Washington telegraph., 1853-07-13
ga5.c-E0viug.
To Tie Eattor Of tie Y. y. z

SIR u have been expecting for some
tine to see sumo rational explanation o. the
phenomena of table moyings' so called
but seeing none, aad as superstitious ideas
are still associated with them in the minds
OF many, | submit the following to the con-
sideration Of yourself and readers:
The explanation Of these phenomena, as
it seems TO me, may BE found in the well
known tact,-'that muscles will act in obe-
dience to the emotional impulses, and pre-
dominant idea, without any exercise OF the
will, and often, in opposition to 1.-THE per-
son not being conscious OF having exerted
any muscular power"
1t is not every person that can yolantari-
Is induce this state, TO that degree re-
qaisitc to move tables, &c, without con-
scioasness Of exertion, bat there are some,
and in every ncighboIhood, one or more; SO
that there is scarcely person in the COM
muni!y now, who has not had am opportu-
nifty OF witnessing the phenomena. The
emotional state, in the case OF tablc.moying,
consists. chiefly. in many instances. III tie
strong belief, or expectation, that through
some electrical or other mysterious infu-
ence, the table viii sooner or late move; but
this is not essential--the very id9a OF table
moving, without any faith in it, viii excite,
after while, in many individlals, inyoiun-
tary, automatic movements, and the table
viii move, while the person who causes It's
movements, Is unconscious Of ezerting voli-
toa, or the slightest amodnt OF force. Ii
the table be heavy, such individual will,
after a time, feel weary and exhausted,
which is often crroneously attributed to
the abstraction Of electricity FROM the body.
This abstraction of mind, and concen.ra-
ton upon one idea, with or without the
| strong expectation Of success, at length ex-
cites involuntary efforts, oftcn very power
ful, which even the viii probably ceuld not
resrain, and the table cuts many styan nra
antics, and makes sundry irregular move
mcnts, now forward and now from the
individual in total violation of all laws oi
attraction or repul5ion. as connected with
electricity, or any other known agent. The
will, however, is not wholly without inAu-
ence, for the table will take the direction
which The individual wishes or which some
one present may indicate, as up stairs, or
toward particular part of the room, OF
VIII stand on one leg, or rcv0lve in elthc,
direction, or move to either side. Emotion
al excitement may intensity yolitlonal pow-
er in certain persons, 50 that they can hii
extraordinary weights and DO very wonder
fui things and that too without conscious
effort, as in artificial somnambulism; il
which state q man has been known to swing
a 2S h. weight around his head on his little
finger alone which he could not have done
in his natural and waking state. Ills whole
mental energy is concentrated upon one OBJ
/ iect. his whole mind occupied 10y one idea
! and he is not conscious at the time, or after
ward, of exerting any muscular power. Ii
is very probable that in cases where any
heavy tables or other bodies are moved. the
medium" may be in a psychological condi
ton, analogous to if not identical with that
Of artificial somnambulism. So, in the wei
! known experiment, where four persons ligl
full sized individual from the floor or the
ground into the air by the aid of two finger.
of each hand, when they all take in flu
breath previously to the effort, the person
lifted doing the same. But the success il
this experiment, as may easily be proved
depends entirely, as it does in tablemoving
on fixing the attention closely on the effort
if not the full conviction of success
Let the attention of the lifters be dis
tracted, or let them be wholly sieptical
which will have the effect of distracting th'
attention, the body will not be elevated, bu
weigh down like SO much lead. But
the condition above mentioned be fulfilled
then the body VIII be lifted with the great
est ease; and that too. without conscious et
fort, while it is demonstratable that each @
the four lifters raised, perhaps, from 30 t
40 pounds each. This is quite as wonderful
as table moving if it does not belong to tn
same class of phenomena. l have in re
peated instances suddenly seized the arm
Of mediums whose hands were said to res
lightly on the table, and the table itsel