Observations placeholder

Supernormal faculties in Man- Dr Eugene Osty

I give below an extract from the report of a seance that Mr. Hereward Carrington had with Reese, May 3rd, 1911:
Mr. Bert Reese visited me to-day, saying that he would give me a demonstration of his powers. He remained in one room under observation by Mrs. Carrington, while I went into the adjoining room. I closed the door and wrote my questions, sitting at my desk. The paper on which I wrote was an old envelope torn into small pieces. Mr. Reese asked me to write the name of the first woman I had loved, and that of one of my former professors. The other four questions were left to me. At my own desk and on my own paper I wrote:

1. Will our journey to Canada be successful?

2. Will the Magazine succeed?

3. Shall I continue my literary work?

4, Shall I ever become rich?

5. Alfred Sansom (name of a former teacher).

6. Winifred Vale (my first "flame").

I folded and mixed these papers so as to be undistinguishable one from another, pressed them closely in my hand, and re-entered the room where Mrs. Reese and Mrs. Carrington were talking.

At his request I placed one each of the folded papers in a separate drawer of a bureau which stood at the end of the room, opposite Reese. I-emphasize the fact that Reese never touched the papers at all.

I myself placed them in the drawers without their having left my hand. Mr. Reese did not touch one of them, and I never approached him within a yard. Having placed one paper in each of the five drawers, I gave the sixth to him at his request.

I saw that he had no papers in his hands, and, having taken those that I gave him, he struck a match and burnt it before my eyes. He then asked me to designate any one of the drawers. I pointed to the second, and put my hand on the handle, so that it could not be opened unperceived by me. Rising from his chair, Mr. Reese advanced towards the bureau, stopping about two feet from it, and concentrated his attention on the drawer. He asked me to place my hands on his head, which I did.

 I did not know which paper had been burned, nor which might be in the second drawer or in any of the others. He then asked Mrs. Carrington to write down what he would dictate, and said as follows:

"The Magazine, which has caused you much disquietude, is not yet settled. You will continue to act as you have done in the past; the clouds will disperse, and you will not have much to complain of."

When the drawer was opened, neither by me nor by Mr. Reese, who stood about a yard distant, while I continued to hold my hands on his head, but by Mrs. Carrington, it was found that the paper contained the question, "Will the Magazine succeed?"

Mr. Reese then asked me to choose another drawer, which I did. He fixed his attention upon it. Without the drawer being opened in any way he said,

 "You will remain faithful to literature and will have nothing to complain of"

The drawer was opened, and we read, "Shall I continue my literary work?"

 I indicated a third drawer. Mr. Reese then asked me to sit at the table, while he took a chair facing me and dictated the following lines:

"You are planning a journey, not exactly in this country, I think in Canada. This will succeed better than you think, and in 122 days (that is, September 2nd) you will realize a project that has been maturing in your mind for some time. In the course of your travels you will meet a man named Peters, against whom you must be on your guard, for he will ask you to join him in an enterprise from which you will gain no advantage. He will not be acting in good faith. You will end by acquiring reputation and money, but this Peters will only cause difficulties."

He finally advised us to leave the house in which we were living at the first opportunity. Mrs. Carrington then opened the drawer, took out the paper, and read: "Will our journey to Canada be successful?"

Mr. Reese again asked me to designate a drawer. I did so, he standing about a yard away. He looked at the closed drawer and spelt out, letter by letter, "W-i-n-i-f-r-e-d V-a-l-e." When the paper was taken out it read, "Winifred Vale."

There remained only one drawer. Mrs. Carrington, at Mr. Reese's request, took the paper out and. held it in her hand. He then said, "Oh, there is only a name, an easy one: Alfred Sansom."

 While saying the last word he took the paper from Mrs. Carrington's hand; it bore the name Alfred Sansom.

This was the only paper that he touched except that which he burned, and it was not opened till after the words were given. He then said that he would answer the question on the burnt paper in a general way. "Later on you will be independent financially. The 10th of February will be the happiest day of your life. Something that you have long awaited will then come to pass." He had then answered all my questions.

I placed the bits -of paper on the table before him and placed them so as to reconstruct the envelope from which only the burnt portion was missing.