The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1906-05-17

-
Of that which is Just beneath the thrcsh-
old Of consciousness. or the snbr"h-
sciOus mind
Within q comparatively recent period
the fact has become established OF Il men.
tai duality-that there il q conscious
mind and a subconsciOus mind-and 1t IL
to the psychological phenomena OF the
subcOnsciOua. or sublimimal mind that !
will ask your attention this evening
Through all ages certain mysterious
phenomena have caused wonder and per-
plexitv to mcn-such as apparltlOns or
ghosts, the warnings. premOnltiohs AMI
disclosures received in drrams-the pow
or of certain individuals to see and de
scribe things that were beyond the phys
zeal vision Of the rlatOr-the accurate
prognOstications % s"t rs and prophets,
the miraculous hca' J.: OF the sick, the
reputed manifesto L5 OF discarnate
spirits by SYSTEM rapplnga. table
tipping and other manifestations, the
wonders Of planch1ttc, invisible slate
writing. crystal gazing. etc.
For a long time the world OF science
Looked askance or with cold disdain
upon all these phenomena discrcdltIng
their reality, and regarding them as ia
bles and halucinatiOn%. But as the
the testimony Of men . ~ ~: and un-
doubted veracity was addc I. and par
ticularly after the development I'll the
cult OF spiritualism. the scientific world
felt Obliged to study closely such phc
nOmena and to strive to discover how
much was really true and how much was
false
Accordingly, Il number OF men i'll the
highest walks OF science were moved to
organize in 1852. the Society for PsychO-
logical Research. The firstIPresidemt of the
Society was the late Professor Henry
Sedgwick the very eminent lOgician OF
Cambridge University, England Among
the Nicc-presidcnts, We're Mr.. Arthur
Baliour. now Prime Minister of England,
Mr.. Richard II. Hutton. editor of the
London SJJerfafOr. Mr. Henslcigh
WedgewOOd. the brother-in-law OF Chas.
Darwin. Among other distinguished
members were the late f. W. H. My
cr4. one OF the abrst Of latter day inycS-
tigat Or4, Sir William CrOokcs, the invcn-
tor OF the CrOokes tube used i'll \ ray
work, DR. Richard iiodgsOn. the present
secretary OF the Society American
Branch. Prof. William James, OF IIar-
ward University, the late Prof. :. +.
Langley OF the Smithsonian Institute.
Washington. ID. e.. Lord Raleigh the
Marquis of Butte, the Bishop of Ripon,
and Prof. Max DcsOir of the University
of Berlin.
The object of the Society is explained
in the following language:
1T has been widely felt that the pres
ent is an Opportune time for making an
organized and systematic attempt to i'll
yestigate that large group of debhtable
phenomena designated 10y such terms rs
mcsmerlc. paychical and spiritualistlc.
Prom the recorded testimony OF many
competent witnesses past and present,
including observations recently made by
scientific men of emmcncc i'll various
countries, there appears to be, amidst
much illusion and deception, an impor-
tant body OF remarkable phenomena,
which are prima facie ineXplicable on any
recognized hypothesis. and which, il i'll
contestnbly established. would he OF the
highest value.
The special subjects Of investigation
are stated as follows:
list. An examination of the I.aturr
and extent uf any influence which may
he exerted by one mind upon another.
apart from any generally recognized
mode OF perception.
2nd. The study OF hypnotism and
the forms OF sO-called mcsmcric trance.
with its alleged insensibilty to pain:
clairyOyance. and other allied phcnomc-
MI.
Bird. "A careful investigation OF any
reports resting ON strong testimony re
garding apparltions at the moment OF
death or otherwise, or regarding the dis
turbances in houses reputed to he haunt
ed
/ In 81
psychical phenomena commonly called
Spiritualism; with an attempt to discov-
cr their cause and general laws
9TH. The collection and collation. of
existing materials bearing on the history
OF these subjects.
As the result of the Investigations of
this Society. which have embraced an
immense mass Of testimony. there be
came clearly defined the fact of the dual
ity of the human mind, the conscious
and the subconscious elements.
Hudson gives the following classified
ton in his book entitled The Law of
Psychic Phenomena: The conscious
mind takes cognizance OF the objective
world. Its media of observation are
the five physical senses. 1t is the out
growth OF mans physical necessities. 1t
Is his guide i'll his struggle with his ma
ipGllI tllN lTOnUlellt. lIS highest junction
is that of reasoning.
The subcOnSciOus. or sublIminal mind
takes cognizance of its environment by
means independent of the physical senses
1t perceives by intuition. 1t is the seat
OF the emotions. and the stOre-housr OF
memory. 1t performs its highest func
tions when the objective senses are i'll
allegiance. 1t is that intelligence which
is specially manifested in the hypnotic
subject. when in state OF sOmnambu
liSm
In this state many Of the most Won
derful feats of the subconscious mind are
performed. Ii sees without the use Oi
the natural organs of vision: and in this
as III many other grades or degrees o
the hypnotic state it can be made appar
emily to leave the body and travel o dis
tant lands. and bring back intelligence
HitImes OF the most exact and truthful
character. 1t also has the power tC
read the thoughts of others. even 10 the
mlnutest detail: to read the contents a
sealed envelopes and of closed books Ii
short, il is the sublminal mind that pos
sesses what is popularity designated IL
claIrvoyant power, and the ability It
apprehend the thoughts of others with
out the aid of the ordinary. objective
means OF communication.
In point of fact, continues Hudson
that which for convenience | hay,
chosen to designate as the subcOnsciou,
mind, appears to be a separate and dis
tinct entity: and the real distinctive diff
ference between the two minds. seems I,
consist in the fact that the consciou,
mind is merely the function OF the ply :
zeal brain. while the subconscious mine
Is distinct entity, possessing independ
ent powers and functions. having n men
tai organization of its own. and being
capable OF sustaining an existence indie
pendently of the body. In other word:
it is the soul
will now give some examples recorded
OF the phenomena of the subconsciou,
mind. or subliminal self One of the
striking properties of the suhconscou:
mind, is its perfect memory, Coleridge
an his Biographia Literaria, gives the
following interesting case:
"A young woman of four or five ant