The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1926-03-09
Open Forum
for the discussion
PSYCHIC
PHENOMENA

this column Dfthin 500 1COTdS ana
write on one side of the paper
only. Letters a0iI be published
as soon as space permits ana
tOriters are requested to not DC
imD0tient If their contributions
are not printed Immediately.
.The Mechanism of Ghost Seeing
and Spirit Manifestations" In The
Washington Times of January %,
appeared an account of ghost see-
ing by members of the Round Table
at Dover House, and no less per-
son than Mr.. Bascom Slemp, upon
a former occasion, was said to have
declared, upon leaving Dover
House, after dining there, that
a troop of cavaliers preceded his
automobile some distance along the
road, and that his companion in
the machine also saw the group
of horsemen
One of the ladies of the Round
Table party is reported to have
seen ghost in the form OF "a
woman leaning against the side
board, her face veHW mannish, but
tenderly holding a red rose in her
hand; while q gentleman of the
party exclaimed: II see her also,
but she seems to be wearing trou-
sers or divided skirts.
Indoor Sport
All OF which is not nearly SO
weird and shivery as 1t might sound
to some, nor SO foolish and absurd
as it might sound to others, when
one looks behind the scenes, be-
cause ghost-seeing in one form or
another has been one of mans
most thrilling indoor sports since
he first peered out into the dark
from his cave on the hillside and
clothed what he saw in the shadows
in forms and shapes of his own
creation.
Ghosts are mans heritage from
the past and his companions of
the present, and their colors,
shapes, and degrees of servitude
take form from what he has seen,
heard, read, imagined and expert
enced; images of his own mind
brought into consciousness by some
suggestion or association with such
vividness that they are visualized,
or in other words, picturized; and
these pictures are thrown on the
screen Of his environment and mis-.
interpreted as objects there, as
ghosts, visions, apparftions. hallu-
cinations, or whatever he wants
to call them.
This is the mechanics of ghost
seeing.
Mr.. SIemp's Experience
Take Mr.. Slemp's reported ex-
perience. He has dined at Manor
House, colonial home filled with
souvenirs, OF that period; and heard,
no doubt, many anecdotes of the
place and its historical inhabitants
all Of which awalxed memories
and revived impressions and stimu-
lated associations into active group
ings until visualizations occurred
when the party broke up and he
took his departure sinking back In
his automobile relaxed.
Now, wasn't it usual in colonial
days for parties breaking up and
leaving old Manor House to be
by troops Of cavaliers?
Why this group was trying so
hard to get into his consciousness
to complete the evenings picture
that It seized advantage of his
first relaxation, his second OF un-
and just galloped into
view.
Take the next ghost; "A woman
leaning against the sideboard, her
face very mannish, but tenderiy
holding q red rose" Isn't 1t ap-
parent that the observers use Of
the words but" and "tenderly"
and s'mannish," revealing ques
tioning attitude toward the ghosts
rights to be a woman with a
mannish face and to hold a rose
tenderly If it would be true to
itself, SAVIOR of an emotionally
critical experience within the OBJ
server rather than the observa
ton Of an object outside of her?
Subjective Phenomena
Ghost seeing is distinctly sub
jective jhenomena-something aris-
ing from within us laden witt
expectancy, fear
and misinterpreted as something
occurring outside of us. 1t is
the same thing that happens in
the seances of the spiritualists
and clairvoyants. The individual
goes to the seance in q state
Of emotional instability-possibiy
only mild northumberland desires,
hopes or expects to see or hear
from the dead.
Childish curiosity and belief i'll
magic is on edge: every device
to mystify is at hand. The spir-
itualist or clairvoyant suggests that
the spirit of the departed wants
to speak or to appear, and if
the suggestion be accepted by the
Individual seeking such communi-
cation or appearance, the sug-
gestion reacts in the mind of the
Individual as something that is
occurring outside of him.
The belief that the spiritualist
or clairvoyant is reciting a message
from the dead is only an accepted
suggestion reacting to a group of
Individuals who leave a seance |
getting a message Or a
visit simply fail to accept the sug
gestions given them to believe what
they were told. to see as they were
told to see. It is all another form
Of ghost seeing, which II one looks
into its mechanism is not mysteri
Gus at all. Ghost seers and "psy-
chics" should have their processes
explained to them so clearly that
they will understand where their
ghosts are and from whence their
strange" experiences spring. And
if those seeking communication with
the dead will sit down quietly and
recall some incident of their lives
with the one who has stepped grace
fully on, they will find that they
have done for themselves all that
any clairvoyant or sRiritualist can do
for them TRY IL a few times and