PRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY/PART 8

 

LESSON VIII.

SPACE PSYCHOMANCY.

As we stated in previous lessons, "Space Psychomancy" is the exercise of the faculty in the direction of perceiving far-distant scenes, persons, objects, etc.

Of course, there is really an exercise of Space Psychomancy in some instances of Simple Psychomancy. But we make the distinction because in the case of objects seen by Simple Psychomancy at some little distance from the observer, the impression is received by means of the rays, or vibrations from the objects themselves, by means of the developed Astral Senses, acting in a simple manner; while in the case of Space Psychomancy (in the technical sense of the term) the impression is received by means of either the erection of the Astral Tube, or else by the actual projection of the consciousness in the Astral Body—the latter being an actual visiting of the scene.

A little illustration may perhaps make clearer the above distinction. Let us suppose a man on the physical Plane with ordinary eyesight—such a man could not see an object beyond the average distance of vision, and he would be like a person devoid of Psychomantic powers. Then let us suppose a man of extraordinary visual powers, such as many hunters or seafaring men—such a one could see things invisible to the first man, and would thus resemble the person manifesting Simple Psychomancy. Then let us suppose a third man, using a telescope—this man could see things that neither of the other two could perceive, and he would thus resemble the person manifesting along the lines of Space Psychomancy by means of the Astral Tube. And, finally, let us suppose a fourth man, who possessed magical wings which would instantly transport him to the distant scene, whence he could view the objects, personally, and at close range—well this man would be like the person who was able to project his Astral Body, and thus view the distant scenes at will, and at short range, without the difficulties attendant upon the use of the telescope-like Astral Tube—to see the object on any and all sides, and from all points of view—to get inside of it, as well as outside.

The following interesting cases are quoted to illustrate the principle:

Captain Yount, of the Napa Valley, California, had a peculiar experience while asleep. He had a remarkably clear vision in which appeared a band of emigrants perishing from cold and hunger amidst a mountain range. He noted particularly, and in detail, the scenery and appearance of the canyon. He saw a huge, perpendicular cliff of white rock; and the emigrants cutting off what appeared to be the tops of trees arising from great drifts of snow; he even saw plainly the features of some of the party. He awoke, sorely distressed by the vividness and the nature of his "dream," for so he considered it to be. But, by-and-by, he fell asleep again, and saw the scene repeated, with equal distinctness. In the morning he found that he could not get the "dream" out of his mind, and he told it to some of his friends. One of the hearers of the story was an old hunter, who at once recognized the place seen in the dream as a place across the Sierras, known as a point in the Carson Valley Pass. So earnest was the old hunter, that Captain Yount, and his friends, organized a rescue party and set out with provisions, mules, and blankets to seek the perishing emigrants. Notwithstanding the ridicule of the public, the rescuers persisted in their search, and finally about one hundred and fifty miles distant, in the Carson Valley Pass, they found the scene as described by Captain Yount, and in the identical spot seen in the dream were found the party of emigrants, the surviving members of whom were rescued and brought over the mountain.

Another interesting account is given in the reports of the Society for Psychical Research, of England. It relates that an English lady, Mrs. Broughton, awoke one night in 1844, and aroused her husband, telling him that she had had a strange vision of a scene in France. She stated that she had seen a broken-down carriage, evidently wrecked in an accident, and a crowd gathered around the figure of a man, whose body was then raised and carried into a nearby house. She said that the body was then placed in a bed, when she recognized his features as those of the Duke of Orleans. Then friends gathered around the bed, and later came the king and queen of France, all weeping. She saw the doctor, who stood over the Duke, feeling his pulse, with his watch in his other hand, but she could only see the doctor's back. Then the scene had faded from her vision. When daylight finally came, she recorded the vision in her journal. It was before the days of the telegraph, and it was more than two days before the newspapers announced the death of the Duke of Orleans. The lady visited Paris afterwards, and recognized the place of the accident. It then appeared that the attending physician whose face she could not see in her vision, was an old friend of hers, who then told her that as he watched the bed his mind had involuntarily dwelt upon her and her family.

The well-known case of Swedenborg gives us another illustration of this class of Psychomancy. It is related that in the latter part of September, 1759, at four o'clock one Saturday afternoon, Swedenborg arrived home from England, and disembarked at Gothenburg. Mr. W. Castel met him and invited him to dinner, at which meal there were fifteen persons gathered around the table. At six o'clock that evening Swedenborg went out a few minutes, returning to the table excited and pale. When questioned, he said that there was a fire at Stockholm, 200 miles distant, which was steadily spreading. He grew very restless, and frequently left the room. He said that the house of one of his friends, whose name he mentioned, was already in ashes, and that his own was in danger. At eight o'clock after he had been out again, he returned crying out cheerfully, "Thank heaven! the fire is out, the third door from my house."

The news of the occurrence excited the whole town, and the officials made inquiry regarding it, and Swedenborg was summoned before the governor, and requested to relate what he had seen, in detail. Answering the governor, he told when and where the fire had started; how it had begun; how, when and where it had stopped; and the time it lasted, the number of houses destroyed, people injured, etc. On the following Monday morning a courier arrived from Stockholm, bringing news of the fire, having left the town while it was still burning. On the next day after, Tuesday morning, another courier arrived at the governor's palace with a full report of the fire, which corresponded precisely with the vision of Swedenborg—the fire had stopped precisely at eight o'clock, the minute that Swedenborg had so announced it to the company.

Stead relates the following instance of this class of Psychomancy, which was told him by the wife of a Dean of the Episcopal Church. The lady said: "I was staying in Virginia, some hundred miles away from home, when one morning about eleven o'clock, I felt an overpowering sleepiness, which drowsiness was quite unusual, and which caused me to lie down. In my sleep I saw quite distinctly my home in Richmond in flames. The fire had broken out in one wing of the house, which I saw with dismay was where I kept all my best dresses. The people were all trying to check the flames, but it was no use. My husband was there, walking about before the burning house, carrying a portrait in his hand. Everything was quite clear and distinct, exactly as if I had actually been present and seen everything. After a time I woke up, and going downstairs told my friends the strange dream I had had. They laughed at me, and made such game of my vision that I did my best to think no more about it. I was traveling about, a day or two passed, and when Sunday came I found myself in a church where some relatives were worshipping. When I entered the pew they looked rather strange, and as soon as the service was over I asked them what was the matter. 'Don't be alarmed,' they said 'there is nothing serious.' Then they handed me a postcard from my husband which simply said, 'House burned out; covered by insurance.' The day was the date upon which my dream occurred. I hastened home, and then I learned that everything had happened exactly as I had seen it. The fire had broken out in the wing I had seen blazing. My clothes were all burnt, and the oddest thing about it was that my husband, having rescued a favorite picture from the burning building, had carried it about among the crowd for some time before he could find a place in which to put it safely."

A well-authenticated case is that of the wreck of the ship "Strathmore." Stead relates the story as follows: "The father of a son who had sailed in the 'Strathmore,' an emigrant ship outbound from Clyde, saw one night the ship foundering amid the waves, and saw that his son, with some others had escaped safely to a desert island near which the wreck had taken place. He was so much impressed by this vision that he wrote to the owner of the 'Strathmore,' telling him what he had seen. His information was scouted; but after a while the 'Strathmore' became overdue, and the owner became uneasy. Day followed day, and still no tidings of the missing ship. Then, like Pharaoh's butler, the owner remembered his sins one day, and hunted up the letter describing the vision. It supplied at least a theory to account for the vessel's disappearance. All outward-bound ships were requested to look out for any survivors on the island indicated in the vision. These orders being obeyed, the survivors of the 'Strathmore' were found exactly where the father had seen them."

Another interesting case is reported by the Society previously mentioned. It reports that Dr. Golinski, a physician of Kremeutchug, Russia, was taking an after-dinner nap in the afternoon, about half-past three o'clock. He had a vision in which he saw himself called out on a professional visit, which took him to a little room with dark hangings. To the right of the door he saw a chest of drawers, upon which rested a little paraffin lamp of special pattern, different from anything he had ever seen before. On the left of the door, he saw a woman suffering from a severe hemorrhage. He then saw himself giving her professional treatment. Then he awoke, suddenly, and saw that it was just half-past four o'clock. Then comes the strange sequel. Within ten minutes after he awoke, he was called out on a professional visit, and on entering the bedroom he saw all the details that had appeared to him in his vision. There was the chest of drawers—there was the peculiar lamp—there was the woman on the bed suffering from the hemorrhage. Upon inquiry he found that she had grown worse between three and four o'clock, and had anxiously desired that he come to her about that time, finally dispatching a messenger for him at half-past four, the moment at which he awoke.

We could fill page after page with these interesting and well-authenticated instances, but our lack of space prevents. We have stated enough to illustrate the principle, and then, besides, many of our readers will know of many similar instances in the actual experience of themselves, relatives or friends. Volumes would not contain all the true stories of phenomena of this kind—and still people smile in a superior way at the mere suggestion of the phenomena.

NEXT CHAPTER 

Past Time Psychomancy