Miscellaneous Scientific Intelligence. 377 



the writings of those interested in this line of thought than for 

 others whose reading and investigations lie in different lines. 

 The unexpected develoi^ments in physics the past two decades, 

 however, are certainly such as to show that human knowledge 

 has by no means reached its limits, particularly in directions not 

 at once obvious to the senses. An intelligent person, therefore, 

 should first of all be interested in what is being discussed and 

 keep himself informed; he should be broad-minded in his atti- 

 tude to the subject, and he should be in sympathy with genuine 

 research in the psychical field. 



The two volumes, the titles of which are given above, present 

 the whole subject of occult teaching and spiritualism very thor- 

 oughly and from many different standpoints. Dr. Siimett has 

 already published two earlier books entitled "The Occult 

 World" and "Esoteric Buddhism." His present work is well 

 worthy of careful reading, even if his conclusions are not always 

 accepted by those to whom theosophy does not make a strong 

 appeal. The opening chapter discusses this world's place in the 

 Universe. Others consider ' ' future life — and lives " ; " religion 

 under repair ' ' ; theosophy from various points of view, and 

 "the borderland of science" including astronomy (overt and 

 occult) and "meta-science" with the problems of atoms and 

 ether. Something of the author 's point of view may be gathered 

 from the opening sentences of a chapter on "Our visits to this 

 World," which are quoted here. The author says: 



' ' The materialist who regards human life as beginning in the 

 cradle and ending in the grave is at all events consistent, though 

 he insults Divine intelligence. But people who shrink from 

 believing in final extinction, and nevertheless regard each new 

 life as a fresh beginning, insult human understanding." 



The second volume is a symposium containing chapters of very 

 varying length written by- between fifty and sixty authors, half 

 of whom are specially noted on the cover page. The reader will 

 find the subject of spiritualism looked at from many angles, in 

 some cases directly opposed to each other. As the editor states, 

 ' ' a body of contributors whom I will call converts to spiritualism 

 are perfectly satisfied that a great and good thing is happening. 

 Another body who are not converted are uneasy lest a very bad 

 thing is happening. But neither know what is really happening. 

 For the moment all is conjecture." He also adds his conviction 

 that "the general conclusion of the symposium is that the 

 civilized human race are standing unconsciously within the 

 threshold of a new era of the discovery and utilization of the 

 miraculous powers in man. At the same time, the conditions of 

 existence are so changing that the human mind is being trans- 

 formed, and in such a manner that history will not repeat itself 

 as it has the reputation of doing. In short, mankind for the 

 first time in their history are about to realize their potential Self. ' ' 

 The interest of the work is increased by a number of illustrations 

 of spirit photographs which are certainly interesting whatever 

 conclusion one may draw from them. 



