The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-05-22
PsYCHICAL RESEARCH.

The death Of Nine. Blayatsky has revived
the controversy over theoSophy, and will
probably have the effect Of stimulating the
formation Of societies for psychieal re-
search. It is said that one such society is
likely to be organized in this city. On the
one hand, that large section Of cultured
people in whom the Imagination predomi-
mates over the reason still cling to the no.
ton that Nine. Blayatsky was an inspired
seeress, or modern reproduction Of the
Witch of EndOr; on the other, persons of
more robust mind make no secret of their
belief that the late leader of the theOso-
phists was nothing more nor less than an
= impostOr, who pretended to communicate
with the spirits, and carried on the business
for the sake Of the money she made by it,
Nine. Blayatsky only differed from the
itinerant mesmeriSts, biologists and spirit
Tappers whom we see from time 10 time in
this country in the accident that she was a
woman OF rank and station, and had filed
confidential political posts. To those who
attended Eer seances when she first lOOmed
up as a high-pTiestess Of the0sophy she ap-
peared to be an extremely smart juggleT,
who was not only familiar with tie tricks
Of Robert Houdin and his followers, but
had mastered the science of magic as prac-
ticed by the Indian juggIers. She could aD-
Rarently do nothing that Hermann could
9ot do. But unlike Hermann, she did not
Slain that her results were attained by
seight Of hand and chemical devices; she
slsisted that she was indebted for them to
She actual interpOsitiOn Of spirits with
whom she was in communication.
So many people were drawn to her
seances, and the belief in her pretended
science became so widespread. that men of
learning combined to investigate the pre-
tended phenomena which she exhibited. A
society for psychcal research was organ
tied, ''to inquire into that large group of
debatable phenomena designated by such
terms as mesmerc, psychical and spiritual
istic." This was in England, in 1885 1t
divided itself into committees, one of which
undertook each particular branch Of the in
quiTy. One committee took Nine. BiaYatsky
in hand, and exploded her pretended spir-
itualism most thoroughly. 1t said in its re-
port that 'the present state of scientific
opinion Throughout the world is not only
hostile to any belief in the possibility of
transmitting a single mental thought ex-
cept through the ordinary channels Of SEN
sation. but, generally speaking it is hostile
to any inquiry upon the matter"
This ought to have finished Nine. Blavat-
sky. But it did not. On the contrary, the
psychical research society advertised her.
Thousands Of people who had not heard of
her before hocked to her rooms. and paid
fee for revelations of the supernatural and
spiritual intercourse with the dead. She
coined money, and lived on the fat of the
land. She left in dying a business which,
with her plant and goodwill, is worth sew
eTal thousands year.
The fact should serve as a lesson to opti-
mists who believe that it is feasible to set linn
Its TO human credulty. In real truth, there is
nothing so absurd that it can be taken for
granted as an absolute proposition that no
body will accept it as an article of faith.
We imagine that we are vastly superior to
those ancestors of ours who hung the witches
refused to march 70 battle on the dav of an
eclipse OF the sun, or predicted the future
from the inspection Of the enkrai!s of crow.
But after all the difference between these
victims of superstition and Nine. Blayatsky's
clients IS only one of degree. Nor are they
the only credulous people OF the day. When
some crazy loon last year foretold the de-
struction Of Oakland by sea wave produced
by an earthquake. numbers of educated and
Otherwise rational people belook themselves