Science and the “Spirits” John Tyndall

Science and the “Spirits”

John Tyndall, England (1820-1893)

a.      Write the summary of the essay “Science and the Spirits”.

In this essay “Science and the Spirits” the writer has utilized scientific methods to examine the supernatural events that scientists generally don’t do. Once the writer was invited in a dinner party where the incident of contacting with spirit took place. He tried his best whether applying scientific methodologies would fit to spiritual aspects or not. The attendants were the writers host (landlord), his wife a gentleman named x and writer himself.

When all of them sat at the dinner table they started to have wonderful narratives and talks. “Medium” (lady who could contact with supernatural power) arrived. The writer asked the lady who he was thinking then. But she couldn’t answer. Writer made second test with magnet Because Medium used to be ill because of magnet. When the writer was with magnet but she was feeling well then. Then she felt ashamed. Then she claimed that she could see waves of light coming from. The sun. When the writer asked her if she could count the waves, she was answerless. Sooner a knock heard then the writer was told that the spirit was knocking with meaning. When the writer kept a wineglass upside down then a buzzing sound produced they said it was sound made by the spirit. The table was pushed and knocked by one person then they (Participants) believed that was made by spirit. The writer stopped making movement of leg then there was not presence of spirits otherwise there was presence of spirit for spiritual believers. The writer found out their dilemma of spiritualism but he didn’t open up the secrecy because they would be angry otherwise. Moreover, the writer was made confused by spelling name by spirit with knock that writer made spirit silent. The writer found two groups of people in that dinner party.

(a) Who didn’t need proof (b) and who didn’t like to be undeceived? He said science-controlled weeds of superstitions got giving mental soil to be grown. Scientific reason is far away from the intoxicated soul or belief even then people are living with dilemma and delusion yet this has not completely damaged our mental capacity.

c. Make the interpretation of the essay “Science and the Sprits”.

 This essay may be trying to focus on the ideas of scientific reasoning and delusive spiritualism. The writer is against the concept of so-called spiritualism. Many people are busy in making others confused with proof less thinking. Anyway we should reject any of the concept spiritualism or what so ever. Experiment or analysis done with positive mind without any preconception may lead someone to find out ground reality. Some proof less concept may be dangerous. We shouldn’t be cheated by other in the name of any concept rather we must utilize our logical mind in each and every step of our dealing and experience.

People can be free from any type of dilemma and disbeliefs when they use their critical mind in every thinking and dealing. Weak-minded people sometimes be lured by such whimsical beliefs and trapped by them. These spiritualists are far away from the reasoning mind. Actually, there is no presence of spiritual agents rather it is false beliefs of human beings who have no scientific thinking and logical mind. So far scientific investigations with their number of experimenting devices are concerned they have not found out the existence of spirit. The main crux of this essay is that people must be social scientific and critical in every aspect of life so that they can hardly be the victims of so called spiritualism. Then they can have life with objective and concrete experiences.

d. What is your overall view of humanity? Are people interested in truth or are they interested in believing what they wish to believe? Do you agree with writer Tyndall “Science and the Spirits” that human beings have weak mind?

I am fully agreed with the writer about his concept that human beings have weak minds. They are interested in believing what they wish to believe. All people don’t think critically. They mean all people have no trust on truth and objectivity.

Scientists like people are more interested in truth. But there are other large numbers of people who believe what they wish to believe. They have faith on ghost, spirits, communication with supernatural forces, etc. about which they themselves are not sure. Such people have few logic yet they are not scientific. On the basis of narrow thinking and very few unproved reasoning they make any concept. Such low-based minded people are easily cheated by false concept. If they are told about their mind and the concept about far away things they are very much satisfied. In any incident such people justify the cause of event that is unproved. With their narrow concept and low-based cause of incident they have evaluated of the events and drawn the shallow conclusion: