Theosophy - Spiritualism in its Relation to Theosophy - by Emily Kislingbury - as published in "Theosophical Siftings"
Spiritualism In Its Relation to Theosophy
by Emily Kislingbury, FTS
[A paper read before the Blavatsky Lodge of the Theosophical
Society in 1892]
As published in “Theosophical Siftings” - Volume -5- [1892-1893]
“Nothing extenuate, nor set
down aught in malice”
[Page 3] You
will see, by the motto I have chosen for this paper, that I shall endeavour, in treating of this subject,
to be fair to all sides. And I lay particular stress upon
this because I know first, how beset with difficulties the
subject is in itself, and secondly, because I myself stand
in a peculiar relation towards it. This relation has one
great advantage attached to it and one equally great disadvantage.
The advantage, as all my Spiritualist friends (and I hope
there are some here tonight) very well know, is that having
been for about five years officially connected with the National
Association of Spiritualists, as the chief Society was then
called, and for some four or five years before that intimately
associated with some of the leaders of the movement, I had
ample opportunities both of investigating its phenomena during
what I may call its most phenomenal stage, and of observing
its influence on those who practised it; and also the tendency
of its teachings on the minds of those who tried to get at
the force behind the phenomena, and to explain those phenomena
by means of evidence culled from all parts of the world.
These I call advantages.
My disadvantage may be considered by some to lie in the
fact that, being now no longer in sympathy with all the explanations
accepted by my Spiritualist friends, I may be a little inclined
(though I have always carefully guarded against that position)
to underrate the reasoning which seems to them, and once
seemed to me, to be so cogent and all-sufficient to meet
the difficulties of the case.
I must apologize for speaking so much of myself, but to
those who do not know me, I think it better to justify my
attitude towards this subject, and to account to them for
what may seem a bold step in taking it up at all. I want
them to understand that I am not speaking from hearsay or
from second-hand information, but from actual knowledge [Page
4] founded on personal experience and personal contact with
the facts and individuals concerned. I also want, if possible,
to point out some things which seem to me to be unnecessarily
dividing two classes of students who ought to join hands
in a more friendly manner than they do at present, for I
think the division between them is a good deal owing to a
mutual misunderstanding of each other's position. There is
much in common between Spiritualists and Theosophists, and
I don't see why there should be now any antagonism between
them.
In stating what I hold to be the truth about the whole matter,
I shall doubtless (and unavoidably) say some things distasteful
to both sides — but to heal a wound you must probe it
to the core, in order to remove any matter which is an obstacle
to healthy growth. I hope that I shall not give any unnecessary
pain, and I hope that at the conclusion of my paper our Spiritualist
friends, should there be any here present, will speak their
minds freely and criticize my remarks on this important subject.
Now, on first coming face to face with the phenomena of
Spiritualism, the effect they are likely to produce on the
mind depends greatly on the experience that lies behind the
investigator. In this paper I shall assume that he is honest
himself and has to deal only with honest and honourable persons,
and that the facts before him are real, and not fraudulent.
The case of fraud or otherwise in mediumship is not before
us tonight; it is an unsavoury subject and need not here
be considered. All that we need postulate is that the same
care and caution are brought to the investigation as would
be brought by any earnest student to experiments and research
into other natural (so-called) physical phenomena — perhaps
rather more. Take a man of trained mind — Mr. William
Crookes, for example. After a sufficient number of trials
under the strictest test conditions, electrical tests and
others devised by himself, the séances being held
in his own house, he was forced to the conclusion, which
he nobly maintained in face of the ridicule of the Scientific
Society of which he was even then the greatest ornament,
that there is at work a force not hitherto taken into account
by the world of Science at large (modern Science, of course)
to which he gave the name of Psychic Force, governed by an
intelligence, though he gives no opinion as to its nature.
To this position I believe he still holds; publicly at least
he has never gone back from it.
I pass over such fugitive experiments as those made by Professor
Lankester and Dr. Donkin, which led to the celebrated Slade
trial, which trial resulted, from the nature of the evidence
given, in a complete victory for Spiritualism. Among the
followers of Crookes was [Page 5] Serjeant Cox, founder of
the Psychological Society, which died with him and was revived
in the Society for Psychical Research, of which no more need
be said.
But there were others, men of equally trained minds, of
European celebrity, who could not rest in this hypothesis,
but found themselves constrained to connect these phenomena
with intelligences independent of the medium, basing their
conclusions equally on long experiment and research, and
pursuing the subject with equal earnestness. Among these
were Mr. Alfred Russel Wallace, Mr. Cromwell Varley, F.R.S.,
Dr. Perty, Professor of Natural Science at the University
of Berne; Prof. Hoffmann, of the Würzburg University;
Dr. Boutlerof, Professor of Chemistry at St. Petersburg;
Prof. Zöllner, of Leipzig, author of Transcendental
Physics; Camille Flammarion, Astronomer Royal of France;
Professors Hare and Mapes, of the United States, and numbers
of others. All these were driven to accept the theory generally
understood as "Spiritual", as the only one which
covered the facts with which they had become familiar.
I do not now stop to consider the third class of believers,
namely, the great mass of Spiritualists par excellence — not
that I think their evidence unworthy of acceptance, but because
I am concerned tonight more with classifying theories than
with bringing forward individual witnesses. Their testimony
may be found in innumerable writings. Among the best are
those of Mr. W. Stainton Moses, on Psychography, or direct
writing; Mr. Epes Sargent, a retired schoolmaster of Boston;
Mr. Wm. Howitt, Mr. S. C. Hall, Mrs. de Morgan, whose book,
From Matter to Spirit, published in 1863 and now out of print,
opens with a preface by her husband, sometime President of
the Mathematical Society of London, and a recent work by
Florence Marryat, entitled, There is no Death; also in the
pages of the Spiritualist newspaper and of the Spiritual
Magazine.
The names I have mentioned are sufficient guarantee that
the Spiritualist theory was not adopted merely by the ignorant,
the unintellectual, or the untrained; still there were some
among them who, not being altogether satisfied as to the
source of the phenomena, and being scandalized, or, rather,
saddened by the low-class character of certain manifestations,
and the deterioration of character among public mediums,
began to look around for some new light on the whole subject,
and were thus ready to welcome the doctrine which was soon
to be given to the world. For it is matter of history that
the Theosophical Society drew the chief of its first adherents
from the ranks of Spiritualism. In New York Colonel Olcott,
the author of People from Another World, [Page 6] and widely
known as a pronounced Spiritualist, was chosen, doubtless,
by "those who know", to be one of the founders
and the President of the whole Society; Mr. A. E. Newton,
at that time President of the Spiritualist Society of New
York, was also one of the original members of the Theosophical
Society; likewise Mr. C. C. Massey, and, for a time, Mrs.
Emma Hardinge Britten. In England, four out of five of the
original group were members of the British National Association
of Spiritualists, as well as the first two presidents, Mr.
C. C. Massey and Dr. George Wyld. During the first year of
its existence, the English Theosophical Society continued
to be recruited almost entirely, if not solely, from the
Spiritualist ranks (Mrs. Edwin Ellis, Madame de Steiger,
Miss Arundale are names which occur to me at this moment).
After that time the outside world began to make inquiry and
to join the Theosophical movement.
The reason for this is not far to seek, for there can be
no doubt that Spiritualists, in consequence of their familiarity
with the phenomena so largely commented on in Isis Unveiled,
brought to the study of occult matters a certain preparedness
of mind for the reception of the new teaching; while the
materialist, on the other hand, had many a hard nut to crack
before he could admit the reality of the marvels of Theosophy.
But in the majority of instances a contrary effect was produced
among Spiritualists, and for reasons which I will try to
show.
H. P. Blavatsky had, by the publication of her great work,
Isis Unveiled, driven, as it were, a wedge into the very
heart of the Spiritualist movement, by which it was split
into two opposing camps. There were those who had either
never been satisfied or were beginning to be dissatisfied
with the Spiritualist theory of the return of their departed
friends; the extraordinary development of the "materializations" — first,
hands only, then faces and heads, lastly the full forms,
such as those of "Katie King," so amply attested
by Mr. Crookes, the "Lenore" of Miss Showers and
others, in England, not to speak of the countless mediums
in the United States — this development had reached its
culmination in the home of the Eddy Brothers in Vermont,
where Madame Blavatsky first met with Colonel Olcott, as
related in his book above mentioned. To him was first given
the explanation that the beings acting behind these masks
were indeed "people from another world", but that
they were by no means those whom they represented themselves
to be. They were but the Kama-rupic dregs, or cast-off lower
principles, of former men and women, helped by certain elementals
to utilize the vital forces of the medium, [Page 7] masquerading
as the personalities of such departed friends as the persons
assisting at the séances desired to invoke. This was
proved to Colonel Olcott by the fact that from the moment
Madame Blavatsky appeared on the scene, the so-called "spirits" of
Cossacks, Kalmucks and various Russian or Tartar tribes likewise
appeared in all the bravery of their national costumes, too
correct and too extraordinary to have been conjured up by
the imagination of the farmer's wife and her sons at Chittenden.
Madame Blavatsky also explained to him that she had by her
knowledge of the forces at work, and by the exercise of her
will-power that certain spirits should appear, actually caused
their appearance, and that many other persons unconsciously
bring about that which she had consciously performed. Once
this theory was made known, it acted as a spark to a train
of gunpowder. Those who could not see its reasonableness,
nor how completely it fitted the facts that lay so plentifully
to hand, and to which no former explanation had ever fully
sufficed, were roused to furious anger against one who came
amongst them as a stranger, with her new-fangled teachings
about masks and shells and false personalities, robbing them
of their cherished beliefs and the hopes they had founded
on too insecure a basis. The mothers who believed their little
ones to be waiting for their arrival in the Summerland, and
that they came rapping round on the tables and chairs in
the home-circle, dear and familiar as ever, told H. P. B.
that no woman would ever believe in her. Spiritualistic professors
scoffed at her as a played-out medium, they would have none
of her. The clamour and discussion that were raised now seem
incredible, and from that moment to this their echoes have
never died away. The wise were thankful that the dangers
attendant on mediumship were pointed out to them, and even
those who persevered in its development learned to be more
cautious, but did not any the more acknowledge their indebtedness
to Theosophic explanations; they had learned, they said,
from their own experience, which was partly true.
I must admit that there is some excuse to be made for these
people. It is annoying when you think you have made a new
discovery — and it was new or had a new awakening as
a systematic development in the West from the time of the
Rochester rappings and the experiences of the Fox girls — it
is annoying when you have worked patiently and doggedly at
some new thing, when an unknown person from an unknown land
and with an unknown past, suddenly drops down amongst you
and declares that it is all as old as the hills, and that
she knows how it is done. And just because some of the deepest
feelings of human nature are involved in these matters, and [Page 8] because their truth or falsehood is of such deep
and vital import, just as in religious controversy, the fiercest
passions are quickly aroused, and the world is set ablaze
in a short space of time.
All these results were anticipated by H. P. Blavatsky, and
in Isis Unveiled she makes various statements to this effect
(e.g. vol. 2, page 637).
But there were also those who, having applied the Theosophical
key to the phenomena in question, and being convinced of
its efficacy and truth, found themselves once more at the
parting of the ways, and in danger of pointing out the road
to others on which they dared no longer travel themselves.
Such was my own position. When I looked round and saw the
injury resulting from "physical séances" as
they were called, to the mediums, both here and in America;
when I saw them breaking down, some physically, others morally,
all going sooner or later to ruin, it became to me impossible
to continue on the same lines as before. The argument that
these manifestations were necessary to break down the wall
of materialism and thus to benefit humanity at the sacrifice
of the mediums, seemed to me no more justifiable than the
argument for vivisection. In fact the vivisectionists had
the best of it, their work being on the physical plane only,
while in the case of the mediums, higher parts of the nature
are concerned; we were, in fact, dealing with souls. And
so I felt bound to sever my five years' official connection
with the Spiritualist Association at Great Russell Street,
and a much longer one with some valued friends, and to break
down as far as possible the bridge which had borne me over
the rising tide of materialism, but which I dared not recommend
others to cross. This is perhaps not the place to make an apologia pro vita sua, but I cite my own case, partly because
my action was greatly misunderstood at the time on account
of attendant circumstances, and partly because that case
was typical of others, who being in a less prominent position
in regard to the movement, their withdrawal from it was less
remarked. Some again, remained in a dilemma out of which
they did not see, and never have seen, the way to extricate
themselves, and this partly for reasons the consideration
of which brings me to the second part of my subject.
The Spiritualists felt, as a body, and I believe I am expressing
what many of them feel today, that the explanations of Theosophy,
however well they may have fitted the facts of the physical
phenomena, do not explain a very large body of facts of a
different and a higher order. And some of these are on that
debatable ground which may be said to lie between Spiritualism
and Theosophy. It is useless, nay more, it is unjust to tell
Spiritualists that the facts which have primarily [Page 9] brought light and knowledge
to them, and actual consolation to many, are all the work of spooks, elementaries and elementals.
Some of them have arrived at similar conclusions, in regard
to certain phenomena, partly from their own experience and
partly by the light borrowed from Theosophy. They have learned
to distrust the Astral plane, which they have discovered
to be not spiritual in the highest sense, and some have found
out the delusiveness of much of that spirit-identity, on
which such great stress was formerly wont to be laid. They
know now that the Astral sphere with which they have had
such long dealing and with which they are so familiar, is
an illusive sphere, and they are far more cautious in their
instructions to inquirers than in the days when all were
invited to form spirit-circles in their own homes, and to
investigate for themselves. But I take it, in common with
my brother Theosophists, that they are not yet fully alive
to the dangers of opening the door to astral influences,
for that door once opened, the more malign among their astral
visitors will take good care not to let it close again, and
will in proportion as "conditions" are favourable
continue to "infest" rather than to visit the mediums,
to the great detriment of all concerned. I would gladly see
all our Spiritualist friends resolutely closing those doors,
and I cannot help thinking that if they would study some
of our Theosophical literature a little more assiduously,
with the advice derived from Adepts with ages of experience
in the subject, they would see ample grounds for the views
held by the Theosophical Society.
And here I must make a remark which I hope will be forgiven
me by my fellow-Theosophists, to the effect that I believe
the attitude which some amongst them have taken up with regard
to Spiritualism has kept back many from making further inquiry
into the true explanations of Theosophy. They have applied
what has been said about physical and low-class manifestations
to the whole range of Spiritualistic phenomena, and by setting
up their crude, second-hand opinions against the matured
experiences of those older, and at least as well educated
as themselves, have deeply wounded some and have made themselves
ridiculous to others.
On the other hand there is amongst Spiritualists too much
tendency to imagine that Theosophy is founded on the opinions
of Madame Blavatsky; whereas her teachings are merely the
outcome of the wisdom of generations of Adepts, with some
of whom she came into personal contact, and from whom she
received the knowledge she has endeavoured to transmit to
the world in her writings. These are there for all to study;
they can read, judge and form their own opinions, if [Page
10] they so prefer — but they should not judge without
either reading or studying.
And now, as to the other class of phenomena I have mentioned
above. Clairvoyance I need scarcely speak of, as probably
all are agreed that it has many degrees; that some mediums
in a state of trance see but dimly and confusedly in the
Astral Light, and therefore tell the sitters partly right,
partly wrong, or that seeing things truly, they interpret
them falsely, especially when helped by so-called "Indian
spirits" which are probably some class of elementals,
nature-spirits, entering into the aura of the medium and
reading off in the Astral Light the records of those who
come for instruction or amusement. It is not so easy to understand
the case of those who treat patients medically with success,
giving prescriptions which are written down by the sitter
and made up at a chemist's, as for instance is done by Mrs.
Olive, now Madame Greck, under the pseudonym of Dr. Forbes.
I have wondered whether the medium may have herself been
a physician bearing that name in a former incarnation, because
some of the cures that have been made by mediums in this
way are undoubtedly genuine and sufficiently remarkable,
and I should like to hear the opinions of both Spiritualists
and Theosophists on this subject.
Take next the more remarkable among the mediumistic writers,
whether by planchette or other mechanical means, either purely
passive or by mental impression. Of course a great deal of
rubbish has been given in this way, and masses of written
matter were brought to me for inspection at Great Russell
Street, of which I could only say, "I would not sit
for anything of this kind". Much of it would be signed
by names of "high spirits" who certainly when on
earth would have produced writings of an order far superior.
But apart from these there still remains a class of writing
giving valuable teaching on the nature of spiritual things,
and enunciating truths certainly not then generally given
to the world. Of such a nature were the writings given to
Mrs. Edward Maitland, Dr. Anna Kingsford, the late Mrs. de
Morgan, whose book From Matter to Spirit I have already mentioned,
the poetic writings of Mrs. Watts, the daughter of William
and Mary Howitt, of Mr. and Mrs. S. C. Hall, and others too
numerous to mention. Another remarkable case is that of Mrs.
Louisa Lowe, the present leader of the lunacy Law Reform,
who was taught the genuine doctrines of Karma and Reincarnation
by means of passive writing, in the year 1868, in a remote
country village, before the systems called Spiritualism or
French Spiritism were known to her to exist, and for practicing
which [Page 11] writing Mrs. Lowe suffered incarceration
in a lunatic asylum for the space of fifteen months.
Writings of the class here alluded to are sometimes given
out by the medium in a state of trance, and written down
by some other person present, and often proceed from the
speaker's own Higher Ego, which being liberated by the partial
catalepsy of the body, is enabled to rise to a higher plane,
from which it can still control the brain and speech of the
medium. This may happen also in a lesser degree without the
speaker losing his brain consciousness; such is probably
the condition of what are called inspirational speakers,
ecstatics and men of genius, and those who see visions and
hear voices on another plane. These conditions were well
understood by the ancient Theosophists, and are treated of
in many Theosophical works.
Yet we cannot blame those who, receiving these various communications
with the signatures of their departed friends, and finding
the matter good in itself, believed that they really came
from the source they claimed. When Mr. Cromwell Varley, F.R.S.,
the first electrician to the Atlantic cable, heard for the
first time his wife in trance speaking in the first person
plural and telling him many strange things, he asked, "But
why do you say 'we' ? Who are you thus speaking?" the
answer came, "We are the spirits of your departed friends,
come to tell you that we live, that we know and watch over
you, and love you still”. This I heard from Mr. Varley's
own lips.
Can we wonder that those who, stranded from the broken vessel
of a decaying faith on the barren rocks of materialism, hailed
as gladly as the shipwrecked mariner some sign from the far-off
land, from the home of the blest, where the beloved ones
were waiting for them, and which they too might reach at
last? And if some signs were deceptive, if, after much waiting
and watching, and trying and testing and investigating, some
found themselves obliged to modify their belief in all the
details presented to them, there still remained the great
fact of some unknown, unexplained force, nay more, some "intelligent
operator at the other end of the line", as Mr. W. Crookes
called it, weird, quaint, under certain conditions undoubtedly
evil, but still voices from behind the veil, the dead weight
of solid matter lifted, riven asunder, the light shining
through — that was enough for some, the burden of this
life seemed lighter; if there were life beyond, this was
yet worth living, if all did not end here.
And deny it who will, interpret it as we may, there was at that time undoubtedly a mighty spiritual influx pouring
down upon the world. In various guises it came; some recipients
were deceived, some were [Page 12] blest, yet come it did.
And whence did it come? Why did so many all at once hear
voices, see visions, dream dreams, write writings, hear rappings,
converse with strange visitants, pass into trances, speak
of that which they knew not before? What was the meaning
of that strange rush of manifestation above, or at least,
beyond the order called "natural"? Who or what
was at the back of it? Was it, like John the Baptist, the
precursor of that which was to come, and which, when the
world had been sufficiently astonished, was to set all these
strange things in order, to give their right interpretation,
and to point out the .safe path to follow in regard to them?
We can hardly expect all Spiritualists to acknowledge this;
yet many have done so, and yet are not ungrateful to that
which first arrested their attention and proved to them the
existence of spiritual forces — forces functioning apart
from gross material mechanism, mental force even, acting
independently of the brain which was supposed to generate
it.
But to return to what I may call the grievance of the Spiritualists,
that their favourite theories, or shall I say conclusions,
based on many years' patient experience, should be all set
aside and ruthlessly wiped out by the ipse dixit of Madame
Blavatsky. Is it to be wondered at that a feeling of antagonism
appeared in some quarters towards Theosophy, especially when
H. P. B.'s teachings were echoed by her younger disciples
who had little personal knowledge of the phenomena and less
discrimination as to its various phases?
But have either Spiritualists or Theosophists taken sufficient
note of what Madame Blavatsky has really said on the subject?
True it is that her condemnation is great, and justly so
(and here all the more thoughtful Spiritualists, I believe,
agree with her) of that class of phenomena known as physical,
and especially the "materializations" or "form
manifestations", particularly in séances held
by public mediums.
Here the Kama-rupic entities have full play, and the subsequent
exhaustion and shrunken form of the medium sometimes seen
inside the cabinet in deep trance, are sufficient proof that
the life-force is drawn from his or her body, at the probable
risk of life, certainly of health. The want of intelligence
of these beings further showed the low order to which they
belonged, and no warning was too strong as to the danger
incurred by all who participated in invoking them. And it
was not only in the séance that the danger lay. The
constant haunting of spooks and diabolic influences would
continue until it became habitual, and mediums became possessed
or obsessed, sometimes for [Page 13] life. Madame Blavatsky
herself predicted that many, to fly from these dangers, would
shelter themselves in the Church of Rome, which literally
came to pass.
But with regard to some other classes of manifestation,
let me read you an extract from Isis Unveiled, the work which
was supposed by some to be an attack upon Spiritualism.
"But in this daily-increasing torrent of occult phenomena,
that rushes from one end of the globe to the other, though
two-thirds of the manifestations are proved spurious, what
of those that are proved genuine beyond doubt or cavil? Among
these may be found communications coming through non-professional
as well as professional mediums, which are sublime and divinely
grand. Often through young children and simple-minded ignorant
persons we receive philosophical teachings and precepts,
poetry and inspired orations, music and paintings that are
fully worthy of the reputation of their alleged authors.
Their prophecies are often verified and their moral disquisitions
beneficent, though the latter is of rare occurrence. Who
are those spirits, what those powers or intelligences which
are evidently outside the medium proper, and entities, per
se? These intelligences deserve the appellation, and they
differ as widely from the generality of spooks and goblins
that hover around the cabinets for physical manifestations
as day from night”. [Vol. 1, Page 53]
So far Madame Blavatsky. Where, then, is the quarrel between
her and Spiritualists? She pointed out the nature of certain
dangers which these had already discovered, and for which
they were at a loss to account. “She further said that unless
Spiritualists set about the study of ancient philosophy so
as to learn to discriminate between spirits”, these various
evils would follow, and the whole of her writings were directed
towards the teaching of that very philosophy.
This is the crux of the whole matter, and this is the point
that so many of our Spiritualist friends have failed to apprehend,
and to which I would fain hope that my feeble voice may this
evening draw their attention.
In the Key to Theosophy the distinction
is again drawn. It is there stated (p. 151) that the apparitions seen about
the time of a friend's death, when some important word had
to be said or some warning given, that these are undoubtedly
the spirits or souls of the departing, and of these there are
hundreds, if not thousands, of well-attested cases on record.
Theosophy does not take away the belief in the spiritual
nature and the spiritual world; on the contrary, it is there
to prove it — it is, indeed, the whole burden of its
teaching. But from the [Page 14] study of that spiritual
nature of and in man, it shows that much which may be and
has been loosely attributed to spirits out of the flesh can
be accomplished by spirits in the flesh. I use the word "spirits" to
make myself intelligible to my Spiritualist friends; Theosophists
would use other terms — the double, astral form, thought-form,
higher Ego, etc., according to the phenomenon presented.
I do not propose tonight to go into details — time will
not admit of it — but take as an example the well-known
slate-writing phenomenon. It does not require a spirit from
the dead to perform what can be done by the astral hand of
the medium — unconsciously it is true — but then
what is a medium ? He is a person whose principles are so
loosely welded together that his astral form can be easily
separated — dislocated from the gross physical body,
and coming into contact with other entities in the Astral
sphere can be played upon by them without the cognizance
of his physical brain. Various experiments with both Slade
and Watkins, the famous slate-writing mediums, go to prove
that the willpower of the sitter can have a direct influence
on the words written. Instances of this are chronicled in
Mr. Stainton Moses' book on Direct Writing, as the later
edition of his Psychography is called. The fact is, confusion
in judging of these things has in great part arisen from
the misuse of terms and from ignorance of true psychology.
If the tripartite division of man only were better understood,
and being taught by St. Paul, ought at least to be accepted
by all professing Christians, a great deal of misunderstanding
might have been avoided. St. Paul speaks of body, soul, and
spirit; Theosophy makes the same division with other subdivisions,
and attributes many of these unusual phenomena to the action
of souls or Astral bodies. The spiritual essence returns
after death to its own sphere, in Biblical language, "to
God who gave it". It is the soul, psûche, the
anima bruta, the ethereal double of man, that figures in
the manifestations unfortunately called spiritual. If the
word "psychic" had not, also unfortunately, become
the badge of a party inimical to Spiritualism, it would have
been a good one to adopt; but the word "Astral" has
no such disqualification.
The Greeks understood well this distinction when they depicted
Hercules dwelling as a shade in the realm of Pluto, while
at the same time his immortal spirit had been received among
the gods on Mount Olympus.
With regard to communications which are really spiritual,
they can of course be received, but in a spiritual manner — that
is, by the higher mind, the spiritual, divine part of man,
and that not by "spirits" coming to us, but by
our rising to their sphere or state.[Page
15]
"The living have more part in the dead than
the dead have in the living". These are the words
of a Master.
Spiritualists have complained that Theosophists are cold,
and deal too much in abstractions. That is only an appearance,
deceptive, like too many others. We are absorbed in work,
it is true; we know that the time is short, that the day
is far-spent (for some of us), and we know that there are
many who need help. The harvest is plenteous, but the labourers
are few. But we say to the Spiritualists: You are always
welcome; come and work with us. If you have more love, bring
it to us in exchange for our light, if so be you should find
any amongst us. We have faith enough in common, we both believe
in the spiritual world — it is wide enough for many explorers.
You have led the van, you have stood in the breach, you have
opposed a brave front to Materialism. Come and climb with
us the heights of Occultism, and, getting a wider view and
clearer light, all clouds will vanish and all difficulties
will be cleared away. Above all, we stand on the common platform
of Universal Brotherhood. We honour many that you honour,
we believe in help from above. Let us make common cause against
the enemy, or rather, let us work together for the good of
all men, treading together the Path; and, having found that
Path for ourselves, let us labour unceasingly to point it
out to others, and thus lift some of the Karma that oppresses
humanity.
In the course of the discussion which followed it was remarked
that the main point at issue had not been sufficiently worked
out. That point was, Do the spirits of the dead communicate,
or no? If a single case of the kind could be established,
then the Spiritualist position remained unchanged. But it
was shown that if the majority of the phenomena could be
accounted for, as Theosophy maintains they can, by the action
of entities, supra or sub-human, but to which it declines
to give the exalted epithet, spiritual, there is a difference
between the Theosophist and Spiritualist positions. Theosophy
says the Ego of the departed can and does communicate, in
rare cases, at the time of, or shortly after, the decease
of the body. But it does not approve of holding séances for the purpose of facilitating such communications, because
as the Ego, after death, seeks for rest and should be suffered
to depart in peace, it is a profane act to try to draw that
Ego back into earthly conditions by setting up currents of
will-force with that intention. It is, in fact, an act of
black magic. The Church [Page 16] rightly prays: Requiescat
in pace! may the soul rest in peace, and Theosophy enjoins
that it should pass on undisturbed. The chief agencies in
the production of phenomena were stated to be four: (i) Astrals
of the departed still remaining in Kama loca, or the Astral
sphere, and retaining a reflection of their former intelligence;
these become vivified by the life-forces of the mediums and
sitters, and also act in concert with elementals. (2) Astrals
of the living. (3) Egos of the living, freed by the trance,
partial or entire, of the lower faculties. (4) Living Egos
inspired by living Masters, Adepts, or Nirmanakayas, i.e.,
those who have passed into a higher state of existence, but
are still in connection with the earth-sphere.
With a few exceptions, which may be ascribed to the Egos
of the departed previous to their entering into rest, these
four theories, which may of course be described at much greater
length, and vary endlessly in detail, cover to the Theosophist
the whole ground. There is, however, room for a much longer
discussion than was possible after the reading of the paper,
and it is proposed to throw open the columns of Lucifer to
some kind of debate on the subject, in the hope that the
ground of agreement between Theosophists and Spiritualists
may be made plain to all, and the accentuation of difference
be, if possible, diminished.