Your Psychic Powers
And How to Develop Them
Description:... From the PREFACE.
The following book, "Your Psychic Powers: and How to Develop Them," was originally written for circulation semi-privately among the members of a number of psychical and spiritualistic Societies in New York and vicinity, and is, for that reason, decidedly positive and spiritistic in tone. It states facts dogmatically, and does not attempt to defend the statements made by any show of argument. The reader is asked to bear in mind, throughout, the following: (1) That the present work does not necessarily represent my own views in all respects, but rather the teachings which are generally accepted regarding the facts. That is to say, I have merely endeavoured to state the traditional and accepted theories, without in all cases endorsing these views myself. (2) For this reason, those who might be apt to criticise certain views advanced in this book, and brand them as rankly "credulous," "quacky" or "spiritualistic," are hereby warned that they are deprived of that weapon, for the simple reason that, as before said, the teachings put forward do not in every case represent my own views, but the traditional and accepted ones, which are more or less prevalent in psychical and spiritualistic circles; and I have been careful, in nearly all such cases, to state that "it is taught," or "we are told," or words to that effect, I have summarized these teachings; and the reader must use his own judgment in selecting those which appeal to his reason and common sense, -- while attempting to follow them, and while developing his own psychic powers.
So much evidence has been accumulated, of late years, tending to prove the persistence of individual human consciousness after death, that I have tentatively, and for the sake of argument, adopted the "spiritistic hypothesis" throughout the present work. I have assumed that a spiritual world exists, and that it is possible, at certain times, and under certain conditions, to get into touch with that world, through the instrumentality of certain peculiarly endowed individuals, known as "psychics" or "mediums." The fact once granted, innumerable interesting possibilities present themselves, -- as well as many phenomena which call for solution. I have endeavored, in the present volume, to offer tentative theories and explanations of such facts, and to make plain what might conceivably happen, once the main theory were accepted. It is with these thoughts in mind that I have spoken of "spirits" throughout, as actually existing and communicating. This at least is the appearance of the phenomena. Psychical Research seems to be tending more and more towards an acceptance of the spiritistic interpretation of the facts; and it is because of this -- and with the possibility of the ultimate acceptance of this interpretation -- that I have adopted, throughout the present volume, -- tentatively, as before said, and for the sake of argument, -- the correctness of the spiritistic view, -- and have proceeded throughout upon this assumption. Whatever the ultimate interpretation of the phenomena may prove to be, this is, it seems to me, at least warranted by the newer researches and conclusions in this field.
It must be distinctly understood, however, that I believe the vast bulk of the material contained in this book to be sound and helpful; the practical instructions are good, and the reader cannot go far wrong in following them. I at least wish him success in his efforts! May he develop his own psychic powers, and gain light and understanding thereby!
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