the unknown guest-第7章

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asses　unperceived；　which　does　not　mean　that　it　remains　inactive。　But　sometimes　an　exceptional　circumstancein　the　present　case；　the　marvellous　sensibility　of　a　first…class　mediumsuddenly　reveals　to　us；　by　the　vibrations　and　the　undeniable　action　of　one　of　those　wires；　the　existence　of　the　infinite　network。　I　will　not　speak　here　of　trails　discovered　and　followed　in　an　almost　mediumistic　manner；　after　an　object　of　some　sort　has　been　sniffed　at。　Such　stories；　though　highly　probable；　as　yet　lack　adequate　support。　But；　within　a　similar　order　of　ideas；　and　in　a　humbler　world　and　one　with　more　modest　limits；　the　dog；　for　instance；　is　incessantly　surrounded　by　different　scents　and　smells　to　which　he　appears　indifferent　until　his　attention　is　aroused　by　one　or　other　of　these　vagrant　effluvia；　when　he　extricates　it　from　the　hopeless　tangle。　It　would　seem　as　though　the　trail　took　life；　vibrating　like　a　chord　in　unison　with　the　animal's　wishes；　becoming　irresistible；　and　taking　it　to　its　goal　after　innumerable　winds　and　turns。

We　see　the　mysterious　network　revealed　also　in　〃cross…correspondence。〃　Two　or　three　mediums　who　do　not　know　one　another；　who　are　often　separated　by　seas；　or　continents；　who　are　ignorant　of　the　whereabouts　of　the　one　who　is　to　complete　their　thought；　each　write　a　part　of　a　sentence　which；　as　it　stands；　conveys　no　meaning　whatever。　On　piecing　the　fragments　together；　we　perceive　that　they　fit　to　perfection　and　acquire　an　intelligible　and　obviously　premeditated　sense。　We　here　find　once　more　the　same　faculty　that　permits　the　medium　to　detect；　among　thousands　of　others；　a　definite　force　which　was　wandering　in　space。　It　is　true　that；　in　these　cases；　the　spiritualists　maintain　that　the　whole　experiment　is　organized　and　directed　by　a　discarnate　intelligence；　independent　of　the　mediums；　which　means　to　prove　its　existence　and　its　identity　in　this　manner。　Without　incontinently　rejecting　this　theory；　which　is　not　necessarily　indefensible；　we　will　merely　remark　that；　since　the　faculty　is　manifested　in　psychometry　without　the　intervention　of　the　spirits；　there　can　be　no　sufficient　reason　for　attributing　it　to　them　in　cross…correspondence。

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But　in　whom　does　it　reside？　Is　it　hidden　in　ourselves　or　in　the　medium？　According　to　Dr。　Osty；　the　clairvoyants　are　mirrors　reflecting　the　intuitive　thought　that　is　latent　in　each　of　us。　In　other　wordsit　is　we　ourselves　who　are　clairvoyant；　and　they　but　reveal　to　us　nor　own　clairvoyance。　Their　mission　is　to　stir；　to　awaken；　to　galvanize；　to　illumine　the　secrets　of　our　subconsciousness　and　to　bring　them　to　the　surface　of　our　normal　lives。　They　act　upon　our　inner　darkness　exactly　as；　in　the　photographic　dark…room；　the　developing…bath　acts　upon　the　sensitized　plate；　I　am　convinced　that　the　theory　is　accurate　as　regards　intuition　and　clairvoyance　proper；　that　is　to　say；　in　all　cases　where　we　are　in　the　medium's　presence　and　more　or　less　directly　in　touch　with　him。　But　is　it　so　in　psychometry？　Is　it　we　who；　unknown　to　ourselves；　know　all　that　the　object　contains；　or　is　it　the　medium　alone　who　discovers　it　in　the　object　itself；　independently　of　the　person　who　produces　the　object？　When；　for　instance；　we　receive　a　letter　from　a　stranger；　does　this　letter；　which　has　absorbed　like　a　sponge　the　whole　life　and　by　choice　the　subconscious　life　of　the　writer；　disgorge　all　that　it　contained　into　our　subconsciousness？　Do　we　instantly　learn　all　that　concerns　its　author；　absolutely　as　though　he　were　standing　before　us　in　the　flesh　and；　above　all；　with　his　soul　laid　bare；　though　we　remain　profoundly　ignorant　of　the　fact　that　we　have　learnt　it　until　the　medium's　intervention　tells　us　so？

This；　if　you　like；　is　simply　shifting　the　question。　Let　it　be　the　medium　or　myself　that　discovers　the　unknown　personality　in　the　object　or　tracks　it　across　time　and　space：　all　that　we　do　is　to　widen　the　scope　of　our　riddle；　while　leaving　it　no　less　obscure。　Nevertheless；　there　is　some　interest　in　knowing　whether　we　have　to　do　with　a　general　faculty　latent　in　all　men　or　an　inexplicable　privilege　reserved　to　rare　individuals。　The　exceptional　should　always　be　eliminated；　if　possible；　and　not　left　to　hang　over　the　abyss　like　an　unfinished　bridge　leading　to　nothing。　I　am　well　aware　that　the　compulsory　intervention　of　the　medium　implies　that；　in　spite　of　all；　we　recognize　his　possession　of　abnormal　faculties；　but　at　any　rate　we　reduce　their　power　and　their　extent　appreciably　and　we　return　sooner　and　more　easily　to　the　ordinary　laws　of　the　great　human　mystery。　And　it　is　of　importance　that　we　should　be　ever　coming　back　to　that　mystery　and　ever　bringing　all　things　back　to　it。　But；　unfortunately；　actual　experience　does　not　admit　of　this　generalization。　It　is　clearly　a　case　of　a　special　faculty；　one　peculiar　to　the　medium；　one　which　is　wholly　unknown　to　our　latent　intuition。　We　can　easily　assure　ourselves　of　this　by　causing　the　medium　to　receive　through　a　third　party　and　enclosed　in　a　series　of　three　envelopes；　as　in　the　experiment　described　above；　a　letter　of　which　we　know　the　writer；　but　of　which　both　the　source　and　the　contents　are　absolutely　unknown　to　the　messenger。　These　unusual　circumstances；　in　which　all　subconscious　communications　between　consultant　and　consulted　are　strictly　cut　off；　will　in　no　way　hamper　the　medium's　clairvoyance；　and　we　may　fairly　conclude　that　it　is　actually　the　medium　himself　who　discovers　directly；　without　any　intermediary；　without　〃relays；〃　to　use　M。　Duchatel's　expression；　all　that　the　object　holds　concealed。　It；　therefore；　seems　certain　that　there　is；　at　least　in　psychometry；　something　more　than　the　mere　mirror　of　which　Dr。　Osty　speaks。

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I　consider　it　necessary　to　declare　for　the　last　time　that　these　psychometric　phenomena；　astonishing　though　they　appear　at　first；　are　known；　proved　and　certain　and　are　no　longer　denied　or　doubted　by　any　of　those　who　have　studied　them　seriously。　I　could　have　given　full　particulars　of　a　large　number　of　conclusive　experiments；　but　this　seemed　to　me　as　superfluous　and　tedious　as　would　be；　for　instance；　a　string　of　names　of　the　recognized　chemical　reactions　that　can　be　obtained　in　a　laboratory。　Any　one　who　pleases　is　at　liberty　to　convince　himself　of　the　reality　of　the　facts；　provided　that　he　applies　to　genuine　mediums　and　keeps　aloof　from　the　inferior　〃seers〃　and　especially　the　shams　and　imposters　who　swarm　in　this　region　more　than　in　any　other。　Even　with　the　best　of　them；　he　will　have　to　be　careful　of　the　involuntary；　unconscious　and　almost　inevitable　interference　of　telepathy；　which　is　also　very　interesting；　though　it　is　a　phenomenon　of　a　different　class；　much　less　surprising　and　debatable　than　pure　psychometry。　He　must　also　learn　the　art　of　interrogating　the　medium　and　refrain　from　asking　incoherent　and　random　questions　about　casual　or　future　events。　He　will　not　forget　that　〃clairvoyance　is　strictly　limited　to　the　perception　of　human　personality；〃　according　to　the　role　so　well　formulated　by　Dr。　Osty。　Experiments　have　been　made　in　which　a　psychometer；　on　touching　the　tooth　of　a　prehistoric　animal；　saw　the　landscapes　and　the　cataclysms　of　the　earth's　earliest　ages　displayed　before　his　eyes；　in　which　another　medium；　on　handling　a　jewel；　conjured　up；　it　would　seem　with　marvellous　exactness；　the　games　and　processions　of　ancient　Greece；　as　though　the　objects　permanently　retained　the　recollection　or　rediscovered　the　〃astral　negatives〃　of　all　the　events　which　they　once　witnessed。　But　it　will　be　understood　that；　in　such　cases；　any　effective　control　is；　so　to　speak；　impossible　and　that　the　part　played　by　telepathy　cannot　be　decided。　It　is　important；　therefore；　to　keep　strictly　to　that　which　can　be　verified。

Even　when　thus　limiting　his　scope；　the　experimenter　will　meet　with　many　surprises。　For　instance；　though　the　revelations　of　two　psychometers　to　whom　the　same　letter　is　handed　in　succession　most　often　agree　remarkably　in　their　main　outlines；　it　can　also　happen　that　one　of　them　perceives　only　what　concerns　the　writer　of　the　letter；　whereas　the　other　will　be　interested　only　in　the　person　to　whom　the　letter　was　addressed　or　to　a　third　person　who　was　in　the　room　where　the　letter　was　written。　It　is　well　to　be　forearmed　against　these　first　mistakes；　which；　for　that　matter；　in　the　frequent　cases　where　strict　control　is　possible；　but　confirm　the　existence　and　the　independence　of　the　astounding　faculty。

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As　for　the　theories　that　attempt　to　explain　it；　I　am　quite　willing　to　grant　that　they　are　still　somewhat　confused。　The　important　thing　for　the　moment　is　the　accumulation　of　claims　and　experiments　that　go　feeling　their　way　farther　and　farther　along　all　the　paths　of　the　unknown。　Meanwhile；　that　one　unexpected　door　which　sheds　at　the　back　of　our　old　convictions　more　than　one　unexpected　door；　which　sheds　upon　the　life　and　habits　of　our　secret　being　sufficient　light　to　puzzle　us　for　many　a　long　day。　This　brings　us　back　once　more　to　the　omniscience　and　perhaps　the　omnipotence　of　our　hidden　guest；　to　the　brink　of　the　mysterious　reservoir　of　every　manner　of　knowledge　which　we　shall　meet　with　again　when　we　come　to　speak　of　the　future；　of　the　talking　horses；　of　the　divining…rod；　of　materializations　and　miracles；　in　short；　in　every　circumstance　where　we　pass　beyond　the　horizon　of　our　little　daily　life。　As　we　thus　advance；　with　slow　and　cautious　footsteps；　in　them　as　yet　deserted　and　very　nebulous　regions　of　metapsychics；　we　are　compelled　to　recognize　that　there　must　exist　somewhere；　in　this　world　or　in　others；　a　spot　in　which　everything　is　known；　in　which　everything　is　possible；　to　which　everything　goes；　from　which　everything　comes；　which　belongs　to　all；　to　which　all　have　access；　but　of　which　the　long…forgotten　roads　must　be　learnt　again　by　our　stumbling　feet。　We　shall　often　meet　those　difficult　roads　in　the　course　of　our　present　quest　and　we　shall　have　more　than　one　occasion　to　refer　again　to　those　depths　into　which　all　the　supernatural　facts　of　our　existence　flow；　unless　indeed　they　take　their　source　there。　For　the　moment；　that　which　most　above　all　engage　our　attention　in　these　psychometric　phenomena　is　their　purely　and　exclusively　human　character。　They　occur　between　the　living　and　the　living；　on　this　solid　earth　of　ours；　in　the　world　that　lies　before　our　eyes；　and　the　spirits；　the　dead；　the　gods　and　the　interplanetary　intelligences　know　them　not。　Hardly　anywhere　else；　except　in　the　equally　perplexing　manifestations　of　the　divining…rod　and　in　certain　materializations；　shall　we　find　with　the　same　clearness　this　same　specific　character；　if　we　may　call　it　so。　This　is　a　valuable　lesson。　It　tells　us　that　our　every…day　life　provides　phenomena　as　disturbing　and　of　exactly　the　same　kind　and　nature　as　those　which；　in　other　circumstances；　we　attribute　to　other　forces　than　ours。　It　teaches　us　also　that　we　must　first　direct　and　exhaust　our　enquiries　here　below；　among　ourselves；　before　passing　to　the　other　side；　for　our　first　care　should　be　to　simplify　the　interpretations　and　explanations　and　not　to　seek　elsewhere；　in　opposition；　what　probably　lies　hidden　within　us　in　reality。　Afterwards；　if　the　unknown　overwhelm　us　utterly；　if　the　darkness　engulf　us　beyond　all　hope；　there　will　still　be　time　to　go；　none　can　tell　where；　to　question　the　deities　or　the　dead。


CHAPTER　III。　THE　KNOWLEDGE　OF　THE　FUTURE

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