The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-25
FREAKS OF THE MEMORY.
Seeking a Key to the Mystery of the
Mind.

Washington Post.
The queer freaks of memory are con-
slant puzzle to those who study psychical
phenomena. Who has not been driven
to the verge of distraction by the total in
ability to recall a name when an effort
was made to do so, and when the Occa-
sion for such remembrance was past had
the missing name flash into the mind ap-
parently of it's own Voition? The year
1898 is nearing its close, but how manV
of us can recall readily the chief incidents
of the last ten months and say accurately III
what month they occurred? Try it and see.
Great minds have wrestled to find an
explanation for the pranks that memory
plays and have had to give up the ef-
fort. In the course Of a systematic at
tempt to arrive at some understanding
with regard to the wonders of memory a
very valuable and unique body of testi-
questions have been put to 200 American
university students and professional per-
sons, 151 being men and forty-nine being
women. The answers are here given with
the questions:
Question = When you cannot recall a
name you want does it seem to come pack
spontaneously without being suggested by
any perceived association of ideas? To this
i ily per cent answered No. ana o. Per cent
Q. docs such recovery ever come dur
ing sleep? To this II per cent. answered
NO and q per cent. Yes.
Some examples given:
This morning / tried to recall the
name of character | had read OF the nighI
taught a class, and walking home III the
afternoon all the names required TO me
without effort.
Ill tried to recall the name of book.
Gave it up. Half an hour after, while talk
ing of something else, blurted 1t out without
conscious volition
o. SOn seeing a sight or hearing sound
for the first time, have you ever felt that
you had seen Tor heard the same before?
F1fty-nine per cent. answered Yes.
The action of unconscious memory during
sleep is illustrated by further queries:
Q. 4-Do you dream? Ninety-four per
pC
o. 5-Can YOU wake at a given hour de-
ternined before going to sleep without wax
cent. answered Yes" Thirty-one per cent.
O. eff YOU can. how about failure? Six
ty-nine per cent. seldom failed; p per cent.
o. do you come direct from oblivion
into consciousness? Sixty-four per cent an
swered Yes and 10 per cent. Gradually.
II had to give medicine every two hours
exactly to my wife ea am wok very IN S eyepG
two hours, and never missed giving the
medicine.
III am always awake five minutes be-
fore the hour / set the alarm.
Ill had had little sleep for ten days,
and went to bed at ?. asking to be called
and dressed as the clock struck IL, and could
not believe l had not been called
A strange phenomenon has come TO light
in the course of the inquiry into the mystery
of memory. 1t has been discovered that by
gazing steadily at a crystal consciousness
is partly lost Into the void thus produced
those who have practiced crystal gazing find
that there enter unbidden, forgotten in
cidcnts and lost memories, To give a few
instances A lady. in crystal gazing. saw
bit of dark wall covered with white flowers.
She was conscious she must have seen II
somewhere. but had no recollection where.
She walked over the ground she had just
tTaversed and found the wall, which she had
passed unnoteed.
She took out her handbook another day
Shortly afterward she was gazing at the
crystal and saw nothing but the number
1854 She thought it was some hack num-
Der. but, taking up the handbook. found
to her surprise it was the number OF the
account.
At another time she destroyed a letter
without noting the address. She could only
remember tho town After gazing at the
| crystal some time she saw "S2i Jefferson
| avenue" She addressed the letter thus,
| adding the town. and found IL was right.
she had sat and studied eight years be-
| fore. She felt her feet moving restlessly
under the table, and then remembered
i that eight years before she always had a
| foctstool. 1t was this her feet were seek
/ ing.
| Psychical research brings &c light many
| cases or similar strange tricks Of memory.
/ II Is easy 20 find Instances that serve 70
/ deepen the mystery. II Is not so easy 70
/ give an explanation. The cleverest men
/ who have ATTEMPTED to do 50 have had 70
admit defeat