The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-02-20

nand, Bishop Thoburn, or the Methodist
Church, who has spent years In INDIA, Wig
orously declares the story my th. because
he made special but unsuccessful Efforts to
see the feat performed, and because ne
never met one he could trust who had seen
1t performed. The Bishop is probably mis-
taked-he has too little faith that way.
The conclusion OF the Medley case is thus
described In the original report:
In the presence of Colonel Medley and his staff
the toInD opened. The body of the aged
fakir was removed from the box, not differing IN
appearance In any way from the condition IN
which 1t was buried forty days before, except
that the linen clothes in which it had been
wrapped had rotted, and fell away at the touch.
The iakirs unwOund the bandages. removed the
red, putty-like preparation from the or1fces or
the eyes. nose, mouth and ears, and. with the
assistance of a native woman, washed the body
IN warm water and applied an unguent to the
face. The woman blew her breath in the old
mans mouth, passed her hand briskly over his
limbs and gave him smart slap upon the chest.
His tongue had in the meantime been put in
natural position, and respiration seemed to be-
gin with the blows of the wOman's hand. The
changes which passed over the features of the
old man during the last stage of these prepare
tons were awful to look upon Misery and
within five minutes after the breath seemed TO
re-enter his body the master fakir was himself
again.
1t is to be observed that our Rockford
professor makes no mention of needing
assistance In his safe conduct through his
experiment, and that Dr.. Tanner displayed
the right philosophy in declining to pro-
coed without It. While the Indian fakir
trains for the ordeal. IL is not likely that
his actual slowing away Is performed with
out the intermediate aid of mesmerism, no
matter how much self by nOtiZation Is de-
veloped and employed.
Let us, now examine into the rationale
OF such weird use Of the wonderful but
dimly understood psychical powers of the
human mind in an endeavor TO ascertain or
understand how the grave trick" is done
and think we must admit that 1t is done.
Fret, we must appreciate the difference
between the high-caste Eastern and the
average Western mind. The latter is
trained to individual consciousness self
mainly. and material things, having little
time to waste In the occult or mysterious;
while the former In his study abnegates self.
dives into the occult and mysterious, seek
ing o universal consciousness, reveiing
in mental states and psychic orgies of
which We have little conception. What
wonder, then, that we stand aghast at some
of the DEVELOPMENTS which, by the untir-
ing course of evolution, they have arrived
att In turn. while they have mastered
their own physiological and mental mech
anlsm, we have astOunded them 10y our
domination of nature and external things
through the mechanical sciences. And to
say that each Is satisfied probably ex-
presses the situation. Much of the learning
of the high-caste Hindus has come down
from prehistoric times, and 1t Is believed
that some of them are possessed OF physical
and psychical secrets which have been
handed down through the generations for
centuries. that are their most cherished
and precious possessions and through
which they work so many of their eo-called
physical miracles. AS Mrs. Besant said in
her recent lecture here. the word miracle is
but synonym for ignorance, and nowhere
can we of the West better make that ap-
plication than in studying this very sub.
ject.
The fakirs who do the grave trick" are
always of the Yogis class, the third of the
four degrees of Hlndoo probation and
emancipation (student. householder, yogis,
gnanll. and he prepares for 1t by practiclng
the suspension of breathing before alluded
to. The chameleon's wonderful ability to
assume the appearance of piumpness or
leanness simply by his different methods of
breathing had been noticed. as had the fact
that reptiles made use Of the same princl-
pie In crossing large rivers. air remaining
In the lungs after the blood had been fully
oxyGenated, rendering them eXtraOrdinar-
lily active either on land or in water. The
fakIr goes where the air is damp and uni
form. usually O cave, this of itself being
sufficient to cause the appetite to dimin ism.
He lives on milk, taken sparlngly at night
only. and uses no salt. Inaction and medI-
tation is the rule. and If he moves at all it
is very slowly. to avoid necessity for
can sit motionless for hours on
the top OF small high post. lit
orally hanging on Dy the Toe nails. w hen
he has well advanced he goes into the next
stage of scarcely breathing. which imparts
to the body a feeling of extraordinary light
ness, and after this comes the voluntary
trance and full suspension of all the senses,
sometimes self-iDduced. but when used for
the grave trick is finished off with the
mesmeric help OF a confederate. He is now
ready for burial and resurrection, or even
the former without the latter.
1t IS fair TO say that among these adopts
frvn iaft tcIo holf aEc
gardinR their performances-onepr actIcing
for gain and the other dlscouraglng such
use of its powers. And acting ON this cue
western world. are now looking into the
If yon will-discourage seance develop
ments and manifestations" as crude I'M
satisfactory and useless, as there is some
attain, even though slowly and pain fully,
and which cannot be communicated from
one 20 another. The occult facts OF India
date from before ell history, and have been
secretly handed down by teachers who un-
derstoOd them better than the teachers
and writers of historical times. and il 10
believ ed that into this distinct body of ex-
perience and knowledge the whole human
race is destined soon to rise. because of the
diligent investigation now being made in to
these matters, and that their com plete un-
tanglipg and full understanding will result
in bringing to US wonderful and added fac
ulties. w. b. CLARKE. NJ. d.
INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. Is.