PROFESSOR TYNDALL ON SPIRITUALISM.

Waikato Times, Volume III, Issue 155, 6 May 1873, Page 2

PROFESSOR TYNDALL ON SPIRITUALISM.

Thk following essay on "Science and Spirits," from " Fragments of Science," by John T\nd;ill, L.L.D., F.R.S., third edition, 1871, will doubtless be read with interest at tho present time:—e :—:—: — Their refusal to investigate " spiritual phenomena " is often urged as a reproach to scientific men. I here propose to giro a sketch of an attempt to apply to tho " phenomena " thoie methods of eun'iir} which arc found available m dealing with natural truth. Some time ago, when the spirits were particularlj active in this country, a celebrated philosopher vnt invited, or rather entreated, bv one of hid friends, to meet and question them. lie had, howe\cr, already made their acquaintance, and did not wish to renew it. I had not been so privileged, and he therefore kindly arranged a transfer of the invitation tome. The spirits thcuiseh os named the time of meeting, and I was conducted to the place at tho day and hour appointed. Absolute unbelief was by no means my condition of mind. On the contrary, I thought it probable that some pb\Mcal principle, not v\ ident to tho spiritualists thcni-clves, might underlie their manifestations. Extraordinary eJPoeNare produced by the accumulation of Mm.ill impulses. Galileo sot a heavy pendulum in motion by the well-timed pulls of his breath. Elhcott set one clock going by the ticko of another, even when the two clocks were separated by a wall. Preconceived notions can, moreover, vitiate \o an extraordinary degree, the testimony of even veracious persons. Hence mj desire to witness this extraordinary phenomena, tho existence of which seemed placed beyond a doubt by the known icracity of those who had witnessed and described t hem. The meeting took place at a private residence in the neighbourhood of London. My ho»t, his interesting wife, and a gentleman who may be called X, wore in the house when I arrived. I was informed that the "medium" had not jet made her appearance j that she nai sensitive, and intuit resent suspicion. It was therefore requested that the tables and chairs should be examined before her arrival, in order to be assured that there wai no trickery in the furniture. This was done ; and I then first learned that my hospitable host had arranged that the trance should bo a dinner party. This to me vat an unusual form of investij bub I ,»c<=ojjtocl xt dw one of tilts accidents of tHo occasion. The "medium" arrived — a dolicatc-looking young lady, who appeared to have suffered much from ill-health. I took her to dinner, and sat close bosido her. Fucts were absent for a considerable time, a penes of very wonderful narrative •upplying their place. The duty of belief on testimony was frequently insnted on. X, appeared to be a chosen spiritual I agent, and told us mauy surprising things. He affirmsd that, when he took a pen in ho hand, nn influence ran from his shoulder downwards, and impelled him to write oracular sentences. I listened for a time, oflering no observation. And now, continued X., this power has §o risen as to reveal to me tho thoughts of others. Only this morning I told a friend what he nai thinking of, and what he intended to do during tho day. Here, I thought, ii something that can be at onco tested. I paid immediately to X — " If you wish to «in your cause an apostle, who will proclaim your principles to the world without fear, tell me what I am now thinking of." X reddened, and did not tell me my thought. Some time previously I had visited Baron Reichenbach, in Vienna, and I now asked the young lady who sat beside me whether she could see any of the curious things which he describes — the light emitted by crystals, for example ? Here is the conversation which followed, as extracted from my note* written on tho day following the seance. Medium — " Oh, yes ; but I see light around all bodief." I—"I — " Even in perfect darkness." Medium — " Yes ; I see luminous atmospheres around all people. The Atmosphere which nurrounds Mr R. C. would fill this room with light."" I—"I — " You are aware of the effects ascribed by Baron Beichenback to macnets ? " Mudiuni — " Yei j but a magnet makes me terribly ill." I. — " Am Ito understand that, if this room was perfectly dark, you could tell whether it contained a magntt, without being informed of the fact ? " Medium — " I should know of its presence, on entering tho room." I— " How ? " Mcidum — " I should be rendered instantly ill." I. — "'How do 3011 feel to daj ?" Medium—" Particularly wr-11 ; I have not boon so well for months." 1. — " Then, maj 1 ask jou whether there i«, at the present moment, a magnet in my po«si'»MOii h" The young lady looked at me, bhulu d, and stammered — "No ; 1 nm not en rapport with you " / nut ul her right hand, and a left hand pocket, within tix In oh ex of Jiff person, eotilainrd a nutffne/ Our host here deprecated discussion, as it cihnusted the medium. The wonderful narrative* w rre resumed ; but I had narratives of my own quite as wonderful. These spirits, indeed, teemed clumsy creation*, compared with thoso with | which mm tiwn rewnrtlies hnd made me familiar. I therefore ' began to match the wonders related to me by other wonders. A lady present discoursed on hpiritual atmospheres, which she could fcee n» benutihil colots when she closed her eyes. 1 professed mw'll able to see similar colors, and more thai (hat, to hi 11 Lie to see the interior ol my own eyes The medium nfliniicd that i-l.e could tec actual wmrs of light coming irom the suu. 1 retorted that men of sc:euee could

tell the exact number of waves emitted in a second, and also their e^oct length. The medium spoke of the performance* of the spirits on musical instruments I said that such performances were ero->->, in comparison with a kind of music? which had been discovered soiuc time previously by a scientific man. Standing tit u distance of twenty i'eet irom a jet of gas, he could command the name to emit a melodious note ; it would obey, and continue its song for liours. So loud was flic- music emitod by the gas-flame, that it might bo heard by an assembly of a thousand people. These were acknowledged to be as great marvels as any of those of •piritdom. The spirits were then. oonsulted r aad I was pronounced to be a first-class medium. During this couveisation- a low knocking was heard front time to time under the table. Those weie the spirits' knocks, I was informed that one knock, in answer to *> question meant "No;" that two knocks meant "Not yet •" and three knocks meant " Yes." In answer to the question whether 1 was a medium, the respoiute was three brisk and vigorous knocks. 1 noticed that the knocks issued from a particular locality, and therefore requested the spirits to \)tt good enough, to answer from another corner of the table. They did not comply ; but I wasassured that they would do it, and much more by-and-bye. The knocks continuing, I turned a wine gloss upside down, and pi iced my e.vr upon it, as upon » stethescope. The spirits sdemed duconcuited by the aat ; they lost their playfulness, and did not quite recover it ft* a considerable time. Somewhat weary of the proceedings, I once threw myself back against my chair and gazed listlessly out of the | window. While thus engaged the table was rudely pushed. 1 Attention was drawn to the wine, still oscillating in the | glasses, and I was nsLed whether that was not convincing, i T readily granted the fact of motion, and began to feel tire delicacy of my position. There were several pairs of arms upon the table, awl several pairs of legs under it ;. but how was I, without »fsence r to express the conviction which I entertained ? To wasd off the difficulty, i again I turned a wine glass upside down, and rested my ear upon it. The rim of the glass, was uoV level, and the hair on touching it, caused it to vibrate and product a peculiar buzzing sound. A perfectly candid and warm-hearted old gentleman at the opposite side of the table, whom I may call A, drew attention to the sound, and expressed hia. entire belief that it was spiritual. I, kewe^r, informed. him that it wa» moving the hair acting an the glass. The explanation was Jiot well received ; and X, in a tone ofc i seveie pleasantry, demanded whether it was the hair that ! moved the table. The promptness of my negative proba- | bly satisfied him that my notiou was a Very different one. I The superhuman power of the spirits was next dwelt upon. j The strength of man, it was stated, wu unavailing in oppoI eition to their*. No human power oould. prevent the tablofrom moving when they pulled it. During the evening thi* pulling of the table occurred, or rather was attempted, three I times. Twice the table moved when mj attention was withdrawn from it ; on a third occasion, I tried whether the act could be protoked by an assumed air of inattention. Grniping the table firmly between my knees, I threw myself back, m the chair, nnd waited, with my ey.ei fixed on vacancy, for the pull. It came. For some seconds it was pull spirit,, hold muscle ; the muscle, however, prevailed, and the tablo remained at rest. Up to kh* present moment this interesting fad ii known only to> the particular spirit in question and myself. A species of neutral tcent-painting, withi wbioh raj own. pwswits had long rendered me familiar, was employed to' figure the changes and distribution of spiritual power. The spirits- were provided with atmospheres, which oombinedi with and interpenetatcd each other, considerable ingenuity being shown in demonstrating- the nsressity of time in effecting the adjustment of the atmospheres. In fact, just as in. scenesy tire sensw, time, and space constituted; the conditionsof the phenomena. A rearrangement of our position* was* proposed and carried out, and soon afterwards my attention wa* drown to> a scarcely sensible vibration on the part of the table. Several persons were leaning on the table at the time,, and I asked permission k. touch the medium's hand. " Oh,. I know I tremble,! 1 wa» her reply. Throwing, one leg across he other, I accidentally nipped a muscle, i>nd produced thereby an involuatary vibration of the free legs. Thiu vibration, *L knew must bo communicated to fake floor, a*uL thence to tho chair* of nJI present. I tJiewfore intentionally promoted it. My attention was prompter drawn to the motion ; and a* gentleman beside nic, whose value as a witness I, was particularly desirous to test, expressed his beliof that it was out of the compass of human power to product) so strange a tremor.. "I believe," ho- added oura*»tly, "that it i» entirely the spirits' work." "So do I," added with heat, the candidi and warm-hearted old gentleman*. A. "Why, sir," be continued, " I foul them at this moment shaking my chair." I. stopped the motion of my leg, " Now,, sir," A exclaimed, " they are gone." I began again, and A once more ejaculated. I could, however, notice thut there were doubtersprcsent, who did not quite know what to think of the manifestations. 1 saw their perplexity ;. and as there was sufficient reason to believe that the disclosure of the secret would, simply provake anger, I kept it to myself. Again a period of conversation intervened, during which the spirits became animated. The evening was confessedly a dull one, but matters appeared to brighten towards its close. j Tho spirits were requested to spell the name by which I am j known m the heavenly world. Our host commenced repeating the alphabet, and when he reached the letter ' V a. mock was heard, lie began again, and the spirits knocked at the- letter ' O. I was puzzled, but waited for the ond. Tho next letter knocked down was fc E.' I laughed, and remarked that the spirits were going to- make a poet of me. Admonished for my levity, 1 was informed that the frame of mind proper for the occasion ought to have been superinduced by a reading of the Bible immediately before the stance* The spelling, however, went on, and sure enough J came out a poet. But matters did not end here. Our host oontinaed his repetition of the alphabet, and the next letter of thenarne proved to be ' O. Here was manifestly an unfinished word, and the spirits were apparently in their most communicative mood. The knocks came from under the table,, but no person present evinced the slightest desire to look under it. I asked whether I might go underneath ; the permission was granted, so I crept under the table. Sometittered, but the candid old A. exclaimed, ' Ho has a right to> look into the very dregs of it to convince himself.' Having pretty well assured myself that no sound could be produced under the table without its origin being, revealed, I requested our host to continuo his questions. He did so, but m vain. He adopted a tone of tender entreaty, but the * dear spirits' hod become dumb dogs, snd refused to be entreated. I continued under the table for at least a quarter of an hour, after which, with a feeling of despair » regards the prospects of humanity never before experienced, I regained tny chair. Once there, the upiriti resumed th*iir lequaoity, and dubbed me ' Poet of Science.' This, then, is the result of an attempt made by a soientifie man to look into the spirtual phenomena. It is not encouraging, and for this reason. The spiritual phenomena dividethemselves into two classes, one of which needs^Kdemonntration, wliUe the- other »• begrond tUc rdtcll of f"^Ht- Thcvictims like to believe, and they do not like to b« uiiHfceived. Science is perfectly powerless in the presence, of this, frame of mind. It is, moreover, a state perfectly compatiblewith extreme intellectual subtlety and a capacity for devising In potheses wh leh onl> require the hardihood engendered bystrong conviction, or by callous mendacity, to render them impregnable The logical feebleness of science is not sufficiently borne in mind. It keeps down the weed of superstition, not by logic, but by slowly rendering the mental soil uuiit for its cultivation. \V)»en science appeals to uniform experience, the spiritualists will retort, " How do. you know that uniform experience will continue uniform ? You tell me that the sun has risen for 6,000 yea?s ; there is no proof that it will rise to-morrow ; within the next twelve hours it may be pulled out by the Almighty." Taking thisground a man may maintain the story of " Jack and the Beanstalk " in the face of all the science in the world. You urge in, vain, that science has given us all theknowledgeofthe universew liich we now possess, while spiritualism has added nothing, to that knowledge. The drugged soul is beyond the reach of reason. It is in \ain that impostors ore exposed, and fchespecial demon cast out. He has but slightly to chango hisshape, return to his house, and find it " empty,, swept, and garnished."

AustbalilAK Nobtubbs Tkkkitoby Thundbb. — The writer of a series of ably-prepared articles on Port Darwin,, furnished to a Victorian paper, has contributed the following description of natural phenoma it observed in the northern territory : — Thii iitho region par exrelknce of thunderstormsJo\e roars his loudest and shoots quivers full of- many-colored arrows of lightning ; I enjoy the majestic roll, the far echoing, deafening peal, rfod the quick condensed musketry-like sound of thunder ; the pale green, white, red, and blue Hash and jugged streak of lightning. The finest of these atmospheric I'llueU are fuuiul by Alpine climbers, round the Victorian coust, where travellers bj sea ha^e been afforded the treat of continuous lightning tor hours playing round the masthead, performing a kind tit' weird dunce with, balls of St Elmo's lire; and I haw mjself on one rare occasion in Victoria seen the whole inly horuon in eirry quartet- brilliantly lit up by nquuenng network of cliuin lightning. 1 thought thut the beuuty of the lightning of that night was unforgctuble, but all has been surpassed by the electric exhibitionsand the thunders of these northern skies. The magnificence of athundersto-m at night here males an ineffaceable impression, the »ight dwells in m'eniorv, and is, if I may say eo> 1 run ied and curefull} btoied m a chnmber of the brain to be lewed on nmnv a luturc day. The ram descends in torrents ; Jupiter Pluvius, and Keptune ore m their angriest mood— apparent by the *i-u un the bench foaming and deafening us with hisses at the tt mble deluge \cxmg it. The long bright flashes show the lulls on the other «ide of the ba # \ in a strange imcuithh blue light, and even through the darkness mo cun M-e the jiUoMpliou'tsccut whiteness colouring the waves, w> many ghosts ot tumbling snowy water, seemingly silent a» ghosts, lor the thunder drowned their noise. It is in a i nt icitui on Hugo's " Uy Order of the King" that Swinburne depicts m luost euphonious woids a storm at sea, when the nilunated tutors bhiieL and tomplaui to the raging licaven.