Observations placeholder

EXPERIENCES IN SPIRITUALISM WITH MR. D. D. HOME. BY VISCOUNT ADARE, [Windham Thomas Wyndham-Quin 1841-1926] WITH INTRODUCTORY REMARKS BY THE EARL OF DUNRAVEN. [Viscount Adare's father]  [1869]

INTRODUCTION BY THE EARL OF DUNRAVEN

My son, Lord Adare's, acquaintance with Mr. Home commenced in 1867. I soon perceived from his [son’s] letters, that the manifestations were so remarkable that they deserved to be duly chronicled and preserved. At my request he has carefully noted, as fully as could conveniently be done, the occurrences of each day, and has permitted me to print the whole series for private circulation.

It was not without much reluctance that we made up our minds to give even a very limited circulation to this series of seances; but, after full consideration we have deemed it best to print—as nearly as we possibly could venture to do—the entire record; notwithstanding the pain, to ourselves and others, which necessarily accompanies the mention of communications professing to come from those whose memories call up the deepest and tenderest feelings of our nature.

It is obvious that the chief value of such a record must depend upon the trustworthiness of the narrator. Fidelity of description is very rare, even where honesty of purpose is undoubted. I believe that in the present case scrupulous accuracy, a retentive memory, and an unexcitable temperament are combined in an unusual degree, forming just such a combination of qualities as is indispensable for one who undertakes to record phenomena of this exceptional and startling character. In several of the latter seances, portions of them have been written by both Lora Adare and myself, and then carefully compared; some were looked over by more than one of the persons present: thus everything has been done to ensure the greatest accuracy. In addition, each of those mentioned as present at the séances (except a, few who are not within reach) has received a copy of the printed account, and replies have been received from all, affirming the accuracy of the reports.

A list of these names will be given further on, and thus the following pages, it is hoped, will be found to contain the fullest and best authenticated account of the phenomena of Spiritualism which has as yet appeared in this country.  It must be borne in mind that an actual record of facts, and not the adoption or refutation of any particular theory, is the main object in view…………..

No amount of written or oral testimony seems to be sufficient to carry conviction on this mysterious subject to the minds of the vast majority of persons; yet a candid enquirer, reading a record such as that contained in the following pages, embracing so great a variety of phenomena, witnessed under varying circumstances and conditions, and attested by so many persons, can hardly avoid, without putting aside the narrator's testimony as utterly untrustworthy, admitting the possibility that some of the occurrences here recounted are the work of an agency beyond that of the persons present.

 The examples are so numerous that it would be difficult to make a selection for illustration; but the reader's attention may be called to those instances where Mr. Home had never before entered the room in which the seance was held; as for example, at No. 5, Buckingham Gate, … or where, as in Seance No. 1, and indeed many of the others, he had no possible opportunity of making any preparatory arrangements. It is perhaps as well here to mention, that we have not, on a single occasion, during the whole series of seances, seen any indication of contrivance on the part of the medium for producing or facilitating the manifestations which have taken place. The larger has been our experience, and the more varied the phenomena, the more firmly have we been convinced that a large portion of them are but explicable on the hypothesis that they are caused by intelligent beings, other than the persons in the room; the remainder being probably due to the action of physical laws as yet unknown.

NAMES OF PERSONS PRESENT AT THE SEANCES.

All the persons present at the following seances with the exception of three or four to whom access cannot be obtained, have received a copy of the account of the seances which they witnessed, with a request that if the report coincided with their own recollection of what took place, they would kindly allow their names to be appended, as testifying to its accuracy. Every answer has been in the affirmative as to the correctness of the accounts; but a very few have, for prudential reasons, preferred that their names should not appear. By accuracy is meant, that nothing has been inserted that did not occur, or has been exaggerated. A great deal has necessarily been omitted.

PREFACE BY LORD ADARE

BEING personally acquainted with Mr. Home, and having resided for some little time with him in London during the autumns of 1867 and 1868, and having travelled in his company in Germany in the summer of 1868, I have had considerable opportunity of witnessing the phenomena of Spiritualism, not only at regular seances, but also at times when we were quite alone, and without any premeditation on our part.  My father, being interested in the subject, requested me to write him a short account of anything remarkable that occurred.. I did so, and of the letters so written the following narrative is composed.