10, 1913 - Feb. 10, 1914 (CW 148)From his clairvoyant reading of the akashic record--the cosmic memory of all events, actions, and thoughts--Steiner was able to discuss aspects of the life of Jesus Christ that are not recorded in the four Gospels of the conventional Christian Bible. The results of such research has been called "The Fifth Gospel."After an intense inner struggle to verify the exact nature of these events, and having checked the results of his research, Steiner described many detailed episodes from the akashic record. For example, he speaks of Jesus' life in the community of the Essenes, the temptation of Christ in the wilderness, and a significant, previously unreported conversation between Jesus and Mary.Steiner states that divulging such spiritual research is intensely difficult, but that "although people show little inclination to be told such facts as these, it was absolutely essential that knowledge of such facts should be brought to Earth evolution at the present time."German title of the German source edition: Aus der Akasha-Forschung. Das f�nfte Evangelium.

    Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1914. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... LETTER XXXIX THE DOCTRINE OF DEATH MANY times during the months in which I have been here have I seen men and women lying in a state of unconsciousness more profound than the deepest sleep, their faces expressionless and uninteresting. At first, before I understood the nature of their sleep, I tried as an experiment to awaken one or two of them, and was not successful. In certain cases where my curiosity was aroused, I have returned later, day after day, and found them still lying in the same lethargy. "Why," I asked myself, "should any man sleep like that--a sleep so deep that neither the spoken word nor the physical touch could arouse him?" One day when the Teacher was with me we passed one of those unconscious men whom I had seen before, had watched, and had striven unsuccessfully to arouse. "Who are these people who sleep like that?" I asked the Teacher; and he replied: "They are those who in their earth life denied the immortality of the soul after death." "How terrible!" I said. "And will they never awaken?" "Yes, perhaps centuries, perhaps ages hence, when the irresistible law of rhythm shall draw them out of their sleep into incarnation. For the law of rebirth is one with the law of rhythm." "Would it not be possible to awaken one of them, this man, for instance?" "You have attempted it, have you not?" the Teacher inquired, with a keen look into my face. "Yes," I admitted. "And you failed?" "Yes." We looked at each other for a moment, then I said: "Perhaps you, with your greater power and knowledge, could succeed where I have failed." He made no answer. His silence fired my interest still farther, and I said eagerly: "Will you not try? Will you not awaken this man?" "You know not what you ask," he replied. "But tell me this," I demanded: "could ...