The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-02-17
REMEMBER wildly the converse

ton in Doctor Immanuel's library,
because that evening was the be-
ginning of my association with
him, and the conversation was, so to
say, the starting point of my own in
veStigations.
There were five Of us there, DR.
Phileas Emmanuel, Doctor Maine, Paul
Tarrant, the millionaire whose price.
less art collections passed to the ma.
ton recently under the terms Of his
will. and another man whose name /
have forgotten. We had been discuss
ing the case of Helen Blythe, Mr.. Tar
rants governess, who had been dis
missed for stealing, after the court had
passed a suspended sentence upon
her by grace of 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,
some paradise of dreamy somnolence
until. in 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 bad simile, Emmanuel,
but that's not biology. How do you
justify your belief biologically-or, let
us say, by any laws Of inductive rea-
soning"
you are, Of course. acquainted with
the researches of Freud?" asked the
Greek doctor of Maine.
We'll, / 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 Emmanuel.
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, its
fulfilment For instance, take the man
who has always wanted, but never
owned, motor car. His dreams will
show more or less continuous expert
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 a wheel, or a swimmer
clinging to an upturned boat in a |
whirlpool; 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 |
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 them" He
paused and, looking round at US, raised
his hand impressively. Then, gentle
men, you have soul reborn on earth
which, instead of holding these past
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
needs of It's past life
haunts 1t and drives II to unlawful
deeds. All our criminals, for example.
are merely persons who failed to full
fill their destinies; and, in proof of my
are not all criminals
criminals by instinct. of course mean,
not the starving beggar who snatches
q 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
NO these past memories"
The subject was changed soon az
terward by Doctor Maine. Like many
medicos of the old school. he held opin-
Ions rooted In the barren sands Of ma
Eerialism. Such theories as Immanu-
els savored to him OF the charlatan.
But for the eminence of the Greek
physician he would, am sure, have
broken forth in angry protest. He took !,
MS leave soon after, and Tarrant and
the fifth man also departed, leaving
Paul Tarrant, the doctor and myself
alone.
aNow take the case of Helen
Blythe" said Mr.. Tarrant, when we
had settled ourselves in our chairs
again. "Do you suppose that you could
prove your contention in her case?"
II didn't read the account" answered
Doctor Immanuel "All reports Of
Irime distress me exceedingly. When
think how futile it is to put these
hhappy creatures in prison. instead
| treating them medically, / become
iraged at the world and disgusted
In my own inability TO convince
biologists of their mistakes But tell
fabout her"
Helen Blythe said Mr.. Tarrant,
weIl-bred. good-looking, modest
kg woman of. should say. seven
aght and twenty. She came to me
kexcellent recommendations, to be
&.c~. xxcvorrosc for mr. children n