, 1873-12-21
LITERATURE,

| 1SHH, AMI EFtECTH. IfIE pIELOEt1lfEY AND FuE.
NoMENA Gn1rloALr:r ExAM1NEp. BY DTEn p. LuM.
philadelphia: j. i: Lpplleott Il Go. Chlcagu !:
JanRen, Mcg1nrg Il Co.
The author aoomB 10 hayo mailo himself prao.
tcally mud thoroughly nc1ualntca will, .spirltu.
AllHm," or "spirtlBnl." nj ho oalls IT, In alt
It's phases. Not only did fe attoud circles "
anl "aeancos " almost without number, but
l,o atudied tho history Of 1t as reveulca
| to iii by tho most learned mon Of tho
past, and llo gives great variety OF quo.
tations aud fncts from them, illustrating tho
lifforont phnaos 1t haa assumed In anciont and
modern timca. Tho frat lla!f Of tho book ia de-
a,nning tho protendod revelations Of tue spirits
Of departed statesmen anl HagoB, ho concludos
chapter Us follows:
sasngo mud primitive in itH forms Of thought iguo-
rant and inbccilo IN s conccpon Of uniformity in
ar59Hsn s II Ea IN df M
tnferoneca therefron, and contcnrtlbe and ridiculous
n a varil contributions to ssientiao knowledge, spir-
ttlsln Btads Justly charged with being, 1n every sense
| Of tho tcrm unsc1cntiRc.
| The noxt chapter is devoted to tho unphilo-
Hop!,icnl character Of its tonohinga. We quote
| thc conclusion reachod:
T., srirsn though claiming d, % to be as yst hut child
~ 1 % na 1 III G anti
When It ia critically examined, wa discorn It to be
strictly IN besrowsd clothing Snd betr,yin4 by q
polythciao conceptions Of ancient arcecc Koinc and
pcrs!a, than With lilo analytic philosophy Of our tay;
aud hence Notwithstanding Its high protenBlons un-
| philosophical anu gross indts tcaclings.
| Wo need scarcely add tlat this conclusion Is
| reachcd aftor full and very elaborate collcc-
| ton OF historical facts. and comparison Of
them with tho claims Of modern spiritua11sm.
THO second and 'argor pnrt OF tho book ia
Hcntod by it's votarea. Mental arrangement,
| noh1nambuEisn1, tile Wttchcraft-dousion, mental
eridomicB,. the unconscious action OF tic bran
uro all elaborntely discussed. Unlor tho head
Of A[outal Telographing aud PreviBion," lo
comedies aome yory curious qualtioa to the
| human mind. Ho aays TINT ssIdons arc COM
nlunicated from mind to mind without tho con-
soious use Of tho phyacal organa OF sight, henr-
ln, or Speech" 1Io illustrates this as follows:
| II know worthy gentleman who was peculiarly
| susceptible to mental i,npreBatons, frequently
forotelling tho arrival Of guests, however unex-
neotod their coming lind been; mud OF moro than
dun was moditating d descent on the house."
Al immensely convcnienE quality, especially for
those whose financial affairs are always liable
to bring Oh ut any moment tho ''criaia" " OF
Droama and prcsentimcnts aro discussed with
Honle very curious illustrations, and tho author
seems to admit TINT they sometimes arc the real
! foreshndowings of actual evonts soon to follow.
lfo says that ho himself could onco describe
eharacteristIcs :" Of persons unknown to
him, by holding lock of their hair
in his hands, He was once ina room where,
many years before, thore Ind bcen.a funeral,
q tho circumstances Of which ho knew nothing.
He Bays: gavo nn accurate description Of
tho grouping Of the guests, the location OF tho
re,nains. tho position Of the officiating clergy
man, aud various other particulars. law tliils
described, in he presence Of thei'' friends, por-
SONS long dead, and who wcro ontiroIy unknown
to me" Iion ho was ablo to do thiB, ho did not
know,-iu fact, knew as little about itaa any ono
elso.
These phenomena aro about tho Same AS those
t'Hzea tailng anothors hand, hoa DeI' 1Brou1
could read or tell what was going on in thatt
others mind: Tor instance. person might; hide
was, would lead tho person directly to It. This
lio did score Of times Mt little social gathering
in this city. The whole party wero thoroughly
convinced that tlore wns no sham about it. Ho
did just what ho protested to do, bnt he asserted
Ills cntiro ignorance as to how ho did it. Friends
assure rs that other persons havo told what was
going On In thor minds without personal con-
tact For instance, they would, think
'spiritist" would give the namo &C.
curately, and describe tho person. But, as soon
~ lhe conversation was reported from tue spirit
claimed to DO present; it was evidently guess
worl: md hNubug.
The facts given by the author, and nil tint
havo come undcr our own observation, show that
tho persons possessing the apparently -surcr1,at-
ural gift Of nd-rcading can simply tell what
you arc thinking about. They know only what
you know. The moment you ask for the FUTURE
or for tho unknown, they are rs ignorant us any
ono. Into tho darkness tlat In before ua no oyo
is permitted to see; no mind can today grasp
tho mysteries OF tomorrow.
The author also admits that Solid substances
may bo sot III motion without muscular oxortoa
or poraonal contact, and. in obedience to nh OK
pressed dosiro from poraonB present, will movo
III required direction" THUS he lndoraes tho
whole supposed nAmomona of tabIe-moying,
which lie profeases b Anve aeon himself rnuny
11lsnos, and which also was proved by tho inves-
tigntions of n highly scientific committee who
were appointed to investigate it: "Tablo-rap-
p!nga" gro .,ial also conceded; but they are Of no
tho admitted faets of 1nind-roatling thatis, thoy
We havo ainoa to give some Of tue o tsachinss
Of Mr.. Lum's book; not to indorso then,, OK
cept those which arc quoted from tho first lalf
Of it. It will add much to tho knowledge Of
most OF those WHO rcad it, and, as an attempt to
giyo us factH on the obscure and unimportant
subject Of which it treats, thopublic should givo
it cor1inl welcome.