At the heart of Rudolf Steiner's spiritual philosophy is the path of inner development leading to personal transformation. Steiner shows how, through specific meditative exercises, it is possible to break out of the restricted world of everyday consciousness. He gives advice on the development of inner qualities such as clear thinking, inner tranquillity and positivity, which lay a necessary foundation for esoteric work.

In contrast to many of the New Age paths available today, Steiner's methods are based on the Western tradition, the Rosicrucian path of initiation, as opposed to older Eastern teachings. This modern way, he suggests, is a metamorphosis of the Eastern paths and is best suited to modern consciousness. Speaking as an initiate, he describes the levels of attainment on this spiritual journey, the first being 'imagination' where the spiritual world is revealed in pictures, followed by 'inspiration' and finally 'intuition'.

April 2003; Trans. various (Selected lectures, various GAs); RSP; 256pp; 21.5 x 13.5 cm; pb;