very obvious-principles which are very plainly indicated, soon become known; but the great and mysterious laws which are faintly shadowed forth in far distant phenomena escape detection, because the possibilities indicated in these phenomena do not occur to the mind, or if they do, do not appear worthy of an investigation. He who, when lost in a desert, discovers traces bearing a remote resemblance to a footstep, may, if gifted with a fertile imagination, supply its deficiencies, and by attaching some importance to this discovery or possibility, may be led to look farther to test his hypothesis by looking for other footsteps, and thus tracing them up to a surer path, realize the home that he seeks. Thus the philosophic inquirer, in search of truth, ever ready to perceive what facts most plausibly indicate, and to investigate or test his hypothesis, is sure of ultimate success and valuable discovery. Whenever his collected facts present the segment of a circle, he looks for its continuation, and ever in that which is, perceives what might be true.

Thus have Columbus, Kepler, Gall, and every great philosopher, proceeded. Not by empirical observations merely, waiting until facts forced home conclusions upon them, as did their dull contemporaries, but eagerly from slight hints anticipating truth and imagining a new region to be explored.

The region of Imagination, as we go back, becoming less intellectual, becomes of course more illusory. It is accordingly at the posterior part of this region that we find a capacity for illusions. These spectral illusions, which have doubtless often been the source of superstitious tales, are a subject of lively interest. Many a case of spectral illusions would have been speedly cut short (had it been known that such illusions were owing to the over excitement of a special organ) by cooling sedative applications to its locality in front of the coronal suture, and nearly upon but above the temporal arch.

A portion of this intensely imaginative region (called Spirituality) is the source of much more definite and consistent ideas than those of spectral illusion. It produces a conception of mental or spiritual existence as a present, distinct entity. It induces us to believe that we hold actual mental communion with the disembodied spirits of the dead, and are instructed, soothed, enlightened, warned or purified by their influence. The existence of such an organ accounts for the belief which is entertained by many individuals at the present time, and has been entertained by thousands in all ages of the world, that they held communion with their deceased friends, and that the spirits of the dead watched over the living as guardian angels, sometimes becoming sensibly present to their minds by a species of spiritual vision, when they were sufficiently purified to admit of enjoying this high communion.

Craniology does not determine positively whether such perceptions are true or false,-whether they are perceptions of real entities, or purely creatures of imagination. The position of the organ of Spirituality between the highest portion of Ideality, Marvelousness and Spectral Illusion, indicates that it must possess a fanciful or deceptive character, if not controlled and guided by the pure intellect.

Explanation.-Se. REGION OF SENSIBILITY: (0. Optic Sensibility; G. M. E. C. Mo., different forms of Sensibility, to galvanism, magnetism, electricity, caloric, moisture. The sensibility to caloric is called the Thermal Sense, and that to moisture the Hygrometric Sense. Fee. Sense of Feeling; Pa. Sense of Pain; R. Respiratory Sense; H. Sense of Hearing; Im. Impressibility, or Sensibility to the Nervaura.) Dis. Disease; Fa. Fatigue; Ali. Alimentiveness; Fe. Fear; Rev. Reverence; Mo. Modesty; Id. Ideality; Som. Somnolence; Ma. Marvelousness; Sp. Spirituality; Lo. Love; Ho. Hope; Phi. Philanthropy; Re. Religion; Im. Imagination; Soc. Sociability; Mi. Mirthfulness; Tr. Truthfulness; Fa. Faith; Be. Benevolence; F. Foresight; S. Sagacity; J. Judgment; W. Wit; R. Reason; I. Ingenuity; Sc. Scheming; In. Invention; Sy. System; Me. Memory; Co. Consciousness; Int. Intuitive region; Phe. Sense of Phenomena; Fo. Form; Di. Distance; Si. Size; We. Weight; C. Color; O. Order; Ca. Calculation; M. Music; La. Language; For. Sense of Force; L. Sense of Light; Sh. Shade.

ART. III.-SPIRITUAL COMMUNICATIONS.

DURING the third and fourth weeks of October, 1850, there have been a number of spiritual communications in Cincinnati, the predisposing causes of which may probably be found in the presence of Mrs. Bushnell, the clairvoyant, whose sympathy with the spirit world appears to furnish the necessary conditions of manifestation. These occurrences have been partly described in the Daily Times, and I have heard accounts of each instance from the eye-witnesses and participants. I do not however consider it desirable to go into a minute detail of these facts, for the manifestations have not generally been of so striking or demonstrative a character as those which have occurred at the East. When the communication becomes fuller, more perfect and more decisive, I may deem it judicious to give a detailed description of my observations.

In several instances messages have been delivered to the living (by rapping to the letters of the alphabet) which purported to come from their departed friends. These messages have been of a rational character, and in accordance with what might have been expected of messages from such sources; but the quantity of information communicated in this way has been very moderate, as the process is quite tedious and imperfect.

The most remarkable incident which has occurred is that of a physical demonstration by the spirit of Mr. Cornell upon the person of a lady in a large company, who had declared that she would not believe unless the spirits could take hold of her person. This lady was present on the occasion when spiritual communications were received from Mr. Cornell and others, and suddenly her arm was drawn back with force and held in a very distorted attitude. The company endeavored to relieve her by mesme ric passes, &c., but entirely in vain. The spirit of Mr. Č. was then appealed to, to release her, and in a few moments her arm was released from its position. This lady, notwithstanding her skepticism, was of an impressible and spiritual constitution. Cornell (who died summer before last) was an efficient and zealous cultivator of mesmerism, and indefatigable operator and eager in the promotion and diffusion of spiritual science. It is reasonable to suppose that in the spiritual world he would be much interested in the spiritual demonstrations now in progress, and disposed to take an active part.

Mr.

On several occasions it is stated, that persons have been magnetized by a spiritual influence, believed to be that of Mr.

Cornell. It has even been stated, that on one occasion, a lady, after being thus spiritually mesmerized, became as it were identified with Mr. C., speaking in his name, as though his spirit had taken possession of her body, and thus faithfully personating his mental peculiarities.

I have not yet witnessed any spiritual communication by the rapping process except on one occasion, but design hereafter to give the whole subject a thorough personal investigation.

An intelligent and cautious observer (Mr. B., of Cincinnati,) who arrived a short time since from Rochester, informed me that when he called at the scene of spiritual communications, (the presence of the Fox family,) he was placed in communication with the spirit of his deceased brother, who answered his questions freely. Desirous of testing the communications rigidly, he was preparing certain test questions to try the spirit, when he was suddenly pushed back from the table by an invisible power, (pushing against his knee) thus putting an end to all doubts of its reality. This gentleman was also present at a remarkable interview between the spirits and a gentleman who had killed his wife. Mr. B. recognized the gentleman upon his entrance, and was the only one present who knew him, but concealed his knowledge to give a fairer opportunity for the experiment. The following statement has been furnished by Mr. B. for publication, as a description of incidents occurring about the last of September, at the house of Mrs. Fish, in Rochester; in publishing it, however, I have thought proper to suppress the name of the principal party, as I presume he would not desire to have it published.

The company being seated around the table, Mr.

was the first to ask ques

tions; and had already communicated with his child of three years old, with his mother, and perhaps some others, when his mother, or that which purported to be her spirit, spelled out by the alphabet as follows:-"There is another spirit for whom you have neglected to call."

Mr.

Mr.

"Is that spirit present?" Answer: "Yes."

: "Who is it?" Answer, by the spirit: "Your wife-she loves and watches over you still." (Sensation.)

Answer: "No." (Great

"Is that your opinion, sir?"

Answer, by Mr.

::

Mr. -: "Did you love me when in this life?" interest manifested by the persons present.) Mrs. Fish to Mr. "Yes." Afterwards, when the question as to her having loved him was repeated, a very slight tap was heard, which was understood to signify that she had loved him a very little. The next was this, by the spirit: "I regret my conduct towards you, my husband.” (Tears glistening in the eyes of several.)

Mrs. Fish to the spirit: "Do you love him now better than when living here?" Emphatic answer: "Yes, yes."

Mrs. Fish: "Are you one of his guardian spirits?" Answer: "Yes." Mr. "Was I responsible for everything that occurred?" No immediate, or satisfactory answer, Mr. in the meantime pressing, or repeating the question, "Was I responsible? Responsible, or not responsible?'" The spirit at length spelled out these words: "My fault should not have caused your sin."

It subsequently indicated Mr.

-'s initials, and, with his concurrence, the writer (being the only one present who knew the facts) announced the name to the company. VOL. II.-I

There is something very beautiful in all this-a sublime illustration of the Christian law of love, which so few appreciate or practice.

In the Spirit Messenger of October, is published the following remarkable document, in which we see again the same beautiful moral. The law of universal love, which is the very essence and vitality of Christianity according to the declarations of Christ himself, is most admirably enforced in these spiritual communications.

PROF. WEBSTER AND DR. PARKMAN.

Rochester, N. Y., September 23d, 1850. MESSRS. MUNN & AMBLER:- The undersigned have been directed, by the authors of the following communication, to forward the same to you for publication in the "Spirit Messenger." In doing so, we would simply state that the subject matter was unsolicited on our part, and that we assume no other responsibility than to vouch for its correctness, as we received it through the medium of the alphabet. Several other persons were present at different periods during the communication, but not to witness the whole of it. The authors have prohibited the publication of several interrogatories and responses for the present, which might, perhaps, be interesting to the reader. They also authorized the parenthetic and emphatic passages, carefully revising the whole communication, as they desired it to appear before the public. It has been ear aim to be scrupulously correct — to refrain from asking any questions which might elicit responses incongruous with the design of the communicators; in short, to let them say what they pleased, and in their own words. When they were ready, we were ready, and noted down each letter of every word indicated by the electrical vibrations; and when they had done, we were done also. Of the character of the communication—its expression of the persons whom it represents-the reader can judge for himself. Neither of us had the slightest personal acquaintance with them, and we certainly should feel great reluctance against being the instruments of wounding the feelings of those most tenderly affected by this communication. A. REYNOLDS, C. HAMMOND.

HOUSE OF MRS. FISH,
Rochester, N. Y., September 7th, 1850. Š

The spirit of Prof. Webster said: "We are ready."
Question, by Mrs. Fish: "Will the spirit of Prof. Webster give us his signal?"
"Yes."--I-III-I.

"Will the spirit of Dr. Parkman give us his signal?"

"Yes."-III-II-III-I.

Prof. Webster then said: "My friends, it will be gratifying to you and our families to know that we are forgiven by our Father in heaven. He is more willing to forgive than erring mortals are willing to allow. There are many extenuating circumstances on both sides. All our difficulties are settled. We will not speak of things that would only cause unpleasant feelings, for the present; but on some future occasion, we will converse more freely. You must wait five minutes."

The spirit of Dr. Parkman then said: “I am Dr. Parkman. We are happy now. Our sins are forgiven. I endorse all he (Prof. W.) has said."

Question, by Mrs. Fish: "Have you any special object in view in making these communications?" Answer: "Yes; our afflicted families need all your sympathies. Heaven is merciful, and they will be sustained in their day of affliction. All is wel. We are happy now that you have taken this subject in hand, and this will eventually benefit mankind. To be continued next Wednesday, at eight o'clock, P. M. Now, my dear friends, remember Wednesday night."

Met agreeably to appointment, and at precisely eight o'clock the sounds and signals were heard, when, without a question, the spirit of Prof. Webster communicated as follows: "You have met on an errand of mercy. You will not fail to obey God's