第2章

3 Inthepresenceofthesephenomena，thefirstthoughtthatnaturallyoccurstothemindisthatweareoncemoreconcernedwiththatastonishingandinvoluntarycommunicationbetweenonesubconsciousnessandanotherwhichhasbeeninvestedwiththenameoftelepathy。Andthereisnodenyingthattelepathyplaysagreatpartintheseintuitions。However，toexplaintheirworking，nothingisequaltoanexamplebaseduponapersonalexperience。Hereisonewhichisinnowayremarkable，butwhichplainlyshowsthenormalcourseoftheoperation。InSeptember，1913，whileIwasatElberfeld，visitingKrall’shorses，mywifewenttoconsultMme。M——，gaveherascrapofwritinginmyhand——anotedispatchedprevioustomyjourneyandcontainingnoallusiontoit——andaskedherwhereIwasandwhatIwasdoing。 Withoutasecond’shesitation，Mme。M——declaredthatIwasveryfaraway，inaforeigncountrywheretheyspokealanguagewhichshedidnotunderstand。Shesawfirstapavedyard，shadedbyabigtree，withabuildingontheleftandagardenattheback：aroughbutnotinaptdescriptionofKrall’sstables，whichmywifedidnotknowandwhichImyselfhadnotseenatthetimewhenI wrotethenote。Shenextperceivedmeinthemidstofthehorses，examiningthem，studyingthemwithanabsorbed，anxiousandtiredair。Thiswastrue，forIfoundthosevisits，whichoverwhelmedmewithasenseofthemarvelousandkeptmyattentionontherack，singularlyexhaustingandbewildering。MywifeaskedherifIintendedtobuythehorses。Shereplied： \"Notatall；heisnotthinkingofit。\" And，seekingherwordsasthoughtoexpressanunaccustomedandobscurethought，sheadded： \"Idon’tknowwhyheissomuchinterested；itisnotlikehim。 Hehasnoparticularpassionforhorses。HehassomeloftyideawhichIcan’tquitediscover……\" Shemadetworathercuriousmistakesinthisexperiment。Thefirstwasthat，atthetimewhenshesawmeinKrall’sstable-yard，Iwasnolongerthere。Shehadreceivedhervisionjustintheintervalofafewhoursbetweentwovisits。 Experienceshows，however，thatthisisausualerroramongpsychometers。Theydonot，properlyspeaking，seetheactionattheverymomentofitsperformance，butratherthecustomaryandfamiliaraction，theprincipalthingthatpreoccupieseitherthepersonaboutwhomtheyarebeingconsultedorthepersonconsultingthem。Theyfrequentlygoastrayintime。Thereisnot，therefore，necessarilyanysimultaneitybetweentheactionandthevision；anditiswellnevertotaketheirstatementsinthisrespectliterally。 Theothermistakereferredtoourdress：KrallandIwereinordinarytownclothes，whereasshesawusinthoselongcoatswhichstable-ladswearwhengroomingtheirhorses。 Letusnowmakeeveryallowanceformywife’sunconscioussuggestions：sheknewthatIwasatElberfeldandthatIshouldbeinthemidstofthehorses，andshekneworcouldeasilyconjecturemystateofmind。Thetransmissionofthoughtisremarkable；butthisisarecognizedphenomenonandoneoffrequentoccurrenceandweneednotthereforelingeroverit。 TherealmysterybeginswiththedescriptionofaplacewhichmywifehadneverseenandwhichIhadnotseeneitheratthetimeofwritingthenotewhichestablishedthepsychometricalcommunication。ArewetobelievethattheappearanceofwhatI wasonedaytoseewasalreadyinscribedonthatpropheticsheetofpaper，ormoresimplyandmoreprobablythatthepaperwhichrepresentedmyselfwasenoughtotransmiteithertomywife’ssubconsciousnessortoMme。M——，whomatthattimeIhadnevermet，anexactpictureofwhatmyeyesbeheldthreeorfourhundredmilesaway？But，althoughthisdescriptionisexceedinglyaccurate——pavedyard，bigtree，buildingontheleft，gardenattheback——isitnottoogeneralforallideaofchancecoincidencetobeeliminated？Perhaps，byinsistingfurther，greaterprecisionmighthavebeenobtained；butthisisnotcertain，forasarolethepicturesfollowupononeanothersoswiftlyinthemedium’svisionthathehasnotimetoperceivethedetails。Whenallissaid，experiencesofthiskinddonotenableustogobeyondthetelepathicexplanation。Buthereisadifferentone，inwhichsubconscioussuggestioncannotplayanypartwhatever。 SomedaysaftertheexperimentwhichIhaverelated，IreceivedfromEnglandarequestformyautograph。Unlikemostofthosewhichassailanauthorofanycelebrity，itwascharmingandunaffected；butittoldmenothingaboutitswriter。Withoutevennoticingfromwhattownitwassenttome，aftershowingittomywife，IreplaceditinitsenvelopeandtookittoMme。M——。Shebeganbydescribingus，mywifeandmyself，whobothofushadtouchedthepaperandconsequentlyimpregnateditwithourrespective\"fluids。\" Iaskedhertopassbeyondusandcometothewriterofthenote。 Shethensawagirloffifteenorsixteen，almostachild，whohadbeeninratherindifferenthealth，butwhowasnowverywellindeed。Thegirlwasinabeautifulgarden，infrontofalargeandluxurioushousestandinginthemidstofratherhillycountry。Shewasplayingwithabig，curly-haired，long-eareddog。Throughthebranchesofthetreesonecaughtaglimpseofthesea。 Oninquiry，allthedetailswerefoundtobeastonishinglyaccurate；but，asusual，therewasamistakeinthetime，thatistosay，thegirlandherdogwerenotinthegardenattheinstantwhenthemediumsawthemthere。Hereagainanhabitualactionhadobscuredacasualmovement；for，asIhavealreadysaid，thevisionveryrarelycorrespondswiththemomentaryreality。 4 Thereisnothingexceptionalintheaboveexample；Iselecteditfromamongmanyothersbecauseitissimpleandclear。Besides，thiskindofexperienceisalready，sotospeak，classical，oratleastshouldbeso，wereitnotthateverythingrelatingtothemanifestationsofoursubconsciousnessisalwaysreceivedwithextraordinarysuspicion。Inanycase，Icannottoooftenrepeatthattheexperimentiswithineverybody’sreach；anditrarelyfailstoachieveabsolutesuccesswithcapablepsychometers，whoareprettywellknownandwhomitisopentoanyonetoconsult。 Letusaddthatitcanbeextendedmuchfurther。If，forinstance，IhadactedasIdidinsimilarcasesandaskedthemediumquestionsabouttheyounggirl’shome-circle，aboutthecharacterofherfather，thehealthofhermother，thetastesandhabitsofherbrothersandsisters，shewouldhaveansweredwiththesamecertainty，thesameprecisionasonemightdowhowasnotonlyacloseacquaintanceofthegirl’s，butendowedwithmuchmorepenetratingfacultiesofintuitionthananormalobserver。Inshort，shewouldhavefeltandexpressedallthatthisgirl’ssubconsciousnesswouldhavefeltwithregardtothepersonsmentioned。Butitmustbeadmittedthat，asweareherenolongerspeakingoffactsthatareeasilyverified，confirmationbecomesinfinitelymoredifficult。 Therecouldbenoquestion，inthecircumstances，oftransmissionofthought，sinceboththemediumandIwereignorantofeverything。Besides，otherexperiments，easilydevisedandrepeatedandmorerigourouslycontrolled，doawaywiththattheoryentirely。Forinstance，Itookthreeletterswrittenbyintimatefriends，puteachoftheminadoubleenvelopeandgavethemtoamessengerunacquaintedwiththecontentsoftheenvelopesandalsowiththepersonsinquestiontotaketoMme。 M——。Onarrivingatthehouse，themessengerhandedtheclairvoyantoneoftheletters，selectedatrandom，anddidnothingfurtherbeyondputtingtheindispensablequestions，likewiseatrandom，andtakingdownthemedium’srepliesinshorthand。Mme。M——beganbygivingaverystrikingphysicalportraitoftheladywhohadwrittentheletter；followedthisupwithanabsolutelyfaithfuldescriptionofhercharacter，herhabits，hertastes，herintellectualandmoralqualities；andendedbyaddingafewdetailsconcerningherprivatelife，ofwhichImyselfwasentirelyunawareandofwhichIobtainedtheconfirmationshortlyafterwards。Theexperimentyieldedjustasremarkableresultswhencontinuedwiththetwootherletters。 Inthefaceofthismystery，twoexplanationsmaybeoffered，bothequallyperplexing。Ontheonehand，weshallhavetoadmitthatthesheetofpaperhandedtothepsychometerandimpregnatedwithhuman\"fluid\"contains，afterthemannerofsomeprodigiouslycompressedgas，alltheincessantlyrenewed，incessantlyrecurringimagesthatsurroundaperson，allhispastandperhapshisfuture，hispsychology，hisstateofhealth，hiswishes，hisintentions，oftenunknowntohimself，hismostsecretinstincts，hislikesanddislikes，allthatisbathedinlightandallthatisplungedindarkness，hiswholelife，inshort，andmorethanhispersonalandconsciouslife，besidesallthelivesandalltheinfluences，goodorbad，latentormanifest，ofallwhoapproachhim。Weshouldhavehereamysteryasunfathomableandatleastasvastasthatofgeneration，whichtransmits，inaninfinitesimalparticle，themindandmatter，withallthequalitiesandallthefaults，alltheacquirementsandallthehistory，ofaseriesoflivesofwhichnonecantellthenumber。 Ontheotherhand，ifwedonotadmitthatsomuchenergycanlieconcealedinasheetofpaper，continuingtoexistanddevelopindefinitelythere，wemustnecessarilysupposethataninconceivablenetworkofnamelessforcesisperpetuallyradiatingfromthissamepaper，forceswhich，cleavingtimeandspace，detectinstantaneously，anywhereandatanydistance，thelifethatgavethemlifeandplacethemselvesincompletecommunication，bodyandsoul，sensesandthoughts，pastandfuture，consciousnessandsubconsciousness，withanexistencelostamidtheinnumeroushostofmenwhopeoplethisearth。Itis，indeed，exactlywhathappensintheexperimentswithmediumsinautomaticspeechorwriting，whobelievethemselvestobeinspiredbythedead。Yet，hereitisnolongeradiscarnatespirit，butanobjectofanykindimbuedwithaliving\"fluid\" thatworksthemiracle；andthis，wemayremarkinpassing，dealsasevereblowtothespiritualistictheory。 Nevertheless，therearetworathercuriousobjectionstothissecondexplanation。Grantingthattheobjectreallyplacesthemediumincommunicationwithanunknownentitydiscoveredinspace，howcomesitthattheimageorthespectaclecreatedbythatcommunicationhardlyevercorrespondswiththerealityattheactualmoment？Ontheotherhand，itisindisputablethatthepsychometer’sclairvoyance，hisgiftofseeingatadistancethepicturesandscenessurroundinganunknownbeing，isexercisedwiththesamecertaintyandthesamepowerwhentheobjectthatsetshisstrangefacultyatworkhasbeentouchedbyapersonwhohasbeendeadforyears。Arewe，then，toadmitthatthereisanactual，livingcommunicationwithahumanbeingwhoisnomore，whosometimes——，forinstance，inacaseofincineration——hasleftnotraceofhimselfonearth，inshort，withadeadmanwhocontinuestoliveattheplaceandatthemomentatwhichheimpregnatedtheobjectwithhis\"fluid\"andwhoseemstobeunawarethatheisdead？ Buttheseobjectionsareperhapslessseriousthanonemightbelieve。Tobeginwith，thereareseers，so-called\"telepsychics，\"whoarenotpsychometers，thatistosay，theyareabletocommunicatewithanunknownanddistantpersonwithouttheintermediaryofanobject；andintheseseers，asinthepsychometers，thevisionveryrarelycorrespondswiththeactualfactsofthemoment：theytooperceiveaboveallthegeneralimpression，theusualandcharacteristicactions。Next，asregardscommunicationswithapersonlongsincedead，weareconfrontedwithoneoftwothings：eitherconfirmationwillbealmostimpossiblewhenitconcernsrevelationsonthesubjectofthedeadman’sprivatedeedsandactions，whichareunknowntoanylivingpersonorelsecommunicationwillbeestablishednotwiththedeceased，butwiththelivingperson，whonecessarilyknowsthefactswhichheiscalledupontoconfirm。AsDr。Ostyveryrightlysays： \"Theconditionsarethenthoseofperceptionbytheintermediaryofthethoughtsofalivingperson；andthedeceasedisperceivedthroughamentalrepresentation。Theexperiment，forthisreason，isvaluelessasevidenceoftherealityofretrospectivepsychometryandconsequentlyoftherecordingpartplayedbytheobject。 \"Theonlyclassofexperimentthatcouldbeofvaluefromthispointofview，wouldbethatinwhichconfirmationwouldcomesubsequentlyfromdocumentswhosecontentsremainedunknowntoanylivingpersonuntilaftertheclairvoyancesitting。Itmightthenbeprovedthattheobjectcanlatentlyregisterthehumanpersonalitieswhichhavetoucheditandthatitissufficientinitselftoallowofamentalreconstructionofthosepersonalitiesthroughtheinterpretationoftheregisterbyaclairvoyantorpsychometer。\" 5 Itmaybeimaginedthatexperimentsofthissort，inwhichthereisnocrack，noleakonthesideoftheliving，areanythingbuteasytocarrythrough。Inthecaseofamurder，forinstance，itcanalwaysbemaintainedthatthemediumdiscoversthebodyandthecircumstancesofthetragedythroughtheinvoluntaryandunconsciousintermediaryofthemurderer，evenwhenthelatterescapesprosecutionandsuspicionaltogether。Butarecentincident，relatedbyDr。OstywiththeutmostprecisionofdetailandthemostscrupulousverificationintheAnnalesdesSciencesPsychiquesofApril，1914，perhapssuppliesuswithoneofthoseexperimentswhichwehavenotbeenabletoachieveuntilthisday。Igivethefactsinafewwords。 Onthe2ndofMarchofthisyear，M。EtienneLerasle，anoldmanofeighty-two，lefthisson’shouseatCours-les-Barres（Cher） forhisdailywalkandwasnotseenagain。ThehousestandsinthemiddleofaforestonBaronJaubert’sestate。Vainsearchesweremadeineverydirectionforthemissingman’straces；thepondsandpoolsweredraggedtonopurpose；andonthe8thofMarchacarefulandsystematicalexplorationofthewood，inwhichnofewerthantwenty-fourpeopletookpart，ledtonoresult。Atlast，onthe18thofMarch，M。LouisMirault，BaronJaubert’sagent，thoughtofapplyingtoDr。Osty，andsuppliedhimwithascarfwhichtheoldmanhadworn。Dr。Ostywenttohisfavouritemedium，Mme。M——。Heknewonlyonething，thatthematterconcernedanoldmanofeighty-two，whowalkedwithaslightstoop；andthatwasall。 AssoonasMme。M——hadtakenthescarfinherhands，shesawthedeadbodyofanoldmanlyingonthedampground，inawood，inthemiddleofacoppice，besideahorse-shoepond，nearasortofrock。Shetracedtheroadtakenbythevictim，depictedthebuildingswhichhehadpassed，hismentalconditionimpairedbyage，hisfixedintentionofdying，hisphysicalappearance，hishabitualandcharacteristicwayofcarryinghisstick，hissoftstripedshirt，andsoon。 Theaccuracyofthedescriptioncausedthegreatestastonishmentamongthemissingman’sfriends。Therewasonedetailthatpuzzledthemalittle：thementionofarockinapartofthecountrythatpossessednone。Thesearchwasresumedonthestrengthofthedatasuppliedbytheclairvoyant。Butalltherocksinaforestaremoreorlessalike；theindicationswerenotenough；andnothingwasfound。 ItsohappenedthatthesecondandthirdinterviewswithMme。M—— hadtobepostponeduntilthe30thofMarchandthe6thofAprilfollowing。Ateachofthesesittings，thedetailsofthevisionandoftheroadtakenbecameclearerandclearerandweregivenwithstartlingprecision，somuchsothat，bypursuingstepbysteptheindicationsofthemedium，theman’sfriendsendedbydiscoveringthebody，dressedasstated，lyinginthemiddleofacoppice，justasdescribed，closetoahugestumpofatreeallcoveredwithmoss，whichmighteasilybemistakenforarock，andontheedgeofacrescent-shapedpieceofwater。Imayaddthattheseparticularindicationsappliedtonootherpartofthewood。 6 IreferthereadertoDr。Osty’sconscientiousandexhaustivearticleforthenumerousdetailswhichIhavebeenobligedtoomit；butthosewhichIhavegivenareenoughtoshowthecharacterofthisextraordinarycase。Tobeginwith，wehaveonecertaintywhichappearsalmostunassailable，namely，thattherecanbenoquestionofacrime。Noonehadtheleastinterestinprocuringtheoldman’sdeath。Thebodyborenomarksofviolence；besides，themindsofthoseconcerneddidnotforamomententertainthethoughtofanassault。Thepoorman，whosementalderangementwasknowntoallthoseabouthim，obsessedbythedesireandthoughtofdeath，hadgonequietlyandobstinatelytoseekitinthenearestcoppice。Therewasthereforenocriminalinthecase，inotherwords，therewasnopossibleorimaginablecommunicationbetweenthemedium’ssubconsciousness，andthatofanylivingperson。Hencewearecompelledtoadmitthatthecommunicationwasestablishedwiththedeadmanorwithhissubconsciousness，whichcontinuedtolivefornearlyamonthafterhisdeathandtowanderaroundthesameplaces；orelsewemustagreethatallthiscomingtragedy，allthattheoldmanwasabouttosee，doandsufferwasalreadyirrevocablycontainedandinscribedinthescarfatthemomentwhenhelastworeit。 Inthisparticularcase，consideringthatallrelationswiththelivingweredefinitelyandundeniablysevered，Icanseenootherexplanationsbeyondthesetwo。Theyarebothequallyastoundingandlandussuddenlyinaworldoffableandenchantmentwhichwethoughtthatwehadleftforgoodandall。Ifwedonotadoptthetheoryofthetell-talescarf，wemustacceptthatofthespiritualists，whomaintainthatthespiritscommunicatewithusfreely。Itispossiblethattheymayfindaseriousargumentinthiscase。Butasolitaryfactisnotenoughtosupportatheory，allthemoresoastheoneinquestionwillneverbeabsolutelysafefromtheobjectionthatcouldberaisedifthecasewereoneofmurder，whichispossible，afterall，andcannotbeactuallydisproved。Wemust，therefore，whileawaitingothersimilarandmoredecisivefacts，ifanysuchareconceivable，returntothosewhichare，sotospeak，laboratoryfacts，factswhichareonlydeniedbythosewhowillnottakethetroubletoverifythem；andtointerpretthesefactsthereareonlythetwotheorieswhichwementionedabove，beforethisdigression；for，inthesecases，whichareunlikethoseofautomaticspeechorwriting，wehavenotasaruletoconsiderthepossibilityofanyinterventionofthedead。Asamatteroffact，thebest-knownpsychometersareveryrarelyspiritualistsandclaimnoconnectionwiththespirits。Theycarebutlittle，asarule，aboutthesourceoftheirintuitionsandseemverylittleinterestedintheirexactworkingandorigin。Nowitwouldbeexceedinglysurprisingif，actingandspeakinginthenameofthedeparted，theyshouldbesoconsistentlyignorantoftheexistenceofthosewhoinspirethem；andmoresurprisingstillifthedead，whominothercircumstancesweseesojealouslyvindicatingtheiridentity，shouldnothere，whentheoccasionissopropitious，seektodeclarethemselves，tomanifestthemselvesandtomakethemselvesknown。 7 Dismissingforthetimebeingtheinterventionofthedead，I believethenthat，inmostofthecaseswhichIwillcalllaboratorycases，becausetheycanbereproducedatwill，wearenotnecessarilyreducedtothetheoryofthevitalizedobjectrepresentingwholly，indefinitelyandinexhaustibly，throughallthevicissitudesoftimeandspice，everyoneofthosewhohavehelditintheirhandsforalittlewhile。Forwemustnotforgetthat，accordingtothistheory，theobjectinquestionwillconcealand，throughtheintermediaryofthemedium，willrevealasmanydistinctandcompletepersonalitiesasithasundergonecontacts。Itwillneverconfuseormixthosedifferentpersonalities。Theywillremainthereindefinitestrata，distinctonefromanother；and，asDr。Ostyputsit，\"themediumcaninterpreteachofthemfrombeginningtoend，asthoughhewereincommunicationwiththefar-offentity。\" Allthismakesthetheorysomewhatincredible，eventhoughitbenotmuchmoresothanthemanyotherphenomenainwhichtheshockofthemiraculoushasbeensoftenedbyfamiliarity。Wecanfindmoreorlesseverywhereinnaturethatprodigiousfacultyofstoringawayinexhaustibleenergiesandineffaceabletram，memoriesandimpressionsinspace。Thereisnotathinginthisworldthatislost，thatdisappears，thatceasestobe，toretainandtopropagatelife。Needwerecall，inthisconnection，theincessantmissionofpicturesperceivedbythesensitizedplate，thevibrationsofsoundthataccumulateinthedisksofthegramophone，theHertzianwavesthatlosenoneoftheirstrengthinspace，themysteriesofreproductionand，inaword，theincomprehensibilityofeverythingaroundus？ 8 Personally，ifIhadtochoose，Ishould，inmostoftheselaboratorycases，franklyadoptthetheorythattheobjecttouchedservessimplytodetect，amongtheprodigiouscrowdofhumanbeings，theonewhoimpregnateditwithhis\"fluid。\" \"Thisobject，\"saysDr。Osty，\"hasnootherfunctionthantoallowthemedium’ssensitivenesstodistinguishadefiniteforcefromamongtheinnumerableforcesthatassailit。\" Itseemmoreandmorecertainthat，asthecellsofanimmenseorganism，weareconnectedwitheverythingthatexistsbyaninextricablenetworkofvibrations，waves，influences，ofnameless，numberlessanduninterruptedfluids。Nearlyalways，innearlyallmen，everythingcarriedalongbytheseinvisiblewiresfallsintothedepthsoftheunconsciousnessandpassesunperceived，whichdoesnotmeanthatitremainsinactive。Butsometimesanexceptionalcircumstance——inthepresentcase，themarvelloussensibilityofafirst-classmedium——suddenlyrevealstous，bythevibrationsandtheundeniableactionofoneofthosewires，theexistenceoftheinfinitenetwork。Iwillnotspeakhereoftrailsdiscoveredandfollowedinanalmostmediumisticmanner，afteranobjectofsomesorthasbeensniffedat。Suchstories，thoughhighlyprobable，asyetlackadequatesupport。But，withinasimilarorderofideas，andinahumblerworldandonewithmoremodestlimits，thedog，forinstance，isincessantlysurroundedbydifferentscentsandsmellstowhichheappearsindifferentuntilhisattentionisarousedbyoneorotherofthesevagranteffluvia，whenheextricatesitfromthehopelesstangle。Itwouldseemasthoughthetrailtooklife，vibratinglikeachordinunisonwiththeanimal’swishes，becomingirresistible，andtakingittoitsgoalafterinnumerablewindsandturns。 Weseethemysteriousnetworkrevealedalsoin\"cross-correspondence。\"Twoorthreemediumswhodonotknowoneanother，whoareoftenseparatedbyseas；orcontinents，whoareignorantofthewhereaboutsoftheonewhoistocompletetheirthought，eachwriteapartofasentencewhich，asitstands，conveysnomeaningwhatever。Onpiecingthefragmentstogether，weperceivethattheyfittoperfectionandacquireanintelligibleandobviouslypremeditatedsense。Weherefindoncemorethesamefacultythatpermitsthemediumtodetect，amongthousandsofothers，adefiniteforcewhichwaswanderinginspace。Itistruethat，inthesecases，thespiritualistsmaintainthatthewholeexperimentisorganizedanddirectedbyadiscarnateintelligence，independentofthemediums，whichmeanstoproveitsexistenceanditsidentityinthismanner。Withoutincontinentlyrejectingthistheory，whichisnotnecessarilyindefensible，wewillmerelyremarkthat，sincethefacultyismanifestedinpsychometrywithouttheinterventionofthespirits，therecanbenosufficientreasonforattributingittothemincross-correspondence。 9 Butinwhomdoesitreside？Isithiddeninourselvesorinthemedium？AccordingtoDr。Osty，theclairvoyantsaremirrorsreflectingtheintuitivethoughtthatislatentineachofus。Inotherwords——itisweourselveswhoareclairvoyant，andtheybutrevealtousnorownclairvoyance。Theirmissionistostir，toawaken，togalvanize，toilluminethesecretsofoursubconsciousnessandtobringthemtothesurfaceofournormallives。Theyactuponourinnerdarknessexactlyas，inthephotographicdark-room，thedeveloping-bathactsuponthesensitizedplate，Iamconvincedthatthetheoryisaccurateasregardsintuitionandclairvoyanceproper，thatistosay，inallcaseswhereweareinthemedium’spresenceandmoreorlessdirectlyintouchwithhim。Butisitsoinpsychometry？Isitwewho，unknowntoourselves，knowallthattheobjectcontains，orisitthemediumalonewhodiscoversitintheobjectitself，independentlyofthepersonwhoproducestheobject？When，forinstance，wereceivealetterfromastranger，doesthisletter，whichhasabsorbedlikeaspongethewholelifeandbychoicethesubconsciouslifeofthewriter，disgorgeallthatitcontainedintooursubconsciousness？Doweinstantlylearnallthatconcernsitsauthor，absolutelyasthoughhewerestandingbeforeusinthefleshand，aboveall，withhissoullaidbare，thoughweremainprofoundlyignorantofthefactthatwehavelearntituntilthemedium’sinterventiontellsusso？ This，ifyoulike，issimplyshiftingthequestion。Letitbethemediumormyselfthatdiscoverstheunknownpersonalityintheobjectortracksitacrosstimeandspace：allthatwedoistowidenthescopeofourriddle，whileleavingitnolessobscure。 Nevertheless，thereissomeinterestinknowingwhetherwehavetodowithageneralfacultylatentinallmenoraninexplicableprivilegereservedtorareindividuals。Theexceptionalshouldalwaysbeeliminated，ifpossible，andnotlefttohangovertheabysslikeanunfinishedbridgeleadingtonothing。Iamwellawarethatthecompulsoryinterventionofthemediumimpliesthat，inspiteofall，werecognizehispossessionofabnormalfaculties；butatanyratewereducetheirpowerandtheirextentappreciablyandwereturnsoonerandmoreeasilytotheordinarylawsofthegreathumanmystery。Anditisofimportancethatweshouldbeevercomingbacktothatmysteryandeverbringingallthingsbacktoit。But，unfortunately，actualexperiencedoesnotadmitofthisgeneralization。Itisclearlyacaseofaspecialfaculty，onepeculiartothemedium，onewhichiswhollyunknowntoourlatentintuition。Wecaneasilyassureourselvesofthisbycausingthemediumtoreceivethroughathirdpartyandenclosedinaseriesofthreeenvelopes，asintheexperimentdescribedabove，aletterofwhichweknowthewriter，butofwhichboththesourceandthecontentsareabsolutelyunknowntothemessenger。Theseunusualcircumstances，inwhichallsubconsciouscommunicationsbetweenconsultantandconsultedarestrictlycutoff，willinnowayhamperthemedium’sclairvoyance；andwemayfairlyconcludethatitisactuallythemediumhimselfwhodiscoversdirectly，withoutanyintermediary，without\"relays，\"touseM。Duchatel’sexpression，allthattheobjectholdsconcealed。It，therefore，seemscertainthatthereis，atleastinpsychometry，somethingmorethanthemeremirrorofwhichDr。Ostyspeaks。 10 Iconsideritnecessarytodeclareforthelasttimethatthesepsychometricphenomena，astonishingthoughtheyappearatfirst，areknown，provedandcertainandarenolongerdeniedordoubtedbyanyofthosewhohavestudiedthemseriously。Icouldhavegivenfullparticularsofalargenumberofconclusiveexperiments；butthisseemedtomeassuperfluousandtediousaswouldbe，forinstance，astringofnamesoftherecognizedchemicalreactionsthatcanbeobtainedinalaboratory。Anyonewhopleasesisatlibertytoconvincehimselfoftherealityofthefacts，providedthatheappliestogenuinemediumsandkeepsalooffromtheinferior\"seers\"andespeciallytheshamsandimposterswhoswarminthisregionmorethaninanyother。Evenwiththebestofthem，hewillhavetobecarefuloftheinvoluntary，unconsciousandalmostinevitableinterferenceoftelepathy，whichisalsoveryinteresting，thoughitisaphenomenonofadifferentclass，muchlesssurprisinganddebatablethanpurepsychometry。Hemustalsolearntheartofinterrogatingthemediumandrefrainfromaskingincoherentandrandomquestionsaboutcasualorfutureevents。Hewillnotforgetthat\"clairvoyanceisstrictlylimitedtotheperceptionofhumanpersonality，\"accordingtotherolesowellformulatedbyDr。Osty。Experimentshavebeenmadeinwhichapsychometer，ontouchingthetoothofaprehistoricanimal，sawthelandscapesandthecataclysmsoftheearth’searliestagesdisplayedbeforehiseyes；inwhichanothermedium，onhandlingajewel，conjuredup，itwouldseemwithmarvellousexactness，thegamesandprocessionsofancientGreece，asthoughtheobjectspermanentlyretainedtherecollectionorrediscoveredthe\"astralnegatives\" ofalltheeventswhichtheyoncewitnessed。Butitwillbeunderstoodthat，insuchcases，anyeffectivecontrolis，sotospeak，impossibleandthatthepartplayedbytelepathycannotbedecided。Itisimportant，therefore，tokeepstrictlytothatwhichcanbeverified。 Evenwhenthuslimitinghisscope，theexperimenterwillmeetwithmanysurprises。Forinstance，thoughtherevelationsoftwopsychometerstowhomthesameletterishandedinsuccessionmostoftenagreeremarkablyintheirmainoutlines，itcanalsohappenthatoneofthemperceivesonlywhatconcernsthewriteroftheletter，whereastheotherwillbeinterestedonlyinthepersontowhomtheletterwasaddressedortoathirdpersonwhowasintheroomwheretheletterwaswritten。Itiswelltobeforearmedagainstthesefirstmistakes，which，forthatmatter，inthefrequentcaseswherestrictcontrolispossible，butconfirmtheexistenceandtheindependenceoftheastoundingfaculty。 11 Asforthetheoriesthatattempttoexplainit，Iamquitewillingtograntthattheyarestillsomewhatconfused。Theimportantthingforthemomentistheaccumulationofclaimsandexperimentsthatgofeelingtheirwayfartherandfartheralongallthepathsoftheunknown。Meanwhile，thatoneunexpecteddoorwhichshedsatthebackofouroldconvictionsmorethanoneunexpecteddoor，whichshedsuponthelifeandhabitsofoursecretbeingsufficientlighttopuzzleusformanyalongday。 Thisbringsusbackoncemoretotheomniscienceandperhapstheomnipotenceofourhiddenguest，tothebrinkofthemysteriousreservoirofeverymannerofknowledgewhichweshallmeetwithagainwhenwecometospeakofthefuture，ofthetalkinghorses，ofthedivining-rod，ofmaterializationsandmiracles，inshort，ineverycircumstancewherewepassbeyondthehorizonofourlittledailylife。Aswethusadvance，withslowandcautiousfootsteps，inthemasyetdesertedandverynebulousregionsofmetapsychics，wearecompelledtorecognizethattheremustexistsomewhere，inthisworldorinothers，aspotinwhicheverythingisknown，inwhicheverythingispossible，towhicheverythinggoes，fromwhicheverythingcomes，whichbelongstoall，towhichallhaveaccess，butofwhichthelong-forgottenroadsmustbelearntagainbyourstumblingfeet。Weshalloftenmeetthosedifficultroadsinthecourseofourpresentquestandweshallhavemorethanoneoccasiontoreferagaintothosedepthsintowhichallthesupernaturalfactsofourexistenceflow，unlessindeedtheytaketheirsourcethere。Forthemoment，thatwhichmostaboveallengageourattentioninthesepsychometricphenomenaistheirpurelyandexclusivelyhumancharacter。Theyoccurbetweenthelivingandtheliving，onthissolidearthofours，intheworldthatliesbeforeoureyes；andthespirits，thedead，thegodsandtheinterplanetaryintelligencesknowthemnot。Hardlyanywhereelse，exceptintheequallyperplexingmanifestationsofthedivining-rodandincertainmaterializations，shallwefindwiththesameclearnessthissamespecificcharacter，ifwemaycallitso。Thisisavaluablelesson。Ittellsusthatourevery-daylifeprovidesphenomenaasdisturbingandofexactlythesamekindandnatureasthosewhich，inothercircumstances，weattributetootherforcesthanours。Itteachesusalsothatwemustfirstdirectandexhaustourenquiriesherebelow，amongourselves，beforepassingtotheotherside；forourfirstcareshouldbetosimplifytheinterpretationsandexplanationsandnottoseekelsewhere，inopposition，whatprobablylieshiddenwithinusinreality。 Afterwards，iftheunknownoverwhelmusutterly，ifthedarknessengulfusbeyondallhope，therewillstillbetimetogo，nonecantellwhere，toquestionthedeitiesorthedead。 CHAPTERIII。THEKNOWLEDGEOFTHEFUTURE 1 Premonitionorprecognitionleadsustostillmoremysteriousregions，wherestands，halfmergingfromanintolerabledarkness，thegravestproblemthatcanthrillmankind，theknowledgeofthefuture。Thelatest，thebestandthemostcompletestudydevotedtoitis，Ibelieve，thatrecentlypublishedbyM。ErnestBozzano，underthetitleDesPhenomenesPremonitoires。Availinghimselfofexcellentearlierwork，notablythatofMrs。SidgwickandMyers[1]andaddingtheresultofhisownresearches，theauthorcollectssomethousandcasesofprecognition，ofwhichhediscussesonehundredandsixty，leavingthegreatmajorityoftheothersononeside。Notbecausetheyarenegligible，butbecausehedoesnotwishtoexceedtooflagrantlythenormallimitsofamonograph。 [1]Proceedings，Vols。V。andXI。 Hebeginsbycarefullyeliminatingalltheepisodeswhich，thoughapparentlypremonitory，maybeexplainedbyself-suggestion（asinthecase，forinstance，wheresomeonesmittenwithadiseasestilllatentseemstoforeseethisdiseaseandthedeathwhichwillbeitsconclusion），bytelepathy（whenasensitiveisawarebeforehandofthearrivalofapersonoraletter），orlastlybyclairvoyance（whenamandreamsofaspotwherehewillfindsomethingwhichhehasmislaid，oranuncommonplant，oraninsectsoughtforinvain，oroftheunknownplacewhichhewillvisitatsomelaterdate）。 Inallthesecases，wehavenot，properlyspeaking，todowithapurefuture，butratherwithapresentthatisnotyetknown。 Thusreducedandstrippedofallforeigninfluencesandintrusionsthenumberofinstancesinwhichthereisareallyclearandincontestableperceptionofafragmentofthefutureremainslargeenough，contrarytowhatisgenerallybelieved，tomakeitimpossibleforustospeakofextraordinaryaccidentsorwonderfulcoincidences。Theremustbealimittoeverything，eventodistrust，eventothemostextensiveincredulity，otherwiseallhistoricalresearchandagooddealofscientificresearchwouldbecomedecidedlyimpracticable。Andthisremarkappliesasmuchtothenatureoftheincidentsrelatedastotheactualauthenticityofthenarratives。Wecancontestorsuspectanystorywhatever，anywrittenproof，anyevidence；butthenceforwardwemustabandonallcertaintyorknowledgethatisnotacquiredbymeansofmathematicaloperationsorlaboratoryexperiments，thatistosay，three-fourthsofthehumanphenomenawhichinterestusmost。ObservethattherecordscollectedbytheinvestigatorsoftheS。P。R。，likethosediscussedbyM。 Bozzano，arealltoldatfirsthandandthatthosestoriesofwhichthenarratorswerenottheprotagonistsorthedirectwitnesseshavebeenruthlesslyrejected。Furthermore，someofthesenarrativesarenecessarilyofthenatureofmedicalobservations；asfortheothers，ifweattentivelyexaminethecharacterofthosewhohaverelatedthemandthecircumstanceswhichcorroboratethem，weshallagreethatitismorejustandmorereasonabletobelieveinthemthantolookuponeverymanwhohasanextraordinaryexperienceasbeingapriorialiar，thevictimofanhallucination，orawag。 2 Therecouldbenoquestionofgivinghereevenabriefanalysisofthemoststrikingcases。Itwouldrequireahundredpagesandwouldalterthewholenatureofthisessay，which，tokeepwithinitsproperdimensions，mosttakeitforgrantedthatmostofthematerialswhichitexaminesarefamiliar。Ithereforereferthereaderwhomaywishtoformanopinionforhimselftotheeasily-accessiblesourceswhichIhavementionedabove。Itwillsuffice，togiveanaccurateideaofthegravityoftheproblemtoanyonewhohasnottimeoropportunitytoconsulttheoriginaldocumentsifIsumupinafewwordssomeofthesepioneeradventures，selectedamongthosewhichseemleastopentodispute；foritgoeswithoutsayingthatallhavenotthesamevalue，otherwisethequestionwouldbesettled。Therearesomewhich，whileexceedinglystrikingatfirstsightandofferingeveryguaranteethatcouldbedesiredtoauthenticity，neverthelessdonotimplyarealknowledgeofthefutureandcanbeinterpretedinanothermanner。Igiveone，toserveasaninstance；itisreportedbyDr。AlphonseTesteinhisManuelpratiquedumagnetismeanimal。 Onthe8thofMay，Dr。TestemagnetizesMme。Hortense——inthepresenceofherhusband。Sheisnosoonerasleepthansheannouncesthatshehasbeenpregnantforafortnight，thatshewillnotgoherfulltime，that\"shewilltakefrightatsomething，\"thatshewillhaveafallandthattheresultwillbeamiscarriage。Sheaddsthat，onthe12thofMay，afterhavinghadafright，shewillhaveafainting-fitwhichwilllastforeightminutes；andshethendescribes，hourbyhour，thecourseofhermalady，whichwillendinthreedays’lossofreason，fromwhichshewillrecover。 Onawaking，sheretainsnorecollectionofanythingthathaspassed；itiskeptfromher；andDr。TestecommunicateshisnotestoDr。AmideeLatour。Onthe12thofMay，hecallsonM。andMme。——，findsthemattableandputsMme。——tosleepagain，whereuponsherepeatswordforwordwhatshetoldhimfourdaysbefore。Theywakeherup。Thedangeroushourisdrawingnear。 Theytakeeveryimaginableprecautionandevenclosetheshutters。Mme。——，madeuneasybytheseextraordinarymeasureswhichsheisquiteunabletounderstand，askswhattheyaregoingtodotoher。Half-pastthreeo’clockstrikes。Mme。——risesfromthesofaonwhichtheyhavemadehersitandwantstoleavetheroom。Thedoctorandherhusbandtrytopreventher。 \"Butwhatisthematterwithyou？\"sheasks。\"Isimplymustgoout。\" \"No，madame，youshallnot：Ispeakintheinterestofyourhealth。\" \"Well，then，doctor，\"shereplies，withasmile，\"ifitisintheinterestofmyhealth，thatisallthemorereasonwhyyoushouldletmegoout。\" Theexcuseisaplausibleoneandevenirresistible；butthehusband，wishingtocarrythestruggleagainstdestinytothelast，declaresthathewillaccompanyhiswife。Thedoctorremainsalone，feelingsomewhatanxious，inspiteoftheratherfarcicalturnwhichtheincidenthastaken。Suddenly，apiercingshriekisheardandthenoiseofabodyfalling。HerunsoutandfindsMme。——wildwithfrightandapparentlydyinginherhusband’sarms。Atthemomentwhen，leavinghimforaninstant，sheopenedthedooroftheplacewhereshewasgoing，arat，thefirstseentherefortwentyyears，rushedatherandgavehersogreatastartthatshefellflatonherback。Andalltherestofthepredictionwasfulfilledtotheletter，hourbyhouranddetailbydetail。 3 TomakeitquiteclearinwhatspiritIamundertakingthisstudyandtoremoveatthebeginninganysuspicionofblindorsystematiccredulity，Iamanxious，beforegoinganyfurther，tosaythatIfullyrealizethatcasesofthiskindbynomeanscarryconviction。Itisquitepossiblethateverythinghappenedinthesubconsciousimaginationofthesubjectandthatsheherselfcreated，byself-suggestion，herillness，herfright，herfallandhermiscarriageandadaptedherselftomostofthecircumstanceswhichshehadforetoldinhersecondarystate。Theappearanceoftheratatthefatalmomentistheonlythingthatwouldsuggestapreciseanddisquietingvisionofaninevitablefutureevent。Unfortunately，wearenottoldthattheratwasperceivedbyotherwitnessesthanthepatient，sothatthereisnothingtoprovethatitalsowasnotimaginary。Ihavethereforequotedthisinadequateinstanceonlybecauseitrepresentsfairlywellthegeneralaspectandtheindecisivevalueofmanysimilarcasesandenableustonoteonceandforalltheobjectionswhichcanberaisedandtheprecautionswhichweshouldtakebeforeenteringthesesuspiciousandobscureregions。 WenowcometoaninfinitelymoresignificantandlessquestionablecaserelatedbyDr。JosephMaxwell，thelearnedandveryscrupulousauthorofLesPhenomenesPsychiques，aworkwhichhasbeentranslatedintoEnglishunderthetitleofMetapsychicalPhenomena。Itconcernsavisionwhichwasdescribedtohimeightdaysbeforetheeventandwhichhetoldtomanypeoplebeforeitwasaccomplished。Asensitiveperceivedinacrystalthefollowingscene：alargesteamer，flyingaflagofthreehorizontalbars，black，whiteandred，andbearingthenameLeutschland，wassailinginmid-ocean。Theboatwassuddenlyenvelopedinsmoke；agreatnumberofsailors，passengersandmeninuniformrushedtotheupperdeck；andtheboatwentdown。 Eightdaysafterwards，thenewspapersannouncedtheaccidenttotheDeutschland，whoseboilerhadburst，obligingthesteamboattostandto。 TheevidenceofamanlikeDr。Maxwell，especiallywhenwehavetodowithaso-to-speakpersonalincident，possessesanimportanceonwhichitisneedlesstoinsist。Wehavehere，therefore，severaldaysbeforehand，theveryclearprevisionofaneventwhich，moreover，innowayconcernsthepercipient：acuriousdetail，butonewhichisnotuncommoninthesecases。ThemistakeinreadingLeutschlandforDeutschland，whichwouldhavebeenquitenaturalinreallife，addsanoteofprobabilityandauthenticitytothephenomenon。Asforthefinalact，thefounderingofthevesselintheplaceofasimpleheavingto，wemustseeinthis，asDr。J。W。PickeringandW。A。Sadgrovesuggest，\"thesubconsciousdramatizationofasubliminalinferenceofthepercipient。\"Suchdramatization，moreover，areinstinctiveandalmostgeneralinthisclassofvisions。 Ifthiswereanisolatedcase，itwouldcertainlynotberighttoattachdecisiveimportancetoit；\"but，\"Dr。Maxwellobserves，\"thesamesensitivehasgivenmeothercuriousinstances；andthesecases，comparedwithotherswhichImyselfhaveobservedorwiththoseofwhichIhavereceivedfirst-handaccounts，renderthehypothesisofcoincidenceveryimprobable，thoughtheydonotabsolutelyexcludeit。\"[1] [1]Maxwell：MetapsychicalPhenomena，p。202。 4 Anotherandperhapsmoreconvincingcase，morestrictlyinvestigatedandestablished，acasewhichclearlydoesnotadmitofexplanation，bythetheoryofcoincidence，worthyofallrespectthoughthistheorybe，isthatrelatedbyM。TheodoreFlournoy，scienceprofessorattheuniversityofGeneva，inhisremarkablework，EspritsetMediums。ProfessorFlournoyisknowntobeoneofthemostlearnedandmostcriticalexponentsofthenewscienceofmetapsychics。Heevencarrieshisfondnessfornaturalexplanationsandhisrepugnancetoadmittheinterventionofsuperhumanpowerstoapointwhereitisoftendifficulttofollowhim。Iwillgivethenarrativeasbrieflyaspossible。Itwillbefoundinfullonpp。348to362ofhismasterlybook。 InAugust，1883，acertainMme。Buscarlet，whomheknewpersonally，returnedtoGenevaafterspendingthreeyearswiththeMoratieffamilyatKazanasgovernesstotwogirls。ShecontinuedtocorrespondwiththefamilyandalsowithaMme。 Nitchinof，whokeptaschoolatKazantowhichMlles。Moratief，Mme。Buscarlet’sformerpupils，wentafterherdeparture。 Onthenightofthe9thofDecember（O。S。）ofthesameyear，Mme。BuscarlethadadreamwhichshedescribedthefollowingmorninginalettertoMme。Moratief，dated10December。Shewrote，toquoteherownwords： \"YouandIwereonacountry-roadwhenacarriagepassedinfrontofusandavoicefrominsidecalledtous。Whenwecameuptothecarriage，wesawMlle。OlgaPopoilyingacrossit，clothedinwhite，wearingabonnettrimmedwithyellowribbons。Shesaidtoyou： \"’IcalledyoutotellyouthatMme。Nitchinofwillleavetheschoolonthe17th。’ \"Thecarriagethendroveon。\" AweeklaterandthreedaysbeforetheletterreachedKazan，theeventforeseeninthedreamwasfulfilledinatragicfashion。 Mme。Nitchinofdiedonthe16thofaninfectiousdisease；andonthe17thherbodywascarriedoutoftheschoolforfearofinfection。