It need hardly be said that, as in the case of our own spiritualistic _séances_, the net value of the information obtained by this process is _nil_. It is hardly fair to Shinto to call this sort of thing "esoteric Shinto," as Mr. Lowell does. Spiritualism is not esoteric Christianity, but a diseased excrescence on it. The higher Shinto functionaries do not condescend to such practices, and, indeed, they are commonly performed by laymen, or even by Buddhist priests. The official Shinto mode of ascertaining the will of the Gods was by the "Greater Divination," that is, by the deer's shoulder-blade or the tortoise-shell. _Kangakari_, or inspiration, was, however, known at all periods of Japanese history; and although no detailed accounts have reached us of the methods used to produce it, there are indications that they were of a similar character to those described by Mr. Lowell. The _kannushi_ of the ceremony of the Empress Jingō's inspiration[327] seems to be the same as Mr. Lowell's _naka-za_, and the _saniha_ corresponds to his _mae-za_. We may presume that his office sometimes resembled that of the functionary at Delphi, whose business it was to clarify the obscurities of the Pythian priestess's utterances. The _miko_ of the shrine of Ise gave inspired utterances. The sprinkling of boiling water is said to have been part of the process by which they were induced. True inspiration, such as that which touched Isaiah's hallowed lips with fire, belongs chiefly to the male sex. The _kangakari_, or hypnotic trance, on the other hand, has in Japan, as elsewhere, a decided preference for women or boys.[328] 'Occult Japan' deals only with the hypnotic trance as a condition in which communications are received from the Gods. But there are also mediums, called _miko_ or _ichiko_, who when hypnotized deliver messages from deceased relatives and others.[329] Hirata speaks of the _miko_ and _hafuri_ providing _yori-bito_ (mediums), by whom they brought near (_yoru_) by prayer the spirits of Gods or men and questioned them. _Ichiko_ is defined in the dictionary, _Kotoba no Idzumi_, as a woman who, as the representative of a God or living soul, or dead man's soul, delivers their thoughts from her own mouth. Possession by foxes, badgers, and other animals is a well-known phenomenon in Japan, but as it has no special connexion with Shinto I shall only refer the reader to Mr. B. H. Chamberlain's 'Things Japanese,' which contains a scientific account of this form of disease from the pen of Dr. Baelz. There are in Japan families who are believed to own foxes, by whom they are assisted and protected, and who watch over their fields and prevent outsiders from doing damage. Such families are avoided, and none but members of similar fox-owning families will intermarry with them.[330] FOOTNOTES: [288] See above, p. 197. [289] 'Yenzeki Zasshi,' v. 1. [290] When demons and evil influences are expelled. See above, p. 308.