Notes by the Way
Another correspondent of the St. James’s Gazette gives (February 20th) his experience of "faces in the dark." With him, as with my friend whom I alluded to last week, the vision “is almost instantly followed by sinking into a dreamless sleep.” The faces that prelude this sleep “are of a nature wholly unexpected and novel.” The writer notes that 'many times, though wide awake, he has been able to make the mental remark, “I am not sleepy, but I shall be asleep directly, for I never saw him, or her, or that before.” But the most interesting part of the letter is the suggestion that concludes it. The writer asks “whether it is not conceivable, that as the organised human being of a certain order of development, has the power of presenting echoes of life to the eyes of his followers by the painful use of the implements of the painter, so it may be within the power of living beings to impress their own thoughts visibly on one another, by a more direct though a more subtle process.” Many things point to the hope that we are on the very verge of great discoveries in the science of mind, and especially of the power of interaction between mind and mind. The careful study of such curious phenomena as thought-reading, and especially the facts of mesmerism, so luminous in their relation to physical phenomena in general, will give us a rich harvest, and that before long. It is one of the most hopeful signs of the times that these facts will now receive an attention from trained minds that has been too long denied them. It would be most unjust to say that no attention has been paid to these subjects. The labourers have been few, and the public recognition of their work by science has been very grudging: but much has been done, rather perhaps in the observation of phenomena more startling than these problems of mind. The attention lately directed to these, and the association of a number of persons of eminence in science and literature, whose names will give weight to testimony in the eyes of the public, lead me to hope that the newly formed Society for Psychical Research will gather a rich harvest in these comparatively unknown fields. Thus it will best illuminate the dark places of Spiritualism.
Mr. Maskelyne, I observe, advertises that he is presenting at the Egyptian Hall a burlesque of Spiritualism. He has been doing so, with inconsiderable intervals of rest, for many years past. But till lately he called his performance “an exposure.” I am glad to find that he has abandoned that pretence, and now calls his stage tricks by the appropriate name of a “burlesque.” I remember seeing his first efforts in this direction many years ago, when his machinery was crude and his devices were very palpable. He has improved since then, I have no doubt. The way in which Mrs. Maskelyne was shot up into the air with a very palpable creak, by way of illustrating levitation, was very unspiritual, and, from her efforts to balance herself in her elevated position, very funny in a sense not intended. The aerial flight of the dummy that counterfeited Mr. Maskelyne was equally creaky, and suggestive of cordage and windlasses. But experience has been serviceable, and the present burlesque entertainment is said to be one from which some idea of the wonders that are called Spiritualistic, but which are absolutely physical in their nature, may be gained by the ignorant. Spiritualism has been a profitable business to Mr. Maskelyne, and though it suited him once to say that he had slain the goose that laid his golden eggs, I am glad to see that he has found out his mistake. I entertain no doubt that he will find the eggs as good as ever, and the demand for them largely increased.
One of the secretaries of the Theosophical Society has, at the instance of the President, forwarded to “Light” a copy of the Times of India (January 19th ult.), containing an abstract of a lecture by one Mr. Joseph Cook, in which he attacks the Theosophists and Spiritualists in terms of much coarseness and vulgarity. I presume this is the same Rev. Joseph Cook whom Epes Sargent took some trouble to convince of the reality of certain phenomena, among them psychography. If so, his published opinions, after that experiment, contrast strangely with his present attitude as a “vehement anti-Spiritualist.” I remember Mr. Sargent writing to me at the time of the impression made on Mr. Cook by what he saw, and he rather congratulated himself on the result of his efforts at proselytism. I had my doubts, and expressed them freely. I thought that a man who so evidently trimmed his sails to catch the favouring breeze would hardly stand the obloquy that would be likely to fall to the lot of any prominent advocate of the most modified form of Spiritualism. A very brief interval of time passed, and my estimate of the man was verified. Some Evangelical paper assailed him, as, of course, must be the case, and the Rev. Joseph Cook incontinently “ratted.” He found it necessary to explain that he did not mean what he said. He was far from being a Spiritualist. In fact, he was nothing of the kind. He was not even sure that he saw what he thought he saw. As to Spirits, he knew nothing about them. And so on. The transition to the “vehement anti-Spiritualist” is obvious. Men of this type do no injury except to the cause which they may elect for the moment to advocate. The only surprising thing is that so discerning a man as Epes Sargent should have taken any trouble about him. Colonel Olcott says that he is going to answer him, which, on the whole, is a pity. Such persons live and gain notoriety by misrepresenting the answers of those who are indiscreet enough to notice them. He should be left severely alone.
“It seems a pity," says the secretary, " that Western Spiritualists could not think more kindly of us, and realise that we are their natural allies against Christianity and that materialistic scepticism which will not—perhaps because it cannot—even throw an unprejudiced glance at psychic phenomena.” This is such a typical utterance that it may stand as a fair illustration of the different points of view which we and they, Spiritualists and Theosophists, occupy. To them Spiritualism is a thing to be described in terms of almost unqualified reprobation, except when, on remonstrance, such terms are temporarily modified. The type selected is the lowest; the blots and disfigurements are magnified into unnatural prominence. The Western Spiritualist is depicted much after the manner that Punch draws his typical Irishman as a brutal Yahoo or a villainous-looking monkey. Who shall say what permanent mischief has been done by this insult to the feelings of a susceptible and emotional people— such as the Kelts all are, and such as the Irish are in a high degree? In just the same way, it is idle to treat our facts and experiences as has been done (I hope I may use the past tense), and then to complain that we do not recognise Theosophy as “a natural ally against Christianity.” Heaven preserve us! We want no ally against Christianity: we need rather a closer and more intimate alliance with a system which our philosophy could greatly illuminate, and our facts abundantly illustrate. The Theosophists deal with Christianity as they deal with Spiritualism, and display the same want of intelligent comprehension of both. They select some blots, <... continues on page 12-178 >
Editor's notes
- ↑ Notes by the Way by M.A. (Oxon), Light, v. 2, No. 61, March 4, 1882, pp. 97-8
Sources
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Light, v. 2, No. 61, March 4, 1882, pp. 97-8