We will be dealing a lot with what Wordsworth called, “unknown modes of being”. One observer who found this field compelling was Rudolph Steiner*, founder of Anthroposophy. From a lecture, here he tells of his awareness of such modes :

“From that time onwards a soul life began to develop in [me] which made [me] conscious of worlds from which not only external trees or external mountains speak to the human soul, but also the Beings that live behind them. From that time onward, [I] lived together with the Spirits of Nature that can be personally observed in such a region; [I] lived with the creative beings that are behind the objects …”

* Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) was born in Austria. He found his life’s work in the realms of consciousness and cognition. His techniques for the development of awareness to nature’s cycles, daily meditation and concentration practices, and clear critical thinking can lead individuals to reach spiritual levels of consciousness safely. He believed working along with the spiritual worlds enriches the life of the individual and the world.