Theos-Talk Archives (December 2001 Message tt00165)

Monday, December 10, 2001


Dear Friends:

Re: H P B and drugs or alcohol.


I believe I may say this is an example of amplifying a rumor --
an unsubstantiated rumor.

I for one would ask any of you if H P B ever advocated using
drugs or alcohol ? Have you seen or do you have some thing she
wrote on that ?

Is this single report by "Rawson" in FRANK LESLIE's POPULAR
MONTHLY to stand against the whole volume of her teachings?

I for one say THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PHILOSOPHY OF
THEOSOPHY. Let's be clear. If we are dealing with psychic
phenomena and the effects emanating from the astral light, let us
say so and provide the readership with actual textual sources.

Further, it is an insinuation against H P B's character that
cannot and does not find any support. I need more evidence
before I accept or broadcast such information which may be quite
untrue, and which the one who repeats it will have to
substantiate.

I PROTEST THIS. I further say that it is an act of cowardice to
advance something against the character of a person who is dead
and is unable to refute it currently. Fortunately her writing do
the refuting.

Have you found anything in the DOCUMENTARY BIOGRAPHY OF H P B by
Sylvia Cranston that supports this?

As far as I can determine she did not, repeat: NOT. She never
recommended them, and she was very definite that they ought not
be used for any reason.

She was not interested in inducing visions, using "soma" or
fumes, or anything else. But she gave evidence that she was well
aware of their effects and dangers. For this there are
references in Theosophical Literature.

In regard to seeing colors and hearing sounds, apparently some of
these phenomena are related to the astral light and the effects
that it can have on sensitive natures. We all have the faculty,
but we may not have developed the sensitivity.

As usual we are skipping ahead on the matter of testimony and
evidence. We begin to spin theories and hypotheses, but we are
not basing ourselves on the information that Theosophy offers.

In OLD DIARY LEAVES (ODL) Olcott give a great deal of evidence
concerning H P B's phenomena. In fact one could fill a good size
volume with references to that alone -- as associated with her.

Best wishes to all,

Dallas

==============================

-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Stubbs [mailto:stevestubbs@yahoo.com]
Sent: Monday, December 10, 2001 10:35 AM
To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: Theos-World Re: The Masters and rain in Olcott's
apartment.

Hi, Frank:

I don't know how to take your question, but here are
some facts for your consideration:

The statement that Blavatsky used hash in New York is
made in Rawson's article in Frank Leslie's Popular
Monthly.

She wrote at length about synesthesia (the experience
of seeing sounds and hearing colors) and this is
described as one of the experiences one has using hash
in Baudelaire's Paradis Artificiel.

CUT