[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 14.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 15.]
I grasped Mr. Home"s right arm above the wrist and held his hand over the membrane, about 10 inches from its surface, in the position shown at P, Fig. 12. His other hand was held by a friend. After remaining in this position for about half a minute, Mr. Home said he felt some influence pa.s.sing. I then set the clock going, and we all saw the index, C, moving up and down. The movements were much slower than in the former case, and were almost entirely unaccompanied by the percussive vibrations then noticed.
Figs. 14 and 15 show the curves produced on the gla.s.s on two of these occasions.
Figs. 13, 14, 15 are magnified.
These experiments _confirm beyond doubt_ the conclusion at which I arrived in my former paper; namely, the existence of a force a.s.sociated, in some manner not yet explained, with the human organization, by which force increased weight is capable of being imparted to solid bodies without physical contact.
Now, however, having seen more of Mr. Home, I think I perceive what it is that this psychic force uses up for its development. In employing the terms _vital force_, or _nervous energy_, I am aware that I am employing words which convey very different significations to many investigators; but after witnessing the painful state of nervous and bodily prostration in which some of these experiments have left Mr.
Home--after seeing him lying in an almost fainting condition on the floor, pale and speechless--I could scarcely doubt that the evolution of psychic force is accompanied by a corresponding drain on vital force.
To witness exhibitions of this force it is not necessary to have access to known psychics. The force itself is probably possessed by all human beings, although the individuals endowed with an extraordinary amount of it are doubtless few. Within the last twelve months I have met in private families five or six persons possessing a sufficiently vigorous development to make me feel confident that similar results might be produced through their means to those here recorded, though less intense.
These experiments continued to be the object of bitter and relentless criticism on the part of the recognized authorities in science and education in England. These persons absolutely refused to recognize their value. Professor Crookes amused himself, at times, by replying to these fantastic attacks, but, naturally, without convincing his uncompromising opponents. It is unnecessary to reproduce these letters here; they can be found in the French edition of Crookes"s _Researches_. The learned chemist did better still: he continued his researches into the domain of the Unknown, and got still more remarkable results--still more extraordinary, more inexplicable, more incomprehensible.
His notes continue as follows:
Like a traveler exploring some distant country, the wonders of which have hitherto been known only through reports and rumors of a vague or distorted character, so for four years have I been occupied in pushing an inquiry into a territory of natural knowledge which offers almost virgin soil to a scientific man.
As the traveller sees in the natural phenomena he may witness the action of forces governed by natural laws, where others see only the capricious intervention of offended G.o.ds, so have I endeavored to trace the operation of natural laws and forces, where others have seen only the agency of supernatural beings, owning no laws, and obeying no force but their own free will.
The phenomena I am prepared to attest are so extraordinary and so directly oppose the most firmly rooted articles of scientific belief--amongst others, the ubiquity and invariable action of the force of gravitation--that, even now, on recalling the details of what I witnessed, there is an antagonism in my mind between _reason_, which p.r.o.nounces it to be scientifically impossible, and the consciousness that my senses, both of touch and sight--and these corroborated, as they were, by the senses of all who were present,--are not lying witnesses when they testify against my preconceptions.
But the supposition that there is a sort of mania or delusion which suddenly attacks a whole roomful of intelligent persons who are quite sane elsewhere, and that they all concur to the minutest particulars, in the details of the occurrences of which they suppose themselves to be witnesses, seems to my mind more incredible than even the facts they attest.
The subject is far more difficult and extensive than it appears. Four years ago I intended only to devote a leisure month or two to ascertain whether certain marvellous occurrences I had heard about would stand the test of close scrutiny. Having, however, soon arrived at the same conclusion as, I may say, every impartial inquirer, that there was "something in it," I could not, as a student of nature"s laws, refuse to follow the inquiry wheresoever the facts might lead.
Thus a few months have grown into a few years, and, were my time at my own disposal it would probably extend still longer.
My princ.i.p.al object will be to place on record a series of actual occurrences which have taken place in my own house, in the presence of trustworthy witnesses, and under as strict test conditions as I could devise. Every fact which I have observed is, moreover, corroborated by the records of independent observers at other times and places. It will be seen that the facts are of the most astounding character, and seem utterly irreconcilable with all known theories of modern science.
Having satisfied myself of their _truth_, it would be moral cowardice to withhold my testimony because my previous publications were ridiculed by critics and others who knew nothing whatever of the subject, and who were too prejudiced to see and judge for themselves whether or not there was truth in the phenomena. I shall state simply what I have seen and proved by repeated experiment and test.
Except where darkness has been a necessary condition, as with some of the phenomena of luminous appearances, and a few other instances, everything recorded has taken place _in the light_. In the few cases where the phenomena noted have occurred in darkness I have been very particular to mention the fact. Moreover, some special reason can be shown for the exclusion of light, or the results have been produced under such perfect test conditions that the suppression of one of the senses has not really weakened the evidence.
I have said that darkness is not essential. It is, however, a well-ascertained fact that when the force is weak a bright light exerts an interfering action on some of the phenomena. The power possessed by Mr. Home is sufficiently strong to withstand this antagonistic influence; consequently, he always objects to darkness at his _seances_. Indeed, except on two occasions, when, for some particular experiments of my own, light was excluded, everything which I have witnessed with him has taken place in the light. I have had many opportunities of testing the action of light on different sources and colors,--such as sunlight, diffused daylight, moonlight, gas, lamp, and candle-light, electric light from a vacuum tube, h.o.m.ogeneous yellow light, etc. The interfering rays appear to be those at the extreme end of the spectrum.
Professor Crookes next proceeds to cla.s.sify the phenomena observed by him, going from the more simple to the more complex and giving in rapid review under each head, a sketch of some of the facts. In the abridgment of his report which follows I eliminate what has already been fully demonstrated elsewhere in this book.
FIRST CLa.s.s: _The movement of Heavy Bodies with Contact, but without Mechanical Exertion._
(This movement has been fully proved in this volume.)
SECOND CLa.s.s: _The Phenomena of Percussive and other Allied Sounds._
An important question here forces itself upon the attention. _Are the movements and sounds governed by intelligence?_ At a very early stage of the inquiry, it was seen that the power producing the phenomena was not merely a blind force, but was a.s.sociated with or governed by intelligence. Thus the sounds to which I have just alluded will be repeated a definite number of times. They will come loud or faint, and in different places at request; and by a pre-arranged code of signals, questions are answered, and messages given with more or less accuracy.
The intelligence governing the phenomena is sometimes manifestly below that of the medium. It is frequently in direct opposition to the wishes of the medium. When a determination has been expressed to do something which might not be considered quite right, I have known urgent messages given to induce a reconsideration. The intelligence is sometimes of such a character as to lead to the belief that it does not emanate from any person present.
THIRD CLa.s.s: _The Alteration of Weights of Bodies._--(Experiments which have been already described.)
FOURTH CLa.s.s: _Movements of Heavy Substances when at a distance from the Medium._--The instances in which heavy bodies, such as tables, chairs, sofas, etc., have been moved, when the medium has not been touching them, are very numerous. I will briefly mention a few of the most striking. My own chair has been twisted partly round, whilst my feet were off the floor. A chair was seen by all present to move slowly up to the table from a far corner, when all were watching it.
On another occasion an arm-chair moved to where we were sitting, and then moved slowly back again (a distance of about three feet) at my request. On three successive evenings a small table moved slowly across the room, under conditions which I had specially pre-arranged, so as to answer any objection which might be raised to the evidence. I have had several repet.i.tions of the experiment considered by the Committee of the Dialectical Society to be conclusive, viz., the movement of a heavy table, in full light, the chairs turned with their backs to the table, about a foot off, and each person kneeling on his chair, with hands resting over the back of the chair, but not touching the table. On one occasion this took place when I was moving about so as to see how everyone was placed.
FIFTH CLa.s.s: _The Rising of Tables and Chairs off the Ground, without Contact with any Person._
(We need not recur to these matters.)
SIXTH CLa.s.s: _The Levitation of Human Beings._--The most striking cases of levitation which I have witnessed have been with Mr. Home. On three separate occasions have I seen him raised completely from the floor of the room. Once sitting in an easy-chair, once kneeling on his chair, and once standing up. On each occasion I had full opportunity of watching the occurrence as it was taking place.
There are at least a hundred recorded instances of Mr. Home"s rising from the ground, in the presence of as many separate persons, and I have heard from the lips of the three witnesses to the most striking occurrence of this kind--the Earl of Dunraven, Lord Lindsay, and Captain C. Wynne--their own most minute accounts of what took place.
To reject the recorded evidence on this subject is to reject all human testimony whatever; for no fact in sacred or profane history is supported by a stronger array of proofs.
SEVENTH CLa.s.s: _Movement of Various Small Articles without Contact with any Person._--(As in the case of the sixth cla.s.s, this is well known to my readers.)
EIGHTH CLa.s.s: _Luminous Appearances._--These, being rather faint, generally require the room to be darkened. I need scarcely remind my readers again that, under these circ.u.mstances, I have taken proper precautions to avoid being imposed upon by phosphorized oil or other means. Moreover, many of these lights are such as I have tried to imitate artificially, but cannot.
Under the strictest test conditions, I have seen a solid self-luminous body, the size and nearly the shape of a turkey"s egg, float noiselessly about the room, at one time higher than any one present could reach standing on tiptoe, and then gently descend to the floor.
It was visible for more than ten minutes, and before it faded away it struck the table three times with a sound like that of a hard solid body.
During this time the medium was lying back, apparently insensible, in an easy-chair.
I have seen luminous points of light darting about and settling on the heads of different persons; I have had questions answered by the flashing of a bright light a desired number of times in front of my face. I have seen sparks of light rising from the table to the ceiling, and again falling upon the table, striking it with an audible sound. I have had an alphabetic communication given by luminous flashes occurring before me in the air, whilst my hand was moving about amongst them. I have seen a luminous cloud floating upwards to a picture. Under the strictest test conditions, I have more than once had a solid, self-luminous, crystalline body placed in my hand by a hand which did not belong to any person in the room. _In the light_, I have seen a luminous cloud hover over a heliotrope on a side table, break a sprig off, and carry it to a lady; and on some occasions I have seen a similar luminous cloud visibly condense to the form of a hand and carry small objects about.
NINTH CLa.s.s: _The Appearance of Hands, either Self-Luminous or Visible by Ordinary Light._--During a seance in full light a beautifully-formed small hand rose up from an opening in a dining-table and gave me a flower; it appeared and then disappeared three times at intervals, affording me ample opportunity of satisfying myself that it was as real in appearance as my own. This occurred in the light in my own room, whilst I was holding the medium"s hands and feet.
On another occasion, a small hand and arm, like a baby"s, appeared playing about a lady who was sitting next to me. It then patted my arm and pulled my coat several times.
At another time, a finger and thumb were seen to pick the petals from a flower in Mr. Home"s b.u.t.ton-hole, and lay them in front of several persons who were sitting near him.
A hand has been repeatedly seen by myself and others playing the keys of an accordion, both of the medium"s hands being visible at the same time, and sometimes being held by those near him.
The hands and fingers do not always appear to me to be solid and life-like. Sometimes, indeed, they present more the appearance of a nebulous cloud partly condensed into the form of a hand. This is not equally visible to all present. For instance, a flower or other small object is seen to move; one person present will see a luminous cloud hovering over it, another will detect a nebulous-looking hand, whilst others will see nothing at all but the moving flower. I have more than once seen, first an object move, then a luminous cloud appear to form about it, and, lastly, the cloud condense into shape and become a perfectly-formed hand. At this stage the hand is visible to all present. It is not always a mere form, but sometimes appears perfectly life-like and graceful, the fingers moving, and the flesh apparently as human as that of any in the room. At the wrist, or arm, it becomes hazy, and fades off into a luminous cloud.
To the touch, the hand sometimes appears icy-cold and dead, at other times, warm and life-like, grasping my own with the firm pressure of an old friend.
I have retained one of these hands in my own, firmly resolved not to let it escape. There was no struggle or effort made to get loose, but it gradually seemed to resolve itself into vapor, and faded in that manner from my grasp.
TENTH CLa.s.s: _Direct Writing._--(The learned chemist cites some remarkable examples obtained by him. We need not speak of them in this book.)
ELEVENTH CLa.s.s: _Phantom Forms and Faces._--These are the rarest of the phenomena I have witnessed. The conditions requisite for their appearance appear to be so delicate, and such trifles interfere with their production, that only on very few occasions have I witnessed them under satisfactory test conditions. I will mention two of these cases.
In the dusk of the evening, during a _seance_ 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 was sitting apart from the rest of the company, she gave a slight cry, upon which it vanished.
TWELFTH CLa.s.s: _Special Instances which seem to point to the Agency of an Exterior Intelligence._--It has already been shown that the phenomena are governed by an intelligence. It becomes a question of importance as to the source of that intelligence. Is it the intelligence of the medium, of any of the other persons in the room, or is it an exterior intelligence? Without wishing at present to speak positively on this point, I may say that whilst I have observed many circ.u.mstances which appear to show that the will and intelligence of the medium have much to do with the phenomena, I have observed some circ.u.mstances which seem conclusively to point to the agency of an outside intelligence, not belonging to any human being in the room.
s.p.a.ce does not allow me to give here all the arguments which can be adduced to prove these points, but I will briefly mention one or two circ.u.mstances out of many.