The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-01-03
Literary Lights and Shadobs
BY S. MAYS BALL


sued a statement in 1882 showing the
spirit in which it had entered into its in
vestigations, the aim which 1t had set be.
fore itself and the methods by which it
was proposed to pursue this aim. That
statement or prospectus contained among
other things, the following:
1T has been widely felt that the present
Is an opportune time for making an or
ganized and systematic attempt to inves-
tigate that large group of debatable phe-
nomena designated by such terms as
mesmeric, psychical and spiritualistic.
From the recorded testimony OF many
competent witnesses, past and present,
including observations recently made by
scientific men of eminence in various
countries, there appears to be amid much
delusion and deception. an important
body of remarkable phenomena. which
are prima facie inexplicable on any gem
orally recognized hypothesis and which,
if incoutestably established, would be of
the highest possible value.
THE task of examining such residual
phenomena has often been undertaken
by individual effort. but never hitherto
by a scientific society organized on a suf-
fciently broad basis
The title which Mr.. Podmore has chosen
for his book. THE Naturalization of the
Supernatural" describes in popular Ian
guage the object aimed at by the Society
of Psychical Research in 1882 and at the
present time. The facts which seemed
inexplicable ION any generally recognized
hypothesis and which if incontestably es-
tablished. would be of the highest posi-
BILE value.' stood and some still stand as
aliens outside the realm of organized
knowledge.
The Society for Psychical Research then
went to work beginning in 1882 and pro-
posed to examine carefully the claims of
any mesmerist. psychist or spirtualist
who might present his or her claims to
be admitted within the pale.
In undertaking this inquiry or study of
claims, the society did not assume to ex
press any opinion beforehand on the
value of the evidence to be examined.
Mr. Podmore says that to ascertain the
facts of any case presented to the Society
for Psychical Research, at whatever cost
to established opinions and prejudices has
been the constant aim of all the workers
associated in this study. Mr.. Podmore
says
"If some of our Investigations have re-
suited in the detection of imposture, the
discovery of unsupported fallacies of
sense and memory and the general dis
indignation of some imposing structures
built upon the narrow foundations, whilst
others have revealed the occurrence of
phenomena which neither chance nor
fraud nor fallacy can plausibly explain
and for which the present scientific syn
thesis has as yet found no place. it is
pertinent to remember that the investi-
gators have been the same, the methods
pursued the same and the object in all
cases was simply the discovery Of the
truth.
AS the work of the society grew, differ
ent portions of the field of study at
tracted different workers and the results
of individual Investigations in the outly-
ing regions showed marked divergences
of opinion and results, Mr.. Podmore
sums up these differences of opinion, from
members of the same society and ex-
claims how this difference could and did
happen.
Some scientific critics have insisted,
still do insist, that the Society for Psy-
chical Research has no justification for
its existence. One answer to that, by Mr..
Podmore, is: But to take an illustration,
until some disposition is show%Dy the
medical men or professional psychologists
to undertake the task of investigating
the Authorizations of the sane 1t Is sure
ly premature to brand the investigators
of the Society for Psychical Research as
usurpers A brief survey, however, Of
what has been actually done will make
the position clearer The phenomena to
he investigated by the society were rough
" classified In 1882 under five heads:
81. An examination of the nature and
extent of any influence which may be ex-
erted by one mind upon another, apart
from any generally recognized mode OF
perception.
20. The study of hypotism and the forms
of so-called mesmeric trance, with its al
legged insensibiity to pain, clairvoyance
and other allied phenomena
80 critical revision of Reichenbachs
researches with certain organizations pos
sess any power of perception beyond
highly exalted sensibility of the recog-
nized sensory organs.
"a careful investigation of any re-
ports, resting on strong testimony, re-
garding apparitions at the moment of
death or otherwise, or regarding disturb
ances in houses reputed to be haunted.
'.5 An inquiry into the various physical
phenomena, commonly called spiritualis-
tic with an attempt to discover their
causes and general laws"
Mr. Podmore says that the inquiry I'M
der heading proved inconclusive, but
that there seems now to be little room
for doubt that the phenomena reported
nv Reichenbach were due in the main to
unconscious suggestion "a fruitful and
until recent years insufficiently recog-
nized source of error in all Investigations
in this obscure region"
The inquiries under headings /. and
are still proceeding and the results so far
reached are set forth in Mr.. Pedmores
book, here discussed.
Mr.. Podmore says that the study of
hypnotism. heading 2, has been practically
abandoned by the lay members of the So
ciety in recent years, because it has been
claimed by medical men who both by
their education and their opportunities are
better qualified for its prosecution. But
In 1882 no English doctor who cared for
his reputation had good word to say for
hypnotism and on the continent its chief,
almost its only exponent, was Lebeault,
an obscure practitioner in a small provin-
cial town.
The subject matter in Mr.. Podmore's
book. that is the illustrative narratives
quoted are selected partly from the pro
ceedings," but mainly from the unpub-
lished journal of the Society for Psy-
chical Research.
The subjects discussed by Mr.. Podmore
include among others. experimental
thought transference, spontaneous thought
transference, mind's-eye visions, coinci-
dent Dreams Authorizations in general
telepathic Authorizations, poltergeist and
spiritualism, on communication with the
dead, phantasms of the dead, haunted
houses, messages received through trance
and automatism, the case of Mrs. Piper,
and on clairvoyance and provision.
Mr.. Podmore is of the opinion that we
have grounds for hoping. II we are con-
tent to wait. that the difficulties In the
way of physical explanation of telepathy
may ultimately diminish
This book, in any way considered is
thriller" The reading of 1t will not con-
dilce to a good nights rest. 1t Is about