The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-20
PSYCHIC.
Experiments In Thought Transference
Watched Unsympathetlcally.


To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN--Sr: AZ
New York theatre this week is billed
n medium for thought transference who
with the aid OF an affinity" is enabled
to play any musical selection which any
person In the audience happens to think
Of. On the programme II Is stated that
this act has the approval OF Professor
Hyelop, and we must assume that ne
gave permission TO use his name. thus
vouching for the scientific character OF
the performance. Professor Hyslop is
n well known logician on any subject
except psychic phenomena. That ne
should have been taken In by PAL
pablo misrepresentation indicates that
pathology Ia much deeper rooted than
reason.
Let me describe TO you the act as I
saw IT, a young man, pale. dull of
feature. with colorless voice. makes
the announcement that there is nothing
mysterious in the act about to follow ;
that II In neither magical nor super
natural. but n simple Illustration Of
scientific thought transference." He
announces that he will go out among
the audience and any individual may
whisper to him the name OF any musical
selection he or she wishes to have
! played that thereafter the questioner
should say to the medium on the stage
VIII you play my SELECTION" whereat
tho medium will play II by having the
message transferred from her coadjutor
AS he started In to illustrate. two
thoughts stood uppernost in my mind.
First, that by no conceivable twist OF the
| Ina ginaton could any one associate
anything spiritual with the buxom and
SNUG lady medium Mt tho plano; nor in
| looking at the young man could any one
associate concentration OF thought or
| will. which we have learned 10 associa to
| with psychic performances This seemed
new wrinkle two healthy young peo-
| pie absolutely average in every respect
were for the first time engaged In the
| domain Of tho psychic.
The next thought that suggested itself
was. why should the person who desired
| a musical selection played have to ask
''Will you play my selectlon7'' Why
was there no immediate transferencc of
thought and what did the interval por-
| tend?
Tho first four requests were promptly
complied with on the first attempt. In
| the next four cases she failed the FIRST
time and got II right the second time,
| Certain messages she ala not get until
three. four or Ave attempts had been
made. I noticed that her failures ran
| In n definite series For example. she
would say The selection you wish me
to play Is Old Black joe" Her as
sistant would reply. NO. try again"
! Then she would say 'Traumerel' and II
| would he correct The series ''Od Black
Joe''-''Traumerci'' was utilised four or
| Ave times.
As the performance progressed and
the audience was completely taken in.
/ our party began TO note the fingers of
the lady spirltualist were not az all Idle
during the time the message was sup
posed TO be transmitted In fact all
Ave fingers were ticking just IA n tele-
! graph operator ticks the keys. Mind
YOU, Il was not a nervous twitch NJ the
hand or a normal gesture, hut twelve
times did we note that tho fingers
worked in accordance with a definite
J plan and number. g. 8. and 3. and
they worked especially when she
! guessed" wrong.
| Now we realized why Il was neces-
sary for the person IN the audience 20
say "Will you play my selectionT' II Is
during this question that the signals are
exchanged even though the lady IL sup
posed to he blindfolded. Naturally mos,
OF the selections proposed were such az
represent the composite tastes Of the
! average
The las. straw was when the piano
! was turned to the wall and the lady
showed us her back. during which trylnL
/ period she received the messages Just a.
accurately, bat what most OF the aI-
d,ence dld not see was that before play.
, ing a selection she always looked down
| into her lap. The mirror trick Is as
I old aa the hills
Old man Ra-nu-n was right
ABRAHAM SOLOMON
New York. April II