M IRACL ES IN MODERN L IFE

BY THE

REVD . J OHN LAM ON D , D . D .

PSYCHIC BOOK CL U B

48 OLD BAILEY L ONDON E . , , C . 4

a A further step has b een ta ken by in v estig tors .

The assert an d in deed I . m sel assert th at it is y , y / , p ossible to get in to tel ep athic commun ication with

Th ir those who hav e surv iv ed death of the body . e min d th eir character their erson a lit ersist an d , , p y p ! though they can n ot directly mak e an y imp ression on “ our mater ial sen ses e ur ed b con tin ued a ection , y t g y ff , or by some other sufii cien t r eason th ey can occasion a ll make use o a h siolo ical in strumen t th e b rain y f p y g , n erv e- muscle mech an ism of a livin g p erson en dowed — with th e receptiv e or tel epathic facul ty so as to

o v me sa h s n d A n d in so c n ey s ges to t o e l eft b ehi . doin the o ten ta k e ste s to rov e th eir iden tit an d g y f p p y,

t ti n ue x t n ce es a blish their con d e is e .

It i n ot eas o a all that or t i n o a thin s y t s y , f i s t g t b e said li htl I on l sa it on the str en th o a o g y . y y g f great b ody of eviden ce n ow kn own to me an d to man y

Eith ru al I t s t ue it oth er . er it is t or it se i r s e is f . ] i

r t n is difi cult to ov erstate its tremen dous imp o a ce .

S IR O LIV ER L ODGE .

C O N T E N T S

DEDICATION To LADY PALMER viii PROLOGUE

ON EV IDENCE

’ KATHLEEN S RETURN

’ DAV ID DUGUID S PSYCHIC PICTURE

’ DAVID DUGUID S RETURN

’ SWAFEE R S FF ON MR. HANNEN GALLANT E ORT TO CONVERT LONDON ON THE EVIDENCE FROM PHOTOGRAPHY

’ LADY PALMER S PSYCHIC PHOTOGRAPH

ON THE INCREDIB LE

THE SUPERNORMAL IN HEALING : THE CASE OF SIR WALTER SHAKERLEY A WORD OF WARNING A TYPICAL EXPERIENCE

’ GOD S TELEGRAPH

E PILOGUE DEDICATION TO LADY PALM ER

'

Dear Lady Palmer,

I dedicate this book to you . It contains the story Of the psychic p hotograph taken in the crypt Of the MemOria l Churc h at Domremy told in your own

words . That photograph ought to settle the question

as to the real ity of psych ic photography . With regard to the other experiences recorded in this book they are as the merest commonplaces for

those who possess the deeper knowledge . Mean

while , we must wait for the wiser day, a day in which all that is true in psych ic investigation and all that is true as regards the deeper spiritual l ife will b e more o e fully rec gnis d .

Yours faithfully ,

O H N AM ON J L D .

London , PR O L O G U E

During the last three hundred years our con cep tions Of the outward material universe have been enormously enlarged . Man could form some idea of a world that could be circumnavigated , but when it was discovered that our Earth was merely on e Of s sun several other planet revolving round the , and that these planets were revolving at enormous distances from the sun h is mental energies were taxed to the utmost . When it was further discovered that our solar system was only one of mill ions of wa similar solar systems, and that the Milky Way s on e Of S probably only many imilar universes , then ' to man had accept an extremely humble position , and recognise that he was only as a mote in the of immensity God . But before these conceptions could be accepted there was a sustained Struggle on t he t he part of pioneers of astronomical science . Copernicus only ventured to publ ish his treatise when on C Of his deathbed . The first published opy that to ee treatise he was permitted s , and he left it as his

. legacy to mankind . Galileo from all accounts had a sore enough time Of it . He wrote Kepler that he could not induce the professor of philosophy in his

University to look through his telescope . That dreaded telescope revealed too much ! One hundred and twenty years of our Earth time had to pass before the In t ell igen t ia of Europe would accept the teach ing f o Gal ileo . It t h is always e same . Every new concep tion as a r regards Science, and cert inly eve y new concep tion P RO LO GU E a s regards spiritual facts , meet with opposition . T h e Christ who Challenged the orthodox teaching Of his age was nailed to a cross . The early Reformers died at the stake ! and they only sought to introduce into th e Church certai n modifications Of bel ief and i t h en t h at pract ce . It is no marvel the facts tabled by f e Spiritual ists should be. treated with indi ferenc or 1 8 neglect . Dr . Alfred Russel Wallace in 95 pub l i h ed Mira cl es an d M odern S iritualism s his book p , on e Of the ablest books written on the subject ! and in that book he maintains t h at the. facts Of Spiritual ism are as fully proved as any scientific fact could ever be . Dr . Russel . Wallace was a competent f judge of the value O scientific evidence . But if the facts were fully proven i n 1 895 h ow much more is this true t o- day when during the intervening period a mass of incontrovertible facts . has been accumu lated ! Many of t h e greatest minds in Europe are n now engaged upon these problems . It is un ecessary to mention the names Of the eminent men in our own land who have given their life- energy to establ ish n f the spiritualistic positio . And yet O ficial science t h e turns bl ind eye upon this subject . Even Lord ’ Kelvin declared in answer to Mr . Stead s enquiry that borderland subjects were due t o fraud or bad ! ’ r Obse vation , and at an earl ier period Sir David Brewster declared as regards these mysterious manifestations that Spirit was t h e last thing he

“ i ! e would g ve in to Mr . James Douglas r cently in the columns Of Th e Daily E xpress made an appeal l It to the scientific world to deal With this question . is h to be hoped t at his appeal will receive attention . P ROLOGU E But if Offi cial Science has turned the blind eye on Spiritualism what is to be said as regards the attitude maintained by the Christian Church for th is is a subject that primarily concerns the Church ? That scientific evidence can be produced to prove that f f f there is a uture l i e and a uture world , and that a measure Of communication can be maintained between the two worlds is a fact that ought to be Of interest m n to every Christian a and woman . It is upon these central facts that the Christian faith has been built . The Resurrection Of Jesus Christ is regarded as the

- key stone in the arch Of the Christian faith . Spiritualism alone can explain the Resurrection Of Jesus which otherwise would remain an isolated fact

- in human experience . On this all important matter “ — I n w F . W . H . Myers truly wrote venture o upon a bold saying : for I predict that in consequence Of the new evidence , all reasonable men a century of hence will believe in the Resurrection Christ , Of whereas , in default the new evidence n o reasonable ! man , a century hence , would have bel ieved it . A n d as t o the essential teach ing Of Spiritual ism K C Sir Edward Marshall Hall , . who certainly could be credited with a keen legal mind , has written : I was , and am , convinced that there is an existence

so- beyond called death , and that there are means Of ! u communication between them and s . In this book we have r ecorded some personal of n experiences psychic phenome a , and some ex p eri ences of trusted friends on whose statements we can

. rely But however valuable such evidence may be , that evidence can never convey complete conviction to P ROLOG U E — the mind at least at this period of mental develop t ment . Future generations will accept these sta ements W e as readily as meanwhile _ accep t the statements ’ acce uch regarding Saturn s rings . We p t s statements si on Scientific authority . But the spiritualistic po tion

is f . We as di ferent are, yet , merely as pioneers in a movement whose claims are so deep and far reach ing as to revolution ise th e conceptions hitherto held al ike as regards Rel igion , Science , Philosophy and Soci r ology . It is a reconstructed wo ld that we contem

It Of . plate . is the dawn a new era that we welcome And to reach such a conviction someth ing more is needed than reading books Of evidence as regards It psychic phenomena . is the personal contact wit h ' b r n onv i t i n th e supernormal that i gs c c o . It is the realisation that life here on earth is merely a temporary t e experience, and hat b fore us all there is the possi b il ity Of an eternal progression from sphere to sphere ! it is the real isation that there is another world as Objective to the inhabitants of that world as thi s out ward material world is to ourselves ! it is the complete certainty as to these fundamental truths that Changes e at once all spiritual values , and op ns out vistas Of thought which become as a dynamic force W ithin us ever urging us forward to renewed energy and

enterprise . Memorable , indeed , in the l ife of every Spiritual ist is that moment when he has consciously h e contacted the supernormal , and t ereby has enter d ’ h m r i o God s wider world . T e easu e of h s c nscious h ' it w 15 m n ness , wit a leap as ere, enor ously e larged , and h e can leave al l With con fiden ce to the Universal P lan . C H A PTER I

O N E VIDE N CE

Th ere is n o h in s e f- con radic or n ot hin a so ute t g l t t y , g b l ly

’ in con ceiva bl e in t he idea of in telligences un cogn iz abl e directly by our sen ses a n d yet cap abl e of actin g more or less p ower fully ma er Th ere is on t o some min ds a h i h im roba bi it on t . t ly , , g p l y ar ising f rom t he sup p osed absence of al l p roof th at th ere are r min an d h ere seems such bein s . L et direc roof b e fo h co g t p t g, t no reason why t he most scep tical p hil os op her should refuse t o

e it I wou d b e Sim a - ma er to b e in es i a ed an d acc p t . t l p ly tt v t g t i n s i n —Dr ALFRED RUS S EL tested like any other quest o Of c e ce. .

WALLACE .

1 2 S i nce the publication Of Kathleen i n 9 5 , many letters have reached me comp laining Of the lack Of evidence in the volume as to the val idity Of the message I received regarding her by the hand of

Mr Wilson . I quote from one letter before me was I l ike your book very much , but I think as it

about Kathleen you should have had more evidence . I waited for it all through the book and was surprised ! to find none .

Many other correspondents wrote in similar terms . A friend recently , who is deeply convinced Of the

real ity Of psych ic phenomena , told me frankly that he “ wa s disappointed with the book . It contains no !

he . h real evidence, said But it may be asked , w at is t he form of evidence the p ublic requ ire ? I n a ’ generous review of Sir Ol iver Lodge s book Science Th e Times Ma a t h and Human Progress in , y 7 , 1 2 t h 9 7 , e writer somewhat u nreasonably demands M IR ACLES IN M OD ER N L I FE

for h from Sir Ol iver more evidence is convictions . For this reason we wish that Sir Oliver even in a course of p opular lectures had given us detailed

. A is we references to his evidence S it , although respect his convictions he does nothing to make us share them A s if Sir Ol iver had not already ! p ubl ished Survival of Man and Raymond and discussed with meticulous care in these vol umes the various aspects of evidence in favour Of survival after death

- i Still this demand for evidence s a sign Of hope . !

At the time Kathleen . was published there were several volumes before the publ ic dealing with evidence . We had Towards the Stars by Dennis ’ N rth cl iff e waff r Bradley , o s Return by Hannen S e , and other books all confirming the testimony Of these n t m h . t at writers It did o occur to e . I was to add to f the evidence that had been SO e fectively given . But c as I am assu red that the publ i demand evidence , and that any book published on psychic subjects has so as value only i n far it furnishes this evidence , I will attempt in. these pages to place before my readers some Of the facts that have induced me - t o take a e t o definite stand upon this subj ct , and proclaim that spiritual ism is one Of the greatest subjects that Challenges the publ ic mi nd during the first half Of h the twentiet century . We have long held th e view that Humanity i n our n Western World is o the th reshold Of a new era . That era will b th e ect i a e e l r c l era . This may b e due or to a conjunction Of p lanetary forces , to the fact that our Su n is passing from the Sign Pisces t o the M I RACLES I N M O D ER N LI FE 3

! is Sign Aquarius i n the odiac , or to what the teach ing Of Historythat at the end of every two thousand years there is a distinct forward movement in the experience Of the race . But whatever may be the explanation there ar e indications in many directions f f that the Older orms O thought are breaking up , and that new and wider conceptions are taking possession r Of the human mind . I n this di ection the discoveries

“ f h as o science cannot be ignored . Astronomy enormously enlarged our conception of the u niverse . Geology has compelled us to think not in thousands n ow but in mill ions Of years Of time . It is generally conceded that our planet has existed for a thousand — million years how many more mill ions O f years the Of h a f brain man s still to athom . Evolution has our n t transformed all thinking . Charles Darwin o our Only revolutionized ideas regarding biology , he t o has compelled theologians readjust their outlook . In the midst of all this tumult and confusion Spirit

' ual ism has appeared t o be mocked and jeered at as the Cinderella among the ashes , waiting the day when sh e as wil l be led forth the Queen Of all the Sciences . There was a period when a man of very average ability could make a considerable income by exposing what he termed the frauds Of Spiritual ism . That day is past . There was a period when an editor wh o wished to increase the circulation Of his newspaper ! organized what is termed a spiritual istic stunt .

. Y That day is passing L incol n said , ou Can fool of ou all the people part the time , and y can fool part

Of the people all the time , but you cannot fool al l the ! people all the time . There is a widespread convictio n M IR ACLES I N M OD ERN L I FE h a for s b e m s t at when every allowance is m de pos i l , i p o i tions and fraudulent practices a deep bed rock Of fact remains on which t h e beliefs Of Spiritualists are based ! and that a discovery has been made which will Change not only our ordinary views Of religion and science but which will prove t o be a dynamic force that will uplift the ideals Of mankind . That discovery simply — amounts to t h is z a means Of communication has an d been establ ished between the seen unseen worlds .

This knowledge has existed more or less in every age . The sacred documents “of every rel igion bear ample evidence as to this fact . _ But in these modern days is this knowledge being placed on a scientific basis, and not less religious because it is scientific . The laws underlyi ng this means Of communication are being studied and systematized . A new science has sprung i nto existence known as Psychic Science . as Strange it may appear , what should have been the primary study of our theologians and Church leaders h as been al most completely ignored by them ! d n ot b and the discoveries have been ma e , y bishops s Or and canon presbyters , but by humble individuals i m l ving in re ote districts and Obscure dwell ings . Some homel y farmer on the prairies Of America far from universities and destitute Of any l iterary training b has written ooks that anticipated the _ findings of ' an d n Darwin and Huxley , which still challe ge the consideration Of the learned ! some unknown char woman has seen visions and dreamed dreams and produced psychic phenomena that transcend our conceptions Of the Possibl e ! some school girl dis courses with an eloquence and a fervour that M I R ACLES IN M O DER N L I FE 5

astonishes our savants ! a lonely youth emerges from his village to confound kings and emperors in their palaces by means of the psychic gifts wherewith he as has been endowed . Such h been the history Of N or Modern Spiritual ism . need we be surprised at for ha this , such s been the Divine method Of working

in every age . Were not several Of the Apostles w of fishermen , conscious Of the eaknesses and failures human nature Has n ot God chosen the weak things of the world to confound the mighty , and the things that are not t o bring to nought the things that are ? on The world rolls and nations rise and fal l , but the

real work Of the world is done in secret . It is not the first time in history (nor Will it be the last) that the words Of the M agn ificat have been fulfilled He hath put down the mighty from their seats and hath ! exalted them Of low degree . With regard to the charge of fraudulent practices in Spi ritual ism that charge has been dil igentl y and ow studiousl y exaggerated . In all my n personal investigations , extending to wel l nigh fifty years , I have only encountered on e instance in wh ich it could t be asser ed that fraudulent methods were adopted . That there have been mediums who attempted to deceive cannot be denied . On the other hand many Of the charges Of fraud that have been publ ished in newspapers have been utterly groundless , as was the t o case with regard the charge brought against Mrs . Th D ail k tc Deane by e y S e h . It was asserted that her psychic photograph taken on Armistice Day was r fraudulent . Sir Arthu Conan Doyle took up the i challenge and v ndicated Mrs . Deane from the 2 6 M IR ACLES IN M OD ER N L I FE

aspersions that had been cast up on her . It is so easy m to attack a helpless edium . The Editor Of Th e Dail S k etch r y told M s . Deane that if she had been

misrepresented she could appeal to the Law Courts . r He knew perfectly well that M s . Deane is not in a position to plead her case in a Court Of Law ! and l in that mediums have no lega standing _ a Court Of

Law . Such is the penalty that Often has to be paid

“ for waff r adherence to the truth . Hannen S e in his investigations discovered how l ittle inducement any

on e t o . has become a medium , and rendered a just tribute Of appreciation to a class that h as s uff ered on of much account popular prejudice .

The British Psychic College at 59 , Holland Park , to C of London , exists test the laims mediums . Very

important work is being done there in this direction . S The purious medium is firmly dealt with , warned ,

and , if need be , exposed . The genuine medium

receives due recognition and is employed . It may be strongly asserted that Spiritualists as a body are

~ as determined to . el iminate, far as possible , all m i m fraudulent ed u ship from the movement . How ever m uch they may disagree on some points they a i are all greed that the phenomena , n which they bel ieve , must rest on a sure and verifiable foundation , and that any medium stooping to imposition in an v form must be censured and dealt with . Fraud has generally been associated with what is

i . e . termed physical phenomena , , apports , material i z at ion and kindred phenomena . Psychic phenomena

t . belong to a differen order, and cannot be simulated But psychic phenomena again have to be judged by

8 M I R ACLES IN M OD E RN L I FE

the outward physical body wil l rise again , or that the Spiritual part Of our bei ng is i n a state of suspended animation until some far- Off event called the judgment day . They hold that we are being judged every day ! and that by spiritual laws , which are inexorable , we are certainly judged when we pass from this world to How h a on the next . far the public mind s gone astray “ these subjects is evidenced by many of our hymns in which we are taught that at t he sounding of the trump we are all to start out Of our graves where we have been resting . I n several churchyards I have visited the impression left upon my mind , after read i ng the various epitap hs and texts Of Scripture was h wh o inscribed upon the tombstones , that all t ose had been interred i n these graves were fast asleep ! I n V iew Of this prevail ing ignorance there is certainly ample scope for what has been termed the revelations 1 of modern Spiritualism .

o e —This idea h a t he s iri is res in in he a e N t . t t p t t g t gr v embodied in the p op ular song Danny Boy But wh en you Come and all t h e flowers are dyin g If I am dead as dead I we ma b e ll y , ’ You ll come and fi n d th e p l ace where I am lying And k n eel an d say a n Ave there for me ! An d I sh all h ear th ough soft you tread above me And all m ra e i warmer swee e b e y g v w ll , t r ! For ou wi end and e l me h a ou o e me y ll b t l t t y l v , An d I sh a s ee in eace un i ou come t o me ll l p p t l y . C H APTER I I

K AT H LEE N ’ S R ETU RN

Before exp erien ce itsel f can b e used with ad va n tage there is on e p relimin ary step t o make wh ich dep ends wh olly on our selves : it is th e absolute dismissal an d clea ring t he mind of a l l udice and t he de ermin a ion t o s and or fal l th e resu p rej , t t t by lt O f a dir ec a ea to Fac s in t h e fi rs in s an ce and Of s ric t p p l t t t , t t h a f ter wards —Sir OH N HERS CHEL I logical d eduction f rom t em . J

It has been diffi cult for me to determine the type Of evidence that is demanded by my readers to m support y. contention that the message received through Mr . Wilson was a genuine message from on e wh o had passed into the Unseen World . It may be well t o reproduce the message here Kathleen Ogilvy Lamond n ot t but d or to passed over seven eight days ago her knowledge , but time is diff erent there . She used to argue with her father on Spiritualism b ut she ’ s fou nd since passing over that her father ’ s views were correct and She wants to get into communication with him for She has a l ot Of good work to do She said she had been watching this medium as Sh e k n ew that through her she could get into touch with h er ! a l . f ther as M r . Wi son knew her father on t 1 th 1 2 2 Kathleen died the March , 9 . The m O n 2 2 n d 1 2 2 Th e message reached e the March , 9 . t and d i n the spell ing of t h e name refers to the name Lamond as t he word is frequently spelled h t he Lamont , and Kat leen was jealous as regards I O M I R ACLE S I N M OD ER N L I FE

f to spell ing o the name . Her reference time is i nter esting for we are assured that time and Space in the interior world do not emxist in the same sense as is the case in this outward , aterial world . I n the interior ' world they l ive in the Everlasting N OW ! and as for space they can be h ere in Britain or in the United

States or in Austral ia in a few moments Of Earth time . Kathleen had Opposed me in my views during her

- unex earth life . When , however , suddenly and p ectedly sh e found herself in the Interior World it is evident that sh e sought at once to get into com mun i at ion c with me .

So much for the message . It has been confirmed f r o me in many ways . It would be tedious to go over ’ the various proofs I have received Of Kathleen s con t in M cEv o ued existence . From Devonshire (M iss y) d A and from Stow, Mi lothian (Mrs . nderson) , from “ L ad V Palmer and others I have had written testi monies that Kathleen was sending me messages C M r s . through these hosen instrumental ities, and

Brittain and Mrs . Annie Paterson have seen her n o beside me and described her . She is stranger in the sacred séance room . As to my own interviews with her they almost take the form Of speaking face to face . Should I give forth to the publ ic the details Of these interviews as has been done in so many other cases ? I p refer to describe a séance that will ever be

memorable in my experience , and which , if the facts

SO . are accepted , convey much to the mind P aignton , Devonshire , has for several years been f r l o . a centre psychic investigation . Mr Evan Powel

h . is one Of resides i n t at town He , in my judgment , M I RACLES IN M O DERN L I FE 1 1

the greatest mediums in the B rit ish E mp ire . He _ met me at the station and extended to me a cordial

welcome . I expressed to him the desire that whilst I was i n Paignton I might be privileged t o have a was sitting with him , and that if this granted I would ! be prepared to remunerate h im . Certainly, said “ y Mr . Powell , you will have the sitting but if ou

speak of guineas there wil l be no séance . That is

- Evan Powell . He recognized in me a fellow worker “ i in what he bel ieves s a Good Cause . It is not to be assumed that he c an always give his services free . If some mill ionaire were to come forward and render it possible for al l mediums to give their services free (and mill ionaires might spend their money and do spend their money on Objects far less deserving) then it would b e a cause for gratitude that mediums could t give their services gratuitousl y o enquirers . But until that day arrives mediums are quite as much entitled to be remunerated for their services as any professional man . If I pay two guineas , as I have for Often done, to a medical adviser ten minutes Of h is time , why should it be thought outrageous that I should pay to a medium on e guinea for an hour or it ? G od may be two hours Of his time The medium , help him , has to l ive , and that for him is often a ffi ’ di cult problem . (See Hannen S waff er s N orth ’ cli e s Return on ff this point . ) At this séance at which I was present and which was Of held in the house Mr . and Mrs . Horseley on 1 8th 1 26 II the February , 9 , paid no money . It was a privilege wh ich was granted me on account of the work I was doing in the district . It is a singular 1 2 M I R ACLES IN M O D ER N L I FE

h all t he fact , whic I record here, that at nearly séances during which I have received the most con ‘ v incin g evidence of the real ity Of a future l ife and of the existence Of an unseen world I have p aid no was I sat money . Such the case when first with 1 8 8 was David Duguid i n Glasgow in 7 , such the case 1 16 when I visited Mr . Craddock in 9 and saw the of phenomena material ization , and such was the case in Paignton i n 1 926 when Kathleen came back in out m ward for . There were nine persons present at the séance l besides the medium , Mr . Evan Powe l . M r . Evan Powell insists that at all h is séances he wil l be roped as he to the chair, and a further guarantee that does not himself in any way particip ate in the phenomena t e Of h his thumbs are tied wi h a pi ce t read . M r . . ’ Horsel ey s card countersigned by myself was SUS pended O n this thread SO as t o prove at the end Of the ’ n séance that Mr . Powell s hands had ot been used in h l any way . W en this memorab e séance terminated I c ut t h h found the thread unbroken . I then e t read on w which the card as still suspended . My first visitors from Unseen Real ms were General Wauchope wh o fel l at Magersfontein and v o the Re . Robert Paters n who had been my teacher . ’ i n Montrose . M r Paterson s visit was very e h o evidential . He had be n a keen t e logical contro versial ist - i h im during his earth l fe , and I asked if in d the future world theological controversy existe .

He had an expressive chuckling laugh when I p erson? h im wou h n h im h ally knew . I ld ave know b y t at h laugh anywhere . It was with the same c uckl ing M I RACLES IN M O DE RN LI FE 3 laugh that he answered There is plenty Of ! c r theological discussion over here . People y out id It is f e for ev ence . requently the l ittl things that are the most evidential . It was when my brother as b o James called me by. the name I was known a y and which the medium certainly did not know it was when my brother Hendry spoke to me in the dialect of Glen Clova and gave me what was termed the double doon (down) come in a local game of was which the medium knew nothing , that I convinced I was speaking to the brothers I had known and S f ’ loved on this ide O time . It was Robert Paterson s chuckl ing laugh that convinced me I was speaking to the man with whom I had so Often discussed subjects Of the deepest import , and who certainly r proved himself to be on e of my earl iest benefacto s . Several messages were del ivered to other members of a of C . the ircle . Then there was a pause A b ll fire about the size of a small orange arose apparently from near t h e . feet Of the medium a n d Stood Opposite my I forehead . I was almost bl inded by it . heard voices around me crying out Look above the light !

There is Kathleen . But I was bl inded by the l ight . n too At that time I saw nothi g . I was overcome with t e h h t emotion . Gradually , h g faded away and the

‘

. a séance proceeded W . T . Ste d manifested and I asked him what was to be done to get this great truth Of embedded in the consciousness our people . He Y ou answered , must try and get Spiritual ism i nto greater harmony with t he fundamentals Of t h e

Christian faith . The excrescences and false teaching that exist you can remove but do not exclude t h e ! of I Master us al l . thanked him , and David Duguid 1 4 M I RACLES IN M ODERN L I FE

It ’ broke in speaking in braid Scots . s a braw ! mun el ich t nicht , he said . John King and others wa h s . spoke . Then there anot er pause The medium sighed deeply and even moaned . Another ball Of a fire, larger than the former, arose from ne r the feet of r the medium and remained opposite my fo ehead . At the same time I was conscious Of a figure directly

. se opposite to me I could e the outline distinctly , C the bust and neck were learly perceptible . The face w a . I did not see . I s again bl inded by the l ight ! Look , cried those sitting next to me, look above ’ ! the l ight . It is Kathleen in her nurse s uniform . ’ n ot ee o But I did s Kathleen s face . What w uld I not ha ve given to have been able to see the face of my daughter ! But conscious Of my emotion She ’ ! said in a sympathetic voice , Don t cry, Father, S h dOWn C and e stooped and kissed me on the heek . as l S That kiss was _ pa pable as if he had been in i . d human form Gradual ly, the ball of fire again s ’ If see solved . I did not Kathleen s face those

' “ around me saw her disti nctly, and I took the pre

caution to get these witnesses to Sign the statement , a copy Of which is herewith subjoined

Paignton , 2 F b uar 1 st e r 1 26 . y, 9 We the undersigned hereby testify that at the - 1 séance held in this town on Thursday, 8th February, ’ we distinctly saw the face of Kathleen , Dr . Lamond s Sh e h er daughter , as stood bending over father . b Lily A . Ro inson , Richard H orseley

E . M . Horseley .

1 6 M IR ACLES IN M OD ER N L I FE

' These successiv e b all s Of fire were intended to i lluminate the features of Kathleen who had material iz e d . This material ization is an exceedingly

rare phenomenon , and apart from Evan Powel l I am not aware of anyone l iving in E ngland who possesses n this gift . M r . Craddock possessed the gift at o e time , but his health does not in recent years permit him to exercise it . I n witnessing the material izations with Mr . Craddock ill uminated slates were used , slates that were coated w“ ith some preparation which ! enabled the sitters to see Sister Amy who appeared . Sister Amy was a diminutive figure . ’ of Her dress was the colour Of a spider s web , to beautiful l y wrought , and seemed grow out of the

. SO as h body Kathleen , far I could judge , by w at I

Of h wa - er s S . I saw , l ife ize She has told me that will yet see her before I pass over but when or how I know not .

-If O P If any reader should ask , I g to aignton for S and interview Evan Powell and arrange a itting, would I witness similar manifestations ? I cannot

t he affi rmat iv e - answer in . I waited forty eight years

' a h f r for that sé nce . It was wort wait ing o . The diffi culty as regards psychic manifestations l ies in the fact that as much depends upon the sitter as upon

h w - the medium . T ere are men ho by their will power n h T he can i ibit al most any psych ic manifestation . s f medium is a sen itive , and is powerfully a fected by h im h all arou nd . If, therefore , one s ould go to h e Pai gnton i n an adverse frame of mi nd , even if

' h a sittin h P t e s ould gain g wit M r . owell , h result

' t i A m i m n t h . ed u o migh be d sap p oi nti ng is a mac ine . MI RACLES IN M O DERN L I F E 1 7

SO He is an individual ity . are the visitors from beyond the Veil . They have feel ings , and resent on e al ike discourtesy and ingratitude . But if should go i n a reverent and enquiring frame Of mind then

~ there are possibil ities Of gainin g that deep er k n ow~ ledge which transforms our outlook al ike upon l ife ’ kn ow and on God s wider world . Spiritual ists n ot what they bel ieve . These convictions do rest upon theories or tradition but on ascertai ned facts .

It is this bed- rock Of fact which they h ave al ready proved that will become the basis on which a n ew an d science, a new philosophy a new theology will arise . P h s That M r . Evan owell wit his transcendent gift shoul d be resident in Pai gnton is on e Of t h e t ragedies ur n s ? Of our modern l ife . Where is o modern Maece a Where are the men Of ample means and ph ila n th ropic im p ulses who will render possible that the evidence this man can furnish will be available in our g reat and

f da i . busy centres o population . That y w ll come SO Meanwhile , it seems far , far away — Note . Since the foregoing account has been n h written I have had another séa ce wit M r . Evan

on 1 1 2 . Powell 7th November , 9 7 At th is more recent séance the phenomena were even more extraordinary than what has been described in the p recedin g to see chapter . I was permitted for one brief moment a woman ’s face between two illuminated cards and this face appeared to me to be the face Of Kathleen . But the material ization was S O brief that I could n ot n AS t o h a be positive o that point . w at took place l ter wa for I am positive . A pencil s asked , and M r . I 8 M I R ACLES IN M OD ERN LI FE

T he wa Rossiter placed a pencil on the floor . pencil s

taken up by a materialized hand . Everyone present saw the hand distinctly writing with the pencil il l umin at ed car against the d . Then the card and n pencil were dropped o the fl oor . At the end of the séance I took up the card and across it was written the name

Kathleen .

On 1 t h 1 28 At Norwich the s March , 9 , I was per mit ted to sit in the Norwich Circle with Mr . ’ L E st ra n e g as medium . The materializations that C took place were Of a startl ing haracter . A woolly C figure passed round the ircle , and which I thought was a dog . A baby material ized and was passed from t o n knee knee . If o e Of the manifestations is to be accepted then the body Of Mr . have

- been de material ized . I confess that I am willing to go a long way in the direction Of credibil ity , but that the body Of anyone should be de- material ized does tax my measure Of bel ief . Yet that must have been the case , if we accept what was stated that the body of ’ L E t ra n e w - Mr . s g as stretched out on a mantel shelf three inches broad , whilst he himself at the end Of the séance was found roped and bound and in appear

- ance half dead . He appeared to be as near the other as on e world can possibly be , and stil l retain some on hold t his outward l ife . But this séance has a deeper evidential meaning me h for . Apart from the material izations t at took place nearly e very sitter received some personal mark f o attention from friends on the other Side . Two h ands were first p laced on my head , and then two M I RACLES IN M O DERN L I F E 1 9

a arms were thrown around my neck . This was s palpable to me as if my visitor had been in outward material form . Some weeks previous I had received , f B radb rook Of I through my riend Mr . W . B . pswich , a letter that purported to be from Kathleen . The — medium in this caSe was Miss Woodley of I p swic h a gifted medium through whom automatic writings Of B r r k . adb oo a very high order are given M r . asked me to send a closed letter, and I would receive an answer to my unopened letter which he would retain i n h is

-i desk . I sent a letter but it was not seal ed . M r . Brad brook then requested me to send a letter duly sealed .

This I did seal ing the letter with black wax . It occurred to me to ask who it was that placed her arms N round my neck at the Norwich séance . O mere guessing could answer such a question . About a as fortnight passed and no answer came . B ut this book was about to be published the letter herewith reproduced reached me .

Ipswich Psychic Society . 6 3 , Broomhill Road ,

Ipswich ,

2 rd A il 1 28 . 3 pr , 9

Dear Dr . Lamond ,

Last night during an address given by Mr . Ernest wh o Hunt , Miss Woodley , was sitting in a corner at the back Of the Hall , felt a hand upon her shoulder . ’ Looking up sh e saw very distinctly a form i n Nurse s f indoor uni orm , very round face , quite smil ing eyes and heard the words

It was I who put my arms around father . 2 0 M IR ACL ES I N M OD ERN L I FE

With kindest and aff ectionate regards from your

' Ipswich friend , r d r k W . R . B a b oo .

B radb rook Mr . has returned my letter with the seal e b unbroken , and both letters can be inspect d y any n e f o desirous o doing so .

This , to my mind , is one Of the most convincing testimonies I have received as to the continued exist ence Of our daughter Kathleen Ogilvy Lamond ! and originated from my experience at the Norwich circle . ’

L E st ra n e i . Mr . g s still a young man If his powers can be further developed SO that the phenomena can be witnessed in a measure of light he will become ‘ an outstanding figure in the Spiritual istic movement . C H A PTER I I I

A V D U G U ID ’ S P Y H P T D I D S C I C I C U RE .

The whole h ist ory of science shows us th at wh en ever t h e educated an d sc ien tific men of any age h ave den ied th e facts o f other scien tific in vest iga tors on a priori grounds of absurdity ! w n — v a w een ro Dr . or imp ossibility t he den iers h a e l ays b g. LFRE US EL WALLACE A D R S .

’ T he val idity of Kathleen s message depends entirely on the possibil ity of communication between ’ w people living in this out ard , material world and the inhabitants (assuming that there are inhabitants) i is of the Unseen World . This s the problem which i exercising many minds at the present time . It s the N O greatest Of all problems . fact Of equal importance n f ca be named alongside O it . For the answer t o i f involves a direct reply the question , a man die will he l ive again ? If communication is possible then that proves that there are men and women in the spiritual world who are able to communicate with t who their friends l iving i n his material world , and are able to give us informatio n regarding the con dit ions S that exist in that piritual world . If we take three forms Of religion that have definitely influenced C our fi nd ivilization in western hemisphere . we that in each of these rel igions it is assumed that t h is

communication is possible . Moses founded Judaism . It was the voice that spoke to him out Of the burn ing to f bush that called him be the del iverer o Israel . It was on Mount Sinai t hat t h e Ten Commandme nts 2 2 M I R ACL ES IN M OD ER N L I FE

were given , in a supernormal manner , which underlie f r our conceptions o right and wrong . Jesus Ch ist founded Christianity . In all the gospels we are taught that He had direct access to the Unseen Hi t h e worlds. At s baptism heavens were Opened H i and He was called to s destined task . On the Mount of Transfiguration He Spoke with Moses and commun ica El ias, thus sanctioning by this example O was H is tion with the departed ones . S complete union with the Unseen World that He declared I n and my Father are o e . Mohammed founded the h i is C t rel igion that bears s name . It learly stated tha Mohammed communed with the angel Gabriel and of Mohamme that the Koran , the sacred book the

was . dans, inspired from the inner world The question remains and it will have to be faced and answered . Is this direct communication between the i nterior world and the outward material

' world p ossib l e in the twentieth century ? We are not for a moment seeking to maintain that modern communications are to be on the same level as the

- h communications to Which we have referred . W at can be proved is that three great rel igions arose out ' n in tell i of these communicatio s . But is any form of gent communicatio n possibl e ? For if on e Single instance Of intelligent communication can be proved then new horizons altogether rise up before the mind ! this world is at once deemed to be merely the training Of sOul of school the , and before each us there is revealed the possibil ity of a destiny of unending p ro gress during which we may rise fromsphere to sphere f l until we are lost m the I ne fab e .

24 M I R ACL ES IN M OD ER N L I FE he was quite unconscious of a Single sentence that he h ! had uttered . And t is was a trance oration It was t o t he explained me that M r . Morse at beginning of n n his address had bee entra ced , and that his physical and mental organization had been used b y a Chinese

- - was h philosopher named Tien Sien Tie . It t is

Chinese philosopher who had been t he orator . and not Mr . Morse , although it has to be remembered that c M r . Morse himself was a man of great intelle tual

' I was gifts . The friends who were present saw that interested and asked me if I would care to attend a séance . I have never been whol ly destitute of courage a and I replied that I would be quite will ing to ttend . l The séance was he d the following evening . The medium was a M r . David Duguid who at that time was a cabinet - maker i n Glasgow and who had pro ! r i h du ed a book ent tled Hafed , whic is still widely i i as read in sp r tual istic Circles . He was known a m It wa t . s painting edium , stated tha Ruysdael , a D ‘ celebrated utch painter, used David Duguid to produce the pictures as the Chinese philosopher Tien

‘

- Sien Tie used Mr . J . J . Morse to del iver the oration . But it h as to be added that David Du guid never produced a n y pictures comparable to the pictures Ruysdael gave to the world during his earth

’ “ Ru sdael l ife . Some of y s pictures can be seen al ike in the National Gallery in London and in the N f w O E h . a ational Gallery dinburg Still , it s remark a able th t this David Duguid , a working cabinet

e s . maker , could produc pictures of considerable arti tic n / im merit a d that in an incredibl y short period Of t e. mv self th e on e Accordingl y I found at séance , of a M I RACL ES IN M ODERN L I FE 2 5

group of four men along with the medium . The medium was seated at the head of the table in an I ' w armchair . sa his wrists bound with cords to the f arms of the chair . The knots o the cords were sealed f with wax . A photographic card was placed be ore was him along with a palette and brushes . A piece torn off the corner of th e card and given to me SO as to prevent any other card being substituted for the n o e on the table . A feeble red l ight shone in the ’ f A at on t h e o . s s corner the room I medium s right , C was t o h is lose beside him , I able watch hands and aw see that they did n ot touch the brushes . I s the S of brushes tand up on end . I heard the daub , daub the brushes on the card and in a few minutes (it may have been seconds) the picture was produced . Where upon the l ight was turned on ful l and the medium

‘ wa s still in the chair , his hands tied to the arms of C t he the hair , and the seals on the knots of cords f t o intact . I asked one o the sitters frame the picture for me , and returned a few days afterwards for it and departed . My work at that time was not in

Glasgow but in the provinces of Scotland . Soon afterwards I entered the Un iversity Of Edinburgh and I never crossed the threshold of a séance room again

' - . I for thirty seven years But I kept the picture . have a b ox in which I have placed some letters of my father and brother and - one or two documents which out at long intervals I take and read , and which he f r t r o t h . ecall memo ies e long , long ago David ’ Du uid s n e g p icture I placed i n that box . It was o of t h my sacred p ossessions . During e i ntervening years h How h I Often pondered over t at picture . ad it been MIR ACLES IN M O DER N L I FE

? of painted How , in the name common sense , had

M r . Morse been able to del iver that oration which so completely beggared my own efforts at publ ic speaking? What was Spiritualism ? The churches f ? denounced it . Science sco fed at it . What was it

W . T . Stead had come into the open and had _ out h d an d Mr a B or erl . w s publ is ed , and Stead a brave

- . an tl . man , one of the foremost p ubl icists of his time Sir Ol iver Lodge had declared that Spiritual ism was on e f a real ity , and Sir Oliver has o the keenest brains in the kingdom . He was the pioneer of wireless and who even at that period was anticipating all that has was been real ized in these recent years . He not a w man to be deceived by appearances . What as Spiritual ism ? W as Stuart Cumberland right in his attempts t o prove that it was all merely a matter of moonshine ? Were Mask el in e and Cook right in their claim that t h ey ‘ could produce the same manifestations by legerdemain ? Were rel igious zealots right when they declared that Spiritual ism was in h er ently the work of the devil ? Was Madame Blavatsky right when sh e main tain ed t hat the pheno mena of Spiritual ism were due to astral shells ? What was Spiritualism ? It had spread over the world in K ardec an incredibl y short period . Alan had estab i h l s ed a l iterature upon the subject in France . I n Germany Professor ! oll ner had published his Tran s cen de tal Ph sic Asak off n y s . I n Russia Professor had made known his position . The great criminologist , In Professor Lombroso , was busy in Italy . every E urop ean country distingu ished men were making i nvestigations ! and the more deepl y t hev investigated M I RACLES IN MODE RN L I FE 2 7 the more deeply were they convinced as to the real ity of the facts . I n Australia Mrs . Annie Bright and others were busy with the H ar bin ger 0] Light which month after month proclaimed to the world a series of marvels . What then was this Spiritual ism regard ing which such diversity of opinions were enter t ain ed ? W as it some hallucination which like an epidemic sweeps at times over the nations and carries captive with it cultivated minds and enl ightened personal ities , or was it some fundamental fact in Nature that in the process of years had come to be overlooked and obscured ? This was the ques 1 1 tion that in 9 5 was agitating my mind . We have to read of a spring that was known exist in Ital y , a spring that at on e period had been justly celebrated ! but which in the lapse of centuries had become forgotten . The spot where the spring had been known to flow was covered with the debris that had been accumulated through civil commotions and other causes . There was a man who had read of the Spring and the celebrity which at on e period had been attached to it . It occurred to him that if the debris that had accumulated at the spot was cleared t he h away spring mig t still be found . He proceeded to h dig and remove the rubbis , and to his great joy he fou nd the spring flowing as sweetl y and purely h as it had ever done Spiritual ism is t at spring . t m It is as old as the human race . It will be con e p or an eous of with the l ife mankind on this planet . It a is the underlying f ctor in every rel igion . I n a material istic age it had been obscured and forgotten but the rubbish is bei ng cleared away ! and it will 2 8 M I RACLES IN MODERN L I FE be increasingly recognized and seen that Spiritualism is as a well of water that forms the fountain head of a vast river destined to fertil ize the valleys of human h h life . The fact t at it as been rejected by eminent authorities does not for a moment lessen its claims t o consideration : The founder of every religion h as met with op position . The most trifling modification h a m i A in a church service s cost any a man h s l ife . cabbage ca n grow and unfold itself in the course of a single summer . An acorn requires a century for its

' In development . all the past history of this move ment there is ground for serious reflection , and at s the ame time for boundless hope . Spiritualism is a t o our challenge al ike rel igious bel iefs , our scientific to our convictions , and social conditions . It n t is o a segment of l ife to which Spiritual ism appeals . is as a to it n It to l ife whole , life in all s manifold co _ i n d t io s and manifestations . An appeal that is so sweeping can not be answered in a day . That wil l be the work of centuries of our earth time but in answer to that appeal men and women will have found them selves . CHAPTER IV

DAVI D DU GU ID ’S R ETUR N

A p resump tuous scep ticism t h at rej ects facts with out examin a tion of th eir truth is in some resp ect s more inj ur ious

th an un question in g credulity . He was amused by my assuran ce th at if Sh erl ock H olmes h ad ever sh own sign s of men tal discern men t it was on th e day wh en h e saw th a t h is sub ec defaced fraud an d scorn ed t j t, by by hi h row man was in er ruth th e reates ad an ce for ward g b , v y t g t v w — w ma in o t h un n n . Sir A CONAN h ich man h ad ever de t e k o .

DOYLE .

I n t h e spring of rot s I resolved to unveil this

mystery . I had learned that two remarkable mediums were i n London who were endowed with special p sychic gifts . The one medium was M rs . Wriedt from Detroit of whom A dmiral Osborne Moore has written at considerable length in his books The ! ! of Voices, Gl impses the Next State , the other

n w - o . was Mrs . Harris , Mrs Harris Kay , one of the most gifted mediums in modern times .

I had two séances with Mrs . Wriedt each séance lasting about twenty minutes . M rs . Wriedt did not at f go into trance . She s in the corner o the room knitting . The séances were held in the afternoon in full dayl ight . It is often urged that séances held in t he dark cannot be regarded as satisfactory . That M r argument cannot be appl ied to s . Wriedt . Sh e asked me to place the trumpet to my ear and sure enough I heard voices . Where did t he voices come ? i from It was ventr loquism , it may be urged . But 30 M IRACLES I N MODE RN L I FE

’ Mrs . Wriedt s lips never moved . She was sitting f knitting in the opposite end o the room . One voice claimed to belong to my brother Hendry who had

. h v been drowned in t e Fitzroy ri er, Queensland , in

1 8 . o 70 I wed much to this brother , and when I lea rned of his death by drowning I used to go down to the seashore at Montrose and cry out to the waves “ h “ H ? breaking at my feet , W ere is endry ’ f e Hendry 5 death produced a deep e f ct on my mind , and formed the beginning of what may be termed the studious side of my l ife . I bel ieve that he has been h t h a with me throug all e years , and h s enabled me more than once to overcome the seemingly impossible . He spoke to me but informed me that he could not give me more than two or three minutes of h is time t h as he was busy i n e War ! This did startl e me . I had been wish ing to contact this brother for many h di him years , and ere at last when I d contact he could only give me t h ree minutes of his time i If th is fact is accepted (and I had many proofs afterwards that it was really Hendry) a good many deductions can

- — be drawn from it (a) That our friends on the other side are often as busily engaged as we are on this side b h t he of time . ( ) T at i n war there were not onl y the h combatants in outward uman form , but also the spiritual combatants wh o were deep ly engaged in th e th e h struggle . On ot er communications given at the h séances I do not dwell . They were significant enoug and a considerable pamphlet might be produced

h m a . regarding t em . The ain communic tor was a Dr Sharp who at a subsequent séance told me that one

‘ day I would be i n London addressing meetings . He

IN E 3 2. M IRACL ES MOD RN L I FE

a i . s it s termed, increased as the séances continued The phenomena to be witnessed in connection with

- M r w . s . Harris Kay at that period ere remarkable

O n one occasion in more recent years along with Dr . Ab I aham Wallace I was present at a sé ance with

- a Mrs . Harris Kay when sp irit claiming to belong N ot to t he p lanet Mars spoke for several minutes . can one of us understood the language spoken . Nor we be sure that this was really a spirit from Mars .

B ut it occurred to me at the time t h at ~ if ever com mun icat ion can be establ ished between the various planets it will be through sensitives in the séance

m - roo . Mrs . Harris Kay is, at the time of writing , in

San Francisco . What I am here to rela te is a subsidiary incident of con in a series startl ing manifestations . The v ersat ion s were held as if the speakers were present In actual bodily formf Certainly in all these varied conversations it never occurred to me that the speakers e a were unreal . I hav often medit ted since on what it might al l mean but at t he time it was an actual meeting between my own individual ity or ego and e oes commumcatin the g that were g. The voice of David Duguid was heard following immediately the voice of a Mrs . Bowman who claimed to have l ived and died at Gourock

d . You have a picture of mine, he sai

Yes, I answered . “ It is in a black box i n a cab inet of your

h e . l ibrary, added h I answered t at it was . M I RACLES IN M OD E RN L I FE 33

’ h is Don t you think, he said , t at it time that ! picture should be taken out of the box .

I have kept that picture, I repl ied , for more than thirty years . The fact that I keep it beside my sacred treasures is surely the proof that I attach ! special value to it . of I wish you to take it out the box , David is ff said . There a piece torn o the corner of the Y ou picture, he added . wil l find that if you ! examine it . When I returned to Edinburgh I opened t h e box and there was the picture I had preserved amidst all e my wanderings . During the intervening y ars the frame had become shattered , and when I pulled out the picture from its frame there, sure enough , was the piece torn off the corner which I had forgotten and which David Duguid remembered . I placed it on my study mantelpiece and it became the theme of many a conversation and the text of many an e n addr ss I have delivered o spiritual ism . When enquirers came to me to learn of t h e phenomena that of t he deduc are produced in spiritual istic circles , and tions that can be made from the phenomena I often took down the picture and recounted its history . What did surprise me was that David Duguid should have remembered me at all for I only saw h im once

- and that under an assumed name . Thirty seven h e h years afterwards knew t at I possessed his picture, h it h t at was i n my private box , t at a piece was torn off th e of th end e p icture . He knew more about it h h t an I did . T is shows that our spirit friends know al l h th e about us . T ey know best and the worst of 34 M I RACL ES IN MODE RN L I FE

u can e . e s . We hide nothing from th m j o y Grimaldi , ’ M r C k e h e is ed I in . raddoc s circl , when d cover was interested in astronomy told me at a su b sequen t séance that I had a three- inch telescop e beneat h the s a of was of in my study , and that one the lenses f b wa . is o roken , which s the case It this accuracy ' f k nowledge on their part that has o ten surprised me .

This knowledge h as to be acquired . They do not know everything about us at first but if they desire

can out . it they find I ndeed , this intimate knowledge may grow to such an extent that man y ' l iv e on as intimate terms with their u nseen friends as they do — with their friends in human form indeed , in some cases the intimacy is more genuine and real . . The value Of such an intimacy depends entirely on the character of those who maintain it . Jesus communed f A rc . with Moses and E lias . Joan o had her Saints Seek t he highest must be t he watchword of those who enter into any relationship with the unseen world . But t h e story of the picture h as a further develop ment which excludes entirel y the theories of telepathy

b - con c io i and the su s us m n d . The Church of Scotland appointed a Committee to enquire into the real ity of h f psyc ic phenomena and report . The Church o Scot land ih these modern days has revealed i n many directions a magnanimity that contrasts favourably h t h e of wit narrower outlook a former period . The

h I - ha Committee , Of w ich d t h e privilege t o be a member, conti nued thei r investigations over a period of two years . At on e of th e séances held in Glasgow with M r . Sloan as the medium several representa M I RACLES IN MODE RN L I FE 35

t iv es from the Edinburgh district were present . I was n ot able to attend being detained by my own a ministerial duties . I ndeed , I had only l imited interest in the i nvestigations for what I witnessed was of secondary importance to what I al ready knew . But the Glasgow Association of Spiritual ists did endeavour t o place b efore the Committee the pheno mena which was available through mediums that Th f of were in their district . e full e fects that i nvesti gat ion have yet t o be real ized .

At this meeting with M r . Sloan , David Duguid of spoke . He said to an esteemed friend mine “ Tell Dr . Lamond that I am pleased he has taken the picture out of the b ox and placed it on his study him b e has mantelpiece . And tell further more work ! to do with regard to that picture . My friend rang me up on the telephone that night and del ivered the message . M r . I . Arthur Findlay , now of Stanstead Hall , Essex , but at that time resi at i Av rsh ire dent Woods de , , was present at this wa commun ica meeting . He s so impressed by this tion that he has given it a place among his Class A proofs in his lecture del ivered before the London S l and for piritualistic A l iance , subsequentl y printed _ h n circulation . In t is i stance telepathy could have no

“ f r n N or place o I was ot present at the meeting . could it be my sub - conscious mind that was in operation for I was otherwise engaged . I was surprised when I received the message over the telephone from my ' d id in t el l i friend , confirmin g as it my conviction that gent communication can be maintained between t h e Wo “ two rlds . Here was a picture painted in 36 M IR ACLES IN MODE RN L I FE retained by me for th irty- seven years and i n I 9 1 5 th e who David Duguid who had painted e pictur , and had passed into the spirit world told me more about it than I knew myself . At a subsequent séance held in presence of the members of the Church of Scotland Committee he expressed his pleasure that I had given effect to his injunction that I was to take the picture out of the box i n which it had been kept and place it on my study mantelpiece . It has been said that if on e case of intel ligent com mun icat ion from the Unseen World can be proved t h e whole intellectual fabric of materialism fal ls to f the ground . We submit that the story o David ’ D uguid s picture furnishes that evidence more especially when it is corroborated by thousands of narratives far more startling and impressive . If it set on e stood alone it might be aside , but it is only of the many narratives that have been publ ished in al most every land by hon’ ourable men and women who have been constrained to set before their fellows evidence of intercommunication between th e two an d - w h h worlds , hic t ey regard as being incontestible . CHAPTE R V

PP ’ O N M R . H AN N E N SWA E R S GALLANT E FFORT TO CONVE RT LO N DO N

I merely mean t o say wh at J oh n son said Th a in t h e course of some six t h ousand ears t , y , All n ation s h av e bel ieved th at from th e dead ' A visitan t a t in er a s a ear s t v l p p , And wh a is s ran es u on his s ran e head t t g t p t t g , Is h a wh a e er b ar t h e reason rear s , t t t v ’ ’ G ain s such be ief h ere s some hin st ron er s i t l , t t g g t ll ! In its beh a f l et h ose den wh wi —B YRO o . N . l , t y ll

That evidence on this momentous subject in increasing measure is necessary there ca n be no t o doubt . The Great Teacher said his followers Ye shall be witnesses u nto me both i n Jerusalem u and in all Judea , and in Samaria and unto the tter ! of . I h was most parts the earth (Acts, , T is his

- for final injunction to them . Witnesses truth are h as necessary in every direction . The geologist his rocks and streams to witness for the vast periods of earth t ime that he demands ! without his witnesses the geologist would be laughed to scorn by an eol o incredulous publ ic , but the rocks remain . The g n gist has a solid foundation to build o . The same is true of every aspect of truth . Lamarck l ived before h i n s time . He was crushed by the prevailing co cep tions of his age . His contemporaries would not al low of him the enormous periods time that he demanded . 4 38 M IR ACL ES IN MODE RN L I FE

Th e science of geology p repared t h e way for Darwin ’ and H uxley ! Darwin s deductions were the necessary of outcome Observed facts , but to account for these facts he required a vaster stretch of time than Arch ’ bishop Ussher s chronology would allow . It was a i had these vast eons of t me that Geology establ ished , and which rendered Darwin ’s conceptions tenable by enl ightened minds .

But evidence alone is not suffi cient . If evidence were sufli c ien t there would be no need for further

ff . Th e has to t h e e ort fact been proved , proved hilt , that communication is possible between the two h a ur r i e n worlds . This fact s s p s d ma y men when ft c they were first convinced of the real ity . It has quently happened that when a man has stumbl ed upon th is fact he must needs sit dowp and write a book about it . This is true of Mr . Dennis Bradley , wafl er of S . Mr . Hannen and many others The evidence to them is so convincing and startl ing that they marvel greatly at the Obtu‘ seness of the to publ ic mind . W . T . Stead wished convert the world in a day , and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle almost f o . shares the same measure eagerness Mr . Stead bewailed t h e fact that he was in a hurry and that n ot G od was not . He could get God to work fast enough . This eagerness to convert humanity to the new and larger conceptions of spiritualism is com mendable but it has to be remembered that the ! n ot mills of God grind slowl y . Rome was built in d a day . Ideas that have become embe ded in the publ ic consciousness . cannot be eradicated by the ' “ waving of some magical wand . Time is necessary .

40 M IRACL ES IN MODERN L I FE

speaker was quite equal to the occasion . It seemed as if Danton had returned to l ife as we l istened to his wa crisp tell ing Sentences . It s a truly great and e memorable meeting . We had no doubt what ver b e that London , mighty London , must needs impressed . for The D ail M ail Next morning I asked y , Lord ’ N orth cl iffe s a feel in s ure t h at th is own p per , g journal w a f t he ould contain an dequate account o meeting ,

‘ and it might be a judicious l eader on the return of

Not a lin e a eared . The the Chief . pp I called for ' D ai l Tele ra h -a y g p , newspaper that shows some h “ “ respect for t e intel l igence of its readers . Not a ’ m wafler s sentence was i n its colu ns regarding Mr . S _ to i meeting . It seemed me that someth ng had gone

' h ' worl f wrong with t e d . The silence o the press seemed to be in strange contrast to the enth usiasm of the meeting on the previous evening . Here was Of th e of an an nouncement first importance, over whel ming importance , publ icl y made by two well waff known speakers , M r Hannen S er and Sir Arthur h . y Conan Doyle , and the press was dumb Clearl t ere i was someth ng wrong with the world . I sallied forth

‘ a l ittle after mid- day t o find a boy with his news s e h poster oppo it a lamp p ost , on whic was a single n : —t h e an ouncement . NOT D EAD Y ET onl y item h ! a . e of news t at was deemed worthy to indic te Her , wh o at last , was a large minded editor, a man could th Of The t L gauge e imp ortance events . re urn of ord N orth cl ifle was t h e only event ' to h is mi nd that was h t h e h t h e b o wort y of recogni ion . I c e rfully anded y e r h t h e n ea my penny, pock ted my pape and soug t rest M I RACL ES IN M ODERN LI FE 4 :

w on t h res church for a brief meditation . We ere the hold of a new era when the Unseen World would be

“ brought near us all ! and here at last was a news paper that recognized the signific ance of the fact and

gave it the place of prominence on its news bill .

' After my meditation I did n ot regard it as a profane act to pull out my newspaper and read of M r . ' ’ i Swafl er s meet ng . The first page of the journal was mainly occupied with an account of a cricket match

t n ot . in . Aus ralia which did immediately interest me I turned to the interior of the journal for the account ’ wafl er s t o of of Mr . S meeting learn the Kempton t o and other races . Somewhat doubtful ly I turned the last page of the journal which contained nothing f i o any nterest whatever . Marvell ing greatl y at the — announcement—NOT DEAD Y ETL and what possible connection that could have with the news paper in my hands I turned again to the report of the cricket match i n Australia , and then learned that as two or three renowned cricketers were still at the ff wickets there was a faint , far o hope that th e honours of the cricket world might remain with England .

For the moment I felt sore . Being a Scotsman a for penny has me a distinct financial val ue . I thought of many others who l ike myself would be beguiled — b v tha t specious announcement NOT DEAD Y ET

- . N o to buy the newspaper , the London press was ’ S waff er not interested in Mr . s meetin g . We learned afterwards that a fair report did appear i n The M orn in g Post and The Daily E xp ress but i n order to balance matters the report in The M orn in g Post was followed by a blistering article wh ich was i ntended to 42 M IRACLES IN MODER N LI FE

walf r . S e t make Mr , who is not a all man , feel much i smaller than he really s . do n o I t! blame the editors . They have to be u guided by p bl ic opinion . But if proof were needed that the age in which we are l iving is a material istic on t he age intent mainly the pleasures of hour, that

. M r proof would be found in the fact that when . Hannen Swaffer became convinced that Lord North cl iffe had returned and had given evidence—conclusive — evidence of his continued existence i n the Unseen h w lf r . S a e World , and w en Mr had made that declaration in presence of a large and representative assembly a leading London newspaper ignored the its fact completel y , and devoted columns mainly to recording a cricket match that was taking place at the antipodes .

It is a mad world , my masters . Stranger still

. Swaffer elo that Mr who , with his Dantonesque uen ce “ q , ought to be on the national platform thundering forth his new found knowledge , continues

- h to be the arch critic in t e theatrical world . Here is

' a a man with gift , a message that the world needs ! and yet he is cribbed , cabined and confined within the narrower l imits of his journal istic profession . But what is an establ ished fact in Nature cannot be suppressed . Every intell igent man , sooner or h later , must needs ask h imself w at is to happen when t he passes from the seen o the unseen worlds . More especially as t he years creep upon us al l does this To h question become ever more imperative . ave a true concep tion of t h e meaning and value of th is M I RACLES IN M OD ER N L I F E 43

present l ife, and above all to have a true conception of what is needed to prepare us for the eventual ities

of the fut ureb - to have definite knowledge on these — f points that is the great need o the hour . so mis Spiritual ism , misunderstood and so often

represented , can meet that need . Spiritual ism emphasises the deeper aspects of the Christian f faith , and o every religion that tends in any

measure to l ift mankind nearer G od . And as to

what takes place at death , and as to what lies beyond death Spiritual ism has a revelation the value of which n will be more clearly recognized as the years rol l o . If Lord Northcl iffe has given conclusive evidence

that he is stil l a l iving , thinking i ndividual ity, that

is a fact of the first importance . It proves that the 'If soul survives the crisis called death . Lord North f cl i fe can come back then the Christ could come back .

Others could come back , and give us definite informa tion as to the conditions that await us in the World ’ waff r so . e s Beyond . But feebl y did Mr S announce ment b ulk in the perspective of the Editors of the London press that they thought it wiser and better that h is statement should be kept within the l imits ’ of the Queen s Hall . NOT D EAD Y ET l ! Far wiser in their view that the attention of the public should be focussed on an Australian cricket match than on any statement of fact from t h e Unseen h Sp eres . CHAPTER VI

ON THE V D E O P H OTOG P H Y E I E NC FR M RA .

Th e p erfect observer in any dep artmen t of science will h a e h is e es as it were o ened ha he ma b e s uck at v y , , p t t t y y tr once an occur rence wh ich accordin t o recei ed h eories by y , g v t ou h n ot to h a en for h ese are t h e fac s wh ich ser e as g t pp , t t v ! is o r i - ir O HERSCHELL S H . clues to new d c ve es . J N The Camera has revealed objects that could not be discerned by the eye, or even through the telescope . I n astronomy a camera attached - to a telescop e can disclose wonders beyond t h e power of the telescop e h has to reach . Astronomical p hotograp y become a

‘ study of great in terest To t he early p ioneers of the Sp iritualistic move ment i t was a discovery of the first importance that on the part of p hotographers endowed with psych ic gifts there ap p eared on their photographic plates

' what are termed extras , that is the pictures of spiritual bei ngs some of whom were recognized as

‘ t h e er nal Of ict ures of p sO friends the sitters, and the p other beings who were not personally recognized but

whose pictures appeared in some mysterious way . .

Among the earl iest workers in this field was a Mr . Andrew Glendinn ing of Gl asgow but wh o sub se B our nell quently settled in London ! Mr . s , Mr . James i h Coates , M ss Houg ton and many others . At the 1 2 s h p resent time ( 9 7) .there are in thi country t ree — - well known p sych ic p hotographers M r . William

H an d C . op e Mrs . Buxton of rewe and Mrs Deane i n

44 MI RACLES IN MODE RN L I FE 45

Macclesfi eld has London . M iss Barnett of the gift

' of psychography h ighly develop ed . There are in other countries several well - known psychic people who

have been endowed with this mysterious gift . The accusation of fraud h as been gravely launched t S agains many workers in the piritualistic movement , especially as regards physical manifestations and h a photography . This accusation s assumed so many of forms that i n the public mind 95 per cent . the

phenomena is attributed to fraud and 5 per cent . as

being genuine . I n a debate at Oxford held between i Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Mr . J . B . Haldane th s of argument was brought forward that 95 per cent . wa the phenomena s due to fraud . Sir Arthur main wa r er . s ained that 5 p cent much nearer the mark , and succeeded in carrying the greater part of h is him audience with . During my own investigations into this subject extending to well - nigh fifty years I would hesitate to

a . In accept even five per cent . s fraud the report _ of t h e Committee ap pointed by the Church of Scot t o i land investigate this subject , the emphas s was laid on the fraud that was t o be discovered i n

spiritual istic séances . I am not aware that the members of t h e Committee discovered any fraud in t o their investigations , but it was reported them that

fraud had taken place at séances held in Belfast . The séances at Belfast bore their own fruit as ca n be seen f ’ h in the volumes o Dr . Crawford s works t at are h regarded as being of great scientific value . But w en scientists and theologians are baffled by the facts too f often they take refuge in the allegation o fraud . The 46 M IRACLES IN MODE RN L I FE

mere allegation of fraud is sufficient for them . Nearly

' every p sych ic ' p h otograp h er has been assailed in this was way . I n recent years M r . Hope charged with fraudulent practices but Mr . Hope emerged success is to fully from that controversy . If he be tested by scientific methods then it is equally e ssential that scientific precautions must be taken as regards the

h i M rs . plates before they are placed in s hands . Deane was charged by Th e Daily S k etch of fraudu l en t ly representing photographs of eminent football players in a psychic photograph that she professed to take of unseen soldiers on Armistice Day but Sir Arthur Conan “ Doyle took up the defence and Sir has Arthur Keith , who no leanings towards Spiritu al i m in re res s , declared that his opinion the faces p en t ed in the psychic photograph had no resemblance k e to the football players specified by The Daily S tch . Yet the report of Th e Daily S k etch made a consider on b able impression the pu l ic mind .

It is easy to simulate spirit photographs . You have only to arrange certain spiritualistic pictures and

‘ n ! there is the spiritual impression o the photograph . Therefore all psychic photographs are sp urious ! What an infantile mode of reasoning ! As if the hundreds of honourable men and women who have C been to rewe, and who have sat with Mr . Hop e and

M rs . Buxton were all deceived i n this way . Sir h is h e h ad Will iam Crookes, i n old age, when lost th e d C companion of his ays, went to rewe and was eminently satisfied with the psych ic photograp h he received but he was deluded according to the verdict of ir A the multitude . S rthur Conan Doyle has been

48 M I R ACLES I N MODERN LI FE

Several extraordinary communications were received by Archdeacon Col lev and a group of friends n in this way, notably a sermo comprised within

“ . f small space . This sermon consisting o 84 l ines and embodying words was p roduced i n 39 t h seconds on a half plate . The space occupied by e h h . writing is about 4% inc es by 335 . inc es square The writi ng is so small that it cannot be re produced by an engraver and has to be read with the aid of a microscope or magnifying glass . The simple camera which M r . Hope - plain uses was presented to him by Archdeacon Col ley

On the occasion of my visit Mr . Hope refused to u e o s his wn plates . We accordingly went to a chemist near at hand and purchased a packet of t he h plates . It is hardly to be assumed that c emist t o is in league with Mr . Hope in order deceive the m publ ic . From the ti e I bought the p lates until two of them were developed these plates were never in ’ e h ow Mr . Hope s hands . Mr . Hop e instruct d me v t h to de elop hem , and t is was my first lesson in developing photograph ic plates . After the develop ment had taken place I left the plate with Mr . Hope f r o the printing process . I am far from contending that the picture h erewith presented was taken under h scientific tests . I know next to not ing of p hoto h grap y . What I do state is that so far as I could judge there was no c-harlatan ry whatever either about M h ‘ r e or . . Hop Mrs Buxton , t at I examined the camera carefully and f ound it to be a well - worn h r h th e M . i nstrument , t at Hop e never touc ed p lates M I RACLES I N MODE R N LI FE 49

th own until they were develop ed , and that wi mine eyes I saw the extra coming out o n t he plate as

I poured the developing l iquid over it . The curious thing about this photograph is that if the extra is turned upside down another face will appear . Several other faces are scattered about the photo

a . graph . At subsequent period I returned to M r Hope and under the same conditions another wa of extra s produced , the photograph a friend ex er i who was kind to me in my early days . My p

y M . A . ence is no sol itar experience . y friend M r

Sturrock of Hale in Chesh ire has visited M r . Hope on several occasions , and has received confirmatory

‘ n a evidence . I reproduce o e of the psychogr phs obtained by Mrs . Sturrock through the mediumship ’ f r M . o s . f Buxton Mrs . Sturrock s own accou nt o how this message was received is as follows

M rs ° S t urrock Psychograph Message obtained by . 1 8t h 2 6 . on Ju ne , 19

Dear Friend ,

of 1 I do myself the pleasure meeting at 44 . Y ou are anxious to get message from your un seen friends as evidence of photography psycho ’ grap hy . As to your mediumship I think it s

proceeding with the development . I cannot write

longer .

Faithfully yours , T . Colley .

Dear Mrs . Buxton , cheer up . 50 M IR ACLES I N MODER N L I FE

I took a packet of six I mperial Special Rapid

- Plates , quarter plate size, bought i n Hale , near Man chester, sealed up exactly as purchased , with my name

O n . and address written . the packet After a short service of hymn and prayer the full packet of plates — still sealed was held in my left hand and placed t o ’ Mrs . Buxton s forehead . M r . Hope placed his hand over mine . I then asked the unseen friends present to do anything they wished on any of the four I 6 i nside plates , not touching plates and i n the packet (as II wished to use these afterwards for putting through the camera) . This was done in broad day ’

- d . l ight , and the packet was hel to Mrs Buxton s head 1 d for about 5 seconds . I then proceede to the dark room with Mr . Hope , opened the packet (making sure that my name was still on) and developed the four A plates . s I unwrapped the packet I numbered them 2 , 3 , 4 , and 5 , and also put my i nitials on each plate . l Mr . Hope held a large dish in which two p ates were developed , and I held two small dishes with one plate on N O in each . The message appeared plate . 3 w wa hich s in on e of the dish es h eld by me . The o other plates were blank . I then to k the negative into the scullery , read it , and copied the message into e by notebook . Mrs . Buxton brought specim ns of h ’ e i h the Arc deacon s writi ng , wh ich was id ntical w t h th e A h h th e t at on p late . fter t is I anded negative ! to r M . Hop e . The writing in th e origi nal photograph is clearer has h than in the reproduction . It to be eld to a of A h mirror in order to be read . The signature rc ‘ deacon ( ol lev is the same as in his ordinary hand M I RACLES I N MODE RN L I FE 5 1

writing . Some investigators are beginning to think , as in presence of certain facts , that soon regards psychic photography the camera wil l n ot be needed . ’ on is of Mr . Sturrock s testimony this subject a startling character and merits a volume in itself . There are hundreds of men and women al l over the land who can bear similar witness that through the M r o s . mediumship of Mr . H pe and Buxton they have received photographs of departed relatives in the form f “ ! o extras that could at once be recognized , and which strengthened their bel ief in the subl ime fact is that death does not end all , that there another l ife and another world . Not only at Crewe but in

London , at Plymouth , in Glasgow and the many towns visited by M r . Hope the same phenomena take

. a place E nquirers purch se their plates , place them a i n the camer , develop the plates, and to their surprise and joy they behold i n the developing process the of h faces t eir loved ones appearing again . The question therefore remains : Have we all been deceived by this arch - impostor ? He has been

for ‘ is before the publ ic many years , and he still on h is b en efi cen carrying t work . But even M r . Hope has of f not escaped the charge raud . That charge was formulated and when publ ished went speeding round the world and copied into so many newspapers that the reports if put together would f orm a volume

Mr . Hope takes psychic photographs , therefore he is an impostor and a humbug ! A man or a woman of here and there bel ieves i n the ,real ity psychic phenomena . They bel ieve in what their eyes have seen , what their hands have handled , and what 5 2 M I R ACL ES I N MODE RN L I FE

h ar h a — e h are t eir e s have e rd ther fore, t ey on the direct road to an asylum ! It is a curious mode of

reasoni ng . Spiritualists , as a rule, are a cheerful , ' h t h e S cott ish appy group of people . Regarded from

“ stan dp oin t t h ey would be none the worse of a grain ‘ of t h a t deep seriousness which pervades the people of of the North . They are al l people the least l ikely to can land in an asylum . That be proved by the '

statistics of asyl ums . Dr . Forbes Winslow before he became a Spiritualist stated that our asylums were

crowded with Spiritual ists . He was afterwards led to b investigate the su ject, and withdrew his statement expressing at t h e same time h is deep regret at having a been led to make statement that was so erroneous . Every writer against Spiritual ism reproduces the

' original statement of Dr . Forbes Winslow apparently

unconscious of the fact that Dr . Forbes Winslow himself became an ardent Spiritualist , and that the on e great regret of his life was that he had ever in his blindness given th e enemies of t he truth h e loved so h h muc occasion to rejoice . B ut wit our op p onents s h statistics i n uc matters are quite unnecessary . A

man declares he h as seen a vision or heard a voice . A woman maintains that in the séance room the barriers for her between the Seen and the Unseen

Worlds are dissolved , and that she can see and hear - f ff . O the inexpressible That is su ficient . to the asylum with t hem ! Hence it is t hat t wo great fallacies have taken possession of the publ ic mind and which Time alone can eradicate (a) That psychic p hotographs are either spurious or the work of th e devil ! (b) That all who M I RACLES IN M O DER N LI FE 53 are interested i n p sych ic research and who p ubl icly testify that they have witnessed supernormal pheno menaare either. unbalanced or have a kink somewhere i n their mental outlook ! Argument is of no use .

Time alone can settle these issues . The Spiritualist with every confidence can await the decision of Time .

He has nothing to fear i n that direction . Facts are chiels that wi nna ding ! And downa be disp uted ,

own wrote Robert Burns . The facts wil l carry their weight in a reconstructed world . If the facts of psychic photography are accepted these facts afford overwhelming proof of a continued existence on the part of the individual in a spiritual world .

HO E ’ Y H O R MR. P S P S C I C P HOT G A PH Y . — Note With regard to th e ch arge of faked p syc h ic p h oto graph s so frequently p ut for ward the followin g statemen t made Mr McC ull of G as ow is in r tin me e es . to by . y l g t g

M H o e had een in G as ow and h ad ak en man r . p b l g t y h ra h s o h a isfac i n f h si ers p sychic p otog p t t e s t t o o t e tt . Mr . Peter G a owa a t t ha ime P residen of the G as ow A ssocia ll y , t t t l g i i sh w h r M u l ion of S ri ua s s o ed th ese ot o a h s to Mr . cC l t p t l t , p g p y i i m M r c u who from h is k h i O n on of t h . M and as ed s e . c p lly , rofession h as a s ecial kn ow ed e of h oto ra h s e amin ed p , p l g p g p x them an d an swered th at h e was satisfied with t h e p h ot ograp h s ' r wi n i O n e of h as bein g p sychic p h otog ap h s th o e excep t on . t e hoto ra h s h ad a s reaked a eara n ce a n d h e t hou h it p g p t p p , g t m i us r i n M r a l wa m h h a v b en aken f rom so e a o . G o ig t e e t ll t t . l y was con sidera l dis r essed for to cas sus icion on on e hot o b y t , t p p i i all n whi M r a l owa u ea e . grap h was to east s sp c on on . M l G l y p assed in to t h e un seen world and remar kabl e p sych ic p hot o is rav grap h s were t ak cn at h g e. 5 54 M I R ACL ES IN MOD ERN L I FE

Some ime af e wa ds Mr Mcc u ook a series of s chic t t r r . lly t p y ’ h o o ra h s h ou h the h e of a medium at a en eman s p t g p , t r g lp , g tl h ouse n ear G as ow To h is as on ishmen on e of his s ch ic l g . t t p y p h otograp h s h ad the same streaky ap p earance as the p hotograph ’ h e h ad fo mer t i H o co e ion B ut in o ec ed o n M e s c . r ly bj t r . p ll t hi a M mse f was t he h o o a h an h s c se r . Mcc u hi e d t e t lly l p t gr p r , h o o ra h was un dou d a s chic h o ra p t g p bte ly p y p tog ph . Th e se ue is si n ifi an enou h Th a er n i h a sé ance q l g c t g . t v y g t ‘ was ein h e i G s w a n M Gal owa ot h rou h d n a o d . b g l l g , r l y g t g th is message

Tod a I hav e iv en McCull somethin to thin k about I y, g y g

M IRACLES IN MODE RN L I FE has recently been built at Domremy to commemorate the Victories of Joan ! and the American people had o sent a flag t be placed in the crypt of the Church . It occurred to Lady Palmer that the British flag should also be placed there . A s this photograph has more than a passing interest I have asked Lady Palmer to state in her own e Her words how it was tak n . narrative is as follows When visiting the Memorial Church of Joan of wh o was Arc at Domremy M iss Gordon , with me ,

“ noticing the American flag hanging i n the crypt asked n why o Engl ish flag was there . We were informed that an Engl ish flag would be placed in the crypt if the Engl ish people desired it . This was confirmed h by the architect to w om I wrote . He graciously repl ied that we had a greater claim than the Americans to have our flag in the crypt since th e E ngl ish people had fought and died side by side with the French people throughout the war . I then wrote

- on t h e to Field Marshal Earl Haig subject , but whilst congratulating me on my effort he did not see his tak e action way to i n the matter . On return i n g to London I at once ordered a Union Jack made Of S p italfi eld silk and had the words With E ngland ’s homage engraved on the f h e fla t sta f . I sent t g o be blessed by the Bishop of London at Fulham Palace and arranged with Pre bendary Carl isle that h e should take th e flag to Dom

- o h wa remy . Field Marshal General F c s in London at

' f r that time . After the flag had been blessed I went o it

‘ and on returning with it to Prebendary Carl isle I heard the words distinctly in the air Foch ! Foch ! M I RACLES I N MODE RN L I F E 57

! Foch On seeing the Prebendary I merely asked , What about Foch ? ! The Prebendary grasped the idea at once . He would get General Foch to sign h i on t h s name e flag . He rang up the French Embassy and an appointment was made for the fol lowing morning although the Field- Marshal was leaving at At the interview the Field- Marshal

s hould ' I Foch said , Why dishonour your flag by ? “ placing my name upon it Sire, repl ied the

Prebendary , it would greatly honour the flag by ! - your doing so . And the Field Marshal Foch wrote h i on - s name the flag . Field Marshal Earl Haig also signed it . The fol lowing morning Prebendary Carl isle set out for Domremy and placed the flag in iron ri the g p that was waiting to receive it . The following year I went to France to revisit

Domremy . M iss Gordon was unable to accompany a me s she was il l . I n Nancy I had a friend who was on accustomed to take photographs , and our visit to t he B asilique sh e took with her a l ittle old camera for I desired that we might have a photograph of the

flag i n its position to show to Miss Gordon . O n arriving at the B asilique or Memorial Ch urch we h entered the crypt , and there was the Engl is flag hanging opposite to the Stars and Stripes I n e stood beside the flag near the confessional . No o was in the crypt . Certainly no priests were there . t he My friend took photograph . It was a three minute exp osure . On my return home I waited for the photograp h h h h t at was being develop ed but no p otograp came . I wrote my friend reminding h er of the photograph 58 M IRACL ES IN MODE RN L I FE that had been taken in the cryp t of the Church at \ Domremy as .I wished to show it to M iss Gordon . When at length the photograph reached me what was my surprise to see two priests standing beside me . I again wrote my friend for an explanat ion but sh e repl ied that to her the appearance of the priests On t h e wa plate s wholly inexpl icable , and for that reason she S he had hesitated to send any of the prints . knew and I knew that I alone was standing beside t h e flag . The photograph has been examined by the foremost experts and they have testified that it is genu ine ! absol utely untouched . A Roman Cathol ic lady said to me The priests t h of A re robes belong to e period Joan of . The priests of to - day are far too pen niless to wear robes of i ! that kind . It s a miracle I feel so sure that as the Burgundian section of the French people sold Joan of A rc to the English our who subsequentl y burned her , so Lord has

“ allowed these two priests to appear as if saying to French and E ngl ish people al ike : Forgive them ! for they knew not what they did .

It is apparent from this narrative that Lady Palmer h h e h is endowed wit psychic gifts , and that s erself suppl ied the psychic conditions which rehdered the of appearance the priests possible . I n the Frontis piece we give a reproduction of this remarkable p hoto graph but in t h e original there are features that can n ot be seen i n the reproduction . There is one remark h h able feature about this p hotograp . T ere is no M I RACLES I N MODE RN LIFE 59 ectoplasmic cloud around t h e figures wh ich is a

' common feature in psychic photographs . dress . The worn by the priests is different from the dress worn i n modern times . The photograph is a striking proof that there are beings all around us that we may not be able to see with the outward eye but wh o are revealed to us by the camera . It is now being proclaimed from the housetops b y science that there are forms of l ight that the eye can not detect and forms of sound that the ear cannot h u discern . Why s o ld it be thought so impossible that there are forms of l ivi ng beings around us that we cannot perceive by the ordinary senses ? The ancients were much nearer the truth than the modern i of mater al ists . El isha saw around h im the hosts d of spiritual defenders , and he praye that the eyes his servant might be opened to behold them . Even in pagan times th ere was the perception of the Spirits that hovered around the groves and fountains . I n the Highlands of Scotland there is this deeper percep t o tion developed a marked degree . Not everyone has the gift but there are men and women in the N h wh orth , even in t ese modern days , o see beyond

' for the outward and material , whom the centuries e th e dissolv and remote past becomes the present , and for whom a future l ife is no mere dream but a f transcendent reality . The material blindness o this twentieth century will be t h e wonder of the coming years . t h e our h h There is still sky above eads , and t e clouds th 'at sweep across the heavens and the stars that t he look down at n ight , and fresh winds t hat come 60 M I R ACLES IN M OD E RN LI FE from afar that mock at our miserable b igot ries ian d h barren outlook . Well mig t Wordsworth exclaim The world is too much with us

Buying and selling we lay waste our p owers . We have bartered our souls for worldl y promotion

or . for outward pleasure This spiritual bl indness , this ignoring of spiritual facts is the i nevitable out come of generations of material aggrandisement during wh ich our vision has been contracted to the issues of the hour . We l ive on this speck of a world and we regard it still as the hub of the universe . We l imit out l ife to t he brief span during which we can Of function on this side Time . We th ink only of our physical needs and our outward physical enjoyments . And as to the spiritual worlds with which we are e encompass d , and the spiritual beings that are grouped around us we act as if they could have no a objective re lity . h Hence , w en we are confronted with spiritual and facts , facts that cannot be disputed , we stare

. ll i wonder _ More especia y f these facts should in any way modify our cherished bel iefs then we at once i i of i regard them as be ng the manifestat ons the dev l , ! r n or taboo . Such is the attitude of many rep ese t ativ e f t h Ch h who s o e urc . Our B ishop s and clergy ought to b et he foremost in t he investigation of these Spiritual mysteries often betray an ignorance that is h h almost c ildl ike i n its simplicity . T eir scholarship h is beyond all question , t eir devoted and saintly l ives

f . worthy o all admiration and imitation but the A . B C . h i h of psychic researc s unknown to them . It was eld ih former years that a knowledge of Hebrew , Greek M I RACL ES I N MODERN L I FE 6 1

and Latin was essential to t he true interpretation of i e the sacred writings . There s one further a com

' m n ha on our p l ish e t that— s been lacking the part of Commentators a knowledge of psychic facts . That is an absol ute necessity if one is to interpret either the Old Testament or the New Testament Scriptures h h h whic contai n the deepest psyc ic teac ing, and record the most extraordinary psychic facts that have b een is narrated . The Bible the greatest spiritual istic treatise ever given to mankind . But the evidence in favour of psychic phenomena is bei ng multiplied every day . If still unrecognized in our centres of learning , psychic science has

' l a of become an estab ished fact . The l iter ture this science is already abundant and wil l bear comparison with th e l ite rature of any other science of recent f . o . . origin The writings Sir Ol iver Lodge , of F W r Myers , of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle , of P ofessor

Richet , of Dr . Geley , of Sir Will iam Barrett , of Stanley de Brath and of many others wil l bear com p arisoh with the writings of any exponent of scientific Th research in other departments . e statement that onl y p iffle has been written on this subject reveals h the ignorance of the man t at makes it . It is the statement of a man who knows next to noth ing of the subject on wh ich he claims to pronounce judgment . ’ Lady Palmer s psychic photograph alone is sufh cient to p rove that there are Spiritual beings al l around us , and that there is necessarily a spiritual h h h h world in w ic t ese beings dwell . But t is p hoto it graph , interesting as may be, is only one of 62 M IRACLES IN MODERN L I FE hundreds of psychic photographs that are being pro duced , each photograph bearing its own witness as to the real ity of a spiritual force that has always been in existence and which in these recent years is being scientifically i nvestigated . Much has been heard in these recent days of impending cataclysms . Earthquakes of exceptional a magnitude have already taken place , floods of lto gether unprecedented violence have visited America . As to what may happen i n the future in the directi on of terrestrial d isasters we have no knowledge . But on e N can there is disaster that is inevitable . o man h wilfully reject trut and not suffer for it in the end . And no nation can reject truth and not suffer for it in t h e end . Spiritual laws can no more be violated a A n with impunity th n natural laws . d for either individuals or a nation to reject th e truths of the spiritual istic movement is a serious responsibil ity . Th ese essential truths may be briefly stated as follows

(a) The Survival of the Soul after death . (b) The possibility of intelligent communication

“ between the Seen and the U nseen Worlds . These are ' two of the main points under discussion and they cannot be wisel y disregarded . If the e world in which we . l ive endeavours to stamp out th se convictions (an d this is n ot impossible) then some cataclysm either mental or physical is assured . It is inevitable for the simple reason that the world turns on its axis every day an d that t h e thoughts of men “ ! are widened with t h e process of the suns . You can dam up a river for a time but that onl y leads to an _ ’ r an outburst that carries devastation fa d wide . God s

64 M I R ACLES IN MODE RN LI FE

One who recently passed into the U nseen World r knew the inner , deepe side of Spiritual ism better —M r h im than most men . Lesl ie Curnow . I only met r once . We me ely acknowledged each other as Ships that pass in the night . He above all others could have written this chapter on the I ncredible .

y . Fortunatel , he was induced by M r Oaten , the Editor ' Two W orlds of the , to write a series of articles for s r that journal , and the e a ticles reveal the vast mine of information he possessed . (The articles have been gathered into a small pamphlet entitled The Ph y sical

Ph en omen a o S ir itualism : A H istorical S u rv e f p y, w ffi I s . T o price , The Worlds Publ ishing O ce ,

Manchester . ) ’ f urn w At the first reading o Mr . C o s booklet one is tempted t o bel ieve that t h e p henomena manifested duri ng the first thirty years of the Modern Spiritual ist Movement were more remarkable than in these more y recent da s , but what is taking place i n our midst has t o an still be investigated and recorded . I n y case ’ C urn ow r fi Mr . s facts a e startl ing enough and suf cient to constrain any thinking man to exclaim , Where are we to draw the l ine between the Possible and the ? y Impossible What is clearl apparent . if these t h at of facts are accepted , is all our modes thinking al ike on scientific and rel igious subjects wil l have to i r be readj usted . The world s eall y a much bigger world and the un iverse a much wider universe than h our conceptions have allowed us to believe . T is is

“ he t staggering fact about Sp iritual ism , and it is a h h staggeri ng fact . It p roves t at t ere is another life besides th is temporary, uncertain life we are l iving M I RACLES IN MODE RN L I FE 05

w in Time . It proves that there is another orld f or besides this outward material world . And the scientist it proves that there are laws of which we are comparatively ignorant , and wh ich transcend al l ordinary explanation .

The following facts will prove th ese statements . At the London S piritual istic All iance I del ivered

s of 1 2 6 on e on n . two lecture i n the Spring 9 , Da iel D

Home and another. on Andrew J ackson Davis . At this second lecture Dr . Abraham Wallace acted as D on . my chairman . In my lecture Daniel Home I alluded to the fact witnessed by Lord Dunraven , Lord Balcarres and Captain Wynn that Home was visibly carried out of an open window i n the room where t hey were seated and brought back through an adjoining window which was also open . wa This seance s held in Ashley House , Victoria

on 1 1 868 . o Street , London , 3th December , The r om in which the séance was h el d was seventy feet above m the street . Ho e had been frequently levitated , that is , he was raised from the floor until he touched the ceiling of the room on which it was usual for him to make a cross with a pencil to Show that it was n o mere f illusion o the senses . But the experiment at Ashley was on House e that involved grave danger , and yet it wa n e of was successfull y performed . It s only o the man v extraordinary incidents that took place in the of life experience this remarkable man . At my lecture on Andrew Jackson Davis during the dis cussion that arose we got back to Daniel Dunglas

Home , and to a Mrs . Guppy that l ived at Highbury wa . s in London She originally a M iss Nicholl , a 66 M IRACLES IN MODE RN L I FE

f wh o gi ted medium , married a gentleman endowed

of . with the Pickwickian name Guppy Dr . Abraham

Wallace had been her medical attendant . He knew v her intimately , and he ouched for the following narrative . He is easily accessible and can be inter rogated on the subject . rd 1 8 1 was On June 3 , 7 , a séance being held in the ’ rooms of Messrs . Herne and Williams in Lamb s ,

Conduit Street , H igh Holborn , London . W . G .

of Th e S iritualist was . Harrison , Editor p , present of Mrs . Guppy was a buxom woman which is true h e many mediums . S was more than of the average

f . weight o a woman ! and Mr Harrison , more in jest than earnest, asked the controll ing . spirits to bring

Mrs . Guppy to their séance . Meanwhile Mrs . Guppy f Own was sitting with a riend , Miss Neyland , in her house at Highbury , three miles distant from H igh

Holborn adjusting her household accounts . Suddenly ’ r to M iss N eyl a n d s astonishment M s . Guppy dis ! appeared M iss Neyland went t o Mr . Guppy in her

‘ search was terror , and a made throughout the house f or . . . Mrs Guppy Mr Guppy , who had learned that there are more things in heaven and earth than ’ ! of y what are dreamt in man s philosophy , quietl remarked : No doubt t he spirits wil l have carried ! off f her but they will be sure to take care o her . h Mr Meanw il e s . Guppy was being transported in t some mys erious way to . the séance room in Conduit h t Street , H ig Holborn . There were two doors o the

' ih room which the séance was being held . One door of n e was locked . Against the other door the chair o of the sitters was placed so that it could not possibl y b e opened . There was no press or wardrobe in the M I RACLES I N MODE RN L I FE 67

room in which anyone could be concealed . Mrs . Guppy found hersel f deposited on the table in the of midst the sitters , with her domestic account book

n ot . open in her hand . The ink in the pen was dry i ’ y Mr . Harr son s request had been promptl carried

“ out to the dismay of Mrs . Guppy herself and the amazement of everyone present at that circle . A full account of this modern miracl e will be f0u n d in the pages of Th e Spiritua list of that date and th e document that was drawn up and signed by the eleven a witnesses still exists . Dr . Alfred Russel W llace states regarding this incident The evidence for a supernormal transference was here about as complete ! as it possibl y could be . Little wonder that Spiritual ists at the time were a t f r incredulous s o the supernormal flight o M s . a G ppy . on o n e was Andrew Jackson Davis , occasion , of carried a distance forty miles , Lottie Fowler was taken out of a b us in Oxford Street and deposited i n o 1 1 8 2 a séance in Bloomsbury n February 7th , 7 , and the Da venport Brothers o n on e occasion were said to have been transported to a distance of sixty miles . of M r But in the case s . Guppy the evidence was more complete . It is these occurrences taking place in compara t iv ely recent times that prepares us i n some measure for the statement of Colonel Peacock contained in S ir itualist Commun it L ea et of M a the p y fl , date , v , I O! 7 “ PSYCH IC XPERIEN CE A E . There is a widespread bel ief in the existence of 68 M I R ACLES IN MODE RN L I FE sub - human entities living i n the world next above the h h h physical , whic are mostly playful or elpful in t eir u h ad l contacts with s men . I have some persona h t h experience of the trut of this belief, and e

“ i of follow ng is an account a happening, for which I would be glad to receive an explanation other than ’ one based upon the above superstition .

' ‘ I was in South America i n charge of an expedi c b tion into an unexplored area overed y virgin forest , h h ad having one other white man wit me . We in our band of workers a number of the forest I ndians f of the region , who told us many tales o the Devil ’

inhab itatin . Men , as they called them , g the forests

a fat: t h e y One travels s as possible up rivers , carr ing

’ t h e canoes an d b aggage along t h e bank when cas s cade and waterfalls are met . Then further progress is made by cutting a trail through th e impenetrable forest in the desired direction , travell ing by compass . One cuts trail for three days and on the fourth moves h camp . Once, w ile cutting trail in this manner , I did a th ing which no one under my command was allowed to do ! I wanted to examine the country at right angles t h e wh h I to direction i n ic we were moving, and to‘ e m n started out do so alon one orning, leavi g my second - in - command to continue cutting our trail . a m t Starting at 7 . wi h my compass . watch , revolver , haversack and mach ete (a sharp cutlass for cutting through the thick undergrowth) I travelled up h ill and six h down dale for some ours , movin g in a straight 1 m h l ine by comp ass . At p . I reac ed a stream and o h e decided that I would g no furt er , but would r st there and have my lunch ! for I could travel back M I R ACL ES IN MOD ER N L I FE 69

u twice as fast as I came , not having to c t . At 2 p m . e I started back along my trail , and aft r travell ing as fast as possible for two hours I reached the top of a h ill , which I knew to be only about an hour from my f camp . Seei ng that I had plenty o time to get back before dusk , I decided to rest for ten minutes , and I scraped the moss off a fallen tree to make sure that there were no ants or scorpions before sitting down I f r on it . had been sitting there smoking o about fi v e minutes , when over my left shoulder I heard a loud halloa in the forest . I repl ied and called out the name of my head Indian , thinking that some of h ad ou of them come t in search birds to eat , but ot n o I g answer . A minute afterwards I heard the same halloa over my right shoulder ! deeming it strange, I stood up with the intention of cutting towards the sound to i nvestigate . Taking just two steps I suddenl y found myself walking towards the m spot where I had ended y trail , and which I had quitted more than two hours previously ! th ere was the silver paper off my chocolate bars l ying on the ! h ground Looking at my watch , to make sure t at an d h I was not del uded , seeing t at it was past 4 o ’clock I real ized that I could not get back to camp

re- before dark . However , I started to trace my trail with all possible speed , and after about two hours , I once more reached the h ill - top where I had been at h had resting . I looked the fallen tree upon whic I h ad cl ean sat , and saw the spot which I scraped and h my cigarette end l ying on t h e ground . I astened f r o h on o an ther half our to a stream , upon a rock i n d th e h the middle of which I ecided to pass nig t , as 6 70 M I R ACLES IN MODE RN L I FE

h ad t oo a t . it become d rk o travel further . But fortunatel y some of my men came with lanterns along m ex eri v trail and rescued me . When I related my p ’ - ence , the Indians at once said Devil Man , and told me that it was for that reason a fixed rule among

them n ever to go alone i n the forest . M y sensation was that of having been instantan eousl y transported through some other dimension of space from one poi n t on the earth to anoth er at a distance in a

straight l ine of two hours quick walking .

- : EACOCK L t . Colon el . C L . P ,

Colonel Peacock h ad made this statement at on e

‘ of th e the services held in Grotrian Hal l , and I was so interested in the fact that through the court esy of M b art h i m rs . S t o . . St Clair I was able to interview He assured me on h is honour as a B ritish officer that wa t what he had stated s true , and tha similar trans p ortat ion s of soldiers had been known to take place during the war . Our own experience of such matters is extremely

h . l imited , but such as it is we record ere The Church

“ of Scotland , some years ago , appointed a Committee to investigate i nto the real ities of psychic phenomena wa m riv il e e . s and report It y _ p g to be a member of e the Committee . I attended s veral meetings , one demonstration of psych ic gifts at Glasgow and two in I n ot i Edi nburgh . was greatly nterested in these demonstrations . After what I had previously witnessed they were to me as Moonl ight to the sun ! l ight and as water to the wine . Still , there were

72 M I R ACL ES IN MO DERN L I FE an hour had elap sed before the strange feeling p assed away . So far as I was concerned I might have been or had carried twenty yards twenty miles . I no part a whatever i n the movement . What I realized w s that some psychic force seized me rendering me helpless

- f of for the time being, and the e fects this. force pro d uced a sickly type of feel ing . There is then th is mysterious power by means of which men and women can be temporarily levitated and i n some cases transported to a considerable ' f distance . The l ives o the Saints teem with refer

en ces . is to these levitations More . especially this true of St . Francis of Assisi , St . Phil ip of Neri , of Saint

Theresa and others . It is said of Saint Josep h Of Coo ert ina p that he passed through closed doors . One may marvel at reading of these I ncidents whether any credence is to be given them or whether they are to be regarded as the vagaries of a diseased

Ima i nat Ion . h g There is , owever, an ancient record that bears very directly upon th is subject and wh ich we now quote in full

An d the angel of the L ord sp ake unto Philip sayin g arise

' and o t oward th e sou h un to t h e wa h a oe h down f rom g t . y t t g t i An h a ose an d wen : J erusal em t o Gaz a which s desert . d e r t and eh o d a man of E h io ia an eun uch of rea au hori b l t p , g t t ty un der Can dace ueen of t he E hio ian s who h ad ch ar e of , Q t p , g al l h er treasures h ad come to J erusal em to w orship an d was i i i ro he return in g : an d s tting in h s ch ariot read E sa as t he P p t . Th en th e S i i said un o Phi i Go n ea an d oin h se f t o p r t t l p , r j t y l i h i An d Phi i ran hi he to h im and hea d him th s c ar ot . l p t t r r ead the P o h e Esaias and said U nderstandest hou wha r r p t , t t hou readest ? And h e said . How can I e ce some man shou d t , x p t l i m An d he desi ed Phi i h a h e shou d come u a nd gu de e. r l p t t l p i wi him T he ace of th e Scri ure whi h he ead was s t th . p l p t c r MI RACL ES I N MODE RN L I FE 73 his He wa s l ed as a shee t o th e s au h er and ike a lam t , p l g t ! l b dumb before h is sh ea rers so h e op ened n ot h is mouth ! in his humiliation h is j udgmen t was taken away ! an d wh o sh all c are h is en eration For h is ife is aken f rom t h e ear h de l g ? l t t .

An d t h e eun uch a n swere Phil i a nd said I ra t h e of d p , p y e whom s eake h t he Pro he his of himse f or of some o h er p t p t t , l t man ?

Th en Philip op en ed his mouth an d began a t the same i r an r c un h i s s a w scr u e d ea hed o m e u . And s h e en p t , p t J t y t th eir way t hey came un to a certain water : an d t h e eun uch said See h ere is wa er wh a do h h in der me t o b e ba t iz ed ? , , t ! t t p And Ph i i said If t hou e ieves wit h all t h in e h ear h ou l p , b l t t t ma es An d h e an swered a n d sa id I be ie e h a esus y t . , l v t t J Ch r is is t h e Son of G od And h e commanded t h e c h ar io t o t . t s an d s il an d t h e wen down bot h un o t h e wat er Ph i i t t l ! y t t , l p t h eun uch n a i i and e a d h e z ed h m. , b p t An d wh en th ey w er e com e up out of th e wa t er t h e Spirit of th e L ord caugh t awa y Philip tha t th e eun uch saw him n o more ! an e w en t n hi w a r e oicin B u t Phili was oun d a t d h o s y j g. p f Az otus ! a n d passin g th rough h e pr ea ch ed in a ll th e cities till h e cam t cesar ea —A c s V III 2 6 e o C . t ( In this passage we read that Phil ip was suddenl y caught up by the Spirit and carried to a considerable ! so distance that the eunuch saw him no more . The distance cannot be accurately stated but many believe that Azotus was distant twenty miles from the ’ of is scene the eunuch s baptism . There no doubt that it was distant many miles . The curious fact is that this passage taken from the Acts of the Apostles could be read in an y Church i t i n and the congregation would l isten with ed fi ca o . t o If, on the other hand , the preacher were read of the fl of Mr h ight s . Guppy as has been recorded in t ese pages , there would be storm and tempest in that con re at io E b g g n withi n a brief p eriod . dward Irvi ng y 74 M IRACLES IN MODERN L I FE

his eloquence brought London to his feet , but when he told h is elders that he bel ieved women could speak in an unknown tongue and allowed them to speak in

’ a n unknown tongti e (wh ich was quite a normal feature in the apostolic church) these worthy men felt con strained to bolt the doors of Regent Square Ch urch against their pastor . The Church of Scotland even o h went s far as to disown her gifted son . T ere was no road left for Edward Irving but th e road out into t he wilderness . The a ttitude of Protestan t ~ t heol ogian s on this subject is somewhat embarrassing . The supernormal

' A D 1 0 1 is full y accepted up to t he year 1 0 1 . . After A D . . it is suspect and in recent centuries altogether

h t - h h taboo . The o eaded Spiritual ist maintains t at if

D . the supernormal took place before 1 0 1 A . there is no h n reason w atever why , if the requisite co ditions are

h . suppl ied , it s ould not take place at the present day He earnestl y maintains - that spiritual laws do not

Change any more than natural laws . But this form of reasoning does not commend itself to learned minds .

' If the foregoing facts that have been narrated are accepted then we are ‘confronted with some hard w t n . . e o thinki g In the case of Mrs Gu p p y _ have face the fact that a heavily prop ortioned woman was con v eved th ree miles over London an d i ntroduced into a room in which on e door was locked and the only other l door could n ot p ossib v be opened . How was it fo h ? possible r Mrs . Guppy to be p assed t rough wal ls n ot The case of D . D . Home does present the same difficulty for at Ashley House th e windows were M IR ACLES IN M O D ERN LI FE 75

was of open . His body simply taken out one window

- of M rs . and brought in at the other . But the case Guppy does present difficulties that are not easy to get over . Mr . Leslie Curnow explains that a funnel is made by which matter can pass through matter . ’ C urn ow . Mr . s explanation requires to be explained That a going watch can be transferred through walls from o n e room to another is difficult enough to under stand , but that a l iving human body can be transported through the air and introduced into a re con locked room baff les comprehension . We a fronted with the incredible . And yet as Alfred Russel Wallace wrote : The evidence for a super normal transference was here about as complete as ! it possibly could be . The Simple truth is that we are more and more being confronted with a kind of f orce for which we have no adequate name but which alone can explain mtt c h , that otherwise would be incredible , i n the f our Bible , and much that is taking place be ore eyes i w in these modern days . Th is s the problem hich confronts humanity and which humanity wil l yet N triumphantly solve . ot that human reason can ever t he t probe deeper mys eries . The more any man knows the more deeply is he conscious of his own ignorance . But there is one problem of overwhel ming ' importance that once again demands solution . Do we l ive as conscious thinking beings after the crisis called death ? Are there other worlds as beautiful as this world in which we dwell and where the spirit of man will find an ampler sphere in which to mani fest than under t h e cramped conditions Of this Time 76 M IRACL ES IN MODE RN L I FE

Sp here ? These are questions that are being asked by thoughtful men an d women ! and every incident h that bears upon their solution , or w ich even throws

- some sidelight upon their possible solution , claims our al ike investigation and consideration . That the last word has been spoken and the last discovery made in the real m of rel igious exp erience is the greatest f o . heresy modern times . God is i nexhaustible . a There can be no fin l ity with H im .

N —In discussin t h e fac n arra h h ote. g ts ted in t is c ap ter with M r A hur Pa e son h e rema h a w ar i in i a . rt t r rked t t e e l v g n th ree dimen sion al world b ut th at mathematician s are con scious of a

four- dimen sion a Wor d an d h a it was ui e ossi e to con l l , t t q t p bl

ceive of a fi ve- dimen sion a wor d of a six- dimen sion a wo d an d l l , l rl so on O ur know ed e of th e ou ward wor d a ound us h e . l g t l r , ' sa id is ar e de en den on our s en se e ce ion s and ha if a l g ly p t p r p t , t t sixth sen se were added our con ception s of th e world in which w i woh b ran sf m He f u h er s a ed h a he e e l ve ld e t or ed . rt t t t t t r were f reaks amon g men and women (gifted p erson alities I would term th em) wh o un der cert ain con dition s h ad en tered in to a Iourth dimen sion al exp erien ce and th at th ese p erson s un der fourth dimen sion al con dition s could p ass th rough matter as th rough a tun n el ! This though t of a four - dimen sion al world seemed t o me at th e ime and s i a ea s to me t o b e the on t , t ll p p r , ly ration al exp l anation of p hen omen a which oth er wise would b e

ath in W e are con t ac in in man wa s h is four- dimen siona b g. t g y y t l wo d and it ma b e h a h rou h dea h we wi esca e f om rl , y t t t g t ll p r the limitation s imp osed up on us th rough living in a th ree i i a wo This in s us sh ar u a ains the d men s on l rld. br g ply p g t e ern a ro ems Wh a is S ace ? Wha is Time ? In the t l p bl , t p t f uture world we are in formed th at Sp ace and Time do n ot ' weden o au h exist in our un derstandin g of these terms . S b rg t g t ears a o th is exp licitly more t h an a h un dred y g . CHAPTE R IX

TH E SUPE RNORMAL IN H EALI NG

KERLE C . B . E . HE ASE OF IR ALTER . HA Y T C S W G S ,

The medica l p rofession h as been rin ged round by t he ’ wo s m i i u Th e h i hes form of medic a rd ed cal et q ette. g t l ’ e i ue e in h is iew was to a t h e ame owa rds on e s t q tt , v , p l y g t a i O n e of t h e rea es ua l i ies of a d oct or sh ou d b e p t en t. g t t q t l t he p ower of symp athy : if a doc tor is in touch with a h op eless case and t he p a tien t desires t o visit some un scien tific p ract i t ion er s ir i ua is ic or o h er wise h en a ll mean s l et h im do , p t l t t , t by ’ so It mi h at eas ease t h e a ien s min d if n ot hin e se. . g t l t p t t g l ' ir HERB E WATERHO S E S RT F . U .

' At the dinner given by the British Col lege of on 2 n d 1 2 Psychic Science March , 9 7 , representatives of the Medical Faculty were the guests . Sir Arthur of Conan Doyle was in the chair . It has been said h i Sir Conan Doyle , who began s career as a medical n e f h a practitioner, that not o o his patients s ever

been seen alive ! Happily this has to be corrected . There is one of h is patients who is known to exist in

mortal form . Sir Arthur spoke in high terms of the of medical profession , and the vast service that t o f f profession has rendered the wel are o manki nd .

Sir Herbert F . Waterhouse and M r . Frank Romer on repl ied behalf of the Medical Faculty , and admitted that there were forces beyond the reach of the ordinary practitioner which they could not a n d explain , which did in certain cases operate in a 78 M I R ACLES IN MODE RN L I FE

mysterious way . We l istened to these speeches with

i nterest . Whilst not unduly committing themselves the speakers were ready to admit there was a realm of psychic knowledge that remains to be

explored , and that it was possible, under certain con dit ion s ‘ ff , cures might be a ected which otherwise would have been impossible . We have been famil iar for years with the work carried on at Exmouth .through M iss Harvey by e Dr . B ale . We have known personally several h r uc M . . healers s as s Bird , Mr . Hendry , Mr Foster and M r . Simpson , who have the gift . At the circle of the Rev . J . W . Potter a Dr . Richardson of son f in the person his , Cl i ford , examines the sitters and prescribes for them . But I have never given the heal ing aspect of Spiritual ism serious consideration until I was the privileged guest of Colonel Sir Walter of ‘ Shakerley, formerly Somerford Park ,

Congleton , and now resident in Bournemouth .

Sir Walter is at the present time sixty- seven years of age ( 1 9 2 7) an d in 1 92 2 he was attacked by a severe l h a i l ness which d al l the appearance of proving fatal . I quote from a typewritten statement of date May I 1 2 st , 9 4 , made by Sir Walter Shakerley himself,

' signed by him and Lady Shakerley and h is two daughters who nursed him throughout the ill ness . Nearl y two years having elaps ed since my k miraculous cure from Cancer , and , except for a wea heart , being once more in good health I wish to place on of record an accurate account it , lest with the lapse of years the details become obscured i n the memories of t hose who took part in it

80 M IR ACL ES IN MODE RN L I FE

After that I got rapidly worse until I became SO weak that I ceased to go beyond the garden and had to l ie down most of the day . I n May I had become so bad that I was reduced from about 1 1 stone to 8 stone . I cannot remember h t that I had any pain at t a period , only extreme weakness and my face assumed a grey colour . h is h At t is point my wife , who muc interested e i n Spiritual ism , b came seriously alarmed and wrote to the Revd . G, Vale Owen , at that time Vicar of h Orford , Warrington , asking if he knew anyt ing of i D of of i a Spir t octor the _ name Beale work ng through t e a medium at Exmou h . M r . Vale Owen r plied that he knew of Dr . Beale but that there was no need t o al l send a sick man that way, as he knew of a young man in h is own neigh bourhood who was a most 1 th powerful medium . On May 0 a meeting _ was wit h t h is - arranged medium , my wife being asked to _ bring with her some article that had been i n constant

. t oo . contact with me , since I was ill to attend She took with her a watch bracelet I had worn and as H soon as Dr . . , who controlled the medium , came ‘ th rough he looked at t h e bracelet and said : Oh ! o h “ h e uff . po r fellow , how must ave s ered He is ’ wasting away . - T h e next day t h e medium was instal led l n my h a ouse where he rem ined , with two intervals of a h mont each , during five months . ’ t he f On even in g o the medium s arrival Dr .

. h h t H came t roug Dr . H . controlled he medium) an d am H . e h y ex ined me said , T is cure is be ond ’

et . Th . h me , I must g help e medium was t en con M I RACLES IN MODE RN LI FE 8 1 trolled by an obviously much higher spirit whom I have called Dr . R . He also examined me and told my family that things had been allowed to go so far that it was barely possible at that date to save me ,

‘ but that they would do their best . He added that miracles stil l happen but that nothing could be done without prayer . He confirmed the heart and kidney troubles and said that I had also cancer at the base of the stomach , i n the very centre of the body which from its position having so far caused no swell ing or n pain could ot be detected by human means , but wh ich was , nevertheless , wasting my l ife away . He asked my wife and my two youngest daughters , who had war experience , to undertake the nu rsing , i n n preference to having h ired urses , which they all agreed to . H That evening Dr . . , under the supervision of R of Dr . . , commenced a course treatment that lasted e h over thre mont s . At a regular hour each morning and evening he appeared he controlled the medium) and worked on me for half an hou r though for a few days during the crisis when they despaired of saving me , the medium was put into trance four e and even five times a day . The treatment consist d of ff h solely massage , kneading the a ected parts wit hot b a n da in s cloths . g g , and the l ike , and a few sim p l e h o f h h M d erbs w ic I recall Mountain Flax , an rake , C h Kidneywort , omfrey, bot internall y and externally ! and after the cure Sl ippery Elm . All these were N k . O e obtai ned locally nif was ever used . Sir Walter then describes h ow water that h ad gathered i n h is legs was withdrawn th rough some 82 M IR ACLES I N MODERN L I FE

- special process i n a mysterious way . The narrative continues “ ab ut /t h ree One day o weeks after Dr . H . first — came as soon as he appeared control led the medium) he asked : What doctor has been here ? ’

him . eo We told None He said Oh yes , som ne ’ m . e has , I never did that Then turning to he said , ’ Your chief trouble is at an end . Cancer had never been mentioned in my presence . When I thanked n t him he said : Do o thank me . Thank the ’ Al mighty Father . He has done this , I never could . Meanwhile the heart and kidneys had been slowly improving under the treatment , and from that time I began to recover and put on weight , but as

. . wa n ot Dr R said about then , the trouble s that me of they could not cure , which they were then t certain , but whether I had enough vital ity left o T so l . o enable me to recover , great y was I reduced assist in restoring my vital ity I was rubbed al l over il ! twice a day with ol ive o . The narrative proceeds to describe the different of t h of stages e cure , how from being the occupant a bath chair Sir Walter was able to walk a mile , how he began to put on weight at the rate of three pounds per week until from being completel y emaciated he of h weighed ten stone , when the rate increase i n weig t slowed down to one pound per week : of t he return of alarming symptoms when th e medium was brought

n a n d re- n an d of from Lo don he was exami ed treated , an d his final treatment during a fortnight by Dr . H

h i . of s final interview with Dr R .

’ R in formed for Dr . . me that except the weak M I R ACLES I N MODE RN L I FE 83

1 heart, which I would always have, was absolutely ! cured and might l ive t o ninety .

This cure of cancer h as many points of interest . The case was not certified as being on e of cancer by of any the doctors on this earth plane that Sir .Walter t h e e had consulted , but xtreme emaciation and the grey colour of h is face seem to point to some hidden cause that had escaped their detection . Great stress on was was laid prayer, which continued in Sir ’ Walter s private chapel twice every day , whilst during 1 a m of the crisis at . . in the morning the members the family circle were taken to the private chapel for wh o prayer . With regard to the power al l were sympathetic with the mode of treatment were welcomed as thereby the power was increased .

During the crisis they sat in circle . The Spirit

! Doctors gave ample evidence of being able to see t o through matter . With regard time , beyond being able to recognize a sequence in events they do not appreciate the length of time in the same sense that ffi we do . They had the same di culty with regard to f distance . All examinations o t he internal organs were made in a dim light as they complained that our our t oo for light , especially artificial l ight , was coarse ! them and hurt their eyes . its The narrative recalls , in some of aspects, the of treatment the sick adopted in apostol ic times , that t h e sick were t o be anointed with oil and that

' efl ect ual f , ervent prayer availeth much . Is any sick among ye ? Let him call for the of : elders the Church and let them pray over him . anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord a n d 84 M IRACLES IN MODE RN L I FE

the prayer of faith shal l save the sick , and the Lord 1 will raise him up . (j ames, V 3, ' One un usual feat ure of . the case is the fact that wa for h h the medium s available three mont s, for wit out his presence the medical treatment co uld not have e T h b en continued . emedium had only been known

. to the Rev . G Vale Owen for a s brief period and hence it was possible for him to accept a prolonged a n d engagement . During this period of three months three days over one hundred and eighty different treat ments were given which resulted in Sir Walter ’ s m restoration to health . Whatever views embers of the medical faculty may entertain of this case there is one fact that remains Sir Walter of 1 2 2 was Shakerley in the Spring 9 , to all outward

f A - o . appearance , on the verge death well known specialist had given him one year to l ive, and with

t wo . S ir W alt er great care perhaps years , is al ive

- to day , enjoying l ife , capabl e of ordinary avocations and ready to bear witness to t h e sup ern ormal methods hi that were adopted to bring about s recovery . Had on he been content to rely ordinary medical treatment , so far as could be judged in 1 92 2 from his outward symp toms h e ought long ere now to havebeen toler abl y wel l acquainted with the conditions that _ prevail th e i n I nner World , whereas he is still on this side of l Time , comfortably sett ed in h is beautiful home f at Bournemouth . It has urther to be remembered that in al l such cu res, these cases as a rule have been t h p ractical ly given up by e doctors . It is only when ordinary skill is exhausted that supernormal agencies are called into op eration . These spiritual doctors were M I RACL ES I N MODE RN L I FE 85 once doctors themselves in this world and have no desire whatever to interfere with the legitimate interests of the profession . They only manifest when they discern that their superior knowledge ca n be of service to some patient whose l ife is destined to be f preserved or some special end . Sir Walter Shakerley continues his interest in the of i Church E ngland , n which he serves as a Church warden , whilst his hospitable roof shelters the wandering Spiritual ist with whom he shares his experiences on on e of the most vital subjects that can engage human thought . He is a l iving testimony to the fact that whilst Spiritualism challenges many of our religious conceptions and revolutionizes many of on our scientific conceptions , it likewise sheds l ight of the field medical research , revealing that there are possibil ities of treatment in extreme cases from a supernormal sou rce that have hitherto been un sus

ect ed . of p H is case illustrates the value sheer , ! n ot hard medical work . It was an instantaneous cure at all but a slow and progressive process . There are other healers wh o claim t o be able to produce more sudden results . But we have not encountered any fo other cases and cannot vouch r their validity . The simple truth is that the world is much bigger we t o than imagined it be . There are forces i n existence that we only guess at . There are superior beings who can come to man in his d istress and helplessness , and who can enable him to triumph over the seemingly impossible . That is the kernel of the message of Spiritual ism to mankind . The

f o l . o m miracles o d are being repeated in ur idst . The 86 M IR ACLES I N MODERN L I FE

B ible, which with many people has become a kind of w fetish , and hich by others has been quietly placed is h on the shelf as a back number , w en adequately examined , quite a modern book .

1 - Note . Whilst in the foregoing narrative names of medical advisers have been suppressed, it may be

R was . stated that Dr . . , the spirit doctor , a Dr

Roland , who l ived in the time of Charlemagne and H who Dr . . , the subordinate spirit doctor performed the manipulations on Sir Walter Shakerley was a Harr n l h e Dr . yso who ived during t reign of Queen

- Anne . During the mid Victorian period mediums became available and to some extent rel iable . This on f was known the other side o the Veil , and several doctors formed themselves into a College . Dr . Roland is what we would term the President of this i a College . He s regarded s a very high spirit . He

' does n ot himself undertake the treatment of indi i e vidual cases , but s call d in only in cases of special fi Harr n so . dif culty . Dr . y acted under his direction

Dr . Roland visited Sir Walter at the beginning of h e t e a . treatm nt and at interv ls afterwards . Dr Harryson was the missionary sent out by this College was of Physicians on the other side . This the information that Sir Walter received from Dr . Roland h imself ! and if we assume that there is another world , and that phys icians in that world are of still engaged in their blessed work heal ing , then we can understand how it was that Sir Walter

cured ~ an d ea Shakerley was , how other cures that ap p r to be inexpl icable have been performed .

CHAPTE R ' X

A WOR D OF WARN ING

It is a vain thin g to urge th at scien ce h as n ot admitted

his con en t ion an d t h a t h e s a emen is ure do ma ism . The t t , t t t t p g t scien ce wh ich h as n ot e amin ed th e f ac s h as it is rue n ot x t , t , admi ed t h e con en ion b ut it s o in ion is man ifes wo h ess tt t t p tly rt l , or at t h e best of l ess weigh t th an that of th e h umbl est studen t m n a he a scien ce which h as e a mine of s chic h en o e . T e d p y p r l , x th e f ac s is t h e on a id au hor i and it is ac ica t , ly v l t ty p r t lly ! i u — ir A CON A DOYL E mo s. N un an S . .

‘ Dis uise it as we ma t h e in k e ween ea h and h ea en g y, l b t rt v ! — ma M T . Cu m rn rs . S is always in th e en d th e sup e or l .

STOBART .

When on several occasions Spiritualism has b een

utterly discredited in the publ ic estimation , and the '

high - brows amongst us cal mly triumphant at the apparent success of th eir efforts in extinguishing what u wa was regarded as a v lgar superstition , the faith s preserved in obscure districts and in qu iet secluded f i homes far from the centres o popular exc tement .

“ of Th is has been especially true America , and more

“ or less true of Great Britain . More than once in the history of mankind it has been the simp le common fol k who have preserved for p osterity some ' f un da h mental trut . One has only to turn to rel igious history in order to fi n d this statement en dorsed in t h e wh many ways . It was Lollards o prepared th e a way for the Reformation . I n France it w s the

simple, common p eople who kept al ive t he memory of 88 M I RACLES IN MODE RN L I FE 89

A rc Joan of . during the four hundred years that elapsed between the martyrdom of the Saint at Rouen and the r esearches of Q uich erat that led to the modern revival of interest regarding her .

Here it may be well to utter a word of warning . It h as been the custom for Church leaders to denounce t he or Spiritual ism as the work of devil , as being

of h . dangerous to , or subversive the Christian Fait N o section of the Christian church h as been more eager in this respect than what might be termed the of Evangel ical party . If there is any section the church with which our sympathies may be said i especially to belong it s the evangel ical party . It was in the atmosphere of evangel icalism that our owe early years were spent , and to that section we N or more than can be expressed in words . can it be denied that the evangel icals have produced notable men and women who have left an enduring impress on British character . Among these , i n recent years , General Booth stands out as a man who combined a h is evangelic lism with common sense , and who in own l ife- time and since h e passed over has accom p lish ed a mighty work not only in Great Britain but “ throughout the world . To reach out a helping hand out to the man who is down and , to make a new man of him , to transform him into a useful citizen instead — ’ of being a waster that is God s work and wil l command the divine blessing wh ilst time shal l endure . h If the evangel icals would only open t eir eyes , they would see that as all roads lead to London so every r ut form of rel igious expe ience , if followed o to its th e legitimate conclusions , will lead to sup ernormal . 90 M IRACL ES I N MODE RN L I FE

It was from no desire for a new form of excitement but because of his fearless honesty that Edward Irving accepted Mary Campbell and her tongues . The evangel icals if they would add to their faith , know ih f ledge would soon be possession o the supernormal . f The Church o Jesus Christ began in the supernormal , and the Church of Jesus Christ will end i n the super ! . h normal Greater works, He said , t an these I shal l ye do because go to the Father . It is the lack of the supernormal that has left t h e Ch urch so weak in these modern days . There is a temptation for popular preachers to t o pander the multitude . It is so easy to say what a wil l be generally ccepted , and gain the cheap of applause the moment . But I would remind our ecclesiastical l eaders that when Gal ileo turned his

“ tel escope upon the satell ites of Jupiter and was thereby led to endorse the thesis of Copernicus, the leaders of the Church at that period offi cially silenced i him for ten years . There s the legend that he was us tied to the wheel and made to retract . Let hope is that is only a legend , but that he was silenced t h certified . Who questions e teaching of Galileo to day ? When Hutton and Playfair at Siccar Point in Berwickshire in 1 775 shook hands and resolved to abide by the testimony of the rocks there were grave misgivings i n the pul pit for thereby the chronology of wa Archbishop Usher s shattered . But where is the preacher to - day who will declare that creation began on 00 the first day of September, 4 4 And yet this statement is printed in many of our Bibles which p roves that until the mid - Victorian era this was the

92 M I RACLES I N MODERN L I FE

“ might be their pious opinions, who have the true love of the Christ in their hearts . But neither the Church of Scotland n or any exist ing Ch urch has made psychic pheno mena a special study . Nor have we as yet in any university a Chair set s c apart for the study of psychic re ear h , a field so ample and wide as to absorb th e energies of a Richet and many others equally gifted wh o have yielded to it s mysterious fascination . This silence , however, has not suppressed the psychic facts that are taking place around us . These facts , as we have indicated , are multiplying every day . If the Church has refused to take them seriously there is a body of men wh o have accepted them . These men and women were or mainly agnostics , material ists who had n obel ief V in an after l ife or i n a spiritual world . Their ision

' t t h i rn - Plah o s T i e e. was _ Beyond this Time _ l imited

P . lane they had no hope , and for them death was the end of all . These men and women have encountered of the facts Spiritualism . They have been convinced h by them . T ese facts , i n a sense , have become the r “ means of their spi itual salvation . What all the a h d reasoned tre tises of t eologians failed to o, these simple facts have accompl ished ! and an d _ these men women are n ow deepl y convinced n ot only that. th e h eof al l ha spiritual l ife is the ighest l if , , but t t before

'

h us t h ere . th e i i of en dleé s ‘ eac one of is poss bil ty an . ! h he a n d h progression from. sp ere to sp re ! t at the measure of our manhood and of our womanhood is

' f o r the real measure o u greatness . B ut if previous to making these discoveries th ey were in an y sense antagonistic to the Ch urch t hat antagonism h as been M I RACLES I N MODE RN L I F E 93

our intensified . What have B ishops and our clergy been doing ? they exclaim , that we should be left to stumble upon these discoveries for ourselves ? and hence it is that al l over the land spiritualistic churches are coming into existence not necessarily hostile to Jesus Christ but not always t oo ready to accept H is claims . Among Spiritual ists I have found many Christian men and women to whom the Second Coming of our Lord is a far more real fact that t o any f wh o member o the Keswick Convention , l ive i n His pr esence and rejoice in H is teaching ! but there are men and women i n the spiritual istic movement to whom the Christ is a mere myth and the teaching of

- F r f the Church a worn out fable . o this indi ference u h on their part and for this antagonism the Ch rc , in f h as . its o ficial form , to share the responsibil ity We unas ail are literally at the parting of the ways . The s able facts are multiplying too rapidly to be longer

I h h - H suppressed . s the C urch of Jesus C rist e who l ived in t h e supernormal and who came back to con ' h— th e vince His disciples , that there is no deat is Church of Jesus Christ to repeat the mistake ma de by of the Church Rome in the days of Gal ileo , to repeat t h e the mistake that was made at dawn of geology, to repea t th e mistake that has been made agai n and again in the controversy that has arisen as between science and rel igion ? As one who loves t h e Ch urch and who recognizes in the Ch urch a mighty factor i n moulding our Western civiliza tion I have felt con h h I d strained to pen t is word of warning, s aring as o the co n victions of many of my ministerial brethren that Sp iritualism is in no sense necessarily antagon 94 M I R ACLES I N MODE RN L I FE ist ic ca to the Christian faith , but n become one of the means alike of il luminating and strengthening that

. o faith On the ther hand , if the Church persists in n on ossumu s maintaining a p attitude , there are forces in . existence and in operation that may culminate in results that cannot in the meantime be foreseen but which ' may prove as disastrous as they will be reachi ng .

96 . M IRACLES IN MODE RN L I FE

f t a somewhat di ficult world , thankful o God for the gleams of sunshi ne that occasional ly brighten our a footsteps, fronting the shadows s best we may . The

' i s wa c us kink theory in no y ap pli able to . To this class belong a vast number of h umble and for a n d e rel iable peop le _ whom truth , the ad quate

. t h e i t i i h m n . d s n u s ap preciatio of facts _ are g g

- da : attributes . They are found to y i n comp ara m t iv ely small n u b ers all over the world . I have seen thei r faces gleam with joy as they have told me of.

' t some experience that de ermined their l ife destiny , and of which they were as firmly convinced as of their i t t h e own existence . Sometimes , might be production of a photograph on which was inscribed the image ' of someone dear to t hem an d for which -no ordinary

' Q— explanation could be given - the only expla nation being that the image had been ' produced in some supernormal man ner , and thereby proving to them the existence of an Unseen World a n d of forces which meanwhile are onl y partial ly understood or it might

“ be a narrative embodying an experience t oo sacred to be revealed i n these pages . For here it may be stated that it is only the superficial experiences of Spirit: ual ists that are given to the world ! their deeper and more sacred experiences are more frequently locked

u 1n t . r i p heir own hearts There a e . many n these d a who h é “ mo ern d ys , l ike Paul , av seen and heard T “ t h 1n un t era l e . gs that are u t b . But a s an examp le of t s e s ha ca r c c a e t he he e exp rience t t r y onvi tion t k .

' fol lowing as narrated to me by Anderson o f B rn “ u house S w . rs , to , Scotland M . Anderson can r wh t h r confi m a is e e written . M I RACLES I N MODE RN L I FE 9 7

B urn h ouse Mrs . Anderson had settled at some years ago and was only partially acquainted with the other families resident in the district . She had three

r - sittings with M s . Falconer a well known medium in e i Edi nburgh . At thes sittings a spir t claiming the name of David Murray desired to communicate . Mrs . Anderson replied that sh e knew no David Murray and suggested George Murray and other names . But the spirit persisted that his name was David Murray , and although Mrs . Anderson did not know him he

“ knew her quite well . So ended the first sitting so far wa as David Murray s concerned . A few months afterwards another sitt ing was held with the same medium . David Murray again spoke

M r . M rs . s through the medium , Falconer , and told

' sh e v isited at Anderson that had a house , Borthwick h is Hall , where he had been coachman , that master , M acfi e Mr . Claude was in spirit l ife but that his wife , M r Macfi s . e . , was still al ive , and that Mrs Anderson M acfi e wa knew Mrs . and s on visiting terms with her . (The pronunciation of names in spirit circles is on e of great difficulty and the communicating spirit David n ffi Murray, had co siderable di culty in pronouncing M acfi e t , at first being able only o say Fie but af ter several eff orts enunciating the full name

. h n M r M ac Mrs Anderson stated that s e k ew s . fie and had h h visited t at lady at Borthwick Hall , w ereupon David Murray made the following communication

had d riv m h i M acfi e He been g s master Mr . Claude

i n a dog- trap when the horse got out of control and was he, David Murray , thrown out and killed . His 98 M IRACL ES I N MODE RN L I FE

master escaped with a severe shaking and l ived many M r s . years afterwards . He desired Anderson to thank r M acfi M s . e for all that sh e had done on behalf of his m fa ily. h n Mrs . Anderson repl ied that s e could ot make any definite promise to do this as she was not sufh cien tl M acfi e y acquainted with Mrs . to del iver a message that involved a certain measure of psychic ’ knowledge on that lady s part . This closed the second

sitting .

Meanwh ile Mrs . Anderson had made enquiries in the neighbourhood if an y such accident as described to her i n this supernormal manner had ever taken place at Borthwick Hall . She found an elderly woman in and who had been the Stow Val ley all her l ife , who remembered that a man named D avid Murray had been killed at Borthwick Hal l when she was a young M r girl . This satisfied s . Anderson that there was t some truth in the message , but she still hesi ated to M t h a acfi n e . pproach Mrs . e o subject About two months afterwards another sitting was o r . . M r . held with M s Falconer s Anders n , with a

was . friend , present David M urray came and asked h r h a e if she d del ivered his message . She had to answer i n the negative but David was insistent that h is message should b e del ivered He gave further t he h particulars as to accident . It was a young orse th e ha that he had broken i n , that accident ppened near

h h a . the house , t at it d taken place many years ago

Mrs . Anderson asked if that meant ten or twenty years D h h ago . avid answered t at it was between t irty and forty years ago .

100 M I RACLES I N MODE RN L I FE

Th is narrative interested me in many ways . I

M acfi e . knew Mr . Claude slightly He was keenly interested in temp erance reform and other philan

- t h ro ic . . p work He was a large hearted, benevolent r M acfi e h ilan th r ic M s . o man , and aided him in his p p activities . i n It was highly mprobab le that M rs . Anderso at that time recently settled in the Stow Valley would know - of the accident at Borthwick Hall which had taken place wel l nigh forty years before her settle

B urn hou e . ment at s , equal ly improbable that Mrs Falconer in Edinburgh would know anything what

i.t ever about , and yet here was an incident com mun icat ed in this supernormal way confirmed to the letter by the maid who had been in service at Borth wick Hall for well nigh forty years and l ikewise con f firmed by the older residents o the Stow Valley . I n this incident telepathy and the subconscious mind are ruled out . l t h e Peop e demand evidence . What is evidence they wish ? I have made enquiries myself of th is i ncident and found that it is confirmed in t he main ! particulars . M rs . A nderson is will ing to answer h enquiries . But t is incident is only one of hundreds, thousands of similar incidents all recorded and duly

' attested and wh ich can be found in t he records of the various Spiritualistic Associations throughout the 1 land . Evidence If enquirers are anxious to find the e f r e vidence , if they will onl y seek o it in an hon st and earnest manner they need n ot betake themselves to

~ he h . t h e ev idence t t ese records _ They will find in deepest depths of their own consciousness : evidence MI RACLES I N MODE RN L I FE 1 0 !

that is at once overwhelming and unanswerable . It is not so much the evidence that is needed : it is th e courage to admit that th e ev iden ce exists when on ce that eviden ce has b een giv en . A new era wil l have dawned when those in possession of the evidence are prepared to bear their testimony . CHAPTE R XII

G OD’ S TELEGRA P H

There are an amoun of ossi i i ies efor y t p b l t b e us . H uman i is in t he morn in of the imes ty g t .

Wh at it s scop e may b e on this very planet a million years h ence who is to say ? Th ere is every reason to sup p ose th at the sun will n ot b e extin guish ed for man y million s of years and he efo e his an e - wi l b e h a i a e and the h uman ace t r r t p l t l b t bl , r

' which h as existed for p erh ap s twen ty th ousand or p erh ap s fifty housan d ea s h as mi ion s of ars in f ron o f it Wh a man t y r ll ye t . t ! wi b e hen I do n kn ow — ir u e L ODGE ot . S O a . ll t , v I n the volumes that have been collected by the Society for Psychical Research there is a mass of evidence that is accessible to all who are interested ! in this subject . Of smaller volumes Raymond, ! Towards the Stars, The Wisdom of the Gods, ’ N rthcl iff e . o s Return , can be recommended Two of minor b ooks, but great importance so far as ! ar e th evidence is concerned , e Rup rt Lives, by e ! Rev h . Walter Wynn , and T ey Al l Come! Back , u an Austral ian b roch re from the pen of W . Britton

Harvey . These minor books can be purchased for n o e shilling . A very interesting volume Other

f . world People is from the pen o Mr . J . W . Herries of I n this book Mr . Herries embodies the results his of careful enquiries . H is story An Egyptian Necklace and his account of the Ben Achal lader

' letters give to bis vol ume an exceptional interest .

1 04 M IRACLES IN MODE RN L I FE

We have asked many ministers if such a scene as described by Robert Burns in the Cottar ’ s Saturday w Night is enacted in their districts , and some hat sadly they have had to answer that such scenes are

- rare in the Scottish land to day . And yet in this gathering of the family together for communion with the Unseen Presences and Powers there is a deep and o abiding meaning . It was this c mmunion with departed ones that explained i n some measure the L a es et Pen ates greatness of ancient Rome . The r was a fundamental fact in th e life of the Roman p eople . If family worship i n many homes has to a large extent disappeared , a new form of communion is taking its place . Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has given an account of this form of communion i n his book k Phineas Spea s . It is a remarkable volume and only partially discloses the revelations that have been made . That such acts of spiritual communion are sacred to those who take part in themis evidenced in many ways . I n the majority of instances that we t h ’ have witnessed , they are opened with e Lord s Prayer and the open Bible and only Divine inspira tion and guidance are sought . That gatherings of a very different character could

' b ut be held we admit to be possible , we have never learned that such gatherings are held i n these modern days . Duri ng t h e period that witchcraft prevailed such gatherings may have taken place and this would h i h h explai n what ot erwise s w olly i nexplicable . T ere is a mysterious subtle power that exists wh ich can be for h r r used the hig est o fo the basest ends . Used for M I RACLES IN MODER N L I FE 1 05 the higher ends the character of the individual is

i . transformed , ar d hence we can understand how in the l ives of the Saints the Divine and In efi ab l e became for reflected in them . Used baser ends the individual inevitably sufi ers . We cannot indulge a wicked thought , far less can we wield a wicked thought for th e injury of others without the inevitable reaction t he our upon ourselves , so that moral tone of l ife is lowered and the far- reaching effects of our actions return i n a harvest of retribution that has to be reaped . One does not require to postulate a future existence to justify that hypothesis . During the brief period we spend in this Time- Sphere we can see this law of amply vindicated . In the history nations this i ' teaching s sternly impressed . During the last eighty years there has been direct communication between men and women l iving on this material plane and th e departed spirits who l ive m on the spiritual plane . No one denies that such co mun ication f existed in former eras o thought . The

Bible is the proof of that . The Bible is the greatest psychic book in the world . It is l iterally crammed with psych ic facts . But what has been denied and vigorously denied is the possibil ity of such com mun icat ion being maintained in modern days . The great task of Spiritual ism has been to prove that such n ot to communication is only possible , but place that n mode of commun ication o a scientific basis . Science h he n wil l yet conquer t e world . T time is ot so far distant when all rel igion will be on a scientific basis ! and what cannot survive t he rigid test of scientific n r v enquiry will ecessa il have to be surrendered . M IRACL ES IN MODE RN L I FE

Whilst we . readily admit this to be true it is not to be f assumed that we despair o the future of Christianity . So far is this from being the case that we bel ieve a far greater future awaits the Christian Church than has ever been real ized in the past . The patent fact to everyone is that t he rel igion of Jesus h as never been put in practice except in t h e case of isolated indi v i ual men ' an d o d s . When women instead f believing in rigid dogmas begin to rule their l ives in accordance with the teaching of the Master, then thisworld will ‘ be a world fit for heroes to l ive in . It is the hero ic type of character that will again be called into exist ence . Jesus was in real ity the greatest of heroes on t h e moral and spiritual plane , and hence his far i reach ng influence i n all our Western world . The gentle Jesus meek and mild conception will give place t o a far truer conception of the Man of wa Nazareth , who if on the one hand He s the Lamb - of God was at the same time the Lion of the f ! tribe o Judah . He was above all others the Great i h Pioneer , shatter ng , by His wit ering sarcasm , the H i false theological conceptions of s age , and opening up new spiritual conceptions that would illuminate i the l ife of mankind . It s a common saying that Ideal ism does not pay in a pou nds shill ings and pence coinage . The Christ knew that , and He paid the of end price His convictions to the bitter , knowing in H is deeper consciousness that through His sacrifice

Humanity would be lifted nearer God . What is needed in these modern days is a new interpretation

‘ of t h e Scriptures and more especially a new in t erp re tat ion of th e Life of Ch rist not i n books but in the of he practical experience t individual .

. 1 08 M IRACL ES IN MODERN L I FE

is . w assumption . It a great fact in Nature As in ire less there is an intelligent voice at the other end so in psych ic communications there is an i ntell igent voice at the other end to account for the commun ica tions that have been received . The phenomena of wireless has brought u s appreciably nearer to an Unseen and Spiritual world and in the future wire less will gradually prepare the minds of many for the reception of these more recent spiritual conceptions . i h There s no religion higher than truth . W at is true wil l remain when all that is exaggerated and miscon iv ce ed will have passed away . It is beyond our purpose to follow out the imp lica ma tions involved i n this discovery . It y be briefly stated that scientific conceptions will h ave to be re d our h h state , and a great part of t eology will ave to be h h s rewritten . On the ot er hand our spiritual teac er may be comforted in the assurance th at when they have declared to their congregations that there is a future l ife and a future world th ey have been p ro

t h e h h re- claiming trut , a truth t at will be establ ished on an unassailable basis .

' W e hav e endeavoured i n these pages to set befor e

“ our readers various forms of evidence that tend to support the bel ief that communication between the men and women l iving in this world and the men and w omen l iving in an I nvisible World is p ossib le . If even one of t h e multitude of p sychic messages that ha h suffi ve been received .can be proved genuine t at is h t h e h of cient to establis our case . Of t ousands h r h h n psyc ic photog ap s that ave bee taken , if even one h of these can be proved to be genuine , t at one photo M I RACLES IN MODE RN L I FE 109 graph is suffi cient to prove that our beloved dead can still manifest themselves and reach us i n mysterious ways .

-I can A s to the message I received from Kathleen , only repeat that I regard it as genuine . It carries in itself proof to ‘ me that it emanated from her in t ell i on e gence . No one else could have sent it . Not of ’ th e Mr . Wilson s circle knew the facts that message f discloses . The writer o the message spelled the name ! Lamond with a t . Kathleen insisted that it should ! ’ be spelled with a d . No one in M r . Wilson s circle knew that Kathleen had frequently argued with me on the subject of Spiritual ism . But Kathleen ? knew that . Why pursue the analysis further The message has since that time been accentuated in many ways and has b een verified by proofs that to my own

e . mind are indisputable . I do not se that it is

f or - i mmediately necessary me to table these proofs .

But this I can state . I have tu rned aside from many tempting offers of serv ice to devote the few remainin g _ years of my l ife to making known the great truth that death does not end all , and that the future holds for those of us whose faces are towards the sunrise greater blessings than we have ever known on this of side Time . Why Kathleen was taken from us at so early an age stil l seems an inexpl icable mystery unless it was the Divine Purpose to bring me into closer touch with

h . Spiritual real ities . It was only when s e disappeared v as a isible being that I truly learned to love her .

Scottish people are reticent as regards their feel ings . Whilst she was working at my side I did n ot recognize 1 1 0 M IRACLES IN MODE RN L I FE

any special endowment on her part , but when she fared fort h beyond my outward vision it was only then that the radiant Kathleen was revealed to me . G od do n ot ee help us all , we s the divine messengers wn r i t at our o fi es des . We are oo often bl ind to our

. was h e greatest blessings It wiser , perhaps , that s should become t o me a Spiritual Presence i n whose on l ight the visible creation takes a new meaning , and through whom the distant heavenly horizons have h drawn near . That s e is working in the Unseen World with the same tenacity of purpose that char act eriz ed her in thi s .world is made manifest by her activities through many channels . If any credence at is t o t all be given to her messages , wha ever measure of doubt existed in her mind on th is side of Time as t o a o h a n modern spiritual m nifestations , that d ubt s bee sh e dispelled , and now regards this means of cam mun icat ion as a discovery of momentous importance which will eventually lead to a complete spiritual u “ pl ift in the experience of mankind . The l ight is a h e a s . bre king , decl res , in the East We are at t h i f ! e dawn ng o a new day .

M IRACLES IN MODE RN LI FE

u recent knowledge h as brought them . Their ass rance upon these subjects is one of the extraordinary f features o this controversy . They do not profess to believe . They declare WE KNOW . There is one venerable protagonist on behalf of Spiritualism whose words have carried conviction to hi the thi nking p ortion of our nation , and who in s later years has been more strenuous than ever in his of advocacy these truths . One of his later pronounce E The ments merits our attention . I n his pilogue to B rid e g , a book of remarkable evidence compiled by

M iss Walker, his Secretary , Sir Ol iver Lodge states

If it were a q uest ion of t he electrical const itut ion of t he at om or t he. orb it of an el ect ron as it was in t he days of Gal ileo about the const it ut ion of t he heavenly o ies and t he re o ut ion of t he eart h mi t be b d , v l , I gh will ing ( under excessive p ressure) t o recant or deny or h e o r w at n e ert e ess fe t to b e t rue for edg ve h I , v h l , l ! whet her t he eart h revolves round the sun or vice ver sa is r it humanit ndeed not a matt er p ofoundl y v al t o y . I , som d s i es of Einstein mi ht sa that one mode of e i c p l g , y st a em w a as a ot er an t hat a so ut e t rut t ent as s good n h , d b l h But i it about the mot ion of mat ter is imp ossible. f became a quest ion of the - real it y of survival and p ersist ence of indiv idual exist ence wit h p ower to man ifest affect ion and to give assist ance across the gulp h or veil sep arat ing one mode of exist en ce from anot her then I ' r t th t i f a ed u on shou d be wi in to face the t us , a c ll p , I l ll g stak e rat her t han be unfait hf ul to so vital and p regnant a t rut h—a conclusion so ill umi nat ing in our under M I RACLES I N MODE RN L I FE 1 1 3 stan t he m n n of x so st r t ding of ea i g e istence , in uc ive in relat ion to t he scheme of t he universe an d so vitall y e t t t ! aff c ing he hop es and asp i ra ions of man . These are weighty words and might well be pondered by every thoughtful man and woman . Yet great as have been Sir Oliver ’ s contributions to the f our l iterature o this subject still greater, in j udgment , has been the scientific discoveries with which his name has been so prominently identified . He was the of is pioneer wireless , and wireless gradually attuning our minds to these larger and more definite con cep f f tions . It has been oreshadowed that messages rom the U nseen World may on e day reach us through can wireless . I n any case , the fact that we hear voices in Berl in and Moscow and Norway is preparing our minds for the wider knowledge . I n . many homes where spiritual istic literature is banned the wireless apparatus is in operation , and it may be that soon the W ho apparatus for television will be there as well . ,

fifty years ago , would have dreamed that voices and a or music could be extr cted from the air , that vision across seas and continents would be possible ? Science declares that there are forms of light that our eyes cannot see! that there are sounds that our ears can n t o detect . Why should it seem so improbable that there are spiritual beings al l around us of whose or presence we are unconscious , that there is a music from the inner spheres that our ears cannot hear ? The outward material u niverse has been discovered t o transcend all ordinary comprehension . Does it seem so extraordinary that our conception of the 1 1 4 M IRACLES I N MODE RN LIFE

Spiritual universe should be correspondingly enlarged ? Kathleen i n one of her later commun ica tions to me has told me that whe n sh e recovered consciousness on the other side sh e saw no angels i or with wings and harps , no glitter ng throne streets of gold . What she found were some dear friends wh o were waiting to welcome her , and conduct her to a home where sh e could be tended and refreshed and h a prepared for her new environment . She s since her arrival i n that Unseen World discovered how vast it of really is , and that the streets of gold and gates

pearl may have their own place in it . There are f many di ferent dwell ing places there , many f f di ferent spheres ading into other spheres , heights It and depths ill imitable . is a wide, wide world she h as reached , and certainly far more beautiful than the i somewhat l imited planet she left beh nd her . She took the first opportunity she could find of telegraph

ing back to me that I was to. hold fast the convictions on these subjects that I had entertained , and which

have been confirmed for me in many ways . It is this bigger world that is beginn ing to dawn ’ on men s m inds ! and in view of its reality many of

our earth values will have to be changed . The material greed of our western civilization has to be A ’ counteracted in some way . man s true greatness is h i not determined by s bank balance . We need a new dynamic that will awaken within us the same measure of chival ry and devotion that were manifested during h the War , the same moral and spiritual heroism t at characterized the men and women of th e Early ff t o Church , the same indi erence material interests