THOUGHT-READING.

Te Aroha News, Volume 64, Issue II, 23 August 1884, Page 5

THOUGHT-READING.

By 0. X Jluco.

It is now about two years since the Society for Psychical Research was formed in London, with the object of inquiring into a class of scmi-supornatutal phenomena, the reality of which has long been a matter of dispute botli among tcientific and unscientific men, and tlio explanations of which, among those who aflirmthe genuineness of their occurrence, arc as contrary and numerous as the political vie\\s enunciated by the many leaders of Her Majesty's.' Opposition in New Zealand Parliament. Mesmerism, spiritualism, thoughtleading, apparitions, &c, &c, will all in due time be handled by the experimentalist ot the Society, and the truth (it any) -which is concealed and buried beneath mountains of fiaud "as high as blue Olympus," -will be lifted with scientific exactness and unprejudiced method. The fact that such men as Henry Sidgwick, Professor W. E. Barrett, Professor Balfour Stewart, C. Lockhart Kobinson, M.D., Key. Maxwell Close, Key. Canon Wilberforce, &c, are the active members of the movement, is a guarantee to the public that no matter what conclusions may be established by the research, there can be no fear of the scientific world at large treating them \wth the "pooh-pooh" so successfully adopted in Cevmany towards Reichcnbach's experiments. We have betoie us the two first numbers of "The Proceedings of the Society,'' published in pamphlet form, and each numbering 64 pages. The contents of each consist of the reports by the sub-com-mittee which were ordered to investigate the so-called thought-reading phenomena. Some time ago "the guessing circle" a\ as a favourite game among young people of both sexes. The modus operandi was somewhat thus. One of the company would leave the room, and the rest of the young folks would then agree upon something the subject had to do. Usually an object was concealed in a certain part of the room, which the subject was to find at first trial. When lie or she re-entered fhe room each individual would think of the thing hidden, and two took hold of the hands of the subject. This was supposed to establish a connection by which the thoughts were transmitted to the mind of the guesser, "who generally after a few seconds commenced to go round the room, and when arrived at the placo whero the thing was hidden would stop and take it up. A goodly number of experimentalists asserted that the only explanation of the mystery could be found in tti6 assumption of a transference of ideas from one brain to another by means of nervous contact. But such a theory would of course run counter to all accepted doctrines in as far as it asserts the possibility of subjective expression independent of objective instruments and material senses. Dr. Carpenter, as a rea Tory oi science, now thought the subject worthy of his attention, and attacked it as he at one time did mesmerism. Tho phenomenon, ho urged, was not at all thought-reading, but muscle-reading. The subject did not guess correctly because the will of the rest present suggested tho idea ; but ho guessed because those holding his hand unconsciously guided him to the object, and perception did the rest. This is decidedly a probable theory. Yes, mo think it is a correct theory as regards the greatest number of facts in connection with thought-reading, as from careful experiments wo have ourselves observed that the hands will always in some degree lead the subject to tho place whero he is desired to go, although the individuals arc themselves not conscious of this. But of course this theory covers only the cases where there is direct contact with the subject. It is out of the question as an explanation of the experiments recorded in "The Proceedings" by Professors Balfour Stewart and Hopkinson. One of tho subject 6 ? experimented with was tho daughter of the Key. A. M. Crcory, Miss Maud. At every seance with this young lady she would leave tho house while a test was agreed upon, and when entering would stand away from all ; fi equently she would turn her face towards the wall. These are a few of the questions asked by Professor Stewart, <l What havo I thought of?" Answer: "A flower." "What is the name?" Answer: "Lily of the Valley." " No." Answer : "Oh, I know, Snowdrop." " What have lin my hand ?" Answer : "A pin." "What colour is it?" Answer: "Black." "What shape?" Here Miss Maud held up her index finger and bent it in shape liko aC. Unknown to anybody, Professor Stewart had bent the pin while holding it in his hand behind his back. Professor Barrett contributes also a report of his proceedings in the same inquiry. Of 300 trials made by him upon various subjects, chiefly females, 202 wore succossful; and some of the tests were most difficult, impossible to solve by mere clever guessing. On one occasion fictitious names were chosen.

The first row of names were some of those chosen, the second are those written by tho subject. William Stubb William Stubbs Eliza Holmes Eliza H — Isaac Haiding Isaac Harding Sophia Shaw Sophia Shaw Timothy Tailor Tom Tailor Albert Snelgrove Albert Singroe As perceived of Eliza Holmes she recognised only If of tho surname, Timothy Tailor was written Tom Tailor, and Snolgrovo was made Singroro. But even these failures are remarkable. Tho following statement by Canon Wilborforco is .still more astounding. Tho subject in this caso was the celebrated Mr Bishop, who created such a sensation throughout England by his thought-reading feats. " The experiment most interesting to raysolf was this. 1 took from my pocket a shilling, read the date, replaced the shilling in my pocket, made a mental picture of the date, which Mr Bishop thereupon wrote in chalk upon a blackboard. A still more striking experiment with a £5 note was made as follows : — Sir John Lubbock, who happened to be staying here, took from his pocket a £5 note and having privately observed the number, replaced the note in his pocket book. Mr Bishop correctly inscribed the number upon tho slate, with the exception of the second figure, which he afterwards corrected." A multitude of further illustrations could bo cited ; but we have quoted sulliciont to show that we have here some genuine phenomena, entirely new to science, and which we cannot account for on tho present materalistic doc lines. To oiler any theory at the present stage would bo hazfu'dous, as after all it would but bo a hypothesis. The Society does not attempt it. It's work is to test facts, not to furnish theories. Their tests have been so conclusive that everyone reading the reports in "The Pioccedings" will conclude with a conviction ot the existence ot some occult, immatciial, communication between mind and mind. The individual experience of mo.st of our readers will to some extent corroborate such a doctrine, How often have two persons simultaneously expressed the same idea occasionally, far distant fiom the point of conversation ? Have not most of us caught ourselves, in answering a question before spoken, in replying verbally to an unuLtered sentence ? The Society quotes in its '"Proceedings" a case said to havo been recorded by all the colonial papeis. | " A minder had been committed in Australia by a convict upon a settlor who had ' di->.ippeai erl. An oflioer of (he police was to tiy and diseoxoi the perpetrator, lie for this purpose went to watch the house of the conwet, and whilst so doing the convict came to the window and looked hard at the olliccr, who then fancied he saw a murdeied man diagged from a po a t ne.ii tho house, and thiown into a pit of water. This impression was so strong upon the oflicer that he it once fetched a black tracker, who came to the spot, and said, ' Blood • Blood '' and immediately seemed to follow the trail to the pit of water, w here the body of tho murdered man was found. Befoie execution, the con\ict confessed that ho had killed the man at the poit with the blow of an axe, and h.id then dragged him to the pit. Lie also said that when the policeman was looking at him through the window, the whole scene of the murder was \ividly piesent to his mind." The limitation ot distance affecting these transferences of impiessions would be a further object of interest, but space forbids us to cuter thereupon. In conclusion we would advise those of our readers who have spare time during the winter evenings to set a couple of hours apart for such experiments. Many of our acquaintances throughout the colony have tried and Leon very successrul Of course, some have failed. The literary society in Ureymouth instituted a series of seances for the investigation of the phenomenon during our stay there, but their patience and persevcr ance was not rewarded by the slightest success. All individuals aie not capable of making good subjects. From Professor Barrett we learn that young girls between 15 and 1 S arc the best.