Theos-Talk Archives (November 2006 Message tt00734)

Further to John?s comment that ?The use of youth as a battery to supply
necessary vital energy is objectionable to say the least?, the following
extract from my thesis may provide additional information about
Leadbeater?s relationship with his pupils:

?There was a strange relationship between Leadbeater and his close pupils
which seemed to many to have unhealthy implications. In his article ?A
Modern Socrates? (a biographical article praising Leadbeater), A.J.
Hamerster recalled that the pupil-teacher relationship often employed
?spiritual induction? whereby the pupils not only receive something from
their teacher but also give ?something from their vital energy whereby the
ancient Teacher was enabled to recuperate some of his failing strength.?
In his own copy of this articles, bound in with his ?Collected Writings?
in the TS Library at Adyar, Hamerster has noted, in handwriting: ?Often
was this phenomena observed by me in C.W. Leadbeater?s latter days in
Adyar had many times have I heard from the lips of his young disciples how
they actually felt their strength being drained from them.?

This practice had a long religious and occult tradition. It was known as
?shunamism? (or ?shunamitism?), so-called after the girl who rejuvenated
King David in his old age. The practice, which involved bringing a
healthy, active young person into contact with one who needed
rejuvenation, was based on the belief that the breath, body heat physical
contact and ?vibrations? of the young person can restore the vitality of
the aged?.?

Leadbeater habitually bathed with and often slept with naked boys, and was
frequently administered an enemy by one of the naked boys in the bathroom
in the mornings..

For those who may be interested, the University of Sydney is about to
?digitize? the thesis and make it available on the web through the
University?s library website. I am told this will take several months (it
will probably not be available until early in 2007). I will post details
when it is available. I am also being provided with working electronic
copies on DVD and this will enable me, over time, to update and expand the
work in the light of material acquired after it was written.

Dr Gregory Tillett