Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-08-04
CURIOUS CLASS OF PHENOMENA.
Serious Attention Given to ''Mesmeric,' 81
"Psychicar" and "Spiritistic."

Serious Attention Given to ''Mesmeric,"
"Psychicar' and "Spiritistic."
A notable feature of the tendencies of
scientific thought to-day is the serious at
tenticn given to the class Of phenomena
known as "mesmeric," 'psychicar and .spir-
itistic." Where formerly those concerned
in these matters were chiefly ignorant,
superstitious, credulous and of ill balanced
minds, it appears that intelligent people are
more and more giving their attention to
them, with the growing conviction that
there is, after all, something in them" and
that, amid great deal of deception, there
remain facts which cannot be explained by
any accepted laws Investigators have
hitherto had to pursue their researches in
the face of much prejudice, it having been
considered disreputable to have any thing to
do with such matters
Even men of the highest standing in sci
ence and Of unimpeachable character, like
Alfred Russell Wallace, Baron Won Reich
enbach and Professors Crookes and ZoIlner,
who began their Investigations in the skep-
tical spirit which is the nrst requisite, were
prosecuted and maligned by many OF their
fellow-scientists for the conclusions which
they reached Then the London Dialectic
society appointed a committee of investiga-
ton, but when report corroborating the
actually of such phenomena was presented,
the society refused to receive it Then, in
the beginning Of 1882, the English Society
for Psychical Research was formed with the
aim of approaching the various problems
involved without pre- judice or progression
of any kind, and in the same spirit of exact
and unimpassioned inquiry which has ena-
bled science to solve SO many problems once
not less obscure nor less holly debated The
society, which included many of the most
eminent men in England, accumulated
great mass of evidence concerning thought
transference, or mind reading" apparitions,
etc.
This fact was the occasion for the forma-
ton, at meeting held in Boston in 1884, of
the American Society for Psychical Re-
search, the founders of which felt that the
evidence published by the English society
was Of a measure not to he ignored by si-
entihc men. Following the methods pur
sued by other scientific observations, which,
when published, Immediately invite many
careful students to the work of corrobora-
ton or disproof, tine American society felt |
that there was a duty OF Systematically |
repeating observations similar to those |
made in England with a view to confirm
A1S lhclH IL uuo, dHu uoHHiteiy pointing
out the sources of error in them if false /
The American society, which has been |
quietly at work for something ike a year,
has already attained considerable men,
bership, and finds widespread interest in
the sub ect. The object of the society is
briefly de ned to be the systematic study |
of the laws of mental action" The officers
include leading men of science in various
parts of the country, and other eminent
gentlemen interested in the subject. They
all shades of opinion, some be-
lieving, Others disbelieving, while others
are Indifferent to, the existence OF so-cailed
psy chical laws.-Boston Herald