My Library

But when it comes to contemporary, in-the-flesh non-conventional figures, and especially if their teachings threaten existing vested interests -- well, a great ruckus and alarm are entirely possible. Such was certainly the case regarding Blavatsky -- who not only was a vociferous philosophical female in a male dominated West at the time, but proposed the wholesale importation of Far Eastern "religions" in to the Christian West. The ensuing ruckus was tremendous -- so much so that the venerable NEW YORK TIMES published every morsel about her, including her daily agenda. Much the same can be said of Georgei Gurdjieff (1877-1949) after he came to the United States, and, as well, of Mary Baker Eddy (1821-1910) after she got her act together and founded the Christian Science Movement. Great social and persecutorial hubbubs followed in their wakes. Then there was the perhaps somewhat deserved case of Aleister Crowley (1875-1947) who was both brilliant and stupid. His dark magic philosophy, practices and claims of "astral communications" didn't get him in as much trouble as did his claimed rediscovery and welladvertised practices of Tantric Yoga (sex-magic.) And then there is the case of modern parapsychology itself, virtually hounded into if not complete social extinction, at least into scientific, psychological and psychiatric extinction by subtle and not so subtle persecution formats. Since this will be discussed in detail at some point ahead, I leave it at that here.