Three dimensions of evolution
Evolution proceeds along three dimensions that are characteristics of The three Logoi:
- Conditions of Consciousness (CoC)
- Conditions of Life (CoL)
- Conditions of Form (CoF)
Imagine the cosmos as an eternal cosmic fractal-like evolution that rolls off along a breathing dynamic, whereby the three dimensions mentioned are the stages in three levels of that cosmic breathing dynamic. At the highest level, each planetary stage of evolution gives rises to a CoC as the result of an outbreathing followed by an inbreathing, a process consisting of mantavara and pralaya stages.
- A stage of awake daytime emanation into the spirit, astral and physical world is called a 'manvantara'.
- Between two manvantaras takes place what is called a 'pralaya', a state of transition, of 'disappearance' (in the higher spiritual) or of deep sleep.
This sequence takes place at different levels: at CoC (between planetary stages) and at CoL: one CoC can also be seen as smaller breaths called CoL, with minor pralayas in between. Furthermore one CoL can also be said to go through a number of CoF stages.
And last, this in and out breathing takes place even higher level with the beginning and end of a solar system, see Cosmic breath of Brahma.
Our current conditions of space and time are quite specific to in a certain subphase of Earth development, as we are currently living in:
- the fourth CoC: Earth
- the fourth CoL: mineral
- the fourth CoC: physical (and lowest)
- the fifth epoch: called Aryan or PostAtlantean (see also Earth's seven epochs). See also the mixed races that developed in earlier epochs on Human races.
- the fifth cultural age: called anglo-german (after ancient Indian, Persian, Egyptian, Greco-Roman; see Current Postatlantean epoch)
Aspects
- characteristics of The three Logoi (see Schema FMC00.064 on that topic page)
- how this relates to the Cosmic breath of Brahma and Creation by the three Logoi
- representation for students of spiritual science: CoF in colours and signs, CoL in sounds, life sounding forth. No characterizing signs exist in the physical world for the CoC (1904-10-25-GA089)
- CoC, CoL and CoF also map to Being or Self - or Consciousness, Life and Form, see Schema FMC00.171 on Force substance presentation, or zooming out broader see meta schema FMC00.303 on Creation by the three Logoi. Or see also Schema FMC00.133 on IIH.
terminology
- terminology for CoC, CoL and CoF
- in theosophical literature CoL and CoF are also called rounds and globes
- in Christian terminology they are called power, kingdom and glory - or also Father, Son, Spirit (1904-07-GA090A)
- also:
- in Hinduism (Samkhya): Purusha (CoC), Prakriti (CoL), Mahat (CoF) (1904-07-10-GA090A)
- in Buddhism: adi-atma (CoL), adi-buddha (CoL), adi-deva (CoF) (1904-07-10-GA090A)
spiritual beings
- spiritual beings responsible for the state transitions (see Schema FMC00.093)
- in the Book of Dzyan: Prajapatis or 'Builders'
- seven spirits and states spirits that are round-robbin in cycles along the Conditions of Form, described as Powers or Spirits of Form with the names: divine, fire, warmth, light, force, creative, soul (1904-07-08-GA090A, 1904-07-10-GA090A)
- note: 1904-07-08-GA090A maps the Second Hierarchy in esoteric christianity to the three dimensions of evolution for CoC, CoL and CoF, respectively SoW, SoM, SoF.
other
- various superimposed levels of 'cosmic breathing' from spiritual entities at different levels; see also Cosmic breathing and Spiritual hierarchies and their eigenperiods
Illustrations
Schema FMC00.093 gives an overview of the different dimensions that roll off in one another in the great cosmic evolution
Schema FMC00.057 illustrates the levels of Conditions of Consciousness (CoC), Life (CoL) and Form (CoF). See also Prajapatis
Schema FMC00.057D provides an explanatory overview of the 343 states in the solar system evolution.
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Schema FMC00.566 provides an alternative way to depict the three dimensions of evolution, Conditions of Consciousness, Life and Form (Schema FMC00.093) and the corresponding prajapatis, whereby the 21 are made up out of 10+6+5 (see colour codes green, grey, red).
On the left, Schema FMC00.057. In the middle, the 21 are positioned on seven spokes of a wheel. Note that for the purpose intended here, it does not make a difference whether the green (CoC) is outer and red (CoF) is inner, or the reverse. Only when one adds a center, one could argue CoC to CoF flows 'outwards', so logically top down along the Golden Chain from the higher worlds downwards.
Given we are talking about higher spiritual reality, it is important that one lets go of space and time, and doing so, one can imaginately feel the intertwined threefoldness is better represented by a concurrent spiralling, depicted on the right as illustration to support this imagination.
The middle view is based on a description in the Sepher Yetzirah, a famous ancient book of the Jewish spiritual stream. The interpretation and transfer of the original Jewish Sepher Yetzirah text (twenty two letters on a wheel) to an image visualization was done by Patrick Mulcahy in 2001, who calls this Jacob's wheel or also the GL GL wheel or galgal wheel. The 22nd letter is in the center (see spiral on the right). Mulcahy has provided image versions with a fractal nature (though he does not use it in the meaning presented here; but with different interpretations in an astrological context). More info in the 'Further reading' section on the 'Three dimensions of evolution' topic page.
Schema FMC00.566A provides a 'mind aid' to imaginative contemplation of Schema FMC00.566. Any such visualization restricted to two dimensions and a time sequence is necessarily quite limited and thus unsatisfactory, but nevertheless it can assist the contemplation.
It is key to consider that there is no time and space in the higher spirit world and above. Thus, with a logical intellectual mind in meditation mode, one can imagine that the threefolded nature and process of the logoic principle is 'always happening in all things', and all this 'happens all together at the same time'.
Man's time-space based thinking process (part of contemporary waking consciousnessà logically tries to put CoL, CoL and CoF into a sequence with three levels, but this need not be the case.
Picture below based on original image by Patrick Mulcahy, adapted to show the 10+6+5 prajapatis depicted at three levels for dimensions of evolution (left). On the right is a support for 'sequence-thinking' as an aid to start the imaginative process. One can imagine that a single spiral movement (re Schema FMC00.566) is running all the time, but it only processes one of the coloured spheres at any time in its continuous flow. Start in the middle picture with the 1 on the outer CoC ring, moving to the 1 on the middle CoL ring, and then running off CoF 1 to 7, after which it moves back to the outer ring to go for another round CoC 1 but now takes CoL 2 (right picture), and so on.
Schema FMC00.064 provides a synthesis of a number of aspects of the three Logoi and the three primal outstreamings:
Schema FMC00.010A links the three Logoi to the Three dimensions of evolution.
See also the '1904-10-25-GA089 quote' section in the Discussion area.
Schema FMC00.314 is an extended version of schema FMC00.314A by Rudolf Steiner, adapted from an illustration by Richard Seddon.
Schema FMC00.314A is a more well-known schema of the seven Conditions of Life (CoL) or kingdoms, with the Conditions of Form (CoF) underneath, drawn by Rudolf Steiner end 1904 (see also GA093A) to explain that the 25th stage (of the 49 in total) is always the deepest, densest, middle stage. We are now in the fourth planetary stage of CoC in the 25th stage, thus on the densest stage of all.
Schema FMC00.203 shows the first six planetary stages in the overview of solar system evolution, to point out that for the evolution of Mankind, there is always only one but different CoL that is important per planetary stage (1905-03-18-GA090B). On Earth that is the current mineral CoL, on Future Jupiter it will be the plant CoL. On Old Moon Mankind was still at the level of the third EK, see The elementary kingdoms
Schema FMC00.057A is the schema specifically within one planetary stage, like Earth. For Earth it is the fourth mineral CoL4 that is important for development of Man. See further: Earth rounds perspective.
Lecture coverage and references
Sefer Yetzirah
verses 2:4
The twenty-two letters are the foundation.
They are fixed on a wheel
with 231 Gates.
The wheel rotates back and forth.
1904-07-08-GA090A
Maps the Second Hierarchy in esoteric christianity to the three dimensions of evolution for CoC, CoL and CoF, respectively SoW, SoM, SoF.
1904-07-10-GA090A
describes the seven states and spirits that are round-robbin in cycles along the Conditions of Form
1904-10-25-GA089
On completion of all 343 states the human being will be what we call a `god'.
This is not the supreme god but 'the third Logos', which is in truth the Logos of Form when it will have gone through the 343 metamorphoses; it is Form at its most advanced stage.
These different configurations of Consciousness are Form again on the higher plane. Conceived as a whole, these 343 forms are thus the Third Logos.
The Second Logos will represent Life at its highest stage, and the First Logos, Consciousness at its highest stage.
...
The CoF are represented in colours and signs for esoteric students, the CoL in sounds, life sounding forth. No characterizing signs exist in the physical world for the CoC
Discussion
[1] The three logoi and the three dimensions of evolution: the 1904-10-25-GA089 quote
Compare
- Schema FMC00.010A and FMC00.067 on Creation by the Three Logoi. Schema FMC00.010A is a literal illustration of 1904-10-25-GA089
- Schema FMC00.064 and FMC00.171 on The three Logoi
then read
- 1906-11-08-GA055 on Christ Module 4 - The Mystery of the Blood which explains how suffering (as we know it on earth, now consider the 343 cycles) need to include or be constituted of a destruction process of the lower by the side of a creating process of the higher.
Contemplate this together with Schema FMC00.057 above to see how the 1904-GA089 explains the embedded levels.
What is new is that it 'lifts up' the principles described to the level of our complete solar system evolution and the language of the Three Logoi.
What has received completion in one cycle, such as Man at the end of this solar system evolution, will create as the Third Logos in the next.
This can be held against how this happened in our current solar system evolution, and the first outpouring by the Third Logos (see eg Schema FMC00.067)
Related pages
References and further reading
Regarding Schema FMC00.566
