Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1908-04-04
SPIRiTiSM.

Why should a dead mans spirit in abb
normal union with living mans body
possess more knowledge than a living
mans spirit in normal union with his
own body2 Why should we expect
that spirit to possess any more knowl
edge than our own spirit possesses?
We should not, for it does not and
cannot. l used to believe such was
the case and was ever ready with the
argument that the disembodied spirit
is no longer subject to natural law.
That was merely an assertion without
single prop to-rsustain it. Every
thing and everybody is subject to nat
ural law. There is no other; there is
nothing supernatural, except in the
sense of law in realms beyond our
knowledge.
The Origin of the Messages.
SuppOSing a medium gives informa-
ton concerning some transaction dur
ing the earthly career of one now
dead; and said transaction not OBJ
jectively known by the one consulting
the medium. What does it argue?
Does the so-calied message come from
a departed spirit? An honest medium
will say so, and an honest medium
will think SO in consequence of the
auto-suggestions that all information
is from the departed. But what are
the facts? 1t does not now come from
the dead but it came from the dead
when the one now dead was living. All
this is explainable by telepathy.
Inasmuch as telepathy is a faculty
belonging exclusively to the subjective
mind, this information, previously to
the death of the departed, was uncon-
sciously communicated to the subject
i've mind of the sitter (the one consult
ing the medium), but was never ele-
waited above the threshold of his nor
NAL consciousness and in all prob
ability would never have become
known to the sitter had he not come in
touch with a psychic (mediun9.
How did the psychic get it? Tele-
pathically from the sitter; not from
the dead but from the living.
In the same way the sitter is told of
the death of a friend, possibly tragic
| death, of which he had no objective
| knowledge. The psychic reveals to
him the minutest detail, claiming, of
| course, that the messages are from his
dead friend when, in reality, he (the
psychic) is merely receiving, telepath-
| ically, the information lying latent in
| the subjective mind of the sitter.
ically from his dying friend-at the
| very moment of the tragedy.
OF the $50 cases cited in "Phantasms
| of the Living" large proportion of
| the cases were of such a nature as to
| furnish unmistakab1e evidence that
| dying persons make an effort to in
| form their relatives and friends of
| their condition, especially if there is
any object to be gained by so doing.
| These messages lie latent in the sub
| jective consciousness of the sitter I'M
til they are revealed by a psychic.
This is what is known as '.telepathy
| by three" 1t has been ably handled
| by DIR. Hudson in his thorough treatise,
The Evolution of the Soul The
| question hinges on this: Can informa-
ton GEOGRAPHICALLY received be tele-
| pathically transmitted to a third per-
/ son?
IF it can says DR.. Hudson, spirit
| ism, as a scientific proposition, has not
a leg to stand upon; for not case has
Tyet been recorded that cannot be tele-
pathically explained if that simple
| proposition is true. If it is not true,
there must be a valid answer to the
| proposition; but that answer has never
been attempted otherwise than by the
~
it is carrying telepathy too far On
the other hand, if the proposition is
| true, spiritism, considered as scien-
tific proposition, is disposed Of
Mediums, or Psychics.
What constitutes a psychic? One
who can reach the content of the sub
jective mind of another.
Is it gift? Yes, and is susceptible
of great cultivation
Is it a desirable gift to cultivate!
Not unless one wishes to make 1t q
profession.
Is it a desirable profession? No;
because the power is purchased at q
very great cost-the weakening of the
objective faculties. This. however, is
not so much the case where the
psychic realizes that the information
IS received, GEOGRAPHICALLY, and has
nothing whatever to do with departed
spirits.
While perfectly healthful persons
may pass into the psychic condition
the fact remains that the habitual in
diligence will invariably result in some
form of nervous arrangement and dis
| ease
mo one" says DIR. Hudson, can be
come a good psychic until a nervou!
arrangement has been induced. Tn,
| best psychics are those whose nervou.
| systems are completely shattered; ant
| the degree of psychic power attainabl,
| by anyone is in exact proportion to ths
| intensity of the nervous arrangement