PSYCHIC POWER.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3443, 24 March 1920, Page 8

PSYCHIC POWER.

.....———.——¢,. ....._...._....... FRAIL BOXER’S SUCCESS.

ARMY DOCTOR’S THEORY.

INTERESTING EXPERIMENT‘

A possible explanation of why the two most, successful boxers.‘ Georges Carpentier and Jimmy Wilde, men of comparatively frail physique, are able to overcome men of greatly superior strength is contained in a remarkable essay by Dr Arthur I-la-dfieldj of the Ashhurst Neurological VVar Hospital, Oxford, in a new book called ""I‘lle Spiritf’ It has been seriously suggested that the French boxer is possessed of exceptional psychic powers which enable him to triumph over his opponents. Dr Hadfleld asked three men, one of whom was a prize-fighter, to submit themselves to test the effect of mental suggestion,on' their strength which was measured by gripping a dynamometer. -

“I tested them,” says Dr Hadfield, ‘(1) in their normal waking condition, (2) after suggesting to them under hypnosis that they were ‘weak’. (3) affer suggesting under hypnosis that they were ‘very strong.’ In each. case the men were told to grip the dynasmometer as tightly as they Could—that is to say, extend the will to {he u.tnlostJ”

“In the normal waking condition the‘ men gave an average grip of 1911 b. VVhell under hypnosis, I ‘had given the men ‘the idea. that they were

‘very weak,’ the average grip W-a's only 291 b, one of'theln, a prize—fight-31' remarking that his arm felt ‘tiny like a baby’s.’ My suggestions of strength produced an average grip of 1421 b, as against 1011 b, which was the best they could do in -their nOl-mail waking conditions. .

“In brief, when I suggesfed ‘weal«: ness’ the full flood of energy was checked, and the men werp capable of only one—third of their normal strengtll,wllereas by suggestion of ‘srl'ength' latent powers were liberated, and tlmir normal strength in-

crozlsed by half as'much again." He concludes from this experiment that “tho limits of possibility’ in our g]:li}y lives are d:~finn(l loss by fhv body than by the minEl, and that ‘iho

resources of power are ps_y(-hiv mthn :11-m1 plxysical in Chal‘actol'.’ ‘ Hr-. adds This .’lltcz'c.~,=tillg conmlCnt:

“'l‘ll<\ -nnovgies which give the driving force to ouxglives are not redivod ‘FI-mu the will. but from {another source; t'll(*y will lm fmlnd ‘IO lmvc their origin in the instinctive (‘motions. . . . . Modern ps.\'clm—t'llol'a.}'>y '*m§firnls the old religious belief thaf to give ])owCl' To the Will, (,‘.()llfi(1(‘ll(?\'.‘ in faith in the possibilities of vicfory are esscnfial. ’ ’

Dl‘. Hadfield makes the Vevy interesting statement that we are “living fill’ below Hie limits of our possible selves, and "there are open to us I'(>solu'c.os of power which will froo us for 3. life of energy and s’rrengtli.”

“There have beef! men———:m<l chiefly axnor.g fhem religious men——who have held that if our Do‘..vm‘.< $9011: ‘o fail. it is not becauree all the (‘!‘(‘?‘;,g‘)' av:lil- - is used up, but beezluse its flow is checked, either by the channel being blocked up. 01' by mu‘ inabiliflv fn use it alright. The ofiief ermse of 'Fafi_que is not exhausfion, but stagnaTion. “The way fo power. ’rllel'efo‘l'e. is “or ‘(O ha.l'bom' our I‘esoul'ces and store up our strengtflx by inzmfivity, but to find the way to tap the resources of power at our disposal. so That they may flood our life and fill us with energy.”