The Green Forest tribune., 1908-03-27
SPIRITS M.

| Splill Ol one WHO mas passed over? Why should 8 dead mans spirit in ab- normal union with a living mans body possess more knowledge than a living mans spirit in normal union with his own body? Why should we expect thst 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 disemboded spirit is TO longer subject to natural law. That was merely an assertion without Q single prop to sustain 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 Messaqes
 Supposing a medium gives informa- tion concerning some transaction dur ing the earthly career of one now dead; and said transaction not ob- jectively known by the one consulting the medium. What does it argue? Does the so-called 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? It 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 uneon- sclously communicated to the subject i've mind of the sitter (the one consult ing the medium), but was never ele- vated 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 psychic (medium).
 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 a 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 How did the sitter get it? Telepath- ically from his dying friend-at the very moment of the tragedy.
 Of the s30 cases cited in "Phantasms of the Living" large proportion of the cases were of such a nature as to l furnish unmistakable 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 jective consciousness of the sitter un- til they are revealed by psychic.
 This is what is known as 'telepathy by three." It has been ably handled by Dr. Hudson in his thorough treatise, The Evolution of the Soul" The question hinges on this: Can informa- tion 'telepathically received be tele- pathically transmitted to third per son?
 If it can," says Dr. Hudson, spirit ism, as scientific proposition, has not leg to stand upon; for not case has yet been recorded that cannot be tele- pathically explained if that simple proposition is true. If it is not true, there must be valid answer to the proposition; but that answer has never been attempted otherwise than by the bare assertion, without argument, that it is carrying telepathy too far On the other hand, if the proposition is true, spiritism, considered as a scien- tific proposition, is disposed of" Mediums, or Psychics. What constitutes a psychic? One jective mind of another.
 Is it a gift? Yes, and is susceptible of great cultivation.
 Is it desirable gift to cultivate? Not unless one wishes to make it a profession.
 Is it desirable profession? No; because the power is purchased at 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, telepathically, 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- duIgence will invariably result in some form of nervous Arrangement and dis ease.
 No one,' says Dr. Hudson, "can be- come good psychic until nervous Arrangement has been induced. The best psychics are those whose nervous systems are completely shattered and the degree of psychic power attainable by anyone is in exact. proportion to the intensity Of the nervous Arrangement"
 When the idea is once implanted in the mind that the communications are from the spirits of the dead, that dom- inant idea soon takes possession of the ones so deluded that they lose all interest in the everyday affairs of life, read no books (eXcept on spiritism) read no papers, do not keep abreast of the times and when questioned as to the reason, invariably say, "Oh, they tell me all I ought to know" Who are they? Why, my guides, of course
 Men and women who expend their vitality in the cultivation of the sub jective faculties are comparatively worthless in the practical, everyday