the unknown guest(陌生客)-第14章
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preparing to smile in our turn。 For the rest； I grant that； thus presented；
hastily and summarily； without the details that throw light upon them and
the proofs that support them； the incidents in question do not show to
advantage and； inasmuch as they are isolated and sparingly chosen； lose
all the weight and authority derived from the compact and imposing mass
whence they are arbitrarily detached。 As I said above； nearly a thousand
cases have been collected； representing probably not the tenth part of those
which a more active and general search might bring together。 The number
is evidently of importance and denotes the enormous pressure of the
mystery； but； if there were only half a dozen genuine casesand Dr。
Maxwell's； Professor Flournoy's； Mrs。 Verrall's； the Marmontel； Jones and
Hamilton cases and some others are undoubtedly genuinethey would be
enough to show that； under the erroneous idea which we form of the past
and the present； a new verity is living and moving； eager to come to light。
The efforts of that verity； I need hardly say； display a very different
sort of force after we have actually and attentively read those hundreds of
extraordinary stories which； without appearing to do so； strike to the very
roots of history。 We soon lose all inclination to doubt。 We penetrate into
another world and come to a stop all out of countenance。 We no longer
know where we stand； before and after overlap and mingle。 We no longer
distinguish the insidious and factitious but indispensable line which
separates the years that have gone by from the years that are to come。 We
clutch at the hours and days of the past and present to reassure ourselves；
to fasten on to some certainty； to convince ourselves that we are still in our
right place in this life where that which is not yet seems as substantial； as
real； as positive； as powerful as that which is no more。 We discover with
uneasiness that time； on which we based our whole existence； itself no
longer exists。 It is no longer the swiftest of our gods； known to us only by
its flight across all things： it alters its position no more than space； of
which it is doubtless but the incomprehensible reflex。 It reigns in the
centre of every event； and every event is fixed in its centre； and all that
comes and all that goes passes from end to end of our little life without
moving by a hair's breadth around its motionless pivot。 It is entitled to but
one of the thousand names which we have been wont to lavish upon its
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power； a power that seemed to us manifold and innumerable： yesterday；
recently； formerly； erewhile； after； before； tomorrow； soon； never； later fall
like childish masks； whereas to…day and always completely cover with
their united shadows the idea which we form in the end of a duration
which has no subdivisions； no breaks and no stages； which is pulseless；
motionless and boundless。
11
Many are the theories which men have imagined in their attempts to
explain the working of the strange phenomenon； and many others might
be imagined。
As we have seen； self…suggestion and telepathy explain certain cases
which concern events already in existence； but still latent and perceived
before the knowledge of them can reach us by the normal process of the
senses or the intelligence。 But； even by extending these two theories to
their uttermost point and positively abusing their accommodating elasticity；
we do not succeed in illumining by their aid more than a rather restricted
portion of the vast undiscovered land。 We must therefore look for
something else。
The first theory which suggests itself and which on the surface seems
rather attractive is that of spiritualism； which may be extended until it is
scarcely distinguishable from the theosophical theory and other religious
suppositions。 It assumes the revival of spirits； the existence of discarnate
or other superior and more mysterious entities which surround us； interest
themselves in our fate； guide our thoughts and our actions and； above all；
know the future。 It is； as we recognized when speaking of ghosts and
hanted houses； a very acceptable theory； and any one to whom it appears
can adopt it without doing violence to his intelligence。 But we must
confess that it seems less necessary and perhaps even less clearly proved
in this region than in that。 It starts by begging the question： without the
intervention of discarnate beings； the spiritualists say； it is impossible to
explain the majority of the premonitory phenomena； therefore we must
admit the existence of these discarnate beings。 Let us grant it for the
moment； for to beg the question； which is merely an indefensible trick of
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the superficial logic of our brain； does not necessarily condemn a theory
and neither takes away from nor adds to the reality of things。 Besides； as
we shall insist later； the intervention or non…intervention of the spirits is
not the point at issue； and the crux of the mystery does not lie there。 What
most interest us is far less the paths or intermediaries by which prophetic
warnings reach us than the actual existence of the future in the present。 It
is trueto do complete justice to neospiritualismthat its position offers
certain advantages from the point of view of the almost inconceivable
problem of the preexistence of the future。 It can evade or divert some of
the consequences of that problem。 The spirits； it declares； do not
necessarily see the future as a whole； as a total past or present； motionless
and immovable； but they know infinitely better than we do the numberless
causes that determine any agent； so that； finding themselves at the
luminous source of those causes； they have no difficulty in foreseeing their
effects。 They are； with respect to the incidents still in process of formation；
in the position of an astronomer who foretells； within a second； all the
phases of an eclipse in which a savage sees nothing but an unprecedented
catastrophe which he attributes to the anger of his idols of straw or clay。 It
is indeed possible that this acquaintance with a greater number of causes
explains certain predictions； but there are plenty of others which presume
a knowledge of so many causes； causes so remote and so profound； that
this knowledge is hardly to be distinguished from a knowledge of the
future pure and simple。 In any case； beyond certain limits； the preexistence
of causes seems no clearer than that of effects。 Nevertheless； it must be
admitted that the spiritualists gain a slight advantage here。
They believe that they gain another when they say or might say that it
is still possible that the spirits stimulate us to realize the events which they
foretell without themselves clearly perceiving them in the future。 After
announcing； for instance； that on a certain day we shall go to a certain
place and do a certain thing； they urge us irresistibly to proceed to the spot
named and there to perform the act prophesied。 But this theory； like those
of self…suggestion and telepathy； would explain only a few phenomena and
would leave in obscurity all those cases； infinitely more numerous because
they make up almost the whole of our future； in which either chance
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intervenes or some event in no way dependent upon our will or the spirit's；
unless indeed we suppose that the latter possesses an omniscience and an
omnipotence which take us back to the original mysteries of the problem。
Besides； in the gloomy regions of precognition； it is almost always a
matter of anticipating a misfortune and very rarely； if ever； of meeting with
a pleasure or a joy。 We should therefore have to admit that the spirits
which drag me to the fatal place and compel me to do the act that will
have tragic consequences are deliberately hostile to me and find diversion
only in the spectacle of my suffering。 What could those spirits be； from
what evil world would they arise and how should we explain why our
brothers and friends of yesterday； after passing through the august and
peace…bestowing gates of death； suddenly become transformed into crafty
and malevolent demons？ Can the great spiritual kingdom； in which all
passions born of the flesh should be stilled； be but a dismal abode of
hatred； spite and envy？ It will perhaps be said that they lead us into
misfortune in order to purify us； but this brings us to religious theories
which it is not our intention to examine。
12
The only attempt at an explanation that can hold its own with
spiritualism has recourse once again to the mysterious powers of our
subconsciousness。 We must needs to recognize that； if the future exists to…
day； already such as it will be when it becomes for us the present and the
past； the intervention of discarnate minds or of any other spiritual entity
adrift from another sphere is of little avail。 We can picture an infinite spirit
indifferently contemplating the past and future in their coexistence； we can
imagine a whole hierarchy of intermediate intelligences taking a more or
less extensive part in the contemplation and transmitting it to our
subconsciousness。 But all this is practically nothing more than inconsistent
speculation and ingenious dreami
