The San Francisco call., 1906-05-27

SEQ ,JEL. TO the well read book
Science and a Future Life" by Pro-
fessor James H. Hyslop, formerly pro-
fessor Of ethics and logic in Columbia
University. is his new work. "Enigmas
of Psychical Research, which is
dedicated TO a friend whose faith re-
ouires no science for IS protection.
" The book, however. to those
who do need science for the protection
of their faith will be of more use than
10 the class designated by the dedica-
ton whose faith in future life does
not wait on the results of the investiga-
tiOns of the Society for Psychical
Research. That the author has respect
for those vino trust in the old faith is
manifest from the kindness of his dedi-
cation, but that the bent OF his, own
mind is TO put his trust mainly in such
things as can be verified by strictly
scientific methods is manifest from these
words OF his preface: Science has OBJ
tained the mantle and heritage Of re-
ligion for the education and direction
OF human belief, and the sooner il takes
Up its duties in that field the more inn
portant its message TO man."
Hyslop's former work was a summary
Of the phenomena of telepathy and ap-
partitions This new one goes over the
whole field of the supernormaL In ad-
dition TO telepathy and apparitions he
treats of crystal gazing, clairvoyance,
dreams, premonitions and mediumistic
phenomena. Among these wonders his
old subject of telepathy seems still to
appeal 10 him as the one of chief inter
est. He says that the residual phenomena
OF telepathy and apparitions today may
conceal as important conclusions for
mans development as ever came from
the study OF electricity and steam. And
he
limitations which the evidence supports,
must involve cosmic processes far be-
yOnd anything that the ordinary mate
Tialism has imagined, and is the largest
conception that science ever offered TO
the speculative intellect for its exercise
II We should add TO telepathy a pro-
cess involving clairvoyance, Fremont
ton. and the existence of discarnate
spirits. we shall have extended our
knowledge Of the cosmos far beyond
anything that physical science has
done"
The examples of supernormal ex-
periences which Hyslop uses for illustra-
ton Of his opinions are old ones, and
for this deliberate selection of these he
has good reason. He wishes TO fix the
attention of his readers on such ex-
periences as have received the careful
scrutiny OF scientific minds which are
expert in examining the evidence for re-
ports Of happenings that claim, or seem.
10 be supernormaL The professor makes
no insistence on there being a future
lfe-that is stin left a matter OF faith
rather than Of scientific demonstrate
lie does not tell Of these numerous su-
pernornal experiences for the purpose of
proof Of a transcendental world but as
evidence Of something that needs fur
ther investigation. Yet, although he
tries 10 be conservative. he does not
blink the fact that this age has started
on an excited hunt for a new world
That this new world, when discovered
VIII prove far more important find
than was Columbus revelation of the
half Of the world unknown to his con-
temporaries few viii doubt
A quite large portion OF the book is
taken UP with q relation Of supernormal
incidents. or at least happenings that
are so extraordinary that at the present
stage OF our knowledge some supernor-
mai cause seems the most reasonable
way 10 account for them. 1t is wise
70 mass these incidents, for we NAV
hesitate about giving credence TO isolated
happenings Of this class-the chance of
mistake, fraud, coincidence or some error
OF record IS too great-but we cannot so
easily escape the force of a large collec-
uoh OF incidents, especially when so very
many OF these refer to crucial CASES and
have such credentials as would affect
jury in murder case"
Fifty pages of the work are devoted to
me subject Of crystal gazing
telling Of how ancient is its his
tory and giving some modern ex-
per1ments which are quite wonderful. The
results Of this crystal gazing are divided
INTO three classes: such as are evidently
nesurrections OF past experiences; such as
are VISION pictures caused by mere fancy.
and, third and most important those
whlch are Of supernormal character.
Among the remarkable experiences of This
third class are two which came TO a ladv
VINO was testing crystal vision and MAX
ing notes about her results under tbe
direction of Professor Hyslop. In one
VISION she saw cemetery with which she
had been familiar in the past. but as She
saw u IN the crystal il was different be-
yond the gate from what it had been as
she had known il. Several weeks later
she saw vision in the crystal Of a man
proppeo up in bed by a pillow and irving
70 write. Some six months later the ladv /
visited her old home and went to see the
cemetery. She was surprised to find there
were changes IN II just such as she had
seen in the vision induced by the crystal
gazing. About the time she saw the other
vision her brother had been very III and
was propped up in bed trying to write.
and his friends had been thinking of his
possible burial in this cemetery that the |
crystal vision showed
In mentioning such incidents as these
psychic research uses the word ''super |
normal rather thaln 'supernatural" 10 |
distinguish merely that the facts are not
explicable in the ordinary way. The in
cidents in crystal gazing appear TO show
supernormal acquisition OF knowledge. |
and the fact is used as evidence of the /
possibility Of much more besides, and 4
these crystal visions and similar phenom-
enR bring US 20 1.-The forced admission |
that we have not yet made the mysteries |
OF mind as clear as preceding generations
supposed.
Ihe study OF supernornal dreams shows /
the majority of them relate TO critical in I
cloents-mostly TO serious illness or death /
and from this fact they gain an extra
ordinary interest The knowledge thus
obtained in dream life of friends at a
great distance seems rather 10 result from
direct connection between living minds
than TO come from the agency Of discar-
nate spirits. A number of cases are given
by the author of intelligence received in
dreams Of some far-of1 friend or relative l
which are so convincing of some super L
normal conveyance of information that to /