The Case For and Against Psychical Belief by Carl Murchison

CHAPTER II
THE PSYCHIC QUESTION AS I SEE IT
BY SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE

I am sorry not to be present in person at your gathering, for every enquiry into Psychic matters excites my deep sympathy and interest. I consider it to be infinitely the most important thing in the world, and the particular thing which the human race in its present state of development needs more than anything else. Nothing is secure until the religious basis is secure, and that spiritualistic movement with which I am proud to be associated is the first attempt ever made in modern times to support faith by actual provable fact.

I would first state my credentials, since my opinion is only of value in so far as those are valid. In 1886, being at that time a materialist, I was induced to examine psychic phenomena. In 1887 I wrote a signed article in "Light" upon the question. From that time I have never ceased to keep in touch with the matter by reading and occasional experiment. My conversion to the full meaning of spiritualism was a very gradual one, but by the war time it was complete. In 1916 I gave a lecture upon the subject, and found that it gave strength and comfort to others. I therefore determined to devote all my time to it, and so in the last ten years I have concentrated upon it, testing very many mediums, good and bad, studying the extensive literature, keeping in close touch with current psychic research, and incidentally writing seven books upon the subject. It is not possible that any living man can have had a much larger experience. When I add that I am a Doctor of medicine, specially trained in observation, and that as a public of affairs I have never shown myself to be wild or unreasonable, I hope I have persuaded you that my opinion should have some weight as compared with those opponents whose contempt for the subject has been so great that it has prevented them from giving calm consideration to the facts.

When the heavy hand of the mediæval church had ceased to throttle man's mental activities, there set in a fierce reaction against all that had been taught. In this reaction much that was good was swept away as well as much that was questionable. Not only did many unreasonable dogmas and ceremonies suffer, but the very idea of invisible beings, communicating with or taking an interest...

1927