“This finely arranged and annotated collection shines a brilliant beam onto the inner planes of Annie Besant's consciousness, showing us both the ordered structure of her thought and the wonderful richness of the realms with which she dealt. With its help, we are invited to join her by exploring and mapping our own inner multiverse. Highly recommended.” --Robert Ellwood, author of Finding the Quiet Mind and Frodo’s Quest “Kurt Leland has masterfully compiled a collection of talks and articles by Ms. Besant that clearly present her point of view about psychic and spiritual development. He has included many references to the writings of H. P. Blavatsky, and by doing so has shown that both Besant and Blavatsky warned that before being properly prepared spiritually, any attempt at psychic development is fraught with danger. Leland has arranged the collection in a way that helps readers to grasp the fundamental views of Mrs. Besant on this controversial subject.” --Ed Abdill, author of The Secret Gateway: Modern Theosophy and the Ancient Wisdom Tradition "To investigate the unexplained laws of Nature and the powers latent in humanity" is one object of the Theosophical Society. Annie Besant (1847–1933), outspoken feminist, political activist, and early president of the TS, thought that psychic and spiritual development should be available to everyone, not just a chosen few. In her many books and articles providing guidelines, her goal was not to help students develop supernormal powers, but to help them increase consciousness in order to receive instruction from the ascended Masters. Besant believed this work had positively changed her life and wanted others to enjoy the same benefit. Although penned a century ago, Besant’s wisdom on the subject is still germane. Her prose is clear and inspiring, and Kurt Leland’s introduction and notes are well-informed. He helpfully divides Besant’s writings into four parts — Occultism Light and Dark, Higher Life Training, the Investigation of Different Worlds, and the Science of the Superphysical.