Many people have an irresistible fascination with the supernatural, and as a result, when normal life fails to excite, the paranormal captivates. The allure of the unknown fuels this addiction, driving businesses to capitalise on the intrigue surrounding unexplained phenomena.
Seers, psychics and prophets have shared insights about our planet and solar system, but their “spirit guides” often contradict one another. For spiritualists, these entities are typically seen as spirits or guides, often deceased relatives, while religious individuals view them as angels or messengers from God.
Dr Isaac K. Funk (1839-1912) was ordained as a Lutheran pastor. In 1872, he moved to a career in publishing, as he became interested in psychical research (around the 1890s to early 1900s). Funk was convinced that spiritualism could be harmonised with both religious belief and scientific inquiry, .1
Funk suggested that contradiction or “lack of harmony” arises because the spirits may not be truthful, as he illustrates differences in visions of the planet Mars,
“Note this lack of harmony: Through one medium of remarkable power and, to my mind, unqualified honesty, a spirit described to me with great particularity his trip to the planet Mars; he described the inhabitants, their civilization as further advanced than ours, the fauna, the flora—all this from personal observation. Some time afterward, through another medium equally creditable, another spirit told me of his trip to Mars, telling me that he found it wholly uninhabited, and practically destitute of animal and vegetable life. I informed this latter intelligence of what the other spirit had assured me he had found true in his trip to that ruddy planet. His reply was: “I can not help what he said. I am telling you what I know.”
Some “spirits” assure me that there are animals and flowers and trees galore on the spirit plateaus, connected with the earth; others tell me there are not. Some tell me they have there hospitals, schools, and churches; others the reverse. Some tell me no one in the spirit realm believes in what we here call God; others that He is preached and believed in far more there than here.“
According to Funk, it is an undeniable fact that even those “spirits” claiming to be the most advanced of spiritual beings present such conflicting statements, that achieving any form of agreement among them is completely unfeasible.2
The Discerning of Spirits
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” – 1 John 4:1
A call for discernment is especially relevant when evaluating spiritual claims, visions, and prophetic authority. John urges testing spirits to avoid deception, which Funk applies by questioning the truthfulness of spirits’ claims. Conflicting visions of Mars or the spirit realms suggest that some spirits may be false, either deliberately misleading or simply mistaken.
In the mid-1800s, “visionists” among Methodists and other revivalist groups often had experiences that included enthusiastically falling down, becoming still, and shouting messages. This was a time of great interest in the supernatural and strong religious excitement, with many prophets, often single young women, entering trances during gatherings.
Mrs Goodridge’s enthusiasm was like the rest of them, obviously not single, had a husband who defended and promoted her most fiercely. She was prone to extravagant fits, shouting, jumping, screaming and “denouncing the brethren” etc (Daystar Feb 7, 1846)
Those who were “slain in the spirit” sometimes jumped up to share a vision or message from God. This was accompanied by loud singing, praises, shouting at the devil, faith healings, “Holy” laughter, crawling on the floor, speaking in tongues and generally disturbing the neighbours late at night! Sometimes the police would be called.
During this period several notable visionaries arose, all vying for attention in a culture where visions and enthusiastic manifestations were common. All claimed profound visions from God. Most did not have access to a wide audience, printing presses or influential men with financial resources. Those who became most notable had the mentorship of men who were keen to use the visions as confirmation of their own ambitions. There were many others whose impact was silenced due to intense competition and lack of resources, their visions and voices becoming mere shadows in history.
Importance of Verification
In The Survival of Man (1909), Sir Oliver Lodge, a British physicist and spiritualist, emphasised the need for critical evaluation of spiritual or mediumistic messages, warning against accepting all communications as divine truth.3 This aligned with Funk’s approach, as both sought to filter out unreliable or subjective spirit reports, especially those lacking verifiable facts.
Funk believed that visions or dreams must contain verifiable facts otherwise unknown to the medium to be considered supernormal. The Mars accounts fail this test, as no vision (inhabited or barren) could be verified in Funk’s time, given the lack of evidence about Mars’ surface which was only resolved by NASA’s Mariner 9 mission in 1971, confirming Mars’ lifelessness.
In the 19th and early 20th Centuries Mars’ true nature was unknown, making mediumistic claims speculative and untestable. Modern psychical research, building on Funk’s and Lodge’s work, demonstrates the need for double-blind experiments to eliminate subconscious influences. For example, the SPR’s studies on clairvoyance required mediums to provide specific, verifiable details (e.g., names, dates) to rule out chance or imagination,4 a standard Funk applied but found lacking in the Mars visions.
Subconscious Influences
According to James Hyslop in his book “Contact from the Other World“, many visions and hallucinations stem from the subconscious and can be traced to prior experiences, so supernormal dreams or visions cannot be confirmed unless the influence of these experiences is removed. We can only consider dreams or visions valid if they contain verifiable facts unknown to the individual.5
In Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD), the secondary personality may be aware of the primary self, but in some cases, both can have amnesia. If phenomena that seem spiritistic can be attributed to dual personalities, one should reject the notion of spiritual influence. Many secondary personalities do not suggest the existence of spirits, and if spirit agency claims can be explained by normal experiences, the concept of spirits loses validity. Objections to these claims often indicate subconscious influences, demonstrating that dual personality reflects the subconscious mind.
For example – one personality might make an observation, or read a book, which is now stored in their subconscious, but the other personality is completely unaware of the observation or the book, thus attributing the subconscious knowledge to external spiritual forces. This is called Split Consciousness and Misattributed Insight, in cases of Dissociative Identity Disorder or less extreme forms of compartmentalised memory. One personality or mental state may absorb information (like reading a book or witnessing an event) that another personality is totally unaware of. Later, when that knowledge surfaces, it feels alien. The person will deny the event ever too place and may attribute it to external spiritual sources, such as divine inspiration, spirit guides, or even demonic influence. The person obviously cannot recognise their psychological condition and cannot be said to be deliberately dishonest.
Whether from the subconscious or the spiritual realm, Funk did acknowledge that, when spirits are involved, they are not always trustworthy. In the murky terrain of apparitions and impressions, discernment is important. John urges in unmistakable clarity, “Try the spirits whether they are of God,” for not every whisper from beyond deserves our ear. Some are but noise in spiritual disguise.
Footnotes:
- Dr Isaac K. Funk’s work, such as The Widow’s Mite and Other Psychic Phenomena (1904), reflects his investigations into spiritualism and paranormal phenomena during this period. ↩︎
- The psychic riddle, Funk, Isaac K, 1907. p. 203, 204. ↩︎
- The Survival of Man: A Study in Unrecognised Human Faculty (1909) ↩︎
- The SPR’s journal and archives contain numerous case studies where accuracy of details was cross-checked with living witnesses or historical records. For further information – Psi Encyclopedia and the SPR Journal include detailed reports and analyses of clairvoyant sessions, often with commentary on the reliability of information provided. ↩︎
- Contact with the Other World, Hyslop, James H.,1919. p. 59 ↩︎
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