Wmm m MMM {B888S V9M99G Mm MBffi §1 mismm 8W SsSe 588 «s# ism ... v ** ^.-^ % -^m * • e. l<* ♦'i^ % C° l .t^% -o, ^AO 11 4- <6 ° "oV* ^°* Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from The Library of Congress http://www.archive.org/details/arcanaofspiritua02tutt ftRGftNft OF SPIRITUALISM A MANUAL OF Spiritual Science and Philosophy, BY HUDSON TUTTLE. J. R. FRANCIS, Chicago, 111. HUDSON TUTTLE, Berlin Heights, O. W. H. TERRY, Melbourne, Australia. 1904. 2^ • 386? tbe Same Butbor, ARCANA OF NATURE. PHILOSOPHY OF SPIRIT. ORIGIN AND ANTIQUITY OF MAN. CAREER OF THE GOD-IDEA IN HISTORY. CAREER OF THE CHRIST-IDEA IN HISTORY. RELIGION OF MAN, AND ETHICS OF SPIRITUALISM. STUDIES IN THE OUTLYING FIELDS OF PSYCHIC SCIENCE. SECRETS OF THE CONVENT. HERESY. LIFE IN TWO SPHERES. MEDIUMSHIP AND ITS LAWS. PREFACE. FRAGMENTS OF MY PSYCHIC EXPERIENCE. It has been suggested that this volume would be better understood if I gave my spiritual experience and method of writing. In complying, I exclude everything outside my psychic sensitiveness. That I was born in what was then a wilderness en the southern shores of Lake Erie (Ohio, U. S. A.), and for the early years of my life to the time I began to write for the superior intelligences had exceedingly limited social and educational advantages, may be of interest to the readers as showing how the communi- cations transcended my own capabilities, and the ed- ucation which came with its inspiration. No one can write of the vicissitudes, emotions, or thoughts of a medium as well as the medium himself. By the essential conditions of mediumship, he is sensi- tive and easily disturbed by antagonism. What to others would be a jest, to him becomes agonizing, and he is often disturbed by causes unknown by their sub- tlety. The voice of censure is unbearably harsh; a word of praise lifts his soul with unspeakable delight ; he is a bundle of nerves, tense, sensitive to a breath, responding to a touch. These conditions are not of his seeking, but are thrust upon him, and he cannot cast them off. Like all human capabilities, sensitive- ness is susceptible of culture, of intensification, and of being lost by neglect or abuse; of yielding un- speakable delight or pain. Hence, for the medium who has traversed this path- way tp clearly present the conflicting impressions he experiences is difficult, but important data for the Study of the phenomena may be thereby furnished. 10 PREFACE. At an age when the mind is usually absorbed in sports my thoughts turned to the great questions of theology and religion. This I refer to the fact that my parents were 'Unitarians in a community of Trini- tarians. Their house was the headquarters for the itinerant preachers, both orthodox and heterodox, who, on circuits, carried their doctrines into the wil- derness, and the atmosphere was burdened with dog- matic disputations, based on the literal text of the Bible, for the ''higher criticism" was then unknown and doctrinal sermons, hot with the fires of hell, and terrible threatenings of God's wrath met the popular demand. The result was that at an early age I be- came sceptical of the entire Church scheme. The gloom of doubt was cast over my young life. An- nihilation was appalling, yet I saw no escape. They who professed to know the secrets, not only of life but of death, were in direct conflict on vital issues, and their light darkened understanding. Outside of their domain there was no assurance. Man physically dies like the animal. Death in both is accompanied by the same phenomena, and after death the chemistry of change resolves the substance of each to the same elements. Why should we sup- pose the one to be immortal and the other not ? If im- mortality be doubted, all dependent dogmas share its fate. I was more infidel than Paine, for I doubted everything. The beginning of my doubts may be dated to an accident which befell me, and my application of the prayer test. I had been brought up to pray every night before retiring, as a duty which must not be neglected. When I was near ten years old I was set to spreading hay after the mowers, and was given a steel fork, because I was not strong enough to use a wooden one. In those days such a fork was a treas- ure, and I was strictly charged to be careful of it. All went well, and I kept near the gleaming scythes. Then I fell behind, further and further. Suddenly a snake darted over the swarthe. Filled with that her- editary hatred which has been instilled for countless generations against the serpent, I struck at it with the fork. I gave it no harm, but one tine of the.fork snapped short. I was overwhelmed with fear. My PREFACE. 11 father was stern and not inclined to " spare the rod," and I was hopeless. Then I thought of prayer. Father had repeatedly told me that prayer would bring the Almighty to our aid, and I had believed im- plicitly. I put the broken tine in place so nicely that I could not see where it was broken. Holding it there, that it might make the least possible trouble for God, I knelt down on the grass, and with the fervour of a fear-stricken wretch told God that I had been con- stantly praying to Him and being good, and now wanted His help in mending the broken fork. I had not the least doubt that the prayer would be an- swered. My dismay may be known when I removed my hand and the broken tine fell off ! I never knelt in prayer or offered supplication or invocation again. The fabric of my faith crumbled into dust. It was the first and last time I ever applied for divine aid. It was the turning point of a life, when it ceased to loe theological and became scientific in its methods of thought. With my present knowledge, I can recognize at that early day the beginning of spirit influence. I often felt the exaltation of perception with corresponding depression, which I did not then understand, but now is clear to me. Memory will ever retain the impressions of the first time I was conscious that my hand had written with- out control or consciousness of my mind. Wholly in- explicable, confusing and bewildering, I doubted my sanity, and was troubled with fear of the conse- quences. I was invited to attend a seance at the home of a retired Congregational minister. He had heard of the Rochester rappings, and called in a few friends to experiment. One bleak and blustering night in early March, I walked across the fields two miles or more to this seance, impelled by an irresistible im- pulse, yet ashamed of my interest in the subject. I was then in my sixteenth year. At the circle were several acquaintances and some strangers, and I was ill at ease. After sitting for per- haps an hour I began to feel a calm restfulness, which I mistook for sleep, and strove against ; my arm and hand began to move unwilled, greatly to my annoy- ance, as it attracted attention. A pencil was placed 12 PREFACE. in my hand, and paper on the table. After the awak- ening, this disturbance caused, had passed, I fell again into the semi-conscious state, and my hand began writing illegible scrawls at first, then here and there a word was readable, and soon whole sentences. Sev- eral names of spirits were written in full, and ques- tions, testing identity, were correctly answered. At a late hour the seance adjourned, and I returned home in a half-conscious state, not sensing the manifesta- tions through my hand. The next day I realized that I had been in a state of which I had hitherto had no experience. A close analysis convinced me that I had been at least par- tially conscious of what my hand was writing. I was fearful that I had deceived, as well as been deceived. The members of the circle were convinced that the power was beyond myself, while I attempted to ac- count for the manifestations by intensification of my mind, by which the thoughts of the circle were re- flected. I was exceedingly miserable, and said I never would place myself again in a position to be imposed on, or of imposing on others. It could not be spirits, for I did not believe in ex- istence after death, yet I thrilled at the thought of the possibility of the continuity of life beyond the grave. That evening, several of those present at the pre- ceding seance, and many more who had heard the wondrous tale, called to satisfy their curiosity. At first I was firm in my decision not to sit again, but after long persuasion I yielded, and I may add that this yielding to the wishes of those desiring seances was a marked peculiarity, which I vainly struggled against. However firm my resolve, when strangers came and importuned, a higher and stronger influ- ence was brought to bear on my will. Simultaneously with my development in writing came that of rapping and tipping of the table. We always sat around a heavy walnut dining table, and it gave responses, answered questions, and spelled names of departed friends. During the physical manifestations I was in semi- trance, intensely sensitive and impressible. The least word, a jarring question, even when the intention was PREFACE. 13 commendable, grated and rasped. Words convey an imperfect idea of this condition. It can only be com- pared with that physical state when a nerve is ex- posed. In illustration, a gentleman called for a sitting, and for an hour we sat without the least sign. He then removed his hands, and the table tipped, spelling the name of his father. At this the gentleman seized the side of the table and began to rock it, saying : ' ' See, I can move it as well as anyone ! ' ' The implication, ordinarily, would have passed with a smile, for I had no desire to convince anyone; but in the condition I then was, it was like a blow, and I awoke with hot words of anger. I was unable to explain to him how or why he had offended me, for I did not understand myself; and when I recovered my normal state I was overwhelmed with shame that I had forgotten myself. It was a long time before I recovered my former serenity or dared allow myself to fall into the same unguarded sensitive condition. As soon as I felt its approach I would involuntarily start back. This may appear a trifling cause to produce such a result. An imperceptible mote in the eye causes unbearable pain ; a grain of iron will deflect the magnetic needle. In all instances the seances were free; my father and mother were strictly conscientious in their relig- ious views. They had discarded the orthodox trinity for the heterodox unity, and had met the persecution of bigotry for the sake of what they regarded as the truth. They now received Spiritualism as a higher truth, and believed that as it was freely received it should be freely given. For years they had opposed a paid ministry, citing the disciples as examples. In the two years or more, during which rarely an evening passed without our rooms being filled with anxious seekers, I did not receive a single penny of reward. I should have despised myself had I enter- tained a thought of degrading the high mission by receiving money as reward. The same feeling has remained. That truth, in its expression of ideas, should be sold, like corn in the market, is most repulsive to me. It should be free, and he who has a truth, a thought, an idea, which can be of value to others, is duty bound to proclaim it. The 14 PREFACE.. experiences of those two years must remain unwrit- ten, as I kept no record. After I had been for some time under this influence, I became dissatisfied with the meager results. I re- ceived communications for those who came, and they wept for joy at the words from those they had not heard from since the long years they had parted from them at the bitter grave. When I came out of the ecstatic state, the cold, grey world met me, and I was in the shadows of the Valley of Despond. At that time a light broke through the clouds. My mother, to whom this trial was unknown, clairvoyantly saw a spirit, who told her of his deep interest in her son, and that I must now choose o£ two paths, one leading over a level pi ain, thronged with travellers, the other over difficult mountain summits, accessible only by se- vere labor and self-sacrifice. "If he chooses the last I go with him ; if the first, he passes to others, ' ' said this spirit. When she told me this I recognized its application, and so perfectly did it accord with my state of mind that I believed that this kind spirit had interested himself in my welfare. If this be so, however rugged the path, however great the sacrifice I may be called to make, I will bear the burden of duty. To the public circle I had been compelled to add one for myself. I retired to my room and wrote un- der the influence of one of those spirits who said they were specially near to me. It was a delight to me to sit by the hour and write the thoughts which came streaming through my mind. I was greatly surprised at their newness to me. When I doubted, my hand would be seized and write without my knowing a word that was written; yet I wrote usually by im- pression, and the thoughts which came were a source of constant instruction. The writers were my teach- ers. It was my only source of knowledge, for I had access to few books. I was in a farmhouse remote from town, and libraries were not accessible. I had attended school eleven months in all, six of which were at a district school, and five at a small academy. My desire was to become cultured, and not a mere instrument in the hands of those who influenced me. Then they said to me that my desire indicated wis- PREFACE. 15 dom, and they would be my teachers, and as my part I must assist myself. And thus we entered into a compact, with promises on both sides, and I can say, after the long interval, that I have kept the compact to my utmost. They promised hard labor, physical and mental, trials, loss of friends, but with this an education. My gratitude has constantly increased at the renewed instances of their thoughtful care and wisdom. The first article I ever published was on "Prayer," in the Spiritual Telegraph. I was delighted when it was accepted, for it was a needed encouragement. At that time I often wrote and re-wrote several times before the influence would declare the result satisfactory. I began writing a story founded on spirit-life. It was entitled "Scenes in the Spirit World." When it was completed there were no apparent means for its publication, but its authors said it would be issued in due time. Soon after, Datus Kelly, a retired business man, who had given his attention to the subject, called, and I read portions of the MS. to him. "You will publish the book?" he asked. "The authors say it will be," I replied, "but I do not know how it is possible, for I have neither means nor influential friends." "I will publish it myself," he replied. It was accordingly issued, and had a large sale, and has been recently republished in England under the title of "Life in Two Spheres." Finishing this, I began the "Arcana of Nature." I was then entering my eighteenth year. I had, as I supposed, completed it, when I received a message to destroy the MS., and also everything I had previously written, as too imperfect to be of any value. There was a surprising bulk, and reluctantly I gathered up my treasures and consigned them to the flames. Then I began anew the "Arcana." I confess to a discouraged feeling when I thought, ' ' Perhaps when finished it may not please, and beside, if acceptable, how will it be published?" Yet I was impelled, in season and out of season, to write, and at length, by mental and physical sacrifice, the book was completed. 16 PREFACE. "Is it correct?" I asked anxiously. "It will not be re-written, but revised." Then I asked, "When will it be published?" "Not until we weed out the im- perfections which have come through you. ' ' For two years the MS. lay on my table, and nearly every day some correction or addition would be made. Several timeslAvas on the eve of making arrangements for publication, but to my disappointment they would fail, and I was almost hopeless. At last the time ar- rived, the authors signified their satisfaction, and soon after the offer for its publication came. Thus it will be seen how the Spirit-intelligences controlled events, and from the beginning wrought for a well-defined end which, perhaps wisely, was from me concealed. This book was soon after translated into German. I began to feel the assurance of strength. The spir- itual side of my double life had gained ascendancy, and there was no longer doubt and uncertainty. I wrote continually, articles for the spiritual and secu- lar press, and, in rapid succession, the second volume of the "Arcana," "Philosophy of the Spirit and the Spirit World," "Origin and Antiquity of Man," "Ca- reer of the God Idea," "Career of the Christ Idea," "Career of Religious Ideas," "Ethics of Spiritu- alism," "Arcana of Spiritualism," and "Studies in the Outlying Fields of Psychic Science," "Me- diumship — Its Laws, Cultivation, etc." "The Ca- reer of Religious Ideas" and "The Ethics of Spiritualism" have been recently republished in one volume under the title of "Religion of Man and Ethics of Science." In the meantime many tracts and stories were written by different spirit-authors. Among these may be mentioned "Helloise : Was It Re- ligion or Love?" "The People Who Are Damned," 1 ' The Secrets of the Convent, " " Heresy, " and " What Is Spiritualism?" which has sold over fifty thousand copies. The contributions to the periodical press far exceed in number of pages all these books. Mine has been the task of an amanuensis, writing that which has been given to me. I claim no honor, except honestly and faithfully attempting to perform my part of the task. The field of inquiry is as vast as space and time, and often there are no words to PREFACE. 17 describe the spiritual realities and relations which hitherto have not been unfolded to mortal under- standing. I have written in hours of pleasure and of pain, when life was a joy and when it was a weariness ; but I have ever been cheered and sustained by the con- sciousness of the presence of the inspiring writers, and although apparently alone, have never been com- panionless. INTRODUCTION. What Is Spiritualism? There are few who do not desire to believe and to know, that there is an existence beyond the grave, where the broken strands of this earthly life are united, and "the loved ones gone before" await our home-coming. Under the teaching of a remorseless materialistic science, reacting against the supersti- tious inculcations of the past, life after the death of the physical body has come to be regarded as "an iridescent dream;" yet there still remains in the hearts of mankind a hope, a desire for immortality, which is the voice of the Spirit, conscious of its high and eternal destiny. Theological dogmatism, with its questionable meth- ods, has disgusted those whose minds have been en- lightened and broadened by scientific studies, and they demand evidence. To such, Spiritualism offers satisfactory demonstration, in place of the belief or faith which the creeds insist upon. Spiritualism comes to the scientist with a new science, while to the broken-hearted, mourning over the loss of loved ones, it comes with the blest assurance that beyond the grave is the grand reality of which this earthly life is but the shadow. Spiritualism has no creed, for it cannot formu- late a dogmatic system. It is the Science of Life, here and hereafter, and is founded on facts. It re- gards belief without evidence as valueless, and hence can fraternize with no church, sect, or clique, nor en- gage in proselytizing; and knowing that conviction can come only by demonstration, it furnishes the evi- dences and calmly awaits the result. It may harmon- ize with this or that church in some particulars ; find INTRODUCTION. 19 support in the sacred books of all ages and nations, yet it stands independent, receiving no authority from such incidental supports. It is a distinct system, has its own methods of re- . search, and is not obliged to harmonize its views with conclusions drawn from other sources. As a science, Spiritualism is the knowledge of the psychical, or spiritual, nature of man; and as Spirit is the moving force of the universe, its study is that of Creation, and is not complete until the unknown be- comes known. In a narrower sense, as applied to the communion between Spiritual beings and Man, it em- braces the facts, laws and conditions of such inter- course. It unitizes the psychical phenomena of all ages and races of mankind, by proving that they are governed by the same underlying laws. Modern Spiritualism is distinguished from that of the past by its acceptance of the doctrine of law: That the spiritual realm is governed by laws as fixed and determinable as those which rule physical matter. The spiritual manifestations of the past were regard- ed as fortuitous, or dependent on the wishes of irre- sponsible agents, and varied in degree of presentation from the inspiration of the Universal Divine Spirit (or God) to the lowest forms of witchcraft, divination and voodoism. Modern Spiritualism unitizes all these varied and often conflicting manifestations by refer- ence to common and fundamental principles and laws, thereby eliminating miracle, and furnishing data by which right judgment may be formed. From a vast number of observations made by competent and im- partial investigators, which may be verified, it ac- cepts the statement as fully demonstrated that the intelligences who control mediums are departed friends, as they claim ; spirits who once lived on earth, and who return because held by the strength of their love or desires. The Methods of Communication vary, the physical manifestations being quite distinct from the psy- chical. In order to have such manifestations, a me- dium, or sensitive, has always been held necessary. Ill preceding ages the seer, priest, prophet, and magi stood between the spirit-world and man, and religious systems were based upon their utterances, or thereby 20 INTRODUCTION. supported. There is no evidence that the greatest of these surpassed the modern medium, but there is abun- dance to prove that the present phase, by its clear and comprehensive grasp of the whole, exceeds the past as much as Chemistry does Alchemy, or Astronomy, Astrology. A better understanding of these laws and conditions has yielded and will continue to yield a higher, better, and more trustworthy order of sensi- tives. Mediumship is capable of culture along known lines ; is not a gift from a foreign source, but a faculty common to all ; varying in degree and methods of ex- pression with each individual. Spirit Communication.— If death makes no change except of condition, the individuality being perfectly preserved, communications must be like their source, and the psychological influence exerted upon me- diums be good or bad according to the moral and in- tellectual status of the controlling spirit. But the law of affinity strictly holds, and a bad spirit can no more force a sensitive into wrong-doing than can a human companion. On the other hand, good spirits possess the talismanic qualities, charity, pity, love, which enable them to enter the sphere of the lowest and aid them to rise to higher conditions. During the comparatively brief period that system- atic communication with the spirit-world has been made possible, millions of people have been convinced that they have received messages from their departed friends, and although no creedal expression has ever been generally promulgated, the "consensus of the competent" has formulated a belief held in common, based on and demonstrated by the facts observed, and the communications received from spirits. The fol- lowing statement of principles may be said to be en- dorsed by a majority so large among advanced Spir- itualists, as to be practically unanimous. Origin of Spiritual Beings.— Accepting the doctrine of evolution, the long line of advancement from the lowest and earliest form of living beings, to Man, has a purpose and a meaning, which is, through him to evolve a spiritual being, capable of retaining indi- viduality after the death of the physical body. The origin and development of the spiritual body is cor- INTRODUCTION. 21 related and contemporary with that of the t>hysical body. Death is the separation of the spirit — the ego and its spiritual form — from the physical body, and does not in the least affect the attainments, feelings, emo- tions, or faculties. The next life is a continuation of this, death making no more change in the individual than does walking from one room to another or cast- ing off a worn garment. The Spirit holds the same relations to the Spirit- world that Man does to the Material. It has a body formed of ethereal substance, and a mind identical with that which it possessed on earth, except as changed by the process of mental growth. There is no arbitrary decree, final judgment day, or atonement for wrong, or forgiveness, except through the reformation of the wrong-doer, by suffer- ing and spiritual culture ; a growth, not a transforma- tion. Man is a spirit, flesh-clad, and as such walks the courts of Heaven, and stands in the presence of the Universal Spirit, in earth life, as much as he will after death. Hence the knowledge, attainments, and ex- perience of that earth-life form his character for the future existence. As a spirit, the powers of spirit are his, incipient, but when he acquires the knowl- edge, capable of wonderful achievements. A Future State of Award.— The spirit, in the phys- ical body, or freed therefrom, must achieve its own salvation. The doctrine of spirit evolution carries with it the following destructive and constructive propositions: (1) Man has not fallen from a state of perfection; has not been, and cannot be, ''lost from God." (2) The mediators between God and man are those mortal spirits or angels who bring knowlege. They are saviors one and all, equally essential in his reception of truth, and aspiration for the highest ideal excel- lence. (3) Evil is the imperfection of a lower state or condition conflicting with a higher, and as such will be outgrown. (4) Mortal life is not probationary, immortality is not bestowed on account of belief but is the natural heritage of humanity. Brotherhood and Divinity of Man. —The individual- 22 INTRODUCTION. ized spirit is the reality and highest type of creative energy. It is divine, is endowed with infinite capabili- ties, and thereby all mankind are united in brother- hood with a common destiny. The Object of Spiritualism.— The complete cultiva- tion and development of man, physically, intellectual- ly, morally, spiritually. The birthright of every hu- man being is happiness, which will be gained by a per- fect comprehension of the laws and conditions of physical and spiritual existence. The Incentives of Spiritualism.— By presenting the most exalted motives it encourages the loftiest aspira- tions, prompts to highest endeavor, and inculcates se J f -reliance. It frees man from the bondage of au- thority of book or creed. Its only authority is Truth ; its interpreter Reason. Results of an Intelligent Acceptance of Spiritual- ism.— Nobility, purity, and magnanimity of life; all- embracing charity and philanthropy ; constant and earnest endeavor to actualize an ideal perfect life in this world as the best preparation for the next; living to live, not living to die ; and for the Religion of Pain, which has held mankind in thrall, the substitution of the Religion of Joy. THE BALM IN GILEAD. We all come at last to the shore of the sea of death, brooded over by darkness, without a star in the sky, or a beacon gleaming through the fog thickly settling down on the black waves. We have bowed with agon- izedheartswhen they whom we loved best have passed into the cloud-shadows. We have watched by their couch of pain during the terrible struggle, and with trembling hand wiped away the dew of mortal agony. We have watched the coming change, the pallor, the fleeting breath, and vainly sought to catch a whisper from lips of clay. Then all the world grew dark, and it seemed a sin for the sun to shine in the heavens, for the birds to sing, or anyone to have joy in his heart. Suffering heart by this dreary sea, is there no hope? Is there no light beyond the shadows? When night gathers on this life, will not the sun rise on the mor- row? Cannot science, philosophy, or religion solve this question and remove all doubt ? Is there no balm INTRODUCTION. 23 in Gilead?— no staff, strong and true, on which to lean I Invoke Philosophy, with her robes of snow, pretend- ing to a knowledge of the world and infinite destiny. She will tell yon of the cycle of being, the snccession of generations, that life and death complement each other, and that all we can hope for is unceasing change as the abiding law, and he who grasps to hold will find but shadows in his hands. "I speculate," says Philosophy, "and others may speculate. There have been speculations for these many thousand years, and this is the conclusion reached : 'Nothing is known except that nothing can ; .be known. If the sea before you is darkness, why complain. Is not the past equally dark? Of the pres- ent, even, what does anyone know?' " Ask Natural Science, claiming to resolve the earth into its elements, weigh the stars of heaven, and cal- culate the pulsations of thought in the living brain. It replies with a sneer: "What is there beyond? Transformation, nothing more. What do you expect? Continued existence? Know, then, these clouds rest over oblivion — utter negation of being. Intelligence is of the body, and with it perishes. Life arises from co-ordination of conditions, and when they cease it no longer exists. Do you hear the music of the instru- ment after it has been reduced to ashes? No more should you expect intelligence after the brain which produces it is dead." Ask Religion to Give Her Consolation.— If so, why do those most faithful, most zealous, mourn beside the grave uncomf orted ? They may bow beneath the rod of affliction and believe their loss is for the best, for some secret purpose of divine providence, but do they see more clearly through their blinding tears? Is there one, however filled with religious fervor, who would not gladly welcome assurance of the future life by the coming of an angel from the glory of heaven ? Religion has not staid the tide of doubt and her rec- ommendation of faith is received by science with a sneer. Most terrible if this be true ! If hearts are strung to the tenderest touch of feeling, and respond to the gentle influence of love, only to feel the rude and 24 INTRODUCTION withering' hand of pain, what a mockery is life ; what a sham this fair and beautiful earth ! Is this all ? Is there no hope ? Must the aspiring spirit go down with the beast of the field into silent dust ? Between the human mind with infinite aspira- tions and the instinct of the brute, is there no distinc- tion? Does the same fate await man and the worm beneath his feet? Suffering soul, there is hope. There is a guide out of the wilderness of doubt into the clear sunshine of immortal light. It leads to the highlands overlook- ing the murky fogs, and we can see far out into the infinite beyond. That guide is Spiritualism. By this name is meant vastly more than the phenomena which result from spirit action. Spiritualism is a system of thought which goes down to the foundation of crea- tion, and ascends to the sphere of highest intelligence. It is a system commensurate with the universe, from the attraction of atoms to the formation of thought ; from the birth of worlds to the ascension of an angel. This Spiritualism is the foundation of all religious systems. It runs through all as a golden thread, woven into diverse patterns, always bright, beautiful, indestructible, however dark the background against which it is revealed. It forms the essence of all poetry, and supplies the pivotal facts of history. It is the essential doctrine of all sacred books, without which they have no significance. The various Chris- tion churches repose on the demonstration, through Jesus, of immortality, and the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, records the communion of spirits with mankind. WHAT IS THE SPIRITUAL THEORY? That beneath all the fleeting phenomena of the world is. the realm of pure spiritual energy, out of which ail existence flows. If the body of man may be likened to a fragment broken from the world of matter, so his spirit is a fragment broken from the realm of spiritual force, and enabled to sustain its in- dividual identity. It is not from " matter and its attributes," but from this infinite spiritual energy, that creation flows as an outward expression of in- INTRODUCTION. 25 ward conception. In support of this doctrine, the writer known as St. Paul said : ' ' There are also celes- tial bodies and bodies terrestial. * * * It is sown a natural body, and is raised a spiritual body. * * * Now this I say, brethren, flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God ; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. For this corruption must put on in- corruption, and this mortal immortality ! ' ' When this is done, he says there ''Will be brought to pass the saying which is written, Death is swallowed up in vic- tory. ' ' In these undying phrases Paul enunciated the spiritual philosophy, and thereby unlocked the secrets of the grave. The terrestrial body cannot inherit eternal life, which is the inheritance of the celestial. Death is the severance of the cord which unites the spiritual and physical. The physical returns to mother earth, the celestial passes to a higher life, a continuance of this. Hence death works no change, except in condition. The individual is no more affected than by a night's sleep, from which he awakens refreshed and invigor- ated for the new day's experiences. Immortality is our birthright. A materialist said: "We are travelling between two bleak and barren promontories, the Past and the unknown Future." In the new light the highlands of the Past are crowned with blessed memories, and the Future, instead of a bleak and barren headland, to- wards which we drift in tears, rises above the shadows of this life, and on its purple slopes we behold our fathers, our mothers, wives, husbands, children, friends, who left us in the night of years, all there with garments of light, extending their arms to wel- come us ! Spiritualism presses to the quivering lips of grief this cup of precious nectar, distilled by the angels in heaven. The great and ever-enduring lesson taught by this view of life, here and hereafter, is that the present is the shadow of future realities. We are spirits to-day and shall be the same to-morrow, after this body has fallen from us. We have already begun the infinite journey, and are not to await the coming of death be- fore we Qan start. When that change comes, the dross 26 INTRODUCTION. of this life falls from us ; its vain ambitions, puerile objects, estates, bonds, and title deeds fall to ashes. The spirit will then stand alone, holding fast only to those actions which had relation to its immortal life. Never was wiser command given than to "Lay up your treasures above. ' ' Although Philosophy, Science, and Religion have failed to give us adequate response, here we find satis- faction. The dead speak, and assure us of their ident- ity; that they live beyond the thin veil which con- ceals them from mortal eyes, and love us yet. Life has no joy like this ! Its pains and burdens are light now that we know that they bear us to the goal, where face to face, we shall meet our beloved in the land where partings are unknown. ' ' Over-estimate ! ' ' Can he who wanders in a darksome cave over-estimate the sunshine which bathes the world with glory ? Surely we fail to appreciate the length and breadth and height of this great Cause, which, like the fabled ash, penetrating through the physical world, strikes its roots into the nether realm, and lifts its branches above into the heavens ! Is it a religion ? If religion be devotion to the true and right, for love of the true and right alone, regardless of conse- quences, the fear of doing wrong, and not fear of God — then it is a religion. It is a religion, a philosophy, a science blended, forming a system vital with growth and commensurate with the needs of humanity. How broad this field! How expansive to all that is noble and divine ! Above the jangling war of beliefs, of dogmas, of narrow and one-sided views of man and God, the true Spiritualist stands overlooking the wide-spreading sea, with hori- zon lifting to reveal new glories of remote and unex- plored continents. No one who has gained these hieghts ever receded or sighed for the old-time bond- age. We are immortal spirits now. We are walking the corridors of heaven, fashioning the character of our spirits. Whatever we do that has an eternal relation, is a treasure laid up above ; all else is fleeting shadow, passing with the day. They who thought the evidence of conscious exist- INTR0DUC1I0N. 27 ence beyond the grave all that their hearts most craved, find that they have entered a sphere of new and ever-extending activities. Thus, Spiritualism is the religion of life, and deals directly with the cares and responsibilities of mankind. Nor by supinely waiting will the full benefits of Spiritualism be realized. Be active is the command. The world is on]y redeemed by sacrifice and travail. The past has dreamed of a future Eden. We are rapidly nearing the Fortunate Isle beyond the waves of the Western Ocean seen by our ancestors. Oblivion will devour the dross and leave the shining truth. Creeds, dogmas, superstitions, shall pass with their day, and the mockery of legislation which attempts to force men to be moral. Eden, the age of thought, of perfect manhood, is coming. The angels proclaim it. Again they breathe "Peace on earth, good- will to men." Their voices have vibrated in the hearts of the true all these centuries, to break forth in the full glory of the glad anthem which shall usher in the day of man's emancipation from slavery to the errors of the past. THE NAME. It has been reserved for the present time to show the absurdity of the poet's saying, that a rose by an- other name would smell as sweet, and maintain that its fragrance would be enhanced by a newly-coined name. Spiritualism has won its way to the hearts of millions. It presents in the most beautiful form the philosophy and science of life, and a religion deep as the foundation of things, and as lofty as the reach of Infinite Intelligence. It stands as the antagonist of Materialism, presenting the only consistent explana- tion of the phantasmagoria of Creation ; for there can only be two methods of solving the world problems, the Spiritual and Material. The first regards phe- nomena as the expression to the senses of spiritual forces which permeate and underlie the physical world. These forces, in their expression, manifest apparent intelligence, and pursue fixed channels, known as laws, to certain results. There is a plan, an aim, and purpose, which find response in our own in- telligence, as an infinite expression of our limited fac- 28 INTRODUCTION. ulties. This is a fundamental idea of the Spiritual Philosophy. Man, as the perfect fruitage of the tree of life, epitomises in his spirit the forces of Nature. His spiritual existence begins at birth, for mortal life is its first state, and continues on into the aeons of Eternity. The Science of Spiritualism is the knowl- edge of spiritual laws and forces, in their grandest generalizations, as special forms, as limited by indi- vidualization in man. It comprises all the relation- ships individuals sustain in mortal life, and the broader intercourse of the immortal spheres. But Spiritualism has not always been presented to the world in this glorious form. It has been made synonymous with ignorance or designing folly, with the frauds of mountebanks and jugglers. This great Cause has flowed on like a mighty river at time of flood, broad and profoundly deep, with current ocean- ward, irresistible, but unperceived by those on shore, because its surface has been covered with driftwood, wreckage, the froth and spume of agitation. They who have stood by and fathomed the uprising of the waters have been possessed by abiding faith that when the drift of decayed trunks and broken branches and the wash and garbage of the shores should be carried away, the stream would flow strong and clear as truth itself. Now that the cause has become strong, the attempt is made to seize it with rapacious hands by many cliques, and label it by various names to suit their fancies. In each and every instance, instead of the broad field covered by the term Spiritualism, titles are proposed covering only narrow portions, fragments broken off and exploited as the whole. Theosophy, Occultism, Christian Science, Faith Cure and Metaphysics are some of the terms present- ed. The first has allied itself with Indian jugglery, and is too utterly profound for comprehension. It differs from Spiritualism in the essential feature, that while the latter places no limitation to spirits, the former professes to teach its votaries how they may control spirits and compel them to perform tasks as messengers, thus introducing the wild dreams of the Arabian Nights as realities of science. Yet it may be observed that every instance wherein "element INTRODUCTION. 29 taries" have been introduced, deception has been proven. Spirit intelligences may be influenced by their mortal friends, and assist, through the motives of love and affection as they would do were they yet in earthly life, but they are not bond-slaves to incanta- tion and burning incense, or the lingo of self-appoint- ed priests. Occultism, has unfortunately, become a favorite word to characterize the phenomena of Spiritualism. "Occult" means secret, unknown, hidden from the eye of the understanding, but its popular significance is derived from its use in connection with necromancy and alchemy, which flourished in the ignorance of the past, and were known as the ■ ' occult sciences. ' ' When employed as equivalent to Spiritualism, bearing the taint of its past meaning, it degrades and libels the cause. Christian science has made for itself a wide hear- ing. The effeminates, whose ailment is want of will, are benefited by being impressed that disease is a de- lusion, and that they are well and strong if they only think themselves so ; yet it must not be forgotten that this is the teaching of Spiritualism, only carried to unwarrantable length. While in the mortal body the spirit is under physical limitations, and although dom- inant, and the will often superior, yet as long as the two are connected, the conditions of the physical world must act on the spirit. Thus, while "faith cure,'"' "Christian science," mental science," etc., are valuable in reinforcing the will, and helpful in nerv- ous ills, they are of little value in diseases resulting from organic changes, as poisoning and bacteria. "Christian science" essays a wider field than healing disease, but it may be said of it that as far as it is true it follows Spiritualism, and when it departs from the teachings of the latter it becomes vague, visionary and unsupported. Of "metaphysics," in the new and unwarrantable meaning given to that term, all that is of value is taken from Spiritualism, and that which it has added is not true. We sailed out of port on the grandest ship that ever floated on the ocean of time. None had finer lines, or 30 INTRODUCTION. were stauncher against adverse winds or tides. Her keel was laid by the hands of angels, and every plank riveted nnder their guidance. She was manned by self-sacrificing bravery and the most noble thinkers of the world. As we sailed, we saw from her decks many false lights flaming on headlands to the right and left, and heard the breakers on many an unseen reef of the uncharted seas. The mighty prow was turned to the infinite expanse, the eternity of eterni- ties, and the waves laughed as they clapped their hands gleefully around or languished in the long-ex- tending path swift left behind. Now we meet other ships, slow sailing, or derelicts, abandoned by their crews to decay on the waves. There are the huge, weather-stained hulks of dogmas, water-logged and ready to disappear in the bottom of the sea ; and around us sport monstrous shapes of creeds and cruel beliefs, which once sent the blood from the blanched face of bravery ; made the hero a craven, crowned the idiot a saint, and apotheosised the demented enthusiast. Grandly we are sailing, the canvas swelling to the gales of truth, spiritual intelligences at the wheel, and headed straight out into the mists of the horizon which extends between two worlds. We have gath- ered in, from sinking crafts and mouldering hulls, many a perishing soul, and the decks are crowded by a motley crew. We meet with lofty ships, battered and gnawed by the waves of the centuries they have sailed. Their tattered ensigns bear the names of churches. There is the double-deck frigate of the Cath- olics, the gaily-trimmed wherry of the Episcopalians ; the well-armed brig of the Presbyterians; the dark- sided, lumbering schooner of the Baptists ; the broad- decked lighter of the Methodists; the trim clipper of the Unitarians ; and steam yacht of the Agnostics. ' ' Ship ahoy ! ' ' comes over the waters from a score of decks. ' ' What flag do you float ? ' ' Then we look aloft and see the tall mast without an ensign ! "What flag shall we unfurl?" is the eager cry. "What flag?" Then out of the steerage and hold swarm Occultists, INTRODUCTION. 31 Christian Scientists, Psychists, and Theosophists, who have taken passage as stowaways. "Run up a banner with Christian Science written thereon,'' cries one. "No, with Occultism!" cries another, and the Theo- sophist wants "Theosophy " on a streamer reaching to infinitude. "I beseech you, do not disgrace us, but blazon 'Psychic Science' on the flag," cries another. Then we reply: "You do not sail this ship. Our officers did not know you were on board. You smug- gled yourselves in, and have been brought thus far without giving us the shadow of assistance. If we were to display all your devices they would not sig- nify our aim and purpose. Our ship is sailing for the metropolis of the future world, and will not cast anchor or furl its sails until that haven is reached." We run to the topmost peak a snowy flag, whereon is emblazoned "Spiritualism." Spiritualism, the philosophy and science of life, here and hereafter ; the sum of all truth and incentive to righteousness. We will nail it there, that no hand desecrate it. There it will remain when all the fads and ologies have passed and been forgotten. They are for time, but Spiritualism is without limit of dura- tion. HER GRAVE. Oh, I can bear to think of it when summer's warmth is glowing In melting clouds, and shining dews, and tender floods of grief; When the violets are living, and the fragrant clover blowing, And not a tree is there alive but is in perfect leaf. I know that, though I sit and weep as mournful as a shadow, The hand of Grief upon my heart, her anguish in my eye, The robins are rejoicing and the larks sing in the meadow, And the air is full of music in the churchyard where you lie. I half forget that you are dead, our pretty, blue-eyed darling, With an oleander blossom resting on each rounded cheek; And your red mouth sweet and mobile, and your voice a singing starling, And your soul a very angel, looking through your eyes so meek. I can think of it in summer, but this winter night 'tis snow- ing, And all the life of nature like your young blood is con- gealed; How wearily, how drearily the moaning winds are blowing! Your grave is just a snowdrift heaped upon a barren field. EMMA ROOD TUTTLB. DELUSION: WHO SHALL DECLARE IT? Well, maybe it is delusion That the soul lives after death ; But, if so, it is far the dearest Which the tongue of mortal saith. And, since so much of life's pleasure Is wrought of unreal things, I shall always hold to the riches Which the "dear delusion" brings. Delusions of earth are mocking Wherever we mortals go, And finding so much unreal Has cost me a deal of woe. But the dream of life immortal Will never bring me pain; For, when it is proven error, I shall count not loss nor gain. I shall never live to know it, If my darlings are only dust; And all which the weakest and wisest Can do is to hope and trust. I may reason and doubt, but ever They may seem to speak from the sky; Then it seems but a cold delusion To dream that a soul can die? You may show me the dust and ashes, You may give me a wreath of rue, You may dream you have truth and wisdom, And I am less brave than you; But still I shall never yield it For a thing you say or do; You cannot make it an error, And I cannot make it true. We all must wait and wonder What the change of death will bring; Your sketches are skulls and cross-bones, Which I to the winds would fling, And picture immortal faces Brow-girt with asphodels, And hands which are reaching earthward Bunches of immortelles. But neither your wise conclusions, Nor mine with their rainbow wings, Can alter one jot or tittle The eternal law of things! Yet, ah! in the world that this is It were all too sad to stay, If we could not have our fancies Of "The Ever-so-far-away." — Emma Rood Tuttle. INDEX TO CHAPTERS. PAGE. CHAPTER I. Evidences of Spiritualism 35 CHAPTER II. Evidences of Spiritualism 51 CHAPTER III. Matter and Force: Their Relation to Spirit 73 CHAPTER IV. Spiritual Atmosphere of the Universe 93 CHAPTER V. Animal Magnetism, Hypnotism, Mesmerism 107 CHAPTER VI. Spirit — Its Phenomena and Laws 130 CHAPTER VII. Spirit — Its Phenomena and Laws 145 CHAPTER VIII. Philosophy of Death 193 CHAPTER IX. Mediumship — Its Phenomena, Laws and Cultivation 210 CHAPTER X. Mediumship During Sleep 236 CHAPTER XI. Heaven and Hell, the Supposed Abodes of the Departed . . 267 CHAPTER XII. The Spirit's Home 285 CHAPTER XIII. Resume — A General Survey of Spiritualism 298 CHAPTER XIV. -The Old Religion of Pain. Spiritualism the Religion of Joy .....328 A Glossary of Terms 345 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. CHAPTER I. EVIDENCES OF SPIRITUALISM. A Discussion of the Various Theories Advanced for Its Exposition. If a Man Die Shall He Live Again? — Investigation of Spir- itual Phenomena — Immortality and Science — Conditions of Immortality — Impossible with Physical Elements — Does the Mind Perish? — If Man Is Not Immortal, How can He Understand Immortality? — Opposition of Science — Is It Legerdemain? — Are the Senses Reliable? — Hallucination? — Evil Spirits or the Devil? — Magnetism, Electricity, Od Force — Mental Phenomena — The Position Taken by Scien- tific Men — The Intelligence Manifested Is Human, yet Not Derived from the Medium or Circle — Only One Recourse. IF A MAN DIE SHALL HE LIVE AGAIN? Confucius says : "How vast is the power of spirit ! An ocean of invisible intelligences surrounds us every- where. If you look for them you cannot see them. If you listen you cannot hear them. Identified with the substance of all things, they cannot be separated from it. They are everywhere, above us, on our right, and on our left. Their coming cannot be calculated. How important we do not neglect them." In the investigation of this mysterious subject it is essential, as in all other investigations after truth, that the vision be directed through a clear glass, and that the conclusion reached be accepted without prejudice. 36 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. No question appeals more strongly to human con- sciousness than that which has been asked since love first felt the chilling shadow of the grave: "If a man die shall he live again?" On its affirmation depend our hopes and aspirations : its negation makes of crea- tion a sham, into which man is thrust for no purpose, except to pass his brief hour of existence, fraught with pain and disappointment, to be blotted out at life's swift closing evening by eternal night. This negation, with the logic of science as at present un- derstood, leads to Atheism. This has been foreseen by theologians who have sought to arrest its progress, but the shafts they have aimed at scepticism have re- bounded against themselves. The responsibility rests on every new truth to vin- dicate itself by positive evidence, and show the errors of the beliefs it supplants. Cicero gave more atten- tion to the arguments brought against him than to those he presented in favor, and it is essential to show the old false before establishing the new. INVESTIGATION OF SPIRITUAL PHENOMENA. In no department of research does the investigator meet with greater difficulties than in that of psychic manifestations. The field is almost unknown, with scarcely a trail to guide the explorer ; and the essen- tial conditions on "which success depends cannot be predicated with certainty. It has been approached by two classes, actuated by opposite motives — one prejudiced against everything claiming spirituality, with the case prejudged, and arrogantly blind to the facts that appear ; the other too easily satisfied, with the partiality of credulity for the bizarre and incom- prehensible. Then there is a middle class of students who discriminate, rejecting the false and accepting the true, and by so doing are distrusted by both ex- tremes; the first regarding them as untrustworthy; the latter as suspicious allies, liable to desert the cause at any moment. As Confucius taught, the truth re- sides in the "golden mean," calm judgment and im- partial reason having eliminated the conflicting sources of error. The insatiate demand for objective manifestations has had a disastrous influence. It has gone on increasing its requirements until the most THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 37 remarkable, if not impossible, have been called for, and the demand has been answered; for never was credulity so great but fraud could minister to its wants. Those who disclaimed Materialism as gross and unworthy, reduced Spiritualism itself to the crudest Materialism, and were satisfied with nothing short of weighing their so-called spirit friends on platform scales, and receiving yards of lace, which is of earthly looms, though believed to be from the deft fingers of spirits. Spirit phenomena must be essentially spiritual, and only slightly touch the physical horizon. It was a blunder, fraught with disaster to the Cause, when the purely spiritual phases were set aside for grosser forms of manifestation ; the end reached being invari- ably the same. The sensitive, or medium, commenees with an hon- est purpose. The manifestations are slight, occur at irregular times, and when least called for. If con- tent to cultivate this sensitiveness, and receive what is given, all is well. It may grow more and more, and have seasons of wonderful activ- ity; but the possessor usually becomes a pub- lic vendor of his or her gift. The eager public call at certain hours, and pay a fixed price. Every in- ducement is made to increase the manifestations, and render them, more remarkable. These cannot be pre- dicated, and the chances are always against their re- currence. The gift of sensitiveness does not answer the demand; but in another direction it becomes a pit into which its possessor falls. The intense desire of those awaiting response acts hypnotically on the me- dium. If he is sensitive to the thoughts of spirits, he is equally so to the thoughts and wishes of mortals. Impelled by the latter influence and the selfish desire to win money, the manifestations are simulated, and this with more and more daring until at last the de- ception is too transparent to deceive the most credu- lous, and has wrought its own cure. Immortality and Science.— Science is an interpreter of the senses. The phenomena attending the death of man and of animals are apparently the same. The processes of decay destroy their bodies, resolving' them into identical elements. In vain is appeal made 38 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. to the senses for knowledge of existence beyond the grave. Their voice is ' ' Dust to dust ; " a resurrection of new organic life out of the dead atoms. Man's physical body is composed of perishable compounds, and, of necessity, must perish. Dissolution is the ter- rible, but unavoidable, end of living beings. Com- posed as they are of elements antagonistic, gross, and conflicting, the result of their reaction, called life, cannot be preserved. A living being represents "a, balance of the forces of decay and renovation. In the maturing organism, the latter predominate; in age, the former constantly increase in power until they gain the victory in death Such is the history of ail organic forms. Out of the imperfect material afford- ed by the physical world, immortal beings cannot be produced. Conditions of Immortality,— An immortal being presupposes the perfect harmony of its constituent elements c The forces of decay and renovation must not only balance, they must so remain forever. Im- mortality is this harmony eternally preserved ; and, if attainable with plrysical elements, an immortal lion or panther^ oak or pine, would be as possible as an im- mortal man. Impossible with Physical Elements,— But such con- ditions cannot obtain. Organic forms revolve in des- ignated orbits, fulfil appointed missions, and pass back to elementary atoms. The grass and herbs of the fields; the trees of centuries' growth; the deer browsing the branches; the lion devouring the deer; all the multitudinous forms of animated nature, with man boasting of his superiority, grow old, and die. Identically do they all decay. Their dissolving ele- ments are absorbed by the earth, washed by the rains, wafted away by the winds. All are resolved, and mingle. The farthest oasis in the desert is refreshed by the gifts brought by the winds and rain ; the palm is taller, the grass greener. Life rejoices in the har- vest of the old. So is it always ; life preys on death ; and in a perpetual cycle of change from death to life, the world is filled with beings, and a fleeting happi- ness secured to each. Does the Mind Perish? — Physically man is an ani- mal; mentally— "Ah! What?" asks the sceptic. THE ARCANA OP SPIRITUALISM. 39 "What is memory but an interrupted succession of automatic actions? And God-like reason regarded as placing an impassable barrier between man and ani- mals — what is it but the comparison of perceptions? What is mind, as a whole, but the result of chemical changes in the nerve centers as heat is in the grate, or electricity in the battery? "Does not the brain secrete thought as the liver secretes bile ? ' ' Man has the wants of the animal ; and after these are supplied he feels the breath of new and vastly higher faculties, dimly recognizable by his aspira- tions. Indefinable, inexpressible desires and longings seize him. He feels that he is akin to that which is supreme. He thinks blindly that this afflatus is the breath of Deity, and, shadowing his ideal, he personi- fies it as God, and endows it with infinite attributes. What is this shadow which man, the animal, worships as God? Is it not his own immortal being? As in a mirror he sees his own divine qualities reflected, and thus it is not true that men assimilate to their Gods ; rather their gods are personified representatives of themselves. If Man Is Not Immortal, How Can He Understand Immortality? — An ox can no more understand mathe- matics than immortality, because he has not the ele- ments of either in his organization. He does not count the blades of grass on which he feeds, nor estimate their form or size. He appreciates them only as far as they appease his hunger. In man, size, form, num- ber are suggested, because he has the mathematical faculties. If he were mortal, it would be as impossi- ble for him to comprehend immortality as for the ox to understand mathematics. Opposition of Science,— Material Science, as under- stood, is opposed to Spiritualism. Some of the lead- ing scientists, such as Hare, Wallace, Crookes, Var- ley, De Morgan, Barrett, and Lodge, have, after patient investigation, become advocates, but the fash- ion has been to ignore the phenomena, which are posi- tive and amenable to law, and made no supernatural claim for their cause. Physical science is external, and prejudiced on the material side. Spiritualism supplies the deficiency by seeking the soul of things. Is It Legerdemain?— Such is the first question asked 40 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. by the investigator. It is impossible for a human be- ing- to move physical matter without contact, and the moving of ponderable substances without such con- tact settles the explanations by legerdemain, self-de- lusion, and collusion. A rap, or the playing of a mu- sical instrument at a distance from the medium, is conclusive on this point. The movement of a table, while the hands of the circle rest on its surface, of itself is not satisfactory ; but it becomes so by the in- telligence of its answers. If it answers in such a man- ner as to identify the controlling force with the de- parted whom it purports to be, imparting facts un- known to the medium or circle, the cause, whatever it may be, is removed outside of the circle. The facts which prove that matter has been moved without contact, that musical instruments have been played, and intelligence manifested superior to that of the medium, are so common, that, for the present we take them for granted. Volumes might readily be filled with them ; but scepticism, to be thoroughly convinced, must witness for itself, as belief cannot grow out of the statement of what others have seen. Are the Senses Reliable?— If the medium does not deceive, perhaps the members of the circle are self- deceived; perhaps their senses are unreliable. No- where else are they so deceptive as in the border-land lying between the known physical realm and what has been called the supernatural. It has become fashion- able to ridicule everything of a spiritual character as miraculous, and hence unworthy of credence. Be- cause the senses are sometimes deceived, their evidence is entirely discarded unless susceptible of proof. This is by no means justifiable. All knowledge is referable to them; and we, in the end, are compelled to accept their testimony. The senses often become deranged. The ear hears, the eye sees, when there is nothing external to pro- duce sight or sound, the cause residing in organic changes in the nerves or brain. The deaf hear roar- ing or whistling sounds, as of the wind, or falling water, or rush of steam ; the abnormal action of the auditory nerves simulating the effects of sounds nat- urally produced. This does not prove that there is no reliability in hearing. Two deaf persons listening for THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 41 the same sound would not receive it alike. Hissing to one would be roaring to the other, proving that neither heard an external sound. The normal ear would hear no sound, and its evidence would be receivable. The records of insanity furnish innumerable instances of the deception of the senses, which have been employed to account for spiritual phenomena. If the senses are not to be trusted, if the normal cannot be dis- tinguished from the abnormal, it should be known, and distrust awakened. The savants, who annually publish ''expositions" of Spiritualism, talk as if the world was a world of hallucinations,— an unreliable, phantom existence. It is true all are liable to hallucinations; yet such liabil- ity does not necessarily indicate insanity. Disease often produces hallucinations ; as in delirium tremens, fevers, and fasting. Spiritual Phenomena, Hallucinations or Illusions?— Hallucination is a false perception which has no ob- jective reality ; existing only in the mind. An illusion is the false perception of a real object. A proper un- derstanding of the series of facts co-ordinated into these two classes would show the puerility of refer- ring spiritual manifestations to either. If a score of persons subject to illusions were in company, no two would be hallucinated alike. If one said the table moved, there would not be another to corroborate him. If two should claim to see the table move, it would be considered by expert physicians as a dem- onstration that they were not hallucinated, and saw with normal sight. At circles all the members see, feel, and hear alike. How, then, can it be called illusion or hallucination? If it were even probable that the members of one or more circles were hallucinated, that thousands should be so is not only improbable but impossible. Learned men have unqualifiedly endorsed the phe- nomena called spiritual, and bravely announced their belief. It is not a single case of insanity, but of mill- ions, all infatuated alike, if they are infatuated ; and, as the quoted facts show, rarely, if ever, are two indi- viduals contemporaneously hallucinated alike, — the chances of their being so become infinitely improb- able. 42 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. A list of the names of those who have embraced Spiritualism would include the leading men of the nations— statesmen who wield the most power, scien- tists, and almost all the advanced and radical think- ers. If the senses are valueless in informing as to a table 's moving, how can they be trusted as to its not moving? If twenty persons think they see it move when it is stationary, who is to judge whether it be stationary or not? Then we float into a sea of un- reality, and science itself has no basis. If the senses of sight, hearing, touch, are unreliable, presenting what is false, 7, en there is no certainty anywhere. This once favorite theory is now throAvn aside by more enlightened opponents, but is still urged by those who have not taken the trouble to acquaint themselves with the phenomena. Evil Spirits, or the Devil?— A standing argument that all communications are from evil spirits, and as such denounced by the Bible, is drawn from the story of the "Witch of Endor." Because Saul consulted her, it is said that God condemned him to death. A careful reading will convince an unprejudiced mind that this conclusion is erroneous. God, through the Prophet Samuel, commanded Saul to smite the Amalekites and destroy all the people and their flocks and their kind Agag. Saul smote the people, but brought off the flocks and the king. Because of this disobedience, Samuel struck down Agag with a sword and in rage pronounced the doom of Saul. Twenty years after, when Saul was hedged around with ene- mies and the Lord would give him no response, he sought the ''woman of Endor," of the class he had remorselessly persecuted in disguise. The woman, or Priestess, at once penetrated his disguise, and when he assured her and she became calm, the Spirit of Samuel came and repeated the fateful sentence he had pronounced a score of years before. Who more fitting for such a mission than the spirit of the great prophet? The narrative is in perfect accord with the teachings of the spiritual philosophy. There is not at present a court in the civilized world that would listen to a charge of witchcraft, for no in- telligent person believes that a witch ever existed. The "Woman of Endor" could not have been a witch in THE ARCANA OP SPIRITUALISM. 43 the modern meaning of that word, one in league with the devil. Her impressibility, which at once pene- trated the disguise of Saul, her sympathy for him in his distress, extending to his followers and their beasts, show that she was superiorly endowed as a woman and a medium. Now that the once powerful Satan has passed with the darkness of ignorance into Limbo, it is a waste of time to answer this question. It is the old phrase re- peated with dreary iteration by biassed minds, and considered by the unthinking, ample reply to progres- sive propositions in the realm of thought. When Luther lit the fires of the Reformation, and Catholicism saw the fierce flames rise high, and lap its most cherished institutions, the priests mounted the summits of their grim towers, and shrieked in wild refrain, "The Devil! -the Devil!" When England threw off the Catholic yoke, and be- came spiritually free, there came across the wide sea, and echoed along the shores of the channel, that por- tentious growl, ' ' The Devil ! ' ' When a comet flashed on the evening sky, and shook out its fiery train, the Pope prayed to be saved from the arch-fiend, the Devil ! When a concussion, manifesting intelligence, is heard, and a table is moved by invisible power ; when there are those who fall into an unconscious state, and have the realities of the future life revealed to them — the clergy from their pulpits shriek, "The Dev ii ! ' ' Ah ! Satan, you are much abused. You have been the scape-goat for the folly and ignorance of the world. If evil spirits can communicate, why not the good i Ah! here is an unfortunate dilemma. Can a benev- olent God let loose upon mankind an innumerable host of demons, and allow them to delude the children of men, and forbid the good and loving ones to hold communion? Dives was an evil spirit, but he could not return to earth, and hence, requested Lazarus to bear a message to his brethren. The Bible thus proves that while the evil could not, the good could return and communicate. "The tree is known by its fruit. The good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, nor the -evil tree good fruit. ' ' Spiritualism makes men better. 44 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. It teaches a sublime code of morality. It inculcates virtue, goodness and purity. It holds forth the most exalted motives for right-doing. It destroys oppres- sion. It gives assurance of an after-life, and the pres- ence of loved ones gone before. Can such pure waters flow from a corrupt fountain ? Can the bread of life be gathered from the poisonous upas ? "The Sub-Conscious Self."— Perhaps no theory or explanation has had wider attention or received more authority than that of the ' ' sub-conscious self. ' ' This has been put forward as a new theory, but really orig- inated with Dr. Carpenter more than twenty-five years ago. That distinguished physiologist explained the phenomena of Spiritualism, at least the part not refer- able to fraud, to "ideo-motor activity" and "uncon- scious cerebration. ' ' This is identical with the ' ' sub- conscious self. ' ' What is this theory ? It is supposed that there is underneath, and unrecognized by the senses, another self, which unconsciously stores up im- pressions, and on occasion manifests knowledge and attainments, of which the normal self is incapable. This in plain English means that the mind uncon- sciously thinks, acts, and wills, without recognizing its own activity. The "Subjective Mind" is another term for the same thing. Had the promulgators of this theory taken into con- sideration the physiological origin of "unconscious cerebration," and "sub-consciousness," they would have recognized its weakness, .and not hazarded their reputation by its advocacy. The sub- consciousness recognized by biologists, is quite distinct from that of this theory. Its origin is in the reflex nerve system. To make the matter plain, we will compare the nerve system of man with that of vertebrates lower in the scale of being. In the lowest the nervous sys- tem is only a simple line of nerve fiber, indicative of the spinal cord. There is no specialized brain. In higher forms there are enlargements of this cord, each enlargement of ganglion being surrounded by a bony envelop, or vertebra, which, uniting with others, form the spinal column. Yet higher, several of these ganglia at one end coalesce and form a true brain. This brain has specialized functions, distinct from THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 45 what may be called the special brain, yet is united to it by fibrous ties. Man may be said to have two brains : The spinal, which consists of all ganglia outside the superior brain, and the superior brain, which is en- veloped in the skull. Organic activity and functions are all referable to the spinal brain. The heart, the stomach, the lungs, and all organs send nerve-fibres to special ganglia, and fibers return through which force, whatever it may be, is sent to maintain their activity. In the main these movements are uncon- sciously performed, the superior brain not recogniz- ing them. In a few cases it has partial control, as in breathing. In the amphibia the spinal or ganglionic brain is of. more importance than the true brain, and the lat- ter may be removed and the animal continue to live indefinitely. In man there is extreme specialization of function. The conscious brain by its intense ac- tivity, conceals, obscures other manifestations, yet the spinal brain is active, the store-house of heredity, and of instinct, and automatic action. It may be educated is it were, independent. This is illustrated by the musician whose hands, after long practice, move over the keys without thought. Walking may or may not be under mental control. Over a rough road where every step has to be thought of, walking is wearisome, but when a level spot is reached, the conscious brain ceases to act, and the movement is made by force sent from a spinal nerve center, and the mental effort rests. The superior brain is formed by the coalescence of several ganglia. One forms the cerebrum whose espe- cial function is thought. Beneath is the cerebellum which is a sort of relay battery and co-ordinator, and consolidated into these beneath are the sensatory ganglia. I am especially desirous to make clear and thoroughly comprehended, this double nerve-system, because it not only shows what may be expected from the lower, but its limitations as well. When it is ap- parent that this limitation fails far short of the phe- nomena which have been referred to it, further con- tention is unnecessary. The conscious self may by a process of reasoning, which means co-ordination of cause and effect, as ob- 46 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. served by perception, reach the region of pure thought. By so doing it rises entirely above the obr jective causes with which it began. Sub-conscious- ness never arises above impressions, nor manifests in- telligence not first impressed upon it. Like a machine it moves with marvellous precision along certain courses, but on no other. The application of the theory of the sub-conscious self to the explanation of Spiritual phenomena, is met by the potent objection that it makes the sub-conscious self, which resides in the spinal brain, superior and endowed with almost miraculous power, over the conscious self, which re- sides in a wonderfully specialized and developed organ. It makes the lower immeasurably superior to the higher. When the sensitive or medium gives names, dates, describes persons or events unknown to him, the theory breaks down in its explanation. There are manifestations which have passed for spiritual, which really are of this unconscious, automatic or- igin, and these the theory beautifully explains, but this scarcely breaks the ranks of solid facts which resist its solution and can only be unitized and understood by reference to spiritual causes. The mediumistic state is almost identical with "sub-consciousness," as denned by the theory, but is distinct from the real sub-consciousness of the physi- ologist. The real has limitations which fall far short of embracing the phenomena attending mediumship. Illustrations to an unlimited extent might be drawn from the line of authors, artists, inventors, statesmen and warriors. In fact, scarcely a single one of all the brilliant names which lead on the scroll of fame but might be taken as an example of sensitiveness to the control of superior intelligences, which this theory would refer to the "sub-conscious self." Perhaps the trance of the greatest of all poets, Ten- nyson, is the clearest, as we have the description in his own words in a letter written in 1874 to a friend. He says : "I have never had any revelation through anaesthetics, but a kind of waking trance (this for want of a better term) I have frequently had, quite up from boyhood, when I have been alone. This has often come upon me through repeating my own name to myself silently, till, all at once, as it were, out of the THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM, 47 tensity of the consciousness of the individuality, the individuality itself seemed to resolve and. fade away into boundless being ; and this is not a composed state, but the clearest, the surest of the surest, utterly be- yond words, where death was almost a laughable im- possibility, the loss of personality (if it were) seeming no extinction, but the only true life. I am ashamed of my description. Have I not said the state was utterly beyond words?" The case of blind Tom is on the other extreme. In the poet is the ripe scholarship and assiduous train- ing the resultant of highest culture ; in the latter, an uncouth, ignorant, idiotic negro. Yet "his subjective self" is not idiotic. It is supposed to perform musical feats, which the trained musician would not attempt. Now we have a choice of two theories ; to suppose his subjective mind is superior to the objective mind of the majority of musicians or that in this semi-uncon- scious or trance state he is capable of being used as an instrument by spiritual intelligences for the pro- duction of music. Ole Bull, to the physical conditions of impressibil- ity, added culture. Hence he was able to recognize his spiritual visitors. On one occasion, the voice of Handel murmured in his ear — after a rendition of that composer's "Hallelujah Chorus"— "Only Shadow Music Sung by Shadows." My soul asked, "Where, then, is the substance, Master ? " "In my world, ' ' the voice replied, "where alone all things are real and music is the speech." Magnetism, Electricity, Od Force.— -Each of these was once prominently advocated as the cau^e of the manifestations, and quietly sank out of sight, and now requires only passing mention. Those who understand the laws of these forces well know that tables of wood cannot be charged with electricity or become magnetic. «If they were, instruments would detect the presence of each, and yet when thus applied such instruments show the absence of these forces. The table, when moving, will not attract the smallest iron tiling, any more than it will, electrically, attract a pith ball. It sounds exceedingly wise to refer a fact to electricity or magnetism, and has been quite the fashion. The human body cannot charge a table elec- 48 THE ARCANA OP SPIRITUALISM. trically or magnetically. It never exhibits the latter force. Both these hypotheses are untenable. The odic force is equally so. In none of Reichenbach's experiments did he find odic force capable of moving a particle of matter. Acting on the nervous system, it attracted or repelled persons susceptible to its influ- ence. It acts entirely and exclusively on living be- ings, and has not the least effect on inorganic bodies. This theory nourished for a time, made popular by its sounding name, and the ignorance of those who re- ceived, as well as of those whose taught it. Od force has no more intelligence than iron, or lime, or heat. Plow, then, account for intelligent communications? Does it absorb them from the minds of the circle? How account for its intelligence transcending the knowledge of the circle ? Mental Phenomena.— Theorists attempt to account for the mental manifestations, as trance, writing, etc., by mesmerism or hypnotism. Here, there is a show of argument, for the impressibility that allows a spirit freed from the physical body to communicate enables a mesmeriser to impress his thoughts on his subject. The spiritual and mesmeric influence are mixed, be- cause they depend on the same laws and conditions. It is probable that much that is received as spiritual might be readily traced to mesmeric causes. But mes- meric impressions do not go outside of the person or objects en rapport with the subject. They never re- veal what is unknown to those in connection. Spirit- ual impressibility reaches outside of surroundings, and reveals the thoughts of the spirit en rapport. No one pretends that hypnotism moves articles of furniture without physical contact. It can be employed only in the domain of mind, and fails even then in giving an explanation. How can the following fact be explained by any of the old theories of psychology? I state it because of the authority, not because it is unique. It is related by Dr. Hare ("Spiritualism Scientifically Demon- strated," p. 171) : il I was sitting in my solitary, third-story room at Cape Island, invoking my sister, as usual, when, to my surprise, I saw 'Oadwallader' spelled out on the desk. 4 My old friend, Cadwallader ? ' said I. 'Yes.' THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 49 A communication of much interest ensued; but, be- fore concluding, I requested him, as a test, to give me the name of the person whom I met in an affair of honor, more than fifty years ago, when he was my sec- ond. The name was forthwith given, by pointing out on my desk the letters requisite to spell it. Now, as the spirit of General Cadwallader, during more than fifteen months that other friends had sought to com- municate with me ; had never made me a visit, why should his name have been spelled out when I had not the remotest idea of his coming, and was expecting another spirit,— the only one who had been with me at the Cape ? Further, the breakfast bell being rung, I said, ' Will you come again after breakfast ? ' I un- derstood him to consent to the invitation. Accord- ingly, when afterwards I reseated myself I looked for him; but lo! ' Martha/ my sister's name, was spelled out." The Position Taken by Some Scientific Men has not been scientific, viz., to receive and calmly judge with- out prejudice. When Sir David Brewster, in a seance, saw a table rise from the carpet, he cautiously said, "It seems to rise." He would not admit the testi- mony of his senses, or was not honest. When Faraday was told that his table-turning theory had failed, that tables were actually suspended in the air without visible support, he refused to go and see for himself, and declared he was "heartily tired of the whole mat- ter." No one has honestly investigated but has be- come a believer. Those who oppose are, without ex- ception, those who know least about the subject. It is the misfortune of theorizers that there are two classes of phenomena to account for, — the physical and the mental ; and a theory, however nicely ad- justed to one, is sure to be overthrown by the other. It has been a favorite hobby with many to say, with a wise accent, "It results from some unknown law of mind." If the mental phenomena were alone, this might satisfy superficiality; but is not the rising of a table into the air a wonderful feat for an ' ' unknown law of mind?" So, account for the physical phenom- ena, and there lies an immense field of psychic mani- festations wholly beyond explanation. Many of the theories advanced require a much 50 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. greater stretch of credulity than the acceptance of the theory of the spiritual source of the phenomena. The Intelligence Manifested Is Human Intelligence. — It is conceded that the communicating power, what- ever it be, manifests intelligence. Volumes of facts might be introduced in evidence that it is not derived from the medium or circle. Ad- mit that these manifestations are explainable by i ■ un- known laws of mind," by "Odylic force," or any other theory, will not the same apply to those record- ed in the Bible? Christ becomes a deluded hypnotic subject, and the miracles hallucinations ! There is no alternative, and material science is fast driving Chris- tianity to the wall. It has captured most of the think- ers of the world. Spiritualism is the last stronghold against the tide of Materialism, and if it fails to estab- lish its claims the latter will be supremely triumphant. Only One Recourse, the acceptance of the spiritual origin of the phenomena, and then Christianity be- comes Spiritualized, and the so-called supernatural in Hindostan, China, Persia, Europe, and America at once becomes amenable to law, and order is discerni- ble amid even the confusion of dogmatic beliefs. CHAPTER II. EVIDENCES OF SPIRITUALISM. Materialism v. Spiritualism— The Impossible — The Positive — Testimony of the Senses — Belief Educational — Spiritual- ism Not New — First Manifestations — They Assume a New Character — Advent of Spiritualism in France — Unexpected Report — Professors Hare and Crookes — The Evidence of Psychometry — What Good? — Personal Experiences — A Lesson in Spirit Communion — Contradictory Spirit Com- munications. Materialism vs. Spiritualism.— It is the fashion to discard the supernatural and miraculous. Even the churches have become sceptical ; and their great lead- ers scoff at the spiritual. What Hume wrote in the last century, which made his name synonymous with infidelity, has now become, in reality, a part of their belief. This sceptical materialism is a natural reaction against the superstitions of the dark ages, as Spirit- ualism is a counteraction against its darkness. The antagonism of the church, more than from any other cause, comes from the unbelief in anything spiritual, the rank materialism of the laity and ministers. There has been a constant attempt to unite Spirit- ualism with Materialism, or in milder phrase, free thought and liberalism. It has been the custom for the managers of spiritual meetings in America to ad- vertise that "the Spiritualists and Liberalists" would meet in such a hall or grove. Liberalism and free thought are high-sounding but vague terms, which ad- mit of a great diversity of meanings, and when thus attached to Spiritualism they have been prolific causes of bringing in issues remote from those desired by Spiritualists. All Spiritualists are Liberalists and free thinkers, but not all free thinkers and Liberalists are Spiritual- 52 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. ists. They are in many instances violently opposed to Spiritualism as a superstition. In essential aims and purposes Spiritualism is much nearer related to Chris- tianity than to Materialism. There are many things held in common with the first; none whatever with the last, except the assertion of freedom of thought and destruction of superstititon ; hence a handbill announcing that "the Spiritualists and Materialists will hold a meeting," etc., is more astonishing than an announcement of "the Spiritualists and Methodists," or any other church, would be. The result fully justifies this statement, for wher- ever and whenever tried, the attempt has been an utter failure. No persuasion can make water and oil unite, without blending both into something far re- mote and distinct. The platform, where Materialism and Spiritualism have equal rights, has been an arena where one destroyed what the other built. There are only two methods possible by which the origin and evolution of the universe can be explained : — the material and spiritual. The first sees in matter all potentialities, all possibilities, and claims that of and by itself it passes through the changes called crea- tion. There is no need of external intelligence or God. There is no spirit existence. Love, justice, truth, and right grow out of selfishness ; are a part of it, and go out with the expiring taper called life. This is the philosophy of muck ; the science of dirt. Spiritualism sets out with the claim, that beneath the fleeting phantasmagoria called creation, is a realm of force and energy, of which we only know by the effects we observe. Justice, right, truth and love, are — not because in the "struggle for existence" man found such most expedient as rules of conduct, but because they are inwrought into the foundation of things. The human being is not a wave thrown up from the seething sea of life, to fall back again in foam, but the heir of an infinite existence. How can two systems, so radically distinct and an- tagonistic, unite ? Spiritualists seek to become free from superstition, and liberal in the broadest sense. But as they have escaped from the dogmas of the churches, they have at the same time passed over the barren fields of THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 53 Materialism. The first taught that future existence was foreign to this life, and was bestowed because of acceptance of certain beliefs, or for the purpose of fearful punishment. The latter would have us be- lieve that there is no future life, and that our hopes and aspirations are cruel mockeries. Neither satis- fied, and we came to this mountain summit, whence we can gaze into the dim vistas of two eternities, the past and the future. In the past we see the infinite toil and suffering, by which nature has pursued her underrating aim, until the perfect fruitage of the Tree of Life, appears as man with his moral and in- tellectual consciousness. Beyond, into the future, we see the escaping spirit carrying forward into an- other state of existence in unbroken continuity the in- dividuality which has been the object of creation's infinite travail. The muck philosophers may talk of the morality of chemical changes, the religion of the foot-rule and pint- cup, by which they essay to fathom the depths of the universe, and measure the aspirations of the soul ; the Agnostic may bow to his crucible of dirt, from which the dictations of science are to be received as finali- ties ; the Spiritualist has a science and philosophy be- yond them all. We do not, with egotistical presumption, after elim- inating God, bow in servile homage to the "Unknow- able;" for, to pronounce on what can and what can- not be known, we must be all-knowing. Yet the wisest philosopher or scientist cannot explain beyond Ihe immediate cause of a single effect. With true un- derstanding of the Baconian method, the Spiritualist sets no such boundary to his investigation. He creates no "Great Mogul" of the "Unknowable" to bar his progress. On the contrary he affirms that to know is the birthright of the spirit, and its possibilities in this direction have no limitation. Having for its aim the development of the highest faculties of the mind, and the perfection of character ; uniting the present with the future; bringing the world of spirits near, and into direct relation with us in our daily lives ; cheer- ing as well as instructing us by inspiration, and kindling our aspirations for the perfection and sweet- ness of the beyond, Spiritualism has little in com- 54 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM, mon with any other system, and least of all with Ma- terialism. How vain, then, to attempt to marshal the forces of the two. The Spiritualist has not time to waste in discussing issues dead in the times of Hume and Vol- taire. He has not time to listen to tirades against Christianity and the churches, the defamation of gos- pel ministers, or the coarse, cheap ridicule which passes for criticism of the Bible. A vast constructive work is before him, and he is assured that when his temple is completed, with its deep foundations, rest- ing on the material world, and its dome alight with spiritual knowledge, none will go astray from its gateway. The Impossible. — Nothing can be pronounced im- possible that does not conflict with the laws of Na- ture, and the vast complication of unknown forces be- yond the narrow marge of the known will prevent the wise from rashly hazarding an opinion as to the impossibility of an occurrence. Columbus, Galileo, Harvey, Kepler, Darwin; every one who who has given expression to a new thought has been met by the verdict, "Impossible." After a time their discoveries became possible, and the posi- tive assurance of past ignorance was recalled with pitying smiles. The Positive. — There are few things which are posi- tive. Mathematics is the only science which may be regarded as fixed. A problem in geometry depending on the unva^ing relations of lines and angles, cannot change, and is a positive expression. Outside of mathematics the positive field is very narrow, though daily enlarging with the acquisition of knowledge. Tf an object moves under conditions never observed before, as a table by invisible power, the evidence of one witness might be impeached, but the testimony of a host of witnesses would be de- cisive. If several persons of known veracity agree in their statements, it is morally certain that they speak the truth. Thus, if a witness is of sufficient veracity and clearness of sight to speak the truth ten times out of eleven, then there are ten chances to one that any statement he may make is correct. If an- other witness, of equal reliability, aver the same, the THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 55 chances are ten times ten, or one hundred. If a third testify to the same, the probabilities are ten times one hundred, or one thousand. The Testimony of the Senses is received in law as prima-facie evidence. No judge would suppose that he was imposed upon, and no counsel argue that wit- nesses should be set aside, because no faith can be placed in the eyes or ears. Life and death are made dependent on the senses; otherwise all received rules of evidence must be set aside, and we live in a dream world, and so hallucinated are we that there are none to tell us of our hallucination. Shall we receive Berkeley's idea, that the external world is only a fancy of the mind without any real existence? When thousands of reliable witnesses testify that they have seen objects moved without contact, the probabilities are infinite that they have done so. No amount of negative testimony is of any avail. That a thousand individuals have not seen a table move does not invalidate the testimony of one who has. Belief Educational.— We place the greatest reliance on the evidence of our senses ; and, although we say we take that of others reported to us as equally valu- able, practically we do not believe until we have seen, especially that which is unusual and out of the com- mon order. Our egotism makes us consider ourselves the best judges in the world. Belief is a matter of education ; and we have little hope that all the argu- ment possible to produce will be of any avail. Hence We rely on facts. The advent of Spiritualism is through facts, and not beliefs. Its purpose is to place positive knowledge in their stead. Not New. — Spirit-communion is not new. History records it; the poets have sung of it in all ages. It forms a part of the sacred and common literature of all races. The Old and New Testaments are in- wrought with allusions to its beauty. In the year 364 of our era, in the reign of the Ro- man Emperor Valens, mediums conversed with de- parted spirits by means of rappings, and employed the alphabet. The spirit pendulum, resembling some- what the dial in its method, was then in use. It con- sisted of a ring suspended by a thread over a basin of water, around the margin of which the alphabet was arranged. By successive swinging to the desired let- 56 THE A&CANA OF SPIRITUALISM. ters words and sentences were spelled. Numa Pom- pilius used it in this manner in augury. Such a pen- dulum has been used by modern mediums successfully. The practice passed into disrepute as a black art, and dealing with the Devil. Learned men scoff at the dial as a new trick. If it be one, it is fifteen cen- turies old. First Manifestations.— In the little village of Hydesville, N. Y., stood a small, unpretending dwel- ling, temporarily occupied by an honest farmer and his family, — a wife and two daughters. He removed to it on the 11th of December, 1847; and, from the first, the manifestations began. "The noises increased nightly ; and occasionally they heard footsteps in the rooms. The children felt something heavy lie on their feet when in bed; and Kate felt, as it were, a cold hand passed over her face. Sometimes the bed-clothes were pulled off ; chairs and dining tables were moved from their places. Mr. and Mrs. Fox, night after night, lighted a candle, and explored the whole house in vain. Raps were made on the doors as they stood close to them ; but, on suddenly opening them, no-one was visible." They were far from superstitious, and still hoped for some natural explanation, especially as the annoyance always took place in the night. They Assume a New Character.— In March, 1848, they assumed a new character. The children's bed had been moved into the room of their parents; but scarcely had Mrs. Fox laid down when the noises be- came as violent as before. The children shouted, "Here they are again." Their father shook the sashes to see if they were not moved by the wind, when the lively Kate observed that the sounds were imi- tated. She then snapped her fingers, and aske'd it to repeat, which was done. She then simply made mo- tions with her thumb and finger, and the rap followed. The invisible power, whatever it was, could see and hear. Mrs. Fox's attention was arrested. She asked it to count ten, which it did. "How old is my daugh- ter Margaret?" Twelve raps. "And Kate?" Nine. "How many children have I?" Seven. "Ah! you blunder," she thought; "try again." Seven. Then she suddenly thought. "Are they all alive?" No answer. ' ' How many are living ? - ' Six raps. ' ' How THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 57 many dead ? ' ' One rap. She had lost one child. She then asked if it was a man. No answer. "Was it a spirit? Raps. She then asked it* the neighbors might hear it; and Mrs. Redfield was called in, who only laughed at the idea of a ghost, but was soon made serious by its correcting her about the number of her children, insisting on one more than she counted. She too, had lost one , and, when she recollected this, she burst into tears. It is noteworthy that the advent of Spiritualism was foretold two years in advance (1846) by that re- markable seer, A. J. Davis. He said, while in a trance, "It is a truth that spirits commune with one another while one is in the body and the other in the higher spheres — and this, too, while the person in the body is unconscious of the influx, and hence cannot be con- vinced of the fact ; and this truth will present itself ere long in the form of a living demonstration." Advent of Spiritualism in France.— About the time Spiritualism was introduced into the United States, or somewhat previously, M. Cahagnet, a working-man of France, had by means of clairvoyance solved the great problem of spiritual existence and the possi- bility of intercourse with spirits. When perusing his book, "The Celestial Telegraph, " everyone must be forcibly struck with his candour, his honesty of pur- pose, untiring zeal, and general accuracy. We can only regret that, in his ardour, he admitted state- ments without sufficient circumspection, which weaken rather than strengthen his positions. His magnetized clairvoyants taught him almost all the great principles of existence, as believed by Spiritual- ists at present. The identification of spirits was well understood by him; and his best clairvoyant rarely failed to give accurate descriptions of spirits that she said were present. A few instances of this will illustrate the countless facts narrated by this author. "M. Renarcl, of whom I have already spoken,— a man to whom I am indebted for the little knowledge I possess in magnetism,— being called to Paris on business, begged me to send Adele to sleep, and give him a sitting similar to what he had read of in my journal. I was most happy to comply with the wishes 58 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. of so sincere a friend, and so judicious and well-in- formed a man. Scarcely was Adele asleep, when he called for a person named Desforges, an old friend of his, who had been dead fifteen years. Desforges appeared. M. Renard had so accurate a description given him of his friend, that it left no doubt as to the reality of his apparition. A dispute took place be- tween him and Adele (though he was not en rapport with her) as to the dress of this person, — Adele main- taining that he appeared to her in a blouse slit in front; while M. Renard declared that he had never seen him in such an article of dress, and usually wore a jacket or round vest. After puzzling his brains for some time, M. Renard recollected, in fact, that, some time before he left his friend, people began to wear, in his part of the country, blouses of this kind and he wore such an one as Adele described. It would be useless to mention the minute details, attitude, lan- guage, etc., with which Adele persuades persons con- sulting her on such a point. " "Up to this day I had never desired that any of my clairvoyants should see any of the deceased mem- bers of my own family, for a reason that will be ap- preciated, viz., that they might have depicted to me an image engraven on my memory. I had a mind to try Madame Gouget. I asked for my mother by her Christian name, and also by her maiden name, and was very much surprised when Madame Gouget told me she saw a very old woman. After a minute de- scription, and particularly as to a mark that she told me she perceived on the left cheek of this woman, I recognized in her my grandmother, who was precisely as Madame Gouget described her to me. This appari- tion, uncalled for, and which I was far from expect- ing, was owing to the resemblance of the names of my mother and grandmother. I ought to have asked for my mother by her maiden name. I had already fallen into like error with Adele, when several mem- bers of the same family presented themselves on ac- count of the resemblance in the names. To make sure whether Madame Gouget really beheld my grand- mother, I put to her questions, the answers to which removed all my doubts in this respect. My mother appeared at the same time ; and the portrait she painted of her was quite true. ' ' "Louise, Adele 's niece, comes in haste to tell her THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 59 that her brother is about to appear to her. ' Oh, here he is ! It is my brother Alphonse, who died in Africa. ' 'When?' 'Four years ago.' 'On what day?' 'I don't know.' 'Ask him.' 'The 11th of August.' 'How is he attired V 'In the uniform of a dragoon. ' ' Is that his dress in heaven ? ' ' No ; it is that of the corps in which he served before his death; and it was in this costume that I saw him on earth. ' ' Why is he dressed thus?' 'Spirits must surely appear in the costume and condition by which they were known on earth; otherwise we should be unable to recognize them.' 'Since you did not ask for him, who told him to come and see you?' 'My little niece.' 'Is she with him at this moment?' 'Yes; and how beautiful she is! Her fine black hair falls in ringlets on her shoulders, as on the day of her first communion.' 'And Alphonse — does he appear to you handsome?' 'Oh, indeed he does. His forehead, which was, however, very dark, appears to me as white as snow. He tells me that it will not be long before I see my mother, father, and brother-in-law. I have no wish, however, to see the last-named one; he was too wicked on earth.' 'If in heaven there is no wickedness, you must not think of the past.' 'I won't see him V Adele stretches out her arm to detain her niece, who has just quitted her, despite her efforts. It is surprising to see the mimicry, the apparent mutual understanding, the contrariety. One cannot doubt the reality of the scenes in which the imagination, as we may believe, is not always strongest; for nothing appears to respond to the caprices of the clairvoyant." The way was thus prepared in France, where Spirit- ualism has made a rapid but singular growth. Unexpected Report.— *LTie often abrupt and un- looked-for message from a spirit-friend is conclusive evidence that it does not originate in the minds of the circle or medium. Prof. Hare records some interest- ing facts bearing on this subject. "Agreeable to my experience in a multitude of cases, spirits have reported themselves who were wholly unexpected, and when others were expected. When I was expecting my sister in Boston, my brother reported himself. Lastly, when expecting her, 'Cad- wallader' was spelled out, being the name of an old 60 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. friend, who forthwith gave me a test proving his identity. As this spirit had never visited my desk before, T had not the smallest expectation of his com- ing." "Being at Cape May, one of my guardian spirits was with me frequently. On the 3d instant, at one o'clock a. m., I requested the faithful being in ques- tion to go to my friend, Mrs. Gourlay, in Philadelphia, and request her to induce Dr. Gourlay to go to the bank to ascertain at what time a note would be due, and that I could be at the instrument (his dial) at half-past three o'clock to receive the answer. Accord- ingly, at that time, my spirit-friend manifested her- self, and gave me the result of the inquiry. On my return to the city, I learned from Mrs. Gourlay that my angelic messenger had interrupted a communica- tion which was taking place through the spiritscope, in order to communicate my message; and, in conse- quence, her husband and brother went to the bank and made the inquiry, by which the result was that communication to me at half -past three o'clock by my spirit-friend." In the experience of Mrs. Gourlay, a medium relied on by Prof. Hare, many interesting facts are stated. Among others, the following: "While spending the evening of Jan. 21, 1854, at the house of a friend, it was proposed by the lady and her husband that we form a circle. We had not been long seated at the table when three ladies, two of whom I had never seen, favored us with their com- pany, and took their seats at some distance from the circle. They had been seated in the room but two or three minutes when the following was given through the table : " 'My Dear Mother :— In love I meet you this even- ing. O mother ! why do you mourn my death ? I have just begun to live. Grieve not for me. I wish my hus- band to investigate Spiritualism. I will communicate to him. Why should you erect a monumental slab to mv memory ? Let me live in the hearts of my friends! 'SARAH NORTH.' " "When the gentleman who took down the com- munication read it, I was surprised at hearing the name, 'North,' that being my maiden name. As there THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 61 was no Sarah in our family, I asked the spirit, ' Who is Sarah North ? ' Before it had time to reply, one of the ladies referred to approached the table in tears. She said, 'That is from my daughter Sarah. I have been engaged to-day in the solemn duty of erecting a tombstone to her memory.' " Professors Hare and Crookes.— The moving of physical objects by an intelligent force, which identi- fies itself, is an absolute test. Professor Hare, in his careful and extended experiments, recognized the value of such manifestations, and invented an ap- paratus which rendered deception impossible. His experiments were instituted with great care and scientific accuracy. Of the several contrivances em- ployed only two need be mentioned here. The first isolated the medium by mounting a small board on balls, resting on the top of the table. The medium's hand resting on the top of the board, of course at the slightest movement the balls would roll. Valuable communications were received by the movements of tables thus situated. The second apparatus was more ingeniously contrived. "A board is supported on a rod, so as to make it serve as a fulcrum, as in a see- saw, excepting that the fulcrum is at the distance of only one foot from the end, while it is three feet from the other. This end is supported by a spring balance, which indicates pounds and ounces by a rotary index. Upon this board, at about six inches from the fulcrum, is placed an inverted glass vase nine inches in diam- eter." Into this vase a wire cage or basket is let down so as to approach within an inch of the brim. The vase is filled with water. Now it is apparent that any pressure on the board will be indicated by the balance ; but the medium's hands placed in the water cannot give that pressure, as the cage effectually cuts them off from contact with the vase. If manifesta- tions are obtained in this manner, they cannot be re- ferred to human agency. Yet Professor Hare ob- tained not only movements of the balance, but com- munications, in presence of his scientific friends. The balance indicated a pressure of eighteen pounds, and " would probably have been depressed much more, but that the water would have been spilled by any further inclination of the vase," 62 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. Professor Crookes reviewed the grounds traversed by Professor Hare, and greatly extended the field and strengthened the results. He began a sceptic, or, rather, held his opinions in abeyance until certain evidence was produced, a position everyone should maintain. His thorough training in experimental electricity, light, and chemistry, enabled him to make his tests delicate and crucial. Plis earlyframed hypoth- esis of "psychic force," gave way, as he proceeded,, to that of independent and superior intelligence. His "Researches" form one of the most perfect demon- strations in the literature of Spiritualism. Dr. A. R. Wallace, who shares with Darwin the honors of first presenting the doctrine of Evolution, has given time and thought to this subject, and his "Defence" re- minds one of the works of the early fathers in support of the Christian faith against the Pagan world. It is the bold utterance of assured knowledge. The re- searches of the committee of the Dialectical Society form a mass of evidence found in no other volume, and almost cover the entire field of Spiritualism. The Evidence of Psychometry.— Since the applica- tion of the impressibility of mind to the delineation of character, by placing an autograph letter or ar- ticle belonging to the person in the hand or on the forehead of a sensitive, psychometry has become of increasing interest. It is an allowable inference that if the character of the writer can be thus read, if the writing of a spirit through a medium be genuine, the sensitive ought to be able to gain from it the charac- ter of the spirit instead of the medium. Dr. J. R. Buchanan first suggested this test, and proved that spirit writing gave such results, thus demonstrating the spirit origin. It also furnishes a test for the truth- fulness of the medium ; for if the writing is the me- dium 's unassisted effort, it would psychometrically give his character; while if the spirit writes it would give the character of the spirit-author. This is an ever applicable test of spirit identity. Even messages received by impression may be used. Their influence is more mixed, partaking of the character of the me- dium in some measure, yet always revealing their spirit origin. What Good?— We might as well ask, "What is the THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 63 good of stars shining, or the rising of the sun ? What is the use of existence I ' ' We accept life as a fact, nor can we answer wherefore. The world exists, and man exists ; but why or wherefore ? Whether Spiritualism is moral or immoral in its tendencies; whether we understand its uses or not, are not the issues. Is it not good for us to know that our loved ones exist on the other side of the grave ; to have all doubts and mis- givings swept away by their sweet voices speaking to us of the infinite future? Prostrated though we are at the side of the remorseless grave, through our blinding tears and the night of our sorrow, we see the loved formed of our departed angels ; and their words of cheer sound sweetly over the black waves of our grief. Cui bono ? The value of all we possess, though it were the oceaned world, would be freely given for a single word from the angel-side. Personal Experience.— Aggie, a sister adopted in our family circle as our child, _and, under our care, matured into the possibilities of the brightest destiny, went from us a perfect representation of health. We answered the telegram that said she could not live, too late. Even the poor consolation of a parting word was denied us. Her beautiful features still showed marks of terrible pain, — that was all. She was frozen to marble. I had thought that the spiritual philosophy would sustain one in this trial ; that, knowing the spirit ex- isted, the keen edge of our grief would be taken off. For this time, this was not so. We are accustomed to form our judgments by the senses. As we stand before the corpse of our departed, our grief overwhelms our intuitions, and darkens our spiritual perceptions. When we cry in our agony, the waves of feeling deafen our ears to the sound of spirit- voices. Our eyes meet the wreck of the beautiful inanimate, still, cold dead, and, with the heartlessness of our materiality, tell us there is nothing beyond. Soon will the elements claim their own; and a few years shall dissolve the being which for a time cheered us by her winning ways, and scatter her ashes to the winds. Thus Materialism, stifling, dark, and terrible, took the place of Spiritualism, and spiritual perception 64 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. was too benumbed to feel. The days came and went, slowly our minds assumed their normal state, and the desire to communicate with the departed remained unanswered. Then began the most satisfying series of communi- cations. There could be no collusion, for Mrs. Tuttle and I sat alone at a small table. We had a spirit in the shadows, in unison with ourselves, and the gate- way of communication was opened wide. I had seen her the day before her funeral, clairvoy- antly, dimly, and she was sad and unable to speak. Her mother was with her,, and to my thought question the latter had answered : ' ' I would not have my child see it ; we go away, not to return until ali is over. ' ' We held a seance nearly every evening; and she was always present, and gave us some word of assur- ance. Sometimes she failed to answer correctly, the table being uncontrollable. At other times all her answers were perfectly correct for an hour's ques- tioning. We soon learned to discriminate; and, so far from supposing that undeveloped spirits came at those disturbed seances, we knew the fault lay in our organizations. The details of these seances are very interesting to us, but not to the public. T shall relate but one incident, as it illustrates the spirit's power of prophecy. She informed us that her father, who was slightly ill, could not recover. This was against our reason, for his sickness was not considered serious. Two weeks afterwards she fixed the day of his death at nearly three months ahead. About two weeks pre- vious to the time she had fixed for that event she came, and, by the tedious process of spelling by the alphabet, gave the following communication to her sister : "Emma, prepare to go to Braceville. Father has dictated a letter to-day, wishing you to come. He is not yet ready to die ; but, if you do not go, you will not have an opportunity to enjoy his society on earth again. The letter will reach you on Thursday; and on Friday you must go. " The letter came, and the spirit-voice was obeyed; and if conferring happiness on those who are dear, during the last days of their mortal life, be a life-long THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 65 comfort to us, we are thankful for that thoughtful admonition. Her father lived twelve hours past the time she had appointed; but, at the very time he sank away, so completely that all thought he had breathed his last, he recovered, and exclaimed : "What a beautiful scene! I saw " He could not complete the sentence. He struggled through the night; and just as the sun arose in the east, and the birds awoke the earth with song, his spirit awoke to the recognition of angels. I often asked her to go to the "Banner" circle- room, and communicate; but she said that she could not approach on account of the number of strange spirits congregated there. She said that she could do so, however, if I went with her. At length the opportunity offered. I met Mrs. Conant several times ; but I did not urge a seance. ""I too well understand the laws of spirit-communication to think satisfactory results can be commanded; they must flow voluntarily. I almost became assured not to expect anything through Mrs. Conant; but one evening, as we were engaged in conversation, she sud- denly became entranced. Her manner, her tears, identified the controlling spirit. Aggie, in broken ac- cents, said that this first direct contact with earth completely overpowered her; and she could only say how much she loved us all, how sad our grief made her, and that we must not mourn for her any more. To a sceptic there was furnished no test; but that was to come. She remarked that she had found a medium through whom she could write all she de- sired, and I must meet her at Miss S 's at eleven o'clock the next day. I met the engagement punctually. I had never seen the medium before, and did not give her my name. I simply told her I had called for a seance. We sat down on opposite sides of a table; and she told me I could write whatever questions I desired, and, after folding the paper tightly, lay it on the table. I wrote, "Will the spirit who made this en- gagement write her name?" I rolled the paper closely, and laid it on the table. Immediately the medium wrote, "Maggie." This was ee THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. written, as is all she writes, reversed ; so that it must be held before a mirror to be read. I wrote, ' ' That is wrong." Instantly the medium's hand was again in- fluenced; and the "M" was stricken off, leaving the name correctly spelled — "Aggie." Then I wrote, "I do not want to ask questions; write whatever you please." To this, the following was the reply; and, consider- ing that to the medium I was a total stranger, the accuracy with which the names were grven is aston- ishing. Aggie's guitar had been left at a friend's, and had not been touched by anyone, remaining ex- actly as she left it, leaning against the wall. She alludes to it, as well as to the favorite horse "Bill ;" and both allusions are tests of identity. "Dear Hudson and Emma: — I am with you, as I promised last evening; but I cannot control this me- dium as readily as I supposed I should be able to. But I shall improve, and shall be able to control your- self so perfectly that you will be compelled to ac- knowledge my presence. I have the same affection for you as while on earth. I shall never change. I am with you, in spirit, always, and hope to control Emma so perfectly that I can fulfil my imperfectly performed mission on earth. I am very happy; do not grieve for me. "Dear Emma! dear Emma! I am very near you. How I want to give you proof of my identity ! "Bring my guitar home, and lay it on the table; perhaps I can play on it. "Do you remember I loved to see Emma ride? but I was afraid of 'Bill.' "'Dear little Rosa and Carl! you miss me, don't you? But I am still with you, and will lead you to truth and right, if you will be patient and unwaver- ing. ' ' I received other answers equally correct, but of too personal a character to insert here. There was no failure. Every question written and rolled into a ball, and placed on the table, was answered in less time than I have occupied in writing this. But here let me insert a word of caution, for I would not con- vey the impression that such is invariably the result; mm ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 6? for the next day I called for a seance, and did not re- ceive a single answer to my written questions. By our daily converse with this beloved spirit are we strengthened in our knowledge of spirit-life. We know that she exists as a bright immortal in the spirit land; and daily our prayer, carved in the marble headstone over her grave, ascends : "Wait, darling, wait! You have reached the heavenly strand ; But those you love are toiling up To the heights of a better land. "Oh, pause by the shining gates of pearl, Look down the narrow way; And guide us by your angel-hand, Into a perfect day." A Lesson in Spirit Communion.— Once when sitting for table-movings, and receiving messages by the re- sponses given to the calling of the alphabet, the sitter asked the intelligence to spell the name of his father, Avho purported to be communicating. The table read- ily moved twice for assent, and when the alphabet was repeated rapped "J-o-n," and for the middle initial gave "R." "Ha! ha!" laughed the investigator, derisively, "my father has forgotten how to spell his name. He has grown too imbecile to insert his h's, and his initial was P, not *R. ' It is a clear case of fraud!" "You cannot accuse me of fraud," I replied, "for I quite well know how to spell John, and should not have dropped out the 'h.' " "I do not care to investigate further. I am fully satisfied that the matter is beneath attention," was the response. This is one of many similar instances in my own experience, and paralleled in that of every medium. I attended a large circle, and a sitter received a lengthy communication from the spirit of his mother. He was affected even to tears. He asked questions, and the responses were satisfactory. At length he said : ' ' For a test, tell me how many children you have?" The response was, "Three." He sprang ex- citedly to his feet, rudely exclaiming: "That is a falsehood! my mother had but two, and she ought to 68 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. know ! You do not suppose for a moment I am such an idiot as to believe this is my mother ? I am not so readily duped." The inharmony resulting prevented further com- munication, and they only who have experienced it can know the shock given to the medium. I was recently amused at the effect a single inac- curacy had on a young lady, who had for a long time been receiving communications by means of the psy- chograph. Whenever she placed her hands on the in- strument it would respond, and a spirit, giving the name "Pauline," seemed always present and ready to counsel her. I cautioned her not to place too great reliance on the words of the guardian, for it was not designed that we forsake our reason for the guidance of anyone, however exalted. She admitted the cor- rectness of my advice and attempted to follow it, but constantly resorted to the spirit intelligence, which manifested deep interest in her welfare, and constant- ly gave her wisest counsel. It is not designed for spiritual beings to assume control of our earthly af- fairs. It is proper to consult them on the spiritual plane, and there may be sufficient reasons at times for them to interfere in the business of this life, but it would not be well for us to rely on them instead of ourselves in material affairs. At length, when her confidence in "Pauline" was almost implicit, she inquired about a certain business transaction which deeply affected her, and was as- sured by "Pauline" that it would be arranged as she expected and desired. The next day brought .a letter saying that this business scheme had been abandoned. The young lady lost. confidence in her guide, and even refused to receive communications, declaring that they were entirely untrustworthy. The inaccuracies and contradictions of the com- munications had been a subject of discussion from the beginning, and have been hastily referred to evil spirits, or accepted as evidence against their spiritual origin. For the old superstition that a spiritual being must be infallible lingered, and hence imperfection in communications was regarded as evidence that they were not of spiritual origin. The difficulties which have to be overcome in com- THE ARCANA OP SPIRITUALISM. 69 municating were not considered or even understood, and to all mistakes and inaccuracies the ready ex- planation was evil spirits and fraud. This subject was forcibly brought to my mind by the reception of two telephone messages. The first read: "Can you attend a funeral here to-morow?" and was signed G. W. Richard. The name proved to be J. W. Reichard. The telegraphic dispatch had been changed in passing through the telephone. I might have followed the reasoning of the " investigators, " and said, "Does not Mr. Reichard know how to spell his own name ? If he does not, is it not unimpeacha- ble evidence that he does not exist?" I answered the message, but when I came to the house of Mr. G. M. Richard I found he did not exist. There was Mr. Reichard in his stead. A day or two thereafter I re- ceived this message, dated at Cleveland : ' ' Can you attend funeral here on Friday next? (Signed) J. M. Colt." I replied, but soon received answer that no such person as J. M. Colt could be found, and after several hours the message came that J. M. Tolt was the man's name, and the message had been delivered. As no street or number had been given, I said to myself, whoever this stranger may be, he is so well known that he thinks it unnecessary to mention his street. On arriving in Cleveland I was unable to find even the name "Tolt" in the directory, and after nearly two hours' inquiry found that J. M. Tolt was I. W. Pope, the conductor of the Lyceum, a zealous Spiritualist, an enterprising manufacturer, and an intimate friend. Did I at once go into a rage and accuse him of lying to me, or of being an imbecile, and not knowing how to spell his own name ? Rather we had a hearty laugh over the blunder, and congratulated ourselves that it had all come out well. Nor did we say there is no such thing as a telephone or telegraph, or that these were frauds. If investigators would hold in mind that the condi- tions and essentials for correct communication are far more delicate than those for the transmission of an electric current, and far less understood, they would not rashly jump to conclusions which a moment's thought would show them to be unwarrantable. 70 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. Contradictory Spirit Communications.— The contra- dictions which every investigator meets with in the communications purporting to come from spirits, and which too frequently appear in articles and books on that subject, have been the fruitful source of cavil and scepticism. If the doctrines taught by the spirits themselves are accepted, that the future life is a con- tinuity of this, without change in personality or mental capacity, the discordance in the communica- tions received will, instead of reflecting doubt, be evi- dence of their reality. There is a lingering supersti- tion, even in the minds of the best informed, that in- spiration from a spiritual source must be infallible. However strongly the profession is made that spirits have not cast aside with the physical body the im- perfections of their earth-character, and have not gained a vast knowledge which they did not possess while here, when they communicate, their imperfec- tions are forgotten, the difficulties of correctly im- pressing their thoughts overlooked, and their com- munications are received in an entirely different man- ner from what they would be if derived from any other source. The Bible has been relied upon as an authority un- til such reliance has become hereditary, and when it ceases to be taken as an infallible guide, the mind turns to some other support. It is hard to stand alone, and have no staff for support, no final court of appeal when vexed questions arise. It is said: "I like the philosophy of Spiritualism; it is reasonable, but when I find plain, palpable con- tradictions between authors of good standing, I am discouraged and disgusted." In the early days of Spiritualism such discrepancies were seized by opposers, and effectually wielded in combating its claims. Judge Edmonds gave implicit confidence to all the communications he received, and his published narrative of a dairy in the spirit-land, with a description of the utensils employed, even to the tin pans placed in the sun to dry, was the source of endless ridicule and of chagrin to those who wished to see the cause honored and respected. Dr. Eugene Crowell, in communications published, even exceeded Judge Edmonds in materializing the spirit-world* THE ARCANA OP SPIRITUALISM. 71 There is another apparently Irreconcilable contradic- tion between the messages, teaching that the spirit has its origin with the body, and the Kardec school which claims pre-existence and re-incarnation. The last may be surmounted by supposing re-incarnation a dream indulged in by spirits, as philosophers specu- late here, or what is probably nearer the truth, that it is a remnant of the lingering belief of an earlier age. The history of Karclec's efforts is quite sufficient to cast discredit over his system. Before judgment is pronounced or "disgust' manifested, the authenticity of the communications and the authority of their spirit authors should be carefully examined. The simple fact of spirit authorship should have no weight, as some spirits may know less than mortals; nor does the character of those who receive and pub- lish such communications give them authority. Even when the communicating spirit is reliable, and the conditions of communication are of the best, im- plicit reliance as on an infallible oracle must not be given. After eliminating all these disturbing elements, there is one dominant over all which applies to every communication descriptive of the after life; it has been felt by the seers of all past ages, and as each has striven to overcome the difficulties in his own way, there has been divergence as wide as the person- alities of the narrators. St. Paul said of what he saw, that it was unlawful for him to utter, and the Revela- tor, filled to overflowing with the sights he saw in vis- ions, attempted by allegories and symbols to make them intelligible, and only succeeded in bewildering those who attempt to understand him. Words represent or convey ideas for which they stand. They can convey no meaning except that which experience has given them. When a stream of water, with shady banks and rocky bed, is described, we at once have the image brought to our minds by the words. If we lived in the North, and had never seen a tropical stream, the cold grey rocks and stinted shrubs, with leaden sky, would form that image. If we dwelt in the tropics, the luxuriance of vegetation, the dark, sluggish waters, the opal sky, would make up the picture. The same words would thus awaken 72 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. widely differing conceptions. If we had always dwelt in the North we could not form a correct conception of the tropical stream. If a butterfly, endowed with the gift of speech, re- turned to a group of its parent caterpillars, feeding on the coarse herbage, and attempted to tell them of its new found flowery pastures, where all the day long it was blown by zephyrs from flower to flower, sip- ping nectar from fragrant chalices, how little could its hearers comprehend, and how completely would they misunderstand. The butterflies' world to them is unknown, and the few words at their command ap- ply only to the rank leaves and their sensations of hunger. They have no words for things they never saw and sensations they never experienced. In a more absolute and complete sense, this is true of a spirit when it attempts to describe its life and sur- roundings in the Spirit-world. Mortal eye hath not seen those beauties. There is not one single word in any language applicable to those conditions. True, a correspondence most perfect exists between the mor- tal and spiritual world, and yet they are as unlike as two essentially different states can be. When, therefore, spirits attempt to describe the sphere which environs them, they must employ words in a new sense, and yet their language is sure to be taken literally, and hence conveys the wildest mis- conception. Their descriptions are and must be in terms understandable by mortals; sometimes direct, at others allegorical. The mortal life is regarded by them as a part of the Spirit-world, being the first stage of existence, and those visions, trances, and com- munications which take the grossness of material forms do not rise above it. Judge Edmonds, taking for granted that everything seen by spiritual sight must be spiritual, did not recognize that he was amid earthly scenes. A spirit might say that he did not eat or drink; another that he did, and both be truthful, for while it is not supposable that gross appetites have to be appeased, it must be conceded that the spiritual being derives sustenance in some manner, perhaps not comprehensible to mortals. CHAPTER III. MATTER AND FORCE: THEIR RELATIONS TO SPIRIT. Position of the Agnostic and Scientist as Investiga- tors of Spiritualism. Agnostics and Scientists as Investigators of Spiritualism — Spirit and Force — The Old Problem — The Atom — The Chemical Atom — All the Elements Primarily One — Prog- ress — Force — Motion — Resolvability of Motion — Light and Chemical Affinity — Theories — The Sun the Fountain of Life — Into the Realm of Life — Use of the Nerves — Correla- tion of Mind — Perfection of Man. A pleasing delusion has prevailed that when the trained scientist came to investigate Spiritualism the sphinx would speak, the riddle be solved, and no more questioning be possible. But the trained sci- entist is "trained" for other special departments. He has spent his best years in counting the markings of an infusoria ; the scales on a butterfly's wing ; gather- ing beetles into a cabinet, or making a collection of birds' eggs, and outside of his specialty he knows lit- tle or nothing. He has confined himself so completely to matter, to the machine, that spirit has escaped him, and the mention of it calls forth a smile of scorn. The scientists have been educated away from the Spiritual, and if they approach it, it is with the in- tense prejudice, which forestalls correct judgment. As conspicuous examples of incompetency the Psy- chological Societies, English and American, may be cited. They were organized, and with sounding trumpets began their work. The English Society has issued several volumes of reports, not quite as valu- 74 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. able as the paper wasted in printing them, and the American Society is following the same path. From the beginning the committees have shown how not to do it. For instance, one of the best committees was assigned the mighty task of determining how an iron ring came on the wrist of a medium. The members were not of the ordinary stripe. Ordinary, common- place men would have taken the hand of the medium and determined whether the ring could be taken off without violent compression of the hand. If it could not be, then they would have said that it could not be taken off in that way. Not so these experts, they were extraordinary men, and employed extraordinary methods. They measured the ring with tape; they measured it outside and in with copper wire. They measured the wrist; they measured the fingers and the hand ; they studied its anatomy ; they measured it "troughed," which we suppose means doubled to- gether. This ought to have contented them, but they wished to see how anaesthetics would affect the size, and experimented on three persons placed under the influence of ether. The hands of these did not shrink ! They found as a final result that the ring was too small by half an inch to pass over the hand, and hence concluded that it had been slipped on by the medium. A conclusion in direct opposition to the facts. It* the phenomena are to be investigated, Spiritual- ists must depend on themselves, and the past shows that the investigation has been in good hands. The Agnostics are pardonable for a degree of pride, for the world has been cursed through the ages by those who claimed to know, when they were profound- ly ignorant; who claimed to see as by the sunlight when they saw only by the pale reflection of twilight. It is not because the Agnostic does not know and stands in his place and says he does not, that we can- not approve of his attitude, but because he so fre- quently declares his "don't know" with the em- phasis that assures us that if he does not know it can not be known, and that it is folly to waste time in en- deavoring to know. He who pronounces on the know- able and the unknowable must have infinite compre- hension, must know everything as God knows, and we THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 75 are not ready to grant that any one has yet fathomed the infinite depths of creative power. Spirit and Force.— Professor Youman raid: "The study of matter resolves itself into the study of forces. . . . The conceptions of gross, 'corrupt,' 'brute matter' are passing away with the prejudices of the past, and in the place of a dead, material world we have a living organism of spiritual energies." The new theory of force has been triumphantly arrayed against the possibility of immortality, or a continuance of life after the death of the body. This makes it necessary to examine the theory as well as the history of science which led up to this grand gen- eralization. The science of the ancients, if they can be said to have possessed a science, was an evolution from the mind independent of facts. The Greeks were im- patient of the study of external phenomena. They set the intellect entirely above facts, and supposed that it was capable of working out a system of nature from itself. Aristotle, perhaps, departed from this method ; but it remained for modern science to establish itself on the firm basis of direct observation. In this con- sists the difference between the ancient and modern methods. One reasons from within outward; the other from the external to the internal. Locke 's sen- suous theory is scorned; but it is the sheet-anchor of science, and every one of its inductions presup- poses its truthfulness. Hence the inductive method has been accused of materialism; a charge certainly merited, and from which it cannot escape. Locke's method is correct, and the inductive method is cor- rect ; but neither have the whole and complete truth. Because we derive knowledge from the senses does not prove that all our knowledge is thus derived. Be- yond stands the unexplained and unexplainable I. Smelling, tasting, seeing, hearing, feeling, one or com- bined, never yield reason. Because we arrive at truth by the inductive method it does not follow that it is the only channel of truth. The mind capable of ob- serving phenomena should be able to deduce the laws of correlated facts. The comprehension of matter is through the study of its forces ; they are the bridge spanning the chasm 76 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. between matter and spirit. Each day the existence of "gross matter" becomes more doubtful. It is asked : " Is an atom more than a center for the propa- gation of force?" When a stone is dropped into water, the surface is thrown into circling waves. Now it is an important question : "Is not an atom like the central portion of those waves — a vortex from which waves of force are constantly thrown?" Then fol- lows : "Has the atom a real existence? Is there any- thing but force ? ' ' We cannot divest ourselves of the idea of substance ; or from the testimony 01 the senses to the existence of matter — the body of the Universe to which force holds the relation of spirit. The Old Problem.— Philosophers from the earliest times have attempted the solution of the question: ' * Is matter capable of infinite division, or can the ulti- mate atom be reached?" No argument or experi- ment can solve this problem; and from the idle con- jectures of Democritus and Leucippus, to the experi- mental researches of Wollaston and Faraday, there has been no advancement except in the form of the in- vestigation. Matter, space, time, and force, are the four elements which enter into the equation of the creation of the cosmos. In the beginning this must be accepted as the foundation on which all systems of creation must rest, and it is fruitless to attempt by scientific or metaphysical methods to penetrate fur- ther. Of matter, all investigations and conclusions are based on its stability. It changes form— becomes solid, liquid, or gaseous, but never diminishes in quan- tity. The candle burns, yielding light; it is de- stroyed as a candle, but its gaseous products are of equal weight. We cannot imagine either the creation or extinc- tion of matter. We contemplate Nature, not as hav- ing beginning or end, but as an infinite series, a few of whose members only are brought before us like an endless way, up and down, which we can travel, but never to either termination; and having no data, nothing positive, we cannot judge whether the path has or has not termination. So far as we know it has nott Here is an end to all speculation; and, until something more than the idle conceits of men are pro- THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 77 duced, we are obliged to rest content. Forms perish with appalling rapidity; death vieing with life, and resurrection triumphing again and again over the power of dissolution ; yet the atoms of which all these countless swarms of existences are formed remain un- changed. Compared with the fleeting existence of animated nature, or even with the duration of suns and worlds, which grow old and are absorbed, matter is eternal. All the phenomena presented by matter, appear to be resolvable into the forces of attraction and repul- sion. This is opposed to the received idea, that inertia is its characteristic. Matter is supposed to have no in- ternal force. If it is not acted upon from without it re- mains forever at rest. If it is possible for matter thus to remain, we never see it in such a condition. A post planted by the road-side is at rest compared with the objects around it ; but it is not really at rest ; for, not to mention the internal changes in its structure by which it is shortly reduced to dust, each day it makes the circuit of the globe, and yearly journeys around the sun. Does the globe move, and compel it to fol- low? What moves the globe? Ah! now we arrive at the end. Everything the globe contains, even to the hardest crystal, is fashioned into form by the incon- ceivably intense motion of its atoms, which are in constant vibration, and their combined force is the motion of the earth. The Atom.— To the microscope, the finest powder to which a substance can be reduced presents all the aspects of the entire body. Gold may be hammered so thin that one grain will cover fourteen hundred square inches. A microscope can detect the gold on the thousandth part of a linear inch ; so that gold may at least be divided into particles one billionth of a square inch in size, and still retain its character. Col- oring substances, such as indigo, show an almost in- comprehensible divisibility. A single drop of strong indigo in solution can be shown to contain at least five hundred thousand distinctly visible portions, and will color a thousand cubic inches of water. As this mass of water is at least five hundred thousand times larger than the drop, it is certain that the narticle of indigo must be smaller than the twenty-five hundred billionth 78 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. part of an inch. Yet even such attenuated solutions are exceeded by the complex beings revealed by the microscope ; scarcely larger than the particles of dis- solved indigo, living, moving, having organs of pre- hension, digestion, and assimilation, and a circulating fluid with globules of the same comparative size as those of larger animals. The Chemical Atom.— The chemical atom may be regarded as formed by a group of smaller particles; and the number uniting to form a group is what is called the combining number; but this is conjectural. There then remains but one theory, and that is the one advanced by Boscovitch, or some of the modifica- tions of which it is susceptible. We must confess that we know of force ; but, of matter, we know nothing. What we call matter — that which we see, feel, taste ; which manifests gravity, impenetrability, etc. — is not matter, but the forces which surround and conceal something beyond. This something lies beyond our ken ; and all we know of it we learn from its phenom- ena. It is difficult for the mind to grasp the idea of substance without atoms, and there is a necessity of employing the term; yet all we know of it may be expressed by a" center, radiating force. Whether that center is a mathematical point, or occupied by a de- terminate atom, we cannot ascertain ; though the lat- ter inference is most consonant with the finiteness of our minds. This point, this something, around which the forces of the universe cluster, and from which they radiate, is called an atom. It is unbeata- ble and indestructible. On this basis all positive science rests ; and, without it, its inferences would be wholly unreliable. It may change its form from solid to liquid, from liquid to gas; it may be apparently dissipated, as wood in a grate, as food in the animal body; but it always reappears. We thus learn that the forces which emanate from the atom are its essen- tials. We can know of it only by means of these forces. We never see, feel, hear, taste, nor touch matter; only its properties and its atmosphere affect us. All visible effects are produced by invisible causes. Co- hesion, which unites atoms into solid masses, or gravi- tation, chaining world to world, does not result from THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 79 external pressure, but internal force. All the forces of nature act from within outward. The most ma- terialistic philosophers admit this; and in the study of nature, questions of force ' ' are becoming more a*ud more prominent. The things to be explained are changes, active effects, motions in ordinary matter, not as acted upon, but as in itself inherently active. The chief use of atoms is to serve as points, or vehicles of motion. Thus the study of matter resolves itself into the study of forces. Inert objects, as they appear to the eye of sense, are replaced by activities revealed to the eye of intellect. The conceptions of 'gross,' 'corrupt,' 'brute matter' are passing away with the prejudices of the past; and, in place of a dead, ma- terial world, we have a living organism of spiritual energies. ' ' This is the highest ground taken by scientists at present; and, while they congratulate themselves on their Positivism, they are really entering the vestibule of Spiritualism. When the mind is freed from the ideas of physical matter, created by the senses, and, with intellectual vision, understands that what it calls fixed and un- changeable are fleeting shadows of unseen spiritual energies, it is ready to comprehend how this force can be immortalized in specialized forms and spiritual be- ings. All the Elements Primarily One.— Of the simple ele- ments there is no assurance but that they may be yet reduced to one single elementary substance. Heat de- composes compound molecules into their primaries. Hence, if the degree of heat be sufficiently intense, there would be unexpected decompositions. In some of the stars a temperature exists unapproachable by any known means, and in them, according to spectrum analysis, only hydrogen exists, an element which seems related in a peculiar manner to the others, for their atomic weight is a multiple of its half. Progress.— This tendency is observable in all de- partments of science, but more particularly in as- tronomy. From the cumbersome crystalline spheres of Eudoxus to the epicycles of a later date; from these to the subtle vortices of an electrical medium wafting the planets on their swift currents, as set 80 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. forth by Descartes, — lengthy steps were taken; but from the latter the domain of force was at once re- vealed by Newton in his incomparable doctrine of gravitation. In the same manner, at the close of the last century, chemistry made a great advance by the discovery of the indestructibility of matter. The intellect, be- fogged by educational prejudice, could never have ar- rived at this fact, except by mechanical means. The balance of Lavoisier was more penetrating than the minds of the most astute philosophers. His balance proved that matter, however changeable in form, in weight is unchangeable. The invisible gas pressed downward as much as the heavy, black coal from which it escaped. The escaping smoke was as heavy as the burned wood. Matter might be converted from a solid to a fluid or a gas, or from a gas to a solid ; but nothing is lost by the protean metamorphosis. Space. — Space is the abyss in which the universe is suspended, it is immeasurable, and without dimen- sions. Any idea or conception of dimensional space must come from the dimensions of matter suspended therein, it can have neither center nor circumfer- ence, and if the stellar system should move as a whole, with planetary velocity, for any length of time, it would not change its position therein ; for finite space has no ratio to the infinite. We are beings of three dimensional matter, and our ideas of space conform thereto. We have length, breadth, and thickness. If we could imagine a being with only length and breadth, or a two dimensional being, such a being would, as having no thickness, be only a mathematical abstraction — nothing. As a theory it has been advanced that there are four dimensions, and as a pleasing exercise of intel- lectual gymnastics it is of interest, however inconceiv- able to three dimensional beings like ourselves. A four dimensional space is equivalent to a four dimen- sional being, and such a being to us is inconceivable. It would have length, breadth, and thickness, — what then would remain to be defined and included in a fourth dimension ? Force. — Force is never lost. There is just so much in the universe, and none is destroyed. In whatever THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM 81 form it appears, of light, heat, electricity, or magnet- ism, it is ever under the control of laws. Whenever one form of force disappears it reappears in some other. Yet the term "force" gives no explanation; it is used in the sense of a power to produce an effect ; of the cause of an individual phenomenon we are ig- norant. If a piece of caoutchouc be stretched by an applica- tion of weights, it will yield in proportion to the weight applied, and when the weight is removed it will recoil with exactly the amount of force which was applied. This power is held by each of its com- ponent particles, and is a striking illustration of the conservation of force. The term may be objection- able, but is less so than others, and expressive of the meaning implied. Force is indestructible and uncre- atable. A spring pressed downwards by a weight of a hundred pounds will recoil with the force of a hun- dred pounds when the weight is removed. The pen- Muluin of a clock continues to swing until the original power used in winding up the weight becomes ex- hausted, and not a moment longer. If a thousand oscillations equal a power of an ounce, then an ounce is subtracted from the original force which was ap- plied by that number of movements. This is a car- dinal principle, equally important with the eternity of matter, and should be thoroughly understood. To turn a wheel the water must fall; every pound of power gained by the wheel the water must lose. The stroke of the wheel consumes a definite quantity of steam. The labor of man consumes muscular power. Motion.— The first idea of force is motion. The gross idea of motion is change of matter in space. The more subtile conception fades into vibrations of mat- ter without any relative change. Thus we have a glimpse of an impalpable something transmitted, which operates powerfully, but changes not the sub- stance in its path. Thus sound is motion ; it is noth- ing but motion. If the ear be placed at one end of a long metallic rod : and the other end be struck, it shortly receives an impression of sound conducted through the rod. The rod has not moved ; it has only allowed something to pass through it. That some- 82 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. thing is vibration, capable of exciting the auditory nerves producing hearing. Motion only has passed. Resolvability of Motion.— Motion is resolvable into heat, light, magnetism, electricity, and what may be called, for want of a better name, spiritual power. The production of heat by motion is among the most common occurrences. Wherever there is friction be- tween moving surfaces, heat is produced. In ma- chinery oil is applied to all the irregularities of the surfaces, so that they may slide freely over each other. In heavy machinery there is great difficulty in preventing the rapidly revolving parts from burning. Car axles often take fire from this cause. By rough- ening the surfaces, greater friction is produced, more heat, and consequent loss of power. What becomes of this lost power ? Is it annihilated ? No. The pre- cise amount of power absorbed by friction is repro- duced as heat. Friction results from the tearing asun- der of the inequalities of the opposing surfaces; and the force necessary to tear these asunder is equival- ent to the heat produced. In other words, if this heat* was applied to convert water to steam, the steam would tear off precisely as many particles. Of course no allowance is here made for waste. The equivalent of one degree Fahrenheit, expressed in motion, has been approximately determined by Mr. Joule as seven hundred and seventy-two pounds, fall- ing one foot. Other experimenters have arrived at widely different results; but his computations are made with so much care and nicety that they are gen- erally received. Light and Chemical Affinity.— Light, heat, electric- ity, magnetism, and affinity are mutually convertible. Thus by means of an electrical current, decomposi- tion can be effected, and by means of affinity the circle is completed by the production of motion. All the sensible phenomena of light, heat, electricity and affinity are motions of atoms, and all that is required is their proper direction to produce motion of masses. Theories. — It is indifferent what theory is advo- cated, — the theory of vibrations in an ether, or of matter itself, or of emission; this inter-relation or co- relation holds good of one as well as the other. The phenomena are most satisfactorily explained by the THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 83 theory of vibrations in an ether, modified by trans- mission through ponderable bodies. The action of gravitation across planetary spaces, which are prac- tically devoid of matter, necessitates the existence of a medium for its transmission. The resolution of the "imponderable" into motion solves some of the greatest cosmical problems. Mo- tion being indestructible, the revolution of worlds falls into its province. The original heat which once diffused the planetary bodies as vapor through space calls for no other explanation than that furnished by the conservation of force. When the exact numerical relation of heat and mo- tion is determined, the calculation is very simple to ascertain how much heat the velocity of a planetary body represents. The moment the particles of cos- mical vapor met and united, — in other words, con- densation began, — heat was generated. It was the great obstacle in the way of condensation. From the amount of heat represented by the present motion of the earth, the degree of heat of the original chaos can be determined. It is found that only the four hundred and fifty-fourth of the original force re- mains; but if this remainder were converted into heat, as it would be if the planets were all to fall into the sun, and the whole system suddenly be brought to rest, it would raise the temperature of the entire mass to twenty-eight million degrees centigrade, or fifty million degrees Fahrenheit. When we consider that the highest temperature we are capable of attaining is by the oxyhydrogen blow-pipe, and that this does not exceed three thousand six hundred degrees Fahrenheit, but is sufficient to not only melt but va- porize platinum, the most infusible of metals, we can at once Jearn the incomprehensibleness of fifty mill- ion degrees, or more than thirteen thousand times that number. If the entire mass of the system were pure coal, and at once lit up in terrific combustion, only the thirty-five hundredth part of this heat would be gen- erated. A simple calculation affords us a view of the result if the earth were suddenly stopped in its orbit. The momentum of a ponderous ball, eight thousand miles in diameter, hurled sixty-eight thousand miles an hour, is at once converted into heat. A rifle-ball ar- 84 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. rested becomes too warm to touch. The earth is raised to sixteen thousand five hundred and sixty degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature sufficient to convert its most obdurate minerals into vapour, into a vast come- tary chaos. If arrested, it would fall into the sun ; and the degree of heat developed by such a catastrophe would be four hundred times greater, or six million six hundred and twenty-four thousand degrees Fah- renheit. The Sun the Fountain of Life.— The heat of the sun's surface— the great perpetual fountain of life — has been estimated, from what appear to be correct data, to be from seven thousand to fifteen thousand times greater than the oxyhydrogen blow-pipe. This incomprehensible temperature is maintained invari- ably, and an immense flood of light and heat radiated into space. Meeting the surface of the planets, it warms, enlightens, and sets at work the processes of life. It is the origin of living beings, who derive from its exhilarating rays all their motion or living force, which stands directly correlated to sunlight and heat. We are all children of the sun, from the humblest worm to the divinest man. All are storehouses of these forces, which can be at any time called forth. When wood is burned it is not newly created heat we produce, but the light and warmth of the sun exerted in building up the cells of the wood. A diamond shines in the dark, after exposure to the sun's rays, from the absorption of those rays. When the shining coal is burned, the sunlight and heat treasured up by the plants in the dark age of mythically gigantic vegetation, which flourished in the marshes of the coal-age, are set at liberty. Noth- ing is created. The coal is simply a treasury of the heat and light of the sun. Beautiful is the circle of transformation. The heat of the sun builds up the plant. It is a storehouse of these forces to the ani- mal that eats and digests it. The original heat is lib- erated by chemical action in its body, which is thus warmed and endowed with wonderful muscular power. The same chemical processes occur when wood is burned in the furnace of an engine. The treasured heat is reconverted to the original motion of the beginning. Thus the force of the animal frame THE ARCANA OP SPIRITUALISM. 85 is an individualization of the primal force of planet- ary bodies. Into the Realm of Life.— Ascending in this generali- zation, we inquire if this correlation holds in the realm of life; if the aggregate of motions we call life may not be a transformation of the terrible forces of na- ture. Wonderful are the motions of living beings; so mysterious, they seem to spring directly from the will, and once were supposed to be connected with a forbidden domain, lying outside of matter. But care- ful study finds that the circulation of the fluids in the animal, and the motions of its organs, differ not from the motion observed in the cascade, the rush of winds, or the revolutions of the orbs of space. Vegetable life is purely of growth ; animal life expands itself in re- sistance to external agencies. The animal has a nerv- ous system, which the plant has not, by which its various parts are brought into unison. In both is observed what has been called vital force. What is this vital force? Consider an organized being, It is a representative of all the forces and con- ditions which have ever acted on it, or on its remotest ancestors. It is the concrete expression of all these. In it, these forces have acquired a momentum. They are not wholly dependent on external circumstances, but are able to react on surrounding conditions. The sum of forces thus individualized, the momentum of force thus represented, is what is called vitality. Whatever power a being gains from its food or other- wise, not expended, is so much gained by vitality. It is not an original force imported from ancestors, which weakens as it departs from the parent stock, as has been argued. This is refuted by the propaga- tion of plants by cuttings, or the embryonic growth of animals. The bud or the sperm-cell can only give di- rection to the causes of growth, which yield vitality as the surplus of the force extracted from the sustain- ing material. Use of the Nerves.— By means of the nerves all the organs of the body are brought into harmony. They are the conducting wires by which the forces gener- ated in the system are kept in equilibrium. Where they do not exist there is no motion. They convey the excess of force existing in one organ to another when 86 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. it is deficient, or to organs which do not generate the force which they need. As force cannot be created nor destroyed its mani- festations depend on chemical changes within the organism. This is true of the force used in the volun- tary and involuntary motions of the body. Even the movement of a finger, or the exhalation of a breath, necessitates consumption of material in the body. That is, every motion requires force, which is derived from some of the component particles of the organ- ism entering into new combinations, and thereby be- coming effete, and rejected by the system. They can- not be used a second time. The vital force stands in direct relation to chem- ical force, or in other words, to the amount of destruc- tion of tissues. It is precisely parallel to the results obtained by a galvanic battery. An atom of acid unites with an atom of zinc ; the attached wire trans- mits force which separates the most firmly united compounds, produces light, heat, or magnetic force; but we can never obtain any more force than that afforded by the original attraction of the atoms of acid and zinc. Thus it is that force is derived from the oxidation effected in the body, which must be proportional to the material consumed. In fevers, where the waste is great, heat is produced instead of muscular motion. Oxygen is the stimulant of living organisms, and at death their destroyer. It is only because the organs exposed to its action constantly present substances for which it has greater affinity, that they are pre- served. The living lung tissue has attraction for oxygen, but is protected by the blood, which has a greater attraction. The same may be said of the mucous membrane and cellular tissue; they readily combine with oxygen, and are protected by the sub- stances they present to take it up. Where such sub- stances cannot be presented, as in starving, these tissues yield to the action of oxj^gen. There is abso- lute correlation in the organic system. It has a cer- tain amount of force, which, if used in one direction, cannot be employed in another. If the involuntary motions are increased the voluntary are weakened; if the voluntary are violently overtasked the involun- THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 87 tary are weakened, sometimes to such an extent that, no force being left to carry on the vital processes, death results. The force which in plants is applied to unlimited growth is employed by animals in motion. This is effected through and by the muscles. Muscu- lar growth does not imply the exertion of force; for the conversion of blood into muscle is only a change of form, the composition being the same ; and change of form does not require expenditure of force, only right conditions. Correlation of Mind.— Arising to the lofty regions of the intellect, this correlation still holds. If man puts forth intellectual effort, it is so much force taken from some other direction, and is measured by or- ganic change in the body. This by no means explains the phenomena of mind, as is claimed by Materialism. Spiritual beings are composed of higher forms of matter; and hence their continued existence or im- mortality does not present the impossibility of iso- lated forces. The full discussion of this question of the individualization of forces in the human being, and the continuity of the existence thus originating, is presented in "Psychic Science." Perfection of Man. — The rudiments of the organs of sense appear low down in the scale of being. If we receive the theory that living beings were created by the forces of matter, and not for them, it is probable that there is a sense for every order of manifestation of which matter is susceptible. In man, all the organs, of which rudimentary indications are given in the lower orders, are perfected ; and we have thus a right to suppose him. to be susceptible to every sensation ca- pable of being expressed by and through matter. Were it otherwise he would possess some rudimentary sense for future ages to perfect. Sight, hearing, taste, touch, are all as perfect in animals as in man, and, in many, even more perfect; but he surpasses them in nervous sensibility, — a faculty dimly seen in the ani- mal world, and reaching to the spirit realm. This may almost be called a new sense, although it must be regarded as still rudimentary. A dim shadow of its capabilities is revealed by the clairvoyant. Through it matter reaches up to spirit ; and by it we learn the laws of that mystic realm. 88 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. What Is Life?— What pass as explanations of ulti- mate causes by scientists, really are restatements of facts in new language, and evasion thereby of the primal cause. Science in its most accurately deter- mined walks cannot reach farther than this restate- ment. Pressed to give the cause it adopts a new nomenclature with which to describe the phenomena, and claims a full explanation. Nowhere else is this more conspicuous than in the province of life. The mysterious force which organizes matter into living beings is so obscure in its methods, and reaches to such attenuated atomies, not only imperceptible to the un- assisted eye. but, thus far, escaping the powers of the microscope in revealing their structure, that its exist- ence even has been denied, and a class of naturalists maintain that life is simply a manifestation of chem- ical affinity parallel to that of heat or electricity. Dr. Beals, who is a high authority, shows how the tissues of the animal body are created from bioplasm, sup- posed to be the material out of which all organized matter must be created. Bioplasm, or protoplasm is conceived to be a form of matter unorganized, yet capable of entering into organic forms. Its character is highly conjectural, and its existence even is far from demonstrated or demonstrable. ''Men and ani- mals, all their tissues and organs, their forms and structures, result from series of changes, which com- mence in a portion of matter too minute to be weighed, which is perfectly colorless, and which ap- pears perfectly structureless ; even if the particle of bioplasm be magnified five thousand diameters, not the faintest indication of fibres or particles exhibiting any special arrangement — in fact, not a trace of any- thing having structure — can be discerned. "The speck of living matter, however, absorbs cer- tain substances and increases by assimilating matter it selects, and changing it into matter like itself. Thus it gradually grows, and when it has attained a certain size, perhaps one two-thousandth of an inch in diam- eter, it divides, or small portions are detached from it, each of which grows like the primary particle, and in the same way gives origin to successors, from which tissues are at length produced." This is apparently an exceedingly careful descrip- THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 89 tion of the facts, but a complete failure to give the cause. What is the force which in this simple "bioplasm" carries forward the processes of diges- tion and assimilation in the same manner that they operate in the most complete beings ? Here is the be- ginning of that mysterious power called vital force, which, from the cell filled with "bioplasm," "not a trace of anything having structure, ' ' has carried that cell forward, step by step through the endless chain of intermediate forms to man. Can the natural sci- entist tell what it is? He points to evolution as a demonstrated solution. Evolution is only the method, and does not touch the cause. It has not even given a full statement of the method, and in that much fails to become a law. The underlying or permeating force is not touched. Evolution reaches down to the begin- ning, in the cell of a living being. At that point life is manifested through matter. The explanation is that this combination of mat- ter produces the appearance called life. In other words, vitality is a result of a form of chemical action, the same as heat. Heat, light, electricity, vitality, whether produced by action or reaction of the ele- ments, escape, and there is no reactionary effect on the substances yielding them, but vital force builds a structure for its manifestations, and pursues what can be called by no other name, an intelligent course from the beginning in the cell. Even then there is an aim and purpose, pursued with inflexible determination, and the beginnings of each age, or degree, are prophecies of the higher forms, of which they are un- finished sketches. Thou hast not, oh material Sci- entist, entered the inner temple of life, or learned the secrets of the source of vital force. You may weigh with finest balance, but the spirit will refuse to turn the beam. You may cut with keenest knife through the dead or quivering nerve, your material eyes will not detect the spirit which really feels. You cannot tell how ' ' bioplasm " or " protoplasm ' ' passes from the ranks of mineral crystallization to "organizable fluid. ' ' Of its properties you content yourselves with a guess, nor can you tell the difference between protoplasm dead and protoplasm living. Having approached the question of mind and its 90 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. manifestations by way of strictly physical observa- tion, and shown how intimately it is related to the energies of the elements, perhaps the bridge is suf- ficiently completed to allow of crossing from the phys- ical to the spiritual side. When it is said that the phenomena of the world are effects of force we really offer no explanation. We remove the answer one step farther off, that is all, for then comes the query what gives efficiency and intelligence to force f A glance at the phenomena, and the deeper the study the more pronounced the impression becomes, produces the conviction that this force, whatever it is, like a fet- tered giant, is striving to express through matter a vast design. It cannot do this at once, but must com- mence with small beginnings and perfect the organ- isms through which it manifests by the slow process of evolution. Were the finest musician given nothing more than a block of wood and strings, he could not produce a musical note. He may stretch a string over a rude de- vice, and it will vibrate to his touch. Laboring on he may arrange two strings in unison, and further per- fecting, carve a sounding board, stretch more strings, and step by step groping his way, perfect an instru- ment responsive to his touch, and through it he can express his ideas of harmony. This illustrates the apparent method by which the impelling energy expresses itself. The first beings, the beginning of life in organized forms, are the low- est. There was not living material out of which to construct living organization, and the first effort was for its production. That living material was pro- toplasm, or the li physical basis" of life. It is an un- organized, jelly-like substance which, though not a living being, is capable of organization into such be- ings. A speck of this, floating free in the water, is the first and lowest individualization of life. These specks are too small to be seen by the un- assisted eye, and some are difficult to make out by means of a microscope of highest power. The Monas lens, not the smallest, is a lens shaped speck of this living jelly (protoplasm), with a long filament, by the vibration of which it propels itself through the water and uses like a hand to bring its food of smaller THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 91 monads to its body. It has no mouth or stomach, and wherever the hand brings the food the body opens and closes around it, and it is dissolved into the plastic jelh r . This Monas may be taken as a type of the count- less organisms of this world unseen by the unaided eye. It multiplies by division, a stricture forming and cutting it in two equal halves which soon reach full size, and the process is repeated with such rapid- ity that in a few hours it may increase to millions. The size of the Monas is one four- thousandth of an inch in diameter, which means that a cup measuring one cubic inch would hold 125 billions of these beings, or 9,000 times the human population of the earth. Small as they are, yet these monads show in a de- gree the same intelligence in pursuit of food, selection and rejection, the avoidance of obstacles, caution and fear, and cunning in capturing their prey, that is seen in higher animals. The mouse in its sphere of life is as cunning as the elephant. A bee exhibits along the line of the neces- sities of its existence, as perfect reasoning powers as man — narrower limits, that is all. Intelligence is not estimated by weight or measure, and size does not count in its manifestation. The energy of nature in its first efforts to express itself through living beings, in the Monas or proto- plasmic substance, can do no more than make resist- ance to the conditions acting on its form of expres- sion. The Monas has sensibility. It recognizes light and heat and the presence of its food. It has no nerves, but it has been conjectured to have a "dif- fused" ner^e substance. Ascending to higher forms, we find a line of nerve fibre. The first string has been strung, and it vibrates to a higher intelligence. The nerve fibres develop step by step, and there is con- centration into' ganglia or brain centers. There is, at last, a central brain dominating all the others, and in man perfected into an instrument as perfect as can be formed of physical matter, and the energy back of all is able to more freely express itself. We have here used the terms force and energy be- cause they have been adopted by science. Really it makes little difference what terms are used for all refer to an unknown quantity. 92 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. Why is it more unscientific to affirm that there is a Cosmic Mind than that there is Cosmic Matter? We see the material universe, and do we not even more forcibly perceive the manifestations of this Cosmic Mind in all phenomena of the world ? Imperfectly it struggles through the organism of the Monas, and the best it can do is perception of light, heat and recognition of its food. By and through the brain of man it can transpose into thought the laws and principles by which the Cosmos is controlled. And this is not the end. By means of the physical man a spiritual man is evolved, organized of spiritual substance progressively to unfold to the perfect ex- pression of this Cosmic Mind. This being, the ripened fruitage of all time, will as far surpass the estate of man as man surpasses the monad. In that spiritual being the musician has outwrought his perfect handi- work. All the thousand strings are adjusted and attuned to vibrate to the touch of Cosmic Intelligence. Thus is individualized spirit a portion of Cosmic Life and Intelligence. It is not the least consequence by what name it is called. To the scientist, energy or force ; to the religionist, in the phraseology of the- ology, God. Discussion on this line must be a war of words. CHAPTER IV. SPIRITUAL ATMOSPHERE OF THE UNIVERSE. The Instrument Employed in Investigating — The Brain — The Impressibility of the Brain — Impressibility of Animals — Sympathy a Form of Impressibility — Abnormal Sensitive- ness of the Diseased — In Sleep — Influence of Locality on the Sensitive — The Image Sometimes Remains — Psycho- metric Dream — Blending of Individual Spheres — Conclu- sions — Relations of the Spiritual to the Animal in Man — Instinct — Reflections — The Spirit Loses Nothing — No Per- version in Animals — Perversion, Its Cause — Man's Intel- lectual Nature — Desires Insatiate — Moral Aspect — The Mandate of Conscience — The Test of Conduct. An atmosphere more sublimate than air Pervades all matter, be it here or there: No finite power its wrappings can disperse; For its thin billows lave the universe, — Each portion linking to all other parts, Whether stars, blossoms, or responding hearts. — Emma Rood Tuttle. The Instrument Employed in Investigating— The Brain. — As the investigator reaches the threshold of the domain of spirit, he meets phenomena protean in form and expression, but having a common family type. The object of the present chapter is to attempt, from observed facts, a generalization which shall unite the strangely diverse phenomena of impressi- bility. In the study of this subject we have a perfect instrument ready formed for our purpose, — the sensi- tive brain. Through its impressibility we become cognizant of spiritual forces, and, by its aid, are en- abled to enter the secret courts of the spirit. The Impressibility of the Brain.— The faculties of man may be readily traced in rudimentary form in the lower animals • and the impressibility of his nervous 94 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. system forms no exception. Its presence can be seen in the lowest zoophytes or plant-animals. They seek the darkest places, and shrink from the influence of the light. This is the only sense they manifest. It is possessed by all animals; but the experiments of Spallanzani on bats show that they are possessed of highly somnambulistic faculties. Impressibility of Animals.— "Completely blinded bats were not in the slightest degree obstructed in their motions. They flew about by night and by day with their wonted rapidity, avoiding all obstacles which lay, or were intentionally placed in their way, as dexterously as if in full possession of their sight. They turned around at the right time when they ap- proached a wall, rested in a convenient situation when fatigued, and struck against nothing. The experi- ments were multiplied and varied in the most ingeni- ous manner. A room was filled with thin twigs; in another silken threads were suspended from the roof, and preserved in the same position at the same dis- tance from each other by means of small weights at- tached to them. The bat, though deprived of its eyes, flew through the intervals of these threads, as well as of the twigs, without touching them ; and, when the intervals were too small, it drew its wings more closely together. In another room a net was placed, having occasional irregular spaces for the bat to fly through, the net being so arranged as to form a small labyrinth ; but the blind bat was not to be deceived. In proportion as the difficulties were increased, the dexterity of the animal was augmented. When it flew over the upper extremity of the net, and seemed im- prisoned between it and the wall, it was frequently observed to make its escape most dexterously. When fatigued by its high flights it still flew rapidly along the ground, among chairs, tables, and sofas, yet avoid- ed touching anything with its wings. Even in the open air, its flight was as prompt, easy, and secure as in a close room, and, in both situations, altogether similar to that of its associates who had the use of their eyes." It is this impressibility that enables animals to in- fluence each other, man to influence man, or vice versa, That such influences exist there can be no THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 95 doubt. The few facts I relate are representative of volumes which might be collected. The tiger shows the faculty of "charming," with the other members of the feline family. An interesting instance of its exertion is recorded by Lieutenant-Col. Davidson. 4 ' My detachment, after passing through several low forests, was one morning encamped at Gorapichar, on a somewhat cleared spot, but still completely sur- rounded by jungle, reputed to be swarming with tigers and all other wild animals. I issued orders that none of the Europeans should lose sight of their tents ; but they were all wild lads, desperate after sport; and one of them, named Skelton, walked away from camp, with fusil in hand, and the honorable com- pany's ammunition in his pocket, eager to distinguish himself by the death of a tiger. "The consequence was, that had it not been that he was soon missed by his comrades he would undoubt- edly have been eaten up by a tiger for his disobedi- ence of orders. "He was reported absent; and I ordered a strict search to be made for him. A part of the Europeans immediately issued forth, and soon found the sports- man,- standing, musket in hand, wholly immovable and stupid, eagerly staring at a bush about thirty yards in advance. They spoke to him, but he could not answer. They rushed up and tried to rouse him ; but his eyes continued fixed. And then they observed the head of a tiger, with his brilliant eyes riveted on the intended victim, while his long curly tail was gracefully waving over his back in fond anticipation of a bloody feast. They shouted, and the tiger speed- ily vanished. Skelton was conveyed back to his tent; and so great was the shock given to his brain that many days elapsed before he recovered his usual vi- vacity ; and there was no more tiger-shooting during the remainder of the march to Asseer-Gurh. "I was, in the year 1831, executive engineer of the province of Bundlecund, and dwelt within the forests of Calpee, in a stout stone building, on the margin of the precipice, about sixty feet above the waters of the ancient river, the Jumna, and within a few yards of that classic spot at which one of the incarnations of Chrishna made his appearance on earth. 96 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. "While within the building my attention was drawn, one morning, to piercing cries of great dis- tress, which I knew proceeded from one of that beau- tiful species of squirrel called 'gillairy, ' or striped Barbary squirrel. I quickly ran to the spot whence the sound proceeded, which was at the very edge of the precipice, then covered by many stunted bushes and trailing plants; and there I observed the gillairy about four or five feet from the bank, leaping back- wards and forwards, with his tail erect, upon a slen- der branch overhanging the river. The animal paid no attention whatever to my presence ; and I could not, for some time, discover the cause of his outcries. On looking more carefully I observed the head and about a couple of feet of the body of a large snake. The body of the reptile continued to undulate in a very gentle manner, but the head seemed to be almost on fire, so very brilliant were the almost fire-shooting and triumphant eyes, that seemed to anticipate his victory over the helpless squirrel, which seemed abso- lutely spellbound, for it made no effort to escape, which, under any other circumstances, it could have done with facility, by dropping down on a protruding part of the precipice, a few feet below the bough on which it traversed. Its cries became more and more urgent and piercing, and moved by compassion for suffering, I shot the serpent. The squirrel's cries in- stantly ceased, and it dropped down and disap- peared." The influence of this subtle power of animals on man has been recorded by the eminent and bold Dr. Caldwell. "We knew a gentleman, who, in the largest cham- ber, covered with a carpet, in the midst of deep dark- ness, could tell if a cat entered it with her stealthiest tread and in perfect silence. Nor could he tell in what way, or through which of his external senses, he made the discovery. When interrogated on the sub- ject his only reply was that he experienced a peculiar and disagreeable feeling, which told him that there was a cat in the room. Nor could he look on one dur- ing daylight without experiencing a sense of horror. ' ' Sympathy a Form of Impressibility.— This sym- pathy is strongly marked between intimate friends THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 97 and relations, and gives the philosophy of the old say- ing, ''The Devil is always near when you talk about him." Some interesting cases have been recorded by Dr. Pratt. "A lady residing in my family, an invalid, under medical treatment at the time of this occurrence, was seized suddenly with what appeared to be an apo- plectic fit about two o'clock p.m. The fit continued till the next morning, the patient being perfectly insensi- ble to all surrounding friends and influences, after which she aroused to consciousness, stating that she had received a severe blow upon the forehead, in the region of the organ of benevolence, which had de- prived her of her senses; that her head now ached severely; that she felt faint, etc. She had no recol- lection of the time passed in the fit. 1 ' Three days after this event, the cause of. the fit was satisfactorily explained to my mind, as follows : The lady's 'other half arrived, an invalid, having been struck down about two o'clock p. in., three days before, by the fall of a tackle-block from a mast-head, the blow being on the frontal portion of the head, scalping his forehead, and stunning him for nearly twelve hours, and rendering his life extremely doubt- ful. "Case 2nd. A lady with whom I conversed last winter, whose husband was an itinerant clergyman, informed me that she had repeatedly risen from her bed late at night, and prepared for the reception of her husband, whom she had no reason to expect home at that time, only from vague impressions. 'For two years,' said she, 'I have been in the habit of doing this ; and I have never once been mistaken in my im- pressions. My husband would often exclaim, "Why, Mary ! what made you think I was coming?" I could only answer that I thought so. ' "Case 3rd. A gentleman in the State of New York, while ploughing in the field, was suddenly shot through the heart, — at least this was his impression. His sensations were such that he could not work; and he put out his team and returned to the house, stating that he believed that his brother who was then a soldier in the Mexican war, had been shot through the heart, or had fallen in battle. Two months after that 98 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. the news arrived of his brother's death in battle, by a ball through the chest, occurring on the same day and hour of his impression. ' ' From these examples it appears that there is such a phenomenon in the mental constitution as communi- cation between mind and mind, not only among friends present, but even sometimes when absent, however distant. "This is an effect of sympathy. Everyone has heard, in his own circle, of numerous instances of it. I am informed, for example, by a lady nearly related to me, that her mother always had such a warning at the time any near and dear friend died. This oc- curred so often as to leave no doubt whatever of the fact. It happened that this lady, more than once, made the voyage to and from India ; and that during the voyage, she, on several occasions, said to her daughter and to others, 'I feel certain that such a per- son is dead.' On reaching port these impressions were found to be true." Referring such astounding phenomena to sympathy is far from furnishing an explanation. What is this sympathy ? It must have a cause ; and from its uni- versality and resemblance among all races of men, and between every form of animal life, its cause must be universal, held in common, binding together all these diverse phenomena. Abnormal Sensitiveness of the Diseased.— The in- fluence exerted by surroundings accounts for many of the vagaries and inconsistencies of men, sometimes a kind of polarity is developed, so that the individual is restless when lying in any other position than that with his head to the north. The painful sensation so often experienced by those suffering from disease can often be dispelled by placing them in this position, and their restoration to health be thus accelerated. "Mr. Smith, a surgeon of Vienna, had received a chill of the right arm, and had for some time suffered from acute rheumatism, with the most painful cramps running from the shoulders to the fingers. His phy- sicians treated him with the magnet, which quieted the cramps; but they always returned. I found him lying with his head to the south. On my remarking this they brought him in direction of the magnetic THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 99 meridian, with his head to the north. Directly after coming into this position he uttered expressions of pleasure ; he declared he felt refreshed and strength- ened. A pleasant uniform warmth diffused itself in the chilled part; he felt the pass of the magnet in- comparably more cooling and agreeable than be- fore ; and, before I came away, the stiffened arm and the fingers became movable, and the pain had wholly disappeared." The sensitive Miss Nowotny had sought a position exactly corresponding to the direction of the needle ; she found any other insupportable. Whenever she was placed in any other her pulse rose, her face flushed with increased flow of blood to her head, and she became restless and uncomfortable. Of all posi- tions, that of having her head to the west was most unbearable, being much worse than that of a south- north position. Disease and Sleep.— Terrestrial magnetism is ap- preciable by sensitive persons, modifying sleep and affecting the nervous forces. Of the influence of the sun, moon, and planets all is yet to be learned, and this will prove very much more even than is claimed. When any substance is exposed to the sunlight for some time it becomes luminous to those who are sensi- tive, and exerts a magnetic influence on them. This influence is conductible. When the subject, remain- ing in a dark room, takes hold of a wire passing out into the sunshine, he at once experiences the cooling sensation of magnetism. With the sun's rays water can be magnetized, a weak magnet strengthened ; and, when an individual exposes himself for a brief time in the sunshine, he becomes capable of exerting a strong magnetic influence. The moon's rays afford the same results ; but they seem to have a stronger attractive power, strongly drawing the subject's hand towards the object from which they emanate. The sun is the fountain of all life. Its rays cause the seed to germinate, the flower to unfold its petals, the bird to sing, and the mind of man to expand. Not only by its light and heat, but by the constant fluctua- tion of its electric, magnetic and actinic waves, which beat against the earth and all things therein millions of millions of times every second. L.cf C. 100 THE ARCANA OP SPIRITUALISM. Here is the key to the relation of sunlight to physi- ology. It is well known that many diseases are ag- gravated when night approaches, while others are more severe during the day. All varieties of nervous pains are generally more unbearable at night than during the day. This fact has been observed, but, by the materialism of modern science, referred summar- ily to imagination — the silence of the night gave free rein to fancy; and small aches became unbearable. During the day the half of the earth illuminated is positive to the other unilluminated hemisphere, which is negative, and as day and night follow each other, so do these opposed states. The sensations of evening are different from those of morning. We have enjoyed the light, and been positive, during the day. When night advances we are to sink into its negative embrace. We are to be- come passive in the enveloping darkness, and enter a state v ' twin brother to death. ' ' At morning we arise from invigorating rest to meet the positive day. It is more restorative to sleep during the night. It is then the subtile magnetic forces are in harmony with that state. Sleep during the day, in the most secluded apartments, is restless and feverish. This distinction is recognized by animals of all species, and by plants. The former, during the presence of the sun, absorb oxygen, and throw off carbonic acid; plants, on the contrary, absorb carbonic acid and yield oxygen. During the night the vital powers of the former are reduced to the lowest ebb ; and the latter reverse the process of combination, and throw off carbonic acid and absorb oxygen. Night is no more terrible than day; yet the mind, overcome by the negative condi- tion imposed then on all things, peoples it with fan- cies. It is the established season for ghosts, especially the hour of midnight. Night, too, is the wakeful sea- son for the author and thinker, who find it more fruit- ful of original thoughts ; for their minds are then pas- sive. After a bath in the sunlight, the shade is agree- able. In negative diseases the effect of sunlight is wonderfully beneficial, and in positive, darkness equally so. Influence of Locality.— Pfeff el, the blind German poet, appointed a young evangelical clergyman as his THE ARCANA OP SPIRITUALISM. 101 amanuensis, who led him when he walked out. As they passed a certain spot the poet observed that his attendant's arm trembled, and on questioning him, he was told by the young man that he experienced the peculiar sensations on passing this spot he always felt at places where bodies were interred. On going to the place at night he saw a weak light, like an immaterial name, waving over the spot. He described it as re- sembling a woman's form, with the feet a little ele- vated above the ground. As the ghost-seer protested that someone must be buried there, Pfeffel had the place dug up. At some depth, a solid layer of white lime was met with, about as long and as broad as a grave, tolerably thick; and when this was broken through they discovered the skeleton of a human body. "It had been covered with a layer of quick-lime, as is the custom in time of pestilence. The bones were taken out, the hole filled, and the surface levelled. When Billing was again taken there the appearance was gone, and the nocturnal spirit had vanished for- ever. ' ' This story rests on the authority of Eeichenbach, who, in pursuance of his research, conducted some of his sensitives to a churchyard, where they at once saw similar appearances over all the graves, especially the more recent ones. Although this flame has been a prolific source of ghost stories, we need not call ghosts to our aid to furnish an explanation. We know that this flame is produced by chemical change. All bodies undergoing change exhibit it. Of course, the decomposition occurring in a grave furnishes an abun- dant source, and, as these gaseous products slowly arise, so will the flame. It is said truly, that not to all is given the sight which enables them to see the ghosts which hover around churchyards, for all are not sufficiently sensi- tive; but many are, and are derided as cowardly or fanciful, when the objects they perceive are realities to them, as much as the tombstones are to others. It requires no stretch of fancy to shape the upright, wav- ing, luminous cloud into human form. Educational prejudice, the horror of the place, the dread season of night, generally beget sufficient fear to at once so 102 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. shape the clouds much more distinctly than those we form into angels and beasts as they float through the sky. These ghosts are nothing more than the luminous flame produced by the chemical changes always ac- companying it. It is strange that this fact of chem- istry should have given rise to the most unbelievable stories of goblins and ghosts, having no more exist- ence than a wisp of flame, or fog-like cloud. The Image Sometimes Remains.— Sometimes the image of a thing remains impressed in the place where it has stood. M. Teste, in his journal, cites with re- spect to this, a curious experiment. A female som- nambulist enters the room, and exclaims, "What a pretty girl is sitting on that chair ! " At this exclama- tion, M. Teste observes to her that she is mistaken; that no pretty girl is there. Far from giving in to this declaration, she sees one on each chair ; and there were six of them. Unable to account for this hallucination, he con- tented himself with gathering exact details of the dress of these little girls, and confessed that a little girl precisely similar had been playing there for a moment before the somnambulist entered, and had jumped upon the six chairs, one after the other, sit- ting down on them. "I have often recognized that the image of natural objects, set in a certain place, remained there for a long time. ' ' Mrs. Denton, an extremely sensitive person, relates that on entering a car from which the passengers had gone to dinner, she was surprised to see the seats all occupied, ' ' Many of them were sitting perfectly composed, as if, for them, little interest were attached to this sta- tion, while, others were already in motion (a kind of compressed motion), as if preparing to leave. I thought this was somewhat strange, and was about turning to find a vacant seat in another car, when a second glance around showed me that the passengers who had appeared so indifferent were really losing their identity, and, in a moment more, were invisible to me. I had had sufficient time to note the personal appearance of several; and taking a seat, I awaited the return of the passengers, thinking it more than THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 103 probable I might in them find the prototypes of the faces and forms I had a moment before so singularly beheld. Nor was I disappointed. A number of those who returned to the cars I recognized as being, in every particular, the counterparts of their late but transient representatives. ' ' Psychometrical Dream.— The explanation of the following dream may seem incredible; but, after a thorough understanding of the vast generalization we are attempting of mental and physical phenomena, it may cease to appear so. "Several years ago, during a severe winter, the Schuylkill River, near Philadelphia, became thickly bridged over with ice, and thousands of persons re- sorted thither for the purpose of skating, sliding, etc. Among other inventions for the amusement of those visiting the place, there was a post sunk through the ice, at the top of which there was a point, and a hori- zontal revolving arm attached to it. To the end of this, the drag-ropes of sleds were attached ; so that, by pushing the shaft, the sleds, with persons on them, might be made to revolve swiftly in a circle upon the ice. Among the rest a negro got upon the sled; and the person in charge of the shaft caused it to re- volve so rapidly that the negro was thrown outward by the centrifugal force, and, striking violently against a large, projecting piece of ice, was killed in- stantly. "This occurrence was witnessed by a physician, a friend of my informant, who happened to be present. On that very evening the physician had occasion to prepare a dose of pills for one of his patients, a lady extremely susceptible to magnetic influences. As he was mixing the ingredients of the pills, and rolling them in his fingers, he related in all its particulars to persons in the office the occurrence he had witnessed on the river during the day. The pills were after- wards despatched to the lady by another person. The next day the physician, seeing one of the lady's fam- ily, inquired concerning her health. In the answer that was returned it was stated, among other things, that she had had a singular dream the night previous. She dreamed that she was somewhere on the ice where many people were sliding and skating; that she had 104 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. there seen a negro thrown from a revolving sled against a cake of ice and instantly killed, etc. Her dream, as related, was an exact reproduction of all the essential statements of facts which had, without her knowledge, been given by the physician while he was preparing the medicine, and concerning which facts she had received no information from any quar- ter." The physician imparted his influence to the medi- cine, which, acting on an impressible mind, repro- duced his thoughts in the form of a dream. So the mechanic imparts a portion of himself to his wares, and the various articles of food are impreg- nated with the spheres of their producers. Dwellings partake of the influence of all those who have once entered them. Garments reproduce the characters of their wearers. Dwellings wherein countless persons enter, and the products of various climes are stored, are always pervaded by innumerable influences. ''All houses wherein men have lived and died Are haunted houses." These affect all more or less, but only the extremely sensitive in a marked degree. Many who are not sus- ceptible while oppressed by the cares of the day are highly so during the negativeness of night and the passivity of sleep. These surrounding influences, blending, often reappear in dreams. It thus becomes apparent that localities have two distinct influences; one which may be called physical, dependent on the geological or mineralogical structure, whereby the magnetic currents are directed ; the other from the re- tained aura of the living beings that have dwelt therein. Individual Spheres Blending produce the distinc- tive characters of communities and cities. The em- anations from the earth — which Reichenbach terms "odyiic,"— which all minerals exhibit, also exert an influence in the determination of the character of the people dwelling on its surface. Sometimes persons feel this subterranean influence keenly, although, in ignorance of its cause, they fail to understand why they are disagreeably or agreeably affected. Conclusions. — The preceding facts lead to two con- clusions,— first, the impressibility of the nervous sys- THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 105 tern, not only of man, but of all animals ; second, that vibrations capable of exciting the nervous system are thrown off from all organic and inorganic substances. Granting this, no matter what theory of transmis- sion we receive, that of pulsation, or of simple force, there must exist a bond or medium of communication. A brain in England, to affect a brain in America, must do so through a connecting substance. Admitting the facts of impressibility, the existence of a spirit-ether, universal and all permeating, if not demonstrated, is a theory toward which all related facts gather in cul- minating evidence. To present this theory in the form of propositions : 1. There is an all-pervading spirit ether. 2. The brain is not only a thought-transmitting in- strument, it is also a receiver. It sends out vibrations into the spirit-ether, which may be taken up by other brains tuned in unison. It catches vibrations from that ether. The inferences and deductions from these proposi- tions are among the most sublime that can be enter- tained by the human mind. We here arrive at the vortex of causes of material things and spirit-forces. When an individual brain is attuned to these vibra- tions of what may be literally called the Infinite Spirit, the infinite ether which vibrates with the thoughts that laid the foundation of the Cosmos, and holds each atom in its perpetual change, which thrills with every thought in the universe, then it is able to receive according to the chords which are re- sponsive. It will take the poetic, the artistic, the mathematic, according to its attuning. In the direc- tion to receive, will it arise above the level of those less fortunately endowed. Yet more, such sensitives attract those who follow the same line of thought on the other side, and receive specialized, or direct personal messages. The recipients may be, and usually are, wholly un- conscious of the source of their inspiration, and the world gives to them the reward of success. The states- man on a great occasion, super-sensitive by the in- tensity of his effort, may become a vortex of the thoughts of immortals, and by wisdom expressed with miraculous eloquence, and the magnetic vibrations of 106 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. which he is the radiant center, change the fate of na- tions, and mankind. In this manner a poet may write in measure of the music of the spheres ; an inventor grasp principles which elude his less receptive moments. This is the highest phase of mediumship. Can it be attained by those who desire it? It can be ap- proached by all, attained by many. How? This will be explained in a succeeding chapter. CHAPTER V. ANIMAL MAGNETISM, HYPNOTISM, MESMERISM: Boundaries, Laws, and Relations to Spirit. Necessity of Investigating the Laws of Magnetism — Hypno- tism or Mesmerism? — Apollonius — Man Possesses This In- fluence Over animals — Animals Can Influence Man — Ani- mals Can Influence Each Other — Why Do We Think of Those Who Are Thinking of Us? — Influence of Man Over Man — Spirit Ether — Impressibility of the Brain — Psychom- etry Applied — Likes and Dislikes — Application to Fortune Telling — Animal Magnetism as a Curative Agent — Use of Prayer — Magnetic Healing Among Savages — Hypnotic Cure — Application to Spirit Communion — A Safe Rule — Practical Application of Hypnotism. Necessity of Investigating the Laws of Animal Magnetism. — The custom to refer everything of a psychic character to spiritual influence makes it nec- essary to clearly define the sphere of each. Being similar in manifestations, and governed by the same laws, the phenomena are intimately blended. These have received various names, as neurology, patheism, psychodunamy, and, lastly, hypnotism, the most pop- ular. Mesmerism was brought into disrepute by the wild theories and charlatanry of Mesmer ; hypnotism is too narow ; and with clear definition, magnetism is preferable. Hypnotism or Mesmerism?— Scientific men long ago, to their own satisfaction, proved mesmerism to be a delusion, and when it reappeared as animal mag- netism and od force, they gave it no more than a pass- ing thought, a word of ridicule or a sneer. At last they have awakened to the incomparable value of the 108 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. subject, and have bestowed a great deal of time and attention to the phenomena it presents. They, how- ever, still hold that mesmerism, or animal magnetism, is delusive, and they scorn to recognize any of its phenomena. But they do accept and explain the phe- nomena that passed under the name of mesmerism, magnetism, etc., by that wonderful word, hypnotism? It is astonishing what a change of front can be pro- duced by a name. In Europe, especially in France, there is great activity in the investigation of this sub- ject, and the narratives of the results read like fairy tales. Impressed into the healing art astonishing cures are effected, and it is even employed to lead the criminal to ways of morality. Animals are hyp- notized. The hypnotizing of a hen was among the first experiments. The hen was held firmly in the hands and pressed on a table. Its head was drawn out and pressed down, then a chalk mark was drawn extend- ing from either eye. The hands were slowly removed, and the fowl remained motionless. It was a pretty experiment, and set whole societies of learned men laughing. It was precisely similar to the "profes- sor" lecturing on the subject, closing the eyes of some volunteer, and then "Avilling" him to do ridiculous acts. The animal is less sensitive to the will, but is overcome by its ' ' concentrated attention. ' ' There has been little, and comparatively speaking, no attention paid to this subject in America. In France several men have made themselves famous by more or less successful investigations. What is hypnotism? To answer this question sat- isfactorily has been undertaken by each and every one in the very commencement. They have not been content to await until they better knew what they had to define. They all appear to be biassed in favor of its abnormal character. To the student of man from the spiritual side, these efforts are both pitiable and laughable. M. Charcot, who claimed to have founded a science of hypnotism, argued that it is a diseased state of the soul, and hence its use as a therapeutic agency should be discarded as more likely to result in failure than success. The schools of Nancy and Paris, if they may receive this appellation, vehemently oppose this dis* THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 109 ease theory. Professor Bernheim, of the former, says : "The hypnotic state is a peculiar psychical condition which can be provoked artificially, and which to a varying degree augments suggestibility." Dr. Forel of the same school says it is "the idea of suggestion." Dr. Suys of the Paris school says : "Hypnotism is an experimental extra-physiological state of the nervous system." We knew hypnotism was a "psychical con- dition," that the sensibility was "augmented," that it was an "extra-physiological state," and these so- called definitions are simply word juggling — the sub- stitution of words repeating the same idea. If the scientists from the material side have not learned even to define the subject, those who have studied it from the spiritual are able not only to do that but its limitations also. In the beginning it is a perfectly normal state, vary- ing in degree as the subject is more or less sensitive. It is not allied to the state of normal sleep as the Nancy School, represented by Dr. Bernheim, advo- cates. He makes the hypnotic state the effect of sug- gestion, and remarks that ' ' sleep itself is only sugges- tion." That is, the idea of sleep is impressed on the mind of the subject so strongly that it takes exclusive possession; the subject believes that he will fall asleep, and does so. This view is essentially the same as that of the "dominant idea" which has figured so largely and absurdly with some American writers on the subject. The errors result from blending in the same class phenomena alike only in appearance. In the mesmeric or hypnotic state, as understood by the material school, many distinct phases, each of which requires special attention, are blended. The great value Of mesmerism, which as yet is not fully appreciated, is in the fact that it has made it pos- sible to command many of the most evanescent phe- nomena, and allow of their careful examination when, otherwise, they come at such rare intervals and such unexpected moments as make it impossible to care- fully compare and study them. All these states or conditions are classified under the sixth sense. Sleep is not allied to them, for it is the state of negative repose in which there enters no manifestation of thought in its profoundest aspect, .10 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. and, as unlike clairvoyance, or the true sensitive state, as that of wakefulness ; but shaded into this state of sleep, as into that of wakefulness, are various de- grees of sensitiveness. This sensitiveness is modified by the influence of sleep, and hence arises a peculiar class of manifestations, respecting which I will briefly quote from ' ' Psychic Science " : ' ■ We will simply, for convenience, divide the sensi- tive state into the hypnotic, somnambulic and clair- voyant; but it must be borne in mind that these merge into each other, and no sharp line can be drawn between them. Mesmerism may be regarded as the method by which all these states may be induced. The mesmeric state is equivalent to the hypnotic. After years of delay mesmerism has been accepted under another name, but the theory of a 'fluid' or specific in- fluence is discarded. Hypnotics cannot, however, ex- ceed the most common experiments without the facts demanding, even as a working hypothesis, this spe- cific influence. "There are two distinct states of hypnotism. The first is that in which most platform experiments are made. The sensitive is capable of carrying on con- versations, answering questions, and is governed by a 'dominant idea,' believing all the operator wishes and doing as he commands. The sensitive rapidly enters the next stage, wherein he becomes insensible to pain and irresponsive to any one except the operator. Un- til this stage is reached consciousness and memory are retained, a fact fatal to the theory of automatic ac- tion, or 'unconscious cerebration.' In this profound state the sensitive has no memory of events which occur. It is an induced, incipient somnambulism, the true counterpart of that which under proper condi- tions appears spontaneously." "In the hypnotic state the subject is under the con- trol of the operator, and in a great degree an auto- maton; in the somnambulic he in part regains his in- dividuality, and in certain lines of thought and ac- tion is superior to himself in his waking moments." Pursuing this line of thought, clairvoyance is the last and most profound condition of the sensitive state. It borders on death, which it always pre- cedes." THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. Ill The sensitive state is thus seen to begin with the hypnotic stage, (where a hen remains motionless be- cause nrmiy pressed. on a table until it is persuaded that it cannot move ; or the human subject closes his eyes because told to do so, and finds he has no will to open them) ; and after passing through many won- derful phases, such as thought reading, impressibility, and somnambulism, it reaches clairvoyance and inde- pendent trance. The ablest investigator among the ' ' scientists ' ' has not taken a single step beyond the threshold of the lowest phase of hypnotism. It is not strange, then, that the theories they promulgate, to cover all these multitudinous phenomena, fail when applied beyond their narrow field of research. You may place a silver coin in the hand of a sub- ject, and, after gazing at it for a time, he will, when commanded, close his eyes, and believe he is an en- tirely different person. He is under the power of *< suggestion, " or controlled by a "dominant idea," the victim of "unconscious cerebration." Ah, yes, grant all that is here claimed. Soon, however, if highly sensitive he passes beyond the control of the operator. No one idea ' ' dominates. ' ' He is endowed with mental powers superior to his normal gifts. He is conscious of events transpiring at remote distances, and prescient to those which will occur in the future. He has shaken off the control of the operator and the limitations of the corporeal body and is endowed with superior senses of perception. Applied to this state, how absurd and puerile the theories of the "learned doctors" and "professors" appear! Yet they would juggle all these various states to- gether into a pot pourri, and labelling it hypnotism, gain eclat before scientific associations, by their crude theories of "suggestion" and "dominant ideas," and ' ' unconscious cerebration. ' ' Apollonius of Tyana was one of the most successful . magnetists. He was famous for healing diseases, for his clairvoyance, and for foretelling future events. While delivering a public lecture at Ephesus, in the midst of a large assembly, he saw the Emperor Domitian being murdered at Rome ; and it was proved to the satisfaction of all that, while the murder was 112 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. taking place, he described every circumstance at- tending it to the crowd, and announced the very in- stant in which the tyrant was slain. It is recorded that so great was his magnetic influence that "his mere presence, without uttering a single word, was sufficient to quell a popular tumult. ' ' As we are thus drawing examples from antiquity, we might mention the narrative recorded in the Holy Writ — the case of Saul when he entered the woman of Endor's house. She knew not who he was ; but when her spiritual powers were excited she immediately recognized him. Swcdenborg gives a striking illustration of the de- velopment of this sense. By its aid he seemed to be- come en rapport with the spheres. Once, while dining with a company of friends some miles distant from his own town, he became greatly agitated, arose, walked out, but soon came in com- posed, and informed the company that there had been a great conflagration in his town ; that it had spread nearly to his residence, but had there been extin- guished, while within only a single door, of his house. This was all true. Innumerable anecdotes might be related to prove that the mind, when in a peculiar srtate, receives knowledge of things of which none of the senses can be the channel of communication. I call this a sense. Perhaps "impressibility of the brain" would be a bet- ter term ; but it is certain this sensibility differs from, and cannot be referred to any one of the senses. Animal magnetism was acknowledged in very an- cient times. Thus it has been recorded of Pythagoras, who flourished five centuries before Christ, "that his influence over the lower animals was very great. He is said to have tamed a furious bear, prevented an ox from eating beans, and stopped an eagle in its flight. ' ' Man Possesses This Influence Over Animals.— The power of man over the horse is well known. Rarey became famous for his magnetic force, which inspired him with such confidence that he fearlessly met the most vicious animals. According to Bruce, the African traveller, all the blacks of the kingdom of Sennaar are completely armed against the reptiles of their clime. "They take horned serpents into their hands at all times, put them THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 113 into their bosoms, and throw them at each other as children throw apples or balls; during which sport the serpents are seldom irritated, and when they do bite no mischief ensues from the wound." He posi- tively affirms that they sicken the moment that they are laid hold of, and are so exhausted by this power as to perish. "I constantly observed that however lively the viper was before, upon being seized by these barbarians, he seemed as if he had been taken with sickness and feebleness, frequently shut his eyes, and never turned his mouth towards the arm that held him." We see the same power in the influence housebreak- ers possess over the most savage of watch-dogs, and showmen who enter the cage of fierce lions. Animals Can Influence Man.— This influence may be exerted in an opposite direction ; and well-attested anecdotes are extant, showing that man may become fascinated by the lower animals. A gentleman once, walking in his garden, accident- ally saw the eyes of a rattlesnake, and by watching it closely, he found to his dismay that he could not with- draw them. The snake appeared to him to swell to an immense size, and in rapid succession assume the most gorgeous colors, rivalling the rainbow in beauty. His senses deserted him, and he grew dizzy, and would have fallen towards the snake, to which he seemed irresistibly drawn, had not his wife, coming up at that moment, thrown her arms around his neck, thereby dispelling the charm and saving him from destruction. Two men, in Maryland, were walking along the road, when one, seeing something by the way, stopped to look at it while his companion went on. But the latter, perceiving he did not follow, turned around to know the cause, when he found that his eyes were directed towards a rattlesnake, whose head was raised and eyes glaring at him. Strangely enough the poor fellow leaned as far as possible towards his snakeship, crying piteously all the time, "He will bite me ! he will bite me ! ' ' "Sure enough he will," said his friend, "if you do not move off. What are standing there for?" Find- ing him deaf to all his entreaties, he struck the crea- 114 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. ture down with his cane, and pushed his friend from the spot. The man thus enchanted is stated to have been sick for several hours. But we cannot multiply cases of this description, which are common fireside anecdotes. Animals Can Influence Each Other.— Cases of snakes fascinating birds are common. Professor Silliman mentions that, in 1823, he was proceeding in a carriage with a friend along the banks of the Hudson River, when he observed a flock of small birds, of different species, flying hither and thither, but never departing from the central point. He found that this point of attraction was a large snake, which lay coiled up with head erected, eyes brilliant, and incessantly darting its tongue. When disturbed by the carriage he went into the bushes, while the birds alighted on the branches overhead, probably to await the reappearance of their deadly enemy. A man from Pennsylvania returning from a ride, saw a blackbird flying in lessening circles around the head of a rattlesnake, uttering frightful screams all the time. He drove the snake away, and the bird changed its note to a song'of rejoicing. Newman relates an anecdote of a gentleman who, while travelling by the side of a creek, saw a ground squirrel running to and fro between a brook and a great tree a few yards distant. The squirrel's hair looked extremely rough, and showed that he was much frightened. Every return was shorter and shorter. The gentleman stood to observe the cause, and soon discovered the head of a rattlesnake point- ing directly at the squirrel, through a hole in the great tree, which was hollow. At length the squirrel gave up running, and lay down close by the snake, which opened its mouth and took in the squirrel's head. The gentleman gave him a cut with the whip, which caused him to draw back his head, when the squirrel, thus liberated, ran quickly to the brook. Such curious phenomena have long been observed and speculated upon. To extend the list is unneces- sary ; for almost every one has observed the facts for himself. They establish the conclusion that this influence or THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 115 impressibility is not the result of sympathy or im- agination, for it is experienced by animals that can- not be said to have any great degree of either. It is a power possessed by animals as well as by man. Ani- mals influence man; man influences animals; animals influence each other; and man controls man. Why Do We Think of Those Who Are Thinking of Us? — How often do we think of those, who, while we know it not, are approaching us? So general is this experience that it has passed into a proverb. I And two facts illustrating this in the "Univer- coelum." "'A clergyman informed me that his mother-in- law, Mrs. P , residing in Providence, R. I., had a distinct consciousness of the approach of her husband, on his return from sea, although she had no other rea- son to expect his arrival at the time. This impression commenced several hours before he made his appear- ance ; and she accordingly prepared herself for his reception. She knew the instant he placed his hand upon the door, and had arisen from her seat, and ad- vanced to meet him before he entered. ' * The wife of a clergyman in Maine lately informed me that her father, while lying on his deathbed, had a distinct perception of the approach of his son, who re- sided in a distant town, though none of the family expected him at the time. When he mentioned that his son was coming, and near the house, they sup- posed him to be wandering in his thoughts ; but in a few minutes afterwards the son entered. ' ' The following is taken from the transactions of the French Academy, found in "Newman's Magnetism." "On the 10th of September, at ten o'clock at night, the commission met at the house of M. Itardt, in or- der to continue its inquiries upon Carot, their mes- meric subject, who was in the library, where conversa- tion had been carried on with him till half-past seven ; at which time, M. Foissac, the magnetizer, who had arrived since Carot, and had waited in the antecham- ber, separated from the library by two closed doors and a distance of twelve feet, began to magnetize him. Three minutes afterwards, Carot said : 'I think that Foissac is there, for I feel myself oppressed and enfeebled. ' At the expiration of eight minutes he 116 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. was completely asleep. He was again questioned and answered us," etc. Carot did not know that M. Foissac was near, and yet by some means the irresistible influence overcame him. Influence of Man Over Man.— It has been an adage from all antiquity that young people were not so healthy for living with the old. The Hebrews acted on this idea when they procured a young damsel for their old king, David, that he might be invigorated by her strength. There is an anecdote extant of an aged female who compelled her servants to retire in the same bed with herself, that she might prolong her life thereby, and carried this horrid vampirism to such an excess that, her maids all becoming sickly after a time, she could induce none to work for her, and, in consequence, expired. An eminent physician states a fact pertinent in this connection. ''I was a few years since consulted about a pale, sickly, and thin boy of about five or six years of age. He appeared to have no specific ailment; but there was a slow and remarkable decline of flesh and strength, and of the energy of all the functions — what his mother very aptly termed ' a gradual blight. ' After inquiring into the history of the case, it came out that he had been a very robust and plethoric child up to his third year, when his grandmother, a very aged person, took him to sleep with her ; that he soon after lost his good looks, and that he had continued to decline progressively ever since, notwithstanding medical treatment." The boy was removed to a separate sleeping apart- ment, and his recovery was very rap*id. A case lately came under my observation, where a consumptive, on the very verge of the grave, expect- ing to die every hour, and of course too feeble to move, on being magnetized, arose under the influence, and walked about the room; yet as soon as the in- vigoration became expended she was as weak as pre- viously, and in the course of a few days expired. She was too near death to recover; and though magnet- THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 117 ism might protract life, and cause a momentary ex- citation, it could not save. It is from this cause that magnetic practice ex- hausts the magnetizer : not from his exertion in mak- ing passes, but the drain of nervous force. Spirit Ether.— Whatever this influence may be it must pass across greater or less distances to produce the effects observed. It cannot be transmitted across a void : It must have its own means of conduction. What do the facts teach ? They all point in one direc- tion, and are susceptible of generalization, as flowing from one common source, — a universal spiritual ether. The Impressibility of the Brain, discovered in 1842, by Dr. Buchanan^ opened a new field for human thought. To his surpassing powers of research we owe the opening of the portals of a new science, com- prising and generalizing all mental sciences. Psy- chometry is the key by which the mysteries of many of the most occult sciences may be explored. It gives the historian a barque which will conduct him safely down the stream of time, beyond all preserved chron- icles, where his tattered manuscript becomes confused in dates, and records imperfectly, and wafts on the psychologist through millions of cycles, down, down to the beginning of life in this world, when desolation and raging elements made the earth a chaos of con- tention. This field has as yet been scarcely defined, so varied are the conditions to be determined, and so great the skill requisite in experimentation, that it almost seems presumptive to make the attempt. Mr. Denton, following in the steps of Dr. Buchanan, has extended his experiments over almost every field of research; and so numerous are the people who are impressible that those who desire may readily re- view their labors. Psychometry Applied.— Reading character from letters is not its sole application. It is a valuable ally to the historian and the antiquarian, carrying them beyond the conflicting accounts of the written page, confused and contradictory. How interesting would be the true character of Alexander, Caesar, or Na- poleon, obtained in this manner, free from the preju- dices of their biographers or their times ! The linen which shrouds the Egyptian mummy will yield a per- 118 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. feet delineation of the character of the class thought worthy to be embalmed. The relics fromHerculaneum will give the character of Romans who lived two thousand years -ago. The character of those races that scattered mounds and fortifications over the American continent can be determined from their relics. Nor does susceptibility rest here. It takes the paleontologist by the hand and leads him down through the carboniferous shales and sandstones, and, by the aid of the smallest organic relic, gives him a perfect description of the world in its various stages of growth and development, describing the dark waters, the smoky atmosphere, and the huge and unique forms which peopled the ancient world. It revels amidst the extinct fauna and flora of the ages, and is the only method by which a correct idea of .the aspect of this planet in its infantile state can be gained. In magnetism, the aura reproduces the magnetizer's thoughts in the magnetized; so the invisible aura of the manuscript reproduces the precise action of the brain by which it was produced, and consequently the same thoughts, more or less distinct in proportion to the impressibility of the psychometrist. This capability of a manuscript or a lock of hair to yield the character of the writer or owner is analo- gous to the phosphorescence of bodies exposed to light. When the sun shines on some substances they will continue to shine for a length of time after they are withdrawn from its influence. They are set in vibration in unison with and by the light of the sun. Not that the individual, while performing the ex- periment is magnetized; no trace of this can be dis- covered; but as it succeeds best with those who are easily influenced, and whose organs of impressibility are large and active, it must be admitted that the mind is influenced in precisely the same manner, though not to the same degree. The two influences are identical in their nature, varying only in quantity. In one the whole energies of the mind are em- ployed; while in the other a scrap of writing is all that can be used. This identity is proved by an impressible person THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 119 placing his hand upon the head of one whose charac- ter he wishes to delineate; the influence will be felt sooner and with greater intensity than from an auto- graph. Impressibility is the best delineator. It en- ters into the depth of the mind, lays bare all its thoughts and emotions, and from this deep, penetrat- ing gaze, understands Man. It recognizes the mind itself, and hence can better give the methods of its just control. As spiritual susceptibility increases, the influences of the stars will be recognized ; and from the emana- tions of light, leaving their twinkling orbs millions of ages ago, their history and composition will be deter- mined. Likes and Dislikes. — Impressibility may become so intense as to be very annoying. The spirit is con- stantly bruised by conflicting emanations. So great sometimes are the shocks thus received as to lead to disastrous results. Our likes and dislikes of persons, places, or objects, for which we can assign no reason, may thus be accounted for. 1 'In the town of North Walsham, Norfolk, 1788, the 1 Fair Penitent ' was performed. In the last act, when Caliste lays her hand on the skull, a Mrs. Berry, who played the part, was seized with an involuntary shud- dering, and fell on the stage. During the night her illness continued; but the following day, when suf- ficiently recovered to converse, she sent for the stage- keeper, and anxiously inquired where he procured the skull. He replied from the sexton, who informed him it was the skull of one Norris, a player, who, twelve years before, was buried in the graveyard. That same Norris was her first husband. She died in six weeks. ' ' She was highly susceptible, and the shock pro- duced by the influence from the skull, recognized by her to be so like that of her former husband, was too great for her to bear. Application to Fortune-Telling.— Fortune-telling is an application of psychometry. It is easy for an im- pressible person to take another's hand, and narrate the events of his past life. In this, fortune-tellers gen- erally succeed. If highly impressible, they may re- 120 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. ceive intuitions of the future. There are many re- markable instances on record of persons who at once read the past lives of those with whom they came in contact, among whom the celebrated German author, Zsehokke, is perhaps most conspicuous. He writes of himself as follows : " 'What demon inspires you? Must I again be- lieve in possession?' exclaimed the spiritual Johann Von Riga, when, after the first hour of his acquaint- ance, I related his past life to him, with the avowed object of learning whether or not I deceived myself. We speculated long on the enigma; but even his penetration could not solve it. Not another word about this strange seer gift, which I can aver was of no use to me in a single instance; which manifested itself occasionally only, and quite independently of my volition, and often in relation to persons in whose history I took not the slightest interest. Nor am I the only one in possession of this faculty. In a jour- ney, I met an old Tyrolese. He fixed his eyes on me for some time, joined in the conversation, observed that, though I did not know him, he knew me, and be- gan to describe my acts and deeds, to the no little amazement of the peasants, and astonishment of my children, whom it interested to learn that another possessed the same gift as their father. "I myself had less confidence than any one in this mental jugglery. So often as I revealed my visionary gifts to any new person, I regularly expected to hear the answer, ' It was not so ! ' I felt a secret shudder when my auditors replied that it was true, or when their astonishment betrayed my accuracy before they spoke. Instead of many, I will mention one exam- ple, which pre-eminently astounded me. One fair day, in the city of Waldshut. I entered an inn (The Vine) in company with two young student-foresters. We were tired of rambling through the woods. We supped with a numerous company at the table d' hote, where the guests were making very merry with the peculiarities and eccentricities of the Swiss, with Mesmer's magnetism, Lavater's physiognomy, etc., etc. One of my companions, whose national pride was wounded by their mockery, begged me to make some reply, particularly to a handsome young man who THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 121 sat opposite to us, and who had allowed himself ex- traordinary license. This man's former life was pre- sented to my mind. I turned to him, and asked him whether he would answer me candidly if I related to him some of the most secret passages of his life, I knowing as little of him, personally, as he did of me. That would be going a little farther, I thought, than Lavater did with physiognomy. He promised, if I were correct in my information, to admit it frankly. I then related what my vision had shown me, and the whole company were made acquainted with the pri- vate history of the young merchant, — his school years, his youthful errors, and, lastly, with a fault committed in reference to the strong-box of his prin- cipal. I described to him the uninhabited room, with whitened walls, where, to the right of the brown door, on a table, stood a black moneybox, etc. "A silence prevailed during the whole narration, which I alone occasionally interrupted by inquiring whether I spoke the truth. The startled young man confirmed every particular, and even, what I scarcely expected, the last circumstance. Touched by his can- dor I shook hands with him over the table and dis- closed no more. He asked my name, which I gave him ; and we remained together talking till past mid- night." Animal Magnetism as a Curative Agent.— Magnet- ism has been from earliest ages, and among all races, employed in the cure of disease. "The practice of rubbing or pressing or squeezing the limbs of a per- son suffering under pain or weariness is carried to a great extent in India. Even among the lower orders, the wife may often be seen employed in this soothing avocation, to the great relief of her fatigued husband. Females practice it professionally in most of the prin- cipal bazaars, and there are but few men or women of rank or opulence who are not subjected to the opera- tion before they can procure sleep. Such is the fact. The mind of the operator is mesmerically fixed on the body of the patient, with the hope and view of re- moving pain ; and by a series of the most powerful and continued grasping of the hands (used as indices to the will), this object is ultimately accomplished." The cure which I shall now relate could not in any 122 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. conceivable manner, nor with any candor, be attrib- uted to the effects of imagination. It can only be ex- plained by the action of mesmerism. "The wife of one of my grooms, a robust woman, the mother of a large family of young infants, all liv- ing within my grounds, was bitten by a poisonous ser- pent, most probably by a cobra or coluber naja, and quickly felt the deadly effects of its venom. When the woman's powers were rapidly sinking, the ser- vants came to my wife to request that the civil sur- geon of the station (Bareilly in Rohilcund), Dr. Gromes, might be called to save her life. He imme- diately attended, and most readily exerted his utmost skill; but in vain. In the usual time the woman ap- peared to be lifeless ; and he therefore left, acknowl- edging that he could not be of any further service. "On his reaching my bungalow, some of my ser- vants stated that in the neighborhood a fakir, or wan- dering mendicant, resided, who could charm away the bites of snakes, and begged, if the doctor had no ob- jection, that they might be permitted to send for him. He answered, 'Yes, of course; if the people would feel any consolation by his coming they could bring him, but the woman is dead.' After a considerable lapse of time the magician arrived, and commenced his magical incantations. ' ' I was not present at the scene ; but it occurred in my park, and within a couple of hundred yards of my bungalow ; and I am quite confident that any at- tempt to employ medicines would have been quite useless, as the woman's powers were utterly exhaust- ed, although her body was still warm. The fakir sat down at her side, and began to wave his arm over her body, at the same time uttering a charm ; and he con- tinued this process until she awoke from her insensi- bility, which was within a quarter of an hour. ' ' Use of Prayer. — Many miraculous cures are record- ed, seemingly granted to the voice of fervent prayer. .The explanation of such cures requires no miraculous interposition. A person actuated by blind faith, by prayer concentrates his mind to a degree it is possi- ble for him to do by no other method. His magnetic power is intensified, and directed on the patient. In this manner prayer becomes a magnetic process ; and the cure follows necessarily, not from any foreign in- THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 123 terposition, but as an effect of an adequate cause. By thus accounting for the benefit sometimes derived from prayer, I by no means would be understood as referring all so-called miracles to that cause. Super- stition, credulity, and design, have their full share in their production. Magnetic Healing Among Savages.— This magnetic power is not unknown even to savage people; and they have, although ignorant of the law, complied with the essential conditions of magnetic induction. Thus the Indians of Oregon produce the trance by songs, incantations, and passes of the hand. The Da- kotahs made the same manipulations ; and, at a given moment, the novice was struck on the breast lightly, when he "would fall prostrate on his face, his mus- cles rigid, and quivering in every fibre. ' ' The trance thus induced was clairvoyant. Capt. Carver says that a medicine-man correctly prophesied the arrival of a canoe-load of provisions to his starv- ing tribe. Such was the faith reposed in his prevision, that, at the appointed time, the village assembled to welcome the canoe, which arrived exactly at the men- tioned hour. The magnetic process of cure resembles the trans- fusion of blood from healthy veins to those which are exhausted. New life and vigor is transferred by means of nervous influence. The same may be said of spirit magnetism, transfused through mediumistic in- fluence. Hypnotic Cure.— A "working hypothesis," even if set aside by accumulating facts, is of great benefit in advancing science, as it affords a centre around which the facts may be arranged and deductions made. As such the explanation of hypnotism by M, Pierre Janet, a professor at Havre, France, has value, and is of itself an ingenious fancy. His theory is that there is along with the ordinary self, another unconscious, or hidden self. It is identical, except in terms, with the theory of subconsciousness. This hidden self is capable of receiving impressions of shocks, frights, and of all outward events, without the cognizance of the out- ward self, or consciousness, and retain such impres- sions for an indefinite time. This is most apparent in 124 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. nervous invalids, and Professor Janet, as is usual, made his experiments on this class of subjects. One of the patients brought to the hospital at Havre was a girl of nineteen, Marie by name, subject to reg- ular recurring attacks of chill, fever, delirium, terror, and convulsions. She had blindness in the left eye, that organ having lost its sensibility to light. For seven months all the means at the command of the medical staff were employed in vain. Poor Marie fell into despair, from which nothing could arouse her. It was then that Professor Janet decided to employ the resources of hypnotism, and allow her to diagnose her own case, and his success was beyond his expectation. She went into a deep trance, and her ''inner consciousness" was questioned, and she revealed things unknown to her or to him. She informed him that when six years old she had been compelled to sleep with a child that had a loath- some ulcer on its face, and that the shock had been so great that her face had a similar affection, which left the right side of her face paralysed and her left eye blind. At fourteen she plunged into cold water and brought on chills and fever, with delirium. At six- teen she had seen a woman crushed to death. These scenes and events were constantly being re-enacted by the sensitive sub-consciousness. Mixed and blended they recurred in her wild delirium, which ended, or was accompanied by fever. Professor Janet resolved on a course of treatment. He threw her into a trance, and made her live her life over again from her sixth year. He compelled her to sleep with the child, but he suggested that the child was not ill but healthful. He led her imagination to the cold bath, assuring her that it was health-giving. Last he made her see the woman who was crushed by falling, but he turned the scene so that instead of be- ing killed she was not harmed. Laden with all these agreeable and conciliating impressions Marie was awakened. Her chill and fever, with delirium, were gone, and she was restored to perfect health. Here is opened a boundless field for exploration, and one which is destined to yield a wonderful har- vest. The theory advanced may be valuable as a tenta* THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 125 tive hypothesis to the Scientist, but the Spiritualist re- quires no further explanation than that furnished by the fundamental principles of Spiritualism. As a spiritual being man is subject to spiritual laws and forces, which transcend in power the most potent com- manded by material science. It is amusing to see these efforts along the frontier of Spiritual Science, under the name of hypnotism, ''psychic investigation," etc., claiming as discoveries what was well known to Spiritualists years ago, and renewing facts already threadbare. These outlying fields are the legitimate property of Spiritualists who wish to thoroughly comprehend the infinite science of Spiritualism. Application to Spirit-Communion.— A spirit con- trols a medium by the same laws as the mortal mag- netiser controls his subject. For this cause, the re- sulting phenomena become difficult to distinguish, es- pecially when imperfectly presented, and the utmost caution is requisite to prevent self-deception. If the medium is in the peculiar susceptible condition usual to the early stage of development, he will simply re- flect the mind of the circle ; and what purports to be a spiritual communication will be only an echo of the minds of the members. The state which renders the medium passive to a spirit, renders him passive to mortal influence in the same degree ; and, from the similarity of all magnetic influences, it is difficult to distinguish spirit from mor- tal. Investigators often, in this manner, deceive themselves by their own positiveness. They repel the approach of celestial messengers, and substitute the echoes of their own thoughts. They find contradic- tion and confusion, which they complacently refer to * ' evil spirits. ' ' Nothing can be gained to the cause of truth by mis- statement, or exaggerating the importance of one fact to the detriment of another. Honest investigators of Spiritualism, coming to the task without previous knowledge of animal magnetism, refer every phenom- enon they meet to spiritual agency, when it is prob- able that at least one-half of all they observe is from a purely mundane source. So far as healing by laying- on of hands is concerned, it has been shown to be of 126 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. ancient date, and explainable by organic laws. There is no reason why a magnetiser should not cure disease and relieve pain as well as a disembodied spirit ; and the probabilities of success are in his favour. If a spirit effects such cures, it is unquestionably by and through the same means. All that has been said at the commencement of this chapter in regard to the selfish charlatanism of mag- netisers is equally true of spirit-healers. Good, true, and honest men there are whose nervous systems are strengthened by invisible friends to relieve suffering; but Spiritualism is brought to the very dust by the ac- tions of others. The worst forms of empiricism, quackery, and humbug are loudly advertised and ex- tolled in its sacred name. The foul brood that were fostered in the field of animal magnetism almost bod- ily adopted the new and more startling system, and have brought shame to the hearts of true Spiritualists. Our object is to draw a sharp line between phenom- ena really of spirit-origin and those referable to mor- tal action. We may possibly discard many of the manifestations alleged to be spiritual ; but the remain- der will be all the more valuable. A cause is not strengthened but weakened by a mountain of irrele- vant facts. The refutation of a few of these is her- alded as the overthrow of the cause itself. A Safe Rule is to refer nothing to spirits which can be accounted for by mortal means. Thus sifted, that which remains is of real value to the sceptic and the investigator. Man in the body is a spirit as well as when freed from it. As a spirit he is amenable to the same laws. The magnetic state may be self -induced, or induced by a mortal or a spirit. This is true of all its forms, som- nambulism, trance, or clairvoyance. Fully recognizing this fact, it will be seen how ex- ceedingly liable the observer is to mistake these influ- ences. When a circle is formed, and one of its members is affected by nervous spasms, it does not necessarily fol- low that such member is spiritually controlled. That cannot be certainly predicted until a spirit has identi- fied its control. It is only by thus testing the phe- nomena that a sound and accurate knowledge of spir- THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 127 itual laws can be gained. It may please the marvel- lous to refer to one source all manifestations, from the involuntary contraction of a muscle, the removing of pain by laying-on of hands, the incoherencies of a sen- sitive entranced by the overpowering influence of the circle, to the genuine impressions of spiritual beings ; but it will not satisfy the demand which ultimately will seek to co-ordinate all facts and phenomena. Practical Application.— If we admit that sensitive- ness is a quality possessed by all persons, varying only in degree, we open a wide field for discussion, and have the explanation of a vast series of psychic phe- nomena. Understanding the subject we can guard ourselves against disturbing and deleterious influ- ences. In business relations how 'constantly we see this influence exerted. Men meet to bargain, and one overmasters the will of the other, and for the time forces conviction. The successful salesman is the one having the strongest magnetism. He may under- stand his power or he may not, he exerts it in the same manner and with equally effective results. By adroit suggestion he leads his subject on, and makes a sale which would be possible in no other manner. It is the silent force of the will rightly directed which deter- mines the results in the daily events of life. The high- est form of this influence comes from the most intel- lectual and spiritual faculties, for truly the force be- longs to and is the messenger of spirit. Hence it is that healing, by its power, calls on the humane and be- nevolent faculties, and, just as these are awakened, is its success remarkable. To give one's life energy to assuage the pain felt by another, to bear another's in- firmities, call for charity and disinterested love. If selfish purposes and ambitious thoughts enter the mind of the operator they antagonise and defeat his success. Thus in families and among intimate friends, the magnetic force may be employed to relieve pains and ailments of each other. The mother's touch is more valuable than the prescription of the physician if she knows how to give it. She may destroy this influence by rudeness, scolding, and fretfulness, or hold her entire household by her magnetic power, stimulating to correct conduct, and by silence con- demning the wrong; thus, unconsciously to them- 128 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. selves, lead her children in the paths of correct living. The time is not distant when this wonderful force will be largely employed in curing disease. The sci- entific physician is slowly acknowledging that health and disease depend far more on the spirit than on the physical body, and when the forces of the will are ex- erted through the spirit, the results are often akin to the miracuJous. If we are all more or less sensitive to the influence of our surroundings and to those with whom we come in contact, our character is modified and moulded in- sensibly. The only means we have at command to avoid being injured thereby is our knowledge of such influences. Thus in business, when others seek by argument and plausible suggestion to bring us over to their views, we should ask ourselves how far we really are under their influence? Whether we are seeing things through their eyes or our own? "We are certain they are presenting the subject for their own benefit, not ours, and it is best, always, in important issues, to de- fer conclusions until the consideration can be taken away from all disturbing influences. The observance of this one rule would avoid nine-tenths of business blunders and regretful transactions. Again, if we are sensitive, we often at the first contact are attracted or repelled by strangers whom we meet for the first time. Often, afterwards, we fall under their mag- netic influence and change our opinion, to fall into their plans, and become the loser thereby. It should be held as the changeless rule to accept first impres- sions and not be diverted therefrom. To arise from the lower plane of business to the higher relations of life, even to the highest and most responsible, the one carrying with it the most moment- ous consequences, that of marriage, how essential it is that hypnotism be not mistaken for mental adaptabil- ity. We read of instances where a delicate girl, reared in refinement and luxury, elopes with a negro, or of a rude tramp inveigling a young lady from her home. These are extreme cases, but in lesser degree such mis- alliances are observable in every walk of life. The fa- ble of the marriage of the frog and mouse is constantly illustrated by men and women who, shrewd and THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 129 thoughtful in all other directions, here act as blindly as the moth flying into the flame of the lamp. Is it that this love is of a lower order, and is more suscept- ible to the influence of the passions? Is courtship, as usually conducted, for the purpose of gaining accu- rate knowledge of each other's character and mutual compatibility, before consummating the union which carries with it elements of indissolubility, or for fasci- nation ? Judging by appearance and results, the lat- ter is the object, while it should be avoided as the pri- mary cause of misery and the ruin of hope and happi- ness in the marriage state. If consideration, apart from all interested parties, be counselled as to busi- ness matters, a thousand times more should this be im- pressed in a relation involving the destiny of life. A love — or inclination — which flourishes only in the presence of its object, which wanes in its absence, is not true, but hypnotic ; and the sooner so determined the better for the parties. It thus becomes an absolute necessity for those who would be themselves, and not fall under the dominat- ing will of others, to understand the laws and condi- tions of this force. They can then determine if an- other is seeking to influence them, and to what degree they are under control. If they feel it stealing upon them they can go away from it, and not wait until they fall a victim. The positive state of resistance alone is fatal to such influence. CHAPTER VI. SPIRIT-ITS PHENOMENA AND LAWS. Necessity of Immortality — Eternal Progress of Spirit — What Is Spirit? — Spiritual Beings, of What Composed? — What Is the Origin of Spirit? — Pre-Existence — Man is a Dual Structure of Spirit and Physical Body — The Spirit Retains the Faculties — Is There Positive Evidence? — The Magnetic State — Testimony of lamblichus; of Tertullian — Experi- ments of Esdaille — Magnetic Practice May or May Not Ex- haust the Operator — Objects Can Be Magnetized — Som- nambulism — Are We More Wise When Asleep Than When Awake? Necessity of Immortality.— Who, when the great thinkers of earth perish, can but exclaim with Goethe, when his friend Wieland died, ' ' The destruction of such high powers is something which can never, under any circumstances, come in question. ' ' An old author observes, "The very nerve and sinew of religion is hope of immortality." It enters into the fountain from which flow the great and exalted deeds ol ? patri- ots, martyrs, thinkers, and saints. It elevatos man above the shadows of mortal life, showing that there is nothing real except in the eternal, and that the grat- ification of the delights and passions of the present life are unworthy of an immortal being. This belief at once lifts the soul out of the slough of selfishness, and directs it to magnanimity and virtue. The vari- ous religious systems of the world, while based on, and seeking to unfold, this grand idea, offer little con- solation to the reflecting mind. They yield no broad, universal philosophy in which we can feel secure — ab- solutely know that we shall exist in the beyond, and enjoy the power and beatitude of that existence. This is not written in disparagement of any of the count- THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 131 less religious sects. They are not useless in the econ- omy of progress, but they have most signally failed in producing a philosophical and consistent system of immortal life. They all set out with the mistaken idea that heaven is to be gained by belief in certain creeds, and the admission of certain dogmas ; whereas, if man is immortal, immortality is conferred on him as the highest aim of creative energy, admitting of no mistakes. His spiritual state must surpass his mortal, which is its prototype • extending and carrying on to consummation, the outline sketched in mortal life. We exist — how or why, we cannot determine ; and we can no more blot out our existence than that of the stars of heaven. What is the logical deduction from this fact ? That the emotions, affections, and culture of this existence cannot be lost. The least fraction of our existence cannot be eliminated or destroyed. This knowledge robs death of its sting and the grave of its terrors. The eagle soaring in the clouds might as well regret its bursting through the confin- ing shell, the butterfly that it escaped from its silken shroud, as we that death took from us our perishable mantles. That the body perishes proves that it is only the temporary scaffolding for the building of that which is for immortality. We learn that the lad- der on which we stand is planted on the world of per- ishable things, but its top reaches into the eternity of perfection. Eternal Progress of Spirit.— What follows? That the imperfect attempts of this life will be perfected in the next, which is the real, of which this is only the shadow. Whether death comes with the first breath or after three score years and ten, has not the least in- fluence on the growth and final development of spirit. Eternal progress is written in the constitution of na- ture ; and man, as a spirit, embodies every law of progress. A spirit clad in flesh or in the angel realm is subject to the same spiritual laws. Failure of Religious Theories.— Here all preceding theories of the religious sects fail, and the reflecting mind pauses in doubt. They fail because they do not grasp the wants of the human soul that rebels against the doctrine of reward and punishment, asking, Why not live on, working out, each one for himself, or her- m THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. self, individual destiny ? It feels a deep sense of the injustice, of the gigantic, blundering mistake that lies in any other idea of the future life. Does Spiritualism Meet This Demand?— We can onJy determine after a close and careful investigation of its facts and philosophy. This research must not be with cringing fear of the supernatural and miracu- lous, but guided by the unimpeachable evidence of positive knowledge. We are deeply conscious of our pretensions when we attempt the reduction of the entire domain of ghosts, witches, demons, familiar spirits, prophecy, — in short, the spiritual realm — to the supremacy of law, and assert over its conflicting elements the most aus- tere positivism. The sciences concentrate here; and all are hewn columns and arches in the spiritual tem- ple, whose foundations rest on the material world, and whose towers pierce the blue empyrean of heaven. What Is Spirit?— Ages before the shepherd kings laid the foundations of the pyramids, or strove to ex- press their innate ideas of the immortal in sphinx and tempi e, man asked, * ' What is spirit ? ' ' This question has perplexed philosophers in all ages; and, the greater their acumen, the more widely have they de- serted the path of truth, and consigned themselves to the bewildering maze of speculation; and, to-day, the churches representing the concrete Spiritualism of the past can give no satisfactory answer. Spirit, according to the lexicon, is "the intelligent, immaterial, immortal nature of man." Can intelli- gence exist without materiality? Can nothing think, feel, reflect ? You might as well talk of music exist- ing in the air, after the destruction of the instrument which gave it birth, as of a thought standing out dis- robed of matter. Matter, according to this definition, is that which is cognisable by form, colour, extension, to the senses; spirit, used in contradistinction, is the opposite. It has no extension, and is not cognisable by the senses. Can a better definition be given of non- entity ? If there are spiritual beings, the fact of their exist- ence proves that they are composed of matter ; for an effect cannot spring from nothing. If intelligence could exist " detached," that existence could never be THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 133 made manifest. Through and by matter only or sub- stance, its higher form, can any effect occur. Spiritual Beings— Of What Composed.— The mate- rial of which such beings are composed we may not understand. It is different from the matter with which we are acquainted. The fault rests with us, for it is impossible to comprehend that of which we have neither experience nor name. We may call it sub- stance. The speculations of a caterpillar on its but- terfly state would be as pertinent. Feeding on acrid leaves, and, perhaps, never leaving the branches which yield it support, how can it comprehend the nectar of flowers, and coursing over the plains with the winds ? man ! the glory of the immortal as vastly transcends the mortal ! Await, grovelling worm ! wind a cocoon around you, and the sun in the genial spring will res- urrect you a winged spirit of the air. Await, man, the hour that enshrouds your mortal body; and the warmth of angel-love will awake you to spirit-life. What Is the Origin of Spirit?— Theologians inform us that it is from God, and at death returns to God who gave it. This solution presupposes the eternal existence of spirits, that they exist ready made, await- ing bodies to be developed that they may inhabit them; and that, therefore, the earth-life is a proba- tionary state. The history of this theory would be ex- tremely interesting, for it is woven through the tissue of received theology ; but, in its beginning, we should find it a myth, early taking root in the childish minds of primitive man. From a conjecture it has become a dogma. It ignores the rule of law, and makes the birth of every individual a direct miracle. Pre-Existence.— Where and how does the spirit ex- ist before entering the particular human body from which it ascends to heaven or descends to hell, grant- ing the foregoing view? A school of philosophers have solved the question for themselves by supposing that it passes through successive organisms countless times. This is a very old idea, and is received at pres- ent in almost its original form, as advocated by the Pythagorean and Platonic schools, by many Spiritual- ists. There are those who think they can distinctly recollect passages in their previous existence; who 134 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. honestly believe that they remember when they ani- mated various animals. It was so in ancient time. Some draught of Lethe doth await, As old mythologies relate, The slipping through from state to state. But memory is not always silenced. Sometimes the potent draught is not sufficiently powerful ; and then we decipher the mystic lines of some of our pre- vious states : And ever something is or seems, That touches us with mystic gleams, Like glimpses of forgotten dreams. Plato regarded this life as only a recognised mo- ment between two eternities, the past and the future. Innate ideas and the sentiment of pre-existence prove our past. To Plato, representative as he was of the highest attainments of ancient thought, such might be satisfactory evidence ; but to us, with the knowledge we possess of physiology and of the brain, they are of no value. The double structure and double action of the brain, by which impressions are simultaneously produced on the mind, fully explain the sentiment of pre-existence. For if these impressions, by any means, are not simultaneously produced, the mind be- comes confused, and the weakest impression is re- ferred to the past. [See Prof. Draper's "Physiol- ogy," where this point is ably discussed; also his "In- tellectual Development of Europe."] Beautiful as are these dreams, we are brought back from their contemplation to the less pleasing, stern, and rugged highlands of science, where, though fewer flowers bloom beneath our feet, the ground is firmer, and our possessions more sure. These dreams are beautiful ; but they are only dreams, undefined actions of the mind, whereby it embodies its fancies, and mis- takes them for realities. They are as valuable as the vagaries produced by opium or hasheesh, and no more. We vainly ask, "Why do we lose conscious- ness of our states? Is our earth-life a dream-life? Can we never know the actual ? ' ' The indelibility of ideas and impressions held by niental philosophers is a strong argument against pre- THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 135 existence, and it really has no scientific support. It is a pleasing speculation, but necessitates a miracle at the birth of every human being. A detached spirit, though a germ, becomes clad with flesh. There is no fixed order or conceivable law by which such an event could occur. This mortal state is not preferable ; for the spirit constantly desires to escape it. Is it forced by God to undergo this metempsychosis ? Does it do so from choice ? In such event, the growth of man be- comes entirely different from that of animals ; but we know that he is subject to the same laws as they are. Or shall we say that they, too, are flesh-clad spirits? Grant this, and we are lost in an ocean of myth. From the animalcule, with its body formed of a single cell, to the barnacle-clad leviathan; from entozoa to the elephant — all are incarnate spirits. There then is no law of development, no unity of organic forms ■ or else on this progressive growth and unity a new and extra- neous force is exerted, without use or purpose. Cre- ation becomes an ever-present miracle ; or, if we refer this scheme to fixed laws in the spiritual realm, we but transpose the causes we see acting in the physical world into the spiritual, when they are at once beyond our recognition. The individualised man stands before us. He, as a mortal being, had a beginning. We date that by years at his birth. What reason have we for not dating the origin of his spirit at his birth also? If man exists for the purpose of the evolution of an immortal spirit, the contemporary birth and development of body and spirit is a self-evident truth. Man Is a Dual Structure of Spirit and Body.— The physical body, by its senses, is brought in contact with the physical world. It is the basis on which the spir- itual rests. Though the spiritual body pertain to the spiritual universe, yet the most intimate relations ex- ist between these two natures: earthly existence de- pends on their harmony, and death is simply their separation. Such is the doctrine of the Bible ; and it was so in- terpreted by the holy fathers. Paul, that profound thinker, speaks as follows, in words identical with those of Modern Spiritualism: — "Some men will say, How are the dead raised, and 136 ■ THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. with what bodies do they come ? God giveth a body as pleaseth Him. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incor- ruption. It is sown in dishonour ; it is raised in glorj^. It is sown in weakness ; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body." St. Augustine interpreted this doctrine by an anec- dote. Our brother, Sennardius, well-known to us all as an eminent physician, and whom we especially love, who is now at Carthage, after having distinguished himself at Rome, and with whose active piety and benevolence you are well acquainted, could not, nevertheless, as he related to us, bring himself to believe in life after death. One night there appeared to him, in a dream, a radiant youth of noble aspect, who bade him follow him; and, as Sennardius obeyed, they came to a city, where, on the right, he heard a chorus of most heav- enly voices. As he desired to know whence this heavenly har- mony proceeded, the youth told him that what he heard were songs of the blessed ; whereupon he awoke, and thought no more of his dream than people usually do. On another night the youth appeared to him again, and asked him if he knew him ; and Sennardius told him all the particulars of his dream, which he Avell remembered. 'Then,' said the youth, 'was it while sleeping or waking you saw these things V 'I was sleeping,' answered Sennardius. 'You are right,' replied the youth, ' it was in your sleep that you saw these things ; and know, Sennardius, that what you see now is also in your sleep. But, if this be so, tell me then where is your body V 'In my bed-chamber, ' answered Sennardius. ' But know you not, ' continued the youth, 'that your eyes, which form a part of your body are closed and inactive V 'I know it, ' answered he. 'Then,' said the youth, 'with what eyes see you these things?' And Sennardius could not answer him; and, as he hesitated, the youth spoke again, and explained the motive of his question. ' As the eyes of your body,' said he, 'which lies now in bed, and sleeps, are inactive and useless, and yet, you have eyes where- with you see me and those things which I have shown you, so, after death, when these bodily organs fail THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 137 you, you will have a vital power whereby you will live, and a sensitive faculty whereby you will per- ceive. Doubt therefore, no longer, that there is life after death.' ' [See Arcana of Nature," Vol. II.] This episode illustrates a great truth. Man is dual, — a spirit and a body blended into a unit: the body taking cognizance of the spiritual world through its spiritual perceptions. The spirit is the companion of the body ; and as long as the two remain united it per- ceives the relation of the external world through and by aid of the corporeal senses. The spirit is so con- cealed by the physical body, and intimately blended with it, that its existence is perceived with difficulty. | The threefold division of body, soul, and spirit, is of very ancient date. Philo represents man as a three- fold being, having a rational soul, an animal soul, and a body. As the term ' ' soul ' ' represents nothing but a fancy, it is here discarded.] The Spirit Retains the Faculties It Possessed While on Earth.— -Plutarch well observes, in the strict spirit, of inductive philosophy, that, if demons and protect- ing spirits are disembodied souls, we ought not to doubt that those spirits inhabiting the body will pos- sess the same faculties they now enjoy, since we have no reason to suppose that any new faculties are con- ferred at the period of dissolution; such faculties must be considered as inherent, though obscured or latent. The sun does not for the first time shine when it breaks from behind a Cloud; so the spirit, when it first throws aside the body, does not then acquire the faculties which are supposed to characterise it, but they are then only freed from the obscurations of the mortal state, as the sun is from the fetters of the cloud. The physical body evolves the spiritual being. In individualised spirit, creative nature culminates. In- dividualization of spirit can take place in no other manner. The most exalted angel once was clothed in flesh ; and through the flesh only can such existence be obtained. Is There Positive Evidence?— Are there facts to sustain these statements ? Can it be proved that the spirit exists freed from the physical body? Aside from the facts of spirit-intercourse, the question can 138 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. be answered by the phenomena presented while the spirit is confined in the body. Spirit-communion is the great and all-conclusive proof ; but there is a bor- derland, over which we can journey to that ultima thule of psychological philosophy. In this vast and pathless domain we tread the boun- daries between material and spiritual. We gain glimpses, as it were of the energy of the refined prin- ciples which actuate and vivify the world, and yet re- main unseen and unknown. Here we reach the bor- ders of the forces which control materiality, and as yet are not understood. Science has recorded scarcely a fact to assist the ex- plorer. Scientists scoff and sneer at those who rise above the husks of their technicalities. What can they teach? Nothing. They are content with em- piricisms. They attempt a solution of spiritual rela- tions ! they deny their existence ! They fail in the solu- tion of much less difficult problems. Why opium or tobacco or alcohol produce their several effects ; why certain sounds are agreeable and others disagreeable ; why certain forms are pleasing and others the reverse, they know not ; and so intent are they with making ac- curate record of the facts that they overlook the ob- ject for which these facts stand. Between wakefulness, and the deep unconsciousness preceding death, there is a gradual transition. The interval has been divided by authors into stages or de- grees, but in an arbitrary manner, and without sub- serving any end, except to confuse the minds of their readers. There are no lines of demarcation between the various hypothetical divisions. The magnetic state, as manifested in sleep, becomes somnambulism, or deepens into clairvoyance. The phenomena pre- sented by these states or degrees, are resultants of one common law, and are intricately blended. The Magnetic State in its approach, may, perchance, be confounded with natural sleep. The spirit is dor- mant and unconscious. When it deepens the mind awakens in a new spiritual life; its faculties become exalted, and its sensitiveness intensified. A distin- guished writer lucidly describes this state: — "Sometimes, however, there is said to supervene a coma; at others, exaltation, depression, or some anom- THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 139 alous modification of sensibility; and occasionally a state somewhat approaching to that of reverie, where- in the individual, although conscious, feels incapable of independent exertion, and spellbound, as it were, to a particular train of thought or feeling. The occur- rence of muscular action and of muscular rigidity is described as taking place in some instances to a greater or lesser extent. These results are said to constitute the simpler phenomena of mesmerism. We shall illustrate them by some extracts from accredited writers upon the subject. "In this peculiar state of sleep the surface of the body is sometimes acutely sensitive, but more fre- quently the sense of feeling is absolutely annihilated. The jaws are firmly locked, and resist every effort to wrench them open ; the joints are often rigid and the limbs inflexible; and not only is the sense of feeling, but the senses of smell, hearing, and sight also are so deadened to all external impressions that no pungent odour, loud report, or glare of light can excite them in the least degree. The body may be pinched, pricked, lacerated, or burned; fumes of concentrated liquid ammonia may be passed up the nostrils ; the loudest reports suddenly made close to the ear; dazzling and intense light may be thrown upon the pupil of the eye ; yet so profound is the physical state of lethargy that the sleeper will remain undisturbed and insensible to tortures that in the waking state would be intoler- able/' Testimony of Iamblichus.— Iamblichus, a philoso- pher of the Alexandrian school (4th century A. D.), thus describes the state that philosophers, by the prac- tice of theurgy, could arrive at; showing a perfect un- derstanding of what is now called superior or mag- netic. "The senses were in a sleeping state. The the- urgist had no command of his faculties, no conscious- ness of what he said or did. He was insensible to fire or any bodily injury. Carried by a divine impulse, he went through impassable places without knowing where he was. A divine illumination took full posses- sion of the man: absorbed all his faculties, motions, and senses, — making him speak what he did not un- derstand, or rather seem to speak it; for he was, in fact, merely the minister or instrument of the gods 140 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. who possessed him." A more correct description of the interior state cannot be found in any work on this subject. Tertullian describes one of the inspired sisters of the Montanists, a sect of the second century believing in the direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit. "There is a sister among us endowed with the gift of revelation by an ecstacy of spirit, which she suffers in church during the time of divine service. She con- verses with angels, and sometimes also with the Lord. She sees and hears mysteries, knows the hearts of some, and prescribes medicines for those who need them." The senses in the magnetic state are more pro- foundly insensible than in sleep. It has, in conse- quence, often been employed to alleviate pain; and unconsciously by every nurse and physician. Facts are here introduced, more for the purpose of illustra- tion than proof, though they serve both purposes. Those first produced have a particular significance as they relate to patients who did not understand the manipulations — patients severed by race and speech from the distinguished physician who relates them. Experiments in India by Esdaille.— His first experi- ment was made on Madhab Kanra, who was suffering intensely from a severe surgical operation. In three- quarters of an hour, after he began making passes over him, he exclaimed, "I was his father, and his mother had given him life again." "The same pro- cess was persevered in ; and in about an hour he began to gape, said he must sleep, that his senses were gone, and his replies became incoherent. He opened his eyes when ordered, but said he only saw smoke, and could distinguish no one. His eyes were quite lustre- less ; and the lids opened heavily. All appearance of pain now disappeared ; his hands were crossed on his breast instead of being pressed on the groins ; and his countenance showed the most perfect repose. He now took no notice of our questions; and I called loudly on him by name without attracting any notice. "I now pinched him without disturbing him; and then, asking for a pin in English, I desired my assist- ant to watch him narrowly, and drove it into the small of his back. It produced no effect whatever ; and my THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 141 assistant repeated it at intervals in different places as uselessly. "Fire was then applied to his knee without his shrinking in the least; and liquid ammonia, that brought tears into our eyes in a moment, was inhaled some minutes without causing an eyelid to quiver. This seemed to have revived him a little, as he moved his head shortly afterward; and I asked him if he wanted a drink. He only gaped in reply, and I took the opportunity to give, slowly, a mixture of ammonia so strong that I could not bear to taste it. This he drank like milk, and gaped for more. As the 'experi- mentum crucis, ' I lifted his head, and placed his face, which was directed to the ceiling all this time, in front of a full light, opened his eyes, one after the other, but without producing any effect upon the iris. His eyes were exactly like an amaurotic person 's, and all noticed their lack-lustre appearance. We were all now convinced that total insensibility of all the senses existed. ' ' Magnetic Practice May or May Not Exhaust the Operator. — After operating on patients the mag- netiser may or may not feel exhausted, depending on his magnetic endurance; but the most enduring will, after a continuous exercise in treating disease, be- come depressed, and temporarily weaken in power. If the patient is very susceptible, and the operator the reverse, he will be able to induce important results without any effect on himself. If, on the contrary, he be impressible, he will suffer from exhaustion. This will be still greater if he treat a disease under which he is himself suffering. If scrofulous, and he treat a case of that kind, he will surely aggravate his own malady; no degree of positiveness can avail against this danger. Every successive operation renders him more susceptible, and liable to imbibe the disease of his patient; in other words he loses his resisting power. To produce the most striking and beneficial results, the operator should be in vigorous health, and in a highly positive state. After operating, the influence should be thrown off by bathing the hands, and exer- cise in the open air. Those who are suffering from 142 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. disease should never attempt to heal others by mag- netism. Objects Can Be Magnetised.— Deleuze first pro- nounced the fact that objects can be magnetically charged, and that, when sent to distant patients, they will produce the same effect as though the operator were present. This has given rise to repeated charges that it was mere imagination ; but it is, rather, a beau- tiful illustration of the law of magnetic transfer. Some substances absorb and retain this magnetism better than others; and there is a wonderful cor- respondence between the mental and physical worlds, by which every emotion, passion, and faculty of the mind has its analogue in the material world. This analogy produces the strange and seemingly freakish regard we have for different substances. The pre- cious stones, noble metals, amulets, etc., assume scien- tific relations, for they represent certain faculties. Silver, gold, diamonds, and flowers are admired be- cause of the fundamental relations they sustain to the sympathies of the brain. Somnambulism.— The mind of the sleep-walker is in a highly sensitive condition, being able to read the thoughts of others, however distant ; reading writing or print placed behind his head, and performing the most difficult feats of clairvoyants or magnetised sub- jects. In this state the spirit becomes in a measure inde- pendent of its corporeal form, and infinitely expand- ed. The senses are no longer windows of the soul; but the mind sees and hears by some entirely new method, and becomes en rapport with the mental at- mosphere of the world. The following facts are related by the philosopher Fishbough: — "When a boy, residing in Easton, Pa., we for a time roomed with a young man who was much subject to fits of somnambulism. One one occasion, he was sud- denly aroused to a consciousness of his situation, and, as he informed us, for a moment, before he was re- stored entirely to his natural state, it was as 'light as day, '-and he could see minute objects with the utmost distinctness, though a moment afterwards he was obliged to grope his way in darkness to find his bed, ' ' THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 143 Sunderland, in " Pantheism, " records a case of a Mr. Collins, of East Bloomfield, N. Y., "who, while asleep, would often arise, and write poetry and long letters in a room perfectly dark. He would make his lines straight, cross his t's, dot his i's, and make it perfectly legible. He seemed to be clairvoyant when in this state, and would often tell what a sister and brother-in-law were doing, and where they were, when several hundred miles off. . . His statements, though many and often, were always found correct. This was in 1827." The following case, which has received extensive publicity in the journals of the day, is related on the authority of the archbishop of Bordeaux. A young clergyman was in the habit of rising from his bed and writing his sermons while in his sleep. Whenever he finished a page he would read it aloud and correct it. Once in altering the expression, "ce devin enfant," he substituted the word "adorable" for "devin;" and, observing that the "adorable" (commencing with a vowel) required that "ce" before it should be changed into "cet," he accordingly added the "t. " While he was writing "the archbishop held a piece of paste board under his chin, to prevent him from see- ing the paper on which he was writing; but he wrote on, not at all incommoded. The paper on which he was writing was then removed and another piece substi- tuted; but he instantly perceived the change. He also wrote pieces of music in this state, with his eyes closed. The words were under the music, and once were too large, and not placed exactly under the cor- responding notes. He soon perceived the error, blot- ted out the part, and wrote it over again with great exactness. ' ' The case of Jane C. Rider, known as the Springfield somnambulist, created, some years ago, much wonder and speculation among intelligent persons acquainted with the facts. I find the following account preserved in my note-book, with a reference to the "Boston Med- ical and Surgical Journal," Vol xi., Numbers 4 and 5 (which T have not now on hand), for more particular information. Miss Rider "would walk in her sleep, attend to domestic duties in the dark, and with her eyes bandaged ; would read in a dark room, and with 144 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. cotton filled in her eye-sockets, and a thick black silk handkerchief tied over the whole. These things were witnessed by hundreds of respectable persons. She learned, without difficulty, to play at backgammon while in this state, and would generally beat her an- tagonist ; though in her normal state she knew noth- ing about the game, and remembered nothing what- ever which occurred during her fits. ' ' A young lady, while at school, succeeded in her Latin exercises without devoting much time or atten- tion apparently to the subject. At length the secret to her easy progress was discovered. She was ob- served to leave her room at night, and taking her class-book, she proceeded to a certain place on the banks of a small stream, where she remained but a short time, and then returned to the house. In the morning she was invariably unconscious of what had occurred during the night ; but a glance at the lesson of the day usually resulted in the discovery that it was already quite as familiar to her mind as house- hold words. Are We More Wise When Asleep Than When Awake? — How can we else account for the wonderful feats and extensive knowledge of the somnambulist? We dwell more exclusively on the sleep-walker than on the magnetised subject, because he is free from the charge that might be preferred against the latter, of being influenced by the will of an operator. He is free from bias; and whatever he accomplishes pro- ceeds from himself and represents the workings of his own spirit. CHAPTER VII. SPIRIT— ITS PHENOMENA AND LAWS. Magnetism Intensifies the Spiritual Perceptions — Clairvoy- ance — Applied to the Realm of Spirit — The Seeress of Pre- vorst — Testimony of Swedenborg — Does the Spirit of the Clairvoyant Leave the Body? — Double Presence — Clairau- dience — Prophecy — The Law by Which Predictions Can Be Made — Impressibility by Words and Ideas — The Trance: Its Responsibility — Hypnotism and Crime — Hyp- notism or Mesmerism as a Curative Agent — Condition of the Freed Spirit — Have Animals Existence in Spirit Life? — Is the Distinction of Sex Preserved, and Is There Marri- age in Heaven? — The Spiritual Organism — The Most Sub- tile Form of Matter — An Erroneous Hypothesis — What Is the Character of the Matter Which Forms the Spirit Or- ganism? — Progress of the Elements — Spiritual Elements Realities — Spirits of Animals — Spiritual Attraction and Repulsion — Why Cannot Spirits Be Seen? — Why Seek Im- mortal Existence Outside of Physical Matter? — Immortal- ity Obtained Without Death — Origin of the Spiritual Body — How Far the Body Affects the Spirit. Magnetism Intensifies the Spiritual Perceptions.— When the body is inanimate; when the sluggish flow of the blood is the only indication of life; when the nerves have lost their sensation and the senses are dead, the somnambulist, like the clairvoyant, revels in a world of his own, and finds his new senses vastly su- perior to those that are dormant. The materialist says, "Look! here is an eye. It is the organ of sight. Images are formed on the retina of external objects. Here is an ear; it is adjusted to the waves of sound." Images are formed on the retina after death, and there is no sight. They are formed equally well in a camera. Waves of air vibrate on the ear, and yield no sound. The eye, on the other hand, may be destroyed, its optic nerves withered, 146 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. and still sight remain; the ear destroyed, and yet hearing: remain — as illustrated by clairvoyance and clairaudience. There is something behind and be- yond all these external organs, which sees, hears, and feels. Millions of vibrations reach it through the sen- sitive brain from, the external world— waves of light, heat, magnetism, electricity, nerve-aura, and sound; but where the physical avenues are all closed in a som- nambulistic or clairvoyant sleep it rises above them all. In that pure region the mind is most active, and grasps ideas as though robed in light, and becomes en rapport with the mental atmosphere of the uni- verse. Clairvoyance is a sensitive condition or state of im- pressibility as often accompanying perfect health as diseased conditions. It is the clear seeing of the spirit, and to say that it is caused by the disease which allows it to be mani- fested is confounding cause with effect. It is a posi- tive faculty of spirit manifested both during sleep and wakefulness, appearing in different individuals with varying degrees of lucidity. ' ' In passing 4nto this state the extremities become cold, the brain congested, the vital powers sink, a dreamy unconsciousness steals over the faculties of the external mind. There is a sensation of sinking or floating. After a time the perceptions become inten- sified; we cannot say the senses are intensified, for they are of the body, which, for the time, is insensible. "The mind sees without the physical organs of vis- ion, hears without the organs of hearing, and feeling becomes a refined consciousness, which brings it en rapport with the intelligence of the world. The more death-like the conditions of the body the more lucid the mind, which for the time jOwes it no fealty. ''If, as there is every reason to believe, clairvoyance depends on the unfolding of the spirit's perception, then the extent of that unfolding marks the degree of its perfection." This depends on the unfolding of the spiritual per- ceptions, and the degree of unfolding marks its worth- fulness. The state is the same, differing only in de- gree, whether observed in the pythia of Delphos, the visions of St. John, the trance of Mohammed, the epi- THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 147 demic catalepsy of religions revivals, or the illumina- tion of Swedenborg or Davis. The revelations made have also general resemblance, often discarding the influence of education and surrounding circumstances, arid so strongiy are they colored by these that they must always be taken as exceedingly fallible. There is a tendency to make objective the subject- ive ideas acquired by education, as visions of Chris- tians are of heaven and Christ ; of Mohammedans, Mo- hammed and Houri, and as dreams reflect the waking thoughts. Yet there is a profound condition which sets this entirely aside, and divests the spirit of all physical trammels, and introduces it to the world of spirits. This is called independent clairvoyance, be- cause it is independent of the senses. Light is not es- sential for seeing, matter is perfectly transparent, and space is eliminated. The clairvoyant is able to read the thoughts of persons present or absent, decipher the contents of sealed letters, describe places where he has never been, retrospect the lives of strangers, and forecast the future. Applied to the Realm of Spirit.— Thus applied the testimony is of profound interest. The Seeress of Pre- vorst may be taken as illustrative, and her revelations have a greater significance from the extreme purity and beauty of her spiritual life. The Seeress of Prevorst.— "Unfortunately, my life is now so constituted that my soul, as well as my spirit, sees into the spiritual world, — which is, how- ever, indeed, upon the earth ; and I see them not only singly, but frequently in multitudes and of different kinds, and many departed souls. "I see many with whom I come into approximation, and others who come to me; with whom I converse, and who remain near me for months. I see them at various times by day and night, whether I am alone or in company. I am perfectly awake at the time, and am not sensible of any circumstance or sensation that calls them up. I see them alike, whether I am strong or weak, plethoric or in a state of inanition, glad or sorrowful, amused or otherwise, and I cannot dismiss them. Not that they are always with me; but they come at their own pleasure, like mortal visitors, and equally whether I am in a spiritual or corporeal state 148 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. at the time. When I am in my calmest. and most healthy sleep, they awaken me : I know not how ; but I feel that I am awakened by them, and that I should have slept on had they not come to my bedside. I ob- serve frequently, that, when a ghost visits me by night, those who sleep in the same room with me, are, by their dreams, made aware of its presence. They speak afterwards of the apparition they saw in their dream, though I have not breathed a syllable on the subject to them. Whilst the ghosts are with me, I see and hear everything around me as usual, and can think of other subjects; and, though I can avert my eyes from them, it is difficult for me to do it. I feel in a sort of magnetic rapport with them. They appear to me like a thin cloud, that one could see through, which, however, I cannot do. I never observed that they threw any shadow. I see them more clearly by sunlight or moonlight than in the dark ; but, whether I could see them in absolute darkness, I do not know. If any object comes between me and them they are hidden from me. I cannot see them with closed eyes, nor when I turn my face from them : but I am so sen- sible of their presence that I could designate the exact spot they are standing upon; and I can hear them speak although I stop my ears. . . . The forms of the good spirits appear bright ; those of the evil, dusky. "Their gait is like the gait of the living, only that the better spirits seem to float, and the evil ones tread heavier, so that their footsteps may sometimes be heard, not by me alone, but by those who are with me. They have various ways of attracting attention by other sounds besides speech ; and this faculty they ex- ercise frequently on those who can neither see them nor hear their voices. These sounds consist in sigh- ing, knocking, noises as of the throwing of sand or gravel, rustling of a paper, rolling of a ball, shuffling as in slippers, etc. They are also able to move heavy articles, and to open and shut doors, although they can pass through them unopened or through the walls. I observe that the darker a spectre is the stronger is his voice, and the more ghostly powers of making noises, etc., he seems to have. The sounds they pro- duce are by means of the air, and the nerve-spirit, which is still in them. I never saw a ghost when he THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 149 was in the act of producing any sound except speech, so that I conclude they cannot do it visibly; neither have I ever seen them in the act of opening or shutting a door, only directly afterwards. They move their mouths in speaking; and their voices are various as those of the living. They cannot answer me all that I desire. Wicked spirits are more willing or able to do this ; but I avoid conversing with them." Testimony of Swedenborg.— Swedenborg also re- lates similar facts. "I have conversed with many, after their decease, with whom I was acquainted during their life in the body ; and such conversation has been of long contin- uance — sometimes for months, sometimes for a whole year — and with as clear and distinct a voice, but in- ternal, as with friends in the world. The subject of our discourse has sometimes turned on the state of man after death; and they have greatly wondered that no one in the life of the body knows, or believes, that he is to live in such a manner after the life of the body, when, nevertheless, it is a continuation of life, and that of such a nature, that the deceased passes from, an obscure life into a clear and distinct one, and they who are in faith towards the Lord into a life more and more distinct, They have desired me to ac- quaint their friends on earth that they were alive, and to write to them an account of their states, as I have often told them many things respecting their friends ; but my reply was, that if I should speak to them, or write to them, they would not believe, but would call my information mere fancy, and would ridicule it, asking for signs or miracles before they should be- lieve; and thus I should be exposed to their derision. And that the things here declared are true, few, per- haps, will believe ; for men deny, in their hearts, the existence of spirits, and they who do not deny such existence are yet very unwilling to hear that anyone can converse with spirits. Such a faith respecting spirits did not at all prevail in ancient times, but does at this day, when men wish, by reasonings of the brain, to explore what spirits are, whom, by definitions and suppositions, they deprive of every sense; and, the more learned they wish to be, the more they do this." 150 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. Does the Spirit of the Clairvoyant Leave the Body? —Yes, in proportion as the highest spiritual state is attained, even to complete separation, which is death. The facts cited relative to double presence may be in- troduced here also. An interesting magnetic treatment is detailed by Cahagnet in his "Celestial Telegraph," wherein he sets one clairvoyant to watch another. "I perceive that A dele purposes entering into the ecstatic state : I make up my mind to try a decisive ex- periment, and I leave her to her will. I forthwith send Bruno to sleep, put him en rapport with her, and beg him to follow her as far as possible, recommend- ing him not to be alarmed, and to warn me only if he should see danger. I wished to be assured by myself of the pretended dangers of ecstacy. Frequently had A dele told me that she had been on the point of not coming back to re-enter her body ; and, as I thought that she only wanted to alarm me, I wished to know what opinion to come to. After the lapse of a quarter of an hour, Bruno exclaimed in great alarm, 'I have lost sight of her.' She was apparently dead, and a mirror placed to her lips was not tarnished. ' ' Double Presence. — This is another class of phenom- ena of unique character, when the spirit is seen and recognized at a distance from the body. The peculiar state which enables a person in that locality to per- ceive a spirit on its arrival is simply one of delicate impressibility. The freedom of the spirit from the body is clairvoyance, and any clairvoyant is capable of executing this "double presence," so mysterious to old school psychological writers. "One of the most remarkable cases of this kind is that recorded by Jung Stilling, of a man, who, about the year 1740, resided in the neighbourhood of Philadel- phia, in the United States. His habits were retired, and he spoke little. He was grave, benevolent, and pious ; and nothing was known against his character, except that he had the reputation of possessing secrets that were not altogether lawful. Many extraordi- nary stories were told of him, and, among the rest, the following: The wife of a ship captain, whose husband was on a visit to Europe and Africa, and from whom she had been long without tidings, over- THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 151 Whelmed with anxiety for his safety, was induced to address herself to this person. Having listened to her stor}^ he begged her to excuse him for a while, when he would bring her the intelligence required. He then passed into an inner room, and she sat herself down to wait; but, his absence continuing longer than she expected, she became impatient, thinking he had forgotten her; and so, softly approaching the door, she peeped through some aperture, and, to her sur- prise, beheld him lying on a sofa, as motionless as if he were dead. She, of course, did not think it advisable to disturb him, but waited his return, when he told her that her husband had not been able to write to her for such and such reasons ; but that he was in a coffee- house in London, and would very shortly be at home again. Accordingly he arrived; and, as the lady heard from him that the causes of his unusual silence had been precisely those alleged, she was desirous of ascertaining the truth of the rest of the information. In this she was gratified, for he no sooner set his eyes on the magician than he said he had seen him before, on a certain day, in a coffee-house in London. ' ' Thought Projection.— An example of direct thought projection (another name for the same phenomenon), having greater significance from the high characters of the persons interested, is that furnished by Jessie Fremont, wife of General Fremont. He had started on his famous expedition to mark out a trail across the plains and over the mountains to California. In her own words: "I was so used to my brave husband's safe returns from every danger that I had become fairly reason- able about his journeys, and my wise, loving father took care that I should have my mind and time use- fully filled. We could not look to hear from Mr. Fre- mont on the unoccupied line of country he was ex- ploring that winter of 1853-54; he must first reach the coast at San Francisco, and our first news must come by the Isthmus route of Panama ; at the earliest, mid- summer. But in midwinter, without any reason, I be- came possessed by the conviction that he was starv- ing; nor could any effort reason this away. No such impression had ever come to me before, although more than once dreadful suffering, and even deaths from 152 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. starvation, had befallen his companions during other expeditions. "This time it came upon me as a fact I could not turn from. It fairly haunted me for nearly two weeks, until, young and absolutely healthy as I was, it made a physical effect on me. Sleep and appetite were broken up, and in spite of my father's and my own efforts to dissipate it by reasoning, by added open-air life, nothing dulled my sense of increasing suffering from hunger to Mr. Fremont and his party. "This weight of fear was lifted from me as sud- denly as it had come." Of how she was assured of his safety she thus nar- rates : "The fire was getting low, and I went into the ad- joining dressing-room to bring in more wood. It was an old-fashioned big fireplace, and the sticks were too large to grasp with the hand; as I half -knelt, bal- ancing the long sticks on my left arm, a hand rested lightly on my left shoulder, and Mr. Fremont's voice, pleased and laughing, whispered my name. There was no sound beyond the quick-whispered name — no presence, only the touch— that was all. But I knew (as one knows in dreams) that it was Mr. Fremont, gay, and intending to startle my sister, whose ready scream always freshly amused him. "Silently I went back into the girls' room with the wood, but before I could speak, my sister, looking up to take a stick from me, gave a great cry and fell on the rug. ' ' So thoroughly was Mrs. Fremont convinced of the safety of her husband that she regained her lost spir- its, and that night slept soundly and with contented peace. When General Fremont returned the follow- ing May, it was found that all the time his wife was in such distress about him, his party were struggling through the snow, on the verge of starvation, and on the night she received her intelligence, they had reached a human settlement, and were treated with greatest kindness. At the very moment she felt his presence he had completed the rounds of inspection, and, finding all his men comfortable, had gone to his own pleasant room. It was then his thoughts of safety were distinctly felt by his wife half across the THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 153 continent, and so strongly that they were not only heard, but assumed form to be felt and seen. Lydia Maria Childs, in the Atlantic Monthly, re- lates the following remarkable experience of Harriet Hosmer, as personally given by that noted sculptor, to that well-known writer. "Let me tell you a singular circumstance that hap- pened to me in Rome. An Italian girl, named Rosa, was in my employ for a long time, but was finally obliged to return to her mother on account of con- firmed ill health. We were mutually sorry to part, for we liked each other. When I took my customary excursion on horseback I frequently called to see her. On one of these occasions I found her brighter than I had seen her for some time past. I had long relin- quished hopes of her recovery, but there was nothing in her appearance that gave me the impression of im- mediate danger. I left with the expectation of call- ing to see her many times. During the remainder of the dajr I was busy in my studio, and do not recollect that Rosa was in my thoughts after I parted with her. I retired to rest in good health, and in a quiet frame of mind. But I awoke from a sound sleep with an oppressive feeling that some one was in the room. I wondered at the sensation, for it was entirely new to me, but in vain I tried to dispel it. I peered beyond the curtains of my bed, but could distinguish no object in the darkness. "Finding it impossible to sleep, I longed for day- light to dawn, that I might rise and pursue my cus- tomary avocations. It was not long before I w* able to distinguish the furniture in my room, and soon after I heard, in the apartments below, familiar noises of servants opening windows and doors. An old clock proclaimed the hour. I counted one, two, three, four, five, and resolved to arise immediately. My bed was partially screened by a long curtain, looped up at the side. As I raised my head from the pillow, Rosa looked inside the curtain and smiled at me. The idea of anything supernatural did not occur to me. Sim- ply surprised, I exclaimed, 'Why, Rosa, how came you here when you are so ill?' 'I am well now.' With no other thought than that of greeting her joyfully, I sprung out of bed, There was no Rosa there ! I 154 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. •:•• moved the curtain, thinking she might, perhaps, have playfully hidden behind its folds. The same feeling induced me to look into the closet. The sight of her. had come so suddenly, that, in the first moment of sur- prise and bewilderment, I did not reflect that the door was locked. When I became convinced that there was no one in the room but myself, I recollected that fact, and thought I must have seen a vision. ''At the breakfast table I said to the old lady with whom I boarded, 'Rosa is dead.' ' ' ' What do you mean by that ? ' she inquired. ' You told me that she seemed better than common when yon called to see her yesterday.' "I related the occurrences of the morning, and told her that I had a strong impression Rosa was dead. I summoned a messenger, and sent him to inquire how Rosa did. He returned with the answer that 'She died this morning at five o'clock.' " Probably Lord Erskine and Lord Brougham were as free from what is generally regarded as ' ' supersti- tion" as any of that long line of chancellors who have adorned the woolsack, and helped to benefit mankind. Yet both of them bear testimony to the existence of apparitions, or some communication with the inhabit- ants of another world, as the following tales will de- clare ; and which I purposely relate in the very words of their distinguished tale-bearers. The circumstances of Lord Chancellor Erskine 's in- tercourse with an apparition, as related by himself, are given in Lady Morgan's Book of the Boudoir, as follows: — "When I was a very young man, I had been for some time absent from Scotland. On the morning of my arrival in Edinburgh, as I was coming out from a bookshop, I met our old family butler. He looked greatly changed, pale, wan and shadowy as a ghost. 'Eh! old boy,' I said, 'what brings you here?' He replied, ' To meet your honour, and solicit your inter- ference with my lord, to recover a sum due to me, which the steward, at the last settlement, did not pay. ' Struck by his looks and manners, I bade him follow me to the bookseller's shop, into whose shop I stepped back ; but when I turned round to speak to him he had vanished, THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 155 "I remembered that his wife carried on some little trade in the Old Town ; I remembered even the house and flat she occupied, which I had often visited in my boyhood. Having made it out, I found the old woman in widow's mourning. Her husband had been dead for some months, and had told her on his death-bed, that my father's steward had wronged him of some money, but that when Master Tom returned, he would see her righted." Lord Brougham, Lord High Chancellor of England, in his recently published autobiography, records the following apparition story, as having been seen by himself. It refers to an early period of his life, at the commencement of this present century, when he was on a tour in the north of Europe. "At Kongelf, near Gottenberg, we stopped to eat some cold provisions, and then continued our journey in the dark. The carriage being shut, we were not actually frozen, but the road was execrably rough, and we went at a foot's pace; besides, it was more hilly than is usual in Sweden. At one in the morning, arriving at a decent inn, we decided to stop for the night, and found a couple of comfortable rooms. "Here a most remarkable thing happened to me, so remarkable, that I must tell the story from the begin- ning. After I left the High School, I went with G— , my most intimate friend, to attend the classes in the University. There was no divinity class, but we fre- quently in our walks discussed and speculated upon many grave subjects — among others, on the immor- tality of the soul, and on a future state. This ques- tion, and the possibility, I will not say of ghosts walk- ing, but of the dead appearing to the living, were sub- jects of much speculation; and we actually committed the folly of drawing up an agreement, written with our blood, to the effect that whichever of us died the first should appear to the other, and thus solve any doubts we had entertained of the ' life after death. ' "After we had finished our classes at the college, G went to India, having got an appointment there in the civil service. He seldom wrote to me, and after the lapse of a few years I had almost forgotten him ; moreover, his family having little connection with Edinburgh, I seldom saw or heard anything of them, 156 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. or of him through them, so that all the old schoolboy- intimacy had died out, and I had nearly forgotten his existence. I was taking a warm bath ; and while lying in it, and enjoying the comfort of the heat after the late freezing I had undergone, I turned my head round, looking towards the chair on which I had de- posited my clothes, as I was about to get up out of the bath. On the chair sat G , looking calmly at me. How I got out of the bath I know not, but on recover- ing my senses I found myself sprawling on the floor. The apparition, or whatever it was that had taken the likeness of G , had disappeared. "The vision produced such a shock that I had no inclination to talk about it, or to speak about it even to Stuart ; but the impression it made upon me was too vivid to be easily forgotten ; and so strongly was I af- fected by it, that I have here written down the whole history, with the date, 19th December, and all the par- ticulars, as they are now fresh before me. Soon after my return to Edinburgh, there arrived, a letter from India, announcing G 's death! and stating that he had died on the 19th of December ! Dr. Carl du Prel, a painstaking observer, is author- ity for the following: — "Frau Elgie, when in Cairo, was suddenly aroused from a deep sleep, and thought that someone had called to her. She partly arose, and saw, by the light of the moon, the form of an old friend, whom she knew was in England, so distinctly that she distin- guished every detail of his dress — among other things the onyx buttons which he usually wore. The form seemed to be desirous to speak to her, but pointed only to the other side of the room. There Frau Elgie saw that her young travelling companion, who was sleeping in the same room, had also arisen, and was looking with an expression of terror at the form, which shortly after disappeared. The description which her companion gave to Frau Elgie of the form as she saw it, agreed exactly with the one that Frau Elgie had seem "The thought came to both that the friend was per- haps dead — but such was not the fact. Some years later Frau Elgie met her friend again, and questioned him about his occupations. She learned from him « THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 157 that, being greatly troubled in mind to decide whether he should accept a position that was offered to him, he had earnestly wished that he could get her advice upon the matter. The time of his great desire to do so corresponded to the hour when he was seen at Cairo. ' ? "Herr Wilson fell asleep on the 19th of May in his office at Toronto. He dreamed that he was in Hamil- ton, forty miles distant, and there called at the house of a lady, who was not at home. He asked the servant who met him at the door for a glass of water, and re- ceived it. A few days later the lady wrote to a friend in Toronto, and requested her to ask Mr. Wilson to -eave his address the next time he came to Hamilton, for he had on the 19th of May been at her house, had taken a glass of water, but had left behind only his compliments. Mr. Wilson, who had not been in Hamilton for more than a month, and remembered that on the stated day he had fallen asleep in his office, told his servant of the curious circumstance, but begged him to say noth- ing abor.t it. "Some time later he was at the lady's house in Hamilton, in company with several friends. Two servants, when asked whether they recognized among the gentlemen the former caller, pointed immediately to Mr. Wilson. These are well authenticated facts, resting on the best of personal evidence, and might be multiplied into volumes. If they are to be cast aside as un- worthy of credence, then human testimony is value- less, and everything depending thereon is as unreli- able as a dream. Clairaudience.— This is the hearing of voices by the spiritual sense, being to hearing what clairvoyance is to seeing. The following is introduced both in evi- dence and illustration : A gentleman who resides at the sea coast, and has been a captain of sea-going ships all his life, until he retired a few years ago, Capt. D. B. Edwards, gave me the following narrative, which may be relied on in every particular. He has become a firm believer in Spiritualism, and is a close and observant student of the phenomena. 158 THE ARCANA OP SPIRITUALISM. i i mi The story I now relate happened to my uncle, Robert T. Brown, and was given me by himself. He was a bold, fearless man, who had followed the sea all his life. He was in the whale fishery, and once as he was starting out of the harbour, the friends on the wharf noticing that his anchor was bound unusually fast, rallied him. He replied that he should not cast it until he again reached home, and in just one year he would return. At that time it usually occupied two or three years to make a whaling voyage, yet he sailed to the southern seas, secured a full cargo of oil, and just one year from the day of starting, tied his ship to the wharf, never having cast anchor. This proph- ecy indicated his impressible nature. The story re- lates to the time he commanded the Barque, Isaac Meade, bound to a southern port. When at sea the wind being ahead, and he having been on deck from 8 o'clock till 12 p. m., he called the mate's watch, and tacked ship, giving orders to stand in shore till 4 o'clock. He then went below to sleep. He was awakened by a voice which he said he heard as dis- tinctly as he ever heard anyone, saying, 'Go about.' But he thought he must be dreaming, and fell asleep again only to hear the same command, 'Go about!' He went to the companionway and told the mate to stand off until daylight and then call him. When called he sent the second mate aloft and told him to scan the horizon and see if he could discover any ob- ject. He soon reported that leeward was what ap- peared to be a boat with a small signal set. Captain Brown ordered the ship kept off for the object, which proved to be a schooner's yawl boat with five men. The schooner had sprung a leak, and went down, leav- ing them on the wide sea. They were without provis- ions, and would have perished had they not been res- cued by Captain Brown. ' ' When we meet facts like these we may well pause before we, as is now the fashion, refer them to thought transference. It is possible for one mind to influence another over wide intervals. It is a pretty theory to suppose that these five perishing seamen sent an impression far over the sea, until, in Captain Brown, they found a responsive subject. But it is far more rational to suppose the spirit friends of the THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 159 shipwrecked men came to Captain Brown, and finding him sensitive while asleep, impressed him to change the course of his ship. Captain Edwards is responsible for the following narration also, which would be placed by the English psychic investigators in the class of facts they have labelled "Appearances Immediately After Death." "Captain James Smith, a native of Stony Brook, Long Island, was in command of a vessel, and made voyages to the West Indies. On a return passage to New York, the night being dark, with a strong breeze, Captain Smith, while walking the deck, heard a voice saying, 'Hello!' He went forward, but saw nothing to explain the hail. In going aft he again distinctly heard the call, seemingly coming from the bow of the vessel, and having a strangely familiar sound. When he arrived in New York he found a letter await- ing him, which stated that his wife had died on the same night that he had heard the voice at sea. ' ' The hearing of voices of persons just at the time of death, by friends at a distance, has an overwhelming array of facts in its support, and affords one of the strongest evidences of the continuance of existence. There is a theory advanced by those who rather ac- cept any solution than that of the spiritual, that there is a prolongation of energy or life for a little time after death, and by that means the manifestations occur. If the spirit-being survives death at all, there can be no reason why it may not continue to exist indefi- nitely. Telepathy.— Clairvoyance is related to telepathy, or thought transference, because both are directly de- pendent on mental impressibility. It must be con- fessed that it is difficult to distinguish the facts of direct spirit control and those which may depend on the influence of a mind in the physical body, as both depend on the same laws and conditions. A commu- nication from one spirit to another, in the physical body or out of it, when given by impressions, is tele- pathic. Many instances might be gathered, but only the following in illustration will be given: — "A remarkable, but well-attested instance of spirit- ual affinity took place in Jackson, Miss., recently. Mrs. Benjamin Campbell, within a few hours of the 160 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. birth of a child, declared that she was suffering greatly from a severe pain in her neck, close to the jugular vein, and in her left leg near the knee. As no cause for it could be found, it was supposed to be imagination, until a telegram arrived saying that the lady's twin brother, Barry Davenport, of San Fran- cisco, had accidentally shot himself in the neck and left leg, dying in a few minutes." The sympathy existing between twins has been often remarked, though its cause has not, perhaps, been referred to the cause here introduced. "On the 11th ultimo, at about two o'clock in the morning, J. C. Fender, who keeps a restaurant in Kansas City, was awakened from a sleep by dreaming that friends had arrived to tell him of his mother's death. For years the old lady had been living in Schenectady, N. Y., but had lately been visiting friends in Illinois. The seeming reality of the awful news so impressed Fender that he was unable to sleep during the remainder of the night. When morning came he informed others at the restaurant of what he had dreamed, saying that he intended to telegraph and verify the truthfulness or falsity of the sombre vision of the previous night. He did so, and the reply came — 'Your mother died Saturday night, and was buried Tuesday.' " Prophecy. — Professor Gregory remarks: "By some obscure means, certain persons in a peculiar state may have visions of events yet future. And, indeed, it is only by admitting some such influence that we can at all account for the fulfilment of prophetic dreams, which, it cannot be doubted, have frequently taken place. Coincidence, as I have before remarked, is insufficient to explain even one case, so enormously great are the chances against it; but, when several cases occur, it is absolutely out of the question to explain them by coincidence." Volumes might readily be filled with the facts of prevision and prophecy. We do not expect to do more, confined as we are to narrow limits, than to give illustrative facts. Socrates predicted all the most important events of his life, and Apollonius not only predicted, but Was conscious of what was transpiring at remote dis- THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 161 • tances. Cicero mentions that when the revelations are being given some one must be present to record them, as "these sleepers do not retain any recollec- tion of It" (Cic.'i lib. iii. de Divine). Pliny, speak- ing of the celebrated Hermotinus of Clazomenae, re- marked that his soul separated itself from the body, and wandered in various parts of the earth, relating events transpiring in distant places. During these periods of inspiration his body was insensible (Nat. His., lib. vii. c. 52). On the day of the battle of Pharsalia, Cornelius, a priest renowned for his piety, described in the city of Padua, as though present, every particular of the light, exclaiming at last, "Caesar is the conqueror." Nicephoros says that when the unfortunate Valerius, taking refuge in. a barn, was burned by the Goths, a hermit named Paul, in a fit of ecstasy y exclaimed to those who were with him, "It is now that Valerius burns!" The early Christians considered the gift of proph- ecy an essential evidence of their faith. Irenus says some cast out demons and prophesy, have visions, heal the sick, talk in tongues "through the spirit;" and Eusebius gives as reason why these had declined in his day, "that the church had become unworthy of them. ' J "Major Buckley, twenty-three years ago, before he had heard of animal magnetism, was on the voyage be- tween England and India, when, one day, a lady re- marked that they had not seen a sail for many days. He replied that they would see one next day at noon, on the starboard bow. Being asked by the officers in the ship how he knew, he could only say that he saw it, and that it would happen. When the time came, the captain jested him on his prediction, when at that moment a man who had been sent aloft half-an-hour before, in consequence of the prophecy, sung out, 'A sail ! " '. Where ? 9t On the starboard bow. ' I consider this case interesting because it tends to show a relation between magnetic power, which Major Buckley pos- sesses in an eminent degree, and susceptibility to the magnetic or other influences concerned." "A soldier in a Highland regiment, then in Amer- ica, named Evan Campbell, was summoned before his officer for having spread among his men a prediction 162 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. * that a certain officer would be killed next day. He could only explain that he had seen a vision of it, and that he saw the officer killed, in the first onset, by a ball in the head. Next day an engagement took place, and in the first attack, the officer was killed a ball in the forehead. I am told that this instance of second sight may be entirely depended on. ' ' Governor Tallmadge records an experience worthy of repetition, from the high moral and intellectual character of that distinguished man. He was one of the party on board the U. S. war-ship, "Princeton," on the memorable occasion when the " Peace-maker " exploded. During the first three discharges his posi- tion had been at the breech of the gun. After dinner he returned to the deck, when he observed that the great gun was about being discharged for the fourth and last time, and he assumed his former position. There was some delay of the party coming on deck, and, while waiting, he was seized with sudden dread, and, under an irresistible impulse, he retired to the ladies' cabin. Immediately he heard the report, and, the next moment, the intelligence of the terrible dis- aster. Five distinguished men, two of whom were members of the Cabinet, had been instantly killed. The gun had burst at the very spot where he had stood; and, if he had remained, he would have been demolished. The day previous to the burning of the "Henry Clay," on the Hudson, Mrs. Porter, being entranced, in the presence of several persons announced the event. On the authority of Mrs. Swisshelm, it is stated that the Rev. Dr. Wilson, of Allegheny City, prophe- sied "the great fire of 1845, in Pittsburg; the Mex- ican war, and its results; the war between Russia and the Western powers; and the speedy limitation of the temporal power of the Pope." While Napoleon Bonaparte was an exile on the Island of St. Helena, he made the following remark- able declaration respecting the future of the United States: "Ere the close of the nineteenth century, America will be convulsed with one of the greatest revolutions the world has ever witnessed. Should it succeed, her power and prestige are lost ; but, should THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 162 the Government maintain her supremacy, she will be on a firmer basis than ever. The theory of a Re- publican form of government will be established, and she can defy the world. ' ' History furnishes many examples of the hero's mind becoming ecstatic with the vast labour it was called to perform. Hannibal had his star of destiny, as well as Napoleon. While pausing at Etovissa, he is said to have seen in his sleep a youth of divine figure, who told him that he was sent by Jupiter to guide him into Italy; and bade him follow without turning his eyes on either side. He followed, though he trembled with terror; but his curiosity becoming too strong for his resolution he looked back, and saw an immense serpent moving along, felling trees in its way; and after it followed a dark cloud with loud thunder. When he inqired the meaning he was told that it portended the devastation of Italy. The Laws by Which Prediction Can be Made.— There is a fixed belief that spiritual beings are able to predict the future ; that the coming time is as open to their gaze as the past. There yet lingers the super- stitious feeling which once attached to the prophet, as the leader and mouth-piece of gods. With the repudiation of the pretenses of these prophets, proph- ecy itself, which once occupied an important place in the government of mankind, became ignored. The prediction of events was claimed to be impossible, because law ruled, and the shaping of history did not depend on the will of an arbitrary ruler or God. If we consider for a moment, we shall see that for the very reason that law rules, fixed and unswerving, prophecy is possible. Because of the chain of causes and effects, the knowledge of causes gives the power to predict or foreknow the effects. Whereas if crea- tion was ruled by an arbitrary being, changeable in purpose and swayed by human interposition, even his own declarations would not be of certain fulfillment. He might change, repent, recede, or do the very re- verse he promised. But when the causes are known, and the laws, which are the channels along which such causes run to their effects, then these effects may be predicted. Thus we may say confidently that if we touch a 164 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. lighted match to the wick of a lamp there will be a flame. It is a prophecy always fulfilled. We know the law of gravitation, and by it that if a person is unsuspended he will fall. We prophesy this with certainty. These illustrations are so simple it will probably be said: "Why, this is not proph- ecy; it is knowledge!" Yes, it is prophecy so frequently fulfilled we call it knowledge. If we take more complicated affairs where a great number of causes converge to one effect, we find a wider and more comprehensive knowledge necessary, but if we possess it, we are as certain of the result. In predicting events in the future of the nation or the race, not to say the individual, such an infinite number of causes and effects must be known, that to an ordinary mind the problem becomes too intricate to be comprehensible, and is pronounced impossible. Yet to the mind able to grasp these, the prophecy may be as easy as that of the lighting of a lamp before alluded to. In business there are men who are possessed of wonderful prevision, and by its aid meet with ex- traordinary success. The great leaders of men, with scarcely an exception, believe in their Star of Destiny, and have a premonition of the high places they are to occupy. Washington, Lincoln, and Garfield may be taken as examples. Walter Wellman, in Chicago Tribune, says of the latter: "Garfield was a fatalist. Editor Carrol E. Smith, of Syracuse, was telling me a few weeks ago of a singular conversation which he had with Gar- field in the autumn of 1878. Garfield was then in New York State making campaign speeches, and when in Syracuse stopped at the house of Mr.Hiscock. After dinner Garfield and Smith sat down for a talk, and when the conversation drifted upon personal am- bition, Garfield remarked, 'I should like to leave pub- lic life as soon as possible. If I could have my heart 's desire I would leave Congress and politics, and found in the West a great college, such a college as Cornell was intended to be by its founder. At the head of such an institution I should like to pass the remain- der of my days, eschewing all ambition for a public career.' Editor Smith asked, "Has it ever occurred THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 165 to you that you will some day be President of the United States?' Garfield paused a moment, pen- sively, and then replied with that frankness for which he was noted, 'Yes. You may laugh at me if you wish, but for many years I have believed that I shall some day be President of the United States. ' Within twenty months of that night Garfield was the candi- date of his party for the Presidency." In the line of prophetic premonitions there is no limit to the facts bearing on the subject. Almost every one, at some period of their lives, have had per- sonal experience, in dreams or warnings. At some mo- ment the spiritual sensations have awakened and re- ceived impressions. This may have occurred during waking hours, or more usually during a state called sleep, but distinct from it. Impressions received at such times are called dreams. If the intelligence that impresses them can impress mind with the direct thoughts, it does so, but this may cause an awakening before the process is complete, and in such cases im- ages or symbols are employed. A peculiarity of prophetic dreams are their recurrence. The dreamer, if he heed not the first impression, will receive it over and over again. Dr. Felix Oswald, whose veracity is unimpeachable, and who cannot be charged with leaning to the side of the supernatural, gives the fol- lowing in The Open Court, with the remark that it impressed him by its very homeliness with its abso- lute truth: " I remember the instance of an American family that had been settled in the northern uplands of Cameron County, Texas, but before the end of the year removed to the vicinity of a larger settlement, and sold their half completed home for reasons that remained a mystery to their upland neighbors. 'We had selected that building site after a great deal of prospecting,' the first proprietor of that house told me a few years later. 'We had every prospect of getting an improved road and a postoffice, and three months after our first entry I would not have sold that homestead for ten times my direct expenses. But, about half a year after, that ranch seemed a haunted place, and I didn 't feel at rest day or night, though people that know me 166 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. are not likely to call me superstitious. But one night, about a week after I had got home from a trip to Browwnsville Landing, I dreamt our house was tackled by a gang of Greasers, and that they shot me down and killed my little boy with a club, and then loaded their horses with everything they could move. Tavo nights after I had exactly the same dream over again. The idea began to haunt me when that dream had come back for the third time, though I never said a word ; but one morning my wife seemed uneasy till all our farm-hands had started to work, and then asked me to come out into the garden for a minute. "Do you think there are any robbers in the neigh- borhood ? ' ' she asked me when we were alone. ' ' Why did you see or hear anything suspicious?" I asked her back. "No, but I had such a strange dream last night," she said, with a sort of shudder; "I dreamt a gang of Mexicans came to our house, and made me run for my life, and just before I got through the door I saw them knock little Tommy with a club." "Didn't I help you?" I laughed. "I don't know," she said. "I saw you collar one of them, and I kept calling for you in English to save yourself, but just a's you dashed through the gate I heard the crack of a shotgun and then fainted." I made no reply, but that minute I felt we couldn't stay any longer, and two weeks after I made up my mind to move to In- dianola. The neighbors thought I must be half crazy, but I couldn't help it, and just ten weeks after we were gone we got the news of that Pancho Parras massacre. The whole neighborhood had been sacked and outraged, and, as I know my boy, I am now mor- ally certain that he would have stood his ground and got himself killed if he had seen any brute lay his hands on his mother." The following narrative, given by N. Becker, Osh- kosh, Wis., is equally remarkable : "From 1874 to 1880 my cousin, Leonard Reiter, was employed by the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul R. R. Co., at Milwaukee, Wis., the first few years as fireman, and then as engineer. On the 14th of October, 1879, he dreamed that he ran his engine into the water, and that he would either be killed or hurt. Getting up, he told his wife to pray for him, as he thought he would be killed or lose his engine the com- THE ARCANA OP SPIRITUALISM. 167 ing night. He felt all day as if something terrible would happen. After supper he kissed the whole family good-bye, called his wife out on the porch, told her to pray for him; he thought he would not come home alive. Not being able to obtain a release, he went on board his engine, and a dense fog coming on, he ran into an open drawbridge. He never before could swim, but he swam ashore, and although fear- fully injured, recovered." "Was not the power which impressed the above dream also instrumental in saving him and helping him to swim!" Yet another instance : A. F. McNeal, a well-known citizen of Rawson, Ohio, died on the 26th November last, after a short illness, and now comes a strange story connected with his death which is fully authenticated. On the night of January 28th last, he dreamed that he had died and gone to heaven. In the dream the date of his death, November 26, was firmly fixed upon his mind. In the golden city of his dreams, Mr. McNeal met Mahlen Povenmire, of Ada, an old friend, and asked him when he had died and left the earth. Povenmire replied that he died a week before. There were other striking circumstances in the dream equally as strange, which so impressed Mr. McNeal that the next morning, when he awoke in his usual good health, he reduced the details to writing, and laid the manuscript away in his desk. His wife found and read it with fear and trembling, but said nothing, although it made an impression upon her mind which she could not efface. On the 26th of November last, McNeal died exactly as indicated in the dream, while Povenmire passed to the land of the unknown just a week before. Mrs. McNeal is in possession of the manuscript containing the substance of her husband's dream as above recited, dated January 29th, the morning after the vision came to him. It is noticeable that premonitions of events, whether received waking or by dreams, have little to do with changing the order of events, which seem unalter- ably fixed. A person for instance, dreams of being drowned or seeing another, at a certain time and in a certain manner, and no attempt to avoid the danger avails. In the following instance, it may seem im- 168 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. probable that the person who was in danger should receive no warning, while his companion should be warned for him, but it will not so appear when we consider that one was impressible while the other was not: ''Charles Maguire, a constable of the B Division of police, stationed at Chelsea, dreamed a fortnight before that he was rowing on the Thames with Charles Henry Baxter, a fellow constable, when the boat capsized, and Baxter was drowned. Strangely enough it was fulfilled on Wednesday." From these impressions, received through dreams, we turn to messages received direct from spiritual intelligences. Of these I will give but one, which will serve as an illustration of volumes of a similar char- acter which might be introduced. It must be borne in mind that the present statement of facts is here made for a twofold purpose; one for evidence, and the other as illustrative. If they were proved to be unreliable, it would not affect the argument or the value of other facts in the same class. The following was contributed to "Light" by Se- bastian Fenzi, one of the bravest officers in the army of Italy : "We sat round a small table one evening in the early part of November, 1877. The table soon began to move, and through tilting and the alphabet gave the name of the controlling spirit as being Signora Teresa Canuti, who had been the governess of my children, and who at once told us she brought great news, as 'the Pope (then Pius IX.) was soon to be called away from our earthly scene.' "This made us smile, and we told the good spirit that there was no need for a messenger from the far beyond to make us aware that a man who had reached his eighty-fifth year was on the border of the grave. We, however, asked what was meant by soon — and the answer was : ' Though difficult for us to measure time, I may confidently state within three months.' "Some few moments afterwards the table moved violently and threw itself on me and then spelled out 'Emily' (my late wife's name), and went on saying: "You laugh at what the Signora Teresa told you, but I have more serious news to communicate, namely, that the King (Victor Emanuel) will die before the THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 169 Pope ! ' I then asked : ' Is it really you, Emily Saladin, the whole journey 242 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. apparently occupying several months; but he slept only an hour. Addison says : ' ' There is not a more painful action of the mind than invention; yet in dreams it works with such ease and activity that we are not sensible when the faculty is employed. For instance, I be- lieve every one, some time or other, dreams that he is reading a book, papers, or letters ; in which case in- vention prompts so readily that the mind is imposed on, and mistakes its own suggestion for the composi- tion of another. 5 ' Coleridge composed "Christabel" and "Kubla Khan" in sleep; and Tartini dreamed that the Devil came, and played what he afterwards wrote out as the "Devil's Sonata." Dr. Franklin solved difficult po- litical problems, and Dr. Gregory obtained impor- tant scientific ideas, in dreams. Animals frequently dream, especially the dog, to whom man imparts a strong magnetic influence. The dog is also sometimes somnambulic, as the following anecdote shows : ' ' I was attracted by a very curious sound from the dog, and a strange, fixed look from his eyes, which were set, as though glazed in death, and neither changed nor quivered in the slightest degree, though the blaze of a cheerful wood fire shone brightly upon them. After stretching his limbs several times, and whining, he gradually arose to his feet, and assumed the attitude of pointing, in every particular, just as I had seen him a hundred times in the field. When my surprise had a little abated I spoke to the dog, but he manifested no consciousness, nor took the slightest notice of my voice, though several times re- peated, and it was only when I touched him that the spell was broken, when, running several times round the room, he quietly resumed his place before the fire. " [ Quoted by S. B. Brittan . ] Somnambulism is to sleep what the magnetic state is to wakefulness, and presents a parallel series of phenomena. Many instances are recorded, and have been brought within the observation of many, that some persons will answer questions correctly when they are THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 243 soundly asleep. Such can be made to dream any- thing desired by whispering in their ears. They, in other words, naturally fall into a magnetic slumber, differing only from that artificially induced by the superior vividness of the impressions of the latter. As an illustration, take the following facts from Ma- cacio: [Reports et Discussions. Paris, 1833. Quoted in "Footfalls on the Boundaries of Another World."] "In his work on sleep, he relates a striking exam- ple as having occurred in his presence. It was in the case of a certain patient of a friend of his, Dr. Gro- mier — a married lady, subject to hysterical affections. Finding her one day a prey to settled melancholy, he imagined the following to dissipate it. Having cast her into a magnetic sleep, he said to her, men- tally, 'Why do you lose hope? You are pious, the Holy Virgin will come to your assistance. Be sure of it.' Then he called up in his mind a vision, in which he pictured the ceiling of the chamber re- moved, groups of cherubim at the corners, and the Virgin, in a blaze of glory, descending in the midst. Suddenly the somnambule was affected with ecstasy, sank on her knees, and exclaimed, in a transport of joy ; 'Ah, my God! So long — so very long— I have prayed to the Holy Virgin; and now, for the first time, she comes to my aid ! ' " Spiritual Communications Given in Dreams.— The following facts are presented as illustrations and proofs of spirit-intercourse during sleep. No philoso- phy but that accepting direct spiritual influence can explain them. "A farmer in one of the western counties of Eng- land was met by a man whom he had formerly em- ployed, and who again asked for work. The farmer, rather with a view to be relieved from his importunity than with any intention of assisting him, told him he would think of it, and send word to the place where the man told him he should be found. Time passed on, and the farmer entirely forgot his promise. One night, however, he suddenly started from his sleep, and, awaking his wife, said he felt a strong impulse to set off immediately to the county-town some thirty or forty miles distant ; but why, he had not the least idea. He 244 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. endeavored to shake off the impression, and went to sleep again; but awoke a second time with such a strong conviction that he must start that instant, that he directly rose, saddled his horse, and set off. On his road he had to cross a ferry, which he could only do at one hour of the night, when the mail was carried over. He was almost certain that he should be too late, but nevertheless rode on, and, when he came to the ferry, found, greatly to his surprise, that, though the mail had passed over a short time previously, the ferryman was still waiting. On his expressing his astonishment, the boatman replied, 'Oh, when I was on the other side, I heard you shouting, and so came back again.' The farmer said he had not shouted; but the other repeated his assertion that he had dis- tinctly heard him call. Having crossed over, the farmer pursued his journey, and arrived at the coun- ty-town the next morning. But now that he had come there, he had not the slightest notion of any business to be transacted, and so amused himself by sauntering about the place, and at length entered the court where the assizes were being held. The pris- oner at the bar had just been, to all appearance, proved clearly guilty, by circumstantial evidence, of murder: and he was then asked if he had any wit- nesses to call in his behalf. He replied that he had no friends there : but. looking around the court among the spectators, he recognized the farmer, who almost immediately recognized in him the man who applied to him for work. The farmer was instantly sum- moned to the witness-box; and his evidence proved, beyond the possibility of a doubt, that, at the very hour the prisoner was accused of committing murder in one part of the county, he was applying for work in another The prisoner was of course acquitted, and the farmer found that, urged on by an uncon- trollable impulse, which he could neither explain nor account for, he had indeed taken his midnight jour- ney to some purpose, notwithstanding it had appeared so unreasonable and causeless. "This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes. ' ' ' Presentiments.— There are many cases recorded of persons hurrying home impelled by some presenti- THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 245 ment. "Mr. M. Calderhood was once, when absent from home, seized with such an anxeity about his fam- ily that, without being able in any way to account for it, he felt himself impelled to fly to them, and re- move them from the house they were inhabiting; one wing of which fell down immediately afterwards. No notion of such a misforture had ever occurred to him, nor was there any reason whatever to expect it; the accident originating from some defect in the founda- tion." A circumstance exactly similar to this is related by Stilling, of Professor Bohm, teacher of mathemattics at Marburg ■ who, being one evening in company, was suddenly seized with a conviction that he onght to go home. As, however, he was very comfortably tak- ing tea, and had nothing to do at home, he resisted the admonition ; but it returned with such force that at length he was obliged to yield. On reaching his house he found everything as he had left it; but he now felt himself urged to remove his bed from the corner in which it stood to another; but, as it had always stood there, he resisted this impression also. However, the resistance was vain ; absurd as it seemed he felt he must do it ; so he summoned the maid, and, with her aid, drew the bed to the other side of the room, after which he felt quite at ease, and returned to spend the rest of the evening with his friends. At ten o'clock the party broke up, and he retired home and went to bed to sleep. In the middle of the night he was awakened by a loud crash, and on looking out saw that a large beam had fallen, bringing part of the ceiling with it, and was lying exactly on the spot his bed had occupied. [Univercoelum.] A gentleman residing some miles from Edinburgh had occasion to pass the night in that city. In the middle of the night he dreamed that his house was on fire, and that one of his children was in the midst of the names. He awoke, and so strong was the impres- sion upon his mind, that he instantly got out of bed, saddled his horse, and galloped home. In accord- ance with his dream, he found his house in flames, and arriving in time, saved his little girl, about ten months old, who had been forgotten and left in a room which the devouring elements had just reached. 246 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. A clergyman of distinguished ability and truthful- ness relates the following. It shows how vividly the mind may be impressed with the perception of for- eign intelligences, or that it is capable of leaving the body, or of acquiring or perceiving through spiritual senses, in either case confirming spiritual existence. "I was engaged at that time in pursuing theolog- ical studies with the Rev. Mr. G., in a village in the vicinity of Boston. During the night I seemed to enter a place which I had never before seen. I walked up the main street, which was shaded with large trees, noticing the prominent buildings as I passed them. It seemed to be Sunday evening; the shops were closed, and all business suspended. The street led me to a large building containing a hall. I saw horses and carriages in great numbers standing near. Entering the hall I found a large andience gath- ered. It was a meeting for religious purposes. At last the preacher rose up, and his features impressed themselves upon me, and his very words, although he seemed an utter stranger. The vision made a deep impression upon my mind. It seemed not a dream, but a- reality. "On the Sunday evening ensuing I walked with a friend to attend a religious meeting in a neighboring village where I had never been. On entering the street, it seemed familiar to me, and I remembered it to be the place I had seen in a vision a few days preceding. Anxious to see if my dream would cor- respond with the reality throughout, I pursued the path which I seemed to have taken before, till it led me to the building, which I at once recognized. En- tering it, the hall was familiar; and when the preacher arose, I knew him at once. The street, building, and preacher corresponded in every particular with those impressed on my consciousness during the previous vision." fl have heard my mother relate an episode of par- allel character in her life. She was always highly impressible, and was called "our family seer." She dreamed that she was traveling over a very mountain^ ous country in a wagon. Being fatigued with riding she alighted, and walked up a hill, from the summit THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 247 of which she obtained a charming prospect of a beau- tiful river and its valley. Three years afterward she was traveling through Allegany County, N. Y., became fatigued, alighted, and walked. When she came to the summit of the hill she thought the prospect familiar ; and all at once she remembered her dream. She had been there be- fore in spirit, although not in body.] If all we know is derived by and through the senses, of course knowledge of a scene we are to see three years hence must be denied. Ah, materialist ! with your sensatory scheme, how do you meet these facts of prescience? Is a mind asleep more active than a mind awake? We do not want to hear about "un- known laws of mind:" but if these facts can be ex- plained, let us have the explanation. ' ' Mr. Robert Curtis, a citizen of Newport, Ind., who bears the reputation of being a very honest man, re- lated to us the following wonderful statement of facts and circumstances: About twenty-eight years ago he was very sick, and it was thought by his friends and physicians he could not live. Although they each and all endeavored to conceal their opinions from him, yet he well knew what their views were from conversations he overheard. This caused him to feel wretchedly. During this state of feeling he dreamed that a man came to Richmond who cured him by the use of his hands. This made him feel better, and he commenced regaining his health, and in the course of a few months was able to go to work. About four years after he became quite sick again, and from that time the state of his health was very poor until cured as hereinafter stated. About three weeks before Dr. A. J. Higgins came here, he dreamed again that a man came to this city, and that he was cured by him in the manner above stated. This time he saw the man dis- tinctly in a dream, and retained in his memory his personal appearance, and knew him to be the same man he had dreamed about twenty-eight years ago. When Dr. Higgins arrived he was impressed that he was the man who had come to cure him. He at once repaired to this city, and on seeing Dr. Higgins, rec- ognized him as the man whom he had seen in his 248 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. vision three weeks before. He applied to him for treatment, and, sure enough, was cured in the man- ner suggested in his dreams. ' ' [Correspondent * ' Re- Jigio-Philosophical Journal."] The following are related by William Fishbough, and are of almost parallel character: Mrs. W., a lady of unquestionable veracity, resid- ing in Taunton, Mass., informed me that, several years ago, a family intimately related to her, removed to the State of Ohio. Some time subsequent to their removal, the family, by some untoward occurrence which I do not remember, was thrown into deep af- fliction, which rendered the presence and sympathy of Mrs. W. very desirable. About this time Mrs. W. had an impressive dream, in which were represented to her mind the general condition of the family, the appearance and architectural structure of the house in which they resided, the species of the trees, and the relative positions and appearance of these and all other objects near the house. The whole scene, with all its minutiae, was, as it were, at one glance vividly daguerreotyped upon her mind, although she never had the slightest description of the place. On subse- quently relating her dream to her friend, who had returned from Ohio, he confirmed it as true in every particular. "Many of our readers will remember the blowing up of the steamboat 'Medora, ' at Baltimore, several years ago, attended with loss of many valuable lives. An authentic account (which I must now relate from memory) subsequently appeared in the papers, of a sailor, belonging to a small vessel which plied up and down the Chesapeake Bay, foreseeing the occurrence, with all its essential particulars, in a dream, a night or two before it took place. He related his vision to his shipmates, who of course deemed it unworthy of attention until after they heard of the fate of the steamer. The vessel to which the man belonged saiied up the bay on the day of the catastrophe; and, as she approached the city of Baltimore, a vessel was seen lying at anchor in the harbor, with flag at half- mast. On seeing this, the man who had had the dream immediately exclaimed, 'That's for the 'Me- THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 249 dora!' Strange to say, they found that the 'Me- dora' had been blown up, and lives had been destroy- ed, precisely, in all essential particulars, as had been foreshadowed in the dream." • ' The reader will remember the tragedy of the mur- der of Mr. Adams by John C. Colt, which took place m New York several years ago. Two days before the murder of Mr. Adams, his wife dreamed twice that he was murdered; and that she saw his body cut to pieces > and packed away in a box. The dreams made a deep impression upon her mind; and on the disap- pearance of her husband, and before he was found, she was inconsolable. The facts were precisely in ac- cordance with the dream. ' ' The following is a condensed account of a case re- corded in Sutherland's ' ' Pathetism. " "On the night of May 11, 1812, Mr. Williams, of Scorrier House, near Redruth, in Cornwall, dreamed thrice that he saw a man shoot, with a pistol, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in the lobby of the House of Commons. The dreams made a deep impres- sion upon his mind, and the next day he related them to many of his friends whom he met, describing mi- nutely the man whom he had seen assassinated. A friend, to whom Mr. Williams related his dream, rec- ognized his description of the person assassinated as answering precisely to Mr. Perceval, Chancellor of the Exchequer, whom Mr. Williams had never seen. Shortly afterwards the news came that on the even- ing of the 11th of May a man of the name of Belling- ham had shot Mr. Perceval in the lobby of the House of Commons, precisely as Mr. Williams had dreamed, and on the same night. After the astonishment had a little subsided, Mr. Williams described most partic- ularly the appearance and dress of the man whom he saw in his dream nre the pistol, as he had before done of Mr. Perceval. About six weeks after, Mr. Will- iams, having business in town, went, accompanied by a friend, to the House of Commons, where he had never before been. Immediately that he came to the steps at the entrance of the lobby, he said, 'This place is as distinctly within my recollection, in my dream, as any room in my house ; ' and he made the same ob- 250 (THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. servation when he entered the lobby. He then pointed out the exact spot where Bellingham stood when he fired, and which Mr. Perceval had reached when he was struck by the ball, and where and how he fell. The dress, both of Mr. Perceval and Belling- ham, agreed with the description given by Mr. Will- iams, even to the most minute particular." "A mother, who was uneasy about the health of a child who was out at nurse, dreamed that it had been buried alive. The horrid thought woke her, and she determined to set off for the place without a moment's delay. On her arrival she learned that after a sud- den and short illness the child had died, and had just been buried. Half frantic from this intelligence, she insisted upon the grave being opened, and the moment the coffin-lid was raised she carried off the child in her arms. He still breathed, and maternal care restored him to life. The truth of this anecdote has been war- ranted. We have seen the child so wonderfully res- cued ; he is now, in 1843, a man in the prime of life, and filling an important post." The Jesuit Malvenda, the author of a Commentary on the Bible, saw one night, in his sleep, a man laying his hand upon his chest, who announced to him that he would soon die. He was then in perfect health, but soon after, being seized with a pulmonary disor- der, was carried off. This is told by the skeptic Bayle, who relates it as a fact too well authenticated even for the apostle of Pyrrhonism to doubt. ' ' "Sir Humphrey Davy dreamed one night that he was in Italy, where he had fallen ill. The room in which he seemed to lie struck him in a very peculiar manner, and he particularly noticed all the details of the furniture, etc., remarking, in his dream, how un- like anything English they were. In his dream, he appeared to be carefully nursed by a young girl, whose fair and delicate features were imprinted on his memory. After some years Davy traveled in Italy, and being taken ill there, actually found him- self in the very room of which he had dreamed, waited upon by the very same young woman whose features had made such a deep impression upon his mind. The reader need not be reminded of the authenticity of a, THE ARCANA OP SPIRITUALISM. 251 statement resting upon such authority, eminent alike for truth that would not deceive, and intelligence that could not be deceived." Brittan thus relates a case of spiritual impressions given in a dream: — ''I made the acquaintance of a Mr. S v who has, in several instances, been the recipient of spiritual im- pressions, communicated generally during the hours of sleep. In the course of our interview, he related the following, which is worthy of record. For some time he had visited a young lady, whom he had se- lected as his companion for life. They had pledged their fidelity to each other, and the day on which it was proposed to legalize their union was at hand. "We were standing on the bank of a stream, whose waters, like the current of human life and love, were divided, broken, and interrupted by many obstacles, when he related its vision and its fulfillment, in sub- stance, as follows : He slept, and dreamed of walking on the bank of that stream. Suddenly the object of his love appeared walking by his side. She was ar- rayed in a white flowing dress. A white handkerchief was folded under the chin, and tied on top of the head. Her countenance was pale as marble. She walked by his side for some distance, and finally, ex- tending her hand, she said, 'Reuben, I must leave you; farewell !' — and anon disappeared. "Several days had elapsed when a messenger came in great haste to request his immediate presence at the residence of his loved one. He obeyed the summons, and found her the victim of incurable disease. Her stricken form was invested with white apparel, and her whole appearance corresponded to his vision. He seated himself by her bedside, to watch the irregular and feeble pulsations which marked the last efforts of expiring nature. At length she held out her hand, which He received in his own; and as the spirit went out of its fallen temple, there was a faint utterance from the lips of mortality, and the attentive ear caught the last words: 'Reuben, I must leave you; farewell!' " Prophetic Dreams.— If the preceding facts point to the communion of spiritual intelligences, the follow- 252 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. ing more conclusively establish the proof of this inter- course. "About three years ago a seafaring man, by the name of Toombs, returned to his family, who resided in this place. His widow resides here still. One night, not long after his return, he awoke his wife, telling her to look at the coffin standing by the side of the bed ; but she replied that she could not see it, nor any- thing in the room, as it was totally dark. He insisted on getting up and looking into it, as he said he saw a coffin there as truly as he was alive. He arose, and on looking into it immediately exclaimed, 'It is myself! It is me ! ' She tried to convince him the next morn- ing that it was a dream; but he said he was certain that it foreshadowed his death. The second day after- ward, as he was walking on the edge of the wharf, his foot slipped ; he was precipitated into the river, and before assistance could be rendered he was dead. His body was taken home, and his coffin at last stood in the identical place to which his attention had been di- rected in the vision. " [" Univercoelum. ' ' 1848.] ' ' The next example I shall cite came, in part, within my own personal knowledge," says Moore, in his work on i ' Body and Mind. " "A colleague of the dip- lomatic corps, an intimate friend of mine,M. de S., had engaged for himself and his lady, passage to South America in a steamer, to sail on the 9th day of May, 1856. A few days after their passage was taken, a friend of theirs and mine had a dream, which caused her serious uneasiness. She saw, in her dream, a ship in a violent storm founder at sea ; and an internal in- timation made her aware that it was the vessel on board which the S. 's proposed to embark. So lively was the impression, that on awakening she could scarcely persuade herself that the vision was not a reality. Dropping again to sleep, the same dream re- curred a second time. This increased her anxiety; and the next day she asked my advice as to whether she ought not to state the circumstances to her friends. Having at that time no faith whatever in such intimations, I recommended her not to do so, since it would not probably cause them to change their plans, yet might make them uncomfortable to no THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 253 purpose. So she suffered them to depart unadvised of the fact. It so happened, however, as I learned a few weeks later, that fortuitous circumstances in- duced my friends to alter their first intention, and, having given up their places, to take passage in an- other vessel. "These particulars had nearly passed from my memory, when long afterward, being at the Russian Minister's his lady said to me, 'How fortunate that our friends, the S.'s, did not go in the vessel they had first selected ! ' ' Why so ? ' I asked. ' Have you not heard,' she replied, 'that the vessel is lost? * It must have perished at sea; for, though more than six months have elapsed since it left port, it has never since been heard of.' "In this case, it will be remarked that the dream was communicated to myself some weeks or months before its warning was fulfilled. It is to be con- ceded, however, that the chances against its fulfill- ment were not so great as in some of the preceding ex- amples. The chances against a vessel about to cross the Atlantic being lost on that particular voyage are much less than are the chances against a man, say of middle age and in good health, dying on any one par- ticular day. "In the next example we shall find a new element introduced. Mrs. S. related to me, that, residing in Rome in June, 1856, she dreamed, on the thirtieth day of that month, that her mother, who had been several years dead, appeared to her, gave her a lock of hair, and said, 'Be especially careful of this lock of hair, my child, for it is your father's, and the angels will call him away from you to-morrow.' The effect of this dream on Mrs. S.'s spirits was such that when she awoke she experienced the greatest alarm, and caused a telegraphic notice to be instantly despatched to England, where her father was, to inquire after his health. No immediate reply was received, but when it did come it was to the effect that her father had died that morning at nine o'clock. She afterwards learned that two days before his death he had caused to be cut off a lock of his hair, and handed it to one of his daughters who was attending on him, telling her 254 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. it was for her sister in Rome. He had been ill of a chronic disease, but the last account she received of his health had been favorable, and had given reason to hope that he might yet survive for some years. "I proceed to furnish, from among the narratives of this character which have thus recently come to my knowledge, a few specimens, for the authenticity of which I can vouch. "In the year 1818, Signor Alessandro Romano, the head of an old and highly respected Neapolitan fam- ily, was at Patu, in the province of Terra d'Otranto, in the kingdom of Naples. He dreamed one night that the wife of the Cavaliere Libetta, Counsellor of the Supreme Court, and his friend and legal adviser, who was then in the city of Naples, was dead. Al- though Signor Romano had not heard of the Signora Libetta being ill or even indisposed, yet the extreme vividness of the dream produced a great impression on his mind and spirits, and the next morning he re- peated it to his family, adding that it had disturbed him greatly, not only on account of his friendship for the family, but also because the Cavaliere had then in charge for him a lawsuit of importance, which he feared this domestic affliction might cause him to neg- lect. "Patu is two hundred and eighty miles from Na- ples, and it was several days before any confirmation or refutation of Signor Romano's fears could be ob- tained. At last he received a letter from the Cava- liere Libetta, informing him that he had lost his wife by death, and on comparing dates it was found that she died on the very night of Signor Romano 's dream. ''This fact was communicated to me by my friend, Don Guiseppe Romano, son of the gentleman above referred. to, who was living in his father's house when the incident took place, and heard him relate the dream the morning after it occurred. "Here is another, which was narrated to me, I re- member, while walking, one beautiful day in June, in the Villa Reale (the fashionable park of Naples, hav- ing a magnificent view over the bay, by a member of the A legation, one of the most intelligent and agreeable acquaintances I made in that city, THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 255 ' 'On the 1.6th of October, 1850; being then in the city of Naples, this gentleman dreamed that he was by the bedside of his father, who appeared to be in the agonies of death, and that, after a time, he saw him expire. He awoke in a state of great excitement, bathed in cold perspiration ; and the impression on his mind was so strong that he immediately rose, though it was still night, dressed himself and wrote to his father, inquiring after his health. His father was then at Trieste, distant from Naples, by the nearest route, five days' journey; and the son had no cause whatever, except the above dream, to be uneasy about him, seeing that his age did not exceed fifty, and that no intelligence of his illness, or even indisposition, had been received. He waited for a reply with some anx- iety for three weeks, at the end of which time came an official communication to the chef of the mission, re- questing him to inform the son that it behooved him to take some legal measures in regard to the property of his father, who had died at Trieste, after a brief ill- ness, on the sixteenth day of October. '*It will be observed that, in this instance, the agi- tation of mind in the dreamer was much greater than commonly occurs in the case of an ordinary dream. The gentleman rose, dressed himself in the middle of the night, and immediately wrote to his father, so great was his anxiety in regard to that parent's fate. The same may usually be noticed in the record of cases in which the dream is fulfilled, even if the per- son to whom it occurs is a skeptic in all such presenti- ments. '*Such a skeptic is Macnish, author of the 'Philos- ophy of Sleep ; ' yet he admits the effect which such a dream, occurring 1o himself in the month of August, 1861, produced upon his spirits. I quote the narra- tive in his own words : — " 'I was then in Caithness, when I dreamed that a near relation of my own, residing three hundred miles off, had suddenly died, and immediately thereafter, awoke in a state of inconceivable terror, similar to that produced by a paroxysm of nightmare. The same day, happening to be writing home, I mentioned the circumstance in a half -jesting-, half -earnest way. 25G THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. To tell the truth, I was afraid to be serious, lest I should be laughed at for putting any faith in dreams. Howeyer, in the interval between writing and receiv- ing an answer, I remained in a state of most unpleas- ant suspense. I felt a presentiment that something dreadful had happened or would happen ; and, though I could not help blaming myself for a childish weak- ness in so feeling, I was unable to get rid of the pain- ful idea wdiich had taken such rooted possession of my mind. Three days after sending away the letter, what was my astonishment when I received one writ- ten the day subsequent to mine, and stating that the relative of whom I had dreamed had been struck with a fatal shock of palsy the day before — that is, the very day on the morning of which I had beheld the appear- ance in my dream ! I may state that my relative was in perfect health before the fatal event took place. It came upon him like a thunderbolt, at a period when no one could have the slightest anticipation of danger.' "Here is a witness disinterested beyond all possible doubt; for he is supplying evidence against his own opinions. But are the effects he narrates such as are usually produced by a mere dream on the mind of a person not affected by superstition? Inconceivable terror, though there was no nightmare ; a presenti- ment lasting for days, taking rooted possession of the feelings, and which he strove in vain to shake off, that something dreadful had happened, or would happen ! Yet, with all this alarm, unnatural under ordinary circumstances, how does the narrator regard the case ? He sets down his terrors as childish weakness, and declares, as to the coincidence which so excited his astonishment, that there is nothing in it to justify us in referring it to any other origin than chance. ' ' Major Andre, the circumstances of whose lamented death are too well known to make it necessary for me to detail them here, was a friend of Miss Seward's, and previously to his embarkation for America, he made a journey into Derbyshire to pay her a visit; and it was arranged that they should ride over to see the wonders of the Peak ? and introduce Andre to THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 257 Newton, her minstrel, as she called him, and to Mr. Cunningham, the curate, who was also a poet. ' While these two gentlemen were waiting the ar- rival of their guests, of whose intention they had been apprised, Mr. Cunningham mentioned to Newton that on the preceding night he had had a very extraordi- nary dream, which he could not get out of his head. He had fancied himself in a forest; the place was strange to him ; and while looking about he perceived a horseman approaching at great speed, who had scarcely reached the spot where the dreamer stood when three men rushed out of the thicket, and seizing his bridle, hurried him away, after closely searching his person. The countenance of the stranger being very interesting, the sympathy felt by the sleeper for his apparent misfortune awoke him ■ but he presently fell asleep again, and dreamed that he was standing near a great city, among thousands of people, and that he saw the same person whom he had seen seized in the wood, brought out and suspended to a gallows. When Andre and Miss Seward arrived, he was horror- struck to perceive that his new acquaintance was the antetype and reality of the man whom he had seen in the dream. ( ' ' One fact, however, may still be related as a speci- men of man3^ others which occurred in Stilling 's ex- perience. Having at one time occasion to write on business to his friend Hess, Stilling, while engaged in writing, suddenly felt a deep internal impression, as though a voice had spoken to him, that his friend Lataver 'would die a bloody death — the death of a martyr.' He was impressed to write this to Hess, which he accordingly did. In ten weeks after Still- ing had this impression, Lavater received a mortal wound from the hands of a Swiss grenadier, incited, as it was supposed, by some political jealousy. "Dr. George De Benneville, a physician and Ana- baptist preacher, who resided at Germantown, Pa., before and during the American Revolution, was also subject to interior impressions. Being an exceed- ingly benevolent man, he spent much of his time in bestowing gratuitous medical attention upon the poor. 258 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. "One morning he told his family that he felt im- pressed to ride into Philadelphia, nine miles distant, by a consciousness that a vessel had just arrived in port, having on board a poor sick sailor who needed his assistance. He accordingly went to Philadelphia, and found the sick sailor just as he had described. "During the Revolution, while Philadelphia was occupied by the British, Dr. De Benneville resided a portion of the time at Reading, Pa. One day while there he ordered his horse and chaise, saying that the British had on that day evacuated Philadelphia, and that matters there required his immediate attention. His family at first thought him wandering in his mind ; but they suffered him to depart. A day or two afterwards intelligence arrived that the British had actually evacuated Philadelphia on that very day." [' ' Univercoelum. ' '] The following is, if anything, of a still more posi- tive character, and is vouched for by high authority : "In the winter of 1835-6, a schooner was frozen up in the upper part of the Bay of Fundy, close to Dor- chester, which is nine miles from the River Pedeu- diac. During the time of her detention, she was en- trusted to the care of a gentleman of the name of Clarke, who is at this time captain of the schooner 'Julia Hallock,' trading between New York and St. Jago de Cuba. "Captain Clarke's paternal grandmother, Mrs. Ann Dawe Clarke, to whom he was much attached, was at that time living, and, so far as he knew, well. She was residing at Lyme-Regis, in the County of Dorset, England. "On the night of the 17th of February, 1836, Cap- tain Clarke, then on board the schooner referred to, had a dream of so vivid a character that it produced a great impression upon him. He dreamed that, be- ing at Lyme-Regis, he saw pass before him the funeral of his grandmother. He took note of the chief per- sons who composed the procession; observed who were the pall-bearers, who were the mourners, and who was the officiating pastor. He joined the pro- cession as it approached the churchyard gate, and proceeded with it to the grave. He thought, in his THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 259 dream, that the weather was stormy, and the ground was wet, as after a heavy rain, and he noticed that the wind, being high, blew the pall partly off the coffin. The graveyard which they entered, the old Protest- ant one, in the centre of the town, was the same in which, as Captain Clarke knew, their family burying place was. He perfectly remembered its situation, but to his surprise, the funeral procession did not proceed thither, but to another part of the churchyard at some distance. There, still in his dream, he saw the open grave, partially filled with water, as from the rain, and, looking into it, he particularly noticed, floating in the water, two drowned field-mice. Afterwards, as he thought, he conversed with his mother, and she told him that the morning had been so tempestuous that the funeral, originally appointed for ten o'clock, had been deferred till four. He remarked, in reply, that it was a fortunate circumstance, for as he had just arrived in time to join the procession, had the funeral taken place in the forenoon he could not have attended it at all. "This dream made so deep an impression on Cap- tain Clarke that in the morning he noted the date of it. Some time afterwards there came the news of his grandmother's death, with the additional particular that she was buried on the same day on which he, being in North America, had dreamed of her funeral. "When, four years afterwards, Captain Clarke visited Lyme-Regis, he found that every particular of his dream minutely corresponded with the reality. The pastor, the pall -bearers, the mourners were the same persons he had seen. Yet this, we may suppose, he might naturally have anticipated. But the funeral had been appointed for ten o'clock in the morning, and in consequence of the tempestuous weather and the heavy rain that was falling it had been delayed until four in the afternoon. His mother, who at- tended the funeral, distinctly recollected that the high wind blew the pall partially off the coffin. In conse- quence of a wish expressed by the old lady shortly before her death, she was buried, not in the burying place of the family, but at another spot selected by herself, and to this spot Captain Clarke, without any 260 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. indication from the family or otherwise, proceeded at once, as directly as if he had been present at the burial. Finally, on comparing notes with the old sexton, it appeared that the heavy rain of the morning had partially filled the grave, and that there were actually found in it two field-mice, drowned. "This last incident, even if there were no other, might suffice to preclude all idea of accidental coin- cidence. ' " The above was narrated to me by Captain Clarke himself," says Moore, in his work on 'Body and Mind,' "with permission to use his name in attesta- tion of its truth. ' ' Presentiments of Death.— Presentiments of the per- son's death are by no means rare; volumes might be filled with them. Premonitions of coming danger; warnings, which, if heeded, are salvation, would form a library of volumes if recorded — yet it is often asked why spirits do not give these warnings. They do at all times when possible. The conditions of the reception of such warnings are essentially as follows : The spirit must have a foreknowledge which few pos- sess, for the future is by no means an open book to all. It must be able to impress its thougnts on the friend whom it wishes to save. The difficulties that environ it cannot be adequately understood by us. During the late war I have noticed many such re- corded. No philosophy but spirit-impression can ex- plain the origin of such presentiments ; for knowledge is conveyed which, to say the least, is super-mundane, and outside of and above the capacity of man. To prophesy the hour of a person's departure has never been achieved by the reason of man. "Mrs. Dorothea Foos, aged ninety-nine years, died at her residence in Ensor street, Baltimore, on Satur- day evening, having lived to see five generations. Mrs. Foos dreamed, some nine years ago, that she would die on the 5th of April, 1845, and her acquaint- ances have often heard her state her presentiment. About ten years ago she accidentally fell out of bed and broke her hip, and otherwise injured herself, so that all hopes of her recovery were given up ; but she steadily insisted that she should get about again, and THE ARCANA OP SPIRITUALISM. 261 not die until the 5th of April, 1845; and singular though it be, yet such is the fact, she did live until Saturday, the 5th of April, 1845, and died on that day. "A young lady of this city, highly esteemed and respected, who had been sick for some length of time, but was supposed to be convalescent, had a dream a few nights since, in which it appeared to her that she would die ajt eight o'clock the same evening. On awaking, she informed her family of her dream, and remained firmly impressed with the idea that she should die at the hour designated, and under that belief called her brothers and sisters around her, giv- ing them good advice with reference to the future. Strange to say, and remarkable as it may seem, on the approach of eight o'clock she manifested a calm resignation, and almost as the clock tolled the hour her spirit took its night. Thus she foretold, by a singular presentiment, the day and hour of her own death." ["Rochester American."] ' ' One of the most remarkable cases of presentiment I know is that which occurred not very long since on board one of Her Majesty's ships, when lying off Portsmouth. The officers being one day at the mess-table, a young Lieutenant, P., suddenly laid down his knife and fork, pushed away his plate, and turned ex- tremely pale. He then rose from the table, covering his face with his hands, and retired from the room. The president of the mess, supposing him to be ill, sent one of the young men to inquire what was the matter. At first, Mr. P. was unwilling to speak; but on being pressed, he confessed that he had been seized by a sudden and irresistible impression that a brother he had, then in India, was dead. 'He died,' said he, ' on the 12th of August, at six o 'clock ; I am perfectly certain of it.' No argument could overthrow this conviction, which, in due course of post, was verified to the letter. The young man had died at Cawnpore, at the precise period mentioned." [Fishbough.] "Borrow, in his interesting book entitled "The Bible in Spain,' gives a singular instance of presentiment — the coming event casting its shadows before. A sailor, on coming on deck in the morning, informed 262 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. him, with deep solemnity, that during the night he had been impressed that in a few hours he should meet his death by drowning. The sailor was the most ac- tive and intelligent of the crew. No reasoning or ridicule could efface the impression that he had re- ceived; it seemed written upon his very soul. Dur- ing the evening the wind arose, and freshened to a gale. The sailor in question went aloft to take in sail. While engaged in that duty he lost his hold and footing, and fell overboard. A boat was immediately lowered, and every effort made to save him, but in Vain. The narrator saw his face shining out like a thing of light as he sank fathoms deep beneath the waves." ["Univercoelum."] [Last year, on bidding my aunt adieu after a short visit, and hoping to see her soon, she told me in tears that she had a presentiment that she should not live until the summer had passed. When attacked at length with mortal sickness, in midsummer, she said that medicine would be unavailing, and prophesied the exact hour of her departure.] There is a class of presentiments received in regard to those who are near and dear to us for which animal magnetism gives a partial explanation, and probably does account for many facts ; but spiritual impression must be called to fully account for others. The same law by which one person obtains an impression from another enables him to obtain an impression from a spirit. ►Schopenhaur most truthfully said: ''There are moments in life when our senses obtain a higher and rarer degree of clearness, apart from any particular occasion for it in the nature of our surroundings; and explicable, rather, on physiolog- ical grounds alone, as the result of some enhanced state of susceptibility, working from within, out- wards. Such moments remain indelibly impressed upon the memory, and preserve themselves in their individuality entire. ' ' He could not explain the gleams through the rifts in the spiritual clouds, because he did not know the ex- alting power of spirit influence. The spontaneous phenomena which come at such times are collectively of great value in the study of this subject. Espe- THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 263 cially are these active moments observed during sleep, and the results are called dreams. Cardinal Gibbons, in his address on the occasion of the funeral of Mother Mary Joseph O'Leary, Pitts- burg, said : ' ' That while sitting in his room the other night he fell asleep. He dreamed that both the late Bishop Thomas Feely, of Chicago, and Bishop John S. Folly, of Detroit, appeared before him. The Car- dinal greeted them, and asked how Mary Joseph was, to which both Bishops replied: 'She has passed away. ' The next morning Cardinal Gibbons received a message saying that the Mother Superior had died the night before." "A lady of my acquaintance correctly saw, in a dream, all the main particulars of the burning of the steamboat 'Lexington,' on Long Island Sound, a few years ago, on the night of the occurrence ; and on awaking she related the account to her husband, in general terms, just as it subsequently appeared in the newspapers." [Fishbough.] It is a singular fact that, notwithstanding their edu- cational fears, children are never frightened at the appearance of spectres. "A lady with her child embarked on board a vessel at Jamaica, for the purpose of visiting her friends in England, leaving her husband quite well. It was a sailing packet; and they had been some time at sea, when one evening, while the child was kneeling be- fore her saying his prayers previous to going to rest, he suddenly said, looking eagerly to a particular spot in the cabin, 'Mamma, pa!' 'Nonsense, my dear!' the mother answered, 'you know your papa is not here!' 'He is indeed, mamma,' returned the child; 'he is looking at us now.' Nor could she convince him to the contrary. When she went on deck, she mentioned the circumstance to the captain, who thought it so strange that he said he would note down the date of the occurrence. The lady begged him not to do so, saying it was attaching a significance to it which would make her miserable. He did it, however; and, shortly after her arrival in England, she learned that her husband had died exactly at that period. 264 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. "A gentleman of this city, in whose veracity I have every confidence, recently related to me a fact which came under his personal knowledge, as follows: A lady, residing with her son in one of the Eastern States, recently dreamed that her daughter, living in New York, was taken suddenly and dangerously ill. Her son dreamed the same dream on the same night. Though neither of them had previously had any faith in dreams, in this instance their dreams made a deep impression on their minds, and they mutually related and compared them on the next morning. Shortly afterwards a telegraphic dispatch arrived, announc- ing that the daughter was severely and dangerously ill. The mother set off for New York with the first conveyance, and found her daughter in a condition precisely as represented in the dream of herself and son." Of the hundred or more that perished in the Ashta- bula catastrophe, and the thousands washed away by the Johnstown flood, it is asked why were so few warned? Had they not all spirit friends interested in their welfare, and why were not all explicitly for- bidden to stay ? How many times we receive premo-. nitions and cast them aside as vagaries of the mind! How many of those thousands of victims received im- pressions to fly to a place of safety can never be konwn. Mr. W. H. Williams, in a communication to the Medium, and Daybreak (England), shows how even the plainest warning is too often neglected. He had attended a circle, and while on his way home, in a highly sensitive condition, he received the impres- sion of great danger to two of his workmates. Al- though late in the evening, he hastened to their dwell- ings and aroused them from sleep to tell them of the impending danger. But they scoffed at the very idea ; they were in health and strength, as far as they knew, and said, what had they to fear ? But Wednes- day morning brought with it a fearful accident, and the same two men that he had warned two days before were the unfortunate persons that got killed. The accident occurred near Woodhouse Mill, on the Mid- land Railway. The Liverpool Post, in speaking of the loss of the Avalanche, says that one lad at least was saved by a THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 265 premonition. Being a friend of the mate, he intended to accompany the ship down the channel and return with the pilot. At the last moment he was seized with an aversion, and did not go. Thereby he saved his life, for few of those who went escaped. The apprentice, whose friend escaped, possessed a retriever dog, which was very fond of him, and which answered to a shrill dog-whistle that he carried. On the night of the shipwreck his mother and aunt were in the sitting-room, and the dog in the kitchen. Be- tween nine and ten o'clock the ladies were startled by hearing a shrill whistle upstairs, in sound resem- bling that of the dog-whistle used by the young man. The dog heard it also, gave his usual recognizing bark, and hurried upstairs, where he supposed his master was. Again, how many times the warning comes, and be- ing unconsciously heeded, and nothing unusual oc- curring, it is said it was only a nervous foreboding, which we ought to have overcome ! Yet we must not overlook the fact that few are sensitive, and however anxious their spirit friends may be to influence them they would find it impossible. In the contentions of the world, the still small voice is unheard, or if heard unheeded. Yet it is with pleasure we may know that this sensi- tiveness may be cultivated, and the more its voice is heeded the more readily it may be distinguished, and the more constant will be its premonitions. It thus appears that during sleep many individuals become susceptible to spirit-influence who are not so jn the waking state. During the positive conditions of day, they are incapable of receiving impressions; but the negative influence of night, and the passive state of sleep, open the gateway for the entrance of spiritual impressions. Sometimes, as is proved by preceding facts, the sleeper passes into a truly clair- voyant state. There is one other consideration — that of the alle- gorical form in which dreams that we refer to im- pression often appear. This is susceptible of easy explanation. Persons usually have signs, well deter- mined 133. their own minds, by which they recognize 266 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. the coming of events. Thus, one believes that if he dreams of fire, he is sure to have a quarrel ; or, of dark and turbulent water, that sickness is in store. If, it is said, a spirit can impress these signs, why not im- press the plain truth? We say, because the sign is more easily impressed. If the spirits attempted to impress the details of sickness or of disputation, they would be obliged to call into activity the organs of fear, combativeness, etc., which might at once de- stroy the passiveness of the person, and abruptly ter- minate their communication. By using a sign that the sleeper, during sleep, does not recognize as sig- nificant, this is avoided. But they do not employ signs except in those cases where from experience they have found them neces- sary. The passivity of individuals varies; and often the unvarnished facts can be presented, even when revolting, without disturbing the essential conditions, or not until presented, when the sleeper generally passes at once to wakefulness. CHAPTER XL HEAVEN AND HELL, THE SUPPOSED ABODES OF THE DEPARTED. Where Located by the Ancients — The Childhood of the Race Outgrown — Located Beneath the Earth — Heaven Above the Clouds — Between the Earth and Moon — In the Sun — Comets the Location of Hell — Heaven the Actual of De- sires—Why Another State Is Asked For — The "New Jeru- salem" — The Popular Evangelical Idea of Heaven — What the Devil Has Done — The Abolition of Hell. Where Located by the Ancients.— The abode of the departed was placed by the ancients in unexplored regions of the globe. The sphericity of the earth is of recent discovery. The world was thought to be a level plain bounded by the sea, and the Persians be- lieved a chain of inaccessible mountains, two thou- sand feet high, surrounded it, preventing any one from falling otf . When the Roman general, Decius Brutus, with his army reached the coast of Portugal, and for the first time gazed on the infinite expanse of water, and saw the great red sun go down into the crimson billows, he was seized with great horror, and turned back the eagles of his legions. To the Greek and Roman only a very small area was known, and their ardent imaginations revelled in creations outside of this geographical knowledge. There was ample space to locate the realms of the dead, and transfer the mystic under-world to the sur- face. On the starry heights of Mount Olympus the synod of the gods met in luxurious bowers, and from its summit Jupiter thundered his mandates over the world. In the remote west extended the golden gardens of the Hesperides. In the east the tall towers of the 268 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. divine city of Maru pierced the amber light. Far in the raging desert of Ethiopia gleamed the banquet hall of the blessed. In the Central Ocean lay the Isles of Immortality, and far to the north, beyond the sunny avalanches of the Caucasus, spread the happy land of the Hyperboreans. Those were beautiful dreams, and it is with regret we see the iron hand of science encroach on this ex- citing realm of poesy. The Childhood of the Race Outgrown.— The child grows to manhood. He can no longer detect the face in the moon, which, in childhood, he so plainly saw. "How pleasant were the wild beliefs That dwelt in legends old ! Alas ! to our posterity Will no such tales be told ? "We know too much : scroll after scroll Weighs down our weary shelves. Our only point of ignorance Is centred in ourselves. ' ' It is the mystery growing out of vague, unde- fined knowledge which clothes the distant land with the poetic garb of paradise. The dying Hindoo hoped to reach the ' ' White Isle, ' ' the fragrant dwelling of mortal man. The ancient Briton, at death, found a home in the "noble island," far amid the dashing waves of the Western Ocean, The Hebrew Scriptures, in similar manner, referred to the lost paradise, the Garden of Eden. As its re- ception extended among the nations, conjectures were rife as to the locality of the wonderland. It was once thought to be in the bosom of India; then in the fragrant vales of Georgia; then in the inaccessible recesses of Mesopotamia ; then to be some oasis in the Arabian desert, where life met death in strange con- trast, and the weary pilgrim saw the spirit-like palm, shading the sparkling fountain, in the midst of deso- lation. The cosmography of the twelfth century confined paradise to the extreme eastern part of Asia, made inaccessible by a wall of fire surrounding it and as- cending to heaven. Still later, the Canaries were named the Fortunate THE ARCANA, OF SPIRITUALISM. 269 Islands, from the supposition that they were the orig- inal Eden. To discover the original site of Eden was one of the strong motives actuating Columbus in his voyage to the west. Located Beneath the Earth. —The most popular an- cient belief of Jews, Greeks, Romans, Etruscans, Ger- mans, and Christians was that beneath the earth there was a vast, gloomy world of the dead. This was held by the Scandinavian nations, and lingered to recent times in the beautiful fictions of elves and fairies. Its name was derived from the grave. The Hebrew word "sheol," and the Greek ''hades/' meant the grave. It was a dark, gloomy world of shadows, from which only a few peerless heroes and sages, by the interfer- ence of the gods, were transplanted to Elysium. The classical description of this abode is terrible — a scene of gloom, of passion; suffering, or a lethargic state that only relieves from suffering. From Hades leads two paths, one to Elysium, one to Tartarus. If the blessed spirit reached the former, life became a joy. Flowery fields, fragrant breezes, social happiness in friendly reunions, contributed to his peace. Here the hero-gods of pagans, and the saints of the Christians, found repose. If the doomed spirit walked the other path, it reached Tartarus, where the old earth-giants lay, tranfixed with thunderbolts,, like mountain masses half concealed by cinders and lava. The Furies are seen in the darkness, by the light of the rivers of fire on the banks of which they stand. All around groan the wretched sinners, torn by tortures, the recital of which curdles the blood. Here is the pagan system, worked up by the Romish hierarchy into purgatory, paradise, and hell. Hades is the probationary stage. In quite modern times, excited ecclesiastics have seri- ously taught that volcanoes were entrances to the awful under-world, and many a legend now told re- cords this early belief. Heaven Above the Clouds.— The cloudland has not been left unoccupied. There the Caledonians fixed their realm of shades. The vast atmosphere is the hall of spirit-existence. The departed heroes ride on the wings of the tempest. The shriek of the jwind, 270 TlTE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. the bellow of the thunder, are their voices, and the lightning flames their red eyes of wrath. The Lapland heaven is in the pure regions of the aurora borealis. The streamers are the play of the departed. Heaven Between the Earth and the Moon.— The Platonists located heaven in the space between the earth and moon. The Manichaeans thought the de- parted went to the moon, where their sins were washed away ; and then to the sun, to be purified by fire. The Hebrews thought the sky a solid arch, support- ing an inexhaustible supply of water, beyond which dwelt God and his angels in regal splendor. This conjecture of a solid firmament the ignorant mind at once receives as direct evidence of the senses, and is world-wide. Beyond the solid firmament, in which the stars are set, a mysterious region of space exists, which invites the fancy to people it with its own creations. Heaven in the Sun.— The Aztecs and Incas regarded the sun as the third and highest state of future ex- istence. While the wicked, comprising the great ma- jority, were confined in everlasting darkness, and a second state of innocent contentment was enjoyed by those more favorable to the gods, the heroes who fell in battle, and sacrificial victims, passed directly to the sun, to follow his shining course through the heavens; and, after years, they became the spirit of the clouds, and singing birds, revelling in the rich fragrance of the gardens of paradise. It is extremely singular that, with this complexity and variety of being for the future life, these strange races assigned no form of physical torture, which is often the first notion of the after-life to suggest itself to rude minds. Comets JJie Location of Hell.— The diffusion of as- tronomical knowledge has broken the heavenly crys- talline sphere to fragments; but theologians are not at a loss to avail themselves of the smattering of sci- ence they usually acquire ; and a comet appearing in the celebrated Dr. Whiston's time, convinced him that it was the real hell so long sought. He thought it admirably contrived for punishment— rushing to the THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 271 sun, and acquiring a temperature thousands of de- grees above molten iron, and then traversing regions of space where the cold reaches an intensity inappre- ciable to us. Truly, this is a fine arrangement for torture. God's wrath has fixed itself in the mechan- ism of the cosmos ! In the cometary hell, the undy- ing soul oscillates between the extremes of heat and cold, suffering from a kind of intermittent fever. Heaven the Actual of Desires.— Heaven, as ideal- ized by the world-weary, is a place of eternal rest. It is not strange that such should be the toiler's dream of felicity. Bowed beneath the excessive labor of this life, without means of escaping its drudgery, or a hope of bettering his condition, to him the most desirable state possible. is one of rest. Heaven is always what the mind most desires. The weary traveler in the desert, famished and dying with thirst, has no higher aspiration than the palm groves of an oasis, with its leaping fountains and luscious dates, where, sheltered from the sun's fierce rays, he can slake his thirst, satisfy his hunger, and repose in undisturbed quietude. It is thus with those weary of life 's incessant strug- gle. The mass of mankind are born to poverty and labor. Their lives are an unceasing battle with hun- ger and cold. They have no moments of recreation, wherein the noble aspirations which the lowest human being is capable of feeling can be gratified. Why Another State Is Asked For.— At death, after fourscore years of struggling, when we look back across the fleeting years, when we retrospect all we have done, how small has been the work accom- plished ! We have supported the wants of the body as best we could, and have given it bread to appease its hunger, and protected it from cold, but many find it impossible to supply even a crust and a ragged gar- ment. The superior spiritual nature lies an uncul- tivated waste; briers and brambles, slimy morasses and hideous dismal swamps, everywhere. When the old man asks himself, "What have I ac- complished in all my past life?" too often his answer is, "You have existed; just existed." The world 272 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. never knew it possessed you; and when you die it will not miss you. You have existed. The man feels such to be his history, and his unsat- isfied spirit prays for another state, where he can re- trieve the mistakes of this, and find ideal happiness. The form of that happiness varies with each individ- ual. What one considers as most delightful is not so to another; but the main idea promulgated by Chris- tianity is of rest. Heaven is where the wicked shall cease from striving, and the weary shall be at rest. The "New Jerusalem."— The "New Jerusalem" of the church is a celestial city which, if words mean anything is believed to be founded for the express accommodation of earthly mortals. Some genius, skilled in theological dogmas, has instituted the fol- lowing calculations from data furnished by the Bible, and his results have been published by leading ortho- dox journals : "And he measured the city with a reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length, the breadth, and the height of it are equal. Rev. xxi. 16. "Twelve thousand furlongs — 7,920,000 feet, cubed, is 496,793,088,000,000,000,000 cubic feet. Half of this we will reserve for the throne of God and the court of heaven, and half the balance for streets, leaving a remainder of 124,198,272,000,000,000,000 cubic feet. Divide this by 4,066, the cubical feet in a room 16 feet square and 16 feet high, and there will be 30,321,843,750,000,000 rooms. "We will now suppose that the world always did, and always will, contain 900,000,000 inhabitants, and that a generation lasts 33 years and 4 months, making 2,700,000,000 every century, and that the world will stand 100,000 years, making in all 270,000,000,000,000 inhabitants. Then suppose there were a hundred such worlds equal to this in number of inhabitants and duration of years, making a total of 270,000,000,- 000,000,000 persons; then there would be a room 16 feet square for each person, and yet there would be room." Whoever the author of this sublime nonsense of mathethematics may be, he has exhibited the folly and ignorance of the day. Is humanity to be thrust THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 273 into such a dove-cote of a heaven ? Are we to be in- carcerated for eternity in such a gigantic bee-comb? Every rational sense forbids. Such is the church view of the future life. How degrading ! how puerile ! how unmanly ! Let the water of Lethe close over the soul forever; let oblivion's wing nestle it, rather than endure a spiritual existence in such a place ! The streets of gold, and throne of God covered with pre- cious stones ! What a show of learning ! How little sense! Contemplate the milky-way. Every sweep of the telescope brings thousands and thousands of suns to view, each having its fleet of attendant worlds, If each of the worlds which flash through the crystal vault of night were to send a single delegate to the throne of God, this heaven would overflow, being packed to its utmost capacity. Such a heaven would be the grand miracle of crea- tion, such as an Oriental despot would build could he possess Aladdin 's lamp, and have all his desires grat- ified by the discovery. It is not the sage 's heaven, nor that of the rational man, any more than is the sensual paradise of Mo- hammed. In this nonsense, the mathematician omitted what, in theological discussions, is of most vital importance. He has assumed that all mankind are to be - saved, when any divine would have assured him that at least nine out of ten are doomed to quite another place. According to his calculations, the "Celestial City" has been created many times too large for the accom- modation of the saints of earth. Many will go in through the church, if not other- wise. Men with arithmetics for consciences, and vul- tures for hearts, are entering through the church doors, and obsequious divines are bowing them through just because their hearts are vultures, and fat with prey. Ah ! is there a police in the streets of the "Celestial City?" The soul in the Christian heaven is not quite at rest. One faculty is retained. It can sing. Divines say that this is about the only employment of ran- somed souls — singing praises to God on golden harps ! They always sing a tune of praise. Yfhat a delight- 274 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. ful world, where all emotions are lost in swells of music ? Is heaven to be a singing-school ? This ideal is higher, but of the same kind, as that of the Hottentot, who dreams of heaven as an im- mense cauldron of soup walled in by sausages. Nor is it far from Mohammed's paradise, gratifying to Orientals, peopled with houri, sweeter and more beau- tiful than visions of beauty, and perfumed with musk. Such beliefs debase instead of elevate. They are the ideals of individuals, not humanity's desires. They answer not its prayers. On the one hand, they present ignoble and unworthy incentives ; on the other they appeal to the lowest passions of man. The same may be said of the ideal of hell, an imaginary region concocted from the Greek idea of Hades, by the im- agination of bigoted sectaries. Superstition, the child of ignorance, united with bigotry, offspring of malice and hate, personified a God possessing these qualities pre-eminently: and this God, in his vindictiveness, forms a hell where he chains the spirit, cursed with immortality, to suffer inconceivable tortures. The Popular, Evangelical Idea of Heaven is a nar- row place, where the soul, so happy at its narrow escape from torment, thinks of nothing but a song of praise ; and hell is a burning pit where the God of the Church can wreak his vengeance on the unbelievers. In human affairs, law never punishes for punish- ment's sake, but for some benefit intended. But this punishment has no such meaning. It is given after the whole world has been judged, and no more of- fences can be committed. Then the major portions of humanity are thrust into eternal perdition. The bigoted church-member, who has held false- hood cheap and conscience a bad guide, but has made long prayers and paid his parson, will have the ex- treme satisfaction of seeing the infidel, who has com- forted his fellow-man, and endeavored to aid the needy and share their burdens with the suffering, go down into the maelstrom of fire. If he has an enemy that enemy is predestined for wrath. He has no faith in himself. He believes deeds of no avail ; belief is all in all. And in that he is right. THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 275 "If we reject our Savior and depend on ourselves, we depend on a poor staff ! ' ' This is a demoniac doctrine, sanctioning malice, hate, revenge, the foul brood engendered in the dark struggles of man 's passionate nature ! Away with doctrines representing the Supreme Ruler of the uni- verse as more satanic than Satan; representing Him who dwells in light unapproachable, whose attributes are infinite love, justice, and truth, as gratifying in- finite revenge ! How horrid are these doctrines ! how repugnant to humanity ! how contrary to reason ! Confession of sins, prayer, eating a morsel of bread, subscribing a ritual and baptism, ordaining a man for heaven, while the omission of these dooms him to hell ! The Catholic confesses his sins to a priest, and is forgiven; the Protestant sets the priest partially aside, and appeals directly to the Son of God, acting as his own priest, and obtains forgiveness. Belief is all that is required — faith, faith, faith. Nothing that one can do balances a farthing in his favor. Prayer and belief outweigh all the good deeds of a lifetime. My infidel friend, you are stigmatized while living, and the chances are all against you after death. The holy church will not even open its portals for your funeral ceremonies, unless its anointed preacher of- ficiates, and preaches you straight to destruction, and holds you up as an example and warning to all. Per- haps, in unwonted benevolence, a hope for you will be expressed, but so dubiously that it implies more than direct assertion.. And, over childhood's tiny grave, the agonized mother is reminded of infant depravity by the godly preacher. Unregenerated, depraved infants ! O, hu- manity! how awful the depths of thy conception where superstition and bigotry control ! Emotion, feeling, the noble and generous and angelic thought is blotted out; and hate, misanthropy, malice, re- venge, are mistaken for the love of God. I appeal to the mother for decision. Mother! behold your child nestling in your arms, beautiful as a vision ; its sunny curls falling over its high forehead, its eyes joyous as heaven, its smiles an angel's gleam — do you hold to 276 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. your heart a depraved being, who, until regenerated, is a demon? I anticipate j^our answer, as I anticipate that of Mother Nature, when asked whether all mankind, whom she holds to her bosom, are depraved. Man's fall, his inherent depravity, his redemption through sacrifice, and his final heaven or hell, are intricately blended, logical sequences of each other, and rivals in absurdity. The churches are fast being forced to admit that the Adamic creation i£ a myth; and science demon- strates that man, so far from being created perfect, was ushered into existence a nude savage. His history has been one of progress. He has never retrograded, never fallen ; but step by step has he conquered ignor- ance, tamed the elements., bound the forces of nature, until the present time, wherein he stands superior to any past age. Man fallen? Then is civilized man below the sav- age ! Progress is retrogression, and noonday is Egyptian night ! The Artists and Their Influence on the Features and Character. — We are not to suppose heaven or hell all in the future. They are not to be reached by death, but are already with us. We shall reach them continually through all the future aeons. They are of yesterday, to-day, and to-morrow. We constantly express, in our physical contour, the motives which actuate us. The indwelling devil or angel cannot and will not be concealed. As the blossom expresses a prophecy of autumn, so youth reveals the infinite possibilities of manhood. Man and woman, words standing for the crowning glories of creation; yet how strangely contradictory thereto are the faces one meets in the streets ! Men and women, who should meet us radiant as immortal angels, pass us like disturbed demons. Childhood is beautiful ; but as soon as we pass that boundary, how the features distort ! how ugly they become ! Why is this? Because every faculty of the mind is a sculp- tor who incessantly works with finest chisel at the features. Sleeping or waking, constantly they mould the plastic clay. They are never satisfied with their THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 277 model. The passions chisel their wrinkles and lines deep, terribly deep, and hideous; and the intellect and the morals set their artists to smooth them out, polish them off, and sharpen the outlines. Yield to the former, and the countenance becomes ugly and coarse and brutal, more and more so, from year to year ; and when old the man is animal and repulsive. But if the intellect and the morals are allowed to work, the man becomes beautiful, and the aged some- what divine. Delicate artists are these. They force the plastic body to become an exact semblance of the mind. They pluck the hairs from the head; they polish the scalp ; they sprinkle with grey ; they stoop the form ; they hold it erect ; they change the tone of the voice, the laugh, and the glance of the eye. How terrible is the work of some of these artists! The bloated form, the leering eye, the foul blood revealed in purple veins, the thin white locks, the palsied step, the feeble intellect — such models nil the world. How beautiful the image of noble age, when, from the cradle, the artists of truthful and living thoughts, of the keen intellect and godlike morality, and the sensi- tive chisels of spirituality, have constantly labored,, toning down, softening, sharpening, and vivifying the features ! Such men we sometimes see posing on the brink of the river of time ; and they always electrify our souls and fill us with emulation. They are like gleams of golden sunlight amid darkness, and quicken our faith in immortality. What the Devil Has Done!— According to the or- thodox church belief, the devil has been the most ac- tive being in the universe. After God had created the world and pronounced it "good," a single shrewd move on the part of the Prince of Darkness aborted all His plans, and sent the race of beings created after God's own image on the swift road to sin and death, only prevented by the Son of God, or God Himself, dying on the cross, and then only a possible moiety saved from eternal fire ! And from that vigorous start in the beginning there has been no cessation of devilish activity. Every new idea introduced into the world, many inventions, and nearly every step taken in advance of preconceived notions, has been 278 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. credited to the Devil. To be wiser than one's time was, not so long ago, to be possessed of the Devil. It was the Devil who instilled into the mind of Coper- nicus a knowledge of planetary laws, and ground the lens of the telescope by which the orthodox idea of the earth being flat, square, and supported on the waters beneath the firmament, was dissipated. It was the Devil who impressed geologists with the no- tion of unfolding the strata of the earth's crust, and reading there the history of age after age of aeons length before the appearance of man. Especially was Darwin influenced to plan a scheme of evolution whereby the story of the six days of creation and origin of man was shown to be an idle myth of a child- ish race. Spiritualism was the latest work in which the Prince of Evil exhibited his perverse disposition. He came in the garb of near and dear angelic friends to lead the unwary astray ! He has succeeded most alarmingly, and millions follow this path, which ap- parently is pleasant beyond compare, and glorious with the light of thought, but leads to the region of despair, if this theory be true. Theatres receive especial condemnation as being the work of the evil one. As a distinguished English divine says "The theatre in its essence came from the Devil . . and is a gift of paganism." Pagan- ism and the Devil are here blended in a confusing manner. If Christianity itself would eliminate all it has imbibed from paganism it would not have even a husk left. Hence, if paganism is of the Devil, Christianity, as derived in the main from paganism, must have the same origin. Had not the Devil in- stigated Judas to betray his master, even a second time the scheme of the Creator would have miscar- ried, for the only manner possible for the crucifixion to have taken place was by the interposition of Satan. Hence to him must be referred all the good as well as evil that has flowed from that event. Just now the Sunday cranks are vehemently de- claring that the desecration of the Sabbath is among the most diabolical of acts. This Sunday desecration, according to Rev. Dr. Campbell, in a speech before THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 279 the Minnesota State Sabbath Union, is "Paganism . , . True, a very poiite Paganism, but none the less Paganism, pure and simple. You'll find the low- er side of it in a Sunday saloon, the Sunday theatre and the Sunday prize fight. The upper side you'll find in the Sunday excursion, the Sunday newspaper, and Sunday drive; but both are as Pagan as anything you will find among the Hottentots." Observing Sunday instead of Saturday for the Sabbath, it is true, is "Paganism, pure and simple." There is not a line or word in the Bible mentioning Sunday as the Sabbath, or commanding or recommending its observ- ance. If there is any pious necessity of keeping the Sabbath holy, they who keep Sunday gain nothing by so doing, and their vain belief in that day is one of the machinations of the Evil One to gather tnem all in at last for having pinned their hope of salva- tion on a falsehood. Paganism gave the world a feebly explosive gun- powder, the spear, and arrow; Christianity improved these and made the terrible dynamite and nitroglyce- rine, the cannon, and repeating rifle, that hurl storms of lead and iron into the quivering flesh of contending armies, and make war wholesale murder. It is Chris- tianity that in its nineteenth century of mission work has confronted the nations of Europe, armed to their last man, cap a-pie, and made war the business, the pleasure, the source of honor and fame of these Chris- tian nations. No more brutal condition ever pre- vailed among the Pagan nations of ancient times, or the barbarous tribes of America or Africa ; the more intensely brutal as the refinement of intelligence con- trasts with and intensifies the shameful condition. When one looks over the Christian portion of the earth, with its contesting armies, its plethoric few, its starving, ignorant many, its unblushing crime, its countless jails, prisons, dungeons, workhouses, and hospitals for the cure of unmentionable crimes against nature, there is a vague consciousness of the accept- ance of the idea so constantly paraded that the Devil really does have a controlling interest in the affairs of the world. Is the devil the strongest? is the profoundly in- 280 THE ARCANA OP SPIRITUALISM. teresting question. Will the forces of evil triumph over the good? Is the Devil really the omnipotent one? Were we by some fatality transferred to the Church point of view, we should become extremely pessimistic, and wail out in despair. It now seems to us, that if we should be thus transformed and be- lieved without doubt the doctrines taught in the evan- gelical creeds, as their adherents claim they do, our reason won Id succumb before the terrible future. To the praise of the consciousness in every human soul of right and justice, such belief can never become more than a confession of the lips. The inner con- sciousness utters constant protest against the degrad- ing and infamous doctrines, which have made the ages of the past a nightmare of demonology. Yet while it constantly leads upward to self-assertion, that the individual is superior to everything else, there is a constant reversion to the old faith as afford- ing the most ready explanation of difficulties growing out of a want of breadth of comprehension of the laws of creation and existence. This is well seen in the presence of great calami- ties, when the attempt is made to reconcile the good- ness of God with the cruelty of the results. Talmage, for instance, explains the Conemaugh flood by calling in the aid of ' ' the demons of the pit, ' ' as though these demons had broken loose from the leash of God, or had been set free purposely by Him. If such explana- tions be allowed there is no end to the difficulties which arise, and there are but two horns to the dilem- ma: Either the demons (devils) are stronger than God, or God is not infinitely good. In that valley were scores of churches, where many times each week prayers were offered to the throne of grace for pro- tection, yet not one of these prayers was answered. While Talmage prefers charges against the "demons of the pit," Rev. Joseph Madden boldly refers the flood to God. In a speech before the W. C. T. U., on the 9th of June, in Pittsburg, he said : "I was in Johnstown when the flood occurred, but managed, through my own energy and perseverance, to escape. Those who had not done so let a warning six hours old go unheeded, and waited, were drowned THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 281 and went to hell!" The murmur of disapprobation which followed the utterance of this horrid sentiment shook the building, and the greater part of the audi- ence left the room and held an indignation meeting outside. Rev. Madden explained that his remarks were only applicable to the rum-sellers. It appears that God had intended to sacrifice Madden, but the latter, by his ''own energy and perserverance escaped !" To punish the saloon-keepers, God de- stroyed thousands of innocent women and children, whose every instinct was in favor of temperance, and spared not even his own places of worship ! What words of execration onght we to use against a doc- trine which makes a Rev. Madden of a human being? In a beautiful village in Northern Ohio there was a fine Congregational Cuhreh, the members of which for more than half a century prided themselves on the solidity and height of its steeple, the exceptional tone of its bell, and their own godliness and staid conserv- atism. They had recently celebrated, with prayer and thanksgiving, their half-century of existence, and happily started toward their centennial. A fire was kindled in some old buildings in the town, and soon became a sweeping conflagration, only arrested by a wide, vacant space. Beyond this were rickety livery barns, sheds, and outbuildings, which seemed to invite a floating spark, but the fire touched them not, and the anxious watchers saw the great gilded ball on the church spire, far beyond these, shine like a lamp and then burst into a blaze. It was so high, water could not be thrown to it, and the burning embers fell on the dome of the steeple and the roof of the church, which were rapidly wrapped in flames. Afterwards it was remembered that a woodpecker had been ob- served to bore a hole and build its nest in the ball, and in the tinder box thus provided the drifting spark had caught. Now the question arises, who instigated that wood- pecker to build its nest in such an unsual place — God or the Devil ? It is not credible that the former would desire the destruction of His own house, one which the members, heavily taxed to maintain their meetings, could so badly spare. If the building had 282 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. ■ been a saloon, or kept for any immoral purpose, such an interposition of Providence would have been con- sonant with prevailing church ideas, but how is it reconcilable with the facts? Recently the people of a town in Indiana were as- sembled to dedicate a new church, and crowded the building to suffocation. "While a Rev. Myers, a prom- inent evangelist, was in the midst of his fervent ser- mon, a small rain-cloud passed over, discharging a single bolt of lightning which struck the church chim- ney, destroying it, and then ran down the stovepipes, tearing the stoves to pieces and the floor beneath and around them. All in the congregation were affected, and many seriously. One branch of the bolt de- scended the pulpit chandelier, under which the preacher stood. He sprang into the air, and, turning a somersault, came down heavily on his face. It was half an hour before he showed signs of life. On the back of his head there was a seared spot, and his face was badly burned and his eyesight gone. IVas it a judgment of God on this congregation that had by great effort built a house to the Lord? If so. He ought to intimate in some way what His "judgment" is for, or ordinary mortals might draw the mistaken conclusion that such dedications, and especially evangelical preachers, were distasteful to Him. And, on the other hand, if the proceedings were to His pleasure, if the Devil sent the bolt of lightning to destroy the building and harm the peo- ple right in the sanctuary, why did not God prevent him? If God is all powerful, the permitting of such acts is identical with doing them Himself. Every day facts like these force themselves on the attention, and they need not be multiplied here to make clear the difficulties which surround the theo- logical view of the origin and destiny of man. It is scarcely worth while to review the matter in argu- ment, for while still lingering unchanged in the va- rious creeds, it is being silently, by tacit consent, al- lowed to moulder and gather dust, which already conceals its more revolting features. Yet it is well to hold in mind, the facts and arguments bearing on the subject which every now and then appear, like THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 283 gibbering ghosts among the living thoughts of the present. The evolution of intelligence has relegated the con- ception of evil as a personal being to the fancies of savage races, and cast grave doubts over the exist- ence of positive evil as a principle. Not the final triumph of Omnipotent God, but its own constant and eternal triumph, is the hope and salvation of mankind. The Abolition of Hell.— The great battle of "Hell" has been fought and won by Free Thought. The leaders of Christianity, who for almost two thousand years have borne aloft the awful banner of eternal damnation, have met overwhelming defeat. The solid cohorts of conservatism marched forward into the battlefield of the present with blaring trumpets, armed to the teeth, firmly resolved to suppress every new, vitalizing thought. In the centre was hoary Catholicism, her garments red with the blood of the slain ; her breath fetid with the odor of the grave ; on either side were the sects of Protestantism, wrangling amongthemselves. Behind was a horrid background, lu- rid with the flames and smoke of burning cities, against which, ghastly revealed, were the cross and gibbet from which swungthosewho dared to think; the plains whitened with the bones of fallen heroes. The air trembled with the clamor of vultures, the cry of jack- als, and moans of women and children. "While there was perfection of organization on the conservative side, on the liberal each and every one fought as in a duel to the death. There was no lead- ership. "Let us reason" was the sole watch-cry. Thought gathered strength, and suddenly the oppos- ing host stood like chattering ghosts, wisps of thin- nest fog, and were blown from the light of day ! Solid phalanx of dogmas, creeds, observances pleasing to God ; huge volumes of scholastic assertions ; infalli- ble versions of sacred and holy books, all proved to be shadows thrown on the mind, as the Alpine Brock- en mirage, dispelled by the first clear light of morn- ing. Eternal salvation has depended on eternal damna- tion, and a belief in Hell has been as essential as a 284 THE ARCANA OP SPIRITUALISM. belief in Heaven. The Devil has sat on the throne of the Christian world, and been practically regarded as an essential member of the godhead. Mankind has been ruled by fear instead of love, and eternal torture forestalled, in the present of life. The fires of hell expire on the horizon. The Devil disappears from the godhead. On the barren coast mankind has traversed during the nightmare of the- ology, still stalk a few sad ghosts, bewailing the good old times of theological rule, when the priest was everything and man nothing. Hell and the Devil (being the cornerstones of the Church fabric), taken away, the whole structure tot- ters to its fall. If there is no hell, there is nothing to save sinners from. If no Devil,- then Adam and Eve could not have fallen by his temptation. If not fallen, man needs no redeemer. Like a cobble-house falls the gigantic castle, the accretion of ages of ig- norance and scheming selfishness, at the touch of thought. The field is abandoned, and mankind, after its martyrdom to the ghouls of fanaticism, and de- mons of bigotry, here sets up a triumphal column on^ which is engraved : On this coast perished the belief in Eternal Damna- tion, a fiery Hell, an Omnipotent Devil, with priestly rule, and Man became his own redeemer. CHAPTER XII. THE SPIRIT'S HOME. Preparation — Law Rules Supreme — In the Spirit Realm — No Miracles — An Unknown Universe — What and Where Is the Spirit World? — The Testimony of Spirits Reliable — What They Tell Us — Nature Works in Great Cycles — Spirit Zones — Form and Distance of These Zones — How Spirits Pass From Earth to the Spheres — With What Rapidity? — Can They Pass to Other Globes? — Objections — Day and Night in the Spheres. Is there no grand immortal sphere, Beyond this realm of broken ties, To fill the wants that mock us here, And dry the tears from weeping eyes ; Where winter melts in endless spring, And June stands near with deathless flowers; Where we can hear the dear ones sing Who loved us in this world of ours? — James G. Clarke. There is another invisible, eternal existence, superior to this visible one, which does not perish when all things per- ish. — Bhagavat Geeta. Go, give to the waters and the plants thy body, which be- longs to them; but there is an immortal portion, O Djaata- vedas! transport it to the world of the holy. — Rig Veda. Preparation.— On entering the spiritual domain we must cast off the trammels of the schools, which have so long fettered the mind. The cant of the meta- physician and the egotism of the theologian are the chaff which has for centuries buried the truth. They avail us not. As candid investigators, nothing but positive testimony will satisfy ; and, in obtaining that testimony, we must walk out into the fields of nature, and question the great principles which speak in sigh- ing winds, and babbling brooklets, in the myriad- tongued forest murmuring to the passing zephyr, 286 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. Law Rules Supreme.— When we question Nature, she tells us law reigns supreme. Not a thistle-down floats on the breeze, not a sand-grain is thrown on the ocean's beach by the rolling billows, not a bubble of foam floats on the hurrying stream, but its every mo- tion is governed by immutable laws. Law bounds the great world, and dashes it on in its orbit. It sends the rushing comet round the central fire, and floats whole solar systems on their courses as a feather is upborne by the passing winds. Not an atom finds its appro- priate place in the living organism but is guided by unerring law. What more uncertain than the wavy motions of the gossamer thread as it dances in the summer winds? Yet every motion is governed by law — by the same power that chains the moon in its orbit, or rolls the earth around the sun. The same holds good in the spiritual realm. If we think that we are leaving the province of or- der and control of established principles when we pass from the material to the spiritual, we labor un- der the greatest mistake. As the ultimation of the material universe, the spiritual is governed by the same established principles, modified by superior con- ditions. Gravity, attraction, and repulsion, the prop- erties of atoms, the relations which exist between them, all are preserved ; and we enter as real and sub- stantial a world as is the one we leave. No Miracles are observed in the phenomena of spiritual life. True, we do not understand many of the manifestations we observe, because the substances with which we deal are impalpable to our senses, and are recognized only by their effects; but this only shows our ignorance, and not the interposition of a miraculous power. An Unknown Universe exists beyond the material creation. It is formed from emanations arising from the physical universe, and is a reflection of it. This is the spiritual universe. We have been taught by our learned teachers a system of spiritual philosophy so vague and undefined that it has served rather to blind than to enlighten us. It has inculcated the THE ARCANA OP SPIRITUALISM. 287 wildest errors, and by its influence, even now, we are liable to be led astray. If spirit be identity, if it be organic after its separa- tion from the body, then it must have a home, and that home must be a reality. These are incontro- vertible propositions, and are necessarily inferred from the fact of spiritual existence. A single prop- osition crushes the spiritual fabrication of the theo- logian, whose definition of spirit is the best one possi- ble of non-entity. According to his system, a spirit is a refined shadow of nothing — a collection of thoughts. But thought is an effect, not a cause ; and standing in his position, and expecting thought to exist after the decay of the body, is as rational as to look for the hum of a dead bee, or the song of a bird after it has flown. Nothing cannot originate something. If the spirit exists, it must be an entity ; and, if such, must be com- posed of matter. It must be organized; and if or- ganized, it must have a dwelling place. This conclu- sion brings us back to the first inquiry : What and Where Is the Spirit World?— In this, as well as the manner of spiritual life, and kindred sub- jects connected with spirits, the revelations of the clairvoyant and of departed intelligences must be relied on for our information. When the fact of the identity of communicating spirits is proved, then the intelligence they impart is as reliable as the report of a traveler in a distant country. The major portion of our knowledge de- pends on such reports; and, if the tale of travels in England or Europe be received as true, why not re- ceive the report of a departed spirit, who has made himself familiar with the scenes he describes? This subject does not admit of argument. It is self-evi- dent that if spirits exist their description of their abode is as authentic as is the report of travelers. And What Do They Tell Us?— That the universe is undergoing a refining process, and the spirit-world is formed from the ascending sublimated atoms. Before entering on the discussion of how this is effected, let us inquire philosophically whether this refining process is really going on; whether there 288 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. really is a progressive movement in creation, from crude and undeveloped conditions to ethereality and perfection. The present order of nature cannot have had an in- finite existence. If we trace backward the geological records, through the rocky tablets of earth, through fossiliferous transition, and primitive rocks, we ar- rive at a beginning of the present system. The earth has the marks of infancy, and has yet at- tained but its youthful state. In the beginning, geol- ogy tells, it was a vast ocean of gaseous matter ; then it cooled down to a liquid globe • then a crust formed over it, and, by slow degrees, it was moulded into the beautiful creation of the present. Nature Works in Great Cycles, every returning coil being above the preceding. Matter, without a be- ginning, must have passed through an infinite number of changes, of which the present order is but a single and incompleted coil. In the infinite duration of the past, universe after universe must have been born, have grown old and decayed, and new ones have been breathed forth from the chaotic elements of the preceding. Still labored the forces of organic nature, and at every mighty re- turn matter became more refined, its capabilities en- larged, and consequently the next system became more perfected. This continued until matter, by its supe- rior refinement, became capable of forming a universe as perfect as the present. The objects of the mutations of the organic world is the individualization of spirit in man; so the ultimation of inorganic mutations is the refining of spiritualized matter for the support of that spirit when identified. These cycles of revolution are like those of the Hindoo theo-cosmoiogy, which teaches that every three hundred and sixty thousand years all created things flow back into the infinite soul of Brahma, or God, and from thence are evolved as a new creation. But the periods of return are millions of ages, instead of a few thousand years, and, at every return, matter arises above its former level. In the individualized spirit, the atoms which com- pose its organism are elaborated by and derived from THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 289 the physical body. So are the spiritualized atoms, which ascend from animate nature, elaborated. To the perception of the spirit, or of the clairvoy- ant, these ascending atoms are as plainly perceptible as is the ascent of vapor from water. It exhales from all substances, as mist rises from a sheet of water. The mineral mass, by the processes at work among its atoms, and the disintegrating chemical action of electricity and magnetism, throws out ethereal parti- cles into the great ocean of unindividualized spirit. The plant, taking up crude mineral atoms, subjects them to the refining process in its interior cells, and eliminates the finer particles. The animal feeds on the vegetable, and subjects it to a refining process, ultimating a proportion of its atoms and exhaling them into the atmosphere. When the ormal dies, the spiritual element, which retains not its identity after the dissolution of the body, escapes, as a drop of water evaporates, and mingles with the great ethereal ocean. The spirit-world is derived from these atoms. Hence it is born from this earth as the spirit is born from the body. It depends on the earth for its existence, and is formed through its refining instrumentality. Without the earth there could not have been cor- responding spirit-spheres, and there would not have been a necessity for them ; so that the existence of the spirit-sphere presupposes the existence of a central, world. Where Do These Particles Go?— Attenuated as they are, these atoms gravitate, or they are impelled by atractions and repulsions. They are not attracted to earth more than the inflated balloon; and, like it, they arise from the earth's surface until they reach a point where their gravity and repulsion are in equilibrium. There they rest. But atoms will par- take of different degrees of refinement, and the most refined will not rest where the grosser find an equi- librium. Hence more than one zone will be formed. The Form of These Zones.— If the earth were at rest, these ascending particles would rise in straight lines from the earth's centre, and a complete sphere would be formed, entirely enveloping the earth. But 290 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. the earth rotates on its axis every twenty-four hours, or a thousand miles an hour, a velocity sufficient to throw out the equator twenty-six miles further from the centre than is the distance of the poles from the same. As the understanding of this proposition is essen- tial to the proper conception of the subject, we will illustrate it by the familiar instance of drops of water being thrown from the surface of a grindstone in rapid motion. Two forces produce the phenomena. The centrifugal force tends to throw the water off in straight lines from the surface; the same force tends to throw the world off in a straight line from its orbit. The centripetal force draws the drops of water to the centre of the wheel, and chains the earth to the sun. The motion of the earth in its orbit is a mean between these two forces. The same principles are true in regard to the diurnal motion of the earth on its axis. All its atoms are chained to the centre by gravity, but the rapid motion which they are obliged to perform ever tends to project them in straight lines from the surface into space. This does not occur, but their gravity is lessened, more at the equator than at the poles, as they are obliged to move faster at the former than in the latter position; and hence the poles draw inward, while the equator bulges outward. The tendency is to produce a ring if the velocity were sufficiently increased. Spiritual Atoms, Being Affected by the Same Laws. partake of the earth 's rotary motion, and revolve with it. If the spheres completely surrounded the earth, as first supposed, the earth remaining at rest, as soon as it began to move the superior velocity of the equa- torial regions over the poles would draw away the particles from the latter, and concentrate them at the equator, producing a zone, the axis of whose revolu- tion would coincide with the earth's axis, or it would revolve parallel with the equator. The Rings of Saturn furnish a fine illustration of the form and appearance of the spirit-zones. They are belts or rings rotating around that planet, and sustained in their position by the equilibrium between THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 291 the centripetal or tangential force and the gravity which draws them toward the central body. The spirit-spheres are rather zones than spheres. They are one hundred and twenty degrees wide ; that is, they extend sixty degrees each side of the earth's equator. If we take the sixtieth parallel of latitude each side of the equator, and imagine it projected against the blue dome of the sky, we have the bounda- ries of these zones. How Far Are They From the Earth's Surface?— The first zone, or the innermost one, is sixty miles from the earth's surface. The next external is re- moved from the first by about the same distance. The third is just outside of the moon's orbit, or two hundred and sixty-five thousand miles from the earth. Although atoms may be sufficiently refined when they are first ultimated from earth to pass by the first and enter the second zone, yet the second zone is, speaking in a general sense, the offspring of the first, as the first is the offspring of the earth; and from the second, the third is elaborated by a similar process to that by which the earth exhales spiritualized matter. From the third sphere rise the most subli- mated exhalations, which mingle with the emana- tions of the other planets, and form a vast zone around the entire solar system, including even the unknown planets beyond the vast orbit of Neptune. Our sun is a star belonging to the milky-way. The mild radiance of the galactic zone is produced by an immense assemblage of stars, so crowded together that their light blends, and appears as a solid mass to the eye. With the telescope, however, it appears as a dense mass of stars. This system of suns, if it could be viewed from a great distance, would appear on the sky as an extremely flattened sphere, and our sun would be seen as a little star placed in the southern extremity of the starry mass. As the emanations from the refined planetary spheres form a sphere around the solar system, so the refined emanations from all the solar systems form a still more sublimated series of zones around the iriilky-way. The same great principles pervade all 292 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. of these spheres. The impress of the same law is witnessed in the magnificent spheres which surround the almost infinitely extended galaxy, as in the pri- mary zones which surround the earth and planets. There is no miracle here, but the supremacy of the same great principles which cause the stone to fall to the ground or the sun to shine. The Thickness of the Spheres Varies.— The first is nearly thirty, while the second is twenty, and the third is but two miles in thickness. The first is the oldest by immeasurable time, as it was the first to begin to form; and until it supported organizations, it could exhale but a small amount of refined matter to the second, and of course the process was delayed still longer in the creation of the third. How beautifully harmonious nature has framed, not only the constitution of physical, but of spiritual things ! There is observable the nicest adjustment of harmony and adaption. So fast as creations are called for, they are supplied. Nature toiled through illimitable ages to produce an identified intelligence. She looked through all these ages, and with prophet's eye saw that she would succeed, and that her success would necessitate a home for that spirit other than the gross world it had left. Then she began to build its habitation, and that, too, by the same process by which she sought to perfect her masterpiece of crea- tive force — an identified human spirit. Creative energy is at work now as much as when earth was evoked from chaos. It toils unceasingly; and as the heat and vapor of its workshop, the refined atoms constantly rise, floating away to their appropriate spheres. Tt will be inferred from this that the spheres are graudally increasing, while the earth is slowly dimin- ishing. Yes, this is one of the most beautiful truths which we can contemplate. The tall mountain, Which proudly rears its granite peak among the clouds bidding defiance to the sleet and storm, on whose atlas shoulders the sky lovingly rests, on whose brawny back vast forests slumber, from whose sides great rivers well; the earth-engirdling ocean, with its countless isles and bordering continents • the moon THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 293 and planets which light up the evening sky *— all are undergoing the refining process, and in future ages will be "resolved into spiritual elements. The mountain shall crumble, the ocean shall be- come dry, and the moon and stars fade from the can- opy of night; but they will exist, in a more active and perfected form, carrying out the grand design of creation. The surface of these zones is diversified with chang- ing scenery. Matter, when it aggregrates there, is prone to as- sume the forms in which it existed here. Hence there are all the forms of life there as on earth, except those, such as the lowest planets and animals, which cannot exist surrounded by such su- perior conditions. The scenery of mountain and plain, river, lake, and ocean, of forest and prairie, are daguerreotypes of the same on earth. It is like earth with all its imperfections perfected, and its beauties multiplied a thousand-fold. The spirit holds the same relation to this spiritual universe that man holds to physical nature. The surface of the spheres is solid earth, in which trees and flowers take root, and the waters of the ocean surge perpetually on the shore. An ethereal sky arches overhead, and the stars shine with in- creased refulgence. The spirits breathe its spiritual atmosphere; they drink its crystal waters; they par- take of its luscious fruits; they bedeck themselves with its gorgeous flowers. It is not a fancy world, nor world of chance or miracle; but a real world — in fact, more real than is earth, as it is its perfection. The spirit walks on its surface, it sails on the lakes and oceans; in short, follows whatever pursuit or pastime it pleases, and the elements there hold the same relations to it that the elements of earth held to it while in the physical form. I will not enter at present into a minute descrip- tion of scenery as it appears to the spirit of the clair- voyant. Words are but feeble auxiliaries in the de- lineations of a subject so far removed above mortal comprehension. It is a reflection of the earth, and 294 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. holds a close correspondence to it, but can no more be compared with it in beauty than the finest minia- ture with the coarsest charcoal sketch. I pass to the consideration of the next important inquiry. How Spirits Pass From Earth to the Spheres.— Philosophers claim that an ether pervades all space, on which the pulsations of light and heat are thrown by luminous bodies. This ether, they tell us, per- vades all space and all substances, and is the medium for transmission of the influence of the imponderable agents. By their description of this ether, we can readily understand the spiritual ether, which also pervades all. space. It is not, however, like the former, except in its universal diffusion. It is a much more refined and active agent, and is a peculiar emanation from all globes. Ultimated as it is, the organization of the spirit is still more refined, and hence it floats as a cork im- mersed in water, or a balloon in the atmosphere, hav- ing its gravity with respect to the earth entirely de- stroyed. The ultimated particles from the earth rise and rush out of the vast openings at the poles in a spiral direction produced by the rotation of the earth. Then they diffuse themselves through the atmosphere of the first zone, each following its own peculiar at- tractions.. On these rivers the spirit is wafted from the sublu- nary scene, and is ushered into the spirit-world. The Philosophy of the Spirit Traveling With Such Rapidity is as simple as is that of the other great prin- ciples. As its gravitation is destroyed by immersion in an ether more dense than itself, it rises, or is repelled from all the physical worlds. When it comes to earth, the action of the gravitation of the earth is to repel it from it, and not to attract. But, by an effort of will, the spirit becomes positive to the place where it desires to go. Then there arises an imme- diate attraction to that place, and it flies through the thin ether. Can They Pass to Other Globes?— This depends on THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 295 their degree of refinement. While some are very pure and ethereal, others are gross and unrefined. The sensualist, the depraved debauchee, in many instances are so gross that gravity chains them to the earth's surface as it does man. They are denser than the spirit ether, and hence have weight, and cannot rise from earth. Others, who are more spiritual, can only rise to the first sphere; while others, still more re- fined, pass at will through the universal ocean of ether, visiting other globes and other solar systems. The degree of purity or spirituality determines whether or no the spirit shall be chained to earth, or allowed freedom to travel the ocean of space. Objections May Arise.— If the spheres spread out above us, why do we not see them? Why do we not see spirits with the normal vision? The questions are easily answered. It is from the relation which they bear to light. Air, like almost all other gases, is invisible. No one ever saw atmos- pheric air, yet no one doubts its existence. It trans- mits light without intercepting the rays, and hence is invisible; for we cannot see anything unless it re- flects light by which we can see it. If so material a substance as air is unseen, though it surges above our heads in a great ocean forty-five miles deep, how can we expect to see the refined ether of which these zones are formed? Still further. When we look through a clear plate of glass, we cannot see the glass interposed between us and the objects beyond. Perfectly clear water transmits the rays of light so completely that it is invisible unless seen by reflection. After such instances, can we ask why the spheres are not visible, and why they do not intercept the light of the sun and stars? The objection is fully met here on scientific grounds, and does not depend for its explanation on the mere words of the angels. One question more arises, namely : What Is the Relation of Light to the Spheres? Is There Day and Night There as Here?— The sun's light, as is well known to the chemist, is composed of an indefinite number of rays mingled together. He divides them with his prism, and shows the seven 296 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. coJored rays, the chemical rays, the magnetic rays, etc. We find that light, as it is emanated from the sun, is composed of different kinds of rays, each adapted for peculiar purposes. Each of the spheres retains the rays useful to it, and transmits the more gross rays which are adapted to earthly conditions. The spiritual portion of light is retained as it passes from the sun to earth, while the coarser portion is transmitted. Hence the sun and stars as certainly appear from the surface of the zones as they appear from the earth, and the superior do not intercept the view from the lower spheres, be- cause they are much more refined than the latter, and these are more ethereal than earth. The rays of light designed for the first sphere pass through the higher without interruption, for they retain only their own element. The light of the heavenly bodies is much greater when seen from the spheres than when observed from the earth. The splendor of the stars is greatly in- creased, and the radiance of the sun fills the atmos- phere with a flood of silver, gilding the scenery with an ethereal^ indescribable light. If the sun is the source of the light received by the spheres, and these revolve around the earth, it follows, as a necessary deduction, that there, as on earth, day and night must follow each other with the unvarying regularity of the rising and setting sun. That there should be such alternations of light and darkness is a necessity of man's spiritual nature. He wearies of the never-changing scene, and the activity and repose of nature are more agreeable to him than is a monotonous sameness. It is also essentially the result of the plan of creation; for nature allows of no rest. Worlds and zones must revolve around cen- tral luminaries ; and as they bring different portions of the surface beneath the central light, day and ni^ht — that is, the presence and absence of the lumi- naries — must result. Thus have we glanced at some of the prominent principles connected with the spirits' home, and sought to sustain them by the facts of science. They may excite prejudice by their novelty; they may be THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 297 rejected by credulity; they may be scorned by the pride @f external philosophy; yet they depend not on any of these for support, but on their own truth- fulness. CHAPTER XIII. RESUME-A GENERAL SURVEY OP SPIRIT- UALISM. The Name — An Eclectic System — We Do Not Live For Self Alone — The Old and the New — Infidelity — Protestantism Brings from Catholicism Everything but the Pope — Chris- tian and Infidel — Can Churchianity Live? — Necessity of Spiritualism — Churchianity Compared — Leaderless — Its Persistency and Extension— Has It Revealed New Moral Truths? — Pleasure of a Belief in Spiritualism — The Com- ing Contest — The Totality of Spiritualism — The Rich and the Poor — Whatever Is Must Be — We Make Our Own Hell, and Walk an Angel or a Devil Therein — Living for To-day and Living for To-morrow. . The Name.— "Spiritualism has such a load of folly, deception, and uncleanliness to carry that I do wish it could receive another name/' was the impatient remark of one of who had been a believer for many years. What has the dross to do with the pure metal? They make a mistake who think the bub- bling surface of scoria a sample of the metal beneath. The good opinion of the world is sweet, but it may be gained at too great a cost. We must take our own ideas of what is right and true, and the world must not be allowed to influence us. If all the currency of the United States was counterfeit, except one bill, it would not destroy the value of that one genuine issue of the mint. It stands as the antagonist of Materialism. It stands for the science of life, here and hereafter ; for the expression of the highest morality and the purest religion. Where is there another word that expresses a thou- THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 299 sandth part of that of the many-sided, diverse, yet unitized meaning of this? Ashamed of the term? Every religionist of whatever creed or belief endorses Spiritualism. The base of all religions is Spiritual- ism, our hope and evidence of immortal life rests with it. We might as well say that because the sun shines on slimy pools, oozy marshes, and malarial fever- glades, it should not receive the name of Lord of Day. Its rays, while they expand the blossoms which fill the air with fragrance, hasten the decay of the fester- ing carcass or reeking cesspool. They breed the mon- sters of the slime, as well as they develop the poet or the sage. If we believe there is a life after the death of the physical body; that that life is an infinite prolonga- tion and evolution of this ; that the spirit remains un- changed in being, changed only in conditions; that it may hold intercourse with those in this life, we are Spiritualists. If we believe that this view of nature carries with it the highest, purest, and most practical system of morals ; that it is the basis of true religion, expressed in the loftiest phases of self-forgetfulness in helping others; in noble living from the cradle to the grave, we are Spiritualists. If we refer the fleeting changes we call creation, from the expanding bud to the re- volving sun, to force, which thus being made cogni- zant in matter, carries with it as a corollary that it is intelligent, loving, and wise, planning for a purpose, and pursuing a well defined course to an end pre- determined, so pre-determined that man with his finite mind often can calculate what it will and must be : if we give this power, which is spirit, infinite ex- pression, we are Spiritualists. When I glance over this vast province that under- lies the known, the seen, the heard, the felt, which sustains all, is the life and active moving force of all ; when I study its expression in the countless suns which wheel and dance in the mazy circles of the heavens in perfect harmony, holding each other in the embrace of magnetic energy across chasms of space incomprehensible ; when I turn to the protoplas- mic atoms of life's beginning, and trace with what 300 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. precision through changing forms of plastic being man is born into this world, and his higher faculties evolved in similitude to the infinite expression of spirit in the universe ; when I look into the future of cycling ages, and am conscious of the unceasing de- velopment, onward, upward, with wider, wider hori- zons, until, from the heights of knowledge and moral grandeur, the broadening circle embraces far more than we now can conceive — the all; there is no word as perfect and expressive in its application to all these varying yet harmoniously blending aspects, forming a system of philosophy and science of Na- ture, as Spiritualism. Can there be a better? Can there be one of more glorious interpretation? Can there be one which places an opposing system at greater "disadvantage ? There can be but one other — Materialism ; we must either be Spiritualists or Ma- terialists. I prof er the former name. I not only pre- fer, but am forced to accept it as the title of that system of philosophy by the cogency of facts which I can not ignore. It is the Tree of Life, like the fabled ash of Norse- land, which strikes its roots into the foundation of the material world and stretches its branches into the heavens. What to me is it that weary tramps seek shelter under its shade, or now and then a scav- enger bird alights in its branches! The nations of earth, from generation to generation, have encamped around its giant trunk, and the darkest hours that have ever tried the souls of men have been gladdened by the assurance it gave. Let us not give the great World Tree another name because a few vagabonds have stolen its fruit, or come to us with Sodom apples under its name. They have their day, but Spiritualism is without day or year, or limit of duration. An Eclectic System.— Spiritualism, as a system of universal eclecticism, accepts truth wherever found, and has no word of scorn, no sneer for any other, however false. The pure precepts of the past will remain forever, for they rest on the eternal founda- tion of man 's relationship to man, and cannot perish. Their interpretations may be false ; they may be mis- THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 301 understood, and new light give them an entirely dif- ferent meaning. Spiritualism may interfere with many darling beliefs of the churches, but never with the truth. The record of its progress in the last fifty years is that of the intellectual advancement of man- kind. We Do Not Live for Self Alone.— Beautiful are our relations to others — relations which are not only for this life, but which grow brighter in eternity. A kind word is never lost. If it bears not fruit in this life, it will in the next. A spirit told me an in- cident in his own life. When on earth he met a news- boy. He was an impudent, impish rogue, on whose scarred and besmeared face one could not see a line of goodness. Well, the spirit, who was then a mortal, gave him a kind word. A new light brightened that dull countenance ; a new purpose seized him. ' ' Come with me," said the man. He placed him at school, where he soon equaled and surpassed his fellows, and entered life with high purpose and prospect of success. Said the benignant spirit, "I met that boy in the spirit-world. His gratitude was unbounded. It was the first time we had met since I placed him at school, a boy, with his humanity almost blotted and trampled out. The happiness I received from this little action has brightened the joy of heaven. It is by such deeds we create our heaven." Oh, learn of the angels ! The urchins of the streets meet no kindness ; instead, scorn, jests, coarse rebuffs, turn where they will. They are in the rough tide, rushing swiftly to the destruction of the little hu- manity they possess. You stretch not out your hands to help. Instead of helping you accelerate the cur- rent! If the principles of Spiritualism were put in uni- versal practice to-day, the next generation would have no necessity for asylums, jails, or prisons. It is as easy to awaken the soul to the beautiful and true as to extinguish its light. The Old and the New.— There is a philosophy of history. Every age furnishes it for the use of the ages to follow. If we fail to read, it is because of 302 THE ARCANA OF -SPIRITUALISM. our ignorance. The events of the present are evolved out of the past, and the future is nourished by the present. Optimists regard to-day as the best, although to the conservative it is evil^ the future a night of despair; and only in the remote past does he see a glimmer of the golden age. His gaze is backward, while that of the true reformer is forward. Society began in intense individualism, aggrega- ting in savage clans. From thence onward the effort has been to subdue the individual. During the mid- dle ages, combined Church and State nearly accom- plished that purpose. There has been a great reaction against this oppression, and individualism has been again reached in a new form. At first It was the individualism of the brute ; the end is the individual- ism of^the intellect. The conservative says that this is not progress, which to him means following the same round, like a squirrel, which inside a revolving cage, thinks that as the wheel turns he is getting ahead. Sometimes a large family grows up following in the footsteps of their father. Perhaps one, however, wearies of the sameness, and seeks out a new path. He discards the trammels of habit which fetter his brothers, and sets out for himself. So there are rad- ical thinkers who desert the time-worn ruts of usage, and make paths for themselves. They are pioneers who clear the pathway across the wide continents of ignorance, and from mountain summits obtain the first glimpses of the beautiful regions in store for those who follow. To them comes the inspiration of great thoughts, floating like visions of Eden through the chambers of their minds, lighting the future with resplendent beams, and sending rosy twilight over the grey bleakness of the present. Radicalism is the ultima thule of Protestantism. It is the consequence of the granted right of private opinion. If one man has the right to protest, so has an- other; and this protestation may go on to the com- plete separation of all individuals, leaving all be- lieving and acting differently. This result is quite the opposite of that desired by a respectable class of thinkers who consider har- THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 303 mony the desired end — that individuals should all think and act alike. On every hand, we hear much said about \ ' harmonious development. ' ' They would have us believe that all disagreement should be avoided, and that perfection is obtainable only by means of perfect unity. This view is little better than than the conservative idea of sarificing man to so- ciety, making his personality of no account compared to the State. An example of its result may be seen in Chinese civilization, in which the individual is lost in the routine of senseless forms and ceremonies. There is no growth, and that civilization is effete and dying, not of age, but because unable to break through the crust of concreted ideas. Conflict, tempest, revolu- tion, is the only cure. The Protestant of to-day is the conservative of to- morrow. Infidelity.— An infidel is one who does not believe the theology of his time. The Christian is infidel to the creed of the Mohammedan, and the latter is an infidel in the estimation of the Christian. The Brahman is an infidel to Christianity, and the Chinese are infidel to Brahmanism. To disbelieve in the cur- rent theology is infidelity, and brands "infidel" on the disbeliever. Infidelity, as now used by the Church, so far from being a term of reproach, is the most honorable title that can be bestowed, for it means a thinker, one who can aud does think for him- self, and acts on his oavu responsibility. In all past time, the infidel, he who was branded and scourged by the established theology, has been a reformer of the world. In order to vindicate a new truth some old and deep-rooted errors must be overthrown, and to those the reformer must become infidel, and show how erroneous they are, as well as prove his own truth. Jesus Christ, as well as his apostles, was infidel to the Jewish laws and ceremonies, and dearly paid the penalty usually attached to this crime. Melanc- thon, Luther, and Calvin were infidels to the theology of their day, as were all the great reformers down to the present. The infidel has good company. 204 THE ARCANA OP SPIRITUALISM. Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Newton, Laplace, and Herschell are with him in science, and Confucius, Zoroaster, and Christ are with him in religion. He need not be ashamed of his leaders, but rather be thankful that he is allowed to enter a court so august, where all the great minds that earth can boast are arrayed in a galaxy of splendor. Those who first perceive the light of the dawn of the new ideas, and the error of doctrines entertained by their fellows, are decried as infidels. And mar- tyrdom: the martyr is always an infidel. Theology has endeavored to shut out the light of nature and suppress reason, and has supplied their place with the infallibility of the Bible, and the creeds claimed to be founded thereon. A thinking man cannot believe without evidence. Believing by faith, having faith to believe, and be- lieving to have faith, are meaningless phrases. Be- lief is mainly a result of education, and reason is en- thralled, but when it escapes its bondage, unless the belief bears investigation, it is discarded. We may think we believe, while we know that it is impossible to believe an unreasonable doctrine. Slowly, yet surely, it is accepted, Nature and reason, the scien- tific interpreation of creation i& the only standard authority. If Nature is the work of a God, a revela- tion from that God will be in harmony therewith. The possession of reason presupposes the right to reason, and reason carries with it the right to receive or reject. The infidel asserts this right and high privilege. If the Bible is of God, it cannot be injured by the closest scrutiny, and if it is not true it cannot be from a divine source. The truth never suffered from reason; error only hides from the light, and screens itself in darkness and mystery. The rational thinker takes the book* and compares it with the in- fallible standard of Nature. It fails, and there are antagonisms, contradictions, and absurdities. How can he shut his eyes, crush reason, and believe? To say he does would be hypocrisy. Have faith! He cannot have faith without reason for faith. He can not believe without evidence. His eyes are open, and he will not close them. He- has not swallowed an THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 305 opiate, and he is wide awake. To him, the claim of infallibility for the book destroys it; its antagon- ism with the facts of nature destroys it; and he can not help disbelieving it, strive he ever so hard to force himself to its reception. This is the philosophical in- fidel. It is not from a love of skepticism that he is so, but from the unimpeded action of his reason. Protestantism Brings From Catholicism Everything But the Pope. — Its basis is the same— the Bible. Its departure from Catholicism is a departure from rea- son. Granting its data, the logic of Catholicism is un- answerable; man being incapable of arriving at di- vine truth, an infinite God delivers to him an infinite revelation. Man, as finite, cannot comprehend this revelation; hence the necessity of inspired teachers or priests to interpret it to him. Protestantism places finite man in direct contact with an infinite God — a finite comprehension with an infinite revelation. In the latter case, what is the benefit of the exercise of reason when the object is beyond the grasp of reason? Practically, the two systems are the same ; and what- ever power the Bible exerts is because of its being accepted as infallible. Protestantism is claimed to be the religious system demanded by the present. It is emphatically a re- ligion of denial. "Thou shalt not" predominates over "Thou shalt," in its commandments. It sets up the preposterous claim that religion and morals can be created outside of man and forced upon him. Contrary to this, the field of the world shows that moral precepts have no power unless received by the intellect. Unless so received they remain dead be- liefs, without influence on the life of their believers. It is safe to say that ninety-nine Christians in a hundred do not gauge their actions by the precepts of their religion. It is said that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven, that the poor and ill-used of the world are blessed and en- viable; that we should love our neighbors and ene- mies as ourselves; that if any one takes our cloak, we should give him our coat; that we should take no thought for the morrow ; that we should never resent 306 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. injuries, and if struck on one cheek we should turn the other also. When Christians say they believe these precepts, they are sincere. They think they do, but should any one reduce this belief to practice, sell all he had and give to the poor, give his coat to the first needy, he would be declared insane by Chris- tian judges and sent to a madhouse. In the early ages the -heathen Romans exclaimed : ' ' See these Christians, how they love each other!" The record of the next thousand years was one of demoniac ha- tred and cruelty in the name of hat religion. Christian and Infidel.— What constitutes a religious man? The answer is: Change of heart, baptism, joining the church, a regular attendant at meetings and regular prayers. If a man do all this, he is ac- counted a Christian, regardless of moral delinquencies inside of elastic laws. If he does not, although he is morally perfect, he is an infidel ! Proud name of honor, under which are ranked all the seers, sages, and men of thought ! He is the thinker who dares to stand alone in his belief, and to endure the curses of vile-mouthed bigotry and religious hate. This "change of heart" leads to the strangest manifesta- tions of intellectual obliquity. What does it mean? Simply that the individual will forsake his evil ways, and strive to do better. It is the work of a moment. The hardened sinner, with conscience calloused to every emotion of justice and right, can at once be- come a beautiful Christian! This is Catholicism. The murderer kisses the crucifix, and dies. Paradise awaits him. Had he not kissed the crucifix, hell would have been his everlasting doom. Does such a religion satisfy? Is not a religion of growth demanded, whereby we may each day feel that we are more manly and nearer to heaven ? What is the incentive for well-doing, if coming at the elev- enth hour is as well as coming at the first? Rather is it not a premium on guilt thus to be easily par- doned ? Necessity of Spiritualism.— To the question sent out by the Boston Herald to the most distinguished clergymen, "What are the strongest proofs and argu- ments in support of a life hereafter?" over a score THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 307 of replies were returned, and the impenetrable fog which obscures the vision of these leaders, whose re- ligion is founded on the belief in immortality, is the strongest evidence of the necessity of the new light thrown upon it by Spiritualism. Darwin has already expressed the thought of his school in a letter wherein he says: "Believing, as I do, that man in the distant future will be a far more perfect creature than he now is; it is an intolerable thought, that he and all other sentient beings are doomed to annihilation after such long continued slow progress." Yet he concludes, "I cannot pre- tend to throw the least light on such abstruse prob- lems." He is in the dark, and the gospel ministers, whose occupation is imploring the people to turn their at- tention to the life everlasting, from their answers, ap- pear to be in the same darkness. Rev. Solomon Shindler, Reformed Jewish Rabbi of Temple Adath Israel, declares that there is no proof of a life hereafter, either furnished by science or re- ligion, and suggests that if there is such a life, we shall probably drink the cup of Lethe and forget all about this state at death. James Freeman Clarke bases his belief in a future life on the ground that such belief is "a human instinct," that there is evidence that the soul is independent of the body; faith in God teaches that he must give us immortality, and the resurrection of Christ estab- lishes the fact of continued existence after death. The Swedenborgians say, "The risen Christ is the fact on which the Church is built." It would be wearisome to repeat in detail the varied opinions which as a whole, agree with the conclusion of Joseph Cook, that the resurrection of Christ is the basis of evidence. That is all the Bible or the church, at its best, can do for mankind, ahungered for this knowledge more priceless than all the wealth of the world. It has been furnished 1800 years and never has satisfied, and now, after a God has died for the purpose of giving this evidence, we are told that it is not proven, and never can be more than a belief — a blind faith ! When this argument of an arisen Christ is brought forward, 308 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. overlooking the many doubts cast on the historic rec- ord, granting all is exactly as stated, what evidence of man's immortality is the resurrection of an incar- nate God? To prove our immortality, Christ should be human like ourselves. He was not. He was an incarnate God, according to representation, and there- fore, by the fact of his nature, immortal; and his resurrection is not evidence that human beings will meet with like resurrection from the grave. The pulpit unites on the one proof of future life, being furnished by the resurrection of Christ as nar- rated in the Bible. The claim is made that this evi- dence is all-sufficient, yet skepticism increases, and the leaders of thought to-day boldly declare their un- belief. These ministers bring forward the time-old, threadbare arguments which were used by genera- tions past, with the charming child-like assurance of their profundity and newness, and are totally obliv- ious to the changes in thought, wrought in the present by new discoveries in science, and what may be called the spirit of the age. They have been asleep and the world has gone forward into a new spiritual dispensa- tion, and they know it not ! For upwards of fifty years the spirit world has been in direct intercourse with the world of mortals, yet none of these ministers of the gospel have heard of it, or if they have, dare mention the fact. In com- parison with a single rap vibrating through the cable which spans the tide between the supernal sphere and this, what are all the arguments that may be brought ? There is the one undeniable fact, and who can gainsay it? Faith has been transformed to knowledge. The antiquated views are of interest as showing a pre- ceding age of thought, fossilized, as fossils in the rock please by presenting views of the monsters of an earlier time. How long will religious teachers go on after the old style arranging and re-arranging rea- sons pro and con, blind to the only unanswerable evidence which is furnished to their hand? If we wish to prove that man was immortal, we should not speculate, or appeal to the example of the death and resurrection of an incarnate God, but THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 809 would triumphantly point to the facts of Spiritual- ism. Churchianity and Spiritualism Compared.— This religion is a philosophy; this philosophy is a religion. It takes man by the hand, and instead of telling him that he is a sinful worm of the dust, corrupt from the crown of the head to the sole of his foot, it as- sures him that he is a nobleman of nature, heir to the Godhead, owning all things, for whom all things exist, and capable of understanding all. He is not for to-day ; not acting for time, but for eternity ; not a mushroom of a night, but a companion of ever- lasting worlds. Ay, more : he will bloom in immor- tal youth when these worlds fade and the stars of heaven are dissolved. What he writes on his book of life is indelible. What a position is occupied by man ! On one hand are the lower forms of nature — the brutes of the field; on the other, the archangels of light, towards whom he is hastening, one of whom he will become after death shall have cast from his spirit its earthly gar- ments. Spiritualism is not a religion descending from a foreign force, to be borne as a cross: it is an out- growth of human nature, and the complete expression of its highest ideal. Have you a truth? — it seizes it. Has the savage a truth? Spiritualism asks not its origin, but makes it its own. You may take the sacred books of all nations — for all nations have their sacred books — the Shaster of the Hindoo, the Zenda- vesta of the fire-worshiping Persian, the Koran of the Mohammedan, the legends of the Talmud, and on them place our own Testaments, the Old and the New; you have brought together in one mass the spiritual history, ideas, emotions, and superstitions of the early aeres of man ; but you have not Spiritualism ; you have only a part of it. You may take the sciences — the terrestrial, intimately connected with the telluric do- main, teaching the construction and organization of our globe, and the cosmical, treating of the infinite nomenclature of the stars : you have not Spiritualism ^you have but a part. Spiritualism comprehends man and the universe, 310 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. all their varied relations, physical, intellectual, moral, and spiritual. It is the science and philosophy underlying all others, It reaches to the beginning of the earth, when the first living form was created ; for even then man the immortal was foreseen, and the forces of na- ture worked only in one direction — that of his evolu- tion. It reaches into the illimitable future, borne on- ward by man's immortality. Would you narrow its domain to the tipping of tables, a few raps, the trance of mediums? You might as well represent the vast Atlantic by a drop of water, the glorious sun by a spark of fire, as to represent Spiritualism by these phenomena. Yet these are not to be spoken of lightly. They are the tests of spirit identit}^, of which the world had long stood in need. Spiritualism should not be considered as a graft on Christianity, as Christianity was on Judaism, nor as a revival of religious ideas. It supplies the knowl- edge man has long sought and has not found. His demand is not for a revelation written in a book, to be expounded by a hierarchy allied with mystery, with partiality for a privileged few; but for a system meeting the wants of the people; entering directly intb their social, intellectual, moral, and political lives: which is not afraid of the soil of labor; not offended with the jar of commerce, nor abashed at high places. A system presenting a just view of man's duty, destiny, and immortal relations; having its proof drawn from the physical and* psychical worlds, and responded to by the intuitions of the soul. Can history yield one passage wherein the divinity of man is advocated, and the right of each to perfect that divinity until he becomes a law unto himself? Spiritualists are the only people who have this fire on their altars; who by religion are democratic. Spiritualism is purely so. See how it arose, and how it has advanced. From a simple rap in an old house, in an obscure hamlet, it has steadily marched onward for the last score of years. It has never had a leader, yet its aim and its doctrines are remarkably consist- ent. The refined and educated medium, enjoying the THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 311 advantages of a city, and the boy-medium of the back- woods, receive communications enunciating the same great truths and embodying the same philosophy. All over the land such communications are received, in substance identical. There is harmony amidst di- versity ; for, however much communications may dif- fer, they do so no more than individual ideas differ, and they substantiate the individuality of the intelli- gence purporting to communicate. In the funda- mental elements of their teachings there is perfect accord. Leaderless. — It is a singularity of the Spiritual Movement that it has spread with a rapidity unpar- alleled in the history of any other Cause, while it has not received the aid of any leader. No one has stood at the head of its believers to direct their movements. It has denounced leadership, and those who have sought the place have been cast down. Other move- ments have had great and talented men to vindicate their claims to the world; they have had leaders claiming infallibility. But Spiritualism sprang into being, and no one can say when, how, or by whom, and has extended itself to all civilized lands. The individual is his own priest. If he has sins, he must confess them to himself. If Christ did not die for him, there is no devil to torment him. It is not an easy doctrine, and it is not astonishing that sometimes recruits go over to the other side. They are weary of the conflict. There is no certainty, no authority in which to trust. The old, loved and rev- erenced, may any day be overthrown. They return to the fleshpot where there is certainty, rest, and no conflict of ideas. An infallible creed is an easy doc- trine. To all questions comes the ready answer, "God wills it." Nothing unexplained, everything set at rest by the "mystery of godliness." Is it desirable that Spiritualists have one cut of garment? The Catholics said that Catholics should have that a thousand years ago. The priests made suits of baby-clothes, and the laity have worn them ever since. They tied their members with leading strings, and have never untied them. That we con- sider folly. The difference between it and fashion- 312 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. ing garments for the present, however, is only a dif- ference of time, not of character. Baby-clothed Catholic or frock-coated Spiritualist — in principle is the same. It is fashioning all men's garments after one pattern, not the pattern, that is disclaimed. A creed advocating vicarious atonement, or dis- carding the same, is equally acceptable. It is not what the creed contains, it is the creed itself, which we repudiate. To subscribe to a creed acknowledges the suprenmacy of its doctrine over the individual. Its boundaries are those set by its makers, and yield- ing to it, is hedging one's self by those boundaries. The Persistency and Extension of Spiritualism.— Christ was born in a manger: how many centuries elapsed before a single million believers bowed at his shrine ? Mohammed arose out of the royal family of Arabia, and propagated his revelations by the sword ; yet how many years before he counted his followers by millions? The press has used its mighty energies to put down the young giant (Spiritualism), the enginery of the church, and all the skillful appliances of public opin- ion, have been brought to bear, but in vain. Rapidly it springs into strength, and, proving the old fable of Atlas possible, bears the world on its broad shoulders. The mortal world may be divided, but the nobility of intellect of the spirit-world is one. From it flows the power reposing beneath all manifestations wher- ever displayed, always the same, varied only by cir- cumstances. The plan is matured in the spirit-world, and from thence measured out to man as he needs. "We are engaged in a movement which is ultimately to overturn the fabric of the world's present moral, social, and intellectual philosophies, and its most dar- ling theologies; a movement wide and deep as infini- tude. Yet in this desperate conflict we acknowledge no leadership except that of the spheres. The most humble medium, or obscure circle, is per- forming a work perhaps greater than that of the most able lecturer on the rostrum. This we assuredly know— whatever each does, it will harmonize with the work of others. THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 313 Man may walk blindly, but there are eyes that see for him, that he go not far astray. Can ideas so intensely radical and revolutionary nourish in any other soil? No police can prevent their utterance in France; they startle the critical sages of Germany, and are welcomed by the Czar of Russia. They go forward silently now — the form they will assume, around which the masses will rally, the future will determine. No barrier can obstruct them, because forced onward by spirit power. Has It Revealed New Moral Truth?— The oppo- nents of Spiritualism exclaim : What new moral truth has it presented? What has it accomplished? As it would be impossible for it to do so, no such claim is made. Christianity, the vaunted engine of civilization, uttered no principle which was not known immemorially before its advent. A new sys- tem is not what we demand. We are systematized to death already. We want to be rid of what we have. To patch up the ruins of theocratic religion is not the mission of Spiritualism. It comes as the great light of our century, because a sufficient number of ad- vanced minds are educated up to its plane, and are disenthralled from reverence for any system. They receive it because it is not a system; because it is poured out copiously and freely as the sunlight, to be received or rejected, as pleases the hearer. Would you harness this young giant in theological traces, and compel it to drag the dead systems of the past after it? Then would you defeat its purpose, and set back the hands on the dial of human progress many a weary hour. Spiritualism is the philoso- pher's highest conception of his relations to the spir- itual universe, his fellow men, and spirits; the living thought of the age, ultimating not in the perfection of religion, but in intellectual superiority, which goes onward and rounds the character in moral complete- ness. Man needs not an external revelation, but an in- ternal illumination, whereby he can understand the relations he sustains to himself, his brother men, and the physical world. Such an illumination is bestowed on, though not perceived by, all. The myriad hosts 314 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. of the angel world are around us. They mingle in the affairs of men. Their atmosphere is an exhaust- less fount from which we draw our thoughts. Not to the skin-clad prophets and seers of old, fierce wanderers of the desert, are we to look for authority. They were warped and dwarfed by superstition, and narrow indeed were their views of human needs. A fountain of exhaustless flow is presented to every one, exhilarating as Castilian waters, as life-giving as the fabled springs of perpetual youth; and every one can thereby become inspired and a prophet unto him- self. The Pleasures of a Belief in Spiritualism.— With what pleasure we contemplate the world of spirits that surrounds us! There are congregated the wise men, the sages, the prophets, the philosophers of the ages gone. They have all passed up the glittering pathway to the immortal land. We are travelers up the same way, and they are our instructors and guides. True, the veil of invisibility divides the world of spirit from the world of men, but otherwise there is little distinction. Intricate and beautiful are our relations to the angels. They are our friends, our relatives, the good and great gone before us, superior in knowledge and experience, with love and friendship increased in the measure of their greater capacity. Ah; you who profess to believe that the spirit at death is removed to a far-off country — that it has no communion with earth — you should behold the groups of those spirits as they bend over their earthly friends, and the intense interest they manifest in their welfare. We have all a greater interest in the hereafter than in the present; our deepest hopes lie there, and we listen with rapture to the voices from the great be- yond. My grey-haired friend, years ago you were called to lay in the cold and narrow grave the loved com- panion who made life a constant June day of- joy. You wept then; and now, as I lift the misty curtain of the past, you weep. The heart grows sad as I tread the halls of; sacred memories. The years have come THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 315 with iron feet ; but they never can obliterate the mem- ory of the departed, which beneath the searching frosts, like the mountain evergreen, grows fresher. Ah! you consigned the body back to mother earth; the spirit, fledged in immortal life, rested over you unseen, perhaps unfelt. Has that spirit departed? Are you left loneJy, forsaken, a weary pilgrim with- out hope? Let me raise the veil, and show you how intimately the world of spirits blends with the world of men. Could your spiritual perception be quick- ened, you would see your loved one, the same as when you first knew her in youth and beauty, a guardian angel by your side. Mother, you have wept for a darling child you had watched with tenderest care. Just when you thought your happiness complete, and your life was melted into that of the loved one, a chilling breath snatched it from you. A little grassy hillock in the churchyard, a little white slab and a name ! Is that all ? Nay, that body resting there is not your child, but his worn garment. Your child is not lost, but is here by your side in radiant beauty, with affection for you heightened by the harmony of his angel-life. Many, alas ! how many, sent their loved ones forth to the storm of war. One died in the fierce struggle of Antietam, pierced by bayonet; another was torn to fragments by a parvoll shell; another went down in a fierce cavalry charge ; another lay wounded amid the dead, and his precious life went out beneath the crushing wheels of artillery ; another died a thousand deaths in that prison of horrors, the name of which is too loathsome to utter. Mother, the vacant chair at your hearth is a source of unending affliction. Weeping wife, when your in- fant asks for its father, you will say, ' ' He went forth to the strife, and was drawn into the fierce whirlpool of death; all that he has left us is his proud name and immeasurable sorrow." Patriotism supports you not. Your country's gain is your countless loss. Brothers, fathers, sons, and friends, who went forth with high hopes and lofty ambition, are now beyond the veil of darkness, and 316 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. on earth write their names no more. The poor privi- lege of gazing on their inanimate clay was denied you, for rude hands threw them into a common grave, where the wreck of valor was indiscriminately plunged. Is this the reward for your sacrifice, bitter anguish, and tears ? Ask the question of Spiritualism, and its answer is a balm more precious than Gilead's. Like the sound of the waterfall to the parched traveler in the desert come the silvery voices of departed friends, softening and subduing the asperities of life, cheering us onward to better aims and loftier endeav- ors. They call, sweetly and musically call, '0 man, brother, sister ! come up hither ; partake of these foun- tains, and thirst no more." You have heard of the happy dying. How beauti- fully shone the light of heaven over their reposing features ! And even after the dissolution a smile like the radiance of sunset played upon their calm faces. Ah! death is the key whereby the spiritual perceptions are unlocked; and, long before the final breath, it opens man's vision to the future, and he sees the bright springs and clear waters and green fields and radiant spirits immortal. From this standpoint we can take a broad survey of our relations to the future. We are not creatures of a moment : our existence is not like that of a cloud sweping the sky, to be dissolved into nothing; but ours is a companionship of worlds and stars, aye, more enduring than are they. We have many lessons to learn from this contem- plation. By it we comprehend our duty to lower, and our relation to higher orders of intelligences. The brutes of the field (our ignoble brethren), all the forms of life beneath us, require our kindness, love, and sympathy; the angels of light, our elder brothers, call forth our emulation, reverence, love, and wisdom. The Coming Contest.— In Spiritualism, Protestant- ism has become clear of Romanism, casting off creed, church, and priest, and gained freedom for all. Catholicism is a product of the Old World, Spirit- ualism of the New. One is in senility, the other in its youth. The intelligence, learning, and hope of THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 317 the age are on the one side ; on the other are bigotry, superstition, and darkness. On the one hand is con- servatism, or Catholicism, resting on the infallibility of a book expounded by infallible teachers, sur- rounded by gorgeous trappings, calculated to excite the attention of rude nature, to stifle inquiry, denying the right of reason, ignoring the individual, and ab- sorbing all into its masses; on the other hand, Spirit- ualism, setting the individual free, trampling on the traditions and mythologies of the past, declares man to be the most sacred object in the universe. The two systems are diametrically opposed. One looks to the past; the other to the future. Which shall triumph ? Humanity never goes backward; it moves ever to- wards the right; for there is a Divine Power which wrenches human actions after an omnipotent plan. The leaf torn from the branch by the autumn winds, the bird carolling its song of gladness, the sand-grain roiled by the tide, the drop of dew on the flower; all things, from the least active of tiny life to the gigan- tic efforts of the elements, work after a prescribed plan, from which there cannot be the least departure. So with man. He works, seemingly, fortuitously; but there is no chance. He puts forth his bravest ef- forts in the tide, striking out for this or that object; but the strong current bears him onward to a goal well known and undeviatingly approached, however unknown to him. The Divine Energy has marked out a plan, an archetype to be attained in future ages; and the powers of darkness, though they ally them- selves to hold the wheel of progress, will find that thej do so only to be crushed into oblivion. They will retard it only for a time. The bringing together of such opposing forces will, of course, produce con- flict. They already begin to mingle in our national affairs, in the affairs of all great rations. Spiritualism in France speaks through its past he- roes, and she feels the effects of superior wisdom. It is the dawn of a new day, when departed intelligences will mingle in the affairs of men. Again, it speaks to the Czar of Russia, through a spiritual medium; and the people of the vast steppes, stretching from 318 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. the Baltic to the Pacific Ocean, from the Altai to the Arctic Sea, feel its breath ; the chains of the serf fall from his festered limbs and millions arise free men, ready for a glorious career of progress. In England, the higher classes are impressible to spirit thought, and its civilization begins to glow with new vigor. The garroted masses awake at the new voice. Priest and king feel that what they considered solid earth- earth formed of prostrate human beings, cemented together by concrete blood and tears — has no con- sistency, but heaves like the billows of the stormy sea. The breath of the Divinity is abroad. They hear its call, and arise. Thus marshalled, the two forces are to wage a war of extermination. Not here alone, but over the whole world; and the end, after misery and suffering, will be the destruction of creeds, superstition, and dogmas, the severing of all shackles, whether of body or spirit, and the Universal Brotherhood of Man. The Totality of Spiritualism.— The ideal of creative energy through all the vicissitudes of the past from the chaos of the beginning has been the evolution of a perfect man, that through him in a direct line might be evolved an jmmortal spirit. Evolved from and by the forces of nature, being their concentration, or rather centrestantiation, man is an integral part of the universe. In him the his- tory of the past is written. He is capable of com- prehending all, because a part of all. In his mind are laid the orbits of solar systems and galvetic uni- verses. He makes grooves in which he compels the ele- ments to run, by embodying his ideas in matter. All he dots is the concretion of pre-existing thought. The engine— beautiful, perfect, a miracle of work- manship — the telegraph, and the steamship, are ideas clothed with matter, embodied thoughts. For a moment lay aside all prejudices ; let your re- ligous education be as though it had never been; and calmly contemplate this being, with such antecedents, such universal relations, such boundless capacity, and such a destiny. Will you not scorn any system that offers violence and insult to the integrity of his THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 319 character? ay, trample underfoot the supposition that he is destined for anything but the unlimited progress of angel-life ? Such are the broad deductions of Spiritualism. Man is not to be miserable on earth to enjoy heaven in the hereafter. We stand in the courts of heaven as much this hour, we see as clearly the presence of God now, as we shall a thousand ages hence. We are our own saviors, achieving salvation for ourselves. This is the religion of the future. Other systems will linger with the races of men whose highest ideal they represent; but from the courts of the world's intel- lectual Dobilit} they will vanish, and be spoken of as myths which once aided infantile progress; leading- strings necessary to walk by until the use of our limbs had been attained. The Rich and the Poor.— You scorn the serf, who by oppression and poverty, has become ignoble; thedelver in the mines, whose language has been reduced to a few hundred words, relating to his immediate wants. You scorn the outcast, the unfortunate, the criminal, Rather should you pity, remembering that if placed in their posiiton, with their antecedents, you would be exactly as they, and do as they do. Mocking pharisee, who draw your cloak close around you for fear of contact with these; did you have a choice of endowment given you? Were you consulted as to the sphere of life into which you were born? Did the vagabond, of whom you thank God for not being like unto, choose his estate? Then take no praise for being as you are, nor censure him for not being otherwise. The missionary may talk religion to starving men; and when the beggar's children cry for bread, he may give them— tracts. Spiritualism has quite an- other office. The poor have we with us always; and because consumption exceeds production, there is mis- ery and crime. It is hideous — this wolf-pang of hun- gry poverty — to see disease, engendered by want, snatching one's children in its greedy jaws; to see it obliterate the lines of health from their features, and write there the livid lines of death ! It is well the law is written in blood; well that constant pressure ob- 320 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. literates the keener senses of the soul; else these chained savages of society would lay their firm grasp on the bread of the wealthy. It is not done, but not because they have no feeling. A human heart in fustian beats as ardently as in broadcloth. The mother in rags has as deep affection for her child as the mother in satin, though some- times, in its struggle through misery, it appears more like animal instinct than human affection. The fault is not with the individual ; it is with the nation and the times. The struggle for existence is terrible, and the path of advance is paved with human hearts. The under-structure of society can have, at most, but little pleasure, and the time for the enjoyment of even that is denied to them. Why wonder at their excesses ? The physical frame is prostrated by physical labor. Stimulants for a time restore its tone. It is as urgent for the over- tasked to seek them, as for the thirsty to desire water. A passing enjoyment is wrung from soul- blasting intoxication, but draw the^ mantle of charity over these poor crushed souls, for such enjoyment is all that is left them. On the other hand, the men of thought— thinkers, writers, or those who hold the commerce of the globe, and with steam and sail weave the web of nationali- ties close and strong; who represent the brain as the others do the hands of Society — by overtasking fall into the same state. Constant overstrain produces depression. Sleep does not refresh, they do not enjoy • the pleasures of life, and are at home only when fol- lowing the routine of business. What has Spiritualism to do with the poor or the rich? Everything. Just ahead there is equality. The green fields of heaven are not owned nor sold by title deed. There are no mortgages there— no rent; but as the air is free, so are all things free in that abode. At once death shakes from poverty its dead weight, and the spirit no longer feels its canker, nor is crushed by what poor mortals call the justice of law. How inconsistent to make laws to rob man of his mother earth, which Nature proclaims belongs to THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 321 him who cultivates it, and then blame him for pov- erty, as though it were a crime ! Title deeds cannot hold the sunlight, the water, or the air, else these would have been held with the land, and the unfor- tunate would be censured for not breathing and slak- ing their thirst. Do not all do the best they know how? Can we not always give reasons for our conduct satisfactory to ourselves? We censure because we judge from our own standpoint, wholly ignorant of the thoughts and motives which actuate the censured. We always yield to the strongest influence, right or wrong. If a tiger spring on a man and rend him, who blames the tiger? He is only acting out the requirements of a tiger's nature. When a man, born with a tiger's organization, and that inflamed by years of wrong, acts out his nature, is he more to blame ? Is he more blamable than the man, born with a benevolent or- ganization, who acts benevolently? Do not understand me as upholding "Whatever is, is right." On the contrary, I hold that "Whatever is, is wrong." We must all join in righting it. "Whatever Is, Must Be."— And there should be no praise, no censure, for its being thus. This doctrine varnishes no fault. There is only one right way, and that obedience to law ; and if you fail, do not support yourself by saying, "I am as I am;" for the first step in progress is the recognition of this very doctrine, and the next, endeavoring to over- come the impediments of your condition. Your re- maining in the wrong plainly says you are ignorant of the right. The ideal man of Spiritualism is perfection. Would that I could paint to you the beatitudes that cluster around such an one, and breathe into you his lofty aspirations ! That ideal man loves truth for its own sake, be- cause it is truth, not from any good he expects to de- rive from it ; loves justice because it is justice ; loves right because it is right. There are many who profess to love truth, justice, right; but on analysis, they love only their special forms— not the divine, eternal, and universal. We 322 THE ARCANA OP SPIRITUALISM. see men, every day, ready to defend what they call by these names ; but they so style some speciality, and know little of universal justice, right, and truth. The love of these, in their universal quality, is the perfection of manhood. This love sustains the mar- tyr, and makes the burning coals a bed of down, com- pared to their violation. They are the fountains from which flow all the nobleness of a true life, and they never yield bitter water. When the love of these exists, the individual never fails in their requirements; for, where the universal exists, the special will well out, as occasion demands, from its exhaustless fountain. The effect of these three great principles, the rep- resentatives of the Spiritual philosophy of ethics on the character of the man, is the development of per- fect manhood. That is the great end and object of living. If we do not advance, we might as well not live. If we are not growing in wisdom, and developing angelic quali- ties, our life is a waste, and we should make haste to recover the right path. How shall the great purposes of life be attained? By discarding the things which are only for to-day, and doing those which have an eternal relation. Every organ has an appropriate function to per- form, and the proper activity of all is the highest state of health and pleasure. The legitimate action of all is equally holy. It is perversion that causes disease and suffering, and the perversion of the mor- als is as disastrous as that of the passions. To cramp and dwarf one faculty, and cultivate another to ex- cess is detrimental, even if the over-wrought faculty be the highest moral feeling. Do that which has an eternal relation. Happiness, then, will not be evanescent but an abiding quality. The business of the world is the contrary. Those who devote themselves to the ac- quisition of wealth, are dwarfed, often morally idiotic, outside their business. At death there is no demand for the qualities of mind that have been cul- tivated. The man stands on the other side of the grave a miserable, enfeebled soul. If the angels dealt THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 323 in mortgages and stocks he would feel at home. He finds that he has no treasures laid up in heaven, and that his life has been wasted in an idle chase for bau- bles of no consequence to the growth of immortal life. What a treasure is the proper cultivation of the mind ! There is a learning worse than ignorance. The bias given by creeds or cramped religious systems, is more detrimental to the spirit's groAvth than de- ficiency of learning. Such systems distort the mind, and form an untruthful medium through which it views humanity. The right culture is founded on the principles of truth, justice, and love. These have existence in the constitution of man, as well as in external nature, wherein their manifestations may be read. The great object of being is a manly life. We are not dwellers on the shores of Time, but of Eternity. Though we do the best we know how, we have capa- bilities of doing infinitely better. Life is a school for discipline. We should co-ordinate and harmonize all our faculties, living and acting true to our highest light. Not in organization do we wish to find the excel- lency of Spiritualism, but in the individual. It makes no difference how strong, how excellent, how pure the party is to which he belongs, if he is wrong. The sacrifice of the world would be of no avail. Sin lies not with the body; all transgression is of the spirit. The higher powers should rise above the lower, and, duly co-ordinated, control them. We Make Our Own Heaven and Our Own Hell, and Walk an Angel or a Devil Therein, not only in the free realms of spirit-life, but now and here on earth. Such is the religious aspect of Spiritualism. It is the combined moral excellence of the world. It is the essence of Christianity; but, while the latter in- volves itself in creeds and churches, the former ac- knowledges no other creed than the laws written in the natural world, no other interpreter than reason, no church but mankind. While the churches descant on the efficacy of 324 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. prayer, Spiritualism teaches that one good deed is worth all the formal prayers since Adam 's time. He believes in prayer, but in that prayer by which the workman moulds iron into an engine, and wood into chips — the prayer of the hand and head as well as of the heart. While the church prays God to help the needy and suffering, the Spiritualist becomes the messenger, giv- ing that help. Such is he — large-hearted, open- handed. That is the difference. He has gone past all churches, and drank at the fountains where the Apostles drank. All trappings are stripped away, and the pure ethics of the world's sages are the ethics of Spiritualism. Living 1 for To-day and Living for To-morrow.— I love to contemplate the future of life, with all its grand possibilities, by which the spirit, however dwarfed by the accidents of time and place, may out- grow all deformities, and become beautiful as a dream of loveliness. Over there, sad heart, is the joy which knows no sorrow ; over there, pilgrim wandering in the falling shadows, is the light which is never obscured by clouds ; over there, when the heat and burden of the day is done, the weary hands will rest and the sore feet walk not on flinty pathways; over there the blighted hopes, the fond anticipations, the rose- hued dreams of vouth will find fulfillment, and more than all, there will be greetings from dear ones await- ing on the purple heights which overlook the grave. It is like a delicious dream of Eden, that future, where the spirit shall know as it is known, and be free to expand all its faculties and realize its aspirations. But more attractive is the fact that this earthly life all its attainments, intellectual, moral, and spirit- bryo from which it is evolved. We are spirits now as much as we shall be after the separation from the mortal body. Death can work no change in our be- ing; only in our condition. We remain the same. We have stepped out of the old garments; we have ascended another rung in the ladder of life ; the bird of song has escaped from the broken bars of its cage, but its voice is unchanged. Life is continuous, and the future is the prolongation of this. There is no THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 325 break, and the spirit carries forward into the next life all its attainments, intellectual, moral, and spirit- ual. It follows, then, that the spirit world begins with earth as its first preparatory stage. We are wearing day by day the raiment of our celestial be- ing, and laying rip treasures which will meet and bless us. Already in the spirit-world, endowed with the her- itage of immortality, we have entered the Courts of Keaven and walk with the angels. Not to-morrow is the day of our salvation, or the entering into joy un- utterable, but to-day is the beginning, and the bright- ness of to-morrow depends thereon. While we do not endorse fully the words of the materialist, who thinks one world at a time sufficient, ar.d, absorbed in the present, would give no thought to thfit life after the fleeting scenes of this are over, we joyfully accept the necessity of giving attention to the right conduct of the present, in order to reflect the best results on the future. To become absorbed in the affairs of life, to the exclusion of everything else, is to become dwarfed, and all the advantages which should accrue are lost. How blighting to spir- itual growth is absorption in the business of the world is shown by the condition of those who have aged in such pursuit. During their early and maturer years, when, with selfish scheming, they planned to grasp and accumulate, they were regarded by their fellows as shrewd and keen of intellect. In age, when they no longer engage in business, they have no mentality beyond the dreary drudgery of their past lives; no purely intellectual incentive, and it is painful to see the dim light of their spiritual natures scarcely able to penetrate the darkness gathering over their mental horizon. "See! see!" exclaims the materialist, "the light is going out ! Like the flame of a lamp from which the oil is exhausted, soon will it expire!" - Sad end of the hopeful promise of a life which should be of constant growth. The fact is, the mind in such instances does not grow less, it has not grown at all in the direction of the intellectual and spiritual. Selfish scheming has absorbed all the energies, and the man is dwarfed and idiotic on his spiritual side. 326 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. After the change of death he will be as an imbecile, having lost all the advantages earthly life afforded him. He has no treasures^ and the awakening of his intellect, and the advancement he will make, must be slow and uncertain. In the language of the world, such a man may have been eminently successful, in as much as he has succeeded in grasping a great share of wordly possessions, fared sumptuously, and re- ceived a homage of retainers; yet' his life has been a ,dreary failure in all that makes it worth the living. On the other hand, as opposing the assertion that at death, the end of the individual existence, we ob- serve the well ordered mind which, while caring for the things of the world, gives attention to its higher requirements. When the cares of life fall off, the intellect is intensified, and the personality ripens and matures in the golden rays of the low western sun, in sweetness and unselfish devotion. Humboldt may be taken as a typical example. When visited by an American admirer in the last years of his un- usually long and active life, he was finishing the con- eluding volume of his Cosmos, a work in which he sought to unitize the infinitely diverging phenomena of nature. His limbs were paralyzed, one arm use- less, yet his mentality was clear, his disposition as sweet and hopeful as in his youth. And he remained in this condition to the last moment of his earthly existence. While the wordly man cultivates his worldly nature, and dwarfs his spiritual, the great scientist had unceasingly developed the powers of his intellect, and the weakening of bodily powers was not reciprocated. Age of the body did not enfeeble those high energies, and death only removed them to a higher level. He is an example of spiritual cul- ture at its highest and best. The materialism which would make this world the end, and give no thought to the next, is a reaction against the old doctrine that the next is everything and this a vale of tears and sorrow, to be borne as a penance and escaped from with joy. Both views are essentially wrong, and, in the words of the Chinese sage, the "Golden Mean" is right. We do not gain heaven by death, or spiritual life by passing the portals of the tomb. THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 327 We enter this world as spiritual entities, and heaven and hell, joy or pain, are wrought into our be- ing*. To conform to the laws of our constitution is obedience to God, and brings the reposeful assurance of heaven ; to disregard these brings the lash of pain, physical and mental. Understanding that as spirit- ual beings, whatever the drudgery of our occupa- tions, sowing or reaping, hewing of wood or drawing of water, we are in the Courts of Heaven, and by our sides, concealed by the thinnest veil of gossamer, are the angels, the departed, loving, cherishing, uphold- ing, encouraging — the ordering of the conduct of life is not to us uncertain. We are to build on earth, but to build for heaven. Like the fabled ash in "Norse Mythology," this life of ours strikes its roots down into the foundations of the earth, and its branches arise into the glory of the celestial spheres. We are not acting for time, but for eternity, and we should consider that every act has a two-fold rela- tion : to the present and to the future. Whatever has relation to that future being, in developing nobility, magnanimity, devotion to right, justice, and truth, fraternity, and the love which exceeds understanding, reflecting as it must on the character of the present, is of infinitely more worth than the fleeting objects of the hour. CHAPTER XIV. THE OLD RELIGION OF PAIN.-SPIRITUALISM THE RELIGION OF JOY. I call your attention to a contrast. The belief, old as mankind, in the arbitrary rule of the gods on one hand, and abject servility on the other. A religion which shrouded this life in gloom, draped its festive halls with sackcloth, and made pain and grief pass- ports to future happiness, I would contrast with knowledge which teaches the direct reverse, and makes happiness a heritage, and pain a sign of wrong- doing. I would contrast the old belief that religion must come from without, descending from God, and received by Revelation inspired by Him, with the new spiritual knowledge which teaches that morality, or its form of unselfish devotion to the right called re- ligion, is the spontaneous product of progressive growth, coming from within, and the inheritance of every human being. Having seen what the result of the first has been, for the pages of history have re- corded it with the heart's blood of nations, we shall contrast the results gained by knowledge, material and spiritual. The Mother Church enlisted the Mas- ters of Art to depict on the glowing walls of its cathe- drals, with terrible realism, the symbols of its faith. The central and most prominent figure is the cross, on which is nailed the Christ in the throes of mortal agony. On his face is not depicted the will and pur- pose, or self-sustaining conscious strength of" a god; not even the resolution and self-sacrifice of a noble man. On the contrary, there is the weakness of de- feat, the tears of despair, the expression of acknowl- edged weakness, and supplication for aid from a su- pernatural source. It is an image of resignation, with bleeding wounds, tortured face, ashen lips, and the pallor of death. By its side is the Madonna, the Vir- THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM, 329 gin Mother, pale with weeping and chastened by dis- appointment, until she ceases to repine at the hardest blow of fate, and offers no resistance but supplication. She is the mother of the dying god of PAIN. There are also representations of saints. Canon- ized for what ? For their beauty of spirit, their good deeds, their sweetness of soul? If so, their portraits libel their characters ! Canonized for their hardy en- durance of suffering, for their scorn of the pleasures held dear to ordinary men, for crucifixion of the body, the sustenance of long fasts, or exposure to the in- clemency of the weather. Some of them are repre- sented in the very act which gave them sainthood. One is lacerating his naked shoulders with knotted thongs; another is clad in a garment which cuts into the flesh; and most horrible, but most holy, is one who opens a gaping wound in his own breast, and plucks out with gory hands his quivering heart. Dreadful to look upon ! The knotted veins of agony, the open and distorted mouth, and the blood-dripping hands, beholden with unutterable horror and disgust. Yet there was a time when the idea of the highest duty of life was thus represented, and the whole Christian world accepts it to-day, for it is the cardinal point of Christian faith. These pictures and images symbolize a lesson of duty. Thus should the spirit scorn the corrupting flesh! Thus should it triumph over its bondage. The more pain inflicted on the body the greater the heavenly reward ! Strange be- wilderment, which made pain expiatory to the lash of the spirit ! Which made it a deposit-in-bank to be drawn on in the next life. Then the devotee might look with sympathetic eyes on the self -immolating saint, and endeavor to spiritually imitate his exam- ple; but now the dying saint is a curiosity which awakens horror and disgust, and if living would be at once consigned to the interior of a madhouse. The doctrine of the blessedness of pain, defeat, sor- row, and disappointment was taught by the Evangel- ists. Suffering was the most feasible method of puri- fying the spirit from the sinful contact with the body. It was by self-denial of pleasures, desires, and all that makes mortal life enjoyable, that heaven was gained ; 330 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. and in proportion to suffering here would be the joy in the hereafter. Jesus, the ideal, was a man of sor- row. He often wept, but never smiled. He blessed the mourners and those who suffered loss — it was their eternal gain. This belief was wrought into Christianity, although not peculiar to it, for all sav- age people have almost identical conceptions. They all accept the belief that man was made, not for his own enjoyment, but for the pleasure of God. The savage hates rather than loves, and hence the early gods are gods of hate, and their anger must be propitiated. They demand that which is held most dear, which is the greatest sacrifice to give — they must have the best; the first of the flocks and herds, the first of the harvest or the vintage ; the first- born child. The native of Africa knocks out a tooth, cuts off a finger, or otherwise mutilates himself, and gives the fragment which causes him pain to his god. Jephtha gave his daughter, because her loving heart expressed its joy by running to meet him ; Abraham his son, because his overwhelming love seemed to in- vite the command to do so. In exactly the same spirit God offers His own first and only son to expiate sin and appease his own wrath ! Infinite sin called for in- finite suffering, which was experienced by Christ, and the devotee may well weep over the crucifix, which not only symbolizes the infinite agony of God, but his own sin, which made the suffering necessary. Mothers, weep as for your own son; and maidens, as for your own dearly loved ! He gave his life to annul the decrees of death, and his death gave eternal life to all mankind who believed! Terrible results sprang from this perverted view of man and God, and the Christian world for a thousand years suffered a nightmare from its theology, which enslaved Europe, and, crushing reason, forced its mandates by superstition, offspring of ignorance. Among savage tribes we meet with the same abject fear that the people of Europe exhibited during the ages when the Church was supreme. The medicine-man has but to mutter a charm, and the whole village will be seized with panic. He shakes his calabash rattle, and the gods obey him. He wishes to gain the atten- THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 331 tion of his deity, but it is not with the smiles of joy he enters the sanctuary; it is with scarred body and with bruised flesh; for the gods love pain and hate the happy heart. In that fast expanding civilization which the Spaniards found on the western shores of America, this had taken most active form, and to appease the anger of the gods, and atone for the little joy which mere existence bestows, the altars of the temples literally flowed with human gore. The Aztec army was commissioned to bring yearly scores of thousands of prisoners, who were marched in sol- emn procession up the winding approaches to the altars, and there, stretched over the reeking block, the high priest tore the heart of his victim from his body and held it up, yet palpitating, for the gods to witness. To such an extent had this sacrifice en- larged that it seriously affected the population, and would have blasted the promises of this budding civ- ilization had not the Christian Spaniards blotted it out of existence by yet greater cruelty. The results of this Religion of Pain, as developed in the seething soil of ignorance, form the subject of the most revolting narratives in the history of the world. God became everything, and man a worm of the dust, under the ban of infinite sin and disgrace, incomparably, unutterably corrupt, even to the neces- sity of God offering His only son on the cross as atonement. The least favor from the Almighty was granted from pity to subjects who deserved only un- alloyed chastisement. Man deserved of himself noth- ing but punishment. If he received favor it was an undeserved gift. His whole care should be to at- tempt to appease his God, by sacrifice as great in his sphere as God had already made for him. Was he to enjoy the pleasures of life when that God had allowed himself to suffer the agonies of death for his sako ? Trample the thought beneath the feet of scorn! If the world tempt; if the love of home, of wife, of chil- dren, of father or mother invite, thrust them aside. Abhor riches, hold no thought for the morrow, re- nounce everything which yields happiness, and then fly to the wilderness, away from the snares of men and wiles of women. Assert the power of the spirit 332 THE ARCANA OP SPIRITUALISM. by inflicting the pangs of hunger and thirst, and ghastly wounds on the body, for, perhaps, thereby a small part of God's sacrifice may be realized. Woman, whose heart yearns for the joys of home and loving companions, must renounce all in the cell of a con- vent, and her brother in the Cloister of a Monaster crush the feelings of corrupted nature. This view of God and Nature was slightly modified by the re- formation, and exists in full force to-day in the Cath- olic Church, in the midst of political and religious freedom, and making slaves of thousands and tens of thousands of men and women. We can appreciate the sufferings of a martyr bound to the rack, but the sufferings of a woman, enmeshed in ignorance and persuaded to take the veil which makes her the bride of Christ, the utter loneliness of heart at such living death, no one can comprehend. The Protestants held the same gloomy views of man's nature and re- lation to God, and with them they assumed even greater austerity. In the Pilgrims it appears in harshest form, blasting the affections, and affecting the judgment by the elimination of reason. The only happiness the Pilgrims knew was in making them- selves miserable. They gloried in the discomfort of the body. Their churches were unwarmed, even in the coldest winter, and the preachers, drag- ging through interminable sermons, preached doc- trines glowing with hell fire, and hot enough to warm even an iceberg. To kiss his wife or child on Sunday; to enjoy the frugal meal, or gaze on the loveliness of nature were sins. God had set apart Sunday for His own, and as a punishment to His children commanded them to read the Bible and attend church. The very air be- came blue with sanctity, which, had it been analyzed, would have resolved itself into a hard, exacting self- ishness, so dominated by fear that it would sacrifice everything and everybody to make its own election sure. And when they read the Bible they turned to the wailings and denunciations of the prophets, and the sermons blazed with the fires of hell; warnings against the devil, and recipes how to escape the wrath of God, who was like "a bear that is bereaved of its THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 333 whelps, and will rend the caul out of their hearts, and then devour them like a lion" (Hosea xiii. 8). Standing at this distance of almost three centuries, we may ask which was the good, which the evil Deity? The minister then, as God's representative, was the one most important personage, who interfered in all the affairs of life, from birth to death. Oh ! how wonderfully the priest has dissolved and vanished in his power. He no longer holds the keys of heaven and hell, and his blessings and anathemas are the same. Children may be born without the interposition of the priests, marriages legalized by civil officers, and fear of purgatory need no more trouble the dying. In Protestant communities at least, the minister, once the leader and self-appointed dictator, has no influ- ence conferred by his office, and is respected only for his worth as a citizen and a man. In Catholic com- munities, with the increase of knowledge, the priest is losing ground. Italy, the home of the papacy, has passed from theocratic control, and at Rome the Pope has no civil influence. The Eeligion of Fear has passed like the goblins of the night. It frightened the childhood of the race, but it has been outgrown. The child is fearful of the dark. In the shadows lurk all imaginable shapes and horrible fancies. The unseen evil hides itself in the night. He buries his head in the covers, and trembling at the succession of faces and forms which arise and pass, dreams of still more dreadful forms, to awake at last to find the sunlight streaming into his room, to hear the birds of song, and not a ghost or goblin in all the bright world of day. Thus it has been with mankind in the night of ignor- ance. Creation had no laws, and God ruled by his arbitrary will. He was irresponsible, and the god of evil was yet more terrible. Superstition settled down like a black night, in which mankind was tortured by the nightmare of dogmatism. It did not seem that the night would ever pass. Theology had civili- zation by the throat, strangled, crushed, and the people were -her abject slaves, cringing before the least of the shaven priests, not only for life in this 334 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. poor world, but for eternal life in a world seemingly existing only that an implacable God might reek His infinite vengeance. But the slow morning came. The crisis came, and the fevered mind awoke. The sun of knowledge poured the full splendor of its rays over all the wrold. Poor, frightened, self-doubting hu- manity looked out through the bars of its blasting creeds and dogmas, which it had been taught ex- pressed the will of the Almighty, and saw the bright world in grace and beauty; joy everywhere; the sing- ing birds in the wind-swept spray, the flocks sporting on the grassy hills ; the hum of insect life ; pleasure ; happiness ; delight in the very act of living, and not a goblin nor a shadow in all the lovely scene ; and they who first awoke, perhaps from the fact that they suffered most from terror, because most sensitive, began to think, which was contrary to the will of God's chosen priesthood. Thinking was a capital crime, and the thinker was a marplot against whom the hatred of men and God was hurled. Of the thousands and hundreds of thousands who silently perished in dungeon cells, walled into living tombs, whose limbs were torn asunder, or were burned with the flames which would continue to wrap their immortal spirits forever; perishing and giving no sign, leaving no name by which we may recall their blessed memory, of these we do not know. Not until thought began to seethe with a force which could throw on its waves men like Galileo or Bruno, have we characters sufficiently marked to concen- trate our praise. They who led the way, they who saw only the dawn, must remain obscure as its twi- light. Their suffering was none the less because un- known. It was none the less valuable in results be- cause unrecorded in story. The agony of one soul bound to the torture cannot be appreciated by those who have never felt the piercing sting of breaking nerve fibres. How then, when multiplied by thou- sands and millions'? And this were as nothing when compared to the pressure on the minds of whole races of the most civilized peoples, age after age ; the press- ure of fear, the cringing to asserting authority, the subjugation of purity, nobility, and spirituality, to THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 335 selfishness, lust, and brutality; the constant promo- tion of false moral ideas, false views of the world and the motives of life, false ideals and incentives to ac- tion. Truth came, and its coming demanded the blood of martyrs. The blind are overcome by the sudden light, the starving are often maddened with the food that gave them strength. Infallible theology, which was the guardian of mankind, resented the coming of the thinker. For a thousand years it had occupied the spiritual and temporal throne. Its garments were thickly encrusted with gore, its horrid hands grasped the book from which it claimed the right to govern from God, and a sword too well used to rust ; its fangs gleamed through its black lips, drawn in the lines of hatred and vindictive malice, as it hurled anathemas against the body and spirit of those who dared doubt or oppose. If the dungeon broke not the strength of the doubt- ing spirit, the torture might, if long enough con- tinued. Galileo, after years of suffering, was brought to deny the statement he had made in opposition to the Bible, that the world moved. That was the way theology established a truth. That is the way it saves souls ! Torture the reprobate into a lie ! Into hypocritically denying what he knows to be true ! Bruno affirmed many principles received by mod- ern science. The world moved. It was only one of the countless globes which danced to the music of the revolving spheres. Horrible infidelity! If Christ came to save souls in this world, would he not have to do the same in others % If he did not ; if God had cre- ated their inhabitants so perfect that such sacrifice was not required, why did He not in His omnipotence create the people of this in the same perfect manner? Such doctrines would destroy the church. They must be silenced. But Bruno would not be silent. It is difficult for one having the truth to be silent. The mighty voice echoes through his soul and rever- berates until relief is gained by its utterance. Years in a loathsome dungeon could not break his strength. The sharp tooth of the torturing pincers, heated to seething whiteness, could not compel his recantation, 336 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. And then theology, to vindicate its right to infalli- bility, dragged the greatest thinker of his age before a tribunal of shaven priests, and after a mockery of justice, to the market square, where amidst the vocif- erous herd of men and women it had drugged with the poisonous doctrines into frenzy, it sent the noble spirit out of the body on the wings of flame. Through its black mouth, distorted with rage, it anathematized his spirit to eternal hell, and all who favored him to the keeping of the Devil. It thought it had truth chained on that fagot pile; it had only the helpless martyr, Bruno. It did not have even him; it had only the poor shell of his body, for the spirit laughs at chains, mocks at the hissing flames, and with one swift sweep of the pinions of its thought bids defiance to the powers of darkness. The flames expired, and the howling madmen, hav- ing vindicated the religion of pain, went their way, but the winds bore the ashes of Bruno over Europe, and each grain became a seed of thought. It has re- quired three centuries for the slow growth of the harvest. The ground was rough, the weeds pre-occu- pied the hard soil ;the poisonous nightshade, the nettle, the dogweed, the thorn, the spiny burr. Three hundred years, and they who had been fed by the truths for which Bruno died — fed and stimulated to higher ac- tivity — brought back his ashes, each grain a beauti- ful block of polished granite, and on the very spot where he met his terrible fate, erected a monument to his fair fame. Blear-eyed theology, grown tooth- less and impotent, growled in rage at the shouts of victory from the representative thinkers of the world, but awakened no fear. The time has passed, we pray forever, when relig- ion can be forced on the unbeliever, when to doubt is sin, and it is God's grace to force him into acknowl- edgment. It was easy making a Christian. There were ingenious inventions for the purpose. The re- vivalists of those days had more potent arguments than the milk-sop stories of Moody, the "come-to- Jesus" lays of Sankey, or the genuflexions and sobs of a Talmage. They had a little instrument like the ends of the fingers of a glove, into each glove finger THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 337 penetrated a screw. The Ingersoll of those days was not allowed a free press and free platform, but in silence was brought before the revivalists, not in the church, at the anxious seat, before all the people, but in the seclusion of a chamber surrounded by thick walls, which gave no sound to the outside world. "Do you believe that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are three, vet one?" asks the revivalist. 7 * "No!"' firmly replies Mr. Ingersoll. "I cannot/ deny mathematics. ' ' "Mathematics has no place here. Religious faith \ does not rest on mathematics. Are we not taught by the Fathers that the more impossible a thing may I be, the more implicitly should we receive it? Place your fingers in this glove, and we will see what God will do for you." The fingers being thus placed, the screws are gen- tly tightened. Their sharp points press into the nails, and Mr. Ingersoll 's face blanches with pain. "Do you believe?" queries the revivalist. ' ' No ! " he replies. Then the screws are turned slowly but surely down, down into the nails, tearing their remorseless way into the sensitive nerves, until at last endurance can bear no more, and the tortured one cries out: "Yes, yes, I believe ! Three times one may be one or twen- ty! I believe!" "Good!" replies the revivalist in ecstasy, as he loosens the screws. "There is a chance of saving your soul yet ! There is always hope. But there are other acknowledgments to make. Do you believe you are a miserable worm, and can only escape death by the atoning blood of Jesus Christ?" "No!" replies the Ingersoll, decidedly. "Well, well, we shall see. We will argue the case," and again the screws penetrate the flesh. It is only a question of time and pain, and again the tortured victim cries out: "Enough! I am all wrong. Burn my books, or 111 burn them myself, and take Jesus to my soul ! ' ' "There is another fundamental belief which you have ridiculed and mocked. The Bible is the holy and infallible word of God; foundation of law, and i i 338 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. source of governmental authority. Do you believe this cardinal point of faith?" No ! and I never will say I do ! " Aha! we will see. I can convince you in five minutes." He turns the screws again. They go -far- ther than before; there is a longer interval of wait- ing, but at last, with a great groan, the confession is made. "Yes, I believe the Bible. I denounce my mockery of Moses. There are no mistakes in the Bible. I take it all, believe it all, just as you interpret it, even to Jonah, and I'll not hesitate, whether you read the whale swallowed Jonah, or Jonah the whale ; only let up on the screws." The revivalist laughs in delight as he eases the tor- ture, and says: "Now confession is good for the soul, and it is well we make a clean breast of it. You have spoken in an unbecoming manner of the fall of man, on which our religion rests. Do you believe in that doctrine now?" "If I say I do not, are you to turn down those screws ? ' ' "Certainly, for now you are so nearly saved ,it would be neglecting the duty I owe to my Savior to let you be lost ! ' ' "Then I believe," replies the Ingersoll, with a wince, knowing what will certainly follow if he de- nies. "I believe that man is fallen, and, if you de- mand it, that he is falling now, and will be forever, and if you have me quite saved, please let my fingers free from the jaws of this persuader." He is freed. He is converted to the true faith and saved. The missionaries of earlier Christianity employed this potent means of converting the pagans, and the Spaniards in the New World found the Indians more susceptible to torture than the incomprehensible ar- gument of dogmatism. It is passing strange the pres- ent missionary force allows it to remain unused; If the missionaries were properly sustained the heathen might be converted as rapidly as they could be caught, and a thousand converts enrolled where now there are none. THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 339 Aside from this, the argument of force is far more potent and convincing to savages than the doctrine of love, which they cannot comprehend. Thus far, we have had the Religion of Pain, the torture of fear, the slavery of the creature man, the autocracy of the tyrant God. It has been the stand- ard belief of all races, for its seeds were early sown in the mind of the savage, and as he advanced, although modified and ever changing, its form has remained substantially the same. All religions set out with a scheme of cosmology, a world building by God, which science has proved erroneous. All employ them- selves with the relations between God and man, even to the last outgrowth, which resolves God into a spiritual essence, vaguely called the universal fa- ther, the brotherhood of man, as His children. The dogmas which have gathered around these concep- tions of God have been discussed from immemorial time, and it would be fruitless to pursue the same course. But we may start in our investigation at a different point, and approach from another direction, and, per- haps, the face of nature will have a different aspect. Coming along the path the theologians have traveled, we shall be distracted by the grotesque views of creeds and beliefs, once taught as essential to salva- tion, which strew the way, and may, perhaps, fall into their methods of reviving old ideas into some- thing that appears to be living thought, rather than discarding the rubbish which has gathered as herit- age from ages of ignorance. If we join the crowd of theologians we, at best, will attempt a revision with the certainty of revision after us until the truth is gained. We shall never see the clear sky which oversets the landscape of nature, for an eclipse will always be on the sun, and its shadow on the world. Let us view the world around us and the world within us, the world material and the world spiritual, as though no sacred book had ever been written, or attempt made to fathom the profundity of the ocean of spirit and define God. There is an interminabe chain of beings from the protoplasmic cell to man, teeming in the ocean, in the 340 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. air, and swarming on the earth. They are all ex- quisitely fashioned after the requirements of their surroundings, that they may win the largest measure of happiness from their lives, however narrow the limitation of their sphere. The motto of Nature, to which she conforms all her work, is the greatest good to the greatest number. There is no punishment in- flicted for its own sake. There is no pain that may be avoided. Go by field or forest, and the songsters of the grove pour forth joy in full-throated measure. The morning sun is as bright with gladness as on creation's morn; waving trees and carpeting grass, patterned with flowers, delighting in filling the air with fragrance ; soft skies, warm heat of the south, life-giving, joy-filling to all living beings! There is not a blot nor a mistake, not a blunder nor a sham anywhere. We survey all this exquisite loveliness, and turning to man, find that he is the fulfillment of the prophecy made in the earJy ages by the simple forms of organic life. He is not a waif created outside of nature, as an after-thought. He is directly allied with the realm of life, and the highest expression of organic energy on this planet. The great tree of life sends its roots down into the strata of the past, and man is the mature fruitage of its highest branches. He is the concentration and culmination of all conditions and influences which have been experienced in all these infinite ages of progress. If he were created by God, such was the manner of his creation; not by falling from perfection, but by progress from the lowest organic cell of pre-silurian seas. God is removed by the full extent of the laws of nature from direct human contact. He is removed by the distance of infinitude from finiteness. After we solve the problems of the material world, and of our own being, we may approach the vestibule of in- finitude ; and it is well for us that this is true ; that it it not obligatory on us to determine, even by way of belief, anything about God. Our thoughts and lives can in no way reach Him, and conformity and obe- dience to the laws of our being — in other words, the determination of right living and the happiness THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 341 which flows therefrom — are the only obedience and worship we can bestow. Anger, revenge, self-asser- tion, and hate, then, are more despicable in a God than in man. They can form no part of an infinitely good being. Of the attributes of God we may well cease to argue until we shall have come to an understanding of the world around us. The theologian who cannot tell how a blade of grass grows from the dark turf will unhesitatingly explain the nature of God, who not only makes a blade of grass grow, but fashions suns and worlds, and breathes intelligence into man ! The Religion of Joy. — It was necessary when man lived in fear of God that he should learn the charac- ter of the tyrant he feared. The fear has passed into the darkness, and the light shows it to have been a chimera. The tales which frightened our childhood have become fables. Are we not glad? Glad that our children do not cry in affright in their beds at the wail of the night winds, in fear of the devil, or tremble at the blasting thought of their own deprav- ity, and desperate chances of damnation? All have passed as horrible dreams, and man sees that he is not made for pain, but happiness. Happiness is the birthright of every human being, as the song is of the bird. Happiness gained by conformity to the laws of our being, which is the Religion of Joy. We turn over the leaves of the volume of the past, and find that man has been a creature of progress, and hence has never fallen. He is a continuity of the development of the life beneath him; an unfold- inent of its lower forms, and not a miraculous or spe- cial creation. Hence he cannot be lost from God, or stand in need of a special atonement. The future life, which has been made the source of punishment or reward, follows this existence as its direct se- quence. It is the fulfillment of the prophecy of prog- ress, its last understandable term. Life is, then, a whole. The life here and the life hereafter are bound into unity. Death is only the gateway through which the spirit passes, and we cry: "Oh! death, where is thy sting, oh ! grave, where is thy victory ? ' ' The joyful view of life has destroyed the fear of 342 THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. death. Its portals wide swung reveal the prolonga- tion of our lives unchanged, except as to environ- ment. The bottomless pit resolves itself into a figure of speech, and its Lord into the impersonation of a mistaken idea of evil. Press on, daring soul; the skies are clearing, and the terrors in your path are only shadows. Whatever is natural is right, and whatever is un- natural, or against nature, is wrong. It Is not whether God will be pleased, but whether the laws of our being are complied with. It is not that we love God, but do we love our fellow men? For the holiest love is that which makes us love others as ourselves. There never was a more sacred love of- fered to God than that of husband and wife for each other; a purer than that for children; a nobler than that for mankind, and yet all of these have been scorned by the devotees in their intense desire to please their Deity. In the beautiful legend of the shepherds watching their flocks on the Syrian plain, in the still night, with the stars looking down on them, the angel voice proclaimed, "Peace on earth and good-will to men," the gospel of joy. It has taken two thousand years of progress for man to ac- quire the knowledge which enables him to understand the glad mesage. As we survey the history of his advancement, the slowly changing forms of his beliefs, by which one false conception was replaced by another, one terri- ble God by one perhaps more terrible; one absurd view of nature by another equally absurd, up to the creed revision of the present day, in which con- claves of holy men gravely think they can decide by their votes the fate of dying heathens, and take up or lay down the skulls of unre generated infants which pave Satan's dominion, our souls are filled with compassion and pity, and we exclaim: Poor humanity! full of pain; your journey from the dark- ness to the light was beset with death struggles and agony ! But like a giant crushed in the net cast over you, you have struggled to escape, century after cen- tury, a thousand years after a thousand years, gath- ering strength and knowledge, and now the strands THE ARCANA OF SPIRITUALISM. 343 are parting and you will be free ! That net was the fear of the gods, the Religion of Pain, the doctrine of despair, woven by ignorance, cast and drawn tightly by superstition! We have at last reached the plane where we may live for ourselves, and be firmly assured that living for ourselves is the best way of living for God. Man is created for happiness in this life and the life to come; and if there is pain and suffering, they come not because he is depraved, or God angry, or pun- ishment necessary for revenge, but because the true pathway of life is not known; because he is ignor- ant, and strays out of it, and meets the thorns which guard its either side. The hosts emancipated have brought the glad knowledge to us, the reception of which has required the past ages of progress, and brushed away the last lingering shreds of dogmatism and man-made theol- ogy. Their coming glorifies even death itself, by writing over its shining archway, ''Immortality, by realization of the possibilities latent in every human spirit." Their coming redeems this life from being a state of probation, distinct from the next, and shows us that it is the first state of that existence, an insepara- ble part of it. Hence we are spirits, the same as we shall be after death, except our connection with the body; we are in the Spirit-world now, and as spirits with incomprehensible possibilities, should put forth all efforts to perfect ourselves on the plane of spirit- ual progress, and at every step will be a new-found joy. Self-contained, conscious of increasing strength, we rise from plane to plane, with horizon expanding in widening sweep, giving clear views of nature, and the relations of spirit. Worship will be to know. Light will answer the demand of prayer, and its coming will drive dark- ness, despair, grief, and mourning from the heart. Religion will be the joy of life in its full fruition, gained by perfect knowledge, which will preserve the individual in harmony with the whole. Finis. ft GLOSSARY OP TERMS PERTAINING TO Spiritualism and Psychic Science. There are many new words introduced by Spiritualism, and old words have been given new meanings. Not a little obscurity has resulted from the loose manner in which these are used. The following list, which is by no< means exhaust- ive, contains the most important words, with their legitimate meanings : Altruism: A term first coined by Comte, expressive of the theory that the duty of each is to all, and that by doing for others in preference to self, the highest good and happi- ness is attained. Its most perfect expression is in the Golden Rule of Spiritualism, "Do all for others." Animal Magnetism: Another name for mesmerism or hypno- tism. Aurar Nerve-aura, spirit-aura. An influence supposed to be thrown out from the nervous system, and to surround every individual as an atmosphere. Automatic Writing: Writing executed by the hand, independ- ent of the will, presumably by the independent intelli- gence or spirit. If this be the presumptive, the term is misleading and unwarrantable. If it is spirit-control, it is in no sense automatic; and if really automatic, it must be concluded that the hand, independent of the mind, has in- telligence, and often of a superior and astonishing degree. In automatic writing the subject may be entirely uncon- scious of what the hand is writing, or he may be more or less fully conscious of the ideas before writing. A division may be made into independent and conscious. A test of this phase may be made by standing by a table with a pen- cil in the fingers, the arm being held almost perpendicular to the surface of the same, on which paper is placed. The whole arm should then be perfectly lax, and allowed to yield to the slightest influence. Braidism: Hypnotism. Catalepsy: A state of suddenly suspended vital functions, in which it is impossible to move. The term has been given a new meaning, the cataleptic state being used as synony- mous with the hypnotic or mesmeric. The two are en- tirely distinct in their causes and manifestations, and should not be confounded by use of misleading terms. Charming: Fascination; mesmerism. A GLOSSARY OF TERMS. 345 Christian Science: The application of this term is peculiar, inasmuch as the matter to which it is applied is not Chris- tian in the received sense of that word, and the methods employed are the very reverse of scientific. It affirms that God is all in all, and man being a part of God, and God be- ing incapable of sickness, there can be no reality in dis- ease or evil of any kind. Consequently Christian Science is a series of denials as well as affirmations. It surrepti- tiously brings hypnotism to its aid, and accepts a good share of Spiritualism. In fact, all that is valuable in Christian Science, in Mind Cure, and Metaphysics, is taken from Spiritualism, and what is not thus taken is of no value. Clairaudient: Clear hearing; the faculty of hearing voices or sounds, independent of the physical ear. Clairvoyance: Clear-seeing; a sensitive state, of all degrees of acuteness, from that wherein the personality predomi- nates and modifies the perception, to that wherein the mind is independent of the physical body and its surround- ings, and is in direct contact with superior intelligences. This last phase of clairvoyance is often seen in the dying, death being the separation of the spirit from the body. Clairvoyant: One endowed with the faculty of clairvoyance. Cosmism: Belief that the universe, material and spiritual, form a unit, the All in All. Dematerialize: The dissolving of a materialized form. Demon: A spirit holding an intermediate, place between man and the gods. They were good and evil. The word is wrongly translated in the Bible as devil, and its use in the New Testament has given the modern meaning an evil spirit. Demoniac: A human being obsessed by a demon. Diakka: A word first used by A. J. Davis to designate unde- veloped, ignorant, mischievous, and evil spirits. Double: Double presence; the appearance of an individual at a distance from his physical body. Dunamize: To mesmerize. Ether — Psychic: A universally diffused medium similar to that of light, in and by means of which psychic influences are propagated. Its existence is proven by the harmony It introduces among the most diverse phenomena. It is su- perior to the laws of gravitation and physical conditions, and hence all manifestations therein are amenable to phys- ical laws or forces. Out of it comes life, and hence it has been termed Psycho-ether and Zoether, the life ether. Etherealization: The correct word for materialization, which conveys an erroneous idea of the method by which spirits may become visible to mortal sight. Etherology: A treatise on mesmerism. This use of the word is unjustifiable. Evergumen: One possessed by an evil spirit. Used in his- tory of early Christian church. 346 A GLOSSARY OF TERMS- Evolution: The theory that all forms of life on this earth are united by common parentage, and evolve by the ac- cumulation of beneficial changes. Fascination: The same as mesmerism, but undesirable, be- cause suggestive of the influence serpents are supposd to excite over birds, etc. Force: The energy which is cognizable to our senses through and by means of vibrations or waves which are included in the general term of motion. Hallucination: A false perception without any material basis, being formed entirely in the mind. Hypermesia: Fuller memory; quickening of the mind through its sensitiveness. Hyperoethesia: Keener sensibility; sensitiveness. Hypnotic: Subject to hypnotism; the recipient. Hypnotic State: State induced by hypnotism. It is readily divisible into two stages. In the first the subject is not unconscious, and is controlled by the "dominant idea." The second is a profound state, resembling clairvoyance or trance, in which memory is lost, and the mind becomes in- dependent of the operator and of surrounding conditions. Hypnotism: M. Charcot, who claims to have founded the sci- ence of hypnotism, says it is a diseased state of the soul. Prof. Bernheim says it is "a peculiar psychical condition which can be provoked artificially, and which to a varying degree augments suggestibility." Dr. Forel says it is "the idea of suggestion." Dr. Luys says: "It is an experi- mental, extra-physiological state of the nervous system." All these definitions but repeat each other. It is a strictly normal state, maybe spontaneous or induced, and is the activity of the spiritual being more or less freed from the limitations of the physical body. It is a composite state, and it may be divided into three ascending stages — hyp- notic, somnambulic and clairvoyant. By mesmerism all these stages may be induced, and the mesmeric state is equivalent to them all. Hypnotism would seem to apply to a state wherein suggestion dominated, and mesmerism to a broader state wherein suggestion is not apparent. The words are used indiscriminately and confusingly. Hypnotist, Hypnotizer: The operator; one who practices hypnotism. Illusion: A deceptive appearance. Illusion differs from hal- lucination in always being produced by a real object, which appears differently from what it is, while the latter is entirely a creation of the imagination, without external cause. Impersonation: The control of the medium in such a manner by a spirit as to represent the appearance, character, dis- ease, etc., of that spirit. Levitation: The lifting or movement of physical bodies with- out visible means, or contact, in defiance of gravitation. Magic: Divided into white and black. Is the supposed power to evoke the assistance of spirits, or superhuman A GLOSSARY OF TERMS. 347 beings, to work wonders. In white magic good beings are called for good works ; in black magic, or gestic magic, the assistance of demons is invoked. Celestial magic asserts that the planets are controlled by spirits, and these have influence over mankind. Materialize: The act of a spirit clothing itself with matter. This word is so expressive that it has become of general use, with a wide range of meanings, and yet it conveys an •entirely erroneous idea of the method by which spirit be- comes visible to mortal sight. Materialization: The appearance of a spirit in tangible, bod- ily form, differing from an apparition, which is supposed to be intangible. Materializing Medium: One through whom the phenomena of materialization occur. Matter: The matrix through and by which force is expressed, and of which all that is known,, or cah be known, is from the impressions of such force on the senses. Medium: One who bv sensitiveness is able to communicate with departed spirits. Mentiferous: Conveying or transferring mind or thought; telepathic. As "mentiferous ether." (Century Diction- ary.) Mesmerism: A term which has been loosely used, with a wide range of meaning. With Mesmer it meant the influ- ence gained by one person over another by means of passes, dominating the will of the subject. Mesmeromania: Mesmerism regarded as a mania, or de- lusion. (Century Dictionary.) Mesmeromaniac: Mesmeric subject. Metaphysics: Is similar to Christian Science, differing mainly in dropping the Christian nomenclature. In no sense is it metaphysical, except, perhaps, in the obscurity of its affir- mations. All diseases are mental, and must be dealt with on the mental and moral planes. Metapsychosis: The supposed action of one mind on another without any known physical means of communication or its effects. Metapsyche: The back brain. (Haeckel.) Mind Cure: Is nearly identical with metaphysics, but per- haps gives hypnotism a more conspicuous place (See Christian Science.) Mind-Reading: Reading the thoughts of another by impress- ibility. Neurology: A treatise on mesmerism. As this word has been employed in an entirely different sense, its use with this meaning is not justifiable. Neurohypnology: Mesmerism; hypnotism. Neurypnology: A term given by Baird, in his treatise on that subject, meaning hypnotism. Obsession : The taking possession of a human being by a spirit. In a stronger sense, the dispossession of the right- ful spirit of its body, and using the body as if it wire that 348 A GLOSSARY OF TERMS. of the obsessing spirit. The "Watseka Wonder" was a re- markable instance of obsession by a well-intentioned spirit intelligence. Occult: Mysterious, concealed — because applied to the magic of the past; its use, in descriptions of modern psychic phe- nomena, is misleading, and it should not be employed. Od, or Odyllic Force: The force Baron Reichenbach thought he discovered in magnets, crystals, etc., of influencing sen- sitives. Pathetism: Healing by the use of hypnotism or mesmerism. Percipient: The psychic or mesmeric subject; the sensitive under experiment. Phenomena, Objective and Subjective: Subjective phenom- ena are such as have no tangible existence; being impres- sions so vivid they seem realities. The suggestions made by the operator on the hypnotized are examples. Object- ive are such as have a real existence, outside the mind. Physical Medium: One who receives manifestations in which physical matter is acted on by force beyond his control. Planchette: An instrument for communicating with the spirit-world. It consists of a thin, heart-shaped piece of wood, mounted on two pantagraph castors, and carrying a pencil for the third point of support. The hand is placed on this, and the pencil writes automatically, or presum- ably by spirit control. Pre-existence: The belief that the spirit is an eternal crea- tion, and enters the physical body at conception to be clothed in flesh. Held by Pythagoras, Plato, Philo, Ori- gen, and in modern times by Kant, Shelling, Dr. Edward Beecher, and the Theosophists. A less accepted theory is that all human spirits were created in the beginning, and at conception one of these spirits joins a physical body. Premonitions: Impressions of coming events, received by though transference from some mortal or spirit. Psychic: One sensitive to psychic influence. A medium must be a psychic, but a psychic may not be a medium. A somnambulist, a mesmeric or hypnotic subject is a psy- chic, the word covering the whole field of sensitiveness, while a medium is one who has that degree of sensi- tiveness which can be controlled by spiritual beings. Psychic Ether: An ether similar to light-ether. Pervading all space, which transmits thought by waves, as the light- ether transmits light. (See Thought- Atmosphere.) Psychic Force: An influence not physical, capable of causing phenomena referred to Spiritualism. The name was given by Prof. Crookes in 1897. Psychic Medium: One receiving communications through the mind or spiritual sensitiveness. Psychic Research: Research by experiment and observation into the phenomena with phenomena which may be con- nected with, another world, or with faculties hitherto un- known. Psychic Science: The science of spirit. The term covers the new field of research, in which actual observation* after A GLOSSARY OF TERMS. 349 £he methods of physical experimentation, takes the place of speculation and metaphysical contention of the old school of psychology. Psychodunamy: A word introduced by Leger as a substitute for mesmerism. Psychograph: An instrument being a modified form of the dial employed by Prof. Robert Hare in his remarkable in- vestigation of the phenomena in the early days of Spirit- ualism. It is formed of a rotating disc, carrying an index over the alphabet. The finger tips of the medium are placed on the disc. In his experiments it gave wonderful results. Psychography: Writing, independent of and without mortal contact, impliedly by spiritual beings; as used by some Italian writers; a writing medium. Psychometry: the name given by Prof. J. R. Buchanan to his discovery that sensitives were influenced without di- rect contact by drugs, minerals, etc., and were able to read the characters of the writers from letters held in the hand or placed on the forehead. This influence has been found to be universal. Psychometrist: One sensitive to such influences. Receptivity: A state of mind favorable to impressions, either the result of passiveness, concentration, or intense atten- tion. Reincarnation: The belief that the spirit passes through suc- cessive births until freed from the rtains of earth by expia- tion; an old belief which has been revived and made a fundamental statement in the teachings of Kardec and his followers. Second Sight: Clairvoyance. Sensitive.. A: One capable of receiving impressions. Sensitiveness: Impressibility; the mental state in which im- pressions are received from other minds. It may be nor- mal, or induced by fatigue, disease, drugs, or may arise in sleep. It may have all degrees of acuteness, from that in which impressions are difficult to distinguish from the nor- mal thought, to independent clairvoyance. It is a quality belonging to all, varying in degree, and capable of culti- vation. Sixth Sense: The capability for spiritual perception; sensi- tiveness ; the state of the hypnotic or psychic. This sense is really composite, being formed of the blended spiritual perceptions more or less awakened. Somnambulism: Sleep-waking, seep-walking. The physical senses are dormant, and the psychic or spiritual senses dominant. Has been used in place of mesmerism or hyp- notism. Somnambulist: One subject to sleep-walking. Soul: In the old division of body, soul, and spirit, soul has no meaning except as one factor of the trinity which was sought to be established. Man is dual — a physical body and a spirit The spirit is the spiritual form or body, with 350 . A GLOSSARY OF TERMS. its accompanying conscious intelligence. If soul means anything it is exactly this, and is synonymous with it. Spirit: The old definition is an imponderable, intangible nothing, capable of thinking and feeling, and God-created, by miracle. The new definition makes it created and sus- tained by law. It is a celestial or spiritual body, originated in and sustained by the physical body, from which it is separated by death, to go forward the same entity, in per- fect and complete continuity of existence. The celestial or spiritual body is composed of attenuated matter, not recognizable by any of the physical senses. It is organ- ized, and has as real an existence amidst spiritual things as it had in mortal life. Spiritism: Often used synonymous with Spiritualism, but really having a widely different meaning. As received by the Latin or Kardec school, it means the acceptance of the doctrine of reincarnation as a cardinal principle. The term has also been used to designate those who demand phenomena as a test, rather than the philosophy of spirit. Spiritist: One who accepts the doctrine of Spiritism; one who seeks and is satisfied with phenomena, rather than the scenes of spirit life. Spiritual ism: The belief in the continuity of life after death, and its continual progress, and the application of this be- lief to the right conduct of living. Modern Spiritualism stands for the supremacy of the law, in the realm of spirit as the physical. The departed are near, and communicate with their earth friends, not by permission but by law. It is the Science of life, and a religion which, inasmuch as it would build up the moral character on the foundations of knowledge, and is satisfied only with the attainment of perfect excellence, is superior to all others. Spiritualist: One who believes in Spiritualism. Subliminal Self: A certain part of our being, conscious and intelligent, into which our ordinary waking state does not rise: the spiritual. Telekinetic: A theory to account for the moving of phys- ical bodies without physical contact, by some unknown force originating in the minds of the sitters, as opposed to the spiritual theory. Telepathy, or Thought Transference: The transmission of thought from one mind to another without tangible or physical means. This occurs without regard to distance, and is referred to waves sent out from one mind to an- other through the psychic ether. Telo-Aesthesia: Clairvoyance. Theosophy: The definition of this term given by H. P. Bla- vatsky is "Wisdom Religion, or Divine Wisdom; the sub- stance and basis of all the world religions and philoso- phies, taught and practiced by a few elect ever since man became a thinking being." To this exceedingly abstract definition must be added the doctrines of reincarnation, the brotherhood, etc., the conjecture of ages long since past A GLOSSARY OF TERMS. 351 Thought-Atmosphere: Same as psychic ether. A thinking being in this atmosphere is a pulsating center of thought- waves, as a luminous body is of waves of light. Trance: When persons fall into a sleep resembling death', in which they may or may not be conscious, it is said they have fallen into a trance. This is not a correct use of the term. If in this state, resembling death, their spiritual perception or sensitiveness is quickened, and they per- ceive thereby, then it may be truly safS they are en- tranced. The trance thus denned is similar to clair- voyance. Transfiguration: Transformed, as when the medium takes on the appearance of the communicating spirit. The ex- pression of the spirit when it transcends the body, as in clairvoyance, and sometimes at the moment of death. Visions: A term of wide meaning. In the sense derived from the Scriptures, a revelation or supernatural appear- ance. The state in which these are received may arise from physical or mental derangement or exhaustion. They may be simple phantasms, or impressions received from other intelligences. Zoether: Neur-aura, nervous fluid. Supposed to hold the same relation to spirit that the ether of gravitation does to matter. r oy .4°* o > » ^ ^SkX ***&.* AsSiX / '- ^ a$ >«* * v<» .0 » « * <>-» Deacidified using the Bookkeeper proces Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide Treatment Date: Nov. 2004 PreservationTechnologie A WORLD LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVATIG 1 1 1 Thomson Park Drive Cranberry Township, PA 16066 (724)779-2111 J?-* ^^xr/in^ > .">t- " /