, 1888-03-10
SOME QUEER BELIEFS.
STARTLING THOUGHT SETTLING BE-
MEATH A PRACTICAL SURFACE.

Inc VIII rover IeOples
Curious beliefs abound in this city just
now. The big, busy, commercial part of
New York would be completely taken off its
feet did it know of the startling thought that
is seething underneath an apparently practi-
cal surface. One must be q little touched
with some of the extraordinary isms ones
self to be able to learn about all the others,
for the people who arc up to the neck in
mysteries and mysticisms do not go around
talking about their works or their faith to
unbelievers. That phase of conduct belongs
to vulgar wonder mongers, who tinker at
what, in the vernacular of the Investigators,
are called physical manifestations" On the
contrary, secrecy is not only necessary to adj
vancement in occult science, but it is impress
sive as well. The man who is just entering
the doors of occult learning is deeply i'm
pressed by the air Of mystery and secrecy
which is assumed by the other fellow who
has trodden the innermost recesses of the
temple.
The men and women who fairly reek with
knowledge of the unknown are not found
among the common people. They are not Of
the clammy and long haired variety so rife
In New York years ago, and who became
known over tho whole country as having to
do with tables and spirits. No, indeed.
They tread Administer carpets; some of them
are clad IN fino raiment, others in plain
attire, but all train in what arc considered
the intellectual rank. Some of them are
perched on judicial benches; some are officers
of library or educational associations; some
are writer's; some are even scientists, al
though science and the supernatural are sup
posed to be mortal enemies.
AT tho mention of theosophy everybody
quite naturally thinks of Mime. Blavatsky,
author and founder of this phase of belief,
and presumably lone of the greatest and
most successful impostors of all times"
Thirteen years ago she founded the Theo-
sophical society here. Its headquarters were
afterward transferred to India, and even
from that remote point this remarkable
woman spread her new religion all over this
country and Europe, and by this means de-
rived a handsome income, since each new
member must send u handsome initiation fee
before he could receive his certificate of
membership from Madras, and If he did not
receive his certificate be had not Registered"
as they call it, and could not receive the
ministrations of ''the brotherhood" other
wise Mahatmas, tabled beings who had mas
tered the secrets of life and time and could
live 500 years as easily Us they could live q
day.
These weird and wonderful brothers are be-
lieved in by various theosophists Of this city
even unto this day. There are pictures of
two of them in the possession of mighty be-
levers. They are regarded as more sacred
than life itself, and are kept secure from pro-
fame and skeptical eyes under formidable
locks. The favored ones who have seen them
report them as representing dark skinned,
long haired Hindoos, thin and emaciated
to consumption's extreme point. An unde-
vout or untaught spectator ventured to re-
mark that he saw no good in a wisdom which
did not enable them to keep more flesh on
their bones. He was reproved, and told that
to Mahatmas "the flesh profiteth nothing;'
that in fact they preferred, for tho most part,
to go about in astral bodies, leaving their old,
earthly flesh and bones lying around mani
mate in caves and mountains for months at a
time.
There are two or three persons here who
claim to have helped the late Bulwer do some
wonder working, such as is described in
"Zanoni,n tho "Strange Story" and 'The
Coming Race" These wiseacres assert that
Bulwer believed the things he described and
tempered with demons. As he is dead and
cannot defend himself their story goes uncon-
tradicted. All grosSer forms of communi-
eating with supernatural beings have given
place to higher riders of the work.
The TeincarnAtionists, or believers In nu-
merous re-embodiments Of the soul, are per-
haps tho most amusing and least dangerous
VI hfR - ~ shAh1s 40 AAA teA AoAANo
they trace themselves back to great eras and
powerful figures of history, and actually be-
lieve the curious stuff they talk. The re-em-
bodiment theory fosters the natural egotism
of the soul. For aught it knows, it may
have been a king as well as q beggar. Any
way, it pleases it to think of itself as some
thing extraordinary in the past. And as that
sort of recreation does no harm to society be-
yond occasionally adding an inmate to a
Y,alhO,u, ,,l,al,y .A,rN,rt, tI. -,o
tionists' claims.
And there are both men and women who
go about all pulled up with what they firmly
believe is the secret of eternal youth.
One man who has been quite prominent in
his day, and is now lettering into his eighties,
says that he possessed it, but lost it because
he told it. Whatever you know that is truly
occult don't tell it. This is the new rule. One
woman calmly declares that she will never
die. More than that, she will eradicate every
trace of the years she has lived from her
body and be young forever.
The mental OF Christian scientists have
opinions similar to hers on that question.
They believe that the day is near at hand
when the last enemy to be destroyed is death.
The business of denying what we nave here
tofore claimed as reality is going on briskly.
Many already have almost reached the point
SO much desired by the Hindoo a~scetic, when
he sits under his palm tree and denies away
every visible thing, and so blends himself
back to his infinite sources.
The will power people arc not so strong as
formerly. Tho new schools of thought are
tearing down their structures of belief, and
intimating very strongly that it is evil, con-
sequently not lasting.
Plain sp~iritualists who stick to table tip
ping and other forms of physical manifes-
tations'' are left far in the rear, If not
thrown quite into the disgrace by the new
system of metaphysics, the higher spiritual
ity. "Psychics' are much talked of. They
are people who have peculiar gifts-can fore
tell things, and see what others cannot see.
OF course, there are always a fair sprinkling
of palmists and clairvoyants, and nobody
gets so figh in mystic lore that he will not
give eager ear to what they say. Ispeak not
of the professional fortune t%ellers, but Of
those who are only known as gifted in occult
matters to their particular circle.
The great mass of practical plodders have
no idea of the extravagant order of thought
which settles in the brains of some of the
people they see and hear of frequently in the
ordinary capacities of life. And il all indi-
Gates that the soul aspires, Goo help them,