The Worthington advance., 1882-10-05
BRAIN WAVES.
An Attempt to Account for Ghosts
Illusions, Prescntiments, Etc.


Illusions, Prescntiments, Etc.
London Daily News.
Believers in ''brain-waves "and in the
class of phenomena which the term
"brain-waves" is intended to explain,
will be interested in a ''strange incident"
reported from Plymouth. 1t is said that
on Tuesday evening young man called
upon the editor of the Western Daily
Mercury and asked if any kilograms had
been received which gave the names of
Englishmen killed on that day in Alexan-
dria. No news Of the sort had been
sent to the Office Of the journal. The in
quirer seems to have explained the rea-
son for his visit to the editor; at all
events his reason, as now given, was this:
The mother and wife of petty officer
named Remington, then serving with the
fleet at Alexandria, had been alarmed,
as they sat working in their house by
hearing Revington's voice three times
call "Mother." This they regarded Us a
"warning." On Wednesday the warn
ing" was shown to have been no false
;ntimation, for the friends of Remington
received u telegram from the admiralty
to announce that the petty officer was
shot in the streets OF Alexandria on
Tuesday. Granting that there was a
petty officer named Remington, that he
was shot on Tuesday, that no news of
this death reached England until We'd
nesday, and thatthe warning" had been
testified to on Tuesday, this is certainly
very remarkable example of a COM
mon kind Of story. But to grant all the
premises which we have enumerated is
to grant a good deal. The new Psyche
society, or whatever the new society
calls itself, which investigates spirit
rapping and explores haunted houses
may send commissioners to cross exam
inc Revington's relations and the editor
they will probably find that the evidence
is by this time hopeless knot, and by
no means in state to 20 to O Jury.
That is the worst Of all cases in which
the superintendent sh0wsa wing, horn,-
or h00f. The imagination of every one.
concerned, even of the absolute sceptic.
getsexcited. Believers invent incidents:
the sceptic himself invents refutations.
and nothing is left that can he called
Trustworthy testimony. If Trustworthy
testimony could be got, however, this
anecdote would have certain advantages
over its peers. Two women heard the
voice. Two witnesses, even when both
are ladies deeply interested in the fate
of distant relative, are better than one
witness, though it is true that an imagin-
alive person 10 easily induced to think he
hears noise which is heard by another
person. Again, the warning" was ap-
parently given at the moment, or near tile
moment of Revington's death. If there
is any jot or title of truth in the count
less tales of wraiths or of airy tongues
thatsyllable mems names, that truth is
likely to be found at the point where all
agree. And they do agree in averrins
that friend impressed his personality
through one sense or another, on some
distant person at the moment of death
or Of anger.
The believers in "brain-waves" seem
to hold that, in moments of mortal dan
ger, mystic telephone or telescope
woaks between the ears and eyes Of
people dear to each other, so that they
can see and hear what is hidden from
others. But this is rather a statement
Of the supposed facts than an explana-
ton of them. In what substance does
the "wave" of the brain work, and
how does it find just the right brain to
touch at the other end of the world?
The theory has been applied to phenom-
ena of Thought reading" much
more easily explained az the re-
suit of collusion. Again, how does the
theory deal with cases, common enough,
in which people see relatives or friends
not really present; regard the vision as
Q warning" and then find that no one
was in any danger, and that there was
nothing TO be warned about? In the
life Of Plotinus, We read that the sage
suddenly appeared to pupil in re-
mote place who was meditating suicide.
This was . useful warming" but the
chief authentic feature of most "warn-
ing" is their uselessnees. They can
hardly outrun the speed of telegraph
and telephone, and, whatever their val
ue in pre.scientific lines warnings" are
superduous. But it would be too hasty
to accept the definition that - brain.
wa.e is the verbal explanation Of
'ecientst' for phenomenon whose exis-
tence he has not established, and in
which hs ought not to believe"