Can such things be in this nineteenth century, and the wise ones pass
away in utter ignorance of their existence?--Yours very sincerely,
ALFRED R. WALLACE.
* * * * *
At the Glasgow Meeting of the British Association in 1876, Prof. (now
Sir) W.F. Barrett read a paper "On some Phenomena associated with
Abnormal Conditions of Mind." Wallace was Chairman of the Section in
which the paper was read, and a vigorous controversy arose at the close
between Dr. Carpenter, who came in towards the end of the paper, and the
Chairman. The paper set forth certain remarkable evidence which Prof.
Barrett had obtained from a subject in the mesmeric trance, giving what
appeared to be indubitable proof of some supernormal mode of
transmission of ideas from his mind to that of the subject. The facts
were so novel and startling that Prof. Barrett asked for a committee of
experts to examine the whole question and see whether such a thing as
"thought transference," independently of the recognised channels of
sense, did really exist. This was the first time evidence of this kind
had been brought before a scientific society, and a protracted
discussion followed. The paper also dealt with certain so-called
spiritualistic phenomena, which at the time Prof. Barrett was disposed
to attribute to hallucination and "thought-transference." The
introduction of this topic led the discussion away from the substance of
the paper, and Prof.
Pages:
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242