PRACTICAL MIND-READING/PART 3
LESSON III.
"CONTACT" MIND
READING.
Mind Reading is divided by
the authorities into two general classes, viz., "Contact" Mind
Reading and "Telepathic" Mind Reading.
The
first of these classes, "Contact" Mind Reading, is demonstrated by
physical contact between the Transmitter (or active agent) and the Receiver (or
passive agent) in order to afford an easy channel for the passage of the
vibrations, thought-waves, nerve-currents, or magnetism of the Transmitter
(according to the several theories favored by scientists). The second class,
"Telepathic" Mind Reading, is demonstrated by the transferral of the
"waves," "vibrations," "currents," or
"magnetism" of the Transmitter to the Receiver over the ether,
through space (often for thousands of miles) without the more convenient
"wires" of the nerves of the two agents.
You
will readily see that two classes of phenomena closely resemble the two classes
of telegraphic phenomena, i.e., the "wire" system and the
"wireless" system. There is a striking analogy between electric
phenomena and mental force phenomena all the way through the subject, and this
subject of Mind Reading is simply one of the many forms of the
resemblance.
We shall
begin by giving you instructions in the first form—Contact Mind Reading, as it
is the simplest and most easy of accomplishment and demonstration. And besides,
the best Telepathists have been trained by means of the practice of Contact
Mind Reading at the start. One leads to the other, just as the ordinary wire
telegraph naturally led to the "wireless" system, which is even now
but in its infancy.
At
this point we wish to point out to you a most grievous error, and unjust
judgment, that certain so-called scientists and investigators have fallen into
regarding this matter of Contact Mind Reading. In order to give you a clearer
idea of the nature of this error, we must call your attention to the fact that
Contact Mind Reading has been given much publicity through the advertisements
and performances of several celebrated public performers, and their
lesser-light imitators.
These
performers, like many others, have sought to give an attractive public
entertainment rather than a scientific demonstration, and some of them have
found it much easier to "fake" some of the demonstrations rather than
to perform them according to scientific principles. And the careful
investigators soon discovered that in certain cases there was no Mind
Reading at all, but only a clever imitation which was styled "Muscle
Reading." In other words, instead of the performer receiving his mental
impressions from the mind of the Transmitter, over the nervous system of other
persons, he would push up against him, and by a clever system of pushing,
pulling, leading, and leaning would detect the muscular movements of the
Transmitter, and by careful practice would learn to interpret these movements
so as to get an indication of the location of the hidden objects and
practically be led or pushed toward the spot. But even in these cases, the
performer would of necessity have to employ more or less genuine Contact Mind
Reading to finish the feats. The only advantage the performer gained by
resorting to these unfair methods was that it was less fatiguing to his mind
and enabled him to "fake" through the performance with less mental
wear and tear.
The
investigators, easily discovering the above mentioned "faking"
performances, came to the conclusion that the whole thing was a
"fake," and could be explained by the "muscle reading"
theory entirely. And so the news was spread broadcast, and you will find a
number of books written explaining Contact Mind Reading on this hypothesis. Of
course some of the public may prefer to accept this erroneous theory, but we
wish to say here positively that if any person will honestly investigate
for himself, and will learn to make the demonstrations personally, he or she
will soon discover that "muscle reading" has nothing to do with the
genuine phenomena. The proof of the thing is in the doing of it, and you may
learn the truth for yourself if you will but try the feats and demonstrations,
herein given, just as we teach them. The result of such practice will cause you
to feel with us the indignation arising from the attempts to belittle a noble
scientific principle, and practice, by an explanation arising from the
witnessing of "fake" imitations of the real thing.
The
truth is that the muscles have nothing to do with the passage of the mental
currents or waves from the Transmitter to the Receiver any more than they have
to do with the transmission of nervous sensations from body to brain, or the
motor impulses from brain to body. When you wish to close your hand you send a
nervous current from your brain to the muscles controlling your hand. The
current travels along the nervous system, and is by it distributed over the
muscles causing them to contract. A current from a galvanic battery will cause
the muscles to act in the same way. But the muscle is the machinery affected and
set into motion, and the nerves are the delicate telegraphic wires leading to
the parts.
And
so it is with this transmission of the mental waves and currents. The brain of
the Transmitter, aroused by his active Will,
sends a powerful current or wave through his nervous system. When it reaches
the extremity of his fingers it leaps over the tiny space separating his nerves
from the nerves of the Receiver, and enters the nervous system of the latter,
and influences his actions. The Receiver being in a passive condition, and his
brain sending practically no impulses over his nerves, he is in a receptive
condition to the imparted nervous current, which acts upon him something like
an impulse from his own brain, only weaker. That is the whole secret of Contact
Mind Reading. It is "Nerve Reading" if you like, but certainly not Muscle Reading.
The
tips of the fingers of a person of fine sensibilities, and delicate touch, are
known by anatomists to be filled with masses of nerve-matter similar to that
forming parts of the brain. In fact they are tiny finger-brains, and they will
send out, convey, and receive delicate impulses from one mind to another. Those
of you who have experienced the peculiar touch of some persons of this kind,
can bear witness to the fact that a subtle "magnetism" or current
passed from them to you. This is a fact well known to investigators of psychic
phenomena, and such people laugh at the crude "muscle reading"
theories, for they have disproved them repeatedly in actual careful
experiments. And you may do the same, if you will practice the demonstrations
given in this book. The fact that the developed Contact Mind Reader usually
walks ahead of his Transmitter, instead of being led by him; and that he
usually allows the latter's arm to hang limp, instead of muscularly contracted,
is another proof of the absurdity of the theory above mentioned. Besides this,
wires may be used between the two persons, or even a third person may be placed
between them. But, as we have said, after all the best and only real test is to
try the experiments yourself and learn that "muscle reading" has
nothing to do with the real phenomena.
The
experimenter will soon find that when he gets into the work and is engaged in a
search for a hidden object, by means of Mind Reading, he will forget all about
the Transmitter. He will almost forget where he is, and will feel himself
floating and gliding over the floor and scarcely touching it with his toes. He
will find himself drawn or impelled irresistibly toward the hidden object, as
if by some outside energy or fine force. He will feel the hidden object drawing him like a magnet, and attracting him to the spot. He
will forget his audience, and everything else, in his desire to reach the
Centre of Attraction. These experiences cannot well be explained in print,
but the investigator will soon learn to know them for himself, and he will be
amazed and filled with wonder at the strange psychical phenomena in which he is
taking a principal part.
And,
then, and then only will he be able to intelligently reject the absurd and
unjust theories of "muscle reading," and to see the crudeness of the
attempted explanation. He will see that the foolish theory is as far out of the
way as the ignorant person's idea that the telegraph messages are sent by the
wires being "pulled" or "jerked," instead of being but
channels for the passage of the electric fluid, or magnetic waves. He will
class such pretended scientists with those "doubting Thomases" who,
when gas was first introduced in the British House of Parliament, insisted that
the pipes rendered the building unsafe, because they would become heated by the
passage of the light; and who when the system was seen in actual operation,
would gently feel the pipes with their gloved fingers, wondering why they felt
no heat. We trust that we have said enough to convince you of the
ridiculousness of the "muscle reading" theory, and to give you
sufficient interest to demonstrate the matter for yourself.
Many
of our readers have witnessed the public performances of the several well-known
"Contact" Mind Readers who have visited the leading cities of
this country and other lands. Of course, the average public performer soon
discovers that the average patron of his performance attends principally to be
amused, and entertained, rather than to be instructed. And he is apt to
gradually add sensational features to the performance, for the purpose of
thrilling and mystifying the audience, knowing that by so doing he will better
please his patrons than if he were to give them a strictly scientific
demonstration of the science of Contact Mind Reading as produced in the
psychological laboratories of the great investigators of the subject. Some of
these public performers have even gone so far as to add "fake" features
to their performance, employing confederates, and in other ways introducing
unscientific methods in order to intensify the interest and satisfaction of
their audiences.
But
notwithstanding this fact, the average public Mind Reader, in spite of his
sensational additions, generally gives his audience enough of "the real
thing" to render his performance of sufficient scientific interest to make
it worthy of attendance by the earnest student of the subject. And we believe
that the time is approaching when a strictly scientific performance will prove
of sufficient interest to the public to render it worth while for a new class
of entertainers and lecturers to arise and take the field, instructing the
public regarding their great subject and illustrating their theories by
striking experiments along scientific lines. And we think that this little book
will do its part in the direction of educating the public mind to appreciate
such an entertainment, as well as serving to educate future entertainers for
their life work.
However,
in this little book, we shall treat the subject as if a parlor demonstration
was all that is desired, and our instructions and directions shall be chiefly
toward that end, although we wish to say that any man or woman who will
carefully study these instructions and directions, and who will carefully
practice the feats and exercises, will be able to gradually develop sufficient
ability and skill to give a successful public performance, and perhaps reap a
goodly share of fame and financial reward. The principles of the parlor
demonstration, and the public performance are the same. These same instructions
and directions have been studied and applied by some of the best performers now
before the public, illustrating the wonders of Contact Mind Reading. So that if
any of the students of this work have ambitions in the direction of public
performance, they will find herein the methods calculated to develop them into
a successful public entertainer and demonstrator.
Anyone
may develop himself, or herself, into a good Contact Mind Reader by
practice, and perseverance. As in everything else in life, some will succeed
better than others; and some will find the work easier than do others, but all
may develop quite a respectable degree of proficiency in a short time. A little
careful, conscientious practice and experiment will accomplish wonders.
Mind
Reading feats depend upon the degree of Will and Concentration on the part of
the Transmitter, and upon the degree of Receptivity and Passivity upon the part
of the Receiver. We are taking it for granted that the student will wish to act
as a Receiver (or Performer of the feat of Mind Reading) rather than as the
Transmitter (or person called upon to have his mind read). And so we shall
address him as such, with this understanding. But we shall also give herein
full directions for the Transmitter, as well, in order to give the student the
methods necessary to act in either capacity, and to also enable him to instruct
the Transmitter in his work. The Receiver should understand the duties of the
Transmitter, in order that the best possible results be obtained, and the
proper harmony and rapport conditions may
be established.
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