Sergei O. Prokofieff – författare

A survey of recent history reveals a gloomy picture: an ongoing series of conflicts, wars and general turmoil. As a result of all this, the human emotional landscape has become littered with angry, bitter and vengeful feelings. The modern justice system, preoccupied as it is with finding and proving guilt, does little to remedy this tragic situation. However, many individuals and groups are seeking ways to break the never-ending cycle of recrimination. When faced with the question of what we can do to change and improve the world, one of the most radical and challenging answers is to learn to begin forgiving others for what they have done to us. In this powerful and moving book, Prokofieff shows how the forces which lead to forgiveness can be consciously and freely developed. Without preaching a morality of forgiveness, he sets before us the spiritual facts which speak for themselves. From Tsarist Russia to the concentration camps of Nazi Germany, to the battles taking place in the early history of the Anthroposophical Society, the author gives striking examples of people who have been able to forgive often terrible crimes.He provides multilayered analysis, pointing to the beneficial consequences of every single act of forgiveness.As he develops his theme, the importance of forgiving, not simply for personal salvation, but for the furtherance of humanity's evolution, is revealed in all its healing truth.

Prokofieff draws on the whole extent of Rudolf Steiner's work and combines it with his own original spiritual research to form an intricate picture of the cosmic forces at play between Christmas and Epiphany. We are led on a tour through the circle of the zodiac and spiritual hierarchies, and shown how they form a path from Jesus to Christ. The author further explains that the Starry Script is a key to anthroposophical Christology, and shows how it relates to the conception of the First Goetheanum. Prokofieff guides us imaginatively through the interior of Steiner's architectural masterpiece, destroyed by fire in 1922, whose structure and decorations are seen to constitute a coherent esoteric map. Our task now, he suggests, is to build the First Goetheanum in ourselves and, through a new schooling of the self, strive for a truly modern path of initiation. Supplementary essays focus on the cosmic aspects of Sophia as well as the being of Michael. Prokofieff's seminal study offers a rich source of inspiration for those wishing to penetrate the mysteries of the Twelve Holy Nights and their relation to spiritual beings.

'We have shown how in the course of time the being who was present in Elijah appeared again at the most important moments of human evolution on Earth - appeared again so that Christ Jesus Himself could give him the initiation he was to receive for the evolution of mankind. For the being of Elijah reappeared in Lazarus-John - who are in truth one and the same figure ...' Thus spoke Rudolf Steiner in his 'Last Address' to members of the Anthroposophical Society. This was his first and only indication of the connection between John the Baptist and John the Evangelist. As Prokofieff points out, Steiner intended to develop and bring to full clarity the short comment reproduced above, but his terminal illness prevented him from doing so. In this brief but enlightening booklet, Sergei O. Prokofieff addresses the mystery of the 'two Johns', solving many unanswered questions. In particular, he throws light on issues of 'incarnation and incorporation', the nature of John the Baptist's and John the Evangelist's respective initiations, the significance of their mutual work at the 'Turning Point of Time', and its relevance to our present day.

Unlike other works on this theme, Sergei Prokofieff's short book is not a straightforward introduction. Presupposing an acquaintance with the basic principles of anthroposophy, it focuses instead on the central Christological insights which form the core of Rudolf Steiner's philosophy. "What is Anthroposophy?" is a personal work in the sense that it reflects an individual's own endeavors to build a connection to anthroposophy. As the author states in his Preface: '...as soon as we comprehend anthroposophy as something living, we are concerned not merely with defining it intellectually but, rather, with developing a real relationship to it...' He elaborates: 'The content [of this book] will probably reveal more about the author and his relationship to anthroposophy than about it itself, for its nature is basically beyond description and consequently evades any purely intellectual definition.' This is a valuable addition to the introductory literature on anthroposophy from an established and well-respected author.

Based on the author's own experience of the supersensible being who stands behind the science of the spirit known as Anthroposophy, "The Heavenly Sophia" is the culmination of 25 years of work by Sergei Prokofieff on Rudolf Steiner's spiritual impulse. The being Anthroposophia, he shows, is not a poetic image or an abstract concept, but is an actual spiritual entity who works in the higher worlds for the good of earthly evolution, bringing to humanity '...the new revelation of the heavenly Sophia, the divine wisdom'. In the first part of the book, the author describes the path which led him to experience the being Anthroposophia - a path which is clearly related and can be followed by the reader. In the second part, using the few statements Rudolf Steiner made on the subject as his starting point, Prokofieff studies the question of the position of the living being Anthroposophia in the hierarchic cosmos, namely her relationship to Christ, the heavenly Sophia and the Archangel Michael. Finally available in paperback, this book will be of interest to anybody with a close connection to Rudolf Steiner's Anthroposophy.

Meditative reflection - the strengthening of thinking and feeling through the will - is one of the main methods of experiencing Anthroposophy. 'The best path to this goal', says Sergei Prokofieff, 'is inner work with the Foundation Stone Meditation, because this meditation is the quintessence of the whole of Anthroposophy, given in meditatively inspired form by means of earthly words.' Rudolf Steiner characterized the content of the Foundation Stone Meditation as having been spoken by him 'out of the will of the spiritual world', as 'verses heard from the Cosmic Word'. Due to its spiritual-mantric form, its text represents the characteristics of an archetype, and for that reason is a key to the most diverse areas of world and human existence. Depending on 'which spiritual portal is opened with this key', explains Sergei Prokofieff, 'one arrives at one result or another, and one and the same line of the meditation becomes a reply to the most varied questions'. Prokofieff applies the above method in this impressive work, illuminating various dimensions of spiritual science in the process.His research embraces, among other aspects, the relationship of the Foundation Stone Meditation to the being Anthroposophia, the spiritual hierarchies, human karma, the Rosicrucian, Michaelic and Grail streams, the Mystery of Golgotha, the two Jesus boys, the three spiritual sources of Anthroposophy, and even the Constitution of the Anthroposophical Society.

"The anthroposophical community seeks to lift human souls into supersensible realms so that they may enter the company of Angels." - Rudolf Steiner. Prokofieff traces the three stages of heavenly preparation of anthroposophy: the 'spiritual thunderstorm', the Michael School in the Sun sphere, and the 'imagination-based cultus' in the spiritual word nearest to the Earth. These events involved the nine spiritual hierarchies, associating them with the karma of the anthroposophical movement. Prokofieff elaborates the tasks of the Anthroposophical Society and indicates how these are connected with the spiritual hierarchies, the Michael movement, the Grail mysteries, the work of new Group Souls, and the Foundation Stone Meditation. He shows that the General Anthroposophical Society was, in an esoteric sense, created in order that human beings might learn to work with the Gods themselves. This is a vital booklet for anybody who cares deeply about the future of the Anthroposophical Society, or the future of mankind itself.

Some people's path to anthroposophy leads them directly to Rudolf Steiner's early work and The Philosophy of Freedom, and this becomes the philosophical basis for their future exploration. Rudolf Steiner referred to this as a 'safe' approach.But many people's destiny leads them directly to anthroposophy itself, or via one of its practical initiatives, making it difficult sometimes for them to relate to the cognitive basis of anthroposophy. In this unique study Sergei O. Prokofieff offers fresh means of access to Rudolf Steiner's crucially important book, The Philosophy of Freedom. Prokofieff indicates why The Philosophy of Freedom is so important to anthroposophy. It is here that Rudolf Steiner lays the foundations for his method of research. In Steiner's own words: "One who is willing can indeed find the basic principles of anthroposophy in my Philosophy of Freedom". Prokofieff discusses the Christian nature of the anthroposophical method of cognition, and how it is integrally related to freedom and love. This in turn reveals the deeply Christian roots of The Philosophy of Freedom and its importance for modern Christian esotericism.In fact, says Prokofieff, the book holds a 'central position ...in the spiritual history of the Occident'. In considering its multifaceted 'cosmic-human dimension', the author discusses The Philosophy of Freedom in relation to the Mystery of the Resurrection, the Working of the Hierarchies, the Being Anthroposophia, the Fifth Gospel, Rudolf Steiner's Path of Initiation, the Rosicrucian and Michaelic Impulses, the Life Between Death and Rebirth, the Foundation Stone, the Christian Mysteries of Karma and the Science of the Grail.

This major work comprises a comprehensive study of Eastern and Western esoteric streams and the occult powers that stand behind them. In Part 1 Prokofieff discusses the spiritual movement of Agni Yoga, presented to the world by Helena Roerich and her husband, the painter Nicholas Roerich. Part 2 focuses on the teachings developed by Alice Bailey, whilst Part 3 considers the relationship between Eastern and Western spiritual masters and the occult streams they represent. The first two Parts of the book give descriptions of both the Roerichs' and Alice Bailey's philosophy, based on their own perspective, together with anthroposophical commentaries that give an understanding of these two streams in the light of modern Christian esotericism. As Prokofieff points out, both the Roerichs and Bailey were convinced that the occult teachers who inspired them were the same as those referred to by the founder of Theosophy, Helena Blavatsky. Part 3 deals directly with the mystery of the Eastern teachers, or mahatmas, and their relationship to Christian esotericism.On the basis of extensive research, Prokofieff comes to the startling conclusion that the occultists whom both the Roerichs and Alice Bailey named as their leaders actually have nothing in common with Blavatsky's Eastern mahatmas. In Prokofieff's words: 'Hence...one has to do not with the Eastern mahatmas but with quite different occultists who had illicitly appropriated their names and then tried - while deliberately misleading their followers - to attain their highly dubious occult political aims with the help of the occult movements which had already been initiated.' Prokofieff argues that this appropriation led to a distortion of the age-old Eastern philosophies, giving them an anti-Christian character, and led to phenomena such as 'occult materialism', insidious political goals, and prophecies of a physically incarnating 'Messiah'. Previously available only in German as three separate books, with just an early version of Part 1 published in English, this long-awaited translation of Prokofieff's incisive study offers a fine schooling in discernment, judgement and spiritual insight.

The Mystery of the Resurrection approaches the deepest mysteries of the Turning Point of Time through Rudolf Steiner's spiritual research. At its heart stands the question of the restoration of the 'phantom' of the physical body, and its transformation into the resurrected body of Christ through the Mystery of Golgotha. The author draws a broad and differentiated picture of the tasks and possibilities that the Easter event, as well as Ascension and Whitsun, present - both for the individual and humanity. The final chapter considers the mystery of Easter Saturday, through which the two polar aspects of the Mystery of Golgotha - death and resurrection - interconnect, at the same time explaining the relationship of the Earth Spirit to the interior of the Earth. An appendix tackles the phenomenon of stigmatization from a spiritual-scientific perspective.

What is Whitsun, and how can its impulse be furthered for the future of society? How can social life become the bearer of the Christ impulse, and how can Christ Himself enter directly into social life? In this small booklet Prokofieff speaks of the significance of spiritual work conducted in a social setting, and its crucial role in preparing for the future epoch of the Spirit-Self. The spiritual-social tasks set before us, he says, '...can only be achieved through mutual efforts with one another.' And for such social activity, the General Anthroposophical Society, '...with all of its different groups and branches, which unite all anthroposophists in the world', plays a fundamental role. Thus, concludes Prokofieff, '...the spiritual tasks of the General Anthroposophical Society are gradually combined with the tasks of all mankind.' This booklet, consisting of a report of a lecture supplemented with an essay, is an important companion to the publication by the same author, The Esoteric Significance of Spiritual Work in Anthroposophical Groups.

In this inspiring lecture, addressed primarily to the anthroposophic movement, Prokofieff gives an overview of how the spiritual hierarchies and Christ, the Lord of Karma, work in the ordering of human karma. We are led to the karma and mission of the Anthroposophical Society, with indications as to what needs to happen before that karmic mission can be fulfilled. Prokofieff explains why true modern Christian research into karma does not arise out of intellectual speculation, curiosity or nebulous mystical experiences. The process of karmic research based on spiritual science should lead to a fundamental transformation of human nature, leading to a full experience of the cosmos.

In the same way that the entire plant is contained in germinal form in its seed, so the totality of anthroposophy can be discovered in Rudolf Steiner's central work The Philosophy of Freedom, a book that lays the foundation for the modern scientific path to the spiritual world. Given the centrality of the Guardian of the Threshold to modern initiation, one may therefore ask where this theme is to be found in The Philosophy of Freedom. Prokofieff presents his insights to this little researched question in the first part of this volume. In the second part, he investigates The Philosophy of Freedom's connection to the content of Rudolf Steiner's research relating to the Fifth Gospel. Through Prokofieff's thoughtful commentary, new light is shed on the connection between Rudolf Steiner's early and late work. Study of the relevant texts reveals that the roots of Steiner's early work lie in the same spiritual reality - the Christ Impulse - as those of the later anthroposophy he was to develop.

Dedicated to the one hundredth anniversary of Rudolf Steiner's first proclamation of Christ's appearance in the etheric realm of the Earth, this book refers to various aspects of that Event that have so far not been adequately addressed. Sergei O. Prokofieff points to three themes of primary importance, all of which are connected directly with the tasks of the Society which Rudolf Steiner founded: The preparation of mankind for the Second Coming; Working together with Christ as the Lord of Karma; Recognising in anthroposophy the spiritual language in which questions can be posed to the etheric Christ today. Prokofieff describes these and other critical undertakings, such as forging a strong relationship to Michael and the importance of recognising the adversarial forces that attempt to falsify Christ's Second Coming. The Appearance of Christ in the Etheric is of relevance to every individual who wishes to take an active part in fulfilling the needs of our time.

The author developed this booklet from talks that were held for members of the Anthroposophical Society. These became occasions for many to question potential membership of the First Class in a more conscious way, and for some to take the decisive step of entering the Michael School. 'This experience gave rise to the occasion for printing this lecture separately for interested individuals, as a stimulus to consider their relationship to the Michael School on Earth against the background of the karma that guides human beings in their present incarnation to anthroposophy. In this sense, the present text may well be an aid for some interested individuals to grasp to its full extent the unique significance of the establishment of the Esoteric School - carried out as it was by Rudolf Steiner based on the Michael Spirit - so as to gain the courage and will to become a member out of full inner conviction.' (From the Preface)

The author developed this booklet from talks that were held for members of the Anthroposophical Society. These became occasions for many to question potential membership of the First Class in a more conscious way, and for some to take the decisive step of entering the Michael School. 'This experience gave rise to the occasion for printing this lecture separately for interested individuals, as a stimulus to consider their relationship to the Michael School on Earth against the background of the karma that guides human beings in their present incarnation to anthroposophy. In this sense, the present text may well be an aid for some interested individuals to grasp to its full extent the unique significance of the establishment of the Esoteric School - carried out as it was by Rudolf Steiner based on the Michael Spirit - so as to gain the courage and will to become a member out of full inner conviction.' (From the Preface)

Why is it so difficult actually to understand and implement the "intentions of the Christmas Conference" (in Rudolf Steiner's words), which represent a very concrete answer to the Anthroposophical Society's identity crisis'? - Peter Selg More than 100 years after its founding, the Anthroposophical Society faces serious questions - some of an existential nature - regarding its purpose and tasks in the present day. On 30 March 2012, in the course of the Society's Annual General Meeting in Dornach, both Sergei Prokofieff and Peter Selg gave lectures in which they addressed difficult issues relating to the General Anthroposophical Society and its global headquarters, the Goetheanum in Switzerland. These lectures were met with a mixture of enthusiastic support and stern disapproval. They are reproduced here in full - together with supplementary material that helps broaden and deepen their themes - in order for each and every interested individual to have access to them.'The intention of my lecture was to draw attention to the fact that the recent development of the Goetheanum is no longer heading in the right direction; rather, it is heading in a direction that can be considered neither in the spirit intended by Rudolf Steiner, nor of service to anthroposophy. Before it is too late, this direction must be altered...Otherwise, the Goetheanum is in danger of being degraded to spiritual "insignificance", and of becoming a mere combination of museum and conference centre.' - Sergei O. Prokofieff

Saved by good fortune from the flames that engulfed the first Goetheanum, Rudolf Steiner's wooden sculpture of the Christ - 'the Representative of Humanity' - standing between the adversary forces of Lucifer and Ahriman, remains intact and on display, although unfinished, to this day. Unique in the history of art, the Sculptural Group was deeply connected to Rudolf Steiner's inner being. The great Christian initiate even died by its side, having made efforts to work on the sculpture just days before he crossed the threshold. The essential source from which this work was created, says Sergei Prokofieff, '...lay in Rudolf Steiner's ego, in his spirit...It was only out of this intuitive connection of his own ego with the Christ Being that he was able to create this work of art.' Beginning with the Sculptural Group's early history, and Steiner's collaboration on its creation with Edith Maryon, Prokofieff enters into deeply esoteric perspectives, studying the artwork's relationship with the mysteries of the Holy Grail, the etherization of the blood, the Seventh Apocalyptic Seal, the Legend of the New Isis, as well as the being Anthroposophia.

Two lectures in Bologna: on 31 March 2011 at the International Conference to Mark the Centenary of Rudolf Steiner's Lecture in Bologna, and on 8 April 1911 at the Fourth International Philosophy Congress A special conference took place in Bologna in Spring 2011, marking the hundredth anniversary of a unique lecture Rudolf Steiner delivered to a philosophically-trained audience in the same city. In his key exposition, Steiner had given a concise description of the spiritual-scientific theory of knowledge as well as a brief outline of the anthroposophical path of schooling. In his contribution to the 2011 congress, Sergei O. Prokofieff tackles two principal aspects. On the one hand, he describes how Steiner's Bologna lecture contained the essential foundations for a new 'science of the human ego'. On the other hand, Prokofieff states that Rudolf Steiner was the first person to transform this same theory into a practical path of knowledge, following it to its very conclusion. Thus, the words of Rudolf Steiner's lecture were based entirely on personal experience. Together with a transcript of Rudolf Steiner's full Bologna lecture, Sergei O.Prokofieff's own lecture is reproduced here in an expanded version. In addition, this volume features Rudolf Steiner's important 'summaries of essential points', in which he develops and connects some of his key thoughts with further aspects of anthroposophy, especially in relation to their Christological foundations.

'It depends on the human being whether he merely conceives of anthroposophy or whether he experiences it.' - Rudolf Steiner During the Christmas period of 1923-4, Rudolf Steiner refounded the Anthroposophical Society at its headquarters in Dornach, Switzerland. This important event, which has come to be known as the Christmas Conference, can be studied on many levels, and its many mysteries have been central to Sergei O. Prokofieff's anthroposophical research over the years. His beginning point has been an enduring question: What did Rudolf Steiner mean when he called the Christmas Conference the 'start of a World-Turning-point of Time'? In this far-reaching work, the author - working from several different viewpoints - guides the reader towards an answer. Prokofieff suggests that the impulse of the Christmas Conference can only be reenlivened today through conscious action by individuals to experience its spiritual essence. Rather than offering dogmatic conclusions, he opens up paths of approaching this goal by throwing light on different aspects of the Conference and what lies at its heart: the Foundation Stone and its Meditation.In particular, Prokofieff explores three key perspectives: the connection of the Christmas Conference with humanity's evolution; the inner relationship of each individual anthroposophist to the Christmas Conference; and the significance of the Conference to Rudolf Steiner himself. Although this is major work of some length, the individual chapters of May Human Beings Hear It! are complete in themselves, and can therefore be studied independently of each other.

In ancient times humanity possessed an innate knowledge of the spiritual foundations of existence. Such knowledge could be acquired through inwardly accompanying the cycle of the year and its connected great seasonal festivals. But this instinctive knowledge had to be lost in order for human beings to discover individual freedom. In our time, as Sergei O. Prokofieff demonstrates in this comprehensive work, '...this knowledge must be found anew through the free, light-filled consciousness of the fully developed human personality'. Tracing the spiritual path of the yearly cycle, Prokofieff penetrates to the deeper esoteric realities of the seven Christian festivals of Michaelmas, Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Ascension, Whitsun and St John's Tide. Basing his research on the work of the twentieth-century initiate Rudolf Steiner, he reveals how these festivals are spiritual facts that exist independently of religious traditions and cultural customs. Working with the festivals in an esoteric sense can provide a true path of initiation, ultimately enabling an experience of the Being of the Earth, Christ.The journey of study through this book can thus lead the reader to an experience of the modern Christian-Rosicrucian path, along which '...it is possible to take the first steps towards life in partnership with the course of cosmic existence'.

Although Eastern Europe has been part of the Christian world for more than a thousand years, its spiritual identity remains a mystery. This mystery, says Sergei Prokofieff, can only fully be solved by looking behind external events and seeking spiritual - meta-historical - dimensions of reality. In illuminating the maya of outer history, Prokofieff reveals the forces that have been at work to hinder the progress of mankind: the materialistic Brotherhoods of the West and the occult aspects of both Jesuitism and Bolshevism. These adversary groups have created a 'karma of materialism', that the eastern Slavic peoples have taken upon themselves out of their 'exalted willingness for sacrifice'. Prokofieff shows how, from the earliest times, the future 'conscience of humanity' flowed from hidden mystery centres in Hibernia, to the eastern Slavic peoples. As a result, qualities of 'compassion, patience and willingness for sacrifice' developed in their souls, creating a truly Christian 'Grail mood'. Despite incalculable suffering - from the persecutions of the Mongol hordes to the Bolshevik experiment of the last century - this quality has become an unconquerable force.Will humanity be able to use the present opportunity granted by this sacrifice to fulfil the primary purposes of the present cultural epoch? Can the future mysteries of the Holy Grail be fulfilled? In this momentous work, breathtaking in its scope and detail, the author attempts a truly esoteric approach, penetrating to the spiritual wellsprings of Eastern Europe in the light of Rudolf Steiner's research.

'Anyone who embarks upon the study of anthroposophy will soon recognise that the mystery of the human ego lies at its very heart. This mystery is one of the central questions of anthroposophical Christology and at the same time forms one of the most difficult cognitive challenges presented by anthroposophy.' - Sergei O. Prokofieff. The question of the true nature of the human 'I' or individuality is one of the key issues of our time, but it is also one of the most complex riddles of existence. This booklet doesn't give simple answers but adds perspectives that deepen the theme, offering a picture of its manifold mysteries. In three great panoramas, the author develops central aspects of the topic, beginning with the threefold nature of human individuality, followed by an illumination of the cosmic dimension of the ego, and finally an encapsulation of the significance of the earthly ego. With his usual thoroughness and clarity, Sergei O. Prokofieff throws light on one of the fundamental questions of our time.

In this revised and expanded edition of his classic debut, Sergei O. Prokofieff investigates the deepest mysteries of Rudolf Steiner's life and individuality, from 'the years of apprenticeship' and 'the great Sun period' to 'the path of the Teacher of Humanity' and 'the birth of the New Mysteries'. He discusses the earthly and supersensible aspects of the first Goetheanum, the implications of the Christmas Conference of 1923-24, and the Foundation Stone meditation that Steiner left as a legacy to members of the Anthroposophical Society.In his very personal Introduction, Prokofieff describes, in moving detail, the events in his life which led to his discovery of anthroposophy whilst living in Communist Russia, and how eventually he came to write this extraordinary study of Rudolf Steiner. The resulting volume - a work of secondary anthroposophical literature unprecedented in its depth and significance - was first published in Germany in 1982, meeting with equal amounts of acclaim, astonishment and controversy. It is published in this paperback edition to mark the 35th anniversary of the original publication.

Underlying Sergei O. Prokofieff's life's work was a fundamental research-theme to which he returned to repeatedly: the individuality of Rudolf Steiner as manifested through his past incarnations on Earth. Beginning in 1982, inspired by a visit to an exhibition on The Epic of Gilgamesh, Prokofieff planned a full-scale spiritual biography with the intention of finding an answer to the question: Who is Rudolf Steiner?In a sequence of five past incarnations - as indicated by Steiner himself - and culminating in the life of Rudolf Steiner, Prokofieff searched for the inner thread between the six stages of this great, all-encompassing life. His intention was to find not only the outer connections in this sequence but also the deeper, more esoteric stream that offers the key to the unique significance of this individuality. In 1984, Prokofieff began to write the first chapter about Rudolf Steiner's incarnation as Enkidu in Sumer. Sadly, many obstacles in his path were to prevent him finalising the project. However, the author returned to the book in his final months, preparing a Preface that outlines its conception together with a summary chapter on Rudolf Steiner's evolutionary journey. This precious 'fragment' of a biography features valuable additional material, including: a full introduction to the relationship of the anthroposophical movement to other occult streams of esoteric Christianity and their Masters; a detailed spiritual-scientific interpretation of the Epic of Gilgamesh that establishes Rudolf Steiner's connection with the being of Jesus of Nazareth, and an exploration of Steiner's relationship to the Nathan soul, the Luke Jesus child. Serious students of anthroposophy will welcome these final writings from the pen of one of Rudolf Steiner's most faithful and insightful disciples.

In a private conversation on his deathbed, Rudolf Steiner informed his friend Count Polzer-Hoditz of three spiritual problems that would need to be resolved in the coming years: 'Firstly, the question of the two Johns [John the Baptist and John the Evangelist]. Secondly: Who was Dmitri? Thirdly: Where did Caspar Hauser come from?' Tackling these issues, said Steiner, would be of critical importance for humanity's future. He added: 'In all three problems it is important that one's gaze is directed not towards death but towards birth. Where did they come from and with what tasks?' In Dmitri's case, Steiner emphasized that the most important thing was to discover what was to have been achieved through him. ---Utilizing the significant clues left by Rudolf Steiner, Sergei O. Prokofieff takes on the second of these tasks, the great unsolved mystery of Russian history. Tsarevich Dmitri, the son of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, was tragically murdered as a young boy. Later, he was impersonated by a series of rogues and pretenders. Prokofieff's wide-ranging study integrates historical, psychological and spiritual-scientific perspectives to work towards the truth behind Dmitri's brief life, his mission and the distortions created by the 'false Dmitris'. He also examines the significance of Friedrich Schiller's unfinished play, Demetrius.