St Vincent Seminary - Symposium Yearbook (Latrobe, PA)

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f-R gunuuuua Xxx Sllllllllllllll. illlg 5.Im-E nu lu 5 5 - E 1 2 5 ' . lu rlilllillllllla . . ,, . Q . - Q ' 7 0 1 l , 0 I . ., r 1 v 'lllllllllllllf 7 Y , . I I s . . . . . ll . ! Y . . If , . JIIIIIIIIIIIIL h 2 . zlllllli 2 nulmgmf ij factory account of how he has that cognition 'F This knowledge of individual material things enables the demon s angelic though fallen nature to penetrate even the recesses of the human organ- ism and discern what IS there taking place Briefly these fallen spirits can apprehend those free acts of man which are mani- fested by divers external signs and moreover can know the .acts of the senses and even of the imagination when revealed by some modification of the internal or external senses. T More- over, since their knowledge is not limited by space, they can know even distant events. From the above indications, it is evident that evil spirits or demons can influence material objects-even the bodily organ- ism-and that they can have knowledge of distant events. We conclude, therefore, that it is possible for evil spirits to be the cause of the genuine phenomena of Spiritism. That they are truly the cause may be shown by the following argument: Investigators maintain that at least a few spiritistic phenomena are genuine and of preternatural origin. Therefore, they must have a cause. The Spiritistic Theory does not furnish a satisfactory explanation of these phenomena for the reasons already indicated. Good spirits are not the cause, for the messages communicated are often deceptive, untruthful, malicious, and immoral. God is not the cause for the same reason. Therefore, only malignant or evil spirits are the true cause. We find a confirmation of our conclusion in the fact that not a few scientists many of whom are men inclined to scoff at the idea of Satan speak of the spirits as evil and detestable. Thus for instance Stanton Moses, an ex-Anglican minister and well- known Spiritist says: Some spirits will assent to leading questions and possessed apparently with the desire to please, or unconscious of the import of what they say, or without moral consciousness will say anything. Such motiveless lying bespeaks a deeply evil nature ...... Such an impostor acting with an air of sincerity must be as Satan clothed in light. I Dale Owen writes: There are more' plausible reasons than many imagine for the opinion entertained by some able men Protestant as well as Catholic that the , communications in question come from the powers Gad and His Creatures. TBlackmore op.c1It IStanton Moses, Spirit Identity. ki ll47ll J llllllllllll. 'illlllllllllll 7 7 7 . A l . I I glllg

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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

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Slllllli Ellllllg of darkness, and that we are entering on the first steps of a career of demoniac manifestations, the issues of which men cannot conjecture. Q Sir William Barrett says: Spiritualism reveals the existence of some mys- terious power which may be of a more or less malignant character. It is necessary to be on our guard against the invasion of our will by a lower T order ofintehigence and n1oraHty.Hi J. Godfrey Raupert states: I know of numerous instances of this kind, some of which exhibit an amount of cunning and malice on the part of the unseen operators, such as the ordinary mind can scarcely conceive. 1' 'The rnost carehn invesdgators adnnt the evH character of these intelligences and, therefore, confirm our conclusion that demons are the causes of genuinely preternatural phenomena. Since the source of Spiritism is evil, the results cannot be other than evil. Spiritists themselves admit that Spiritism is a danger- ous practice. The dangers are not only physical, but also moral. The physical dangers of Spiritism arise from the fact that vital or nerve energy is withdrawn from the organism of the medium during the production of the phenomena. Speaking of mediums, J. Godfrey Raupert says: In professional mediums who exert their power incessantly and for pecuniary gain, this prostration is apt to be so great that they become helpless nervous wrecks after a time. I In extreme cases this strain on the life-forces of the medium results in a complete breakdown or in permanent insanhy. The great lesson which psychic science teaches is that all psychic activity is not only abnormal, but also in the highest degree injurious to body as well as to the mind. The class of psychics known as med- iums, are to the last degree neurotic. Exceptions may be found only in cases where the psychic powers are of very recent development. The fact remains that habitual indulgence in psychic prac- tices of any kind, grade or character invariably results in some form of nervous development or 5Dale Owen, Footfalls on the Boundary ofthe Other World. IEcclesiastical Review. Vol. 59. 'Sir William Barret, Threshold of the Unseen. TJ. Godfrey Raupert, Dangers nf Spiritualism SIIIIIIE , , Qllllllg ll48l