,
clear, and strong; (2) cases in which the spirits exerted their own
psychometric, clairvoyant or clairaudient power, and then communicated
the result through their mediums to the circle. In the first of above
classes, the psychic faculties of the medium really perform the work,
although greatly aided by the addition of the psychic power of the
spirit. In the second of the above classes, the work is performed solely
by the psychic powers of the spirits, and the medium acts merely as the
line of communication between spirit and the circle. It must be
remembered that the spirits who have passed out of the body are
possessed of the same order of psychic faculties as are those still in
the body, and that, likewise, on both planes there is a great variation
of the degree of such powers between different individuals.

Spirit Psychic Assistance.

From the above, it will be seen that a mediumistic person may practice
in psychometry, clairvoyance, and clairaudience, either with or without
the assistance of the spirits. In case the spirits are assisting in the
direction of performing the psychic work themselves, and then
communicating the result to the medium, the medium of course has but to
remain passive and receive the communication. In cases, however, in
which the spirits assist merely by strengthening the psychic power of
the medium by aiding in the production of the rapport conditions, or by
lending the psychic power to add to that of the medium, then the medium
has but to proceed just as we have pointed out in the earlier portions
of this book devoted to the subjects of psychometry, clairvoyance, etc.

Writing Mediumship.

In what is known as "writing mediumship" the medium's hand is controlled
by the spirit, and is caused to write messages to those present, or to
answer questions propounded by some of those present at the circle. In
some quarters such writing is called "automatic writing," but inasmuch
as this last term is also applied to cases in which the hand of the
person writes a message telepathed by a living person, it would seem
that the old term "writing mediumship" is still the best one to use in
the cases in which the spirit control is using the hand of the medium
for the purpose of communication. The following statements made by
different mediumistic writers on this particular subject will prove
interesting and instructive to the young mediums seeking development
along the lines of this special phase