The hypothesis is that the sorcerer and wizard of the Middle Ages made use of this phenomenon and that their victims were the unconscious victims of hypnosis. Before this hypothesis can be dismissed by the sceptic it should be remembered that sorcery flourished best in ages of faith and superstition. An active belief in the powers of sorcery or witchcraft facilitates not only direct suggestion, but also suggestion on self-hypnosis. A point of interest is that the effects of sorcery or evil suggestion are capable of being remedied by people who understand the subject. Exorcism is valuable and is as real as sorcery, and it is by no means a lost art among those occultists who have studied the dark side of spirit phenomena in order to know all that we are allowed to know of this dangerous subject. Above all things, the Spiritualist who has certain healing qualities in connection with mediumistic gifts should avoid any attempt at exorcism. Cases have been known when the attempt was successful, but only in so far that the evil was transferred from the original victim to the would-be healer. As a rule, the results are bad for both parties. The mental and consequently physical dangers of this kind of thing are far too serious to be lightly meddled with. One cannot insist on this too strongly. FOOTNOTES: [25] Chapter X of Professor Boirac’s _Psychic Science_ “Experimental Researches in Sleep Provoked at a Distance.” [26] See Proceedings of La Société Universelle d’Etudes Psychiques and _Proceedings S.P.R._, V and VIII. [27] See “Gilles de Rais, dit Barbe Bleu.” Bonsard et Maulde, _History of Magic_, Chapter VI: “Eliphas Levi.” In fiction, Huysman’s _La-Bas_. [28] For obvious reasons I have suppressed the detail of ritual. [29] Steinert was the chief adept in the Society of the Illuminati. See _Essai sur la Secte des Illuminés_, Marquis de Lachet. [30] Elementals cannot face pointed steel. Probably because the latter concentrates radiations of psychic force from the human body which are destructive to them. [31] In Germany capital punishment is still carried out by the headsman, who beheads with a sword. [32] Chapter II, _Psychical and Supernormal Phenomena_, by Dr. Paul Joire; Chapter XV, _Psychic Science_, by Emile Boirac, and numerous other works give details of this phenomenon. CHAPTER VII INCENSE AND OCCULTISM The ancients possessed amazing secrets concerning psychic knowledge of all kinds. Apart from the philosophical tenets held by the various degrees of priestcraft there was a special secret knowledge of what may be called the mechanical side. They knew how to produce phenomena.