Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1874-12-18
Mind Reading.

4adliN CUflouS experiments IIdNc
been made in regard to the influence
Of the mind over the body, and the
question whether the mind of one
person can interpret the thoughts of
another, under certain circumstances,
has been much discussed recently by
physicians i'll this city. J. II. Brown,
who calls himself mind-reader, and
who claims to be able to determine
the train of thought in another, when
brought especially i'll contact, per-
formed some experiments in this city
and his methods were Investigated
by many distinguished physicians
and scientists. Mr.. Brown atterward
went to New Haven and exhibited
his powers there, before large au-
dicnce. The committee who there
Investigated Mr.. Browns methods re-
ported that they ''were not ready to
assert that the claim Of mind-rcading
had been clearly maintained.
DR.. William \. Hammond and scv-
cral other scientists attended several
of Mr.. Browns scances, as he called
them, while he was in the city. Mr.
Brown said that he could not oper-
ate through Dir. Hammond, but
could not give any reasons for such
Il statement. With other gentle
men Mr.. Brown performed various
experiments. One Of the gentlemen
hid his door-key under a mat in the
hall. Mr.. Brown, blindfolded, took
one Of the gentleman's hands in his,
and touched the other, which was
heldagain his forehead. Mr.. Brown
then charged the gentleman to think
Of nothing but the place where the
object was hidden. Mr.. Brown then
led the gentleman about the room
and out into the hall. When they
reached the mat Mr.. Brown stopped
and Said ''lIere il is Mr.. Brown
had also Il string Of large letters of
he alphabet hung across the room,
and upon this he spelled out a word
thought of by some gentleman. This
was often done correctly, though
Mr.. Brown was securely blinlfolded
all the time.
Dr. Hammond explains the process
by the theory that the person oper-
atcd upon, blinking intensely upon
the subject, gives some sign, invol-
UNFAIRLY, perhaps, when tie place is
reached, or the subject attained that
is being sought. Mr.. Brown, by
long practice, probably perceives an
indication that another might not
notice. Dir. Hammond said that at-
ter 4 little practice he had been able
to perform some of Mr.. Browns cx-
perimcnts with complete success
In the experiment DR.. Hammond
wrote down q list of names, and told
a person to think of one of them.
He then placed his fingers upon the
persons wrist and said: "Now | will
tell You the name Of the person. you
are thenking of. Read over the list
and when you reach the right name
| shall know by your pulse which it
is The person then began and
read down the list, and each time,
when the name thought of was
reached, by some means it would
be plainly indicated, TO the great as
tonishmcnt of the person experiment
ted upon "The whole is explained
to me-" added DR.. Hammond, "by
the influence of the mind over the
body. The majority otpersons think
ing steadily upon one subject do not
fail to give evidence when that sub
ject is reached which that person has
been expecting. The reason why
Mr.. Brown could not operate upon
me was, | would not allow myself to
give the slightest indication that
would enable him TO detect my
thoughts. | found this Il very diff
cult thin" to do, and, after | had
tried it, | did not wonder that many
were unabled to exercise this control.
| think that, when this theory Of eX-
ternal indication of thought sud
denly touched upon is followed up
further, it will explain the whole Of
Mr.. Browns mind-reading."-N y.
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