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Title: Practical Mind-Reading
A Course of Lessons on Thought-Transference, Telepathy,
Mental-Currents, Mental Rapport, &c.
Author: William Walker Atkinson
Release Date: November 12, 2012 [EBook #41358]
Language: English
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PRACTICAL
MIND-READING
By WILLIAM WALKER ATKINSON
A COURSE OF LESSONS ON
THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE,
TELEPATHY, MENTAL-CURRENTS,
MENTAL RAPPORT, &c.
CONTAINING
Practical Instruction, Exercises, Directions, etc., capable
of being understood, mastered and demonstrated
by any person of average intelligence
PUBLISHED AND SOLD BY
ADVANCED THOUGHT PUBLISHING CO.
168 N. MICHIGAN AVE., CHICAGO, ILL.
LONDON AGENTS:
L.N. FOWLER & CO.,
7 IMPERIAL ARCADE, LUDGATE CIRCUS, E.C.
(Practical Mind Reading)
Copyright 1907, by
THE LYAL BOOK COMPANY
Copyright 1908, by
ADVANCED THOUGHT PUBLISHING CO.
NOTICE--This book is protected by Copyright and simultaneous
publication, in Great Britain, France, Germany, Russia and other
countries. All foreign rights reserved.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LESSON I--THE NATURE OF MIND READING 5
A plain, practical, scientific explanation of this Vast, Mysterious
Subject, explaining the action of Mind upon Mind, and the Mental
Wireless Telegraphy, according to the latest and best authorities.
LESSON II--THE PROOFS OF MIND READING 13
The result of the latest scientific experiments and investigations
regarding this subject; practical proof and indisputable facts.
LESSON III--CONTACT MIND READING 24
Full instruction regarding the "Nerve Currents" passing from the human
Transmitter to the human Receiver; stated so plainly that any one may
instantly grasp the theory and practice.
LESSON IV--DEVELOPMENT EXERCISES 34
How to develop yourself; how to grow proficient in practice; how to find
Locations; how to find Objects; how to perform the necessary elementary
feats, and thus prepare for Public Work.
LESSON V--SIMPLE DEMONSTRATIONS 49
Public or Parlor Demonstrations. Fourteen Practical Demonstrations are
explained; full directions for performing them are given, so that the
student may reproduce the experiments and demonstrations.
LESSON VI--DIFFICULT DEMONSTRATIONS 66
Explanations and instructions given for their performance. The Banknote
Test; the Blackboard Feats; Drawing Pictures; Telepathic Chess and
Checkers, etc., described, explained, and full instructions given for
their reproduction.
LESSON VII--SENSATIONAL FEATS 79
The Driving Feat; the Combination Lock Feat; the Office Detective Feat;
the Postoffice Box Feat, and many other sensational demonstrations
explained, together with an exposure of "Fake Demonstrations."
LESSON VIII--HIGHER PHENOMENA 85
Demonstrations without contact. Development Directions. Long Distance
Experiments. Automatic Writing. Valuable Suggestions and Advice.
LESSON I.
THE NATURE OF MIND READING.
Only a few years ago the general public was in almost total ignorance of
the great truth of Thought Transference, Thought Projection, Telepathy,
or Mind Reading. It is true that here and there were to be found a few
scientists earnestly investigating and eagerly uncovering the hidden
truths concerning the subjects. But the mass of the people were either
entirely ignorant of the subject, or else were intensely skeptical of
any thing concerning the matter, laughing to scorn the daring thinker
who ventured to express his interest or belief in this great scientific
phenomena.
But how different to-day. On all hands we hear of the wonders of Thought
Transference, or Telepathy, as it is called. Scientific men write and
teach of its fascinating manifestations, and even the general public has
heard much of the new science and believes more or less in it, according
to the degree of intelligence and knowledge concerning the subject
possessed by the individual. Listen to these words from the lips of some
of the greatest scientists of the day.
Prof. William James, the eminent instructor at Harvard University, says:
"When from our present advanced standpoint we look back upon the past
stages of human thought, whether it be scientific thought or theological
thought, we are amazed that a universe which appears to us of so vast
and mysterious a complication should ever have seemed to anyone so
little and plain a thing. Whether it be Descartes' world or Newton's;
whether it be that of the Materialists of the last century, or that of
the Bridgewater treatises of our own, it is always the same to
us--incredibly perspectiveless and short. Even Lyell's, Faraday's,
Mill's and Darwin's consciousness of their respective subjects are
already beginning to put on an infantile and innocent look." These
remarks are doubly significant by reason of their having been made by
Prof. James as the president of the "Society for Psychical Research."
The eminent English scientist, Sir William Crookes, in his address as
president of the Royal Society, at Bristol, England, a few years ago,
said: "Were I now introducing for the first time these inquiries to the
world of science, I should choose a starting point different from that
of old, where we formerly began. It would be well to begin with
telepathy; with the fundamental law, as I believe it to be, that
_thoughts and images may be transferred from one mind to another without
the agency of the recognized organs of sense_--that knowledge may enter
the human mind without being communicated in any hitherto known or
recognized ways. Although the inquiry has elicited important facts with
reference to the mind, it has not yet reached the scientific stage of
certainty which would enable it to be usefully brought before one of our
sections. I will therefore confine myself to pointing out the direction
in which scientific investigation can legitimately advance. If telepathy
take place, we have two physical facts--the physical change in the brain
of A. the suggestor, and the analogous physical change in the brain of
B. the recipient of the suggestion. Between these two physical events
there must exist a train of physical causes. Whenever the connecting
sequence of intermediate causes begins to be revealed, the inquiry will
then come within the range of one of the sections of the British
Association. Such a sequence can only occur through an intervening
medium. All the phenomena of the Universe are presumably in some way
continuous, and it is unscientific to call in the aid of mysterious
agencies when with every fresh advance in knowledge, it is shown that
ether vibrations have powers and attributes abundantly equal to any
demand--even the transmission of thought."
Prof. Crookes then went on to say: "It is supposed by some physiologists
that the essential cells of nerves do not actually touch, but are
separated by a narrow gap which widens in sleep while it narrows almost
to extinction during mental activity. This condition is so singularly
like that of a Branly or Lodge coherer (a device which has led Marconi
to the discovery of wireless telegraphy) as to suggest a further
analogy. The structure of brain and nerve being similar, it is
conceivable that there may be present masses of such nerve coherers in
the brain whose special function it may be to receive impulses brought
from without through the connecting sequence of ether waves of
appropriate order of magnitude. Roentgen has familiarized us with an
order of vibrations of extreme minuteness compared with the smallest
waves of which we have hitherto been acquainted, and of dimensions
comparable with the distances between the centers of the atoms of which
the material universe is built up; and there is no reason for believing
that we have here reached the limit of frequency. It is known that the
action of thought is accompanied by certain molecular movements in the
brain, and here we have physical vibrations capable from their extreme
minuteness of acting direct upon individual molecules, while their
rapidity approaches that of the internal and external movements of the
atoms themselves."
A formidable range of phenomena must be scientifically sifted before we
effectually grasp a faculty so strange, so bewildering, and for ages so
inscrutable, as the direct action of mind on mind. It has been said
that nothing worth the proving can be proved, nor yet disproved. True
this may have been in the past, it is true no longer. The science of our
century has forged weapons of observation and analysis by which the
veriest tyro may profit. Science has trained and fashioned the average
mind into habits of exactitude and disciplined perception, and in so
doing has fortified itself for tasks higher, wider and incomparably more
wonderful than even the wisest among our ancestors imagined. Like the
souls in Plato's myth that follow the chariot of Zeus, it has ascended
to a point of vision far above the earth. It is henceforth open to
science to transcend all we now think we know of matter, and to gain new
glimpses of a profounder scheme of Cosmic Law. In old Egyptian days a
well-known inscription was carved over the portal of the Temple of Isis:
'I am whatever has been, is, or ever will be; and my veil no man hath
yet lifted.' Not thus do modern seekers after truth confront Nature--the
word that stands for the baffling mysteries of the Universe. Steadily,
unflinchingly, we strive to pierce the inmost heart of Nature, from what
she is, to reconstruct what she has been, and to prophesy what she yet
shall be. Veil after veil we have lifted, and her face grows more
beautiful, august and wonderful with every barrier that is withdrawn.
Camille Flamarrion, the eminent French astronomer, is a believer in
Thought Transference and Mind Reading, and has written the following
expression of his convictions on this subject: "We sum up, therefore,
our preceding observations by the conclusion that _one mind can act at a
distance upon another, without the habitual medium of words, or any
other visible means of communication_. It appears to us altogether
unreasonable to reject this conclusion if we accept the facts. There is
nothing unscientific, nothing romantic, in admitting that an idea can
influence the brain from a distance. The action of one human being upon
another, from a distance is a scientific fact; it is as certain as the
existence of Paris, of Napoleon, of Oxygen, or of Sirius." The same
authority has also said "There can be no doubt that our psychical force
creates a movement of the ether, _which transmits itself afar like all
movements of ether and becomes perceptible to brains in harmony with our
own_. The transformation of a psychic action into an ethereal movement,
and the reverse, may be analogous to what takes place on a telephone,
where the receptive plate, which is identical with the plate at the
other end, reconstructs the sonorous movement transmitted, not by means
of sound, but by electricity."
We have quoted at length from this eminent authority to show once and
for all that this great science of MIND-READING is recognized, and
approved of by the highest authorities on Modern Science, and also to
give our students the benefit of the current scientific theories upon
the subject. In this work we have but very little to say about theory,
but shall confine ourselves to facts, and actual instruction.
Science knows and has proven that thoughts may be and have been
transmitted from one mind to another, in some cases over thousands of
miles of space, but it has not as yet solved the mystery of the "Why" of
the subject, and contents itself with explaining the "How." The nearest
approach to a correct theory seems to be the one which compares the mind
with the "wireless telegraph," and which supposes that the vibrations of
thought travel through the ether, just as do the waves of this high
order of electricity. The mind of one person acts like a "transmitter"
of the wireless telegraph, while the mind of the other acts as a
"receiver" of the same set of instruments.
There are undoubtedly vibrations set up in the brain when one thinks,
and there are undoubtedly waves of thought just as there are waves of
electricity. Science informs us that there is an increase of temperature
in the human brain during periods of thought-activity, and also that
there are constant chemical changes in the structure going on when the
brain cells are active. This is akin to the generation of electricity
in a battery, and undoubtedly acts in the same way in producing
vibrations, and transmitting them to the brain of another. Sir William
Crookes, in the address just quoted, points out the direction of the
scientific theories concerning the matter. But, this is all that we
shall have to say about the theory of Mind Reading. We shall now pass on
to the actual practical instruction. The student is asked, however, to
always carry in his mind the fact that Mind travels in waves from one
brain to another just as electricity travels from the Transmitter to the
Receiver. By holding this picture in your mind, you will have the whole
practical theory, in condensed form, right before you, so that you may
be able to act accordingly.
LESSON II.
THE PROOFS OF MIND READING.
As we have said in the previous chapter, the general public is gradually
awakening to the knowledge of the reality of Mental Transference, and it
is scarcely necessary to devote the time and space to a proof of the
reality of the phenomena in these days, although a few years ago a work
on the subject would have had to be composed principally of evidences
and proofs. But, nevertheless, it may be well for us to take a hasty
look at the nature of the proof in this work.
Nearly everyone has had evidences of Mind Reading or Thought
Transference in his or her own life. Nearly every one has had
experiences of being in a person's company when one of the two would
make a remark and the other, somewhat startled, would exclaim, "Why,
that's just what I was going to say," or words to that effect. Nearly
every one has had experiences of knowing what a second person was going
to say before the person spoke. And, likewise common is the experience
of thinking of a person a few moments before the person came into sight.
Many of us have suddenly found ourselves thinking of a person who had
been out of our minds for months, or years, when all of a sudden the
person himself would appear. These instances are so common as to be
generally recognized, without question. These occurrences have given
rise to the two common "sayings," viz., "Speak of the devil and his imps
appear," or "Speak of angels and you hear the rustle of their wings."
Mark Twain, in an article printed several years ago, spoke of a plan
that he had frequently practiced, i.e., that of writing a letter to a
person upon some subject, then addressing the envelope and inserting the
letter, and then tearing the whole thing into pieces instead of sending
it. He stated that in a large percentage of such cases he would receive
within a short time a letter from the person to whom the destroyed
letter had been addressed, answering the questions asked, or else
speaking along the same lines as those of the destroyed letter. We have
known of this experiment being tried on people thousands of miles away
from the writer, and also in cases in which the other person had not
been heard of for many years. There is a field open for experiment along
these lines which some of our students might investigate with profit and
satisfaction.
Perhaps the best available evidence of Mind Reading at the disposal of
the public to-day is that found in the records of the English Society
for Psychical Research. The experiments of the members of this Society
and other investigators have resulted in the piling up of a mass of
facts more than sufficient to fully establish the correctness of the
theory of Mind Reading. Series of carefully managed experiments have
been conducted, the results of which have conclusively proven that the
thought-waves set into motion by the mind of one person may be
consciously received by the mind of another. We shall quote here from
the reports of those investigators, in order to show you the important
results that have been obtained, and to set at rest forever any lurking
doubts as to the reality of the phenomena which may still find lodgment
in your mind. Remember, please, that these committees were composed of
some of the leading scientific authorities of England--men whose
standing and reliability, as well as whose judgment, was beyond
question. These cases form a part of the scientific records of the
English Society.
THE CREERY EXPERIMENTS.
One of the interesting series of experiments conducted by members of the
English Society was that of the family of the Rev. A.M. Creery, of
Derbyshire, England. This investigation was made upon hearing the report
of the Rev. Mr. Creery regarding a number of experiments he had
conducted with his four children. He reported that he had begun by
practicing a variation of what is generally known as the "willing game",
in which one of the party leaves the room, and the company selects some
object to be hidden, after which the person is recalled to the room when
the company concentrates its mind upon the hidden object, and the seeker
eventually finds it by means of Mind Reading. The reverend gentleman
said in his report to the Society:
"We began by selecting the simplest objects in the room; then chose
names of towns, people, dates, cards out of a pack, lines from different
poems, etc., any thing or series of ideas that those present could keep
before the mind steadily. The children seldom made a mistake. I have
seen seventeen cards chosen by myself, named right in succession without
any mistake. We soon found that a great deal depended upon the
steadiness with which the ideas were kept before the minds of the
thinkers, and upon the energy with which they willed the ideas to pass.
I may say that this faculty is not confined to the members of one
family; it is much more general than we imagine. To verify this
conclusion I invited two of a neighbor's children to join us in our
experiment, and very excellent results we secured from them."
The Society then began a series of careful investigations extending over
a period of one year. The utmost care was taken to obviate the chance
of fraud, collusion, mistakes, or outside influences. The experiments
were conducted partly in Mr. Creery's house and partly in rooms selected
by the members of the investigating committee. Having selected at random
one of the children, the child would be taken from the room and
accompanied by a member of the committee would wait out of sight or
hearing of the room. The remainder of the committee would then select a
card from a pack, or else write down a name or number which occurred to
them at the moment. The following verbatim report of what followed will
give you an idea of the results generally obtained. The report goes on
to say:
"On re-entering the room the little girl would usually stand with her
face to the wall, placed thus by us. But sometimes she would stand with
her eyes directed toward the ground for a period of silence varying from
a few seconds to a minute, till she called out to us some number, card
or what it might be." The report states that in the case of giving the
names of objects chosen, the child scored six cases out of fourteen. In
the case of naming of small objects held in the hands of members of the
committee, she scored _five out of six_. In the case of naming cards she
scored six out of thirteen. In the case of stating fictitious names
chosen by the committee she scored, at a first trial, five out of ten.
One of the experiments is reported as follows:
"One of the children was sent into an adjoining room, the door of which
was closed. The committee then thought of some object in the house and
wrote the name down on paper. The strictest silence was observed. We
then all silently thought of the name of the thing selected. In a few
seconds the door of the adjoining room opened, and the child would
appear _generally with the object selected_. No one was allowed to leave
the room after the object had been fixed upon; no communication with the
child was conceivable, as her place was often changed. Further, the only
instructions given to the child were to fetch some object in the house
that we would fix upon and would keep in mind to the exclusion of all
other ideas. In this way we wrote down, among other things, a
hairbrush--it was brought; an orange--it was brought; a wine-glass--it
was brought; an apple--it was brought," etc., etc.
The report to the Society sums up the following results: Three hundred
and eighty-two trials were made in the series. In the test of naming the
chosen letters of the alphabet, cards, and numbers of two figures, the
chances against the girl were 21 to 1, 51 to 1, and 89 to 1,
respectively. In the case of stating chosen surnames the odds against
her were very much in excess of the figures just named. In the cases of
the experiments of naming chosen cards it was calculated that a mere
"guesser," according to the law of probability, would be able to
correctly name _but seven and one-third_ out of a total of the three
hundred and eighty-two trials. The actual results obtained by the child
were as follows: On the first attempt, _one hundred and twenty-seven_;
on the second attempt, fifty-six additional; and on the third attempt,
_nineteen additional_--making a grand total of two hundred and two
successes _out of a possible three hundred and eighty-two_! On one
occasion _five cards straight running_ were successfully named on a
first trial. The mathematical chances of a mere "guess" doing this feat,
under the Law of Average, or Probabilities, are estimated at over _a
million to one against the chance_. And this was not merely an isolated,
exceptional case, for there were other "long runs"; for instance, there
were two cases in which runs of _eight straight consecutive successes_
were scored, once with names, and once with cards. In the case of the
eight consecutive cards it has been figured that the chances against the
girl would figure up at least 140,000,000 to 1, according to the Law of
Average and Probabilities. To understand just what this means it may
help you if you will think that the feat was like picking out one chosen
man in a population of one hundred and forty millions, nearly double
the population of the United States. And yet there are people who would
dismiss matters like this with the remark, "mere coincidence"!
The interest in the Creery children attracted the notice of Prof.
Balfour Stewart, LL.D., and Fellow of the Royal Society. This
distinguished gentleman testifies as follows:
"In the first instance, when I was present, the thought-reader was
outside a door. The object or thing thought of was written on paper and
silently handed to the company in the room. The thought-reader was then
called in, and in the course of perhaps a minute the answer was given.
Definite objects in the room, for instance, were first thought of, and
in the majority of cases the answers were correct. These numbers were
thought of and the answers were generally right, but, of course, there
were some cases of error. The names of towns were thought of, and a good
many of these were right. Then fancy names were thought of. I was asked
to think of certain fancy names and mark them down and hand them around
to the company. I then thought of, and wrote on paper, 'Bluebeard,' 'Tom
Thumb,' 'Cinderella,' and the answers were all correct."
Subsequent experiments with the Creery children, at the house of the
well known investigator, Mr. F.W.H. Myers, at Cambridge, England,
proved equally successful. The children, and their ages, were as
follows: Mary, 17; Alice, 15; Maud, 13. The percentage of successes
obtained at Mr. Myers' house tallied very well with those obtained
elsewhere. One remarkable result was obtained, though, that had not been
obtained before. On one occasion the child was asked to name the "suit"
of cards chosen one after another. That is, of course, the child was
asked to name which suit, "hearts," "diamonds," "clubs" or "spades,"
were shown of the card drawn and seen by the committee, and then thought
of. On this occasion the child scored a run of _fourteen straight
running, consecutive successes_. The chances against this success were
4,782,969 to 1.
We will close by mentioning another remarkable series of experiments
conducted by the same Society. The Mind Reader was M.G.A. Smith, of
England. Among other startling feats successfully performed by Mr.
Smith, that of the reproduction of Geometrical Figures was perhaps the
most remarkable. In this feat Mr. Smith sat blindfolded, in a room
belonging to the committee, with a pad of paper before him and a member
of the committee on each side of him. A selected member of the committee
then would go outside of the room, and behind a closed door would draw
some geometrical figure at random. Returning to the room the figure
would be shown to the committee, and also to Mr. Douglas Blackburn, who
acted as the Transmitter for Mr. Smith, the latter being known as the
Receiver. The Transmitter, with closed eyes, now took his position
immediately back of Mr. Smith, but at a distance of two feet from him,
no contact being allowed, this precaution being taken to obviate charges
of confederacy, etc. The Transmitter would then concentrate his mind
intently for a few minutes, and in a short time Mr. Smith would receive
the impression of the mental image in the mind of the Transmitter, and
would begin to attempt to reproduce it on paper. In the series of
experiments running over a period of four days thirty-seven drawings
were made, of which only eight were considered unsuccessful.
_Twenty-nine successes out of a possible thirty-seven, remember._
The committee reports that it took all the precaution to guard against
secret signals, etc., and that confederacy, fraud, collusion, or similar
methods were out of the question. The eight cases of failure consisted
of four cases in which Mr. Smith received no impression, and therefore
could not reproduce the drawing; and four cases in which the drawing was
so vague and imperfect as to be called a total failure. Some of the
figures were grotesque, unusual, and complicated, but all were
reproduced in a more or less perfect manner. The drawing was made
deliberately and without hesitation, and as if Smith had actually seen
the figure shown to the Transmitter a few moments before. On one
occasion, in order to be doubly guarded against collusion, they closed
Mr. Smith's ears with putty, tied a bandage around his eyes and ears,
pulled a bolster-case over his head, and then covered him all over with
a blanket which completely enveloped his body and head. _And under these
extraordinary conditions he reproduced the figures with his usual
success._
We could proceed relating case after case, experiment after experiment,
conducted by these scientific bodies of learned and careful men. But the
story would be no more convincing than that related above. And, after
all, there is a method of satisfying yourself that is far more
conclusive than the reading of any results of experiments of others--and
that is to learn to perform the feats of Mind Reading yourself. By means
of a very little practice you will be able to reproduce many of the
demonstrations of the public performers, as well as the experiments of
the scientific societies, and then when you have realized that you can
do these things you will need no further proof of the reality of the
science of Mind Reading.
LESSON III.
"CONTACT" MIND READING.
Mind Reading is divided by the authorities into two general classes,
viz., "Contact" Mind Reading and "Telepathic" Mind Reading.
The first of these classes, "Contact" Mind Reading, is demonstrated by
physical contact between the Transmitter (or active agent) and the
Receiver (or passive agent) in order to afford an easy channel for the
passage of the vibrations, thought-waves, nerve-currents, or magnetism
of the Transmitter (according to the several theories favored by
scientists). The second class, "Telepathic" Mind Reading, is
demonstrated by the transferral of the "waves," "vibrations,"
"currents," or "magnetism" of the Transmitter to the Receiver over the
ether, through space (often for thousands of miles) without the more
convenient "wires" of the nerves of the two agents.
You will readily see that two classes of phenomena closely resemble the
two classes of telegraphic phenomena, i.e., the "wire" system and the
"wireless" system. There is a striking analogy between electric
phenomena and mental force phenomena all the way through the subject,
and this subject of Mind Reading is simply one of the many forms of the
resemblance.
We shall begin by giving you instructions in the first form--Contact
Mind Reading, as it is the simplest and most easy of accomplishment and
demonstration. And besides, the best Telepathists have been trained by
means of the practice of Contact Mind Reading at the start. One leads to
the other, just as the ordinary wire telegraph naturally led to the
"wireless" system, which is even now but in its infancy.
At this point we wish to point out to you a most grievous error, and
unjust judgment, that certain so-called scientists and investigators
have fallen into regarding this matter of Contact Mind Reading. In order
to give you a clearer idea of the nature of this error, we must call
your attention to the fact that Contact Mind Reading has been given much
publicity through the advertisements and performances of several
celebrated public performers, and their lesser-light imitators.
These performers, like many others, have sought to give an attractive
public entertainment rather than a scientific demonstration, and some of
them have found it much easier to "fake" some of the demonstrations
rather than to perform them according to scientific principles. And the
careful investigators soon discovered that in certain cases there was
no Mind Reading at all, but only a clever imitation which was styled
"Muscle Reading." In other words, instead of the performer receiving his
mental impressions from the mind of the Transmitter, over the nervous
system of other persons, he would push up against him, and by a clever
system of pushing, pulling, leading, and leaning would detect the
muscular movements of the Transmitter, and by careful practice would
learn to interpret these movements so as to get an indication of the
location of the hidden objects and practically be led or pushed toward
the spot. But even in these cases, the performer would of necessity have
to employ more or less genuine Contact Mind Reading to finish the feats.
The only advantage the performer gained by resorting to these unfair
methods was that it was less fatiguing to his mind and enabled him to
"fake" through the performance with less mental wear and tear.
The investigators, easily discovering the above mentioned "faking"
performances, came to the conclusion that the whole thing was a "fake,"
and could be explained by the "muscle reading" theory entirely. And so
the news was spread broadcast, and you will find a number of books
written explaining Contact Mind Reading on this hypothesis. Of course
some of the public may prefer to accept this erroneous theory, but we
wish to say here positively that if any person will honestly
investigate for himself, and will learn to make the demonstrations
personally, he or she will soon discover that "muscle reading" has
nothing to do with the genuine phenomena. The proof of the thing is in
the doing of it, and you may learn the truth for yourself if you will
but try the feats and demonstrations, herein given, just as we teach
them. The result of such practice will cause you to feel with us the
indignation arising from the attempts to belittle a noble scientific
principle, and practice, by an explanation arising from the witnessing
of "fake" imitations of the real thing.
The truth is that the muscles have nothing to do with the passage of the
mental currents or waves from the Transmitter to the Receiver any more
than they have to do with the transmission of nervous sensations from
body to brain, or the motor impulses from brain to body. When you wish
to close your hand you send a nervous current from your brain to the
muscles controlling your hand. The current travels along the nervous
system, and is by it distributed over the muscles causing them to
contract. A current from a galvanic battery will cause the muscles to
act in the same way. But the muscle is the machinery affected and set
into motion, and the nerves are the delicate telegraphic wires leading
to the parts.
And so it is with this transmission of the mental waves and currents.
The brain of the Transmitter, aroused by his active _Will_, sends a
powerful current or wave through his nervous system. When it reaches the
extremity of his fingers it leaps over the tiny space separating his
nerves from the nerves of the Receiver, and enters the nervous system of
the latter, and influences his actions. The Receiver being in a passive
condition, and his brain sending practically no impulses over his
nerves, he is in a receptive condition to the imparted nervous current,
which acts upon him something like an impulse from his own brain, only
weaker. That is the whole secret of Contact Mind Reading. It is "Nerve
Reading" if you like, but certainly _not_ Muscle Reading.
The tips of the fingers of a person of fine sensibilities, and delicate
touch, are known by anatomists to be filled with masses of nerve-matter
similar to that forming parts of the brain. In fact they are tiny
finger-brains, and they will send out, convey, and receive delicate
impulses from one mind to another. Those of you who have experienced the
peculiar touch of some persons of this kind, can bear witness to the
fact that a subtle "magnetism" or current passed from them to you. This
is a fact well known to investigators of psychic phenomena, and such
people laugh at the crude "muscle reading" theories, for they have
disproved them repeatedly in actual careful experiments. And you may do
the same, if you will practice the demonstrations given in this book.
The fact that the developed Contact Mind Reader usually walks ahead of
his Transmitter, instead of being led by him; and that he usually allows
the latter's arm to hang limp, instead of muscularly contracted, is
another proof of the absurdity of the theory above mentioned. Besides
this, wires may be used between the two persons, or even a third person
may be placed between them. But, as we have said, after all the best and
only real test is to try the experiments yourself and learn that "muscle
reading" has nothing to do with the real phenomena.
The experimenter will soon find that when he gets into the work and is
engaged in a search for a hidden object, by means of Mind Reading, he
will forget all about the Transmitter. He will almost forget where he
is, and will feel himself floating and gliding over the floor and
scarcely touching it with his toes. He will find himself drawn or
impelled irresistibly toward the hidden object, as if by some outside
energy or fine force. He will feel the hidden object _drawing him like a
magnet_, and attracting him to the spot. He will forget his audience,
and everything else, in his desire to reach the Centre of Attraction.
These experiences cannot well be explained in print, but the
investigator will soon learn to know them for himself, and he will be
amazed and filled with wonder at the strange psychical phenomena in
which he is taking a principal part.
And, then, and then only will he be able to intelligently reject the
absurd and unjust theories of "muscle reading," and to see the crudeness
of the attempted explanation. He will see that the foolish theory is as
far out of the way as the ignorant person's idea that the telegraph
messages are sent by the wires being "pulled" or "jerked," instead of
being but channels for the passage of the electric fluid, or magnetic
waves. He will class such pretended scientists with those "doubting
Thomases" who, when gas was first introduced in the British House of
Parliament, insisted that the pipes rendered the building unsafe,
because they would become heated by the passage of the light; and who
when the system was seen in actual operation, would gently feel the
pipes with their gloved fingers, wondering why they felt no heat. We
trust that we have said enough to convince you of the ridiculousness of
the "muscle reading" theory, and to give you sufficient interest to
demonstrate the matter for yourself.
Many of our readers have witnessed the public performances of the
several well-known "Contact" Mind Readers who have visited the leading
cities of this country and other lands. Of course, the average public
performer soon discovers that the average patron of his performance
attends principally to be amused, and entertained, rather than to be
instructed. And he is apt to gradually add sensational features to the
performance, for the purpose of thrilling and mystifying the audience,
knowing that by so doing he will better please his patrons than if he
were to give them a strictly scientific demonstration of the science of
Contact Mind Reading as produced in the psychological laboratories of
the great investigators of the subject. Some of these public performers
have even gone so far as to add "fake" features to their performance,
employing confederates, and in other ways introducing unscientific
methods in order to intensify the interest and satisfaction of their
audiences.
But notwithstanding this fact, the average public Mind Reader, in spite
of his sensational additions, generally gives his audience enough of
"the real thing" to render his performance of sufficient scientific
interest to make it worthy of attendance by the earnest student of the
subject. And we believe that the time is approaching when a strictly
scientific performance will prove of sufficient interest to the public
to render it worth while for a new class of entertainers and lecturers
to arise and take the field, instructing the public regarding their
great subject and illustrating their theories by striking experiments
along scientific lines. And we think that this little book will do its
part in the direction of educating the public mind to appreciate such an
entertainment, as well as serving to educate future entertainers for
their life work.
However, in this little book, we shall treat the subject as if a parlor
demonstration was all that is desired, and our instructions and
directions shall be chiefly toward that end, although we wish to say
that any man or woman who will carefully study these instructions and
directions, and who will carefully practice the feats and exercises,
will be able to gradually develop sufficient ability and skill to give a
successful public performance, and perhaps reap a goodly share of fame
and financial reward. The principles of the parlor demonstration, and
the public performance are the same. These same instructions and
directions have been studied and applied by some of the best performers
now before the public, illustrating the wonders of Contact Mind Reading.
So that if any of the students of this work have ambitions in the
direction of public performance, they will find herein the methods
calculated to develop them into a successful public entertainer and
demonstrator.
Anyone may develop himself, or herself, into a good Contact Mind Reader
by practice, and perseverance. As in everything else in life, some will
succeed better than others; and some will find the work easier than do
others, but all may develop quite a respectable degree of proficiency in
a short time. A little careful, conscientious practice and experiment
will accomplish wonders.
Mind Reading feats depend upon the degree of Will and Concentration on
the part of the Transmitter, and upon the degree of Receptivity and
Passivity upon the part of the Receiver. We are taking it for granted
that the student will wish to act as a Receiver (or Performer of the
feat of Mind Reading) rather than as the Transmitter (or person called
upon to have his mind read). And so we shall address him as such, with
this understanding. But we shall also give herein full directions for
the Transmitter, as well, in order to give the student the methods
necessary to act in either capacity, and to also enable him to instruct
the Transmitter in his work. The Receiver should understand the duties
of the Transmitter, in order that the best possible results be obtained,
and the proper harmony and _rapport_ conditions may be established.
LESSON IV.
DEVELOPMENT EXERCISES.
The student should practice privately with the assistance of a few
friends, before he ventures before a parlor audience, for by so doing he
overcomes the first lack of confidence in himself, and the awkwardness
natural to the beginner along any new line of work. By careful and
repeated practice he gains confidence in himself by reason of his
growing success in his experiments, and besides wears off the "rough
edges" of his actions, etc., so that when he finally appears before an
audience he will feel perfectly self-possessed and at ease, and thus be
able to devote his entire attention to his work, without annoying
self-consciousness and awkwardness.
Begin the Development Exercises by selecting one or more friends who are
in sympathy with you, and who are interested in the subject. Do not have
any unsympathetic or uncongenial persons around when you are practicing,
for such people tend to distract your attention from your work, and
really exert a detrimental effect upon the preliminary work. Select one
of your friends as the Transmitter and take the part of the Receiver
yourself.
Begin your practice by establishing a Psychic Harmony, or Rapport,
between yourself and your Transmitter by means of Rhythmic Breathing.
Although this feature of the work has been overlooked by many
investigators of the subject, still it is a very important feature of
the work, and one that is conducive to the production of the very best
results along these lines of psychic demonstrations.
The term "Rapport" is one frequently met with in occult and psychic
books. The word is defined by Webster as "Relation; conformity;
correspondence; sympathetic accord." It is used by occultists in the
sense of: "having harmonious vibrations with another," the occult
teachings being that every person has his or her own rate of mental
vibration which, when in harmonious accord with the vibrations of
another, induces the most favorable conditions for the production of
mental or psychic phenomena, or mental relations; sympathetic
understanding, etc. This "harmonious vibration" does not necessarily
mean that the two persons must be attuned to precisely the same key, but
that their keynotes must harmonize, instead of producing discord. The
comparison of the notes of the musical scale will illustrate the
principle thoroughly. When two persons are in "rapport" with each other,
there is a mental and psychic harmony between them, which is productive
of the best possible mental co-operative work. Hence the necessity of
good rapport conditions in Mind Reading.
Rhythmic Breathing has been known to occultists of all ages as one of
the important adjuncts of Psychic Phenomena, and its use in bringing
about Rapport Relations is thoroughly understood by all Practical
Occultists. Rhythmic Breathing consists in the person breathing in slow
measured regular rhythm. It may be acquired by counting the indrawn
breath, the retained breath, and the outgoing breath, by regular beats
like the ticking of a large clock. For instance, draw in your breath
slowly, counting mentally according to the ticking of an imaginary large
clock: "one--two--three--four." Then hold the breath, counting
"one--two." Then breathe out slowly: "one--two--three--four." The rule
is that the indrawn breath should have the same number of counts as the
outgoing breath, the held-breath taking up but one-half the counts of
either of the others. The above count illustrates this matter. The
advanced occultists get their time-beat from the pulse-beats, but this
is not absolutely necessary in this connection. The principal point
about Rhythmic Breathing that we wish to impress upon you now is that
the two persons, the Transmitter and Receiver, should breathe in unison
with each other--that is in perfect time and rhythm. This breathing in
unison will soon establish the very best possible rapport conditions
between them. From four to seven Rhythmic Breaths will be sufficient to
establish the proper conditions in ordinary cases. In the performance of
a test, in case you should feel the power of the Transmitter failing,
you should stop and ask him to breathe in unison with you for a moment,
and then re-start your work. By breathing a little loud the other person
will catch your time, so that it is not necessary for you to instruct
him in the science or theory of Rhythmic Breathing. Simply tell him to
breathe in unison, and keeping time with you.
Begin all your practicing with this Rapport Breathing, and start each
demonstration with it, also. You will find that it will have a very
soothing, calming, quieting effect upon both persons, and will produce
in each a mental earnestness and concentration that will help along the
demonstration of Mind Reading.
We shall not mention this Rhythmic Breathing or Rapport Condition when
we proceed to give you the detailed direction, for the demonstration,
but you must remember that it should be observed in each case. Of
course, you will be able to get results without it--but not so easily,
or so thoroughly and satisfying.
It is well to conclude your practice by taking a few deep breaths by
yourself, and not in unison with the Transmitter. This destroys the
Rapport Condition.
GENERAL DIRECTIONS.
The prime requisite for a successful demonstration of Mind Reading is
the acquirement, or possession, by the Transmitter, of a clear idea of
_direction_ in his mind. The associated requisite is that the
Transmitter be able to _concentrate his will_ upon the mind of the
Receiver, impressing upon him the _Sense of Direction_ so strongly that
he will move in accordance with the Will of the Transmitter. Remember
the two points to be observed by the Transmitter.
Begin by having the Transmitter standing beside you in the centre of the
room, _you being blindfolded_. Have him mentally select some one corner
of the room, saying nothing to you of his choice. Then let him
concentrate his mind upon that one corner, forgetting every other part
of the room. Then have the Transmitter grasp your Left Hand with his
Right Hand, you grasping his fingers in your hand and lifting the hand
to your forehead. Hold the hand against your forehead, just above your
eyes. Instruct him then to _will_ that you go to the corner of the room
that he has selected, shutting out all other thoughts from his mind, and
_concentrating_ his entire Attention upon the projection of his Will. He
must not content himself merely forming a Mental Picture of the
selected corner, but must think of the _Direction_ of that corner, just
as he would in case he were to wish to walk there himself. He must not
simply think "That Corner"--he must think "_There!_" using the sense of
Direction. He must _will_ that you shall _go there_, carrying the words
"_Go There!_" in his mind.
You, the Receiver, must place yourself in a perfectly _passive_ and
_receptive_ state of mind, resigning your own Will for the time being,
and being perfectly willing and desirous of being mentally _directed_ or
_led_ by the Will of the Transmitter. He is the Active factor, and you
the Passive. It is the strength of his Will, and the degree of your
Receptivity that makes the demonstration a success.
Keep your eyes closed, even though you be blindfolded, for by so doing
you induce a Passive state of mind, and even the stray glimpses that you
may catch through the handkerchief will serve only to distract you. You
must shut out sights, and even thought of sights.
Stand quiet a moment or two, awaiting impressions from the mind of the
Transmitter, who is making the mental command: "_Go there; go there, I
say!_" while at the same time he is _willing_ that you follow his
command.
After a moment or two of passive and receptive waiting, you will begin
to feel an impulse to move forward. Obey this impulse and take the
first step, which will often be in an entirely opposite direction from
the selected corner. The idea of this first step is to "get started."
While you are taking the first step or two, you will feel a clearer
impulse toward the real selected corner, and will find yourself swinging
around to it. Do not grow impatient, for you are but learning to receive
the impressions. Advance one foot forward, hesitatingly, resting your
weight on the ball of the other foot, and you will soon feel yourself
being _compelled_ to move in a certain direction, which will end in your
moving toward the right corner. You will soon become conscious of being
directed by the _Will_ of the Projector, whose mind is acting upon yours
and leading and directing you toward the right place.
It is difficult to describe to you the exact feeling that you will
experience, but a little practice will soon make it clear to you. Follow
the impulse, and you will soon begin to feel the mental command, "This
way--this way--no, not that way but _this way_," until you will reach
the desired spot, when you will feel the command: "That's right--stop
where you are--this is the place." If you start to wander off in the
wrong direction you will begin to feel the correcting impression: "_This
way_--_this_ way, I tell you," and if you will but passively receive and
follow the mental telegraph message you will find the impulse growing
stronger and stronger until you walk right into the corner selected,
when you will feel that you have "reached Base," as the children say in
their games. When you walk in the right direction you will feel the
mental message, "Right, right you are"; and when you move in the wrong
direction you will feel the mental message, saying "No, no, not that
way--_This way_, I say, come along, _come_!" By practice you will soon
become quite sensitive to these guiding thought-waves, and will act upon
them almost automatically. Practice will soon so sharpen your perceptive
faculties that you will often be able to move right off to the desired
corner at once, sometimes actually running right to it, dragging the
Transmitter after you.
You will soon begin to notice that there is quite a difference in the
power of Concentration on the part of different people acting as the
Transmitter. Some will be able to Concentrate so forcibly that they will
send you the message clear and sharp, while others will send only a
feeble and wavering message. The more Concentration the Transmitter has
the stronger will be the message. It will be very advisable for you to
experiment with a number of persons acting as the Transmitter, so that
you may become familiar with the different degrees of Concentration,
personal characteristics of people in Transmitting, etc. This will aid
you when you begin your parlor performances.
When you find a lazy Transmitter who is sending only feeble messages,
you must remonstrate with him, telling him that he must exercise his
_Will-Power_ more. This plan will often arouse in them a desire to give
a good exhibition of their Will-power, and they will begin sending you
strong mental impulses. It is a good plan, when you have an
unsatisfactory Projector, to extend his arm out its full length and hold
it up about the height of your eyes. In this way he feels the strain,
and it arouses his Will in order to hold it there, which seems to act in
the direction of his sending sharper and clearer messages and impulse.
In case the Transmitter proves very unsatisfactory, substitute another
for him. But as a rule this unsatisfactoriness arises from the fact that
he does not fully understand his duties--does not know what is required
of him. A little practice and instruction will bring him out all right.
It is often advisable to let the Transmitter read this book of
instructions, if he happens to be a personal friend who is helping you
out in your practicing and experiments. The Transmitter will find that
by _looking_ toward the selected corner, he will be aided in
concentrating his attention and directing his Will Power.
Practice this exercise and experiment, in different rooms, and with
different Transmitters, until you can go readily to the selected corner.
Do not be discouraged, but remember that "practice makes perfect," and
that like any other thing the art must be learned by patient practice and
repetition. It is like learning to play the violin--skating--dancing,
or anything else. If after a number of trials you begin to feel tired,
stop practicing and adjourn the experiments until the next day. Do not
unduly strain yourself, or tire out your mind. When the next day comes
you will be surprised at the added proficiency you have gained.
You may vary the above method by holding the Transmitter's hand out at
arm's length, instead of holding it up to your head. Some find one plan
more effective, and others prefer the second. The principle is the same
in both cases, so adopt either plan, or any variation thereof, providing
it proves effective.
PRACTICE EXERCISE I. FINDING LOCATIONS.
After you have grown proficient in locating the corners of rooms, you
may have the Transmitter select other parts of the room, such as doors,
mantels, windows, alcoves, projections, etc. Try a number of these
selected locations in turn, gaining a variety of experiences which will
prove valuable later on. In all of these experiments the Transmitter
must guard you from running into obstacles, furniture, etc., by telling
you to avoid them, guiding you past them, and in other proper ways
prevent you from bruising yourself or breaking or upsetting things. You
must impress this upon his mind, and then you should give yourself into
his care with the utmost confidence, giving yourself no further concern
about these things, and keeping your mind as passive as possible. Don't
allow your mind to be distracted by outside things--attend to the matter
of the experiment in which you are engaged.
PRACTICE EXERCISE II. FINDING LARGE OBJECTS.
The next step should be the selecting and finding of large objects in
the room, such as chairs, tables, etc. Proceed as in the previous
exercises. Do not neglect this exercise in your desire to do more
wonderful things, for you need just this training. You will realize the
importance of these exercises after you begin to appear before friends
and evening companies, etc., when you will be called upon to find hidden
objects, selected articles secreted under tables, on persons, on
furniture, etc. If you can find selected chairs you will be able to more
readily find persons seated on chairs. Continue this exercise until you
can readily find any and every piece of furniture in a room, and the
other large objects in a room as well, when they are thought of by the
Transmitter.
PRACTICE EXERCISE III. FINDING SMALL OBJECTS.
After mastering the above exercise have the Transmitter select some
small articles, such as a book, vase, ornament, etc., on a table,
mantel-piece, etc. Proceed as before, varying the objects and places,
endeavoring to get as wide a range of experiences as possible along the
line of Mind Reading of this kind.
PRACTICE EXERCISE IV. FINDING HIDDEN ARTICLES.
After you have mastered the last mentioned exercise, have the
Transmitter select a small object, such as a watch-key, match-safe,
etc., and secrete it in some part of the room, you remaining out of the
room until the article is selected and hidden. Proceed as before, until
you find the secreted object. Your Transmitter should endeavor to give
you a great variety in this exercise, in order to properly train you for
the public demonstrations before companies, etc. Have him place a key in
a book, under a rug, back of a picture, and in similar difficult places.
Let him exercise his ingenuity in finding strange places in which to
hide the object. In the experiments in finding the hidden objects he
must train himself to give you the mental messages "up"; "down"; "to the
right"; "to the left," etc., just as he did his old message or impulse
"this way." And you must train yourself to receive them. This training
will be of the greatest possible benefit to you when you are called upon
later to find objects hidden in people's pockets, etc.
GENERAL REMARKS ON PRACTICE.
The above exercises will train the student to receive and act upon the
mental commands or messages of the Transmitter, under a great variety of
circumstances and conditions. Many of the most successful public "Mind
Readers" started out in public work with far less careful and thorough
training. But there are now still greater degrees of proficiency
possible. The student will find in succeeding chapters a number of
interesting and startling feats and experiments which are intended for
parlor audiences, etc., but which may be most profitably practiced
previously with the aid of a good friendly Transmitter, in order that
the Performer may familiarize himself with the details of the
experiment, and thus be more at his ease when he demonstrates it in
public. Then other new experiments and feats will suggest themselves
from time to time, to the intelligent student which, likewise, should
be practiced previous to a public demonstration.
In finding a hidden object, the first thing to do is to get an idea of
the direction. Then the general location of the hiding place; and so on,
from general impressions to detailed ones, until at last the fingers
close upon the object itself. The Transmitter will be greatly relieved
when the object is finally found, and the relaxing of his mental tension
may be distinctly felt, and then you will know that your search is at an
end.
PREPARING FOR PUBLIC WORK.
Before taking you on with the work before an audience, we must urge upon
you to prepare yourself thoroughly by means of the above mentioned
exercises. The great tendency among students is to hurry through to the
public work, and skipping the exercises as much as possible. This is all
wrong. You will never be a thoroughly good demonstrator of anything in
life, until you master the rudiments, and by practice familiarize
yourself thoroughly with the details of the work. And Mind Reading is no
exception. It is true that after a few exercises you may be able to give
a fair demonstration before an audience, but you will never get further
than "fair" without careful practice. And therefore we urge you to have
patience and perseverance, and to stick to the exercise until you
become a Master of Mind Reading, when you need fear no audience
whatsoever, and will be able to give a demonstration that will be a
great credit to both yourself and to us, your instructors.
And, now for your work before an audience, remembering, always that the
feats and experiments that we shall mention, should be practiced by you
privately, with the aid of a friendly Transmitter, before you reproduce
them in public. In the case of feats, in which the audience is a party
to the experiment, such as the finding of a scarf-pin on a member of the
audience, you may practice with a dummy audience, that is with an
imaginary audience consisting of chairs, etc., until you familiarize
yourself with the details of the feat.
LESSON V.
SIMPLE DEMONSTRATIONS.
In beginning a public demonstration, it will be well for you to give a
short preliminary talk to the audience, somewhat along the following
lines:
OPENING TALK.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, with your assistance I shall endeavor to give you
a demonstration of practical Mind Reading, beginning with some simple
feats, and then proceeding gradually to more complicated demonstrations.
In these demonstrations, I must have your co-operation, for the success
of the experiments depends as much upon you as upon myself. In the first
place, I must ask that you refrain from conversation, laughter, etc.,
while I am demonstrating, for these things distract the mind of the
Transmitter and prevent him from concentrating his Mind and Will upon
mine; and also prevent me from maintaining that Passive Mental State
which is essential to the success of the experiments. I trust that you
will help me in this way. I also ask that during the experiments, you
will all concentrate your Mind and Will upon me, and help me in the
work. In order to obtain the best results all Mind Readers prefer that
their audiences concentrate their Wills upon the work, with the purpose
of mentally willing that the demonstrator be successful. In fact the
success of the experiments depend very materially upon the _Willing_
exerted by the audience. If you Will in my favor, I shall be successful;
if you Will that I shall fail, I shall feel the effect. Therefore,
kindly give me your aid. I ask you to blindfold me and take such other
means to prevent unfair methods and practices, as your judgment may
dictate. I am now ready to proceed with the tests."
CHOOSING THE TRANSMITTER.
Then have the audience select a committee to blindfold you and remain
outside of the room with you, while the remainder of the audience select
the object that you are to find, etc. When you return to the room,
select someone to act as Transmitter. If possible get someone with whom
you have previously practiced, and established rapport conditions. This
will aid you very materially, of course. If this is not possible, select
someone of the audience that is in harmony with you, and who will have a
strong enough will to give you the vibrations. Sometimes women are very
good at this work, as they get very much in earnest when interested, and
therefore Will intently. If your first Transmitter is not satisfactory,
test another, and so on until you get a good one. You may change
Transmitters during the evening, if you prefer; in fact this is a good
plan, if you are an adept, for it shows the audience that there is no
collusion.
INSTRUCTING THE TRANSMITTER.
You should instruct the Transmitter, along the lines indicated in a
previous chapter, i.e. that he must hold the thought of _direction_, fix
his eyes on the chosen spot and then _concentrate his will_ upon it, and
that your success will depend materially upon _his ability to
concentrate his Mind and Will upon the task_. You should explain to him
that you receive your impulses through his thought-waves or vibrations,
and that the stronger these are, the better you will succeed. Make this
plain to him. When the Transmitter fails to concentrate his Will, you
will know it at once, and should call his attention to it, saying
"Concentrate, concentrate now--_harder_--use your _Will_," or words to
that effect. You should impress upon the Transmitter that it is the
_strength of his Will_ that produces the mental vibrations that give you
the impressions.
BEGINNING THE TEST.
Then, take the hand of the Transmitter, in the manner already described
in previous lesson, placing it to your forehead, or else holding it up
high in front of you. Then begin a wavering motion, or direction,
preferably describing a circle, slowly. In this meaningless wavering
motion remain perfectly passive awaiting impressions. Soon you will
begin to feel a mental resistance to certain directions, and a mental
willingness that you move in another direction. Then move along the line
of the least mental resistance. In some cases you will receive a strong
_mental urge_, _pull_, or _push_, in the direction of the selected spot.
Here is where your practice comes in, for in your practice experiments
you have acquired the art of recognizing these impressions as they come
to you, in their different forms, and so are prepared to yield to them
and move accordingly. It is impossible to describe in writing just how
these impressions come, and feel like, for actual experience is
necessary before you will know just what is meant. But once you have
accustomed yourself to receive and recognize the impressions, the rest
is all a matter of practice and development.
And now for the demonstrations themselves. You should begin with the
simplest feats, and then work up gradually to the more complicated and
difficult ones. This plan will build up your own powers, and will
develop the Transmitter's. We herewith give a number of interesting
feats and demonstrations, explaining the details of each. Of course,
the general directions we have given regarding the receiving of
impressions, etc., will apply to all of these feats, for the principle
underlying them all is the same, precisely.
FINDING A LOCATION.
DEMONSTRATION I. Begin by having the audience select a part in the room,
which may be easily reached by you. Then proceed as directed, until you
feel that you have reached the right place, or location.
FINDING A PERSON.
DEMONSTRATION II. Have the audience select a person, one of their
number. Find the general location of the person. Then standing still,
reach out your right hand, and begin "feeling about." You will find that
as your hand moves away from the right person you will feel a _drawing
back_ impression, whereas when you reach toward the person you will
receive an _urging forward_ impression. A little practice will soon
enable you to distinguish these mental impressions. Then place your hand
on the person who seems to be the centre of the impressions. If this is
the wrong person, you will receive a mental impression of "_Wrong_"; in
which case you must start up the moving your hand to and fro, and
around, until you feel the urge impression, when you should place your
hand on the person immediately in front of you. When you reach the
right person, you will receive an unmistakable impression and mental
message of "All Right," followed by a lessening of the Will tension, and
you will know that you have succeeded. You should practice this in
private before attempting public demonstration.
FINDING A SMALL OBJECT.
DEMONSTRATION III. Have the audience select some small object in plain
sight in the room. Then find it in the manner described of above in the
case of the selected person. The rule is identically the same. But there
are some other details to be observed, in the matter of "up or down,"
for the object may be higher than your shoulder or lower, in which case
you will have to either reach up or down. In this reaching up or down,
follow the same general rule as given. When you reach the right
location, you will feel an impression of "not yet finished" from the
mind of the Transmitter. Then reach up slowly. If this is right you will
receive a corresponding impression, and may go on to centre the object.
But if it is not right, you will receive a mental urge _downward_, which
you should follow. The rule always is to _follow the line of the least
mental resistance_. You will always receive the resistance when you are
not succeeding, and will always receive the lack of resistance when you
are succeeding. Learn to focus these impressions until they centre
positively and constantly on the same spot--_then you have succeeded_,
for there will be your object right under your hand.
FINDING A BOOK.
DEMONSTRATION IV. Have the audience select a book on the shelves of a
book case, and then find it in the manner just related. The two feats
are precisely the same, although the latter will appear more startling
to the observer.
THE FLORAL TRIBUTE.
DEMONSTRATION V. This test is known as "The Floral Tribute." It is
performed by having a bouquet of flowers on the table. Then select some
young man in the audience, and let him pick out some young woman in the
audience whom he wishes to have the flowers. You must retire from the
room, of course, while he selects the young lady and mentions her name
and position to the audience. Then returning to the room, pick up the
bouquet, and taking the hand of your Transmitter, find the young lady
and present her with the flowers. Of course this feat is merely a fancy
rendition of the simple feat of finding the person thought of, and is
performed in the same way. (Study the directions for Demonstration II,
and apply in the present case, with appropriate variations.)
THE REUNITED COUPLE.
DEMONSTRATION VI. This test is known as "The Reunited Couple." It is
performed by having the audience select two persons, a young man and a
young woman, and stand them up in front of the room, like a couple about
to be married. Then they should have a third person, a man, selected and
stood before them as the parson who will tie the knot. The three persons
should then take their seats, and when you enter the room, and take the
hand of your Transmitter, you must first find "the Parson"; then "the
Groom"; and then "the Bride," and arrange them in their proper
positions. This is a highly effective test, and invariably brings hearty
applause, and the hunt affords much merriment to the audience. But, as
you will see readily, it is but a variation of Demonstration II.
THE HIDDEN JEWELRY.
DEMONSTRATION VII. Have the audience select some small article, like a
scarf-pin, ring, etc., and hide it on the person of some one of the
audience. Then you are to find it. This demonstration combines the
features of Demonstration II, and Demonstration III, that is you have
first to find the person, as described in Demonstration II, and then
the object which is practically a variation of Demonstration III. Study
the details of Demonstration III, and practice the present demonstration
in private before trying it in public.
THE DISCOVERED COURSE.
DEMONSTRATION VIII. Have a member of the audience walk around the room,
following a prescribed course selected by the audience. Have your
Transmitter memorize the course accurately, and then you must walk over
the same course when you return to the room. This is effective, but is
merely a variation of the "Finding the Corner" demonstration.
REPLACING THE PIN.
DEMONSTRATION IX. This is called "Replacing the Pin," and is very
effective when properly performed. Have a member of the audience take a
pin and insert it in the wall in a spot plainly visible to the audience,
not too high up, however--about on the level of your shoulder is best.
Then have him withdraw the pin and hide it somewhere in the room. Then
when you return to the room, and take the Transmitter's hand, you should
first find the pin, (in the manner heretofore described) and then find
the place where it had been stuck; then circling your hand around in
narrowing circles until you feel the proper impression push the pin
home in the spot in which it formerly was driven. This final effort is
really merely a modification of "finding the spot," and with a little
practice may be easily performed.
THE THEFT DETECTED.
DEMONSTRATION X. This feat is called "The Theft." Have one of the
audience play "the thief," and steal an article of jewelry, or similar
small object from a second person called "the victim." Then the thief
should hide his spoil in a safe place about the room. Returning you
first find the thief; then the hidden article; then the person,
according to the methods already given. This is a very effective feat,
but is merely a combination of "Finding the Person," and "Finding an
Object."
THE RECONSTRUCTED TABLEAU.
DEMONSTRATION XI. This feat is known as the "Reconstructed Tableau." It
is performed by having several of the audience form a simple tableau
group, and then retire to their seats. Returning to the room you are to
find each person; lead him or her to the former spot; then reconstruct
the group. This is somewhat difficult, but not nearly so much so as you
might suppose. A little private practice will enable you to perform it
with ease.
THE MURDER AND THE DETECTIVE.
DEMONSTRATION XII. This test is known as the "Murder and the Detective,"
and is very spectacular and sensational, and is accordingly one that is
in great favor with the public performers. It is performed as follows:
The audience selects one man to act as the "murderer"; another to act as
"the victim"; and also some object to act as the dagger; and lastly a
place in which the body is to be concealed. Then the "murderer" picks up
the "dagger," and "kills" his "victim," afterward concealing the body in
some part of the room (usually sitting in a chair) and the "dagger" in
another place. Then when you return to the room you first find the
"body"; then the "wound"; then the "dagger," and then the "murderer."
This is usually announced as a wonderful piece of "telepathic detective
work," and is extremely effective, and may be reserved as the "principal
effect" of your series of demonstrations.
You will notice that the feat is merely an elaborate combination of the
simpler feats of "Finding the Person," "Finding the Object," etc.
THE RETURNED HATS.
DEMONSTRATION XIII. Have the hats of a number of men in the audience
placed on a table or other place, and then returning to the room,
blindfolded of course, you pick up the hats, one by one, and place them
upon the heads of their proper owners, who are seated in different parts
of the room. This is a simple feat although very effective. It is, of
course, merely a variation of the feat of "finding the person." There is
one point, however, that must be remembered in this feat, and that is
that the Transmitter should know just whose hat is held in your
hand--just who the owner of that particular hat is and where he is
sitting or standing. Otherwise he cannot send you the mental impulses
which will enable you to find the owner. It will be well for the
Transmitter to hold the hat so that it can be seen by the audience,
requesting the owner to rise in his seat so as to indicate his
whereabouts--your back being turned to the audience while this is being
done in order to avoid suspicion of your "peeping," etc.
THE LADY AND THE RING.
DEMONSTRATION XIV. This feat is performed by having a lady in the
audience loan the Transmitter her ring. When you return to the room, you
find the lady and replace the ring upon the finger from which she took
it. The Transmitter must remember the lady, and the particular finger,
of course--the rest is simply a combination of the "finding the person"
and "finding the spot" feats. It is very effective, if neatly
performed.
GENERAL ADVICE.
I. We have given you a great variety of Demonstrations or Feats, but you
must not attempt to produce all of them at an evening's entertainment.
It will take some time to perform a few of them effectively, and
impressively, and you should avoid any attempt to hurry through the
feats. Nor should you spoil your good impression by cheapening the
demonstrations in the direction of performing too many at one sitting.
II. Neither should you tire or fatigue yourself by too many feats. When
your mind or body are tired, you do yourself an injury to perform these
demonstrations, and besides, you cannot obtain the best results while
fatigued. You should rest a little while after each feat, before
attempting another one.
III. When the entertainment, or exercises are over, you should take a
few strong deep breaths, swing your arm around a little to promote the
circulation, and relieve the nervous tension. You may feel a little
"dazed" at first after performing a few feats, but will soon learn to
throw off the passive condition, and engage in the laughing conversation
that will follow the entertainment. Do not take yourself too seriously
and remember that laughter and a little boyish or girlish spirits is a
wonderful tonic.
IV. Do not become impatient if you do not progress as rapidly as you
would desire. You are practically developing a sixth sense, and are like
a baby learning to walk--it takes time, but practice will surely bring
you success. Take things calmly. The feats that will be possible for you
to perform, even from the start will be wonderful enough, without any
necessity for your complaining about your slowness in learning to
perform the more complicated ones.
ABOUT TRANSMITTERS.
I. If your Transmitter does not do his work properly, and you feel that
he is not Concentrating properly, or using his Will effectively, do not
hesitate to change him. You need not offend him, for you may say simply
that the rapport conditions are not fully developed between you, and
that these things sometimes happen, etc. Your new Transmitter will feel
anxious to do better than his predecessor, and will be most likely to
Concentrate and Will to the best of his ability.
II. The Transmitter should be in earnest, and no levity or trifling
should be permitted. If you have the selection, pick out some earnest
person, and avoid the trifling, feather-brained class.
III. If your Transmitter does not seem to be Concentrating properly, you
should speak to him firmly, but kindly, about it. Say to him: "Please
_concentrate_ your _Mind_, and _Will_ earnestly--fix your Mind on the
right _Spot_--make a determined Mental Effort that I move in the right
direction--it is your Mind and Will that gives me the impression,
remember--it all depends upon you," etc. This will often have the effect
of bracing him up to renewed mental activity, and you will notice the
improvement at once.
A WORD OF WARNING.
Beginning your entertainment, caution the audience about placing the
hidden objects in places that you cannot conveniently touch--such as
high up on the wall; under the strings of a piano, etc. Tell them that
you can _find_ the article anywhere, but it must be placed so that you
can get at it with only ordinary care and work. Some "Smart Alicks" may
try to play pranks on you in this way, but discourage same vigorously at
the start, informing the audience that this is a scientific test and not
a circus. And, remember this, tell them that the article must never be
hidden about the Transmitter, for the reason that he is seldom able to
think as intently about his own location as about some place away from
him. These are the only restrictions that you need make. Caution the
Transmitter to guide you away from obstacles over which you might
stumble, or which you might overturn. Tell him that you place yourself
in his hands for protection, and then endeavor to think no more about
the matter, for such thought tends to distract your passivity.
The above feats or demonstrations are all performed along the same
general lines as indicated a little further back, and all are capable of
being accomplished by anyone of ordinary intelligence, with a little
study, care and practice. Practice makes perfect, in Mind Reading as in
everything else, remember, so keep at it until you have worn off the
rough edges, and have polished up the details of the work. You may vary,
improve, add to, the above feats, and may also insert many new ones for
yourself as you proceed with your work. Use your inventive faculties.
THE WIRE CONTACT.
A sensational and effective method of performing some of the simpler
feats is performed by some public performers, and consists in having a
piece of thick wire, about one foot in length grasped by the Receiver's
left hand, and by the Transmitter's right hand, instead of the ordinary
contact. A little practice will surprise you in the facility in which
the impressions are transferred over the wire from the Transmitter to
the Receiver. The methods of operation in this case are identical with
those employed in the ordinary methods. A wooden "ruler" may be
substituted for the wire. Some performers succeed even with a long
walking-cane.
THIRD PERSON INTERPOSED.
Another variation is that in which a third person is interposed between
the Transmitter and Receiver. Practice along these lines will enable the
skilled Mind Reader to receive the impressions as usual, notwithstanding
the interposition of the third person. Do not attempt to try these
variations until you have thoroughly mastered the ordinary methods.
(The student is here advised to turn to the conclusion of Lesson VI, of
this book, and acquaint himself with the "Simpler Method" there
described. It may help him in this phase of his work.)
We shall now pass on to the consideration of some of the more
complicated or difficult feats of Contact Mind Reading.
LESSON VI.
DIFFICULT DEMONSTRATIONS.
We shall now direct your attention to a class of demonstrations of a
rather more complicated order than those related in the last chapter.
But even these difficult feats may be rendered comparatively easy of
accomplishment by careful practice, and development of receptivity.
PRELIMINARIES.
In these experiments or demonstrations the Transmitter stands by your
left side, you grasping the fingers of his right hand in your left hand,
and holding as in the case of the former experiments, i.e. either with
his hand pressed against your head, or else held out and up, as before
described. You receive the impressions in the same way. The following
demonstrations may be performed after a little private practice, so as
to be shown at a public performance almost as easily as the simpler
feats heretofore described.
DISCOVERING THE CARD.
DEMONSTRATION I. Spread a number of cards over the table. Then retiring
from the room, have the audience select one card of the number, which
the Transmitter must be sure to remember distinctly--that is the
Transmitter should remember just _where_ the card is, the _position_
being the important feature, rather than the name of the card. Then
taking the Transmitter's hand as above described, you should move your
right hand to-and-fro over the table, moving it backward and forward,
and in circles. You will soon find that this feat closely resembles the
one of the last chapter in which you find small objects; the pin hole,
etc. You will soon find that the impressions _tend to centre_ over a
certain spot on the table. Begin to lessen your circles and hand
movements until you gradually centre over this spot. Then slowly lower
your fingers until you touch the card resting on the said spot, when you
will be sure that you are right, when you must pick up the card and
exhibit it to the audience. The same indications mentioned in the feats
of the last chapter will be felt by you. You will feel the "No, no!"
impression when you are wrong, and the "That's right" impression when
you are moving in the right direction, until at last you will distinctly
feel the relaxation of the mental urge, which you will have learned to
translate into "Right you are!" when you finally touch the right card.
This feat is really no more difficult than the one in which the small
object is found, and we have included it in the list of "Difficult
Demonstrations" simply because it is practically a "connecting link"
between the two classes of demonstration, as you will see as we proceed.
THE CHECKER MOVE.
DEMONSTRATION II. This is akin to the last experiment. Have a checker
board arranged by some of the audience who understands the game. Then
let some one decide on the next move. Be sure that the Transmitter
thoroughly understands the piece to be moved, as well as the place to
where it is to be moved. Then, proceeding as above indicated, first find
the piece to be moved, and then move it to the proper place. This feat
consists of two parts, you will notice. The finding of the piece is like
the finding of the card. Then with the piece grasped between your thumb
and forefinger, make a small circular and backward and forward movement,
until you feel the mental impression of "There!" when you will place
your piece directly on the spot. This may seem difficult, and appears so
to the audience, but you will find by a little private practice that it
is really as easily performed as some of the simpler tests.
THE GAME OF CARDS.
DEMONSTRATION III. Similar to the above is the feat known as the "Game
of cards." Two players sit opposite each other at a table, having dealt
themselves two hands of euchre. Have the Transmitter lead you behind the
first player, and standing there have the player silently point out the
card he wishes to lead, to the Transmitter. The Transmitter then should
concentrate his mind on the card, and you will find it in the usual
manner, and having found it will play it on the table. Then leading you
around to the other player, the Transmitter repeats the process, and you
find and play the card. Then back to the first play, and repeat. Then
alternate between the players, in the same manner, until you have played
out the game. This may be improved upon by the Transmitter thinking of
which player has won the trick, when you will push the cards over to the
winner, having discovered the direction in the usual manner. This feat
is very effective indeed when properly performed.
THE MAPPED-OUT TRIP.
DEMONSTRATION IV. Have a map laid open on the table, and have the
audience decide upon a trip between two points, either by rail or by
water. Then returning to the room, stand as above described, and with
your forefinger find the place from which the trip starts. Then move
slowly along the selected course in the same manner in which the
checker-game was played, passing along the chosen route until the end
is reached. These feats are all really variations of the one principle.
THE PACK OF CARDS.
DEMONSTRATION V. This is a very effective feat, and requires some little
skill and practice, but there is no reason why any careful, patient, and
persistent student should not be able to master it. It consists in the
audience selecting any given card from the pack, and then replacing it
with the others, being sure that the Transmitter is familiar with the
card chosen, and knows enough about cards to recognize it when he sees
it again. Then the pack of cards should be placed on the table, face up.
Returning to the room, you take the Transmitter's hand as usual, and
with your right hand pick off the cards from the pack, slowly and one by
one. As you pick up each card, slowly _weigh_ it in your hand, so to
speak, and then place it aside if you receive no "stop" orders from the
mind of the Transmitter. Having previously practiced this feat in
private you will have learned that peculiar "heavier" sensation that
comes to you when you lift the right card from the pack, so that when
you finally reach it you will know it. We cannot describe just what this
sensation will feel like--you must learn it by actually experiencing it
in private practice. We advise you to diligently practice this feat in
private, for it is wonderfully effective. You will find that after a
bit of practice you will be able to get the "heavy" feeling when you
lift up and "weigh" the right card. You should perform this feat slowly,
and carefully, shaking your head, "No," just before you discard a card.
If by the lack of concentration of the Transmitter, you fail to feel the
"heavy" feeling when you pick up the right card, the shake of the head
will be apt to arouse him to exert his _Will_ more actively, and you
will receive the "hold on" impulse immediately. Do not be in too much of
a hurry to discard, but make several feints at it before finally letting
go. This feat may be improved by having the audience select a
"poker-hand," such as a "flush," a "straight," "three-of-a-kind"; a
"full-house," etc., etc., and having you find the hand one card at a
time. This latter is a fine effect, and always brings down the house.
But be sure that your Transmitter really knows and remembers the cards,
else the feat will fail, of course. He must remember each card, and
recognize it when it appears face up on the pack before you, as you
proceed with the discarding. Never attempt this feat in public without
previous careful, private, practice, for it requires the most delicate
perception and skill. If you find that you cannot master it to your
satisfaction, after sufficient practice, you may try it by the "Simpler
Method" given at the conclusion of this Lesson.
THE CHOSEN WORD IN THE BOOK.
DEMONSTRATION VI. Like the last feat, this is a complex and difficult
one, but one that always arouses enthusiasm in an audience when well
performed. It will repay you for the private practice that you will have
to employ upon it, before you produce it in public. The feat consists of
the audience selecting a book from a pile, or a book-shelf, or
book-case, etc.--then a given page is chosen--then a line of printed
matter on that page--and then a _word_ in that line. It is well to have
the Transmitter draw a pencil circle around the chosen word, so that he
may be sure to remember it later. The book is then replaced on the
shelf. Then returning to the room, you first find the book, by the
methods already given in previous feats; then laying it flat on the
table you should begin to slowly and deliberately pick each leaf up
separately. This part of the feat is almost identical with the last one,
in which you picked up the cards from the pack. When you get the proper
impression, you should announce that you have found the leaf. If
satisfied that you are right, ascertain upon which side of the leaf, the
chosen page is. This can be done by pressing the leaf to the right, or
left, in succession, until you get the right impression as to which way
to press it down. Then, having thus found the page, pass your finger
slowly down and back over the page several times, until you get the
impression of a _centre_. This centre will be the chosen line. Then by
passing the finger slowly along the line, you will discover the Word
when you reach it. This is a "ticklish" feat, but it may be mastered by
practice--in fact some people have found it almost as simple as some of
the easier feats, while others require careful practice with it. Do not
be discouraged if you do not succeed at first trial, even in public, but
try again, and after a bit you will seem to "get the knack" all at once,
and thereafter will have but little trouble in making the demonstration.
If you find that you do not meet with the desired degree of success in
this feat, try it by the "Simpler Method" given at the last of this part
of the book. But do not give it up without the proper practice. If you
have carefully performed the previous feats, you should have so
developed yourself by this time that you should have no special
difficulty in this feat.
BLACKBOARD DEMONSTRATIONS.
The following feats may be performed either upon a large blackboard
hanging from the wall, or upon a large sheet of card-board, or stiff
paper, spread upon the table. If the blackboard is used, you should
stand before it, the Transmitter standing in the usual position. If the
table is used, you should stand before it, the Transmitter in his usual
place.
DRAWING THE CHOSEN FIGURE.
DEMONSTRATION VII. Have the audience select a number, and think intently
of it. Impress upon the Transmitter that is to think of the _Shape_ of
the figure instead of merely remembering its name. For instance if the
figure "8" is thought of, the Transmitter should think of the _Shape_ of
the figure, and not of the word "eight." Then begin to circle your hand
around over the blackboard just as you did when finding the place of the
"beginning of the trip" of the demonstration mentioned a few minutes
ago. Then bring your pencil or chalk to a starting point, which you will
soon perceive. Then hold your fingers pressing lightly forward, and
impart to your hand a trembling vibratory motion as if in hesitation
regarding the next movement, saying at the same time to your
Transmitter: "_Will Hard_ now--_Will_ the _Direction_ to me," and you
will soon begin to get an impression of "Right," or "Left," or "Down,"
as the case may be, which you should follow slowly. Be slow about it,
for if the impression is not right you will soon be checked up. Fence
around a little until you begin to get the impressions clearly. You will
find that the principal trouble is at the start, for once you are
started on the right track, your Transmitter's Will will be freely
employed, and he will pour the impressions into you. Let him feel that
it is _his Will_ that is really doing the work, and he will exert it
freely. Once started, these drawing feats are easily performed, the
trouble being with the start. You should practice this feat frequently
in private, before attempting it in a public demonstration. It is very
effective.
THE LADY'S AGE.
DEMONSTRATION VII. This is a variation of the above feat. A lady in the
audience is asked to whisper her age in the ear of the Transmitter, and
you are to draw it on the board or paper. The feat is performed
precisely in the manner described above, the Transmitter being cautioned
to think of but _one figure at a time during the drawing_.
THE BANK NOTE TEST.
DEMONSTRATION IX. Akin to the last two feats, is the reading of the
number of a bank-note held in the hand of the Transmitter. It is
performed in precisely the same manner as the preceding feat. Be sure to
have the Transmitter understand that he is to think of but one figure at
a time, until it is drawn, and then the next, and so on.
THE WATCH NUMBER TEST.
DEMONSTRATION X. The feat of reading and drawing the number of a
person's watch is a variation of the last mentioned demonstration, and
is performed in precisely the same way.
THE GEOMETRICAL FIGURE TEST.
DEMONSTRATION XI. Have the audience select some simple geometrical
figure, such as a square, triangle, circle, right angle, etc., and
proceed to draw it in the same way as the figures in the demonstrations
just described. Have the Transmitter hold the figure in his mind and
_mentally draw it_ as you proceed. A little private practice will enable
you to draw these figures easily, and in fact, they are really simpler
than numbers, although more startlingly effective at times.
DRAWING PICTURES.
DEMONSTRATION XII. The same principle described in the above mentioned
test may be extended to apply to the drawing of simple pictures, such as
the outline figure of a pig, etc. The copy is placed on the table or
blackboard, so that the Transmitter may easily refer to it, and then you
proceed as in the feats above mentioned. Practice this until you "get it
down fine."
THE HIDDEN NAME.
DEMONSTRATION XIII. The same principle may be extended to the writing
down of the name of a person, town, etc., previously chosen by the
audience. Draw in large letters, so that the eye of the Transmitter may
easily follow you at each step.
THE UNDERLYING RULE.
In all of the "Drawing Demonstrations," you should remember the primary
principle, i.e. Follow the line of the least Mental Resistance, and the
Will of the Transmitter will invariably lead you to the right direction.
THE "SIMPLER METHOD."
A simpler method of performing the feats and demonstrations which we
have styled "The More Difficult Feats," is that of having the
Transmitter stand by your right side, turning toward you and placing his
right hand over yours, _the tips of his fingers_ resting on your fingers
_between your large knuckles and first joints_, (instead of standing on
your left side with his fingers grasped in your left hand, as heretofore
mentioned). This method is not nearly so good so far as appearances go,
for some critical members of the audience might object that he was in
confederacy with you and really helping you to draw--but it is highly
effective so far as simplifying the feat is concerned. His finger-tips
with their nervous matter aroused into activity seem to fairly charge
your fingers with "nervous energy," or "magnetism," and your hand acts
almost automatically. The motion of the Receiver's hand and fingers,
under this method becomes almost like the motion of a "Planchette," and
often writes and draws the numbers, figures, letters, etc., so easily
and smoothly, that they seem to be fairly "running away" from the mind
of the performer. You should at least familiarize yourself with this
method, so as to be able to use it in emergencies, or in the case of a
poor Transmitter, or else in the case of the more delicate and complex
tests. If you neglect this method, you will have failed to acquaint
yourself with one of the most startling features of Contact Mind
Reading, which so far touches the higher phenomena that it is closely
akin to what is known as "Automatic Writing." In fact, if you are
disposed, and are naturally receptive and sensitive to impressions, you
may even write a letter through the _Will_ of a good Transmitter, by
this method. By all means make yourself acquainted with its
possibilities, and phenomena.
We now pass on to a consideration of the more Sensational Feats.
LESSON VII.
SENSATIONAL FEATS.
In addition to the feats given in this work, which, together with their
countless variations, form the stock in trade of the majority of the
professional Mind Readers, there are a number of other feats essayed by
the public performers which we have seen fit to group under the general
title "Sensational Feats." These feats are described here in order that
the student may understand the nature of them, and the manner of their
performance. But we consider such feats suitable only for the
sensational advertisements of the professional performers, and always
dependent upon more or less spectacular accessories, and attended by
even dangerous features in the case of the driving feat. And therefore
we do not offer them for reproduction by the private student, or the
parlor demonstrator. The principal Sensational Feats performed by the
professionals, are as follows:
THE DRIVING FEAT.
This is performed by the performer, blindfolded as usual, driving a team
along the public streets to some selected point, which point is usually
a hotel previously selected by a public committee. Upon reaching the
hotel the performer goes to the hotel register, turns the pages and
finds a name previously selected. The performer receives his impressions
from members of the committee who are seated beside him on the carriage
seat, with their arms on his shoulders, or having hold of his hands, or
even connected with him by wire. The feat is really a spectacular
reproduction of the familiar feats described in previous chapters, and
the principles governing it are precisely the same. The Transmitters
impress the direction upon him, and he follows the line of the Least
Mental Resistance.
THE COMBINATION LOCK FEAT.
This feat is employed either separately, or in connection with the
Driving Feat. It consists in the performer opening the combination safe
of a hotel or some business establishment. In this case the Transmitter
must know the combination perfectly, and his mental impressions acting
upon the performer give him the cue to turn "right" or "left" or
"repeat" as the case may be. Of course one must have cultivated a great
degree of sensitiveness to mental impressions before he will be able to
receive and respond to the direction impressions in this case. And yet
almost any person by following the directions given in this work, and
carefully and repeatedly practicing the various feats and
demonstrations given herein, may be able to reproduce this feat of the
professional performer, who is in constant daily practice, and who is
able to devote his entire time to the work, as his "bread and butter" is
concerned therein. Once the sensitiveness is gained, the details of the
work are nothing more than those employed in any of the "finding" or
"drawing" feats herein described and explained.
THE OFFICE DETECTIVE FEAT.
In this feat the public committee picks out an object on the desk, or
about the office of some one of its members, the office being located
some distance from the place of meeting. The performer then rushes along
the public streets, dragging the Transmitter with him, until the office
is reached, then up stairs, and into the room selected, and up to the
desk, or other place, and lo! the object is found. Divesting this feat
of all its sensational features, the student will see that it is merely
a variation of the ordinary "finding" feat performed in the parlor. It
creates a great sensation, but there is nothing more wonderful about it
than about the simplest "finding" feat.
THE POSTOFFICE FEAT.
Another feat favored by some of the professional performers is that of
having a letter placed in a post-office lock-box, the key of which is
given the performer at a point some distance from the post-office.
Rushing through the public streets, dragging the Transmitter with him,
the performer finds the post-office in the usual way, and then locates
the lock-box, into which he inserts the key and extracts the letter,
thus triumphantly completing the feat. This feat, as every student will
see, is merely a variation of the simpler feats manifested in a
sensational manner for the purpose of public advertisement.
THE FIRE-ALARM FEAT.
This feat is another "free advertisement" demonstration, in which the
performer, with the permission of the city officials, discovers the
location of a certain fire-alarm box, and turns on the alarm with the
key which had been previously loaned him. Some public officials allow
this test to be performed, using it as a test alarm for the department
as well, and the sight and sound of the clanging fire-engines, the
smoke, and confusion following upon the sensational Mind Reading
demonstration is calculated to cause great excitement and interest in
the town, which usually results in packed houses at the night
entertainment. But the test is really nothing but a variation of the
simple "finding the spot" demonstration, with sensational
accompaniments.
VARIATIONS.
We might enlarge our list of "Sensational feats," but to no real benefit
to the student, for they are all cut from the same cloth, and are but
"improvements" upon the simple parlor feats. If the student wishes to do
so, he may invent a dozen similar feats, just as sensational and just as
effective. The purpose of the sensational feat is primarily to gain free
advertisements for the public performers. As scientific demonstrations
they have but very slight value.
"FAKE DEMONSTRATIONS" EXPOSED.
In concluding this part of the book, we wish to warn our students
against some of the so-called "Mind Readers" who are travelling around
the country giving exhibitions of so-called Mind Reading which while
interesting enough in themselves are nothing but cleverly devised
devices intended to counterfeit the genuine phenomena. The majority of
these performers have a series of cleverly arranged "signal-codes" by
which the confederate conveys to the "Mind Reader" the name and
description of the article handed to the former by some one of the
audience. One of the principal performers in this line in this country
had a signal-code of over five-thousand objects, which he and his
confederate had carefully memorized. This code was worked by the plan of
asking the blindfolded "Mind Reader" to name the object. You can see
the possibilities of this when you remember the many different ways in
which the same question may be asked, and when you remember that each
word, and combination of words, conveys a distinct and separate meaning
to the blindfolded one.
Others employ sleight-of-hand, and legerdemain, in order to produce the
illusion. Prepared pads of paper upon which questions are written, and
similar means, are commonly used in such exhibitions. We do not purpose
going into this matter in detail, for such is not the purpose of this
work. But we think it well to call the attention of our students to the
same, in order that they may get a clue to some of the various
counterfeit exhibitions of Mind Reading which are being advertised by
some of the public performers. There are other public performers,
however, who give fine exhibitions of the genuine phenomena. The student
of this work should have acquired a sufficient knowledge of its
underlying principles to enable him to distinguish between the genuine
and the spurious when he sees an exhibition. If any wish to know more of
the counterfeit, there are many good works published on "Legerdemain"
which will satisfy his curiosity.
LESSON VIII.
HIGHER PHENOMENA.
In the demonstrations described and explained in the previous parts of
this work, the mental impressions travel from one mind to another over
the channels of the "telegraphic wires" of the nervous system of the
Transmitter and Receiver. In other words the Mind Reading that is
employed in the feats and demonstrations given, is akin to the ordinary
"telegraphic current" travelling over the wires from sending station to
receiving station--the nervous system of the two persons furnishing a
very close counterpart to the telegraphic wire, etc. But there is a step
beyond this--many steps in fact. While the "Contact Mind Reading" which
we have described and explained is surely wonderful enough to attract
the attention of all thinking minds, still when the advanced student
passes on to the field of the Higher Phenomena he is destined to meet
with marvelous results which in some cases almost surpass belief. This
Higher Phenomena of Mind Reading, or "Telepathic Mind Reading," when
compared to the Contact Mind Reading, is as the "wireless telegraph"
when compared to the ordinary telegraph using wires.
In Lesson I, of this book, we have given you the theories held by
scientific men regarding the nature of the waves or currents that
proceed from one mind to another, and the mechanism by which these waves
are registered. We think it will be interesting to many of you to know
that certain Occultists have their own theory regarding this matter,
which while not widely known is still of the greatest interest to
earnest students of the scientific side of the subject. We allude to
what is known as "The Pineal Gland" theory.
The Pineal Gland is a small gland, cone-shaped, and of a reddish-gray
color, situated in the brain about the middle of the skull, nearly above
the top of the spinal column. It is a compact mass of nervous matter,
containing a quantity of what has been called "brain-sand," which is
composed of very small particles of gritty matter. The anatomists and
physiologists confess their ignorance of the function and purpose of the
Pineal Gland, and it remains for the Occultists to explain its real
nature, which is the receiving and registering of the waves or currents,
or vibrations of thought and Will received from another person. This
Pineal Gland is, according to the Occultists, the receiving instrument
for the "wireless Mind Reading," and in fact it resembles the actual
receiver of the wireless telegraph in more than one respect.
THE FIRST STEPS.
In the first place, the student who is practicing the experiments given
in previous chapters, and who is making the demonstrations given there,
will find that at times he is able to do away with the physical contact.
He will loosen his hold upon the hand of the Transmitter, and at times
will sever the contact entirely, and after the feat is demonstrated he
will realize to his astonishment that he has performed the principal
part of the feat without contact at all. He may be almost unconscious of
this fact, for the reason that he was so much immersed and absorbed in
his work that he did not have time to think of these details. At other
times he will find that even before he has made the physical contact
with the Transmitter, he will receive a flash of mental impression which
will enable him to proceed to the selected location, or object, at once.
DEMONSTRATIONS WITHOUT A TRANSMITTER.
These experiences will become so frequent and so strong that he may
often (in the cases of peculiarly sensitive people) perform the entire
feat without the physical contact of the Transmitter, and perhaps
without any Transmitter at all. In well developed cases the Receiver may
perform the simple feats, and sometimes some of the more complicated
ones, merely by the aid of the Concentrated Will of the audience.
We have known of cases in which a pocket-knife was the selected and
hidden object, and when the demonstrator would enter the room he would
receive a sudden mental impression of the word "knife," followed by the
impression "under the sofa-pillow," etc., and upon going to the
designated spot the knife would be found. Every person who carefully
practices the demonstrations given in this book will be able to add
actual experiences of this kind, of his own, which have been experienced
by him during the course of his work.
In order to develop the ability to produce the Higher Phenomena, the
best course is for the student to frequently practice the demonstration
and experiments of Contact Mind Reading, as this will develop the
receptive faculties of the mind. Then the student may occasionally
practice with a few sympathetic and harmonious friends, endeavoring to
reproduce the demonstrations without physical contact.
EXERCISES FOR DEVELOPMENT.
He may also try the experiment of having a friend hold a certain number
of small buttons, etc., in his hand, and endeavor to _will_ that the
student shall "guess" the right number. Some people attain a surprising
proficiency in this work, almost from the first. A similar experiment
with the pack of cards, the student endeavoring to "guess" the card
drawn from the pack, naming color, suit, and number in turn, may afford
successful results. A number of these experiments may be thought of by
an ingenious person, remembering always that the "guess" is not a guess
at all, but an attempt to register the mental impression of the
Transmitter.
REPRODUCING THE SPERRY FEATS.
The student may with great profit endeavor to reproduce the experiments
of the Sperry children related in Lesson II of this work, in our account
of the experiments of the Society for Psychical Research.
THE WILLING GAME.
The well-known "Willing Game" will afford you an opportunity to develop
this faculty of "wireless" Mind Reading. Your audience is seated in the
room, and you enter blindfolded. An object has been previously selected.
You stand in the centre of the room, and the audience wills "to the
right"; then "forward"; then "a little lower down," etc., etc., etc.,
until the object is found, just as was the case when the Transmitter
sends the impressions. The audience should Will _only one step at a
time_, and you should take that one step without thought of the
succeeding ones. The mind should be held as receptive as possible, that
is "open" to vibrations. Take your time, and do not let hurry or anxiety
enter your mind. It will be well to practice this experiment with
members of your family, or with harmonious and sympathetic friends.
LONG DISTANCE EXPERIMENTS.
Experiments of "wireless" Mind Reading or Telepathy may be tried between
friends at long distances, space apparently presenting no obstacle to
the passage of the thought waves. Pick out some friend with whom you
have established a strong _rapport_ condition by means of his having
acted as your Transmitter in your Contact Mind Reading experiments, and
by having practiced Rhythmic Breathing, as heretofore described. Have
the Transmitter sit in his room at the appointed time, gazing intently
at some small simple object, such as a knife, a glass, a cup, a book,
etc., and endeavoring to make _a clear mental picture of it_, which
picture he should also _Will_ to be reproduced in your mind. Remember he
should think of the looks or appearance of the object not merely of its
name--he should think of the shape, etc., of the book, instead of
thinking the word "book." At the same time you should sit quietly in
your room, placing yourself in the same passive, receptive mental
attitude that you have acquired and practiced in your Contact Mind
Readings. Then wait patiently for impressions. After a while, if
successful, you will get the _mental picture_ of a book, or whatever
object was thought of by the Transmitter. This experiment may be varied
from time to time, the principle being the same in all cases. It will be
well for both the Transmitter and the Receiver to keep a written record
of the time of each experiment, and the objects thought of. Several
objects may be thought of at a sitting of say five minutes apart, a
careful record being kept by both parties of the time, and object, so
that a later comparison may show the result of the experiments. In case
of the two people being in different cities, they may mail each other
copies of their record for comparison.
THE "AUTOMATIC WRITING" EXPERIMENTS.
Another way of conducting experiments along the lines of the Higher
Phenomena of Mind Reading, is akin to the "Automatic Writing" known to
all students of Occultism. The Transmitter concentrates his thought and
Will in the usual manner, while the Receiver places himself in the usual
receptive, passive state of mind, and awaits the impressions. But
instead of the Receiver merely sitting as usual, he draws his chair to a
table, having a soft pencil in his hand and a pad of paper on the table
before him. He holds the pencil lightly between his fingers, with its
point touching the paper--and then awaits impressions. Under good
conditions, after waiting a time the pencil will begin to twitch and
move feebly. The hands and fingers should allow it full and free motion.
After a few moments of indecision the pencil will often begin to write
out words. In many experiments _the word, or object thought of by the
Transmitter will be written out, or drawn in full by the hand of the
Receiver_ acting automatically. Some experimenters succeed much better
with this plan than with the more common method.
THE STEAD EXPERIMENTS.
Mr. W.T. Stead, the well-known London editor and investigator of Psychic
Phenomena, discovered this method while he was experimenting along the
lines of Automatic Writing from disembodied souls. He found that he was
really coming in contact with the thought-waves emanating from the minds
of the living, instead of the dead. He persisted in his experiments
along these lines, and after a time was able to write out full letters
embodying the thoughts in the minds of persons of his acquaintance, and
others. Other investigators have reproduced his experiments with
marvelous results. There is a great field here, awaiting investigation,
and it may be that some of the students of this work are destined to add
to the scientific testimony on the subject. The above simple directions
are all that are necessary, in order to conduct this scientific
experiment.
RAPPORT CONDITIONS.
There is a great difference in the degrees of rapport existing between
different people, and as the degree of success depends upon the degree
of rapport, it is of the greatest importance that you find some person
with whom you are in harmonious vibration, in order to try these
experiments in the Higher Phenomena.
We will not burden the student with recitals of experiments to perform
in this Higher Phenomena demonstration. He may readily devise
experiments for himself, from the examples given in connection with the
Contact Mind Reading. The Transmitter may think of a card; an object; a
name; a place; a scene; a thought; a feeling, etc., etc., without limit.
And it makes no difference in the nature of the experiment or test,
whether it be tried at long-range, or in the same room, without contact.
The feat is the same--the principle is the same.
THE BLACKBURN-SMITH EXPERIMENTS.
As a further suggestion to the student, we would refer him to Lesson II
of this work, to the report of the experiments with Mr. Smith and Mr.
Blackburn. If you will carefully read this report again, you will find a
wealth of suggestions regarding the forms of demonstrations. But, bless
your hearts, the experiments may be varied without end--the principle is
the same in each case. The underlying principle is that the Transmitter
thinks intently upon the appearance of the object or thing, or else upon
the feeling connected with it if it be a feeling instead of an object;
and the Receiver endeavors to receive the impression. The Transmitter
manifests an Active _Will_ to transmit the mental image, while the
Receiver assumes a passive, receptive _desire_ to receive the
impression. The one is all _Will_--the other is all _Desire_.
Concluding this chapter on the Higher Phenomena of Mind Reading, we
would say to the students that very few of them will have the
perseverance to continue their experiments beyond the point of Contact
Mind Reading, or perhaps the simplest forms of the Higher Phenomena.
Contact Mind Reading is far more satisfactory to the average person, for
its results are very constant indeed, and comparatively little labor,
time and trouble are necessary to make the demonstrations. While on the
contrary the results of the demonstrations of the Higher Phenomena are
less constant except in the cases of very highly developed Receivers,
working with Transmitters in almost perfect _rapport_ and harmony. Then
the average experiments along the lines of the Higher Phenomena, some
days will prove highly successful, while other days will be almost
barren of result. In fact there seems to be a sort of spontaneous action
in the production of the Higher Phenomena, and the degree of success
depends more or less upon some _conditions_ of the mental world, not as
yet fully understood by science. But to those who wish to push into the
Unknown as far as they may do so, this field of the Higher Phenomena of
Mind Reading offers a fascination and attraction difficult to express to
those who have not experienced it.
FINIS.
Practical
Psychomancy and
Crystal Gazing
By
WILLIAM WALKER ATKINSON
A Series of Eleven Lessons on the Psychic; Phenomena of Distant
Sensing, Clairvoyance, Psychometry, Crystal Gazing, etc.
PARTIAL SYNOPSIS OF CONTENTS:
Scientific principles underlying Psychomancy. Sensing objects by the
Astral Senses. Projection of the Astral Body.
=How to Develop Yourself.= Development Methods. Concentration.
Visualization. Psychometry. How to use the Crystal and Mirror. General
Instruction.
Simple and Space Psychomancy and their difference. Seeing Through Solid
Objects. Seeing Down Into the Earth. Diagnosis of Disease by
Psychomancy.
=The Astral Tube.=
=Psychometry.= Five Methods.
Various forms of Crystal Gazing. Directions of "How to Do It," etc.
=Astral Projection.= What the Trained Experimentor may do.
=Space Psychomancy.= What may be accomplished by means of it.
Sensing the scenes, occurrences and objects of the Past, by Astral
Vision.
=Future Time Psychomancy.= Future events casts their shadows before.
=Dream Psychomancy.= This lesson will explain many instances in your own
experience.
This most interesting study is stated clearly, so that all may readily
understand the fundamental principle of Psychic communication.
Price, Cloth, 50 cents
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE:
Throughout this edition of "Practical Mind-Reading" the author uses
underlining for emphasis. In this plain-text version of the e-book,
underlined words are represented as _underlining_.
Bold text is represented as =bold=.
Obvious typos and printer errors have been corrected without comment.
Other than obvious errors, the spelling, grammar, and use of punctuation
are preserved as they appear in the original publication.
Internal inconsistencies in the original publication have not been
corrected in this version but are preserved as originally printed. These
inconsistencies include:
Inconsistent hyphenation (postoffice/ post-office; mind reading/
mind-reading)
References on page 89 to the "Sperry" children refer to the "Creery"
experiments mentioned on page 15.
End of Project Gutenberg's Practical Mind-Reading, by William Walker Atkinson
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