THOUGHT READING.

Mataura Ensign, Volume V, Issue 234, 2 March 1883, Page 6

THOUGHT READING.

A meeting of the society engaged in the investigation of physical phenomena was held at 11 Chandos Street, Cavendish square, London. Mr H. Sidgwick presided, and frankly admitted that strong scientific proof is required to establish the theory of the transmission of impressions from one mind to another, otherwise than by recognized organs of the senses. Investigation of physical phenomena, however, be maintained, was of at least equal importance to the reading of Plato or studying the habits of black beetles. In the report of the committee on phsychoscopy, Professor Barret dwelt chiefly on the experiments made by a scientific deputation with the juvenile daughters of a clergyman at Buxton. These experiments, chiefly with the aid of cards, words, and figures, resulted in correct guesses by

the "sensitives" of the thoughts in the mind of the agent, and presumably known only to himself, in the proportion of one correct answer to every four and a half trials, as against an estimated proportion on fifty two, the odds against mere chance guesses Even more remarkable results were obtained by Mr F. W. H. Myers and and Mr E. Gurney in tests applied to Dr. Blackburn, the thinker, and Mr Smith the mesmeric sensitive, at Brighton. Diagrams drawn on the blackboard, unseen by Mr Smith, but seen by Mr Blackburn, were described or roughly reproduced by the former gentleman blindfolded and with his back turned to the pictures after temporary contact with the hands of Mr Blackburn. In another instance a " percipia'nt" arrived no nearer the thought in the mind of the thinker than " Eegent street" is to " Eembrandt's teeth." Mr Frank Podmore read the report of the " Haunted House Committee, " which contained two thrilling ghost stories of the good old-fashioned type, though the incidents related were stated to have occurred quite recently. The report of the Eeichenbach Committee by Mr W". H. Coffin, touched on the mysteries of the divining rod, and on several better established and more scientific phenomena. Dr Wyld's paper, full of marvellous anecdotes of clairvoyance, ended the order of business.