Synopses & Reviews
lllilli SHI I l III tilt HUH Ill Illl mumi ua D DDD1 DHb7353 3 X PSYCHIC FORCES AN ACCOUNT OF THE AUTHORS INVESTIGATIONS IN PSYCHICAL RESEARCH, TOGETHER WITH THOSE OP OTHER EUROPEAN SAVANTS BY CAMILLE FLAMMARION Director of Observatory ofjovtsy, Prance. Author of u The Un knoirn, u The Atmosphere etc. BOSTON COMPANY 1907 Copyright, 1907, BY SMALL, MAYNAKD Co. All rights rtierved. THE UNIYJEKSITI PRESS, 01MBEID0B, IT, S, A He irho pronounces anything to be impossible outside of the fidd of pure mathematics, is wanting in prudence. EBAKCOIS AKAG-O. A learned pedant who laughs at ike possible comes very near being an idiot To purposely shun a fact, and turn onr s back upon it with a supercilious smile, is to bankrupt Truth. VICTOB HUGO. f under bonds, by the eternal principles of honor, to look fearlessly in the face every problem that is presented to Jicr SIR WILLIAM PKEFACE The subject treated In the following pages has made great progress in the course of forty years. Wow what we are con cerned with in psychical studies is always unknown forces, anil these forces must belong to the natural order, for nature embraces the entire universe, and everything is therefore un der the sway of her sceptre. I do not conceal from myself, however, that the present work will excite discussion and bring forth legimate ob jections, and will only satisfy independent and unbiased in vestigators. But nothing is rarer upon our planet than an independent and absolutely untrammelled mind, nor is any thing rarer than a true scientific spirit of inquiry, freed from all personal interest Most readers will say What is there in these studies, anyway The lifting of tables, the moving of various pieces offurniture, the displacement of easy-chairs, the rising and falling of pianos, the blowing about of curtains, mysterious rappings, responses to mental questions, dictations of sentences in reverse order, apparitions of hands, of heads, or of spectral figures, these are only common place trivialities or cheap hoaxes, unworthy to oc cupy the attention of a scientist or scholar. And what would it all prove even if it were true That kind of thing does not Interest tts. y Well, there are people upon whose heads the sky might tumble without causing them any unusual emotion. But I reply What is it nothing to know, to prove, to see with ones own eyes, that there are unknown forces around us f Is it nothing to study our own proper nature and our vi MYSTERIOUS PSYCHIC FORCES own faculties Arc not the mysterious problems of our being such as are worthy to be inscribed on the program of our investigation, and of having devoted to them laborious nights and days Of course, the independent seeker gets no thanks from anybody for his toil But what of that We work for the pleasure of working, of fathoming the secrets of nature, and of instructing ourselves...