Psychical Research

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31107, 9 July 1966, Page 4

Psychical Research

(Reviewed by GM.) Survival of Death. By Paul Beard. Hodder and Stoughton. 169 pp. Bibliography and Index. Paul Beard is a member of the Society for Psychical Research and is considered a reliable authority on the evidence for and against survival after death. Dr. Leslie Weatherhead who enjoys an international reputation for his writings on survival contributes a discerning foreword.

The book is divided into three sections; the Problem, Research, and Search. It is written with great care and the evidence is presented without bias. It is not an easy book to read. Readers who look for an emotional account of survival will not find it The book is written by a scholar for thoughtful people who look for'careful evaluation of evidence. They will not be disappointed. The evidence gathered by

the Society for Psychical Research is voluminous. Beginning with the almost universal question “Shall I survive Death?” the Society makes it clear that it is not concerned with voices, hands, tambourines, trumpets, etc. Considering evidence pointing away from survival, such as deliberate fraud by socalled investigators, and selfsuggestion aided by hypnotism, and the upsurge of material from the unconscious mind, the Society—and Mr Beard—put all such aside as giving no surety to seekers for assurance: “the general verdict of psychical research towards survival so far remains one of “Not Proven.” Under the section "Research” the author presents a carefully balanced account of mediumship. There must be two essential qualities in anyone practising as a medium, (1) a deep, still receptivity and (2) ability to express and interpret faithfully what is received. Here Mr Beard emphasises that the next life is not a material copy of this; a warning to both the non-thinking seeker and the medium. On trance mediumship Mr Beard discusses the various “Controls” of mediums who seek to convey through the medium messages to the sitters. One favourite control is the child, but the question arises why it is that the child control never grows up, a question that, apparently, has never been asked or investigated. On “Guides” there seems to be a consensus that they are valuable. Discarnate influence is accepted in Spiritualist gatherings but it is an open question where human mediumship begins and ends. Of course the whole matter of the influence of discarnate personalities is beyond the grasp of psychical investigation at the present time. Communication with spirits who have departed from the scene of time and sense is not discounted as witness the remarkable and thrilling message of warning about the imminent disaster in October, 1930 of the dirigible R.lOl, which is calmly presented by Mr Beard not only in this book but also in a previous work but communication which must be coloured by the medium’s mentality is not the final answer to the possibility of survival. Under the section “Search,” the author states that Spirit ualism is full of confusion. However, this is natural, for no final word can be given on the tremendous subject of survival after death. Mr Beard quotes Sir Oliver Lodge in proof of survival being proved by spirit communication. Your reviewer was a member of a small group that met and questioned Sir Oliver and discussed with him this matter on the basis of his book “Raymond,” the story of his Son’s passing and his subsequent messages through a medium. Sir Oliver said that there was no need for Spiritualism to become a church. Survival was part of the Christian Gospel. He might have added, but did not that the church’s neglect of survival after death was evidence of a woeful disregard for a great truth. The remarkable evidence of Extra Sensory Perception and Telepathy is discussed and evaluated. There is much yet to be investigated in this field of research. In this and other aspects of communication there is evidence of a widening horizon. The summing-up of Mr Beard’s careful and cautious presentation is that the balance of evidence points to the reality of survival. This scholarly work deserves a wide circulation.