Los Angeles herald., 1891-07-26
WHAT MIND READING is.
NOTHING BUT CLEVER TRickERY
OR MUSCLE READING.
N. Gatchen Explains How Stuart Cum
berland and Washington Irving Bishop
Performed Their Surprising Feats-The
Scientific Explanation.

Performed Their Surprising Feats--The
Scientific Explanation.
The credulity of the American people
has often been imposed upon. The
Locke Moon Hoax" and the Cardiff
giant have been followed by the modern
ssmind reader" who claims for himself
powers of divination excelling anything
that has been known since the time Of
Christ. Mind reading, in the sense in
which the word is used by those who
pretend to possess the alleged power,
may be defined as the transference of a
thought-that is, a mental conception,
or an idea-from the mind of one person
to the mind of another, without the use
Of the known mediums of communica-
ton, which consist of the nerves of gen.
eral sensation and those of special sense.
Mind readers claim thsa this feat is
possible. In opposition to such claims,
submit that profane history contains
NO trustworthy account of its accom-
plishment. 1t never will be brought
about so long as man remains constituted
~ he is at present. It is opposed to the
principles of evolution and to all known
FACTS Of physiology. Notwithstanding
al that may be adduced to the contrary,
many believe that mind reading is one of
the possibilities, even if it is not one of
the actualities Of life. But the belief,
in every instance, is founded either on
insufficient evidence or on faulty OBJ
servation, or on disposition to mistake
the marvellous for the miraculous.
Norxx ooooup%o 1f o11aoo1 rvsx1 v-oo1
ing are purely fictitious. Others are ex-
aggerations of trivial incidents or misin-
terpretations of observed phenomena.
Others still are accounts of muscle read
ing. Those cases that do not belong to
the classes named are accomplished by
ixickery.
NOT EVEN IN HYPNoTIsM.
II there were any conditions under
which thought transference might occur
they would seem to be supplied by hyp-
notism. In the hypnotic state the mind
Of one person exerts over the mind of an
other an influence that surpasses any
thing with which we are acquainted
under ordinary conditions. But the i'm
possible cannot be accomplished even by
the aid of hypnotism.
It must be born in mind that in the
hypnotic state ones senses are intensely
acute That which ordinarily escapes
the attention of the most careful observer
is quickly detected by the sharpened
senses of tho hypnotist 1t is impossible
to make motion that he does not see
and interpret accurately. Thus, by virtue
Of his sharpened faculties, the hypnotist
win sometimes divine, though he can
not ''read" the thought of another.
Ofmodern mind readers the late Wash
ington Irving Bishop was the best known
IN this country. Mr.. Bishop was at the
Bame time an expert muscle reader and q
clever trickster. His most famous feat,
the one from which he gained the great
est notoriety and eclat was that of driv-
ing team of horses, while he was os-
tensibly blindfolded, at break neck speed
by a circuitous route through crowded
streets and finding at distant point an
object or name in book, previously
selected by committee.
For the amusement of my friends |
have several times performed this SEEM
irgly impossible feat, and in no instance
have my methods been detected. Its sue
cessful accomplishment depends upon
two things-the fact that one who is ap-
parently blindfolded can see distinctly
al the time, and the fact that the mem
bers of his committee are betrayed into
becoming his unwilling accomplices
HARDLY KNOW THEMSELVES
The testimony of all muscle readers,
especially during their first attempts,
has been that they do not know what
their methods are. EARLY success is a
self surprise. It creates the impression
that one is possessed of weird power.
This was my own experience. But, after
repeated experiment and close observa-
tion, am convinced that the facts ad-
INIT of rational explanation.
Primarily the results are all due to
single cause, but several different con-
ditions enter into their execution. In
making his way to the location of hid
den object the subject usually does not
lead the muscle reader, but the muscle
reader leads the subject. That is to say,
70 long as the muscle reader moves in
the right direction the subject gives no
indication, but passively moves with
0lu1. Iuo muSClo TtdueI perCeiNeS uOCu-
ing unusual. But, the subjects mind
being intently fixed on certain course,
the instant that the muscle reader de-
viates from that course there is a slight,
involuntary tremor, or muscular thrill,
ON the part of the subject, due to the sud-
den interruption of his previous state Of
mental tension.
The muscle reader almost unconscious
ly takes note of the delicate signal and
alters his course to the proper one, again
leading his willing subject. In word,
he follows the lines Of least resistance.
In other cases the conditions are reversed
the subject unwittingly leads the prin-
cipal He becomes so much interested
and his mind is so intently fixed upon the
object of his search that he is ohlivious of
everything save the attempt to find it.
Subjects have led me in this manner,
and have seen professional mind read
ers enjoying like benefit. Again l
have had subjects who would give pat
emit assistance at intervals and at other
times leave me to my own resources. 1t
must be said that this method of muscle
reading is exceptional, the usual one is
that first described. Dr. Gatche1l in
Forum.