Ask a Question - or - Return to the Faith and Spirituality Forum Index

Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Fr. Thurston's book	Linda	Saturday, May 5, 2007
Question: Dear Bro. Ignatius; In a book catolog from "Roman Catholic Books" (Fort Collins, CO) there is a book advertised called "The Physical Phenomena of Mysticism by Fr. Herbert Thurston, S.J. I gather it was out of print but is now reprinted. Have you ever read this book? Is it good to read? In one of the book reviews it states "One by one he examines the wonder of levitation, stigmata, telekinesis....., luminous phenomena, human salamander, to mention but a few...." I have read of saints levitating and having the stigmata but have any had telekinesis,which this book defines as "movement of a body without material connection with the moving cause" and what is a "human salamander?
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Linda: I moved your question to the Faith and Spirituality Forum since it seem to fit better here than in the Spiritual Warfare Forum. No, I am not familiar with that book. There is a book by the same name currently on the bookshelves, but that is by a different author. There is documentation of levitation, stigmata, and even bi-location by some of the saints. Padre Pio, who also had the stigmata, was reported to have bi-located. Bi-Location is a person being in two distant places at once. It is a phenomenon of a person's "spirit," I suppose, appearing in a different place than where their body is at. In New Age circles this is called Astral Projection. Padre Pio was reportedly seen in a location different from where he was phsyically at the time. Off the top of my head I am not familiar with any saints who have experienced telekinesis, but I suppose that is possible. The Human Salamander I think is a reference to the phenomenon of a person being engulfed in fire and yet not getting burned. There is an instance of that recorded in Scripture with the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the book of Daniel chapter three. The reason why this phenomenon is called a human salamander has something to do with an old fable about salamanders. I am not sure of the story. Though I do know that this fable was exploited by Carnivals especially back in the 1800s. Carnival performers, called Human Salamanders, would perform various tricks with fire to astonish the crowds. One noted performer, for example, would hold two steaks in his hands and then place his hands in flames. The steaks would cook, but his hands remained unhurt. This was accomplished through trickery, of course. Anyway, I think this phenomenon of a person engulfed in flames but unhurt is what is referred to with the reference to Human Salamander. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Fr. Thurston's book

Linda

Saturday, May 5, 2007

Question:

Dear Bro. Ignatius;

In a book catolog from "Roman Catholic Books" (Fort Collins, CO) there is a book advertised called "The Physical Phenomena of Mysticism by Fr. Herbert Thurston, S.J. I gather it was out of print but is now reprinted. Have you ever read this book? Is it good to read? In one of the book reviews it states "One by one he examines the wonder of levitation, stigmata, telekinesis....., luminous phenomena, human salamander, to mention but a few...." I have read of saints levitating and having the stigmata but have any had telekinesis,which this book defines as "movement of a body without material connection with the moving cause" and what is a "human salamander?

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Linda:

I moved your question to the Faith and Spirituality Forum since it seem to fit better here than in the Spiritual Warfare Forum.

No, I am not familiar with that book. There is a book by the same name currently on the bookshelves, but that is by a different author.

There is documentation of levitation, stigmata, and even bi-location by some of the saints. Padre Pio, who also had the stigmata, was reported to have bi-located. Bi-Location is a person being in two distant places at once. It is a phenomenon of a person's "spirit," I suppose, appearing in a different place than where their body is at. In New Age circles this is called Astral Projection. Padre Pio was reportedly seen in a location different from where he was phsyically at the time.

Off the top of my head I am not familiar with any saints who have experienced telekinesis, but I suppose that is possible.

The Human Salamander I think is a reference to the phenomenon of a person being engulfed in fire and yet not getting burned. There is an instance of that recorded in Scripture with the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the book of Daniel chapter three.

The reason why this phenomenon is called a human salamander has something to do with an old fable about salamanders. I am not sure of the story. Though I do know that this fable was exploited by Carnivals especially back in the 1800s. Carnival performers, called Human Salamanders, would perform various tricks with fire to astonish the crowds. One noted performer, for example, would hold two steaks in his hands and then place his hands in flames. The steaks would cook, but his hands remained unhurt. This was accomplished through trickery, of course.

Anyway, I think this phenomenon of a person engulfed in flames but unhurt is what is referred to with the reference to Human Salamander.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum