Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-04-13
EVERY PERSON
MEDIUMISTIC,
AYSSIR CONAN
Average Life on Spiritualistic
Plane Thirty to Forty
Years.
SUICIDE NO SHORT ROAD

NEW YORK, April 1S-An insight into
the higher planes of life, where are said
to dwell in complete happiness the spirits
of the dead was given by Sir Arthur
Conan Doyle to a group of reporters
Supplementing the interview he gave
when he arrived here for a series of lee
lures on spiritualism. Sir Arthur de-
clared that the mediumistic power lies
latent in every liy ing person, and, like
an appreciation of art or music, must be
developed.
The average life on the spiritualistic
planes is between thirty and forty years.
at the end of which the spirit rises to a
higher plane, if his conduct warrants
this ascension. Life after death, he as
serted, is eternal, except that the spirits
move from one plane to another. The
highest Sir Arthur calls Paradise" and
the lowest is 'Purgatory."
Suicide, said Sir Arthur, is not a short
cut OF the spirit life. All the sufferings
which the suicide endured before his
death will remain with him after the
spirit leaves the body, he stated. Death.
he said. is predestined, and bringing it
on before the stated time will have no
good effect upon the suicide.
There is no physical pain after death,
the well-knOwn novelist said. There is
however, mental suffering. There is mar
riage. he declared. but to the couples no
children are born.
''YOU WILL DODGE
DISAGREEABLE FOLK"
Everything on the other side is regu-
lated by sympathy" Sir Arthur said.
when you get there you are going to
meet those whom you love and whom
you counted upon as your friends, but
you are not going to knock up against
all the disagreeable people Of this world.
ut is a place of complete harmony and
happiness, where physical pain and suf
fering is unknown. They have what
might be termed marriage, but it is re-
ally Il very deep affinity which binds
them perhaps more closely than marriage
does on this sphere"
Sir Arthur said he had as much proof
of the existence of life after death as
he could have. Although communication
with his son, soon after death, had
partly impressed the truth of spiritual
ism upon Sir Arthur, the complete con-
vietion came when he beheld the face
of his departed mother. It was at
seance when she made her appearance,
he said. He saw every wrinkle in her
face, her gray hairs-her entire appear
ance no different from what it was on
this planet, he said.
Sir Arthur said that his mother had
written a letter through a medium,
signing a pet name which could not
have been known to the medium. and in
her own handwriting. He said the great
~-agreement among spirits of various ma
tional ties as to life in the spirit world
was one of the strongest proofs CT the
exist ence of such life. There Is the most
extraordinary agreement among these
spirits, be said, as to what they are
doing and as to the life they are living
there. The spirit world is all about Us,
but Is expressed In cOlOrs and sounds
which our senses are too gross to IN
derstand and appreciate, he said.
Sir Arthur always uses mediums when
communicating with the spirit world and
he had some kind things to say about
the American ones. Something in the
atmosphere in this country. he said.
seems to give Americans stronger me-
diumistic powers than others possess. In
fact. Sir Arthur said, the best known
medium in Great Britain is Mrs. Wriedt.
who is from Detroit She, in Sir Ar
thurs opinion, IS the strongest medium
in the world" Another we'll known
American medium operating in England
is Miss Bessinet, formerly Of Toledo.
CLIMATIC CONDITIONS
AFFECT MEDIUMS.
Climatic conditions he said, have a
great deal to do with mediumist1c per
formances, and Americans are able to
retain these powers longer than any
others.
He suggested that persons wishing to
communicate with the dead should first
read a great deal on the subject. When
they have familiarized themselves with
the theory, they should then call a few
relatives into a room, and sit around
table. If the deceased desires to send
message to this plane, it will probably be
received, Sir Arthur declared.
EctopIasIn Is the chemical substance, he
said. which emanates from the medium.
Analysis by French and German chemists
have shown, he said, that It contains
phosphates, clrbonates. sulphates and
other substances found in the human
bodS. 1t is a vapor and creates an at
mosphere that makes the spirit. passing
through II, visible. The enanation be
comes putty-like, he explained when the
spirit passes through it. giving the spirit
the appearance il had when inside living
body.
Spiritualisn docs not supersede re
li~i"'- hc said. but on the contrary, re-
vltalizes it. Indirectly, he said, even the
kvlisih Catholic priests are believers in
spiritulism.
1t is not true that the criminal must
OF necessity go to the lowest plane after
death. Sir Arthur said, because there
may have been something noble in his
life. On the other hand, a person who
thinks only Of material things-Of riches
and title-and gives no thought Of the
world TO come, may commence his spirit
existence in purgatOry, he said.