Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 2, No. 2, 2003, Page 127
her claim that Jiddu Krishnamurti was a reincarnation of Christ, the charismatic prophet
instigated a schism in the Theosophical Society. Steiner took most of the German and
Austrian believers with him to establish his own esoteric religion, Anthroposophy, in order to
be free from Besant‘s theological restraints and impositions. Steiner and some followers
moved to Dornach, Switzerland, to build their utopia which included an enormous mystical
temple known as the Goetheanum. The original intricately carved and painted wooden
building burned down during Steiner‘s day but was replaced by a subsequent temple
designed by Steiner and constructed out of concrete. The second Goetheanum remains the
world headquarters and spiritual center for Anthroposophy today.
Steiner also developed a spiritual medicine system based on his ―Spiritual Science‖ which
incorporates alchemical, astrological, Cabalistic, and other magical concepts. His views on
illness are unorthodox when compared to contemporary scientific medicine, but they are still
upheld and promoted by his followers. For example, Steiner viewed certain bacilli as
―nothing else than physically embodied demons generated by lies,‖ (Steiner, 1981b, p. 69)
and he claimed that certain children with learning disabilities are not really human but
inhabited by beings that do not belong to the human race:
The girl L.K. in class 1...is one of those cases that are occurring more and
more frequently where children are born and human forms exist which
actually, with regard to the highest member the ego, are not human at all but
are inhabited by beings who do not belong to the human race...They are very
different from human beings where spiritual matters are concerned. For
instance they can never memorise sentences, only words. I do not like
speaking about these things, as there is considerable opposition about this.
Just imagine what people would say if they heard that we are talking about
human beings who are not human beings. Nevertheless these are facts.
Furthermore, there would not be such a decline of culture if there were a
strong enough feeling for the fact that some people, the ones who are
particularly ruthless, are not human beings at all but demons in human form.
But do not let us broadcast this. There is enough opposition already. Things
like this give people a terrible shock. People were frightfully shocked when I
had to say that a quite famous university professor with a great reputation
had had a very short period between death and re-birth and was a re-
incarnated negro scientist. But don‘t let us publicize these things. (Steiner,
1986, pp. 36-37)
Errors resulting from devotion to the dark god, Ahriman, will be punished in the form of
diseases in a following lifetime. Too much sex and desire for sensual pleasure in a past life
will be paid back with a case of pneumonia in the next life. Karma will punish selfishness
with malaria. Developing healing forces and overcoming diseases enables the human to
evolve onwards and upwards on Steiner‘s evolutionary path, towards his prophetic future.
Vaccines are frowned upon by many Anthroposophists because they interfere with karmic
compensation:
...Let us assume that many epidemics, communal causes of illness, can be
traced to the fact that victims are seeking to remove what they have
karmically fostered within themselves. This is the case, for instance, with
smallpox which is the organ of unlovingness. Although we may be in a
position to remove the possibility of this disease, the cause of unlovingness
would still remain, and the souls in question would then be forced to seek
another way for karmic compensation either in this or in another incarnation.
(Steiner, 1995a, p. 144)
her claim that Jiddu Krishnamurti was a reincarnation of Christ, the charismatic prophet
instigated a schism in the Theosophical Society. Steiner took most of the German and
Austrian believers with him to establish his own esoteric religion, Anthroposophy, in order to
be free from Besant‘s theological restraints and impositions. Steiner and some followers
moved to Dornach, Switzerland, to build their utopia which included an enormous mystical
temple known as the Goetheanum. The original intricately carved and painted wooden
building burned down during Steiner‘s day but was replaced by a subsequent temple
designed by Steiner and constructed out of concrete. The second Goetheanum remains the
world headquarters and spiritual center for Anthroposophy today.
Steiner also developed a spiritual medicine system based on his ―Spiritual Science‖ which
incorporates alchemical, astrological, Cabalistic, and other magical concepts. His views on
illness are unorthodox when compared to contemporary scientific medicine, but they are still
upheld and promoted by his followers. For example, Steiner viewed certain bacilli as
―nothing else than physically embodied demons generated by lies,‖ (Steiner, 1981b, p. 69)
and he claimed that certain children with learning disabilities are not really human but
inhabited by beings that do not belong to the human race:
The girl L.K. in class 1...is one of those cases that are occurring more and
more frequently where children are born and human forms exist which
actually, with regard to the highest member the ego, are not human at all but
are inhabited by beings who do not belong to the human race...They are very
different from human beings where spiritual matters are concerned. For
instance they can never memorise sentences, only words. I do not like
speaking about these things, as there is considerable opposition about this.
Just imagine what people would say if they heard that we are talking about
human beings who are not human beings. Nevertheless these are facts.
Furthermore, there would not be such a decline of culture if there were a
strong enough feeling for the fact that some people, the ones who are
particularly ruthless, are not human beings at all but demons in human form.
But do not let us broadcast this. There is enough opposition already. Things
like this give people a terrible shock. People were frightfully shocked when I
had to say that a quite famous university professor with a great reputation
had had a very short period between death and re-birth and was a re-
incarnated negro scientist. But don‘t let us publicize these things. (Steiner,
1986, pp. 36-37)
Errors resulting from devotion to the dark god, Ahriman, will be punished in the form of
diseases in a following lifetime. Too much sex and desire for sensual pleasure in a past life
will be paid back with a case of pneumonia in the next life. Karma will punish selfishness
with malaria. Developing healing forces and overcoming diseases enables the human to
evolve onwards and upwards on Steiner‘s evolutionary path, towards his prophetic future.
Vaccines are frowned upon by many Anthroposophists because they interfere with karmic
compensation:
...Let us assume that many epidemics, communal causes of illness, can be
traced to the fact that victims are seeking to remove what they have
karmically fostered within themselves. This is the case, for instance, with
smallpox which is the organ of unlovingness. Although we may be in a
position to remove the possibility of this disease, the cause of unlovingness
would still remain, and the souls in question would then be forced to seek
another way for karmic compensation either in this or in another incarnation.
(Steiner, 1995a, p. 144)
