Page:The Naturalisation of the Supernatural.pdf/92

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
72
Spontaneous Thought Transference

percipient's consciousness, but in his actions. The cases are too numerous to allow us to dismiss them as merely chance correspondence. But we are not bound to conclude that the telepathic impulse has power directly to affect the muscular system. In accordance with the view already suggested, that telepathy operates more readily on the subconsciousness, or, if we prefer so to phrase it, on the lower cerebral centres, we may suppose that so far as the agent is concerned the process of transmission is alike in all cases; and that it is the percipient's organism which is responsible for translating the transmitted impulse now into an idea, now into an action. The most striking illustrations of this kind of thought transference are to be found in automatic writing. The subject of automatic writing however, is complicated with other considerations, and it will probably be better to defer dealing with it until a later chapter. The following case, however, may be cited in this connection, since it appears clear that the news communicated did not rise to consciousness until in the act of utterance.

No. 20. From Archdeacon Bruce[1]

St Woolos' Vicarage, Newport,
Monmouthshire
, July 6th, 1892.

On April 19th, Easter Tuesday, I went to Ebbw Vale to preach at the opening of a new iron church in Beaufort parish.

I had arranged that Mrs. Bruce and my daughter should drive in the afternoon.

  1. Journal, S. P. R., December, 1893.