MIND READING.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3494, 6 March 1880, Page 1

MIND READING.

Ad American gentleman named Rice give some very wonderful exhibitions ia Sydney ot psychometry, or mind reading. One of these seances is described as follows:—"The audience, brought together by invitation, included many prominent members of society, and appeared very much interested in the phenomenon, they had assembled to investigate. Professor Rice .was introduced with a few brief remarks by the chairman (Mr Greville), and after "._ expressing his desire that the performance of the afternoon should be regarded rather in the light of scientific investiga-'. lions of unusual phenomena than as entertainments given for the "gratification. of the curious, be gave one, or two directions which he recommended bis audience to follow in order.. to , expedite the proceedings. He then nvited any among his auditors'"who choose to do so to put to the test his. faculty or power of mind reading. A gentleman stepped forward and assured -

the professor that he bad thought of an object in the room, and definitely fixed the appearance of that object in his mind. Professor Rice then almost immediately indicated an envelope containing some verses as the subject of the gentleman's thoughts, and that was found to be perfectly correct. Subsequently other tests, more or less difficult, were applied, with, however, indifferent success, owing to the professor's inability to place his mind exactly at the will of the individuals with whom he experimented. But this obstacle was soon overcome, and a number of very extraordinary and decidedly puzzling examples of the professor's wonderful power we're given. Gentlemen, and ladies too, thought of artiolei in all portions.j>f the room, and Professor Sice never failed to* point them out. In one instance a gentleman pictured in ,his mind a volume generally kept in one of the bookcases in that room., but which he did not know to.be 1 here at that moment, and; Professor Rice went to and opened the cabinet and took therefrom the book thought of. In another, a gentleman having a pamphlet intended for a visitor then in the hall, hid it and requested the professor to find and give it to the intended recipient, and this feat was also successfully accomplished.' The tests were varied in the extreme, and Professor Rice always performed his dv ies with unerring faithfulness. His mode of operation is as follows :— Some person having concentrated his thoughts upon an object with definite individuality, the professor takes the right hand of that person in his, and places it against his own forehead, first fixedly closing his eyes. This is no sooner done than a series of convulsive movements, like electrical shocks, seem to affect the professor's hands and person. It is to be presumed some system of communication between the two minds is then arranged, for shortly afterwards the professor reveals the subject of the other's thoughts. Professor Rice offered no explanation of the phenomenon, and at present the nature of the faculty lYrather difficult to understand or explain. It is only recently (since 1S71) that Professor Rice has become aware of his extraordinary power, and since that date the investigation of the matter has engaged considerable attention througout American scientific circles. To insure the complete success ofthe experiments it is necessary the thinker should confine himself to one definite object, and that the professor should for the time, • wipe away all trivial fond records' from the table of his memory, and submit his mind entirely to the influence of the mysterious communications."