The threefold structure of a human being

Rudolf Steiner explored and presented the threefold structure of the human being from various perspectives in his works. Let us try to summarize these views, which are also based on the fact, recognized by modern psychology, that our mental life unfolds through thoughts, emotions, and acts of will. Steiner suggests characterizing them separately from one another, while recalling, however, that such separation is conditional, and in life our thoughts, emotions, and manifestations of will are intertwined. However, according to Steiner, without separating them, we will not be able to deeply recognize the factors of our own inner life, and therefore understand the phenomena that impact them — in this case, the impact of national dance.

Steiner draws our attention to the fact that these mental forces are presented in the body. Even an external view can divide the human structure into three conditional parts: head, limbs, and torso. At the upper part of the human body rests the spherical head, which houses most of the sense organs. It is through the latter that the diverse information coming from the world makes its way in.

Perceptions awaken our consciousness, yet human beings are not satisfied with perceptions alone; they always strive to analyze them — to know the world through their own thinking (Steiner, 1993). To fully accomplish all this, the head must remain almost motionless, engaging only in movements that change the direction of gaze. Let us only add that both perceptions and thinking, as bodily instruments, rely on the human nervous system (including the sense organs), the center of which (the brain) is located precisely in the head.

Below, in the limbs, everything is in motion. The ray-like limbs carry us in one direction or another at our will. Thanks to the upright posture, the liberated movements of the hands are even more detailed. They are skillful, helping us perform many types of movement. On the other hand, they express and accompany our emotional life through gestures. We do not delve deeply into the mechanism by which our movements occur; we simply learn over the years to master them, to “order and receive” from the body the movements we desire. Let us also mention that the execution of movement requires energy, which is supplied mainly by the metabolic system concentrated in the lower part of the body.

In the middle lies the chest area, where the rhythms of our life — heartbeat and breathing — pulsate. These rhythms have universal human parameters, but they also depend on the locality — its altitude and landscape — as well as invariably bear the imprint of an individual’s physical and psychological characteristics, a fact that leads science to speak of a unique rhythm distinctive to each person. It is precisely the rhythms that respond to perceptions arising from the world and its phenomena — manifesting through abrupt shifts in rhythm, waves of emotion, or more steadfast feelings. It is here that we sense whether we like or dislike, whether or not it is pleasant what our perception has brought us. It is here that we experience our inner world — a realm that, to avoid becoming overly emotional, requires the analytical power of thought, the only force capable of harmonizing our personal reactions. Among the organ systems, the rhythmic systems of the heart and breathing carry this activity upon themselves.

Caring for the soul

In effect, our mental life mediates the process between the intellectual and volitional poles. The connection is evident: our thought, concept, or mental image travels from consciousness — from above — downward toward implementation through the limbs. What we do depends primarily on what emotion accompanies our thought or idea. The greater our enthusiasm, the more likely the implementation will succeed. Enthusiasm also motivates the necessary practice of improvement so that the implementation becomes closer to the idea. Conversely, if a new idea does not receive sufficient enthusiasm, a person will avoid implementing it altogether, preferring to act in old, safe ways, or simply become lazy. Thus, we see how important our psycho-emotional life is. If it is sensitive, responsive, and harmonious, then it is capable of mediating the “top-bottom” connection. If emotionality is uncontrollable and under the influence of elemental forces, or if the emotional world is dry, cold, or paralyzed, then in all such cases the “top-bottom” movement fails and stagnates at one of the poles. In such cases, pathological phenomena of varying degrees are possible.

The question therefore arises: how can one influence the development of mental life so that a person, their “rhythmic autonomy”, is shaped in a healthy, balanced, and harmonious manner, enabling them in their own time to “bring the spirit to a state of formation” (Zaryan, 1937)? Without this, individuality is unlikely to be capable of forming, manifesting, and taking place in life in a healthy way. On the one hand, it is clear that only the individual themselves is capable of managing their own mental life, but at an early age, when the child is under our influence, we can use various means to lay the groundwork for the development and establishment of self-awareness and a harmonious life.

It is known that children learn more easily because when perceiving something, they do not analyze what they see, but rather immerse themselves in the perceived image/movement by copying. The educational process differs from children’s imitative play precisely in that, when a flaw occurs, we require the learner to become conscious of their own movement, analyze it, compare it with the teacher’s movement, identify the error causing the flaw, and repeat the action again and again until a flawless movement is achieved—and then, through further practice, ensure it is “remembered and mastered” by the body. It is very important to correctly determine the age when to transition from play-learning to the educational process. A child’s critical approach to their own activities and actions begins to take shape most actively from the age of 8–9 (Hekimova, 2024). It is also at this age that self-observation and analysis of one’s own movement become possible. Thus, we can begin consistent dance training at that very age, thereby initiating a process of self-discovery for the child—a process that will continue as both a skill and a human quality into the future.

To be continued

Part One of the Article