Theos-Talk Archives (April 2006 Message tt00346)

I don't think one has to be an "experienced" Theosophist or
a "scholarly" researcher in order to do some simple
comparing and contrasting and asking some relevant questions
and doing some basic thinking about the subject.

For example, compare Emma Coulomb's "explanations" for
the appearances of the Masters which can be found at:

http://blavatskyarchives.com/coulombandhodgson.htm#Coulomb

with the following 4 accounts:

Account 1

"On the next occasion, when we were chatting in the above verandah 
as usual, another Brother, clothed in a white dress, was suddenly 
seen as if standing on a branch of a tree. We saw him then 
descending as though through the air, and standing on a corner edge 
of a thin wall. Madame then rose up from her seat and stood looking 
at him for about two minutes, and—as if it seemed—talking inaudibly 
with him. Immediately after, in our presence, the figure of the man 
disappeared, but was afterwards seen again walking in the air 
through space, then right through the tree, and again disappearing."


Account 2

"That very night while I was going to bed in Col. Olcott's room, 
with all doors closed, and in good lamp light, I was startled to see 
coming out, as it were, of the solid wall, the astral form of my 
most revered Guru Deva [Mahatma K.H], and I prostrated before him, 
and he blessed me and desired me to go and see him beyond the 
Himalayas, in good Telugu language....He disappeared in the same way 
as he appeared."

Account 3

"His manner of walking was so gentle that not a footstep, not the 
slightest sound, was audible; nor did he appear to move, by his 
gestures. It was only the change of position that made us see he had 
come nearer and nearer....He held out and put his hands twice over 
Mme. B.'s head. She then stretched out her hand which passed through 
his --- a fact proving that what we saw was a mayavi rupa 
[apparitional body], although so vivid and clear as to give one the 
impression of a material physical body. She immediately took the 
letter from his hands. It crumpled, as it were, and made a sound. He 
then waved his hands toward us, walked a few steps, inaudibly and 
imperceptibly as before, and disappeared! Mme. B. then handed the 
letter to me, as it was intended for me."

Account 4

"In one corner of the room there appeared a thin vapoury substance 
of a shining white colour. Gradually it took shape, and a few dark 
spots became visible, and after a short time it was the fully-formed 
body of a man, apparently as solid as an ordinary human body. This 
figure passed and re-passed us several times, approaching to within 
a distance of a yard or two from where we were standing near the 
window. It approached so near that I think that if I had put out my 
hand I might have touched it."

Does Emma Coulomb's account explain these appearances?

etc. etc.

Daniel
http://hpb.cc