Practical Mind-Reading - free ebook by William Walker Atkinson

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Practical Mind-Reading

William Walker Atkinson

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PRACTICAL MIND-READING

PRACTICAL MIND-READING

By WILLIAM WALKER ATKINSON A COURSE OF LESSONS ON THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE, TELEPATHY, MENTAL-CURRENTS, MENTAL RAPPORT, &amp;c. CONTAINING Practical Instruction, Exercises, Directions, etc., capable of being understood, mastered and demonstrated by any person of average intelligence PUBLISHED AND SOLD BY ADVANCED THOUGHT PUBLISHING CO. 168 N. MICHIGAN AVE., CHICAGO, ILL. LONDON AGENTS: L.N. FOWLER &amp; CO., 7 IMPERIAL ARCADE, LUDGATE CIRCUS, E.C. (Practical Mind Reading) Copyright 1907, by

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LESSON I.

LESSON I.

THE NATURE OF MIND READING. Only a few years ago the general public was in almost total ignorance of the great truth of Thought Transference, Thought Projection, Telepathy, or Mind Reading. It is true that here and there were to be found a few scientists earnestly investigating and eagerly uncovering the hidden truths concerning the subjects. But the mass of the people were either entirely ignorant of the subject, or else were intensely skeptical of any thing concerning the matter, laughing to s

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THE CREERY EXPERIMENTS.

THE CREERY EXPERIMENTS.

One of the interesting series of experiments conducted by members of the English Society was that of the family of the Rev. A.M. Creery, of Derbyshire, England. This investigation was made upon hearing the report of the Rev. Mr. Creery regarding a number of experiments he had conducted with his four children. He reported that he had begun by practicing a variation of what is generally known as the "willing game", in which one of the party leaves the room, and the company selects some object to b

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LESSON III.

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 sc

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GENERAL DIRECTIONS.

GENERAL DIRECTIONS.

The prime requisite for a successful demonstration of Mind Reading is the acquirement, or possession, by the Transmitter, of a clear idea of direction in his mind. The associated requisite is that the Transmitter be able to concentrate his will upon the mind of the Receiver, impressing upon him the Sense of Direction so strongly that he will move in accordance with the Will of the Transmitter. Remember the two points to be observed by the Transmitter. Begin by having the Transmitter standing bes

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PRACTICE EXERCISE I. FINDING LOCATIONS.

PRACTICE EXERCISE I. FINDING LOCATIONS.

After you have grown proficient in locating the corners of rooms, you may have the Transmitter select other parts of the room, such as doors, mantels, windows, alcoves, projections, etc. Try a number of these selected locations in turn, gaining a variety of experiences which will prove valuable later on. In all of these experiments the Transmitter must guard you from running into obstacles, furniture, etc., by telling you to avoid them, guiding you past them, and in other proper ways prevent you

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PRACTICE EXERCISE II. FINDING LARGE OBJECTS.

PRACTICE EXERCISE II. FINDING LARGE OBJECTS.

The next step should be the selecting and finding of large objects in the room, such as chairs, tables, etc. Proceed as in the previous exercises. Do not neglect this exercise in your desire to do more wonderful things, for you need just this training. You will realize the importance of these exercises after you begin to appear before friends and evening companies, etc., when you will be called upon to find hidden objects, selected articles secreted under tables, on persons, on furniture, etc. I

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PRACTICE EXERCISE III. FINDING SMALL OBJECTS.

PRACTICE EXERCISE III. FINDING SMALL OBJECTS.

After mastering the above exercise have the Transmitter select some small articles, such as a book, vase, ornament, etc., on a table, mantel-piece, etc. Proceed as before, varying the objects and places, endeavoring to get as wide a range of experiences as possible along the line of Mind Reading of this kind....

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PRACTICE EXERCISE IV. FINDING HIDDEN ARTICLES.

PRACTICE EXERCISE IV. FINDING HIDDEN ARTICLES.

After you have mastered the last mentioned exercise, have the Transmitter select a small object, such as a watch-key, match-safe, etc., and secrete it in some part of the room, you remaining out of the room until the article is selected and hidden. Proceed as before, until you find the secreted object. Your Transmitter should endeavor to give you a great variety in this exercise, in order to properly train you for the public demonstrations before companies, etc. Have him place a key in a book, u

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GENERAL REMARKS ON PRACTICE.

GENERAL REMARKS ON PRACTICE.

The above exercises will train the student to receive and act upon the mental commands or messages of the Transmitter, under a great variety of circumstances and conditions. Many of the most successful public "Mind Readers" started out in public work with far less careful and thorough training. But there are now still greater degrees of proficiency possible. The student will find in succeeding chapters a number of interesting and startling feats and experiments which are intended for parlor audi

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PREPARING FOR PUBLIC WORK.

PREPARING FOR PUBLIC WORK.

Before taking you on with the work before an audience, we must urge upon you to prepare yourself thoroughly by means of the above mentioned exercises. The great tendency among students is to hurry through to the public work, and skipping the exercises as much as possible. This is all wrong. You will never be a thoroughly good demonstrator of anything in life, until you master the rudiments, and by practice familiarize yourself thoroughly with the details of the work. And Mind Reading is no excep

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OPENING TALK.

OPENING TALK.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, with your assistance I shall endeavor to give you a demonstration of practical Mind Reading, beginning with some simple feats, and then proceeding gradually to more complicated demonstrations. In these demonstrations, I must have your co-operation, for the success of the experiments depends as much upon you as upon myself. In the first place, I must ask that you refrain from conversation, laughter, etc., while I am demonstrating, for these things distract the mind of the T

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CHOOSING THE TRANSMITTER.

CHOOSING THE TRANSMITTER.

Then have the audience select a committee to blindfold you and remain outside of the room with you, while the remainder of the audience select the object that you are to find, etc. When you return to the room, select someone to act as Transmitter. If possible get someone with whom you have previously practiced, and established rapport conditions. This will aid you very materially, of course. If this is not possible, select someone of the audience that is in harmony with you, and who will have a

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INSTRUCTING THE TRANSMITTER.

INSTRUCTING THE TRANSMITTER.

You should instruct the Transmitter, along the lines indicated in a previous chapter, i.e. that he must hold the thought of direction , fix his eyes on the chosen spot and then concentrate his will upon it, and that your success will depend materially upon his ability to concentrate his Mind and Will upon the task . You should explain to him that you receive your impulses through his thought-waves or vibrations, and that the stronger these are, the better you will succeed. Make this plain to him

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BEGINNING THE TEST.

BEGINNING THE TEST.

Then, take the hand of the Transmitter, in the manner already described in previous lesson, placing it to your forehead, or else holding it up high in front of you. Then begin a wavering motion, or direction, preferably describing a circle, slowly. In this meaningless wavering motion remain perfectly passive awaiting impressions. Soon you will begin to feel a mental resistance to certain directions, and a mental willingness that you move in another direction. Then move along the line of the leas

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FINDING A LOCATION.

FINDING A LOCATION.

DEMONSTRATION I. Begin by having the audience select a part in the room, which may be easily reached by you. Then proceed as directed, until you feel that you have reached the right place, or location....

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FINDING A PERSON.

FINDING A PERSON.

DEMONSTRATION II. Have the audience select a person, one of their number. Find the general location of the person. Then standing still, reach out your right hand, and begin "feeling about." You will find that as your hand moves away from the right person you will feel a drawing back impression, whereas when you reach toward the person you will receive an urging forward impression. A little practice will soon enable you to distinguish these mental impressions. Then place your hand on the person w

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FINDING A SMALL OBJECT.

FINDING A SMALL OBJECT.

DEMONSTRATION III. Have the audience select some small object in plain sight in the room. Then find it in the manner described of above in the case of the selected person. The rule is identically the same. But there are some other details to be observed, in the matter of "up or down," for the object may be higher than your shoulder or lower, in which case you will have to either reach up or down. In this reaching up or down, follow the same general rule as given. When you reach the right locatio

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FINDING A BOOK.

FINDING A BOOK.

DEMONSTRATION IV. Have the audience select a book on the shelves of a book case, and then find it in the manner just related. The two feats are precisely the same, although the latter will appear more startling to the observer....

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THE FLORAL TRIBUTE.

THE FLORAL TRIBUTE.

DEMONSTRATION V. This test is known as "The Floral Tribute." It is performed by having a bouquet of flowers on the table. Then select some young man in the audience, and let him pick out some young woman in the audience whom he wishes to have the flowers. You must retire from the room, of course, while he selects the young lady and mentions her name and position to the audience. Then returning to the room, pick up the bouquet, and taking the hand of your Transmitter, find the young lady and pres

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THE REUNITED COUPLE.

THE REUNITED COUPLE.

DEMONSTRATION VI. This test is known as "The Reunited Couple." It is performed by having the audience select two persons, a young man and a young woman, and stand them up in front of the room, like a couple about to be married. Then they should have a third person, a man, selected and stood before them as the parson who will tie the knot. The three persons should then take their seats, and when you enter the room, and take the hand of your Transmitter, you must first find "the Parson"; then "the

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THE HIDDEN JEWELRY.

THE HIDDEN JEWELRY.

DEMONSTRATION VII. Have the audience select some small article, like a scarf-pin, ring, etc., and hide it on the person of some one of the audience. Then you are to find it. This demonstration combines the features of Demonstration II , and Demonstration III , that is you have first to find the per son, as described in Demonstration II, and then the object which is practically a variation of Demonstration III. Study the details of Demonstration III, and practice the present demonstration in priv

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THE DISCOVERED COURSE.

THE DISCOVERED COURSE.

DEMONSTRATION VIII. Have a member of the audience walk around the room, following a prescribed course selected by the audience. Have your Transmitter memorize the course accurately, and then you must walk over the same course when you return to the room. This is effective, but is merely a variation of the " Finding the Corner " demonstration....

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REPLACING THE PIN.

REPLACING THE PIN.

DEMONSTRATION IX. This is called "Replacing the Pin," and is very effective when properly performed. Have a member of the audience take a pin and insert it in the wall in a spot plainly visible to the audience, not too high up, however—about on the level of your shoulder is best. Then have him withdraw the pin and hide it somewhere in the room. Then when you return to the room, and take the Transmitter's hand, you should first find the pin, (in the manner heretofore described) and then find the

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THE THEFT DETECTED.

THE THEFT DETECTED.

DEMONSTRATION X. This feat is called "The Theft." Have one of the audience play "the thief," and steal an article of jewelry, or similar small object from a second person called "the victim." Then the thief should hide his spoil in a safe place about the room. Returning you first find the thief; then the hidden article; then the person, according to the methods already given. This is a very effective feat, but is merely a combination of "Finding the Person," and "Finding an Object."...

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THE RECONSTRUCTED TABLEAU.

THE RECONSTRUCTED TABLEAU.

DEMONSTRATION XI. This feat is known as the "Reconstructed Tableau." It is performed by having several of the audience form a simple tableau group, and then retire to their seats. Returning to the room you are to find each person; lead him or her to the former spot; then reconstruct the group. This is somewhat difficult, but not nearly so much so as you might suppose. A little private practice will enable you to perform it with ease....

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THE MURDER AND THE DETECTIVE.

THE MURDER AND THE DETECTIVE.

DEMONSTRATION XII. This test is known as the "Murder and the Detective," and is very spectacular and sensational, and is accordingly one that is in great favor with the public performers. It is performed as follows: The audience selects one man to act as the "murderer"; another to act as "the victim"; and also some object to act as the dagger; and lastly a place in which the body is to be concealed. Then the "murderer" picks up the "dagger," and "kills" his "victim," afterward concealing the bod

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THE RETURNED HATS.

THE RETURNED HATS.

DEMONSTRATION XIII. Have the hats of a number of men in the audience placed on a table or other place, and then returning to the room, blindfolded of course, you pick up the hats, one by one, and place them upon the heads of their proper owners, who are seated in different parts of the room. This is a simple feat although very effective. It is, of course, merely a variation of the feat of " finding the person ." There is one point, however, that must be remembered in this feat, and that is that

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THE LADY AND THE RING.

THE LADY AND THE RING.

DEMONSTRATION XIV. This feat is performed by having a lady in the audience loan the Transmitter her ring. When you return to the room, you find the lady and replace the ring upon the finger from which she took it. The Transmitter must remember the lady, and the particular finger, of course—the rest is simply a combination of the " finding the person " and " finding the spot " feats. It is very effective, if neatly performed....

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GENERAL ADVICE.

GENERAL ADVICE.

I. We have given you a great variety of Demonstrations or Feats, but you must not attempt to produce all of them at an evening's entertainment. It will take some time to perform a few of them effectively, and impressively, and you should avoid any attempt to hurry through the feats. Nor should you spoil your good impression by cheapening the demonstrations in the direction of performing too many at one sitting. II. Neither should you tire or fatigue yourself by too many feats. When your mind or

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ABOUT TRANSMITTERS.

ABOUT TRANSMITTERS.

I. If your Transmitter does not do his work properly, and you feel that he is not Concentrating properly, or using his Will effectively, do not hesitate to change him. You need not offend him, for you may say simply that the rapport conditions are not fully developed between you, and that these things sometimes happen, etc. Your new Transmitter will feel anxious to do better than his predecessor, and will be most likely to Concentrate and Will to the best of his ability. II. The Transmitter shou

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A WORD OF WARNING.

A WORD OF WARNING.

Beginning your entertainment, caution the audience about placing the hidden objects in places that you cannot conveniently touch—such as high up on the wall; under the strings of a piano, etc. Tell them that you can find the article anywhere, but it must be placed so that you can get at it with only ordinary care and work. Some "Smart Alicks" may try to play pranks on you in this way, but discourage same vigorously at the start, informing the audience that this is a scientific test and not a cir

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THE WIRE CONTACT.

THE WIRE CONTACT.

A sensational and effective method of performing some of the simpler feats is performed by some public performers, and consists in having a piece of thick wire, about one foot in length grasped by the Receiver's left hand, and by the Transmitter's right hand, instead of the ordinary contact. A little practice will surprise you in the facility in which the impressions are transferred over the wire from the Transmitter to the Receiver. The methods of operation in this case are identical with those

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THIRD PERSON INTERPOSED.

THIRD PERSON INTERPOSED.

Another variation is that in which a third person is interposed between the Transmitter and Receiver. Practice along these lines will enable the skilled Mind Reader to receive the impressions as usual, notwithstanding the interposition of the third person. Do not attempt to try these variations until you have thoroughly mastered the ordinary methods. (The student is here advised to turn to the conclusion of Lesson VI, of this book, and acquaint himself with the " Simpler Method " there described

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PRELIMINARIES.

PRELIMINARIES.

In these experiments or demonstrations the Transmitter stands by your left side, you grasping the fingers of his right hand in your left hand, and holding as in the case of the former experiments, i.e. either with his hand pressed against your head, or else held out and up, as before described. You receive the impressions in the same way. The following demonstrations may be performed after a little private practice, so as to be shown at a public performance almost as easily as the simpler feats

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DISCOVERING THE CARD.

DISCOVERING THE CARD.

DEMONSTRATION I. Spread a number of cards over the table. Then retiring from the room, have the audience select one card of the number, which the Transmitter must be sure to remember distinctly—that is the Transmitter should remember just where the card is, the position being the important feature, rather than the name of the card. Then taking the Transmitter's hand as above described, you should move your right hand to-and-fro over the table, moving it backward and forward, and in circles. You

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THE CHECKER MOVE.

THE CHECKER MOVE.

DEMONSTRATION II. This is akin to the last experiment. Have a checker board arranged by some of the audience who understands the game. Then let some one decide on the next move. Be sure that the Transmitter thoroughly understands the piece to be moved, as well as the place to where it is to be moved. Then, proceeding as above indicated, first find the piece to be moved, and then move it to the proper place. This feat consists of two parts, you will notice. The finding of the piece is like the fi

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THE GAME OF CARDS.

THE GAME OF CARDS.

DEMONSTRATION III. Similar to the above is the feat known as the "Game of cards." Two players sit opposite each other at a table, having dealt themselves two hands of euchre. Have the Transmitter lead you behind the first player, and standing there have the player silently point out the card he wishes to lead, to the Transmitter. The Transmitter then should concentrate his mind on the card, and you will find it in the usual manner, and having found it will play it on the table. Then leading you

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THE MAPPED-OUT TRIP.

THE MAPPED-OUT TRIP.

DEMONSTRATION IV. Have a map laid open on the table, and have the audience decide upon a trip between two points, either by rail or by water. Then returning to the room, stand as above described, and with your forefinger find the place from which the trip starts. Then move slowly along the selected course in the same manner in which the checker-game was played, passing along the chosen route until the end is reached. These feats are all really variations of the one principle....

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THE PACK OF CARDS.

THE PACK OF CARDS.

DEMONSTRATION V. This is a very effective feat, and requires some little skill and practice, but there is no reason why any careful, patient, and persistent student should not be able to master it. It consists in the audience selecting any given card from the pack, and then replacing it with the others, being sure that the Transmitter is familiar with the card chosen, and knows enough about cards to recognize it when he sees it again. Then the pack of cards should be placed on the table, face up

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THE CHOSEN WORD IN THE BOOK.

THE CHOSEN WORD IN THE BOOK.

DEMONSTRATION VI. Like the last feat, this is a complex and difficult one, but one that always arouses enthusiasm in an audience when well performed. It will repay you for the private practice that you will have to employ upon it, before you produce it in public. The feat consists of the audience selecting a book from a pile, or a book-shelf, or book-case, etc.—then a given page is chosen—then a line of printed matter on that page—and then a word in that line. It is well to have the Transmitter

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BLACKBOARD DEMONSTRATIONS.

BLACKBOARD DEMONSTRATIONS.

The following feats may be performed either upon a large blackboard hanging from the wall, or upon a large sheet of card-board, or stiff paper, spread upon the table. If the blackboard is used, you should stand before it, the Transmitter standing in the usual position. If the table is used, you should stand before it, the Transmitter in his usual place....

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DRAWING THE CHOSEN FIGURE.

DRAWING THE CHOSEN FIGURE.

DEMONSTRATION VII. Have the audience select a number, and think intently of it. Impress upon the Transmitter that is to think of the Shape of the figure instead of merely remembering its name. For instance if the figure "8" is thought of, the Transmitter should think of the Shape of the figure, and not of the word "eight." Then begin to circle your hand around over the blackboard just as you did when finding the place of the " beginning of the trip " of the demonstration mentioned a few minutes

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THE LADY'S AGE.

THE LADY'S AGE.

DEMONSTRATION VII. This is a variation of the above feat. A lady in the audience is asked to whisper her age in the ear of the Transmitter, and you are to draw it on the board or paper. The feat is performed precisely in the manner described above, the Transmitter being cautioned to think of but one figure at a time during the drawing ....

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THE BANK NOTE TEST.

THE BANK NOTE TEST.

DEMONSTRATION IX. Akin to the last two feats, is the reading of the number of a bank-note held in the hand of the Transmitter. It is performed in precisely the same manner as the preceding feat. Be sure to have the Transmitter understand that he is to think of but one figure at a time, until it is drawn, and then the next, and so on....

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THE WATCH NUMBER TEST.

THE WATCH NUMBER TEST.

DEMONSTRATION X. The feat of reading and drawing the number of a person's watch is a variation of the last mentioned demonstration, and is performed in precisely the same way....

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THE GEOMETRICAL FIGURE TEST.

THE GEOMETRICAL FIGURE TEST.

DEMONSTRATION XI. Have the audience select some simple geometrical figure, such as a square, triangle, circle, right angle, etc., and proceed to draw it in the same way as the figures in the demonstrations just described. Have the Transmitter hold the figure in his mind and mentally draw it as you proceed. A little private practice will enable you to draw these figures easily, and in fact, they are really simpler than numbers, although more startlingly effective at times....

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DRAWING PICTURES.

DRAWING PICTURES.

DEMONSTRATION XII. The same principle described in the above mentioned test may be extended to apply to the drawing of simple pictures, such as the outline figure of a pig, etc. The copy is placed on the table or blackboard, so that the Transmitter may easily refer to it, and then you proceed as in the feats above mentioned. Practice this until you "get it down fine."...

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THE HIDDEN NAME.

THE HIDDEN NAME.

DEMONSTRATION XIII. The same principle may be extended to the writing down of the name of a person, town, etc., previously chosen by the audience. Draw in large letters, so that the eye of the Transmitter may easily follow you at each step....

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THE UNDERLYING RULE.

THE UNDERLYING RULE.

In all of the "Drawing Demonstrations," you should remember the primary principle, i.e. Follow the line of the least Mental Resistance, and the Will of the Transmitter will invariably lead you to the right direction....

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THE "SIMPLER METHOD."

THE "SIMPLER METHOD."

A simpler method of performing the feats and demonstrations which we have styled "The More Difficult Feats," is that of having the Transmitter stand by your right side, turning toward you and placing his right hand over yours, the tips of his fingers resting on your fingers between your large knuckles and first joints , (instead of standing on your left side with his fingers grasped in your left hand, as heretofore mentioned). This method is not nearly so good so far as appearances go, for some

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THE DRIVING FEAT.

THE DRIVING FEAT.

This is performed by the performer, blindfolded as usual, driving a team along the public streets to some selected point, which point is usually a hotel previously selected by a public committee. Upon reaching the hotel the performer goes to the hotel register, turns the pages and finds a name previously selected. The performer receives his impressions from members of the committee who are seated beside him on the carriage seat, with their arms on his shoulders, or having hold of his hands, or e

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THE COMBINATION LOCK FEAT.

THE COMBINATION LOCK FEAT.

This feat is employed either separately, or in connection with the Driving Feat . It consists in the performer opening the combination safe of a hotel or some business establishment. In this case the Transmitter must know the combination perfectly, and his mental impressions acting upon the performer give him the cue to turn "right" or "left" or "repeat" as the case may be. Of course one must have cultivated a great degree of sensitiveness to mental impressions before he will be able to receive

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THE OFFICE DETECTIVE FEAT.

THE OFFICE DETECTIVE FEAT.

In this feat the public committee picks out an object on the desk, or about the office of some one of its members, the office being located some distance from the place of meeting. The performer then rushes along the public streets, dragging the Transmitter with him, until the office is reached, then up stairs, and into the room selected, and up to the desk, or other place, and lo! the object is found. Divesting this feat of all its sensational features, the student will see that it is merely a

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THE POSTOFFICE FEAT.

THE POSTOFFICE FEAT.

Another feat favored by some of the professional performers is that of having a letter placed in a post- office lock-box, the key of which is given the performer at a point some distance from the post-office. Rushing through the public streets, dragging the Transmitter with him, the performer finds the post-office in the usual way, and then locates the lock-box, into which he inserts the key and extracts the letter, thus triumphantly completing the feat. This feat, as every student will see, is

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THE FIRE-ALARM FEAT.

THE FIRE-ALARM FEAT.

This feat is another "free advertisement" demonstration, in which the performer, with the permission of the city officials, discovers the location of a certain fire-alarm box, and turns on the alarm with the key which had been previously loaned him. Some public officials allow this test to be performed, using it as a test alarm for the department as well, and the sight and sound of the clanging fire-engines, the smoke, and confusion following upon the sensational Mind Reading demonstration is ca

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VARIATIONS.

VARIATIONS.

We might enlarge our list of "Sensational feats," but to no real benefit to the student, for they are all cut from the same cloth, and are but "improvements" upon the simple parlor feats. If the student wishes to do so, he may invent a dozen similar feats, just as sensational and just as effective. The purpose of the sensational feat is primarily to gain free advertisements for the public performers. As scientific demonstrations they have but very slight value....

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"FAKE DEMONSTRATIONS" EXPOSED.

"FAKE DEMONSTRATIONS" EXPOSED.

In concluding this part of the book, we wish to warn our students against some of the so-called "Mind Readers" who are travelling around the country giving exhibitions of so-called Mind Reading which while interesting enough in themselves are nothing but cleverly devised devices intended to counterfeit the genuine phenomena. The majority of these performers have a series of cleverly arranged "signal-codes" by which the confederate conveys to the "Mind Reader" the name and description of the arti

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THE FIRST STEPS.

THE FIRST STEPS.

In the first place, the student who is practicing the experiments given in previous chapters, and who is making the demonstrations given there, will find that at times he is able to do away with the physical contact. He will loosen his hold upon the hand of the Transmitter, and at times will sever the contact entirely, and after the feat is demonstrated he will realize to his astonishment that he has performed the principal part of the feat without contact at all. He may be almost unconscious of

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DEMONSTRATIONS WITHOUT A TRANSMITTER.

DEMONSTRATIONS WITHOUT A TRANSMITTER.

These experiences will become so frequent and so strong that he may often (in the cases of peculiarly sensitive people) perform the entire feat without the physical contact of the Transmitter, and perhaps without any Transmitter at all. In well developed cases the Receiver may perform the simple feats, and sometimes some of the more complicated ones, merely by the aid of the Concentrated Will of the audience. We have known of cases in which a pocket-knife was the selected and hidden object, and

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EXERCISES FOR DEVELOPMENT.

EXERCISES FOR DEVELOPMENT.

He may also try the experiment of having a friend hold a certain number of small buttons, etc., in his hand, and endeavor to will that the student shall "guess" the right number. Some people attain a surprising proficiency in this work, almost from the first. A similar experiment with the pack of cards, the student endeavoring to "guess" the card drawn from the pack, naming color, suit, and number in turn, may afford successful results. A number of these experiments may be thought of by an ingen

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REPRODUCING THE SPERRY FEATS.

REPRODUCING THE SPERRY FEATS.

The student may with great profit endeavor to reproduce the experiments of the Sperry children related in Lesson II of this work, in our account of the experiments of the Society for Psychical Research....

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THE WILLING GAME.

THE WILLING GAME.

The well-known "Willing Game" will afford you an opportunity to develop this faculty of "wireless" Mind Reading. Your audience is seated in the room, and you enter blindfolded. An object has been previously selected. You stand in the centre of the room, and the audience wills "to the right"; then "forward"; then "a little lower down," etc., etc., etc., until the object is found, just as was the case when the Transmitter sends the impressions. The audience should Will only one step at a time , an

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LONG DISTANCE EXPERIMENTS.

LONG DISTANCE EXPERIMENTS.

Experiments of "wireless" Mind Reading or Telepathy may be tried between friends at long distances, space apparently presenting no obstacle to the passage of the thought waves. Pick out some friend with whom you have established a strong rapport condition by means of his having acted as your Transmitter in your Contact Mind Reading experiments, and by having practiced Rhythmic Breathing, as heretofore described. Have the Transmitter sit in his room at the appointed time, gazing intently at some

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THE "AUTOMATIC WRITING" EXPERIMENTS.

THE "AUTOMATIC WRITING" EXPERIMENTS.

Another way of conducting experiments along the lines of the Higher Phenomena of Mind Reading, is akin to the "Automatic Writing" known to all students of Occultism. The Transmitter concentrates his thought and Will in the usual manner, while the Receiver places himself in the usual receptive, passive state of mind, and awaits the impressions. But instead of the Receiver merely sitting as usual, he draws his chair to a table, having a soft pencil in his hand and a pad of paper on the table befor

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THE STEAD EXPERIMENTS.

THE STEAD EXPERIMENTS.

Mr. W.T. Stead, the well-known London editor and investigator of Psychic Phenomena, discovered this method while he was experimenting along the lines of Automatic Writing from disembodied souls. He found that he was really coming in contact with the thought-waves emanating from the minds of the living, instead of the dead. He persisted in his experiments along these lines, and after a time was able to write out full letters embodying the thoughts in the minds of persons of his acquaintance, and

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RAPPORT CONDITIONS.

RAPPORT CONDITIONS.

There is a great difference in the degrees of rapport existing between different people, and as the degree of success depends upon the degree of rapport, it is of the greatest importance that you find some person with whom you are in harmonious vibration, in order to try these experiments in the Higher Phenomena. We will not burden the student with recitals of experiments to perform in this Higher Phenomena demonstration. He may readily devise experiments for himself, from the examples given in

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THE BLACKBURN-SMITH EXPERIMENTS.

THE BLACKBURN-SMITH EXPERIMENTS.

As a further suggestion to the student, we would refer him to Lesson II of this work, to the report of the experiments with Mr. Smith and Mr. Blackburn. If you will carefully read this report again, you will find a wealth of suggestions regarding the forms of demonstrations. But, bless your hearts, the experiments may be varied without end—the principle is the same in each case. The underlying principle is that the Transmitter thinks intently upon the appearance of the object or thing, or else u

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FINIS.

FINIS.

Practical Psychomancy and Crystal Gazing By WILLIAM WALKER ATKINSON A Series of Eleven Lessons on the Psychic; Phenomena of Distant Sensing, Clairvoyance, Psychometry, Crystal Gazing, etc. PARTIAL SYNOPSIS OF CONTENTS : Scientific principles underlying Psychomancy. Sensing objects by the Astral Senses. Projection of the Astral Body. How to Develop Yourself. Development Methods. Concentration. Visualization. Psychometry. How to use the Crystal and Mirror. General Instruction. Simple and Space Psy

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