Apparitions and thought-transference: an examination of the evidence for telepathyPodmore, Frank
Philosophy
Apparitions and thought-transference: an examination of the evidence for telepathy
Podmore, Frank
Apparitions; Telepathy
It is, of course, conceivable that before his experience Mr.
Husbands may have heard of the death of Mr. D. and have forgotten
the circumstance. But this supposition will hardly account for the
recognition of the photograph. In any case, however, there can be no
justification for invoking other than terrestrial agencies to explain
the vision. Until such agencies are proved inadequate to account for
the facts a narrative of this kind can scarcely be held to raise a
presumption, much less to afford a proof, of the action of the dead.
Miss Falkner and her brother had known the dead man; no fact about him
was communicated which was not within their knowledge; and there is
nothing to negative the supposition that some echo of their thoughts or
dreams may have given rise to the vision. A very similar case is quoted
in the same volume (_Proc_., vol. v. p. 418). Mr. D. M. Tyre, of St.
Andrews Road, Pollokshields, Glasgow, stayed for some time in a lonely
house in Dumbartonshire. On several occasions during their occupancy
of the house Miss L. Tyre saw the figure of an old woman lying on the
bed in the kitchen. The figure lay with the face turned to the wall,
and the legs drawn up as if from cold. On her head was a "sow-backed
mutch," _i.e._, a white frilled cap of a peculiar shape common in the
Highlands. The others who were present did not see the figure. It was
subsequently ascertained from a neighbour that the description given
correctly represented the dress and attitude of a former occupant
of the house, who had died there some years before under painful
circumstances. M. Richet (_Proc._, vol. v. p. 148) gives an account
of some spiritualist séances at which the promise was given that his
grandfather, M. Charles Renouard, would appear. A figure resembling M.
Charles Renouard was actually seen some days later, not by any of those
present at the séance, but by an English lady staying in the house, who
was believed to know nothing of the expected apparition.
A similar explanation may perhaps apply to the following account, which
was communicated verbally to Mr. Myers on the 12th October 1888 by the
percipient, Mr. J., a gentleman well known in the scientific world. Mr.
Myers explains that the account which follows was written out by him
from his notes of the conversation, and was subsequently revised and
corrected by Mr. J. himself.
No. 93.--From MR. J.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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