Sir A. Conan Doyle Replies
Sir A. Conan Doyle Replies. In a Few Years Spiritualism Will Be Clear To All is an article written by Arthur Conan Doyle first published in The Sunday Chronicle on 10 september 1922.
Editions
- in The Sunday Chronicler (10 september 1922 [UK])
- in The New-York Times (1 october 1922 [US]) as Doyle Reaffirms Ectoplasm Belief
Doyle Reaffirms Ectoplasm Belief (The New-York Times)
Observation of Strange Emanation Is Founding a New Science, Spiritist Declares.
SAYS HE HAS HANDLED IT.
Comes Usually From the Mucous Surfaces of Body — Rejects the Regurgitation Theory.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has written for The London Chronicle a reassertion of his faith in the mysterious substance - ectoplasm, based on recent experiments, and has sent a copy of it to THE NEW YORK TIMES. Whatever this strange emanation is which he believes is the connecting link between the material and spiritual worlds, forming the faces of persons long dead, he says that its continued observation is leading to the foundation of a new science the rules of Which are as yet totally unknown.
"When in former days I wrote about this singular substance I claimed no personal knowledge," he said. "Since then I have myself both seen and bandied ectoplasm in excellent light, so that for me at least all doubts as to its existence have become absurd."
He told of his experiments with the medium Eva, when ectoplasm was produced which he touched and felt thrill to his lingers, experiments which he told about in his lectures in this country.
"Since then I have clearly seen ectoplasm, though in more vaporous form, under the mediumship of Frau von Silbert at the Psychic College," he said. "Here the room was darkened, though there was sufficient light to see all that occurred. The ectoplasm, which seemed to cause great pain in its emission, took the form of slightly luminous patches, produced under complete test conditions. They formed on the floor with an inclination to rise and to become more clearly defined. They were quite separate from the medium — in fact they Were nearer to me than to her.
Many Have Seen Substance.
"My own poor experience is, however, only important to myself and to those who know and trust me. What is more important to the public is that they should realize the inherent absurdity of all this contention and denial. The substance has been very carefully observed, not only in the case of Eva but in that of at least a dozen separate mediums, all giving results which are in general agreement, though the shape and form of the emanation is changeable to a marked degree.
"We have learned, however, in chemistry that substances such as carbon, graphite and the diamond, differing entirely in appearance, are none the less the same, so that it need not surprise us that this semi-psychic material should be variable in its manifestations. With fuller knowledge and wider research the phenomenon will probably become not uncommon ; indeed there is some reason to believe that all of us have some power of the sort, and that the medium is only one who has it in an outstanding degree.
"Ectoplasm may be produced through the skin, but it is usually dawn from the mucous surfaces of the body. In the case of Eva, the mucous surfaces of the nose and mouth were a, common point of origin, though, as I have shown, it did not always emanate from there.
"The objection of possible regurgitation of food was made at a very early stage of the investigation, and if those who make it now would only read the literature of the subject, and realize how thoroughly it has been met and disproved, they would not stultify themselves by such suggestion. On several occasions the head of the medium was enveloped in a fine-mesh veil, and photographs were included which show the ectoplasm pouring through it as though it were not there. Even saliva could not have done this — far less food."
Disproves Regurgitation Theory
Sir Arthur then told of experiments to show that Eva did not have the power of regurgitation, and said that every possible test had been made.
"In reading the results of Mme. Sisson on the classical Investigation which she carried out with the aid of Schrenck-Notzing, one finds that there were many occasions on which nothing was obtained. Results were not mechanical but were dependent upon a very delicate adjustment of conditions on the part of the medium, the sitters and even the environment. If this was so when Eva was in sympathetic and customary surroundings, how much more it is to be expected when the conditions are novel and the observers unsympathetic or even hostile.
"Yet, in spite of these disadvantages, Eva was able, both before the professors of the Sorbonne and also before the Committee of the S. P. R. in London, to give results which could only be explained upon the utterly discredited theory of regurgitation. But if there had been no results at all in either case, that would have had no bearing upon the question save to show what we already know, that they are delicate, elusive things which cannot be produced to order. The positive results are the foundations of a science. The negative results are nothing at all save warnings as to what to avoid.
"In a very few years this will be clear to all, and those who have opposed this new knowledge, not by the sober, suggestive criticism which is helpful, but by ignorant jeers and foolish personalities, will stand in their own true light before the world."
