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 we proceed.There
is but one Truth, and it manifests on all planes - the Spiritual;
the
Mental; and the Physical - and manifestations agree and coincide.
So
no Mentalist need fear the test of Physical Science, for each plane
will bear out the facts and phenomena of the ones below or above it
-
the Three are but varying phases of One. In this little work we
shall
hug close to the plane of Physical Science, because by so doing we
will be able to make the subject much clearer to many than if we
had
attempted to express the teaching in Metaphysical terms. There is
no
contradiction in the end. Each bit of Truth must dovetail into
every
other bit, for all are parts of the Whole.