Modern spiritism; its science and religion - SpiritArchive.org

2 8 MODERN SPIRITISM
with D. D. Home we are told that "tears of holy
joy coursed down his manly cheeks."
The prayer is, of course, defended as necessary,
because it is supposed to keep out evil spirits. It
may be offered by the medium, or rather by some
spirit supposed to be controlling (i.e., using) her at
the time. There is almost sure to be, during a
prolonged stance, all sorts of meaningless freaks,
toys, flowers, etc., flying in the air, and musical
instruments heard about the room.
Spirit-Controls
Professor Jacks, while he was President of the
Society for Psychical Research, attended three
seances with a special medium. He had first to dismiss
any hypothesis of fraud, which is so common
amongst professional mediums; but this was not
If he wished to see true phenomena he found
enough.
he must assume the reality of the spirit-control of the
medium before he could get any communications,
which was very unsatisfactory to him, for the control
professed to be the spirit of some departed person.
Having accepted this, one had to take the truth of
the whole of what followed for granted! The
"controls" are generally remote people, such as a
French doctor of 200 years ago, an Oriental girl,
a North American Indian, or a priest of the Pharaohs.
On the other hand, the "spirit" is some one known
to the audience. Dr. Jacks found the "stage patter"
and the phraseology of disguised theosophy (on
which Modern Spiritism is largely based) very
annoying. He could not get into communication
with any of his relations; but suddenly the "spirit"