PSYCHIC SCIENCE 

 By SIR OLIVER LODGE 



IN the long evolution of humanity, we trace, first, the gradual 

 emergence of the organic from the inorganic, the utilisation 

 of highly complex chemical compounds for the formation 

 and purposes of life, and then the gradual rise of living things 

 in the scale of existence, until at a certain stage the rudiments 

 of mind and consciousness begin to make their appearance. At 

 some unknown time after this, must have arisen the power of 

 choice and knowledge of good and evil, which may be regarded 

 as the most definitely human characteristic. Then humanity, too, 

 went on rising in the scale, until it blossomed and bore fruit in 

 the creations of Art, the discoveries of Science, and in works of 

 genius. 



Nor is development likely to stop there. Hitherto we have 

 known life and mind as utilising the properties of matter, but 

 some of us are beginning to suspect that these psychical entities 

 are able to utilise the properties of the Ether too that intangible 

 and elusive medium which fills all space; and if that turn out to 

 be so, we know that this vehicle or medium is much more perfect, 

 less obstructive, and more likely to be permanent, than any form 

 of ordinary matter can be. For in such a medium as ether, there 

 is no wearing out, no decay, no waste or dissipation of energy, 

 such as are inevitable when work is done by ponderable and mo- 

 lecularly constituted matter that matter about which chemists 

 and natural philosophers have ascertained so many and such 



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