Modern spiritism; its science and religion - SpiritArchive.org

SPIRITISM AND THE DEAD 107
municates with the dead as she professes to do."
In Mrs. Piper's case, especially, the statements all
proceeding from the "control," the dead Marseilles,
Dr. Phinuit, are as full and accurate about the living
(whom he could never have known) as about the
dead.
Necromancy a Fallacy
We began with believers and their affirmations;
we will end with denials.
Professor Flournoy, a leader in psychology, takes
the standpoint that beliefs in communications with
the spirits of the dead is a fallacy, but that the facts
are real; and so also is telepathy, clairvoyance, etc.,
though not yet officially recognised by science.
In Spiritism, says a scientist, no absolute message
has come from the dead.
M. Maeterlinck, in "Our Eternity," says: "Why
do departed spirits come back with empty hands and
words? Beyond our last hour (on earth) is it all
bare, and shapeless, and dim?" ("Only," we
might reply, "to unbelievers. To faith all is far
brighter beyond the tomb than on earth. There is
no vague guessing or surmising. The language is
that of certainty: 'We know that if our earthly
house, etc.'").
"If it be so," continues Maeterlinck, "let them
cell us (but they don't) of what use is it to die if
all life's trivialities continue ? Can we only remember
that we had a great-uncle called Peter, and that our
cousin Paul had varicose veins ?
They tell us enough
to show they could disclose similar details about the
unknown mysteries.