The labor world., 1899-07-08
xfTN r. PENROSE. in the absence
of positive proof what do you


of positive proof what do yor
consider the best evidence ol
Immortality?
''It is difficult, Mr.. Williams, to tell
what is best evidence. People
differ in their idea of evidence. Some
people consider that there was pur.
pose .iz the creation of mankind. That
TO make machine for the simple pur
pose of destroying it would be folly
and that to have brought into exist
ence the human family to be annihi
lated would be equal folly
"Another class Of people have beer
di)igent seekers after spirit communi-
cation, have attended many spiritual
seances, and are well satisfied that
they have received intelligence from
departed friends through mediums .
'sThat is true, Doctor, but I am skep'
tical. I am not disposed to accept o1
that which I do not understand.
connot conceive how spirits of the de-
!, parted can make themselves known 10
people on earth.'''
IF we disbelieve. Mr.. Williams, all
we do not understand, we would shut
out much knowledge. With all our
medical information we do not know
the cause of rheumatism, one of the
commonest of diseases. We do not
know anything about the origin of
heat, we are totally ignorant as to
Mhat constitutes the sun, the light.
ning's flash, the falling meteor, or
the Aurora Borealis. On every side we
are surrounded by the. unknowablc.
How are we able to know the. voice of
the person to whom we speak over a
wire a thousand miles away? How
are we able to generate a power, from
ansunseen force in this room, by which
we can light a city, produce the most
intense heat, and move ponderous ma
clnnery many miles away? We are
every minute face to face with that
which we do not understand, and can:
not explain
s.Yes, Doctor, I will admit all that.
hut that does not hinder me from
venting to know. In the first place
/ want to know how it would be pos,
sible for spirit to make itself mani
fest. will grant that we are created
and placed on this earth to begin an
existence that will always continue,
that death is but another birth, that
we know over there what we know on
earth. and that we start there as we
leave off here. We have talked that
over before. You have explained It
and believe it. But how to demon
strate it is the point at which I aim.
By what law can my friend make him
self known to me?" -
s .sThrough the influence, Mr.. VIII
1iams, of one mind acting upon an
other mind, Wes have great variety OF
physical constitution. Some OF these
ere highly susceptible to influence by
others. An eminent physician, named
Mesmer, many years ago demonstrated
that one mind could take control OF
another mind and could will the sub
.iect to see objects and imagine condi-
tions according to the will Of the oper-
aior. Hypnotism is mesmerism under
Il new name, and illustrates the power
Of one mind over another"
s'What has hypnotism to do with
sriritualism, Doctor?" ..-.-
''lt illustrates, Mr.. Williams, how
one mind can control another mind,
the subject being perhaps long way
from the OPERATOR
swell, what of it?''
''Just this, Mr.. Williams: Ii one
mind can control another mind, or a
spirit in the body control the spirit
OF another in the body, the supposi-
ton is that the controlling spirit, hav-
irg passed out of the body and into
spirit life, can return and, through
thc same law by which influence was
effected here, influence the person yet
on earth. the person on earth being;
made to think, talk, sing and act as
the spirit influence shall direct
''What is necessary, Doctor, i'll or'
der to come under the influence oi
the friend from the spirit land?"
ct is necessary that the person be
easily susceptible, to come under the
control of another, as illustrated in
hypnotism, and that the person, tt
receive influence, should become pas
si,c and seek to receive impression
"That is supposed to be the condi-