Theos-Talk Archives (March 2006 Message tt01440)

You wrote:

"My relationship with the Wheaton based TS is a bit complicated.  I 
have been a member of that Organization since 1963 and have outlived 
almost all of the leading lights at the time.  I think most of them 
recognize me for what I am: the loyal opposition who deeply cares 
that the Theosophical Movement and advocates that they hold to the 
ideals of its founders."

Do you somehow feel that the Theosophical Society of Wheaton, where 
I have recently been attending, has departed from the ideals of it's 
founders?  Do you still personally attend there, or have you 
altogether ceased?

"They know that I am well read in the literature and understand the 
Besant-Leadbeater teachings as well as they, and the Blavatsky 
teachings better than most of them.  They also know that I 
understand how the TS works from a political point of view, and know 
the history of the TS, the history of its various splits, and the 
history of those other organizations too."

I'm not that personally familiar with Blavatsky's writings and don't 
even own any copies of her books.  Yet I've had opportunity to 
peruse some of her excerpts over the internet, via some gracious 
people on this website.

"Nevertheless, I have from the beginning, consistently refused to 
join the ES, LCC or Co-Masonry, which are necessities for those who 
want to rise through the political ranks.  Yet I have a pretty 
comprehensive collection of Blavatskian and post-Blavatsky ES 
documents here and know all of their ES "secrets" which others have 
taken years and years to have been given in return for their loyalty 
to the leadership."

So you seem to be saying that they've been a bit political to say 
the least.  But the same could be said of any incorporated business 
or religious organization.  Do you feel that they actually did 
something bad or wrong?

"So, for that minority in the TS who know what is going on and are 
unhappy with the way things are, I represent an unsung breath of 
fresh air--one who will give voice to things that others dare not 
speak. On the other hand, there are others who have been very 
careful that I not come into a position where I would have any power 
within the political structure lest I might actually do something to 
effect changes.  I hope this makes sense to you.

Honestly, I've just been attending some weekly teachings and 
courses, paying each applicable donation per visit which is 
necessary to run the meetings.  Perhaps I will learn some things 
there, and I believe that I have already as well.

"That is precisely the problem. The Church did a thorough job of
destroying its own early history.  The only writings we have are 
Paul's and even with them, some of the writings are not his, and the 
others have been shown to have been edited and interpolated."

I would suggest that, even if the Bible is so grossly edited as you 
assert, we nonetheless have enough of it historically intact to make 
useful reading of it.  Granted it may be fragmented, but we still 
have a reasonable amount to constuctively work with.

"The problem is that the "systems" of James and Peter are no longer
extant.  Yes, we have in the canonized text some epistles attributed 
to Peter and James, but they had been long ago theologized into the 
Catholic tradition.  The Christianity we know today was mostly 
formulated between the 4th and 6th centuries."

What portions of the Bible, if any, do you believe remain 
historically valid?  Is it all bad, or just parts thereof?

"Of course I know nothing about what you are doing without an 
extensive interview.  But I need to say one thing, whether it 
applies to your situation or not:  In practices, particularly those 
which involve "trancing" in the classical sense of the word, there 
is a real danger of opening doors which cannot again be shut."

These dangers moreso exist in the context of those who use 
illegitimate consciousness-expanding drugs to induce their trances.  
I totally abhor drug usage and strictly refrain from it, due to it's 
vast destructive effects on the body.  Illegitimate drug-users 
easily open up doors to the subconscious psyche with the use of a 
pill or somesuch, but then they have a hard time closing that door 
if they have a 'bad trip'.  Foreign chemicals simply serve to open 
up the subconscious psyche prematurely.

Whereas, my own trance-conditioning is completely the opposite, and 
revolves around natural physiological conditioning, such as 
recycling the waking/sleeping rhythms and fasting/eating rhythms, 
more after the manner of an athlete.  Hence, my trances are a bit 
more difficult to induce, but are easily shut down.  Bodily self-
mastery, much like a bodybuilder, versus crass chemical augmentation.

"In the development of visionary powers, one must be in complete 
control at every step and at every moment.  If that is not the case, 
then the method is not safe and can, and probably will, cause 
permanent harm."

I would prefer to paint a very different picture in this regard.  
The sheer fact is that we as mortals simply lack bodily mastery from 
the very start, when it comes to trance-conditioning.  We lack 
control rather than possess control.  And bodily trance-conditioning 
generally renders 90% bad experiences for the novice, with a 
conversion to 90% good experiences only being achieved after many 
arduous years of bodily physical conditioning.  Again, I am 
referring solely to chemical free trance-conditioning, after the 
disciplined manner of an athlete.

Blessings

Vince