Chapter 1 - The Law Of Vibration
Students of history find a continuous chain of reference to
the mysterious influence of one human mind over that of others. In
the earliest records, traditions and legends may be found giving
reference to the general belief that it was possible for an
individual to exert some weird uncanny power over the minds of
other persons, which would influence the latter for good or evil.
And more than this, the student will find an accompanying belief
that certain individuals are possessed of some mental power which
bends even "things" and circumstances to its might.Way back in the dim past of man's history on this planet,
this belief existed, and it has steadily persisted in spite of the
strenuous opposition of material science, even unto the present
day. The years have not affected the belief, and in these dawning
days of the Twentieth Century it has taken on a new strength and
vitality, for its adherents have boldly stepped to the front, and
confronting the doubting materialistic thinkers, have claimed the
name of "Science" for this truth and have insisted that it be
taken, once and for all, from the category of superstition,
credulity and ignorant phantasm.Were it not pitiable, it would be amusing to glance at the
presumptuous, complacent, smug, self-satisfied position of the
materialistic school of thinkers, who would brush aside as a
foolish delusion that which many of the wisest men of a past age
have accepted and taught as the truth. The modern "know-it-alls"
would sneer contemptuously at facts that are known to be of actual
occurrence in the daily lives of thousands of intelligent people,
and which the experience of humankind has demonstrated for many
centuries, in all lands and all races.The trouble lies in the dogmatic assumption of the
materialistic school that what is known as "mind" is merely some
peculiar action of the material brain, some writers even holding
that "the brain secretes thought, just as the liver secretes bile."
They refuse to see that the operation of Mind is a manifestation of
energy known as electricity, magnetism, light, heat, gravitation,
cohesion, etc. Because mental energy does not register the
vibrations of these lower forms of energy, they conclude that the
higher mental energy does not exist. Having formulated a theory to
suit their materialistic conceptions, they try to ignore all facts
not consistent with their theory. If they find a fact that will not
squeeze into their narrow theory well, "so much the worse for the
fact," as a writer has said and they promptly ignore or dispute
it.As a matter of truth, the investigator is not compelled to
resort to metaphysical explanations to account for the phenomena of
Mental Influence. The very facts of physical science itself, if
rightly interpreted, will give the clue to the mystery; and will
point the steps of the honest investigator toward the path where he
may find the solution of the perplexing riddle. Although we know
that the real solution lies in the metaphysical realm, still even
physical science will corroborate the facts of its metaphysical
sister science, and instead of contradicting the latter will
actually go far toward furnishing analogous facts and principles
basis for a theory of metaphysical facts.The student will see at once that so far as physical science
is concerned, it must begin at the phenomenon of "Thought
Transference," for in that phase of the subject may be found an
elementary principle in evidence in many other forms of phenomena.
We have given many instances of "Thought Transference" in the two
proceeding volumes of this series, entitled "Mind Reading" and
"Psychomancy," respectively, and so we need not repeat the same in
this place. The main fact is that "Thought Transference" does
exist, and may be accounted for upon purely scientific grounds,
without calling in the truths of metaphysical thought. We know that
this is a strong statement, and a positive assertion, but we also
know that the same may be demonstrated. Let us consider this phase
of the subject.In the first place, physical science teaches that underlying
all forms, degrees and apparent differences in matter and energy,
there is to be found a manifestation of some elementary energy,
which manifests in what is known as "Vibrations." Everything in the
material world is in vibration - ever manifesting a high degree of
motion. Without vibration there would be no such thing as a
material universe. From the electronic-corpuscles which science
teaches compose the atom; up through the atom and molecule, until
the most complex forms of matter are manifested, there is the
ever-present Vibration. And through all forms of energy, light,
heat, electricity, magnetism and the rest, Vibration is also ever
present. In fact, physical science itself teaches that not only is
Vibration the basic force underlying other forces and the various
forms of matter, but also that the apparent differences between the
various forms of matter, and also between the various forms of
energy, are caused simply and solely by the varying degrees of
Vibration manifested.Just as the difference between the lowest tone that can be
distinguished by the ear of man, and the highest note that can be
distinguished by the same organ of sense, is merely a difference
between the rate of Vibration - just as is the difference between
the dull red color at one end of the spectrum, and the violet at
the other end, with the intervening colors known as indigo, blue
green, yellow and orange, with all the combinations of shades
arising from them - just as the difference between the greatest
degree of cold known to Science, and the greatest degree of heat
that can be conceived of - just as these great differences due
solely and wholly to varying rates of Vibration - so is the
difference between and all forms of matter or force simply a matter
of the rate of Vibration. In short, all material and physical
"Things" are simply manifestations of some "infinite and eternal
energy from which all things proceed," their differences resulting
merely from the different degree of Vibration being manifested in
them. Remember, that this is not "vague philosophy" or "airy
metaphysics" or "spiritualistic vagaries" (to quote from the
materialistic writers), but facts claimed and admitted by the
greatest physical scientists of the age, as a reference to their
lectures and textbooks will prove to anyone.And, more than this, any intelligent physical scientist will
tell you that Science has every reason to believe that there are
great fields of energy and force, the Vibrations of which are far
too high for even the delicate instruments of science to record,
but which nevertheless exist and manifest effects. It was only the
other day that Science was able to "catch" the "X-rays" and other
forms of high Radio-activity, and yet these rays and forces had
always existed. And tomorrow Science will perfect instruments
capable of registering still higher forms of energy. And
bye-and-bye, some scientist will perfect an instrument capable of
registering and recording the subtle vibrations of Thought, and
perhaps in time someone will perfect that instrument so that it
will not only record such Thought vibrations and waves, but, like
the phonograph, it will be able to reproduce and send forth similar
vibrations so that others may feel the thoughts, just as they now
hear the sounds from the phonograph. Such a prediction is no more
wonderful then would have been the prediction of the telephone, the
phonograph, the wireless telegraph and sundry other discoveries and
inventions a hundred years ago.Did you ever think that there are colors that the eye cannot
see, but which delicate instruments clearly register? In fact, the
rays of tight which sunburn the face, and which register on the
photographic plate are not visible to the eye. The eye sees the
lower rays, but only instruments adapted for the purpose detect the
higher ones. Your eye cannot see the X-ray as it passes through the
room, but the plate will catch it, and its light may make a
photograph. The rays of light visible to the eyes are only the
lower ones - the higher ones are far beyond the power of the eye to
record, and beyond even the range of the most delicate instrument
there exist rays and waves of light of such high vibratory rate as
to defy even its power to record.Did you ever know that there are sounds unheard by human ears
that the microphone will catch and magnify? Scientific imagination
dreams of instruments that will catch the songs of the mite - like
insects, and magnify them until they can be distinguished. There
are waves of electricity that may pass through your body,
unperceived by you, and yet powerful enough to run light electric
lights. Listen to the words of certain eminent
scientists.Prof. Elisha Gary, a celebrated scientist and teacher, has
said: "There is much food for speculation in the thought that there
exists sound waves that no human ear can hear, and color waves of
light that no eye can see. The long, dark, soundless space between
40, 000 and 400,000,000,000,000 vibrations per second, and the
infinity of range beyond 700,000,000,- 000,000 vibrations per
second, where light ceases, in the universe of motion, makes it
possible to indulge in speculation."Prof. Williams, the well-known scientific writer, has said:
"There is no gradation between the most rapid undulations or
trembling that produces our sensations of sound, and the slowest of
those which give rise to our sensations of gentlest warmth. There
is a huge gap between them, wide enough to include another world of
motion, all lying between our world of sound and our world of heat
and light; and there is no good reason whatever for supposing that
matter is incapable of such intermediate activity, or that such
activity may not give rise to intermediate sensations, provided
that there are organs for taking up and sensitizing their
movements."And, so you see that in the scientific theory of Vibrations,
there may be found plenty of room for a scientific explanation of
all that is claimed by adherents of the truth of Mental Influence,
without getting out of the region of physical science, and without
invading the plane of metaphysics. And there are many more proofs
from the same source, which we may touch upon as w
[...]