THE PHYSICAL PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM.
The Intelligence manifested.--It is a Human Intelligence.--Inherent
Probabilities.--Conditions requisite.--The Best Conditions.--A
Living Organism necessary.--The Laws of Telepathy and
Suggestion prevail.--Slate-Writing.--A Wonderful Slate-Writing
Séance.--Telepathic and Psycho-Physical Power displayed
in Perfection.--Demonstration of its Mundane Origin.--An
Unexpected Phenomenon.--Summary of Results.--Syllogism.--General
Conclusions.--Spiritistic Phenomena do not constitute Valid
Evidence of a Life beyond the Grave.--An Argument for Immortality.
The physical phenomena of spiritism are in more senses than one the
most interesting of all the manifestations of subjective power. They
require, however, but a brief treatment at our hands, for the reason
that the primary object of this book is to deal with the mental powers
and attributes of mankind in their relations to psychic phenomena. No
attempt, therefore, will be made to prove that the alleged physical
phenomena of so-called spiritism are veridical or otherwise. It would
be a work of supererogation to attempt to add force or volume to the
already overwhelming array of testimony going to show the wonderful
physical power often displayed in connection with psychic phenomena.
For our purposes it is not a matter of vital importance whether things
can be made to levitate without physical contact or not. It will be
assumed, therefore, that all statements made by respectable witnesses
in regard to the occurrence of physical phenomena are true. We do
this partly because we believe them to be true, having seen enough
to _know_ the reality of the leading physical phenomena, and partly
because our purpose is to deal with the mental aspects of psychic
phenomena, and the laws which pertain to their development. We shall
leave to those who are sceptical, or who think they are sceptical
rather than ignorant, the task of investigating, after the ponderous
and elaborate methods of the scientists, phenomena which can be
verified beyond the possible shadow of a doubt, by the exercise of a
little common-sense. And we will here undertake to guarantee that if
any scientific gentleman will, in good faith, follow the suggestions
offered in former chapters of this book regarding the proper method of
dealing with so-called mediums, and will divest himself, for the time
being, of all fear of professional mediums and all prejudice against
them, he will not only see enough to convince him of the truth of all
that is alleged regarding physical phenomena, but he will also see
that the elaborate test conditions often insisted upon by scientific
investigators are superfluous, not to say absurd. These remarks are,
of course, applicable to the better class of mediums, that is, those
who are recognized by the great body of spiritists as possessing a high
order of mediumistic power. Their moral characteristics need not count
as a factor, for it is to the interest of a medium to produce genuine
phenomena when he can, and he will always do so if the conditions are
favorable. Mediums are always anxious to exhibit their phenomena, when
genuine, under test conditions, and will do so in a way that shall
satisfy the most sceptical. A further qualification of the foregoing
remarks should be made in regard to "materializing" mediums. The writer
has never seen anything genuine in the line of materializations.
There is here more room for fraud, and more fraud is perpetrated by
materializing mediums than by any other, because materialization is a
rare and difficult phase of mediumship. Yet there is every reason to
believe, and we shall undertake to show further on, that the production
of genuine apparitions, resembling the persons they profess to
represent, is a possibility within the range of psychic power.
The remarks which follow will therefore be addressed, not to those
who are not yet convinced of the reality of physical phenomena,
but to those who are aware of their reality, but attribute them to
extramundane causes.
There is one pregnant fact connected with these manifestations which
all will admit, and that is that there is an intelligence which directs
and controls them. This intelligence is that of disembodied spirits,
or it is not. If it is not, it must be that of embodied spirits. These
propositions, if not self-evident, will at least be admitted to be
true by those who believe that it proceeds from disembodied spirits of
human beings. The intelligence is a human intelligence,--that is, it is
characterized by human imperfections and limitations; and, as all human
beings must be classified as either living or dead, we must look to one
class or the other for the source of the phenomena.
The first question in order is, What are the inherent probabilities?
Conceding the power to exist, it would seem to be more inherently
probable that it is possessed by a soul connected with a living
organism, than it is that it is possessed by a soul that has been
entirely severed from all connection with the material world.
Spiritists themselves unwittingly concede the truth of this proposition
when they assert, as does Allan Kardec, on the authority, as he says,
of "the spirit of Saint Louis," that "the spirits who produce these
effects are always inferior spirits, who are not entirely disengaged
from material influence."[37] Besides, the very fact that the
intervention of a "medium" is necessary for the production of physical
phenomena demonstrates the proposition that the elements of physical
organism are essential. It requires, therefore, two things to produce
the phenomena; namely, a soul and a body. In a living man the two are
united and working in harmony. Is it not probable that such an organism
is capable of producing all the effects attributed to the temporary
union of a dead man's soul and a living man's body? If not, why not?
Why should a dead man's spirit in abnormal union with a living man's
body possess more power than a living man's spirit in normal union with
his own body? Is it because the former possesses more knowledge than
the latter? No, for we have seen that it is only "inferior spirits" who
are capable of producing physical manifestations. Superior knowledge
confers no advantage; for, as Kardec informs us, the superior spirits
have no power in that direction. We have, therefore, the authority of
the spiritists themselves for formulating the proposition that the more
completely the spirit of a man is "disengaged from material influence,"
the less power he possesses to produce physical phenomena. This being
true, it follows that the converse of the proposition is true, namely,
that the more completely the spirit of a man is united to material
elements, the greater is his power to produce such phenomena. The
conclusion is irresistible that the spirit of a man in normal union
with his own body possesses the power in perfection.
If, therefore, we can find in abstract reasoning no warrant for the
assumption that the phenomena are produced by disembodied spirits, we
must look elsewhere for evidence of their extramundane origin. The
first inquiry naturally suggesting itself is, What internal evidence
is contained in the character of the manifestations which would enable
one to form a correct judgment regarding their probable source? We
have already seen that reasoning from their physical character leads
us to the conclusion that the physical power displayed must have a
physical basis, and that that basis is probably the physical organism
of the medium. Now, if its intellectual character leads us in the same
direction, the evidence is still stronger in favor of its purely human
origin. We presume that no one will dispute the proposition that the
communications received through the physical phenomena are governed by
the same laws as those received by means of the other methods which
have been discussed. Indeed, the fact is almost self-evident. They
have the same origin, and must be governed by the same laws. The
remarks, therefore, which have been made concerning the character of
the communications obtained by other than physical means apply with
full force to those obtained through physical demonstrations. The
laws of telepathy and suggestion play their subtle _rôle_ in the one
case the same as in the other. If possible, there is less evidence of
extramundane origin in the physical manifestations than there is in
the intellectual. Indeed, this might be pre-supposed, from the gross
character of the former, even though the latter had a purely spiritual
source. If, therefore, we find no valid evidence of extramundane
origin in the higher manifestations, it is a waste of time to seek for
evidence of spirit intercourse in the tipping of kitchen tables, the
levitation of parlor sofas, or the convulsions of whole sets of chamber
furniture.
The foregoing remarks apply to all forms and grades of physical
phenomena, of which there are many. Some of them possess the most
intense interest, not only on account of the wonderful psycho-physical
power displayed, but because of their intellectual phases.
Slate-writing, for instance, when performed by a first-class medium,
gifted with a high order of telepathic power, accompanied by other
necessary intellectual qualifications, is one of the most interesting
of all phases of psychic power. An instance which occurred within the
writer's own experience will be here related, for the reason that it
fully illustrates the essential qualifications and characteristics of
a first-class medium, shows both the physical and mental powers with
which he is endowed, and clearly defines the limitations which hedge
him about, and which point, with unerring exactitude, to the source of
the phenomena.
A few years ago, a conversation which the writer had with a celebrated
Union general led to an agreement to visit a prominent slate-writing
medium, then sojourning in the city of Washington. Among other things,
it was agreed that the general should be the sitter, and that he should
be guided entirely by my suggestions relative to the course which he
should pursue before and during the séance.
My object, which he fully understood and appreciated, was, first, to
convince him of the genuineness of the physical phenomena,--that is,
that the slate-writing was performed without corporeal contact of
the medium with the pencil, and without the shadow of a possibility
of the employment of legerdemain; and, secondly, to demonstrate the
utter impossibility of the phenomena being attributable to disembodied
spirits.
It must be premised that the medium was in the habit of causing his
sitters to write six short letters to as many different spirits.
These epistles are written on separate pieces of paper about three
inches square, and are addressed to the spirits by name and signed by
the writer, precisely as an ordinary letter would be addressed and
signed. Each letter is then rolled into a wad as small as possible, and
retained in the hand of the sitter until he is requested to deposit
them in a pile on the table. When this is done, the medium reaches
his hand across the table and touches the wads with the tips of his
fingers, the sitter meanwhile watching the proceeding closely, to
prevent the possibility of fraud. After the medium has touched each
bit of paper the sitter resumes possession of them and retains them
for future reference. It may be here remarked that a sitter has the
privilege of bringing his own slates with him, and retaining possession
of them until the writing is finished. They need not leave his custody
for an instant. He may place the bit of pencil between them himself,
and then securely lock or tie them together, and hold them as tightly
as he chooses on the top of the table, in the broad light of day, while
the writing is going on.
The plan suggested to the general on this occasion, and which he
carried out to the letter, was as follows:--
1. To write three letters to as many spirits of his dead acquaintances,
each one couched in general terms,--such as, "Dear B., can you
communicate with me to-day? If so, tell me your condition in the
spirit-land." This could be answered by very general remarks, and would
require no specific answer involving any knowledge of the sitter's
affairs or anything else.
2. To write two similar letters to two persons known to the sitter, but
unknown to the medium, to be still living in the flesh.
3. To write one letter to a deceased person, asking a specific
question, the correct answer to which neither the sitter nor the medium
could possibly know.
4. To place the medium at his ease, by leading him to believe that he
had to deal with a sympathetic believer in the doctrine of spiritism,
who had perfect faith in the medium's powers.
5. To prescribe no test conditions whatever, but let the medium have
his own way in everything.
6. Under no circumstances to let the medium know the name or
antecedents of the sitter.
These suggestions were carried out to the letter. The general was
unknown to the medium, and was introduced by the writer under a
fictitious name. The medium occupied a suite of rooms consisting of a
large double parlor separated by folding-doors. The front parlor was
used as a reception-room, and the back parlor as a séance-room. The
latter was lighted by one large window, in front of which stood an
old-fashioned square dining-table. The medium seated himself on one
side of this table, and the sitter occupied a chair on the opposite
side. Several slates were lying on the table, two of which the medium
washed clean and then gave them into the custody of the sitter,
who carefully examined them, and kept them in his possession until
the séance was over, resting his arms upon them while he wrote the
prescribed letters. He was particularly cautious about writing the
letters, carefully guarding them so that it was impossible for the
medium to see the writing with his natural eyes, and never lifted his
elbows from the two slates in his custody. When the letters were all
finished and rolled into wads, they were placed upon the table directly
between the medium and the sitter, the latter never allowing his eyes
to wander from them for an instant. The medium then touched each wad
with his finger-tips, when they were again taken possession of by the
sitter.
It should be stated that the séance, thus far, was not witnessed
by myself; but the circumstances were afterwards detailed by the
general, whose perfect trustworthiness is beyond question. At this
juncture--that is, while the wads were still lying on the table--a
most remarkable incident happened. The medium suddenly arose, opened
the folding-doors, and invited me in to take part in the séance. After
resuming his seat, he remarked to me: "There is a spirit here who
refuses to communicate until you are allowed to be present. He says
his name is G---- (mentioning a common Christian name). Have you any
deceased friend by that name?" I answered, No, not remembering, for the
moment, any one bearing that name. The medium then handed me a pencil,
and said: "Touch one of those wads with the pencil; then open it, and
you will find that it is a letter addressed to G----."
I touched one of the six wads, at random of course, and upon opening
it found, to my surprise, that it was a letter addressed by the sitter
to his deceased brother G----. The brother was also a very dear friend
of mine; but his exalted position in life precluded me from ever
addressing him by his Christian name, and I had not been consciously
thinking of him during the séance. Then the medium again addressed me,
as follows:--
"Fold the letter again, place it with the others, and mix them all
together. Then take the pencil and touch another wad; and the one you
touch you will find to be a letter addressed to M----."
This was done, and the wad touched proved to be a letter addressed to
the party named by the medium. A third time this feat was performed
with the same result. To say that we were surprised is but feebly
to express our emotions. The first success might be attributable to
coincidence, supposing the medium to be in possession of the name. The
chances were one to six, and it is within easy range of coincidence
that I should have hit upon the right letter. In the second trial the
chances were also one to six, _per se_; but the chances that I should
succeed twice in succession were largely against me; and the fact
that I succeeded three times in succession in pointing out the right
letter removes the matter far outside the domain of coincidence. When
we take into account the telepathic power displayed by the medium, and
that other power, whatever it may have been, which transformed me for
the moment into an automaton, the incident will be seen to possess an
extraordinary interest and importance. I should here remark that that
was the first and only experience of my own in the domain of subjective
automatism, and that I did not experience any sensation which could
lead me to suppose that I was not in a perfectly normal condition,
mentally and physically.
The most remarkable part of the performance, however, is yet to be
related. The sitter meantime did not lose his presence of mind, but
carefully guarded the pair of slates in his custody, never lifting his
arms from them as they lay upon the table before him. Nor did he for an
instant lose sight of the wads of paper which he placed upon the table.
The medium touched them with his finger-tips alone, as before related;
and after I had pointed out the three letters, they were taken into the
custody of the sitter. This done, the medium said to the sitter: "Open
the slates, and you will find a communication from G----." This was
done, and the promised communication was found, addressed to the sitter
by name and signed by G----, the name of the sitter's brother. In fact,
it was a pertinent answer to the letter written by the sitter to his
brother, addressed as the sitter had signed his name, and signed as the
sitter's brother had been addressed.
The medium then became considerably agitated, and moved with convulsive
rapidity. He seized two other slates, washed them, submitted them
for inspection, and placed them upon the centre of the table before
us, with a bit of black pencil between them. He then invited us to
place our hands upon the slate with him. This we did, whereupon the
writing began. We could distinctly hear the pencil move with a gentle,
but rapid, scratching sound. In a few minutes three raps were heard,
apparently made by the pencil between the slates. This was said to be
the signal announcing the completion of the message. The slates were
then separated, and several messages were found inside.
Two more slates were then seized by the medium, washed, submitted
for inspection, and placed upon the table as before. Our hands were
again placed upon the slates, and the writing again began. After
it had progressed for a few moments, the medium announced that the
spirits wanted to write in colors. He thereupon arose, walked to the
mantelpiece, and produced a box of colored crayons, all in small bits,
about the size of the piece of black slate pencil with which the
writing had been done. We were about to open the slates, to allow the
insertion of the crayons, when the medium said that it was unnecessary,
as "the colors could be got from the outside just as well." The box of
crayons was accordingly placed beside the slate, and the writing was
resumed. After a short interval the signal was given that the messages
were finished. The general thereupon very carefully separated the
slates, to see if there were any colored crayons concealed therein.
Only the bit of black slate pencil was there, but four or five
different colors had been used in writing the messages.
The results of this séance may be summed up as follows:
The contents of every letter written by the sitter were evidently
known to the intelligence which wrote the replies, for every letter
received an appropriate answer, save one, which will be noted further
on. The answer to each letter was addressed to the name signed to the
corresponding letter, and each answer was signed with the name of the
person to whom the corresponding letter was addressed.
Six letters were written by the sitter, as before stated. Three of
them were written to deceased friends of the sitter, and were couched
in such general terms that the replies did not require any specific
knowledge on the part of the intelligence which wrote the replies.
Two of the letters were written to living persons, and they were also
couched in general terms, requiring no specific knowledge to enable an
appropriate reply to be framed.
Each of these five letters received a reply which assumed that its
writer was a denizen of the spirit-land. There was no difference in
their replies so far as that was concerned.
The sixth letter was addressed to a deceased relative, and was as
follows, omitting names:--
DEAR A.B.,--Whom did you desire to have appointed administrator of
your estate? (Signed) C.D.
To this letter the only reply was from the medium's "control," who
reported as follows:--
"A.B. is here, but cannot communicate to-day."
The conclusions which are inevitable may be summed as follows:--
1. The slate-writing was done without physical contact with the
pencil, either by the medium or any one else. It all occurred in broad
daylight. The slates were not handled by the medium, except to wash
them and to place his hands upon them (in all cases but one) while the
writing was going on. The slates were not for an instant out of sight
of the sitter during the whole séance, nor were they out of his custody
during that time, after they were washed by the medium. They were then
carefully inspected by the sitter, the pencil was placed between them
by the sitter, they were tied together by the sitter, and opened by him
after the writing was finished. In short, there was no chance for fraud
or legerdemain, and there was none.
2. The power which moved the pencil, being clearly not physical, must
have been occult. This occult power was either that of disembodied
spirits, or that of the medium. Did it proceed from disembodied
spirits? Let us see. The replies to the five letters emanated from
the same source; that is to say, if the replies to any of them were
from disembodied spirits, they were all from disembodied spirits. They
were clearly not all from disembodied spirits, for two of the letters
were addressed to living persons, and the replies were of the same
character as the others. The logical conclusion is inevitable that none
of the replies were from disembodied spirits. To put it in the simple
form of a syllogism, we have the following:--
The replies to the five letters were all from the same source.
Two of them were not from disembodied spirits.
Therefore, none of them were from disembodied spirits.
Again:
The power to produce the slate-writing emanated either from disembodied
spirits or from the medium.
It did not emanate from disembodied spirits.
Therefore, it emanated from the medium.
Having now logically traced the phenomenon to the door of the
medium, let us see what further evidence there is in support of that
conclusion. And first let us inquire, Is there anything inherently
improbable in the theory that he was the source of the intelligence
which guided, and the power which moved, the pencil? Was there any
intellectual feat performed which rendered it impossible that he should
have been its author? The power to read the contents of the six letters
was obviously within the domain of telepathy. He was, therefore, just
as well equipped for the performance of that feat as a disembodied
spirit could be. Suggestion also plays its subtle _rôle_ in this
class of phenomena, as in all others, and relieves the medium of all
imputation of dishonesty or insincerity in attributing it to the wrong
source. The probability that the power to move the pencil without
physical contact resides in the medium, is as great, at least, as the
probability that it resides in disembodied spirits. All these questions
have, however, been fully discussed, and are mentioned here merely to
complete the chain of reasoning.
There was nothing apparent in the answers to the five letters mentioned
which would indicate that they emanated from any source other than
the medium. They contained no information possessed exclusively by
disembodied spirits, although they all purported to emanate from them.
The five letters were not, however, framed for the purpose of testing
the knowledge possessed by spirits, but merely to show that the replies
did not emanate from that source.
The sixth letter, however, _was_ framed for the express purpose of
testing the knowledge possessed by the intelligence which moved
the pencil. The question, "Whom did you desire to have appointed
administrator of your estate?" was asked because the sitter did not
know the correct answer, and he knew that the medium could not know.
The knowledge was possessed by the deceased person exclusively; and
it is reasonable to suppose that if he was present, as the medium
declared that he was, he would have given the desired information.
The intelligence which wrote the replies was in full possession of
the contents of all the letters, all the names addressed, and all
the signatures, including those of the sixth letter. The answers to
five of them were pertinent and intelligent, no specific knowledge
being required. But when the sixth was reached, the spirit "could
not communicate to-day." Why? Simply because the specific knowledge
required to answer the question was not in the possession of any one
present, and it could not, therefore, be obtained telepathically, as
the knowledge of the contents of the other letters was obtained.
This is the rock upon which all so-called spirit intercourse splits.
Everything goes along swimmingly as long as the medium knows what
to reply, or can obtain information by means of his telepathic or
clairvoyant powers. But the moment he is confronted by a question
requiring knowledge not obtainable in that way, he fails dismally.
The circumstances of this séance have been detailed for the reason that
it was a typical séance. It displayed all the essential characteristics
of modern spirit intercourse, so-called. The medium displayed all
the essential powers and attributes of good mediumship. The physical
phenomena were produced to perfection, and under the most perfect
test-conditions. The telepathic powers displayed were of the most
extraordinary character, and the conditions under which they were
produced were also such as to preclude the possibility of fraud or
legerdemain. The results were also perfect in their character, showing,
as they did, both the powers of the medium and his limitations. The
dual character of the human mind was also clearly manifested, and the
perfect amenability of the subjective entity to control by the power of
suggestion was demonstrated.
It would be interesting to pursue the subject of physical
manifestations further, and to examine all their multiform
characteristics; but that would be foreign to the purposes of this
book. The examination of the mental characteristics of the intelligence
which controls the different manifestations is our only purpose,
and we have shown that the same laws prevail in all. It is believed
that enough has been said to enable the conscientious investigator,
who wishes to test the correctness of our hypothesis, to apply its
fundamental propositions to all psychic phenomena. It is also believed
that whoever so applies those propositions will arrive at the same
conclusions to which I have come; namely, that there is no valid
evidence, in any of the phenomena of so-called spiritism, that the
spirits of the dead have any part in their production. On the contrary,
as it seems to me, the evidence all points in the opposite direction. I
refer, of course, solely to those phenomena which are produced through
so-called spirit mediums. If there is any communication to be had with
the denizens of the other shore, it is certainly not through them. I
have reluctantly arrived at this conclusion. It would be pleasant to
believe otherwise, but I have sought in vain for evidence which would
warrant me in doing so.
In abandoning all hope of obtaining valid evidence of the ability of
disembodied spirits to hold intercourse with the living through the
intervention of spirit mediums, I do not for a moment yield my hope, or
my convictions, of a life beyond the grave. On the contrary, the very
powers which are evoked in the production of the phenomena constitute
one of the strongest links in the chain of evidence going to show that
man possesses within himself an entity which does not depend for its
existence upon the continued life of the body. We see that this entity
possesses powers which far transcend those of our physical frame;
that the mental powers of the subjective mind or entity are exercised
independently of our objective senses; that they grow stronger as the
body grows weaker, and are strongest in the hour of death. Have we not
a logical right to infer that when it is entirely freed from physical
trammels, it will have reached a condition of independent existence?
What that existence is, it is not for objective man to know. It is
possible that if spirits could communicate as familiarly with the
living as we commune with one another, they would have no language
which could bring to our comprehension their true condition. It would
be like teaching an infant the principles of the differential calculus.
How can the caterpillar, crawling upon the ground, hold intelligent
communion with the airy butterfly, or the butterfly reveal to the
caterpillar the mysteries of her winged life?
The fact remains that mankind has ever hoped, and will ever hope,
for a continued existence of some kind; and all the old arguments
in its favor, and all the promises of the Master, still hold good.
Moreover, every new development in psychic science adds strength to the
arguments, and fresh proofs of his wisdom.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 37: Book on Mediums, p. 87.]
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