If there was ever a “religion” that came closest to describing my own personal experience of “god” and the divine, it would be Theosophy.

I picked up this book called The Key to Theosophy, by H.P. Blavatsky, about ten years ago, and in it I found a coherent synthesis of many of the ideas of self and mind and spirit and God and energy and matter and the universe that I had personally been trying to put together from my own experiences. I had been a student of religion and history in college, and had continued my studies in my own directions afterwards, as well as being a student of the School of Psychedelic Enlightenment. While I had encountered many writings that agreed with things I had seen and thought, this was the first time I had seen so many of the disparate ideas brought together into a single coherent philosophy, and I found that what parts I could fully grasp, I agreed with.

In looking just now for a quote from the text, I was thrilled to find that the entire text is available online, so any of you who wish can check it out.

http://keytotheosophy.net/

The book is written as a conversation between a student (Enquirer) and teacher (Theosophist), and is easy to pick up and read a section that interests you without having to read the whole thing from start to finish.

It is remarkable that this book was first published in 1889, and is very far ahead of its time in the use of certain terms that have become much more well understood in the century since including “ego”, “karma”, and other terms used widely in eastern religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism. Also remarkable is the author herself, Helena Blavatsky, not only that she was a woman leading a religious society in Victorian England, but in the travels and studies in India and Tibet that lead her to her understanding.

http://blavatskyarchives.com/longseal.htm

Anyway, I hope you take a few minutes to peruse a chapter or two of this stuff. Those of you who are familiar with any "New Age" spiritual writings may recognise some ideas, as well as anyone who has read Timothy Leary or Terence McKenna or other psychedelic philosophers.

@ I Hail Randy Moss - Check out Chapter 2 on Occultism and Spiritualism, two movements that were growing in popularity around the time that Blavatsky was writing.

really appreciate this PD, i don't think i'll have much time reading into it deeply anytime soon, but it looks really interesting.

HUZZAH

Probably a bit too complex for my taste, but still some good stuff in there. Good link.

I did an interview with the head of a local Theosophy organisation and they seemed to be a peaceful bunch, so all power to them. Couldn't really identify myself with their beliefs so that was that.

Yeah, I read about Helena Blavatsky. Richard Hodgson who helped investigate spiritualism back in the glory days of William James and Alfred Russell Wallace, looked into Blavatsky. He found out she was a fraud. She had friends pass her fake messages from the dead through her bed room wall. She tore down her house the next day so no evidence could be found. It's a shame there is people like that out there today

This sounds made up.

Seriously man, how much have you read about her? Not enough obviously to see that she didn't believe in communicating with the dead, so she would not have ever passed herself off as one who could.

I'm not familiar with this story, but perhaps she did this (if this even ever happened) to demonstrate how a fraudulent spiritualis might do such a thing.

It was in that "Ghost Hunter" book of mine. Its all about William James and his investigations, but it talks about the rise of spiritualism in the 1850s and its influence on the cultures. Hodgson came back with a full report saying she was a fraud and how he found out. Maybe she did it for the money?