The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-03-07
The Noted Man Arraigned
for Scientific HereSy.
Exploitation OF Thought Traas-
Wrought by Suggestion.
Literary Digest.)

AA+ANNaeAA% EeGN'rrt
It was hardly TO - expected that
the passages in Sir William Crookes'
recent presidential address before the
British Association. IN which he re-
iterates his belief in th0usht-tTans-
ference and similar phenomena. should
pass unnoticed. Sir Williams position
on these matters has long been known.
and therefore most OF his scientific
brethren. while not agreeing with HIM.
have not thought IL incumbent upon
them 20 testify 10 their uabelief. But
the editor OF AppletOn's Popular /
Science Monthly cannot forbeSr from
lifting his voice against what he be- ]
lieves TO be scientific heTesy. and in n
leading editorial entitled a Doubtful
Appendix TO Science he holds the dis
tinguished chemist up to ridicuie. He
says:
lit is really only necessary to read
the concluding portion OF Professor
Crooke's address to see that he Is deal
ing not with science but with crude
imaginations. He says that 'cOnfirma-
ton OF telepathic phenomena Is af-
forded by many conversing expert
ments.' but especially by the sub
conscious workings OF the mind when
these are brought into conscious sur
vey' There Is really 10 meaning IN
this How can any survey be other
than conscious And what is there In
IL. "A
adapted to prove that impressions can
he made upon the mind otherwise than
through the recognized channels OF
sense? The patient experimentation
OF the Society for Psychical Research
is probing sublimiual processes and
learning lessons OF alternating per
sonalities and abnormal states There
is no objection IN the world TO all that;
but It would take more than an alter
mating personality or an abnormal
state to enable n mind to gather knowI-
edge from another mind without the
intermediation OF ineligible signs. \
sick man may act in a very singular
way. but his sickness does not enable
= him to transcend The ordinary power.
of humanity.
The eminent professor speaks OF th'
\ cures wrought by suggestion hyp
notism): but seeing that the suEEes
\ lions are made by ineligible signs
verbal or other. Wa find no support her,
4 for the telepathic hypothesis. We real
n " gather from the professors remarks
that while great many persons-som
L OF high intelligence and OF recognize.
n position in the scientific or philosupht
n cal world-have been potseriug ava!
r M this matter of telepathy and othe
O. phases of spir!tualism for = great man.
= years. things are 10 all intents and pur
: poses just as they were before all thss
L. laborious researches began. This Is no
> just the way the professor puts &C.; hi
words are: y formidable range a
: phenomena must be scientifically SITE
20 before we effeCtually grasp u faculty =
: strange. so bewildeTing, and for age
so insCrutable as the direct action q
mind on mind Sometimes the Tcaso
'; why thing Is inscrutabie is becaus
I, it isn't so; and that. We suspect.
&C the explanation in the present case
5: One hypothesis which the profesSo
puts forward is simple to the last dC
gree. II IS that the molecular actto
:, ing through IL. Is taken up by the eths
- and communicated to another brain !
- which il awakens similar thought
But the question we ask ct once
' why this wireless telegraphy bctwee
\ brain and brain is not going on .
~ the time. and why we are all not drive
crazy by the everlasting Intrusion
b., other peoples thoughts? II this Is n
= process. why should neighborins brair
. he skipped. and the effect be produce
= upon one particular brain hundred
= perhaps thousands. OF miles away?
20 1t is henCeforth open TO science
Al says Sir William Cruokes. to tr1nsceu
or all We now think we know IL matte
or and to gain glimpses OF 2 profound,
in scheme OF Cosmic law We really
a not know when % was not open
- science 10 do this IL 10 could: and =
N do not see that the telCplthists au
re lother denominations OF spirttualis
"A have IN any appreciable manner IN
NJ proved the situation as regards q
he probability OF the thing being don
a. They have contributed floods OF IA
an and tons upon tons OF printed matte
and have worked thousands OF Poop
- into variOusly grewsome conditions
mind: but IL any one can point TO
III single distinct advance In scientific th
ius oIE uuS 10 lAetE ptcu4laE uletAe't-s
can only say that We do not know VII
IL Is. Professor Crookes has been u
Rs OF the foremost scientific workers
his day; and We find Il hard 20 belle
m that he can be under any illusion
to the futillty OF the efforts OF Q
Spiritualist school. At the same tis
he is entitled 10 the utmost frccdc
OF thought and utterance; and II
believes there IS still hope OF importa
gains TO humanity from the side
- spiritualism. he Is justified in hold
IN his position: and while We may hi
Il l. "a -