The Problems of Psychical Research: Experiments and Theories in the Realm of the SupernormalCarrington, Hereward
Science
The Problems of Psychical Research: Experiments and Theories in the Realm of the Supernormal
Carrington, Hereward
Parapsychology
18. Here, then, we see the full play of symbolism and its possible
extension to cover proper names. But there is another and a very simple
reason why names should be hard to recall and give clearly by "spirits."
Names are proverbially hard to remember, even in this life--and we know
that some persons naturally remember names far better than others. (This
may account, to a certain extent, for the differences in the ability of
communicators to give proper names.) But, with all of us, names are hard
to recall. We all resort to "what's-his-names," and "thing-o'-my-jigs,"
on occasion, in our efforts to discover within us the name in question.
And there are good physiological reasons for this. We learn names only
after many other parts of speech--which means that the brain-cells
corresponding thereto are laid down or brought into conscious activity
_last_; they are therefore more ephemeral and less fundamental than
others--hence the first to "go." This accounts for the increasing
difficulty in the aged for remembering names--theirs is a physiological
rather than a psychological defect. By analogy, therefore, there is
every reason to believe that proper names are hard to recall--every
reason for thinking that they should be--by "spirits" after the shock
and wrench of death. The necessary psychical mechanism would be so
shaken and disturbed that it would be impossible to recall names and
events, which seem quite straightforward and simple to the sitter. The
possibly pictorial method of presentation of proper names would greatly
add to the difficulty, as we have seen, and would be liable to lead to
misrepresentation and error.
19. Dr. Hyslop, in his second report on Mrs. Piper, (_Proceedings_,
Amer. S.P.R., pp. 1-812), calls attention to certain analogies which may
be drawn from everyday psychology, rendering the process of
communication far more intelligible, and the difficulties within the
process far clearer to our perception and appreciation. For example, he
calls attention to certain analogies with aphasia, which are most
instructive. He says, in part:
"The two traditional types of aphasia are motor and sensory.
Sensory aphasia is the inability to interpret the meaning of a
sensation ... motor aphasia is the inability to speak a word or
language, though the ideas and meaning of sensations may be as
clear as in normal life.... This latter difficulty is apparent in
several types of phenomena purporting to be associated with
communications from spirits. I have found them illustrated in four
different cases of mediumship, and they may be represented in three
types. They are: (_a_) The difficulties with proper names; (_b_)
The difficulties with unfamiliar words; and (_c_) The inability to
immediately answer a pertinent question....
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