Life in a Thousand WorldsHarris, W. S. (William Shuler)
Science
Life in a Thousand Worlds
Harris, W. S. (William Shuler)
Utopias
In our life one may conceal his thoughts from the most searching human
eye, but this cannot be done on Mute. As a consequence each one can read
the character of his comrades, and the normal citizen well knows what
necessary allowance to make for the impure thoughts that flit through
the mind of his neighbor.
I studied, with absorbing interest, the many phases of this mental
telepathy, or mind talking, between two or more persons even though
widely separated. Imagine how glorious it must be to have real
fellowship with a friend whose face you cannot see and whose hand you
cannot touch.
There are limitations to this delightsome way of talking. A person can
hold conversation with only one absent friend at a time and then only
when each one concentrates his thoughts on the other. What wireless
telegraphy is to our world, this mental conversation is to the world of
Mute, and it is possible that we may reach a higher degree of
proficiency in this direction after we become still better acquainted
with the laws of the human mind.
When I think of the many unaccountable heart-thrills that send their
emotions of joy and hatred into our passing life, I am somewhat
persuaded that we speak this tongueless language more than we imagine.
Some day we may learn the secrets that are now so heavily veiled and
thereby put to naught the glory of our present modes of communication.
Until then we will plod along with the telegraph, telephone, wireless
telegraphy and our ever-changing knowledge of telepathic intercourse.
I will give the philosophy of this perfect means of expressing thought
as clearly as I can.
As sound waves are created in our atmosphere by actual vibration, so
are thought waves created on Mute by mental activity focused in any one
point of the brain. Our way of expressing thought by audible words is
not conceivable to these people. If one of their inhabitants were to
visit our Earth, he would be at a loss to account for our movements of
mouth and gestures of body when we are in the act of conversation.
The social life of Mute is marked with many peculiarities. Males and
females seldom ever associate together, and social purity sends its
sweet influences over the whole planet.
A science which is similar to Phrenology plays an important part in all
the social customs of this sphere. It decides the marital destiny of
each person, and no two are recommended to join in wedlock until they
have been pronounced physical and mental mates by the official
psychologists.
On this interesting world I found the most summary punishment for
adulterers and fornicators. When these crimes are clearly proven, the
guilty parties are put to death after a lingering sentence. This is a
most terrible punishment, but it has proven that, although a few must
suffer this penalty, the general good of the whole population is thereby
much increased.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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