Occult Secrets of Food & Nutrition
The metaphysical effects of various foods on our non-physical bodies, which modern science completely ignores.
Did you know that the foods we consume not only affect us on a physical level, but on a metaphysical level as well? Indeed, the food and substances we consume affect not just our physical bodies but also our etheric and astral bodies, thereby influencing our sensitivity to higher realms.
Rudolf Steiner was a visionary philosopher, educator, esotericist, and renowned clairvoyant. His founding of Anthroposophy provided a comprehensive spiritual framework that integrates science, art, and spirituality. There is no doubt that Steiner is a pivotal figure in spiritual science.
To grasp Steiner's teachings on nutrition, we must first understand his concept of the human being's fourfold nature. Steiner proposed that humans possess not only a physical body, but also an etheric body, an astral body, and an ego body. The etheric or life force body is the carrier of life force. It is responsible for directing all life processes, including reproduction, growth, and regeneration. The astral body is the seat of feelings, instincts, and desires. It is through the astral body that we experience emotions, impulses, and sensory perceptions. The ego body, unique to humans, is what enables self-awareness and moral choice. The ego allows us to transcend instinctual behavior and make conscious decisions. Steiner stated that these four bodies are intricately interconnected - with each body continuously influencing the other three bodies. Our nutrition, according to Steiner, affects not just our physical bodies - but also our astral, etheric, and ego bodies, a concept that modern science completely ignores.
One thing Steiner elaborated on is the spiritual transformation process that food undergoes during digestion. He explained that before food can be integrated into our bodies, it must first be imbued with "warmth ether." This process essentially spiritualizes our food, making it suitable for use by our bodies. This inner spiritualization causes changes that are not predictable by merely examining the substance externally. This spiritualization accounts for the significant differences observed between in vivo (within the living body) and in vitro (outside the living body) experiments.
One crucial thing Steiner elaborated on is the difference between meat-based and vegetarian-based diets. Eating meat involves taking in not just the physical substance of the animal, but its astral remnants as well. Consuming animalistic astral remnants tends to make one more grounded in lower, instinctual tendencies rather than in higher, spiritual aspirations. In addition, meat-based diets tend to induce changes in consciousness which foster materialism, closed-mindedness and dogmatism, hindering spiritual growth. As Steiner states, "Meat… binds the human being directly to the earth; it makes the human being into an earthbound creature."
Conversely, a vegetarian diet can elevate us, making us less instinctual and materialistic and subsequently more receptive to higher realms. Steiner explained that plants grow by taking energy from the Sun, a source of spiritual light. When consumed, these plants metaphysically impart this spiritual energy to us, making us more receptive to the divine. It is clear that what Steiner is referring to here is scalar energy - Tesla called it primary solar rays, Reich called it orgone, but the ancients called it Chi, Reiki, Kundalini, or Aether. I will go in more detail about this concept in a later publication.
A vegetarian diet activates forces within us that bring us into cosmic union with the entire planetary system. This diet's lightness lifts us above earthly heaviness, enhancing our spiritual sensitivity and inner perception. Steiner also explained that when a person eats animal fats, their astral body merely assimilates those existing fats. However, on a vegetarian diet, the astral body must produce these fats itself. Thus, vegetarianism enlists the virginal forces of our astral body, calling forth our whole inner activity. In contrast, a meat diet partially forestalls this inner activity. This inner control, which is granted by a vegetarian diet, is crucial for spiritual sensitivity and growth.
Steiner warned, however, that a vegetarian diet might not suit everyone, especially those not living a spiritual path. For such individuals, the diet could lead to clouded thinking and lack of motivation. When someone becomes a vegetarian, specific activities in their body shift from the material to the spiritual realm. However, if these spiritual forces are not utilized, they can harm brain function. For example, Steiner says that an everyday highly-secular banker or academic who does not actively embrace spiritual ideas can suffer mental damage if they were to prematurely pursue a vegetarian diet. Thus, a vegetarian must also in some way lead a spiritual life; otherwise, they might be better off eating meat to avoid potential memory and brain issues.
Another common theme in Steiner’s work is the inverse relationship between plants and animals. For instance, while plants respond to the outer spiritual light of the Sun by growing upwards, humans generate inner astral light by breaking down substances during digestion. Additionally to this, Steiner posited that each part of the plant correspondingly activates the vertically opposite part of the human being. For example, roots, the lowest part of the plant, tend to induce changes in the etheric body which activate the highest part of the human body - the head. Correspondingly, the leaves tend to activate the chest and heart area, and fruits tend to energize the digestive tract.
Milk occupies a unique position in Steiner's dietary recommendations. It does not fully contain the astral forces of the animal, making it a balanced option. It provides grounding without excessively binding one to earthly matters, unlike meat. Steiner saw milk as an intermediary substance that contains the life forces of the etheric body but is free from the astral residues of materialism and slaughter. Thus, milk and dairy products can nourish the physical body while allowing the spiritual seeker to remain connected to higher realms.
Steiner also discusses the effects that coffee and tea have in relation to our subtle bodies as well as our level of spiritual development. For one, he notes that as one tends to become more spiritually sensitive, their sensitivity to coffee and tea increases as well. Coffee lifts the etheric body out of the physical, but does so in a way such that the physical body continues to provide a stable foundation for the etheric body. This helps to promote logical consistency in thinking. It can help those who tend to let their thoughts stray, offering greater mental stability. The caffeine in coffee stimulates the central nervous system, enhancing alertness and mental focus. This may be useful for people who require that each of their ideas logically connects to the next, such as is the case with writers. Tea, on the other hand, also lifts the etheric body but it also neutralizes the stability of the physical body. This leads to dissociated, unstable thoughts, stimulating imagination but potentially detaching one from reality. The tea promotes a more relaxed and creative state of mind, which can be useful for imaginative or artistic activities. Steiner mentions that for these reasons tea is more suited for people who need to be more witty than logical - such as those striving to be conversationalists, politicians, or perhaps the life of the party.
Certain substances also play crucial roles in our spiritual and mental activities. Salt is utilized by the soul-body complex to foster clear thinking, while phosphorus is used to enhance the will. Beans tend to concentrate astral energy in the digestive tract, potentially dulling the mind and promoting sleep. He explains that this is why historical figures like the Pythagoreans avoided beans to maintain mental clarity. Beans' specific astral makeup tend to divert energy away from the brain, causing a sluggish mental state. Steiner mentions, "In the case of plants that are strongly imbued with astrality, for example, peas and beans, even the fruit will remain in the lower human organism and be unwilling to rise up to the head, thus producing a heavy sleep and dulling the brain on waking."
Steiner also discussed the role sugar plays in our spiritual development. Sugar tends to increase selfishness and individuality but in an innocent way that tends to healthily balance out the selflessness that usually comes with spiritual development. This balance helps individuals remain grounded and maintain sound judgment in everyday affairs while still pursuing spiritual growth. Steiner also notes that sugar places an enhancing role in the individuation of one’s personal character, and he correspondingly stated that countries with higher sugar consumption tend to have more defined individual personalities than countries that have less sugar consumption. Overall though, Steiner believed that sugar, in moderation, can support the ego's integration with the physical body, making it easier for individuals to manifest their unique qualities in the world.
Steiner also discusses the impact of alcohol on spirituality. He states that alcohol takes over a role that should be normally filled by the ego. This substitution prevents the ego from being fully controlled by our inner will, which hinders spiritual growth. In this way, alcohol affects the ego body similarly to how animal fats affect the astral body. Steiner explains that when the ego is not entirely under our control, we cannot bring forth the best forces of our individuality.
Steiner also discusses the negative effects of potatoes on consciousness. He explains that eating potatoes tends to make people more materialistic and mentally dull. This happens because potatoes do not grow deeply enough in the ground to be considered roots and therefore cannot influence the head energetically. However, the fact that they still grow underground means they do not receive the sun’s spiritual light, which can lead to effects when consumed that aren’t in alignment with spiritual growth. This lack of spiritual influence leads to changes in consciousness that favor materialism and mental dullness. Potatoes also disrupt the body's ability to sense fullness, leading to overeating. Steiner attributes the decline in Europe's mental acuity since the Enlightenment to the overconsumption of potatoes.
Overall, a common theme in Steiner’s work is that there is no 100% one-size-fits-all diet suited for every person. He often stressed the importance of gauging individual responses to diets and frequently argued for moderation.
It’s about time science starts to admit that there’s more aspects to existence than just the physical, and that these non-physical realms play a huge role in shaping our every-day lives, including our health. Don’t forget to like and subscribe if you enjoyed reading this publication - there’ll be plenty more hidden knowledge to come.