The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-28
The Curious Views Held by Recently-De-
ceased Methodist Clergyman as to the
Separation ofthe Soul and Body.
The Enormous Profits of MIR. Sharpe's
New Horse-Car Line on Broadway.
Sensational Discovery Concerning Safe-De-
posit Vaults-President Cleveland In
terfering in New York Politics.


The Theory Of the Late DIR. whedon-How
the Soul Separates from the Body.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.
NEW YORK. June 27.-Spiri tualism has new
hobby, and one which seems likely 10 DO heard
of beyond the limits Of outright spiritualists
That venerable and famous Methodist, the Rev.
Or. d. d. Whedon, had, shortly before his DEATH
evolved a curious theory as to specters. His
idea simply expressed was that the entire nerv-
Gus system in human being, not the contents
of the Uranium alone, constituted the mind
Therefore, the ramifcations of the nerves, form
ing in themselves shape conforming exactly to
that Of the whole figure, made the soul of man.
just like his body, so far as CONFORMATION was
concerned. He had in his study a fine chart
of the nervous system, and this he would use in
illustrating his views to his friends. He be-
lieved that at death this contour and sembance
of the dead body separated itself and became
the eternal form of the spirit visible to its fell
lows, and under some conditions to terrestrial
folks. DR.. Whedon was profound thinker, and
his mental powers showed no diminution UP to
the day Of his demise. His works are standard in
doctrinal matters pertaining to Mcthodism, and
for years he had edited Methodist periodicals;
but this theory of the souls shape was considered
a speculative vagary, in which his serious cre-
dence was doubted by his friends. He published
part of it awhile before he died. but stated it
rather as fancy than a fact.
In Whedon's posthumous papers has been found
a complete exposition Of his discovery-as he
deemed it. Therein he describes how the soul
gets out Of The body, Emerging upward" he
says, 'the spirit awakes into the pure ether-a
blessed atmosphere. This paradisaic ether is an
efduence from the divine essence, and the enamel
pated soul battles, swlms, lives in its own genial
and native element Paradise thus pervades
our air above and around us, and at death the
spirit enters thereinto as through veil" He goes
on in somewhat rhapsodical style until reach
ing conclusion that apparitions are casual
gimpses of the beings of this closeby but usually
invisible world. Even the resurrected body of
Christ" he says. walked through the solid wall
of the house, and first revealed itself to his dis
ciples at the table" He calls these beings
angeloids, and argues that they
leave behind them in the discarded
corpse, the baser attributes. But he is clear in
his belief that the senses of sight, smell, hearing
and so forth, remain in the angeloid. He has
left many articles calculating his doctrine. and
setting forth its beauties They are in the pos
session of his executors, who may suppress them
but two or three of the most important of them
have fallen into the hands of those who have al
ready spoken freely Of their contents. Already
one has been read to an assemblage of spiritual
lists.
The pertinency Of Whedon's theory to modern
spiritualism lies in its harmony with the alleged
phenomena of naturalization. 1t is has been
promptly seized upon by several of the profession
al mediums, and in some of this weeks seances
forms in semblance COMFORTING with the condi-
tons of his angeloids have been shown to as
founded disciples