Intelligent Manifestations

65. In what we have seen, nothing assuredly reveals the intervention of an unknown power, and these effects could be perfectly explained by the action of a magnetic or electric current, or of some kind of fluid. Such was, in fact, the first solution given to these phenomena, and which might reasonably pass for logical. It would have prevailed without contradiction, if other facts had not come to demonstrate its insufficiency. These facts are the proofs of intelligence given; for as all intelligent effects must have an intelligent cause, it remained evident, that even admitting that electricity or some other fluid played a part in it, there was still some other cause. What was it? what was this intelligence? This is what the continuation of the observations brought to light.

65. Nothing we have seen certainly reveals the intervention of an unknown power. A magnetic or electric current, or some kind of fluid, could perfectly explain these effects. In fact, that was the first explanation offered for these phenomena, and it could reasonably be considered logical. It would have prevailed without contradiction if other facts had not shown it to be insufficient. These facts were the evidence of intelligence the phenomena displayed. Since every intelligent effect must have an intelligent cause, another cause was clearly involved, even if electricity or some other fluid played a part. What was that cause? What was this intelligence? Further observations brought the answer to light.

66. For a manifestation to be intelligent it is not necessary that it should be eloquent, witty, or learned; it is sufficient that it prove a free and voluntary act, expressing an intention, or answering to a thought. Assuredly, when we see a weathercock agitated by the wind, it is very certain it obeys only a mechanical impulse; but if we should recognize in its movements intentional signals,—should it turn to the right or to the left, rapidly or slowly, at command,—we should be forced to admit, not that the weathercock is intelligent, but that it obeys an intelligence. This is what happened with the table.

66. For a manifestation to be intelligent, it does not need to be eloquent, witty, or learned. It is enough for it to show a free and voluntary act that expresses an intention or responds to a thought. When we see a weathercock moved by the wind, it is clearly responding only to a mechanical force. But suppose we recognized intentional signals in its movements. Suppose it turned right or left, quickly or slowly, on command. We would have to admit that it was obeying an intelligence, though not that the weathercock itself was intelligent. This is what happened with the table.

67. We have seen the table moved, raised, strike blows, under the influence of one or of several mediums. The first intelligent effect that was remarked was to see these movements obey the word of command; thus, without changing its place, the table would rise alternately on the designated foot, then, in coming down, strike a required number of blows, answering a question. At other times the table, without personal contact, would walk across the room, going to the right or to the left, forward or backward, executing divers movements, at the order of the assistants. It is very evident that we set aside all supposition of fraud, that we admit the perfect loyalty of the assistants, proved by their honor and perfect disinterestedness. We shall speak, by and by, of the frauds against which it is necessary to be guarded.

67. We have seen a table move, rise, and strike blows under the influence of one or more mediums. The first sign of intelligence noticed was that these movements followed spoken commands. Without changing its position, the table would rise on the foot specified. As it came down, it would strike the requested number of blows to answer a question. At other times, without anyone touching it, the table would move across the room. It would go right or left, forward or backward, and perform various movements at the observers' command. We clearly set aside any suspicion of fraud here. We accept the observers' complete honesty, established by their honor and their complete lack of self-interest. Later, we shall discuss the kinds of fraud one must guard against.

68. By means of raps, and, above all, by the inner raps of which we have spoken, still more intelligent effects are produced, as the imitation of the beatings of a drum, a small war, with rank and platoon firing, cannonading; then the grinding of the saw, blows of a hammer, the rhythm of different airs, &c. It was, as may well be supposed, an immense field opened for exploration. It was said, since there is here an unknown intelligence, it should be able to answer questions; and, in fact, it did answer Yes, or No, by means of a given number of raps. These answers were very insignificant, which led to the idea of designating the letters of the alphabet, and thus composing words and phrases.

68. Raps, especially the inner raps we have described, produce still more intelligent effects. They can imitate the beating of a drum or a small battle, with ranks and platoons firing and cannons booming. They can also imitate the grinding of a saw, the blows of a hammer, the rhythm of different tunes, and so on. As one might suppose, this opened up an immense field for exploration. People reasoned that, since an unknown intelligence was present, it should be able to answer questions. In fact, it did answer Yes or No with a set number of raps. These answers were very limited, which led to the idea of using the raps to designate letters of the alphabet. In this way, words and phrases could be formed.

69. These facts, renewed at will, by thousands of persons in all countries, could leave no doubt of the intelligent nature of these manifestations. Then arose a new system, according to which this intelligence was no other than that of the medium, the interrogator, or even of the assistants. The difficulty was, to explain how this intelligence could be reflected into the table, and translated by blows. As soon as it was proved that these blows were not struck by the medium, they were then by the thought; but thought striking blows was a still more prodigious phenomenon than the one they had already witnessed. Experience soon demonstrated the inadmissibility of this opinion. In fact, the answers were often found to be in complete opposition to the thought of the assistants, beyond the intellectual strength of the medium, and even in language of which he was ignorant, or relating to facts unknown to all. The examples are so numerous that it is almost impossible that any one, even slightly occupied with Spiritism, should not have been many times witness of it. We shall cite only one, brought to us by an eyewitness.

69. These phenomena were repeated at will by thousands of people in all countries. They could leave no doubt that the manifestations were intelligent. Then a new theory arose. It claimed that the intelligence was really that of the medium, the questioner, or even the people present. The difficulty was explaining how this intelligence could be reflected in the table and expressed through raps. Once it was proved that the medium did not make the raps, thought was said to make them instead. But thought producing raps was an even more astonishing phenomenon than the one they had already witnessed. Experience soon showed that this theory could not be accepted. The answers often directly contradicted the thoughts of those present. They were beyond the medium's intellectual abilities. Some were even in languages the medium did not know, or concerned facts unknown to everyone present. There are so many examples that almost anyone with even a slight interest in Spiritism must have witnessed this many times. We will cite just one example, reported to us by an eyewitness.

70. On a vessel of the imperial French navy, stationed in the Chinese Seas, the whole crew, from the sailors up to the staff-major, were occupied in making tables talk. They hit upon the idea of invoking the spirit of a lieutenant of this same vessel, some two years dead. He came, and after various communications, which astonished every one, he said, by rapping, what follows: "I pray you instantly to pay the captain the sum of" (he mentioned the sum) "which I owe him, and which I regret not having been able to repay before my death." No one knew the fact; the captain himself had forgotten the debt,—a very small one, by the by,—but on looking over his accounts, he found there the lieutenant's debt, the sum indicated being perfectly correct. We ask, of whose thought could this be the reflection?

70. On a ship of the imperial French navy, stationed in the Chinese Seas, the whole crew was occupied with making tables talk. Everyone took part, from the sailors to the senior officers. They had the idea of invoking the spirit of a lieutenant from the same ship who had died about two years earlier. He came and gave several communications that astonished everyone. Then, by rapping, he said: "Please pay the captain at once the sum of" (he mentioned the sum) "which I owe him. I regret not having been able to repay him before my death." No one knew about the debt. The captain himself had forgotten it. It was a very small debt, by the way. But when he checked his accounts, he found the lieutenant's debt recorded there. The sum given was perfectly correct. We ask, whose thought could this have reflected?

71. The act of communicating by alphabetic raps was perfected, but the process was always very long; though by its means they obtained very interesting revelations from the world of spirits. These indicated other means, and to them we are indebted for written communications.

71. The method of communicating through alphabetic raps was improved, but it was always very slow. Even so, it brought very interesting revelations from the spirit world. The spirits suggested other methods, and thanks to them we have written communications.

The first communications of this kind were by adjusting a pencil to the foot of a table, held lightly on a sheet of paper. The table, moved by the influence of a medium, began to trace characters, then words and phrases. This process was successively simplified, by using little tables, the size of the hand, made expressly, then baskets, card-baskets, and afterward simple planchettes. The writing was as flowing, rapid, and easy, as with the hand, but it was afterward found that these objects were really only appendices, pencil-holders, with which they could dispense by themselves holding the pencil: the hand, carried along by an involuntary movement, wrote under the impulse given by the spirit, and without the concurrence of the will or thought of the medium. From henceforward, the communications from beyond the tomb had no more limits than correspondence between the living.

The first communications of this kind were made by attaching a pencil to the foot of a table. The pencil rested lightly on a sheet of paper. The table, moved by the influence of a medium, began to trace letters, then words and sentences. The process was gradually simplified. People used specially made tables the size of a hand, then baskets, card baskets, and finally simple planchettes. The writing was as flowing, rapid, and easy as writing by hand. But people later found that these objects were only attachments, serving as pencil holders. They could do without them by holding the pencil themselves. The medium's hand moved involuntarily and wrote under the spirit's influence, without the medium's will or thought taking part. From then on, communications from beyond the grave had no more limits than correspondence between the living.

We shall return to these different processes, and will explain them in detail; having rapidly sketched them to show the succession of the facts, proving in these phenomena the intervention of unknown intelligences, otherwise spirits.

We will return to these different processes and explain them in detail. We have briefly outlined them to show the sequence of facts proving that unknown intelligences, or spirits, intervene in these phenomena.