the unknown guest-第14章

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d　a　vision　of　the　future　corresponding　exactly　with　a　vision　of　the　past。　A　traveler　in　South　America　is　descending　a　river　in　a　canoe；　the　party　are　just　about　to　run　close　to　a　promontory　when　a　sort　of　mysterious　voice；　which　he　has　already　heard　at　different　momentous　times　of　his　life；　imperiously　orders　him　immediately　to　cross　the　river　and　gain　the　other　shore　as　quickly　as　possible。　This　appears　so　absurd　that　he　is　obliged　to　threaten　the　Indians　with　death　to　force　them　to　take　this　course。　They　have　scarcely　crossed　more　than　half　the　river　when　the　promontory　falls　at　the　very　place　where　they　meant　to　round　it。＇1＇

＇1＇　Flournoy：　Esprits　et　mediums；　p。　316。


The　perception　of　imminent　danger　is　here；　I　admit；　even　more　abnormal　than　in　the　previous　example；　but　it　comes　under　the　same　heading。　It　is　a　phenomenon　of　subliminal　hypersensitiveness　observed　more　than　once；　a　sort　of　premonition　induced　by　subconscious　perceptions；　which　has　been　christened　by　the　barbarous　name　of　〃cryptaesthesia。〃　But　the　interval　between　the　moment　when　the　peril　is　signalled　and　that　at　which　it　is　consummated　is　too　short　for　those　questions　which　relate　to　a　knowledge　or　a　preexistence　of　the　future　to　arise　in　this　instance。

The　case　is　almost　the　same　with　the　adventure　of　an　American　dentist；　very　carefully　investigated　by　Dr。　Hodgson。　The　dentist　was　bending　over　a　bench　on　which　was　a　little　copper　in　which　he　was　vulcanizing　some　rubber；　when　he　heard　a　voice　calling；　in　a　quick　and　imperative　manner；　these　words：

〃Run　to　the　window；　quick！　Run　to　the　window；　quick！〃

He　at　once　ran　to　the　window　and　looked　out　to　the　street　below；　when　suddenly　he　heard　a　tremendous　report　and；　looking　round；　saw　that　the　copper　had　exploded；　destroying　a　great　part　of　the　workroom。＇1＇

＇1＇　Proceedings；　vol。　xi。；　p。　424。


Here　again；　a　subconscious　cautiousness　was　probably　amused　by　certain　indications　imperceptible　to　our　ordinary　senses。　It　is　even　possible　that　there　exists　between　things　and　ourselves　a　sort　of　sympathy　or　subliminal　communion　which　makes　us　experience　the　trials　and　emotions　of　matter　that　has　reached　the　limits　of　its　existence；　unless；　as　is　more　likely；　there　is　merely　a　simple　coincidence　between　the　chance　idea　of　a　possible　explosion　and　its　realization。

A　last　and　rather　more　complicated　case　is　that　of　Jean　Dupre；　the　sculptor；　who　was　driving　alone　with　his　wife　along　a　mountain　road；　skirting　a　perpendicular　cliff。　Suddenly　they　both　heard　a　voice　that　seemed　to　come　from　the　mountain　crying：

〃Stop！〃

They　turned　round；　saw　nobody　and　continued　their　road。　But　the　cries　were　repeated　again　and　again；　without　anything　to　reveal　the　presence　of　a　human　being　amid　the　solitude。　At　last　the　sculptor　alighted　and　saw　that　the　left　wheel　of　the　carriage；　which　was　grazing　the　edge　of　the　precipice；　had　lost　its　linch…pin　and　was　on　the　point　of　leaving　the　axle…tree；　which　would　almost　inevitably　have　hurled　the　carriage　into　the　abyss。

Need　we；　even　here；　relinquish　the　theory　of　subconscious　perceptions？　Do　we　know　and　can　the　author　of　the　anecdote；　whose　good　faith　is　not　in　question；　tell　us　that　certain　unperceived　circumstances；　such　as　the　grating　of　the　wheel　or　the　swaying　of　the　carriage；　did　not　give　him　the　first　alarm？　After　all；　we　know　how　easily　stories　of　this　kind　involuntarily　take　a　dramatic　turn　even　at　the　actual　moment　and　especially　afterwards。

21

These　examplesand　there　are　many　more　of　a　similar　kindare　enough；　I　think；　to　illustrate　this　class　of　premonitions。　The　problem　in　these　cases　is　simpler　than　when　it　relates　to　fruitless　warnings；　at　least　it　is　simpler　so　long　as　we　do　not　bring　into　discussion　the　question　of　spirits；　of　unknown　intelligences；　or　of　an　actual　knowledge　of　the　future；　otherwise　the　same　difficulty　reappears　and　the　warning；　which　this　time　seems　efficacious；　is　in　reality　just　as　vain。　In　fact；　the　mysterious　entity　which　knows　that　the　traveler　will　go　to　the　water's　edge；　that　the　wheel　will　be　on　the　point　of　leaving　the　axle；　that　the　copper　will　explode；　or　that　the　promontory　will　fall　at　a　precise　moment；　must　at　the　same　time　know　that　the　traveler　will　not　take　the　last　fatal　step；　that　the　carriage　will　not　be　overturned；　that　the　copper　will　not　hurt　anybody　and　that　the　canoe　will　pull　away　from　the　promontory。　It　is　inadmissible　that；　seeing　one　thing；　it　will　not　see　the　other；　since　everything　happens　at　the　same　point；　in　the　course　of　the　same　second。　Can　we　say　that；　if　it　had　not　given　warning；　the　little　saving　movement　would　not　have　been　executed？　How　can　we　imagine　a　future　which；　at　one　and　the　same　time；　has　parts　that　are　steadfast　and　others　that　are　not？　If　it　is　foreseen　that　the　promontory　will　fall　and　that　the　traveler　will　escape；　thanks　to　the　supernatural　warning；　it　is　necessarily　foreseen　that　the　warning　will　be　given；　and；　if　so；　what　is　the　point　of　this　futile　comedy？　I　see　no　reasonable　explanation　of　it　in　the　spiritist　or　spiritualistic　theory；　which　postulates　a　complete　knowledge　of　the　future；　at　least　at　a　settled　point　and　moment。　On　the　other　hand；　if　we　adhere　to　the　theory　of　a　subliminal　consciousness；　we　find　there　an　explanation　which　is　quite　worthy　of　acceptation。　This　subliminal　consciousness；　though；　in　the　majority　of　cases；　it　has　no　clear　and　comprehensive　vision　of　the　immediate　future；　can　nevertheless　possess　an　intuition　of　imminent　danger；　thanks　to　indications　that　escape　our　ordinary　perception。　It　can　also　have　a　partial；　intermittent　and　so　to　speak　flickering　vision　of　the　future　event　and；　if　doubtful；　can　risk　giving　an　incoherent　warning；　which；　for　that　matter；　will　change　nothing　in　that　which　already　is。

22

In　conclusion；　let　us　state　once　more　that　fruitful　premonitions　necessarily　annihilate　events　in　the　bud　and　consequently　work　their　own　destruction；　so　that　any　control　becomes　impossible。　They　would　have　an　existence　only　if　they　prophesied　a　general　event　which　the　subject　would　not　escape　but　for　the　warning。　If　they　had　said　to　any　one　intending　to　go　to　Messina　two　or　three　months　before　the　catastrophe；　〃Don't　go；　for　the　town　will　be　destroyed　before　the　month　is　out；〃　we　should　have　an　excellent　example。　But　it　is　a　remarkable　thing　that　genuine　premonitions　of　this　kind　are　very　rare　and　nearly　always　rather　indefinite　in　regard　to　events　of　a　general　order。　In　M。　Bozzano's　excellent　collection；　which　is　a　sort　of　compendium　of　Premonitory　phenomena；　the　only　pretty　clear　cases　are　nos。　cli；　and　clviii。；　both　of　which　are　taken　from　the　Journal　of　the　S。P。R。　In　the　first；＇1＇　a　mother　sent　a　servant　to　bring　home　her　little　daughter；　who　had　already　left　the　house　with　the　intention　of　going　through　the　〃railway　garden；〃　a　strip　of　ground　between　the　se。　wall　and　the　railway　embankment；　in　order　to　sit　on　the　great　stone；　by　the　seaside　and　see　the　trains　pass　by。　A　few　minutes　after　the　little　girl's　departure；　the　mother　had　distinctly　and　repeatedly　heard　a　voice　within　her　say：

〃Send　for　her　back；　or　something　dreadful　will　happen　to　her。〃

＇1＇　Journal；　vol。　viii。；　p。　45。


Now；　soon　after；　a　train　ran　off　the　line　and　the　engine　and　tender　fell；　breaking　through　the　protecting　wall　and　crashing　down　on　the　very　stones　where　the　child　was　accustomed　to　sit。

In　the　other　case；＇1＇　into　which　Professor　W。　F。　Barrett　made　a　special　enquiry；　Captain　MacGowan　was　in　Brooklyn　with　his　two　boys；　then　on　their　holidays。　He　promised　the　boys　that　he　would　take　them　to　the　theatre　and　booked　seats　on　the　previous　day；　but　on　the　day　of　the　proposed　visit　he　heard　a　voice　within　him　constantly　saying：

〃Do　not　go　to　the　theatre；　take　the　boys　back　to　school。〃

＇1＇　Ibid。；　vol。　i。；　p。　283。


He　hesitated；　gave　up　his　plan　and　resumed　it　again。　But　the　words　kept　repeating　themselves　and　impressing　themselves　upon　him；　and；　in　the　end；　he　definitely　decided　not　to　go；　much　to　the　two　boys'　disgust。　That　night　the　theatre　was　destroyed　by　fire；　with　a　loss　of　three　hundred　lives。

We　may　add　to　this　the　prevision　of　the　Battle　of　Borodino；　to　which　I　have　already　alluded；　I　will　give　the　story　in　fuller　detail；　as　told　in　the　journal　of　Stephen　Grellet　the　Quaker。

About　three　months　before　the　French　army　entered　Russia；　the　wife　of　General　Toutschkoff　dreamt　that　she　was　at　an　inn　in　a　town　unknown　to　her　and　that　her　father　came　into　her　room；　holding　her　only　son　by　the　hand；　and　said　to　her；　in　a　pitiful　tone：

〃Your　happiness　is　at　an　end。　He〃meaning　Countess　Toutschkoff's　husband〃has　fallen。　He　has　fallen　at　Borodino。〃

The　dream　was　repeated　a　second　and　a　third　time。　Her　anguish　of　mind　was　such　that　she　woke　her　husband　and　asked　him：

〃Where　is　Borodino？〃　They　looked　for　the　name　on　the　map　and　did　not　find　it。

Before　the　French　armies　reached　Moscow；　Count　Toutschkoff　was　placed　at　the　head　of　the　army　of　reserve；　and　one　morning　her　father；　holding　her　son　by　the　hand；　entered　her　room　at　the　inn　where　she　was　staying。　In　great　distress；　as　she　had　beheld　him　in　her　dream；　he　cried　out：

〃He　has　fallen。　He　has　fallen　at　Borodino。〃

Then　she　saw　herself　in　the　very　same　room　and　through　the　windows　beheld　the　very　same　objects　that　she　had　seen　in　her　dreams。　Her　husband　was　one　of　the　many　who　perished　in　the　battle　fought　near　the　River　Borodino；　from　which　an　obscure　village　takes　its　name。＇1＇

＇1＇　Memoirs　of　the　Life　and　Labours　of　Stephen　Grellet；　vol　i。；　p。　434。


23

This　is　evidently　a　very　rare　and　perhaps　solitary　example　of　a　long…dated　prediction　of　a　great　historic　event　which　nobody　could　foresee。　It　stirs　more　deeply　than　any　other　the　enormous　problems　of　fatality；　free…will　and　responsibility。　But　has　it　been　attested　with　sufficient　rigour　for　us　to　rely　upon　it？　That　I　cannot　say。　In　any　case；　it　has　not　been　sifted　by　the　S。P。R。　Next；　from　the　special　point　of　view　that　interests　us　for　the　moment；　we　are　unable　to　declare　that　this　premonition　had　any　chance　of　being　of　avail　and　preventing　the　general　from　going　to　Borodino。　It　is　highly　probable　that　he　did　not　know　where　he　was　going　or　where　he　was；　besides；　the　irresistible　machinery　of　war　held　him　fast　and　it　was　not　his　part　to　disengage　his　destiny。　The　premonition；　therefore；　could　only　have　been　given　because　it　was　certain　not　to　be　obeyed。

As　for　the　two　previous　cases；　nos。　clv。　and　clviii。；　we　must　here　again　remark　the　usual　strange　reservations　and　observe　how　difficult　it　is　to　explain　these　premonitions　save　by　attributing　them　to　our　subconsciousness。　The　main；　unavoidable　event　is　not　precisely　stated；　but　a　subordinate　consequence　seems　to　be　averted；　as　though　to　make　us　believe　in　some　definite　power　of　free　will。　Nevertheless；　the　mysterious　entity　that　foresaw　the　catastrophe　must　also　have　foreseen　that　nothing　would　happen　to　the　person　whom　it　was　warning；　and　this　brings　us　back　to　the　useless　farce　of　which　we　spoke　above。　Whereas；　with　the　theory　of　a　subconscious　self；　the　latter　may　haveas　in　the　case　of　the　traveler；　the　promontory；　the　copper　or　the　carriage…not　this　time　by　inferences　or　indications　that　escape　our　perception；　but　by　other　unknown　means；　a　vague　presentiment　of　an　impending　peri