the unknown guest(陌生客)-第37章
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ourselves； for the moment； to noting on the way some other； rather easier
questions which we can at least try to answer。
First of all； are the facts at issue really new？ Was it only yesterday that
the existence of our unknown guest and its external manifestations were
revealed to us？ Is it our attention that makes them appear more numerous；
or is it the increase in their number that at last attracts out attention？
It does indeed seem that； however far we go back in history； we
everywhere find the same extraordinary phenomena； under other names
and often in a more glamorous setting。 Oracles； prophecies； incantations；
haruspication； 〃possession；〃 evocation of the dead； apparitions； ghosts；
miraculous cures； levitation； transmission of thought； apparent
resurrections and the rest are the exact equivalent； though magnified by
the aid of plentiful and obvious frauds of our latter…day supernaturalism。
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Turning in another direction； we are able to see that psychical phenomena
are very evenly distributed over the whole surface of the globe。 At all
events； there does not appear to be any race that is absolutely or peculiarly
refractory to them。 One would be inclined to say； however； that they
manifest themselves by preference among the most civilized nations
perhaps because that is where they are most carefully sought afterand
among the most primitive。 In short； it cannot be denied that we are in the
presence of faculties or senses； more or less latent but at the same time
universally distributed； which form part of the general and unvarying
inheritance of mankind。 But have these faculties or senses undergone
evolution； like most of the others？ And； if they have not done so on our
earth； do they show traces of an extraplanetary evolution？ Is there progress
or reaction？ Are they withered and useless branches； or buds swollen with
sap and promise？ Are they retreating before the march of intelligence or
invading its domain？
11
M。 Ernest Bozzano； one of the most learned； most daring and most
subtle exponents of the new science that is in process of formation； in the
course of a remarkable essay in the Annales des sciences psychiques；＇1＇
gives it as his opinion that they have remained stationary and unchanged。
He considers that they have become in no way diffused； generalized and
refined； like so many others that are much less important and useful from
the point of view of the struggle for life； such as the musical faculty； for
instance。 It does not even seem； says M。 Bozzano； that it is possible to
cultivate or develop them systematically。 The Hindu race in particular；
who for thousands of years have been devoting themselves to the study of
these manifestations； have arrived at nothing but a better knowledge of the
empirical methods calculated to produce them in individuals already
endowed with these supernormal faculties。 I do not know to what extent M。
Bozzano's assertions are beyond dispute。 They concern historical or
remote facts which it is very difficult to verify。 In any case； it is something
to have perfected ； as has been done in India； the empirical methods
favourable to the production of supernormal phenomena。 One might even
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say that it is about all that we have the right to expect； seeing that； by the
author's own admission； these faculties are latent in every man and that； as
has frequently been seen； it needs but an illness； a lesion； or sometimes
even the slightest emotion or a mere passing faintness to make them
suddenly reveal themselves in an individual who seemed most hopelessly
devoid of them。 It is therefore quite possible that； by improving the
methods； by attacking the mystery from other quarters； we might obtain
more decisive results than the Hindus。 We must remember that our
western science has but lately interested itself in these problems and that it
has means of investigating and experimenting which the Asiatics never
possessed。 It may even be declared that at no time in the existence of our
world has the scientific mind been better…equipped； better…suited to cope
with every task； or more exact； more skilful and more penetrating than it is
today。 Because the oriental empirics have failed； there is no reason to
believe that it will not succeed in awakening and cultivating in every man
those faculties which would often be of greater use to him than those of
the intellect itself。 It is not overbold to suggest that； from certain points of
view； the true history of mankind has hardly begun。
＇1＇ September； 1906。
12
Nevertheless； in so far as concerns the natural evolution of those
faculties； M。 Bozzano's assertion seem fairly well… justified。 We do not； in
fact； observe a startling or even appreciable difference between what they
were and what they are。 And this anomaly is the more surprising in as
much as it is almost universally accepted that a sense or a faculty becomes
developed in proportion to its usefulness； and there are few； I think； that
would have been not only more useful but even more necessary to man。
He has always had a keen and primitive interest in knowing without delay
the most secret thoughts of his fellow…man； who is often his adversary and
sometimes his mortal enemy。 He has always had an interest no less great
in immediately transmitting those thoughts through space； in seeing
beyond the continents and seas； in going back into the past； in advancing
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into the future； in being able to find in his memory at will not only all the
acquirements of his personal experience but also those of his ancestors； in
communicating with the dead and perhaps with the sovereign intelligence
diffused over the universe； in discovering hidden springs and treasures； in
escaping the harsh and depressing laws of matter and gravity； in relieving
pain； in curing the greater number of his disorders and even in restoring
his limbs； not to mention many other miracles which he could work if he
knew all the mighty forces that doubtless slumber in the dark recesses of
his life。
Is this once more an unexpected character of the eccentric physiology
of our unknown guest？ Here are faculties more precious than the most
precious faculties that have made us what we are； faculties whose magic
buds sprout on every side underneath our intelligence but have never burst
into flower； as though a wind from another sphere had killed them with its
icy breath。 Is it because it occupies itself first and foremost with the
species that it thus neglects the individual？ But； after all； the species is
only an aggregate of successive individuals； and its evolution
consequently depends upon their evolution。 There would therefore have
been an evident advantage to the species in developing faculties that
would perhaps have carried it much farther and much higher than has been
done by its brain…power； which alone has progressed。 If there is no
evolution for them here； do they develop elsewhere？ What are those
powers which exist outside and independent of the laws of this earth？ Do
they then belong to other worlds？ But； if so； what are they doing in ours？
One would sometimes think； at the sight of so much neglectfulness；
uncertainty and inconsistency； that man's evolution had been intentionally
retarded by a superior will； as though that will feared that he was going
too fast； that he was anticipating some pre established order and moving
prematurely out of his appointed plane。
13
And the riddles accumulate which we cannot hope to solve。 It has
been said that these abnormal faculties are communications or infiltrations；
themselves abnormal； which have found their way through the partitions
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that separate our consciousness from our subconsciousness。 This is very
likely； but it is only a minor side of the question。 It would be important
before all to know what that subconsciousness represents； whither it tends
and with what it itself is communicating。 Is the impersonal form of
knowledge a necessary or an accidental stage？ Is the impersonal form
which it takes in the subconsciousness the only true one？ Is there really； as
everything seems to prove； a hopeless incompatibility between our
intellectual faculties and those families of uncertain origin； to such an
extent that the latter are unable to manifest themselves except when the
former are weakened or temporarily suspended？ It has； at any rate； been
observed that they are hardly ever exercised simultaneously。 Are we to
believe that； at a given moment； mankind or the genius that presides over
its destinies had to make an exclusive and awful choice between cerebral
energy and the mysterious forces of the subconsciousness and that we still
find traces of its hesitations in our organism？ What would have become of
a race of man in which the subconsciousness had triumphed over the brain？
Is not this the case with animals； and would not the race have remained
purely animal？ Or else would not this preponderance of a subconscious
more powerful than that of the animals and almost independent of our
body have resulted in the disappearance of life as we know it； and should
we not even now
