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<div>{{Style P-Align center|Light. December 30, 1882.}}</div> | |||
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| source details = Vol.II,No.104 | | source details = Vol. II, No. 104 | ||
| publication date = 1882-12-30 | | publication date = 1882-12-30 | ||
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... | {{Style P-Title|CONTENTS.}} | ||
{| | |||
| Janet Hamilton, Incidents Recorded by || 585 | |||
|- | |||
| Theosophic Teachings. By the Hon. Roden Noel || 586 | |||
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| Visit of Mrs. Hardinge Britten || 588 | |||
|- | |||
| Clairvoyance: a Refutation of Materialism. By Dr. George Wyld || 588 | |||
|- | |||
| The Willing Game || 591 | |||
|- | |||
| Spiritualism in Bohemia || 591 | |||
|- | |||
| “Mary Jane” and the late Mr. Guppy || 591 | |||
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| “Fairy Land of Mathematics” || 592 | |||
|- | |||
| Psychical Research || 592 | |||
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| {{Style S-Small capitals|Index.}} || | |||
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| title = Notes by the Way. | | title = Notes by the Way. | ||
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| author signed = M. A. (Oxon.) | | author signed = M.A. (Oxon.) | ||
| source title = Light | | source title = Light | ||
| source details = | | source details = Vol. II, No. 104 | ||
| publication date = 1882-12-30 | | publication date = 1882-12-30 | ||
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... | {{Style P-Title|NOTES BY THE WAY.}} | ||
{{Style P-Align center|'''Contributed by “M.A. ({{Style S-Small capitals|Oxon.}})”'''}} | |||
The ''Daily Telegraph'' of December 14th contains a friendly and appreciative article treating of the work of the “Society for Psychical Research.” The writer is pleased to say that the Society approaches the subjects with which it deals in a “thoroughly scientific spirit; they take nothing for granted—what they desire is research to attain truth, not inquiry to confirm any prejudice, belief or prepossession.” That is a fair description of the aims of the Society. It has, perhaps, gone out of its way, and not unreasonably, being what it is, to make a new departure, and it can at any rate claim that it is not hampered by any inheritance of belief or theory that its predecessors in the field of research have formulated for themselves. | |||
I see there is a demand for “more facts.” It is not to be denied that the philosophers have been having what our American friends call “a good time” lately. They have been portentously long in disquisition, and, to the average unmetaphysical mind, they have probably been—well, not clearer than usual. But then the philosophy of Spiritualism cannot be put in a nutshell, nor can it be expressed in the terms of a child’s primer. And as to facts, they can’t be made to order; or rather, perhaps I should say, we do not want them made to order. There may possibly have been a trifle too much of that manufacture in days gone by. The facts do not come as regularly as they used to come. And he must be a very unobservant student of his subject who does not see that the facts were presented with unbroken persistence during a period of years—so regularly, so rapidly, so astonishingly, that the most careful observer could do nothing but look and wonder. There was no time to speculate, no room for philosophy. Hardly could the attitude of mere wonder give place to a critical and cautious posture of mind. We could not even attempt to classify, to order, to tabulate, to describe. Most of us were carried away by mere astonishment. | |||
But what is the case now? For some years past there has been little or no material addition to the group of facts that were presented to our notice in the early years of modern Spiritualism, and down to, say, 1876. But, instead, the minds of thoughtful Spiritualists, satiated with facts, have turned instinctively, or by inspiration of our teachers, to seek a philosophy that shall comprehend these facts. That crude, disorderly, undigested mass must be arranged; its facts must be put into shape, labelled, and so set forth that their orderly beauty may appear. The surface explanations, roughly arrived at without much care and after short experience, must be sifted. The speculations of all the various schools of thought, that in days of old and in other countries have dealt with Spiritualism and kindred subjects, must have an attentive hearing. The Eastern Occultist makes the tremendous claim that ''he has done'' what we want to see done. Surely he may be listened to if, haply, he can and will enlighten us. The mystic, the disciple of Swedenborg—all may claim a hearing. Hence this Babel of philosophy, theosophy, and various sects that end in—sophy, without much claim to wisdom. The facts are here; they are our inalienable property, belonging to us and to our heirs for ever. But where is the mind that shall deal with them? Who is the coming philosopher? Which is the sterling system of truth? I cannot tell without listening to all. I am fully sure that order will come out of present chaos; and during the reign of confusion I lend an attentive and respectful ear to anyone who can establish his power to teach me one iota of truth. | |||
A correspondent sends me two extracts from a book entitled “Poems, Essays, and Sketches; by Janet Hamilton” (Glasgow, 1880). Janet was no ordinary woman, for she did not learn to write until she was fifty, and she lost her sight at the age of sixty. The book contains more than one case of interest to the Spiritualist. That which I am about to quote is curious from the apparent presentation of a symbolic vision to two persons. This is the narrative:— | |||
“The following incident which I have heard my mother relate, took place more than eighty years ago, in the town of Hamilton, where my parents resided at that period. The reader may rely on the truth of the details, but must be left to draw what conclusion he thinks most agreeable to the dictates of his own reason and judgment on such appearances. A man of colour, who went by the name of ‘Black Solomon,’ who was also a resident in the same town, lay on his death bed. In the night on which he died his daughter and a woman who sat up with her were sitting a little apart from the bedside to let him have air. He was in the agonies of death; but the watchers were unable to leave their seats, for ''on the bed of the dying man they saw at his head something white, but of indefinable shape, and at his feet a similar object, but quite black.'' At each convulsive gasp of the man the appearances advanced as if to meet, which they did as he expired. Then ensued what seemed a conflict, in which the white object seemed victorious, for it rose above the corpse with a triumphant waving of white drapery, while the black seemed to cower and shrink away. The interpretation of this supernatural scene is very palpable, but I leave it to the serious reader to form his own opinion on the subject.” | |||
These two persons would not be likely to understand the mystic symbolism of the vision—the black, typical of evil, presented at the feet, its appropriate position, allegorically speaking; and the white, the symbolic principle of good, also in its proper place at the head; then the conflict between the two, and final victory of good over evil. If a single seeress had seen the vision one would have no difficulty in regarding it as an allegorical representation of the new birth of the departing soul. Such, indeed, it manifestly was, and it is possible that it was presented only to one of the watchers, who described it to the other. If both saw it, it is an almost unique case of a synchronous vision presented to two persons. | |||
Another case I may quote, not becauseitisspecially interesting, but because it is a fair instance of many stories which are susceptible of an explanation consistent with natural causes, which explanation we are bound to give and to admit as good and sufficient. And yet, conceding this, I cannot but believe that there is an unseen agent utilising this natural cause, and operating through it. I believe that we shall err if we limit the action of spirit only to such cases as are not susceptible of explanation in accordance with known laws. The spiritual and the supernatural are not conterminous. We cannot tell when, where, and how spirit acts. But there are some of us who think they know that its action is ubiquitous, and that some of the most apparently trivial acts of our lives are overruled and guided by unseen counsellors and guardians. We can, in great matters, trace the influence and even recognise the guidance. In smaller matters, if we cannot always tell whether chance has directed or fancy deluded, we can carry on our faith and believe that great causes are not used to produce small effects, but that the natural may be utilized by spirit for its spiritual purposes. So the domain of law, as we understand it, is, as it seems to me, pervaded by the action of spirit, and our thoughts and acts, that seem most surely our own, may be the suggestion or inspiration of unseen but not unknown friends. | |||
The story runs thus:— | |||
{{Style S-HPB SB. Continues on|14-138}} | “There was a Mrs. Rae who lived in our neighbourhood, and was an intimate friend of my mother. This woman was, by{{Style S-HPB SB. Continues on|14-138}} | ||
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Light v.02 n.104 1882-12-30.pdf|page=1|Light, v. 2, No. 104, December 30, 1882, pp. 585–586 | |||
</gallery> | |||