New-York tribune., 1897-12-22
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
BOOK ON PSYCH1CAL PhESO"f->N

9ErsnE Podmore, N A.. author OF "Apparluo1iiS 1iS
and Thought Transferrence-" octave pp' mo-
c. p. Putnams sons
This work by an erninently cautious or as some
..ngu,ne souls would say. an extremely scepucEl
go ,u1 bove q special attraction for those TO
~born the credentials Of a writer on a perpIexihs
top,o are Of prime importance Mt fooino'e 10 q
oronn.nent member OF the Society TOT tSS0i'OeN ~
Research many Of whose members IN |fe@' pi i'N''
and America men Of such eninence III science
ss TO entitle their labors to high regard !arse
mart Of the matter IN this volume has already ap-
.ared In the publications OF the society, and there
is a large number OF readers to whom II now III ~
becomes available. Professor James OF ffarVao'
recently president Of the society. has hkeneo its
work to that Of a meteorological bureau MAKING
observations IN order TO collect and CLASSIFY the
fscts from which at length induction may attain
20 tho laws controlling them. The ordinary noT OF
feelings thoughts and purposes which forms 'he
continuity OF daily consciousness ID ou- tne
superficial part Of our psyohical being INTO ti'is
there emerge from the subconscous depths OF DO
ing those strange phenomena which are evidence
of unknown powers "deep-seated in our mys'ic
frame" Here belong telepathy, haiucinationA
hypnotic experiences, second sight, clairvoyance
eto Critical investigation In this obscure heio
the task which the Society for Psychical Research
undertook In l82
Tho chapters of this book show what has been
ton has proceeded. viz. the phenomena OF sptritu-
alisrn -Pol.ergestx" or the of hoodlum
pranks. such those Of tho Salem wttchcrat-
Mma Blavstsky and Theosophy. thought trans
ferrcnoe telegraphio hallucinatioas Gncladlns ap-
paritons), ghosts. haunted houses, preTnoniticns
and provisions, secondary consciousness. irnper-
soma tfon obsession and clairvoyance This ned Is
doubtless ono in which charlatarry and imposturs
have aboundcd lim1tlessly. For that very reason
the painstak,ng effort to wash few grains OF
gold from tons Of dirt has been dsparaged by an
q prion dogmatsm especially unworthy o: the sci
entihc men who inveigh against theological dog
uatism- The pooh -pooh argument however, has
failed Professor Henry sidgwicx Of Cambridge.
England. than whom by general consent there Is
no keener cooler critic, declared years ago that
tsepathy had boon established by valid scientific
proof as grsvftation- Professor James. IN his
presidential address year before last. said n SUB
stance thfsi For the thunGerbolt has fallen
and am ready TO that the BELIEF Of the
thodox Psychologist that knowledge Is communi-
GATED only through tina medium OF the senses Il
contred.Gtc2 by established facts
30 far we think the society Is substant tally
unanimous tho opposite side to orthodox
psychologists lfko President Jordan OF Stanford
University. who said last spring that teiepsthy
eludes the touch Of experiment In other linz
their Judgment is divided. Some OF the acutest
critics among them. While admitting a vast amount
Of Illusion and impcsture in Spiritralisn. are dis-
with discarnate spirits have occurred. One recalls
paper 10 this point in The Tribune last year by
Dr. Hodgson. the secretary Of the society Others
probably the majority. dissent from this conclusion
Mr.. Podmore belongs 10 the scepucal wing His
discussion OF one OF these case Chat OF Abraham
Florent.ne" OF Brooklyn. page l2S. which the
other wing lays special stress, seems quite made
Quate after reading the full account OF 1t In no
proceedings Of the society. In general 1t should
be said that one who for full argument
upon the facts leid before the society IN this and
its other provinces should supplement Mr.. Pod
more's views with those presented by others in the
proceedings notably by those Of that accomplished
scholar. Mr. Fretsric W. H. Myers
special in,sres, attaches to Ar. Podmore's
chapter Theosophy in view OF the invasion OF
the Western world by Its de.usions in which as
Mr. PodHOre :ays. there appears pleasantly am
biguous blend OF charstsnry and simplicity The
history OF the investigation made In India In
1855 by Or. HodgsoL WON the society dispatched
that mission Is Kuccinctly given, with its acou-
mulsted proofs OF imposture. eliminating in the
confession Of Nine. Blayatsky herself What Ia
one 10 do. when in order 10 rule men Il ia -eces
sary to deceive them Such is the foundation Of
the strange and foreign cult which so well illus
trates how one extreme begets another.-in the re-
coil from the brutishness OF lives devoted to the
almighty dollar into a moro refined but st,l ma
terialisuc interest in astral" bodies capable Of
Journeys through the air and hundreds OF futllra
reincAInauons In the flesh
Lotzs once said that all psychological investie,-
uon conducts one to a question which cannot bs
satisfactorily answered. "Whe; am ~ The may
I'm OF Socratss. Know thyself." is the mott, Of
psychical research That pres.nt psychology
= incomplete hardly any advanced student of /,
viii question. That ;he studies described bv Nv
Podmora have made contribution to our