Rocky Ford enterprise., 1909-03-12
SCIENCE OF SPOOKS.
Entertainingly Elucidated by DR..
Bancroft. Psychologist.

bancroft, fSyClOlOSlSt-
The last number in the list of the
Epworth League Lecture Course OF
entertainments this year was little
late in coming, but proved a good
one when it did come. Though dis
appointed in the regular and adver-
t.sed engagement the management
was fortunate in securing for substi-
tute DR.. George Bancroft, a psychol-
cgist OF some note for a lecture OIL
"Spooks."
The Doctor was accompanied and
assisted in the entertainment OF his
audience by Miss Lillian Lewis, who
dough not specifically introduced to
the audience as his wife, was Incl
denrally alluded to as such. She is
a sweet and unassuming little woman
who contributes a pleasing and .un-
pretentious musical prelude or does
a BIT of Swedish dialect recital with
charming naivete.
DR.. Bancroft was announced as
lecturer who would expose the arts
of the spiritualistic and clairvoyant
charlatans, and he did so by expound-
ing the latest, most up-to-date dcduc-
tions regarding psychic phenomena
as they are presented by that well
known organization for the explosion
of hoodoos-the Society of Psychi
cal Research. The Doctors premise
was that there was nothing supernat-
ural under the sun. That all genuine
spirit manifestation was performed
in accord with n natural and uniform
law which demonstrated that man
is possessed OF a dual mind-two dis
tinct mental entities manifesting
themselves thru one body. and call
cd BY scientific students OF the phe
nomena the Objective and the Sub
jective mind The first OF these is
the universally observed and obscrv-
ing operations of mentality exercised
bv the organ known as the brain. 1t
carries with it the operation of the
reasoning power of deduction and in
duction. The Subjective mind is
such stuff as dreams are made of"
identity which manifcsts itself only
when the Objective is off duty.> 1t
works in what are called the "un-
conscious" moments of our human
existence. and, according to the Doc
tor. continues an identity apart from
and independent of the physical or
ganization that lodges it while the
Objective mind is in evidence. He
called it "the Soul"
II all this exposed any Of the
tricks" done by the pro ssicna! in
Inmates with spookdom il was only
bv va of dctr ening the mystifying
processes of the average mind" in
the ardicnce. which alouc with the
Doctor himself. is probably still as
much III the dark in regard t1 some
th'rgs that happen as th,v are when
they take refuge in the cxplars,ion
Of "uietery."
The lecturer told of some very
creepy" stories of the Subjective"
mind. toming under his own pcrsc nal
observation and investigation, and for
Tie most OF the time the attention os
his audience was as keen as that of a
grCcp of children gathered in the
chimney corner listening to the recit-
al of "real ghost Stories"
The only practical application like
ly to be utilized by the Doctors aud
itors was a recipe given the girls
for fastening the decisions of slow
and uncertain lovers. The theory of
mental suggestion was elucidated and
some illustrations of how it might
be used were seriously and humor-
ously presented. Not a few of the
wives and husbands present were at
once set to specializing on the possi-
geilc better and worse halves by the
application of the Doctors methods.
If there is a marked Improvement in
the behavior of Rocky Ford gentle
men and ladies in the next few weeks
the reasonable deduction will be that
the Epowrth League lecture course
brought us something more efica-
cious than New Year resolutions.