Mysterious Psychic Forces: An Account of the Author's Investigations in Psychical Research, Together with Those of Other European Savants
John Stuart Mill · en
We remained standing about her, and the space above and under the
table was well lighted. Under these conditions the table rose at an
angle of twenty to forty degrees, and so remained for some minutes,
while the medium was holding her legs stretched out and striking her
feet one against the other. When we pressed with the hand upon the
lifted side of the table, we experienced a considerable elastic
resistance.
The table was suspended by one of its ends to a dynamometer which was
coupled to a cord: this cord was tied to a small beam supported upon
two wardrobes.
Under these conditions, the end of the table having been lifted six
and a half inches, the dynamometer showed seventy-seven pounds. The
medium sat at the same narrow end of the table, with her hands
_wholly_ on the table, to the right and the left of the point where
the dynamometer was attached. Our hands formed the chain upon the
table, without pressure: they would not have been able in any case to
do more than _increase_ the pressure brought to bear on the table. On
the contrary, the desire was expressed that the pressure should
diminish, and soon the table began to rise on the side of the
dynamometer. M. Gerosa, who was following the marks on the apparatus,
announced this diminution, expressed by the successive figures 7-1/2,
4-1/2, 2-1/2, 0 (pounds). At the last the levitation was such that the
dynamometer rested horizontally on the table.
Then we changed the conditions by putting our hands under the table.
The medium, especially, put hers, not under the edge, where it might
have touched the vertical border-board and exercised a push downwards,
but _under the rail that unites the feet_, and touched this, not with
the palm, but _with the back of the hand_. Thus all the hands together
could only have diminished the traction upon the dynamometer. Upon the
desire being expressed to see this traction augment, it increased from
7-1/2 pounds to 13 pounds. During all these experiments each of the
medium's feet rested under the foot of her nearest neighbor to right
or left.
_Complete Levitation of the Table._
It was natural to conclude that if the table, in apparent
contradiction to the law of gravity, was able to rise partly, it would
be able to rise entirely from the floor. As a matter of fact, this is
what happened. _This levitation, one of the most frequent phenomena
that occur in the experiments with Eusapia, stood a most satisfactory
examination._