Life, 1912-10-24 · page 15 of 48
Life — October 24, 1912 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a mockery of the "New Thought" spiritual movement popular in early 20th-century America—a pseudo-mystical belief system promising mind-over-matter control through meditation, "vibrations," and psychic powers. The satire targets: **The Scam**: "Swami Baa Baa" (a deliberately absurd name) offers crystal balls and psychic consultations for cash, claiming to align customers with "universal forces" and grant them supernatural control over others and circumstances. **The Absurdity**: Testimonials claim the powers allow drinking a quart of rum daily while "expanding moral nature," or using "tattvic vibrations" to hypnotize a streetcar conductor into allowing a passenger to smoke. The comedian describes controlling a cook through concentrated willpower. **The Target**: Life ridicules wealthy, credulous people seeking spiritual shortcuts to power and comfort, mocking both the charlatans selling these services and the gullible clients willing to pay for them. The cartoon's grotesque illustrations of the "Swami" emphasize the fraud being perpetrated on the spiritually desperate.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
RIEND, are you a crusader of joy? Are you floating free on the astral heights, your auric envelope expanding like a jelly fish, in rhythmic, cestatic harmony with the great forces of the universe? If not, send out a psychic call at once to Swami Baa Baa, the one and only yogi in the country. What is a psychic call? No mat- ter where you are, fix your mind on vacancy, place yourself in a passive position, and ask the Swami to come to you. Never fear; in about an hour or an hour and a half you will begin to feel a subliminal glow, and all power will gradually be yours. Not all at once, of cou.se, but little by little. After you have given this first mental call, it might be just as well for you to step around to our vibration parlors in person and make your initial deposit in cash. Some day, as soon as the Swami gets the materialistic machinery of the office running, you may not have to do this, but at present it is absolutely indispensable. We have an announcement to make; something hitherto unparalleled in the entire history of new thought; not only can we place you in perfect tune with the universe, but also on the lower physical planes we can make you supreme. Herein lies the difference between Yogi (Swami) Baa Baa’s methods and all others. They offer you vague uncertainties; we produce results actually visible to gross material natures, We do this to get you started. Such is the marvelous strength of the tattvic vibrations that Swami Baa Baa deals in, that any man can drink a quart of rum a day and smoke forty cigars, and, while doing this, expand his moral nature until it is on the highest plane. That we have already explained; now what we desire to call your attention to is none the less wonderful; that is, it is wonderful to the ordinary mind; to Swami Baa Baa, who is on the most intimate terms with Brahma, it is a mere nothing. For we not only place you en rapport with the universe, but we adjust the harmonies so that no matter what you do, nothing disagreeable can happen to you on the earthly plane. You control your own comfort. What this means can only be faintly estimated, but here is a state- ment that will make it plainer: Ho Swanr Since paying my entrance fee and concentrating on the crystal ball with which I was provided by you, all power is now mine. Yesterday, just “Nothing disa- Rrecable can hap- pen to you." -LIFE- Do You Wish to Control Others ? Consult Swami Baa Baa and Obtain a Crystal Ball at Minimum Price All Joy Will Be Yours for the Mere Willing before entering a Broadway surface car, I lighted a large cigar. The con- ductor was about to stop me, when | fixed him with my peculiar gaze and turned on tattvic vibration number one. He immediately bowed meekly and let me through. Several passen- gers rose at once to protest, but I gave a broadside of harmony, and they acted from then on as if they positively enjoyed my presence. In- yy oe oct deed, I feel sure that they did. All verse." power to your psychic elbow. From your grateful admirer, only one more Ruter or THe Universe. Every day brings us hundreds of letters like this. Here is one from a lady: “In perfect Apvoreo Swami: Last evening, just before a large dinner party that I was giving, my cook notified me that she was going to leave. Immediately I went into the silence for five minutes, and could actually feel myself gathering power from the great forces of the universe; then I concentrated on my crystal ball, hurried down to the kitchen, fixed the cook with my astral eye. She immediately prostrated herself and promised every- thing, but as an extra precaution I left my subliminal self on guard in the kitchen and then sat down with my guests, in my heart a song of pure joy Yours forever, Mrs. B Ss . From a gentleman: Dear Sir: It is impossible for me to convey my admiration for your marvelous psychic energies. I find that not only do I get great results by concentrating on others, but also on myself. Last night I was out with the boys and, coming home at three o'clock, was unable to get the front door open. Suddenly, however, there came to me a vague psychic impulse to ask for power. I concentrated on the keyhole and the door opened Ten minutes later I sent out a few vibrations toward my wife, and the whole house was filled with rhythmic harmonies. Me for the Swami! Remember, any one can do this who has a humble desire to be at one with the spheres. All you need is a crystal ball and a willingness to submit to the first mental entrance; from then on, going into the silence is a positive pleasure. You can reach the Swami at any hour of the day and night, and from any part of the world Life’s Vibration Parlors, comicbooks.com