Talk given at the European School of Theosophy Congress-14th oct 2019-Eritrea-Greece

The Austrian Social Scientist, Sigmund Freud known universally for his psychoanalysis, is also recognized for his Book ‘Moses of Michael Angelo’ (1914) which has immensely aided, the study of Art History. Freud analysed the Human psyche’s reaction to Art , through distinct emotional strata which came to be described as ‘Structuralism’ in the art historian’s jargon.Despite Jaques Lacan’s differential idea, on structuralism, Freud’s observation emanates from a subtle Truth of the human psyche.The genesis of Art History becoming a scientific discipline can be traced to Eduard Gerhard (1795-1867). Theosophy- a compendium of Ageless Esoteric and Occult wisdom, opened up another phase and a new frontier, in fact to the next level , in redefining Art and added a new dimension to its content and language.. This translation spearheaded a new revolution in the genre of Expression and visual portrayal of the Human psyche. How Historians had missed out on this important phase in Art history viz the era of Spiritual influence on Art, more particularly Theosophy’s influence on Art, is still a puzzle. The post Helena Petrovna Blavatsky period with her publication of ‘The secret Doctrine’ (1888) through which she introduced Theosophy to the western hemisphere, radically influenced Western ‘Thought’ from the Material plane to the Spiritual. However in recent years the void is being filled as more research and discussions are emanating on Theosophy’s impacting world Art.To borrow the phrase of Myrna Ayad. Director of Art Dubai (2018) –Unraveling the secrets of Art that are not told in Textbooks. The story of Theosophy and its influence on world Art has just begun.

In early 2015, Carolyn Christov Bakargiev , curator of the 14th Istanbul 2015 Biennale –entitled SALT WATER –THEORY OF THOUGHT FORMS ( inspired by Dr.Annie Besant’s book and the paintings on Thought Forms) had sent a request to Mr.Tim Boyd , President of the Theosophical Society, in Chennai India , to lend her the original’ Thought Form ‘ paintings for the event. As the originals were not to be found despite a search in the Theosophical archival repository, she had to be eventually content with print copies of the paintings. The persistent Mr.Boyd, a man of knowledge and Theosophical wisdom is as much a dilettante of Art and Music , retrieved them a few months later in the Society’s India Headquarters at Varanasi, during a chance lobby talk with an Australian Theosophist. This was a silent coup in the art circles in this part of the world, little known in public domain. These priceless paintings have now been restored and preserved for posterity at Adyar Chennai, HQ of the Society. The paintings – handwork of a group of clairvoyant artists, John Varley (friend of William Blake), Prince and, McFarlane, who assisted the author in bringing to the world an unperceived abstract treasure of colors and dimensions of THOUGHT FORMS. Bakargiev, an American of Bulgarian –Italian descent and presently the Director of the Castello di Rivoli in Torino , Italy, curated ‘Emotions of color in Art exhibition in March-July 2018.Many artists and art historians around the world have started rediscovering the hitherto ignored influence of Theosophy on artists in the post 19th century world of Art. Ever since the Russian Mystic and psychic Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (HPB) introduced Theosophy to the western world through her monumental treatise , ’ Isis Unveiled’ and The Secret Doctrine ‘ Western Thought took a radical shift from a mind bound by the Material to the unleashed liberated mind of the Spiritual The esoteric ancient wisdom was now restored, packaged and delivered to mankind having far reaching impact in all domains of Human Consciousness.The art world was no exception, Artists in Moscow, Stolkholm Paris Amsterdam and Prague began to be influenced by Theosophy and out of its deep roots emerged the new art of Abstraction, surrealism, cubic art and the avant garde .The influence spread to North America and a few years ago the writer realized while attending the ART BA at BUENES AIRES –the biggest art event in the southern hemispheres that Theosophy had impacted writers and Poets and artists in Argentina and other south American countries as well.

Ms.Susan Ginsburg Art historian and curator at the New York art Museum in her lecture at the Cama institute, mumbai on ‘Art and Theosophy’ traced the impact – her dissertation was from a Art Historian view point, she asserted that she was not member of the Society though.Ms. Gowri Viswanathan, Director of the Columbia University Asian Institute and a Gugeinham fellow recepient, was one of the earliest to bring in the open Theosophy”s influence on Art, In 2015 she co organized a conference in October of 2015 at York university U.K. THEOSOPHY AND THE ARTS -TEXTS & CONTEXTS OF MODERN ENCHANTMENTS. she is a linguist and cultural anthropologist specializing on HPB and Gandhi and the mediation and translation of Theosophy to the broader society.(she had delivered a talk on the subject at Mumbai’s Columbia Global centre in august 2018) Susan Ginsburg contends that Ananda Kentish Coomarswamy ( AKC ) a Ceylonese of English Tamil lineage , along with Harold Zimmerman and Denman Ross, as head of Asian Art, at the Boston museum , had earliar done pioneering work in bringing to the fore Indian and Japnese Art to the Museum. AKC joined the Theosophical Society on 20th January 1907, at the behest of Dr.Annie Besant and was also an aquaintance of Bhagwan Das, a well known Theosophist and Gandhian, during his years in India.His Book ”Introduction to Indian Art” was published by the Theosophical publishing House. He also contributed to ‘The Theosophist’ journal. His esoteric interpretation of the Cosmic Nataraja pose of Shiva- in his book ‘Dance of Shiva’ is, scientifically validated in the Fritjof Capra Book- The Tao of Physics . Coomaraswamy (AKC) is credited for having introduced medeival south asian art to the west with his metaphysical interpretation.

Like the Istanbul 2015 Biennale, Maurice Tuchman’s book ‘The spiritual in Arts 1890-1985’ triggered a new dimension of research on the subject.The Lambachhaus museum in Munchen featured the works of Hilma af Klint, a Stolkholm based artist and Theosophist ( known for her seances and contact with the Adepts ) in 2018, and the first exhibition in Latin America on Hilma was at Pinacoteca de Sau Paulo in the March of 2018 entitled –Mundos Possivers/Possible worlds. - A modern Glimpse of the Golden Dawn. Marty Bax curated “ Theosophy and Art” exhibition in Netherlands featuring Piet Mondrian. The Padraic Moore curated ‘ A Modern Panarian-Glimpses of occultism in Dublin’ at the Dublin city Gallery (2014). All these initiatives are reflecting the growing awareness of Theosophy’s impact and influence on world of art. Without doubt Theosophy opened new doors to thinkers and artists alike with far reaching influence .Finnish Art historian Sixten Ringbom published’ The Sounding Cosmos’- the spiritualism of Kandinsky and the genesis of Abstract Art, where he describes the decisive influence of Theosophy on Wassily Kandinsky the genius of modern Abstraction ( Guggeinheim Museum collection NY and the Tate at London featured him in the exhibition entitled- Path to Abstraction). Linda Damrymple Anderson states that Theosophy contributed to the concept of spatial rather than temporal as a fourth dimension in Art.Many artists even founded the Branches of Thesophical Society in their respective countries viz Symbolist stained glass Painter the Lithuvanain born Kazinierz Stabrowski in Poland and Nikolay Rainov in Bulgaria.The Canadian born painter Lawren Harris (1885 – 1970 ) famous for ‘Atma, Budhi, Manas’ painting was a member of the Toronto Thesosophical Lodge which he joined in 1924..He founded the group of seven and the transcedental painting commune in New Mexico.Here is a glimps of a few of the artists who were impacted by Theosophy:

Wassily Kandinsky (Moscow) 1866-1944
Kandinsky is referred as the Father of Modern Abstract painting. Art theorist musician (piano and cello) and painter- he synthesised , music, colour and spirituality in his paintings.. He discovered a medium that communicated a universal sense of Spirituality.Born to affluent parents in Moscow he took up Law and had a flourishing practice. when the world of Art drew his passion. He went to Odessa Art school and in later years went to teach at the Barhaus in Germany, during which time he came in contact with the German Theosophist Rudolf Steiner that deeply influenced his perception and content of his paintings. He said “Art is not to be perceived at the surface but through a deeper meaning it conveys” According to Finnish researcher Sixten Ringbom, the omnipresence of Life in matter is both a Theosophical doctrine and principle of art in Kandinsky’s theory and practice. His paintings were removed from post revolution(1917) Russia and a similar fate fell under the Parisian occupation by the Nazis .Around 159 of his paintings went missing or destroyed in an open bonfire in Berlin.along with that of other artists, they termed his paintings as ‘Degenerating’ .Kandinsky expressed the view that each , colour lives by its mysterious life. He propounded ‘Gesamtkumstwerk’ a concept of holiistic art as a concept of synthesis in his paintings. His paintings portrayed the higher awareness of the Cosmic Truth. Music and Colours influence his entire spectrum of his works.He joined the Theosophical Society in 2009 and the next year in 2010 published his treatise ‘Concerning the Spirituality in Art’ where he talks of the Inner Life of the artist which he portrays through his paintings.. Initially drawn to Christian eschatology (coming of the New Age)in later years, he was much influenced by Helena Blavatsky and her works and the Book of Annie Besant’s THOUGHT FORM influenced him.After a few years in Moscow where he set up an Art Institute, he returned to France to become a citizen , where he spent his last years.

Piet Mondrian 1872-1944 / Amersfroot – The Netherland
One of the most influential painters of his time and ever after, both in Continental Europe and across the Atlantic was the Dutch abstract and symbolic painter and Theorist Piet Mondrian. Born in a Calvinist family from Central Holland , he was influenced both by his father and Uncle who were artists and painters. He did his Art education at the Royal academy of visual Arts at Amsterdam .. He was the Founder of the De Stijil ( The Style ) movement a Dutch painters collective and is believed to have been painting from a Higher Consciousness. He joined the Dutch section of the Theosophical Society in 1909. Theosophy had far reaching impact on his paintings and his styles underwent a radical shift as he evolved to be spiritually inspired. In fact the entire Dutch artists community were at that point of time influenced or in the know of Theosophy which was sweeping Europe .Theosophy became the new anthem in art cafes across epicenters in Europe. HPB, and the Thought Form Book was a reference Book for some of these artists. During the international Theosophy convention in 1904 at Amsterdam as many as forty Dutch artists participated in an exhibition. He was closely in touch with Rudolf Steiner the German Theosophist and was in communication with him, often seeking validation of his spiritual expression through Art.” I wish to approach Truth as closely as is possible and therefore I abstract everything until I arrive at the fundamental quality of the Object” he wrote. He held Theosophy high although he disagreed with some Theosophists of the Dutch section when his radical article –Theosophy and Art was not published for not being in sync. When he moved to Paris , he stayed at the Theosophical society for some time, His famous painting ‘Grids’ use simple lines and basic colors of red blue and yellow to create Universal Harmony, transferring the material world to something spiritual.The influence of HPB and Steiner inspired him to create among others, ’The Evolution’ a content depicting a mystic theme of the soul. Mondrian chose to distil disrepresentation of the world to the basic vertical and horizontal elements. Hs styles were described as Luminism/Cubism/Impressionist at various stages of his works as they evolved.He came in touch with Harry Holtzman , an American painter, who became his financial sponsor when Mondrian shifted to New York and eventually Harry was entrusted in managing the estate of the artist after his death.He came in touch with jazz celebrity Colonius Monk which inspired his painting ‘Boogie Woogie ‘ His one attempt to marry was almost through until it got annulled in the last moment on account of the artist’s whim.His works were documented by his Biographers, Robert Welsh and Joop m joosten. who jointly released ‘Catalogue Raisonne’ and published in 1998. Nicholos Fox Weber was another Biographer.Marty Bax curated a major exhibition of the artist in Amsterdam under the theme “ The web of creation –Theosophy and Art in the Netherlands. Mondrian’s works were displayed at the Tate , Liverpool under the title’ Mondrian and his studio ‘ in 1914 which covered a great deal of his works. His letters, hundreds of them, to Holtzman which he wrote from Paris have also become a treasure trove reflecting the artist’s Mind, Works and Spiritual evolution. The Mondrian- Harry Holtzman Trust is furthering the diffusion of the works of this iconic artist both in the Netherlands and America. The Guggeinham Art Museum in NY has many of his works . In fact Peggy Guggeinham was a close associate of the artist.Kathleen Hall a member of the Canadian Theosophical Federatioin in her dissertation of 2002 sums it up- Quote “ Mondarian’s endorsement of Theosophy was distinctively acknowledged and he frequently made reference to it in regard to the content of his work.” Unquote.

Hilma Af Klint Stolkholm -Sweden 1862 to 1944
A Swedish artist and Mystic ( Spiritually Inspired by De Hoga or High Masters of Tibet) is often hailed as a forerunner of Abstract art. Her first work in this genre predated Kandinky”s by five years.Hilma was born in Sohna, Sweden in a protestant family on the 26th October 1862. Her father was a Naval captain in the Swedish Navy, and she spent her childhood in Adelso and the island’s picturesque beauty ignited her love for Nature, Botany and paintings. She was tutored in the Konstfach Royal Swedish academy of Fine Arts, which institution sponsored her studio in central stolkholm, later She vacated the studio in 1908 to take care of her Blind mother . It was the death of her sister that turned her to the spiritual path and Theosphy the body of Divine Wisdom gave her the answers she was looking for. She left behind an oeuvre of over 1000 paintings and 125 note book jottings and sketchbook, at the time of her death. However her first exhibition open to public view was in Los Angeles and subsequently in the Hague in 1986. It was her death wish that her works be displayed twenty years after her death, Rudolf Steiner suggested fifty years for the world to be ready to receive them.Having remained single she bequethed her estate to her nephew. It was however the exhibition titled ‘Pioneer of Abstraction ‘ curated by Iris Muller Westerman for Moderna Museet in Stolkholm 2013 that catapulted her to the global limelight and caught the attention of Art historians. She worked together with five female artists and were known as ‘De Fem’ .Through their paintings the artists attempted to visualize and convey the extra sensory phenomena .Together they conducted their Friday Se’ances with psychograph or trance medium and it was through the medium Amaniel that she executed the series of 193 works entitled ‘ Paintings for the Temple’ which she described as a ‘Divine Dictation. To quote Hilma in her own words”The pictures were painted directly through me without any preliminary drawings, with Great Force.I had no idea what the paintings were supposed to depict, nevertheless worked swiftly without changing a single brush stroke.”. She is ascribed to have predicted the second world war though one of her paintings entited ‘Battle Blitz for London’, the actual battle having taken place seven years later. .In 1917, she declared independence from any mediumistic influence and began working as a Free artist on her own. For a period she was associated with the Rosicrucians, . it was Theosophy though that had a deep influence on her. She was associated with the Theosophical Society in Sweden since its inception at Stolkholmin in 1899, the Adyar Theosophical archives reveal her registration as a member from 23rd may 1904. H.P.Blavatsky and Annie Besant were her inspiration however it was a meeting with Rudolf Steiner that deeply impacted her, she spent a lot of time with him at Goetheanum Dornac, Switzerland during 1921-1930 She eventually joined the Anthroposophical Society which Steiner founded as a breakaway group from the Adyar, Madras, Headquarterd Theosophical Society, whose President then was Dr.Annie Besant. The Guardian newspaper from london, describes her paintaings as ‘unfathomable Mystery’.
The Soloman Guggenhiem Museum in New York in conjunction with Moderna Museet, stolkholm will feature Hilma’s major retrospective beginning 12th October 2018 through January 2019 and is curated by Tracey Bashkoff.

Nicholas Roerich 1874 to 1943 (St.Petersburg)
"Culture is the accumulation of the highest Bliss, highest Beauty, and Highest knowledge"

Nicholas Roerich – Realms of Light Book II (1931)
Theosophist, Painter, founder of Agni Yoga and Pacifist and Scientist all rolled into one- Nicholos Roerich was born on 9th October 1874. He went to syudy law but eventually took up visual arts in view of his strong passion for the Arts and Mysticism. He became a member of the Theosophical Society in Russia during the pre Revolution days and subsequently joined the English-Welsh chapter on his migration to London. For a few years he remained in Finland. His marriage to Helena Roerich , who claimed to be the channel of Master Morya who inspired Madam Helena Blavatsky to set up the Theosophical Society. Roerichs earliar subject of painting was inspired by iconic tradition and orthodox Christianity, However due to the influence of his wife and his own attempt to search for the Shambala were more mystical and nature oriented, especially the Himalayan series which he undertook from his Naggar Base , 25 kilo metres from Kulu town near Simla. Roerich arrived in this town in 1927 and remained here for nearly twenty years, befriending the Nehrus , Gandhi and other luminaries .He had produced over 1000 works of art in his lifetime, His painting entitled ‘Shambala’ resonated the description of the kingdom as described in Madam Blavatsky in the Secret Doctrine . The Tarot Arcania was a celebrated painting of the artist who was often described as a Master of Colors. It was inspired by H. P. Blavatsky, photographs of the Himalayas of a British army officer who served in Nepal by Alice Bailey and Rudolf Steiner. To quote Julia Gliffin an art critique “ Many of Roerich’s paintings feature hidden treasure in the mountains or in water, symbolizing the search in high places for the Truth that is hidden within the soul or the way we look deeply into our emotions for the element of Love” Between the years 1920 to 1923 the Roerichs were invited to the United states where they went on a tour of America and also established an Institute of United Arts which eventually became the home of the Roerich Museum. The American Agni Society was also established during the visit.In 1929 Nicholas Roerich was nominated for the Noble Prize and again in 1925 and 1932 mainly for his work on PAX CULTURA which was known as the Roerich pact viz an agreemnet among Nations for protection and preservation of Art both in times of War and Peace. His art has become a collectors item in the last few decades and one of his works entitled’ Madona Laboris’ was auctioned at London in 2013 for 7881250 GBP.

Frantisek Kupka (Prague/ Paris) 1871 to 1957
Among the pioneers of Abstract Art the name of Frantisek Kupka is prominent although interest on the artist caught the attention of art historians since 1996 when an exhibition in the United states from the collection of Meda Mladkova a Czech art collector.was organized Kupka was born in Opocno in the Bohemian region in the Austrian Hungarian border and now in modern Czech republic. One among five children of a municipal worker, his artistic abilities were not noticed or encouraged by neither his father or step mother. He was asked to work with a saddle before completion of his school, which regret egged him into a lot of self learning and a path of enquiry. After initial studies in art shool in Prague he went to Vienna to develop his artistic passion and it is here that he came in contact with Theosophy which along with Budhist teachings influenced his thinking and his paintings.He was a painter , illustrator, writer . After leaving Prague he went to London and travelled across Scandinavia and eventually made Puteaux a Parisian suburb his home where he lived with his wife until his death in 1957. In between he spent four years in Vienna where the seeds of Theosophy and eastern mysticism was sown through contact with German Theosophists. He was also serving as a Medium in the Séance sessions, through which earnings he augmented his poor finances He contributed to the magazine called’ Lavie Mydoneuse’ on occult topics..He is described to be a practioner of Orphism a transitory genre of paintings between Cubism and Abstraction, although he did not want to be classified under any label and certainly not as a Cubist.It was in 1912 when his major work was exhibited in Salonde Automne , entitled ‘Amorpha, fugue and warm chromatics’ he remarked to his friend about his discomfort for having clubbed his paintings with cubists. On the painting ‘Disks of Newton- 1911 ’Study for fugue in two colours, ’ ( a tribute to Sir Issac Newton for the discovery of the seven colour spectrum which is the source of light)which theme was polyphonic interweaving of musical arrangement of Johann Sebastian Bach , he remarked ‘ I can find something between sight and hearing and I can produce a fugue in colours as Bach has done in music’ . This painting upset the traditional painters of his time in Paris and the topic echoed in the French parliament on the ‘corruption’ of French artistic tradition. He learnt drawing from the Swedish artist Alois Strudnika, who inspired him all through his life. Kupka was a vegetarian and was known to practice daily excerices in the nude and ‘air baths’ to live close to nature and a kind of catharsis, for Body and Soul. For a few years he was associated with the ‘Anarchists ‘ in Paris which movement attracted a lot of artists.In 1931 he founded a group known as Abstraction-Creation. The relationship between music and painting became important to Kupka. One of his master pieces was entitled ‘Cosmic spring I and II’ and the reflected his profound belief in the inter connectedness of the Universe. To quote his own words, he said “ The creative ability of an artist is manifest only if he succeeds in transforming the natural phenomena into another reality.” His major writing on arts was ‘Creation in Plastic Arts’ published in Prague in 1922 Resources of the artist’s works can be viewed in the Narodaf Galarie in Prague, Musee Nationale de Arc in Paris, Gugeinhiem Museum in New York, Art collection of Meda Mladkova, Washington and from the collection of the artists’s step daughter Andree Martinel Kupka , among others.

Kazimir Malevich , Kiev-Ukraine (1879-1935)
Born on 23rd February 1879, Kazimir Malevich was a Russian Avant Garde painter and Art theorist , influenced by Theosophists like Georges Gurdjieff and P.D. Ouspensky.Of Polish lineage and a son of a sugar mill manager was one among thirteen children . He studies at the Stronov School of Art in Moscow. His pioneering work and writings had a profound influence in the field of abstract Art.He founded a philosophical art tradition known as Supermatists, based on the exploration of pure geometric forms. He was an aquintance of Wassily Kandinsky and was greatly impacted by his association with him.He developed a Cubo-Futuristic style combining the essential elements of Cubism with Italian futurists. The well known Cubists at that tiem were Duchamp, Picabia and Kupka, Boccini and Severini represented the futuristic genre.His treatise Book entitled “ From Cubism to Suprematism” along with another path breaking work “Novykh Sistermach v iskussine “ (On New systems in Art) traces his art form.His iconic work ‘The Black square’ was first executed in 1915 for an opera and thereafter there were four varients of this painting To quote Malevich “ Under Suprematism I understand the primacy of pure feeling in creative art. To the suprematist, the visual phenomena of the objective world are in themselves, meaningless.The Suprematist thing is feeling as such quite apart from the enviroinment in which it is called forth. His works such as soul of the Lotus( 1898) and Beginning of life (1910) convey Theosophical concepts. The artist’s painting ‘Suprematist” sold for USD 85.88 million in 2018 as reported by Christie’s giving Art its Thunder clapping moment.
Theosophy had influenced other artists like Emmanuel Swedenborg , Jacob Bohm, Paul Klee, the French painters Paul Serusier, Jan Varkade, Edouard Schure, who was also a member of the Theosophical society in Paris as well, the Belgian symbolist painter and writer Jean Delville, founder of community artistique, and Les Nabis ( the prophet ) in Brittany, American Engraver Albert Rawson, painters Georgia O’ keefe, Arthur Dove, Claude Bragon ( protégé of C. Jinarajadasa , President of the Theosophical society ) and many others, the list being endless. The visit of Annie Besant to Brussels in 1899 tiggered the Symbolist Art journal ‘La Lumiere’ to write an editorial on Theosophy. ‘ Theosophy art circle’ established in Manchester was another vital connect.

Decoding the Mystic in Art
The subject has recently caught the attention of Art Historians and new narratives have begun to emerge revealing how Theosophy, the Ageless Wisdom, had triggerd an art revolution and provided a radical shift in content , mediation and translation in the communication of art through an heightened spiritual consciousness. It may be apt to echo the words of Paul Gauguin, who spent many years in the French island of Martinique in the carribean, the French impressionist artist :
“What appeals to me is the suggestion (Theosophy) of a single wisdom, a universal Truth that can be glimpsed, in various cultural manifestations among differing world cultures…..has become the fullest experience of the belief, in the Oneness of mankind through a Universal faith “
This was the spirit in which Madam Helena Petrovna Blavasky and Henry Steel Olcott had launched, the Theosophical Society in 1875, on the directions of their Masters from the trans Himalayan regions of Tibet.

Arni Nare’ndran started with a career in Radio and Print journalism and shifted to the Banking Industry where he stay put for Four decades. In his last assignment he was Heading the pan India-Middle east NRI and Marketing operations for his Bank. He won Top Performer awards in Banking conclaves in Shanghai and Dubai. As a student he was on the editorial Board of ’ Student News’ a journal published by World University Service, Geneva for its India edition. He later was a Mumbai correspondent for ‘Phoenix Rising’ a metaphysical journal. He was the resident manager of the International Theosophical Youth centre at the TS Headquarters at Adyar, Chennai during 1976. His articles have appeared in Theosophy Forward (Brazil) FOTA magazine (Greece) TOS Newsletter(USA) and the Gandhi Pravah (Mumbai) apart from mainstream media like Business India and Indian Express. He has been associated with the Theosophical society ever since his university days and is presently the Hon Treasurer of the Blavatsky Lodge of the Theosophical society at French Bridge, Chowpathy Mumbai. He has been engaged in Teaching spoken English to marginalized children in the city of Mumbai under a British Council aided project. He presently plays an advisory role in the Micro Credit domain aimed at women self empowerment. He is an avid traveler and has visited countries in South America, Europe, middle east, China and South east Asia. His other passions are Art History and wellness Meditation of the Paramhansa Yogananda lineage. He was directly initiated by the late Swami Kriyananda as a ‘Piligrim of the New Age Order’. He can be contacted at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.