Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-04
Scientist Thinks the Subject
a Good One
FOR THE GOVERN MENT
Efforts TO HAVE CAREFUL IN
VEsTIGATION MADE.
Report Along Lines of English Re
search uggested-Rather a
Queer Undertaking.

1.-THE phenomena of ghosts, phantasms,
etc. should undoubtedly be made the sub
feet of careful government study. SAID
scientist of high stan' ing who had eeeh
talking to a Star reporter ror a long time
of the faint, shadowy images that appear
now and then to the imaginative and I'M
ina ginative.
NO. | couldn't let you use my name
now" he went on. because if l did it
might spoil the efforts l am directing to-
ward having higher officials make care
ful investigation and report. along the lines
of English researches, of these myS1ic
things that few know anything about.
Many people would deride me and say thdt
n man of so little intellect as myself should
he allowed to stay in the service OF The
government OF course that would not be
so bad, but l want to keep everything IN
the dark until have pushed the subject TO
the fullest extent with my superiors. l be-
lieve in the end | Will finally secure sane
ton for official agents to begin the queer
est investigation ever made by the govern
ment, but one promising the greatest en-
nghtenment to mankind and the clearing
UP of one of the greatest mysteries re-
manning unSolved-
we may be impregnated to the fullest
extent with the modern day cynicism and
skeptcism until proudly boast that
there are such things as ghosts, no ap-
partitions and never will be. But three
fourths of the men and women who make
these boasts privately feel that there is
within some unknown power of the
mind or soul that enables most weird
things to take place. They can't explain,
don't attempt to explain. and in public meet
these facts with deriSive laughter. Much of
this is due to complete ignorance of the
wide study of mental phenomena. l don
believe there is man woman in the
world who has given anything like earnest
study to the reputable publications relating
to psychological problems who will not
frankly admit that there are many uneX-
planned things in the field of appartions
and speCters. Why should the government
spend millions of dollars in educating peo-
pie along other lines and make no effort
to furnish them with light this subject,
which is nearer to the soul than any other?
Demonstrated Every Day.
The phenomena of spiritism mesmer-
ism, hypnotism. telepathy, are demon
strated every day to the eyes of the most
practical people. and nothing is done to
furnish corrections of the many ignorant
and absurd ideas that prevail these
subjects. Few men doubt that all of
these things are daily practced but that
which is not applicable to the average
man is nothing but the ina gination of a
weaker man mentally That is the way
they figure it all out, and they go along
satisfied. Isn't there reason for the ex-
istence of these phenomena? If So why
that men and women will not be made
fools of and played upon by the mys-
ticism that surrounds most of them?
Why is there not some basis for intelii
gent explanation of these things and
why shouldn't people know what the
basis of this explanation is? OF course, it
must be admitted that few students OF
the phenomena have come to an agree
ment, but there are some sensible Scien-
lists who have studied it all, and who
have reached conclusions that are worthy
of dissemination if the government
should care to undertake enlightenment
Webster says that ghost is the dis
embodied soul or spirit of man, but my
Investigations all tend to prove that the
soul of man never stalked over spots of
the earth at any time in history in spirit
form have been developing for
years the facts in cases of all the ghost
stories | have been able to hear of, and L
have had some marvellous experiences,
too marvellous to attempt to go into in
detail My conclusion is absolute that
the soul of man never came back to earth
after his body ceased to exist. l am sat
isied. though. that there is within the
mentality of every man and woman a
power which. developed under certain
emotions, renders it possible for the pro-
lection of a phantom to whoever is de-
sired to be reached by that person.
don't refer now to the strange things
that take place between the living either
close together or far apart, but mean to
deal wholly with the apparitions that
fOllOW death under certain conditions.
Right here. | want to ask. did you ever
hear of a ghost where the death of a per-
son had been quiet and in the natural
way? Have you not noticed that ghosts
are produced after some unusual or hor-
rifylng death-followfng some tragic in
tense moment in the life of one person
or the lives of several? Make an investi-
cation and you will find that this is So
This is due entirely to the fact that at
the supreme moment in the tragedy the
undevelOped mental power of the person
in distress rises to its purposes. The
person is being murdered in horrible
manner. He wants the world to know it,
and concentrates the mysterious func-
lions of the mind so sharply on a desire
to expose the whole thing in some way
that the scene is reproduced in ghostIy
apparition. 1t remains on the spot to
tell the tale 10 whoever is most interest
ed. And / want to tell you that my
study of ghosts is that where one origi-
mated under circumstances of the kind
describe it has never disappeared fully
until the object of its creation is ac-
CompliShed.
Truth Shown by Research.
Research OF the most careful kinds into
the great ghost stories of the world for
thousands Of years shows this to be true
When the murderer has been brought to
justice the ghost disappears. Or il you
tear up change the locality in which the
crime was committed 1t will disappear be-
cause this disarrauges the scene. The soul
Of the person is not there. II is merely an