The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-19
S-O-O-O-C-O-O-1
! DR.. BUCHANAN, I
O Q
! Psychologist, !


III Il II x II u
from animals. Its basis is q clear per
ception of the nature of things, and the
power Of grasping many causes that
may cooperate in producing a result.
Sagacity may make simple. predic-
tons, but it requires great breadth of
mind to reach surprising results.
There are some who can look at a
promiscuOus heap of any material and
make q correct prediction of its weight
that is mathematical sagacity.
There are others, like the late John c.
Breckenridge, who can tell almost ex-
actly the result of an approaching
electon-that is mental breadth com
bined with sagacity.
But there is something beyond this
"a prophetic power, which has always
been recognized by mankind. which
sometimes comes without apparent
generalization, as in the famous case
Of Gazette at the beginning Of the
French revolution, who terrified
small group of the French aristocracy
and iterat in Paris by telling each
one of his coming death within six
years, and his own death included.
excepting one-La Harpe, an infdel,
who he predicted would become a.
Christian. Every prediction was strict
~ fulfilled. We have also great many
predictions by individuals OF their own
death.
FOrty-five years ago I published the
prediction of General BEN of Hun
gary, who gave the exact date of his
own death and said he saw it men
tally on his tombstone. 1t was literally
fulfilled.
How are these things to be ex-
planned? The explanation is that the
soul Of man has powers that transcend
the action Of his brain, and when there
is a partial emancipation Of the soul
as in trance or dreaming, or ap-
parent death, reach far beyond the
common reasoning faculties. 1 know
several who have prophetic PRESENT.
ments, and the Royal Academy of
Medicine In Paris long ago recognized
the fact that mesmeric subjects in
their frances made correct predictions
of the course of disease or fate of
patients.
The famous Captain Riley, whose
travels in Africa fascinated all bows
in my juvenile days, had one Of these
marvellous prophetic experiences, which
has never been published. I learned. of
it from his son. Captain Riley settled
in Ohio. Being engaged with his neigh
pors IN raising a log house for a friend
one of the timbers fell and struck him
on the head. He was knocked down
insensible and supposed to be killed.
He lay unconscious at home several
days, and when he recovered told his
family that he had not been really
unconscious but had found himself in
the spirit world, where he met old
friends. He had no desire to return to
earth, but they told him that he had
to return and live thirteen years
longer; that after returning he would
revisit Africa and also France. He
had no expectation of. making such
visits, but he did go to France to
consult surgeon, and when there
visited Africa.
The family never alluded to the pre-
diction of his living only thirteen
years, trusting that it was a mere il
fusion; but in the thirteenth year he
visited New York and sailed from
there to the West Indies. On the voy-
age, without any apparent disease, he
died sitting in his chair, apparently of
old age.
The writer claims no spiritual or
prophetic power, but considers the
future a matter of calculation from
scientific data. for the whole visible
universe moves with mathematical
regularity in stated periods, which are