true when the message is of the nature of a test of
identity, and where the vocal organs of the medium are being employed in
the manifestation. It occurs far more frequently than the public
suppose, that the medium is stricken by stage-fright or the panic of
fear, arising from the causes above given, i.e. the sudden fear that he
is allowing his fanciful imagination to run away with him instead of his
being under genuine control.

The Psychic Telephone System.

The medium should ever strive to guard against this harmful mental
state, and should open himself completely to the spirit influence,
casting aside all fear and doubt, and placing all responsibility upon
the controlling spirit or band of helpers. The medium should remember
that he is merely the "medium" or psychic telephone system, and is not
an active party to the process of spirit communication. He should,
therefore, never either unduly strive to please, nor be fearful or
distrustful concerning the validity of the manifestation being made
through him. Let the spirits attend to their end of the line, and the
sitters to the other end--the medium is on neither end of the line, but
is the line itself.

Interrupted Communications.

It should not be forgotten, in this connection, that the spirits have
their own difficulties to contend with. In the current slang phrase,
they "have troubles of their own" to overcome in the production of
mediumistic phenomena. Not only does the spirit wishing to communicate
have to draw sufficient psychic power from the medium and the sitters,
not only has he to scientifically adjust the apparatus at the sending
end of the psychic telephonic line, but he has also to be sure that he
is actually communicating the message so that it may be received by the
sitters. In such cases the spirit is placed in a position similar to
that of a person at one end of a telephone line, who after had an answer
to his opening "Hello!" talks away, thinking that the person at the
other end is hearing every word he utters, perfectly unconscious that
the communication has been interrupted from some cause or other common
to telephone lines. How often do we, in our telephone conversations,
interrupt our flow of talk to anxiously inquire, "Are you still there?"
or "Do you hear me?"

Some Difficulties of the Spirits.

A writer on the subject has well said regarding this difficulty on the
part of the communicating spirit: "Spirits have many difficulties