Thomas Meyer - Bibliographical Overview

- by Ann Watson

Thomas Meyer is a resident in Basel Switzerland, where he is fully engaged in Anthroposophical work, although his work is not within the Goetheanum, but as a free lance writer, publisher, lecturer and teacher of Rudolf Steiner's legacy of Spiritual Science.  Thomas puts out a magazine which includes historical and current events seen from the light of an anthroposophical world view.  There are, in his magazine as well, biographical articles, of both the leading anthroposophists and also not-so-well known people around Steiner himself, and also those who lived amd worked in the milieu into which Spiritual Science incarnated at the beginning of our modern era.  Thomas's magazine, which is called 'Der Europaer', and which means 'The European' is published once a month and has been available for subscription for over a decade.

In my opinion however, Thomas Meyer's main contribution to the life of Anthroposophy in our times is definitely his books.  He has written a significant number of books, although (unfortunately) several of them have never become available in the English language.  The ones that have been translated put him into the same category as the most prolific anthroposophical writers of our time.  He has written such monumental, and not adequately appreciated, books as 'D.N.Dunop, A Man Of Our Times'; and the truly amazing book 'Light For The New Millenium'.  These two books alone rank Thomas Meyer as the greatest historian on the work of Rudolf Steiner.  They are also highly educational in coming to an understanding of Rudolf Steiner as the greatest occultist of the twentieth century.  People don't generally realize that in these two above mentioned books the daily life of Anthroposophy's founder comes into view in a way that cannot be experienced from any other source.  For this alone the interested reader owes Thomas Meyer a grateful acknowledgement.

The other books on Thomas's roster are 'Reality, Truth and Evil', a collection of facts about the days in and around the destruction of the Twin Trade Towers in New York City on September 11th 2001.  His book has been acclaimed by the 9 \ 11 Truth Organization for finding facts that no one else writing about these events found.

Also written by Thomas is a small book on the difference between clairvoyance in ancient times and the clairvoyant consciousness that is attainable today.  The title of this book is 'Clairvoyance and Consciousness'.

Another fascinating book by the same author is 'The Death of Merlin'.  This book is a collection of writings by Walter Johannes Stein, one of the most creative spirits in Rudolf Steiner's closest entourage.  To any modern day person, the content of this book is so highly informative on Rosicrucianism that one cannot possibly understand Rudolf Steiner's numerous comments on the topic without it.  Walter Johannes Stein had an encyclopaedic knowledge of reincarnation, alchemy, the mythological perspective of history (such as the Grail) and also of the era of the Middle Ages in general as well as natural medicine and economics.  This is definitely the most fascinating book ever written on these topics.  The short essays in 'The Death Of Merlin' are edited by Thomas Meyer from the magazine that Stein published called 'The Present Age'.  'The Present Age' was brought into circulation by Stein after D N Dunlop, who was his mentor after Rudolf Steiner's death had suddenly passed away.  The two men, Stein and Dunlop were planning to bring this magazine into production together.

Thomas Meyer's most recent book is called 'Rudolf Steiner's Core Mission', and takes you into Steiner's early twenties and follows the unfolding of his ability to research human beings' past lives.   There are many anecdotes that have never before been published as well as other peoples' research in taking Steiner's indications further.  For example, there was, in the times just following Steiner's life an anthroposophist, who did his own historical research into one of the characters in Steiner's autobiography.  He came to a conclusion, as to who this fellow was in a past life, that for anyone interested in Early Christianity, a profound and yet acceptable possibility is presented.  All this you will find in "Rudolf Steiner's Core Mission".  This book, like many of Thomas's books, also gives the reader an informed, objective insight into the years of internal conflict within the  Anthroposophical Society following Rudolf Steiner's death.  This, in my opinion is an important and often overlooked aspect of the Anthroposophical Society's history.  I feel that the anthroposophists of today can't really get a grasp on their relationship to Rudolf Steiner's magnificent edifice without this historical view.

Thomas Meyer's other translated book 'The Bodhisattva Question' describes the history of the Theosophical Movement's grave and terminating error of proclaiming the reincarnation of Christ in the Indian boy Krishnamurti.  I say terminating because this was the event that ultimately ended Rudolf Steiner's relationship with the Theosophical Society.  As well as this, 'The Bodhisattva Question" also covers the time right after Steiner's death when there was a movement to elevate Steiner himself to the position of  Matreiya Buddha.  For those who aren't aware, the Matrieya Buddha is to follow Gautama Buddha in the succession of buddhahood.  Rudolf Steiner talked on this topic numerous times and his comments were then superimposed onto himself by one of the more active  members of the anthroposophical society at that time. At the end of this book there are two lectures by Elizabeth Vreede, who may be a perhaps somewhat obscure member of the original vorstand, who spoke out against the movement that was proclaiming Steiner as Matreiya Buddha.  Whether one has one's own opinion on this or not, the book is written in a light and human way that makes it a captivating and educating read.

Hopefully this is enough information on Thomas Meyer to entice any and all to join Christina Sophia and I in welcoming Thomas Meyer back to North America for his third expedition to this part of our big universe!