BOOKS OF THE DAY

The Psychic World (Edith Lyttelton) . .

Eighteenth Century Poetry (John Hayward) .. A New American History (D. W. Brogan) .. Flying Fox and Drifting Sand (Dr. W. T. Calm in) Maurice Baring (Arthur Waugh) ..

• • • • • . . • • •

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138 139

139 141 142

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Locomotion in Victorian London (John Betjeman) 142

Australian Summer (Helen Simpson) .. .. - . 144

Revolutionary Religion (V. A. Demant) .. 146 Doctors, Disease and Health (Dr. H. H. Bashford) 146

Fiction (Kate O'Brien) .. .. .. 148

Current Literature .. 15o

THE PSYCHIC AND SUPER-NORMAL

By EDITH LYTTELTON

THE author of this book has not been well served by his pub- lisher's blurb, nor has the book been well named. A claim is made on the paper cover that it is " a complete, readable and fully documented history of the entire field of psychic phe- nomena." When I saw this statement I imagined the book must be the first of a series—a very large series at that—of studies dealing with this immense subject, more especially as the title seems to promise a definite description. Is there .a psychic world; if so, what do we know about it ? I turned to the index to see if certain kinds of psychical research in which I am interested were included. They were not. There was no mention of automatic writing and its curious develop- ments, of crystal-gazing, table-tilting, of the direct voice and experiments in extra-sensory perception.

Telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition are discussed only with reference to primitive races.

Mr. Carrington's deduction is that since some of these faculties exist among undeveloped peoples (and his summary of the evidence for this statement is among the most interesting parts of his book), the faculties are an integral portion of the equipment of humanity. But if the book is in truth " a complete, readable and fully documented history of the entire field of psychic phenomena," we have a right to expect some account of those faculties in more developed communities also.

However, on turning to the preface it is obvious that the publisher rather than the author is at fault for rousing false anticipations. Mr. Carrington is more modest, and describes his book merely as " falling naturally into two parts, the first being composed of discussions of particular problems connected with psychical research.; the second dealing with psychic phenomena among primitive peoples." This is much better, and now that I have thrown away the dust cover, metaphorically as well as actually, I. will try and give some impression of an interesting book. The Introduction called " The Tyranny of Dogmatism " is most amusing : it is a collection of instances of " the basic resistance to any ideas running counter to those of the Herd." Arago in 1838, with regard to the new invention of the railway, spoke of difficulty of overcoming the inertia of matter, and Prudhon said that it was a ridiculous and vulgar notion that railways would increase the circulation of ideas !: The Royal College of Doctors in Bavaria declared that the rapid movement would cause brain trouble among travellers. The submarine cable between Europe and America was ridiculed by one of the greatest authorities on physics—Babinet. It seems that even the bath-tub, in 1842, caused grave fears, in America of all places ; it is difficult to believe, but it is stated that : " In Boston there was an ordinance forbidding their use except on medical advice?' Edison's phonograph when pre- sented to the Academy of Sciences in 1878 roused one of its members to fury, who declared it was " impossible to admit that mere vile metal could perform the work of human phona- tion." A member of the English Parliament ridiculed Murdoch who invented the gas light because he was so crazy as to claim that a lamp could burn without a wick. Lavoisier, one of the most learned men of his day, stated that it was contrary to common sense to think that stones could fall from the sky. In the same way mesmerists. and hypnotists were ridiculed and accused of fraud and roguery, and psychologists opposed the theory of the subconsciouS mind. There are innumerable instances of the tyranny of dogmatism, and Mr. _Carrington concludes that the opposition which exists today to the scientific study of all forms of psychic phenomena can only be very gradually broken down by " well-controlled, scientifically conducted researches in which no loophole for fraud or- possible The Psychic World. By Hereward Carrington. (Methuen. Its. 6d.)

error can be found." " Our prime need," he concludes, " still is well observed, thoroughly authenticated facts."

This is a lesson for psychical researchers which is forcibly driven home in page after page of the book. As it is truly said upon page 9 : " Spiritualism and psychical research are two very different things. The former is a religio-philo- sophical scheme, based upon certain alleged phenomena ; the latter is merely a scientific attempt to investigate and interpret these phenomena—to expose them, if fraudulent ; to record and file away all doubtful cases, to study at length all apparently genuine cases." There follow tributes to the work of the Society for Psychical Research of a gratifying flats; re, and the claim made through the words of William Janes is approved, that its " Proceedings " form " a scientific journal where hard-headedness and never-ceasing suspicion of sources of error might be seen in their full bloom." Neverthe- less our author concludes : " We psychic investigators believe that certain super-normal faculties exist, both physical and mental."

There follow, after a definition of what a psychical researcher should be, interesting discussions on the psychology of genius, on personality and person identity, and the connexion between these and psychical phenomena. It is a wide subject, and Mr. Carrington is the first to admit that he has only touched the borders of it. He has, however, said enough to make the reader anxious to know more and to study the view of F. W. H. Myers that the new evidence brings support to the belief that " the Ego can and does survive not only the minor dis- integrations which affect it during earth life, but the crowning disintegration of bodily, death." Mr. Carrington has interest- ing chapters on spirit communication so-called; on animal . psychism ; on levitation ; and on Yoga Philosophy. These subjects are a rather curious selection from the huge number of super-normal faculties and powers, and betrays a. personal interest rather than an attempt to survey the whole subject. But I forget—I have torn up-the publisher's_ blurb, so shall say no more.

The second part of the book called Psychic, Phenomena among Primitive Peoples is valuable as a summary- of strange facts and experiences collected by competent and trustworthy

observers. Mr. Carrington claims that has endeavouied to give a fairly comprehensive summary of those practices and beliefs among primitive peoples which bear more or less directly upon our own psychical investigations. " /VIY object," he writes, "has been to showthat . . . these phenomena bear a striking resemblance to our own."

We should be grateful to Mr. Carrington for placing in juxtaposition the psychic faculties of primitive and civilised peoples. He draws the inference that stories of the psychical powers of savages are true, because the same powers exist among us today. The orPposite .inierence might ' equally be drawn, that since they exist in the- present day they are likely to be found also among undeveloped people.

Whatever conclusions may be reached, it is greatly to be desired that scientific study of telepathy and other super- normal faculties among primitive peoples should be carried out, for the material may fade away under the inhibitions of developed mentality. It is a fascinating speculation to wonder whether in times to come the human race may not be able to combine its intellectual and its psychic faculties and exercise them both on the matter of life. It may be that, here also, the child is father to the man. When he really understands his own processes he may no longer reject the help of faculties which he now classes as delusions, and recog- nise under many of his achievements both trivial and majestic the inspirations brought to him by other- avenues than those of pure reason.