advocate for its truths as he had been before for the negations of
secularism. His experience and ability as a lecturer, with his long
schooling in every form of manifestation, render him one of the most
valuable promulgators of its teachings. He has also done excellent
service in exposing the pretensions of those conjurers who profess to
expose Spiritualism. This he does in the most practical way, not only by
explaining how the professed imitations of spiritual manifestations are
performed, but by actually performing them before his audience; and at
the same time pointing out the important differences between what these
people do and what occurs at good séances. Any one who wishes to
comprehend how Dr. Lynn, Messrs. Maskelyne and Cook, and Herr Dobler
perform some of their most curious feats have only to read his lecture,
entitled, “Spirit Mediums and Conjurers,” before going to witness their
entertainments. We can hardly believe that the man who does this, and
who during fifteen years of observation and experiment held out against
the spiritual theory, is one of those who, as Lord Amberley tells us,
“fall a victim to the most patent frauds, and are imposed upon by
jugglery of the most vulgar order”; or who, as viewed from Prof.
Tyndall’s high scientific standpoint, are in a frame of mind before
which science is utterly powerless—“dupes beyond the reach of proof, who
like to believe and do not like to be undeceived.” These be brave words;
but we leave our readers to judge whether they come with a very good
grace from men who have the most slender and inadequate knowledge of the
subject they are criticising, and no knowledge at all of the
long-continued and conscientious investigations of many who are included
in their wholesale animadversions.
Yet one more witness to these marvelous phenomena we must bring before
our readers—a trained and experienced physicist, who has experimented in
his own laboratory, and has applied tests and measurements of the most
rigid and conclusive character. When Mr. Crookes—the discoverer of the
metal thallium, and a Fellow of the Royal Society—first announced that
he was going to investigate so-called spiritual phenomena, many public
writers were all approval; for the complaint had long been that men of
science were not permitted by mediums to inquire too scrupulously into
the facts. One expressed “profound satisfaction that the subject was
about to be investigated by a man so well qualified”; another was
“gratified to learn that the matter is now receiving the attention of
cool and clear headed men of recognized position in science”; while a
third declared that “no one could doubt Mr. Crookes’s ability to conduct
the investigation with rigid philosophical impartiality.” But these
expressions were evidently insincere, and were only meant to apply in
case the result was in accordance with the writers’ notions of what it
ought to be. Of course, a “scientific investigation” would explode the
whole thing. Had not Faraday exploded table-turning? They hailed Mr.
Crookes as the Daniel come to judgment—as the prophet who would curse
their enemy, Spiritualism, by detecting imposture and illusion. But when
the judge, after a patient trial lasting several years, decided against
them, and their accepted prophet blessed the hated thing as an undoubted
truth, their tone changed; and they began to suspect the judge’s
ability, and to pick holes in the evidence on which he founded his
judgment.
In Mr. Crookes’s latest paper, published in the Quarterly Journal of
Science for January last, we are informed that he has pursued the
inquiry for four years; and besides attending séances elsewhere, has had
the opportunity of making numerous experiments in his own house with the
two remarkable mediums already referred to, Mr. D. D. Home and Miss Kate
Fox. These experiments were almost exclusively made in the light, under
conditions of his own arranging, and with his own friends as witnesses.
Such phenomena as percussive sounds; alteration of the weight of bodies;
the rising of heavy bodies in the air without contact by any one; the
levitation of human beings; luminous appearances of various kinds; the
appearance of hands which lift small objects, yet are not the hands of
any one present; direct writing, by a luminous detached hand or by the
pencil alone; phantom forms and faces; and various mental phenomena—have
all been tested so variously and so repeatedly that Mr. Crookes is
thoroughly satisfied of their objective reality. These phenomena are
given in outline in the paper above referred to, and they will be
detailed in full in a volume now preparing. I will not, therefore, weary
my readers by repeating them here, but will remark, that these
experiments have a weight as evidence vastly greater than would be due
to them as resting on the testimony of any man of science, however
distinguished, because they are, in almost every case, confirmations of
what previous witnesses in immense numbers have testified to, in various
places, and under various conditions, during the last twenty years. In
every other experimental inquiry, without exception, confirmation of the
facts of an earlier observer is held to add so greatly to their value,
that no one treats them with the same incredulity with which he might
have received them the first time they were announced. And when the
confirmation has been repeated by three or four independent observers
under favorable conditions, and there is nothing but theory or negative
evidence against them, the facts are admitted—at least provisionally,
and until disproved by a greater weight of evidence or by discovering
the exact source of the fallacy of preceding observers.
But here, a totally different—a most unreasonable and a most
unphilosophical—course is pursued. Each fresh observation, confirming
previous evidence, is treated as though it were now put forth for the
_first_ time; and fresh confirmation is asked of it. And when this fresh
and independent confirmation comes, yet more confirmation is asked for,
and so on without end. This is a very clever way to ignore and stifle a
new truth; but the facts of Spiritualism are ubiquitous in their
occurrence and of so indisputable a nature, as to compel conviction in
every earnest inquirer. It thus happens that although every fresh
convert requires a large proportion of the series of demonstrative facts
to be reproduced before he will give his assent to them, the number of
such converts has gone on steadily increasing for a quarter of a
century. Clergymen of all sects, literary men and lawyers, physicians in
large numbers, men of science not a few, secularists, philosophical
skeptics, pure materialists, all have become converts through the
overwhelming logic of the phenomena which Spiritualism has brought
before them. And what have we _per contra_? Neither science nor
philosophy, neither skepticism nor religion, has ever yet in this
quarter of a century made one single convert from the ranks of
Spiritualism! This being the case, and fully appreciating the amount of
candor and fairness, and knowledge of the subject, that has been
exhibited by their opponents, is it to be wondered at that a large
proportion of Spiritualists are now profoundly indifferent to the
opinion of men of science, and would not go one step out of their way to
convince them? They say, that the movement is going on quite fast
enough; that it is spreading by its own inherent force of truth, and
slowly permeating all classes of society. It has thriven in spite of
abuse and persecution, ridicule and argument, and will continue to
thrive whether endorsed by great names or not. Men of science, like all
others, are welcome to enter its ranks; but they must satisfy themselves
by their own persevering researches, not expect to have its proofs laid
before them. Their rejection of its truths is their own loss, but cannot
in the slightest degree affect the progress of Spiritualism. The attacks
and criticisms of the press are borne good-humoredly, and seldom excite
other feelings than pity for the willful ignorance and contempt for the
overwhelming presumption of their writers. Such are the sentiments that
are continually expressed by Spiritualists; and it is as well, perhaps,
that the outer world, to whom the literature of the movement is as much
unknown as the Vedas, should be made acquainted with them.
_Investigation by the Dialectical Committee._—There are many other
investigators who ought to be noticed in any complete sketch of the
subject, but we have now only space to allude briefly to the “Report of
the Committee of the Dialectical Society.” Of this committee, consisting
of thirty-three acting members, only eight were, at the commencement,
believers in the reality of the phenomena, while not more than four
accepted the spiritual theory. During the course of the inquiry at least
twelve of the complete skeptics became convinced of the reality of many
of the physical phenomena through attending the experimental
sub-committees, and almost wholly by means of the mediumship of members
of the committee. At least three members who were previously skeptics
pursued their investigations outside the committee meetings, and in
consequence have become thorough Spiritualists. My own observation as a
member of the committee and of the largest and most active
sub-committee, enables me to state that the degree of conviction
produced in the minds of the various members was, allowing for marked
differences of character, approximately proportionate to the amount of
time and care bestowed on the investigation. This fact, which is what
occurs in all investigations into these phenomena, is a characteristic
result of the examination into any natural phenomena. The examination
into an imposture or delusion has, invariably, exactly opposite results:
those who have slender experience being deceived, while those who
perseveringly continue the inquiry inevitably find out the source of the
deception or the delusion. If this were not so, the discovery of truth
and the detection of error would be alike impossible. The result of this
inquiry on the members of the committee themselves is, therefore, of
more importance than the actual phenomena they witnessed, since these
were far less striking than many of the facts already mentioned. But
they are also of importance as confirming, by a body of intelligent and
unprejudiced men, the results obtained by previous individual inquirers.
Before leaving this report, I must call attention to the evidence it
furnishes of the state of opinion among men of education in France. M.
Camille Flammarion, the well-known astronomer, sent a communication to
the committee which deserves special consideration. Besides declaring
his own acceptance of the objective reality of the phenomena after ten
years of investigation, he makes the following statement:
“My learned teacher and friend, M. Babinet, of the Institute, who has
endeavored, with M. E. Liais (now Director of the Observatory of
Brazil), and several others of my colleagues of the Observatory of
Paris, to ascertain their nature and cause, is not fully convinced of
the intervention of spirits in their production; though this
hypothesis, by which alone certain categories of these phenomena would
seem to be explicable, has been adopted by many of our most esteemed
_savants_, among others by Dr. Hœffle, the learned author of the
‘History of Chemistry,’ and the ‘General Encyclopædia’; and by the
diligent laborer in the field of astronomic discovery whose death we
have recently had to deplore, M. Hermann Goldschmidt, the discoverer
of fourteen planets.”
It thus appears that in France, as well as in America and in this
country, men of science of no mean rank have investigated these
phenomena and have found them to be realities; while some of the most
eminent hold the spiritual theory to be the only one that will explain
them.
This seems the proper place to notice the astounding assertion of
certain writers, that there is not “a particle of evidence” to support
the spiritual theory; that those who accept it betray “hopeless
inability to discriminate between adequate and inadequate proof of
facts”; that the theory is “formed apart from facts”; and that those who
accept it are so unable to reason as to “jump to the conclusion” that it
must be spirits that move tables, merely because they do not know how
else they can be moved. The preceding account of how converts to
Spiritualism have been made is a sufficient answer to all this ignorant
assertion. The spiritual theory, as a rule, has only been adopted as a
last resource, when all other theories have hopelessly broken down; and
when fact after fact, phenomenon after phenomenon, has presented itself,
giving direct proof that the so-called dead are still alive. The
spiritual theory is the logical outcome of the whole of the facts. Those
who deny it, in every instance with which I am acquainted, either from
ignorance or disbelief, leave half the facts out of view. Take the one
case (out of many almost equally conclusive) of Mr. Livermore, who,
during five years, on hundreds of occasions, saw, felt and heard the
movements of the figure of his dead wife in absolute, unmistakable,
living form—a form which could move objects, and which repeatedly wrote
to him in her own handwriting and her own language, on cards which
remained after the figure had disappeared; a form which was equally
visible and tangible to two friends; which appeared in his own house, in
a room absolutely secured, with the presence of only a young girl, the
medium. Had these three men “not a particle of evidence” for the
spiritual theory? Is it, in fact, possible to conceive or suggest any
more complete proof? The facts must be got rid of before you can abolish
the theory; and simple denial or disbelief does not get rid of facts
testified during a space of five years by three witnesses, all men in
responsible positions, and carrying on their affairs during the whole
period in a manner to win the respect and confidence of their
fellow-citizens.[3]
Footnote 3:
The objection will here inevitably be made: “These wonderful things
always happen in America. When they occur in England it will be time
enough to inquire into them.” Singularly enough, after this article
was in the press the final test was obtained, which demonstrated the
occurrence of similar phenomena in London. A short statement may,
therefore, be interesting for those who cannot digest American
evidence. For some years a young lady, Miss Florence Cook, has
exhibited remarkable mediumship, which latterly culminated in the
production of an entire female form purporting to be spiritual, and
which appeared barefooted and in white flowing robes while she lay
entranced, in dark clothing and securely bound, in a cabinet or
adjacent room. Notwithstanding that tests of an apparently conclusive
character were employed, many visitors, Spiritualists as well as
skeptics, got the impression that all was not as it should be; owing,
in part, to the resemblance of the supposed spirit to Miss Cook, and
also to the fact that the two could not be seen at the same time. Some
supposed that Miss C. was an impostor, who managed to conceal a white
robe about her (although she was often searched), and who, although
she was securely tied with tapes and sealed, was able to get out of
her bonds, dress and undress herself, and get into them again, all in
the dark, and in so complete and skillful a manner as to defy
detection. Others thought that the spirit released her, provided her
with a white dress, and sent her forth to personate a ghost. The
belief that there was something wrong led one gentleman—an ardent
Spiritualist—to seize the supposed spirit and endeavor to hold it, in
the hope that some other person would open the cabinet-door and see if
Miss Cook was really there. This was, unfortunately, not done; but the
great resemblance of the being he seized to Miss Cook, its perfect
solidity, and the vigorous struggles it made to escape from him,
convinced this gentleman that it was Miss Cook herself, although the
rest of the company, a few minutes afterwards, found her bound and
sealed just as she had been left an hour before. To determine the
question conclusively, experiments have been made within the last few
weeks by two scientific men. Mr. C. F. Varley, F. R. S., the eminent
electrician, made use of a galvanic battery and cable-testing
apparatus, and passed a current through Miss Cook’s body (by fastening
sovereigns soldered to wires to her arms). The apparatus was so
delicate that any movement whatever was instantly indicated, while it
was impossible for the young lady to dress and act as a ghost without
breaking the circuit. Yet under these conditions the spirit-form did
appear, exhibited its arms, spoke, wrote, and touched several persons;
and this happened, be it remembered, not in the medium’s own house,
but in that of a private gentleman in the West End of London. For
nearly an hour the circuit was never broken, and at the conclusion
Miss Cook was found in a deep trance. Since this remarkable experiment
Mr. William Crookes, F.R.S., has obtained, if possible, still more
satisfactory evidence. He contrived a phosphorus lamp, and, armed with
this, was allowed to go into the dark room accompanied by the spirit,
and there saw and felt Miss Cook, dressed in black velvet, lying in a
trance on the floor, while the spirit-form, in white robes, stood
close beside her. During the evening this spirit-form had been for
nearly an hour walking and talking with the company; and Mr. Crookes,
by permission, clasped the figure in his arms, and found it to be,
apparently, a real living woman, just as the skeptical gentleman had
done. Yet this figure is not that of Miss Cook, nor of any other human
being, since it appeared and disappeared in Mr. Crookes’s own house as
completely as in that of the medium herself. The full statements of
Messrs. Varley and Crookes, with a mass of interesting detail on the
subject, appeared in the “Spiritualist” newspaper in March and April
last; and they serve to show that whatever marvels occur in America
can be reproduced here, and that men of science are not precluded from
investigating these phenomena with scientific instruments and by
scientific methods. In the concluding part of this paper we shall be
able to show that another class of manifestation which originated in
America—that of the so-called spirit photographs—has been first
critically examined and completely demonstrated in our own country.
SPIRIT PHOTOGRAPHS.
We now approach a subject which cannot be omitted in any impartial
sketch of the evidences of Spiritualism, since it is that which
furnishes perhaps the most unassailable demonstration it is possible to
obtain, of the objective reality of spiritual forms, and also of the
truthful nature of the evidence furnished by seers when they describe
figures visible to themselves alone. It has been already indicated—and
it is a fact, of which the records of Spiritualism furnish ample
proof—that different individuals possess the power of seeing such forms
and figures in very variable degrees. Thus, it often happens at a
séance, that some will see distinct lights of which they will describe
the form, appearance and position, while others see nothing at all. If
only one or two persons see the lights, the rest will naturally impute
it to their imagination; but there are cases in which only one or two of
those present are unable to see them. There are also cases in which all
see them, but in very different degrees of distinctness; yet that they
see the same objects is proved by their all agreeing as to the position
and the movement of the lights. Again, what some see as merely luminous
clouds, others will see as distinct human forms, either partial or
entire. In other cases all present see the form—whether hand, face, or
entire figure—with equal distinctness. Again, the objective reality of
these appearances is sometimes proved by their being touched, or by
their being seen to move objects—in some cases heard to speak, in others
seen to write, by several persons at one and the same time; the figure
seen or the writing produced being sometimes unmistakably recognizable
as that of some deceased friend. A volume could easily be filled with
records of this class of appearances, authenticated by place, date, and
names of witnesses; and a considerable selection is to be found in the
works of Mr. Robert Dale Owen.
Now, at this point, an inquirer, who had not pre-judged the question,
and who did not believe his own knowledge of the universe to be so
complete as to justify him in rejecting all evidence for facts which he
had hitherto considered to be in the highest degree improbable, might
fairly say, “Your evidence for the appearance of visible, tangible,
spiritual forms, is very strong; but I should like to have them
submitted to a crucial test, which would quite settle the question of
the possibility of their being due to a coincident delusion of several
senses of several persons at the same time; and, if satisfactory, would
demonstrate their objective reality in a way nothing else can do. If
they really reflect or emit light which makes them visible to human
eyes, _they can be photographed_. Photograph them, and you will have an
unanswerable proof that your human witnesses are trustworthy.” Two years
ago we could only have replied to this very proper suggestion, that we
believed it had been done and could be again done, but that we had no
satisfactory evidence to offer. Now, however, we are in a position to
state, not only that it has been frequently done, but that the evidence
is of such a nature as to satisfy any one who will take the trouble
carefully to examine it. This evidence we will now lay before our
readers, and we venture to think they will acknowledge it to be most
remarkable.
Before doing so it may be as well to clear away a popular misconception.
Mr. Lewes advised the Dialectical Committee to distinguish carefully
between “facts and inferences from facts.” This is especially necessary
in the case of what are called spirit photographs. The figures which
occur in these, when not produced by any human agency, may be of
“spiritual” origin, without being figures “of spirits.” There is much
evidence to show that they are, in some cases, forms produced by
invisible intelligences, but distinct from them. In other cases the
intelligence appears to clothe itself with matter capable of being
perceived by us; but even then it does not follow that the form produced
is the actual image of the spiritual form. It may be but a reproduction
of the former mortal form with its terrestrial accompaniments, _for
purposes of recognition_.
Most persons have heard of these “ghost-pictures,” and how easily they
can be made to order by any photographer, and are therefore disposed to
think they can be of no use as evidence. But a little consideration will
show them that the means by which sham ghosts can be manufactured being
so well known to all photographers, it becomes easy to apply tests or
arrange conditions so as to prevent imposition. The following are some
of the more obvious:
1. If a person with a knowledge of photography takes his own glass
plates, examines the camera used and all the accessories, and watches
the whole process of taking a picture, then, if any definite form
appears on the negative besides the sitter, it is a proof that some
object was present capable of reflecting or emitting the actinic rays,
although invisible to those present. 2. If an unmistakable likeness
appears of a deceased person totally unknown to the photographer. 3. If
figures appear on the negative having a definite relation to the figure
of the sitter, who chooses his own position, attitude and
accompaniments, it is a proof that invisible figures were really there.
4. If a figure appears draped in white, and partly behind the dark body
of the sitter without in the least showing through, it is a proof that
the white figure was there at the same time, because the dark parts of
the negative are transparent, and any white picture in any way
superposed would show through. 5. Even should none of these tests be
applied, yet if a medium, quite independent of the photographer, sees
and describes a figure during the sitting and an exactly corresponding
figure appears on the plate, it is a proof that such a figure was there.
Every one of these tests have now been successfully applied in our own
country, as the following outline of the facts will show: