The record-union., 1899-07-12
spiritualism and Flammarion.

Eds. Record Union': Camnille
Flammarion would seem to be a great
man. Because he has a low form of
mediumship, and because he has dis
covered flaw in it's operations, he is
to be allowed to turn the belief of the
civilized world upside-down. There is
not in the civilized world two PROPOSE
tions more upborne by the everyday
experiences of people, ever since the
dawn of history, than there is con-
tinued conscious human existence be-
yond the dissolution of the body, and
communica tions between human spirits
clothed with the body and others not.
Against Cammille Flammarion put the
word of Rev. Minat J. Savage of Bos-
ton, man of nature and by training
from constant contact with people much
better fitted for accurate observation
and judgment than Mr.. Flammarion,
who in special, paid for and printed
article declared he was not well fitted
for an investigator and judge of phe-
nomena, put Mr.. Savage's opinion that
to-suggestion or any other form of
denial of continued conscious human
existence beyond the dissolution of the
body will not explain much of the phe-
nomena which he has witnessed. Mr..
Savage has printed a book to that eff
feet. So much for eminent authorities.
But the most convincing thing to
common people is the experience COM
mon to nearly all mankind, and that,
extending through thousands of years,
is all against Mr.. Flammarion 1t is
scarcely possible to get together ten
average non-believing but trained and
fair-minded people, their converse ton
directed to that subject, without the
production of a number Of experiences
from each not susceptible of explana-
ton by the auto-suggestion of the
French second-rate astronomer and
1rst-rate romancer in a certain field.
Those interested on this line may well
read Agrippa's Magic and other COL
lections of knowledge on the subject
Unconscious or trance mediumship,
which, by dispatches is what Mr..
Flammarion seems to have thought he
had, is one Of the lowest in the grade
Of development, increase of conscious
ness on the part of the medium mark
ing ascent in the scale of DEVELOPMENT
1t is doubtful If more than one of a
hundred who read the various items
and editorials about Flammarion will
have clearly limited idea of what
they understand by the term "auto-
suggestion" My understanding of it is
that the thing which the auto-sugges-
ZIONIST is to impress upon his own mind
in the hypnotic sleep or even in wake
fulness must be decided upon before
the act of impressing it is entered
upon.
1t is also fact clearly taught amona
those who understand the phenomena
of the soul, that the communication
sought to be given by a disembodied
human being through the person of an
other is subject to the danger of being
more or less changed by the personal
ity of the person through whom it is
given. If we desire to get a realizins ?
sense of this we have only to try to
send a message to one person by an
other, by word Of mouth. Mr.. FIam-
marion, having strong notions in as
tronomy himself, may have uncon-
sciously modified the communication
somewhat.
By the way, it would be interesting
to know just what Mr. Flammarion
said, anyway. 1t might prove self-ex-
planatory. A SPIRITUAIIST