on. In reality it is a profound
mystery, if it is true, or if anything like it be true; and no
event, however startling, which easily finds its appropriate niche
in the structure of the physical sciences ought to exercise so much
intellectual curiosity as this dull and at first sight commonplace
phenomenon." (_Proceedings, S.P.R._, vol. x. pp. 9-10.)

These were the words, not only of the Premier of England, but of an
exceptionally well-balanced and learned man of science, from which it
will be seen how extraordinary a thing this "thought-transference" or
"telepathy" is to the scientific world; and how hard it is for the
_savant_ to accept it! Yet, as Mr. Balfour says, nearly every one at the
present time believes in telepathy, and accepts it as the only
explanation for certain facts, and as a more or less commonplace event.
Why, then, is there so much mystery about it; _why_ is it so
extraordinary?

The reason for this lies in the fact that psychologists hold a certain
view of the nature of the mind which is not shared or understood by the
majority of persons. They believe that the mind, or consciousness, is
bound up with the functionings of the brain; and that it is inseparable
from them. Just as digestion is a function of the whole digestive
apparatus, circulation of the circulatory apparatus, and respiration of
the respiratory apparatus; just so, it is believed, is thinking a
function of the thinking apparatus--the brain and nervous system. And
one is no more detachable than the other; and one is no more "immortal"
after the death of the body than the other. All these functions fall
away and perish at once, at the moment of death. This is the position of
positive, materialistic psychology--which is the psychology taught in
our schools and colleges at the present day. Naturally, our professors
do not believe in telepathy; were this theory true, it would be
"impossible," just as impossible as it is for a solid object to be in
two places at the same time. Consciousness cannot be both inside the
brain and out of it; and as it is believed to reside inside, it cannot
be outside! As it is a function of nervous tissue, how can it make
itself manifest at a distance of 2000 miles--at the moment, too, when it
is being annihilated. Obviously the thing is impossible!

But, alas for science (or rather for the dogmatic scientist), the
experience of the past tells us that many things deemed impossible are