THE MAGIC CRYSTAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9554, 29 July 1909, Page 3

THE MAGIC CRYSTAL.

* —■ — ANCIENT AND MODERN SUPERSTITIONS. The fortune-teller who predicts, or pretends to predict, future events by gazing intently at a bail of glass or crystal, is practising a form of diviniation that is as old and B widespread as any of which we have record. Josephus, in his history of the Jews, dechivs it tw be a very wicient practice of that nation, and Psellas. another ancient writer, informs us that the Assyrians were much addicted to prophesying in a basin ot water. The modern magic crystal takes the form of a ball or egg of polished glass set in an ebony or black wood stand, and the prophet or prophetess (it is generally the latter) pretends that after gazing fixedly at the crystal for a little time he, or she, is able to see in it pictures of future events connected with the life history of the person on whose behalf they are making the examination. At first, thev declare, the crystal becomes clouded and'darkened, and this appearance is accompanied by an indescribable feeling of awe and faintness on their part, which vanishes at the glass gets brighter. The crystal h then said to become exceedingly bright, as if it were illuminated by an effulgence prevading its interior, in the midst of which the visions appear. In the old dayg a great number of superstitions rites were observe'*, • and the seer stood within two coni centric circles between which a var- • iety of mystical words and characters were chalked. It was also deemed necessary for a small plate or, gold to encompass the crystal round one half; on one side of the plata was engraved the word "Tetragarmmaton," while the other aide was inscribed with the names Michael, Grabnel, Uriel, and Raphael. No doubt the drawing of the circles and the introduction of the other forumiae were invented by charlatans to impress the minds of the ignorant people, but in this connection- there is a curious fact that haa never yet been explained, namely, that an invisible line drawn across the path of a somnambulist instantaneously arrests his progress. The extraordinary woman known as the Sesrest of Prevost, and described by Doctor Kerner in a book published in 1854, did not, apparently, require to concentrate her gaze upon the crystal in order to see visions of tutuw events; indeed so sensitive was she tint psrviaion was induced by any glittering ooject, such as glass, water, mi-rors, and'even soap bubbles. The doctor relates that: ''A child happening to blow siap bubbles, she exclaimed, I'Ah, my God! I behold in the ! bubbles "every thing I think of, alj though it be distant, not in little, but as large as life, but it frightens me.' I then made a soap bubble and bade her look for her child which was far away. She said she saw him in ted, which gave her much pleasure." She was, however, with difficulty induced to look into these soap bubbles. She seemed ' to shuddt-r, and she waj afraid she would sej £.-omflhi'-g that would alarm her. In or:<= of these she saw a small coffin standing before a neighbour's door. At that time there was no chill sick, but shortly aft*, r the master of the house was preset.t?d with a baby son, who, however, lived but a few months. Is fl.e wished to recall dreams winch she had forgotten it was o.ily riccosssry to make he.- lock at a soap bubble, and her memory of t ;- ese irr.rreiliatcly returned. She often saw persons who were about to arrive at the house, in a glass of water, but the doctor is careful to remark that when she was invited to this kind of divination, and did it unwillingly, she was sometimes mistaken. But whether any reliance id to be placed upon the diviniations of the crystal gazer or whether the whole is compact of fraud, that is a question that must ever remain a mat'.er of individual opinion.;; Attempts have been mae'e to show that tnere is a strong connection between crystal gazing and hypnotism, since the hypnotic sleep can be induced in many by looking fixedly for amnc time at a bright object, in fact the glass stopper of a bottle was the first object ■ used for this purpose by Braid, the Manchester surgeon. It has couI stancly been affirmed by writers on ! hypnotism that the hypnotised sub- ! jects, who were describing distant ! and to them utterly unknown locaiit- | ies, became much clearer in their ! descriptions when desired by the hypuotiser to look steadfastly irta a J tumbler of water. This being the i case it is affirmed that the visions of ! the crystal gazer are the same as j those seen in ordinary hypnotic clairvoyance, hypotic or otherwise, is as holly disputed as Ihe crystal gazei'd provision, we do not get mi ch nearer to the solution of the difficulty by this hyothesis. At all events, we may safely say that whatever substratum of truth underlies these mystic performances the majority of its exponents are frauds, and have one onject only in view, namely, to get a comfortable living without go • ing through the uncongenial process ot working.