Omaha daily bee., 1914-12-05

sorship in a great u
British university. SNS4fS
He now asserts,
with all the strenth OF conviction that
I can muster" that we are not limited
to the few years that we live on this
earth. but that we persist after bodily
DEATH and that people who have died
physically still take an interest in what
is going on upon the earth. that they
help us, and know more about things
than we do, and are able from time to
time, to communicate with us.
He declares that he makes this asser-
ton on definite scientific grounds" and
then adds II say 1t because know that
certain dead friends of mine still exist
because | have talked with them, 49, I
have conversed with them as l could con-
verse with any one in this audience"
He goes yet further, and AYERS that he
knows that man is surrounded by other
intelligences. We here, on this planet
are limited in certain ways and blind
TO much that is going on, but tell you
that we are surrounded by beings work
ing with Us, cooperating and helping,
such as people in visions nave had some
perception of, and that which religion
tells us saints and angels are. That
the Master, Himself. is helping us is. 1
believe. literally true
Nothing could be more straightforward
and flat-footed than these statements
and no man of science, however much ne
may differ from him concerning this ques-
ton, can dispute the soundness and accur-
acy Of Prof. Lodges attachments ana
achievements in physical science In that
field he is not only a successful educator;
he is one of the original authorities. Ihave
md I
perfectly conscientious. and very carefully
observant of the exact truth in all that
he says. u
This being So what are we to think OF
his assertion that he has scientifically
demonstrated-at any rate to his own
acknowledgements dead people continue to
exist as tlisenbodied spirits and are able
to communicate with ard influence the
living?
Unfortunately Prof. Lodge does not put
before us the evidence on which he relies
He asks us to accept his Judgment that
II is convincing. He says that ne can
converse with his dead friends, some OF
whom were distinguished scientific men
and thinkers when living, as he could
converse with persons yet Sin the body.
But he does not tell us what they say
His testimony is not only confined 10
general assertions, but it is secondhand.
The Jury, that is the intelligent public
is not confronted with the witnesses, and
not permitted to hear, or read tneir
" ords exactly as they are given
For this reason, IL for no other, Judg-
n,ent must be suspended. Prof. Lodge 8
assertions would be far more apt TO meet
with acceptance II we had not hsn 50
much IN convincing material of the same
has written several books to prove sub
stantiaIIv the same things that Prof.
Lodge asserts about the dead, and has
given. in a. good deal of detail. the con
versations'' that occurred between him.
self and certain disecbodied spirits,
through an intervening medium -usu-
ally l believe, the celebrated Mrs. Piper
but the matter Of these communications
has been found, by unprecedented and m
telligent readers, to be so inconseduent'
SO matchmaking, and often so trifling,
~ not frivolous, that no serious conclu-
sions could be founded upon 1t.
Nevertheless, Prof. Hyslop himself finds
all this very convincing. The explanation
offered both by him and by Prof. Lodge
for the disconnected and irrelevant ma
ture of the communications is that the
"spirits'' have great difficulty in COM
inperfections OF the medium through
which the intercourse must take place.
AS one OF the spirits is said to have ex-
pressed it, the process of communicating
with living beings IS like telling a
vastly important message to sleeping
person" But this certainly can afford
no explanation OF the utterly absurd
character OF many OF these communities
lions.
Another thing which tends to cast dis
credit upon any communication, pur-
porting to como from the dead is that II
is usually, II not invariably. sent through
a third person. the so-called medium. ="
This fast inevitably affords an oppor-
tunity for fraud and deception, but the
public has seen 50 much Of these things
in CONNECTION with spirftualistic perform
ances that very sound foundation would
have to be laid amidst this mediumistic
quagmire before a logical mind could per-
suade itself to accept anything issuing
from H.
1t will be observed that Prof Lodge
correIates the spiritualistic phenomena in
whose reality he believes with tenets of
the Christian religion. Here he will en-
counter another kind OF opposition than
that offered on the score Of exact science.
He will probably be told that life after
death. as Christianity comprehends It, is
not at all the sort Of thing which he
ascribes to his disembodied scientific
friends who converse with him about
former and present affairs on the earth.
He will be told that the immortality OF
the soul is a truth OF revelation and his
attempt to prove 1t by scientific expert
msnt a delusion.
stlll, the great question will never lose
its fascination. and every effort to fur
nish a definite reply TO II will awaken
the interest Of mankind.