The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1899-02-19
FREAKS OF MEMORY
QUEER FRANKS FOR WHICH THEE
IS NO ACCOUNTING.

The queer freaks of memory an
constant puzzle to those who stldy
psychical phenomena. Who has not
been driven to the verge of distraction
by the total inability to recall a name
when an effort was made to do so md
when the occasion for such remsm-
brance was past had the missing name
fash into the mind apparently of its
own volition?
Great minds have wrestled to find an
explanation for the pranks that memsry
plays and have had to give up the
effort. In the course of systematic at
tempt to arrive at some understanding
with regard to the wonders of memory
a very valuable and unique body of
testimony has been obtained The fol-
lowing questions have been put to zoo
American university students and pro
fessional persons. 151 being men and
40 being women. The answers are here
given with the questions
Question 1:-When you cannot recall
name You want. does it seem to come
back spontaneously without being sug-
gested by any perceived association of
ideas? To this IL per cent answered
mo" and 81 per cent ''Yes.
Question Docs such recovery ever
come during sleep? To this II per cent
answered NO" and IS per cent Yes. .
Some examples given:
l. This morning / tried to recall the
name of character l had read of the
night before in one of Scott 5 novels and
failed | taught class. and walking
home in the afternoon all the names re-
CURED to me without effort
> ! tried to recall the name of a
book Gave it up Half an hour later,
while talking of something else. blurted
it out without conscious volition.
Question 3.-On seeing a sight or
hearing sound for the first time. have
you ever felt that you had seen Tor
heard) the same before? Fifty-nine per
cent answered "Yes.
The action of unconscious memory
during sleep is illustr; ed by further
queries
Question 4.-Do you dream? Ninety
four per cent answered ''Yes.
Question 5.-Can you wake at given
hour determined before going to sleep
without waking up many times before
Fiftyn nine per cent answered Yes
Thirty-one per cent answered ''No.
Question eff you can. how about
failure? Sixty-nine per cent seldom
failed; % per cent often
Question DO you come direct from
oblivion into consciousness Sixty-four
per cent answered Yes and 16 per
cent Gradually.
Examples
l. l had to give medicine every two
hours exactly to my wife. l am very
sound sleeper. but for six weeks / woke
up every two hours and never missed
giving the medicine.
.. Iaam always awake five minutes
before the hour l set the alarm
g. | had had little sleep for ten days
and went to bed at 8, asking to be
called at midnight. l fell asleep al
once. l rose and dressed as the clock
stuck 10. and could not believe 1 had
not been called
A strange phenomenon has come tc
light in the course of the inquiry into
the mystery of memory. 1t has been
discovered that by gazing steadily at q
crystal consciousness is partly lost In
to the void thus produced those who
have practiced crystal gazing find that
there enter unbidden forgotten incident!
and lost memories. To give few in
stances: A lady in crystal gazing saw {
bit of dark wall covered with white
flowers She was conscious she mus
have seen it somewhere. but had II,
recollection where. She walked over tn
ground she had Just traversed anc
found the wall which she had passed
unnoticed.
She took ont her handbook anothe
day Shortly afterward she was gaZinl
at the crystal and saw nothing but tn
number one. She thought it was som
hack number. but. taking up the bank
book, found to her surprise 1t was tn
number of the account.
At another time she destroyed let
ter without noting the address. Sh
could only remember the town. Afte
gazing at the crystal some time sh
; saw 1921 Jefferson avenue She ad
: dressed the letter there. adding tn
town. and found it was right
2 A lady sat in a room to write whcr
n she had sat eight years before. She fel
> her feet moving restlessly under the t.
ble and then remembered that eigl
y years before she always had footstoo
: 1t was this her feet were seeking
Psychical research brings to hgh
many cases of similar strange tricks {
. memory. 1t is easy to find instance
4 that serve TO deepen the mystery 1t
not SO easy to give an explanation tt
- cleverest men who have attempted
|. do so have had to admit defeat. -Wasl
. ington Post.
n The Women of Belgium.