Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-02-03
DUPLEX PERSONALITY.
The Results of Dr. Elliott Coues' Obserya-
tons of Mrs Piper's Case.

date on the already famous case OF Mrs Piper
of Boston, which has been thoroughly investi-
gated by the psychical researchers both of this
country and of England. The printed report
of the London society, now before me. covers
several hundred pages and goes into the most
minute detail. The facts in the case are estab-
hshed beyond question, and the scientists are
now busy with their explanation. can per-
sonally vouch for the reliability of the report,
having myself investigated Mrs. Piper in Bos-
ton some years ago. 1 have hitherto written
nothing for print upon the subject because /
promised my friend. DIR. HodgsOn, secretary of
the American branch Of the Psychical Society.
through whom / had the means Of knowing
Mrs Piper, that would not anticipate the re-
suits of his own systematic and protTacted in
yestigatiOns. Now that these are published
they confirm my own impressions of this par
ticular case and tend to the strong support of
those more general views upon such topics
which have often given TO The STAR and other
papers.
THE JLKYIL-HYDE SMILE.
The Jekyll-Hyde simile which The STAR uses
in illustration of the duplex personality Of
Mrs. Piper and '.Dr. Phinuit," is sufficiently
happy TO give a fair idea of the case. OF
course in the novel of that name the points are
all exaggerated and to some extent distorted
for the dramatic purposes of legitimate fiction.
But the underlying principle is the same IN THAT
fiction as that now established rs a scientific
fact. / have maintained for Years. and often
published NV conviction. that we are not the
single individual which our personality appears
to the world to be- but that there Is in US rs a
part of us-and the most essential part of
by far-a different and distinct individual of
which we are ourselves but seldom and dirnly
conscious. and which Is still more rarely shown
to those about US. Our physical and mental
personality. by which we are each of us known
10 be such and such and thus recognized by
osh - pna ING II alvV ,fTf ont
sometimes very different. from real and
true seifhOod-that literally individual ego
that Il am + of the philosophers. In orr cut
ward personality and IN our conscious intel
lectual life We may be bat bundle Of notions.
more or less unreal acquired BY sensation and
perception III our course through this life.
while Our inward individuality may remain but
little affected. If affected at all, by our sur
rOundines and experiences One of the most
profoundly Significant facts of human nature to
me is this that most of us live ana lie in
comparative If not In absolute ignorance Of our
real selves In some rare mOments-iu some
dTeamS-in some crises which Violently n.Ove
Us the true self NAY assert itself to such degree
that IT Is recognized for what il really is. 1t
obtrudes upon our natural intellect Is and DOM
mate, them for the time; the threshold of con-
sciDusness Is shifted for the moment the men
tal horizon Is extended. and III the new per-
spectiye We catch a Slimpse-it may be but a
dim and hay SliInpse-Of that which truly
are That Is an extension of consciousness by
which. IN other words, we ''see ourselves
not at all according TO the trite simile-..as
others ste Us. but as the soul sees the transient
personality she has acquired by her expert
enees in the flesh.
OUR TWO NATURES.
As have said, our two natures. the psychi-
cal and the physical, are normally so adjusted
that they appear AS one. both to ourselves and
~ others But it is fact tha. some persons
aze not thus adjusted. or are capable. at times,
under some circumstances. Of being thrown out
Cf such adj istlaent, 80 that their duplex per-
sonality becomes obvious TO others if not to
themselves. anu each individuality NAV in turn
be manifested in ordinary talking and acting.
1t Is curious fact that neither of the individu-
alities knows tine other one. under these circuui-
stances When, for example, Mrs. Piper is
herself that Is, the person we know her to
be under ordinary conditiors-shc knows moth
ing Of DIR. Phinuit but what she learns from
u.s. When she Is DIR. Phinuit' he knows
Mrs Piper well enough. but there is not then
am Mrs. Piper in the person SO called. In
passing from the one 10 the other person
that Is. in entering and in leaving the trance
state-the two Characters are mixed and OBJ
scured In every degree, but the distinction is
complete and perfect between the normal Piper
Consciousness and the abnormal Pniniit con-
seiousness-that IL, Mrs. Piper's othe- self,
which. under these peeuli < conditions, comes
TO the front, usurps the mind and controls the
body of the normal Mrs. Piper.
DELUDED BY HER DOUBLE.
do not suppose or admit for an instant that
the Phinuit consciousness is another individual
that he is, as he claims. the ghost of a dead
French doctor. who enters into and takes DOS
session OF Mrs Plpers person. That he pro-
claims and strictly maintains himself 70 be
such Is nothing 80 the point. Nor Ii it any,
thing against Mrs. Piper's established good
faith ana honesty that she NAV believe him to
be such when she is in her normal mind or
that when she is him she Is foolish or tricky
or gwen to putting on airs, assuming super
natural sources of information and proclaim
ing her him self to be in direct communica-
ton with the spheres supernal whence he
brings messages to the living from the spirits
OF the dead. In all the long, patient and care
fully planned experiments which have been
trled with Mrs DIR. Piper-Phinuit nothing has
been discovered OF his tor herr sources and
means Of information that may not safely be
explained by the known facts of telepathy or
thought-transferenee- That il to saw DR.
ihinuit knows nothing but what he is able TO
extract from those who interview him in the per-
son of Mrs.Piper. He picks their brains 10 use
common expression, and l. often very adroit
IN fishing for such information. But the most
CURIOUS thing about it IL, he is able 10 get at
things which are not consciously present in
the mind OF the sitter at the time. For
example: In the year 1850 perhaps fell
down and raised bump on INV head which
somebody attended to for me; and DIR. Phinuit
should inform me of the fact and even give tine
name Of the person (now dead, say) who ;ied
up my bruise- That would seem startling
enough. and might pass for message from an
ldentlfled deceased relative at first sight But
II Is obvious, on second thought that must
have known OF the accident myself that it must
have made an impression upon me az the time
that In the course OF years became wholly OBJ
liberated from nv normal consciousness-that
Is to say, forgotten; but which, nevertheless
had never been effaced from nv other and
deeper consciousness. but Law hidden and dor
mant there during the forty years. and which
could be at any time hshed up ont of nv sub
consciousness by the subcOusciousness of an
other person brought into telepathic rapport.
That such. in general terms, Is the true ex-
planationSf the actual facts have no doubt
The application Of similar principles enables US
to see our way pretty clearly into some OF the
most obscure phenomena of mental and
psychicai activities as those concerned in the
production Of clairvoyance. clairaudienee and
the like, including the whole range OF the
matters commonly called hypnotic or mesnerie
and those still more startling manifestations
known as phantasms of the living astral bodies
and the like.
Verify OF THE PHENOMENA.
The STAR will bear witness that for several
years have steadily maintaine in public as in
private the actual verify OF these strange phe-
nOmena as facts in nature capable of legitimate
selenilne investigation and reasonable expiana-
ton- IHE STAR may also not feel disposed 10
deny that have generally received more kicks
than half pence for my pains in bringing such
rYO to- alff-ss -