THE SURVIVAL OF MAN A Study in Unrecognized Human Faculty RAYMOND: or Life and Death THE SURVIVAL OF MAN MAN AND THE UNIVERSE REASON AND BELIEF CHRISTOPHER THE WAR AND AFTER MODERN PROBLEMS NEW YORK: GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY THE SURVIVAL OF MAN A Study in Unrecognized Human Faculty BY SIR OLIVER LODGE, F.R.S. NEW AND ENLARGED EDITION NEW ^1Sr YORK GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY COPTBIQHT, 1909, BY GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY COPTBIQHT, 1920, BT GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY PRINTED IH THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA DEDICATED TO THE FOUNDERS OF THE SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH: THE TRUEST AND MOST PATIENT WORK- ERS IN AN UNPOPULAR REGION OF SCIENCE THAT I HAVE EVER KNOWN PREFACE TO THIS NEW AND ENLARGED EDITION THE war has opened the hearts of thousands of people to evidence which formerly appealed only ,to their heads. This fact must be taken into ac- count in estimating the value of evidence for survival. On the one hand it may make people unduly credulous and ready to accept any medium of evidence that trends in the direction of their desires and longings; on the other hand it may make people extra-critical and cautious lest in a matter of such importance they shall be deceived. The latter is the more wholesome attitude, and on the whole I believe is the commoner of the two. For although evidence may appear conclusive when first received, subse- quent contemplation and the suggestion of other. methods of explanation often throw doubt upon the interpretation that first suggested itself, and it is perceived that a deceptive appearance of proof may be attained without any intention to deceive, without any fraud on the part of anybody, but solely because alternative modes of interpretation seem possible; and it is realised that much study and experience are necessary before discrimination is certain, and before anything like a secure basis of definite knowledge can be reached. Since the war the bereavement has been so heavy that emotion is inevitably touched, and it may be erroneously thought that my conviction of the survival of Raymond, and with him of the thousands of other young fellows untimely vi PREFACE slain, may have been induced by the natural longing of a parent. The present book, however, was written long before the war, and is the result of cold-blooded scientific scrutiny of facts such as have come into my ken from time to time ever since the year 1882. Even before that I had had many talks with my friends Myers and Gurney, and was aware of the records collected by them in preparation for a book called "Phantasms of the Living," and their explanation of many apparitions, or so-called ghosts, by a sort of tele- pathic action of mind on mind apart from the ordinary organs of sense. In the seventies of last century, however, I was as sceptical of all those things as any other young student of orthodox physical science, and only gradually did the facts associated with psychical research make any impression on my mind. For a long time these facts accumulated, and I bided my time, weighing all sorts of alternative explanations and not being finally and publicly convinced of the survival and activity and communicating power of the dead until, say, the years 1906 and 1909; although as a matter of fact I had had evidence which really might have been convincing in the year 1889. For it was in that year that I had my first sittings with Mrs. Piper, and through her mediumship spe- cial relatives of my own came through and established their identity in a most striking manner But the recently evolved idea of thought transference or mind-reading from the living kept obtruding itself as an alternative though far-fetched possibility, and it was not till after Myers's death in 1901 that this hypothesis was relegated to its proper subordinate position by the ingenious devices con- trived by him for the purpose. He well knew the difficulty that the fact of telepathy from the living raised, in con- PREFACE vn nexion with the crucial proof of survival of the dead, and he took pains to arrange experiments cross-correspond- ence and others which should put that hypothesis, at least in some cases, definitely out of court. Thus gradually the theory of real communication from minds discarnate forced itself upon me as the only one which would consistently explain all the facts; and then in due time I came out in the open and professed the belief, or rather the knowledge, to which I had been gradually led. This volume is a record of some of the salient facts on which my conviction has been based. It does not pretend to be complete or exhaustive, but it gives a sample of the facts that have come under my own observation; beginning with simple experiments in thought transference and leading up to the beginning of the period subsequent to the death of Myers. The great and classical work of Myers called "Human Personality" had not been quite completed when he died, and it was published after his death. In it is developed his theory of the Subliminal-self, which throws so much light on questions of incarnation, pre-existence, and even on the idea of a modified form of what is sometimes called reincarnation. A chapter on this subject is therefore ap- pended to this edition as a penultimate chapter. Further, although the question of abnormal or super- normal physical phenomena is not raised in the present volume, a final chapter is added introductory to them, al- though they may or may not add to the evidence for sur- vival. For it is possible to hold that such phenomena have nothing to do with any action of the discarnate, and that they are purely physiological activities of the medium an extension, a surprising and rather incredible extension, of the familiar experiences illustrative of the action of mind Vlll PREFACE on matter, to which we have grown so accustomed that we fail to recognize in such action anything surprising or inex- plicable. Yet inexplicable they really are. No one can ex- plain how a finger is moved by an act of will, nor how our bodies are unconsciously constructed in a certain character- istic shape; and if we find by actual experiment and observa- tion that occasionally things can be moved beyond the ordinary periphery of the body, or that some plastic con- structive ability is possessed by our unconscious minds, there is no a priori argument of any weight that we can adduce in opposition to the actual fact. What we have to do in such a region is to contemplate and make very sure of our facts, leaving deduction and explanation to follow in due time. So my concluding chapter will be a warning against quenching the spirit of enquiry by premature certi- tude that all such things are impossible. I plead for an open mind to them also, for it is our duty in this scientific age to make room for every fact in nature, whether it appears to fit into our prearranged scheme of the Universe or not. Our minds are not likely as yet to have exhausted the possibilities of the Universe. Whole chapters, new volumes, of fact may be awaiting our explorations, and a book like this should appropriately close not on a note of completion but on a glimpse of still further vistas opening before us, a recognition of unplumbed depths awaiting the sounding-line of the navigators of the future. NEW YORK, February, IQ20 " IT is mere dogmatism to assert that we do not survive death, and mere prejudice or inertia to assert that it is impossible to discover whether we do or no. We in the West have hardly even begun to inquire into the matter ; and scientific method and critical faculty were never devoted to it, so far as I am aware, previous to the foundation, some quarter of a century ago, of the Society for Psychical Research. . . . " Alleged facts suggesting prima facie the survival of death . . . are now at last being systematically and deliberately explored by men and women of intelligence and good faith bent on ascertaining the truth." " I am asking you to take seriously a branch of scientific inquiry which may have results more important than any other that is being pursued in our time." G. LOWES DICKINSON, Ingersoll Lecture on Immortality at Harvard 1908. And assuredly the religious, implications of all these phenomena are worthy of any man's most serious thought. Those who most feel the importance of the ethical superstructure are at the same time most plainly bound to treat the establishment of the facts at the foundation as no mere personal search for a faith, to be dropped when private conviction has been attained, but as a serious, a continuous, public duty. And the more convinced they are that their faith is sound, the more ready should they be to face distrust and aversion, to lay their account for a long strug- gle with the vis inertia of the human spirit. F. W. H. MYERS, Human Personality, ii. 225. TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION I AIMS AND OBJECTS OF PSYCHICAL RESEARCH CHAP PAGE. I. THE ORIGIN OF THE SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RE- SEARCH i II. PRACTICAL WORK OF THE SOCIETY n SECTION II EXPERIMENTAL TELEPATHY OR THOUGHT TRANSFERENCE III. SOME EARLY EXPERIMENTS IN THOUGHT-TRANS- FERENCE 39 IV. FURTHER EXPERIMENTS IN TELEPATHY ... 59 V. SPONTANEOUS CASES OF THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE 74 VI. APPLIED TELEPATHY 80 SECTION III SPONTANEOUS TELEPATHY AND CLAIRVOYANCE VII. APPARITIONS CONSIDERED IN THE LIGHT OF TE- LEPATHY 99 VIII. TELEPATHY FROM AN IMMATERIAL REGION . .no IX. EXAMPLES OF APPARENT CLAIRVOYANCE . . .128 X. PREVISION ' 155 CONTENTS SECTION IV AUTOMATISM AND LUCIDITY XI. AUTOMATIC WRITING AND TRANCE SPEECH . .169 XII. PERSONAL IDENTITY 182 XIII. BEGINNING OF THE CASE OF MRS. PIPER . . . 190 XIV. PROFESSOR WILLIAM JAMES'S EARLY TESTIMONY 198 XV. THE AUTHOR'S FIRST REPORT ON MRS. PIPER . 204 XVI. EXTRACTS FROM PIPER SITTINGS 214 XVII. DISCUSSION OF PIPER SITTINGS 240 XVIII. SUMMARY OF DR. HODGSON'S VIEWS .... 246 XIX. RECENT PIPER SITTINGS. GENERAL INFORMATION 259 XX. THE ISAAC THOMPSON CONTROL 269 XXI. GENERAL REMARKS ON THE PIPER SITTINGS . .281 XXII. THE MYERS CONTROL 288 XXIII. THE MYERS AND HODGSON CONTROLS IN RECENT PIPER SITTINGS 313 XXIV. BRIEF SUMMARY OF OTHER EXPERIENCES AND COM- MENT THEREUPON 321 XXV. INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF CROSS-CORRE- SPONDENCE 329 XXVI. TENTATIVE CONCLUSION 339 XXVII. IN MEMORY OF MYERS 344 XXVIII. ON THE SUBLIMINAL SELF AND ON THE BOOK "HUMAN PERSONALITY" 358 XXIX. ON THE A PRIORI ARGUMENT AGAINST PHYSICAL PHENOMENA 368 INDEX 377 SECTION I AIMS AND OBJECTS OF PSY- CHICAL RESEARCH THE SURVIVAL OF MAN CHAPTER I THE ORIGIN OF THE SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH PUZZLING and weird occurrences have been vouched for among all nations and in every age. It is possible to relegate a good many asserted occurrences to the domain of superstition, but it is not possible thus to eliminate all. Nor is it likely that in the present stage of natural knowledge we are acquainted with all the workings of the human spirit and have reduced them to such simplicity that everything capable of happening in the mental and psychical region is of a nature readily and familiarly to be understood by all. Yet there are many who seem prac- tically to believe in this improbability; for although they are constrained from time to time to accept novel and sur- prising discoveries in biology, in chemistry, and in physical science generally, they seem tacitly to assume that these are the only parts of the universe in which fundamental dis- covery is possible, all the rest being too well known. It is a simple faith, and does credit to the capacity for belief of those who hold it belief unfounded upon knowl- edge, and tenable only in the teeth of a great mass of evi- dence to the contrary. It is not easy to unsettle minds thus fortified against the intrusion of unwelcome facts; and their strong faith is I 2 AIMS AND OBJECTS probably a salutary safeguard against that unbalanced and comparatively dangerous condition called " open-minded- ness," which is ready to learn and investigate anything not manifestly self-contradictory and absurd. Without people of the solid, assured, self-satisfied order, the practical work of the world would not so efficiently be done. But, whatever may be thought of the subject by the majority of people at present, this book is intended to indi- cate the possibility that discoveries of the very first magni- tude can still be made are indeed in process of being made by strictly scientific methods, in the region of psychology : discoveries quite comparable in importance with those which have been made during the last century in physics and biol- ogy, but discoveries whose opportunities for practical ap- plication and usefulness may similarly have to remain for some time in the hands of experts, since perhaps they can- not be miscellaneously absorbed or even apprehended by the multitude without danger. It has been partly the necessity for caution the dread of encouraging mere stupid superstition that has in- stinctively delayed advance in these branches of inquiry, until the progress of education gave a reasonable chance of a sane and balanced and critical reception by a fairly con- siderable minority. But, within the last half century, assertions concerning psychological supernormalities have not only excited gen- eral attention, but have rather notably roused the interest of careful and responsible students, both in the domain of science and in that of letters. Twenty-eight years ago, in fact, a special society with distinguished membership was enrolled in London, with the object of inquiring into the truth of many of these asser- tions. It was started by a few men of letters and of science ORIGIN OF THE SOCIETY 3 who for some years had been acquainted with a number of strange apparent facts facts so strange and unusual, and yet so widely believed in among a special coterie of ordi- narily sane and sensible people, that it seemed to these pioneers highly desirable either to incorporate them properly into the province of ordered knowledge, or else to extrude them definitely as based upon nothing but credulity, im- posture, and deceit. The attempt was to be made in a serious and responsible spirit, a spirit of genuine "scepticism," that is to say, of critical examination and inquiry, not of dogmatic denial and assertion. No phenomenon was to be unhesitatingly re- jected because at first sight incredible. No phenomenon was to be accepted which could not make its position good by crucial and repeated and convincing tests. Every class of asserted fact was to have the benefit of inquiry, none was to be given the benefit of any doubt. So long as doubt was possible, the phenomenon was to be kept at arm's length: to be criticised as possible, not to be embraced as true. It is often cursorily imagined that an adequate supply of the critical and cautious spirit necessary in this investiga- tion is a monopoly of professed men of science. It is not so. Trained students of literature not to mention ex- perts in philosophy have shown themselves as careful, as exact, as critical, and as cautious, as any professed student of science. They have even displayed an excess of caution. They have acted as a curb and a restraint upon the more technically scientific workers, who presumably because their constant business is to deal at first hand with new phenomena of one kind or another have been willing to accept a fresh variety of them upon evidence not much stronger than that to which they were already well accus- 4 AIMS AND OBJECTS tomed. Whereas some of the men and women of letters associated with the society have been invariably extremely cautious, less ready to be led by obtrusive and plausible ap- pearances, more suspicious of possibilities and even impos- sibilities of fraud, actually more inventive sometimes of other and quasi-normal methods of explaining inexplicable facts. I name no names, but from a student of science this testimony is due: and it is largely to the sceptical and ex- tremely cautious wisdom of some representatives of letters and philosophy, as well as to their energy and enthusiasm for knowledge, that the present moderately respectable position of the subject in the estimation of educated people is due. The first President was Professor Henry Sidgwick, and in his early presidential addresses the following sentences occur : It is a scandal that a dispute as to the reality of these phenomena should still be going on, that so many competent witnesses should have declared their belief in them, that so many others should be profoundly interested in having the question determined, and yet that the educated world, as a body, should still be simply in the attitude of incredulity. Now the primary aim of our Society, the thing which we all unite to promote, whether as believers or non-believers, is to make a sustained and systematic attempt to remove this scandal in one way or another. If any one asks me what I mean by, or how I define, sufficient scientific proof of thought-reading, clairvoyance, or the phenomena called Spiritualistic, I should ask to be al- lowed to evade the difficulties of determining in the abstract what constitutes adequate evidence. What I mean by sufficient evidence is evidence that will convince the scientific world, and for that we obviously require a good deal more than we have so far obtained. I do not mean that some effect in this direction has not been produced: if that were ORIGIN OF THE SOCIETY 5 so we could not hope to do much. I think that something has been done; that the advocates of obstinate incredulity I mean the incredulity that waives the whole affair aside as undeserving of any attention from rational beings feel their case to be not primd facie so strong now as it was. Thirty years ago it was thought that want of scientific culture was an adequate explanation of the vulgar belief in mesmerism and table-turning. Then, as one man of scien- tific repute after another came forward with the results of individual investigation, there was a quite ludicrous in- genuity exercised in finding reasons for discrediting his scientific culture. He was said to be an amateur, not a pro- fessional; or a specialist without adequate generality of view and training; or a mere discoverer not acquainted with the strict methods of experimental research; or he was not a Fellow of the Royal Society, or if he was it was by an un- fortunate accident. We must not expect any decisive effect in the direction at which we primarily aim, on the common sense of mankind, from any single piece of evidence, how- ever complete it has been made. Scientific incredulity has been so long in growing, and has so many and so strong roots, that we shall only kill it, if we are able to kill it at all as regards any of those questions, by burying it alive under a heap of facts. We must keep " pegging away," as Lincoln said; we must accumulate fact upon fact, and add experiment upon experiment, and, I should say, not wrangle too much with incredulous outsiders about the conclusiveness of any one, but trust to the mass of evidence for conviction. The highest degree of demonstrative force that we can ob- tain out of any single record of investigation is, of course, limited by the trustworthiness of the investigator. We have done all that we can when the critic has nothing left to al- lege except that the investigator is in the trick. But when he has nothing else left to allege he will allege that. We shall, I hope, make a point of bringing no evidence before the public until we have got it to this pitch of cogency. To many enthusiasts outside and to some of those inside the Society who, through long acquaintance with the phenomena under investigation, were already thoroughly convinced of their genuine character this attitude on the part of the founders and leaders of the Society for Psychical Research always seemed wrong-headed, and sometimes proved irritating to an almost unbearable degree. The hostility of the outside world and of orthodox science to the investigation, though at times fierce and scornful, and al- ways weighty and significant, has been comparatively mild perhaps because fragmentary and intermittent when compared with the bitter and fairly continuous diatribes which have issued, and still often issue, from the spiritual- istic press against the slow and ponderous and repellent attitude of those responsible for the working of the So- ciety. It has been called a society for the suppression of facts, for the wholesale imputation of imposture, for the dis- couragement of the sensitive, and for the repudiation of every revelation of the kind which was said to be pressing itself upon humanity from the regions of light and knowl- edge. Well, we have had to stand this buffeting, as well as the more ponderous blows inflicted by the other side; and it was hardly necessary to turn the cheek to the smiter, since in an attitude of face-forward progress the buffets were sure to come with fair impartiality; greater frequency on the one side making up for greater strength on the other. REPLY TO RELIGIOUS CRITICS There is a persistent class of objector, however, whose attacks are made more in sorrow than in anger, and whose earnest remonstrances are thus sympathetically parried by the founders of the Society: ORIGIN OF THE SOCIETY 7 One word in reference to another objection, which pro- ceeds from a different quarter. There are not a few religious persons who see no reason to doubt our alleged facts, but who regard any experimental investigation of them as wrong, because they must be the work either of the devil or of familiar spirits, with whom the Bible forbids us to have dealings. . . . What we should urge upon our religious friends is that their scruples have really no place in the present stage of our investigation, when the question before us is whether certain phenomena are to be referred to the agency of Spirits at all, even as a " working hypothe- sis." . . . Many of us, I think, will be amply content if we can only bring this first stage of our investigation to something like a satisfactory issue; we do not look further ahead; and we will leave it for those who may come after to deal with any moral problems that may possibly arise when this first stage is passed. There are persons who believe themselves to have certain knowledge on the most important matters on which we are seeking evidence, who do not doubt that they have received communications from an unseen world of spirits, but who think that such communications should be kept as sacred mysteries and not exposed to be scrutinised in the mood of cold curiosity which they conceive to belong to science. Now we do not wish to appear intrusive; at the same time we are anxious not to lose through .mere misunderstanding any good opportunities for investigation: and I therefore wish to assure such persons that we do not approach these matters in any light or trivial spirit, but with an ever-present sense of the vast importance of the issues involved, and with every desire to give reverence wherever reverence is found to be due. But we feel bound to begin by taking these ex- periences, however important and however obscure, as a part of the great aggregate which we call Nature; and we must ascertain carefully and systematically their import, their laws and causes, before we can rationally take up any definite attitude of mind with regard to them. The un- known or uncommon is not in itself an object of reverence; 8 AIMS AND OBJECTS there is no sacredness in the mere limitations of our knowl- edge. ^ This, then, is what we mean by a scientific spirit; that we approach the subject without prepossessions, but with a single-minded desire to bring within the realm of orderly and accepted knowledge what now appears as a chaos of in- dividual beliefs. It is instructive to look back at the original programme issued by the Society, which is now housed at 20 Hanover Square; and accordingly I make a few quotations from the prelude to its first volume of Proceedings, wherein is con- tained a statement of its aims and objects : PROGRAMME OF THE SOCIETY From the recorded testimony of many competent witnesses, past and present, including observations recently made by scientific men of eminence in various countries, there appears to be, amidst much illusion and deception, an important body of remarkable phenomena, which are prima facie in- explicable on any generally recognised hypothesis, and which, if incontestably established, would be of the highest possible value. The task of examining such residual phenomena has often been undertaken by individual effort, but never hitherto by a scientific society organized on a sufficiently broad basis. As a preliminary step towards this end, a Conference, con- vened by Professor Barrett, was held in London, on Jan- uary 6th, 1882, and a Society for Psychical Research was projected. The Society was definitely constituted on Feb- ruary 2Oth, 1882, and its Council, then appointed, sketched out a programme of future work: 1. An examination of the nature and extent of any in- fluence which may be exerted by one mind upon another, apart from any generally recognised mode of perception. 2. The study of hypnotism, and the form of so-called mesmeric trance, with its alleged insensibility to pain; clairvoyance and other allied phenomena. 3. A critical revision of Reichenbach's researches with certain organisations called " sensitive," and an inquiry whether such organisations possess any power of perception beyond a highly exalted sen- sibility of the recognised sensory organs. 4. A careful investigation of any reports, resting on strong testimony, regarding apparitions at the moment of death, or otherwise, or regarding dis- turbances in houses reputed to be haunted. 5. An inquiry into the various physical phenomena commonly called Spiritualistic; with an attempt to discover their causes and general laws. 6. The collection and collation of existing materials bearing on the history of these subjects. The aim of the Society is to approach these various prob- lems without prejudice or prepossession of any kind, and in the same spirit of exact and unimpassioned inquiry which has enabled Science to solve so many problems, once not less obscure nor less hotly debated. The founders of this Society fully recognize the exceptional difficulties which sur- round this branch of research; but they nevertheless hope that by patient and systematic effort some results of permanent value may be attained. To prevent misconception, it must be expressly stated that Membership of the Society does not imply the accep- tance of any particular explanation of the phenomena in- vestigated, nor any belief as to the operation, in the physical world, of forces other than those recognised by Physical Science. And to this I may add that all seriously interested people are welcome as members, provided they have no selfish or commercial ends to serve by seeking to join. Their interest, and in a minor degree their subscription, tend to promote the object we have in view. Merely su- perstitious and emotional people would find themselves out io AIMS AND OBJECTS of place at our meetings, but otherwise we do not seek to be exclusive. It is a kind of work to which any fair- minded and honest person can, as opportunity offers, con- tribute his or her share. CHAPTER II PRACTICAL WORK OF THE SOCIETY IN the three earliest years of the present century it fell to my lot to occupy the Presidential Chair of the Society for Psychical Research and to give an Address each year. One of those Addresses the one for 1903 dealt with the lines of profitable work which seemed at that time to be opening before us; and, since the general nature of our investigation is there referred to in a pre- liminary manner, it is useful to reproduce it here as an in* troduction to the more detailed records which follow. Our primary aim is to be a Scientific Society, to conduct our researches and to record our results in an accurate and scientific manner, so as to set an example of careful work in regions where it has been the exception rather than the rule, and to be a trustworthy guide to the generation of workers who shall follow. To be scientific does not mean to be infallible, but it means being clear and honest, and as exact as we know how to be. In difficult investigations pioneers have always made some mistakes, they have no immediate criterion or infallible touchstone to distinguish the more true from the less true, but if they record their results with anxious care and scrupulous honesty and painstaking precision, their mis- takes are only less valuable to the next generation than their partially true generalisations; and sometimes it turns out, after a century or so, that mistakes made by early pioneers were no such thorough errors as had been thought, but they II 12 AIMS AND OBJECTS had an element of truth in them all the time, as if discoverers were endowed with a kind of prophetic insight whereby they caught a glimpse of theories and truths which it would take several generations of workers to disencumber and bring clearly to light. Suppose, however, that their errors were real ones, the record of their work is just as important to future naviga- tors as it is to have the rocks and shoals of a channel mapped out and buoyed. It is work which must be done. The great ship passing straight to its destination is enabled to attain this directness and speed by the combined labours of a multitude of workers, some obscure and forgotten, some distinguished and remembered, but few of them able to realise its stately passage. So it is also with every great erection, much of the work is indirect and hidden; the Forth Bridge stands upon piers sunk below the water-mark by the painful and long continued labours of Italian work- men in " caissons " full of compressed and heated air. The study of specifically Natural knowledge was fostered and promoted by the recognition in the reign of Charles II. of a body of enthusiasts who, during the disturbed but hopeful era of the Commonwealth, had met together to discuss problems of scientific interest; and to-day the Royal Society is among the dignified institutions of our land, tak- ing all branches of Natural Philosophy and Natural History the Physical Sciences and the Biological Sciences under its wing. Us it does not recognise; but then neither does it recognise Mental and Moral Philosophy, or Ethics, or Psychology, or History, or any part of a great region of knowledge which has hitherto been regarded as outside the pale of the Natural Sciences. It is for us to introduce our subjects within that pale, if PRACTICAL WORK 13 it turns out that there they properly belong; and if not, it is for us to do pioneer work and take our place by the side of that group of Societies whose object is the recognition and promotion of work in the mental, the psychological, the philosophical direction, until the day for unification shall arrive. Half knowledge sees divisions and emphasises barriers, delights in classification into genera and species, affixes labels, and studies things in groups. And all this work is of the utmost practical value and is essentially necessary. That the day will come when barriers shall be broken down, when species shall be found to shade off into one another, when continuity and not classification shall be the dominant feature, may be anticipated by all; but we have no power of hastening the day except by taking our place in the work- shop and doing our assigned quota; still less do we gain any advantage by pretending that the day of unification has arrived while as yet its dawn is still in the future. POPULAR MISTRUST OF SCIENCE, AND ITS REMEDY Our primary aim is to be a scientific Society, doing pioneering and foundation work in a new and not yet in- corporated plot on which future generations may build, and making as few mistakes as we can reasonably contrive by the exercise of great care. We are not a literary society, though we have had men of letters among our guides and leaders; and we are not a religious society, though some of the members take an interest in our subject because it seems to them to have a bearing on their religious convic- tions or hopes. I will say a few words on both these points. First, our relations to literature: I 4 AIMS AND OBJECTS The name of Francis Bacon is a household word in the history of English scientific ideas. I do not mean in the recent, and as it seems to me comic, aspect, that he wrote everything that was written in the Elizabethan era (a matter to which I wish to make no reference one way or the other, for it is completely off my path). But, before that hare was started, his name was weighty and familiar in the history of English scientific ideas; and it is instructive to ask why. Was he a man of Science? No. Did he make discoveries? No. Do scientific men trace back their ancestry to him? No. To Isaac Newton they trace it back, to Gilbert, to Roger Bacon, speaking for those in England; but of Francis Bacon they know next to nothing. Outside England all the world traces its scientific ancestry to Newton, to Descartes, to Galileo, to Kepler; but of Francis Bacon scientific men outside England have scarcely heard, save as Aman of letters. Yet the progress of science owes much to fyim. All unconsciously scientific men owe to him a great debt. Why? Because he perceived afar off the oncoming of the scientific wave, and because he was able, in language to which men would listen, to herald and welcome its advance. Scientifically he was an amateur; but he was an enthusiast who with splendid eloquence, with the fire of genius, and with great forensic skill, was able to impress his generation, and not his own generation alone, with some idea of the dignity and true place of science, and to make it possible for the early pioneers of the Royal Society to pursue their labours unimpeded by persecution and to gain some sort of recognition even from general and aristocratic Society. For remember that the term "science" was not always respectable. To early ears it sounded almost as the term witchcraft or magic sounds, it was a thing from which to PRACTICAL WORK 15 warn young people; it led to atheism and to many other abominations. It was an unholy prying into the secrets of Nature which were meant to be hid from our eyes; it was a thing against which the Church resolutely set its face, a thing for which it was ready if need were to torture or to burn those unlucky men of scientific genius who were born before their time. I mean no one Church in particular: I mean the religious world generally. Science was a thing allied to heresy, a thing to hold aloof from, to shudder at, and to attribute to the devil. All which treatment that great and eminent pioneer, Roger Bacon, experienced at the Uni- versity of Oxford; because the time was not yet ripe. How came it that a little later, in the days of the Stuarts, the atmosphere was so different from that prevalent in the days of the Plantagenets? Doubtless the age of Elizabeth, the patriotism aroused by the Armada and by the great discoveries in geography, had had their vivifying effect; and the same sort of originality of thought which did not scruple to arraign a king for high treason likewise ventured to set orthodoxy at defiance, and to experiment upon and investi- gate openly all manner of natural facts. But, in partial contradiction to the expressed opinion of some men of science, I am disposed to agree to a considerable extent with the popular British view that the result was largely due to the influence of the writings of Francis Bacon. He had accustomed scholars and literary men to the possibilities and prerogatives of scientific inquiry, he had emphasised the importance and the dignity of experiment, and it is due to his writings that the rapid spread of scientific ideas, discovered as always by a few, became acceptable to and spread among the many. Do not let us suppose, however, that the recognition of science was immediate and universal. Dislike of it, and 1 6 AIMS AND OBJECTS mistrust of the consequences of scientific inquiry es- pecially in geology and anthropology, persisted well into the Victorian era, and is not wholly extinct at the present day. Quite apart from antipathy to investigation into affairs of the mind which is unpopular and mistrusted still, so that good people are still found who will attribute anything unusual to the devil, and warn young people from it, there is some slight trace of lingering prejudice against the orthodox sciences of Chemistry and Physics and and Biology. They have achieved their foothold, they are regarded with respect people do not disdain to make money by means of them when the opportunity is forthcom- ing but they are not really liked. They are admitted to certain schools on sufferance, as an inferior grade of study suited to the backward and the ignorant; they are not re- garded with affection and enthusiasm as revelations of Divine working to be studied reverently, nor as subjects in which the youth of a nation may be wholesomely and solidly trained. Very well, still more is the time not quite ripe for our subject; pioneers must expect hard knocks, the mind of a people can change only slowly. Until the mind of a people is changed, new truths born before their time must suffer the fate of other untimely births; and the prophet who preaches them must expect to be mistaken for a useless fanatic, of whom every age has always had too many, and must be content to be literally or metaphorically put to death, as part of the process of the regeneration of the world. The dislike and mistrust and disbelief in the validity or legitimacy of psychical inquiry is familiar: the dislike of the Natural Sciences is almost defunct. It survives, un- doubtedly they are not liked, though they are tolerated and I am bound to say that part of the surviving dislike PRACTICAL WORK 17 is due not alone to heredity and imbibed ideas, but to the hasty and intolerant and exuberant attitude of some men of science, who, knowing themselves to be reformers, feel- ing that they have a grain of seed-corn to plant and water, have not always been content to go about their business in a calm and conciliatory spirit, but have sought to hurry things on by a rough-shod method of progression, which may indeed attain its ends, but gives some pain in the process, and perhaps achieves results less admirable than those which might have been attained by the exercise of a little patience, a little more perception of the point of view of others, a little more imagination, a little more of that recognition of the insignificance of trifles and of the transi- tory character of full-blown fashions which is called a sense of humour, a little cultivation of the historic sense. In a word, a little more general education. But this is a digression. I admit the importance of Francis Bacon in the history of the development of the national recognition of the natural sciences in England; and I wish to suggest that in the history of the psychical sciences we too have had a Bacon, and one not long de- parted from us. It is possible that in his two posthumous volumes we have a book which posterity will regard as a Novum Organon. History does not repeat itself, and I would not draw the parallel too close. It may be that posterity will regard Myers as much more than that, as a philosophic pioneer who has not only secured recognition for, but has himself formulated some of the philosophic unification of, a mass of obscure and barely recognised human faculties, thereby throwing a light on the meaning of " personality " which may survive the test of time. It may be so, but that is for no one living to say. Posterity alone, by aid of the experience and further knowledge i8 AIMS AND OBJECTS which time brings, is able to make a judgment of real value on such a topic as that. Meanwhile it is for us to see that time does bring this greater knowledge and experience. For time alone is im- potent. Millions of years passed on this planet, during which the amount of knowledge acquired was small or nil. Up to the sixteenth century, even, scientific progress was at the least slow. Recently it has been rapid, none too rapid, but rapid. The rate of advance depends upon the activities and energies of each generation, and upon the organization and machinery which it has inherited from its immediate forebears. The pioneers who created the S. P. R. have left it in trust with us to hand it on to future generations, an efficient and powerful machine for the spread of scientific truth, an engine for the advancement of science in a direction overgrown with thickets of popular superstition, intermixed with sandy and barren tracts of resolute incredulity. We have to steer our narrow way between the Scylla of stony minds with no opening in our direction, and the Charybdis of easy and omnivorous acceptance of every straw and waif, whether of truth or falsehood, that may course with the cur- rents of popular superstition. NEED FOR QUALIFIED INVESTIGATORS Realising this to be our duty, and perceiving that we have a long period of danger and difficulty before us, it has be- come evident to persons of clear vision that the Society must be established on a sound and permanent basis, and must endeavour to initiate an attitude of regarding the psychical sciences as affording the same sort of scope to a career, the same sort of opportunities of earning a livelihood, as do PRACTICAL WORK 19 the longer recognised sciences, those which are more specifically denominated " natural," because of the way they fit into our idea of the scheme of nature as by us at present recognised, or at any rate because they deal with facts to which we have gradually grown accustomed. Any young man who wishes to make money should be warned off the pursuit of pure science at the outset. People who enter the field with that object in view will do neither themselves nor science any good. A certain amount of en- thusiasm and pioneering proclivity is essential, but fortu- nately that has never yet been wanting in our race; witness the hardships willingly entered upon, and the risks run, in Arctic or Antartic exploration, for nothing more than a liv- ing wage. A living wage is however to many a necessity. It has always been recognised that those who labour at the altar should live by the altar; and a minimum of provision for bread and homely needs ought to be at the disposal of a Society like this wherewith to enable a person of ability and enthusiasm to undertake the prosecution of our re- searches in a definite and continuous and so to speak profes- sional manner. Hitherto we have depended on the spontane- ous and somewhat spasmodic work of amateurs, often of wealthy amateurs, before whose minds such questions as salary never even momentarily pass. We shall always have need of services such as theirs. In the more orthodox sciences, in Physics for instance, it has been notorious that throughout the last century the best work has often been done by people who having the means of living otherwise se- cured to them were able to devote their time, and often considerable means too, to the prosecution of research. There has been no rule either way. Some of the leaders have been paid a small salary, like Faraday: others have had independent means, like Cavendish and Joule. Always, 20 AIMS AND OBJECTS I say, we shall depend upon and be grateful for the spon- taneous work and help of people of means; but we must not depend solely upon that, else will young people of genius be diverted by sheer force of circumstance into other channels, and our nascent science will lose the benefit of their powers and continuous work. We cannot always depend on spontaneous cases alone. They are most important, and are often extremely valuable instances of a spontaneous and purposeful exercise of the faculty we are investigating, and it would be a great mistake to suppose that we have had enough of them. It is essen- tial that we be kept informed of recent well-attested cases, especially of apparitions at or near the time of death; but we shall not make progress in understanding the laws of the phenomena and disentangling their deeper meaning if we confine ourselves to observation alone. We must experiment, we must endeavour to produce and examine phenomena as it were in a laboratory such as I have else- where foreshadowed (Journal S. P. R., vi. 357) and must submit them to minute investigation. For instance there is the question of so-called spirit photography, there are asserted levitations and apports and physical movements, none of which have been subjected to adequate scientific examination. Many such cases have been examined and found fraudulent, and there is great difficulty in obtaining the phenomena under prescribed and crucial conditions; but until these things have been submitted to long-continued scientific scrutiny they will make no undis- puted inpression, they will be either improperly accepted or improperly rejected, and will continue in that nebulous hazy region, the region of popular superstition, from which it is the business of this Society to rescue them; raising them on to the dry land of science, or submerging them as impostures PRACTICAL WORK 21 in the waters of oblivion. And I may say parenthetically that we do not care one iota which alternative fate is in store for them : we only want the truth. Now I know that some few persons are impatient of such an investigation, and decline to see any need for it. They feel that if they have evidence enough to justify their own belief, further inquiry is superfluous. These have not the scientific spirit, they do not understand the meaning of " law." A fact isolated and alone, joined by no link to the general body of knowledge, is almost valueless. If what they believe is really a fact, they may depend upon it that it has its place in the cosmic scheme, a place which can be detected by human intelligence; and its whole bearing and meaning can gradually be made out. Moreover their attitude is selfish. Being satisfied them- selves they will help us no more. But real knowledge, like real wealth of any kind, cannot be wrapped up in a napkin; it pines for reproduction, for increase: " how am I straight- ened till it be accomplished." The missionary spirit, in some form or other, is inseparably associated with all true and worthy knowledge. Think of a man who, having made a discovery in Astronomy, seen a new planet, or worked out a new law, should keep it to himself and gloat over it in private. It would be inhuman and detestable miserliness; even in a thing like that, of no manifest importance to man- kind. There would be some excuse for a man who lived so much in advance of his time that, like Galileo with his newly invented and applied telescope, he ran a danger of rebuffs and persecution for the publication of discoveries. But even so, it is his business to brave this and tell out what he knows; still more is it his business so to act upon the mind of his generation as to convert it gradually to the truth, and lead his fellows to accept what now they reject. 22 AIMS AND OBJECTS Those who believe themselves the repositories of any form of divine truth should realise their responsibility. They are bound in honour to take such steps as may wisely cause its perception and recognition by the mass of mankind. They are not bound to harangue the crowd from the nearest plat- form: that might be the very way to retard progress and throw back the acceptance of their doctrine. The course to pursue may be much more indirect than that. The way may be hard and long, but to the possessor of worldly means it is far easier than to another. If the proper administra- tion of his means can conduce to the progress of science, and to the acceptance by the mass of mankind of important and vivifying knowledge of which they are now ignorant, then surely the path lies plain. Argumentum ad Dignitatem Still however there are persons who urge that a study of occult phenomena is beneath the dignity of science, and that nothing will be gained of any use to mankind by inquisitive- ness regarding the unusual and the lawless, or by gravely attending to the freaks of the unconscious or semi-conscious mind. But as Myers and Gurney said long ago in Phantasms of the Living it is needful to point out yet once more, how plausible the reasons for discouraging some novel re- search have often seemed to be, while yet the advance of knowledge has rapidly shown the futility and folly of such discouragement. It was the Father of Science himself who was the first to circumscribe her activity. Socrates expressly excluded from the range of exact inquiry all such matters as the movements and nature of the sun and moon. He wished and as he expressed his wish it seemed to have all the cogency of ab- PRACTICAL WORK 23 solute wisdom that men's minds should be turned to the ethical and political problems which truly concerned them, not wasted in speculation on things unknowable things useless even could they be known. In a kindred spirit, though separated from Socrates by the whole result of that physical science which Socrates had deprecated, we find a great modern systematiser of human thought again endeavouring to direct the scientific impulse towards things serviceable to man; to divert it from things remote, unknowable, and useless if known. What then, in Comte's view, are in fact the limits of man's actual home and business? the bounds within which he may set himself to learn all he can, assured that all will serve to inform his conscience and guide his life? It is the solar system which has become for the French philosopher what the street and market-place of Athens were for the Greek. I need not say that Comte's prohibition has been alto- gether neglected. No frontier of scientific demarcation has been established between Neptune and Sirius, between Uranus and Aldebaran. Our knowledge of the fixed stars increases yearly; and it would be rash to maintain that human conduct is not already influenced by the conception thus gained of the unity and immensity of the heavens. The criticisms which have met us, from the side some- times of scientific, sometimes of religious orthodoxy, have embodied, in modernised phraseology, nearly every well- worn form of timid protest, or obscurantist demurrer, with which the historians of science have been accustomed to give piquancy to their long tale of discovery and achievement. Sometimes we are told that we are inviting the old theological spirit to encroach once more on the domain of Science; sometimes that we are endeavouring to lay the im- pious hands of Science upon the mysteries of Religion. 24 AIMS AND OBJECTS Sometimes we are informed that competent savants have already fully explored the field which we propose for our investigation. Sometimes that no respectable man of science would condescend to meddle with such a reeking mass of fraud and hysteria. Sometimes we are pitied as laborious triflers who prove some infinitely small matter with mighty trouble and pains; sometimes we are derided as attempting the solution of gigantic problems by slight and superficial means. USE OF CONTINUED INVESTIGATION But the question is reiterated, Why investigate that of which we are sure? Why conduct experiments in hyp- notism or in telepathy? Why seek to confirm that of which we already have conviction? Why value well-evidenced narratives of apparitions at times of death or catastrophe, when so many have already been collected in Phantasms of the Living, and when careful scrutiny has proved that they cannot be the result of chance coincidence? 1 There is a quite definite answer to this question - an answer at which I have already hinted which I wish to commend to the consideration of those who feel this difficulty or ask this sort of question. The business of Science is not belief but investigation. Belief is both the prelude to and the outcome of knowledge. If a fact or a theory has had a primd facie case made out for it, subsequent investigation is necessary to examine and extend it. Effective knowledge concerning anything can only be the result of long-continued investigation ; belief in the possibility 1 See the Report of Professor Sidgwick's Committee, Proceedings S. P. R., vol. x., p. 394. PRACTICAL WORK 25 of a fact is only the very first step. Until there is some sort of tentative belief in the reasonable possibility of a fact there is no investigation, the scientific priest and Levite have other business, and pass by on the other side. And small blame to them: they cannot stop to investigate every- thing that may be lying by the roadside. If they had been sure that it was a fellow creature in legitimate distress they would have acted differently. Belief of a tentative kind will ensure investigation, not by all but by some of the scientific travellers along the road; but investigation is the prelude to action, and action is a long process. Some one must attend to the whole case and see it through. Others, more pressed for time, may find it easier to subscribe their " two pence " to an endowment fund, and so give indirect but valuable assistance. The object of investigation is the ascertainment of law, and to this process there is no end. What, for instance, is the object of observing and recording earthquakes, and ar- ranging delicate instruments to detect the slightest indica- tion of earth tremor? Every one knows that earthquakes exist, there is no scepticism to overcome in their case; even people who have never experienced them are quite ready to believe in their occurrence. Investigation into earthquakes and the whole of the motile occurrences in the earth's crust, is not in the least for the purpose of confirming faith, but solely for the better understanding of the conditions and nature of the phenomena; in other words, for the ascertain- ment of law. So it is in every branch of science. At first among new phenomena careful observation of fact is necessary, as when Tycho Brahe made measurements of the motion of the planets and accumulated a store of careful observations. Then came the era of hypothesis, and Kepler waded through 26 AIMS AND OBJECTS guess after guess, testing them pertinaciously to see if any one of them would fit all the facts : the result of his strenuous life-work being the three laws which for all time bear his name. And then came the majestic deductive epoch of Newton, welding the whole into one comprehensive system; subsequently to be enriched and extended by the labours of Lagrange and Laplace; after which the current of scientific inquiry was diverted for a time into other less adequately explored channels. For not at all times is everything equally ripe for inquiry. There is a phase, or it may be a fashion, even in Science. I spoke of geographical exploration as the feature of Elizabeth's time. Astronomical inquiry succeeded it. Optics and Chemistry were the dominating sciences of the early part of the nineteenth century, Heat and Geology of the middle, Electricity and Biology of the later portion. Not yet has our branch of psychology had its phase of pop- ularity; nor am I anxious that it should be universally fash- ionable. It is a subject of special interest, and therefore perhaps of special danger. In that respect it is like other studies of the operations of mind, like a scientific enumera- tion of the phenomena of religion for instance, like the study of anything which in its early stages, looks mysterious and incomprehensible. Training and some admixture of other studies are necessary for its healthy investigation. The day will come when the science r/ill put off its foggy aspect, be- wildering to the novice, and become easier for the less well- balanced and more ordinarily-equipped explorer. At present it is like a mountain shrouded in mist, whose sides offer but little secure foothold, where climbing, though possible, is difficult and dangerous. As a Society we exist to curb venturesome novices, and to support trusted and experienced climbers by roping our- PRACTICAL WORK 27 selves together so that we may advance safely and in unison, guarding ourselves from foolhardy enterprises, but fac- ing such legitimate difficulties as lie in our path, and resolved that, weather and uncontrollable circumstances permitting, our exploration shall continue, and the truth, whatever it may be, be ascertained. The assuring of ourselves as to facts is one of our duties, and it is better to hestitate too long over a truth than to welcome an error, for a false gleam may lead us far astray unless it is soon detected. Another of our duties is the making and testing of hypotheses, so as gradually to make a map of the district and be able to explain it to future travellers. We have to com- bine the labours of Tycho with those of Kepler, and thus prepare the way for a future Newton, who has not yet ap- peared above the psychical horizon. His advent must depend upon how far we of this and the next few generations are faithful to our trust, how far we work ourselves, and by our pecuniary means enable others to work; and I call upon those who are simultaneously blessed with this world's goods and likewise inspired with confidence in the truth and value of mental and spiritual knowledge, to bethink themselves whether, either in their lifetime or by their wills, they cannot contribute to the world's progress in a beneficent way, so as to enable humanity to rise to a greater height of aspiration and even of religion; as they will if they are enabled to start with a substantial foundation of solid scientific fact on which to erect their edifice of faith. If it be said that investigation should not be expensive, I would point to what is expended on the investigation of the orthodox sciences. Before Columbus's voyage could be undertaken, the Courts of Europe had to be appealed to for funds. Before astronomical discoveries can be made, large 28 AIMS AND OBJECTS observatories and costly telescopes have to be provided, and not one only, but many, so that by collaboration of ob- servers in many parts of the world the truth may be ascer- tained. Look at the expense of geographical and ethnological ex- ploration to-day. Think of the highly equipped physical laboratories, one of which is maintained at every College or University in the civilised world. And as to chemical laboratories, remember that every large commercial chemical manufacturing firm in Germany maintains a band of trained and competent chemists, always investigating, in the hope of a new compound or a new process or some little profitable improvement. Money is not scarce, and if people realised the interest of science to the human race it would be poured out far more lavishly than it is at present. Certain small special sums are now provided for the investigation of disease. The origin of Malaria has been traced, and this disease has some chance of being exterminated, so that the tropical belt of the earth may become open to white habitation. Cancer is being pursued to its lair, without success so far; but funds for researches such as these are bound to be forthcoming. When practical benefits can be definitely foreseen, people feel justified in spending money even on Science; though as a rule that and Education are things on which they arc specially economical. Municipal extravagance in any such direction is sternly checked, though in other directions it may be permitted. And why should not psychical investigation lead to prac- tical results? Are we satisfied with our treatment of criminals? As civilised people are we content to grow a perennial class of habitual criminals, and to keep them in check only by devices appropriate to savages ; hunting them, PRACTICAL WORK 29 flogging them, locking them up, exterminating them? Any savage race in the history of the world could do as much as that; and if they know no better they are bound to do it for their own protection. Society cannot let its malefactors run wild, any more than it can release its lunatics. Till it understands these things it must lock them up, but the sooner it understands them the better; an attempt at com- prehension is being made by criminologists in Italy, France, 1 and elsewhere. Force is no remedy: intelligent treatment is. Who can doubt but that a study of obscure mental facts will lead to a theory of the habitual criminal, to the tracing of his malady as surely as malaria has been traced to the mosquito? And once we understand the evil the remedy will follow. Already hypnotic treatment, or treat- ment by suggestion, occurs to one; and quite normal measures of moral improvement can also be tried. The fact of imprisonment ought to lend itself to brilliant efforts at reform: such efforts are the only real justification for de- struction of liberty. The essence of manhood is to be free for better for worse, free and coercion is only justified if it is salutary. It is a great advantage to doctors to have their patients collected compactly in a hospital and with- out it medical practice would languish; it ought to be a similar advantage a similar opportunity to have criminals herded together in gaols, and lunatics in asylums. It is unwise and unscientific to leave prisoners merely to the discipline of warders and the preaching of chaplains. That is not the way to attack a disease of the body politic. I have no full-blown treatment to suggest, but I foresee that there will be one in the future. Experiments are already being made in America, in the prisons of Elmira and Con- 1 E. g. Bulletin de I'lnstitut General Psychologlque, dirige pa/ Dr. Pierre Janet, Decembre, 1902, p. 225. 30 AIMS AND OBJECTS cord, experiments of hope, if not yet of achievement. Society will not be content always to employ methods of barbarism; the resources of civilisation are not really ex- hausted, though for centuries they have appeared to be. The criminal demands careful study on the psychical side, and remedy or palliation will be a direct outcome of one aspect of our researches. The influence of the unconscious or subliminal self, the power of suggestion, the influence of one mind over another, the phenomena of so-called " posses- sion," these are not academic or scientific facts alone: they have a deep practical bearing, and sooner or later it must be put to the proof. HINT TO INVESTIGATORS To return to the more immediate and special aspect of our work: one of the things I want to impress upon all readers, especially upon those who are gifted with a faculty for receiving impressions which are worth recording, is that too much care cannot be expended in getting the record ex- act. Exact in every particular, especially as regards the matter of time. In recording a vision or an audition or some other impression corresponding to some event else- where, there is a dangerous tendency to try to coax the facts to fit some half-fledged preconceived theory and to make the coincidence in point of time exact. Such distortions of truth are misleading and useless. What we want to know is exactly how the things occurred, not how the impressionist would have liked to have them occur, or how he thinks they ought to have occurred. If people attach im- portanrc to their own predilections concerning events in the Univeiie. they can be set forth in a footnote for the guid- ance of anyone who hereafter may think of starting a Uni- PRACTICAL WORK 31 verse on his own account: but such speculations are of no interest to us who wish to study and understand the Universe as it is. If the event preceded the impression, by all means let us know it, and perhaps some one may be able to de- tect a meaning in the time-interval, when a great number of similar instances are compared, hereafter. If the impres- sion preceded the event, by all means let us know that too, and never let the observation be suppressed from a ridicu- lous idea that such anticipation is impossible. Nor let us exclude well-attested physical phenomena from historical record, on any similar prejudice of impossibility. We want to learn what is possible, not to have minds made up be- forehand and distort or blink the facts to suit our preconcep- tions. If the correspondence in time is exact, then let future students be able to ascertain that also from the record; but the recorder need not make any remark about " allowing for difference of longitude " or anything of that kind, unless indeed he is an astronomer or some one who thoroughly understands all about " time." Arithmetic of that sort can be left to those who subsequently disentangle and criticise the results. The observer may of course indicate his ideas on the subject if he chooses, but his record should be accu- rate and cold-blooded and precise. Sentences indicating contemporary emotion, in so far as that is part of the facts to be recorded, are entirely in place; but ejaculations of sub- sequent emotion, speculation as to the cause, or moralisation as to the meaning, are out of place. It may be said that these do no harm, and can easily be ignored by a future student; and that is so in one sense, but their atmosphere is rather apt to spoil the record, to put the recorder into an unscientific frame of mind. And, even when they have biassed him no whit, they suggest to a subsequent reader 32 AIMS AND OBJECTS that they may have biassed him, and so discount unfairly the value of his testimony. With respect to the important subject of possible pre- diction, on which our ideas as to the ultimate nature of time will so largely depend, every precaution should be taken to put far from us the temptation or the possibility of improv- ing the original record after the fact to which it refers has occurred, if it ever does occur; and to remember that though we have done nothing of the sort, and are in all respects honest, and known to be honest and truthful, yet the con- trary may be surmised by posterity or by strangers or foreigners who did not know us; and even our friends may fancy that we did more than we were aware of, in some quite hypothetical access of somnambulic or automatic trance. Automatic writers for instance must be assumed open to this suspicion, unless they take proper precautions and de- posit copies of their writings in some inaccessible and re- sponsible custody; because the essence of their phenomenon is that the hand writes what they themselves are not aware of, and so it is an easy step for captious critics to maintain that it may also have been supplemented or amended in some way of which they were likewise not aware. The establishment of cases of real prediction, not mere inference, is so vital and crucial a test of something not yet recognised by science that it is worth every effort to make its evidence secure. Another thing on which I should value experiments is the detection of slight traces of telepathic power in quite normal persons, in the average man for instance, or, rather more likely perhaps, in the average child. The power of receiv- ing telepathic impressions may be a rare faculty existing only in a few individuals, and in them fully developed; but it is equally possible, and, if one may say so, more likely, that PRACTICAL WORK 33 what we see in them is but an intensification of a power which exists in every one as a germ or nucleus. If such should be the fact, it behooves us to know it; and its recogni- tion would do more to spread a general belief in the fact of telepathy a belief by no means as yet universally or even widely spread than almost anything else. One method that has been suggested for detecting faint traces of the power, is to offer to a percipient the choice of one out of two things, and to see whether in multitudes of events the predetermination of a bystander as to which shall be chosen, exerts any influence whatever on the result. Many devices can be made for carrying this out, but ex- periments of greater interest and novelty will be made if the devices are left to individual ingenuity and experience. Leisure, and patience, and system, and industry, are the requisites : and if I do not myself practise what I preach, in this and other particulars, it is because, whatever I may lack of the others, I am at present conspicuously lacking in the first of these essentials. BEARING ON ALLIED SUBJECTS There are many topics on which I might speak: one is the recent advance in our knowledge of the nature of the atom, and the discovery of facts concerning the ether and matter which I think must have some bearing, some to me at present quite unknown bearing, on the theory of what are called " physical ^phenomena "; but it is hardly necessary to call the attention of educated persons to the intense interest of this most recent purely scientific subject. On another topic I might say a few words, viz., on the ambiguity clinging round the phrase " action at a distance," in connection with telepathy. Physicists deny action at a 34 AIMS AND OBJECTS distance, at least most of them do, I do for one; at the same time I admit telepathy. Therefore it is supposed I necessarily assume that telepathy must be conducted by an etherial process analogous to the transmission of waves. That is however a non-sequitur. The phrase " action at a distance " js a technical one. Its denial signifies that no physical force is exerted save through a medium. There must either be a projectile from A to B, or a continuous medium of some kind extending from A to B, if A exerts force upon B, or otherwise influences it by a physical process. But what about a psychical process? There is no such word in physics; the term is in that connection meaningless. A physicist can make no assertion on it one way or the other. If A mesmerises B, or if A makes an apparition of himself appear to B, or if A conveys a telepathic impression to B; is a medium necessary then ? As a physicist I do not know : these are not processes I understand. They may not be physical processes at all. Take it further: A thinks of B, or A prays to B, or A worships B. Is a medium necessary for these things? Absolute ignorance ! The question is probably meaning- less and absurd. Spiritual and psychical events do not enter into the scheme of Physics; and when a physicist denies " action at a distance " he is speaking of things he is com- petent to deal with, of light and sound and electricity and magnetism and cohesion and gravitation, he is not, or should not be, denying anything psychical or spiritual at all. All the physical things, he asserts, necessitate a medium; but beyond that he is silent. If telepathy is an etherial process, as soon as it is proved to be an etherial process, it will come into the realm of physics; till then it stays out- side. There are rash speculators who presume to say that PRACTICAL WORK 35 spiritual and psychical and physical are all one. In the higher reaches of Philosophy this may have some meaning there may be some advantage in thus treating questions of ultimate Ontology, boundaries and classification must be recognised as human artifices; but for practical purposes distinctions are necessary, and if people unqualified in Meta- physics make these assertions I venture to say that the in- stinct for simplification has run away with them, that they are trespassing out of bounds and preaching what they do not know, eking out a precarious ignorance with cheap dog- matism. There is one important topic on which I have not yet spoken, I mean the bearing of our inquiry on religion. It is a large subject and one too nearly trenching on the region of emotion to be altogether suitable for consideration by a scientific Society. Yet every science has its practical appli- cations, though they are not part of the science, they are its legitimate outcome, and the value of the science to humanity must be measured in the last resort by the use which humanity can make of it. To the enthusiast, knowl- edge for its own sake, without ulterior ends, may be enough, and if there were none of this spirit in the world we should be poorer than we are; but for the bulk of man- kind this is too high, too arid a creed, and people in general must see just enough practical outcome to have faith that there may be yet more. That our researches will ultimately have some bearing, some meaning, for the science of theology, I do not doubt. What that bearing may be I can only partly tell. I have indicated in Man and the Universe, 1 Chapter II. called " The Reconciliation," part of what I feel on the subject, and I have gone as far in that article as I feel entitled to go. We 1 A comprehensive book called in America " Science & Immortality." 36 AIMS AND OBJECTS seek to unravel the nature and hidden powers of man; and a fuller understanding of the attributes of humanity cannot but have some influence on our theory of Divinity itself. If any scientific Society is worthy of encouragement and support it should surely be this. If there is any object worthy of patient and continued attention, it is surely these great and pressing problems of whence, what and whither, that have occupied the attention of Prophet and Philosopher since human history began. The discovery of a new star, of a marking on Mars, of a new element, or of a new ex- tinct animal or plant, is interesting: surely the discovery of a new human faculty is interesting too. Already the dis- covery of " telepathy " constitutes the first-fruits of this Society's work, and it has laid the way open to the dis- covery of much more. Our aim is nothing less than the investigation and better comprehension of human faculty, human personality, and human destiny. SECTION II EXPERIMENTAL TELEPATHY OR THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE CHAPTER III SOME EARLY EXPERIMENTS IN THOUGHT- TRANSFERENCE I AM not attempting a history of the subject; and for the observations of Prof. Barrett and others in the experimental transference of ideas or images from one person to another I must refer students to the first volume of the Proceedings of the Society, where a number of fac- simile reproductions of transferred diagrams and pictures, which are of special interest, will also be found. Prof. Barrett had experiments in conjunction with Mr. William de Morgan so long ago as 1870-73, and he endeavoured to make a communication on the subject to the British Associa- tion in 1876; but the subject was unwelcome or the attempt premature, and he naturally encountered rebuff. There was some correspondence on the subject in Nature in 1881, and an article in The Nineteenth Century for June, 1882. All I shall do here is to describe some later observations and experiments of my own. Suffice it to say that the leading members of the London Society for Psychical Research actuated in the first instant largely by Prof. Barrett's report investigated the mat- ter, and gradually by pertinacious experiment became con- vinced of the reality of thought transference, taking due precaution, as their experience enlarged, against the extra- ordinary ingenuity and subtle possibility of code signalling, and discriminating carefully between the genuine phenome- non and the thought-reading or rather muscle-reading ex- 39 40 THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE hibitions, with actual or partial contact, which at one time were much in vogue. Before coming to our conclusion as to Thought-trans- ference, says Prof. Sidgwick, we considered carefully the arguments brought forward for regarding cases of so-called " Thought-reading " as due to involuntary indications apprehended through the ordinary senses; and we came to the conclusion that the ordinary experiments, where con- tact was allowed, could be explained by the hypothesis of unconscious sensibility to involuntary muscular pressure. Hence we have always attached special importance to ex- periments in which contact was excluded; with regard to which this particular hypothesis is clearly out of court. My own first actual experience of Thought-transference, or experimental Telepathy, was obtained in the years 1883 and 1884 at Liverpool, when I was invited by Mr. Malcolm Guthrie of that city to join in an investigation which he was conducting with the aid of one or two persons who had turned out to be sensitive, from among the em- ployees of the large drapery firm of George Henry Lee & Co. A large number of these experiments had been conducted, before I was asked to join, throughout the Spring and Autumn of 1883, but it is better for me to adhere strictly to my own experience and to relate only those experiments over which I had control. Accordingly I reproduce here a considerable part of my short paper on the subject, origi- nally published in the Proceedings of the Society for Psychi- cal Research. Most of these experiments were confirmations of the kind of thing that had been observed by other experimenters. But one experiment which I tried was definitely novel, and, as it seems to me, important; since it clearly showed that SOME EXPERIMENTS 41 when two agents are acting, each contributes to the effect, and that the result is due, not to one alone, but to both com- bined. The experiment is thus described ' by me in the columns of "Nature" vol. xxx. page 145: AN EXPERIMENT IN THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE Those of your readers who are interested in the subject of thought-transference, now being investigated, may be glad to hear of a little experiment which I recently tried here. The series of experiments was originated and carried on in this city by Mr. Malcolm Guthrie, and he has pre- vailed on me, on Dr. Herdman, and on one or two other more or less scientific witnesses, to be present on several occasions, critically to examine the conditions, and to impose any fresh ones that we thought desirable. I need not enter into particulars, but I will just say that the conditions under which apparent transference of thought occurs from one or more persons, steadfastly thinking, to another in the same room blindfold and wholly disconnected from the others, seem to me absolutely satisfactory, and such as to preclude the possibility of conscious collusion on the one hand or un- conscious muscular indication on the other. One evening last week after two thinkers, or agents, had been several times successful in instilling the idea of some object or drawing, at which they were looking, into the mind of the blindfold person, or percipient I brought into the room a double opaque sheet of thick paper with a square drawn on one side and a St. Andrew's cross or X on the other, and silently arranged it between the two agents so that each looked on one side without any notion of what was on the other. The percipient was not in- formed in any way that a novel modification was being made; and, as usual, there was no contact of any sort or kind, a clear space of several feet existing between each of the three people. I thought that by this variation I should decide whether one of the the agents was more active than the other; or, supposing them about equal, whether two 42 THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE ideas in two separate minds could be fused into one by the percipient. In a very short time the percipient made the following remarks, every one else being silent: "The thing won't keep still." " I seem to see things moving about." "First I see a thing up there, and then one down there." " I can't see either distinctly." The object was then hidden, and the percipient was told to take off the bandage and to draw the impression in her mind on a sheet of paper. She drew a square, and then said, " There was the other thing as well," and drew a cross inside the square from corner to corner, saying afterwards, " I don't know what made me put it inside." The experiment is no more conclusive as evidence than fifty others that I have seen at Mr. Guthrie's, but it seems to me somewhat interesting that two minds should produce a disconnected sort of impression on the mind of the percipient, quite different from the single impression which we had usually obtained when two agents were both look- ing at the same thing. Once, for instance [to take a nearly corresponding case under those conditions], when the object was a rude drawing of the main lines in a Union Jack, the figure was reproduced by the percipient as a whole without misgiving; except, indeed, that she expressed a. doubt as to whether its middle horizontal line were present or not, and ultimately omitted it. UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, LIVERPOOL, 5 June 1884. It is preferable thus to quote the original record and con- temporary mode of publication of an experiment, so as to avoid the risk either of minimising or over-emphasising the cogency of the circumstances. But I wish to say strongly that the experiment was quite satisfactory, and that no rea- sonable doubt of its validity has been felt by me from that time to this. SOME EXPERIMENTS 43 REPORT ON THE MAIN SERIES I now proceed to give my report on the whole series of experiments : In reporting on the experiments conducted by me, at the invitation and with the appliances of Mr. Guthrie, I wish to say that I had every opportunity of examining and vary- ing the minute conditions of the phenomena, so as to satisfy myself of their genuine and objective character, in the same way as one is accustomed to satisfy oneself as to the truth and genuineness of any ordinary physical fact. If I had merely witnessed facts as a passive spectator I should not publicly report upon them. So long as one is bound to ac- cept imposed conditions and merely witness what goes on, I have no confidence in my own penetration, and am perfectly sure that a conjurer could impose on me, possibly even to the extent of making me think that he was not imposing on me; but when one has control of the circumstances, can change them at will and arrange one's own experiments, one gradually acquires a belief in the phenomena observed quite comparable to that induced by the repetition of ordinary physical experiments. I have no striking or new phenomenon to report, but only a few more experiments in the simplest and most elementary form of what is called Thought-transference; though cer- tainly what I have to describe falls under the head of " Thought-transference " proper, and is not explicable by the merely mechanical transfer of impressions, which is more properly described as muscle-reading. In using the term " Thought-transference," I would ask to be understood as doing so for convenience, because the observed facts can conveniently be grouped under such a 44 THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE title; but I would not be understood as implying any theory on the subject. It is a most dangerous thing to attempt to convey a theory by a phrase; and to set forth a theory would require many words. As it is, the phrase describes correctly enough what appears to take place, viz., that one person may, under favourable conditions, receive a faint im- pression of a thing which is strongly present in the mind, or thought, or sight, or sensorium of another person not in con- tact, and may be able to describe or draw it, more or less correctly. But how the transfer takes place, or whether there is any transfer at all, or what is the physical reality underlying the terms " mind," " consciousness," " impres- sion," and the like; and whether this thing we call mind is located in the person, or in the space round him, or in both, or neither; whether indeed the term location, as ap- plied to mind, is utter nonsense and simply meaningless, concerning all these things I obtrude no hypothesis whatso- ever. I may, however, be permitted to suggest a rough and crude analogy. That the brain is the organ of conscious- ness is patent, but that consciousness is located in the brain is what no psychologist ought to assert; for just as the energy of an electric charge, though apparently in the con- ductor, is not in the conductor, but in the space all round it; so it may be that the sensory consciousness of a person, though apparently located in his brain, may be conceived of as also existing like a faint echo in space, or in other brains, although these are ordinarily too busy and preoccupied to notice it. The experiments which I have witnessed proceed in the following way. One person is told to keep in a perfectly passive condition, with a mind as vacant as possible; and to assist this condition the organs of sense are unexcited, the eyes being bandaged and silence maintained. It might be SOME EXPERIMENTS 45 as well to shut out even the ordinary street hum by plugging the ears, but as a matter of fact this was not done. A person thus kept passive is " the percipient." In the experiments I witnessed the percipient was a girl, one or other of two who had been accidently found to possess the necessary power. Whether it is a common power or not I do not know. So far as I am aware comparatively few per- sons have tried. I myself tried, but failed abjectly. It was easy enough to picture things to oneself, but they did not appear to be impressed on me from without, nor did any of them bear the least resemblance to the object in the agent's mind. (For instance, I said a pair of scissors instead of the five of diamonds, and things like that.) Nevertheless, the person acting as percipient is in a perfectly ordinary condi- tion, and can in no sense be said to be in a hypnotic state, unless this term be extended to include the emptiness of mind produced by blindfolding and silence. To all appearance a person in a brown study is far more hypnotised than the percipients I saw, who usually unbandaged their own eyes and chatted between successive experiments. Another person sitting near the percipient, sometimes at first holding her hands but usually and ordinarily without any contact at all but with a distinct intervening distance, was told to think hard of a particular object, either a name, or a scene, or a thing, or of an object or drawing set up in a good light and in a convenient position for staring at. This person is " the agent " and has, on the whole, the hard- est time of it. It is a most tiring and tiresome thing to stare at a letter, or a triangle, or a donkey, or a teaspoon, and to think of nothing else for the space of two or three minutes. Whether the term " thinking " can properly be applied to such barbarous concentration of mind as this I am not sure; its difficulty is of the nature of tediousness. 46 THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE Very frequently more than one agent is employed, and when two or three people are in the room they are all told to think of the object more or less strenuously; the idea being that wandering thoughts in the neighbourhood certainly can- not help, and may possibly hinder, the clear transfer of im- pression. As regards the question whether when several agents are thinking, only one is doing the work, or whether all really produce some effect, a special experiment has led me to conclude that more than one agent can be active at the same time. We have some right therefore to conclude that several agents are probably more powerful than one, but that a confusedness of impression may sometimes be produced by different agents attending to different parts or aspects of the object. Most people seem able to act as agents, though some ap- pear to do better than others. I can hardly say whether I am much good at it or not. I have not often tried alone, and in the majority of cases when I have tried I have failed; on the other hand, I have once or twice succeeded. We have many times succeeded with agents quite disconnected from the percipient in ordinary life, and sometimes complete strangers to them. Mr. Birchall, the headmaster of the Birkdale Industrial School, frequently acted; and the house physician at the Eye and Ear Hospital, Dr. Shears, had a successful experiment, acting alone, on his first and only visit. All suspicion of a pre-arranged code is thus rendered impos- sible even to outsiders who are unable to witness the obvious fairness of all the experiments. The object looked at by the agent is placed usually on a small black opaque wooden screen between the percipient and agent, but sometimes it is put on a larger screen behind the percipient. The objects were kept in an adjoining room and were selected and brought in by me, with all due pre- SOME EXPERIMENTS 47 caution, after the percipient was blindfolded. I should say, however, that no reliance was placed on, or care taken in, the bandaging. It was merely done because the percipient preferred it to merely shutting the eyes. After remarkable experiments on blindfolding by members of the Society (see Journal, S. P. R., vol. i., p. 84), I certainly would not rely on any ordinary bandaging; the opacity of the wooden screen on which the object was placed was the thing really depended on, and it was noticed that no mirrors or indistinct reflectors were present. The only surface at all suspicious was the polished top of the small table on which the opaque screen usually stood. But as the screen sloped backwards at a slight angle, it was impossible for the object on it to be thus mirrored. Moreover, sometimes I covered the table with paper, and often it was not used at all, but the object was placed on a screen or a settee behind the percipient; and one striking success was obtained with the object placed on a large drawing board, loosely swathed in a black silk college gown, with the percipient immediately behind the said draw- ing board and almost hidden by it. As regards collusion and trickery, no one who has wit- nessed the absolutely genuine and artless manner in which the impressions are described, but has been perfectly con- vinced of the transparent honesty of purpose of all con- cerned. This, however, is not evidence to persons who have not been present, and to them I can only say that to the best of my scientific belief no collusion or trickery was possible under the varied circumstances of the experiments. A very interesting question presents itself as to what is really transmitted, whether it is the idea or name of the object or whether it is the visual impression. To examine this I frequently drew things without any name perfectly irregular drawings. I am bound to say that these irregular 48 THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE and unnamable productions have always been rather diffi- cult, though they have at times been imitated fairly well; but it is not at all strange that a faint impression of an un- known object should be harder to grasp and reproduce than a faint impression of a familiar one, such as a letter, a common name, a teapot, or a pair of scissors. Moreover, in some very interesting cases the idea or name of the object was cer- tainly the thing transferred, and not the visual impression at all; this specially happened with one of the two percipients; and, therefore, probably in every case the fact of the object having a name would assist any faint impression of its ap- pearance which might be received. As to aspect, i.e., inversion or perversion, so far as my experience goes it seems perfectly accidental whether the ob- ject will be drawn by the percipient in its actual position or in the inverted or perverted position. This is very curious if true, and would certainly not have been expected by me. Horizontal objects are never described as vertical, nor vice versa] and slanting objects are usually drawn with the right amount of slant. The two percipients are Miss R. and Miss E. Miss R. is the more prosaic, staid, and self-contained personage, and she it is who gets the best quasi-visual impression, but she is a bad drawer, and does not reproduce it very well. Miss E. is, I should judge, of a more sensitive temperament, sel- dom being able to preserve a strict silence for instance, and she it is who more frequently jumps to the idea or name of the object without being able so frequently to " see " it. I was anxious to try both percipients at once, so as to com- pare their impressions, but I have not met with much suc- cess under these conditions, and usually therefore have had to try one at a time the other being frequently absent or SOME EXPERIMENTS 49 in another room, though also frequently present and acting as part or sole agent. I once tried a double agent that is, not two agents thinking of the same thing, but two agents each thinking of a different thing. A mixed and curiously double impres- sion was thus produced and described by the percipient, and both the objects were correctly drawn. This experiment has been separately described, as it is important. See pages 41 and 51. [N.B. The actual drawings made in all the experiments, failures and successes alike, are preserved intact by Mr. Guthrie.] In order to describe the experiments briefly I will put in parentheses everything said by me or by the agent, and in in- verted commas all the remarks of the percipient. The first seven experiments are all that were made on one evening with the particular percipient, and they were rapidly performed. A. EXPERIMENTS WITH MISS R. AS PERCIPIENT First Agent, Mr. Birchall, holding hands. No one else present except myself Object a blue square of silk. (Now, it's going to be a colour; ready.) "Is.it green?" (No.) "It's something between green and blue. . . . Peacock." (What shape?) She drew a rhom- bus. [N. B. It is not intended to imply that this was a success by any means, and it is to be understood that it was only to make a start on the first experiment that so much help was given as is involved in saying " it's a colour." When they are simply told " it's an object," or, what is much the same, when nothing is said at all, the field for 50 THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE guessing is practically infinite. When no remark at starting is re- corded none was made, except such an one as " Now we are ready," by myself.] Next object a key on a black ground. (It's an object.) In a few seconds she said, " It's bright. ... It looks like a key." Told to draw, she drew it just inverted. Next object three gold studs in morocco case. "Is it yellow? . . . Something gold. . . . Something round. ... A locket or a watch perhaps." (Do you see more than one round?) "Yes, there seem to be more than one. . . . Are there three rounds? . . . Three rings." (What do they seem to be set in?) " Something bright like beads." [Evidently not understanding or at- tending to the question.] Told to unblindfold herself and draw, she drew the three rounds in a row quite correctly, and then sketched round them absently the outline of the case ; which seemed, therefore, to have been apparent to her though she had not consciously attended to it. It was an interesting and striking experiment. Next object a pair of scissors standing partly open with their points down. " Is it a bright object? . . . Something long ways [indicating verticality]. ... A pair of scissors standing up. . . . A little bit open." Time, about a minute altogether. She then drew her impression, and it was correct in every particular. The object in this experiment was on a settee behind her, but its position had to be pointed out to her when, after the experiment, she wanted to see it. Next object a drawing of a right-angled triangle on its side. (It's a drawing.) She drew an isosceles triangle on its side. Next a circle with a chord across it. She drew two detached ovals, one with a cutting line across it. Next a drawing of a Union Jack pattern. As usual in drawing ORIGINAL. REPRODUCTION. experiments, Miss R. remained silent for perhaps a minute; then she said, "Now I am ready." I hid the object; she took off the hand- SOME EXPERIMENTS 51 kerchief, and proceeded to draw on paper placed ready in front of her. She this time drew all the lines of the figure except the horizontal middle one. She was obviously much tempted to draw this, and, indeed, began it two or three times faintly, but ultimately said, " No, I'm not sure," and stopped. [END OF SITTING] Experiment's with Miss R. continued I will now describe an experiment indicating that one agent may be better than another. Object the Three of Hearts. Miss E. and Mr. Birchall both present as agents, but Mr. Birchall holding percipient's hands at first. " Is it a black cross ... a white ground with a black cross on it?" Mr. Birchall now let Miss E. hold hands instead of himself, and Miss R. very soon said, " Is it a card? " (Right.) " Are there three spots on it? . . . Don't know what they are. ... I don't think I can get the colour. . . . They are one above the other, but they seem three round spots. ... I think they're red, but am not clear." Next object a playing card with a blue anchor painted on it slantwise, instead of pips. No contact at all this time, but another lady, Miss R d, who had entered the room, assisted Mr. B. and Misis E. as agents. "Is it an anchor? ... a little on the slant." (Do you see any colour?) "Colour is black . . . It's a nicely drawn anchor." When asked to draw she sketched part of it, but had evidently half forgotten it, and not knowing the use of the cross arm, she could only indicate that there was something more there, but she couldn't remember what. Her drawing had the right slant. Another object two pair of coarse lines crossing; drawn in red chalk, and set up at some distance from agents. No contact. " I only see lines crossing." She saw no colour. She afterwards drew them quite correctly, but very small. [It was noticeable that the unusual distance at which the drawing was placed from the agent on this occasion seemed to be interpreted by the percipient as smallness of size.] 52 THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE Double object. It was now that I arranged the double object between Miss R d and Miss E., who happened to be sitting nearly facing one another. [See Nature, June I2th, 1884, for the published report of this particular incident which has been reproduced above.] The drawing was a square on one side of the paper, a cross on the other. Miss R d looked at the side with the square on it. Miss X ORIGINAL. REPRODUCTION. E. looked at the side with the cross. Neither knew what the other was looking at nor did the percipient know that anything unusual was being tried. Mr. Birchall was silently asked to take off his attention, and he got up and looked out of window before the draw- ings were brought in, and during the experiment. There was no contact. Very soon Miss R. said, " I see things moving about . . . I seem to see two things . . . I see first one up there and then one down there ... I don't know which to draw. . . . I can't see either distinctly." (Well anyhow, draw what you have seen.) She took off the bandage and drew first a square, and then said, " Then there was the other thing as well . . . afterwards they seemed to go into one," and she drew a cross inside the square from corner to corner, adding afterwards, " I don't know what made me put it inside." The next is a case of a perfect stranger acting as agent by himself at the first trial. Dr. Shears, house physician at the Eye and Ear Infirmary, came down to see the phenomena, and Miss R. having arrived before the others, Mr. Guthrie proposed his trying as agent alone. Dr. Shears, therefore, held Miss R.'s hand while I set up in front of him a card : nothing whatever being said as to the nature of the object. Object the five of clubs, at first on white ground. " Is it some- thing bright?" (No answer, but I changed the object to a black ground where it was more conspicuous.) "A lot of black with a white square on it " (Goon.) "Is it a card?" (Yes.) [The affirmative answer did not necessarily signify that it was a playing SOME EXPERIMENTS 53 card, because cards looking like playing cards had been used several times previously, on which objects had been depicted instead of pips.] "Are there five spots on it?" (Yes.) "Black ones." (Right.) " I can't see the suit, but I think it's spades." Another object at same sitting, but with several agents, no contact, was a drawing of this form A A A ORIGINAL. REPRODUCTION. " I can see something, but I am sure I can't draw it. ... It's something with points all round it. ... It's a star, ... or like a triangle within a triangle." Asked to draw it, she expressed reluctance, said it was too difficult, and drew part of a star figure, evidently a crude reproduction of the originial, but incomplete. She then began afresh by drawing a triangle, but was unable to proceed. I then showed her the object for a few seconds. She exclaimed, "Oh yes, that's what I saw. ... I understand it now." I said, " Well now draw it." She made a more complete attempt, but it was no more really like the original than the first had been. Here it is: SKETCH MADE AFTER SEEING THE ORIGINAL. Experiments at a sitting in the room of Dr. Herdman, Professor of Zoology at University College. Object a drawing of the outline of a flag. Miss R. as percip- ient in contact with Miss E. as agent. Very quickly Miss R. said, ORIGINAL. REPRODUCTION. 54 THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE " It's a little flag," and when asked to draw, she drew it fairly well, but " perverted " as depicted in the figure. I showed her the flag (as usual after a success), and then took it away to the drawing place to fetch something else. I made another drawing, but instead of bringing it I brought the flag back again, and set it up in the same place as before, but upside down. There was no contact this time. Miss R d and Miss E. were acting as agents. Object same flag inverted. After some time, Miss R. said, " No, I can't see anything this time. I still see that flag. . . . The flag keeps bothering me. ... I shan't do it this time." Presently I said, " Well, draw what you saw anyway." She said, " I only saw the same flag, but perhaps it had a cross on it." So she drew a flag in the same position as before, but added a cross to it. Questioned as to aspect she said, " Yes, it was just the same as be- fore." Object an oval gold locket hanging by a bit of string with a lit- tle price label attached. Placed like the former object on a large drawing board, swathed in a college gown. The percipient, Miss R., close behind the said board and almost hidden by it. Agents, Miss R d and Miss E. sitting in front; no contact; nothing said. " I see something gold, . . . something hanging, . . . like a gold locket." (What shape?) "It's oval," indicating with her fingers correctly. (Very good so far, tell us something more) [meaning ticket at top]. But no more was said. When shown the object she said, " Oh yes, it was just like that," but she had seen nothing of the little paper ticket. Next object a watch and chain pinned up to the board as on a waistcoat. This experiment was a failure, and is only interesting because the watch-ticking sounded abnormally loud, sufficient to give any amount of hint to a person on the look out for such sense indications. But it is very evident to those witnessing the experi- ments that the percipient is in a quite different attitude )f mind to SOME EXPERIMENTS 55 that of a clever guesser, and ordinary sense indications seem wholly neglected. I scarcely expected, however, that the watch-ticking could pass unnoticed, though indeed we shuffled our feet to drown it some- what, but so it was ; and all we got was " something bright . . . either steel or silver. . . . Is it anything like a pair of scissors? " (Not a bit.) I have now done with the selection of experiments in which Miss R. acted as percipient; and I will describe some of those made with Miss E. At the time these seemed perhaps less satisfactory and complete, but there are several points of considerable interest notice- able in connection with them. B. EXPERIMENTS WITH MISS E. AS PERCIPIENT Object an oblong piece of red (cerise) silk. Agent, Mr. B., in contact. "Red." (What sort of red?) "A dark red." (What shape?) "One patch." (Well, what shade is it?) "Not a pale red." Next object a yellow oblong. Agent as before. "A dusky gold colour. ... A square of some yellow shade." Object the printed letter r. Told it was a letter ; agent as be- fore. " I can see R." (What sort of R?) "An ordinary capi- tal R." This illustrates feebly what often, though not always, happens with Miss E. that the idea of the object is grasped rather than its actual shape. Another object a small printed e. " Is it E?" (Yes.) But, again, she couldn't tell what sort of E it was. Object a teapot cut out of silver paper. Present Dr. Herd- ORIGINAL. REPRODUCTION. man, Miss R d, and Miss R., Miss R. holding percipient's hands, but all thinking of the object. Told nothing. She said, " Some- thing light. ... No colour. . . . Looks like a duck. . . . Like a silver duck. . . . Something oval. . . 56 THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE Head at one end and tail at the other." [This is not uncommon in ducks.] The object, being rather large, was then moved farther back, so that it might be more easily grasped by the agents as a whole, but percipient persisted that it was like a duck. On being told to unbandage and draw, she drew a rude and " perverted " copy of the teapot, but didn't know what it was unless it was a duck. Dr. Herdman then explained that he had been thinking all the time how like a duck the original teapot was, and, in fact, had been thinking more of ducks than teapots. Next object a hand mirror brought In and set up in front of Miss R d. No contact at first. Told nothing. She said, " Is it a colour?" (No.) "No, I don't see anything." The glass was then shifted to Miss R. to look at herself in it, holding percipient's hand. " No I don't get this." Gave it up. I then hid the mirror in my coat, and took it out of the room. Dr. Herdman reports that while I was away Miss E. begged to know what the object had been, but the agents refused, saying that I had evidently wished to keep it secret. Half annoyed, Miss E. said, " Oh, well, it doesn't mat- ter. I believe it was a looking-glass." Next object a drawing of a right-angled triangle. No contact. "Is it like that?" drawing a triangle with her finger (no an- swer). "It's almost like a triangle." She then drew an isosceles triangle. Next object a drawing of two parallel but curved lines. No contact. " I only see two lines," indicating two parallel lines. " Now they seem to close up." Next object a tetrahedron outline rudely drawn in projection. "Is it another triangle?" (No answer was made, but I silently passed round to the agents a scribbled message, " Think of a pyra- mid.") Miss E. then said, " I only see a triangle." . . . then hastily, " Pyramids of Egypt. No, I shan't do this." Asked to draw, she only drew a triangle. SOME EXPERIMENTS 57 Object a rude outline of a donkey or other quadruped. Still no contact at first. " Can't get it, I am sure." I then asked the agents to leave the room, and to come in and try one by one. First Miss R d, without contact, and then with. Next Miss R., in contact, when Miss E. said hopelessly, " An old woman in a poke bonnet." Finally I tried as agent alone, and Miss E. said, " It's like a donkey, but I can't see it, nor can I draw it." GENERAL STATEMENTS ABOUT THE EXPERIMENTS In addition to the experiments without single percipients, I tried a few with both percipients sitting together hoping to learn something by comparing their different perceptions of the same object. But unfortunately these experiments were not very successful; sometimes they each appeared to get different aspects or the parts of object, but never very distinct or perfect impressions. The necessity of imposing silence on the percipients, as well as on the agents, was also rather irksome, and renders the result less describable with- out the actual drawings. I still think that this variation might convey something interesting if pursued under favour- able circumstances. Whether greater agent-power is neces- sary to affect two percipients as strongly as one ; or whether the blankness of mind of one percipient re-acts on the other, I cannot say. With regard to the feelings of the percipients when re- ceiving an impression, they seem to have some sort of con- sciousness of the action of other minds on them; and once or twice, when not so conscious, have complained that there seemed to be no " power " or anything acting, and that they not only received no impression, but did not feel as if they were going to. I asked Miss E. what she felt when impressions were.com- 58 THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE ing freely, and she said she felt a sort of influence or thrill. They both say that several images appear to them sometimes, but that one among them persistently recurs, and they have a feeling when they fix upon one that it is the right one. Sometimes they seem quite certain that they are right. Sometimes they are very uncertain, but still right. Occa- sionally Miss E. has been pretty confident and yet wrong. One serious failure rather depresses them, and after a success others often follow. It is because of these rather delicate psychological conditions that one cannot press the variations of an experiment as far as one would do if deal- ing with inert and more dependable matter. Uusually the presence of a stranger spoils the phenomenon, though in some cases a stranger has proved a good agent straight off. The percipients complain of no fatigue as induced by the experiments, and I have no reason to suppose that any harm is done them. The agent, on the other hand, if very ener- getic, is liable to contract a headache; and Mr. Guthrie himself, who was a powerful and determined agent for a long time, now feels it wiser to refrain from acting, and con- ducts the experiments with great moderation. If experiments are only conducted for an hour or so a week, no harm can, I should judge, result, and it would be very interesting to know what percentage of people have the perceptive faculty well developed. The experiments are easy to try, but they should be tried soberly and quietly, like any other experiment. A public platform is a most unsuitable place ; and nothing tried before a mixed or jovial audience can be of the slightest scientific value. Such demonstrations may be efficient in putting money into the pockets of showmen, or in amusing one's friends; but all real evidence must be obtained in the quiet of the laboratory or the study. CHAPTER IV FURTHER EXPERIMENTS IN TELEPATHY THE next experience of any importance which I had in this kind of experimental telepathy took place during a visit to the Austrian province beyond Tyrol with some English friends during the summer of 1892, and is thus described in the Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research, vol. vii. page 374. While staying for a fortnight in the house of Herr von Lyro, at Portschach am See, Carinthia, I found that his two adult daughters were adepts in the so-called " willing- game," and were accustomed to entertain their friends by the speed and certainty with which they could perform ac- tions decided on by the company; the operator being led either by one or by two others, and preferring to be led by someone to whom she was accustomed. Another lady stay- ing in the house was said to be able to do things equally well, but not without nervous prostration. On the evening when I witnessed the occurrences nothing done could be regarded as conclusive against muscle-reading, though the speed and accuracy with which the willed action was performed exceeded any muscle-reading that I had pre- viously seen, and left me little doubt but that there was some genuine thought-transference power. Accordingly I obtained permission to experiment in a more satisfactory manner, and on several occasions tested the power of the two sisters, using one as agent and the other as 59 60 THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE percipient alternately. Once or twice a stranger was asked to act as agent, but without success. The operations were conducted in an ordinary simple manner. One of the sisters was placed behind a drawing board, erected by me on a temporary sort of easel, while the other sat in front of the same board; and the objects or drawings to be guessed were placed on a ledge in front of the board, since we know that it is unsafe to put any trust in bandaging of eyes (Journal, I, 84), in full view of the one and completely hidden from the other. Naturally I attended to the absence of mirrors and all such obvious physical complications. The percipient pre- ferred to be blindfolded, but no precaution was taken with reference to this blindfolding. Agent and percipient were within reach of one another, and usually held each other's hands across a small table. The kind and amount of con- tact was under control, and was sometimes broken altogether, as is subsequently related. The ladies were interested in the subject, and were per- fectly willing to try any change of conditions that I suggested, and my hope was gradually to secure the phenomenon with- out contact of any kind, as I had done in the previous case reported; but unfortunately in the present instance contact seemed essential to the transfer. Very slight contact was sufficient, for instance through the backs of the knuckles ; but directly the hands were separated, even though but a quarter of an inch, the phenomena ceased, reappearing again di- rectly contact was established. I tried whether I could bridge over the gap effectively with my own, or another lady's hand; but that did not do. I also once tried both sisters blindfolded, and holding each other by one hand, while two other persons completed the chain and tried to act as agents. After a time the sisters were asked to draw, EXPERIMENTAL TELEPATHY 61 simultaneously and independently, what they had "seen"; but though the two drawings were close imitations of each other, they in this case bore no likeness to the object on which the agents had been gazing. My impression, there- fore, is that there is some kind of close sympathetic connec- tion between the sisters, so that an idea may, as it were, reverberate between their minds when their hands touch, but that they are only faintly, if at all, susceptible to the in- fluence of outside persons. Whether the importance of contact in this case depends upon the fact that it is the condition to which they have always been accustomed, or whether it is a really effective aid, I am not sure. So far as my own observation went, it was interesting and new to me to see how clearly the effect seemed to depend on contact, and how abruptly it ceased when contact was broken. While guessing through a pack of cards, for In- stance, rapidly and continuously, I sometimes allowed contact and sometimes stopped it; and the guesses changed, from frequently correct to quite wild, directly the knuckles or finger tips, or any part of the skin of the two hands, ceased to touch. It was almost like breaking an electric circuit. At the same time, partial contact seemed less effective than a thorough hand grasp. It is perfectly obvious how strongly this dependence on contact suggests the idea of a code; and I have to admit at once that this flaw prevents this series of observations from having any value as a test case, or as establishing de novo the existence of the genuine power. My record only appeals to those who, on other grounds, have accepted the general possibility of thought-transference, and who, therefore, need not feel unduly strained when asked to credit my assertion that unfair practices were extremely unlikely; and that, apart 62 THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE from this moral conviction, there was a sufficient amount of internal evidence derived from the facts themselves to satisfy me that no code was used. The internal evidence of which I am thinking was : ( I ) the occasionally successful reproduc- tion of nameless drawings; (2) the occasional failure to get any clue to an object or drawing with a perfectly simple and easily telegraphed name; (3) the speed with which the guesses were often made. I wish, however, distinctly to say that none of the evidence which I can offer against a prearranged code is scientifically and impersonally conclusive, nor could it be accepted as of sufficient weight by a sceptic on the whole subject. It is only because, with full opportunity of forming a judgment, and in the light of my former experience, I am myself satis- fied that what I observed was an instance of genuine sympa- thetic or syntonic communication, and because such cases seem at the present time to be rather rare, that I make this brief report on the circumstances. I detected no well-marked difference between the powers of the two sisters, and it will be understood that one of them was acting as agent and the other as percipient in each case. Sometimes the parents of the girls were present, but often only one or two friends of my own, who were good enough to invite the young ladies to their sitting-room for the purpose of experiment; though such experiments are, when carefully performed, confessedly rather tedious and dull. In the early willing-game experiments, such things were done as taking a particular ring from one person's hand and putting it on another's; selecting a definite piece of music from a pile, taking it to the piano, and beginning to play it. The last item (the beginning to play) I did not happen to witness, but I was told of it by several persons as more than EXPERIMENTAL TELEPATHY 63 could be accounted for by muscle-reading. A sceptic, how- ever, could of course object that imperfect bandaging would enable a title to be read. One of the things that I suggested was aimed at excluding the operation of unconscious muscular guidance as far as possible, and it consisted in desiring that the lady while standing in the middle of the room should kick off her shoes without touching them and begin to sing a specified song. Success, however, was only partial. After one or two at- tempts to wander about the room as usual, she did shuffle a shoe off, but though she did not actually touch her feet she stooped so that the held hand came very near them. She then stood some little time uncertain what to do next, and at last broke silence by saying " Shall I sing? " The first attempt at the more careful experiments was not at all successful, but novelty of conditions may fairly be held responsible for that. On the second and subsequent evenings success was much more frequent: on the whole, I think, more frequent than failure, certainly far beyond chance. I proceed to give a fairly complete account of the whole series. The first object was a teapot; but there was no result. The first drawing was the outline of a box with a flag at one cor- ner; but that produced no impression. Next, for simplicity, I explained that the object this time was a letter (Buchstabe}, on which it was correctly guessed E. Another letter, M, was given quite wrong. A childish back-view outline of a cat was given oval like an egg; some other things were unperceived. On the second evening I began by saying that the object was a colour; on which red was instantly and correctly stated. A blue object which followed was guessed wrong. An outline figure of a horse was correctly named. So was the letter B. I then drew a square with a diagonal cross in it and a 64 THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE round ring or spot just above the cross, the whole looking something like the back of an envelope. After a certain interval of silence (perhaps two minutes) the lady said she was ready to draw what she had " seen," and drew the thing almost exactly, except that the spot was put right on the centre of the cross instead of above it, and a superfluous faint vertical stroke was added. Its possible resem- blance to an envelope was not detected, nor did the reproduction suggest the idea : it was drawn as, and looked like, a nameless geomet- rical figure. The reproductions were nearly always much smaller in size than the originals. The agent did not look on while the reproduction was being made. It is best for no one to look on while the percipient draws, to avoid the possibility of unconscious indications. The orig- inal drawings were always made by me, sometimes before, sometimes during the sitting. These conditions were all satisfactory. On the third evening I began with a pack of cards, running through them quickly; with 2 reporters, one recording the card held up, the other recording the guess made, without knowing whether it was right or wrong. I held up the cards one after the other and gave no indication whether the guesses were right or wrong. The suit was not attempted, so that the chances of error were, I suppose, 12 tO I. On comparing the two lists afterwards, out of 16 guesses only 6 were wrong. Full contact was allowed during this series. The lists are reproduced below. The card guessing is obviously not of the slightest use unless bona fides are certain, but, given that, it affords the readiest method of studying the effect of varied conditions, interposed obstacles, and such like. The whole pack was always used and I simply cut it at ran- dom and held up the bottom card. About IO or 12 cards could be got through in a minute. The following is the list of the first card series. Full contact allowed : EXPERIMENTAL TELEPATHY 65 CARDS LOOKED AT. CARDS GUESSED. Seven of Spades Seven Six of Hearts Six Queen of Spades King Nine of Spades Nine Three of Spades Six Eight of Diamonds Eight Ace of Clubs Ace Knave of Diamonds Queen Five of Diamonds Five Two of Spades Ace Ten of Hearts Six King of Diamonds King Ace of Spades Ace Nine of Diamonds Six Eight of Hearts Eight Four of Spades Four 2 1-2 Thus, out of sixteen trials, 10 were correct and 6 were wrong. Whatever may be the cause of this amount of success, chance is entirely out of the question, since the probability of so many successes as ten in sixteen trials, when the individual probability each time is one-thirteenth, is too small to be taken into account. The theory of such a culculation is given in Todhunter's Algebra, articles 740 and 741 ; but as exactness in such a case is rather tedious and unnecessary, we may over-estimate the total probability by calculating it as follow: C-V- ,5 ' & io!6! \i3/ thus leaving out the factor '("). This factor would be necessary to give the chance of ten successes exactly; but that is needlessly narrow, since there is no particular point in the exact number of 10. The chance of ten at least is more like what we have to express. 66 THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE So an over-estimate of probability is ^L; that is to say, there is less than one chance in ten million that such a result would occur at perfect random, i. e., without any special cause. Some guesses were made, both with cards and objects, on another evening, without contact, but none were successful. With contact there was success again. I then went back to simple drawings; with the result that a cross was reproduced as a cross; a figure like 4 petals was reproduced in two ways, one of them being a vague 5-petalled figure. An object consisting of an ivory pocket measure, standing on end like an inverted V, was drawn fairly well as to general aspect. A sinuous line was reproduced as a number of sinuous lines; a triangle or wedge, point downward, was reproduced imperfectly. On other evenings other simple diagrams were tried, such as a face, reproduced as 3 rounds with dots and cross; and a figure like an A with an extra long cross stroke, which could be easily signalled as an A, but which was reproduced correctly as a geomet- rical diagram with the long stroke prominent. A circle with 3 radii was reproduced as a circle with roughly in- scribed triangle. The number 3145 was reproduced orally and very quickly as 3146; 715 also quickly as "714, no 715." The written word hund was reproduced correctly, but with a capital initial letter. And being told that they had previously thus reproduced a word in an unknown language (not unknown character), viz., Hungarian, I tried the Greek letters ; this, however, was considered too puzzling and was only reproduced as Uaso. A French high-heeled shoe, of crockery, set up as object, was drawn by the percipient very fairly correctly, and said to be something like a boot, and a protuberance was tacked on where the heel was. A white plaster cast of a child's hand, next tried, failed to give any impression. An unlighted candle in candlestick was unsuccess- ful, and it was objected that there was too much glare of light. Sub- sequently the percipient said she had seen the general outline of a EXPERIMENTAL TELEPATHY 67 candlestick, but did not think of its being the thing. A teapot and a cup both failed, and two of the drawings did not succeed in stimu- lating any colourable imitation. Lastly, another set of card trials were made, with the object of testing the effect of various kinds of contact: a card series being quick and easy to run through. CARD CARD EXHIBITED NAMED BY TO AGENT. PERCIPIENT. Full contact with both /Nine . . . . hands . . . .vKing . . . . Nine King Knave . Two Contact with tips of fingers only . Nine . . Nine . Queen .... Nine Ten Two .Eight . . . . Eight 'Five . Six Seven .... Seven Contact with one fin- Three . . . . Four ger of one hand . Ten .... Queen . Six Two Ace .... Ace XT rAce .... No contact . . . J ., \Knave .... Four Five No direct contact, but [King .... Four gap bridged by other^ Four .... Eight person's hand . . iTen .... Seven Slight contact ofL. lg , , , 1 Six .... knuckles . . . _ 1- 1 WO .... Six Ace Two Knave .... Ace Seven . Six Full contact again Three . Four . Three Four Ace of diamonds . Ace red diamond Nine of clubs held sideways Nine clubs 68 THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE The record of this series is more complete than that of another varying contact series, reported below, but it did not strike me as so instructive at the time; and as it came toward the end of an evening there was probably some fatigue. The last two entries represent attempts to get the suit as well; but as the particulars are given in stages there is no particular advan- tage in thus naming a card completely, and it takes a longer time. On another evening the amount of contact was varied, but I omitted to call out to the reporter the position of the hands with reference to each other. One hand of each person lay on a table, and I sometimes made them touch, sometimes separated them, all the time going on with the card series. My impression at the time was (as expressed above), that pronounced failure began directly I broke con- tact, but that mere knuckle contact was sufficient to permit some amount of success. [When successes are frequent in the following list, fairly complete contact may be assumed. At other times I broke and united the two hands as I chose, for my own edification, and was struck with the singular efficiency of contact.] I can only give the record as it stands. I believe we began with- out any contact, but very soon made the hands touch intermittently. Second Card Series. Varying amount of contact: sometimes none. CARD SHOWN. CARD GUESSED. Two of Spades Knave Ace of Diamonds Five Knave of Diamonds Knave IO of Diamonds . 9 6 of Hearts 5 8 of Hearts 9 9 of Diamonds Ace King of Diamonds King 10 of Hearts 10 9 of Clubs 9 ^ce Ace Queen Two EXPERIMENTAL TELEPATHY 69 CARD SHOWN. CARD GUESSED. Queen Queen Knave Ace King , King Eight Eight Eight Eight Seven F'ght Ace Ace Knave Knave Seven Seven Four > ". . Four 9 6 Queen 3 King King Ace 7 Ace 5 5 10 5 4 6 7 5 3 6 6 2 3 3 6 4 4 2 8 4 .5 3 4 3 Knave Where lines are drawn it is because I called out some change in the contact; but I made other changes whose occurrence is not re- corded. 70 THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE The only use to be made of the record of this series, therefore, is to treat it as a whole and to observe that out of 39 trials 16 were cor- rect and 23 wrong. On this occasion there was one reporter who wrote down both what he saw and what he heard; and the operation was so rapid that he had sometimes barely time to do the writing. Towards the end of a series, fatigue on the part of either agent or percipient generally seemed to spoil the conditions. It is manifest that these experiments should not be con- ducted too long consecutively, nor repeated without sufficient interval; but if common sense is used there is nothing deleterious in the attempt, and if more persons tried, prob- ably the power would be found more widely distributed than is at present suspected. I wish to express gratitude to the Fraulein von Lyro and their parents, for the courtesy with which they acquiesced in my request for opportunities of experiment, and for the willingness with which they submitted to dull and irksome conditions, in order to enable me to give as good evidence as possible. EXPERIMENTS AT A DISTANCE For more recent experiments, and for experiments con- ducted over a considerable intervening distance, I must refer to the Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research, vol. xxi., where an account is given of the notable and care- ful series of observations made by two lady members of the Society, Miss Miles and Miss Ramsden. These ladies, while at their respective homes, or staying in country houses and other places at a distance from each other, endeavoured to transmit an impression of scenes and occupations from one EXPERIMENTAL TELEPATHY 71 to the other. They kept a careful record both of what they tried to send, and of what was received. And when these records are compared, the correspondence is seen to be be- yond and above anything that might be due to chance. Collusion might rationally be urged as an explanation, by strangers ; but that is not an explanation that can be accepted by those who know all the facts. When Miss Miles and Miss Ramsden began their experi- ments in 1905, Miss Miles was living in London, and Miss Ramsden in Buckinghamshire, and the arrangement was that Miss Miles should play the part of agent, Miss Ramsden that of percipient, the times of the experiment being fixed before- hand. Miss Miles noted, at the time of each experiment, in a book kept for the purpose, the idea or image which she wished to convey; while Miss Ramsden wrote down each day the impressions that had come into her mind, and sent the record to Miss Miles before knowing what she had at- tempted on her side. Miss Miles then pasted this record into her book opposite her own notes, and in some cases added a further note explanatory of her circumstances at the time; since to these it was found that Miss Ramsden's im- pressions often corresponded. Whenever it was possible Miss Miles obtained confirmatory evidence from other persons as to the circumstances that had not been noted at the time, and the corroboration of these persons was written in her book. All the original records of these experiments have been submitted to the Editor of the Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research, and have passed that very critical ordeal. In the second series of experiments, in October and November 1906, Miss Miles, the agent, was staying first near Bristol and afterwards near Malmesbury in Wiltshire; while Miss Ramsden, the percipient, was living all the time 72 THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE near Kingussie, Inverness-shire, and therefore at a distance of about 400 miles from the agent. During the last three days of the experiments, Miss Miles, unknown to Miss Ramsden, was in London. The general plan of action was that Miss Ramsden should think of Miss Miles regularly at 7 p. m. on every day that an experiment was to be tried, and should write her impres- sions on a postcard or letter card, which was posted almost always on the next morning to Miss Miles. These post- cards or letter cards were kept by Miss Miles and pasted into her notebook, so that the postmarks on them show the time of despatch. And copies of many of these postcards were sent also at the same time to Professor Barrett, who had advised concerning the method of experiment. Miss Miles on her side had no fixed time for thinking of Miss Ramsden, but thought of her more or less during the whole day, and in the evening noted briefly what ideas had been most prominently before her mind during the day, and which she wished to convey, or thought might have been conveyed, to Miss Ramsden. These notes were made gen- erally on a postcard, which was as a rule, posted to Miss Ramsden next day. The postcards were afterwards re- turned to Miss Miles to be placed with her records, so that here also the postmarks show the date of despatch of the information to Miss Ramsden. Out of a total of fifteen days' experiments, the idea that Miss Miles was attempting to convey, as recorded on her postcards, appeared on six occasions in a complete or partial form among Miss Ramsden's impressions on the same date. But it also happened that almost every day some of Miss Ramsden's impressions represented, pretty closely, something that Miss Miles had been seeing or talking about on the same day. In other words, while the agent only sue- EXPERIMENTAL TELEPATHY 73 ceeded occasionally in transferring the ideas deliberately chosen by her for the purpose, the percipient seemed often to have some sort of supernormal knowledge of her friend's surroundings, irrespective of what that friend had specially wished her to see. When this happened, Miss Miles at once made careful notes of the event or topic to which Miss Ramsden's state- ment seemed to refer, and also obtained corroborations from her friends on the spot. Further, when Miss Ramsden gave descriptions of scenes which seemed to Miss Miles like the places where she was staying, she got picture postcards of them, or photographed them, to show how far the de- scriptions really corresponded. The actual record is given in the Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research, vol. xxi., together with illus- trations, but it must suffice here to quote the critical and judicial opinions of the Editor, which is thus given: " After studying all the records, it appears to us that while some of the coincidences of thought between the two experimenters are probably accidental, the total amount of correspondence is more than can be thus accounted for and points distinctly to the action of telepathy between them." CHAPTER V SPONTANEOUS CASES OF THOUGHT- TRANSFERENCE ANEW fact of this sort, if really established, must have innumerable consequences : among other things it may be held to account for a large number of phenomena alleged to occur spontaneously, but never yet re- ceived with full credence by scientific authority. Such cases as those which immediately follow, for in- stance, we now begin to classify under the head " spontane- ous telepathy," and it is natural to endeavour to proceed further in the same direction and use telepathy as a possible clue to many other legendary occurrences also; as we shall endeavour to show in the next chapter. Two CASES As stepping stones from the experimental to the spontane- ous cases I quote two from a mass of material at the end of Mr. Myers's first volume, page 674; the first concerning a remote connexion of my own. On the 27th of April, 1889, we were expecting my sister-in-law and her daughter from South America. My wife, being away from home, was unable to meet them at Southampton, so an intimate friend of the family, a Mr. P., offered to do so. It was between Derby and Leicester about 3.30 p.m. My wife was travelling in the train. She closed her eyes to rest, and at the same moment a telegram paper appeared before her with the words, " Come at once, your sister is dangerously ill." During the afternoon I received a telegram from Mr. P. to my wife, worded exactly the same and sent from Southamp- 74 SPONTANEOUS CASES 75 ton 3. 30 p.m. to Bedford. On my wife's arrival home about 9 p.m. I deferred communicating it until she had some refreshment, being very tired. I afterwards made the remark, " I have some news for you," and she answered, " Yes, I thought so, you have received a telegram from Mr. P.!" I said, "How do you know?" She then told me the contents and her strange experiences in the train, and that it impressed her so much that she felt quite anxious all the rest of the journey. With regard to the above, my wife had no idea of her sister being ill, and was not even at the time thinking about them, but was think- ing about her own child she had just left at a boarding school. Alse the handwriting my wife saw, she recognised at once to be Mr. P.'s. But then, again, he would have been writing on a white paper form, and the one she saw was the usual brown coloured paper. FREDK. L. LODGE. In reply to inquiries, Mr. F. Lodge wrote as follows: The letter I sent you, with account of vision, I wrote from my wife's dictation. After it occurred in the train she took notice of the hour, and from the time marked on the telegram of its despatch from Southampton, we at once remarked it must have occurred as Mr. P. was filling in a form at Southampton. Mr. P. is now in South America constructing a railway line, and will not return to England for about a year. The occurrence was mentioned to him. Two years having elapsed, my wife could not say the exact time now, but it was between 3 and 4 p.m., although when it happened, we did notice from the telegram that the time corresponded. FREDK. L. LODGE. The second case illustrates the communicating of sensa- tions, a possibility verified in the Liverpool experiments of Mr. Malcolm Guthrie. A pinch or other pain, or a taste caused by some food or chemical, was there often transferred from agent to percipient. Contact was usually found essential for success in these experimental cases; but, 76 THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE to guard against normal sensation, the agent and percipient were arranged in separate rooms, with a specially contrived and padded small hole in the wall so that they could hold hands through it. Some early experiments of this kind are narrated in the first volume of Proceedings, S. P. R., page 275 ; but I myself was present at many others of the same kind. Here follows an account of the incident which happened to Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Severn; the narrative having been obtained through the kindness of Mr. Ruskin. Mrs. Severn says: " BRANTWOOD, CONISTON, October ^th, 1883. I woke up with a start, feeling I had had a hard blow on my mouth, and with a distinct sense that I had been cut, and was bleeding under y upper lip, and seized my pocket-handkerchief, and held it (in a little pushed lump) to the part as I sat up in bed; and after a few seconds, when I removed it, I was astonished not to see any blood, and only then realised it was impossible anything could have struck me there, as I lay fast asleep in bed, and so I thought it was only a dream ! but I looked at my watch, and saw it was seven, and finding Arthur (my husband) was not in the room, I concluded (rightly) that he must have gone out on the lake for an early sail, as it was so fine. I then fell asleep. At breakfast (half-past nine), Arthur came in rather late, and I noticed he rather purposely sat farther away from me than usual, and every now and then put his pocket-handkerchief furtively up to his, lip, in the very way I had done. I said, ' Arthur, why are you doing that ? ' and added a little anxiously, ' I know you have hurt yourself! but I'll tell you why afterwards.' He said, ' Well, when I was sailing, a sudden squall came, throwing the tiller suddenly round, and it struck me a bad blow in the mouth, under the upper lip, and it has been bleeding a good deal and won't stop.' I then said, ' Have you any idea what o'clock it was when it hap- pened ? ' and he answered, ' It must have been about seven.' SPONTANEOUS CASES 77 I then told what had happened to me, much to his surprise, and all who were with us at breakfast. It happened here about three years ago at Brantwood. JOAN R. SEVERN." The episode is duly authenticated, in accordance with the rule of the S. P. R., by concurrent testimony. (Proc. S. P. R., vol. ii, p. 128; also " Phantasms " i., 188.) ANOTHER CASE A case of clairvoyance or distant telepathy was told me by my colleague Professor R. A. S. Redmayne, as having happened in his own experience when he was engaged in prospecting for mines in a remote district of South Africa accompanied only by a working miner from Durham. His account is here abbreviated : So far as they could keep a record of weeks the solitary two used to play at some game on Sundays, instead of working, but on one particular Sunday the workman declined to play, saying he did not feel up to it, as he had just had an intimation of his mother's death, that she had spoken of him in her last hours saying that she " would never see Albert again." My informant tried to chaff his assistant out of his melancholy, since it was a physical impossibility that they could receive recent news by any normal means. But he adhered to his conviction, and in ac- cordance with North Country tradition seemed to regard it as natural that he should thus know. Weeks afterwards complete confirmation came from England, both as to date and circumstance; the words of the dying woman having been similar to those felt at the time by her distant son. The occurrence made a marked impression on my in- formant and broke down his scepticism as to the possibility of these strange occurrences. 78 THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE Fortunately I am able to quote confirmatory evidence of this narrative; for very soon after the verification Professor Redmayne wrote an account of it to his father, and from this gentleman I have received a certified copy of the letter: LETTER FROM PROFESSOR REDMAYNE TO HIS FATHER " MGAGANE, NR. NEWCASTLE, NATAL, 2ist Nov. 1891 " I have a curious and startling thing to tell you : About 6 weeks ago, Tonks said to me one morning, ' My mother is dead, Sir. I saw her early this morning lying dead in bed and the relatives stand- ing round the bed ; she said she would never see me again before she died.' I laughed at him and ridiculed the matter, and he seemed to forget it, and we thought (no) more of it, but Tonks asked me to note the date which I did not do. Last Wednesday, however, Tonks received a letter from his wife telling him that his mother was dead and had been buried a week, that she died early one Sunday morning about six weeks since and in her sleep; but before she fell asleep she said she would never see ' Albert ' again. About a fortnight since I told some people what Tonks had told me, giving it as an instance of the superstitiousness of the Durham pitmen, and they were startled when, the other day, I told them the dream had come true. I will never laugh at anything like this again." The above is an extract from a letter from my son R. A. S. Red- mayne written from Mgagane, Natal S. A., and dated November 2ist [1891.] JOHN M. REDMAYNE. August ist, 1902 HAREWOOD, GATESHEAD Professor Redmayne has also been good enough to get a certificate from the workman concerned, in the form of a copy of the main portion of the above letter, with the following note appended: SPONTANEOUS CASES 79 " The above extract correctly relates what occurred to me whilst living in Natal with Mr. Redmayne. Signed ALBERT TONKS Date August 2ist, 1901 Witness to above Signature N. B. PADDON Seaton Delaval " Garibaldi's dream of his mother at Nice, when he was in mid-Pacific, is a historical instance of the same kind (G. M. Trevelyan. Garibaldi and the Thousand, p. 18.) CHAPTER VI APPLIED TELEPATHY AN EXAMPLE OF THE INFLUENCE OF MODERN THOUGHT ON ANCIENT SUPERSTITIONS IT is being made clear, I hope, how the fact of thought- transference especially of the unconscious or sub- liminal variety enables us to admit the possibility of the truth of a large number of occurrences which previously we should have been liable to stigmatise as impossible and absurd. For in truth not only apparitions of the dying and phantasms of the living may tentatively and hypothetically be thus explained, but a number of other phenomena seem likely gradually to fall into their place in an orderly and intelligible Universe when submitted to this rationalising treatment. I do not say that its success is universal. I hold that it may be pressed too far; there are some things which even the greatest extension of it will not explain. Nevertheless when we have a clue we are bound to follow it up to the utmost before abandoning it, and we will there- fore enter upon a consideration of as many phenomena as at this stage we can see any chance of beginning rationally to understand. So let us contemplate the subject as reasonably and physically as we can. By thought-transference I mean a possible communication between mind and mind, by means other than any of the known organs of sense : what I may call a sympathetic con- So APPLIED TELEPATHY 81 nexion between mind and mind; using the term mind in a vague and popular sense, without strict definition. And as to the meaning of sympathetic connexion, let us take some examples : A pair of iron levers, one on the ground, the other some hundred yards away on a post, are often seen to be sympa- thetically connected; for when a railway official hauls one of them through a certain angle the distant lever or semaphore-arm revolves through a similar angle. The dis- turbance has travelled from one to the other through a very obvious medium of communication viz., an iron wire or rope. A reader unacquainted with physics may think " trans- mission " in this case a misnomer, since he may think the connexion is instantaneous but it is not. The connexion is due to a pulse which travels at a perfectly definite and measured pace approximately three miles per second. The pulling of a knob, followed by the ringing of a bell, is a similar process, and the transmission of the impulse in either of these cases is commonly considered simple and mechanical. It is not so simple as we think; for concerning cohesion we are exceedingly ignorant, and why one end of a stick moves when the other end is touched no one at present is able clearly to tell us. Consider, now, a couple of tuning forks, or precisely similiar musical instruments, isolated from each other and from other bodies, suspended in air, let us say. Sound one of them and the other responds i. e., begins to emit the same note. This is known in acoustics as sympathetic resonance ; and again a disturbance has travelled through the medium from one to the other. The medium in this case is intangible, but quite familiar, viz., atmospheric air. Next, suspend a couple of magnets, alike in all respects; 82 THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE pivoted, let us say, on points at some distance from each other: Touch one of the magnets and set it swinging, the other begins to swing slightly, too. Once more, a dis- turbance has travelled from one to the other, but the medium in this case is by no means obvious. It is nothing solid, liquid, or gaseous; that much is certain. Whether it is material or not depends partly on what we mean by " material " partly requires more knowledge before a satis- factory answer can be given. We do, however, know some- thing of the medium operative in this case, and we call it the Ether the Ether of Space. In these cases the intensity of the response varies rapidly with distance, and at a sufficiently great distance the response would be imperceptible. This may be hastily set down as a natural consequence of a physical medium of communication, and a physical or mechanical disturbance ; but it is not quite so. Consider a couple of telephones connected properly by wires. They are sympathetic, and if one is tapped the other receives a shock. Speaking popularly, whatever is said to one is repeated by the other, and distance is practically un- important; at any rate, there is no simple law of inverse square, or any such kind of law; there is a definite channel for the disturbance between the two. The real medium of communication, I may say paren- thetically, is still the ether. Once more, take a mirror, pivoted on an axle, and capable of slight motion. At a distance let there be a suitable re- ceiving instrument, say a drum of photographic paper and a lens. If the sun is shining on the mirror, and everything properly arranged, a line may be drawn by it on the paper miles away, and every tilt given to the mirror shall be re- produced as a kink in the line. And this may go on over APPLIED TELEPATHY 83 great distances; no wire, or anything else commonly called " material " connecting the two stations, nothing but a beam of sunlight, a peculiar state of the ether. So far we have been dealing with mere physics. Now poach a little on the ground of physiology. Take two brains, as like as possible, say belonging to two similar animals; place them a certain distance apart, with no known or obvi- ous means of communication, and see if there is any sympa- thetic link between them. Apply a stimulus to one, and ob- serve whether the other in any way responds? To make the experiment conveniently, it is best to avail oneself of the entire animal, and not of its brain alone. It is then easy to stimulate one of the brains through any of the creature's peripheral sense organs, and it may be possible to detect whatever effect is excited in the other brain by some motor impulse, some muscular movement of the cor- responding animal. So far as I know the experiment has hitherto been principally tried on man. This has certain advantages and certain disadvantages. The main advantage is that the motor result of intelligent speech is more definite and in- structive than mere pawings and gropings or twitchings. The main disadvantage is that the liability to conscious de- ception and fraud becomes serious, much more serious than it is with a less cunning animal. Of course it by no means follows that the experiment will succeed with a lower animal because it succeeds with man; but I am not aware of its having been tried at present ex- cept with man. One mode of trying the experiment would be to pinch or hurt one individual and see if the other can feel any pain. If he does feel anything he will probably twitch and rub, or he may become vocal with displeasure. There are two 84 THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE varieties of the experiment: First, with some manifest link or possible channel, as, for instance, where two individuals hold hands through a stuffed-up hole in a partition-wall; and, second, with no such obvious medium, as when tfiey are at a distance from one another. Instead of simple pain in any part of the skin, one may stimulate the brain otherwise, by exciting some special sense organ; for instance, those of taste or smell. Apply nauseous or pleasant materials to the palate of one individual and get the receptive person to describe the substance which the other is tasting. Experiments of this kind are mentioned above, and they have had a fair measure of positive result. But I am not asking for credence concerning specific facts at present. A serious amount of study is necessary before one is in a posi- tion to criticise any statement of fact. What I am concerned to show is that such experiments are not, on the face of them, absurd; that they are experiments which ought to be made; and that any result actually obtained, if definite and clear, ought to be gradually and cautiously accepted, whether it be positive or negative. So far I have supposed the stimulus to be applied to the nerves of touch, or more generally the skin nerves, and to the taste nerves; but we may apply a stimulus equally well to the nerves of hearing, or of smelling, or of seeing. An experiment with a sound or a smell stimulus, however, is manifestly not very crucial unless the intervening distance between A and B is excessive; but a sight stimulus can be readily confined within narrow limits of space. Thus, a picture can be held up in front of the eyes of A, and B can be asked if he sees anything; and if he does, he can be told either to describe it or to draw it. If the picture or diagram thus shown to A is one that has APPLIED TELEPATHY 85 only just been drawn by the responsible experimenter himself; if it is one that has no simple name that can be signalled; if A is not allowed to touch B, or to move during the course of the experiment, and has never seen the picture before; if, by precaution of screening, rays from the picture can be posi- tively asserted never to have entered the eyes of B; and if, nevertheless, B describes himself as " seeing " it, however dimly, and is able to draw it, in dead silence on the part of all concerned; then, I say, the experiment would be a good one. But not yet would it be conclusive. We must consider who A and B are. If they are a pair of persons who go about together, and make money out of the exhibition; if they are in any sense a brace of professionals accustomed to act together, I deny that anything is solidly proved by such an experiment; for cunning is by no means an improbable hypothesis. Cunning takes such a variety of forms that it is tedious to discuss them; it is best to eliminate it altogether. That can be done by using unassorted individuals in unaccustomed rooms. True, the experiment may thus become much more difficult, if not indeed quite impossible. Two entirely different tuning forks will not respond. Two strangers are not usually sympathetic, in the ordinary sense of that word; perhaps we ought not to expect a response. Never- theless, the experiment must be made; and if B is found able to respond, not only to A 15 but also A 2 , A 3 , and other com- plete strangers, under the conditions already briefly men- tioned, the experiment may be regarded as satisfactory. I am prepared to assert that such satisfactory experiments have been made. But the power of response in this way to the uninteresting impression of strangers does not appear to be a common 86 THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE faculty. The number of persons who can act efficiently as B is apparently very limited. But I do not make this asser- tion with any confidence, for so few people have as yet been seriously tried. It is most likely a question of degree. All shades of responsiveness may exist, from nearly o to some- thing considerable. More experiments are wanted. They are not difficult to try, and sufficient variety may be introduced to prevent the observations from being too deplorably dull. They are I confess rather dull. Before considering them satisfactory or publishing them it would be well to call in the assistance of a trained ob- server, who may be able to suggest further precautions ; but at first it is probably well to choose fairly easy conditions. Relations are probably more likely to succeed than are strangers; persons who feel a sympathy with each other, who are accustomed to imagine they know what the other is thinking of, or to say things simultaneously, and such like vague traditions as are common in most families: such in- dividuals as these would naturally be the most likely ones to begin with, until experiment shows otherwise. The A power seems common enough; the B power, so far as I know, is rather rare at least to a prominent extent. It is customary to call A the agent and B the percipient, but there may be some objection to these names. The name agent suggests activity; and it is a distinct question whether any conscious activity is necessary. Sender and receiver are terms that might be used, but they labour under similar and perhaps worse objections. For the present let us simply use the terms A and B, which involve no hypothesis whatever. A may be likened to the sending microphone or trans- mitter; B to the receiving telephone. APPLIED TELEPATHY 87 A to the sounded fork or quivering magnet, B to the re- sponsive one. A to the flashing mirror, B to the sensitive sheet. But observe that in all the cases hitherto mentioned a third person is mentioned too, the experimenter, C. A and B are regarded as mere tools, instruments, apparatus, for C to make his experiments with. Both are passive till C comes and excites the nerve of A, either by pinching him, or by putting things in his mouth, or by showing him diagrams or objects; and B is then sup- posed to respond to A. It may be objected that he is really responding to C all the time. Yes, indeed, that may some- times be so, and it is a distinct possibility to remember. If something that C is unconsciously looking at is described by B, instead of the object which is set in front of A, the ex- periment will seem a failure. There are many such possi- bilities to bear in mind in so novel a region of research. But now I want to go on and point out that C is not essential. He probably is not an assistance at all, very likely he is an obstruction even if he is a serious and well- intentioned being. But if D. E. F are present too as ir- responsible spectators, talking or fidgetting, or even sitting still and thinking, the conditions are bad. One can never be sure what F is doing, he may be simply playing the fool. An experiment conducted in front of a large audience is scientifically useless. Whenever I use the term thought-transference I never mean anything like public performances, whether by genuine persons or impostors. The human race is so constituted that such performances have their value they incite others to try experiments ; but in themselves, and speaking scientifically, public performances are useless, and except when of an ex- ceptionally high order as they were in the case of -the 88 THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE Zancigs they often tend to obscure a phenomenon by covering it with semi-legitimate contempt. I fear that some hypnotic exhibitions are worse than use- less ; in so far as they are conducted, not to advance science, but to exhibit some well known fact again and again, not even to students, but to an idle gaping crowd. To return, however, to A and B : let us suppose them left alone, not stimulated by any third person ; it is quite possible for A to combine the functions of C with his own functions, and to stimulate himself. He may look at a picture or a playing card, or he may taste a substance, or he may, if he can, simply think of a number, or a scene, or an event, and, so to speak, keep it vividly in his mind. It may happen that B will be able to describe the scene of which A is think- ing, sometimes almost correctly, sometimes with a large ad- mixture of error, or at least of dimness. The experiment is virtually the same as those above men- tioned, and may be made quite a good one; the only weak part is that, under the circumstances, everything depends on the testimony of A, and A is not always believed. This is, after all, a disability which he shares with C; and, at any rate, he is able to convince himself by such experi- ments, provided they are successful. But now go a step further. Let A and B be not thinking of experimenting at all. Let them be at a distance from one another, and going about their ordinary vocations, in- cluding somnolence and the other passive as well as active occupations of the twenty-four hours. Let us, however, not suppose them strangers, but relatives or intimate friends. Now let something vividly excite A; let him fall down a cliff, or be run over by a horse, or fall into a river; or let him be taken violently ill, or be subject to some strong emo- tion; or let him be at the point of death. APPLIED TELEPATHY 89 Is it not conceivable that if any such sympathetic con- nexion between individuals as I have been postulating exists, if a paltry stimulus supplied by a third person is capable in the slightest degree of conveying itself from one in- dividual to another, is it not conceivable or even probable that a violent stimulus, such as we have supposed A to re- ceive, may be able to induce in B, even though inattentive and otherwise occupied, some dim echo, reverberation, response, and cause him to be more or less aware that A is suffering or perturbed. If B is busy, self-absorbed, actively engaged, he may notice nothing. If he happen to be quiescent, vacant, moody, or half or wholly asleep, he may realise and be conscious of something. He may perhaps only feel a vague sense of depression in general; or he may feel the depression and associate it definitely with A; or he may be more distinctly aware of what is happening, and call out that A has had a fall, or an accident, or is being drowned, or is ill; or he may have a specially vivid dream which will trouble him long after he wakes, and may be told to other persons, and written down; or he may think he hears A's voice ; or, lastly, he may conjure up an image of A so vividly before his " mind's eye " that he may be able to persuade himself and others that he has seen his appari- tion : sometimes a mere purposeless phantom, sometimes in a " setting " of a sort of vision or picture of an event not unlike what is at the time elsewhere really happening. The Society for Psychical Research have, with splendid perseverance and diligence, undertaken and carried forward the thankless labour of receiving and sifting a great mass of testimony to phenomena such as I have hinted at. They have published some of them in two large volumes, called Phantasms of the Living. Fresh evidence comes in every month. The evidence is so cumulative, and some of it is 90 THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE so well established, as to bear down the dead wall of sceptic- ism in all those who have submitted to the drudgery of a study of the material. The evidence induces belief. It is not yet copious enough to lead to a valid induction. I cannot testify to these facts as I can to the simple ex- periments where I have acted the part of C. Evidence for spontaneous or involuntary thought-transference must obvi- ously depend on statements received from A and from B, as well as from other persons, some in the neighbourhood of A, others in the neighbourhood of B, together with con- temporary newspaper reports, Times' obituaries, and other past documents relating to matters of fact, which are avail- able for scrutiny, and may be regarded as trustworthy. I am prepared, however, to confess that the weight of testimony is sufficient to satisfy my own mind that such things do undoubtedly occur; that the distance between England and India is no barrier to the sympathetic communication of intelligence in some way of which we are at present igno- rant; that, just as a signalling key in London causes a telegraphic instrument to respond instantaneously in Te- heran, which is an every-day occurrence, so the danger or death of a distant child, or brother, or husband, may be signalled, without wire or telegraph clerk, to the heart of a human being fitted to be the recipient of such a message. We call the process telepathy sympathy at a distance ; we do not understand it. What is the medium of com- munication? Is it through the air, like the tuning forks; or through the ether, like the magnets; or is it something non-physical, and exclusively psychical? No one as yet can tell you. We must know far more about it before we can answer that question, perhaps before we can be sure whether the question has a meaning or not. APPLIED TELEPATHY 91 Undoubtedly, the scientific attitude, after being forced to admit the fact, is to assume a physical medium, and to dis- cover it and its processes if possible. When the attempt has failed, it will be time enough to enter upon fresh hypotheses. Meanwhile, plainly, telepathy strikes us as a spontaneous occurrence of that intercommunication between mind and mind (or brain and brain), which for want of a better term we at present style thought-transference. We may be wrong in thus regarding it, but as scientific men that is how we are bound to regard it unless forced by the weight of evidence into some apparently less tenable position. The opinion is strengthened by the fact that the spontane- ously occurring impressions can be artificially and experi- mentally imitated by conscious attempts to produce them. Individuals are known who can by an effort of will excite the brain of another person at a moderate distance, say in another part of the same town, or even in some distant place, so that this second person imagines that he hears a call or sees a face. These are called experimental apparitions, and appear well established. These experiments also want repeating. They require care, obviously; but they are very valuable pieces of evidence, and must contribute immensely to ex- perimental psychology. What now is the meaning of this unexpected sympathetic resonance, this syntonic reverberation between minds? Is it conceivably the germ of a new sense, as it were, some- thing which the human race is, in the progress of evolution, destined to receive in fuller measure? Or is it the relic of a faculty possessed by our animal ancestry before speech was? I have no wish to intrude speculations upon you, and I 92 THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE cannot answer these questions except in terms of speculation. I wish to assert nothing but what I believe to be solid and verifiable facts. Let me, however, point out that the intercommunion of minds, the exciting in the brain of B a thought possessed by A, is after all a very ordinary and well known process. We have a quantity of well-arranged mechanism to render it possible. The human race has advanced far beyond the animal in the development of this mechanism; and civilised man has advanced beyond savages. Conceivably, by thus developing the mechanism, we may have begun to lose the spontaneous and really simpler form of the power; but the power, with mechanism, conspicuously exists. I whisper a secret to A, and a short time afterwards I find that B is perfectly aware of it. It sometimes happens so. It has probably happened in what we are accustomed to consider a very commonplace fashion; A has told him. When you come to analyse the process, however, it is not really at all simple. I will not go into tedious details; but when you remember that what conveyed the thought was the impalpable compressions and dilatations of a gas, and that in the process of transmission it existed for a finite space of time in this intermediate and curiously mechanical condition, you may realise something of puzzlement in the process. I am not sure but that we ought to consider some direct sympathy between two minds, without this mechanical pro- cess, as really a more simple and direct mode of conveying an idea. However, all dualism is repugnant when pressed far enough, and I do not now wish to insist on any real and es- sential antithesis between mind and matter, between idea and process. Pass on to another illustration. Tell a secret to A, in New Zealand, and discover that B, in St. Petersburg, is before long aware of it, neither APPLIED TELEPATHY 93 having travelled. How can that happen? That is not possible to a savage; it would seem to him mysterious. It is mysterious in reality. The idea existed for a time in the form of black scrawls on a bit of paper, which travelled be- tween the two places. A transfer of material occurred, not an aerial vibration; the piece of paper held in front of B's eyes excited in him the idea or knowledge of fact which you had communicated to A. Not even a material transfer is necessary however; no matter flows along a telegraph wire, and the air is undis- turbed by an electric current, but a thought-transference through the etherial medium (with, or indeed without, the help of a telegraph or telephone wire) is an accomplished fact, though it would have puzzled our ancestors of last century. And yet it is not really new, it is only the distance and perfection of it that is new. We all possess an etherial receiving instrument, in our organ of vision. The old semaphore system of signalling, as well as the heliograph method, is really a utilisation of the ether for this kind of thought-transference. Much information, sometimes of momentous character, may be conveyed by a wink or nod; or even by a look. These also are messages sent through the ether. The eye is affected by disturbances arriving through the ether, and by those alone. Now, then, I say, shut the eyes, stop the ears, transmit no material substance, interpose distance sufficient to stop all pushing and pulling. Can thought or ideas still be trans- mitted? Experiment answers that they can. But what the medium is, and how the process occurs, it remains for further investigation to ascertain. We reduced our initial three individuals to two; we can reduce the two to one. It is possible for the A and B func- tions to be apparently combined in one individual. Some 94 THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE practice seems necessary for this, and it is a curious state of things. It seems assisted by staring at an object such as a glass globe or crystal a slight amount of self-hypnotism probably. Then you see visions and receive impressions, or sometimes your hand works unconsciously, as if one part of your brain was signalling to another part, and your own identity was dormant or complexed for a time. But in these cases of so-called automatic writing, crystal vision, trance-utterance, clairvoyance, and the like, are we quite sure whether it is a case of A and B at all; and, if so, whether the subject before us is really acting as both? I am not sure; I distinctly doubt it in some cases. It is possible that the clairvoyant is responding to some unknown world-mind of which he forms a part: that the real agent is neither himself nor any other living person. This possibility must not be ignored in ordinary cases of apparent thought-trans- ference, too. Well, now take a further step. Suppose I discover a piece of paper with scrawls on it. I may guess they are intended for something, but as they are to me illegible hieroglyphics, I carry it to one person after another, and get them to look at it; but it excites in them no response. They perceive little more than a savage would perceive. But not so with all of them. One man to whom I show it has the perceptive faculty, so to speak; he becomes wildly excited; he begins to sing; he rushes for an arrangement of wood and catgut, and fills the air with vibrations. Even the others can now faintly appreciate the meaning. The piece of paper was a lost manuscript of Beethoven I What sort of thought-transference is that? Where is the A to whom the ideas originally occurred? He has been dead for years; his fossilised thought has lain dormant in matter; but it only wanted a sympathetic and educated mind APPLIED TELEPATHY 95 to perceive it, to revive it, and to make it the property of the world. Idea, do I call it? but it is not only idea, there may be a world of emotion, too, thus stored up in matter, ready to be released as by a detent. Action of mind on mat- ter, reaction of matter on mind are these things, after all, commonplaces too? If so what is not possible? Here is a room where a tragedy occurred, where the human spirit was strung to intensest anguish. Is there any trace of that agony present still and able to be appreciated by an attuned or receptive mind? r I assert nothing, except that it is not inconceivable. If it happen, it may take many forms; vague disquiet perhaps, or imaginary sounds or vague visions, or perhaps a dream or picture of the event as it occurred. Understand I do not regard the evidence for these things as so conclusive as for some of the other phe- nomena I have dealt with, but the belief in such facts may be forced upon us, and you perceive that the garment of su- perstition is already dropping from them. They will take their place, if true, in an orderly universe, along with other not wholly unallied and already well known occurrences. Relics again : is it credible that a relic, a lock of hair, an old garment, retains any trace of a deceased friend re- tains any portion of his personality. Does not an old letter? Does not a painting? An " old master" we call it. Aye, there may be much of the personality of the old master thus preserved. Is not the emotion felt on looking at it a kind of thought-transference from the departed? A painting differs from a piece of music in that it is constantly incarnate, so to speak. It is there for all to see, for some to under- stand. The music requires incarnation, it can be " per- formed " as we say, and then it can be appreciated. But in no case without the attuned and thoughtful mind; and so 96 THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE these things are, in a sense, thought-transference, but de- ferred thought-transference. They may be likened to tele- pathy not only reaching over tracts of space but deferred through epochs of time. 1 Think over these great things and be not unduly sceptical about little things. An attitude of keen and critical inquiry must continually be maintained, and in that sense any amount of scepticism is not only legitimate but necessary. The kind of scepticism I deprecate is not that which sternly questions and rigourously probes, it is rather that which confidently asserts and dogmatically denies; but this kind is not true scepticism, in the proper sense of the word, for it deters inquiry and forbids inspection. It is too positive concern- ing the boundaries of knowledge and the line where supersti- tion begins. Phantasms and dreams of ghosts, crystal gazing, premoni- tions, and clairvoyance: the region of superstition? Yes, hitherto, but possibly also the region of fact. As taxes on credulity they are trifles compared to things with which we are already familiar; only too familiar, for our familiarity has made us stupidly and inanely inappreciative of them. The whole of our knowledge and existence is shrouded in mystery: the commonplace is itself full of marvel, and the business of science is to overcome the forces of superstition by enlisting them in the service of genuine knowledge. And when this is done I do not doubt that some of these forces will be found auxiliary to the sacred cause of religion itself. 1 They are not technical telepathy, as defined, of course, because they occur through accustomed ways and processes. Technical telepathy is the attainment of the same result through unaccustomed ways and processes. SECTION III SPONTANEOUS TELEPATHY AND CLAIRVOYANCE CHAPTER VII APPARITIONS CONSIDERED IN THE LIGHT OF TELEPATHY THE fact of telepathy having been experimentally established by a larger number of experiments con- ducted by different people, it remains to consider more fully its bearing and significance. Telepathy means the apparently direct action of one mind on another by means unknown to science. That a thought or image or impression or emotion in the mind of one person can arouse a similar impression in the mind of another per- son sufficiently sympathetic and sufficiently at leisure to at- tend and record the impression, is now proved. But the mechanism whereby it is done, or even if there is anything that can be likened to physical mechanism at all, is still un- known. The appearance is as if it were a direct action of mind on mind, or of brain on brain, irrespective of the usual nerves and muscles and organs of sense. This fact alone once admitted, after having run the traditional gauntlet of scepticism serves to explain, at least in a plausible and tentative manner, a number of puz- zling phenomena ; notably it furnishes a plausible key to the phenomena of apparitions and hallucinations of every kind, whether of sight or of hearing or of touch. It is of especial value in reducing the rudimentary difficulty about the clothes and accessories of so-called " ghosts '-' to absurdity; since of course a mental impression would represent a person under 99 ioo SPONTANEOUS TELEPATHY something like customary, though it may be unexpected, sur- roundings, just as happens in an ordinary dream. The word " hallucination " applied to phantasmal ap- pearances in general has been objected to in connexion with some of these apparitions; as if it were intended to imply as it is often mistakenly assumed to imply that there is no objective reality underlying the apparition whatever. It is, however, fully admitted that some hallucinations may be and indeed are veridical (i.e., truth-telling) ; inasmuch as they correspond with some real event, some strong emotion, due perhaps to an accident or to the illness or decease of the distant and visualised person. They therefore do cor- respond with some objective reality, just as the image in a looking-glass corresponds with and is veridical evidence of some objective reality; but as to any substantiality about a phantasm that must be regarded as demanding further investigation. Hypothetically it may differ in different cases; and in no case can it be safe to assume, without special evidence, that it has anything more than a psycholog- ical basis. The question of photography applied to visible phantasms, and to an invisible variety said to be perceived by clairvoy- ants, is still an open one at any rate no photographic evi- dence has yet appeared conclusive to me. If successful, photography could prove that the impression was not only a mental one, but that the ether of space had been definitely affected in a certain way also, so that the impression had probably become received by the optical apparatus of the eye, and had been transmitted in the usual way to the brain. It would not prove substantiality; since of course it is per- fectly easy to photograph the virtual image formed by a looking-glass. Still, genuine photography would indicate a step in advance of telepathy: it would establish one variety APPARITIONS 101 of what are called " physical phenomena." There is, in truth, a vast amount of evidence for physical phenomena of this technically supernormal kind; but they have not yet made good their claim to clear and positive acceptance in the way that telepathy has done. But we are at present not attending to physical phenomena. We need not assume that an apparition has any objective or physical reality. It may be only an impression on the mind of a percipient, analogous to the image or impression caused in one person while another is endeavouring to transfer the image of an object. That which experimentally is found to occur of conscious purpose we think may sometimes occur unconsciously too. We arc not sure indeed that the con- sciousness or will power of the agent has anything to do with it; the transfer is effected we know not how, and it may be wholly an affair of the subconsciousness. If so, a strong emotion even in a distant person may produce an echo or reverberation in the mind of a relative or even a sympathetic stranger, without the agent being in the least conscious of what is happening, and without the percipient in the least understanding the process. He may think that the impression in the mind is real, and may only be unde- ceived by trying to touch it, or he may perceive that it is no more real than the image in a looking-glass, or not so real as that and yet may feel certain that it corresponds to some sort of psychical reality, somewhere. In that case the impression is called veridical or truth- telling, because it does convey real information, though it does so in a phantasmal or unreal manner. Hallucinations need not necessarily be unreal or phantasmal in every case: that is a matter for further investigation, but it does as- suredly clear the ground to treat them as such in the first instance. 102 SPONTANEOUS TELEPATHY PHANTASMS Examples of apparitions seen by relatives at or very near to the epoch of death are so common that it is hardly worth while to quote any here. The publications of the Society for Psychical Research and the book called Phantasms of the Living are full of them; and in most assemblages it will be found that a few of those present are aware of cases of this kind in their own family history. Part of the scepticism which has surrounded the subject has been undoubtedly due to the difficult notions which are rendered necessary if those apparitions are to be supposed objective realities. Even supposing a human being could thus appear, the apparition of his clothes and simplest acces- sories must thus become puzzling. Sometimes such figures are seen accompanied by animals, sometimes with their sur- roundings lightly sketched in as it were, as for instance part of a ship in the case of a sailor. All these difficulties sink into non-existence directly it is apprehended that the vision is a mental impression produced by a psychical agency, veridical in the sense of corresponding to reality more or less closely, but subjective in the sense of there being no actual bodily presence. This is the kind of rationalising theory on which the Society for Psychical Research started its existence : it must have been the hope of similarly detect- ing an element of common sense running through a great variety of popular legend that conferred on its pioneers the motive power necessary. Anyhow that was their adopted theory, and accordingly all such apparitions were in the first instance supposed to be due to telepathy from the dying person and were called Phantasms of the Living. The following is an extract from a Report of one of the Committees : There is strong testimony that clairvoyants APPARITIONS 103 have witnessed and described trivial incidents in which they had no special interest, and even scenes in which the actors, though actual persons, were complete strangers to them; and such cases seem properly assimilated to those where they describe mere places and objects, the idea of which can hardly be supposed to be impressed on them by any personality at all. Once more, apparitions at death, though the fact of death sufficiently implies excitement or disturb- ance in one mind, have often been witnessed, not only by relatives or friends, in a normal state but interested in the event a case above considered but by other observers who had no personal interest in the matter. To secure testimony on these topics we have had to de- pend on the co-operation of the public, and we have sought far and wide for trustworthy testimony, which we have tested in a stringent manner, never resting satisfied until by inquiry and pertinacious cross-examination, with an examina- tion of contemporary records of various kinds, we have made as sure as is humanly possibly that our witnesses were neither lying nor drawing unduly on their imagination, but that the event happened pretty much as they have narrated or at the time recorded by them. " Phantasms of the Dying " might be a better name for these very numerous cases of apparition or veridical halluci- nation. Whatever the cause, the fact of their existence has been thoroughly established; there is a concordance far be- yond chance between apparitions which convey the impres- sion of the unexpected death or illness of a distant person, and the actual fact; the intelligence being, in this form im- pressed on a percipient at a distance, by some apparently unconscious mental activity, and by means at present un- known. ABBREVIATED EXAMPLES As an instance of a vision with appropriate accessories I might take a case reported more fully in the Proceedings of the Society for 104 SPONTANEOUS TELEPATHY Psychical Research, vol. iii., page 97 the case of a favourite and devoted Scottish workman who appeared to his employer in what is described as an extraordinarily vivid dream in which the workman appeared with a face of " indescribable bluish pale colour and on his forehead spots like blots of sweat," and earnestly said several times that he had not done the thing which he was accused of doing. When asked what this was, he replied impressively " Ye'll sune ken." Almost immediately afterwards the news of this man's suicide arrived. But the employer felt assured on the strength of his vision that, though dead, the man had not committed suicide; and said so. Be- fore long it turned out that his assurance was correct, for the work- man had drunk from a bottle containing nitric acid by accident. The employer moreover subsequently ascertained that the symptoms ex- hibited by the phantasmal appearance were such as are appropriate to poisoning by this liquid. Another case of vision with more detailed accessories is in vol. vii., page 33, communicated by Dr. Hodgson, and may be abbreviated thus: Mrs. Paquet on the morning of October 24th, 1889, after her husband had gone to work and the children to school, feeling gloomy, was making some tea for herself, when she saw a vision of her brother Edmund Dunn standing only a few feet away; and her report continues : " The apparition stood with back toward me, or rather, partially so, and was in the act of falling forward away from me seem- ingly impelled by two ropes or a loop of rope drawing against his legs. The vision lasted but a moment, disappearing over a low rail- ing or bulwark, but was very distinct. I dropped the tea, clasped my hands to my face, and exclaimed, " My God ! Ed. is drowned." " At about half-past ten a.m. my husband received a telegram from Chicago announcing the drowning of my brother. When he arrived home, he said to me, ' Ed. is sick in hospital at Chicago; I have just received a telegram,' to which I replied ' Ed. is drowned ; I saw him go overboard.' I then gave him a minute description of what I had APPARITIONS 105 seen. I stated that my brother, as I saw him, was bareheaded, had on a heavy, blue sailor's shirt, no coat, and that he went over the rail or bulwark. I noticed that his pants' legs were rolled up enough to show the white lining inside. I also described the appearance of the boat at the point where my brother went overboard. " I am not nervous, and neither before nor since have I had any experience in the least degree similar to that above related. " My brother was not subject to fainting or vertigo. "AGNES PAQUET." MR. PAQUET'S STATEMENT "At about 10.30 o'clock a.m., October 24th, 1889, I received a telegram from Chicago, announcing the drowning of my brother-in- law, Edmund Dunn, at 3 o'clock that morning. I went directly home, and wishing to break the force of the sad news I had to convey to my wife, I said to her : ' Ed. is sick in hospital at Chicago ; I have just received a telegram.' To which she replied : * Ed. is drowned; I saw him go overboard.' She then described to me the appearance and dress of her brother as described in her statement, also the appearance of the boat, etc." " I started at once for Chicago, and when I arrived there I found the appearance of that part of the vessel described by my wife to be exactly as she had described it, though she had never seen the vessel; and the crew verified my wife's description of her brother's dress, etc., except that they thought he had his hat on at the time of the accident. They said that Mr. Dunn had purchased a pair of pants a few days before the accident occurred, and as they were a trifle long, wrinkling at the knees, he had worn them rolled up, showing the white lining as seen by my wife." STATEMENT OF ACCIDENT "On October 24th, 1889, Edmund Dunn, brother of Mrs. Agnes Paquet, was serving as fireman on the tug Wolf, a small steamer engaged in towing vessels in Chicago harbour. At about three o'clock a.m., the tug fastened to a vessel, inside the piers, to tow io6 SPONTANEOUS TELEPATHY her up the river. While adjusting the tow-line Mr. Dunn fell, or was thrown overboard by the tow-line, and drowned." In this case, if 3 a.m, signifies Chicago time, the vision must have followed the accident very closely; but it has gradually become clear that some of these cases do not coincide precisely with the epoch of death, but follow it some- times at so long an interval that another group has to be classified as " Phantasms of the Dead." (See Mrs. Sidg- wick's Memoir on the subject in Proceedings, vol. iii.) Again occasionally the hallucinations are collective, so that several people present see the same vision. It is possible to consider these as cases of contagious hallucination: and it is not usually necessary to suppose that the distant person whose image was being seen knew anything about it or was making any conscious effort to communicate. If indeed he were conscious of the attempt, still more if he knew of its success and reception, it would be a feature of greatly added interest; it would then fall into the class of reciprocal cases which are rarer. EXPERIMENTAL APPARITIONS The fact that such visions can also be produced through the agency of living people even in health was proved by the experiments conducted by Mr. S. H. B. as recorded in Phantasms of the Living, vol. i., pp. 104-9, an d i n Human Personality, vol. i., p. 293. This gentleman willed himself or rather his phantom to appear to two ladies, without their knowing of the experiment; and he succeeded in his intention. They both saw him simultaneously, though he did not sec them, and his appearance was as of one in evening dress wandering aimlessly about their room, after the traditional manner of " ghosts." This experimental production of a APPARITIONS 107 ghost is a particularly instructive case; and many ghostly appearances belong to living people, who are usually uncon- scious that they are producing any such effect. There ap- pears to be no reason why an apparition should always be of a deceased person. But whether every apparition is of this unsubstantial and purely subjective order, or whether a few proceed to a further degree of reality and belong to what are sometimes spoken of as incipient materialisation, I do not at this stage even discuss. It is sufficient to indicate that a true hypothesis does not close the door to other and more extended ones, if the first is found incompetent to ex- plain all the facts. For, the convenient analogy of conscious and purposed Thought-transference must not be pressed too far. Our phenomena break through any attempt to group them under heads of purposely transferred impression; and the words Telasthesia and Telepathy were introduced by Mr. Myers to cover all cases of impression received at a distance without the normal operation of the recognised sense organs. These general terms are found of permanent service; but as regards what is for the present included under them, we must limit and arrange our material rather with 'an eye to convenience, than with any belief that our classification will ultimately prove a fundamental one. No true demarcation, in fact, can as yet be made between one class of those ex- periences and another; we need the record of as many and as diverse phenomena as we can get, if we are to be in a posi- tion to deal satisfactorily with any one of them. The popular term " ghost " may cover a wide range of essentially different phenomena, and the hallucinatory but veridical kind of apparition which has no particular connec- tion with any particular place, is the best established and commonest variety. io8 SPONTANEOUS TELEPATHY HAUNTINGS The kind of ghost associated with a place say a room, and seen by any one who happens to sleep in that room, provided he is fairly wakeful and not too case-hardened against weird influences, constitutes a difficult and at present somewhat unsatisfactory region of inquiry. The evidence for the existence of this " fixed local " kind of apparition is strong, but hardly conclusive; and this kind is not included among those called " phantasms of the living " nor among hallucinations due to telepathy from the injured or dying. The Society has not had the opportunity of investigating so-called haunted houses in any considerable number; and many of such cases even when reported resolve them- selves merely into uncanny noises such as may be accounted for in one of a great many different ways. I would not be understood as expressing any opinion as to the actual occur- rence of this class of phantom our study of it as yet has been insufficient, but of the occurrence of or visions which coincide fairly in time with some severe shock to the per- son represented, it is impossible for me to entertain a doubt. The evidence must certainly depend on human testi- mony, but immense trouble has been taken to collect such testimony over a wide range of persons, to sift and examine and test it by every means in our power, and then to record it in volumes accessible to the public. Those who have been chiefly occupied for years in this work are able to testify concerning it as follows : We have thus accumulated a great body of testimony which it is impossible to overlook or to discard. These facts form a foundation for the beginning of knowledge concerning them. Our evidence is ro shifting shadow, which it may be APPARITIONS 109 left to individual taste or temperament to interpret, but more resembles a solid mass seen in twilight which men may indeed avoid stumbling over, but only by resolutely walking away from it. And when the savant thus deserts the field, the ordinary man needs to have the nature and true amount of the testimony far more directly brought home to him, than is necessary in realms already mastered by specialists to whose dicta he may defer. Failing this direct contact with the facts, the vaguely fascinated regard of the ordinary public is, for all scientific purposes, as futile as the savant's determined avoidance. Knowledge can never grow until it is realised that the question " Do you believe in these things?" is puerile unless it has been preceded by the in- quiry, " What do you know about them? " For, in fact, this subject is at present very much in the position which zoology and botany occupied in the time of Aristotle, or nostology in the time of Hippocrates. Aristotle had no zoological gardens or methodical treatises to refer to; he was obliged to go down to the fish-market, to hear whatever the sailors could tell, and look at whatever they could bring him. This spirit of omnivorous inquiry no doubt exposed him to hearing much that was exaggerated or untrue; but plainly the science of zoology could not have been upbuilt without it. Diseases afford a still more strik- ing parallel to the phenomena of which we are in quest. Men of science are wont to make it an objection to this quest that phenomena cannot be reproduced under our own conditions or at our own time. The looseness of thought here exhibited by men ordinarily clear-headed is surely a striking example of the prepotence of prejudice over educa- tion. Will the objectors assert that all aberrations of function and degenerations of tissue are reproducible by direct experiment? Can physicians secure a case of cancer or Addison's disease by any previous arrangement of con- ditions ? Our science is by no means the only one concerned with phenomena which are at present to a large extent irre- producible: all the sciences of life are still within that category, and all sciences whatever were in it once. CHAPTER VIII TELEPATHY FROM AN IMMATERIAL REGION THE phenomenon upon a consideration of which we shall shortly enter is that exhibited in several forms and known under various names, of which the simplest perhaps is automatic writing that is, writing ex- ecuted independently of the full knowledge and conscious- ness of the operator the hand acting in obedience either to some unconscious portion of the operator's mind, or else responding to some other psychical influence more or less dis- tinct from both his normal and his hypernormal personality. Sometimes it takes the form not of writing, but of uncon- scious speech; and occasionally the person whose hand or voice is being used is himself completely entranced and un- conscious for one or two hours together. There is evidently a great deal to be learned about this phenomenon, and many surmises are legitimate respecting it, but it is useless and merely ignorant to deny its occurrence. It is often quite clear that parts of the writings or speech so obtained do not represent the normal knowledge of the automatist; but whence the information is derived is uncertain, and probably in different cases the source is different. The simplest as- sumption, and one that covers perhaps a majority of the facts, is that the writer's unconscious intelligence or sub- liminal self his dream or genius stratum is at work that he is in a condition of unconscious and subliminal lucidity, and subject to a sort of hyperaesthesia. It has long been known that in order to achieve remark- no IMMATERIAL TELEPATHY in able results in any department of intellectual activity, the mind must be to some extent unaware of passing occurrences. To be keenly awake and " on the spot " is a highly valued accomplishment, and for the ordinary purposes of mundane affairs is a far more useful state of mind than the rather hazy and absorbed condition which is associated with the quality of mind called genius; but it is not as effective for brilliant achievement. When a poet or musician or mathematician feels himself inspired, his senses are at least his commonplace and non- relevant attention is dulled or half asleep ; and though probably some part of his brain is in a state of great activity, I am not aware of any experiments directed to test which that part is, nor whether, when in that state, any of the more ordinarily used portions are really dormant or no. It would be interesting, but difficult, to ascertain the precise physio- logical accompaniments of that which on a small scale is called a brown study, and on a larger scale a period of inspi- ration. It does not seem unreasonable to suppose that the state is somewhat allied to the initial condition of anaesthesia the somnambulic condition in which, though the automatic processes of the body go on with greater perfection than usual, the conscious or noticing aspect of the mind is latent, so that the things which influence the person are apparently no longer the ordinary events which affect his peripheral organs, but either something internal or else something not belonging to the ordinarily known physical universe at all. The mind is always in a receptive state, perhaps, but whereas the business-like wide-awake person receives impres- sions from every trivial detail of his physical surroundings, the half-asleep person seems to receive impressions from a different stratum altogether; higher in some instances, lower ii2 SPONTANEOUS TELEPATHY in some instances, but different always from those received by ordinary men in their every-day state. In a man of genius the state comes on of itself, and the results are astounding. There are found occasionally feeble persons, usually young, who seek to attain to the appearance of genius by the easy process of assuming or encouraging an attitude of vacancy and uselessness. There may be all grades of result attained while in this state, and the state itself is of less than no value unless it is justified by the results. By experiment and observation it has now been established that a state not altogether dissimilar to this can be induced by artificial means, e. g., by drugs, by hypnosis, by crystal gazing, by purposed inattention; and also that a receptive or clairvoyant condition occurs occasionally without provo- cation, during sleep and during trance. All these states seem to some extent allied, and, as is well known, Mr. Myers has elaborated their relationship in his series of articles on the subliminal consciousness. Well now, the question arises, What is the source of the intelligence manifested during epochs of clairvoyant lucidity, as sometimes experienced in the hypnotic or the somnambulic state, or during trance, or displayed automatically? The most striking cases of which I am now immediately or mediately cognisant, are the trance state of Mrs. Piper, and the automatism of such writers as Mrs. Verrall and Mrs. Holland. Without any apparent lulling of attention at all I am experimentally assured of the possibility of conveyr ing information between one mind and another without the aid of ordinary sense organs; but the cases mentioned are especially* striking and will serve to narrow the field to what after all may be considered at present the main points. Mrs. Piper in the trance state is undoubtedly (I use the word in the strongest sense ; I have absolutely no more doubt IMMATERIAL TELEPATHY 113 on the subject than I have of my friends' ordinary knowledge of me and other men), Mrs. Piper's trance personality is undoubtedly aware of much to which she has no kind of ordinarily recognised clue, and of which in her ordinary state she knows nothing. But how does she get this knowledge? She herself when in the trance state asserts that she gets it by conversing with the deceased friends and relatives of people present. And that this is a genuine opinion of hers, i.e., that the process feels like that to her unconscious or sub- conscious mind the part of her which used to call itself Phinuit and now calls itself " Rector " I am fully prepared to believe. But that does not carry us very far towards a knowledge of what the process actually is. Conversation implies speaking with the mouth, and when receiving or asking information she is momentarily in a deeper slumber, and not occupied in normal speech. At times, indeed, slight mutterings of one-sided questions and re- plies are heard, or are written, very like the mutterings of a person in sleep undergoing a vivid dream. Dream is certainly the ordinary person's nearest approach to the entranced condition; and the fading of recollection as the conscious memory returns is also parallelled by the waking of Mrs. Piper out of the trance. But, instead of a nearly passive dream, it is more nearly allied to the somnambulic state ; though the activity, far from being chiefly locomotory, is mainly mental and only partially muscular. She is in a state of somnambulism in which the mind is more active than the body; and the activity is so different from her ordinary activity, she is so distinctly a different sort of person, that she quite appropriately calls herself by another name. It is natural to ask, Is she still herself? But it is. a ques- tion difficult to answer, unless " herself " be defined. It is ii 4 SPONTANEOUS TELEPATHY her mouth that is speaking, or her hand which is writing, and I suppose her brain and nerves are working the muscles ; but they are not worked in the customary way, nor does the mind manifested thereby at all resemble her mind. Until, how- ever, the meaning of identity can be accurately specified, I find it difficult to discuss the question whether she or another person is really speaking. On this point the waking experience of Mrs. Newnham an automatic writer quoted in Phantasms of the Living, vol. i. p. 63 is of assistance. In her case the hand wrote mat- ter not in the writer's mind and which she did not feel that she was writing. Her hand wrote while she was taking the attention of her own conscious mind away from her hand and letting it be guided by her subconscious or by some other mind. The instructive feature about this case was that the minds apparently influencing the hand were not so much those of dead as of living people. The advantage of this was that they could be catechised afterwards about their share in the transaction; and it then appeared that they either knew nothing about it or were surprised at it; for though the communications did correspond to something in their minds, it did not represent anything of which they were consciously thinking, and was only a very approximate ren< dering of what they might be wishing to convey. They did not seem able to exercise control over the messages, any more than untrained people can control their thoughts in dreams. But we must not jump to the conclusion that this will always be the case; that the connexion is never reciprocally con- scious, as when two persons are talking; but it shows that at any rate it need not be so. Since the living communicant is not aware of what is being dictated, so the dead person need not be consciously operative; and thus conceivably the hand IMMATERIAL TELEPATHY 115 of the automatist may be influenced by minds other than his own, minds both living and dead (by one apparently as readily as by the other), but not by a conscious portion of the mind of any one; by the subconscious or dreamy portion, if by any portion at all. When Phinuit, then, or Mrs. Piper in the trance state, re- ports conversations which she has had with other minds (usu- ally in Phinuit's case with persons deceased), and even when the voice changes and messages come apparently from those very people themselves, it does not follow that they them- selves are necessarily aware of the fact, nor need their con- scious mind (if they have any) be active in the process. The signature of an automatist's hand is equivalent to the assertion that Miss X., for instance, is deliberately writing; Phinuit's statement is equally an assertion that Mr. E. is deliberately speaking; and the one statement may be no more a lie than the other is a forgery, and yet neither need be what is ordinarily called " true." That this community of mind or possibility of distant inter- change or one-sided reception of thoughts exists, is to me perfectly clear and certain. I venture further to say that persons who deny the bare fact, expressed as I here wish to express it without any hypothesis, are simply ignorant. They have not studied the facts of the subject. It may be for lack of opportunity, it may be for lack of inclination; they are by no means bound to investigate it unless they choose ; but any dogmatic denials which such persons may now perpetrate will henceforth, or in the very near future, redound to the dis- credit, not of the phenomena thus ignorantly denied, but of themselves, the over-confident and presumptuous deniers. We must not too readily assume that the apparent action of one mind on another is really such an action. The im- pression received may come from the ostensible agent, but it n6 may come from a third person; or again it may, as some think more likely, come from a central mind or some Anima Mundi, to which all ordinary minds are related and by which they are influenced. If it could be shown that the action is a syntonic or sympathetic connexion between a pair of minds, then it might be surmised that the action is a physical one, properly to be expressed as occurring directly between brain and brain, or body and body. On the other hand, the action may conceivably be purely psychological, and the distant brain may be stimulated not by the inter- vention of anything physical or material but in some more immediate manner, from its psychological instead of from its physiological side. The question is quite a definite one if properly expressed: Does the action take place through a physical medium, or does it not? Guesses at a priori likelihood are worthless ; if the question is to be answered it must be attacked experimentally. Now the ordinary way in which A communicates with B is through a certain physical mechanism, and the thought of A may be said to exist for a finite time as an etherial or aerial quiver before it reproduces a similar thought in the mind of B. We have got so accustomed to the existence of this intermediate physical process that instead of striking us as roundabout and puzzling it appeals to us as natural and simple; and any more direct action of A on B, without physical mechanism, is scouted as absurd or at least violently improbable. Well, it is merely a question of fact, and per- haps it is within the range of a crucial experiment. But it may be at once admitted that such an experiment is difficult of execution. If the effect is a physical one it should vary according to some law of distance, or it should depend on the nature of the intervening medium; but, in order to IMMATERIAL TELEPATHY 117 test whether in any given case such variation occurs, it is necessary to have both agent and percipient in an unusually dependable condition, and they should if possible be unaware of the variation which is under test. This last condition is desirable because of the sensitiveness of the sub-consciousness to suggestion: self-suggestion and other. If the percipient got an idea that distance or inter- posed screens were detrimental, most likely they would be detrimental; and although a suggestion might be artificially instilled that distance was advantageous, this would hardly leave the test quite fair, for the lessened physical stimulus might perhaps be over-utilised by the more keenly excited organism. Still that is an experiment to be tried among others; and it would be an instructive experience if the agent some day was, say, in India when the percipient thought he was in London, or vice versa. It is extremely desirable to probe this question of a physical or non-physical mode of communication in cases of telepathy; and if the fact can be established beyond doubt that sympa- thetic communication occurs between places as distant as India or America and England, or, the terrestrial antipodes, being unfelt between, or in the neighbourhood of the source, then I should feel that this was so unlike what we are accustomed to in Physics that I should be strongly urged to look to some other and more direct kind of mental relationship as the clue. Some of the recent experiments conducted by Miss Miles and Miss Ramsden (Proc., vol. xxi., pp. 6093) tend to support^such a contention. This, then, is the first question on which crucial experi- ments are desirable though difficult. (i) Is the mechanism of telepathy physical or not? The second question of which I am thinking is one less easy to state and far less easy (as I think) to resolve. It u8 SPONTANEOUS TELEPATHY may be stated thus, in two parts, or as two separate ques- tions : (2) Is the power of operating on the minds of terrestrial persons confined to living terrestrial people ? (3) Is the power of operating on or interfering with the rest of the physical universe confined to living material bodies? I should conjecture that an affirmative answer to Question 1 would render likely an affirmative answer to Questions 2 and 3 ; but that a negative answer to Question i would leave 2 and 3 entirely open, because, so far as we at present know, terrestrial people, and people with material bodies, may be the only people who exist. It is this possibility, or, as many would hold, probability or almost certainty, that renders the strict scientific statement of Questions 2 and 3 so difficult. Yet they are questions which must be faced, and they ought to be susceptible, in time, of receiving definite answers. That there are living terrestrial people we know ; we also know that there is an immense variety of other terrestrial life; though, if we were not so familiar with the fact, the luxuriant prevalence and variety of life would be sur- prising. The existence of a bat, for instance, or a lobster, would be quite incredible. Whether there is life on other planets we do not know, and whether there is conscious existence between the planets we do not know; but I see no a priori reason for making scientific assertions on the subject one way or the other. It is only at present a matter of probability. Just because we know that the earth is peopled with an immense variety of living beings, I myself should rather expect to find other regions many-peopled, and with a still more extraordinary variety. So also since mental action is conspicuous on the earth I should expect to find IMMATERIAL TELEPATHY 119 it existent elsewhere. If life is necessarily associated with a material carcase, then no doubt the surface of one of the many planetary masses must be the scene of its activity; but if any kind of mental action is independent of material or physical environment, then it may conceivably be that the psychical population is not limited to the surface of material aggregates or globes of matter, but may luxuriate either in the interstellar spaces or in some undimensional form of ex- istence of which we have no conception. Were it not for the fact of telepathy the entire question would be an idle one, a speculation based on nothing and apparently incapable of examination, still less of verification or disproof. But granted the fact of telepathy the ques- tion ceases to be an idle one, because it is just possible that these other intelligences, if they in any sense exist, may be able to communicate with us by the same sort of process as that by which we are now learning to be able to communicate with each other. Whether it be true or not, it has been con- stantly and vehemently asserted as a fact that such com- munications, mainly from deceased relatives, but often also from strangers, are occasionally received by living persons. The utterances of Phinuit, the handwriting of Miss A, Mr. Stainton Moses, and others, abound with communica- tions purporting to come from minds not now associated with terrestrial matter. Very well then; is a crucial or test experiment possible, to settle whether this claim is well founded or not? Mere sentimental messages, conveying personal traits of the deceased, though frequently convincing to surviving friends, cannot be allowed much scientific weight. Some- thing more definite or generally intelligible must be sought. Of such facts the handwriting of the deceased person, if reproduced accurately by an automatist who has never seen 120 SPONTANEOUS TELEPATHY that handwriting, seems an exceptionally good test if it can be obtained. But the negative proof of ignorance on the part of the writer is difficult. At first sight facts known to the deceased but not known to the automatist, if reported in a correct and detailed manner so as to surpass mere coincidence, would seem a satisfactory test. But here telepathy, which has stood us in good stead so far, begins to operate the other way; for if the facts are known to nobody on earth they cannot per- haps be verified; and if they are known to somebody still alive however distant he may be it is necessary to assume it possible that they were unconsciously " tel- epathed " from his mind. But a certain class of facts may be verified without the assistance or knowledge of any living person, as when a miser having died with the sole clue to a deposit of " val- uables," an automatist's hand, over the miser's signature, subsequently describes the place ; or when a sealed document, carefully deposited, is posthumously deciphered. The test in either of these cases is a better one. But still, living telepathy of a deferred kind is not excluded (though to my thinking it is rendered extremely improbable), for, as Mr. Podmore has often urged, the person writing the docu- ment or burying the treasure may have been ipso facto an unconscious agent on the minds of contemporaries. CASE OF APPARENTLY POSTHUMOUS ACTIVITY One of the most remarkable instances of this kind, and one which fortunately received the attention of the philoso- pher Kant, is one in which Swedenborg acted as the Medium, and is thus described by Kant in a letter published as an Appendix to his cautious little book on clairvoyance which IMMATERIAL TELEPATHY 121 has been translated into English under the title, Dreams of a Spirit Seer. "Madame Herteville (Marteville), the widow of the Dutch Ambassador in Stockholm, some time after the death of her husband, was called upon by Croon, a goldsmith, to pay for a silver service which her husband had purchased from him. The widow was convinced that her late husband had been much too precise and orderly not to have paid this debt, yet she was unable to find this receipt. In her sorrow, and because the amount was considerable, she requested Mr. Swedenborg to call at her house. After apologising to him for troubling him, she said that if, as all people say, he pos- sessed the extraordinary gift of conversing with the souls of the departed, he would perhaps have the kindness to ask her husband how it was about the silver service. Swedenborg did not at all object to comply with her request. Three days afterward the said lady had company at her house for coffee. Swedenborg called, and in his cool way informed her that he had conversed with her husband. The debt had been paid several months before his decease, and the receipt was in a bureau in the room upstairs. The lady replied that the bureau had been quite cleared out, and that the receipt was not found among all the papers. Swedenborg said that her husband had described to him, how after pulling out the lefthand drawer a board would appear, which required to be drawn out, when a secret com- partment would be disclosed, containing his private Dutch corre- spondence, as well as the receipt. Upon hearing this description the whole company arose and accompanied the lady into the room up- stairs. The bureau was opened ; they did as they were directed ; the compartment was found, of which no one had ever known before; and to the great astonishment of all, the papers were discovered there, in accordance with his description." It is difficult to attribute this apparently posthumous activity to deferred telepathy from the living burgomaster i. e., deferred from the time when he was engaged in storing the papers perhaps still more in this case because 122 SPONTANEOUS TELEPATHY they were not stored with any view of subsequently disclos- ing their hiding place. Postponement of the apparently posthumous action for more than a century, so that all con- temporaries are necessarily dead, strains this sort of telepathic explanation still more in fact to breaking point; but such an event is hardly within the reach of purposed ex- periment. The storage of objects or messages is; and re- sponsible people ought to write and deposit specific docu- ments, for the purpose of posthumously communicating them to some one if they can; taking all reasonable precautions against fraud and collusion, and also, which is perhaps a considerable demand, taking care that they do not forget the contents themselves. That such forgetfulness is extremely probable has always strongly presented itself to my mind and has been of force sufficient to prevent my depositing any of these documents with my friends. I am sure that I should forget their con- tents forget even that I had written anything and if reminded should be hopelessly confused as to which sentence I had placed in which envelope. That the test may fail, owing either to this or to some other reason, is manifested by the following record which has already been more than sufficiently published and has become well known. As a negative experiment however it is my business not to slur it over in any way, so I reproduce the judicial statement in the Journal of the Society. OPENING OF AN ENVELOPE CONTAINING A POSTHUMOUS NOTE LEFT BY MR. MYERS On December 13th, 1904, Sir Oliver Lodge invited the Members of the Council and a few other Members of the Society to the Society's Rooms at 20 Hanover Square to witness the opening of a sealed envelope which had been sent to him by Mr. Myers in January IMMATERIAL TELEPATHY 123 1891 (nearly fourteen years ago), in the hope that after his death its contents might be given by communication through some medium. It had been decided to open it because various statements made in Mrs. Verrall's automatic script during the last three years had led her to infer that it contained a certain phrase. The apparent refer- ences to this posthumous note had begun vaguely, and gradually developed, with some repetition, into what seemed to be a clear and definite statement of what was contained in Sir Oliver Lodge's envelope. The references to the envelope purported to come from Mr. Myers, and were mixed up with writing, some of which ap- peared to be veridical, relating to other topics, especially with a statement written before the publication of Human Personality that a certain passage would be found in that book when pub- lished. This having been verified, it was hoped that the account given by the script of the contents of the envelope might turn out equally correct. The meeting was summoned by a circular, of which the annexed is a copy: Marlemont, Edgbaston, December, 1904 It is probably known to you that some years ago F. W. H. Myers deposited with me an envelope containing some sort of writing or message, to be posthumously deciphered if possible. It is also known to you that Mrs. Verrall developed the faculty of automatic writing soon after Myers's death. It now appears that she believes herself to have received messages or indications as to the contents of this envelope. This impression of hers may, of course, be mistaken, but the advantage of it is that it is definite, and she is able to put into writing what she thinks the contents of the envelope will be found to be. That being so, I have taken advice, and find a general consensus of opinion that it is time now to open the envelope and verify or disprove the agreement; or, if there is partial agreement, to ascertain its amount. The envelope has been for some time deposited in a bank, but I propose to have it handed back to me some time this week, and to bring it up to London on Tuesday, December I3th, and then, at 124 SPONTANEOUS TELEPATHY 4 p.m., in the rooms of the Society for Psychical Research, 20 Hanover Square, after making a statement regarding it and reading Mrs. Verrall's statement of what she believes to be in it, to open it in the presence of a sufficient number of witnesses. I do not pro- pose to do it at a Council meeting, because I think it desirable that one or two outsiders should be present, inasmuch as I wish the event to be known and "counted," whether it turn out successful or the reverse. The only way to avoid chance coincidence is to determine beforehand whether any given event shall " count " or not; and, subject to anything that may happen between now and then, I propose that this shall count, and that the envelope shall then be opened. I invite you, therefore, if you think fit, to come to the rooms of the Society on Tuesday, December I3th, at 4 p.m. It must be understood that the proceedings are confidential, and that the question of subsequent publication must be reserved for the Council of the Society. OLIVER LODGE. Mrs. Verrall first reported to the meeting the conclusions she had been led to form concerning the envelope from her own script, and read the apparently relevant passages. On the envelope being opened, however, it was found that there was no resemblance between its actual contents and what was alleged by the script to be contained in it. It has, then, to be reported that this one experiment com- pletely failed, and it cannot be denied that the failure is disappointing. But after all, even if this communication of the contents of a sealed envelope had been successfully achieved, the proof to us of mental action on the part of the deceased " agent " would still be incomplete, for it may be that telepathy is not the right kind of explanation of these things at all ; it may be that they are done if ever they arc done by clairvoyance ; that the document, though still sealed or enclosed in metal, is read in some unknown or fourth-dimensional manner by the subliminal self. IMMATERIAL TELEPATHY 125 The existence of such a power as this, however, can be separately tested; because, if straightforward clairvoyance is possible, things unknown to any person living or dead may be read or inspected, such as a piece of print torn at random out of an unread newspaper and sealed up, or a handful of alphabet letters or figures grasped from a box. (Proc. S. P. R., vi., 494.) And in trying this experiment a negative conclusion must not be jumped at too readily. A positive answer might be definite enough; a negative answer can only be a probability. Moreover, it would per- haps be unwise to tell an automatist who is endeavouring to decipher the unknown figures that in that collocation they have never been inspected by man, the knowledge might act as a gratuitously hostile or debilitating suggestion. But even when such things are read, allowance must be made for some extraordinary possibility of hyperaesthesia whether it be that of feeling on the part of the person who sealed them up, or of a kind of X-ray vision on the part of the clairvoyant, or some other even more forced hypothe- sis. Mrs. Sidgwick's paper on the evidence for real clair- voyance is in the Proceedings, S. P. R., vol. vii., but I will not quote any of the instances there given. The term clair- voyance ought strictly to be reserved for direct apprehension of hidden things without aid from any human knowledge, but in common practise the term is often applied also to the more numerous cases when some kind of telepathy is possible, provided the circumstances are such as to make a sensitive kind of direct perception not altogether improbable. If telepathy ever occurs from a supra-mundane and im- material region, that is to say from a discarnate mind not possessed of a brain, it may be difficult or impossible to dis- tinguish it from clairvoyance. And indeed probably no discrimination would be necessary: that may be what 126 SPONTANEOUS TELEPATHY " second-sight " or clairvoyance really is. But from the scientific point of view there is clearly all the difference in the world between recognised telepathy, such as has been proved to occur between one living person and another, and that other more hypothetical kind which has been suspected as occurring between discarnate intelligences, if there are any, and living people. If the process of ordinary experi- mental telepathy were ever ascertained to be a direct action of brain on brain, then acceptance of the other more hypothetical kind of telepathy would be almost forbidden at any rate would be rendered extremely difficult. If how- ever the process of transmission should turn out to be a purely psychical one, that is a psychological action directly between mind and mind, so that the brains at each end are only the instruments of record and verification, then the possibility of a transfer of thought, between minds unprovided with these appliances or between one such mind and an embodied mind is not at all inconceivable. It still has to be established, of course, and the difficulty of proof is still very great; but the effort towards such a proof is a legitimate one. It is that effort which for some years now the Society has been patiently making, and some of the results so far attained will be dealt with in Section IV. The distinction here drawn, between a comparatively customary, and what may strike us as a more recondite and unexpected method of communication, may be illustrated by reference to the facts of telegraphy: In ordinary telegraphy the message manifestly goes some- how from signalling key to receiving galvanometer; and, if attention is concentrated upon those obvious instruments alone, it might be thought that there was some direct mechanical connexion between them. But the real ar- rangement is more elaborate than that a battery or IMMATERIAL TELEPATHY 127 dynamo in the cellar has to be taken into account, and the actual process of transmission involves some fairly re- cently discovered properties of the ether of space. The message is conveyed etherially, not by matter at all; it can cross vacuum with perfect ease, though it is sent and re- ceived and interpreted by matter. I am speaking of ordinary telegraphy; there is no need to distinguish it from " wireless " in this particular. I am not denying of course that telegraphic transmission is a physical process. All I imply by the parable is that the first impression of a spectator or critic, that telepathy is a physiological process effected direct between brain and brain, may not be the correct one. For telegraphy had been carried on commercially for years, before it was properly understood; and even now there must remain many things to be discovered about it. So that it is hardly likely that in telepathy we have a process which is easily and quickly intelligible; nor is it in the least certain that the mode of transmission can be stated in terms of matter. Perhaps it cannot be stated even in terms of ether. The whole idea or imagery of space-relations in respect of mind may be misleading. CHAPTER IX EXAMPLES OF APPARENT CLAIRVOYANCE TO show that some apparent clairvoyance, whether it be due to hyperaestehsia or telepathy or something else, is really possible, I take an instructive little experiment recorded by Mrs. Verrall in Proceedings, vol. xi., p. 192 which she tried in November 1890 with her daughter who was then a child aged 7^2 years. Other in- stances will be mentioned later on. RECOGNITION OF OBJECTS BY TELEPATHY OR HYPER^STHESIA. PERCIPIENT, H. AGED iy 2 YEARS Mrs. Verrall reports as follows: In November, 1890, I tried the following experiment with H. I drew a diagram, which I placed on H.'s forehead, while her eyes were shut, and asked her to describe it. To make the performance more like a game, I went on to ask what colour it was, and what she could see through it. We tried four experiments, three on the afternoon of November i6th, and one at 6.15 on November 3Oth, with the following results: Object drawn. A triangle. Result. H. drew a triangle with her finger in the air. Right. Object drawn. A triangle with apex cut off. Result. H. described and drew an irregular figure, which did not seem to satisfy her, then said it was like an oval dish Wrong. Object drawn. A square. Result. H. said: " It's like a window with no cross bars," and drew a four-sided rectangular figure in the air. Right. 128 EXAMPLES 129 Object drawn. A square divided into 4 squares by a vertical and a horizontal line. Result. H. said: "It's a diamond." "What else?" said I, meaning what colour, etc. " It's got a line across it, and an- other across that. [Right.'] The colour is pale blue." When I gave her the diagram, she turned it anglewise and said, " Oh yes, that's right, and the colour was not far wrong." As the diagram was drawn in ink on white paper, I did not understand, and asked what she meant. She said, " Why, it's all blue, bluish white inside, and even the ink is blue." The diagram had been dried with blotting paper and was not a very deep black, but I could see nothing blue. Ten minutes afterwards she picked up the paper again and commented on the fact that it was blue, the lines dark bright blue, and the inside pale blue. I burnt the diagram and discontinued the game after observing this persistence of a self-suggested hallucination. We had previously tried experiments which seemed to show that the child could feel the diagram. She could almost always tell whether the right or wrong side of a playing card were placed on her forehead. I was quite unable to distinguish the two sides. I am more inclined to attribute her successes (3 out of 4) to hyperaes- thesia than to telepathy. I will now quote a case which is rather a striking example of the fact that the intelligence operative through uncon- scious or subliminal processes is superior to that of the normal intelligence of the persons concerned, so that just as people occasionally seem able to become cognisant of facts or events by means ordinarily closed to them, a phenome- non which appears akin to the water-dowsing faculty and to the " homing " instincts of animals, so sometimes they can write poetry or solve problems beyond their normal capacity. Here for instance is the case of the solution of a mathematical problem by automatic writing with the pencil not held in the hand, but attached to the heart-shaped piece of board called a " planchette." It is quoted from the 130 SPONTANEOUS TELEPATHY record which I communicated at the time to the Journal of the Society for Psychical Research, vol. xi. A CASE OF AUTOMATIC INTELLIGENCE One feature of interest is that both the witnesses are ex- ceptionally competent. The account was written by an old pupil of my own at Bedford College in the seventies one of the ablest students there, Miss C. M. Pole, daughter of the late Dr. Pole, F. R. S., the well-known Engineer, Musician, and writer on card-game. Miss Pole is now Mrs. Garrett Smith, living at Madgeburg, and writes as follows : In the early part of 1885 I was staying at in the house of Mrs. Q., and I and her daughter, Miss Q., B. A. Lond., used to amuse ourselves in writing with a Planchette. We had several Planchettes (I think four), but we could only get response from one of them, which belonged to Miss Q. In the house with us were some eight or nine others, . i . but for no other pair would the Planchette act. The same one had formerly given good results with Miss Q. and another friend, but I have never written with a Plan- chette before or since. We got all sorts of nonsense out of it, sometimes long doggerel rhymes with several verses. Sometimes we asked for prophecies, but I do not remember ever getting one which came true, and my impression is that generally when we asked for a prophecy the thing went off in a straight line running off the table if we did not take our hands off. It often did this, refusing to write at all, and towards the end of my stay there I believe it was always so; we could get no answer from it. I believe we often asked Planchette who the guiding spirit was; but I only once re- member getting a definite connected answer. Then it wrote that his name was " Jim," and that he had been a Senior Wrangler. After other questions, we asked it to write the equation to its own curve [in other words, to express mathematically the outline of the heart- shaped board]. Planchette wrote something like this quite dis- tinctly EXAMPLES (The curl backwards always denoted that the answer was fin- ished.) We repeated the question several times, but each time the an- swer was the same, sometimes more, sometimes less distinct. We a sin 0. interpreted it as r= ... I knew just enough to be 6 able to draw the curve represented by the equation. In my first try I made a mistake and believed the curve to be quite a different one, but afterwards I drew [something like] the following [rough sketch] a double never-ending spiral: We checked our result by taking the equation to the Mathematical Master at the Boys' College, who drew the same [sort of] curve for us, but we did not tell him where we got the equation from. I cannot say whether the Planchette we used was really exactly the shape of the outside curve ; I should rather fancy that with the heart shape the resemblance ended. I am quite sure that I had never seen the curve before, and therefore the production of the equation could 132 SPONTANEOUS TELEPATHY not have been an act of unconscious memory on my part. Also I most certainly did not know enough mathematics to know how to form an equation which would represent such a curve, or to know even of what type the equation must be. But I had come across such equations and drawn the curves represented by them ; for in- stance, afterwards I found in my notebook the spiral r = YZ TT a, and the cardioid r = a (i-f- c s0). We had used no text-book, and in the full notes of the lectures I had attended, these were the two curves I found most similar to Planchette's. If my brain pro- duced the equation written by Planchette, it must have been that I unconsciously formed an equation like some I had seen before, which by a curious coincidence chanced to represent a heart-shaped curve. I know that we were both quite unconscious of any influence we may have exercised on the Planchette. CECILIA GARRETT SMITH. MAGDEBURG, November 1903 March iyd, 1904 I (O. L.) made inquiries about Miss Q. and found that she was well known to friends of mine, and was a serious and responsible and trustworthy person, so I wrote some further questions to her, and received the following reply : * . . As far as Miss Pole and I were concerned, it was quite bona-fide, and was not open to any suspicion of practical joking or setting traps for each other. It is true that when we wrote plan- chette, it was never with any serious motive, such as with the object of testing the unconscious mind, or for any scientific purpose, but merely for the fun of the thing. We used to ask it to prophesy future events, and to make up poetry, and all purely for amusement, after the manner of schoolgirls. Nevertheless, all that was written was quite in good faith. The equation written did not come within the mathematical knowl- edge I then possessed, which was limited to the mathematics neces- sary for the London B.A. Pass Degree. I knew of course that every curve could be represented by an equation, and I was familiar EXAMPLES 133 with polar co-ordinates in which the equation was written. But the only equations I could then identify were those of the conic sections. Miss Pole had read some elementary Differential, and knew more than I did, but my impression is that her knowledge was not sufficient to enable her to trace curves. Certainly neither of us perceived from the appearance of the equation that the reply was the correct one, but that I think would have been too much to expect, even if our knowledge had been much higher than it was. I did not know sufficient at that time to attempt to plot the curve. I believe Miss Pole did attempt it, but if so, her attempts were un- successful. We were not satisfied that the equation did represent a curve like the outline of the planchette till we had asked our mathe- matical master to trace it for us. (This was done without telling him any of the facts of the case.) I do not remember that we ever closely compared the curve he drew in tracing the equation with the actual planchette in question. We did not take the matter very seriously, and were quite content when we saw that the solution was at all events approximately true. On now tracing the curve represented by the equation, I am inclined to think that it very closely resembles the shape of the actual planchette used, from my memory of it. (The planchette is no longer in existence.) . . . To this I (O. L.) add that the equation which would naturally occur to any one is the cardioid r = a ( I -f- cos 0} ; but it is quite likely, as Mrs. Garrett Smith says, that al- though as a student she was undoubtedly aware of this curve, she might not, some years afterward, be able to re- produce it on demand. The equation written by Planchette is not a familiar one and certainly would not be likely to occur to her, nor would it have occurred to me ; but the sketch given does not profess to be an exact representation of the curve corresponding to the equation written by the planchette, but only represents her recollection of its general character. 134 SPONTANEOUS TELEPATHY Mr. J. W. Sharpe, of Bournemouth, has been good enough to draw out an accurate graph of the curve, and here is his drawing on a reduced scale. _ * /\ It is to be remembered that the equation r a 6 was given by Planchette, as representing mathematically the shape of its own outline or boundary; the intelligence controlling its movements being represented as that of a Cambridge Wrangler. With regard to his drawing Mr. Sharpe observes that the curve does not consist of two sets of spirals, as at first depicted roughly, but of two sets of loops, all passing through the cusp and touching one another there, and all contained within the outer heart-shaped boundary. The loops meet only at the cusp, and there is an infinite number of them. They decrease in area without limit, ultimately sinking into the point of the cusp. The equation very well represents the ordinary form of a planchette. But if it had accidentally been reversed n into r = a the curve would have been entirely different sin 0, different and entirely unlike any planchette outline. Mr. Sharpe thinks it very unlikely that either of the EXAMPLES 135 automatists had ever seen an accurate graph of the equation given in their writing. It is of course much more difficult to invent an equation to fit a given curve (which was the feat performed by the writing in this case) than, when the equation is given, to draw the curve represented by it. POWER OF UNSEEN READING In illustration of supernormal power of a still more ex- cessive kind I quote from the automatic writings of Mr. Stainton Moses well known as a master for many years in University College School, London who for a great part of this period used to write automatically in the early morning in solitude. A great number of these writings have been published and are well known to all students of the subject; but the following incident is of a surprising character and is an example, though an exceptionally strong one, of the power of reading letters etc., possessed in some degree by one or two of the " controls " of Mrs. Piper and of many another medium in history. The following script was obtained by Mr. Stainton Moses while he was sitting in Dr. Speer's library and discoursing with various supposed communicators through his writing hand: See Proceedings, S. P. R., vol. xi., p. 106. S. M. Can you read? " No, friend, I cannot, but Zachary Gray can, and Rector. I am not able to materialise myself, or to command the ele- ments." S. M. Are either of those spirits here? " I will bring one by and by. I will send . . . Rector is here." S. M. I am told you can read. Is that so? Can you read a book? (Handwriting changed). "Yes, friend, with difficulty." 136 SPONTANEOUS TELEPATHY S. M. Will you write for me the last line of the first book of the jEnid? " Wait Omnibus errantem terns et fluctibus aestas." [This was right.] S. M. Quite so. But I might have known it. Can you go to the bookcase, take the last book but one on the second shelf, and read me the last paragraph of the ninety- fourth page? I have not seen it, and do not even know its' name. [With a little delay the following writing came.] " I will curtly prove by a short historical narrative, that Popery is a novelty, and has gradually arisen or grown up since the primitive and pure time of Christianity, not only since the apostolic age, but even since the lamentable union of kirk and state by Constantine." (The book on examination proved to be a queer one called "Roger's Antipopopriestian, an attempt to liberate and purify Christianity from Popery, Politikirkality, and Priest- rule." The extract given above was accurate, but the word " narrative " substituted for " account.") S. M. How came I to pitch upon so appropriate a sentence? " I know not, my friend. It was done by coincidence. The word was changed in error. I knew it when it was done, but would not change." S. M. How do you read? You wrote more slowly, and by fits and starts. " I wrote what I remembered and then went for more. It is a special effort to read, and useful only as a test. Your friend was right last night; we can read, but only when conditions are very good. We will read once again, and write, and then impress you of the book : ' Pope is the last great writer of that school of poetry, the poetry of the intellect, or of the intellect mingled with the fancy.' That is truly written. Go and take the eleventh book on the same shelf. [I took a book called Poetry, Romance, and Rhetoric.] It will open at the page for you. Take it and read, and recognise our power, and the permission EXAMPLES 137 which the great and good God gives us, to show you of our power over matter. To Him be glory. Amen." (The book opened at page 145, and there was the quotation perfectly true. I had not seen the book before: certainly had no idea of its contents. S. M.) [These books were in Dr. Speer's library: F. W. H. M.] To this Mr. Myers pertinently appends the note : It is plain that a power such as this, of acquiring and re- producing fresh knowledge, interposes much difficulty in the way of identifying any alleged spirit by means of his knowl- edge of the facts of his earth life. DREAM LUCIDITY To illustrate the fact that extra or supernormal lucidity is possible in dreams, a multitude of instances might be quoted from the publications of the Society for Psychical Research. Almost at random I quote two, the first a short one of which the contemporary record is reported on by a critical and sceptical member of the Society, Mr. Thos. Barkworth, in the Journal of the Society for Dec. 1895. G. 249. Dream. The following is a case which was noted at the time, before it was known to be veridical. It was received by Mr. Barkworth, who writes concerning it. WEST HATCH, CHIGWELL, ESSEX, August 2$th, [1895] It has been often made a subject of reproach by persons who dis- trust the S. P. R. that the evidence we obtain is seldom, if ever, sup- ported by written records demonstrably made before the dream or the hallucination had been verified by subsequently ascertained facts. Indeed, a Mr. Taylor Innes, writing in the Nineteenth Century some years ago, went so far, if I remember rightly, as to assert that 138 SPONTANEOUS TELEPATHY no such case could be produced up to the time he wrote. It must certainly be admitted that in provoking numerous instances it is found that the alleged letter or diary has been destroyed. The following experience of the Rev. E. K. Elliott, Rector of Worthing, who was formerly in the navy, and who made the entry in his diary as quoted when he was cruising in the Atlantic out of reach of post or telegraph, will therefore be found of interest. The diary is still in his possession. T. B. Extract from diary written out in Atlantic, January i^.th t 1847 Dreamt last night I received a letter from my uncle, H. E., dated January 3rd, in which news of my dear brother's death was given. It greatly struck me. My brother had been ill in Switzerland, but the last news I re- ceived on leaving England was that he was better. The ' January 3rd ' was very black, as if intended to catch my eye. On my return to England I found, as I quite expected, a letter awaiting me saying my brother had died on the above date." Worthing. E. K. ELLIOTT. The second case I quote is a much longer and more elaborate one, and we owe its receipt to Dr. Hodgson while in America. There are many partially similar records of people be- coming aware of an accident in which some near relative was injured or killed : and it is noteworthy that the emotion caused by injury seems as likely to convey such an impres- sion as anything pertaining to death itself; but the point of the following narrative is that a complete stranger became impressed with facts which were happening at a distance, without the slightest personal interest in any one concerned so that it seems to make in favour of a general clair- voyant faculty rather than for any spiritistic explanation. The prefix P. 224 is merely a classificatory reference number. EXAMPLES 139 P. 224. Dream. The following case has some resemblance to Mrs. Storie's experi- ence, of which an account was published in Phantasms of the Living, vol. i., p. 370, except that the person whose fate was represented in the dream was in the case here printed entirely unknown to the dreamer. The account is written by Mr. H. W. Wack, Attorney, and comes to us through the American Branch of the Society. COURT HOUSE, ST. PAUL, MINN., February loth, 1892 " I believe I have had a remarkable experience. About midnight on the 29th day of December, headsore and fatigued, I left my study where I had been poring over uninspiring law text, and, climbing to my chamber door, fell into bed for the night. " Nothing unusual had transpired in my affairs that day, and yet, when I gave myself to rest, my brain buzzed on with a myriad fancies. 1 lay an hour, awake, and blinking like an over-fed owl. The weird intonation of an old kitchen clock fell upon my ears but faintly, as it donged the hour of two. The sound of the clock chime had hardly died when I became conscious [of] my position in a passenger coach on the St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha railroad. I was journeying to Duluth, Minnesota, from St. Paul, in which latter place I had gone to sleep. I was aware that I had been on the train about four hours and that I was somewhere near the town of Shell Lake, Wis., distant from St. Paul about eighty miles. I had often been over the road, and as I peered through the coach windw, I recognised, in the moonlit scene, features of country and habitation I had seen be- fore. We were plunging on, almost heedlessly as it seemed, when I fancied I heard and was startled from my reverie by a piercing shriek, which was protracted into a piteous moaning and gasping, as if some human creature were suffering some hideous torture. " Then I felt the train grind heavily to an awkward stop. There was a sudden commotion fore and aft. Train men with lanterns hurried through my car and joined employes near the engine. I could see the lights flash here and there, beside and beneath the cars; brakemen moved along the wheels in groups, the pipe voice of the 140 SPONTANEOUS TELEPATHY conductor and the awe-stricken cry of the black porter infused a livening sense to a scene which I did not readily understand. In- stinctively I concluded that an accident had happened, or perhaps that a break to the train had occasioned this sudden uprising of train men. A minute later I was out upon the road bed. The brusque and busy search and the disturbed manner of the attendants did not propitiate elaborate inquiry from a Curious passenger, so I was ap- peased to be told, in very ugly snappish English, that if I had eyes I might see for myself that ' some one got killed, I reckon.' Every- body moved and acted in a spirit of stealth, and each, it appeared, expected a horrible ' find.' The trucks were being examined from the rear of the train forward. Blood splotches were discovered on nearly all the bearings under the entire train. When the gang reached one of the forward cars, all lights were cast upon a truck which was literally scrambled with what appeared to be brains human brains, evidently, for among the clots were small tufts of human hair. This truck, particularly, must have ground over the bulk of a human body. Every fixture between the wheels was smeared with the crimson ooze of some crushed victim. But where was the body, or at least its members? The trucks were covered only with a pulp of mangled remnants. The search for what ap- peared of the killed was extended 500 yards back of the train and all about the right-of-way with no more satisfactory result than to occa- sionally find a blood-stained tie. " All hands boarded the train ; many declaring that it was an un- usual mishap on a railroad which left such uncertain trace of its vic- tim. Again I felt the train thundering on through the burnt pine wastes of northern Minnesota. As I reclined there in my berth, I reflected upon the experience of the night, and often befuddled my sleepy head in an effort to understand how a train, pushing along at the rate of thirty miles an hour, could so grind and triturate a vital bulk, staining only trucks behind the engine, unless the killed at the fatal time were upon the truck or huddled closely by it. I concluded, therefore, that the being destroyed under the train had been concealed near the bespattered fixtures of the car. I had read of death to tramps stealing rides by hiding themselves under or EXAMPLES 141 between cars, and finally I dismissed meditation assured that an- other unfortunate itinerant had been crushed out of existence. Hor- rible ! I shuddered and awoke relieved to comprehend it all a dream. " Now the fact that the foregoing is an accurate statement of a dream experienced by me is not a matter for marvel. Taken alone, there is nothing remarkable in the time at which this vision blackened my sleep. The spell was upon me between two and three o'clock in the morning of that I am certain. I am positive of the time, be- cause, when I awoke, I heard the clock distinctly, as it struck three. " On the morrow, I, who usually forget an ordinary dream long before breakfast recounted to the family the details of the night's distraction. From my hearers there followed only the ordinary com- ments of how ghastly and how shocking the story was as told and how strange the nature of the accident that no parts of the body had been found. The latter circumstance was, to me also, quite an unusual feature of railroad casualty. " The evening following the night of the dream (December 3Oth), at 5 o'clock, I returned to my home, stepped into my study, and, as I am in the habit of doing, I glanced at a page of the St. Paul Dispatch, a daily evening newspaper. It had been casually folded by a previous reader, so that in picking it up flatly, the article which first fixed my attention read: 1 ' Fate of a tramp. Horrible death experienced by an unknown man on the Omaha Road. His remains scattered for miles along the track by the merciless wheels. : ' Duluth, December 30. Every truck on the incoming Omaha train from St. Paul this morning was splashed with blood. Train men did not know there had been an accident till they arrived here, but think some unfortunate man must have been stealing a ride be- tween St. Paul and this city. Train men on a later train state that a man's leg was found by them at Spooner, and that for two miles this side the tracks were scattered with pieces of flesh and bone. There is no possible means of identification.' " Here was an evident verification of all that transpired in my mind between two and three o'clock on the previous night. I re- 142 SPONTANEOUS TELEPATHY fleeted, and the more I pondered the faster I became convinced that I had been in some mysterious form, spirit or element, witness of the tragedy reported in the columns of the press that my vision was perfect as to general details, and the impression complete and exact to time, place, and circumstance. The next morning I scanned the pages of the Pioneer Press of December 3ist, and read the following paragraph : ' Unknown man killed, Shell Lake, Wis. Special telegram, December 3Oth. Fragments of the body of an unknown man were picked up on the railroad track to-day. Portions of the same body were also found on over 100 miles of the railroad. He is supposed to have been killed by the night train, but just where it is not known.' " With this came the conviction to me that, living and asleep, IOO miles from the place of the killing, I had been subjected to the phantom-sight of an actual occurrence on the Omaha railroad, as vivid and in truth as I have stated it above. " I have not written this account because Mark Twain and other authors have published in current magazines their experiences in what is termed Mental Telepathy or Mental Telegraphy. On the con- trary, having read a number of those articles, I have hesitated to utter, as authentic, what I now believe to be a material and striking evidence of the extent, the caprice, and the possibilities of this occult phenomenon." " HARRY W. WACK." In reply to Dr. Hodgson's inquiries, Mr. Wack wrote: " ST. PAUL, February 2Oth, 1892 "Mv DEAR SIR, Replying to your valued favour of the I5th inst, I will say that you are right in understanding that my account of the dream submitted to your Society is a true narrative. " I reaffirm every word of it, and give you my solemn assurance that, as I have stated, I informed the family and friends of the dream and its details, before I had the first suspicion that the public press ever had contained or ever would contain a report of such an actual occurrence. EXAMPLES 143 " If desirable I will make affidavit as to the truth of the substance of the narrative in your hands. " I enclose a few corroborative letters, the signatures to which I procured yesterday, February igth. If these serve you, well and good. " HARRY W. WACK." The following were the corroborative letters enclosed: (i) "ST. PAUL, February 2Oth, 1892 " GENTLEMEN, Referring to an account of a dream submitted to you by Mr. Harry Wack of this city which I have read, I beg leave to add the following facts corroborative of the narrative. " After careful consideration of the article, I find that the story of the dream on December 2gth-3Oth is in substance identical with that which was related by Mr. Wack at breakfast on the morning of December 3Oth, 1891. On that occasion Mr. Wack stated that he had been agitated the previous night by a dream of unusual features, and then, at the request of those present, he recited what now appears in his article, which I have just perused for the first time. On the evening of December soth, 1891, when Mr. Wack discovered the newspaper item, he again mentioned the dream and called my attention to the newspaper item, and several of the family discussed the matter. On the morning of December 3ist, another newspaper clipping bearing on the same matter was debated by the family. " Aside from the unusual features and hideousness of the dream, there was nothing to startle us, until the newspaper accounts de- veloped the affair in a mysterious sense. The first version of the dream was given in the morning of December 3Oth. The first newspaper dispatch appeared and was discovered in the evening of the same day. This I know of my own knowledge, being present on each occasion. " MRS. MARGARET B. MACDONALD." (2) " ST. PAUL, MINN., February 2Oth, 1892 " GENTLEMEN, T have read the letter of Mrs. Macdonald, with whom I visited on December 29th, 3Oth, 3ist, and days following, H4 SPONTANEOUS TELEPATHY and with your permission I will say that I also was present at break- fast when Mr. Wack mentioned the dream, and at dinner (6 p.m.) when Mr. Wack called our attention to the newspaper item, which he then declared was a positive verification of the dream he ex- perienced the night before. I have read the account of the dream, and I believe it to be precisely as I understood it from Mr. Wack's account given on the morning of December soth, 1891. " ROSE B. HAMILTON." (3) "ST. PAUL, February 2Oth, 1892 " GENTLEMEN, Having read the foregoing letters of Mrs. Mac- donald and Miss Rose B. Hamilton, and being familiar with the facts and incidents therein set forth, I would add my endorsement to them as being in strict accord with the truth. " Mr. Wack stated his dream as he has written of it in the article which I understand he has submitted to you, on the morning of December soth, 1891. He came upon and drew our attention to the newspaper articles in the evening of December soth, and on the morning of December Sist, 1891. It was these newspaper dis- patches which made the dream interesting, and thereafter it was freely discussed. " C. E. McDoNALD." Mr. H. W. Smith, an Associate Member of the American Branch, writes to Dr. Hodgson in connection with the case: " OFFICE OF SMITH & AUSTRIAN, COMMISSION MERCHANTS, " 290, E., 6TH STREET, PRODUCE EXCHANGE, "ST. PAUL, MINN., April i^th, 1892 " MY DEAR SIR, It has been impossible for me to accept Mr. Wack's invitation to meet at his house the witnesses he cited in his communication to you. I have already written you of my preliminary interview with Mr. Wack, and it confirms in my own mind the high opinion which I previously held of him through our acquaintanceship, extending over a series of years. There is no reasonable doubt in my mind that the statement he makes is substantially correct, at least as respects any and all allegations of fact. Of course the application EXAMPLES 145 of these facts to an unknown force is a matter upon which I cannot speak. " HERBERT W. SMITH." Instances like this are by no means solitary, and what- ever view we take of them we have to include them in the roll of facts demanding explanation an explanation which may not be readily forthcoming. It may be presumed that as far as they go they make against the spiritistic hypothesis in any simple or direct form ; and what is why in a book like this it is necessary to emphasise them. Meanwhile all we are sure of is that information is ob- tained by some mediums which is entirely beyond their con- scious knowledge, and occasionally beyond the conscious knowledge of everyone present. But as to how this lucidity is attained we are as yet in the dark; though we must ul- timately proceed to consider the possibility that it is by some sort of actual communication from other intelligences, akin to the conveyance of information in the accustomed and ordinary human way, by rumour, by conversation, and by the press. Incidents that seem to point to some form of super- normal communication are exemplified in the experiments of Dr. van Eeden of Bussum, in Holland, with Mrs. Thompson at Hampstead, a lady who is referred to more particularly in Section IV. of this book. (See his paper on sittings with Mrs. Thompson in Proceedings, S. P. R., vol. xvii., especially pp. 86-7 and 112115). Dr. van Eeden, having cultivated the power of controlling his own dreams, so as to be able to dream of performing actions which he had planned while awake, arranged with Mrs. Thompson that he would occasionally call " Nelly " (her " control ") in his dreams after returning to Holland, and that if she heard him calling she should tell Mr. Piddington, 146 SPONTANEOUS TELEPATHY who was in charge of the sittings, at his next sitting. On three occasions, in January and February 1900, some success was obtained in these experiments; that is "Nelly" stated that she had heard Dr. van Eeden calling, and had been to see him ; the dates she gave were approximately, though not exactly, the same as those recorded in his diary of dreams; but on each occasion she gave details, which were afterwards verified, as to his circumstances at the time. On a fourth occasion (April iQth, 1900), when " Nelly " stated that she had been to see Dr. van Eeden, he had no dream of her at the time, but she gave a description of his condition which corresponded with what it had been during the early part of the same month. A case of a somewhat similar kind is the one recorded in Dr. Hodgson's report on Mrs. Piper (Proceedings, vol. viii., p. 120), where Mr. M. N. in America relates that Mrs. Piper's control, " Dr. Phinuit," had said that he would visit Mr. N.'s dying father in England about certain matters connected with his will, and where later on it was reported by those attending the dying father that he had complained of the presence of an obtrusive old man. (This case is quoted on p. 149.) CLAIRVOYANCE OF THE DYING The extra lucidity of the dying is a thing so often asserted that it has become almost a commonplace, and sometimes, as in the case of children, it would seem to eclipse mere imagination as for instance when a dying child welcomes, and appears to be welcomed by, its deceased mother. But these visions and auditions, which are unmistakably common, are usually of things beyond our ordinary cognisance, so EXAMPLES 147 that for the most part they have to be relegated to the category of the unverifiable. Occasionally, however, we have records of a kind of clairvoyant faculty whereby terrestrial occurrences also are perceived by persons who in health had no such power; and these are worthy of at- tention, especially those which are reciprocal, producing an impression at both ends of a terrestrial line, as if the telepathic and less material mode of communication had in their case already begun. The extant descriptions of dying utterances are very much like the utterances in the waking stages of Mrs. Piper's trance, to be subsequently mentioned and these did not ap- pear to be random or meaningless sayings, but do really correspond to some kind of reality, since in them the appear- ance of strangers is frequently described correctly and messages are transmitted which have a definite meaning. Moreover, the look of ecstasy on Mrs. Piper's face at a certain stage of the waking process is manifestly similar to that seen on the faces of some dying people; and both describe the subjective vision as of something more beautiful and attractive than those of earth. Whether the dying really have greater telepathic power as agents, which is what is assumed in the ordinary telepathic explanation of Phantasms of the Living, is doubt- ful, but that they sometimes have greater sensibility as percipients seems likely; and sometimes the event which they are describing is likewise apprehended by another person at a distance, thus appearing to demonstrate reciprocal tel- epathic influence. There is a small group of cases illustra- tive of the reciprocal clairvoyance of the dying, I can only quote an illustrative case or two from the few which are well evidenced : i. 3 2 7 Inspiration, vicarious 328 Investigation, object of 25 Isaac Thompson 223 Isaac Thompson case 269-280 James, Professor William 192,198,293,293 Johnson, Miss 331 "Joy of the Lord" 309 Kant 120 Kenosis 282 Kepler, Newton, and Tycho 27 Kipling 180 Kirkham case 183 Leaf, Dr. Walter 356 Lessons to be learnt 342 Letters, posthumous 122 Lodge, Frederick, case 75 Lunatics 29 Lyso Commit Von 59, 70 Man who was, The 180 Marble, Mr 321, 323 Materialisation 178 Marmontel case 1 59 Marsh, Mr 161, 162 Mathematical problem 132 Miles, Miss 70, 1 17 Mind and body 172 Movement 173 Myers, Mr. Ernest 293 Myers 17 Myers on time 163 "Myers" control 288-3 12 Navies 341 "Nelly" control 289, 3 10 Newton, Tycho, and Kepler 27 Nineteenth century 27 Novum Organum 17 "Old Master" 95 Opposition to S. P. R 6 Pain and taste experiments 75 Paquet case 104 Pelham, George 251 Percipient, agent and 45 Phantasms 102, 103, 106 Phantasms of the living 89, 102 Phinuit 113,208,261,266,314,325 Phinuit case 150 Photographs, recognition of 317 Photography 100 Physical phenomena 101,178 Piddington, Mr 268, 330-336 Piper, Mrs. 1 12, 190, 197, 260, 264, 276, 339 Piper, normal knowledge of Mrs 28 1 Planchette 130 Podmore, Mr 1 20 Pole, Miss 130 "Possession" 176 Posthumous letters 122 Postmarks 156,157 Prayer 327 Precautions 32 Preparations for sitting 260 Press, American 195 Prisoners 29 Proiessional exhibitions 85 Programme of S. P. R 8 Ramaden, Miss 70, 1 17 Rawson, Miss 303 Rayleigh, Lord 293 Reading, unseen 135, 222, 226, 238 Recognition of photographs 317 Records, exactness of 31 "Rector" 113,208,261,266,314,325 Redmayne, Professor (case) 77 Reflex action 174 Relics 95, 230, 285, 287 Religion, influence on 35 Religious objectors 6, 307 Kendall, Dr 215 Rich, Mr 224 Richet, Professor 192,293,301 Robbins, Miss 257 Royal Society n Ruskin, Mr 76 Savant, Archbishop or 308 Science, dislike of 1 6 Scylla and Charybdis 18 Semaphore 93 Service, future 308 Severn case 76 Sharpe, Mr 134 Shears, Dr 46 Sidgwick, Prof. Henry 4,164,248,311,345 Sidgwick, Mrs 3 18, 337 Sitter, influence of 323 INDEX 379 Sitting, preparations for 260 "Snap" in head 279,280 Socrates and Coiite 23 Spiristic Hypothesis ..164,179,257,337,351 "Spirits in Prison" 308 Spiritual Influence 327 S. P. R., aim of 36 S. P. R., opposition to 6 S. P. R., programme of 8 Stainton, Moses 119,135,182,315 Stranger, identity of 242 Superstitions, ancient 80, 96 Swedenborg 181,343 Swedenborg case 120 Sympathetic connection 8 1 Taste and pain experiments 79 Telegraphy and telepathy 90, 93, 128 Telephones 82, 243 Telergy 171, 176, 177 Tennyson 292, 300, 346 Tests 243, 284 Thompson, Mr. Edwin 270 Thompson, Isaac 223 Thompson, Mrs 295, 306, 332 Thought-transference, double object for 3 2 4i, 48 Time, Myerson 163 Trance 328 Trevelyan, G. M 79 Trevelyan, Sir George 291 Trifl es 244,345 Trifles and relics 286, 288 Tunnel 341 Tycho, Kepler, and Newton 27 "Uncle Jerry" case 228 Unseen reading 135, 222, 226, 238 Veridical 100, 103 Verrall, Mrs. .. 112,128,159,163,305,311, 339 34 Vicarious inspiration 328 Virgil 356 Visions 100,104,107,153 Waking stage 266, 278 Watson, Rev. John 231 Zancigs 88 UC SOUTHERN RE i W A 000108093 6