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A Series of Lessons on the Inner Teachings of the Philosophies and Religions of India1346
have witnessed all the strange and wonderful features above narrated.
There can be no doubt that herein lies the secret of the phenomena.
But, even though these feats be merely illusion, and not a reversal of
nature’s laws, is it not wonderful that such psychological power can have
been cultivated and developed? It shows the possibilities of practice and
concentration of the mental powers, of which the Western world is just
beginning to understand. The West is merely in the kindergarten stage of
the Power of the Mind, but we venture the assertion that the American spirit
of investigation will bring many new things to light along these lines within
the next twenty years—the investigators are on the right track already, and
wonderful possibilities are before the race.
And, now, let us pass on to a consideration of the higher class of
phenomena of the Hindu Wonder-Workers, of which the Western world
is not so well informed as of the above mentioned class exhibited by the
fakirs. For there is a higher phase, possessing real scientific interest, and
manifesting a wonderful control and management of the powers of nature,
along the lines of vital forces, etc., and which is devoid of the illusory nature
of the fakir’s feats. The Western world may doubt some of these higher feats,
but many Hindus, and a few Western travelers, know them to be facts.
Among the instances of the exercise of a high degree of control over some
of nature’s forces, along scientific lines, and devoid of the illusory features of
the phenomena previously mentioned, is that of the celebrated Boiling Water
feat which has been witnessed and reported by several Western writers and
travelers, but which is not nearly so common as the class of phenomena due
to mental illusion. The feat is performed as follows: The fakir takes between
the palms of his hands a glass, or other vessel or receptacle, filled with clear
water—both the water and the receptacle having been examined by the
witnesses of the performance. Then, showing signs of mental concentration,
and at the same time practicing the Yogi Rhythmic Breathing, the fakir seems
to be sending to the water a current of power or force of some sort. In a
few moments the water seems to be filled with tiny bubbles similar to those