The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-04-10
PHILOSOPHY OF "SPIRITISM "
The Medium a Mind Reader. According
JO The springfield Bes ubIIcsln.

The Medium a NIRd-Reader. According
JO The springfield Rec ubIIcan.
Acceptance of term does not neces-
sarily imply belief in a theory That
there are and always have been certain
phenomena not explainable on physical
grounds alone few thinking persons will
deny. That they are attributable to
the Influence of departed spirits is y
doctrine to which the rational student
of mental philosophy is less liable to
give credence. Eminent physicians may
contend that Miss FancheT, the Brooklyn
ecstatic," does not possess clarivoyant
powers. She may and she may not. A
condition which is not impossible to
person i'll strong health should hardly be
denied to one in whom, in consequence
of long illness, mind must predo Innate
over matter. A knowledge of anatomy
and drugs does not establish a mans
claim TO precedence in deciding matters
of this kind. One may have q perfect
acquaintance with the physical structure
of the brain, but he is no better qualified
han any other reasoning observer to ex-
plain mental actions. | SIN free to ad-
nit that most mental effects are affected
by physical causes, but sometimes we
find them going beyond. That there is
such q thing as clarivoyance, or mind
reading as some may term it, l aft m.
That true spiritualism exists, l am bound
to deny, since every personal attempt to
fsthom the sO-called mystery hiss results
ed in nOlhing more than bare>taced
nt
period of investigation will serve to IL
lustrste my points.
In preface, let me say, what most
know, that the majority of professional
mediums claim to be controlled by
Indian spirits, and tOr the purpose OF
conveying their Information in a more i'm
pressive manner, emf 10y species OF
iargOn which is only a more corrupt use
of language than person of ordinary in
telligence would adopt in everyday life
AS an assistance in creating impressions,
the reception room is generally darkened
u TACT they strive 10 produce effects
as uncanny as possible, thus preparing
the Credul0us for unquestioning assent
to something very strange at least"
Some time ago, in company with
friend. | visited famous ciairvOyant in
one of our largest cities. She lives in
elegance; talks huently, and with her
whole family claims to believe in spirit
ualism. This was our third visit, and
we were in different disguise every time,
going but once together With aston
ishing accuracy she read my entire lie
III brief, told me the mental and physical
condition of absent friends, even what
some were doing at that very hour, never
once failing in the past or present. but
she was hopelessly wrecked when she
touched upon the future. The main
facts she repeated after the first visit,
giving just enough to prove that she mad
wolk,d meihOdicslly if indeed respon>
siDie, then dismissing the old with the
emaiK that she had told me all that
before She gave names OF friends living
and dead, with personal descriptions,
and further, described accurately some
whom had never known, and the cor
rectness of those pictures ] atterward
proved by applying to those who had
known them. The leading item on
which proposed to test her she gave me
perfectly at the outset and good ma
turedIy referred to my sBepticisn
Through it all she was but twice thrown
of her guard, forgetting then her dialect
and answering me with very human irri
tation rather than spiritual superiority
and foTbearance.
During my friends interview with
her-I waiting meanwhile-a refined,
intellectual and delicate woman was
shown into the back parlOr. The medium,
not having gone under control, came out
to say to her husband that she would
! like him to attend the new conner. A
conversation followed, to which confess
! | listened | was there for information
and felt entitled to all might obtain in
a public way. 1t proved that thi' lady,
a skeptic, having attended one OF the
many seances at this house, had become
convinced of the truth or the theory, and
had for a week been seeing and eonvers
ing with the spirits, and was now willing
to be developed. The husband, burly
man weighing about 200, took her in
charge, and from my corner | discovered
that she was Completely entranced,"
nd WAS abb ut to write 8 communication
from the spirit world, the man st Il con-
trolling by suggestions and msnipula-
tiens. At this point deliberately
walked forward and took my seat SO that
could watch the entire proceeding
Such action was far from pleasing to the
man and to his mother, VINO also was
there. l asked him if she was in trance.
Perfectly so-entirely unconscious. /"
At that moment she opened her eyes,
and then began a violent twitching OF
her arms, which he could lot stop, al
though he for some time attempted to
throw OF the influence At length,
seeing these movements were exhsusting
her, asked permission to try quieting