Pree 
Pie eee eae 
1886. | The Relations of Mind and Matter. II 
of these the thought transfer passed as far as from Burmah to 
England. In these latter instances there was, in nearly every 
case, an active mental excitation in the one mind in reference to 
the other. They are most usual at the moment of death, the 
mind of the dying person appearing to be affected with a strong 
emotional longing to communicate with the living. In many 
such cases a spectral reproduction of the dying person has ap- 
peared to the subject of his or her thoughts, apparently in real 
form, but doubtless as an image impressed directly on the mind. 
It may be that a sudden rousing of the recollection of any dis- 
tant person, without its being led up to by a train of conscious 
thought, might, if the effect be a strong one, seem like an actual 
vision. An object seen is not led to by consciousness, and a 
mental image not led to by consciousness might easily have the 
force of an object seen, or of a temporary hallucination. In 
many of the numerous instances given, the person whose image 
was seen was in full life, yet in some perilous situation or other 
condition that would be likely to arouse sudden and intense emo- 
tion. And usually the recipient was the object of this emotion. 
There is no evidence to show that this relation did not exist in 
every instance, but simply that it was not always observed. 
As to the distances to which these impressions were frequently 
conveyed, or the rapidity with which they passed from mind to 
mind, there is nothing surprising if the hypothesis we have given 
be accepted. We know the rapidity with which light travels 
through the ether, and the electric current through solid matter, 
affecting objects very far removed in very minute intervals of 
time. We know that the influence of gravitation is felt with no 
apparent lapse of time through vast distances. The least varia- 
tion in distance and weight of one body is instantly. felt by other 
bodies, though they may be very distant. If there be a psychic 
substance it is highly probable that the same relations may exist 
between its separate masses. The ether may convey its vibra- 
tions to vast distances, as it does those of matter, and produce 
similar effects on distant psychic masses. If this substance is 
transparent to the vibrations produced by matter, matter may be 
similarly transparent to its vibrations and no check to their out- 
flow be felt. We know that an electric charge, when sent “to 
earth,” spreads with immense rapidity throughout the substance of 
the earth. It weakens as it spreads, yet may be strong enough 
