pitied, and perhaps shunned. Only the intelligent and
thoughtful members of such a community would be able to grasp the fact
that these exceptional individuals were really not only not "abnormal,"
and inferior to type, but that they were really "supernormal," and
superior to type.

Prejudice Against the Unusual.

Those to whom the above illustration may seem far-fetched, exaggerated,
and unwarranted, are asked to carefully consider the ignorant and
unthinking attitude which the great majority of the general public, at
least at first, present toward that most wonderful display of
supernormal powers, known as "occult" or "psychic," made by the few
highly developed individuals of the race who are able to manifest them
to some degree. These individuals are regarded as "queer," and
"strange," "unnatural," and "abnormal" by their ignorant and unthinking
neighbors and associates, just as the seeing and hearing exceptional
individuals were likewise so regarded by their blind and deaf neighbors
in the above illustration. And, here as in the illustration it is only
the few intelligent and thinking individuals of the community who
recognize that the departure from the standard type is in the direction
of advancement and gain, rather than of retrogression and loss--a plus
attribute, rather than a minus one. The illustration is startlingly true
and in accordance with the facts of the case, as many thoughtful persons
know only to well, and admit sadly.

Great Changes Impending

But it would be unjust and unfair to the general public were we to fail
to add to the above criticism the fact that there is underway a great
change in the public opinion regarding this important matter. More and
more persons are becoming interested in Nature's Finer Forces every day;
more are becoming more familiar with the phenomena manifested by the
gifted individuals possessing these wondrous powers; and more are coming
to realize that these powers are really latent in all of the members of
the human race, though lying dormant in the majority thereof, and may be
unfolded and brought into active manifestation by scientific methods of
training and development. But, even so, the student and teacher of this
great subject should carefully bear in mind the important distinction
above made between that which is "abnormal," and that which is
"supernormal"; and such should lose no opportunity in pointing out this
important distinction whenever the subject