There are beings in the spiritual realms for whom anxiety and fear emanating from human beings offer welcome food.

When humans have no anxiety and fear, then these creatures starve.

People not yet sufficiently convinced of this statement could understand it to be meant comparatively only.

But for those who are familiar with this phenomenon, it is a reality.

If fear and anxiety radiates from people and they break out in panic, then these creatures find welcome nutrition and they become more and more powerful.

These beings are hostile towards humanity.

or doubt, are in reality hostile forces in supersensible worlds, launching cruel attacks on human beings, while they are being fed.

But these are exactly the feelings that belong to contemporary culture and materialism; because it estranges people from the spiritual world, it is especially suited to evoke hopelessness and fear of the unknown in people, thereby calling up the above mentioned hostile forces against them.

Source (German): Rudolf Steiner – GA 56 – Die Erkenntnis der Seele und des Geistes – Berlijn, December 12, 1907 (page 145).

GA056.pdf (fvn-archiv.net) (GERMAN)

Translated by Nesta Carsten-Krüger, via Rudolf Steiner Quotes

The great Rudolf Steiner Quotes Site – Over 1500 quotes from the work of the great visionary, thinker and reformer Rudolf Steiner (wordpress.com)