American poetry -- 19th century; Spiritualism -- Poetry
Doubtless many who take up this book, and glance carelessly at its
pages, will exclaim, “What! more Spiritualism!” To which remark I
answer, yes, more Spiritualism, an unequivocal, undisguised, positive
Spiritualism--confirmed by many years of careful observation, study, and
experience, and of which this book is the legitimate outgrowth. Eight
years have elapsed since my first volume--“Poems from the Inner
Life”--was given to the world (to the Preface of which I now refer for
any explanation concerning my mediumship). During that interval of time,
the ranks of the believers in Spiritualism have steadily increased in
numbers, its phenomena, presenting an array of well-established facts,
have challenged the investigation of some of the first scientific minds
of the age, and its philosophy has done more towards liberating the
human mind from the thraldom of old superstitions and creeds than any
other form of faith which has arisen for centuries. But as yet, it has
not secured that prestige of popularity and respectability which the
combined influence of age, wealth, and organized action ever afforded.
Consequently, those who are “named by its name” must be prepared to meet
the anathemas of religious bigots--the lofty scorn of those who are wise
in their own conceit--the scurrilous attacks of those who would divert
attention from their own infamy and the petty irritations of a numerous
pack who follow at the heels of every new movement, and ever distinguish
themselves by noise rather than by knowledge. As a participant in this
great movement, I have found such attacks to be helps rather than
hinderances to my progress, inasmuch as I have been enabled to define my
own positive and affirmative position more clearly from the negations of
the opposers of Spiritualism.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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