The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-08-28

~ by science to verify the existence Of
L life beyond the grave and to record
the words and thoughts OF disembodied
spirits.
:. This effort Is being made on such
scale and with such precautions that II
will receive the respect Of all scientists
and thinking persons The problem In
Solved is unquestionably of the first in
terest to all mankind.
I If life beyond the grave is TO be proved.
IL the actions and communications of de-
parted spirits are. to be accepted as gen.
nine it must be done by scientific meth
DDS. The communications of mediums and
of credulous persons will never convince
lhe modern world. II disembodied spirits
exist they must be enabled to manifest
themselves to our senses convincingly.
! With the Increasing delicacy OF scientific
instruments II is not unreasonable to ex-
bect that the spirits may make their ex-
hor irreverent for science to seek them
cut with the same instruments.
/; We have instruments that will measure
The heat from the farthest stars The
camera records vibrations of light to which
the human eye is blind Other instruments
record sound vibrations to which the
human ear is deaf, and there Is in add
ton a great number Of other instruments
which record vibrations not ordinarily per
ceptible to human senses. How will the
spirits make themselves known convinc-
ngly except through these instruments?
I The present moment Is particularly fav-
prable for these experiments, because 4
large number of men of great Intelligence
interested in psychical research who have
recently died have promised to make
every effort to communicate with their
friends. Among them are Professor Will
lam James, the famous Harvard psycholo-
gist; Professor James II. Hyslop, the for
mer Columbia University psychologist>and
head of the American Psychical Research
Society; Professor F. w. Fl. Meyers, the
English psychical research leader, and DR..
Richard Hodgson. the Boston investigator
of these problems.
If spirits exist beyond the grave and
possess independent voitfon, we must be-
lieve that all these distinguished men are
at this very moment doing their utmost to
communicate with us anu tell us about the
other world.
The present effort to open up communi-
cation with the departed Is to be made by
the American Psychical Institute and Lab
cratory, which has been opened in New
Work, In the prospectus Of the institute
its principal aim is stated to be-
"The investigation of psychic phe-
nomena OF all kinds, whose object shall be
not only to determine the credibility of
such phenomena in each special case. but
when they are found to exist to endeavor
to discover their rationale, thus rendering
the laws governing them available for APP
plication TO daily life"
Another aim OF the institute is the ex-
posure of fraud in connection with spur
ious psychic manifestations
The establishment has been made pos
sible through the liberality OF III. X.
Kevorkian, an art connoisseur, and other
persons interested In these problems. The
psychical research work Is under the dr.
rection OF DR. Hereward Darlington, the
we'll known expert who has probably In
vestigated more ghostly apparitions or
psychical phenomena than any man living.
The scientific and mechanical apparatus