Spiritualism and Suggestion

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Spiritualism and Suggestion is a letter written by Arthur Conan Doyle first published in the Cape Times (Cape Town, South Africa) on 27 november 1928.


Spiritualism and Suggestion

Cape Times (27 november 1928, p. 11)

Sir A. Conan Doyle's Reply.

To the Editor, "Cape Times."

Sir, — As I leave Cape Town on Tuesday I would wish to take advantage of your columns in order to thank the Press and public for the kindly spirit in which they have met us. We could not, have been more fairly treated.

I would say a courteous word to your correspondent, Mr. Duffett. He clearly does not understand my position or he would not suggest that the death of my son in the war drove me into Spiritualism. When I had the telegram which announced that event I was entering the Town Hall of Nottingham in order to lecture upon this very subject, and it was only my knowledge of what death means which gave me the strength to carry out my evening's work and face the 2,000 people who were waiting.

Hudson's book, which Mr. Duffett quotes, is as obsolete as its date would imply. He endeavours to explain clairvoyance and mental phenomena by suggestion, suppressing the numerous cases where facts come through which could not in any normal way have reached the mind of anyone present. He also fails to fit into his explanation such phenomena as matinalisation or spirit photography. Indeed all the physical phenomena fall outside Mr. Hudson's explanation. Suggestion undoubtedly does exist and has to be guarded against but at the best it could only cover a very small proportion of the facts. — I am, etc..

Arthur Conan Doyle
November 25.