CHAPTER XIII

SOME FACTS AND FIGURES

The Theosophical Society is therefore not composed of a band of believers in certain creedal items, but a body of students and seekers. They are travelers on a quest, not the settled dwellers in a creed. They seek to keep fluidic the impulses, intuitions, and propensities of the life of spiritual aspiration, in opposition to the tendency to harden them into dogma.

It is quite impossible for any one to trace with precision the influence of the Theosophic ideology, first, upon the psychology and then upon the conduct of devotees. It can be done only within the limits of general outlines. The one consideration that determines for the Theosophist the value of any thought or act is whether it tends to promote that unification of human mass consciousness along the spiritual ideals pictured in the Ancient Wisdom. This demands of the individual Theosophist that he make of himself, through the gradual expansion of his own consciousness, a channel for the increased flow of high cosmic forces that will work like leaven through the corporate body of humanity and dissipate human misery by the power of light and virtue.

Nevertheless it seems possible to attempt to ascertain the type of people who have been attracted to Theosophy and to examine the special traits and environments, if any such were manifest, which have afforded the most fruitful ground for the seed of the Theosophic faith. Likewise it seems desirable to estimate the influence of Theosophy upon the lives of its votaries. Through the cordial coöperation of the Theosophical Headquarters at Wheaton, Illinois, a questionnaire was sent out.1 Answers were received from nearly
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1 An official of the United Lodge of Theosophists declined to aid in sending letters to persons in that branch, stating that a questionnaire was irrelevant to the interests of true Theosophy.

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seventy per cent of the two hundred addresses--an unusually high return--and they have been carefully tabulated. The names submitted for the mailing of the questionnaire were selected by the President of the American Section of the Theosophical Society, and they must therefore presumably be considered to represent, not all Theosophists, but those of the "Besant Society" exclusively.2

The professions and occupations represented an average cross-section of American life. A few admitted membership in no profession. There were included editor, bishop, railroad executive, corporation president, manufacturer, doctor, lawyer, dentist, teacher, musician, artist, writer, nurse, college tutor, house painter, army officer, insurance agent, draughtsman, carpenter, stenographer, merchant, realtor, business manager, engineer, college secretary, hotel consultant, photographer, advertising writer, Post Office inspector, restaurant proprietor, public accountant, social service worker, veterinary, beauty culturist, oil operator, jeweler, optometrist, Braille worker, and a college teacher of biology. In the list also were a motor car company president, a newspaper publisher, a life insurance superintendent, an educator, a motion picture producer, a city sanitary engineer, a sheet metal contractor, a factory head, and a railroad comptroller. It may be said that these Theosophists are a picked group and hardly to be regarded as truly typical of the rank and file of the personnel. Whether this be true or no, it appears that Theosophists are representative American people, gaining their livelihood in conventional and respectable ways. The mark of their Theosophy would have to be looked for in their avocations, not in how they earn their living. They seem to be of the typical urban middle class, with few farmers or workers.
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2 The questions asked covered the points of age, sex, profession, and length of time connected with Theosophy; previous church affiliations, if any, and reason for abandoning them for Theosophy; the phase of Theosophy appealing most strongly to the individual, whether its philosophical, its religious and devotional side, or its scientific aspect; meditational practice and adherence to non-meat diet; favorite Theosophic authors and literature; and lastly the amount of time devoted to the Theosophic cause in one form or another.

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The ages of those answering the letters ranged from 21 to 86, with an average at about 45. The average length of time the respondents had been actively affiliated with Theosophy was about 15 years. The replies chanced to come from an exactly equal number of men and women. This proportion is hardly to be explained as a result of artificial selection in the mailing list and is significant in view of the fact that in practically all Christian denominations women considerably outnumber men. Indirect evidence of this fact was revealed by the preponderance of women over men among those who came to Theosophy from the various Christian churches; which was offset by the preponderance of men over women among those who had previously been members of no religious organizations.

Geographically the distribution revealed that the strength of the movement lies in the Middle West. Illinois, California, and New York are the headquarters of the Society, and the replies indicated that the most active Theosophists were concentrated in these areas. New England and the South (with the exception of Florida) show only a very slight membership.

As to the matter of the former religious connections, the figures brought out several interesting facts. The complete table follows:

Methodists . . . . . . . . . . . .	32	Greek Catholics . . . . . . . .	2
Episcopalians . . . . . . . . . .	26	Christian (unspecified) . . .	2
Presbyterians . . . . . . . . . .	11	Spiritualists . . . . . . . . . . .	2
Congregationalists . . . . . .	10	Atheists . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	2
Lutherans . . . . . . . . . . . . .	9	Reformed . . . . . . . . . . . .	1
Roman Catholics . . . . . . .	8	Masonic . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	1
Baptists . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	6	Freethinkers . . . . . . . . . . .	1
Unitarians . . . . . . . . . . . .	6	Agnostic . . . . . . . . . . . . .	1
Jewish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	3	Non-Church . . . . . . . . . .	27

Aligning these into significant groups we get:

Evangelicals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	69
Episcopalians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	26
Catholics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	10
Non-Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	31
Scattering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	14

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As might be expected, those who had been Episcopalians were most numerous in the East and South. The Evangelical denominations were, of course, most strongly represented in the Middle West, and they prove to be the most fertile soil for the inroads of Theosophy. The reasons for this fact are suggested below. About eighteen per cent of the respondents explicitly spoke of themselves as still Christians. About ten per cent came to Theosophy through an interest in psychic phenomena, healing or magic, of whom about fifty per cent came from Evangelical churches and none from the Catholic churches. The number of those who came to Theosophy from non-church environments is seen to be a fairly large proportion of the total. As to this element Illinois showed the heaviest rating, with California next, though the group was on the whole fairly evenly distributed over the country. Those from the non-church group supplied a disproportionately large percentage of the most active workers and leaders. The Liberal Catholic members seemed to come almost exclusively from the Episcopalian and the Evangelical groups, and those who had been Catholics were practically negligible. The reasons given for the abandonment of their former faiths to embrace Theosophy are of interest. Theosophy came in the main to people who had already experienced a pronounced distaste for the creeds of the churches. However suddenly the transfer of loyalty and faith may have come, the way thereto had apparently been long in preparation. There is in the letters either a tacit inference or a direct statement that the espousal of Theosophy was largely attributable to the failure of the churches in meeting their intellectual needs. The increasing inadequacy of the church doctrines made Theosophy seem richer, or, to put the same fact positively, the largeness of the Theosophical system made Christian theology seem impoverished. The percentage of those explicitly noting their dissatisfaction with the churches was 47, while almost all the remainder emphasized the positive intellectual stimulation given them by Theosophy. However, such vague personal testimony must be received with a measure of cau-

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tion until we estimate what particular elements were most effective.

While the specific motives for shifting from religious regularity, or from no institutional or creedal anchorage over to a new and exotic cult, have been quite variously set forth by the respondents, almost all of them used the general formula: Theosophy rendered life more intelligible than any other system. All the more detailed statements as to the reason for faith in Theosophy are but amplifications of this one theme. It is the only cult, we are told, that furnishes to the seeker after light and understanding an adequate rational support for the assumption of Law, Order, Love, Wisdom, Purpose, and Intelligence in the Course of Things. A closer examination into the meaning of these phrases soon reveals that certain specific issues were uppermost. Theosophy appeared to reconcile science (especially evolutionary science) with religion; it enlarged the moral drama to the vast proportions of cosmic epochs demanded by evolution. It gave a teleological explanation of evolution which was nevertheless not narrowly anthropocentric, and an explanation of the origin of evil which was not arbitrary or cruel. Then, too, as many replies definitely stated, the doctrine of reincarnation was regarded as an improvement over the orthodox doctrine of resurrection, day of judgment, heaven and hell, as well as over the vague liberal doctrine of immortality. And the law of Karma was felt to be more rational than salvation by forgiveness, vicarious atonement, or "faith" or "grace." Some of the writers found a higher form of theism in Theosophy, but the majority said little about God, and were quite content to substitute meditation and study for praying to a personal God. Here are a few typical statements:

"Theosophy answered the great problems. It made life intelligible on the basis of Love, Law, Intelligence."

"Orthodoxy nowhere furnished a satisfactory solution to the riddles of life."

"Theosophy presented a logical and reasonable theory of life,

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which in turn served as an inspiration to self-discipline and right living. It provides the only sure 'ground for morals.'"

"The general narrowness and inconsistency of religions and particularly their inability to explain wrong and suffering turned me away from the churches. Theosophy brought satisfaction, peace and happiness."

"Theosophy reconciled science and religion with each other, and both with philosophy, and me with all of them in one great synthesis."

"Theosophy gave me a satisfying philosophy of life and religion and restored me to Christianity after the church had lost me."

"I never knew there existed so rational and complete a theory of life until I met with Theosophy."

"Theosophy alone answered the questions that must be raised by any reflective mind."

"Theosophy appealed to me by its vast comprehensibility. It leaves no fact of life unexplained in a system into which the single facts fit with amazing aptness."

"Theosophy came to me through the death of my husband, when I stood face to face with a disenchanted universe and sought to break through to a rational understanding of the meaning of things."

"I felt the need for some way out such as that provided by reincarnation. I found Theosophy a complete philosophy answering my mental demands to the full."

"Christianity could not stand the test of thinking; Theosophy gave me the larger truths which could bear the brunt of logical questioning."

"Theosophy presented the only rational scheme of life that I had ever heard of."

"The laws of reincarnation and Karma for the first time enabled me to see life as under the reign of Order and Love."

"Theosophy was the first system I ever met with that reconciled me with the universe. I was a rebel before."

"I was happy to find in Theosophy an acceptable explanation of the soul-harrying problems connected with the apparent cruelty of life."

"Not only did Theosophy solve for me the riddles of the universe but it opened up new vistas of meaning in the service, rituals and traditions of the church itself."

"Theosophy quieted my feeling of uneasiness over the fact

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that so many religions must be wrong, by revealing the synthesis of truth back of all religions alike."

"My special studies in the lines of Social and Criminal Psychology made reincarnation a necessity for my thinking, and no longer a speculative luxury."

"While the church evades the main issues, Theosophy courageously attacks the vital problems at their root and succeeds in solving their meaning by revealing the hidden side of truth."

"I revolted at the fear which the churches, through some of their repellent doctrines, instil into the minds of children. Theosophy dispelled all this dark shadow and let in the light."

"I felt the hypocrisies of the religious leaders. I went from Applied Psychology to Christian Science, to Spiritualism and found rest only in Theosophy at last."

"The shallowness of church teaching drove me to agnosticism, from which happily Theosophy rescued me."

"From Christian Science I went to occultism, and I was once more happy to be shown that life could be understood after all."

"I found in Theosophy an unshakable foundation on which to base my logic."

"Theosophy came to me in the crisis of a nervous breakdown, and by giving me a flashing clear understanding of life and its problems, brought me safely through the ordeal. It revealed that I was part of the plan and gave me a new zest for living."

"Perhaps nothing within the scope of mind can solve the Mystery of Life, but Theosophy rendered it no longer a mystification."

"There were the sneers of skeptics and unbelievers on one side and horrified piety of believers on the other. Neither had any rational scheme of life to offer. Theosophy was a joyous refuge from this dilemma."

"There was something clearly wanting and illogical in the doctrine of salvation through the vicarious sacrifice and atonement; now all is clear."

"I found here a body of ideas systematized and unified, which, furthermore, rang true when tested out against the hard facts of life itself."

"I was a freethinker by nature, but after all one must think systematically, not loosely, and Theosophy presented to me a marvelous compact and well-knit structure."

"Work in the slums brought a sense of the breakdown of orthodox faith in the face of social disaster. I saw religion as a drug and

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curse to the lowly. I wanted Truth rather than religion. I found it in Theosophy."

"Theosophy gave me light after I had long been immersed in the grossness of materialism."

"Exactly where the church fell down Theosophy held its ground."

"A Sunday School teacher, what I taught choked me. Theosophy was like a cup of water to one dying of thirst."3

Some sixty-five per cent of the replies indicated that the philosophical and scientific aspects of Theosophy were the primary interests, leaving about thirty-five per cent attracted chiefly to the religious or devotional phases. Forty-two per cent gave definite time to daily meditation. Thirty- six per cent explicitly avowed a non-meat diet, though the proportion of abstainers from animal food is undoubtedly must larger. A few ladies testified to having forsworn the wearing of furs on humanitarian grounds. Alcohol and tobacco were taboo along with flesh foods in the case of several.

Whereas almost all the respondents spontaneously emphasized the intellectual aspects of Theosophy, comparatively few were explicit on the element which is supposed to be central in their faith, viz., the practice of universal brotherhood. Only about twenty per cent emphasized such interests (brotherhood, social service, etc.) as in Theosophic terminology would belong to the practice of Karma Yoga; and of these an unusually large percentage were women. They came mostly from Evangelical churches or no-church; few were Episcopalians. This group, emphasizing Karma Yoga, proved to be fairly distinct from the group which emphasized meditation, though both groups were recruited largely from former Evangelical Protestants. The practice of meditation seemed to have little measurable effect one way or the other on the amount of time and energy devoted to work for the Theosophical Society. About fifty per cent said they gave a definite amount of time to specific Theosophic activities, and of these about thirteen per cent gave at least one-half of
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3 But one person adds: "I heard a Theosophic lecturer who had something in his face no other man had ever had save Bishop Brent."

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their time to the cause. Many gave from a half-hour to three, four, five hours per day; some "three evenings a week, with home study"; others "one-fourth to one-half of all time." Many devoted "all spare time" to it. But a significant element that crept into quite a large percentage of the answers was the statement that the pursuit of Theosophy "permeates all my activity"; "enters into my whole life as an undercurrent"; "colors all my behavior, modifies my attitude toward all I do"; is "a subconscious influence directing my entire life"; is "the background of my life, polarizing all I do to the one central principle of brotherhood"; forms "the pervasive spirit of all I do;" is "the motivating agent in all my efforts to work and to serve"; and the like expressions. In other words there is the persuasion with these people that one is a Theosophist all the time, whatever be one's momentary mode of activity. "The specific time I give to it is impossible to estimate," says one; and "it absorbs my thought and is the determining motive in every act of my life," avers another. The percentage so declaring themselves ran as high as seventy-four.

The query desiring to ascertain which leaders and which Theosophic organizations commanded higher allegiance brought answers which were a foregone conclusion from the fact that all the respondents were attached to the "Besant" organization. The favored leaders were naturally Mr. C. Jinarajadasa, Mr. A. P. Sinnett, Mr. G. S. Arundale, Mr. L. W. Rogers, Mr. Max Wardall, Bishop Irving Cooper, and others. Although the name of the Society's great Founder, Madame Blavatsky, was brought in apparantly in most cases incidentally or as an after-thought, she or her writings were mentioned by one out of every three. Only two failed to name Mrs. Besant or Mr. Leadbeater at all. As to favored writings, those of Mrs. Besant and her colleague again led the list, with J. Krishnamurti's books a good third. As to choice of organization the International Theosophical Society, of which Mrs. Besant is the presiding genius, found a unanimous ap-

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proval in this selected group. Only two declared they were impartial or indifferent to all organization.

As a secondary interest (all Theosophists are urged to devote some energy to at least one outside humanitarian movement) many expressed allegiance to the Order of the Star in the East, Mrs. Besant's vehicle to prepare the way for the reception of the announced Avatar (since renounced by Krishnamurti himself and disbanded by him), the Order of Service, the League of Brotherhood, the Karma and Reincarnation Legion, the Liberal Catholic Church, the Co-Masonic Order, Anti-Vivisection Societies, the League for Prison Work, the Order of the Round Table (for children), and other subsidiary forms of extra-Theosophic activity.

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