The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-08-19
OTHER WORLD MESSAGES.

OTHER WORLD MESSAGES.
A good many people have undoubt-
edly been reading with exceptional in
terest an article on messages from the
other world contributed to the August
Harper's by Sir Oliver Lodge. an Eng
fish scientist of great distinction who
has long been interested in matters of
psychical research. Sir Oliver, in this
article. virtually states his belief that
psychical research investigation has
produced evidence Of communication
with the other world which, when it
is perfected, will come pretty close to
proving the truth of such messages
What Sir Oliver Lodge has to say
deals rather with methods than with
researches. The really great stumbling
block Is in the matter of identity, as
in many cases which seem to be con-
vincing of messages as coming from a
personality known on earth. and ap-
parently the same personality on the
other side of the grave. may be ex-
planned by telepathy. How is such
identity to be proved? BY "cross-cor-
respondence" says Sir Oliver, and he
explains:
10, lhC
reception of part of a message
through one medium and part through
another-is good evidence Of one in
telligence dominating both automa-
fists. And If the message is charac-
teristic of some one particular deceas-
ed person. and is received through
people to whom he was not intimately
known. then it is fair proof of the con-
tinued intellectual activity of that per-
sonality."
1t is very evident that If the person
who has passed away sends half a
message through one medium and the
other half of the same message
through another medium, the two not
knowing each other and perhaps be-
ing separated by even the Atlantic
ocean, and If such use of "cross-cor-
respondence" is proved conclusively to
any fairminded persons as an actual
fact. it would be pretty difficult for
even the most skeptical of skeptics to
deny that the person sending such
message did live and that he was
sending such a message. Most peo-
pie, however, will wait till this con-
vincing testimony has been submitted
to competent investigators before ac-
cepting as possible, or even probable,
the Gross correspondence" possibility
as virtually promised by Sir Oliver
| Lodge.
! Incidentally. the fact that a man
who is as eminent a scientist as Sir
oliver Lodge, with the consent, doubt
less, of other persons of sanity and
eminence in various lines, could Sc
riously put forth, as a possibility of
the near future such proposition as
this. goes to show how strong an
impression has been made by tele-
| pathy-what used to be called spirit
| ualism-on those in whom people
would ordinarily have confidence. Ever
since man developed from the lower
animals. according to one theory, into
the sort of a being of which there is
any history he has been seeking COM
munication with the other world. At
times man has accepted revelations Of
such communications as authentic,
only to have later and more scientific
! investigation set them aside as decep-
tive or Elusive. For this reason it is
the general belief that the secret of
the universe will never be discovered
through anything approaching scien-
tific method. but will be left to realiza-
ton through the spirit of faith. If,
indeed, Sir Oliver Lodge and his fell
low-workers in psychical research are
at last to prove that science and not
faith will reveal the other world, they
will create the most far-reaching revo-
luton imaginable in the general con-
ception of life and of the universe