SPIRITUALISM 



647 



times when tied by other persons, and the knots 

 and ends of the cords out of his reach, he is almost 

 instantaneously released. Knots are sometimes 

 tied on endless cords in a manner impossible by 

 human agency, as in the experiments of Professor 

 .Zollner. 



A frequent phenomenon is the playing on mu- 

 sical instruments without human agency, as on an 

 accordion held by the medium by one hand, and 

 sometimes when held by spectators. Closed pianos 

 are sometimes played on, while accordions or tam- 

 bourines are, as it were, floated in the air and 

 played upon at the same time. 



Writing or drawing is often performed without 

 human agency. Sometimes the writing occurs on 

 papers held or thrown under the table, or when 

 placed in locked drawers, or enclosed between 

 slates tied or screwed together. Sometimes the 

 writing thus obtained is in answer to questions 

 which may be spoken or written, and either known 

 or unknown to the medium. The drawings are of 

 various kinds. Some are on slates with pencil or 

 chalks, some on paper. Very effective drawings in 

 crayons, water-colours, or oils are produced with 

 extreme rapidity and under conditions which render 

 normal human agency impossible. A Scottish 

 medium was accustomed to produce small land- 

 scapes in oils on cards privately marked by the 

 witnesses and in total darkness, the result ueing 

 seen with the paints still wet. These were usually 

 effective and artistic works. In another case the 

 space nnder a table was enclosed by a large shawl 

 hanging to the ground. Marked cards were thrown 

 underneath, and in from ten to fifteen seconds the 

 drawings were complete. A number of these draw- 

 ings were in the possession of the late Mr Benjamin 

 Coleman, and were shown to the present writer. 

 One in particular was on paper marked by Mr Cole- 

 man with two pin-holes t>y pins which were stuck 

 through a small strip of pa[>er which was kept as a 

 proof of the identity of the paper so marked. The 

 drawing that was made on this P&per consisted of 

 two birds holding a garland of flowers in their 

 bills, and was so executed that the two pin-holes 

 which had been made on the paper formed the 

 eyes of the two birds, while their exact correspond- 

 ence with the strip kept with the pins in it showed 

 that the very paper Mr Coleman had so marked 

 had been used. Lord Borthwick was present when 

 tin-" drawings were described, and confirmed Mr 

 Coleman 's account of them before the committee 

 of the Dialectical Society in 1869. 



One of the most striking of the physical pheno- 

 mena is the levitation of the human body, which 

 has occurred with many mediums, but has never 

 IK-CII more thoroughly tested than with the late 

 Mr HOIIH-. The extraordinary elongation of his 

 Ixnly was also tested by many competent observers ; 

 while in his presence, as in that of some other 

 nifiliiiins, heavy tables were often raised to a con- 

 ftiilnrable height, or inclined at an angle of nearly 

 4"> , without the numerous objects on the table, as 

 books, glasses, lamps, &c., falling off. 



A very marvellous phenomenon exhibited by Mr 

 Home, and a very few other mediums, is the power 

 of neutralising the action of fire, both in their 

 own persons and in that of some of the spec- 

 tators. Ixird Lindsay (since 1880 Earl of Craw- 

 ford) made the following statement before the 

 Dialectical Society : ' I have frequently seen Home 

 when in a trance go to the fire and take out large 

 red-hot coals and carry them aliout in his hands, 

 put them inside his shirt, &c. Eight times I have 

 myself held a red-hot coal in my hands without 

 injury, when it scorched my face on raising my 

 hand. ... A few weeks ago I was at a seance 

 with eight others. Of these seven held a red-hot 

 coal without pain, and the two others could not 



bear the approach of it." Lord Adare, Mr Jencken, 

 and several others saw Mr Home stir the fire with 

 his hands and then put his face right among the 

 burning coals, moving it about as though bathing 

 it in water. Mrs S. C. Hall, the Earl of Crawford, 

 and several others saw Mr Home place a large 

 lump of burning coal on Mr S. C. Hall's head and 

 draw up his white hair over the red coal. It 

 remained there several minutes. After it was 

 taken away it burned the fingers of some who 

 attempted to touch it. A number of other persons 

 of the. highest character have testified to similar 

 occurrences with Mr Home. 



Even more extraordinary, and still more remote 

 from the normal powers of mankind, is the pro- 

 duction of visible and tangible hands which lift 

 objects, and sometimes write, and then dissolve 

 away of faces, and even of entire figures, all 

 under conditions which render impostureimpossible. 

 Both visible and invisible phantoms have had their 

 objectivity proved by being photographed, and this 

 has been done by experts who are above suspicion 

 and under conditions which render the reality of 

 the phenomena demonstrable. Both hands, feet, 

 and faces of these phantom forms have produced 

 moulds in melted paraffin, again under conditions 

 which render imposture on the part of the mediums 

 out of the question. 



Yet another and final series of phenomena, which 

 may be termed psychological or spiritual, are the 

 seeing of spirits or spiritual forms invisible to 

 others, hearing their voices, and by this means 

 obtaining knowledge of circumstances occurring at 

 a distance ; or of facts unknown to any one present, 

 but afterwards verified ; or of future events which 

 afterwards happen as predicted of all of which 

 there is ample evidence. Persons gifted with this 

 power often give long and eloquent addresses, or 

 have elaborate essays written through their hands, 

 but without any conscious mental agency on their 

 part ; and it is from these communications that we 

 acquire our most complete knowledge of the teach- 

 ing and philosophy of modern spiritualism. 



Some Characteristics of Mediums. These numer- 

 ous distinct classes of phenomena exhibit endless 

 modifications in detail with different mediums, and 

 there are several important considerations which 

 are inconsistent with their being, to any considerable 

 extent, due to imposture. In the first place, almost 

 every medium exhibits his powers in youth or even 

 in childhood without any opportunity of learning 

 the methods employed by professional conjurers. 

 In the second place, each medium exhibits con- 

 siderable individuality, and rarely, perhaps never, 

 offers an exact reproduction of the phenomena 

 occurring with other mediums. In the third plaoe, 

 all the phenomena occur sometimes in private 

 houses, to which the medium comes without any 

 apparatus whatever. In the fourth place, every 

 class of phenomena has occurred with unpaid 

 mediums, as well as with those who make medium- 

 ship a profession. And lastly, many of the most 

 remarkable mediums have submitted to elaborate 

 and careful tests by scientific and intelligent 

 observers with results wholly beyond the power* 

 of professional conjurers. 



Notable Investigators of the Phenomena. In 

 order to appreciate the important bearing of such 

 investigations on the theory that the whole body of 

 spiritualistic phenomena are due to delusion or 

 imposture, a few of the best known of these 

 inquirers must be referred to. Perhaps the earliest 

 scientific investigator was Dr Robert Hare (q.v.) 

 of Philadelphia, an eminent chemist, especially 

 known for his invention of ingenious apparatus. 

 He, like all other earnest and patient inquirers, 

 began under the impression that he would be able 

 to expose a delusion ; but all his experiments and 



