Theos-Talk Archives (January 1997 Message tl00689)

At 08:11 PM 1/23/97 -0500, gbartle@uclink.berkeley.edu (Gregg Bartle) wrote:
>On Thu, 23 Jan 1997 15:14:56 -0500 (EST), K. Paul johnson wrote:
>
>>............................  Emotions are
>>expressed in abundance, but there is a real unconsciousness of
>>them, a dwelling consciously in thoughts and a denial of
>>feelings, that is characteristic of Theosophical history from
>>the early days on.
> 
>This caused me to wonder if it is totally true of most of the members
>of the various TS's over the years. Just what have been the
>motivations of 'grassroots' members  for joining? This is a serious
>and interesting question.Who have the thousands of individuals that
=========================================================
MKR:

        Over the years I have had occasions to inquire of members as to how
they found TS/Theosophy and at times I have been told fascinating stories.

        If anyone studies this issue of motivation of joining, one may have
to stratify by national background as well. For example, most of the members
in India may not have joined looking for personal or spiritual growth or to
learn techniques of breathing, travel in astral, mental, and higher worlds
or practical instructions on concentration or meditation etc. In any case,
the findings would be very interesting to all of us, if ever one is done. 

                ...MK Ramadoss
=================================================
>have passed through the groups over the decades *really* been -Dry as
>Dust intellectuals (?) - declining petty bourgeois looking for a
>scientific sounding substitute for failed religions (?) - crazy little
>old ladies filling their idle hours (?) or just what? All of those
>pejoratives have been used to describe theosophists, but I suspect the
>reality has been  *much* more complex.
> 
>I'd like to ask if anyone knows if there have ever been any studies or
>histories done of Theosophy from below, examining the many and varied 
>people attracted *to* the movement instead of from the top, from the
>point of view of the elite few that have lead the movement? I've not
>seen such work, but I suspect we might find that - despite the worst
>that has been done by leaders in one direction - many individuals have
>come and gone in the ranks who found their own ways to balance head
>and heart and hand. 
>