The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-11-09
Dominated by x-facuIy He Tried
Experiment -Four Years Ago
IN THE PRESENCE OF A FRIEND,
Rsallzsf II Was q Daring Attempt and Was
Afraid He WouId Fall Conscious
All the Tine.

strong Chanler's first description OF The
action OF what he calls his "H-faculty'
and his first entrance into a trance. in
February. 1885,. is contained In 4 letter
and an opinion from Or. III. c. wood OF
the University OF Pennsylvania. which
was part of the evidence in the case.
which was concluded yesterday by the
decision OF the Albermarle County court
that Air. Chanler was sane.
The opinion was dictated by Dr. Wood
In the presence OF 'Mr. Childe." which
was the name assumed by Mr.. Chanler
In Philadelphia. after his escape from
BIoonningdaIe. IN th,s opinion Mr.. Chan
Ter makes tho following statement as 10
the way IN which he first passed into the
condition which he terms a "Napoleonic"
trance
in communicating with the N-tacuitN
by means of vocal automatism. which is
also one OF my trancelike states. ] was
informed by X-faculty that Il would like
me 10 90 into "A 'Napoleonic trance IL
gave me 20 understand that ! would rep
resent the death OF Napoleon Bonaparte.
This was in February. 1897. upon or
shortly after my arrival at the Hotel Is,
in New York citv.
DO IN order 10 produce the so-called
rance II merely informed me that when
the time came 10 would instruct me what
10 10 10 produce the trance.
~ distinguished sculptor. Mr. :, O..
calling al the Hotel X shortly after my
arrival while I was in bed in the even
ing my N-faculty gave me 10 understand
without Mr. s. q knowng 20. that II would
be the proper time for me Ia enter into
the Napoleonic trance.
81 asked Mr. :. G. II he would Ike 20
sec me enter a trance. ! was Interested
myself from a scientific point Of view, TO
know Just what I would do IN . trance
never having entered one before was
-al@e- -l+.4Easlad- 10 know -Xheller- the prng=-
noStication OF the <-facultN regarding
my face and features strongly rescmbling
those OF Napoleon Bonaparte in death
was accurate or false.
BEGINNING or THE EXPERIMENT.
.Mr. $. g expressed keen interest 70
sec me In a trance
II then took. under the direction Of my
x-faculi> small hand mirror which !
used for shaving. in both my hands and.
holding II rigidly extended above my
head. stared NJ my eyes for several mo-
nents without result
Il did not know but what the expert
r1ent was about 20 prove abortive and II
dlculous. ~ was one of the most daring
experiments ever entered for that rea-
xon.
"After minute or two Of complete
passivity and rigidity. for the first time
in my life I experienced the entrance TO a
trance. II is excessively interesting as
an experience.
'The first symptoms We're slow. deep
hrsaths utterly involuntary on ms part
gradually increasing IN force and fire.
quency until they resmbled what imag
inc are death saspS. by which ! mean Q
man diving and gaspinu for breath. Or
reply 10 a question from Dr Wood as u
whether he had ever seeu "a man die gasp
ing Mr. c said ne had not Memoranda
from Dr Wood that the description Is no
accuratel.
These gasps continued 20 increase Il
frequency and my mouth 90 distend an
remain open 70 its fullest extent.
'''rhis continued FOR several minutes.
should Judge ten. though J have no mean
OF Judging: I simply guess. ~ the en-
of the supposed ten minutes my hand
slowly placed the mirror or the bed m
ewes closed and the Napoicouic deaf
trance. so called by my N-faculty Ia
bcEGn.
''Of course cauont Judge having m
ewes shut, Of the resemblance Of nay fes
lures and face 90 those % Napoleon Bon
zparte IN death. All ! know Is from ti
remarks OF The persons who have witness
cd this Napoeonic death trance
mir. = 6 asked me 10 desist. and sa
"a Was very Affecting that be Was una
e.uStonled 20 seeing ono IN = trance. ar
asked me not % enter ~ again In his pre-
cnce"
.Qucstion by Dr Wood Wore you co
scioOs during this timor Answer -Entr
lx conscious during all this uulel
81 mentioned the occurrence "a few du
atcr 20 Nr : w af.d Dr. r. = when ih
were both visiting me: they express
=. desire 10 see me in the trance. 7. G
tered IL under the sam, conditions az I
fore Mr.. = g. Mr. ~ was so anect
hv the trance he acted as though he "a
itterslb- IN the presence of death. VIII
psring in fsverential tone 20 Dr. +
'n is exactly like Nspoleon's death ms,'
have the photograph of it az home
u 1fterward asked Air. W whether
had made that remark 20 Dr. r. Y. a
he admitted IL frankly
Questioned bN Tor WOod--How do y
came out OF those frances Answer
effort of conscious viii.
DIscAHDs sPIRITUALIsT1C THEoT
", the written opinion submitted
following questions are BY Dr. Wood q
answered by -.r. c.:
Nv--Do you hlieve that the results
,Re action OF the x-fanulty are due 90
urexencs az eny kind OF spirit or 20 -
itDsl irnuence In youI
no.
WIZ you believe there vas anyth
Supernatural IN thisT
c-No.l
w-Do you believe that the iudeme
delivered are infailibic?
C-No.
w-Do you believe that you have
.hese conditions the power Of prOph
bsyond rational forethought.
,C-So
In conclusion Mr. Chanier said
sntj-sDir4tuallstic- do not belieNc
.piritusllsn "A q Christian--I am
counnnunjcant of the Episcopal churcl
telj~ve In the existence Of spirits. br'
sxotber world, and disbeiieve ahsoll
- that there In ANY communication w
so~ver. direct or indirect. between US
human beings and dissmbodied rpirlu
thls world"
ssCsrtafr Sycamore 81 all right ~