book deals with the scientific material relating to the life

after death which is reviewed and summarized in a spirit of great fairness, although a natural bias towards belief in immortality is not a little obvious. In this the work differs from that by Sir William Barrett, with its wholly scientific attitude and its greater natural ability to discern dialectical weaknesses, but it is far from being unscientific in character. On the other hand Sir Oliver Lodge's work is inspired throughout by an enthusiasm which if not entirely absent in that of Sir William Barrett, is certainly not conspicuous in that writer's treatise. Sir Oliver's enthusiasm is, indeed, that of a Columbus or a Galileo. Throughout the centuries the pioneer and discoverer have been uplifted and assisted more by faith than by reason, and it is probably because of his abounding faith in human immortality that Sir Oliver Lodge will in future be regarded as perhaps the. greatest pioneer in psychic science, not only of his own generation but of many generations. L. S.
Spiritualism as a Religion. — Spiritualism was, and is, regarded by its adherents as a religion, or a supplement to an existing religion, imposing certain moral obligations and offering new and far-reaching revelations on the conditions of existence beyond the grave. The continuity of life after death is, of course, one of its most important tenets, though not a distinctive one ; since on it depend most of the world's creeds and religions. But the spiritualist's ideas concerning the nature of the life of the freed soul are peculiar to his creed. The soul, or spirit, is composed of a sort of attenuated matter, inhabiting the body and resembling it in form. On the death of the body the soul withdraws
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itself, without however, undergoing any direct change, and for a longer or shorter period remains on the " earth plane." But the keynote of the spirit-world is progress ; so after a time the spirit proceeds to the lowest " discarnate plane," and from that to a higher and a higher, gradually evolving into a purer and nobler type, until at length it reaches the sphere of pure spirit. Another central belief of spiritualism is that the so-called " dead " can, and do, communicate with the living, through the agency of mediums, and can produce in the physical world certain phenomena depend- ing for their operation on no known physical laws. To the earnest spiritualist, requiring no further proof of the reality of his creed, the subjective phenomena, as they are called, comprising trance-speaking, writing, etc., are of vastly greater importance than the physical manifestations, just as the latter are more in favour with psychical re- searchers, because of the better opportunities they offer for investigation. From the trance-speaking of the medium are gathered those particulars of the spirit world which to the outsider present one of the most unattractive pictures extant of that domain. The spirit life is, in fact, repre- sented as a pale and attenuated reproduction of earthly life, conducted in a highly rarified atmosphere. Trance drawings, purporting to depict spirit scenes, afford a description no less nattering than the written picture. From their exalted spheres the spirits are cognisant of the doings of their fellow-men still on earth, and are at all times ready to aid and counsel the latter. This they can do only through the medium, who is a link between "the seen and the unseen, perhaps through some quality of super- normal sensitiveness. There are those who maintain that those mediums who hold seances and become the direct mouthpieces of the spirits are only supereminently endowed with a faculty common to all humanity — that all men are mediums in a greater or less degree, and that all inspiration, whether good or bad, comes from the spirits. It is in connection with this idea of the universality of mediumship that the effect of spiritualism on the morals and daily life of its adherents is most clearly seen. For the spirits are naturally attracted to those mediums whose qualities resemble their own. Enlightened spirits from the highest spheres seek high-souled and earnest mediums through whom to express themselves, while mediums who use their divine gifts for a base end are sought by the lowest and wickedest human spirits, or by beings termed " elementals," who do not even reach the human standard of goodness. Indeed, it is stated that the lower spirits communicate with the living much more readily than do the higher, by reason of a certain gross or material quality which binds them to earth. The path of the medium is thus beset with many difficulties, and it is essential that he should be principled and sincere, a creature of pure life and high ideals, so that the circle of his " controls " be select. For not only do the tricky " elementals " deceive the sitters and the investigators with their lying ways, but they oft- ' times drive the medium himself to fraud, so that under their control he secretes " apports " about his person, and materialises false beards and dirty muslin. And as it is with the full-fledged medium, so with the normal individual. If he is to insure that the source of his inspiration be a high one he must live in such a way that only the best spirits will control him, and so his impulses shall be for his own good and the betterment of the race. It will thus be seen that spiritualism is in itself a complete religion ; but it also combines well with other religions and creeds. In America the spiritualistic and the socialistic elements mingled harmoniously and many of the socialistic com- munities were founded by spiritualists. Other sects there were which associated themselves with spiritualism during the early history of the movement in America, and rumour
— somewhat unfairly, it must be admitted — would have associated with it some less creditable ones, such as that which advocated free Love. But the many forms which spiritualism took in America were, as has been said, the product of the country and the time. In other lands the forms were different. In England, for instance, where wont and tradition were more happily settled, spiritualism was regarded as by no means incompatible with Christianity but rather as affording a fuller revelation of the Christian religion, a view which the trance utterances of the medium confirmed. In France, again, Allan Kardec's doctrine of re-incarnation blended happily with the doctrines of spiritualism to produce spiritism. Then we have the more modern example of theosophy (q.v.), a blending of spiritual- ism with oriental religions. But all these varied forms contain the central creed of spiritualism ; the belief in the continuance of life after the " great dissolution," or death of the body, and in continual progress ; and in the fact of communication between the freed spirit and living human beings. On the whole spiritualists have shown themselves rather tolerant than otherwise to those who were not of their band. On the one hand their mediums did not hesitate to claim kinship with the wizards, shamans and witch- doctors of savage lands, whom they hailed as natural mediums ; and on the other, there were many able and sincere spiritualists who joined forces with the Psychical Researcher, in the unflinching endeavour to expose fraud and get at the truth. M. J.
Spiiitual Magazine : Spiritualistic Journal. (See Spiritual- ism.) Spiritual Notes : [See British National Association of
Spiritualists.) Spiritual Philosopher : Spiritualistic Journal. (See Spiritual- ism.) Spiritual Portraits : (See Bla'te.)
Spiritual Telegraph : Spiritualistic Journal. (See Spiritual- ism.) Spiritualist : Spiritualistic Journal. (See Spiritualism.) Spodomancy : Divination by means of the cinders from
sacrificial fires. Spunkie, The : A goblin of the same nature as the Scottish " Kelpie." He is popularly believed to be an agent of Satan, and travellers who have lost their way are his especial prey. He attracts his unfortunate victim by means of a light, which looks as if it were a reflection on a window, and is apparently not far away ; but as the man proceeds towards it, like the rainbow it recedes. However, he still follows its gleam, until the Spunkie has successfully lured him over a precipice or into a morass. Squinting : An ill omen. In the book of Vairus it is said .
" Let no servant ever hire himself to a squinting master." Squire, J. R. M. : (See Spiritualism.) Stapleton, William : (See England.)
Staus Poltergeist : The village of Staus, on the shores of Lake Lucerne, was in the years 1860-62 the scene of the most remarkable case of poltergeist-haunting to be found in modern records. The outbreak occurred in the house of