“SPOOKS”

Putaruru Press, Volume VI, Issue 233, 19 April 1928, Page 1

“SPOOKS”

“ THE GREATEST SUBJECT.” What Science Has Proved. Discourse on the Spirit World. There were about thirty present in the Presbyterian Hall on Tuesday, the 3rd inst., when the Rev. E. Ward, vicar of Putaruru, gave an address on “ Spooks.” The speaker stated that he had called his address “ Spooks,” which was a somewhat flippant title, but he assured them there would be no flippancy when dealing with the subject. It would be a scientific address, and the only exact knowledge we had was scientific knowledge. It meant knowledge of which we had evidence as distinct from that which we surmised.

Before a subject could be approached from the scientific standpoint it was necessary to lay aside all preconceived notions. This was a most difficult thing to do as all were taught from earliest childhood to take up a certain line of thought. There was religious training, and the prejudices of those amongst whom we lived. Because of this some were unable to empty their minds, and approach this subject with ah absolutely unbiased mind.

Science had proved that we possessed a soul, and of the survival of that soul after leaving the body. The subject was therefore an important one, and affected all. In fact, it was the greatest subject in the world. For many years there had been patient enquiries in this domain of human knowledge, but the work had at times been brought to ridicule by so-called spiritualistic mediums. Apart from these charlatans, there was the Society of Psychical Research and other very patient enquirers who had tabulated many arresting facts. Flammarion, one of the greatest astronomers the world had ever known, had taken up as a side-line the investigation of psychical phenomena. He had investigated thousands of cases, and accepted only those which passed a rigid test. These, the result of a life-time work on the part of a cold and dispassionate scientist, had been published in three volumes.

So in regard to the actual facts there could be no dispute. Other writers and investigators on this great subject were Myers, Bradley, Conan Doyle, and Chambers, who each dealt with it in a different manner. The fact that the latter’s books or. the subject had tremendous sales indicated a sense of seriousness for the subject by a great number of people. Those with a grasp of the Christain faith might regard proof from the scientific world as unnecessary, but nevertheless there w r ere great numbers of people groping and wondering, and it was just possible that to those the scientific view would give some enlightenment. The mystery of man did not begin with death but was in life. The speaker had knowledge of children who had gone out to play with the fairies in the most matter of fact way, and it was clear that they had some experience that indicated that right at the threshold of their young lives there was a mystery. It was that something which set man quite apart from the animal world. He therefore proposed to begin his address not with death, but with life. Simple cases were common in connection with somnabulism, or sleepwalking. Flammarion quoted a case of a girl who while sound asleep used to get up and go on with her embroidery work just as in daytime. Despite the fact that slates and other articles were held between her eyes and her work, she worked a most delicate and intricate pattern. She therefore had some means beyond physical sight which assisted her. She could see without eyes. Another instance was that of a clergyman who used to get up from bed, sit down, write his sermon, correct it, put it away, and return to bed, without any knowledge of his act. The extraordinary capacity of the

human memory was another great mystery. During life the brain receded countless thousands of impressions of which only the merest fraction were consciously retained, yet as a matter of fact every single impression the bleu:, received was retained as long- as life lasted. An illustiation of this was the case of an ignorant servant girl in Germany who when in a cataleptic state spoke a strange language which proved to be Hebrew. Her life was traced back, and it was found that she had once been in the service of a learned Hebrew scholar whose custom it was to walk up and down his study reading aloud. It had been fully proved that every single experience from the cradle to the grave was stored up in the recesses of the brain—and so the mystery went on. Sir Oliver Lodge, in a paper given but a few days ago, had stated that the human rare was only in its infancy, and that the ground had only been scraped in the search for knowledge. So far as the speaker was concerned he had never had an uncanny experience in his life, and so cculd only give them the results of other investigators.

“ If I promised one of you that in the event of my death I would come back and pull your hair, and you forgot, and one night you were awakened by having your hair pulled, what would you conclude ? ” asked the speaker. There would be only one conclusion—that he had come back in fulfilment of his promise. “ If that were put before you as a scientific fact (as it was put forward by Flammarion) they might vary the explanation, but the fact would remain nevertheless.” The lecturer then read many wonderful experiences which were testified to by men and women of unimpeachable character. Flammarion, in his conclusions on the subject, stated that there was definite scientific proof that the soul was a distinct entity with faculties which were as yet unknown to science. When human beings died this entity still lived on and existed in a form which was invisible to the eye, and intangible, and the senses were not aware of it until a set of circumstances proved its existence. It was our inner eyes which perceived then -—a case of one soul seeing another soul.

In regard to explanations, these were more difficult. Some investigators would have nothing to do with table-rapping—the most common form of manifestation—but the fact remained that tables and other objects moved when no one touched them. It seemed extraordinary that a spirit should get under a table and move it, but nevertheless the fact remained. We did not know how it was done, so we said it was “ spooks ” or somebody’s ghost.

Telepathy was also an established fact, and it was simply a case of two minds being in tune. After leaving this world it was quite possible that we might impress those left behind and make them see our spirit in any clothes we liked. Spirits had disclosed treasure the hiding place of which was known only to themselves.

The speaking voice was more difficult to explain. Voices had come from the void to a roomful of people whose character was above suspicion and who were so well known as to preclude any suggestion of trickery. He had no explanation to offer in regard to these phenomena but could only repeat that man was a wonderful creation and was only beginning to know himself.

The more mysterious man was th more it revealed the mysteries of til Mighty One who created man.

In conclusion the speaker stated that he knew many people who were keen to make experiments in this subject and who in fact desired firsthand acquaintance with the spirits.

For himself he experienced no such desire and was quite content to leave things as they were and to get his knowledge second-hand. He had a weighty reason for this attitude in his own mind. People had been known to lose their reason, and therein 'av a great danger. Others again could go on for a long time without any ill-effects, but for his own part he was quite content to continue his investigations second-hand.

(Continued at Foot of Next Column)

During the evening musical items were given by Mesdames J. G. Gnsparich, C. G. Alcorn and Mr. Clair. Mrs. A. E. Barr Brown acted as accompanist.