3-5-98 MICHELANGELO AND THE ETHERIC SHEATH

Why is Michelangelo held in special regard even when compared to the greatest artists? What were his unique gifts which so mesmerize the viewer? I remember when I first saw his sculpture "David", while visiting Florence and how it captivated me on a primal level I could not, then, even begin to define. The Sistine Chapel created, once again, a similar strange effect on me -- increased energy and vitality, a feeling of being alive in a new way, a passionate longing, a zest for life and, paradoxically, a little tiredness. It seems that Michelangelo's art has the capacity to bring a profound state of rest and relaxation to the system triggering the release of stress and a corresponding mild fatigue. Actually, all great art has this influence, but it is particularly noticeable with Michelangelo's work.

We can begin to understand these mysterious effects from Michelangelo's work if we also gain some insight into the various sheaths within the human being. The ancient mystery traditions refer to these sheaths by so many different names that confusion and obscurity are often the result. In listing the various sheaths, I will use the terminology of Rudolph Steiner: physical sheath, etheric, astral, egoic, followed by the three higher sheaths not found in the average human of today: the imaginative sheath, the inspirational and the intuitive. It is only the physical sheath which can be seen by means of the five gross senses; the others can only be observed through supersensible sight, which is itself a faculty of higher states of consciousness ( the development of the three higher sheaths just mentioned).

Michelangelo had the ability to directly experience the etheric or vital sheath within the human being and his paintings and sculptures are his attempt to express its quintessence. The etheric body is what brings life to the physical body. Those individuals who have strong etheric bodies are quite animated in their demeanor. They have excellent recuperative powers and know just how much energy to expend for any given project, as well as how to expend it gracefully. Those with weak energy bodies alternate between overexpenditure and underexpenditure of energy. They often have the feeling that they are "spinning their wheels" in trying to achieve anything and this leads to further hyper-activity followed by an inevitable letdown, and thus, the vicious cycle continues.

Those with weak vital bodies can balance their energy by contemplating the works of Michelangelo, especially his sculptural works.. They can also listen to soothing flute music (Note that Venus governs the vital body, the flute and the art of sculpturing).