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| + | {{Style P-No indent|the heart of things, and learn something of their true nature, instead of being satisfied with that which ''appears'' only. This is laborious, and often thankless work; but on the whole it is to me pleasant as well as profitable, and I mean to go on with it, openly and fearlessly. This evening, however, I propose to leave the thorny wilds of the great unexplored, where one gets terribly torn and scratched by the brambles, and to wander awhile up the old, sunny, familiar highway of Spiritualism proper, endeavouring to gather, as best I may, some traces of the identity of our loved and lost, as they lie scattered in the various records to which I have had access. Others will doubtless be able to furnish, from the storehouse of their private experience, many far better proofs than those with which I have been privileged to meet.}} | ||
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| + | I have confined myself to proofs given through writing mediumship, and to only a particular phase of that, for you are all aware that writing mediums present a great variety of manifestation, and as this theme has been treated by a far abler writer than myself, whose published work will shortly be in our hands, I will only allude to it in a cursory manner. | ||
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| + | Broadly speaking, writing through mediums is of two kinds, direct and indirect. That which we call direct is mechanical or automatic, that is to say, it is independent of the conscious thought or will of the medium, and is often produced by other agencies than his own hand. Under this head I would class some planchette writing, and some writing produced when the medium holds the pencil in the ordinary way; so long as the writer’s mind is unconscious of what is written, the writing may be considered mechanical. For instance, I have known Miss Florence Cook write a prayer while she was reading a novel; or the writing would be done backwards, only to be read afterwards by reflection in a looking-glass. The same thing happens in the case of Mrs. Jencken. At such times Miss Cook has told me that she felt a grip upon her arm, and she entirely lost all control of her hand, and almost all feeling in it. Other kinds of direct writing are those which take place altogether apart from the medium, though his or her presence is essential to its production. In the case of Mrs. Everitt and some others, the writing is produced in the dark in an incredibly short space of time, in minute and distinctly legible characters, a paper and pencil being placed on or under the table for the purpose. | ||
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| + | In other cases slates are used—the manifestation varying with every medium. The Baron Guldenstubbe procured writing by simply placing a sheet of paper and a pencil in a box; afterwards the paper alone without any pencil; later, on tombs, in various churches and cemeteries, before witnesses, believers or sceptics. I myself lately found some very distinct pencil marks (three particular-shaped stars) on a newspaper left lying on the library table in this room while I was absent from it, for about a quarter of an hour; the two persons remaining in the room concurring in their testimony that no one had approached the table, or touched any paper on it, during my absence; and no pencil being on or near that table. The slate-writing through Dr. Slade and Mr. Watkins presents varieties of handwriting, signature, language, and diction; yet I fail to find in this class of manifestation any evidence of the identity of those whose signatures are attached to the writing. Evidence of intelligence there certainly is; and of a kind often very different from that of the medium, that I think is altogether beyond dispute. Perhaps some of the most interesting cases on record and which are little known to English readers are to be found in the works of a German writer. Mr. D. Hornung, entitled ''Neue Geheimnisse des Tages ''(Leipzig, 1857) and ''Neueste Erfahrungen aus dem Geisterleben ''(1858), from which I will cite a few examples. These works contain the history of experiments dating from the year 1853 onwards, and are in the highest degree entertaining and instructive. The origin of an instrument of communication which should be less cumbrous and more rapid than a table, is described on page 22 of the first work above-named. The idea was originally taken from the ordinary pantagraph used by architects and draughtsmen, and, after some modifications suggested by the musical director, Wagner, was called by him a ''psychograph) ''or soul-writer ''(Seelenschreiber)''. This appears to have been very much of the nature of a planchette, and the latter is probably a modification of the earlier-devised machine. With this psychograph Hornung set to work, experimenting with great diligence whenever an opportunity offered, He carried it about with him all over Germany, sought out mediums of every degree, irrespective of age, rank, education, or sex, and, by questions, elicited a mass of communications as curious as they are interesting. Arithmetical problems were often solved with great precision, and, to use Hornung’s own words''—u ''almost with the rapidity of thought.” Sometimes the tables were turned, so to say, and the psychograph propounded riddles, to which, after unsuccessful guesses by the mortals, the psychograph, less mysterious or more gracious than the Sphinx, supplied its own answers. Mr. Hornung also drew up a list of fourteen “cardinal” questions, which he submitted to mediums in Munich, Stuttgart, Regensburg, Vienna, Prague, Turin, and other cities, in order to observe what variations would occur under the several different conditions. When the answers were found to agree in the main points, Mr. Hornung considered himself justified in accepting them as true, or approximating to truth. The conditions under which the sittings were held, the witnesses, the age, religion, and other peculiarities of each medium are given in his book. The questions bear for the chief part on the nature of the influences exhibited through mediums, and on the method and process of their externalisation. I will give two examples. Question V.—''By what means is. the indicator of the'' ''psychograph enabled to give, letter by letter, correct answers to'' ''questions) when the medium does not know how to answer them?'' Answer (2)—By increasing the power of the medium; otherwise spirits will often give foolish answers. Be careful never to call on such, for their influence is dangerous to body and soul.” (The medium for this answer was a Roman Catholic lady, who, with her husband, did not believe in the spiritual origin of modern manifestations.) Answer (6)—“All inanimate objects can only receive life from the magnetic power of a spirit, or of an earthly being. You have, therefore, a clearer and more convincing proof of the presence of a spirit when questions are answered, the insight into which does not lie within the domain of human knowledge. It is true that the words of invisible supernatural beings are things incredible by the human understanding, because man cannot feel and grasp their personal existence; and yet he can give no satisfactory reason for doubting their existence.” This answer was procured'' ''through the joint mediumship of three young girls, who combined in holding the same pencil. | ||
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| + | Question VI.—''Certain reasonable persons assert that the spirit-guides and guardian-angels of mediums are only a'' ''fiction of their imagination, in which they firmly believe, though'' ''no such spirits are personally present; how can one refute this opinion? ''Answer (1)—“When a man asserts that the medium speaks only from his own imagination, and that every man has not a protecting spirit, ''then it is he who is following his own imagination; ''for God has so ordered it in'' ''His wisdom that every man has a good being who leads and directs him. If any one doubts my words, let him reflect on'' ''them in connection with some accident or dangerous event in his life from which he has been happily delivered.” This was given by a child of thirteen years old, of evangelical belief. Answer (4)—“Both are true. What the mind dwells upon as possible, becomes at last possible, and appears finally as a phenomenon. If another steps in to speak, I do not hold myself called upon to do so.” The medium for this answer was a government official, a man of ripe age, who had accepted the spiritual hypothesis. Taking the answers as a whole, we find this hypothesis predominating throughout, and the direct action of disembodied spirits asserted, though in cases of clairvoyance it is generally granted that the medium’s own spirit (or soul) is alone concerned. In his concluding chapter Mr. Hornung expresses his opinion that the collective highest thought of {{Style S-HPB SB. Continues on |4-232}} | ||
Latest revision as of 16:51, 10 February 2024
< Writing Mediumship in Relation to Spirit Identity (continued from page 4-230) >
the heart of things, and learn something of their true nature, instead of being satisfied with that which appears only. This is laborious, and often thankless work; but on the whole it is to me pleasant as well as profitable, and I mean to go on with it, openly and fearlessly. This evening, however, I propose to leave the thorny wilds of the great unexplored, where one gets terribly torn and scratched by the brambles, and to wander awhile up the old, sunny, familiar highway of Spiritualism proper, endeavouring to gather, as best I may, some traces of the identity of our loved and lost, as they lie scattered in the various records to which I have had access. Others will doubtless be able to furnish, from the storehouse of their private experience, many far better proofs than those with which I have been privileged to meet.
I have confined myself to proofs given through writing mediumship, and to only a particular phase of that, for you are all aware that writing mediums present a great variety of manifestation, and as this theme has been treated by a far abler writer than myself, whose published work will shortly be in our hands, I will only allude to it in a cursory manner.
Broadly speaking, writing through mediums is of two kinds, direct and indirect. That which we call direct is mechanical or automatic, that is to say, it is independent of the conscious thought or will of the medium, and is often produced by other agencies than his own hand. Under this head I would class some planchette writing, and some writing produced when the medium holds the pencil in the ordinary way; so long as the writer’s mind is unconscious of what is written, the writing may be considered mechanical. For instance, I have known Miss Florence Cook write a prayer while she was reading a novel; or the writing would be done backwards, only to be read afterwards by reflection in a looking-glass. The same thing happens in the case of Mrs. Jencken. At such times Miss Cook has told me that she felt a grip upon her arm, and she entirely lost all control of her hand, and almost all feeling in it. Other kinds of direct writing are those which take place altogether apart from the medium, though his or her presence is essential to its production. In the case of Mrs. Everitt and some others, the writing is produced in the dark in an incredibly short space of time, in minute and distinctly legible characters, a paper and pencil being placed on or under the table for the purpose.
In other cases slates are used—the manifestation varying with every medium. The Baron Guldenstubbe procured writing by simply placing a sheet of paper and a pencil in a box; afterwards the paper alone without any pencil; later, on tombs, in various churches and cemeteries, before witnesses, believers or sceptics. I myself lately found some very distinct pencil marks (three particular-shaped stars) on a newspaper left lying on the library table in this room while I was absent from it, for about a quarter of an hour; the two persons remaining in the room concurring in their testimony that no one had approached the table, or touched any paper on it, during my absence; and no pencil being on or near that table. The slate-writing through Dr. Slade and Mr. Watkins presents varieties of handwriting, signature, language, and diction; yet I fail to find in this class of manifestation any evidence of the identity of those whose signatures are attached to the writing. Evidence of intelligence there certainly is; and of a kind often very different from that of the medium, that I think is altogether beyond dispute. Perhaps some of the most interesting cases on record and which are little known to English readers are to be found in the works of a German writer. Mr. D. Hornung, entitled Neue Geheimnisse des Tages (Leipzig, 1857) and Neueste Erfahrungen aus dem Geisterleben (1858), from which I will cite a few examples. These works contain the history of experiments dating from the year 1853 onwards, and are in the highest degree entertaining and instructive. The origin of an instrument of communication which should be less cumbrous and more rapid than a table, is described on page 22 of the first work above-named. The idea was originally taken from the ordinary pantagraph used by architects and draughtsmen, and, after some modifications suggested by the musical director, Wagner, was called by him a psychograph) or soul-writer (Seelenschreiber). This appears to have been very much of the nature of a planchette, and the latter is probably a modification of the earlier-devised machine. With this psychograph Hornung set to work, experimenting with great diligence whenever an opportunity offered, He carried it about with him all over Germany, sought out mediums of every degree, irrespective of age, rank, education, or sex, and, by questions, elicited a mass of communications as curious as they are interesting. Arithmetical problems were often solved with great precision, and, to use Hornung’s own words—u almost with the rapidity of thought.” Sometimes the tables were turned, so to say, and the psychograph propounded riddles, to which, after unsuccessful guesses by the mortals, the psychograph, less mysterious or more gracious than the Sphinx, supplied its own answers. Mr. Hornung also drew up a list of fourteen “cardinal” questions, which he submitted to mediums in Munich, Stuttgart, Regensburg, Vienna, Prague, Turin, and other cities, in order to observe what variations would occur under the several different conditions. When the answers were found to agree in the main points, Mr. Hornung considered himself justified in accepting them as true, or approximating to truth. The conditions under which the sittings were held, the witnesses, the age, religion, and other peculiarities of each medium are given in his book. The questions bear for the chief part on the nature of the influences exhibited through mediums, and on the method and process of their externalisation. I will give two examples. Question V.—By what means is. the indicator of the psychograph enabled to give, letter by letter, correct answers to questions) when the medium does not know how to answer them? Answer (2)—By increasing the power of the medium; otherwise spirits will often give foolish answers. Be careful never to call on such, for their influence is dangerous to body and soul.” (The medium for this answer was a Roman Catholic lady, who, with her husband, did not believe in the spiritual origin of modern manifestations.) Answer (6)—“All inanimate objects can only receive life from the magnetic power of a spirit, or of an earthly being. You have, therefore, a clearer and more convincing proof of the presence of a spirit when questions are answered, the insight into which does not lie within the domain of human knowledge. It is true that the words of invisible supernatural beings are things incredible by the human understanding, because man cannot feel and grasp their personal existence; and yet he can give no satisfactory reason for doubting their existence.” This answer was procured through the joint mediumship of three young girls, who combined in holding the same pencil.
Question VI.—Certain reasonable persons assert that the spirit-guides and guardian-angels of mediums are only a fiction of their imagination, in which they firmly believe, though no such spirits are personally present; how can one refute this opinion? Answer (1)—“When a man asserts that the medium speaks only from his own imagination, and that every man has not a protecting spirit, then it is he who is following his own imagination; for God has so ordered it in His wisdom that every man has a good being who leads and directs him. If any one doubts my words, let him reflect on them in connection with some accident or dangerous event in his life from which he has been happily delivered.” This was given by a child of thirteen years old, of evangelical belief. Answer (4)—“Both are true. What the mind dwells upon as possible, becomes at last possible, and appears finally as a phenomenon. If another steps in to speak, I do not hold myself called upon to do so.” The medium for this answer was a government official, a man of ripe age, who had accepted the spiritual hypothesis. Taking the answers as a whole, we find this hypothesis predominating throughout, and the direct action of disembodied spirits asserted, though in cases of clairvoyance it is generally granted that the medium’s own spirit (or soul) is alone concerned. In his concluding chapter Mr. Hornung expresses his opinion that the collective highest thought of <... continues on page 4-232 >