Etheric shells and mediums' eyeballs

Here's an interesting quote from a rather incomprehensible little booklet entitled UNSEEN FORCES, by Manly P. Hall:

    "The latter group (known also as etheric shells) are the etheric bodies of individuals who, in passing out at death, have gone on to the astral plane. Casting off the etheric body soon after the physical form, they leave it behind in the ethers, where it slowly disintegrates. These shells are the basis of the greater percentage of mediumistic manifestations, A FACT WHICH CAN BE DETERMINED ONLY THROUGH AN EXAMINATION OF THE EYEBALLS OF THE MEDIUM." [my emphasis]

Most of this is Blavatsky / Theosophical wackiness: but the part about examining the medium's eyeballs seems to be Mr. Hall's own bizarre contribution.

Has anyone heard this before: or have the slightest idea what he's talking about?

well Silver Birch says he took an astral body to reatch Maurice Barbarnell as a medium so Yeas ther is left overs to use

Jane Lyzell wrote:well Silver Birch says he took an astral body to reatch Maurice Barbarnell as a medium so Yeas ther is left overs to use

But did Silver Birch --- or the entity behind Silver Birch --- really use an empty etheric shell? Or was it an intermediary consciousness, used as a kind of step-up transformer between a high spirit realm and the earth realm?

It's mainly the idea bout examining the medium's eyeballs that amuses me.

The BLavatsky idea is bunkum, like musch of her work Jim try reading Madam Blavatsky's Baboon. It caused teh schism between she and Emma Harding Britten who was a founding comittee member when the Theosophical Organisation was first formed in New York.

Blabatsky's mediumship was hammered by both the SPR and DD Home, who knew her from his days in Paris. He reaction was to call the fall out the 'Great Crisis for Spiritualism' which drew even more into the fray. like Andrew Jackson Davis. Its a long study but I am astounded that Theosophy became so strong and long lasting given the issues surrounding its founder and then another leader who was an acknowledged Paedophile.

I suspect Annie Besant restored some confidence in it as a movement.

And it's all just history anyway.... Does it matter any more - if it ever really did?

Probably true Mac but I do get theosophists attending my open group occasionally and when theer is Spirit communication they still repeat the Blavatsky line that all we are communicating with is the astral remnant. So its useful to know the history.

If I remeber right Blavatsky tried to sitt fore physical mediumship and failed (she was spiritualist from the beginning) and becourse it dident woork fore here she clamed itdosnent existed and started the theosophie bilt on mentel mediumship.

I often feel that the whole esoteric / mystic / occult community is composed largely of consumers who are trying to buy something that helps bring something interesting to their otherwise uninteresting lives: and producers who are selling them what they want.

Left Behind wrote:I often feel that the whole esoteric / mystic / occult community is composed largely of consumers who are trying to buy something that helps bring something interesting to their otherwise uninteresting lives: and producers who are selling them what they want.

New age begins whit them is my upinjon