Spiritualism

The following is an historic pamphlet published many years ago of an interview with Sir Arthir Conan Doyle. It was subtitled: Some Straight Questions & Direct Answers by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Unfortunately, time has proved Sir Arthur to have been unduly optimistic about the progress of Spiritualism but much else that he says will, I am sure, be of great interest to modern students.

What is a Spiritualist? – One who believes that death makes no change in personality and that communication under proper conditions is still possible.

Can one be a Spiritualist and also a Christian? - Spiritualism is not incompatible with any religion. It is only hostile to those creeds which would confine God’s mercy to a particular sect. He is the God of all.

Is not the organised Spiritualist Church unitarian? – Yes, the organised Spiritualist Church looks upon Christ as a very high spirit. But there are ardent Spiritualists in all churches who combine Spiritualism with their former faith. Many of the non-Christian nations, China, Japan, India etc., have some knowledge of this truth.

What are the phenomena? – They are signals and signs to attract our attention by appealing to our physical senses, and make us realise that there are intelligent forces outside ourselves.

Have these phenomena been examined by science? – Yes.

Can you name any men of science who have accepted them? – They are numerous. Among the more prominent are Sir Oliver Lodge, Sir William Crookes, Sir William Barrett, Professors Charkes Richet, Lombroso, Hyslop, Morselli, Russell Wallace, Zollner, Wagner, Shrenck-Notzing, Geley, Flammarion, Botazzi, William James, Hare, Challis, Mayo and Foa. There are also many wel-known lawyers, soldiers, divines, literary men, and men of business who all speak from personal experience.

How many, on the other hand, have examined the phenomena and decided against them? – I am not aware of any man of high scientific reputation who has thoroughly examined the phenomena and decided against them.

Do all accept the religious implications? – No, to many the phenomena are simply interesting forces; to many others they are forces with an intelligent and lofty purpose.

Then they prove life after death? – Yes

Why, then, do the Churches oppose this movement? – Want of knowledge and misrepresentation.

Do all Churchmen oppose it? – On the contrary, some of our leading clergymen, Archdeacons Colley and Wilberforce, Revs. Haweis, Fielding Ould, Arthur Chambers, Charles Tweedale, George Vale Owen, Dr. Henslow, Drayton Thomas, R.J. Campbell, Walter Wynn, have all written in support of our views.

What does the religious movement aim at? – It aims at destroying the present materialism by proving clearly that life carries on; that we are responsible for our actions; and that we may have every expectation of absolute compensation for every suffering here, if we take it in good spirit.

How then does it differ from the present religious scheme? – We propose to substitute proof for faith and certainty for vague belief.

How do you get your certainty? – By the testimony of the “dead” themselves, who send us long coherent messages, giving their actual experience.

Are the messages always lofty? – Death makes no immediate change in man’s character, and the foolish may still be foolish. But we keep such company as we deserve, and those who approach the subject for help and knowledge never fail to get it.

What about fraud? – We have at various times suffered from the rascality of pretended mediums. On the other hand, the true medium, who is liable to prosecution by our indiscriminate laws, is among the most useful of mankind.

What is a medium? – One who is so constituted that he or she can help psychic manifestations.

Are they rare? – It is probable that we all have an undeveloped power, but that some have much more than others. These latter are called mediums.

How can we learn more about this? – Here Doyle mentions several Spiritualist newspapers and magazines, of which only The Two Worlds is currently still published in Britain. He also mentions that there are numerous Spiritualist centres throughout the country. Today, I am sure he would add The Arthur Findlay College of Psychic Science and The psychic News.

And books? – The literature is enormous. Among others, I would recommend Charles Tweedale’s “Survival of Man,” Vale Owen’s “Life Beyond the Veil.” The same author’s “Facts and the Future Life,” Lodge’s “Raymond,” Barrett’s, “Threshold of the Unseen” and Henslow’s “Proofs of Spiritualism.” He would be too modest to mention his own two-volume “History of Spiritualism.”

What are the prospects for the movement? – It is truth, and truth in God’s time must prevail. It is active in every country and at the present rate of increase it must soon receive universal acceptance.

What advantages does it offer? – It does away with the fear of death; it reassures us as to our separation from those we love; it removes the horrors which have been built up by medieval theology, and it holds out a definite prospect of perfect and intelligible happiness in the future.


ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE