SC I E N CE -Supplement. 



FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 1886. 



THE COLLAPSE OF THE THEOSOPHISTS. 



The greater part of the last number of the Pro- 

 ceedings of the Society for psychical research 1 is 

 taken up with the report of the committee ap- 

 pointed to investigate the famous Theosophical 

 society. 



For the information of those of our readers who 

 have not followed the history of this society, a 

 brief explanation will be necessary. The Theo- 

 sophical society was formed in New York in 1875, 

 by Colonel Olcott and Madame Blavatsky, for, it 

 was asserted, philanthropic and literary purposes. 

 Three years afterwards its seat of operations was 

 removed to India, and among the better class 

 of natives it seems to have gained not a few 

 followers. 



The evidence adduced before this committee of 

 investigation — which included Prof. Henry Sidg- 

 wick and Messrs. F. W. H. Myers and Edmund 

 Gurney 1 - claims the existence in Thibet of a 

 brotherhood whose" members have acquired a 

 power over nature which enables them to perform 

 wonders beyond the reach of ordinary men. 

 Madame Blavatsky asserts herself a chela, or 

 disciple of this brotherhood, the members of which 

 are spoken of as mahatmas, who are said to have 

 taken a great interest in the Theosophical society, 

 and to have performed many marvels in connec- 

 tion with it. They are said to be able to cause 

 apparitions o f themselves in places where their 

 bodies are not, to communicate intelligently with 

 those whom they thus visit, and to perceive what is 

 going on where their phantasm appears. This phan- 

 tasmal appearance the theosophists denominate 

 the ' astral form.' The theosophists also brought 

 forward evidence in support of another class of 

 phenomena, including the transportation, even 

 through solid matter, of ponderable objects, in- 

 cluding letters, and of what the theosophists regard 

 as then* duplication, together with what is called 

 4 precipitation ' of handwriting and drawings on 

 previously blank paper. 



Because of the peculiar nature of the evidence, 

 and the great improbability of the production of 

 the alleged phenomena, it was decided to send a 

 trusted observer to India, who should make a 

 thorough examination of the persons involved, and 



1 Proceedings of the Society for psychical research, part 

 ix., December, 1885. London, Triibner, 1885. 8°. 



of places in which these remarkable occurrences 

 took place. Therefore, a member of the com- 

 mittee, Mr. R. Hodgson, B.A., of St. John's 

 college, Cambridge, proceeded to India in Decem- 

 ber, 1884, and carried on his investigations for 

 three months. 



On hearing Mr. Hodgson's report, which is ap- 

 pended to the report of the committee, and care- 

 fully weighing all the evidence before them, the 

 committee unanimously reports : — 



"1. She [Madame Blavatsky] has been engaged 

 in a long-continued combination with other per- 

 sons to produce by ordinary means a series of ap- 

 parent marvels for the support of the theosophic 

 movement. 



" 2. That, in particular, the shrine at Adyar, 

 through which letters purporting to come from 

 mahatmas were received, was elaborately arranged 

 with a view to the secret insertion of letters and 

 other objects through a sliding panel at the back, 

 and regularly used for the purpose by Madame 

 Blavatsky or her agents. 



"3. That there is consequently a very strong- 

 general presumption that all the marvellous nar- 

 ratives put forward as evidence of the existence 

 and occult power of the mahatmas are to be ex- 

 plained as due either (a) to deliberate deception 

 carried out by or at the instigation of Madame 

 Blavatsky, or (b) to spontaneous illusion, or hallu- 

 cination, or unconscious misrepresentation or in- 

 vention on the part of the witnesses." 



And, as the committee regards it as a waste 

 of time to further prolong the investigation, 

 many sober-minded readers will regard it as 

 a foolish waste, that so much time has been 

 already spent in the matter. But it must be 

 recollected that this society was gaining ground 

 and support, and was imposing on thousands 

 of impressionable and credulous people. To them 

 it is a real act of benevolence that this bubble 

 has been pricked once and for all, and in a 

 scientific way. As to Madame Blavatsky, a mere 

 reading of the pages of evidence compels an agree- 

 ment with the committee, who say, in conclusion, 

 "We regard her neither as the mouthpiece of 

 hidden seers nor as a mere vulgar adventuress : 

 we think she has achieved a title to permanent 

 remembrance as one of the most accom- 

 plished, ingenious, and interesting impostors in 

 history." 



In addition to the report of this committee, of 

 which the preceding is a summary, this volume of 



