The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1920-03-01
istence can communicate with and

doctrine of some. / am not one OF
! them. | think that we grow our In
dividuality here and that it persists
| in the next life. l don't think that .
the individual developed here is
pre-existent, but I am not dogmatiz-
ing on any of these things"
When it was remarked that IN lay
ing the results of his researches dir
ectly before the public he was de-
parting from the traditional aloof-
ness of scientific investigators, he
said:
Il think men of science frequently
tell the public what they have learn
ed. But a good deal of science is un-
Ineligible, or difficult to make in
tclligible. | have been considered to
have sort of faculty to make things
| Ineligible, but there is a great deal
of science that don't attempt to eX-
plain to the public. But when
subject is sufficiently well-known, it
ought to be capable Of being made
partially ineligible to any educated
person who will be patient enough
to listen. If you cannot explain
thing, it is usually because you DO
not know it thoroughly.
Speaks To Give Comfort.
Further than that psychic matters
have a bearing on actual existence,
on daily life, especially because of the
war For many years l held my
tongue, but 1 have come out since the
war more into the open because OF
the extensive bereavement which
could be comforted. 1t has helped
some people. I have no doubt it
has helped a great many families"
Sir Oliver was asked if the affection
which is believed to carry into the
other world for a dear one here is
permanent, or whether the condi-
tions of future life tend in time to
efface it.
"You mean Does time obliterate
affection?' he said. 81 cannot say. l
think it depends so much on the peo-
ple themselves. With some people
Absence makes the heart grow fond
err With others. Out Of sight, out Of
mind Your opinion on that is just
as good as mine"
Il He was asked if communications
1 from the other world ever come un-
expectedly, or if their reception &C.
pended on the mood and desire Of the
living person.
81 think the person here has 10
give an opportunity. There has to be
cooperation, or some receptivty. II
the person here should shut his mind
! I think the communication would be
very difficult. almost impossible
When asked if spirits manifested
/ themselves only in communications,
or if they sometimes made them
selves visible as ghosts, he said:
Il don't think this is the time to go
into that. I am going to talk next
time on the evidence for survival and
your question is on that subject"
Studies Effects of His Talk.
Sir Oliver said he had been inter-
ested in reading the accounts of his
lectures and interviews.
81 don't care for verbatim accounts
of my lectures" he said. ct am more
interested in discovering the i'm
preston that what l say makes on
an intelligent person than in reading
my own words over again"
Sir Oliver had a conference with
Dr.. James H. Hyslop, Secretary OF
the American Society for Psychical
Re.earch, whom he called "the chief
representative of this subject in Am
erica" Sir Oliver said, however,
that he mad not engaged in any re-
search work or studied any new evil
dence since his arrival here. He is
work in this country, and in his lee
ture digressed to say
. ALLOW me to offer acknowledge
ment to the admiration which we in
Europe feel for Americas astronomy.
You have had magnificent menefac-
tons enabling you to make the larg-
est instruments. You have planted
these instruments on the tops of
mountains in clear sky where you
can really see the stars, and you have
mad highly trained observers to make
discoveries with those Instruments
fOu have. moreover, had splendid
mathematical astronomers whose
work has carried forward the work
of Newton into regions that at one
time seemed hopeless of penetra-
ton"
Sir Oliver presented something Of
a puzzle for clergymen, who gave at
tention to his views, because, while
lauding "the great Darwin" on the
one hand, he told on the other, of his
belief in the saints and the prophets
and Of passages in the New Testa-
ment which form the cornerstone Of
the Christian faith. Speaking of eff
forts to explain the beauty of ma
ture, he said:
Sees the Creator Rejoicing.
People have tried to explain the
beauty of flowers on biological
grounds. but you cannot explain the
beauty Of the sun and mountains or
The beauty Of the sunset sky. This
beauty has no utilitarian object. II is
manifestly the rejoicing of the Crea-
tor in His own work. Why should
the sun rise in blaze Of glory and
npoin in tho n,nct Oorpo01c no1-