Theos-Talk Archives (August 2004 Message tt00569)

Andrew Smith wrote:
> However, I still refuse to 
> ever use a OuiJa Board or to be hypnotised as was recommended by HPB 
> and the early Theosophists. 
As far as Ouija boards go, I have a basic principle: Would you trust a 
spirit that has nothing better to do than to communicate with a bunch of 
people playing with a Ouija board?

In terms of hypnosis, Blavatsky did not recommend avoidance as much as 
she recommended caution. Her article, "Hypnotism, And Its Relations To 
Other Modes Of Fascination" (which can be found on 
http://tinyurl.com/3sfvb ) gives a more detailed explanation. 
Essentially, what I get is that hypnosis can be useful, but a decent 
grounding in some basic spiritual principles is necessary to avoid the 
basic dangers involved.

Bart