Carrington - Your Psychic Powers and How to Develop Them

THE GATES OF DAWN

HEREWARD CARRINGTON

YOUR PSYCHIC POWERS
AND HOW TO DEVELOP THEM

The following book, Your Psychic Powers: and How to Develop Them, was originally written for circulation semi-privately among the members of a number of psychical and spiritualistic Societies in New York and vicinity, and is, for that reason, decidedly positive and spiritistic in tone. It states facts dogmatically, and does not attempt to defend the statements made by any show of argument. The reader is asked to bear in mind, throughout, the following: (1) That the present work does not necessarily represent my own views in all respects, but rather the teachings which are generally accepted regarding the facts. That is to say, I have merely endeavoured to state the traditional and accepted theories, without in all cases endorsing these views myself. (2) For this reason, those who might be apt to criticise certain views advanced in this book, and brand them as rankly credulous, quacky or spiritualistic, are hereby warned that they are deprived of that weapon, for the simple reason that, as before said, the teachings put forward do not in every case represent my own views, but the traditional and accepted ones, which are more or less prevalent in psychical and spiritualistic circles; and I have been careful, in nearly all such cases, to state that it is taught, or we are told, or words to that effect. I have summarized these teachings; and the reader must use his own judgment in selecting those which appeal to his reason and common senate,while attempting to follow them, and while developing his own psychic powers.

So much evidence has been accumulated, of late years, tending to prove the persistence of individual human consciousness after death, that I have tentatively, and for the sake of argument, adopted the spiritistic hypothesis throughout the present work. I have assumed that a spiritual world exists, and that it is possible, at certain times, and under certain conditions, to get into touch with that world, through the instrumentality of certain peculiarly endowed individuals, known as psychics or mediums. The fact once granted, innumerable interesting possibilities present themselves,as well as many phenomena which call for solution. I have endeavoured, in the present volume, to offer tentative theories and explanations of such facts, and to make plain what might conceivably happen, once the main theory were accepted. It is with these thoughts in mind that I have spoken of spirits throughout, as actually existing and communicating. This at least is the appearance of the phenomena. Psychical Research seems to be tending more and more towards an acceptance of the spiritistic interpretation of the facts; and it is because of thisand with the possibility of the ultimate acceptance of this interpretationthat I have adopted, throughout the present volume,tentatively, as before said, and for the sake of argument,the correctness of the spiritistic view,and have proceeded throughout upon this assumption. Whatever the ultimate interpretation of the phenomena may prove to be, this is, it seems to me, at least warranted by the newer researches and conclusions in this field.

It must be distinctly understood, however, that I believe the vast bulk of the material contained in this book to be sound and helpful; the practical instructions are good, and the reader cannot go far wrong in following them. I at least wish him success in his efforts! May he develop his own psychic powers, and gain light and understanding thereby!

H. C.

YOUR PSYCHIC POWERS

EVERY student of psychicsevery one who has experienced phenomena of one kind or another, or who is more or less mediumistic,desires to know how to develop his own powers and faculties so that the phenomena which come through him may be increased in power, in clearness and in excellence. It is quite possible to insure thissince we are all more or less mediumistic or psychic, and need only to cultivate our powers in order to develop them, and bring them to maturity. Development will differ, according to the character of the phenomena that we desire. Those who desire physical phenomena must develop in one way; those who desire to obtain automatic writing must develop in another; those who wish to become clairvoyant must develop in still another, and so on.

To begin:let me give a few general hints to those who have experienced spontaneous phenomena in their waking state, or who have experienced remarkable dreams, which they feel signify somethingbut just what, they do not understand. These spontaneous phenomena are often the simplest types of mediumship, though as a matter of fact they are also an indication of psychic power, having but little to do with true mediumistic messages,that is, they are the result of remarkable powers within ourselves. All who obtain phenomena of this nature should make it a point, first of all, to maintain the physical health at the highest possible standard, so that the energies are not drained, and the body remains healthy and the mind clear in its judgment. It is essential to reduce the amount of any stimulants which may be taken to the lowest possible quantity, or, if possible, omit them altogether. This applies not only to alcohol in all its forms, but also to tea and coffee. These stimulants excite the nerves and the imagination, and often induce manifestations which are not true psychic phenomena at all, but merely the results of a disordered nervous system. The subject should not eat too much meat. On the other hand, fruits of all kinds, particularly acid fruits,such as the pear, peach, plum, orange and lemon,are especially suitable, since the juices of these fruits act upon the liver and tend to cleanse the blood. Of course, these precautions are only for those who are serious in their study, and who are determined to obtain the best possible phenomena.

The mind should be exercised in all healthy channels. Do not introspect or reflect too much on your own inner, mental conditions. You must learn to live outside your head, so to speak,in the outer world. Do not constantly wonder what is going on within your own brain. If you do, you will surely lead yourself into difficulties later on. In short, you should lead a healthy, active life, and, between those times when you experience phenomena, you should think about them, as applied to yourself, as little as possible.

If you desire to obtain certain manifestations, it is not advisable to sit for them or try and obtain them for longer than twenty (20) minutes to half an hour each day. At first five or ten minutes would suffice, and this time can gradually be lengthened as you progress. This is especially important; and the neglect of this rule is one of the great reasons for the dangers which mediums experience later on in their development. Suppose, for example, that some one appeared to you and gave you certain advice as to your course of action. It would certainly be unwise for you to follow this advice in every case, without inquiring whether or not it would be just and sensible, and without using your own judgment when the advice was given. Even supposing that the person who appeared to you were