< A Chapter of Naturalism (continued from page 3-104) >
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Lightly they’ll talk of the spirit that’s gone, |
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Strange Powers of Spirits of Sleeping Mortals
In the last number of The Spiritualist it was pointed out how the spirit of the sister of Prince Wittgenstein manifested to him while her body was in a trance; how the spirit of a mesmeric sensitive left her body and produced physical effects in a house at a distance, as authenticated by Mr. Fitz-Gerald, the electrician; how one sleeping person influenced another, and how the spirits of several sleeping persons were photographed. Since then we have received the following startling, information bearing on the same subject: —
Sir, —In the course of collecting evidence for some articles which I have been publishing on the subject of Spirit Photography, I was astonished to find it stated on good authority, that M. Buguet, of 5, Boulevard Montmartre, Paris, had several times photographed the spiritual image of a living person. The Comte de Bullet, I found, had been especially fortunate in obtaining portraits of his sister, who lives at Baltimore, U.S.A., as well as of her children, and of his own mother. I placed myself in communication with him, and received an attestation of the fact which you quoted in the last number of the Spiritualist.
The evidence was so complete that it set me thinking on the trans-corporeal action of spirit. Cases readily occurred to me in which I had heard of the spirit leaving the body, and retaining recollection of its wanderings. I had been familiar with the fact in my own person. Many times I had wandered in spirit, and had preserved a vivid remembrance of the scenes through which I passed. On one occasion, at least, I had been able to test the truth of my vision; and had found my record of a scene at which I was not physically present to be so literally exact that I had no doubt as to my having been spiritually present at it.
It seemed, therefore, a good opportunity for ascertaining whether it were possible for my spirit to leave on the sensitized plate a permanent record of its wanderings beyond the body. Doubtless it would be idle waste of time to evoke the spirit of any sleeping person who might be chosen at random. Peculiar conditions of mediumsbip are requisite, which were existent in me. The leaving the body was already, in my case, a frequent fact: it was only the permanent record of it that was wanting. An arrangement was accordingly made between Mr. Gledstanes (11, Hue D’Asnieres, Paris) and myself to this effect—He was to present himself at M. Buguet’s studio at 11 A.M., on Sunday, Jan. 31 last, to sit as soon after his arrival as possible, and to “evoke” me, i.e., to fix his mind on me, and to will strongly that my spirit should present itself. For my part, I engaged to remain quiet in my rooms, and to be asleep, if I could so arrange, or to ask my spirit friends to entrance me.
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Editor's notes
Sources
London Spiritualist, No. 132, March 5, 1875, p. 119