rthy of assignment
to any such source. These communications seem usually painted by the
mind of the medium, and are often notably feeble, absurd, and valueless.

To the members of this class the second explanation is the only tenable
one,--namely, that there are certain extraordinary powers resident in
the nervous organism which are capable of acting in opposition to the
ordinary energies of nature; that an intangible material exists outside
the body and penetrates physical objects, through whose aid the
nerve-power somehow operates to produce sounds and motions of bodies;
that this nerve-power may act unconsciously to the person who possesses
it in even a highly-developed state; that its action may be controlled
by the mind, acting either consciously or unconsciously; that old and
long-forgotten stores of the memory may take part in this action; and
that other minds may act through the medium's mind and set in action his
psychic powers unconsciously to himself.

That there is such a supersensible substance, and that the human mind
has such hitherto unknown powers, is not easy to admit. And yet when we
consider all the facts bearing upon the case it becomes equally hard to
deny. The history of mankind is full of stories of occult operations and
so-called supernatural performances. Those recorded are, of course, but
the merest fraction of those that have been observed. At the present day
this world of mystery seems everywhere around us. Outside of what is put
on record, almost every person one meets can relate some such mysterious
occurrence which has happened to himself or some of his acquaintances.
That a very great proportion of this has been self-deception must be
admitted. But all mankind is not blind and gullible; and if we strain
these stories of the marvellous through the sieve of criticism, some
considerable residuum will remain, which must be accounted for by
another theory than that of delusion.

The theory above given accounts in some degree for most of the facts,
though there are others which it is not easy to make fit in. Such are
the instances in which information unknown to any person present has
been given. We may instance the writing of the word covered by Professor
Crooks's finger, and the answer to Judge Edmonds's mental question
concerning his dying friend. Other striking instances of the same
character might be given, some of which have happened within the
knowledge of the writer. We may give in i