and those of private investigators as well, have shown us that a picture of a complicated geometrical design held in the mind of one person may be carried to and received by the mind of another person, who reproduces the design on paper.  In the same way, complicated thoughts have been transmitted and received.  But these are only exceptional cases.  In many cases this sense seems almost dead in the ordinary civilized individual, except when aroused in exceptional cases.

But, nevertheless, the majority of persons have occasional flashes of telepathy—­just enough to make them realize that “there is something in it.”  The renewed interest in the subject, of late years, has directed the public mind to the phenomena of telepathy, and, consequently, more persons are now taking note of the cases of thought-transference coming under their personal notice.  It must be remembered, of course, that all of us are constantly receiving thought-waves, and feeling thought-influence, unconsciously.  I am speaking now only of the conscious perception of the thought-waves.

Many investigators have so developed their telepathic sense that they are able, at times, to obtain wonderful test results.  But, it has been a source of disappointment to many of them to discover that at other times, under apparently similar conditions, their success was very slight.  So true is this that many authorities have accepted the theory that telepathy is more or less spontaneous, and cannot be produced to order.  This theory is true as far as it goes, but there is a side of the case that these investigators overlook, probably because of their lack of the occult principles involved in the phenomena.  I mean this:  that their most brilliant successes have been obtained by reason of their unconscious “switching on” of the astral telepathic sense, the clairvoyant sense.  While in this condition, they obtained startling results; but the next time they tried, they failed to awaken the astral sense, and, therefore, had to depend entirely upon the physical telepathic sense, and, consequently, their results were comparatively poor.

You will understand the difference and distinction between physical-sense telepathy, and astral-sense telepathy, if you will carefully consider the nature of each, as I shall now present it to you.  I ask your close attention to what I shall have to say on this subject in the remaining pages of this chapter.  Do not pass over these explanations as “dry,” for unless you have a clear fundamental understanding of the thing, you will never be able to get the best results.  This is true of every phase of learning, physical as well as psychical—­one must get started right, in order to obtain the best results.