Glimpses Of The Next State.Pdf - Spiritualists' National Union

130During the conversation the table was frequently shaken, as if to simulate convulsions oflaughter ; these demonstrations were always very apt, invariably happening when some comicalremark had been made. several spirit lights were seen.The graphophone was often stopped when a record was put in which the spirits did not like.On one occasion, when Mrs. Moore went out of the room to fetch a record that we asked for, theinstrument was started and stopped several times by the spirits.A tambourine was wrung out of my hand, as it had been two years before.Towards the end of the seance the psychic spoke in trance, and described an old relative of minewho passed out in 1904. This “speaking in trance” and “automatic writing” are new developmentsof Miss Ada.After two and a-quarter hours the seance came to a close, the young psychic coming out oftrance in three minutes without distress, apparently normal, and able to join in generalconversation.I propose to continue the account of my observations of Miss Ada Besinnet without regardto consecutive dates in the narrative of my education, and then to give accounts of my sittings withthe Jonsons and the tests of the Bangs Sisters. The most mysterious and convincing of all myexperiences, those which brought me into closest touch with the next state, are related in the nextchapter, entitled “The Voices.” There is no phenomenon so rare and so effective as that of the“direct voice,” whereby an investigator is brought, so to speak, into the very antechamber ofcelestial life. The phenomena exhibited in the presence of Mrs. Wriedt, both in quantity andquality, exceed in value any other experiences I have in my notes. Not one half are recorded, forprivate reasons; but such as I have been able to make public will form an appropriate Jinis to thenarrative of facts I have witnessed in my search for the truths of immortality.(94) Saturday, December 3i~, 1910. With Miss Besinnet. Sitters—Mrs. Murray Moore, Mr.and Mrs. Z., their nieces, and myself. On this occasion the circle round the table was complete. Theatmospheric conditions were very good. I controlled the psychic’s right hand.Mrs. Moore, as before, attended to the graphophone. She was often interfered with by thespirits, who stopped the instrument whenever they did not like the tune or song being played.When the lights were first put out the table was moved a foot, and opened where a leafshould go if required. Then the spirit singing and whistling, in accompaniment to the graphophone,went on for about an hour. The singing of Oma Yoant was specially fine; it appeared to come fromabout a foot above the centre of the table. The same magnificent whistling took place.Mrs. Z.’s ring was taken from her hand to that of one of her nieces, and then brought to me,where, as on the previous evening, it was put on my little finger. It remained there ten or fifteenminutes, and was then returned by “ Leonore” to Mrs. Z. Little hands stroked my hand and myknee several times, and once a hand touched my shoulder.Presently I felt a little hand playing with my locket. Controlling Miss Ada ’s right hand withmy left, I reached down my right hand under the table and felt a small hand, less than half the sizeof my own, apparently trying to remove the locket. I asked:“Shall I assist you to unclasp it ?” Answer, one knock on the table (indicating “No “). Afterthe locket had been fingered about fifteen minutes, the motion ceased; I put my right hand downagain, and found it gone; it was handed round to each member of the circle, and then returned tome open. A number of spirit lights appeared round it the moment before I was allowed to hold it. Iasked:—“Who has been doing this? Is it Leonore ?”A.: One knock on the table.Q.: “Is it Iola?”A.: Three knocks (indicating “Yes”); then a whisper through the trumpet: “I tried to showyou my face in the locket.” Before this I saw, dimly, the form of a woman bending over me with herhands on my shoulders, or trying to do so.