The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-01-15
STRANGE DREAMS.
Very Interesting Psychical
Phenomena.
SOME REMARKABLE VISIONS.
FOre-VisiOns and FulfiIIments of an Ex-
traOrdinary Character = Truth
Stranger Than Fiction.


which demands investigation. and the grow
ing interest in occult problems among the
most thoughtful people throughout the
civilized world, says writer In the Arena
for January. The old-time prejudice.
which, with supercilous arrogance, rele-
gated all psychical or extra-normal prob
lens to the realm of superstitious, is rapidly
giving place to spirit at once critical and
| yet truth-loving. From the evidence which
is now being carefully collected and sifted
by scholarly bodies and individuals, l am
led to believe that we are on the threshold
Of a new world of thought-a realm
which will far transcend In interest and
practical value the new world which the
evelutionists have given us in the domain
Of psychical science. Few people have
any conception of the widespread interest
among profoundly thoughtful people
| of to-day In matters relating to psychlcal
| phenomena. During the past year / have
| received scores, If not hundreds, of letters
| from persons who, though in many in
| stances unknown to fame, are accounted
| among the most thoughtful ana reliable in
| dividuals in the communities where they
reside; physicians, lawyers. clergymen,
| literary characters and men engaged in
| commercial and mechanical pursuits, who
| jects. but who have personally experienced
| or in other ways become cOgnizant of some
! of the various phases of occult phenomena.
These persons are now critically lnvesti-
| eating phenomena which a few years ago
| they would have dismissed as unworthy of
serious thought. / am constantly reeeiv-
| ing letters from every section OF the coun-
try, as we'll as hearing from the lips Of per
sons OF uDdOubted veracity who are
among the most Influential and re-
spected citizens OF the localities In
which they live, descriptions of vari-
Gus psychical experiences OF the most
interesting character, and covering so
wide range Of phenomena as to indicate
how varied and complicated in nature are
the appearances being encountered in this
little explored world. Many of the indi-
vidUals who bear testimony TO these appear
ances share the popular prejudice which
exists so widely against splrltuallsm; many
of them are strictly orthodox in their re-
ligious views. OF course. large proper
ton of these communications are conf
Dental, and cannot be noticed here.
Others, however. which | am at liberty to
discuss, will be sufficient TO indicate how
general the Interest is becoming and how
varied are the phenomena occurring. The
first case / wish to notice comes from David
Van Etten, one of the most Influential
attorneys Of Omaha, a gentleman who
enjoys very large and lucrative practice in
TIE supreme SOuIt "a NcUfhShu
The facts as related by Mr.. Van Etten
are as follows:
"In 1867 | left the home Of my nativity,
Kingston on the Hudson, and have never re-
turned. In 1869 | settled in Nebraska. re-
moving to the Republican Valley. in that
State, i'm 1901, where | remained until De-
tober. 1875. when | removed TO the city of
Omaha. and where have ever since resided
and still reside. During all the time / have
been in Nebraska, until 1884. / have not
heard OF OF from any person in or from my
native home. or directly or indirectly of,
from, or concerning the person | herein
refer to, or of or from any person related 10
her. or who had the slightest aequain lance
with her, or who ever knew Of the existence
of such person. She was my cou-
sin, several years my senior. good,
honest, faithful, unpretentious and an
ably married, with pleasant and af-
fectionate family, consisting of her
husband and two girls about and 10 years
of age. In fact, had only seen her a few
times in my life, except in the summer of
1861, when / spent few days of my summer
vacation at her home, hunting in the woods
and fishing in the streams of the foothills of
the Catskill Mountains, and never so much
as once had a conversation with her beyond
few minutes duration. and then always
with and In the presence OF her family. /
am thus minute TO show that there could not
ties between us indeed, she had always
been very much as stranger to me- This
was the state OF affairs when, one night In
the summer of 1873. in dream-many would
call il dream-lyiDg on my bed, as far as l
know, asleep in my house in the Republican
Valley, 1900 miles away from this lady,
not having so much as thought of her for
years, she appeared present with me. 1t
seems | went into her room, as if called
there. she lying on her couch bostered
up by pillows, in great distress. SEEM
ingly appealing TO me. as if might save her
from her terrible agony of pain. 1t almost
sickens me now as / recall that scene, so
vivid aud real was this terrible condition
presented to me, and yet did not see it, for
she was 1900 miles away, and IL had not yet
occurred. Remember this was in 1873. OF
course, when awoke, my dream if IL were
dream, deeply Impressed itself upon me.
can see the whole scene yet. seemingly as
did that night. To see woman in such
terrible condition, such frightful agony, an
acquaintance, relative-l could scarcely
sleep any more that night, and yet l re-
garded it then as merely dream. did not
learn until 1884 that my cousin was dead,
died of cancer in her left breast, and died
In terrible pain and suffering, and only
August 3, 1892, learned she so died on the
morning of July 10. 1878. five years after my
dream If II were dream. and precisely as
dreamed 1t five years before"
This remarkable case of provision might
be matched by several similar cases. When
we better understand the laws governing
such phenomena, and physicians come to
appreciate the possible value Of these fore
shadowings, many lives will doubtless be
saved which now perish. IT. for example
this woman had been skillfully treated to
prevent cancer before the disease appeared
she might have been saved. This case sug-
gests some interesting experiences given me
short tine since by brilliant young
ply sician who enjoys large practice in
small city In Indiana. "Freouently. he
said, while holding my patients hand, L
see. as If written on black board before my
eyes, the names OF medicines, with instruc-
tions to prescribe them. In many instances
thsy have been remedies should not have
thought Of using; but" he continued, 81
have noticed that whenever have given
the medicines so revealed TO me the most
gratifying results have followed" He then
related the following singular occurrence
which transpred two or three weeks prior
to his visiting my Office:
IL have friend who used to live at my
home city," said the physician, ''but now
resides In the city OF K, we correspond; l
had requested her photograph in letter
written short time before the experience
am relating. One morning l awakened
and looked at my watch. 1t was half an
hour too early to rise. and lay in nalf-
waking, housekeeping state, so favorable to
dreams. Suddenly l thought / was on the
street in front Of my Office and there saw
my friend with another lady acquaintance
who lives in my city, coming across the
street. l was at once struck with the pe-
culiar dress worn by my friend. / had
never seen her IN anything like il, and could
not fail to note the fact. At this iuncture I
awoke. dressed myself and went to INV Of
fee. which, after opening, / left for the
postoffice. The postmaster handed me a
package, which on opening found to be the
photograph Of my friend. was startled ON
looking at the photograph to find the dress
in which she had had the portrait taken
was the perfect counterpart OF the one / had
seen In my dream an hour before. and en-
tfrelV unliEe anv pOWn I had avar caa, To-