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
On March 12th, during a seance here, after Katie had been walking
amongst us and talking for some time, she retreated behind the curtain
which separated my laboratory, where the company was sitting, from my
library which did temporary duty as a cabinet. In a minute she came to
the curtain and called me to her, saying, "Come into the room and lift
my medium's head up, she has slipped down." Katie was then standing
before me clothed in her usual white robes and turban head-dress. I
immediately walked into the library up to Miss Cook, Katie stepping
aside to allow me to pass. I found Miss Cook had slipped partially
off the sofa, and her head was hanging in a very awkward position. I
lifted her on to the sofa, and in so doing had satisfactory evidence,
in spite of the darkness, that Miss Cook was not attired in the
"Katie" costume, but had on her ordinary black velvet dress, and was
in a deep trance. Not more than three seconds elapsed between my
seeing the white-robed Katie standing before me and my raising Miss
Cook onto the sofa from the position into which she had fallen.
On returning to my post of observation by the curtain, Katie again
appeared, and said she thought she would be able to show herself and
her medium to me at the same time. The gas was then turned out and she
asked for my phosphorus lamp. After exhibiting herself by it for some
seconds, she handed it back to me, saying, "Now come in and see my
medium." I closely followed her into the library, and by the light of
my lamp saw Miss Cook lying on the sofa just as I had left her. I
looked round for Katie, but she had disappeared. I called her, but
there was no answer.
On resuming my place, Katie soon reappeared, and told me that she had
been standing close to Miss Cook all the time. She then asked if she
might try an experiment herself, and taking the phosphorus lamp from
me she passed behind the curtain, asking me not to look in for the
present. In a few minutes she handed the lamp back to me, saying she
could not succeed, as she had used up all the power, but would try
again another time. My eldest son, a lad of fourteen, who was sitting
opposite me, in such a position that he could see behind the curtain,
tells me he distinctly saw the phosphorus lamp apparently floating
about in space over Miss Cook, illuminating her as she lay motionless
on the sofa, but he could not see anyone holding the lamp.