Coulomb Affair
As Coulomb Coulomb affair or affair 1884 incidents involving Emma and Alexis Coulomb one hand and Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and the Theosophical Society (TG ) were alternatively referred to, in years. This led to the publication of letters which loaded Blavatsky as a swindler and forger. The shortly thereafter held Hodgson report substantiating these allegations, and both mainly ruined the reputation of the TG. Especially the second part of the Hodgson Report, regarding the Blavatsky - Coulomb and master's certificates was 1986 and 1997 critically examined again by Vernon Harrison.
Prehistory
1875 in New York by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, Henry Steel Olcott, inter alia, the Theosophical Society (TG ) was founded. This moved its headquarters in 1879 to Mumbai in India and in 1882 a second time after Adyar in Chennai. By the year 1884, when the Coulomb affair made headlines, the TG was in India and Sri Lanka, after barely five years in the country, already at about 100 lodges, with daily growing number of members has grown. Since the TG but especially advocated the ethical and religious values of Buddhism and Hinduism and, in contrast to the Christian mission, the traditional indigenous culture with the greatest respect met, provided the organization a serious competition for the mission efforts of several Christian denominations in these countries dar.
Along with this was soon envy and resentment against the TG one, also is because the proselytizing of Christians, despite centuries of efforts were only recorded moderate success. However, President of the TG was Henry Steel Olcott, the actual main character Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, this was officially " only " Corresponding Secretary ( = PR officer or press officer ), but put the real eminence dar. Blavatsky often made headlines by paranormal phenomena, they should have demonstrated and which have often been hyped as a veritable miracles. In addition, Blavatsky and the TG delivered talk by several Masters of Wisdom, which allegedly provided answers to outstanding questions and problems, even though they were not present and were able to make in this regard letters appear out of nowhere. This master's certificates usually published in a particular cabinet, as the " shrine " or " occult shrine " ( = Occult Shrine ) was called, and were then also a main object of the Coulomb affair and the subsequent Hodgson reports.
The Coulomb Affair
Mutual assistance
In 1871, Blavatsky is in Cairo acquaintance with the Englishwoman Emma Cutting and her then- French friend Alexis Coulomb did the first time, who married later. Blavatsky then received financial support from Emma, together they should have there also founded the short-lived Société Spirite ( = Spiritual Society). In August 1879 Blavatsky was in Mumbai by Mr. and Mrs. Coulomb a written plea for help, as they were completely broke, stranded in Sri Lanka. Blavatsky funded then the Coulomb cross over to Mumbai. She searched unsuccessfully for both a job and eventually took them as employees for the Theosophical Society (TG), which she joined as members. Emma Coulomb led from 1880 Kitchen and household and took occasional typing, Alexis Coulomb found work as a carpenter, gardener and caretaker, as a sort of " gofer " in the TG. In the following years there were several frictions with older TG- employees who were subject to the Coulombs, and other members it reluctantly saw that the Coulombs had befriended the missionaries of the Free Church of Scotland in Chennai, where the latest gossip from TG told.
Dispute and dismissal
After Olcott had the leadership of the TG passed a Control Council, he and Blavatsky embarked on a grand tour of Europe on 20 February 1884. Before Blavatsky had decreed that only Emma Coulomb should keep their private rooms in order and handed her the key. After the departure of Blavatsky, which had always taken the Coulomb in protection, broke open from hostilities and in March the Control accused the Coulomb gross negligence. Tele Blavatsky and Olcott Graphically were informed about the incidents, several telegrams passed between Europe, the Control Council and the Coulombs back and forth, but no agreement could be achieved, on the contrary, the situation escalated more and more. The Coulomb finally offered to clear the field for 2000 (3000? ) Indian rupees and tickets to the U.S., but this was rejected. After Emma Coulomb had a blackmail accompanied by threats against Blavatsky made this in May 1884 located on 14 ( 17? ) The dismissal of the Coulomb and the exclusion from the TG to.
On 18 May 1884, released in Adyar was completed, with all keys have been released. In the former inspection of Blavatsky's rooms Theosophists present discovered a series of secret doors and sliding walls and a wall opening, which was a secret connection between Blavatsky's bedroom closet and the " shrine ". Alexis Coulomb gave to the process of making these improvements on Blavatsky's statement that this, however, when they learned of this, not confirmed. The devices were obviously new, wood chips and remnants of walls still lay scattered around. In addition, the secret sliding doors could be opened only with considerable effort, with considerable noise originated. This fact was later noticed by Richard Hodgson in his investigation and confirmed report in Hodgson.
Publication of letters
After her release, sought and found the Coulombs recording with her friends in the mission of the Free Church of Scotland, and thus seemed the thing completed. However, the Coulomb gave then the chaplain of the church a series of letters, which is alleged to have written Blavatsky to Emma Coulomb. These provided Blavatsky is a fraud and forger of the master's certificates and pretend the secret fixtures as an aid to paranormal phenomena. The chaplain George Patterson, published excerpts from these letters in the September and October 1884, the output appearing in Chennai Madras Christian College Monthly Magazine, the mouthpiece of the Reformed Church in South India.
When executing this fraud to Blavatsky should have just served as accomplices of the Coulombs, which the mentioned secret doors and sliding walls served. This allegedly by Blavatsky actually pre- led phenomena were depicted as skillfully threaded Make fraud. Inter alia been associated with some of those statements to the appearance of the above- mentioned master's certificates in the " shrine ". Thus, not only the existence of the Masters of Wisdom was questioned, but whose letters appeared to be forged of Blavatsky and even then defined by the wall opening in the " shrine ". Then, the " shrine " was burned by the Theosophists, so that he could not serve as a ( fake ) piece of evidence, a mistake, as it turned out later.
The publications in the Madras Christian College Magazine spread quickly throughout India, as other newspapers in the country, the article took up eagerly, embellished and turned it into a real campaign. Not only that, also British and American newspapers published the news, finally Blavatsky in these countries was widely known as an enfant terrible. As Blavatsky and Olcott, who were at that time just in England, learned of the affair, Blavatsky published promptly in several newspapers a denial. Then the two Theosophists on the way back to India, where Blavatsky in Egypt lodged a stop to make inquiries about the Coulombs, this remained unsuccessful. Olcott reached India by as early as November 1884 Blavatsky until a month later, on 20 ( 21? ) In December. In the meantime, Emma Coulomb had also published a pamphlet in which they heavily loaded Blavatsky and himself represented as it were, in the emergency command located recipient.
Unsuccessful defense and the consequences
After consultation with the Control Council in Adyar Olcott decided not to raise any complaint against the Madras Christian College Magazine or the Coulombs. This decision was finally published in the Madras Christian College Magazine, however, he was regarded as a tactical maneuver and corroborated the opinion, the published letters were true and Blavatsky a fraud. Then Blavatsky became effective on March 21, 1885 from her position as Corresponding Secretary of the TG back. A few days later ( 26 March to 7 April 1885, there are different information on the date of departure ) she left India for good and moved to London, where she arrived on 1 May 1887, until her death there on May 8 1891 remained. In London, she co-founded founded on May 19, 1887 Blavatsky Lodge, which became a successful organization under their participation, and founded on 15 September 1887, the magazine Lucifer.
The Hodgson Report
The situation was still significantly exacerbated by Richard Hodgson on behalf of the Society for Psychical Research (SPR ) study carried out from December 1884 to April 1885, ie just at the time when the Coulomb affair waves hit, which became known as Hodgson Report. In this report, Hodgson concluded that Blavatsky was actually an impostor and forger.
Investigations
Opposition and criticism was directed primarily against the Hodgson Report, because the emerged in the Coulomb affair allegations were detailed and documented in writing in this. Since the publication of the report, in December 1885, numerous contradictions and false statements could be revealed. Adley Walter Carrithers, Jr. (1924-1994) claimed that the secret fittings not of Blavatsky or their accomplices to deceive could have been used. His interpretations were ineffective. Only through the work of Vernon Harrison during the years 1986 and 1997, which came in the Journal of the Society for Psychical Research (SPR ) for publication, an attempt at rehabilitation Blavatsky was undertaken. For details, please refer to Hodgson Report.
Conclusion
The effects of the Coulomb affair and the subsequent Hodgson reports on the whole Theosophical Society (TG ) were devastating. There were mass resignations from the TG, numerous lodges were therefore abandoned or had to be closed, including the German Germania Lodge.