nt day must show
their disciples the path of truth, and not try to impose upon them what
they themselves regard as truth. Modern science knows no infallible
Pope, speaking _ex cathedra_.

Further, we must not confine ourselves to the study of one side of
mediumship only. The phenomena produced in the presence of mediums are
various. All the phenomena classified as "psychical" must be carefully
considered and thoroughly investigated. The grain must be separated from
the chaff; it must be decided which among these phenomena appear to be
due to spirits, which, according to the evidence, are due to incarnated
minds, and finally, which (if there are such) have only ordinary
physical causes. The new workmen who are entering the field of science
have before them a long task of clearing the ground, but the ground
seems to be of unexampled fertility; with a very little goodwill we
shall reap such a harvest as has never been seen.

No doubt, though mediums able to produce certain second-rate phenomena
are not rare, good mediums are not easy to discover; they are less rare,
however, than the bones of _Anthropopithecus erectus_. When a good
medium is discovered it is not necessary to call a committee together
and put the value he may have for science to the vote. If the "other
world" exists, it appears that no "missing link" exists between it and
our own.

Thus the general conclusion to be drawn from the work described in this
little book, and from the other work of the Society for Psychical
Research, is that devotion to these studies is far from being fruitless.
Even official science might turn in this direction, if only in order to
defend the doctrines dear to it. It will come to that, without doubt,
but will it be soon? Humanity is but poor stuff, though the monists do
not hesitate to hold it up to us as the highest expression in our corner
of space of the consciousness of their great god Pan. The great majority
of human units is composed of minds in first childhood, eager only for
childish things.

By slightly modifying Plato's allegory it is easy to arrive at an
understanding of the state of humanity at the present time. Imagine very
imperfect, very undeveloped beings, possessing, however, an infinity of
latent potentialities; imagine them born in a dark cavern where they
swarm pell-mell, passing their time chiefly in devouring one another.
Every moment this cavern is entered, and a certain number of these poor
beings are