concepts from the edge volume 1

7/28/2019 Concepts From the Edge Volume 1

1/52

1

Concepts From The Edge Volume 1


2/52

2

Unauthorized duplication or distribution of this material in any form is

strictly prohibited. Violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the

law.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system

or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,

photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from

the author/publisher.

The author, publisher, and distributor of this product assume no

responsibility for the use or misuse of this product, or for any injury,

damage and/or financial loss sustained to persons or property as a result of

using this report. While every effort has been made to ensure reliability of

the information within, the liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any

use, misuse or abuse of the operation of any methods, strategies,

instructions or ideas contained in the material herein is the soleresponsibility of the reader.

The reader is encouraged to seek competent, professional medical advice

before using any tips and strategies shared in this publication.

There are NO resell rights to this report and you cant give it away for free.

Copyright SuperMindEvolutionSystem.com 2009 All rights reserved.


3/52

3

Concepts From The Edge Volume 1

Several hundred years ago scientists considered that the weight

of an object was fixed and absolute. Then Isaac Newton demonstrated

that an object weighed less at the top of a mountain than it did at sea

level, where gravity was stronger. (Weight is a measure of the force

that gravity exerts on an object). So a new term was coined ..... mass.

The mass of an object was considered constant, but its weight variedwith height. The higher the object above the earth's surface, the less

was the effect of gravity, hence the less its weight. But height did not

affect the "mass" of an object.

So for a long time mass was considered absolute. Then along

came Einstein with his relativity theory. He proved that mass actually

varies depending on the speed it was travelling. The closer a mass gets

to the speed of light (186,000 miles per second) the greater its massbecomes. When it reaches the speed of light its mass becomes infinite

and as it would take an infinite force to accelerate an infinite mass

then nothing solid can exceed the speed of light.

So speed became more important than mass which had become

more important than weight.

At the same time Einstein found that when an object travels

very fast, close to the speed of light, time slows down so theastronauts who travelled to the moon and back have aged a fraction of

a second less than us earthbound mortals. If an astronaut travelled

outward for 5 years at near the speed of light and then turned around

and made the same journey back to earth he might be 10 years older

while back here on earth something like 50 - 100 years would have

passed.

So everything is relative to speed. Both time and mass aredetermined by speed.


4/52

4

Nothing in our universe is quite what it seems.

The mindpower gurus who can operate mentally in theta orsome other altered consciousness state believe that they enter a time-

free zone where they can see past/present/future events with equal

clarity. It has always been considered that time flows forward, like an

arrow from a bow but the relatively new science of Quantum Physics

indicates that it may well flow in the opposite direction also as well.

And the more the scientific world delves into the strangeness of

Quantum Physics, the weirder and more interesting are the thingsbeing discovered.

It basically started out with the aperture test whereby a stream

of light is shone through a narrow slit on to a screen. The light either

showed up as a particle image on the screen or as a waveform,

depending on what the experimenter expected! And there is now a

line of thought that wonders if the normal state of events is the

waveform, which materializes into particle form only when consciouslyexamined.

When one considers the vast empty spaces inside supposedly

solid matter, there may be some merit in this particle materialization

concept. If you think about all the planets in our solar system and the

vast distances between them, then reduce the size of our solar system

down to that of an atom, it becomes easier to comprehend the spaces

inside each atom. In fact, 99.99999999999......% of a supposedly solidobject is space. It has been estimated that if all the "spaces" in the

known universe were removed and only "solid" material left, then you

could hold this in the palm of your hand.

The video monitor you are currently looking at is made up of

mainly blank space. It consists of subatomic particles with vast

spaces around them. In fact the whole known universe .... and

everything in it ....... is made up of the same material ..... subatomicparticles. If you raise your eyes from your screen and look around


5/52


6/52

6

.... VISUALIZATION !!!

When a human mind clearly and continually visualizes an end

result, with deep emotion and concentrated intent, then the formattedenergy generated is converted into its mass equivalent - ie. the result

desired. As strange as this may sound, it is scientifically feasible and

generally accepted as truth among the mind power people and top

motivators.

In our universe....... nothing is what it seems!!

When we are born we are totally un-programmed. We are like a

computer without the software. Each developing individual slowly

slips into a reality frame that is he or she finds comfortable. As we

grow, we are trained to recognize a common reality so that we can

interact with others. We usually learn this via peer pressure at school

and from social groups and parental influence.

That is, every sane human being adopts a "common

denominator" when it comes to reality. This "window of reality" is

basically the same for the entire human race. Your reality training

teaches you that mankind cannot walk on white hot coals with a

temperature 5 times that of boiling water! Yet it is done! The same

training tells you that you cannot influence matter with your mind.

Yet it happens!

Everybody "knows" that you cannot sit in a chair, relax, and

clearly visualize some distant scene, in past, present or future time,

with approximately the same degree of accuracy as produced by your

other 5 senses.

Yet the Australian Aboriginal race has always had this gift and

considers it normal.

And there are a number of European people who have taken the

trouble to learn this Remote Viewing process and some even practice

it for a living!

Major corporations employ them to fill in information gaps.


7/52

7

The reality window, as we have accepted it for generations, is no

longer valid.

Too many people are finding how to step outside it.

Under certain conditions, your mind can "escape" from therestriction of this universal window. And as an increasing number of

individuals experience these "impossible" alternatives, universal

human consciousness changes. When a critical number of people can

achieve these alternative realities, then, like the 100th monkey theory,

everyone will suddenly "know" that these things can be done.

Sheldrake's Morphogenic Field theory explains how this is

achieved in real life.Nothing is what it seems !!!

For the past 100 years or so western civilization has been

technology orientated. The higher the technology, the better we like it.

But technology is logic based.

And our logic is based on our reality window.

If we become aware of a different form of technology which is

not only outside our logic base, but also can't be replicated reliablyand worse still, cannot be measured on conventional instruments,

then we panic!

It is outside our reality window.

But such technologies already exist. They are the science of the

21st century!

Furthermore, there are many anomalies in nature.

Resonance is one of them. The magnetic field around apermanent magnet is another. Cleve Baxter's Primary Perception is yet

another.

It is likely that the ongoing application of quantum physics to

known anomalies will lead to the science of the 21st century.


8/52

8

Nothing is what it seems.

For example it has always been considered that time is a

constant.

That is, the seconds, minutes and hours tick along at the samespeed for everyone.

But an extremely clever device was invented some years ago by

Dr. Nilolai Kozyrev which apparently measures micro-small distortions

in time. When a small mechanical or chemical event is examined it

has been found that time appears to be thin around the "cause" and

dense around the resultant event.

It seems that time may be variable !!

Nothing is what it seems.

Nature is full of anomalies. Until recently mainstream science

tended to ignore these unwelcome events....because they were not

understood.

But not any more. There is a new breed of scientist who is less

impressed with peer opinion and more concerned with stepping

outside the common reality window.

This new breed is the scientist of the 21st century.....you will be

hearing a lot from this minority group in the future....because....

...nothing is what it seems!!!!


9/52

9

DOWSING

Often the subconscious will try to sneak messages past our ego

into our conscious awareness but most often these get blocked. SETHindicates that the easiest way to bypass the ego and get subconscious

messages directly is via a dowsing device such as a pendulum or L-

rods.

The pendulum is an excellent mechanism for reaching the

personal layers of the subconscious. This means that it is easy to get

answers to personal questions, but more profound ones such as trying

to divine winning lotto numbers require a trance state (like hypnosis)in conjunction with the pendulum.

SETH suggests that if you are buying new clothes you check out

the colors with the pendulum first, as some colors will be personally

good for you, while others will not. Also the material used in the fabric

may have negative connotations for you. Likewise if you were thinking

of repainting a room in your house you could use a pendulum on a

color chart and pick the colors that the pendulum suggested.

If you are able to achieve a deep meditational state and open

you eyes without loosing this state, then you might like to dowse for

lotto numbers, or something similar. Apparently the deeper you can

go into your subconscious the more chance there is of success.

(On a personal note this is something I have not tried as I

simply was unaware of this knowledge until the last batch of SETH

notes arrived from the USA.)

SETH mentions that the ego thwarts the subconscious regularly

merely to prove its superiority. As the pendulum bypasses the ego

then the answers are more likely to be right than wrong, particularly if

the questions are of a personal nature, such as health.

Also the regular use of the pendulum causes more open channels

between the conscious and subconscious and appears to be beneficial

in that it causes a permanent improvement in intuition.


10/52

10

That is, instead of having to use a pendulum correct intuitive

urges may suddenly appear. If you react positively to these then your

lifestyle can only improve.

The regular use of the pendulum will cause your own consciousawareness to increase and you then become aware of inner actions

with which the conscious mind has not been familiar.

To sum up; the pendulum can be a fairly reliable way of

reaching the subconscious. The more you use it the more reliable it is

likely to become. It is like remote viewing; the more you practice this

the more naturally open your subconscious becomes.

Basic Dowsing Tutorial

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN L RODS

(Out of a pair of metal coat hangers)

Firstly, for you to do anything useful with dowsing, you're going

to need either rods, or a pendulum. I suggest you start out with rods,

since they're easier to use, initially. Get a metal coat hanger, and saw

it in half. Measure two parts of it, which are straight, and connected

to each other.. One of the parts should be around 10cm. The other,

25cm. The exact measurements do not matter, and it doesn't have to

be accurate. Saw off the surplus bits, and bend the rod, so that there

is a 90degree angle in it.

__________ The rod should look a bit like this.

I

I < 25cm >

I 10cm

I


11/52

11

Now make another one. They should be reasonably straight

(except for the bend), and equal in size. Before trying any of these

exercises I strongly recommend you read the other sections on

common myths, and the 'free for all' part. Do not approach thisfrivolously.

Exercise 1 : Rod Control

Hold the rods in your hands, with your arms by your side, bent

at the elbow, so the rods are held out in front of you, at around waist

level. When you get a positive result you will want the rods to move

together, or cross. Try doing this now, deliberately. Turning yourhands very slightly, in the appropriate direction should do it. Practice

crossing and uncrossing them, deliberately, with small wrist

movements. After a while you should be able to cross them, without

visibly turning your hands. This is what you should aim for. You

should be able to 'make them cross' by thinking about it. Keep trying

until you can. I check the operation of my rods by holding them in

front of me and taking a deep breath. If they are working properly they

cross each other.

I think it is important to reiterate that there is nothing special

about the rods. They are not 'magic' as many people would have you

believe. If someone says "You're cheating; you moved them" then rest

assured that they're not going to move on their own, unless it's windy,

and you do know what you are doing. They merely amplify your arm

and wrist movements so that you can see them visibly.

Exercise 2 : Finding anything

Once you have mastered exercise one, which shouldn't take all

that long, if you do it properly, try this. Take your rods, and simply

wander around the house. Hold them loosely, so that they can swing,

if 'they' want to. Clear your mind, and tell yourself that you want a

positive reaction, if you walk over anything buried. Don't be too


12/52

12

specific. Don't immediately go for water pipes. You can try that later.

Just anything buried. See what happens.

Exercise 3 : Specific SubstancesNow for the clichs. Hopefully, you will have had some response

from the previous exercise. If not, keep doing it, and remain open-

minded about any perceived information. Avoid judging it as it comes

in.

Okay. Let's look for some water pipes. It will be best to do this in

a house, preferably, a friend's house, so that you do not know where

the pipes are, but he/she does. This way, you will not judge anyincoming information, and base it on prior knowledge.

You know what a pipe looks like, so imagine one. Imagine the

sounds of dripping water, if it helps. Say to yourself, either aloud, or

in your mind, "I want the rods to cross, when I walk over some water",

or something similar. Repeat this a few times, so that you are pretty

sure of exactly what you are after. Many people are surprised at how

this works first time (I know I was!). Now, walk around slowly

(preferably with your eyes open, so you can see where you're going).

Keep the image of the pipe in your mind. If you see the rods

cross, step back a bit, and let them uncross. Do it again. See if it was

just a draught, or whether it was a pipe. Ask your friend, or consult a

map, or something. Carry on.

If you're wrong, don't worry. Nothing is ever 100% accurate

anyway, so why should dowsing be? See how many you can find.

EVENTS, MATERIALISATION AND CONSCIOUSNESS PROJECTION

Let us suppose that you have been programming dreams to

cause a particular desired event to happen. The universe slowly

organizes this event then at the last moment it happens. This is why

when things that have been going against you for weeks suddenly


13/52

13

change, sometimes in quite an amazing way, you can be quite

pleasantly surprised. Events are materialized in physical time from

their origins in no time. These events could have been building for

weeks then one day they materialize, out of the blue.They have been in the pipeline organizing themselves for some

time!

They have been created by a psychic mass force..which is a

valid mass force.

Sometimes this force will produce a macro psychokinetic event,

such as a large bundle of banknotes being found in a phone box, to

which nobody lays claim to. You were desperately short of money atthe time..and this is you event materialization.

There is a simple way to test your PK abilities. Light a candle in

a draft-free room and place it on the table in front of you. Focus on it

and try to adjust the height of the flame with psychic force. If you are

generating a lot of force you might even put the candle right out. This

is the method SETH recommends for PK practice.

Many times during dreams your consciousness travels. If you

do this in a controlled awake state it is called out-of-body.

While the body and ego are in stand-by mode your

consciousness is free to travel and explore. Sometimes immediately

upon awakening you can remember some of these travels, but usually

this memory recall fades within 15-20 seconds.

SETH states that it is possible for this projected consciousness

to be detected. The film called the Ghost Busters was loosely based on

this premise. Animals appear capable of detecting these projections,

particularly if they are strong ones.

Psychic detectors have now been designed and built, which

detect the presence of a projected consciousness. The remote viewers

are well aware that the secret USA Government research area in

Nevada known as Area 51 has these detectors installed and operating.

Some of the better known remote viewers report alarms going off when

they try to RV certain sections of this top secret project.


14/52

14

During sleep we experience fluctuations in our consciousness

level as we drift in and out of various levels.

What is not generally realized is that the same thing happens

while we are awake. Every individual experiences this and it can bequite annoying. For example someone might accidentally leave your

keys locked inside your car while visiting a supermarket. When they

return to their car and realize what they have done, they wonder what

on earth was the matter with them. Some people generally put this

down to stress, or distractions, or whatever. In actual fact their

conscious awareness might have been quite low at that period. This

awareness level cycles up and down during the day and later in theday that person might be fully aware and wonder why they were so

stupid as to leave their keys in the car. It is a sad fact of human

existence that a fair proportion of humanity goes through their entire

lives with this low level of conscious awareness..and during your

lower cycles you can appreciate what these unfortunate individuals

have to put up with.

I get real life examples of this while I am typing this report.

Sometimes the words flow smoothly (like right now) and I make almost

no mistakes.whereas earlier this morning I had to struggle for the

correct words and I was making a ton of typing mistakes.

SETH indicates that during the day we all have periods of

intense mental awareness and activity followed by much less active

periods. He says that the lower levels are accompanied by lowered

concentration.

He also makes a point that we should ideally sleep no more

than 5-6 hours per night but have 1-2 hours sleep during the day.

This is why active meditation during the day (in place of sleep) can be

so incredibly beneficial.

Extrasensory perception provides packets of data to your

subconscious that can sometimes be recognized, while at other times

this vital input is totally ignored by the ego. SETH states that


15/52

15

telepathy is a constant ongoing event, even if a goodly portion of the

population dont believe in it.

Clairvoyance (as in remote viewing) exists constantly but this is

even harder to filter past the ego.The USA Military remote viewers found a way to distract the

conscious mind so that it did not know what was happening. As such

the clairvoyant information was enabled to pass through in piece

form, reassembled then recognized for what it was.

SETH states that clairvoyance exists because matter and energy

are one and the same thing.

SETH also indicates that every single cell in our body is inconstant telepathic communication with every other cell, which might

account for the rapid (almost instantaneous) transfer of information

between various parts of our bodies which has had our scientists

quite puzzled.

Energy is the basis of our universe and is converted into matter

which then forms, via psychic templates, solid material that can be

recognized by our senses.

As such energy can be manipulated either consciously or

subconsciously into packets of matter. Obviously this usually

happens at a subconscious level.

The matter which is created appears solid to our senses, but in

actual fact is mainly empty space.

Also remember that this matter is switching on an off at an

extremely rapid rate so is reconstructing itself constantly. The paper

you are reading at the moment was not the same piece of paper you

saw several seconds ago.it has rebuilt itself.

When we perceive a plant or person to be growing over a

period of time it is actually the psychic template that is altering.the

underlying matter is as fresh as it ever was because it is constantly

renewing itself.

Matter is not in any way permanent, but the psychic template

can be.


16/52

16

As a person appears to age the matter of which they are

constructed is not aging..it is the psychic template which is

deteriorating. It is becoming blurry around the edges as the energy

around the template weakens.The template is being constantly regenerated with fresh new

matter so it is the template itself which deteriorates over time.

The human body has five physical senses and it is generally

accepted that each one has its own specific purpose. For example, the

eyes are for seeing but SETH states that other portions of the body

can also be used for seeing. Some years ago there was a TV

documentary showing a blind Russian child who had learnt to seeby using the fingertips. This child could see alphabetic letters and

simple patterns. This was considered an extraordinary feat by

Russian scientists but SETH says that almost anyone could learn to

do this, given the motivation. He also says that we are capable of

hearing sounds through other parts of our bodies.

Some animals literally see via their sense of smellthey can

perceive the sight of another animal via smell.

If youve ever gone to a stage hypnotists show you will probably

have assumed that the hypnotist holds an amazing power over his

subjects yet whenever you have the undivided attention of another

person you are in the strange position of being their hypnotist. If a

person is gazing at you and listening with rapt attention you are in the

unique position to conveyyour desires and thoughts to them.in an

almost hypnotic manner.

Furthermore, when you have your own undivided attention you

become your own hypnotist. You are constantly giving yourself post-

hypnotic suggestions. This is the way the mind is intended to operate.

SETH suggests you use self-hypnosis for 5 - 10 minutes a day

to improve yourself. For example, if you are looking for extra wealth

and assets then generate a mental picture in your mind of those items

you want and while you are holding them there say to your self over

and over..I will soon own all the items in my mental picture.


17/52

17

If you cannot generate a mental picture yet then simply build a

vision board. Cut out pictures of the items you want (maybe from a

magazine) and paste then all on a white sheet of paper. Then in a

slightly darkened room fix your stare (like tunnel vision) on thiscompiled picture and repeat the affirmations above for 5-10 minutes

maximum. If possible add emotion to this picture because emotion is

the trigger that makes it all happen. You can either say the words out

loud or mentally.it will make no difference. Use this exercise daily by

itself..do not tie it in with any other exercise. If you can do all this in

alpha or theta, so much the better. When the exercise is completed it

is important to put it out of your mind. Avoid dwelling on it. Let yoursubconscious do the rest. SETH states that you may even start to

notice results within 3-4 days, and it is important to carry

on.continue the exercise.

SETH talks a lot about hypnosis and says that we could

discover a lot more about ourselves if we were to experiment with it

more.

PSYCHIC CONTROL OF THE WEATHER

SETH states that while the weather affects your moods, then so

to do your moods (both individually and collectively) affect the

weather. There is a constant interaction between psychic and

chemical components which causes short and long term weather

patterns. These change in the patterns then in turn affects the

psychic functioning of each individual. The human system

electronically, electromagnetically, chemically and psychically affects

the weather patterns.

The wind, ice particles, clouds, etc. are scattered through the

atmosphere in an unstructured format and when intense, cohesive

emotional energy is applied to this weakly distributed system it all


18/52

18

polarizes to form a new cohesive weather system, the strength of

which is in part determined by the intensity of the emotions driving it.

It is well known that the weather can and does affect your moods but

what is not generally realized is that the reverse is also true.Basically the chemical and emotional components of your body

affect the larger body of the Earth upon which you live. Some of the

North American Indian Tribes developed rain dances in their earlier

history where they build up large amounts of emotional energy and

were able to influence rain patterns in their immediate vicinity.

POINT OF POWER EXERCISE

SETH has mentioned this point-of-power exercise several times in his

material.

It involves going into a quiet mode for 5 minutes per day. Feel

and dwell upon the certainty that your emotional, spiritual and

psychic abilities are focused through the flesh and for 5 minutes only

direct all of your attention to what you want, using visualization or

verbal thought. It is most important that during that 5 minute period

you do not focus on that which you lack.only on that which you

want. Use all your energy and attention.then forget about it. Do not

dwell on it after the exercise is finished. However during the course of

the day make one physical gesture that is in line with your belief or

desire. This can be as simple as smiling at someone else, or buying

something at the supermarket which is of somewhat higher quality

than you would usually buy.

Some individuals blame their past lives for their current

shortcomings but as SETH points out all lives are lived

simultaneously in the no-time zone and all your past, present and

future lives are constantly interacting with each other.


19/52

19

INSTRUCTIONS FOR INDUCING AN OBE

Relax and drop into your favorite meditation state. It is best to

try your first OBE when you are in a natural drowsy state. Begin toexamine your own subjective feelings.that is..direct your focus

inwards. Think about the thoughts you are thinking.this will

distract your attention from your physical body. Then begin to

imagine the inner self rising upward. You will know when you are

doing this properly when you start to experience an internal sense of

motion. This motion may be from side to side or it may just be a

sudden sense of rushing. This is the exact moment when yourconsciousness begins withdrawing from your physical body. At this

point will yourself out in a quick motion. You may or may not find

yourself floating above your physical body..or you may find yourself

appearing to rush outwards. SETH says that if you find yourself out of

the solar system in a strange environment then respect that

environmentobserve only.. for your own safety.

Many people, while meditating at some point, feel a sudden

inner sense of motion, like an elevator has suddenly whisked them

several hundred feet. This is the potential onset of an OBE experience

and as you follow the process above you will be able to successfully

convert it into an OBE.

(I personally find the above an extraordinary bit of knowledge

because these sudden consciousness shifts happen to me frequently

but I did not realize their significance. No other book or material I

have ever read on OBEs has mentioned this!)

Prior to attempting an OBE you might like to give your

subconscious suggestions that your physical body will be safe and

comfortable. This will pacify the ego and make the OBE more likely to

happen. SETH says that there is no danger of not returning to the

body.

SETH makes a few points about helping an OBE happen. Firstly

it apparently helps considerably if the body is in a north/south


20/52

20

direction..with the head at the north. Also eggs and asparagus help

provide the bodys chemical base which propels an OBE. Around 5pm

in the afternoon is also a good time..something to do with a cyclic

lowering internal body temperature. Also it helps to drink a smallamount of pure water prior to the OBE.

SOME IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS

ENERGY is the basic building block of the universe

IDEA CONSTRUCTIONS are mental transformations of energyby an entity into physical reality

SPACE is where our own idea constructions do not exist in the

physical universe

EMOTIONS are the driving force that propel ideas into

constructions

INSTINCT is the minimum ability for idea construction

necessary for physical survival

ENVIRONMENT is the overall idea constructions with which an

individual surrounds himself

THE PAST is the memory of ideas that were but are no longer

physical constructions

THE PRESENT is the apparent point of any ideas emergence

into physical reality

THE FUTURE is the apparent lapse between the disappearance

of one idea construction and its replacement by another in physical

reality


21/52

21

ANTIMATTER AND SETH

Sometime around 1963-64, when SETH was first speaking via

Jane Roberts he stated that the entire matter of the universe was

pulsating on and off at a frequency too high for us to perceive. He

stated that matter was equally on and off. That is, it switched on for

50% of the time. We perceive it while it is on. He further stated that

matter was equally valid in the off state and was what our scientists

suspected was "Antimatter".

Below is the current state of scientific knowledge on this

subject:

Antimatter

Antimatter is the opposite of normal matter, of which the

majority of our universe is made. Until just recently, the presence of

antimatter in our universe was considered to be only theoretical. In

1928, British physicist Paul A.M. Dirac revised Einstein's famous

equation E=mc2. Dirac said that Einstein didn't consider that the "m"

in the equation -- matter -- could have negative properties as well as

positive. Dirac's equation (E = + or - mc2) allowed for the existence of

anti-particles in our universe. Scientists have since proven that

several anti-particles exist.

These anti-particles are, literally, mirror images of normal

matter. Each anti-particle has the same mass as its corresponding

particle, but the electrical charges are reversed. Here are some

antimatter discoveries of the 20th century:

Positrons - Electrons with a positive instead of negative charge.

Discovered by Carl Anderson in 1932, positrons were the first

evidence that antimatter existed.


22/52

22

Anti-protons - Protons that have a negative instead of the usual

positive charge. In 1955, researchers at the Berkeley Bevatron

produced an antiproton.

Anti-atoms - Pairing together positrons and antiprotons,scientists at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research,

created the first anti-atom. Nine anti-hydrogen atoms were created,

each lasting only 40 nanoseconds. As of 1998, CERN researchers were

pushing the production of anti-hydrogen atoms to 2,000 per hour.

When antimatter comes into contact with normal matter, these

equal but opposite particles collide to produce an explosion emitting

pure radiation, which travels out of the point of the explosion at thespeed of light. Both particles that created the explosion are completely

annihilated, leaving behind other subatomic particles. The explosion

that occurs when antimatter and matter interact transfers the entire

mass of both objects into energy. Scientists believe that this energy is

more powerful than any that can be generated by other propulsion

methods.

So, why haven't we built a matter-antimatter reaction engine?

The problem with developing antimatter propulsion is that there is a

lack of antimatter existing in the universe. If there were equal

amounts of matter and antimatter, we would likely see these reactions

around us. Since antimatter doesn't exist around us, we don't see the

light that would result from it colliding with matter.

It is possible that particles outnumbered anti-particles at the

time of the Big Bang. As stated above, the collision of particles and

anti-particles destroys both. And because there may have been more

particles in the universe to start with, those are all that's left. There

may be no naturally-existing anti-particles in our universe today.

However, scientists discovered a possible deposit of antimatter near

the center of the galaxy in 1977. If that does exist, it would mean that

antimatter exists naturally, and the need to make our own antimatter

would be eliminated.


23/52

23

For now, we will have to create our own antimatter. Luckily,

there is technology available to create antimatter through the use of

high-energy particle colliders, also called "atom smashers." Atom

smashers, like CERN, are large tunnels lined with powerfulsupermagnets that circle around to propel atoms at near-light speeds.

When an atom is sent through this accelerator, it slams into a target,

creating particles. Some of these particles are anti-particles that are

separated out by the magnetic field. These high-energy particle

accelerators only produce a few nanograms of anti-protons each year.

A nanogram is a billionth of a gram. All of the antiprotons produced at

CERN in one year would be enough to light only a 100 watt electriclight bulb for three seconds. It will take tons of anti-protons to travel

to interstellar destinations.

Matter-Antimatter Engine

NASA is possibly only a few decades away from developing an

antimatter spacecraft that would cut fuel costs to a fraction of what

they are today. In October 2000, NASA scientists announced early

designs for an antimatter engine that could generate enormous thrust

with only small amounts of antimatter fueling it. The amount of

antimatter needed to supply the engine for a one-year trip to Mars

could be as little as a millionth of a gram, according to a report in that

month's issue of Journal of Propulsion and Power

Matter-antimatter propulsion will be the most efficient

propulsion ever developed, because 100 percent of the mass of the

matter and antimatter is converted into energy. When matter and

antimatter collide, the energy released by their annihilation releases

about 10 billion times the energy that chemical energy such as

hydrogen and oxygen combustion, the kind used by the space shuttle,

releases. Matter-antimatter reactions are 1,000 times more powerful


24/52

24

than the nuclearfission produced in nuclear power plants and 300

times more powerful than nuclear fusion energy. So, matter-

antimatter engines have the potential to take us farther with less fuel.

The problem is creating and storing the antimatter. There are threemain components to a matter-antimatter engine:

Magnetic storage rings - Antimatter must be separated from

normal matter so storage rings with magnetic fields can move the

antimatter around the ring until it is needed to create energy.

Feed system - When the spacecraft needs more power, the

antimatter will be released to collide with a target of matter, which

releases energy.Magnetic rocket nozzle thruster - Like a particle collider on

Earth, a long magnetic nozzle will move the energy created by the

matter-antimatter through a thruster.

Just 14 nanograms of antiprotons would be enough fuel to send

a manned spacecraft to Marsin one month. Today, it takes nearly a

year for an unmanned spacecraft to reach Mars. In 1996, the Mars

Global Surveyor took 11 months to arrive at Mars. Scientists believe

that the speed of an matter-antimatter powered spacecraft would

allow man to go where no man has gone before in space. It would be

possible to make trips to Jupiter and even beyond the heliopause, the

point at which the sun'sradiation ends. But it will still be a long time

before astronauts are asking their starship's helmsman to take them

to warp speed.

..


25/52

25

BICAMERAL MIND THEORY

Around 10 years ago I came across a book which totally

shattered my beliefs in human psychology at that time. I was

introduced to it by an acquaintance who had spent a life time in

psychology and considered that this new theory was the missing link

in human evolution.

This book was called THE ORIGIN OF CONCIOUSNESS IN THE

BREAKDOWN OF THE BICAMERAL MIND. It was a highly technical

well presented manual and as I read it I slowly grasped the profound

implications of the authors theory.

As I digested the contents of the book over the next few months a lot

of things fell into place which, prior to this, couldnt be explained.

The theory was called the BICAMERAL MIND THEORY and

explained quite neatly how hypnosis worked. It also explained how

some people can easily control others and precisely why the majority

of the human race find conscious thinking so much of an effort that

they would rather slip back into an unconscious state by drinking

alcohol or watching the TV screen.

Since developing an understanding of this theory (which is

really quite simple) my thought processes have been quite different

and I have found this new knowledge very useful in everyday life as it

explains, in part, the motivational drive behind some human

activities, which could not easily be understood before.

Here is the theory in a nutshell:

The bicameral mind exists in every conscious coherent person.

It is controlled or directed by a unique human-invented special mode

of consciousness. Until 3000 years ago human consciousness as we

know it DID NOT EXIST! It only evolved out of necessity. Here is a

practical example of the bicameral mind at work: From where I live in

Australia it is around about 2 hours drive to the City of Brisbane. To


26/52

26

get to Brisbane one has to drive through a large town-ship called

Ipswich. Ive noticed time and time again that while driving I slip into

an unconscious mode and often can remember whether Ive actually

passed through Ipswich or not!I am driving unconsciously, but with FULL AWARENESS of

what Im automatically doing. That is, if a dog ran out into the road in

front of me Id automatically take evasive action. This is actually the

bicameral mind at work. I AM DRIVING IN THE BASIC HUMAN

BICAMERAL STATE WITHOUT OPERATING ON THE CONCIOUS

LEVEL AT ALL:

Sound familiar? The originator of this bicameral concept,JULIAN JAYNES from Princeton University, follows up his theories

with some rather interesting proof. His theory neatly explains a lot of

things I could never understand before. He may not be 100% correct

but Ive never come across any other theory which so neatly fills in

gaps in my knowledge and beliefs.

Here is what JAYNES has to say:

He discovered that until around 3000 years ago the human race

was basically operating without consciousness as we know it. (Think

of the motor-car example above). We were operating on the same level

as monkeys and apes. Humans operated by mimicked or learned

reactions. Because mankind had a fairly large brain he was able to

develop an organized language. This was the basic working tool for

developing consciousness. (In his book JAYNES gives a spectacular

example of how you can train someone unconsciously, without

requiring any conscious awareness on their part).

Man was guided unconsciously by hallucinations which evolved

in the right hand side of the brain and were heard and acted upon

by the left hemisphere of the brain. He called this the bicameral or

two chamber mind. After the development of language human beings

became intelligent but automatically reacting animals who could not

only talk to each other, but who could evolve quite elaborate societies,


27/52

27

which were a definite cut above the nomadic wandering tribal

societies. Like most other animals, mankind still functioned on this

bicameral GUIDANCE SYSTEM without actually being conscious,

until around 1000BC.As society became more complex it evolved consciousness to

deal with the increasingly difficult problems. These days a human

mind can still be triggered back into a bicameral mode by extreme

stress, as it was some 3000 years ago. Sufficient stress causes a flick-

back into the bicameral automatic mode, where reactions replace

conscious thinking. That is, if a really stressful situation suddenly

happens to us, we react automatically.JAYNES states that ancient people learned to talk, write, read

and carry on private and professional activities while operating totally

in an unconscious mode.

As they were unconscious bicameral people they were incapable

of deceit, guilt or treachery. They were not able to form the conscious

ness desire to do these things. They had, like animals today, no

concept of the past or future. They were unable to commit suicide

because they could not form the conscious intention to do so. They

were guided by hallucinatory voices in their head (or very strong

impressions impelling them to act in a certain manner). Intelligent

animals today appear to act in a similar way!

With the development of language mankind evolved metaphors

and analogous comparisons. This caused him to be able to visualise

concepts that he had no direct experience of. As society grew more

complicated, the in-head voices and impressions were replaced with

the aforementioned concepts and from here on consciousness slowly

evolved.

Today most humans retain a small remnant of this bicameral

nature intended guidance system. SCHIZOPHRENICS drop back to

this bicameral state and hear voices in their head telling them what

to do. Some of these types even evolve their own fanatical religious

cults ......and attract like-minded schizophrenics to their flock. There


28/52

28

are plenty of examples of this today. Likewise, when a person is

hypnotized their conscious mind is suppressed and they revert to a

basic bicameral state. It is a fact of life that a major proportion of the

human race DO NOT LIKE OR WANT this artificially evolved thinkingmode called consciousness. In fact 70 - 80% of your local community

would pay you handsomely if you would help them revert back to an

unconscious bicameral state. That is, if you can supply TV, videos,

music or any other bicameral activity that does not require

consciousness, you have a marketable commodity.

Concentrate on one subject for more than 60 seconds. This can

be difficult because the mind wants to fantasize unrelated side issuesand welcomes distractions such as phone calls, etc. Think about all

this very carefully. If you understand how the bicameral mode works

you can easily avoid being controlled by others.

The basic idea of a civilization operating unconsciously seems

totally ridiculous, but JAYNES logic is hard to argue with.

People WANT to be directed.

Consciousness is a bore!

For a large percentage of people it is too much effort altogether.

That is why some of them watch the garbage on TV every

possible waking minute. These people are highly susceptible to

suggestion. That is, any suggestion that makes life easier for them. It

is a fact of life that each and every human being will do, at any given

time, that which makes them either the happiest, or the least

unhappiest. They may not be happy watching TV all day but theyd be

less happy if they had to go into a fully conscious mode and think

about life.

They are, in general, excellent hypnotic subjects. In fact, if you

understand how subliminal suggestion works you can easily influence

the actions of this type of person.

As an example of subliminal bicameral suggestion, suppose you

are in an office being interviewed for a job which is very critical to you.

You sense that the job is almost yours but you need some little thing


29/52

29

to swing it. Try muttering subliminally (under your breath) - I am the

best person for this job.... I am the best person for this job.... I am the

best person for this job.... etc. This is muttered BELOW audible

threshold. The interviewer cant hear you audibly, but hisSUBCONSCIOUS BICAMERAL MIND CAN: You are giving his

bicameral mind mode an instruction. This same principle was used in

American supermarkets where a message saying - I am honest - I do

not steal - was implanted BELOW the threshold of background music

and played constantly to the shoppers. Stealing was reduced by 10%

or more in some cases. It must have been fairly effective because

subliminal suggestion of this nature has now been banned by thegovernment.

When you combine the knowledge of subliminal suggestion and

bicameral theory together it begins to open up new doors for you - to

say the least.

The theory of the bicameral mind eliminated the missing link in

the evolution of mankind by discovering that consciousness, as we

know it, NEVER existed in the evolutionary process. JAYNES appears

to believe that consciousness was invented and evolved by mankind,

as an evolutionary necessity.

Young people are particularly susceptible to bicameral

influences. It is extremely easy to hypnotize a 7 or 8 year old as their

consciousness has not fully developed. Likewise, teenagers minds

(particularly impressionable young girls) can be nudged back into the

unconscious bicameral state by loud rhythmic sound, such as certain

types of beat music. Furthermore, the constant repetitive playing of

the lyrics in this music slowly but surely impinges itself on the

unconscious awareness while the mind is operating in this susceptible

bicameral state. The immature mind starts to accept the message in

the music as gospel truth. Now you understand why some kids go

off the rails for no apparent reason. The input into their minds has

not been monitored and screened sufficiently by their parents. Talk

about brainwashing!


30/52

30

Likewise crowd hysteria (as in religious revivalist meetings) can

cause susceptible minds to flick fairly permanently down into a

basic bicameral state where they believe anything they are told by

their Guru. This specific mental state tends to maintain (mainly dueto peer pressure and guilt) while they are under control of this guru or

authority. There are plenty of examples of this in our modern day

society. The authority or guru replaces the conscious mode of the

gullible mind, and acts in place of the original hallucinating voice

controlling the bicameral mode.

Some fringe religious cults control their subjects by making

them feel guilty and unworthy. Then they offer the victim a lifetimeof bicameral bliss, in exchange for control of their consciousness (and

money!) It never ceases to amaze me how many gullible people will

accept this.

The bottom line here is that the human consciousness evolution

has a very long way to go. We have only just started our journey. Our

thinking is still influenced by myths and folklore and it is likely to

take at least another 1000 years before weve attained control of the

most marvelous creation of all - our MIND!

KODA ON PSYCHOKINESIS

A lot of people reading about the Psychic Window Technique

have asked me for information

on telekinesis (moving objects with the mind). Since I have some

experience in this area, I thought I would tell you what I know.

The most important thing to understand is that it is possible.

Telekinesis is part of physical reality, just as telepathy is. The next

most important knowledge related to achieving success with this, or

any other human ability, is realizing that if one person can do it, any

normal person can do it, and that means you.


31/52

31

There is a prerequisite to achieving success in this endeavor,

and that is having the ability to relax completely and focus your

attention without distraction. In itself, concentration is one of the

easiest activities one can possibly perform. It is simply being aware ofone thing without distraction, and happens to an intense degree while

watching the exciting scenes of any motion picture, for example. In

actual practice it can be nearly impossible to maintain concentration

for any length of time due to the subconscious concerns of day to day

living. If you are going to practice the techniques described below, it

would be to your advantage to perform relaxation exercises prior to

beginning. After you have achieved success a few times the necessaryfocus can be reached quite easily.

I think of telekinesis as manipulating a sort of human magnetic

field around the body which can be concentrated in a specific area. (It

is probably possible to move objects at a greater distance but I have

no experience in doing so.) By concentrating this magnetic-like

energy in the fingers of one hand, I have been able to cause a metal

spoon balanced on the edge of a water glass to begin rocking back and

forth till it falls off the glass. I did this ten times a day just to stay in

practice for a period of two months about ten years ago (and caused a

lot of jaws to drop in restaurants in the process :). Since then I have

been too preoccupied with day to day life to really focus my attention

properly, and it has been hard to find a combination of a glass and

spoon which would balance properly, so I more or less gave up on

pursuing such a useless novelty. Lately my interest has been

growing again so I might start looking for a suitable object to resume

my practice, but all you really need to know is that it can be done,

and ordinary people like you can do it.

Using the analogy of magnetism is a good way to focus your

attention. You need to imagine a magnetic-like field around your

hand, and push your hand (or finger tips) into the magnetic field of

the object you want to move. (Such a field surrounds every object on

Earth.) When one magnetic field interacts with another it will either


32/52

32

push or pull against the other depending on the two magnetic field

polarities. Opposite fields attract, similar fields repel. By concentrating

on the belief that the field around my finger tips was very strong, I

could momentarily place my finger tips near the end of the spoonhandle and imagine it pushing against the magnetic field of the spoon,

causing the spoon handle to move downward slightly.

I would move my finger tips away to the side to let the spoon

handle move back upwards, then repeat the process by moving my

finger tips over the handle once more. This repeated movement of my

finger tips to the side then back over the handle slowly caused the

spoon to rock more and more till it would fall off the glass.You have to be careful not to move your hand up and down, at

least in the beginning, because the wind generated by the movement

of your hand could cause the spoon to move. You must also be careful

to note and breezes in the room from heating or air conditioning, since

your hand might block the breeze off and on and cause the spoon to

move accordingly. If you rest your elbow on the table while doing this,

be sure the table is VERY solidly positioned or you may accidentally

cause the table to rock slightly in a rhythmic way, which can also

cause the spoon to move.

The very first time I achieved this it took five hours of relentless

effort before I was sure I was actually doing it and that none of these

variables had been the cause. I thought I had succeeded after about

two hours, but continued the exercise because I wanted to be

absolutely certain I had succeeded in developing the ability. It should

not take you as long because I had no evidence at the time that it was

really possible, and no technique to work with that was known to

produce results. After that first time I could get it to work in less than

five minutes, and later could do it without major effort, knocking the

spoon off in less than a minute.

The WHAT you do here is obviously not nearly as important

as how you think while doing it. Psychic phenomena happens at a

non-verbal level of awareness. Your conscious thoughts only help


33/52

33

focus your attention. They dont do any of the work involved. While

imagining my finger tips pushing out strong magnetic fields I would

mentally think, uuunnnnnnnn, uuunnnnnnn each time I placed my

fingers over the spoon handle. But even then I did not put myattention on the word I was thinking. I actually tried to make the

intensity of the magnetic field drown out the word. When you do that

properly the uuunnnnnn actually goes away and instead you can

feel the magnetic field in your finger tips. If your attention is on the

thoughts you think you will not be able to maintain any consistent

results. Your thoughts direct your intent to the subconscious, which

then does what you HONESTLY EXPECT it to do. As far as I know thisis true in every type of psychic phenomena. Its not what you think,

but what you expect. Once you have achieved certainty that you have

the ability to do this, it is far easier to expect the results you want,

and less effort is required to achieve those results.

There is another preliminary exercise you can do in the

beginning to help focus your attention. Hold your hands together palm

to palm (as in prayer) and space them ever so slightly apart so they

nearly touch, but dont. You can feel the heat given off by each hand.

It is a very subtle sensation and you can indeed feel it. If you then

imagine that what you are feeling is actually the magnetic-like field

emanating from each hand, by moving your hands a bit closer

together you can feel the fields pushing against each other. When you

move your hands apart slightly, you can feel the pull of the fields.

I believe these fields actually exist, and that the subconscious is

aware of them. By concentrating your attention on your perception I

believe you are simply tuning into subconscious awareness. This isnt

all that unusual, since right now your subconscious is aware of

whether you are breathing in or out, and if you are leaning forward or

to one side slightly, etc. As soon as you think about it you become

consciously aware of subconscious awareness that was always just

below the surface. I am simply pointing out that psychic phenomena

is a subconscious process all of us experience constantly. We just


34/52

34

have to know what to look for and the awareness becomes instantly

available.

Telekinesis is easy. Just find something that is extremely easy

to move and with a little practice you too can amaze and entertainyour friends.

............................................................................................................

..........

The Magic Story

How the Magic Story was discovered....

I was sitting alone in the cafe and had just reached for the

sugar preparatory to putting it into my coffee. Outside, the weather

was hideous. Snow and sleet came swirling down, and the wind

howled frightfully. Every time the outer door opened, a draft of

unwelcome air penetrated the uttermost corners of the room. Still I

was comfortable.

The snow and sleet and wind conveyed nothing to me except an

abstract thanksgiving that I was where it could not affect me. While I

dreamed and sipped my coffee, the door opened and closed, and

admitted - Sturtevant. Sturtevant was an undeniable failure, but,

withal, an artist of more than ordinary talent. He had, however, fallen

into the rut traveled by neer-do-wells, and was out at the elbows as

well as insolvent.

As I raised my eyes to Sturtevants I was conscious of mild

surprise at the change in his appearance. Yet he was not dressed

differently. He wore the same threadbare coat in which he always

appeared, and the old brown hat was the same. And yet there was


35/52

35

something new and strange in his appearance. As he swished his hat

around to relieve it of the burden of snow deposited by the howling

norwester, there was something new in the gesticulation.

I could not remember when I had invited Sturtevant to dine withme, but involuntarily I beckoned to him. He nodded and presently

seated himself opposite to me. I asked him what he would have, and

he, after scanning the bill of fare carelessly, ordered from it leisurely,

and invited me to join him in coffee for two.

I watched him in stupid wonder, but, as I had invited the

obligation, I was prepared to pay for it, although I knew I hadnt

sufficient cash to settle the bill. Meanwhile I noticed the brightness ofhis usual lackluster eyes, and the healthful, hopeful glow upon his

cheek, with increasing amazement.

Have you lost a rich uncle? I asked. No, he replied, calmly,

but I have found my mascot. Brindle, bull or terrier? I inquired.

Currier, said Sturtevant, at length, pausing with his coffee cup half

way to his lips, I see that I have surprised you. It is not strange, for I

am a surprise to myself. I am a new man, a different man, - and the

alteration has taken place in the last few hours.

You have seen me come into this place broke many a time,

when you have turned away, so that I would think you did not see me.

I knew why you did that. It was not because you did not want to pay

for a dinner, but because you did not have the money to do it. Is that

your check? Let me have it. Thank you. I havent any money with me

tonight, but I, - well, this is my treat. He called the waiter to him,

and, with an inimitable flourish, signed his name on the backs of the

two checks, and waved him away.

After that he was silent for a moment while he looked into my

eyes, smiling at the astonishment which I in vain strove to conceal.

Do you know an artist who possess more talent than I? he asked,

presently. No. Do you happen to know anything in the line of my

profession that I could not accomplish, if I applied myself to it? No.

You have been a reporter for the dailies for - how many? - seven


36/52

36

or eight years. Do you remember when I ever had any credit until

tonight? No. Was I refused just now? You have seen for yourself.

Tomorrow my new career begins. Within a month I shall have a bank

account. Why? Because I have discovered the secret of success.Yes, he continued, when I did not reply, my fortune is made. I

have been reading a strange story, and since reading it, I feel that my

fortune is assured. It will make your fortune, too. All you have to do is

read it. You have no idea what it will do for you. Nothing is impossible

after you know that story. It makes everything as plain as ABC. The

very instant you grasp its true meaning, success is certain. This

morning I was a hopeless, aimless bit of garbage in the metropolitanash can; tonight I wouldnt change places with a millionaire. That

sounds foolish, but it is true. The millionaire has spent his

enthusiasm; mine is all at hand.

You amaze me, I said, wondering if he had been drinking

absinthe.

Wont you tell me the story? I should like to hear it.

Certainly. I mean to tell it to the whole world. It is really

remarkable that it should have been written and should remain in

print so long, with never a soul to appreciate it until now. This

morning I was starving. I hadnt any credit, nor a place to get a meal. I

was seriously thinking about suicide.

I had gone to three of the papers for which I had done work, and

had been handed back all that I had submitted. I had to choose

quickly between death by suicide and death slowly by starvation. Then

I found the story and read it. You can hardly imagine the

transformation. Why, my dear boy, everything changed at once, - and

there you are.

But what is the story, Sturtevant?

Wait; let me finish. I took those old drawings to other editors,

and every one of them was accepted at once. Can the story do for

others what it has done for you? For example, would it be of

assistance to me? I asked. Help you? Why not? Listen and I will tell


37/52

37

it to you, although, really, you should read it. Still I will tell it as best I

can. It is like this: you see, - - - The waiter interrupted us at that

moment. He informed Sturtevant that he was wanted on the

telephone, and with a word of apology, the artist left the table.Five minutes later I saw him rush out into the sleet and wind and

disappear. Within the recollection of the frequenters of that cafe,

Sturtevant had never before been called out by telephone. that, of

itself, was substantial proof of a change in his circumstances.

One night, on the street, I encountered Avery, a former college

chum, then a reporter on one of the evening papers. It was about a

month after my memorable interview with Sturtevant, which, by thattime, was almost forgotten.

Hello, old chap, he said; hows the world using you? Still on

space? Yes, I replied, bitterly, with prospects of being on the town,

shortly. But you look as if things were coming your way. Tell me all

about it.

Things have been coming my way, for a fact, and it is all

remarkable, when all is said. You know Sturtevant, dont you? Its all

due to him. I was plumb down on my luck, - thinking of the morgue

and all that, - looking for you, in fact, with the idea you would lend me

enough to pay my room rent, when I met Sturtevant. He told me a

story, and, really, old man, it is the most remarkable story you ever

heard; it made a new man out of me. Within twenty-four hours I was

on my feet and Ive hardly known a care or a trouble since.

Averys statement, uttered calmly, and with the air of one who

had merely pronounced an axiom, recalled to my mind the

conversation with Sturtevant in the cafe that stormy night, nearly a

month before. It must be a remarkable story, I said, increduously.

Sturtevant mentioned it to me once. I have not seen him since. Where

is he now? He has been making war sketches in Cuba, at two

hundred a week; hes just returned. It is a fact that everybody who

has heard the story has done well since. There are Cosgrove and

Phillips, - friends of mine, -you dont know them. Ones a real estate


38/52

38

agent; the others a brokers clerk, Sturtevant told them the story, and

they have experienced the same results that I have; and they are not

the only ones.

Do you know the story? I asked. Will you try its effect on me?Certainly; with the greatest pleasure in the world. I would like to have

it printed in big black type, and posted on the elevated stations

throughout New York. It certainly would do a lot of good, and its as

simple as A, B, C: like living on a farm. Excuse me a minute, will you?

I see Danforth over there. Back in a minute, old chap. If the truth be

told, I was hungry. My pocket at that moment contained exactly five

cents; just enough to pay my fare up-town, but insufficient also tostand the expense of filling my stomach.

There was a night owl wagon in the neighborhood, where I had

frequently stood up the purveyor of midnight dainties, and to him I

applied. He was leaving the wagon as I was on the point of entering it,

and I accosted him. Im broke again, I said, with extreme cordiality.

Youll have to trust me once more. Some ham and eggs, I think, will

do for the present. He coughed, hesitated a moment, and then re-

entered the wagon with me. Mr. Currier is good for anything he

orders he said to the man in charge; one of my old customers. This

is Mr. Bryan, Mr. Currier. He will take good care of you, and stand

for you, just the same as I would. The fact is, I have sold out. Ive just

turned over the outfit to Bryan. By the way, isnt Mr. Sturtevant a

friend of yours? I nodded.

I couldnt have spoken if I had tried. Well, continued the ex-

night owl man, he came in here one night, about a month ago, and

told me the most wonderful story I ever heard. Ive just bought a place

in Eighth Avenue, where I am going to run a regular restaurant - near

Twenty-third Street. Come and see me. He was out of the wagon and

the sliding door had been banged shut before I could stop him; so I

ate my ham and eggs in silence, and resolved that I would hear that

story before I slept. In fact, I began to regard it with superstition.


39/52

39

If it had made so many fortunes, surely it should be capable of

making mine. The certainty that the wonderful story - I began to

regard it as magic - was in the air, possessed me. As I started to walk

homeward, fingering the solitary nickel in my pocket andcontemplating the certainty of riding downtown in the morning, I

experienced the sensation of something stealthily pursuing me, as if

Fate were treading along behind me, yet never overtaking, and I was

conscious that I was possessed with or by the story.

When I reached Union Square, I examined my address book for

the home of Sturtevant. It was not recorded there. Then I remembered

the cafe in University Place, and, although the hour was late, itoccurred to me that he might be there. He was! In a far corner of the

room, surrounded by a group of acquaintances, I saw him. He

discovered me at the same instant, and motioned to me to join them

at the table. There was no chance for the story, however. There were

half a dozen around the table, and I was the furthest removed from

Sturtevant. But I kept my eyes upon him, and bided my time,

determined that, when he rose to depart, I would go with him.

A silence, suggestive of respectful awe, had fallen upon the

party when I took my seat. Everyone had seemed to be thinking, and

the attention of all was fixed upon Sturtevant. The cause was

apparent. He had been telling the story. I had entered the cafe just too

late to hear it. On my right, when I took my seat, was a doctor on my

left a lawyer. Facing me on the other side was a novelist with whom I

had some acquaintance. The others were artists and newspaper men.

Its too bad, Mr. Currier, remarked the doctor; you should

have come a little sooner, Sturtevant has been telling us a story; it is

quite wonderful, really. I say, Sturtevant, wont you tell that story

again, for the benefit of Mr. Currier? Why yes. I believe that Currier

has, somehow, failed to hear the magic story, although, as a matter of

fact, I think he was the first one to whom I mentioned it at all. It was

here, in this cafe, too, -at this very table.


40/52

40

Do you remember what a wild night that was, Currier? Wasnt I

called to the telephone, or something like that? To be sure! I

remember, now; interrupted just at the point when I was beginning

the story. After that I told it to three or four fellows, and it bracedthem up, as it had me. It seems incredible that a mere story can have

such a tonic effect upon the success of so many persons who are

engaged in such widely different occupations, but that is what it has

done. It is a kind of never-failing remedy, like a cough mixture that is

warranted to cure everything, from a cold in the head to galloping

consumption. There was Parsons, for example. He is a broker, you

know, and had been on the wrong side of the market for a month. Hehad utterly lost his grip, and was on the verge of failure. I happened to

meet him at the time he was feeling the bluest, and before we parted,

something brought me around to the subject of the story, and I related

it to him. It had the same effect on him as it had on me, and has had

on everybody who has heard it, as far as I know.

I think you will all agree with me, that it is not the story itself

that performs the surgical operation on the minds of those who are

familiar with it; it is the way it is told, -in print, I mean. The author

has, somehow, produced a psychological effect which is indescribable.

The reader is hypnotized. He receives a mental and moral tonic.

Perhaps, doctor, you can give some scientific explanation of the

influence exerted by the story. It is a sort of elixir manufactured out of

words, eh? From that the company entered upon a general

discussion of theories. Now and then slight references were made to

the story itself, and they were just sufficient to tantalize me, -the only

one present who had not heard it.

At length, I left my chair, and passing around the table, seized

Sturtevant by one arm, and succeeded in drawing him away from the

party. If you have any consideration for an old friend who is rapidly

being driven mad by the existence of that confounded story, which

Fate seems determined that I shall never hear, you will relate it to me

now, I said, savagely. Sturtevant stared at me in wild surprise. All


41/52

41

right, he said. The others will excuse me for a few moments, I think.

Sit down here, and you shall have it. I found it pasted in an old

scrapbook I purchased in Ann Street, for three cents and there isnt a

thing about it by which one can get any idea in what publication itoriginally appeared, or who wrote it. When I discovered it, I began

casually to read it, and in a moment I was interested. Before I left it, I

had read it through many times, so that I could repeat it almost word

for word. It affected me strangely, -as if I had come in contact with

some strong personality.

There seems to be in the story a personal element that applies

to every one who reads it. Well, after I had read it several times, Ibegan to think it over. I couldnt stay in the house, so I seized my coat

and hat and went out. I must have walked several miles, buoyantly,

without realizing that I was the same man, who, in only a short time

before, had been in the depths of despondency. That was the day I

met you here, -you remember. We were interrupted at that instant by

a uniformed messenger, who handed Sturtevant a telegram. It was

from his chief, and demanded his instant attendance at the office. The

sender had already been delayed an hour, and there was no help for

it; he must go at once. Too bad! said Sturtevant, rising and

extending his hand.

Tell you what Ill do, old chap. Im not likely to be gone any

more than an hour or two. You take my key and wait for me in my

room. In the escritoire near the window you will find an old scrapbook

bound in rawhide. It was manufactured, I have no doubt, by the

author of the magic story. Wait for me in my room until I return.

I found the book without difficulty. It was a quaint, home-made

affair, covered, as Sturtevant had said, with rawhide, and bound with

leather thongs. The pages formed an odd combination of yellow paper,

vellum and homemade parchment. I found the story, curiously printed

on the last-named material. It was quaint and strange.

Evidently, the printer had set it under the supervision of the

writer. The phraseology was an unusual combination of seventeenth


42/52

42

and eighteenth century mannerisms, and the interpolation of italics

and capitals could have originated in no other brain than that of its

author. In reproducing the following story, the peculiarities of type,

etc. are eliminated, but in other respects it remains unchanged.

The Magic Story (Author unknown)

Inasmuch as I have evolved from my experience the one great

secret of success for all worldly undertakings, I deem it wise, now that

the number of my days is nearly counted, to give to the generationsthat are to follow me the benefit of whatsoever knowledge I possess. I

do not apologize for the manner of my expression, nor for the lack of

literary merit, the latter being, I won, its own apology. Tools much

heavier than the pen have been my portion, and moreover, the weight

of years has somewhat palsied the hand and brain; nevertheless, the

fact I can tell, and what I deem the meat within the nut. What

mattereth it, in what manner the shell be broken, so that the meat be

obtained and rendered useful? I doubt not that I shall use, in the

telling, expressions that have clung to my memory since childhood;

for, when men attain the number of my years, happenings of youth

are like to be clearer to their perceptions than are events of recent

date; nor doth it matter much how a thought is expressed, if it be

wholesome and helpful, and findeth the understanding.

Much have I wearied my brain anent the question, how best to

describe this recipe for success that I have discovered, and it seemeth

advisable to give it as it came to me; that is, if I relate somewhat of the

story of my life, the directions for agglomerating the substances, and

supplying the seasoning for the accomplishment of the dish, will

plainly be perceived. Happen they may; and that men may be born

generations after I am dust, who will live to bless me for the words I

write.


43/52

43

My father, then, was a seafaring man who, early in life, forsook

his vocation, and settled on a plantation in the colony of Virginia,

where, some years thereafter, I was born, which event took place in

the year 1642; and that was over a hundred years ago. Better for myfather had it been, had he hearkened to the wise advice of my mother,

that he remain in the calling of his education; but he would not have

it so, and the good vessel he captained was bartered for the land I

spoke of. Here beginneth the first lesson to be acquired:----

Man should not be blinded to whatsoever merit exists in the

opportunity which he hath in hand, remembering that a thousand

promises for the future should weigh as naught against thepossession of a single piece of silver.

When I had achieved ten years, my mothers soul took flight, and two

years thereafter my worthy father followed her. I, being their only

begotten, was left alone; howbeit, there were friends who, for a time,

cared for me; that is to say, they offered me a home beneath their roof,

- a thing which I took advantage of for the space of five months. From

my fathers estate there came to me naught; but, in the wisdom that

came with increasing years, I convinced myself that his friend, under

whose roof I lingered for some time, had defrauded him, and therefore

me.

Of the time from the age of twelve and a half until I was three

and twenty, I will make no recital here, since that time hath naught to

do with this tale; but some time after, having in my possession the

sum of sixteen guineas, ten, which I had saved from the fruits of my

labor, I took ship to Boston town, where I began to work first as a

cooper, and thereafter as a ships carpenter, although always after the

craft was docked; for the sea was not amongst my desires.

Fortune will sometimes smile upon an intended victim because

of pure perversity of temper. Such was one of my experiences. I

prospered, and at seven and twenty, owned the yard wherein, less

than four years earlier, I had worked for hire. Fortune, howbeit, is a


44/52

44

jade who must be coerced; she will not be coddled. Here beginneth the

second lesson to be acquired:

Fortune is ever elusive, and can only be retained by force. Deal

with her tenderly and she will forsake you for a stronger man. (In that,me- thinks, she is not unlike other women of my knowledge.) About

this time, Disaster (which is one of the heralds of broken spirits and

lost resolve), paid me a visit. Fire ravaged my yards, leaving me

nothing in its blackened paths but debts, which I had not the coin

wherewith to defray. I labored with my acquaintances, seeking

assistance for a new start, but the fire that had burned my

competence, seemed also to have consumed their sympathies. So ithappened, within a short time, that not only had I lost all, but I was

hopelessly indebted to others; and for that they cast me into prison. It

is possible that I might have rallied from my losses but for this last

indignity, which broke down my spirits so that I became utterly

despondent. Upward of a year I was detained within the gaol; and,

when I did come forth, it was not the same hopeful, happy man,

content with his lot, and with confidence in the world and its people,

who had entered there.

Life has many pathways, and of them by far the greater number

lead downward. Some are precipitous, others are less abrupt; but

ultimately, no matter at what inclination the angle may be fixed, they

arrive at the same destination, - failure. And here beginneth the third

lesson:

Failure exists only in the grave. Man, being alive, hath not yet

failed; always he may turn about and ascend by the same path he

descended by; and there may be one that is less abrupt (albeit longer

of achievement), and more adaptable to his condition. When I came

forth from prison, I was penniless. In all the world I possessed naught

beyond the poor garments which covered me, and a walking stick

which the turnkey had permitted me to retain, since it was worthless.

Being a skilled workman, howbeit, I speedily found employment


45/52

45

at good wages; but, having eaten of the fruit of worldly advantage,

dissatisfaction possessed me. I became morose and sullen; whereat, to

cheer my spirits, and for the sake of forgetting the losses I had

sustained, I passed my evenings at the tavern. Not that I drankovermuch of liquor, except on occasion (for I have ever been somewhat

abstemious), but that I could laugh and sing, and parry wit and

badinage with my neer-do-well companions; and here might be

included the fourth lesson:

Seek comrades among the industrious, for those who are idle

will sap your energies from you.

It was my pleasure at that time to relate, upon slightprovocation, the tale of my disasters, and to rail against the men

whom I deemed to have wronged me, because they had seen fit not to

come to my aid. Moreover, I found childish delight in filching from my

employer, each day, a few moments of the time for which he paid me.

Such a thing is less honest than downright theft.

This habit continued and grew upon me until the day dawned

which found me not only without employment, but also without

character, which meant that I could not hope to find work with any

other employer in Boston town.

It was then that I regarded myself a failure. I can liken my

condition at that time for naught more similar than that of a man

who, descending the steep side of a mountain, loses his foothold. The

farther he slides, the faster he goes. I have also heard this condition

described by the word Ishmaelite, which I understand to be a man

whose hand is against everybody, and who thinks that the hands of

every other man are against him; and here beginneth the fifth lesson:

The Ishmaelite and the leper are the same, since both are

abominations in the sight of man, - albeit they differ much, in that the

former may be restored to perfect health. The former is entirely the

result of imagination; the latter has poison in his blood. I will not

discourse at length upon the gradual degeneration of my energies. It is

not meet ever to dwell much upon misfortunes (which saying is also


46/52

46

worthy of remembrance). It is enough if I add that the day came where

I possessed naught wherewith to purchase food and raiment, and I

found myself like unto a pauper, save at infrequent times when I

could earn a few pence, or mayhap, a shilling. Steady employment Icould not secure, so I became emancipated in body, and naught but

skeleton in spirit.

My condition, then, was deplorable; not so much for the body,

be it said, as for the mental part of me, which was

concepts from the edge volume 1

Documents