Hidden Nature

atmospheric energies ready for fertilization by the Sun's energies the

following day. As Schauberger observes: 'Thus, apart from a purely

sexual process of procreation, a process of higher genesis here con-

fronts us with the ability to endow quantity with quality.'^8

Cold fire

Viktor Schauberger has described an eerie experience he had with

dynagen ethericities, which in this case produced what is known as

'cold fire,' a strange bioelectric phenomenon:

Over thirty years ago, walking in a virgin, Alpine forest, I

came upon a flattish mound covered with vivid green grass

and a profusion of bright flowers that did not seem to belong

in those surroundings. It was close to a gamecock's courtship

display ground, so I decided to spend the night in this remote

spot, in order to witness these fine birds display at daybreak.

Towards midnight, I was roused by a bluish-white flame curl-

ing up from the mound and jumped up to extinguish this

incipient forest fire.

In the meantime the flame had grown a metre high and

took on an egg-shaped form, similar to those that now and

again issue from rock fissures and, like shining dewdrops,

stand on the point of a rock. Many years ago a chief forester

from Vienna, Walter Hackel, photographed just such a strange

light over a metre in height. A copy of the photograph was

unfortunately lost at the end of the war, or rather was stolen

by looters of my apartment.

However, at that time I knew nothing of these things and

so I backed away in horror, as I stood in this pitch-black

darkness before an ever more powerfully flaring and heatless

flame, which threw a pale glimmer into the surroundings. At

first, like a man possessed, with my heavy mountain staff, I

hit at the place from where tongue after tongue of this

mysterious egg-light sprang up. When I noticed that this shaft

of light sprang from the rock at only one point, I ceased to

flail away at the supposed forest fire and loosened the

surrounding soil. This, however, had no effect.

Then I held my hand in this egg-light and instead of

feeling the anticipated heat, experienced an icy coldness and

HIDDEN NATURE