River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1908-04-02
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imaginary dead person as readily as
from one who actually lived providing,
of course, that the medium is not
aware Of the facts. I believe, as I
shall hereinafter endeavor to prove,
that the power IS not from an ex-
traneous source. but is inherent.
2. Science is knowledge of facts
and forces. A scientific investigation
reveals the fact that man possesses in.
herently the power to produce or re.
produce every phenomenon of spirit.
ism; therefore it is unnecessary and
unscientific to seek elsewhere for the
source Of power.
3. Back of the manifestation there
is, unquestionably, an intelligence
presumably that of the medium. This
statement should be accepted until the
contrary can be proved. l do not mean
the objective intelligence of the me-
dunn, but that knowledge which has
passed, GEOGRAPHICALLY or otherwise,
into the subjective mind
4. Communications, all communica-
lions given by mediums are purported
70 be from the spirits of the dead.
Proof, however, is wanting. No me-
dunn can communicate matter which
is at once capable of yerification if
that matter is unknown to any living
mind. Therefore, as telepathy cannot
be eliminated, and as it is the factor
in every so-called message, it is not
necessary to ascribe to spirits of the
dead (disembodied) the knowledge
which is in the subjective mind of the
living, embodied spirit.
5. While many spirit mediums are
honest it must be admitted that, as
class, they are not noted for their brill
liant, intellectual attainments; there
fore, the easier self-deceived. Now
and then an educated man or woman
accepts spiritism, in toto-the more's
the pity, but few of them ever become
mediums.
The majority of mediums are not
only ignorant but neurotic; and the
more so, the better condition for me-
diumship,-the more abnormal. To be-
come professional medium it is
necessary to become effectively pas
sive at command; in other words, to
"let co. of the objective mind. This is
not a difficult thing for mediums to do
as the average medium has so little to
'let CO. of.
Verbal Messages.
When you go to a medium and you
are told why you came, you may think
it strange, especially if it is your first
experience.
If you have written some questions
and they are answered correctly with
out having been seen by the medium
or having been written on a padded
block, you may think it still more
strange unless, perhaps, you are wis
enough to attribute it to thought
transference.
But when the medium tells you OF
something which you "have never told
a living SOUL" then you are astonished.
But when she Ct say "she," because
"she" is in the majority tells you
something you were not thinking of at
the time or something you had forgot
ten, you are amazed at her wonderful
power.
But when she tells you of something
you never knew (the facts of which
you afterward prove true) you are
then dumfounded and quite ready to
espouse the cause of spiritism.
But wait Has she told you of that
which you never knew? Impossible.
You may have no conscious recollec-
ton of it, but rest assured that no me-
dunn (the most expert in the world)
can give you any information that is
not already in your subjective mind.
Many things find their way into tho
subjective mind without objective con-
seriousness. Add to this the fact that
the subjective mind is the storehouse
of memory and that it's memory is abb
solutely perfect; that everything you
have ever heard or read or seen Or
thought or said is registered therein;
that the medium is in telepathic touch
with your subjective mind and can
delve into that storehouse and bring
forth those long buried thoughts; that
she gets them directly from your own
embodied spirit and not from the dis
embodied spirit of one who previously
lived.
Copyright, 1907, by Joseph B. Bowles)