DO SPIRITS RETURN?

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23678, 9 December 1938, Page 14

DO SPIRITS RETURN?

•NO PROOF DISCOVERED VIEWS OF ILLUSIONIST " The cabled story ot the ghost of Hornby Castle interests me so much that I would like nothing better than to live there and make a close study of the phenomena," said Mr Nicola to an Auckland Star reporter when discussing a message from London that one of the bedchambers is reputed to be haunted The message states that Hornoy Castle, complete with ghost and a picturesque tradition, is being offered for sale. It is situated in Lune Valley, in Lancashire. Its haunted bedchamber is said to nave been slept in by James I, but the identity of the ghost has not been established. Mr Nicola said that tor many years he had made a close investigation of anything that bordered on the supernatural. There were many reported cases of so-called ghosts. Most of these had an ordinary explanation. They were hoaxes or hallucinations, but not all could be so easily disposed of. Students of psychical research had asked him to use his knowledge of magic and illusion to explain " manifestations." However, students, though sincere, were not always competent, and were often hoodwinked, he said. This was so in the case of the late Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, whom he had met in the United States. Conan Doyle was sincere, but was so wrapped up in the study of psychic phenomena that he would not recognise that there was trickery even if it were pointed out to him. ' I am more practical, and nave often detected the tricks that have been practised in an effort to make credulous people believe that their relatives have returned in spirit form," said Mr Nicola. . "At the same time I have encountered things that cannot be explained by illusion trickery of anything. I can say that, though my investigations have never resulted in my proving that there is such a thing as a ghost or spirit. I have not been able to disprove or explain it. I intend to continue to investigate, as the discovery that there is a spirit world would reduce the sum of human suffering."