THE UNSEEN WORLD.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16564, 30 May 1914, Page 17

THE UNSEEN WORLD.

SIR WILLIAM BARRETT'S RECENT

ADDRESS

ATTITUDE OF SCIENCE TO THE

OCCULT. (Bt J. LmuEUi Kki.lt.)

Science moves slowly, "creeping on from point to point," but it moves nevertheless; and it is a significant sign of its progress to find a scion list of the standing of Sir William Barrett affirming his belief in telepathy and at the same, time his acceptance of the thesis that "the world of sense and outward things is a shadow of the real world which lies beyond the reach of sense." The statements quoted wero made at a meeting of tho Congregational Conference in England, and it may not therefore bo fair to regard them as authoritative scientific utterances, but rather as tho expression of the speaker's private beliefs as a Christian and ii master of physical science. Sir William Barrett was Professor of Experimental Physic in the Royal College of Science for Ireland for thirtyseven, years, and for some time was assistant to Professor Tyndall, one of the most distinguished scientists of last century. The bent of Sir William's intellect may be inferred from the circumstance that he has been president of the Society of Physical Research; but the fact that he has a, bias towards tho occult need not discount his ability as a physicist accustomed to observe and discriminate, nor need it throw doubt on his honesty of conviction.

In 'truth Sir William Barrett has but given his endorsement to statements made forty years ago by such eminent scientists as Sir William Crookcs and Sir Alfred Russel Wallace. At a still earlier date, Andrew .Jackson Davis, an American, had elaborated a theory of a " spiritual universe," which was described as being composed of finer matter than that of wdiich tho suns and planets in the visible universe are composed. Earlier still, Bishop Berkeley had published his great work designed to prove the immateriality of matter, which provoked tho gibe of Byron—

"When Bishop Berkeley said there was no matter, It really was no matter what he said/' Going back still farther, wo find Plato propounding the idea that the visible universe is not the reality, but bears to the real universe (which it dimly represents tho same relation that a shadow does to its substance. And away back in the mists of Hindu mythology we get the samo conception of the material frame as "Maya" or illusion. _ Tho poets in general have held his view, though not always with tho vehement earnestness of Wordsworth. Thus avo find Longfellow declaring that " the world of spirit around our world of senso floats like an atmosphere " and even the rather frivolous Muse of Moore could become sober enough on occasion to affirm that

"This world is all a fleeting show. For man's illusion given."

There is nothing at all irrational or improbable about the "theory that the" universe has a spiritual basis, and that from tho inhabitants of tho spiritual sphere our earth can and does receive a continual influx of spiritual forces; but it would bo quite a different thing to assert that the existence of chat real but unseen universe has been scientifically demonstrated. It is indeed doubtful whether scientific proof in such a case is possible. Spiritual truths aro spiritually perceived by tho supernormal powers of man, and cannot bo apprehended by the senses. So it may also bo with spiritual facts; but the signs of tho times are in tho direction of showing that science is making progress towards a recognition of tlie world or universe that lies beyond the ken of our senses. This tendency was shown in the declaration by Sir Ray Lankester over ten years ago, that while scientific research had proved that tho whole order of Nature was a network of mechanism, yet "no sane man has ever pretended that wo know, or ever can hope to know, whence the mechanism has come, why it is there, whither it is going, and what there may not be beyond and beside it which our senses are incapable of appreciating. These things are not explained by Science, and never can be." Without entering Urn debatable territory occupied by the Spiritualists and occultists, it is really surprising how much we already have had revealed of invisible forces. Tho _ tremendous agency that we call gravity is invisible ; steam is invisible; electricity is invisible; and the best scientists tells us we actually know as little of the law of gravitation as tho world did before Sir Isaac Newton's day. Newton gave us the theory; we aro still far from knowing the facts, but wo have obtained a peep • into the unseen world and get an inkling of the wonders it contains. Mesmerism, hypnotism, sugges-

tion, telepathy, psyehomefcry, clairvoyance—these are all invisible powers or forces, the phenomena of which are revealed to us, though we. are in almost complete ignorance of the naturo of the forces. Some of these forces may bo said to bo still partly in tho. occult or hidden realm, but they are no more eo than gravitation and electricity, which are accepted without, cavil as being scientifici.illy demonstrated. The facts of telepathy aro as well established n.s any fact can possibly be. but the power' does not appear capable of being controlled or applied to any practical use. Sir William Barrett has, in his book on "Physical Research," recorded what he considers a singularly successful experiment in telepathy,' made by two " sensitives," Miss "H. Ramsden and Miss C. Miles. He says:

'' Miss Miles was attending a meeting of the Society for Psychical Research in London, and noticed the curious spectacles worn by a gentleman near her. This, she thought, would be a good subject for an experiment with Miss Rnmsden, and on returning homo she wrote down: ' October 21, Spectacles, CM.' Miss Ramsilen, who was in Buckinghamshire at the time, wrote: 'October 137, 7 p.m. Spectacles. This was the only idea that camo to mo, after waiting a long time, H.R.' Results of a similar kind have been obtained by spiritualistic mediums when conducting experiments in. what they call ' cross correspondence.' In all these cases, the only reasonable alternative to the theory of. telepathy is that deception and collusion have been practised, and the latter hypothesis is placed out of court by the character and good faith of many of the experimenters. Clairvoyance, psychometry and hypnotism are backed by evidence of almost equal value."

Thero still remains, however, tho great problem whether these once occult forces belong to the "'spiritual world," or whether they are merely extensions of our knowledge of the material universe. Tho marvels of wireless telegraphy and telephony aro in themselves greater than anything that is .claimed for hypnotism or clairvoyance; the chief difference is that science has a partial explanation of tho one set of phenomena, but has none of the other. We have evidence in electricity that there is an unseen world, lying around and interpenetrating this world of sense, which is nevertheless found on investigation to bo as truly physical as anything in tho material universe. This suggests that with fuller knowledge wo may be ablo to abolish all distinction between the material and spiritual worlds. The '-'Maya" may prove to consist, not in tho constitution of the visible universe, but in a veil of illusion that shuts off from our view the most important moiety of the material frame of things. In other words, tho world that wa apprehend by our sense is part of tho real world, which we see only in part or "as in a glass, darkly." The claims of some few people that they are ablo to see the spiritual world and its inhabitants are still received with tho same incredulity that the earlier Spiritualists encountered in their day. If that incredulity is te bo conquered, it must apparently bo by bringing the alleged real universe within the "purview of physical science. Those who are, endeavouring to achieve this end are, however, not Spiritualists, but Materialists.; because, if they succeed, it will mean that the material universe will bo shown to be everything and that the spiritual is nonexistent—it will mean that sight will have taken tho place of faith, and the romance and mystery of the unseen world will be reduced to the level of the commonplace.

It wore vain now to speculate as to what the future may reveal regarding the denizen* of tho world that is Ktill unseen—whether we shall be shown the ghosts, goblins, demons and angels With which untutored man peopled it, the "millions of spiritual beings'' whom Milton in imagination beheld, or the spirits of the departed postulated by Swcdonborg and William Blake and by tho many "mediums" of to-day. Only ono thing is clear: Science must not* shirk tho duty of searching into all phenomena. She must carry her quest into the unseen world, keenly, yet cautiously and reverently—testing and trying every theory and manifestation, and avoiding any rush to hasty or dogmatic conclusions, lest in her arrogance she should be found, instead of holding on high tho torch of Truth, to be acting as ""^procuress to the lords of hell."