• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

TABLE OP CONTENTS. - ------- -♦ -------- PACH5 PAOn F ro n tisp iece: Dr. J. M. Charcot. IX.—Psychical Science at Chicago *. 169 I.—Chroniqne.. .. .. .. .. .. 99 X— The -Catholic Church and Spirit Return: Converted to Romanism [through Spirit­ n .—More Opinions of Notables ........................... 103 ualism ., ., ., .. .. • 162 The Dead Priest’s Return - . * 162 in .—The Mystery of the Crystal- How a Ghost was laid by a Bishop .. 163 ' gome Prefatory Words .. .. .. 115 The Art of Crystal-Gazing by Miss X ... 117 XI.—More about Automatic Writing.. .. iee X II. — ? . 170 IV.—Onr Gallery of Borderlanders: Has Man Two Minds or One Dr. Charcot at the Salpetriere {Ulus.) ,. 128 X III. —TheOSOphy: How Mrs. Besant was Converted 174 Character Sketoh of Dr. Charcot .. 129 XIV. —Astrology: V.—Borderlanders of the Bible = Some Horoscopes of Notable People .. 176 • . I.—The Prophet Elijah [... .. 133 A Suggested Test in India , , 178 \ VI.—A P u zzlin g P ro b lem : Clairvoyance, Tele­ pathy, or Spirits P .. ' .. 142 XV. —Palmistry: Result of the Test Experiment in Read­ ing Unknown Hands . , . 183 VII.—Science and Psychics- Fifty Years Pro­ gress by Alfred R. Wallace, LL.D. ., 149 Miscellanea ............................................. 185 X V I. —Hypnotism : Report of the British Medioal VIII.—The Study of Psychic Phenomena •• Association ,. .. .. .. ., 186 How to Investigate. By J. J. Morse .. 131 Books about Crystal-Gazing .. .. 151 XVII.—Have Sounds Colours 7 .. .. 188 Some Suggestions to Investigators .. 152 The Training of Mediums *.. .. 152 XVIII.—Our droles and their Members •• •• 190 The Evidence for Spirit Return .. .. 153 X IX . —Reviews! An alleged Control by the late Abraham . The Riddle of the Universe .. 195 Lincoln .. .. .. .. .. 154 After 286 years: A Murder Confessed Lawrence Oliphant, Journalist and Auto- through Planohette .. .. .. 155 . matio Writer . 197 Another Planohette Story ., ,. 156 X X . —Borderland Articles of the Quarter • • 200 Spiritualism as a Sect .. .. .. 157 The Witch of Endor ........................... 159 XXI—The Press on “Borderland ” .«• ..203 D R . J. M. CHARCOT. (From the “Westminster Budget**)' BORDERLAND: A QUARTERLY REVIEW AND INDEX. Yoi. I. OCTOBER, 1893. No. II. I.-CHRONIQUE. —— *— — THE RECEPTION OP “ BORDERLAND.” might be admitted that some journalists existed in Lon­ |H E publication, of B orderland and the reception don, and possibly in Edinburgh, it was a matter of the f__i with which it was received by the public may be very gravest doubt as to whether any such beings existed regarded as the most notable event of the'last outside the two capitals. There is hardly an argument quarter fro m th e psychical point of view. As will be seen used to throw doubt upon the existence of disembodied from the comments of the press which are noticed else­ intelligences which could not equally well be used to where, as well as from the second batch of letters which prove the non-existence of a provincial editor. appear in the present number, we have succeeded in gaining the ear of the public to au extent-beyond our THE DOUBTS OF ME. FODMORE, utmost expectation. The first number was sold out, and In the first place, how many of us have ever seen a we had to print a second edition, which is also very provincial editor P In the second, all the evidence as to nearly exhausted, and I am afraid that subscribers who his existence is vitiated by the monetary element. Money wish to have a complete, set of the quarterly from the is necessary in order to procure the alleged cbtnmunica- beginning will have some difficulty in securing the first tions which emanate from the so-called editors. It is number if they have not already obtained it. Both in true that the sum of money is but a small one—varying the Old World and in the New there is, if npt an open from a halfpenny to a penny—but the amount is imma­ mind, at any rate an itching ear. This in itself will not terial; the essential fact is that, without the payment of cirry people very far, but to ask a question is the money, no editorial communications are procurable—a beginning of knowledge, and it is something at least to circumstance which the Psychical Research Society will provoke inquiry. tell you is sufficient to throw the gravest doubt upon the existence of any such body of men. Then- again, it 1)0 JOURNALISTS EXIST ? is argued that no communications come from spirits The newspaper criticisms have been very various and because they are so often inane and commonplace;' very entertaining. One journalist declares that Julia’s besides, they are often contradictory, and they not Only communications are commonplace twaddle; another leave you no wiser, but a great deal .more bewildered recognises them as ranking with the visions of the greatest than before you began to listen to them. Every word of s)ers of past tim es; a third regards her communications this criticism without an alteration can be applied to the as containing nothing whatever which has not been much communications which are ascribed to these invisible better said in the Apocalypse; while a fourth waxes editors. Anything more banal, and commonplace, and wroth at the rank heresy, not to say blasphemy, of the contradictory, and confusing, and generally unworthy of same communications which a preceding scribe had attention of the serious man than much of that which is declared to be nothing but the conventional, orthodox described as editorial comment cad hardly be imagined. views of all Christians. But for the pressure of other Then again, Mr. Podmore would have no difficulty in business, I had decided to write an ingenious article triumphantly proving that the utterances of the so-called after the fashion of Mr. Podmore, to prove that while it - journalists have no evidential value be :auso it is ex— tremely rare that they ever express anything that is not Tho Boman Oharoh already present to the mind of the person who receives are one great compost of the records of Borderland. i l l their communications. Telepathy will account for a great its greatest saints were Borderlanders. There is hardly many things, even for the existence of these so-called a church, from St. Peter’s to the humblest chapel built in editors. All this would have made a very pretty article, an Irish village, which does not bear testimony of the but I was too busy to write it, and I will therefore leave belief of tho Church in elaim ^’ance, clairaudience, com­ it with my compliments, hoping that Mr. Podmore and munication with the dead, and spirit-return, and all the the explain-away-atoany-price-school will accept the will phenomena which Borderland was founded to discuss. for the deed., But just as it objected to the Bible passing into the hands of the common people, so it wishes to keep Border­ ' . CONTRADICTORY CKITICISMS. land as a preserve for the expert. There are signs, how­ From the newspaper comments, of which we give a ever, that the Church is wavering over this, as it wavered considerable selection on another page, it will be seen long ago about the Bible. I publish, elsewhere a very that our critics are divided into two sections, one declar­ interesting Recount of the way in which the Boman ing that there is nothing in the least wonderful in Church dealt with these phenomena in the sixteenth cen­ Bordeblakd, while the others declare that the state­ tury, which shows liow seriously the Church regarded ments we have made are too absolutely incredible to be them, and how far it is from treating them with the believed for a moment, and that if they were true they indifference of the conceited ignoramus. But what is would involve a complete reconstruction of our philo­ ^rrmch more significant is the story which was published sophy. The triviality of some of the criticisms of some in the M onth, a respectable and scholarly magazine of our censors is almost inconceivable. Instead of grap­ which is published by the Catholics of Dublin. There pling with any one question, as, for instance, whether or we have an account of a conversion of an agnostic to tho not my hand' does write automatic communications Boman Catholic faith which was brought about entirely either Jrom living friends at a distance, or from other by communications received through a spiritualistic intelligences which represent themselves to be spirits of agency. The Boman Church wpuld fol’give much to deceased friends, they cavil and quibble about the mere Spiritualists if converts were obtained by spirit-rapping. fringe of the subject. The Spectator in this, true to the high position which it has long maintained for thought­ TnE SCIENTIFIC BASIS FOR REVERING RELICS. fulness, is almost the only journal which has dealt with There is no doubt, however, that the Boman Church the subject seriously. As for the others, they indulge, has reason to regard with favour psychical research. It for the most part, in senilities concerning sixpenny seems by no means improbable that modern science, by in­ telegrams and the like. vestigating the phenomena of clairvoyance and clair-audi- encs, psychometry, and the manifestations of the stance, THE THEORY OE DEMONS. may be able to give a scientific explanation and justifica­ • The attitude of the orthodox Christian to the pheno­ tion of many of the doctrines of tho Catholic. Churoh mena of Borderland is naturally one of considerable which have been most scouted by the rationalists. Take, interest. Some of the evangelical Christians are quite for instance, the doctrine of the sanctity of relics and of sure that Julia is nothing less than an emissary of the holy places.

Load more

  128

Copy Link