Changes

[[File:Fig leaf.jpg|left|thumb|A leaf such as this fig leaf<ref name="Kirchner"></ref> has a form created by varying degrees of growth (signatures of the etheric body of the fig tree) at the three prominences of its leaf. Apoptosis (a signature of the astral body) is absent as a sculpting force in plant development.<ref name="Anthromedics" /> ]]

[[File:Fig leaf.jpg|left|thumb|A leaf such as this fig leaf<ref name="Kirchner"></ref> has a form created by varying degrees of growth (signatures of the etheric body of the fig tree) at the three prominences of its leaf. Apoptosis (a signature of the astral body) is absent as a sculpting force in plant development.<ref name="Anthromedics" /> ]]

[[File:Human Hand.jpg|thumb|A human hand is developed by a delicate balance between the processes of growth (brought about by the etheric body) and the processes of apoptosis (brought about by the influence of the astral body). A webbed hand or a ray deformity will result when these processes do not occur harmoniously.]]

[[File:Human Hand.jpg|thumb|A human hand is developed by a delicate balance between the processes of growth (brought about by the etheric body) and the processes of apoptosis (brought about by the influence of the astral body). A webbed hand or a ray deformity will result when these processes do not occur harmoniously.]]

In lower organisms there are no other embodied spiritual bodies (such as the [[Astral body|astral body]] or [[I]]) though these forces relate from the outside- in plants growth rhythms are regulated by planetary influences. One remarkable difference between plants and animal form development is the lack of [[apoptosis]] (programmed cell death) in plant forms. In animals and humans apoptosis is essential for development and improper coordination of this results in birth defects<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Haanen|first=C|last2=Vernes|first2=I|date=January 1996|title=Apoptosis: programmed cell death in fetal development|url=|journal=Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol|volume=64|issue=1|pages=129-33|doi=10.1016/0301-2115(95)02261-9|pmid=8801138|via=}}</ref>.  

In lower organisms there are no other embodied spiritual bodies (such as the [[Wikipedia:Astral body|astral body]] or [[Wikipedia:I|I]]) though these forces relate from the outside- in plants growth rhythms are regulated by planetary influences. One remarkable difference between plants and animal form development is the lack of [[Wikipedia:apoptosis|apoptosis]] (programmed cell death) in plant forms. In animals and humans apoptosis is essential for development and improper coordination of this results in birth defects<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Haanen|first=C|last2=Vernes|first2=I|date=January 1996|title=Apoptosis: programmed cell death in fetal development|url=|journal=Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol|volume=64|issue=1|pages=129-33|doi=10.1016/0301-2115(95)02261-9|pmid=8801138|via=}}</ref>.  

[[Rudolf Steiner]] described the etheric body throughout his books and lectures. He described it as visible to [[clairvoyant sight]] though its effects are apparent in the [[physical world]]. One of the [[Twelve senses|twelve senses]] described in Anthroposophy is the sense of life. Feelings of fatigue or overflowing energy are characterized as a distinct sensory impression type that allows an experience of one's own etheric body<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Blanning|first=Adam|date=2015|title=The Sense of Life from a Medical Doctor’s Perspective|url=https://www.waldorflibrary.org/images/stories/Journal_Articles/gw68_blanning.pdf|journal=Gateways|volume=|issue=68|pages=8-10|via=}}</ref>. Steiner used the term "time body" interchangeably with etheric body. In [[Waldorf pedagogy]] he emphasized the need to avoid abstract thinking and memorization in the first seven year period of life. The etheric body is tied to physical growth in the first seven years of life and memory and thinking are dependant on transformed forces of the etheric body<ref>{{Cite|last=Steiner|first=Rudolf|title=The Etheric Being in the Physical Human Being|date=20 April 1915|url=https://wn.rsarchive.org/Lectures/19150420p01.html|volume=|pages=|df=|orig-year=|type=lecture|place=Berlin|language=de}}</ref>. Studies have found a decrease in the frequency of several chronic diseases in students who attended Waldorf schools<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Fischer|first=H. Felix|last2=Binting|first2=Sylvia|last3=Bockelbrink|first3=Angelina|last4=Heusser|first4=Peter|last5=Hueck|first5=Christoph|last6=Keil|first6=Thomas|last7=Roll|first7=Stephanie|last8=Witt|first8=Claudia|date=12 September 2013|editor-last=van Elm|editor-first=Erik|title=The Effect of Attending Steiner Schools during Childhood on Health in Adulthood: A Multicentre Cross-Sectional Study|url=https://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0073135|journal=PLoS ONE|language=en|volume=8|issue=9|pages=e73135|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0073135|issn=1932-6203|via=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Alfvén|first=T|last2=Braun-Fahrländer|first2=C|last3=Brunekreef|first3=B|last4=von Mutius|first4=E|last5=Riedler|first5=J|last6=Scheynius|first6=A|last7=van Hage|first7=M|last8=Wickman|first8=M|last9=Benz|first9=M R|last10=Budde|first10=J|last11=Michels|first11=K B|date=April 2006|title=Allergic diseases and atopic sensitization in children related to farming and anthroposophic lifestyle--the PARSIFAL study|url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16512802/|journal=Allergy|volume=61|issue=4|pages=414-421|doi=10.1111/j.1398-9995.2005.00939.x|issn=0105-4538|pmid=16512802|via=}}</ref>. Significant associations were found with [[Wikipedia:Atopy|atopy]], [[Wikipedia:Asthma|asthma]], [[Wikipedia:Osteoarthritis|osteoarthritis]] though trends in reduced rates of [[Wikipedia:Diabetes|diabetes]], [[Wikipedia:Hypertension|hypertension]], [[Wikipedia:Cancer|cancer]] and [[Wikipedia:Multiple sclerosis|multiple sclerosis]] were present but did not reach [[Wikipedia:Statistical significance|statistical significance]].

[[Rudolf Steiner]] described the etheric body throughout his books and lectures. He described it as visible to [[clairvoyant sight]] though its effects are apparent in the [[Wikipedia:physical world|physical world]]. One of the [[Twelve senses|twelve senses]] described in Anthroposophy is the sense of life. Feelings of fatigue or overflowing energy are characterized as a distinct sensory impression type that allows an experience of one's own etheric body<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Blanning|first=Adam|date=2015|title=The Sense of Life from a Medical Doctor’s Perspective|url=https://www.waldorflibrary.org/images/stories/Journal_Articles/gw68_blanning.pdf|journal=Gateways|volume=|issue=68|pages=8-10|via=}}</ref>. Steiner used the term "time body" interchangeably with etheric body. In [[Waldorf pedagogy]] he emphasized the need to avoid abstract thinking and memorization in the first seven year period of life. The etheric body is tied to physical growth in the first seven years of life and memory and thinking are dependant on transformed forces of the etheric body<ref>{{Cite|last=Steiner|first=Rudolf|title=The Etheric Being in the Physical Human Being|date=20 April 1915|url=https://wn.rsarchive.org/Lectures/19150420p01.html|volume=|pages=|df=|orig-year=|type=lecture|place=Berlin|language=de}}</ref>. Studies have found a decrease in the frequency of several chronic diseases in students who attended Waldorf schools<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Fischer|first=H. Felix|last2=Binting|first2=Sylvia|last3=Bockelbrink|first3=Angelina|last4=Heusser|first4=Peter|last5=Hueck|first5=Christoph|last6=Keil|first6=Thomas|last7=Roll|first7=Stephanie|last8=Witt|first8=Claudia|date=12 September 2013|editor-last=van Elm|editor-first=Erik|title=The Effect of Attending Steiner Schools during Childhood on Health in Adulthood: A Multicentre Cross-Sectional Study|url=https://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0073135|journal=PLoS ONE|language=en|volume=8|issue=9|pages=e73135|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0073135|issn=1932-6203|via=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Alfvén|first=T|last2=Braun-Fahrländer|first2=C|last3=Brunekreef|first3=B|last4=von Mutius|first4=E|last5=Riedler|first5=J|last6=Scheynius|first6=A|last7=van Hage|first7=M|last8=Wickman|first8=M|last9=Benz|first9=M R|last10=Budde|first10=J|last11=Michels|first11=K B|date=April 2006|title=Allergic diseases and atopic sensitization in children related to farming and anthroposophic lifestyle--the PARSIFAL study|url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16512802/|journal=Allergy|volume=61|issue=4|pages=414-421|doi=10.1111/j.1398-9995.2005.00939.x|issn=0105-4538|pmid=16512802|via=}}</ref>. Significant associations were found with [[Wikipedia:Atopy|atopy]], [[Wikipedia:Asthma|asthma]], [[Wikipedia:Osteoarthritis|osteoarthritis]] though trends in reduced rates of [[Wikipedia:Diabetes|diabetes]], [[Wikipedia:Hypertension|hypertension]], [[Wikipedia:Cancer|cancer]] and [[Wikipedia:Multiple sclerosis|multiple sclerosis]] were present but did not reach [[Wikipedia:Statistical significance|statistical significance]].

[[File:Waldorf vs control chronic diseases 2.jpg|thumb|Results of a multi-center cross sectional study showing the trends in reduction of disease burden in adults who attended a Waldorf school as compared to controls.|alt=|563x563px]]

[[File:Waldorf vs control chronic diseases 2.jpg|thumb|Results of a multi-center cross sectional study showing the trends in reduction of disease burden in adults who attended a Waldorf school as compared to controls.|alt=|563x563px]]