Witchcraft of New England Explained by Modern SpiritualismPutnam, Allen
Religion
Witchcraft of New England Explained by Modern Spiritualism
Putnam, Allen
Spiritualism; Witchcraft -- New England
Were Braybrook's statements true as to the main fact? They may have been.
If they were, we do not apprehend that the physical body of Sarah Good was
either removed from the vicinity of her guards, or seen by Elizabeth
Hubbard that night. Invisibility may have been wrapped around her body,
and yet not around her shoes and stockings; perhaps her spirit-form was
the only one seen by the distant observer. We hesitate to fix limits to
possibilities. Spirits to-day frequently manage, as they say, and as
results indicate, to render particular material objects lying within the
embrace of auras or emanations of some mediums, invisible temporarily by
the keenest of keen external eyes, even when such eyes are surrounded by
light sufficient for seeing other objects in the vicinity with
distinctness. That which is done now may have been done formerly. And
since such phenomena now seldom occur excepting in the near vicinity of
persons susceptible to spirit influences, the fair conclusion is, that
Sarah Good was a medium. Elizabeth Hubbard saw the spirit-form of Sarah
Good; which fact argues that Elizabeth was a clairvoyant, unless Sarah
Good's spirit was then materialized. Each and every one of the afflicted
girls is so repeatedly reported to have described perception of what
external sight could not see, external ear hear, nor external touch feel,
that the mediumistic susceptibilities of each and all of them are
manifest.
The susceptibilities and endowments of both accusers and accused were
exceptional and yet alike in kind. The spiritual perceptive faculties and
the receptive capabilities of both classes could be brought into such
action as would out-work results perceptible by the external senses of
common people. Also, and especially, each class could be made to serve as
_mere tools_ of invisible beings. As such they were handled, their users
employing them severally as afflictor or as afflicted, at their pleasure,
within the permissions of psychological laws.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account