The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-04-03

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Electricity a.a the so.,-A New Venture
lato the Field Of High Metaphysics.
TO TIE EDITOR OF TEE suN-Sr: There is
more In the great realm Of electricity than
mechanical force At recent lecture in the
Brooklyn Institute upon tho subject OF cleo
tricitv as related to the human body an
auditor asked the question. How does cleo
trlcity killf" The speaker answered that 1t
was mystery. but that It was partly psychical
This answer is a great step forward In tho
problem OF life and SOUL It was admitted that
In death by an electric shook there may be no
physical lesion whatever. A few DAYS after
the physicians at the autopsy upon Charles
McIlvain. who had been executed at Sing Sing
by electricity. reported that 1.-The brain was
normal and there was no apparent cause Of
DEATH" It appeared that life had simply
stopped. and no more could be said. Can We
derive from this any advantage in psychology?
We assume that animal life and soul life are
Identical How are they separated from the
body? What and whore Is the mental ego2
Until nearly modern times mankind. with all
its Intelligence. believed the earth was prac-
tically fiat. surrounded by and resting upon
an unknown and indefinite sea. There is to-
day. upon subject OF more importance. a
grand parallel to that shortness OF mental
reach. In our regarding the souls boundaries
with the Same mystery and superstition. and
not taking the first step to INQUIRE what the
soul is. where 1t 10. or whether there is any
scientific proof OF its existence at all after
bodily dissolution. We have failed to call 1t
anything In particular. So far as We think at
all on the subject We fancy about 1t as the an
clients did about the limitloss expanse OF water
floating the world. without inquiry "a to what
supported the water: or We vaguely believe
that 1t is a nothing. an unconditional. abstract
sentence. without form. location. or sub
stance. That idea named soul. upon which
billions Of treasure have been paid for tenn
pies, and about which multitudes Of the most
respectable 81 every age are set aside to teach
their fellow men. has not. up to this time been
proved to be anything other than phenomc-
non Of perishable animality; and 1t is the least
known. although said to be the most precious
OF all things The most learned and exalted
OF human beings-potentate. scholar. saint.
however much they cling to existence hope.
and love. have no idea at all OF the essence or
science OF their own future condition.
II the soul exists after death It must be q
material thing. because there can be no force
that IL not expressed In matter. as we under
stand matter to be- Beside that. the human
mind Is 80 constituted that It cannot conceive
Of q disembodied sentient ego except as an
alterty OF something else. and therefore as
having segregation. location. conflguration.
and space relations like any other matter.
and that It must. therefore. be Of and attached
to some kind OF substance. Does that SUBJ
stance terminate and take form In the human
hody2 II It Ia raised spiritual body. where
does that body como from 2 When q man Is
shocked to death by electricity We find him
remaining perfect animnl organism. with not
the finest tissue ruptured or destroyed. not
n blood corpuscs overturned or changed. notR
cell showing any difference. and yet life with
Ill the awful vastness OF It's meaning. has es-
capped rs instantly and TRANQUILITY as an infant
passinE from awakeness to slumber. What
had that life or mental ego been3 1t was
necessarily In the body. but now II is out OF 1t.
leaving no apparent cause. What particular
organic mart did 1t inhnbitP Tho materialists
and many scientists shy the mental ogo Is only
u mode Of motion OF IN organic structure. aud
that 1t ceases to exist with the cessation OF
bodily action. Right here 1t seems that this
newly Investigated phenomenon Of eleetrle e
execution Is q step toward the solution OF this
"I hut With tho ' same faulty that the physi.
cIsts have called consGioYs4ess m9do o! mo.
ioI they aso cesa @ode
SsS a. ss%
mind md power ean come from motion: Under
tkor theory q fair snsPEsion that thSt l ae
rss' ,a,op. y other meant. II iits q only
mode Az ntt ssre saasu
tion ~. Unless Ills body Is 6utshered By It, But
assuming the electric current to be- real H. m
shsr ssesraIaE RfSIs An. fnd
S 4 + sSR 81 s SSs1 sst ds
.strnnr3',s iiuid or ether. 1880. A..
saiSs 81 Tho cells. Hcrve ages, Ac;, there Is
anns "f ' s:s sy. s%r sc. e tsa ~ wI
subsfnncp lko tho ether. and that It csntans
az na ana S hn a E Ssa tH"t S SS.s Is
item toa SH r. again gal IMPORTANCE
{" null I'll a1 sT. physical f'Psts9 ns. too
And Whit s St,.a e uGS What 'I,p e
chaninll action nnon the molecHlGsY is tnfrs
tho mSlm,iies, that could be the home OF this
~. rlpd, and soul? u residss somewhere IN
f.. "ts S tssaraSh sts system q Inc -" SoaS
contain 10 resident electricity or nervo fluid 70
proved Ivy MAGNETIC phono mona. tho mind nnd
lilo might as VOL innnhit that ether as any
thing else. Xix. tho hpdily elements OF carbon.
ph0sphorous, hydrogen. oxygen. &c,
soul Is a pisce Of Il Attraction. magnetism.
cohesion. electIie!ty. srnyltado9,, force, arc
all an etheyehl God pe1 se. and without figure
0t sDsseh. Mind. Ike energy u IN end Of