CLAIRVOYANCE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13519, 16 February 1906, Page 5

CLAIRVOYANCE.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib,—ln reply to Mr Maurais' letter, published in your issue of tho 14-th inst., I would, in tho first place, direct attention to his attempt to put words in my moiuth which really eamo from his own. Awaking on tho subjcct of " Clairvoyance" before tho Theosophical Society (vido Daily Times of January 18) ho stated that, save Yoga, " all other methods were dangerous to lifo and sanity, and unreliable in their results, - depending on tho use of drugs," etc.. ctc. What I stated was this: Will Mr Maurais defino tho term "clairvoyance" without referenco to it as produced by drug action? And more, Mr Maurais would havo your readers to infer that because I asked him for a definition oi clairvoyance in terms of everyday use, an' not acquainted with tho subjcct. Well. Sir, whether I have or ha-vo not take a bigger bite than I can chew remains to be sce-n and judged by an intelligent-reading public. Certainly the 1-heosophists cannot bo my judges, seeing they havo thrown reason overboard and rely upon second sight, formerly known as witchcraft, as their chief'guide. Taking up other two sentences in Mr Maurais' letter, he says: "The fact is that tho power indicated is, in its proper significance, impossible to one under hypnotic suggestion.. Clairvoyance is an extension of the powers of sight." Exactly so, and hero is an illustration of how an extension of the said powers are- used to convert people-to Tlieosophy. In a certain Hindoo templo there lives a "fakir," who, by tho use of his hypnotic and clairvoyant faculties, can make quito a. congregation of peoplo see a rope flung into space at an anglo of 45deg, and a man start to climb iiip it from the bottom and disappear at the top end. A very wonderful illusion, no doubt; but, after all. only an illusion. For, when two newspaper men paid tho fakir a visit and persuaded him to repeat the exhibition, although 0110 man deScrilied what he saw and the other sketolied what he saw, the camera they placed in position saw nothing. Yet both the men saw tho 0110 and the samo tiling. Very similar methods arc being used by white fakirs in most parts of the British Empire. That is to t say, and I make the statement deliberately, the Thccsopliists invite tho out-. sidcr to a meeting, and by tho united efforts of Theosophienl minds acting upon the mind of the guest, the latter is made to see a thing or things .which have no actual existence, and unfortunately for himself, the outsider, not being forearmed with the knowledge that- lie js likely to lie hypnotised by his hosts, Ijclieves that the illusion he has seen has jii objective existence. As a matter of fact, were he left entirely free to think and act for himself during the progress of the meeting, he would rise up and leave it,- much in the same framo of mind as when ha took his seat. The Theosophists make a big point of promising tho novice both freedom and lilierty, but onco initiated into some of the mysteries of the " sccret- doctrine," lie finds himself the biggest slave under the sun, 'for of whom a man is overcome of the same is he also brought into bondage." The true, disciple must live and move _ and have his being outside of the highest powers conferred on man—tho powers of reasoning. Clairvoyance lias no use for reason. By the prcducti.°n of either sclf-induced or suggested pictures, it deludes those who follow it; and the longer the devotee lives in dreams tho further he becomes removed from all that sane and practical, until ho says, ''conscience can only be described as a fiction and morality and duty as nart of that fiction." Again, Mr Maurais states "by ceasing to do evil, by tho practice of righteousness (as the Buddha taught), is the wily opened up." Why does Mr Maurais only tell us half the Buddha taught? Is not tho so-called practice of righteousness very elementary, seeing the leal meaning and method of Yoga only heroine apparent when the scctioii dealing with religious postures is readied. "In a fair, still spot having fixed his abode, not to much raised, nor yet too low let him abide, his goods a cloth,'a deerskin, and the l;usa- grass. There, setting hard his mind, upon the one restrainiiig heart and senses, silent, calm, let him accomplish Yoga, and achieve purencss of Etui, holding immovable borv and ,icck and head, his gaze absorbed upon his nose end, rent- from all around." In this typical posture the Yogi is- to practise three methods of restraining and ultimately of suspending Iho breathing; lie is to persist in the practice of them until h;i bccomes oblivious of everything around him, and is able to meditato without recognising distinction cf subject- and object. When he can roneat the mystio syllable "oin" in silence 20,736,000 times and meditate uninterruptedly upon it, and when ho can suspend the respiratory movements for a period of 12 days, when tho Yogi has arrived at Samadhi—a state of trailers, of sell-hypnotism, of the complete arrest of all outward correspondences—the state in which the " Mukti" (Liberation) is close at hand. Such an "object" is useful neither for private friendship, nor for public service, nor for tho service of God. And this 'ghastly product of a philosophic abortion is what wo British people are being asked to become like unto, rather be followers of Jesus Christ.—l am, «tc., D. Wisdart.