How to Mind-Reading

Thought-reading is duly considered and explained. A clear distinction is drawn between Musculation, or Muscle and Mind-Reading; and although these pages are not confined to Thought-Reading, as generally understood by the public, the subject itself, and as an entertainment, have been pretty fully dealt with. During the past decade, psychological subjects have, in a remarkable way, arrested public attention. 'New Mesmerism' and 'New Spiritualism' are popular subjects with editors and magazine writers. Whatever the real causes-a greater influx of the spiritual from 'the state of the dead,' or from a reaction in the minds of men against the purblind materialism of our scientific leaders, it is hard to say. Possibly these and other causes have been at work. One thing is certain, for good or ill, the majority of thinking men and women of the age are not only interested in, but are actually searching for evidence of 'embodied spirit.' Hence we find men of science, journalists, and even professed materialists and secularists, who, a few years ago, could scarcely speak of these subjects in the ordinary language of courtesy, confess now not only their belief, but are going to the other extreme of advocating, what as yet, they have failed to fully grasp. higher mode of communication between human beings after we have severed our temporary connection with matter. Whether or not, the hope should repay our study. I have sought in the following pages to briefly define and illustrate what these phases of communication are. Double and Psychic Consciousness, Clairvoyance, natural and induced; Psychometry, its natural and leading features as a spiritual faculty; Thought?Transference, visions, dreams, and their portents, are in turn briefly dealt with, in order to extract therefrom some evidence of soul. Modern Spiritualism is referred to, in so far as Thought-Reading is likely to throw any light upon its psychological phases, as well as on its physical phenomena. While attempting to cover so much ground my difficulty was not what to write, but what not to write, the materials at my disposal being so abundant. Much has been cut down to get the whole within reasonable compass. Nevertheless, I hope my readers will find 'How to Thought-Read' a readable contribution to the science of soul.