Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Science -- Periodicals
"In the night I have seen a luminous cloud hover over a heliotrope on a
side-table, break a sprig off, and carry the sprig 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."
These hands he claims to have frequently seen, sometimes in darkness,
sometimes in light. On one occasion "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: this occurred in
the light, in my own room, while I was holding the medium's hands and
feet."
The hand often seemed to form from a luminous cloud. "It is not always a
mere form, but sometimes appears perfectly life-like and graceful, the
fingers moving, the flesh appearing as human as that of any in the room.
At the wrist or arm it becomes hazy and fades off into a luminous
cloud.... 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."
We should not venture to quote these most remarkable statements but for
the fact that they are made by a gentleman of such high standing for
accuracy of observation, who knew perfectly well that he was imperilling
his position in the scientific world and exposing himself to the
contumely and accusation of loss of sanity that followed. In regard to
this point it need only be said that his most valuable scientific work
has been done since that period, and that his statements on scientific
subjects are received everywhere to-day as unquestionably accurate and
important. That he saw what he believed to be luminous hands there can
be no doubt. Whether he was deceived is another question.
As to the producing cause of these manifestations Professor Crooks
offers no theory. Whether the power and the intelligence displayed came
from some one present or from some disembodied spirit he makes no
suggestion, but simply presents the facts as evidence that there are
mysteries in nature transcending any that have yet been weighed and
measured, and which must engage the attention of the science of the
future.
Of the other scientists named, Professor Wallace openly accepts the
spiritualistic explanation of these phenomena. He has not, so far as we
are aware, published any detailed statement of his investigations,
though we have been told that they consisted in part in what is known as
"spirit photography," or the taking of photographs of persons known to
be dead, by his own private apparatus and in his own private rooms. As
to the character of the results obtained by him, however, we are unable
to make any statement.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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