West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1886-06-18
MINO MYSTERIES.
strange Problems of the Braiu Tor Scicnc
60 Puzzle over.

strange Problems of the brain for science
60 Puzzle over.
There is in Great Britain a Society of
Psychical Research. which is occupied
With scientific examination of mr,mcr-
ism, claiuoyancc. mind-rcading.
gliOSt-Sccinc, Spirituali,m and all >imi-
lar phenomena. Il is composed of
gentlemen of various occupations. and
various religion, beliefs. who carefully
examine the singular psychcal phc-
nomcna reported by ,piritualsts and
others, 20 find out jus, what there i, i'm
them. One important service rem
dervd To the cause of truth by the So
cic,y was the examination and expos
urc of the trick, 10y which Madame
Blayat-ky, the thcoS ophi,t, was dclud-
ing even shrcwd and well informed
men I'm India. But the purpose of this
notice of the society Is 20 describe
briefly one class of experiments made
10y Il 1t was found that the mcsmcr-
lstS and other persons akin to them
were able 10 impress their own thoughts
upon the minds of mediums and to
remarkable extent. Therefore. these
gentlemen tested the matter among
themselves. TO ascertain Just how far
one mind could impress itself upon
another One of them, being blind
folded, was seated on chair and sup
piled with a sheet of paper and lead
pencil. Another left the room and
drew ON another sheet of paper what
figure he pleased. Returning TO the
room, holding this drawing before him
and fixing his mind mtrnth upon it.
he stood behind the blndfoldcd man
ON the chair. The man ON the chair i'm
a few moments began to draw, and re
pcatcd ON his paper the figure his friend
had skctchcd in the hall.
An accomplished hotanist. member
of the society, was selected to fix his
mind intcntly on "A botanical term and
see whether IL would be communicated
to the bliudfoldcd man He chose thc
name of rare East India plant, re-
Gently discovered. the name being "A
very unusual one and ot six on eight
~yllablcS. The man ON the chair wrote
II at once. Other experiments were
made TO ascertain the distance from
which ono mind could so impress itself
upon another, with very interesting re-
suits. ln one case, very carefully in
yestigatcd. IL was found that the
thoughts oi "A dying mother i'm England,
which she expressed in words to those
around her, were impressed upon the
mind of her son i'm India. II was also
found, as would bc expected, that some
minds would convey their thought, and
strong emotions more readily and dis
tmctlN than others, aud that some
would receive impressions with special
dislinctncs- and facility
Talking OF these tests recently with
friend, who has been "A professor un-
I'll within "A short time i'm an important
institution. he described trial made
at his residence by company of ac-
quaintanccs who were spending an
evening with his family. At his sug-
gcStion and aS an experiment which
might afford amusement and instruc-
lion, lady was chosen, was blindfold-
ed and seated on q chair, aud was fur.
nishcd with pencil and paper. The
professor left the room and i'm the hal
drew zig-Zag, nondcscript figure on
paper he held Returning and stand
ing behind the lady on the chair and
fastening bis mind intcntly ON his draw.
ings, she began i'm few moments Ia
draw slowly the irregular lines he had
put ON hi, paper
To test the matter still further hc
again left the room and drew as per.
feet a circle as hc could. on a fresh pa
per Returning, and under the same
conditions, the lady drew 70 similar
circle, then hc,itated a moment. and.
TO the surprise OF all, drew q
straight line from above the circle
down into it. I'm moment he rcmcm
hcrcd that on going out the second
time his first intention had been te
draw as perfect rcctanele as hrcould,
and that me had carried7out this nfcn
ton 30 far as 10 draw the perpcndicu
lar line of one side Of the figure, and
inadvertently left this line on the side
Of the paper when he changed his minc
i'm favor Of The circle The lady hao
| followed reversed order Of the pro
ce,scs of his mind, and. the first mt,n
tion being indi-tiuct i'm him, had i'm "a
hcsitating way repeated the straight
line and carried ~ into the circle. in
stead Of Keeping it outside OF it,
PhiiUdeiDhiu CuU