Theos-Talk Archives (December 2001 Message tt00204)

Brigitte, you wrote:

> Many serious Theosophical historians like for example Patrick 
> Deveney and Joscelyn Godwin will confirm that Blavatsky took drugs.
> 
> For example John Patrick Deveney writes in "Theosophical History 
> Occasional Papers" Vol.VI (published by James Santucci);
> "H.P.B.'s use of hashish in the New York days is well attested 
> though the subject is ussually dismissed as an idiosyncrasy rather 
> then seriously discussed.- It is perhaps to the use of such drugs 
by 
> Theosophists (or at least H.P.B.) that Emma Hardings Britten is 
> referring in "Art Magic" when she condemns "all the hazy 
> metaphysicians that have essayed to found new sects, on the basis 
of 
> tobacco,hasheesh, and opium visions."
> 
> J.Godwin in "The Theosophical Enlightenment" ads to that; "Hashish 
> was tipically used with the intention of communicating with angels 
> using a magic mirror , and magnetists used it to enhance the 
> perceptions of their somnam bulists" (mediums)


Yes, both Deveney and Godwin wrote the above, but more importantly 
what are the primary sources on which they based these conclusions?

The question is not whether they are "serious" Theosophical 
historians but what primary sources are they basing their 
interpretations on?

Brigitte, can you give us the citations for these primary sources?

Daniel H. Caldwell
BLAVATSKY ARCHIVES
http://hpb.cc