HPB-SB-10-126: Difference between revisions
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{{Style P-HPB SB. Title continued |Spiritualism|10-125} | |||
{{Style S-HPB SB. Continues on |10-126.1}} | {{Style P-HPB SB. Title continued |Spiritualism|10-125}} | ||
{{Style P-No indent|about in an unintelligible way, and people began calling out for a light. One of the gentlemen appointed to the charge of the candle and match box struck a light, and we found the room strewn all over with the branches of trees—large branches several feet long, wet with rain, and freshly torn from wherever they had been growing. There were not two or three, you will understand, but more than one person could have carried on his arms, all over the floor and table. Darkness was re-established, and other things came; quantities of flowers; and on one occasion, with a tremendous smash on the table, a bier block of ice weighing many pounds. I cannot now relate all that occurred in the order of its occurrence, but as I go on I record my recollections of the whole series of three evenings when I was present. “Spirit hands” came touching us once, and then, to see something that had been brought, a light was called for. While the candle was still burning, spirit hands showed themselves at the hole in the middle of the table. Many of us, as I myself, rested our hands on the table at the edge of this hole, and the spirit hands would flutter up and touch them, thus coming plainly into sight. Much time would be spent in conversation by raps between various persons present and spirits with whom they found themselves, or thought themselves in communication. One evening we had a professional medium present—a Mrs. Hardy—who went into a trance and spoke in strange voices, but I was not interested much in this. Quantities of little objects would be brought to some of the sitters from their own houses at a distance, but this did not happen to mo. Then people would suddenly feel their rings taken off, and these would be as suddenly slipped on to the fingers of people in a different part of the room. All this sort of childishness is very irritating to a person seriously trying to make out the truth about great marvels, apparently hinging on to mysteries of the supremest importance. But, unfortunately, Spiritualism has a great attraction for foolish as well as for intelligent persons, and large ''stances ''will generally be leavened with a painful element of silliness. When the ''seances ''used to be over and we went downstairs, raps and other phenomena would follow us. It used to be Mrs. Guppy’s hospitable practice to have supper laid out in the dining-room on ''seance ''evenings. Once I remember about fourteen people had gathered sitting round this supper table, and a few others, of whom I was one, were standing about the room, when the table began to jerk and jump. Our hostess was more anxious for the safety of her glass and china than for further manifestations just then, and we all, as far as appearance went, tried to hold down the table. I know that one intimate friend of my own, sitting at the end of the table, tried to do this, all he knew; and that I, standing behind and leaning over his shoulder with both hands on the table, pressed down on it with my whole weight, and felt it nevertheless rise up against me with a force far beyond my control. Certainly none of Mrs. Guppy’s guests were underneath the table trying to smash her things; some held on, and some helped to remove the breakables.}} | |||
My return to India put an end to my Spiritualistic researches, I am sorry to say, and out here it is next to impossible to carry on the subject, in the midst {{Style S-HPB SB. Continues on |10-126.1}} | |||
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| source title = | | source title = London Spiritualist | ||
| source details = | | source details = No. 378, November 21, 1879, p. 246 | ||
| publication date = | | publication date = 1879-11-21 | ||
| original date = | | original date = | ||
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... | {{Style S-Small capitals| Last}} Wednesday night, at a private ''seance ''held by the invitation of Mrs. Makdougall Gregory, at 21, Green-street, Grosvenor-square, London, the medium was Mrs. Hollis Billing, of whose powers much is recorded in a remarkable book written some years ago by Dr. Wolffe, of Cincinnati. | ||
The chief feature of the ''seances ''of Mrs. Billing is, that in connection with a moderate amount of the physical phenomena of mediumship, communications are given bearing relation to the problem of spirit identity. Proper names of deceased relatives are usually given accurately to nearly every sitter in the circle, and sometimes true details relating to the life of the departed one are stated by voice. The spirits who regularly control have strong voices, but those who speak for the first time, and who give names and state private matters, whisper so low that acute power of hearing is necessary to receive their utterances. The phase of power seems to be halfway between good physical and trance test mediumship. | |||
Little of a private nature was given last Wednesday. As regards names, a spirit several times told Mr. Serjeant Cox that his (the speaker’s) name was “Phil Crookes,” and that he wished his brother to be told of his coming. Nobody present was able to say whether Mr. Crookes ever had a brother of the name of Philip. A child’s voice came to Mrs. Duncan, calling her “Mamma,” and gave her a few details, which were accurate. The accuracy of a similar communication to Mrs. Wiseman was acknowledged. A relative of Mr. C. C. Massey professed to communicate, and Mr. Massey narrated how on a previous occasion the voice had exhibited knowledge of a private family matter. Mr. Annesley Mayne was unable to recognise a name given to him, and a spirit speaking with a Scotch dialect told Mrs. Gregory that he was one of her ancestors, Macdonald, Lord of the Isles. Mr. Harrison was told that bis little sister Edith was present, and had several times tried to communicate with him. In short, in ail assemblage somewhat new to Mrs. Billing, the spirit voices exhibited a moderate amount of acquaintance with the names and degree of relationship of some of their departed friends. | |||
{HPB-SB-item | {{HPB-SB-item | ||
| volume =10 | | volume =10 | ||
| page =126 | | page =126 | ||
| item =2 | | item =2 | ||
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| author =Massey, Charles Carleton | | author =Massey, Charles Carleton | ||
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| untitled = | | untitled = | ||
| source title = | | source title = London Spiritualist | ||
| source details = | | source details = No. 378, November 21, 1879, p. 243 | ||
| publication date = | | publication date = 1879-11-21 | ||
| original date = | | original date = | ||
| notes = | | notes = | ||
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}} | }} | ||
... | {{Style S-Small capitals| Sir}}, Mr. Fletcher having at length positively and distinctly declared that he did not allude to Dr. Slade in his conversation with the Whitehall Reviewer, I should be glad to be able to pursue the usual course of accepting his disclaimer, and of withdrawing my statement at variance with it. I cannot do so, because having regard to dates and circumstances it is simply incredible that Mr. Fletcher had any other American medium in his mind than Slade. To use scandalous language for publication respecting an unnamed person, language apparently pointing to a particular individual, and so interpreted by all the world; to leave that impression uncorrected for weeks and weeks; to confirm it by ambiguous and evasive answers; and at length, when driven into a corner, to deny it without showing any other possible application of the words, is a course of conduct which disentitles the person pursuing it to credit, even were the untruth of his present statement less manifest and demonstrable than it is. However, I took the matter up chiefly from regard for the character of Dr. Slade. That of Mr. Fletcher may now be left to the judgment of “Spiritualists and gentlemen,” some of whom it concerns more than it does me. | ||
As Mr. Fletcher is indifferent to anything I say, it is perhaps useless to inform him that he is not without redress—the above imputation upon him of wilful and deliberate untruth being an actionable libel, unless I can justify it in the opinion of a jury. | |||
{{Style P-Signature in capitals| Charles Carleton Massey.}} | |||
2, Harcourt-buildings, Temple, Nov. 15th, 1879. | |||
{{HPB-SB-item | {{HPB-SB-item | ||
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<gallery widths=300px heights=300px> | |||
london_spiritualist_n.378_1879-11-21.pdf|page=8|London Spiritualist, No. 378, November 21, 1879, p. 246 | |||
london_spiritualist_n.378_1879-11-21.pdf|page=5|London Spiritualist, No. 378, November 21, 1879, p. 243 | |||
</gallery> | |||
== Back == | == Back == | ||
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[[File:SB-10-126.1.jpg|200px|thumb|right|SB, v. 10, p. 126, back]] | [[File:SB-10-126.1.jpg|200px|thumb|right|SB, v. 10, p. 126, back]] | ||
{{Style P-HPB SB. Title continued |Spiritualism|10-126} | {{Style P-HPB SB. Title continued |Spiritualism|10-126}} | ||
{{Style P-No indent|of pressing occupations and social engagements, and, above all, in view of the way one moves about from place to place in India, and the blank ignorance of the whole subject which, for the most part, characterises Indian society. I was very much pleased, however, to read Mrs. Gordon’s letter; and though I did not keep notes of what I saw when spirit hunting myself, I have thought it likely that some of your readers would be interested in my evidence, such as it is. The instinct of a lifetime, meanwhile —perhaps the stupid instinct at war with the plainest facts, bewildered and at bay, but still doggedly asserting itself—leads me to sign myself.}} | |||
{{Style P-Signature in capitals| Still in the Dark.}} | |||
{{HPB-SB-footer-footnotes}} | {{HPB-SB-footer-footnotes}} | ||
Latest revision as of 05:31, 2 September 2024
< Spiritualism (continued from page 10-125) >
about in an unintelligible way, and people began calling out for a light. One of the gentlemen appointed to the charge of the candle and match box struck a light, and we found the room strewn all over with the branches of trees—large branches several feet long, wet with rain, and freshly torn from wherever they had been growing. There were not two or three, you will understand, but more than one person could have carried on his arms, all over the floor and table. Darkness was re-established, and other things came; quantities of flowers; and on one occasion, with a tremendous smash on the table, a bier block of ice weighing many pounds. I cannot now relate all that occurred in the order of its occurrence, but as I go on I record my recollections of the whole series of three evenings when I was present. “Spirit hands” came touching us once, and then, to see something that had been brought, a light was called for. While the candle was still burning, spirit hands showed themselves at the hole in the middle of the table. Many of us, as I myself, rested our hands on the table at the edge of this hole, and the spirit hands would flutter up and touch them, thus coming plainly into sight. Much time would be spent in conversation by raps between various persons present and spirits with whom they found themselves, or thought themselves in communication. One evening we had a professional medium present—a Mrs. Hardy—who went into a trance and spoke in strange voices, but I was not interested much in this. Quantities of little objects would be brought to some of the sitters from their own houses at a distance, but this did not happen to mo. Then people would suddenly feel their rings taken off, and these would be as suddenly slipped on to the fingers of people in a different part of the room. All this sort of childishness is very irritating to a person seriously trying to make out the truth about great marvels, apparently hinging on to mysteries of the supremest importance. But, unfortunately, Spiritualism has a great attraction for foolish as well as for intelligent persons, and large stances will generally be leavened with a painful element of silliness. When the seances used to be over and we went downstairs, raps and other phenomena would follow us. It used to be Mrs. Guppy’s hospitable practice to have supper laid out in the dining-room on seance evenings. Once I remember about fourteen people had gathered sitting round this supper table, and a few others, of whom I was one, were standing about the room, when the table began to jerk and jump. Our hostess was more anxious for the safety of her glass and china than for further manifestations just then, and we all, as far as appearance went, tried to hold down the table. I know that one intimate friend of my own, sitting at the end of the table, tried to do this, all he knew; and that I, standing behind and leaning over his shoulder with both hands on the table, pressed down on it with my whole weight, and felt it nevertheless rise up against me with a force far beyond my control. Certainly none of Mrs. Guppy’s guests were underneath the table trying to smash her things; some held on, and some helped to remove the breakables.
My return to India put an end to my Spiritualistic researches, I am sorry to say, and out here it is next to impossible to carry on the subject, in the midst <... continues on page 10-126.1 >
A Private Seance
Last Wednesday night, at a private seance held by the invitation of Mrs. Makdougall Gregory, at 21, Green-street, Grosvenor-square, London, the medium was Mrs. Hollis Billing, of whose powers much is recorded in a remarkable book written some years ago by Dr. Wolffe, of Cincinnati.
The chief feature of the seances of Mrs. Billing is, that in connection with a moderate amount of the physical phenomena of mediumship, communications are given bearing relation to the problem of spirit identity. Proper names of deceased relatives are usually given accurately to nearly every sitter in the circle, and sometimes true details relating to the life of the departed one are stated by voice. The spirits who regularly control have strong voices, but those who speak for the first time, and who give names and state private matters, whisper so low that acute power of hearing is necessary to receive their utterances. The phase of power seems to be halfway between good physical and trance test mediumship.
Little of a private nature was given last Wednesday. As regards names, a spirit several times told Mr. Serjeant Cox that his (the speaker’s) name was “Phil Crookes,” and that he wished his brother to be told of his coming. Nobody present was able to say whether Mr. Crookes ever had a brother of the name of Philip. A child’s voice came to Mrs. Duncan, calling her “Mamma,” and gave her a few details, which were accurate. The accuracy of a similar communication to Mrs. Wiseman was acknowledged. A relative of Mr. C. C. Massey professed to communicate, and Mr. Massey narrated how on a previous occasion the voice had exhibited knowledge of a private family matter. Mr. Annesley Mayne was unable to recognise a name given to him, and a spirit speaking with a Scotch dialect told Mrs. Gregory that he was one of her ancestors, Macdonald, Lord of the Isles. Mr. Harrison was told that bis little sister Edith was present, and had several times tried to communicate with him. In short, in ail assemblage somewhat new to Mrs. Billing, the spirit voices exhibited a moderate amount of acquaintance with the names and degree of relationship of some of their departed friends.
Mr. Fletcher and Dr. Slade
Sir, Mr. Fletcher having at length positively and distinctly declared that he did not allude to Dr. Slade in his conversation with the Whitehall Reviewer, I should be glad to be able to pursue the usual course of accepting his disclaimer, and of withdrawing my statement at variance with it. I cannot do so, because having regard to dates and circumstances it is simply incredible that Mr. Fletcher had any other American medium in his mind than Slade. To use scandalous language for publication respecting an unnamed person, language apparently pointing to a particular individual, and so interpreted by all the world; to leave that impression uncorrected for weeks and weeks; to confirm it by ambiguous and evasive answers; and at length, when driven into a corner, to deny it without showing any other possible application of the words, is a course of conduct which disentitles the person pursuing it to credit, even were the untruth of his present statement less manifest and demonstrable than it is. However, I took the matter up chiefly from regard for the character of Dr. Slade. That of Mr. Fletcher may now be left to the judgment of “Spiritualists and gentlemen,” some of whom it concerns more than it does me.
As Mr. Fletcher is indifferent to anything I say, it is perhaps useless to inform him that he is not without redress—the above imputation upon him of wilful and deliberate untruth being an actionable libel, unless I can justify it in the opinion of a jury.
2, Harcourt-buildings, Temple, Nov. 15th, 1879.
...
<Untitled>
...
<Untitled>
...
Editor's notes
- ↑ A Private Seance by unknown author, London Spiritualist, No. 378, November 21, 1879, p. 246
- ↑ Mr. Fletcher and Dr. Slade by Massey, Charles Carleton, London Spiritualist, No. 378, November 21, 1879, p. 243
- ↑ anonce by unknown author
- ↑ image by unknown author
- ↑ notice by unknown author
- ↑ notice by unknown author
Sources
-
London Spiritualist, No. 378, November 21, 1879, p. 246
-
London Spiritualist, No. 378, November 21, 1879, p. 243
Back
< Spiritualism (continued from page 10-126) >
of pressing occupations and social engagements, and, above all, in view of the way one moves about from place to place in India, and the blank ignorance of the whole subject which, for the most part, characterises Indian society. I was very much pleased, however, to read Mrs. Gordon’s letter; and though I did not keep notes of what I saw when spirit hunting myself, I have thought it likely that some of your readers would be interested in my evidence, such as it is. The instinct of a lifetime, meanwhile —perhaps the stupid instinct at war with the plainest facts, bewildered and at bay, but still doggedly asserting itself—leads me to sign myself.
Editor's notes