The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-09-07

image OF d thought MS own eye IN
the focus of lens in absolute darkness he
thought intensely of the face of certain cat.
After a long exposure, necessary on account of
the comparative grossness OF the Photographic
materials, picture was formed. The neg alive
shows rounded outline, evidently that of the
enlarged pupil of the eye, and in its center
was formed faint image, which could be mis-
taken for nothing other than cat An &C
count of this experiment was given in the
daily press, but its true bearing was first seen
ct Alealde.
After the foregoing experiments became
generally known through the daily press,
DR.. Jordan says, Asa Marvin read a paper
on these discoveries, calling the Camera
Clubs attention to their astral signiti-
canoe and showing that they demon
strated, In unique manner, the triumph
of mind over matter. The president OF
Stanford then tells of the experiment, the
following being his report:
Having thus shown the broad principles on
which studies in the new psycho-physics must
rest, Mr.. Marvin described special contrl-
vance or application of these principles to the
work OF the Camera Club.
He had devised camera with lens having
curved facets arranged on the plan OF the eye
OF the fly. To each one of the seven facets led
an insulated tube provided within by an cleo
trio connection, so that electric or odlc I'M
pulses could be transferred from the brain or
retina through the eye of each different OBJ
server to the many-faced lens. From the lens
these impulses would be converged on sensi-
gether in ordinary photography.
From the members of the Camera Club seven
OF those having greatest animal magnetism
and greatest power OF mental concentration
were CHOSEN for the experiment Connection
made from the eye OF these observers to
the corresponding parts OF the lens; then all
were TO remain in utter darkness and perfect
silence, each person fixing his mind on cat.
They were not 10 think OF any particu ar cat,
but OF a cat as represented by the innate idea
of the mind or ego itself This was highly i'm
pOrtant, for the purpose of MIR. Marvin was not
simply 10 fix by photography an ephemeral
recollection, as Mr.. Rogers and Mr.. Lee had
done; ii was TO bring out the impression of
ultimate feline reality. The innate image in
the mind was the object desired. One mans
thought OF cat would be individual, ephe-
neral, a recollection OF some cat which he had
some time seen, and which by the minds eye
would be seen again. From seven ideals, SYM
pathetcally combined, the true cat would be
developed. This combination is the essence of
sympsychography, term suggested by Pro-
lessor Amos Gridley of Alcalde, as distinct
from the ordinary biography of Rogers and
Lee. The personal equation would be meas
while the cat Of the human innate idea, the
astral cat. the cat which "never was on sea or
land but in accordance with which all cats
have been brought into incarnation, would be
more or less perfectly disclosed.
In accordance with this plan the experiment
was tried under the direction of Asa Martin.
BY the courtesy of the secretary of the club,
Miss Corintha Jones CT Alcalde,we are enabled
TO present copy of the resultant sympsycho-
III duFdnce OF the puDllCaIlOn OF the
regular bulletin of the society in which the
apparatus used is figured in detail.
1t Will be noticed that this picture is unmis-
takably one OF cat. But it is cat in its real
essence, the type cat as distinguished from
human impressions of individual cats. This
achievement, like the earlier ones OF Odin,
Roentgen, Rogers and Lee, opens great vistas
Tor future scientific research. The next ex-
pertinent viii be by similar means to photo
graph the cats idea of man.
As might be expected in q first attempt there
nn-nFF n a Inn nf ThA nc NJ
Gridley, the schoolmaster, had PLANNED his cat
on large scale, huge cat lace with gray,
radiant whiskers looking directly at the be-
holder. Most of the others thought of the cat
in lateral view or profile. These variant and
vagrant individual impressions naturally APP
peared on the camera before the other waves
were co-ordinaled and the reflex influences
came back from all to one, regulating and CO.
ordlnatlng the thought of the cat. Thus tn csc
preliminary mpressIons are recorded as ghost
pictures III various places about the plate be-
tore the ultimate composite view was achieved.
The delay In this regard has darkened the CEN
ter picture, interfering little with its perfec-
ton OF definition.
This darkening would probably appear in
other experiments on account of The long ex-
posture Sixteen minutesl thought necessary
Tor picture of this kind.
On the cats cheek is q curious black spot
or stigma which has not been fully accounted
Tor. From its sharpness OF definition it must
stand in some relation to each of the seven
persons whose thoughts were conferred upon
IT. one suggestion was that this the
blind spot on the retina in each of the sym
PHOTOGRAPHERS. But the blind spot marks
the point OF entrance of the nerve which goes
back TO the brain. While it may not have
visual power 1T is not unlikely that it is a
point OF special activity in topography. This
suggests that the black stigma may be the
yellow spot, or the macula lutea, the point of
acute vision, region on the retina where
odic forces would naturally be absent. Mr..
Marvin himself inclines To the opinion that a
microscopic examination OF the negative will