South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-07-24
by Garrett p. Serviss.

by Garrett y. Serviss.
In your highly interesting article
on The Mystery of Mind Acting
Upon Mind" YOU speak of telepathy
as belonging 70 spiritual" phe-
nomena. hence science must let it
alone" Is il not the province of
! true. all-embra cling science 10 in
vestigate all kinds of phenomena
coming under our observation and
experience? / can we'll imagine that
there are different departments Of
science, just as there are different
departments in nature, according 10
our scientific classification. There
certainly are physical as we'll as
superphysical phenomena, and they,
naturally, must be subject TO laws
and methods Of Investigation pecu-
liar and applica BILE TO them accord
ingly. Thus physical science or
physics has it's own field of investi-
cation. and must conine itself 10
anything based upon physical laws;
and whatever lies beyond the prov
ince of physical science evidently
requires different methods of inves-
tigation than those employed by
physical science. But here science
does not end, il would seem May /
not ask you 10 kindly. give US the
present viewpoint Of modern
science on this subject? A. A. Err,
San Francisco.
This letter is valuable because il
puts in q nutshell the misconcept,on
that underlies the mental processes
Of those who think the cloak OF
science is broad enough to cover
everything. whether ina ginary or
real. spiritual" or material, inside
or outside the sphere OF natural law.
Before discussing the scientific
definition Of science. let me correct
the opening averment in the letter
that have spoken "of talepathy as
belonging 20 spiritual phenomena,
hence science must let il alone -
What I actually said was that If
telepathy is a spiritual phenome-
non science must let il alone, be
cause. in that case. IL lies beyond
the province OF science. The little
word if makes a world OF differ
ence. also spoke. in the same
sentence OF the disability that
telepathy was physical phenome-
non. and added that. if so. con
tinued investigation might reveal its
basis. All this OF course. is
virtual assertion that the proper
Held OF science j. thai OF physical
phenomena. and on that 7 stand
without by any means implying
that science should not investigate
spiritual phenomena" provided
that il can, I'm 30 doing, keep its
feet on the solid ground OF veriha-
bic fact and Of natural law II il
hnds that l. can in this way pene-
trate &c the heart Of any mystery
then it dissipates the mystery by
revealing the physical nature OF the
phenomena underlying H.
Is il not the province Of true.
ALIEN bracing science" asks the
writer OF the letter TO investigate
all kinds % phenomena coming
under cur observation and expert
ence2"
surely il is But the phrase
coming under Our observation and
experience" begs the whole ques-
ton OF the nature OF the phenom
ena. For wha- are the bases or
the means OF our observation and
experience They are our physical
senses II a man saws TO YOU. Il
have Just seen a ghost che de-
scribes the phenomenon in terms or
the physical sense OF sight. and not
only is NJ unable 20 bring the sub
ject 90 YOUR apprehension i'm any
other way. but the only possible
manner IN which the ghost could
make it. presence known 20 him
would be by impressing his sense Of