ision is seen; in the
second, a _literal_ vision supervenes; and in the third and fourth
cases the vision reverts to the symbolical. Here we have an
instance of the overlapping of the two conditions of the
temperament, the active and the passive state alternating.

As an illustration of the extreme difficulty of interpretation in the
normal state of consciousness a symbol may be cited which was
seen in the crystal for Miss X. "A shield, and a lion rampant
thereon, in red." Now this might mean anything. It suggests the
armorial bearings of a princely family. The lion rampant might
mean the anger of a person in authority, as the lion is the avowed
king of beasts. Its colour, red, and its attitude are naturally
expressive of anger. The shield might be a protection, though little
needed by a lion, especially if the assailant were the fragile Miss
X. to whom the vision had reference.

Now observe the interpretation of the seer. "You will hear news
from a man of medium height and fair complexion concerning a
foreign country. A letter will come in reference to something
written by you which will be the very best thing that could happen.
You will score a great success." This interpretation, which is quite
in line with the fact and which afterwards transpired, is probably
as far removed from all that one might have expected as anything
could well be. But we have to remember that the condition in
which the seer voices the interpretation of symbols seen by him is
a psychological one, and no doubt in that state natural symbols
take on quite a different signification to that which they would
hold in the normal state of waking consciousness. How often do
dreams have a marked influence upon the dreamer while still
asleep; how often do they assume proportions of magnitude and
become pregnant with meaning to the dreamer, only to dissolve
into ridiculous triviality and nonsense as soon as the person
awakes! It would indeed appear that a complete hiatus exists
between the visionary and the waking states of consciousness, so
that even the laws of thought undergo a change when the centre of
consciousness is removed from the outer to the inner world of
thought and feeling.

The writer has known cases of sickness predicted with remarkable
accuracy, the time and the nature of the sickness being foretold
with more or less accuracy. The reception of unexpected letters
and telegrams; their import and consequences; the various
changes, voyag