The Osceola times., 1879-04-12
PHILOSOPHY OF "sPIRITISM :"
The Medi um = Mind.R Header. According
To the springn-ld hep ublican.

y
10 the spring n.ld Eep ublican.
Acceptance of term does not neces~
ssrily imply belief in theory. That
there are and always have been certain
phenome ma not explsinsble on ply sicsl
grounds alone few thinking persons will
deny. That they are attributable TO
the influence of departed spirits is a
doctrine to which the rational student
of mental philosophy is less liable to
give credence. Eminent physicians NAV
contend that Miss Fancher, the Brook lyn
" ecstatic," does not possess clariv0yant
powers. She may and she may not. A
condition which il not impossible TO q
person in strong health should hardly be
denied to one in whom, in consequence
of long illness, mind must predo,Din inste
over matter. A knowiedee of anatomy
and drugs does not establish a man =
claim to precedence in deciding matters
of this kind. One may have a perfect
acquaintance with the physical structure
Of the brain, but he is no better qualified
;han any other reasoning observer to ex-
pisln mental actions / am free to ad-
NIT that most mental eff cts are affected
by phy,ical causes, but sometimes We
find them going beyond. That there is
such thing ss clsrivOyaDce, or mind
reading as some may term it, sff IN
That true spirituslism exists, am bound
to deny, since every pc sonsl attempt to
fsthom the 80. called mystery hiss result,
ed in nothing more than bare>iaced
fraud. One incident OF many in a long
period OF investigation will serve to II.
lustrste my points,
In preface, let me say, what most
know, that the msjofity OF professional
mediums claim TO be controlled by
Indian spirits, and ioI the purpose
conveying their Information in more i'm
pressive manner. emf 10y species
jargon which is only more corrupt use
OF language than person of ordinary in
telligence wou d adopt in every day lie
As an assistance in creating impressions
the reception room is generally dsrkened
fact they strive 10 produce effect
as uncanny rs possible. thus preparing
the credulous for unquestioning assent
to something very strange at least
Some time ago, in company with a
'riend, | visited famous clairvoyan. in
one OF our largest cities. She lives in
elegance, talks huently, and with her
whole family claims to believe in spirit
uslism. This WAS our third visit and
we were in different Disguise every time,
going buI once together. With aston
ishing accuracy she read my entire lite
iu 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 had
worked methodicslly if indeed respon,
sible, then dismissing the old with the
remark that she had told me all that
before. She gave names OF friends living
and dead, with personal descriptions
aud further, described accurately come
whom | had never known, and the cor
rectDess of those pictures J aiterward
proved by applying to those who had
known them. The leading item on
which l proposed to test her she gave me
perfectly at the outset and good na,
turedIy referred to my skepticisn
Through it all she was but twice thrown
of her guard, forgetting then her dialect
and answering me- with very human irri
tstion rather than spiritual superiority
and forbearance.
During my friends interview with
her-I waiting mesnwhile-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 weuld
like him to attend the new conner. A
conversation followed, to which confess
| listened. / was there for information
and felt entitled to sill | might obtain in
public way. It proved that thi, lady,
skeptic, having attended one of the
many seances at this house, had become
convinced of the truth Of the theory, aud
had for week been seeing and eonvers
ing with the spirits, and was now willing
to be developed. The 4band, a bnrly
man weighing about 2VJ, took her il
charge, and from my corner ! discovered