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Tempi felici nella miseria.”}}

Tempi felici nella miseria.”}}

which I give as a good specimen of table talk. 1 will present here a conversation that we had with it at one of our first sittings. The table asked for the French alphabet, which desire was complied with by Brediff, and it spelt perfectly, grammatically and correctly the following German words: “Licht mehr Licht!” (Light, more light!) to the utmost astonishment of every one of us, who knew perfectly well that the medium Brediff did not know a word of German. We understood this injunction literally, and taking up the candle that stood at one side placed it on the table. Only at the end of the seance we remembered that those words were the last pronounced by Goethe when dying.

{{Style P-No indent|which I give as a good specimen of table talk. 1 will present here a conversation that we had with it at one of our first sittings. The table asked for the French alphabet, which desire was complied with by Brediff, and it spelt perfectly, grammatically and correctly the following German words: “Licht mehr Licht!” (Light, more light!) to the utmost astonishment of every one of us, who knew perfectly well that the medium Brediff did not know a word of German. We understood this injunction literally, and taking up the candle that stood at one side placed it on the table. Only at the end of the seance we remembered that those words were the last pronounced by Goethe when dying.}}

“Goethe hergeben,” spelt the table.

“Goethe hergeben,” spelt the table.

Allow me here a short digression, for 1 now want to say a few words about the universality of these mediumistic phenomena, and discuss it as well as any slight knowledge of the subject will permit. I repeat again, I am thoroughly convinced of the reality of these manifestations, for my con viction formed itself slowly, was brought about by reasoning, and enforced itself upon me by a long series of individual proofs, all of which were carefully revised, verified and examined by myself under every aspect When some manifestation happened to leave me at the time of one seance in the slightest doubt, I watched it more carefully than ever at the next one; and if its genuineness offered the slightest ground for suspicion, I never recorded it with the rest of those which remained in my eyes indisputable. Therefore, I do not mention here any of those manifestations that I could not most positively vouch for.

Allow me here a short digression, for 1 now want to say a few words about the universality of these mediumistic phenomena, and discuss it as well as any slight knowledge of the subject will permit. I repeat again, I am thoroughly convinced of the reality of these manifestations, for my con viction formed itself slowly, was brought about by reasoning, and enforced itself upon me by a long series of individual proofs, all of which were carefully revised, verified and examined by myself under every aspect When some manifestation happened to leave me at the time of one seance in the slightest doubt, I watched it more carefully than ever at the next one; and if its genuineness offered the slightest ground for suspicion, I never recorded it with the rest of those which remained in my eyes indisputable. Therefore, I do not mention here any of those manifestations that I could not most positively vouch for.

All these phenomena have <most certainly their origin in general physical laws and therefore are subordinate to the latter. Certain outward conditions must influence them, undoubtedly. For instance, the cold or the dryness of the atmosphere affect their progress. That the power, which calls out these manifestations is centred in the mediums is another undeniable fact, as the mediums present to us individuals in whom the activity of the nervous system has peculiarities which are not to be found in others. By this I do not mean to imply that the said action differs substantially from the same action in other nervous people. Not at all! It even seems to me probable that all such persons are more or less mediumistic; but developed mediums are apt to display the manifestations of this action in a maximum degree. In their presence especially in the presence pf such strong mediums as D. D. Home for instance, the manifestations can be produced unconditionally, without either spiritual apparatus, seances or tables. But the occurrence of this action evidently is subject to variations. That is why spiritual seances very often turn out to be so fruitless. Home told me himself that his mediumistic powers left him altogether for months at a time.

All these phenomena have most certainly their origin in general physical laws and therefore are subordinate to the latter. Certain outward conditions must influence them, undoubtedly. For instance, the cold or the dryness of the atmosphere affect their progress. That the power, which calls out these manifestations is centred in the mediums is another undeniable fact, as the mediums present to us individuals in whom the activity of the nervous system has peculiarities which are not to be found in others. By this I do not mean to imply that the said action differs substantially from the same action in other nervous people. Not at all! It even seems to me probable that all such persons are more or less mediumistic; but developed mediums are apt to display the manifestations of this action in a maximum degree. In their presence especially in the presence pf such strong mediums as D. D. Home for instance, the manifestations can be produced unconditionally, without either spiritual apparatus, seances or tables. But the occurrence of this action evidently is subject to variations. That is why spiritual seances very often turn out to be so fruitless. Home told me himself that his mediumistic powers left him altogether for months at a time.

This power is supported, strengthened and develops {{Style S-HPB SB. Continues on |3-217}}

This power is supported, strengthened and develops {{Style S-HPB SB. Continues on |3-217}}