There is almost always an influence which belongs peculiarly to each public medium—an influence which seems to be a presiding Spirit, which that medium will usually recognize, answering to the name of “Jim” or “John.” It is generally the case that this Spirit will be found on hand first, and is the one to do whatever is to be done; and he becomes the father, mother, brother, sister, or friend of everybody. I speak from experience on this subject. If this Spirit wants to be very accurate in telling you a name, he gets you to write down a list of names, and as your finger runs down the list, he raps when you come to the right one. If he knows the name, why does he not spell it out? This is a very reasonable question. Permit me to explain how these questions are often answered. In mesmerism there is at times a certain relation of the operator to the subject called _rapport_, in which condition the operator can transmit his mental motions to the subject. In case a Spirit comes into _rapport_ with yourself, he answers all the questions you ask, even mental questions, and you come to the conclusion that you are really conversing with the one who purports to answer. If you ask whether you have a father, mother, brother, or sister in the Spirit-land, he will answer according to your perceptions; and the tests seem to be very good, though the Spirit is constantly answering directly from your own mind. This often occurs in public circles. Another individual, sitting next to you, who is very anxious to get equally good tests from his Spirit-friends, gets no correct answers unless he hands his written questions to one who has been found to be in _rapport_ with the Spirit. I once knew an instance of this kind. A doctor came into a circle with about thirty mental questions, to which he desired to get responses; but he could get no answers, it seeming impossible for the Spirits to get the questions from his mind; but upon his writing them out, and handing them to a lady, who shortly before had succeeded in getting answers, they were all replied to without difficulty. The simple explanation of this fact is, that the lady was in _rapport_ with the Spirit, and consequently her thoughts could be seen by the Spirit, while he could not perceive the thoughts of the physician, who was not in _rapport_ with him. If you ask questions orally, it may be that the Spirit does not hear them, except through the medium’s ears, so to speak. I might go on thus to great extent, showing the liability there is to be deceived in these public communications.