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sceptic to face them； and he can only avoid them by ignoring them。 In the
case of the direct voice one of the leading exponents is Mrs。 French； an
amateur medium in America； whose work is described both by Mr。 Funk
and Mr。 Randall。 She is a frail elderly lady； yet in her presence the most
masculine and robust voices make communications； even when her own
mouth is covered。 I have myself investigated the direct voice in the case of
four different mediums； two of them amateurs； and can have no doubt of
the reality of the voices； and that they are not the effect of ventriloquism。 I
was more struck by the failures than by the successes； and cannot easily
forget the passionate pantings with which some entity strove hard to reveal
his identity to me； but without success。 One of these mediums was tested
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afterwards by having the mouth filled with coloured water； but the voice
continued as before。 As to spirit photography； the most successful results
are obtained by the Crewe circle in England； under the mediumship of Mr。
Hope and Mrs。 Buxton。＇2＇ I have seen scores of these photographs； which
in several cases reproduce exact images of the dead which do not
correspond with any pictures of them taken during life。 I have seen father；
mother； and dead soldier son； all taken together with the dead son looking
far the happier and not the least substantial of the three。 It is in these
varied forms of proof that the impregnable strength of the evidence lies；
for how absurd do explanations of telepathy； unconscious cerebration or
cosmic memory become when faced by such phenomena as spirit
photography； materialisation； or the direct voice。 Only one hypothesis can
cover every branch of these manifestations； and that is the system of
extraneous life and action which has always； for seventy years； held the
field for any reasonable mind which had impartially considered the facts。
＇2＇ See Appendix。
I have spoken of the need for careful and cool…headed analysis in
judging the evidence where automatic writing is concerned。 One is bound
to exclude spirit explanations until all natural ones have been exhausted；
though I do not include among natural ones the extreme claims of far…
fetched telepathy such as that another person can read in your thoughts
things of which you were never yourself aware。 Such explanations are not
explanations； but mystifications and absurdities； though they seem to have
a special attraction for a certain sort of psychical researcher； who is
obviously destined to go on researching to the end of time； without ever
reaching any conclusion save that of the patience of those who try to
follow his reasoning。 To give a good example of valid automatic script；
chosen out of many which I could quote； I would draw the reader's
attention to the facts as to the excavations at Glastonbury； as detailed in
〃The Gate of Remembrance〃 by Mr。 Bligh Bond。 Mr。 Bligh Bond； by the
way； is not a Spiritualist； but the same cannot be said of the writer of the
automatic script； an amateur medium； who was able to indicate the secrets
of the buried abbey； which were proved to be correct when the ruins were
uncovered。 I can truly say that； though I have read much of the old
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monastic life； it has never been brought home to me so closely as by the
messages and descriptions of dear old Brother Johannes； the earth…bound
spiritearthbound by his great love for the old abbey in which he had
spent his human life。 This book； with its practical sequel； may be quoted
as an excellent example of automatic writing at its highest； for what
telepathic explanation can cover the detailed description of objects which
lie unseen by any human eye？ It must be admitted； however； that in
automatic writing you are at one end of the telephone； if one may use such
a simile； and you have； no assurance as to who is at the other end。 You
may have wildly false messages suddenly interpolated among truthful
onesmessages so detailed in their mendacity that it is impossible to think
that they are not deliberately false。 When once we have accepted the
central fact that spirits change little in essentials when leaving the body；
and that in consequence the world is infested by many low and
mischievous types； one can understand that these untoward incidents are
rather a confirmation of Spiritualism than an argument against it。
Personally I have received and have been deceived by several such
messages。 At the same time I can say that after an experience of thirty
years of such communications I have never known a blasphemous； an
obscene or an unkind sentence come through。 I admit； however； that I have
heard of such cases。 Like attracts like； and one should know one's human
company before one joins in such intimate and reverent rites。 In
clairvoyance the same sudden inexplicable deceptions appear。 I have
closely followed the work of one female medium； a professional； whose
results are so extraordinarily good that in a favourable case she will give
the full names of the deceased as well as the most definite and convincing
test messages。 Yet among this splendid series of results I have notes of
several in which she was a complete failure and absolutely wrong upon
essentials。 How can this be explained？ We can only answer that conditions
were obviously not propitious； but why or how are among the many
problems of the future。 It is a profound and most complicated subject；
however easily it may be settled by the 〃ridiculous nonsense〃 school of
critics。 I look at the row of books upon the left of my desk as I write
ninety…six solid volumes； many of them annotated and well thumbed； and
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yet I know that I am like a child wading ankle deep in the margin of an
illimitable ocean。 But this； at least； I have very clearly realised； that the
ocean is there and that the margin is part of it； and that down that shelving
shore the human race is destined to move slowly to deeper waters。 In the
next chapter； I will endeavour to show what is the purpose of the Creator
in this strange revelation of new intelligent forces impinging upon our
planet。 It is this view of the question which must justify the claim that this
movement； so long the subject of sneers and ridicule； is absolutely the
most important development in the whole history of the human race； so
important that； if we could conceive one single man discovering and
publishing it； he would rank before Christopher Columbus as a discoverer
of new worlds； before Paul as a teacher of new religious truths； and before
Isaac Newton as a student of the laws of the Universe。 Before opening up
this subject there is one consideration which should have due weight； and
yet seems continually to be overlooked。 The differences between various
sects are a very small thing as compared to the great eternal duel between
materialism and the spiritual view of the Universe。 That is the real fight。 It
is a fight in which the Churches championed the anti…material view； but
they have done it so unintelligently； and have been continually placed in
such false positions； that they have always been losing。 Since the days of
Hume and Voltaire and Gibbon the fight has slowly but steadily rolled in
favour of the attack。 Then came Darwin； showing with apparent truth； that
man has never fallen but always risen。 This cut deep into the philosophy of
orthodoxy； and it is folly to deny it。 Then again came the so…called 〃Higher
Criticism；〃 showing alleged flaws and cracks in the very foundations。 All
this time the churches were yielding ground； and every retreat gave a fresh
jumping…off pl