The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-02
HYPNoTIsM AND OCCULTIsM.
Subjects That Attract the Attention of
Intelligent People.


Subjects That Attract the Attention of
Intelligent People.
London Letter in Philadelphia Telegraph.
In these material w~ealth-hunting days
but little thought was given to SUCH mat
ters, and what vague traditions remained
of ancient wisdom was utilized in the main
by impostors, Gypsies and other such folks,
so that it fell altogether into disrepute with
the general public. But more recently, es-
pecially as a result Of the marvellous eX-
periments of Professor Charcot. DR.. Lynes,
the Nancy School, M. de Rochas, Papus,
and others, the world has suddenly aWak-
ened to the fact that hypnotism is a reality:
A great reaction is now taking place, and
immense efforts are made to disinter the
writing of the ancient magi, the kabbal-
lists, the Hindoos. and other masters of
what is called occult science. As we pro-
gress in the knowledge of what can be done
by mechanical means so do we progress in
the discovery of what can be done by men
tai means. Thus it came about that AFTER
having read in the Strand Magazine what
can be done by te~legraphy, / seized the first
opportunity to see what can be done by tel
epathy.
Passing through Manchester, I saw an
announcement that a Mrs. Victor Andre
was to give a seance of thought reading at
the Free Trade Hall, and, though | had but
little hope of seeing anything really, inter
eSting, / went. Mrs. Andre is a handsome,
tall, stout. powerful woman, and not at all
like the frail, hysterical subject l had ex-
pected to see. In the early part OF the
evening she Is brought OH tie stage dllo L
soon noticed nervous twitches that sug-
gested she was not quite in her normal con-
dition. She walks up n down, examines
the auolsnce, and sometimes catches the
eye and fixes some one. She is then seeking
to enter into sympathy with the people
around her. During this time paper and
pencil is handed round, and any one may
write a question on the paper, which the
writer folds carefully and s%ecretes in his
pocket without letting any one see what he
has written. Mrs. Andre is then led off
the stage, and Mr.. Andre proceeds to give
an entertainment of c%onjuring, ventrilo-
quism, cinematographic and dioramfc
views, etc. When this is over Mrs. Andre
is brought back, and, after a short. con-
vulsive struggle, is thrown into a deep
sleep by Mr.. Andre. Her eyes are shut
tight.
Mrs. Andre then proceeded to answer the
questions. There is not time, even if she
had the power, to answer all the questions,
but l should say she answers twenty-five
or thirty persons. First she identified the
person by describing the clothing worn,
often giving details of objects that cannot
be seen, n sometimes even the name or
the person, and then answers the question.
1t is only after the answer has been given
that an attendant asks whether 1t is correct
and demand the paper TO prove to the au-
dience that the question had really been
asked. Some questions are answered which
had not been asked, had not been written
down, but only thought of by some member
of the audience. 1t is those who think most
intensely. whose minds are most troubled,
that have the best chance of obtaining. a
~ Ill q NOAdy b. AAC 40 AAAG
Signor Marconi's machine for producing
and sending electric vibrations through
space; and MRS. Andre. when under hyp-
ceiver, which chronicles these vibrations.
But there are two features in Mrs. Andres
replies, one the accuracy of which it is
difficult to deny, the other is much more
open to doubt. That she should be able to
feel and to state what exists is compre-
hensible, that she should. be able to
%prophesy will occur is far more open
to doubt.
In this respect Mr.. Andre, in an interview
which / sought and obtained, showed him.
self to be equally doubtful. For instance,
he will never allow any question to be pu
with regard to betting events. This, he
explained, is what happens: A man asks
which horse will win the Derby. While Mrs.
Andre is seeking to answer another man
who has bet heavily on, let us say. a horse
named Doncaster, is thinking that Don
caster is certain to win. The vibrations
produced by this thought strike Mrs. An
Dire, and she answers at once Doncaster.
This is no prophecy on the part of Mrs.
Andre. She has been simply the uncon-
scious transmitter of another persons
thought, who, as often as not, is quite mis-
taken. l was so impressed by what | had
seen that | went a second time and took
with me a friend VINO had never heard of
clairvoyance before, but l had noted that
the horizontal lines on his hand were much
stronger than the vertical, so l thought he
might nave sufficient force of will to get an
answer: ''Will the Greeks fght?" and as
Sured me that he managed to get his
thoughts on that one question during the
whole time, which was more than / was
able to do. He also succeeded in catching
Mrs. Andres eye, and they had a good
earnest stare at each other. After Mrs.
Andre had answered several persons she
turned in our direction, and, raising her
hand towards US, said: There is a gentle
man there with a red scarf; he is think
ing a great deal about the Greeks; he asks.
will they fight? Tell him they will not
fight" Now, l can guarantee that no one
saw what my friends question had been,
and that this was a bona ide case of
thought reading. AS for the prophecy, ii
has probably no other basis than the fact
that my friend himself is |ferVently con-
WINGED that the Greeks will not fight. and
Mrs. Andre, like a faithful te~legraphic re-
ceiver. re-echoed his thought. Still this is
wonderful enough. OF course, many proph-
ecies have proved correct, just as this
about the Greeks may prove correct, but
how far are such true prophecies due to
psychic influences or vibrations actually i'm
existence at the time or to a real power
of seeing into the future?
h is again most wonderful is the dis
lance at which these vibrations travel, and
jim this the human forces far exceed those
of Signor Marconis machine. For instance,
at Bolton the other day a mother had lost
her daughter, who had run away from
home. Mrs. Andre answered her question
by indicating Il street in Hull where the
daughter would be found. This was COM
municated to the police. who found the
girl at the place indicated and brought her
home. In front of me was seated an elderly
gentleman with his wife; he was told that
he was wondering how his daughter would
get home, and that she was a long way off
at the antipodes. The gentleman at once
admitted that such was his question. and
that his daughter was in New Zealand.
A lady sitting close by me was told she
was anxious about a brooch which was lost.
The brooch bore the initial NJ. and was
surrounded with pearls, it had been lost a
week ago. and the lady had a ring on her
finger with similar pearls. This was all
absolutely correct, and the ring could not
have been seen. for the lady, to my knowl-
edge. had never taken off her gloves. An
other lady was told exactly the amount
of silver spoons and their different sizes
which had been stolen from her house; that
they had been sold; that she would never
get them again; and that the person who
years old. one lady asked whether she
was going TO marry, at which, much TO her
CONSERVATION and the amusement of the
audience. she was told that she had already
been married once, and there was no pros
pect of her marrying again. Fortunately.
Mr. Anlpa zghn lnar1 ~ "a Dva 1nnlxnnf nuVR