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Ch. 6: Crystal Balls and Gazing

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CRYSTAL BALLS AND CRYSTAL GAZING 211
this matter there is considerable difference of opinion, for, while some experimenters assert that the interposi­tion of a magnifying-glass enlarges the image, others have not remarked any difference in its size under these conditions. Indeed, one of the most critical witnesses, Mrs. A. W. Verrall, declares that her vision entirely disappeared when she held a magnifying-glass before her eyes. On the other hand, we have the case of a subject who had been told, while in the hypnotic state, that he would see a play-bill on the crystal. When he was awak­ened and the crystal ball was placed before him, he said that he could see only detached letters, but when he looked through a magnifying-glass he saw all the letters distinctly and read the name of the play, in perfect accord with the suggestion.48
This image may have been reflected from some part of the room where the gazer had not noticed it, and may have been either before or behind the operator. The magnifying-glass would naturally make the small, con­densed letters legible, as aplay-bill would be many times larger than a crystal ball, and its minute image natu­rally too small to read, being reduced by the circular surface.
Usually, however, the image is not on the surface of the crystal, but in the beholder's eye; therefore when this image appears more clearly under magnification, the result is due to the expectation of the gazer based upon his experience of an invariable rule. This acts as a stimulus upon the visual function, which must be in an exceedingly sensitive state to produce visions at all. When, however, no result or a negative result fol­lows the use of the glass, then we can safely assume that
" Proc. of the Soe. for Psych. Research, vol. viii, p. 473.
Ch. 6: Crystal Balls and Gazing Page of 467 Ch. 6: Crystal Balls and Gazing
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