A Miracle Worker of To-Day

A Miracle Worker of To-Day.

[Reprinted from the Pall Mall Gazette (London), April 21, 1884, p. 6.]

Colonel Olcott, president of the Theosophical Society, is at present in London on a mission from the Sinhalese Buddhists, who have considerable reason to complain of the manner in which they have been denied justice in their disputes with the local Roman Catholics. With that aspect of Colonel Olcott’s mission, however, we do not propose to deal to-day. Suffice it to say, that Colonel Olcott and the petitioning Buddhists ask for nothing that should not be conceded as a matter of simple right to any body of religionists in any part of her Majesty’s dominions. Much more interesting than the champion of the aggrieved Buddhists of Ceylon is Colonel Olcott as the Apostle Paul of theosophy, an archaic philosophy which, taking its rise in the remote regions of Thibet, is destined, in the fervent faith of its disciples, to spread over the whole earth. Colonel Olcott’s account of his conversion affords a key to the whole of his present mission. The Colonel --- a New Yorker, a prosperous lawyer, well-to-do in this world’s goods, and with a prospect, almost amounting to a certainty, of being appointed State Director of Insurance of New York, with an honourable record of gallant services performed in the American Civil War --- was much attracted by the study of Eastern philosophy.

The reason why Colonel Olcott abandoned his professional career in the United States was as follows: --- One night he had been meditating deeply and long upon the strange problems of Oriental philosophy. He had wondered whether the mysterious teachings of Mdme. Blavatsky were after all nothing more than the illusions of an overwrought brain, or whether they had really been revealed to her by those weird Mahatmas --- a race of devotees dwelling in the remote fastnesses of the Thibetan Himalayas, who are said to have preserved intact for the benefit of mankind the invaluable deposits of archaic spiritual truth to be revealed in “the fulness of the times.” His judgment inclined towards the latter alternative. But if theosophy as expounded by its latest hierophant were true, then was it not his duty to forsake all that he had, and leaving behind him the busy Western world, with its distracting influences which indisposed the mind to the perception of pure spiritual truth, hasten to the East, the chosen home of repose and speculative calm? Yet should a step so momentous be taken without ample confirmation; nay, without absolute certainty of the truth for which he was expected to sacrifice all? Could such absolute certainty be vouchsafed to mortal man? Colonel Olcott pondered long, revolving these and similar questions, when suddenly he became aware of the presence of a mysterious visitant in the room. The door was closed, the window was shut, no mortal footstep had been heard on the stair; yet there, clearly visible in the lamplight, stood the palpable form of a venerable Oriental. In a moment Colonel Olcott knew that his unspoken prayer had been answered. He was face to face with one of the mysterious brotherhood of the Thibetan mountains, a Mahatma who from his distant ashrum had noted the mute entreaty of his soul, and hastened across ocean and continent to remove his lurking doubts. The Mahatma entered into friendly conversation with his American disciple, and in the course of half an hour succeeded in convincing him beyond the possibility of doubt that Mdme. Blavatsky’s testimonies concerning the existence of the Mahatmas and the mission which invited him were simple transcripts of the literal truth. Ere the sudden visit was over, Colonel Olcott was a fast adherent of the new philosophy so strangely confirmed. But when the Mahatma rose to go, the natural man reasserted itself. “Would you not,” he asked, “before you go, leave me some tangible token of your presence, some proof that this has been no maya --- the illusion of overstrained sense? Give me something to keep that I may touch and handle.” The Mahatma smiled a kindly smile; then removing his turban he wrought upon it a marvellous transformation. Colonel Olcott saw the shadowy folds of the Eastern headgear thicken and materialize under the fingers of his guest, until at last the shadow became substance, and a substantial turban rested on the head of the spectre. The Mahatma then handed the turban to the astonished Colonel and vanished as mysteriously as he had appeared. That turban Colonel Olcott carries about with him to this day, he has it at the present moment, and it can be seen by the unbelieving, “the outward and visible sign” of the mysterious visit that completed his conversion. With that turban in his hand Colonel Olcott could doubt no longer. He ultimately threw up all his business engagements, and left New York for Hindostan. There he has remained until recently a weariless apostle of the theosophic faith which has the Mahatmas of the Himalayas as its sage oracles and Mdme. Blavatsky as one of its Delphic priestesses. Such is the story which is told concerning Olcott’s conversion, and, however strange it may be, it is the only explanation which is as yet forthcoming as to how a shrewd Yankee editor --- for Colonel Olcott edited the agricultural department of the New York Tribute, under the late Horace Greeley --- has been for the last six years engaged in carrying on an active apostolate in India and Ceylon in favour of the ancient mysterious doctrines which are popularly known as theosophy. Colonel Olcott, who is at present, as we have already stated, in this country on an errand to the Colonial Office, in order to secure protection for the injured Sinhalese Buddhists, is about to undertake a mission through Burmah on the invitation of his Burmese Majesty, with a view to purifying and reviving Buddhism. After this tour through Burmah he proposes to make an itinerary through Siam. Subsequently he may visit China and Thibet. Mr. Sinnett vouches for the fact that Colonel Olcott, in the course of his tours in India and Ceylon, performed more miracles --- using that term, of course, in its popular and unscientific sense, for the theosophists stoutly deny that there are such things as miracles contra naturam --- than are recorded in the whole of the Gospels. Colonel Olcott himself modestly places the number of his psycopathic treatments at 8,000 in thirteen months. During that period he is said to have performed almost every cure as recorded in Old or New Testament. He has made the deaf to hear, the dumb to speak, the blind to see; the paralysed have been restored to the full use of their limbs, the cripples have walked; and, although he cannot boast of having raised the dead or healed a leper, he asserts that he cured a man suffering from elephantiasis, who was the nearest approach to a leper which he had to do with. Colonel Olcott is rather chary of speaking of these cures, fearing, not unnaturally, that his life may become a burden to him if it is known that a “miracle-worker” of such power is within hailing distance of the innumerable sick and afflicted of London. During his visit to our office Colonel Olcott obligingly explained to our representative the method of healing which he pursued. Its central principle seemed to be that of establishing a magnetic current between the right and left hands of the operator which traverses the patient and imparts the surplus vitality of the operator. Almost all disease, in Colonel Olcott’s opinion, arises from deficient local vitality, and can be removed by influx of fresh life from another person. Of course, this in time tells upon the vital force of the healer, and Colonel Olcott himself was at the close of his healing campaign nearly paralyzed, and would, he maintains, have been altogether so but for the timely warning of his watchful Mahatma, who ordered him to desist before the mischief had gone too far. As it was, he had paralysis for some time in the forefinger of his right hand; but he is now perfectly recovered. During his recent stay in Nice, he asserts, he was the means of effecting a very remarkable cure on the person of Princess W., a Russian lady who had been paralysed in her right arm and leg for seventeen years. Colonel Olcott in the course of fifteen minutes was able to restore to her the perfect use of both limbs, on which physicians had so long experimented in vain. Of these gifts, however, Colonel Olcott makes but small account. They are incidental, nor does he think that he is exceptionally gifted in this respect. Similar powers may be exercised by almost any healthy person, provided they go the right way about it. The Colonel was even obliging enough to instruct our representative how to work miracles; but hitherto, whether owing to lack of experience on his part or to the uncompromising nature of the human material on whom he tried his newly acquired art, the experiments so far have not proved successful. Colonel Olcott before he left India enjoyed another remarkable experience in the shape of a visit from another Mahatma. It was at Lahore, when he was in his tent at night, that he was visited by the sage in question in propria persona. He recognized the person in a moment, and they entered at once into a lively conversation, at the close of which the Mahatma said, “You wanted something tangible when first you met your present teacher. You are going to Europe. Here, I will give you something to take to Sinnett as a message from me.” With that the Mahatma encircled the Colonel’s palm with the finger-tips of his right hand, and there gradually grew into substance, precipitated as it were out of the thin air, a letter written in English characters, enfolded in Chinese silk, and addressed to Mr. Sinnett. Of the labours of this gentleman on behalf of theosophy in the benighted West, the recluses in the Himalayas are gratefully conscious. Of these and many other wonders too numerous here to tell, as well as the story of the strange propaganda which this American Colonel is successfully carrying on in the remote East, we must say nothing at present. Colonel Olcott himself may take an opportunity during his visit of setting forth the latest light --- the light of theosophy --- in the midst of the modern Babylon. At present it is sufficient to repeat for the benefit of our readers the remarkable story which this American apostle of Eastern occultism is prepared to uphold against all the gibes of the sceptical capital of the Western world.