The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-11-22
Spook Literature.

phenomena in the world today there Il
nothing perhaps as strange and curious
as the rapid and persistent growth ii
volume of what may be called. for wan
OF a better name, spook literature
Book after book Is being issued, unit
the photography already almost equal.
in volume Prof. Elliots five-foot shelf
Almost everyone has heard or read
Of the messages received by Sir Oliver
Lodge and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle from
tho other world-the world of dlsen-
bodied spirits. The names of these
gentlemen, tho one because of his emf
nence in science, and the other in lit
erature, give force and authenticity to
the results Of their psychic researches
Nand insure them a respectful hearing
by the masses. The contribution Of
these gentlemen to spook literature has
been noteworthy, but it is compare
lively very small part of the whole.
Others have been contributing--ordl-
nary people who can not depend on their
personal noteworthiness to emphasize
their delverances
There has always been, since the
world began, a consuming yearning to
hear something from those who have
gone before. and those who deny a
future life. or continuing life beyond
what we call death, are in the habit
of pointing trlumphantly to the fact
that Of the billions OF people who died,
not one has returned to tell US what
he has found in the new life, or how
he fares on the new plane; and no
authentic message has been received
from any departed spirit to enlighten
those who are left behind
Spook literature is now protesting
to supply this deficiency. A doctor
who had, been a soldier in the Civil
war, and who for many years was
successful physician, grew old and de-
crepit and died In 1914 He, or his
spirit. was called TO the battlefields
OF France. where his services were
needed. and he responded promptly. He
had no medicines or Instruments, but
he assisted the dying and the wounded
BY mental therapeutics He contrived to
communicate with two women who had
life, and they wrote down what he told
them from time to time, and these
messages were put together in a small
volume. He did not guide their hands
In tho writing He illuminated their
minds so that they could see and I'M
derstand his thoughts and the informa-
tion he wished to convey. The women |
w of |
the reader may have his own notions or |
prejudices on the subject the. testi- |
mony Of these two ladies' is as good |
as any mere human testimony can be. |
There are those who maintain that |
there was no spirit communicating; |
that the women were communicating
with their own subconscious souls or
minds. which know all things. This
Is merely opinion, and the reader can
make his own choice. Quien sabe? A
boy gets in communication with his
mother, and his messages, published In
book form, are such as an intelligent |
boy would write To the querulous OBJ.
jections ,of doubters this good woman
declared that she did and doesNnot know
what ysubconscious mind is, and in this
respect she is like most other people.
1t took Buddha six years of solitary
communion while seated under the Bo
tree to establish communion with his
subconscious mind, and learn that he
had lived 153 lives or incarnations on
lions Of followers and devout believers
at the present day.
What II all is no one can tell OF
butts this flood of messages pur-
porting to come from the spirits OF
departed human beings is most interest.
Ing. This is not entirely accurate: for
while these spooks are what we call
dead. they, with singular unanimity,
claim to be az much alive as they ever
we're, and that they are working and
striving and carrying on and learning
While preparing for advancement to an
other plane higher up or farther on.
once the reader gets over the feeling !
hat all such matter is uncanny and
hat il Is sinful to seek information !
rom those over whom the grave has
'losed forever, the messages can be !
cad much as any other literature is d
cad. At times they remind one OF &
heosophical and Christian Science i
writings. Those not OF the illuminate t
lways feel that there is in these writ I
ngs something beyond them. Unim- h
eachable in photography, etymology. +
yntaX and prosody, they at times eludc h
firm muscular grasp upon them a
similar might be expected Il
one were TO hear an grafton delivered !,
y Pericles or Demosthenes. He might
njoy the clear enunciation, the beau Z
ful cadences the gestures and the :,
ery spirit, but the message would have Il
o meaning to him because he did not D
nderstand the language. Spook ltera- Ia
IRE Is written in simple and correct IL
nglish: any part OF it Is easily under ~
TODD, but as , whole it Is unappre-
tndihle. Perhaps the science Of spirit Il
is in its infancy and u
rat in time it Will he more effective | n
il insis, that it is not necessary to in
ave recourse to what Is allied a me- u
um, and that anyone can communicate W
it'll the spirit OF departed dear one &c
Mess that spirit 'as passed entirely u!
syond the reach o. earthly ties, as an yc
} in the course Of established progress fr
on.
To those who pooh pooh spook litera- Nj
IRE and who claim that while spirits by
ay communicate with human beings a..
icy are evil spirits, it may he observed Va
at Paul. did not think So and Paul irt
lght to be as good authority as any ar
e now living
spook literature Is one Of the most ~
rious phenomena of the twentieth ~,
injury, and while 1t may have its de- zig
|