Our Great Séance Test

From The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia

Our Great Séance Test is an article by Sydney A. Moseley published in John Bull on 10 november 1923 including a letter written by Arthur Conan Doyle.


Our Great Séance Test

John Bull (10 november 1923, p. 19)

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Sir Arthur writes :

"Let me say first how glad I am to learn from your columns that Mr. Sydney Moseley has recently gained the evidence which has convinced him that I am right in my general conclusions, though we may still differ in particular instances.

"As regards the 'masked medium,' he is going very much too far. Had I ever said in public 'this is undoubtedly a psychic effect,' then he might fairly say that I have been tricked. The most that I can admit is that I have been 'very impressed' to use his own quotation. I am puzzled and am ready to pay a fee in order to clear up the question.

"But to suppose, as Mr. Moseley tries to do, that so doubtful a matter bears any relation to those numerous cases where I have had personal evidence of survival, quite as clear as anything which he has himself recently experienced, would be to misrepresent the facts.

"I place myself now entirely at your disposal, and am quite prepared to accept any evidence with an open mind. It is only the second or materialisation phenomenon which interests me, since the first point could not in any case be more than telepathy or psychometry, and, therefore, does not come within the range of Spiritualism.

"I wish to see this second phenomenon repeated exactly am I saw it before. In order to check this I desire that Mr. David Gow, Editor of Light who was there on the previous occasion, should again be there, that he may bear witness as to whether it is the same. It is entirely possible that a psychic phenomenon should be produced at one time and an imitation of it upon another.

"I propose, in any case, to hand the performer my cheque, so that no money consideration will influence our judgment."

Arthur Conan Doyle


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