St Vincent Seminary - Symposium Yearbook (Latrobe, PA)

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unnnuunq illli illlllli E E . . . . . . . . . . . V . . . . . ' - 71 . . . . a -llllll All . K? -1, . 1 N, 1 , ,V -. 1 , ...-, W, ,,.. .5 .. . , It fthe deceased relativej conveys other informat1on respect- ing things not personally known to the stranger, but to other friends or relatives living in distant parts of the world. Can we attribute to the subliminal mind the power of loosing itself from the personality of the medium, of finding instantly on the other side of the globe a person possessing the desired knowledge, of establishing rapport with the mind of that person immediately: and of purloining the information therefrom while the possessor is unaware of the ingenious theft and in no mood for yielding it? If our minds were so hopelessly exposed to invasion by the de- tached subliminal minds of other men, there would cease to be a secret in the un1verse The messages, moreover, are invariably delivered as emanating from deceased relatives, from friends, or from famous historical characters. Therefore, if it is the sub- l1m1nal mind of the medium and not some deceased associate, that is the communicating intelligence, then we must be prepared to admit, as Professor Alfred Russel Wallace insists, that this, our second self is almost always a deceiving and lying self, or, on the other hand, we must ask with J. Godfrey Raupert, Can this subliminal self be supposed to be always under a chronic and profound delusion as to its own identity? These, though only some of the difficulties that lie in the wake of this theory, suffice to show that it is untenable. For this reason, the most careful investigators have rejected it. Passing to a consideration of the Spiritistic Theory, we find that it accepts the alleged spirit messages for what they pro- claim themselves, namely, communications from departed souls who have found a means to pierce the barriers that separate our lives from theirs. The spirits insist that they are departed men and women and that they produce the varied phenomena of the seance to establish their claim and to offer evidence of their mission to teach the world The Sp1r1t1st1c Theory must be rejected for the following reasons in the first place in its state of separation from the body the human soul cannot produce the effects which are attributed to it by the adherents of this theory By its natural powers the disembodied human soul knows nothing of the happenings of this earth except by direct divine illumination. This statement is based upon the fact that corporeal sense organs and faculties are indispensable instruments on the part of the human soul for the perception of corporeal material things In addition to this we may say that each human being has his own individual soul destined to animate his own body and not that of another 'Hlll llllllll' 'Sl I r 7 ' 9 ! , c l , . gunuuumu mu glllg. . T X' - ui?-5 5 Q in 1:2 - lllllllli i s - ll45ll X lm! W ' ff

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EIIIHIHIIIIE allla illli mmmmpgn . I 7 - 7 . 7 n . . . . - . u n ' Y 7 Q . . - n 0 - 0 . n . .1 9- it ! 7 gp . . . . SP , u 7 O I ,O 0 . 0. J I I disposition of his mind to yield such mformation? Jllllll IIE -lllg . s rj-'XS In explanation of the various phenomena which have been observed three theories are proposed: the Telepathic Theory the Subliminal Mind Theory, and the Spiritistic Theory The Telepathic Theory as the term indicates, has recourse to mental telepathy in explanation of the phenomena observed This theory may explain such phenomena in which the medium relates facts known only to the inquirer. Such facts could easily be transmitted from the mind of the inquirer to that of the med- num by the admitted way of telepathy. Yet it does not explain the cases in which the knowledge of events or facts displayed lies outside of or above the cognitive powers of either medium or mquirer Telepathy, furthermore, is an inadequate explanation of the physical phenomena. The Subliminal Mind Theory distinguishes between two sets of mental act1v1ty. the subliminal Qunconsciousj and the supraliminal Cconsciousb All the psychical acts of which we are conscious, such as hearing, seeing, etc., have their origin in the supraliminal mind. Other psychical acts and functions, which are no less real, despite our unconsciousness of them, have their origin according to this theory, in the subliminal mind. When the medium has lapsed into a state of trance, the supraliminal mind is silenced. This gives a greater scope of operation to the subliminal mind which by some unknown process, detaches itself from the human personality and roams about as an inde- pendent entity. Thus the liberated subliminal enters into psychic contact with other minds and extracts thoughts and ideas there- from The same mysterious faculty, for the period of trance, has entire control of the medium's brain and organs of speech- powers which in the conscious state are entrusted to the supra- l1m1nal. This ingenious explanation labors under great difficulties It does not account for the physical phenomena. Even in the case where intelligence is conveyed, the theory is wholly inadequate This IS readily seen 1n the following illustration cited by J Godfrey Raupert A stranger is introduced to a sensitive Cmediumj who readily passes into a state of trance and conveys a communication from a deceased relative of the stranger This supposed relative communicating through the medium refers to facts in the stranger's life long since forgotten. Can we ascribe to the detached subliminal mind the power of drawing information from the stranger's mind while he remains in a normal alert cond1t1on and while he is Hpersonallyrresisting any Zi ll44ll , gunna: mtg ,li alll? l ni an gllllllg l Q ' 25.5.52 Y Y 'llllllllllllll'

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alllllllllllla gllla gllllllg allls Illllllllllllm ning, tricky, and deceitful intelligences which threw out chance ,f X Ill Q Ill The active powers of the human soul are limited to the individual body which is disposed to receive it, and for which it was created In the second place the operating intelligences never give satis- factory proof of their alleged identity. Occasionally they even admit that they are demons. As an illustration we quote Dr Carrington who says I gained the distinct impression through- out the sittings that instead of the spirits of the personages who claimed to be present, I was dealing with exceedingly sly, cun- remarks fishing guesses, and shrewd inferences, leaving the .sitter to pick them up and elaborate if he would. , Other expert investigators of spiritistic phenomena also testify to the fact that the spirits fail to establish their identity. Professor Camille Flammarion, after a lifetime devoted to the study of Occultism makes the following admission: Souls of the dead? The innumerable observations which I have collected during HIIIIIKIIIIIIE - - . E-.-: EIIIIIIE Ellls HIIIIIIIIIIIIG . . . . l SEQ more than forty years all prove to me the contrary. No satis- -K - factory identification has been made. 'l' . Therefore, since the Telepathic Theory, the Subliminal Mind Theory, and the Spiritistic Theory do not furnish a satisfactory explanation of the varied phenomena of Spiritism, especially for the marvelous messages which very clearly indicate the pres- ence of external intelligences, only one conclusion remains: that these mysterious phenomena and uncanny spirit messages emanate from spirits indeed, but from spirits of,a malignant nature, that is from demons. That it is possible for malignant spirits to produce these phenomena is evident from their aptitude to influence material objects. St. Thomas says that a corporeal substance, being of a lower order than a spiritual substance, can be moved by the latter.I This influence even extends to the organs of man, es- pecially to the brain. lVIan's internal and external organs of sense perception, are by nature subject to the peculiar motion of his vital and subtle nervous system, and thus a fallen angel, because of his perfect knowledge of their operation, can so cause to work together as to produce artificial phantasms, similar to those effected naturally. Q They have also a knowledge of in- dividual things, for as Father Rickaby, S. J. says, We cannot -deny tothe angel the cognition of individual things: nor, I M think, even with St. Thomas for our guide, can we give a satis- Raupert, Black Magic. ISumma Theologica, Ia, q. 110 a.3 5 TMyster1Iaus Psychic Forces. QBlackmore, Spiritism, Facts and Frauds. I 2 gsswg a - 'iX- swear l gllllllg slimgs A ll45ll