Metapsychical Phenomena: Methods and ObservationsMaxwell, J. (Joseph)
Philosophy
Metapsychical Phenomena: Methods and Observations
Maxwell, J. (Joseph)
Parapsychology -- Investigation
“For our seance yesterday we obtained, as usual, a quantity of raps
through the lead-pencil. I succeeded in provoking them upon myself.
Sensation produced: when M. Meurice put the pencil on bone I had a
sensation of a slight electric current; it produced no contractions
in the muscles traversed; the sensation was at its maximum on bone,
probably because of the greater conductibility offered by solids to
vibration.
“I have tried the raps upon several substances with the following
result:—
the finger: good.
wood: very good, maximum.
ivory: good.
iron: bad.
“Sensibility appears to be exteriorised during the production of raps
through a pencil. Yesterday there was sensibility at a distance of
four centimetres from the periphery of the hand, which was holding the
pencil, when the raps were forthcoming.
“I asked Chappe to indicate in one word why it was easier to obtain
raps with a lead-pencil. He dictated the answer, ‘_Localisent_.’
“Before we separated we received the following message by raps _without
contact: ‘Jeanne Bordes morte 7 octobre 1859 à St. Pierre Martinique,
demeurant 37 rue St. Jacques_.’ I do not know of any Jeanne Bordes,
though a family of that name lives at St. Pierre. I have questioned
some people who have lived in that town, but they do not recollect any
Jeanne Bordes....”
In another letter the doctor writes:—
“Towards four o’clock this afternoon, in broad daylight, some very
fine raps resounded on a table standing thirteen feet away from M.
Meurice and myself. It was said to be H. B. who was rapping. M. Meurice
became nervous, and the experiment only lasted for five minutes. It was
magnificent as an example of raps at a distance.”
* * * * *
The following extracts are taken from Dr. X.’s notes:—
“On one occasion Professor Richet and I were speaking about a relation
of the professor’s, A. R., who was supposed to have communicated
with him through M. Meurice. The latter could not have overheard our
conversation, for the simple reason that he was at least ten miles
away from where we happened to be at that moment. Five or six hours
afterwards, when Professor Richet was out walking with M. Meurice, raps
suddenly resounded on the latter’s walking-stick, and the following
words were dictated: ‘_Suis avec vous._’ (Who are you?) ‘_A. R. Je ne
vous ai jamais abandonné._’
“In the course of the morning’s conversation, the remark had been
passed that the persistency of this personification’s manifestations
would be looked upon by some as a sign of survival, and I had made use
of the words: ‘I wonder if he—A. R.—has been near you lately.’
* * * * *
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