'From the Unconscious to the Conscious 



cord. The cord makes a few movements, retracts, and 

 returns into the medium's mouth.' 



It is possible to observe the vaporous form of the 

 substance at the same time as its solid form; it emerges 

 from the body of the medium invisible and impalpable, 

 no doubt through the meshes of the clothing, and 

 condenses on the surface of this latter, appearing as a 

 small cloud which develops into a white spot on the 

 black smock, at the level of the shoulders, the breast, 

 or the knees. The spot grows, spreads, and takes on 

 the outlines or the reliefs of a hand or a face. 



Whatever may be the mode of its formation the 

 materialisation does not always remain in contact with 

 the medium; it may sometimes be observed quite 

 detached: the following example is typical in this 

 respect: 



* A head appears suddenly, about three-fourths of 

 a yard from Eva's head, above, and to her right. It is 

 the head of a man, of normal size, well formed and in 

 the usual relief. The top of the head and the forehead 

 are completely materialised. The forehead is large and 

 high, the hair short and abundant, brown or black. 

 Below the brows the contours shade off; only 

 the top of the head and the forehead are clearly 

 seen. 



' The head disappears for a moment behind the 

 curtain, then reappears as before; but the face, incom- 

 pletely materialised, is masked by a band of white 

 substance. I put my hand forward and pass my fingers 

 through the tufted hair and feel the bone of the cranium 

 ... an instant later everything has vanished.' The 

 forms have, it will be observed, a certain independence, 

 and this independence is both physiological and 

 anatomical. 



The materialised organs are not inert, but biologically 

 alive. A well-formed hand, for instance, has the 

 functional capacities of a normal hand. I have several 



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