THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITUALISM.

Otago Witness, Issue 1320, 17 March 1877, Page 7

THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITUALISM.

"The Phenomena of Spiritualism" formed the subject of Mr Bright's lecture last Sunday, at the Princess Theatre. Mr Bright referred to the remarkable career of Andrew Jackson Davis, of New York, a medium who had pro- , duced a work of 800 pag?s,dealing most graphically with the theory of Evolution and other , philosophical matters. Having mentioned numerous scientific men who had become Spiritualists, the lecturer said that they had undergone something closely approaching to the persecution that the old martyrs underwent. He was at the first Press seance in Melbourne, when Charles _ H. Forster, a medium from America, presided and produced some curious manifestations. Among the sceptics was the editor of the Australasian, who accounted for the remarkable phenomena by the "theory of brain reading." The following question waa asked :— " Do you know anything more of God than you did when on earth? 1 ' The answer from the alleged spirit, intelligence was :—: — ("Though I have not seen God, I am more convinced of the Divine government of the universe than I was when on earth." The medium told jfche names of the lecturer's mother, who had died at the age of 83,' and also answered questions put mentally by Mr , Bright. ' Any sane ' man-studying Spiritualism under favourable, conditions could not but be convinced of its . jtruth. Referring to Slade's' conviction recently, having been quashed for want of suffi- ' dent evidence, he said that Slade had had 15 years' experience as a medium, and he had gone to fulfil an engagement in Russia. The ' next thing they would probably hear of him would beas guest of the Czar of Russia at the St Petersburg Palace.- v SpLitualism had given ' the grandest teachings, but whether the mani- " festations are from the Holy Spirit, or whether they; are a delusion, we " must leave to the - coming time to unfold."