THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SPIRITUALISM, 723 



With tlie revival of interest fostered by the Society for Psychic 

 Research, the investigation of spiritualistic manifestations has 

 been undertaken with more of a scientific appreciation of the 

 problems therein involved ; and within the last few years have 

 appeared the results of several inquiries that deserve to register a 

 turning-point in the career of this mischievous superstition and 

 to hasten the day of its abandonment by all sensible men. 



Mr. Henry Seybert, an enthusiastic spiritualist, bequeathed to 

 the University of Pennsylvania a sum of money, on the condition 

 that this university should appoint a commission to investigate 

 modern spiritualism. This commission has published a prelimi- 

 nary report.* They began with an entire willingness to accept 

 any conclusion warranted by facts ; and their chairman. Dr. H. H. 

 Furness, confessed " to a leaning in favor of the substantial truth 

 of spiritualism." They have examined many of the most famous 

 mediums, and the manifestations that have contributed most to 

 their fame. Their verdict, individually and collectively, is the 

 same regarding every medium with whom they saw anything 

 noteworthy : gross, intentional fraud throughout. The mediums 

 were treated with the utmost fairness and courtesy ; their con- 

 ditions were agreed to and upheld ; every one, in each kind of 

 manifestation, was either caught in the act of trickery, or the 

 trick was repeated and explained by one of the commission. This 

 testimony goes far to justify the substitution of "trick" for 

 " manifestation," of " senseless cant " for " spiritualistic explana- 

 tion," of " adroit conjurer " for " medium." The accumulative 

 force of this conclusion can only be appreciated by a reading of 

 the report itself. A few examples of the kind of trickery ex- 

 posed must here suffice, f 



Dr. Slade, whose mediumship has convinced many of the most 

 eminent believers in spiritualism, including the famous Zollner 

 coterie,X produces communications on a slate held beneath a table, 



* " Preliminary Report of the Commission appointed by the University of Pennsyl- 

 vania, to investigate Modern Spiritualism," Philadelphia, 1887, Lippincott, pp. 159. The 

 members of the commission are: Dr. William Pepper, Dr. Joseph Leidy, Dr. G. S. Koenig, 

 Prof. R. E. Thompson, Prof. G. S. Fullerton, Dr. H. H. Furness, Mr. Coleman Sellers, Dr. 

 J. W. White, Dr. C. B. Knerr, and Dr. S. Weir Mitchell. 



\ It is often claimed that, while mercenary purposes can explain the existence of pro- 

 fessional mediums, the manifestations of private mediums remain as the bulwark of faith. 

 It is doubtless true that the method of investigating private manifestations must be a 

 different one, and this yet remains to be done in a careful and scientific manner. The 

 difficulty has always been in the unwillingness of private mediums to appear before examin- 

 ing bodies. It must also be remembered that amateur mediums, even when there was no 

 ground for suspicion, have been exposed as frauds {vide " Seybert Report," p. 122) ; and the 

 passion for deceiving, so characteristic of hysterical natures, is as strong as the greed for 

 gain. The subject merits a separate discussion. 



\ This is always cited as one of the triumphs of spiritualism. As usually told, it reads 

 that a few eminent scientists, especially fitted to investigate such matters, were convinced 



