Meanderings - August 21, 2010 - How Did Albert Einstein Intuit (Grok) E=mc2?

[Joe Fulton]

What originally drew me towards Theosophy was the desire to understand the connections between science, philosophy and religion. This just happened to go along well with one of the major goals of the Theosophical movement. Fast forward almost three decades. For years I had heard rumors regarding Albert Einstein having used the Secret Doctrine (SD) to assist in the development of the General and Special Theories of relativity. Last year I began a correspondence with Leon Maurer about Einstein and the SD. Leon, in fact was aware of some of the specifics of Einstein's usage of HPB's work, outlined.

There are some questions that really need to be asked about this strange story, assuming the accuracy of the statements therein:

1) What became of this volume of the Secret Doctrine?

2) What research has been performed on the contents of this copy of the SD since it was turned over to Adyar? If research has been done, what are the results? If no research has been done, then why?

3) Who currently has access to this copy of the Secret Doctrine?

This is a really major issue for the Theosophical movement, and for the world at large. A volume such as this has profound implications for students of Theosophy and virtually every other field.

It is time for explanations, and if this volume exists, it should be published, footnotes, margin scribbles and all, in its entirety. A certain sage once noted "hypocrisy leads to hypocrisy which leads to deception".

I urge everyone who uses this forum to speak up and demand answers to these questions.

Please read Leon's article HERE

[Joe Fulton]

I Just had a long chat with Joe Ross regarding Dr. Alfred Taylor. To the best of Joe Ross' knowledge there was no association between Dr. Taylor and Albert Einstein. In addition there is no indication that Jack Brown ever existed. Joe will do further research into lectures given by Dr. Taylor and if there is anything new we will be informed.

[Joe Fulton]

Here's some correspondence with the Einstein Archives that came in today:

From: Barbara Wolff
Sent: Sunday, September 12, 2010 5:37 AM
To: 'Joe Fulton'
Subject: RE: Einstein's Copy of the Secret Doctrine

Thank you – you were right, with one more click – and not by enlarging the small picture – the text became legible.
Here is my comment:

While I cannot exclude that Brown and/or Rothman once visited Einstein (although Howard Rothman does not appear among Einstein’s correspondents and those mentioned in letters, and therefore Einstein’s alleged invitation for a two-day visit sounds dubious in the first place), the description Brown delivers is quite suspicious.

Suspicious is the tone/style and the talkativeness both of Elsa as well as of AE. But for sure, that’s just an impression.
Suspicious are some statements: “He doesn’t walk much” is completely wrong as Einstein liked and used to walk.
“He loves to receive letters from anyone” contradicts AE’s complaints about the incoming mail.
Suspicious is, too, the remark about recommending THE BOOK to Heisenberg – AE’s relationship with Heisenberg was a rather distant one and mentioning Heisenberg of all colleagues in 1935 does not make much sense. But all these impressions are just impressions.

Here are facts: The visit cannot have taken place before the end of October 1935 or even later when the move to the Mercer Street house was done. At that time, however, Elsa fell ill. It is out of question that she received the two visitors the way Brown describes it in the following months.

But the ultimate evidence of the fictional character of Brown’s article are these two details :
As long as Elsa was alive no white dog Chico was part of the Einstein family.
And : the letter in which AE comforts a student from Washington DC “Don’t worry about your difficulties…” was written in 1943.

In order to persuade me you’ll have to show me at least one single page of Blavatsky’s book with Einstein’s notes.

Best,

Barbara Wolff

==================

My response:

Good, and thanks for the insights! Believe me, I am not out to make the facts fit a theory. We have a story that is many years old and has most of the primary participants dead or nearly enough so as to make no difference. At best I would give the thing no better than a 50-50 chance of existing.

The other thing that is in my head about this is that this story was reported in 1983, 48 years after the fact. Was it reported at the time? Surely you don’t go and conduct an interview and write the story that much later.

I appreciate the critique greatly. It certainly will be good food for thought.

[Michael A. Williams]

Thanks, M K, for the updated information via Dallas TenBroeck. I must point out that a re-rereading of Leon Maurer's article shows that he wasn't sure if it was Mrs. Wadia who said she was at Adyar when the Einstein SD book was dropped off or one of the other women with her. Obviously, with this new information, it was one of the other women, if this incident occurred.

A reading of a footnote in Leon Maurer's article points out that a Mrs. Eunice Layton, well known Theosophist at the time, was at the reception area when the SD book in question came in by someone calling herself a "niece." Unfortunately, Mrs. Eunice Layton and her husband are both deceased and had no children.

The Jack Brown article of seeing a copy of the SD on Einstein's desk in 1935 is in our possession - myself, Joe Fulton and Leslie Royce Pochos. Joe is in the process of sharpening up the PDF copy of the old (1983) newsprint and will be putting it online to be downloaded by anyone sometime soon.

Yes, it could very well be at another Lodge and keep up the good work of encouraging people to keep looking for it.

Will be interested in your reaction to the Brown article after it's available.

[M K Ramadoss]

On the question of Mme. Wadia being present at Adyar when Dr. Einstein's niece brought her uncle's copy of the SECRET DOCTRINE to the TPH or to the Library there, there appears to be some error.

Dallas TenBroeck, a long time active member of ULT and a participating member of theos-talk maillist, posted a message on theos-talk which is at:

http://www.theosophy.com/theos-talk/200002/tt00000.html

Also I have seen another mention about Adyar 'Lodge" and this points to some confusion about some other 'Lodge' being the repository of the SD.

What I would like to see is for every Theosophical library as well as any private book collections to look for an old dog eared copy of early SD with a lot of comments and we may be in for a surprise.

[Michael A. Williams]

Leslie, I've read the Jack Brown article and thanks again for all your efforts. I got the two parts to him last night, but haven't heard back from him.

I wasn't disappointed and the article certainly points to Einstein having a copy of SD and giving it some consideration, both pro and con. Where to go next is to find out more on this Jack Brown. He must have lived in the Ojai area back in 1983 and had some connection with TS.

I've sent you a Friend request. You have to accept it before I can sent a private message to your inbox. I've got more to say on this in a private message. Reasons to become clear. Take care.

[Michael A. Williams]

Leslie, everything came through fine. I've downloaded the two parts and am about to read them. Thanks again so much. Also, getting the email and links to Joe.

Will have more to say on all this later, obviously

[Michael A. Williams]

Leslie, just emailed you. Take care. More later.

[Leslie Royce Pochos]

Michael, email me at [e-mail] and I can email it to you and you can copy to Joe. I do not know where my brain is - please do not mention my damaged coccyx - of course you cannot download it from here.

[Michael A. Williams]

Again, thanks so much. You really don't have to type the rest. I emailed it to Joe, he's pretty tech savvy. I just emailed it to myself, hoping the PDF file will be downloadable via Adobe Reader, but it still it's a link.

It's interesting so far, and in keeping with what one would expect Einstein to say. He was known not to think much of Individual Survival after death.

[Leslie Royce Pochos]

You are absolutely right; it is not a link but a PDF, a file that needs to be downloaded from the email into Adobe Acrobat Reader, at least that is what I use. However, I have typed the relevant part for you and am working on the rest of it just for historical background. But to finish it will require the assistance of Idarmis to look at her copy. So here goes. Let me know....

((This follows the information about Prof. Rothman, Brown's friend who got the invitation to visit Einstein, their reception at 112 Mercer in Princeton by Mr and Mrs Einstein))

Just then Prof. Einstein came downstairs with Howard from his study room. He asked for a sandwich and a cold drink.

“Would you like to see my study, young man?” said the professor to me. “Come up for a moment and witness the utter confusion of my work-place.”

I went upstairs to his study, and it was as I expected. He had two large book shelves with books that reached from the floor to the ceiling; besides books on his desk, plus magazines, papers, an assortment of well-smoked pipes, letters, note-books and, to my utter astonishment, a copy of Mme. Blavatsky’s, “The Secret Doctrine,” which sat at the far corner of the large desk.

“What is this book doing here!?” I asked, unable to control myself.

Why, don’t you know?: he replied, “this is the Bible of the Theosophists. Like every religion, they have their Bible. One is struck by its total dissimilarity with the Old or New Testaments. It’s a very strange books, and I’ve even told prof. Heinsenberg, my fellow physicist, to get a copy and keep it on his desk. I urged him to dip into it when he’s handicapped by some problem. the strangeness of this book may relax or possibly inspire him. It is like a box of mixed goodies and vague but solemn mysteries. For instance, i cannot believe that the individual survives the death of his body, as she avers, although feeble sold harbor such thoughts through fear or ridiculous egotism.”

“But,” I feebly interjected, “the personal ego which is part of the physical body does not survive after death - what Blavatsky speaks of is the inner core; the soul, if you will, the higher self, the divinity within him - that is what survives and continues to evolve through future incarnations.

Einstein smiled and gave an uncertain shake of his head, as to say, “Perhaps, perhaps. Like T.H. Huxley,” he said, “I’m aware that great though science was, it can never touch even with the tip of its finder tat dream with which our little life is rounded - and if that dream includes thoughts of re-incarnation or immortality, I find it hard to believe.” He continued with the following observations: “Mme. Blavatsky is a bit wild and somewhat irrational and speaks as if she were the Oracle of Delphi. But I will admit that I find some interesting observations in her book which was published, as you know, back in 1888, at a time when physics and science were in their swaddling clothes. For instance, here is something she said which intrigues me, and I’m astonished how much in keeping it is with modern Physics.” He turned to a page with a paper slip in it. “I quote from ‘The Secret Doctrine’ ---
‘This is to show how absurd are the simultaneous admissions of the non-divisibility and elasticity of the atom. The atom is elastic - ergo, the atom is divisible and must consist of particles or sub-atoms. And these sub-atoms? They are neither non-elastic and, in such case, they represent no dynamic importance, or they are elastic, and in that case, they too are subject to divisibility - and thus ad infinitum. But infinite divisibility of atoms resolves matter into simple centers of force, i.e., precludes the possibility of conceiving matter as an objective substance.’

“There are many other significant statements of hers which I find interesting, but for which I have no time to discuss now,” he concluded.