The herald., 1893-09-03

of communication between embodied
minds than the five physical senses. II
any one doubts this proposition, let him
Investigate the phenomena OF mesmer-
lem, sometimes known as hypnotism.
Mesmerism was discovered a little
over 100 years ago. Like all other great
truths, which have flashed their brill
fancy over the scientific world, 1t had
been vaguely known and crudely prac-
ticed for ages. So far has it now ad-
vanced that in some countries it Is
regulated by law. It is thus recognized
fact.
1t has had many exponents since the
days of DIR. Mesmer of Switzerland, who
first formulated ita rules. In this coun-
try Messrs. Bishop and Robert Mclvor
Tyndall have been prominent as practi-
tioners OF this mysterious art.
That Bishop was acquainted with the
laws of some occult force, none who ever
saw the exhibition OF his powers can
deny. He would appear blindfolded be-
fore large audience. Some one from
the assembly would hide a trinket in
any part of the hall. Bishop would then
take the hand of the person who hid the
article, and go straight to it. Not that
he always succeeded, for, as he ex-
planned, the subject would sometimes be
in a resistant or non-paseive state OF
mind.
Again, he would come on the platform
and delineate on blackboard the num-
Der or letters of greenback previously
selected by committee chosen from the
audience without confederation on his
part.
Bishop always said that it was mind
reading pure and simple on his part, and
ever disclaimed that it was the work of
disembodied spirits or that it was ever
done by their aid. And he ever refused
to disclose the secret of making his
bread and butter" as he would remark.
Like all, or probably nearly all men Of
his class, he was subject to cataleptic
fits. During one of these spells he was
unfortunately dissected by some SUR
geons, but they failed ito find the
golden egg."
Tyndall is now on the scene OF action.
His powers are no less wonderful than
were those of Bishop. He not only
| finds articles secreted in any place, but
has extracted from criminals confessions
of the most wonderful character con-
cerning their misdeeds.
Tyndall, like Bishop, is not always
successful. He complains in cases oi
failure that his subjects are not passive.
Here, then, is q hint that, like all the
other forces of nature, mesmerism is
subject to law. Hence, the same ethics
are required here as elsewhere. These
laws must be understood. Like other
rules they too impose conditions and
penalties. And like all things in nature
they have forever existed. They are
new only as man discovers and applies
principles.
That is to say, that under certain fav-
orable conditions one man can read the
mind of another. Just what all these
conditions are may not yet be fully
known, as mesmerism as science is yet
in it's infancy. But enough is known to
lay down the following rule: The mind
of the subject must be perfectly passive
to the mind of the mesmerizer.
In such state the subject perceives
by his physical senses whatever the
mesmerizer wishes him to perceive.
The platform exhibitions of mesmerists
never fail to afford amusement. The
subjects mind is entirely given up, so
to speak, to the control of the mesmer-
izer, who makes him see, hear, feel,
taste, smell or imagine anything, and
ofttimes wrings from the inmost recesses
of his mind even long forgotten secrets.
Under the control of the mesmerizer,
the subject will speak or write eloquent.
ly, talk languages he does not know, dis
course learnedly upon subjects OF which
he is densely ignorant, describe scenes
which he never viewed, and perform
feats of which he would never dream
when free. aeae
And 30 wonderful is this power that
many who have been under it's control
are wholly unable to resiat it's influence,
but are subject to the will of the mes
merizer, who can at any time and place,
even upon busy streets, cast his spell
upon them. This is where its exercise
is exceedingly dangerous when used by
an evil minded person.
Still more wonderful is the fact that
mans power in this direction can be ex-
ercised over animals. And credulity it,
self almost staggers when the power ia
extended to things inanimate. The en-
cyclopedias and public libraries contain
much literature upon this great sub.
ject. and there those who are curious to
go into details can get full information.
Now comes a very important point,
namely: If one embodied mind can
thus control another embodied mind,
why cannot a diHembodied mind, if
there be such thing, thus control an
embodied mind? Certainly the nature
of the mind, if the mind does exist after
the dissolution of the body, cannot be
altered by such dissolution. 1t must be
still subject to the same laws whether it
be incarnate or excarnate.
IT, then there are minds excarnate
and they can mesmerize minds incar-
nate, the latter would naturally see,
hear, taste, feel or smell whatever their
controls might impress upon them. just
as the mesmerizer does. Further, they
would talk, write, or do whatever was
impressed upon them, just as other sub
jects do.
This being 60, it is possible to learn
from disemb bodied minds or spirits, If
they do exist, the fact of their exist
ence, and thus prove the Immortality of
the soul. B. A. @. STEPHENS.
Los Angeles, Sept. l, 1898.