r is the veil
separating the two planes upon which they dwell.

Automatic Writing.

In that phase of mediumship known as "automatic or inspirational
writing," there is manifested two distinct forms of spirit control of
the organism of the medium. In cases of pure automatic writing the
spirit controls the arm and hand muscles of the medium, and uses them to
write out the message under the direct and absolute control of the mind
and will of the spirit. Cases have been known in which both hands of the
medium have been so used by the spirit control, each hand writing a
distinct and separate message, and both being performed without any
consciousness of the nature of the message on the part of the medium. In
some cases of automatic writing the medium was engaged in thought about
other subjects, or even in reading or study from a book. This is true
not only in cases of automatic writing in which the hand is directly
employed, but also in those in which some mechanical device such as the
planchette or the ouija board intervenes.

Inspirational Writing.

In inspirational writing, on the other hand, the spirit impresses the
message upon the mind of the medium, either as a whole, or else sentence
by sentence or even word by word--in all of such cases, be it noted, the
medium is aware of the substance of what he is about to write, either
the word, the sentence, or perhaps the entire message. In such cases, of
course, the medium retains control of his writing muscles and their
action, and the spirit control is merely a phase of higher telepathy, as
it were. When the message is impressed upon the mind of the medium word
by word, or sentence by sentence, the style is of course that of the
spirit exerting the control; but where the entire message is impressed
upon the mind of the medium, the style is usually a blending of that of
the spirit and that of the medium, for the medium is not likely to
remember the literal message as given him, but merely is conscious of
the general purport and meaning thereof, together with a few phrases or
expressions formed by the spirit mind. In such cases, of course, the
personality of the medium enters largely into the message, while in the
case of pure automatic writing the personality of the medium plays no
part whatsoever, and the personality of the spirit is present in its
entirety. This important distinction should be noted and remembered.

Gradual Development of Powers.

Most mediums