{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_43954/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_43954","id":"gutenberg_43954","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/43954","summary":null,"tags":["Category: How To ...","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Clairvoyance","Crystal gazing","Magic"],"text":"Transcriber's Note: Minor typographical errors have been corrected\nwithout note. Irregularities and inconsistencies in the text have\nbeen retained as printed. Words printed in italics are noted with\nunderscores: _italics_. Words printed in bold are noted with tildes:\n~bold~.\n\n\n\n\nPRACTICAL PSYCHOMANCY\n\nAND\n\nCRYSTAL GAZING\n\n\n_By WILLIAM WALKER ATKINSON_\n\n\n_A Course of Lessons on_\n\n_The Psychic Phenomena of Distant Sensing, Clairvoyance, Psychometry,\nCrystal Gazing, Etc._\n\n\nPrinted by\nYOGA PUBLICATION SOCIETY\n\nISBN 0-911662-41-3\n\nCopyright 1908\n\n\n\n\nTABLE OF CONTENTS\n\n\nLESSON I--THE NATURE OF PSYCHOMANCY                                 5\n\nInteresting, scientific principles underlying Psychomancy. Sensing\nobjects by the Astral Senses. The three classes of Psychomancy. The\nphenomena of the Astral Vision. The Astral Tube. Projection of the\nAstral Body.\n\nLESSON II--HOW TO DEVELOP YOURSELF                                 15\n\nThe Dawn of the Psychic Faculties. Auric Colors. Visions. Development\nMethods. Concentration. Visualization. Psychometry. The Magic Mirror.\nHow to use the Crystal and Mirror. General Instruction.\n\nLESSON III--SIMPLE PSYCHOMANCY                                     27\n\nSimple and Space Psychomancy and their differences. Sensitivity to\nImpressions. \"Feeling\" the Thought of Others. Seeing Through Solid\nObjects. Seeing Down Into the Earth. Telescopic and Microscopic Vision.\nDiagnosis of Disease by Psychomancy.\n\nLESSON IV--THE ASTRAL TUBE                                         36\n\nThis most interesting study is stated clearly, so that all may readily\nunderstand this fundamental principle of Psychic Communication.\n\nLESSON V--PSYCHOMETRY                                              41\n\nLocating persons by a lock of hair, etc. Reading a person's\ncharacteristics, past history, etc. Describing distant scenes from\nflowers, etc. Describing mines from bits of minerals, etc. Reading the\npast associations of an object.\n\nLESSON VI--CRYSTAL GAZING                                          45\n\nRevival of a Lost Science. Various forms of Crystal Gazing. Directions\nof \"How to Do It,\" etc.\n\nLESSON VII--ASTRAL PROJECTION                                      51\n\nProjecting the Astral Body. Materializing one's self. Taking part in\nDistant Scenes, Events and Conversations. Showing one's self to Absent\nFriends. What the trained experimentor may do. The English Society's\nreports upon Psychic Phenomena along these lines. The Living Ghost\nwithin each of us. Traveling in the Astral.\n\nLESSON VIII--SPACE PSYCHOMANCY                                     59\n\nWhat it means, and what may be accomplished by means of it.\nSwedenborg's, and others', wonderful experiences. Truth stranger\nthan fiction. Scientific facts reading like a romance.\n\nLESSON IX--PAST TIME PSYCHOMANCY                                   68\n\nSensing the scenes, occurrences and objects of the Past, by Astral\nVision. A most fascinating subject, and one of importance to those\nhaving or developing Psychic Power.\n\nLESSON X--FUTURE TIME PSYCHOMANCY                                  76\n\nReading the Future. Future events cast their shadows before. Destiny\nand Fate. Premonitions, Previsions and Second Sight. The wonderful\nprevision and prediction of Cazotte, and its amusing sequel.\n\nLESSON XI--DREAM PSYCHOMANCY                                       84\n\nPsychomancy during sleep. The Phenomena of Psychic Dreams and Visions.\nTraveling in the Astral while asleep. Remarkable and well authenticated\ncases of Psychic Dreams and Visions, true and verified. This lesson\nwill explain many similar instances in your own experience.\n\n\n\n\nLESSON I.\n\nTHE NATURE OF PSYCHOMANCY.\n\n\nThe term \"Psychomancy\" (pronounced, \"sy-ko-man-see\"), is derived from\ntwo Greek words, the first \"psycho,\" meaning \"the soul; the mind; the\nunderstanding\" (and generally used to indicate \"psychic\" or unusual\npowers of the soul or mind); the second word, \"mancy\" meaning \"to\ndivine; to foresee, or foreknow; to detect secret things,\"--and in\noccult parlance, \"~to sense~,\" or \"to receive impressions by the\nAstral Senses.\" So the word, as we use it, may be said to mean \"Psychic\nSensing,\" and in this work will be so used. The word \"Psychomancer\"\nmeans \"one practicing Psychomancy;\" and the word \"Psychomantic\" means\n\"relating to Psychomancy.\"\n\nThe word \"Clairvoyance\" is frequently used by people to designate some\nof the phases of Psychomancy, but strictly speaking this term is\nincorrect when used in this sense, the true occult meaning of the word\n\"Clairvoyance,\" being \"transcendental vision, or the perception of\nbeings on another plane of existence--the seeing of disembodied souls,\nelementals, etc.\" And so, in this work, we shall consider the true\nphenomena of Clairvoyance, as distinct from that of Psychomancy.\n\nIn this work, we shall regard as the true phenomena of Psychomancy, all\nthe various phenomena known as Psychometry; Crystal Gazing; Perceiving\nDistant Scenes; a perception of Past Events, and Indication of Future\nEvents; either in the full waking state; the state of reverie; or the\nstate of dreams.\n\nAnd, so this work will examine, consider, and explain, the various\nphases of phenomena above indicated--in short, the phenomena of\n~\"sensing\" objects by means of Astral Senses~, omitting the phenomena\nof Clairvoyance, or seeing disembodied souls, etc., which we regard as\nbelonging to a different phase of the general subject, and which\nrequire special consideration and examination.\n\nThe majority of works upon these lines begin by an elaborate attempt to\n\"prove\" the reality of the phenomena in question. But we shall not fall\ninto this error, for such we regard it. The time for the necessity of\nsuch proof is past. The records of the Societies for Psychical Research\nare full of proofs, and evidence, which are as full, complete and\nstrong as ever required by any court to hang or clear a man. And the\nbook shelves of the libraries are full of other books, giving like\nproof. And, for that matter, this work is not written to convince\npeople of the truth of this phenomena--it is intended for those who\nhave already convinced themselves of its reality, but who wish for\nspecific information regarding its nature, manner of manifestation,\netc. Where we quote instances of the manifestation of some form of\nPsychomantic phenomena, in this work, we do so simply to illustrate the\ncharacteristics of some particular form of the phenomena, and not as\ncorroborative proof. With this explanation, we propose plunging right\ninto the main subject itself.\n\nThere have been many attempted explanations of, and theories regarding\nthe phenomena of Psychomancy, some of which are more or less plausible,\nwhile others are quite visionary, \"wild,\" and fantastic. In this work,\nwe shall pay no attention to those more or less ingenious \"guesses\" of\nthe theorists, but shall, instead, give you plainly, clearly, and\nsimply, the time-honored teachings of the advanced Occultists which\nteachings we believe to be the Truth, tested and tried by centuries of\ninvestigation, and experiment.\n\n\nTHE ASTRAL SENSES.\n\nThe Occult Teachings inform us that in addition to the Five Physical\nSenses possessed by man, viz: Seeing; Feeling; Hearing; Tasting; and\nSmelling; each of which has its appropriate sense organ, every\nindividual is also possessed of Five Astral Senses, which form a part\nof what is known to Occultists as the Astral Body. These Astral Senses,\nwhich are the astral counterparts of the five physical senses, operate\nupon what Occultists call the Astral Plane, which is next above the\nPhysical Plane, in the Sevenfold Scale of Planes. Just as do the\nPhysical Senses operate upon the Physical Plane, so do the Astral\nSenses operate upon the Astral Plane.\n\nBy means of these Astral Senses, one may sense outside objects without\nthe use of the physical senses usually employed. And it is through this\nsensing by these Astral Senses, that the phenomena of Psychomancy\nbecomes possible.\n\nBy the employment of the Astral Sense of Seeing, the Psychomancer is\nable to perceive occurrences, scenes, etc., at a distance sometimes\nalmost incredibly far; to see through solid objects; to see records of\npast occurrences in the Astral Ether; and to see Future Scenes thrown\nahead in Time, like the shadows cast by material objects--\"coming\nevents cast their shadows before,\" you have heard. By the use of the\nAstral Sense of Hearing, he is able to sense sounds over immense\ndistances and often after the passage of great periods of time, for the\nAstral vibrations continue for many years.\n\nThe Astral senses of Taste and Smell are seldom used, although there\nare abundant proofs of their existence. The Astral Sense of Feeling\nenables the Psychomancer to become aware of certain occurrences on the\nAstral Plane, and to perceive impressions, mental and otherwise, that\nare being manifested at a distance. The Astral Sense of Feeling may be\nexplained as being rather a sense of \"Awareness,\" than a mere\n\"Feeling,\" inasmuch as the Psychomancer, through its channel, becomes\n\"aware\" of certain occurrences, other than by Astral Sight or Hearing,\nand yet which is not \"Feeling\" as the word is used on the Physical\nPlane. It may be well called \"Sensing\" for want of a better name, and\nmanifests in a vague consciousness or \"awareness.\" But still we must\nnot overlook the fact that there are many instances of true \"feeling\"\non the Astral Plane, for instances, cases where the Psychomancer\nactually \"feels\" the pain of another, which phenomena is commonly known\nas \"sympathetic pains,\" \"taking on the condition,\" etc., etc., and\nwhich are well known to all investigators as belonging to the phenomena\nof the Astral Senses.\n\n\nTHE ASTRAL BODY\n\nBut, to understand the Astral Senses, one must be made acquainted with\nthe existence of that which Occultists know as \"The Astral Body.\" There\nis no point in the Occult Teachings better established; longer held; or\nmore thoroughly proven than that of the existence of the Astral Body.\nThis teaching of the Ancient Occultists is being corroborated by the\nexperiments, and investigations of the Psychic Researchers of the\npresent day.\n\nThe Astral Body, belonging to every person, is an exact counterpart of\nthe perfect physical body of the person. It is composed of fine\nethereal matter, and is usually encased in the physical body. In\nordinary cases, the detaching of the Astral Body from its physical\ncounterpart is accomplished only with great difficulty, but in the case\nof dreams; great mental stress; and under certain conditions of occult\ndevelopment, the Astral Body may become detached and sent on long\njourneys, traveling at a rate of speed greater than that of light\nwaves. On these journeys it is always connected with the physical body\nby a long filmy connecting link. If this link were to become broken,\nthe person would die instantly, but this is an almost unheard of\noccurrence in the ordinary planes of action. The Astral Body exists a\nlong time after the death of the physical body, but it disintegrates in\ntime. It sometimes hovers around the resting place of the physical\ncorpse, and is mistaken for the \"spirit\" of the deceased person,\nalthough really it is merely a shell or finer outer coating of the\nsoul. The Astral Body of a dying person is often projected to the\npresence of friends and loved ones a few moments before the physical\ndeath, the phenomenon arising from the strong desire of the dying\nperson to see and be seen.\n\nThe Astral Body frequently travels from its physical counterpart, in\nPsychomantic phenomena, and visits scenes far distant, there sensing\nwhat is occurring. It also leaves the body during what are known as\nPsychomantic dreams; or under the influence of anaesthetics; or in some\nof the deeper phases of hypnosis; when it visits strange scenes and\nplaces, and often holds mental conversation with other Astral Bodies,\nor else with disembodied entities. The jumbled and distorted\nrecollections of these dreams are occasioned by the brain not having\nreceived perfect impressions transmitted to it, by reason of lack of\ntraining, development, etc., the result being like a blurred or\ndistorted photographic plate.\n\nIn order to intelligently grasp the underlying principles of the\nphenomena of Psychomancy, and its allied subjects, you must familiarize\nyourself with the truth concerning the Astral Senses, which we have\njust stated. Unless you understand and accept this truth and fact, you\nwill not be able to grasp the principles underlying the phenomena in\nquestion, but will be lost in the quagmire of idle theories, and\nfantastic \"explanation\" hazarded by investigators of psychic phenomena\nwho have not made themselves acquainted with the Occult Teachings which\nalone give the student an intelligent key to the mysteries of the\nAstral Plane.\n\n\nTHE THREE CLASSES\n\nThe phenomena of Psychomancy, etc., may be grouped into three classes,\neach being produced by its own special class-cause. In either or all\ncases, the impressions are received by and through the Astral Senses,\nbut there are three distinct ways in which, and by which, these\nimpressions are received. These ways, which we shall now proceed to\nconsider in detail, may be classified under the following terms:\n\n(1) Sensing by the \"quickening\" of one's Astral Senses sufficient to\nperceive more clearly the etheric vibrations or currents, the auric\nemanations of persons and things; and similar phases of Psychomancy,\nbut which does not include the power to sense occurrences happening in\ndistant places; nor the power to sense the records of the past, or to\nreceive indications of the future. (See Lesson III.)\n\n(2) Sensing by means of the \"Astral Tube,\" erected in the Ether by the\noperation of one's Will or Desire, and which acts as a Psychic\n\"telescope,\" or \"microscope,\" with \"X Ray\" features. (See Lesson IV.)\n\n(3) Sensing by means of the actual projection of one's own Astral Body\nto the distant scene. (See Lesson VII.)\n\n\nCLAIRAUDIENCE.\n\n\"Clairaudience\" is a term sometimes used to indicate Astral Hearing.\nSome writers on this subject treat \"Clairaudience\" as a separate class\nof phenomena. But we fail to see the distinction they make. It, of\ncourse, employs a different Astral Sense from that generally employed,\nbut both are Astral Senses functioning on the Astral Plane, just as the\nphysical senses of Seeing and Hearing function on the Physical Plane.\nAnd, more important, both forms of Astral Sensing are subject to the\nsame laws and rules. In other words, all that is said in the lessons of\nthis book on the subject of Psychomantic Vision holds equally true of\nClairaudience.\n\nThus, there may be Simple ~Clairaudience~; Space ~Clairaudience~;\nPast Time ~Clairaudience~; Future Time ~Clairaudience~, etc.; also\n~Clairaudient~ Psychometry; ~Clairaudience~ through Crystal Gazing,\netc. Psychomantic Vision is the employment of the Astral ~Sight~, while\nClairaudience is the similar employment of the Astral ~Hearing~.\n\nIn many cases of Psychomantic Vision there is an accompaniment of\nClairaudience; while in others it may be missing. Likewise,\nPsychomantic Vision usually accompanied Clairaudience, although\nsometimes one may be able to ~hear~ astrally, although no seeing.\n\nYou will notice that in many of the instances of Psychomantic Vision\nrelated in this book, there is a mention of the person ~hearing~\nwords or sounds, while seeing the vision--this, of course, is\nClairaudience.\n\n\n\n\nLESSON II.\n\nHOW TO DEVELOP YOURSELF.\n\n\nPassing to the actual practice, we desire to inform our students that\nthe faculty of Psychomancy lies dormant in every person--that is the\nAstral Senses are present in everyone, and the possibility of their\nbeing awakened into activity is always present. The different degrees\nof power observable in different persons depend chiefly upon the degree\nof development, or unfoldment, rather than upon the comparative\nstrength of the faculties. In some persons, of certain temperaments,\nthe Astral Senses are very near the manifesting point at all times.\nFlashes of what are considered to be \"intuition,\" premonitions, etc.,\nare really manifestations of Psychomancy in some phase. In the case of\nother persons, on the other hand, the Astral Senses are almost\natrophied, so merged in materialistic thought and life are these\npeople. The element of Faith also plays an important point in this\nphenomena, as it does in all Occult phenomena, for that matter. That is\nto say, that one's ~belief~ tends to open up the latent powers and\nfaculty in man, while a corresponding ~disbelief~ tends to prevent\nthe unfoldment or manifestation. There is a very good psychological\nreason for this as all students of the subject well know. Belief and\nDisbelief are two potent psychological factors on all planes of action.\n\nOccultists know, and teach, that the Astral Senses and faculties of the\nhuman race will unfold as the race progresses, at which time that which\nwe now call Psychomantic Power will be a common possession of all\npersons, just as the use of the Physical Senses are to the race at the\npresent time. In the meantime, there are persons who, not waiting for\nthe evolution of the race, are beginning to manifest this power in a\ngreater or lesser degree, depending much upon favorable circumstances,\netc. There are many more persons in this stage of development than is\ngenerally realized. In fact many persons manifesting Psychomantic\npower, occasionally, are apt to pass by the phenomena as \"imagination,\"\nand \"foolishness,\" refusing to recognize its reality. Then, again, many\npersons manifest the power during sleeping hours, and dismiss the\nmatter as \"merely a dream,\" etc.\n\nRegarding this matter of the dawning of Psychomancy, a well-known\nauthority writes as follows: \"Students often ask how this psychic\nfaculty will first be manifested in themselves--how they may know when\nthey have reached the stage at which its first faint foreshadowings are\nbeginning to be visible. Cases differ so widely that it is impossible\nto give to this question an answer that will be universally applicable.\nSome people begin by a plunge, as it were, and under some unusual\nstimulus become able just for once to see some striking vision; and\nvery often in such a case, because the experience does not repeat\nitself, the seer comes in time to believe that on that occasion he must\nhave been the victim of hallucination. Others begin by becoming\nintermittently conscious of the brilliant colors and vibrations of the\nhuman aura; others find themselves with increasing frequency seeing and\nhearing something to which those around them are blind and deaf; others\nagain see faces, landscapes, or colored clouds floating before their\neyes in the dark, before they sink to rest; while perhaps the commonest\nexperience of all is that of those who begin to recollect with greater\nand greater clearness what they have seen and heard on other planes\nduring sleep.\"\n\nVery many persons possess respectable degrees of Simple Psychomancy,\nvarying from vague impressions to the full manifestation of the\nfaculty, as described in these lessons. Such a person has \"intuitions\";\n\"notions\"; \"presentiments,\" and the faculty of getting ideas regarding\nother persons and things, other than by the usual mental processes.\nOthers manifest certain degrees of Psychometric powers, which develop\nrapidly by practice. Others find themselves possessing certain degrees\nof power of \"scrying\" through Crystals, which power, also, may be\ndeveloped by practice. The phases of Time Psychomancy, Past and Future;\nand that of Space Psychomancy, in its higher degrees, are far more\nrare, and few persons possess them, and still fewer persist in the\npractice until they develop it, they lacking the patience, persistence,\nand application necessary.\n\nWhile it is very difficult to lay down a set method of instruction in\nthe Development of Psychomantic Power, owing to reasons already given,\nand because of the varying temperaments, etc., of students, yet there\nis possible a plan of giving general information, which if followed\nwill put the student upon the right path toward future development. And\nthis plan we shall now proceed to give the students of this little\nbook.\n\n\nDEVELOPMENT METHODS\n\nConcentration. In the first place, the student should cultivate the\nfaculty of Concentration, that is the power to hold the attention upon\nan object for some time. Very few persons possess this power, although\nthey may think they do. The best way to develop Concentration is to\npractice on some familiar and common object, such as a pencil, book,\nornament, etc. Take up the object and study it in detail, forcing the\nmind to examine and consider it in every part, until every detail of\nthe object has been observed and noted. Then lay the object aside, and\na few hours after pick it up again and repeat the process, and you will\nbe surprised to see how many points you have missed on the first trial,\nRepeat this until you feel that you have exhausted your object. The\nnext day take up another object, and repeat the process. A drill of\nthis kind will not only greatly develop the powers of Perception, but\nwill also strengthen your powers of Concentration in a manner which\nwill be of great value to you in Occult Development.\n\nVisualizing. The second point of development for the student, is the\ndevelopment of the faculty of Visualization. In order to Visualize you\nmust cultivate the faculty of forming Mental Pictures of distant\nscenes, places, people, etc., until you can summon them before you at\nwill, when you place yourself in the proper mental condition. Another\nplan is to place yourself in a comfortable position, and then make a\nmental journey to some place that you have previously visited. Prepare\nfor the journey, and then mentally see yourself starting on your trip;\nthen seeing all the intermediate places and points; then arriving at\nyour destination and visiting the points of interest, etc.; and then\nreturning home. Then, later try to visit places that you have never\nseen, in the same way. This is not Clairvoyance, but is a training of\nthe mental faculties for the exercise of the real power.\n\nPsychometry. After you have developed yourself along the lines of\nConcentration, and Visualization as above stated, you may begin to\npractice Psychometry, as follows: Take a lock of hair; or handkerchief;\nor ribbon; or ring; belonging to some other person, and then press it\nagainst your forehead, lightly, closing your eyes, and assuming a\nreceptive and passive mental state. Then desire calmly that you\nPsychometrize the past history of the object. Do not be in too much of\na hurry, but await calmly the impressions. After a while you will begin\nto receive impressions concerning the person owning the object pressed\nagainst your forehead. You will form a mental picture of the person,\nand will soon begin to receive impressions about his characteristics,\netc. You may practice with a number of objects, at different times, and\nwill gradually develop the Psychometric power by such practice and\nexperiments. Remember that you are developing what is practically a new\nsense, and must have perseverance and patience in educating and\nunfolding it.\n\nAnother form of Psychometric development is that of tracing the past\nhistory, surroundings, etc., of metals, minerals, etc. The process is\nidentical to that just described. The mineral is pressed against the\nforehead, and with closed eyes the person awaits the Psychometric\nimpression. Some who have highly developed the faculty have been able\nto describe the veins of mineral, metal, etc., and to give much\nvaluable information regarding same, all arising from the psychic clue\nafforded by a sample of the rock, mineral, metal, etc. There are other\ncases of record, in which underground streams of water have been\ndiscovered by Psychometrists, by means of the clue given by a bit of\nearth, stone, etc., from the surface. In this, as in the other phase\nmentioned, ~practice~, ~practice~, ~practice~, is the summing up of\nthe instruction regarding development.\n\n~Crystal Gazing.~ We consider the use of the Crystal Glass Ball,\nor other forms of what the ancients called \"The Magic Mirror,\" to be\nthe best plan of developing Psychomantic Power. As we have already\nexplained, this method serves to focus the concentrated desire, will,\nand thought of the person, and thereby becomes the starting point for\nthe Astral Tube, of which we have frequently spoken in this work. The\nstudent becoming proficient in this class of phenomena, passes by easy,\ngradual and natural stages to the higher and more complex phases of the\nsubject. The \"Magic Mirror\" (of which the Crystal is but a form) was\nused by the ancient Occultists in developing the powers of their\nstudents, and in all countries, and in all ages, it has played a\nsimilar part in the process of developing psychic powers, and serving\nas a focal point for the erection and operation of the Astral Tube, in\nPsychomancy and other forms of occult and psychic phenomena.\n\nAt this point, we wish to tell you that there is no special virtue or\nmagical properties or qualities in the Crystal itself--it is merely an\ninstrument for Astral Vision, just as the telescope, microscope and\nother optical instruments are instruments employed in the phenomena of\nphysical vision. It is true that the atomic and molecular\ncharacteristics of glass, crystal, etc., tend to produce the best\nresults, but, after all, water, ink, etc., have been, and may be\nsimilarly used. No, there is no special \"magic\" in the crystal itself,\nso do not allow yourself to fall into any superstition regarding its\nuse.\n\nVarious teachers use different forms of the Crystal, or substitutes for\nit. Some of the teachers whose patrons are among the wealthier classes\nof the community, insist upon their pupils possessing globes of pure\ncrystal, insisting that the latter alone gives the best results. But\nothers who have pupils among people with shorter purses, have found\nthat their pupils obtained just as good results by the use of a ball of\nplain glass, which is inexpensive. Others have advocated the use of\nwatch crystals laid over a piece of black cloth, preferably velvet.\nOthers have used polished steel objects, or pieces of polished metal of\nvarious kinds, a new silver coin, for instance. Others still, have used\na large drop of ink poured into a small dish, etc. Others have had cups\npainted black on their inner surface, into which they poured water, and\nclaimed to have obtained the finest results. All the old talk about\nmagic ceremonies and incantations being necessary in manufacturing the\nMagic Mirror, is pure nonsense, which has grown around the scientific\nfacts of the case, as is so often the case. Do not be deceived by any\nsuch tomfoolery. A number of persons prefer to gaze into the bright\nsubstance of a precious stone. So you see, when we use the term\n\"Crystal,\" we mean that the student may make his choice of any, or\nseveral, of the above-mentioned objects, or that he may even substitute\nsome other object of his own choosing, possessing the requisite power\nof reflection.\n\nThere are but very few directions to be given in the use of the\nCrystal. Read what we have to say at the conclusion of our lesson on\n\"Crystal Gazing\" in this book, (Lesson VI). The principal point\ninsisted upon by nearly all the teachers, is that of placing the back\nof the gazer to the light, instead of having him face the light.\n\nThe simple general direction is that the gazer should practice by\nhimself, at first, in a quiet room, sitting with his back toward the\nlight, with the Crystal placed before him on a table, on a piece of\nblack cloth, or other dark material, and then gaze calmly at the\nCrystal. Do not be afraid of winking, and do not strain or tire the\neyes. Some prefer making funnels of their hands, and gazing through\nthem just as if they were opera-glasses, and we think this plan a very\ngood one, for it serves to shut out distracting light, and sights. If\nyou fail to see anything at the first trial, do not be discouraged, but\npersevere. A number of trials are necessary in some cases, while in\nothers wonderful results have been obtained at the first experiment.\n\nAn English authority recommends that beginners failing to get direct\nresults, then try to \"visualize\" something that they have already\nseen--something familiar, such as a chair, a ring, a face, etc., and\nthen turning to the Crystal endeavor to reproduce it there. It is\nclaimed that this practice will often gradually lead to actual \"seeing\"\nin the Crystal.\n\n~The first signs of the actual \"seeing\" in the Crystal, comes in the\nform of a \"cloudiness,\" or \"milky-mist\" in the crystal, which slowly\nresolves itself into a form, or scene, which appears gradually like the\nprecipitation of a photograph upon a sensitive plate in the developing\nroom. In some cases, the \"misty\" cloud deepens into a black one, from\nwhich the pictures appear.~\n\n~General Advice.~ In this work we give you a comprehensive, although\ncondensed, account of the various phases of the phenomena of\nPsychomancy, together with a number of instances of typical\nmanifestations. By reading the following lessons, after having read\nthe present one, the student will be able to gather much practical\ninstruction on the subject of the manifestation of the power. He will\nbe able to understand the nature and general workings of the\nphenomena, so that, when he undertakes the work of developing the\npower within himself, he will recognize the indication of his\nincreasing power and unfolding faculties, which otherwise would \"be\nGreek\" to him. In order to get the very best results of instruction in\nthis line, the student would of course do well to secure some\ncompetent instructor who could give him personal lessons. But, the\nperson who has the patience and perseverance to \"work the thing out\nfor himself,\" as many before him have done, will obtain results none\nthe less valuable because they were worked for without assistance.\n\nWe feel that we have given the students of this little work, such an\nidea of the general subject, and its fundamental laws, together with\nsuch general instruction in the methods of developing and manifesting\nthe power that it will be one's own fault if he fails to get at least a\nfair degree of success from his undertaking self-development along\nthese lines. There is no royal road to occult or psychic power--or\n\"magic word\" which when once pronounced will prove an \"open Sesame\" to\nthe Doors of Psychomancy. And we would warn the student against persons\nwho undertake to impart the \"Secret\" upon the payment of a goodly sum\nof money. There is no \"Secret\" to be so imparted--it is all a matter,\nfirst of general understanding, and then practice and work. To some it\ncomes easier than to others, but even to such, the higher degrees mean\nwork and practice. We trust that we have given you food for thought and\nmaterial for practice. The rest depends upon yourself.\n\n\n\n\nLESSON III.\n\nSIMPLE PSYCHOMANCY.\n\n\nThe phenomena of Psychomancy may be divided into three general classes,\ndepending upon the nature of the \"seeing,\" as follows:\n\n  I. Simple Psychomancy, by which is meant the power of \"sensing\" by\nmeans of the Astral Senses in the degree of a mere \"quickening\" of the\nAstral Senses sufficiently to enable one to \"sense\" more clearly any\netheric vibrations or currents; the auric emanations of persons and\nthings; and similar phases of Psychomantic phenomena; but which does\nnot include the power to sense actual occurrences happening in distant\nplaces; nor the power to sense the records of the past, or to receive\nindications of the future.\n\n II. Space Psychomancy, by which is meant the power to sense ~distant~\nscenes, persons, or objects.\n\nIII. Time Psychomancy, by which is meant the power to sense objects,\nevents, persons, etc., in the records of the past; and also the power\nto sense the indications of the future--the \"shadows of coming events.\"\n\nSimple Psychomancy is very much more common than is generally supposed.\nVery many people are quite sensitive to \"impressions\" coming to them in\nthis way, which while akin to the impressions of Telepathy,\nnevertheless belong to the higher grade of Psychic Phenomena known as\nPsychomancy. It may be well to state here the difference between\nordinary Telepathic impressions, and those of Simple Psychomancy. Many\nstudents are perplexed by the similarity between the two mentioned\nclasses of phenomena, and we think it advisable to set them straight\nregarding the matter, at this point.\n\nAs we have stated in our previous work in this series, (entitled\n\"Practical Mind Reading\") Telepathy is occasioned by the passage of\nThought Waves or Currents, passing from one brain to another, just as\npass the waves of Heat, Light, Electricity, etc. In Telepathy the brain\nof the Transmitter sends forth the vibration, waves, or currents, and\nthe brain of the Receiver registers the same, receiving them by means\nof the Pineal Gland which acts in a manner closer resembling that of\nthe receiving instrument in Wireless Telegraphy. In Telepathy there is\nmerely the sending and receiving of thought vibrations, ~over the\nphysical organs~.\n\nBut in Simple Psychomancy, the person may, and does, receive the\nthought vibrations emanating from the mind of another, but not over\nthe physical channels, as in Telepathy, ~but by means of the Astral\nSenses~. In this lies the difference.\n\nNow, it follows that the Astral Senses being far more keen and acute\nthan the Physical Senses, the former will register vibrations and\nimpressions far more readily than the latter, and will often register\nimpressions that the Physical Senses (even the Pineal Gland organ) take\nno account of. In this way the person in whom the Astral Senses are\neven partially developed will receive impressions of the thoughts of\nothers that even the most acute Mind Reader will fail to notice; as\nwell as words actually spoken by the other person; and ideas forming in\nthe mind of the other person not yet expressed in active thought-waves.\n\nBut, it should be added, the development of Telepathic powers very\nfrequently grow into a development of Psychomantic powers, and so the\nformer is one of the easiest paths to the latter, and may be used in\ndeveloping Clairvoyant power, and in unfolding the Astral Senses. In\nthis way the person possessing even a moderate degree of Psychomantic\npower often \"feels\" the thoughts, ideas, emotions, and other mental\nstates of the people around him, and knows without any words being used\njust what the others are thinking and feeling. This is often perceived\nby merely the increased power to receive and register the\nThought-vibrations, but in some cases the ability to sense the \"Aura\"\nof the other persons heighten the impression.\n\n\nTHE AURA\n\nThe majority of our readers are familiar with the fact that all\npersons, and objects, are surrounded by an emanation called an \"Aura,\"\nor egg-shaped psychic emanation extending several feet around them.\nThis aura is charged with the thought-vibrations of the persons, and is\nreally the \"atmosphere\" that we feel surrounding people and by which we\nfeel attracted or repelled as the case may be. The trained and\ndeveloped Psychomancer is able to see the colors by which the various\nemotions, thoughts, etc., are indicated, but even when that degree of\npower is lacking, he may \"feel\" the general character of the various\ncomponent parts of the person's aura.\n\nWhile it is not our intention to go deeply into this matter of Auric\nColors, in this work, still we think it well to indicate the same here,\nby quoting from a well-known authority on the subject, who says: \"As he\nlooks at a person he will see him surrounded by the luminous mist of\nthe astral aura, flashing with all sorts of brilliant colors, and\nconstantly changing in hue and brilliancy with every variation of the\nperson's thoughts and feelings. He will see this aura flooded with the\nbeautiful rose-color of pure affection; the rich blue of devotional\nfeeling; the hard dull brown of selfishness; the deep scarlet of anger;\nthe horrible lurid red of sensuality; the livid grey of fear; the black\nclouds of hatred and malice; or any of the other hundredfold\nindications so easily to be read in it by a practiced eye; and thus it\nwill be impossible for any persons to conceal from him the real state\nof their feelings on any subject.\"\n\nBut only a comparatively few are able to distinctly ~see~ these Auric\nColors, by reason of their lack of development along these special\nlines. But a great number of people are able to ~feel~ the subtle\nvibrations which give rise to these colors. Just as there are well\nauthenticated cases of blind men and women being able to distinguish\nby the sense of feeling (in touch) the various colors which their\nblind eyes fail to see, so are thousands of people able to ~feel~\nthe auric shades which their imperfectly developed clairvoyant vision\nfails to perceive. In this connection it is interesting to note that\nscience informs us that the sense of Feeling was the first developed\nof any of the physical senses; in fact all the other senses are\ndevelopments of, and extensions of, the original sense of Feeling. And\nthere is a close correspondence between this phenomena of the Physical\nSenses, and that of the Astral Senses.\n\nBut there are other, and perhaps more wonderful, features of Simple\nPsychomancy. It is a well established scientific fact that nearly, if\nnot indeed all, objects are constantly emanating streams of Radiant\nEnergy, or Streams of Electrons as they are called by some. The\ndelicate instruments of science are able to detect and register some of\nthe coarser vibrations of this energy, but the more delicate ones have\nso far escaped them. But the Astral Senses of the developed\nPsychomancer register and record many of the finer vibrations, and in\nthis way many so-called \"miracles\" of occultism are explained. Let us\nexamine this phenomena at this point.\n\nIt becomes apparent to any student of the subject, early in his\ninvestigations, that the Psychomancer is able to \"see\" things hidden\nby other objects, and often surrounded by the densest matter. In other\nwords he is able to ~see through solid objects~--to see \"through a\nbrick wall\" to use the familiar phrase. Now this may seem almost\nincredible to one at the first mention of the subject. But when the\nskeptic's attention is called to the fact that the \"X Rays\" and\nsimilar forms of energy recently discovered by science, readily pierce\nthrough solid objects, and may be actually \"seen\" by the eye (aided by\nthe proper instruments), or recorded on a photographic plate--then the\nimpossible feat of \"seeing though a brick wall\" becomes a very simple,\nunderstandable matter, indeed. And in an almost identical manner the\nPsychomancer ~sees through solid object~--and ~the most solid material\nbecomes transparent to his Astral Sight~.\n\nThe fine streams or waves of energy constantly being emanated by all\nobjects, which are invisible to the naked physical eye, are registered\nand recorded by the Astral Sense of Sight. The Psychomancer even by\nmeans of the comparatively elementary power of Simple Psychomancy is\nable to see what is going on in an adjoining room, or other nearby\nplace; to read the contents of a sealed letter; to describe the\ncontents of a locked, steel book; or to read a chosen passage in a\nclosed book.\n\nTo the developed and trained Psychomancer, when he concentrates his\npower, the solid ground over which he is walking, becomes transparent,\nand he is able to see down into its depths to a considerable distance.\nIn this way he may see living underground creatures at work, and play;\nand to discover veins of mineral, coal, etc., or underground streams\nof water. In these cases the Clairvoyant ~does not travel~ in the\nAstral, but merely receives and perceives the subtle vibrations or\nstreams of fine energy constantly being emanated by the objects. Some\nClairvoyants have developed certain other less common faculties of\nAstral Sight, which give the \"telescopic\" and \"microscopic\" vision in\nthese cases, in addition to the main faculty of \"seeing\" things\nthrough solid coverings.\n\nThe question will naturally arise in the mind of the student, whether\nthere is any limit to the depths open to the Astral Sight of the\nPsychomancer (in this phase of the phenomena), as for instance when he\nis looking into the solid earth. It may be urged that as objects at\nimmense distances underground emanate rays just as truly as do objects\nnearer the surface, then there should be no difference in the power of\nvision. Answering this question we would say that the same objection\nand obstacle arises in this case, as in the corresponding physical\nphenomena, such as the X Rays. While a far distant object emits rays\njust as well as a nearby one, still there is a loss of energy according\nto distance, and the Astral Sense, like the Physical Sense, fails to\nclearly register after a certain distance is attained. This distance\nvaries in the case of different persons using their Astral Vision, just\nas it does in the case of the different degrees of eyesight possessed\nby various persons. And then again, it must not be supposed that the\nearth becomes as clear as glass to the Astral Vision. On the contrary\nit presents a similar appearance to that obtained when one is seeing\nobjects through water or mist, with the physical eye. One can see quite\na way through water or mist with the physical eye, but after a certain\ndistance the impressions grow dim, and finally fade from view. Of\ncourse in the case of the erecting of the Astral Tube better results\nmay be obtained, but this phenomena belongs to the class of Space\nPsychomancy.\n\nThere is another power open to the Psychomancer along the lines of\nSimple Psychomancy. We refer to the phenomena of \"seeing into\" the\nphysical bodies of other people; examining the internal organs;\ndiagnosing diseases, etc. Of course, in this case, before the\nClairvoyant is able to correctly diagnose a disease he must be\nacquainted with the nature of the organs, and their appearance in their\nnormal state, etc., so that he will recognize a diseased condition when\nhe sees it. One must needs have an acquaintance with Anatomy and\nPhysiology, as well as possessing trained Psychomantic powers for this\nwork.\n\n\n\n\nLESSON IV.\n\nTHE ASTRAL TUBE.\n\n\nThe term, \"~The Astral Tube~,\" is frequently met with in the writings\nof Occultists, but you will find very little more than a mention of it\nin many of such works, the proverbial caution of the older writers\nhaving acted in the direction of preventing their entering into a\nfuller description or explanation, for fear of the information falling\ninto improper hands. This will be more readily understood, when we\ntell you that the Astral Tube is, and may be, used for classes of\nphenomena other than that of Psychomancy, notably that of Mental\nInfluencing, \"treating\", etc., which however forms no part of the\npresent work, but which will be discussed in a future volume of the\nseries to be called \"Mental Influence, etc.\"\n\nThe Astral Plane is composed of an ethereal form of matter, very much\nrarer and finer than the matter of the Physical Plane--but matter,\nnevertheless, and subject to fixed laws and conditions. And, just as it\nis possible to establish \"lines of force\" in the physical matter, so\nmay corresponding \"lines of force\" be established in Astral matter. And\nthis Astral Tube is really such a \"line of force.\" In other words, it\nis possible to set up and establish a \"line of force\" on the Astral\nPlane, that will serve as a ready conductor of Astral vibrations,\ncurrents, etc., and which affords a highly efficient channel of\ncommunication between objects far removed from each other in space. And\nthis channel is actually created and used in a variety of forms of\nOccult phenomena.\n\n\nPOLARIZATION.\n\nYou have heard of \"Polarity,\" and \"Polarization\" in connection with\nelectrical phenomena. \"Polarity\" is defined by Webster as: \"That\nquality or condition of a body by virtue of which it exhibits opposite\nor contrasted properties or powers, in opposite or contrasted parts or\ndirections; or, a condition giving rise to a contrast of properties\ncorresponding to a contrast of positions.\" And, \"Polarization\" is\ndefined by the same authority as: \"Act of polarizing; state of having\npolarity.\" Well, then, the process of erecting the Astral Tube is\npractically that of the \"polarization\" of the particles of Astral\nmatter by an effort of the human Will, set in motion by means of a\nstrong Desire or Determination, under certain conditions.\n\nWhen the human Will is directed toward a distant person or object,\nunder the proper psychic conditions, it tends to \"polarize\" a path or\nchannel through the Astral atmosphere toward the desired point, which\nchannel becomes at once an easy course of psychic communication for the\ntransmission or receiving of psychic impressions or expressions, as the\ncase may be. And, in the case of Psychomancy and kindred phenomena, the\nAstral Senses of the person (even though his Astral Body be still\nwithin its physical counterpart) are able to readily \"sense\" the\nimpressions being manifested at a far distant point in space.\n\nThe above mentioned channel of communication--the Astral Tube--has not\nof course the advantages of actual travel in the Astral Body, and is\nbesides affected by certain Astral happenings, such as the breaking up\nof the tube, or an impairment of its efficiency, by reason of some\nstronger astral current or channel, etc., for instance. When one\nconsiders the currents and cross-currents constantly in operation on\nthe Astral Plane, it will be seen how likely the above mentioned\ninterference is to happen.\n\nThrough the Astral Tube the Astral Senses actually \"sense\" the sights,\nand often the sounds being manifested at a distance, just as one may\nsee distant sights through a telescope, or hear distant sounds through\na telephone, for instance. It also may be used as a microscope, as we\nshall see as we proceed. The student's attention is especially directed\ntoward the fact that in this form of phenomena, the Psychomancer\nremains within his physical body, and does not travel in the Astral at\nall. He sees the distant scenes, just as a man sees them through a\ntelescope. His consciousness remains within his physical body.\n\nA well known writer on this subject has truly said: \"* * * the\nlimitations resemble those of a man using a telescope on the physical\nplane. The experimenter, for example, has a particular field of view\nwhich cannot be enlarged or altered; he is looking at his scene from a\ncertain direction, and he cannot suddenly turn it all around and see\nhow it looks from the other side. If he has sufficient psychic energy\nto spare, he may drop altogether the telescope that he is using, and\nmanufacture an entirely new one for himself which will approach his\nobjective somewhat differently; but, this is not a course at all likely\nto be adopted in practice. But it may be said, the mere fact that he is\nusing Astral Sight ought to enable him to see it from all sides at\nonce. And so it would, if he were using that sight in the normal way\nupon an object which was fairly near him--within his astral reach as it\nwere; but at a distance of hundreds or thousands of miles the case is\nvery different. Astral sight gives us the advantage of an additional\ndimension, but there is still such a thing as position in that\ndimension, and it is naturally a potent factor in limiting the use of\nthe powers of its plane. * * * Astral sight, when it is cramped by\nbeing directed along what is practically a tube, is limited very much\nas physical sight would be under similar circumstances, though if\npossessed in perfection it will continue to show, even at that\ndistance, the auras, and therefore all the emotions and most of the\nthoughts of the people under observation.\"\n\nThe Astral Tube, in connection with Psychomancy, is used in a variety\nof forms. It is often used unconsciously, and springs into existence\nspontaneously, under the power of some strong emotion, desire or will.\nIt is also observed in some cases of hypnotic phenomena, in which the\nhypnotist uses his will to cause his subject to form an Astral Tube,\nand then report his impressions. It is also used by the trained\nPsychomancer, without the use of any \"starting point,\" or \"focal\ncentre,\" simply by the exercise of his trained, developed and\nconcentrated will. But its most familiar and common use is in\nconnection with some object serving as a \"starting point,\" or \"focal\ncentre.\"\n\nThe \"starting point\" or \"focal centre,\" above mentioned, is generally\neither what is known as \"the associated object\" in the class of\nphenomena commonly known as \"Psychometry,\" or else a glass or\ncrystal-ball, or similar polished reflecting surface, in what is known\nas \"Crystal Gazing.\" In the two next succeeding lessons, we shall\nconsider these two forms of phenomena, respectively.\n\n\n\n\nLESSON V.\n\nPSYCHOMETRY.\n\n\nThe phenomena commonly known as \"Psychometry,\" is but one phase of\nPsychomancy--or it even may be said to be but a ~method employed~\nto bring into action the Astral Senses. The Psychometrist merely\n~gets into rapport~ with the distant scene; or period of time; or\nperson; or object; by using some bit of physical material associated\nwith that scene; time; person; objects; etc., in order to \"open up\ncommunications\" along the usual lines of Psychomancy. This has been\ncompared to the use of objects associated with a thing in the case of\nmemory. We all know how the sight of some object will recall at once\nmemories of things long since forgotten to all appearances, but which\nmemories have been merely stored away in the great storehouse of the\nmind, to be recalled readily when the \"association\" is furnished. What\n\"association\" is in the case of Memory, so is the material object\npresented as the \"associated object\" in Psychometry.\n\nThe Occult Teachings inform us that ~there is a psychic connection\never existing between things once associated~, and that when we\nthrow ourselves into the psychic current surrounding an object we may\nreadily follow the current back until we reach the associated object\nfor which we are seeking on the Astral Plane. In the Akashic Records\n(See Lesson IX) all memories are registered and recorded, and if we\nhave a good starting point we may travel back until we find that which\nwe desire. In the same way the \"associated object\" furnishes us with a\nready means of starting our Astral Tube into being and use. This is the\nsecret of the use of the lock of hair; the bit of clothing; the piece\nof metal or mineral, etc., used by Psychometrists.\n\nA well known authority on the subject has said concerning Psychometry:\n\"It may be asked how it is possible, amid the bewildering confusion of\nthese records of the past, to find any particular picture when it is\nwanted. As a matter of fact, the untrained psychic usually cannot do so\nwithout some special link to put him in rapport with the subject\nrequired. Psychometry is an instance in point, and it is quite probable\nthat our ordinary memory is really only another presentment of the same\nidea. It seems as though there were a sort of magnetic attachment or\naffinity between any particle of matter and the record which contains\nits history--and affinity which enables it to act as a kind of\nconductor between that record and the faculties of anyone who can read\nit. For instance, I once brought from Stonehenge a tiny fragment of\nstone, not larger than a pin's head, and on putting this into an\nenvelope and handing it to a psychometrist who had no idea what it was,\nshe at once began to describe the wonderful ruin from which it came,\nand the desolate country surrounding it, and then went on to picture\nvividly what were evidently scenes from its early history, showing that\nthe infinitesimal fragment had been sufficient to put her into\ncommunication with the records connected with the spot from which it\ncame. The scenes through which we pass in the course of our life seem\nto act in the same manner upon the cells of our brain as did the\nhistory of Stonehenge upon that particle of stone; they establish a\nconnection with those cells by means of which our mind is put in\nrapport with that particular portion of the records, and so we\n'remember' what we have seen.\"\n\n\nTHE FIVE METHODS\n\nThe method of Psychometry may be employed in a number of ways, among\nwhich are the following, all of which are subject to many variations\nand combinations:\n\n1. Locating a person by means of a lock of hair, article of clothing,\nhandkerchief, ribbon, piece of jewelry, bit of writing, etc. In this\nmanner not only may a good Psychometrist locate the person, but will\nalso be able to give an idea of his characteristics, habits, health,\netc.\n\n2. Describing a person's characteristics, past life, future, etc., by\nmeans of the rapport condition made possible by the person's presence.\n\n3. Describing a present distant scene by means of a bit of mineral,\nplant, or similar object once located at the place.\n\n4. Describing the surrounding underground characteristics by means of a\nbit of mineral, etc.\n\n5. Getting into touch with the past history of an object, or its\nsurroundings, by means of the object itself. For instance, a bullet\nfrom the battle-field may give the history of the battle; a bit of\nancient pottery, the characteristics and habits of the people who made\nor used it, as well as the appearance of the land in which they dwell,\netc.\n\nIn all of these phases, with their variations and combination, the\nstudent will see the operation of the phenomena under the various heads\nas classified by us in this work. Each Occurrence or manifestation will\nbe found to fit into the class of Simple Psychomancy; Space\nPsychomancy; Past Time Psychomancy; or Future Time Psychomancy.\n\n(See Lesson II, for suggestions regarding development of Psychometric\npower.)\n\n\n\n\nLESSON VI.\n\nCRYSTAL GAZING.\n\n\nThere has been a great revival of interest in the subject of \"Crystal\nGazing,\" particularly in England, of late years, and many interesting\naccounts have appeared in the papers and magazines regarding the\nresults of the experiments. But the majority of the writers on the\nsubject persist in treating it as a thing separate and apart from other\nforms of Psychomancy--in fact, many of them ignore Psychomancy\naltogether and are apparently under the impression that there is no\nconnection between it and their favorite subject of Crystal Gazing.\nThis attitude is somewhat amusing to persons who have made a careful\nstudy of Psychic Phenomena and who know that Crystal Gazing is not a\ndistinct phenomenon, but is merely a method of bringing into action the\nPsychomantic faculties.\n\nIn many respects the Crystal acts in a manner akin to that of the\n\"associated object\" in Psychometry, but there is one point of\ndistinction which should not be overlooked by the student. The\n\"associated object\" gives to the Psychometrist a ~starting point for\nthe Astral Tube~, and also serves to \"point the Astral Telescope\"\n(if one may use the term) in the right direction, by reason of its\naffinity with the distant scene, etc. But the Crystal does not so act,\nfor it is not closely allied to, or in sympathy with other things, when\nused in the ordinary manner. Instead of being the \"eye-lens of the\ntelescope,\" it is really a \"Magic Mirror\" which is turned first this\nway and that, and which reflects whatever comes within its field, just\nas does any other mirror. The trained and developed Psychomancer,\nhowever, may direct his Mirror to any desired point, and may hold it\nthere by means of a concentrated Will.\n\nThe favor with which Crystal Gazing meets with at the hands of\nbeginners is due to the fact that it is the easiest method known by\nwhich the Astral Vision may be awakened. With the majority of people,\nthe power may be awakened only by the aid of some physical object which\nmay act as a starting-point for the Astral Tube, or as one writer has\nexpressed it, \"a convenient focus for the Will-power.\" A number of\nobjects may be so employed, but the Crystal or Glass Ball is the best\nfor the purpose because of certain atomic and molecular arrangements\nwhich tend to promote the manifestation of the psychic power and\nfaculties.\n\nCrystal Gazing, as a method for inducing Psychomantic vision, has been\nquite common among all peoples, in all times. Not only the Crystal but\nmany other objects are similarly used. In Australia the native priests\nuse water and shining objects, or in some cases, flame. In New Zealand\nsome of the natives use a drop of blood. The Fijians fill a hole with\nwater, and gaze into it. Some South American tribes use the polished\nsurface of a black stone. The American Indians used water and shining\nbits of flint or quartz. And so the story goes. As Lang states it,\npeople \"stare into a crystal ball; a cup; a mirror; a blot of ink\n(Egypt and India); a drop of blood (the Maoris of New Zealand); a bowl\nof water (American Indians); a pond (Roman and African); water in a\nglass bowl (Fez); or almost any polished surface, etc.\"\n\nWe quote a typical case of Crystal Gazing, related by Mr. Andrew Lang.\nHe says:\n\n\"I had given a glass ball to a young lady, Miss Baillie, who had\nscarcely any success with it. She lent it to Miss Leslie, who saw a\nlarge, square, old-fashioned red sofa covered with muslin (which she\nafterward found in the next country-house she visited). Miss Baillie's\nbrother, a young athlete, laughed at these experiments, took the ball\ninto his study, and came back looking 'gey gash.' He admitted that he\nhad seen a vision--somebody he knew, under a lamp. He said he would\ndiscover during the week whether he saw right or not. This was at 5:30\non a Sunday afternoon. On Tuesday, Mr. Baillie was at a dance in a town\nforty miles from his home, and met a Miss Preston. 'On Sunday,' he\nsaid, 'about half-past five, you were sitting under a standard lamp, in\na dress I never saw you wear, a blue blouse with lace over the\nshoulders, pouring out tea for a man in blue serge, whose back was\ntowards me, so that I only saw the tip of his moustache.' 'Why, the\nblinds must have been up,' said Miss Preston. 'I was at Dulby,' said\nMr. Baillie, and he undeniably was.\"\n\nStead relates the following experience with the Crystal: \"Miss X. upon\nlooking into the crystal on two occasions as a test, to see if she\ncould see men when she was several miles off, saw not me, but a\ndifferent friend of mine on each occasion. She had never seen either of\nmy friends before, but immediately identified them both on seeing them\nafterward at my office. On one of the evenings on which we experimented\nin the vain attempts to photograph a Double, I dined with Madam C. and\nher friend at a neighboring restaurant. As she glanced at the water\nbottle, Madame C. saw a picture beginning to form, and, looking at it\nfrom curiosity, described with considerable detail an elderly gentleman\nwhom she had never seen before, and whom I did not in the least\nrecognize from her description at the moment. Three hours afterwards,\nwhen the seance was over, Madam C. entered the room and recognized Mr.\nElliott, of Messrs. Elliott & Fry, as the gentleman whom she had seen\nand described in the water bottle at the restaurant. On another\noccasion the picture was less agreeable: it was an old man lying dead\nin bed with some one weeping at his feet; but who it was, or what it\nrelated to, no one knew.\"\n\nAs a matter of general interest, we also quote Mr. Stead's remarks on\ncrystal gazing, which agree with our own views and experience. He says:\n\"There are some people who cannot look into an ordinary globular bottle\nwithout seeing pictures form themselves, without any effort or will on\ntheir part, in the crystal globe. Crystal gazing seems to be the least\ndangerous and most simple of all forms of experimenting. You simply\nlook into a crystal globe the size of a five-shilling piece, or a water\nbottle which is full of clear water, and which is placed so that too\nmuch light does not fall upon it, and then simply look at it. You make\nno incantations, and engage in no mumbo-jumbo business; you simply look\nat it for two or three minutes, taking care not to tire yourself,\nwinking as much as you please, but fixing your thought upon whatever\nyou wish to see. Then, if you have the faculty, the glass will cloud\nover with a milky mist, and in the centre the image is gradually\nprecipitated in just the same way as a photograph forms on the\nsensitive plate.\"\n\n(See Lesson II, for further particulars on Crystal Gazing, and\nsuggestions for the successful development of the power.)\n\n\n\n\nLESSON VII.\n\nASTRAL PROJECTION.\n\n\nIn our last three lessons we considered that class of Psychomancy\narising from the erection and employment of the \"Astral Tube.\" In the\npresent lesson we pass to a consideration of the third class of\nphenomena, namely, that occasioned by the actual projection of one's\nAstral Body to distant points.\n\nIn this class of phenomena the consciousness of the person does not\nremain within the physical organism, but is actually projected along\nwith the Astral Body to the point being psychically viewed or examined.\nThis form of Psychomancy is, of course, a higher degree of\nmanifestation than the class previously described. Here physical\nconsciousness is temporarily suspended (perhaps for but a moment or so)\nand the Astral Body containing the consciousness of the individual is\nprojected to some point, perhaps far distant, with the rapidity of\nthought, where it examines objects there situated, receiving sensations\nthrough and by means of the Astral Senses. This phenomena may arise\nwhile the person is in a trance, or sleep, etc., or else in a moment of\nconcentrated abstraction, when one is \"day-dreaming\"; in a \"brown\nstudy\"; or \"wrapped in thought,\" as the familiar terms run. When he\nreturns to his physical body he \"comes to himself,\" and what he has\nseen or heard seems to him like a \"day-dream\" or fantasy--unless he be\na trained seer, in which case the two planes of consciousness will be\nclosely related, and almost continuous.\n\nBesides the more familiar phases of this class of phenomena, there are\nwonderful possibilities open for the developed Psychomancer along these\nlines. As a leading writer on this subject has said concerning it: \"He\nhas also the immense advantage of being able to take part, as it were,\nin the scenes which come before his eyes. If, in addition, he can learn\nhow to materialize himself, he will be able to take part in physical\nevents or conversations at a distance, and to show himself to an absent\nfriend at will.\"\n\nThe trained experimenter along these lines has also the advantage of\nbeing able to search about on the Astral Plane for what he desires to\nfind or locate. He is able to direct his Astral Body to definite\nplaces, either by means similar to finding one's way on the physical\nplane, or else by following up the psychic clue afforded by a piece of\nclothing, a lock of hair, a piece of stone, or some other object\nconnected with the person or place desired, by means of a higher form\nof Psychometry. Of course, the person whose powers are not so highly\ndeveloped is not able to have such control over his Astral Body, or to\nmanifest such a degree of trained power. He is like a child learning to\nwalk, or read--he is awkward, and must learn to direct his movements.\nThere are many degrees of power, from the occasional, spontaneous\nmanifestations, to those of the highly trained Occultists who travel in\nthe Astral even more easily than in the physical, and with the same\ndegree of certainty and control.\n\nThe pages of reliable works on Occultism and Psychic Research are\nfilled with illustrations and examples of cases along these lines, in\nwhich the Astral Body of persons have traveled to distant scenes, and\nhave reported occurrences and scenes witnessed there, sometimes\nmaterializing so as to be seen by the persons in the places visited. We\nherewith mention a few of these cases, in order to illustrate the\nprinciple.\n\nA well-known example is that of the Philadelphian, mentioned by the\nGerman writer Jung Stilling, and quoted by some English writers. The\nman in question was a well-known character, respected, of good\nreputation and steady habits. He had the reputation of possessing\nPsychomantic powers which he sometimes manifested for the benefit of\nfriends and others. He was once consulted by the wife of a sea captain,\nwhose husband was on a voyage to Europe and Africa, and whose vessel\nhad been long overdue, and from whom no tidings had been received for a\nlong time.\n\nThe Psychomancer listened to the story of the anxious and distressed\nwife, and then excused himself from the room for a short time, retiring\ninto an adjoining room. Becoming alarmed at his continued absence from\nthe room, the lady quietly opened the connecting door, and peeped in\nthe second room, where much to her surprise and alarm she saw the old\nman lying on a couch, showing all the appearances of death. She waited\nin great alarm for a long time, when he aroused himself and returned to\nher. He told her that he had visited her husband in a coffee-house in\nLondon, and gave her the reasons for his not having written, adding\nthat he would soon return to Philadelphia.\n\nWhen the husband finally returned, his wife questioned him regarding\nthe matter, and he informed her that the reasons given by the\nPsychomancer were correct in every detail. Upon being taken into the\npresence of the man, the old sea captain uttered an exclamation of\nsurprise, saying that he had seen the man on a certain day in a\ncoffee-house in London, and that the man had told him that his wife was\nworried about him, and that he had answered the man, saying that he had\nbeen prevented from writing for certain reasons, and that he was on the\nvery eve of setting sail for America. He said that he had then lost\nsight of the stranger suddenly.\n\nW. T. Stead relates the case of a lady of his acquaintance who has\nspontaneously developed the power to travel in her Astral Body, and to\nmaterialize the same unconsciously. She became a source of great worry\nand distress to many of her friends, to whom she would pay unexpected\nand involuntary visits, frightening them out of their wits by the\nmaterialization of what they supposed must be the \"ghost\" of the lady,\nwhom they thought must have died suddenly. The occurrences, however,\nbecame so frequent that her friends at last became familiar with the\nnature of the appearances, and viewed them with merely great interest\nand wonder.\n\nThe English Society for Psychical Research have several hundred\nwell-authenticated instances of such appearances in their published\nrecords. One of the well-known cases is that of a gentleman described\nas \"S. H. B.,\" a member of the London Stock Exchange, and a man of\nconsiderable business note. He relates his story as follows:\n\n\"One Sunday night in November, 1881, I was in Kildare Gardens, when I\nwilled very strongly that I would visit in the spirit two lady friends,\nthe Misses V., who were living three miles off, in Hogarth Road. I\nwilled that I should do this at one o'clock in the morning, and having\nwilled it, I went to sleep. Next Thursday, when I first met my friends,\nthe elder lady told me she woke up and saw my apparition advancing to\nher bedside. She screamed and woke her sister, who also saw me.\" (A\nsigned statement of the two sisters accompanies this statement, both\nladies fixing the time at one o'clock, and saying that Mr. B. wore\nevening dress.)\n\n\"Again, on December 1, 1882, I was at Southall. At half-past nine I sat\ndown to endeavor to fix my mind so strongly upon the interior of a\nhouse at Kew, where Miss V. and her sister lived, that I seemed to be\nactually in the house. I was conscious, but was in a kind of mesmeric\nsleep. When I went to bed that night, I willed to be in the front\nbedroom of that house at Kew at twelve, and to make my presence felt by\nthe inmates. Next day I went to Kew. Miss V.'s married sister told me,\nwithout any prompting from me, that she had seen me in the passage\ngoing from one room to another at half-past nine o'clock, and that at\ntwelve, when she was wide awake, she saw me come to the front bedroom,\nwhere she slept, and take her hair, which is very long, into my hand.\nShe said I then took her hand and gazed into the palm intently. She\nsaid, 'You need not look at the lines, for I never had any trouble.'\nShe then woke her sister. When Mrs. L. told me this. I took out the\nentry that I had made the previous night and read it to her. Mrs. L. is\nquite sure she was not dreaming. She had only seen me once before, two\nyears previously, at a fancy ball.\"\n\n\"Again, on March 22, 1884, I wrote to Mr. Gurney, of the Psychical\nResearch Society, telling him I was going to make my presence felt by\nMiss V., at 44 Norland Square, at midnight. Ten days afterwards, I saw\nMiss V., when she voluntarily told me that on Saturday at midnight, she\ndistinctly saw me, when she was quite wide awake.\"\n\nWe have related these accounts in order to show instances of the\nappearance of a materialized Astral Body. But, we must remember that\nthese cases of materialization are very rare as compared to the cases\nof Astral Projection (without materialization) in ordinary\nClairvoyance. And yet the phenomena is practically the same in both\ninstances, leaving out the phase of materialization. In many instances\nthe individual actually travels in his Astral Body to the distant scene\nand there witnesses the events occurring at that point. There is a\n\"ghost\" within each one of us, which under certain favorable conditions\ntravels away from our physical body and \"sees things\" at far-off\npoints. Under certain other conditions it materializes, and is visible\nto others, but in the majority of cases it merely \"sees\" without being\nseen. The Psychomancer, in this phase of the phenomena, actually\ntravels from the location of the physical body, to the other points\ndesired, and reports what he or she sees and hears there.\n\nAstral Projection is frequently developed by faithful practice of, and\ndemonstration of, the simpler forms of Psychomancy. It is all a matter\nof successive steps of development.\n\n\n\n\nLESSON VIII.\n\nSPACE PSYCHOMANCY.\n\n\nAs we stated in previous lessons, \"Space Psychomancy\" is the exercise\nof the faculty in the direction of perceiving far-distant scenes,\npersons, objects, etc.\n\nOf course, there is really an exercise of Space Psychomancy in some\ninstances of Simple Psychomancy. But we make the distinction because in\nthe case of objects seen by Simple Psychomancy at some little distance\nfrom the observer, the impression is received by means of the rays, or\nvibrations from the objects themselves, by means of the developed\nAstral Senses, acting in a simple manner; while in the case of Space\nPsychomancy (in the technical sense of the term) the impression is\nreceived by means of either the erection of the Astral Tube, or else by\nthe actual projection of the consciousness in the Astral Body--the\nlatter being an actual visiting of the scene.\n\nA little illustration may perhaps make clearer the above distinction.\nLet us suppose a man on the physical Plane with ordinary eyesight--such\na man could not see an object beyond the average distance of vision,\nand he would be like a person devoid of Psychomantic powers. Then let\nus suppose a man of extraordinary visual powers, such as many hunters\nor seafaring men--such a one could see things invisible to the first\nman, and would thus resemble the person manifesting Simple Psychomancy.\nThen let us suppose a third man, using a telescope--this man could see\nthings that neither of the other two could perceive, and he would thus\nresemble the person manifesting along the lines of Space Psychomancy by\nmeans of the Astral Tube. And, finally, let us suppose a fourth man,\nwho possessed magical wings which would instantly transport him to the\ndistant scene, whence he could view the objects, personally, and at\nclose range--well this man would be like the person who was able to\nproject his Astral Body, and thus view the distant scenes at will, and\nat short range, without the difficulties attendant upon the use of the\ntelescope-like Astral Tube--to see the object on any and all sides, and\nfrom all points of view--~to get inside of it~, as well as outside.\n\nThe following interesting cases are quoted to illustrate the principle:\n\nCaptain Yount, of the Napa Valley, California, had a peculiar\nexperience while asleep. He had a remarkably clear vision in which\nappeared a band of emigrants perishing from cold and hunger amidst a\nmountain range. He noted particularly, and in detail, the scenery and\nappearance of the canyon. He saw a huge, perpendicular cliff of white\nrock; and the emigrants cutting off what appeared to be the tops of\ntrees arising from great drifts of snow; he even saw plainly the\nfeatures of some of the party. He awoke, sorely distressed by the\nvividness and the nature of his \"dream,\" for so he considered it to be.\nBut, by-and-by, he fell asleep again, and saw the scene repeated, with\nequal distinctness. In the morning he found that he could not get the\n\"dream\" out of his mind, and he told it to some of his friends. One of\nthe hearers of the story was an old hunter, who at once recognized the\nplace seen in the dream as a place across the Sierras, known as a point\nin the Carson Valley Pass. So earnest was the old hunter, that Captain\nYount, and his friends, organized a rescue party and set out with\nprovisions, mules, and blankets to seek the perishing emigrants.\nNotwithstanding the ridicule of the public, the rescuers persisted in\ntheir search, and finally about one hundred and fifty miles distant, in\nthe Carson Valley Pass, they found the scene as described by Captain\nYount, and ~in the identical spot seen in the dream were found the\nparty of emigrants~, the surviving members of whom were rescued and\nbrought over the mountain.\n\nAnother interesting account is given in the reports of the Society for\nPsychical Research, of England. It relates that an English lady, Mrs.\nBroughton, awoke one night in 1844, and aroused her husband, telling\nhim that she had had a strange vision of a scene in France. She stated\nthat she had seen a broken-down carriage, evidently wrecked in an\naccident, and a crowd gathered around the figure of a man, whose body\nwas then raised and carried into a nearby house. She said that the body\nwas then placed in a bed, when she recognized his features as those of\nthe Duke of Orleans. Then friends gathered around the bed, and later\ncame the king and queen of France, all weeping. She saw the doctor, who\nstood over the Duke, feeling his pulse, with his watch in his other\nhand, but she could only see the doctor's back. Then the scene had\nfaded from her vision. When daylight finally came, she recorded the\nvision in her journal. It was before the days of the telegraph, and it\nwas more than two days before the newspapers announced the death of the\nDuke of Orleans. The lady visited Paris afterwards, and recognized the\nplace of the accident. It then appeared that the attending physician\nwhose face she could not see in her vision, was an old friend of hers,\nwho then told her that as he watched the bed his mind had involuntarily\ndwelt upon her and her family.\n\nThe well-known case of Swedenborg gives us another illustration of this\nclass of Psychomancy. It is related that in the latter part of\nSeptember, 1759, at four o'clock one Saturday afternoon, Swedenborg\narrived home from England, and disembarked at Gothenburg. Mr. W. Castel\nmet him and invited him to dinner, at which meal there were fifteen\npersons gathered around the table. At six o'clock that evening\nSwedenborg went out a few minutes, returning to the table excited and\npale. When questioned, he said that there was a fire at Stockholm, 200\nmiles distant, which was steadily spreading. He grew very restless, and\nfrequently left the room. He said that the house of one of his friends,\nwhose name he mentioned, was already in ashes, and that his own was in\ndanger. At eight o'clock after he had been out again, he returned\ncrying out cheerfully, \"Thank heaven! the fire is out, the third door\nfrom my house.\"\n\nThe news of the occurrence excited the whole town, and the officials\nmade inquiry regarding it, and Swedenborg was summoned before the\ngovernor, and requested to relate what he had seen, in detail.\nAnswering the governor, he told when and where the fire had started;\nhow it had begun; how, when and where it had stopped; and the time it\nlasted, the number of houses destroyed, people injured, etc. On the\nfollowing Monday morning a courier arrived from Stockholm, bringing\nnews of the fire, having left the town while it was still burning. On\nthe next day after, Tuesday morning, another courier arrived at the\ngovernor's palace with a full report of the fire, which corresponded\nprecisely with the vision of Swedenborg--the fire had stopped precisely\nat eight o'clock, the minute that Swedenborg had so announced it to the\ncompany.\n\nStead relates the following instance of this class of Psychomancy,\nwhich was told him by the wife of a Dean of the Episcopal Church. The\nlady said: \"I was staying in Virginia, some hundred miles away from\nhome, when one morning about eleven o'clock, I felt an overpowering\nsleepiness, which drowsiness was quite unusual, and which caused me to\nlie down. In my sleep I saw quite distinctly my home in Richmond in\nflames. The fire had broken out in one wing of the house, which I saw\nwith dismay was where I kept all my best dresses. The people were all\ntrying to check the flames, but it was no use. My husband was there,\nwalking about before the burning house, carrying a portrait in his\nhand. Everything was quite clear and distinct, exactly as if I had\nactually been present and seen everything. After a time I woke up, and\ngoing downstairs told my friends the strange dream I had had. They\nlaughed at me, and made such game of my vision that I did my best to\nthink no more about it. I was traveling about, a day or two passed, and\nwhen Sunday came I found myself in a church where some relatives were\nworshipping. When I entered the pew they looked rather strange, and as\nsoon as the service was over I asked them what was the matter. 'Don't\nbe alarmed,' they said 'there is nothing serious.' Then they handed me\na postcard from my husband which simply said, 'House burned out;\ncovered by insurance.' ~The day was the date upon which my dream\noccurred.~ I hastened home, and then I learned that everything had\nhappened exactly as I had seen it. The fire had broken out in the wing\nI had seen blazing. My clothes were all burnt, and the oddest thing\nabout it was that my husband, having rescued a favorite picture from\nthe burning building, had carried it about among the crowd for some\ntime before he could find a place in which to put it safely.\"\n\nA well-authenticated case is that of the wreck of the ship\n\"Strathmore.\" Stead relates the story as follows: \"The father of a son\nwho had sailed in the 'Strathmore,' an emigrant ship outbound from\nClyde, saw one night the ship foundering amid the waves, and saw that\nhis son, with some others had escaped safely to a desert island near\nwhich the wreck had taken place. He was so much impressed by this\nvision that he wrote to the owner of the 'Strathmore,' telling him what\nhe had seen. His information was scouted; but after a while the\n'Strathmore' became overdue, and the owner became uneasy. Day followed\nday, and still no tidings of the missing ship. Then, like Pharaoh's\nbutler, the owner remembered his sins one day, and hunted up the letter\ndescribing the vision. It supplied at least a theory to account for the\nvessel's disappearance. All outward-bound ships were requested to look\nout for any survivors on the island indicated in the vision. These\norders being obeyed, the survivors of the 'Strathmore' were found\nexactly where the father had seen them.\"\n\nAnother interesting case is reported by the Society previously\nmentioned. It reports that Dr. Golinski, a physician of Kremeutchug,\nRussia, was taking an after-dinner nap in the afternoon, about\nhalf-past three o'clock. He had a vision in which he saw himself called\nout on a professional visit, which took him to a little room with dark\nhangings. To the right of the door he saw a chest of drawers, upon\nwhich rested a little paraffin lamp of special pattern, different from\nanything he had ever seen before. On the left of the door, he saw a\nwoman suffering from a severe hemorrhage. He then saw himself giving\nher professional treatment. Then he awoke, suddenly, and saw that it\nwas just half-past four o'clock. Then comes the strange sequel. Within\nten minutes after he awoke, he was called out on a professional visit,\nand on entering the bedroom he saw all the details that had appeared to\nhim in his vision. There was the chest of drawers--there was the\npeculiar lamp--there was the woman on the bed suffering from the\nhemorrhage. Upon inquiry he found that she had grown worse between\nthree and four o'clock, and had anxiously desired that he come to her\nabout that time, finally dispatching a messenger for him at half-past\nfour, the moment at which he awoke.\n\nWe could fill page after page with these interesting and\nwell-authenticated instances, but our lack of space prevents. We have\nstated enough to illustrate the principle, and then, besides, many of\nour readers will know of many similar instances in the actual\nexperience of themselves, relatives or friends. Volumes would not\ncontain all the true stories of phenomena of this kind--and still\npeople smile in a superior way at the mere suggestion of the phenomena.\n\n\n\n\nLESSON IX.\n\nPAST TIME PSYCHOMANCY.\n\n\nAs we have previously stated, \"Time Psychomancy\" is a term used to\ndesignate that phase of the phenomena in which one senses objects,\nevents, persons, etc., in the records of the past; and also in which he\nsenses the indications of the future--\"the shadows of coming events.\"\n\nFor convenience, we shall separate our consideration of the subject\ninto two parts, viz.: (1) Past Time Psychomancy; and (2) Future Time\nPsychomancy.\n\nPast Time Psychomancy is that phase of the phenomena which enables one\nto use his Astral Vision to explore the records of the past, and we\nshall now proceed to examine.\n\nThe first question that naturally arises in the minds of careful\nstudents, in connection with this phase of the phenomena, is, \"How is\nthe person able to sense the scenes, occurrences, and objects of the\npast? There are no vibrations emanating from past scenes, and as they\nno longer exist, how can anyone see them, by Astral Vision, or by any\nother means?\" This question is a most proper one, for even those who\nreadily grasp the explanation of Space Psychomancy find themselves at a\nloss to understand the Past Time Phenomena without a knowledge of the\nOccult Teachings on the subjects.\n\n\nTHE AKASHIC RECORDS\n\nThe secret of Past Time Psychomancy is found in the Occult Teachings of\nthe \"Akashic Records\" by which is meant that on the higher planes of\nUniversal Substance, there are to be found records of all that has\nhappened and occurred during the entire World Cycle of which the\npresent time forms a part. These records are preserved until the\ntermination of the World Cycle, when they pass away with the World of\nwhich they are a record. This does not mean that there is any Great\nBook in which the doings, good and bad, of people are written down by\nthe Recording Angel, as popular fanciful legends have it. But it does\nmean that there is a scientific occult basis for the popular legend, in\nspite of the sneers of the skeptics. We must turn to modern science for\na corroboration. It is now taught by scientists that there is no such\nthing as a destruction of Energy, but that Energy always exists in some\nform. The Occult Teachings verify this, and go further, when they state\nthat every action, thought, happening, event, occurrence, etc., no\nmatter how small or insignificant, leaves an indelible record on the\nAkasha (or Universal Ether) with which Space is filled. In other words,\nevery action, or scene, that has ever occurred or existed in the past,\nhas left an impression in the Universal Ether, or Akasha, where it may\nbe read by developed Psychomancy.\n\nThere is nothing especially wonderful about this, when you compare it\nwith other facts in nature. Astronomy teaches us that light travels at\nthe rate of 186,000 miles a second--and that there are fixed stars in\nspace so far removed from the Earth that their light leaving them\nhundreds, yes, thousands, of years ago, is only now reaching our sight.\nIn other words, when we look at some of the fixed stars, we do not see\nthem as they now are, or where they now are, but merely see them where\nand how they were hundreds of years ago when the rays of light left\nthem. Astronomers tell us that if one of these stars happened to be\nblotted out of existence hundreds of years ago, we would be still\nseeing the light that left them before the event--in other words would\nbe seeing them hundreds of years after they had ceased to be. And our\nchildren, and children's children, for several generations would still\nsee them, and would not learn of the terrible catastrophe for hundreds\nof years after it actually happened. The vibrations of light once set\ninto motion would persist for centuries, and even for thousands of\nyears after their source had disappeared. This is no wild occult fancy,\nbut a well-proven and thoroughly-established scientific fact, as any\none may see for himself by reference to any work on astronomy. And the\nsame is true of waves of electricity, or electronic emanations, or\nwaves of any kind of energy. Really, even in the physical view of\nthings, nothing can exist without leaving a record in the Universal\nEther. And so the Occult Teachings now find their corroboration in\nModern Science.\n\nAnother illustration is found in the phenomena of the Memory of Man.\nStored away in our brain cells are records of things, events, scenes,\noccurrences, people, and objects, registered there in past years. You\noften find yourself thinking about people, things and events of years\nlong since passed away--and by a mere effort of the will you bring the\nrecords of these people, things, or events before your mental vision\nand see them reproduced in detail. Dissect a brain-cell and you will\nfind no trace of the thing there--but nevertheless every exercise of\nmemory proves that the record is there. And there is nothing more\nwonderful, or miraculous, in the Akashic Records of Past Events, than\nthere is in the Memory Record of Past Events! The Universal Ether, or\nAkasha, has within itself a true and full record of anything, and\neverything, that has ever existed within its space. And if one develops\nthe power to read these records at will, he has a full and complete key\nto the past, from the speaking of the Creative Word which began this\ngreat World Cycle.\n\nBut, in order to avoid a misapprehension, we must say to our students\nthat none but the most advanced and highly-developed Occultists and\nMasters have clear access to the planes upon which these records are to\nbe found. The majority of Psychomancers merely see on the \"Lower Astral\nPlane\" a reflection of the Akashic Records, which reflection may be\ncompared to the reflection of the trees and landscape in a pond of\nwater, which of course, is often more or less imperfect--distorted and\ndisturbed by the ripples and waves occasioned by the passing breezes,\nand sometimes being made muddy and clouded. The records of the Past,\nopen to the average Psychomancer, are merely \"~reflections of\nrecords~,\" which are apt to be more or less distorted, or cloudy, by\nreason of the disturbances of the surface of the reflecting medium.\nThis is a brief and simple statement of an important Occult scientific\ntruth, which would require volumes to explain technically. The\nillustration of the reflecting surface of the water, however, is so\ntrue to the real facts that the student may confidently adopt the same\nas his mental image of the phenomena of Past Time Psychomancy.\n\nIn actual practice we find the phenomena of Past Time Psychomancy\nmanifested principally along the line of Psychometry and Crystal\nGazing, the consideration of which phases of phenomena has been made in\nprevious lessons in this book. There are to be found, however, many\ninstances of at least a partial manifestation of this phase of power\namong individuals in every-day life, who when meeting a person\nfrequently get impressions (more or less correct) of his or her past\nlife, past scenes, etc.\n\nThe German writer, Zschokke, in his autobiography, writes as follows\nregarding this power of Past Time Psychomancy possessed by him, and\nwhich was often set into operation when he came into the presence of\nstrangers for the first time. He states: \"It has happened to me\nsometimes, on my first meeting with strangers, as I silently listened\nto their discourse, that their former life, with many trifling\ncircumstances therewith connected, or frequently some particular scene\nin that life, has passed quite involuntarily, and, as it were,\ndream-like, yet perfectly distinct, before me. During this time I\nusually feel so entirely absorbed in the contemplation of the\nstranger's life, that at last I no longer see clearly the face of the\nunknown wherein I undesignedly read, nor distinctly hear the voices of\nthe speakers, which before served in some measure as a commentary on\nthe text of their features. For a long time I held such visions as\ndelusions of the fancy, and the more so as they showed me even the\ndress and emotions of the actors, rooms, furniture, and other\naccessories, but I soon discovered otherwise.\n\n\"On one occasion, in a gay mood, I narrated to my family the secret\nhistory of a seamstress who had just before quitted the room. I had\nnever seen the young woman before. Nevertheless, the hearers were\nastonished and laughed, and would not be persuaded but that I had a\nprevious acquaintance with her and the facts of her former life,\ninasmuch as what I had stated was perfectly true. I was not the less\nastonished than they to find that my vision agreed with reality.\"\n\n\"I then gave more attention to the subject, and as often as propriety\nallowed of it, I related to those whose lives had passed before me, the\nsubstance of my visions, in order to obtain from them a contradiction\nor verification thereof. On every occasion the confirmation followed,\nnot without amazement on the part of those who gave it.\"\n\n\"One day, in the city of Waldshut, I entered an inn (the Vine) in\ncompany with two young students. We supped with a numerous company at\nthe table d'hote, where the guests were making very merry with the\npeculiarities of the Swiss, with Mesmer's magnetism, Lavater's\nphysiognomy, etc. One of my companions, whose national pride was\nwounded by their mockery, begged me to make some reply, particularly to\na handsome young man who sat opposite to us, and who had allowed\nhimself extraordinary license. This man's life was at that moment\npresented to my mind. I turned to him, and asked whether he would\nanswer me candidly if I related to him some of the most secret passages\nof his life, I knowing as little of him personally as he did of me. He\npromised, if I were correct, to admit it frankly. I then related what\nmy vision had shown me, and the whole company were made acquainted with\nthe private history of the young merchant--his school years, his\nyouthful errors, and, lastly, with a fault committed in reference to\nthe strong-box of his principal. I described the uninhabited room with\nwhitened walls, where, to the right of the brown door, on a table,\nstood a black money-box, etc. A dead silence prevailed during the whole\nnarrative, which I alone occasionally interrupted by inquiring whether\nI spoke the truth. The startled young man confirmed every particular,\nand even, what I had scarcely expected, the last mentioned. Touched by\nhis candor, I shook hands with him, and said no more. He is, probably,\nstill living.\"\n\n\n\n\nLESSON X.\n\nFUTURE TIME PSYCHOMANCY.\n\n\n\"Future Time Psychomancy,\" as the term itself indicates, is the name\ngiven to that class of phenomena in which one is able to sense the\nAstral Plane impression of coming events--the psychic shadows thrown\nbefore by coming events. In order to give the student a technical\nnature of the occult cause behind this phenomena would require volumes\nof the deepest metaphysical lore, which field is foreign to the\npurposes of this work which deals with phenomena alone, and does not\nenter into the metaphysical side of the subject.\n\nIt will be sufficient for the student to understand that in the Astral\nas well as on the Physical Plane, \"~Coming Events cast their Shadows\nBefore~.\" Without entering into a discussion of Destiny or Fate, or\nanything of that kind, it may be stated that ~when Causes are set\ninto motion, the Effects follow~, unless other Causes intervene. In\nsome cases certain effects have been averted by reason of the previous\nVision--in such cases ~the other Causes intervened~, which showed\nthat the matter was not wholly \"cut and dried.\" It is like a man\nwalking toward a precipice--he will walk over unless he is warned in\nsome way. He is not \"fated\" to walk over but over he will go, unless\nwarned and prevented. Do you see what we mean?\n\nOn the other hand, there seem to be cases in which the person seems\nunable to escape the Effect of Causes once set into motion--he even\nseems to run into the effect, while seeking to escape it. In this\nconnection the little fable of the Persians may be quoted. The story\ngoes that a friend was with Solomon when the Angel of Death entered and\ngazed at him fixedly. Upon learning who the strange visitor was, the\nfriend said to Solomon, \"Pray transport me on thy magic carpet to\nDamascus, that I may escape this dread messenger.\" And Solomon complied\nwith his request, and the man was instantly magically transported to\nDamascus. Then said the Angel of Death to Solomon: \"O Solomon, the\nreason that I gazed so intently at thy friend was because I had orders\nfrom On High to take him from the body at Damascus, and lo! finding him\nhere at Jerusalem, I was sore perplexed as to how to obey my orders.\nBut, thou, by transporting him to Damascus hath rendered my task an\neasy one. Many thanks, for thy help at thy friend's suggestion, O\nKing!\" And saying which the Angel of Death was wafted away to Damascus\nto take the man, according to orders.\n\nThe phenomena of Premonitions, Prevision, and Second Sight, are all\nforms or phases of Future Time Psychomancy. In these various forms the\nphenomena is of quite common and frequent occurrence, and is met with\nall over the world. In the Isle of Skye many persons possess the gift\nof Second Sight in varying degree, but they claim that a native of the\nisland loses the power when he moves to the mainland. In the same way\nthe Scotch Highlander (among whose people the gift is quite common) is\nsaid to sometimes lose the faculty when he removes to the lowlands. The\nWestphalian peasants also are noted for the power of Second Sight.\n\nAn instance of this phase of the phenomena, well known in England, is\nthat connected with the assassination of Mr. Percival in the lobby of\nthe House of Commons. This deed was foreseen by John Williams, a\nCornish mine manager, some nine days before its actual occurrence, the\nvision being perfect down to the most minute details. Williams had the\nvision three times in succession. He saw a small man, dressed in a blue\ncoat and white waistcoat, enter the lobby of the House of Commons, when\nanother person, dressed in a snuff-colored coat, stepped forward and\ndrawing a pistol from an inside pocket fired at and shot the little\nman, the bullet lodging in the left breast. He seemed to ask some\nbystander who was the victim, and he received the reply that it was Mr.\nPercival, the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Williams was so much wrought\nup over the vision, that he seriously contemplated going to London to\nwarn the victim, but his friends, to whom he told the story, ridiculed\nhim and persuaded him not to go on \"a fool's errand.\" A few days later\nthe news was received of the assassination of Mr. Percival, in\nprecisely the manner indicated by the vision.\n\nGeorge Fox the Quaker, experienced the impression of \"a waft of death\"\nabout Cromwell when he met him riding at Hampton Court, shortly before\nhis fatal illness. Fox also foretold the expulsion of the \"Rump\nParliament;\" the restoration of Charles II; and the Fire of London.\nCaesar's wife had a warning of her husband's death. The Bible is filled\nwith similar instances.\n\nWe will conclude this lesson with a recital of the wonderful instance\nof Cazotte, whose prediction, and its literal fulfillment, are now\nmatters of French history. La Harpe tells the story as follows:\n\n\"It appears but as yesterday, and yet, nevertheless, it was at the\nbeginning of the year 1788. We were dining with one of our brethren at\nthe Academy--a man of considerable wealth and genius. The conversation\nbecame serious; much admiration was expressed on the revolution in\nthought which Voltaire had effected, and it was agreed that it was his\nfirst claim to the reputation he enjoyed. We concluded that the\nrevolution must soon be consummated; that it was indispensable that\nsuperstition and fanaticism should give place to philosophy, and we\nbegan to calculate the probability of the period when this should be,\nand which of the present company should live to see it. The oldest\ncomplained that they could scarcely flatter themselves with the hope;\nthe younger rejoiced that they might entertain this very probable\nexpectation; and they congratulated the Academy especially for having\nprepared this great work, and for having been the great rallying point,\nthe centre, and the prime mover of the liberty of thought.\n\n\"One only of the guests had not taken part in all the joyousness of\nthis conversation, and had even gently and cheerfully checked our\nsplendid enthusiasm. This was Cazotte, an amiable and original man, but\nunhappily infatuated with the reveries of the illuminati. He spoke, and\nwith the most serious tone. 'Gentlemen,' said he, 'be satisfied; you\nwill all see this great and sublime revolution, which you so much\ndesire. You know that I am a little inclined to prophesy; I repeat, you\nwill see it.' He was answered by the common rejoinder: 'One need not be\na conjuror to see that.' 'Be it so; but perhaps one must be a little\nmore than conjuror for what remains for me to tell you. Do you know\nwhat will be the consequence of this revolution--what will be the\nconsequence to all of you, and what will be the immediate result--the\nwell-established effect--the thoroughly-recognized consequence to all\nof you who are here present?' 'Ah!' said Condorcet, with his insolent\nand half-suppressed smile, 'let us hear--a philosopher is not sorry to\nencounter a prophet.' 'You, Monsieur de Condorcet--you will yield up\nyour last breath on the floor of a dungeon; you will die from poison,\nwhich you will have taken, in order to escape from execution--from\npoison which the happiness of that time will oblige you to carry about\nyour person.'\n\n\"'Monsieur de Chamfort, you will open your veins with twenty-two cuts\nof a razor, and yet you will not die until some months afterward.' They\nlooked at each other, and laughed again. 'You, Monsieur Vicq d'Azir,\nyou will not open your own veins, but you will cause yourself to be\nbled six times in one day, during a parozysm of the gout, in order to\nmake more sure of your end, and you will die in the night. You,\nMonsieur de Nicolai, you will die upon the scaffold; you, Monsieur\nBailly, on the scaffold; you, Monsieur de Malesherbes, on the\nscaffold.' 'Ah! God be thanked,' exclaimed Roucher, 'and what of I?'\n'You! you also will die upon the scaffold.' 'Yes,' replied Chamfort,\n'but when will all this happen?' 'Six years will not pass over, before\nall that I have said to you shall be accomplished.'\n\n\"'Here are some astonishing miracles (and, this time, it was I myself\n(La Harpe) who spoke), but you have not included me in your list.' 'But\nyou will be there, as an equally extraordinary miracle; you will then\nbe a Christian.' Vehement exclamations on all sides. 'Ah,' replied\nChamfort, 'I am comforted; if we shall perish only when La Harpe shall\nbe a Christian, we are immortal.'\n\n\"'As for that,' then observed Madame la Duchesse de Grammont, 'we\nwomen, we are happy to be counted for nothing in these revolutions:\nwhen I say for nothing, it is not that we do not always mix ourselves\nup with them a little; but it is a received maxim that they take no\nnotice of us, and of our sex.' 'Your sex, ladies, will not protect you\nthis time; and you had far better meddle with nothing, for you will be\ntreated entirely as men, without any difference whatever.' 'But what,\nthen, are you really telling us of, Monsieur Cazotte? You are preaching\nto us the end of the world.' 'I know nothing on this subject; but what\nI do know is, that you, Madame la Duchesse, will be conducted to the\nscaffold, you and many other ladies with you, in the cart of the\nexecutioner, and with your hands tied behind your backs.' 'Ah! I hope\nthat, in that case, I shall at least have a carriage hung in black.'\n'No, madame; higher ladies than yourself will go, like you, in the\ncommon car, with their hands tied behind them.' 'Higher ladies! what!\nthe princesses of the blood?' 'Still more exalted personages.' Here a\nsensible emotion pervaded the whole company, and the countenance of the\nhost was dark and lowering; they began to feel that the joke was become\ntoo serious.\n\n\"Madame de Grammont, in order to dissipate the cloud, took no notice of\nthe reply, and contented herself with saying in a careless tone: 'You\nsee that he will not leave me even a confessor!' 'No, madame, you will\nnot have one--neither you, nor any one besides. The last victim to whom\nthis favor will be afforded will be----' He stopped for a moment.\n'Well! who then will be the happy mortal to whom this prerogative will\nbe given?' ''Tis the only one which he will have then retained--and\nthat will be the king of France.'\"\n\nThe amazing sequel to this historical prediction is that ~it was\nverified in every detail~, as all students of the French Revolution\nknow--~and all within the six years~, as Cazotte foretold.\n\n\n\n\nLESSON XI.\n\nDREAM PSYCHOMANCY.\n\n\nThe Student will have noted that in many cases mentioned in these\nlessons, the Psychomantic vision manifested during physical sleep. The\nreason of this occurrence is that in the majority of persons the\nphysical nature, when awake, holds the attention of the individual to\nsuch an extent as to prevent him from manifesting the psychic faculties\nclearly. But when the physical body sinks into sleep then the field is\nclear for the exercise of the Astral Senses, which not being fatigued,\nare in fine condition to manifest. In fact the majority of persons do\nmanifest Psychomancy during sleep, but have little or no recollection\nof the same when waking, beyond indistinct recollections of \"dreams,\"\netc. Still, many of you who read these lines will have a more or less\nclear remembrance of certain \"dreams\" in which you seemed to visit\nother places, scenes, lands, countries, etc., seeing strange faces,\nland-scapes, etc., and upon awakening were somewhat annoyed at having\nbeen brought back from your pleasant travels.\n\nIt is not our intention to enter into an extended consideration of the\ngeneral subject of Dreams, at this time and place. We write these few\nlines merely for the purpose of calling your attention to the fact that\nthe phenomena of Psychomancy very frequently manifests itself in\ndreams, for the reasons stated above. The principle in both the waking\nand dream phenomena is precisely the same, the apparent difference\nbeing that the dreamer very seldom carries back with him a clear and\nconnected memory of his vision, while the waking person is able to\nimpress his Astral vision upon a wide-awake physical brain, there to be\nremembered.\n\nYou will find several instances of Dream Psychomancy recorded in the\nvarious lessons of this work, inserted for the purpose of illustrating\nthe several phases of the phenomena. In such cases we have made no\ndistinction between the Psychomantic phenomena experienced in dreams on\nthe one hand, and that experienced in the waking state on the other\nhand. The principle is the same in both cases, and there is no\nnecessity for making any such distinction between the phenomena\noccurring under any of the several general classes. But as we still\nhave to spare a few pages of the space allotted to us in the\npreparation of these lessons, we think that we should give you a few\nmore of the many interesting cases of record.\n\nA well-known and interesting case is that mentioned in the Proceedings\nof the Psychical Research Society, of London. It is related as follows:\n\nOn September 9th, 1848, at the siege of Mooltan, Major-General R. was\nmost severely and dangerously wounded; and, supposing himself to be\ndying, asked one of the officers with him to take the ring off his\nfinger and send it to his wife, who at the time was fully 150 miles\ndistant at Ferozepore.\n\n\"On the night of September 9th, 1848,\" writes his wife, \"I was lying on\nmy bed, between sleeping and waking, when I distinctly saw my husband\nbeing carried off the field seriously wounded, and heard his voice,\nsaying, 'Take this ring off my finger and send it to my wife.' All the\nnext day I could not get the sight or the voice out of my mind. In due\ntime I heard of General R. having been seriously wounded in the assault\nof Mooltan. He survived, however, and is still living. It was not for\nsome time after the siege that I heard from General L., the officer who\nhelped to carry my husband off the field, that the request as to the\nring was actually made by him, just as I heard it at Ferozepore at that\nvery time.\"\n\nThe following, related by Mrs. Crowe, is interesting, particularly in\nits aspect as a warning:\n\n\"A few years ago, Dr. Watson, now residing at Glasgow, dreamt that he\nreceived a summons to attend a patient at a place some miles from where\nhe was living; that he started on horseback, and that as he was\ncrossing a moor, he saw a bull making furiously at him, whose horns he\nescaped only by taking refuge on a spot inaccessible to the animal,\nwhere he waited a long time till some people, observing his situation,\ncame to his assistance and released him. While at breakfast the\nfollowing morning the summons came, and smiling at the odd co-incidence\n(as he thought it), he started on horseback. He was quite ignorant of\nthe road he had to go, but by and by he arrived at the moor, which he\nrecognized, and presently the bull appeared, coming full tilt towards\nhim. But his dream had shown him the place of refuge, for which he\ninstantly made, and there he spent three or four hours besieged by the\nanimal, till the country people set him free. Dr. Watson declared that\nbut for the dream he should not have known in what direction to run for\nsafety.\"\n\nThis case is an instance of Future Time Psychomancy, as the student\nwill readily see. Here is another case coming under the same\nclassification. It is related by Dr. Lee:\n\nMrs. Hannah Green, the housekeeper of a country family in Oxfordshire,\ndreamt one night that she had been left alone in the house on a Sunday\nevening, and that hearing a knock at the door of the chief entrance,\nshe went to it and found confronting her an ugly tramp, armed with a\nbig club, who forced himself into the house in spite of her struggles,\nstriking her insensible with his club during the conflict. She awoke at\nthis point. A considerable period of time elapsed, and she had almost\nforgotten her dream until it was recalled in a startling manner. She\nwas then in charge of an isolated mansion at Kensington, and on a\nSunday afternoon, when the servants had taken a holiday, leaving her\nalone, she was startled by a loud knock at the door. At once the memory\nof her dream flashed before her with singular vividness and remarkable\nforce. She knew that she was alone, but for the purpose of frightening\naway the intruder she lighted a lamp on the hall table, and afterward\nin other places in the house, and also rang the bells violently in\ndifferent parts of the house. She also made sure that the doors and\nwindows were fastened. She succeeded in scaring off the man, by making\nhim believe that the house was occupied by the family, or several\npeople at least, but not until she had thrown up the window over the\nstair landing, and there to her intense terror saw the identical man of\nher dream, armed with the same club, and demanding an entrance. Had she\nnot been warned by the dream of several years previous, she would have\nmet with a fate such as she had dreamed of.\n\nThe following case of Dream Psychomancy, which is a good example of\nAstral Projection during sleep, is related by a correspondent of the\nPsychical Research Society, as follows:\n\n\"One morning in December, 1836, he had the following dream, or, he\nwould prefer to call it, revelation. He found himself suddenly at the\ngate of Major N. M.'s avenue, many miles from his home. Close to him\nwas a group of persons, one of whom was a woman with a basket on her\narm, the rest men, four of whom were tenants of his own, while the\nothers were unknown to him. Some of the strangers seemed to be\nassaulting H. W., one of his tenants, and he interfered. 'I struck\nviolently at the man on my left, and then with greater violence at the\nman's face on my right. Finding, to my surprise, that I had not knocked\ndown either, I struck again and again with all the violence of a man\nfrenzied at the sight of my poor friend's murder. To my great amazement\nI saw my arms, although visible to my eye, were without substance, and\nthe bodies of the men I struck at and my own came close together after\neach blow through the shadowy arms I struck with. My blows were\ndelivered with more extreme violence than I ever think I exerted, but I\nbecame painfully convinced of my incompetency. I have no consciousness\nof what happened after this feeling of unsubstantiality came upon me.'\nNext morning A. experienced the stiffness and soreness of violent\nbodily exercise, and was informed by his wife that in the course of the\nnight he had much alarmed her by striking out again and again with his\narms in a terrific manner, 'as if fighting for his life.' He, in turn,\ninformed her of his dream, and begged her to remember the names of\nthose actors in it who were known to him. On the morning of the\nfollowing day (Wednesday) A. received a letter from his agent, who\nresided in the town close to the scene of the dream, informing that his\ntenant had been found on Tuesday morning at Major N. M.'s gate,\nspeechless and apparently dying from a fracture of the skull, and that\nthere was no trace of the murderers. That night A. started for the\ntown, and arrived there on Thursday morning. On his way to a meeting of\nmagistrates he met the senior magistrate of that part of the country,\nand requested him to give orders for the arrest of the three men whom,\nbesides H. W., he had recognized in his dream, and to have them\nexamined separately. This was at once done. The three men gave\nidentical accounts of the occurrence, and all named the woman who was\nwith them. She was then arrested, and gave precisely similar testimony.\nThey said that between eleven and twelve on the Monday night they had\nbeen walking homewards altogether along the road, when they were\novertaken by three strangers, two of whom savagely assaulted H. W.,\nwhile the other prevented his friends from interfering. H. W. did not\ndie, but was never the same man afterwards; he subsequently emigrated.\"\n\nStead relates the following case, which was imparted to him as a\ntruthful and correct account of the vision of a murder seen in all of\nits details by a brother of the murdered man. It is a case of Astral\nProjection, undoubtedly:\n\n\"St. Eglos is situated about ten miles from the Atlantic, and not quite\nso far from the old market town of Trebodwina. Hart and George Northey\nwere brothers, and from childhood their lives had been marked by the\nstrongest brotherly affection. Hart and George Northey had never been\nseparated from their birth until George became a sailor, Hart meantime\njoining his father in business. On the 8th of February, 1840, while\nGeorge Northey's ship was lying in port at St. Helena, he had the\nfollowing strange dream:\n\n\"'Last night I dreamt my brother was at Trebodwina Market, and that I\nwas with him, quite close by his side, during the whole of the market\ntransactions. Although I could see and hear everything which passed\naround me, I felt sure that it was not my bodily presence which thus\naccompanied him, but my shadow, or rather my spiritual presence, for he\nseemed quite unconscious that I was near him. I felt that my being thus\npresent in this strange way betokened some hidden danger which he was\ndestined to meet, and which I knew my presence could not avert, for I\ncould not speak to warn him of his peril.'\"\n\nThe brother having collected considerable money then started on his\nride homeward. The story then continues:\n\n\"'My terror gradually increased as Hart approached the hamlet of\nPolkerrow, until I was in a perfect frenzy, frantically desirous, yet\nunable, to warn my brother in some way and prevent him going further. I\nsuddenly became aware of two dark shadows thrown across the road. I\nfelt my brother's hour had come, and I was powerless to aid him! Two\nmen appeared, whom I instantly recognized as notorious poachers, who\nlived in a lonely wood near St. Eglos. The men wished him \"Good-night,\nmaister,\" civilly enough. He replied, and entered into conversation\nwith them about some work he had promised them. After a few minutes\nthey asked him for some money. The elder of the two brothers, who was\nstanding near the horse's head, said, \"Mr. Northey, we know you have\njust come from Trebodwina market with plenty of money in your pockets;\nwe are desperate men, and you bean't going to leave this place until\nwe've got that money, so hand over.\" My brother made no reply, except\nto slash at him with the whip and spur the horse at him.\n\n\"'The younger of the ruffians instantly drew a pistol and fired. Hart\ndropped lifeless from the saddle, and one of the villains held him by\nthe throat with a grip of iron for some minutes, as though to make\nassurance doubly sure, and crush out any particle of life my poor\nbrother might have left. The murderers secured the horse to a tree in\nthe orchard, and, having rifled the corpse, they dragged it up the\nstream, concealing it under the overhanging banks of the water-course.\nThey then carefully covered over all marks of blood on the road, and\nhid the pistol in the thatch of a disused hut close to the roadside;\nthen, setting the horse free to gallop home alone, they decamped across\nthe country to their own cottage.'\n\n\"The vessel left St. Helena next day, and reached Plymouth in due\ncourse. George Northey had during the whole of the voyage home, never\naltered his conviction that Hart had been killed as he had dreamt, and\nthat retribution was by his means to fall on the murderers.\"\n\nThe sequel shows that the murder was actually committed in precisely\nthe manner in which it had appeared to the brother in the dream. The\ncrime aroused universal horror and indignation, and every effort was\nmade to discover the murderers and bring them to justice. Two brothers\nnamed Hightwood were suspected, and a search of their cottage revealed\nbloodstained garments, but no trace of the pistol was to be found,\nalthough the younger brother admitted having had one and lost it. The\nstory continues:\n\n\"Both brothers were arrested and brought before the magistrates. The\nevidence against them was certainly not strong, but their manner seemed\nthat of guilty men. They were ordered to take their trial at the\nforthcoming assizes at Trebodwina. They each confessed in the hope of\nsaving their lives, and both were sentenced to be hanged. There was,\nhowever, some doubt about the pistol. Before the execution George\nNorthey arrived from St. Helena, and declared that the pistol was in\nthe thatch of the old cottage close by the place where they murdered\nHart Northey, and where they hid it. 'How did you know?' he was asked.\nGeorge Northey replied: 'I saw the foul deed committed in a dream I had\nthe night of the murder, when at St. Helena.' A pistol was found, as\nGeorge Northey had predicted, in the thatch of the ruined cottage.\"\n\nWe trust that we have established the identity of Waking Psychomancy,\nand Dream Psychomancy, to your satisfaction.\n\n\nFINIS.\n\n\n\n\nPractical Mind Reading\n\nBy William Walker Atkinson\n\n_A course of Lessons on Thought Transference, Telepathy, Mental\nCurrents, Mental Rapport, etc._\n\n\nThis book is full of practical condensed instruction about every phase\nof Mind Reading, Telepathy, etc. The exercises and directions are so\nplain and simple that they can be understood and demonstrated by any\nperson of ordinary intelligence.\n\nHere you will find complete instruction in all the latest points about\nMind Reading. It tells how Thought Transference is practiced in the\nscientific laboratory as well as by a public performer. It tells you\nhow to perform feats that will mystify an audience and arouse the\ndeepest interest and enthusiasm, or you can conduct Telepathic\nexperiments with your friends right in your own home.\n\nHere are the titles of the lessons and a few of the subjects treated:\n\n    ~The Nature of Mind Reading~--A vast, mysterious subject. Power of\n    Etheric Vibrations; Mental wireless telepathy; the mysteries of\n    science; Action of mind upon mind; The mental battery.\n\n    ~The Proofs of Mind Reading~--The Psychic post office: Wonderful\n    results; A convincing experiment.\n\n    ~Contact Mind Reading~--The two classes of mind reading: The\n    simplest form; Nerve current theory; The truth about public\n    performances.\n\n    ~Development Exercises~--How to begin; Rapport\n    conditions--Rhythmic breathing; Details of finding objects.\n\nNo. 8--95 Pages, Paper Bound, Size 6\u00d74-1/2\n\n\n\n\nTHE HUMAN AURA\n\nAstral Colors and Thought Forms\n\nby\n\nSWAMI PANCHADASI\n\n\nContents\n\n    CHAPTER I.--What is the Human Aura.\n\n    The human aura is a very important and interesting phase of every\n    personality.\n\n    CHAPTER II.--The Prana Aura.\n\n    How it affects the human aura. Interesting experiments.\n\n    CHAPTER III.--The Astral Colors.\n\n    Each mental or emotional state has its own astral hue.\n\n    CHAPTER IV.--The Astral colors interpreted.\n\n    The varying reds, the yellow of pride, the green of jealousy, the\n    spiritual blue, and the idealistic white.\n\n    CHAPTER V.--The Aura Kaleidoscope.\n\n    How the trained occultist is able to ascertain the character and\n    tendencies of a person.\n\n    CHAPTER VI.--Thought Form.\n\n    How thought forms are projected and travel. A wonderful study of a\n    fascinating subject.\n\n    CHAPTER VII.--Psychic Influence of Color.\n\n    How certain tints affect persons favorably and others unfavorably.\n\n    CHAPTER VIII.--Auric Magnetism.\n\n    Magnetic healing. How to treat yourself and others by this method.\n\n    CHAPTER IX.--Developing the Aura.\n\n    How to build up a strong positive aura.\n\nNo. 11, 86 Pages, Paper Bound, Size 6\u00d74-1/2\n\n\n\n\nMENTAL INFLUENCE\n\nBy William Walker Atkinson\n\nA course of Lessons on Mental Vibration, Psychic influence, Personal\nMagnetism, Fascination, Psychic Self-Protection, etc.\n\n  [Illustration: MENTAL INFLUENCE\n              _by William Walker Atkinson_]\n\n\n    LESSON 1.--Why one mind can be made to influence another.\n\n    LESSON 2.--How thought waves manifest, and how they affect other\n    persons.\n\n    LESSON 3.--How mental states are transmitted.\n\n    LESSON 4.--What mental concentration is, and how it works. The\n    occult teachings regarding developing the powers of concentration.\n    A course of training described and explained.\n\n    LESSON 5.--How occultists form a mental image.\n\n    LESSON 6.--The secret of mental fascination and personal magnetism.\n    Why some have such a charming, irresistible influence. How it can\n    be cultivated.\n\n    LESSON 7.--Difference between fascination and hypnotism. How\n    hypnotic influence upon others affects the person. The truth about\n    hypnotism.\n\n    LESSON 8.--Influencing at a distance. How you can exert a mental\n    influence upon others at a distance. How distant treatments are\n    given. The most effective occult methods and practices.\n\n    LESSON 9.--How mental influence may be used to affect a great\n    number of people at the same time.\n\n    LESSON 10.--The need of instruction on the part of the public.\n\nNo. 7--96 Pages, Paper Bound. Size 6\u00d74-1/2","title":"Practical Psychomancy and Crystal Gazing","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":20496}