The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-08-16
PROBLEMS OF the OCCULT.

PROBLEMS OF THE OCCULT.
A PROPOS OF unaccountble Impressions
~ mysterious dreams and second sight,
desired to seek light in an ecclesias-
tical quarter and ventured into the strong
hold OF the church. In the interests Of
those who, like the ancient Greeks, love
life. and loving 1t, wish to have it perpetu-
ated after death, I asked this question of
the bishop coauJutor of the Episcopal do
cese:
Bishop Anderson, have you ever person.
ally encountered the supernatural?
Although not q Yankee, the bishop imme-
diately responded to my question by an
other:
What do you mean by the super
natural?" Then, without waiting for an
answer: I'VE are all full of the super
natural. should possibly at this moment
be In the penitentiary-so might yOu-were
1t not for the supernatural in us. That
which Is above the natural is supernatural.
Our vices are natural. Our virtues. graces
and accomplishments are supernatural
God within u.s.
but. bishop. did you ever see or hear
anything unaccountable. something that
might be looked on in the light of a mira
cle?"
1.-The world is full of miracles-life itself
is great miracle, seen from >-.e stand
point of the ordinary intelligence" said the
learned and distinguished prelate thought
fully.
He was next asked with respectful per-
sistence If he had ever Investigated the
phenomena of the occult or ever seen any
apparition. or heard any mystical voice in
command or warning.
Il have not" the answer was emphatic,
NOR do believe that any healthy normal
person ever sees visions or hears mysteri-
GUS voices. That which the credulous claim
to be occult is often a fiction of the imagi-
nation or comes from the subjective mind.
For instance: I knew a man who told me
he was entering an old building when he
distinctly heard his mothers voice saying:
John! John! If you go in there you will
be AIDED
He had scarcely stepped back on hearing
the warning when the building collapsed.
My own theory is that at some .Ame in his
past life he had heard his mother use those
words In reference to some other danger,
and they had lain dormant in his mind
until in connection with some thought of
fear they had reasserted the warning
The bishop was asked If that enort of
the subjective mind would not be as won-
derful as If the mothers voice ad actually
addressed her son from infinitude.
mo. because by my theory the possible
miracle becomes merely coincidence gov
erned by natural laws, unusual, but actual.
The account of an ignorant servant girl
who, when ILL., forgot her own dialect and
quoted classic phrases in Hebrew, inter-
ested tne whole world. as a direct NANTES
tation from the spirits. But 1t was soon
discovered that she had lived in the family
of learned rabbi, and the pnrases she
used were those which she had heard him
repeat many times. They sank into her
subjective mind and were reproduced in
her illness, although when she was well
she could not remember lelter or word
Of the Hebrew language.
-
Inc seeing and hearing delusions." con
tinued Bishop Anderson, ARE we'll illus
trated by the victim Of delirium tremens.
He sees snakes-tO him they are very real
hears horrid cries, all the result of q
wrecked nervous system. Many persons
imagine that they have had warnings in
the shape of presentiments of coming
death, and they help to bring about the
calamity they dread by a contributory neg
ligence of mind. 1t is a matter to be
looked upon with sympathy and not with
derision, and it Is not in any sense super
natural"
Fevers bring delirium, strange sights and
sounds. The illusions are so natural that
fighting them is harder often than con-
quering the disease. To the patent figures
in pictures on the wall will take on the
semblance of life, changing place with each
| other, even speaking aloud, thus furnish
ing two decisions of fearfully realistic
power.
The bleeding picture of Menominee,
which has been retired from puDAc view on
| a doubt by priestly investigators that it
| was a miracle. has excited great comment
| and speculation as to supernatural powers.
A trick of the atmosphere may be ac-
| countable. or the vagaries of an artists
| conception.
But the disappointment when we find our
visions based on hard scientific facts is a
cruel one. 1t is like that of the explorer
who, believing he has sighted the north
pole, finds he has only entered on the de-
batable seas of mariners who preceded him.
him.
The writer once sojourned in an English
town. at an inn where a traveller lay sick
unto death. In his fever and delirium his
constant cry was: There's Major Pep
perell again! He's playing tattoo on his
door knocker! Won't some one let him
in?"
This was repeated day and night, until
the voluntary watchers at the sick man s
bedside were worn out with the monoto-
nous reiteration. but when the sick man re-
covered he knew nothing of 1t, had never
heard of Major Pepperell in his life. and
even doubted that he had experienced any
such hallucination. He was an entire
stranger to his surroundings, having never
been in that part of the country before.
Now comes in the sorcery of the incident,
unexplained and unexplainable. There had
been a Major Pepperell and he had lived In
a house directly across from the inn. There
was also a brass knocker upon his door.
and the major. being of a very irascible ma
ture. would rap a devils tattoo on it while
waiting to be admitted.
But at the time of the sick mans de.
fusion the major had been dead ten years
the inn people had only lived in the town
six months and. as I took care to assure
myself in the cause of physical research
had never heard of him or his peculiari.
ties. The description of the major, as given
to the sick man at the time of his vista
ton was identical with his living appear.
ance even to the green coat he wore.