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

133Though this sitting was by appointment, nothing was ready. We had to wait fortyminutes for the seance-room to be warmed, and when we did go upstairs the cabinet was found fullof chairs and other things that had been used during the afternoon for Mrs. Jonson’s cabinetsitting.Grayfeather, the Indian, took possession of Jonson easily and naturally, and nineteenindividual spirits materialised, some reappearing two or three times. The light was sufficient toread a watch with a white face. Jonson sat outside the cabinet, in a chair, for quite half the seance.My friends Mr. and Mrs. Z. were fortunate in seeing a number of their relatives, and I wasmore than satisfied. The antics of Viola, one of the habitu6s of Jonson’s cabinet, were remarkable.She came first and shoved her face to the three members of the circle, at a distance of one or twoinches from theirs, allowing me to examine her long hair by taking it into my hand. She made threeor four visits. On one of these she stood outside the cabinet curtains talking for a minute or so, thensuddenly disappeared from that spot and reappeared instantly behind my chair with her hands onmy shoulders and some of her hair over my right shoulder. The distance from one spot to the otherwas six feet. As she wore a white robe and the light was fairly good, it would have been impossiblenot to see her move if she had been a mortal. We three agreed that there was no sign of a form fromthe time she disappeared outside the cabinet to the moment her hands were placed upon me. I havedescribed similar performances of this bright, active spirit in Chapter VI.(96) But the most extraordinary manifestation of this excellent seance was thematerialisation of a sister of mine, Catherine, who passed from this life, when two and a-half yearsold, fifty-five years ago. She first came out of the cabinet, gave her name, and said in low tones:“We are all here, father and mother and brother Alldin.”Q.: “Is Iola here?”A.: “Yes, we are all here.”This time her face was not very distinct; she returned into the cabinet, and, iii a minute ortwo, reappeared much plainer. Mrs. Jonson got a very strong impression to take her out into thebetter light behind the chairs, and only some six feet from the lamp. I moved first, Catherinebehind me, and Mrs. Jonson brought up the rear. We passed Jonson, entranced in his chair, roundMr. Z., who occupied a chair opposite to him, and stopped behind Mr. Z., where the light was goodenough to read a newspaper. Mrs. Jonson then told me to turn round; I faced about and foundmyself looking at a woman about 5ft. 4in. in height, with extremely pretty, animated face, full ofcharacter, and rich auburn hair. We kissed each other on the mouth; her lips were warm andmoist. We then proceeded back to the cabinet in reverse order. As the spirit was entering betweenthe curtains I brought my hand down upon her white shoulder and found—nothing! My hand metwith no resistance whatever. I could not detect any family likeness.(I discussed this incident afterwards at Detroit with Dr. Sharp, Mrs. Wriedt’s guide, andCatherine herself. I asked Sharp: “Why was it that it was so easy for my sister to materialise andcome out into the middle of the room, and other spirits find it so difficult?” His reply was: “You arechildren of the same mother; it is a fact that, when brother and sister meet in this way, it is mucheasier than friends or even relations of more distant affinity.” I asked Catherine why my hand wentthrough her shoulder. She said, “I am not material “; but on another occasion she said, “I was justbeginning to dematerialise.”)Mr. Z. told me this was the best materialisation he had ever seen at Jonson’s. Both he andMrs. Z. saw Catherine, clearly, from where they sat, and declared that she was a very beautifulspirit.An old relative of mine came out of the cabinet. I went back to the opening with her, and shekissed me on the left cheek. At the same moment I put my right arm round her waist and found—nothing! After an interval she came again, and for a second time I was able to satisfy myself of hernon-substantiality. Hypatia and Cleopatra both put in an appearance, the latter wearing a goldbracelet on the left arm, exactly as in my precipitated picture. I put my hand on this bracelet andfound—nothing! As on a former visit in 1909, she made passes over Jonson and stood beside himwhen he was on his feet; she was nearly the same height, say 5ft. l0in.None of these experiments did the medium any harm.