Joseph: […] I would now like to discuss something else. I would like to talk about those human beings who suffer from depression. Today, those in the medical profession try to help such people in a modern way – as I would like to put it – they try to get to the root of the malady in order to understand it. Here and there, someone may be helped by this. I, however, would now like to present a truly spiritual cause, one that lies in the soul.

Let us consider a human being who lives in a constant state of depression. All the encouragement and all the medical help are of no avail, nothing brings healing. They suffer and eventually die with their depression. The first question one asks oneself is: “Is such a depression inherited? Can a cause perhaps be found in their younger years?” One investigates but does not get to the heart of the matter. I do not want what I am explaining now to be taken as universally applicable, because in human life there really are many other causes of a temporary depression that truly lie in an individual’s current human life. But such an illness with which human beings suffer can have another cause, which I will now try to explain to you. But I can only be understood by you or by people who understand spiritual language and who know a little more about spiritual teaching. I cannot avoid returning to the origin of life. And the origin of this real, eternal, imperishable life is in the world of God, in the world of happiness and harmony. It is there that a spirit being may at one time have been captivated by the conversations or the promptings of that spirit Lucifer or of those spirits who wanted to deny the rights of Christ. Those who could be persuaded were then willing to convince others. They worked actively in this way, and in doing so they placed great burdens in their soul. These were spirits who at that time eagerly endeavored to campaign for the other, for Lucifer.

Now, you are aware that the guilt with which the spirits burdened themselves was not the same in all cases. Those who worked in the way just described, who persuaded and convinced others that they need not obey Christ, or need not obey him alone, those who were opposed to what had been demanded from everyone in terms of obedience, who acted in this way, they burdened their souls most heavily. But precisely among these spirits there were also those who came to their senses when they were cast out, and they, too, were given the opportunity of ascent when they begged God and asked him for forgiveness. Christ delivered them from this plight, from this hopelessness; he has opened the path. And this is how spiritual development proceeded. Some were led directly into human life; they did not necessarily have to pass through these lower stages of development, these lower stages of incarnation. According to the will, according to the effort and insight of a spirit, they are given the opportunity to ascend once more and to return. And it is precisely such a spirit who is aware of the kind of burden and the kind of guilt they have within themselves – even though they have now been liberated and the path to God has been opened for them. They cannot come to terms with the fact that it was through their own actions – by having worked for Lucifer, by having campaigned on his behalf, by having persuaded others – that other brothers and sisters ended up in this plight with them. They simply feel guilty.

This feeling of guilt is something that marks their soul. It is also a wound, and this wound splits open time and again; in each human life there is a certain feeling of guilt. And the outer human being suffers as a result, but they do not know the cause. But the return path has been opened for everyone. Despite all this, there is still this burden in their soul, which comes to expression and makes itself felt time and again.

The spirit in question is told in the spiritual world, “You are freed from your guilt. You can come closer to God with your own strength. You must pass through a human life, and in this life you have to prove that you want to live for God and for justice.” Such a spirit is then incarnated in a human life. They carry or drag this burden along with them, this sense of guilt, and it thereby comes to expression through the entire human being. It is the same as with those others of whom I spoke, those who – and I would like to emphasize this – have placed themselves in the lowest levels of development, who are simply unable to express anything other than constant discontent, quarrelsomeness, and greed, who are filled with vices; with the best will in the world, they are simply unable to discard and overcome these vices. And it is the same in this particular case where such a strong sense of guilt was not overcome – something, however, that they had as a test. They are told, “If you possess the strength to unite with this higher, divine power, you will find so much comfort among human beings and so much strength from above during your earthly life. And if you are able to reach higher consciousness entirely through your own strength and come to the inner conviction that Christ has given you the opportunity to become free, and if in life you hold on to Christ – who has the power to help you overcome the burden through his holy spirit world – if it becomes possible for you to switch to higher thinking, then you will also shed this sense of guilt. In faith and in prayer you will find the strength to overcome this sense of guilt.”

Now, there are human beings who align their lives with the divine. They place everything in God’s hands, and they also trust that they have been granted forgiveness. And they also have their quiet times, when they are able to enter into an intimate connection, as I would like to put it, with the world of God, in order to become free of such guilt. I would like to mention Communion – in this sacred rite, each individual is offered so many opportunities to become free of their inner spiritual afflictions. In such a sacred hour, it is possible to become free and to adopt and maintain higher thinking. So, once again, it is up to human beings themselves: they decide whether or not to continue brooding, whether or not they have the strength. So much is up to human beings. The faith that is proclaimed, the word of God, could have so much power over a human being if they are willing to accept the word of God in order to become free of spiritual guilt.

Should such a human being die with this sense of guilt, they will again find themselves at the same point in their next life. They did not overcome it. God has forgiven them, Christ has forgiven them – this forgiveness should be sacred to them. If they are unable to accept it, then a burden will remain in their soul until the time comes when they awaken to higher understanding and then become free of this inner feeling of guilt.

Now, what I have just explained to you must not be taken as universally applicable; rather, this spiritual cause will only be the underlying factor here and there. Nonetheless, it is also a reality.

So, dear brothers and sisters, I have once again opened heaven for you and tried to guide you to the thresholds in order for you to gain insight. I have made it possible for you, and it is up to you whether or not you are willing to accept in heart and soul all that has been presented to you. The holy ones of heaven exert themselves for human beings and offer them their services. And as such, you should also accept these services. […]

Excerpt from a lecture by spirit-teacher Joseph, received in German through the medium Beatrice Brunner at the Academy of Music in Zurich, 27 April 1974