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vol. title: vol. period: 1874-1876 pages in vol.: 208 |
< Spiritualism in Russia (continued from page 1-101) >
Prof. Boutlerof’s account of personal investigations in Spiritualistic phenomena, was to appear in the next number of the Russian Messenger of Moscow, an official journal; and Prof. N. Wagner, the distinguished zoologist, had sent to the same journal a lengthy notice of Mr. Crooke's experiments and a review of my own work, “People from the Other World.”
Our eminent correspondent truthfully adds, in concluding: “We are crossing a real epoch here.”
Yours Respectfully,
New York, Dec. 16, 1875.
Eastern Wonder Workers
Col. H. S. Olcott addressed a large audience in the Brooklyn Institute last evening. His subject was “Eastern Magic and Western Spiritualism.” Premising that the contempt, anathemas, and derision which always follow the avowal of unfashionable belief would be his share, the lecturer promised that it would not be his fault if he did not give the enemies of Occultism and Spiritualism something to ponder over and explain away. There is a satisfaction in knowing that, after admitting all that can be said about the mysticism of the one and the frauds of the other, both can better afford to enter the fields of controversy than either of their antagonists. Every existing religion is the direct descendant of Theogonies, and the phenomena of Spiritualism are as old as the race itself. Savants of European reputation have lately seen the Fakir at work, and have witnessed some of the phenomena of Eastern magic. The performer works in daylight; he has seven glasses and some garden mould with which he fills the glasses; a piece of bamboo is thrust into the mould, and a fig leaf is impaled on each stick. The fakir, standing four paces distant, remains motionless for some time, pointing his hand toward the leaves, until they flutter, rise up the sticks to the top, and fall motionless to the ground. No test exposes the occult force, even when clean glasses are brought, and the sticks and leaves are prepared by the skeptical spectator.
The fakir offers to be the medium of a communication from any deceased friend. The savant throws into a bag a lot of copper type, and picking them out one after the other without looking at them, the leaves rise and fall as certain letters come out, and by so doing spell the name and date of death of an old friend of whom he was thinking. The lecturer then described a number of feats performed by the so-called Eastern magicians, which were similar in many respect to the manifestations of the latter day mediumistic power, the only difference being that the Oriental magic is better and more varied in its manifestations than is American Spiritualism. It furnishes the clue to every single mystery of the Bible. We cannot learn how raps are made, furniture moved, communications written, pictures painted; how clairvoyants see, or how spirits of the dead and the living are materialized by reading religio-philosophical journals. That knowledge comes only with the study of books and many of them. The magician, the medium, the wise, the educated man, not only knows the potencies of nature, but knows how to employ them and make them do his bidding as a child is governed, or a horse is broken.
The Truths of Spiritualism Against the Claims of Occultism
The alarmists are availing themselves of the opportunity afforded by the advancement of the new theories or ideas, to give full vent to their imagination and picture the dread horrors that are to come upon us in the near future; but it is difficult to believe that they are really agitated by those fears which so often find expression in wails of despair over the injury that may result to Spiritualism through the publication of certain works on Occultism, Natural Magic, or Elementary Spirits.
The Religio Philosophical Journal, in its latest issue, devotes two columns editorially to these warning opinions; but like all articles of the same tenor, from whatever source, it fails to advance any reasons why the principles of Occult Philosophy should not receive careful attention for the purpose of discovering what relation, if any, exists between them and the accepted principles of spirit-communion. The charges of conspiracy on the part of either the Protestant or Catholic churches, and especially a combination of the two, to undermine Spiritualism are simply ridiculous; for no reasoning mind will discard a demonstrated truth to accept a vague theory. To suppose that Spiritualisis may be captured by Occultism, Natural Magic, or “Elementary Spirits," is to admit that it has a self-evident truths more weighty than that of spirit communion, or else that Spiritualists, as a class, are of weak intellects and easily captured by Error.
The dogmatic attitude of the leaders of the Catholic Church, towards its adherents, is cited as illustrative of the position of those who are about to give these “follies or truths” to the world. This illustration is drawn for the sole purpose of creating, in the minds of its readers, an aversion to the discussion of these subjects; but wherein is this policy of denouncing any investigation, except within prescribed limits, different from that of the Catholic Church? Both act in the same bigoted manner — stigmatizing with opprobrious titles those who claim to have knowledge to impart and denouncing their teachings as heresies calculated to do an inestimable damage to the Established Faith.
To acknowledge the existence of a power that can force one who has become satisfied pf the truth of spirit- communion to renounce such a belief, is to clothe this power with attributes that necessitate prompt investigation, with a view of discovering more of its nature, be it Occultism, Natural Magic, or Elementary Spirits.
All truths are related, and if Occultism has even one truth pertaining to Spiritualism, it is worthy of diligent search, and when found must be accepted; if the asserted claims prove to be but rubbish they will certainly be discarded as such. How liberal (?) Spiritualists can lend themselves to such dogmatisms as have already been published concerning this unknown subject, is beyond our comprehension. We prefer to hear what “Occultism” has to offer, and then as unhesitatingly to denounce and expose its errors as we will champion its truths.
The phenomena of Spiritualism are not sufficiently understood to warrant a belief that we are familiar with all the causes at work to produce them; the possibilities of the spirit in the body, are too vast to justify an assumption that it takes no causative part in the manifestations that are now ascribed to an outside force. The latent spiritual faculties, will-ability, the law of influences, the relation between the spirit of man and the spirit that pervades each atom of animal, vegetable, or mineral life, should receive profound investigation. The revelations cannot effect the truth of spirit-communion.
Future Existence and Spirit-communion are simple facts which cannot be uprooted from the minds of those who have once accepted them. They are truths, and as truths are of the spirit—literally, a part of the spirit that can never be destroyed. It teaches us progression here and hereafter. Shall we then halt and form a line of battle to defend our weapons—future existence and spirit-communion? Rather let us arm with them and press forward, firm in the faith that we possess the power that shall conquer every force that may oppose us, be it the Catholic or Protestant Church, Occultism, Natural Magic, or Elementary Spirits. Every truth is ours, and let us seize upon them whether they be found on heathen or on Christian ground. Clash our truths against the claims of Occultism, or any other “ism,” and we shall <... continues on page 1-103 >
Editor's notes
Sources
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Spiritual Scientist, v. 3, No. 16, December 23, 1875, p. 186
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Spiritual Scientist, v. 3, No. 16, December 23, 1875, p. 190