the unknown guest(陌生客)-第8节
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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 as remarkable results when continued with the two
other letters。
In the face of this mystery； two explanations may be offered； both
equally perplexing。 On the one hand； we shall have to admit that the sheet
of paper handed to the psychometer and impregnated with human 〃fluid〃
contains； after the manner of some prodigiously compressed gas； all the
incessantly renewed； incessantly recurring images that surround a person；
all his past and perhaps his future； his psychology； his state of health； his
wishes； his intentions； often unknown to himself； his most secret instincts；
his likes and dislikes； all that is bathed in light and all that is plunged in
darkness； his whole life； in short； and more than his personal and
conscious life； besides all the lives and all the influences； good or bad；
latent or manifest； of all who approach him。 We should have here a
mystery as unfathomable and at least as vast as that of generation； which
transmits； in an infinitesimal particle； the mind and matter； with all the
qualities and all the faults； all the acquirements and all the history； of a
series of lives of which none can tell the number。
On the other hand； if we do not admit that so much energy can lie
concealed in a sheet of paper； continuing to exist and develop indefinitely
there； we must necessarily suppose that an inconceivable network of
nameless forces is perpetually radiating from this same paper； forces
which； cleaving time and space； detect instantaneously； anywhere and at
any distance； the life that gave them life and place themselves in complete
communication； body and soul； senses and thoughts； past and future；
consciousness and subconsciousness； with an existence lost amid the
innumerous host of men who people this earth。 It is； indeed； exactly what
happens in the experiments with mediums in automatic speech or writing；
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THE UNKNOWN GUEST
who believe themselves to be inspired by the dead。 Yet； here it is no longer
a discarnate spirit； but an object of any kind imbued with a living 〃fluid〃
that works the miracle； and this； we may remark in passing； deals a severe
blow to the spiritualistic theory。
Nevertheless； there are two rather curious objections to this second
explanation。 Granting that the object really places the medium in
communication with an unknown entity discovered in space； how comes it
that the image or the spectacle created by that communication hardly ever
corresponds with the reality at the actual moment？ On the other hand； it is
indisputable that the psychometer's clairvoyance； his gift of seeing at a
distance the pictures and scenes surrounding an unknown being； is
exercised with the same certainty and the same power when the object that
sets his strange faculty at work has been touched by a person who has
been dead for years。 Are we； then； to admit that there is an actual； living
communication with a human being who is no more； who sometimes； for
instance； in a case of incinerationhas left no trace of himself on earth； in
short； with a dead man who continues to live at the place and at the
moment at which he impregnated the object with his 〃fluid〃 and who
seems to be unaware that he is dead？
But these objections are perhaps less serious than one might believe。
To begin with； there are seers； so…called 〃telepsychics；〃 who are not
psychometers； that is to say； they are able to communicate with an
unknown and distant person without the intermediary of an object； and in
these seers； as in the psychometers； the vision very rarely corresponds
with the actual facts of the moment： they too perceive above all the
general impression； the usual and characteristic actions。 Next； as regards
communications with a person long since dead； we are confronted with
one of two things： either confirmation will be almost impossible when it
concerns revelations on the subject of the dead man's private deeds and
actions； which are unknown to any living person or else communication
will be established not with the deceased； but with the living person； who
necessarily knows the facts which he is called upon to confirm。 As Dr。
Osty very rightly says：
〃The conditions are then those of perception by the intermediary of the
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thoughts of a living person； and the deceased is perceived through a
mental representation。 The experiment； for this reason； is valueless as
evidence of the reality of retrospective psychometry and consequently of
the recording part played by the object。
〃The only class of experiment that could be of value from this point of
view； would be that in which confirmation would come subsequently from
documents whose contents remained unknown to any living person until
after the clairvoyance sitting。 It might then be proved that the object can
latently register the human personalities which have touched it and that it
is sufficient in itself to allow of a
