The term Psychosophy was created by Rudolf Steiner in a cycle of lectures held in Berlin, in

November 1910. It was intended as the foundation for an anthroposophically based psychology,

to be studied in context with the other two cycles of lectures which made up a total of 12 lectures

in this series: Anthroposophie (Oct. 1909), Psychosophie (Nov. 1910) and Pneumatosophie (Dec.

1911).

The first four lectures on ‘Anthroposophy’ provide an understanding of the human soul in

relation to the activity of sensing and to the subtle processes that structure and form the human

body. The lectures on ‘Psychosophy’ describe what we can know of the human soul on the basis

of direct observation of oneself and others, while the lectures on ‘Pneumatosophy’ portray the

relationship of soul life to spirit life, particularly with how to awaken individual spirit life and

how to discern between illusory and genuine spiritual experiences. (Sardello, 1999, p.vii)

Psychophonetics (Philophonetics- Counselling) is applied Psychosophy, and is a methodology of

phenomenological observation of the human soul and speaking from soul, through the language

of experience which has been developed as the ‘literacy of experience’.

Any modality of healing, therapy and help addressing the needs of the human psyche and soul,

that is based on anthroposophy, could be included within the area covered by psychosophy. Any

practitioner who has qualified to be a counsellor, psychologist or psychiatrist through

professional training in these fields and whose work is based on anthroposophy, as working from

soul, could be recognised as a practitioner of psychosophy.

A modality of counselling, psychotherapy and psychology can be said to be based on

anthroposophy when

a) the following aspects are included, and are compatible with its fundamental approach to

the human being and

b) whose practices are compatible with the following principles.

1) Physical - mineral kingdom,

2) Life - plant kingdom,

3) Sentient - animal kingdom, and

4) Self-aware consciousness - human kingdom.

when regarded as living between and throughout a human body and a human spirit.

conscious activities of the human being - mainly perception, feeling, willing and

thinking, and their various overlaps and combinations.

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gradually absorbed into the dynamics of the body, and also into the super-conscious

dimension where it is gradually permeated by the inherent dynamics of the spiritual

dimension of reality. Elements of both these dimensions are working into the human soul

which gradually, as it unfolds in time, grows to incorporate more and more of them into

the sphere of its experience.

1. Physical or mineral dimension;

2. Life dynamics, formative-forces or etheric dimension;

3. Sentient, perceptive, instinctive or astral dimension.

permanent element in consciousness, cognition, biography and memory, and is usually

designated as the individual ‘I Am’.

The spiritual dimension of manifest reality is recognised as the reality within manifestation. It is

the dimension of meaning which is inherent in manifest reality. It can be conceived by human

perceptive and cognitive activities, because these activities are likewise spiritual in nature.

The fundamental commonality between the nature of the meaning inherent in manifest reality

and the nature of the meaning experienced in the human psyche enables a thinking which is

capable of grasping reality, and naming knowledge.

regarded as the manifest dimension of an inherent potential, imbued with purpose,

intention and character. That fundamental potential precedes conception.

to enable other human beings as well as the rest of creation to do the same.

healing and therapy can support in accessing that inner equipment.

for professional help are fundamentally regarded as opportunities for taking a step in

unfolding human potential.

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alone, who is, from beginning to end the only authority regarding that meaning.

potential, and when taken freely, with a choice, enables one to take responsibility for the

consequences of own actions.

direction and meaning of the process.

practitioner's interpretation, belief, external "reading" (based on sources of information

other than the client's conscious expression), or advice, but by a common picture which is

evolved between the client and practitioner.

through speaking from soul.

consciousness to embrace their experience and to take self-initiated actions regarding that

experience.

Anthroposophic Press.

Anthroposophic Press.

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Soesman, A. (1998). Our twelve senses: Wellsprings of the soul. UK: Hawthorn Press.

Anthroposophic Press.

Press. (formerly A Theory of Knowledge)

Hawthorn Press.

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