The Hazlehurst signal., 1885-11-05


1885" In this the story is told OF Q
fakir who wandered about and allowed
himself to DO subjected to intcrmeni
whenever he was well paid. arranging
the length of time according to the
amount of his reward. Hc was buried
within the four walls OF a small house,
the door OF which was then walled uT
and guard placed. Four weeks after
ward tho body was taken up and found
IN the same position rs when placed.
The teeth were so firmly pressed to-
gc,her. however, that an iron instru'
ment had to be used before the mouth
could be opened and water tricklcd into
the throat Consciousness returned
slowly. tho fakir began I" speak III q
low voice, ahd ai,or awhile grew sc
lively that he expressed his readiness
to submit to burial year longer II only
the Prince should command him.
In another case fakir was buried
without first being placed in box.
The experiment was made at q military
station. and tho officer in charge be-
came so frightened that he ordered the
disin,crmcnt after only few days
Though the process Of rcviviiication oc'
cupicd more than an hour, 1t was sue.
ccssful,
Prof. Prcycr, in his work "Erfors.
chung dcs Lcbens." says that mum.
bcr of cases OF this kind have been ver-
iiicd. and reports at length on the
preparations which the fakir. must oh.
serve. Prcyer, indeed, comes to the
conclusion. from study of cases OF
suspended animation Of men and aai.
mails, that between life aud death there
is another condition. which he styles
anabo,sc or lifclcss. The winter sleep
Of animals, which. without breaking.
and with n minimum movement OF the
heart, lie in state of torpidity. during
which they can be placed under water
or land, in the midst Of dangerous
gases. can evidently not be callci life,
nor can it be termed death, since de-
composition does not SGT in. The Ger
man ,ayaut comes to the belief, there
fore, that there Is state in which
consciousness and the functions OF
life are brought to a standstill. but in
which the capabili,y OF existence re.
mains Life is cxtinguishcd. but death
has no, begun It's work. To bring on
this condition at will Is, therefore, the
fakir's art and secret Braid goes into
long discussion rs 10 how the fakirs
came to discover their mysterious art
sometimes called jugglery. He cites n
passage in the Dabis;an. which says
that the Fogins had the custom, when
afflicted with any disease from which
there was no hope Of relief. to put
themselves in condition resembling
the winter sleep Of animals. and then
allow thcmsclve, to be buried in order
to be spared the terrorS Of gradual dis.
solution and suffering. He believes
that the accidental disintcrment of such
an individual led to the fakirs' dscov.
cry. and that fresh mir brought the
patient to life again. DR.. du Prel, how.
ever. does not accept this explanation.
rather inc4ining to the view that the
custom OF the fakirs allowing them.
selves to be buried alive is an abuse Of
the earlier exercises done in the service
Of the ccstatlc phases Of their religion
The net OF putting ones self in q
somnambulistic ecstatic condition
has always played o great
roe in Indian philosophy and
religion, and the fakirs s--tho lowest
grade in the order Of Brahm'ns-have
developed the mystery to its present
phase of apparent death. burial. and
rtvivifica,ion for the purpose OF gain.
ing n comparatively easy livelihood.
This capacity. however, is only one OF
tho many remarkable powers OF which
the Indian fakirs are possessed. DIR. du
Prcl refuses to place their productions
in the category Of 'jugglcry." and
says in conclusion: Every Orientalis,
knows that there is no jugglcry in the
burial OF these apparently dead fskirs.
We have undoubtedly to do with avery
remarkable psychical power, of which.
at present, we know but very little. II
is TO be hoped that European scientists
will eventually mako the fakirs the sub
jects Of their earnest Investigations.
Whoever takes in hand tho book Of the
French savant Jacoliot Voyage de
Pays des Fakirs Charmeurs. and there
in reads about the experiments made
by the Fakir Cowindasamy in Benarcs,
will quickly come to the conviction
that We Europeans have much to learn
in India. of which at present we have
only the faintest glimmering."-& y.
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