The Evening Missourian., 1920-03-09
PROF, SW|NDLE TELLS
HOW TO SEE GHOSTS
Gives Formula for Calling
Spirits-Dark Room Is
Necessary.
NOT SUPERNATURAL
Effect Of After-Images in
Eye Produces Specters in
Graveyard.
NOT SUPERNATURAL

1 oRSSsSAS A1
Graveyard.
Hamlet was right; ghosts can be
seen. Prof. p. F. Swindle of the psy-
chology department has written an
article to tell how they can be seen.
Traditional ghosts are not really
apparitions in white sheets which
haunt graveyards and rooms of bad
children at night but they are real
images. There are three kinds OF
ghosts: Visual, which includes the
nocturnal and dirrnal varieties, Gu
taneous, and knesthetic ghosts.
Nocturnal ghosts, the kind that are
most commonly seen at spiritualistic
meetings, graveyards, battle fields and
deserted houses are caused by retain
ing an after-image for several hours
or every day after the illumination
of the retina, coating of the eye
which receives the impression which
gives rise to vision. Ghosts of this
variety may be made while you wait.
The formula is simple. Given: One
room, darkness, a flash or electric
light and an object. preferably hum
an. To prove: Ghosts can be seen.
Proof: Look at the object so that
the image is clearly fixed in the eye.
Turn out the light. After few min
utes fash the light on. look at the
object, and turn out the light. Re-
main quietly in the dark for a few
minutes, family illuminate the retina
and there Is the image Of the person
at whom you just looked!
This, and not hard cider, is what
frequently causes people to see faces
and images Of dead or departed
friends when they walk through for
est at night. They usually see the
ghost just after they have passed
through a glade or the moon shines
through a break in the clouds on a
dark night.
" you want to scare away ghost.
whistle. 1t is a sure cure for ghosts
because after-images grow weaker or
vanish completely when one makes a
pronounced o. sudden movement. The
reason that ghosts are seen in grave
yards is simple. Consider the tomb
stones. They produce the ideal light
and conditions for the retina which
has been accustomed to the dark.
The brave person who approaches a
deserted house or castle where, ne
has been told, horrible crimes have
been committed, might be expected 20
look rather carefully at the bright
objects about him He. would also
be expected to walk rather timidly
and occasionally to stand perfectly
still, thereby producing the most in
viting conditions for the visit of a
spirit
Professor Swindle says there Is not
really any apparent reason why some
of the traditional ghosts should not
be revived positive after-images OF
deceased persons. While observing
corpses, people are not usually max
ing such pronounced movements as
are involved in the activities OF dane
ing, laughing or whistling. Even those
who do not weep often, stand before
the corpse and fixate it carefully,
sometimes so very carefully that many
objects in the field Of vision subjec-
lively disappear. Others in weeping
shut out for a long time the light
raya from the EYES, take another
glance at the corpse and weep again
in the same way. The weeping in Oft
en-. at least after several hours OF
weeping, of a rather silent nature, IN
the sense that no very pronounced
movements arc involved in 1t. These,
too. are ideal conditions for prepar-
ing one to sec ghosts. II the mourn
er should leave the corpse and pass
into darkness, the hkn-
hood of his later seeing ghost would
be greater than II he should leave
and remain a while in the daylight
where the retira would become
strongly stimulated in variety OF
ways.
Cutaneous and hnesthetic ghosts
are not shrouded in superstition as
are those of the visual variety.
Diurnal ghosts are the kind in which
Won see your sweetheart in the IRE
nlace. These too, are visual responses
l. Ia