Which controversies damaged the reputation of the Theosophical Society?

The reputation of the Theosophical Society was damaged by several major controversies throughout its history:

• Fraudulent Phenomena: In 1884, cofounder Helena Petrovna Blavatsky was accused by a former confidant of faking the extraordinary phenomena she claimed were evidence of her contact with "Great Masters" or Adepts. An investigation by the Society for Psychical Research concluded these accusations were true, which significantly hindered the movement's progress during her lifetime.12
• Leadership Scandals: In the early 20th century, the society suffered further reputational damage due to a series of sex scandals involving its leadership.2
• The Krishnamurti Defection: Annie Besant and other leaders promoted Jiddu Krishnamurti as the messianic "World Teacher." However, in 1929, Krishnamurti abruptly resigned from his designated role, rejected organized religion, and broke ties with the society. This event caused membership to plummet and left the organization unable to return to its previous strength.132