Illogic often disguises itself as logic.

Originally posted in German on 31st May 2026

The danger lies not in the obvious, but in that form of illogic which disguises itself as particularly reasonable, helpful, spiritual or good.

The previous article ‘The Cycle of the Illogical’ described how human development is based on a conscious logic. The real difficulty, however, is that illogicality rarely shows itself openly as an error. Rather, it often occurs in a form that at first glance appears very reasonable.

Article by Heinz Grill

The dominance of subjective perception

The statement, which the great Indian sage Sivananda said with a kind of irony, that yoga students should not confuse the rising Kundalini-Shakti¹⁾kundalini = ‘coiled’ sakti = force, energy, creative power. In the yoga tradition, kundalini-sakti refers to a creative spiritual force of humans that is effective in the development of consciousness. It is often depicted as energy rising along the spine in the form of a snake. Swami Sivananda is referring to this. with arthritis in the back, is more relevant than would be generally believed today. Unfortunately, many people confuse experiences of enlightenment with pure earthly sensuality.

In fact, one of the greatest conceptions that most people have today is that of totalitarian body worship. People could not possibly develop because the moods that the body and the feelings tied to it might produce are different. The dominance of matter and all of its unconscious turmoil in instinctual desire is so powerful that it itself steers the preciousness of logic into that one-sided determination and defines justifications not causally, but purely from the body, ”I can’t do it because, in my case, my body simply doesn’t meet the requirements”.

“Together we are strong against Ahriman and will push him back out of world creation”. Unfortunately, however, this kind of temptation lives most often in groups and with this individual’s forget conscious self-examination and self-reflection on the path of spiritual realisation, so that Ahriman, the tempting power, stays clinging in the souls of humanity.

When the illogical appears as true

This is how many people perceive a logic that rises directly from the purely subjective interpretation of spiritual concepts with a veiling power, and this causes all imagination, inspired ideas and thought realities to be forgotten. This self-serving perception, embossed and wrapped, within the tightly enclosed circle of palpable and fear-laden emotions, does in fact bring logic down and elevates the illogical to motivation and truth, but this can only be seen upon closer inspection. It is the tempting power, referred to as Ahriman, orientated towards world-attachment and the desire for safety, publicity and personal gain, that gives rise to a new form of logic.²⁾ Rudolf Steiner describes Ahriman as a being that binds human beings to materialism, pure external safety and a one-sided intellectual orientation. See various lectures on the anthroposophical study of human nature. This new logic leads to cajoling delusion and overthrows fidelity to spirit. While a logic quietly resides in the phenomena of nature and all apersonal world-formations, the illogical repeatedly rises within humanity, because the human consciousness is not yet sufficiently armed against temptation and the resulting error.

“I’ll support you with your lecture!” This statement seems at first glance to be helpful, collegial and at the very least not illogical. If, however, the embarrassing question arises as to whether the person, who said they were so supportive, knows what the topic of the lecture is, they would often reply with no. The polite gesture ‘I’ll support you’ is therefore often a personal one that avoids any material reference. It is the temptation that is usually referred to as the Luciferic being, which prefers the personal nice and good sphere and avoids real relationship to the actual topic³⁾According to Rudolf Steiner, Luciferic forces work primarily through subjective idealising and letting go of practical reality. illogic often rises and disguises itself behind the so-called good person, but at first glance this seems very logical.

The logic of the heart

The logic that leads to the centring of the heart centre and to an initial radiation requires a constant overcoming of all half-finished, illogical word formulations, half-hearted actions, dishonest polite gestures, one-sided evaluations and, above all, false spiritual word-formulations.

The article highlights the following questions:

What does it mean when illogicality disguises itself as logic?

Illogicality often is not obviously an error but appears in the form of seemingly plausible thoughts, arguments or beliefs. Particularly when personal desires, fears or habits influence the thinking, a thought may seem logical, without actually being sound.

What role does subjective perception play in spiritual misconceptions?

Subjective perception is always influenced by personal experiences, feelings and prior conditioning. If these influences are not consciously reflected upon, they can distort the perception of reality.

What does Rudolf Steiner understand Ahriman to be?

Rudolf Steiner describes Ahriman as those forces that bind human beings to materialism, safety, power and purely outer facts. As a result, the free and comprehensive ability for insights to knowledge become constrained.

What does Rudolf Steiner understand Lucifer to be?

Lucifer can be described as those forces that can seduce human beings to subjective enthusiasm, overestimation of themselves or a detachment from the objective reality.

Why is self-reflection important for spiritual development?

Self-reflection makes it possible to consciously examine one’s own motives, thoughts and reactions. It forms a basis for recognising errors and developing a more objective relationship with reality.

What significance does the heart centre have for logic?

The heart centre can be understood as that inner instance that connects insights, perception and actions with each other. A logic of the heart arises through truthfulness, factual relevance and overcoming personal one-sidedness.