H.P.B. and Paracelsus Compared

Dr. Douglas Baker compares the lives and work of Helena Blavatsky and Paracelsus during a summer school session at Little Elephant. He explains how both were trying to expand the horizons of the dogmatized individuals of their time. They had similar hardships while growing up, while their differences nonetheless led them to pursue similar topics of study and work. He goes into the backgrounds of their lives in riveting detail, explaining something of why they had the unique personalities they had. Both led challenging and dangerous lives, and both were horrified by the ridiculous assumptions regarding spiritual phenomena of so many of their contemporaries. Through these stories Dr. Baker explains a mnemonic he invented for his serious students. He ends the discussion with an in-depth description of the manifestation of ectoplasm, something both HPB and Paracelsus were interested in. (78 min. long, May 14, 2005)

Additional topics covered: Stonehenge, Druids, Homeopathy, Lord Sebastian Coe, Native Americans, Firewalking, Komar.