A soul that formulates a thought is obviously not in quite the same state as was the case before the occurrence of the thought; and if there be in existence some kind of space-filling “X,” corresponding to the imagined “Ether,” it is conceivable that this change of state may affect or disturb the X in a way analogous to the supposed affecting of the Ether by a change of temperature in a heat-emitting substance. In like manner if some other soul located elsewhere be in contact with the X, it is conceivable that the disturbance of the latter may cause such other soul to experience a corresponding change of state and thus to become impressed with, as it were, a facsimile of the original thought. The myriad complexities of the supposed changes of state and disturbances involved in the communication of a train of thought need not be regarded as an insuperable difficulty. Let anyone study what takes place in the course of a telephonic message. A disk of sheet-iron is caused to vibrate by the air-shaking human voice: these vibrations cause corresponding fluctuations in the electric current flowing through the wire uniting the transmitter with the receiver; and the varying current sets up varying magnetic impulses which cause the receiving disk of sheet-iron to vibrate in a manner exactly similar to what happened in the case of the transmitting disk, so that the air impinging on the listening ear is shaken in the same way as the air affected by the original speaker’s voice. It all seems simple enough until the character of the “vibrations” and “fluctuations” is looked into. They are so varied, complex and multitudinous as to defy analysis or even comprehension. The human mind desists from the attempt to really understand them. But telephony remains an acknowledged fact; and its existence lends a high degree of probability to the reality of telepathy. The term “thought-reading” is often employed to indicate telepathic communication, and is very convenient by reason of its association with what is understood by the common action of perusal. In so-called “spiritualistic sittings” a medium sometimes mentions a name or a circumstance known only to the sitter; and this is frequently considered to be a complete proof of information derived by the medium from some spirit. But it may just as well be a case of thought-reading. The sitter’s soul, thinking of the name or circumstance, disturbs the X accordingly. The medium’s soul, which is in contact with the X, is affected by the disturbance and becomes conscious of the name or circumstance. In simpler, less cumbrous language, the medium reads the sitter’s thoughts.