Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1877-02-08
SPIRlTUALlSM ANALYZED.


given lately by DR.. Carpenter, the phys
biological psychologist, are worthy of
closer attention than the mere report
In the English papers will gain for
them. His book on Mental Physiolo-
gy' has already thrown so much light
ON what is real and what is charlata1rv
in the phenomena OF Spiritualism that
his latest investigations and reflections
should find more permanent means of
circulation, 40 that those Of Us who are
not on the ground TO hear from him may
read and he enlightened. 1t is in such
field as that which modern Spiritual
ism offers that the science OF psy chology
which the positive spirit has driven
into the background is to not only to re-
cover its old footing but is to reappe ar
with increased, and what Is still better,
with increasing, influence. We are in
period Of extremes. Just as in the
age of scholastici>m the forms ofthought
drove the matter OF though; into the
background, so now the means OF men
fal action have been so brought toward
a. so diminish mental action itself as an
object of Investigation. Ii is by these
extremes that the advance OF science
is accomplished. ScholasticIsm pa
raded nothings, but gave valuable and
immortal distinctions. Msterialism has
ailegedly evaporated what psychologists
once called mind. but in this extremity
has told us OF otprocesses in the cerebrum
and nervous system which lead US away
from the old isolated position to an en-
inenCe where we have broader vie W
OF psychical facts. Spir,tualism, by its
ab>urdites, is drawing attention to GER
tain things that are not absurd. and the
attendance OF men like DIR. Carpenter
and the President of the English Psy-
Geological Society, Sergeant Cox, at
seances, is an evidence not OF credulity
nor superstitious curiosity, but Of iu-
dicial spirit in science which is furthest
removed from prejudice and the surest
guide to lasting success.
Extreme materialists look with dread
at too close an investigation Of these
abnormal phenomena. The path which
Carpenter opened when he ranked the
explanation OF table-rapping and mes
merism and supersensual visions above
the exposition Of iugglery and trickery
has shown that there is a spirit power
even il there is no spirit world. The
assertion that there is a spirit power
has no affinity with the maintenance of
the idea that spirits may roll tables
about and read sealed letters and write
ungrammatically. The one is an an
tithesis OF the other. The word 'ma-
tcrialization, which oil mediums use.
intensities the antithesis. lf spirit is
anything its essence is thought, and an
ethereal, transparent apparition has no
more necessary connection with what
is meant by "spirit' in the corrects sense
OF the word than nitrogen gas has. II
Is not so much TO be sought how the
medium produces the phenomena as
how the minds OF sober. sometimes OF
scePtical, people are made capable Of
delusion. A man sees the face OF
friend long since dead. No scientific
mind which pays attention to the law
OF cause and effect and the uniformity
Of nature believes for an instant that the
friend is there or that his spirit is lurk-
ing IN sosue corner Of the room 10 spring
into mems vision as talking shadow.
But the scientific problem In related 10
the spectators subjective state which
renders him capable OF being deceived.
The explication Of the external cause
OF the deception is simply process OF
keen ingenuity such rs one might car
~ on in discovering the secret of Hou-
dies or Heller's performances. The
question rises TO a scientific level only
in connection with the explanation OF
how the deceived man came to be de.
ceived. This is purely psychological.
Table turning and tricks like Planchette.
when the uninitiated is a participant
and the so-called medium a victim of
the delusion, belong to another and
more complicated field. Physiology
comes into use. aud the science OF the
nervous centres and reflex action, which
IL advancing rapsd,y now for TIE first
time, has much TO say in this respect.
DR.. Carpenters great central theory
is that OF the dominant idea" With
out entering at length into the Discus
sion OF TINS, shalt merely mention one
OF two OF the ways in whsch il NAV BE-
viewed-psrtly ~ II has alresdy been
viewed by DE-. Carpenter. partly as il
may be viewed in the present possibil-
tiles Of scieace. The .'dominant idea"
10 not 60 complicated matter as its
name might inaicate. Abstractly speak
ing. i Is amply the presence in the mind
Of an idea 30 strong that j, ia6ue ences