ITO TBE EDITOR OP THE " SPFATATOR.")
gra,—For some long time past letters have been appearing in your columns from various correspondents giving accounts of clreara experiences. I have not the back numbers of the
Spectator by me, but I' think I am right in saying-that with the exception of the dream recorded on September 21st by yore. correspondent "Z.," all, or nearly all, the stories -date hack a considerable number of years. This habit of postponing the communication of dreams and similar experiences is one of the chief difficulties encountered. by the Society for Psychical Research. The Society has now made a rule not to admit as evidence experiences which have not been recorded within three or four years of their occurrence, except in cases where there exists documentary corroboratory evidence contempo. raneons with the alleged phenomena. Unfortunately thin rule, sound_ as undoubtedly it is from an evidential stand- point, results in diminishing the flow of new evidence. The Society is surfeited with narratives of cases which happened ten or twenty years ago; but there seems a general reluctance on the part of the public to contribute cases of recent data Now it can hardly be that ignorance of the existence of a Society specially interested in dreams and such • like experi- ences is the sole reason for this delay, for I find that-our own members often exhibit a similar, dilatoriness; but it must be a contributory cause. It is to be-presumed, however, that many of your readers would consent to record their psychical experiences within a few hours or days of their oceurrence, and to forward the record to the secretary, the Society for Psychical Researeh, 19 Buckingham Street, Adelphi, London, W.C., were they aware that a Society existed to which their narratives might prove of value. Should you be kind enough to insert this letter, I should be greatly obliged, the more so because your readers are drawn from a highly edecated class, capable of furnishing and of appreciating good evidence:- lam, Sir, &c., J. G. FIDDINGDON, Hon. Sec. Society for Psychical Research, 87 Sloane Street, London, S. TV.
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