River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1908-04-09
SPIRITISM.
The Physical Phenomena.

All the physical phenomena of spir-
itism can be accounted for on the
ground that living man possesses, in
herentIy, the power to produce them.
The power resides within the medium
and is, in no way, connected with or
influenced by an outside agency. 1t is
power belonging exclusively to the
subjective mind and has been well
named by Prof. Cowes, who evidently
coined the word-"te likinesis" -from
the combination of "telepathy" and
"kinetic."
'The only thing that can be said of
this power with certainty" says DR..
Hudson, lis that it exists; that it is
not a power of the objective mind ;
that it is a power of the human soul,
and that it is valuable in this life only
as an evidence that there is a kinetic
force resident in the soul There is no
valid evidence whatever that disem-
bodied spirits either do or can produce
the phenomena of telikinesis."
1t is that power which, in spiritistic
circles, produces raps upon floor, walls
and furniture; levitates the medium
tits tables and sometimes causes the
most orderly and dignifed parIor
furniture to "cut fantastic tricks be-
fore high heaven"
But of what use is all this? Is it
all trickery? / am frank to confess
that it may be legitimately done and
may serve a purpose, but fully agree
with DR.. Hudson and others that the
power is inherent.
1t is a noticeable fact that mediums
are seldom developed in more than
one method or means of communica-
ton. Those that give verbal messages,
whether in the trance or semi-trance
state, rarely resort to the physical
means of communication.
Surely power that can levitate pom
derable objects can cause the raps that
are distinctly heard and can move the
pencil in the automatic slate writing
When circled around a table it is the
custom for one person to act as spokes-
man; the established code of signals
Is agreed upon. The questions are
asked and If the answers come from
raps heard upon the table or elsewhere
the power that produces them is the
kinetic force of which [ have spoken;
the intelligence, if such, coming from
the same source-the subjective mind
containing the information.
If the answers are received by the
fitting of the table, it is not kinetic
energy but. an unconscious muscular
action of the one whose subjective
mind holds the information; all others
yielding to the stronger movement
mo intelligent answer is ever given
unless the knowledge or information
is in the subjective mind of someone
present-although4 they may have no
objective knowledge of the same.)
Automatic slate writing may be gen
uine. 1t is possible to receive mes
sages in that manner and have the as.
surance that every possible chance of
fraud has been eliminated. But l
must repeat over and over again that
these messages are not from the dead
You may even receive a message Tor
information), the writing of which is
a perfect fac smile of that of one who
is dead. But that information and the
knowledge of the style of writing, etc..
must be in the subjective mind of
someone present. 1t is GEOGRAPHICALLY
transmitted to the subjective mind of
the medium and from him emanates
this unseen, unfelt, kinetic energy that
moves the pencil. All of this may be
done without physical contact with
either the slate or pencil. The me-
dunn, if genuine psychic, will inform
you that this is all due to the departed
spirit that sent the message and he
Cor she) firmly believes that both the
transmission of thought and the trans
mission of energy came from the same
source. They did, but not that to
which he ascribes it.
These are instances wherein I go
back to one of the strongest planks in
my platform, viz. l believe in the al
legged phenomena but not in the alleged
cause.
This is case, probably, in which
the searcher for light and truth finds
it more difficult to understand the ex
PLANTATION than the thing explained:
while the believer in spiritism finds it
much easier to believe that which he
ardently desires to be true.
But, you may be curious to know
how power resident within Won a
power of which so little is known. can
move with such delicacy an object so
small as the smallest bit of pencil
and that same power to move, with
ease. some ponderable object or OBJ
tects.
How? / cannot say, nor can anyone
But | do say that l see no need of at
tributing any power to the dead that
is inherent in the living. And further,
l know that the power exists, as 1 have
both observed and experienced it. l
shall give, herewith, two cases in my
own experience in which there could
be no possible fraud because there was
no medium connected Herewith.
acknowledge that l do so with some
degree of hesitancy because the two
incidents are so unusual; besides, facts
stated in cold print lack the convinc-
ing power that accompanies the indi-
vldual presentation.
mad charge of 40 French Canadian
expert fishermen whom had taken to
the mouth of Saginaw river, but a
snort distance from Saginaw bay. Ere
the ice moved out / had occasion,
many times, to cross and recross the