New-York tribune., 1874-11-21
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
I" MIND READING"

THE INVESTIGATIONS OF DR. GEO. NJ BEARD-UN-
CONSCIOUS MUSCULAR ACTION TIE ExPLANA-
TON OF THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OF ExPERf-
MENrs UPON BROWN AND OrIERs-THE ALPHA
BET TEST TILE MOST INSTRUCTIVE.
To the Editor OF The Tribune.
SIR: After my experiments with Brown IN
Musc Hall In New-Hayen, last week, suggested 10
the audience that they could themselves do as wei as
Brown, and that very night made experiments OF
similar kind with two or three friends. carried out
the plan which adopts which Is to put the back OF
the hand tho person operated against the oac o
the head OF the OPERATOR holding IL there permanently
and tho other han OF tho operator being touched igh
against the tips OF the fingers OF the hand OF the perSo
operated on. In this position the slightest tremor OIL
agitation Of the mind may be communicated through
the tips of the fingers from one person to another.
found that In this way 1t possible 10 detect the
locality on which tho mind OF tho person operated on
was concentrate d, provided he had his eyes upon H.
About quarter OF our experiments were SUCCESSFUL
These exnerimsnts were lde in small room aud in
quiet way. Since that time havo made o dlHercht
class Of experiments illustrate the remarkable re-
suits that attained through unconscious muscular
aeiion lady with whom am acquainted goes out OF
the room and who she is absent object is hidden.
She returns, and two ladies who know where
tho object Is stand up beside her In inc
middle of the and place both OF their hands upon
her body; hand in 'front.' the other behind all three
stand there for a moment; the two women VINO KNOW
where the object Is keeping their minds intensely con-
centrated on that locality In moment or so TINS any
who is to find tho object of the direction where
it is the other ladies her still keeping their hands
upon her. and In nearly oil cases she finds IT, Inis Is
pished by the unconscious muscular acton OF
the two ladies who know where tho object is upon tho
person OF tho lady who Is seekngt THIS lazy VINO Is
quite successful in these experiments, thought i was
necessary keys and supposed that "magnetism"
had something to do with It, told her that that was
not probable another object and found that
II made no difference what the object was She sup
posed Also that 1t that the object should
be seereted person found that that was also
not necessary. She does not always succeed In hndng
the exact locality at once but she comes usually very
near it, and after hunting for IL about as much as
Brown, the mind reader" usually does, she nnds It, In
some directly to It, She rarely fails
In order TO settle the question beyond dispute whether
muscular action the sole of this sue
cess finding Objects made the following crucial exDe-
rimens with this ady Ten letters OF the alphabet were
placed Oh a piano, the letters being written on large
pieces OF paper frst directed her to see bow many
lines she would get letter which was in the mind Of
one of the observers In the room correct by chance
purely without any physical touch. She tried 10 times
and got 1t right twice. then had her try 10 expert
ments with the letters In the same manner that
Brown rcads-that is with the hand or the person
operated on against the forehead Of the operator the
hand OF the operator gntly touching against the ngcs
Of this hand. and tho person operated on concentrating
her mind all the while tho object and looking at IT,
This all there Is q! Browns experiments and OF those
which initiate hs. In 10 experiments. tried this
dsy with the letters successful times.
l then tried the same number or experiments with
wire the manner pursued by some of the faculty OF
Yale College and Others The wire was about 10 ieet
long, aud arranged--belng made fast to chair
that unconscious muscular motion could be comuni-
Gated through 1t from the person ol whom sho was
operating herself She successful but out OF
10 lines. Thus lat by pure chance sbe
cessful twice out OF 10 times; by utilizing un-
conscious muscular action In the method OF Brown
she successful six times out OF ten When connected
by "A wire she was less successful than when she de-
pended pare chance without any physlcal connection
This TO S a o an & %o %la
ion is the explanation ofthe success ~hen connected
the method that Brown uses. In Order still further 10
eoutiral this, suggested 10 this lady to fnd objects
viii Two persons touching her D0dyln the manner
have aDcve described told these Two to deceive her.
concentrating their minds the object hidden, at the
same using conscious motion towards some other
These experiments, several times repeated showed
that it was possible TO deceive her Just as had
at the sturtevant House investigation. TINS lady,
who Is more uniformly successful than Brown, at LEAST
tuiion ana susceptible. others who the
pcrmcnt mget with excellent success. Probably the
majority Of persons with little practice do all that
Bro does his imators have done. Those who are
with this method aud who carefully study the
matter tell me tina. they appreciate a slignt thrill as
though hair had touched their fingers when they APP
mind the person operated Some aware Of
this at first until their attention called to 1t and thy
observe closely. In all these experiments l took |
especial pains to avoid tho element OF error that
comes from unnteBtiOna cOllusiOn. Those who were
in the room were ordered oy INC to keep perfectly |
seIts. Experiments tnat have been mado in New |
Haven Bridgeport. &C., lose their value pirtly because
OF mas not guarded against, and
partly because fair comparison has not been made be-
tween what Is accomplished when connected with a |
wire by the body, ana when there Is connection.
and or finding object except by pure chance.
Tue question uay now, think be regarded definitely
settled any question OF this kind be settled by
rigid experimentation. These experiments can DC con-
ilrmed without d.scalty by any one who will take the
pans 70 avoid tue errors that come first, from
collusiOn secondly from unconscious muscular action
thirdly from clancc and 0urlhly from uninentional
collusOu OF the aIdionce. In comparing the by
muscular notion the alphabet Is far beter test than
finding hidden Objects and 1t perfectly illustrates the
tho learned pig" operations In the case OF the
- learned pig" tho sign is given consciously by the
master. In the case OF mind reading" tho sisa is
given unconsciously By tho person operated on.
The statements so positively made by those who are
operated on successfully that they do not make any
CONSCIOUS motions are Irish bulls OF the worst kind
Unconscious a motion Is motion that we make without |
knowing It, The OF these experiments depends
more on the person operated than the operator
persons are more liable 10 make unconscious mo-
lions others The many failures or Brown In the
Newayen investigation due not to my tests for.
as is well known, he utterly refused TO take
,sts and also refused to pertinent privately
ns he was publicly pledged do but the
ority OF those whom he operated were well trained,
thougbtul persons, accustomed to sefrestraint and
rendered pcal the public discussion OF the sub
and by suggestions thai read the audience.
NAV say In closing that the notion entertained by |
some that these phenomena could be explained by
AMIN magnetism" Is not only unnecessary hyp0h
esls as shown she above experiments. but Is utterly
opposed TO what Is known OF eectrO-phy ysioOgy.
Nev York, Nov. 5, loIi GEo. N. BEARD, M. ID. |
DIR. McCOSHS STRUCTURES ON TYNDALL.
rIIE PROFESSORS ARGUMENT UNJUsTLY TREATED
DIFFERENCES OF OPINION AS TO PERSONAL