Self-Culture.

A [Monthly] Journal and Review, Devoted to Mental, Moral, Psychic, Occult and Spiritual Sciences, and Philosophies [Theosophy, Vedanta, Now-Thought & Other Esoteric Cults] / A Journal & Review, Devoted to Mental, Moral, Psychic, Occult and Spiritual Sciences & Philosophies, etc.

1909-1931? Quarterly, monthly, semimonthly, quarterly

Kizhanattan, Tinnevelly, India. Editor: K.T. Ramasami, editor and publisher; assistant editors James Martin Peebles, J.M. Severn, James Coates, T.M Nair.

Corporate author: Indian Academy of Science

1/1, April 1909-January-March 1931(?). $1.00/Rs. 3/4 s. a year, 20-32 pp.

This was the organ of the Indian Academy of Science, an organization created by Ramasami in South India in 1909 for the purpose of (1) selling in India mail-order lessons on Western (largely American New Thought) wisdom on "Phrenology, Phreno-Hypnotism, Physiognomy, Psychometry, New Psychology, Spiritualism, Phrenometry, Yoga Sciences," and the like, and (2) selling in the West the same lessons coupled with degrees and diplomas, presumably "suitable for framing," in his Academy. The membership fee of $1.50 a year entitled the new Associate Member to the journal, the initial degrees and diploma, "free initiation in Tele-psychy and the Success, Health & Happiness Club." The Club thoughts for the month were printed in the journal in code-"Sq&u kuuls yu uvui," etc.-the key to which came with initiation.

The list of courses Ramasami offered through the academy (with accompanying price list for each) was appended to his later Hindu Occult Art Magic: A Short Course of Practical Research and Experiments, Based upon the Ancient Hindu Tantric Science (Chicago: Marlowe Co., 1921):

A-Series: A Complete Course of Lessons in Mental Science, Phrenology and Psysiognomy (84 lessons, $1.00)

B-Series: Psycho-Occult Science. This is a complete Correspondence Course in 79 Practical Lessons in Hypnotism, Mesmerism, Personal Magnetism, Mind Reading, Telepathy, Clairvoyance, Occult-Healing, Clairaudience, etc. ($2.00)

C Series: A Correspondence Course in Spiritual Science, Psychometry, Yoga and Spiritualism ($1.00)

D Series: A Correspondence Course in Health Culture (50 cents)

E Series: A Correspondence Course in Aryan Initiation or Yoga in All Aspects ($2.00)

In addition, the Academy offered Spirit Photographs produced by "the American Psychics Mr. & Mrs. A. Norman," magic mirrors ("anjannun gazing") and instructions on their use, affirmations ("I am of the Almighty Spirit. OM! I am well"), etc. Ramasami’s notions on yoga are unknown but perhaps can be discerned from his article "The Right Control of Sex Power" which he wrote in 1909 for Hiram Butler’s Bible Review and in which he advocated the preservation of the "vital energy." The journal’s expressed purpose was the commercialization of the merger of the Wisdom of the East with American New Thought, spiritualism and occultism. His editors reflected that and were an eclectic bunch: Coates was the well-known phrenologist and author of Photographing the Invisible; Severn was another noted phrenologist, and Peebles was Peebles and used his role as head of the "Department of Spiritualism" to tout the offerings of his Peebles Company in Battle Creek and then Los Angeles. In one notable article he gave personal witness to the wonderful spirit paintings he had seen produced by the Bangs Sisters. Several notable Westerners were attracted to the Academy: Frank D. Hines, publisher of Spiritual Therapeutics and the Occidental Mystic and Occult, Harry and Therese Shagren (A. M-I A. Sc.) of Indian River, Michigan, R.S. Clymer, Ph.D., M.D., F.I.A. Sc., Deputy Grand Master of the I.A. Sc., (Spiritual Brotherhood) for the United States & possessions of America, as well as those like Grace M. Brown ("Ione") who wrote for the journal but did not append to their names their rank in the Academy.

Ramasami was less successful in his efforts of amalgamation than his contemporary in Tinnevelly, A.P. Mukerji, the promoter of the Latent Light Culture, an organization with aims identical to those of the Indian Academy, but later assumed the editorship of that society’s journal, the Kalpaka. The association may have been earlier and closer, however, since Henry Proctor in his Perpetual Youth: An Occult and Historical Romance (1913) describes being introduced by Mukerji in Tinnevelly to Mukerji’s own guru "Ramaswami." In 1921 he became agent in India for A.M.O.R.C. and in the late 1920s he appeared in Hartmann’s Who’s Who as associated with "The Golden Tie, Arkonam (S. India). The Supreme Temple of Wisdom of the Illuminate of the Sacred Ind-the Ancient and Spiritual Order of the Immortal Sldhas. Affiliated with and Fraternized by The Indian Academy of Science, and the Sovereign Grand Lodge Temple "Iascamore" of the Ancient and Mystical Order of the Rosae Crucis of North America. NYPL; NSAC, Lily Dale; Stanford University.

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