The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-07-19


 If then the opesaser could rcd the subjects mind he could lead him b the person thought of. This vas a fair test of mind reading, and test that the op- erafcr promptly declined. had, before the entertainment. fcrmed an opinion how mind-reading was accomplished and proposed this test to make sure my idea was correct
 After the professors little exhibisior in my ofhce 1 gave some though, to mind reading and made few trials on my own account to the satisfaction of all who wit- messed them.
 That il vas not mind-reading. strictly speaking, was obvious d, once, for in no case did the operator tell what vas pass ing in the subjects mind. That 1t was not mind-reading in any sense of the word was equally plain, for the operator. even if he knew what the sublecs was thinking of. was blindfolded and could not % without being led to the object thought of. Here then was the key to the mystery afforded by the operator him self. He vas hlindfolded and must nee essarily depend on the subject to lead him, unless 1t should be claimed tha, the operator could use the sublect's eyes, which claim would require more audac- ity than even mind readers possess. This fact that the subject leads the op- orator once noted and all IS plain any one can attempt mind reading with more | or less success, but several conditions are absolutely necessary and some skill is re quired. It might be added here that in an operation of this kind cheek IS re- quired. There must be no appearance of doubt or hesitancy on the operator $ part. He must impress the subject with . confidence in his abilities to perform whatever he undertakes.
 My first attempt was with a young lady seated af piano. Taking her hand Ia mode for the operation requested her to point her fore finger ou, straight and intently think ef one of the keys. Pressing my night hand on her bro., l made the preliminary nervous twitches. closed my eyes, and went up and down the key board once or twice. then giving my fair subject her own way she placed her finger at once on the key.
 Several circumstances combined to make this first attempt successful. The choice of a piano key was fortunate one, because there was very slight chance of my deciding in my osn mind shat particular key it was, such decision be- ing fatal to success. The young lady had never seen mind reading, was ment- ally above the average. being able 10 hold her mind to O le object for the re- quired time, and last but far from least she had no bangs to diszrange or in- visible net to tear. l have known many good operation spoiled entirely by elaborate bangs, and many an otherwise good subject made unconseiously cratic by an invisible net. Solici,ude for the bangs or net under the operators tremu. lous right hand abstracts the mind and immediately puzzles the operator, who fails to find the muscular impulses to. ward the object that should exist. My next attempt was somewhat more ambitious. It was after an article hidden in the room. left the room while it was hidden, came in, stood at the lief, side oi my subject, and took her left hand in my left always prefer ladies for subjects, not that their mental qualification are higher. but they are less apt than men 10 think they know more about what IS be- ing done than you do yourself Shut ting my eyes we perambulated that room in rather an aimless manner till after little allowed my subject to lead me near table on which was a vase. A, that moment unluekily for my operation, ] opened my eyes and seeing the vase determined in my own mind that the hidden article was there and so said. This was wrong. It was beyond the table on mantle, and we were going directly to it when saw the vase. Had 1 kept my eyes shut the article would have been found. This was the first oi many experiences which ,augh, me some of the conditions essential to success as a mind-reader, more correctly music reader.
 made some amusing use of my i'm ited skill, finding out the ages of people, what persons, out of a number written down, the subject though, the mos, of. etc. It would even be possible to dis. cover momentous secrets in this way Ii only the data could be written down SC that the subject would unconsciously think of some of the writings. 4 young lady's age can be discovered in several ways Place the years down on slips of paper and she will keep her mind on the one corresponding with her age, !, and her hand will go to it fairly sgains, her will.
 The following conditions must be ob- served:
 The subject must keep his mind in- tently fixed on the subject. The subjec, must do all the thinking. The operator mus, have no thought of where he is going nor desire to go anywhere excep, where he is led. He must be entirely passive in the hands of the subject, not withstanding that the contrary IS sup posed to be the case The muscles of the subjects arm must be flexible and easy, without being limp, not rigid. For if held stiff and rigid those muscular inn pulses which direct the operator ~ill not be made. The absolute ngidity of arm which a strong man can assume defeats the most skillful operator and proves