Releasing his grasp, he directed me to wish that I were moving directly
to the right. I did so; the distance widened between us.
"Wish intensely that you would move in a circle about me."
I acquiesced, and at once my body began to circle around him.
"Call for the bar of iron."
I did as directed, and soon it came floating out of space into my very
hand.
"I am amazed," I ejaculated; "yes, more surprised at these phenomena
than at anything that has preceded."
"You need not be; you move now under the influences of natural laws that
are no more obscure or wonderful than those under which you have always
existed. Instead of exercising its influence on a brain, and thence
indirectly on a material body, your mind force is exerting its action
through energy on matter itself. Matter is here subservient. It is
nearly the same as vacuity, mind being a comprehensive reality. The
positions we have heretofore occupied have been reversed, and mind now
dominates. Know, that as your body is now absolutely without weight, and
is suspended in a frictionless medium, the most delicate balance of a
chemist can not approach in sensitiveness the adjustment herein
exemplified. Your body does not weigh the fraction of the millionth part
of a grain, and where there is neither material weight nor possible
friction, even the attrition that on surface earth results from a needle
point that rests on an agate plate is immeasurably greater in
comparison. Pure mind energy is capable of disturbing the equilibrium
of matter in our situation, as you have seen exemplified by our
movements and extraneous materials, 'dead matter' obeys the spiritual.
The bar of iron obeyed your call, the spiritless metal is subservient to
the demands of intelligence. But, come, we must continue our journey."
Grasping me again, he exclaimed: "Wish with all intensity that we may
move forward, and I will do the same."
I did so.
"We are now uniting our energies in the creation of motion," he said;
"we are moving rapidly, and with continually accelerated speed; before
long we will perceive the earthy border of this chasm."
And yet it seemed to me that we were at perfect rest.
CHAPTER LI.
IS THAT A MORTAL?--"THE END OF EARTH."
At length I perceived, in the distance, a crescent-shaped ring of silver
luster. It grew broader, expanding beneath my gaze, and appeared to
approach rapidly.
"Hold; cease your desire for onward motion," said the guide; "we
approach too rapidly. Quick, wish with all your mind that you were
motionless."
I did so, and we rested in front of a ridge of brilliant material, that
in one direction, towards the earth's outer circle, broadened until it
extended upward as far as the eye could reach in the form of a bold
precipice, and in the other towards the inner world, shelved gradually
away as an ocean beach might do.
"Tell me, what is this barrier?" I asked.
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