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we meet with the same difficulty。 If the medium tells you； for instance； as
Mme。 M。 seems easily to do； how you will employ your day from the
morning onwards； if she sees you in a certain house in a certain street
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meeting this or that person； it is impossible to say that； on the one hand；
she is not already reading your as yet unconscious plans or intentions； or
that； on the other hand； by doing what she has foreseen； you are not
obeying a suggestion against which you could not fight except by
violently doing the opposite to what it demands of you； which again would
be a case of inverted suggestion。 None therefore would have any value
save predictions of unlikely happenings； clearly defined and outside the
sphere of the person interested。 As Dr。 Osty says：
〃The ideal prognostication would obviously be that of an event so rare；
so sudden and unexpected； implying such a change in one's mode of life
that the theory of coincidence could not decently be put forward。 But； as
everybody is not； in the peaceful course of his threatened by such an
absolutely convincing event； the clairvoyant cannot always reveal to the
person experimentingand reveal it for a more or less approximate date
one of those incidents whose accomplishment would carry irresistible
conviction。〃
In any case； the question of psychometric prognostications calls for
further enquiry； although it is easy even at the present day to forsee the
results。
10
Let us now return to our spontaneous premonitions； in which the
future comes to seek us of its own accord and； so to speak； to challenge us
at home。 I know from personal experience that； when we embark upon
these disconcerting matters； the first impression is scarcely favourable。 We
are very much inclined to laugh； to treat as wearisome tales； as hysterical
hallucinations； as ingenious or interested fictions most or those incidents
which give too violent a shock to the narrow and limited idea which we
have of our human life。 To smile； to reject everything beforehand and to
pass by with averted head； as was done； I remember； in the time of
Galvani； and in the early days of hypnotism； is much more easy and seems
more respectable and prudent than to stop； admit and examine。
Nevertheless we must not forget that it is to some who did not smile so
lightly that we owe the best part of the marvels from whose heights we are
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preparing to smile in our turn。 For the rest； I grant that； thus presented；
hastily and summarily； without the details that throw light upon them and
the proofs that support them； the incidents in question do not show to
advantage and； inasmuch as they are isolated and sparingly chosen； lose
all the weight and authority derived from the compact and imposing mass
whence they are arbitrarily detached。 As I said above； nearly a thousand
cases have been collected； representing probably not the tenth part of those
which a more active and general search might bring together。 The number
is evidently of importance and denotes the enormous pressure of the
mystery； but； if there were only half a dozen genuine casesand Dr。
Maxwell's； Professor Flournoy's； Mrs。 Verrall's； the Marmontel； Jones and
Hamilton cases and some others are undoubtedly genuinethey would be
enough to show that； under the erroneous idea which we form of the past
and the present； a new verity is living and moving； eager to come to light。
The efforts of that verity； I need hardly say； display a very different
sort of force after we have actually and attentively read those hundreds of
extraordinary stories which； without appearing to do so； strike to the very
roots of history。 We soon lose all inclination to doubt。 We penetrate into
another world and come to a stop all out of countenance。 We no longer
know where we stand； before and after overlap and mingle。 We no longer
distinguish the insidious and factitious but indispensable line which
separates the years that have gone by from the years that are to come。 We
clutch at the hours and days of the past and present to reassure ourselves；
to fasten on to some certainty； to convince ourselves that we are still in our
right place in this life where that which is not yet seems as substantial； as
real； as positive； as powerful as that which is no more。 We discover with
uneasiness that time； on which we based our whole existence； itself no
longer exists。 It is no longer the swiftest of our gods； known to us only by
its flight across all things： it alters its position no more than space； of
which it is doubtless but the incomprehensible reflex。 It reigns in the
centre of every event； and every event is fixed in its centre； and all that
comes and all that goes passes from end to end of our little life without
moving by a hair's breadth around its motionless pivot。 It is entitled to but
one of the thousand names which we have been wont to lavish upon its
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power； a power that seemed to us manifold and innumerable： yesterday；
recently； formerly； erewhile； after； before； tomorrow； soon； never； later fall
like childish masks； whereas to…day and always completely cover with
their united shadows the idea which we form in the end of a duration
which has no subdivisions； no breaks and no stages； which is pulseless；
motionless and boundless。
11
Many are the theories which men have imagined in their attempts to
explain the working of the strange phenomenon； and many others might
be imagined。
As we have seen； self…suggestion and telepathy explain certain cases
which concern events already in existence； but still latent and perceived
before the knowledge of them can reach us by the normal process of the
senses or the intelligence。 But； even by extending these two theori