Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1859-12-23
MISC Ny,
RAYsRD TAYLOR'S SUPERNATCR-
Al EXPERIENCES

4 y a 4 Il
AL EXPERIENCES,
In certain conditions Of the body, the mind
seems to become possessed Of new and un-
suspected power, independent Of volitiln
elusive and unmanag able as the plot of a
Ir.m-to which we fam would give an
agreeable solution, yet are hclplessly carried
3a through d series OF Accumulated Difficult
u~. Perhaps the term " natural clairvoy-
ance will best describe this power since
the eve of the mind looks straight through all
material hindances, and not only perceves
that which is beyond the horizon Of the bod
Iv eve. but iUresees what has not vet come to
pas,
OF course such experiences ars very rare;
and rs they generally occur at the most un-
expected moments, it Is next to impossible to
20 back. and ascertain how the impression
makes itself ielt. Once, only, have been
conscious of the operation Of the faculty. This
took place at Racine, Wisconsin, on the
morning Of the first Of March, 1855. My
bed room at the hotel was an inner chamber,
lighted only by a door opening into private
plrl1r Consequently, when | awoke in the
morning it was difficult 70 tell, from the i'm
perfect light received through the on er ROOM
whether the hour was early or late. \ lee
"a. u.er-especially after his hundredth per-
farmance-is hot inclined to get up at day
Hrht: and vet. if You sleep too long, in ma
nv Of the western towns. You run the risk of
losing your breakfast. was lying upon my
back. with closed e5.-, lily Trying TO solve
,he question. when, all at once my vision
seemed to be reversed-or, rather. clearer
spiritual vision awOke, independent OF the
plv>ical sense Ny head. the pillow on
which it rested. and the hunting-cdse of my
watch, became transparent as AIR; and saw
distinctly. the hands in the dial pointing 70
eleven minutes before SIX. | can only COM
nsre the sensation to a flash OF lightning on
dark night. which for the thousandth part Of
a .acond, shows YOU a landscape as bright as
dav. sprang up instantly, jerked forth my
watch. opened it, and there were the hands,
pointing TO eleUen nunutes before Sar-lacklng
only a few seconds which had elapsed between
the vision and it proof!
is this. after all, anv more singular than
the fact that man can awaken any hour
that be chooses? What is the spiritual
alarm clock which calls US at four, though
we usually sleep until six? How is that the
web Of dreams is broken, the helpless slum-
Der of the senses overcome, at the desired
moment, by the simple passage of thought
through the mind, hours before? L was
once. Of necessity. obliged to cultivate this
power and brought it, finally to such per-
iection. that the profoundest sleep ceased as
sudd My, at the pre-appolnted minute, as II
! had been struck on the head with mallet.
Let any one tell me clearly and SATISFACTORY
", how this is done, before asking me to ac-
count for the other marvel
But in certain conditions. the mind also
forcsees. This NAV either take place in
dreams, or in those more vague and uncer-
tain impressions which are termed PRESENT.
ments. | will only relate single instance,
since it is useless TO adduce anything which
is not beyond the range of accident or coin
cidence. | spent the winter Of 1874 at
Frankfort-on-the-M Main, living with Mr..
Richard Storrs Willis, in the family of a
German merchant there. At that time
there was only a mail once month between
Europe and America; and if we failed to re-
celve letters by one steamer, we were obliged
TO wait four weeks for the next chance. One
dav the letters came as usual for Mr.. Willis,
but none for me- l gave up all hope for
that month. and went to bed in a state of
great disappointment and detection; but in
the night dreamed that it was morning,
and was dressing myself, when Mr.. Willis
burst into the room saying
THE postman is below-perhaps he has
letters for you Come up into the dining
room, and you can see him from the win
dow
We thereupon went up TO the dning-room
On the third story, and looked down into the
street; and there stood the postman, who,
as soon as he saw us, held up a letter at
arms length, holding it by the right-hand
corner. Though he was in the street, and
in the third story, read my name upon 1t.
arose in the morning, with my head full
OF the dream. When | was about half dress
ed, Mr.. Willis came into my room repeating
the very words had heard in my sleep. We
went into the dining-room together, looked
down. and there stood the postman, holding
up a letter by the lower right hand corner
Ofcourse. | could not read the address at
that distance but my name iCdS upon It,.
In this case. the circumstances were alto
gether beyond my control and the literal
manner in which the dream was fulfilled in
every minute particular, is its most astonish-
ing feature Nothing was aCded or omitted;
the reality was daguerreotype of the vision.
Never before had nv friend entered my room
at so early an hour-never before had my
postman held up a letter in that manner.
If a coincidence only, the occurrence is there
lore all the more marvellous.
When | was last in Florence, the sculptor.
Powers, related to me a still more remarkable
story, which had come to pass only few
days before my arrival. A young English
lady OF his acquaintance, who was living
with her brother in the city, was on terms
ol great intimacy and affection with a lady
of her own age, who was spending the sum-
mer with her father IN ii lila among the Ap-
PENNIES, near Pistoia. This friend had invit-
60 her to visit her during the summer; she
had accepted the invitation; and the middle
Of August was fixed upon as the time.