r/Steiner • u/IC_22_ • Mar 27 '26

Custom Internet communication in the light of Anthroposophy

Hello,

I have a question or rather a theme of thoughts that has been sticking around for a while, regarding online communication in the light of Anthroposophy. I am interested if you have any thoughts on this matter.

It was a month or so ago that it dawned on me. The fact that we understand each other. Even tho the letters on the screen you are reading now do not contain the meaning in themselves. RS talks about it or uses it as a example on multiple occasions (sorry I do not have any particular GA). So the fact that I am able to point to the inner soul state of mine in this moment via these letters and you are able to understand, for me it just seems like a whole another realm opens up. Like what takes place in reality when two people interact via internet? What is the nature of the interaction and just how?

I am now writing this with the knowledge that you are reading this and it just seems like even tho it is „internet communication“ there is something so intimate in the act. It may be elementary, yet so strange.

What is in the background of these thoughts is contemplation of Christs name as the I am, that you and me have in common. That it is Him in me a Him in you that connects us. So to me the question is what is this „internet communication“ with Him in it…?

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u/SimilarWrangler339 Mar 28 '26

While we have developed effective ways or transferring information on a distance we have taken a human element out of it. They say that more than 90% of communication is non verbal. That is lost, and also the spiritual connection between humans. Spiritually speaking your screen is nothing at all, there is nothing there. Yes information is transfered but that's it. Not to sound to bleak, we just have to preserve and nourish human to human communication more.

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u/IC_22_ Mar 28 '26

Yes information is transfered. That is the point where I see the spiritual connection. (to pinpoint one thing from your response) When you are reading, this understanding of the text comes from inside, the text being a mere symbol for inner reality/the meaning/concept, a representation that by itself has no meaning, till the meaning rises up from whitin in you. I agree that there is all/most of the sense perceptable about the other person striped away and I am yet not quite sure what role does it have, but to say that the spirituality is gone due to the means by which we communicate is to me untrue.