KX CHANGE OCT 10 1919 SPIRITISM AND RELIGION MORAL STUDY DISSERTATION ■Sifbmitted to the Faculty of the Sacred Sciences at the Catholic University of America in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Doctorate in Theology By the Revebend Johan Liljencrants, a. M., J. C. B., S. T. L. Of the Archdiocese of Baltimore Catholic University of America Washington, D. C, U. S. A. MCMXVIII •«• SPIRITISM AND RELIGION A MORAL STUDY DISSERTATION Submitted to the Faculty of the Sacred Sciences at the Catholic University of America in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Doctorate in Theology By the Reverend Johan Liljencrants, A. M., J. C. B., S. T. L. Of the Archdiocese of Baltimore Catholic University of America Washington, D. C, U. S. A. MCMXVIII 1918 J. P. Bell Co., Inc. Lynchburg, Va. NIHIL OBSTAT. Washingtonii, die 25. Maii, 1918. Joannes A. Ryan, ^Mpr Deputatus. IMPRIMATUR. LIBRARY Richmondii, die 25. Maii, 1918. Denis I. O'Connell, Episcopus Richmondiensis. Copyright, 1918 by Reverend Johan Liljencrants All rights reserved. UNIVERSITAS CATHOLICA AMERICAE, Washingtonii S. FACULTAS THEOLOGICA, 1917-1918 No. 11 To Q. P., Whose Loyal Friendship Has Been a Tower of Strength, We Dedicate This Book The Author PREFACE. As a normative science dealing with the morality of human acts, Moral Theology is constantly confronted with new problems brought up by the progress of civilization. New discoveries, new philosophies, new beliefs, new political and economic conditions and theories, all have their moral and theological aspects. It is, therefore, the function of Moral Theology to ap- ply to every new phase of human activity, which has a moral bearing, the already estabhshed principles of morality, and to set forth such rules of conduct as may be applicable to this new phase in practical life. In exercising this fimction Moral Theology draws upon principles which in their foundation, as based upon Divine Revelation, are unchangeable, and throughout the ages present an unvarying and supreme standard of morahty. In the application of these principles, however, its verdict may undergo changes and modifi- cations following those which take place in the issues themselves or in their relation to pohtical, economic and social life and its development. Thus, for example, older Theologians would condemn the taking of inter- est as being usury, while modern Theologians, alive to the changes which have taken place in economic con- ditions, recognize the productive nature of capital and allow interest within just limits. Again, the progress of scientific discovery has brought many an issue into a new light. From the superstitious practices of astrology and alchemy, severely condemned by Theo- logians, emerged the sciences of astronomy and chemis- try, the usefulness and lawfulness of which were im- mediately recognized. We believe that a similar change is gradually taking place in the subject which concerns us in this treatise. Physical Research, which is rapidly gaining recognition •6f •'.:.'" r'ci; ; /'•, [ ': Preface as a new branch of science, is gradually bringing a large portion of the Spiritistic phenomena, and the occult in general, into the realm of nature, divesting it — in its objective nature — of the attributes of a preternatural order with which it, until very recently, has been gener- ally conceived. It is in an attempt to adjust the theological verdict on Spiritism to this new order of things that this book is written. At present Physical Research is an emerging branch of science, and the results it has so far achieved are to a large extent necessarily vague and lacking definiteness and solidity. This has increased both the difficulty of our undertaking and the matter presented preliminary to the theological discussion of the subject. Whatever results we may have obtained we owe in large measure to the members of the Faculty of Sacred Theology of the Catholic University of America, under whose generous guidance this work has been prosecuted. Par- ticularly do we wish to acknowledge our indebtedness to four members of this Faculty, the Reverend Doctors John W. Melody, John A. Ryan, Edmund T. Shanahan, and Patrick J. Healy. The Catholic University of America. Pentecost, 1918. TABLE OF CONTENTS. PAGE Introduction '. 9 Chapter I. History of Modern Spiritism 18 II. Physical Phenomena 45 III. Physical Phenomena (Continued) 67 IV. Psychical Phenomena 90 V. Genuine and Spurious Phenomena 119 VI. Spiritism and Psychology 181 VII. Spirit Identity 212 VIII. Spiritism as a Religion 248 IX. Moral Aspects of Spiritism 268 Bibliography 282 Index 287 Theses 297 Vita 311 INTRODUCTION The year 1848 saw the birth of a popular and, at least in its subsequent development, a religious move- ment which for over half a century has made much noise, not only in the United States of America where its cradle stood, but also abroad, throughout the civilized world. Perhaps more commonly known under the name of Spiritualism, but at any rate more correctly mider that of Spiritism,^ it is founded upon the belief that the living can, and actually more or less at will do, communicate with the spirits of the departed. It pre- sents a threefold element. Besides the fundamental belief in intercommunication between the living and the dead, we find in it the various practices by which such communication is attempted and a collection of partly vague religious creeds derived from what is held to be revelation contained in messages from the beyond. In its turn the fundamental belief in communication with the departed rests upon the interpretation of various obscure phenomena as indicating the agency of de- parted men and women. While the Spiritistic movement is distinctly modern, its essential features are probably as old as the human race. We find them in what is known as Necromancy, or the— at least presumed — evocation of the spirits of the departed for the purpose of divination, practiced in all ages and rather universally, but especially among pagan peoples. Such practices have always been common among the fakirs of India; the Chaldean magicians in all prob- ^ Spiritualism rightly denotes a philosophical doctrine which holds, in general, that there is a spiritual order of beings no less real than the material, and, in particular, that the soul of man is a spiritual sub- stance. — Edw. A. Pace in Cath. Encyclop. Art. "Spiritism." For our choice of term we also find support in the French and Ger- man languages in which "Spiritisme" and "Spiritismus," respectively, are predominantly used, and also among certain English, American, and Italian writers. 10 Introduction ability introduced them among the ancient Egj^ptians, who brought them to a flourishing state; they exist in China since time immemorial and constituted an im- portant element in the rehgious ideas of ancient Persia. In classical Greece the oracles were being constantly in- voked and necromancers could be consulted in many favored places. Even Socrates and Aristotle indulged in conversations with spirits.^ Nor was Necromancy unknown among the Romans, as may be gathered from the works of Cicero, Pliny the Elder, Horace, Lucan and others.^ The Old Testament shows that the Hebrews were acquainted with similar practices.^ Thus, to give but one example, Saul conversed with the spirit of Samuel evoked by a certain woman of Endor who was endowed with a divining spirit.^ The frequency of their pro- hibition found in the Sacred Books and the severity with which these practices were punished, would show that they were by no means uncommon.^ In the first Christian centuries Necromancy was ex- tensively practiced by the pagans in the Roman Em- pire.^ But with the spread of Christianity, in which it met a relentless enemy, it gradually lost its strict signifi- cance and became identified with witchcraft and other forms of magic in which for the most part evil spirits were given the place of the souls departed. It is interesting to note that some of the most promi- nent features of modern Spiritism are found in the ' Arist., "de Mirab," 160. ^Cicero, "Tusculane," i:16, 37; "de Divinatione," i:58, 132; Pliny the E., "Hist.," XXX :6; Horace, "Satira," vii; "Epod.," iii, xii, xvii; Lucan, "Pharsalia," lib. vi. ^ IV Kings, xvii: 17, xxi:6, xxiii:24; II Paralip, xxxiii:6; Isaia, viii:19, xix:3, xxix:4. *I Kings, XXV, iii: 7-20; cfr. Eccl-us, xlvi:23, and Div. Thorn. Aquin. Summa Theol. 2.2isw and Psychology," p. 256. For other instances see Op. cit., f»p. 22, 16.3, 184. -"The Externalization of Motivity," p. 406. Physical Phenomena 81 candle and found a print, rather poor in comparison with those which other experimenters have obtained — a thing due, perhaps, to the bad quahty of the clay which I used. This clay was placed about twenty inches to the right of the medium, while her head was inclined to the left. Her face was not at all soiled by the clay, which was yet so moist as to leave traces upon the fingers when touched." The tray was then placed on the dining-room table near a big kerosene lamp and Eusapia, in trance, hav- ing remained for some moments at the table, moved backward into the adjoining seance-room, the experi- menters following her. "We had already got into the ciiam!)er," Dr. Ochorowicz continues, "when, leaning against one of the halves of the double door, she fixed her eyes upon the tray of clay which had been left upon the table. The medium was in a very good light: we were separated from her by a distance of from six to ten feet, and we perceived distinctly all the details. All of a sudden Eusapia stretched her hand out abruptly toward the clay, then sank down uttering a groan. We rushed precipitately towards the table and saw, side by side with the imprints of the head, a new imprint, very marked, of a hand which had been thus produced under the very light of the lamp, and which resembled the hand of Eusapia." Impressions of hands and fingers have also been re- ceived on paper blackened with the smoke of a lamp. The prepared paper was placed on the table opposite the medium whose two hands were held each by a mem- ber of the circle. Not only were impressions of fingers and of a whole human hand obtained in the lamp black, but upon request the soot was transferred to and rubbed over the hand of one of the controllers while the medium's hands remained perfectly clean. It was pos- sible to constate that the impressions received had a 82 Physical Phenomena striking resemblance to Eusapia's hands and fingers — the fingerprints being exactly hers.^ 12. Spirit- photography. There have been few pro- fessional spirit-photographers of note, although, no doubt, the art has been practiced to some extent in private circles. Mr. Raupert in his "Dangers of S piritualisni" ~ reproduces four spirit-photographs, the first showing a cloud-like formation near the human image, the other three a more or less clear figure of a woman and a man draped in sheets. Others may be seen in H. Carrington's "The Physical Phenomena of Spiritualism." ^ The following is a description of a photograph taken in Mr. Parks' studio:^ "It was taken on a plate freshly purchased, and which had never been in Mr. Parks' possession. The plate had been prepared and placed in the shield, when a photographer who was present requested that it might be taken out and turned upside down before exposure. This was done, and, on developing the plate, a rude outline of a figure, com- posed of two busts, appears; the busts pointing in op- posite directions." Among spirit-photographs a certain number has been recognized as likenesses of deceased persons, but these cases are comparatively rare.'' In 1874 Bugiiet took a photograph of Mr. Moses while in trance lying in hi' bed. Two exposures were made; the first — being th^ first half of the plate — showed hardly discernible fea- tures, while the second gave a good efiigy of Moses. But ' statement concerning the Milan sittings 1892, in Flammarion, Op. cit., p. 158. ^pp. 67, 70, 72 and 74. ^ See list of Illustrations. * Mrs. Sidgwick on Spirit-photographs in Proceedings, S. P. R., vii:270 et seq. : cfr. f/itman Nature, Apr. 187.5, p. 157. ''Mr. Moses in Human Nature, .Tune 1876, p. 268, states that "out of some six hundred photographs which I have seen and examined, and of most of which I have heard the history, I do not know of half a dozen in which the expected form appeared." Physical Pheiiomena 83 a voice, which used to communicate with Moses, later in- formed him that the first picture was a photograph of the ghostly owner of that voice as he- — or it ? — ^looked in life/ There are some famous cases of this phenomenon such as the photograph taken in the library of D-Hall on the day of Lord D.'s funeral, which, on being developed six months later, showed the image and likeness of Lord D." For literature on the subject see Mrs. Sidg- wick's article in the Proceedings.^ 13. Direct spirit-messages. The original means of communication with spirits was found in the so-called rappings which throughout the movement have con- tinued to constitute the principal conveyor of messages. The raps may be taken to indicate an affirmative answer to simple questions, a series of raps to indicate a num- ber or, again, the alphabet system may be used, in which the receiver of a rap-message lets his finger glide from letter to letter on a printed alphabet. When it passes the letter which the "communicator" wishes to indicate a rap is heard and a note of the letter is then taken. In this fashion the message is spelled out letter after letter. Doubt or emphasis is sometimes expressed by faintness or vehemence in the raps. A peculiar form of rap messages is found in so-called "spirit-teleg- raphy." Spirit-writing, however, furnishes a more satisfactory means of communication than the rap-method. There are different kinds of spirit-writing, the various phenomena falling into two groups, direct and indirect. The direct writing, to all appearances, is performed without an intermediary, the spirits themselves produc- ing the script, whereas the indirect writing is performed "^Proceedings, 8. P. R., vii: 287-288. ^ Podmore, ''Modern Spiritualism," vol. II, p. 124. ^Proceedings, 8. P. R., vii: 269 et seq. 84 Physical Phenomena through an interniediary, i. e., the medium, acting as amanuensis. We shall treat in this chapter of direct writing alone, the indirect properly belonging to the psychic phenomena. Direct spirit-writing takes several forms. The spirits write their messages either on a slip of paper placed in the seance-room, or on slates, or, again, by employing the planchette. The first kind of writing is very common, and was a frequent occurrence at W. Stainton-Moses' seances. In his letter to Myers, Mr. Charlton T. Spear writes:^ "Direct writing was often given, sometimes on a sheet of paper placed in the center of the table and equidistant from all the sitters; at other times one of us would place our hands on a piece of paper previously dated and initialed, and usually a message was found written upon it at the conclusion of the seance. We al- ways placed a pencil upon the paper, but sometimes we only provided a small piece of lead, the result being the same in both cases. Usually the writing took the form of answering questions which we had asked. . . ." At a seance in 1872" held by Moses in the presence of Dr. and Mrs. Spear a piece of ruled paper with a corner torn off for identification and a pencil were put on the floor under the table. Various raps and a noise "rather like sawing wood" were heard and objects brought into the room, and at the end of the seance, the lights having been turned on, the paper when picked up was found to contain a message exactly following the ruling. At another seance Moses relates:"^ "I had seen a veiled figure standing by Dr. Spear. Mrs. Spear could see the light, but could not distinguish the figure. It ^Proceedings, S. P. R., ix:347. ^'Sept. 19th. See Proceedings, S. P. R., ix:28o, with fac-simile of the message. ''Proceedings, 8. P. R., xi:32-.33. Physical Phenomena 85 did not seem to move, and was apparently outside the circle, near the window curtains Presently distinctive raps came on the table, and 'Charles Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, I salute you,' was rapped out. Dr. S. questioned the spirit in French, and answers were returned correctly. A curious instance of this was as follows: Dr. S. intended to ask the name of Napoleon's mother, but by mistake asked for his wife's name. This was given, a response not to the mental intent, but to the spoken question Dr. S. asked for some direct writing on one of the two marked papers, and assent was given, 'J'ecrirai. Taisez-vous!' Mentor controlled, and said that it was really the spirit of Napoleon, late Emperor of the French. They would write on the paper near Dr. Spear's foot, that l^eing nearest to where the figure had been standing. After his control passed I was, as is frequently the case, clair- voyant, and described the face of the Emperor, his waxed imperial and moustache, his impressive marble face, and wound up by saying he was a 'regular Mephistopheles.' The form was just in the same place, and apparently could not come within the circle. Men- tor was at my right hand, and rapped clearly at request with his double knock. All this time our hands were joined, and remained so until the seance closed, and we found on the paper close by Dr. Spear's foot writing of which I append a facsimile/'' There are many instances of writing obtained in languages supposedly unknown to the medium. Baron de Guldenstubbe obtained writing in Latin, Greek, Russian, French, German, English, etc., the writers be- ing spirits of greatest fame, such as Mary Stuart, St. Paul, Cicero, Melchisedec, Plato and Juvenal.^ ' "La Realite des Esprits et le phenomene merveilleux et leur ecriture direct," quoted by Podmore in "Modern Spiritualism," vol. II, pp. 188-189. 86 Physical Phenomena Sir William Crookes relates some interesting facts about spirit-writing.^ At a dark seance, Miss Kate Fox being the mediimi, a Imninous hand came down from the upper part of the room, took the pencil from his hand and began to write on a sheet of paper. At an- other seance held in daylight a pencil, which had been placed together with paper on the table, suddenly stood up and advanced by hesitating jerks to the paper, where it fell down exhausted. A lath now began to move and apparently came to its aid, but in spite of their com- bined efforts the couple of them did not succeed in pro- ducing a message. Slate-writing came to prominence through Mr. Slade, who had many followers in the art, notably Mr. Eglin- ton. The sittings at which the writing is produced often take place in broad daylight and the script is received on an ordinary school-slate or on the inside of a double slate fitted with hinges and lock. Mr. S. J. Davey records the following experiences with Mr. Eglintonr "I procured two ordinary slates at a stationer's shop, and these did not leave my possession during the seance. At first we obtained messages by simply putting a piece of slate-pencil on one slate and holding the slate on the table. After a while the force became stronger, and messages with various styles of writing were received. But the best test of all was when I put a crumb of pencil on the slate, and then put another slate over that ; hold- ing the two slates together myself, I then asked if I should ever become a medium. No sooner was the ques- tion asked than I heard the pencil within begin to move ; .... and in a few seconds three small raps were heard, and .... when I removed the upper slate I found the following message written in a clear and good hand. I was particular to notice that the small crumb of pencil was nearly worn out " ^ '^Researches, etc." p. 93. 'Journal, S. P. R., 1886, p. 436. Physical Pheno7nena 87 At another sitting:^ "Between the famous slate pre- sented to Mr. Eghnton by a distinguished personage, with a strong Brahma lock securely fastened by myself, we obtained messages in the well-known handwriting of (the spirit) Joey." Later at the same sitting mes- sages in Greek were given. Planchette-writing is done with a small, oval wooden board having a pencil stuck through a hole at one end. It is placed on a table with point of the pencil on a sheet of paper. Sometimes two or more, sometimes one per- son alone, by placing the hands lightly on the instrument will cause it to move, leaving writing or drawing on the paper. The following account is taken from the Pro- ceedings :- "On January 28 last I called at the house of some friends; and on this occasion there was some planchette writing Some four or five of us sat around a table in a full and well-lighted room. The operator of the planchette was a lady; her husband was at the table Different communications were received by different ones at the table .... from different friends (as the Spiritualists say), who have passed into the spirit world." Among other messages received there was one from the sister of the narrator, who died in infancy and neither could have been known by the medium, nor had been in the narrator's mind for years. The message as written out by the planchette read: "Mr. Lewis, I am his sister, I am glad you came here to-night; come again (signed) Angeline." Examples of this kind could be multiplied at pleasure. Spirit-telegraphy has a certain superficial re- semblance to wireless telegraphy. The message is sent between two parties sitting in different rooms, one of which is in "rapport" with the operating spirit. At both stations the identical message is received, delivered by 'Journal, 8. P. R., 1886, p. 437. ^ Proceedings, 8. P. R., ix : 64. 88 Physical Phenomena means of raps resembling in sound the tickings of a telegraphic apparatus. The distance between the sta- tions is often considerable, messages having been sent between New York and Washington. The following is an account of an early instance, the medium being Mrs. Draper of Rochester:^ "On the appointed day the above-named persons convened; .... and as soon as order was observed, the question was asked, 'What are the directions of Benjamin Franklin?' A. 'Hurr\''; first magnetize Mrs. Draper.' This was done, The company was divided as follows: (five persons, among whom Mrs. Fox and Catherine Fox ) , in a retired room, with two doors closed between them. Mrs. Draper, Mr. Draper (two other gentle- men) and Margaretta Fox remained in the parlor. Sounds unusually loud were heard in each room by either company, as before, resembling the telegraphic sounds. They were so unusual that Miss Fox became alarmed, and said, 'What does all this meanf Mrs. Draper, while her countenance was irradiated with ani- mation, replied, 'He is trying the batteries.' Soon there was the signal for the alphabet, and the following com- munication was spelled to the company in the parlor: 'Now I am ready, my friends. There will be great changes in the nineteenth century. Things that now look dark and mysterious to you will be laid plain be- fore }^our sight. Mysteries are going to be revealed. The world will be enlightened. I sign my name, Benja- min Franklin.' " One of the sitters in the retired room, directed by the sounds, now came in the parlor carrying the message received by his party. It was identical to the one re- ceived in the drawing-room, except for the addition, "Go in the parlor and compare notes." ^ Podmore, ''Modern Spiritualism," vol. I, pp. 252-253. Physical Phenomena 89 14. Spirit voices. Spiritists often tell of hearing voices, meaning an "inner voice" not perceived through the air. This phenomenon, however, belongs to the purely psychical group, the "voice" being but a kind of intuition. Spirit-voices, as we here shall employ the term, refers to clearly externalized voices, at least to all appearances perceived with the ear. As in the case of apparitions there are two kinds of spirit-voices, those heard by all present, and those heard only by single in- dividuals in an assembly. The former kind occurs frequently with physical mediums, usually during more stormy seances, and has a close resemblance to so-called Poltergeist phenomena. We shall content ourselves with referring to Mr. Koons' pre-Adamite spirits who were wont to deliver speeches through a horn or a trumpet or confidentially to whisper in the ears of the sitters.^ It would be of no particular interest to describe this kind of performance in detail. The latter kind has a certain resemblance to appari- tions of phantoms, but occurs more rarely than these. It is found mainly in connection with psychic medium- ship; thus Mrs. Thompson occasionally perceives ex- ternal voices, which are not heard by those in her presence.^ A certain lady, we are told by Mr. Myers, "^ could hear human voices and musical sounds by holding a shell to her ear. See p. 22. ' Proceedings, 8. P. R., xvii : 70. ' Proceedings, 8. P. R., viii : 492. CHAPTER IV. Psychical Phenomena. The purely psychical phenomena of Spiritism may he defined as internal, intelligent and immediate mani- festations apparently of an occult agency, directly ex- pressed by the recipient. We call them internal be- cause, in so far as they have a source outside the recipi- ent, they are not conveyed to him through the channels of sense-perception; they are intelligent, because they convey an intelligent message, as it were from an in- telligent being outside the recipient to the mind of the recipient, or they even sometimes show an actual usurpation on the part of the outside intelligence of the control over certain faculties of the recipient naturally exercised by his own will. Finally, they are immediate in so far as they require — to all appearances — no medium of transmission between their apparent out- side source and the recipient. Their only outward ap- pearance consists in the expression given to them by the external faculties of the recipient. The phenomena reduce themselves to a few closely allied groups which we shall describe under the head- ings apparitions, automatic speaking and writing, and crystal gazing. It should be noted that they are not peculiar to Spiritism, for in their essential aspects they are ancient, varying in form and appearance as from time to time they have emerged upon the field of hmnan experience. To a certain extent they are recognized in Mesmerism and especially in the life of Emanuel Swedenborg, and they are exhibited in quarters which disclaim any connection in their regard with spirits. We shall present here only such phenomena as are more commonly observed among spiritistic mediums. Psychical Phenomena 91 1. Apparitions. Collective apparitions of more im- material looking phantoms belong to the rare phenom- ena of the seance-room. In dealing with materializa- tion we stated the difficulty in determining whether in- dividual cases of this kind of apparitions should be re- ferred to as physical or as psychical phenomena. Of course, the difficulty lies in determining- — on the face of the phenomenon — whether it should be thought to exhibit an objective reality, or whether it should rather be regarded as a subjective reality — a hallucination in- duced from some source or other. The difficulty is naturally lessened when the apparition is seen by only a minority in the company.^ We shall present here two cases from Crookes' experiments with D. D. Home, which might be classified under either heading." "In the dusk of the evening, during a sea7icc with Mr. Home at my house, the curtains of a window about eight feet from Mr. Home were seen to move. A dark, shadowy, semi-transparent form, like that of a man, was then seen by all present standing near the window, waving the curtain with his hand. As we looked, the form faded away and the curtains ceased to move." "The following is a still more striking instance. As in the former case, Mr. Home was the medium. A phantom form came from a corner of the room, took an accordion in its hand, and then glided about the room playing the instrument. The form was visible to all present for many minutes, Mr. Home also being seen at the same time. Coming rather close to a lady who ^ Certain phantoms of the Palladino seances were seen by a minority, but it should be noted that they could be seen by anybody looking from a particular part of the seance-room. This fact we think would indicate their real objectivity, and that they were visible only from certain parts of the room. We have consequently classified these phenomena as physical. ^ "Researches, etc.," p. 94. 92 Psychical Phenomena was sitting apart from the rest of the company, she gave a sHght cry, upon which it vanished." Another example of collective apparition occurred in the house of Mr. Z. where W. L. had been in service as butler for half a year. During this time he on several occasions had seen a certain ghost dressed in brown gar- ments with two tassels at the side. One evening Mr. and Mrs. Z. with a few friends tried table-turning, and W. L. entering the room in which they were sitting again saw the same ghost. "The spirit communicating through the table then promised to appear at 11 p. m. one evening in the drawing-room, and W. L. was re- quested to be present. The gas was turned low and the drawing-room door left open. As the clock struck 11, 'it' walked slowly in." The dress was the same as seen by W. L. before, apparently of Japanese flowered silk. "The face was haggard-looking, with a long thin nose; the hair fair and hanging over the shoulders." When the gas was turned on the phantom disappeared. Later it indicated to W. L. a spot in the cellar where a treasure was hidden. Investigation failed, however, to reveal the treasure. Among the seven persons present only three saw the figure which appeared at the seances on four separate occasions.^ Individual apparitions are sometimes seen by mediums, both physical and psychical. This was often the case with Moses, and we have already related how in connection with the production of "fairy bells" he saw the spirit "Grocyn making the sounds; he stood point- ing at the table, and as he pointed the sound was made." He also saw the spirit of Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, who benevolently produced his autograph with pencil and paper. ^ Podmore, "Studies, etc.," pp. 314-315. Psychical Phenomena 93 Mrs. Thompson/ the famous psychic, frequently sees spirits standing in the room, who sometimes, though not always, indicate their identity. At times these figures form life-size scenes. Thus, on a certain oc- casion, a glove-fight witnessed by Frederic Myers' son at Eaton was partially reproduced by figures ap- pearing behind him. 2. Auto7natic speaking and writing constitute by far the most important and interesting of the psychical phenomena. Both usually occur in trance, in which state apparently other personalities than the normal waking medium control his body and use his organs of speech or employ his hand for writing, thereby showing knowledge of facts which the medium could not have obtained by ordinary means. The phenomena in ques- tion are of the utmost importance not only as being the chief means of alleged communication with the de- parted, but, above all, as constituting the channels through which the spiritistic revelation is given to the world. W. Stainton-Moses while in trance would deliver spoken messages purporting to come from spirits. These were taken down usually by Dr. Spear, who al- most constantly was present at his seances. His auto- matic writing for the most part took place in the wak- ing state, and for a description we shall refer to the fol- lowing quotation from his "Spirit Teachings:"^ "Automatic writing is a well-known method of com- munication with the invisible world of what we loosely call spirit. I use that word as the most intelligible to my readers, though I am well aware that I shall be told that I ought not to apply any such term to many of the unseen beings who communicate with earth, of ^ F. W. H. Myers in Proceedings, 8. P. R., xvii:70. ^ See Preface to that work. 94 Psychical Phenomena whom we hear much and often as being the reliquiae of humanity, the shells of what were once men. It is no part of my business to enter into this ghost question. My interlocutors call themselves spirits, perhaps be- cause I so call them, and spirits they are to me for my present purposes." He then goes on to tell how messages began to be written a year after his introduction to Spiritism, and how automatic writing has great advantages over other forms of messages, as being quicker and leaving a per- manent record. He procured a pocket book which, for this purpose, he always carried with him. He con- tinues : "I soon found that writing flowed more easily when I used a book that was permeated with the psychic aura ; just as raps were more easily heard on a table that has been frequently used for the purpose, and as phenomena occur most readily in the medium's own room." "At first the writing was very small and irregular, and it was necessary for me to write slowly and cautiously, and to watch the hand, following the lines with my eye In a short time, however, I found that I could dispense with these precautions. The writing, while becoming more and more minute, became at the same time very regular and beautifully formed. . . . . The answers to my questions (written at the top of the page) were paragraphed and arranged as if for the press, and the name of God was always written in capitals and slowly, and, as it seemed, reverentially. The subject matter was always of a pure and elevated chai'acter, much of it being of personal application, in- tended for my own guidance and direction. I may say that throughout the whole of these written communica- tions there is no flippant message, no at- tempt at jest, no vulgarity or incongruity, no false or misleading statement, so far as I know or could dis- cover; nothing incompatible with the avowed object, Psychical Phenomena 95 again and again repeated, of instruction, enlightenment, and guidance by spirits fitted for the task." The various controlhng spirits showed their indi- viduahty in handwriting as well as in literary style. Moses says, "I could tell at once who was writing by the mere characteristics of the caligraphy." When spirits appeared who were unable to produce script they em- ployed "Rector" as an intermediary. "The circumstances under which the messages were written were infinitely varied. As a rule it was neces- sar}^ that I should be isolated, and the more passive my mind the more easy the communications. But I have received messages under all sorts of conditions." .... "It is an interesting subject for speculation. Whether my own thoughts entered into the subject mat- ter of the communications, I took extraordinary pains to prevent any such admixture. At first the writing was slow, and it was necessary for me to follow it with my eye, but even then the thoughts were not my thoughts. Very soon the messages assumed a character of which I had no doubt whatever that the thought was opposed to my own. But I cultivated the power of occupying my mind with other things during the time that the writ- ing was going on, and was able to read an abstruse book, and follow out a line of close reasoning while the message was written with unbroken regularity. Mes- sages so written extended over many pages, and in their course there is no correction, no fault in composition, and often a sustained vigor and beauty of style." The mass of ideas contained in the writing not only conveyed opinions opposed to those of Mr. Moses, but clear and definite information regarding things un- known to him. He could not command the writing, but had to follow impulses. "Where the messages were in regular course," he writes, "I was accustomed to devote the first hour of each day to sitting for their reception. I rose early, and the beginning of the day was spent. 96 Psychical Phenomena in a room that I used for no other purpose, in what was to all intents and purposes a religious service. These writings frequently came then, but I could by no means reckon upon them." The following is an account of "Rector" quoting from a book unknown to Mr. Moses : ^ Q. Can you read? A. "No, friend, I can not, but Zachary Gray can, and Rector. I am not able to materialize myself, or to command the elements." Q. Are either of those spirits here? A. "I will bring one by and by. I will send .... Rector is here." Q. I am told you can read. Is that so? Can you read a book? A. (Spirit handwriting changed.) "Yes, friend, with difficulty." Q. Will you write for me the last line of the first book of the JEneid? A. "Wait — Omnibus errantem terris et fluctibus aestas." (This was right.) Q. Quite so. But I might have known it. Can you go to the book case, take the last book but one on the second shelf, and read me the last paragraph of the ninety-fourth page ? I have not seen it and do not even know its name. A. "I will curtly prove by a short historical narra- tive, that Popery is a novelty and has gradually arisen or grown up since the primitive and pure time of Chris- tianity, not only since the apostolic age, but even since the lamentable union of kirk and state by Constantine." (The book on examination proved to be a queer one called ''Roger's Antipopopriestian, an attempt to liberate and purify Christianity from Popery, Politi- ^ Proceedings, 8. P. R., xi: 106-107. Psychical Phenomena 97 kirkality, and Priestrule." The extract given above was accurate, but the word "narrative" substituted for "account.") Q. How came I to pitch upon so appropriate a sentence ? A. "I know not, my friend. It was by coincident. The word was changed by error. I knew it when it was done, but would not change." Q. How do you read? You wrote more slowly, and by fits and starts. A. "I wrote what I remembered, and then I went for more. It is a special effort to read, and useful only as a test. Your friend was right last night; we can read, but only when conditions are very good. We will read once again, and write and then impress you of the book: — 'Pope is the last great writer of that school of poetry, the poetry of the intellect, or rather of the in- tellect mingled with fancy.' That is truly written. Go and take the eleventh book on the same shelf. (I took a book called "Poetry, Romance, and Rhetoric") It will open at the page for you. Take it and read, and recognize our power, and the permission which the great and good God gives us, to show you of our power over matter. To Him be glory. Amen." (The book opened at page 14.5, and there was the quotation perfectly true. I had not seen the book be- fore; certainly had no idea of its contents.) It is to be remembered that Rector often constitutes the intermediary through whom other spirits purport to communicate. Mr. Moses was satisfied with the identity of many of these spirits, proof of which he sets forth in his "Spirit Identity" published in 1879.' Out of the great mass of script we quote the following case which ^ See Proceedings, 8. P. R., xi : 69 et seq. 98 Psychical Phenomena was described by Mr. Moses to Edmund Gurney and Frederic Myers, while it was still fresh, on their first meeting with him in 1874/ "On the evening of April 8th, 1874, while at Bedford with his father and mother, Mr. Moses, who had been receiving messages about ancient religions during the day, began to ask a question. 'I should 1 ,' when a meaningless drawing was made in place of intended words." Q. What is all that? And why was I stopped? A. "A spirit wishes to communicate, and we are commanded to permit her. She is not able to write with ease, but will communicate through us. Her name is Fanny Westoby. Do you know the name?" Q. I do not remember. A. "Your mother knows her well. She is a cousin of hers. She passed from your earth May 15th last." Q. Was she married? A. "Yes, her maiden name was Kirkham." Q. Fanny Kirkham. Yes, I have a dim remem- brance. She used to live at Markby. A. "She says that she was born in Alford, in the house now occupied by Sam Stevenson. She then lived at Markby, and, having married, at Belchford. She passed away at Horncastle, at 63 years of age. You do not remember her, when, in the year 1845, you went to see her at Markby. Her mother, Elizabeth Kirkham, was then just released from a lingering illness, and your mother had gone to condole with her cousin. You were taken round the farm, and rode on a goat (she is anxious on this point), and she threw you in sport into a heap of wheat which was being threshed. The result was that you were severely bitten by the harvest bug. She is very anxious that you should recall this to your mother." ^ Book VIII, pp. 78-83; cfr. Myers, "Human Personality," vol. II, pp. 599-600. Psychical Phenomena 99 Q. I will. But is it wise? A. "You will not be able to induce her to search into this matter, but you may satisfy yourself that what is said is true." Q. Has she any message? A. "She says, 'I lost much of my opportunity for progress through the gratification of bodily appetite, which cast me back. My course of progress is yet to come. I find my present life not very different from yours. I am nearly the same. I wish I could influence Mary, but I can't get near her.' " Q. Can she assure me that she is F. W.? A. "She can give you no further evidence. Stay, ask your father about Donnington and the trap-door." Q. I have not the least idea what she means. All the better. I will ask. Any more? Is she happy? A. "She is as happy as may be in her present state." Q. How did she find me out? A. "She came by chance, hovering near her friend {i. e., Mrs. Moses), and discovered that she could com- municate. She will return now." Q. Can I help her? A. "Yes, pray. She and all of us are helped when you devote your talents willingly to aid us." Q. What do you mean? A. "In advocating and advancing our mission with care and judgment. Then we are permeated with joy. May the Supreme bless you." "+Rector." The exact particulars of the communication as re- lating to Fanny Westoby and the trap-door were veri- fied by Mr. and Mrs. Moses, and her death was also verified in the Register of Deaths. A rather striking message received bj^ Mr. Moses is related by Frederic Myers ^ whose knowledge of the ^ "Human Personality," vol. II, pp. 230-2.34, and Proceedings, 8. P. R., xi:96 et seq. 100 Psychical Phenomena soi-disant communicator and of incidents in the case renders it the more interesting. At the death of Mr. Moses one of his MS. books marked "Private Matter" was placed in Myers' hands. The pages were gummed down and when opening them he found a brief piece of writing entirely characteristic of a certain person of his former acquaintance whom he designated as 'Lady Abercromby,' and who had died some twenty-five years previously. This note was found to form the conclusion of a series of writing signed by Mentor and Rector and beginning with some obscure drawings, apparently representing the flight of a bird. The communication began in answer to a written question as to the meaning of the drawings: A. "It is a spirit who has but just quitted the body. Blanche Abercromby in the flesh. I have brought her. No more. M." No further reply was given. There was a note indi- cating that the message had been received on a certain Sunday night about midnight. On the following Mon- day morning the message was continued : Q. I wish for information about last night. Is that true? Was it Mentor? A. "Yes, good friend, it was Mentor, who took pity on a spirit that was desirous to reverse former errors. She desires us to say so. She was ever an inquiring spirit, and was called suddenly from your earth. She will rest anon. One more proof has been now given of continuity of existence. Be thankful and meditate with prayer. Seek not more now, but cease. We do not wish you to ask any questions now. +I:S:D:X Rector." A week later more script appeared in which the con- ditions causing the presence of spirits was discussed. This is also signed by Rector. And a few days later the Ps 11 chic at Phenomena lOi writing which first drew JNIyers' attention, and which ex- hibited the handwriting of 'Lady Abercromby:' A. "A spirit who has before communicated will write for you herself. She will then leave you, having given the evidence that is required." "I should much like to speak more with you, but it is not permitted. I know but little yet. I have much, much to learn. — Blanche Abercromby." "It is like my writing as evidence to you." First it must be noted that Moses hardly knew the lady in question, having met her only at a few seances. He could have had no knowledge of her death which oc- curred about 200 miles from London in the afternoon the same Sunday on which the first script appeared, and was announced for the first time in the following Mon- day's Times. Her handwriting was clearly recognized by Myers, and its identity and that of the script veri- fied by her son and others. We shall now pass to Mrs. Piper's automatic utter- ances and script as being fairly typical of the best pro- duction of automatism. She will fall into a trance for the duration of which she is "controlled" apparently by other intelligences than her own normal waking Self, and these utilize her bodily organs of speech or employ her hand for writing, showing a knowledge which is beyond what she could obtain by ordinary means. Furthermore, they present themselves as distinct per- sonalities purporting to be the spirits of departed hu- man beings speaking from their own memory and ex- perience or conveying messages from friends of the sitters, now departed from earthly life and living in the beyond. Phinuit, Mrs. Piper's earliest control, exclusively em- ployed her voice for his communications. While in con- trol he would most vividly exhibit his own personality, not only in style of language which was that of a French- 102 Psychical Phenomena man speaking Efnglish, but also in voice which was his own and not that of the normal Mrs. Piper. The trance-utterances, then, distinctly belong to Phinuit — be he spirit, secondary personality, or a manifestation of ]Mrs. Piper's subliminal self — and will consequently be. referred to as his, not the medium's. The sitters were usually, in so far as could be as- certained, previously unknown to Mrs. Piper, and they were never introduced to her by their real names, and consequently, at least during first sittings, it would be impossible for her to draw on ordinary sources of in- formation. The seance would usually take the form of a dialogue between Phinuit and the sitter in which he would make mention of the latter's relatives and friends, and answer questions regarding them. Often he would enumerate the various members of the sitter's family, give an account of their full name and relationship, their character, features, dress, occupation and inci- dents in their life. There would be information regard- ing the living as well as those departed, in both cases given with equal vividness, accuracy and copiousness of detail. Phinuit would act as a narrator, and only in rare cases would he give place to some one departed al- lowing him or her to speak through his medium. He would tell of the present condition of the departed — what they now looked like, wherewith they were oc- cupied, whether they were happy and so forth. At times the statements were perfectly clear, and given in a straight-forward manner without hesitation, and this especially when a letter from or an object which had been in possession of or in contact with the subject under discussion was presented to Phinuit, who would hold it against his medium's forehead. Some state- ments, on the other hand, were rather confused, and while making them he would allow himself considerable fishing. Again, some statements would be correct even in detail, while others in certain details or even as to their Psychical Phenoinena 103 whole substance were found quite incorrect and some- times unintelligible.^ The G. P., or George Pelham, control^ which intro- duced writing in the place of speaking, appeared in 1892. The person designated by this assumed name was a young lawyer well known to Dr. Hodgson, who had used to discuss with him questions of philosophy, and especially that of the possibility of future life which G. P. could not accept. Before his death in 1892, which was known by Hodgson a few days after it occurred, he had held one single sitting with Mrs. Piper, at which he presented himself incognito. She could not very well have known him through other ordinary sources. Four or five weeks after G. P.'s death John Hart^ held sittings with Mrs. Piper in the course of which Phinuit exclaimed: "There is another George who wants to speak to you — how many Georges are there about you anyhow?" The 'other George' purported to be G. P., and gave his and John Hart's names correctly, and also mentioned the name of persons who had been G. P.'s friends in his short earth life. One of the pair of studs worn by John Hart was given to Phinuit and the following conversation en- sued, Phinuit speaking for G. P. :^ J. H. "Who gave them to me?" G. P. "That's mine. I gave you that part of it. I sent that to you." J. H. "When?" G. P. "Before I came here. That's mine. Mother gave you that." J. H. "No." G. P. "Well, father then. Father and mother to- gether. You got those after I passed out. Mother 'See Hodgson in Proceedings, S. P. R., vi:436-650; viii:l-67; xiii:284- 295; 413-582. ^See Hodgson in Proceedings, S. P. R., xiii: 295-582. ' Assumed name. * Proceedings, 8. P. R., xiii: 297. 104 Psychical Phenomena took them. Gave them to father, and father gave them to you. I want you to keep them. I will them to you." Mr. Hart notes that the studs were sent to him by G. P.'s father, and that he afterwards ascertained that they had been taken from G. P.'s body by his step- mother, who suggested that they should be sent to him. James and Mary Howard, two intimate friends of G. P., were mentioned with strongly personal specific references, and G. P. gave a message to their daughter Katherine: "Tell her, she'll know. I will solve the problems, Katherine." Later Mr. Hart explained that the message at the time was quite meaningless to him, but that he subsequently learned from James Howard that G. P. frequently had used to talk with Katherine on such subjects as Time, Space, God and Eternity, pointing out to her how unsatisfactory commonly ac- cepted solutions were.^ A few weeks after the appearance of G. P., sittings were held with the Howards, who were not predisposed to take an interest in such matters but had been per- suaded b}^ Mr. Hart to give Mrs. Piper a trial. We quote from Mr. Howard's notes taken during the first sitting on April 11th, 1892," G. P. apparently con- trolling the voice directly: G. P. "Jim, is that you? Speak to me quick. I am not dead. Don't think me dead. I am awfully glad to see you. Can't you see me? Don't you hear me? Give my love to my father and tell him I want to see him. I am happy here, and more so since I find I can com- municate with you. I pity those people who can't speak I want you to know I think of you still. I spoke to John about some letters. I left things terribly mixed, my books and my papers; you will for- give me for this, won't you? . . . ." ^Proceedings, S. P. R., xiii: 297-298. ' Ibid., pp. 300 et seq. Psychical Phenomena 105 (What do you do, George, where are you?) G. P. "I am scarcely able to do anything yet; I am just awakened to the reality of life after death. It was like darkness. I could not distinguish anything at first. Darkest hour just before dawn, you know that, Jim. I was puzzled, confused. Shall have an occupation soon. Now I can see you, my friends. I can hear you speak. Your voice, Jim, I can distinguish with your accent and articulation, but it sounds like a big bass drum. Mine would sound to you like the faintest whisper " (Were you not surprised to find yourself living?) G. P. "Perfectly so. Greatly surprised I did not believe in a future life. It was beyond my reasoning powers. Now it is as clear to me as daylight. We have an astral fac-simile of the material body .... Jim, what are you writing now?" (Nothing of any importance.) G. P. "Why don't you write about this?" (I would like to, but the expression of my opinions would be nothing. I must have facts.) G. P. "These I will give to you and to Hodgson if he is still interested in these things." (Will people know about this possibility of com- munication?) G. P. "They are sure to in the end. It is only a question of time when people in the material body will know all about it, and every one will be able to com- municate I want all the fellows to know about me .... Here follow references to several friends, to a tin box containing letters and so on. Finally G. P. was asked two questions: What was the purpose of the as- sociation he had formed two years ago with Miss Helen Vance and two other ladies, and, who were the two ladies in question. G. P. appeared confused and gave wrong; answers. But Phinuit now seemed to have 106 Psychical Phenomena taken control of the voice. As regards references to persons, incidents, characters, etc., in the preceding dialogue, they were, in so far as could be ascertained, correct.^ Mr. Howard, although deeply impressed with the feeling that he had communicated with the departed G. P., remained unconvinced until the eleventh sitting held towards the end of December the same year, when he asked for some convincing proof in form of some- thing known to him and G. P. alone. Mrs. Piper was in deep trance, her body inert and lifeless with exception of the right hand, which was writing persistently and fiercely in answer to Mr. Howard's request. Mr. Hodgson, who was taking notes, makes the following comment : " "Several statements were read by me, and assented to by Mr. Howard, and then was written 'private' and the hand gently pushed me away. I retired to the other side of the room, and Mr. Howard took my place close to the hand where he could read the writing. He did not, of course, read it aloud, and it was too private for my perusal. The hand, as it reached the end of each sheet, tore it off from the block book, and thrust it wildly at Mr. Howard, and then continued writing. The circumstances narrated, Mr. Howard informed me, contained precisely the kind of test for which he had asked, and he said that he was 'perfectly satisfied, per- fectly.' After this incident there was some further conversation with reference to the past that seemed specially natural as coming from G. P." In order to test G. P.'s power to see things on earth some experiments were made among which were the following: G. P. was asked to visit Mrs. Howard in her home and report what she was doing, it having been previously arranged between her and Dr. Hodg-t ^Proceedings, S. P. R., xii:302. ^Proceedings, 8. P. R., xiii:322. Psychical Phenomena 107 son that she should do various fantastic things. G. P. reported through Phinuit speaking : ^ "She's writing, and taken some violets and put them in a book. And it looks as if she's writing that to my mother Who is Tyson .... Davis .... I saw her (Mrs. Howard) sitting in the chair. By George! I've seen that fellow (the sitter) somewhere (touching face) (Why, George, you know me) sitting before a little desk or table. Took little book, opened it, wrote letter he thinks to his mother. Saw her take a little bag and put some things in it belonging to him, placed the photograph beside her on the desk. That's her. Sent a letter to TASON (Tyson?) TYSON." . . . . "She hunted a little while for her picture, sketching. He is certain that the letter is to his mother. She took one of George's books and turned it over and said: 'George, are you here? Do you see that?' These were the very words. Then she turned and went up a short flight of stairs. Took things from a drawer, came back again, sat down to the desk, and then finished the letter." A statement was sent to Mrs. Howard, who in a letter to Dr. Hodgson - affirms that she had done none of the things on the day of the seance, but all of them during the previous day and a half, and that nearly all the de- tails of the description were minutely accurate. The death of Mr. Edmund Gurney, which occurred in 1888, ushered in a new phase in Mrs. Piper's auto- matic communications. Shortly after his death mes- sages purporting to come from him were received by another automatist, and the following year by Mrs. Piper. Later the Edmund Gurney control appeared in the script of other mediums as did also those of Pro- fessor Sidgwick, Mr. Frederic Myers and Dr. Hodgson subsequent upon their death. ^Proceedings, S. P. R., xiii:305 et seq. 'Proceedings, 8. P. R., xiii: 306-307. 108 Psychical Phenomena We shall sufficiently refer to these communications in our chapter on Spirit Identity and shall make no further mention of them in this place. The most interesting development in automatic script is found in cross-correspondence, consisting of independent references to the same topic occurring at about the same time in the script of two or more autom- atists sometimes separated by very long distances. In the better cases the statements of one automatist is no mere reproduction of those of another or others, but represent different references to one and the same idea, so written that while in themselves they are often quite unintelligible, when taken together they are found to complement one the other and thus to form a coherent and intelligible statement. The different parts of the correspondence are sometimes distributed over a con- siderable space of time and in separate trances. We shall here present two examples which will be discussed in a later chapter. The "Ave Roma Immortalis" cross-correspondence occurred between the 2d and 7th of March, 1916, the automatists being Mrs. Verrall and Mrs. Holland. The script reads as follows.^ Mrs. VerralVs script on March "2d, 1006. Non tali auxilio invenies quod velis non tali auxilio nee defensoribus istis. Keep the two distinct — you do not hear — write regularly — give up other things. Primus inter pares ipse non nominis immemor. Cum eo f rater etsi non sanguine animo con- sanguineus ii ambo tibi per aliam vocem mittent — post aliquot dies bene quod dicam comprehendere potes — usque ad illud vale. ^Proceedings, 8. P. R., xxi:297 et seq. Psychical Phenomena 109 Mrs. VerralVs script on March 4th, 1906. Pagan and Pope. The Stoic persecutor and the Christian. Gregory not Basil's friend ought to be a clue, but you have it not quite right. Pagan and Pope and Reformer all enemies as you think. Crux significationem habet. Crucifer qui olim fertur. The standard-bearer is the link. Mrs. VerralVs script on March oth, 1906. Leonis pelle sumpto claviger in scriptis iam antea bene denotatus. Corrigenda sunt quaedam. Ask your husband, he knows it well. Stant inde columnae relicta Calpe iam finis. No you have left out something. Assiduo lectore columnae ( f ractae ) . Mrs. Verrall had recognized the reference to the ^neid ("Non tali auxilio" — the vain defence of Troy against the Greeks ) but the rest had no meaning to her. Dr. Verrall, to whom she showed the script on March 2nd^ said that he saw a connection between the two Latin passages but did not tell what connection. On seeing the script of March 4th he said that the same in- tention was conveyed by "Pagan and Pope, etc." On March 11th a copy of extracts of Mrs. Holland's script of March 7th arrived containing the words "Ave Roma Immortalis. How could I make it any clearer without giving her the clue!"' which Dr. Verrall said ap- plied appropriately to the same thing. He then told his wife what he considered the script to allude to, being Raphael's picture of Attila meeting with Pope Leo.^ ^ Miss Johnson gives the following description of the picture : "The picture is the well-known one in the Stanza d'Eliodoro in the Vatican. The Pope sits on a white palfrey, a cross-bearer riding on his left and cardinals on his right. Attila on a black horse is in the middle of the picture, with a standard-bearer in the background on his right 110 Psychical Phenomena The "Sesame and Lilies" incident introduces the Mac family, the five members of which had been practicing planchette writing. The reading of Myers' "Human Personality" increased their interest in the practice, which now gave results in better writing and in new controls. In June, 1908, they read Miss Johnson's re- port on Mrs. Holland's script,^ and on July 19th a "Sidgwick" control appeared in their script. Mrs. Verrall's name also appeared. On September 23d they made themselves known in a letter to Mrs. Verrall. In this letter the following script, which occurred on July 27th, 1908, was inclosed:^ "Sidgwick. News from the Orient (Drawing of rose) Roses — dew-kissed — R. S. Sidgwick. Sesame and lilies — lotus the flower of repentance. Sidgwick. Vanity of vanities, all is vanity. A little love and then the joy fades and the rose is crumpled and wither ( s ) up — fane. (Automatists ask, 'What is that?') French ('fane'). Bleeding hearts can not be staunched and the voice of death echoes through the brain with palling monotony — Sidgwick. Hollow and mortal vain is life without a meaning." This script, all from the Sidgwick control, has refer- ence to four topics, each forming the subject of cross- correspondence with other automatists, viz. :^ 1. "News from the Orient" refers to cross-corre- spondence between Mrs. Piper, Mrs. Holland and Mrs. Verrall under title "Light in the West." and a group of mounted Huns beyond. St. Peter and St. Paul are de- scending from the sky, both bearing swords, and St. Peter also holding a large key or keys in' his left hand. In the background is seen the city of Rome^ with the Coliseum and aqueducts." (Op. cit., p. 229.) ^Proceedings, B. P. R., xxi:26tj et seq. ' Ibid., p. 269. » Ibid. PsycJiical Phenomena 111 2. "Sesame and Lilies" refers to Miss Verrall's script of March 17th, 1907, and to that of Miss Verrall between July 20th and September 1st, 1908. 3. "Vanity of vanities" refers to Miss Verrall's script beginning June 1st, 1908. 4. "Bleeding hearts," etc., refers to Miss Verrall's script of March 16th, 1908, a stanza from one of Victor Hugo's poems. A description of the whole script in its connections would here be too lengthy and we shall confine our- selves to the "Sesame and Lilies" incident. We shall mention the script in chronological order. A. Miss Verrall's script of March 17th, 1908} "Alexander's tomb quinque et viginti annos post urbem conditam with fire and sword to purge the altar not without grief laurel leaves are emblem laurel for the victor's brow Say not the struggle nought availeth Sesame and lilies arum lilies When the darkness on the quiet land Scarlet tulips all in a row." The words "laurel" and "wreath" occur in Mrs. Ver- rall's script of February 6th, 1907." Analyzing Miss Verrall's script we find : 1. Laurel leaves and laurel wreath. 2. Clough's poem, "Say not the struggle nought availeth." 3. Sesame and Lilies. B. Miss Macs script July 19th, 1908.^ "Where is the little blue vase with the lilies that grow by Sharon's dewy rose .... Search the Scriptures, and the dust shall be con- verted into fine gold." ^ Proceedings, 8. P. R., xxii : 99. 2 Ibid., pp. 97-98. ^Proceedings, /S'. P. R., xxiv:273. 112 Psychical Phenomena C. Mrs. VerralVs script July 20th, 1908} contains reference to the Clough poem. D. Mm Mac's scnpt July 26th, 1908.^ "A blue book bound in blue leather with ended paper and gold tooling." E. Miss Mac's script July 27th, 1908.^ "Sidgwick. Sesame and lilies — lotus the flower of repentance." F. Miss Mac's script July 29th, 1908.^ The "Evans" control says that Mr. Sidgwick is anxious to get a message through the automatists to Mrs. Verrall and was trying to do it now. G. 31iss Verrall's script August 12th, 1908.^ "praeterita rediviva O mors, O labies Araby the perfumes of Araby H. Mrs. Verrall's script August 19th, 1908.^ "Let your hand go loose — let the words come. It is a literary allusion that should come to-day. Think of the words Liliastrum Paradise — Liliago — no not that. Lilies of Eden — Lilith no Eve's lilies all in a garden fair. Try again. Lilies swaying in a wind Under a garden wall Lilies for the bees to find Lilies fair and tall. Then besides the Lilies there is to be another word for vou and for her Lilies and a different word — ^Proceedings, *S'. P. R., xxiv:268. * Ibid., p. 273. « Ibid., p. 2(59. * Ibid., p. 270. "Ibid., p. 3l;3. Mrs. Verrall saw this script Sept. 1, 1908. 'Ibid. Miss Verrall saw this script on Sept. 1, 1908. Psychical Pheno7nena 113 So that lilies is the catchword to show what words are to be put together. And your second word is gold, think of the golden lilies of France. You will have to wait some time for the end of this story, for the solution of this puzzle — but I think there is no doubt of its ultimate success. Yours." I. Miss Verrall's script August 19th, 1908} "Blue and gold were the colours golden stars on a blue ground like a night sky — the brimming goblet the eagles prey cupbearer to Zeus himself, but it availed him nothing when the peril came . . . ." J. Miss Verrall's script August 22d, 1908.'- "Unto this last that was the message to be given. The cross and sceptre the double symbol temporal and spiritual but the cross was first. Who said 'I will go before that ye may see the track.' It was in the cemetery where the lilies grow — a view over the hills — blue hills — in love with death. Note that the words are a clue. But you have no but you have not yet written the most important of all. But do not hurry or guess let it come of itself. Is not there a change this time. You should consider what it was that made you feel what no (drawing of lyre without strings). An oriel window beautifully traced the Western light shines through. F. W. H. M. " K. Miss Mac's script, September, 1908. 1st — Script of July to be sent to Mrs. Verrall. 13th — Above repeated. 18th — Script to be sent by September 26th. * Op. cit., p. 314. Mrs. Verrall say this script on Sept. 1, 1908. ^ Ibid. Mrs. Verrall saw this script on Sept. 1, 1908. 114 Psychical Phenomena If we begin with E we read "Sesame and Lilies," which is the title of one of Ruskin's books, originating in two lectures given in Manchester in 1864. The lec- tures were called "Sesame: of Kings' Treasuries" and "Lilies: of Queens' Gardens." In the first edition each lecture has a Greek motto, Sesame having prefixed Job xxviii:5-6 ("Out of it cometh bread and . . . . dust of gold"), and Lilies Canticles ii:2 ("As the Lily among thorns, so is my love . . . ."). This edition was bound in brown cloth. Later editions, bound in blue and gold, had other mottoes. The B script may well be considered to refer to the mottoes in the first edition and the D script evidently refers to the later editions bound in blue leather and gold. We have, then, in Miss Mac's script an allusion to Ruskin's "Sesame and Lilies." If we now turn to Mrs. Verrall's script, H refers to a literary allusion "which is to come to-day." Then "lilies" is referred to as the catchword which of course indicates cross-correspondence, and would connect with Miss Mac's script B and E. "Lihes" is to be the first word in the answer, the second is gold — which fits in with "Sesame: of Kings' Treasuries." We shall not en- large upon the various connections to be found between the two scripts. But if H is understood to refer to "Sesame and Lilies," the rest of the answer becomes clear. In G Miss Verrall writes "praeterita rediviva." Praeterita is the name of another of Ruskin's books, as is also Unto this Last, which occurs in her script in J. In his preface to the edition of 1882 Ruskin says of Sesame and Lilies that "if read in connection with Unto this Last, it contains the chief truths I have en- deavored through all my past life to display." This somewhat chimes in with praeterita rediviva! Psychical Phenomena 115 3. Crystal gazing is by no means proper to Spiritism. It is an ancient art which has been found among the customs of Assyria, Persia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, China, Japan and India, North American Indians, African tribes and the Incas, and is still in vogue among the Shamans of Siberia and Eastern Russia, the Polynesians, Australian savages, and so on. It received perhaps its highest development under di- rection of Doctor John Dee of the Elizabethan period, whose "shew-stone" has been perserved in the British museum, and of whom Hudibras says : ^ "I've read Dee's prefaces before, The Devil and Euclid o'er and o'er. And all the intrigues 'twixt him and Kelly, Lescus and the Emperor would tell ye, Kelly did all his feats upon The Devil's looking-glass, a stone; Where playing with him at Bo Peep He solved all problems ne'er so deep." His "scyrer," Kelly, not only could see spirits in the stone, but also hear them talk, and he often kept long conversations with them. Sometimes writing was seen in place of spirits. Since his time the practice of crystal gazing has been carried on in England and else- where and has simply been adopted by the Spiritists.^ The practice consists in looking fixedly into a crystal enveloped in a dark cloth or otherwise so arranged that it will return the least possible reflection. Instead of a crystal, a vessel containing clear water or some other clear liquid, a steel mirror, water in springs, etc., can be used. It is necessary that there should be nothing to distract the "scyrer," and consequently solitude and mental passivity are to be strongly recommended. A ^Part II, canto 3. - See Andrew Lang, "T/ie Making of Religion," pp. 90 et seq., and "Recent Experiments in Crystal Vision" by anonymous lady in Pro- ceedings, 8. P. R., v: 490-504. 116 Psychical Phenomena surface reflecting the images of surrounding objects would not fulfill this requirement, and it is for this rea- son that the crystal should be enveloped in black cloth or otherwise protected. In gazing into the crystal the "scyrer" must avoid fatigue no less than distraction. After the lapse often of about ten minutes a clouding is seen in the crystal, which will dissolve and give room for some figure. At times several figures and scenes will appear dramatically representing events. Again script will take the place of figures and scenes. Mrs. Verrall in describing crystal visions says^ that they are unlike all other visual impressions which she has received, mentioning mental pictures, faces in the fire, shapes in the clouds and spontaneous impressions of persons or scenes. The difference between a picture in the crystal and a mental picture is quite marked but difficult to describe. She states: "I believe that with me the crystal picture is built up from the bright points in the crj^stal, as they sometimes enter into it; but the picture, when once produced, has a reality which I have never been able to obtain when looking into the fire or trying to call up an imaginary scene with my eyes shut." Her visions include animals, human figures, common ob- jects, geometrical figures, written words, scenes and fanciful groups or scenes. Movement occurs not infrequently in the pictiu'cs, and so does change. By movement she means altera- tion within the same picture, whereas change signifies that the whole picture undergoes alteration and is suc- ceeded by another. She adduces the following two ex- amples of movement and change respectively: "Landscape, large piece of still water in evening light, beyond it mountains and hills, two snowy peaks, one sharply defined dark hill in front — open space on ^Proceedings H. P. R., viii:473. Psychical Phenomena 117 right of mountains. Steamer passing from right to left till it touched shore and was lost to sight." "I saw nothing for some time. Then a flower like a convolvulus, which I knew to be pink though I saw no color, first sideways, then facing with a hard round knob in the middle. Then I knew it was not pink, but metal. I knew this from the hardness of outline, not the color. It kept changing from one position to the other." ^ Sometimes the picture undergoes development in that things which first appear dim and confused become clear and distinct. The pictures shown in the crystal in a large number of cases do not even suggest spirit intervention. They are plainly after-images and recrudescent memories or unconsciously in the mind of the percipient. But there are visions of another kind, which imply acquisition of knowledge by other than generally accepted normal means. These visions are often premonitory or they represent events occurring at a distance and not at the time known by the recipient, or past events of which he or she is normally ignorant. The figure of a man, his features muffled, is seen crouching at a certain small window and looking into the room from the outside. One is led to believe that some account of burglary has conjured this vision in the imagination of the recipient. But three days later a fire breaks out in the same room, which has to be entered from the outside through the window, the fireman protecting his face against the flames with a wet towel." Or, a small bunch of daffo- dils presents itself in various positions on a certain Monday evening, and a few days later the "scyrer" re- ceives from an artist friend a "Valentine" with a bunch of daffodils, corresponding exactly to the picture in the ^Proceedings, »S*. P. R., v:474. ^Proceedings, 8. P. R., v: 517-518. 118 Psychical Phenomena crystal, and learns that the sender employed some hours on the preceding Monday in making studies of the flowers in various positions/ Occasionally, however, the crystal vision corresponds poorly to the actual object to which it refers, which was the case when the "scyrer" described the person of Queen Victoria as "wearing black trousers and shoes, a white hat, red coat, black waistcoat, having whiskers, and presenting a glass tumbler." ^ ^Proceedings, 8. P. R., v:516. 'Ibid., v:514. See further Proceedings, S. P. R., v:486-521, viii:473- 492; x:108, 136; xv: 48-50; 385; Myers, "Human Personality," varia loca, etc. CHAPTER V. Genuine and Spurious Phenomena. Turning from the phenomena themselves as they have been observed and are found described in the sources upon which we have drawn, we now approach the task of accounting for their origin. The problem thus offer- ing itself has for a long time demanded the attention of men identified with Psychical Research, but so far has found no complete or definite solution, so that at present the subject has not advanced beyond the stage of more or less plausible theories. In dealing with Spiritism from the point of view of Religion we should necessarily be supremely concerned with the question whether or not the claim to preter- natural causation of the phenomena, put forth by the defenders of Spiritism, can be substantiated. And evi- dently we can reach a decision on that point only by exhausting the possibility of natural causation. The enormous difficulty which such task involves will be appreciated when we consider the divergence of con- clusions — or rather the inconclusive results — which are the fruits of the strenuous and patient labors of over sixty years of scientific investigation. With such facts before us, and realizing on the one hand the vast im- portance of the subject, and on the other its bizarre and evasive nature, we can not dare to hope for summary and definite conclusions, nor must we treat the subject in a dogmatic manner. And since it would be entirely beyond the scope of the present treatise to undertake anything approaching a searching investigation, we shall here merely in a general way refer to the results already obtained and give a short outline of the process by which we think the question might possibly become more definitely settled in the future. 120 Genuine and Spurious Phenomena To begin with the physical phenomena, there are two main hypotheses of natural causation to be considered. For the phenomena as a whole may either be spurious, that is to say surreptitiously produced by mechanical means, or owing their merely subjective existence to psychological aberrations in the mind of the observer; or they may be genuine, i. e., of an objective nature true to their appearance, in which they would have to be ascribed to some hitherto unknown force or forces in nature. If either can be shown to offer adequate ex- planation the ground will be cut from under the spirit- istic claim. We readily admit that nature is far from having been fully explored and that doubtless she may harbour powers of which at present we are not cognizant. The thought that such a force or such forces would have been brought to display in phenomena which are new and puzzling has long been in the minds of men. Mesmer ascribed his phenomena to Animal Magnetism, Petetin referred them to Animal Electricity, and both Count de Gasparin and Sir William Crookes sought the operation of an unknown natural force behind the phenomena of Spiritism. Baron von Reichenbach thought that he had dis- covered a force, which he named Od, and which emanated with a luminous effect from magnets, crys- tals, human bodies and other substances. But so far as his experiments are concerned, it was never proven that the luminous emanations had more than a subjective reality in the mind or imagination of the observers. On the other hand, more recent observations and experi- ments have proved that psychical emotions cause elec- trical variations in our system, and radiations from the body similar in effect to cathodic rays have been registered upon jDhotographic plates.^ It seems certain ^ See Boirac, "Our Hidden Forces," pp. 249-259; Tromelin, "Le Fluide JJumain" ; Imoda in "Annals of Psychical Science," Aug.-Sept. 1908; and Baraduc, "L'Iconographie en Anses." Genuine and Spurious Phenomena 121 that these radiations follow variations and changes in our system. As a rule they are not visible to the normal eye, but can be seen by clairvoyants and psychics de- pending, no doubt, upon the supernormally increased sensitivity of their senses. Other minute effects, which would be easily explained by bodily electricity or even heat, have been registered upon a very sensitive appa- ratus, while attempts to test the odic fluid, or whatever we might choose to call the emanations from the body, upon sensitive scales have been in vain.^ The physical phenomena of Spiritism postulate not only a force exerting attraction and repulsion. Such action would account but for a minority of the phenomena, whereas a great many of them, such as sounds, impressions, passing of matter through matter, raps, touches and blows, production of substances and objects, elongation, the fire-test, and, above all, ma- terialization, would not find their explanation in any force analogous in its operation to presently known forces of nature. A force, which at the will of pref- erably an uneducated peasant woman, or a young girl with no experience in physics — or in so far as the marvel is concerned, at the will of anybody — will not only lift tables, play musical instruments, produce faces in clay and reproduce the texture of the medium's skin in lamp-smoke, but also create shadowy hands and figures, life-like phantoms with all the properties of living hu- man beings, dressed and trimmed in female costume, or awe-inspiring in pickelhaube and bedsheet — which ob- jects, by the way, also have to be produced — and again reduce all this tangible matter to the ether or nothing- ness whence it issued — such a versatile force is a strange one indeed — in itself a stranger phenomenon than those of Spiritism. ^ See Flournoy's and E. Dermole's experiments in the former's "Spiritism and Psychology," p. 296. 122 Genuine and Spurious Phenomena It would be an obvious weakness to refer to many- forces with different operations, especially since ma- terialization and dematerialization, if at all possible, would explain the majority of the phenomena as being the work of the materialized being. But materializa- tion, to which subject we shall have occasion to return, offers — at least apart from the spiritistic hypothesis — what seem to be insuperable difficulties of acceptance. If a new force has been found operative in the phenomena of Spiritism, let us have proof of its ex- istence other than seventy years of notoriously fraudu- lent mediumship. The kind of proof we look for has well been stated by Sir William Crookes who writes : ^ "The spiritualist tells of flowers with the fresh dew on them, of fruit, and living objects being carried through closed windows, and even solid brick-walls. The scientific investigator naturally asks that an additional weight ( if it be only the thousandth part of a grain ) be deposited on one pan of his balance when the case is locked. And the chemist asks for the one-thousandth of a grain of arsenic to be carried through the sides of a glass tube in which pure water is hermetically sealed." Till such proofs are forthcoming we need not appeal from Spiritism to unknown forces in nature. As a matter of fact, the phenomena when studied in their ensemble at seances to our mind offer little en- couragement to the prospective discoverer of a new force. With few exceptions they are such as could be performed by a human being, most frequently with the agency of one or two hands. The mediums usually re- fer to them as done by spirits possessing the properties of a living being — it is the spirit that dips its face in the wet clay, that lifts the table, administers the blows, makes the raps, carries the objects, the lights, etc., and pro- duces the sounds. Eusapia, when levitated, could feel ^ "Researches, etc.," p. 6. Genuine and Spurious Phenomena 123 pressure as of a hand under the pit of her arm, and her sitters, when molested by the spirits, could feel the out- line of a hand which gave the blows, or of the fingers which pinched them. During her seances there was mention of a third hand, a kind of materialized spirit hand, executing the various movements, etc. If to these facts we add the frequently occurring materializations of hands, and also those of busts and whole figures, we come to the conclusion that at least the great majority of the phenomena are not produced by a simple natural force, but by a being, acting as would a living human being. Upon this conclusion, apart from the spiritistic hypothesis, two claims may be based. The defenders of materialization as a natural process, whereby the etheric double or body of the medium will escape from the material body and manifest itself, see in the phe- nomena the activity of the thus externalized and ma- terialized double. On the other hand more skeptically inclined people are ready to assert that the whole marvel is the result of trickery and prestidigitation on the part of the medium. Leaving the question of materialization for later discussion we shall now see how far the hypoth- esis of fraudulent production will lead. No serious investigator, particularly of the physical phenomena of Spiritism, will deny that fraud plays an important part in their production, that, in fact, dis- honesty among mediums generally speaking is so com- monly found as to justify an a priori attitude of skepticism, if nothing worse, towards spiritistic per- formances. While it would not be in harmony with principles of scientific research to reject the whole mat- ter on prima facie evidence or on a priori judgment, nevertheless we feel that the weight of this evidence is such that we are justified in refusing to accept phe- 124 Genuine and Spurious Phenomena noniena as genuine until proofs to that end have been forthcoming. The grounds for our attitude may be briefly summarized as follows : ^ Beginning with the phenomena themselves it must be admitted that a imori they are very improbable, al- though not in the same degree, for while raps and tele- kinetic phenomena might be placed side by side with already accepted physical effects, materialization and passing of matter through matter would reverse our whole conception of the laws of nature. Of course, this point does not disprove the possibility of the physical phenomena of Spiritism, for, however firmly our conception of the laws of nature may be es- tablished, yet it is not unthinkable that some future discovery might bring about a readjustment. But, at least in so far as the fundamental laws of nature are concerned, this seems exceedingly improbable. And consequently we feel justified on these grounds in in- creasing our demands upon the evidence adduced in favor of the spiritistic phenomena." Passing from the phenomena to the conditions sur- rounding their occurrence we find that the arrangements in the seance-room are highly favorable to fraudulent productions. The darkness or semi-darkness of the seance-room will to a large extent prevent detection of trickery, and facilitate the introduction of apparatus for producing effects such as "spirit-lights," luminous bodies, showers of fluid, and the like. This is empha- sized by the employment of a cabinet with a curtain be- hind which the medium may operate without much risk of being detected. ' We follow in part the general outline of Count Perovsky-Petrovo- Solovovo's a priori argument as found in "Les Phenomenes physique du Spiritism: quelques difficultees." In Proceedings, 8. P. R., xxv:413 et seq. ''Count Petrovo (Op. cit., p. 414) quotes the principle: "Plus un fait est en soi improbable, plus nous sommes authorises a nous montrer diffi- ciles en fait de preuve." Genuine and Spurious Phenomena 125 The conditions enjoined upon the sitters such as hold- ing of hands, remaining in a certain place, thinking of a certain thing or observing a certain point, etc., are cal- culated to act as an effective check upon investigation. The playing of musical instruments, and singing and talking during the seances — a thing frequently en- couraged by mediums — would serve both to drown the sound of secret manipulations and considerably affect the attention of the sitters, whose powers of observation are furthermore dulled by the mysterious atmosphere created by the expectation of the marvels the medium will announce to be about to happen. While all these conditions may not be found at seances held for the bene- fit of scientific investigators, yet it is a fact that noted professional mediums have been unable to produce a single phenomenon when the suspicious circumstances were removed.^ There is an obvious objection to this point. Physical experiments depend upon certain conditions. Rub a glass-staff and it will become charged with electricity. Insist upon rubbing it with a wet cloth or in great humidity, and no result will be obtained. Insist upon taking photographs in the dark or developing the plates or films in broad daylight, and no photographic impres- sion will be received. On the face of it the objection seems to carry some weight. But the conditions upon which natural physical phenomena depend are first of all simple, and usually — except perhaps in the case of photography — do not in the very least suggest a secret process. The reverse of this is to be said of the spiritistic phenomena, for not ^ From 1874 to 1886 Mrs. Sidgvvick conducted a series of investiga- tions with eight professional mediums. Not a single phenomenon could be produced when necessary precautions were taken. See Proceedings, S. P. B., iv:4.5 et seq. Nor has the American Society for Psychical Research ever been able to find a medium that would produce physical phenomena satisfactorily under test-conditions. See Am. Proceedings, 8. P. R., i:230. 126 Genuine and Spurious Phenomena only are the conditions complex, without which they are said not to occur, but they are precisely those we would expect were trickery to be practiced. But then there is another consideration which we think will be of still more weight. Natural physical phenomena depend upon laws and conditions which are constant. A copper wire will always conduct electricity — rubber never; light will always dissolve nitrate of silver; heat always procure expansion, and so forth. But this is not the case with spiritistic phenomena. Mediums — or rather their "spirit-controls" — will ex- plain the "laws" which govern the physical phenomena. And these "laws," said to be of a sine qua non nature, change with various "spirits" in a self -contradictory manner. One "spirit-control" will say that darkness is necessary for the production of phenomena — yet, D. D. Home usually operated in full light, so did the slate- writing mediums, and as regards certain sittings with Eusapia we are told by her investigators that the num- ber of the phenomena increased in proportion to the light. ^ The chain of hands is necessary, yet, when con- venient to the medium it may be broken as will be seen, for example, on the photographs of levitated tables to which we have referred. Certain mediums — as for in- stance the Davenport brothers — will operate only when isolated from the assistants, and with their hands and feet tied, while others will not consent to be tied. The apport-phenomena are rather common, but some mediums never perform them, and Home's "spirit- control" declares that "it is impossible for matter to pass through matter." " When we come to inquire into the materialization phenomena, we shall be told that they depend upon the trance state of the medium. According to Aksakov's ^ Feilding, Baggally and Carrington in Proceedings, S. R. P., xxiii: 323. - Researches, etc., p. 98. Genuine and Spurious Phenomena V21 theory there corresponds to each partial or total ma- terialization a partial or total dematerialization of the medium/ Still, at Crookes' tete-a-tetes with Katie King, at the materializations at Villa Carmen and at many other times, both medium and materialized spirit are reported to have been seen together. The "astral- body" or "etheric double" theory will have the astral- body of the medium, which conforms in size and shape with his material body, appear outside him, and such is the exact resemblance between the two that the faces impressed by Eusapia's double in clay or putty are easily recognized to be her face, and the marks of her astral fingers in the lamp-black could not be dis- tinguished from her finger prints by a Bertillon expert. But Sir William Crookes takes photographs both of Florence Cook and of Katie King, and finds them two different beings: the young lady of Villa Carmen has a bearded double with pickelhaube and bedsheet ; Eusapia materializes hands of men, women and children, big and small, hairy and soft. Jan Guzik is never entranced, nor even isolated from his sitters when the spirits materialize. However, he makes one condition — no pieces of cloth impregnated with luminous substances must be tied around his legs and arms. That is the supreme "law" of his materiali- zations. Some materialized spirits are flowing over with startling information, but Mrs. Corner (Florence Cook) declares that once back in human shape the spirit knows no more than the assistants. The very phenomena are mutually contradictory. The immediate presence of the medium, and par- ticularly of his hands, is required for the most in- significant movement without contact, whereas apport takes place often from long distances and at that neces- sitates the passing of the object brought through brick walls or other substantial matter. ^Proceedings, 8. P. R., xxiii:323. 128 Genuine and Spurious Phenomena Apart from the element of contradiction, is it merely coincidence that the soi-disant laws of the spiritistic phenomena seem to point to rather plausible methods of trickery? We also find them changing in a manner which can not escape our suspicion when we compare them with fraudulent methods already dis- covered in use. First there is the "materialized hand" carrying objects; later, when the trick of freeing one hand has been discovered, the "law" changes and the "materialized cord," unheard of before Ochorowicz's ex- periments, takes its place. The materialized form is said to issue from the medium, and to dissolve by re- joining him. That is precisely what would appear at a staged materialization. Grocyn stands pointing at the table from which the sounds issue at Moses' seances. All in all, there is a deplorable coincidence between the "law" and conditions which would favour fraud. The spirits frequently leave relics in the seance-room, but these are invariably of the most terrestrial origin — we again refer to Katie King's lock and the piece from her dress, both secured by the gallant Sir William — and as for Anna Rothe's flowers and Baily's birds — one even discovered the shops from which they came. Certain mediums have been subjected to seances under test-conditions which at times have convinced the investigators present that mechanical trickery was precluded. Such was the case with Sir William Crookes when investigating the Home phenomena, and of many of Eusapia's investigators. Of course their judgment is based merely upon ocular observation which cannot always be exact. And it is interesting to notice that there is a certain relation between the severity of the test conditions and the success of the phenomena. The early days of Spiritism show more astounding phe- nomena than we have been accustomed to hear of of late when more rigorous control has been employed. Home's phenomena were more marvelous than Eusapia's. Genuine and Spurious Phenomena 129 If the conditions of the seance-room invite to fraud, there are also ample methods of fraudulent production. Almost every physical phenomenon has been success- fully reproduced by mechanical means under conditions not only similar to but at times less favourable than those of the average seance-room. We shall not attempt to describe the many methods for lifting and moving objects, producing raps and all kinds of sounds, causing objects to appear and disap- pear, loosing tied cords (whereby the medium may easily free himself in the cabinet), producing luminous effects, "spirit-photographs," etc.; suffice it to say that there is a profuse abundance of such methods known to the sleight-of-hand artist.^ On the other hand, none of these methods would account for certain phenomena of this order as they are reported to have been produced by certain mediums, notably the "elongations" and "fire-test" of D. D. Home. But to these cases we shall return later. The phenomena which convey intelligence are as easily accounted for by fraud as those of a purely physical character. We need make no new reference to raps as occurring in "rapping-messages" and "spirit-telegraphy." Slate-writing is easily performed without the intervention of spirits. Both Slade and Eglinton, the foremost slate-writing mediums, were found to produce the phenomena by substituting the original slate for a prepared one." Mr. S. J. Davey learned the tricks connected with this art, and gave per- formances in broad daylight which baffled such critics even as Mr. Podmore.^ ^ Hereward Carrington has devoted considerable space in his "The Physical Phenomena of Spiritualiswi" to a description of a few of these methods. See also Paul Carus, "The Old and Neiv Magic," Chicago, 1906. - Podmore, "Studies, etc.," p. 95, and Criticism by Mrs. Sidgwick in Journal, S. P. 7?.. June, 1886. ^ "He produced a long message in Japanese for a Japanese marquis; he made — or seemed to make — pieces of chalk under a glass describe geometrical figures . . . ; ... he materialized in strong light a woman's 130 Genuine and Spurious Phenomena Planchette-writing, in so far as its physical part is concerned, differs little from table turning. Direct "spirit- writing" with pencil and paper may be per- formed by sleight-of-hand as easily as any "apport" phenomenon. "Materialization" may, without great difficulty, be staged in a dark room^ with the aid of a few yards of white netting previously impregnated with a luminous substance. The performer, dressed in black and wear- ing a black mask, is invisible in the darkness. He car- ries the prepared netting in a small, black bag in his vest-pocket^ or keeps it concealed in the back of his chair, and all he has to do is to take it out, let it appear on the floor as a small, glowing ball which, as he un- folds it, grows into a phantastic rising spirit-shape, and, finally, wrapped round him as he takes off his black mask and gloves, which have hidden face and hands powdered with luminous substance, presents a life-like, full-fledged "materialized" spirit. Whole scores of "ghosts" have been introduced into the seance-room by this method, and readily recognized by the sitters as their departed parents, grandparents, children, friends and relatives. Yea, the most charming "spirit-queens" have been known to have returned to the shadows of earth in quest of some pecunious "affinity," to sweeten his life and empty his pocket- book.^ So far we have shown that there exist conditions and methods which render the physical phenomena as a whole exceedingly suspicious. That our suspicions are not unfounded is eminently shown throughout the head, wliicli floated in the air and then dematerialized ; and the half- length figure of a bearded man, in a turban, reading a book, who bowed to the circle and finally disappeared through the ceiling with a scraping noise." (Podmore, "Studies, etc.," pp. 104-105; see also Proceedings, 8. P. R., vi:416, 418.) ^Carrington, Op. cit., pp. 230-275. = Ibid., pp. 2.50-251. Mbid., pp. 2.58-2G0. Genuine and Spurious Phenomena 131 history of the spiritistic movement, which, at least in so far as physical phenomena are concerned, is so filled with evidence of fraud that it would seem that genuine productions were scarcely ever exhibited. The Fox girls were exposed in fraud,^ so were Anna Rothe," Miss Cook,^ Miss Wood,^ Mrs. Mellon,^ Messrs. Slade*^ and Eglinton,^ Herne,^ Williams and Rita," Bastian and Taylor,^" Miss Showers," Eusapia Palladino,^^ the spirit-photographers,^^ the Austrahan, Bailey,^ ^ Charles Eldred, ^^ Craddock; ^^ as a fact almost every pro- fessional physical, and most psychic mediums have — in many cases repeatedly — been detected in trickery; and only the most amazing credulity coupled with ignorance on the part of the masses can explain the continued prosperity of the profession.^ ^ .... Nor is fraud to be laid at the door of the paid medium alone, for the desire to receive notice, to be extraordinary and interesting and to be considered specially gifted has 'See pp. 19-20. '^ Annales des Sciences Psychiques, 1894, p. 388; 1895, p. 53. ' See p. 26. ^ Podmore, "Modern t^piritualism," vol. II, pp. 198, 112-113. ° T. Shekleton Henry, "Spookland," pp. 50-51. 'See p. 31 and Annales des Sciences Psychiques, 1905, p. 218. 'Podmore, Op. cit., pp. 206-207; "Studies, etc.," p. 100. * Podmore, "Modern Spiritualism," vol. II, p. 107. ^ Ibid., p. Ill, and Annales des Sciences Psychiques, 1894, p. 333. '" Podmore, "Modern Spiritualism," vol. II, p. 107. "Ibid., p. 104. "See p. 41. "See pp. 26-27. ^* Annales des Sciences Psychiques, 1905, p. 218. '^Ibid., 1906, pp. 184 and 292. '"Ibid., 1906, pp. 320, 448. " J. N. Maskelyne, a former professional medium, in "The Super- natural," p. 183, says: "There does not exist, and there never existed, a professional medium of any note who has not been convicted of trickery or fraud." He evidently forgets the case of D. D. Home. The author of "The Revelations of a Spirit Medium," a former Spiritist who admits fraud in his own performances, states (p. 95) : "Of all the mediums I have met, in eighteen years, and that means a great many, in many phases, I have never met owe that was not sailing the very same description of craft as myself." See also Myers on "Resolute Credulity" and "Spurious Mediumship" in Proceedings, S. P. R., xi:213- 234, and Journal, S. P. R., iii: 199-207. 132 Genuine and Spurious Phenomena caused many an one to seek emergence from the com- j)arative obscurity, which talent failed to dispel, in parading an enviable intimacy with the great spirits of the past before small circles of up-to-date society. We have just mentioned that malobservation is not excluded even on the part of the skeptical scientist and critic examining the phenomena. But if we turn to the great mass of evidence for genuine phenomena pub- lished broadcast in magazines and newspapers by peo- ple who do not attend seances in the capacity of critics but whose credulity and disposition towards S^^iritism inclines them to accept whatever is presented to them no matter under what conditions, we shall find that it is without any value whatsoever. And yet, it is this kind of evidence which is placed before the vast, un- critical public. That such an attitude not only facili- tates, but positively invites, fraud goes without saying. Mr. Myers gives some interesting data on credulity and fraud in his articles on "Resolute Credulity" ^ and "Spurious Mediumship." ^ Add to this that the medimii, when the phenomena are slow in coming, may receive help from fanatic sitters who know that the spirits can cause them, and when for some reason or other they fail, do what the spirits would have done. But apart from credulity and fanaticism, many a sensible and unprejudiced investigator will be deceived, for it takes long training to be a good observer. One must know and be prepared for tricks and avoid being distracted by the methods by which mediums know to control the attention of their sitters. It is extremely hard, if not mostly impossible, to detect the methods of professional jugglers. But jugglers are expected to "perform" without mishap and failure, whereas the medium can fail as many times as he wishes — and blame it on the spirits — and choose for his phenomena ^ In Proceedings, 8. P. R., xi: 213-234. ^In Journal, 8. P. R., iii: 199-207. Genuine and Spurious Phenomena 133 moments when the attention of the observers is properly diverted and other conditions are favourable. Even detection of constant trickery is no more considered an argument against the occurrence of genuine phenomena. The a priori argument, as said, does not prove that the whole of the physical phenomena is imposture. But it goes to show how greatly they are open to suspicion and certainly places on their side the onus probandi. After all that has been said we feel fully justified in refusing to accept as genuine a single physical phe- nomenon in the absense of direct, positive evidence. In seeking this we shall briefly review some of the results obtained by scientific investigations, and particularly by those associated with Psychical Research, reserving the phenomenon of materialization for a special ex- amination. Investigation in the past is associated especially with the names of Dr. Hare, Professor Zollner, and Sir William Crookes. Mr. Moses, although never subject to scientific examination, offers evidence at least in a certain respect valuable. More modern times have had a large number of investigators, experimenting with several remarkable mediums, but we shall confine our- selves here to the investigations conducted with Eusapia Palladino whom Carrington hails as the greatest of all physical mediimis.^ To begin with Professor Zollner we find that the only accounts of his experiments are given by himself." The value of his written evidence depends entirely upon whether the phenomena actually occurred as described therein, or whether the medium, Slade, succeeded in de- ceiving Zollner. There is nothing to corroborate Zollner' s testimony. ^ "In her may now be said to culminate and focus the whole evi- dential case for the physical phenomena of spiritualism." — "Eusapia Palladino and her Phenomena," p. 4. ' In "Transcendental Physics." 134 Genuine and Spurious Phenomena To this should be added the fact that Slade was notorious for fraudulent performances outside the sit- tings with Zollner^ and even seems to have confessed trickery." Carrington^ gives a rather detailed account of the tricks by which the phenomena in question might be produced, and also of the possible sources of error in Zollner's observation ; and taking all together we are forced to admit that Zollner's experiments furnish no valid evidence for the genuineness of Slade's phe- nomena. We shall not detain ourselves with Dr. Hare's ex- periments since it is generally admitted that the evi- dence they offer for the genuineness of physical phe- nomena is inferior to that of Zollner.^ Sir William Crookes' experiments fall into three parts: those conducted with Miss Cook for the investi- gation of "materialization," those conducted with D. D. Home covering physical phenomena in general and change in weight in particular, and his observations in regard to sounds. Let us begin with D. D. Home. It has often been stated that this gentleman holds the unique position in the annals of Spiritism of being the only physical medium who was never discovered in trickery. We can adduce the testimony of only one person to the con- trary. But this is in no way surprising if on the one hand we consider the character of Home and his presence which won for him the personal affection and esteem of all those with whom he came in contact and a priori inclined his audience to look upon him as a man ^ Podmore, "Modern Spiritualism," vol. II, pp. 87-90; Mrs. Sidgwick in Proceedings,