SPIRITUALISTS.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3489, 1 March 1880, Page 2

SPIRITUALISTS.

(To the Editor of the Evening Stab.)

Sib,—l think it might be interesting to many of your readers to hear my account of what I saw and heard at my first risifc to a circle of spiritualists at Auckland the i other night, at what is called a seance. I hare long had a desire to witness one, as I know there are many unsolved mysteries connected with the human spirit—the little I know of mesmerism convinces me of this —and that it was possible that there might be phenomena connected with the spirit that is not easily to. account for, although some pretend to know ill about it that know as little about it as I ': do. Some say that it is a clever piece of jugglery, others say these manifestations are real, but'they give the devil the credit for them: that is the old plan in trying.to get over a difficulty. But to my story. When I was at Auckland I met with a friend, and in conversation we dropped on to the subject of spiritualism. lie said he was one of a circle of five.or six. that meet every Sunday night, and they had two mediums, one a -writing medium and the, other a seeing medium. He said the same spirit met them every night, And that he was instructing them about the spirit world. I asked him how it was done? He said they sat round a table with their hands flat on it for a short time, and the writing medium held a pencil jn his hand ' and paper before him, and they never had to sit long before the spirit caught hold of the hand and wrote with the pencil. I asked him if he would allow me to go and see it P He consented. When the tine v came I went; there vivas, three men and . two of their wives—respectable trades* people, whose word would not be disputed on any other subject. They sat round the table; they had not sat; long before the. hand and the. pencil went at a very great rate, and then it stopped. * I asked him if he knevji wna t he had written ? He laid "No, not until he read it." What he : read was, jjk. was to ask if the spirit might go onTVith the same subject as they Had the Sunday night bsfore ? They said yes;. but before commencing they asked him if he was agreeable for me to sit in the circle with them P He said " Yes," and when he had made his remarks I could ask any question I liked. I then sat op to the round table with the flat hands upon it, not touching the hands, when I soen found my hands tingle. We did not sit long before the hand went off like steam. He wrote for some time, and then he read what was written—it was about hypocrisy and selfishnessr that hypocrisy wai con. sidered a greater sin than selfishness, although both wore bad. He then went on to say that* love was the ruling principle in the highest heaven—disinterested love if it became selfish, then it ceased too* heavenly iove; it was lore that led them to do good to others for goodness' sake. He tried to explain this by a comparison, which I did not fully grasp; but their greatest difficulty in being understood wag the low animated feelings and low motives that influenced the action of men on earth. But, the whole of what he said was of a high elevating tendency. When he had done I asked if my wife was' present, and if so, could she communw . cate with me; he said he did-not know but that in the dark seance she might be able to convince jne of her presence. After' that the light of the lamp was put out; we only sat for a short time before .the sight-seeing spirit medium saw two females; one of them wanted to come over to me, and someone was trying to prevent them, for the. descriptions. given did not answer to my wife, bat answered better to a relative that is dead* After that there appeared two old men* one was like unto a doctor that they knew that had died, lately. As I hare not formed an opinion on the above I cannot 1 give one, but I have not any sympathy with those people who profess to Know - everything, for I think the unknown is a vast more than what is known; but to' positively know something tangible about the land of deepest shades would be of thrilling interest to all.—-I am, &c, J. HOBK. , February 27th, 1880.