New-York tribune., 1907-09-11
MEMORY BEFORE BIRTH.
~NY ONE CAN TR4IN III" "
Mrs. Besant "Knors" She L0ed
Before-Otker Theories.

- Annie Besant, the recently elected presi-
os the Theosophical Society who comes
- IN attend a conference of members to be
- ,o Chicago in October and TO straighten out
- ,oesihle the problem of "eXpuisions, arrived
-. = Yesterday on the Kronprinzessin Cecilie-
On the way up from Quarantine Mrs Besant
,a;,a5 in her stateroom, and for while it
- +tollght she wGId- so to Chicago without
,,i-q ANYTHING Of her cult and her beliefs but
-, the nie~. while the inspectors were examining
- baggaze she talked freely and earnestly on
-, -,,1,iar-s If race suicide. theOSophy. mental
,.,o,l,,- fvpnotisrns and Mary Baker G. Eddy.
Nc Resant wore a steel gray satin automo-
,.1 eozyn and q wide trimmed white felt hat.
o,,er which was a long automobile veil tied
loosely about her neck
she seemed pleased when asked 10 talk on
.heoeonbv. and. although she smiled at some Of
+fa preliminary questions of the reporters. she
o,, mn one question at a time and followed ii
~. fn detail until her interviewers nodded that
they understood IT.
Mrs Resant has slight facial mannerism
,ran speaking which IS acCentuated when she
-.s.s 10 make clear a point Of her argument
she closed her eyes and thought for an In
-.-+ before replying when asked # she ap-
proved Of President Roosevelt's ideas Of race
suicide
yes do" she said Il have read only one
Of his rapers on the subject, and I thoroughly
agree with him. I think II is fatal mistake 10
ev-enr still adhere to my views. however. re-
r-a-5ing the poorer classes: I think there should
he ? restriction of population among the poorer
classes. for economic and educational reasons.
Mrs Besant was then asked If. on the other
hand. she approved Of large families among the
,VesltTz- classes where children could have
PROPER physical and mental advantages With
cut hesitation she replied that she did yes
snnrove Of II" she said. "but not by artificial
means
-c1-ag7 ma n
TIE group that il is wOman's obligation 10
ruarry?"
no. I would not say that. because do not
believe that every woman should marry IL Is
really question for the individual believe,
though that woman is always happier anu
better for having married.
Asked TO explain briefly her belief Mrs Be-
ssnt said Il believe that in the soul we nave a
force akin TO electricity, but much finer,
merely suggest electricity as a comparison OE-
derstaud me- do not wish TO confuse the tWo'
The soul can leave one body and pass into an
o-her Il may leave the last body and enter
into the astral body. I believe in the trans
migration Of souls. and am perfectly confident
that have lived number Of times
How can you believe that you nave nEed De-
-e?" asked reporter.
7 would not use the word believe" returned
Besant Rather let me say know 1
ave lived before. You, for instance, would
not say YOU believed you we're child at
one time. You know that you We're You
would say was child. So 1 say have
lived before II IS really a training Of MEM
orv TO understand that one has lived before
Some persons cannot remember back TO their
tavs Of childhood. But with little training
they can go hack q bit further, and by careful
cultivation they are able 10 go back TO q pre-
vious existence. The tendency Of the scientists
to-day is 10 prove the existence Of the soul
They have thus separated man from the animal
The tendency of humanity to-day is toward the
Spiritual rather than the material / prefer To
call II ideaiism Thirty years ago was inclined
strongly 10 materialism, but with age and the
advancement of thought in that time 1 now be-
:ieve in spiritualit. The trend Of science IS 70
end rlateriaiisn. whisl is in its descendancy-"
Mrs Resant was then asked for her views on
hypnotism. She said it was conducive to the
process Of recalling ones former life. but was
still in IT'S infancy.
7 know a hypnotist in Paris" she continued.
"Eis name is Rousso7. and he has done soma
very clever things in his hypnotic way in assist
ing MS subjects TO recall the past. He succeeded
IN making persons with poor memories recall
incidents Of early childhood. He told me that
he had succeeded in recalling former eXistences
20 some persons under his influence, but doubt
his accom- plishment. He Is working along cor
rect lines and some day he will be successful"
Marie CoreITs book ''Ardath" then intro
duced into the conversation, and Mrs Besant
said the author had practically followed her be-
lief but that she made Christianity the ground
work I don't believe in restricting IL that far"
continued Mrs Besant For example, believe
II making a Hindu q good Hindu; IN other
words, teaching every one TO live I'D 10 their
idsals"
Asked IF the soul Of Nine Blavatsky had been
transferred 20 her Mrs. Besant said that It had
but she smilingly declined 10 say with whom she
had associated in any cf her past existences.
DO you believe in Mary Baker 6. Eddy?"
ventured reporter. Il met Mrs. Eddy once"
said Mrs. Besant Il believe in her inasmuch
as she is using thought transmission. But Mrs
Eddy uses it. however. as a means Of effecting
cures The development Of thought transmits
sion along curative lines is 2 dangerous thing
and I don't approve Of its being used outright
70 the exclusion Of other treatment"
Mrs. Besant then dweIt upon thought trans
mission as q science that could be cultivated to
high degree and was within the power of every
human being
AS an instance Of the power Of the trans
mission Of thought" said Mrs Besant, Il recall
having had occasion 20 send for two clergymen
% consult charitable mission had
rractised and cultivated the science OF thought
Transmission with one of the clergymen, who
Eved in a part Of London very far from my
once. 7 sent a meAtal message TO him and a
Telegram 70 the other. The reply 20 the tele-
gram came after a wait Of many hours but
within a few seconds after the mental messag ge
vas sent the clergyman called me up on the
eiephone and said. You called me, Mrs Besant.
What do you want2'"
Concerning her mission TO Chicago the leader
OF the theosophists said she hoped 10 settle the
dispute over eyptrfSfons There seems to be a