News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1916-04-05
DOES Death END
OUR EXISTENCE?
Trustworthy Evidence For Be-
lief In Life Hereafter
FAITH IN HUMAN IMMORTALITY

Experience Of Sir oliver Lodge and
Other Psychical Researchers Has
Done Much Toward Sweeping Away
Skepticism-AIl Are Convinced Of
the Souls Survival of Bodily Death
The wholesale loss of life in the
present terrible war raises questions
concerning the general subject of hui
man Immortality that the usual course
OF events would never occasion.
Ii the existence of the warriors
actually ceases with the breath OF
their mutilated bodies, war takes on
an added horror from this frightful
annihilation of personality. But hu-
mainly IN general possesses a faith
in Immortality that will not consider
such possibility; and many per-
sons never have doubt concerning a
life after death.
In times OF bereavement, however,
most of us cannot help asking: Is be-
lief in the other life to remain for
ever merely a matter of faith; or is
there some trustworthy evidence ON
which to base that faith?
In spite of the general skepticism
concerning the latter question, there
are many who believe that there are
abundant grounds for positive con-
clusion.
During the last third of a century
all kinds of evidence bearing upon this
question have been subjected to most
careful examination by the Society
for Psychical Research, an organi-
cation established for that purpose in
England thirty -four years ago.
Expert Investigators
Among the members of that So
ciety were university professors and
noted men of science, including Sir
Oliver Lodge, F. R. s.; Sir William
Crookes, F. R. s., and Sir William
F. Barrett, F. R. s., who have
been knighted of recent years in
honor of their eminent attainments
in scientific lines.
All of these gentlemen, after years
of familiarity with the subject, have
openly expressed their conviction that
there is sufficient evidence to prove
the fact of the souls survival of bodily
death.
Perhaps the most noteworthy pro-
of this conviction in re-
cent years was that made by Sir Oil
citation for the Advancement of Sci
ence, when delivering his address as
president of that organization in
1913. During his remarks he took
occasion to digress from his subject
to forcibly interpolate the following
with the purpose of put
ting his conviction on record so as to
attract attention:
Although l am speaking ex cathe-
ira, as one of the representatives or
SCIENCE" he said, Il will
1ot shrink from a personal note sum- .,
the result on my own mind !
If thirty years experience of PSYCHE
al research, begun without predilec- !
with the usual hostile
prejudice, In justice to myself and 4.
o my workers | must risk annoy
ng my present hearers, not only by
eaving on record our conviction that
occurrences now regarded as occult
an be examined and reduced to or
er by the methods of science care
ully and persistently applied, but by
DING further and saying, with the ut
1ost brevity, that already the facts
o examined have convinced me that
lemory and affection are not limited
D that association with matter by
'hich alone they can manifest them
elves here and now, and that per-
onality persists beyond bodily
cath"
Early in the present year, Profess
Or James H. Hyslop, Phi. D.. LII. D.,
'rmerly of Columbia university, made
4 emphatic statement on these mat
rs to the American public through
le columns of the National Sunday
agazine supplement to the Sunday
ewspapers of January 23rd. Since
'O3 this gentleman has devoted
mself to psychical research work.
has published several books upon
e subject, and edited the periodical
ports of the American Society for
'ychical Research, of which he has
en- secretary from it's organization.
Is statement contains the following
ynificant sentences:
AT present the evidence for the
ct of survival and of communication
tn the dead is overwhelming for I
y and every intelligent person"
IL should be noticed that the ! u
imons here expressed are not those
ignorant and credulous persons.
ey are the words of distinguished II
N whose distinction has been won
the work that their trained minds u
We enabled them to perform. These IL
n are the sort who would be chosen p
investigate a subject where every u
;sible precaution should be taken u
guard against error or imposition IL
regards facts, and faulty infer ~
,es as recards final conclusions. "