint so much the higher the more every kind of Natural Knowledge is lost for them in unfathomable depths.Natural Science and Spiritual Science could live in harmony if the former could rid itself of the erroneous belief that true spiritual investigation necessarily requires we [human beings] to reject attested knowledge of sensible reality and of the soul-life bound up with this. In this erroneous belief lies the source of innumerable misunderstandings which Spiritual Science has to encounter. Those who believe they stand, in their outlook on life, on the ‘firm ground of Natural Science’ hold that the spiritual investigator is compelled by his point of view to reject their knowledge.But this is not really the case. Genuine spiritual investigation is in full agreement with Natural Sci ence. Thus spiritual investigation is not opposed on account of what it maintains, but for what people believe it could or must maintain. With regard to human soul life the scientific thinker must maintain that the soul activities which reveal themselves as thinking, feeling and willing, ought, for the acquisition of scientific knowledge, to be observed without prejudice in the same way as the phenomena of light or heat in the outer world of Nature.He must reject all ideas about the entity of the soul which do not arise from such unprejudiced observation, and from which all kinds of conclusions are then drawn about the indestructibility of the soul, and its connection with the spiritual world. It is quite understandable that such a thinker begins his study of the facts of soul-life as  Theodor Ziehen  does in the first of his lectures on â€Å"Physiological Psychology. † He says: â€Å"The psychology which I shall put before you, is not that old psychology which attempte d to investigate soul phenomena in a more or less speculative way.This psychology has long been abandoned by those accustomed to think scientifically. † True spiritual investigation need not conflict with the scientific attitude which may he in such an avowal. And yet, among those who take this attitude as a result of their scientific habits of thought, the opinion will be almost universally held to-day that the specific results of spiritual investigation are to be regarded as unscientific.Of course one will not encounter everywhere this rejection, on grounds of principle, of the investigation of spiritual facts; yet when specific results of such investigation are brought forward they will scarcely escape the objection that scientific thinking can do nothing with them. As a consequence of this,one can observe that there has recently grown up a science of the soul, forming its methods of investigation on the pattern of natural-scientific procedure, but unable to find the power to approach those highest questions which our inner need of knowledge must put when we turn our gaze to the fate of the soul.One investigates conscientiously the connection of soul phenomena with bodily processes, one tries to gain ideas on the way presentations associate and dissociate in the soul, how attention acts, how memory functions, what relation exists between thinking, feeling and willing; but for the higher questions of soul-life the words of Franz Brentano remain true.This acute psychologist, though rooted in the mode of thinking of Natural Science, wrote: â€Å"The laws of association of ideas, of the development of convictions and opinions and of the genesis of pleasure and love would be anything but a true compensation for the hopes of a  Plato  or an  Aristotle  of gaining certainty concerning the continued life of our better part after the dissolution of the body. † And if the recent scientific mode of thinking really means â€Å"excluding the questi on of immortality,† this exclusion would have great significance for psychology (see  Note 1).The fact is, that considerations which might tend in the direction of the ‘hopes of a Plato and an Aristotle’ are avoided in recent psychological writings which wish to satisfy the demands of scientific thought. Now the spiritual investigator will not come into conflict with the mode of procedure of recent scientific psychology if he has an understanding of its vital nerve. He will have to admit that this psychology proceeds, in the main, along right lines insofar as the study of the inner experiences of thinking, feeling and willing is concerned.Indeed his path of knowledge leads him to admit that thinking, feeling and willing reveal nothing that could fulfil the ‘hopes of a Plato and an Aristotle’ if these activities are only studied as they are experienced in ordinary human life. But his path of knowledge also shows that in thinking, feeling and willing something lies hidden which does not become conscious in the course of ordinary life, but which can be brought to consciousness through inner soul exercises.In this spiritual entity of the soul, hidden from ordinary consciousness, is revealed what in it is independent of the life of the body; and in this the relations of man to the spiritual world can be studied. To the spiritual investigator it appears just as impossible to fulfil the ‘hopes of a Plato or an Aristotle’ in regard to the existence of the soul independent of bodily life by observing ordinary thinking, feeling and willing, as it is impossible to investigate in water the properties of hydrogen. To learn these one must first extract the hydrogen from the water by an appropriate procedure.So it is also necessary to separate from the everyday life of the soul (which it leads in connection with the body) that entity which is rooted in the spiritual world, if this entity is to be studied. The error which casts b efogging misunderstandings in the way of Spiritual Science lies in the almost general belief that knowledge about the higher questions of soul-life must be gained from a study of such facts of the soul as are already to be found in ordinary life. But no other knowledge results from these facts than that to which research, conducted on what are at present called scientific lines, can lead.On this account Spiritual Science can be no mere heeding of what is immediately present in the life of the soul. It must first lay bare, by inner processes in the life of the soul, the world of facts to be studied. To this end spiritual investigation applies soul processes which are attained in inner experience. Its field of research lies entirely within the inner life of the soul. It cannot make its experiences outwardly visible. Nevertheless they are not on that account less independent of personal caprice than the true results of Natural Science.They have nothing in common with mathematical truth s except that they, too, cannot be proved by outer facts, but are proved for anyone who grasps them in inner perception. Like mathematical truths they can at the most be outwardly symbolised but not represented in their full content, for it is this that proves them. The essential point, which can easily be misunderstood, is, that on the path pursued by spiritual investigation a certain direction is given, by inner initiative, to the experiences of the soul, thereby calling out forces which otherwise remain unconscious as in a kind of soul sleep. The soul exercises which lead to this goal are described in detail in my books â€Å"Knowledge of the Higher Worlds and its Attainment† and â€Å"Occult Science. † It is only intended to indicate here what transpires in the soul when it subjects itself to such exercises). If the soul proceeds in this way it inserts — as it were — its inner life into the domain of spiritual reality. It opens to the spiritual world its organs of perception so formed, as the senses open outwardly to physical reality. One kind of such soul exercises consists in an intensive surrender to the process of thinking.One carries this surrender so far that one acquires the capacity of directing one's attention no longer to the thoughts present in thinking but solely to the activity of thinking itself. Every kind of thought content then disappears from consciousness and the soul experiences herself consciously in the activity of thinking. Thinking then becomes transformed into a subtle inner act of will which is completely illuminated by consciousness. In ordinary thinking, thoughts live; the process indicated  extinguishes the thought in thinking.The experience thus induced is a weaving in an inner activity of will which bears its reality within itself. The point is that the soul, by continued inner experience in this direction, may make itself as familiar with the purely spiritual reality in which it weaves as sense observation is with physical reality. As in the outer world a reality can only be known as such by experiencing it, so, too, in this inner domain. He who objects that what is inwardly real cannot be proved only shows that he has not yet grasped that we become convinced of an outer reality in no other way than by experiencing its existence together with our own.A healthy life has direct experience of the difference between a genuine perception in the outer world and a vision or hallucination; in a similar way a healthily developed soul life can distinguish the spiritual reality it has approached from fantastic imagining; and dreamy reverie. Thinking that has been developed in the manner stated perceives that it has freed itself from the soul force which ordinarily leads to memory. What is experienced in thinking which has become an inwardly experienced ‘will-reality’ cannot be remembered in the direct form in which it presents itself.Thus it differs from what is experien ced in ordinary thinking. What one has thought about an event is incorporated into memory. It can be brought up again in the further course of life. But the ‘will-reality’ here described must be attained anew, if it is to be again experienced in consciousness. I do not mean that this reality cannot be indirectly incorporated into ordinary memory. This must indeed take place if the path of spiritual investigation is to be a healthy one. But what remains in memory is only an idea (Vorstellung) of this reality, just as what one remembers to-day of an experience of yesterday is only an idea (Vorstellung).Concepts, ideas, can be retained in memory: a spiritual reality must be experienced ever anew. By grasping vividly this difference between the cherishing of mere thoughts and a spiritual reality reached by developing the activity of thinking, one comes to experience oneself with this reality outside the physical body. What ordinary thinking must mostly regard as an impossib ility commences; one experiences oneself outside the existence that is connected with the body. Ordinary thinking, regarding this experience ‘outside the body’ only from its own point of view, must at first hold this to be an illusion.Assurance of this experience can, indeed, only be won through the experience itself. And it is precisely through this experience that one understands only too well that those whose habits of thought have been formed by Natural Science cannot, at first, but regard such experiences as fantastic imaginings or dreamy reverie, perhaps as a weaving in illusions or hallucinations. Only he can fully understand what is here brought forward who has come to know that the path of true spiritual investigation releases forces in the soul which lie in a direction precisely opposite to those which induce pathological soul experiences.What the soul develops on the path of spiritual investigation are forces competent to oppose pathological states or to diss ipate these where they tend to occur. No scientific investigation can see through what is visionary — of an hallucinatory nature — when this tries to get in man's way, as directly as true spiritual science, which can only unfold in a direction opposed to the unhealthy experiences mentioned. In that moment when this ‘experience outside the body’ becomes a reality for him the spiritual investigator learns to know how ordinary thinking is bound to the physical processes of the body.He comes to see how thoughts acquired in outer experience necessarily arise in such a way that they can be remembered. This rests on the fact that these thoughts do not merely lead a spiritual life in the soul but share their life with the body. Thus the spiritual investigator comes not to reject but to accept what scientific thought must maintain about the dependence of the life of thought on bodily processes. At first the inner experiences described above present themselves as an xious oppression of the soul. They appear to lead out of the domain of ordinary existence but not into a new reality.One knows, indeed, that one is living in a reality; one feels this reality as one's own spiritual being. One has found one's way out of sense reality, but one has only grasped oneself in a purely spiritual form of existence. A feeling of loneliness resembling fear can overtake the soul — a loneliness to experience oneself in a world, not merely to possess oneself. Yet another feeling arises. One feels one must lose again the acquired spiritual self-experience, if one cannot confront a spiritual environment. The spiritual state into which one thus enters may be roughly compared to what would be experienced if one had to clutch with one's hands n all directions without being able to lay hold of anything. When, however, the path of spiritual investigation is pursued in the right way, the above experiences are, indeed, undergone, but they form only one side of the soul's development. The necessary completion is found in other experiences. As certain impulses given to the soul's experiences lead one to grasp the ‘will-reality’ within thinking, so other directions imparted to the processes of the soul lead to an experience of hidden forces within the activity of the will. (Here also we can only state what takes place in the inner being of man through such soul experiences.The books mentioned give a detailed description of what the soul must undertake in order to reach the indicated goal). In ordinary life the activity of the will is not perceived in the same way as an outer event. Even what is usually called introspection by no means puts one into the position of regarding one's own willing as one regards an outer event of Nature. To achieve this — to be able to confront one's own willing as an observer stands before an outer fact of Nature — intensive soul processes, induced voluntarily, are again necessary.If these are induced in the appropriate way there arises something quite different from this view of one's own willing as of an outer fact. In ordinary perception a presentation (Vorstellung) emerges in the life of the soul and is, in a certain sense, an inner image of the outer fact. But in observing one's own willing this accustomed power of forming presentations fades out. One ceases to form presentations of outer things. In place of this a faculty of forming real images — a real perception — is released from the depths of willing, and breaks through the surface of the will's activity, bringing living spiritual reality with it.At first one's own hidden spiritual entity appears within this spiritual reality. One perceives that one carries a hidden spiritual man within one. This is no thought-picture but a real being — real in a higher sense than the outer bodily man. Now this spiritual man does not present himself like an outer being perceptible to the senses. He does not reveal his characteristic qualities outwardly. He reveals himself through his inner nature by developing an inner activity similar to the processes of consciousness in one's own soul.But, unlike the soul dwelling in man's body, this higher being is not turned towards sensible objects but towards spiritual events — in the first place towards the events of one's own soul-life as unfolded up till now. One really discovers in oneself a second human being who, as a spiritual being, is a conscious observer of one's ordinary soul-life. However fantastic this description of a spiritual man within the bodily may appear, it is nevertheless a sober description of reality for a soul-life appropriately trained. It is as different from anything visionary or of the nature of an illusion as is day from night.Just as a reality partaking of the nature of will is discovered in the transformed thinking, so a consciousness partaking of the nature of being — and weaving in the spiritual — is discovered in the will. And these two prove, for fuller experience, to belong together. In a certain sense they are discovered on paths running in opposite directions, but turn out to be a unity. The feeling of anxiety experienced in the weaving of the ‘will-reality’ ceases when this ‘will-reality,’ born from developed thinking, unites itself with the higher being above described. Through this union man confronts, for the first time, the complete spiritual world.He encounters, not only himself, but beings and events of the spiritual world lying outside himself. In the world into which man has thus entered, perception is an essentially different process from perception in the world of sense. Real beings and events of the spiritual world arise from out of the higher being revealed through developing the will. Through the interplay of these beings and events with the ‘will-reality’ resulting from developed thinking, these beings and e vents are spiritually perceived. What we know as memory in the physical world ceases to have significance for the spiritual world.We see that this soul force uses the physical body as a tool. But another force takes the place of memory in observing the spiritual world. Through this force a past event is not remembered in the form of mental presentations but perceived directly in a fresh experience. It is not like reading a sentence and remembering it later, but like reading and re-reading. The concept of the past acquires a new significance in this domain; the past appears to spiritual perception as present, and we recognise that something belongs to a past time by perceiving, not the passage of time, but the relation of one spiritual being or event to another.The path into the spiritual world is thus traversed by laying bare what is contained in thinking and willing. Now feeling cannot be developed in a similar way by inner initiative of soul. Unlike the case of thinking and willin g, nothing to take the place of what is experienced within the physical world as feeling can be developed in the spiritual world through transforming an inner force. What corresponds to feeling in the spiritual world arises quite of itself as soon as spiritual perception has been acquired in the described way.This experience of feeling, however, bears a different character from that borne by feeling in the physical world. One does not feel in oneself, but in the beings and events which one perceives. One enters into them with one's feeling; one feels their inner being, as in physical life one feels one's own being. We might put it in this way: as in the physical world one is conscious of experiencing objects and events as material, so in the spiritual world one is conscious of experiencing beings and facts through revelations of feeling which come from without like colours or sounds in the physical world.A soul which has attained to the spiritual experience described knows it is in a world from out of which it can observe its own experiences in the physical word — just as physical perception can observe a sensible object. It is united with that spiritual entity which unites itself — at birth (or at conception) — with the physical body derived from one's ancestors; and this spiritual entity persists when this body is laid aside at death. The ‘hopes of a Plato and an Aristotle’ for the science of the soul can only be fulfilled through a perception of this entity.Moreover the perception of repeated earth-lives (between which are lives spent in the purely spiritual world) now becomes a fact inasmuch as man's psychic-spiritual kernel, thus discovered, perceives itself and its own weaving and becoming in the spiritual world. It learns to know its own being as the result of earlier earthlives and spiritual forms of existence lying between them. Within its present earth-life it finds a spiritual germ which must unfold in a future eart h-life after passing through states between death and a new birth.As the plant germ contains the future plant potentially, so there develops, concealed in man, a psychic-spiritual germ. This reveals itself to spiritual perception through its own essence as the foundation of a future earth-life. It would be incorrect so to interpret the spiritual perception of life between death and a new birth as if such perception meant participating beforehand in the experience of the spiritual world entered at physical death.Such perception does not give a complete, disembodied experience of the spiritual world as experienced after death; it is only the  knowledge  of the actual experience that is experienced. While still in one's body one can receive all of the disembodied experience between death and a new birth that is offered by the experiences of the soul described above, that is to say, when the ‘will-reality’ is released from thinking with the help of the consciousness set free from the will.In the spiritual world the feeling element revealing itself from without can first be experienced through entrance into this world. Strange as it may sound, experience in the spiritual world leads one to say: the physical world is present to man in the first place as a complex of outer facts, and man acquires knowledge of it after it has confronted him in this form; the spiritual world, on the other hand, sends knowledge of itself in advance, and the knowledge it kindles in the soul beforehand is the torch which must illumine the spiritual world if this world is to reveal itself as a fact.It is clear to one who knows this through spiritual perception that this light develops during bodily life on earth in the unconscious depths of the soul, and then, after death, illumines the regions of the spiritual world making them experiences of the human soul. During bodily life on earth one can awaken this knowledge of the state between death and a new birth. This knowledg e has an entirely opposite character to that developed for life in the physical world.One perceives through it what the soul will accomplish between death and a new birth, because one has present in spiritual perception the germ of what impels towards this accomplishment. The perception of this germ reveals that a creative connection with the spiritual world commences for the soul after death. It unfolds an activity which is directed towards the future earth life as its goal, whereas in physical perception its activity is directed — although imitatively and not creatively — towards the outer world of sense.Man's  growth(Werden) as a spiritual being connected with the spiritual world lies in the field of vision of the soul between death and a new birth, as the  existence  (Sein) of the sense world lies in the field of view of the bodily man. Active perception of spiritual Becoming (Werden) characterises the conditions between death and a new birth. (It is not the task of this article to give details of these states. Those interested will find them in my books  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Theosophy†Ã‚  and  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Occult Science†).In contrast to experience in the body, spiritual experience is something to which we are completely unaccustomed, inasmuch as the idea of  Being  as acquired in the physical world loses all meaning. The spiritual world has nothing of the nature of  Being. Everything is  Becoming. To enter a spiritual environment is to enter an everlasting Becoming. But in contrast to this restless Becoming in our spiritual environment we have the soul's perception of itself as stationary consciousness within the never-ceasing movement into which it is placed.The awakened spiritual consciousness must accommodate itself to this reversal of inner experience with regard to the consciousness that lives in the body. It can thereby acquire a real knowledge of experience apart from the body. And only such knowledge can embrace the states between death and a new birth. â€Å"  . .  . .   In a certain sense all human beings are ‘specialists’ to-day so far as their souls are concerned. We are struck by this specialised mode of perception when we study the development of Art in humanity.And for this very reason a comprehensive understanding of spiritual life in its totality must again come into existence. True form in Art will arise from this comprehensive understanding of spiritual life   . .  . .  Ã¢â‚¬  RUDOLF STEINER (From  Ways to a New Style in Architecture) We lose the human being from our field of vision if we do not fix the eye of the soul upon his entire nature in all its life-manifestations. We should not speak of man's knowledge, but of the complete man manifesting himself in the act of cognition. In cognition, man uses as an instrument his sense-nerve nature.For feeling, he is served by the rhythm living in the breath and the circulation of the blood. When he wills metabolism b ecomes the physical basis of his existence. But rhythm courses into the physical occurrence within the sense-nerve nature; and metabolism is the material bearer of the life of thought, even in the most abstract thinking, feeling lives and the waves of will pulsate. *| *| *| *| The ancient Oriental entered into his dream-like thinking more from the rhythmic life of feeling than does the man of the present age.The Oriental experienced for this reason more of the rhythmic weaving in his life of thought, while the Westerner experiences more of the logical indications. In ascending to super-sensible vision, the Oriental Yogi interwove conscious breath with conscious thinking, in this way, he laid hold in his breath upon the continuing rhythm of cosmic occurrence. As he breathed, he experienced the world as Self. Upon the rhythmic waves of conscious breath, thought moved through the entire being of man.He experienced how the Divine-Spiritual causes the spirit-filled breath to stream conti nuously into man, and how man thus becomes a living soul. The man of the present age must seek his supersensible knowledge in a different way. He cannot unite his thinking with the breath. Through meditation, he must lift his thinking out of the life of logic to vision. In vision, however, thought weaves in a spirit element or music and picture. It is released from the breath and woven together with the spiritual in the world.The Self is now experienced, not in connection with the breath in the single human being, but in the environing world of spirit. The Eastern man once experienced the world in himself, and in his spiritual life today he has the echo of this. The Western man stands at the beginning of his experience, and is on the way to find himself in the world. If the Western man should wish to become a Yogi, he would have to become a refined egoist, for Nature has already given him the feeling of the Self. which the Oriental had only in a dream-like way.If the Yogi had sought for himself in the world as the Western man must do, he would have led his dream-like thinking into unconscious sleep, and would have been psychically drowned. *| *| *| *| The Eastern man had the spiritual experience as religion, art, and science in complete unity. He made sacrifices to his spiritual-divine Beings. As a gift of grace, there flowed to him from them that which lifted him to the state of a true human being. This was religion. But in the sacrificial ceremony and the sacrificial place there was manifest to him also beauty, through which the Divine-Spiritual lived in art.And out of the beautiful manifestations of the Spirit there flowed science. Toward the West streamed the waves of wisdom that were the beautiful light of the spirit and inspired piety in the artistically inspired man. There religion developed its own being, and only beauty still continued united with wisdom. Heracleitos and Anaxagoras were men wise in the world who thought artistically; Aeschylos and Sop hocles were artists who moulded the wisdom of the world. Later wisdom was given over to thinking; it became knowledge. Art was transferred to its own world.Religion, the source of all, became the heritage of the East; art became the monument of the time when the middle region of the earth held sway; knowledge became the indepen