Albert Einstein

Einstein and The Secret Doctrine

In the Summer of 1974 The Journal of San Diego History publishes an interview to Theosophist Iverson L. Harris, where he states that A. Einstein had a copy of The Secret Doctrine on his table all the time. In 1993 Sylvia Cranston wrote in her book H.P.B. The Extraordinary Life and Influence of Helena Blavatsky the following:

In checking this information it was learned that a niece of Einstein’s, in India during the 1960s, paid a special visit to the headquarters of the Theosophical Society at Adyar. She explained that she knew nothing of theosophy or the society, but had to see the place because her uncle always had a copy of Madame Blavatsky’s Secret Doctrine on his desk. The individual to whom the niece spoke was Eunice Layton, a world-traveled theosophical lecturer who happened to be at the reception desk when she arrived. While in Ojai, California, in January 1982, Sylvia Cranston met Mrs. Eunice Layton, who confirmed the story.”

Leon Maurer states that around the mid 1970s he was attending a lecture by a foreign visitor at the United Lodge of Theosophists in New York City where he met a group of women. One of them claimed she was present when Einstein's niece arrived at Adyar, adding that the latter had brought the copy of The secret Doctrine to donate it to "the library of the Lodge in Adyar". This woman said she actually opened the book, which "was heavily notated and underlined, and that the margins were covered with scribbles and other markings that none of them could make heads nor tails of". However, neither the Adyar Library nor the Archives have this volume.

David Reigle said he and his wife talked to Eunice Layton, who confirmed the story about a relative of Einstein having visited Adyar and mentioned about his copy of The Secret Doctrine, but Mrs. Layton never mentioned having seen the book.

It is also unclear whether Albert Einstein had a niece. His sister Maria "Maja" Einstein had no children, and the same seems to be the case with his first wife's siblings. Some speculate that this "niece" could have been his secretary, Helen Dukas, who became his housekeeper after Einstein's wife died, and was made one of the executors of his estate:

On April 13,1928, Helen Dukas starts working as Einstein's secretary. She is not well educated, but gets the job through family connections. In 1933, she emigrates to the U.S. with the Einsteins. Some people, including Hans Albert, suspect she is Einstein's lover. His will makes her a trustee of the estate. He also bequeaths his personal effects to Helen, along with more money than he leaves to any blood relatives. She spends the rest of her life fiercely guarding his privacy and reputation.

An independent account regarding this volume of The Secret Doctrine was given by Jerry Hejka-Ekins. The latter knew Dr. Alfred Taylor, once director of the Krotona School of Theosophy, and alleged personal friend of Einstein. According to Mr. Hejka-Ekins, Dr. Taylor described on several occasions Einstein's enthusiasm for the book, to which he referred as his "bedtime reading."

Finally, Jack Brown in his article “I Visit Professor Einstein” published in Ojai Valley News, says he saw the volume on Einstein's desk and exchanged some thoughts with him about it. However, the veracity of the claims found in this publication have been challenged by Barbara Wolff, from the "Albert Einstein Archives" at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Online resources

Articles

• I Visit Professor Einstein by Jack Brown
• The Einstein SD - Some Conclusions by Joe Fulton
• How Did Albert Einstein Intuit (Grok) E=mc2? by Leon Maurer

Additional resources

• Research about A. Einstein's copy of The Secret Doctrine at Theosophy.Net