Rudolf Steiner on Time
Discussion
Jennifer Gidley:
Steiner on the relationship between human memory and the gradually evolving sense of time
"Like Gebser, Steiner pointed to the relationship between human memory and the gradually evolving sense of time. Steiner (1950) described a three-stage development of memory that he called localized , rhythmic and temporal memory. Steiner (1904/1959) also referred elsewhere to cosmic memory.
Localized Memory
Steiner (1950) claimed that in very early times—which from the context of his text appear to be Upper Paleolithic—memory was not yet internalized within the human psyche, but was connected with place, with the Earth, requiring signs and prompts such as “memorial tablets and memorial stones” (p. 16). This appears to link to Gebser’s magic consciousness.
Rhythmic Memory
Following this, during the transition from the magic to the mythical—related to his Indian cultural period — Steiner (1950) claimed that memory began to become internalized and we learned to remember by rhythm and repetition, through which “the whole ancient art of verse developed” (P. 17). He referred to ancient Asia as a central location . . . citing the Bhagavad-Gita and the Vedas as later codified examples of this rhythmic memory (p. 18). Learning by heart is a vestige of this type of memory and Steiner mentions the importance of this in children’s education.
Temporal Memory
Steiner (1950) characterized the temporal memory that “we take for granted today” (p. 17) as beginning in the Greco-Roman cultural period emerging around 800 BCE with the classical Greece of formal history. This of course coincides with the emergence of intellectual-mental-rational consciousness as we have seen in the main paper. Wilber (1996c), drawing on Whyteand Bergson, also refers to the emergence of memory—apparently referring to what Steiner calls “temporal memory” — in association with the mental-egoic consciousness (p. 206).
Cosmic Memory
Steiner (1904/1959) also proposed that through conscious spiritual development we may go beyond the ordinary, everyday temporal sense and attain access to our cosmic memory — the deep collective past—and, in some instances, the future. He referred to the field where this information is stored as the Akasha Chronicle or Akashic Record (p. 39). Laszlo — from a scientific perspective — has also recently proposed the term Akashic field , or In-formation field for the field that stores cosmic memory (László, 2007). Gebser’s (1949/1985) notion of “atemporality” or remembering the future is similar — he cites Rilke’s poetic line: “wishes are recollections coming from the future” (p. 504). This future-time-sense is at the core of the contemporary futures studies literature (Slaughter, 1999)."
Steiner's Meta-Historical Perspective
"Steiner (1924/1973a) also held a very large, meta-historical perspective that he characterized as having three stages:
- cosmic or heavenly history,
- mythical or mythological history and
- earthly history.
He also refers elsewhere to non-transitory history (Steiner, 1904/1959, p. 39), which being beyond linear time, may resemble Gebser’s “time freedom.” I will primarily illustrate with brief quotes from Steiner’s own text, to retain the nuanced flavor of his conceptualizations.
Cosmic/Heavenly History
“Earlier peoples still had this ‘heavenly History’ in their consciousness, and were indeed far more aware of it than of the Earthly . . . The man of that age, when he came to speak of ‘origins,’ did not relate earthly events but cosmic” (Steiner, 1924/1973a, p. 143). This appears to relate to Gebser’s magical timelessness.
Mythical History
“This . . . was followed by the mythical History . . . [which] combines heavenly events with earthly. ‘Heroes,’ for instance . . . appear on the scene” (p. 144). This is clearly linked with Gebser’s mythical structure. Steiner (1924/1973a) considered these heroes to be more highly evolved beings who worked through the initiates and leaders of the time in various places. Wilber’s (1996c) two parallel strands of evolution—the evolution of the average mode of consciousness and the evolution of the most advanced mode of consciousness—concurs with this(p. 339).
Earthly History
The origins of formal history as-we-know-it, has been present “since the unfolding of the Intellectual or Mind-soul [in ancient Greece]. Nevertheless for a long time [people] continued to ‘think’ in the sense of what had been before [that is, mythically]” (Steiner, 1924/1973a, p. 145-146). This reflects Gebser’s mental time conception. Wilber (1996c) claimed that history began a few hundred years earlier, c. 1,300 BCE, with the Assyrian rulers (p. 213).
Non-Transitory History
Steiner (1909/1959) proposed that freedom from the limitations of linear time could be developed through the new consciousness from the beginnings of the 15th century and increasingly in our times. He also pointed to a new self-reflective period where we would beaware of our actions in linear history and also be able to pay attention to our own historicity. This insight seems to foreshadow contemporary attention to historicity, arising from postmodern philosophy and hermeneutics. Gebser also spoke of divesting history of “its mere temporality and sequential nature” (p. 192)."