Modern spiritism; its science and religion - SpiritArchive.org

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Mediums cannot know who speaks
May I here, in reference to Professor Hyslop's
statement about the trustworthiness of Mrs. Piper,
explain this can only refer to her trustworthiness
with regard to fraud, for a medium can have no
knowledge of the source of her own communications.
Whether they are derived (i) from what her unconscious
mind reads from the minds of others, or
(2) whether it obtains its knowledge from a discarnate
spirit, or (3) whether the information comes
from some other inhabitant (not human) of the spirit
world, she cannot possibly know. So that her
trustworthiness has no bearing whatever on the great
question; nor can a medium be called in evidence,
save to testify there is no fraud. This is important.
No doubt other distinguished names, such as
Alfred Russel Wallace and Sir A. Conan Doyle, could
be added to the above witnesses to belief in necromancy.
Among the doubtful, Professor C. Flammarion
says: "That souls survive the destruction of -the
body I have not the shadow of a doubt. But that
they manifest themselves by communications in
seances we have no absolute proof."
Some messages received from Professor Hyslop
(after his death), through Mrs. Piper, were handed
over to Professor Wm. James, to decide whether they
were from subconscious sources, or really from
Hyslop. He decided that the messages of Hyslop
did not furnish any decisive proof whatever ,of their
authenticity. Sir Wm. Barrett advises ..all those