Organizing to Advance Spiritualism
By L. A. S.
In a new book by Dr. I. K. Funk, the well-known New York publisher and temperance lecturer, relating to “psychic phenomena” which have come under his observation, the author describes an interview which he had face to face with the “disembodied spirit” of Henry Ward Beecher, which appeared in visible form and spoke in an audible voice. Some circumstances which led up to this interview were related in the New York dailies at the time of their occurrence, about one year ago, but the account of this interview and the conversation connected with it have never been given before. The facts previously related are that Dr. Funk had in his possession an ancient coin of considerable value, known as the “Widow’s Mite,” which had belonged to Mr. Beecher. Dr. Funk had borrowed this coin from a friend of Mr. Beecher to use in making an engraving for the Standard Dictionary, and supposed it had been returned; but at a spiritualistic séance to which he had gone by invitation, he was told by one of the mediums that the coin was still in his possession, and that Mr. Beecher wished it returned, information being further given that the coin was in a drawer of Dr. Funk’s safe, under a pile of papers. Search was made, and the coin was found in the place described by the medium, though no one associated with Dr. Funk had any knowledge of its whereabouts. It was clearly a case of correct information coming from a supernatural source. Shortly afterward occurred the face-to-face interview between Dr. Funk and the alleged spirit of Mr. Beecher. In his book Dr. Funk gives this account of it:— In a circle in New York, shortly after “The Widow’s Mite” incident, I was called up to the cabinet, it having been announced that Mr. Beecher was present and wished to speak to me. Sure enough, when the curtains were parted, there was the Beecher face, wonderfully lifelike. “Doctor,” said a deep, husky voice—5all the spirit voices at this particular circle are peculiarly husky, except those of the three controls—“I am glad to talk to you in this way. I and others here wish you to organize on your side, and we shall organize on our side, for an effort to bring about conditions that will make it easy for us to come in a visible form and talk to you face to face. If we shall be able to do this, it will greatly tend to bring to an end all thought of materialism on earth, and will lift the world to a much higher plane of thought and action. Do not put this by lightly; it means much to the world. “Do you see my face clearly?” He drew the curtains back, and the face was turned full toward the dim light. “It is with great difficulty that we come back into visible form. You have no adequate thought of the nature, the largeness, and the complexity of the difficulties that must be surmounted by the spiritual world in order to return in this way, but we can surmount these fully, so our scientific leaders assure us. We have surmounted them in part; your side can largely help by supplying the proper thought and heart conditions. Do not smile when we speak of magnetism and vibrations and waves. There is such a thing as mind or soul ether. To this ether your thought and feeling and will and ours are disturbing and controlling forces—very real. You must study on your side these psychic forces and their laws. “I can not hold longer the force by which I have come—watch me closely.” The image, or whatever it was, slowly sank to the floor and then disappeared. Before it sank, a hand was placed upon my shoulder. The hand was substantial—very human. What was it? Dr. Funk sent a statement of the “Widow’s Mite” incident to noted psychologists in all parts of the civilized world, requesting their opinion regarding its significance, a list of these authorities, with answers received, being given in the appendix of his book. The nearest approach to uniformity in these replies is that four or five agree in an endeavor to account for the facts on the theory of “subconscious faculties,”—a theory which is itself quite as much in need of explanation as that which it seeks to explain. The utter helplessness of human science in the face of the phenomena of modern Spiritualism is a striking fact. There is no safeguard to be had from it against the grossest error. God’s Word alone is the safeguard. “His truth shall be thy shield and buckler.” The import of the statements made to Dr. Funk by this spirit intelligence is to be viewed in the light of Scripture prophecies concerning the development of Spiritualism in these last days. If it is true that an organized movement is about to be started under which a new impetus is to be given to communication between the living and the alleged spirits of the dead, and the public convinced of the reality of spiritualist manifestations, then indeed it is true that what was told to Dr. Funk at this spirit interview “means much to the world.”