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HPB-SB-12-49: Difference between revisions
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... | Last week some experiences of Col. Olcott were printed in this journal in which he is reported to have said that he found comments written upon his letters from abroad, inside the envelopes while the seals were yet unbroken. This manifestation of obtaining writing in closed spaces, is common enough in the presence of some mediums, and has been obtained inside envelopes through an Australian medium, so is but in the ordinary run of spiritual manifestations. He is, in the same narrative, also reported to have said that he saw a Cabalist, after burning certain gums, cause a clear sky to be obscured by clouds for ten minutes. Is Col. Olcott a seeing medium, for such often see phenomena not visible to normal eyesight? Or is he sure that the burnt drugs were not in fluencing his sensations? In the following narrative he is reported to have told how a magician showed him the face of an awful- looking “elementary,” with snakes for hairs. Is he a seeing medium? Such often have visions of like kind. Once the late Mr. Cog man described to us beings he saw producing manifestations through another medium; they were not unlike Col. Olcott’s elementaries, but were purely Mr. Cogman’s subjective visions. At present it is not clear that anything in the two narratives, the following of which is taken from ''The Boston Globe'' of January 31st, 1875, is outside the range of ordinary subjective and objective spiritual phenomena:— | ||
{{Style S-HPB SB. Continues on|12-50}} | Colonel H. S. Olcott, who has attained considerable notoriety through his connection with the Eddy Brothers’ affair, and since has been a student of occult art in the New York Theosophic Society, delivered two lectures, yesterday, in Paine Hall, to large houses. In the afternoon he spoke of “Human Spirits and Elementalities.” The reason why Spiritualists have made no progress in the last twenty years is because, like theologians and scientists, they have thought themselves the discoverers of the truths they profess. But can it be possible that all the learning of the ancients in spiritual matters goes for nought? Possibly, by careful study, it may be found that there is reason for the baseness, untruthfulness, and absurdities in many of the “messages” by mediums. Colonel Olcott said that the ancients, by the most solemn rites, consecrated the virgins who were the mediums of communication from the immortals; and until Spiritualists follow their example, the poor mediums of to-day will continue to be slaves to a low order of beings, capable of simulating man’s appearance, and, conscienceless and without moral responsibility, ready to work all mischief. The speaker said that only recently he had been led to study the Lore of Paracelsus and Albertus Magnus, and those Eastern wise men who knew more of God and Right than Christianity has ever forgotten. Although but a novice in the occult art which the successors of the alchemists still practice, he had seen many strange things. He met a Hindoo at a restaurant one day, and they discussed the magic art Finally, his swarthy brother accompanied him home, and there verified all the statements in regard to “elementaries’’ found in the writings of the alchemists. Taking a bamboo wand, this magician, by sundry wavings and mutterings, caused a cloud of mist to appear. First, he evolved beautiful sylphs, or air sprites, then, the mist condensing into water, strange Undine shaped creatures, half animal, half human, appeared. Next, the Hindoo caused the walls to spread apart, and a representation of Vesuvius in eruption was shown. In the fire appeared strange creatures, tossing about balls of flame with impunity, a few of them beautiful, but most of them misshapen and hideous. Finally, the wonder-worker gave the speaker a glimpse “down in a coal mine,” where gnomes appeared to him. Colonel Olcott attempted to touch them, but was gently restrained by his Hindoo friend. The most hideous of the creatures had the peculiarities of a malignant eye which, with a huge gash for a mouth, made up the face; and from the chin to the feet hung a beard of wire-like snakes. Col. Olcott averred that this “critter” had a hide like a rhinoceros. | ||
However, these elementaries, according to the speaker, are not insensible to pain. They have a good deal of matter in their composition; and, if a bullet passes through them, it hurts them. The Colonel evidently thinks that Mrs. Hardy has the paraffine in which her familiar spirits “materialise’’ only moderately warm, to spare the feeling of the elementaries. He told a pleasant story of one of the elementaries who tried to materialise in boiling paraffine and was heard to cry out to the medium, “Oh, this is too hot.” The difference between the magician and the medium is that one controls the “elementaries,” and the other is controlled {{Style S-HPB SB. Continues on|12-50}} | |||
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