Apparitions and thought-transference: an examination of the evidence for telepathyPodmore, Frank
Philosophy
Apparitions and thought-transference: an examination of the evidence for telepathy
Podmore, Frank
Apparitions; Telepathy
In Mr. Godfrey's trials, as also in those made by Mr. S. H. B., the
agent was asleep at the time of the experiment.[113] In the two cases
which follow the agent was in a hypnotic trance. In the first instance,
it will be seen, there appears to have been a reciprocal effect,
the agent himself becoming aware at the time of the percipient's
surroundings, and of the effect produced on her by his influence. The
account was sent to us in January 1886.
No. 63.--From MR. H. P. SPARKS.
After describing various hypnotic experiments on a fellow-student, Mr.
A. H. W. Cleave, Mr. Sparks continues:--
"Last Friday evening (January 15th, 1886) he expressed his wish to
see a young lady living in Wandsworth, and he also said he would
try to make himself seen by her. I accordingly mesmerised him, and
continued the long passes for about 20 minutes, concentrating my
will on his idea. When he came round (I brought him round by just
touching his hand and willing him, after 1 hour and 20 minutes'
trance) he said he had seen her in the dining-room, and that after
a time she grew restless, and then suddenly looked straight at him
and then covered her eyes with her hands. Just after this he came
round. Last Monday evening (January 18th, 1886) we did the same
thing, and this time he said he thought he had frightened her, as
after she had looked at him for a few minutes she fell back in her
chair in a sort of faint. Her little brother was in the room at
the time. Of course, after this we expected a letter if the vision
was real; and on Wednesday morning he received a letter from this
young lady asking whether anything had happened to him, as on
Friday evening she was startled by seeing him standing at the door
of the room. After a minute he disappeared, and she thought that it
might have been fancy; but on the Monday evening she was still more
startled by seeing him again, and this time much clearer, and it so
frightened her that she nearly fainted.
"This account I send you is perfectly true, I will vouch, for I
have two independent witnesses who were in the dormitory at the
time when he was mesmerised, and when he came round. My patient's
name is Arthur H. W. Cleave, and his age is 18 years. A. C. Darley
and A. S. Thurgood, fellow-students, are the two witnesses I
mentioned.
"H. PERCY SPARKS."
Mr. Cleave writes, on March 15th, 1886:--
"H.M.S. _Marlborough_, PORTSMOUTH.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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