Extracts from Light of the Sanctuary, the Occult Diary of Geoffrey Hodson

Compiled by Sandra Hodson

Geoffrey Hodson was born in Lincolnshire, England, on the 12th of March 1886, and passed away on the 23rd of January 1983, at his home in Auckland, New Zealand. He joined the Manchester Branch of the Theosophical Society as a young man, and from then on until the end of his Life of 96 years, he travelled throughout the world teaching, lecturing, and writing on Theosophy.

Diary entries exist from 1921 to 1983.

Light of the Sanctuary

(c) The Theosophical Publishers, Inc.

Manila, Philippines

All rights reserved

First Published 1988

ISBN-971-9113-0-0

Light of the Sanctuary contains some 3164 extracts from Hodson's diaries. Twenty-seven of these dealing with the Occult Chemistry work are reproduced below.

23 October 1958 New Zealand

Master Polidorus Isurenus

Clairvoyant Research into the Structure of Matter

After you have taken all possible care to see and describe accurately, you are right not to allow yourself to be disturbed by either contradictions of the present findings of science or differences from Occult Chemistry (C.W. Leadbeater). I watched you through most of your experiments ... The doctor is right in saying that the angle of vision is decisive in the appearance which the object presents to the observer. Degrees of magnification also make a big difference. There was, however, no denial of fact, and you are right to describe impersonally what you see without attempt to correlate your observations with either physical or occult physics ... The results will be cumulative and eventually, when all put together, will be part of the edifice of truth concerning the structure of matter.

The physics of the scientist is largely conjecture drawn from observation of phenomena. The physics of the occultist is the result of direct observation. This is the great difference between them, and it is inevitable that a bridge between their findings is difficult to find or build as yet. It is, however, not occult but physical science that will have to adjust its conclusions which, whilst explaining some phenomena, leave others unexplained. Occult physics elucidates them all, but knowledge of it must be slowly built up, and you are at work upon that process. If you keep on, as you are advised to do, you will help towards breaking through the barrier which divides the two schools of thought and the two approaches to knowledge, external and interior.

We wish this research work to go forward and to be extended into other fields, including the superphysical planes, forces, and Intelligences, as also the operations of the life principle in the organic kingdoms of Nature. Continuity of effort will make your work easier.

29 May 1977 Epsom, Auckland

An Arhat Initiate-Pupil of Master Kuthumi shares ideas with Geoffrey

The western world is taking a great deal of interest in clairvoyance and the like, yes ... and you, Geoffrey, are actually investigating such matters in a scientific way.

You could do a great deal of good by actually describing in detail, both to the public and to members of the Theosophical Society, what positive clairvoyance and clairaudience really are - not how they are developing, but the technique of their use in the fields in which you have researched: chemistry, nature spirits, angels, health, disease, especially psychology. Wouldn't this also be another good subject in modern days? The title could perhaps be: "The Nature of Conscious Clairvoyance and the Technique of Its Use for Research".

Then, of course, the list of fields in which you have done so much. You could include what people call prayer, which for you is real Invocation, performed by you both so wonderfully every day - and the effects; would not all these be useful fields for study? Yes, I know the grave risks and that you will always give the warnings, but a great deal - and the amount is growing - of very wrongful interest and activity in the whole mediumistic approach is dangerously developing. You can help, and I know you will, especially as we have so many patients, physical and superphysical, suffering from misuse of the knowledge and forces and their effects, especially sensitive people who ought to be carrying their natural Sixth-Race capacities to better and safer use.

The need is not so great in the superphysical world (astral plane) where people are inclined to be dull and sleepy in these directions; this is perhaps better, and certainly safer, than oversensitivity wrongly directed.

Don't you think that this whole matter of the growing and widening interest in everything psychic should receive positive attention and not only descriptive references as now?

Of course, the beginning would have to be the presentation of the total nature and make-up of every human being, the areas, largely astral, where the developments are occurring, the dangers as well as the right uses of the interest, and any inherent faculties. Especially, as you know, the accent must be placed upon total impersonality and freedom from all thought of personal gain. Nothing kills dawning spirituality and hypersensitivity faster than the opposite of those, especially prestige-hunting and money-gaining ...

Your music group contains fine people and is a very important development in the work of the T.S. - one which unfortunately is almost disappearing, has done so, except through yourself.

17 January 1982 Auckland

Master Morya

[to Sandra]

The arrival of Dr Robinson's confirmation is the most important event of this year. No other occultist in history has ever been submitted to complete scientific tests carried out by scientists. Hence, the great value of the two affirmations(250) of conviction after strict tests that undoubtedly Geoffrey not only has clairvoyant power, but is able to use it accurately for both scientific and occult research.

(250) The other affirmation at that time was by Dr D. Lyness.

The testaments should appear in every book of Geoffrey's where clairvoyance has been the source of the knowledge which the book conveys. The original documents should be preserved with the greatest care and when suitable made available to the publishers. The originals might well be placed in the hands of your lawyers for complete preservation.

This is the most important, purely physical support for your work you have received, Geoffrey. We greatly congratulate you on this unique, almost worldly affirmation.

Tributes from Scientists

(Three scientists, who have worked closely with Geoffrey Hodson in various fields of occult research, bear testimony to the scientific impartiality and accuracy of his clairvoyant powers.)

"I was able to work very closely with Geoffrey Hodson for some months during the late 'fifties testing his clairvoyant powers on pieces of fossils of early man about two million years of age. Each session carried out in the field site from which the specimens came, was recorded on a tape recorder. No indication was given him what I thought of his information until after the series of tests were completed and analysed. Many of the questions put to him required answers which could not be positively checked against known original specimens. The analysis showed that every statement made by him which was able to be positively checked against known specimens was absolutely accurate, and most of what could not be positively checked was in close agreement with what was thought to be correct.

"At that time almost all of the known fossil material of these early hominids was in my laboratory, and Geoffrey did not see any of it until after the investigations were completed. I was impressed by the extreme care he took over being as accurate and clear as he could be in the observations he made, as well as his descriptions of them in such a way that his words were as precise as possible in offering the least possibility of misinterpretation.

"At each session a small number (2-4) of specimens were dealt with, and some were presented several times at more than one session without telling him this. He never handled the specimens himself, I placed them on his forehead while he was lying on his back with his eyes closed in a state of yoga. Two different species of hominid were used mixed at random, only small specimens being used, e.g. a single tooth.

"He never misidentified a specimen or gave conflicting statements about a specimen that had been presented more than once. As far as I could determine his information was always accurate and he gave me a strong impression of complete reliability."

Professor J.T. Robinson, D. Sc.

4 January 1982

"I, of course, would be happy to state unequivocally my belief that Geoffrey Hodson possesses powers of accurate clairvoyant research.

"During the years 1956 to 1959 I was fortunate enough to work with Geoffrey Hodson. My contribution was to record his observations on the clairvoyant appearance of subatomic matter; I now have some forty hours on cassette tape giving a verbatim account of the experiments we performed. There is no doubt whatsoever in my mind that Geoffrey possesses quite remarkable powers of extra-sensory perception and invariably used these faculties with meticulous regard for accuracy in both observation and description. He frequently stressed the selective nature of clairvoyant observation and was fully aware of the pitfalls associated with the translation of what can be called 'raw extra-sensory data' through the brain-mind into words capable of conveying useful meaning to his hearers. Throughout these sessions he was a model of scientific caution, taking every possible care not to make statements that might be misleading."

David D. Lyness, M.B.Ch.B., D.P.M., M.A.N.Z.C.P.

11 September 1981

"For many years, Geoffrey Hodson has co-operated with various scientifically qualified people in attempts to demonstrate the research potential of superphysical faculties of perception, with which he is evidently highly gifted. From 1978 to 1981 I was closely associated with him as assistant and technical adviser in two such pieces of research.

"The first of these was an extensive series of observations of the superphysical effects of musical sounds and pieces. The record of his descriptions of these effects is extremely interesting from the artistic, acoustic, psychosomatic, and other points of view.

"The second main area, undertaken at the request of Dr E. Lester Smith of England, was an attempt to make further observations of matter at the atomic and subatomic levels with a view to testing recent hypotheses on the interpretation of the Occult Chemistry findings of C.W. Leadbeater and Annie Besant. This work has produced a number of tape recordings of Geoffrey Hodson's descriptions which are in the process of being transcribed and will be sent to England for analysis.

"Having been present with him throughout the approximately twenty hour-long sessions in these two investigations, I feel able to offer some impressions of his attitude and approach to this work.

"I have been repeatedly struck by his integrity and uncompromising desire to seek the truth in every situation, regardless of any risk of possible conflict with established findings of the scientific establishment or of earlier Theosophical investigators. At the same time, he is clearly aware of the difficulties and limitations inherent in any process of observation, especially one involving inner levels of the psyche, and has a tremendously careful and indeed craftsmanlike attitude to the handling and direction of his extended perceptive abilities.

"In my opinion, Geoffrey Hodson has amply succeeded in his goals of: (a) indicating the potential of superphysical research methods, (b) producing material of great interest to the enquiring mind, and (c) providing a stimulus to others to follow in his footsteps and expand and consolidate this work."

Murray A. Stentiford, M.Sc. (physics)

May 1982