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
"(21) In the evening (22nd) we all dined at M. Gibert's, and in
the evening M. Gibert made another attempt to put her to sleep
at a distance from his house in the Rue Séry,--she being at
the Pavillon, Rue de la Ferme,--and to bring her to his house
by an effort of will. At 8.55 he retired to his study; and MM.
Ochorowicz, Marillier, Janet, and A. T. Myers went to the Pavillon,
and waited outside in the street, out of sight of the house. At
9.22 Dr. Myers observed Madame B. coming half-way out of the
garden-gate, and again retreating. Those who saw her more closely
observed that she was plainly in the somnambulic state, and was
wandering about and muttering. At 9.25 she came out (with eyes
persistently closed, so far as could be seen), walked quickly
past MM. Janet and Marillier without noticing them, and made for
M. Gibert's house, though not by the usual or shortest route. (It
appeared afterwards that the _bonne_ had seen her go into the
_salon_ at 8.45, and issue thence asleep at 9.15: had not looked
in between those times.) She avoided lamp-posts, vehicles, etc.,
but crossed and recrossed the street repeatedly. No one went in
front of her or spoke to her. After eight or ten minutes she grew
much more uncertain in gait, and paused as though she would fall.
Dr. Myers noted the moment in the Rue Faure; it was 9.35. At about
9.40 she grew bolder, and at 9.45 reached the street in front of
M. Gibert's house. There she met him, but did not notice him, and
walked into his house, where she rushed hurriedly from room to room
on the ground-floor. M. Gibert had to take her hand before she
recognised him. She then grew calm.
"M. Gibert said that from 8.55 to 9.20 he thought intently about
her; from 9.20 to 9.35 he thought more feebly; at 9.35 he gave
the experiment up, and began to play billiards; but in a few
minutes began to will her again. It appeared that his visit to
the billiard-room had coincided with her hesitation and stumbling
in the street. But this coincidence may of course have been
accidental....
"(22) On the 23rd, M. Janet, who had woke her up and left her
awake,[57] lunched in our company, and retired to his own house at
4.30 (a time chosen by lot) to try to put her to sleep from thence.
At 5.5 we all entered the _salon_ of the Pavillon, and found her
asleep with shut eyes, but sewing vigorously (being in that stage
in which movements once suggested are automatically continued).
Passing into the talkative state, she said to M. Janet, 'C'est vous
qui m'avez fait dormir à quatre heures et demi.' The impression as
to the hour may have been a suggestion received from M. Janet's
mind. We tried to make her believe that it was M. Gibert who had
sent her to sleep, but she maintained that she had felt that it was
M. Janet.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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