"telepathy," it will follow that
the human soul is a thing endowed with attributes not yet recognised
by science. It cannot be denied that this is a serious consideration,
and that very startling consequences might be deduced from it; such
beliefs, indeed, as were generally entertained in the ages of
Christian darkness which preceded the present era of enlightenment.
But our business in studies of any kind is, of course, with truth, as
we are often told, not with the consequences, however ruinous to our
most settled convictions, or however pernicious to society.

The very opposite objection comes from the side of religion. These
things we learn, are spiritual mysteries into which men must not
inquire. This is only a relic of the ancient opinion that he was an
impious character who first launched a boat, God having made man a
terrestrial animal. Assuredly God put us into a world of phenomena,
and gave us inquiring minds. We have as much right to explore the
phenomena of these minds as to explore the ocean. Again, if it be
said that our inquiries may lead to an undignified theory of the
future life (so far they have not led to any theory at all), that,
also, is the position of the Dreadful Consequences Argufier. Lastly,
"the stories may frighten children". For children the book is not
written, any more than if it were a treatise on comparative anatomy.

The author has frequently been asked, both publicly and privately:
"Do you believe in ghosts?" One can only answer: "How do you define
a ghost?" I do believe, with all students of human nature, in
hallucinations of one, or of several, or even of all the senses. But
as to whether such hallucinations, among the sane, are ever caused by
psychical influences from the minds of others, alive or dead, not
communicated through the ordinary channels of sense, my mind is in a
balance of doubt. It is a question of evidence.

In this collection many stories are given without the real names of
the witnesses. In most of the cases the real names, and their owners,
are well known to myself. In not publishing the names I only take the
common privilege of writers on medicine and psychology. In other
instances the names are known to the managers of the Society for
Psychical Research, who have kindly permitted me to borrow from their
collections.

While this book passed through the press, a long correspondence called
"On the Trail of a Ghost" appeared in The Times. It il