The Spiritualist newspaper > No.134, March 19th 1875

IV
THE SPIRITUALIST.
March 19, 1875,
EVIDENCE THAT SPIRITUALISM; DESERVES
INVESTIGATION.
Spiritualism deserves investigation because witbinthe last twenty years
it has found its way into all the civilised countries on the globe; it has also
a literature of thousands of volumes and not a few periodicals.
The London Dialectical Society, Adam-street, Adelphi, under the pre¬
sidency of Sir John Lubbock, Bart., M.P., appointed a Committee to inves¬
tigate spiritual phenomena. The Committee was appointed on the 26th
January, 1869, as follows:—
“ H. Q-. Atkinson, Esq., E.G-.S., G. Wheatley Bennett, Esq.; J. S. Bergheim.
Esq., C.E.; H. K. Fox Bourne, Esq.; Charles Bradlaugh, Esq.; Gr. Fenton
Cameron, Esq., M.D.; John Chapman, Esq., M.D.; Rev. C. Maurice Davies,
D.D.; Charles R. Drysdale, Esq., H.D. D. H. Dyte, Esq., M.R.C.S.; Mrs.
D. H. Dyte; James Edmunds, Esq., M.D.; Mrs.Edmunds, James Gannon,
Esq.; Grattan Geary, Esq.; Robert Hannah, Esq., F.G.S.; Jenner Gale
Hillier, Esq.; Mrs. J. G. Hillier; Henry Jeffery, Esq.; Albert Kisch, Esq.,
M.R.C.S.; Joseph Maurice, Esq.; Isaac L. Meyers, Esq.; B. M. Moss, Esq.;
Robert Quelch, Esq., C.E.; Thomas Reed, Esq.; C. Russell Roberts^ Esq.,
Ph.D.; William Volckman, Esq.; Horace S. Yeomans,Esq.
“ Professor Huxley and Mr. George Henry Lewes, to be invited to co¬
operate. Drs. Chapman and Drysdale and Mr. Fox Bourne declined to sit,
and the following names were subsequently added to the Committee:—
“George Cary, Esq., B.A.; Edward W. Cox, Esq., Serjeant-at-law;
William B. Gower, Esq.; H. D. Jencken, Esq., Barrister-at-law; J. H. Levy,
Esq.; W. H. Swepston, Esq., Solicitor; Alfred R. Wallace, Esq., F.R.G.S.;
Josiah Webber, Esq.”
After inquiring into the subject for two years, the Committee issued its
report, which, with the evidence, forms a bulky volume, published by
Messrs. Longmans. Among other things this Committee reported:—
“ 1. That sounds of a very varied character, apparently proceeding from
articles of furniture, the floor and walls of the room—the vibrations
accompanying which sounds are often distinctly perceptible to the touch—
occur, without being produced by muscular action or mechanical con¬
trivance.
“ 2. That movements of heavy bodies take place without mechanical
contrivance of any kind, or adequate exertion of muscular force by those
present, and frequently without contact or connection with any person.
“ 3. That these sounds and movements often occur at the time and in
the manner asked for by persons present, and by means of a simple code
of signals, answer questions and spell out coherent communications.
One of the sub-committees of the Dialectical Society reported:—
“Your committee studiously avoided the employment of professional or
paid mediums. All were members of the committee, persons of social
position, of unimpeachable integrity, with no pecuniary object, having
nothing to gain by deception, and everything to lose by detection of im¬
posture.’’
HOW TO FORM SPIRIT CIRCLES.
Enquirers into Spiritualism should begin by forming spirit circles in
their own homes, with no Spiritualist or professional medium present.
Should no results be obtained on the first occasion, try again with other
sitters. One or more persons possessing medial powers without knowing
it are to be found in nearly every household.
1. Let the room be of a comfortable temperature, but cool rather than
warm—let arrangements be made that nobody shall enter it, and that there
shall be no interruption for one hour during the sitting of the circle.
2. Let the circle consist of four, five, or six individuals, about the same
number of each sex. Sit round an uncovered wooden table, with all the
palms of the hands in contact with its top surface. Whether the hands
touch each other or not is usually of no importance. Any table will do,
just large enough to conveniently accommodate the sitters. The removal
of a hand from the fable for a few seconds does no harm, but when one of
the sitters breaks the circle by leaving the table it sometimes, but not
always, very considerably delays the manifestations.
3. Before the sitting begins, place some pointed lead-pencils and some
sheets of clean writing paper on the table, to write down any communica¬
tions that may be obtained.
4. People who do not like each other should not sit in the same circle, for
such a want of harmony tends to prevent manifestations, except with well-
developed physical mediums; it is not yet known why. Belief or unbelief
has no influence on the manifestations, but an acrid feeling against them is
a weakening influence.
5. Before the manifestations begin, it is well to engage in general conver¬
sation or in singing, and it is best that neither should be of a frivolous
nature. A prayerful, earnest feeling among the members of the circle gives
the higher spirits more power to come to the circle, and makes it more
difficult for the lower spirits to get near.
6. The first symptom of the invisible power at work is often a feeling like
a cool wind sweeping over the hands. The first manifestations will probably
be table tiltings or raps.
7. When motions of the table or sounds are produced freely, to avoid
confusion, let one person only speak, and talk to the table as to an
intelligent being. Let him tell the table that three tilts or raps mean “Yes,”
one means “ No,” and two mean “ Doubtful,” and ask whether the arrange¬
ment is understood. If three signals be given in answer, then say, “If I
speak the letters of the alphabet slowly, will you signal every time I come
to the letter you want, and spell us out a message? ” Should three signals
be given, set to work on the plan proposed, and from this time an intelligent
system of communication is established.
8. Afterwards the question should be put, “Are we sitting in the right
order to get the best manifestations?” Probably some members of the
circle will then be told to change seats with each other, and the signals will
be afterwards strengthened. Next ask, “Who is the medium?” When
spirits come asserting themselves to be related or known to anybody present,
well-chosen questions should be put to test the accuracy of the statements,
as spirits out of the body have all the virtues and all the failings of spirits
in the body.
9. A powerful physical medium is usually a person of an impulsive,
affectionate, and genial nature, and very sensitive to mesmeric influences.
The majority of media are ladies.
The best manifestations are obtained when the medium and all the
members of the circle are strongly bound together by the affections, and
are thoroughly comfortable and happy; the manifestations are bom of the
spirit, and shrink somewhat from the lower mental influences of earth.
Family circles, with no strangers present, are usually the best.
Possibly at the first sitting of a circle symptoms of other forms of
mediumship than tilts or raps may make their appearance.
“THE SPIRITUALIST” NEWSPAPER:
A Record of the Science and Ethics of Spiritualism.
PUBLISHED WEEKLY, PRICE TWOPENCE.
ESTABLISHED IN 1869.
THE SPIRITUALIST, published weekly, is the oldest
Newspaper connected with the movement in the United Kingdom,
and is the recognised organ of educated Spiritualists in all the English-
speaking countries throughout the Globe; it also has an influential body of
readers on the Continent of Europe.
The Contributors to its pages comprise most of the leading and more
experienced Spiritualists, including many eminent in the ranks of Litera¬
ture, Art, Science, and the Peerage. Among those who have published
their names in connection with their communications in its columns are
Mr. C. F. Vaitley, C.E., F.R.S.,; Mr. William Crookes, F.R.S., Editor of the
Quarterly Journal of Science (who admits the reality of the phenomena, but
has,, up to this date, November, 1874, expressed no opinion as to their
cause); Mr. Alfred R. Wallace, the Naturalist; Prince Emile de Sayu Witt¬
genstein (Wiesbaden); The Countess of Caithness; Count de Medina
Pomar; Lord Lindsay; the Hon. Robert Dale Owen (New York); Mr. Epes
Sargent, (Boston, U.S.); Sir Charles Isiam, Bart.; Mrs. Ross-Church,
(Florence Marryat); Mrs. Makdougall Gregory; the Hon. Alexander
Aksakof, Russian Imperial Councillor, and Chevalier of the Order of St.
Stanislas (St. Petersburgh); the Baroness Adelma Vay (Austria); Mr. H
M. Dunphy, Barrister-at-Law; Mr. Stanhope Templeman Speer, M.D.
(Edin.); Mr. J. C. Luxmoore; Mr. John E. Purdon, M.B. (India); Mrs.
Honywood; Mr. Benjamin Coleman; Mr. Charles Blackburn; Mr. St.
George W. Stock, B.A. (Oxon); Mr. James Wason; Mr. N. Fabyan Dawe;
Mr. J. M. Gully, M.D.; the Rev. C. Maurice Davies, D.D., Author of Unor¬
thodox London-. Mr. S. C. Hall, F.S.A.; Mr. H. D. Jencken, M.R.I., Barris-
ter-at-Law; Mr. Algernon Joy; Mr. D. H. Wilson, M.A., LLM.; Mr. C.
Constant (Smvrna); Mrs. F. A. Nosworthy; Mr. William Oxley; Miss
Kislingbury; Miss A. Blackwell (Paris); Mrs. F. Showers; Mr. J. N. T.
Martheze; Mr. J. M. Peebles (United States); Mr. W. Lindesay Richardson,
M.D. (Australia); and many other ladies and gentlemen.
TO ENQUIRERS INTO SPIRITUALISM.
ONE of the most compact, and well-considered masses of
evidence that Spiritualism is true, is No. 59 of The Spiritualist, price
4d. or 4Jd. post free. It is a number compiled specially for the information
of enquirers, and will give them a very large amount of information at a
cheap rate. This number of The Spiritualist is of special value for sale at
the doors at public meetings connected with Spiritualism, so copies should
be kept on hand by psychological societies in all parts of the United King¬
dom. London: E. W. Allen, 11, Ave Maria-lane, E.C.
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E. J. BLAKE (successor to Mr. BARKAS),
. Newcastle-on-Tyne.
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THE CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALIST,
- EDITED BY GEORGE SEXTON, M.A., L.L.D.
Honorary and corresponding Fellow of the Royal Italian\Academy of Science, <kc.
Each number contains inter alia—
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