The Warmth Organisation of the Human Being and Fever

Reiner Penter describes warmth as the central foundation of human life, consciousness and health. Body warmth is not a given but a cultural and individual achievement. A distinction is made between core warmth, the variable body shell and the head as an area of strong heat loss. The circadian rhythm of warmth influences sleep, wakefulness, concentration and soul state. Warmth and soul change together: cold leads to centring and rigidity, warmth to expansion and well-being. Movement is an essential generator of warmth, as is soul activity. In illness, and especially in fever, the organising force of the organism becomes evident. Fever is presented and substantiated as a healing process and therapeutic principle, for example in mistletoe therapy.

A contribution by Reiner Penter to the autumn conference 2025 of the Natural Science Section at the Goetheanum.

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Published: 10 April 2026