The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-09-06
Telepathy.

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Some Of the very latest facts concerning
tho alleged phenomenon known as tel
epathy,- together with an attempt at q
scientific explanation OF 1t. will be found
In a book entitled The Naturalization Of
the Supernatural. by FRANK PoDMoBE
(Putnams). The data here presented are
selected partly from tho .Prooeedings'
but mainly from the unpublished journal
OF the Society Of Psyohioal Research. We
should, bear in mind that the attitude OF
this society toward phenomena ostonsibly
supernatural 10 not oredulous but sceptical.
For example. in its original prospectus,
issued in 1882. hypnotism wa olassed
among "debatable phenomena and q
reference was made to the alleged in
s~ensibility to paiuA IN the mosmerio'
trance. Many scientist now admit the
realityNof hypnotism and the insensibility
to pain experienced in trance. In the
book before us the author Ia extremely
cautious concerning the ~inferenoes to be
drawn from the cited examples Of what
he terms atelepathic hallucinations.' We
shall reproduce two or three Of these ex-
amples and then note the tentative ex-
PLANTATION, in which a similitude between
telepathy. or thought transference, to wire
less telegraphy il suggested. II should
be needless to point out that the intima-
ton that the human brain may be a bat
terry and that in the case Of some persons
the power OF transmission may be en-
phasized and in others the power OF re-
is merely an hypothesis which
systematic experiments, conducted under
the most rigorous scientific conditions.
may confirm or may entirely refute.
Here Ia q. case In which 1t is hard to
decide whether the ,~percipient's impress
sion Was an illusion or q halluoination.
The vision, 1t will be observed, preceded
the death by rather more than twelve
hours, but occurred during the period
Of the fatal seizure. Prince Victor Du-
leep Singh relates that On Saturday
October. II, 1893, he was in Berlin with
Lord Carnarvon. They returned from
q theatre before midnight and the Prince
went to bed. leaving an electric light
burning In his room. As he lay in bed
he found himself looking at an oleo-
graph which hung on the wall opposite
his bed and which presented q common
place picture Of a girl holding a rose and
leaning out Of a balcony. In the frame
OF the picture he saw distinctly the face
Of bis father, the Maharajah Duleep
Singh. looking at him with an intent
expression. The Prince was In nc special
anxiety. about his father at the time and
there had been no news 10 alarm him,
On the following morning Sunday he
told the incident to Lord Carnarvon.
Late that evening Sunday Lord Carnar-
Won came into the Princes room and
handed him two kilograms. The Prince
said at onoe: my father Is Dead This
proved. to be the fact. He had had an
apoplectio seizure on the Saturday even
ing at about 0 O'Clock. from which he
never recovered, but continued uncon-
scious and died early in the afternoon
Of Sunday. 1t seems that the Maharajah
had often said to his son that II not with
the Prince when he died he would try
to come to him. The account OF this
incident was confirmed by Lord Car.
arvon
In another oass the vision seems to
have boon seer within an hour Of the
death. Nine. Broussiloif, writing from
st. Petersburg in April. 1895. testifes
that on the 10th (2sth) Of February OF that
year. between o and 10 O'Clock in the
evening. she was sitting In q small draw
ing room when, raising her head aoci-
.dentally and looking into q larger draw
ing room she noticed with astonishmsnt
that o large gray shadow had passed
from the door Of the dining % to that
Of the santeohamber. and 1t came into
her head that the figure she saw bore
a striking resemblance In stature to Col,
-Meinander. an acquaintance Of hers
As she know Meinander to be alive and
well she said nothing about the inoiden,
at the time, but on going to bed related
TO her mother what she had ssen and the
next morning mentioned It to her hus-
band. She subsequently learned that
Col. Meinander had died after a shor RI
illness on the 10th (2Sth) OF February
at o'o'clock In the evening In a town
not less than 1,2o0 versts distant from
st. Petersburg. where his regimsnt was
stationed. Mime. Broussilof's mother
and her husband. Col. .Broussilof, tes-
tihed independently that they remembered
hearing Of Nine. B~roussilof's experience
before the news came Of Col. Mainander't
death.
The third and last case which we shall
reproduce is that Of Mr.. Percy Kearne
who on the evening Of February 10, 1894
~ sitting in his room In London OK.
pecdng the return Of two friends who
had been performing at q concert In the
it,. -nz-t-- ~ g.