Theos-Talk Archives (January 1997 Message tl00229)

        Michael states:         
>It is my opinion that Theosophists should
>acquaint themselves far more with mediumistic phenomena because from that
>stable came the movement but severed its connections for various reasons,
>although HPB continued to act as a medium.             

I think, Michael, I agree with your idea, but the word "medium" has some
connotations in English which many Theosophists consider unfavorably. A
medium is a person who gives him(her)self over to some other entity, which
then expresses itself through the medium, the medium not being in control,
but the other entity being in control, and using up the medium's energy.
Many of us don't believe in doing this, and many of us make a difference
between ESP which taps into the astral plane, where things can look hazy,
and ESP which works on the higher mental etc. planes, where what is
perceived is supposed to be more reliable. ALso, whatever is thus perceived
doesn't sap the ESP person's energy that drastically. Now, please don't ask
me whether HPB fits into this. I don't know. But after her, this what I've
been taught we believe.

Alan Bain asked TI members to express themselves on the 3rd object. Since
that fits in here, I'm posting this message in both places. TI's 3rd object
reads 
        "To investigate unexplained laws of nature and unrealized human
potential and abilities, at the same time respecting *all* life."

Following this, I believe that Theosophists should interest themselves in
any form of ESP, as a human potential. I find that present day Theosophists
have a tendency to only recognize very well trained, powerful psychics, and
neglect anyone who has some abilities which aren't tops. I don't agree with
that. I think, if you know something, you should try to teach it, not tell
the others they're inept.

It seems that non-theosophists have gone so far as to dare talk about near
death experiences. There are hints in some of the research literature that
some have gone further, but don't dare acknowledge. Our psychics have
explored much further. They've not been able to say too much until very
recently, without being persecuted, proecuted, and being made into a circus,
but we have their writings. I think that's less and less the case, and I
think psychics can now dare come out of the closet a little more, gingerly,
carefully, and help the others find their way in this. 

Just as an example, I think it's about time that Dora Kunz be recognized as
the inventor of Therapeutic Touch, which is by now being practiced all over
the US. Apparently, Dora never liked to work alone, and so Dolores Krieger
did just as much work as Dora with developing TT. Dolores taught TT at NYU
and Dolores wrote the textbook. Dolores did a lot to help spread the
practice of TT, and several generations of health professionals who learnt
from these 2 also helped spread the technique, so that today, in Syracuse
there's a healer who does TT who never even heard of either Dora or Dee. But
at the beginning, it was Dora's idea. TT is a way of healing, using a form
of ESP, easy enough for almost everyone to be able to learn.

"Unexplained laws of nature", and "human potential", to me, doesn't stop at ESP.
I take it to mean that a Therosophist tries to keep up with the frontiers of
knowledge. In this spirit, I've read up on, (and tried more or less
successfully to understand) particle physics, Prigogine and entropy, chaos
theory, Jung and his many followers. I've loved every minute of it, whether
I understood it or not, because I was trying to keep up with the world. It
was a surprise to me that not all Theosophists understand the 3rd object in
this sense. I think it says clearly to investigate at the forefront of
knowledge. And let me tell you ... it's fun!

Liesel

PS If anyone knows about something interesting & newer having been
discovered after chaos theory, please let me know.