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The Spiritist Review - Journal of Psychological Studies - 1863 > July > New Spiritist journal in Sicily
We have the pleasure to announce the appearance of a new vehicle of Spiritism in Palermo, Sicily, published in Italian under the title The Spiritism, or Journal of Experimental Psychology.
The multiplication of specialized journals in this matter is an unequivocal indication of the terrain that has been conquered by the new ideas despite, or even better, due to the attacks that are carried out against them. These ideas that have been implanted in all corners of the world in a few years, count on numerous and serious representatives in Italy. In that homeland of intelligence, as everywhere else whoever probes their reach understands, they contain all elements of progress; that they hold the flag under which all peoples will one day congregate; that they are the only ones capable of resolving the fearsome problems of the future and in a way that satisfies reason. Our sympathetic acknowledgement is naturally extensive to every publication of such a nature, prone to second our efforts in the great and laborious task that we undertake. The following letter that accompanied the journal announces, at the same time, the formation of the Spiritist Society of Palermo, under the title Società Spiritista de Palermo.
“Sir,
A new Spiritist Society has just been formed here in Palermo under the presidency of Mr. Joseph Vassallo Paleologo. It already becoming popular: The Spiritism, or Journal of Experimental Psychology whose two initial editions have just been issued. Kindly accept a sample that I take the liberty of offering you the one who has been given the task of advancing humanity through the new ideas under the providential impulse of Spiritism.
Yours sincerely, etc.
Paolo Morello,
Professor of History and Philosophy, University of Palermo
Each number of the journal begins by the citation of some aphorisms in the form of epigraphs extracted from The Spirits’ Bookand The Mediums’ Book, like for example:
“If Spiritism is a mistake it will fall by itself; if it is a truth not even all diatribes of the world will be able to turn it into a lie.”
“It is a mistake to believe that certain classes of unbelievers only need to see the phenomena in order to be convinced. The ones who do not admit the soul or the Spirit cannot admit it outside of the body. That is how by denying the cause they deny the effect.”
“Frivolous meetings have a serious inconvenience to rookie attendees because they give them a false idea of Spiritism.” We add: and that, while not frivolous, are not held with the proper order and dignity.”
The first number contains an exposition of principles in the form of manifesto from which we extracted the following passages:
“Every science is founded on two points: facts and theory. According to what we have read and seen we are in a position to affirm that Spiritism has the materials and qualities of a science because on one side it stands on peculiar facts that result from experience and observation, absolutely like any other experimental science, and on the other side it stands on its theory, logically deduced from the observation of the facts.”
“Considering it from the facts or from the theory Spiritism has not come out of a human brain but it derives from the very nature of things. Given the creation of intelligences, as well as the spiritual existence, what has received the name of Spiritism presents itself as a necessity from which and given the current condition of science and humanity we are witnesses rather than judges, a necessity that generates a complex fact that needs to be seriously studied before being assessed. Everyone is free to not study it but that does not give anybody the right of mocking those who do.”
“The founding society of this journal does not intent to promote its belief or its doctrine. Since it is convinced that there is nothing that belong less to human invention than Spiritism the Society then proposes to expose the doctrine but not to impose it. The Society reserves itself, in fact, the entire freedom of examination and the most complete independence of conscience in the appreciation of the facts, not allowing itself to be influenced by the opinion of any individual or any corporation. It is only through the honesty of the facts that it becomes responsible before its own conscience, before God and men.”
The following communication that holds the signature The Dante, extracted from the second issue, bears witness of the nature of the teachings given to that society.
The multiplication of specialized journals in this matter is an unequivocal indication of the terrain that has been conquered by the new ideas despite, or even better, due to the attacks that are carried out against them. These ideas that have been implanted in all corners of the world in a few years, count on numerous and serious representatives in Italy. In that homeland of intelligence, as everywhere else whoever probes their reach understands, they contain all elements of progress; that they hold the flag under which all peoples will one day congregate; that they are the only ones capable of resolving the fearsome problems of the future and in a way that satisfies reason. Our sympathetic acknowledgement is naturally extensive to every publication of such a nature, prone to second our efforts in the great and laborious task that we undertake. The following letter that accompanied the journal announces, at the same time, the formation of the Spiritist Society of Palermo, under the title Società Spiritista de Palermo.
“Sir,
A new Spiritist Society has just been formed here in Palermo under the presidency of Mr. Joseph Vassallo Paleologo. It already becoming popular: The Spiritism, or Journal of Experimental Psychology whose two initial editions have just been issued. Kindly accept a sample that I take the liberty of offering you the one who has been given the task of advancing humanity through the new ideas under the providential impulse of Spiritism.
Yours sincerely, etc.
Paolo Morello,
Professor of History and Philosophy, University of Palermo
Each number of the journal begins by the citation of some aphorisms in the form of epigraphs extracted from The Spirits’ Bookand The Mediums’ Book, like for example:
“If Spiritism is a mistake it will fall by itself; if it is a truth not even all diatribes of the world will be able to turn it into a lie.”
“It is a mistake to believe that certain classes of unbelievers only need to see the phenomena in order to be convinced. The ones who do not admit the soul or the Spirit cannot admit it outside of the body. That is how by denying the cause they deny the effect.”
“Frivolous meetings have a serious inconvenience to rookie attendees because they give them a false idea of Spiritism.” We add: and that, while not frivolous, are not held with the proper order and dignity.”
The first number contains an exposition of principles in the form of manifesto from which we extracted the following passages:
“Every science is founded on two points: facts and theory. According to what we have read and seen we are in a position to affirm that Spiritism has the materials and qualities of a science because on one side it stands on peculiar facts that result from experience and observation, absolutely like any other experimental science, and on the other side it stands on its theory, logically deduced from the observation of the facts.”
“Considering it from the facts or from the theory Spiritism has not come out of a human brain but it derives from the very nature of things. Given the creation of intelligences, as well as the spiritual existence, what has received the name of Spiritism presents itself as a necessity from which and given the current condition of science and humanity we are witnesses rather than judges, a necessity that generates a complex fact that needs to be seriously studied before being assessed. Everyone is free to not study it but that does not give anybody the right of mocking those who do.”
“The founding society of this journal does not intent to promote its belief or its doctrine. Since it is convinced that there is nothing that belong less to human invention than Spiritism the Society then proposes to expose the doctrine but not to impose it. The Society reserves itself, in fact, the entire freedom of examination and the most complete independence of conscience in the appreciation of the facts, not allowing itself to be influenced by the opinion of any individual or any corporation. It is only through the honesty of the facts that it becomes responsible before its own conscience, before God and men.”
The following communication that holds the signature The Dante, extracted from the second issue, bears witness of the nature of the teachings given to that society.