The Planchette.--Modifications.--Easily operated.--Automatic Writing.--Governed by the Universal Law.--The Planchette without Spirits.--The Planchette and Telepathy.--Trance.--Ancient and Modern Superstitions relating to Trance.--Religious Systems founded on Trance.--Visions.--Swedenborg.--Oriental Philosophy.--Its Slow Growth and Stupendous Proportions.--Spiritistic Philosophy.--Its Evolution.--All founded on Trance Visions, in Ignorance of the Law of Suggestion.--Cahagnet's Mesmeric Seers.--Their Revelations.--Objective and Subjective Visions.--Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy.--Visions of the Holy Virgin.--The Physical and Mental Attitude of Prayer.--The Prayer of Faith.--Obsession.--Possession.--Casting out Devils.--Devils out of Fashion.--The Influence of Suggestion.--The Element of Telepathy.--Dual Personality.--Loss of Identity.--Characteristics.--The Case of Ansel Bourne.--Possible Explanation.--A Proof of the Dual Hypothesis.--Multiple Personality 251 CHAPTER XIX. THE PHYSICAL PHENOMENA OF SPIRITISM. The Intelligence manifested.--It is a Human Intelligence.--Inherent Probabilities.--Conditions requisite.--The Best Conditions.--A Living Organism necessary.--The Laws of Telepathy and Suggestion prevail.--Slate-Writing.--A Wonderful Slate-Writing Séance.--Telepathic and Psycho-Physical Power displayed in Perfection.--Demonstration of its Mundane Origin.--An Unexpected Phenomenon.--Summary of Results.--Syllogism.--General Conclusions.--Spiritistic Phenomena do not constitute Valid Evidence of a Life beyond the Grave.--An Argument for Immortality 271 CHAPTER XX. PHANTASMS OF THE DEAD. Ghosts.--Scientific Investigations.--Tentative Classification of Phenomena.--Power to create Phantasms demonstrated.--Investigations of the London Society for Psychical Research.--Spirit Photography.--Projection of the "Astral Body."--Witches.--Conditions necessary.--The same in all Cases.--Spirit "Materialization."--Magicians.--Ghosts the Creations of the Subjective Entity.--Eliphas Levi's Views.--Raising the Devil.--Crystal Visions.--Propositions established.--Embodied Thoughts.--Phantasms not Spirits.--Uniform Characteristics.--A New Classification.--Conditions of Objectivity and Persistency.--Haunted Houses.---No General Intelligence manifested.--D'Assier's Statements.--A Remarkable Case.--Ghosts Intensified Telepathic Visions.--Difference in Degree, not in Kind.--Ghosts not controllable by Suggestion.--Other Salient Peculiarities.--Ghosts neither prove nor disprove Immortality.--Mental Atmosphere of Houses.--Remarkable Cases.--Classification of Telepathic Phenomena.--Conclusions 286 CHAPTER XXI. SUSPENDED ANIMATION AND PREMATURE BURIAL.