E.S.P. upon Pluto

conclusion

by Deep Bora

Table of Contents
Part 2 appeared
in issue 67.

Time went through the process of unmeasured and uncounted passage as they continued delving deeper into higher knowledge and relevancies of subjects which the professor brought up.

“Such was the development during those ages that even animals were supposed to possess the ability of E.S.P. As an example, take the instance of garden or domesticated prairie foxes, during the early 1600’s. Well, there is no conclusive proof of what I state here, though Earth records retrieved from Moon stations in the 26th century definitely provide confirmations.

“These prairie foxes almost always developed strong hibernation fortress like houses within upper branches of wild trees — carrying on the process of life sustenance — extended for months altogether into the monsoon season, emerging yet again to frolic upon the gardens of Earth for a time span exceeding a month during those autumns, prior to the winters.”

“Professor, it was rumoured, well... I sorted out certain minute information from Earth records earlier, on my last tenure upon Moon Advanced Space Research Lab — that Earth butterflies during those ages, normally existed for the brief span of one day at the most. Such a time span consisted of their morning, afternoon, evening and night!” The driver astronaut joined in.

“You’re correct.”

“Their sizes did not exceed few centimetres, or inches at the most — the majority of Earth butterflies, then.”

“Can we ever accustom ourselves to such transformations, which have occurred through the centuries?” Another space personnel added in.

“Are we undergoing the process of accustoming ourselves, in this century?” A scientist.

“Well, our present-day butterflies measure in excess of few feet and are vegetarian, herbivorous: these are harmless, really.” A different tone. A different scientist lady.

* * *

“Meanwhile, allow me to add here with total regard to the matter under consideration, E.S.P. is a human, non-psychic related terminology,and attainable by any member of our human race, provided the person is capable of maintaining rational and proper development of his or her individual, personal psychological traits. Further now, I would be concluding our discussions for the present, prior to our rather late lunch.” The professor’s voice trailed away.

“Professor, would you therefore include your previously stated terminology related to the human psyche as ‘keeping your senses alert’, well, does this exercise form part of E.S.P.?” The single scientist from Earth Forward Space Research lab spoke up quickly.

“Totally alert at all times, even while you sleep! My dears, there are exercises of the physique, of the mind and the physical which help you to train yourself in achieving extrasensory perception. There are other exercises which help you in keeping totally alert at all times such that it becomes a part of you! You do not feel it for you are totally alert, even while you sleep. This is just a beginning of several exercises which lead you to maintain E.S.P., though not the actual extrasensory perception.

“I shall delve into such exercises to help train your mind and body tomorrow. Remember, you have been scrutinised and selected from amongst millions of humans for this day. Bringing yourselves at par with readiness to acquire E.S.P. is for now. Maintaining E.S.P. is for later times.”

The outer space personnel were beginning to realise the gravity of the situation by then.

“That is impossible.” The outer space astronaut deputed from Mars stations exclaimed in a whisper. His comment created a further rush of questions stopped briefly at first and then totally upon realisation. The professor... if he maintained the human trait of E.S.P., well, he was totally alert through his life! How was it possible?

“Perhaps, you remain at total alert conditions in a normal attitude. It may be as simple as breathing or speaking.” The senior cosmonaut from Pluto was deputed to partake in this excursion as a standby. He was advised to hear only. Yet he was unable to restrain his speech as realisation hit his senses. He was aware why exactly E.S.P. was included into their itinerary at such an advanced time dimension of the fiftieth century.

“You want to train us into acquiring E.S.P., especially after the extraterrestrials have been in touch with us!” The third lady scientist spoke up, almost as if reading the latter’s mind and his thoughts. Needless to mention, it was an coincidence.

* * *

The professor allowed few more minutes of introspection elapse in silence before commencing again in the same tones.

“As an example, allow me to demonstrate the wonders of extrasensory perception; and remember, this is one simple exercise by means of which you may develop one of the lower aspects of extrasensory perception. Yes, my dears! There exist several definitions of types of E.S.P. ranging from lower, medium and higher forms of E.S.P..

“You must also believe me when I state herein that there are millions and thousands of exercises which one must practice — both short and lengthy exercises — prior to commencement of attaining E.S.P.! Now, it is evident that one cannot possibly experience millions or even thousands of such exercises. Many such exercises deal with the mind and gaining mind power while conversely, very many of these exercises deal with development of the physique though related with higher mental progress.”

The professor waited for his words to be absorbed by the members present within the Pluto car as he shifted his directional view towards the farthest end of the horizon. “Evidently, therefore, one must accept those several amongst innumerable exercises — determining both mental progress and physical prowess — to continue on towards achieving extrasensory perception!”

He shifted his gaze to the lady scientist once again, knowing very well his abrupt behavior earlier into their verbal sorties was thoroughly comprehended by now. Her wise looks signified just that, and it was confirmed by her interplanetary lady companion’s even gaze as she looked at him steadily, unwaveringly.

“Do it like this.” He continued, eyeing them one by one at various time intervals. “This is the lowest form of E.S.P. which I can conceivably teach to you and it was the very basis of human awareness in times long gone, perhaps by the time of 600 B.C. of ancient Earth, when this form of sensory perception was determined very necessary.

“This exercise delves into unknown possibilities becoming truer than fact, and the forest area or the jungles are a conceivably favorable place if you are really sincere in your efforts and are willing to accept my advice and directions.

“You have to be prepared to perceive, sort of know the approaching footsteps of the individual who may be out of sight from you and perhaps around the next corner. The exercise itself shall take any time from six months to two years of Earth time for you to perfect, depending upon your seriousness. If you practice with seriousness, you shall learn faster.

“In the silence of the jungle try to think of the approaching person who may be approaching you from any distance though hidden from view by trees, plants and the thick jungle shrub. In the daylight hours of any Earth day — or Mars, Pluto or even a Jupiter day — you have to will yourself to perceive the silent yet sure approaching footsteps which you shall never hear with ordinary hearing prowess, even if the person were to stand right next to you!

“The same shall be stated to be true if the approaching person were expecting you, for he or she would never ever hear your footsteps either. You must concentrate as never before as you wait or walk forward to the sounds of the jungle filtering through your ears and you decipher every sound produced therein. You quickly reject those unwanted forest sounds which hinder your true perception at this time — that of the approaching person’s footsteps whom you cannot hear — mainly because the thick mossy carpet-like floor of the forest absorbs all sounds made by footsteps.”

The professor waited with bated breath as the ever so silent whispering purrs of a totally silent air-conditioning machine cooled them yet further, making clothes feel like ice cubes applied upon one’s skin. “The whispering birds seated high above upon branches reveal no iota of those anticipated sounds. for you do not know their bird language. The smaller and harmless animals creeping and crawling at safe distances from you do not provide any link to the person now perhaps standing or walking near to you. Yet you must concentrate quietly all the time as you, too, stealthily walk forward along unknown paths of the jungle.

“You have got to hear above the normal receptive-decibels of human ears and most of all perceive the approaching footsteps, which you are concentrating upon as sunlight peeps in brightly through the foliage and assists your path through the well-lit forested area underneath. Remember, you are all attention to approaching footsteps: the sound produced by an approaching stranger towards you over thickly carpeted forest floors. The only difference here is that you are unable to hear such footsteps.

“You walk forward towards what you think to be the correct source of those sounds without awareness or audible assistance. You also do not have high-tech gadgets to assist you in this operation. Simply put, your only source of perception is your mind and your body!

“Now, as you walk forward or sideways forward, you perceive the approaching footsteps as if you have heard this sound in your mind’s ears! No, here you do not hear through your ears, rather you have perceived through your mind-ear the approaching person’s footsteps and sure as anything, lo and behold, you get that very strong feeling that the person is near, very near enough as you stand still awaiting for him or her to show up.

“Standing calmly, you face the now certain direction — a hitherto uncertain direction earlier — and coolly await the person’s appearance within visible distance. The feeling grows intense and you cannot hold the desire to shout out ‘Hello’. Both you and the sparring partner are aware of the exercise which is being carried out and therefore, calling out denoting signals of self-justification is normal.

“However, you find out to your dismay that no such human ever appears in front of you, and the same can be stated as true for your other partner in training. Much later on, within the previously determined five hundred square feet of jungle area you later find to your chagrin that both of you were standing with your backs to each other and that, too, at the opposite ends of the rough square formation comprising of 500 square feet of jungle or forest area!

“No, do not stumble in your progress. Be confident and do not allow doubt to creep upon your prowess. This only means that you have got to practice again and again until your perception of approaching and unheard footsteps in the vastness of the jungles correctly and accurately brings you within few feet of the other person. You have to be as concentrative as you can without hurting your head and psyche, because otherwise only headaches shall form the end result of over- or hard concentration.

“One cannot develop overconcentration, you see; one can only develop concentration to the limits of one’s mind, and beyond those limits only the highly trained minds can attain just that: concentration of the unusual kind, and these are the ones who can achieve the impossible too.

“Now returning to our topic, you have to train yourself in this manner until your personal-verification sensory mind relays to you definitely that the approaching person is very near to you, perhaps at a distance of few feet at the most. You must come to terms with yourself and avoid conflicting thoughts and actions as you seek this form of extrasensory perception in the midst of well-lit jungles and forests.

“Even if you were to succeed in one attempt, you must nevertheless, try again and again. You shall soon find that the very next time you do not succeed. Let that not deter you for there is ample time at hand. From six months at the minimum to two years at maximum time limits.

“Soon you shall find that your mind and your thoughts are true to your actions as again and again you repeatedly ‘find’ your play-opponent in a make-believe yet most serious of all sparring duels. You shall determine that every time you venture out to ‘hear’ the approaching but unheard footsteps of an approaching ‘opponent’, you successfully find that person —camouflaged from jungle view — yet assuredly, within the next five second approach view nevertheless; and in practicality! You can therefore later on wait in confidence for the person to unknowingly walk up to you.

“This, my dears, is the very basic and primary form of extrasensory perception. However, one has got to start somewhere and at some point in one’s life.” The professor beamed around once again, the mug of Martian coffee still held delicately.

“Professor, are there any strings attached to acquiring this form of basic E.S.P.?” The lady scientist quickly took the cue and spoke up for the others. Evidently they were all dumbfounded. One does not meet the professor and simply accept lessons on the most cherished thing in the worlds! The most cherished and secret art in the universe: Extrasensory Perception.

“Yes, there are conditions attached and closely associated before, during and after you commence upon these exercises. This is a secret art and thoroughly preserved in its finesse. You are therefore sworn to secrecy in the following manner: those who involve themselves in exercises related to acquiring of E.S.P. and other higher methods, must not brag of their personal ‘levels’; rather one must not boast of these skills. One must quietly accept these extrasensory perceptive mind-powers and be content about it seriously.

If one were to boast about such mental powers, one shall loose all these powers and let me tell you straight this one time: reclaiming such lost mental power is not advisable and not possible, either. Once you lose your extrasensory perceptive powers you shall not be able to develop them again. Therefore, my advice to you as sincere learners of the most secret art of our universe is: do not tell everyone or boast of your mind powers except to the sincere learners, your partners in progress!

“Oh yes! another fact. You cannot utilise these powers to cause evil or bad influence upon others, for even if you were to do so, you shall nearly immediately find yourself at the receiving end of your own evil designs. I can vouch for that and assure you at any time, whether upon Earth or Pluto. You are advised to carry out your practice for your personal gain and to develop your personal level of the mind. Surely you shall agree with me that the laws of this universe are well balanced.”

In unison, they began to look away and ahead from under the shade of the rock hill, from inside an ambient, comfortable climate to reeling and scorching heat outside, though unfelt.

A mirage was beginning to work its way into their general direction, commencing with variant air levels at their left and gradually inching its way across towards their vehicle. From their obtuse view angle, they were beginning to distinguish faint traces of a desert lake wide enough to accommodate them all and the sight appealed to them— even if it was out of their itinerary. A swim in cold waters in the middle of a desert upon Pluto’s second moon soils seemed not such a bad idea after all.

“Forty-six desert miles ahead, sirs.” The driver’s voice sounded quick and sure. He counted off miles to the precise inch from readings obtained from the computer radar binoculars, located at the consoles. “Shall I, my lady?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t know. It’s the professor’s decision. I’ve never swum in Pluto Moon waters. Not even in imported waters back upon Earth. There are so many imported pools in our home planet!” The lady astronaut replied. A colleague’s decent reply.