Mysterious Psychic Forces: An Account of the Author's Investigations in Psychical Research, Together with Those of Other European Savants — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Mysterious Psychic Forces: An Account of the Author's Investigations in Psychical Research, Together with Those of Other European Savants
John Stuart Mill · en
During this same soiree of November 19 I ask that the violin, which has
fallen to the floor, be brought again upon the table. We keep holding
carefully the medium's hands, M. Sardou her left hand and I her right.
Eusapia, wishing to give still more security, more certainty, proposes
that I take her two hands, the right as I am holding it, and her left
wrist in my right hand, her left hand always being held by M.
Sardou,--_the whole show of hands taking place on the table_. A noise is
heard. The violin is brought on, passes above our hands, thus
criss-crossed, and is laid down, farther on, in the middle of the table. A
candle is lighted, and the position of our hands is ascertained. They have
not moved. Some time after this phenomena, in the dim light, we all saw
will-o'-the-wisps shining in the cabinet. They were visible through the
cleft in the curtains, which at that time was rather wide. For my part, I
saw three of them, the first very brilliant, the others less intense. They
were not tremulous, nor did they stir in the least, and remained in view
scarcely more than a second.
M. Antoniadi having remarked that he is not always sure of holding her
left hand, Eusapia says to me in a flush of passion, "Since he is not
sure, take my two hands yourself again." I already hold the right, and am
absolutely certain of it. I thereupon take her left wrist in my right
hand, M. A. declaring that he will take care of the fingers. In this
position, Eusapia's two hands being thus held above the table, a cushion,
which is at my right upon the table, having been forcibly thrown there
some moments before, is seized and thrown over the sofa, brushing my
forehead on the left. Those who sit at the table and form the chain affirm
that the hands of the chain have not lost touch with each other.
Here is another circumstance recorded in the notes of Mme. Flammarion:
We were almost in complete darkness,--the lamp, removed as far as
possible from Eusapia, having only the dim glow of a night-lamp.
Eusapia was seated at the experiment table,--between MM. Brisson and
Pallotti, who were holding her two hands,--and almost facing this
lamp.
Mme. Brisson and I were seated some yards distant from Eusapia, one of
us on the side and the other in the middle of the salon, Eusapia
facing us, while we had our backs turned to the light. This allowed us
to distinguish well enough everything that passed before us.