,,metapsychical ,,phenomena ,all rights reserved ,,metapsychical ,,phenomena ,,methods ,,and ,,observations ,,by ,j4 ,,maxwell ,doctor of ,medicine ,deputy-,attorney-,general at the ,court of ,appeal1 ,bordeaux1 ,france ,,with ,a ,,preface ,,by ,,charles ,,richet ,member of the ,academy of ,medicine ,professor of ,physiology in the ,faculty of ,medicine1 ,paris ,,and ,,an ,,introduction ,,by ,,sir ,,oliver ,,lodge ,also with a ,new ,chapter containing #8,a ,,complex ,,case1' ,,by ,,professor ,,richet ,,and ,,an ,,account ,,of #8,,some ,,recently ,,observed ,,phenomena' ,,by ,,the ,,translator ,l4 ,i4 ,,finch ,,london ,,duckworth and ,,co4 #c ,,henrietta ,,street1 ,w4,c4 #aije ,,note ,,by ,,the ,,translator ,the ,translator has to thank sincerely a literary friend1 a well-known ,english clergyman1 who has been kind enough to revise the translation1 and suggest many improvements4 ,,introduction ,asked by my friends in ,france to introduce the author1 ,dr4 ,maxwell1 to ,english readers1 ,i willingly consented1 for ,i have reason to know that he is an earnest and indefatigable student of the phenomena for the investigation of which the ,society for ,psychical ,research was constituted2 and not only an earnest student1 but a sane and competent observer1 with rather special qualifications for the task4 ,a gentleman of independent means1 trained and practising as a lawyer at ,bordeaux1 ,deputy ,attorney-,general1 in fact1 at the ,court of ,appeal1 he supplemented his legal training by going through a full six years' medical curriculum1 and graduated ,m4,d4 in order to pursue psycho-physiological studies with more freedom1 and to be able to form a sounder and more instructed judgment on the strange phenomena which came under his notice4 ,moreover1 he was fortunate in enlisting the services of one who appears to be singularly gifted in the supernormal direction1 an educated and interested friend1 who is anxious to preserve his anonymity1 but is otherwise willing to give every assistance in his power towards the production and elucidation of the unusual things which occur in his presence and apparently through his agency4 ,in all this they have been powerfully assisted by ,professor ,charles ,richet1 the distinguished physiologist of ,paris1 whose name and fame are almost as well known in this country as in his own1 and who gave the special evening lecture to the ,british ,association on the occasion of its semi-international meeting at ,dover in #ahii4 ,in ,france it so happens that these problems have been attacked chiefly by biologists and medical men1 whereas in this country they have attracted the attention chiefly1 though not exclusively1 of physicists and chemists among men of science4 ,this gives a desirable diversity to the point of view1 and adds to the value of the work of the ,french investigators4 ,another advantage they possess is that they have no arrire-pense towards religion or the spiritual world4 ,frankly1 ,i expect they would confess themselves materialists1 and would disclaim all sympathy with the view of a number of enthusiasts in this country1 who have sought to make these ill-understood facts the basis for a kind of religious cult in which faith is regarded as more important than knowledge1 and who contemn the attitude of scientific men1 even of those few who really seek to observe and understand the phenomena4 ,from ,dr4 ,maxwell's observations1 so far1 there arises no theory which he feels to be in the least satisfactory3 the facts are recorded as observed1 and though theoretical comments are sometimes attempted in the text1 they are admittedly tentative and inadequate3 we know nothing at present which will suffice to weld the whole together into a comprehensive and comprehensible scheme4 ,but for the theoretical discussion of such phenomena the work of ,mr4 ,myers on ,human ,personality is of course far more thorough and ambitious than the semi-popular treatment in the present book4 ,and in the matter of history also1 the ,english reader1 familiar with the writings of ,mr4 ,andrew ,lang and ,mr4 ,podmore1 will not attribute much importance to the few historical remarks of the present writer4 ,he claims consideration as an observer of exceptional ability and scrupulous fairness1 and his work is regarded with the greatest interest by workers in this field throughout the world4 ,there is one thing which ,dr4 ,maxwell does not do4 ,he does not record his facts according to the standard set up by the ,society for ,psychical ,research in this country3 that is to say1 he does not give a minute account of all the details1 nor does he relate the precautions taken1 nor seek to convince hostile critics that he has overlooked no possibility1 and made no mistakes4 ,discouraged by previous attempts and failures in this direction1 he has regarded the task as impossible1 and has not attempted it4 ,he has satisfied himself with three things3-- #ast4 ,to train himself long and carefully as an observer2 #bnd4 ,to learn from1 and be guided by1 the phenomena as they occur1 without seeking unduly to coerce them2 #crd4 ,to give a general account of the impression made upon him by the facts as they appeared4 ,for the rest1 he professes himself indifferent whether his assertions meet with credence or not4 ,he has done his best to test the phenomena for himself1 regarding them critically1 and not at all in a spirit of credulity2 and he has endangered his reputation by undertaking what he regards as a plain duty1 that of setting down under his own name1 for the world to accept or reject as it pleases1 a statement of the experiences to which he has devoted so much time and attention1 and of the actuality of which1 though he in no way professes to understand them1 he is profoundly convinced4 ,equally convinced of their occurrence is ,professor ,richet1 who has had an opportunity of observing many of them1 and he too regards them from the same untheoretical and empirical point of view2 but he has explained his own attitude in a ,preface to the ,french edition1 as ,dr4 ,maxwell has explained his in #8,preliminary ,remarks1'--both of which are here translated--so there is no need to say more2 beyond this3-- ,the particular series of occurrences detailed in these pages ,i myself have not witnessed4 ,i may take an opportunity of seeing them before long2 but though that will increase my experience1 it will not increase my conviction that things like some of these can and do occur1 and that any other patient explorer who had the same advantages and similar opportunity for observation1 would undergo the same sort of experience1 that is to say1 would receive the same sensory impressions1 however he might choose to interpret them4 ,that is what the scientific world has gradually to grow accustomed to4 ,these things happen under certain conditions1 in the same sense that more familiar things happen under ordinary conditions4 ,what the conditions are that determine the happening is for future theory to say4 ,dr4 ,maxwell is convinced that such things can happen without anything that can with any propriety whatever be called fraud2 sometimes under conditions so favourable for observation as to preclude the possibility of deception of any kind4 ,some of them1 as we know well1 do also frequently happen under fraudulent and semi-fraudulent conditions2 but those who take the easy line of assuming that hyper-ingenious fraud and extravagant self-deception are sufficient to account for the whole of the facts1 will ultimately1 ,i think1 find themselves to have been deceived by their own a priori convictions4 ,nevertheless we may agree that at present the ,territory under exploration is not yet a scientific ,state4 ,we are in the pre-,newtonian1 possibly the pre-,copernican1 age of this nascent science2 and it is our duty to accumulate facts and carefully record them1 for a future ,kepler to brood over4 ,what may be likened to the #8,ptolemaic' view of the phenomena seems on the whole to be favoured by the ,french observers1 viz4 that they all centre round living man1 and represent an unexpected extension of human faculty1 an extension1 as it were1 of the motor and sensory power of the body beyond its apparent boundary4 ,that is undoubtedly the first adit to be explored1 and it may turn out to lead us in the right direction2 but it is premature even to guess what will be the ultimate outcome of this extra branch of psychological and physiological study4 ,that sensory perception can extend to things out of contact with the body is familiar enough1 though it has not been recognised for the senses of touch or taste4 ,that motor activity should also extend into a region beyond the customary range of muscular action is1 as yet1 unrecognised by science4 ,nevertheless that is the appearance4 ,the phenomena which have most attracted the attention and maintained the interest of the ,french observers1 have been just those which convey the above impression3 that is to say1 mechanical movements without contact1 production of intelligent noises1 and either visible1 tangible1 or luminous appearances which do not seem to be hallucinatory4 ,these constantly-asserted1 and in a sense well-known1 and to some few people almost familiar1 experiences1 have with us been usually spoken of as #8physical or psycho-physical phenomena4' ,in ,france they have been called #8psychical phenomena1' but that name is evidently not satisfactory1 since that should apply to purely mental experiences4 ,to call them #8occult phenomena' is not distinctive1 for everything is occult until it is explained2 and the business of science is to contemplate the mixed mass of heterogeneous appearances1 such as at one time formed all that was known of ,chemistry1 for instance1 or ,electricity1 and evolve from them an ordered scheme of science4 ,to emphasise the fact that these occurrences are at present beyond the scheme of orthodox psychology or psycho-physiology1 in somewhat the same way as the germ of what we now call ,metaphysics was once placed after1 or considered as extra to1 the course of orthodox ,natural ,philosophy or ,physics1 ,professor ,richet has suggested that they be styled #8meta-psychical phenomena1' and that the nascent branch of science1 which he and other pioneers are endeavouring to found1 be called for the present #8,metapsychics4' ,dr4 ,maxwell concurs in this comparatively novel term1 and as there seems no serious objection to it1 the ,english version of ,dr4 ,maxwell's record will appear under this title4 ,the book will be found for the most part eminently readable--rather an unusual circumstance for a record of this kind--and the scrupulous fairness with which the author has related everything he can think of which tells against the genuineness of the phenomena1 is highly to be commended4 ,whatever may be thought of the evidence it is manifestly his earnest wish never to make it appear to others better than it appears to himself4 ,if critics attack the book1 as they undoubtedly will1 with the objection that though it may contain a mass of well-attested assertions by a competent and careful observer1 yet his observations are set down without the necessary details on which an outside critic can judge how far the things really happened1 and how far the observer was deceived--let it be remembered that this is admitted4 ,dr4 ,maxwell's defence is1 that to give such details as will satisfy a hostile critic who was not actually present is impossible--in that ,i am disposed to agree with him--he has therefore not attempted the task2 and ,i admit1 though ,i cannot commend1 his discretion4 ,it may be said that the attempt to give every detail necessarily produces a dreary and overburdened narrative4 ,so it does4 ,nevertheless ,i must urge--as both in accordance with my own judgment of what is fitting1 and in loyalty to the high standard of evidence1 and the more stringent rules of testimony1 inaugurated by the wise founders of the ,society for ,psychical ,research--that observers should always make an effort to record precisely every detail of the circumstances of some at least of these elusive and rare phenomena2 so as to assist in enabling a fair judgment to be formed by people who are not too inexperienced in the conditions attending this class of observation1 and at any rate to add to the clearness of their apprehension of the events recorded4 ,the opportunities for research are not yet ended1 however1 and ,i may be allowed to express a hope that in the future something of this kind will yet be done1 when the occasion is favourable1 after a study of such a record as that of the ,sidgwick-,hodgson-,davy experiments in the ,proceedings of the ,society for ,psychical ,research1 vol4 iv4 ,our gratitude to ,dr4 ,maxwell would thus be still further increased4 ,and now1 finally1 ,i must not be understood as making myself responsible for the contents of the book1 nor for the interjected remarks1 nor for the translation4 ,the author and translator must bear their own responsibility4 ,my share in the work is limited to expressing my confidence in the good faith of ,dr4 ,maxwell--in his impartiality and competence1--and while congratulating him on the favourable opportunities for investigation which have fallen to his lot1 to thank him1 on behalf of ,english investigators1 for the single-minded pertinacity and strenuous devotion with which he has pursued this difficult and still nebulous quest4 ,,oliver ,,lodge4 ,,preface ,there are books in which the author says so clearly and in such precise terms what he has to say that any commentary weakens their import2 and a preface becomes superfluous1 sometimes even prejudicial4 ,dr4 ,maxwell's work belongs to this category4 ,the author1 who has long given himself up to psychology1 has had the opportunity of seeing many interesting things4 ,he has observed everything with minute care2 and having well thought out the method of observation1 the consequences1 and the nature itself of the phenomena1 he lays bare his facts and deducts therefrom a few simple ideas1 fearlessly1 honestly1 sine ira nec studio1 before a public which he hopes to find impartial4 ,to this same public ,i address the short introduction1 with which my friend ,dr4 ,maxwell kindly asked me to head this excellent work4 ,my advice to the reader may be summed up in a few words4 ,he must take up this book without prejudice4 ,he must fear neither that which is new1 nor that which is unexpected4 ,in other words1 while preserving the most scrupulous respect for the science of to-day1 he must be thoroughly convinced that this science1 whatever measure of truth it may contain1 is nevertheless terribly incomplete4 ,those imprudent people who busy themselves with #8occult' sciences are accused of overthrowing ,science1 of destroying that bulwark which thousands of toilers1 at the cost of an immense universal effort1 have been occupied in constructing during the last three or four centuries4 ,this reproach seems to me rather unjust4 ,no one is able to destroy a scientific fact4 ,an electric current decomposes water into one volume of oxygen and two of hydrogen4 ,this is a fact which will be true in the eternal future1 just as it has been true in the eternal past4 ,ideas may perhaps change on what it is expedient to call electric current1 oxygen1 hydrogen1 etc4 ,it may be discovered that hydrogen is composed of fifty different bodies1 that oxygen is transformed into hydrogen1 that the electric current is a ponderable force or a luminous emission4 ,no matter what is going to be discovered1 we shall never1 in any case1 prevent what we call to-day an electric current from transforming1 under certain conditions of combined pressure and temperature1 what we call water into two gases1 each having different properties1 gases which are emitted in volumetrical proportions of #b to #a4 ,therefore1 there need be no fear1 that the invasion of a new science into the old will upset acquired data1 and contradict what has been established by savants4 ,consequently psychical phenomena1 however complicated1 unforeseen1 or appalling we may now and then imagine them to be1 will not subvert any of those facts which form part of to-day's classical sciences4 ,astronomy and physiology1 physics and mathematics1 chemistry and zoology1 need not be afraid4 ,they are intangible1 and nothing will injure the imposing assemblage of incontestable facts which constitute them4 ,but notions1 hitherto unknown1 may be introduced1 which1 without casting doubts upon pristine truths1 may cause new ones to enter their domain1 and change1 or even upset1 our established notions of things4 ,the facts may be unforeseen1 but they will never be contradictory4 ,the history of sciences teaches us1 that their bulwarks have never been overthrown by the inroad of a new science4 ,at one time no notion of tubercular infection existed4 ,we now know that it is transmitted by microbes4 ,this is a new notion1 teeming with important conclusions1 but it does not invalidate the clinical table of pulmonary phthisis drawn up by physicians of other days4 ,the discovery of ,hertzian waves has in nowise shaken ,ampre's laws4 ,newton's and ,fresnel's optics have not been changed into a tissue of errors because ,rntgen rays and luminous vibrations are able to penetrate opaque bodies4 ,it appears that radium can throw out unremittingly1 without any appreciable chemical molecular phenomena1 great quantities of calorific energy2 nevertheless1 we may be quite sure1 that the law of conservation of energy and thermo-dynamic principles will remain as true now as ever4 ,likewise1 if the facts called #8occult' become established1 as seems more and more probable1 we need not feel anxious as to the fate of classical science4 ,new and unknown facts1 however strange they may be1 will not do away with old established facts4 ,to take an example from ,dr4 ,maxwell's work1 let us admit that the phenomenon of raps--that is to say1 sonorous vibrations in wood or other substances--is a real phenomenon1 and that1 in certain cases1 there are sounds which no mechanical force known to us can explain1 would the science of physics be overthrown8 ,it would be a new force thrown out on to wood1 etc41 exercising its power on matter1 but the old forces would none the less preserve their activity1 and it is even likely that the transmission of vibrations by means of this new force would be found to be in obedience to the same laws as those governing the transmission of other vibrations2--the temperature1 the pressure1 the density of air or wood would continue to exercise their usual influence4 ,there would be nothing new1 save the existence of a force until then unknown4 ,now1 is there any savant worthy of the name who can affirm1 that there are no forces1 hitherto unknown1 at work in the world8 ,however impregnable ,science may be when establishing facts1 it is miserably subject to error when claiming to establish negations4 ,here is a dilemma1 which appears to me to be very conclusive in that respect3--,either we know all ,nature's forces1 or we do not4 ,now the first alternative is so ridiculous1 that it is really not worth while refuting it4 ,our senses are so limited1 so imperfect1 that the world slips away from them almost entirely4 ,we may say it is owing to an accident1 that the magnet's colossal force was discovered1 and if hazard had not placed iron beside the loadstone1 we might have always remained ignorant of the attraction which loadstone exercises upon iron4 ,ten years ago no one suspected the existence of the ,rntgen rays4 ,before photography1 no one knew that light reduces salts of silver4 ,it is not twenty years since the ,hertzian waves were discovered4 ,the property displayed by amber when rubbed was1 until two hundred years ago1 all that was known of that immense force called electricity4 ,question a savage--nay a fellah or a moujik--upon the forces of ,nature6 ,he will not know even the tenth part of such forces as elementary treatises on physics in #aije will enumerate4 ,it appears to me that the savants of to-day1 in respect to the savants of the future1 stand in the same inferiority as the moujiks to the professors of the college of ,france4 ,who then dare be so rash as to say that the treatises on physics in #bjje will but repeat what is to be found in the treatises of #aije8 ,the probability--the certainty1 one might say--is that new scientific data will shortly spring up out of the darkness1 and that most powerful and altogether unknown forces will be revealed4 ,our great-grandchildren will be amazed at the blindness of our savants1 who tacitly profess the immobility of science4 ,if science has made such progress of late1 it is precisely because our predecessors were not afraid to make bold hypotheses1 to suppose new forces1 demonstrating their reality by dint of patience and perseverance4 ,our strict duty is to do likewise4 ,the savant should be a revolutionist1 and fortunately the time is over when truth had to be sought in a master's book--magister dixit--be he ,aristotle or ,plato4 ,in politics we may be conservative or progressive2 it is a question of temperament4 ,but when the research of truth is concerned we must be resolutely and unreservedly revolutionary1 and must consider classical theories--even those which appear to be the most solid--as temporary hypotheses1 which we must incessantly check and incessantly strive to overthrow4 ,the ,chinese believed that science had been fixed by their ancestors' sapience2 this example contains food for meditation4 ,moreover--and why not proclaim it loudly--all that science of which we are so proud1 is only knowledge of appearances4 ,the real nature of things baffles us4 ,the innermost nature of laws governing matter1 whether living or inert1 is inaccessible to our intelligence4 ,a stone tossed up into the air falls back again to the earth4 ,why8 ,newton says through attraction proportional to bulk and distance4 ,but this law is only the statement of a fact2 who understands that attractive vibration1 which makes the stone fall8 ,the fall of a stone is such a commonplace phenomenon1 that it does not astonish us3 but in reality no human intelligence has ever understood it4 ,it is usual1 common1 accepted2 but like all ,nature's phenomena without exception it is not understood4 ,after fecundation an egg becomes an embryon2 we describe as well as we can the phases of this phenomenon2 but1 in spite of the most minute descriptions1 have we understood the evolution of that cellular protoplasm1 which is transformed into a huge1 living being8 ,what prodigy is at work in these segmentations8 ,why do these granulations crowd together there8 ,why do they decay here to form again elsewhere8 ,we live in the midst of phenomena and have no adequate knowledge of any one of them4 ,even the simplest phenomenon is most mysterious4 ,what does the combination of hydrogen with oxygen mean8 ,who has even once been thoroughly able to understand that word combination1 annihilation of the properties of two bodies by the creation of a third body differing from the two first4 ,how are we to understand that an atom is indivisible2 it is constituted of a particle of matter1 yet--even in thought--it cannot be divided6 ,therefore it behoves the true savant to be very modest1 yet very bold at the same time3 very modest1 for our science is a mere trifle-- 1 --very bold1 for the vast regions of worlds unknown lie open before him4 ,audacity and prudence3 such are the two qualities1 in no wise contradictory1 of ,dr4 ,maxwell's book4 ,whatever be the fate in store for his ideas--ideas based upon facts--we may rest assured that the facts1 which he has well observed1 will remain4 ,i think ,i see here the lineaments of a new science--though only a crude sketch so far4 ,who knows but that physiology and physics may find herein some precious elements of knowledge8 ,woe to the savants who think that the book of ,nature is closed1 and that we puny men have nothing more to learn4 ,,charles ,,richet4 ,,contents ,,page ,,introduction ,,by ,,sir ,,oliver ,,lodge1 v ,,preface ,,by ,,professor ,,charles ,,richet1 xv ,,preliminary ,,remarks1 #a ,,chap4 ,i4 ,,method3 #bc ,i4 ,material ,conditions1 #cc ,,ii4 ,composition of the ,circle1 #db ,,iii4 ,methods of ,operation1 #dh ,,iv4 ,the ,personification1 #fd ,,ii4 ,,raps1 #gb ,,iii4 ,,parakinesis ,,and ,,telekinesis3 #ic ,i4 ,parakinesis1 #ic ,,ii4 ,telekinesis1 #ih ,,iv4 ,,luminous ,,phenomena1 #abi ,v4 ,,psycho-,,sensory ,,and ,,intellectual ,,phenomena3 #ahj ,i4 ,sensory ,automatism1 #aha ,,ii4 ,crystal ,gazing1 #ahd ,,iii4 ,dreams1 ,telepathy1 #bje ,,iv4 ,telsthesia1 #baa ,v4 ,a ,complex ,case by ,professor ,richet1 #bae ,,vi4 ,motor ,automatism1 #bce ,,vii4 ,automatic ,writing1 #bch ,,viii4 ,phonetic and ,mixed ,automatisms1 #bea ,,ix4 ,the ,psychology of ,automatism1 #bee ,,vi4 ,,some ,,recently ,,observed ,,psychical ,,phenomena4 ,by ,l4 ,i4 ,,finch1 #bfh ,,vii4 ,,fraud ,,and ,,error3 #cfd ,i4 ,fraud1 #cfd ,,ii4 ,error1 #chf ,,conclusion1 #cib ,,appendices1 #cih ,,preliminary ,,remarks ,i hesitated for a long time before deciding to publish the impressions which ten years of psychical research have left me4 ,these impressions are so uncertain upon several points1 that ,i wondered if it were worth while expressing in book form the few and sparse conclusions ,i am able to formulate4 ,if1 finally1 ,i decide to publish my opinions1 it is because it seems incumbent upon me to do so4 ,i am not blind to the fact that my testimony is of very little importance2 but however modest it may be1 it seems to me that it is my duty to offer this testimony1 such as it is1 to those who have undertaken to submit to scientific discipline the study of those phenomena which are1 in appearance at least1 so rebellious to such discipline4 ,it might have been more convenient and advantageous for myself had ,i continued my researches in peace and quiet4 ,i do not try to proselytise1 and it is really a matter of indifference to me1 whether my contemporaries share or do not share my views4 ,but the sight of a few brave men fighting the battle alone is by no means a matter of indifference to me4 ,there is a certain cowardliness in believing their teachings1 whilst allowing them to bear all the brunt of the fray for upholding opinions1 which require so much courage to champion4 ,to these brave spirits ,i dedicate my book4 ,i care naught for public opinion3 not that ,i disdain it--on the contrary1 ,i have the greatest respect for its judgment--but ,i am not addressing the public4 ,the question ,i am studying is not ripe for the public2 or the case may be the other way about4 ,i address those brave men of whom ,i have just spoken1 to let them know ,i am of their mind1 and that my observations confirm theirs on many points4 ,i also address those who are seeking to establish the reality of the curious phenomena1 treated of in this book4 ,i have tried to fill a gap by showing them the best methods to adopt1 in order to arrive at appreciable results1--such results being far less difficult to obtain than is commonly supposed4 ,a word about the method ,i have followed4 ,i have purposely refrained from giving a purely scientific aspect to my book1 though ,i might have done so had ,i chosen1 for the usual scientific dressing is unsuitable to the subject in hand4 ,it seemed preferable to relate what ,i have seen1 leaving it to those for whom ,i write to believe me or not1 as they think fit4 ,i might have accumulated not a little testimony and considerable external evidence1 but to have done so would not have been the means of convincing a single extra reader4 ,those1 whom my simple affirmation leaves sceptical1 would not be convinced by reports signed by witnesses1 whose sincerity and competence are frequently called into question4 ,neither did ,i wish to adopt the method followed by the ,agnlas1 ,milan1 and ,carqueiranne experimenters1 in giving a detailed report of all my sittings2 this method too has its advantages and disadvantages4 ,however exhaustive a report may be1 it is difficult to indicate therein all the conditions of the experiment2 oversights are inevitable4 ,moreover1 it would be useless to say that every precaution had been taken against fraud1 for in enumerating such precautions1 the omission of a single one would suffice to expose oneself to most justifiable criticism4 ,probably that very precaution was elementary and had been taken1 or was considered useless and put aside deliberately2 nevertheless such circumstances would not escape criticism4 ,we wish to convince by pointing out the exact conditions of the experiment2 but those1 whom we would most wish to convince1 are the very persons least prepared to judge of the conditions in which psychical experiences are obtained4 ,these are physicists and chemists2 but living matter does not react like inorganic matter or chemical substances4 ,i do not seek to convince these savants2 my book is unassuming and makes no pretence of having been written for them4 ,if they in their turn should be tempted to try for those effects which ,i have obtained1 the methods indicated will be easily accessible to them4 ,it is in this way they can be indirectly convinced1 though to convince them is not my present aim4 ,others are better qualified than ,i am to try their hand at this most desirable but1 for the moment1 most difficult task4 ,difficult6 ,ay1 and for a thousand reasons4 ,first of all because it is the fashion of to-day to look upon these facts as unworthy of science4 ,i acknowledge taking a delicate pleasure in comparing the different opinions which many young ,savants 7,i beg the printer not to forget a very big capital ,s7 bring to bear upon their contemporaries4 ,here is a man surrounded by deferential spectators3 solemnly he hands a paper-knife to a sleeping hysterical subject1 and gravely invites him to murder such or such an individual who is supposed to be where there is really only an empty chair4 ,when the patient springs forward to carry out the suggestion1 and strikes the chair with the paper-knife1 the lookers-on behold a scientific fact1 according to classical science4 ,on the other hand1 here is another man who1 not a whit less solemnly1 makes longitudinal passes upon his subject1 puts him to sleep1 and then tries to exteriorise the said subject's sensibility2 but the onlookers in this case are not recognised as witnessing a scientific fact6 ,i have never been able to see wherein lies the difference between these two experimenters1 the one experimenting with an hysterical subject more or less untrustworthy1 the other examining a phenomenon which1 if it be true1 may be observed without the necessity of trusting oneself solely to the honesty of the individual asleep4 ,in fact there is a most intolerant clique among savants4 ,facts it seems are of no importance when pointed out by those who stand beyond the pale of official science4 ,unfortunately1 psychical phenomena cannot be as easily and readily demonstrated as the ,x-rays or wireless telegraphy1 incontestable facts which any one can prove to his entire satisfaction4 ,therefore young savants rejoice in making an onslaught on those who apply themselves to the study of these phenomena4 ,it was the same thing in olden times when budding theologians made their dbuts in the arena of theology against notorious arch-heretics1 ,arians1 ,manicheans1 or gnostics4 ,nil novi sub sole4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i readily admit that many1 who turn their attention to the curious phenomena of which ,i am going to speak1 frequently lay themselves open to criticism4 ,sometimes they are not very strict concerning the conditions under which their experiments are conducted3 they trust navely1 and their conviction is quickly formed4 ,i cannot too forcibly beg them to be on their guard against premature assertions3 may they avoid justifying ,montaigne's saying1 #8,l'imagination cre le cas4' ,my remark is more particularly addressed to occult1 theosophical1 and spiritistic groups4 ,the first-named follow an undesirable method4 ,their manner of reasoning is not likely to bring them many adepts1 from among those who are given to thinking deeply4 ,in ordinary logic1 analogy and correspondence have not the same importance as deduction and induction4 ,on the other hand it does not seem to me prudent to consider the esoteric interpretation of the ,hebrew writings as being necessarily truth's last word4 ,i do not see why ,i should transfer a belief in their exoteric assertions to a belief in their talmudistic or kabbalistic commentaries4 ,i can hardly believe that the ,rabbis of the middle ages1 or their predecessors1 ,esdras' contemporaries1 had a more correct notion of human nature than we have4 ,their errors in physics are not valid security for their accuracy in metaphysics4 ,truth cannot be usefully sought in the analysis of a very fine but very old book3 all occult speculations upon secret hebraic exegeses seem to me but intellectual sport1 to the results of which the words of ,ecclesiastes might well be applied3 ,habel habalim vekol habel4 ,i may pass the same criticism upon theosophists4 ,the curious mystical movement to which the teachings of ,madame ,blavatsky1 ,colonel ,olcott1 and ,mrs4 ,besant have given birth in ,europe and in ,america has not yet been arrested4 ,many cultured minds and refined intelligences have allowed themselves to be led away by the neo-buddhistic evangile2 doubtless they find what they look for in the #8,secret ,doctrine' or in #8,isis ,unveiled4' ,trahit sua quemque voluptas4 ,i cannot help thinking that the ,upanishads have no more a monopoly of truth than the ,bible has1 and that every philosophy ought to hold fast to the study of ,nature if it wishes to live and progress4 ,this is1 moreover1 the advice of a man whom theosophists and occultists alike respect--,i mean ,paracelsus--#8,man is here below to instruct himself in the light of ,nature4' ,that is what spiritists claim to do4 ,their philosophy1 to use the term which they themselves employ to designate their doctrine1 is founded1 they say1 upon fact and experience4 ,it is not a revelation1 contemporary with the splendour of ,thebes or the pomp of ,aoka's court1 which gives the foundation to their dogmas4 ,it is an everyday revelation1 a real1 continuous1 and permanent revelation4 ,their ideas concerning our origin and destiny1 their certitude of immortality and the persistence of human individuality1 are due to well-informed witnesses4 ,these are no less than the spirits of the dead1 who come to enlighten them and to tell them what is done in the hereafter4 ,i envy them their simple faith1 but ,i do not altogether share it4 ,i am persuaded that our individuality has an infinitely longer period given it for its evolution than one human existence4 ,but it is not from spiritistic seances that ,i have derived my belief2 no1 my belief is of a philosophical kind1 and is the result of pondering over what ,i know of life1 of nature1 and of the extremely slow development of the human species4 ,it is true the knowledge ,i possess is limited1 and my belief wavers2 yet the probabilities seem to me favourable to the persistence of that mysterious centre of energy which we call individuality4 ,this opinion1 however1 has not been derived from spiritistic communications3 ,i think these have an origin other than that given them by ,allan ,kardec's disciples4 ,naturally ,i am only speaking of my own personal experience2 ,i do not permit myself to pronounce as erroneous those convictions based upon facts not seen by myself4 ,therefore ,i do not wish to say that spiritists are always the victims of delusion2 ,i can only say that the messages1 received by me and purporting to come from the other side of the grave1 have seemed to me to emanate from a different source4 ,at the same time1 to be exact and sincere ,i ought to add that1 if my conviction has not been won1 ,i have observed in one or two circumstances certain facts which have left me most perplexed4 ,unfortunately for spiritism1 an objection1 which seems to me irrefutable1 can be made to the spirits' teaching4 ,in all parts of ,europe1 the #8spirits' vouch for reincarnation4 ,often they indicate the moment they are going to reappear in a human body2 and they relate still more readily the past avatars of their followers4 ,on the contrary1 in ,england the spirits assure us that there is no reincarnation4 ,the contradiction is formal1 positive1 and irreconcilable4 ,those who are inclined to doubt the correctness of what ,i affirm have only to glance through and compare the writings of ,english and ,french spiritists2 for example1 those of ,allan ,kardec1 ,denys1 ,delanne1 and those of ,stainton-,moses4 ,how are we to form an opinion worthy of acceptance8 ,who speak the truth8 ,european spirits or ,anglo-,saxon spirits8 ,probably spiritistic messages do not emanate from very well-informed witnesses4 ,such is the conclusion arrived at by ,aksakoff1 one of the cleverest and most enlightened of spiritists4 ,he himself acknowledges that one is never certain of the identity of the communicating intelligence at a spiritistic sitting4 ,although ,i do not share the views of occultists1 theosophists1 and spiritists1 ,i can indeed say that their groups--at least those which ,i have frequented--are composed of people worthy1 sincere1 and convinced4 ,occultists and theosophists devote themselves perhaps more particularly to the development of those mysterious faculties which1 according to them1 exist in man1 while spiritists are more inclined to call forth communications from their spirit friends1 but the anxious care of one and all is the moral development of their groups4 ,solicitude for the ethical culture of humanity is characteristic of these mystic groups4 ,occultism and theosophy draw their recruits more especially from intellectual centres2 the circle of spiritism is much wider4 ,the simplicity of its teachings and methods attracts those who shrink before the personal edification of a creed3 for it is a painful undertaking and a heavy task for each individual to form his own philosophy4 ,it is more convenient to accept indications which are already made1 and to believe affirmations which are--in appearance--sincere and well informed4 ,long centuries of religious discipline have accustomed the human mind to certain acts of faith1 and to shun all free discussion1 as soon as there is any question of future destinies4 ,it is difficult to shake off this atavism4 ,this is what makes the success of spiritism2 it comes at its appointed time1 and supplies a wide-felt need4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the psychological condition of society to-day is of an extremely perturbed nature1 as slight reflection will suffice to show4 ,much has been said of the conflict between science and religion1 but the truth has not yet been sounded4 ,it is no ordinary conflict which is now taking place between science and revelation3 it is a life-and-death struggle4 ,and it is easy to foresee which side will succumb4 ,it even seems as though the final death-struggles of ,christian dogma had already set in4 ,what man1 sincere and unbiased in his opinions1 could repeat to-day the famous credo quia absurdum8 ,are we not insulting the ,divinity--if ,he exists--when we refuse to make use of ,his most precious gifts8 when we abstain from applying the full force of our intelligence and reason to the examination of our destiny and our duties to ourselves and to others8 ,this abdication is nevertheless demanded of us--by ,roman ,catholicism for example1 which exacts unqualified adhesion to its dogmas1 blind belief in its ,church's teachings1 blind belief in the affirmations of its infallible pope4 ,it seems to me inadmissible that the ,god of ,roman ,catholics should approve of such indifference4 ,it is obvious that ,i do not wish to write a history of ecclesiastical controversy4 ,i have too much respect for others to allow myself to attack what are still widely accepted creeds4 ,my duty is but to study the general aspect of revelation1 and to draw therefrom such conclusions as are necessary to my acquirements4 ,it is an easy study4 ,the most enlightened intellects stand aloof from revealed religions4 ,i mean the majority1 for there is still a small minority which remains faithful to dying creeds4 ,even the less cultivated intelligences are beginning to feel the insufficiency of revelation4 ,the ,divinity's incarnation and death1 in order to redeem a race so unworthy of such a sacrifice1 begins to astound them2 they wonder at such solicitude for the inhabitants of one of the least important spheres in the universe4 ,they are also surprised at the inexorable severity of a ,god who1 before granting pardon to mankind1 demands his only son's death2 a ,god who1 for the petty trespasses of beings far removed from himself1 demands an eternity of suffering as chastisement for such ephemeral insults4 ,all this fails to satisfy those souls who are enamoured of truth and justice4 ,these dogmas give man a cosmical importance which he does not possess1 and imputes to ,god a susceptibility and cruelty altogether unworthy of the ,supreme ,being4 ,we could easily find other examples2 but ,i do not think it necessary to bring them to bear upon my conclusion2 a conclusion1 moreover1 which is admitted by the clergy themselves1 who complain unceasingly of society's growing indifference4 ,but is society really so indifferent8 ,i do not think so4 ,we find indifference among the richer and more cultured classes1 where some give themselves up to pleasure1 others to science1 in reality each one seeking only that which will amuse or interest him or herself2 but those who are without resources1 those whom life molests and wearies1 those who are afraid at the idea of death and annihilation1 those who have need of some consolation1 of some hope1 those people are not indifferent4 ,if these forsake the churches and temples1 it is because they do not find therein what they are seeking4 ,the spiritual nourishment offered them has lost its savour2 they ask for something more substantial and less contestable4 ,besides1 even in the most highly cultured classes1 this need begins to make itself felt4 ,such men as ,myers1 ,sidgwick1 ,gurney1 to speak only of the dead1 took up the study of psychical phenomena with the desire of finding therein the proof of a future life4 ,myers died after having found--or thought he had found--the sought-for demonstration4 ,professor ,haeckel of ,jna drew up a philosophy for himself6 ,his materialistic monism is the outward expression of his belief3 but this is also ill-adapted to satisfy that longing1 the extent and force of which ,i have just touched upon4 99 99 99 99 99 ,now spiritism lays claim to satisfying these longings2 and it does satisfy them1 when only simple souls are concerned1 simple souls who do not dream of life's complexities4 ,the phenomena of spiritistic seances--and these are real phenomena--are the miracles which come to confirm the spirits' teachings4 ,why should they doubt8 ,therefore the clients of spiritism are increasing in number with extraordinary rapidity4 ,the extent to which this doctrine is spreading is one of the most curious things of the day4 ,i believe we are beholding the dawn of a veritable religion2 a religion without a ritual and without an organised clergy1 and yet with assemblies and practices which make it a veritable cult4 ,as for me1 ,i take a great interest in these meetings2 they give me the impression that ,i am assisting at the birth of a religious movement called to a great destiny4 ,will my anticipations be realised8 ,the future alone can tell4 ,my opinion has been formed on impartial and disinterested observation4 ,notwithstanding the sympathy that ,i feel for those groups which have been kind enough to admit me into their midst1 notwithstanding the friendship which binds me to many of their members1 ,i have never wished to be of their propaganda1 nor even to allow them to think that ,i shared their views4 ,i have always plainly told them that ,i was by no means convinced of the constant intervention of spirits2 ,i have not concealed from them that other and1 as ,i thought1 more probable explanations could be given to the phenomena they witnessed2 perhaps they have appreciated my frankness4 ,in any case1 ,i am very grateful for the courtesy and kindliness with which they allowed me to observe the phenomena at their sittings1 to listen to their mediums' teachings1 and to express my opinions1 which are so unlike their own4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i am neither spiritist1 nor theosophist1 nor occultist4 ,i do not believe in occult sciences1 nor in the supernatural1 nor in miracles4 ,i believe we know as yet very little of the world we are living in1 and that we still have everything to learn4 ,the cleverest men in all epochs show an unconscious tendency to suppose that facts1 which are incompatible with their ideas1 are supernatural or false4 ,more modest but also more cruel1 our forefathers1 the theologians and lawyers1 burnt sorcerers and magicians without accusing them of fraud3 to-day most of our savants1 being more affirmative and less rigorous1 accuse mediums and thaumaturgists of fraud1 but without condemning them to the stake4 ,in reality their state of mind is the same as that of the ancient exorcists2 they have the same intolerance1 and the different treatment meted out to their subjects is only due to the progressive improvement in manners and customs4 ,even those savants who are the most interested in psychical research are afraid of confessing their curiosity4 ,it requires the broad-mindedness of a ,crookes or a ,lodge1 of a ,duclaux or a ,richet1 of a ,rochas or a ,lombroso to dare to take a stand and openly show an interest in this field of research4 ,some day1 however1 these same suspicious researches will be their experimenters' best claim to fame4 ,the present attitude of official science towards medianic phenomena is to be regretted2 its scientific #8cant' has grievous results4 ,the history of the ,international ,psychological ,institute is instructive in this respect4 ,what a pity that such learned1 remarkable1 and competent men1 as ,janet for example1 should have shrunk from the epithet #8psychic'6 ,the need for a psychical institute existed1 not a psychological one1 of which there are already enough4 ,it is precisely the attitude of respectable scientific circles which appears to me a mistake1 demanding rectification4 ,i understand perfectly and excuse this attitude4 ,for so many incorrect things have been affirmed1 so many ridiculous practices have been recommended by the leaders of the occult movement1 that official representatives of science must have felt indignant4 ,unfortunately no one except ,richet has ventured to do for the phenomena vouched for by occultists and spiritists1 what ,charcot has done for the magnetisers' allegations4 ,no doubt1 this other ,charcot will come when the time is ripe4 ,the preparatory work will have been done1 and he need only resume the experiments of ,richet1 ,crookes1 ,lodge1 ,rochas1 ,ochorowicz1 and many others4 ,i class myself with these experimenters4 ,many of them are my friends1 and1 if our manner of thinking be not quite the same1 my ideas upon the method to be used are much the same as theirs4 ,and thus ,i find myself quite naturally led to say what my ideas are4 ,i believe in the reality of certain phenomena which ,i have been able to verify over and over again4 ,i see no need to attribute these phenomena to any supernatural intervention4 ,i am inclined to think that they are produced by some force existing within ourselves4 ,i believe also that these facts can be subjected to scientific observation4 ,i say observation and not experimentation1 because ,i do not think that it is yet possible to proceed on veritable experimental lines4 ,in order to experiment one must understand the conditions necessary to produce a given result2 now1 in our case1 we have a most imperfect knowledge of the required conditions1 which are1 nevertheless1 necessary antecedents to the sought-for phenomena4 ,we are in the position of the astronomer who can put his eye to the telescope and observe the firmament1 but who cannot provoke the production of a single celestial phenomenon4 ,my position is therefore very simple4 ,it is that of an impartial observer4 ,the occult sciences and spiritism never aroused my curiosity1 and ,i was more than thirty years of age1 when my attention was drawn towards psychical phenomena4 ,i did not even try to turn a table before ,i was thirty-five1 considering such facts as unworthy of serious examination4 ,it is only since #ahib that ,i have become interested in these researches4 ,i cannot remember to-day how ,i was led to take up the study2 it was not abruptly4 ,i am certain that no striking incident was ever responsible for a sudden changing of my mind4 ,as far as my recollection goes1 ,i think it was the chance perusal of some theosophical works1 which made me curious to know the extent of a mystical movement1 whose existence ,i had not even suspected4 ,my discoveries astonished me1 for ,i never thought that mysticism could find adherents at the end of the nineteenth century4 ,the opening address pronounced by me at the ,court of ,appeal at ,limoges in #ahic was upon this subject4 ,this address brought me many correspondents1 and ,i was led to experiment myself4 ,my first results were negative1 and except a few interesting experiments made at ,limoges with a lady of that town--a remarkable medium--and her husband1 the phenomena which ,i observed were not of a nature to convince me4 ,in #ahie ,i went to l',agnlas1 and took part in the experiments of ,,mm4 de ,rochas1 ,dariex1 ,sabatier1 de ,gramont and de ,watteville4 ,the report of these experiments has been published in the ,annales des ,sciences ,psychiques4 ,surprised at these manifestations1 ,i became filled with the desire to investigate further2 and soon afterwards curiosity prompted me to take advantage of a leisure moment to resume the l',agnlas experiments4 ,in #ahif ,eusapia ,paladino was kind enough to spend a fortnight at my house at ,choisy1 near ,bordeaux4 ,,mm4 de ,rochas1 ,watteville1 ,gramont1 ,brincard1 and ,general ,thomassin were present at all or some of these experiments4 ,the ,attorney-,general1 ,m4 ,lefranc1 my friend and chief1 was also present at one of our sittings4 ,m4 ,bchade and a ,bordeaux medium1 ,madame ,agullana1 were also my guests4 ,the results of these sittings have been noted down by ,m4 de ,rochas in a small volume which has not been made public4 ,more and more interested1 and desirous of investigating still further what ,i had seen with ,eusapia1 ,i begged her to pay me another visit4 ,she consented1 and returned in #ahig1 giving me another fortnight1 this time in my home at ,bordeaux4 ,the phenomena which my friends and ,i obtained on that occasion were as demonstrative as before4 ,eusapia is not the only medium with whom ,i have experimented4 ,madame ,agullana of ,bordeaux1 with her customary disinterestedness1 has given me many sittings3 the results ,i obtained with her are of a different order4 ,i also brought twice to ,bordeaux the young mediums of ,agen1 where a previous opportunity had been given me of observing them2 at ,agen their phenomena had won for their home the reputation of being haunted4 ,lastly1 ,i have found some remarkable mediums at ,bordeaux1 among those who did me the honour of admitting me to their sittings4 ,i also came across a large number of mediums manifesting automatic phenomena only2 these1 too1 were interesting in their way1 for they enabled me to note and understand the difference between so-called supernatural phenomena and phenomena which are but the expression of an activity1 which1 in appearance at least1 is extraneous to the ordinary personality4 ,finally1 ,i have frequently come across fraud4 ,this was instructive1 and ,i observed the fraudulent with patience and interest4 ,the tricks of voluntary fraud deserve to be known and studied1 as one is then better able to frustrate and checkmate them4 ,involuntary fraud--far more common than voluntary fraud--is no less instructive1 for it throws a vivid light upon the curious phenomena of automatic activity4 ,it is not always becoming to entertain one's readers with personalities1 but ,i think ,i ought to infringe a little upon decorum1 in order to specify the state of mind in which ,i have pursued my observations4 ,from the very beginning ,i was struck by a fact which seems beyond doubt4 ,i saw that certain manifestations--to all appearances supernormal--could only be studied with the assistance of nervous and mental pathology4 ,therefore ,i went to school again1 and for six years ,i studied assiduously clinical medicine at the ,university of ,bordeaux4 ,it is not within my present scope to write the panegyric of the masters to whose teachings ,i listened1 their names would seem out of place in a book like this4 ,but ,i may say that the interest which ,i took in my medical studies became more lively1 as ,i understood their importance better and better4 ,doubtless the notions which ,i have acquired are most rudimentary1 but however unpretentious they may be1 they have enabled me to understand the mechanism of certain manifestations1 and to bring a more precise judgment to bear upon their psychological value4 ,i am1 therefore1 an interested but impartial onlooker4 ,it matters little to me if a table or a chair moves of its own accord2 ,i have no particular desire to see them accomplish these movements4 ,the only interest1 which ,i find in this fact1 is its truth4 ,its reality alone is of value to me1 and ,i have applied myself to establish this without any possible error4 ,my unique preoccupation has been to make sure of the reality of the phenomena which ,i observed4 ,the pursuit of truth has been my sole concern4 ,true1 ,i sought it in my own way2 for ,i preferred to build my conviction upon a basis which would satisfy my intelligence and my reason1 rather than impose a priori conditions which the experiment ought to satisfy in order to convince me4 ,i am ignorant of most of these conditions1 and ,i think that every one else is also4 ,consequently1 ,i consider it imprudent to establish beforehand the conditions under which the experiments are to be made1 in order to merit being recorded4 ,it might just happen1 that one of the conditions thus laid down rendered the experiment impracticable4 ,therefore ,i have observed rather than experimented4 ,my manner of proceeding has been productive of many happy results2 for the curious phenomena which ,i have been able to observe are capricious2 they shun those who would force them1 and offer themselves to those who wait for them patiently4 ,this behaviour1 this spontaneity1 is not the least astonishing feature in this line of observation4 ,i have always thought that there was nothing of a supernatural order in these phenomena4 ,my conclusions have not changed2 but let us understand the meaning of this expression4 ,i do not mean to say that these phenomena are always in accordance with nature's laws such as we understand them to-day4 ,i am certain that we are in the presence of an unknown force2 its manifestations do not seem to obey the same laws1 as those governing other forces more familiar to us2 but ,i have no doubt they obey some law1 and perhaps the study of these phenomena will lead us to the conception of laws more comprehensive than those already known4 ,some future ,newton will discover a more complete formula than ours4 ,my position1 therefore1 seems to me to be well defined4 ,i have held myself aloof from those who denied upon bias1 and also from those who asserted too rashly4 ,i have remained within the margin of science4 ,i have endeavoured to bring to bear upon my experiments methods of scientific observation4 ,i wish to go in neither for occultism1 nor for spiritism1 nor for anything mysterious or supernatural4 ,many who know me imperfectly may think that ,i have given reins to my imagination1 that ,i am an adept in theosophy1 neo-martinism1 or spiritism4 ,such is not the case4 ,i seek1 and ,i have found-very little2 others have been more fortunate than ,i4 ,some day perhaps ,i shall have the same good luck4 ,but ,i shall not touch upon what others have done1 save as an accessory2 ,i shall only speak of what ,i myself have seen and what ,i myself think4 ,my book is the statement of a witness--it has no other signification4 ,one word in conclusion4 ,a great number of my experiments have been made with people who wish to preserve their incognito4 ,i have never been wanting in discretion when this was asked of me1 and have never disclosed the names of those who placed their confidence in me1 permitting me to experiment with them whilst desirous of remaining unknown4 ,i have sometimes found very remarkable mediums among these anonymous experimenters4 ,some of my sittings with them have been truly admirable on account of the clear1 distinct nature of the phenomena obtained4 ,i beg these trusting friends to accept my heartfelt thanks4 ,may my book have the good fortune to contribute1 however feebly1 towards removing the prejudices which keep away so many likely experimenters from these studies and researches4 ,these prejudices are manifold3 there is the fear of ridicule1 the religious scruple1 the delusive dread of nervous or mental disease1 the terror of an unknown world peopled with strange1 mysterious beings4 ,but time will dispel all this1 and ,i believe that a day will come1 when these facts--well studied1 well observed--will change our conceptions of things in a way little dreamt of to-day4 ,the sphere of #8,psychical ,science' is unmeasurable4 ,a few pioneers only are exploring therein to-day2 when the land has been tilled and cultivated it will yield1 ,i am sure1 a wonderful crop--the harvest will surpass the dreams of imagination4 ,but let those who1 thanks to a scientific education1 are particularly well qualified to undertake these studies1 cease to consider them unworthy of their attention4 ,in holding themselves aloof they commit a mistake which they will bitterly regret some day4 ,allowing even that the first experimenter may be guilty of mistakes1 there will always remain something out of the facts which they have observed4 ,mistakes are unavoidable in the dbut of a new science3 the methods are uncertain1 and the novelty of the phenomena makes their analysis difficult2 time1 labour in common1 and experience will remedy these inevitable inconveniences4 ,it would be very easy to give examples of the delay which scientific prejudice has brought to bear upon scientific progress4 ,this criticism has already been very frequently and wittily made4 ,even those men1 whose discoveries have placed them at the head of the intellectual movement of their generation1 are not altogether free from blame1 yielding too often to the deplorable tendency of converting natural laws into dogmas4 ,they commit the same fault they object to in theologians4 ,man has a wonderful aptitude for laying hold of his neighbours' faults and remaining blind to his own1 and probably it will be so for a long time to come4 ,i would like to see science rid itself for good and all of this theological habit of mind4 ,science has only to think about facts4 ,there should be no distinction made between the various phenomena observed3 it is not beseeming to adopt certain facts1 and refuse analysis to others1 excluding them on the ground1 for example1 that their examination belongs to religion4 ,every natural fact ought to be studied1 and1 if it be real1 incorporated with the patrimony of knowledge4 ,what matters its apparent contradiction with the laws of nature1 such as we understand them to-day8 ,these laws are not principles superior to our experience2 they are but the expression of our experience3 our knowledge is very limited and our experience is still young--it will grow1 and its development will bring the inevitable consequence of a corresponding modification in our conception of nature4 ,therefore1 let us not be too positive of the accuracy of present ideas1 and arbitrarily reject everything which we think runs counter to them4 ,do not dogmatise2 let our only care be the impartial search for truth4 ,nothing will better enable us to understand the surroundings in the midst of which we are evolving than facts1 which are apparently irreconcilable with current ideas3 these facts betoken that the ideas are erroneous or incomplete2 their attentive observation will reveal a more general formula which will explain at one and the same time the new and the old4 ,and thus from antithesis to synthesis1 more and more universal1 our scientific ideas will tend towards absolute truth4 ,alas6 how far away from this ideal do we seem to be to-day6 ,laboremus6 ,,chapter ,i ,,method ,a ,french proverb says1 #8we must have eggs to make an omelette'3 in order to be able to study psychical phenomena we must have psychical phenomena4 ,this seems an elementary proposition1 and yet it is the very one we most readily overlook4 ,i have already said why and wherefore4 ,therefore1 ,i deem it necessary to indicate at once the methods which have appeared to me to give the most favourable results4 ,those of my readers who may wish to verify the accuracy of my conclusions will1 ,i am sure1 have the opportunity of doing so1 if they operate as ,i have done4 ,first of all1 ,i must warn them against caring for the world's opinion4 ,they must not be afraid of exposing themselves to ridicule4 ,no doubt there is temptation to make a jest of the methods which ,i advise2 but ,i strongly recommend them to think about the result1 and not about the means used to obtain that result4 ,psychical phenomena are of two orders3 material and intellectual4 ,the methods best suited to the study of the first are not1 in my opinion1 adapted to the study of the second4 ,there is a distinction1 therefore1 to be made in the beginning between these two categories of facts4 ,physical phenomena are the least frequently met with2 they include3-- #a4 ,knockings or #8raps' on furniture1 walls1 floors1 or on the experimenters themselves4 #b4 ,sundry noises other than raps4 #c4 ,movements of objects without sufficient contact to explain the movement produced4 ,there is here a distinction to be made between 7a7 movements produced without any contact whatever--telekinesis3 e4g4 the rising or sliding of a table or chair1 the swaying of scales1 etc41 without their being touched2 and 7b7 movements with contact1 which is insufficient to explain them--parakinesis3 e4g4 the levitation of a table on which the experimenters lay their hands4 #d4 ,apports3 that is to say1 the sudden appearance of objects--flowers1 sweets1 stones1 etc4--which have not been brought by any of the assistants4 ,this phenomenon--if it exists--supposes1 in addition1 the following3-- #e4 ,penetrability1 or the passage of matter through matter4 #f4 ,visual phenomena1 which are themselves subdivided into3-- 7a7 ,vision of the odic effluvium4 7b7 ,amorphous lights4 7c7 ,forms1 either luminous or non-luminous4 7d7 ,lastly1 the most complete phenomenon of all--the materialisation of a form1 human or otherwise1 luminous or not4 #g4 ,phenomena which leave permanent traces1 such as imprints4 #h4 ,alteration in the weight of material objects or of certain people3 levitation4 #i4 ,perceptible changes in the temperature3 sensation of cold or heat2 spontaneous combustion4 #aj4 ,cool breezes4 ,such are the chief psychical phenomena of the material order1 which have been pointed out by different experimenters4 ,i have not verified all of them3 raps1 telekinetic1 and a few luminous phenomena are all ,i have obtained in a thoroughly satisfactory manner4 ,intellectual phenomena are those which imply the expression of a thought4 ,i will class them in the following manner3-- #a4 ,typtology3 the table1 upon which the experimenters lay their hands1 leans to one side and recovers equilibrium by striking the ground4 #b4 ,grammatology or spelt-out sentences4 ,various methods may be used4 ,the principal are3-- 7a7 ,repeating the alphabet until a rap indicates the letter to be retained2 7b7 ,pointing out the letters of the alphabet by means of a pencil or stiletto1 etc41 until a rap indicates where to stop2 7c7 ,finally1 the designation of the required letters by an index-hand on a pivot fixed in the middle of a circle composed of the alphabet1 the index-hand moving with or without contact4 #c4 ,automatic writing3 immediate1 when the subject writes without the intermedium of an instrument2 mediate1 when he uses an instrument1 such as a planchette1 a wooden ball with handles fastened to it1 a basket1 a hat1 a stand1 etc4 ,in this case1 several people can combine their action by laying their hands all together upon the object to which the pencil is attached4 #d4 ,direct writing3 i4e4 writing which appears on slates1 paper1 etc41 whether in or out of sight of the experimenters4 ,if the letters seem to be formed without the aid of a pencil we have precipitated writing4 #e4 ,incarnation or #8control'3 the subject1 when asleep1 speaks in the name of some entity or order1 which possesses him4 #f4 ,direct voices3 when words are heard1 appearing to emanate from vocal organs other than those of the persons present2 some experimenters are supposed to have conversed in this way with materialised forms4 #g4 ,certain automatisms other than writing are observable3 e4g4 crystal- and mirror-gazing2 audition in conch-formed shells2 sundry hallucinations1 telepathy and telesthesia3 #8the communication of impressions of any kind from one mind to another1 independently of the recognised channels of sense'2 perception at a distance of positive impressions4 ,these phenomena bring in their train clairvoyance or voyance1 and lucidity1 expressions which are by no means identical4 ,lucidity designates more particularly the faculty which certain people have1 in magnetic sleep or in somnambulism1 of getting exact impressions in a supernormal manner2 clairvoyants or voyants are those who see forms invisible to other people4 ,clairaudience denotes phenomena of the same kind in the auditory sphere4 ,i have paid scarcely any attention to these intellectual phenomena1 with the exception of automatic writing1 crystal-gazing1 typtology1 and #8control4' ,if ,i have taken greater interest in material than in intellectual phenomena1 it is because they struck me as being more simple and easier to observe4 ,this sentiment is not that of all experimenters1 and my colleagues of the ,london ,society for ,psychical ,research appear to be more affirmative in their conclusions1 concerning survival after death and communication with the dead1 than in their opinions on material phenomena4 ,my personal experience has not led me to the same ideas4 ,undoubtedly1 experiments demonstrating the persistence of human personality after death would have an interest1 in comparison with which all others would be blotted out4 ,but the analysis of phenomena of this kind raises difficulties1 which are much more complicated than is the simple observation of a physical fact4 ,intellectual phenomena always suppose some kind of motor automatism or other2 of course1 ,i am not speaking of manifestations where the will of the sensitive intervenes3 this automatism is manifested by language1 writing1 or the less elevated motor phenomena1 typtology for example2 it may also be sensory and manifest itself in hallucinations of various kinds4 ,to understand the infinite complication of intellectual phenomena it suffices to indicate the conditions under which they are observed4 ,before admitting that the cause of the apparent automatism is foreign to the sensitive1 we must be able to eliminate with certitude the action of his personal or impersonal conscience4 ,to what extent does the subliminal memory intervene8--a first difficulty which is scarcely solvable6 ,but supposing it to be solved1 the problem still remains almost intact4 ,if the knowledge of a positive fact1 certainly unknown to the medium1 appears in his automatic communications1 we must not thereupon conclude that this knowledge is due to the intervention of a disincarnated spirit4 ,telepathy may be able to explain it4 ,telepathy is1 as we know1 the transmission of an idea1 an impression1 a psychical condition of some kind or other from one person to another4 ,we are altogether ignorant of its laws1 and nothing warrants the assertion1 that if telepathy is a fact--as appears most probable--it is therefore necessary that any particular motive condition should exist in the agent4 ,we may suppose with just as much reason1 that the existence of a souvenir in one mind can be discovered and recognised by another1 under conditions solely depending on the mental state of the percipient4 ,this is1 properly speaking1 telesthesia4 ,now it is very difficult to prove that the fact1 of which automatism marks the knowledge1 is unknown to everybody4 ,it is even impossible to prove it4 ,but supposing this were done1 there would always remain the possibility of attributing the communication to some being other than human3 by admitting even the existence of spiritual or immaterial beings distinct from ourselves1 nothing warrants us to affirm that such beings are our deceased relatives or friends and not some facetious ,kobolds4 ,prediction and precognition1 of which ,i have had proof1 raise just as complicated questions as the preceding ones4 ,i confine myself to recording without trying to explain these facts4 ,therefore1 ,i have given my preferences to the study of physical phenomena1 because in such ,i have not to consider the mental condition of the subject1 nor have ,i any of those delicate analyses to make1 the complexity of which ,i have just mentioned4 ,i have to defend myself against only two enemies1 the fraud of others and my own illusions4 ,now1 ,i feel certain of never having been the victim of either4 ,when1 for example1 in the refreshment-room of a railway-station1 in a restaurant1 in a tea-shop1 ,i have observed1 in broad daylight1 a piece of furniture change place of its own accord1 ,i have a right to think ,i am not in the presence of furniture especially arranged to produce such effects4 ,when the unforeseen nature of the experiment excludes the hypothesis of preparation1 when1 by sight and touch1 ,i make sure of the absence of contact between the experimenters and the article which is displaced1 ,i have sufficient reasons for excluding the hypothesis of fraud4 ,when ,i measure the distance between the objects before and after the displacement1 ,i have also sufficient reason for excluding the hypothesis of the illusion of my senses4 ,if this right be refused me1 ,i should really like to know how any fact whatever can be observed4 ,no one is more convinced than myself of the frailty of our impressions and the relativity of our perceptions2 nevertheless1 there must be some way of perceiving a phenomenon in order to submit it to impartial observation4 ,besides1 the supposed reproach of illusion cannot be applied in a general sense2 to admit its justice would be to do away with the very foundations of our sciences4 ,it can only be applied to me as an individual1 and ,i willingly admit that it is impossible for me to exculpate myself4 ,in vain might ,i plead that ,i am persuaded of the regularity of my perceptions1 in vain assert that ,i observe no tendency to illusion in myself1 my testimony would remain none the less suspected4 ,consequently1 ,i have but one reply for those who mistrust my qualifications as an observer1 and that is to invite them to take the trouble of experimenting on their own account1 using the methods which ,i have adopted4 ,if1 a priori1 they wish to lay down their own conditions1 they run the risk of receiving no appreciable results4 ,when they have obtained a few plain facts they will be able to vary the conditions of experimentation1 and satisfy the legitimate exigencies of their own reason4 ,that is what ,i did1 and if ,i cannot solemnly affirm the reality of the phenomena which ,i have observed1 ,i can at all events affirm my personal conviction of their existence4 ,maybe ,i am showing an exaggerated mistrust of myself by thus only affirming my subjective conviction1 and in not venturing to affirm with a like energy the objective reality of the things ,i have seen4 ,yet ,i trust no one will blame me for my prudent reserve4 ,what man can say he has never made a mistake8 ,only those1 who put themselves in the same conditions which enabled me to make my observations1 have a right to criticise those observations4 ,to criticise without experience is unreasonable1 and ,i recognise no competence in those judges whose decisions are made without preliminary information4 ,for the rest1 ,i have no wish to convert any one to my ideas1 and am indifferent--respectfully indifferent1 if you like--to the judgment which may be formed about me4 ,the methods recommended by diverse occult schools vary a great deal4 ,theosophists do not reveal to the profane the means they use to obtain supernormal facts4 ,this discretion astonishes me1 for the theosophical society is filled with a lively spirit of propagandism4 ,it has its chief centre at ,adyar1 and lodges or branches everywhere4 ,the theosophical reviews venture to discuss the most elevated problems of philosophy1 and are not at all sparing of the most extraordinary revelations of esoteric teaching2 but they are remarkably sparing of practical indications4 ,theosophical phenomenonalism appears to derive inspiration from ,hindu-,yogism4 ,i do not know the rules of training to which ,yogis submit themselves4 ,the most severe abstinence seems to be recommended them4 ,adepts are generally initiated by their ,gurus or masters1 and ,i have not been fortunate enough to be the chela of an initiated4 ,the ,french occultists who are connected with ,eliphas ,levy by ,papus 7,dr4 ,encausse71 ,guaita1 ,haven1 ,barlet1 ,sdir1 recommend the practice of magic4 ,descriptions of the necessary magical material will be found in treatises by ,papus and ,eliphas ,levy4 ,the results which the ,magi relate having been obtained are so vague1 that ,i have had no curiosity to put into practice the strange proceedings of magic ceremonial recommended by them4 ,these have a serious inconvenience2 namely1 to strike the imagination of credulous folk1 and to facilitate auto-suggestion1 sensorial illusions1 and hallucinations4 ,to accomplish the rites1 moreover1 it is necessary to dispose of rooms arranged in a particular way1 and to submit oneself to a severe diet for a certain time4 ,this makes it a complicated matter4 ,well1 ,i must admit ,i was ashamed to try these methods4 ,i lacked the courage to don the cloak and the linen robe1 to trace the circle1 and with lighted lamp and sword in hand await visions about to appear in the smoke arising from the burning incense4 ,i own ,i was perhaps wrong not to try what are apparently the less rational methods4 ,only caring for the result obtained1 ,i certainly would not have hesitated to resort to white or even black magic1 had ,i had any reason whatsoever to anticipate a positive result4 ,in order to obtain an observable fact1 ,i would not have hesitated laying myself open to ridicule4 ,but the statements of experimenters of the occult school seemed to imply a poverty of practical results4 ,if the magi of the present day had realised some operation easily accessible to observation1 they would not have omitted acquainting us of the fact in one or other of their numerous reviews4 ,their silence struck me as significant4 ,moreover1 the very essence even of ,hermetic doctrines1 openly professed by occultists1 is opposed to all such divulgence4 ,the ancient doctrine exacted initiation4 ,the ,rosicrucians1 if ,i am not mistaken1 could only initiate an adept4 ,then again1 they were allowed to use this privilege only upon attaining a certain age1 and when convinced of having found a discreet and trustworthy pupil4 ,all that publicity made to-day about ,hermetic sciences is the actual negation of their first precepts4 ,these indiscretions bring to my mind the words of one of my predecessors at the ,bordeaux ,court successor of the ancient ,parliament of ,guyenne1 the ,president ,jean d',espagnet1 one of the three or four adepts who pass for having unriddled the great arcanum4 #8,facilia intellectu suspecta habeat1' he says1 speaking to the seeker1 #8maxime in mysticis nominibus et arcanis operationibus2 in obscuris enim veritas delitescit2 nec unquam dolosius quam quum aperte1 nec verius quam quum obscure1 scribunt philosophi4' ,then1 again1 ,i had a decisive reason for choosing spiritistic methods3 they are not mysterious and they require no special subjective preparation4 ,they are simple--in appearance1 at least--and can be easily applied4 ,spiritists1 and certain experimenters who have adopted their methods without sharing their theories1 affirm having obtained surprising results4 ,therefore1 ,i had nothing better to do than choose these same methods4 ,because of their simplicity1 and the multiplicity of certified results1 ,i considered it preferable to adopt the methods of spiritists4 ,i will1 therefore1 indicate how ,i experiment when ,i am free to direct the sittings--which1 unfortunately1 is not always the case4 ,i shall divide my indications into three wide categories3 #a4 ,material ,conditions2 #b4 ,composition of the ,circle2 #c4 ,methods of ,operation4 ,i will add that these indications are not absolute4 ,i4 ,,material ,,conditions ,results are generally better1 when operations are carried on in a room whose dimensions do not exceed #ae to #bj square yards in area1 and #ab to #ae feet in height4 ,smaller rooms may be used1 but then the heat is sometimes trying4 ,the temperature of the room is an important factor4 ,heat1 although it may inconvenience the experimenters and the medium1 appears to exercise a favourable influence on the emission of the force4 ,on the contrary1 cold is an element of non-success4 ,of course1 ,i am speaking of the temperature of the room4 ,i would advise operating in a temperature of from #bj to #be degrees centigrade4 ,it is decidedly necessary to avoid having cold hands and feet4 ,in winter the seance-room should be thoroughly warmed and the fire allowed to go out before the sitting1 in case luminous phenomena should be forthcoming4 ,i fancied ,i saw an advantage1 especially for movements without contact1 in operating in an uncarpeted room4 ,the carpet not only seems to be a bad element generally1 it also hinders the gliding movements of the table1 which are often only very slight4 ,as for exterior meteorological conditions1 ,i have noticed that a dry cold favours the production of psychical phenomena3 it is1 ,i believe1 the temperature optima4 ,in any case1 the dryness of the air is a very good condition4 ,i have noticed that the phenomena were more easily obtained1 when outside conditions favoured the production of numerous sparks under the wheels of electric trams4 ,i have often noticed this coincidence between good sittings and the abundance of electric sparks above-mentioned4 ,i believe that the hygrometrical state of the atmosphere is an important factor in the production of these sparks4 ,rain and wind are1 on the contrary1 causes of failure4 ,the lighting of the seance-room is one of the most important considerations in experimentation4 ,lamps and candles have the inconvenience of taking some time to light1 and they do not allow of easy and rapid modification in the illumination of the room4 ,electric lighting is the best system1 because1 disposing of several lamps1 it suffices to press a hand-lever in order to vary the quantity and quality of the light4 ,much criticism has been passed on the particular kind of experiments ,i have undertaken to relate2 one of the most frequently reiterated criticisms is the reproach of always operating in obscurity4 ,nothing can be more inexact4 ,as far as ,i am concerned1 ,i have never considered as convincing telekinetic and parakinetic experiments made in obscurity4 ,those movements without contact1 which have brought about my conviction1 were obtained in full light1 and more often in broad daylight4 ,of course1 it is evident that darkness is necessary for the observation of luminous phenomena4 ,to insist upon proving1 in broad daylight1 the reality of the delicate phosphorescences which it has been given me to observe1 is a glaring contradiction4 ,on the other hand1 there is no doubt that darkness is particularly favourable to phenomena of a physical order4 ,on several occasions ,i have had the opportunity of recognising this fact under conditions1 which rendered the hypothesis of fraud extremely improbable4 ,for example1 ,i have frequently obtained raps in the light1 the number and intensity of which increased when the light was extinguished4 ,it is the same with movements of objects without contact2 but1 ,i repeat1 obscurity is not necessary4 ,in a popular scientific review ,i once read a criticism of some experiments in which ,i took part--a criticism written by a medical man at ,bruxelles1 if my memory be correct4 ,this doctor1 a man of talent1 imagined that our conclusions were founded upon experiments conducted solely in total obscurity4 ,he committed an involuntary mistake4 ,psychical phenomena can be obtained in broad daylight1 and an endeavour should be made to obtain them in this way4 ,there has been a general tendency to put out all lights in order to procure more marked phenomena4 ,this is a wrong way of proceeding1 if one seeks physical phenomena such as raps or movements without contact4 ,we must avoid working without light1 for the habit of only being able to emit the nervous force in obscurity is most easily acquired2 and it is by no means easy to suppress acquired habits4 ,eusapia ,paladino had the habit of demanding the gradual extinction of the light as her trance deepened4 ,in #ahig ,i was able to get through her the same phenomena1 with a certain amount of light and without the trance condition4 ,i still remember her astonishment at obtaining1 in her waking state1 phenomena which1 until then1 she had obtained in the second state only4 ,sleep and darkness were the conditions this remarkable medium had become accustomed to1 but they were not necessary4 ,my first recommendation1 then1 is to operate with light1 with as much light as possible4 ,i repeat1 however1 that sometimes the lessening of light is desirable--often the medium demands it--even its total extinction is sometimes necessary1 as1 for example1 when sitting for luminous phenomena4 ,it is therefore well to have a series of graduated electric lights more or less shaded4 ,the simpler thing is to have a ,pigeon lamp4 ,these petroleum lamps do not give much light1 but the graduation of the light is easily effected with them4 ,their great advantage is this1 when the electricity is turned off1 their feeble light--quite sufficient in certain cases--is capable of being gradually reduced until total obscurity is obtained4 ,coloured lights are often useful3 ,i have not tried blue2 yellow1 violet1 and green are good2 while red fatigues the eyes4 ,for certain series of experiments1 ,i arranged my light so as to obtain white1 yellow1 green1 or red1 according to wish3 the first three give sufficient illumination2 it is not at all the same with red4 ,i strongly recommend avoiding the concentration of the luminous source4 ,to avoid that inconvenience1 dull glass may be used1 or the lamps and lantern-sides may be covered with transparent paper--the quantity of light is not sensibly diminished1 and the sight is less tried4 ,the quality of the light employed did not seem to me to have any very noticeable influence on the phenomena1 yet ,i think my best results have been obtained in the twilight hours1 or in the afternoon between five and seven o'clock1 when the hard light of day had been tempered by drawing the blinds together4 ,the most important question after that of illumination is the choice of apparatus4 ,i do not hesitate to say that the table is the best thing to use4 ,however1 it must not be imagined this article is an indispensable tool4 ,movements without contact can be obtained just as well with chairs1 baskets1 hats1 pieces of wood1 linen1 etc41 but a table is more convenient4 ,i have obtained equally good results with round or rectangular tables2 the latter have perhaps given me the finest experiences4 ,eusapia generally uses rectangular tables2 at l',agnlas the table we used weighed about #ac kilogrammes1 at ,choisy #f or #g1 at ,bordeaux about #g kg4 #ejj grs4 ,when sitting for raps or movements without contact1 ,i think it is better to use lighter tables2 for psychical force is mensurable3 some mediums incapable of moving a table weighing ten kilogrammes may be able to obtain the levitation of a lighter one4 ,some of my recent results lead me to think1 there might be an advantage in using tables made with a double top1 a space of three or four inches separating the two shelves4 ,i have not experimented sufficiently to be able to express an opinion on the advantages which1 theoretically1 the double top seems to hold out4 ,my impression is that the table acts something like a condenser1 in which case the purpose of a double top can be understood4 ,the legs of the table should be separated4 ,one-legged tables should be discarded1 and especially tripods1 their supervision being so very difficult4 ,when the legs are thin and apart1 observation is untrammelled4 ,the colour of the table did not seem to me to exercise any influence over the phenomena4 ,i have been equally successful with black1 white1 red1 and brown tables4 ,they may be polished or unpolished4 ,i do not think it matters what kind of wood they are made of1 though ,i have obtained my finest raps with an unpolished mahogany table4 ,i have noticed there is an advantage in covering the table with some white material of light texture1 which should not fall beyond the edges of the table more than one or two inches1 as it would otherwise interfere with the experimenters' reciprocal supervision4 ,i do not know why the presence of a cloth should be favourable to raps and movements2 at all events1 it makes fraudulent raps and communicated movements much more difficult4 ,it is well to curtain off one corner of the room in order to form a cabinet4 ,if the room be narrow enough1 it is more convenient to stretch the curtains at the end opposite the window--an arrangement ,i adopted at ,choisy4 ,the dimensions of the cabinet ought not to exceed #c feet #i inches to #d feet #f inches in width1 #b feet in depth1 and #f feet in height4 ,i think there is an advantage in partially closing in the top4 ,the curtains should be made of some material of light thin texture4 ,it is a mistake to think they should be of a dark colour2 ,i have obtained just as good results with plain white sheets as with dark curtains4 ,when studying movement of objects without contact1 it is useful to place in the cabinet light articles which produce a noise when shaken4 ,the common tambourine is very appropriate for this purpose1 as are also accordions1 toy-pianos1 harmonicas1 hand-bells1 etc4 ,the experimenters ought to sit upon wooden chairs with cane seats4 ,upholstered chairs are not to be recommended4 ,an easy-chair should be placed in the cabinet for the medium1 in case he should wish to sit there4 ,mediums often express this wish1 when in a state of #8trance' or somnambulism4 ,i give the name of #8trance' to the sleep or torpor which is generally noticed in the sensitive1 when the phenomena attain their maximum intensity4 ,i prefer the word #8trance' to any other expression1 because the condition of the entranced medium does not seem to me to be identical with that of the somnambulist2 and for the particular experiments with which ,i am dealing1 it is of interest to use terms which do not lead to confusion4 ,it is extremely useful to have a registering apparatus1 which will allow of making graphical descriptions of certain movements4 ,sir ,william ,crookes used this with success4 ,i have not had the opportunity of using any2 for ,i had no such apparatus at hand when ,i experimented with ,eusapia ,paladino4 ,later on1 in a series of promising experiments1 the health of the medium with whom ,i was operating obliged me to cease work1 before ,i was able to make use of my registers4 ,i must1 however1 warn experimenters against the premature use of any kind of apparatus whatever4 ,one of the most curious features of psychical phenomena is their apparent independence4 ,the phenomena direct us2 they do not allow themselves to be easily led4 ,often they seem to obey some will other than that of the sitters2 and it is this which forms the basis of spiritistic belief2 but1 though ,i have not been able to grasp its laws1 my impression is that this spontaneousness is only apparent4 ,sensitives1 as a rule1 exhibit great repugnance to mechanical tests4 ,this repugnance is one of the difficulties which repel the best predisposed minds1 and quickly leads them to the conclusion of dishonesty1 an unwarranted conclusion sometimes4 ,i have come across many mediums1 who themselves offered me every help in their power when devising test conditions4 ,it is true these mediums are private individuals of position and education1 and are extremely anxious that their psychic powers might not be made public in any way2 for they do not wish to expose themselves to the criticism and abuse which is so lavishly bestowed upon mediums4 ,this is particularly the case with ladies4 ,certainly1 the attacks made on ,eusapia ,paladino by a badly informed press and public are not encouraging to the more highly gifted mediums4 ,i owe it to ,eusapia to say that1 in my experiments with her1 she has always submitted to the exigencies of the most severe test conditions4 ,if she has sometimes given me suspicious phenomena1 she did so only under especial psychological conditions4#a #a ,see ,appendix ,b4 ,though ,i have not employed any registering apparatus1 ,i have used instruments of weight and measure--particularly a letter-balance--an article as convenient as it is easily employed4 ,each experimenter can and ought to vary the conditions of experimentation according to his wishes1 within the limits which frequent experimentation will very quickly give him4 ,the results obtained must be definite4 ,to be satisfied with approximate results in such a matter would be absolute loss of time4 ,in concluding my remarks about the paraphernalia of the seance-room1 ,i will give one more recommendation which may seem extraordinary1 but which1 ,i have reason to believe1 is useful2 this is that there should be no metal about the table3 it is better to fasten it together with pegs rather than with nails4 ,this is not an absolute condition1 however1 for ,i have obtained good results with nailed tables2 yet my impression is that the absence of all metal is an element of success4 ,mediums are sometimes extremely sensitive to metals4 ,certain sensitives complain of their rings1 which seem to make them feel uncomfortable1 giving them1 at times1 a sensation of exaggerated heat4 ,this brings to mind certain facts met with from time to time in our neurotic cliniques4 ,,ii4 ,,composition ,,of ,,the ,,circle ,the most important thing in the organisation of a series of experiments is the choice of persons with whom we intend to operate4 ,first of all1 it must be remembered that without a medium no phenomena will be forthcoming4 ,the presence of some one1 gifted with the power of producing psychical phenomena1 is perhaps the only necessary and indispensable condition of their realisation4 ,therefore1 experimentation ought only to be seriously thought of when in possession of that rara avis4 ,what1 then1 is a medium8 ,by what distinguishing features can he be recognised8 ,it is very difficult to answer these questions4 ,i will give the name of #8medium' to any person capable of producing any of the phenomena previously mentioned4 ,i adopt the word #8medium1' because it is consecrated by custom and has received the precise signification ,i mention4 ,some philosophers criticise this definition4 ,their criticisms are1 ,i think1 misplaced4 ,in metaphysics it is easy to give definitions which1 though elegant1 are founded upon nothing4 ,in physics--,i use this word in its etymological and primitive sense--a being can only be defined by its properties4 ,definitions of this kind state a fact1 which is all we can require of them2 they serve one purpose1 which is to avoid a long periphrase4 ,any other definition would lead to the supposition1 that the veritable knowledge of the cause of the phenomena observed or of the properties recorded1 was known2 now1 it seems to me impossible to affirm the real cause of the facts ,i have observed4 ,i confine myself to stating them without forming any hypotheses4 ,a medium is1 therefore1 a person in presence of whom #8psychical' phenomena can be observed4 ,i use this word #8psychical' with regret1 because it implies a hypothesis4 ,as a rule it is necessary to experiment with mediums in order to discover them4 ,their gifts are often latent1 and only reveal themselves if conditions favourable to their manifestation are supplied4 ,this is not always the case1 and there is generally a chance of coming across a medium when experimenting with persons in whose presence certain irregular abnormal noises are heard1 certain movements of furniture are spontaneously produced4 ,such things are far from being as uncommon as one would think4 ,this assertion may seem paradoxical1 but such is not the case4 ,i have met with good mediums who were ignorant of the existence of their faculties2 yet1 when ,i questioned them1 ,i discovered that they frequently heard little #8raps' upon the wood of their bed or upon their night-table1 without attaching any importance to it4 ,others have often noticed the displacement of ordinary articles4 ,sometimes1 but more rarely1 the facts observed are so intense that the house appears to be haunted4 ,we are often tempted to attribute to fraud the phenomena of haunting4 ,i believe accounts of this nature are not all false1 and ,i shall perhaps try and show this in a future work4 ,we must not reason like one of my friends1 a man of vast erudition and superior intelligence1 who one day said to me3 #8,a little girl from thirteen to sixteen years old is always to be found in haunted houses--as soon as the little girl is taken away the phenomena cease6' ,granted6 ,things generally happen thus2 only the little girl may not be the voluntary cause of the phenomena3 she may be the involuntary cause of them1 a medium in activity1 producing supernormal phenomena of the nature of those observed at spiritistic seances4 ,however1 it must be admitted that it is very seldom we have the opportunity of experimenting with these1 so to speak1 ready-made mediums4 ,as a rule we must try on patiently1 until the longed-for phnix has been discovered4 ,at the same time1 ,i ought to point out that the chances of encountering a medium will be greater if we look for him among nervous people4 ,it seems to me that a certain impressionability--or nervous instability--is a favourable condition for the effervescence of medianity4 ,i use the term #8nervous instability' for want of a better1 but ,i do not use it in an ill sense4 ,hysterical people do not always give clear1 decided phenomena2 my best experiments have been made with those who were not in any way hysterical4 ,neurasthenics generally give no result whatever4 ,the nervous instability of which ,i speak is1 therefore1 neither hysteria1 nor neurasthenia1 nor any nervous affection whatsoever4 ,it is a state of the nervous system such as appears in hypertension4 ,a lively impressionability1 a delicate susceptibility1 a certain unequalness of temper1 establish analogy between mediums and certain neurotic patients2 but they are to be distinguished from the latter by the integrity of their sensibilities1 of their reflex movements1 and of their visual range4 ,as a rule1 they have a lively intelligence1 are susceptible to attention1 and do not lack energy2 their artistic sentiments are relatively developed2 they are confiding and unreserved with those who show them sympathy2 are distrustful and irritable if not treated gently4 ,they pass easily from sadness to joy1 and experience an irresistible need of physical agitation3 these two characteristics are just the ones which made me choose the expression of nervous instability4 ,i say instability1 ,i do not say want of equilibrium4 ,many mediums whom ,i have known have an extremely well-balanced mind1 from a mental and nervous point of view4 ,my impression is that their nervous system is even superior to that of the average4 ,this will1 no doubt1 surprise many well-informed people4 ,medical men and psychologists1 ill-disposed1 as a rule1 to the study of so-called occult phenomena1 have the habit of looking upon all mediums as hysterics4 ,it suffices to read the works of these savants to perceive they have never been in the presence of veritable mediums4 ,m4 ,paul ,janet1 for example--in ,l',automatisme ,psychologique--propounds general theories which cannot be applied to every case4 ,it is a pity such an eminent thinker should not have taken the trouble to make himself better acquainted with the facts4 ,perhaps he has acted like the celebrated ,abbot ,vertot4#b ,according to ,m4 ,janet's theories1 all mediums are on the high road to psychological disintegration3 the constituent parts of their personality are dissociated under the influence of the weakening of the normal1 personal activity4 #b ,vertot1 an historian of the eighteenth century1 failing to receive1 when he was ready for them1 the documents upon which he counted in order to write his ,siege of ,rhodes1 finished his work for all that2 and when the documents were handed to him1 he contented himself with saying3 #8,i am very sorry1 but ,i have finished my siege4' ,he preferred leaving his work imperfect to beginning it over again4 ,i am sure the individuals observed by ,m4 ,janet have been very carefully studied by him2 but ,i regret that my learned colleague has not encountered a genuine medium4 ,i share his opinion concerning most spiritistic mediums2 ,i have only found two interesting ones among them2 the hundred others which ,i have observed have only given me automatic phenomena1 more or less conscious2 nearly all were the puppets of their imagination4 ,it is outside spiritistic circles that ,i have discovered the best mediums4 ,m4 ,janet's criticisms are only erroneous because they are too sweeping4 ,his conception of psychological disintegration is applicable to the greater number of cases2 but it does not apply to all4 ,it is a very different thing to study a crystal-vision1 or an automatic writing revealing nothing beyond the tenor of the sensitive's memory1 or to observe a premonitory vision such as has been given me to do4 ,the indication of a future event cannot be explained by ,janet's hypothesis4 ,it reveals especial faculties that ,i can scarcely consider pathological1 unless ,i consider them as such in the same way as one considers genius to be a sign of degeneration4 ,it is more reasonable to think that our nervous sensibility will become more and more refined4 ,it is rash to believe that the present human type is the definite end of evolution4 ,our species is only one link in the series of beings2 the causes1 which have led up to the improvement of the human race1 are still in activity1 and it is logical to think there are some natures above as well as below the average4 ,the latter represent ancestral types--a return to cast-off forms2 the former are perhaps precursors1 possessing faculties which are abnormal to-day1 but which may become normal to-morrow4 ,i must pause1 for ,i see ,i am forsaking the domain of facts for that of hypotheses2 ,i hasten to return thither4 ,i have pointed out the signs which permit us to suppose that a certain given person is a medium2 although these signs are not certain1 they seem to me probable4 ,in reality1 there is only one sure way of testing the faculties of a medium3 that is to experiment with him4 ,it has been observed that certain people do not obtain phenomena when they operate alone1 but obtain them1 on the contrary1 when with another person4 ,i myself have not had occasion to remark this fact1 but ,i have often noticed that the presence of certain people favoured the attainment of results1 while the presence of others troubled or stopped it4 ,i have no explanation to offer for this fact4 ,certainly credulity or incredulity has no influence whatever on the results of an experiment4 ,i have seen people who were very little inclined to allow themselves to be convinced make excellent auxiliaries4 ,at the same time1 ,i have seen convinced spiritists make detestable co-operators4 ,it seems as if the faculty of giving forth this unknown force were unequally distributed1 that it constitutes a physical property of the organism2 that1 in relation to it1 some persons will be positive and others negative1 some will emit and others absorb it4 ,hence the importance of the choice of co-operators--of the composition of the circle4 ,the number of experimenters is comparatively unimportant2 in principle1 the more numerous the circle the greater the force thrown out4 ,but the presence of a large number of sitters is a bad condition for observation2 it also enhances the difficulty of the realisation of1 what spiritists call1 the harmony of the circle4 ,but ,i ought to say that the finest luminous phenomena1 which ,i have seen1 have been obtained when there were from fifteen to twenty people present4 ,on the other hand1 ,i have had the opportunity of experimenting several times alone with a non-professional medium1 when ,i succeeded in seeing faces which ,i recognised4 ,unfortunately1 this medium--the only one with whom ,i have obtained this phenomenon--wishes to retain his incognito4 ,i think the most favourable number is from four to eight4 ,i would urge those who wish to try to experiment to compose their circle1 as far as possible1 of an equal number of each sex2 it is preferable to alternate the masculine and feminine elements4 ,these considerations lead us to the examination of methods of operation1 properly speaking4 ,,iii4 ,,methods ,,of ,,operation ,before discussing in detail those methods which appear to me to be the surest1 ,i think it well to make a few general recommendations4 ,the first relates to the state of mind in which it is necessary to experiment4 ,if interesting results are desired it is not advisable to laugh1 joke1 or mock at those practices--however ridiculous they may seem--with which ,i advise compliance4 ,act seriously1 do not make light of experiments1 the exact import of which we are so ignorant of4 ,i think we should also avoid the other extreme1 which we find in most spiritistic groups1 and which impart to these seances all the solemnity of a religious service4 ,the foregoing might be considered a useless recommendation1 which is not the case4 ,spiritists1 whose experience in such matters is not to be disdained1 insist on the necessity of harmony in the circle1 which is1 they say1 an essential condition of success4 ,my personal experience confirms their opinion on this point4 ,i have often been present at sittings which promised well in the beginning1 and became suddenly barren because of a futile discussion between the sitters4 ,the harmony recommended by spiritists is a kind of equilibrium between the mental and emotional states of the sitters4 ,each sitter should be animated by the same spirit--,i do not use this word in its spiritistic acceptation--and seek only the truth2 for ,i take it for granted they will operate as ,i have done4 ,this unity of views1 this uniformity of desires1 this harmony between brains and hearts ensures the synergy of the forces which each member of the circle develops4 ,for there is no doubt that some kind of force is emitted1 and that if the medium throws off more than the other experimenters1 an equilibrium between him and the other sitters is nevertheless fairly quickly established4 ,the medium takes back from the latter the force he has expended4 ,the result is that after a successful seance1 the sitters are generally tired4 ,i have noticed that certain persons give out this force more readily than others1 and this perhaps explains a medium's preference for certain experimenters as neighbours during the seance4 ,we must not attribute this choice to the greater facility1 which some people might offer for the execution of fraudulent phenomena4 ,i have frequently been thus chosen1 and ,i beg my readers to believe that ,i have a horror of fraud and imposture4 ,i am also accustomed to experimenting2 ,i feel no emotion whatever2 ,i keep cool and observe with care4 ,i am well acquainted with fraudulent methods1 and ,i take good care not to be imposed upon4 ,i repeat1 it is a mistake to attribute to fraudulent intentions the preference shown by the medium for such or such an experimenter4 ,in reality1 it seems as though the medium1 possessing an organism much more sensitive than that of the majority1 quickly recognises those persons who the more easily throw off the force which he requires to retrieve his losses4 ,this more rapid emission may be the result of habit1 or may even depend upon individual constitution4 ,eusapia quickly discerns people from whom she can easily draw the force she needs4 ,in the course of my first experiments with this medium1 ,i found out this vampirism to my cost4 ,one evening1 at the close of a sitting at l',agnlas1 she was raised from the floor and carried on to the table with her chair4 ,i was not seated beside her1 but1 without releasing her neighbours' hands1 she caught hold of mine while the phenomenon was happening4 ,i had a cramp in the stomach--,i cannot better define my sensation--and was almost overcome by exhaustion4 ,this1 for me1 extraordinary incident astonished me greatly1 and since then ,i have always carefully examined my sensations4 ,this examination has the fault of being purely subjective1 but certain objective realities have confirmed it4 ,a special sensation accompanies the emission of this nervous force1 and with custom the passage of the energy expended in a seance can be felt1 just as the interruption of its flow can be discerned4 ,i have questioned several experimenters about this1 and their observations have often corroborated mine4 ,therefore ,i think ,i may say that some kind of force is emitted by the sitters1 which is elaborated by the medium2 that the latter restores his losses at the expense of the experimenters1 that certain people more readily than others furnish the medium with the force he requires2 and that a certain sympathy of ideas1 views1 and sentiments between the experimenters is favourable to the emission of this force4 ,i have no decided opinion upon the nature and origin of this force4 ,i think it is kindred to the energy which circulates in our nerves1 and which provokes the contraction of our muscles4 ,further on ,i shall give the reasons which lead me to think so4 ,a second recommendation1 no less important than the first1 in my opinion1 is to treat seriously1 and note carefully all communications given through the table1 through automatic writing or raps4 ,i now arrive at the examination of one of the most curious facts which so-called #8psychical' experiences reveal4 ,to a certain extent the manifesting force appears to be intelligent4 ,nothing permits me to affirm or even to think1 that the manifestations are due to an entity distinct from that of the sitters4 ,it is not my province to discuss hypotheses3 ,i confine myself to the relation of facts1 and in the course of my recital1 ,i will point out in detail the circumstances1 which permit me to signalise the apparent individuality of the manifesting force4 ,as in such matters ,i have always thought it better to preserve an expectant attitude1 ,i have always been careful never to slight the communications received through the phenomena4 ,i have imposed on myself the habit of treating these manifestations in the manner desired by them4 ,every time ,i acted otherwise1 the results were indifferent4 ,generally1 the manifestations are attributed to a deceased person1 known or unknown to the sitters4 ,this is not absolute1 for ,i have witnessed the table call itself the devil1 or even pretend to be a man still alive4 ,automatic writing has been signed by a ,mahatma2 but1 as a rule1 it is the soul of a deceased person who claims to be manifesting4 ,this usual attribution explains spiritistic belief4 ,i have good reason for thinking1 that the spirits of the dead have had nothing to do with my experiments2 but as1 in reality1 ,i am ignorant of the cause of the phenomena which ,i have observed1 ,i have politely accepted the explanation these have given of themselves4 ,it is thus we address those whom we meet at table d'hte1 calling them by the name they give themselves without concerning ourselves as to who they really are4 ,therefore1 whatever the changeable personification of the phenomena may be1 my advice is to accept it and to heed its observations4 ,we must not suppose the ideas expressed are due to the operators' unconscious movements2 that may be true when the communications are obtained through automatic writing1 through a table or articles with which the experimenters are in contact2 but it is certainly not so when they are obtained by raps given without any contact whatsoever1 as ,i have been able to prove many and many a time4 ,as ,i confine myself to indicating the results of my personal experience1 it is perhaps enough to say once more that the methods ,i recommend seem good to me4 ,i have always noticed the unhappy consequences of my refusal to take into account the spontaneous advice of the personification4 ,the most frequently given advice concerns the placing of the experimenters4 ,however1 at the beginning of the sitting1 the experimenters may seat themselves as they please4 ,i have already said it was generally necessary to place the medium's chair against the curtains of the cabinet1 and to alternate the sexes4 ,the experimenters seated1 the experiment begins4 ,it is a good plan to choose a manager4 ,nothing is worse than the absence of direction4 ,when every one wishes to direct the proceedings1 confusion reigns in the circle1 and results are bad4 ,i have been present at seances where every one spoke at the same time1 each one demanding a different phenomenon4 ,as a rule1 on such occasions nothing was received4 ,some one1 therefore1 ought to be appointed to conduct the experiment1 especially to converse with the personification if it express a desire for conversation4 ,when the sitters wish to make a report of an experiment1 it is indispensable to intrust one of the experimenters with the task of taking notes of the incidents as they occur4 ,this experimenter ought to form one of the circle4 ,it must not be thought that the circle can be modified with impunity4 ,my personal experience has shown me it is bad to frequently introduce strangers into the circle4 ,it should be arranged that a series of at least six sittings will be held without modifying the group3 that no new experimenter will be admitted3 and that none of the original experimenters will miss even one seance4 ,then if at the end of six sittings nothing has been obtained1 my advice is to change the circle1 to eliminate certain elements1 replacing them by others4 ,it is preferable to change the sitters one by one1 and to make a few experiments with the circle thus modified before making further changes4 ,if interesting results be forthcoming1 and a desire be felt to show them to other people1 the new sitters must be introduced one by one1 and1 ,i repeat1 at intervals of three or four sittings4 ,otherwise there would be a risk of compromising the success of the experiments4 ,the personification sometimes asks for the addition to the circle of a certain person2 it is then well to invite him to the sittings if circumstances allow of it4 ,i now return to the seance which1 ,i suppose1 has begun4 ,the sitters put their hands on the table2 it is not generally necessary to #8form the chain1' that is to say1 to establish contact between the sitters by linking the little fingers4 ,the hands in position1 and the room well lighted up1 we wait4 ,talking or singing may be indulged in4 ,the emission of the voice1 especially rythmical emission1 is an excellent condition3 it is a good thing to play some music1 organ-playing is particularly effective4 ,why is the production of sonorous rythmical waves favourable to these phenomena8 ,i have no explanation to offer for this fact1 which ,i am not the only one to have observed4 ,at the end of a few minutes1 the table often seems to be agitated4 ,if we are experimenting with spiritists or with people accustomed to spiritistic proceedings1 the table1 raising itself1 will be seen to strike the floor with one of its legs4 ,i advise asking the table if it wishes to speak1 and to arrange that two raps will mean #8no1' and three raps #8yes4' ,of course any other numbers or signs will do equally well4 ,the table1 thus consulted1 generally replies #8yes4' ,it can then be asked1 if the sitters are well placed3 if it indicates any other arrangement it is well to heed its advice4 ,we should then make known to the table what kind of results are desired1 and point out1 particularly1 that movements with contact1 failing to carry conviction1 are undesirable4 ,i have already said that the personification--it is thus ,i call the entity1 whatever it may be1 who claims to be manifesting--is generally very open to suggestion2 and it suffices to indicate1 at the beginning of the experiment1 the objection that is made to movements with contact to be almost completely rid of them4 ,there is no need to point out the object of the above suggestion4 ,from the special point of view of the observation of material facts1 the movement of a table upon which the hand rests means nothing at all4 ,i look upon these movements as loss of time2 they are sufficiently explained by our own unconscious and involuntary muscular contractions4 ,the phenomenon is only worthy of a serious man's attention when it is produced without contact1 or without sufficient contact2 as1 for example1 when the table is completely raised from the ground1 the sitters' hands resting on top of the table all the time4 ,it is better not to experiment than to lose one's time in observing movements with contact1 unless1 of course1 we are seeking to analyse the tenor of typtological messages4 ,i strongly recommend most carefully avoiding the production of automatic movements4 ,i have excellent reasons for believing1 that the agent which produces telekinetic phenomena only realises them1 if it has accumulated sufficient force to have acquired a certain given tension4 ,i have already pointed out the close connection--identity perhaps--between this agent and that which causes our muscles to contract2 further on ,i shall indicate experiences which give weight to this impression2 at present it suffices to mention it1 to understand why ,i so earnestly recommend sitters to avoid yielding to more or less subconscious movements from the very outset4 ,if1 as ,i think1 the energy which our nervous system elaborates is closely connected with that energy1 whose effects are seen in telekinetic phenomena1 it is probable that it will only produce these curious effects1 in proportion as it is able to acquire a sufficient tension for its emission4 ,my knowledge of physics is too rudimentary to allow me to draw precise comparisons between this force and electricity4 ,nevertheless1 it has seemed to me to present some analogies with electricity1 although the two are certainly not identical2 but the analogies are1 perhaps1 sufficient to enable me by a comparison to make my meaning clearer4 ,an electrical conductor1 charged with a given amount of electricity1 will have an electrical density of 2 if the amount increases1 this density will be 1 and we will have 2 the tension in the first case will be ,t #b1 in the second ,t #b2 ,t will be greater than ,t4 ,the conductor will remain charged1 as long as the tension does not exceed the resistance which the surroundings offer to the emission of electricity2 as soon as this resistance becomes inferior to the tension1 there will be emission of electricity4 ,in the case of a medium1 the charge of energy increases with time and relative immobility4 ,if by making unconscious or voluntary movements1 experimenters do not allow this energy to accumulate1 it will never reach the tension necessary for exteriorisation4 ,there are1 however1 some reservations to be made2 for ,i have noticed1 that when the tension is sufficient1 simulated or executed movements determine the production of the motor phenomenon--just as if the execution of the movement appeared to liberate a quantity of energy superior to that which was utilised by the working of the muscle2 the excess of force was then apparently employed in the realisation of the telekinetic movement4 ,i have noticed that1 every time we allow voluntary or involuntary movements1 telekinetic movements are difficult to obtain4 ,one would think1 that the energy which determines them can only accomplish them when it cannot find a normal outlet2 it has a tendency to expend itself normally in ordinary muscular movements3 this tendency is one of the most frequent causes of involuntary fraud1 and the habitual occasion of voluntary fraud4 ,we must see that this tendency be checked3 this may call for some effort of attention at the beginning1 but #8habit is second nature4' ,things being thus regulated1 we wait4 ,a first seance is generally without apparent result1 unless one has the good luck to meet with a medium straight away--which is not always the case4 ,those who seriously wish to understand these facts must have a great fund of indefatigable patience4 ,i can guarantee them success sooner or later1 but ,i cannot tell how many barren experiments may be made before that success comes4 ,they must not grow weary2 let them progressively modify the composition of the circle until the necessary element be met with4 ,they will then be rewarded for their trouble4 ,i strongly advise them to avoid professional mediums4 ,some of them are sincere1 and ,i think that ,eusapia ,paladino is of that number4 ,it is true that sometimes she produces suspicious phenomena1 but it is puerile to conclude therefrom that she constantly cheats4 ,the suspicious cases ,i have observed with ,eusapia are interesting1 if studied impartially4 ,they show the rle which the subliminal conscience--impersonal or bound to a second personality--plays in the phenomena1 and give rise to attractive psychological problems4 ,spiritistic mediums1 whose number is legion1 form another category with whom we should not experiment1 except for purposes of especial research4 ,some of these mediums are trustworthy1 and one of them1 ,madame ,agullana of ,bordeaux1 has sometimes given me interesting sittings4 ,the phenomena ,i have observed with this medium differ greatly from ,eusapia's2 they are of an intellectual order1 and raise a very complicated problem4 ,madame ,agullana's medianity must not be judged from seances with her groups4 ,these seances have the religious character of nearly all truly spiritistic meetings4 ,it is difficult there for an experimenter to observe at his ease2 the curiosity of those who seek only the objective demonstration of a fact may appear impertinent and out of place at such meetings4 ,the faithful have a right to look upon such people as intruders4 ,convinced of the truth of their doctrines1 they ill brook the open discussion of them at meetings1 where discussion is not wanted4 ,they prefer the discourses of an entranced medium to the needless interference of the profane4 ,their meetings1 nearly always consecrated to the acquiring of communications1 have the serious defect of developing unconscious automatism in their medium4 ,for me this is a conclusive reason4 ,madame ,agullana1 at some seances where only a few experimentalists took part1 gave proof of the possession of certain supernormal faculties1 which ,i have not observed in the same degree of intensity at the usual sittings of her group4 ,this medium is also entirely reliable1 and of praiseworthy disinterestedness4 ,she never receives any remuneration--an important consideration--for1 mediums who take fees are more open to suspicion4 ,my most convincing results have been obtained with persons unacquainted with spiritism and ignorant of its practices4 ,once ,i discovered a medium most unexpectedly4 ,he sat down with me at a table1 invited to experiment for the first time in his life4 ,he had scarcely seated himself when violent knockings resounded on the floor2 this person1 honourable1 well-educated and intelligent1 is one of the most remarkable sensitives ,i have met with4 ,but as he fears ridicule1 has no desire to be scoffed at in newspapers1 and1 moreover1 dreads publicity of any kind1 he does not wish his name to be mentioned4 ,these are the results of the malevolent criticisms heaped upon experiments of this nature4 ,i am sure the number of mediums is much more considerable than we think2 in a circle of from eight to ten people chosen under the condition ,i have mentioned1 it is seldom we do not find a medium4 ,of whatever sex1 to whatever social status he may belong1 the medium is a sensitive4 ,this must never be forgotten2 and we must never lose sight of the fact1 that the phenomena will be clearer and better in proportion as the medium's confidence and sympathy are won4 ,this statement will not surprise those who are familiar with hypnotic experimentation1 for they know how easy it is to induce sleep in a person who lets himself go1 and1 on the contrary1 how difficult it is in one who resists or who mistrusts the operator4 ,i am persuaded that the impersonal strata of the consciousness play a rle in psychical phenomena similar to what they play in the phenomena of hypnotism4 ,therefore1 ,i insist on the necessity for due regard being paid to the medium4 ,i have had much practice1 and in all mediums ,i have met with extreme sensitiveness4 ,those who have come under the refining influences of education1 instruction1 or rank1 are the most sensitive--#8touchy'2 but this sensitiveness ought not to be interpreted as a sign of degeneracy4 ,certain contemporary savants consider every deviation from the normal state as a blemish6 ,such a way of thinking implies a veritable a priori judgment1 a begging of the question1 which is detrimental to the true development of scientific thought4 ,the normal man is only a mean term2 there are individuals who are inferior to the mean1 there are others who are superior to it4 ,nature knows not equality4 ,she offers us1 everywhere1 inequalities1 discrepancies1 diversities4 ,it is the illusory unity of our own personality1 which leads us to unify and to codify natural phenomena and even humanity itself4 ,it is one of the conditions of the organisation of our ,sciences1 that they become intelligible only on condition of adapting themselves to our particular form of understanding4 ,nothing authorises our supposing that this form of understanding has any metaphysical reality2 it may only be a subjective condition of our perception4 ,it is by an analogous mental process1 that we give reality to the intellectual or physical type of the average man4 ,degeneracy1 which is often a sliding backwards1 a relapse into inferior types1 is a negative deviation from the average man3 genius is a positive variation4 ,in the same way1 the nervous system of the imaginary average man is but an abstraction2 in reality1 the sensibility of the nervous system of the different human individualities varies immensely4 ,a negative variation will give beings who are less sensitive1 less delicate than those of the average type2 a variation in the positive sense will give individuals of a more sensitive and more delicate type4 ,to consider either as abnormal is only grammatically true3 the former are infra-normal1 the latter are supra-normal4 ,the first have not reached the average level1 the second have passed it4 ,therefore1 it is not astonishing that a more refined sensitivity of the nervous system should have a correspondingly greater emotivity3 #8touchiness' in itself is a function of emotivity4 ,this seems to me to explain a fact which appears certain--that the feelings of mediums are very easily hurt4 ,a discontented1 irritated medium is a bad instrument--as ,i have had occasion to prove with ,eusapia and many other mediums4 ,i have always noticed that discontent and moral discomfort1 as well as fatigue and physical discomfort in the medium brought about failure4 ,the advice ,i give is important to follow4 ,win the confidence and sympathy of the medium by your own sympathy1 your own deference1 your own loyalty4 ,if you detect fraud1 which seems voluntary to you1 do not hesitate--after the sitting and at the first favourable opportunity--to tell him frankly your doubts and your impression4 ,if you perceive an involuntary fraud1 put the medium on guard against himself1 always act toward him with sincerity1 but at the same time with kindness and courtesy4 ,as already pointed out1 fatigue and physical discomfort produce the same effects as moral discomfort4 ,it is unwise therefore to experiment with a sick medium4 ,the results would be bad from an experimental standpoint1 and the medium's health would suffer4 ,carefully avoid experimenting too frequently with the medium4 ,even three sittings a week are really more than is desirable4 ,we may experiment three times a week when operating with a medium in good form1 and when the experiments are not likely to last for more than two or three weeks4 ,it would be bad to experiment so often or for a longer period with a young sensitive4 ,two sittings a week seem the safest number to me2 while only one ought to be made if the medium follows a trying profession4 ,i have seen mediums become ill through experimenting too often4 ,the abuse of experimentation rapidly brings on nervous breakdown1 and may cause serious disorders1 of which neurasthenia is the most frequent and the least serious4 ,therefore ,i have made it an invariable rule to experiment with non-professional mediums1 only on condition that they bind themselves to experiment with no other than my own circle as long as our series of experiments lasts4 ,i am as persuaded of the absolute innocuousness of experiments prudently conducted1 as ,i am positive of the dangers of experimentation when frequent1 prolonged1 or conducted by incompetent persons4 ,i have no fear of assuming the responsibility of the first1 but for no consideration whatever would ,i endorse1 even indirectly1 the second1 and ,i cannot too strongly recommend the same prudence to other experimenters4 ,a last recommendation remains to be made2 experimentation with persons of doubtful morality must be avoided4 ,i have no need to enlarge upon the many inconveniences to which such an imprudent collaboration may expose experimenters4 ,to sum up the indications ,i have just given in perhaps too complete a fashion1 ,i will briefly recall to mind the conditions which have seemed the best to me3 sufficient light first of all--the personification must not acquire the habit of operating in darkness1 for the brighter the light1 the more convincing the experiment2 a small room2 a light table with four legs1 put together with wooden pegs rather than with nails2 a cabinet of soft thin curtains2 the experimenters not to exceed as a rule eight in number2 the experimenters to agree to experiment seriously1 without turning into ridicule the practices to which they submit themselves4 ,it is a good plan to allow only one of their circle to direct the seance1 to converse with the personification1 to control the proceedings4 ,they must try and keep up a spirit of good understanding1 and refrain from reciprocally accusing each other of pushing the table--novices do this regularly4 ,discussion should be relegated to the end1 and should never be provoked during the sitting4 ,finally1 they should pay great attention to the susceptibility of the medium--whoever he may be4 ,the greatest patience will be required2 the circle should be modified with prudence1 and only after a certain number of sterile experiments4 ,,iv4 ,,the ,,personification ,i think it will be useful to indicate what has seemed to me the best way of treating the personification--for this point is important4 ,i give the name of #8personification' to the manifesting intelligence1 whatever this may be4 ,as previously indicated1 this intelligence1 as a rule1 claims to be the soul of a deceased person4 ,this is not absolute1 and the phenomena may personify ,god1 the devil1 angels1 legendary personages1 fairies1 etc4 ,i need not say how far ,i am from believing in the reality of the being thus manifesting1 and ,i have1 as ,i believe1 excellent reasons for doubting4 ,i have noticed that the rle played by the personification varies with the composition of the circle4 ,it will always be the spirit of a dead or living person with spiritists4 ,but the rles are more varied if the circle be composed of people who are not spiritists2 it then sometimes happens that the communications claim to emanate from the sitters themselves4 ,i am inclined to believe this is the real origin of the communications1 and that a sort of collective consciousness is formed4 ,i give my impression with the greatest reserve1 for1 ,i repeat1 ,i have no decided opinion upon the subject2 but the experiments ,i have made leave me that impression1 in a general way4 ,this forms part of an--as yet--undeciphered chapter on the psychology of crowds4 ,i confess ,i have no explanation to give of the action which such a collective consciousness appears to have upon matter2 but this difficulty seems to me less insurmountable than those attending the spirit hypothesis4 ,if we attribute the phenomena to a being distinct from ourselves1 having a will-power so much the more marked because it emanates from a spiritual being more enlightened than ourselves1 ,i cannot understand the suggestibility of such a being4 ,now1 ,i believe the personification is1 as a rule1 extremely suggestible4 ,i say #8as a rule1' for there are occasions when it gives proof of remarkable obstinacy3 this is the exception1 and ,i ought to say that when the personification shows a decided will of its own1 there is no struggling against it4 ,it is absolutely necessary to follow the directions it gives1 for1 in such cases1 there is a very good chance of obtaining happy results1 while certainly nothing will be obtained by spurning those directions4 ,there are very few people among those unaccustomed to this kind of experimentation1 who have the courage to treat the personification as it desires to be treated3 this is a mistake4 ,we must take a practical view of the proceedings2 we must lay aside all pride and vanity4 ,i am as well aware as any one of the comical aspect of a conversation between a grave experimenter and a being non-existent1 and ,i had much difficulty in conquering the repugnance with which this manner of proceeding inspired me4 ,i saw therein a kind of jugglery unworthy of a cultured intellect4 ,experience has clearly shown me ,i was wrong1 without1 however1 demonstrating the reality of the being personified4 ,every time ,i looked upon the personification as something not to be reckoned with1 ,i have had bad or indifferent sittings4 ,this does not mean1 that the results have always been in proportion to the attention ,i have paid the personification4 ,far from it6 ,the personification is generally lavish of promises--excellent things in their way1 but it would be extremely nave to put absolute faith in what it says3 we must trust only in ourselves4 ,i do not know if ,socrates' demon ever played him false3 those of his species whom ,i have interviewed struck me as being of doubtful sincerity4 ,it would be impossible to commit a greater imprudence than to put practical faith in the advice of the personification1 however good it may seem to have always been4 ,my personal observations have generally brought me into connection with personifications possessing more imagination and good-will than respect for the truth4 ,they have promised me marvellous demonstrations1 which ,i am still expecting1 particularly complete materialisations4 ,perhaps ,i am too hard to please1 and ought to consider myself lucky to have seen what ,i have seen4 ,but we are never content with our lot1 and ,horace's time-honoured words are as true to-day as ever they were4#c #c ,qui fit1 ,mcenas1 ut nemo1 quam sibi sortem ,seu ratio dederit1 seu fors objecerit1 illa ,contentus vivat1 laudet diversa sequentes8 ,satyr1 ,i4 lib4 i4 #a4 ,if ,i strongly recommend people not to abandon the conduct of their life or business affairs to the personification1 ,i recommend just as strongly treating the latter with the greatest possible attention4 ,we can only form hypotheses about its essence2 and the scepticism which my observations1 taken as a whole1 have instilled into me1 may be ill-founded2 therefore it is better to treat it with the same courtesy we show our fellow-experimenters4 ,this attitude is prudent2 it is also the most profitable one4 ,in practice1 ,i have the same regard for the personification as for the medium4 ,i do not call it #8dear spirit' as spiritists do1 but ,i find ,i do well to make it clearly understand what ,i am seeking2 whatever in reality the personification may be1 its co-operation seems to me to be indispensable4 ,the resemblance between the reaction of the personification and that of the subliminal consciousness is so obvious1 that ,i have no need to enlarge upon it4 ,in practice1 the first manifestation of this--probably fictitious--being will consist in a knocking on the floor with the leg of the table4 ,it is well to agree upon a code of signals4 ,the simplest is two raps for #8no1' three for #8yes1' five for the alphabet4 ,at the beginning1 it will be difficult to avoid these knockings4 ,i have already said it is desirable to discourage them and to induce the personification to manifest itself otherwise4 ,it would be well to accept the typtological code of signals above mentioned for the first conversations1 but to abandon it as soon as it has been clearly explained to the personification1 that movements with contact are unacceptable4 ,i am1 of course1 speaking under the supposition that telekinetic or parakinetic movements are desired4 ,if the personification1 at the end of five or six seances of an hour each1 does not begin to produce the desired phenomena1 the circle must be modified in the manner already pointed out4 ,these modifications ought to be patiently continued1 until a medium has been met with4 ,the personification might be asked to name the sitter who is to be replaced1 and1 if possible1 to designate his substitute4 ,such a designation is often very useful4 ,once or twice ,i have seen the table name persons whom1 at the moment of the experiment1 no one in our midst had thought of--at least consciously4 ,various reasons prevented the given indications from being followed1 and the experiments were discontinued4 ,movements with contact can be eliminated by the process ,i have mentioned2 their elimination1 made with the consent of the personification1 presents no inconvenience1 unless it be done too abruptly4 ,i have already said that the personification is generally very open to suggestion4 ,we must remember that this is a special kind of suggestibility4 ,in hypnotism a commanding tone of voice gives greater force to the suggestion2 it is not the same with the personification in question1 which shows itself rebellious to all imperative orders4 ,on the contrary1 it readily yields to suggestions made with gentleness and persistence4 ,as a rule1 ,i give the object ,i have in view1 and my reasons for setting aside all phenomena which can be explained by unconscious muscular action4 ,i repeat1 ,i treat the personification as a co-experimenter4 ,it is seldom that1 thus exhorted1 it does not willingly consent to abstain from phenomena devoid of interest1 and promise more demonstrative ones4 ,i have already said too much faith must not be put in such promises2 at least nine out of ten experiments will come to nothing1 and will have to be worked out again on fresh lines4 ,but the experimenter's patience will not always be tried in vain4 ,sooner or later he will meet with the indispensable medium2 and his observations will then be similar to mine4 ,the first supernormal phenomena are raps and oscillations without contact4 ,sometimes the phenomenon1 from the very outset1 will manifest itself with intensity2 this is the exception2 generally the noises and movements1 feeble in the beginning1 will grow in intensity4 ,as soon as raps without contact have been obtained1 certain signals must be agreed upon4 ,the simplest way1 then1 is to adopt the typtological code of signals1 i4e4 two raps for #8no1' three for #8yes1' five for the alphabet4 ,the phenomena then become very interesting1 for when the raps are given without contact1 the hypothesis of involuntary movements becomes insufficient to explain them4 ,i have recently received very intelligent communications in this way4 ,we must not grow tired of having the words repeated4 ,it often happens that letters are left out1 or that one letter is given instead of another4 ,this happens particularly with neighbouring letters4 ,in carefully noting down the letters a very clear sense will often be found4 ,for example1 the raps will give ,,martjn for ,martin1 ,,heoriette for ,henriette1 etc4 ,we must not give up as soon as the word seems to become unintelligible4 ,wait until the sentence is finished1 when it will sometimes suddenly clear itself4 ,it sometimes happens that the letters are dictated backwards4 ,when the sentence is incomprehensible1 we must begin all over again4 ,even in experiments whose aim is to obtain material phenomena1 we must not refuse to listen to demands for the alphabet1 for the personification will then often advise on the manner of operating4 ,very often the personification complains of too much light1 and during several sittings insists upon darkness4 ,we must politely resist it1 and make it understand that psychical phenomena lose much of their value1 as soon as they cease to be visible4 ,i never hesitate telling the personification1 that experiments of this kind are not convincing when conducted in obscurity1 since the good faith of the operators is then open to suspicion1 and1 moreover1 that phenomena can be obtained in full light4 ,these reasons often prevail on the personification not to persist in asking for darkness4 ,in some cases1 it is the personification itself who refuses to operate in darkness4 ,it is with personifications of this class that ,i have obtained the finest results4 ,when the pseudo-entity asks one or other of the experimenters to leave the circle1 it is prudent to yield obedience to its behest1 unless1 for various reasons1 the required elimination be unacceptable4 ,in that case1 it is as well to explain these reasons to the personification1 and then it rarely happens they are not accepted4 ,such are the general rules which a fairly long experience has caused me to adopt1 and ,i have always had reason to be glad of having followed them4 ,in experiments conducted by me1 ,i have never received obscene or absurd communications of which certain people complain4 ,reflecting1 perhaps1 my own state of mind1 ,i have generally encountered personifications with scientific and serious tendencies4 ,i have just exposed in detail1 and perhaps too minutely1 the conclusions arrived at concerning the method of operation4 ,i now come to the indication of the results which ,i have obtained1 and the ascertainments ,i have been able to make4 ,i will examine in succession raps1 movements without contact1 luminous phenomena1 and finally1 intellectual phenomena4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,,raps ,i will not stop to consider movements with contact4 ,from a physical point of view they have no serious signification whatever4 ,they are so easily explained by the combined1 unconscious1 muscular movements of the experimenters1 that it is really not worth while stopping to examine them4 ,the messages obtained by their intermedium may present an internal or clinical interest1 but in that case they belong to the category of intellectual phenomena1 properly so-called4 ,the first physical phenomena1 which deserves attention1 is that of #8raps4' ,it is generally the one most frequently obtained4 ,we must1 however1 point out that the faculties of mediums are not identical3 some produce chiefly physical1 others chiefly intellectual phenomena4 ,the former also manifest diverse qualities3 some of them obtain raps1 others movements1 others luminous phenomena4 ,still in a general way #8raps' have seemed to me to be one of the simplest phenomena of a material order4 ,if we work with a physical medium of even only average force1 raps will be heard after the third or fourth seance4 ,they will be heard much sooner if we have a powerful medium4 ,as a rule1 raps seem to resound on the top of the table2 but it is not always so4 ,they are frequently heard on the ground1 on the sitters1 or on the furniture1 walls1 or ceiling4 ,the raps ,i have heard--of course ,i am speaking only of genuine raps--have resounded near the medium1 as a rule1 either on the table1 floor1 walls1 or furniture in close proximity to him4 ,the simplest way to obtain raps is to proceed as ,i have directed in section ii4 chapter #a4 ,the experimenters1 seated around a table1 lay their hands upon it palm downwards1 with outstretched fingers4 ,this method is not1 however1 to be strongly recommended1 for raps are easily imitated3 and we must never lose sight of that fact when appreciating an experiment2 further on1 ,i will enumerate the usual fraudulent processes4 ,still1 even when the hands are resting upon the table1 raps can be obtained of sufficient sonority to exclude the hypothesis of fraud1 if not absolutely1 at least with much probability4 ,i have received raps in full light4 ,i have received them so frequently in vivid light1 that sometimes ,i cannot help wondering1 whether darkness facilitates their production to the same extent as it may other phenomena4 ,it is1 however1 allowable to suppose1 that the energy which produces them prefers accumulating force in spots that are sheltered from strong light1 e4g4 under the table1 or under the floor1 or in shaded corners of the room4 ,what makes me suppose so is this1 ,i have frequently noticed that the raps burst forth under the medium's hand1 when they appeared to be produced on the top of the table4 ,contact of the hands is unnecessary when sitting for raps4 ,i have procured them quite easily1 with several mediums1 without such contact4 ,when we have succeeded in obtaining raps with contact1 one of the best ways of obtaining them without contact is to let the hands rest for a certain time on the table1 then to raise them very slowly1 palms downwards1 and the fingers loosely extended4 ,under such conditions1 it seldom happens that raps do not continue to be heard for at least a short time4 ,i need not say that experimenters should not only avoid contact of their hands with the table1 but even of any part of their body or clothing4 ,the contact of clothing with the table is sufficient to produce raps1 which have nothing of a supernormal nature4 ,we must be careful1 therefore1 that ladies' dresses especially do not come into contact with the table2 in taking these necessary precautions1 raps can be obtained under most satisfactory and convincing conditions4 ,with certain mediums the energy liberated is great enough to act at a distance4 ,i once heard raps upon a table which was nearly six feet away from the medium4 ,on that occasion we had had a very short seance1 and had left the table4 ,i was seated in an armchair1 the medium was standing by1 talking to me1 when a shower of raps suddenly resounded upon the table we had just left4 ,the experimenters are all personally known to me1 and ,i am persuaded that they are above suspicion2 but this circumstance is quite insufficient in itself to entail a favourable conclusion of the phenomenon1 for ,i cannot too strongly put experimenters on their guard against blindly confiding in their neighbours4 ,serious experimenters should exclude all susceptibility amongst themselves1 and agree beforehand that reciprocal verification and control will be freely exercised without any one taking offence4 ,in the case ,i am speaking of1 the table on which the raps were heard was about six feet away from the medium and myself2 it was daylight1 towards five o'clock on a summer's afternoon2 the table had never been touched by the medium or the experimenters before the seance2 the raps were loud1 and were heard for several minutes4 ,i have had several opportunities of observing facts of this kind4 ,once1 when travelling1 ,i came across a medium among my fellow-travellers4 ,he has not given me permission to name him1 but ,i may say he is an honourable1 highly-educated gentleman1 occupying an official position4 ,he had no suspicion of his latent faculties before experimenting with me4 ,i obtained with him loud raps in buffets and restaurants4 ,it would suffice to observe these raps produced under the conditions this medium offered me1 to be convinced of their genuineness4 ,the unusual noise attracted the attention of persons present and greatly embarrassed us3 the result surpassed our expectations1 for the more we were confused by the noise of our raps1 the louder they became2 it was as though some one of a teasing turn of mind was amusing himself at our expense4 ,i have also heard1 when in company with a medium1 some very fine raps given on the floor in museums before the works of old masters1 and especially before religious pictures4 ,i particularly remember the intensity of certain raps ,i once heard when standing before a painting representing the burial of ,christ1--the work of a celebrated artist4 ,i also heard some fine raps in a house which is celebrated as having been the last home of a famous writer2 in the room in which he died1 the raps were so loud as to attract the suspicious attention of the guardian4 ,i have also heard formidable raps with the two young girls1 fourteen and fifteen years of age1 who were called the ,agen mediums4 ,i observed these mediums at their own home1 and ,i also had them twice at ,bordeaux1 when on each occasion they remained for nearly a month4 ,the raps produced by them are interesting1 but they do not seem to me to be demonstrative4 ,one of these girls obtained raps on the floor under her feet2 ,i verified the apparent immobility of the foot while the raps were being produced4 ,when the two girls were in bed1 loud raps were heard near their feet1 seemingly given on the wood of their bed4 ,we were able to observe the apparent immobility of the children4 ,raps were also given on the blankets2 we could feel the vibrations when laying our hands on the blankets2 the raps appeared to be produced under our hands4 ,i have heard diverse noises with these children in obscurity1 but ,i draw no conclusion therefrom4 ,i found out that they were not always sincere1 and that they had a tendency to take advantage of the confidence and friendliness of the people1 with whom they were staying4 ,they have simulated some of their phenomena1 especially raps in the ceiling4 ,i have never been able to persuade these young girls to experiment at a table with sufficient conditions of light4 ,they were accustomed to go to bed in order to procure their raps4 ,it is true ,i have heard these raps in daylight1 but ,i consider other conditions were unsatisfactory on these occasions4 ,i regretted exceedingly that these mediums showed so little good-will1 for even putting aside the greater part of the suspicious phenomena they produced1 there were still some which seemed to be worthy of further examination4 ,i have touched upon my observation of these children because it is instructive1 although it may be negative from my point of view4 ,it shows the inconveniences of a bad method of development4 ,i have noticed that psychical phenomena has a great tendency to repeat itself1 to follow a certain routine3 they tend to turn round the same axis4 ,the children of whom ,i have just spoken had been allowed to acquire the habit of going to bed1 in order to obtain the sonorous phenomena they appeared to produce4 ,therefore they were able to obtain them only under those conditions4 ,they have never given me a #8rap' by means of a table1 and yet1 ,i am inclined to think that they1 or at least that one of them1 had the constitution necessary for the emission of psychic force4 ,my failure with the ,agen mediums was not altogether devoid of interest1 for ,i gained experience1 and experience is only acquired with time1 patience1 and multiplicity of observations4 ,it is useful to be able to compare good1 doubtful1 and bad seances4 ,among my most doubtful experiences1 whose recital may be as instructive as the foregoing1 ,i will choose1 for brief discussion1 a recent series of seances which ,i held at ,bordeaux4 ,some of the phenomena ,i observed seem to me difficult to explain by fraud1 especially lights which floated about the seance-room2 but the greater part of the motor phenomena was simulated4 ,the personification had the habit of demanding total darkness1 and as ,i was chiefly interested in luminous phenomena1 ,i saw no inconvenience in putting out the lights4 ,the personification1 which made this request1 was probably the personal consciousness of one of the sitters4 ,as soon as the lights were extinguished1 the raps became noticeably louder4 ,many of them were certainly the work of two of our number--,i have not been able to analyse the mental state of these two young men3 one of them1 who is neurasthenic1 acted perhaps unconsciously4 ,nevertheless1 though ,i observed the whims of these two men with interest and attention1 ,i noticed1 at the same time1 that raps were forthcoming in total obscurity when ,i made imperceptible movements1 e4g4 when ,i gently blew on the table1 or when ,i pressed the hand of one of my neighbours whose sincerity ,i could vouch for4 ,there was always this synchronism1 which ,i have already pointed out1 between the muscular movement and the rap4 ,without being able to affirm it absolutely1 ,i think ,i may say that my co-experimenters were not aware of the slight movements ,i made with my feet1 hand1 finger1 or breath4 ,in these sittings1 otherwise bearing a most suspicious character1 there was1 therefore1 a residue of facts worthy of attentive analysis4 ,i was unable to make this analysis1 having shortly afterwards ceased to experiment with the group1 which these young men frequented4 ,in some respects ,i am sorry for it1 as the observation of this parcel of truth1 and even of the two fraudulent experimenters themselves1 was interesting from various points of view4 ,i will now reconsider the experiments ,i first touched upon--viz4 those conducted in full light--the only ones upon which ,i establish my opinion4 ,i have indicated as fully as possible the conditions under which ,i have been able to observe raps4 ,the raps most commonly heard are those given with contact on the table or floor1 and then those which are given at some distance from the experimenters4 ,sometimes1 but more rarely1 ,i have heard them on cloth1 on the medium's or sitters' garments1 etc4 ,i have heard them on pieces of paper placed on the seance table1 on books1 on the walls1 on tambourines1 on small wooden articles1 and particularly on a planchette which was used for automatic writing4 ,i have also observed very curious raps with a writing-medium3--when he wrote automatically1 raps resounded with extreme rapidity at the end of his pencil4 ,i can affirm that the pencil did not strike the table1 for several times ,i very carefully put my hand on the opposite end of the pencil1 and ,i was then able to verify that the sound was produced at the point of the pencil1 the pencil remaining all the time1 steadily and firmly1 on the paper--the raps resounded on the wood of the table1 and not on the paper4 ,in this case1 of course1 the medium held the pencil in his hand4 ,consequently1 raps may be given upon various articles1 with or without contact1 and even at a certain distance from the medium4 ,i have observed some which burst forth as far as nine feet away from the medium4 ,i have not obtained any at a greater distance than nine feet1 and it is not often ,i have been able to observe them at that distance4 ,one of the most curious cases ,i have observed is the following3--,i was experimenting in a room where there was a screen4 ,the table was about nine feet away from this article4 ,very clear1 distinct raps resounded on the floor behind the screen4 ,it was broad daylight1 but the raps were given on the shaded side of the screen4 ,i have frequently heard raps in the seance-cabinet1 the medium seated in front of the curtains as indicated in section ii4 chapter #a4 ,thus placed1 raps are easily obtained behind the medium3 they may be given on the floor1 the wall1 or on the articles placed in the cabinet4 ,they are also frequently given outside the curtains1 on the medium's chair1 or on the floor under him4 ,when raps are obtained1 it is very easy to study them by varying1 in many satisfactory ways1 the conditions of the experiment4 ,this is one of the phenomena whose reality has been the most clearly demonstrated to me4 ,the variety of form the raps may take is not less than the diversity of objects upon which they may be given1 or the places in which they may be heard4 ,the sound of the usual rap1 on a table1 reminds you of the tonality of an electric spark1 while of course there are many variations4 ,in the first place1 we must note that the tonality of raps differs according to the object upon which they resound4 ,it is easy to recognise by the sound if the raps are given on wood1 paper1 or cloth4 ,this is an interesting demonstration1 because it indicates that the sound is produced by the vibrations of the material substance4 ,the material molecules of the object struck are therefore put into movement2 they are not1 however1 always disturbed in the same way1 for the tonality of the raps given on the same object is susceptible of great variety4 ,the raps1 instead of being sharp and short1 may be dull and resemble the muffled sound of impact with some soft body3 they may resemble the slight noises made by a mouse1 a fret-saw1 or the scratching of a finger-nail on wood or cloth3 they may affect the most diverse modalities4 ,their rhythm is as varied as their tonality4 ,one of the most curious facts revealed by the observation of raps1 is their relation with what ,i call the personification4 ,each personified individuality manifests its presence by special raps4 ,in a series of experiments which have now lasted for more than two years1 ,i have had frequent opportunity of studying raps personifying diverse entities4 ,one of these entities called itself #8,john1' ,eusapia's control1 who has retained a friendly feeling for me1 it appears1 ever since my first experiments with the ,neapolitan medium4 #8,john' manifests by short1 sharp raps1 so very like the manipulation of the ,morse telegraph1 that my co-experimenters and ,i wondered whether we were not actually listening to the usual ,morse signals4 ,unfortunately none of us knew how to recognise letters by rhythm as exercised telegraphists can4 ,a group1 of four individualities1 who call themselves the #8,fairies1' manifest their presence by raps resembling high1 clear notes4 ,these personifications are particularly interesting1 and1 further on1 ,i will have occasion of relating how one of them showed herself to me4 ,the four fairies are fond of mingling in the conversation1 approving or disapproving of the ideas expressed by the experimenters4 ,they appear to take considerable interest in the experiments1 and ,i have often noticed that it sufficed--when the raps delayed in making themselves heard--to turn the conversation upon psychical phenomena1 their probable explanation1 their conditions of realisation1 etc41 in order to receive approving or disapproving raps at once4 ,sometimes the raps imitate a burst of laughter--this coincides either with an amusing story related by one of the sitters1 or with some mild teasing4 ,another entity personifies a man for whom ,i had the deepest affection3 these raps are graver in character4 ,this personality seems to have the clairvoyant perspicacity and the kindheartedness of the man ,i knew4 ,his intervention manifested itself under very curious circumstances1 but of too private a nature to be made public4 ,i will cite another personification of more recent appearance4 ,it gives itself out to be the astronomer1 ,chappe d',auteroche1 and has related most accurately the details of his life and death in ,california4 ,as a biographical notice concerning this learned man appears in several dictionaries1 notably in ,larousse1 it is impossible to affirm that the irruption of this personification is supernormal4 ,the raps which announce his presence are dull-sounding1 and are given with a certain amount of force4 ,in conclusion1 light precipitated raps1 weak but abundant1 are the signals of certain personifications which we might call mar-joys--troublesome guests1 whose unwelcome intervention spoils the experience4 ,let it not be forgotten1 that if ,i point out the connection existing between the personifications and the raps1 it does not follow that ,i accept the reality of those personifications4 ,i am making a statement1 and ,i fill in all the details1 so that experimenters1 tempted to resume my observations1 may know exactly what ,i have observed4 ,so far1 the personifications have not convinced me of their identity4 ,it is true ,i act somewhat indifferently the rle of listener to their fatiguing and rambling conversations1 and that ,i do all ,i can to bring them back to material phenomena1 so much more important to me in that they are so much easier to verify4 ,were ,i1 however1 not to point out the rle which the raps play in relation to the personification1 ,i would be omitting one of their most significant features1 and would not be giving their exact physiognomy4 ,they manifest themselves1 then1 as the expression of a will and activity distinct from those of the observers4 ,such is the appearance of the phenomenon4 ,a curious fact is the result--not only do the raps reveal themselves as the productions of intelligent action1 they also manifest intelligence in response to any particular rhythm or code which might be demanded4 ,often the different raps reply to one another2 and one of the most interesting experiences one can have is to hear these raps clear and resonant1 or soft and muffled1 sounding simultaneously on the floor1 table1 furniture1 etc4 ,i have had exceptionally good opportunities of studying very closely this curious phenomenon of raps1 and ,i think ,i have arrived at some conclusions4 ,the first and most certain is their undoubtedly close connection with the muscular movements of the sitters4 ,i may sum up my observations on this point in the three following propositions3-- #a4 ,all muscular movements1 however slight1 are generally followed by a rap4 #b4 ,the intensity of the raps does not strike me as being in proportion with the movement made4 #c4 ,the intensity of the raps does not seem to me to vary proportionately according to their distance from the medium4 ,the following are the facts upon which ,i build my conclusions3-- ,i4 ,i have frequently found that when the raps were feeble or interspersed1 an excellent way of producing them was to form a chain of the sitters' hands round the table4 ,one of the sitters1 without breaking the chain--which he avoids doing by taking in the same hand his neighbours' right and left hands--makes1 with his freed hand1 circular sweeps or passes a little distance above the circle formed by the sitters' outstretched hands4 ,having done this1 the experimenter draws his hand towards the centre of the circle to a variable height1 and makes a slight1 downward movement with his hand2 then he abruptly arrests the movement at about five or six inches away from the table1 when a rap invariably follows1 corresponding with the sudden cessation of the movement4 ,it is exceptional when this process does not give a rap as soon as there is a medium in the circle who is capable1 in however feeble a degree1 of producing raps4 ,the same experiment can be made without touching the table1 i4e4 by forming the chain above the table4 ,one of the sitters then experiments as in the preceding case4 ,this is not the only observation ,i have made4 ,i have noticed that with mediums of decided power1 it was unnecessary to adopt any special method for the production of raps1 as they were forthcoming as soon as any sort of movement with hands or feet was executed4 ,with strong mediums1 it often suffices to move the hand above the table1 to shake the fingers1 to gently press the foot upon the ground1 in order to determine the production of a rap4 ,needless to say with some mediums raps are forthcoming without the execution of any movement whatsoever3 with patience nearly all physical mediums can obtain raps without movement4 ,but it seems as though the execution of a movement acted in the nature of a determining cause3 the accumulated energy then receives a sort of stimulus1 the equilibrium is disturbed by the addition of the excess energy unemployed in the movement1 and a kind of explosive discharge of neuric force occurs1 causing the phenomenon of raps4 ,this is1 however1 only a working hypothesis4 ,the synchronism between the raps and the movements made by the sitters is very interesting1 as it reveals the connection which exists between the organism of the experimenters and the phenomena observed4 ,richet has already pointed this out4 ,eusapia ,paladino1 unconsciously perhaps1 employs a process analogous to that which ,i described a little further back4 ,this synchronism may give1 as it has given1 equivocal phenomena1 and may also give rise to many false accusations of fraud4 ,this is perhaps how ,dr4 ,hodgson comes to attribute certain raps produced by ,eusapia ,paladino at ,cambridge1 to the latter striking the table with her head4 ,of course1 ,i am unable to affirm the reality of the raps heard at ,cambridge1 seeing ,i was not present at the sitting of the ,sidgwick group4 ,i can but say1 that the reading of the few extracts of the procs verbaux of these seances--most incomplete extracts--does not by any means indicate1 whether the movement of the ,italian medium's head was the fraudulent physical cause of the rap1 or whether this movement was but a synchronous phenomenon4 ,i cannot help thinking that the ,cambridge experimenters were either ill-guided1 or ill-favoured1 for ,i have obtained raps with ,eusapia ,paladino in full light1 ,i have obtained them with many other mediums1 and it is a minimum phenomenon which they could have1 and ought to have obtained1 had they experimented in a proper manner4 ,i will discuss these seances more fully further on4#d ,therefore1 even in the appreciation of fraud1 we must not forget to take into consideration the curious synchronism ,i am pointing out4 #d ,see ,appendix ,b4 ,there is another useful observation to make known3 namely that raps produced by synchronous movements can be produced by the sitters themselves4 ,in many cases1 ,i have seen experimenters1 non-mediums1 obtain louder raps than the medium2 the presence of a medium1 however1 is necessary1 for1 the persons of whom ,i speak obtain no raps whatever when alone4 ,here is a subject for study which has not yet been touched upon4 ,sometimes1 in order to obtain raps1 it suffices to touch the medium1 or to make a slight movement with the hand above the table1 or simply to place the palm of the hand gently on the table2 this is an excellent way to obtain clear1 decided phenomena4 ,the table must be moved away from the medium in such a way that contact is impossible4 ,the observer puts himself beside the medium1 takes both his hands in one of his own1 and moves the other slowly over the table1 or even keeps it quite still above the table4 ,nothing is more demonstrative than this experiment4 ,let us remember ,i am speaking of experiments made in broad daylight4 ,,ii4 ,secondly1 ,i have verified that the intensity of the raps is not in proportion with the synchronous movement4 ,i am unable to affirm the accuracy of this statement with the same confidence as with the preceding one2 but ,i have observed the fact in a great many circumstances4 ,thus1 e4g4 a very slight movement of the finger will sometimes determine a rap1 quite as loud as the rap determined by the abrupt lowering of the whole arm4 ,again1 a simple muscular contraction also will bring about the realisation of the phenomenon1 without the execution of any apparent movement4 ,this observation is of special interest1 if ,i am not mistaken1 for it tends to make one suppose that the energy which serves to produce the raps is independent of the movement executed in space1 but is connected with the cause of that movement1 i4e4 with the nervous influx4 ,it would be well if experimenters1 more competent than ,i am in physiology1 were to study these observations carefully2 ,i sincerely hope this will be done some day4 ,richet might well undertake these researches1 for no one is more competent than he is to analyse the facts ,i am pointing out4 ,i think there is a close connection between psychical phenomena and the nervous system4 ,what ,i have just said about the production of raps by the simple contraction of a muscle under a voluntary nervous influx is one of the reasons upon which ,i base my hypothesis4 ,there are others4 ,i have often questioned mediums about their sensations when the raps were being produced4 ,they all acknowledged to a feeling of fatigue--of depletion--after a good seance4 ,this feeling is perceptible even to observers themselves4 ,i have tried to analyse my own sensations when the raps are heard2 ,i have not arrived at any positive result4 ,i cannot say ,i have any decided physical sensation2 but my negative observation is only of interest1 if compared with the different observations ,i made1 in connection with the production of movements without contact4 ,one of the mediums1 with whom some of my best and clearest raps were obtained1 tells me he experiences a feeling akin to cramp in the epigastric region when the raps are particularly loud4 ,this medium is a clever and highly-educated man1 one quite capable of analysing his own symptoms4 ,it seems to him as though something emanated from his epigastrum4 ,,iii4 ,regarding my third proposition--the intensity of the raps is not appreciably affected by distance--,i have found that raps could occur as far as three yards away from the medium4 ,the raps given at this distance were as loud and clear as those given close to the medium4 ,this fact would at first seem to imply a difference between the action of psychic force and that of gravitation1 light1 heat or electricity1 all of which act with an energy in inverse proportion to the square of distances4 ,however1 such a conclusion would be premature1 for secondary centres of accumulation of energy may be formed at a distance from the medium4 ,the term #8accumulation of energy' is very vague and may be incorrect1 but ,i dare not give a more precise one1 and confine myself to simply stating1 that the existence of such centres of accumulation and emission seems indicated1 by the manner in which the phenomena are obtained4 ,i have never verified any serious physical effects at a greater distance than that of ten feet4 ,i will add that if the phenomena are not more intense1 they are at least more frequent in the immediate neighbourhood of the medium4 ,such are the observations ,i have been able to make4 ,it may quite naturally occur to my readers to think ,i have been the victim of illusion or fraud4 ,this is not the case1 however4 ,there is no illusion1 simply because nothing permits me to suppose ,i am the victim of illusion4 ,this assertion is insufficient1 ,i admit3 we are bad judges of ourselves4 ,and now ,i ought to say1 that if up to the present ,i have always clearly distinguished between real facts and subjective impressions1 ,i present1 nevertheless1 two phenomena which may render my testimony suspect4 ,the first is hypnagogic hallucination1 the second coloured audition4 ,the latter is not very decided2 sound simply awakens in me the idea of colour1 not the visual sensation of colour4 ,my chromo-phonetic scale is ,a1 white2 ,i1 black2 1 grey2 ,e1 blue2 on1 green2 er1 air1 il1 orange1 etc4#e ,this phenomenon was rather marked when ,i was a child2 but1 ,i repeat1 the reading of vowels or diphthongs1 or the audition of sounds has never awakened a complete sensation of colour2 the idea only was evoked4 #e ,this scale is applicable to the ,french pronunciation of the vowels in question4 ,on the contrary1 hypnagogic illusion is1 with me1 a decided phenomenon4 ,the illusion is exclusively visual4 ,i have carefully observed this interesting faculty on myself2 it appears to me to have its origin in dream4 ,it is a dream begun before sleep has taken complete possession of one4 ,the hallucination disappears as soon as somnolence ceases4 ,it is with extreme difficulty that ,i am able to retain--even for a second--a hypnagogic picture1 when ,i regain complete consciousness2 in spite of all my efforts1 the picture fades away or changes form as soon as ,i fix my attention upon it4 ,i have seldom been able to maintain the illusory impression4 ,we must not conclude1 that ,i am incompetent to distinguish a real phenomenon from a false one1 because of the existence in myself of these two subjective phenomena4 ,i have indicated the results of my self-observation in order to be thoroughly sincere and complete1 for ,i have the keenest desire to be an accurate witness4 ,i do not think1 however1 that the observations ,i have been able to make upon myself are really of a nature to cast suspicion upon my faculties of observation4 ,quite the contrary1 ,i should say2 because my personal experience enables me to recognise hypnagogic hallucinations1 and1 further on1 ,i will point out some phenomena which seem to me to be closely connected with these hallucinations2 but as for raps1 they have quite a different character1 and their objectivity appears quite certain to me4 ,i will add that every one present can and does hear them4 ,let me recall to mind what ,i said about the raps ,i heard in railway refreshment rooms1 restaurants1 and other public places4 ,all who were in the same room showed1 by their demeanour1 that they too heard the raps4 ,this circumstance suffices to exclude the hypothesis of hallucination4 ,i propose registering these raps in a phonograph2 this will be the experimentum crucis as far as their objectivity is concerned4 ,i have no manner of doubt whatsoever upon the authenticity of raps1 a phenomenon ,i have heard so frequently1 and under such diverse and excellent conditions4 ,i have also taken care to study the different ways of simulating raps1--and these are indeed manifold4 ,the simplest and most perfect method is to gently glide--an imperceptible movement--the finger-tips along the table4 ,the results are better when the finger is dry1 when the natural grease has been previously removed by turpentine or benzine3 resin is good1 but leaves traces4 ,under these conditions1 slight but clear raps may be obtained4 ,the movement of the finger is so slow1 that1 unless forewarned1 no one can discover it2 but1 with attentive observation1 a slight vibration of the finger may be perceived when the raps burst forth4 ,they can also be simulated with the finger-nails1 but this process is easy to unmask4 ,the trickster finds greater security in darkness1 where he has resources other than those just mentioned4 ,in obscurity he can easily imitate the raps which resound on the floor2 e4g4 he can produce dull raps by skilfully striking his foot against the legs of the table or on the floor2 he can simulate the sharp1 quick raps by allowing his boot to glide slowly along the feet of the table or chair4 ,raps are also very easily simulated by a gentle rubbing of clothing or linen1 especially shirt-cuffs4 ,we should beware of this1 for raps can thus be produced by slow unconscious movements1 and the good faith of the experimenters may be involuntarily taken by surprise4 ,there is yet another way of obtaining fraudulent raps2 this is by leaning more or less heavily on the table4 ,when the top of the table is thin1 or when the table is badly put together1 or the parts have too much play1 the variations of the pressure of the hand determine noises which greatly resemble raps4 ,lastly1 ,i have sometimes observed raps produced in a way which should be made known4 ,some people1 by leaning the foot in a certain way1 and by contracting the muscles of the leg1 can imitate raps on the ground4 ,this fact has been indicated especially in connection with the sinews of the musculus peronaeus longus4 ,i observed a medical student1 an incorrigible cheat and neurotic1 who obtained sounds very similar to authentic raps by leaning his elbow on the table1 and making certain movements with his shoulder4 ,there are also some people who can make their joints crack at will4 ,but force of habit soon teaches how to ferret out fraud1 when working in daylight or with good artificial light4 ,besides1 the tonality of authentic raps is characteristic1 and the method of simulation indicated at the beginning of these remarks1 i4e4 finger-gliding1 is the only one able to reproduce some of the raps with even a fair amount of exactness4 ,it does not seem to me to be possible to simulate raps on the table1 when they are produced without contact4 ,it is easy to localise them1 and auscultation of the table enables us even to perceive the vibrations of the wood4 ,precautions1 easily taken1 enable us to make sure of the absence of contact and communication between the experimenters and the table4 ,to sum up1 ,i am certain--as far as it is reasonably possible to be certain of anything in such a matter--that knockings of variable rhythm and tonality are heard in the presence of certain persons--knockings or #8raps' which cannot be explained by any known process4 ,they are heard at diverse distances2 they often seem to obey the expressed wishes of the sitters1 and to manifest a certain independent intelligence4 ,on the other hand1 their production appears to be intimately connected with the nerve-energy of the medium and the sitters4 ,i think ,i am able to express the foregoing conclusions with certainty and confidence4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,,parakinesis ,,and ,,telekinesis ,i4 ,,parakinesis ,i apply the term parakinesis to the production of those movements where the contact observed is insufficient to account for them4 ,i thus more especially designate the complete levitation of a table upon which the sitters are leaning their hands2 also the displacement of heavy pieces of furniture which are but lightly touched by the medium alone1 or with other experimenters4 ,levitation is the raising of an object from the ground without that object resting on1 or being in any contact whatsoever with1 any normal support4 ,i have frequently observed this phenomenon with ,eusapia ,paladino under satisfactory conditions of light and other tests4 ,she has given me several unimpeachable examples of parakinetic levitation1 and1 ,i repeat1 in full light4 ,a detailed report will be found in the accounts of seances at l',agnlas1 published in #ahif in the ,annales des ,sciences ,psychiques4 ,these accounts1 however1 give only the physiognomy of the regular seances4 ,we sometimes improvised experiments in the afternoon with striking results2 and ,i remember having observed under these conditions a very interesting levitation4 ,it was1 ,i think1 at about five o'clock in the afternoon2 at all events it was broad daylight in the drawing-room at l',agnlas4 ,we were standing around the table2 ,eusapia took my hand and held it in her left1 resting her hand on the right-hand corner of the table4 ,the table was raised to the level of our foreheads2 that is to say1 the top of the table was raised to a height of about five feet from the floor4 ,experiences like this are very convincing4 ,it was utterly impossible for ,eusapia1 given the conditions of the experiment1 to have lifted the table by normal means4 ,one has but to consider1 that she touched only the corner of the table to realise what a heavy weight she would have had to raise had she done so by muscular effort4 ,moreover1 she had no hold whatsoever of the table4 ,and1 given the conditions under which the phenomenon occurred1 she could not have had recourse to any of the means suggested by her critics1 such as straps or hooks of some kind4 ,in ordinary seances1 the table used to be raised to a lesser height2 perhaps because we were seated1 and could not therefore accompany it very far4 ,as a rule1 the levitation was preceded by oscillations2 the table raised itself first on one side1 then on the other1 and finally left the ground4 ,very often ,eusapia1 holding her neighbours' hands1 would abandon all contact with the table1 and make several passes above it1 when the table would rise1 apparently of its own accord4 ,i have only obtained parakinetic levitation under really good conditions with ,eusapia4 ,i have observed more decided movements without contact with other mediums1 but they have not given me levitations properly so-called4 ,i have once or twice obtained defective levitations with a non-professional medium4 ,the table drew near to her of its own accord1 and raised itself while touching her dress4 ,this fact occurred in the light1 but the conditions under which ,i observed it were imperfect4 ,i may say the same thing of some levitations ,i obtained at ,bordeaux with rather an interesting professional medium2 these levitations took place in total obscurity1 which rendered good conditions of control impossible2 besides no one held the medium's hands and feet1 as had been done with ,eusapia4 ,in a series of experiments which gave me some results worthy of careful examination1 ,i obtained the levitation of the table under slightly better conditions4 ,but some of the sitters cheated so barefacedly1 that ,i do not consider ,i ought to take any serious notice of the parakinetic movements ,i witnessed there2 although ,i have the impression that everything was not simulated which happened in this group4 ,the unsatisfactory conditions under which ,i made this series of experiments led me to discontinue them4 ,i consider that the levitation of the table1 even with the contact of the hands1 is a difficult phenomenon to obtain under good conditions of observation4 ,up to the present1 ,eusapia ,paladino is1 ,i repeat1 the only medium with whom ,i have been able to verify the phenomenon in a satisfactory manner4 ,her method is similar to the one ,i indicated and recommended to my readers4 ,phenomena are often forthcoming when she raises her hand above the table4 ,although ,i do not consider myself authorised to affirm the reality of the effect this method appears to exercise upon the phenomenon of levitation1 ,i indicate it because the positive results1 which similar practices have given me in telekinetic experiments1 lead me to think it may also answer for parakinetic experiments4 ,let me briefly explain this method4 ,when the experimenters have their hands on the table1 and the latter begins to sway about from side to side as if it were trying to raise itself1 one of the sitters puts his hand above the table1 palm downwards1 and approaches it to within two or three centimetres of the top4 ,then he raises it very gently2 while doing this1 the levitation sometimes takes place as though the hand drew the table after it4 ,i recommend experimenting with as much light as possible4 ,we must not forget that nothing is easier to simulate than a parakinetic levitation4 ,force of habit will soon teach us how to recognise fraudulent phenomena of this kind1 but it is nevertheless important to know beforehand the principal systems of cheating4 ,with the reader's permission ,i will indicate them4 ,the position1 which the experimenters are obliged to assume around the table when they are seated1 has the consequence of almost completely hiding their feet4 ,as soon as the lights are lowered1 it is nearly impossible to exercise that mutual control which it is indispensable should be exercised4 ,now1 when the hands rest a little forcibly on the table1 it is very easy1 especially with a light table1 to glide the point of a shoe under one of the legs of the table and to raise it above the ground4 ,this manuvre is all the easier1 as the swaying of the table from side to side permits one to effect the movement1 without much fear of detection4 ,needless to say that hooks attached to the wrist1 or specially contrived bracelets1 also permit of raising and holding the table in the air4 ,but it is easy to protect oneself against fraud of this nature4 ,let every one stand up and join hands in the centre of the table2 the kind of fraud ,i indicate will then be impossible4 ,i myself have often obtained fine levitations in this way1 but unfortunately in obscurity4 ,i will point out still another fraudulent process practised at times by professional mediums4 ,it consists in the following manuvre4 ,the medium places himself at the narrow end of a table1--in preference a rectangular one--he promotes various oscillations1 and when he has succeeded in raising the end opposite to him1 he spreads out his legs in such a way as to exercise a strong hold over the feet of the table1 between which he is sitting4 ,once this pressure is exercised1 there is nothing more for the medium to do1 in order to obtain a levitation1 than to lean his hands heavily on the table4 ,it is easy to understand how the table1 maintained in position by the trickster's knees1 executes a rotatory movement around an axis the points of which are fixed by the pressure of the knees2 consequently the table1 becoming parallel with the ground1 appears to be abnormally levitated4 ,this simulation can be successfully realised1 even when some one is seated on a chair on top of the table2 under the pretence of offering a better condition of control1 the medium takes the hands of the person on the table1 and finds in him the point of support required to promote the rotation of the table around its axis4 ,we should keep this kind of fraud before the mind's eye when seeking to obtain levitations1 especially if operating in obscurity1 for then this trick is most easy of execution4 ,once again1 ,i cannot too strongly warn experimenters against dark seances3 they are absolutely worthless when paranormal phenomena are required4 ,these ought to be obtained in full light2 under such conditions the levitation of the table is a verifiable phenomenon4 ,,ii4 ,,telekinesis ,i will now relate my observations upon telekinesis1 that is to say1 movements without contact4 ,telekinesis corresponds with l'extriorisation de la motricit1 discovered by ,colonel de ,rochas4 ,it is a phenomenon which ,i have taken particular pains to verify4 ,i have had exceptionally good experiences in this phase of manifestation4 ,i verified telekinetic phenomena with ,eusapia ,paladino first of all4 ,when operating with this medium1 the seance-table was often elevated without contact4 ,as a rule1 ,eusapia formed the chain of hands around the table without touching it2 at the end of a few seconds1 she would make some passes over the table with her right hand1 retaining her hold of her right-hand neighbour's hand at the same time3 the table would then leave the floor1 and remain suspended in the air for several seconds4 ,it fell to the ground heavily as a rule4 ,this experiment was made several times in my presence under satisfactory conditions of light4 ,it was not only the table which moved with ,eusapia3 the curtains of the cabinet were often thrown over the table1 as if a strong wind had blown them out4 ,this phenomenon was particularly noticeable at l',agnlas1 where we experimented in front of the curtains of one of the drawing-room windows4 ,these curtains were made of heavy silk material1 and nothing was more curious than to see them swell out and suddenly stretch over us4 ,the manner in which they were thrown over our heads was peculiar2 it was as though they had been blown out4 ,without an adapted instrument of some kind1 ,i do not think it was possible for the medium to produce this phenomenon fraudulently with her hand4 ,i obtained the same characteristic movements of curtains with another medium4 ,with ,eusapia1 the sitters' chairs were frequently displaced1 shaken1 raised1 and even carried on to the table4 ,i cannot conceive how ,eusapia could have obtained such results normally1 considering the strict test conditions exacted at l',agnlas4 ,we had been courteously acquainted with the results of the ,cambridge seances1 and our attention had been very specially drawn to the fraudulent practices of this medium4 ,one of us held her feet and her waist1 while the mission of two others1 seated on either side of her1 was to observe her hands4 ,it is relatively easy to know if we hold a right or left hand3 it suffices to carefully note the position of the thumb1 which ought always to be turned towards the observer if the hand be directed palm upwards1 and which ought to be turned towards the medium if the hand be directed palm downwards4 ,it is unnecessary to hold the medium's hand tightly in order to be aware of its position3 an ordinary contact1 intelligently superintended1 is quite enough2 it is of course necessary to make sure of the simultaneous contact of thumb and fingers4 ,now1 in a certain number of cases1 the check upon the medium was good1 when the chair of one of the sitters was carried on to the table4 ,it is also to be noted1 that ,eusapia would have been forced to lean forward in a very marked manner1 in order to seize her neighbour's chair and carry it on to the table2 the inclination of her body would have been easily perceived1 especially as the chair was first of all drawn away from under the experimenter and then raised on to the table1 manuvres which occupied some time4 ,other phenomena of the same kind were1 however1 produced in a more conclusive manner4 ,i remember having seen the lid of a trunk1 which was placed behind the experimenters and to the left of ,eusapia1 open and shut of its own accord4 ,lastly1 ,i obtained with this medium a very convincing phenomenon1 which ,m4 de ,gramont had already verified at l',agnlas after my departure4 ,this is the movement at a distance of the scale of a letter-balance4 ,i made the experiment at ,bordeaux in the presence of a few intelligent and educated persons4 ,we operated in a light which was strong enough to enable us to read the faintly marked divisions on the scale4 ,this object had just been purchased by me1 and ,i had drawn it from its wrappings just prior to the experiment4 ,before our eyes ,eusapia repeatedly made the scale go down by raising and lowering her hands1 palms downwards4 ,eusapia's hands were from three to five inches away from the letter-balance2 she performed the movements described without abandoning her neighbour's hands4 ,we obtained the lowering of the plate of the balance several times1 each time varying the position of the medium's hands1 placing them in front of the apparatus in such a manner as to form a triangle of which the plate was the apex1 and bringing the medium's hands together so that the angle at the apex became very acute4 ,this was done in order to obviate the possibility of the medium producing the effect by means of a hair or thread between her fingers4 ,i must point out1 however1 that a hair or thread would have been visible4 ,by turning her hands round1 that is to say by directing them palms upwards1 ,eusapia raised the plate of the letter-balance to its full extent when it was weighed down by a pocket-book4 ,by measuring the oscillations of the index-needle1 we were able to ascertain that the force employed was at least one ounce superior in weight to that of the pocket-book4 ,the facts ,i verified with ,eusapia1 ,i was able to prove again through other mediums1 non-professional4 ,on two occasions1 ,i obtained fine telekinetic phenomena in a public restaurant4 ,i was in the company of a good sensitive1 a highly intelligent man1 but one who knew little or nothing of spiritism4 ,the first time ,i was breakfasting with him2 we were seated at a fairly large table1 near which was a small round one2 the cloth which was covering our table touched the small one4 ,we first heard several fine raps1 and then the small table drew gradually nearer till it touched the big one4 ,there had been a displacement of eleven inches4 ,it was broad daylight1 and the conditions under which ,i observed this fact completely exclude--at least in my opinion--the hypothesis of fraud4 ,another time we were lunching together4 ,i was seated at the left-hand side of the medium1 and we were alone at our table4 ,two chairs were facing us1 while a third one was on the medium's right1 facing another table4 ,the chair to the right of the medium approached the table1 and then retreated at our request4 ,the chair facing me reproduced the same movements4 ,the light was so bright that ,i was able to observe the hands and feet of the medium with the greatest ease4 ,illustration ,these plain1 decided1 easily observable1 and well-observed facts are among the most convincing ,i have received4 ,the medium's position1 the bright light1 the full liberty of verification which was permitted me1 rendered these observations extremely convincing to me4 ,the measuring of the distances between the table and the object in movement excludes the hypothesis of hallucination on my part4 ,i therefore consider that all possibility of fraud or hallucination was out of the question4 ,previous to the movements1 ,i had established contact with the chair in front of me1 by means of one of those wooden holders to which newspapers are attached in restaurants and buffets4 ,the chair in approaching us pushed the newspapers towards us1 and we were thus enabled to watch the horizontal progression of the chair4 ,the distance travelled by the chair was from seven to eight inches4 ,the objects moved in a jerky1 irregular manner4 ,i have been able to observe telekinetic table movements on many occasions1 and always in broad daylight4 ,perhaps the most curious movement ,i have seen is the following3 ,a lady and gentleman once did me the honour of inviting me to witness certain phenomena which they were often able to obtain when experimenting together2 these phenomena consisted in slight displacements of a table4 ,they reproduced these movements without contact in my presence4 ,i then begged them to form a chain with me around the table1 always without touching it of course4 ,this table1 a light tripod1 the top of which measured eleven inches by twenty-one inches1 was in contact with the dress of my hostess4 ,after having executed several diverse gliding movements--approaching or retreating at request--the table began to raise itself and to strike the floor with one of its feet4 ,we spelt out the alphabet1 and received a typtological communication4 ,during this performance1 the table was in contact with the dress only4 ,the dress did not hide the feet of the table1 the contact was simply lateral1 and the table could be seen in entirety4 ,it was daylight1 and it would have been easy to detect the slightest movement of the dress4 ,moreover1 the table raised one of its feet which was not in contact with the dress4 ,i did not try--because ,i did not wish--to remove the contact of the dress1 for ,i had often observed this bulging out of women mediums' dresses3 as soon as the garment comes near the table and contact is established1 the movement is produced4 ,i have often checked the position of the medium's feet1 while the phenomenon was happening1 and ,i have been able to verify that the slight contact was with the dress only1 and not with the feet4 ,this curious fact has already been observed by ,richet and others1 in connection with ,eusapia ,paladino4 ,i will add that ,i have often obtained movements without any contact whatsoever1 even that of garments4 ,another medium has enabled me to verify telekinetic movements of curtains4 ,they were less violent than with ,eusapia1 but more decided1 and enabled me to make some observations which are not altogether lacking in interest4 ,i was once experimenting with the medium in question1 in subdued light1 contrary to my usual custom4 ,it was in the daytime1 but we had closed the shutters of the window and drawn the curtains together1 in order to form a kind of cabinet4 ,we were trying to obtain luminous phenomena1 which1 however1 were not forthcoming4 ,the medium had his back turned towards the curtains4 ,i noticed that the curtains stirred now and then4 ,i drew the attention of an experimenter to this1 and at first we attributed the movement to a slight draught4 ,we drew the curtains together completely1 and then observed that only the curtain close to the medium stirred4 ,it was light enough to see the hands and feet of our medium1 and we were able to convince ourselves1 that the movements were not normally produced by him4 ,we then noticed that the movements of the curtain corresponded with our movements4 ,the experiment was repeated with success twenty times4 ,we varied the movements and were able to observe1 that the maximum disturbance of the curtain occurred1 when the medium rubbed the head of one of the experimenters4 ,the curtain was not blown out over the table as with ,eusapia4 ,the movements simply consisted of a species of undulatory trepidation1 whose amplitude did not surpass five or six inches3 it was like the sinuous undulations of a rope1 when shaken at one of its extremities4 ,such are the principal facts which ,i have been able to observe4 ,i will not have much to say concerning the method of operation1 for ,i have already sufficiently indicated how ,i proceed habitually4 ,i have1 nevertheless1 two important remarks to make4 ,the first is1 that the presentation of the palm of the hand towards the object1 which we wish to displace1 often brings about the movement4 ,i proceed in the manner ,i have indicated for a parakinetic levitation1 but instead of presenting the palm of the hand to the top of the table and then drawing it slowly away1 ,i direct it towards the side of the table1 and ,i act as though ,i wished to attract or repulse the table4 ,i have noticed that this practice gives good results4 ,the second remark ,i wish to make is1 that when desirous of obtaining movements without contact1 it is helpful to form the chain around the table by holding each other's hands4 ,still1 ,i do not think this precaution is indispensable1 for ,i have obtained telekinetic movements without its aid4 ,it seems to me1 however1 that it is a method to be recommended1 especially in the beginning of the seance4 ,i have just said that the chain of hands is not indispensable4 ,and1 as an example1 ,i remember having once verified some telekinetic movements which interested me very much4 ,i was conversing with a private medium3 by the way1 all the telekinetic phenomena of which ,i have been speaking1 save those obtained with ,eusapia ,paladino1 have been obtained with private mediums4 ,in the course of our conversation we pronounced the name of a personification1 whose irruption in our midst had been as sudden as unexpected4 ,this personification behaves like a cautious and well-advised experimenter1 and conducts himself as1 ,i think1 ,i would1 if ,i co-operated on the other side in the experiments ,i am speaking about4 ,hardly had ,i pronounced this personification's name than the table began to glide gently across the floor4 ,we questioned it1 and according to our request1 it approached or retreated from the medium4 ,the movements of the table alternated with raps4 ,i content myself with merely stating this curious fact1 without allowing myself to draw any conclusions therefrom2 it appears to me to offer a striking example of that apparent spontaneity1 which psychical phenomena sometimes present4 ,from the account ,i have just given of some of my experiments in parakinesis and telekinesis1 we may deduct the following propositions3 they resume1 fairly exactly1 the points of fact ,i have been able to ascertain3-- ,i4 ,there is a certain correlation between the movements of the medium or assistants and the movements of the objects used in experimentation4 ,,ii4 ,certain peculiar sensations accompany the emission of the force employed4 ,,iii4 ,that force has a probable connection with the organism of the assistants4 ,i4 ,nothing is easier to verify than the correlation existing between the movements of the medium or sitters1 and those of the object with which we are experimenting4 ,i may say1 that almost without exception1 the movements of the operators are1 in a way1 reflected by the table4 ,i have already pointed out1 that movements of attraction or repulsion attracted or repulsed the table4 ,i have remarked this peculiarity on several occasions4 ,when1 in a seance1 the presence of a certain force manifesting itself in raps and oscillations without contact is established1 it often suffices for one of the sitters to direct his hand towards the table to bring about its immediate displacement4 ,by proceeding in the manner indicated further back1 ,i have noticed that complete levitations could be obtained2 but it is then necessary for the sitters to put their hands on the table1 while one of their number puts one of his hands in the centre of the table1 and palm downwards slowly raises his hand4 ,levitations without contact can certainly be obtained by the same method1 by simply forming a chain of hands around the table without touching it2 but the results are less difficult to obtain when the hands are laid on the table4 ,levitation seems to me more difficult to realise than gliding movements4 ,i have frequently obtained the latter without contact1 by directing the palm of my hand towards the table1 and trying to draw it after me as though an elastic thread united the table to my hand4 ,under these conditions the table seems to obey a kind of attraction4 ,i think ,i have some observations to make on this subject1 but ,i cannot formulate them with much certitude1 and ,i only point them out in order to provoke--if that be possible--the examination of these facts by persons more competent than ,i am4 ,first of all1 it is not always the medium who obtains the best results in the manuvre ,i indicate4 ,i have seen some experimenters obtain more marked movements than the sensitive himself4 ,this is not generally the case1 but the fact does not appear to me to be rare4 ,it is rather disconcerting1 because those persons1 who in a seance manifest a force relatively greater than the medium's1 cannot obtain any supernormal fact when alone2 the presence of a medium is necessary for the energy of their action to be manifested4 ,i wonder if this be not due to the medium's inexperience4 ,i never observed this peculiarity in seances with ,eusapia1 although the sitters could1 in her presence1 produce certain phenomena themselves4 ,i have only noticed it with the non-professional mediums1 who kindly consented to allow me to experiment with them4 ,nearly all of them had no notion whatever of psychical experimentation2 most of them were altogether ignorant of the practices of spiritism2 and many were frightened by their first phenomena4 ,these mediums have not the tranquillity and presence of mind of myself and friends1 whom a long experience has freed from all kinds of bias4 ,perhaps1 therefore1 they do not operate under such good conditions as we do1 or as more experienced mediums would4 ,whatever may be the reason1 ,i note the fact observed4 ,a second interesting observation ,i have to make is the unequalness of the radiations or emanations which appear to issue from the back or palm of the hand4 ,the action of the palm is decidedly more energetic than that of the back2 as an example1 ,i will recall to mind the experiment with the letter-balance4 ,to lower it1 ,eusapia lightly moved her hand from top to bottom1 palm downwards2 to obtain the contrary movement1 she turned her hand in the opposite direction4 ,there are certain obscure peculiarities to elucidate in this curious unequalness4 ,it is desirable to study it1 for it is one of the rare points where experimentation is really possible1 in the studies of the kind ,i am setting forth4 ,it is to be noted1 and this is ,i think a very important consideration1 that the innervation of the palm of the hand is much more abundant than that of the back4 ,in what concerns movements without contact1 ,i have not noticed any unequalness of action between the two hands3 the left hand appears to act quite as well as the right4 ,in the third place ,i have verified a correlation1 between the intensity of the muscular effort and the abnormal movement4 ,this is an interesting observation1 for ,i have not observed it when studying the phenomenon of raps4 ,as an example1 ,i will cite an experiment which ,i have often made4 ,when the liberated energy is insufficient to provoke movements1 and the existence of a certain quantity of force has1 nevertheless1 been ascertained1 if the manuvre of attraction does not succeed1 we can sometimes provoke the movement by shaking the hand about at a certain distance above the table4 ,this rapid movement of the hand and arm appears to me to develop a maximum of telenergy4 ,again1 rubbing the feet on the floor1 rubbing the hands1 the back1 the arms1 in fact any quick or slightly violent movement appears to liberate this force4 ,these manuvres often bring about the realisation of the desired phenomenon4 ,it is evident that such manuvres must be employed with discernment2 some of them might hamper observation3 e4g4 rubbing the feet on the floor if telekinetic movements of the table be desired1 for this would render it difficult1 if not impossible1 to check the position of the medium's feet4 ,the breath appears to exercise a great influence2 things happen as though in blowing on the object1 the sitters emitted a quantity of energy1 comparable to that which they emit1 in quickly moving their limbs4 ,this is a strange peculiarity1 one which is apparently very difficult to explain4 ,a more thorough analysis of the facts permits us to think1 that the liberation of the energy employed depends upon the contraction of the muscles and not upon the executed movement4 ,the fact which reveals this peculiarity is easily observed4 ,when the chain round the table is formed1 a movement without contact can be procured by tightly squeezing one another's hands1 or by resting the feet very firmly on the floor3 the former is by far the better process4 ,the limbs have executed an insignificant movement1 and we may say that the muscular contraction is about the only physiological phenomenon visible to observers2 it is nevertheless sufficient4 ,these ascertainments all tend to show that the agent1 which is the determining cause of movements without contact1 has some connection with our organism and probably with our nervous system4 ,other reasons also tend to prove this4 ,thus it is that the number of experimenters influence the phenomena to a certain degree4 ,the levitation of a table is easier to obtain with five or six persons than with one or two4 ,it is very difficult to arrive at any precise conclusion on this point1 for the observations ,i have read are contradictory4 ,in so far as my personal experience is concerned1 ,i have the impression that1 within certain limits1 the quantity of force liberated varies in direct proportion with the number of experimenters4 ,nevertheless1 a certain number should not be surpassed if we wish to experiment under good conditions4 ,but ,i think that the diminution of results may have other causes than the diminution or increase of the number of sitters4 ,i believe that if we could assemble a number of homogeneous elements1 we would obtain excellent results4 ,this would explain the so-called miracles1 which are said to have occurred in certain primitive congregations1 where beliefs were strong and convictions profound4 ,this unity of belief and ideas1 and the material and moral regimen1 to which every member of the community submitted1 determined that harmony which is a fundamental condition for the production of good phenomena4 ,it is in this way that historical and contemporary #8miracles' may be explained4 ,but in the present state of society it is very difficult to unite six or eight persons having identical ideas and submitting themselves to an identical discipline2 and ,i have always thought that the harmony of a circle was more important than the number of its members4 ,i have just pointed out in detail certain purely physical processes for provoking the production of paranormal phenomena4 ,they give good results when the force is feeble2 but as soon as the force is abundant1 the simple manifestation of the will is sometimes sufficient to decide the character of the movement2 e4g4 the table will move in the direction asked for by the sitters4 ,things then happen as though the force was handled by an intelligence distinct from that of the experimenters4 ,i hasten to say1 that this seems only an appearance to me1 and that ,i have observed certain similarities between these personifications and secondary personalities of somnambulism4 ,but ,i would not be giving an exact physiognomy of the facts observed1 did ,i not lay stress upon this curious trait of their character4 ,in this apparent union between the indirect will of the sitters and the phenomena there is a problem1 the solution of which escapes me so far completely4 ,i feel that there is nothing of a supernatural order in this union2 ,i also feel1 that the spirit hypothesis is altogether inadequate to explain it2 but ,i am unable to formulate any explanation4 ,this is one of those points of fact which ,i confine myself to pointing out4 ,the attentive observation of the relation1 existing between the phenomena and the will of the sitters1 permits of the demonstration of other facts4 ,firstly1 the bad effect of discord between the sitters4 ,it often happens that one of them expresses a desire to obtain a certain given phenomenon2 if the requested phenomenon be not immediately forthcoming1 the same experimenter will demand a different one4 ,sometimes1 several of the sitters ask for several contradictory things at the same time4 ,the confusion which reigns in collectivity is generally manifested in the phenomena1 which1 in their turn1 become vague and confused4 ,still1 things do not altogether happen as though the phenomena were directed by a will1 which was only an echo of the will of the experimenters4 ,the phenomena often manifest great independence1 and refuse decidedly to yield to the desires of the experimenters4 ,by admitting even ,janet's hypothesis on the secondary personalities of mediums1 stretching it from cases of somnambulism to cases of telekinesis1 a fact which is very curious from a purely psychological point of view is to be met with occasionally3 the secondary personality sometimes manifests itself at the same time as the normal personality1 and a conflict between them is the result4 ,i have seen this with ,eusapia1 when1 for example1 she wanted to drink1 and the table violently opposed itself to her wishes4 ,to sum up my observations upon the first of my conclusions3 ,there is a close and positive connection between the movements effectuated by the medium or the sitters1 and the displacement of articles of experimentation2 there is a relation between these displacements and the muscular contractions of the experimenters2 a probable relation1 whose precise nature ,i am unable to state1 exists between the will of the experimenters and paranormal movements4 ,,ii4 ,certain peculiar sensations accompany the emission of the force employed4 ,i hesitated before deciding to formulate this conclusion1 because1 notwithstanding the great number of observations ,i have made1 ,i am only able to present this proposition with much reserve4 ,the sensations ,i am going to describe are purely subjective1 and may consequently give rise to all sorts of error and illusion4 ,some of these sensations may be explained by fatigue or prolonged immobility4 ,in spite of these causes for error1 which are1 ,i acknowledge1 very numerous and very real1 it seems to me1 that the impartial analysis of the facts observed tends towards showing that illusion1 error1 fatigue1 and immobility do not explain them all4 ,i will put aside visual1 auditory1 olfactory1 tactile1 gustatory sensations2 these are1 moreover1 very rarely observed4 ,i will limit myself to examining certain ill-defined sensations1 which appear to depend upon the general sensitiveness1 and not upon the sensory organs properly speaking4 ,from the observations ,i have made1 ,i am inclined to discern five principal sensations3-- 7a7 ,the sensation of cool breezes1 generally over the hands4 7b7 ,the sensation of a slight tingling in the palm of the hand1 and at the tips of the fingers1 near the mounts4 7c7 ,the sensation of a sort of current through the body4 7d7 ,the sensation of a spider's web in contact with the hands and face1 and other parts of the body--notably the back and loins4 7e7 ,the sensation of fatigue after strong phenomena4 7a7 ,the first is very frequently mentioned by experimenters4 ,it is an impression of coolness1 or even of cold1 which they generally feel over the hands4 ,i have not been able to settle with certitude1 if this sensation be purely subjective1 or if an element of real objectivity be blended with it4 ,it is at times so marked1 that ,i have some difficulty in believing that it is altogether imaginary4 ,though it often precedes the production of a motor phenomenon1 it more frequently happens1 that the sitters feel it without any paranormal fact being forthcoming4 ,this peculiar sensation is similar to what is felt in seances with ,eusapia ,paladino1 when approaching one's hand to the scar on her head4 ,what she calls the soffio freddo is very decidedly felt3 it is as though a current of air were escaping through the scar4 ,the reality of this sensation with the ,neapolitan medium makes me think1 that the cool breeze mentioned in other seances may have some objectivity4 ,it is to be noted1 that ,i have observed this phenomenon with mediums1 who had no familiarity whatever with spiritistic seances4 ,sometimes1 the sensation of coolness or of cold extends to the whole body4 ,mediums are more likely to feel this than other experimenters4 ,this sensation can bring on veritable shivering1 in which case it often coincides with a phenomenon4 7b7 ,a tingling sensation may seem to be solely due to immobility1 or to other ordinary causes1 such as prolonged contact of the fingers with the table4 ,i recognise that this explanation is true nine times out of ten2 but in certain cases it has appeared insufficient to me3 either it was felt too soon after the debut of the sitting to be due to fatigue1 immobility1 or to prolonged contact1 or its coincidence with certain well-observed phenomena was too frequent to be fortuitous4 ,therefore it appears to me probable1 that there is some connection between this tingling sensation and the emission of the force utilised4 ,what is the precise nature of this tingling sensation8 ,i have carefully questioned those who felt it--and nearly all experimenters feel it sooner or later--and compared their impressions with mine4 ,all the descriptions tally3 it is the sensation of a slight pricking1 having its seat in the palm of the hand and its maximum intensity on the mounts at the finger-tips4 ,some persons compare it to the sensation one feels1 when lightly touching a mass of pin-points or a stiff brush3 others say it seems to them1 as though their hands were pierced by small holes1 through which something was escaping4 ,the latter sensation is rarer than the former4 ,this tingling sensation has no resemblance whatever with the tingling of a benumbed limb4 ,the experimenters feel these impressions at the beginning of the sitting2 they do not always indicate a good seance1 but ,i have noticed that if phenomena are going to be received at all1 these sensations are generally perceived beforehand1 although1 as ,i say1 they can also be felt when phenomena are not forthcoming4 7c7 ,the sensation of a current passing through the body is less easy to describe4 ,it is of a less precise nature than the preceding one4 ,the majority of persons ,i have questioned1 compare it to the sensation which is produced on them by the passage of an electric current4 ,to me this assimilation has generally appeared approximative4 ,i have sometimes felt this sensation1 and can only compare it to a very slight shiver1 a kind of feeble vibration1 running through the back and arms1 especially perceptible to me in my right arm4 ,this sensation1 as ,i feel it1 is not continuous2 it takes the form of waves rapidly succeeding each other4 ,it is feeble1 and1 as a rule1 ,i can only perceive it by paying great attention to it2 in a few rare cases ,i have felt it very distinctly4 ,i think that in a great number of cases this sensation is purely subjective1 but--as with cool breezes--it does not always seem to be so4 ,it generally accompanies the production of phenomena relatively feeble and continuous1 such as raps and gliding movements4 ,i have not always felt it when strong phenomena were forthcoming2 but then ,i was not always in contact with the medium1 and often1 though ,i did not feel anything1 the medium mentioned having other curious sensations1 which ,i shall speak of presently4 ,besides1 the chain must be formed in order to perceive this sensation of a current with all the accompanying features ,i have just described2 but it is not necessary for the medium to be in the circle4 ,this sensation can also be felt by simply leaning the hands on the table without joining them4 ,this case bears an analogy to the preceding one1 if we suppose that the table1 serving as a condenser for the emitted energy1 suffices in itself to establish a sort of indirect contact with the experimenters4 ,and things seem to happen as though this were really the case4 ,if that be so1 we can at once understand the relation1 which appears to exist between the mediate or immediate contact of the observers' hands and the sensation of a #8current4' ,there is something here which is very obscure and very delicate to analyse1 but which1 if the fact be real1 appears to me to indicate the circulation of some thing or other4 ,it is probable that what circulates is precisely the energy used for the production of the abnormal facts ,i am relating4 ,true1 this is only a hypothesis1 and ,i again beg my readers' pardon for having allowed myself to be drawn into the field of conjecture4 ,i hasten to return to facts4 ,if the sensation of the #8passage of the current' be feeble1 it is not so with its abrupt interruption4 ,when1 for some cause or other--a slight discussion between the operators1 the medium's emotion1 a sudden breaking of the chain--the sensation of the passage of the current is interrupted1 the interruption is easily felt4 ,it may even cause a sensation of sudden indisposition1 if the interruption coincide with the phenomenon in course of production4 ,this is a curious fact1 and one easily observable4 ,the sensation of the breaking of the current is distinctly felt2 and it is this which makes me think1 that the feeble impression of the passage of the current is not altogether imaginary4 ,the sensitiveness of different experimenters varies very much4 ,some are most susceptible to these influences1 others are not at all so1 or only very slightly4 ,i remember having recently assisted at a seance with one of my friends1 a man well known in the fencing world4 ,my friend1 although he is still young1 had an attack of apoplexy some years ago4 ,he recovered1 and has only retained a very slight hemiparesis of the right side4 ,medically1 he comes under the category of hemiplegics4 ,he appears to be extremely sensitive to the impression ,i call #8the passage of the current4' ,he compares it to the sensation1 which the passage of an electric current produces upon him4 ,he assured me that his right arm was affected by it and benumbed4 ,he told me that he experienced a similar effect when passing near powerful dynamos2 he could not1 for example1 stay long in the gallery of machines at the ,french ,exhibition in #aijj1 because of the generators of electricity which were installed therein4 ,he had a disagreeable sensation in the right arm2 the uneasiness extended from the arm to the neck1 and he was obliged to leave the neighbourhood of these electrical machines4 ,in the course of the seance--a very uninteresting one1 by the way--he declared that he felt an identical sensation1 and he was even compelled to leave the circle4 ,i relate this observation1 for the person who made it is an intelligent man1 and quite capable of correctly analysing his own sensations4 ,it is needless to add that he was cool and self-possessed1 and observed everything free from bias1 one way or another4 ,the medium's sensations are generally much more accentuated than those of the sitters4 ,sensitives say1 they distinctly feel the passage and the interruption of the current2 ,i think it is a question of degree3 their sensations differ from the sensations of other experimenters only in degree4 ,there is1 nevertheless1 a category of sensations1 which is almost exclusively felt by the medium when a fairly strong movement is forthcoming3 this is the sensation of a sudden emission of force4 ,one of the most intelligent mediums ,i have come across describes it1 as a sensation of cramp in the epigastric region2 it seems to him at times as though he were on the verge of fainting4 ,i have indicated a similar sensation1 which ,i myself once felt during a levitation obtained with ,eusapia ,paladino4 ,i felt the same thing on other occasions1 but not with the same intensity4 ,i remember1 for example1 an experiment made under the following conditions3 ,we were holding a seance on a winter's evening2 the light on this occasion1 though feeble1 was sufficient4 ,we had covered the table with a woollen cloth which fell over our knees1 and protected us slightly from the cold4 ,upon the seance table we had placed a smaller one upside down4 ,we touched the edge of the smaller table4 ,having noticed that the small table appeared to be trying to raise itself on one side1 ,i endeavoured to increase the amplitude of the movement by violently contracting the muscles of my arms and legs4 ,while ,i made this intense effort1 we saw the little table slowly lean forward1 and turn itself over without coming into any contact whatever with ourselves4 ,when the phenomenon was accomplished1 ,i felt suddenly very tired4 ,it is possible1 that the cause of this fatigue was simply the violent effort ,i had made to contract my muscles2 still1 ,i point out this observation--which others of the same order appear to confirm--because the correlation between the effort1 and the sudden sensation of fatigue is less regular than the connection between that sensation and the phenomenon4 ,whatever may be the intensity of the effort1 the fatigue is felt with less abruptness and in a lesser degree1 when the phenomenon is not realised4 ,i may add1 that this sensation only appears to me to accompany telekinetic and certain luminous phenomena4 ,it does not1 as a rule1 accompany raps or automatic manifestations2 the fatigue determined by these phenomena makes itself felt progressively and more tardily4 ,i will return to this however4 7d7 ,the experimenters1 and particularly the medium1 sometimes speak of a sensation1 which they compare to that which is felt1 by coming into contact with a spider's web4 ,this appears to be rarer than the above-mentioned sensations1 and1 so far1 ,i have not noticed that it was manifested with certain phenomena rather than with others4 ,this sensation of spider's web is felt about the hands1 the face1 and at times the back and loins4 ,i cannot give any other indication upon this curious sensation4 7e7 ,i have already said a few words about the sudden sensation of fatigue1 which is felt when an important phenomenon occurs4 ,i have carefully examined the state of the assistants before and after the seances1 and ,i have invariably noticed that most of the experimenters were tired after a successful seance4 ,this fatigue appears to be in fairly exact proportion to the results obtained4 ,i speak of parakinetic and telekinetic results2 for it must be noted that the fatigue determined by these abnormal movements is not identical--at least in the case of the medium--with the fatigue which other phenomena appear to occasion4 ,movements without contact entail a lassitude1 comparable to that ensuing after a long walk or prolonged physical exercise4 ,,iii4 ,the last observation leads me to the examination of my third proposition4 ,this is1 that the force employed in the production of para or telekinetic phenomena has1 probably1 a connection with the organism of the experimenters4 ,the analysis ,i have just made allows one to surmise the very serious reasons1 which lead me to formulate this conclusion so precisely4 ,the first of these reasons is the correlation1 existing between the movements and muscular contractions of the sitters and the paranormal movements4 ,i have pointed out that this connection appears1 in reality1 to reside in the muscular contraction rather than in the free movements of the limbs3 this is a first ascertainment4 ,there is yet another1 that provoked paranormal phenomena are1 apparently1 approximatively proportional to the movement executed by the experimenter and the effort he makes4 ,these two first points appear to me to be acquired1 and the correlation observed between the muscular effort and the paranormal movement1 indicates reciprocal dependence between these two phenomena4 ,we may go further1 and try to discover whether the relation indicated resides in the fact1 itself1 of muscular contraction1 or in the physiological fact which provokes it--that is to say1 the nervous discharge4 ,observation tends to show1 that it is with the nervous influx that the relation pointed out appears to be made manifest4 ,in support of this opinion ,i will indicate3-- 7a7 ,the attraction and repulsion which the palm of the hand exercises to the almost total exclusion of the back of the hand2 7b7 ,the diverse sensations which ,i have analysed2 7c7 ,the influence of the mental condition and dispositions of the experimenters2 7d7 ,finally1 the characteristic fatigue which follows successful seances1 fatigue similar to that which is felt after prolonged or violent exercise1 that is to say1 exercise necessitating a considerable expenditure of nervous force4 ,in a book1 in which ,i am striving to exclude all manner of theory1 treating1 moreover1 of a subject where theoretical hypotheses are premature1 ,i cannot enlarge any further upon these considerations4 ,i must content myself with pointing them out to the attention of those1 who may wish to experiment in their turn4 ,telekinetic movements are more difficult to simulate than levitations of the table with contact4 ,by operating in daylight1 as ,i have done1 and with non-professional mediums1 there is every kind of guarantee4 ,besides1 it is very difficult for even a professional medium to trick telekinetic phenomena in full light2 he must be a terribly bad observer1 who lets himself be taken in under test conditions of light4 ,the slightest link between the medium and the object in movement is easily perceptible1 and it is very easy to make sure1 that no such link exists4 ,i recommend experimenters to force themselves to direct the phenomena towards movements without contact4 ,i do not advise them even to begin with levitations with contact1 for it is a manifestation which is easily simulated2 and ,i advise persons who are not accustomed to seances1 and who are not familiar with fraudulent processes1 to seek for telekinetic phenomena only4 ,they are longer in coming1 and more difficult to obtain2 but their demonstration will make it well worth while taking pains to realise them1 and spending time to wait for them4 ,when we work in good light1 when we can pass our hands in every direction round the article of experimentation1 when we operate with articles not belonging to the medium1 which have not been in his possession or handled by him1 the hypothesis of fraud is inadmissible4 ,i do not speak of the honourability and good faith of the medium3 these are important elements of appreciation4 ,but my principle is not to let these considerations have any weight1 when judging of a paranormal fact4 ,for1 if the observation is to have any serious value1 every one ought to be able to verify the conditions1 under which that observation is made4 ,to sum up1 the observations1 ,i have so often made with diverse mediums1 have thoroughly convinced me of the reality of movements without contact4 ,i believe ,i have verified a connection between them and the organism of the experimenters4 ,there is a synergy between their movements and their muscular contractions and the forthcoming paranormal movements4 ,i have already spoken of this coincidence in the chapter on #8,raps4' ,there is this difference1 however1 to be borne in mind1 ,i have noticed that1 within a certain radius1 the intensity of the raps is independent of the proximity of the medium4 ,the raps heard at a distance of ten feet appeared to me to be as loud as those which resounded near him or under his hands4 ,i think it is not quite the same with movements without contact4 ,i believe ,i have noticed1 that distance exercises a certain influence over the latter4 ,i have not seen any movements without contact at a greater distance than that of three feet from the medium1 save1 perhaps1 the movements of the curtains of the cabinet4 ,i have observed that the action appeared to reach its maximum at irregular distances4 ,for example1 ,i have obtained glidings of the table by slowly drawing the hand backwards3 the movements occurred1 when my fingers were about ten or twelve inches away from the table1 and not when they were closer to it4 ,many circumstances may intervene to modify the action of distance1 e4g4 the possible accumulation of force at the end of a given time4 ,i have often observed1 that the intentional direction of a movement executed by an observer influenced the movement of the table4 ,i have not been able to ascertain whether the determination of the direction of the paranormal movement was due to the direction of the movement of the experimenter's hand1 or to the manifestation of his will4 ,i have been prevented from solving this problem by the fact1 that when the energy is sufficient1 the movements will occur in the direction desired by the assistants4 ,the movements seem to be produced by an intelligent being4 ,i have already pointed out this curious aspect of things1 when analysing the phenomenon of raps4 ,telekinetic movements present themselves to observation in the same manner4 ,they claim1 as the raps do1 to be the manifestations of personifications4 ,i related an observation ,i was once able to make under some interesting circumstances2 out of seance hours1 in broad daylight1 in the course of a conversation relative to a certain personification1 the table near which we were seated glided of its own accord across the floor1 when ,i pronounced the name taken by the personification4 ,a conversation ensued with the latter1 by means of the movements of the table without contact4 ,i also related the typtological conversation without contact which ,i had with the same personification4 ,these personages who call themselves the authors of telekinetic phenomena present the same characteristics1 as those who claim to be responsible for the phenomenon of raps4 ,i have nothing in particular to say on this point at present4 ,the observation of the facts resumed in this chapter reveals another circumstance which deserves pointing out4 ,this is the apparent conductibility of certain bodies for the force employed4 ,i gave some examples3 table-linen1 wood1 dresses1 etc4 ,i related having often seen women-mediums' dresses bulge out and approach the table1 when the phenomenon was being produced2 the sensitive's feet remained visible1 and1 in view of the conditions under which ,i have been able to test this phenomenon1 ,i consider as absurd the idea that an artificial hand or foot was introduced1 as imagined by ,dr4 ,hodgson to explain away this fact with ,eusapia4 ,i have frequently obtained movements without the contact of the medium's dress1 but ,i have certainly noticed that this contact facilitates the realisation of the movement4 ,darkness favours it also2 there is no doubt about this4 ,of course ,i am putting aside the greater facilities obscurity offers for the execution of fraudulent phenomena2 and though1 in this book1 ,i have only taken into account phenomena observed in full light1 ,i have often experimented in obscurity2 and it appears to me certain1 that total darkness is one of the conditions for the maximum development of the liberated energy4 ,the action of light is interesting to note4 ,i have already stated that the dynamic agency of psychical phenomena appeared to me to be analogous with the nervous influx1 and that the table seemed to play the rle of condenser4 ,in that hypothesis1 light would act like certain rays of cathodic origin1 which discharge the electricised condensers placed in their vicinity4 ,the study of the influence of light upon telekinetic phenomena will certainly enable us to learn their cause4 ,the little we already know permits us to suspect that the telenergic force ought to have some rapport with light and electricity1 at least in that which concerns the amplitude of vibrations4 ,the study of this rapport can only be taken up by an experienced physicist4 ,it will require delicate methods and special instruments1 and ,i earnestly hope it will soon be seriously undertaken4 ,as for those who confine themselves1 as ,i do1 to simply seeking whether the facts be real or not1 they should avoid working in obscurity4 ,light may hamper the production of telekinetic movements1 but it will not prevent it4 ,experimenters should accustom themselves to holding their seances in the daytime1 or in a light which is sufficient to permit of reading small print4 ,above all things1 it is necessary to be personally convinced of the reality of the facts2 and this conviction is not so easily acquired1 when the experiment is made in obscurity4 ,it is difficult to imagine to what a pitch audacity of certain tricksters will carry them4 ,i once attended a series of experiments1 which interested me greatly from that point of view4 ,the group included three young men1 one of whom is a most remarkable medium4 ,the other two1 intelligent and well-educated young fellows1 appeared to me to have some medianic faculties1 but ,i withhold my judgment1 because they tried so hard to cheat1 that it would not be prudent to seriously notice those facts1 where fraud did not strike me as coming into play2 for it was always possible4 ,these young men had nothing to gain by cheating2 in any case1 ,i have not yet understood what aim they wished to attain4 ,the levitations of the table were splendid--in obscurity--and all the furniture in the seance-room was more or less jostled about and displaced4 ,this was all very fine2 it was all very well done2 and novices were easily taken in4 ,the #8spirits' caressed or struck the sitters1 and ,i have seen sincere but inexperienced persons convinced of the reality of facts1 for which the legerdemain of one of the young men present was alone responsible4 ,one of these youths1 a medical student1 presents symptoms of nervous troubles1 and will become a hysteric if he is not one already4 ,notwithstanding my reproaches and exhortations1 he could not stop himself from cheating2 and ,i have the impression that fraud is1 in his case1 almost impulsive4 ,i did not think ,i was authorised to examine him from a medical point of view1 but ,i observed him carefully4 ,he has manufactured spirit photographs very cleverly2 they were wonderfully well done1 and only a professional eye would detect the trick4 ,he proceeded by double exposure4 ,with this group1 as soon as the room was lighted up1 the phenomena1 which were so violent in obscurity1 ceased almost entirely4 ,this circumstance alone was suspicious2 for the action of light is not such as to constitute an insurmountable obstacle to the production of telekinetic movements4 ,whenever phenomena are intense in obscurity1 we ought to be able to obtain weaker ones of the same kind in light4 ,this is a rule without an exception1 as far as my experience goes4 ,needless to add that the table1 under the normal impetus which the young men gave it1 insisted upon total darkness4 ,now1 in truly good seances1 on the contrary1 ,i have always seen the table ask for light1 if purely motor phenomena were desired4 ,naturally1 it is otherwise with luminous phenomena1 of which ,i am now going to speak4 ,,chapter ,,iv ,,luminous ,,phenomena ,the curious glimmering lights1 which ,i am going to describe in this chapter1 can only be obtained in total obscurity4 ,they are generally feeble1 and appear to be at the limit of visibility4 ,i will begin by describing a rather curious phenomenon1 which is easily observable4 ,i am not quite sure of its objective reality2 nevertheless1 ,i will point it out1 and give my reasons for doing so4 ,certain hand-movements are necessary to bring it into evidence2 we must proceed in the following manner3-- #a4 ,face the light4 #b4 ,put a dark object with a mat surface between yourself and the light4 ,do not place the object so as to screen the light from the operators1 simply place it between the experimenters and the light4 ,an arm-chair covered with dark velvet will suit2 place it so that its back is turned to the light4 #c4 ,open the hands1 put them against the dark background1 palms turned towards the chest4 ,join the hands at the finger-tips2 withdraw the hands very slowly1 always keeping the fingers stretched out4 #d4 ,place behind you the person with whom the experiment is to be made1 his head on a level with the operator's head1 that is1 in the centre of the plane occupied by the hands4 ,under these conditions1 when the fingers are drawn apart1 seven or eight out of ten persons will see a sort of grey mist uniting the tips of the fingers4 ,the person with whom we are experimenting must not be told what he is expected to see2 the experiment would be vitiated by introducing therein a suggestive or imaginative element4 ,three-fourths of those with whom ,i have experimented perceived a slight mist1 passing from the tip of one finger to another or corresponding finger on the other hand4 ,i myself perceive this mist very plainly3 to me it resembles cigarette smoke2 it has the same greyish colour1 the same appearance1 but much more tenuity4 ,the majority of people see it in this way2 but ,i have met with some1 who fancied it a different colour4 ,those who see the effluvium as coloured are generally gifted with psychic faculties4 ,i have not been able to come to any positive conclusions on this point2 but ,i have some reasons for believing that the coloured perception of what ,i call1 for want of a better term1 #8digital effluvium1' indicates a highly psychical temperament4 ,a young doctor1 who has remarkable medianic powers1 sees it as red4 ,i also found two persons who saw it as yellow4 ,i have many reasons for thinking that one of these two is a medium2 but he refuses to experiment1 and declares a priori that psychical phenomena are--to use his own familiar expression--all #8humbug4' ,the other person is an eminent magistrate4 ,i have found some people to whom the digital effluvium appears as blue4 ,on the whole1 from the experiments ,i have made ,i reckon that out of #cjj people of both sexes1 #bdj to #bej perceive the effluvium2 #b to #c out of #ajj see it as blue4 ,i have found two who saw it as yellow2 and one who saw it as red4 ,i did not remark that the colour of the effluvium was different from one hand to the other2 but in reality ,i did not question much on the subject1 as ,i was most anxious to avoid anything like suggestion4 ,i have never therefore made inquiries upon the possible difference of coloration in the two hands2 but ,i think it would have been pointed out to me1 had it been perceived4 ,generally the effluvium appears to unite the tips of the fingers of each hand4 ,but it is not always so4 ,often two or three digital effluvia converge into one of the fingers of the opposite hand1 instead of uniting the corresponding fingers4 ,i noticed that the meteorological conditions and variations of temperature had a decided influence upon the visibility of the effluvia4 ,when the seance-room is very cold1 or when the weather is damp or rainy1 the effluvia are scarcely perceptible4 ,they appear to reach a maximum intensity in summer1 when the temperature is high1 and especially when the air is sultry4 ,when the weather is threatening and stormy1 the effluvium is thick and clearly visible to me2 when the storm has burst1 and the atmosphere has cleared1 its intensity diminishes4 ,it often varies according to the individual4 ,some people give forth an effluvium1 which is more visible than that of others4 ,i have not been able to seize any relation between the appearance of the effluvium and the sex1 age1 and temperament of the various persons with whom ,i have experimented2 on the contrary1 a relation seems to exist between the state of health or fatigue and the emission of this mist2 it is rarely visible1 when the person who emits it is tired or ill4 ,such are the principal remarks1 which observation of this curious phenomenon has allowed me to make4 ,i have summed them up carefully1 but ,i ought to say1 that to me the reality of this appearance does not seem to be demonstrated4 ,after all it may only be due to an effect of contrast4 ,the conditions under which it is observed with the greatest convenience are those1 where the hands stand out clearly on a dark background4 ,in drawing the hands away one from the other1 the image of the fingers persists perhaps on the retina1 and gives rise1 maybe1 to an illusion2 but this explanation is not always sufficient4 ,there is an optima distance for the realisation of this effluvium4 ,as a rule the effluvium appears denser when the fingers are fairly close together2 as they move away the density diminishes2 it becomes thinner and more attenuated4 ,but if the hands cease to move1 the effluvium disappears4 ,this is the case as long as the tips of the fingers are not more than #b to #c centimetres away4 ,if the movement of withdrawal ceases when the finger-tips are within #aj to #ae centimetres proximity1 the effluvium remains visible for a longer time4 ,this is what generally happens1 but the facts have not always the same regularity4 ,there is1 in psychical phenomena1 the same diversity and variability1 which are observed in other biological phenomena4 ,i have said that the effluvium persists longer and is best seen when the finger-tips of each hand are within #aj centimetres proximity4 ,under these conditions1 the movement of separation being suspended1 the slight mist1 which ,i described1 persists several seconds4 ,sometimes the effluvium is clearly visible1 when the fingers are #be to #cj centimetres apart4 ,i am inclined to think1 that this effluvium is not altogether an imaginary phenomenon4 ,it seems to me to exclude1 at least1 the hypothesis of the persistence of the retinal image2 for the false image does not last so long as the effluvium1 under the conditions mentioned by me4 ,there is yet another explanation4 ,this is that the eye automatically prolongs the clear impression of the fingers on the dark background separating them4 ,this would be analogous to the expansion by irradiation of clear images upon a dark background4 ,other reasons1 however1 make me discard this hypothesis4 ,in the first place1 why do some people see the supposed false image vividly coloured and not white8 ,secondly1 if the phenomenon is of retinal origin1 why--instead of being thinner1 as is the case--does not the image reproduce the form of the finger8 ,why is it a blue-grey colour and not black1 as should be the complimentary image of a finger which appears to be white8 ,why is not the phenomenon produced with certain objects coloured in white8 ,in vain might we experiment with them as with the hands2 they would never leave effluvium between them4 ,there is an exception1 however3 if we hold cotton or wood in the hands1 we will often perceive this appearance of effluvium4 ,it is not obtained1 as far as ,i have been able to judge1 with metal objects4 ,from this1 it may be inferred1 though ,i do not affirm it1 as my experiments are not sufficiently conclusive--that wood and cotton conduct the effluvium as well as flesh4 ,this seems to me very probable with cotton2 by holding a crumpled handkerchief in the hand1 and presenting it to the background as ,i have recommended doing with the fingers1 we will notice a slight mist round the cotton1 which seems to soften off the outlines4 ,finally1 another more serious reason for considering these effluvia as probably objective1 is the frequent absence of parallelism between the effluvia of corresponding fingers4 ,i have often observed distinct divergencies1 and it sometimes struck me as though the will might be able to influence the direction of the effluvia to a certain extent4 ,it often happens that all the experimenters see the effluvia under the same aspect4 ,the phenomenon can show great variability in appearance1 the middle finger of one hand1 for example1 becoming connected with two1 three1 or four fingers of the opposite one4 ,as the aspect of this effluvium usually appears the same to the observers1 there is room to presume that its existence and direction are not illusory phenomena4 ,in the contrary case1 we would have to suppose collective hallucination1 or a most improbable transmission of impression1 which my personal observations do not dispose me to admit4 ,the phenomenon1 which ,i have called #8visibility of the digital effluvium' for the sake of convenience1 is very easy to observe4 ,i make great reserves on its objectivity1 although ,i think its reality is more probable than its non-existence4 ,it is most desirable that competent experimenters should verify these observations1 which ,i only present as uncertain4 ,i would have no doubt whatever of the phenomenon1 if the accounts of the persons with whom ,i experimented had always concorded as to the direction taken by the effluvia2 but it was not so4 ,though there is a good proportion of corroboration1 ,i have often observed contradictions in the descriptions which were given me4 ,although the digital effluvium does not yet appear to me to be demonstrated1 ,i think it will be interesting to point out the analogies it presents with phenomena already mentioned by diverse experimenters1 notably by ,reichenbach and de ,rochas4 ,these two experimenters operated under very different conditions to mine4 ,the one placed his sensitive in profound obscurity and left him there for a time2 then he made him look at living beings1 flowers1 magnets1 ends of cords1 and metal wires1 opposite ends of which were in the sun2 his sensitives generally saw--especially with human hands1 crystals1 and magnetic poles--a kind of flame or luminous mist surrounding them1 or issuing from them4 ,rochas has chiefly experimented with sensitives plunged in deep sleep2 every one has read of his experiments1--the blue and red coloration which his sensitives gave to the gleams of light which are emitted by magnetic poles1 and the right and left sides of the body4 ,my conditions of experimentation were very different from those under which ,reichenbach and ,rochas worked4 ,i took the first comer and operated in broad daylight4 ,but my observations tend to confirm theirs1 at least in what concerns the radiation of something at the finger-tips4 ,another interesting observation remains to be made4 ,i have shown that very probably linen1 and perhaps wood also1 were easily impregnated with that substance of which the effluvium is constituted4 ,this fact may be compared with those ,i pointed out1 when dealing with telekinetic movements3 particularly the approach of a small table which touched the cloth of the table at which ,i was breakfasting2 the approach of the chair which was touched by a wooden newspaper-holder lying on the table2 and lastly1 the curious bulging out of mediums' dresses1 which grazed the feet of the table in some cases of telekinesis4 ,without forming any premature hypothesis1 it is allowable to look upon the digital effluvium as having some connection with the force1 which is the determining cause of movements without contact4 ,the effluvium is visible under other conditions1 which are worth noting4 ,it can be seen1 when passes are made over a person or an object4 ,the appearance is again similar to smoke2 it is a bluish-grey mist1 which seems to form prolongations of the fingers4 ,the effluvium is not a luminous phenomenon4 ,i have described it in order to be complete1 and not to omit a fact which is interesting for more than one reason4 ,it can1 moreover1 be seen by certain subjects in the dark4 ,here is an interesting experiment1 which ,i have sometimes realised1 but which presents certain difficulties4 ,one of the mediums1 with whom ,i experimented1 appeared to have an exceptional acuteness of vision in reference to the effluvium4 ,he saw it escape from the hands of the sitters1 and spread itself over the seance-table4 ,desirous of finding out what the medium would see in total darkness1 ,i put out all the lights1 and invited the medium to touch my hand if he saw it4 ,the experiment did not succeed every time1 but the proportion of success was superior to probabilities2 but as the medium might have been able to guide himself by the sense of hearing1 ,i thought of testing him by touching the table4 ,the sensitive quickly recognised the finger-tips1 claiming to perceive a kind of milky phosphorescence at the spot where my finger was4 ,to make doubly sure ,i tested him still further by tracing letters on the table with the tip of my forefinger1 taking the precaution to avoid all sound4 ,the medium read nearly all the letters drawn4 ,i then traced some words2 he read them off also4 ,i was able to make him read words of five letters2 he was not able to read longer words1 he recognised the last letters1 but declared that the first were blotted out4 ,nearly all the words of three or four letters were read correctly1 and the errors were often significant3 e4g4 the word #8foi' became #8loi4' ,now1 in a running hand-writing1 it suffices to suppress the lower part of the #8f' for the letter thus amputated to take the aspect of an #8l4' ,i cannot say if the sensitive really saw what he claimed to see1 or if he were guided by the sound of my finger4 ,i am obliged to trust to his sincerity on this point2 but ,i have reason to believe that this medium is sincere and honourable4 ,he is a man of education1 and is not a professional medium2 he follows a liberal profession1 and does not wish his name to be mentioned4 ,i have much esteem for him4 ,on the other hand1 his senses would need to have been extraordinarily developed1 to have enabled him to recognise the movement of my finger from the very slight sound it may have made4 ,no sound was perceptible to myself4 ,i wrote on a small varnished table of blackwood1 on which my finger glided easily and silently4 ,again1 the errors made now and then--by reading #8loi' for #8foi1' etc41 seem to prove that the sense of sight and not sound was in operation4 ,sometimes it happens1 that it is no longer the effluvium which is perceived1 but the whole hand itself becomes phosphorescent4 ,rays come and go like gleams on the back of the hands1 or on the fingers1 and sometimes1 but very rarely1 on the face or body of the sitters4 ,these phosphorescences and the digital effluvia appear to me to belong to the same order of phenomena4 ,frequently1 they are but fleeting gleams seen at the finger-tips1 when the hands are resting on the table4 ,though ,i and others who have experimented with me1 have often verified this appearance1 ,i have some doubts upon its reality4 ,in obscurity1 the eye tires quickly1 and phosphenes soon appear2 still1 ,i have nearly always observed1 that these glimmering lights were perceived by other persons in the same spot ,i saw them in4 ,i have rarely observed those glimmering lights1 some people see1 on the garments and faces of sitters4 ,i have not yet been able to verify1 in a positive manner1 the phosphorescence of the hands in ordinary seances2 though observers in whom ,i have the greatest confidence1 have assured me that they had remarked it4 ,we must not lose sight of the fact that the eyes tire quickly2 when the obscurity is not complete1 the white hands are vaguely perceived on the dark background1 the eyes1 growing tired1 accentuate the contrast between the two shades1 and the palest has a tendency to appear slightly luminous4 ,sometimes1 but very seldom1 ,i have observed sparks which seemed to coincide with raps4 ,this phenomena appears to have an objective reality4 ,i was not the only one to notice these sparks2 others saw them also2 their apparition at the moment the raps were heard was constant4 ,these circumstances permitted us to think1 that the phenomenon ought to have an objective substratum of some kind4 ,however1 ,i have observed luminous phenomena which were decidedly objective4 ,at ,choisy1 we obtained them under special conditions1 which ,rochas has indicated1 and which are rather significative4 ,these lights1 which were very brilliant1 looked like large phosphorescent drops gliding about on ,eusapia's bodice1 after having floated for some time in the air4 ,this phenomenon did not appear to me to be very convincing1 because during the sitting1 a strong odour of phosphorus permeated the room4 ,when ,eusapia had left1 ,i returned to the room1 where ,i found ,,mm4 de ,gramont and de ,watteville1 who were as inquisitive as ,i was4 ,we searched but found nothing on the floor4 ,our suspicions had been aroused by the phosphorescent odour1 which was diffused in the room4 ,since then1 ,i have noticed it in seances1 where fraud seemed to be impossible4 ,this odour is characteristic2 it is more like the odour of ozone than that of phosphorus4 ,it is like the odour perceptible in the vicinity of static electrical machines when in activity4 ,these flitting lights can be easily imitated4 ,a prudent experimenter ought never to lose sight of the fact1 that it is possible to employ diverse substances in order to produce phosphorescent effects4 ,the use of phosphorescent oil1 for example1 will give fictitious luminous phenomena4 ,i remember a seance at which the medical student1 of whom ,i have already spoken1 was present4 ,i noticed that one of his finger-tips shone for a moment4 ,i afterwards learnt1 that this young man had a phial of phosphorescent oil in one of his pockets4 ,on another occasion1 long narrow lights were1 from time to time1 seen on his body4 ,i think these were produced by matches or straws dipped in the luminous liquid4 ,phosphorescent preparations1 as a rule1 have the advantage of only becoming very luminous1 when they are shaken about in the air2 for the lights1 which are given forth by the phosphorus they contain1 are only produced when there are phenomena of oxydation4 ,objects coated over with sulphide of calcium1 strontium1 or baryum1 become luminous in obscurity1 when they have been previously exposed to light4 ,this is the principle of luminous dials1 match-boxes and candle-sticks4 ,there are also other substances which permit of simulating luminous phenomena4 ,i was once present at some seances1 which were very curious from the point of view of the luminous phenomena which ,i observed4 ,these seances were of the series of which ,i have already spoken4 ,the two young tricksters1 some of whose misdeeds ,i have related1 were present1 and as one of them is an excellent chemist1 it is possible that the superb phenomena ,i observed were not altogether authentic4 ,i confess1 ,i do not see how fraud was committed2 but1 given the conditions under which ,i experimented1 ,i think ,i ought to abstain from expressing a favourable opinion upon the reality of the facts observed4 ,i will describe them succinctly1 indicating the phenomena which could have been simulated1 and those which did not appear to be so4 ,the medium is a young man of twenty-four years of age1 of good family1 and fairly well-educated4 ,he has been well brought up1 and his manners are good4 ,he is a commercial clerk4 ,he is a tall1 strong1 well-built young man1 apparently in robust health4 ,he is intelligent1 but does not strike me as having a very strong will4 ,he is easily influenced by his comrades1 and was particularly so by the medical student whose irrepressible tendency to cheating ,i have already spoken about4 ,the student had a great ascendency over the medium1 and1 in spite of my advice1 induced him to experiment too frequently1 almost daily4 ,it was easy to foresee the result3 the imprudent student and medium both presented visible nervous troubles at the end of a few weeks4 ,the seances were held in the evening with a round table which had a double top2 they began in the light1 but1 in obedience to the behests of the table1 total obscurity was speedily obtained4 ,i have always thought that obscurity was asked for by one of the two tricksters1 who was then able to give himself up to his heart's delight1 and do as he pleased with his confiding group4 ,they had invited some of their friends--students or doctors--and ,i was extremely sorry for these new-comers1 in that they should have been present at such suspicious seances4 ,to be quite exact1 ,i ought to say that1 though ,i was convinced these young men frauded1 ,i was not always able to bring it home to them4 ,i generally seated myself beside the most turbulent of the two young men1 and the hand which ,i held never once left mine4 ,but the other hand and the other trickster had more liberty1 and some of my co-experimenters verified fraud4 ,moreover1 ,i suspected fraud1 because of the appearance of the phenomena1 which were of an extremely rough character4 ,the table1 raised from the floor1 was at times thrown against the observers with so much force1 that they have occasionally been seriously hurt4 ,this never happens with true phenomena4 ,the thin top of the table was broken2 a #8phenomenon' which was caused by exaggerated pressure or violent blows destined to imitate loud raps4 ,real raps never break a table2 its feet are sometimes demolished1 when the levitated table falls abruptly1 but this is the only damage ,i have ever observed at serious seances4 ,notwithstanding the more than suspicious conditions under which we operated1 ,i am not sure that all the phenomena were simulated4 ,in these seances1 there seems to have been a mixture of much that was false with a little that was true4 ,a longer observation would have permitted me to come to a more definite conclusion1 but the seances were discontinued4 ,of the phenomena1 the authenticity of which appeared probable to me1 ,i will mention raps4 ,many of them were obtained in the light and without apparent contact2 they had all the aspect of the authentic raps ,i have so frequently observed4 ,but owing to insufficient control1 ,i do not feel able to affirm their reality4 ,as for luminous phenomena1 ,i cannot help wondering how some of them could have been simulated4 ,in order to give a precise physiognomy of the conditions under which they were observed1 ,i will briefly relate one of the most curious seances of the series4 ,there were about a dozen persons present4 ,five or six sat down to the table1 and raps were obtained1 now on the table1 now on the floor4 ,obscurity was asked for and gradually given4 ,the phenomena increased in intensity as the darkness deepened4 ,when we could no longer see1 the usual levitations1 violent knocking1 and displacement of furniture had their own way4 ,the seance was discontinued for a few minutes1 and resumed towards eleven o'clock4 ,the table requested that the medium might be placed in the cabinet1 which was in a corner of the room1 and made of white curtains4 ,the medium was placed as requested4 ,the table then asked the experimenters to withdraw from the vicinity of the cabinet2 when giving these directions1 the table appeared to strike the floor of its own accord4 ,it told us to seat ourselves at a distance of #f feet from the cabinet1 and then asked us to sing4 ,we droned out the air1 #8,frre ,jacques1 dormez-vous8' ,at the end of ten or fifteen minutes1 milky-looking phosphorescent lights were seen on the curtains of the cabinet2 then luminous hands appeared4 ,one very luminous hand rose rapidly outside the curtains and seized a bell1 which had been hooked on to a nail at about #g feet #f inches above the floor4 ,this hand was visible to every one4 ,then the milky-lights were again seen1 larger and more brilliant than before4 ,one of these lights1 the outlines of which were very indistinct1 floated about the room1 and withdrew to about #i feet from the cabinet1 along the wall opposite the one near which the experimenters were grouped4 ,this light appeared to be #d feet above the ground2 it was about #c feet high by #aj inches broad1 and appeared to float in the air4 ,it remained visible for several seconds4 ,afterwards1 other lights were seen near the curtains2 finally1 one extremely brilliant light appeared above the curtains near the ceiling4 ,this light was about #a foot #f inches high by #a foot #b inches wide4 ,the outlines of this luminosity were more clearly defined than those of the light which floated about the room4 ,these phenomena were clearly visible to every one4 ,some of the experimenters thought they could see shadowy forms in these lights4 ,as for me1 ,i could distinguish no human appearance therein4 ,the first light ,i described gave me the impression of a luminous pillar2 the second1 whose outlines were better defined1 awakened no idea of any definite form4 ,we ceased experimenting shortly after this seance4 ,were they genuine1 these phenomena8 ,i am not sure1 but ,i cannot help wondering how they could have been simulated6 ,there are some distinctions to be made between these appearances1 of which ,i have only described the principal4 ,the luminous hand1 which unhooked the bell1 was well defined3 it was very distinct and one mass of light4 ,i quite understand that suspicion might fall on the medium2 he might have covered his own hand with some phosphorescent substance1 and1 thanks to his height1 unhooked the bell himself4 ,let us try to find out what substance he could have used4 ,we must1 ,i think1 put aside the idea of phosphorescent oil4 ,this would have left traces on the medium's hands and clothes1 on the curtains of the cabinet1 on the bell1 on the wall where the bell was hung4 ,now there was nothing of the sort4 ,the medium's hands and garments bore no trace whatsoever of oil4 ,besides1 the light which is given forth by preparations which have phosphorus as their basis1 has neither the duration1 nor the uniformity of the lights ,i observed4 ,is it a preparation with a basis of sulphides of the calcium class8 ,sulphides1 in order to be phosphorescent1 ought to be in a dry state4 ,they are usually reduced to a powder1 and this powder is pasted on to the substance we wish to render luminous4 ,the appearance of a hand might be given by a glove done over with sulphide of strontium or calcium4 ,but ,i need not say how difficult it would be to put on this glove4 ,true1 the glove could be stuffed with horsehair1 dipped in paste and sprinkled over with sulphide in the desired position4 ,the phenomenon which ,i observed1 could then be explained in the following manner3 ,the medium might have moved the luminous glove about with one hand1 and unhooked the bell with the other4 ,this is possible1 and yet it does not appear to me to explain what ,i saw4 ,in any case1 this explanation ceases to be satisfactory1 when we consider the case of the floating lights4 ,i know of no system which allows of imitating the immaterial1 fugitive1 diaphanous appearance of these curious lights4 ,my chemical knowledge1 it is true1 is very rudimentary2 and one of the young men ,i speak of is a clever chemist2 it may be he knows of a more perfect process than those just mentioned4 ,nevertheless1 it seems to me that a piece of cloth done over with some luminous preparation or other1 would not have the aspect of the light which ,i saw floating about the room4 ,i think it is very difficult to reproduce these vague1 ill-defined lights1 which are more like a luminous cloud than a phosphorescent material object4 ,the outlines of the last appearance ,i described were well defined1 and in its upper part reminded one of the folds of material4 ,some of my co-experimenters thought they recognised a masculine1 bearded head therein1 covered with a turban or burnoose4 ,if we had been in the presence of an artificial phenomenon1 the luminous object should have presented the same aspect to every observer4 ,it was not so in reality2 for some of us could distinguish no recognisable form in the luminosity4 ,i know that the imagination can be the cause of much visual illusion4 ,it makes us complete imperfect images1 and see faces and forms in plays of light and shade which only faintly recall these forms and faces4 ,i have not observed the curious phenomena which ,i describe1 under conditions sufficiently precise to enable me to affirm their objectivity1 and ,i can only repeat what ,i said just now1 that their reality appeared probable to me1 in spite of the frauds of which ,i knew1 and those which ,i suspected2 in spite of my intellect's prejudice1 ,i was favourably impressed4 ,i will add that the luminosity1 which floated about the room1 moved about up and down1 and lasted for several seconds4 ,that part of the room where it floated about was blocked up with the table1 chairs and other furniture1 which had been taken there from the recess adjoining the seance-room4 ,all the experimenters were grouped together in one part of the room4 ,none of them left their seats during the production of these phenomena4 ,had the medium left the cabinet and manuvred the light we perceived1 he would have knocked against the scattered furniture4 ,we kept the strictest silence1 when luminous phenomena were being produced1 and we would certainly have heard the medium moving about1 had he left the cabinet4 ,now1 we heard no noise whatsoever2 neither of the footsteps he would have been obliged to make1 nor of the furniture which he would have knocked against1 unless he be able to see remarkably well in the dark4 ,such are the observations ,i have to present upon this curious seance4 ,one of my friends1 an eminent savant1 well acquainted with this kind of phenomena1 had1 like myself1 the impression that those ,i have depicted were real4 ,moreover1 in other seances this medium gave us similar luminosities4 ,i will even point out that one of the suspected sitters--the medical student--the clever chemist--having been eliminated1 and the experiments taking place at the house of one of my medical friends1 we observed globular lights on the curtains of the cabinet behind which the medium was sitting4 ,these lights were much smaller than those ,i have just described--they were as large as a walnut--but were easily observable4 ,i hope to be able to resume my experiments with this medium2 for to me he seems to be one of the most powerful ,i have ever seen4 ,it is really a pity he should have fallen into the hands of imprudent and ignorant young men2 they have abused his force1 worn him out1 and made him ill4 ,judiciously handled1 he might have become extraordinary4 ,it remains to be seen1 if the bad conditions under which he has been developed have not had the effect of destroying the rare faculty he possessed4 ,i will return to these considerations later on4 ,the lights produced by this young man were the most brilliant ,i have ever seen4 ,their colour has been well compared to the light of the nebula by one of my co-experimenters1 a distinguished amateur astronomer4 ,this experimenter had a good spectroscope1 but he has never been able to succeed in analysing1 spectroscopically1 the lights we have seen4 ,they were too unsteady and fugitive4 ,i now come to some visual phenomena1 which have not the same luminous feature as those ,i have been speaking about1 but which present another very curious feature3 they give representations of objects or of human forms4 ,i have not seen any phosphorescent human forms such as certain observers affirm to have seen4 ,i have said that the ,bordeaux medium1 in presence of whom ,i had seen such fine luminous phenomena1 had also given us a luminous hand4 ,at ,choisy in #ahif1 ,i saw the same thing with ,eusapia4 ,there was enough light in the room to see ,eusapia's hands4 ,under these conditions--the hands of the medium being not only held by her right- and left-hand neighbours1 but visible all the time on the table--we perceived at about #a foot #i inches above ,eusapia's head a slightly phosphorescent hand1 which shook about in the opening between the two curtains4 ,this appearance was very distinct1 and was perceived by all those whose positions allowed them to see it4 ,this was not the first time ,i had seen the form of a hand4 ,in #ahie1 at l',agnlas1 ,i saw a hand and bare forearm1 which showed itself in profile above ,m4 ,sabatier1 seated in front of me1 and touched him on the forehead4 ,at the same moment1 ,m4 ,sabatier mentioned having been touched on the head4 ,my perception was clear and decided2 ,i was positive of having seen this hand and forearm4 ,i remember that my co-experimenters--two of them at least--hesitated to admit my observation1 because ,i had been the only one to see it4 ,in #ahie1 ,i was not so accustomed to seances as ,i became later on1 and ,i was inclined to listen with deference to my friends' remarks1 but ,i was so positive of the reality of my observation1 that it was inserted in the report4 ,subsequent experience has multiplied observations of this order3 they recall to mind the round head seen at ,carqueiranne4 ,the hand and forearm which ,i saw at l',agnlas were black and opaque4 ,they were projected on to the clear background of the room where we experimented2 we were seated in such a way that only ,i could see them4 ,i did not see anything quite like this in #ahif2 for1 it will be remembered that the hand we saw at ,choisy was slightly phosphorescent1 and presented quite a different appearance to the dark1 solid-looking arm and hand which ,i saw at l',agnlas4 ,i remember one day at ,choisy1 when ,m4 de ,gramont was in the cabinet behind ,eusapia1 the latter told us to blow hard4 ,at the same moment1 ,m4 de ,gramont saw the shape of a pair of bellows4 ,at ,bordeaux1 in #ahig1 we again saw black1 opaque forms under excellent conditions4 ,a few extracts from the reports of these seances will be found in the ,appendix4 ,i refer my readers to this for the detail of the material conditions under which we operated4 ,i will simply indicate here that the room1 in which we held our seances1 is lighted up by a very large bay-window4 ,the persian shutters were closed for the seances2 but the gas-light1 from the kitchen premises1 was reflected through the persians on to the window-panes1 and cast a faint light in the seance-room4 ,in consequence of this reflection on the panes1 the window formed a kind of clear background1 upon which the silhouettes of certain black forms could be seen by at least half of the experimenters4 ,we all saw these forms1 or rather the form2 for it was always the same form which was shown1 the profile of a long bearded face with a strongly arched nose4 ,this appearance is said to be the head of #8,john1' ,eusapia's habitual personification4 ,it is an extraordinary phenomenon2 and the first idea which presents itself to the mind is that of a collective hallucination4 ,but then it remains to be asked1 why it was manifested under the very special conditions ,i have indicated4 ,moreover1 the care with which we observed this curious phenomenon1 and--it seems to me superfluous to add--the calm with which we experimented1 render the hypothesis of hallucination a most unlikely one4 ,the hypothesis of fraud is still less admissible4 ,the head we perceived was of natural size1 and measured about #a foot #f inches from the forehead to the extremity of the beard4 ,if the phenomenon is to be attributed to fraud1 we must explain how ,eusapia hid the necessary mask on her person2 we must also explain how she could have drawn it out unknown to us1 and further1 how she manuvred it4 ,eusapia did not go into trance at our ,bordeaux seances4 ,she sometimes saw the profile in question1 and manifested her satisfaction at being able to look on1 for the first time ,i think1 at the phenomena which was produced through her4 ,the light from the window was sufficient to enable us to see ,eusapia's hands4 ,i have no need to say that her hands were carefully held by her right and left controllers4 ,if this profile had been concealed on her person1 it would have been absolutely impossible for her to manuvre it4 ,the profile we observed appeared to form itself at the top of the cabinet1 at a height of about #c feet #i inches above ,eusapia's head2 it descended slowly and placed itself just above and in front of her2 at the end of a few seconds it disappeared only to reappear later on under the same conditions4 ,we always carefully assured ourselves of the relative immobility of the medium's hands and arms2 and the strange phenomenon ,i relate is one of the most irreproachable ,i have ever verified1 so utterly incompatible is the hypothesis of fraud with the conditions under which we observed it4 ,two or three times a slightly luminous phenomenon was noticed4 ,it was formed on the curtain1 near which my friend ,m4 de ,pontaud and ,i were sitting2 it was a whitish1 milky-looking spot1 visible to every one1 at least to those whose positions allowed them to perceive it conveniently4 ,this luminosity appeared to shrink up quickly1 and disappeared on a level with our heads4 ,evidently ,i have no explanation to offer4 ,the apparition of these human forms raises a problem1 which is far more complicated than the problem of raps and movements without contact1 and ,i think the study of this problem cannot be profitably undertaken at present4 ,nothing authorises me to consider these curious phenomena as demonstrating the exactness of the spirit hypothesis2 ,i think their cause lies elsewhere than in the intervention of the spirit of a deceased person2 but ,i am not yet able to formulate any rational opinion on this subject4 ,however1 ,i will point out the close connection1 which appears to me to exist between the production of these forms1 and the production of raps and movements without contact4 ,these relations tend to persuade me1 that all these phenomena belong to the same order1 and depend upon the same agent1 and the same cause4 ,before1 however1 analysing summarily the observations on which ,i base this opinion1 ,i ought to describe a series of experiments1 which have given me most curious results4 ,these experiments were made with a medium1 a man of deep intelligence and refined nature1 of whose medianity ,i have already spoken1 pages #gd1 #gi1 #ha-b1 #aja-c4 ,i obtained with him3 7a7 raps1 faint at first1 but very clear and well verified1 with and without contact2 7b7 movements without contact of feeble amplitude1 but very well observed2 7c7 faint luminous phenomena2 7d7 finally1 the production of diverse forms4 ,the first two categories of facts have already been dealt with1 ,i will now describe the last two4 ,they confirm1 to a certain extent1 the experiments already related in this chapter4 ,the first time luminous phenomena were seen1 we were holding a seance in a small room1 but were not using a table4 ,the medium perceived several lights and even faces on the wall in front of him4 ,these lights and faces were not visible to me4 ,sometimes ,i thought ,i saw lights1 but extremely faint ones1 and at the limit of visibility2 ,i think these lights were subjective4 ,and yet1 ,i have often asked the medium where he saw the light1 to describe its shape1 and the direction it took if it moved about1 and ,i have remarked that the indications given by the medium concorded with my own observations2 but1 curiously enough--and it is my duty as a witness to point this out--,i could often see these lights1 just as well when my eyes were closed1 as when they were open4 ,this circumstance seems to me conclusive1 and makes me think these lights were subjective4 ,in reality1 ,i do not think that the light emitted by the gleams ,i saw was of such a nature1 that its rays could penetrate through closed eyelids4 ,this interior visibility should exist in every case2 now this is not so1 and ,i have only observed it with this particular medium1 though ,i had once or twice suspected it in a former series of experiments4 ,on the other hand1 ,i cannot consider these visions as hallucinations1 unless ,i also admit that this entoptic hallucination is collective4 ,but then1 why are not these illusions met with in other seances8 ,why is the manifestation of lights or forms accompanied by abundant raps without contact8 ,these raps immediately precede the apparition of the forms1 and behave as though they were signals destined to draw the attention of the observers4 ,this is a coincidence which is not fortuitous1 for it is almost constant4 ,the first time that a more or less definite form was observed with this medium1 no seance was being held4 ,the medium saw on the wall the apparition of one of his #8personifications1' and the word curtain traced in luminous letters4 ,the sensitive could not interpret the meaning of this word1 for he had never been present at any spiritistic seance4 ,i told him to continue observing1 for ,i thought ,i understood the meaning of this message4 ,i immediately arranged1 as well as ,i could1 a kind of cabinet in a corner of the room with the help of some black curtains4 ,we darkened the room and sat down before a table1 the medium having his back turned to the cabinet4 ,in a short time we heard raps on the table1 the medium's chair1 the floor1 and on the wall inside the cabinet4 ,the medium1 interested1 turned half round towards the cabinet1 when all at once1 after the production of some very faint1 flitting lights1 ,i perceived the beautiful face of a woman1 pale1 the eyes up-raised as though in prayer4 ,the eyes and hair were black2 the hair was parted in the centre and dressed in the style of fifty or sixty years ago4 ,the face was draped in a white veil which also covered the head1 forming a kind of frame for the face4 ,the physiognomy was of the sweetest1 and of rare beauty4 ,the apparition appeared to be slightly luminous1 of a whitish1 milky hue4 ,it showed itself to the left of the medium1 but high above him1 near the ceiling4 ,it remained visible for a very short time4 ,prudently interrogated1 the medium gave me the exact description of the face ,i had just perceived4 ,the details concorded in every way4 ,inquiry as to who it was elicited the information1 given in raps1 that it was the face of one of the group of four fairies of whom ,i spoke on page #ha4 ,it is not often ,i have had such a clear vision4 ,i have1 indeed1 very rarely obtained this curious phenomenon3 still1 ,i have observed it distinctly three times with this medium4 ,the second time1 the faces seemed to be only partially materialised2 ,i only saw portions of faces unknown to me3 the medium recognised one of these faces4 ,the third time1 the medium saw the apparitions plainly1 and described them1 but ,i saw only faint lights2 suddenly1 however1 ,i saw a face1 the forehead1 eyes1 and nose1 reproducing the traits of a very dear friend ,i had recently lost4 ,the medium saw the whole face4 ,he did not know my friend when he was alive1 but he has had curious and strange posthumous apparitions of him under conditions which it would be interesting to relate1 but1 unfortunately1 ,i am not authorised to do so completely4 ,it is not only the forms of human beings which ,i have seen with this medium1 but also those of animals1 more or less strange4 ,i cannot help thinking that these are due to imagination4 ,but the curious fact is1 that there is concordance between the medium's visions and the appearances perceived by the sitters4 ,finally1 under the same conditions1 ,i once saw a copper lantern1 of well-defined shape1 and in a particular position4 ,this vision was also seen by the medium in the same way4 ,here1 again1 ,i cannot form any satisfactory explanation4 ,i am inclined to think1 that ,i am the victim of hallucination1 though the circumstances do not favour that hypothesis4 ,the vision of the lantern is analogous to that of the pair of bellows seen by ,m4 de ,gramont with ,eusapia4 ,i refer my readers to what ,i said further back concerning the concordance between the raps and the apparitions2 this simultaneousness existed with the apparitions of animal-like forms and material objects1 as well as with those of human faces4 ,this is a fact which is of a nature to set aside the hypothesis of pure illusion4 ,but then6 ,i have mentioned these strange experiences in order to be complete and sincere4 ,i do not conceal the fact1 that it costs me much to relate this1 because ,i do not find herein the conditions of precision1 which my experiments in telekinesis1 for example1 appeared to present4 ,i will add that ,i do not try to obtain these phenomena of more or less complete materialisations4 ,i suffer them3 for the facts do not proceed altogether according to the liking of the experimenter4 ,i cannot say that these apparitions leave me indifferent2 on the contrary1 they interest me immensely2 but ,i have the impression of being in the presence of a fact1 which is too complicated to be usefully observed4 ,it is not the same with raps and telekinesis3 and ,i put forth all my efforts in order to restrict my studies and researches to these phenomena2 for ,i have the feeling that we may be able to arrive at discovering the conditions of their production4 ,i imagine--perhaps wrongly--that1 henceforth1 we can submit them to scientific discipline2 ,i think that the study of raps and telekinetic phenomena is the necessary preliminary to the study of other1 less comprehensible1 facts4 ,therefore1 ,i have devoted myself almost exclusively to their observation2 nevertheless1 ,i did not think ,i was able to dispense with relating everything ,i had seen4 ,i am entirely ignorant of the signification of these diverse appearances2 ,i may have made a mistake1 though ,i do not think so1 but it seems to me ,i have not the right to make a choice in my experiments1 to withhold the one and relate the other4 ,it behoves those who read me to put themselves in the same conditions under which ,i was placed1 and observe in their turn4 ,i confine myself to relating what ,i have seen4 ,i will add that certain facts have appeared to me more certain than others1 but my rle of witness ends there4 ,the ascertainments ,i have made in what concerns luminous phenomena1 permit me to give some useful indications4 ,the first concern the methods of operation2 the others are conclusions which ,i have drawn from my own experiences4 ,when seeking for simple1 luminous phenomena1 it is advisable to proceed as ,i have done for parakinetic and telekinetic phenomena4 ,the sitters group themselves around a table1 leaning their hands on it1 or form a chain round the table without touching it4 ,needless to say1 the obscurity ought to be as complete as possible4 ,under these conditions1 lights can be obtained2 and it is in this way1 ,i observed the woman's face ,i have described4 ,the very fine lights which ,i saw with the young ,bordeaux medium 7pages #ada and following7 were obtained in another manner1 which seems to me better still4 ,it is1 moreover1 the method adopted by professional mediums1 perhaps because it favours the execution of fraudulent even more than genuine phenomena4 ,this method consists in placing the medium in the cabinet and forming the chain1 either round the table or in a half-circle1 in which latter case the chain is not closed4 ,i have noticed that music and singing in common have a favourable influence on the production of the phenomena4 ,this circumstance is1 however1 another cause for suspicion1 because the noise of music and singing can drown that made by the medium in moving about4 ,although ,i cannot consider the reality of the luminous phenomena observed by me as being so well established as that of certain other phenomena1 ,i will none the less give the result of the ascertainments ,i think ,i have made thereon4 ,i indicate them with every reserve2 but the analogy they present with the ascertainments ,i made relative to raps and movements without contact1 appeared to me useful to point out4 ,it is one of the reasons which made me believe in their probability first of all2 it is also the indication of the presumable existence of some general law governing all these phenomena1 however different in appearance they may be4 ,the most important observations ,i have to make are1 as before1 the synchronism between the muscular action and the phenomenon2 the tendency to personification2 the physical fatigue experienced by all the experimenters after a successful seance4 ,the reasons why ,i conclude in the existence of this synchronism1 are based upon a great number of observations made with ,eusapia and other mediums4 ,it seemed to me1 in my experiments with ,eusapia ,paladino1 that this latter preferred the breath to any other movement for the production of lights4 ,this conclusion is uncertain1 because ,i have not had occasion to examine many luminous phenomena with the ,neapolitan medium4 ,my observations were more precise with the ,bordeaux medium4 ,rubbing the hands together1 rubbing the feet on the floor1 breathing hard1 squeezing hands tightly when the chain is formed2 all this provoked the apparition of the curious luminosities ,i have spoken about4 ,true1 these were also produced spontaneously2 but the movements executed appeared to me to have an action upon their manifestation4 ,here again1 the relation with the muscular contraction rather than with the movement itself seemed to me to exist1 but ,i could not verify this point with the same certitude as with raps and movements without contact4 ,at all events1 all reserves made for fraud1 which ,i recognise possible though improbable1 chanting or singing in common has appeared to me to have a favourable influence on the phenomena4 ,i have had occasion of verifying this effect of intoned words2 ,i am unable to give its explanation1 although we may suspect what it is likely to be4 ,i will simply recall to mind the rle which intoning or singing plays in religious ceremonies and in magical operations3 the words #8incantations1' #8enchantments1' are very significative1 from that point of view4 ,the erudite will remember the magic songs of the #aath eclogue of ,theocritus1 and of the #hth of ,virgil4 ,the ,hindoo magicians intone their mentrams4 ,nothing is more widespread than this belief in the supernatural virtue of singing1 of the cadenced and modulated word4 ,as the supernormal facts which ,i relate appear to me to have been known from the earliest times--however ill-interpreted they may have been--,i am inclined to believe1 that the superstitions relative to the magical power of song are not without a foundation of truth4 ,this appears most improbable1 and no one is more astonished than myself1 to find myself admitting this possibility4 ,i admit it nevertheless4 ,i am inclined to think1 that the greater part of popular beliefs have some foundation2 the particle of truth which they contain is often very feeble1 because ignorance1 fear1 imagination mask it under accessory and unreasonable beliefs1 which smother it4 ,there would be many interesting analogies to point out on this subject1 if ,i had not systematically forbidden myself all manner of theoretical commentary4 ,all the same1 ,i will remark that the most worthy spiritists recommend singing or music during seances4 ,i will cease1 for ,i can only repeat here the considerations which ,i have already presented concerning the relation between the nervous energy1 whatever it may be1 and luminous phenomena2 the connection appears to be very close indeed4 ,the physiognomical aspect of these phenomena is similar to that of sonorous and motor phenomena3 ,it tends to personification1 and it is probable1 that imperfect luminous forms are but rude outlines of a real form4 ,that form is not always human1 although it appears to be so as a rule4 ,i have given examples1 where the appearance was that of an animal or of an object4 ,i have never been able to converse with the form itself1 when it was human2 but ,i have experimented with mediums who thought they conversed with the forms4 ,these all claim to be the spirits of deceased persons4 ,what renders this unanimity particularly interesting is that one of the mediums1 with whom ,i have observed the finest phenomena of human appearances1 is by no means a spiritist4 ,is he a victim of hallucination8 ,it is possible2 but then how are we to explain the fragment of truth which exists in his hallucination8 ,i am well aware that impersonal memory is an inexhaustible source of knowledge1 quite unknown to the normal personality2 but there are cases1 where the hypothesis of hypermnesia is scarcely acceptable4 ,here is an example4 ,the medium1 of whom ,i spoke a little while ago1 has several times had the impression that a deceased person unknown to him1 but known to me1 entered his bedroom4 ,the apparition was preceded by a noise of approaching footsteps1 the door appeared to open1 and the form entered4 ,the form sat down at the foot of the bed1 caressed the medium's arm1 and took his hand4 ,the sensitive was alarmed at these visions1 which he looks upon as hallucinations1 and does his best to rid himself of4 ,at the end of three or four visits the form ceased to show itself1 to my great regret1 for ,i had therein the occasion of making an observation of the highest interest4 ,unfortunately1 ,i had not sufficient influence over this remarkable sensitive1 to induce him to lend a hand to the development of this phenomenon4 ,the person reputed to appear had a very characteristic walk1 and it would be sufficient for me to describe it1 for those who knew the man to recognise him at once2 the vision had the same characteristic walk4 ,again1 my friend wore whiskers4 ,but the vision wore a full short beard1 a detail which the doctor who attended him in his last illness verified2 my friend did not shave towards the end of his life4 ,i was not aware of this4 ,the medium1 living in the same town1 could have known the man2 but if1 contrary to his assertions1 he had known him1 how could he have seen him wearing a beard such as he never used to wear8 ,interesting detail6 since the apparition1 purporting to be my friend1 wore a beard just as my friend had worn1 not in his lifetime1 but at the time of his death4 ,further1 the apparition appeared to manifest a desire to speak4 ,it tried to reassure the alarmed medium2 but the latter always got up and turned on the light1 before the phantom had time to speak4 ,now at that moment1 an event was brewing1 of which ,i would have been thankful to have been warned4 ,the incident occurred1 and the apparition was not seen again4 ,this is an ensemble of facts of a nature to arouse attention4 ,i have not been able to submit the case to thorough analysis1 and ,i give it with reserve4 ,it is the nearest approach to classical spiritism1 which ,i have personally met with1 but to me it does not seem to be convincing under the conditions in which ,i observed it2 for the incident ,i refer to could easily have been foreseen by the medium4 ,other personifications manifested themselves to this medium1 but their character of apparent identity is less certain4 ,one of them1 with curious energy1 insists that he is the person he claims to be3 namely1 ,chappe d',auteroche1 a savant of the last century4 ,his name appears in ,larousse's ,dictionary4 ,the personification gave his name correctly1 as well as the date of his death and where he died4 ,he gave a ,christian name which is not in ,larousse1 ,adhmar instead of ,jean1 which the ,dictionary gives4 ,it would be interesting to know1 if this name ,adhmar is mentioned in other dictionaries4 ,i will add that the apparition expresses itself in old ,french1 but with a ,norman accent4 ,the medium hears it say #8mou' for #8moi1' #8tou' for #8tait1' etc4 ,now ,chappe was born at ,mauriac in ,auvergne2 therefore ,i cannot explain why his apparition should have a ,norman accent4 ,so far1 however1 ,i have not carefully analysed this personification4 ,i would like to have been able to experiment1 more than ,i have been able to do1 with the sensitive through whose medianity ,i have observed these curious facts4 ,perhaps the publication of this book will interest him1 and induce him to give himself up to an attentive examination4#f #f ,see ,chapter vi41 #8,recent ,phenomena1 etc4' ,it must not be concluded from what ,i have just related1 that the intervention of my friend and of ,chappe d',auteroche appears to me to be real4 ,nothing in my experience authorises me to entertain this opinion4 ,i relate these facts1 because the emergence of these two personifications occurred at seances where ,i was present1 and because they are closely associated with phenomena directly observed by me4 ,i think we can draw a conclusion from these phenomena3 it will be noticed that in the manner in which these visions are produced1 there are certain features1 which recall to mind the symbolisation and dramatisation of dreams4 ,this indication is only temporary2 ,i have not enough elements of appreciation to be able to formulate it with any degree of certitude1 but ,i point out this feature to experimenters1 who1 more favoured than ,i1 may have opportunities for observing analogous phenomena with more convenience and for a greater length of time4 ,i will terminate these remarks by the recital of another fact of the same order1 which ,i witnessed at ,madame ,agullana's4 ,it occurred during an afternoon seance at her house4 ,the medium1 and two or three persons whom ,i did not know1 were seated round a small table4 ,one of the visitors was a small landed proprietor near ,bordeaux4 ,this visitor came for the first time2 he was accompanied by a rural constable1 whom ,i knew4 ,all at once ,madame ,agullana said to the newcomer1 #8,i see some one1 who says he is your uncle2 he wears a cap2 his face is red2 he has a long beard2 he has sandy-coloured hair2 he smokes a short pipe2 he seems to have something the matter with his right arm1 it is bent across his chest4' 444 ,she also gave other details4 ,the visitor did not speak1 a fact of which ,i took pains to assure myself4 ,when the details were all given1 the visitor said that if the apparition claiming to be his uncle1 was really his uncle1 would he kindly say how he was addressed in his family4 ,the table dictated typtologically1 #8,touton ,l4 ,p4' ,the stranger then said that ,madame ,agullana had given him the exact description of a second cousin#g who had been dead for some months1 and who1 because of his inveterate habit of smoking1 was nicknamed #8,touton-la-,pipe4' #g ,in ,france1 a male cousin once removed is sometimes called #8oncle la mode de ,bretagne4' ,i have seen several sincere1 trustworthy people receive facts of the same kind through ,madame ,agullana4 ,there is notably the history of the discovery of a lost debenture1 which is curious and interesting2 ,i was able to follow the different phases of this discovery4 ,the indication appeared to emanate from the deceased husband of the owner of the debenture4 ,notwithstanding the interest which these observations presented1 ,i cannot analyse them seriously1 for they are insufficiently proved4 ,the character of the medium has always seemed to me irreproachable1 and her good faith above all suspicion2 but the circumstances do not permit of an exact judgment4 ,neither do ,i consider myself authorised to affirm that the personality of #8,touton-la-,pipe' was quite unknown to the medium4 ,the discovery of the debenture is perhaps only a coincidence4 ,i have1 however1 related these facts to indicate the possibility of an order of research of a particularly suggestive nature4 ,some of the more influential members of the ,english ,society for ,psychical ,research1 ,myers1 ,lodge1 ,hodgson1 ,hyslop1 have entered upon these studies under excellent conditions of observation1 and consider that they have been in communication with their deceased friends4 ,i have not had the same chances1 and my own experiences tend to make me adopt a different way of thinking4 ,it is very possible that my colleagues are right1 and ,i am wrong4 ,finally1 the third statement which my observations permit me to make1 is that the production of forms and luminous phenomena is accompanied with much fatigue on the part of the observers4 ,i have already frequently pointed out this circumstance4 ,on the occasion of the production of the facts described in the present chapter1 ,i noticed certain peculiarities1 which ,i will point out to the attention of experimenters4 ,fatigue is not felt in an equal degree by all the sitters4 ,some seem to feel none at all2 and1 as a rule1 these latter are not good auxiliaries4 ,it looks as though some persons were not capable of emitting the force employed4 ,others1 on the contrary1 emit it with great facility and tire quickly4 ,i have not been able to study the relation which may exist1 between the temperament of these two kinds of sitters and the production of the phenomena2 but ,i have the impression1 that this relation ought to exist2 it appears to me in a function of the organism rather than in a rapport with the mental condition or moods4 ,this makes one think of the belief professed by spiritists concerning incredulity4 ,in several spiritistic groups failure is attributed to the presence of incredulous sitters2 ,i am persuaded1 that the beliefs of experimenters have nothing at all to do with the production of the phenomena observed1 though it is certainly necessary to experiment seriously and without bias4 ,i touched upon the results of my observations in that respect1 when speaking about the harmony of the circle4 ,the influence of bias would be explained1 if the apparent consciousness of the personification could be considered as composed of the elementary consciousness of the sitters4 ,this hypothesis does not appear to me to be demonstrated2 but some of my experiments have made me think of its possibility1 and ,i consider it ought to be submitted to examination4 ,things seem to happen1 as though the nervous influx of the sitters created a field of force around the experimenters1 and more especially the medium3 ,each experimenter would then act as a dynamogenic element1 and would enter1 for a variable part1 into the production of the liberated energy4 ,this energy would act beyond the apparent limits of the body1 under conditions analogous to those governing its intracorporal action2 that is to say1 it would remain1 to a certain extent1 in connection with the superior or inferior nervous centres1 conscious or unconscious4 ,in this case we could understand1 how the energy appears to depend1 to a certain extent1 upon the will of the sitters or the medium4 ,we can even explain that it should appear to manifest an independent will1 if its production were due to the activity of the nervous centres1 the action of which is independent of ordinary consciousness4 ,in that hypothesis1 none of the sitters would recognise the trace of their normal personality in the evolution of the phenomena2 and this is what generally happens4 ,sometimes1 however1 the medium or one of the sitters has the feeling1 more or less precise1 that a phenomenon is about to take place4 ,eusapia ,paladino often announces what is coming4 ,in this case the nervous energy1 employed to realise the phenomenon1 would be in connection with the conscious nervous centres of the medium only2 and she would appear to the sitters to be subjected to an extraneous personal will4 ,eusapia attributes it to #8,john1' who seems to have the characteristics of a secondary personality4 ,such appears to me to be the genesis of the personification1 in the greater number of cases observed by me4 ,there are others1 however1 where this explication is less satisfactory4 ,i do not hide from myself how difficult it is to admit the hypothesis ,i have just formulated4 ,we are ill-prepared to consider the psychic force as identical1 at least in its essence1 with that which circulates in our nerves2 and we are no better prepared to believe1 that this force may be able to serve as a vehicle to a part of our personal or subliminal consciousness1 or to think that it can preserve any connection with our psychic centres1 when it acts beyond the limits of the body4 ,nevertheless1 it looks as though it were really so1 in the greater number of cases4 ,these data suffice to render comprehensible the possible mechanism of raps and movements without contact4 ,it is not even necessary to suppose that the nervous force acts beyond the limits of the body1 if we admit that the experimenters create around them a sort of magnetic field4 ,the nervous force would reach a maximum of potentiality in the experimenters or in the medium2 the objects placed within the field would have a different potentiality2 according to the conditions1 we would have phenomena of attraction or repulsion4 ,in this way we could understand motor phenomena4 ,raps are less easily explained1 unless we consider them as facts analogous to electrical discharges4 ,the rap would then be equivalent to the noise of a spark2 it would be invisible1 though in some cases it might be perceived4 ,lights and forms raise problems much more difficult of solution4 ,they may be susceptible of the following explanation3 we will suppose that particles of a very attenuated substance1 e4g4 the ether or any other kind of rarefied matter1 existed capable of being acted upon by nerve force2 they would become charged1 and dispersed1 according to the lines of force1 and these lines would be determined by the action of nerve centres1 and would take form corresponding to those particular centres4 ,they would have a certain plasticity1 if ,i may thus express myself1 and this plasticity would be in connection with those centres1 possessing preponderating physiological activity4 ,if this connection existed with the superior ideative centres1 we would have intelligible1 definite forms1 such as faces of human beings1 heads of animals1 and objects2 should connection with the inferior centres be established1 undefined forms only would be obtained4 ,their luminosity would depend upon the state of condensation of this rarefied matter of which they are constituted4 ,those subject to lesser condensation would be the most luminous2 and it might happen1 that a form of greater density would be surrounded by a luminous atmosphere of lesser density4 ,one could1 in this way1 explain the relative independence of the forms1 and phosphorescent nature of the pictures4 ,these are the hypotheses which might be made4 ,i indicate them with much reserve1 simply to show the theoretical route towards which my experience tends to direct me4 ,i set them forth summarily1 without discussing them in detail4 ,i do not conceal from myself the fact that my ideas are far from being definite1 and that the hypotheses ,i timidly express would fare badly under rigorous analysis4 ,i have found no better1 and ,i have the impression that they ought to contain a particle of truth4 ,i beg to be excused for having again infringed upon the rule ,i imposed on myself1 for having presented purely theoretical considerations1 which ,i am the first to acknowledge as premature4 ,i have not seen the curious facts ,i relate without trying to penetrate into their cause1 nor have ,i been able to resist the desire to make known1 not what is a definite opinion1 but what is for me a hypothesis worth examining4 ,besides the phenomena described in this and preceding chapters1 ,i have observed others which might be compared with them1 for they seem to me to have a certain connection with them4 ,i refer to tactile sensations such as touch1 contact1 and stamped impressions1 etc4 ,i will briefly describe them4 ,i4 ,it is only with ,eusapia ,paladino1 that ,i have felt tactile sensations in a positive manner4 ,with this medium certain sitters1 and especially those seated next to her1 have the feeling of being touched on the back1 on the arms1 and hands1 on the head and body4 ,the phenomenon is usually produced under the following conditions4 ,eusapia's hands being or appearing to be held by her neighbours1 the latter see the curtains come near them1 and then feel themselves touched4 ,the touch is sometimes given without any movement of the curtains4 ,the sensation of the touch varies3 it is now that of a finger which is thrust into the thigh1 now of a large hand resting on the back1 now fingers pinching you1 or seizing you on the head1 the neck1 chin1 etc4 ,numerous examples of these contacts will be found in the report of the l',agnlas experiments 7,annales des ,sciences ,psychiques1 #ahif74 ,in our seances at ,choisy #ahif1 the same phenomenon was often reproduced4 ,in that series we were careful to have as much light as possible2 we arranged a system of different coloured lights4 ,one of the lights which gave us the best results was that of a lantern1 the glass sides of which were replaced by parchment4 ,it gave a softened yellowish light4 ,from the private account of these seances ,i take the following extracts4 ,seance of the #hth ,october3-- #8,eusapia's hands are still held and seen on the table4 ,the ,colonel then feels several touches1 and a large hand rubs him through the curtains1 on the top of his head4' 444 ,a more curious phenomenon happened before that2 but only one of the medium's hands was visible4 #8,at the medium's request the lamp is turned in such a way as to lessen the light1 which1 however1 is still sufficient to enable us to distinguish faces and hands by their whiteness4 ,,mm4 de ,rochas and de ,gramont change places2 ,eusapia's hands are seen and held by ,general ,thomassin on the left and ,m4 de ,gramont on the right4 ,eusapia frees her left hand for a moment1 brings a part of the curtain on to the table1 and glides her hand underneath it1 in order to shelter it from the light2 the ,general regains possession of the hand--under the curtain--and does not abandon it any more4 ,the other hand1 held by ,m4 de ,gramont1 remains visible to every one4 ,almost instantly1 ,general ,thomassin feels on his thigh--and through the curtains1 which bulge out in consequence--slight contacts2 then the sensation of a pinch2 afterwards1 he distinguishes the contact of a woman's small hand1 followed by the contact of a man's large hand4 ,after that1 he is struck with force on the shoulders and head by a large hand1 outside the curtains4 ,every one hears the sound of the blows1 and sees the hand2 but every one sees the hand in a different fashion4 ,m4 de ,rochas hardly sees it at all2 ,general ,thomassin sees it as greyish green2 ,m4 ,watteville and ,m4 ,gramont see it as grey2 ,m4 ,maxwell as greyish yellow4 ,eusapia determines different movements of the fluidic hand by mimicking them with her right hand1 which is held by ,m4 ,gramont in sight of every one4' ,this observation is interesting1 but at first glance it appears very suspicious1 because of the care taken by the medium to hide her hand under the curtain4 ,general ,thomassin held her hand well2 ,i do not doubt but that it was ,eusapia's hand he held2 but let us accept for a moment the hypothesis of an artificial hand1 which ,eusapia had adroitly given to the ,general to hold4 ,this is ,dr4 ,hodgson's explanation4 ,in that case1 how would the hand1 which touched ,general ,thomassin1 have been able to move over his back and head and strike him without any movement of the left arm being perceived8 ,it is to be noted that the light was sufficient1 and that the hand which gave the touches was seen by nearly all the observers4 ,that hand was outside the curtains4 ,i remember another seance held in the afternoon1 in the course of which touches were lavished on all the experimenters1 even on those who were furthest away from the medium4 ,in the three series of experiments1 #ahie1 #ahif1 and #ahig1 made with ,eusapia1 ,i have had occasion of repeatedly verifying the phenomenon of touch4 ,it appeared certain to me in a great number of cases4 ,but it is a suspicious phenomenon1 because of the extreme facility with which it can be simulated4 ,i remember a series of fraudulent experiments1 in the course of which several touches were given4 ,the first touches1 through the curtains1 made me think of the contacts obtained with ,eusapia2 but obscurity reigned complete1 and ,i have reason to believe that the medium's left-hand neighbour touched me with a stick4 ,i was also touched on the knee1 but it was by a very natural hand1 which belonged to one of the experimenters1 a man of inferior intellect4 ,inexperienced people are easily deceived by these contacts2 however1 the marked difference which exists between the falsidical and the veridical is quickly perceived1 when we have become accustomed to these phenomena4 ,i do not advise experimenters to put themselves under the conditions in which these facts are observed1 as they are very unfavourable for the examination of the phenomenon4 ,these conditions1 as far as ,i have been able to judge1 are3--7#a7 the formation of a chain around a table1 the medium being seated with his back to the curtains of the cabinet2 7#b7 an extremely feeble light1 or none at all4 ,it is only with ,eusapia that ,i have obtained touches with light1 and even then the light was of the weakest4 ,these touches1 besides having the inconvenience of carrying little conviction with them1 because of the conditions under which they are obtained1 have also the disadvantage of impressioning persons who are easily moved and frightened4 ,i have seen very courageous people affected by these touches4 ,therefore we must not try to obtain them1 until we are already familiarised with the observation of physical phenomena4 ,it is to be noted1 that the phenomenon of attouchement presents the characteristics pointed out in those ,i have already examined4 ,in the first place1 we note the correlation which exists between the movements of the medium and the contact4 ,i gave an example just now1 when relating the phenomena of which ,general ,thomassin was the object4 ,the movements of the right hand which touched him were mimicked by ,eusapia's right hand1 which was visible1 held by ,m4 de ,gramont1 and seen by every one4 ,here is another example1 taken from my notes1 in which synchronous movements were executed by one of the experimenters3-- #8,john' 7the secondary personality7 #8then asks ,m4 ,rochas1 who holds ,eusapia's left hand in his right hand1 to put his left hand on ,eusapia's neck1 the fingers stretched out as though in the act of magnetising2 he then tells him to lower his fingers4 ,m4 ,rochas executes the movement several times1 and each time ,m4 ,maxwell1 who holds the medium's right hand1 feels synchronous touches on his right shoulder1 which is1 at the very least1 eighteen inches away from the medium4' ,this fact may be compared with those ,i indicated when dealing with raps and motor or luminous phenomena4 ,we see how constant the relation is between the medium's movements and the phenomenon4 ,this is a first general ascertainment4 ,if ,i might venture to use the expression1 ,i would say that we are in the presence of one of the first laws governing the production of these paranormal phenomena4 ,i have not sufficiently observed the phenomenon of touch to be able to say1 that the relation indicated exists between the muscular contraction and the phenomenon1 rather than between the phenomenon and the movement executed2 but some facts1 far too few1 it is true1 tend to make me think it is so4 ,finally1 the experimenters1 and especially the medium1 are very fatigued after the production of the phenomenon of touch4 ,the influence of light seems to be very unfavourable4 ,i have not had occasion of observing touches in full light1 as ,i have so often done with raps and movements without contact4 ,almost total obscurity was necessary with ,eusapia4 ,this circumstance brings the phenomenon of attouchement into conjunction with that of materialisation4 ,this is interesting1 for if the touches are due to the condensation of some matter1 as materialised forms appear to be1 there is room to think that the two phenomena are closely connected1 and that it is the same substance which1 in becoming condensed1 produces them both4 ,this is what ,i have observed1 notably at l',agnlas1 when ,i saw a hand and arm touch ,m4 ,sabatier's head1 at the moment the latter mentioned having been touched on the head4 ,we see how much a calm and impartial examination of the facts reveals common conditions for their production1 and similarities between some among them4 ,,ii4 ,stamped impressions or imprints bring us into the presence of a category of phenomena of the same order4 ,pressure appears to be exercised upon a material substance instead of upon the sitters4 ,if that substance be soft enough1 the impression of the form which has exercised the pressure may be left upon it4 ,i have only twice observed this phenomenon1 and that was with ,eusapia4 ,it was at ,choisy in #ahif4 ,the first time1 we obtained the impression of the mounts of the fingers in lamp-black4 ,the conditions of observation were not good4 ,the second time1 the impression was marked in clay4 ,i take the following extract from our report3-- #8,the dish containing the plastic clay is put in the centre of the table4 ,almost immediately the dish1 which weighs nearly four lbs41 is lifted up and placed in equilibrium on the left arm of ,m4 de ,rochas1 whose left hand continues to hold ,eusapia's right hand4 ,m4 de ,rochas feels three distinct1 successive pressures of the dish resting on his arm2 then a friendly pressure on the back of his arm apprises him1 that the phenomenon is accomplished4 ,we carry the dish away at once1 and in the daylight we see finger-prints in the clay2 the prints look as though the fingers had been enveloped in some material of fine texture1 the woof being distinctly visible in the clay4' ,i did not observe this fact with enough precision to be able to retain it as a demonstrated fact4 ,i point it out1 nevertheless1 because it permits one to preserve the material trace of the phenomenon4 ,other observers have obtained better imprints with ,eusapia4 ,i have seen some which represent a distorted likeness of the medium's face4 ,i think this phenomenon ought to be observed with care1 if one has the occasion to meet with mediums capable of producing it4 ,i will point out the following fact to the attention of possible observers3 the almost constant presence of a kind of woof1 as if the object which made the impression was covered with thin gauze4 ,this circumstance is at first sight suspicious2 but here1 again1 as always when we are in presence of these unfamiliar manifestations1 we must not be in too great a hurry to conclude in fraud1 and say that the medium put a wet piece of gauze over face and hands1 in order to avoid soiling the loam and bearing tell-tale traces of cheating4 ,but ,i recognise that this is the explanation which ought to present itself before any other2 and we must not put it to one side1 unless we have sufficient reasons for doing so4 ,at the same time1 we must not jump to the conclusion of fraud solely because of this gauzy appearance4 ,there is something interesting in the presence of this gauze4 ,the faces ,i have seen were all framed in a sort of milky-looking veil4 ,personally1 ,i have rarely seen faces free of this4 ,i have not observed it around material objects nor around animals' heads4 ,neither do ,i observe it in hypnagogic illusions4 ,i will point out the following observation of ,,mm4 ,brincard and ,bchade on the subject3-- #8,m4 de ,rochas feels himself touched on the face as though by a beard1 and sees standing out in relief1 against the part of the room best lighted up by the window1 a long black lock of wavy hair4 ,,mm4 ,brincard and ,bchade have the sensation that their heads are enveloped in transparent black gauze1 which seems to fall on to their shoulders2 it disappears before they have time to seize it4' ,i did not notice these traces of tissue1 with the undoubtedly fraudulent impressions which have been shown me or done in my presence4 ,i am going to give an example1 to show how an attentive examination can reveal fraud4 ,at a seance1 ,i was one day shown the impression in some plastic substance of a small death's head2 a young man presented it to me as an authentic impression4 ,this appeared abnormal to me1 for a death's head is not a common thing in serious seances1 and for my part ,i have never seen a repugnant or painful phenomenon4 ,an attentive examination revealed to me traces of the finger-tips1 which had held the object while it was being pressed on the plastic substance4 ,at another seance at which ,i was present1 one of the experimenters prepared some plates of cement4 ,he placed them himself upon the top of a wardrobe4 ,at the end of the seance finger-prints were found in the cement4 ,these prints had been made while the experimenter was placing the plate on the wardrobe1 and1 of course1 normally made by him4 ,in these two cases1 the impressions were distinct and bore no traces of woof4 ,therefore1 such traces are not necessarily indications of fraud1 since tricksters do not always use material to preserve themselves from stains1 when they make the fraudulent impression4 ,as for photographs1 ,i have never obtained any paranormal ones4 ,it is true ,i have given no attention to this order of experimentation4 ,i will say nothing about it therefore1 since ,i have no personal fact of interest to relate thereon4 ,the existence of paranormal photography is affirmed by sincere and honourable men1 and their experiments deserve to be resumed4 ,the method of operating is simple4 ,the medium is photographed in daylight1 when in a state of trance2 photography by magnesium light is not to be recommended for many reasons1 chiefly because it renders fraud particularly easy of execution4 ,never use any but your own plates1 never let them out of your possession for an instant1 change the plates yourself1 expose and develop them yourself4 ,i remember one of my friends1 a superior military officer1 once showed me some extraordinary photographs1 on which we saw abnormal forms beside the medium4 ,i told my friend he had been imposed upon4 ,too honest himself to admit he could be the victim of disloyal trickery1 the officer put no faith in my criticisms1 and assured me that the photographs had been taken by himself with his own camera1 and declared he had not lost sight of the apparatus for a second4 ,his affirmations did not modify my opinion4 ,later on1 when carefully discussing the conditions of the experiment1 the officer acknowledged that he had interrupted the seance for lunch1 and had left his camera at the medium's house in the meanwhile4--,the latter had taken advantage of his absence either to change the plates and substitute exposed ones1 or to make a fraudulent exposure on my friend's plates4 ,the author of this fraud was1 moreover1 obliged to acknowledge the imposture4 ,i wonder what motive this young man could have had in cheating6 ,i believe he acted out of pure childishness--having a tendency to hysteria4 ,in photography there are several ways of defrauding2 the most usual is by double exposure4 ,a shrewd use of sulphite of quinine permits of certain curious operations1 it appears4 ,i have not verified this4 ,,chapter ,v ,,psycho-,,sensory ,,and ,,intellectual ,,phenomena ,under this somewhat vague title ,i am bringing certain facts together1 which differ greatly from those ,i have been examining4 ,in reality1 the facts so far related by me refer to material manifestations1 and it was merely as an accessory1 that ,i pointed out the intelligent character some of these manifestations presented4 ,i will now describe the means best adapted for obtaining not physical but intellectual phenomena1 properly so-called2 that is to say1 phenomena which are interesting solely because of the ideas expressed1 or because of the signification of the images produced1 and not at all because of the conditions under which they are obtained4 ,i have studied this category of phenomena with less interest than sonorous1 motor or luminous phenomena1 where observation is relatively simple4 ,intellectual phenomena can only be studied indirectly1 and in order to verify them1 we are generally obliged to trust to the statement of a third person4 ,i think these are bad conditions of observation4 ,this reserve made1 ,i will divide these phenomena into two wide categories3-- #a4 ,sensory automatism4 #b4 ,motor automatism4 ,i4 ,,sensory ,,automatism ,i thus designate phenomena produced by the spontaneous activity of our senses1 and which do not appear to be due to exterior excitation4 ,they border on hallucination4 ,they are observed in the different sensory spheres4 ,i will only examine olfactory1 auditory1 and visual sensations2 tactile impressions were studied in the last chapter4 ,as for gustatory sensations1 they are very rare and without interest4 7a7 ,olfactory sensations4--,these consist of a special odour4 ,i have never observed any in the seances at which ,i have been present4 ,in one series1 however1 the medium associated the odour of ,jasmine with the manifestation of certain personifications4 ,to me this sensation seemed to be purely subjective2 it was constant4 ,an odour of ozone is often perceived after luminous phenomena have been obtained1 a fact which ought to be borne in mind4 ,it may be compared with the odour of ozone1 perceived in the vicinity of powerful static machines1 which give off electricity at very high potentiality4 ,here is an analogy which is1 perhaps1 not altogether fortuitous2 these facts1 however1 are unintelligible4 7b7 ,auditory sensations4--,i do not speak of sonorous phenomena4 ,i now enter directly into the study of intellectual phenomena1 that is to say1 phenomena having a signification more or less precise and intelligible4 ,auditory phenomena may be divided into two categories3 provoked automatisms1 and spontaneous automatisms or clairaudience4 ,the first may be considered as hallucinations induced by diverse methods4 ,the simplest method consists in the use of certain shells1 horns1 trumpets1 or1 in a word1 any object capable of augmenting and allowing the perception of those external or internal sounds1 which are not usually perceptible to the hearing4 ,this is what is observed particularly with some sea-shells4 ,when we apply them to the ear1 we hear a murmur or a slight rumbling sound4 ,this sensation is common to every one1 and children are accustomed to play at #8listening to the sound of the sea in the sea-shells4' ,some people do not hear this sound1 or rather1 when they listen1 it quickly disappears and makes way for words and phrases4 ,i know a subject with whom this faculty exists1 but circumstances1 unfortunately1 have prevented me from studying him carefully4 ,i point out1 to the attention of observers1 the interest which this automatism presents2 the rapidity of communication is very great2 in this way there is a greater output than with automatic writing1 and it is less tiring for the sensitive4 ,the only precaution to observe is to take down all he says in shorthand4 ,we must accustom him to repeat1 instantly1 everything he hears1 because words heard in this way are speedily forgotten--as in dream--but amnesia is not the sole point of resemblance between this automatism and dream4 ,it has much analogy with visual automatism1 but it has an interesting advantage over the latter4 ,visual images are those which offer the highest degree of symbolism2 they are vague1 wanting in precision1 and require interpretation4 ,auditory hallucinations1 on the contrary1 have greater precision4 ,perhaps this is due to language1 the usual manner in which auditory images are revealed4 ,on the other hand1 they are not so rich1 and contain less detail than visual images do4 ,the meaning of auditory messages is seldom very clear2 but there are cases where it is wonderfully so4 ,such are the chief features of provoked auditory phenomena4 ,i have given too little attention to this phase of manifestation1 to be able to enter into a more complete analysis of it4 ,clairaudience is more frequent2 perhaps this is due to the negligence of experimenters1 who do not think of using the methods of induction ,i have just described4 ,i have rarely observed the existence of isolated auditory hallucinations2 ,i have always observed them associated with visual hallucinations2 therefore ,i will study them after these last1 when examining mixed phenomena4 7c7 ,visual sensations4--,observable1 visual phenomena are very numerous1 and have already been the object of exhaustive studies4 ,i will again divide these into provoked and spontaneous phenomena4 ,of course1 ,i am speaking of hallucinations experienced by sensitives out of seance hours4 ,in this part of my analysis1 ,i am replacing the word medium by the word sensitive1 which seems to me to define more correctly the distinguishing features1 of those persons who have the faculties ,i am going to describe4 ,this word conveys the correct idea1 that the facts observed belong to the sphere of sensibility4 ,one of the oldest known methods of inducing visual hallucination is the use of a crystal ball4 ,i have no need to recall to mind the practices of former fortune-tellers1 nor the history of ,john ,dee1 nor the numerous recitals handed down to us by ancient chroniclers1 novelists1 etc4 ,the crystal ball and the black mirror are the best methods2 but the ordinary mirror1 a glass of water1 a decanter1 a shoemaker's wooden ball1 the finger-nail1 the watch-glass1 any polished surface1 in fact1 may serve to induce hallucination2 but ,i only recommend the first methods--they are certainly the best2 a glass of water1 a decanter1 a syphon of seltzer-water1 the thumb-nail1 polished surfaces1 etc41 may serve to induce hallucination1 but these last methods only succeed with very highly sensitive subjects4 ,i have carefully studied crystal-gazing1 and though ,i have remarked individual differences in each sensitive1 ,i think ,i may say that1 as far as working methods are concerned1 ,i have come to the following conclusions3-- ,the material of which the object is composed is not a matter of indifference4 ,balls of rock-crystal have given me the best results4 ,i have seen people1 incapable of receiving visions with ordinary glass1 obtain them in a tiny ball of natural crystal4 ,objects in rock-crystal have the inconvenience of being very expensive4 ,ordinary glass gives good results1 but care should be taken that the ball contains no air bubbles or other defects4 ,they must be as homogeneous as possible4 ,the ball may be spherical or egg-shaped4 ,i think the elliptical form is1 perhaps1 the best2 reflections are more easily avoided with this shape4 ,the size is a matter of indifference2 personally1 ,i prefer rather large balls4 ,i have1 nevertheless1 obtained just as good results with balls of only one centimetre in diameter as with balls of six or seven centimetres in diameter4 ,the crystal may be white1 blue1 violet1 yellow1 green2 it may be opalescent or transparent2 but1 ,i think1 the best results are obtained with white transparent balls2 blue or amethyst coloured crystals are also very good1 and tire the eyes less than others4#h #h ,as crystal-gazing seems to me one of the most curious phenomena to study1 ,i will take the liberty of mentioning that well-made crystal balls may be found at ,leymarie1 #db ,rue ,saint-,jacques1 ,paris2 at the ,society for ,psychical ,research1 #bj ,hanover ,square1 ,london1 ,w42 or ,mrs4 ,venman1 ,sugden ,road1 ,lavender ,hill1 ,london1 ,s4,w4 ,the price of the globes varies from #fs4 to #is42 those of ovoids1 from #hs4 to #ajs4 ,the best thing to do would be to look for a ball in rock-crystal1 the price of which would vary from #ds4 to #h4 ,they must be cut to order1 for it is extremely difficult to find any ready made4 ,m4 ,servan1 jeweller at ,bordeaux1 furnishes good ones4 ,when looking into the ball1 it should be sheltered from reflection1 as it should offer a uniform tint1 without any brilliant points4 ,to obtain this result1 it may be enveloped in a piece of dark foulard or velvet1 or held in the hollow of the hand1 or even at the fingertips1 provided the conditions mentioned above have been observed4 ,the object ought to be placed within the range of normal vision2 the gaze should not be directed on to the surface of the crystal1 but in the crystal itself4 ,the knack of gazing inside the crystal is speedily acquired4 ,mirrors also give very good results4 ,they can be made like ordinary mirrors1 or black like the famous mirrors of ,bhatta1 which are made of a special composition4 ,sensitives say that the mirror should not reflect anything3 it should present a uniform tint1 e4g4 that of the sky1 blue or grey1 but without the mixture of these colours as would be the case with a cloudy sky2 in a room the ceiling may be reflected1 if it be monochrome4 ,under these conditions of operation ,i have sometimes observed results so extraordinary1 as to confound the imagination4 ,they appeared to me to tend towards demonstrating ,kant's idea of the relativity and contingency of time and space4 ,it is very difficult to admit1 that these two ordinates of our perceptions are exactly what they seem to be1 unless we push the theory of coincidence to the absurd4 ,but this would be shutting the door on all discussion1 and on all intelligent examination of a fact apparently abnormal4 ,my observations have been made with different persons1 and a great many have been pointed out to me4 ,sensitives1 possessing the faculty of seeing in the crystal1 are not rare4 ,the analysis of the facts ,i have observed1 or of which ,i hold first-hand reports1 allows me to class these #8hallucinations'787 under six categories of increasing interest3-- ,a4 ,imagination--images1 ordinary hallucination4 ,b4 ,forgotten souvenirs1 recalled to memory in the form of visions4 ,c4 ,passed events1 of which the sensitive affirms to have always been ignorant4 ,d4 ,present events1 certainly unknown to the sensitive4 ,e4 ,future events4 ,f4 ,facts of doubtful interpretation4 ,this grouping shows the curious gradation observed in these visions4 ,first of all1 disorderly and illogical activity as in dreams2 then1 more orderly activity3 knowledge of forgotten facts1 knowledge of past events unknown to the sensitive1 knowledge of present events unknown to the sensitive1 apparent prescience4 ,i will give some examples4 ,a4 ,imagination--images are by far the most frequent4 ,this phenomenon is analogous to ordinary visual hallucination1 and seems to me to present the characteristic features of dream4 ,this is hardly the place to discuss the state of consciousness during dream2 for the form ,i am giving my recital would not bear any long psychological analyses4 ,i will simply confine myself to resuming the conclusions of the detailed analysis1 which ,i made in a work dealing with this subject4 ,the consciousness which works habitually in us1 that which is manifested in our everyday life1 is the personal consciousness4 ,it is around this that are grouped the souvenirs accessible to our normal personality1 to that part of ourselves which we call #8,i4' ,this personal consciousness asserts itself in the highest acts of the psychic life1 in the comparison of images one with another1 in abstraction1 judgment1 and the voluntary selection of acts1 which appear to us equally possible4 ,this selection is the expression of our voluntary activity1 personally conscious2 it is determined by the comparison of acts between themselves1 by the examination of their probable advantageous or disadvantageous consequences1 by the appreciation of their morality or immorality1 according to the social laws of the day1 etc4 ,personal consciousness is the foundation of all our intelligent life2 practically1 it alone appears to exist1 and its disappearance seems to us to annihilate our own personality4 ,in reality1 such is not the case4 ,with certain invalids1 complete or partial modifications of the personal consciousness may be observed4 ,sometimes the notion of personality disappears4 ,there are patients who suddenly forget everything1 even to their own name4 ,all their antecedent life is effaced1 and they appear to return to the state they were in at birth4 ,they have to learn again how to speak1 to eat1 and to dress themselves4 ,sometimes the amnesia is not so complete4 ,i have been able to observe a patient1 who had forgotten everything which had any connection whatever with his own personality4 ,he was absolutely ignorant of all he had ever done1 did not remember where he was born1 who his parents were1 or what his name was4 ,he was thirty years of age4 ,organic memory and memories organised apart from the personality subsisted4 ,he could read1 write1 draw1 and displayed a certain amount of musical talent4 ,amnesia1 with him1 was limited to all facts connected with his antecedent personality2 it presented the type of systematised losses of memory4 ,this is what is called in medical phraseology amnsie de dpersonnalisation4 ,in a lesser degree1 amnesia only affects limited periods of life4 ,epileptics and hysterics often present the phenomenon of ecmnesia1 a term chosen by the eminent professor of clinical medicine at the university of ,bordeaux1 ,m4 ,pitres1 who was the first to point out this phenomenon with hysterical subjects4 ,the patient forgets a part of his life1 believes he is ten1 fifteen1 thirty years younger than he really is1 and behaves as though he were at the age he thinks he is4 ,the souvenirs of his ulterior life cease to be accessible to his conscious personality1 which finds itself brought back exclusively to the elements which constituted it1 at the time the ecmnesia carries him to4 ,every idea1 foreign to that diminished personality1 remains unintelligible to him4 ,in order to make him understand1 we must speak to him only of what he knew at the epoch to which he has been brought back4 ,besides these disappearances or amoindrissements de la personnalit of the personal consciousness1 which may be permanent or transitory1 we also observe qualitative without quantitative alterations of the personal consciousness4 ,these are changes or variations of personality1 which have been well studied in hysterical subjects1 but which also exist in other invalids1 notably epileptics and victims of certain poisons4#i #i ,interested readers will find a complete analysis of these facts in ,azam's celebrated work1 ,hypnotisme et double conscience1 ,alcan2 in ,pitres' book1 ,leons sur l'hystrie1 ,alcan2 and in ,janet's ,l'automatisme psychologique1 ,alcan4 ,it is essential to know at least these three books1 if we wish to observe1 profitably1 the delicate phenomena ,i am discussing in this chapter4 ,to sum up1 the personal consciousness is susceptible of total or partial disappearance1 or of being replaced by another consciousness which can be absolutely foreign to the normal personal consciousness1 or preserve more or less close relationship with it1 e4g4 the patient who undergoes a change of personality may retain all the souvenirs of the normal personality ,a and those of the new personality ,b4 ,but in an almost absolute manner the normal personality ,a is ignorant of all which concerns ,b4 ,this is the type of periodical amnesia4 ,the clinical study of diseases of personality permits observation of the above facts4 ,i ought to say that1 in practice1 they do not present the simplicity of the schma which ,i have just given4 ,curious problems arise from the nature itself of amnesia1 its degree1 its mechanism1 problems impossible to treat here4 ,but the facts ,i have summarily exposed already reveal an important truth1 which curable1 transitory amnesia clearly demonstrates3 this is1 that souvenirs can exist in a latent state in the general consciousness1 and be inaccessible to the personal consciousness4 ,let us suppose that ,a forgets the ten previous years of his life--the result of a fall or nervous crisis4 ,this amnesia will perhaps last for six months1 during which period he will believe himself to have returned to the age of fifteen1 when he is really twenty-five4 ,all the events of his life between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five will have entirely disappeared from his memory for six months2 then they will1 more or less abruptly1 reappear4 ,their temporary disappearance clearly shows that these souvenirs have been preserved somewhere1 and that they were not really lost4 ,we cannot affirm that they were accessible to the general and impersonal consciousness in every case2 but nevertheless we can affirm it for hysteria1 according to the observations of ,pitres1 ,janet1 and others2 and1 according to ,rgis1 for certain poisons4 ,the facts studied by these savants show1 that souvenirs inaccessible to the normal personality were known to the general consciousness4 ,for example1 an amnesic patient can recover all his souvenirs when he is put to sleep2 this is what ,rgis has demonstrated even in certain cases of amnesia from blood-poisoning4 ,janet1 on his side1 has established that these souvenirs1 forgotten by the personal consciousness1 can be evoked by certain automatisms 7notably automatic writing71 and are therefore at the disposition of the impersonal consciousness1 that is to say1 of that general consciousness of which personal consciousness seems to be only a part4 ,this fact1 which the study of nervous pathology has demonstrated1 is certainly general4 ,the troubles of hysteria and other nervous diseases only exaggerate a normal phenomenon4 ,our personality does not burden itself with all the souvenirs1 which our general consciousness appears to possess3 the greater part of the things we have seen1 learned1 heard1 etc41 are forgotten2 but this forgetfulness is probably relative1 and only extends to the personal consciousness4 ,it is also variable1 and1 according to circumstances1 the souvenirs accumulated in the general consciousness are at one time more accessible to the personal consciousness1 and less so at another time4 ,if the personal memory be over-excited1 exalt1 we have hypermnesia4 ,the facts which spring up in the personal consciousness have been so completely forgotten by it that they sometimes appear to be new2 souvenirs present themselves to the consciousness without being identified by it1 and we commit errors on the localisation of the mnesic image in time and space2 this is what we call paramnesia4 ,the variations of the personal consciousness relative to memory1 whose rle in the constitution of the personality of the self is preponderant1 are therefore translated clinically by amnesi1 hypermnesi1 paramnesi2 but the variations pointed out are not limited to memory1 they extend to other operations of the mind4 ,i indicated just now1 that the personal consciousness was only a facet of that more general consciousness existing in us1 a consciousness where all antecedent experiences are piled up1 where all our sensations are registered1 be our personal consciousness aware or unaware of them4 ,this general consciousness is in itself impersonal1 at least in relation to our normal personality4 ,this latter is only one of the currents which circulate in that consciousness1 its preponderance1 as ,myers has indicated1 is probably only a consequence of its greater practical utility in daily life1 and not an indication of its absolute superiority2 but there is one thing to point out1 this is that we are accustomed to connect with that personal consciousness all the operations of our usual intelligence4 ,our reasonings1 volitions1 judgments1 whatever they may be1 are grouped around our conscious personality1 or rather are founded upon its apparent activity4 ,the consequence is1 that every time the sentiment of personality in the consciousness varies1 our reasonings1 volitions1 and judgments will vary in the same proportion4 ,thoughts which come to us will cease to be chosen by us1 and will apparently come of their own accord2 their associations will escape all logic1 their succession will be rapid and incoherent for our personality1 which will look on at their evolution powerless to direct it4 ,the weakening of the sentiment of personal participation1 in the acts of the psychical life1 is then translated by the diminution of our faculty to choose the images evoked in the consciousness1 by the diminution of our power of control over their evolution1 by the helplessness in which we are1 not only to judge them according to the rules of reason1 but also to reject the most illogical interpretations1 which offer themselves to us or impose themselves upon us4 ,in a word1 the weakening of the will1 of the judgment1 is associated with that of the personal consciousness4 ,we also observe a corresponding attenuation in the faculty of abstraction4 ,ideas are accompanied by their pictured or motor representations4 ,sometimes they are only expressed by pictures1 and are presented in a symbolical form1 or are dramatised2 e4g4 the idea of the death of a relative will not be expressed with precision1 as is sometimes the case in verbal or written hallucinations1 but by a picture representing the relation in a coffin1 or depicting his burial4 ,such are the psychological expressions of the weakening of the personal element in the consciousness4 ,we must not conclude1 therefrom1 that the impersonal consciousness is incapable of intelligent operation4 ,no such thing2 and events prove that the impersonal or subliminal consciousness is capable of accomplishing1 with great perfection1 the most complicated intellectual acts1 without the personal consciousness being aware of it4 ,in these cases1 when the result of the operation is transmitted to the personal consciousness1 this latter perceives it under the symbolical or dramatical form ,i pointed out4 ,observation shows1 that all the features ,i have just described as being met with in cases where participation of the personal consciousness with our mental or physical activity is diminished1 are to be found in hallucination and in dreams4#aj #aj ,readers1 interested to know my ideas on this point1 will find them more extensively developed in my book1 ,l',amnsie et les troubles de la conscience dans l#8pilepsie4 ,i beg to be excused for this digression2 it was indispensable in order to develop1 in a comprehensive manner1 the analogies which are presented between dreams and hallucinations provoked by crystal-gazing1 and the transcendental character which these visions can present1 without being1 however1 supernatural4 ,these considerations set forth1 ,i arrive at the recital of some facts ,i have observed4 ,the way in which imagination-images or hallucinations are induced1 with most of the sensitives ,i have examined1 is nearly always the same4 ,i will describe it1 pointing out at the same time that the formation of the hallucinatory image is the same in nearly every case1 be the visual impression imaginary1 or be it the expression of a true fact1 past1 present1 or future4 ,i have shown how to hold the crystal1 and how to look at it4 ,the sensitive1 having fixed his eyes on the crystal for a few seconds or minutes--the time varies according to individuals--sees an opalescent1 milky tint come over the crystal4 ,i know a sensitive1--an intelligent and well-educated lady--who compares this impression1 to that produced on the eye by rising mists and fleeting clouds4 ,for her1 the milky tint in the crystal is in movement4 ,it breaks away like a cloud or mist1 to disclose the hallucinatory image completely formed4 ,to another sensitive1 the cloud appears first of all immobile1 and then becomes condensed into grey forms1 which gradually become coloured and mobile4 ,this sensitive enters so completely into the hallucination1 that1 as a rule1 he thinks he is transported to the landscape he is gazing at2 he has not only a hallucination of sight1 but a hallucination of all the senses4 ,most people see the image in the crystal1 but believe they see it life-size4 ,the dimension of the crystal has no influence on the apparent dimension of the image2--at least1 this is what ,i have nearly always remarked4 ,what ,i say of the mode of induction of the image in the crystal can be applied to any other mode of induction--mirror1 glass of water1 decanter1 etc4 ,the cause of the vision is sometimes an association of ideas or images1 which is easy to trace4 ,here is an example3 ,i was once in a spiritistic group1 and among those present were several sensitives presenting subconscious or paraconscious automatisms1 with the features of ordinary somnambulism4 ,i begged one young girl1 of about fifteen or sixteen years old1 to look into a white crystal ball of four centimetres in diameter4 ,almost without transition she saw goldfish in the ball4 ,every one knows the spherical bowls in which goldfish are put2 as it happened1 there was a bowl of this kind in the room4 ,the idea of a transparent bowl was naturally associated with that of goldfish2 this subconscious association provoked the visual image of the fish4 ,facts of this kind are the simplest2 their psychological mechanism is easy to penetrate2 the associations of images are almost logical1 and their dreamlike character is scarcely marked4 ,in the above case1 the impossibility of placing the fish in a crystal ball is not perceived by the consciousness1 which suffers the succession of images empirically associated2 the globe of water containing the fish resembled in its form and aspect the transparent glass ball2 therefore1 the latter evoked the image of the former1 and the fish which it contained4 ,this association is very intelligible4 ,here is another example borrowed from experiments ,i made with a remarkable sensitive--the one with whom the hallucination becomes generalised4 ,this person1 looking in the crystal1 perceived a railway-station1 and saw portmanteaux in the luggage-room4 ,he then plunged right into the dream1 and imagined he was going to take away his own portmanteau2 he entered the luggage-room1 took his trunk and opened it4 ,it contained a particularly horrible dead body1 which leaped out of the portmanteau1 and bitterly complained of being disturbed4 ,it threw itself upon the sensitive1 who immediately fled1 pursued by the dead body4 ,after a desperate chase1 the sensitive darted into a road which crossed a park4 ,this park1 in reality1 is situated at more than six hundred miles from the railway-station1 where he believed he saw the portmanteaux3 this distance had disappeared in the vision4 ,the dead body took a corresponding road2 the two roads met on a hill1 where the persecutor made a dead set at the sensitive2 the latter fell1 and the dead body stopped and bent down to strike him4 ,the visionary gave him a kick in the stomach1 and stretched him full length on the ground4 ,the hallucination then ceased abruptly1 and the sensitive found himself back in his room1 in front of the crystal4 ,the vision was so intense1 that he was still upset with fright1 and breathless from running4 ,this hallucination is of a dreamlike character1 and reminds one of certain kinds of delirium4 ,i have often questioned the sensitive carefully1 in order to try to reconstitute the psychological elements of his hallucinations1 and for this particular hallucination1 as ,i have related it1 ,i will indicate the result of my inquiry3-- #a4 ,the sensitive has often seen dead bodies4 ,he is not afraid of them2 he feels no repugnance even when touching them4 #b4 ,he has travelled a great deal1 but has no souvenir of any connection whatever between his portmanteau and dead bodies1 except the associations which stories of the nature of the ,gouff affair may evoke4#aa #aa ,a lawyer who was murdered1 and whose dead body1 much hacked about1 was found in a trunk in the luggage-room of a railway-station in ,france4 #c4 ,the chase occurred at a spot known to the sensitive1 who had1 as it happened1 gone1 one day1 to that very spot on a walking expedition with one of his friends1 under some conditions recalling those of the hallucination1 notably the choice of different roads2 the two roads corresponded and met as in the vision4 #d4 ,he did not fall1 and has no conscious souvenir1 which can explain his struggle with the dead body4 ,this curious hallucination shows us an admixture of true images and fantastic images1 these latter1 however1 composed of real elements4 ,the duration of this hallucination1 so full of events1 was very short4 ,this is another feature observed in dreams4 ,we see here the trace of queer associations1 some explicable1 others not so4 ,the idea of a railway-station awakens that of portmanteaux2 that of the dead body is already abnormal1 but comprehensible1 the sensitive being sufficiently acquainted with contemporary criminal literature to know of the ,gouff affair4 ,the leap of the dead body out of the valise1 the flight of the sensitive1 and the pursuit of the dead body after him1 are abnormal associations4 ,the first is difficult to explain2 the flight and pursuit are more easily explained4 ,the first of these ideas naturally suggests the second4 ,the idea of pursuit awakens the idea of running2 this1 in its turn1 awakens the idea of the place where the sensitive has really run a race2 and1 notwithstanding its illogism1 that association is accepted1 though the railway-station1 where the scene begins1 be more than six hundred miles from the park where the chase takes place4 ,all these associations bear the characteristic stamp of dreams4 ,b4 ,visions of past and forgotten facts present a different appearance4 ,the following is an example3--,the sensitive1 in the course of conversation1 was asked to sing one of ,delmet's songs4 ,he could not remember two lines of one of the verses1 and was obliged to pass them over4 ,i had the curiosity to improvise an experiment1 and ,i begged the sensitive to look into a crystal4 ,the forgotten lines were read by him in the crystal4 ,facts of this nature--and they are very numerous in technical literature--can be explained by the action of the impersonal or subliminal consciousness4 ,the souvenir forgotten by the personal consciousness exists in the general consciousness1 which has need of scenic effects in order to transmit its message to the personal consciousness2 hence we have sensorial1 automatic1 visual activity1 and the reading of the forgotten words1 which appear printed in the crystal4 ,i will not dwell upon facts of this kind2 they are so well known4 ,c4 ,the third category of visions comprises the perception of past events1 which the medium affirms never to have known4 ,it is evident that these facts can1 in the greater number of cases1 come under the preceding category1 and be but forgotten souvenirs4 ,but ,i have reason to think it is not always so1 and that a certain number of cases exists1 in which knowledge of the past appears to be acquired in a supernormal manner4 ,this is only an impression1 which ,i draw from the reality of certain premonitory facts observed by me4 ,as an example of the facts ,i am describing at present1 ,i will cite the following3-- ,a sensitive one day looked into the crystal2 he suddenly saw the words #8,salon de #ahhe1' and a series of pictures1 announced by their titles1 passed before his eyes4 ,the pictures1 thus seen by him1 had really been exhibited in the salon of #ahhe4 ,in #ahhe the sensitive was too young1 to have had any personal knowledge of the salon of that year2 but nothing is easier than to read descriptions of past salons1 or to procure reproductions of the pictures exhibited there4 ,the sensitive1 whose good faith is above suspicion1 affirms having no conscious souvenir of a like reading4 ,he believes he has never seen or read anything concerning the salon of #ahhe1 but he confines himself to affirming the non-existence of a conscious souvenir4 ,it is1 nevertheless1 possible1 as he acknowledges1 that he may have glanced over a former catalogue or criticism without remembering it4 ,facts of this kind are never convincing1 for it is very difficult to know exactly1 if the sensitive has ever had knowledge of the fact1 which emerges in the vision4 ,i cite the above case1 as an example only1 without pronouncing an opinion on its signification4 ,d4 ,i have had no occasion of observing induced hallucinations representing a scene actually happening2 at least1 ,i have never been able to verify any in a satisfactory manner4 ,e4 ,the cases of premonition ,i have obtained are1 on the contrary1 relatively numerous4 ,i have1 personally1 observed some of them1 and have obtained first-hand accounts of others4 ,here are my most interesting cases3-- ,i had given a crystal to ,monsieur ,x41 a friend of mine1 who is much interested in psychical researches4 ,madame ,x4 has the faculty of seeing in the crystal1 but ,i have never had the opportunity of interrogating her upon her visions4 ,the fact1 which her husband related to me1 concerns a woman who is cashier in a large restaurant at ,bordeaux4 ,monsieur ,x41 who sometimes lunches at this restaurant1 one day showed the crystal to the cashier2 the latter looked into it and saw therein a small dog4 ,she did not recognise the dog1 and the vision appeared to have no interest4 ,shortly afterwards1 ,monsieur ,x4 was again lunching in the same restaurant4 ,the cashier called him up to her1 and told him she was much astonished1 because she had just received the present of a small dog1 exactly like the one she had seen in the crystal4 ,another lady sometimes sees visions in a mirror2 these visions are formed on the glass of a wardrobe1 which is placed facing a window1 thus partly satisfying the conditions indicated further back4 ,the recital1 which was given me of these visions by her friends1 was confirmed by the lady herself4 ,she saw a man seated on the footpath of a certain street1 the man was wounded1 in a particular manner1 on the forehead2 a piece of skin was torn away and lay over the eye4 ,among other details about his costume was a sack1 which the man had rolled round his neck2 on the sack the letters ,v4 ,l4 were printed4 ,the lady1 in her vision1 saw herself speak to the wounded man1 take him to the hospital and have his wound dressed4 ,she went out on the morning of the next day1 met the wounded man at the spot she had seen him the day before1 and her vision came true to the letter1 even to the detail of the sack around the neck1 and the letters which were printed upon it4 ,another time this lady perceived1 always under the same conditions1 that is in the glass of the wardrobe1 one of her friends1 who is married to a government officer abroad1 where he is consul of a sister-power4 ,this lady1 in the vision1 appeared to be walking up the street ,tourny at ,bordeaux1 just where it opens out into the square ,gambetta4 ,the details of the costume were noted by the observer3--a light cloak1 and a blouse made of ,scotch plaid with gold trimming about the neck4 ,two or three days afterwards1 the percipient happened to be in a tram4 ,as the tram arrived at the junction of the street ,tourny and the square ,gambetta1 she perceived her friend1 exactly as the vision had represented her4 ,here is another and last example1 still more significative than the preceding1 for the vision was related to me eight days before the event took place1 and ,i myself had related it to several persons before its realisation4 ,a sensitive perceived in a crystal the following scene3--,a large steamer1 flying a flag of three horizontal bands1 black1 white1 and red1 and bearing the name ,leutschland1 navigating in mid-ocean2 the boat was surrounded by smoke2 a great number of sailors1 passengers and men in uniform rushed to the upper-deck1 and the sensitive saw the vessel founder4 ,eight days afterwards1 the newspapers announced the accident to the ,deutschland1 whose boiler had burst1 obliging the boat to stand to4 ,this vision is very curious1 and as the details were given me before the accident1 ,i will analyse it with care4 ,in the first place1 one thing strikes us3--,the premonition was not exactly fulfilled4 ,the ,deutschland met with an accident1 it is true2 from the nature of that accident1 it must have been surrounded with vapour2 the crew and passengers would probably have rushed to the upper-deck2 but happily1 this magnificent vessel did not founder4 ,on the other hand1 the sensitive read ,l instead of ,d2 but this detail is of no importance1 the foreign word being probably badly deciphered4 ,lastly1 one thing worthy of noting is the complete absence of personal interest in this vision1 for the sensitive has no connection whatever with ,germany1 and was ignorant1 at least consciously1 of the existence of this boat1 though he might certainly have seen illustrations of it4 ,evidently1 we must not attach too much importance to this premonition1 but the same sensitive has given me many other curious examples of the same kind2 and these cases1 compared with others ,i myself have observed1 or with those of which ,i have received first-hand accounts1 render the hypothesis of coincidence very improbable1 but do not exclude it in an absolute manner4 ,such as they are1 ,i think these facts are sufficiently interesting1 for systematic observation of the visual phenomena ,i point out to be undertaken by competent persons1 with true sensitives1 and not with hysterical subjects1 who seldom1 if ever1 give good observations4 ,the facts of premonition which ,i have observed or controlled1 and of which ,i have just given a few examples1 cannot1 ,i think1 be reasonably regarded as coincidences4 ,i have already said that this hypothesis1 without being inadmissible1 is insufficient4 ,think of the immense proportion of probabilities1 which accumulate in favour of the reality of a fact1 as soon as the details themselves accumulate4 ,the visions relative to the foreign friend1 and to the wounded man1 are instructive from this point of view1 given the great number of circumstances seen beforehand3--exact locality1 exact details of the wound1 the costume1 etc4 ,it is a pity these facts were not observed under good conditions4 ,that of the ,deutschland is much less demonstrative1 because of the inaccuracy in the foreseen issue4 ,if we compare these facts with those which have been already registered by the ,society for ,psychical ,research1 we will come to a conclusion1 which confirms the simple impression that my own observations have given birth to in my mind4 ,what is the cause of these premonitions8 ,what signification have they with respect to the reality of time8 ,why do these visions come to people1 who often have no interest whatever in knowing of them8 ,these are all so many questions ,i am putting1 without being able to indicate their solution4 ,we must observe1 with the greatest care1 the facts which are presented1 accumulate them in as great a number as possible1 and1 before considering their causes1 be1 first of all1 doubly sure of their reality4 ,i have indicated1 further back1 the analogy of the greater part of these visions with dreams4 ,i will point out finally another resemblance which is1 perhaps1 not the least interesting4 ,this is1 that these visions are often quickly forgotten4 ,we must make the sensitives we observe write down their visions immediately2 for1 in the greater number of cases1 a rapid amnesia mixes up the details and causes them to disappear4 ,these visions1 therefore1 react upon the memory in the manner of dreams4 ,f4 ,certain visions are of a doubtful character4 ,here are some examples3--,several times a sensitive sees1 in the crystal1 a long procession of personages clothed in white enter a sort of crypt1 which looks like the entrance to a tunnel4 ,the vision presents no incoherence1 but appears to have no signification1 either as a souvenir evoked unconsciously or as a subconscious symbolical image admitting of interpretation4 ,and now1 ,i am going to relate a vision1 which1 doubtless1 will particularly interest occultists4 ,i was operating with a sensitive1 who was ignorant1 ,i think1 of their theories and those of spiritists2 who had no notion whatever about larv1 and the forms given to such in the literature of occult sciences4 ,now the sensitive1 of whom ,i speak1 twice saw the vision of a tree standing out detached from the others in a forest4 ,the earth appeared white1 the tree itself was white1 and appeared to be covered with white pears hanging from its branches4 ,in his vision the sensitive drew near1 and perceived that the pears were in reality white beasts of hideous appearance2 they were like heads without bodies1 terminating in long tails4 ,these beings were suspended to the branches by their tails4 ,this vision seems to me to be purely imaginary1 but ,i have related it because the curious forms described concord1 ,i believe1 with the aspect given to larv by occult writers4 ,i cannot positively affirm the sensitive's absolute ignorance of mystic literature1 but ,i have serious reasons to admit it4 ,must we simply see herein a morphological association between the different forms of larv1 of tears embroidered on funereal garb and pears6 ,this explanation would be possible1 if the sensitive knew the signification of the word larv1 and the form lent to these fabulous beings4 ,i must now cut short the recital of these observations1 and confine myself to resuming the conclusion to which ,i have come3--,this is1 that sensorial automatisms and especially visual hallucinations have the same characteristic features we note in dreams1 the same weakening of the power of control of the will and judgment over the selection of images1 over their coherence1 their likelihood1 and the same rapid amnesia4 ,these are characteristic features1 which we observe in every case1 where the sentiment of personality is impaired4 ,this is just as noticeable in purely imaginary hallucinations1 as in hallucinations which appear to have a real foundation4 ,this fact seems to me of great importance1 for it permits us to think1 that one of the conditions of the transcendental perception of facts past1 present or even future is the disappearance of the voluntary and personal activity of the consciousness4 ,less fit to act actively1 it would be more inclined to be passively impressed by influences1 which are at present indeterminable2 the transmission to the normal consciousness of the impressions perceived by the impersonal consciousness appears to take place in the same way as in a dream1 that is to say by dramatisation1--by a scene which expresses the idea in a concrete and symbolical manner4 ,there is therefore a rapprochement between these sensory automatisms and dreams and telepathy4 ,several premonitory dreams have been related to me by people of absolute good faith2 ,i will give two1 which were told me by magistrates4 ,the first concerns a man holding a high rank in the magistracy4 ,he had sold1 at an advantageous price1 the wood on a property he possessed in the neighbouring country1 but the bargain was not definitely settled1 and was to be concluded in an interview arranged for between the owner and the purchaser4 ,on the eve of the day when the magistrate should have gone to the country1 his wife dreamt that she was present at the woodman's visit4 ,in her dream1 the latter offered a price1 which was inferior to the price originally agreed upon1 and covered his treachery with all sorts of periphrases1 trying to prove that the bargain remained excellent for the owner4 ,finally he turned towards ,madame ,x41 who was present at the interview1 and said to her1 #8,this is fair speaking1 is it not1 ,madame8' ,madame ,x4 related the dream to her husband1 telling him also that she thought the bargain would not come off4 ,her dream was fulfilled literally1 and the phrase heard in her dream was uttered by the woodman4 ,i received this account from the magistrate himself1 an eminent man and one of the most brilliant intellects ,i have known4 ,the second dream is1 perhaps1 still more curious2 it was told me by one of my colleagues1 a calm1 positive man with not the slightest tendency whatever to mysticism1 employing his leisure hours in hunting rather than with metaphysics4 ,he is1 moreover1 an experienced magistrate1 and occupies a distinguished position at a court in the centre of ,france4 ,at the time he had the dream ,i am going to relate1 he was juge d'instruction in a small town1 where there are some important factories4 ,he was closely connected with a large manufacturer1 and was accustomed to go and see him nearly every day4 ,he knew the staff of the factory1 and notably an overseer1 a native of ,flanders2 this man1 after many years of faithful service1 wished to return to his birthplace and left his employer1 remaining1 however1 on the best of terms with him4 ,some months afterwards my colleague dreamt1 he had taken his usual promenade and paid his visit to his friend4 ,in his dream1 he saw the overseer and manifested his surprise at seeing him2 the overseer replied1 #8,yes1 sir1 it is ,i4 ,i could not find any work in my own country1 and i' faith1 ,i came back here4' ,my colleague attached no importance to this dream2 on the morrow he went1 as usual1 to see his friend1 and in the factory found the overseer whom he had seen in his dream4 ,he exchanged the same conversation he had held with him in his dream4 ,facts of this kind are very numerous4 ,perhaps they are only simple coincidences1 but1 as with sensory automatisms already described1 ,i cannot help thinking1 that coincidence does not explain everything4 ,the concording details are often so numerous1 that the probabilities in an extremely large proportion are against pure hazard4 ,richet1 however1 has carefully studied the ,calculus of ,probabilities1 and ,i will not go into the question4 ,i simply give my impression1 persuaded as ,i am that those who study these facts impartially will come to the conclusion1 that hazard does not explain everything4 ,the two dreams which ,i have taken as examples offer us cases of telepathy1 that is to say1 the impression perceived in a way which the ordinary senses do not explain4 ,telepathy has been carefully studied by ,myers1 ,gurney1 ,podmore1 ,sidgwick1 ,ermacora1 and discussion on this question can only be pursued1 if the work of these savants has been studied4 ,telepathy appears to me to be established in a definitive manner1 but ,i have no personal example to cite4 ,however1 a very great number of cases have been related to me1 by persons who have received telepathic impressions4 ,i know of many people who have had veridical hallucinations1 either during sleep or when awake4 ,the following are some examples borrowed from my circle of friends or relations3-- ,one of my great-uncles had married a coloured woman at ,martinique4 ,this lady1 though highly respectable1 was the victim of tenacious prejudice on the part of the white creole families on the island1 and my uncle's marriage aroused the displeasure of his family4 ,he left ,saint-,pierre1 and came to ,bordeaux4 ,his wife's mind suddenly gave way2 she had dangerous attacks of fury1 but the union between my great-uncle and his wife was so close1 and their reciprocal affection so profound1 that my relation would not consent to a separation and have her cared for in an asylum4 ,he fell a victim to his devotion2 his wife killed him in an attack of high fever4 ,one of my great-aunts1 the dead man's sister1 living at ,paris1 was awakened in the middle of the night by her brother's voice calling her4 ,this hallucination coincided with the death of my great-uncle4 ,an intimate friend of my mother's1 a creole living at ,bordeaux1 had been present at the embarkation of a family belonging to ,martinique1 that was returning to ,saint-,pierre4 ,some time afterwards she had a dream in which she saw a steamer founder2 the stern of the vessel rose above the waves1 and she was able to read the name of the boat2 it was the one on which her friends had embarked4 ,the vessel was lost and not a life saved4 ,here is another interesting fact1 in which 7#a7 a sentiment of anxiety1 the cause unknown to the conscious personality1 corresponds with the serious illness of a near relation2 7#b7 the telepathic1 premonitory hallucination of a telephonic call preceded the real call by two hours4 ,this fact was communicated to me by one of my friends4 #8,here is the exact account of the fact ,i mentioned to you4 #8,on the evening of the #agth ,october #aija ,i went to bed feeling greatly disturbed2 ,i could not define the cause of my mental anguish1 for ,i was in perfect health4 ,this trouble persisted1 and my sleep was haunted by painful nightmare4 #8,at half-past four ,i suddenly awoke1 having distinctly heard the sound of my telephone bell4 ,i ran to the apparatus1 and answered the ring4 ,the night operator replied that he had not rung me up1 and that nothing unusual was happening4 ,i had therefore been labouring under a hallucination1 provoked by a particular haunting impression4 #8,at seven o'clock in the morning1 the telephone again sounded1 and ,i was put into communication with my brother-in-law residing at ,biarritz4 ,he told me that my sister1 ,madame ,v41 had1 in the night1 been struck with congestion of the brain1 and was in a critical state4' ,all these facts may be considered as coincidences2 their attentive study1 their thorough analysis1 and their careful1 thoughtful comparison can alone make us suspect1 that hazard has nothing whatever to do with their production4 ,i may compare these cases of telepathy to facts of exteriorisation of sensibility1 and of vision at a distance4 ,i have given very little study to these facts1 for they do not enter into the habitual plan of my researches2 ,i have sometimes observed them1 but under conditions which do not satisfy me4 ,my observations1 however incomplete they may be1 tend1 nevertheless1 to make me think1 that the phenomenon described by de ,rochas1 under the name of extriorisation de la sensibilit1 is real4 ,i have met with two sensitives1 who presented the phenomenon in a fairly clear manner in a waking state4 ,i was led to make the following experiment with one of these sensitives4 ,as soon as she entered the seance-room and had taken off her cloak1 ,i took hold of the garment and pinched the lining4 ,the sensitive mentioned feeling a certain sensation1 rather feeble however1 in the part of her body which had been covered by the garment in the place ,i had pinched it4 ,the first time ,i tried this experiment1 the sensitive had not been warned1 and was surprised at the sensation she felt4 ,needless to say1 ,i took precautions to make sure1 this lady did not see what ,i was doing4 ,i have observed1 that this particular sensibility disappears very rapidly2 at the end of forty or fifty seconds it has ceased to exist4 ,i have asked a lady friend of this sensitive's to try the same experiment with her more private garments1 especially with the corsets4 ,sensibility should then be greater4 ,i think that the observation of this fact1 which ,i point out with much reserve1 not having submitted it to serious study1 is easier than is supposed1 by employing the method ,i indicate1 that is to say1 by pinching or pricking garments which the sensitive has just thrown off4 ,i have had occasion also of verifying this phenomenon1 under the technical conditions indicated by ,colonel de ,rochas4 ,very few sensitives present it in a marked manner1 and it has seemed to me necessary to push the artificial sleep rather deeply4 ,this expression may seem somewhat antiquated1 to those who have frequented our learned neurological cliniques2 but ,i cannot help thinking1 that a real difference exists between the different phases of somnambulism1 if they be observed4 ,i speak of a difference of degree4 ,it seems to me that1 once the subject is put to sleep1 the repeated action of the passes determines a particular state1 pointed out by ancient magnetisers and exposed in detail by de ,rochas1 in which the subject appears to lose the notion of his personality1 and be in close dependence upon his #8magnetiser4' ,i have experimented very little in this order of research1 and ,i can permit myself only to give indications2 ,i am unable to affirm a personal conviction4 ,the few experiments ,i have made1 however1 tend to make me think that de ,rochas is quite right in speaking of superficial and profound states4 ,i am not convinced that the passage from the one to the other takes place with the regularity that my eminent friend has observed1 but the fact pointed out by him is1 ,i think1 true in a general way4 ,i am going to support my opinion with an example4 ,i have already spoken of ,madame ,agullana4 ,those who have only been present at her ordinary seances can have no idea of the curious faculties1 she sometimes presents4 ,an experienced manipulator can obtain with her--on condition of operating quietly and in the presence of very few people--phenomena which are very interesting1 in the sphere of what is called animal magnetism4 ,i was at her home one evening with ,monsieur ,b4 ,we were expecting a tutor1 a medium of whom ,i had heard marvellous things4 ,this tutor did not turn up2 but1 while waiting for him1 ,i put ,madame ,agullana to sleep2 ,i wished to show ,monsieur ,b41 who had no experience of this kind1 the effects of profound sleep4 ,i prolonged my passes1 made longitudinally from the forehead to the epigastrium1 for more than twenty-five minutes4 ,from time to time1 every seven or eight minutes1 ,i asked ,madame ,agullana what was her name4 ,she told me her name4 ,at last the moment came when she could not remember her name1 and appeared to have lost consciousness of her personality4 ,i made a few more passes1 and remarked to ,monsieur ,b4 that1 when ,madame ,a4 appeared to have cutaneous ansthesia1 she seemed to perceive pricks at a distance of two or three centimetres from the skin4 ,the passes were continued for about another quarter of an hour2 at that moment ,madame ,a4 appeared to present two peculiarities3-- #a4 ,her sensitiveness appeared to be localised behind her1 at about three feet from1 and twenty-one inches above the level of her head4 ,she winced1 when--care being taken that she did not see--the air was pinched at the spot indicated4 #b4 ,only the persons en rapport with her--in the sense given to this word by de ,rochas--could make an impression upon her2 contacts and pinching by other people were not perceived by her4 ,i did not observe these two peculiarities under conditions sufficiently precise to warrant me affirming1 that my observation was good2 but ,i indicate them1 for to me they appeared probable4 ,then1 phenomena were forthcoming4 ,madame ,agullana said she was in the street1 outside of the house4 ,i asked her to go and see what one of my friends1 ,monsieur ,bchade1 was doing--a man whom she knew well4 ,it was twenty minutes past ten o'clock4 ,to our great surprise1 she told us that she saw #8,monsieur ,bchade half-undressed1 walking bare-footed on stones4' ,this did not seem to us to have any sense4 ,i saw my friend the next day1 and1 although he is well acquainted with spiritistic phenomena1 he seemed to be astonished at my recital1 and said to me1 word for word3 #8,i was not feeling very well yesterday evening2 one of my friends who lives with me advised me to try ,kneipp's method1 and urged me so strongly1 that1 in order to satisfy him1 ,i tried last night for the first time to walk barefooted on cold stone4 ,i was1 in reality1 half-undressed when ,i made the first attempt2 it was then twenty minutes past ten o'clock2 ,i walked about for some time on the first steps of the staircase1 which is built of stone4' ,perhaps this also is a coincidence1 but this fact1 which was witnessed by several people1 presents very strange coincidences all the same4 ,the hour1 the costume1 the unusual operation1 are circumstances of too special a nature for mere hazard to suffice to explain them1 it seems to me4 ,i cite this case because it came under my personal observation1 and because it shows a variety of telepathic phenomena2 it is what the ancient magnetisers called lucidity1 clairvoyance or1 more exactly1 vision at a distance4 ,it appears to me to be a development of the facts pointed out by de ,rochas2 it looks as though the entire sensibility was exteriorised to variable distances4 ,this is telsthesia1 a phenomenon in the sensitivo-sensorial domain1 analogous to motor telekinesis4 ,experimenters1 who might be desirous of verifying these facts1 should not forget1 7#a7 it is necessary to have a sensitive who has often been magnetised--,i do not say hypnotised2 7#b7 sleep must be pushed very deeply--passes must be continued for more than half an hour after somnambulism sets in4 ,the time is reduced with sensitives who are well developed4 ,it would be easy to multiply examples of this kind1 particularly those of well-observed telepathic cases4 ,the publications of the ,london ,society for ,psychical ,research1 ,flammarion's book1 ,l',inconnu et les problmes psychiques1 the ,annales des ,sciences psychiques1 contain a great number of them4 ,this symbolism will always be met with1--this dramatic element1 which ,i have indicated as the ordinary way by which the general consciousness transmits its information to the personal consciousness4 ,the assimilation which ,i make between sensory automatisms and dreams1 crystal vision and telepathy1 appears to me to find support in these facts4 ,these phenomena are of the same order and1 in all probability1 have their seat in the same strata of the consciousness4 ,i will not try to fathom the cause2 once again ,i must repeat what ,i have so often said already1--the question is still so little known1 that we are not able to enter profitably upon the study of the apparent cause of the psychical facts examined in this present chapter4 ,we must multiply observations and verify the undeniable existence of the facts1 before attempting to interpret them4 ,i give here1 both as an example of careful observation and as an illustration of the chief features of the phenomena of which ,i have just been speaking1 the following account which ,professor ,charles ,richet has kindly sent me4 ,a ,,complex ,,case ,,of ,,psychical ,,phenomena4 ,,by ,,professor ,,charles ,,richet4 ,april1 #aijc4 #8,,dear ,,dr4 ,,maxwell1--,the following is a brief account of the strange1 bewildering facts1 of which ,i promised you the narration4 #8,i4 ,in the beginning of ,october #aijj ,i was at ,carqueiranne1 when ,i received a letter from ,madame ,x4 ,madame ,x4 had left ,paris on the #ast of ,october for ,fontainebleau1 with the intention of spending a month near the forest4 ,in her letter to me she related1 that on the arrival of the train at the station of ,melun1 she had a notion that some one entered her carriage and sat down opposite to her4 ,this 8vision0 spoke to her1 saying he had known me very well1 that he used to call me 8,carlos10 and that ,i called him 8,tony02 he told her1 that he knew ,fontainebleau very well and would accompany her in her walks in the forest4 #8,after that letter ,i received others from ,madame ,x41 giving me numerous details concerning this vision which called itself 8,tony10 a vision which was repeated several times during ,madame ,x4's visit at ,fontainebleau4 ,these details were particularly remarkable and abundant between the #bjth and the #bhth ,october4 ,i will briefly enumerate them1 after which ,i will enter upon a discussion and appreciation of the chief details4 #88,tony0 showed me a tree to-day on which were engraved the letters ,a4 ,b4 and a date #ahhj1 or #ahhc--the last figure was indistinct2 underneath the letters ,a4 ,b4 was the name 8,lucie40 444 8,tony0 seems to have had to do with machinery of some kind4 ,he had hoped to construct a machine1 which would have been of great use to mankind4 ,he seems to say it was he who discovered the telephone1--or1 at least1 that he was on the right track4444 ,i hear him say1 8,i know ,madeleine well40 ,he says he adored his father4 ,he speaks about ,lon1 ,sarah1 and ,marguerite1 but especially about ,lucie4 ,his wife's name was ,lucie4444 ,there were ,jews in his family2 he also talks about ,louise4444 ,he worked with telegraphy and electric wires4444 ,he knew you remarkably well2 he called you 8,carlos10 and you called him 8,tony02 of this ,i am sure1 for he speaks of it so often4 ,he says he collaborated with you in some work4 ,he says that when he was dead1 you went into his death-chamber and kissed him on the forehead4444 ,he had not been previously ill1--a feeling of suffocation in the chest and that was all4 ,quelque chose l'a touff la poitrine1 et ce fut tout4 ,he was only #cj or #cb years old when he died4444 ,i do not think he was married1 that is to say1 in the legal sense of the word2 but he was very much attached to ,lucie1 by whom he had a daughter1 who was about three years old when he died4 ,this child seems to be still alive1 but very few people know about it4 ,he adored ,lucie1 who seems to have been very charming1 for ,antoine shows me her portrait1--a medallion or locket which he used to wear--in which she seems to have beautiful dark eyes and hair4 ,he lived for about four or five years with ,lucie2 but ,lucie had previously been married to a ,jew un gros juif1 whom she did not care for4 ,i think ,antoine lived a long time with ,lucie at ,fontainebleau2 they were sadly happy there tristement heureux4 ,the house they stayed at is no longer inhabited4 ,it was a red and white cottage1 quite close to the forest1 which was just behind it4444 ,the house stood alone2 a tramway passes by there to-day4444 8,tony0 also speaks about his father4 ,his father loved his own fireside2 he once lost a lot of money when ,antoine was grown up2 but ,antoine did not take much notice of this1 for he did not trouble himself about money matters4 ,the house in which 8,tony0 and his father lived together1 is one which they seem to have always inhabited4 8,tony0 seems to have always known this house4 ,the furniture is old2 the rooms look as though they had been occupied for a very long time4 ,he speaks of the ,faubourg ,montmartre2 does that mean he used to live there8444 ,antoine also had to do with engines of war4 ,i think he was wounded during the war the ,commune1 because ,i hear the noise of cannon--and your father dressed his wound4444 #8,antoine was a free-mason4 ,he admired ,claude ,bernard4 ,his political opinions were of a socialistic tendency4 ,he did not care for the society of women4 ,he was temperate1 and did not drink wine2 he was no epicure4444 ,he has been to ,geneva4444 ,he has hunted with you4444 ,he used to like reading ,titus ,livy4444 ,he cared naught for the world's opinion1 taking his conscience for his sole guide4444 ,he often saw ,philippe4 ,he also mentions ,yvonne1 ,josephine1 ,georges1 ,james1 ,clotilde1 and ,andr4444 ,he speaks about a pseudonym2 he has written some things under a nom-de-plume4444 ,antoine had beautiful dark eyes1 large and most expressive1 full of resolution1 but1 at the same time1 soft1 dreamy-looking eyes4 ,he had a frank1 hearty laugh1 and this merry sound was often heard ,il riait souvent de ce bon rire4 ,he had a habit of putting his hands behind his head1 and stretching himself out on a sofa1 laughing merrily4444 ,he has very long1 thin fingers1 which seem to be clever at mechanical work2 indeed he seems to have been clever at everything1 and to do all things well4444 ,a short time before he died--a ,wednesday1--you and he were at a banquet together1 and drank each other's health4 8,tony0 then told you1 that he had not been feeling well1 and that he was in great need of a holiday4444 ,antoine told me again to-day1 that he loved ,lucie dearly2 8and10 he said1 8,i still watch over her1 even now2 tell her no evil will ever befall her40 ,rien de mauvais ne lui arrivera4 #8,,ii4 ,the preceding are the most important of the data concerning my friend ,antoine ,b41 given me in ,madame ,x4's letters during the month of ,october #aijj4 ,i repeat ,madame ,x4 was at ,fontainebleau1 and ,i at ,carqueiranne4 ,therefore1 ,i could not have given her any hints by my words1 and ,i am particularly anxious to point out a fact1 of which ,i am absolutely certain1 which is1 that ,i had never pronounced the name of my friend ,antoine ,b4 in the presence of ,madame ,x42 ,i am positive that no word of mine could have afforded the smallest clue to ,madame ,x4 of my acquaintance with ,antoine ,b4 #8,i may also add that1 though to-day four years after these visions occurred1 ,madame ,x4 has become one of my friends1 at that moment1 ,october #aijj1 our acquaintanceship dated from a few months only2 and1 at ,madame ,x4's own request1 in order to avoid hints and suggestions1 ,i abstained from ever speaking with her on anything save vague1 general topics4 ,madame ,x41 at this time1 lived a secluded1 retired life in a convent1 seldom going out and receiving no visitors4 ,she was1 moreover1 almost an entire stranger to ,paris1 having arrived there only a short time before ,i made her acquaintance4 ,if ,madame ,x4 spoke of any one of my deceased friends to-day1 it would be impossible for me to affirm positively that ,i had never pronounced that name in her presence2 but1 thanks to the great care ,i took at that moment to avoid all manner of confidences whatsoever1 continually seconded in my efforts by ,madame ,x4 herself1 ,i can certify that the name of ,antoine ,b4 had not been pronounced up to the month of ,october #aijj4 #8,therefore my stupefaction was indeed great1 when ,i discovered in ,madame ,x4's letters so many precise and correct data1 though mixed up with occasional errors4 ,and when ,i speak of precise and correct data1 ,i do not mean data1 traces of which may have been left in printed matter4 ,i speak of private1 unpublished facts1 facts known only to me or to his wife4 ,notwithstanding this1 however1 ,i was blind to the truth4 ,and ,i sought to explain away these phenomena of lucidity1 by an apparently rational explanation4 #8,here is the fable ,i invented1 for ,i think it may be useful to acquaint the reader with my hesitations1 and the manner in which ,i tried to explain these facts4 ,first of all1 ,i supposed that ,fontainebleau was a mistake1 since1 as far as ,i knew1 ,antoine ,b4 did not go to ,fontainebleau in #ahhc4 ,at the same time1 ,i thought ,i remembered he had been a pupil at the ,school of ,artillery at ,fontainebleau in #ahgd4 ,but1 ,i asked myself1 why should ,madame ,x4 speak about ,antoine ,b41 whose name ,i was and am certain never to have pronounced in her presence8 ,i found1 or rather ,i thought ,i had found1 the explanation4 ,in the month of ,september #aijj1 ,antoine ,b4's daughter ,madeleine1 the wife of ,jacques ,s41 died1 and one or two newspapers mentioned this sad and premature death4 ,now1 ,i supposed that ,madame ,x4 had unconsciously glanced over one of these newspapers1 that ,antoine ,b4's name had appeared therein with his biography more or less fully traced1 our relations mentioned he had been director with me of the ,revue ,scientifique1 and reference made to his term at the ,school of ,application at ,fontainebleau4 ,that was my fable4 #8,it is true there were several other facts awaiting explanation2 but ,i did not let them hinder me1--so dazed are we by the fear of meeting with the truth just where it really is1 when we find ourselves in the presence of facts1 with which force of habit has not yet rendered us familiar4 #8,i will not dwell upon the absurdity of this manner of thinking2 ,i will simply repeat1 that my first thought was that this vision of ,antoine was simply the souvenir of some sub-conscious reading1 with here and there a few gleams of lucidity1 already very important in themselves1 but not exceeding in precision or in importance other proofs of lucidity1 of which ,madame ,x4 had already given me numerous and decisive examples4 #8,well6 ,i was altogether wrong6 ,it was a conversation which ,i had with ,antoine ,b4's widow1 she was now ,madame ,l41 having married a second time which showed me my mistake4 #8,during the summer vacation in #aija1 she was staying at my house at ,carqueiranne1 and one day ,i happened to speak about ,madame ,x4's visions concerning ,antoine4 ,as soon as ,i began1 ,madame ,b4 became agitated2 the recital wrought upon her feelings considerably4 ,when ,i had finished1 she furnished me with the two following fundamental facts1 facts which entirely destroyed the point of view ,i had first of all adopted3 #a4 8,antoine was never a pupil at the ,school of ,application at ,fontainebleau02 #b4 8,in #ahhc he and ,i were at ,fontainebleau together40 #8,consequently the scaffolding ,i had erected in order to explain ,madame ,x4's visions entirely collapsed4 ,the connection between ,antoine and ,fontainebleau--connection discovered by ,madame ,x4--could not have been provoked by the souvenir of the reading of any newspaper1 and the hypothesis--a very improbable one moreover--of a sub-conscious souvenir1 of the unconscious reading of a hypothetical newspaper1 had therefore no raison d'tre4 ,so that the knowledge of a connection between ,antoine and ,fontainebleau could not have been due to any printed matter--since1 naturally1 no newspaper had mentioned this private detail in ,antoine's life--or to any suggestion ,i might have given inadvertently--since ,i was ignorant of the fact4 #8,three other hypotheses remain3--that of chance1 and this is so absurd1 that it is useless even to mention it2 that of collusion between ,madame ,x4 and ,madame ,b41 a hypothesis which is as absurd as the preceding one1 even if it were possible1 for neither of these two ladies had or have ever seen one another2 lastly1 there is the hypothesis of an extraordinary lucidity1 on the nature of which ,i will not dwell1 in order to avoid theorising1 but which ,i must1 perforce1 be content with simply pointing out4 #8,there is not the slightest trace left of ,antoine ,b4's visit to ,fontainebleau in #ahhc4 ,at ,barbizon1 where he stayed with his wife from the #aeth ,may to #bjth ,june #ahhc1 he lived in a rustic inn1 which has been demolished to make way for a tram-line4 ,no writing1 no letter1 no souvenir of any kind whatever could have furnished a clue to this private detail in ,antoine ,b4's life4 #8,,iii4 ,i will now confront the reality1 such as it was in ,june #ahhc1 with what ,madame ,x4 wrote me in ,october #aijj4 #8#a4 ,in order to go to ,fontainebleau1 or rather to ,barbizon1 ,m4 and ,mme4 ,b4 left the train at ,melun4 ,it is impossible to say1 whether the initials of ,a4 ,b4 and the name of ,lucie are engraved on a tree in the forest4 #8#b4 8,there is much resemblance between ,antoine1 as he was1 and the physical portrait drawn of him by ,madame ,x41 especially the soft1 caressing expression of the eyes4 ,in politics he held advanced opinions for his time1 and1 had he lived1 he would1 in all probability1 have been a socialist to-day2 at least his opinions would have been very favourable to socialistic doctrines4 ,the sentence1 ,nous tions tristement heureux1 is characteristically true2 for at ,barbizon1 in spite of our long walks and our reveries in the forest1 he was already very weak and in the grip of the illness which1 soon afterwards1 carried him off so rapidly40 ,the above was written and handed to me by ,madame ,b4 in ,october #aija4 #8#c4 ,lucie is not ,madame ,b4's name4 ,her name is ,marie4 ,but ,antoine often said to her1 8,what a pity you are not called ,lucie60 ,it was his favourite name4 #8#d4 ,it is quite true that1 alone among all my friends1 ,antoine called me 8,carlos10 and that ,i1 on my side1 called him 8,tony40 ,this is a fact known only to me4 ,it is also perfectly correct--and ,i am not aware of having related this fact to any person whomsoever--that1 when ,antoine died1 stricken to death in a few hours by a disease of the heart1 ,i went into his death-chamber and kissed him on the brow4 #8#e4 ,all the details relative to the construction of machines1 electric wires1 invention of the telephone1 before ,gr4 ,bell's invention had been made known1 collaboration with me in a scientific work1 all these details are correct4 #8#f4 ,the house in which he stayed at ,fontainebleau stood by itself1 with its back to the forest2 a tramway passes there to-day1 the house having been pulled down to make room for it4 #8#g4 ,his daughter 7who died in ,september #aijj1 at about the time when ,madame ,x4 says she first heard a voice call me 8,carlos07 was called ,madeleine4 ,his sister's name was ,louise4 ,louise married ,m4 ,h4 of ,jewish origin4 ,there are ,jews in his family4 #8#h4 ,he was thirty-two years old when he died1 and his death was almost instantaneous4 ,it would be impossible to describe his death more correctly than ,madame ,x4 does in the words3 ,quelque chose l'a touff la poitrine1 et ce fut tout4 ,in fact1 towards eleven o'clock in the night he was seized by a thoracic oppression1 which made such rapid progress1 that he expired at four o'clock in the early morning4 #8#i4 ,he was not wounded during the ,commune2 but once when1 as a reserve artillery officer1 he was assisting at gun-firing at ,grenoble he lost the hearing of the left ear1 an affliction which saddened him very much4 ,probably ,i knew this1 but1 if so1 ,i had completely forgotten it4 ,it was ,madame ,b41 who related this detail to me in ,october #aija1 a detail absolutely unknown to every one1 for ,antoine never spoke of it4 #8#aj4 ,when ,antoine was already grown up1 shortly before his marriage1 his father1 ,louis1 suffered heavy losses of money through a defaulting cashier4 ,antoine did not take this to heart2 moreover1 no one ever knew of the incident1 which was carefully kept from the knowledge of every one outside of the family4 #8#aa4 ,he wrote under a pseudonym4 ,he wrote a few insignificant plays in #ahgf or #ahgg2 but it would be almost impossible to recover traces of them to-day4 #8#ab4 ,the house where he was born1 and where he lived up to the time of his marriage1 is very old 7situated on the ,quai de ,h41 and not in the ,faubourg ,montmartre72 the furniture is ancient2 the house is quite unlike a modern one4 #8#ac4 ,the description of ,lucie1 his wife1 is exact--8a very charming woman with beautiful dark hair and eyes40 ,antoine had a portrait of her in a locket1 which he used to wear on his person4 #8#ad4 ,in a conversation ,i had with him a short time before his death1 he spoke to me about the extreme fatigue which he felt1 a kind of general lassitude1 and of his great need of change and rest4 #8,in all the above facts there is an admirable and most unlikely concordance between the reality and the indications given by ,madame ,x4 #8,to be quite complete1 ,i ought to mention the facts which ,i have not been able to verify1 and those which seem inexact to me4 #8,among the facts ,i have been unable to verify1 are the names of ,yvonne1 ,josephine1 ,sarah1 ,marguerite1 ,georges1 ,clotilde4 #8,the chief inexact details are the story of ,lucie's true husband--a ,jew 7un gros juif7--and of the child ,lucie and ,antoine had1 of whose existence hardly any one knew2 also the detail of having been wounded during the ,commune and his wound having been dressed by my father4 ,i ought also to add that ,antoine and ,marie ,b4 were at ,fontainebleau with their three children4 ,however1 for reasons which ,i will develop further on1 these errors have a great interest and merit an attentive examination4 #8,when considering these phenomena we must1 first of all1 rid ourselves of commonplace prejudices4 ,the question is1 not whether such or such a phenomenon does or does not concord with recognised ideas1 but whether the phenomenon exists or does not exist--always supposing1 of course1 that it be not in flagrant contradiction with established and verified truths4 #8,therefore every effort of demonstration must be concentrated on this one point3 ,can we explain the above facts by any known process8 ,for the sake of simplicity let us only take one of the facts1 that of the presence--8or of the thought0--of ,antoine ,b4 at the ,melun railway station4 ,we have seen that ,i fell into error by endeavouring to explain this presence--or this thought--by a term at the ,school of ,artillery at ,fontainebleau2 and ,i do not see what other explanation can be attempted1 since not the slightest trace is left of ,antoine's visit to ,fontainebleau with his wife twenty years ago4 #8,even if an expensive detective inquiry had been set on foot1 it is highly doubtful if anything concerning ,monsieur and ,madame ,b4's visit to ,fontainebleau could have been found out4 #8,therefore1 at the very outset1 and without taking into account any of the other exact details in ,madame ,x4's visions1 we encounter the material impossibility of establishing any relations between ,fontainebleau and ,antoine4 #8,but1 just for one moment1 let us make the concession that the names of ,monsieur and ,madame ,b4 had been somewhere met with at ,barbizon after an interval of twenty years2 this would immediately entail the knowledge of many other details ever so much easier to gather than were those very details given by ,madame ,x41 and not only easier but also more exact4 ,had this visit become known to ,madame ,x4 by any normal means1 there would not have been the story of an illegal union1 and of a residence of five years at ,fontainebleau4#ab ,so even the mistakes are a confirmation of the truth1 one of the most interesting of confirmations2 for1 honestly1 we cannot suppose that1 knowing the real facts1 ,madame ,x4 would have taken it into her head to add facts1 which she knew to be incorrect4 #ab ,let us1 however1 point out that ,antoine had been five years married when he died1 and that he had been at ,fontainebleau with his wife1 consequently the error1 which consists in saying five years of life together at ,fontainebleau1 constitutes only a relative error4 #8,to put it in another way1 even if we admit this absurdity of an extremely cleverly conducted detective inquiry making known to ,madame ,x4 the story of ,antoine's life1 she would not have distorted the results of such an inquiry by introducing errors therein4 ,to take an example1 when ,antoine was at ,fontainebleau with his wife and three children1 she would have mentioned the other two children4 ,she would also have said--and this was extremely easy to find out--that the ,b4 establishment was situated on the ,quai de ,h41 and not in the ,faubourg ,montmartre4 #8,therefore1 every point carefully considered1 ,i think it is absolutely certain that normal means of knowledge could not establish any connection between ,antoine and ,fontainebleau4 #8,in the second place1 unpublished details were furnished4 ,i will pass over all the details--though they too be correct--which might be found in biographical or necrological articles2 ,i will simply draw attention to the following five extremely private details3-- #8#a4 ,the name of ,lucie2 and a locket containing her portrait which ,antoine always wore on his person4 #8#b4 ,the names of 8,carlos0 and 8,tony40 #8#c4 ,a pseudonym4 #8#d4 ,money lost by his father4 #8#e4 ,the circumstances of his death4 #8,now1 not one of these details could have been found out by any inquiry1 however clever1 however well-planned and well carried out such an inquiry might have been4 #8#a4 ,madame ,b4 was the only living person who knew of ,antoine's preference for the name of ,lucie4 ,she had never spoken of this to any one2 and it is a minute detail of which ,i was in complete ignorance1 until ,madame ,b4 told me of it in #aija1 after hearing about the visions ,madame ,x4 had related to me in her letters1 a year before4 #8#b4 ,i was the only person living who knew that ,antoine called me 8,carlos02 and this is not a very commonplace statement1 since no one1 save ,antoine1 has ever called me 8,carlos40 #8#c4 ,no one ever suspected ,antoine of having written under a nom de plume2 the few insignificant things he wrote for the stage are so entirely forgotten1 that ,madame ,b4 herself remembered nothing about them in #aija2 and it is even highly probable that what he wrote could not be found again1 the ,bobino theatre1 where he presented his plays1 having disappeared years ago4 #8#d4 ,the monetary losses which his father1 ,louis ,b41 sustained a short while before ,antoine's marriage1 had been carefully kept from the knowledge of every one4 ,these losses were occasioned by a dishonest cashier4 ,the man was not prosecuted4 ,notwithstanding the importance of the sum involved1 ,antoine was relatively indifferent to the loss1 as was distinctly indicated by ,madame ,x4 #8#e4 ,the circumstances of his death are described with striking reality4 ,i kissed ,antoine on the forehead when he was dead4 ,some little time before the end1 he spoke to me about his health1 saying he felt in great need of rest4 ,he did not look ill1 however1 and he died1 after a few hours' illness only1 from a cardiac affection3 quelque chose l'a touff la poitrine4 #8,there is still another item of interest1 which ,i wish to touch upon3 this is1 the 8message0 from ,antoine to his wife3 rien de mauvais ne lui arrivera4 ,these words were written by ,madame ,x4 in one of her letters to me1 with the indication that ,antoine had pronounced them on a certain day4 ,now1 on that very day1 ,madame ,b4 was delivered of a still-born child4 ,she was1 therefore1 in a perilous condition at the very time ,antoine said3 8,i watch over her1 even now2 tell her1 no evil will ever befall her40 #8,we have1 now1 to draw our conclusion4 ,the hypothesis of chance is absurd2 the hypothesis of fraud is absurd2 there remains but a third hypothesis1 that of a phenomenon inexplicable by any of the existing data of our knowledge4 ,it is for this inexplicable phenomenon1 that we are going to try and find an explanation4 #8,two explanations at once present themselves3 1 either this knowledge is entirely due to the intellectual faculties of ,madame ,x42 or 1 some other intelligence intervenes1 which manifests itself to ,madame ,x4 #84 ,this hypothesis is rather complicated1 for it is not in the form of abstract knowledge that ,madame ,x4 learnt of all these real facts concerning ,antoine1 but in the form of ,antoine himself4 ,so that1 if it really be only a question of abstract notions1 these abstract notions have taken a concrete form in order to manifest themselves4 ,they would thus have constituted a sort of error in themselves4 ,it has been supposed that ,antoine himself came into the railway carriage at ,melun1 that he accompanied ,madame ,x4 in her walks in the forest at ,fontainebleau during the whole month of ,october #aijj1 that he related the story of his life to her2 and there is something which shocks us in the thought that1 though the story told to ,madame ,x4 be true1 there was no ,antoine4 ,at the same time1 this objection is not paramount2 for we know so little of the ways in which supernormal knowledge flows into the mind1 that we are unable to make any negation concerning them4 #8,moreover1 it is1 relatively1 more rational1 not to suppose the intervention of another force1 since1 la rigueur1 a human intelligence1 under extraordinary conditions of clairvoyance1 may suffice to explain everything4 #84 ,if other personalities intervene1 they may be either 1 the personality of ,antoine ,b4 himself1 or1 1 other forces non-identical with human personalities4 #84 ,assuredly1 the hypothesis that it is the consciousness of ,antoine ,b4 himself who came to ,madame ,x4 is the simplest1 and at a first glance1 it satisfies us4 ,but then6 what a number of objections such a hypothesis raises6 ,how is it possible for the consciousness to survive after death8 ,how can intelligences which suffer birth escape death8 ,a beginning implies an end3 ,birth implies death1 the one involves the other6 #84 ,other forces such as genii1 demons1 angels1 etc41 may exist1 as strict logic commands us to admit4 ,there is a certain impertinence in supposing that1 in the ,infinite ,immensity of ,worlds and ,forces1 man is the only force capable of thinking4 ,it seems to me necessary to admit1 that there exist intelligent forces in nature1 other than man2 forces1 which are constituted differently to him1 and are consequently imperceptible to his normal senses2 these forces may be called angels1 genii1 demons1 spirits1 no matter the name we give them4 ,it is evident1 however1 that this hypothesis of intelligent forces ought not to be confounded with the hypothesis of human personalities surviving after death4 ,these are two absolutely distinct hypotheses4 ,now1 ,i think that it is not the hypothesis of intelligent forces which is doubtful2 what is extremely doubtful is that these forces can enter into communication with man4 ,moreover1 as in the case under notice1 why should they take the material appearance of a deceased human being1 and declare their identity with such8 #8,we see that all the explanations so far put forth are imperfect1 and1 for my part1 ,i find them so imperfect1 that ,i am inclined to believe in some other hypothesis which ,i do not know1 which ,i cannot even guess1 but which1 nevertheless1 ,i am convinced exists1 since here we have real facts1 which not any of the hypotheses heretofore presented can explain in a satisfactory manner4 ,it is to this hypothesis ,x that ,i attach myself1 for the present1 recognising1 while doing so1 that there is a certain amount of irony in proposing a hypothesis1 of which ,i am unable to give the formula4 #8,in conclusion1 we see that this case of ,antoine ,b4 involves the whole problem of spiritism4 ,it appeared to interest you1 my friend1 and ,i have1 therefore1 related it to you1 because the simple and complete narration of facts ought to precede theories4' ,november #aijc4 #8,,my ,,dear ,,maxwell1--,the series of phenomena concerning ,antoine ,b4 do not cease with the recital ,i recently sent you4 ,that recital comports an epilogue not less extraordinary than itself4 ,i say an 8epilogue10 for most assuredly it has some connection--of a psychological order--with the preceding recital4 ,i will set it forth as concisely as possible3 #8,one evening in ,may #aijc ,i was dining with ,madame ,x4 and her family4 ,after dinner we tried for phenomena1 but received nothing4 ,towards the close of the evening1 shortly before ,i left1 ,madame ,x4 pronounced the following words--words which ,i wrote down among my notes as soon as ,i reached home--8,i see a woman standing near me2 she has grey hair1 she is about fifty years of age1 but looks older than she really is4 ,her hair is quite grey4 ,i believe it is ,madame ,b40 7,antoine's widow71 8though ,i am not quite sure yet4 ,i see the figure #g with her1 which probably means that she will die in seven months1 or on the #gth of some near month40 ,such is the copy of the very brief note ,i took of ,madame ,x4's words4 ,i ought to add that this note is a much abridged account of ,madame ,x4's actual words1 and that she also said3--8,madame ,b4 is very ill2 she has some sort of chest complaint--perhaps tuberculosis--and she will die very soon indeed40 #8,what renders this premonition extremely interesting is that ,madame ,b41 at that moment1 was only very slightly ill4 ,she was so slightly indisposed1 that not for a moment did the thought ever cross my mind1 that her indisposition might turn into anything serious4 ,neither ,i nor any one in the world suspected any danger whatsoever4 ,but fifteen days after this prognostication had been made1 the apparently slight bronchial affection from which ,madame ,b4 was suffering1 and of which ,i had1 naturally1 never said a word to ,madame ,x41 remained stationary1 but still the idea that the result might prove fatal never entered into any one's head4 #8,nevertheless1 the result did prove fatal4 ,madame ,b4 died1 within seven weeks after ,madame ,x4's prediction1 on ,tuesday1 #cjth ,june #aijc1 after a very sudden and irresistible aggravation of her previously slight indisposition1 which carried her off in four or five days4 ,the illness turned out to be a sort of pulmonary affection1 the nature of which is still unknown to the doctors who attended her3 7tuberculosis8 infectious grippe874 #8,an interesting detail3 ,madame ,b4 had black hair2 ,i1 who knew her well1 had never noticed any grey in her hair2 ,i did not know she was grey4 ,now a few days before her illness took a serious turn1 one of the members of my family who had just been paying ,madame ,b4 a visit1 said to me3 8,madame ,b4 does not dye her hair any longer1 so that one can now see how very grey she is60 #8,here is a veritable premonition4 ,the authenticity of this remarkable fact cannot be doubted1 for it would have been impossible for me1 or for any one else1 by means of telepathy1 or in any other way1 to convey to ,madame ,x4 the idea of a death1 in which ,i did not believe1 and which did not1 even for a moment1 cross my mind1 or any one else's mind4 #8,such1 dear ,dr4 ,maxwell1 is the epilogue of the recital ,i sent you4 ,although we cannot state precisely the link uniting the diverse psychical phenomena exposed in my two letters1 ,i do not think we can consider them as independent of each other4 ,there are certain mysterious relations here1 which the future1 aided by our patience1 will certainly elucidate4--,yours sincerely1 #8,,charles ,,richet4' ,january #aije4 #8,,dear ,,friend1--,during the revision of the above pages1 whilst ,i was showing them to ,madame ,x41 the latter told me that 8the family ,b4 were not yet done with0 tout n'est pas fini encore pour la famille ,b462 her words conveyed to me the impression of a presentiment of some misfortune about to fall upon that family4 ,these words were uttered between #c and #d o'clock on the #bcrd ,december #aijd4 #8,now1 during the night of the #bcrd-#bdth ,december1 towards #aa o'clock1 ,louis ,b4 7the son of ,antoine ,b47 narrowly escaped being killed in a serious railway accident4 ,that he was saved was little short of a miracle4 ,when1 on the morning of the #bdth ,december1 ,i saw by the newspapers that ,louis had escaped1 ,i was struck by the thought that ,madame ,x4's prediction tout n'est pas fini encore pour la famille ,b4 had been on the point of becoming realised4 #8,alas6 the presentiment was but too true2 for ,oliver ,l41 the son of ,madame ,b4's second husband1 was in the same train as ,louis ,b41 and1 though the morning papers did not mention the fact1 he was killed instantaneously4 99 99 99 99 99 #8,i have another interesting point to mention in connection with this presentiment4 ,on the #hth ,july #aijc ,madame ,x4 wrote to me saying1 that ,madame ,b4's death 7she had just died7 would be soon followed by another4 ,she added3 #8,some one tells me that one of the sons will soon die1--before the end of two years4 ,i think it is ,jacques ,b41 but they do not say so4' ,quelqu'un me dit qu'un des fils mourra bientt1 avant deux ans4 ,je pense que c'est ,jacques ,b41 mais on ne le dit pas4 #8,thus this premonition--somewhat vague it is true--pronounced eighteen months before1 was realised4 ,it will be remarked that ,madame ,x41 by adding her own impression to her auditory perception1 committed an error2 whilst the perception itself1 though not very explicit1 was correct4--,yours very sincerely1 #8,,charles ,,richet4' ,,ii4 ,,motor ,,automatism ,the observations which ,i have just laid before my readers1 relate to facts occurring in the domain of sensibility2 the motor centres do not escape automatism1 and there is a whole series of motor automatisms1 simple or mixed1 to be noticed4 ,for the sake of clearness1 ,i will divide them into four classes3-- #a4 ,simple muscular automatism3--,typtology2 ,planchette2 and diverse alphabetic systems1 ouija1 etc4 #b4 ,graphic muscular automatism3--,automatic script and drawing2 ,planchettes1 baskets1 tables4 #c4 ,phonetic automatism3--,automatic discourses4 #d4 ,mixed automatisms3--,incarnations4 ,i will remark1 first of all1 that the word automatism1 borrowed from ,myer's terminology1 is not strictly correct4 ,in reality1 we can only speak of automatism when we are in presence of mechanical acts1 excluding intervention of the will4 ,now this is not the case with the acts in question2 these acts1 which appear to be automatic if they are looked at solely from the point of view of the personal consciousness1 are in reality due to some sort of consciousness1 parasitic or non-parasitic1 and offer the characteristic features of voluntary acts4 ,these reserves made1 ,i will continue1 for want of better1 to use the word consecrated by custom4 #a4 ,simple muscular automatism4--,i designate thus those acts which require no association of complicated movements1 such as the movements of writing and language exact4 ,the simplest way of provoking this automatism is in the ordinary spiritistic process of typtology4 ,the experimenters sit down round a table1 and lay their hands lightly on it4 ,sooner or later the table trembles1 sways about from side to side1 sometimes turns round1 but more often raises one of its feet and strikes the ground with it4 ,a code of signals is arranged to express #8yes1' #8no1' #8doubtful'--e4g4 three1 two1 and four3--the manner in which the alphabet is to be pointed out is also agreed upon1 either the table will strike the number of the letter's rank1 for example1 one for ,a1 three for ,c1 #ae for ,o1 #bj for ,t1 etc41 or it will strike the floor when the letter desired is pronounced4 ,i rank this phenomenon with automatisms because1 nearly always1 it has appeared to me to be due to involuntary1 or unconscious movements4 ,i do not like this kind of experiment2 it does not carry conviction4 ,gasparian1 and after him1 ,chevreul have given the correct interpretation of it4 ,it is interesting only when the communications obtained reveal facts1 apparently unknown to the experimenters4 ,then the phenomenon is no longer explicable by simple automatic action3 the muscular movement is determined by the impersonal consciousness of the sitters or the medium1 and becomes the manner of transmitting the message addressed by the impersonal consciousness to the personal consciousness4 ,in fact1 we conceive that1 if what ,i said concerning parakinesis be correct1 the movements of the table may be sometimes parakinetic4 ,i have been present at many seances for typtology1 but ,i have never verified interesting facts1 except the one ,i related concerning ,touton la ,pipe4 ,when the experiments are conducted under the conditions which ,i consider indispensable1 ,i am careful not to encourage typtological manifestations4 ,there exists other means of inducing simple muscular automatism4 ,the best are instruments after the style of the psychograph4 ,the alphabet1 numbers1 and the words #8yes1' #8no1' #8,i do not know1' are written on a dial in the centre of which a needle is placed4 ,the displacements of this index hand indicate the letters1 numbers1 etc41 like the needle of the dial of a ,brguet telegraph4 ,these dials are made of different sizes1 and of different materials4 ,it is best1 however1 to construct them in the following manner3--take a square piece of white wood1 non-resinous1 from seventeen to twenty inches broad4 ,trace thereon a circumference of seven to nine inches in diameter1 and write around it the letters of the alphabet1 numbers1 the words1 #8yes1' #8no1' #8,i do not know1' and any other desired indications4 ,place in the centre of the circle a bone or ivory pivot1 the axis round which the needle will turn4 ,make the needle of wood1 giving it enough thickness and solidity for the hands to be able to rest on it4 ,it is not necessary to give much mobility to the needle if the hands are to rest on it2 in this case1 it will suffice to pierce a hole in it1 through which the pivot may pass4#ac #ac ,articles of this nature may be found at ,leymarie's1 #db ,rue ,saint-,jacques1 ,paris2 and at the office of ,light1 #aaj ,st4 ,martin's ,lane1 ,london4 ,i have been told of cases where the needle moved of its own accord2 but ,i have not personally verified this fact4 ,if movements of the needle without contact be desired1 it would be well to give a more perfect suspension to the needle3 this may be accomplished by supporting it on small movable rollers1 like those on the planchettes used for automatic writing4 ,i have rarely experimented with psychographs1 for the same reasons which made me shun typtology4 ,i will say the same thing of another kind of apparatus3 the ouija1 made in ,england4 ,it is a board on which the alphabet and other signs are written4 ,a small movable planchette supported on three or four feet is placed on the board2 the sitters put their hands on the planchette which points out the letters1 etc41 with one of its feet1 a process which is irksome1 to say the least of it4 ,there are yet other means for inducing muscular automatism4 ,i will point out1 as an example1 the very ancient method of divination by the ring4 ,a metal1 or better still an ivory ring1 is suspended to a hair or silken thread4 ,the end of the hair or thread is held in the fingers2 the ring is held1 thus suspended1 in the centre of a small circle of three or four inches in diameter on which the alphabet is written4 ,at the end of a certain time1 the ring sways about1 then strikes the letters1 sometimes spelling out words4 ,by placing the ring in a glass1 it will strike against it1 giving indications in this way4 ,i have only used this method once or twice1 for it seemed to me to present very little interest4 ,this is in reality ,chevreul's exploring pendulum4 #b4 ,automatic script4--,automatic writing is1 ,i think1 one of the most interesting of all phenomena2 ,i have no need to bring to mind the important studies which ,myers1 ,hodgson1 ,hyslop1 ,sidgwick1 and others have made on this phenomena4 ,i have been able to make some observations of great interest1 but the limits of this book do not permit me to give a detailed report of them4 ,the thorough examination ,i made of one particular case of automatic writing--a rather rudimentary case1 it is true--clearly revealed to me the play of the unconscious souvenirs of the medium4 ,the methods for obtaining automatic writing are numerous4 ,we can even make a table write by fixing a pencil to one of its feet2 the same with a hat or basket1 etc4 ,more perfect methods exist1 of which the following are the best3-- ,first of all the planchette2 an instrument in the shape of an oval piece of wood1 resting on three movable tiny ivory rollers1 with a small copper setting at one end1 in which a lead-pencil may be screwed4 ,with the planchette two or three persons may write at the same time4 ,another equally good method is the following3 ,fix two1 three or four handles on to a large wooden ball1 of about seven inches in diameter4 ,fix the pencil in a hole bored through the ball1 each handle of which is held by an experimenter4 ,place a sheet of paper underneath the pencil1 the latter will then often move and write words and phrases4 ,finally1 the best method of all is to write naturally1 without any instrument at all4 ,the sensitive sits down with a pencil1 as though to write1 and waits4 ,whatever the method adopted may be1 it is seldom that automatic writing is manifested at the outset4 ,generally one or several seances are passed in illegible scribblings1 in making strokes1 zigzags1 in endless repetitions of the same letter4 ,but we must not be discouraged2 on the contrary1 we must continue experimenting for a certain time1 before concluding to the impossibility of success4 ,whether we be trying to obtain collective or ordinary automatic writing1 it is a good plan to consecrate ten or fifteen minutes every day1 always at the same hour1 to these trials4 ,the phenomenon takes a long time to evolve1 and people1 who have obtained most curious results with automatic writing1 have passed months in developing their faculty4 ,as ,i said before1 ,i have chiefly directed my experiments towards the observation of movements without contact2 therefore1 ,i have not sought very assiduously to obtain automatic writing with my mediums4 ,the greater number of cases ,i have observed offer little interest1 if we compare them to the curious visual hallucinations which ,i related a little while ago4 ,i will make an exception though for one which ,i am in the act of studying1 and which makes me conceive some hopes1 the sensitive having written in ,english1 a language which ,i am positive he does not know4 ,this medium1 like many ,i have met with1 submits grudgingly to these experiments1 and has not yet consented to sit regularly for automatic writing4 ,i hope ,i may succeed in persuading him to do so4 ,though my observations present very little relative interest1 ,i will give some examples of the results ,i have obtained personally4 ,i will give them simply as indications1 for1 none of the facts ,i have observed present1 so far1 any real interest1 except the one ,i was able to analyse1 and even this contains nothing of a transcendental nature4 ,i myself have often tried to write with the planchette4 ,i obtained words and incoherent phrases1 all extremely commonplace4 ,i wrote alone or with others2 alone1 ,i obtained it with the left as well as with the right hand4 ,the left hand sometimes gives mirror-writing1 ,spiegelschrift2 with the planchette1 the left hand generally writes in the usual manner from left to right4 ,one point to be noted with planchette-writing1 is the dissociation of the graphic elements4 ,the letters are as a rule fairly large1 varying from an eighth of an inch to nearly an inch4 ,it is chiefly in capital letters we find the dissociation curious4 ,the characteristics of my hand-writing are not altered4 ,i will add that this manifestation does not present much interest1 for ,i am perfectly conscious of what ,i write when alone1 and when ,i write with another person1 the movements of the planchette indicate to me what letters are being formed4 ,with the ball and handles1 of which ,i gave a description1 ,i once observed a curious fact4 ,i was experimenting with a lady and her husband2 the former is a medium whose faculties are above the average4 ,the writing announced the reception of a letter from ,hendaye on the morrow4 ,the letter came2 but to demonstrate the premonitory feature of this fact1 ,i have only the affirmation of my co-experimenters1 and although they are people of unimpeachable probity1 their affirmation alone would be insufficient to establish the reality of the premonition in a positive manner4 ,therefore1 ,i only give it as a specimen of the facts which may be obtained with automatic writing4 ,i have often observed ordinary writing1 but ,i have never obtained a veridic paranormal fact in this way4 ,i have1 as ,i said1 studied a case of semi-automatic writing1 and was able to analyse its psychological features thoroughly4 ,the writer was what spiritualists call an intuitive medium1 that is to say1 he was conscious of what he wrote4 ,he was thirty-five years of age1 and had never indulged in spiritistic practices before1 though he knew the literature1 especially ,allan ,kardac's works4 ,at the time the phenomenon manifested itself with him1 he was mentally overdone through excess of brain work4 ,he occupied an important official position4 ,apparently he has no nervous defect1 and1 except for frequent headaches1 his health is good4 ,i have not been able to study his reflex movements1 nor examine him from a somatic point of view4 ,he commenced writing with the planchette2 he had a sensation of being guided1 but knew what he wrote and what he was going to write4 ,there was1 therefore1 a beginning of dissociation between the mental images1 properly so called1 and their motor action4 ,this fact should be noted1 because it seems to me to have an interesting signification1 in so far as it demonstrates that the ideomotor image is not simple1 but has complex elements1 and1 notably1 that elements which are purely ideal and motor elements can become dissociated4 ,in the example cited1 the sensitive was fully conscious of the ideas which were formed in1 or which presented themselves to1 his consciousness4 ,on the contrary1 he was not fully conscious of the movements his hand made4 ,the stereognostic perception and the muscular sense were intact2 only the consciousness of the origin of the accomplished movement was obscure2 therefore1 it was only the sphere of voluntary motor power in the personal consciousness which was touched4 ,the first manifestations of pseudo-automatic writing claimed to emanate from a deceased relation4 ,this relation was quite disposed to communicate facts known to the sensitive1 but manifested very little eagerness to answer questions which the sensitive's consciousness could not answer4 ,invited to justify his identity1 the personality showed itself incapable of giving the slightest proof4 ,meanwhile1 the sensitive tried ordinary writing1 and obtained it4 ,it presented the same features as planchette-writing4 ,a new personification came and assisted the deceased relation--he was nothing less than a ,mahatma from ,india6 ,at this time the sensitive was reading the works of ,madame ,blavatsky and ,mr4 ,sinnett1 especially the latter's ,occult ,world4 ,the communications were signed ,hymaladar4 ,this ,mahatma presented nothing of transcendental interest1 and was lavish with his promises4 ,he declared he was ready to undertake the exoteric education of the sensitive1 who1 in his navet1 yielded to the ,mahatma's advice4 ,the ,mahatma promised to transport him actually over to ,india1 to precipitate letters1 etc4 ,the promises were never fulfilled4 ,other personifications manifested2 the sensitive tried to obtain some proofs of identity1 but without success4 ,on the other hand the personifications were verbose on general topics1 and gave proof of a lively imagination4 ,here are some specimens of their style and ideas4 ,a guide1 signing himself ,memnon1 expressed the following opinion upon a certain mystic book3-- #8444 ,do not allow yourself to be led away by its descriptions3 they apply to all those who1 in no matter what religion1 devote themselves to a contemplative life1 which is1 assuredly1 a blessing1 but one which must be won by patience and effort4 ,when the duties common to every man born of the flesh have been fulfilled1 abstention from the imperious duty of procreation can1 and really does1 favour the faculty for projection of the soul1 and renders ecstasy easier2 but not only is such a development artificial1 it is also reprehensible to arrive at that contemplative life1 without having founded a family in compliance with the imprescriptible law of nature4 ,herein lies the original vice of all religious communities which offend creation's views2 it would suffice to generalise the doctrine to discover its falseness immediately4 ,man has physical as well as moral duties to accomplish3 he is composed of a body and a soul2 he is culpable when he subordinates one of his composing parts to the other4 ,the senses have no more the right to command the body than the soul has of making the body suffer in its physical functions4 ,the suppression of any natural function is criminal1 and every religious order does this4 ,this is their capital error4 ,he who has raised children and satisfied the physical evolution1 he alone has the right to withdraw from the world1 to lead a contemplative life1 when the body1 worn out by old age1 has finished its active rle here below4 ,it is only then that preparation is useful4' ,the pencil was verbose every time general subjects were broached4 ,whenever the sensitive pressed the personification on some given point1 the latter was silent--he disappeared4 ,the questions were written as well as the replies4 ,there are some amusing conversations1 where the #8spirit' plays a rle other than that of simple interlocutor4 ,by way of specimen1 ,i note the following dialogue3-- ,q4 ,do you see me8 ,a4 ,yes1 but badly2 we do not see matter clearly2 a long apprenticeship is necessary1 and we have not been working long with matter4 ,q4 ,is it long since you left your sphere8 ,a4 ,eight years4 ,q4 ,who are you8 ,a4 ,monsieur ,a4 ,q4 ,and8 ,a4 ,and ,mamie ,beaupuyat4 ,q4 ,you have known me8 ,a4 ,yes1 ,i was one of your college friends4 ,q4 ,where8 ,a4 ,at ,n4 ,q4 ,what college8 ,a4 ,z4 ,college4 ,q4 ,will you write your name again8 ,a4 ,maurice ,b4 7here the name of a street74 ,q4 ,i do not remember having known you my friend4 ,remark this1 you have given me two different names1 ,beaupuyat and ,b4 ,a4 ,many details are forgotten in ,paradise 7sic74 ,q4 ,ah6 strange ambassador6 ,you come to see me without letters of credit6 ,a4 ,good-bye4 ,q4 ,good-night4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the subconscious excuse for the contradiction pointed out is not wanting in humour4 ,here is another example3-- ,q4 ,are my guides here8 ,a4 ,we are always at hand to help you1 always4 ,q4 ,will you show yourselves to me8 ,a4 ,ought you to ask us for anything before giving us tokens8 99 99 99 99 99 ,q4 ,is it ,x4 who is influencing me8 ,a4 ,yes4 ,q4 ,but he is dead8 ,a4 ,yes4 ,q4 ,but you forbid me to evoke the dead8 ,a4 ,we are the spirits of dead people4 ,q4 ,but you told me you were ,mahatmas8 ,a4 ,we are ,mahatmas1 but ,mahatmas are not living4 ,q4 ,is it again a trick of my subliminal8 ,a4 ,yes1 your subliminal is the will4 ,q4 ,yes1 it is true1 but the will is chiefly superliminal4 ,a4 ,you are right4 ,q4 ,why do you always make fun of me8 ,a4 ,we do so to please the ,lord4 ,q4 ,this is cruel4 ,i am in earnest1 and your lord1 if he be just1 will punish you severely for your farces4 ,a4 ,yes1 he will give us the whip4 ,q4 ,i do not like this joking1 leave me4 ,a4 ,always 444 7illegible74 ,q4 ,what8 ,a4 ,magician4 ,q4 ,am ,i a magician8 ,a4 ,yes4 ,q4 ,i did not know it4 ,a4 ,always do good1 and you will be happy4 ,q4 ,happiness is not so easy to obtain4 ,a4 ,good-bye4 ,q4 ,who are you8 ,a4 ,a friend4 99 99 99 99 99 ,this is simply nonsense4 ,i have quoted these three examples in order to show the growing analogy found therein with the delirium of dream4 ,it is scarcely visible in the first quotation1 which is coherent1 logical and of fairly elegant form4 ,but the ideas which are expressed have their sources in subconscious souvenirs3 they will be found in ,spirit ,teachings1 ,higher ,aspects of ,spiritualism1 ,occult ,world1 and ,esoteric ,buddhism4 ,the second quotation reveals decided oneiroscopic associations4 ,the name ,beaupuyat awakens no souvenir2 the name of a street having nearly the same assonance is then substituted for it2 this is an illogical association1 formed by phonetic elements4 ,the explanation of the contradiction between the names given successively is very illogical1 but it is what might be called #8a good hit4' ,this is one of our ways of reasoning with ourselves in dreams4 ,the third quotation shows a still more marked degree of incoherence4 ,the first replies are attempts at conciliation of contradictions impossible to do away with3 they are affirmations which are but echoes of the questions asked4 ,i do not quite understand the association between subliminal and will2 but the emergence of the idea of will gives place to a curious phenomenon3 the evolution of a parasitical association of ideas bringing to mind the psychological phenomenon which ,a4 ,pick describes under the name of ,vorbeidenken4 ,we have non-expressed stages1 from will to #8,god's will1' words which are often associated together in religious language3 #8to do the will of ,god1 to be agreeable to ,god4' ,the incoherent reply1 which consists in saying that the ,mahatmas make fun of the subject in order to be agreeable to ,god1 is then the last link of a chain of latent associations2 this last link is the only one shown4 ,also1 the incongruous idea of beings who call themselves spirits and wise men1 and declare they must be whipped1 is the result of an evident association between the idea of being severe consciously expressed1 and the idea of severity1 chastisement1 whip1 average latent terms4 ,the psychological analysis1 therefore1 reveals to us mental processes which are known and classed4 ,it shows us1 that the dream character of subconscious messages does not differ from that observed in the mental operations of the consciousness1 as soon as the latter's personal and voluntary activity becomes weakened or gradually gives place to spontaneous ideation4 ,i think the three examples ,i have chosen show this progressive debilitation very well1 and also the corresponding accentuation of the characteristics of dream in the messages obtained4 ,the case ,i examined is at the limit of paranormal facts1 but the inquisitive reader has at his disposal the weighty analysis of the transcendental cases published in the ,proceedings of the ,society for ,psychical ,research1 epitomised by ,m4 ,sage in his book ,mrs4 ,piper et la ,socit ,anglo-,amricaine des ,recherches ,psychiques1 to verify the accuracy of my conclusion1 viz4 that the mental processes in simple cases1 as well as in the more complex cases1 are identical4 ,i return to the case observed by me4 ,the obstinacy of even the best and most moral of these personalities in refusing to expose themselves to any control whatsoever1 the falsehoods they were imprudent enough to overlook1 and the critical attitude of mind of the sensitive himself1 awakened a spirit of distrust in the latter4 ,he began to observe himself1 and the first result of his observation of the conditions under which the writing was produced1 was the gradual disappearance of the sensation of impulse which he had felt3 his pencil1 he told me1 had seemed to follow a magnet4 ,as this sensation weakened and disappeared1 so the personifications affected to be either grievously pained1 or cold and dignified1 or frankly insolent2 they all deplored the sensitive's incredulity4 ,the relation bade him adieu and appeared no more2 ,hymaladar himself ceased to be interested in his chela4 ,the sensitive soon saw the futility of his efforts1 and the writing ceased completely to present the peculiarity it had offered during several weeks4 ,this case is instructive1 because it is on the borderline between conscious and unconscious phenomena4 ,thanks to the clear and complete indications on the part of the sensitive1 ,i was able to reconstitute the genesis of every personality4 ,that of the relation is easily explained1 but ,hymaladar was more rebellious to analysis4 ,upon investigation it appeared to me to be the synthesis of the words ,hymalaya and ,damodar4 ,the one1 which quite naturally evokes the thought of ,india1 is the dwelling-place of the sages who1 it appears1 preside in a very secret manner at the evolution of the theosophical movement2 the disciple or chela of one of them was the guru1 the master of ,madame ,blavatsky4 ,his name was ,damodar4 ,the associated ideas--,blavatsky1 ,india1 ,hymalaya1 ,damodar--lead up to the word ,hymala 7ya ,damo7 dar2 the genesis of the word is thus quite comprehensible4 ,at present ,i am observing a more complex case1 in which paranormal phenomena accompany automatic writing4 ,the sensitive1 who is in the act of developing his medianity1 unfortunately gives himself up rather unwillingly to observation4 ,he does not know ,english1 yet he has automatically written certain phrases in ,english4 ,however1 we must not conclude therefrom1 that these messages are of transcendental origin4 ,this sensitive is a well-educated person1 and most probably ,english words and phrases have fallen under his eyes from time to time2 thus the irruption of ,english in messages he obtains may be explained by the emergence of subconscious souvenirs4 ,the tenor of the messages is still vague2 the writing is often difficult to read2 no precise fact capable of being analysed and verified has so far been given4 ,it appears to me useless1 in these circumstances1 to give examples of these messages1 but ,i will point out an interesting peculiarity which ,i have observed only with this sensitive4 ,this is the concomitancy of raps and automatic writing4 ,i have most carefully studied these raps2 they appear to me to occur on a level with the point of the pencil4 ,the phenomenon is forthcoming in broad daylight1 and under excellent conditions of observation4 ,an attentive examination shows that the point of the pencil does not leave the paper4 ,the raps are forthcoming even when ,i put my finger on the upper end of the pencil1 and when ,i press the point on the paper4 ,the pencil vibrates1 but it is not displaced4 ,as these raps are very sonorous1 ,i have calculated that it would be necessary to give rather a strong knock in order to reproduce them artificially3 the necessary movement would require raising the pencil from the twentieth to the eighth of an inch1 according to the intensity of the raps4 ,now1 the pencil does not appear to be displaced4 ,further1 when the writing runs quickly the raps succeed one another with great rapidity1 and the close examination of the writing reveals no stops2 the text is unbroken1 no trace of pencil dots is perceptible1 there is no thickening of the characters4 ,the conditions of observation appear to me to exclude the possibility of a trick4 ,i will add that during this automatic writing the arm and hand of the sensitive are in a state of ansthesia4 #c4 ,phonetic and mixed automatisms4 ,i combine these two categories of automatisms because the automatism is seldom purely phonetic4 ,the sensitive makes gestures appropriate to the personage he represents1 and the automatism is complicated2 the muscles which regulate the emission of the voice are not the only ones in activity4 ,this kind of automatism is very easy to observe4 ,it is the basis of ordinary spiritistic seances2 it is called #8incarnation' or #8control1' and the sensitive1 who produces this kind of phenomena1 is called a #8trance medium4' ,its necessary condition is the trance or somnambulistic state4 ,the sensitive falls asleep spontaneously1 or is put to sleep artificially by passes4 ,after a certain time1 more or less long1 and after diverse movements1 the most usual of which seem to be muscular contractions of the face and pharynx1 the sensitive enters into somnambulism and passes into the secondary state4 ,some subjects fall asleep very quickly4 ,it is not a rare thing in spiritistic seances1 for two or three persons to enter into a state of somnambulism at the same time4 ,the perfection of the sensitive's acting1 when personifying diverse individualities1 is most striking when they have known the persons they are imitating4 ,observation is extremely interesting4 ,in spiritistic seances these personalities1 naturally1 always represent spirits4 ,i have seen nothing in this order of phenomenon which appeared to me worth noting4 ,everything is easily explained by the play of impersonal memory and by imitation4 ,many transcendental facts have been related to me3 personally ,i have observed none4 ,but ,i have very rarely tried to provoke trance phenomena4 ,they do not present the same interest to me as physical phenomena do4 ,the most interesting ,i have seen1 were given me by ,madame ,agullana1 in private seances4 ,this sensitive's most curious personality is that of a doctor1 who died about eighty or a hundred years ago3 he has always refused to give any information concerning his identity2 the reason he advances for maintaining his incognito--the existence of his family1 members of whom are living in the south of ,france--does not satisfy me2 ,i imagine he is withholding the best4 ,his medical language is archaic4 ,he calls plants by their ancient medical names2 his diagnosis1 accompanied with extra-ordinary explanations1 is generally correct1 but the description of the internal symptoms which he perceives is such as would astound a doctor of the twentieth century4 ,matters1 fluids1 molecules1 dance a strange saraband4 ,nevertheless1 my colleague from beyond the tomb--not at all loquacious1 by the way--retains a serenity1 which is proof against everything1 and humbly recognises that there are many things he does not know4 ,during the ten years ,i have been observing him1 he has not changed1 and presents a logical continuity which is most striking4 ,persons1 who are not au courant with the features of secondary personalities1 might easily be deceived and believe in his objective reality4 ,be he what he says he is1 or be he what ,i suspect him to be1 that is to say1 one of the sensitive's secondary personalities1 my confrre ,hippolytus is an interesting interlocutor1 and1 with his conversation1 one could write a work on clinical medicine which would be rather out of the common4 ,this is not the place to study him1 for his examination only raises problems of psychological interest4 ,in these phenomena of mixed automatism1 of #8incarnation1' we observe the complete development of personifications4 ,these personifications are the feature common to all psychical phenomena4 ,raps claim to emanate from a given personality1 paranormal movements have the same pretension1 automatic script assures us of a like origin3 #8incarnation' or #8control' puts forth the claim of being the personality himself1 in full possession of the sensitive's body1 directing and using it as he pleases4 ,the problem which these personifications set before us is1 perhaps1 the most interesting of all those which are to be met with1 in the kind of study to which this book is consecrated4 ,i have pointed out1 that the general feature of these personifications is to present themselves as living--or more usually deceased human beings4 ,my observations do not tend to make me think that this claim is well founded4 ,it does not come within the scheme of my work to analyse the different hypotheses1 which have been emitted by the different mystic schools4 ,occultists profess to see astral shells1 in these personifications1 debris--still organised--of the body's astral double1 which the superior principles have abandoned4 ,theosophists have about the same theory1 designating these debris by the name of elementals4 ,spiritists attribute their phenomena to the spirits of the dead4 ,roman ,catholics see the intervention of the devil therein1 while the greater number of savants only see fraud or chimera4 ,all these opinions are too absolute4 ,there is1 certainly1 something2 but ,i think this something is neither spirit1 shell1 elemental nor demon4 ,it is not my province to formulate in detail my theory3 properly speaking1 ,i have not any4 ,i observe without bias of any kind1 and the only indication ,i can give is the following3--in almost every case ,i have studied1 ,i believe ,i recognised the mentality of the medium and the sitters in the personification4 ,it is true1 there are certain cases which ,i cannot explain in this way2 but the spirit hypothesis explains them still less satisfactorily4 ,we must continue seeking4 ,the examples ,i have given of intellectual phenomena show that in every case of which ,i have been able to make a thorough analysis1 we discover the action of the impersonal consciousness4 ,this explains itself naturally1 since the personal and voluntary consciousness excludes by definition the co-existence of a second personality4 ,nevertheless1 this is not absolutely true4 ,the medium1 of whom ,i have already spoken1 he who produces raps when writing1 writes automatically while he speaks1 in quite a natural way1 of other things4 ,in fact1 he only writes well when his attention is drawn away from his hand4 ,as soon as he is conscious of the movement1 the writing ceases4 ,things happen with him1 as though the normal consciousness lost all contact with the motor centres of the arm and hand4 ,a special consciousness appears to be developed in these centres4 ,,the ,,psychology ,,of ,,automatism ,the difficulty1 which is raised by the interpretation of facts of the kind exposed above1 is considerable4 ,it is to be remembered1 that the sensitive of whom ,i have just spoken1 does not appear to suffer any diminution of his normal personality2 he converses with facility1 his normal personal souvenirs and his intelligence remain intact4 ,his arm and hand alone1 especially the latter1 are withdrawn from consciousness1 and this in the sensitive as well as in the motor spheres4 ,janet sees in these facts psychological disaggregation1 and in many cases his explication is the correct one4 ,but it cannot be applied to the case ,i am speaking of1 for no diminution in the memory1 intelligence or mental activity is perceptible4 ,however1 ,janet seems to have only seen one of the phases of these curious phenomena4 ,i attach so much importance to the establishing of the point de fait that1 before all analysis thereof1 ,i desire to state it precisely1 successively with the discussion4 ,the first circumstance of fact which observation of the case ,i am examining reveals1 is the one ,i have just pointed out3 an apparent dissociation of the normal personality1 from the cenesthesic consciousness of which a portion of the body is withdrawn4 ,the second circumstance is the relative knowledge of ,english--with correct orthography excepting one mistake only--which is shown by the apparently self-governed limb4 ,note also that ,i feel sure that this knowledge of ,english is probably subconscious1 and that ,i have supposed1 although this has not been proved1 that the writer has now and then come across a few ,english sentences1 containing the phrases written by him4 ,these two circumstances are1 for me1 observed facts4 ,from these facts there results a third fact1 the consequence of the first two3 the consciousness1 which directs the limb withdrawn from the personality1 appears to have more considerable resources--at least from a memory point of view--than the normal consciousness4 ,if it be correct to speak of apparent disaggregation in that which concerns the conscious normal personality1 it seems to me that this expression ceases to represent the facts1 as soon as it can be demonstrated1 that the consciousness manifested by the automatism is more extensive than the normal consciousness4 ,if we are to attach a precise meaning to language--and ,janet's language is so clear and simple that we may not accuse this elegant and remarkable writer of want of precision--the idea of disaggregation implies the division of the personal consciousness into elementary parts1 according to definition1 lesser than the whole4 ,this phenomenon is frequently observed1 e4g4 when automatic writing shows itself to be incapable of logical co-ordination1 of which ,i have given examples2 sometimes there is no trace of thought1 properly so called1 e4g4 when the sensitive confines himself to repeating sine die the same letter1 or traces nothing but lines1 and strokes1 etc4 ,but can we consider the case as one of veritable disaggregation where the hand1 withdrawn from normal consciousness1 appears to dispose of a greater mass of souvenirs than the normal consciousness does8 ,janet himself has verified the fact1 and gives some examples of it in his work1 ,nvroses et ides fixes1 vol i4 ,after that1 is it not contradictory to say 7,automatisme psychologique1 p4 #deb73 #8,the result of our studies has been to bring back the diverse phenomena of automatism to their essential conditions--most of these phenomena depend upon a state of ansthesia or abstraction4 ,this state is connected with the narrowing of the field of consciousness1 and this narrowing itself is due to the feebleness of synthesis and the disaggregation of the mental compound into diverse groups smaller than they should normally be4 ,these diverse points are easy to verify2 the state of abstraction1 incoherence1 of disaggregation1 in a word1 of suggestible individuals has often been pointed out4' ,how can a group1 smaller than the mental compound of which it forms one of the parts1 be more considerable than that compound8 ,how can a part be greater than its whole8 ,this is1 nevertheless1 a fact easily verifiable in the domain of memory and sometimes in that of intelligence4 ,janet's theory explains only some of the observable facts2 it is only partially true4 ,it suffices to compare the quotation ,i have just given with what he says in his work1 ,nvroses et ides fixes1 vol4 i4 p4 #acg3 #8,the souvenir even in somnambulism only exists if the patient be oblivious to everything and replies automatically to questions1 by the mechanical association of ideas without reflection1 without the personal perception of what he is doing4 #8444 ,the souvenir1 in a word1 is only manifested unknown to the person3 it disappears when the person has to speak or write in his own name1 conscious of what he is doing4' ,for ,janet this is the sign of mental disaggregation4 ,the quotations ,i have just given define sharply ,janet's opinion1 and show up his mistake and his contradiction4 ,that which becomes disaggregated is the personality1 the personal consciousness4 ,but it does not become resolved into groups smaller than they ought normally to be1 since these groups often show themselves to be more comprehensive than the mental compound4 ,it is1 therefore1 illogical to consider them as a part which has become dissociated from the whole4 ,i have already had occasion to express my manner of thinking in other writings3 nevertheless1 perhaps ,i may be permitted to indicate the direction which psychological interpretation should take in order to avoid an encounter with facts4 ,the personal consciousness is only one of the modalities of the general consciousness4 ,clinical observation reveals that1 in a great many cases1 it has been proved1 that the souvenirs stored up in the general consciousness are infinitely more numerous1 than those which the personal consciousness has at its free disposition4 ,myers has expressed these ideas most happily in the following words 7#8,the ,subliminal ,consciousness1' ,proceedings1 ,s4 ,p4 ,r41 vii4 p4 #cja73-- #8,i suggest1 then1 that the stream of consciousness in which we habitually live is not the only consciousness which exists in connection with our organism4 ,our habitual or empirical consciousness may consist of a mere selection from a multitude of thoughts and sensations1 of which some at least are equally conscious with those that we empirically know4 ,i accord no primacy to my ordinary waking self1 except that among my potential selves this one has shown itself the fittest to meet the needs of common life4 ,i hold that it has established no further claim1 and that it is perfectly possible that other thoughts1 feelings1 and memories1 either isolated or in continuous connection1 may now be actively conscious1 as we say1 #8within me'--in some kind of co-ordination with my organism1 and forming some part of my total individuality4 ,i conceive it possible that at some future time1 and under changed conditions1 ,i may recollect all2 ,i may assume these various personalities under one single consciousness1 in which ultimate and complete consciousness the empirical consciousness which at this moment directs my hand may be only one element out of many4' ,he appears to me to be nearer the truth than ,janet is3 ,i do not know if we shall ever arrive at that complete consciousness which ,myers hopes for1 but it seems to me probable1 that our personal consciousness is only one element of our general consciousness4 ,this latter becomes concrete and definite1 but also grows less by becoming personal4 ,the apparent supremacy of the personal consciousness may be only an effect of the circumstances in which we are evolving2 if ,darwin's ideas are true1 we can understand that the necessities of life may have favoured the development of the active1 voluntary1 personal consciousness2 we can imagine other conditions--which the monastic life sometimes realises--where the active and voluntary phases of the general consciousness may be less evolved than its receptive and passive phases4 ,therefore1 the psychologist finds the study of hagiography teeming with information4 ,janet's disaggregation is but the weakening of the sentiment of the conscious and voluntary personal activity1 of what ,i called the sentiment of the personal participation in intercurrent psychological phenomena4 ,it is no veritable disaggregation2 it is a disappearance of one modality of the consciousness1 of one of its limited expressions1 so to speak4 ,however1 ,i recognise1 with ,janet1 that this mode of expression of the consciousness is the necessary basis of our activity in ordinary life1 and that it is legitimate to consider as invalids1 those persons in whom it is normally wanting4 ,but the fact itself of its disappearance has more the features of an integration than of a disintegration1 since upon an attentive examination1 the personal consciousness is revealed as a limitation and a special determination of the general consciousness of which it is1 in a way1 a dismemberment4 ,if ,i dared to use metaphysical language1 ,i would say that rational and voluntary activity is in reality a disaggregation2 personality is only a contingent and limited manifestation of the being1 or rather of individuality4 ,this latter1 to use the expression of an eminent philosopher1 would be superior to reason itself1 and of irrational essence1 an idea which contains the first principles of a new philosophy4 ,i make this incursion into metaphysics merely to show how narrow ,janet's theories are1 and what different consequences result from such a professional manner of thinking as his is1 and from a more general conception of that1 of which his manner of thinking only concerns one particular case4 ,the facts1 moreover1 condemn ,janet's theory4 ,i have too high an opinion of the distinguished man whose ideas ,i criticise1 but whose works ,i admire sincerely1 not to be convinced that he has only observed undeveloped subjects4 ,what demonstrates this in my eyes is his timid affirmation1 that #8nearly always 7,i do not say always in order not to prejudice an important question7 these mediums are neurotics1 when they are not downright hysterics4' ,it is difficult to discuss an opinion expressed with so much reserve1 and ,i can only commend him for his circumspection1 for my personal observations contradict his4 ,i have seen many mediums3 the best were not neurotics in the medical sense of the word4 ,the finest experiments ,i have made have been with persons appearing to present none of the stigm of hysteria4 ,up to the present ,janet seems to have operated with invalids only1 and ,i am not surprised1 therefore1 that he should assimilate the automatic phenomena of sensitives with those of his hysterical patients4 ,it would be surprising were it otherwise4 ,i am not going to defend spiritistic mediums2 they appear to me to present very poor interest--at least in ordinary seances--but my duty is to protest against the generality of the judgment which ,janet brings to bear upon automatic phenomena4 ,those facts1 which are worthy of careful observation1 differ essentially from those which ordinary hysterics present4 ,they indicate no misre psychologique--quite the contrary1 and ,i will state the reasons why4 ,the discussion1 in order to be clear1 must be divided3 #a4 ,the phenomena observable with good mediums are not those we observe in hysterical patients4 ,i said ,i had obtained raps and movements without contact under conditions of control1 which appeared to me to be convincing4 ,i added that ,i had obtained by raps1 or by the rappings of a table without contact1 words and phrases which were extremely coherent4 ,this is not quite the kind of phenomena to which hospital patients have accustomed us4 ,what does ,janet say on this point8 #8,the essential point of spiritism is indeed1 we believe1 the disaggregation of psychological phenomena1 and the formation beyond the personal perception of a second series of thoughts detached from the first4 ,as for the means which the second personality employs to manifest itself unknown to the first--movements of tables1 automatic writing or speaking1 etc4444--this is a secondary question 7sic74 ,where do those sounds come from which are heard on tables and walls in answer to questions8 ,is it from a movement of the toes1 of that contraction of the tendon supposed by ,jobert de ,lamballe4448 ,is it from a contraction of the stomach and from a veritable ventriloquism as ,gros4 ,jean supposes1 or from some other physical action yet unknown8 ,are they produced by the automatic movements of the medium himself1 or1 indeed1 as appears to me most likely in some cases1 in the obscurity demanded by the spirits767 by the subconscious actions of one of the assistants1 who deceives others and himself at the same time1 and who becomes an accomplice without knowing it8 ,it does not matter very much4' ,that is not my opinion4 ,i think1 on the contrary1 it matters a great deal4 ,i am positive that every sincere and patient experimenter will observe1 as ,i have done1 in broad daylight1 and not in obscurity1 sounds and movements which will not appear to be explicable by any known cause4 ,those who1 like myself1 have verified these facts1 will not dream of attributing them to unconscious or involuntary movements1 to the cracking of a tendon1 to ventriloquism4 ,the cases observed by me will not admit of this explanation4 ,things happen as though some force or other were produced by the medium and the assistants1 and could act beyond the limits of the body4 ,if this fact be correct1 can we consider it as secondary and without importance8 ,on the contrary1 does it not open to the psychology of the future the road of direct observation and experimentation1 if1 as ,i have tried to show1 this force preserves certain relations with our general consciousness8 ,does this not make one think of those words of ,proclus when speaking of souls3-- 1 4 ,souls have a third force inherent to their essence1 that of moving things which by their very nature are put into movement by an energy foreign to themselves4 ,has not ,janet a singular way of reasoning8 ,he makes a reserve on the existence of another #8physical action yet unknown1' but quickly forgets it1 and reasons as though that action were perfectly well known4 #8,that action1 whatever it may be1 is always an involuntary and unconscious action of some one or other3 the involuntary word from the intestines767 is not more miraculous than is the involuntary word from the mouth2 it is the psychological side of the problem which is the most interesting1 and which ought to be the most studied4' ,i am sure that those of my readers1 whose patience has not been too severely tested by my long analysis of facts observed1 will not consider my distinguished colleague's conclusion as acceptable4 ,the most interesting side of the phenomenon is1 ,i think1 the one which reveals to us an apparently new mode of action of the nervous influx upon matter4 #b4 ,these phenomena1 again1 are not the indication of a misre psychologique1 as ,janet thinks4 ,let us discuss the cases observed by me4 ,to follow my reasoning1 it will be necessary to be familiar with the works of ,gurney1 ,podmore1 ,sidgwick1 ,myers1 ,barrett1 ,hodgson1 ,lodge1 ,hyslop1 du ,prel1 ,perty1 ,hellenbach1 ,aksakow1 ,richet1 de ,rochas4 ,to-day1 it is no longer possible to shun the work of such savants1 7when dealing with a question of such a nature as that which engrossed ,janet7 by simply saying as he did #8that he had not had occasion to read the ,philosophie der ,mystik of a man like du ,prel4' ,he should have read that book 444 and many more4 ,it seems to me to be now quite an established fact1 that the impersonal consciousness is capable of perceiving accurate impressions independently of the senses4 ,it translates these impressions in diverse ways in order to transmit them to the personal consciousness1 but these translations are concrete and symbolical4 ,it is a hallucination visual1 auditory1 or tactile4 ,the form of subliminal messages1 to use one of ,myers' expressions1 is always the same1 be the fact thus transmitted true or false1 be it a reminiscence or a premonition4 ,this is already a psychological ascertainment of great importance1 for it puts us on the road we must follow1 in order to discover the mental process of this psychological phenomenon4 ,but there is something else4 ,the hysteric who automatically simulates a drunkard1 a general1 a child1 offers us a very different spectacle to the one offered us by the sensitive who telepathically sees an event happening afar off1 or who predicts the future1 or reveals facts unknown to himself and the assistants4 ,there are thousands of examples of these facts2 ,i have given a few which were observed by myself or related to me first-hand4 ,is it possible to consider this extraordinary faculty as a #8disaggregation'8 ,is it possible to class phenomena of this kind with the commonplace phenomena of somnambulism and #8incarnation1' the only ones ,janet has observed8 ,it suffices to put the question to receive the answer immediately4 ,the psychological mechanism of these facts1 so unlike one to the other1 is probably the same1 but the cause of the apparent automatism1 motor or sensory1 is certainly not the same4 ,the sensitive1 of whom ,i spoke1 who sees in the mirror twenty-four hours beforehand1 the very scenes she actually sees the next day1 presents to us a phenomenon of considerable importance4 ,it intimates that time and space are forms of the personal thought and consciousness1 but that probably they have not the same signification for the impersonal consciousness4 ,it is a phenomenon which1 if it be true1 demonstrates experimentally that ,kant's theory upon the contingency of these #8categories' necessary to all conscious and personal perception is exact4 ,i am quite aware of the nature of the reply ,i shall meet with3 my observations have been defective2 and all those who before me affirmed the existence of the same facts were also deceived4 ,this simplifies the discussion4 ,the history of science offers us many an example of the manner in which facts are received1 when they contradict current ideas4 ,kant said more than a hundred years ago1 in his ,trame eines ,geistersehers1 #a1 i43 #8,das methodische ,geschwtz der hohen ,schulen ist oftmals nur ein ,einverstndniss durch vernderliche ,wortbedeutungen eine schwer zu lsenden ,frage auszuweichen1 weil das bequeme und mehrentheils vernnftige1 8,ich weiss nicht10 auf ,akademien nicht leichtlich gehrt wird4'#ad #ad ,the methodical idle prattle of the high schools is often only an understanding to elude1 by words of variable acceptation1 a question difficult of solution1 for we do not often hear in academies such convenient and ordinarily intelligent words as #8,i do not know4' ,the discussion on ,janet recalled to my mind these words of ,kant's4 ,his expression1 misre psychologique is one of those words of double meaning1 true1 if we consider only a part of the facts and one aspect only of the phenomenon1 that which concerns the personal consciousness2 inexact1 if we study the facts in their totality and the phenomenon they reveal in its generality4 ,the being who would be capable of perceiving at a distance1 by looking into space and into time1 would have faculties superior to the normal2 he would not be the inferior being imagined by ,janet4 ,an attentive and patient observation will show him1 ,i am sure1 the reality of the facts which ,i point out2 may he not deny this possibility without putting himself under the requisite conditions for observing these facts4 ,it belongs to the future to decide the question1 and ,i have no doubt whatever upon the nature of the verdict4#ae #ae ,see ,appendix ,a4 ,to sum up1 an attentive observation of the facts shows1 that in psychical phenomena we observe the emergence of personifications which may be secondary personalities1 but which in really clear cases present particular features1 and seem to possess information which is inaccessible to the normal personality4 ,they may co-exist with the latter1 without any disorder manifesting itself in the sensitive or motor spheres2 in other cases1 they encroach upon the normal personality1 which may either lose the use and sensation of one member1 or be deprived of several members4 ,finally1 the personification can invade the whole of the organism and end in incarnation or #8control1' a phenomenon of apparent possession4 ,when it reaches this maximum development1 the personification manifests a remarkable autonomy1 and appears to be much less suggestible than in the intermediate stages of its evolution4 ,what are these personifications8 ,i do not know4 ,the problem they raise in some cases is extremely difficult to solve4 ,i can only say that they do not appear to me to be what they claim to be4 ,is it collective consciousness8 ,is it self-deception8 ,is it a spirit8 ,everything is possible1 to me nothing is certain save one thing1 namely1 that we must not put our trust in them4 ,i say this for the benefit of spiritists1 who have a tendency to believe blindly everything their good spirits tell them4 ,these #8spirits' may make mistakes1 though they may not wish to deceive you4 ,never abandon yourself or submit the conduct of your life and affairs to their guidance3 submit only to the rule of reason and sound judgment4 ,be not over-credulous4#af #af ,see ,appendix ,c4 ,,chapter ,,vi ,,some ,,recently ,,observed ,,psychical ,,phenomena ,an account of some recently observed ,psychical ,phenomena produced in the presence of ,doctor ,maxwell and ,professor ,charles ,richet4 ,arranged by the ,translator from notes furnished by ,dr4 ,maxwell4#ag #ag ,it is scarcely necessary for me to certify to the accuracy of the phenomena mentioned in this chapter1 especially when ,i am spoken of as having been present4--,,maxwell4 ,during the last two years exceptional opportunities have been offered ,professor ,richet and ,dr4 ,maxwell of observing a medium--whom we will call ,meurice--who has furnished ,dr4 ,maxwell with many of his most important examples of psychical phenomena4 ,i refer to phenomena spoken of on pp4 #gd1 #ha-b1 #aja-c1 #acf-g1 #aeb-e1 #afj-b1 #aie-i1 #bja-b1 #bej4 ,dr4 ,x4--a friend of ,professor ,richet--who does not wish his name to be mentioned1 having been present with ,professor ,richet and ,dr4 ,maxwell at some of their experiments1 has sent ,dr4 ,maxwell a few notes concerning those seances at which he was present4 ,dr4 ,maxwell has authorised me to put these notes in order1 and to add to them a few extracts from letters written by ,dr4 ,maxwell to ,professor ,richet and myself4 ,these notes and letters were written either during or immediately after the seances1 if ,i may so call the impromptu occasions on which the phenomena to be spoken of were obtained4 ,there is1 in these notes1 a miscellaneous stream of evidence1 the complexity and importance of which may be presumed1 when it is pointed out that a useful combination of two orders of research has been at work therein4 ,dr4 ,maxwell was chiefly interested in the study of the facts concomitant with the phenomena1 whatever they might be1 whilst ,professor ,richet devoted himself to the analysis of the personifications1 and to the study of the manifestations from a purely psychological point of view4 ,evidence is the touchstone of truth1 and though the reading of parts of this chapter may sound more like pages out of a fantastic story than the words of savants1 yet the publication of these facts has been judged necessary by ,professor ,richet and ,dr4 ,maxwell1 in their belief that no one is justified in setting aside facts which have been well attested4 ,these facts have been observed--let it not be forgotten--in a spirit of pure scientific curiosity4 ,it is1 therefore1 hoped that this chapter will receive the thoughtful consideration of many2 and that careful analysis will be especially given to those very parts1 the unreal-like romantic nature of which seems to render them1 at a random glance1 unworthy of serious thought4 ,,the ,,medium ,,and ,,his ,,phenomena ,an acute analysis of a medium is of primary importance in the examination and appreciation of his phenomena1 therefore we will first of all dwell a little on the personality of ,m4 ,meurice1 the medium in question4 ,he is a friend of ,dr4 ,maxwell's--a friend of some years' standing4 ,he is a slightly built man1 the reverse of robust1 but endowed with remarkable vitality and recuperative powers4 ,he is thirty-two years of age2 he is unmarried4 ,he is highly sensitive and reserved in disposition1 and forms quick but lasting sympathies and antipathies4 ,he gives one the impression of being always in a state of hypertension2 his nervous system is most finely strung1 and he appears to experience an irresistible need of constant physical movement4 ,he passes easily from the extremes of joy to the extremes of sadness4 ,highly nervous though he be1 ,dr4 ,maxwell has never observed any signs of hysteria1 or any symptoms of a lack of equilibrium in the medium's mentality4 ,he is not amenable to the hypnotic sleep1 but ,dr4 ,maxwell says he has sometimes thought that he might eventually succeed in inducing that state4 ,the few attempts so far made in this direction have given no results2 moreover1 ,m4 ,meurice does not care to submit himself to this kind of experimentation4 ,his cutaneous and other sensibilities are normal2 his reflexes also are normal4 ,he suffers occasionally from violent headaches and neuralgia2 and has frequent gastric attacks1 notably after the production of telekinetic phenomena4 ,otherwise his health is good4 ,during the production of phenomena1 ,m4 ,meurice often acknowledges to a sinking sensation in the epigastric region1 and says it is as though something material were being drawn out of him at such moments4 ,he is well read in every branch of literature1 and has a most retentive memory4 ,one has the notion that this medium1 to a great extent1 has under his conscious control a large range of what is generally submerged faculty4 ,subliminal operation is1 no doubt1 constantly going on with us all1 but it is most apparent in ,m4 ,meurice4 ,one feels with him that his unconscious memory is always on the alert4 ,amnesia appears to follow rapidly in the footsteps of his visions1 but several things seem to indicate that this amnesia is only apparent4#ah #ah ,the amnesia1 which appears to follow medianic phenomena1 bears a certain relation to the amnesia which follows dreams4 ,it is probably due to the weakness of the links between the conscious personality and the forgotten images4 ,the links exist1 but are not strong enough to bind those images to the usual stream of personal consciousness4 ,they serve as clues1 however1 and the reappearance of the images at a given moment is due to the working of the usual laws of association4--,,maxwell4 ,dr4 ,maxwell says he always thought he had a psychic in his friend4 ,however1 notwithstanding his medical studies1 and wide range of knowledge of things in general1 ,m4 ,meurice was ignorant of metapsychical phenomena1 and averse to becoming acquainted with the practices of spiritism or anything of that nature4 ,little by little ,dr4 ,maxwell induced his friend to take some interest in these phenomena1 and one day he persuaded him to put his hands on a table with a view to seeing whether the two of them together could obtain any phenomena4 ,raps were immediately forthcoming2 they resounded on the floor4 ,the medium was startled by the unusual noise and quickly rose from the table4 ,nothing more was received on that occasion or for some time afterwards4 ,then1 for two years1 ,m4 ,meurice reluctantly and irregularly yielded to ,dr4 ,maxwell's persuasions to develop his medianity4 ,for some time he could not be made to see the importance of his phenomena1 and ,dr4 ,maxwell refused to give weight to his words by appealing to technical literature4 ,he was desirous of keeping his friend in ignorance of current notions on these phenomena1 thinking the results would be of greater value if the soil they sprang from were virgin4 ,m4 ,meurice has done all in his power to throw light upon his own phenomena4 ,his co-operation has been precious1 for often his fine intelligence and well-trained powers of observation have enabled him to bring into the research valuable analyses of his sensations and impressions4 ,for this medium not only does not lose consciousness during the production of his phenomena1 he is often at such moments more thoroughly #8all there'--to use a ,scotch expression--than in his unproductive moments of abstraction4 ,true1 there have been a few exceptions1 but1 as a rule1 he is keenly alive to all that is going on when phenomena is forthcoming4 ,the passages ,i have indicated in ,dr4 ,maxwell's work will acquaint the reader with the order and degree of phenomena presented by ,m4 ,meurice1 when ,professor ,richet made his acquaintance4 ,dr4 ,maxwell had studied1 almost exclusively1 the physical aspect of the facts he received1 and did not encourage phenomena of an intellectual order4 ,this scientific attitude1 however1 had not prevented the manifestation of the phenomenon of personification2 and the #8raps' speedily put forth the claims common to spiritualistic beliefs--in spite of the medium's ignorance of them4 ,when ,professor ,richet began to experiment with ,m4 ,meurice1 the #8raps' had already claimed to emanate from #8,john ,king1' #8,chappe d',auteroche1' a group of four entities calling themselves the #8good fairies1' and1 lastly1 from two of ,dr4 ,maxwell's deceased friends4 ,as the capital interest of this chapter lies in the intelligent aspect of the phenomena1 there is a fact of paramount importance to be pointed out with emphasis4 ,our medium is very amenable to influence1 and his phenomena constantly show the effects of suggestion and influence4 ,i do not1 by any means1 wish to infer that ,m4 ,meurice is like wax in the hands of his friends2 on the contrary1 if it were only a question of personal consciousness1 we might say he is almost impervious to the action of extraneous influences4 ,his ways of thinking and acting bear the stamp of independence1 and if he yields occasionally to the wishes of his friends1 it is out of pure friendship and with deliberation4 ,when1 however1 we are endeavouring to make a psychological study of a medium1 we strive to reach the lower strata at once2 the surface is of little interest when we know that the secret lies below4 ,therefore1 when ,i say that ,m4 ,meurice is most amenable to influence1 ,i am bearing in mind that profound region1 his general consciousness4 ,the personal consciousness may be rebellious to influence1 but the subliminal is reached by subtler means than is its grosser envelope1 and is remarkably amenable to the charm of suggestion and the voice of sympathy4 ,in all probability the reader will find sufficient evidence of the accuracy of my assertion in the phenomena to be spoken of in the course of this chapter2 therefore1 ,i will not dwell any further upon this point1 although it be an important one4 ,when experimenting with ,eusapia ,paladino1 ,professor ,richet had remarked and called attention to the synchronism which existed between her phenomena and her movements or muscular contractions4 ,dr4 ,maxwell1 in his turn1 also remarked it1 and forthwith bent his studies in that direction4 ,the conclusion appears to be evident that a profound and far-reaching importance lies in the synchronism between the movements of the experimenters and the phenomena4 ,it was observed that ,dr4 ,maxwell was indeed able to produce phenomena of raps and telekinesis of very feeble intensity1 it is true by tapping the medium on his hands or shoulder1 by firmly squeezing the hands1 joined in a circle above the table1 or by the simple contraction of his own muscles4 ,en passant1 it may be useful to note that ,dr4 ,x4 was opposed to the idea that synchronism always existed between the phenomena and the movements of the experimenters1 that is to say1 that muscular contraction was alone responsible for the phenomena4 ,dr4 ,x4 was so opposed to this notion1 that his presence at seances where this synchronism was being demonstrated1 has often been observed to cause all manifestations to cease--to nullify the results4 ,if ,dr4 ,x4 was able to exercise this power over one centre1 it is highly probable that his presence would exercise a like inhibitory influence over other centres of energy1 where like experiments were being conducted4 ,though ,dr4 ,maxwell had obtained not a few phenomena showing intelligence 7e4g4 raps claiming to emanate from various personifications71 yet1 as he says in his book1 pages #bf1 #bh1 and #hc1 he did not feel drawn towards that order of research1 and did his best to keep the phenomena on physical lines4 ,but since ,professor ,richet has experimented with ,m4 ,meurice1 the phenomena have developed rapidly along the lines of intellectuality3 a result which may1 it is true1 be due to our medium's good-nature in allowing his power to be used as was desired1 or which may be the effect of influence and suggestion4 ,we are inclined to think the latter is nearer the truth1 an opinion which is supported by the fact that when ,dr4 ,x4 and ,professor ,richet were present--that is to say1 within a few days after ,dr4 ,x4's appearance in the circle--synchronous phenomena could rarely be obtained4#ai #ai #8,vous voyez1 cher ami1 que depuis que nous avons expriment ensemble1 votre influence persiste et nos phnomnes physiques s'orientent vers les messages intellectuels4'--,extract from a letter written by ,dr4 ,maxwell to ,professor ,richet six weeks after the first series of experiments with ,professor ,richet were held4 ,now1 all unknown to ,dr4 ,maxwell1 ,professor ,richet had passed the previous three years in the study of these same phenomena from a psychological standpoint1 and at the moment of his first visit to ,bordeaux1 he was particularly absorbed in the research and analysis of intelligent messages received by means of a physical phenomenon4 ,his desire1 for the time being1 was to receive messages--of identity or otherwise--by means of raps without contact4 ,already familiar with the fact of synchronism--which a little experience suffices to show is not due to self-suggestion or endosomatic activity--,professor ,richet wished to get on to fresh ground2 as before said1 he wanted intellectuality in a physical phenomenon1 and it was not long before he got what he wanted with the medium in question4 ,and1 propos1 perhaps ,i may be allowed to briefly relate at once the first phenomenon containing intelligence1 which ,professor ,richet obtained with ,m4 ,meurice4 ,a short time after having made his acquaintance1 the professor and ,dr4 ,x4 thought they would try to obtain a #8test4' ,supposing1 for a moment1 that an entity1 who has several times claimed to be communicating with ,professor ,richet1 really existed1 they #8evoked' him1 and asked him to give them a sign through ,m4 ,meurice1 which would denote that he had been listening to a certain conversation held two hours previously4 ,the medium and ,dr4 ,maxwell were unaware that this entity had a speciality of communicating in ,latin or ,greek4 ,a few hours afterwards1 during dinner1 raps were heard on the table and other furniture in the vicinity of ,m4 ,meurice2 when the question was asked as to who was rapping1 the ,christian name of the entity was given1 followed by the word ,confide4 ,no word1 it appears1 could have borne more directly upon the conversation in question4 ,there was difficulty in obtaining these two words1 the raps--in such abundance when not requested to #8work'--came laboriously1 as though some one were picking his steps among brambles1 so to speak4 ,the medium himself spelt out the alphabet on this occasion4 99 99 99 99 99 ,dr4 ,maxwell has given an analysis of the raps obtained with ,m4 ,meurice1 and we especially refer the reader to pages #gi-hb and #bej4 ,when raps without contact delay in coming1 ,m4 ,meurice takes a lead-pencil1 holds it in his hands1 and presses one end against the table or on an experimenter according to desire2 the raps then resound at the end touching the experimenter or the table4 ,ansthesia is observed only in the hand and arm holding the pencil4 8,once or twice10 says ,dr4 ,x41 8,i have observed something like cramp seize the hand and arm1 and extend along the shoulder blade1 to the nape of the neck4 ,on these occasions1 ,i saw the whole arm vibrate after each rap1 like the rebounding of an elastic band1 and ,i have sometimes thought it looked as though the #8fluid' passed down the nerves of the arm into the pencil1 as though it were flowing through a clear open channel1 until it reached the point of the pencil1 when a jerk of some kind appeared to force it out on to the wood2 not that the pencil or arm moves when the rap resounds1 but one has the impression of an interior jerk of some kind when1 in moments of cramp1 the rap is heard2 this rebounding movement appears to be almost simultaneous with the rap4 ,though the medium keeps his personality alive1 as a rule1 it seems to me10 continues ,dr4 ,x4 7whose opinion is shared by ,professor ,richet71 8to undergo a diminution of some kind1 on these occasions2 ideation appears to be slower and more difficult4 ,but1 because his arm hurt him when this cramp came on1 we have always begged him to cease2 therefore we cannot say whether1 the experiment courageously continued1 complete ansthesia would eventually set in1 accompanied by psychical phenomena40 ,it is of importance to point out that both ,professor ,richet and ,dr4 ,x4 7though ,dr4 ,maxwell does not altogether share their opinion on this point7 are inclined to believe that ,m4 ,meurice can tell when raps are going to be given1 when phenomena will be forthcoming and when they will not be forthcoming2 a conclusion which is drawn from many observations4 ,some of the messages given in this chapter were obtained1 when out walking with the medium4 ,on such occasions1 ,m4 ,meurice would put his hand on a walking-stick or on an umbrella2 he preferred the latter4 8,the raps on the open umbrella are extremely curious10 writes ,dr4 ,x4 8,we have heard raps on the woodwork and on the silk at one and the same time2 it is easy to perceive that the shock actually occurs in the wood--that the molecules of the latter are set in motion4 ,the same thing occurs with the silk2 and here observation is even more interesting still2 each rap looks like a drop of some invisible liquid falling on the silk from a respectable height4 ,the stretched silk of the umbrella is quickly and slightly but surely dented in2 sometimes the force with which the raps are given is such as to shake the umbrella4 ,nothing is more absorbing than the observation of an apparent conversation--by means of the umbrella--between the medium's personifications4 ,raps1 imitating a burst of laughter in response to the observer's remarks1 resound on the silk like the rapid play of strong but tiny fingers4 ,when raps on the umbrella are forthcoming1 ,m4 ,meurice either holds the handle of the umbrella1 or some one else does1 whilst he simply touches the handle very lightly with his open palm4 ,he never touches the silk4 8,raps without contact appear to require more force1 and are not so frequently forthcoming1 as raps with contact--which seem to be always at the medium's command2 consequently--and particularly as the tenor of the messages received constituted the chief interest for the time being--the use of the pencil or umbrella has been encouraged40 ,all the messages given in this chapter1 except where the contrary is expressly stated1 have been received by contact with a pencil or umbrella--with what ,chappe1 the chief personification1 calls his telephone4 ,a marked trait in the phenomena is their spontaneity4 ,months will pass away without the production of a single phenomenon worth mentioning--raps through the pencil can generally be obtained1 however4 ,after the attraction of the fan 7pages #ceg-h71 nine months elapsed before another telekinetic phenomenon occurred4 ,at other times1 the energy is so abundant that while it lasts1 that is to say for two or three weeks1 the medium may truly be said to live in a world of phenomena in more senses than one2 for1 at such periods1 phenomena are constantly forthcoming4 ,regular seances are not of much avail with ,m4 ,meurice2 it is better not to seek1 but to know how to receive1 which means to know how to wait patiently and attentively4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a brief analysis of the personifications is necessary before laying bare their work4 ,the first to manifest was #8,john ,king4' ,subliminal labour is very transparent herein4 ,m4 ,meurice had heard not a little of ,eusapia ,paladino's secondary personality1 which calls itself #8,john ,king4' ,then the raps announced the presence of a group of four entities calling themselves the #8fairies'--les bonnes fes4 ,in fact1 the latter were the first to make their presence felt by ,m4 ,meurice1 though ,john ,king was the first to manipulate the raps4 ,the fairies gave the names of ,miriam1 ,yolande1 ,liliane1 and ,brigitte2 the latter remained but a short time2 she said she had to go away somewhere2 she was replaced by #8,wicki1' who claims to be an ancestor of ,dr4 ,maxwell's1 and to have lived in ,ireland during the fifteenth century4 ,the medium associates the odour of jasmine with the fairies4 ,perhaps the following may suggest a clue to the origin of these entities3-- ,some years ago1 before ,dr4 ,maxwell had commenced experimenting with his friend1 he was in the habit of bidding him good-bye with the words1 #8,que les trs bonnes vous protgent4' ,when the fairies--les bonnes fes--appeared1 they at once claimed to have been the means of bringing about the meeting of ,dr4 ,maxwell with ,m4 ,meurice1 and of having fostered their friendship4 ,as for the odour of jasmine3 on one occasion1 soon after experimentation had begun1 the medium was talking to the doctor about good influences2 and he remarked that he sometimes perceived the odour of jasmine without being able to explain it normally4 ,the next time the doctor saw his friend1 the raps dictated that the odour of jasmine was the signal of the presence of the good fairies4 ,the next personification to manifest was said to be ,s41 a very dear friend of ,dr4 ,maxwell's 7see pages #afj-a74 ,the genesis of this personification is easy to follow4 ,s4 was one of the leading men in ,bordeaux1 where he occupied a very prominent position2 he was extremely well known--though ,m4 ,meurice did not know him1 and says he never saw him4 ,m4 ,meurice witnessed ,dr4 ,maxwell's grief when ,s4 died1 and heard the former say that he had been very fond of ,s4 ,i again refer the reader to pages #afj-a for further consideration of the ,s4 personification4 ,for a few months1 the phenomena claimed to emanate chiefly from the fairies--,john ,king gradually fading away4 ,then #8,chappe d',auteroche' came on the scene1 and has ever since kept the field pretty much to himself1--though he permits of the presence of the personalities already mentioned and a few others if introduced by him4 ,his first appearance took the form of a vision in the crystal4 ,the medium saw him in a foreign land1 amidst large red flowers1 savage tribes and queer-looking boats on canals2 he gave his name1 the exact day1 month and year of his death1 and the cause of his death2 he described what his work on earth had been--all things which ,m4 ,meurice did not consciously know4 ,everything1 which was verifiable1 was found to be correct4 ,some time after this1 ,chappe gave a long and coherent message by means of tilts of a table without contact--in daylight2 on this occasion1 he gave his ,christian name as #8,adhmar1' which is1 probably1 an error1 as biographies do not mention it4 ,chappe is1 doubtless1 a subliminal entity2 but his evolution is more difficult to explain than any of the medium's other personifications4 ,perhaps ,m4 ,meurice--an avide reader--has come across some articles in periodicals1 concerning the measurements of the solar parallax1 by means of the crossing of the sun's surface by the disc of the planet ,venus4 ,chappe was one of the best-known observers2 he went to ,siberia in #agfa1 and to ,california in #agfi1 to observe those passages4 ,his name must certainly have been mentioned in the newspapers1 when the last crossings took place--that is in #ahgd and #ahhb4 ,but on these occasions1 ,m4 ,meurice was only three and eleven years old6 ,has he seen the biographical notice of ,chappe in ,larousse's dictionary8 ,he has no conscious recollection of having read this1 nor does he remember ever having heard of ,chappe the astronomer4 ,and there1 for the present1 the matter must stand4 ,another personification--,h4 ,b4--made its irruption towards the end of #aijc4 ,m4 ,meurice was certainly aware of ,dr4 ,maxwell's profound esteem and affection for ,h4 ,b42 but for further consideration of this personification1 we refer the reader to ,dr4 ,maxwell's notes thereon1 pages #bhg and following4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i perceive ,i am about to end these remarks on the medium and his phenomena without having said a word upon a vital point1 one which many specialists would require to be satisfactorily settled before consenting to listen to an account of the phenomena4 ,i mean the medium's honesty4 ,professor ,richet1 ,dr4 ,maxwell1 and ,dr4 ,x4 say that1 for diverse reasons1 they cannot doubt this particular medium's honourability4 ,as for raps and telekinetic phenomena1 there can be no shadow of doubt about their genuineness2 the excellent conditions of light1 sight and touch which always prevail when his phenomena are forthcoming1 joined to the intelligent co-operation of ,m4 ,meurice1 who is as much interested in and capable of examining his own phenomena as are the observers1 put mystification out of the question4 ,is there any evidence of identity1 of survival1 of intelligent forces other than human1 in this chapter8 ,each one will answer this question after his own manner of thinking4 ,some will say #8,no4' ,if we could forget the extraordinary romance at the end of this chapter--,series ,c--we too might answer categorically #8,no4' ,though we have given all the leading details of the case1 family reasons have necessitated the omission of much valuable material in this #8romance1' and perhaps readers will not see so much in it as those who watched its development4 ,but even as it stands1 it presents some baffling difficulties4 ,it really seems to indicate that there is activity in the metethereal environment1 and that the spirit can act in that environment4 ,what matter1 therefore1 if it be the spirit of the living or of the dead8 ,if one can demonstrate its independence of the body1 why not the other8 ,,series ,a ,,visions ,it may be useful to give one or two of our medium's visions4 ,if these simple phenomena--where so much of the personal consciousness seems at play--be studied1 some idea may be gained of how far1 if at all1 the subliminal is responsible for the production of this particular medium's more intricate phenomena1 such as intelligent messages given by means of raps without contact4 99 99 99 99 99 ,m4 ,meurice was once visiting ,paris4 ,he dined at my house on the evening of his arrival4 ,this was the first time ,i met him4 ,during dinner1 an hour or so after his arrival1 the medium said he saw a vision near me1 and described a personage #8dressed in white and gold-embroidered robes1 who looks like a priest of ancient times4' ,the only interest in this is that it corroborates what two other sensitives1 unknown to our medium and to each other1 have on two different occasions told me4 ,m4 ,meurice also claimed to recognise in me and this bedecked personage1 two persons who figured in a dream-vision he had had1 three years previous to meeting me4 ,we give this dream chiefly for the sake of its rich symbolism4 ,the medium wrote an account of the dream at the time1 at ,dr4 ,maxwell's request1 the latter being struck by its oddity4 ,here is the vision3-- 8,i dreamt ,i was sleeping in a bed1 the framework of which nearly touched the ground2 the bed was raised on a kind of platform4 ,i was in a large hall1 which looked like a church4 ,suddenly a tall1 fair woman1 dressed in black1 entered4 ,a man wearing long1 white1 ancient-looking garments1 embroidered all over in gold1 followed her4 ,then ,dr4 ,maxwell entered4 ,the man in white read aloud out of the book1 which the fair woman held open before him4 ,i was suddenly overcome with emotion4 ,i wept1 and wept1 and wept4 ,my tears caused the flowers embroidered on the counterpane to spring into life2 they grew and multiplied with amazing rapidity1 completely covering the bed and1 finally1 burying me beneath their abundance and weight4 ,the fair woman then said3 #8,we must seek for him1' and set to work to remove the flowers4 ,during this operation1 ,dr4 ,maxwell stepped on my body2 ,i screamed with pain and awoke40 ,when ,m4 ,meurice awoke1 he was suffering from colic2 this fact may explain parts of the vision4 99 99 99 99 99 ,one day in ,december #aijc1 at the close of a seance when some fine raps at a distance had been obtained1 ,m4 ,meurice wrote a few ,german words4 ,he does not know ,german4 ,at the same time he saw1 in the crystal1 the words3 #8,kolbe1 chimiste1 mort ,leipzig #agcj4' ,a few hours after this seance1 the medium had a vision of the personification ,chappe1 who said1 #8,vous ne savez donc lire8 ,c'est 8mort ,leipzig le #be ,novembre #ahhd10 et pas 8#agcj40' ,kolbe the chemist died at ,leipzig on the #beth of ,november #ahhd4 ,this information is to be found in ,larousse's dictionary4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the following is an experiment in the transmission of thought which ,dr4 ,maxwell tried with the medium3-- 8,i gave my hand to ,m4 ,meurice1 to hold1 and said to him--we had been talking1 in a vague1 general manner of the plurality of existences--#8,try and see how ,i died in my previous existence4' 8,unknown to the medium1 ,i wrote down on paper the words3--,fall from a horse6 8,m4 ,meurice answered3 #8,i see your life1 then you fade away into nothingness2 you die from an accident2 a carriage--no1 a horse accident4 ,i see you wearing a shield4 ,you fall from your horse1 he crushes you to death4'0 99 99 99 99 99 ,the medium very often sees the same vision repeat itself in the crystal4 ,this is the vision of a procession of individuals clothed in flowing robes2 they follow a long narrow path1 which loses itself in a tunnel1 into which the procession passes4 ,the vision never varies1 save that at times after the procession has disappeared into the tunnel1 the path seems to be strewn with the bones of skeletons4 ,this vision has also been seen1 in the same crystal1 by our medium's youngest sister1 a girl of twenty1 who is absolutely ignorant of spiritistic phenomena4 ,she attributed her vision to an optical illusion4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it has been observed with ,m4 ,meurice that the last vision sometimes precedes veridical hallucinations4 ,this and other facts would lead one to think that very probably1 for a medium1 there is no test which can discriminate between falsidical and veridical hallucinations4 ,the psychological process appears to be the same1 viz4 dramatisation and concrete images1 instead of abstract concepts or ideas4 ,mediums1 as a rule1 possess parasitic personalities which act in the same way as the normal personality2 this feature of hallucinatory phenomena is difficult to analyse1 and introduces into the problem a number of unknown factors4 ,in the case of the medium in question1 the secondary personalities are weak4 ,they are always felt and objectived by the normal personality1 which is never expelled from the scene--a circumstance which is precious for the observer as the visions are sometimes vivid to a degree4 ,with ,m4 ,meurice the unknown factors1 though existing1 are reduced to a sort of minimum1 and the psychological analysis is perhaps less difficult than in the generality of cases4 ,in this fact lies the value of his intellectual phenomena1 though it is a drawback indeed from another point of view1 the persistency of the normal consciousness1 of the normal will1 and even of the normal powers of attention1 being probably the cause of the impurities which so frequently stain his intellectual phenomena4 ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,personification #8,h4 ,b4' ,by ,dr4 ,maxwell 8,h4 ,b4 died at a very advanced age4 ,he was a man of great kindness of heart1 and of deep intelligence4 ,he had received a solid1 classical education4 ,he was born in a foreign country1 went1 when a young man1 to a ,north ,american state1 where he lived for some time4 ,he married1 and finally came to ,bordeaux--a town to which his wife and all her family belonged4 ,h4 ,b4 lived for many years at ,bordeaux2 but during the last six years of his life he was paralysed4 ,he died at a time when the medium was twenty years of age1 and was pursuing his studies in a hospital at ,bordeaux4 ,h4 ,b4 lived a very retired life1 confined to the house because of his infirmity4 8,there is every probability that ,m4 ,meurice had never heard of ,h4 ,b4 ,although ,i had known my friend for some time before the irruption of this personification1 ,i had been extremely careful to avoid giving him the slightest detail concerning ,h4 ,b4 ,he had1 however1 heard me say that ,h4 ,b4 had been one of my dearest friends4 8,i had been experimenting for about two years with ,m4 ,meurice1 when the personification ,h4 ,b4 first manifested4 ,his emergence took place on the #bnd ,october #aijc1 in the form of a vision1 which my friend had as he was going to bed4 ,on the following day--during a dark seance we were holding in the hopes of obtaining luminous phenomena--,m4 ,meurice described his vision of the previous night4 ,his description vividly recalled ,h4 ,b4 to my mind4 ,i was careful to say nothing1 however4 ,during the seance1 the personification ,chappe signified his presence by means of abundant and loud raps2 at the same time ,m4 ,meurice told me he saw a face1 and certain letters written above it2 these letters formed a name1 which indicated to me the presence of ,h4 ,b4 ,thereupon ,i asked ,m4 ,meurice to give me the ,christian and surnames of the vision he claimed to be looking at2 in reply1 the surname was instantly spelt out by raps without contact2 the ,christian name was given in ,french first of all1 then it was correctly given in ,h4 ,b4's maternal tongue4#bj #bj ,h4 ,b4's ,christian name finds its equivalent in ,french in the name which had been #8rapped out' in the first instance4 ,dr4 ,maxwell explained this fact to the rapping force1 whereupon the name was correctly given4 ,this detail of the ,christian and surnames is not demonstrative as identity1 because 7#a7 the remarks made by ,dr4 ,maxwell were sufficient to have #8fixed' any one who had the slightest knowledge of the language in question2 7#b7 because the medium already knew the surname of ,dr4 ,maxwell's friend4 ,we must not forget1 however1 that the raps were given without contact4--,note by the ,translator4 8,h4 ,b4's first appearances occurred in ,m4 ,meurice's bedroom4 ,from the indications given1 ,i said ,i had quickly recognised ,h4 ,b4 ,unfortunately1 under the necessity in which ,i find myself placed of not bringing ,h4 ,b4's family into view1 ,i am unable to mention the principal details4 ,may it suffice to say that ,i recognised ,h4 ,b4 ,i may also add that the description of the hair1 eyes1 beard1 stature were exactly and unhesitatingly given4 8,i may also mention one important detail3 ,m4 ,meurice described the vision he saw as being seated in an armchair with a blue plaid shawl--with a long fringe--wrapped about his legs4 ,i did not recognise the chair--though ,i well remember the chair in which ,h4 ,b4 passed the last six years of his life--but the shawl was absolutely correctly described4 ,this is a detail which1 ,i affirm1 ,m4 ,meurice could not possibly have known2 and ,i consider it highly improbable that fraud could have found it out4 8,so much for the first appearance of this personification4 8,the visions continued4 ,m4 ,meurice saw ,h4 ,b4 at different periods of his existence1 at times infirm1 at other times younger and standing upright4 ,when he appeared young1 he wore his beard in a certain fashion2 when he appeared aged1 he wore his beard differently2 these details were correct4 8,the vision at first did not speak1 and simply looked kindly at him1 said ,m4 ,meurice4 8,the hallucination used to build itself up in the following manner3 the medium saw a bluish cloud floating about near a particular armchair in his bedroom2 the cloud or shadow remained ill defined1 #8as though several veils were being successively removed'2 and only one feature at a time--at a vision--seemed to be distinctly shown1 e4g4 at one time1 the eyes were well shown1 the rest of the vision being very indistinct2 at another time1 the nose was the prominent feature1 or the mouth1 the hair or the beard1 etc42 as though the personification wished to impress one thing at a time upon the medium's perception4 8,finally on the #fth ,october #aijc1 in a short journey which ,m4 ,meurice made one day to ,arcachon1 ,h4 ,b4 appeared to him in broad daylight1 in an avenue of the forest through which the medium was driving4 8,m4 ,meurice saw1 on the roadway a short distance ahead1 a person walking very slowly and peculiarly3 #8he limped as though the right leg was shorter than the left4' ,he was a stout man with a round1 clean-shaven face4 ,he had a peculiar mark near one of his eyes4 ,he was wearing a tall straw hat1 a high collar1 the ends rising and meeting in points under the chin1 a yellowish walking-stick1 the handle of which was made of ivory and fastened to the stick by a silver band2 the personage was reading a newspaper1 the title of which was in ,gothic lettering #8like the ,matin4' ,he was wearing a thick gold chain and trinkets4 ,m4 ,meurice thought he was looking upon a real individual1 and it was not until the carriage had driven past1 and my friend saw the supposed man suddenly disappear1 leaving but a #8whitish blur on the ground1' that he recognised ,h4 ,b4 and the hallucinatory character of his perception4 8,i saw ,m4 ,meurice about five hours after he had had this vision1 when he gave me the above details2 ,i recognised the following as being correct3-- 8#a4 ,the walk4 8#b4 ,a peculiar mark near one of the eyes4 8#c4 ,the newspaper2 ,h4 ,b4 took in the ,temps1 the title of which is in ,gothic lettering like the ,matin4 8#d4 ,the walking-stick1 every detail being exact4 8#e4 ,the description of the collar was correct4 8#f4 ,h4 ,b4 used to wear a straw hat4 8#g4 #8,a stout man with a round1 clean-shaven face' applies to ,h4 ,b4 before his infirmity made an invalid of him4 8,the watch-chain and trinkets were imaginary4 8,a few remarks about details #a and #b3 ,h4 ,b4 had twice broken his right leg2 the right leg was1 as a result of these two accidents1 shorter than the left leg4 ,he had therefore a very peculiar and characteristic walk4 ,when ,m4 ,meurice was relating the above vision to me1 he imitated the walk to perfection4 ,let it be remembered that ,h4 ,b4 had not walked a step for six years previous to his death2 when he was attacked by paralysis1 ,m4 ,meurice was but fourteen years of age1 and was not then living in ,bordeaux4 8#b4 ,h4 ,b4 had a small and peculiar skin mark near his left eye4 ,now1 when ,m4 ,meurice related his vision1 ,i told him that he had not localised this mark accurately enough4 ,thereupon1 raps resounded simultaneously on his chair1 on the floor1 and on a table standing a foot away from ,m4 ,meurice and myself2 while these raps were resounding ,m4 ,meurice said he saw ,h4 ,b41 and remarked that he was pointing to the sign in question4 ,m4 ,meurice then correctly localised the mark4 8,further1 ,i told ,m4 ,meurice that he had made a mistake when speaking of a gold watch-chain and trinkets4 ,the next vision my friend had of ,h4 ,b41 the latter showed himself with a black silk ribbon attached to his watch2 this1 ,i recognised as correct4 ,h4 ,b4 always wore a black silk ribbon for a watch-chain4#ba #ba ,m4 ,meurice was aware of the fact that ,h4 ,b4 had bequeathed many things to ,dr4 ,maxwell4 ,he knew1 for example1 that the latter wears a watch which was given him by ,h4 ,b4 ,and as ,dr4 ,maxwell also wears1 attached to his watch1 a gold chain and trinkets1 normal mental activity might here have been at work4--,note by the ,translator4 8,in subsequent visions1 ,h4 ,b4 showed the medium successively certain correct details in his costume1 notably3-- 8#a4 ,cravats1 dark blue with white spots4 8#b4 ,shoes of a peculiar make1 without heels and with elastic sides4 8#c4 ,white stockings4 8,m4 ,meurice tells me he feels that ,h4 ,b4 very often tries to make himself visible to him2 when he fails to do so1 he hears him say impatiently3 #8,thut6 thut6 thut6'--a curious coincidence1 for this was a most characteristic habit of ,h4 ,b4's when impatient4 8,from that time the personification ,h4 ,b4 has continued to mingle actively in our medium's life4 ,his intervention is manifested daily4 ,it would be impossible to give a full account of this personification's manifestations2 ,i will simply confine myself to indicating the principal4 ,it is to be pointed out1 first of all1 that ,h4 ,b4 appears literally to #8haunt' ,m4 ,meurice's house1 especially the room above the latter's bedroom4#bb #bb ,m4 ,meurice's house bore the reputation of being haunted before he took it4 ,he was unaware of this1 until the neighbours told him of it some months after he was settled in the house4--,note by the ,translator4 8,the phenomena are of several kinds3-- 8,a4 ,sonorous phenomena4 8#a4 ,footsteps4 87a7 ,a loud1 quick1 decided footstep1 which ,m4 ,meurice attributes to the personification ,chappe4 87b7 ,an unequal step1 as though one leg rested more heavily than the other2 the imitation which ,m4 ,meurice made before me of this step recalled to my mind ,h4 ,b4's step4 87c7 ,a slow step as of a person who dragged his feet along3 a movement attributed by ,m4 ,meurice to1 and which ,i recognised as characteristic of1 one of my deceased friends4#bc 87d7 ,a quick1 light step1 like the step of a big bird4 #bc ,see page #afj4 8,these footsteps are heard in the corridor of the second story of the house2 a story which is not inhabited4 ,then the door of a bedroom1 immediately above ,m4 ,meurice's bedroom1 seems to open and the footsteps resound in the room4 ,m4 ,meurice has often got up--these noises occur at about two o'clock in the early morning--but he has never seen anything or any one4 8,the same noises are also heard in ,m4 ,meurice's own bedroom4 8#b4 ,the opening of doors and windows4 8,before hearing footsteps in the bedroom on the second floor1 ,m4 ,meurice hears the door of that room open4 ,the noise of the opening of the door is always preceded by a noise similar to that made by a hand searching in the dark for the door handle4 8,m4 ,meurice hears the same sounds on his bedroom door4 ,there are three doors to ,m4 ,meurice's bedroom3 one leads into a dressing-room1 one into a clothes-room1 the third into a study2 it is at this third door that the above-mentioned phenomena occur4 8,sometimes ,m4 ,meurice hears the window of his own bedroom1 as well as that of the room upstairs1 open and shut4 ,he has got up repeatedly1 and gone upstairs to see what was happening1 but has always found the door closed1 which he fancied he had heard being opened4 ,whenever1 on returning to his bedroom1 he left the door of the room upstairs open1 the noise of footsteps would begin again as soon as he had left1 but without the sound of the opening and shutting of the bedroom door4 8#c4 ,noises as of furniture being moved about4 ,the medium hears the chairs and tables of the room above him move about2 his faculties of observation are well developed1 and he believes he recognises3-- 87a7 ,accompanying the noise of the displacement of chairs and tables1 ,chappe's footstep4 87b7 ,h4 ,b4's footsteps1 on the contrary1 are accompanied by the noise a heavy person might make when sitting on a bed4 ,the medium hears the mattress creaking4 87c7 ,lastly1 he hears a noise similar to what would be produced by a person lying back in an armchair4 8#d4 ,noises of material objects other than furniture3 these noises are like3-- 87a7 ,a bag of corn or nuts emptied on to the floor of the bedroom upstairs4 87b7 ,something hard striking the floor3 these sounds are given rhythmically upon request4 87c7 ,wings beating the air4 ,m4 ,meurice compares these sounds to the flapping of the wings of a turkey4 87d7 ,the rubbing of paper4 8#e4 ,diverse human noises3-- 87a7 ,sighs4 87b7 ,heavy breathing4 8,are these sonorous phenomena subjective8 ,i have never been in the house at the hour1 when these sounds are said to be heard2 and the noises ,i have heard from time to time are not sufficiently pronounced for me to be able to form any conclusion4 ,i have assured myself that no water-pipes exist in the upper stories of the house2 the latter is isolated1 but any loud noises made in a neighbouring house can be heard in ,m4 ,meurice's house4 8,no one sleeps in the second story4 ,a domestic1 who occupies a room on the same floor as ,m4 ,meurice1 has heard the noise of footsteps1 and has often got up out of bed and gone upstairs to see who was moving about4 ,never finding any one1 the domestic attributes these sounds to rats3 an insufficient explanation4 ,moreover1 a close examination of the house1 repeated on several occasions1 has revealed to me no signs of rats4 8,a sister of ,m4 ,meurice's frequently pays him visits2 she then occupies a room on the same floor as her brother4 ,on three different occasions she has been awakened out of sleep by sounds of footsteps1 and a fumbling noise on the door of her room1 as though some one were feeling for the handle4 ,she has got up1 gone into her brother's room1 thinking it was he1 searched about the house1 but has never seen anything which could explain the noises1 neither has she heard the noises while thus moving about4#bd #bd ,among ,dr4 ,maxwell's notes is the following account1 written to ,professor ,richet1 of a seance at which the doctor was present2 and of some subsequent phenomena which he did not witness1 but which the reader may consider interesting1 nevertheless3-- #aith ,march #aijd4--#8,yesterday afternoon ,i obtained some automatic writing with our medium4 ,chappe and ,h4 ,b4 were said to be communicating1 and giving me their views about the war4 ,we then used the commodious ,chappe telephone--my stylograph on this occasion4 ,the raps were excellent4 ,the weather was good1 fairly cold1 but dry4 ,when the last word of a message was being spelt out1 ,meurice suddenly threw away the pen and broke up the seance1 without going through the usual formalities of good-bye4 ,he rose up from his seat1 complained of feeling dizzy1 and fainted4 ,he quickly came to1 however1 and when ,i left him he appeared quite well again4 ,but soon after ,i had left the house1 he went into his sister's room1 and again fainted4 #8,now1 ,i had often told him not to break off the communications so abruptly4 ,i think the fatigue he sometimes experiences after phenomena--fatigue often out of all proportion with them--is due to his brusquerie4 ,on this occasion ,i am sure there was some link between him and the table on which the rapping occurred4 ,unfortunately1 friendship mastered science1 and ,i rose up instantly to look after my friend1 without stopping to ascertain if there were any trace of exteriorised sensibility in the table4 ,it is very probable that such was the case1 because ,i repeatedly assured myself1 during the course of the seance1 that there was absolutely no sensibility whatever in the hand which was holding the stylograph--the rapping implement4 #8,during the seance ,chappe had dictated that his medium was going to give 8displacements of objects10 and he bade him take heed thereof4 ,m4 ,meurice's house is1 this week1 filled with visitors--his sister and her children among others4 ,for want of room1 he has taken his young nephew1 a child of seven years old1 into his room to sleep with him4 ,now1 last night he was awakened towards midnight by his bed moving about4 ,his sister1 sleeping in the next room1 also heard these noises2 thinking her brother was ill1 she got up and went into his room4 ,she saw a curious sight3 the bed was gliding1 of its own accord1 towards the window6 ,she sat down on a sofa and watched2 the room was lighted up by the light of one candle4 ,the bed moved up to a table near the window1 i4e4 a distance of three feet2 the carpet was not disturbed4 ,the bed returned slowly to its former position4 ,the child did not awaken4 ,the sister is not aware of her brother's powers2 if she were told1 she would probably be much distressed1 as she puts all such phenomena a priori down to charlatanry or to superstition4 ,she was alarmed at the manifestation1 ascribed the movements to 8ghosts10 and firmly believes that the house is haunted4' 7,this sister does not live in ,bordeaux1 and has never been told of the reputation the house enjoyed before her brother took possession of it47 8,she has also heard the flapping of birds' wings1 in the daytime1 in different parts of the house4 8,b4 ,phenomena of touch4 8,m4 ,meurice sometimes feels a hand gently stroke him on the head4 ,on one occasion1 when he was suffering from a violent headache1 he felt a hand move about on his head and forehead2 the pain went away1 and he fell asleep4 8,c4 ,visual phenomena4 8,sonorous and tactile phenomena nearly always precede an apparition1 which is generally that of ,h4 ,b41 either alone or with the ,chappe personification4 8,the following are a few examples of the visions relating to ,h4 ,b43-- 8#a4 ,on the #cast ,october #aijc ,m4 ,meurice returned home from a visit to the neighbouring village--,arcachon1 the same village1 near which ,h4 ,b4 had appeared to him 7p4 #bij74 ,when he entered his bedroom1 he perceived ,h4 ,b4 seated in a chair1 holding on his arm a mortuary wreath made of black beads4 8,on the morrow--,all ,souls' ,day--,m4 ,meurice related this vision to me4 ,i was surprised--but concealed my surprise2 for1 as a matter of fact1 ,i did not understand what a wreath of black beads could mean4 ,at certain epochs ,i am in the habit of laying a wreath on ,h4 ,b4's tomb1 but it is always composed of what were his favourite flowers4 ,m4 ,meurice began to write automatically2 he wrote3 #8,bring me what you are in the habit of bringing me2 the other wreath was for ,t4 ,bring him one too1 for his family have almost forgotten him4' 7,i understood ,t4 to be the initial letter of a great friend of ,h4 ,b4's47 ,my surprise did not diminish1 because ,i know for a fact that ,t4's family cherish his memory profoundly4 8,however1 following my usual custom1 ,i treated the personification ,h4 ,b4 as he desired to be treated and executed his commission4 ,i then made the following discovery3 ,t4 is buried in a vault over which lies a sort of platform4 ,the vault belongs to his own family and the family of a near relation4 ,there were fresh flowers on the side of the vault belonging to his relations2 there were none on the side reserved for his family4 8,i believe this circumstance1 as well as the friendship which existed between ,h4 ,b4 and ,t41 was unknown to ,m4 ,meurice2 but ,i am obliged to admit that my belief rests upon no proof4 8,let me add1 in order to finish at once with the ,t4 incident1 that1 on the eve of my visit to ,t4's tomb1 ,i had asked ,m4 ,meurice to give me the ,christian and surnames of the person about whom ,h4 ,b4 was supposed to be talking4 ,the surname was given2 a curious mistake was made before the ,christian name was correctly given3 the name of ,t4's son was given1 and then came ,t4's own name4 ,these indications were obtained in broad daylight1 by means of raps without direct contact4 ,the raps resounded upon a table on which ,i had placed a shawl1 one corner of which was held by ,m4 ,meurice4 8#b4 ,a few days afterwards a seance was held in ,m4 ,meurice's bedroom4 ,a portable cabinet had been used1 which ,m4 ,meurice had not taken the trouble to remove before going to bed4 ,during the night he was awakened by taps on the head2 he heard diverse noises1 and saw the door of the cabinet open4 ,h4 ,b4 appeared1 leaning on two of the #8fairies'2 the two other #8fairies' followed4 ,these personages presented the appearance of living people1 said ,m4 ,meurice the next day when describing the vision to me4 ,they rolled an armchair into the middle of the room2 ,h4 ,b4 sat down in it2 the fairies placed a shawl over his knees1 and two of them sat down on the arms of his chair2 the other two sat down on chairs4 ,h4 ,b4 spoke about my health1 and then bade ,m4 ,meurice tell me that ,i would be able to find all necessary documents on the history of religions in my cousin ,y4's library4 ,the ,christian names were correctly given1 the surname approximately2 but the approximation was such 7the initial letter of the name being the only incorrect one7 that ,i had no difficulty in recognising the name4 8,it is exact that my cousin ,y4 possesses documents on the history of religions4 ,m4 ,meurice knew that the question interested me2 but it is extremely improbable1 that he should have known of the existence of my cousin ,y41 who lives in the strictest seclusion2 it is still more improbable1 that he should have known the contents of his library4 ,i cannot1 however1 affirm these two points1 but ,i can at least affirm that ,m4 ,meurice does not know my cousin ,y4 8,the personification ,h4 ,b4 shows a spirit of fatherly protection towards ,m4 ,meurice2 for example3-- 8,the medium was once out driving2 a rather serious accident happened1 in which his carriage was caught between a cart and a tram2 the coachman was thrown from his seat and wounded4 ,as the tram struck the carriage1 ,m4 ,meurice felt himself seized by the arms1 and carried out of the carriage on to the footpath by ,h4 ,b4#be #be ,the reader may care to see ,dr4 ,maxwell's detailed report to ,professor ,richet of the above incident3-- #8,on ,sunday morning ,meurice was out driving4 ,a short distance from ,bordeaux his carriage collided with a milk-cart2 the shafts of the latter crashed through one of the carriage windows4 ,at the same time an electric tram1 unable to pull up in time1 struck the carriage in the rear4 ,the coachman was thrown from his seat on to the ground1 where he lay unconscious4 ,he was wounded near the left eye1 444 his face was covered with blood4 #8,at the moment the collision with the tram took place1 ,meurice quickly opened the carriage door with the natural intention of jumping out2 but he felt himself suddenly lifted up and carried on to the footpath1 a distance of ten feet4 ,he saw no one4 #8,he probably jumped of his own accord1 and the sensation he experienced was but the symbolical expression of the solicitude the personifications show for him4 ,the protector was supposed to be ,h4 ,b4 #8,now1 on ,saturday afternoon1 the eve of the day on which the above accident occurred1 ,i had a seance with my friend4 ,we tried for luminous phenomena1 but the experiment was null4 ,towards the close of the seance1 ,meurice said he saw the face of a dead man1 with a wound on the left temple1 the face was covered with blood4 ,i asked who it was1 and received by raps without contact3 8,suicide1 victime d'amour1 ,gaston02 the raps refused to give the surname4 ,the aspect of the coachman's face after the accident the next morning somewhat recalls the aspect of the vision2 if we accept this1 there is a curious mixture of true and false1 the false showing forth when our personal activity intervenes in order to question3 a fact which ,i have often observed4 #8,the accident occurred between ten and a quarter past ten o'clock4 ,my friend's youngest sister--a young girl of twenty--is paying him a visit this week4 ,now1 this ,sunday morning she went into the kitchen at ten o'clock1 looking very distressed1 and said to the servants that she felt sure an accident had happened to her brother4 ,the sister's and servants' versions concorded absolutely when questioned a few hours later on this coincidence4' 8,the air of protection which this personification assumes is never absent2 it is difficult1 ,m4 ,meurice says1 to convey an idea of the strange1 fantastic impression which he feels1 in presence of the frequent intervention of ,h4 ,b41 and other personifications4 8,this impression is the less easily understood1 in so much as ,m4 ,meurice is not a spiritualist1 and has received a scientific education4 ,he refuses to accept the explanations which the personifications offer of themselves3 they claim to be human beings who have once lived on earth4 ,up to the present they have never pretended to give us any information touching the life beyond the tomb2 the indications they have given rather tend to direct our experiments1 and to try to formulate premonitions4 ,h4 ,b4 seems to have given himself the task1 chiefly1 of establishing his identity2 this desire appears to be his leading--,i scarcely dare to say generating--idea4 ,and we are obliged to admit that from this point of view he has given some curious details4 ,these facts constitute the intellectual phenomena1 which are the dominant ones in the ,h4 ,b4 personification1 although raps and movements without contact are also said to emanate from him sometimes4 8,i have given some examples of psycho-sensorial messages in the visions which ,i have described4 ,these are far from being the most interesting4 ,h4 ,b4 manifests also by automatic writing1 and has given some messages of a highly interesting character in this manner4 ,i cite the following as being the most characteristic3-- 8,on the #bgth of ,november #aijc1 towards the close of a seance1 ,i mentally asked ,h4 ,b4 where ,i happened to be1 when he was laid up with a certain serious illness4 ,the medium wrote3 #8,you were a young magistrate at ,blaye1 near ,bordeaux4' ,m4 ,meurice knows what my career has been1 but it is extremely improbable1 he should have known about the illness--much less the time of the illness--of which ,i was thinking4 ,at all events1 the reply given to my mental question was correct4 ,neither the conversation nor previous facts could have given the slightest clue to my question4 ,on another occasion1 automatic writing made an extremely characteristic allusion to one of ,h4 ,b4's most inveterate habits3 a glass of brandy and water every afternoon at half-past five1 punctually4#bf #bf ,the following is ,dr4 ,maxwell's detailed report of this incident as contained in a letter to ,professor ,richet3-- #8444 ,there was nothing we might say but twaddle in the writing which followed1 e4g4 expressions of pleasure on the part of ,h4 ,b4 in that he was able to communicate with me1 his long efforts to reach me1 etc41 when suddenly1 at #e4cj1 without any rhyme or reason1 so to say1 our medium wrote 7always under the influence of the ,h4 ,b4 personification73 8,offer me some brandy and water44440 ,now1 during fifty years ,h4 ,b4 had not been known to miss taking a glass of brandy and water every afternoon at half-past five4 ,he was not in the habit of taking this concoction at other hours of the day2 so that the coincidence is1 to say the least1 striking and curious4444' 8,finally1 on the occasion of the death of the last surviving member of his family1 ,h4 ,b4 on the #eth of ,october #aijd wrote3 #8,poor ,l41 no one is left now4 ,it is a consolation for you to feel me near you4444 ,very often those left behind cannot see us4' 7,pauvre ,l41 il ne reste plus personne maintenant1 c'est une consolation pour vous de me sentir prs de vous4 ,souvent les survivants ne peuvent pas nous voir47 8,this message was interesting because the last relative to die was not ,l4 but ,c4 ,l4 died before ,c42 but ,l4 had been ,h4 ,b4's favourite brother4 ,it is quite correct that no one was left of ,h4 ,b4's generation after ,c4's death4#bg #bg ,neither ,l4 nor ,c4 have ever lived in ,bordeaux4 ,in fact ,h4 ,b4 was the only member of his family to leave his native land4 8,at this same seance1 ,h4 ,b4 mentioned a very private detail in connection with ,l4 ,this fact1 which raisons de convenance prevent me from fully relating1 defines the nature of the intercourse which had existed between ,h4 ,b4 and his brother ,l4 ,the circumstances which the writing recalled were known only to ,h4 ,b4 and a few near relations4 8,i am fully aware that the above details have no demonstrative value1 for ,i knew them all1 and the hypothesis of thought transmission can explain them quite as well as the spirit hypothesis4 ,here is1 however1 a case which is less easily explained3-- 8,one of my friends is related to a lady1 who lives with her husband in ,paris4 ,my friend told me that this cousin of his had amused herself one day with table-turning2 and he added that the table had followed her without any one touching it4 ,i had spoken of this incident to ,m4 ,meurice1 but without mentioning names4 ,the incident of the table following the novice the first time she had tried table-turning was the only thing mentioned4 8,quite recently1 while pursuing my inquiry upon mediums' eyes1 ,h4 ,b41 through automatic writing1 told me that the afore-mentioned friend would be able to give me some information on the subject2 the writing then named his cousin1 but called her by her maiden name1 giving the name correctly4 8,now two or three days afterwards1 ,m4 ,meurice had a vision or a dream--often he cannot tell whether it be one or the other2 he saw an aged lady sitting before a large table1 on the top of which a doll's table was standing2 two younger women were with her2 one of these latter made the small doll's table turn round three times without touching it4 ,the room in which these ladies were sitting was large1 and ,m4 ,meurice thought it was in a country-house4 ,the curtains were of rose-coloured velvet4 8,the scene described was the one my friend had related to me1 but ,i pointed out to ,m4 ,meurice that one detail at least was certainly incorrect3 viz4 the doll's table4 ,h4 ,b4 immediately wrote3 #8,he has not made a mistake1 it was the small table which moved1 and not the large one4' 7,il ne se trompe pas1 c'est bien le mouvement d'une petite table qui a eu lieu1 et non celui d'une grande47 ,i saw my friend the next day1 and ,i related this incident to him4 ,he assured me it was quite a mistake1 that it was a large table1 and not a doll's table1 which had moved4 ,i saw him again a few days later1 when he told me he had made further inquiries about the table-turning incident1 and had found out that it was indeed a doll's table placed upon the large table1 which had effected the movements in question4 8,the vision was therefore exact on this point2 it was also exact concerning the number and age of the persons present1 but the room in which the seance took place was in ,paris and not in the country2 the description of the room was incorrect4 8,in this case1 automatic writing confirmed the details seen hallucinatorily1 or in dream2 these details were most certainly unknown to ,m4 ,meurice as well as to myself4 ,i will add that even had ,i mentioned my friend's name1 which ,i can affirm ,i did not do1 that name would have been of no assistance to ,m4 ,meurice1 inasmuch as he does not know my friend1 much less his cousin in ,paris4 8,this is the most precise case1 in which ,m4 ,meurice has given me correct details unknown to myself4 8,if we examine in a general manner the character of the ,h4 ,b4 personification1 we are1 perhaps1 obliged to admit that it presents a spiritistic appearance4 ,this appearance is all the more singular1 in that it manifests in a centre where the spiritistic hypothesis is looked upon with disfavour4 ,i am well aware of the fact1 that tendencies opposed to those of the normal personality are often observed in secondary personalities4 8,young girls of a most timid and reserved disposition1 normally1 sometimes show obscene parasitic personalities1 under the influence of which they give utterance to the most filthy language1 and perform most indecent acts4 ,the processes of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries are most instructive from this point of view1 especially those of ,loudun and ,louviers4 ,it is not surprising1 therefore1 to see personifications calling themselves spirits emerge in a non-spiritistic centre2 it is probably a phenomenon comparable to that of the secondary personalities just spoken of4 ,a different synthesis of psychological elements is formed1 which follows an opposite bent to the one normally followed4 ,it is as though the poles were changed1 and a secondary personality reveals itself as the very reverse of the first personality4 8,the interesting point to seek for1 however1 is not the genesis of the personification1 for there are so many hypotheses which might explain it1 but to determine which explanation concerning the personification best suits the particular circumstances4 8,my observations upon the ,h4 ,b4 personification--the most thorough ,i have so far been able to make--do not permit me to form a definite conclusion2 at the same time1 they do not tend to make me look favourably upon the spirit hypothesis4 ,if we resume the details given by ,h4 ,b43-- 8,a4 ,about himself1 his person1 we find3 8#a4 #b4 ,two ways of wearing his beard4 8#c4 ,a peculiar mark near the eye4 8#d4 #e4 ,a very peculiar walk3 right leg shorter than the left4 8#f4 ,the hair was fairly well described4 8#g4 ,the eyes were not well described4 8,b4 ,details about his clothes and habits3 8#h4 ,an unusual shape of slipper4 8#i4 ,the shape and colour of his cravats4 8#aj4 ,his walking-stick4 8#aa4 ,the manner in which he passed the last six years of his life in an armchair4 8#ab4 ,the shawl which habitually covered his legs4 8#ac4 ,his habit of taking a glass of brandy and water every afternoon at #e4cj4 8#ad4 ,his allusions to his brother ,l4 and to his death4 8#ae4 ,a gold chain and pendants which he never possessed3 followed1 however1 by the rectification of the error4 8#af4 ,the detail of the ,temps4 8,that is to say3 two inexact1 two doubtful1 and twelve accurate details4 8,it may be of interest to draw attention to the process employed by this personification to prove his identity2 it is worthy of some attention1 because it touches on precise details4 ,those particular signs which are of capital importance in the identification of persons1 we find in details #a1 #b1 #c1 #d1 #e1 #aj1 #ac1 #ad1 and it would be most unjust to refuse to recognise in these indications at least an appearance of volition and intelligence4 8,the character of volition has been decidedly indicated4 ,the ,h4 ,b4 personification began to manifest itself by giving details concerning his physical appearance and his habits4 ,when ,m4 ,meurice saw ,h4 ,b41 he frequently perceived the apparition very indistinctly1 with the exception of the particular point which the personification appeared to be desirous of impressing upon him2 this occurred particularly with details #a1 #b1 #d1 #e1 #i1 and for the rectification of the watch-chain incident--#ae4 8,the character of intelligence has not been less marked than the character of volition4 ,the personification gives the impression of having deliberately chosen the signs1 by which he desired to prove his identity4 ,everybody knows how difficult it is to recognise such or such a person by the mere description of features2 definite details and peculiar marks are1 on the contrary1 of the greatest value for purposes of identification3 and these are precisely the details which ,h4 ,b4 seems to have chosen2 these are the kind of details he seems to have shown with the greatest persistence4 8,such facts as these plead in favour of the spirit hypothesis2 it would be unfair to deny it4 8,in the first place1 there are some inaccuracies1 e4g4 #ae4 ,can we attribute this to the iconogenical activity of the medium8 ,this is the theory which ,dr4 ,hodgson has so finely developed1 and the arguments he appeals to are very serious4 ,the sensorial or motor message is due either to the medium himself1 or to an intelligence distinct from that of the medium1 or to the combined action of the two intelligences4 ,notwithstanding ,dr4 ,hodgson's weighty arguments1 this explanation can only be considered1 at present1 as a working hypothesis4 ,it is rather difficult to understand why an extraneous intelligence could give twelve accurate details1 and make a mistake in two or three other important details2 it is still more difficult to understand1 if the identity in question be present1 why he should commit such mistakes2 and it seems to me that the personal action of the medium explains these errors even less satisfactorily4 8,nevertheless1 we must admit that even if we accept the hypothesis of the personal action of the medium troubling the extrinsical action of a foreign intelligence1 this simultaneous blending of true and false details is little made to bring about a conviction of the intervention of an active intelligence1 other than that of the medium4 8,finally1 even in admitting as proven the intervention of an intelligence non-human1 nothing permits us to affirm that it is really the person in question who is manifesting and not an impersonation4 ,this distinction has been well put forward by theologians1 though the rules they give for the discernment of spirits appear to us to be most puerile4 8,to sum up1 the case of ,h4 ,b4 has an appearance which is1 frankly speaking1 spiritistic2 but it is not possible to consider as certain1 or even as probable1 the pretensions manifested by this interesting personification40 ,,series ,b ,a4 ,,raps ,i propose gathering together1 for the first part of this series1 a few interesting things scattered here and there among the notes before me4 ,on one occasion ,chappe dictated by means of raps without contact--in broad daylight--that #gfj copies of a work of ,dr4 ,maxwell's had been sold4 ,four days later1 in the same manner1 he said that #ieh copies of the said work had been sold2 incorrect information as the following proves3 the day after the seance in which ,chappe had announced the sale of #ieh copies1 ,dr4 ,maxwell received a letter from the publisher of the work in question telling him that #hjj copies had left him1 including the press service4 99 99 99 99 99 8,we had some good phenomena on ,tuesday afternoon10 writes ,dr4 ,maxwell4 8,i was talking to ,m4 ,meurice about my bibliographical researches1 and of the best plan to adopt for the analytical indexes4 ,a small mahogany table was near us1 one leg of the table was touching a rug on which ,m4 ,meurice was sitting4 ,raps resounded on the table2 ,chappe's signal was given1 followed by some advice concerning the subject of our conversation4 ,telekinetic phenomena were also forthcoming--the table gliding towards us and then away from us according to request1 travelling a distance of from three to five inches4 8,then ,i tried an experiment1 one ,i have been wishing to try for some time3 ,i bade ,m4 ,meurice sit in an armchair and lie perfectly still4 ,i placed his arm at about one foot from the table1 and told him to fancy he lifted his arm and struck the table1 without1 of course1 making the slightest movement4 8,we obtained some excellent raps in this way4 ,this is a fine experiment1 for it shows clearly the production of raps by the will--the direct1 conscious and personal will4 8,we tried three series of experiments2 six raps in each series were willed2 we received four raps in each1 that is to say1 #ff per cent4 of success4 ,the raps were loud1 one was double4 ,the medium nearly fainted after this experiment1 but came round quickly1 though he has not been well since4 8,his sensations were3 7#a7 absence of sensation in the arm with which we were experimenting2 7#b7 a kind of breeze issuing from his shoulder4 ,after willing the raps he was never sure of success1 he did not feel the wood had been touched4 ,sensibility appeared to be exteriorised40 99 99 99 99 99 ,in another of ,dr4 ,maxwell's letters we note the following3-- 8,for our seance yesterday we obtained1 as usual1 a quantity of raps through the lead-pencil4 ,i succeeded in provoking them upon myself4 ,sensation produced3 when ,m4 ,meurice put the pencil on bone ,i had a sensation of a slight electric current2 it produced no contractions in the muscles traversed2 the sensation was at its maximum on bone1 probably because of the greater conductibility offered by solids to vibration4 8,i have tried the raps upon several substances with the following result3-- the finger3 good4 wood3 very good1 maximum4 ivory3 good4 iron3 bad4 8,sensibility appears to be exteriorised during the production of raps through a pencil4 ,yesterday there was sensibility at a distance of four centimetres from the periphery of the hand1 which was holding the pencil1 when the raps were forthcoming4 8,i asked ,chappe to indicate in one word why it was easier to obtain raps with a lead-pencil4 ,he dictated the answer1 #8,localisent4' 8,before we separated we received the following message by raps without contact3 #8,jeanne ,bordes morte #g octobre #ahei ,st4 ,pierre ,martinique1 demeurant #cg rue ,st4 ,jacques4' ,i do not know of any ,jeanne ,bordes1 though a family of that name lives at ,st4 ,pierre4 ,i have questioned some people who have lived in that town1 but they do not recollect any ,jeanne ,bordes44440 ,in another letter the doctor writes3-- 8,towards four o'clock this afternoon1 in broad daylight1 some very fine raps resounded on a table standing thirteen feet away from ,m4 ,meurice and myself4 ,it was said to be ,h4 ,b4 who was rapping4 ,m4 ,meurice became nervous1 and the experiment only lasted for five minutes4 ,it was magnificent as an example of raps at a distance40 99 99 99 99 99 ,the following extracts are taken from ,dr4 ,x4's notes3-- 8,on one occasion ,professor ,richet and ,i were speaking about a relation of the professor's1 ,a4 ,r41 who was supposed to have communicated with him through ,m4 ,meurice4 ,the latter could not have overheard our conversation1 for the simple reason that he was at least ten miles away from where we happened to be at that moment4 ,five or six hours afterwards1 when ,professor ,richet was out walking with ,m4 ,meurice1 raps suddenly resounded on the latter's walking-stick1 and the following words were dictated3 #8,suis avec vous4' 7,who are you87 #8,a4 ,r4 ,je ne vous ai jamais abandonn4' 8,in the course of the morning's conversation1 the remark had been passed that the persistency of this personification's manifestations would be looked upon by some as a sign of survival1 and ,i had made use of the words3 #8,i wonder if he--,a4 ,r4--has been near you lately4' 99 99 99 99 99 8,the medium was aware of certain experiments ,i had made with a sensitive at ,nancy4 ,he often heard me discuss with ,professor ,richet and ,dr4 ,maxwell1 the phenomena ,i witnessed there4 ,one day1 in presence of ,professor ,richet and myself1 ,chappe dictated that he followed me about sometimes1 upon which ,i said3 #8,were you with me in ,nancy8' ,he replied 7by means of raps without contact73 #8,oui4 ,d4 s'attire des ennuis en groupant autour de lui des influences infrieures4 ,dfiez-vous de la domestique4 ,fraude4 ,il y a eu autrefois un fort mdium1 ,henri ,dubuc1 ,nancy4 ,s4 n'est pas un mdium matrialisations4' 8,this communication was given in broad daylight1 by means of raps without any contact whatsoever4 ,the raps resounded on a table which was standing near1 but which was not touched1 either directly or indirectly1 by the medium4 ,from time to time ,professor ,richet and ,i leant on the table1 but not with a view to aiding the phenomena--,i mean to furnishing #8force4' ,our touching the table or not seemed to make no difference to the rapping intelligence4 ,the message was dictated with precision and rapidity4 8,it is to be noted1 that ,m4 ,meurice held a decided opinion concerning the experiments at ,nancy2 he was not at all inclined to admit their authenticity4 ,the group1 at whose seances ,i had been permitted to be present1 know of no ,henry ,dubuc4 8,while the preceding communication was being given1 one of the observers made the remark1 sotto voce1 that he had a headache1 and wondered if ,chappe could suggest a remedy3 immediately the somewhat laconic reply1 #8,dormez1' was rapped out40 99 99 99 99 99 ,the following message contains an incident of a certain interest1 if the reader will kindly compare it with the efforts1 related in ,series ,c1 page #cei1 to obtain a particular name4 8,a letter had been received from ,professor ,richet1 in which reference had been made to a curious occurrence at ,carqueiranne1 very much like an orthodox haunting4 ,during lunch1 ,i spoke about this to the medium4 ,as often happened when the conversation turned on these grounds1 raps mingled freely with our conversation4 ,thereupon ,i asked who was rapping1 and received the reply that ,c4 ,r4 7,professor ,richet's grandfather7 was present2 whereupon the following conversation between this personification and myself took place3-- 8,question3 ,can you explain the haunting at ,carqueiranne8 8,c4 ,r43 ,oui4 8,question3 ,who is it who haunts the place8 8,c4 ,r43 ,mre4 8,question3 ,whose mother8 8,c4 ,r43 ,grandmother ,jacques4 ,mre ,charles4 87,jacques is the name of the boy to whom the incident in question occurred47 8,question3 ,what is her name8 8,c4 ,r43 ,eugnie4 8,this name #8,eugnie' is the one we had tried in vain to obtain four months previously4#bh ,it was now given without any hesitation whatsoever1 by raps without contact4 #bh ,see page #cei4 8,following this word #8,eugnie1' the raps predicted the death of one of my brothers in a month's time from an automobile accident4 ,the prediction1 happily1 remains unfulfilled4 ,when this message was received1 ,i did not know if my brother ever rode in motor cars2 and1 for several reasons1 ,i did not consider it at all likely2 but three weeks afterwards1 ,i had a letter from him asking me to procure him several catalogues1 as he had the intention of buying a motor car4 ,my brother lives in ,california4 ,the medium knew ,i had relations in ,california1 but did not know about my brother1 much less his name40 ,in the following messages1 the raps were obtained with and without contact4 8,i had been anxious about my youngest brother1 and had openly spoken of my anxiety1 saying ,i had reason to fear that my brother and his tutor did not get on well together4 ,one evening1 during dinner1 ,chappe rapped out the signal intimating his presence2 the raps resounded on the table close to where ,i was sitting1 and at a distance of about three feet from the medium4 ,asked if he had anything to say1 ,chappe dictated3 ,il faut laisser le petit en repos loin de son tuteur4 ,i wish to draw attention to the last word1 for it marks a curious error4 ,when speaking to the medium of my brother1 ,i always made use of the word tuteur1 whereas1 in ,french1 ,i should have said prcepteur4 ,the two words have quite a different meaning2 my brother was not with a tuteur in the ,french sense of the word1 but with a prcepteur4 8,now1 a short time before1 my brother had shown symptoms of a cardiac affection1 and was undergoing a special treatment4 ,neither the medium nor ,dr4 ,maxwell knew of this2 they thought my brother was in the best of health1 as indeed he appeared to be4 8,after the last communication had been received1 ,i asked ,chappe if my brother's health was good4 ,my question was3 ,est-ce que sa sant est bonne8 ,the answer came3 ,arythmie du cur2 sparez-le de son tuteur4 8,at the time1 ,i myself did not know the precise nature of the weakness4 ,i simply knew that my brother had had two attacks of spasms of the heart2 but1 ,i repeat1 ,i had not mentioned this fact to any one4 ,a fortnight after receiving the foregoing communication1 ,i had a letter from the doctor charged to watch over my brother1 in which letter the term #8arythmie' was employed for the first time1 in connection with him4 8,my family thought of sending my brother to the ,pyrenees for a few months' rest and change4 ,i asked ,chappe if he could tell me what was contemplated2 he replied3 ,peut-tre ferez-vous bien de garaer ,raoul auprs de vous2 dans deux mois1 ,paris1 campagne1 ,hyres1 ,ile1 ,arcachon2 all so many efforts1 one would say1 to read my thoughts--but without success4 99 99 99 99 99 8,a seance had been arranged for at which ,dr4 ,maxwell1 ,professor ,richet and ,i were to be present4 ,much had been expected from this seance1 for there were many signs of ample force4 ,the raps were certainly excellent1 and1 with a great show of dignity1 asked3 ,permettez-vous un ami de 7mentioning my name7 de venir8 ,permission being given1 it was announced that 8,georges ,r40 wished to speak with me4 8,i know of no ,georges ,r42 the medium1 however1 was aware of the fact that ,r4 is one of my family names4 8,the raps 7#8,georges ,r4'7 continued3 ,votre pre a eu un accident de voiture2 foie trs contusionn2 soaisr chute2 7soir sa chute874 8,no accident of any kind has happened to my father either at the time of receiving the above message1 or since4 8,the rapping ceased abruptly1 when this last message was given1 and no further phenomena occurred at this particular seance4 99 99 99 99 99 8,at a short seance at which ,dr4 ,maxwell and ,i were present1 the medium said he could see ,chappe walking about the room with a lady on his arm2 the lady was dressed in mourning4 ,raps accompanied the medium's words and1 the name of the lady in mourning being asked for1 the word #8,marguerite' was dictated4 ,asked why she was in mourning1 the raps replied that it was for identity's sake1 because #8,marguerite' was in mourning when she died4 7,signe identit--en deuil quand elle est morte47 ,asked for the name of the person for whom ,marguerite was in mourning1 when she died1 the raps replied3 #8,katey4' 8,now1 a favourite aunt of mine died a few years ago1 whose name was ,marguerite4 ,my mother died a few weeks before my aunt2 consequently my aunt was in mourning for my mother1 when she died4 ,my mother's name was ,kate1 but my aunt always called her ,katey4 8,i can affirm never having spoken of these details either to ,dr4 ,maxwell or to the medium4 8,during this seance it was ,dr4 ,maxwell who spelt out the alphabet40 99 99 99 99 99 ,i will give one more quotation from ,dr4 ,x4's notes3--8,chappe was rapping so noisily and abundantly one morning that1 in default of other phenomena being forthcoming1 ,i asked him if he would kindly tell me what was man's occupation after death4 ,my exact question was3 ,qu'est-ce qu'on fait dans l',au del8 ,very quickly and unhesitatingly the raps answered3 ,on est dans ravissement profond1 et occup uniquement de faire le bonheur de tous ceux qui sont chers et le souci d'apporter des preuves d'une vie future40 99 99 99 99 99 ,in the exposition of the few facts in this1 as well as in the other series1 we are trying to throw every light in our power upon the agency operating behind these messages4 ,this necessitates personal details here and there which1 we hope1 the reader will forgive4 ,on every occasion1 unless the reverse has been stated1 ,m4 ,meurice was thoroughly wide-awake4 ,it was often he who spelt out the alphabet1 especially when the observers had reason to suspect a name--or the nature of the message to be given4 ,he always permitted a constant and careful scrutiny of his every movement1 when the raps were produced with contact4 ,when raps were forthcoming without contact1 they were given wherever requested1 e4g4 on a chair1 the floor1 the centre of the table or under such or such an observer's hand2 in these cases the vibration was easily perceived4 ,when the pencil was used1 care was taken--by holding ,m4 ,meurice's hand and the pencil--to make sure of the fact that neither hand nor pencil stirred1 while the raps were being produced4 ,there can be no doubt whatever of the authenticity of the raps1 which gave the messages laid before the reader in this chapter4 ,all things considered1 the chances seem great that these raps are not accidental1 but significant of some fact in the complex and obscure structure of human personality--dare we say in the structure even of the ,cosmos8 ,b4 ,,telekinetic ,,phenomena ,the following is ,dr4 ,maxwell's compte rendu of some telekinetic phenomena1 which were forthcoming on the #beth and #bfth ,july #aijc4 ,these notes were written immediately after the phenomena occurred4 8#beth ,july #aijc2 #d4cj ,p4,m4 8,m4 ,meurice and ,i were working in a small study in the former's house4 ,the room is about eight feet long by eight feet wide4 ,on the ,,ne4 side is a window2 ,,sw4 a door2 ,,nw4 a glass door4 ,the window was closed1 and the shutters were half closed on account of the excessive heat and glaring light4 ,the furniture consists of3 a writing-table in the ,e4 corner2 a divan against the ,,ne4 wall2 a low chair in the ,s4 corner2 a rectangular table in front of the couch or divan2 a small hexagonal table near the rectangular table2 a gilt cane chair in front of the window2 a wooden stool in the ,w4 corner2 a chimney-piece in the ,n4 corner2 an armchair in front of the rectangular table2 a small gilt chair was between the latter table and the divan4 ,it was drawn under the table4 ,illustration 8,m4 ,meurice and ,i had been writing 7correcting proof sheets7 on the hexagonal table4 ,m4 ,meurice was sitting on the edge ,a of the divan1 ,i was at ,b opposite him1 when raps were heard on the writing-table--with which ,m4 ,meurice had no contact4 ,i measured a distance of two feet between him and the writing-table4 ,at the same time1 raps in quantity1 but of feeble tonality1 resounded on the hexagonal table4 8,we removed our writing materials on to the rectangular table1 for the sake of more room4 ,the raps gradually ceased2 they died out altogether on the writing-table and began1 though very feebly1 to resound on the rectangular table4 ,we worked for an hour and then rested a while4 ,m4 ,meurice sat back on the couch1 putting one of his feet on the chair between the divan and the table4 ,raps immediately resounded on the chair4 ,i went and sat down beside my friend1 and observed that the raps appeared to come from his foot2 ,i found that they were synchronous with our movements2 they also responded correctly to my mental and spoken request4 8,i left the couch and sat on the armchair in front of the rectangular table4 ,m4 ,meurice drew his legs under him and sat on the divan1 tailor-fashion4 ,we decided to try to move the gilt chair standing between the divan and the table4 ,there was a space of fourteen inches between the divan and the chair4 ,i sat on the armchair4 ,m4 ,meurice brought his hands towards the chair1 palms facing the chair2 he kept his hands still at a distance of seven to eight inches from the back of the chair2 ,i stretched out my arms above the table towards the chair4 ,when ,i contracted my muscles1 the arms and hands extended1 the chair moved4 ,the amplitude of the movement was very small1 scarcely a quarter of an inch1 but the movement was abrupt and decided4 ,it was a jerk1 which took place shortly after the muscular contraction4 8,this movement was reproduced three times under the same conditions4 8,then ,m4 ,meurice and ,i changed places4 ,i sat on the couch in the same way as he had sat2 ,m4 ,meurice made the same movements ,i had made4 ,the chair moved twice2 the amplitude of the movement was much greater than with me2 the chair was displaced an inch each time4 ,after the second movement was produced1 ,m4 ,meurice said he felt tired2 he lifted his arms above his head and stretched himself2 that is to say1 he pulled himself upwards2 his feet did not go near the table4 ,while stretching himself1 the chair suddenly--for the third time--displaced itself a distance of an inch4 ,the latter movement coincided with the extension of the back1 at the moment when the muscles of the grooves and lombo-sacr contracted4 8,the direction of these movements was from the table towards the couch2 the chair receded from the table1 whether ,m4 ,meurice or ,i sat on the couch4 8,seeing how easily these movements without contact were being obtained1 we went downstairs into the dining-room with the object of trying to obtain some phenomena1 which ,m4 ,meurice had obtained when alone the previous day2 namely1 the attraction of wine-glasses4 8,i took a liqueur-glass1 and put it on the mantelpiece in the dining-room4 ,m4 ,meurice made some passes around the glass1 then put his two hands together meeting them at the finger-tips2 he drew his hands slowly away1 the glass followed his hands by jerks4 8,we then returned to the study4 ,i sat down on the divan and prepared to resume my writing4 ,m4 ,meurice was standing near the mantelpiece4 ,in a few minutes ,i heard him say he was attracting the chessmen4 ,i got up and watched carefully4 ,his hands were in the position described above in connection with the liqueur-glass2 he drew his hands slowly backwards1 and the red king followed his hands2 this tiny piece is about half an inch in height and a quarter of an inch in diameter4 ,the movement was slow and gliding4 ,m4 ,meurice tried to reproduce the phenomena but failed4 ,he said he was tired and would rest a while4 ,in a few minutes he renewed his efforts4 ,i stood close beside him2 again failure4 ,after a few more minutes of rest1 he tried again--,i watching him closely all the while--and1 this time1 succeeded in attracting the same piece--the red king4 ,the piece followed the direction of his fingers1 as before1 slowly and smoothly4 8,m4 ,meurice again complained of feeling tired1 and ,i urged him not to try for any more phenomena1 but to lie down and rest4 ,i went to my writing once more1 but ,m4 ,meurice was restless1 and told me he wanted to try to move an empty beer-bottle1 which was standing on the mantelpiece4 8,he took it from the mantelpiece and put it on the wooden stool4 ,he knelt down in front of the stool1 and made the same manuvres with his hands as for the liqueur-glass and the chessman4 ,i remained sitting on the divan1 a distance of nearly seven feet from the stool4 ,m4 ,meurice1 after the above-mentioned manuvres1 i4e4 passing his hands several times round the bottle1 joined his hands together at the finger-tips1 and drew them gently backwards as before4 ,the bottle moved four times1 each time from two to three inches4 8,m4 ,meurice then said he felt sea-sick2 and he was obliged to lie down for a while4 ,he soon rose up1 however1 and said he wanted to make something else move4 ,he took a piece of sealing-wax1 tried several times1 but failed to move it4 ,thereupon ,i persuaded him to cease making further attempts40 8#bfth ,july4 8,phenomena of attraction similar to yesterday1 occurred this afternoon4 ,we were in ,m4 ,meurice's bedroom4 ,it was four o'clock1 the window was open1 the shutters were ajar2 the light was excellent4 8,the mantelpiece is covered with plush4 ,on one corner there is a statuette in porcelain representing the ,thorn2 the child is seated on a chair1 and is pulling a thorn out of his foot2 the statuette is five inches high4 ,m4 ,meurice told me that he was going to make this statuette move4 ,i stood near him1 with one hand on his back2 ,i stooped down1 and looked fixedly and narrowly at the statuette during the whole operation4 ,m4 ,meurice proceeded exactly as in the preceding experiments1 and when his hands--joined together at the finger-tips--were at a distance of six inches from the statuette1 the latter swayed1 bent slowly forward1 and fell over4 ,i affirm most positively1 that there was no hair or thread or normal link of any kind whatsoever between the statuette and the medium's hands4 ,i passed my hand all round the statuette1 before the movement1 during the movement1 and after the movement2 ,i thus verified by touch1 what my eyes were witnessing4 8,now1 after ,m4 ,meurice had made some passes with his hands around the statuette 7without touching it1 be it remembered71 and when1 after putting his hands together at the finger-tips1 he slowly withdrew them1 ,i heard a slight noise1 like the rubbing of a hair on the statuette2 at the same time the latter swayed2 this creaking sound did not continue1 and only accompanied the first movements of the statuette4 ,again ,i affirm1 that there was no hair or thread whatsoever connecting the medium's hands with the statuette4 8,after the production of this phenomenon1 we decided to have a dark seance1 for the purpose of trying to obtain luminous phenomena4 ,i closed the shutters and pulled down a dark blind1 especially constructed for dark seances4 ,while ,i was doing this1 ,m4 ,meurice continued trying to attract various articles on the chimney-piece4 ,seeing this ,i drew the dark blind away again and let in more light1 in order to be able to see clearly4 ,i took a stick of sealing-wax1 broke off a piece and put it on a small mirror1 which was lying on the mantelpiece4 ,in this case ,m4 ,meurice did not make any preliminary passes as with the statuette1 beer-bottle and liqueur-glass2 he simply joined his hands together in front of the sealing-wax2 the sealing-wax followed his hands several times1 in fact every backward movement drew the wax after the hands2 he finally drew the sealing-wax to the edge of the mantelpiece1 when it fell to the floor4 8,the seance which followed was unproductive4 ,a few raps were heard1 but that was all4 ,after the seance1 we lighted up the room1 opened the window1 and ,m4 ,meurice again tried to move the sealing-wax4 ,he succeeded with great facility1 the sealing-wax following every movement of his fingers4 8,by sight and touch1 ,i assured myself of the absence of any link between the wax and ,m4 ,meurice's hands4 ,i solemnly affirm that no such link of any kind existed4 8,i desired to write a letter1 and1 thinking that the phenomena were probably exhausted for the time being1 ,i begged ,m4 ,meurice to allow me to get off my letter4 ,i was in the act of writing1 when he said he felt he could move another article4 ,i watched him3 he took up another statuette1 which stands a foot high2 he put this statuette on a small table which was near me2 he kept his hands open1 palms turned towards the object in question4 ,he moved his hands slowly backwards and forwards1 and ,i observed the statuette bend forward when his hands receded1 and bend backwards when his hands approached it4 ,his hands were never nearer than ten inches to the object4 8,m4 ,meurice then complained of feeling unwell1 and threw himself on his bed4 ,his hands touched the head of the bed1 on the woodwork of which raps at once resounded4 ,chappe gave his signal1 and dictated3 #8,b4 ,,menagez4' ,questioned as to what he meant1 he said to take care of the medium1 and not to take advantage of the power4 ,we ceased experimenting1 therefore4 8,i have a few remarks to make concerning the above phenomena4 ,when ,i held my friend's hands1 ,i obtained nothing4 ,m4 ,meurice says he saw a thread1 or rather a sheath of filaments1 pass from his fingers on to the object of experimentation4 ,as a rule1 he made passes over the object he wished to move1 as though he were putting a thread of some kind around it4 ,he did not always do this1 e4g4 if the object to be moved were light and small1 he made no passes over it4 8,this movement would be very suspicious1 if observation were superficial2 but apart from the purely scientific spirit in which ,m4 ,meurice views his own phenomena1 the severe control ,i exercised demonstrated the absence of any material link whatever40 ,more ,extracts from ,dr4 ,maxwell's ,notes 8#crd ,june #aijc4 8,a movement without contact was forthcoming this afternoon4 ,i placed a table upside down upon a linen sheet4 ,m4 ,meurice and ,i put our hands on the sheet1 some distance away from the table4 ,the latter turned completely over2 the movement was performed slowly and gently4 ,it was at four o'clock1 the sunlight was streaming in through the open window4 8,we also obtained the movement of a heavy wooden stool with slight contact4 ,m4 ,meurice and ,i were sitting on a couch1 the stool was near us2 abundant raps were heard on the stool4 ,m4 ,meurice took up a piece of linen1 put one end on the stool1 putting a framed picture on top of it to keep it in place2 he put the other end on his knees4 ,in a few minutes1 the stool swayed about and finally moved a distance of three inches away from ,m4 ,meurice4 ,i watched him well and can affirm he moved neither hand nor foot during the production of this phenomena4 8,m4 ,meurice experienced much fatigue after this movement4 ,it occurred at half-past four2 the light1 ,i repeat1 was excellent40 8#aath ,june #aijc4 8,it appears that ,m4 ,meurice attracted several objects--pieces of bread1 forks1 etc4--yesterday during lunch4 ,but he could not reproduce the phenomena in my presence4 ,we had1 however1 raps and numerous slight movements without contact--raps almost ad libitum4 ,automatic writing followed1 but contained nothing of interest2 it was impossible to obtain replies to mental questions3 subjectivity4 8,p4,s4--,i am adding a postscript to my letter from the medium's house2 for we have just received some fine phenomena4 ,the raps were1 as usual1 very abundant2 but we also received two fine series of parakinetic movements4 8#a4 ,i brought a small mahogany table up to the sofa on which ,m4 ,meurice had thrown himself4 ,i sat down beside him1 taking a shawl which ,i threw over him and the table4 ,instantly1 raps resounded on the table4 ,m4 ,meurice could not possibly have touched the table without my noticing it4 8,the table swayed about1 now on this side1 now on that2 and then dragged itself towards me by jerks1 first one side1 then the other4 ,when ,i squeezed ,m4 ,meurice's hand or gave him a slight tap on the shoulder1 there was a synchronous movement in the table4 ,the latter also moved in response to request4 ,then it gently raised itself up on the two feet which were nearest to me2 this side lost contact with the floor and rose to a height of four inches4 8#b4 ,we were both carefully watching this interesting phenomenon1 when ,i heard raps on another table which was about a foot away from the sofa and two feet away from the table with which we were experimenting4 ,this second table had no contact whatsoever either with the sofa or with the shawl3 it was isolated4 ,hearing the raps1 ,i looked at the table and saw it rise up1 or to be more correct1 sway about--only three of its legs touching the ground4 ,m4 ,meurice had not noticed this phenomenon2 when ,i drew his attention to it1 he became suddenly nervous1 and complained of feeling tired4 ,i pointed out to him how much this sensation of fatigue was subjective and out of all proportion with the energy expended4 ,but new or unexpected phenomena always upset him2 he experiences a sort of anguish blended with something like fear in presence of a new phenomenon4 8,these movements of the second table lasted for several minutes2 they were synchronous with our own movements and muscular contractions1 but were also forthcoming at request4 ,we were operating in broad daylight4 ,chappe informed us1 by raps1 that he was the operator on this occasion40 8#aath ,july #aijd4 8,i was obliged to make an early call on our medium this morning4 ,lucky visit6 for he was in a working mood and gave two fine movements without contact4 ,we began by sitting at a table1 where we received raps by means of the lead-pencil2 the words3 ,put yourselves against the daylight were rapped out4 ,we did not understand what this meant1 and ceased experimenting4 ,we went downstairs and walked about in the garden for a few minutes4 ,when we went back to the study1 we resumed our seance4 ,m4 ,meurice sat down on the divan and ,i in front of him4 ,raps without contact dictated3 ,lie down for a while1 we want to try for a physical effect4 8,the raps directed that ,i was to lie down on the sofa and ,m4 ,meurice was to take my place4 ,we followed these directions4 8,m4 ,meurice said he felt #8queer'2 that his hands seemed to be full of hair1 or rather of spider's web1 and he tried to rub the feeling away4 ,i got up and took down from the mantelpiece the statuette of ,st4 ,john1 the history of which you know4#bi ,he tried to attract it1 but without results4 ,we waited1 the spider's web sensation returned1 and this time ,i prevented him from rubbing it off2 he drew his hands together over and then in front of the statuette and--his fingers at a distance of five inches from the object--attracted it to him4 ,the statuette moved two inches4 #bi 8,concerning the statuette3 the medium was--two months previous to the seance here spoken of--given the catalogue of a sale of antiquities to be held at ,bordeaux4 ,when going to bed he took the catalogue to glance over it2 but he says he was so sleepy1 that he did not get any further than the first page4 ,in the night1 he dreamt that he was to buy ,no4 #bef in the catalogue1 which--he was told in his dream--was the ,christ of whom he had seen the vision a few months previously1 when ,madame ,stephens was with us4 7,see ,series ,c1 page #cdi47 8,when the medium awakened1 he looked up ,no4 #bef1 and found that it was an ancient wooden statuette of ,st4 ,john the ,baptist40--,note by ,dr4 ,x4 8,m4 ,meurice felt ill after this movement1 and was obliged to lie down for a while4 ,he soon got up1 and tried again4 ,but ,i stopped him1 fearing he might over-tire himself2 though the statuette did not move forward this time1 it swayed about40 8#ahth ,july #aijd4 8,on ,thursday morning1 ,m4 ,meurice again succeeded in attracting the statuette of ,st4 ,john4 ,he told me he felt the cobwebby sensation1 which--in his case--coincides with telekinetic phenomena2 he took the statuette in question and placed it on a table4 ,he then proceeded as though he were putting something behind the object1 making several passes with his hands all round it4 ,as he was drawing his hands away from the statuette--they had reached a distance of nine inches--,i heard something like the crackling of a hair or silken thread on the wood of the statuette1 and then the latter moved4 8,the excellent conditions of light under which the experiment took place1 the control of sight and touch which ,i most carefully exercised1 the proximity of the statuette to my eyes1 all this renders the absence of any hair or thread most certain for me4 ,this is the second time ,i have heard this scraping sound4 8,m4 ,meurice was extremely fatigued after the production of this phenomenon1 and fainted4 ,on recovering himself1 he insisted on trying once more1 and succeeded in making the statuette sway about4 8,the day following this experience1 he attracted several small articles--wine-glasses1 bread1 etc4--near his reach on the luncheon-table4 ,i was not present1 however4 8,you perceive how very suspicious the phenomena sometimes appear to be4 ,nothing short of actual observation could demonstrate the absence of a connecting link of some kind between the medium's hands and the object in movement40 ,c4 ,,luminous ,,phenomena ,by ,dr4 ,x4 8,for about eighteen months1 ,dr4 ,maxwell has been endeavouring to turn the phenomena in the direction of luminosities or materialisations4 8,with that object in view1 he has had a light portable cabinet constructed4 ,this fragile apparatus consists of eight pieces of pinewood fitting into one another by means of hooks4 ,when put together1 there is just enough space inside the cabinet to allow of the introduction of a small1 straight-backed chair2 a person sitting thereon1 finds himself in contact with the back and sides of the cabinet1 and his knees against the door4 ,a large curtain of purple cloth has been made1 which is thrown over the cabinet1 covering it completely4 ,the curtain is buttoned over the door4 8,the luminous phenomena already obtained with this medium and spoken of by ,dr4 ,maxwell on pages #aeb-e1 were sufficient grounds for hoping that patience and perseverance might1 finally1 obtain happy results capable of being repeated4 8,for more than a year nothing demonstratively objective was forthcoming4 ,in the darkness1 one often imagined one could see clouds of vapour moving about near the cabinet2 but there was nothing to prove that this appearance was anything more than an optical illusion4 ,on these occasions1 the medium frequently complained of a disagreeable sensation on his hands and face1 as though he were caught in a spider's web4 ,he has also said1 that he perceived from time to time an odour of phosphorus or ozone in the cabinet2 the medium has been the only one of the experimenters to notice this odour1 so far4 8,whenever ,i have been present at these attempts1 ,i have observed that they were accompanied by complete cessation of all other phenomena1 such as visions1 raps1 telekinesis4 ,until ,november #aijd1 this apparently negative result was about all that was obtained at these dark seances4 8,during the first week in ,november1 the medium being in good form1 and the #8force' abundant1 it was decided to devote a few days1 which ,professor ,richet was able to dispose of1 to an effort to obtain luminous phenomena4 8,three seances in all were held4 ,there were present1 ,professor ,richet1 ,dr4 ,maxwell1 ,m4 ,meurice1 and myself4 ,the seances were held in a very small room on the top floor of the medium's house4 8,the following is a diagram showing the disposition of the room in which the three seances1 of which ,i am giving the compte rendu1 took place4 ,illustration 8,the door1 which was shut1 leads into another room1 the two doors of which--leading into a corridor--were locked during the experiment4 ,the window and shutters of this adjoining room were closed1 and the room darkened1 so that no light therefrom could penetrate under the door of the seance-room4 8,the seances were held between #e and #f4cj o'clock in the afternoon4 ,total darkness was obtained by closing the outside shutters and the window1 and by hanging a large black curtain--kept for the purpose--across the window4 ,no ray of light was visible on the sides of the window2 the position of the latter could be guessed at during the seance--simply because we knew where it was--but could not be perceived4 ,the darkness was profound4 ,a candle and box of matches were placed on table ,a4 ,when the experimenters were seated1 the candle was blown out4 8,results4--,tuesday1 #ast ,november #aijd4 ,the four experimenters were seated around the table 7see diagram72 the medium 7who is not marked on the diagram1 because he was in the cabinet whenever phenomena were forthcoming7 was seated between ,dr4 ,maxwell 7,m7 and ,professor ,richet 7,r71 with his back to the cabinet3 ,no results--nothing whatever--neither raps nor anything else4 8,the medium goes into the cabinet4 ,after an interval of a quarter of an hour1 ,m and ,x think they see milky-looking clouds floating about near the cabinet1 but they are unable to affirm the objectivity of this appearance4 ,at the close of the seance1 feeble raps are heard on the table2 the raps dictate that ,professor ,richet is to sit in the cabinet on the following day40 99 99 99 99 99 ,second ,seance 8,wednesday1 #bnd ,november #aijd4 8,professor ,richet sits in the cabinet4 ,the medium sits at the spot marked ,m on the diagram2 ,dr4 ,maxwell sits at ,r4 ,after sitting in this way for a quarter of an hour--during which time nothing occurred--the medium asked to be allowed to go into the cabinet4 ,professor ,richet then sits at ,r1 and ,dr4 ,maxwell at ,m4 ,almost immediately ,m and ,x see a phosphorescent1 milky-looking1 amorphous light1 of about six inches in diameter in parts1 floating about outside the door of the cabinet4 ,it was decidedly objective1 lasted for about one minute1 and gradually disappeared4 8,r did not see the light4 8,from an experiment made on the following day1 we have all three reason to believe1 that ,professor ,richet did not see the luminosities at this seance because of his position4 ,let it be borne in mind that ,x was in direct line of vision with the door of the cabinet1 and that ,m was also favourably placed for observation4 ,these facts did not strike us until the seance was over1 and ,r's inability to see what ,m and ,x affirmed were objective lights was incomprehensible at the time being4 8,when the medium took ,professor ,richet's place in the cabinet1 he said the latter appeared to him to be all lighted up2 when ,dr4 ,maxwell and ,i saw the light outside the cabinet1 the medium declared he was in utter darkness4 ,during the production of this phenomenon1 ,m4 ,meurice was heard to breathe heavily2 he said he did not know why he felt obliged to do this2 he complained of feeling suddenly very cold2 at the same time1 a cold perspiration broke out on his forehead4 ,he also said that he felt the need of stretching himself and yawning4 8,an interval of ten minutes now passed4 ,then ,m and ,x saw an amorphous luminosity gradually form in front of the cabinet1 and make slight movements in the direction of the table at which the experimenters were sitting4 ,m1 by the light of this luminosity1 sees the curtain slowly open1 and close again as the light disappears4 8,r sees nothing definite4 ,he thinks he sees a cloud-like substance1 but is not sure of its objectivity 7because of his position874 8,as in the case of the first luminosity1 so for this second one1 ,m4 ,meurice declares that the cabinet is lighted up within1 becoming dark when ,m and ,x see the light4 ,he has the same sensations of cold4 ,in addition1 he says he feels tired1 and asks to be allowed to discontinue the seance4 8,no odour of phosphorus was perceptible1 although the lights we observed had something of a phosphorescent appearance2 but ,i think it would be more correct were ,i to compare what ,i saw on this occasion with the ,milky ,way2 in fact1 these luminosities presented an appearance almost exactly similar to that presented by the ,orion nebul1 when seen through the telescope4 8,the medium looked pale and tired1 when we closed the seance1 but he quickly recovered his vitality1 and during dinner--scarcely an hour later--some fine telekinetic movements of a heavy walnut dining-table were forthcoming in1 of course1 full light4 ,seeing the table move1 apparently of its own accord1 we joined hands two feet above the table1 and succeeded in making it follow the direction our hands took3 now an inch to the right1 now three inches to the left1 etc42 we had1 finally1 a strong1 rotatory movement of six inches4 ,the medium's knees and feet were under ,professor ,richet's observation1 while these movements were being produced40 ,third ,seance 8,thursday1 #crd ,november #aijd4 8,for this seance1 because of ,professor ,richet's inability to see the lights1 which were visible to ,m and ,x at the preceding seance1 the experimenters change their places1 and sit in the following manner3-- ,illustration 8,professor ,richet goes into the cabinet at the medium's request1 the latter takes ,r's place at the table4 ,after an interval of ten minutes1 the medium goes into the cabinet and ,r takes his new place at the table4 8,almost immediately1 lights are seen moving about on the door of the cabinet4 ,r1 ,m1 and ,x all see these lights4 ,m does not see the first two lights1 which ,r and ,x mention seeing4 ,he moves closer to ,r1 and then sees distinctly4 ,r has the impression that a ray of light from twelve to eighteen inches long1 and varying from one to three inches wide1 is placed at the opening in the curtains2 he thinks he sees the curtains held open1 so to say1 by the light4 8,the ray of light appears broader to ,x than to ,r and ,m4 ,x says he distinctly sees the curtains move1 and open2 he has the same impression as ,r1 namely that of the light holding the curtains apart4 8,this luminous ray was shown six times1 at intervals of a few seconds only4 ,its duration varied from ten seconds to a minute4 ,in form1 it was constantly changing1 though the long ray remained4 ,r1 ,m1 and ,x had the impression that the luminosity was forming around the ray4 ,a long1 vertical streak of light was shown first of all2 the succeeding lights appeared to be built up around this ray1 which always remained the centre of luminosity2 i4e4 the light1 strong in the centre1 died away to right and left1 leaving no distinct outline to the luminosity which1 besides being amorphous1 was extremely mobile1 though in a sense1 fairly stationary4 ,r1 ,m1 and ,x saw slight differences in the shape of the lights1 a fact which was perhaps due to their relative positions2 but all three agreed as to the vertical ray and the general shape the luminosity appeared to be assuming4 8,from time to time1 ,m4 ,meurice complained of an oppressive1 suffocating sensation1 and said that he felt he must open the curtains1 for a few seconds4 ,whenever he opened the curtains1 no lights were visible4 ,m and ,x took hold of his hands when he opened the curtains1 and closed the latter themselves1 when ,m4 ,meurice said he felt better4 8,at this seance1 as before1 the medium prepared us for each phenomenon1 by announcing beforehand1 that his cabinet was suddenly illuminated1 and as suddenly darkened2 the darkness inside corresponded to a luminosity outside the cabinet4 8,the six lights above mentioned were very distinct1 and very luminous 7phosphorescent74 8,the phenomena ceased for a few minutes4 ,m4 ,meurice then asked to be allowed to change places with ,x4 ,this is done2 ,x remains a quarter of an hour in the cabinet1 during which time ,m4 ,meurice says he sees an oval-shaped light1 about three times the size of an egg1 floating about on the curtains of the cabinet4 ,r and ,m see nothing4 ,the medium returns to the cabinet1 and ,x resumes his seat4 ,immediately1 large triangular-shaped luminosities are seen by ,m and ,r outside the cabinet4 ,x has suddenly fallen asleep4 8,m and ,r then see very mobile1 amorphous lights1 varying from three to nine inches in diameter1 floating about ,x's head for a few seconds2 their luminosity is less great than that of the lights seen on the curtains1 but is sufficiently pronounced to light up ,x's forehead4 8,the phenomena again cease4 ,x awakens4 ,m4 ,meurice asks ,dr4 ,maxwell to change places with him4 ,the doctor remains in the cabinet for ten minutes3 no phenomena2 ,m4 ,meurice returns to the cabinet1 and ,m resumes his place at ,professor ,richet's left4 8,very quickly1 the same phenomena as before occur4 ,the luminous ray assumes a broad1 oval-shaped appearance2 it measures about ten or twelve inches by about fifteen inches2 it advances a few inches towards the table1 and then disappears1 to show itself1 a few seconds later1 larger1 rounder in shape1 and more brilliant4 ,m and ,x think they can distinguish the outlines of a human face in this luminosity1 but ,r says it appears amorphous to him4 8,shortly after this1 ,m and ,x see a faintly luminous ball of about six inches in diameter1 form outside the cabinet1--on the curtain--approach and float over the table above the experimenters' hands4 ,r sees this also1 but compares it to a luminous fog4 ,r cannot affirm the correctness of his last perception4 8,thereupon the seance terminated4 8,during the production of these phenomena1 ,m4 ,meurice complained of excessive cold2 we heard him shivering1 and his teeth chattering4 ,he yawned frequently1 and stretched himself repeatedly2 he breathed heavily1 and constantly complained of feelings of oppression and sea-sickness4 8,when the seance was over1 he complained of intense thirst and drank several glasses of water4 8,the weather on these three days was very fine1 dry1 and fresh4 8,the conclusions arrived at by those who were present at these three seances1 are3-- 8#a4 ,that the above-described luminosities were decidedly objective4 8#b4 ,that no oversight1 no error of observation can explain them40 ,the above compte rendu was drawn up by ,professor ,richet1 ,dr4 ,maxwell and ,dr4 ,x4 at the end of the seances4 ,,series ,c ,by ,dr4 ,x4 ,the reader will1 perhaps1 kindly forgive a few probably uninteresting but necessary details1 before we enter upon the last series of these psycho-physical phenomena4 ,many reasons1 chiefly of a family nature1 have rendered a substitution of names imperative4 ,in other respects1 and as far as the phenomena themselves are concerned1 this series1 like the foregoing1 adheres most strictly to the facts as they occurred4 ,early in #aijc a gentleman1 whom we will call ,mr4 ,stephens1 a man occupying a high official position in ,europe1 wished to marry a young ,swedish girl4 ,mr4 ,stephens's parents having1 it appears1 made other matrimonial arrangements for their son1 were most strongly opposed to his wishes4 ,mr4 ,stephens decided to follow his own inclinations1 and was quietly married to ,miss ,marie ,h4 in the beginning of the year #aijc4 ,he did not inform his family of the step he had taken1 trusting to time and events for the strained relations between himself and his people to disappear4 ,a short time after his marriage1 he received a peremptory call to a foreign country4 ,it was impossible for his wife to accompany him1 for three excellent reasons3 #a4 ,mr4 ,stephens was not supposed to have a wife4 #b4 ,the spot he was ordered to is not a spot for a woman to visit--not being as yet civilised in the ,european sense of the word4 #c4 ,mrs4 ,stephens had reason to believe she might become a mother4 ,moreover1 ,mr4 ,stephens did not anticipate a longer absence than that of six months4 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,stephens had passed the interval between their marriage and the former's departure for abroad in ,paris4 ,they lived very quietly1 and had trusted their secret to no one4 ,in the dilemma into which this foreign mission plunged them1 ,mr4 ,stephens decided to make a confidant of a particular friend1 certain as he was that his secret would be in safe custody4 ,this friend was ,professor ,richet4 99 99 99 99 99 ,dr4 ,x4 writes3--8,mr4 ,stephens was anxious not to leave his wife alone in ,paris1 during his absence1 and knowing that ,professor ,richet intended making a long series of experiments with ,dr4 ,maxwell at ,w41 he decided1 for diverse reasons1 to send his wife to the same locality4 ,thus it came about that ,mrs4 ,stephens was invited by ,professor ,richet to join the investigating circle1 a circle which it had been intended should be strictly limited to ,dr4 ,maxwell1 ,professor ,richet1 the medium ,m4 ,meurice and myself4 ,no one1 save ,professor ,richet1 knew of the foregoing details4 8,when ,mrs4 ,stephens arrived--her husband came with her1 but only remained a couple of days--we saw a tall1 slight1 fair woman of twenty-two or twenty-three years of age1--a quiet1 gentle1 refined-looking woman4 ,as she was1 curiously enough1 a spiritist1 and even possessed #8intuitive' faculties of a pretty marked character1--she had had several veridical hallucinations1 and occasionally indulged in spectrum gazing with fair results--her addition to the circle was looked upon by the other three members as having been decided by ,professor ,richet1 because of her nascent psychical powers4 ,no suspicion of her situation--of which even ,mrs4 ,stephens herself was as yet uncertain--ever dawned across our minds4 ,she was an early riser1 a good walker1 and apparently enjoyed the best of health4 ,the most practical medical eye could have detected nothing abnormal in her health4 8,very much had been expected from this particular series of experiments2 but1 for reasons which are beyond our comprehension1 comparatively little was received4 ,there was every evidence of abundant force1 and the medium was1 at times1 almost unnerved by our systematic lack of success4 8,throughout the whole of this particular series1 more than ever did the agency manipulating the energy act like an independent intelligence1 giving striking evidence of power when it cared to do so and1 when not disposed to communicate1 shutting off all communication most decidedly and completely40 ,we propose setting forth succinctly1 but in detail1 the results1 both mediocre and superior--and just as they occurred--of these few weeks of experimentation1 leaving it to the reader to bestow an acute analysis upon them in his own guise4 ,it was only as the time allotted this series drew to a close1 that the phenomena took a personal turn1 and bore so directly1 and so intimately1 upon ,mrs4 ,stephens's life4 ,the notes which are quoted in this series by ,dr4 ,x4 are1 without exception1 ,professor ,richet's4 99 99 99 99 99 ,first ,seance4 ,time #h to #aj4cj p4m4 8,before sitting down10 continues ,dr4 ,x41 8,dr4 ,maxwell had placed on the table a small cardboard box1 in which were two amethyst crystal balls4 8,the small table was six inches away from ,m4 ,meurice1 and three inches away from ,professor ,richet4 ,contact had been purposely established between the two tables by means of a small white cloth--which did not interfere in any way with the control of eyesight4 ,a bright1 electric light was burning4 8,several visions were described2 they offered little interest4 ,then the small table moved abruptly2 it approached the seance table in jerks1 covering1 in this manner1 a distance of two and a half inches4 ,it was verified that no contact whatever existed1 save that with the white cloth2 the latter was not touched by ,m4 ,meurice4 ,then for nearly an hour there was complete cessation of all phenomena1 with the exception of perpetual rapping without intelligence4 ,thinking nothing more would be forthcoming1 ,dr4 ,maxwell and ,professor ,richet rose from the table1 and went out on to the balcony of the room in which the seance was being held4 ,mrs4 ,stephens1 the medium1 and ,i remained at the table4 ,i asked ,m4 ,meurice how he proceeded when he wished to attract articles--up to that moment ,i had not witnessed this interesting phenomenon4 ,he replied1 #8,i have an odd sensation in my fingers1 and ,i do this'--accompanying his words by certain hand movements2 that is1 he drew his hands together in front of and quite close to the cardboard box still lying on the table2 he withdrew his hands--joined together at the finger-tips--very slowly1 and1 when the tips of his fingers were at a distance of six inches from the box1 the latter began to move4 ,it moved slowly and smoothly1 without any jerking whatsoever1 exactly as though it were being dragged across the table by a cord4 ,i thought ,i perceived a tiny ray of light--something like a dewy spider's web with the sunlight gleaming through it--connecting ,m4 ,meurice's fingers with the box1 but this was probably an illusion1 as there was nothing palpable to the touch4 ,i passed my hands around the box1 and all over the medium's hands and arms1 but there was no thread of any kind whatever4 ,m4 ,meurice said he had not seen the box move1 though ,i observed he appeared to be gazing fixedly at it during the operation1 and though the box travelled a distance of six inches4 ,illustration 8,without leaving my seat ,i called in ,dr4 ,maxwell and ,professor ,richet1 and told them what had happened4 ,m4 ,meurice was asked to try again1 while ,professor ,richet put out some of the lights1 thinking thus to help the force1 which might have been too severely tried by its last efforts4 ,i take the following extract from ,professor ,richet's notes3-- 8#8,the same phenomenon was reproduced in my presence1 but with less light--quite sufficient1 however1 to see everything1 and every movement distinctly4 ,the box1 slowly and without any apparent jerking1 followed the medium's fingers4 ,i saw the box slowly displace itself1 and drag itself over the plush-covered table1 for a distance of nearly five inches4 ,there was absolutely no contact of any kind whatsoever1 either mediate or immediate4 ,a strong gastric attack1 quickly over1 seized the medium after this experience4'#cj #cj ,this phenomenon may be considered of such importance as to necessitate ,professor ,richet's exact words being given2 ,i therefore append them3-- #8,un autre phnomne d'attraction trs remarquable4 ,une petite bote en carton carre de #j4jb de ct environ est attire1 d'abord en pleine lumire devant ,dr4 ,x4 ,le mme phnomne s'est reproduit devant moi avec beaucoup moins de lumire4444 ,la bote tait lentement et sans secousse1 pendant #b #d secondes1 attire par les doigts du mdium et je l'ai vue se dplacer ainsi lentement1 en tranant sur la peluche jusqu' #ab centimtres environ4 ,il n'y a absolument aucun contact1 ni mdiat ni direct4 7,crise gastrique forte et passagre du mdium la suite de cette exprience47' 8,on resuming the seance the raps were asked1 #8,who is rapping8' 8,reply3 #8,antion4' #8,is it ,antoine8' 8,reply3 #8,yes1 ,antoine ,br4' ,we arrested the communication at the letter r1 understanding it to mean ,antoine ,b4 of ,a ,complex ,case1 p4 #bad4 ,the raps then predicted the death of ,madame ,b4's second husband to take place in ,march #aijd40 ,this premonition was not realised4 ,the gentleman in question is in remarkably good health to-day1 ,april #aije2 but1 at that time1 ,professor ,richet was anxious about him4 ,dr4 ,l4 was utterly prostrated by the sudden death of his wife ,madame ,b4 ,neither ,dr4 ,maxwell nor the medium knew that ,antoine ,b4's widow had married a second time2 nor were they aware of ,professor ,richet's anxiety concerning ,dr4 ,l4's health4#ca--,note by the ,translator4 #ca #8,since the above was written1 ,dr4 ,george ,l4's son1 ,olivier1 a youth of nineteen1 has been killed in a railway accident 7see p4 #bcd74 ,notwithstanding the errors1 there is a certain interest in the fact that the rapping force seemed to sense some near tragic occurrence to some member of the family4 ,the raps first of all gave the surname ,l4 of the person destined to die shortly2 it was only after much hesitation that the name of ,george was given4 ,the raps at first refused to give the date1 but1 after much pressing1 dictated ,march #aijd4 #8,professor ,richet did not tell any one that ,madame ,x4 had already predicted the early death 8of one of the sons40'--,note by ,dr4 ,x4 8,the communicating intelligence1 purporting to be ,antoine ,b41 was then asked3 #8,what was the nature of ,madame ,b4's illness8' ,reply3 #8,ness1 foie4' 7,the doctors who attended ,madame ,b4 when she died have not been able to agree as to what the malady was1 though they think it was probably of a tubercular nature47 8,we asked ,antoine ,b4 for another sign of identity1 and received the word #8,carlos4' 7,professor ,richet considers it highly probable that every one present knew that ,antoine ,b4 called him by that name47 8#8,when the raps dictated the name of ,antoine ,b41 the medium said he saw standing near me a young man of about thirty years of age2 he had very soft blue eyes1 and a short pointed beard4 ,as far as it goes1 this applies to my friend ,antoine ,b4'1 says ,professor ,richet4 99 99 99 99 99 8,this first seance gave some fair results4 ,we were now destined to pass several weeks without receiving a single phenomenon worth mentioning4 ,we cannot account for this2 though ,dr4 ,maxwell is inclined to think1 that the energy was spent in efforts made to obtain psychic photographs4 ,the weather was excellent1 every one was in good1 even exuberant1 health and spirits2 the circle was very homogeneous2 no a priori conditions had been laid down4 ,great things had been promised1 but the great things were not forthcoming2 and the #8force' did not deign to explain why1 though it gave occasional signs of being to the fore1 and ready to work if it cared to do so4 ,for example1 it would rap out as many airs and rhythms as requested1 but took refuge in complete silence1 or disorder1 or pleaded fatigue1 if asked for telekinetic phenomena or intelligent messages4 ,it acted like a lazy child asked to accomplish a possible but difficult task4 99 99 99 99 99 8,photography was tried1 but without success4 ,on one of these occasions1 when ,m4 ,meurice was re-entering his room after having sat for photography1 he heard footsteps beside him1 and had the vision of a form which interposed itself between himself and the door1 as though desirous of preventing him from entering his room4 ,he heard the words3 #8,pardon1 je n'ai qu'un moment1 vous avez dj entendu parler de moi2 je suis ,antoine4 ,je viens voir mon fils4' 444 ,he then perceived the form of an old man1 clean-shaven save for short whiskers2 he was wearing the crimson robe of a magistrate4 ,the hallucination quickly disappeared4 8,no one1 save ,professor ,richet1 knew that this day was the anniversary of the death of his maternal grandfather1 whose father's name happened to be ,antoine4 ,but we were all aware that ,professor ,richet had received various communications purporting to emanate from these two ancestors of his4 ,it was also known that his grandfather had presided over the law-courts at ,paris4 99 99 99 99 99 8,on one occasion1 we had all five made an excursion into the country3 and here ,i quote from ,professor ,richet's notes3--#8,coming home--it was moonlight1 and still twilight--we got down from the carriage--a private omnibus--to walk a while4 ,dr4 ,maxwell and ,m4 ,meurice lagged behind1 and ,dr4 ,x41 ,mrs4 ,s41 and ,i got into the carriage again1 before they had caught us up4 ,as she was stepping in1 ,mrs4 ,s4 told me she felt as though a woman were running behind her1 and were helping her into the carriage2 seated1 ,mrs4 ,s4 continued to perceive this vision2 it was wearing a hood on its head1 and a cross on its breast2 the vision bent its head over ,mrs4 ,s4's hand1 pressing its teeth on it 8as though to show she had died in agony1 stabbed to death10 said ,mrs4 ,s4 ,when ,dr4 ,maxwell and ,m4 ,meurice rejoined us1 the former told me1 in an undertone1 that ,m4 ,meurice had just had a vision of a woman running behind ,mrs4 ,s42 the vision was wearing a hood on its head4 ,m4 ,meurice and ,mrs4 ,s4 continued to see this vision for above five minutes longer1 when they both saw it disappear into a clump of trees4 ,m4 ,meurice and ,mrs4 ,s4 communicated their impressions to ,dr4 ,maxwell and myself respectively4 8#8,a few minutes afterwards1 they both had another simultaneous vision4 ,mrs4 ,s4 saw a man astride one of the carriage-horses2 ,m4 ,meurice1 with an identical description of dress1 saw a man not seated on1 but running beside1 the same horse holding the reins4 ,he thought it was ,chappe4 ,then everything disappeared4 8#8,neither visionary communicated their impressions to the other4' 99 99 99 99 99 8,exception made of the attractions of the box and table1 the foregoing results will probably be considered as demonstrative of nothing in particular4 ,we were now to receive something more interesting4 8,let it be said1 en passant1 that ,mrs4 ,stephens never once saw the medium alone4 ,there had not been the slightest break in her reserve4 ,and all1 save ,professor ,richet and herself1 continued to think she had been invited by ,professor ,richet solely because of her psychical powers4 ,m4 ,meurice sometimes remarked1 seeking a reason for the inexplicable failure of the experiments1 that he believed the cause lay in a super-abundance of power1 that the psychic force was too great1 that ,mrs4 ,s4 gave forth too much power1 etc4 8,now1 early one morning1 three weeks after we had begun this series1 ,mrs4 ,stephens remarked to ,professor ,richet that ,i again quote from ,professor ,richet's notes #8during the night she had been thinking a great deal about the ,christ1 and had said to herself1 if the spirits of the deceased can appear to man1 why not the ,christ8 ,and she said she had asked for a sign to be given her that this could be4 ,mrs4 ,stephens had scarcely pronounced these words1 when ,dr4 ,maxwell came into the sitting-room and said3 8,i have just seen ,m4 ,meurice1 he had a vision while ,i was conversing with him4 ,he said he perceived the form of a man with short hair and beard2 a halo of light behind him1 a circle of gold on his head2 he was dressed in white2 ,m4 ,meurice says it was the ,christ4 ,with an imperious air1 the form showed him a thick yellow manuscript--a papyrus--covered with writing4 ,as ,m4 ,meurice was trying to decipher the characters for me1 the vision disappeared4 ,m4 ,meurice was suddenly exhausted1 and had a fit of weeping before recovering his normal condition40 8#8,a few mornings afterwards the medium had another vision4 ,this time it was ,chappe who came1 it appears1 to tell him that it was not the ,christ whom he had seen1 but a ,christ4'#cb #cb ,see note1 p4 #cbi4 99 99 99 99 99 8,i must pause a while4 ,it seems that ,mrs4 ,stephens did not care about returning to ,paris during her husband's absence2 and--in the event of her hopes being well founded--had expressed to ,professor ,richet her great desire of passing the rest of the year near ,biarritz1 a place for which she had a great liking4 ,she begged ,professor ,richet to write for her to a house agent to procure her a villa in that town4 ,it seems also1 that ,mrs4 ,stephens--though her manner had never betrayed this--had taken a fancy to the medium and his family2 one of his sisters is an experienced hospital nurse1 and ,mrs4 ,stephens was wondering--in quiet conversation with ,professor ,richet only--if it would be possible to persuade her to come and live with her at ,biarritz4 ,upon this conversation ,professor ,richet obtained the address of an agent1 and wrote to him according to ,mrs4 ,stephens's wishes4 ,he showed the letter to ,mrs4 ,stephens4 ,the latter said again ,i quote from ,professor ,richet's notes3 #8,since ,i spoke to you about ,biarritz1 ,chappe has told me something4 ,he wants me to go to ,bordeaux4 ,do not post that letter yet1 let me wait a little while2 if my intuition be correct1 if the idea of ,bordeaux really came from the spirits1 they are quite capable of finding a way of indicating it to ,m4 ,meurice and ,dr4 ,maxwell4 ,i do not wish to speak of it myself to ,m4 ,meurice2 this must come from the spirits themselves4444' 8,we are endeavouring to give a faithful account of what actually occurred1 and beg to be forgiven the unscientific language1 which is occasionally unavoidable1 if we are to convey a correct notion of the physiognomy of the phenomena4 8,now the morning 7a ,thursday7 following the day on which the above conversation had taken place1 ,mrs4 ,stephens came to ,professor ,richet1 and told him she had passed a very strange and perturbed night4 ,she said that1 towards eleven o'clock1 she was suddenly awakened by a sensation that some one was in her room2 she was filled with fear4 ,she turned on the light1 but saw nothing4 ,she kept the light burning1 but still felt unaccountably frightened4 ,she heard raps on the head of her bed4 ,gradually her fear quieted down1 and she said she began to feel as though there were a host of spirits in her room1 and a ,great ,presence was among them4 #8,and she imagined1' writes ,professor ,richet1 #8that a voice spoke to her in these terms3 8,a powerful spirit is here1 be not afraid2 it is the child's guide2 your child will be a boy2 he has a great destiny before him1 he will be a reformer4 ,we counsel you not to force his inclinations1 to choose no career for him1 but to let yourself be guided by the child himself1 when the time comes to think of his education40 8#8,mrs4 ,stephens was still speaking of her night's experience1 when ,dr4 ,maxwell came into the room1 and handed me1' continues ,professor ,richet1 #8some verses which1 he said1 had just been written by ,m4 ,meurice--a kind of quasi-automatism--in a state of semi-somnolence4 ,he could not understand what it meant1 and simply stated the fact without offering any comment on it4'0 ,here are the verses4 ,for the sake of brevity we omit five of them1 they are in the same strain as those given4 ,we believe the reader will prefer to see these verses in the original3-- ,quand un enfant vient au monde1 ,vient au monde d'ici-bas1 ,il faut qu'un ange en rponde1 ,et le suive pas pas4 ,pas pas il faut qu'il guide ,la petite me en chemin1 ,la petite me timide1 ,qu'il doit prendre par la main4 ,et les anges se querellent ,autour des bbs naissants1 ,s'ils sont de ceux-l qu'appellent ,vers la ,clart les ,puissants4 ,dans la foule qui l'assaille ,la petite me choisit2 ,elle est mue et tressaille1 ,et la crainte la saisit4 ,il faut qu'autour de la mre1 ,de la mre qui l'attend1 ,seuls les anges de lumire ,guettent le petit enfant4 8,during the course of the day1 ,professor ,richet said to ,mrs4 ,s4 that it would perhaps be well if she spoke to the medium about his sister2 but ,mrs4 ,stephens answered3 #8,no4 ,wait a little longer4 ,i would have spoken to ,m4 ,meurice1 had ,i been encouraged to do so by the spirits2 but ,i think it better to let the spirits tell them4' 8,thursday passed away without any further incident1 and nothing was said to ,dr4 ,maxwell concerning ,mrs4 ,stephens's experiences in the night1 or the concomitant nature of the automatic script with those experiences4 8,on ,friday morning1 ,dr4 ,maxwell told ,professor ,richet that he had just obtained more automatic writing through ,m4 ,meurice4 ,this writing purported to be a communication from ,chappe4 ,the communication concerned ,mrs4 ,stephens1 said ,dr4 ,maxwell1 but was not to be given to her for the time being4 ,chappe asked that a sitting might be arranged for on the same afternoon1 as he had something to say4 ,the sitting took place2 it lasted from two to six o'clock1 during the whole of which time ,chappe did not once make use of his well-known subterfuges of #8fatigue1' #8silence1' #8no power1' etc42 and1 though as the seance wore on ,m4 ,meurice was very visibly fatigued1 the operating agency manifested absolute indifference to such fatigue4 ,it was as though ,chappe had indeed something to say and meant to say it4 ,the messages were given by means of raps without contact to begin with1 but in order to diminish the chances of fatigue to the medium1 we begged him to use the pencil as a rapping instrument4 ,the light was strong1--an afternoon summer sunlight shining into the room2 the pencil did not move when the raps were heard4 ,the latter were given with force and without any hesitation2 they were as strong at the end of the seance as at the beginning40 7,in order to afford the reader every assistance in his appreciation and analysis of these messages1 we will give them in the original47 8,chappe gave his special signal intimating he was present4 8,observer3 #8,you wish to speak with us1 ,chappe8' 8,chappe3 #8,je veux demander vos amis la permission de vous parler de ce qui vous intresse4' 8,acting on the advice of ,chappe1 we then traced the #8magic circle' in order to prevent1 as ,chappe said1 the intervention of too many influences1 and to preserve purity in the phenomena4 8,observer1 after an interval of ten minutes3 #8,are you ready1 ,chappe8' 8,much confusion in the raps1 and impossibility of obtaining an intelligent answer2 after half an hour of confusion came the laboriously spelt out message3-- 8,chappe3 #8,peut-tre que vous tes isols4' 8,observer3 #8,why8' 8,chappe3 #8,parce que vous les avez renvoys1 cercle magique4' 8,we were led to understand by this that the magic circle had had too good an effect1 and prevented even ,chappe from communicating with his companions4 ,once more we followed his instructions1 inviting our #8friends' into the circle4 ,it was then announced that ,robert1 one of ,mrs4 ,stephens's deceased relatives1 was present and wished to speak4 ,when asked what he had to say1 we received3-- 8,robert3 #8,bonnes fes qui entourent et qui m'empchent de vous rejoindre4' 8,we begged the #8good fairies' to be so kind as to allow this friend to communicate4 ,the raps indicated that the favour was accorded1 and that our friend could now communicate with us4 8,robert3 #8,,vos ,,esp,,rances ,,sont ,,re,,ues ,,avec ,,joie ,,par ,,tous4' 8,observer3 #8,what do you mean8 ,give one significative word4' 8,robert3 #8,,enfant ,,pr,,destin ,,faire ,,scientifiquement ,,de ,,grandes ,,choses4' 8,mrs4 ,stephens3 #8,what child8' 8,robert3 #8,le vtre2 il arrivera1 il faut tre heureuse1 vous aurez tant de bonheur4' 8,observer3 #8,have you anything more to say8' 8,robert3 #8,appelle ton enfant ,chtien ,alexandre4' 8,observer3 #8,is ,chtien ,alexandre correct8' 8,robert3 #8,alexandre ,chrtien4'#cc #cc 8,the medium has frequently said that if he ever had a son1 he would call him ,chrtien4 ,the name ,alexandre was also constantly on our lips1 for two personifications1 who frequently claimed to be communicating1 were called ,alexandre4 8,observer3 #8,can you predict on what day he will be born8' 8,robert3 #8,oui4 piphanie4'#cd #cd 8,mrs4 ,stephens had a preference for the ,epiphany1 and she told us1 after the seance1 that she had mentally asked her child might be born on that day--the #fth of ,january40--,note by ,dr4 ,x4 8,mrs4 ,stephens3 #8,do you know who the child's guide is8' 8,robert3 #8,oui4' 8,mrs4 ,stephens3 #8,what is his name8' 8,robert3 #8,rponse plus tard4' 8,observer3 #8,have you anything more to say8' 8,robert3 #8,prudence4' ,for whom8 #8,marie' 7,mrs4 ,stephens74 #8,au revoir4' 8,at the end of the above seance ,dr4 ,maxwell handed ,professor ,richet the automatic script he had received in the morning4 ,it read3 #8444 7,mrs4 ,stephens7 est en voie de famille4 ,elle dsire aller ,biarritz et que 7the name of the medium's sister7 l'accompagne4 ,mais dites lui d'aller ,bordeaux1 o elle sera mieux soigne et o les influences sont bonnes4' 99 99 99 99 99 8,a few days after the above messages had been received1 the raps again signified their desire to communicate4 ,the following conversation then took place4 8,observer3 #8,who is here8' 8,reply3 #8,robert4 ,mnagez ,marie4 ,marie 444 ,aesotheu 444' 7change of tonality1 and ,chappe's signal was given74 8,chappe3 #8,restez un moment tranquille4 ,il y a trop de monde4' 87,another change of tonality in the raps1 followed by ,c4 ,r4's signal--,professor ,richet's grandfather47 8,c4 ,r4 #8,quelque force mauvaise m'empche de vous parler4' 7,confusion for some time2 raps of various tonalities and in great number resound on the woodwork of the foot of the medium's bed--we were holding the seance in his room by ,chappe's express desire47 8,chappe3 #8,je ne veux pas qu'on se serve de cette chambre4' 8,observer3 #8,why8' 8,chappe3 #8,parce que ,meurice y couche4' 8,observer3 #8,where shall we go then8' 8,chappe3 #8,o vous voudrez4' 8,this was not by any means the first time we had held a seance in ,m4 ,meurice's room1 no objection had ever been made to this proceeding before1 which1 in fact1 had been recommended by ,chappe4 8,it was impossible to obtain another sign of any nature whatsoever4 ,professor ,richet1 ,mrs4 ,stephens1 and ,i went out of the room1 leaving ,dr4 ,maxwell and the medium alone4 ,we had scarcely left when the latter1 it appears1 turned to ,dr4 ,maxwell and said3 #8,i see ,professor ,richet tearing up some printed matter and burning it4 ,i think it is the bad influence ,chappe was speaking about4' 8,we three alone1 commenting upon these messages1 laid stress upon the excuse of #8bad influences1' and thought it was probably one of ,chappe's tricks to avoid working1 when it did not suit him to work4 ,but suddenly ,professor ,richet remembered a piece of newspaper which he had put into his inner breast coat-pocket early that same morning1 and on which was the name of a man who had been drowned the previous week--drowned before our eyes4 ,this event had left a great impression on us all1 every one had made strenuous efforts to save the man1 and the medium in particular had striven hard to restore life4 ,professor ,richet1 coming across the man's name in a newspaper1 had cut it out1 and put the slip into his pocket-book1 for reference sake1 in case the phenomena should turn upon the drowned man4 ,no one was near or could possibly have seen ,professor ,richet do this2 he also took the precaution of destroying the paper from which he had taken the announcement4 8,now ,professor ,richet took the cutting out of his pocket-book1 tore it up and burnt it before ,mrs4 ,stephens and myself1 laughingly saying3 #8,let us see if that will destroy the bad influence4' 8,it was not till some hours afterwards1 that he was told of what ,m4 ,meurice had said relative to the #8burning of printed matter1' etc4 99 99 99 99 99 8,the next day1 ,m4 ,meurice gave a fine phenomenon of attraction in presence of ,professor ,richet and ,dr4 ,maxwell4 ,it was two o'clock in the afternoon2 the two latter were playing chess2 ,m4 ,meurice was lying on the floor reading2 a fan was on the floor near him4 ,he said3 #8,i begin to feel the cobwebby sensation in my fingers2 let us see if ,i can attract this fan4' ,dr4 ,maxwell and ,professor ,richet left the table1 and knelt down on the floor beside ,m4 ,meurice2 the latter proceeded1 first of all1 as though he were enveloping the fan with something2 then1 meeting his hands at the finger-tips1 he drew them back very slowly4 ,when his fingers were about six inches away from the fan1 the latter moved1 and slowly followed his fingers for a distance of five inches4 ,professor ,richet and ,dr4 ,maxwell assured themselves by sight and touch1 that the fan was not normally connected with the medium4 ,the latter had a violent gastric attack immediately after the production of this phenomenon4 99 99 99 99 99 8,professor ,richet's birthday occurred during these investigations1 and1 when the day arrived1 we ventured to express a hope that he might be favoured with some good phenomena4 ,we tried1 and received abundant signs of energy in the shape of raps4 ,chappe was asked if he had not something to say or offer ,professor ,richet as a birthday present4 8,reply3 #8,depuis votre naissance vous avez grandi6 ,vous aurez des communications plus intressantes1 que celles que vous avez reues4' 8,at this point some one asked the medium if he felt tired1 and ,chappe at once dictated3-- 8#8,il faut pour un moment se reposer si on est fatigu4' ,however1 no notice was taken of this advice4 8,prof4 ,r3 #8,why has my mother never communicated8' 8,chappe3 #8,parce que vous ne l'avez jamais appele4'#ce #ce 8,true2 but then neither was ,c4 ,r4 nor ,antoine ,b4 nor any other personification ever evoked40--,note by ,dr4 ,x4 8,here the raps indicate that #8,c4 ,r4' wishes to communicate4 8,c4 ,r4 7,prof4 ,richet's grandfather73 #8,je suis trs content d'tre avec vous4' ,much confusion and meaningless rapping4 #8,ici4' 8,chappe3 #8,g4 ne vous reverra pas4' 8,prof4 ,r43 #8,can you tell me my mother's name8' 8,chappe3 #8,je pourrai le dire quand je le saurai4' 8,there was a brief silence1 during which ,chappe was supposed to be asking ,c4 ,r4 for the desired name4 8,chappe3 #8,adle4' ,wrong4 ,but it was known that this was a family name4 8,c4 ,r43 #8,veux-tu voir ta mre8 ,fais attention4 ,cette nuit elle t'apparatra en rve4' ,this promise was not fulfilled4 8,prof4 ,r43 #8,try again for my mother's name4' 8,c4 ,r43 #8,a--o--a--m--e2 ,marig2 ,antoine2 ther4' 8,there was no approach to the desired name4 ,there was plenty of energy1 and the raps flowed quickly and without hesitation in certain instances1 such as #8,veux-tu voir ta mre8' 8,chappe3 #8,prudence4' 8,observer3 #8,why8' 8,observer3 #8,can you now give the name of the child's guide8' 8,chappe3 #8,plus tard4 ,adieu4' 8,the communicating intelligence frequently manifests--a fact which was particularly noticeable during this series of experiments--a supreme indifference to scientific aspirations1 to furnishing proofs of identity or of any desire to meet the investigator halfway1 and help him in his researches4 8,since the communications concerning ,mrs4 ,stephens had been received1 whenever it was intimated that #8they' had something to say1 that something was generally the word #8,prudence' or terms of a like signification4 8,the agency at work allowed it to be clearly seen that--for the time being at least--it interested itself in no one save in ,mrs4 ,stephens4 ,this solicitude was continued up to the last2 time after time the word #8,prudence' was uttered1 so often in fact as to lose all meaning from sheer force of repetition2 and no out-of-the-way heed was taken of the advice4 8,this series of experiments came to an end4 8,mrs4 ,stephens took a villa on the outskirts of ,bordeaux1 where the medium's sister joined her4 99 99 99 99 99 8,it appears that ,mrs4 ,stephens looked forward with unusual joy to the coming event1 and was much opposed to the idea of a wet nurse4 ,i was now at ,bordeaux2 ,i often saw ,mrs4 ,stephens1 and it is highly probable that ,m4 ,meurice1 like myself1 knew of ,mrs4 ,stephens's very legitimate desire4 ,now ,chappe had1 for some time1 given no sign of his presence2 but one day1 when ,m4 ,meurice1 ,mrs4 ,s41 and ,i were out walking1 sharp raps suddenly resounded on the medium's walking-stick4 ,mrs4 ,s4 begged him to touch the handle of her umbrella--which was open2 raps were then given on the outstretched silk4 ,with loud decided raps1 ,chappe quickly dictated3 #8,retenez bien ceci1 il ne faut pas laisser ,marie allaiter4' ,we asked the wherefore1 but the silence was complete2 do what we would1 not another rap could be obtained4 8,on another occasion1 when raps were forthcoming1 we asked ,chappe for a word which would portray the state of mind of those present1 and received the very appropriate reply3 #8,paix absolue4' ,this message was given on the silk of the open umbrella1 ,m4 ,meurice lightly touching the handle only4 8,as the #fth of ,january drew near1 ,chappe began to get nervous about the fate of the prediction1 and1 by means of automatic writing1 he indicated that we were to remember1 that it was not he1 but ,robert1 who had predicted that the birth would take place on the #fth ,january4 ,thereupon1 he added that the event would not occur before the #aeth of ,january--that it would take place on the night of the #adth-#aeth ,january4 ,during the last fortnight this was often referred to by ,chappe1 by means of automatic writing--which perhaps gives more scope for the play of the subliminal4 ,chappe washed his hands1 so to say1 of ,robert and his doings4 8,towards the #bjth of ,december1 ,mrs4 ,stephens received news that her husband was on his way home1 but was feeling rather unwell4 ,in the letter1 the word #8nphrite' was made use of4 ,mrs4 ,s4 did not mention this to any one2 she said1 however1 that her husband had a slight kidney worry4 ,the next day1 the following communication1 bearing upon ,mr4 ,s4's anticipated arrival in ,bordeaux1 was received from ,chappe by raps through the pencil3-- 8#8,il faut que vous l'empchiez de se mettre en route pour ,bordeaux4' 8,why8 #8,maladie srieuse s'il avait froid4' ,what is he suffering from8 #8,nphrite4 ,recommandez repos absolu2 bonsoir4' 8,on another occasion1 always referring to the same subject1 ,mr4 ,s4's indisposition1 ,chappe said3 #8,pas sage de faire le trajet de ,londres ,bordeaux4 ,rassurez-vous4 ,maladie pas grave4' 8,the child--a boy--was born at #b4ae on the afternoon of the #eth ,january1 that is1 on the eve of the ,epiphany--and not on the ,epiphany as was predicted 7page #cee74cf #cf 8,on the #dth ,january1 ,mrs4 ,stephens was particularly anxious about her husband1 and insisted on driving into ,bordeaux and personally sending him a telegram4 ,without a doubt1 the anxiety and physical restlessness of the previous few days hastened the event40--,note by ,dr4 ,x4 99 99 99 99 99 8,mrs4 ,stephens desired to add the name of ,quentin to the names of ,alexandre ,chrtien4 ,i happened to mention this to ,m4 ,meurice1 and by so doing awakened ,chappe and a salvo of raps4 ,he would not say what he wanted1 and ,m4 ,meurice remarked3 #8,we are to go into ,mrs4 ,stephens's bedroom4' ,we were admitted4 ,m4 ,meurice stood near the head of the bed1 but did not touch it4 ,the raps resounded on the wood of the bed4 ,chappe dictated3 #8,il ne faut pas appeler ,quentin4' ,the force was abundant1 and this message had been given quickly and with decision2 yet1 when we asked why the child should not be called ,quentin1 we could get no reply4 ,it was for all the world as though a distinct intelligence was behind those raps1 one1 who1 like ourselves1 knew1 on occasion1 how to say3 #8,i have said2 let that suffice4' 8,for a week1 all went well with mother and child4 ,seven days after the child's birth1 ,mrs4 ,stephens was seized with a violent and inexplicable fever4 ,the following day1 a thoughtless servant handed her a telegram2 the telegram announced the death of her husband4 ,the fever regained possession1 and ,mrs4 ,stephens died the same night4 8,perhaps in conclusion1 and as our only comment on this history1 it may not be out of place to recall to mind ,chappe's oft-repeated word1 #8,prudence4'0 99 99 99 99 99 ,and now1 lest in the relation of the foregoing experiences1 say rather in this simple registration of a few ascertained facts1 we be reproached for a language which carries associations from which certain minds of a scientific bent may shrink1 may we be permitted to say that there is more appearance than reality in our backsliding--if backsliding there be4 ,we have given an exposition of facts1 touching upon unknown forces and arduous problems2 the magnitude and complexity of which we realise but too deeply--problems which cannot be solved by academic methods4 ,time and patient constancy of research are needed to bring them to a successful issue4 ,,chapter ,,vii ,,fraud ,,and ,,error ,this work would be incomplete1 if ,i did not carefully examine fraud and errors of observation4 ,the first should always be considered as possible4 ,errors of observation are even more numerous than fraud1 and their sources are manifold4 ,we should study them1 learn their causes1 and suspect them until the contrary has been proved4 ,i4 ,,fraud ,fraud can be conscious1 unconscious1 or mixed4 ,i have no need to say how frequent the first is1 especially with paid mediums4 ,spiritistic reviews1 notably the ,revue ,spirite1 ,revue ,morale et ,scientifique du ,spiritisme1 ,light1 ,psychische ,studien1 give many examples of fraud discovered by spiritists themselves4 ,unconscious fraud is no less common than conscious fraud2 as for the third1 mixed fraud1 this is also very often observed4 ,conscious fraud4--7a7 ,raps4 ,nothing is easier to imitate4 ,i have indicated the diverse ways of reproducing them artificially3 gliding the finger or nail along the top of the table1 with or without the help of resin2 rapping with the feet2 gliding the foot or dress--especially silk dresses--against the legs of table1 etc4 ,these diverse movements imitate feeble raps to perfection1 if they be slowly made4 ,for that reason ,i have always refused to consider raps as convincing when produced with any contact whatever4 ,consequently ,i exclude raps produced on the floor from those phenomena which have determined my conviction4 ,certain persons seem to be able to move their tendons at will1 even making a considerable noise in that way4 ,i observed this with a medical student who1 by resting his elbow on the table1 produced very sonorous raps2 but the movement of his arm was easily seen4 ,i know another person who could crack his joints at will4 ,the play of the knee-joint has been especially incriminated by ,mrs4 ,sidgwick in her article #8,the ,physical ,phenomena of ,spiritualism' 7,proceedings of the ,s4,p4,r4 xiii4 #de74 ,she recalls to mind the interpretations given by ,drs4 ,lee1 ,flint1 and ,coventry1 who observed ,mrs4 ,kane and ,mrs4 ,underhill1 two of the famous ,fox sisters4 ,mrs4 ,sidgwick experimented with the third sister1 ,mrs4 ,jencken1 and accepted the explanation of the ,american doctors4 ,for them1 the double raps were produced by a rapid movement of dislocation and readjustment of the knee4 ,by placing in such a position as to render that voluntary dislocation impossible1 e4g4 by making the medium sit down with outstretched legs and heels resting on a soft cushion1 no raps were forthcoming4 ,it is possible that the explanation of the ,american doctors may be true concerning the case examined by them4 ,in those which ,i have studied1 it is certainly not acceptable4 ,i have obtained raps on a table without any kind of contact whatsoever4 ,i have obtained them on the floor1 by placing the medium in positions which excluded the play of articulation4 ,the kind of fraud in question was not therefore in operation4 ,i have even made some mediums sit on my knees when raps were forthcoming2 ,i then made sure the raps were produced on the table1 and that the latter was not touched4 ,my conclusion as to the reality of the phenomenon of raps is the result of nearly two hundred observations4 ,in obscurity1 the means of cheating are unimaginable4 ,i saw a young medium1 who had succeeded in concealing a stick1 simulate raps on the ceiling with it4 ,i have known two others hit the table with their fists1 kick it with their feet1 etc4 ,everything is possible in darkness1 and with certain confiding observers4 7b7 ,parakinesis1 or abnormal movements of objects with contact4 ,i have often said that all movements with contact--except certain levitations which are1 however1 difficult to observe with precision--are worthless4 ,i have indicated the chief ways of simulating levitations1 either by the hands1 the feet or the knees4 ,i will not revert to this4 ,these methods are difficult in full light1 but when the experimenters are placed in such a position as to be unable to keep a reciprocal watch over the feet1 the second method is still easily brought into play4 7c7 ,telekinesis4--,fraud is more difficult to perpetrate here4 ,a connecting link of some kind or other would be required to move objects possessing a certain weight and bulk4 ,i look upon this phenomenon as most convincing1 when it is obtained in full light2 in obscurity1 it is to a certain extent unverifiable4 7d7 ,luminous phenomena are easily simulated2 phosphorescent oil and certain sulphides give excellent imitations of hands and forms4 ,i have seen a photograph taken by magnesian light in a seance for materialisation4 ,the medium1 by way of imitating a materialised garment of some kind1 had wound a white cloth around his neck1 and moreover wore a false beard4 ,those present at this seance will not admit they were cheated4 ,one of the sitters1 a friend of mine1 one familiar with psychical matters1 but too honest himself to suspect fraud in others1 did not think my judgment in this case was correct4 ,it was necessary to have it confirmed by the celebrated ,papus6 ,as for the phenomenon of attouchements1 this is of all phenomena the most easily simulated in obscurity4 ,every one knows the rle played by dolls1 disguises and confederates in seances for materialisation4 ,the trickster's imagination is of inconceivable fertility4 ,the recent ,rothe trial gives us a fresh example of this4 7e7 ,motor and sensory automatisms can be imitated with extreme facility1 and their efficacious control is impossible4 ,a careful analysis of the messages is necessary in order to appreciate their value4 ,on the other hand1 well-observed premonitions are of immense importance4 ,from the preceding1 we see that all psychical phenomena can be simulated2 this does not mean that every psychical phenomenon is simulated4 ,those who wish to explain away everything by fraud make as great a mistake1 as those who trustingly accept everything without control4 ,there is an important general observation to be made concerning the phenomena ,i am treating in this book4 ,it is of historical order1 but nevertheless it gives a much wider signification to these facts than is usually accorded them4 ,many writers1 ,janet among them1 imagine that spiritistic phenomena1 as they call them1 date from the celebrated events of ,rochester1 about the year #ahdg1 where the ,fox sisters were the objects of diverse manifestations4 ,but in reality these facts date much further back4 ,one of the best observed cases is the one spoken of by ,dr4 ,kerner in his book ,die ,seherin von ,prevorst1 which has been translated by ,dr4 ,dusart into ,french1 probably from ,mrs4 ,crowe's ,english translation4 ,kerner observed raps and movements without contact from the year #ahbg1 when he had ,madame ,hauff staying in his house4 ,phenomena of the same kind are to be met with in accounts of haunted houses4 ,there are stories of this kind dating from remote epochs1 and diverse decrees of parliament exist cancelling leases for this cause4 ,these phenomena were criticised at the end of the eighteenth century4 ,it is only the metaphysical system founded upon these facts which is new4 ,it is in that1 and in that only1 that spiritism or spiritualism consists4 ,it is undeniable that the doctrine embodying the essence of these teachings has attained a considerable extension4 ,i pointed out the radical differences existing between the beliefs of ,anglo-,saxon spiritists and those of spiritists of other nationalities1 particularly in that which concerns reincarnation4 ,i will not go back to this2 but in order to specify the point in question1 ,i will recall to mind that the only new phenomena which spiritistic forms of contemporary mysticism offer1 are their constitution into a body of religious doctrines and their rapid extension4 ,these phenomena are of sociological1 not biological order4 ,the facts upon which they are based belong1 on the contrary1 to biology4 ,further1 it is not absolutely true to say1 that the metaphysical theories established upon the revelations of spirits are new4 ,the life of some of the #8saints' in the ,roman ,church offers us several examples1 one of the most celebrated being the devotion to the ,sacr ,cur de ,jsus1' a special kind of worship based upon revelations claimed to have been accorded to a nun named ,marie ,alacoque1 who lived in the eighteenth century4 ,monastic life has not the monopoly of such experiences4 ,commerce with spirits appears to be likewise one of the elements of the religious ceremonies of the ,shakers2 even the ,mormons seem to indulge in practices similar to those of spiritism2 ,jrme ,cardan1 ,john ,dee1 ,martinez de ,pasqually pass for having held intercourse with immaterial beings2 members of the order of the ,red ,cross have also been looked upon as holding frequent intercourse with diverse genii4 ,if we study the history of human thought1 we see that nothing is really new1 nothing save perhaps the contemporary extension of spiritism4 ,from many points of view1 spiritism appears to play a rle in the civilised1 sceptical1 material society of to-day1 analogous to the simple rle which ,christianity played in the second and third centuries of our era4 ,but this is a sociological problem2 its examination1 however interesting it may be1 would lead me beyond the limits ,i have traced for myself4 ,i will confine myself1 therefore1 to drawing from the brief historical account ,i have just given1 the conclusion it admits of4 ,the facts studied by ,janet and others are anterior to spiritism1 and cannot be legitimately designated by this name4 ,i have already indicated that this word expresses an ensemble of metaphysical and religious doctrines explaining psychical phenomena by the intervention of spirits1 and drawing their teachings from the revelations attributed to these same spirits4 ,it is terminologically incorrect to designate these facts by a word which has a wider signification1 since it expresses an explanatory hypothesis of these same facts4 ,custom has consecrated the word #8psychical' facts or phenomena3 this term is also imperfect1 and it seems to me preferable to adopt the new term ,metapsychical which ,richet recommends4 ,therefore1 in the actual state of research1 the scientific problem1 it seems to me1 is not whether spiritism be true or false1 but whether metapsychical phenomena be real or imaginary4 ,as ,richet and ,ochorowicz have said1 every medium may defraud1 and the analysis of fraud is one of the most complicated problems which the study of psychical phenomena presents4 ,it is also one of the most interesting4 ,the ,cambridge#cg experiments with ,eusapia ,paladino put clearly before us the question of fraud and its signification4 #cg ,see ,appendix ,b4 ,before entering upon the psychological examination of fraud1 it appears to me necessary to explain the signification of the terms ,i am going to use1 and after that to classify medianic phenomena4 ,it is of primary importance to determine the correct signification of the expression consciousness4#ch ,there are few words in philosophical language which have such diverse acceptations4 ,as my conception of consciousness is somewhat special without at the same time being peculiar to me1 ,i owe it to my readers to say what ,i mean to designate by this term4 #ch ,the ,french have but one word to express what is meant in ,english by the word ,conscience 7i4e4 the principle which decides on the lawfulness or unlawfulness of our actions or desires71 and the word ,consciousness 7i4e4 the being aware1 the knowing of one's own thoughts74 ,nevertheless we consider this chapter could ill spare this masterly synthesis4--,note of ,translator4 ,i conceive consciousness1 lato sensu1 as a function of living matter4 ,it is the particular state which determines in organised and living matter another state of the centre where this matter lives4 ,it is1 if you like1 a kind of reaction of the living matter in harmony with external phenomena4 ,this mode of reaction1 like every other mode of reaction1 allows of two conditions3 some sort of sensibility to the action of the ambient1 permitting variations thereof to be felt2 some sort of activity which permits of realising an adaptation to the ambient1 and of producing internal modifications corresponding1 in some measure1 to the perceived external modifications4 ,in order that the internal modifications may realise this equilibrium1 they must not go beyond a certain amplitude1 whence the theoretic necessity for the sensibility to be always apprised of the internal modifications of the living substance1 as it perceives the external modifications of the ambient4 ,experience proves that in reality things do happen in this way4 ,in fact1 we are able in the animal kingdom to prove the existence of special organs1 some of them destined to the perception of the successive states of the ambient and of the individual1 the others to the active realisation of the latter to the former4 ,the different modifications provoked in the receptive system by the variations of the ambient1 determine in their turn the intervention of the active system which realises the internal variations4 ,this is the principle of the nervous and muscular systems1 the latter being only put into play by the former2 natural history shows us the progressive specialisation of these nervous and muscular elements4 ,at first non-differentiated in appearance1 the animal cell presents in more complicated animals a sensitive pole and an active pole1 the one nervous1 the other muscular4 ,the myo-epithelial or neuro-muscular cells offer us a classical example in the hydra4 ,the examination of the development of the nervous system and of the muscular system in the vertebrata shows us their growing specialisation4 ,the nervous cells are associated in systems more or less dependent the one upon the other2 the muscular cells are accumulated into masses4 ,this is the application of that law of the division of labour1 the constant operation of which we observe in all the phenomena of life4 ,the nervous cells are grouped together in a heap1 in a nucleus1 and send their prolongations to the periphery or to the organs4 ,these prolongations are of two kinds3 some transmit impressions towards the cell 7dendrites prolongations71 others transmit excitations proceeding from the cell 7cylindraxes prolongations74#ci ,the centres themselves are hierarchised1 so to speak1 and are divided into two wide categories3 the first destined to the functions of organic life1 circulation1 secretions1 digestion1 etc42 the second to those of the life of relation4 ,these two categories include the sensitive cells and the motor cells2 the one transmits to the other the stimulus born of excitations provoked by the internal or external centres4 #ci ,dendrites1 nerves conducting the influx towards the centre of the cell4 ,cylindraxes1 nerves conducting from the cell towards the periphery or towards another cell4 ,in superior animals1 at any rate in man1 we observe that the activity of certain nervous centres is accompanied by a particular phenomenon1 which is designated under the name of personal consciousness4 ,it is the notion we have that the phenomenon is perceived by us1 that the movement executed is executed by us4 ,personal consciousness does not accompany all perceived phenomena1 nor all executed movements4 ,certain given conditions of diverse orders appear necessary1 for the consciousness to become aware of these phenomena4 ,this conscious consciousness is translated by the connection of the impression or of the movement with a personality4 ,this personality looks to us as though it were continuous4 ,it is around it that our past impressions are grouped in the form of souvenirs4 ,it is that which continues the #8self4' ,the consciousness ,i have just described is what ,i call the personal consciousness4 ,the notion of personality which characterises it is not invariable1 and is not necessary4 ,it is not invariable1 because the study of morbid psychology reveals to us that different personalities can succeed one another in the same individual1 or even appear to be concomitant4 ,this is notably the case with secondary personalities in hysteria or in epilepsy4 ,it is not necessary1 for diverse phenomena can be perceived and stored up in the memory without the personal consciousness being conscious thereof2 in the same way1 movements adapted to a certain purpose may be executed without the personal consciousness being warned thereof3 such are notably the reflex and complicated movements1 which custom has rendered automatic4 ,the result of these facts is that the personal consciousness is manifested as a limitation of the general consciousness1 of what ,i will simply call the consciousness4 ,the study of the alterations of memory notably--diverse amnesi1 hypermnesi1 paramnesi--shows us that those souvenirs of which the general and impersonal consciousness has the free disposition are incomparably more numerous than those at the disposal of the personal consciousness4 ,this is incontestable as far as memory is concerned2 is it so with intelligence8 ,it is hard to say2 there are1 however1 numerous examples of problems solved and of work accomplished without the knowledge of the personal consciousness4 ,anatomy and physiology inform us1 that personal consciousness is manifested in phenomena1 which appear to have their seat in certain regions on the surface of the cerebral hemispheres4 ,the cortical region seems to be appropriated1 at least in part1 by psychological phenomena1 of which personality is the centre1 active memory1 attention1 judgment1 abstraction1 will4 ,it is for this reason that this region is called #8the superior centres4' ,underneath this region the cerebral sub-cortical ganglions1 the bulbous and medullary nuclei1 the sympathetic ganglions1 and the plexus constitute the inferior centres which preside over certain functions foreign to the personal consciousness4 ,however1 it must not be thought that the activity of the cortical centres is always perceived by the personal consciousness4 ,that of the motor centres1 for example1 may exist unknown to the personal consciousness4 ,i have already given the indication of certain complicated movements which can be voluntary and personally conscious in the beginning1 and become1 in the end1 unconscious and yet voluntary2 e4g4 the playing of a musical instrument4 ,likewise1 certain involuntary movements can sometimes be perceived by the personal consciousness2 e4g4 the rapid movement we make in chasing away a fly which is worrying us4 ,if the centre motors of the arm which drives away the fly be sub-cortical or medullary1 it is none the less true that the movements executed1 even when they appear to be pure reflex movements1 can sometimes be perceived4 ,movements executed without the participation of the personal consciousness and will are called automatic4 ,this expression signifies for me1 that the voluntary activity of the personality remains foreign to the movement executed4 ,therefore1 in the motor sphere1 that is to say in movements1 we may have different relations between the movement executed and the personal consciousness4 ,we have1 first of all1 conscious and voluntary movements2 then involuntary or impulsive movements1 perceived or unperceived by the personal consciousness4 ,these diverse movements are normal3 that is to say1 they are executed according to the recognised rules of muscular activity2 they do not go beyond the peripheral limit of the body2 the nervous influx is diffused along the nerves in the ordinary manner4 ,if the nervous influx1 or more correctly speaking1 the mode of energy which constitutes it1 goes beyond the material limits of the body1 we have phenomena designated by de ,rochas under the name of extriorisation de la motricit4 ,these are again automatic phenomena for me1 since the personal consciousness and the will do not participate in them4 ,but they present a feature which distinguishes them from normal automatisms3 they are exosomatic1 if ,i may use that expression1 while the others are endosomatic4 ,these two expressions signify for me1 the one exosomatic1 that the movements are produced beyond the limits of the body2 the other endosomatic1 that they are produced within the limits of the body1 that is to say by muscular activity acting physiologically4 ,the first1 which are apparently contrary to the ordinary data of experience1 are paranormal phenomena1 that is to say1 outside the usual rule2 the second1 on the contrary1 are normal4 ,parakinesis is a paranormal movement with contact2 telekinesis is a paranormal movement without contact4 ,sensibility presents the same categories of facts4 ,properly speaking there is no veritable automatism in phenomena of sensitivity2 but we can nevertheless distinguish therein1 first1 normal sensitive phenomena--that is to say1 phenomena produced under physiological conditions1 more or less well-known1 but frequent1 such as hallucinations1 hypermnesi2 and second1 paranormal phenomena1 that is to say1 phenomena which imply the existence of modes of perception to which the normal personality is foreign--clairvoyance1 clairaudience1 tele-sthesia1 telepathy 7,myers1 ,gurney1 ,podmore71 exteriorisation of motor power 7de ,rochas74 ,i have already indicated that these perceptions appear to depend upon the impersonal consciousness1 and that the impressions thus perceived are transmitted to the personal consciousness in a given form analogous to that of dream perceptions--that is to say1 in a dramatic form1 with a concrete and symbolical setting4 ,the impersonal consciousness seems1 therefore1 to be affected in a vague1 general manner3 the perceptions only assume an appearance of precision in those strata of the consciousness1 where the notion of personality is determined4 ,hence the following conclusions1 which ,i only give as probabilities3 7#a7 that the notion of personality is susceptible of diverse degrees2 7#b7 that the impressions perceived by the general consciousness are agreeable or disagreeable--that is to say1 only impart to the personal consciousness a very vague message1 moral comfort or indefinable discomfort2 that1 in rarer cases1 the transmitted message is more precise1 and takes the form of a detailed hallucination2 7#c7 that1 if telepathy exists1 the general consciousness is capable of being affected by channels other than those of the ordinary senses1 which have only a value in ratio to the personal consciousness of which they are1 perhaps1 the condition4 ,this last consideration brings us back to the definition which ,i gave a little while ago of consciousness1 which is1 for me1 the common property of all living matter3 its sensuality is limited and specified by the senses1 is limited and specified by the personality and the will4 ,i beg the reader to excuse me for having entered into these explanations4 ,i wished1 as ,i said before1 to state as clearly as possible the meanings ,i attach to the terms ,i use2 ,i have still another task to accomplish somewhat similar to the last3 which is to classify medianic phenomena before studying their relations with fraud4 ,in the first place ,i divide them into two wide categories1 each capable of penetrating into the other1 for1 with the exception of luminosities1 physical phenomena are rarely devoid of all meaning1 and intellectual phenomena have always some fact of a physical nature as substratum4 ,therefore1 these two categories are two different aspects of the same phenomena rather than two distinct categories4 ,if we consider the purely physical side1 we have the following approximate series3-- ,,physical ,,phenomena ,sonorous4--,raps2 diverse noises4 ,motor4--,normal2 paranormal2 parakinesis2 telekinesis4 ,luminous4--,amorphous2 definite forms2 psychic 787 photography4 ,if we consider the form of communications1 in appearance intelligent1 by adhering to the mode of expression of the intellectual sense of the phenomena1 we have the following classification3-- ,,intellectual ,,phenomena3 ,,endosomatic ,,automatism ,muscular4--,typtology2 grammatology2 automatic script2 automatic speaking4 ,sensorial4--,visual1 auditory1 tactile1 gustatory1 olfactory phenomena4 ,vaso-,motor4--,secretory phenomena2 vascular phenomena2 perspirations1 etc4 ,,exosomatic ,,automatism 7,exteriorisations73 ,motor4--,telekinesis2 psychography 7direct writing72 psychophony 7direct voice74 ---- ,sensitive-,sensorial4--,telepathy2 telsthesia4 ---- ,plastic4--,materialisations2 apports1 etc4 ,on the other hand1 if we examine fraud in a general manner1 we will notice the following correspondences3 the words conscious and unconscious are taken in the sense of the personal consciousness3-- ,motricity3 normal4 #a4 ,conscious and ,conscious voluntary voluntary fraud4 ,simulation2 movements4 responsibility4 ---- ---- #b4 ,conscious but ,conscious impulsive involuntary fraud4 ,simulation2 movements4 irresponsibility4 ---- ---- #c4 ,unconscious and ,impulsive and involuntary unconscious fraud2 movements4 irresponsibility4 ---- paranormal4 #d4 ,exteriorisation of ,no fraud4 motricity and plasticity2 telekinesis2 materialisations4 ,sensibility3 normal4 #e4 ,voluntary ,voluntary and falsehood4 conscious fraud4 ,simulation2 responsibility4 ,sensibility3 normal4 #f4 ,illusions2 ,no fraud2 no real hallucinations2 phenomenon4 hypermnesi2 paramnesi4 ---- paranormal4 #g4 ,exteriorisation of ,no fraud2 real the sensibility2 phenomena4 clairaudience2 telepathy2 clairvoyance4 ,as for true exosomatic automatism1 there can be no question of fraud as far as it is concerned4 ,this classification1 which ,i only give as an experiment1 appears to me more complete than that of ,ochorowicz's 7,annales de ,sciences ,psychiques1 vi4 #ig74 ,the latter distinguishes-- 7a7 ,conscious fraud4 7b7 ,unconscious fraud3 in the waking state ,medianity of an in the trance state inferior order4 7c7 ,partial1 automatic fraud ,medianity of a 7d7 ,the pure phenomenon superior order4 ,if we compare ,ochorowicz's table with mine we will notice that his conscious fraud corresponds to ,nos4 #a and #e of my classification4 ,his unconscious fraud to ,no4 #c4 ,i divide his partial1 automatic fraud into the classes #b1 #c1 and #f4 ,the pure phenomenon into the classes #d and #g4 ,his superior medianity includes all exosomatic automatisms 7,nos4 #d and #g72 his inferior medianity1 the classes #c and #f4 ,these general indications given1 it is easy to see that ,i divide fraud into three categories1 which are1 moreover1 susceptible of co-existing and of forming mixed types3 this is the ordinary case4 ,we have1 first of all1 the guilty1 voluntary and conscious fraud2 then the impulsive1 but conscious1 frequent fraud2 then the unconscious and involuntary fraud1 veritable normal automatism3 the author cannot be held responsible for this last order of fraud1 which is1 moreover1 very frequent with many excellent mediums4 ,if we study the psychological mechanism of fraud1 we will find variable and diverse causes4 #a4 ,,conscious ,,and ,,voluntary ,,fraud ,the most usual cause is self-interest4 ,this is the case with charlatans1 who speculate upon the credulity of the public4 ,we must not think this is the only motive2 each impostor obeys motives which are peculiar to himself4 ,the medical student1 who gave me such curious examples of fraud1 was not actuated by motives of self-interest4 ,i think it was simply for the pleasure of cheating1 of taking me in1 for ,i had often spoken to him about my suspicions4 ,he often cheated simply as a prank2 this is what happened in a seance given by a spiritistic group to convince some new converts1 when my student1 it appears1 gave them manifestations somewhat out of the common6 ,however1 conscious and voluntary fraud raise no real psychological problem4 #b4 ,,conscious ,,and ,,involuntary ,,or ,,mixed ,,fraud ,on the contrary1 the problem originates in this order of fraud4 ,it often happens in circles1 though composed of honourable persons1 that some of the sitters1 who would be incapable of voluntarily committing a fraud1 do not dare to accuse themselves of an involuntary movement made by them1 and of which they are conscious4 ,this can only be applied to fairly rapid movements1 such as those which imitate raps or parakinetic movements4 ,in serious seances1 the sitters should give themselves the habit of openly acknowledging every involuntary movement2 it will be noticed that certain persons are very prone to these movements4 ,they often end by being ashamed of accusing themselves so often1 and thus fraud from timidity3 ,i have met with this1 especially among women4 ,it is one of the reasons which make me condemn all experiments for the production of movements with contact4 ,timidity is the usual cause of this kind of fraud3 the psychological problem raised is simple4 #c4 ,,unconscious ,,and ,,involuntary ,,fraud ,here the problem becomes complicated4 ,i will not distinguish1 as ,ochorowicz does1 fraud committed in the waking state from fraud committed in the trance or second state4 ,the psychological mechanism is the same in both cases1 and appears to me to depend upon self-suggestion1 or what has been called monodeism1 that is to say1 the mind is invaded by one idea1 which ends by stifling all others1 and by realising itself3 it is1 in reality1 a phenomenon analogous to that determined by suggestion4 ,it is in unconscious or involuntary frauds1 that the psychological disaggregation of the medium which ,janet has studied1 is best observed4 ,these frauds present phenomena which are without interest from a medianic point of view4 ,what is the mechanism of unconscious and involuntary frauds8 ,it appears to me to be the following3 the subjects--they may have been good mediums in their day--who commit this kind of fraud sit down to the table1 or give a seance in view of obtaining supernormal phenomena4 ,but the production of these phenomena is often difficult1 sometimes impossible4 ,immobility1 expectation1 and obscurity act powerfully upon the nervous system of these mediums1 and particularly so when they are hysterical4 ,they determine the trance2 the desire for the phenomenon becomes a fixed idea1 and then a self-suggestion4 ,if the supernormal phenomenon delays1 the inferior strata of the consciousness--whose morality often differs greatly from that of the active personal consciousness--realises it normally4 ,in the same way1 even if the sensitive does not fall into the trance state1 there is1 nevertheless1 a particular state manifested which is not sleep1 neither is it the full1 genuine waking-state4 ,the active and voluntary personal element of the consciousness1 as well as the judgment1 becomes weakened4 ,the sphere of the personality is reduced1 and personal activity gives place to automatism4 ,every degree between conscious and involuntary fraud and pure automatism is to be met with4 ,therefore1 it is prudent to take measures to guard against fraud with all subjects who become entranced1 or with those who become somnolent in obscurity1 silence1 immobility1 and expectation2 but we should be frank with our sensitives3 let us not offer1 in ourselves1 an example of dissimulation to the medium2 neither must we let him have the impression of not being controlled3 this would be to expose him to a temptation1 all the greater in that his personal power of volition is weakened4 ,add to this1 that we do not in the least know what influence the mental state of the experimenters has upon the medium1 although some kind of influence appears to me to exist4 ,we do not know to what extent an ill-founded certitude of fraud can be responsible for its birth4 ,ochorowicz says on this subject3-- #8,after having recognised that the medium is only a mirror1 who reflects and directs the ideas and nervous forces of the assistants towards an ideoplastic end1 we will not be surprised to see that suggestion plays an important rle therein4 ,there is no doubt but that the assistants can suggest the desired act to the medium2 neither is it doubtful that the manifestations bear the stamp of surrounding beliefs4 ,in a society of materialists ,i have seen 8,john0 7with ,eusapia ,paladino7 become dissolved into an impersonal force1 which the medium simply called 8questa forza10 while in intimate spiritistic circles it took the form of deceased persons1 more or less clumsily4 ,in the same way1 with controllers imbued with the idea of fraud as ,messrs4 ,hodgson and ,maskelyne were1 the medium will remain under the empire of a suggestion of fraud4' ,without completely sharing ,ochorowicz's conviction1 ,i have reasons for thinking that his theory comes very close to the truth4 ,i have myself indicated how suggestible the personification is4 ,there is something else4 ,in cases where force is lacking1 or is feeble1 it is easier for the medium to obtain the phenomenon normally--that is to say1 by fraud--rather than by veritable exteriorisation4 ,i have remarked1 that often the paranormal movement has to be normally simulated before it is supernormally realised4 ,this is frequently the case with ,eusapia4 ,we can conceive how the movement of simulation can end in fraud1 when the medium is in a hemisomnambulistic state4 ,in short1 the energy which sets an object in movement appears to me to be of nervous origin1 and ,i believe it to be of the same nature as that which provokes muscular contractions4 ,therefore1 this is what follows3 the force only becomes exteriorised if accumulated and wrought up to a sufficient tension4 ,in proportion as its tension increases1 so it tends to expend itself in the form of impulsive movements2 the medium must resist this tendency to be able to obtain the pure phenomenon4 ,therefore experimenters ought to keep the medium in this resistance1 and not allow him facility for expending the energy which tends to realise itself in muscular movements4 ,such are the conclusions to which the observations ,i have made with several mediums have led me4 ,unconscious and involuntary fraud is frequent1 and in order to avoid it1 the conditions likely to favour it should be carefully put aside1 especially in the beginning of a series of experiments1 and when experimenting with an undeveloped medium4 ,medianity is powerfully influenced by acquired habits4 ,there exists1 finally1 another kind of unconscious and involuntary fraud3 that which is due to illusion4 ,it is constantly found in spiritistic seances1 where ninety-nine times out of a hundred mediums produce no real phenomena4 ,they are1 nevertheless1 in earnest1 but they do not take into consideration the rle of memory and imagination4 ,this is particularly the case with intuitive writing mediums and #8control' mediums4 ,with this order of phenomenon we rarely obtain verifiable indications2 the #8spirits' utter plenty of commonplace generalities1 but give no precise information4 ,fraud is a misnomer in this case3 being unconscious and involuntary1 it cannot1 correctly speaking1 be called fraud2 therefore it is better to reserve the word #8illusion' for it4 ,i cannot think of analysing the question of fraud in detail4 ,if examined closely it is extremely complicated4 ,but1 like ,richet1 ,i deem #8it possible that in states bordering on trance1 and in trance itself1 the psychology of a medium may be very different from ours4' ,i confine myself simply to indicating the result of my reflections1 which are the fruit of a long series of observations4 ,let me renew my oft-repeated recommendation for avoiding fraud3 ,experiment with light1 the greatest possible amount of light1 and seek for simple phenomena1 difficult1 perhaps1 to obtain1 but easy to observe1 such as raps and movements without contact4 ,,ii4 ,,error ,if ,i insist so much upon the necessity1 especially in the beginning1 of seeking only for phenomena observation of which is easy1 it is because error of observation is facile4 ,we need to be much accustomed to seances to be able to distinguish rapidly between probable phenomena and those which are certainly tricked4 ,it is with this1 as with everything else1 a question of time and reflection4 ,one of the causes of error1 which it is highly important to avoid1 is obscurity4 ,for many simple phenomena darkness is unnecessary2 therefore1 from the very outset1 we should exhort the personification to accept light4 ,i have already frequently said that personifications are very suggestible4 ,i know well it is not always so1 and that at times the personification displays much obstinacy4 ,personifications of this class are especially observed with mediums who have long-acquired habits4 ,it was so with ,eusapia1 who was only accustomed to giving dark seances4 ,but even when the personification appears to have very decided ideas1 it is possible1 with a little ingenuity1 to induce him to change4 ,it is with them as with secondary personalities1 or subjects to whom we have given a suggestion4 ,we must enter right into the circle of suggested ideas in order to break it2 it is a question of tact only4 ,with ,eusapia we succeeded in operating in a good light by appealing to #8,john's' vanity4 ,we explained to him that obscurity stood in the way of the observation of the phenomena1 that he was just as capable of working in the light as the #8guides' of other mediums were4 ,in this way1 we lead him to change his habits with us2 the meno luce to which those who have experimented with this medium are accustomed1 was still demanded1 but only when the seance was well advanced4 ,at ,bordeaux1 where there was a large bay-window in the seance-room1 the reflection thereon from the lights burning in the kitchen and winter-garden enabled us to see a little4 ,in that case1 ,eusapia or ,john did not desire total obscurity1 and we always had this feeble light1 allowing a visual control which was sometimes satisfactory4 ,when we are lucky enough to meet with an undeveloped medium1 it is easy to give him the habit of operating in full light4 ,this has occasionally happened to me4 ,i need not enlarge upon the influence of obscurity upon error4 ,with some very rare exceptions we can never be certain of the authenticity of a phenomenon obtained in a dark seance4 ,obscurity is1 however1 necessary for luminous phenomena4 ,when once we have observed decided luminous forms1 or really characteristic lights1 it is easy to distinguish between them and illusion4 ,a cool1 calm observer does not make a mistake2 it is not quite the same with excited experimenters4 ,these latter give veritable suggestions to one another1 and they end by having curious collective hallucinations4 ,this is one of the most interesting facts of observation in spiritistic seances1 so rich in purely psychological curiosities4 ,i have frequently heard a sitter say that he saw a light in a given direction2 the others looked in their turn and also saw it4 ,then one declared he perceived a form2 soon others also saw a form4 ,and from exclamation to exclamation the description of the form is completed4 ,this is the genesis of a collective hallucination4 ,i need hardly say1 that experimenters who are so suggestible are not good elements3 in purely scientific researches they should be reduced to a minimum4 ,personal experience has shown me1 that of all the senses1 that of sight is the most liable to imaginary impressions2 after sight1 the sense of touch is the most prompt to receive illusion4 ,there are constant examples of this in spiritistic seances2 the cool breeze1 which is often really felt1 is more often only imaginary4 ,one person says he feels it2 others at once imagine they feel it also4 ,sometimes it is not an error of imagination1 but an error of attribution1 the sensation of a cool breeze being caused by the breath4 ,the sense of hearing has seemed to me to be refractory to suggestion in seances1 though it does not altogether escape4 ,i know of very few examples of imagined raps or noises4 ,on the contrary1 the muscular sense is one of the most unfaithful4 ,unless one has experimented oneself1 it is impossible to imagine how frequent unconscious and involuntary movements are4 ,these movements are of very feeble amplitude2 they are slight1 but they end by acquiring a certain amount of force4 ,it will then be noticed that the assistants accuse each other reciprocally of pushing the table1 and it is not rare to see angry discussions arise on these occasions4 ,this is a frequent fact of observation4 ,i have also very frequently noticed tactile hallucinations with impressionable experimenters1 who easily imagine diverse contacts4 ,the sense of smell sometimes perceives imaginary odours1 but it is somewhat rare4 ,i have not observed any hallucinations of taste4 ,another cause of error which requires pointing out is fatigue on the part of the experimenters4 ,every phenomenon which is produced after a long period of waiting stands many chances of being badly observed4 ,the attention kept for a long time on the qui vive becomes weary1 gives place to abstraction1 and often the phenomena takes the experimenters by surprise2 hence they are unable to examine the conditions with certitude4 ,it is also bad to hold very long seances1 fatigue quickly setting in4 ,such are the principal causes of positive errors2 that is to say1 of errors tending to persuade one of the existence of an imaginary fact2 negative errors1 that is to say1 those which tend to make one look upon a real fact as an imaginary one1 are not less dangerous than positive errors4 ,in the first place1 parti pris is to be pointed out4 ,if we wish to experiment with success1 we must experiment without credulity1 without faith1 even without confidence2 but we must not be determined only to meet with fraud4 ,we must not experiment navely4 ,if1 at the beginning of a seance1 it be useful to allow freedom in order to put the force en train1 as ,ochorowicz wisely recommends1 once the phenomena are established1 we must control them with the greatest care4 ,but we should make our intentions known to the medium and to the personification4 ,this1 ,i think1 is an indispensable precaution4 ,the personification will always consent to it2 but this does not mean we will always obtain the wished-for result4 ,we must not allow the medium or the personification to think we are their dupes if they fraud2 we must tell them1 gently but clearly1 that they are not giving anything good4 ,equivocation is to be carefully avoided1 all misunderstanding is to be shunned4 ,we must not1 however1 place the medium under such conditions that the experiment cannot be realised4 ,we do not understand these conditions1 and1 perhaps1 apparently simple phenomena may not be realisable4 ,i remember that at ,choisy in #ahif1 a lady1 a member of my family--she has an insurmountable bias against psychical experiments1 which she declares a priori are fraudulent--declared to ,eusapia that she would believe in her phenomena1 if she could make a doll's table move before her eyes4 ,eusapia placed this small table on top of the seance-table1 but did not succeed in making it move4 ,why could not such an apparently simple phenomenon be obtained8 ,we must1 therefore1 observe1 but we must not wish to impose beforehand the conditions which the phenomenon should fulfil in order to be accepted4 ,many experimenters tie up the medium1 put him into a sack1 and seal him therein4 ,if he consents to this1 well and good2 if he refuses1 other means of control must be found4 ,we must not indeed suppose that the medium's refusal is always due to a desire to fraud4 ,the slightest fetters may sometimes be very painful1 especially when there be cutaneous hypersthesia4 ,before bringing a negative judgment to bear upon the phenomena1 the experimenters should always hold a certain number of seances1 and should not found their judgment upon one bad seance alone2 by so doing they would expose themselves to a wrong course of action4 ,it is especially in psychical experimentation that inexhaustible patience is necessary4 ,,conclusion ,and now my task is accomplished4 ,i perceive that in the latter part of my work1 ,i have broached complex and difficult problems1 and have allowed myself to be drawn into--not theorising--but combating certain theories which appear to me to be incorrect or insufficient2 for which ,i beg my reader's pardon4 ,in conclusion1 ,i wish to repeat that ,i am convinced of having1 in a sure1 positive manner1 observed raps and movements without contact4 ,i have seen many other phenomena2 but ,i will not venture to be so affirmative concerning them1 at present4 ,i make no pretension of demonstrating the reality of the facts ,i have observed4 ,in publishing my conclusions1 ,i have had but one object in view1 that of bringing my testimony to those1 who1 long before me1 attested to the facts which ,i in my turn affirm4 ,does that mean that ,i have not been mistaken8 most assuredly1 no6 ,and it is very possible that my observations may have been imperfect4 ,i am1 nevertheless1 so convinced of their exactness1 that ,i can only advise those who may impugn the accuracy of my statements1 to experiment as ,i have done1 with the same method1 and the same patience4 ,i have had many occasions to pronounce these words in the course of my work1 and now in terminating it1 ,i pronounce them once again with stronger emphasis than ever4 ,i doubt1 though1 whether my voice will be heeded1 where others1 more influential than mine1 have remained unheard4 ,however1 ,i do not regret having expressed my opinion about these facts4 ,i am persuaded1 that some day1 perhaps very soon1 they will come under scientific discipline1 and this1 in spite of all the obstacles which obstinacy and fear of ridicule accumulate in the way4 ,one of these obstacles1 and it is not the least1 is due to the fashion in which many savants estimate mediums4 ,their judgment is summed up in such expressions as hysteric1 cheat1 physically or morally tainted1 degenerates4 ,such a judgment is iniquitous1 absurd and false in its generality1 and baneful in its consequences4 ,it is founded upon a deplorable error1 for ,i know mediums who possess faculties superior to the average1 and who present absolutely no stigma of degeneracy4 ,i have said1 and ,i cannot repeat it too often1 my finest phenomena were obtained with subjects who were sound and healthy in mind and body4 ,it is with hysterical subjects that we observe fraud1 side by side with gleams of true phenomena2 but with a medium who has no nervous taint1 whose well-balanced intelligence knows how to offer resistance to self-suggestion1 and l'ide fixe1 we have real phenomena or none at all4 ,the opinion of savants1 who1 ill acquainted with the facts1 inform us that mediums are hysterics and victims of nervous disorders1 is therefore erroneous2 unfortunately the consequences of such an opinion are lamentable4 ,i know many remarkable subjects who absolutely refuse to experiment outside a tested and restricted group1 because they fear to be regarded as neurotics2 they are afraid of being stigmatised as insane1 they are afraid of compromising their commercial position or their professional interests4 ,i will never succeed in convincing them that they are above the average2 doubtless ,i will succeed still less in inducing others to believe it3 though in many respects it be true4 ,if the relative perfection of their nervous system renders these persons more sensitive than the average1 it would be wrong to conclude thereupon1 that they were degenerate specimens of humanity4 ,this argument is lacking in common-sense2 we might just as reasonably insist that ,europeans are in degeneration1 because they are more emotional and more sensitive to pain than certain savage tribes4 ,how ignorant1 tactless1 and incautious we are6 ,the attitude of certain learned centres--it is with intention that ,i do not say the most cultured--is1 to me1 similar to that of ecclesiastical authorities in the middle ages4 ,the novelty of a thing frightens them4 ,they treat independent scientific thought as the inquisitors treated free thought in days gone by4 ,like their prototypes of other times1 they have the same intolerance1 the same hate for schism and heresy4 ,their accumulated errors ought to make them cautious3 but1 no6 ,if they no longer make a pariah of the arch-heretic or schismatic1 if they no longer deliver him up to the executioner1 they treat him with the same relative vigour4 ,they excommunicate him1 in their fashion1 and cast him out of sane healthy humanity as a degenerate1 a mystic1 an exalt4 ,the future will have the same opinion of them as we have1 to-day1 of their predecessors4 ,their attitude prevents the most cultured1 the most capable mediums from allowing their psychic faculties to become known4 ,if these mediums spoke of visions1 a douche would be recommended6 ,if they caused a table to move without contact1 the words hysteria and fraud would be heard4 ,is it surprising they should hide their gifts8 ,we ought to consider mediums as precious beings1 as forerunners of the future type of our race4 ,why should we only see degeneracy around us8 ,why should we not see superior beings ahead of us1 beacons1 as it were1 on the route we have to follow8 ,does not simple common-sense suggest that humanity has not yet arrived at perfection--that it is evolving to-day just as it has always been doing8 ,all men have not attained the same degree of evolution4 ,as there are types representing the average state of former days1 so there are advanced types representing to-day the average state of the future4 ,the progress of the race seems to make for perfection along the lines of the nervous system1 in the acquisition of more delicate senses1 of greater nervous sensibility1 and of vaster means of information4 ,if the discovery of implements1 new instruments of investigation1 such as the telescope and microscope1 for example1 aid in the progress of the race1 they are of no use for the evolution of the individual himself4 ,now1 veritable progress is individual2 it is the improvement of the individual which assures the evolution of the race1 and this progress should be determined by heredity4 ,do what we will1 we shall never be born with a microscope at the eyes1 and a telephone at the ears4 ,progress of this kind is not transmissible2 only physiological acquisitions are transmissible4 ,the sensibility of the nervous system of mediums is a progress on our relative obtuseness2 it is not the same thing with the bad sight of him who makes an improper use of the microscope4 ,if ,virchow were still alive1 there would be many disagreeable things to be said to him1 concerning the inaptitude of the ordinary type of savant to personify the desirable progress of the race towards health1 force1 sensibility1 and the perfect form4 ,the intolerance of certain savants is equalled by that of certain dogmas4 ,to take an example1 ,catholicism considers psychical phenomena as the work of the devil6 ,is it worth while at this hour to discuss so obsolete a theory8 ,i think not4 ,however1 superior ecclesiastical authorities1 with the tact and sentiment of opportunism which they often show1 permit many ,catholics to undertake the experimental study of psychical facts4 ,i cannot blame them for recommending prudent abstention to the mass of the faithful2 spiritism appears to me to be an adversary with which they will have to reckon very seriously some day4 ,the simplicity of its doctrines ensures it the clientle of simple souls enamoured of justice1 that is to say1 of the immense majority of mankind4 ,but this question is foreign to psychical facts themselves4 ,as far as my experience permits me to judge of them1 these phenomena contain nothing but what is natural4 ,the devil does not show his hoof here1 timorous souls may feel reassured2 if the tables claim to be ,satan himself1 they need not be believed2 summoned to prove his power1 this grandiloquent ,satan will be a sorry thaumaturgist4 ,religious prejudice1 which proscribes these experiments as being supernatural1 is just as little justified as scientific prejudice1 which sees therein nothing but fraud and imposture4 ,here1 again1 the old adage of ,aristotle finds its application3 ,justice lies midway4 ,may my book determine a few experimenters of goodwill to try to observe in their turn4 ,may it help to dispel from the mind of gifted mediums their fears of being ranked with insane and disordered intelligences1 or looked upon as being in partnership with the devil4 ,may it especially contribute to make metapsychic phenomena come to be considered as natural facts1 worthy of being usefully observed1 and capable of enabling us to penetrate more deeply than any other phenomena into a real knowledge of the laws which govern ,nature4 ,,appendix ,a ,an ,appreciation on ,certain ,documents published on the subject of ,fraud4 ,the question of fraud is so important that ,i feel ,i should not only give the results of my own observations1 but also my appreciation of some of the principal documents published on the subject4 ,with the exception of ,richet and a few others1 representatives of science in ,france are very ill informed on this question1 as ,i have endeavoured to show4 ,they overlook the immense work which has been done in the ,united ,states and in ,england2 consequently it is very difficult to discuss the question with these savants1 they are either ignorant or feign to be ignorant of what others have done4 ,i have shown that their experiments are defective and their methods open to criticism4 ,if all serious discussion be impossible with certain savants1 it is not so with those who have taken the trouble to verify psychic phenomena for themselves4 ,this is the case with the principal members of the ,society for ,psychical ,research1 ,crookes1 ,lodge1 ,barrett1 ,myers1 ,sidgwick1 ,gurney1 ,podmore1 ,hodgson1 ,hyslop1 and others4 ,the first three are persuaded of the reality of the facts observed by them4 ,the others have a tendency to attribute to fraud all physical phenomena2 they admit1 on the other hand1 intellectual phenomena1 and explain them either by telepathy as ,mr4 ,podmore does1 or by the intervention of spirits as spiritists themselves do1 though they were at one time the latter's adversaries2 this is notably the case with ,myers1 ,hodgson1 and ,hyslop4 ,the great respect ,i have for the remarkable men who direct the ,society for ,psychical ,research1 obliges me to examine their experiments very carefully1 for their judgment has a great value in my eyes2 at the same time1 ,i have too much regard for the research of truth to conceal from them the errors of experimentation1 which they appear to me to have committed4 ,in the fourth volume of the ,proceedings will be found a series of papers by ,mrs4 ,sidgwick1 ,messrs4 ,lewis1 ,hodgson1 and ,davey upon fraud4 ,the last-named deal particularly with the production of direct slate-writing4 ,this phenomenon is very easy to simulate2 it suffices to read the papers mentioned1 especially ,davey's document1 to understand under what suspicious conditions the phenomenon was produced4 ,a long time ago ,i myself artificially produced this kind of manifestation by fixing a pencil into a hole in the table1 and thereupon moving the slate about4 ,with practice a certain amount of facility can be acquired2 you can write fairly well and give regularity to apparently spasmodic and involuntary movements2 but only inexperienced or credulous people are taken in by this trick2 and though they may be more complicated1 ,mr4 ,davey's methods are not by any means more difficult to expose4 ,i wonder how a man of ,dr4 ,hodgson's intelligence could have based his judgment upon such superficial observations as those of the experimenters he cites4 ,here are men1 without doubt honourable and well educated1 who hold seances with the object of obtaining direct slate-writing through ,mr4 ,davey4 ,instead of taking the elementary precaution of never abandoning their slates1 they allow the medium to manipulate them1 permit him to leave the seance-room for a moment1 consent to allow other slates than their own to remain on the table at the same time as those which are used for the experiment1 and lastly when they examine1 only examine it on one side4 ,this is not mal-observation1 it is absence of observation4 7,see ,r4 ,hodgson1 #8,mr4 ,davey's ,imitations by ,conjuring of ,phenomena sometimes attributed to ,spirit ,agency1' ,proceedings1 vi4 #bec47 ,mr4 ,davey has also produced raps and materialisations fraudulently4 ,it is necessary to read1 in ,dr4 ,hodgson's paper1 the conditions under which he operated to see what ill-placed confidence his co-experimenters had in him 7,davey74 ,they do not verify1 although they are invited to do so1 the contents of a trunk precisely where the material essential to fraud was concealed2 they allow ,mr4 ,davey to close the door of the room3 he gives two turns of the key1 the one locking1 the other unlocking the door1 which is carelessly sealed with gummed paper2 no one thinks of verifying if the door is well closed4 ,the most elementary precautions are neglected by the assistants who1 one would really think1 had been chosen by ,mr4 ,davey for their very credulity4 ,frauds as easy to prevent as those from which ,dr4 ,hodgson draws his argument1 cannot be considered as being able to take in a prudent1 shrewd observer1 accustomed to experimentation1 and knowing how to preserve a little sang-froid4 ,was it not enough that the medium should have asked one of the observers3 #8,what do you want the spirit to write on the slate8 ,in what colour do you want the writing to appear8' for these very questions alone to suggest imposture8 ,dr4 ,hodgson's argumentation is inoperative1 and the faults1 accumulated by the deceived observers whose impressions he cites1 are excessive4 ,one would think he had had to do with very convinced spiritists1 inclined to admit a priori the reality of the forthcoming phenomena without troubling themselves about the precise conditions of their observations2 this is what the perusal of the reports of these seances makes one think1 for ,i read textually 7p4 #bif73 #8,it may be interesting to compare the reports given by spiritualists of a sitting with ,mr4 ,davey with his account of what really occurred4' ,can one draw an argument from these accounts of spiritists8 ,some spiritists1 convinced of the reality of the facts1 appear to care very little indeed about any sort of control4 ,to reason from their methods of observation1 to generalise this reasoning and to extend it to all observers1 is rather too easy a form of discussion4 ,there are certain phenomena which lend themselves badly to observation3 this is particularly the case with those which require obscurity and arrangements of a nature likely to hinder or interfere with the best control which can be exercised1 that of the eyesight4 ,in my opinion the phenomenon has no demonstrative value whenever it occurs out of sight1 as is the case with slate-writing1 when the slate is held under the table4 ,neither has it any great signification when it requires sustained observation in order to control it4 ,errors are easy1 for abstraction almost inevitably follows1 if it does not accompany1 sustained attention4 ,hodgson1 in #8,the ,possibilities of ,mal-,observation and ,lapse of ,memory from a ,practical ,point of ,view' 7,proceedings1 iv4 #cha7 gives examples of this1 but his paper only points out facts well known to those who are familiar with human testimony4 ,in order to observe with a minimum chance of error1 the phenomenon we intend to study should be simple1 and repeated often enough to prevent the attention from becoming weary from waiting4 ,from this point of view1 the production of raps and telekinetic movements with the aid of the experimental manuvres ,i have described1 permit1 by specifying the moment when the phenomenon is going to occur1 of bringing the whole attention to bear upon the examination of the conditions under which the phenomenon is obtained4 ,raps and movements without contact appear to me to lend themselves admirably to observation2 with these phenomena1 by operating as ,i have indicated1 experimentation is almost possible2 but a veritable medium must be sought for in the first instance4 ,now this is what my colleagues of the ,society for ,psychical ,research did1 but they did so under conditions which were far from satisfactory4 ,mrs4 ,sidgwick1 a woman of brilliant intellect1 has given an account of the attempts made by herself1 her husband1 and friends to obtain psychical phenomena4 ,they went to ,eglinton and ,slade for slate-writing1 to the ,misses ,wood and ,fairlamb and a ,mr4 ,haxby for materialisations4 ,the first two gave phenomena which were suspicious1 not to say worse2 as for ,haxby1 he frauded shamefacedly4 ,mrs4 ,sidgwick's account is demonstrative on this point1 and it is enough to read it to be convinced that no shrewd observer could be taken in4 ,the first mistake1 committed by the distinguished members of the ,sidgwick group1 was to suppose that psychical phenomena can be obtained at will4 ,whenever a paid medium gives regular seances1 there are a hundred chances to one of downright fraud4 ,if there be a positive feature in these supernormal facts1 that feature in my opinion is their apparent irregularity4 ,i have been able to experiment with intelligent1 well-educated mediums anxious for a thorough investigation of their powers3 ,i have made very many experiments with them1 and ,i have observed that often whole weeks passed away without a good seance2 at other times1 the force was so abundant that phenomena were forthcoming without seance4 ,i have related some curious facts in this respect1 e4g4 the table moving spontaneously in the course of a conversation bearing upon psychical phenomena 7p4 #ajf74 ,what are the conditions which impede or favour the production of this unknown mode of energy8 ,i cannot specify them2 but ,i think ,i have noticed concordances1 which confirm in a measure the conclusions of ,ochorowicz 7,annales des ,sciences ,psychiques1 vi4 #aae73-- #a4 ,action of temperature4 ,dry cold weather is the most favourable4 ,damp or close weather is most unfavourable4 #b4 ,health of the medium and sitters4 ,if the medium does not feel well1 things happen as though he exteriorised no force whatever4 ,it is the same thing with the sitters1 but in a lesser degree2 in the latter case it suffices to eliminate the experimenter who feels ill4 #c4 ,mental condition of the medium and sitters4#dj ,ill-humour1 anxiety1 sadness--especially a sadness without any specific cause1 a kind of mental discomfort--are prejudicial4 ,joy1 gaiety are often favourable4 #dj ,there are apparent exceptions to this rule4 #d4 ,nervous exhaustion4 ,this condition is too often overlooked4 ,i have not unfrequently had occasion to conduct several series of experiments at one and the same time4 ,i generally noticed that the results were not good4 ,i have not been able to understand the cause of this want of success2 it is probably other than that of simple nervous exhaustion1 although this may have an action in prolonged series of seances4 ,neither do seances held too frequently with the same medium give good results2 in this case1 nervous exhaustion is certainly in play4 ,the ,english experimenters do not appear to have taken these diverse elements into consideration2 ,i am persuaded the results of their investigations would have been different had they shunned #8paid mediums1' and sought for fresh or undeveloped mediums1 persons uninfluenced by private considerations1 intelligent and capable of bringing a correct analysis of their subjective impressions into the research4 ,these mediums are rare1 but they are to be found4 ,none of these conditions were fulfilled by the ,sidgwick group4 ,these experimenters1 acting with the best of intentions1 took a wrong course4 ,eglinton1 ,slade1 ,haxby1 have perhaps been genuine mediums in their time1 but as soon as they made it a business to give regular seances1 they were at once prepared to give fraudulent phenomena with regularity4 ,at ,newcastle1 the group operated at one and the same time with ,miss ,fairlamb and with ,miss ,wood4 ,these two parallel series of experiments could not help being prejudicial one to the other1 even if these two mediums had been honest1 which does not appear to have been the case1 judging from ,mrs4 ,sidgwick's account4 ,i cannot think of discussing in detail all the experiments of the ,sidgwick group2 but ,i will study their experiments with ,eusapia ,paladino at ,cambridge more carefully1 for their judgment on this medium appears to me unjustified4 ,every one knows under what conditions ,messrs4 ,myers1 ,hodgson1 ,sidgwick1 etc41 invited ,eusapia to ,england1 in order to resume experiments previously made with her at ,ribaud4 ,these experiments had obtained a favourable report from ,dr4 ,lodge2 ,mr4 ,myers and ,mr4 ,sidgwick associated themselves with ,dr4 ,lodge's conclusions4 ,dr4 ,hodgson--who is a doctor of law and not a doctor of medicine1 as some people suppose--criticised the experiments summarised by ,dr4 ,lodge4 ,he was met with the reply that his criticisms contained nothing new2 that what he said had been already pointed out by ,richet and others1 and that the experimenters were acquainted with every possible system of fraud2 that the substitution of one hand for another1 the substitution of an artificial foot for the medium's foot1 were well-known systems of imposture1 against which every precaution had been taken4 ,nevertheless1 and notwithstanding the fact that the report had been drawn up by such competent men as ,richet1 ,ochorowicz1 ,lodge1 and ,myers1 it was criticised with an undeniable appearance of logic and justice by ,hodgson3 the latter reproached them for insufficiently describing the manner in which the diverse controls were ensured1 for omitting to dwell upon the precautions which were taken1 and for the lack of a minute description of all the movements of the medium4 ,in his article 7,journal1 vii4 #di7 he expressly says3-- #8,professor ,lodge makes the following declaration concerning the raising of the table3-- #88,it appears to me impossible for any person to lift a table of this size and weight while standing up to it1 with hands only on top1 without plenty of leg action1 and considerable strength and pressure of hands4 ,it was quite beyond the possibility of ,eusapia40 #8,now let us suppose1' continues ,hodgson1 #8that ,eusapia used a form of support which1 with some variation or other1 ,i fancy is not altogether unknown in the ,italian race4 ,let us suppose that she had1 next to her body1 a light strong band round her shoulders and across her chest1 with a pendant attached of a black band or cord1 with a hook or other catch at the end which could be tucked out of sight in her dress front when not in use4 7,by the way1 in a photograph which ,i have seen of ,eusapia at a sitting1 when the table is supposed to be completely off the floor1 one of the buttons of the bosom of her dress seems to be unfastened47 #8,she fixed this catch--either stooping or bending her legs slightly outward--to one of the sideboards of the table1 or to some point in the neighbourhood of the junctures of1 for example1 sideboards and top of table4 ,she straightened herself out1 stiffened her shoulders and her body back1 and pushed forward with her foot against the leg of the table1 close to which she was standing4 ,the light touch of one of her hands may have helped to steady the table1 the edge of which may also have been in contact with her body4 ,was this hypothesis or any kindred hypothesis tested by ,professor ,lodge8' etc4 ,this long quotation shows how ,hodgson reasons4 ,conscientious savants omitted to indicate1 explicitly1 in their report1 that every hypothesis of fraud had been studied and put to one side2 they omitted to analyse each hypothesis1 because their implicit affirmation of the reality of the fact appeared sufficient to them1 and a detailed examination of each hypothesis would have given exaggerated dimensions to their report4 ,no matter4 ,analysts like ,dr4 ,hodgson will not spare them1 and will not hesitate to indicate hypotheses1 even those the least compatible with the conditions of observation4 ,however1 the ,cambridge experiments were decided upon1 and although ,hodgson had taken a decided stand in the matter1 he was invited to assist4 ,these experiments gave bad results1 and ,sidgwick was able to say1 in spite of the contrary observations of other experimenters1 who were his colleagues in the ,society for ,psychical ,research 7,journal ,s4 ,p4 ,r41 vii4 #bcj73 #8,it will be seen that at our last meeting a question was asked with regard to 8phenomena0 obtained by ,eusapia ,paladino subsequent to the exposure of her frauds at ,cambridge4 ,it may be well that ,i should briefly state why ,i do not intend to give any account of these phenomena4 #8,it has not been the practice of the ,society for ,psychical ,research to direct attention to the performances of any so-called 8medium0 who has been proved guilty of systematic fraud4 ,now1 the investigation at ,cambridge1 of which the results are given in the ,journal for ,november #ahie1 taken in connection with an article by ,professor ,richet in the ,annales des ,sciences ,psychiques1 for ,january-,february #ahic1 placed beyond reasonable doubt the facts that the frauds discovered 7sic7 by ,dr4 ,hodgson at ,cambridge1 had been systematically practised by ,eusapia ,paladino for years4 ,in accordance1 therefore1 with our established custom1 ,i propose to ignore her performances for the future1 as ,i ignore those of other persons engaged in the same mischievous trade4' ,such a judgment made a considerable and lamentable stir3 if it were exact1 it was just to pronounce it2 if it were not thoroughly exact1 ,sidgwick should have suspended his verdict4 ,this is what ,myers advised--this is what ,lodge and ,richet advised4 ,but the experimenters who followed ,hodgson's impulse did not do this4 ,they made a mistake1 and subsequent events have proved they were wrong4 ,i have said that their judgment was not quite accurate4 ,professor ,sidgwick said1 addressing a general meeting of the ,society for ,psychical ,research on the #aath ,october #ahie 7,journal ,s4 ,p4 ,r41 vii4 #aca73-- #8,i consider it to be proved beyond a doubt that the medium used systematic trickery throughout this series of sittings4 ,her modus operandi ,i will leave to ,dr4 ,hodgson to describe1 who--though only present during a part of the sittings--has had better opportunities for personally observing the actual process of fraud4 ,when this trickery was discovered1 the greater part of the phenomena offered as supernormal at these sittings were at once explained2 and1 this being so1 ,i think it1 in the circumstances1 unreasonable to attribute--even hypothetically--to supernormal agency the residuum that was not so easily explicable4 ,and considering the great general resemblance between the performances of the medium at these sittings and those ,i witnessed last year1 ,i am now disposed to think that my earlier experiences are to be similarly explained2 ,i therefore wish to withdraw altogether the limited and guarded support which ,i gave last year to the supernormal pretensions of ,eusapia ,paladino4' ,so ,sidgwick declares that his former experiments were null and void1 as everything could be explained by trickery6 ,hodgson1 at that same general meeting1 explained the means used by ,eusapia1 the surreptitious freeing of foot and hand1 and some simple apparatus such as a handkerchief and a small object1 such as a coin or a piece of paper1 covered with some phosphorescent preparation4 ,hodgson--and ,myers reminded him of this--forgot to say that he had invented nothing1 and that these trick devices had been discovered and previously pointed out by others1 notably by ,richet1 who has often experimented with ,eusapia ,paladino4 ,sidgwick remarks that a portion of the phenomena are not easily explicable by fraud4 ,it would have been interesting to know which4 ,i suspect that certain levitations were among the number of these phenomena4 ,but the notes published in the ,journal ,s4 ,p4 ,r41 vii4 #adh1 only mention attouchements1 and it is advisable to limit the discussion to this fact1 though it appears to me the least demonstrative4 ,let us take the seance of the #ast ,september4 ,we read p4 #aec3 #8#g4be4--,r4 ,h4 says1 phenomenon preparing4 ,enormous hand shaking ,mrs4 ,m4's head1 hand clearly felt4 ,h4 ,s41 hand well held1 but not completely4 ,r4 ,h4 has hand completely held1 gap and then grasp again4 ,hand holds ,h4 ,s4 well4 ,right hand1 thumb and finger clutch ,r4 ,h4 7,on nearly all occasions after the first few hand-touch phenomena1 ,i informed the sitters of a coming phenomenon in some such words as that a phenomenon was preparing1 before the phenomenon actually occurred1 and usually immediately prior to its occurrence4 ,i made this announcement as a rule when ,i felt the right hand leaving mine1 but sometimes when ,i felt it preparing to leave4 ,after the phenomenon was over1 and the hand returned1 ,i described usually what ,i felt at the moment of my description1 so that ,e4 might not become aware1 through some partial appreciation of my ,english1 that ,i knew that her hand was away from mine during the production of the phenomenon4 ,in some cases1 when it was necessary1 ,i added a few words about the state of holding during the phenomenon47' ,i confess that ,i do not understand4 ,hodgson has shown himself so severe for others1 that he will not be annoyed with me for exacting the same precision from him that he requires of others4 ,now1 in the passage quoted1 we read3 first1 that ,mrs4 ,myers is touched by an enormous hand1 a hand which is #8clearly felt4' ,either it is ,eusapia's hand1 released by ,hodgson1 in which case it ought to be small1 for ,eusapia's hand is small1 or ,mrs4 ,myers did not #8clearly feel' the hand which shook her4 ,if ,mrs4 ,myers has correctly described her impression1 then ,hodgson makes a mistake in seeming to indicate that it is ,eusapia's hand which touched ,mrs4 ,m42 if not1 then ,mrs4 ,m4 has made a mistake4 ,at any rate1 there is a contradiction here between the two observers4 ,sidgwick acknowledges that ,eusapia's tricks do not explain everything1 yet he allows ,hodgson to expatiate complacently upon fraudulent attouchements4 ,the learned lawyer even mimicked ,eusapia's tricks for freeing her hands and feet before members of the ,society for ,psychical ,research4 ,but all this was already known by ,continental specialists4 ,hodgson had invented nothing2 why did he confine himself to partial criticisms8 why did he not discuss each fact1 and especially those which appeared inexplicable8 ,he is very severe with ,eusapia2 why not treat her as he treats ,mrs4 ,piper8 ,he carefully discusses the ,neapolitan's errors and attempts2 but does he think that there is no conscious or unconscious fraud with the ,american medium1 and that defunct ,phinuit is alone responsible for the inaccuracies and falsehoods observed in ,mrs4 ,piper's mediumship1 whilst ,eusapia's fraud is conscious and voluntary8 ,as far as his experiments with ,eusapia ,paladino are concerned1 ,i will reply to him that1 in a great measure1 he and his friends were responsible for her frauds1 and almost wholly responsible for the failure of the experiments4 ,they appear to have neglected the psychological side of a medium's rle1 and forgot that a medium is not a mechanical instrument4 ,eusapia was not at her ease1 and1 if my memory serves me right1 she found the ,cambridge centre rather disdainful and haughty1 save ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,myers4 ,she was dull and lonely4 ,i think she was not admitted to the same table4 ,but ,i will not affirm this detail2 it seems to me she told me1 she was usually served apart from the members of the household4 ,the seances were too numerous 7there were twenty seances held in less than seven weeks--a seance every other day7 if we take into consideration her not being very well1 and consequently unfit for anything for a few days4 ,this was making sure of bad results1 especially as the seances sometimes lasted two and a half to three hours4 ,it was impossible for the medium to recruit her strength physically or morally1 especially in a country where the manners1 life1 language1 and even the cooking were so different from those at ,naples4 ,she was not well when in ,england4 ,was she long ill8 ,i cannot say2 but ,i can affirm that she did not go home satisfied4 ,it appears1 however1 that the first seances were pretty good2 there were some suspicious things1 as is often the case with ,eusapia4 ,hodgson's arrival changed everything3 it was then that fraud was discovered1 but a long time after ,richet and ,toselli had pointed it out4 ,how did ,hodgson go to work8 ,he appears to have conceived the singular idea not to control ,eusapia at all1 and to leave at her free disposal the hand he was supposed to hold4 ,every time he ceased to feel the contact of her hand1 he announced a phenomenon2 the phenomenon produced1 he related his impressions in ,english to his co-experimenters4 ,these were two capital mistakes4 ,the first passed even unconscious fraud3 for though severe control sometimes stops the phenomena1 at least it effectually prevents trickery4 ,the second1 by arousing ,eusapia's jealous susceptibility1 was bound to worry and irritate her4 ,these considerations may appear to be secondary to persons1 who are not acquainted with the difficulties which the observation of psychical phenomena present2 those who are familiar with them will not gainsay me4 ,however1 if the ,cambridge experimenters had not gone any further than this1 we might excuse them1 and simply consider they had blundered touching the necessary conditions2 but they went further4 ,they invited to the seances ,messrs4 ,maskelyne1 father and son4 ,these men1 the well-known directors of the ,egyptian ,hall in ,london1 have made it a speciality of producing by conjuring the phenomena called #8spiritistic4' ,mr4 ,maskelyne1 senior1 did not conceal his bias1 to judge by his letters in the ,daily ,chronicle 7#bith ,oct4 #ahie1 and following days74 ,this conjurer explained certain levitations in a singular fashion4 ,a small table had been carried on to the seance-table4 ,according to ,maskelyne1 ,eusapia had seized it with her teeth by bending backwards1 and by this feat of dental strength had herself carried and placed the smaller table on the larger one6 ,mr4 ,maskelyne felt the movement1 just as ,dr4 ,hodgson felt he had lost the contact of the hand1 when a phenomenon was going to be produced4 ,from this negative observation1 ,mr4 ,maskelyne1 like ,hodgson1 deducts the positive conclusion1 that the phenomenon was normally and fraudulently produced4 ,i retain ,mr4 ,maskelyne's affirmation1 that the backward movement ,eusapia made when the small table was carried on to the larger one1 revealed her method to him4 ,hodgson has the same impression as the conjurer4 ,in concluding as they do1 they both forget this circumstance1 often observed with the ,italian medium1 that synchronous movements of her limbs accompany the phenomenon4 ,if ,mr4 ,maskelyne is excusable in not having studied and examined this circumstance1 ,dr4 ,hodgson1 well acquainted with psychical matters1 is unpardonable in having neglected it4 ,this omission is a fundamental gap in his reasoning2 and ,i think it robs it of all serious value4 ,let us take another example in the rare indications given by the ,cambridge experimenters 7,extracts from report of seance of #ast ,sept4 #ahie1 ,journal1 vii4 #aea-aec73--#8,the ,report consists of notes taken by ,mr4 ,myers at the time from the dictation of the sitters1 with supplementary statements added by some of the sitters afterwards2 these are placed in square brackets1 and all except those to which ,mrs4 ,sidgwick's initials are appended were written by ,dr4 ,hodgson on ,sept4 #bnd and #crd4 ,the italics refer to the descriptions of phenomena1 the ordinary type to the conditions of holding1 etc44 ,sitters arranged as follows3-- ,illustration #8,mrs4 ,myers goes under the table1 has the medium's feet on palms of hands far apart4 #8#g4 #f4 ,three knocks which sounded as if made on the top of the table4 ,right hand lies across ,r4 ,h4 and holds ,h4 ,s4's three fingers with at least two4 ,left hand holds ,f4 ,d4 and ,mrs4 ,s4 ,three movements made with left hand beforehand4 ,knees not moved and feet held tight4 ,medium was asked to repeat this phenomenon4 #8#g4 #g4 ,three knocks1 rather loud and dull resembling the preceding4 ,right hand moving1 holding ,h4 ,s4's and ,r4 ,h4's4 ,left hand well off the table2 holding satisfactory1 held by ,f4 ,d4 and ,mrs4 ,s4 ,feet well held1 knees not moved4 #8,both series of three knocks were doubtless produced by ,eusapia's head4 ,on the second occasion1 ,i succeeded in getting her head between me and a slight light from the curtains behind1 and observed the motion of her head part of the way forward and back4 ,she moved her right hand1 with ,h4 ,s4's hand and mine1 forward1 outward1 and upward somewhat1 and possibly made a similar movement with her left hand1 thus giving herself a free space to bend her head forward and down1 and at the same time having the hands which were holding hers1 in a position from which it would be more difficult to grab4 ,and had practically six hands out of the way of an accidental contact with her head4 ,e4 ,m4 ,s44' ,such is the procs-verbal4 ,dr4 ,hodgson1 ,i repeat1 has been so severe with others1 that he will forgive me for being exigent with him4 ,is it admissible to reason in this way8 to consider that she has1 perhaps1 made a movement with the left hand similar to the one effected with the right hand1 and afterwards to hold that supposition as a demonstrated fact8 ,should he not have remembered that such a movement1 in a big woman like ,eusapia1 cannot be easily made without her arms betraying the movement of the spinal column1 and the muscles of the neck1 without the knees revealing the movement of the body8 ,now1 the knee did not move2 and ,hodgson points out no movement of the arm4 ,the movement of the head might have been one of those synchronous movements of which ,i have spoken4 ,dr4 ,hodgson has omitted to consider this hypothesis4 ,to sum up1 limiting ourselves simply to published documents1 we see that the ,english experimenters paid no attention to the conditions under which it is expedient to operate1 that they tired out the medium1 surrounded her with elements of suspicion1 encouraged her to fraud--,dr4 ,hodgson especially--and finally concealed from her the severe judgment they had formed about her4 ,as ,richet says1 the ,cambridge experiments prove only one thing1 which is1 that in that particular series of seances ,eusapia frauded with her well-known methods1 but it is rash to conclude thereupon that she has always frauded4#da #da #8,a ,cambridge ,eusapia pendant une srie de sances a fraud avec ses procds connus4 ,voil la premire conclusion4 ,et voici la seconde4 ,en mettant ,eusapia dans l'impossibilit de frauder1 pendant cette mme srie d'expriences de ,cambridge1 ,eusapia n'a pas pu produire un seul phnomne vrai4444 #8,il me parat qu'il est tmraire de conclure que tous les phnomnes produits ou prsums produits par ,eusapia sont faux4444 ,sous des influences morales et psychologiques dont la nature nous chappe1 pendant un trs long temps ,eusapia est incapable de pouvoir exercer une action vraie quelconque1 et peut-tre1 ,cambridge elle s'est trouve dans ces conditions4444 ,j'en conclus qu'il n'y a encore rien de dmontr1 ni dans un sens1 ni dans l'autre1 et qu'il faut courageusement poursuivre la recherche2 et exprimenter encore4'--,,charles ,,richet4 7,journal ,s4 ,p4 ,r41 vii4 #agi47 ,the analysis of the documents published permits me to ascertain3-- #a4 ,demonstration of fraud in certain hypothetical cases4 #b4 ,omission to indicate if the medium was conscious or in trance4 #c4 ,omission to discuss phenomena non-explicable by fraud4 #d4 ,apparent contradiction between ,dr4 ,hodgson's statements and those of other experimenters4 #e4 ,omission to analyse if ,eusapia's suspicious movements were not muscular movements synchronous with the phenomena4 ,this omission is capital1 and demonstrates the relative inexperience of the ,cambridge group4 #f4 ,evident bias of ,dr4 ,hodgson1 who had taken up a decided stand1 and treated ,eusapia's phenomena as fraudulent before having seen them4 ,in a word1 the ,cambridge experimenters operated under bad conditions3 they could not obtain any good results by acting as they did4 ,but1 even under these wretched conditions1 they ought to have received some veridical phenomena1 and the reading of their publications leads us to presume they did receive some4 ,in any case1 their report does not demonstrate that everything was explicable by fraud1 and is not sufficient to justify the sweeping judgment they brought to bear upon ,eusapia ,paladino4 ,now1 if we compare the ,cambridge results with those obtained by other experimenters1 the conclusion we draw from these documents becomes more precise4 ,i refer my readers to the reports of the experiments at ,milan 7,ann4 des ,sc4 ,psych41 #ahic71 and at l',agnlas 7,ibid4 #ahif74 ,i will only dwell upon my personal experience with ,eusapia4 ,i experimented with this medium in #ahie1 #ahif1 and #ahig1 and ,i obtained undeniable phenomena with her4 ,like other ,continental experimenters1 ,i tried to put ,eusapia at her ease1 to win her confidence and sympathy2 and the results of my seances were convincing4 ,at l',agnlas1 out of seance hours1 and in full light1 ,i saw the table raised to the height of my forehead4 ,every one was standing up1 ,eusapia's hands were held and seen2 her left hand1 held by me1 rested on the right angle of the table4 ,at ,choisy1 in #ahig1 we received doubtful phenomena1 notably the apport of a carnation which appeared most suspicious to us2 but we spoke openly of our doubts to ,eusapia4 ,at other times the phenomena were of extraordinary intensity4 ,one afternoon1 ,sunday1 #aath ,october1 all the sitters1 even those furthest away from the medium1 were touched4 ,but it was at ,bordeaux1 perhaps1 in #ahig that the phenomena were most intense4 ,i find in my notes--which are not1 and make no claim to be1 reports--the following recital3-- #8,p4 is vigorously touched4 ,eusapia gives him the control of her hands and feet4 ,p4 receives slaps in the back every time ,eusapia presses his foot4 ,the noise is distinctly heard4 ,p4's chair is shaken and drawn from under him4 ,eusapia rubs her feet on the floor1 to give fluid1 she says4 ,finally ,p4's chair is slowly carried on to the seance-table4 ,the persons 7,dr4 ,denuc1 ,madame ,a41 and ,i7 for whom ,p4 is between the table and the window 7a light from outside streams through the ,persian shutters7 see the chair very clearly outlined on the window 7a large bay1 six feet wide74 ,after having been placed on the table1 the chair is taken back to the floor1 and1 a second time1 carried on to the table4 ,the movements were slowly produced2 while they were being produced1 the hands1 feet1 and head of the medium were under control4 ,if any part of the medium's body had touched the chair1 the contact would have been seen on the silhouette of the chair1 the latter standing out well against the lighted-up window4 ,while the chair is in movement ,p4 is crouching down on his heels2 he is touched on the back1 his garments are pulled1 he is tickled2 at the same time the table is levitated4 ,these three manifestations were produced simultaneously4' ,this phenomenon is1 perhaps1 the most convincing ,eusapia has given me in demi-obscurity2 it was impossible to produce these three manifestations simultaneously with a free hand and foot 7admitting there had been substitution73 knowing the possible frauds1 ,i had indicated to my co-experimenters ,eusapia's ordinary tricks4 ,moreover1 ,dr4 ,denuc and ,p41 a barrister at ,bordeaux1 were both au courant with the usual frauds1 and were experienced experimenters4 ,i draw special attention to the visibility of the chair suspended in the air4 ,we only saw the outline of the chair1 but we saw it plainly4 ,here is another levitation obtained under conditions which exclude every device pointed out by ,messrs4 ,hodgson and ,maskelyne3 teeth1 strap1 hook1 foot1 hand holding the table1 pressure of the knees1 etc43-- #8,afterwards ,eusapia makes us get up4 ,she pulls the table into the centre of the room 7telling us she is doing this herself74 ,she invites ,m4 to hold her feet2 ,m4 goes under the table4 ,eusapia becomes impatient1 and says to him 8dietro0 because the table would hurt her2 ,m4 stoops down behind ,eusapia1 and seizes her by the feet4 ,eusapia then says she is going to raise the table without touching it4 ,a circle is made around the table1 which1 after several oscillations1 rises up vertically4 ,the top of the table reaches as high as our foreheads4 #8,a second time the table is levitated under the same conditions1 and to the same height4 ,the experimenters are all standing up around the table1 and no hand at all touches it4' ,the table stood out plainly against the window4 ,it would have been easy to see the limb or instrument which was in contact with it1 had there been any such contact4 ,professor ,sidgwick #8often asked ,eusapia--or rather ,john--to favour him with a hand-grasp when he was holding the two hands of the medium in his two hands1 since he regarded this as the only mode of holding the hands which could ever be perfectly satisfactory to him4' ,he solicited in vain4 ,now we obtained this phenomenon frequently3-- #8,eusapia takes ,dr4 ,d4's two hands1 and gives him her two hands to control4 ,under these conditions ,dr4 ,d4 is touched4 ,eusapia does the same thing with ,p41 who is several times touched4' ,here are some phenomena obtained with a bright green light4 #8,one side of the table rises up1 followed by two good levitations3 the table is levitated to a height of about one foot six inches1 and remains from two to three seconds in the air4 ,eusapia's hands are well controlled and visible2 her feet do not move4 ,the feet of the table 7visible to me7 are not in contact with ,eusapia's dress during the levitation4 ,i see the dress distinctly2 it is motionless4 ,when the levitation took place no hand was touching the table4' ,finally1 here is a crucial experiment1 an account of which ,m4 de ,rochas has published in the ,annales des ,sciences ,psychiques in #ahih4 ,at that moment ,i still suspended my judgment1 not that my opinion with regard to the phenomena produced by ,eusapia and verified by me was uncertain1 but because ,i wished to study other mediums before pronouncing my judgment4 ,my studies are now sufficiently complete1 from the point of view of the observation of these facts1 to permit me to declare my opinion4 ,the reasons of prudence1 which led me to beg ,m4 de ,rochas to withhold my name from his report1 no longer exist4 ,here is the extract from my notes made at the time of the experiment3-- #8,i had bought1 during the day1 a letter-balance1 which ,i brought to the seance4 ,eusapia makes us sit for two or three minutes with our hands on the table4 ,then she approaches her hands to the letter-balance1 placing her left hand on top of ,dr4 ,d4's right hand4 ,dr4 ,d4 mentions the sensation of a cold breeze1 which ceases and recommences4 ,eusapia's hands are at about fifteen centimetres away from the letter-balance4 ,she makes two or three ascending and descending movements with her hands1 palm directed downwards4 ,at the second movement the letter-balance is pushed to the limit of its course1 requiring for this a force of more than one hundred and seventy grammes4 ,eusapia takes ,p4's left hand1 and tries the experiment with him4 ,she asks if he feels the cool breeze4 ,in a few seconds ,p4 feels it over the third and fourth fingers4 7,p4's left hand is under the medium's right hand47 ,the tray is lowered1 and the hand stops at the division #bj4 #8,eusapia takes ,dr4 ,d4's hand again4 ,she forms a triangle with her hands4 ,dr4 ,d4 has always his right hand in ,eusapia's left4 ,the latter's hands are about fifteen centimetres away from one another1 and about ten centimetres away from the edge of the apparatus4 ,the tray of the latter is lowered2 the hand marks #ij grammes1 and slowly returns to #j2 in the two preceding experiments it had returned abruptly4 #8,eusapia tries to raise the scale4 ,she directs her hands palms upwards4 ,the scale raises itself4 #8,p4 puts a black pocket-book weighing seventy grammes on the tray4 ,eusapia begins the last experiment over again4 ,after two or three movements of her hands1 palms upwards1 the tray is raised to its uttermost limit4' ,these experiments were made in a good green light4 ,in conclusion1 we never hesitated to act openly with ,eusapia1 telling her what we thought4 ,for example1 at one time1 in obscurity1 ,eusapia drew the table to her without announcing it was she who did it4 ,p4 immediately said3 #8,it is the medium who's drawing the table4' ,eusapia was not annoyed1 and said that ,p4 was right to speak of what he noticed4 ,these experiments at ,choisy and ,bordeaux1 in the course of which there were both good and bad seances1 convinced me that ,i had not been the victim of illusion at l',agnlas in ,m4 de ,rochas' house4 ,my judgment will convince no one4 ,in such matters we must see for ourselves in order to be convinced4 ,mr4 ,hodgson himself knows this to-day4 ,my testimony contradicts formally and explicitly the conclusions of the ,cambridge investigators4 ,eusapia does not always defraud2 with us1 she rarely defrauded4 ,let me terminate this discussion with ,richet's words3 #8,malgr les apparences qui sont en effet souvent contre ,eusapia1 je ne suis fix en aucune manire sur ce que j'ai appel jusqu'ici fraude4444 ,il est possible1 que dans l#8tat de trance1 ou dans les tats voisins1 la psychologie d'un mdium soit trs diffrente de la ntre4' ,,appendix ,b ,i have criticised somewhat lengthily ,m4 ,janet's opinions3 will the reader kindly allow me to make yet another incursion into scientific ground4 ,for it is perhaps necessary to reply to some objections which are advanced--doubtless in all sincerity--by certain savants who are either ill informed1 or lacking in adequate knowledge of the subject4 ,professor ,grasset of the university of ,montpellier1 for whose talent and earnestness ,i have the greatest respect1 has just published a long article entitled ,le ,spiritisme et la ,science in the last volume of his ,leons de clinique mdicale 7t4 iv41 #aijc1 p4 #cgd74 ,he begins by stating that he is going to take ,janet as his guide1 because the latter's #8luminous ideas are and remain for him the sole scientific basis now existing of these questions4' ,though we see it in print1 this assertion is so extraordinary1 that we wonder if we be not dreaming when reading it4 ,professor ,grasset1 then1 is going to take ,janet as a guide1 ,janet who has never seen anything6 ,it makes one think of the fable1 only1 this time1 it is the blind man who climbs on the paralytic's back4 ,grasset is going to deal with matters of such importance1 so prolific probably in new and unexpected consequences1 without consulting the writers who have described the phenomena he is going to study6 ,the authors from whose works he quotes--,jules ,bois1 ,papus1 ,pladan1 ,mme4 de ,thbes1 ,lo ,taxil6--have more to do with the charms of fancy than with the gravity of science4 ,the task of refuting their assertions is far too easy a one1 and the learned professor ought to have chosen other and better representatives of psychical research4 ,his argumentation falls short of the mark4 ,professor ,grasset's case is1 however1 instructive4 ,i consider him as one of our best-informed scientists1 and he seems to look upon psychical research without prejudice4 ,nobody can doubt his earnestness1 his learning1 his talent2 but1 in spite of these qualities1 he shows himself to be unfamiliar with the serious work which has been done1 and which is being done in psychical matters4 ,when he quotes ,myers1 he misquotes him4 ,when he discusses the ,piper case1 he sums up the account given of the case by ,m4 ,mangin in the ,annales des ,sciences ,psychiques1 and does not say a word of the careful reports drawn up by ,hodgson and ,hyslop4 ,it is not to be wondered at1 therefore1 if the professor's statements do not agree with the facts4 ,he does not appear to have studied either the original reports or ,m4 ,sage's remarkable summary of these reports4 ,professor ,grasset simply says3 #8,four months after the death of ,mr4 ,robinson 7,george ,pelham71 ,mrs4 ,piper gave a seance in the house of one of ,mr4 ,robinson's friends and fell into a trance4' ,a slight mistake1 the seance took place at ,mrs4 ,piper's4 #8,p41 the secondary personality1 said that ,george ,robinson was ready to communicate2 and henceforth this spirit took part in ,mrs4 ,piper's seances as another familiar spirit4 ,such an example shows how polygonal incarnations are formed during the medium's trance4' ,and no more6 ,professor ,grasset does not see the real problem3 did the medium show any knowledge of facts known only to the deceased8 ,this is the problem4 ,the mode of formation of the secondary personality is but an accessory question4 ,this kind of reasoning is common to savants4 ,they keep aloof from the real psychological problem1 and only discuss its side issues4 ,i am sorry to see a man of ,professor ,grasset's worth fall into the usual errors1 and pronounce a judgment upon facts before thoroughly acquainting himself with those facts4 ,professor ,grasset speaks of spiritisme scientifique as belonging to the realm of biology1 and demanding the serious attention of scientists4 ,but why speak of spiritism8 ,spiritism is a religion1 it is not a science2 it is the systematic explanation of the ensemble of certain facts1 so far very ill understood1 but it is not the assertion of those facts4 ,are the alleged facts true8 ,that is the question which biology has to examine4 ,spiritism1 on the contrary1 that is to say1 the ensemble of metaphysical doctrines founded upon the revelations of spirits1 cannot be considered1 at least for the present1 as belonging to biology4 ,i beg ,professor ,grasset not to confound the impartial1 unbiased research for scientific truth with spiritism4 ,the little influence which the criticism of savants--of even the most renowned among them--has had upon contemporary thought 7e4g4 it has not been able to prevent or put a stop to the quest in the domain of psychical sciences71 is due precisely to their lack of correct information4 ,they have always reasoned beside the question1 analysing the facts imperfectly1 admitting only those which they can easily explain1 and rejecting all others as fraudulent or doubtful4 ,to those who have studied these #8fraudulent and doubtful' facts1 they are neither doubtful nor fraudulent1 and the only effect1 which the obstinate negation of certain savants has1 is to rob their words of all serious influence and value4 ,and this is a pity1 for the savants themselves first of all1 and afterwards for the public who1 ill enlightened1 become the prey of charlatans or the victims of illumins4 ,,appendix ,c ,it is to the kindness of ,m4 ,braunschweig that ,i owe the following story1 which is instructive from several points of view4 ,m4 ,braunschweig1 a retired business man1 intelligent and highly educated1 is well known in his town4 ,the phenomena1 of which he guarantees the authenticity1 have not been observed by me2 but the disastrous consequences of his and ,m4 ,vergniat's too great confidence in a #8spirit' taught him such a useful and serious lesson1 that ,i thought ,i would do well to make it known4 ,i only give it with that object1 for ,i cannot personally vouch for the extraordinary facts in this interesting recital4 ,i give this recital in extenso without changing anything1 in order not to alter its physiognomy4 ,a ,mystery ,canius ,junius when walking to the scaffold said to his friends3 #8,you ask me if the soul is immortal2 ,i am going to find out1 and if ,i can1 ,i will return to tell you4' ,these notes1 written in haste1 and1 as it were1 off-hand1 have no other claim than to bring a few strange facts together1 leaving every one free to appreciate them as they think best4 ,for a while ,i was swayed by a preoccupation2 ,i hesitated in the face of incredulity1 which thrusts aside all which is neither matter nor number1 to unveil phenomena of the nature of those which have been verified by so many persons already2 but the duty imposed upon me of preserving my children from trials similar to mine1 has triumphed over my hesitation1 and ,i will proclaim the truth without any fear of their ever doubting their father's veracity4 ,in writing these lines1 ,i yield to a feeling that the witness of mysterious facts ought to give1 in the interests of humanity or science1 a scrupulously exact narration of what he has seen4 ,and particularly so when his revelations are likely to preserve the inexperienced from the pitfalls of an occult power which it would be as senseless to deny the existence of as to doubt of its power for good or evil1 according as it desires good or evil4 ,i therefore accomplish what ,i believe to be a duty4 ,this conviction suffices to brave the spirit always more or less strong1 which is ever inclined to deny what it cannot explain4 ,the fear of being accused of seeking for sympathy1 by relating these facts of which ,i have been the victim1 might also have stopped me from speaking2 but for the loss of a few worldly goods1 my mind1 my soul1 finds ample compensation in that certitude of a future life1 which results from the facts the ,master permitted me to witness4 ,it was in #ahfg4 ,attracted by the noise of a trumpet1 ,i crossed ,la ,place ,saint-,andr1 and went down the dark1 narrow street which1 at that time1 skirted the ,cathedral1 and where bric--brac dealers used to spread out their wares4 ,at the corner of the street ,palangues1 ,i came across a crowd gathered around an auctioneer who was holding a sale of statuary4 ,i was passing on indifferently when the auctioneer held up a statuette1 the outlines and graceful pose of which immediately struck my fancy4 ,was it a ,virgin8 ,a mater dolorosa8 ,i do not know4 ,but ,i still see that beautiful face1 stamped with sadness1 the eyes upraised1 two great tears tremblingly seeming to implore me to put a stop to this profanation4 ,the general appearance of the statue--its head bent slightly forward--and the graceful drapery denoted a work of art4 ,i bought it1 yielding simply to the desire of possessing an artistic work1 and not to satisfy any religious sentiment1 which1 ,i must own1 did not exist4 ,i also bought a bracket to support the statuette1 and a few minutes afterwards1 everything was arranged in my room1 ,rue du ,palais ,tallien1 ,no4 #adg4 ,my wife1 ,madame ,vergniat1 was at ,prigord4 ,when she returned home1 she was surprised to see1 in the most conspicuous spot in my room1 a religious object which ,i myself had bought4 ,her surprise was legitimate1 for strong prejudices against religion left little room in my mind for religious practices4 ,nothing strange happened in that house1 although we lived in it for a long time after the purchase of the statuette4 ,but ,i always felt such great pleasure in admiring my ,virgin1 that ,i have often wondered whether this ill-defined attraction were not the prelude1 and1 in some measure1 a first influence of the mysterious facts which were going to happen4 ,we left our residence in the ,rue du ,palais ,tallien to go to a house ,i had bought in the ,rue ,malbec1 ,no4 #aaf4 ,it was a detached house surrounded by a garden2 it contained two bedrooms1 a sitting-room1 and a vestibule which served as a dining-room4 ,in order to make my recital intelligible1 ,i am obliged to give a few details about the furniture and its arrangement4 ,a night-table separated my bed from the fireplace4 ,above the table was a holy-water fount2 above the latter an oil painting representing the ,virgin2 finally1 near the ceiling1 the statuette on its bracket4 ,to the left of the night-table1 in the recess beside the chimney1 there was a panoply composed of swords and sabres4 ,when we were settled1 ,madame ,vergniat again visited ,prigord4 ,it was during her absence that the first manifestation took place1 but ,i attached no great importance to it4 ,here are the circumstances under which the phenomenon occurred4 ,i was awakened in the night by the sound of a violent blow as of some one hammering at the front door4 ,i promptly lit the candle1 and looked at the time2 it was one o'clock4 ,this visit was not of a reassuring nature1 for1 to be able to knock at the front door at this hour of the night1 it was necessary to leap over the gate1 which1 securely closed1 barred access to the house4 ,before proceeding to open the door1 ,i waited for a second knock1 but in vain4 ,i was awakened1 at the same hour on the following night1 by a similar rap4 ,the nurse1 sleeping with the children in the next room1 hearing the knock1 got frightened4 ,i tried to reassure her by saying3 #8,to-morrow a loaded gun will receive the individual who takes such a pleasure in arousing us4' ,i underline these words1 because further on we will have occasion of seeing them repeated in a surprising manner4 ,a few months later1 and without any new incidents occurring in the meantime1 our nurse was discharged1 and replaced by a strong healthy girl from the ,pyrenees4 ,the nocturnal visit had been quite forgotten1 when on the #bcrd ,january #ahfh1 ,madame ,vergniat and the nurse1 who were busy in my room1 heard something like a rustling on the window-panes1 and saw the statuette bow twice1 as though saluting them4 ,at first they thought an earthquake had happened1 and when ,i entered they related the incident to me in scared tones4 ,the statuette was indeed displaced2 but was that sufficient to convince me8 ,no4 ,i laughed at the story1 convinced that my wife and the nurse were victims of an illusion4 ,however1 on the morrow and following days1 the same phenomena occurring at the same hour1 that is to say towards eleven o'clock in the morning1 ,i determined to stay at home and verify de visu this marvellous fact4 ,i got what ,i wanted2 for on that day1 the statuette turned about now to the right1 now to the left1 twelve or fourteen times4 ,sometimes it advanced and balanced itself on the edge of the pedestal4 ,the evolution was so prompt and so unexpected1 that the eye could scarcely follow the movement4 ,i was not long in ascertaining that1 before executing these movements1 the mysterious power awaited the moment when the attention1 tired of remaining on the qui vive1 was off its guard4 ,then a sharp sounding rap1 similar to the discharge of an electric spark1 denoted that the evolution had taken place4 ,the picture hanging under the statuette lost its equilibrium1 the bnitier fell over1 and the swords swayed about like so many clock pendulums4 ,i noticed that the presence of my wife and the nurse aided these manifestations considerably2 ,i even noticed that the appearance of either of them on the threshold of the room sufficed to provoke the phenomena4 ,i tried to dissimulate the preoccupation these manifestations caused me1 and ,i pretended to attach no importance to them1 in order to react against the exaltation and fear which were taking hold of ,madame ,vergniat and the nurse1 and of the two work-women1 who were also constant witnesses of this disorder4 ,but instead of aiding me in my efforts1 the ,virgin no longer contented herself with simple evolutions on her pedestal4 ,she began to let herself fall down on the eiderdown of my bed1 and would remain buried there until a sharp sounding rap announced that she had returned to her pedestal4 ,in a short time1 the raps became more frequent1 and did not always indicate displacements4 ,we heard them on the doors1 on the cupboards1 etc41 and even in the middle of the garden4 ,thus on returning home one day1 such a formidable rap resounded1 that the neighbours ran to their windows1 and called out to me3 #8,well1 ,m4 ,vergniat1 one would think you were being saluted4' ,these facts1 already so extraordinary1 were to be succeeded by others more extraordinary still4 ,the watchmaker1 ,m4 ,ouvrard1 who wound up our clocks every fortnight1 having at one time taken up the study of somnambulism1 thought he recognised in our nurse a subject who would be susceptible to magnetic influences1 and proposed putting her to sleep4 ,a few minutes sufficed to obtain the state of prostration and insensibility which characterises magnetic sleep4 ,for the first few seances1 ,marie's replies were unintelligible1 but she very soon began to express herself clearly and even with volubility4 ,considering the state of mind the manifestations of the statuette kept us in1 it will be readily understood that the first question put to the somnambulist was1 #8,do you see who it is who moves the ,virgin about8' #8,i see him1' she replied1 #8he is close to me on his knees1 praying4 ,it is a man dressed in a brown coat1 holding a dark-covered book in his hand4 ,i do not see his face4 ,i only see a part of his moustache1 for he is turning his back to me4' ,for several days her answers were always the same4 ,but having insisted upon knowing the name of the man in prayer1 the somnambulist at last replied1 #8,i am ,madame's father4' ,however1 this assertion was soon contradicted by a more explicit declaration4 ,it was so easy to produce the magnetic sleep with ,marie1 that1 once when she asked me to put her to sleep1 ,i succeeded in doing so without having any other notions about such things than those ,i had gathered from our few seances2 but ,i found it impossible to awaken her1 and was obliged to send for the watchmaker1 hoping he would help me out of my dilemma4 ,he arrived1 but his efforts were in vain4 ,the somnambulist made fun of us1 and teased the watchmaker about his embonpoint4 ,this fact is to be noted1 for it contradicts the current belief that the subject obeys the will of the magnetiser3 but what follows reveals a phenomenon of vastly different interest4 ,marie ceased to speak in her own name4 ,a spirit having taken possession of her will1 declared that all our efforts to awaken the somnambulist would be useless4 #8,i am quite comfortable here1' said the spirit1 #8and it pleases me to stay4 ,but at four o'clock1 ,i am wanted elsewhere2 the somnambulist will then awaken of her own accord4 ,have the patience to wait4' ,at the hour mentioned1 at the exact moment1 the somnambulist returned to her normal state4 ,from that day forth the somnambulist remained constantly under the influence of the spirits who took possession of her during her sleep4 ,thus1 as soon as she was asleep1 the spirit sometimes said1 #8,i have only a few minutes to stay'2 and when the time was up1 ,marie would awaken without any intervention4 ,during these more or less lengthy conversations1 the spirit took a fancy to calling me his son4 ,his advice testified to a disposition of great benevolence1 and was chiefly of a profoundly religious character4 ,it is incontestable that1 by an inexplicable phenomenon1 ,marie's faculties were replaced1 during these communications1 by a spirit whose superiority it was impossible not to recognise1 a superiority revealed by the tone of the discussion and the choice of expressions4 ,pressing him one day for an explanation1 ,i resolutely asked him1 #8,but who are you1 then8' #8,i am he1 you wanted to receive with a loaded gun1 when ,i knocked at your door at one o'clock in the morning4' ,remember the somnambulist was absolutely ignorant of this fact1 as she was not in our service when the strange nocturnal visit occurred4 ,as for the ,virgin1 she was not at a standstill all this time2 she continued to turn five or six times every day4 ,the good advice of the spirit1 the purity of his principles1 most certainly interested me2 but ,i confess the statuette interested me more4 ,had ,i not a tangible1 undeniable fact before me1 just as stubborn as my reason tried to be8 ,stamping my feet ,i repeated1 #8,and still she turns4' ,ever on my guard1 even in face of evidence1 ,i gave myself the satisfaction of imprisoning the ,virgin1 but in such a way as to be able to verify her evolutions4 ,i had a niche of wire made1 covered with transparent gauze1 and1 sealing it to the wall1 ,i securely shut up the statuette therein4 ,my work done1 ,i left my room4 ,at once a formidable rap resounded3 ,i ran to the room1 everything had disappeared1 the pedestal alone was still in its place4 ,the ,virgin1 thrown on to the bed1 was found buried in the eiderdown1 whilst the casing was at the side of the bed4 ,my precautions having incurred displeasure1 ,i took care not to renew them4 ,when consulted on this1 the next day1 the somnambulist1 or rather the spirit acting through her1 said1 #8,never touch the ,virgin1 leave her there2 otherwise she will be transferred1' adding1 #8he who takes her away from her pedestal will know very well how to put her back again4' ,this recommendation was followed2 but one day the statuette disappeared4 ,madame ,vergniat having quite got over her first fears1 searched for it actively everywhere1 and after having turned the house upside down in her quest1 found it in a cupboard behind the children's bed4 ,this cupboard1 being dissimulated by tapestry1 had never been used1 and we did not even know of its existence4 ,how had the ,virgin got into it8 ,the displacements became more and more frequent4 ,for instance1 the statuette took it into its head to change rooms1 and the sitting-room became its favourite resort1 but it never let a whole day pass without reappearing upon its pedestal4 ,the doors opened and shut before it with the same sharp sound which followed each evolution4 ,all this went on so rapidly that we were more surprised than inconvenienced4 ,under the influence of these phenomena1 the ordinary sleep of the somnambulist became heavier4 ,at night she was often heard speaking aloud4 ,she awakened with difficulty1 and having shaken off her torpor1 she could not open her eyes4 #8,they feel as though they were glued down1' she used to say4 ,but placing her fingers on ,marie's eyelids1 ,madame ,vergniat used to pray1 and the difficulty would disappear4 ,in her ordinary sleep1 the conversation was not serious2 it was more often commonplace1 full of jesting1 sometimes even of bad taste2 whereas in provoked sleep1 we constantly found a serious spirit1 professing the purest maxims1 and giving advice full of sincere charity4 ,i asked this mysterious spirit if it were true that he was ,madame's father1 as he had once declared himself to be4 ,here is his reply1 ,i give it word for word3 #8,my son1 ,i read in your mind 7for you cannot hide your thoughts from me7 that not having enough faith to attribute to ,god the happiness of the visit you receive in your house1 you seek its explanation in absurd suppositions4 ,do not believe in spiritism1 my son4 #8,god1 who is essentially good1 could not permit your spirit-friends1 after having gone through all the trials of earth1 to be condemned to look on at the turpitudes and the sufferings of those who are dear to them4 ,this is a torture which ,god did not wish to reserve for you4 #8,yes1 a ,spirit exists2 but ,he is alone1 unique1 and that ,spirit is mine4 ,it is ,he who breathes into all things1 who animates all things2 ,he who makes you act1 walk1 stop when you believe that your own will is all-powerful4 #8,that ,spirit1 ,i repeat1 is unique4 ,it is the ,master's4' ,let us remark1 en passant1 that this is the opinion of ,mallbranche1 who claims ,god to be the immediate ,author of the union we admire between soul and body4 #8,i see that you doubt my words1' added the spirit1 #87for ,i have already told you that you cannot hide your thoughts or actions from me71 and you are saying1 8,what presumption6 to suppose that ,i have deserved such a visit1 and that the ,divine ,spirit has knocked at my door60 #8,you prefer1 therefore1 my son1 to doubt my words and to stand aloof from the truth4 ,so be it6 but do not forget1 whatever your appreciation may be about me and the object of my visit1 be assured that ,i am only able to visit your home in pursuance of a supreme will1 and that all your efforts to drive me away1 and even my desire to leave you before the accomplishment of my mission1 would be equally useless4 #8,welcome me1 therefore1 as a kind father who comes to help his son to tread the painful path of life4 ,i have never left you since you came into the world4 ,we have gone through many worries together1 we have borne many sorrows2 but better times are at hand1 and ,i am able to reveal to you1 my child1 that from the moment ,i am able to make my voice heard1 the blessing of the ,master will assure you the repose of body1 soul1 and spirit4 #8,no more worry for you1 your father is here to shield you4 ,but in exchange for the good which my mission is to bring you1 ,i ask you to turn your thoughts to the ,creator1 and thank ,him for the immense favour ,he has accorded you4 ,for1 learn that no man has ever before received such a ,visitor in his home4 #8,i desire you to attend divine service regularly1 and to go to communion4 #8,i also desire you to help those people whose addresses and needs ,i will make known to you2 but as ,i am a protector1 if ,i impose charges upon you1 ,i will also procure you the means of providing for them4' ,imagine what an influence these mysterious facts already exercised over me1 when ,i say that ,i promised everything1 and1 like a submissive child1 took the communion with fervour4 ,from that day forth the benevolence of the unknown was extended over every one and every thing1 from the household to the house needs4 ,his solicitude1 for the somnambulist especially1 drove him sometimes to charge me with delicate missions1 of which ,i will give an example4 ,i had once just put ,marie to sleep1 when the spirit manifested itself1 saying3-- #8,i am going to speak to you about some of the private affairs of the somnambulist1 and ,i beg you to follow my instructions4 #8,this girl thinks of marrying a carpenter1 named ,toussaint1 who has been following her about for a long time4 ,but ,marie's parents1 who are honest folk1 will never consent to this marriage4 ,first of all1 because ,toussaint is a worthless fellow1 and in the second place1 because ,toussaint's brother was condemned yesterday to pay an ignominious penalty for a foul crime he has committed4 #8,therefore1 ,marie must cease to know this young man2 moreover1 his jealous and violent character might soon endanger her life4 #8,marie is ignorant of these details4 ,therefore1 when she awakens1 take care not to repeat our conversation2 but to-morrow1 when returning from ,bordeaux1 tell her about this as though it were some news you had heard of in town4 #8,marie will deny everything1 first of all2 she will pretend not to know the individual2 but insist upon it1 and she will confess everything4' ,and this1 in fact1 is what happened4 ,the spirit went on to say3-- #8,this workman has recently wounded his hand1 and is consequently debarred from working2 he is always prowling about the house1 and ,i advise you to be on your guard against him4' ,marie often used to ask me to put her to sleep in the evening4 ,then1 strange to say1 she would tell us when and how many times this man ,toussaint would pass the door1 the next day4 ,this information was always correct4 ,however1 one day1 our man did not turn up at the given time--he was two minutes late4 ,marie was asleep in the sitting-room1 and ,i went backwards and forwards from her to the terrace4 ,i was nearly losing patience1 when she cried out1 #8,he is coming--you will barely have time to get to the terrace4' ,and so it was2 as soon as ,i reached my post of observation1 the carpenter came into the ,rue ,malbec out of the ,rue ,bgles4 ,a few days afterwards1 the spirit1 whom the somnambulist called #8,grand ,father1' warned us that ,marie ran a great risk4 ,toussaint having had the door shown to him everywhere because of the disgrace which had fallen upon his family1 had made up his mind to avenge himself4 ,animated with the worst designs1 he had shaved off his beard in order to make himself unrecognisable2 and hiding a large knife under his coat1 he was bending his way to the house1 with the fixed purpose1 said the spirit1 of striking ,marie4 ,when giving us this information through the somnambulist1 our mysterious friend added3 #8,do not allow this girl to go out to-day4 ,i will deliver you from this dangerous man very soon1 by making him wish to go on a long voyage1 from which he will never return4' ,two or three days afterwards1 ,marie heard that this individual had left for ,algeria4 ,first of all we have seen1 by the substitution of the spirit to the faculties of the somnambulist1 how our free-will is subordinated to occult influences4 ,and if the objection be made that in that case1 magnetic influences facilitated this substitution1 there still remains the case of the carpenter1 whose free-will was absolutely subjugated after premeditation1 as is shown by the spirit's declaration that he would #8make him wish to take a long voyage from which the individual would never return4' ,in proportion as these strange facts succeeded each other1 we yielded further and further to an influence from which it was impossible to escape--,i may even say we were happy to obey4 ,how could we thrust aside advice which was always thoroughly honest1 and with which the name of ,god was constantly associated8 ,after the somnambulist1 ,madame ,vergniat was the one who felt the effects of this mysterious atmosphere the most strongly4 ,for my part1 ,i had1 at first1 confined myself simply to observing the phenomena1 to accepting them only as a study2 but under the influence of surprise upon surprise1 filled with admiration1 ,i ended in blind submission4 ,and yet1 we were only at the beginning of our marvellous manifestations4 ,often1 during a meal1 if we had need of something or other1 ,marie would bring it to us before we asked for it4 ,a voice1 which she thought was at times mine1 at times ,madame ,vergniat's1 transmitted our desire to her before it was expressed4 ,it was a splendid case of thought transference4 ,if the maid's work was not quite properly done1 he who watched over the house so assiduously1 punished her immediately1 by removing with remarkable dexterity the foulard she wore on her head4 ,and if she ever happened to be wanting in politeness towards us1 she was instantly called to order in the same way1 without any consideration for the place or circumstances she might be in at the moment4 ,i have often seen her foulard thrown on the ground1 to remind her that she should allow us to pass before her into a carriage1 omnibus1 etc4 ,i have also had occasion to witness a very surprising manifestation1 surprising because of the facility shown for displacing a piece of furniture the weight of which was relatively considerable4 ,often1 after retiring to rest1 the somnambulist would feel her bed gently rolled into the centre of the floor1 and then back again to its place4 ,this to-and-fro movement used to be repeated as often as three or four times in the same evening2 the movement was slow1 we could see distinctly that great mass moving about under the impulsion of some invisible force4 ,the somnambulist1 as ,i said in the beginning1 was a big1 stout girl from the ,pyrenees4 ,she could neither read nor write1 and the sight of all these supernatural things astounded and alarmed her4 ,i have remarked that1 in her normal state1 she often forgot what she had seen the previous day4 ,but what she really did understand was that #8,grand ,father' was not satisfied with her when a crust of bread or some cheese was thrown at her head2 this was a sure sign that there was a hitch somewhere4 ,in the vestibule1 which we used as a dining-room1 a small ,louis xv4 lustre was suspended2 it often swayed about when we sat down to meals1 and the movement1 which was always preceded by a rustling on the metal chains1 was slow or accelerated according to my wife's expressed or unexpressed wish4 ,if we had visitors1 everything was so quiet that no one would ever have suspected what strange things happened to us habitually4 ,it looked as though these manifestations were reserved for the inmates of the house and for a few privileged guests1 whose attention was1 perforce1 aroused by the noise4 ,two young girls1 one ,anna ----1 from ,prigord1 the other ,mathilde ----1 from ,bordeaux1 who worked almost constantly in our house1 were present at most of these occurrences1 and #8,grand ,father' even testified much affection for these girls4 ,in the beginning1 ,i said that when the statuette turned on its pedestal1 the swords had moved about in the contrary direction4 ,one of them was unhooked and deposited in a corner of the wall1 but in the presence of ,madame ,vergniat an invisible force almost immediately put it slowly back again in its place4 ,the oscillations of the lustre1 the movements of the swords1 the displacements of the bed were the only phenomena which the eye was able to follow2 all the others were so rapid that they escaped even the most vigilant attention4 ,our presence in the house was not necessary to produce noises and other phenomena4 ,the fact which ,i am going to relate contradicts the opinion emitted by some spiritists1 that spirits borrow the force which is indispensable to produce these displacements from the mediums or assistants4 ,we once went to spend a day in the country1 taking the nurse with us1 and leaving the house empty for the day4 ,returning in the evening1 the neighbours came out to meet us saying that they feared all our crockery was broken1 because ever since our departure a dreadful noise had reigned in the house4 ,we searched all the rooms1 but no damage had been done1 and everything was in its place4 ,where1 therefore1 in that empty house had the spirit taken the auxiliary force which we are told is necessary for its manifestations8 ,i was very reserved respecting these facts4 ,i did not care to noise them abroad1 for had ,i done so controversy would certainly have arisen4 ,another reason for remaining silent was1 that once after having spoken of these events to the member of a reputedly religious family1 the ,virgin refused to make any evolution before this visitor4 ,but scarcely was the incredulous person out of the house when the statuette was displaced4 ,the same evening ,i put ,marie to sleep1 and reproached the spirit severely4 #8,what happens here is for you alone1' he replied1 #8and ought not to be exhibited as a spectacle4' ,however1 this apparently severe admonition was soon infringed upon by himself under the following circumstances3-- ,m4 ,bossuet1 a hairdresser in the ,rue ,bouffard1 at ,bordeaux1 was dressing ,madame ,vergniat's hair in the sitting-room3 my wife heard the sharp rap which usually announced a displacement of the ,virgin4 ,she got up1 and without saying anything went into the room1 followed instinctively by ,m4 ,bossuet4 ,the ,virgin was balancing herself on the edge of the bracket4 ,m4 ,bossuet1 quickly understanding what was happening1 cried out in admiration1 #8,mon ,dieu6 how glad ,i am to have seen such a thing6' ,m4 ,bossuet is dead now2 who can say whether he has found the solution of the problem which engages us8 ,i took advantage of this incident to ask why the ,virgin had moved during ,m4 ,bossuet's visit1 since it was told me that these favours were exclusively reserved for the household4 #8,i choose my company1' replied the spirit1 #8and ,i had to reward ,m4 ,bossuet for having patiently reproduced the features of ,christ in some hair4' ,i do not know if it be true--though many have since assured me it is true--that ,m4 ,bossuet was the author of such a work4 ,i confine myself1 as a faithful reporter1 to recording the reply which was given me4 ,our house had one inconvenience--a very disagreeable one in winter--that of obliging the maid to cross the garden in order to open the gate for the milkman1 who rang every morning at daybreak4 ,we were looking for a combination which might enable us to avoid this inconvenience1 when our kind protector came to our aid4 ,this fact is one of the most curious of our long series of surprising adventures4 ,henceforth1 when the milkman's cart stopped at the gate and before he rang1 a mysterious power shot back the bolt in the lock4 ,then the gate opened1 and the milkman placed on the window-sill the jug of milk1 which the domestic took in later on4 ,perhaps the milkman thought a special mechanism allowed us to open the door4 ,however that may be1 his imagination was evidently at work1 for he was heard to say aloud1 when getting into his cart1 #8,all the same1 this is a very queer house4' ,sometimes1 after having attended vespers either at ,sainte-,croix or at the ,vieillards1 we used to take a long walk1 and often we returned home tired and impatient to sit down and rest a while4 ,so that we might not have to wait1 an invisible hand used to knock at the door before we arrived there4 ,this fact could not be hidden1 and our neighbour1 ,madame ,pardeau1 in a good position for observation1 laughed at the attentions shown us4 ,at about this time there was a strange substitution1 one which would1 henceforth1 render the intervention of the somnambulist unnecessary4 ,madame ,vergniat and ,i were returning home after visiting ,talence4 ,on the way1 my wife turned round quickly1 saying3 #8,some one has just called me3 twice ,i heard a voice say1 8,hlose6 ,hlose60' ,from that day forth1 ,madame ,vergniat asked questions mentally and a foreign voice answered them4 ,very soon the voice took the initiative of conversations1 and absorbing ,madame ,vergniat's faculties1 spoke through her4 ,there was no being deceived2 it was easy to recognise the same benevolent spirit1 which had only changed his dwelling-place1 as it were4 ,the first recommendation given through ,madame ,vergniat was to cease putting ,marie to sleep4 #8,henceforth you will not be able to do so1 without incurring much unpleasantness4' ,but my keen desire to see and to observe everything was so great1 that it got the better of this last advice1 and ,i put the somnambulist to sleep as usual4 ,ill came of it4 ,to the charitable and benevolent discourses succeeded a dishevelled language1 which ,i thought ,i could put an end to by awakening the somnambulist2 but it was impossible to do so4 ,she walked about the room with her eyes closed1 crying out3 #8,i will wake up when it suits me to do so4 ,i am here1 and ,i want to stay just because my staying annoys you4' ,then she tried to go out to walk about in the garden1 and ,i was obliged to lock the door4 ,this scene1 which lasted for several hours1 took away my wish for further experimentation with ,marie4 ,from that time1 ,marie was subjected to several ill-defined influences during her ordinary sleep2 she spoke aloud1 sometimes she used serious language2 sometimes she seemed to be filled with mad joy4 ,the former depth and goodness in advice given through her had disappeared4 ,moreover1 ,i was amply compensated by the new situation which rendered the somnambulist's intervention unnecessary1 and ,i thought no further of risking the disagreeable scene of which ,i have spoken4 ,i may even say that all magnetic attempts and experiments with ,marie ended here4 ,there was no further question of them4 ,sometimes the spirit when consulted did not answer4 ,madame ,vergniat would then say1 #8,i speak to him1 but he does not reply4' ,but he never kept us waiting very long4 ,the spirit often announced his departure4 #8,if you have something to ask me1 or to tell me1' he would say1 #8be quick1 because ,i am obliged to go away1 and will only be able to return to-morrow at such and such a time4' ,and1 until the time indicated had arrived1 all questioning was useless4 ,there were no replies4 ,hundreds of times ,i had had occasion of verifying the exactness of information furnished by means of ,marie2 but it remained to me to find out if the information given by the new channel had the same value4 ,i had not long to wait before attaining certitude in that respect4 ,it was on a winter's evening1 the night was pitch dark1 it was pouring in torrents4 ,returning home from business1 the maid came to tell me that a small ,havanese dog1 which a neighbour had kindly given us1 had gone astray4 ,as ,i said1 the weather was fearful1 and we could not think of going out to search for the tiny animal4 ,but1 as ,i appeared to be troubled about the matter1 ,madame ,vergniat1 who so far had said nothing1 raised her head1 and addressing me in the peculiar way which announced an official communication1 said1 #8,so you were really attached to that little animal6 ,very well6 do not be sad1 you will find it again4 ,i see it2 a workman is holding it under his jacket in a hairdresser's establishment in the ,rue ,bgles 7the little hunchback74' ,the information was precise2 given by the somnambulist1 ,i would not have hesitated believing it2 but ,i now needed further proof2 therefore1 in spite of the weather1 ,i went out in search of the dog4 ,my quest having led me to the hairdresser's1 ,i looked timidly in at the window1 when the hunchback perceived me1 and called out3 #8,do you want something1 ,m4 ,vergniat8' ,i replied1 #8,if you should happen to hear that a small ,havanese dog has been found1 be kind enough to let me know4' ,a workman1 who was in the shop1 said3 #8,five minutes ago ,i held it in my jacket trying to warm it4 ,i had picked it up sopping wet1 in a corner of the street1 where ,i dropped it again4' ,some few steps further off1 ,i observed a white spot in the darkness4 ,it was ,fleurette crouching down in the shelter of a doorway4 ,i returned home triumphantly1 carrying the children's happiness with me1 as well as the confirmation of the infallibility of our protector4 ,the influence of this power1 which revealed itself as unlimited1 will be easily understood4 ,always gaining fresh ground by new supernatural phenomena1 its will entirely superseded ours4 ,what in the beginning it formulated as a desire1 soon became an order4 ,it paid attention to the smallest details2 designated the necessary provisions for the day and fixed the prices thereof4 ,if a more important purchase than usual had to be made1 he indicated the shop and price beforehand4 ,these facts gave rise to some curious incidents4 ,thus1 for example1 when a shopkeeper charged too high a price4 #8,grand ,father1' always at hand1 used to whisper to ,madame ,vergniat1 #8,tell that woman her goods only cost her such and such a price4 ,offer her so much4 ,that is sufficient profit4444' ,the shopkeeper1 dumfounded1 could not deny1 and the bargain would be concluded4 ,i reveal all these facts without hesitation1 persuaded that the study of such persistent and varied manifestations may help to lift the mysterious veil surrounding us4 ,moreover1 why should ,i hesitate or keep silent8 ,have ,i not seen8 ,the more incomprehensible the facts may be1 the greater the duty to reveal them4 ,i will1 perhaps1 be accused of weakness by showing so much submission to this occult power1 which1 however1 only put forth the claim of coming from ,god1 and expressed none but honourable sentiments4 ,to my accusers1 ,i will reply1 #8,go through the same trial1 then ,i will recognise your right to criticise4' ,as for weakness1 this was never one of my failings1 unless ,i should make an exception for the sentiment1 which makes me bow before the ,master--a sentiment ,i mean to preserve4 ,i said my wife and ,i went regularly to vespers1 sometimes at ,talence1 sometimes at ,sainte-,croix2 but more often at the ,vieillards4 ,i remember that once when gazing upon these latter poor creatures1 ever at the mercy of public charity1 our mysterious guest confided to us3 #8,without my visit1 my children1 that fate might have been yours4' ,in the beginning1 ,i said ,i had promised to take the communion2 ,i did so with fervour1 so profoundly had these mysterious facts impressed me2 ,i carried submission to the extent of giving up theatres1 and all amusements1 obeying the express desire of the unknown4 ,to make up for this1 ,i was permitted to join every pilgrimage4 ,one morning1 as ,i was starting for my office1 ,madame ,vergniat1 with an inspired air1 dictated the following order to me3 #8,you must send a telegram to ,paris this morning1 bidding the agents to sell out #fjjj francs worth of ,french stock at #c per cent41 and buy in #aj1jjj francs of ,italian stock4' ,he added3 #8,did ,i not tell you1 that when it would please me to impose an obligation upon you1 it would never be at your own expense8 ,now1 ,i have need of a few thousand francs1 the use of which ,i will point out to you when the time comes4' ,in spite of the strange things ,i had already seen1 ,i was bewildered4 ,madame ,vergniat1 although the wife of a stockbroker1 had never interested herself in business affairs1 and was absolutely ignorant of financial combinations4 ,the terms used to dictate the transaction1 indicated that the operation was planned by a mind accustomed to this kind of business4 ,as the advice was not dangerous1 and1 in case of failure1 would not carry me very far1 ,i telegraphed to ,paris without hesitating4 ,before ,i returned home in the evening1 ,i had the reply1 and wished to communicate it to my mysterious client4 #8,useless1' he said to me1 #8,i know it4' ,i took advantage of this circumstance of talking business with him1 with the object of finding out just how far the spirit's knowledge1 in matters of speculation1 went4 #8,do you know1' ,i said to him1 #8that your transaction is founded on two liquidations4 ,the ,italian stock is in liquidation for the #aeth inst41 and the #c per cent4 for the end of the month4' #8,i did it purposely4 ,the ,italian will be liquidated first1 for the profits thereof are urgently required4 ,whoever procures the ,french stock for the end of the month is destined to offer a present to his daughter4 ,i will give you a few instructions on this subject4' ,i risked the question3 #8,you then believe in the rise of the ,italian and fall of the ,french stock8' #8,your ,father is not one who doubts1 who believes1 or who only hopes2 ,he is always sure1 because ,he is the ,master4' ,from the day the exchange transaction was made1 the two contrary movements1 favourable to the arbitration1 were not belied2 and 7an important fact to take note of7 every morning1 with mathematical precision1 the unknown predicted the stock-list which the telegraph only brought at four o'clock in the afternoon4 ,i wish to insist upon this fact1 because some people seem to question the spirits' possibility of foretelling the future4 ,always preoccupied in studying these facts1 ,i sometimes asked1 the evening before1 what the rate would be the following day4 #8,i cannot tell you before to-morrow morning4 ,i have need of the night to gather my information4' ,one day1 there was a difference of a farthing between the rate predicted in the morning1 and the official rate received at four o'clock4 ,when ,i made the remark1 the unknown said to me3 #8,it was a bad head who rang down the changes at the stroke of the bell4' ,the spirit evidently even possessed the slang of the stockbrokers' ring4 ,seeing so much penetration1 ,i meekly asked if he could be useful to me in my own business4 ,he replied3 #8,i did not come for that2 my visit has another object in view2 nevertheless ,i think ,i can be useful to you1 and when the opportunity occurs1 ,i will not forget4' ,this declaration seemed to contradict the first one4 ,at the outset of these manifestations1 the #8,master's#8 blessing assured the repose of body1 soul1 and spirit3 #8,no more worries for you3 your ,father is here to turn them all aside4' ,there was now a slight deviation which we cannot help observing4 ,let us1 however1 return to this power of penetration2 it was such1 that1 consulted upon the state of my cash-box1 he at once told me how much it contained4 ,for him1 it was mere child's play to tell any one the contents of their purse4 ,during the arbitration process1 ,i sometimes asked him1 #8,what profit does your stock operation give you this evening8' ,he mentioned it at once1 and1 without omitting a farthing1 he even counted brokerage and the price of telegrams4 #8,your business affairs1' said he1 #8should no longer trouble you1 for they are mine4 ,i will look after them3 you have only to obey1 and to satisfy me in order to be rewarded4 #8,you may be sure that nothing would be easier for me than to load you with riches any day2 and1 if ,i make you wait1 it is because you made me wait a long time before ,i was able to bring you to me4' ,this is another remark which is not any clearer than the one ,i quoted a little while ago4 ,whilst the arbitration was proceeding favourably1 the ,virgin continued her evolutions2 however1 they were soon to cease4 ,one afternoon she made some evolutions noisier than usual1 and going out of the house1 went and placed herself upon some grape-vines in the garden4 ,at that moment1 one of our former servants1 a girl named ,caroline ,t4441 the same who was in our service when the nocturnal visit occurred1 happened to come up to the house2 seeing the statue in the garden1 she and another servant decided to put it back again on its pedestal4 ,it was scarcely replaced when a violent rap resounded1 and the ,virgin fell on the ground broken to pieces4 ,great was ,madame ,vergniat's grief when she heard of the accident4 ,i must own that ,i1 too1 was vexed4 ,the debris were gathered up and preserved with veneration for a long time4 ,but the pedestal remained vacant4 ,then the thought came to me of asking our protector if it would be possible to find a similar statuette4 #8,i will see about it to-night1' he replied4 ,the spirit often begged me to leave him the night for reflection4 ,he said it was then that he found the necessary information4 ,the next day1 faithful to his promise1 he gave me the following information3 #8,there is1 in ,bordeaux1 a ,virgin like the one which is broken4 ,you will find it at a sculptor's in the ,rue ,bouquire 7a small shop situated in a corner of the street74 ,there is only that one specimen1 and the tradesman has no cast4' ,i quickly took one of the fragments1 and went to the ,rue ,bouquire4 ,i found the shop1 and the tradesman told me he had a ,virgin similar to the one ,i desired1 but that he had no cast of it4 #8,i will look for it1 and you may come and fetch it this evening4' ,the same evening ,i returned to ,malbec with the statuette which was going to stifle all regrets4 ,my arrival with the statuette was the occasion for another official communication3 #8,my son1 that ,virgin will be displaced4 ,i will not tell you where ,i shall carry it to2 she herself will reveal it to you4 ,now1 as she will go very far away1 you must put your name and address inside the statuette4' ,this was done4 ,placed upon the pedestal1 the new ,virgin turned round three times the day after her arrival2 since that day she never stirred4 ,i do not know if she will ever go on this journey2 in any case1 she is a long time making her preparations4 ,all the incidents touching the statuette end here3 the circumstances of the anne terrible caused it to pass into other hands4 ,we said that the stock transaction was going on better and better4 ,and with his facility to foretell the future1 the unknown sold out the ,italian stock at the highest rate1 whilst he waited for several days to buy back his #c per cent4 favourably4 ,all this was done with astounding precision2 with a power equal to his1 fortune was simply without bounds4 ,the profits of these two transactions amounted to about three thousand francs4 ,with the funds resulting from the liquidation of the #aeth ,i was given the mission to reserve one thousand francs for the father of a large family4 ,and the souvenir of this good action1 for which1 in a way1 ,i was but an agent1 rejoices me still4 ,other less important distributions were ordered to be made4 ,finally1 to crown everything1 we were told to illuminate our garden in honour of the ,virgin4 ,the profits of the second liquidation followed afterwards1 and gave rise to a curious incident4 ,on pay-day1 when the profits were at the disposition of the mysterious spirit1 he begged me to return to ,bordeaux to buy a piano1 which he offered to my daughter4 7,this was the #8present' which had been spoken of in the beginning of these bourse transactions47 #8,go1' he said1 #8to ,m4 ,caudr's1 ,alles de ,tourny1 ,no4 #ej1 where you will buy a second-hand piano2 you will be asked six hundred and fifty francs for it4' ,upon making the remark that ,i needed precise indications in order to avoid all confusion1 he replied3 #8,it is not necessary4 ,i will be there to see that they offer you the piano ,i want4 ,you will not be obliged to bargain1 for the price is less than the value of the instrument4' ,how could ,i resist the commands of such a kind-hearted friend1 whose power seemed to have no other limit than that of his will8 ,moreover1 was it my province to discuss the manner of employing money which did not belong to me8 ,therefore ,i arrived at ,alles de ,tourny4 ,madame ,caudr was alone in the shop4 ,i followed my instructions1 and was offered a second-hand piano for six hundred francs4 ,it was fifty francs below the stated price4 ,i hesitated taking it1 but1 remembering his own words1 #8,i will be there1' ,i concluded the bargain on the express condition that the instrument might be delivered the same evening1 according to our benefactor's will4 ,i arrived home quickly1 impatient to have an explanation concerning the fifty francs4 ,it was the first time ,i had observed an irregularity1 and as my submission was only the result of an infallibility which1 until then1 had never been belied1 the absolute and regular continuation of these facts was required in order to keep up that blind confidence which already impaired so seriously my free will4 ,it was with almost a triumphant air ,i announced that the piano had only cost six hundred francs4 #8,i know it1' said the unknown2 #8but ,madame made a mistake4' ,on the morrow1 when settling the account1 the shopkeeper said to me3 #8,you got a bargain yesterday2 my wife made a mistake in selling you for six hundred francs a piano ,i had fixed at six hundred and fifty4' ,absorbed in these supernatural incidents1 ,i did not think of replying4 ,i walked slowly home wrapped in thought4 ,i related to the mysterious being what had happened to me at the piano-shop4 ,if my mystical preoccupations had made me forget my duty for an instant1 he was not long in recalling it to me4 #8,i apprised you of it1' he answered4 ,i understood1 and brought back the fifty francs to the tradesman1 not caring to benefit by a mistake4 ,at that time my daughter's musical knowledge was limited to the #8,bon ,roi ,dagobert1' and yet1 when she sat down to the piano1 her fingers1 yielding to some mysterious influence1 moved involuntarily over the piano1 and played unknown airs whose accompaniments were in accordance with all the rules of harmony4 ,convinced that the child was playing from memory1 the pianoforte-tuner complimented her upon her musical dispositions4 ,this phenomenon was only produced three or four times2 it is true1 ,i always took care to take the child away from the piano as soon as ,i suspected the approach of the influence4 ,the stock transaction accomplished1 other business1 patronised and advised by the protector1 succeeded as well as the first4 ,the object was always charity4 ,these operations were not important2 but for all that1 their results increased the importance of the help every day4 ,the spirit had reserved to himself the right of designating the persons he wished to help4 ,sometimes he indicated the name1 but more often he confined himself to mentioning the street1 the number1 and flat4 ,i remember one ,sunday1 while breakfasting1 ,i was suddenly told to go immediately and visit a family living in a tiny house behind the ,rue ,franois-de-,sourdis4 ,it was a long way off1 and notwithstanding the indications given me1 ,i went up and down several streets in that quarter of the town in vain1 and ,i returned without having been able to fulfil my mission4 #8,you must go back again1' said the unknown1 #8and before breakfasting2 for you yourself can wait2 but it is not the same there1 where the children are hungry4446' ,every morning1 when leaving home to go to my office1 ,i was commissioned to do a good work4 #8,in such and such a street1 at such and such a number and flat1 at the door to the right1 etc41 lives a widow2 you will give her five francs1 or ten francs1 and so forth4444' ,in the beginning1 fearing to be led astray1 these missions made me feel rather uncomfortable1 especially when he sent me to places where there was no apparent misery2 but he never made a mistake4 ,to provide for these distributions1 and carry out certain religious projects1 which he acknowledged to me--such1 for example1 as the erection of a chapel on the ground of #8,malbec1' in order to perpetuate the memory of his visit--to provide1 ,i say1 for so much expense1 he considerably increased the figure of his operations4 ,it is true that an affair undertaken by his order always the same evening gave good results4 ,and it was necessary it should be rigorously so1 if he wished to maintain the blind confidence he seemed so desirous of preserving4 ,it was then that he changed his tactics4 ,instead of taking his profits at each liquidation1 he now opposed himself to any realisation whatsoever4 ,in the face of such a dangerous system1 ,i timidly risked some remarks3-- #8,no one could guide me better than you do1 and ,i would be already too rich if1 as before1 you took advantage of every fluctuation of the market1 instead of opposing yourself to the realisation of the profits4 ,it is true there is a large margin on your purchases1 but our prosperity is only artificial1 since it is but the result of recharges and not of liquidated operations4 ,that is to say1 by this system we are constantly laying ourselves open to emergencies4' ,it was also under this mysterious inspiration that ,i then took an engagement to buy out the interest of my sleeping partners4 ,always under the same guidance1 our business affairs rapidly created an opulent position for me4 ,the upward movement of stocks continued1 and if at times a slight reaction arose1 it could only touch a small part of the profits already acquired1 and constantly carried over4 ,the dangerous system of non-realisation1 we see1 had not been abandoned4 ,i often complained4 ,it was thus that on the #ast ,january #ahgj 7a ,sunday1 ,i think71 the ,coulisse having quoted on the boulevards #geje francs1 and this rate assuring us a profit of #cj1jjj francs on one affair alone1 ,i implored him to consent to realising4 ,he refused energetically1 saying1 #8,money-jobbing does not suit me1 ,i have put you in a position which will be your last affair4' ,moreover1 he affected a great dislike to my profession1 saying he desired to see me leave it as speedily as possible4 ,sometimes the spirit dropped certain exclamations1 aside1 as it were1 the most frequent of which was1 #8,what a struggle6' ,i paid no attention to this1 and it was only after the tragic dnouement of this affair that the souvenir of these exclamations1 although so frequently repeated1 came back to my memory4 ,the circumstances which follow sadly demonstrate that during two and a half years the aim1 so patiently followed1 was simply to bribe my confidence with strange revelations1 and to keep me under his thumb4 ,this result obtained1 he had only to use influence in order to keep me in a position whose importance could not help being fatal1 in view of coming events1 and which the unknown's power of penetration permitted him to foresee4 ,it was in the midst of all this1 in a way1 borrowed prosperity1 since it only resulted from non-realised operations1 that ,i took possession of my new residence1 ,rue d',enghien1 ,no4 #aa4 ,for several months1 although it was impossible for stock to rise above seventy-five francs1 faithful to his system1 the unknown refused to sell out4 ,it was therefore necessary to continue4 ,but could ,i complain if funds remained stationary8 ,the profits entered into cash as a consequence of the rise of stocks1 which seemed a sufficient guarantee against any event whatsoever4 ,moreover1 it seemed to me mean to reproach him with not giving me more1 when ,i owed him already such unhoped-for prosperity4 ,my tranquillity was1 therefore1 absolute when complications with ,germany broke out4 ,then1 from the first day1 ,i wished to liquidate4 #8,there1 are your fears beginning again as at the time of the ,luxembourg incident8 ,believe him who is the ,master1 and who for nearly three years has never deceived you4' ,notwithstanding his affirmations1 two days afterwards war was decided1 and in taking possession of the telegraph lines1 the light-hearted minister put the finishing-stroke to my ruin1 for it placed me in the impossibility of communicating1 and therefore of limiting my loss4 ,whatever may be the danger of a struggle1 we succumb with less regret when we have fought on equal terms2 but here1 without speaking of the strange circumstances1 the suppression of telegraphic communication placed me in the position of a man bound hand and foot1 who is thrown into the sea and reproached for not swimming4 ,in this critical moment1 the unknown was absolutely dumb4 ,he answered none of the questions ,i asked him4 ,and yet the situation was most critical2 for twenty years of labour disappeared into the gulf1 and1 moreover1 to this material loss was added the grief of being forced to remain separated from my daughter1 who was dangerously ill4 ,a last explanation took place3 #8,there1 then1' ,i said to him1 #8here is what you have brought me to1 and ,i do not know who you are2 ,i only know that you have appealed to honourable sentiments1 in order to make me your dupe1 and that you have not hesitated using the name of ,god when laying your snares4' ,i was too irritated to heed his reply2 and ,i have only a vague souvenir of the word #8trials' faltered out in answer to my upbraidings4 ,thus ends this long and sad #8story4' 99 99 99 99 99 ,i have given this curious self-observation in extenso4 ,the personification is liable to errors which may be dangerous if we abandon ourselves to its direction1 as too many people are tempted to do4 ,the extraordinary facts with which ,madame ,vergniat's life was filled are not confined to those just related2 she appears to have possessed supernormal faculties right up to the last4 ,it might be of considerable interest if her family would give a detailed account of her life4 ,printed by ,t4 and ,a4 ,,constable1 ,printers to ,his ,majesty at the ,edinburgh ,university ,press ,transcriber's note ,words in italics have been surrounded with underscores1 some bold letters with signs1 and small capitals were changed to all capitals4 ,a few missing page numbers were added to the table of ,contents1 but other omissions and inconsistencies were preserved4 ,some missing punctuation has been corrected1 also the following changes were made1 on page #bd under point #f 8a0 changed to 8d0 77d7 ,lastly1 the most complete7 #fd 8,,iv40 added 7,,iv4 ,,the ,,personification7 #ie 8is0 changed to 8are0 7,phenomena are often forthcoming7 #cfh 8,phenomenon0 changed to 8,phenomena0 7,phenomena of the same kind74 ,otherwise the original was preserved1 including inconsistent spelling and hyphenation and possible errors in languages other than ,english4 ,additional3 ,mallbranche1 on page #dbi1 should probably be ,malebranche4