New-York tribune., 1910-11-06
"MET4PSYCHICS"
'he Occuitism of To-day as the
Science of To-morrosr.

az ~ MAsRyEI,s BEYOND SCIENCE. Bein,, =
Occ,,,t Jt 9s Progress Made i'm the Reduction of
Iosn-h [rhehoInena 70 Scientific Basis Nv
F 1FSsepn Grasset NJ d. With Preface bv Emile
Revised and Translation OF the Second
Wasrs711 ~ 19Tnenf T4nf svo, pp. xxii 3S7. Funk &
"a Iidssets Dook is Of the greatest timeH-
ness lie recl2inls for the realm of the occult
the many phenomena which the 'spiriffsts." or
out-and-out believers in the agency of the dead
claim as evidences Of the "superna turaI" the
author establishing firmly the vast difference
between the two words. OccuItism according
10 ms definition, is not Il survey OF all things
hlooen from science. but survey Of facts not
10 It: --'- may ''''''s
lie ~ i LaoIs are outside science OF in tho xestl
ross the tbret.a, ~ ule textbook Of science or 10
logical situation ,+ OF the palace There is
s.Iti6fc one day TO be occult and becoming
-4''o'S q the progress a. science saws
Nj Hfasset' Is the history Of the retreat Of
u'' O'0oiI Its realm is ever growing smaller
4 he'"Ie science was, man aslribted L. tI7. s,,,e-
batUraI al the phenomena OF existen,,. ,ro,,,
hh WHICH were not directly produced bx- his
( eHh AcuYIty. Not natural laws b,,+ .;ti
lemons and spirits. occBlt beings essentislt ill.,
14''o himself Dut far more powerful rrod,,ad
y" 'iie oiheis- The sun moved around the Garth
because II was driven; wind and rain had fbeir
Oei-isS 40 command them at viii Then
was horn and gradually made the realm
- LII "'''ui0 lis own To-day the province of
what remains Of this region which n interests
mankind most vivid!y is that Of psvchic ube-
nornena- 10 Use the popular term which in the
popular conception means not merely occr1It or
as yet pre- scientific. ard within the domain
OF advancing
natural or beyond the realm OF scientific inter
pFetation. IN his survey Of the progress Of
NE invest cation Of psychic Yheuor7era-. Ilr
'FTasset eliminates resoutely all POSSIBILITY of
iile Intervention of the spirits Of the dead-of
tie supernatural-denies their signifcauce as
s-iiInpses Of the hereafter and shows what narts
OF them have already been brought within the
calm OF positive science since the davs Of
hesT1er, animal magnetism and hypnotisr7 down
:" l4's hour OF EEsaDia PaIIadino and Mrs
Piper.
III lhe tel6Itous figure OF speech cf Nj Faguet
ne endeavors to calculate the reckoning of the
ship Of science" the knowledge already gained.
and looks forward into the mist Of the distance
sLu TO be travelled, which lifts slowly. often
reluctantly, as the ship advances OF its course
says Or. Grasset:
N the same manner as astroloe.- and aI..,o-.
have today become replaced by astronomy ana
ErT u
p7-ilTil- on S'Icery ta+leSJiItSIa commissions
many entered t1e domain Of science and eIone5
% what We cali psycnoses hvs1eria or Sornre++J77 7
-lSTa We shall see and this Is one of The aims
OF thls book that animal magnetism has become
sei-li--e under the name Of hypnotism. that turn
aS tables willing game with touch. the confurers
wand. ana a certain amount OF nlediuujcai me
i''.iiei-a nave ceased 10 DE- occult phenomena.
The author leads Us 10 the confines Of the as
yet pre-sciantific province Of psychology. He
deals with conscious and subcoascious memory,
.Ssoeiations Of IDEAS and imaginings. with
iaIleinatiors crystal gazing. 'perispirit,"
astral bodies, radiant psychicaI power. with
teiepathy and premonirions naturalization,
mental suggestion. clairvoyance with al the
occult phenomena which science must solve
without recourse TO the Supernatural" as an
explanation He lays stress upon the peculiar
difficulties II this field Of investigation caused
hy fraud conscious and unconscious, and
throughout follows the experiments and their
results that are familiar TO all interested in
81 .rlt.l-iSIl.