Seen and Unseen | Page 2

us has not groaned under these self-conscious euphemisms?
"Why not say 'I' and have done with it?" we are wont to exclaim in
desperation after pages of this kind of thing.
Now I propose "to say I" and "have done with it," and not waste time in
trying to find ingenious and wearisome equivalents.
That is my first point.
Secondly, in this record of psychic experiences I mean to keep clear of
another intolerable nuisance--I mean the continual introduction of
capital letters and long dashes in order to conceal identity in such
episodes.
The motive is admirable, but the method is detestable.
One can only judge by personal experience. I know that when I read a
rather involved narrative of sufficiently involved psychic doings, and
Mr Q----, Miss B----, Mr C----, and Mr C.'s maternal aunt Mrs G----
figure wildly in it, I am driven desperate in trying to force some idea of
personality into these meaningless letters of the alphabet.
To conceal the identity of Mr Brown, who was once guilty of seeing a
ghost, may be and most frequently is, a point of honour, but why not
call him Mr Smith, and say he lived in Buckinghamshire, and thus
rouse a definite mental conception in your reader's brain, instead of
calling him Mr Z. of W----, and thus setting up mental irritation before
the ghost comes upon the scene?
Having cleared the ground so far, I will now mention my third and last
point.
It is usual when writing reminiscences of any kind to anticipate your

reader's criticisms, and try to increase his interest in your experiences
by a sort of false humility in deprecating their value. The idea is
doubtless founded on a sound knowledge of Human Nature, but it may
easily fall into exaggeration. Nothing is, of course, so disastrous as to
praise beforehand a person, a picture, a voice, a poem, a book, or
anything else in the wide world, in which we wish our friends to take
any special interest. Such a course naturally rouses unconscious
antagonism in poor, fallen Human Nature before we even see or hear
the object of our later bitter aversion. But there is a medium in all
things, and it is scarcely polite to put the intelligence of our readers
sufficiently low to be manipulated by such obvious arts.
Moreover, it has been well said that the history of any one human
being--truthfully told (I would add, intelligently assimilated)--would be
of enthralling interest and value. If this be true on the ordinary physical,
intellectual, and spiritual planes it should not be less true, surely, where
a fourth plane of psychic experience is added to the other three?
Then again, there is no need to apologise for experiences limited in
interest or in amount.
These terms are of necessity comparative. For example, my experiences
are limited compared with those of some people I have known, who
have been either more highly endowed with psychic gifts or who have
considered it advisable to cultivate such gifts to a high point of
efficiency; or lastly, with whom opportunities for experience have been
more numerous. But, on the other hand, my experiences have been
great compared with those of some people at least equally interested in
these subjects.
Geographically speaking, I have been peculiarly fortunate, having had
the opportunity of witnessing phenomena of this kind in many
countries, differing widely in Race, Climate, and other conditions.
I have been told many times that I could develop clairvoyance,
clairaudience, or sit as a materialising medium, but have had no desire
to go further in these matters.

I have seen quite as much as I wish to see, I have heard quite as much
as I wish to hear, and should be very sorry personally to increase either
of these psychic possibilities by the practice that makes more perfect.
Some consider this lamentable cowardice and want of faith. Each one
must judge for himself in such a matter. Faith in this connection may
easily degenerate into foolhardiness.
"Greater is He that is for you than all those who are against you" has
been quoted to me again and again in deprecation of my attitude in
these things. It has always appeared to me a matter in which individual
judgment must be exercised, and upon which no broad and general
lines of conduct can be laid down.
One man can cycle fifty miles in the day, and dance all night, and be
the better for the experience. Another attempting the same feat, but not
having the same constitution, might do himself lasting injury. It is
exactly the same thing on the psychic plane. Our psychic constitutions
differ at least as much as our physical ones. We may overtax either, and
with similar consequences. We have no right to