PSYCHOMETRIC TESTS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1819, 27 July 1906, Page 2

PSYCHOMETRIC TESTS.

AN INTEKESTING EVENING.

There was a large audience at His Majesty’s Theatre last evening, when the Rev. Loie F. Prior, under the auspices of the Spiritualist Society, devoted the evening to psychometric tests The proceedings were of intense interest, even more , so perhaps to the sceptics than to the ' believers. Mr Mackrell presided. Alter | a hymn and an impressive prayer by the eloquent lady speaker, the latter at once went on to explain the nature of the. prp* • . ceedings, and invited further contributions ' of flowers to the large number already' i received and prettily displayed on th*~ table on the stage, and promising to give , all the tests she could within the time , available. In a preliminary- explanation. ! Mrs Prior described herself as the doorway that evening between the mortal and . ( the spiritual, and delivering the messages ! as they came to her. She said that to be successful'in her tests she required a quiet audience, and the most objectionable form of noise was whispering, by which she might sometimes be prevented from distinguishing the material aiid the spiritual sounds, for some came to her like an electrical record, and at other times it was like the registering of the sound* through a telephone ; they were sometimes clear and distinct, but usually quick, and often, especially with names, there was a difficulty in distinguishing. Mis Prior prefaced her tests with a challenge. It bad been suggested that in some way she got information tbat enabled her to apply it to the individuals, She won'd gK. £2O to anyone who oould ; r.'ove that r.ln re bad- been : any collusion •’* : „-tv.-! n u .-ill nndihosi who bud sub- ■ f., o c. Deluding the ; - e els d : go, lii-k og those i ui .k a no,!! d those whose ••n c.i iia-i o t-n mentioned that evening, au I lo a-k any of them if the speaker coo ui have bi eo in any way prepaid tor ihe tes'.s that evening. Sae asked tha most sceptical person pre-ent to go and ask them. She did not like to be tooled herself, and would not fool anyone else.

As the lady picked up eaoh bunoh of flowers she rapidly gave her messages, most of wbioh startled the audience by the communications sbe made, in the oourse of which events thought to be known only in the fapoily circle of those concerned were mentioned in & way that showed the knowledge without causing pain, “ You understand ? ” was generally the question asked when replies had relation to family affaire, and in nearly every OBBe an affirmative reply was given, In ose case the Bpeaker related how a bunoh of dried grass that bad been sent up bad originally been - in the fireplace, but had been put on the mantlepiece to prevent its getting burnt when the fire was lighted, how the man who sent it up bad first picked up some flowers and then changed his mind and sent the grass—all of whioh the surprised gentleman said had actually happened. One gentleman was given a spiritual message from his mother, who the speaker said had a film over her eyes, and the gentleman said that was so—that his mother had gone blind before sho died. Ia rrgird to one bunoh of floweis it was stated that the lady who had obtainedthem war of a hasty temperament, ' had bcon annoyed, and bad Impatiently tapped her feet on the floor—all of which was admitted by the surprised young lady if had reference. 9 —■

One gent'etoan sen! q P a ha?, B nd ji was explained that it was a bait ho had I taken from his own bead, and tbo manner of bis doing it before the locking glass - was desoribcd—and all admitted by the gentleman, tbe bnmor ol tbe thing being increased when it was noted by the audienoe that tho gentleman who adopted the hair test had not many to spare. I 111 take that—that’ll do,” there in I efiect stated to be the words used by one I young lady, who was also informed that I she had not cut the flowers herself, but had seined somcu pot freshly cut—all of which the young lady laughingly admitted to be true. A great many other tests - ! were given, with spiritualistic messages, and those who were of a very seeptial turn .of mind when they went to the meeting admitted subsequently that they' had been very much surprised at the very successful way in which Mrs Prior carried out the tests.—The meeting concluded with the singing of the Doxology and Prayer.