按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
that everything happened in the subconscious imagination of the subject and that she herself created； by self…suggestion； her illness； her fright； her fall and her miscarriage and adapted herself to most of the circumstances which she had foretold in her secondary state。 The appearance of the rat at the fatal moment is the only thing that would suggest a precise and disquieting vision of an inevitable future event。 Unfortunately； we are not told that the rat was perceived by other witnesses than the patient； so that there is nothing to prove that it also was not imaginary。 I have therefore quoted this inadequate instance only because it represents fairly well the general aspect and the indecisive value of many similar cases and enable us to note once and for all the objections which can be raised and the precautions which we should take before entering these suspicious and obscure regions。
We now come to an infinitely more significant and less questionable case related by Dr。 Joseph Maxwell； the learned and very scrupulous author of Les Phenomenes Psychiques； a work which has been translated into English under the title of Metapsychical Phenomena。 It concerns a vision which was described to him eight days before the event and which he told to many people before it was accomplished。 A sensitive perceived in a crystal the following scene： a large steamer； flying a flag of three horizontal bars； black； white and red； and bearing the name Leutschland； was sailing in mid…ocean。 The boat was suddenly enveloped in smoke； a great number of sailors； passengers and men in uniform rushed to the upper deck； and the boat went down。
Eight days afterwards； the newspapers announced the accident to the Deutschland； whose boiler had burst； obliging the steamboat to stand to。
The evidence of a man like Dr。 Maxwell； especially when we have to do with a so…to…speak personal incident； possesses an importance on which it is needless to insist。 We have here； therefore； several days beforehand； the very clear prevision of an event which； moreover； in no way concerns the percipient： a curious detail； but one which is not uncommon in these cases。 The mistake in reading Leutschland for Deutschland； which would have been quite natural in real life； adds a note of probability and authenticity to the phenomenon。 As for the final act； the foundering of the vessel in the place of a simple heaving to； we must see in this； as Dr。 J。 W。 Pickering and W。 A。 Sadgrove suggest； 〃the subconscious dramatization of a subliminal inference of the percipient。〃 Such dramatization； moreover； are instinctive and almost general in this class of visions。
If this were an isolated case； it would certainly not be right to attach decisive importance to it； 〃but；〃 Dr。 Maxwell observes； 〃the same sensitive has given me other curious instances； and these cases； compared with others which I myself have observed or with those of which I have received first…hand accounts； render the hypothesis of coincidence very improbable； though they do not absolutely exclude it。〃＇1＇
＇1＇ Maxwell： Metapsychical Phenomena； p。 202。
4
Another and perhaps more convincing case； more strictly investigated and established； a case which clearly does not admit of explanation； by the theory of coincidence； worthy of all respect though this theory be； is that related by M。 Theodore Flournoy； science professor at the university of Geneva； in his remarkable work； Esprits et Mediums。 Professor Flournoy is known to be one of the most learned and most critical exponents of the new science of metapsychics。 He even carries his fondness for natural explanations and his repugnance to admit the intervention of superhuman powers to a point where it is often difficult to follow him。 I will give the narrative as briefly as possible。 It will be found in full on pp。 348 to 362 of his masterly book。
In August； 1883； a certain Mme。 Buscarlet； whom he knew personally； returned to Geneva after spending three years with the Moratief family at Kazan as governess to two girls。 She continued to correspond with the family and also with a Mme。 Nitchinof； who kept a school at Kazan to which Mlles。 Moratief； Mme。 Buscarlet's former pupils； went after her departure。
On the night of the 9th of December （O。 S。） of the same year； Mme。 Buscarlet had a dream which she described the following morning in a letter to Mme。 Moratief； dated 10 December。 She wrote； to quote her own words：
〃You and I were on a country…road when a carriage passed in front of us and a voice from inside called to us。 When we came up to the carriage； we saw Mlle。 Olga Popoi lying across it； clothed in white； wearing a bonnet trimmed with yellow ribbons。 She said to you：
〃'I called you to tell you that Mme。 Nitchinof will leave the school on the 17th。'
〃The carriage then drove on。〃
A week later and three days before the letter reached Kazan； the event foreseen in the dream was fulfilled in a tragic fashion。 Mme。 Nitchinof died on the 16th of an infectious disease； and on the 17th her body was carried out of the school for fear of infection。
It is well to add that both Mme。 Buscarlet's letter and the replies which came from Russia were communicated to Professor Flournoy and bear the postmark dates。
Such premonitory dreams are frequent； but it does not often happen that circumstances and especially the existence of a document dated previous to their fulfilment give them such incontestable authenticity。
We may remark in passing the odd character of this premonition； which however is fully in accordance with the habits of our unknown guest。 The date is fixed precisely； but only a veiled and mysterious allusion （the woman lying across the carriage and cloaked in white） is made to the essential part of the prediction； the illness and death。
Was there a coincidence； a vision of the future pure and simple； or a vision of the future suggested by telepathic influence？ The theory of coincidence can be defended； if need be； here as everywhere else； but would be very extraordinary in this case。 As for telepathic influence； we should have to suppose that； on the 9th of December； a week before her death； Mme。 Nitchinof had in her subconsciousness a presentiment of her end and that she transmitted this presentiment across some thousands of miles； from Kazan to Geneva； to a person with whom she had never been intimate。 It is very complex； but possible； for telepathy often has these disconcerting ways。 If this were so； the case which would be one of latent illness or even of self…suggestion； and the preexistence of the future； without being entirely disproved； would be less clearly established。
5
Let us pass to other examples。 I quote from an excellent article of the importance of precognitions； by Messrs。 Pickering and Sadgrove； which appeared in the Annales des Sciences Psychiques for 1 February 1908； the summary of an experiment by Mrs。 A。 W。 Verrall told in full detail in Vol。 XX of the Proceedings。 Mrs。 Verrall is a celebrated 〃automatist〃； and her 〃cross…correspondence〃 occupy a whole volume of the Proceedings。 Her good faith； her sincerity； her fairness and her scientific precision are above suspicion； and she is one of the most