4 io SCIENCE PROGRESS 



explanation for many phenomena that might otherwise be taken 

 as supplying evidence of" possession." 



The writer is not prepared to admit that there is sufficient 

 evidence for asserting the existence of telepathy. Even this 

 must be regarded as not proven. But even if we grant, for the 

 sake of argument, that such a thing does exist, none knows 

 better than Sir Oliver Lodge that the " spiritualistic" hypothesis 

 is not advanced one iota. All the materialist would thereby 

 admit as proved would be that, as the larynx can emit and the 

 ear receive the atmospheric waves of sound, as the eye can 

 receive the aetherial waves of light, so the undifferentiated 

 nervous matter of the brain has some residual power of emitting 

 and receiving vibrations of a wave-length previously unsuspected. 



If we admit such an idea, which in the present state of 

 scientific knowledge it would be rash folly to admit, all that 

 follows is that the possible explanations of any unexplained 

 residuum of " spiritualistic" phenomena are so increased that the 

 residuum ceases to be worth investigating. 



The above line of argument, it should be noted, is one 

 which both Catholic and Freethinker (and everyone else) can 

 accept without detriment to any views they may hold on matters 

 of religion. To the sceptic it will naturally appeal. And the 

 Catholic, though he believes on faith that there is a life 

 beyond the grave, is not thereby committed to the opinion 

 that Sir Oliver Lodge and the Society for Psychical Research 

 have a shred of evidence worthy of serious consideration. 



It is with great reluctance that the writer passes to the other 

 horn of the dilemma on which, both in this and cognate 

 matters, Sir Oliver Lodge has impaled himself. But he is open 

 to a criticism from another quarter quite as deadly as any the 

 materialist can bring against him. The Catholic, also, is capable 

 of speaking to him in tones of sound common sense. 



" So you are convinced that human personality survives 

 bodily death," we can imagine him saying, " are you ? That 

 is very interesting. Perhaps you have evidence. Perhaps you 

 have not. Personally, I should not like to base my belief on 

 your evidence. But let us suppose you have, what then ? You 

 think you are in communication with disembodied spirits. 

 There is nothing impossible in that. But my religion teaches 

 me that investigations of your kind are better not attempted. 

 If you will not accept our faith, at least accept the fact that we 



