691. In this mental perspective all things or manifestations produced by human beings will constitute the absolute near zone for the human being. In the case of the animals, the animals' manifestations will constitute their near zone, just as "plant experiences" will be plant beings' unconditional mental near zone. The fact that these near zones are not equally detailed for all beings – the plant being has only an "inkling of details", the animals have "details concerning self-preservation", while the terrestrial human being, who still belongs to the animal stage, has in addition the beginnings of "I-experiences" in their sensory area – does not alter the principle, but on the contrary rather proves the point and indeed completely confirms it as a fact. It is, however, easy to understand that all such details or experiences that we do not find ourselves amongst must be considered as belonging to the distant zone in our mental sensory area, compared to the experiences that we find ourselves amongst. The experiences of a more or less intelligent or intellectual nature that terrestrial human beings finds itself amongst, but that the animal, on account of its less evolved state, senses with greater difficulty or is not in a position to sense at all, cannot possibly be included in the same mental perspective in the case of these two beings. For the human being they must be irrefutably details from the mental near zone, whereas for the animal they can be details only from the mental distant zone.
      When we describe something using a technical term, in reality the very same conditions apply. For a carpenter his experiences of woodwork will belong more to his mental near zone than, for example, experiences of working with steel and iron, which in the same way will belong more to the mental near zone of a blacksmith. The occupation or form of manifestation in which we particularly have our field of experience is therefore a near zone within our mental horizon, and is therefore more easily surveyed than that in which we do not experience anything, and this at the same time renders the mental perspectivistic relationship an incontestable fact.
      If we therefore find ourselves in mental perspectivistic relationships, just as we find ourselves in physical ones, it is quite natural that our existence is influenced by them. And it is this influence that is revealed in our spiritual knowledge and insight, and indeed forms the entire basis of our morality standard and daily appearance.