Experiments in Thought-Transference, by Henry G. Rawson. Proceedings, vol. xi., part xxvii., 1894. See pp. 105, 106.
Experiments in Thought-Transference, by Professor A. P. Chattock. Journal S.P.R., vol. xiii., No. 153, Nov. 1898. See p. 107.
During the last few years no important addition appears to have been made to the series of Thought-Transference Drawings. A revival of similar experiments would be of great interest and value.
The question may fairly be asked, What have these Thought-Transference Drawings to do with the Physical Phenomena of Spiritualism? A reply is easily given. The reader is referred to a passage in the [concluding chapter], quoted from Mr. Myers, in which he claims an exalted position for Telepathy, as almost the fundamental doctrine of Spiritualistic Philosophy. He speaks of the beginning of Telepathy as a "quasi-mechanical transference of ideas and images from one to another brain." The Thought-Transference Drawings constitute the primary evidence of this. They may be looked upon as constituting the physical basis of a belief in Thought-Transference, and therefore as the physical basis of a belief in Telepathy, the action of which, as Mr. Myers says, "was traced across a gulf greater than any space of earth or ocean—it bridged the interval between spirits incarnate and discarnate." Thus we may look upon these Thought-Transference Drawings as supplying the chief—perhaps the only—physical basis for a belief in one of the main doctrines of spiritualism. Hence they legitimately find a place in the present examination.
FOOTNOTES:
[64] Proceedings S.P.R., vol. i. p. 13.
[65] A list of all the publications of the Society for Psychical Research, with prices of the different volumes and parts, can be obtained from the Secretary, at the Society's Rooms, 20 Hanover Square, London, W.
CHAPTER IX
MATERIALISATIONS
By "materialisation," in this chapter, is not meant the production of more or less complete portions of the human body—generally hands—a phenomenon alleged to be frequent in spiritualistic circles. A "materialisation" of the whole figure is meant, the production of a figure which to the spectator appears as a new human being, so to speak, occasionally exhibiting signs of independent organic life. Such a phenomenon would be the most astounding that can well be imagined. I am not in a position to offer any scientific evidence in its support. By far the majority of the accounts which have been published of full form "materialisations" are destitute of any evidential value, and in many cases the circumstantial evidence for fraud is strong. Were it not for a small number of cases which present primâ facie evidence of a different character, the question of the reality of this phase of "mediumship" would be scarcely worth raising. But the existence of even a small amount of evidence of such a kind raises the question into a different position, to one which reasonably demands the searching investigation of scientific men. I propose to give one illustration only of this better class of evidence, but it is one in which common-sense precautions against deception seem to have been carefully taken.