soon find themselves _hors de combat_ in relation to their
premises that all manifestations of mind are nothing but products of
matter. Huxley, for instance, that the "mind is a voltaic pile giving
shocks of thought," and many other quotations equally as absurd by
other materialistic philosophers (?) who claim prominence as such.

As long ago as 1843 I was induced to investigate and try this
phenomenon mainly for a hygienic purpose and afterwards led on by
curiosity. I had no teacher, consulted no works on the subject, but
derived all I learned in relation thereto by my own individual
experiments, and in parenthesis say that what I learned I hold as
above all price in settling in my mind the vexed question, "to be or
not to be."

In 1847 I was in Wisconsin, and for the satisfaction of others I was
induced to a renewal of experiments in magnetism. I was located with
several other families with a view of forming a co-operative colony,
so that excepting myself the rest had their residences closely
together, whilst mine was half a mile from the rest. The subject at
one time was brought up for discussion, and an earnest desire on the
part of many to see something of it resulted in my finding a subject
to experiment with at once, and fortunately he proved to be an
extraordinary one. The finding of property through him in a mesmeric
condition was a thing of common occurrence, and in some instances he
seemed to be conscious of the mental conditions under which the
property was lost. I found that he could take cognizance of what was
occurring out of his sight, by pre-arrangements to test him.

One evening I mesmerized him, and in imagination took him to England,
and prepared as I was to accept the marvellous, I was considerably
surprised at the probabilities of some statements from a letter
received afterwards. Telling of this to my neighbors, they suggested
the institution of a series of experiments to thoroughly test the
matter. The course pursued was this: His brother would magnetize him,
distant from me one-half a mile, and in the evening, according to
arrangements, my family were to be engaged at anything suggested to
our minds at the time, something for instance somewhat out of the
ordinary routine of family occupation, to make it more apparent, and
by comparing notes it was evident that through some mysterious law or
power of mind he was with us taking cognizance of our actions. This
was so thoroughly demonstrated tha