the unknown guest-第6章
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eriment。
The manifestations in question are so many phenomena of intuition； of clairvoyance or clairaudience； of seeing at a distance and even of seeing the future。 These phenomena may either be due to pure； spontaneous intuition on the part of the medium； in an hypnotic or waking state； or else produced or facilitated by one of the various empirical methods which apparently see only to arouse the medium's subconscious faculties and to release in some way his subliminal clairvoyance。 Among such methods； those most often employed are； as we all know； cards； coffee…grounds； pins； the lines of the hand； crystal globes； astrology； and so on。 They possess no importance in themselves； no intrinsic virtue； and are worth exactly what the medium who uses them is worth。 As M。 Duchatel well says：
〃In reality； there is only one solitary MANCY。 The faculty of seeing in TIME； like the faculty of seeing in SPACE； is ONE； whatever its outward form or the process employed。〃
We will not linger now over those manifestations which； under appearances that are sometimes childish and vulgar； often conceal surprising and incontestable truths； but will devote the present chapter exclusively to a series of phenomena which includes almost all the others and which has been classed under the generic and rather ill…chosen and ill…constructed title of 〃psychometry。〃 Psychometry； to borrow Dr。 Maxwell's excellent definition； is 〃the faculty possessed by certain persons of placing themselves in relation； either spontaneously or； for the most part； through the intermediary of some object； with unknown and often very distant things and people。〃
The existence of this faculty is no longer seriously denied； and it is easy for any one who cares to do so to verify it for himself； for the mediums who possess it are not extremely rare； nor are they inaccessible。 It has formed the subject of a number of experiments （see； among others； M。 Warcollier's report in the Annales des Sciences Psychiques of July； 1911） and of a few treatises； in the front rank of which I would mention M。 Duchatel's Enquete sur des Cas de Psychometrie and Dr。 Otty's recently published book； Lucidite et Intuition； which is the fullest； most profound and most conscientious work that we possess on the matter up to the present。 Nevertheless it may be said that these regions quite lately annexed by metaphysical science are as yet hardly explored and that fruitful surprises are doubtless awaiting earnest seekers。
2
The faculty in question is one of the strangest faculties of our subconsciousness and beyond a doubt contains the key to most of the manifestations that seem to proceed from another world。 Let us begin by seeing； with the aid of a living and typical example； how it is exercised。
Mme。 M； one of the best mediums mentioned by Dr。 Osty； is given an object which belonged to or which has been touched and handled by a person about whom it is proposed to question her。 Mme。 M operates in a state of trance； but there are other noted psychometers； such as Mme。 F and M。 Ph。 M。 de F； who retain all their normal consciousness； so that hypnotism or the somnambulistic state is in no way indispensable to the awakening of this extraordinary faculty of clairvoyance。
When the object； which is usually a letter； has been handed to Mme。 M； she is asked to place herself in communication with the writer of the letter or the owner of the object。 Forthwith； Mme。 M not only sees the person in question； his physical appearance； his character； his habits； his interests； his state of health； but also； in a series of rapid and changing visions that follow upon one another like cinematograph pictures； 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 itand 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； 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 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？ Pe
