Level: B.A/ B.B.S || Lesson 36 Science And The “Spirits” (John Tyndall F.R.S., England 1820-1893)
Words Meaning
Spirit = soul
Phenomena = event
Urge = request
Sketch = article
Attempt = make effort
Conduct = guide
Unbelief = doubt
By no means = not at all
Accumulation = collection
Manifestation = appearance
Preconceived = predetermined
Notion = concept
Testimony = evidence
Underlie = basis
Séance = contact with dead body
Veracity = truth
Trickery = deception
Suspicion = doubt
Hospitable = welcoming
Delicate = weak
Impel = force
Proclaim = say publicly
Emit = send to
Blush = feel ashamed
Luminous = bright
Render = make
Possession = ownership
Stammer = stutter
Rapport = deal with
Resume = start again
Exhausted = tired
Disconcerted = disturbed
Weary = tried
Vibrate = hake
Candid = honest
Warm-hearted = kind person
Serve = serious
Dwell upon = think
Unveil = get nothing
Render = make
Firmly = tightly
Allege = declare
Prevail = triumph
Scarcely = hardly
Nip = pinch
Intentionally = deliberately
Perplexity = confusion
Puzzled = confused
Remark = say
Frame of mind = mental condition
Loquacity = talkativeness
Dub call
Devise = plan
Callous = cruel
Feebleness = weakness
Bear in mind = consider
Perusal = examination
Tender = soft
Commence = begin
Levity = light heartedness
Summary
Once John Tyndall was invited to dinner party where he saw many guests and there was a communication with Spirit. John Tyndall was asked to look into the spiritual phenomena by Faraday thought Tyndall didn’t believe in such things. He was invited to nearly village of London city. Tyndall arrived at séance where his host, host’s wife a gentlemen were already there.
They were waiting for ‘Medium’. When medium comes, they started their conversations on strange things. Medium is believed to talk to spirit. One of them says she can read minds but when Tyndall askes hi what he is thinking, then she keeps silence. The Medium-a lady tells them she becomes sick when she is close to magnet. Tyndall had a magnet but she wasn’t ill. Then the table was pushed. When the table was pushed, they said it was pushed by spirit. But Tyndall said the pushing of table and sounds form the table were one by participants. Tyndall concludes that these spiritual phenomena are out of reason. They also asked to spell the name of the writer. The spirit would knock the letter if it was right. The writer had a letter ‘P’. He was called poet science. But the writer didn’t believe in them.
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Four Levels of Interpretation
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Literal Comprehension
Once John Tyndall was invited to dinner party where he saw many guests and there was a communication with Spirit. John Tyndall was asked to look into the spiritual phenomena by Faraday thought Tyndall didn’t believe in such things. He was invited to nearly village of London city. Tyndall arrived at séance where his host, host’s wife a gentlemen were already there.
They were waiting for ‘Medium’. When medium comes, they started their conversations on strange things. Medium is believed to talk to spirit. One of them says she can read minds but when Tyndall askes hi what he is thinking, then she keeps silence. The Medium-a lady tells them she becomes sick when she is close to magnet. Tyndall had a magnet but she wasn’t ill. Then the table was pushed. When the table was pushed, they said it was pushed by spirit. But Tyndall said the pushing of table and sounds form the table were one by participants. Tyndall concludes that these spiritual phenomena are out of reason. They also asked to spell the name of the writer. The spirit would knock the letter if it was right. The writer had a letter ‘P’. He was called poet science. But the writer didn’t believe in them.
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Interpretation
The writer tries to show spiritualism has nothing to do our life but science has given us all the knowledge about the universe but spiritualism leads us towards darkness. If we want to know reality, we should go through science process. Once should seek conclusion only though empirical method of learning. Preconceived ideas are dangerous because they don’t allow us to learn what reality is.
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Critical Thinking
To some extent I completely agree with the writer that spiritualism has nothing to do with our life. But science has become boon for us. It has given knowledge about the surrounding. But spiritualism is also helpful make people faithful. It provides us peace and satisfaction. Peace and satisfaction are greater than anything else. The writer only gives importance to science but science has also brought destruction to the world. We have seen the people who believe in materialism, have always stress and tension in their mind. Next thing Tyndall says that he was invited to the party where they talked with spirit but it is not possible for ordinary human beings.
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Assimilation
When I read this essay, it reminded me a day. It was month of Aswin. My uncle, a priest and I went to the temple taking kid of a goat. We had gone there to sacrifice the kid to please Goddess Durga. The priest performed ritual performances and sprinkled some drops of water on its head. When it shook its head then the priest said that God allowed them to sacrifice. After that my uncle scarified the small kid in front of the temple.
Possible Questions
- Did Tyndall approach the séance with an open-mind about the existence of spirits, or did he make up his mind in advance?
- What do you find particularly humorous about Tyndall’s essay? Does the humor contain with him in some elements of satire? If so, who are this elements directed against?
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