THE POWER OF MIND. William Walker Atkinson
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he met with an instance of telementation on the part of a colony of ants. He stated that he had placed a breeding cage of ants inside of a stone house, the latter having walls sixteen inches thick, with no windows and but one door, the latter being so sealed and protected that it was impossible for even a tiny ant to enter its crevices. When approaching this house for the purpose of studying the progress of his ant colony, he would notice that other ants had collected on the outside of the walls, and were running about trying to get through the stone blocks. Then he tried the experiment of moving his ant-cage from one part of the house to another—first placing it beside one wall, and then another, and so on, trying all positions and places. In each case, after each change, when he would emerge from the house he would find the outside ants grouped on the stone wall as near to the inside ants as possible, changing their position from side to side according to the position of the ant-cage inside of the house. Many other instances of the possession of the power of telementation on the part of ants have been noted.
Another authority relates that a pair of foreign moths were brought to England. There were no other moths of that kind in the country. One of them, the male, escaped in a part of England many miles distant from the place to which the remaining moth, the female, was taken. The female moth was placed in a tiny cage for security, and then set out-of-doors during the night. In the morning, much to the entomologist's surprise, he found the male moth clinging to the tiny cage which contained the female. It was the same male, undoubtedly, for in size, coloring, appearance, etc., it corresponded exactly; besides which there was not another moth of that particular species known to be in England. Similar experiments have been conducted with insects, and there is held to be ample grounds for believing that insects attract their mates by means of some mental power beyond the range of the ordinary senses.
Schools of fish seem to have some method of instantaneous communication between the individual fishes composing them, for the entire school moves from side to side, turning sharply, etc., as if it were possessed of but a single mind. Some scientists have held that many of the lower animals who live in groups, schools, etc., have mental relations similar to those of the colonies of cells which seem to have a common mind. There is undoubtedly communication over distance of the cells of the blood in animals, and the phenomenon of the school of fish, just noted, may be analogous—at any rate, there is some sort of distant mental communication between the individual fishes. The same phenomenon is noted among flocks of birds, as many know who have witnessed the flights of large numbers of birds of different kinds. Wild animals undoubtedly have some subtle sense whereby they find each other when separated by long distances. The return of cats and dogs who have been carried miles from home—and the return of birds to their original places, after their migrations, may have a similar explanation— there may be subtle vibrations from places, people, and objects, which the animals sense at a distance.
That animals exert a mental control over their fellows by some form of manifestation of Mind-Power, there seems to be but little doubt among those familiar with the ways of animals, particularly of wild animals. There is a manifestation of something besides physical strength and prowess on the part of the animal—there is a mental something displayed! A. E. McFarlane, in a recent magazine article on the subject of "Bad Animals," says: "Put two male baboons into the same cage, and they will open their mouths, show all their teeth, and 'blow' at each other. But one of them, even though he may possess the uglier dentition, will blow with a difference, with an inward shakiness that marks him for the under dog at once. No test of battle is needed at all. It is the same with the big cats. Put two, or four, or a dozen lions in together, and they also, probably without a single contest, will soon discover which one of them possesses the mettle of the master. Thereafter, he takes the choice of the meat; if he chooses, the rest shall not even begin to eat until he has finished; he goes first to the fresh pan of water. In short, he is 'king of the cage.'"
Among the animals we find many instances of the power of "charming" or "fascinating," both of which I hold to be but varying forms of manifestation of Mind-Power in the direction of powerfully influencing the imagination, desire, or will of another by mentative induction. This mental fascination, among the animals, manifests along two lines, viz., (1) along the lines of desire operating in the direction of sex manifestation, such as the winning of mates, etc.; and (2) along the lines of will operating in the direction of overcoming the prey of the animal, such as the "charming" of birds by serpents, or of smaller animals by tigers, etc. These cases are capable of liberal illustration and proof, and natural history affords us full authority for accepting the same.
I recently read an account of a naturalist, who related that one day in a tropical country he noticed a winged insect circling around and around a scorpion. After a bit, the insect made a series of desperate plunges at the scorpion, as if in a frantic desire to terminate the charm; the scorpion soon striking down the insect, and afterwards devouring it. It is related by travelers that when one comes suddenly in the presence of a lion, tiger, or leopard, his legs seem paralyzed, and the eyes of the beast seem to exert a peculiar fascination and power over him. I have seen a mouse manifest the same emotion in the presence of a cat; and the same is true of a rat in the presence of a ferret, or similar enemy. On the other hand, every observer has noticed the wonderful "charming" power that animals exert over others of their kind, of the opposite sex. If you have ever witnessed the courting of a bird, during the mating season, you will have a keen sense of the reality of the power employed. One of the birds, and it may be either a male or female, will be seen to actually "fascinate" or "charm" the one of the opposite sex, the latter lying still with quivering wings, and a helpless expression in its eyes. When compared with the attitude of the same bird, when charmed by a serpent, the resemblance will be striking.
I have before me a book written in 1847, which relates quite a number of instances of the operation of mental fascination among the lower animals. I will give you a few of them, condensed, and abbreviated. Prof. Silliman is quoted as stating that one day, while crossing the Hudson River, at Catskill, he passed along a narrow road with the river on one side, and a steep bank, covered by bushes, on the other side. His attention was attracted by the sight of a number of birds, of a variety of species, who were flying forward and backward across the road, turning and wheeling in strange gyrations, and with noisy chirpings, seemingly centering over a particular point of the road. Upon examination the professor found an enormous blacksnake, partly coiled, and partly erect, showing an appearance of great animation, with his eyes flashing like a brilliant diamond, and his tongue darting in and out. The snake was the center of the motion of the birds. The professor adds that although the snake disappeared in the bushes, frightened at the approach of the men, still the birds seemed too dazed to escape, and perched on the nearby bushes, evidently awaiting the reappearance of their "charmer."
The same book relates an incident of a man in Pennsylvania, who saw a large blacksnake charming a bird. The bird described gradually decreasing circles around the snake, at the same time uttering piteous cries. It seemed almost ready to drop into the jaws of the snake, when the man drove off the latter, when the bird arose with a song of joy.
Another case is related of a ground-squirrel, which was observed running to-and-fro between a creek and a large tree a few yards distant. The squirrel's fur was badly ruffled, and he exhibited fright and distress. Investigation disclosed the head and neck of a rattlesnake, protruding from the hole of the tree, and pointing directly at the squirrel. The poor squirrel at last gave up the fight, and yielding to the fascination, laid himself down with his head very close to the snake's mouth. The snake then proceeded to swallow the squirrel, when his meal was interrupted with a cut of a carriage whip in the hands of the observer, and the squirrel, released from the spell, ran briskly away.
Dr. Good is quoted as having made quite a study of the curious fascinating power that rattlesnakes manifest over small animals, such as birds, squirrels, young hares, etc. He relates that these animals seem incapable of drawing their eyes away from those of the snake, and, although seemingly struggling to get away, they still gradually approach the snake, as though urged toward him, or attracted by a power superior to their natural instincts. He goes on to state that the animal creeps nearer and nearer, until at last it is drawn into the serpent's mouth, which has been open all the while to receive it. Dr. Barrow is quoted as relating many instances of this kind, known to peasants in all parts of the world. Valliant, the African traveler, tells of an instance in which he witnessed a shrike