HERBS and Twitchell's plagiarism of Theosophy

Author: David Christopher Lane
Publisher: Alt.religion.eckankar
Publication date: 1996

E-mail David Christopher Lane directly at dlane@weber.ucsd.edu

I want to go back to the home base now.

This time you make the call:

New Plagiarism Comparison: 

In corner one, we have THE THEOSOPHICAL GLOSSARY by H.P. Blavatsky
(published in 1892)

In the other corner, we have HERBS: THE MAGIC HEALERS by Paul
Twitchell (published in 1971)


Here we go:

Sample One


Paul Twitchell writes on page 32:

"Next we find the initiated Brahmans, the priests of the Hindu
religion, using what is known as the soma drink. This was similar
to the Greek nectar quaffed by the gods of Olympia."

H.P Blavatsky (page 304):

"Made from a rare mountain plant by initiated Brahmans. This Hindu
sacred beverage answers to the Greek ambrosia or nectar, quaffed by
the gods of Olympus."

-----------

Sample Two 


Paul Twitchell writes on page 32:

"The cup of Kykeon, which was drunk at the Eleusinian mysteries
initiation, was similar to both the Hindu and Greek god drinks."


H.P. Blavatsky (page 304) writes:

"A cup of Kykeon was also quaffed by the Mystes at the Eleusinian
initiation."

---------------------

Sample Three


Paul Twitchell writes on page 32:

"He who would drink it easily reached the Brahma, the plane of
splendor."


H.P. Blavatsky (page 304) writes:

"He who drinks it easily reaches Bradhna [sic], or the place of 
splendour. . ."

-----------------------------

Sample Four:

Paul Twitchell writes on page 32:

"The soma drink known to the Europeans was not the same as the one
the Asiatics knew. Only the initiated can taste the real soma, and
even the kings and rajas, when performing the sacrificial rites,
received the substitute."


H.P. Blavatsky (page 304) writes:

"The Soma-drink known to Europeans is not the genuine beverage, but
its substitute; for the initiated priests along can taste of the
real Soma; and even kings and Rajas, when sacrificing, receive the 
substitute."


--------------------------------------


Sample Five:

Paul Twitchell writes on page 32:

"The true followers of the Vedic religion are now deceased, and the
soma drink commemorated in the Hindu Pantheon, which was called the
King-soma, is gone, too."


H.P. Blavatsky (page 304): writes:

"The true followers of the primitive Vedic religion are very few.
...
The Soma drink is also commemorated in the Hindu Pantheon, for it is
called King-Soma."

-----------------------------------------



[Sidebar Note: Twitchell does not cite any source for his passage on
Soma]

-----------






E-mail The Neural Surfer directly
at dlane@weber.ucsd.edu


I want to go back to the home base now.