PSYCHIC PHENOMENA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16494, 3 August 1921, Page 6

PSYCHIC PHENOMENA.

A DISLIKE OF SEANCES. Although the report of the committee on “Supernormal Psj’chic Phenomena ” was the last business io be reached at one of the sittings of the General Assembly of the Church. of Scotland, it was evident by the number of members who lingered on that the discussion was being awaited with considerable interest (says the “ "Weekly Scotsman ”). The committee, Professor Kay, St Andrews, pointed out, was appointed last year to consider certain phenomena, and lie asked the Assembly to give it another lease of life. A great deal of the current interest in these curious and subtle matters was due he said, to a rediscovery of the human soul The monkey and the molecule were very interesting; but the soul of man was even more worthy of the attention of the Church and of mankind in general. (Hear, hear.) Although the Church might ignore investigations in geology, or, say, wireless telegraphy, this region was so cognate ♦Go the dominating interests of the Church that it would be inhospitable on their part to condemn ail these things unheard, and refuse to hear any evidence about them. Other Churches had studied it, and come to their decision. The Church of England, for example, took some twelve years to deliberate on this matter, or one department of it. the question of communion with the blessed dead; and after 376 years’ interval, the Church of England determined deliberately and solemnly to appoint All Soufe’ Day, succeeding All Saints’ Day. All these things the committee had in the time at their disposal partially considered, and they were relevant to an inquiry of this kind. Dr Stott, Cramond, seconded. MICKLE CRY AND LITTLE “ OO.” Tli© Rev Malcolm MacCallum, Muckairn, moved that the Assembly receive the report of the committee, thank them, and discharge them. He said he had read the report of the committee carefully, and listened attentively to the speeches of the mover and seconder of the deliverance, but found no reason for tlie continued existence of this abnoraml committee. (Laughter.) It was better for it to die 3'oung and be delivered from the evil. It was no part of the Church’s duty to encourage or organise meetings for the practice and study of occult spiritual influences. Such meetings were proving ruinous to the minds and qiorals of those attending them. The technical literature devoted expressly to psychic phenomena extended t-o 3000 volumes—mickle cry and little ’oo. (Laughter.) It would not add any value to their annual volume of Assembly reports to include the subject of occultism in its pages. The committee had done well—that was, they had done very little and said less. (Laughter.) For that they were thankful. (Laughter.) They had no wish to be wise above what was revealed or was discoverable by open, honest scientific investigation. They had no use for a demonological or spaewife committee. (Loud laughter.) The Rev W. S. Provand, Glasgow, in seconding the amendment, declared that the only standard thev had to keep them from insanity was the normal standard.

AGAINST ATTENDING SEANCES. Dr Wotherspoon. Edinburgh, moved as an addendum—“ That the remit is not to be taken to authorise personal observations or direct examination of the alleged phenomena. Their remitdirected them to investigate but v did not direct them to experiment. It was within everyone’s knowledge that the interest was not psychical, but necro- ; mantic. The Church had nothing to do with i investigations of either physical or j natural psychic phenomena. It was outside of her province. They were not | trained observers. Trained observers had done and were doing their best in j this region. The** were reaching so far j no result of value. It was in the least ! degree improbable that their committee which was not a committee of trained scientists, would succeed where others had failed. (Hear, hear.) Professor W. P. Paterson said he did not like this subject; he felt a growing repugnance to it, but nevertheless ho felt it to b© his duty to do what he could to see these investigations carried further, and a mature deliverance J arrived at by the General Assmbly upon the ground of the committee’s report. . His repugnance to the subject was the I greater as the result of investigations jhe had made during the past twelve i months. Continuing, Professor Paterson said it was no innovation for the Church of Scotland to inquire into this phenomenon. From the Act of Assembly in 1649 it was seen that the Assembly in that year appointed a commission j “ concerning the trial and punishment | of witchcraft, charming and consult- ; ing.” Surely, Professor Paterson j added, the Assembly miszht ask this j commission to go on until it was pre- j pared to give wise and true counsel to their ministers and people iu regard to the way in which they were to deal with this phenomenon. Dr Wotherspoon’s amendment received ten votes- The amendment of Mr MacCallum received fifteen votes, and the moderator declared the committee’s deliverance carried by a large majority.