The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-12-30
THE CLAIRVOYANT POWER.
Mr. ANDREW JACKSON DITIS'S WEEKS
or SYSTEMATIC Fasting.


Mr.. Andrew jackson Davis was found by
n reporter for THE SuN mt his pleasant semi
rural residence in Orange. \. j. In reply to q
question Rs to his opinion OF tho coso OF Miss
Fancher Of Brooklyn. Mr.. Davis said;
DR.. buchanan came nearer. think. to So
luton Of the matter than anybody else has. I
have not yet seen Miss Fanchcr. but expect 10
do so very SOON and after that interview shall
bc able to talk moro definitely. But I know
enough about the principles involved not only
to doom the condition claimed for her possible.
IN cvfS probable.
Have you had any similar experiences upon
which to base your bclicf?"
! have had great deal Of experience Of my
own and some observation Of eases analogous
to hers. The first thing that cNcitcs the -kcp-
ticism Of the public il tho lnct that shc Is sup
posed to live almost without food. Well. now.
have been accustomed to enter tho clairvoyant
state for thiriy-two years. and that state can be
reached and maintained only Ivy adopting what
disease has forced her into nnd that Is some
thing that physicians are generally not nr-
quainied with. What we cali tho spiritual state
has 10 bo reached Ivy a complete subordinntion
~ the physical orgnnism-not 10y it, sacrifice.
hut 10y making. as II were. n sort of stepping
stone Woil. the appctitcs are the impelimcnts.
tho stumbling blocks On the way to that summit
WUlfn must ~ TcN'ufls NlW lilfl lNNt 10 h'
got out Of tho way. think II would be well. for
the sake Of III" pous skcptlcs. to call attention
to the Of Daniel. the prophet. which is agood
illustration. Thoy read in their pulpi- from
the book which relates his experience. and pro-
fcss TO believe in II. He said he tasted three
full weeks. took no meat. no wne no pleasant
hrcad. aud. In fact, IL was very nearly three
weeks OF voluntary starvation. according TO his
own account, and Mt the end of that time he
records i. Daniel, had vision. Sc. His
falling into u trance frightened tho mon about
him: a great quaking foil upon them. and they
were afraid and fed; but he had n vision. lie
saw and heard spiritual persons and things.
Now. undertake to say that Daniel could never
have had any such experience rs that unless he
had abstained from food. ] had to adopt a sys-
tenn Of fasting for three months before could
begin my clairvoyant invest cations. aud dur
ing the progress of those Investigations ! huVC
had to continue the system. though not To- such
an extreme degree
=" But do not professed medical experts claim
that such visions as are supcrinducsd by fast
ing to that extreme degree are nothing more
than dclusions OF the mind. born Of weakness
OF the bodyi'
They do hut will simply say Of my own
case that Cor the first two years 81 my expert
cnce was continually subjected to tests ot tho
accuracy Of my clairvoyant sight; That was in
wns " Tho Poughkeepsic Seer" The proofs
| Afforded 10y those tests were OF the most palpa-
| tlc anu lndubtNhlc character. Shrn rs reading
| tho title OF book PLACED among half ado2on
| others upon my forehead: telling the exact
time marked upon the dial Of II watch concealed
| in n persons pocket telling what was in nm
! adjoining room. or WIS being done There. and
! even what was IN rooms ON the opposite side OF
| tho city. rooms lifted and furnished iik" no
! others in the world. expressly a. set conjecture
| NJ defiance and expose my deception. # was
! guilty OF any No doubt was leit of tho abso-
! lutn certainty OF my possessing the power 81
seeing accurately in that clairvOyant state what
| could not otherwise have been known To me-
hAr lfslff ~ Ia -t.sF t
| would remember those experiments Now my
explanation DR. buchanan has touched uuon
! scientifically, but the physicians IRE. ' think.
| really IN tho dark viz, the psychomctric power
| in the human mind. Of which he. believe. has
the honor Of being the discoyerer lie has
| elaborated u system OF anthropolOgy. with SOW
| cral branches. but know OF nothing in which
| he Is so perfectly original ms in his discovery
and demonstration oil that power. which "a the
ability to read the characters. views. and
| thoughts OF persons by mere contact with their
| writing.
-, suppose you give. mo plainly your views Of
Miss Fnnchcr's case"
81 can explain my own cnse and that will
explain Miss Fanchers. This condition. in
duccd by fasting or disease. may lead tl ianoit.,
| yagaries. halucnations. Il II il not properly
| trained and directed. Dr. Hammond D. correct
enough when lee conilurs his diagnosis If q
! disease To what | should call the abnormal
| workings ~ that state; hut n he should -'e a
Wei-uhin"l ease OF clairvnyhnce ur clair
nudieucr-that H. the power ~ hearing without
| IA" usc 81 the physical oars-ho would discover
| II was legitimate action OF the mind In thnt
| state In physiology the cellular Tissues nre thu
| natural generators, projectors. and feeders u
| all the membranes - the system and all the
vital organs. There ure thousands. Yes. ltiu-
dreds OF thousands. OF these hfc-giving coils
| near the surface aad through the system md
| there are hundreds. II not thousands. Of feot of
nerves. These nerves are cOOp"ratorS with the
tissues as protectors and feeders oi the entire
| membraneous and y:tal systems. Now should
call Miss Fnnchers case, Judging from NV
own. one OF nerve and cellular tissue feeding
| which makes the USE OF food by mHStcaiion
" But is not food required 20 keep up the
Those tissues and nerves nro the products
| OF elements and essences that are totally un-
| known TO chemists, The moment We come 10
| that boundary We glide over iniO tho spiritual.
| A cell cannot hc organized without a potency
| mat Is exactly qualified for such labor and
| the nerve, I'm the same way Is d urOdutt of what
| j. 10 chemistssnn unknown science, which our
| folks call tho spiritual principle. Now that Is
what requires TO be fed. not the tissue and the
| develop or evolve nerves and TISSUES. and those
| essences or principles can hc received in va
rious ways They may be- Inhaled amt taken
| with pure water, or milk, IN very snail quauii-
! ties. or they can De absorbed through the ruiirs
suriace Of the skin. And that is tho case . "A
| person, IN thnt high state oi imprcssihllity
which, from all accounts. seems TO characterize
| Miss tQncher. Now. magnetz'r ~ ! know
for have been for seyernl years magnetilod
| twice a day-a maguctl2nr supplies that creative
principle. magnetic fed my vital force
! lust as Miss Fanchcr is fed hy breathing and
| through the nervous system and through tho
! skin The magneti2er'- force hy a process Of
| assimilation, entered into my vital powers. and
II
amount OF bodily heat. So that my mind wus en-
| iirely "mnncipnted from the Necessity of curry
| ing out thOs" processes in the body in which we
| are all constantly engaged. under ordinary con-
ditions. In fact, the reason why many oi Us
cannot command our powers il because we are
| too much anchored to earth. or frpightcd. e. Il
| We're. 10y those vital powers which consume our
mental energies. A. soon as he mind Is oman
! cipnted from the necessity ~ kecping the bod
| lily system from death. why lis inner senses urr
opened and strengthened. just ~ they are q fcw
moments before death. in almost eNeryhody's
cAse. Miss Fanchcr Is on the border land uf tho
| other world. very many times and whenever
| she is exactly there. she can hear sounds that
| are utterly inaudibe 10 common oHr-. and can
| see sights that no human eye can discern. AS
| she settles hack down into her circulation. her
muscles. and nerves. she drops out ot what We
| call III" lucid state. and becomes again sick
puticnt. and probably has some Of her disagree
| able symptoms, to alleviate which physiciuu-
| have - be- called in Then the hvstrrin comes
| in. Now am telling all This. You understand.
| from the principles am acquainted With bv
| PRACTICE in my own rusc, mud whom I Sec her.
may llnd som" Other d"tas. which may enlarge
| my knowledge Of her caeo.'
" Now, about the possible results. the ends 10
be attained by this clairVoyant and riairnudirnt
| condition. People have a curiosity To know
| why, II II exists rs Is claimed. 1t cannot H..
| turned 10 some practical account. What hUye
| you To say ON that subject ~
"a. Ia /. 10. 81