Mysterious Psychic Forces: An Account of the Author's Investigations in Psychical Research, Together with Those of Other European Savants
John Stuart Mill · en
They came, and on Sunday, October 8, we obtained some remarkable
levitations. But there are some dregs of doubt yet in our minds, and
we make engagements for another reunion that day fortnight.
On Sunday, the 22d of October, 1899, in furtherance of my desire to
exercise careful control over the investigators, I had four broad
boards nailed together, forming a vertical frame in which I placed the
little table to be used during the sitting. This framework made it
impossible for the feet of the sitters to pass under the table; and
if it rose in spite of this, then we should know that the levitation
was due to an unknown force.
The remarks of Mme. X., when she saw this device, made me think at
once that no levitation was going to take place.
"This power of ours," said she, "is capricious; on some days we get
good results, on others none at all, and for no apparent reason."
"But we shall perhaps have raps, at any rate?"
"Certainly. We ought not to anticipate results. One can always try."
Two hours after luncheon, Mme. X. agrees to try a sitting. _No
levitation whatever occurred._
I had some suspicions that this would be the case. I ardently desired
the contrary, and we willed the levitation with all our might. I was
expressly careful to have the same experimenters (Mme. X. and Mme.
Cail, and myself) as a fortnight before, when everything succeeded so
admirably,--same places, same chairs, same room, temperature, hour,
etc.
Raps indicate that a spirit wishes to speak. I notice that the raps
correspond to a muscular movement of Mme. X.'s leg.
"Who are you?"
"In the library of the master of the house my name will be found in a
book."
"How shall we find it?"
"It is written on a piece of paper."
"In what book?"
"_Astronomia._"
"Of what date?"
No reply.
"Of what color?"
"Yellow."
"Bound?"
"No."
"Stitched?"
"Yes."
"On what shelf?"
"Hunt."
"It impossible to go through thousands of volumes, and, besides, there
is not such a book in the whole library."
No reply.
After a series of questions we learn that the book is on the sixth
shelf of the main body of the library, to the right of the door. But
first, we all went into the room to make sure it contained no such
book as was described.
"Then the volume is bound in boards?"
"Yes, there are four _low_ volumes."
We return to the room, and, sure enough, find in a volume entitled
_Anatomia Celeste_, Venice, 1573, a piece of paper, upon which is
pencilled the name "Krishna." We return to the seance table.
"Is it really you, Krishna?"
"Yes."
"In what epoch did you live?"
"In the time of Jesus."
"In what country?"
"In the neighborhood of the Himalaya mountain system."
"And how did you write your name on this piece of paper?"