The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1917-08-06
Telepathy Problem
nv n. ADDINaroS BRUCE
Author OF The Riddis OF Person
atty Psychology and
PArtnthood." etc.

Lately have been reading a sin
gulsr and uncoutnonly interesting
book. II is Prof Emile Boirac's
La psychologist inconnue." entitled
In It's American version Our hid
den forces"
In this book Prof. Boirac deals
particularly, tho not exclusively.
With the phenomena which We usu.
ally have In mind when We speak OF
rsychical research. Naturally nc
has a good deal 10 say about telep
athy
hut. most unfortunately. he begins
his discussion OF this borderland
problem OF science by giving A mis-
definition OF telepathy. To be sure.
In doing so he has the excuse that
his definition OF IL Is the one com
monty accepted both by men OF sci
ence and 10y laymen
Yet the fact is that. were not
telepathy thus generally misderned.
the skeptical attitude OF most scien-
t!hc men with regard 10 Il might
long since have been overcome
Hero Is how rrof Roirac. follow
Ing many predecessors. defines telep-
athy:
'Telepathy IL clearly designatei to
specify the action OF the transfer.
cnce OF thought tromr one person TO
another by the exercise OF the
NIL
Now. on this definition OF telep-
athy IL ought 10 be simple mat
ter 10 verify It's actuality By expert.
mental means Thousands OF tele
pathic experiments have been tried.
sometimes AZ great distances
The results have been disappolnt-
lng A Few e1Pcrimenters notably
two English ladies. the Misses Miles
md Ramslen have. Z, Is true. seem.
ingly succeeded in definitely estab-
fishing telepathic connection with
each other
But most eNperimenters have bcen
obliged 10 fepor, either outright fail.
ures or !nconclusive condolences
Consequently scientists with few
exceptions. feel Justified IN Affirming
that true ielepathic action is non
existent
One thing they have overlooked
A pointed oar three years ago. IN
my book, Adyen'uringS IN he Pay
chical" they have overlooked the
possibility that he VIII may not hc
he dominant N tos IN eTcciiug telc
ra'hic communication
Scrutinized closely the great mass
o. evidence which nTst forced men
~ science 70 become interested in
the telepa'hy problems eyi.
dence from dreams, waking halluci-
nations, and other spontaneous phe-
romsna strongly suggests that &C
tusliy telepNthy Is produced by SUB
conscious desiring. not by conscious
willing
II IS incredible FOR example, 10
suppose that A. falling 10 hts death
over a prectpice, In Tho momen; Or
lis fall consciously pilled his wife.
Ir e entirely credible. on the oppo.
site 20 suppose hat as ne fell his
thoughts might center on her with
great emotional intensity From
that lnfensits her colncidental dream
or hts death would then result
In my belief. that Is 20 say. the
secret % ielepathy is 20 be found
nor In the volitional sphere. but iu
The emotional And ~ this be the
case. II becomes manifest. 10 quote
my own words as found In the book
mentioned
That scientist is doomed 20 per
pe'ual unbelief Eho boasts that he
will never place credence in telep.
a'hy until he can. play with II a
ito plays with the chemicals In his
test tubes
"One cannot handle feelings as
one can handle a chemical com
pound nor can one manipulate AZ
viii tho subconscious as tho Il were
= physical substance
The Bolrac definition ~ telepathy.
the popular definition. needs revis
ing 7 would revise y 20 read
ny telepathy IL meant the action
OF transference OF thought from ono
person 20 another by none 81 the
recognized channels ~ communica.
ton. but by some process set in mo-
ton thru the dynamic power Of an
intense emotional state"