The next step is that of “guessing” the name of things thought of by the party.  I can give you no better directions than those followed by the investigators in the Creery children, as related in a preceding chapter of this book.  When you become sufficiently proficient in this class of mind-reading, you should be able to reproduce every experiment there mentioned, with at least a fair degree of success.  It is all a matter of patience, perseverance and practice.

After you have become very proficient in this class of experiments, you may begin to try experiments at “long distance,” that is where the projector is out of your physical presence.  It makes no difference whether the distance be merely that between two adjoining rooms, or else of miles of space.  At first, however, nearness adds confidence in the majority of cases.  Confidence once gained, the distance may be lengthened indefinitely, without impairing the success of the experiments.  The long distance experiments may consist either of the receiving of single words, names, etc., or else distinct, clear messages or ideas.  Some find it no more difficult to reproduce simile geometrical designs, such as circles, squares, triangles, etc., than to reproduce words or ideas.

In long distance experiments, it is well for the projector to write down the word or thought he wishes to transmit, and for the recipient to write down the impressions he receives.  These memoranda will serve as a record of progress, and will, moreover, give a scientific value to the experiments.

Some experimenters have been quite successful in experiments along the lines of Automatic Writing from living persons, produced by means of long distance telepathy.  In these cases the recipient sits passively at the hour agreed upon for the experiment, and the projector concentrates intently upon a sentence, or several sentences, one word at a time—­at the same time “willing” the other person to write the word.  The famous investigator of psychic phenomena, the late W.T.  Stead, editor of a London newspaper, who went down on the “Titanic,” was very successful in experiments of this kind.  His written records of these are very interesting and instructive.

You will, of course, understand that in all cases of long distance telepathic experiments there should be an understanding between the two persons regarding the time and duration of the experiment, so as to obtain the best results.  Personally, however, I have known of some very excellent results in which the receiving of the message occurred several hours after the sending—­thus showing that telepathy is in a measure independent of time, as well as of space.  But, as a rule, the best results are obtained when the two persons “sit” simultaneously.

Do not rest content with accepting the reports of others regarding these things.  Try them for yourself.  You will open up a wonderful world of new experiences for yourself.  But, remember always, you must proceed step by step, perfecting yourself at each step before proceeding to the next.