This volume contains the lectures of Rudolf Steiner, which he gave immediately after the outbreak of the First World War to the then numerous members of the Anthroposophical Society in Berlin. The atmosphere is greatly influenced by the difficult events of that time. The lectures cover a wide range of topics: understanding the world necessity of the harsh events of time, nationality and nationality, the essence of European folk souls, the essence of the Impulse of Christ and the Michaelic Spirit serving Him, the stages of the imaginative path of knowledge, the difficulties of the spiritual path, spiritual knowledge as a requirement of the time, the prophetic nature of sleep, cosmic meaning of sensory perceptions, thinking, feeling and will, etc.

In Russian, volume 157 of The complete works of R. Steiner are published for the first time.

The cover design uses the motif of the painting of the small dome of the First Goetheanum “Faust Motif” (R. Steiner).