spiritual nature. We
thus have seven divisions of man:

(1) physical body;
(2) etheric or vital body;
(3) astral body;
(4) Ego;
(5) Spirit-Self;
(6) Life-Spirit;
(7) Spirit-Man.

Even one accustomed to materialistic habits of thought would not find in
this sevenfold organization of man the "fanciful magic" often attributed
to the number seven, if one would only keep strictly to the meaning of the
above explanations without himself injecting arbitrarily the idea of
something magical into the matter. Occult science speaks of these seven
principles of man in exactly the same way, only from the standpoint of a
higher form of observation of the world, as allusion is commonly made to
the seven colours that make up white light, or to the seven notes of the
scale (the octave being regarded as a repetition of the keynote). As light
appears in seven colours, and sound in seven tones, so is the unity of
man's nature manifested in the seven principles described. No more
superstition attaches to the number seven in the case of occult science
than when associated with the spectrum or with the scale.

On one occasion when these facts were put forward verbally, the objection
was made that the statement about the number seven does not apply to
colours, since there are others beyond the red and violet rays, invisible
to the eye. But even in this respect the comparison with colours holds
good, for, in fact, the human being expands beyond the physical body on
the one side, and beyond the Spirit-Man on the other; only to the methods
of spiritual observation of which occult science here speaks, are these
extensions of the human being "spiritually invisible," just as the colours
beyond red and violet are physically invisible. This explanation becomes
necessary, because the opinion so easily arises that occult science does
not seriously apply itself to scientific thinking, but treats such matters
unscientifically. However, one who carefully considers the meaning of the
statements made by occult science will find that in reality it is never at
variance with genuine science; neither when it brings forward the facts of
natural science as illustrations, nor when its statements are directly
connected with natural research.

CHAPTER III. SLEEP AND DEATH

The nature of waking consciousness cannot be fathomed without observing
that condition which man experiences during sleep, and the proble