Theosophical Outlook Volume 6 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1921 Excerpt: ...unvarying results of repetition under identical conditions, but on the average results of experiments and observations where both the conditions of the experiment and the material (vital organisms; experimented upon, are, to a greater or less extent (but always to some extent) uncontrollable. The evidence for supernormal facts is cumulative, not repetitive. The analogy to be adopted is that of the fagot of sticks. How is the evidence to be obtained? To answer this question it is necessary to emphasize an important distinction between inquiry in this subject and inquiry in most departments of natural science. In the latter, reading and experiment proceed side by side--the lecture-room is but an annex to the laboratory. Practical personal experience is rightly considered essential. Generally speaking, experiment in inorganic science is always instructive and never, finally, misleading. The experimenter is dealing with phenomena which are invariably referable to the fundamental dimensions of space, mass, and time. The possible errors are those of instrumentation, observation, and external interference, these can, with time and patience, be eliminated or. rather, to speak quite accurately, reduced within narrow and known limits. The personality of the experimenter does not, in such cases, have much effect. Mechanism is available to take the place of Sensation. One is not required to decide the temperature of liquids by placing the hand in them. The thermometer is available for this purpose. The influence of the personality of the observer is, then, confined to the possible visual errors in reading the thermometer. The ultimate appeal, therefore, is always to mechanism. In psychic experimentation, however, we have generally no mechanism to help us. The experimen...