The Goal of Yoga: Becoming Anthroposophia

"Since the day of the Resurrection specific influences can emanate from the points of the stigmata in humans--for every human, even those who do not bear the stigmata in a way that is visible to the senses. To the extent that we 'bring ourselves into the right relationship to Christ' we put on and attract the 'new Adam' (1 Corinthians 15:45-49; Romans 5:14) which bears these stigmata (the German verb anziehen means 'to put on, to clothe,' and 'to attract' like a magnet). We incorporate this Christ seed into us, bring it to flower, through the devotion of our spirit and soul to Him. And the more this new garment, the new temple of man, resembles this Resurrrection body the stronger the process becomes of unification of the human being with Christ. In his own individual way he is penetrated by the influence of this first phantom, which arose at that time from the grave. And for each one of us who 'brings himself into the right relationship with Christ' the corresponding points on the hands and the feet (the wound on the side as well) also acquire a highly important significance.

Because of the Resurrection, the human being can send his individual self, by means of the etheric body, out into the world from these points. At no other point on the body does the etheric body project so strongly into the outer world as the hands. If you look again more closely at the altar painting of Grünewald you can then recognize the fine rays projecting from the stigmata. They shine like small suns. The sense of touch for human beings, for all of us, is weak at those points where the stigmata are located. But if we relax and tune in to our perceptions we have more a sense that these points radiate into the etheric the transformed substance of our own individual self, just like the sun sends out its rays. The human being can move around in his surroundings by means of the points of the stigmata on the palms and the backs of his hands, through totally new etheric sense organs. These are not weak, passively functioning sense organs, they exert a powerful influence if you cultivate and develop them. They are the condensed substance of your individual self actively radiating and giving. This is a significant transformation in the spirit of the Christ impulse, as it involves the active participation of the will in shaping the outer world."


--Judith von Halle, "The Easter Event at the Time of Christ," in And If He Has Not Been Raised, p. 142