The Society

Jan Nicolaas Kind – Brazil

The author

Generally speaking, openness refers to the willingness to hear and consider different ideas and to try new things. Open individuals usually accept others' values and beliefs; an open mind doesn't quickly reject oppositional opinions as wrong. People are sufficiently open-minded if they are receptive to strong arguments against their committed beliefs.

Jeremy E. Sherman - Social Science Researcher

Theosophists, no matter what tradition or stream they belong to, are supposed to be freethinkers. According to most dictionaries a freethinker is a person who rejects accepted opinions, especially those concerning religious beliefs.

Freedom of Thought is embedded into the DNA of Theosophy. As Theosophists, we think of ourselves as having open minds and the ability to think for ourselves. In some cases that’s more aspirational than actual. We have as many closed-minded people as any other organization – and according to some, even more. (1)

1. What’s your name, where are you from and how long have you been a member of the TS? 

My name is Jaap (Jacob) Trouw. I live in The Hague in the Netherlands with my wife Marijke. We are both members of the TS and of The Hague Lodge since 2011.

1. What’s your name, where are you from and how long have you been a member of the TS?

My name is Janne Vuononvirta. I was born in 1986 in Northern Finland, where I spent my childhood. During the past 10 years I have moved quite a lot and lived in different parts of Finland: Lapland, Southwest… and now for 6 months in Helsinki metropolitan area. I joined TS in 2007.

1. What’s your name, where are you from and how long have you been a member of the TS?

My name is José van der Loop, I am from the Netherlands and I have been a member of TS Adyar since 2014.

1. What’s your name, where are you from and how long have you been a member of the TS?

My name is Fernando Mansur and I’ve been a member of the TS since 1985.

1. What’s your name, where are you from and how long have you been a member of the TS?

My name is Shyam Singh Gautam. I live in the city Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh state in India. I have been a member of Theosophical Society since 1975.

Jan Nicolaas Kind – Brazil

The Adyar Theosophical Academy (ATA) 

Many good things are happening in the land of Theosophists at this very moment. To begin with, your editor is excited about the Adyar Theosophical Academy (ATA) project which took off not long ago. In our Good News category you’ll find a write up regarding ATA. Through this e-Magazine and its various platforms on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter you will be kept informed about further developments.

Like it was in the early years of the modern Theosophical movement, when there were various Theosophical educational institutions worldwide, it seems that now, as we have seen in for example The Philippines with the Golden Link College, similar schools promise to operate very successfully.

Most childhood education specialists claim that young children learn best when: they're not pushed too hard; they have an opportunity to interact with their peers; and their parents and instructors treat them kindly. Likewise, children learn best when instruction and educational activities take up only a small portion of their days. This is especially true of children enrolled in pre-school programs since it's not good for young children to be separated from their parents for extended periods of time. Children usually do not benefit in programs with inexperienced teachers and large classroom sizes.

Children taught at an early age usually benefit in the following ways: improved social skills; less or no need for special education instruction during subsequent school years; better grades; and enhanced attention spans.

THIS INTERVIEW WAS PREVIOULSY PUBLISHED: DECEMBER 2015 – Michiel on the photo with his lovely wife Helma

1. What’s your name, where are you from and how long have you been a member of the TS?

My name is Michiel Haas, English speaking people say Michael, it is much easier to pronounce. I’m from the Netherlands. In my youth I was a member of the young Theosophists, then I had my wild period and quit the TS membership. Later I came back as a member. All by all I guess I have been a quarter of a century a member, maybe a little longer, but I have always been a Theosophist.

THIS INTERVIEW WAS PREVIOULSY PUBLISHED: DECEMBER 2017

1. What’s your name, where are you from and how long have you been a member of the TS?

My name is José Manuel Anacleto, I am from Lisbon Portugal, although I rather consider myself a citizen of the world. I began to study Theosophy in 1979 and I did it with a group of friends, so I didn’t feel the call to join a Theosophical organisation, even at the time when we visited the Theosophical Society in Portugal (Adyar). Later (in 1988) I was one of the founders of an institution, the Centro Lusitano de Unificação Cultural-CLUC (Lusitanian Centre of Cultural Unification), (which is still active today, and is managed by myself), and although it is not strictly a Theosophical organisation, Theosophy is its key reference. At the CLUC, we publish several books and the Biosofia magazine ( www.biosofia.net ). I give conferences and courses and organise other activities (e.g. meditation practices) which are mostly Theosophical or generally connected to Esoteric Philosophy. In 2001, I became a member of the Portuguese Section of the Adyar Theosophical Society, basically to give my contribution. There, I was active for about 2 or 3 years, but stopped for several reasons. A little later (in 2006) I joined the United Lodge of Theosophists (ULT).

THIS INTERVIEW WAS PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED: JUNE 2015

1. What’s your name, where are you from and how long have you been a member of the TS?

I’m Leslie Price, from London, England, and I first joined the T.S in 1980.  

THIS INTERVIEW WAS PREVIOULSY PUBLISHED: JUNE 2017

1.What’s your name, where are you from and how long have you been a member of the TS?

My name is Paul Benedict, I was born in Phoenix, AZ in 1981 and I currently live in Las Vegas, NV, having moved here when I was 10 years old, in 1991. I’ve been a member of the TS since 2007.

THIS INTERVIEW WAS PREVIOULSY PUBLISHED: DECEMBER 2016

1. What’s your name, where are you from and how long have you been a member of the TS?

My name is Zeneida Cereja da Silva, and I have been member of the TS since September 11, 1987.