The present volume contains lectures given by Rudolf Steiner to members in Berlin in 1903 and 1904. Two discussions (December 1, 1903 and January 26, 1904) and a handwritten lecture manuscript by Rudolf Steiner for November 7, 1904 have also been included. Members' lectures from 1905 in Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Düsseldorf and Lugano (1906) are printed in GA 90b.
It is often no longer possible to tell whether the notes were taken at branch lectures, at Rudolf Steiner's talks in smaller groups, or even at private lessons for individuals. Presumably, the boundaries were fluid in these early days of Rudolf Steiner's theosophical work.
Rudolf Steiner developed the majority of the topics covered in this volume simultaneously or later for his written work. Particular reference is made here to:
- Mysticism in the Dawn of Modern Spiritual Life and its Relationship to the Modern World Picture (1901, GA 7)
- Christianity as Mystical Fact and the Mysteries of Antiquity (1902, CW 8)
- Theosophy: An Introduction to Supersensible World Knowledge and Human Destiny (1904, CW 9)
- How to Know Higher Worlds (1904-1905, GA10)
- From the Akasha Chronicle (1904-1908, GA 11)
- The Stages of Higher Knowledge (1905-1908, GA 12)
- Lucifer - Gnosis, fundamental essays on anthroposophy (1903-1908, GA 35)
| I. | World Wisdom and Human Wisdom | September 28, 1903 |
| II. | Does Everything in the World Have a Useful Purpose? | October 30, 1903 |
| III. | Cosmic Epochs and Conditions and their Correspondence in Human Development. The Eighth Sphere | November 10, 1903 |
| IV. | Where Does Diversity Come From? | November 16, 1903 |
| V. | About Sinnet's “Esoteric Buddhism” | November 17, 1903 |
| VI. | On the Process of Becoming of the Human Races | December 1, 1903 |
| VII. | On the Origin of Planetary Systems | December 15, 1903 |
| VIII. | Cosmology and Planets | December 22, 1903 |
| IX. | Pitris | Early January, 1904 |
| X. | Description of the Rounds | January 5, 1904 |
| XI. | The Formation of the Aura I | January 12, 1904 |
| XII. | The Formation of the Aura II | January 19, 1904 |
| XIII. | The Formation of the Cosmos According to Annie Besant's “Ancient Wisdom” | January 26, 1904 |
| XIV. | The Second Logos | February 2, 1904 |
| XV. | On the Formation of the Cosmos | February 9, 1904 |
| XVI. | The Development of Beings | February 16, 1904 |
| XVII. | On Devachan | February 18, 1904 |
| XVIII. | The Mosaic Creation Story and the Rounds | February 22, 1904 |
| XIX. | Microcosm and Macrocosm | March 3, 1904 |
| XX. | On the Sattva State | March 11, 1904 |
| XXI. | Genesis I | April 1, 1904 |
| XXII. | Genesis II | April 29, 1904 |
| XXIII. | White Lotus Day | May 2, 1904 |
| XXIV. | The Salvation of Humanity | May 15, 1904 |
| XXV. | On the Apocalypse I | May 21, 1904 |
| XXVI. | On the Apocalypse II | May 24, 1904 |
| XXVII. | On the Significance of the Oldest Parts of the Old Testament | May 27, 1904 |
| XXVII. | The Principle of Correlation | June 12, 1904 |
| XXIX. | The Concept of Objective Presence and Subjective Perception | June 13, 1904 |
| XXX. | The Following Rounds | June 15, 1904 |
| XXXI. | The Main Law of All Round Evolution | June 16, 1904 |
| XXXII. | Reincarnation And Karma | June 18, 1904 |
| XXXIII. | What Does Man Gain From Knowing His Past? | June 20, 1904 |
| XXXIV. | Ways of Coming to Knowledge and Will | June 22, 1904 |
| XXXV. | Differences in the Structure of the Spirit Between the Second Rama, Krishna and Buddha | June 25, 1904 |
| XXXVI. | On Atlantean Culture | June 26, 1904 |
| XXXVII. | On Atlantis | June 27, 1904 |
| XXXVIII. | On Lemuria | June 28, 1904 |
| XXXIX. | The Fifth Root Race: Fire | June 29, 1904 |
| XL. | Planetary Chains | June 30, 1904 |
| XLI. | Noun and Verb | July 1, 1904 |
| XLII. | The Universe From the Outside | July 8, 1904 |
| XLIII. | Further Development of our Planet | July 10, 1904 |
| XLIV. | Modern Biblical Research | July 11, 1904 |
| XLV. | Occult Research on the Gospels | July 18, 1904 |
| XLVI. | The Gospels and Initiation | July 25, 1904 |
| XLVII. | An Overview of Our Development | July 26, 1904 |
| XLVIII. | Incarnation | August 2, 1904 |
| XLIX. | Outlook on the Next Rounds | August 10, 1904 |
| L. | The Task of the Second Half of Development | August 11, 1904 |
| LI. | Where Does Evil Come From? | August 12, 1904 |
| LII. | Ancient Wisdom | August 13, 1904 |
| LIII. | Essence, Perception, and Actions | August 14, 1904 |
| LIV. | On the Purpose and the Home of Man | August 16, 1904 |
| LV. | The Structure of Man | August 23, 1904 |
| LVI. | The Structure of Man II | August 30, 1904 |
| LVII. | The Realms | September 5, 1904 |
| LVIII. | Medieval Wisdom | September 9, 1904 |
| LIX. | Apocalypse I | October 3, 1904 |
| LX. | Apocalypse II | October 10, 1904 |
| LXI. | The Early Chapters of Genesis | October 12, 1904 |
| LXII. | Apocalypse III | October 17, 1904 |
| LXIII. | Apocalypse IV | October 24, 1904 |
| LXIV. | On Clairvoyance | October 30, 1904 |
| LXV. | Apocalypse V | November 1, 1904 |
| LXVI. | Summary of the Previous Discourses on the Apocalypse | November 1, 1904 |
| LXVII. | Apocalypse VI | November 7, 1904 |
| LXVIII. | The Seven Post-Atlantean Sub-Races | November 11, 1904 |
| LXIX. | On the Migrations of the Races | November 12, 1904 |
| LXX. | Apocalypse VII | November 14, 1904 |
| LXXI. | The Origin of Karma | November 14, 1904 |
| LXXII. | The Birth of Light: a Christmas Reflection | December 19, 1904 |
| LXXIII. | Cosmology and the Development of Consciousness | December 24, 1904 |
| LXXIV. | The Development of Man | December 25, 1904 |
| LXXV. | The Rounds on the Seven Planets | December 26, 1904 |
| LXXVI. | Creation of Races up to the Fertilization with Manas (Animal Separations) | December 27, 1904 |
| LXXVII. | Events in the Second Half of the Lemurian Racial Development | December 28, 1904 |
| LXXVIII. | Picture of the Development on the Moon and on the Earth | December 29, 1904 |
| LXXIX. | Past and Future Rounds | December 30, 1904 |
| LXXX. | The Feast of the Epiphany (Three Kings) | December 30, 1904 |
| LXXXI. | Separation into Male and Female | December 31, 1904 |
