The New Psychic Force

Abstract

PROF. BALFOUR STEWART, in NATURE for July 27, does but scant justice to Mr. Crookes's investigations. “Allowing,” he says, “that things of an extraordinary nature are frequently witnessed on such occasions” (he, no doubt, means to refer to the so-called Spiritualistic séances) “yet we are by no means sure that these constitute external realities.” And he then goes on to suggest that the phenomena may occur rather in the imagination of the spectators than in the outside world; or that the mediums (though he won't give them that name) may be under some mental influence of an “electro-biological” nature. By the way it is a pity that any man of science should help in giving currency to such a quack-scientific word; if this unknown influence must have a name, Mesmerism is the most appropriate; that does not pretend to explain the cause of the phenomena, but only to commemorate their discoverer. Now in the experiments upon which Prof. Stewart comments (I presume he refers to those described in the current number of the Quarteidy Journal of Science) there does not seem to have been much room for the exercise of the imagination of the spectators, nor for any “electro-biological” influence to act through the medium. Setting aside the accordion performances, which perhaps left a little scope for eye deception, the results of the trial with the spring-balance were quite opposed to the known laws of mechanics. And certainly this trial took place under conditions which should have rendered deception impossible. The evidence of two such careful observers as Mr. Crookes and Dr. Huggins is not readily set down as a phanta-m of their imagination; they are men accustomed to weigh the evidence of their senses with the utmost caution, for the slightest error therein would cause grave disturbance in their calculations. When such men testiiy that some mysterious force acted upon a lever in a way that no known force acts, and produced before their eyes results quite new to their experience, we should be as ready to believe them as if Dr. Huggins announced a new planet or Mr. Crookes a new metal; their testimony is as valuable in the one case as in the other. It is true that here they can only bear witness to the unknown, but the very existence of this unknown has hitherto been questioned. That when it is known this force shall be acknowledged to be a spiritual one is repugnant to all philosophy, and Serjeant Cox's haste to name it “psychic” is neither wise nor politic. Things spiritual have been materialised in the grossest manner by so-called spiritualists until the word has lost its meaning, and come to signify merely a cause unknown of phenomena sensual to the last degree. So it will be with “psychic” unless some one in authority stop this misuse of it at the very beginning.