Helena P. (Madame) Blavatsky and her magnum opus,
The Secret Doctrine, synthesis of Science, Religion and Philosophy, was published in 1888. She was heavily influenced by only a few people and especially by the works of William Blake. Blavatsky claimed that its contents had been revealed to her by 'mahatmas' (Sanskrit for "Great Soul") who had retained knowledge of mankind's spiritual history, knowledge that it was now possible, in part, to reveal to humanity.
According to the Theosophical teachings, the Mahatmas (better known as Ascended Masters) are not disembodied beings, but highly evolved people involved in overseeing the spiritual growth of individuals and the development of civilizations. Blavatsky was the first person in modern times to claim contact with these Ascended Masters, especially the "Masters" Koot Hoomi and Morya. An exhaustive listing of new age religions existing today that promote the existence of Ascended Masters would be extraordinarily long.
Blavatsky's works had an influence on many leaders, thinkers, authors, artists and musicians and an exhaustive list can be found at Wikipedia, but here is a few: L. Frank Baum, Aleister Crowley, Albert Einstein, Mahatma Gandhi, Max Heindel, Adolf Hitler, James Joyce, Alfred Kinsey, Howard Philips Lovecraft, Guy Ballard, William Butler Yeats, Ekkirala Krishnamacharya, and Swami Sivananda.
She also has many books written about her. She is considered one of the most prominent influences in many areas of the movement we find ourselves witnessing today. Her books include:
Isis Unveiled, a master key to the mysteries of ancient and modern science and theology(1877), From the Caves and Jungles of Hindostan (1879-80), The Secret Doctrine, the synthesis of Science, Religion and Philosophy (1888), The Voice of the Silence (1889), The Key to Theosophy (1889), Nightmare Tales (1892), Personal Memoirs of H. P. Blavatsky. Autobiographic notes compiled by Mary K. Neff (1937)
Guy Warren Ballard (July 28, 1878 - December 29, 1939) was an American mining engineer who became, with his wife, Edna Anne Wheeler Ballard, the founder of the "I AM" Activity.
Ballard was born in Burlington, Iowa and married his wife in Chicago in 1916. Ballard served in the U.S. Army in World War I, and then became a mining engineer. Both Edna and Guy studied Theosophy and the occult extensively.
Ballard visited Mt. Shasta, California in 1930, where he met another hiker who identified himself as Saint Germain. Mr. Ballard's experiences take place within the larger North American mountain ranges. Ballard provided details of his encounters in a series of books Unveiled Mysteries and The Magic Presence, using the pen name "
Godfré Ray King."
Guy Ballard, his wife Edna, and later his son Donald became the "sole Accredited Messengers" of Saint Germain. Their teachings form the original nucleus for what are today called the Ascended Master Teachings.
The "I AM" Activity started from public lectures about these encounters and grew rapidly in the 1930s. Ballard lectured frequently in Chicago about Saint Germain's mystical teachings, in which America was destined to play a key role. By 1938, there were claimed to be about a million followers in the United States.
The "I AM" Activity describes itself as an apolitical, spiritual and educational organization financed by contributions from its members. Its parent organization is Saint Germain Foundation, with headquarters in Schaumburg, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.
Does the idea of talking with higher beings seem all that odd to you anymore? Channeling higher beings and then studying their message of wisdom is now a common practice in some realms of the conspiracy world and prevalent in the esoteric, occult, and multidimensional genres of intellectual study. Is it a leap of faith to consider these messages? Are new paradigms required before being able to accept such profound axioms regardless of the controversial sources? Books say things like this have been happening for a long time. Perhaps it even goes back to ancient times and could be the source of prophecies, visions, and more. Are these Ascended Masters aliens? Have aliens been talking to us through our religions and revolutions, and if so, for how long?