Mitrofan Vasil’evich Lodyzhenskii (1852-1917) graduated from the Agricultural Institute in St. Petersburg in 1873, after which he worked as a senior forester in the Vologda province. He served as sheriff in the Tula province, and was chief of the Forestry Department, as well as the vice-governor of Semipalatinsk, and later Stavropol, and Mogilev. He was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, of St. Stanislav, and St. Anna, all of these being civil decorations awarded by the Russian Empire.

He spent time in both India and Japan. After retirement, Lodyzhenskii turned his attention to literary work, focusing on the relationship of esoteric philosophy with Christianity. Before his return to traditional Orthodox Christianity, Lodyzhenskii interests touched on Hindu philosophy, yoga, Theosophy, hypnotism, and science. He was in contact with Tolstoy, A. L. Volynskii ,and the occultist P. D. Uspenskii, His book Light Invisible is a witness to his return to Orthodox faith and life.