Psychomancy: Spirit-Rappings and Table-Tippings Exposed — John Shaqi
Psychomancy: Spirit-Rappings and Table-Tippings ExposedPage, Charles Grafton
Religion
Psychomancy: Spirit-Rappings and Table-Tippings Exposed
Page, Charles Grafton
Spiritualism; Table-moving (Spiritualism)
notice, having heard much of the extraordinary performances we went
in company with a scientific friend to see for ourselves. The medium
was a sprightly young girl, whose reputation for sincerity might have
been her dearest treasure. The wonderful feats of this medium were
recounted to us, and we longed for the verification. After a brief
conversation, she with another young lady, (about half medium) placed
hands upon a small table, our friend joining the circle. Their hands
were so placed, that the right hand of one concealed the left hand of
the other. After a while, the table began to move. This was natural,
certainly, for we noticed that this medium was working very hard
with her concealed hand to move it. Perhaps her mother saw this, for
she rose from her seat and said, "You are not tricking, now?" "No,
indeed, mother, I'm not tricking; see how lightly I _press_!" What a
comment was all this upon the recital just made by her mother to us of
the astonishing feats of moving heavy dining-tables, tearing up the
carpets, moving pianofortes, &c.! Our friend beginning to suspect the
voluntary character of this motion of the table, made a counter effort
with his fingers (better concealed than that of the medium for the
reason that he was possessed of far greater strength), and the table
stopped moving. But this was not all. We detected upon the countenance
of the medium an expression of disappointment, and further, a more
palpable striving to move the table, in consequence of this resistance,
which she seemed not to suspect. All this seems too farcical to relate,
and yet the _superhuman_ performances of this very medium had been
described to us by eye-witnesses of the highest respectability as
marvellous, and astounding in the extreme, and our principal informant
was a gentleman well known for his astuteness, had some years back
published an excellent work upon mathematics, and was as well qualified
as the average of learned men to observe and decide upon such matters.
His testimony was confirmed by several others, all witnesses of the
highest respectability, and what was it all worth? and what is all
other testimony worth upon this _aerial vaulting_ of tables? Perhaps we
are mistaken as to the effort made by this medium to move the table.
Let us see! We placed a sheet of paper on the table under her hand, and
as soon as the table was desired to move, behold the sheet of paper
moved over the table-top, while the table stood still. Here is the
demonstration of this fallacy, and although in such a shape that it
may be cavilled at, yet it is, however, the elementary key, and to us
all-sufficient in itself. We will, however, develope it in such form
as to be beyond all cavil. We witnessed, after this, many abortive
attempts by mediums and others to move tables, and some other attempts
that began to succeed, till we applied our mechanical tests, when the
new fluid, electricity, magnetism, nervous power, odylic force, all
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