analogy of Nature was against it. When the candle burns out the
light disappears. When the electric cell is shattered the current
stops. When the body dissolves there is an end of the matter. Each
man in his egotism may feel that he ought to survive, but let him look,
we will say, at the average loafer--of high or low degree--would anyone
contend that there was any obvious reason why THAT personality should
carry on? It seemed to be a delusion, and I was convinced that death
did indeed end all, though I saw no reason why that should affect our
duty towards humanity during our transitory existence.

This was my frame of mind when Spiritual phenomena first came before my
notice. I had always regarded the subject as the greatest nonsense
upon earth, and I had read of the conviction of fraudulent mediums and
wondered how any sane man could believe such things. I met some
friends, however, who were interested in the matter, and I sat with
them at some table-moving seances. We got connected messages. I am
afraid the only result that they had on my mind was that I regarded
these friends with some suspicion. They were long messages very often,
spelled out by tilts, and it was quite impossible that they came by
chance. Someone then, was moving the table. I thought it was they.
They probably thought that I did it. I was puzzled and worried over
it, for they were not people whom I could imagine as cheating--and yet
I could not see how the messages could come except by conscious
pressure.

About this time--it would be in 1886--I came across a book called The
Reminiscences of Judge Edmunds. He was a judge of the U.S. High Courts
and a man of high standing. The book gave an account of how his wife
had died, and how he had been able for many years to keep in touch with
her. All sorts of details were given. I read the book with interest,
and absolute scepticism. It seemed to me an example of how a hard
practical man might have a weak side to his brain, a sort of reaction,
as it were, against those plain facts of life with which he had to
deal. Where was this spirit of which he talked? Suppose a man had an
accident and cracked his skull; his whole character would change, and a
high nature might become a low one. With alcohol or opium or many other
drugs one could apparently quite change a man's spirit. The spirit
then depended upon matter. These were the arguments which I used in
those days. I did not realise th