The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-07-19


 t is sh6za
 h aIl pulrsnancss into which decep- ton enteTs t is vel so give your audi ence an ervooeous idea of how what yoa are doing is done.
 The object ln requiring the subject to grasp your hand tightly Is to have the muscular tension sufficiently strong 70 that the impulses win be perceptble. An arm perfectly limp vili coavey nothing any more than one perfectly rigid. it s well to give nervous tremos to the hand for i, serves both to make the operation more mysterious and to cover up the action nf the subject This is only re- quired at 6rst before you have started for the object, for to stand still wiah but a few desul,osy motions till the subject gives you a pull one way or another would indicate too plainly who did the reading.
 When in position ready for work the hand and arm of the subject mus, be moved here and there a few tunes rather quickly. and if the ob'ec, IS somewhere n the room the subject mus, be led A fer paces in one or two directions. These are 10 give the sub ect start, and good operator need do no more. the subject wsii make a bee" line for the object and when ;he hand IS within a few in- ches of 1t the operator could not in most cases prevent the subject from touching II. As the operator runs the hand up and down the keyboard Of a piano. giving sudden pulls this way and that, tt will be readily discovered that in every direction ou, the Iik ht one-toward the key thought of-the subject resists going. IL requires an effort to pull the hand away from the proper key, while towards Ii the hand moves readily. hence all that is to be done is to permit the subject to point out the key. In moving about room or about house after something it IS rus, the sar,e. the subject will go will ingly towards the object, but must be forced to go otherwise.
 It is not every one who can be success ful the first time trying. IL requires little practice 10 be able 10 become en- tirely passive, and il requires some prac- t,ce to recognize and obey the muscular impulses of the subject. But nine per sons ou, of ten can read minds 10 a greater or less extent after a few trials if they observe the necessary conditions. That IS, they can read them according to the method here given : but there are operators so skillful as to almost make one believe that some occult influence Is at work, even though one knows better. One of the most successful operators that ever appeared before the public was NIT. Brown. So remarkably skillful was he that i, was hard to believe that he did not really penetrate the thoughts of his subjects His method was far more artistic and difficult than the one have destribed. He would take the left hand of his subject and place the back of it against his forehead and press upon the palm and fingers lightly with one of his hands. In this position it is possible to detect the slightest ,remor. Moreover. it serves the purpose of mis,ifying the au- dienee. IL is hard to believe that an operator could become with this method universally successful yet he can. Brown could discover the minutest objects thought of, even 10 letter on he page of book or newspaper. In the first method i, was not so much muscle read ing as simple passivity that succeed. In Browns method the operator must de termine from the muscles of the subject just where and what the object IS. He must actually read the muscular and nervous vibration to find whether he is near the object or not.
 Another method is for the operator to come into the room after the object is hidden. Two persons who knos where the object is stand beside him, place both their hands on his body, one in front and one behind, and then stand . few seconds, when the operator will go directly to the object. The two unknow- ingly lead him to it. This method is comparatively easy, and is practiced by many who do not know just how they find the objects. In fact, many good mind readers cannot tell how they find what is thought of. They imagine it is mind reading, yet cannot at any moment in the operation tell what gees on in the mind. and muscie-reading they never thought of. The fact that good readers-honest ones believe is to be a magnetism of some sort, helps to deceive observers. Browns double test seem al first blow 10 the muscular explanation. He would place the hand of third party against his forehead as usual while the true sub 'eot grasped the wrist of the third party. Now, if Brown could read the mind through the wrist and hand of a third party, shy not through the whole body This he could not do. The connection between him and his true subject must be SO short that the muscular tremors of the subjects hand could communicate them selves to him.
 shall describe one more performance tha, deserves to cap the climax in the way of muscie-reading. The operator was a young lady. She left the room, and the company present vas requested to say what they would have her do. It vas de- eided that she should be biind-folded and brought into the room and placed facing north that the gentlemen who knew what was to be done should then place his fingers on her shoulder; that .he should immediately turn to the right, facing south, and proceed to a certain