Theos-Talk Archives (April 2002 Message tt00186)

Reg. Blavatsky 1 

I found these articles on a web site, can someone give me more 
details about these specific events events pls. ? 


In Colonel H. S. Olcott's address in Simla, India, not long since, 
upon Spiritualism and Theosophy, he tells us why 
he ceased in 1874 to call himself a Spiritualist and took the name of 
Theosophist. It was because, he says, he had 
seen Mad. Blavatsky produce at will and in full daylight the most 
wonderful facts of mediumship. Here follows a 
list of the wonderful things thus witnessed by him: "I have seen 
showers of roses made to fall in a room; letters 
from people in far countries to drop from space into my lap; heard 
sweet music coming from afar upon the air, grow 
louder and louder until it was in the room, and then die away again 
out in the still atmosphere until it was no more. 
I have seen writing made to appear upon paper and slates laid upon 
the floor, drawings upon the ceilings beyond 
any one's reach, pictures upon paper without the employment of pencil 
or color; articles duplicated before my very 
eyes; a living person instantly disappear before my sight; jet black 
hair cut from a fair haired person's head; had 
absent friends and distant scenes shown me in a crystal; and in 
America, more than a hundred times, upon opening 
letters upon various subjects coming to me by the common post from my 
correspondents in all parts of the world, 
have found inside, written in their own familiar hand, messages to me 
from men in India who possess the 
theosophical knowledge of natural law. Nay, upon one occasion I even 
saw summoned before me as perfectly 
`materialized' a figure as any that ever stalked out of William 
Eddy's cabinet of marvels." All this, he tells us, was 
done by the "trained human will." 

Analyzing these so-called marvels, we find them naturally separating 
into two classes; those due to jugglery, a little 
skillful prestidigitation; and those due to the psychological power 
of Mad. Blavatsky upon the Colonel's mentality. 
So far as the supposed magic music is concerned, I have knowledge 
that Mad. B. had a music box concealed in her 
house in New York, the music of which she palmed off on her dupes and 
visitors as magic music. The effect of its 
gradual approach and dying away could easily be produced by having 
the box carried gradually from a distant room 
to the neighborhood of the one where the listeners were, and then as 
gradually carried away again. 

I have also knowledge that drawings and paintings previously 
purchased or prepared by Mad. B. were on different 
occasions imposed on visitants and friends as instantaneous 
productions of her magic power; I have knowledge 
that she at times hoodwinked Col. Olcott, and that, at other times, 
the two united to hoodwink others. Mad. B. had 
painting materials in her house all the time, and is a proficient in 
painting. As a specimen of her impositions on the 
Colonel, I will state that, on the wall of his room in her house (be 
it remembered that Col. Olcott lived with her for a 
long time before they went to India together, while his wife resided 
in another house in the same city), --- on the 
walls was painted an inscription, said by Mad. B. to have been done 
magically; and his private room changed one 
day to another apartment in her house, during his absence Mad. B. 
erased the inscription in the first room and 
repainted it in room No. 2, telling him, on his return, the erasure 
and painting were accomplished by magic. It may 
be well to state that I am in possession of many other facts in the 
inner life of this soi disant magician, including her 
career in Paris prior to her arrival in America; her connection with 
the demi monde there, and her proficiency in the 
use of argot or French slang, with which her conversation in that 
tongue is ever so plentifully interlarded; her 
marriage in Philadelphia before she met Col. Olcott, her separation 
from her husband, and the great dread 
manifested for fear he should present himself at her New York 
residence; her mysterious receipt of money at 
intervals, presumed by some to come from Jesuitic sources. (In this 
connection it may be noted that Miss Emily 
Kislingbury, secretary of the British National Association of 
Spiritualists, very shortly after her return to England 
from an American visit, during which she was a protégé of Mad. 
Blavatsky, after recommending Col. Olcott as a 
fitting leader of American Spiritualism, wound up by joining the 
Roman Catholic Church, while Dr. C. Carter Blake, 
one of the most prominent English Theosophists, who also claims to 
possess magic power, is likewise a Catholic); 
her violent profanity, intemperance, cigar-smoking, and other coarse 
masculine habits, etc., etc. 

The following named phenomena claimed to have been seen by Col. 
Olcott were, most likely, juggling tricks of the 
Madam's: Falling of roses; dropping of letters in his lap; the 
music; writing on paper, slates, etc.; pictures without 
pencil; black hair cut from fair haired persons; letters from India 
found in letters of ordinary correspondents (in 
this case, probably, the Colonel's letters were opened by the Madam, 
the Hindoo letters slipped in and then 
resealed); and the "materialized" spirit. Mad. B. is well known to 
possess considerable psychological power, 
especially over Col. Olcott; and the remainder of the magic feats 
seen by him were probably non-objective in 
character, had no existence in reality, but were impressed upon his 
mind just as the mesmerist causes his subject to 
behold, as seemingly partial realities, whatever he wills him to see. 

We thus see that the two qualities possessed by Mad. B., clever 
jugglery and strong psychological power, are 
sufficient to account for all the seeming marvels falsely attributed 
to magical control of the sub-human elementals 
and elementaries none of which have any existence save in the 
imaginations of those unwise enough to believe in 
them. And for this Col. Olcott renounced Spiritualism, and now 
asserts that none of the spiritual phenomena are 
produced by the spirits of the dead, --- all being due to the 
exercise of "trained will power" of the adept, assisted by 
the elementaries. 

Materialization he explains as being caused thus: The soul of the 
living medium, unconsciously to his physical self, 
oozes out, and by its elastic and protean nature takes on the 
appearance of any deceased person whose image it 
sees in a visitor's memory. The medium's body being entranced, and 
his active vitality transferred to his inner 
self, or "double," that double can make itself appear under the guise 
of a dead lady or gentleman, and catch and 
comment upon the familiar incidents it finds in the relative magnetic 
atmosphere. With all due respect to the 
Colonel I feel compelled to dissent from this extreme position, until 
I see more convincing proof of its truth. I have 
no doubt those cases of "materialization" where a second form the 
exact image of the medium is seen apart from 
the medium, are produced by the "double" of the medium; but even then 
I am of opinion that outside spirits aid in 
the manifestation of the medium's "double," assisting it in the 
production of the phenomena. In cases, however, 
where the forms seen are unlike the medium's, of different sex, color 
or nationality, or variant in other respects, I 
think the "double" has no part in the phenomena. The "double" must 
be the counterpart of the person to whom it 
pertains. Is it reasonable to suppose that a female form or the form 
of a child, can be the "double" of a fully grown 
man? In cases where two or more "spirits" of different sexes, ages, 
sizes, nationalities, etc., manifest themselves 
at once through one medium, as I have seen in genuine 
materializations witnessed by me, is it not absurd to 
suppose that the "double" of a man could divide itself up into three 
or four fully formed persons, with a distinct 
individuality in each, and all different in appearance and mental 
traits from the medium? Again, where the medium 
is not entranced, but even engages in conversation with the 
materialized forms as I have seen in genuine 
materializations, the theory of the "double" is ruled out. Attention 
is invited to the significant fact that a few years 
ago, Col. Olcott asserted that the materializations were produced by 
elementary, non-human spirits, who 
impersonate the spirits of the dead; now we are told that it is not 
elementaries but the spirit of the medium himself 
who impersonates the spirits of the dead. This is a characteristic 
sample of the continual changes in theory which 
the Occultists have been making ever since the rise of this 
nineteenth century superstition. After we were first told 
that non-human spirits, sylphs, gnomes, undines, and salamanders, 
produced the manifestations, in a year or two 
we were told that a mistake had been made; it was not the non-human 
elementals, but the spirits of former human 
spirits, --- spirits of men and women who by an impure life had lost 
their immortality --- who simulated 
materialization. Now we have a third hypothesis, the medium's 
double. The next, a fourth theory of Col. Olcott's, 
will probably be the truth one, --- partly the double, and partly 
disembodied spirits. A gradual advance towards the 
truth may be seen in each theory: First, spirits who never had been 
human, but would in time attain to the 
prerogative of human immortality; secondly, spirits formerly human, 
who had lost their immortality; thirdly, spirits 
of the mediums. Or, first, non-human; second quasi-human; third, 
strictly human, in the body. The fourth will 
perhaps be, human spirits, out of the body. Even Theosophists make 
progress towards the truth. There is still 
hope for them. 

There is a foundation of truth in the vagaries of Theosophy. Spirits 
in the body do perform some of the phenomena 
attributed to the spirits disembodied. If the Theosophists would 
drop their absurdities about elementaries and 
elementals and go to work to demonstrate the action of the occult 
forces of the human spirit on earth, they would 
be doing valuable work --- work much needed. But as it is the little 
truth they have is so encumbered with 
nonsense and charlatanry that their influence upon the world is more 
injurious than beneficial. Occultism and 
Theosophy rightly directed would be eminently servicable to 
Spiritualism and the world. Let us hope that in time 
its services may be thus utilized. 

It is well known that the founder of theosophy, Mme. H. P. Blavatsky, 
has for a number of years denounced 
Spiritualism and mediumship in no uncertain terms. As per contra it 
may be well to present a few facts relative to 
the connection of this woman with spiritualistic and other alleged 
occultic phenomena. In 1874, she first came to 
the attention of the American public in connection with certain 
alleged marvelous manifestations of "spirits" to her 
through the Eddy's at Chittenden, Vermont. It was claimed among 
other things, that a buckle, attached to a 
decoration, buried with her father, was brought, from his grave in 
Russia, to her at the Eddy's, by spirit power. It 
was subsequently established that decorations of Russian officers 
were never buried with the bodies of those upon 
whom they were bestowed. It is clear, then, that the alleged 
spiritual phenomenon was a trick or device, doubtless 
arranged between herself and the mediums. These mediums have been 
detected in trickery a number of times, and 
I have a mass of positive evidence as to the fraudulent character of 
the Chittenden manifestations. There is little 
doubt that the whole of the "wonderful" phenomena described as 
occurring at that place in connection with Mme. 
Blavatsky, were fraudulent, --- got up by preconcerted arrangement 
between the Madame and the mediums. 

In 1875, the Madame was closely involved in certain manifestations, 
claiming to come from "John King," through 
the mediumship of Mr. and Mrs. Holmes in Philadelphia. Mme. 
Blavatsky then claimed to be herself a medium of 
the said John King; and through her various phenomena from him, are 
said to have occurred, including long 
messages by rapping, direct writing and painting by John King, 
transportation of objects, etc., all similar in 
character to many, afterwards claimed as being performed through her 
by the mahatmas or adepts. She sent 
General F. J. Lippitt a painting, which she said had been painted by 
John King for the General; but proofs that this 
painting had been done by the Madame herself, were afterwards 
published. She was also seen to get up in the 
night and paint pictures, which she claimed were produced by spirit 
power. The Holmeses were exposed as frauds 
both before and after Mme. Blavatsky's partnership with them in 
the "John King" manifestations in 1875; and 
there is strong evidence that she and the Holmeses were in collusion 
in the production of bogus phenomena, 
principally for the purpose of hoodwinking Colonel Olcott into the 
belief in her remarkable occultic powers. 

In 1874 and 1875, Mme. Blavatsky many times declared, in the most 
emphatic manner, that she was a life-long 
Spiritualist and the champion of mediums, and Spiritualism was the 
world's savior, etc. In 1875, she instituted a 
new society, called the "Theosophical," at first quasi spiritualistic 
in nature, but subsequently of a more 
pronounced anti-spiritualistic character. After transfer of the 
headquarters of this society to India in 1878-79, she 
became radically anti-spiritualistic, and has since been a bitter 
opponent of that which she professed so ardently in 
1874-75. In India she became notorious through the performance of a 
number of purported feats of magic, alleged 
as being partly her own work and partly those of certain adepts, 
living in the Tibetian Himalayas. Overwhelming 
proofs of the frauds practiced in the performance of these feats, has 
been published by her confederates in guilt, 
Madame and M. Coulomb, and by Mr. Richard Hodgson, in his report of a 
scientific examination of said 
phenomena. 

I have evidence that a number of the leading workers in the 
Theosophical Society acknowledge that fraud was 
practiced by Mme. Blavatsky and her assistants in the production of 
her feats said to have been done by the 
adepts and herself. I have read the original of a letter [by] 
probably the ablest and one of the most honest of the 
leading theosophists of the world, in which he avows his knowledge of 
the frauds practiced by Mme. Blavatsky, and 
her assistants in the production of spurious maketime phenomena. He 
speaks of a nasty trick "the old lady" has of 
writing bogus letters from the mahatmas, instancing a case when a 
friend of his had been caused to go to Germany, 
in obedience to a spurious letter from the mahatma; while he himself 
had received one of these bogus letters from 
the Madame. While he believes that a very few of the mahatmic 
phenomena are genuine, he is convinced that 
nearly all of them are fraudulent. He also says that he was warned 
by the Countess Wachtmeister, the Madame's 
confidential friend and champion, "to beware of bogus manifestations" 
made by Mme. Blavatsky. He also says 
that Mr. A. P. Sinnett, the author of "Esoteric Buddhism," detected 
her in a trick attempted to be played on him, 
with a spurious "precipitated" letter, and that it nearly caused 
Sinnett to throw up the whole business. He says, in 
addition, that Dr. Franz Hartmann, the most prolific of theosophic 
authors, had written a pamphlet, in which like 
Col. Olcott and Mr. Cooper Oakley, he declared a large number of the 
Madame's phenomena to be fraudulent. It 
is published that Dr. Hartmann, Mr. W. Q. Judge (President of the 
American section of the Society), and a native 
Hindu, destroyed the trick shrine at Madras, in which the spurious 
mahatma phenomena were performed for so 
long by the Madame, with the assistance of the Coulombs. This shrine 
contained such palpable evidence of the 
trickery that had been performed by its aid, that these three 
destroyed it, to prevent its examination by Mr. 
Hodgson and others. This destruction Dr. Hartmann acknowledged to 
Mr. Hodgson. It is also published that the 
knowledge of her frauds in India is held over the Madame's head by 
Mr. Judge, and that the society was 
compelled to pay Mr. Judge's expenses back to America from India, he 
having threatened that if such was not 
done, he would publicly expose the fraud he had discovered. 

Mrs. Anne Kingsford, author of "The Perfect Way," and at one time a 
prominent theosophist, severed her 
connection with the Theosophical Society, alleging as a reason her 
discovery of the frauds practiced by Madame 
Blavatsky. Mr. A. O. Hume, was at one time one of the most prominent 
theosophists in India, and he was the 
person to whom was addressed, in conjunction with Mr. Sinnett, the 
Koot Hoomi correspondence, ultimating in the 
publication of "The Occult World" and "Esoteric Buddhism." When he 
discovered the fraud that Madame 
Blavatsky, and her confederates had practiced on himself and others, 
he severed his connection with the Society, 
and since then has had nothing to do with it. We thus have the 
very "head and front" of the society cognizant of 
the Madame's frauds, namely, Col. Olcott, W. Q. Judge, A. P. Sinnett, 
Dr. Hartmann, Dr. Cooper Oakley, 
Countess Wachtmeister, Anne Kingsford, A. O. Hume, and the writer of 
the letter referred to, who has not given 
permission for the publication of his name. 

The doctrines of theosophy are contained in the two works of Madame 
Blavatsky, "Isis Unveiled" and "The 
Secret Doctrine." The whole of these peculiar theories and 
statements are plagiarized from other works and 
authors. I have discovered the source whence they were "borrowed."  
There is nothing original per se in 
theosophy. Her first book, "Isis Unveiled," is a compilation from 
other books, mostly without proper credit. The 
bulk of the contents of this work was copied, with light alterations, 
from other books, without crediting the 
borrowed matter to the sources whence it was stolen. I have traced 
to the original source most of the contents of 
the work, and such a gigantic mass of unadulterated plagiarism the 
world probably never saw before. Moreover, 
the quotations from other authors in this book are in a great many 
cases grossly garbled, distorted, and perverted; 
and in a number of cases spurious citations manufactured by the 
unscrupulous Madame, are attributed to various 
books and authors. Besides this, the whole work is one mass of 
blunders and errors of every imaginable 
description. The extreme carelessness of the author and her great 
ignorance in every branch of knowledge, are 
conspicuous on every page of the work. The world's literature has 
never before been cursed with such a 
monument of plagiarism, literary forgery, falsehood, ignorance, 
blunders, and general balderdash as that alleged 
production of the Tibetan mahatmas in "Isis Unveiled." I am now 
publishing in "The Golden Way," an expose, in 
detail, with proofs of every statement, of the true character of this 
unique production. It is probable that I may, at 
some future time, publish a book giving a complete expose of 
theosophy in all its features, with full evidence of the 
truth of every point presented. 

AH