Clairvoyance

Charles Webster LeadbeaterProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.5

Word count: 249K words
Chapters: 25

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Clairvoyance by C. W. LeadbeaterAuthor: Leadbeater, C. W. (Charles Webster), 1854-1934,Language: English, Class: BP: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion: Islam, Bahaism, Theosophy, Other and new beliefs, Release Date: Jul 13, 2009

Editor's review

Clairvoyance is a work by theosophical writer C. W. Leadbeater exploring the subject of "clairvoyance." It belongs to the literature of Theosophy and new beliefs and was released free of charge as an eBook by Project Gutenberg. The value of this book lies not in empirical scientific argument but in the primary text it offers for understanding late 19th- to early 20th-century Western theosophical discourse on extrasensory perception; it is of documentary significance to readers studying mysticism, comparative religion, and the history of spiritual culture. The book addresses the types of clairvoyance, how it is developed, and its relation to human spiritual levels. Its language bears the marks of its era, and its mode of argument belongs to a tradition of faith and experience rather than to a modern scientific paradigm. It should be read as intellectual-history material, not as an operational guide. It is suited to religious studies, Western esotericism, or spiritual-culture reading contexts, preferably alongside relevant background materials, and should not be accepted in isolation as scientific conclusion.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers studying Theosophy and late 19th-century Western mysticism
Readers interested in extrasensory perception and the history of spiritual culture
Researchers collecting primary texts on comparative religion or new beliefs
Readers accustomed to English public-domain books who are willing to judge the views for themselves

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking modern scientific evidence or empirical research conclusions
Those who treat the book as a practical manual of spiritual practice to follow
Inexperienced readers lacking background who might mistake the book's claims for fact

Reading tips

Learn the basic background of the Theosophical movement and Leadbeater before entering the main text to reduce misreading.
Read the book's arguments as historical text, marking their premises of faith rather than scientific conclusion when encountering claims.
Read in comparison with other works in religious studies or mysticism studies to form a critical judgment.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable as scientific reading?

No. This book is a discourse within the Theosophical tradition, grounded in faith and personal experience rather than modern scientific experimental method. It is better read as material in the intellectual history of religion and mysticism; readers should distinguish its faith claims from verifiable knowledge.

What background knowledge is needed to read this book?

It is best to have a basic understanding of the late 19th- to early 20th-century Theosophical movement and discussions of mediumship and extrasensory perception, along with some English reading ability. With no relevant background at all, it is advisable to read introductory materials first and then return to this book for smoother comprehension.

What are the features of the Project Gutenberg edition?

This edition is a free eBook released by Project Gutenberg and is a public-domain text, easy to access and search. It contains no modern editorial notes or scholarly introduction, so readers need to supplement background material themselves and maintain independent judgment about the book's views.

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About the author

Charles Webster Leadbeater Author · British · 1854–1934

Charles Webster Leadbeater (1854–1934) was a British theosophist and writer. Originally an Anglican priest, he later joined the Theosophical Society and became one of its central leaders, working alongside Annie Besant. He wrote more than sixty works on esotericism, five of which are held in this collection: A Textbook of Theosophy, Thought-Forms, Clairvoyance, The Astral Plane, and Occult Chemistry: Clairvoyant Observations on the Chemical Elements. These works cover themes such as clairvoyance, thought-forms, the astral plane, and chemical elements, and are marked by a strong esoteric and clairvoyant character. They are regarded as important documents of the Theosophical movement and have had some influence on later mystical and new religious thought. He died in Perth, Australia, in 1934. Public information is limited, and details of his life come mainly from internal Theosophical records; this introduction focuses on the themes and influence of his works.