Kansas City daily journal., 1897-01-24
Many Prominent People Members of n
PsychosophicaI Society.
Frcm the Philadelphia Times

From the Philadelphia Times.
Few, even of the best informed persons
in Washington. know that n new society
has been formed and is in operation here
n society which expects TO make as much
stir in the world as the Theosophists are
dcing to-day II is the PHILOSOPHICAL So
ciety, which has been founded in this city
by 4 Russian lady. Eugenia Best. Though
the names of the members are withheld
from publication, there/are many promin-
cnt people in town who have Joined. among
them being a well known scientist and
electrician.
Meetings of this society take place twice
q week. and at these classes the novices, il
We might use that term, are instructed in
the tenctS of the belief. While according
to all systems OF religion a vast sphere foI
good the founder of this creed teaches heI
disciples what she has learned from an.
cient men of old whose spirit wisdom
prompts her mind and words.
The fundamental teaching is that al
nature and all phenomena are but magnet
ic forces, or magnetic vibration; that ths
very life of the universe is composed oi
moving magnetic particles and that those
who have gone before continue to exist
being able TO make their presence known
TO us by coming within the personality OF
highly magnetic person.
Another fundamental doctrine is that al
souls, emanating from n great First Cause
never lose their individuality. but pre-
serve it on through eternity. They exist
first. in the lowest forms of matter as il
the mineral kingdom; then, by a process
of evolution. progress into the vegetable
world. at last merging into humankind by
the adoption of flesh and human attributes
This long stage of probation is for the
acquisition of experience and the evolu'
ton Of the spirit.
Eugenia Best is also an adept in occult
science, and this study of secret art is
necessarily combined with that of soul,
culture, being almost one and the same
thing. Her pupils who are following the
classes are taught wonderful powers as
those possessed by the Mahatmas of India
among them being the art of projecting
the astral body to another spot, while
leaving the real heshy form inert. Send
ing our thought out through space is an.
other power which can be acquired. while
an enormous will force which might shat
ter glass or disintegrate matter is what
can be expected of those who dive deeply
into occultism One of the most wonder
full powers of Mrs. Best is that of talking
with the souls of those famous people who
lived ages ago. Among those with whom
she has spoken are the ancient Pharaohs
one OF the Egyptian prlnceSSeS having pro-
Jected an oil painting of herself on canvas
Scientific men. men whose names are
high on literary rolls. have talked for hours
with people of q past race. Among the
strangest phenomena is that of the ap.
pearance of the soul of a queen who be-
lonsed to q race that anciently inhabited
Arizona. She gave her name as Aritzina
and told of the numberless cities which
were built ages ago, of the underground
passages which now exist in that part of
tIe country. InlS statement was made
at least seven years ago and noted down
Within two years some of these subter-
ranean passages had been brought to light
by explorers.
A king who used to reign in Alaska thou
sands of years ago said that it was full
of treasures, that it had an enormously
rich vein of gold which was cut in two by
the sea, but broke out again in Siberia
He told of vast riches of gems and min
eral wealth, which were known to his
tribe, all lying buried and unknown to the
white man of to-day.
The Psychosophical Society has been
chartered under the laws of West Virginia
which permit the founding of branch So
cieties in all other states without the for
mality of securing another charter. Wash
ington will he the HEADQUARTERS and it is
expected that 4 room for the meetings
and library will shortly be secured and
other societies spring up in different cities
all owing allegiance to the capital branch