WCP4341

[1]

Rosehill, Dorking.

Jan[uar]^y. 10th. 1878

Dear Sir

Your relative's letter was very interesting to me, because almost every word of what he says "follows if the phenomena are true",— is what Spiritualists say & believe. All his difficulties have been seen, all his suppositions investigated. Such a man as he is would be much interested in a work which treats of the subject seriously and ably in relation to the Scripture narratives — "Primitive Christianity and Modern Spiritualism"¹— by D^r. Eugene Crowell² M. D. of New York, is the book I refer to,— perhaps the ablest and most suggestive that has yet been written on the subject.

As to your last just received, I would say that it is positively [a] waste of time for [2] any experimenter to consider the point of view of men who know nothing at all of the subject. The "hallucination" or "electro-biologizing"[sic] theory I answered long-ago when put forward by E.B. Tylor³. It is a theory opposed to all the conditions and facts. One might almost as well argue that there is no S[outh]. Polar ice-field, for example, all who go there being "hallucinated" owing to the "expectation" caused by the existence of N[orth]. Polar ice! How are you to disprove such an argument?

But supposing your outsider did see the ghost within,— why should not other outsiders maintain that he too was hallucinated? The one is really as probable as the other.

These materialized figures move heavy objects which remain moved ^displaced after the seánce is over. But I am aware that no evidence can or ought to satisfy [3] outsiders of such extreme marvels. They do not satisfy us till we have had repeated tests of various kinds, & we only really assimilate the testimony of others when we have had analogous experiences ourselves. To a man who firmly believes, that every "rap" — every "movement" of table &c. are ^is all imposture, not even the seeing of a "materialized" form under any tests whatever could be of any use. He must go through a course of the lower phenomena before his mind is capable of receiving the higher. It is for this reason that spiritualists now refuse to admit complete sceptics to these higher phenomena. If they are in earnest let them go through a course of study & to arrive at them themselves. We have done so. [4] I am an exception in really wishing to afford any sincere enquirer among scientific men an opportunity of seeing these phenomena, but only after they are satisfied of the reality of some of the lower but still super-human marvels. Such grand and overwhelming marvels as the materializations are for the initiated only.

When opportunity occurs however we will try any experiments likely to throw light on the nature of the phenomena. Many have been tried. Your handkerchief experiment would lead to nothing. Either the handkerchief would disappear, & reappear at some future seánce, as has frequently happened, or it would simply remain on the floor, or as the body of the medium after the figure vanished. In neither case would it prove anything. Weighing the medium while the form is visible would be more interesting, shall be done if possible soon.

Yours very faithfully | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

D^r. C. M. Ingleby⁴.