The Science of Mind, by Ernest Shurtleff Holmes [1926], at sacred-texts.com
It is taken for granted that the average person of to-day is more or less acquainted with the facts concerning psychic phenomena. It would be useless, in a course such as this, to attempt any exhaustive research work; this has already been done by those eminently able to furnish the data.
There is within man a power that can communicate without the tongue, hear without the ear, see without the eye, talk without the mouth, move ponderable objects and grasp things without the hand; and perform many other feats that are usually connected only with the physical instrument. All these facts have been completely proved, and it is no longer necessary to produce evidence to substantiate these facts.
While the above stated facts have all been proved, the reason for their being has not been so thoroughly or logically discussed, and it is the purpose of this article to explain the fundamental reasons behind the law of mental action which is called psychic; for if a thing happens, there must be a reason for its happening and a law through which it operates.
The only excuse for taking up this topic in a course of lessons in Mental Science is that, being the phenomena of Mind, it should come under the category of known mental actions.
PSYCHIC PHENOMENA AND IMMORTALITY
Psychic phenomena are closely associated with immortality in people's minds for the reason that they deal with those unseen powers which we think of as being attributes of the soul; and also because many people have attributed the phenomena largely to the agency of discarnate spirits.
NO APOLOGIES
While no apologies are made for the ensuing pages, yet, in justice to the Truth, it must be said that many of the world's eminent scientists have investigated the subjects to be discussed, and so far, to the author's knowledge, none of them have ever refuted the ensuing facts.
The powers which are exhibited through the psychic life do really exist in man, and someday he will make conscious use of them and will, thereby, be greatly benefited. Meanwhile, every one is urged to be most careful in his approach to the subject. A little knowledge is a very dangerous thing, and it is to be regretted that very few people exhibiting psychic powers appear to know what the law is that underlies the phenomena. Many are led astray through ignorance, and one should be most careful in handling the topic. But, as stated above, this subject, coming under the known laws of mental action, must be dealt with.
God has given us a mind with which to know, and a power with which to discern, the Truth, and it is a terrible mistake to misuse that power. The whole end and aim of evolution is to produce a man who, in his self-conscious state, may depict the Divine Nature. We can do this only to the degree that we remain ourselves at all times.
We will take up the study of this subject just as we would approach the study of any other law, with an open mind, without any superstition and free from any sense of the unnatural. Nature is always natural, and only those things are mysteries which we do not understand.