Post-mortem confessions : being letters written through a mortal's hand by spirits who, when in mortal, were officers of Harvard College : with comments by Allen Putnam / by Allen Putnam.

  • Putnam, Allen, 1802-1887.
Date:
1886
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Post-mortem confessions : being letters written through a mortal's hand by spirits who, when in mortal, were officers of Harvard College : with comments by Allen Putnam / by Allen Putnam. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

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    •' For one, I will admit that we did a^ree to disa<rree, and never for once did it lessen our friendship or esteem for each other. I have often thought we did not so much dis- agree as it was generally supposed we did by the outside world; where you had the manliness and courage to proclaim the conviction of that which welled up through your human- itarian heart, I shrank from proclaiming what I knew to he true, viz., the presence of phenomena I could not fathom or explain. I would place my hand upon ponderable mat- ter or objects, and, without any volition of mine, such would not only move under my touch, but frequently manifest an intelligence most surprising. But, being unable to account for such intelligence or phenomena, I was not willing to proceed or continue my investigation, and therefore and therefrom gave it a wide berth. Could it have been ex- plained to me satisfactorily, or could I have demonstrated it as I could a natural science or a product of nature, I would never have turned my face from it. I talked with our friend President Walker several times touching the subject which bid fair to turn the world upside down. At one time Walker admitted there was an intelligence underlying the Spiritual Philosophy, but rather attributed the intelligence as orionnatinor from demoniacal sources, and ever after that discountenanced the subject. He declared that so long as he occupied the position as President of Harvard College, that institution should not bear the stigma of its (Spiritualism) being countenanced by the Harvard Faculty. That being the decision of our President, we, as a body, agreed to give it battle, and that, too, believing we could demolish the structure which was then so distasteful to the (then) masses. I need not repeat our course of procedure, — that is to your mind and recollections too patent. We soon found we were powerless in the matter; but, as