The Green Forest tribune., 1917-01-26
REMEMBER vividly the conversa-


 him, and the conversation was, so to say, the starting point of my own in- ,Yestigations.
 here were five of us there, Dr. l~@leas 1mmanuel, Doctor Maine, Paul Tarrants'the millionaire whose price less art collections passed to the na t1on recently under the terms of his will, and another man whose name have forgotten. We had been discuss ing the case of Helen Blythe, MT. Tar rants governess, who had been dis missed for stealing, after the court had passed suspended sentence upon her by grace of a defense of kleptoma mia.
 You say" said Doctor Maine, the eminent neurologist, that you believe in reincarnation upon the analogy of the plant-the lilac plant, you used for an example. The lilac, as understand you to say, flowers during some two weeks in the year and, having faded reviews it's earthly experiences in some par, disc of dreamy somnolence until, ir due season, the soul of the flower incarnates itself in another cluster of petals. So, you say, man comes to birth again after he has passed through the gates of death That's not a bad simile, Immanuel but that's not biology. How do you justify your belief biologically-or, let us say, by any laws of inductive req soning?"
 You are, of course, acquainted with the researches of Freud?" asked the Greek doctor of Maine.
 Well, I should say SO" the other responded. "A big man-one of the biggest in his line of today"
 How would you sum up his discov. eries?" asked Doctor Immanuel.
 Doctor Maine did not hesitate for an instant. "Freud's great work" he said, "has been the proof that our sub- conscious or dream life is continuous that every dream accurately core spends to some ungratified physical or mental need and IS, one may say, it's fulfilment. For instance, take the man who has always wanted, but never owned, motor car. His dreams will show more or less continuous experi- ence-not of motoring, for they will be yelled under some symbol, but of fly ing, or aeroplaning, or holding the throttle of an engine. He may even be fly on wheel, or swimmer elinging to an upturned boat in a WI pool; but in some manner the dream life will reflect the waking wish.'
 Precisely" answered Doctor I'm manuel Well, now, let us carry the simile further. The condition after death represents to the full this dream life, magnified to the nth power There, in that paradise of bliss, every ungratified wish that was ever expert enced in life comes true-generally But suppose that the impulse to re birth cuts short the experiences of heaven prematurely. What then?" He paused and, looking round at us, raised his hand impressively. Then, gentle, men, you have a soul reborn on earth which, instead of holding these past memories securely tucked away in the innermost recesses of its being, flow. ering as gifts of character and natural ability, is built upon shifting sands The submerged consciousness of these unsatisfied needs of it's past life haunts it and drives it to unlawful deeds. All our criminals, for example are merely persons who failed to full fill their destinies; and in proof of my contention, are not all criminals criminals by instinct, of course mean not the starving began who snatches a loaf-are they not all physically un. stable, mentally unbalanced, and easy subjects for the hypnotist? Yes, my dear Maine, and I believe that when hypnotized they can be made to yield up these past memories.
 The subject was changed soon af terward by Doctor Maine. Like many medicos of the old school, he held opin ions rooted in the barren sands of ma teriaIism Such theories as Immanu els savored to him of the charlatan But for the eminence of the Greek puySlCldu At WOuiu, dlil oul hdN . broken forth in angry protest. He took his leave soon after, and Tarrant and the fifth man also departed, leaving Paul Tarrant, the doctor and myself alone.
 "Now take the case of Helen Blythe" said MT. Tarrant, when we had settled ourselves in our chairs again "Do you suppose that you could prove your contention in her case?"
 q didn't read the account" answered Doctor Immanuel. "All reports of crime distress me exceedingly. When I think how futile it is to put these unhappy creatures in prison, instead of treating them medically, I become enraged at the world and disgusted with my own inability to convince penologists of their mistake But tell me about her."
 Helen Blythe" said MT. Tarrant lis a well-bred, good-looking, modest young woman of, I should say, seven or eight and twenty. She came to me with excellent recommendations, to be a nursery governess for our children Mrs. Tarrant took great fancy to her and trusted her fully. Needless to say neither of us was aware that Miss Blythe had been dismissed from a for. mer situation for theft As we discov. cred afterwards. she had stolen four valuable rings. which, in spite of the threat of prosecution, were never re. covered. The girl claimed that she had forgotten where she had hidden them. but fully acknowledged her of. fense and repaid the value of them out of her savings. In spite of careful in.