Starving the Animal Within: Vegetarianism as Spiritual Development and Eastern Wisdom in Early Swedish Theosophy

The Theosophical movement which emerged in the late nineteenth century served as an important context through which beliefs, practices, and social networks associated with Asian religion were disseminated in Europe during the early twentieth century. Early Theosophy favored the doctrinal and philosophical dimensions of Asian religion and much of the movement’s activities consisted of the production and consumption of texts, with publishing and lecturing, reading, and writing. This was not the complete story, however. Aspects of Theosophy could and did have clear consequences for the lifestyle and day-to-day activities of its adherents. One area where this was most pronounced relates to the subject of vegetarianism. Although no particular diet was a requirement of membership in the society, Theosophy promoted an ideal way of living in which vegetarianism was an important component. Furthermore, Theosophists envisioned the practice of a vegetarian diet as a form of discipline promoting not only the health but the spiritual development of the individual while at the same time emphasizing its connection to the ancient wisdom of the East.

Making use of an empirical material consisting of Theosophical journals, books, and lecture transcripts, the chapter explores how Swedish Theosophists during the movement’s early period (1889–1914) imagined, practiced, and argued for vegetarianism. Placing Theosophical vegetarianism in the context of the broader interest in vegetarian diets of the early twentieth century, the chapter focuses on how Theosophists constructed vegetarianism as simultaneously a spiritual and bodily practice, arguing that the Theosophical merging of spirituality and health prefigured and perhaps influenced late twentieth-century trends.