508 



MIND-READING. 



accuracy. If the agent forgets certain portions 

 of a figure, or carries a wrong impression, the 

 percipient of course leaves out the portions so 

 forgotten or reproduces the wrong impression. 

 This shows that what is in the agent's mind is 

 read, and what is not there is not read. On 

 one occasion one of the agents drew a ludicrous 

 human figure. The other agent, after looking 

 at it intently, went away forgetting that the 

 figure had eyes; therefore, the percipient re- 

 produced the original figure without eyes. 

 Both Mr. Bishop and Mr. Cumberland are able 

 to give the dates of coins or the numbers on a 

 bank-note if the dates or numbers have been 

 previously examined and retained in the mind 

 of any one who is present ip the same room. 

 Another instance is related where Mr. Bishop, 

 blindfolded, seated himself at the piano with 

 his back toward a black-board on which a well- 

 known musician had been requested to write 

 the title of some song or aria. The musician 

 wrote: "Tenor song in the prison scene from 

 ' 11 Trovatore.' " Mr. Bishop then called the mu- 

 sician, took his hand, and, after placing it upon 

 his (Bishop's) forehead, strove to strike the 

 first note of the song. First one note came 

 and then another, until he had caught the en- 

 tire air. 



The phenomena of the fourth form of mind- 

 reading relate to the action of one mind upon 

 another at a distance. It is related that a lady 

 of New York was prostrated through grief at 

 the danger of her mother, who was on an east- 

 ern-bound vessel, that was twenty-seven days 

 overdue, from Japan to San Francisco. Sud- 

 denly all terror and uneasiness left the lady's 

 mind. So sudden was the transition from fear 

 to serenity that she noted the time. The next 

 day a telegram came from her mother, giving 

 the time of the arrival of the ship in port. The 

 two moments that of the cessation of the 

 daughter's fear and of the arrival of the ship 

 were identical. There are many instances of 

 this kind of presentiment, where two persons, 

 distant from each other, have been simulta- 

 neously impressed with the same idea; as 

 where two daughters are impelled to go to 

 their mother in the belief that she is in 

 distress. Such facts are of too frequent oc- 

 currence to require additional examples. The 

 experience of every one will suggest instances 

 in which dreams proved true. But due account 

 should be taken of instances in which the 

 dreams did not prove true. The latest experi- 

 ments of the Society for Psychical Research in- 

 clude the successful transfer, with and without 

 contact, of (a) visual impressions, actual and 

 imagined, ascending up to complicated pict- 

 ures: (&) impressions of pains under contact, 

 and (c) impressions of tastes and smells under 

 contact ; (d) impressions'of names and numbers, 

 with and without contact; (e) willing without 

 contact. Three of the experiments in tastes 

 and pains are given below. The percipient 

 (whose name is mentioned first in every ex- 

 periment quoted) was isolated and blindfolded : 



1. Miss Eclph -with Mr. 

 H. As agent, citric acid. 



2. Miss Eelph with Mr. 

 G. Cloves. 



" Acid makes the mouth 

 feel rough and the teetn 



inside. Might be ." 



Nothing else said. 



"A sharp taste, but very 

 pleasant." After a 

 while : " Now it is be- 

 coming bitter." N. B. 

 The taste of cloves chang- 

 es in the mouth. 



3. Miss Eelph with Mr. Miss Eelph said, "Tastes 

 H. Coifee. The sample rather like coffee." 

 had no smell, being very 

 old and the aroma all gone. 



At this point all the objects for taste were re- 

 moved from the room ; they had been placed 

 behind a screen. 



4. Miss Eelph and Mr. 

 H. Vinegar. 



5. Miss E. and Mr. G. 

 Olive oil. 



6. Mr. G. then took Miss 

 Eelpli's hand. 



7. Miss E. and Mr. II. 

 Mustard. 



8. Back ofneck pinched 



" Sour and nasty ; it 

 isn't vinegar, is it ? " (Mr. 

 H. remained silent some 

 time, as if implying a neg- 

 ative.) " Is it some kind 

 of sauce with vinegar in 

 it?" (Another long 

 pause.) " No. I can only 

 taste vinegar." 

 Nothing perceived. 



"Is it oil, like that in 

 sardines? " 



Described as something 

 hot. 



" Dull pricks back of 

 neck.'" 



with scissors. 



9. Tumbler half full ot " Is it something in the 

 cold water grasped in Mr. right hand?" (going 

 IPs right hand. through the action of 



grasping something up- 

 right). "A sort of cold 

 feeling." 



Miss Relph said: 

 " What are you doing 

 with water ? I feel some 

 splashes on the left arm." 

 (There were some splash- 

 es, and the experiment 

 was abandoned.) 



Could not say, but kept 

 putting her hand to her 

 nose as if feeling very un- 

 comfortable. 



"I feel a pricking here," 

 indicating the spot with 

 precision. 



10. "Water dropped in 

 drops upon Mr. H's right 

 hand. 



11. Nostrils tickled. 



12. Pricking with two 

 pins between thumb and 

 forefinger of right hand. 



The society has a record of 713 experiments. 

 Of these, 318 were successful, 145 partially suc- 

 cessful, 143 mis-descriptions, and 109 failures. 

 In submitting this report, Mr. Malcolm Guth- 

 rie says : " I do not submit my summary as a 

 basis for calculation of probability. A few 

 successful experiments of a certain kind carry 

 greater weight with them than a large number 

 of another kind ; for some experiments are 

 practically beyond the region of guesses. I 

 doubt, indeed, if any amount of calculation of 

 probabilities will help to convince of the trust- 

 worthiness of the experiments. One success- 

 ful evening when the conditions are strict is ab- 

 solutely convincing; and the simple, genuine 

 truthfulness of the percipients is a better guar- 

 antee than any amount of subsequent cross- 

 examination as to the conditions of the trial. 

 I have noticed a falling off in the facility and 

 success of our experiments since our first great 



