the unknown guest(陌生客)-第6章
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perceives and describes exactly his immediate surroundings； the scenery
outside his window； the rooms in which he lives； the people who live with
him and who wish him well or ill； the psychology and the most secret and
unexpected intentions of all those who figure in his existence。 If； by means
of your questions； you direct her towards the past； she traces the whole
course of the subject's history。 If you turn her towards the future； she
seems often to discover it as clearly as the past。 But we will for the
moment reserve this latter point； to which we shall return later in a chapter
devoted to the knowledge of the future。
3
In the presence of these phenomena； the first thought that naturally
occurs to the mind is that we are once more concerned with that
astonishing and involuntary communication between one
subconsciousness and another which has been invested with the name of
telepathy。 And there is no denying that telepathy plays a great part in these
intuitions。 However； to explain their working； nothing is equal to an
example based upon a personal experience。 Here is one which is in no way
remarkable； but which plainly shows the normal course of the operation。
In September； 1913； while I was at Elberfeld； visiting Krall's horses； my
wife went to consult Mme。 M； gave her a scrap of writing in my handa
note dispatched previous to my journey and containing no allusion to it
and asked her where I was and what I was doing。 Without a second's
hesitation； Mme。 M declared that I was very far away； in a foreign
country where they spoke a language which she did not understand。 She
saw first a paved yard； shaded by a big tree； with a building on the left and
a garden at the back： a rough but not inapt description of Krall's stables；
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which my wife did not know and which I myself had not seen at the time
when I wrote the note。 She next perceived me in the midst of the horses；
examining them； studying them with an absorbed； anxious and tired air。
This was true； for I found those visits； which overwhelmed me with a
sense of the marvelous and kept my attention on the rack； singularly
exhausting and bewildering。 My wife asked her if I intended to buy the
horses。 She replied：
〃Not at all； he is not thinking of it。〃
And； seeking her words as though to express an unaccustomed and
obscure thought； she added：
〃I don't know why he is so much interested； it is not like him。 He has
no particular passion for horses。 He has some lofty idea which I can't quite
discover。 。 。 。〃
She made two rather curious mistakes in this experiment。 The first was
that； at the time when she saw me in Krall's stable…yard； I was no longer
there。 She had received her vision just in the interval of a few hours
between two visits。 Experience shows； however； that this is a usual error
among psychometers。 They do not； properly speaking； see the action at the
very moment of its performance； but rather the customary and familiar
action； the principal thing that preoccupies either the person about whom
they are being consulted or the person consulting them。 They frequently
go astray in time。 There is not； therefore； necessarily any simultaneity
between the action and the vision； and it is well never to take their
statements in this respect literally。
The other mistake referred to our dress： Krall and I were in ordinary
town clothes； whereas she saw us in those long coats which stable…lads
wear when grooming their horses。
Let us now make every allowance for my wife's unconscious
suggestions： she knew that I was at Elberfeld and that I should be in the
midst of the horses； and she knew or could easily conjecture my state of
mind。 The transmission of thought is remarkable； but this is a recognized
phenomenon and one of frequent occurrence and we need not therefore
linger over it。
The real mystery begins with the description of a place which my wife
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had never seen and which I had not seen either at the time of writing the
note which established the psychometrical communication。 Are we to
believe that the appearance of what I was one day to see was already
inscribed on that prophetic sheet of paper； or more simply and more
probably that the paper which represented myself was enough to transmit
either to my wife's subconsciousness or to Mme。 M； whom at that time I
had never met； an exact picture of what my eyes beheld three or four
hundred miles away？ But； although this description is exceedingly
accuratepaved yard； big tree； building on the left； garden at the backis
it not too general for all idea of chance coincidence to be eliminated？
Perhaps； by insisting further； greater precision might have been obtained；
but this is not certain； for as a role the pictures follow upon one another so
swiftly in the medium's vision that he has no time to perceive the details。
When all is said； experiences of this kind do not enable us to go beyond
the telepathic explanation。 But here is a different one； in which
subconscious suggestion cannot play any part whatever。
Some days after the experiment which I have related； I received from
England a request for my autograph。 Unlike most of those which assail an
author of any celebrity； it was charming and unaffected； but it told me
nothing about its writer。 Without even noticing from what town it was sent
to me； after showing it to my wife； I replaced it in its envelope and took it
to Mme。 M。 She began by describing us； my wife and myself； who both
of us had touched the paper and consequently impregnated it with our
respective 〃fluids。〃
I asked her to pass beyond us and come to the writer of the note。 She
then saw a girl of fifteen or sixteen； almost a child； who had been in rather
indifferent health； but who was now very well indeed。 The girl was in a
beautiful garden； in front of a large and luxurious house standing in the
midst of rather hilly country。 She was playing with a big； curly…haired；
long…eared dog。 Through the branches of the trees one caught a glimpse of
the sea。
On inquiry； all the details were found to be astonishingly accurate； but；
as usual； there was a mistake in the time； that is to say； the girl and her dog
were not in the garden at the instant when the medium saw them there。
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Here again an habitual action had obscured a casual movement； for； as I
have already said； the vision very rarely corresponds with the momentary
reality。
4
There is nothing exceptional in the above example； I selected it from
among many others because it is simple and clear。 Besides； this kind of
experience is already； so to speak； classical； or at least should be so； were
it not that everything relating to the manifestations of our
subconsciousness is always received with extraordinary suspicion。 In any
case； I cannot too often repeat that the experiment is within everybody's
reach； and it rarely fails to achieve absolute success with capable
psychometers； who are pretty well known and whom it is open to any one
to consult。
Let us add that it can be extended much further。 If； for instance； I had
acted as I did in similar cases and asked the medium questions about the
young girl's home…circle； about the character of her father； the health of
her mother； the tastes and habits of her brothers and sisters； she would
have answered with the same certainty； the same precision as one might do
who was not only a close acquaintance of the girl's； but endowed with
much more penetrating faculties of intuition than a normal observer。 In
short； she would have felt and expressed all that this girl's
subconsciousness would have felt with regard to the persons mentioned。
But it must be admitted that； as we are here no longer speaking of facts
that are easily verified； confirmation becomes infinitely more difficult。
There could be no question； in the circumstances； of transmission of
thought； since both the medium and I were ignorant of everything。 Besides；
other experiments； easily devised and repeated and more rigourously
controlled； do away with that theory entirely。 For instance； I took three
letters written by intimate friends； put each of them in a double envelope
and gave them to a messenger unacquainted with the contents of the
envelopes and also with the persons in question to take to Mme。 M。 On
arriving at the house； the messenger handed the clairvoyant one of the
letters； selected at random； and did nothing further beyond putting the
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indispensable questions； likewise at random； and taking down the
medium's replies in shorthand。 Mme。 M began by giving a very striking
physical portrait of the lady who had written the letter； followed this up
with an absolutely faithful description of her character； her habits； her
tastes； her intellectual and moral qualities； and ended by adding a few
details concerning her private life； of which I myself was entirely unaware
and of which I obtained the confirmation shortly afterwards。 The
experiment yielded just a
