360. So the "animal kingdom" is really only a continuation of the "plant kingdom", although in the former the basic energies have actually reached another stage of their rhythmic courses. "Instinct-energy" has become less dominant and is steadily on the decline while "intelligence-energy" has definitely begun to come to the fore. The individual begins to be able to analyze, thereby becoming conscious of the details of the outer world, and begins to acquire knowledge. But the most prominent energy here is "gravity-energy" (fire) which, as the picture shows, is culminating. It is consequently this energy which characterizes the zone. But as "feeling-energy" (cold) is also strongly in evidence – as shown in the illustration – the "animal kingdom" does not turn into a flaming ocean of fire nor a glowing solar mass. The "feeling-energy" holds the "gravity-energy" in check so that it only manifests as "warmth". Therefore all living beings in the "animal kingdom" – that is to say beings whose bodies or organisms are composed of the combination of matter belonging to this zone – are all without exception "warm" creatures although this does not imply, of course, that they are all equally "warm". There are certainly creatures within this zone which we call "cold-blooded", but they do have some form of "warmth" in their flesh and blood. It is simply that their body-temperature is a few degrees colder than that of the higher animals, but they are still "warmer" than plant-beings, who indeed also have a certain degree of warmth and whose bodies must therefore also be considered as "warm" organisms, for they are not able to survive below freezing point. The manifestation of "warm" organisms thus culminates in the animal kingdom. It is among beings in this kingdom that "gravity-energy", that is explosive energy, is present in the greatest measure.
      Although "feeling-energy" to a great measure is also present in this zone, it cannot hold "gravity-energy" completely in check, and so in this same zone there will be a great many "explosions", that is to say, there will be very many areas in which the effects of "feeling-energy", the cooling, contracting energy, suddenly give way and the effects of "gravity-energy" momentarily gain advantage.
      In this zone living beings' organisms are based on a certain dominance of "feeling" over "gravity-energy" and so a physical and mental disturbance will arise in this type of being each time that dominance is broken down. As this disturbance is explosive, it damages or destroys all concentrations of matter. As the physical organisms of living beings are made up of these concentrations of matter, they are to a high degree subject to this damage. It is this damage that we call "illness". All forms of accidents and every physical injury, regardless of how it might have come about or what one might point to as being the cause, is identical in every case with "gravity-energy" breaking away from the control of "feeling-energy". As the mentality or thought function in this zone is to a large extent based upon experiences acquired through the physical organism, then these "explosions" or injuries to the organisms will indeed create corresponding disturbances in the mental processes or mentality of the individuals in question. We call these disturbances "grief", "depression", "mental handicap" or "insanity". All these phenomena are without exception the result of an imbalance between the energies of "gravity" and "feeling".
      As "gravity-energy" culminates in the "animal kingdom" and only appears in the other kingdoms to a lesser extent in relation to the other energies, then the "animal kingdom" is the zone in which bodily and mental suffering culminates. Consequently this kingdom has been called in "Livets Bog" the "zone of the killing principle". All experiences in this zone are actually based upon disharmony and suffering, imperfection and primitiveness. It is thus the zone of "darkness". It is the only kind of "hell" that exists.
      The fact that this zone has thus become the habitat of darkness and suffering is also because "intelligence-energy" has just begun to assert itself strongly, so that with its assistance people have been enabled to expand their physical day-consciousness extensively with genuine knowledge instead of their consciousness having just the ability to "sense vaguely" or to work "instinctively".
      Now, with the beginning of "intelligence" living beings are able to enter into the purely physical character of their experiences and profit by learning from them. Initially, however, this learning is used in favour of expanding the "killing principle". The energy of explosion is employed to serve the interests of self-preservation. As it is really necessary in this zone to kill in order to survive, the primary use of "intelligence-energy" will be for the benefit of proficiency in the art of killing. But animal creatures have absolutely no ability to acquire any special knowledge of the living being's eternal existence or immortal nature, for, as shown in the picture, "intuition-energy" is here quite latent. As it is this latter energy that gives access to life's highest world of ideas, and as the energy of "memory" or "bliss" is strongly degenerating in these beings, then their perception of existence, their ideals and morals can only be reflections from the zone of the "killing principle". Their greatest desire can only be to become a genius in murder. And we can see how this genius unfolds and governs the "animal" in its most perfect manifestation which is indeed terrestrial man himself.
      This being is the culminating genius in murder with his knowledge of explosives, his many kinds of bombs and guns, his lack of awareness of the higher forms of life, or existence, and his deficient faculty of love resulting in a homicidal moral standard.
      Therefore, on account of that particular combination of basic energies in the second zone of the "spiral", the animal in the form of terrestrial man is the strongest opponent of life and existence. The being here is his own most "deadly enemy" but does not recognize it. It is here in the "spiral's" second zone that the living beings' experience of the contrast to reality is created, in other words, an existence almost devoid of intellectuality, love and the Godhead.