The English Translation of Professor Zollner's Experiments
FRONTISPIECE:—The room at Leipsic in which most of the Experiments were conducted.
PLATH I:—Experiments with an Endless String.
PLATE II:—Leather Bands Interlinked and Knotted under Professor Zollner’s Hands.
PLATE III:—Experiments with an Endless Bladder-band and Wooden Rings.
PLATE IV:—Result of the Experiment.
PLATE V:—Result of the Experiment on an Enlarged Scale.
PLATE VI:—Experiments with Coins in a Secured Box.
PLATE VII:—The. Representation of Test Circumstances, under which Slate-writing was obtained.
PLATE VIII:—Slate-writing Extraordinary.
PLATE IX:—Slate-writing in Five Different Languages.
PLATE X:—Details of the Experiment with an Endless band and Wooden Rings.
Mr. C. C. MASSEY’S PREFACE:—Professor Zollner and his Works—The Value of Testimony considered—Sources of Fallacy—How can Medial Phenomena be Explained?—The Value of Scientific Authority—Mr. A. R. Wallace’s answer to Hume’s Essen on Miracles—Spiritualism an Aggregation of Proven Facts—The Attack upon Henry Slade—Spirit Messages—Slade’s Career after leaving England—Professor Zollner’s Polemic — Items relating to the English Translation.
PROFESSOR ZOLLNER’S PREFACE (Dedication of the Work to Mr. William Crookes):—Workers in a New Field of Research —Thoroughness of the Labours of Mr. Crookes—The Moral Necessity of the Strife about Spiritualism—The Immortality of the Bost Works of Human Genius.
CHAPTER I:—Gauss’s and Kant’s Theory of Space—The practical application of the Theory in Experiments with Henry Slade—True Knots produced upon a Cord while its ends were in view and sealed together—The principles involved in the tying of knots in Spice of One, Two, Three and Four Dimensions — Berkeley’s Theory of Vision—The Conception of Space derived from Experience— Kant on Spiritual Existence.
CHAPTER II:—Henry Slade’s first visit to Leipsic—Professor Fechner's observations of the movements of a Magnetic Needle n proximity to Madame Ruf, a Mesmeric Sensitive —Professor Erdmann’s observations of the Phenomenon — The Experiment repeated with Henry Slade—The Observations of Professors Braune, Fechner, Weber and Scheibner—A Spirit Apology— Destruction of a large Screen by Spirits—Experiments with a Compass—Apparition of a Living Hand—Experiments with a Bell and lighted Candles—Slade and the Grand Duke Constantino —Testimony of the Hon. Alexandre Aksakof— A Test Experiment in Slate-writing—Impartation of Permanent Magnetism to an Iron Needle by Medial Power.
CHAPTER III:—Permanent Impressions obtained of Temporarily Materialised Hands and Feet—A proposed Chemical Experiment—Slade’s Abnormal Vision —Physical Impressions in a Closed Space—Enclosed Space of Three Dimensions, open to Four-dimensional Beings—The Muscular Power of a Spirit Hand—A 1 est with Flour—Experiments with a Polariscope— Flight of Objects through the Air —A Clue to Research.
CHAPTER IV Conditions of Investigation—The Knowledge of our Ignorance —Unscientific Men of Science—Herr Virchow’s Precept and Practice—“The Martyrology of Mediums,” a book of the Future—Slade’s reply to Professor Barrett—A Medium’s enunciation of the First Rules of Experimentation in Natural Science.
CHAPTER V:—Production of Knots in an Endless String-Further Experiments— Experiments of the same Nature in London—A Dining Table Floating in the Air in Daylight—Manifestations in the Hou-e of a Physician—A Medium in Seclusion— The Imposition of a priori Conditions—The Apparition of a Pale Hand for Three Minutes—The Knotting together of Leather Bands beneath the Hands of the Author—Professor Weber’s Experiences with a Spirit Hand—Disappearance and Reappearance of Ponderable Objects—A Book Vanishes and Reappears — A Table Vanishes; it Reappears in Mid-air.
CHAPTER VI:—Theoretical Considerations—The Axiom of “The Conservation of Energy” valid in Four-dimensional Space—Projected Experiments to prove the Fourth Dimension—The Unexpected in Nature and Life—Scientific Passivity—Schopenhauer’s “Transcendent Fate”—Goethe on the Veil of Nature.
CHAPTER VII:—Various Instances of the so-called Passage of Matter through Matter—An Unexpected Phenomenon—The Heat sometimes produced by the Operation—The Burning Power of Psychic Force—That Evidence the best which can be appreciated without the Testimony of Experts—Failures at seances an Argument against Trickery—A naive Misconception—The Moral Responsibility of Mediums—The nature of the Phenomena inconsistent with Trickery—The Limits of Physical Human Strength — A Force of Tension of 198 ewts exercised by psychic Power—A Force equal to that of two Horses exercised in Slade’s presence—Catalytic Forces—Galileo on the Perverseness of the Philosophers at Padua.
CHAPTER VIII:—The Phenomena suitable for Scientific Research—Their Reproduction at different Times and Places— Dr Friese’s and Professor Wagner’s Experiments in Confirmation of the Author’s—Experiments with Private Mediums— Manifestations observed by Professor Nicolaus Wagner at St. Petersburg—Blind Faith and Blind Scepticism—Professor Wagner on the Fanaticism of Blind Sceptics—Investigation of Spiritual Manifestations in a Private Family—Spiritualism a Foe to Atheism—Form Materialisations through a Private Medium — Appearance of the Spirit of Olga—Effect, of strong Manifestations upon a Medium—Repetition of one of Professor Zollner’s Experiments by Professor Wagner— Psychography—Spirit Identity — Impression made by the Materialised Hand of a Deceased Person—The Value of the Facts.
CHAPTER IX:—Theoretical—The Fourth Dimension of Space—A Miracle to Two-Dimensional Beings—The Experiments of Professor Hare—A Ball of Platinum introduced into a Hermetically Sealed Glass Tube by Spirits—An Experiment with Coins—Several Examples of the Passage of Solid Matter through Solid Matter—Clairvoyance—The Fourth Dimensional Theory explains Clairvoyance—The part taken by Slade’s Soul in a Manifestation—The Spatial Widening of the Three Dimensional Circle of Sight to Clairvoyants— Why Bodies gradually become Transparent to Clairvoyants—Illustration in the case of Andrew Jackson Davis—The Criterion of Objectivity—The Influence of one Will upon another—Hansen’s Experiments—The Philosophy of Berkeley applied to Spiritual Phenomena.
CHAPTER X:—An Experiment for Sceptics—A Wager— Slade’s Scruples—A Rebuke by the Spirits—An Unexpected Result—Captious Objections—The Experiment of Professor Wach—Example of the Apparent Penetrability of Matter.
CHAPTER XI:—The Facility with which Material Bodies apparently pass through each other in Slade’s presence—Writing through a Table—A Test in Slate-writing conclusively disproving SI ado’s agency—A Description of the Trance State.
CHAPTER XII:—A “Fault” in the Cable—Jets of Water— Remarkable Heating Effects through Slade’s Mediumship— Smoke—Sulphurous Vapours—“Fire Everywhere”—A Bluish- white Light—Abnormal Shadows—A Philosophical Explanation —A Materialised Spirit Hand—A Luminous Form.
CHAPTER XIII:—Phenomena Witnessed by other Observers than the Author—Manifestations in Bohemia—The Narrative of Herr Heinrich Gossmann—Spirit Identity — Heavy Stones brought into the Seance Room—Extraordinary Manifestations—Spirit- Writing in Five Languages.
APPENDIX A:—The Value of Testimony in Matters Extraordinary—The Proportional Strength of Evidence—The Contradiction of Experience by Alleged Facts—Mr. Starkie’s Treatise on the Law of Evidence—Hume’s Essay on Miracles—The Influence of Preconception-Hume’s Principle Mathematically Refuted by Mr. Babbage—The “Uniformity” of Nature—The Lord Lindsay’s Experiences—Dr. Lockhart Robertson’s Experiments—The Cumulative Force of Testimony—The Universal Belief of Mankind—Obstruction of Truth by Scientific Men— The Testing of Evidence.
APPENDIX B:—Evidenco of Samuel Bellachini, Court Con juror at Berlin.
APPENDIX C:—Admissions by John Nevil Maskelyne and other professional Conjurors—Houdin—Jacobs.
APPENDIX D:—Plato X-Experiment with Sealed Cord and Endless Bands.
Editor's notes
- ↑ The English Translation of Professor Zollner's Experiments by unknown author, London Spiritualist, No. 438, January 14, 1881, p. 24
Sources
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London Spiritualist, No. 438, January 14, 1881, p. 24