The Theosophical Society was founded in 1875, in New York, by Henry Steel Olcott, H.P. Blavatsky, William Quan Judge and others. Its founding objective was the study of mediumistic phenomena and explaining these. When Olcott and Blavatsky moved to India, the study of Eastern religions became part of their programme and thus of the programme of the Theosophicla Society. By the time Blavatsky's Key to Theosophy was written (1889), the objects had evolved into:
- To form the nucleus of a Universal Brotherhood of Humanity without distinction of race, colour, or creed.
- To promote the study of Aryan and other Scriptures, of the World's religion and sciences, and to vindicate the importance of old Asiatic literature, namely, of the Brahmanical, Buddhist, and Zoroastrian philosophies.
- To investigate the hidden mysteries of Nature under every aspect possible, and the psychic and spiritual powers latent in man especially. (p. 39, Key to Theosophy)
Other exponents of this movement are:
- Hugh Dowding
- Anthroposophy
- Jiddu Krishnamurti
- U.G. Krishnamurti
- Liberal Catholic Church
- Arcane School
- Agni Yoga Society
- I AM Activity
- Church Universal and Triumphant
- New Acropolis