Another way of conducting experiments along the lines of the Higher Phenomena of Mind Reading, is akin to the "Automatic Writing" known to all students of Occultism. The Transmitter concentrates his thought and Will in the usual manner, while the Receiver places himself in the usual receptive, passive state of mind, and awaits the impressions. But instead of the Receiver merely sitting as usual, he draws his chair to a table, having a soft pencil in his hand and a pad of paper on the table before him. He holds the pencil lightly between his fingers, with its point touching the paper—and then awaits impressions. Under good conditions, after waiting a time the pencil will begin to twitch and move feebly. The hands and fingers should allow it full and free motion. After a few moments of indecision the pencil will often begin to write out words. In many experiments the word, or object thought of by the Transmitter will be written out, or drawn in full by the hand of the Receiver acting automatically. Some experimenters succeed much better with this plan than with the more common method.
THE STEAD EXPERIMENTS.
Mr. W.T. Stead, the well-known London editor and investigator of Psychic Phenomena, discovered this method while he was experimenting along the lines of Automatic Writing from disembodied souls. He found that he was really coming in contact with the thought-waves emanating from the minds of the living, instead of the dead. He persisted in his experiments along these lines, and after a time was able to write out full letters embodying the thoughts in the minds of persons of his acquaintance, and others. Other investigators have reproduced his experiments with marvelous results. There is a great field here, awaiting investigation, and it may be that some of the students of this work are destined to add to the scientific testimony on the subject. The above simple directions are all that are necessary, in order to conduct this scientific experiment.
RAPPORT CONDITIONS.
There is a great difference in the degrees of rapport existing between different people, and as the degree of success depends upon the degree of rapport, it is of the greatest importance that you find some person with whom you are in harmonious vibration, in order to try these experiments in the Higher Phenomena.
We will not burden the student with recitals of experiments to perform in this Higher Phenomena demonstration. He may readily devise experiments for himself, from the examples given in connection with the Contact Mind Reading. The Transmitter may think of a card; an object; a name; a place; a scene; a thought; a feeling, etc., etc., without limit. And it makes no difference in the nature of the experiment or test, whether it be tried at long-range, or in the same room, without contact. The feat is the same—the principle is the same.
THE BLACKBURN-SMITH EXPERIMENTS.
As a further suggestion to the student, we would refer him to [Lesson II] of this work, to the report of the experiments with Mr. Smith and Mr. Blackburn. If you will carefully read this report again, you will find a wealth of suggestions regarding the forms of demonstrations. But, bless your hearts, the experiments may be varied without end—the principle is the same in each case. The underlying principle is that the Transmitter thinks intently upon the appearance of the object or thing, or else upon the feeling connected with it if it be a feeling instead of an object; and the Receiver endeavors to receive the impression. The Transmitter manifests an Active Will to transmit the mental image, while the Receiver assumes a passive, receptive desire to receive the impression. The one is all Will—the other is all Desire.
Concluding this chapter on the Higher Phenomena of Mind Reading, we would say to the students that very few of them will have the perseverance to continue their experiments beyond the point of Contact Mind Reading, or perhaps the simplest forms of the Higher Phenomena. Contact Mind Reading is far more satisfactory to the average person, for its results are very constant indeed, and comparatively little labor, time and trouble are necessary to make the demonstrations. While on the contrary the results of the demonstrations of the Higher Phenomena are less constant except in the cases of very highly developed Receivers, working with Transmitters in almost perfect rapport and harmony. Then the average experiments along the lines of the Higher Phenomena, some days will prove highly successful, while other days will be almost barren of result. In fact there seems to be a sort of spontaneous action in the production of the Higher Phenomena, and the degree of success depends more or less upon some conditions of the mental world, not as yet fully understood by science. But to those who wish to push into the Unknown as far as they may do so, this field of the Higher Phenomena of Mind Reading offers a fascination and attraction difficult to express to those who have not experienced it.