Spirit-man / atma (7)

Geistmensch — physical transformed by the I

Geistmensch — spirit-man: the physical body transformed by the I, the most far-future of the seven members. Anthroposophy treats spirit-man as the developmental endpoint of the work of the I on the lowest substrate; its full realisation belongs to the Vulcan stage of cosmic evolution, beyond the present Earth-stage. Steiner uses atma (Sanskrit) as a Theosophical loan, redefined Christologically as the deified body — the body so completely transformed by the spirit that it becomes the visible expression of the spirit, not its mere substrate. The reference is explicitly to the resurrection body of Pauline anthropology (1 Corinthians 15:44 sōma pneumatikon).

Physical body (1)Etheric / life body (2)Astral / sentient body (3)Ego / I (4)Spirit-self / manas (5)Life-spirit / buddhi (6)Spirit-man / atma (7)Spirit-man / atma (7)

Point 7 of 7 in Anthroposophy — Steiner's Seven-Fold Human

Cross-tradition overlaps

No overlapping points are registered for this point.

Open in interactive explorer

Sources

Rudolf Steiner, Theosophie (primary_canonical)

Steiner, Theosophy, ch. I, 'The Essential Nature of Man,' gives spirit-man (Geistmensch/atma) as the I's transformation of the physical member and the highest member of the sevenfold constitution; the atma term is used in Steiner's specifically Anthroposophical sense.

Rudolf Steiner, An Outline of Esoteric Science (primary_canonical)

Steiner, An Outline of Esoteric Science, ch. I, 'The Nature of Humanity,' places spirit-man/atma at the far end of the seven-member developmental sequence; it is a future transformation of the physical body, not a second physical organ.

Tags