The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-18

| concludes that. as to Mrs Piper: Our choice
now seems clearly defined between deliberate
and systematic fraud on the one hand and su.
| pernormal faculty on the other" As 10 this
conclusion Mr.. Podmore cites the fact tina,
for the past fourteen years Mrs. Piper
| has been under the constant close OBJ
servation OF Prof James. DR.. Hodgson
and others: that she has been watched by de-
tectives. her personal baggage searched and
| her private correspondenoe read, and that
| during all that time not the slightest circum-
stance has come to light rejecting upon her
| honesty.
At one time. some four or FIVE years ago.
| Prof James conceived the idea Of getting all
the Harvard professors TO have sittinRs with
Mrs. Piper. Among those who yielded to his
wishes were Profs Shaer. Norton and Trow-
bridge. or these the last named did not see
In the sitting anything more than 'an insane
cunning In the cropping OF the woman after
something intangible" Prof Shaler was som O.
what impressed but says at the close OF his
report that he cannot exclude the hypothesis
OF fraud Prof Norton's conclusions were that
there was " no question as to Mrs. Piper's good
faith or as to her delusion in respect to the
nature OF the influences to which she was sub
Ieet when In the trance state" He aoknowl-
edges peculiar influence upon tho medium"
and says he has an opinion as to the origin Of
many OF tho phantasmagoria OF her trance
dreams. but he does not give that opinion.
DR.. HodEson's description OF Mrs Piper's
trance state Ia as follows:
When Mrs. Piper begins TO pass into trance
her normal or supraliminal consciousness be-
gins to disappear and her subliminal con-
sciousness begins to manifest itself. II II az
though her supralimlnal consciousness was
sinking and her subliminal consciousness ris-
ing. There Is one stage where the sublimfnal
consciousness seems to come into view before
the supraliminal consciousness has completely
disappeared. In this stage she 10 apparently
dreamily conscious OF the sitter and dreamly
conscious OF spirits. She seems to be partly
conscious. as II were. OF two worlds This
stage, as she passes into trance. Is usually very
brief and changing She sees figures and hears
voices before she has DOM pletely lost her con-
seriousness OF her ordinary physical surround-
ings. as lie indicated by her appearance and
her occasional remarks to the sitters or to the
persons that she apparently sees or hears. In
the next stage the supralminal consciousness
has entirely disappeared, and the subliminal
consciousness only is manifest This stage
also Is very brief as she passes into trance. but
occasionally 1t lasts somewhat longer than
usual. and she repeats a remark addressed to
her by some spirit or makes IL remark herself
10 a spirit.
In the next stage this consciousness also
disappears: IL seems to be withdrawn from
any direct govsrnance Of her body. the upper
part OF which becomes inert and apparently
lifeless. About this time. or shortly after-
ward. there arises very slight disturbance In
the upper part OF the body. which becomes less
inert and which appears to have como to some
extent under the control OF some conscious
ness and at the same time or frequently ear
Her. the right hand and arm manifest control
by what seems to be another consciousness
and begin to make movements suggesting
writing. The upper part OF tho body. includ-
ing the left arm. Ia then usually controlled by
one personality and the right arm by another.
Tho consciousness controlling the hand
holds . conversation with the sitter by writ
Ing. but. 80 far as have been able to asosr-
tain. Is not directly conscious OF the act Of
writing. The writing seems to be an auto
matte registering which Is produced by the
nervous mechanism OF Mrs Pipers organism
and OF which the consciousness communicate
ing Is as little aware as the ordinary person
talking into a photographic mouthpiece 10
aware OF the registration on the revolving cyL-l
Under. The sense Of hsarinG for this oonsOioQbr