The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-07
BODY
THEOsOPHIsTs GIVE 1T CREDIT FOR
GREAT INDUSTRY.
embe of the Local Society Are
Planning for the COming Years
work-Prominent Speakers.

People who weary Of the matter-of-fact
things of life, the ordinary grind Of ex-
istence, and who have a leaning toward the
occult, may indulge their tastes more or
less satisfactorily by attending the weekly
meetings Of the Indianapolis branch of the
Philosophical Society. There they may alb
sorb theories about hypnotism, dreams.
black and white magic, astral bodies, the
seven FLAMES of life and all the other doc
trines advanced by Madame Blavatsky and
her school.
II would like to know" said one woman
who attended the weekly meeting of the
society last night. why it is that we can
not remember facts about our previous ex-
istences. In our former lives we must have
done so many interesting things, we must
have witnessed so many extraordinary
events that 1 cannot see why some vestige
of recollection has not chung to us in our
tra~nsmigration,"
w. P. Atkinson, who never finds himself
"stumped" by a query concerning the ten
cts of the theosophic faith. and who is a
walking encyclopedia of occult knowledge,
advanced an explanation that satisfied the
woman who wanted to know"
1--WE all nave records of our former lives
locked in our consciousness" he said. 1.-The
trouble is that our memories are not
trained. They are Impractical. so much so
that it is. hard for us to recall the common
facts of the life We are now leading, and
quite impossible TO remember what we did
when we lived in other ages. But it is
a fortunate thing that no one can remember
what he has seen and heard in other lives.
If he could, he would go mad. He would
be a candidate for the insane hospital at
once. Think of the tremendous rush OF
terrible sights and sounds that would burst
upon his brain. None but a god could stand
such an experience. Think of all the dead
faces, white and cold; think of the cries
and means of children; think of the dull
sound of the earth clods as they fell upon
the collins OF the millions that have died
in ages past; think OF the Sorrowful races
OF friends; think of the tears of women and
the groans of men; and with all these,
think CT the multitude OF common sights
and sounds that have become a part OF our
consciousness in the lives Of the past. IL
is we'll, indeed, that we cannot Der
The discussion shifted to astral bodies"
The theosophists have a theory that inside
our physical bodies there is an astral body
that receives sensations, thoughts and ex-
periences that the physical could not possl-
bly, receive. The atoms OF the physical are
not in direct contact, they hold, and be-
tween these breaks in contiguity they be-
lieve the astral body resides.
Il believe said a mernDer OF the society
last night, that most of the great things
and the great thoughts that are credited TO
great men come to them from a mass or
ideas of other mems astral bodies that are
floating on the astral plane"
EDISON IN PSYCHIC STATE.
Thomas A. Edison" said another, when
he goes to work to figure out one of his in
ventions, places himself, whether he knows
it or not. in a psychic state. His physical
.,FnJ ic iDoctix-a an1 &c NOT cnSoaptihla m
sensations. But his astral mind becomes
tremendously active. 1t converts itself into
a kind Of funnel that projects itself into
the astral plane of life and picks up at once
thousands of ideas of other men about the
things he has in mind. Out of these multi
tudinous ideas Edison works out his per-
fected scheme.
professional men benefit by this fact they
know nothing about. Through their astral
minds they receive telepathically, thoughts
and ideas that men all over the world are
blinking many times about the particular
thing they want TO know about. Then when
they get out of the psychic state they sur
prise themselves by the richness of their
own ideas. They believe those ideas are
original. but they are not"
An explanation that was at least inter-
esting was put forward as an exclamation of
the astral body that was trOtted out 10
bear the responsibility. when we sleep"
III n InSOSODnlSlS last IlknI. u
minds leave our physical bodies and enter
our astral bodies. The astral body leaves
for the time the clay and hOvers over ii.
While the brain is asleep and the physical
body is still and quiet this astral body is
lively and wide awake, picking up impress
sions, having experiences and doing pretty
much what il pleases. When sleep is over
all of US know what a hard thing il is
sometimes to remember just what il was
We dreamed about. There is usually
something vague and unsatisfying left. but
ii is not clear and distinct. That is because
the astral and the physical planes are so
far separated and so far different. The
mind coming from one cannot convey to the
other impressions or ideas"
The indianapolis branch of the Theo-
sOphical Society is preparing 10 do some
vigorous propaganding this spring. A COM
mittee was appointed last night TO con-
slider q plan of work for spring meetings
and an effort TO arouse general interest IN
the work of the society. The committee
consists or W. r. Atkinson, r w. Brtnker.
G.. w. SchOfeld. Harriet a. Elliott. Rachel
Curry and Mrs. 4. II. Kenney. Plans will
be adopted for spring meetings I'm the
suburbs and the parks. The society pro-
poses TO hold meetings of unusual inter-
est and lectures are being prepared of a
public interest.
For the benefit of several strangers pres
ent last night. the three objects of the So
ciety were announced:
First" ii was said. lit is proposed 10
form "A nucleus for a universal brotherhood
of man without distinction OF race, color
or sex.
second. to study Oriental languages.
sciences AMI religions. with a view TO OBJ
tanning from the study facts for the bet
terment OF the condition of all peoples.
Third, TO investigate the unexplained
laws OF nature and the secret powers OF
man. This includes the philosophy OF mes
merism. black and white magic. dreams
and other things Of the occult"