The Washington herald., 1913-09-28
Sir Oliver Lodge on Immortality
By JOHN SPENCER CLARKE

The address Of Sir oliver Lodge as
president of the British Association at its
recent meeting at Birmingham on the
Continuity Of Life After Death" is in
many respects the most significant utter
ance OF scientific thought OF modern
times. Both the occasion and the speaker
give the views advanced the highest GER
tification TO the consideration of thought
full minds: while the tone of the address
ITSELF its profoundly reverent spirit,
| its freedom from scientific dogmatism,
coupled with d full knowledge of the
achievements of modern science. will
commend its subject to a seriousness and
a nationality of discussion IT has never
yet had from either the scientific or the
Philosophic viewpoints.
Sir oliver Lodge is an evolutionist. and
this address is the most significant scien-
tific utterance in regard to mans destiny
that has followed the PRONUNCIATION of the
doctrine OF evolution as set forth half a
century ago by Herbert Spencer and John
Fiske. 1t consists. in fact, Of an ad-
vancement OF the doctrine OF evolution on
scientific grounds. into a realm OF cosmic
existence adumbrated in mans psychical
experience, but which has yet had no
adequate scientific exploration.
In the present address. as a physicist.
he bases his argument for continuity
largely upon the properties Of the omni-
present ether. which he fnds is the most
interesting, as it is by far the largest
and most fundamental ingredient in the
material cosmos" He says:
Matter il is not, but material il is: and
it belongs TO the material universe and
is to be investigated by ordinary methods.
But to say this is by no means to deny
that il may have mental and spiritual
functions TO subserve in some other order
OF existence. as matter has in this. The
ether OF space is at least the great engine
of continuity. 1t may be much more, for
without it there could hardly be ma
terial universe at all Certainly. how
ever. il is essential to continuity; II is the
one all-permeating substance that binds
the whole of the particles of matter to-
gether 1t is the uniting and binding me-
dium without which. if matter could exist
at ALL il could exist only as chaotic and
isolated fragments. and il is the universal
medium OF communication between
worlds and particles"
Sir Oliver emphatically denies that he
is ''vitalist" but admits that with the
introduction of life there comes into cos
mic phenomena an incalculable element.
We see only its effect, We do not see
life itself" The conversion OF physical
energy into physical feeling is a process
we cannot at present understand; yet II
is a process which is going on every mo-
ment Of our Individual lives. only we are
not endowed with powers for its appre-
hension. So we may be surrounded by
spiritual influences too subtle TO be easily
COgnized by our organisms attuned as
they are to a material cOsmic existence.
But through this impalpable ether-so
runs the argument-we are beginning 10
get scientific data which is enabling US
to bridge the chasm between the two or
ders of cosmic existence. mans present
life of sensory experience, and his con-
tinued life after death on a higher plane
of spiritual experience.
On this point Sir Oliver speaks with
the gravity becoming an eminent sci
enlist. and one holding a position OF