Note.—Any one desirous of having queries answered, or of relating authentic dreams, experiences, etc., is invited to communicate with “Julius, Care The Path, P. O. Box 2659.” No attention will be paid to anonymous letters.
Theosophical Work in America.
Boston.—The Boston T. S. meets every Friday evening. Mr. Mohini M. Chatterji is stopping quietly with friends in Boston. He is not here on a public mission, feeling that a different instrument is needed for arousing general interest in Theosophy. He is always glad to see Theosophists, however, and has set apart Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons to receive them and other earnest inquirers. He has a small class in the Bhagavat-Gita Tuesdays and Thursdays. Interest in occult subjects is largely increasing this winter. Some experiments by Mr. W. I. Bishop in “Thought Transference” have done their share in directing public interest that way. It is amusing to observe the crude theories to account for the phenomenon put forward by some of the members of the American Society for Psychical Research, which seems to have been organized for the special purpose of not finding out anything. One of the members, Rev. Minot J. Savage, however, comes out with the declaration that three things are proven beyond doubt; Thought Transference, Hypnotism, and Clairvoyance. There are rumors of a notable book by a strictly anonymous author, and of special interest to Theosophists, soon to be issued by a Boston publisher.
On Tuesday evening, December 21, by invitation of a well known theosophist, the Boston and Malden Societies held a largely attended joint meeting, to listen to Mr. Mohini Chatterji, who spoke on various phases of Theosophy, and with his spiritual insight, eloquence and learning, afforded questioners much light in the course of the discussion that followed.
In the field of psychical research much interest has been aroused by an able article by Mr. Charles Howard Montague, city editor of The Globe, describing the results and nature of experiments by which, after a few days’ trial, he was enabled to accomplish all that was done by Mr. W. I. Bishop, in his so-called feats of mind-reading. Mr. Montague says that it is not “muscle-reading,” but “impulse reading,” or close attention to unconscious impulses given by the subject. As it is absurd to seek a psychical explanation for what proves to be physical phenomena, it is well for the public to know the truth and not be deluded by the claims of Mr. Bishop and other public performers. Mr. Montague does not pretend to account, by his solutions, for the well-known cases of genuine thought transference.
Malden.—A largely attended open meeting of the Malden Branch, T. S., held Monday evening, December 6, was addressed by Mohini M. Chatterji on the Theosophical Aspects of the Christian Religion, based on a study of the New Testament. The broad and tolerant attitude of the speaker made a deep impression. At one of the recent previous meetings a record of some religious conversations held by the three Zuñi Indians who have been spending the summer on the neighboring coast with Mr. Frank Hamilton Cushing, the Ethnologist, was read and discussed, with one of their beautiful folktales, both showing deep veins of pure Theosophy.
New York.—The Aryan Theosophical Society continues to hold bi-monthly meetings, which have been well attended. In November, Brother Mohini M. Chatterji and Col. Aymé addressed meetings. Col. Aymé gave an address on Theosophy and Mathematics, with illustrations on the blackboard. On the first meeting in December, Bro. C. H. A. Bjerregaard read a paper upon the Elementals, which was of great value and interest; the first part of it is printed in this number and will be finished in February.