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The Eleventh Lesson: Hindu Wonder-Working.1355
the muscles to contract by means of a current of Prana sent there—and it
may be projected beyond the limits of the body in certain forms of occult
phenomenon.
There are various forms of Mental Influence, as all students of the subject
well know, but the form or phase which is manifested by the fakirs in the
feats of illusion mentioned in the first part of this lesson is in the form
of Vibration, and Prana-charged Thought Forms projected toward the
spectators. The fakir has cultivated the power of Mental Imaging to a high
degree, and then forming a Thought-Form along the mould of his Mental
Image, the same being charged with Prana to give it vitality and force, by
means of his concentrated Will he projects it towards the circle of spectators,
thus producing similar Vibrations in their Chitta or Mind-Stuff which causes
them to think they see in actual manifestation the scenes that the fakir
has seen by Mental Imaging. It is as if the fakir was using a Mental Magic-
Lantern containing a slide with the desired picture painted on it—when the
lantern-ray strikes the surface of the brains of the other persons the scene
is reproduced there, and they think that they are actually witnessing the
scene of the lantern-slide. This illustration is somewhat crude, but it gives
an idea of the process employed. References to our other series of lessons,
as aforesaid, will give detailed explanation of the nature and laws of the
phenomena of Mental Influence.
In the Wonder-Working of the fakirs of India we have to deal with a great
variety of feats and manifestations, which would require a large book to
describe or even mention in detail. We have selected certain typical cases
in order to illustrate the subject, and have given you an explanation of the
laws and principles underlying each, so that you may be able to distinguish
between the various phases of the phenomena. We think that with our
explanation you will be able to classify, distinguish and understand any
particular feats of which you may hear henceforth.
We wish to be distinctly understood, however, in stating that the
explanations given do not apply to the higher class of phenomena