The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-10-09
SECTION THREE
MYSTERIOUS FEATS OF INDIA'S FAKIRS
FREDERIC j. HAsNN

she was lost in the clouds. the mother
meanwhile being unable 10 cry out or
move. as if she were in sort Of wax
ing nightmare suddenly as she
watched she saw small spot in the
clouds, and as it grew larger il took
the form Of her baby in the arms OF
the girl. Who gradually descended 10
the deck and laid the child carefully
beside its sister Just then the mother
had the power to break away from the
circle, ana, rushing 10 the side Of the
hammock, she eagerly snatched up her
child, only to find it asleep and unhurt.
How could you let that strange wo-
man take your little brother away?'
she screamed TO her astonished little
daughter. The child replied: Why.
mamma. brother has been asleep here
by me all the time: no one has touched
him II was bat an illusion.
Tricks Are Merely Illusions.
There can be no doubt about these
performances being Illusions because an
attempt to photograph any OF them
reveals nothing but an empty plate.
These fakirs simply have the power 10
make YOU see things which do not eH-
list TINS first principle underlying the
whole business il that a strong viii
subdues a weaker one. and therefore.
the first necessary condition Of produc-
ing magical effect is an increase in
the power of thought. The Hindus.
owing TO that intense love for solitary
meditation. which has been one OF their
most pronounced characteristics from
time immemorial. have acquired men
tai faculties OF which we OF the west
ern and younger civilization are totally
ignorant. TT outward organs can he
developed by persistent effort as the
children Of athletes and acrObats I'M
prove upon the prOWess of their pa
rents. i'm the Same-way mental powers
may be developed and perfected. The
Hindu has attained past masters de-
gree in speculative philosophy. He has
retired for meditation and speculation
for years to the silent places of his
land. lived a hermit. subdued the body.
and developed the mind. thus winning
control over the weaker minds in conse-
quence.
Hypnotism is the Only Answer
"Hypnotism seems the only answer
to the mystery A man who can even
hypnotic any part OF his own body.
cause his heart to stop visible pulsa-
ton, his skin TO grow cold. his eye to
become fixed. and his breath 10 depart,
has an awful power. Many Wen au-
thenticated accounts are given of vol
untary intement. the most wonderful
of which has become historic-that OF
the fakir at Lahore. who remained 10
the ground in a sealed coffin. to all ap-
pearances dead, for forty days.
@Keilar the famous English msgi-.
clan, visited India many times in the
hope of learning something about In
dian magic, but at last he was forced to
tell Queen Victoria when she inquired
if he could initiate the Indian wizards.
that he could only initiate them by
means of appliances. wires and dark
! room. and by these create an illusion.
but that he was no nearer TO knowing
how these marvels were wrought than
when he first endeavOred to penetrate
the mystery. Kellar dwells particularly
upon the power of levitation. or ami
hilation+of gravity, which these people
seem TO possess
The Secrets of the East.
ITO attribute the power of the Hindu
conjurer 10 hypnotism does not detract
! from its marvellous character. II the
brain Of another can make me see and
/ taste and hear things quite different
! from what they are. il only renders the
! phenomena all the more mysterious.
! Hindustan. that earliest cradle of our
] race, and of civilization. still holds the
/ key to many mysteries. The Hindu
/ preserves his secrets in the shade Of
| his palm trees. in the jungles and wild
! recesses of the mountains, and behind
! the walls OF his temples He alone is
master of arts which tax the ingenuity
of our best ressOners, and win tax them
/ for ages to come"