inconspicuous place, such as a pin
stuck in the wall, etc.; or a small bean under a vase, etc.

The public performers of mind reading vary the above by sensational
combinations, but you will readily see that these are but ingenious
arrangements of the above general experiments, and that no new principle
is involved. As these lessons are designed for serious study and
experiment, and not for sensational public performances, I shall not enter
into this phase of the subject in these pages. The student who understands
the general principles, and is able to perform the above experiments
successfully, will have no difficulty in reproducing the genuine feats of
the public mind readers, by simply using his ingenuity in arranging the
stage-effects, etc. Among other things, he will find that he will be able
to obtain results by interposing a third person between the projector and
himself; or by using a short piece of wire to connect himself and the
projector. Drawing pictures on a blackboard, or writing out names on a
slate, by means of thought direction, are simply the result of a fine
development of the power of finding the small article--the impulse to move
the hand in a certain direction comes in precisely the same way. The
public driving feats of the professional mind-reader are but a more
complicated form of the same general principle--the impression of
"direction" once obtained, the rest is a mere matter of detail. The
opening of the combination of a safe, though requiring wonderful
proficiency on the part of the operator, is simply an elaboration of the
"direction" movement.

Some recipients are, of course, far more proficient than are others; but
each and every person--any person of average intelligence--will be able to
secure more or less proficiency in these experiments, provided that
patience and practice are employed. There is no such thing as an absolute
failure possible to anyone who will proceed intelligently, and will
practice sufficiently. Sometimes, after many discouraging attempts, the
whole thing will flash into one's mind at once, and after that there will
be little or no trouble. If you are able to witness the demonstrations of
some good mind-reader, professional or amateurs it will help you to
"catch the knack" at once.

You will find that these experiments will tend to greatly and rapidly
develop your psychic receptivity in the direction of the higher phases of
psychic phenomena. You will be surprised