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... | <center>{{Style S-Small capitals|To Contributors.}}</center> | ||
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... | '''Contributed by “M. A. (Oxon.)”'''<center></center> | ||
The August number of ''The Theosophist ''contains a translation of a letter contributed by Mr. A. J. Riko, of The Hague, to the ''Revue Spirite. ''The subject is “Stone Throwing,” and the facts adduced are of the usual type. It is noted, however, that the stones, in some cases, did not strike any one, though they were flying about in all directions. This is not, I fancy, by any means an invariable peculiarity in stone-showers. If I remember rightly, great annoyance has been frequently experienced from various missiles, which would seem to have been spitefully aimed at persons so as to disfigure and annoy them. But be this as it may, the most instructive part of the article is that which embodies the editor’s comments on Mr. Riko’s narratives. Who are the invisible beings who play these Puck-like pranks?'' ''What do they do it for? Are they departed human Spirits? or the Elementals of the Theosophists?'' ''These are the points to which the editor devotes attention. | |||
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Short work is made of the Spiritualist theory that such phenomena are due to the agency of departed human Spirits. Such, it is argued, are either ''esprits malins ''(malicious Spirits) or devils, as the Roman Church holds. How then account for the fact that these Spirits, being what they are, are careful to avoid striking or annoying those who are present?'' ''“Their object—if they have any at all—must be to derive cruel pleasure from tormenting mortals.” Are they likely to be less malicious than a school-boy, or more careful of possible consequences?'' ''The answer is that the object in view may conceivably be, and in many cases apparently is, something quite apart from “cruel pleasure in tormenting” anyone. I have repeatedly seen phenomena which might far more reasonably be attributed to the gambols of a monkey than to the calculated malice of a fiend. These aimless antics, and many perplexing phenomena of a kindred nature, suggest Puck rather than Satan: a sub-human intelligence devoid of moral consciousness, rather than the serious attempts of a'' ''departed human Spirit to demonstrate its continued existence. In this I find myself in agreement with ''The Theosophist. ''It is extremely difficult to refer such pranks to departed human Spirits. Nor is it fair to say broadly that all Spiritualists assume this position. The present writer, speaking solely for himself, is free to confess that he has long felt it to be one of the most considerable stumbling-blocks in the way of intelligent acceptance of the creed of Spiritualism that such tricks should be put down to the action of our own departed friends. The evenly balanced mind rebounds with a shudder from such profanation, and refuses to entertain so repulsive a proposition. It may be that this is the result of misguided ideas implanted by mistaken training. It may be that the sacred solemnity with which the serious mind invests the state of the departed is fallacious, and that those whom we fondly think of far otherwise, are really disporting themselves in this unseemly fashion. ''It may be'': but to most minds, not debauched by an emotional enthusiasm that has run wild, the idea is most repellent, and drives many back from the threshold of investigation. We may at least demand that every conceivable explanation be exhausted before we are reduced to accept this. | |||
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In so far I find a point of agreement with ''The Theosophist. ''The ordinary Spiritualist explanation is ponderously difficult, and. to my thinking, quite wanting in verisimilitude. What has the editor of ''The ''T''heosophist. ''to say in positive elucidation! It is one thing to demolish the theory of an adversary, and altogether another to submit one that will stand the test of his destructive criticism. The answer given deserves careful attention. The phenomenon is referred to the action of “a blind though living force.” We can hardly fancy a ''blind ''force which yet carefully misses the living beings in a room, and, as is contended, designedly avoids them: or a ''living ''force without some intelligent being to manipulate it So far the explanation is hardly intelligible. It receives some light, however, from a subsequent reference to “the invisible body of those we call blind Elementals or Forces of Nature.” These the editor does not regard as “beings.” “They are the active forces and correlations of fire, water, earth, and air, and their shape is like the hues of the chameleon which has no permanent colour of its own.” It would seem, then, that the claim made is that the four elements, though not properly described as “beings,” are “active forces,” and can operate in the Puck-like manner we have seen. What is the evidence for this?'' ''“Through the interplanetary and interstellar spaces, the vision of almost every clairvoyant can reach. But it is only the trained eye of the proficient in Eastern Occultism that can fix the fleeting shadows and give them a shape and a name.” | |||
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It is at once apparent that this narrows down the testimony very greatly. Those of us who have had experience in psychical phenomena have learned much of the action of Spirit, not only through its operation on the plane of matter, but by psychological processes. I know no case in which any of these intelligences—apart from the fancy of some human being— has consistently described itself, and given fair reason to shew that it is an ''Elemental Spirit. ''In every single case within my knowledge, a manifesting intelligence in a circle represents itself to be, and frequently gives evidence that it is, a ''departed human Spirit. ''The only exception that I am disposed to make to this invariable result of personal experience ii one that, standing out in solitary isolation, serves but to confirm the all but universal law. One Spirit that for a long time appeared—one can hardly Bay communicated—at a regular circle, was represented to be one that had not yet reached the plane of incarnation. However this may be, the fact remains that, the rare exceptions being admitted, the communicating intelligence claims to be that of a departed human being. How is this? | |||
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The “proficients in Eastern Occultism” are, I presume, the “Brothers of the first section” of the Theosophical Society, one of whom, Koot Hoomi, appears so frequently in Mr. Sinnett’s recent work, “The Occult World.” These Brothers are so mysterious in their action that it is very difficult indeed to make out who and what they are. The number of ''The Theosophist ''which contains the explanation respecting which I have been writing, has the published testimony of five fellows of the Theosophical Society, all Hindus, who have seen and conversed with one or more of these persons. Their testimony is emotionally phrased, and somewhat hazy in some points, leaving much to be desired in the way of exact and clear statement and detail, but it is satisfactory to know that, though Mr. Sinnett has not been so favoured, and though to Western Spiritualists their very existence is mythical, there are persona who have satisfied themselves of the existence and activity of these Brothers. If we are to accept on their authority such an explanation of psychical phenomena as that to which I have adverted, it is extremely desirable that the veil which enshrouds them should be lifted. We have no right, indeed, to impose any conditions on those who, secluded from the world, and devoted to a life of meditative asceticism, seek to develop in themselves the inner spiritual life. But when the consentient testimony of the huge majority of these spiritual visitants, and of those of us who hold converse with them, is impugned, we have a right to know who so speaks, on what authority, and by virtue of what knowledge, before we accept the theory as anything serious. | |||
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I commenced by the admission that there are phenomena which are with difficulty referable to the action of departed human Spirits. But the Theosophist goes infinitely further than that. To him the action of the departed is so rare a tiling, so improbable, that each claim so made must be suspected, and proven before being accepted. The presumption is that a false claim is being set up. He assumes that the Spirits who come to earth are false and bad, or wicked and irresponsible. They are to be treated generally—all but universally —as liars. Just as to us there is hardly a case in which the Spirit was not presumably human, so to him there is hardly a ''revenant ''whose claims can seriously be entertained. This is an extreme case of divergent testimony; and the line of demarcation is deeply drawn. But it must be remembered that we ''do ''know of departed human Spirits, and in their presumed or alleged action we have a vera causa. We can demonstrate their action by evidence as complete as the nature of the case permits us to obtain. We entertain no doubt whatever that the sweeping allegations of the Theosophist respecting what we know of Spirits, where we have been able to test them, are exaggerated and untrustworthy. How then can we accept the theory of these “blind but living forces” without some far more clear and positive demonstration? | |||
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There is another point in the explanation given that must not be passed over. It is alleged that a study of mediumship would shew “how closely related to and dependent on the variations of terrestrial magnetism are those of the mediumistic or anima magnetic (!) state.” The chief cause of the fitfulness of psychic phenomena is alleged to be “unfavourable variations of the terrestrial magnetism.” “The power of a real strongly charged medium will always prevail against the animal magnetism which may be adverse to it; but it cannot produce effects unless it has received a fresh supply of molecular force, an impress from the invisible body of those we call blind Elementals or Forces of Nature.” A physical medium is described as “an organism more sensitive than most others to the terrestrial electro-magnetic induction.” “Physical mediums have very little, if anything, to do with human Spirits. Their powers are purely physical and conditional, ''i.e., ''they depend almost entirely on the degree of receptivity and chance polarisation of the body of the medium by the electro-magnetic and atmospheric currents.” This is limited to physical mediumship: “Purely psychological manifestations are quite a different thing.” So far as experience can test this allegation, it contains some truth, but, as we frequently find in testing these generalisations, ''it will riot cover all the facts. ''Electrical disturbance is a strong preventive to manifestations with some mediums; with others it does not apparently affect them at all. A falling barometer will utterly stop the flow of psychic force from some mediums; others do not feel it. I have seen phenomena evolved under every conceivable atmospheric condition. But few mediums, if any, can depend on the production of phenomena in the presence of a determined antagonistic circle. The introduction of one positive mind, with active opposition or dislike of the subject, will do more to stop manifestations than any atmospheric disturbance I ever witnessed. | |||
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Among the settled convictions established by close and prolonged personal observation, a chief one is that very few mediums can make way against the active antagonism of a strongly positive mind. It is the great beauty of Slade’s mediumship, as it is of Mrs. Simpson’s in Chicago now, that in their presence phenomena can be had under almost any conditions, including that which I have noted as being, in my judgment, the most deterrent. But of how many public mediums can this be said? And if they, hardened to meet unfavourable conditions, and to endure without shrinking all that scepticism, suspicion, and antagonism can devise,—if ''they ''cannot undertake to face these conditions with success, how can it be expected that the sensitive, who has been the friendly medium of the family circle, can succeed? These, and such considerations do not lend any great probability to the theories of ''The Theosophist.'' | |||
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The theory of physical mediumship, that it is a highly- developed sensitiveness to the terrestrial electro-magnetic induction, is in direct contradiction to the fact that the most delicate scientific instruments fail to shew any connection between the phenomena of percussive sounds or of movements of ponderable bodies, and magnetic disturbance of any kind. Mr. Crookes sought repeatedly for evidence of this connection, but, so far as the world knows, without result. Nor do I believe that any such connection exists. | |||
{{Style P-Signature in capitals|M. A. (Oxon.)}} | |||
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