A scientific demonstration of the future life

Front matter

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Preface

NEARLY three years have now elapsed since the publication of my first work, " The Law of Psychic Phenomena," in which I formulated, tentatively, a working hypothesis for the systematic study and correlation of all psychic phenomena. Before venturing to publish that work, however, I had devoted many years to a patient and thorough investigation of the subject, with the view of ascertaining whether any psychic phenomenon had ever been observed and recorded that was inexplicable under the terms of my hypothesis. Not being able to find a record of such a phenomenon, but finding, on the contrary, that every psychic fact furnished a fresh illustration of the correctness of my theory, I ventured upon its publication. Since then I have continued the search, aided by many able reviews and criticisms of my work, the result being that I have been unable to find a fact or an argument that militates against the truth of the hypothesis then formulated.

I have, therefore, felt justified in appearing before the public again, for the purpose of carrying to their legitimate conclusions some of the principles laid down in " The Law of Psychic Phenomena. "

That work was devoted almost exclusively to the consideration of the mental characteristics and powers of man as we find him in this life. The present work is devoted to a scientific inquiry concerning his prospects for a future life.

In pursuing this inquiry, I have endeavored to follow the strictest rules of scientific induction, taking nothing for granted that is not axiomatic, and holding that there is nothing worthy of belief that is not sustained by a solid basis of well-authenticated facts. In other words, I have studied the science of the soul precisely as the physical sciences are studied ; namely, from an attentive observation, and a systematic classification, of the facts pertaining to the subject-matter. The facts of the soul, as the terminology indicates, consist of what are known as "psychic phenomena." These phenomena have, from time immemorial, excited the wonder and fed the superstitions of all the races of mankind; and it is humiliating to observe that in no age or nation have the superstitions arising from such phenomena assumed a more gross and palpable form than in the last half of the nineteenth century, and in those nations possessing the highest degree of civilization and cul-

Vlii PREFACE.

ture. In the meantime, however, scientists have begun the study of the phenomena with the view of ascertaining something of their nature and proximate cause ; and although the study is yet in its infancy, enough has already been learned not only to remove them from the realm of superstition, but to develop the fact that psychic phenomena furnish the only means by which science can solve the problems of the human soul.

The object of this book is to outline a method of scientific inquiry concerning the powers, attributes, and destiny of the soul, and to specifically point out and classify a sufficient number of the well-authenticated facts of psychic science to demonstrate the fact of a future life for mankind.

The earlier chapters are devoted to a review of the principal arguments for immortality heretofore advanced, with the view of showing their invalidity fromxa scientific standpoint, as well as demonstrating the necessity for a new departure in the methods of treating this the most important problem of human existence. The phenomena of so-called spiritism necessarily come under this category ; and for that reason, as well as for the purpose of a correct classification of psychic phenomena, I have felt compelled to devote considerable attention to the refutation of the arguments recently advanced in support of the spiritistic hypothesis. I have also been compelled, in the interest of correct classification, to devote some attention to the psychic phenomena mentioned in the Old Testament.

If my interpretation of these two classes of phenomena runs counter to the opinions of others, spiritists, on the one hand, may derive consolation from the fact that my interpretation of their phenomena leads to the same general conclusion which they have deduced, namely, that man is heir to a future life ; and on the other hand, those who hold to the doctrine of plenary inspiration and to the literal interpretation of the Scriptures, will endorse my general conclusions, since they confirm the essential doctrines of the Christian religion, and invest them with a scientific value possessed by no other religion on earth.

In demonstrating the fact of a future life, I have simply analyzed the mental organization of man, and shown that, from the very nature of his physical, intellectual, and psychical structure and organism, any other conclusion than that he is destined to a future life is logically and scientifically untenable.

T. J. H

Washington, D. C, Sept. 5, 1895.

CONTENTS,

Chapter I. Introductory

Page Bacon's Monument to Common Sense. — The First to recognize the True Value of a Fact. — The Law of Correct Reasoning.

— Its Simplicity. — The Essentials of a Correct Hypothesis.

— Inductive Reasoning. — The Copernican System. — Defective Methods of Reasoning employed by the Greek Philosophers.— Speculative Philosophy subject to the Law of Reaction. — The Inductive Sciences insure Permanent Progress. — Natural Theology at a Standstill. — The Conflict between Religion and Science. — Voltaire and Paine. — Their Assaults upon Dogma. — Their Religion. — The Triumph of Science. — The Doctrine of Evolution. — A New Controversy. — Religion and Science not Antagonistic. — Immortality a Proper Question for Scientific Investigation. — If True,

it is Important. — If Important, it can be Demonstrated . . 17

Chapter II. Defectiveness Of The Old Arguments

The Four Leading Arguments : 1. Analogical Reasoning inherently Defective. — Metamorphosis. — Butler's Analogy. — Physical Laws not Identical with Spiritual Laws. — Illustration is not Proof. — Averroism. — Emanation and Absorption. 2. Prescriptive Authority. — The Hiding-Place of Power. — The Priesthood and Divine Revelation. — Inductive Arguments of the New Testament. 3. Philosophical Speculation. — Emerson's Belief. — His Despair of Proof. — Plato's Phaedo. — His Three Arguments for Immortality. — The Doctrine of Contraries. — Reminiscence. — Reincarnation. — The Capacity of Great Men for Minute Subdivision. — The Soul a Simple Substance. — The Phsedo a Promoter of Suicide. 4. Instinctive Desire. — A Valid but not Conclusive Argument 32

X CONTENTS,

Chapter III. Spiritism And Hypnotism

Page

The Phenomena of Spiritism. — Scepticism of the Church. — The Present Attitude of Science. — Spiritistic Phenomena Genuine. — The Two Hypotheses. — The Spirit Medium Self- Hypnotized. — The Intelligence Manifested. — Experimental Hypnotism produces the same Phenomena. — The Power of Telepathy. — The Law of Suggestion. — Suggestion controls the Medium. — The Manufacture of Mediums by Hypnotism. — The Hypothesis of Duality of Mind. — The Objective and Subjective Minds. — The Condition of the Medium and the Hypnotized Subject Identical. — They are governed by the Same Laws. — Socrates as a Roman. — The Spirit of " Cantharides " Invoked. — The Medium not necessarily Dishonest.— The Laws of Telepathy 53

Chapter IV. Spiritistic Phenomena

The Typical Seance. — " Test " Cases. — The Way Proselytes are made — The Telepathic Explanation. — What Telepathy is. — Views of Rev. Minot J. Savage and of Mr. F. W. H. Myers. — Their Test Cases Explained. — The Small Residuum of Phenomena which they cannot account for. — The Shipwreck. — An Alleged Spirit Communication from a Victim. — A Telepathic Explanation. — Telepathy vs. Clairvoyance. — A Typical Case. — " Stretching " the Theory of Telepathy. — Views of Mr. Podmore 70

Chapter V

spiritistic phenomena (continued).

Experimental Telepathy. — Deferred Percipience. — Cases in Point. — Planchette. — Latency of Telepathic Impressions. — Nebuchadnezzar's Dream. — Daniel's Telepathic Power. — Final Explanation of Mr. Savage's Test Case. — The Mother's Message to her Son. — The Son's Message to the Psychic. — The Last Resource of Spiritism. — Mr. Savage's Crucial

CONTENTS. xl

Page Question. — The Unscientific Attitude of Spiritists. — Thunder considered as the Voice of an Angry God. — The Simplicity of Nature's Laws. — The Alleged " Simplicity " of the Spiritistic Hypothesis. — It saves Thinking. — Reasoning in a Circle. — Why cannot Spirits communicate with the Living ? — Not a Pertinent Question. — The Real Question is, Do they so Communicate ? — The Evidence is against the Spiritistic Hypothesis. — " Spirits of Health and Goblins Damned" 90

Chapter VI. Ancient Psychic Phenomena

The Importance of Correct Classification of Phenomena. — The Science of the Soul. — The Phenomena of the Soul. — Old Testament Records. — The Pentateuch. — The Higher Criticism. — The Psychic History of the Children of Israel. — Unreasoning Scepticism. — Aaron's Rod. — Moses as a Psychic. — His Methods and his Instrumentalities. — The God of Moses. — His Human Characteristics. — His Advice to "spoil the Egyptians." — Moses' Interview with God on Mount Sinai. — The Molten Calf. — The Anger of God. — His Determination to destroy the Children of Israel. — Moses argues the Question. — He causes God to Repent. — Renewal of the Covenant. — Objective Moses vs. Subjective Moses 115

CHAPTER VII. ANCIENT PSYCHIC PHENOMENA {continued}

The Prophets of Israel. — Elisha's Methods. — He saves the Three Kings. — Human Characteristics of Elisha's God. — The Evolution of the Monotheistic Idea through Psychic Phenomena. — The First Conception of the Idea of a Living God. —The Evolution of the Spiritual Man. — The First Great Step through Psychic Phenomena. — The Jewish Origin of Monotheism. — The God of Abraham. — The Dispensation of Moses. — The Second Great Step in the Evolution of the Spiritual Man. — The Decalogue. — The Influence of Egyptian Civilization. — The Wisdom of Moses. — Egyptian Ethics and the Jewish Religion. — The Progress of the Prophets reflected in their Conception of the Character of God. — Isaiah's God no longer the God of Israel alone . . 132 xii CONTENTS.

Chapter VIII. The Advent Of Jesus

Pagk The Third Great Step in the Evolution of the Spiritual Man. — The God which Jesus Proclaimed. — Intellectual Prodigies.

— The Intuitional Powers of Jesus. — His Psychical Powers.

— His Perfect Knowledge of the Laws of the Soul. — Modern Confirmations of the Truth of his Philosophy. — The Psychic Methods of Jesus. — His Reason always in the Ascendant. — His Perfect Moral and Religious Character. — Psychic Phenomena the Evidence of his Divine Mission. — Paley's Views. — The Divine Heritage. — The Vitality of the Christian Religion 144

Chapter IX. The Intuitive Perception Of Truth

Books that thrill the Reader with Pleasurable Emotions. — Theories to account for it. — Literary Style. — Personal Magnetism. — The Soul's Love of Truth. — Books Popular in proportion to their Truth. — The Scriptures. — The Philosophy of Jesus. — Intuitional Perception of its Truth. — Evolution of Religion. — Christianity the Final Goal. - — The Impossibility of improving upon True Christianity. — The Absolute Religion 160

Chapter X. Psychic Phenomena Of Primitive Christians

Spiritistic Phenomena among the Early Christians. — Testimony of the Christian Fathers. — The Departure from Jesus' Example. — Paul's Explanation of Spiritistic Phenomena. — John's Tests. — Paul's Ecstatic. — The Oriental Ecstatics. — Modern Occidental Ecstatics. — Alleged Perception of Divine Truth in the Ecstatic Condition. — Neither Jesus, Paul, nor John believed in Spiritism. — Primitive Christianity promoted by Psychic Phenomena. — Constantine. — The Priesthood. — Prohibition of Psychic Manifestations among the Laity. — The Beneficence of the Inhibition 171

CONTENTS. xiii

CHAPTER XL

MODERN PSYCHIC PHENOMENA.

Page Mesmerism. — Telepathy demonstrated by the Followers of Mesmer. — Braid's Discovery. — Hypnotism. — Discovery of the Law of Suggestion. — Clairvoyance. — The Rochester Knockings. — Mesmeric Subjects and Mediums. — Spiritism as a Step in the Process of Evolution. — Its Effect .... 189

Chapter XII. Has Man A Soul?

Intuitive Perceptions of the Existence of a Soul in Man. — Plato's Philosophy. — The Doctrine of Body, Soul, and Spirit. — The Doctrine of Jesus. — Modern Scientific Scepticism. — Requirements of Modern Science. — The Dual Hypothesis. — The Phenomena of Dreams. — The Objective and Subjective Mental States differentiated. — Limitations of Powers of Reasoning in the Subjective Mind. — Its Perfect Power of Deduction. — Telepathy and Prevision . . . 198

Chapter XIII

has man a soul? {continued).

The Perfect Memory of the Subjective Mind. — Memory and Recollection Differentiated. — Sir William Hamilton's Views.

— Intuitional Powers of Perception of Nature's Laws. — The Seat of the Emotions. — The Three Normal Functions of the Subjective Mind. — The Infant's Development from Savagery to Civilization. — Total Depravity. — Dangers of Subjective Control. — Telepathy a purely Subjective Faculty.

— Abnormality of Psychic Manifestations. — 111 Health a Condition precedent to their Production. — They grow Stronger as the Body grows Weaker. — Strongest in the Hour, of Death. — The Objective Mind perishes with the Brain 212 xiv CONTENTS.

Chapter XIV

has man a soul? {continued}.

Page

Recapitulation. — A Prima Facie Case. — Concurrent and Antagonistic Hypotheses. — The Law of Suggestion. — A Case of " Mediumistic " Development. — The Alleged Spirit Control assumes a Dictatorship. — It develops a Passion for Music. — Music the Language of the Emotions. — A purely Subjective Faculty. — Subjective Music and Objective Music Differentiated. — The Dual-Mind Theory. — Absurdities Involved in the Single-Mind Theory 225

Chapter XV. Duality Demonstrated By Anatomy

The Brain not the Sole Organ of the Mind. — Surgeon-General Hammond's Researches and Experiments. — The Instinctive Faculties. — The Subjective Mind acts independently of the . Brain. — Instinctive Acts Performed after the Brain was totally eliminated. — Children Born without a Brain perform all the Instinctive Functions. — The Medulla Oblongata and the Spinal Cord the Organs of the Subjective Mind. — Idiots without a Brain evince Talent for Music, Mathematics, etc. . 239

Chapter XVI. Duality Demonstrated By Evolution

Duality in the Lower Animals. — A Primordial Fact. — A Physical Basis for Immortality. — The Ultimate Goal of Psychic Evolution. — Evidence of Design in Psychic Development. — Definition of " Design." — Nature conceals God. — Man reveals God. — The Functions of the Soul. — Design evinced in the Facts of Organic Evolution. — The Benevolence of God. — Painless Death. — The Universal Anaesthetic. — God is ever kind to the Victim of the Inevitable. — Man Re-enthroned . . , 250

CONTENTS. XV

Chapter XVII. The Distinctive Faculties Of The Soul

Page Every Faculty of the Mind has its Use or Function. — Faculties of the Soul which perform no Normal Function in this Life. — The Man and the Brute psychically Differentiated. — lugo- Altruism. — The Instinct of Self-Sacrifice. — Conditions precedent to the Attainment of Immortality 259

Chapter XVIII. Faculties Belonging To A Future Life

The Necessity for limiting the Powers of the Subjective Mind in this Life. — Man a Free Moral Agent. — The Law of Suggestion a Necessity. — Limitations of Power pertain only to this Life. — Induction unnecessary in the Future Life. — Intuition takes its Place. — Induction Impossible when the Power of Perception exists. — The Higher Intuitional Powers Useless in this Life. — The Power of Correct Deduction in Man and Animals 268

Chapter XIX. The Dynamic Forces Of The Mind

The Buddhistic Nirvana. — A purely Intellectual Existence without Memory, Emotion, or Personality. — The Basis of their Philosophy. — Incomplete Observation of Psychic Powers. — Ignorance of the Law of Suggestion. — Requisites for the Retention of Personality. — Memory. — Consciousness. — Will.— Will is Desire. — The Strongest Desire of the Soul. — Egoism and Egotism of the Soul. — Egoism the Normal Desire for Retention of Personality. — Egotism Abnormal Self-Conceit. — The Dynamics of the Soul. — The Kinetic Force of the Soul 277

XVI CONTENTS.

Chapter XX. The Affectional Emotions Of The Soul

Page

All the Affectional Emotions Retained in the Future Life. — Telepathy the Means of Communion in the Future Life. — Telepathy neither Vestigial nor Rudimentary. — It performs no Normal Function in this Life 292

Chapter XXI. Practical Conclusions

The Abnormality of Psychic Manifestations. — The Dangers attending Psychic Activity. — The Different Forms of Psychic Development. — Psychic Powers inversely Proportioned to Health. — Unsuspected Dangers. — Musicians. — Stenographers and Type-writers. — Compositors. — Genius and Insanity. — Opinions of Scientists. — Dr. MacDonald. — Summary. — Biographical Facts. — The Great Practical Lesson of Psychic Science. — Immorality, Vice, Crime, and Insanity the Result of Psychic Activity 298