The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-11-24
OUR THOUGHTS
IN PICTURE:
How Photographs are Made of the
Impressions Which Pass
Through the Mind.
BY Professor Raoul Boud,n.

10 mat VI tnes STUDY OF thought. A
western scientist, commencing In the
anatomy and physiology Of the brain.
a.ideayors 10 make these the basis for
"a sound psycnolosy. He passes then
t1sto the region of dreams. illusions, hall
lucinations, and as soon as he endeavors
to elaborate an experimental science
which shall classify and arrange these,
he invariably plunses into the astral
plane.
Dr.. Schraff, of Berlin. has nearly
crossed the barrier. and is we'll on the
way toward photosraphing astronomical
images. TO onta!n.ns pictures OF what.
from the materaalistc standpoint, would
be the results of vibrations in the gray
matter of the brain.
| DIR. Schraff states that he is snvestl-
gazing the suplIe forces by which the
soul-defined as the intelligence working
| between the body and the spirit-expresses
| Itself by seeking TO record its movements
| by means of a needle and its luminous
| but invisible, vibrations by impressions
! ON sensitive plates. He shuts out by
! ron-conductors electricity and heat.
| DR.. Schraff obtained various impressions
! by strongly thinking of an object, the,
! effect produced by the thought-fovm
| appearing on a sensitive plate; thus he
tried to-. project portrait of lady then
dead whom he had known. and produced
| an impression due to his thought of a
| drawing he had made of her on her
| daathbed. He quite lightly says that
! the creation of an object IS the passing
| out of an image from the mind: and it's
! subsequent naturalization, and he seeks
| the chemical effect caused on silver salts
| by this thought-created picture
! One striking Illustration is that OF
force raging outward, the projection of an
| earnest prayer. Another prayer IS seen
| producing forms like the frondS of a fern,
| another like rain pouring upward, if the
! phrase may be permitted. A rippled
! oblong mass is projected by three persons
| thinking of their unity in affection. a
, young boy sorrowing over and careSsing
| a, dead bird is surrounded by flood of
| curved interviewer threads of emotional
| disturbance. A strong vortex is formed
! by a feeling of deep sadness
Looking at this most interesting and
| suggestive series it is clear that In these
! PICTURES that which Is obtained is not the
! thought Image but the eff=ct caused in
| e'theric matter by its vibrations. and it is
necessary TO clalrvoyantly see the thought
| in order to understand the results pro-
| diuccd-
! All students know that what is called
/ the aura of man is the outer part of the
rloud-like substance of his higher bodies,
| inter-pene tratiny each other, ard extend
| ing beyond the confines OF the physical
| body, the smallest OF all. They know.
also, that two OF these bodies-the mental
| and desire bodies-are thoss chiefly con-
cerned with the appearance of what are
| called thought-fornns.
| MAN THE THINKER.
| Man. the Thinker. IS clothed in a body
| composed of .rlaumerable combinations of
! the subtle matter of the mental plane,
| this body being more or less refined in
| its constituents. and organized more or
| less fully for is functions according to
| the stage of intellectual development at
r-;,-
| mental body is an object of great beauty.
| tlm, delicacy and rapid motion of its
| particles giving it an aspect of living
| iridescent light, and this beauty becomes
| an extraordinary radiant and enhancing
! loneliness as the intellect becomes more
| highly involved and Is employed chiefly
on pure and sublime topics. Every
| thought gives rise to a set of correlated
! vibrations in the matter of this body,
accompanied with a marvellous play OF
| color, ike that in the spray OF a water
| fan as the sunlight strikes it
| The body under this impulse throws
| off vibrating portion OF itself, shaped
E, by the nature of. the vibratiorls-as figures
! are mace uy sand on d 'd:sN vibrating 10
| a musical note-and this gathers from
! the surrounding atmosphere matter like
| itself in fineness from the elemental
| essence OF the mental world. We have,
| tue.l, a thougnt-1orm pure ana simple.
/
animated by the one idea THAI generated
/ It.
When a mans energy flows outward
| toward external objects OF desire, or is
! occupied IN passional and emotional
| activities. this energy WORKS IN less
| subtle order of matter than the mental,
| in that of the astral world. What is
! called his desire body is composed of
| this matter. and it forms the most PROM
! nent part OF the aura in the undeveioped
! man.
| Where the man is of a gross type the
| desire body is Of the denser matter Of
! the astral plane, and IS dull in hue,
borwns ana dirty greens and reds
| playing a great part in it. Through
| this will flash various characteristic
| co.ors. as his passions are excited.
! a man of a higher type has his desire
| body composed of the finer qualities OF
| astral matter. with the colors ripping
| over and flashing through 1t fine and clear
| in hue While less delicate and less
radiant than the mental body, it forms
| a beautiful object. and as selfishness is
! eliminated ak the duller and heavier
| Shades disappear.
| THE GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
| Three general principles underlie the
| production OF all thought forms: 1,
| Quality of thought determines color;
| 2, nature of thought determines form:
| 2 definitenesS of thought determines
| clearness OF outline.
| Colors depend on the number of vibra-
| tons that take place in a second, and
| this is true in the astral and mental
| worlds as we'll as In the physical. II
| the astral and mental bodies are vibrating
| under the influence of devotion the aura
| will be suffused with blue. more or less
/! intense, beautiful and pure according to
| the depth, elevation and purity of the
| feeling.
| Affection. love. sends cut chords of rosy
| hue, varying from dull crimson, where
! the love is animal in its nature. rose-red
| mingled with brown when selfish. or with
| dull green when jealous. to the most
| exquisite shades of delicate rose Ike the
| early flusheS of the dawni1lS as the love
! becomes purified from all selfish elements
| and flows out in wider and wider circles
] of generous impersonal tenderness and
| compassion to all who are in need.