Mysterious Psychic Forces: An Account of the Author's Investigations in Psychical Research, Together with Those of Other European Savants
John Stuart Mill · en
In order mechanically to control the movements of Eusapia's feet, Dr.
Ochorowicz employed the following piece of apparatus. Two deep and narrow
cigar-boxes were placed under the table, and Eusapia put her unshod feet
into them. The boxes had double bottoms and were provided with an
electrical arrangement of such a nature that she could move her feet
freely for some inches in every direction; but, if she wished to withdraw
them from the box, the electric bell tinkled before she had moved them
half way to the top, and only stopped when they were returned to their
place. Eusapia cannot remain utterly quiet during the seances. So she was
given a certain freedom of movement; but it was impossible for her to make
use of her legs for lifting the table. _Under these conditions the table,
weighing twenty-five pounds, rose up twice without the bell being heard._
During the second levitation the table was photographed underneath. (The
four feet of the table are seen in the photograph. The left is in contact
with Eusapia's dress, as is always the case when the light is strong; but
the boxes holding the feet of the medium are in their place.) Then the
experimenters verified the fact that the bell was heard, not only when
she removed her foot, but when she lifted it too high in the box.
After all these demonstrations, I will not do my readers the wrong of
thinking that the levitation of the table is not MORE THAN PROVED for all
of them.
Here, now, is a curious observation relative to the inflation of the
curtain: Ten persons were seated around the table. Eusapia had her back
turned to the curtain; she was controlled by General Starynkiewicz and Dr.
Watraszewski.
I was seated (writes M. Glowacki-Prus) opposite Eusapia, near Mlle.
X., a very nervous person and easily hypnotized. The seance had lasted
for about an hour, with numerous and varied phenomena. Eusapia, as
always, was in a semi-conscious state. Suddenly she awoke, and Mlle.
X. uttered a cry. Knowing what this cry meant, I grasped her hand with
great force and then put my arm about her; for this girl becomes very
strong in certain states. The room was well lighted, and this is what
we saw (something, be it noted, which I myself experienced by my
hands). Every time that the muscles of Mlle. X. became more tense and
rigid, the curtain which hung opposite her, at a distance of from
seven to ten feet, made a movement. The following table indicates the
details of this correlation:
Feeble tension of the muscles the curtain is set in motion.
strong tension it bellies out like a sail.
very strong tension, cries it reaches as far as eusapia's
controllers, and almost wholly
covers them.
repose repose.
tension of the muscles movement of the curtain.