Theos-Talk Archives (June 2006 Message tt00144)

V.S. Solovyov on the Portraits of the Mahatmas 
& His Encounter with Master M.

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Testimony of Vsevolod S. Solovyov
August 26?27, 1884 
Brussels, Belgium and then later at Elberfeld, Germany

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Having received a letter from my countrywoman, Madame Helena 
Blavatsky, in which she informed me of her bad health and begged me 
to go to see her at Elberfeld, I decided to take the journey. But as 
the state of my own health obliged me to be careful, I preferred to 
stop at Brussels, which town I had never seen, to rest, the heat 
being unbearable.

I left Paris on the 24th of August. Next morning, at the Grand Hotel 
in Brussels, where I was staying, I met Mlle. [Justine de Glinka] 
(daughter of [a] Russian ambassador and maid of honour to the 
Empress of Russia). Hearing that I was going to Elberfeld to see 
Mme. Blavatsky, whom she knew and for whom she had much respect, she 
decided to come with me. We spent the day together expecting to 
leave in the morning by the nine o'clock train.

At eight o'clock, being quite ready to depart, I go to Miss [de 
Glinka's] room and find her in a great state of perplexity. All her 
keys, which she always kept about her person in a little bag and 
that she had in this bag on going to bed, had disappeared during the 
night, although the door was locked. Thus, as all her baggage was 
locked, she could not put away the things she had just been using 
and wearing. We were obliged to postpone our departure to the one 
o'clock train and called a locksmith to open the largest trunk. When 
it was opened, all the keys were found in the bottom of the trunk, 
including the key of this trunk itself, attached as usual to the 
rest. Having all the morning to spare, we agreed to take a walk, but 
suddenly I was overcome by weakness and felt an irresistible desire 
to sleep. I begged Miss [de Glinka] to excuse me and went to my 
room, and threw myself on the bed. But I could not sleep and lay 
with my eyes shut, but awake, when suddenly I saw before my closed 
eyes a series of views of unknown places that my memory took in to 
the finest detail. When this vision ceased, I felt no more weakness 
and went to Miss [de Glinka], to whom I related all that had 
happened to me and described to her in detail the views I had seen.

We left by the one o'clock train and lo! after about half an hour's 
journey, Miss [de Glinka], who was looking out of the window, said 
to me, "Look, here is one of your landscapes!" I recognized it at 
once, and all that day until evening, I saw, with open eyes, all 
that I had seen in the morning with closed eyes. I was pleased that 
I had described to Miss [de Glinka] all my vision in detail. The 
route between Brussels and Elberfeld is completely unknown to me, 
for it was the first time in my life that I had visited Belgium and 
this part of Germany.

On arriving at Elberfeld in the evening, we took rooms in a hotel 
and then hurried off to see Madame Blavatsky at Mr. Gebhard's house. 
The same evening, the members of the Theosophical Society who were 
there with Mme. Blavatsky showed us two superb oil paintings of the 
Mahatmas [Morya] and Koot Hoomi [painted by Mr. Schmiechen]. The 
portrait of M. especially produced on us an extraordinary 
impression, and it is not surprising that on the way back to the 
hotel, we talked on about him and had him before our eyes. Miss [de 
Glinka] may be left to relate her own experience during that night. 
[Miss de Glinka's experience was similar to Solovyov's. ?Editor.]

But this is what happened to me:

Tired by the journey, I lay peacefully sleeping when suddenly I was 
awakened by the sensation of a warm penetrating breath. I open my 
eyes and in this feeble light that entered the room through the 
three windows, I see before me a tall figure of a man, dressed in a 
long white floating garment. At the same time I heard or felt a 
voice that told me, in I know not what language, although I 
understood perfectly, to light the candle. I should explain that, 
far from being afraid, I remained quite tranquil, only I felt my 
heart beat rapidly. I lit the candle, and in lighting it, saw by my 
watch that it was two o'clock. The vision did not disappear. There 
was a living man in front of me. And I recognized instantly the 
beautiful original of the portrait we had seen during the evening 
before. He sat down near me on a chair and began to speak. He talked 
for a long time. Among other things, he told me that in order to be 
fit to see him in his astral body I had had to undergo much 
preparation, and that the last lesson had been given me that morning 
when I saw, with closed eyes, the landscapes that I was to see in 
reality the same day. Then he said that I possess great magnetic 
power, now being developed. I asked him what I ought to do with this 
force. But without answering, he vanished.

I was alone, the door of my room locked. I thought I had had a 
hallucination and even told myself with fright that I was beginning 
to lose my mind. Hardly had this idea arisen when once again I saw 
the superb man in white robes. He shook his head and, smiling, said 
to me, "Be sure that I am no hallucination and that your reason is 
not quitting you. Blavatsky will prove to you tomorrow before 
everyone that my visit is real." Then he disappeared. I saw by my 
watch that it was three o'clock. I put out the candle and 
immediately went into a deep sleep.

Next morning, on going with Miss [de Glinka] to Madame Blavatsky, 
the first thing she said to us with an enigmatical smile was "Well! 
How have you passed the night?" "Very well," I replied and I 
added, "Haven't you anything to tell me?" "No," she replied, "I only 
know that the Master was with you with one of his pupils."

That same evening, Mr. Olcott found in his pocket a little note, 
that all the Theosophists said was in the handwriting of 
M: "Certainly I was there, but who can open the eyes of him who will 
not see."

This was the reply to my doubts, because all the day I had been 
trying to persuade myself that it was only a hallucination, and this 
made Madame Blavatsky angry.

I should say that on my return to Paris, where I am now, my 
hallucinations and the strange happenings that surrounded me, have 
completely stopped.

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Quoted from:
Hastings, Beatrice. "Solovyoff's Fraud." Edmonton, Alberta, Canada: 
Edmonton Lodge of the Theosophical Society in Canada, 1988, pp. 27?9.

Some material in the original narrative has been silently deleted. 
Explanatory notes added by the editor are enclosed within brackets.

Daniel
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