336 



MY LIFE 



[Chap. 



simpler physical phenomena which hundreds of spiritualists, 

 including Sir William Crookes and Professor Zollner, demon- 

 strated more than thirty years ago. As to the more advanced 

 phenomena, such as the disintegration and reproduction of 

 matter, and the various forms of materialization of the human 

 form or its parts, Mr. Myers himself, in his great work, only 

 alludes to them and indicates their possibility, without laying 

 special stress on the fact of their occurrence. The equally 

 well-attested phenomena of psychic photography are entirely 

 unnoticed, though they would easily be fitted into the great 

 structure he has erected based upon phenomena which he 

 considered to be demonstrated facts. 



This method of very slow advance was, no doubt, neces- 

 sary for the purpose of establishing what is really a new 

 science, and in the establishment of this science a foremost 

 place will always be given to Frederic Myers. He was the 

 first English writer to attempt to educe order out of the vast 

 chaos of psychic phenomena, to connect them with admitted 

 physical and physiological laws, and to formulate certain hypo- 

 theses which would serve to connect and explain a consider- 

 able portion of them.^ Yet there are indications that even 

 his careful examination of evidence and tentative suggestions 

 are still in advance of most of his fellow researchers ; as 

 shown by the fact that since his greatly lamented death the 

 publications of the society have become retrograde rather 

 than progressive, by devoting space to the publication of 

 mere inconclusive or suspicious phenomena which are abso- 

 lutely worthless, and by needlessly pointing out that certain 

 facts may possibly be explained by imposture or delusion. 

 Nevertheless, for the advanced " Researcher," Myers's great 

 work will long serve as a vast reservoir of classified informa- 

 tion and a guide to further scientific research ; while the 

 spiritualist will equally value it, and by its light will be able 

 to interpret the more advanced and more marvellous pheno- 

 mena with which he is acquainted. 



When talking to me about the remarkable stances with the 



^ Robert Dale Owen's works, at a much earlier period, attempted the same 

 thing with more limited materials, but with remarkable success. 



